Saturday, September 29, 2012

She's going to make us millions...

Ivy LOVES to sing!  Any chance she has she will pick up some random item and start singing with it.  Books, phones, small iphone speakers, bedside lamps...you name it!

We've been lucky to get some on video...so enjoy!


Bedside lamp at Grandma's house...



She loves to sing with this little book.
I had to pretend I wasn't filming, hence the sweeping sound in the background.



Michael decided it was time to buy her a microphone!
This is her singing while being pushed in the pram around the shops.



Michael sent me this one while I was away. 
Note the side step and arm at the end...so funny!




Milla turns 4!....And I wasn't there.

For the first time I missed one of my girls birthday...in person anyway.  Milla turned 4 while I was away in the States.  I felt really bad at first at the thought of not being there to celebrate with her but I also knew that Michael and Lyn would make it a special day for her so the guilt was eased.  We sat on Skype for a long time and I enjoyed watching her run in and out of the room showing me all the different presents she received.

Lyn arranged a sweet litttle morning tea with one of Michael's cousin's daughters, Sharlise. 
Aunty Jodie made them some cute little flower cupcakes for them to enjoy...



At night they celebrated with a Freddo Frog ice cream cake which was Milla's request...Yum!




Look at my beautiful family!
(oh, and Sage...once again making us all laugh!)



I try and emphasise to each of my girls the special little talents that they bring to our family.  We call Milla our 'healer baby' because she bought us so much happiness after we lost Lily.  She loves being called that and smiles when we talk about how it, almost like she has a true sense of what it really means.  She's very easy going and relaxed and doesn't give me much trouble.  She's generally the last to go to sleep at night but deep down, I love hanging out with her at night while all the others are asleep.  She loves gymnastics, playing with her barbies and dancing with her pretty twirly skirts or princess dresses.

Happy Birthday sweet little Milla!

Friday, September 28, 2012

I Love Instagram!!

Why? Because it captures MOMENTS.  How many times a day do you have special moments that you want to remember without an elaborate story behind it.  Just nice and simple!  I wanted to put some of my favourite pics I've taken so far into one place.

(If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen these already.)

My baby's face light up when we sing her happy birthday...



Having all my girls around me...



Beautiful flowers my husband brings home to me to show he loves me...



A beautiful rose for my sister-in-law to celebrate the safe arrival of her twins...



Skyping my daughters...



Dirty faces... 



Watching my sweet children sleep...



Little hands getting dirty and loving it...



Sisterly love...



Beautiful sunsets to remind me that God is real...



Happy girls enjoying time with their daddy..



The beautiful world we live in...



Seeing my eldest and youngest sleeping together...



Spending time with Grandpa...




Milla's personality that makes me smile...



Ella showing kindness...



Exhausting technology...



 Being around loved ones on their birthday...



Chillin' with Milla at night...



Sweet little hands that make things...



Static hair that makes me laugh...



Seeing my girls play with their Dad...




Thursday, September 27, 2012

Lily's 5th Birthday...

Things have changed and it's ok!  Lily's birthday landed on a weekday this year so we were unable to spend the day as a family as we normally would.  On her first birthday I wanted the tradition of having a birthday cake for her each year.  That first year was tough.  It was so hard to hold back the tears as we sung to her and I never wanted to do that again.  But, this year I thought it would be nice try again, and it was.  

I dropped the girls to school and bought some beautiful pink roses and a cake...



I picked the girls up from school at 3pm and then we met Michael at Lily's grave.  The girls are always excited to come and see her.  I give them the responsibility of brushing off any leaves or cut grass from her grave and then filling the vase with water to put the flowers in.
They love it and I know they enjoy doing that for her.



Not quite sure what Ivy was saying to Milla but they were having their own little conversation and afterwards Milla put her arm around Ivy (see the below pic)...it was the sweetest thing to watch.




It never gets old to the girls looking at all the graves...I love it when they pick up an ornament that has fallen over and put it back.



 Michael bought a gold pen to fix up the writing on her plaque that had faded.  I don't know what it is, but seeing Michael do this, such a simple act for his daughter, makes my heart melt.  This is one small thing he can do for her now.  It's moments like this that reminds me that a father has lost his daughter too, not just a mother.





After we arranged the flowers, it was time to sing Happy Birthday.  As I mentioned before, it was hard at first but now I get so much enjoyment out of watching the girls be there for her on her birthday and honouring the day she was born. 



 Michael lighting the candle...



This picture says so many words and means alot to me...



All of them helped cut her cake...
It's amazing how one photo can stir so many emotions in me. So precious!






I don't want this to ever get old.  How we remember her will change as the girls get older but what once what such a painful, hard time in our lives has now become something joyful. And this is what I want my girls to always know.  Yes, it is hard as we go through hardships and trials in our lives but there is so much to learn from them to help us be at peace and happy.  When we focus on what is important (which to me is my relationship with my Heavenly Father, family and family relationships) in our lives and choose to take the higher road when dealing with hardships, we are guided and blessed with what we are in need of.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" Psalm 30:5

Our Beautiful Dancing Girl...

As Ella becomes that little bit older where she's really getting more and more into dancing.  A year ago I would have to force her to go but I think as she get's older, she appreciates it more and enjoys going and being apart of a team.  This year was her first year in the Eisteddfod team and is by invitation only.  She was hesitant at first to make a commitment but we encouraged her that it teaches her responsibility and also how great it is to be apart of something where you share it with others.  She had to learn three new dances.  Her favourite dance is slow modern (blue costume) where she dances to a song from Tangled.

Photography is not allowed while they are on stage so we can only capture her before she goes on...

 Dolly Dance...Song & Dance



Some of the girls in her team...



Ballet...




Slow Modern...



On this particular day, the girls got 1st for their Dolly Dance, 3rd for their Ballet and Highly Commended for their Slow Modern.  It was the first time they competed together and the teacher was impressed they placed so well since they are a new team.  They have since had many more placements in each competition.Well done girls!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ivy!...

My baby is 2!  Where in the world did those years go?  The more children you have it seems the less time you have to relish in their growth each and every day.  Life get's busy and then all of a sudden they are turning 2, then 10, then 18 then they are getting married! :(  I wish I could freeze time and keep them as they are!

Ivy loved her birthday and you can tell she loved having all her family around her.  We don't go overboard with birthday's but I think just having the people around that love and care about Ivy makes it more memorable for them...oh, and the cake!  The cake is always remembered!

Ella and Sage helping Ivy read a card...



A pram!...(many prams have been bought over the years! ;)


...And babies.





The family came over for some dinner and cake...
And Sage, well she was just her normal entertaining self!






Crazy Sisters...




Special kisses from Daddy...





I love cake!!..


Present time...




A special name bracelet from Mama Lyn...





I remember someone saying to me that Ivy will be the 'icing on the cake' for our family and I have would have to agree!  Our family wouldn't be the same without her and I look forward to her little personality shining as the years go by.