Birthday for a Princess

Kensington and her Castle
First time meeting Mickey and the only child that hasn't screamed doing so
Peekaboo with Minnie
Group photo for the day
Waiting to see the Princesses...and playing with their princesses all day...I just love Caleb's crooked ears!
We got to meet Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora...and by far Aurora was Kensie's favorite...so we have the Aurora dress...which she will fit in when she's 3!
Mickey again...can never get to much Mickey
This girl LOVES her princesses! Whenever she sees them she starts rocking back and forth and singing "Ahhhhh Ahhhhh Ahhhh" like Ariel!
Happy Birthday girl
Kaden- Jedi warrior
After defeating Darth Mal
Riding in the front of the mono rail...And Gracyn admiring her Cinderella gloves! :) She loved being all dolled up.
Sleepy Princess!
With Uncle Jedrix and Aunt Lisa in the tea cups
On the Jungle Cruise
Just to prove I did go on Small World...again
You can't tell but she actually loved Small World
A birthday cupcake
And the end...conked out...except for Kaden and Matt who took us back to the hotel and then went back for more!

So...way behind on pictures and since I still haven't taken any pictures of the house...maybe this weekend...thought I'd at least get up the pictures from Kensington Disney Birthday. It was the perfect first princess birthday! Loved it and so thankful for the sweetest friends to spend it with.

First Colorado Springs Tourist Event

Starting off on our "hike" ...ok it's not really hiking when you're just walking around on cement but the boys were decked out with "explorer" hats, backbacks, water bottles and snacks...so it felt like a hike.


Posing themselves..."Take a picture of me Dad!"

In the crevace of the Rock

Last Saturday we took an hour and headed to the Garden of the Gods. The boys LOVED it. We'll definitly have to go back when we have more then an hour to explore the place, but in that hour we got some great views, some good pictures, and picked up an imaginary friend named "snakey" who we talked about the WHOLE time we were there. Kensington wasn't so into snakey or the rocks but just about lept out of my arms whenever a dog came by. That girls loves her animals! Don't think we have anything as exciting as Garden of the God's planned for this weekend...more like cleaning and organzing the garage! Oh well, work and then play. Have a blessed weekend!

What I found...

So this is what I found Kensington doing when I came down the stairs the other day. All on her own initative she grabbed her purse and her stroller and her baby and proceed to walk herself around the kitchen! She's not even standing on her own yet but she loves to walk pushing her stroller! I just LOVE having a girl! What a great argument for nature vs. nurture. She's 12 months old and squeals with delight when we walk by the "pink" aisle at the toy store. She LOVES her pink purse, her pink fuzzy blanket, and babies...that's just the sweet spirit of a girl!

Last Friday

I like this picture cause the look on Kaden's face is like, "WHAT is this stuff!" and Caleb's like "WOOHOO!"
Yes... that is me...in the snow...the things you do for your kids.
This was one of Kensie's two minute's in the snow

Happy girl...thinking...I wish I was at the beach, I wish I was at the beach...
Love the snow

So last Friday we had our first official Welcome To Colorado snow storm...shut down school and everything. As much as snow is NOT my favorite thing, it wasn't to bad and we even managed to enjoy ourselves after we stopped panicking. Thought I was going to suffocate if it didn't stop...which praise the Lord it did....8 hours later.

But this Friday although it is cold there is no snow on the ground...yet. A friendly Colorado native informed me that it can snow every month of the year here...oh goody. :)

Lest you get the wrong impression, we do feel very blessed to be here and are enjoying the area, the new home, and getting settled. And pictures...so many pictures to go through. House pictures will come once we get the rest of our furniture. Till then, think of me in the cold and pray for warm weather! :)

Still here!

Hello Everyone! Just a quick note (quick because I'm watching the minutes tick away until I have to wake up Caleb and Kensie to go get Kaden from school...somethings never change!) to say hello and let everyone know we are up and running. So thankful for the Lord's strength day by day (and for coffee too) as we get settled in! We're almost there! Lot's of organizing to do but starting to feel like routine is coming. :) So nice for us Type A personalities! I keep promising pictures but I"m on Matt's computer and I dont' know how to find anything on here...I'm lucky I got to the internet! :) Anyways, I'm slowly catching up with everyone and want to say thank you for your prayers. Anytime you have the sudden urge to visit the mountains, you now have a place to stay! Love to you all!

One Year Old

So as seems to be the norm for our family Kensington's birthday keeps going and going! :) Today she is enjoying her 3rd birthday party! :) Pays to be a princess. So since we are still celebrating I thought I could slide in the final likes and dislikes blog. Fear not, for I'm sure there will be more updates in the future, but not monthly...like I was really on time with that anyways. :) So here goes...

Firsts:
Crawling crawling crawling
Pulling up on just about everything
Saying Mama to get my attention
Saying Uh Oh as she throws her water cup on the ground once again
Driving 17 hours straight to Colorado
New House
Snow...but mommy didn't let me play in it
Dip in the ocean
Move
Cake and ice cream!
Fit in the grocery store
Trip to Disney
Pink Princess dress and doll
Baby dedication


Likes:
Her Family
Dolls
Taking all the cards out of Mommy's wallet
Opening doors and cabinets
Pink Fuzzy Blankets
Wearing dresses
Getting attention ie. being told she is beautiful
Bath time
Eating: Pizza is still a favorite, grilled cheese, pancakes, black beans, and apples


Dislikes:
Not getting her way
Being stuck in the car
Feeling ignored
Bananas



Such a blessing this Little One. Lord, thank you for this Gift you have entrusted to us this past year. Overwhelmed by the task in front of us, grant us the wisdom and patience to instill in her a heart that is gentile and loving yet strong and steadfast. Thank you for the beauty that shines on the outside but may it overflow from a spring of beauty on the inside. May she always know that she is a Princess because of the price You have paid for her. Thank you for this day and each day you grant us.

P.S. Pictures to come...eventually...once we get internet in Colorado :)

Where to Start...Kensington is 1!!!

Surprise! I'm feeling the overwhelming need to post something just to let you know that we're still alive and in the midst of moving/vacation business. Hoping it will slow down soon, but no guarantees! :) Good news is we have our Colorado home painted and unpacked to functional and our family of 5 is all back together again. We plan to head to Colorado this coming Friday to get fully settled in. The bad news is it SNOWED while we were there...yep we're definitly not in California anymore!
But what is really on my heart is my daughter's birthday. Kensington Eleanor Rose is 1...ok technically she'll be one in 57 min...but still. I am so, so grateful for the spirit that the Lord has given her and the joy that she brings to so many. Praying that the beauty that God has gifted her will shine from a heart that comes to love Jesus and longs to bring Him glory. What a precious gift she is. I still look at her in awe and then glance up to see her two towering brothers over her and my heart is overwhelmed with these three precious lives God has commissioned me to love and parent and point to Him. God have mercy and grant me wisdom and patience and love like yours! We are taking Kensington to Disneyland tomorrow to celebrate her first birthday. We had an amazing little family party today complete with princess sash, pink balloons, flowers, presents and her very first cake and icecream. So fun. Thankful for all the ways that God has provided for us to celbrate her! Can't wait to introduce her to the Princesses tomorrow and whisper in her ear that she is a princess of the one true KING!
Until I catch a moments breath again...Jesus loves you!

Last Day of School

This isn't from the last day of school, this picture just makes me happy. :) We like to have lots of picnics in the sunshine!
The Bear that Kaden gave to his class as a goodbye gift. Each day someone in the class gets to pick a bear to carry with them through the day...now they have a Kaden bear.
Kaden's Kindergarten Room 2
Special Buddies
Kaden giving his gift to Mrs. Lecce
Mrs. Lecce hugging him close. Kaden stood there and they all hugged him as they walked out the door. So sweet and so sad.
Standing in front of his school with an amazing pillow that they made for him. It has a class picture and everyone's handprints on it. Kaden calls it his hug. :)
One more picture in front of the school
This is the inside of Kaden's chapel sweater. Some of you may remember this story... but when we joined the school two days before school began we had no time to find uniforms or anything. Mrs. Lecce took us down to the gently used uniform closet and the first thing she pulled out was this sweater. When Kaden tried it on, I noticed that there was writing on the inside and when I asked what it was, we pulled it off and looked. Kaden's last name we're already labeled on the inside! Such an amazing conformation that we had Kaden in the school that God wanted him in!

Just wanted to post a few pictures from Kaden's last day of school before the craziness that will be the move starts! :) Such a sweet, sad day. We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and affection, and our hearts broke to say goodbye to classmates and teachers that had become dear friends. We pray God's blessing and protection over each and every person and thank the Lord for the blessing of having them in our lives. Kaden as he said goodbye to each of his friends said, "Be There!" Which was Mrs. Lecce's encouragement to him. "Be There (Heaven) so that we can all be together again someday!"

Dream Come True

Happy Beach Girls...yes I know Kensie doesn't look like me :)
But we are wearing matching outfits. :)
Our surrey for the afternoon...otherwise known as a cart full of kids!
Kensington looking so happy and so cute in her little helmet. :)
Matt stayed with Kensie while the boys and I (I am in the blue shirt) climbed the rocks at Lovers point.
I finally got to take the ride

We were a little bummed when the ride was over.

Last Sunday was a GORGEOUS day...well this whole week has been beautiful, but after church last Sunday, Matt helped me make one of my dreams come true! Ever since living here in 1992 I wanted to rent one of these surrey's and ride down the bike trails from Fisherman's Wharf to Lover's Point. And I've been wanting to do it since we got here in September 18 months ago...and know that we only have two weeks left, we finally made it happen! And it was just as fun as I imagined all these years! and A LOT harder too! You think you're in shape until you try something out of routine! But is was worth the pain to see the joy on the kids faces and to watch Caleb shine as the official bell ringer to warn people to get out of the way. Boy, he loved that job. :) Kensington, I'm pretty sure, thought this was the best family outing of her life, and Kaden had fun fake peddling between Matt and I. Lots of fun family memories made. Thank you, Lord.

It was also a dream come true to get to wear matching outfits with my daughter! Ok, maybe I didn't always dream about wearing matching outfits, but it is still a dream come true to have her in our lives! :)

11 months and 1 day

Just LOVE this little tushie with the pink tutu crawling all over the house. :)
Play time with good friends...the flower headband beside her was supposed to be on her...but we had to finally give that up.
Practicing for her future roll as Snow White, Kensington helped herself to her brothers lunch box, pulled out the apple and started chewing away. She does really well for only having 5 teeth!
Yum, I really like this apple!

Well, Folks, it is so hard to believe that Kensington is 11 months old! Seems like this precious gift has always been apart of our lives and then at the same time it seems like yesterday she was that little cuddly peanut that was just content to snuggle in your arms. Yes, I know EVERYONE says that but man, it's so true. So here's the run down for her 11 month.

Likes:

More then anything, to get into mommy's wallet and pull out ALL the cards, at home, at the store, at church, wherever we are that she can somehow get to my wallet.

Pink fuzzy blankets

Bath and bed time

Eating "real" food: favorites being grilled cheese, chicken, strawberries, bread, oatmeal, black beans, broccoli, and pizza!

Playing with Kaden and Caleb and getting into the middle of whatever they are doing

Being on the move

Mommy :)

Giving kisses

Daddy

Saying Ba-Ba

Blowing zurberts

Playing music with her brothers

Dancing...she just sits and swings her arms back and forth, so cute!

Doesn't Like:

Being forced to lie still while changing diapers or getting clothes on

Not being the center of attention

Having something taken away from her

Not getting her food fast enough

Firsts:

Crawling!!!!! All over! This has been to date the craziest week with having 3 kids.

5 teeth! All new!

Having 5th disease, bronchitis, an ear infection, and teething all at the same time.

Pulling up to stand

Saying Mamamamamamama

As always, I'm sure I'm missing some highlights, but at this hour, this is all I can think of! Kensington is truly a precious spirit. She is inquisitive, bright, and on the move. She loves to be in the middle of things, she knows exactly what she wants, and will work to get it. I love her curious spark and energy, may the Lord take and shape all of these things in her for His glory!

PS. Kensington's Baby dedication is planned for Sunday, March 28th.

Around the Bay

Sea Otter just hanging out. Love how the just float around on their backs. :) So comfortable, you'd never know the water is FREEZING!
We were SO close to these guys. I kept calling them Nigel from Nemo...they didn't seem to impressed.
Why do they all have their flippers in the air?...pretending to be sharks? That was my first assumption, but actually they use them like solar panels :) to stay warm in the water they keep one fin up so that as the sun warms their flipper they can stay warm. :)
Nigel :)
I am thrilled with how close we've been able to get to God's creation. So amazing...but we do keep our distance!

No, those are not giant slugs on the beach :) They are spotted seals. I LOVE watching them wiggle up the sand, makes me giggle just thinking about it.
Playing in the waves
Sweet face
View off of Lover's Point
Hummingbird caught in flight
And we mustn't forget the Turkeys...yes we have 30+ wild Turkeys that run around the neighborhood! At any given time they are stopping traffic as they meander across the street. :) And did you know Turkeys can FLY! It's a scary thing to see a Ginormous Turkey flying through the air over your head!

Just wanted to share a few "nature" pictures that Matt's been taking. And now you know why it's so hard to leave Monterey! Such an amazing piece of God's creation. Breathtaking....well maybe not the Turkeys, but most everything else is awe inspiring~ :) In fact, we may just take a little beach trip after school today, trying to soak up as much as I can. We'll see how long we last in the wind. So thankful for this time, and looking forward to the next adventure with the Lord!