Happy Birthday, Lydia!

Three years ago, on Thanksgiving Day, Bryan pulled the turkey out of the oven, helped me into my unbuttonable coat and off to the hospital we went! Lydia did not make her grand entrance into the world until the next day at 4:08pm. And she made sure everybody knew about it.

At 9 months, she was already the middle child, but she did not have to work hard to keep us wrapped around her petite pinkie finger.

By 18 months, we were sure of her ambitious desire to learn and discover.

She went through a season where she loved everything Sesame Street, so for her 2nd birthday, she had an Oscar cake.

Our little girly girl was in full bloom by 26 months!

Lydia made her debut as a gymnast in February.

And at 2.5, she mastered tricycling.

Potty learning was her next major achievement!

This fall, Lydia has discovered the world of make-believe.  Pretending she is a mommy or a princess.

But she will always be our little Peanut. 

Happy 3rd Birthday, Lydia!

national adoption day

Congratulations to all the kids who officially joined their forever families today!

(And to their parents.)

caught being good

Guess how long it lasted...

"what are YOU thankful for?"

This month, we've been making a point to talk about what we are thankful for around the dinner table.  Brett and Lydia enjoy it, and, now that we've done it a few times, usually bring it up.  They are always thankful for important people in their lives like each other or Grandma or Papa.

I'm not sure if Reggie quite understands, or maybe he's just really thankful for elephants, because that is what he has said every night for the last 16 nights.

Until tonight, when he caught us all off guard, and was thankful for horses.