Meeting Caden and Caroline!!!

On September 26th, our family was blessed with the birth of adorable twin cousins for our kids. Since they arrived a little early, we weren't sure if they'd have to go to the NICU or if there would be any complications, so just Michael went to Austin for their birth. The kids and I had our own "birth"day party for their new cousins which helped with their disappointment of not being there for the big event. Here's our cake:

the excited big cousins:
here's Cal about a millisecond before burning his finger and discovering a fact of life he'll not soon forget: Yes, mom and dad were right, fire is HOT:

the blowing of the candles!
Shortly after we sang and enjoyed our birthday cake, Aunt Amy called and told the kids the names of their new cousins who had just been born. Everyone was THRILLED and could not wait to meet Caroline and Caden!

The next weekend, we ventured down to Austin to meet them. They are precious and amazingly good babies!

The boys:
The girls:
Will and Ella were in love!

and well, Cal, he didn't want much to do with these little guys!
here's another attempt to hide from these little ones who have stolen his aunt and uncle and overtaken their house!
we really wanted a cousin shot, so Michael had to jump in just so Cal would agree to be in it.
Welcome Caden and Caroline. You are well loved and we could not be more thrilled to have you in our family!

Here we go again....

This precious 2 year old boy we call Cal is a bit on the crazy side and his mom is a bit on the laid back side. So you put those two things together and you get a boy who gets to walk around on a fractured fibula for five days before seeing a doctor.

Really, it was the most uneventful injury. He went to jump off a bench and I think he thought I was going to catch him. Since I wasn't looking and was trying converse with fellow mom Christy, I didn't catch him which resulted in a hard landing. He cried for about a minute, limped a bit and went right back to playing. Therefore, we left the mall with a limp and an unworried mom. Now fast forward five days, his mom and dad noticed he still limped at times, took him to the doctor and voila....here he is:

He will wear this full leg cast for 4 weeks (we're halfway there already) and should be good to go come October 13th. As for me, I've learned my lesson...limps are always significant in a child (so says the orthopedist). Point taken!

We love you Cal and are so proud of your adaptability to this big ol' cast. Mommy and Daddy are so sorry we made you walk around on a hurt leg!

A Beautiful Celebration

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Mike Guffre....

On Labor Day, we celebrated my precious cousin Elizabeth marrying the man of her dreams Mike. Our big two were honored to be a part of the wedding ceremony as a flower girl and ring bearer. Here are some pics of the gorgeous outside wedding (probably not in the right order).

Ella, Will, Payton and Camryn waiting for the big event...

3 beautiful girls...Camryn, Ella and Payton hanging out in the bride's room...

the Baker three...
flower girl rehearsal before the ceremony...

Unfortunately, we don't have any shots of them in action but they did great. We brought suckers to keep Cal quiet during the ceremony which actually had the reverse effect. Instead of sitting quietly with his mouth occupied, he made a huge mess and was very vocal about it all. So, Michael and Cal headed out to run around in the mansion where we wouldn't disturb anyone (other than the millions of dollars of valuables in the place) while the big two sat with me and were quite entertained with suckers...


More pics! 7 flower girls and 2 ring bearers...
Ella's on her way to party at the reception!
Baker and Cal waiting for lunch to begin...
My Dad and the lovely M.O.B. Ginny...
A quick photo op for our sweet Cal...


and lastly big Will hanging out in the grass with a leaf...
Congrats Elizabeth and Mike! We are so happy for you guys!

Big Will goes to Pre-K!!!

Earlier this month, our sweet Will started back at preschool. He goes to school Tuesdays and Thursdays and is having fun being in the big kid class. Here he is heading out the door on the first day...the boys out front of the school...


heading in with no hesitation...
putting his folder away while Cal supervises...
Back in the car, it's just you and me, Cal. Where do we begin?!
The years are flying by...seriously! So proud of you, my Will!

Ella's 6th Birthday Party

For her 6th birthday, Ella planned her entire party...like really planned it! She wanted a kindergarten party complete with centers, recess and snack time. And so we did just that! Oh and yes, this was a month ago...September has been a busy month and blogging has just lost rank! Here's our sweet girl waiting for her friends to arrive (please disregard the dead flowers in the bottom corner....remember, the whole losing rank thing!)

the handwriting center...
craft center...
Cal and Poppa trying to entertain themselves before the party starts...
the girls got busy at the craft center first...
I attempted to help at the handwriting center...
Mimi taught the math center...
Pop and Cal did the alphabet puzzle...
Dad taught the yo-yo center...
cute girls with their yo-yos...
Grammie did a spelling lesson (she's the one to thank for our word walls, too)...
and finished by reading the story, Why Quincy Couldn't Quack...
sweet Will was so attentive and loved being part oh his big sister's party!
more to come....