Our Big Three Year Old

Lilly is now a little girl and not a toddler. It makes me a little sad that my baby is growing up so fast. But it is so fun to have someone around all the time that acts like a little adult. She is always saying and doing things that make me laugh. Here are a few of the things she has said lately:

Gus and I were arguing over who got to sit at the computer and Lilly said, "Will you guys just share! Daddy can have the computer first and then mommy can have it after he is done!"

At the beginning of October, Lilly started saying "Oh, I want that for my birthday!" over everything she saw on TV or at the store. Then when my birthday rolled around she started saying, "Oh, I want that for YOUR birthday". She is very smart.

Before Gus and Lilly left to go on a walk, Lilly said, "Daddy, I need a water bottle so I can get thirsty."

A few days before Lilly's birthday we were all in the car and Gus and I were discussing things that we could get Lilly for her birthday. All of the sudden Lilly said, "Um...I'm right here!"

Lilly came up to me one day and said, "Mommy, today I am having a baby. I said, "Wow Lilly thats great!" And then she said, "But Mom, a baby is a BIG responsibility!"

For Joy School the children were asked to bring in a pet or at least a picture of a pet they liked. I asked Lilly if she had any pets she could take to school. She replied with a grin, "Yes, my daddy!"

Lilly was looking through a picture book of all her of her relatives when she stopped on her Grandpa Arnold's picture. She snickered and said, "I love that guy!"

We were getting ready to go to the store and Gus looked at Lilly and said, "Lilly, go get your clothes on." She looked at him and said, "I can't. I'm watching football." Gus couldn't have been happier.

During the last session of General Conference, Gus and I were hanging out on the couch listening while Lilly played dress-up. During President Monson's talk he said, "We're all in this together." Lilly looked up in astonishment and said "did you just hear the Prophet, he said 'We're all in this together' just like High School Musical!" At least she was listening.

After a small trip to Michaels, I buckled Lilly into her carseat and then got up front. I started looking through my bag for a treat for Lilly when I heard someone tap on my window, there stood a policeman. I opened my window and the policeman said, "I just wanted to say thank-you for strapping your little girl into her carseat. It always makes me happy to see people strap thier little ones in because there are many that dont." I laughed and told him "your welcome". After he left I looked back at Lilly. She was sitting there with a freaked out look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and she said, "I am SO glad I had my seatbelt on. He would have taken me from you! That would have been so scary." She talked about it all the way home. Lets just say I dont think Lilly will fight me about being buckled into her carseat ever again.

One morning I woke up to Lilly yelling, "Cockadoodledoo!" over and over. I walked into her room and asked her what she was doing. She said, "Waking you up!"

Halloween

This year for Halloween Lilly wanted to be a princess (wow, big suprise there). She added some wings out of her dress-up box at the last minute and insisted that she wear them. So, she became a fairy princess and I was just glad the wings matched the dress.

We started out the day by going to the Ward Trunk-or-Treat. We ate chili, listened to a fun storyteller, had our faces painted, and of course trunk-or-treated. Lilly had the hang of it this year and actually was excited to say trick-or-treat. She loved going to everyones trunks and getting candy.

Later that night we went to a friends house for a Halloween Party with lots of yummy food, fun toys, and great friends to hang out with.

After that party we swung by our good friend Wendy's house. Lilly LOVES Wendy and used to beg me to let her sit by her in Sacrament Meeting until our ward was split. Wendy actually bought her the crown she wore with her princess costume. We had fun hanging out at their house and then swinging by a fun pumpkin patch where there were tons of insanely carved pumpkins. It was dark and the music was scary, so Lilly was a little freaked out but we had fun.

To end the night, I took Lilly to a couple of Wendy's neighbors because Lilly just wasn't done trick-or-treating. She was a little sad on the way home because she wanted to stop at every house to get more candy. It turned out to be a great night.

Pumpkin Carving

For FHE on Monday we carved a pumpkin. Lilly helped Gus pull out all the insides and then tried to help carve it, which was a little scary.

In the end, she was so proud of her daddy!

My Birthday and Sharpay

For my birthday last Friday Gus gave me roses and a SEWING MACHINE! I have wanted a sewing machine forever, and now I just need some money to buy fabric.

On Friday night, MJ came over and watched Lilly for us while we went out to eat at Olive Garden. We haven't gone out just the two of us forever and it was wonderful.

Lilly recieved this little number from my mom for her birthday. She calls it her "Sharpay" outfit. Sharpay is her favorite High School Musical character who is always wearing extravagant outfits. Lilly loves to put it on and prance around the house singing High School Musical songs.

Four Day Weekend

Last weekend was a busy one. Gus had Friday off and then Monday was Columbus Day, so he had that day off too, which made for a 4 day weekend!

On Friday we went to Cox Farms. We had a fun time looking at all the baby cows, pigs, goats, and sheep. We went through the corn maze, ate apples, drank apple cider, learned how to milk a cow, and went down all the big slides. Lilly especially loved the slides. At the end of every slide she would take off running back up the big hill to go again. At the end of the day we each picked out one pumpkin to take home.

On Sunday morning we left for Charlottesville, Virginia. We took a 2 hour drive through the Shenendoah National Forest and looked at the beautiful fall colors. Lilly threw up 3 times in the first hour of our drive. We think she got carsick because we were swerving through some pretty narrow roads, but when we stopped she was just fine.

We arrived at our hotel in Charlottesville later in the day, got a bite to eat, and went to sleep.

The next morning we drove over to the University of Virginia (where Gus's Aunt Jane went to college). We had a great time taking pictures with all the wonderful old buildings.

On the way back home we stopped off at Pop Pop and Betty Sue's house. Betty Sue fixed us a delicious lunch and we sat around and talked for a while. Then Gus took Lilly around the farm and let her run all of her energy out before the drive home. Lilly had a fun time giving Pop Pop hugs and kisses and telling him all her stories. Before we left, Betty Sue gave Lilly a bag of candy. She was so excited.

Princess Party

Lilly will be three years old on Sunday. To celebrate the big day I decided to throw her a birthday party. Lilly requested either a princess party or a High School Musical party. I figured the other girls her age would have more fun with a princess party, so princess announcements went out.

On Friday afternoon at 1:00, three of Lilly's princess friends arrived. They each received a crown, wand, necklace, and gift bag full of lots of princess stuff and a chocolate flower sucker upon arrival.

We played pin the crown on the princess, made candy necklaces, ate a princess castle with pink ice cream, and had a princess dance party. It was fun to plan but I am REALLY glad that it is over. I realized it was all worth it when the next day Lilly woke up and said, "Mom, I had so much fun at my party yesterday!" She was a happy little girl.

The beautiful princess Lilly

Pin the crown on the princess

Making candy necklaces

The magnificent cake that took WAY too long to make

Eating the magnificent cake

Lilly received very fun presents

The beautiful princesses

Eating ALL of her candy after a fun party

Bittersweet

Yesterday was bittersweet. It was the day that the headstone was finally finished and placed on our sweet little boys grave. For us, it made everything feel final. I was so happy to have something finally covering that bare spot of dirt, and it turned out beautiful.

It was also a day of remembering. It was hard because it brought back some very sad and angry feelings. We miss so much what we could have had here on this earth, and it hurts. I look at Lilly and feel sad that she won’t get to play with her two little brothers. I hope that some day I can think of my boys and ALWAYS think happy thoughts.

While we were in the Angel Garden at the cemetery I noticed a couple who stood crying over their tiny son's grave. It made me feel so sad for them because they may not have the knowledge that they will see him again. This made me so grateful for the knowledge that I have that I WILL see my two little boys again someday. But even with that knowledge, I still feel empty and sad over their loss; yet knowing that this isnt the end makes it bearable.

We put a Norway flag with the flowers because Gus's brother Nate is on a mission there

Kissing her brothers