Lizzie's Locks of Love

On Tuesday, February 21st, we had a day off of school. So, between swimming practices and playdates, we fit in a special event that Lizzie has been wanting for a long time...donating her hair to Locks of Love. She originally wanted to do it the first week of November with Emma; however, her hair was not quite long enough. After looking at a calendar, we decided we wanted to do it around Valentine's Day (get it?--Locks of LOVE and Valentine's Day!). I knew if we didn't schedule it in the morning, it wouldn't happen. Plus, she wanted to wait for Emma and Carter to go with her to give her the attention she'd been looking forward to. She got it! This is the before... and after!
We just went to Great Clips around the corner because they do it for free!

The stylist and I were both in awe that a 4 year old had hair long enough to donate 10 inches and still have enough length remaining for such a cute bob.

Lizzie was so cute being pampered. She's such a girl!

The only sadness is that she looks older!

Below are the 2 ponytails cut from both sides of her hair. Isn't that gorgeous blonde hair?

I'm so proud of my girls and their desire to help others. I'm also grateful for thoughtful children's literature that teaches about alopecia and cancer and inspires children to reach out and serve.

My beautiful blondies!

Valentine's Day/week

The weekend before Valentine's Day was momentous for me. Braxton went to his first dance and Evan went to a "hang-out" at a girl's house. They each had a great time! Both came home all smiles. Below is a sneaky picture taken on the homeowner's phone. Evan dressed up for the occasion and wore a button up shirt! I was so proud of him! He cares!

Braxton and a friend from his childhood, whom he recently got reacquainted with, went to the dance together. I had to get a picture to capture this "1st." He's a good sport to put up with me. I was also trying to give him dancing tips. Laugh if you want. We couldn't stop laughing at ourselves as we revisited the scene in "Hitch" where he tries to tell Kevin James' character where to "live" and not to "make the pizza" or do the "q-tip." That is honestly one of my favorite movie scenes of all time.

I kind of went all out for Valentine's Day. We decorated numerous rooms, had more treats than we should have, and because of my new vice, "Pinterest", my hubby and children got cheesy Love Notes with treats for a week. Of course, I had to make my girls' hair reflect our enthusiasm for this time set aside to show our love.

Look closely...Lizzie has an X and O in her hair.

Mmmmmm

Valentine's Dinner..."Hearty" Lasagna (notice the heart shape in the middle of the cheese?), Italian bread, and salad, Fruity punch, and frozen strawberry heart-shaped ice cubes by candlelight.

For our entertainment, we got to go to 2 concerts put on by the vocal choirs at Crone Middle School. Evan had the solo of the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.

Braxton and his low bass voice sounded great singing O-EE-O an octave lower than anyone else.

We topped off the evening with red-velvet sandwich cookies and mini cakes.

My sweet husband got me flowers the Saturday before so that I could enjoy them through the entire week. Gorgeous! He also got a dozen for his mom--another gesture that I love him more for.

Winter Sports

So, I'm the proud mama of a girl who actually enjoys playing basketball. We've been told Emma has the potential of being 6'0". With height and, hopefully, some acquired coordination, she may be able to play for a few years. She only got 1 basket during the season; however, her defense and rebounding skills dramatically improved. She was lucky enough to be on the same team as #5, who rocked everybody's world!

Pass, Dribble, Shoot!

REBOUND!

We actually got snow! It was enough to stay on the ground for 3 days, so with an afternoon free, we bought an extra tobaggon and drove over to the "sledding hill" for our first time EVER! Everyone had a blast!

Even STEVE!

He was done after about 30 minutes, but the kids lasted for over an hour.

Lizzie continued to amaze me with her courage...

and need for speed!

I had a blast taking pictures! The sun was perfect, the cold made the kids' cheeks and noses rosey pink, and with the bright colors of their hats and coats, I couldn't help myself. :) They are too darn cute!

Carter's Life

Carter had to do a timeline assignment for his own life. He had to choose some significant events that made an impact on him. These are the events he chose and his brief descriptions in his own spelling (beware--his spelling is like his dad's) and punctuation. What he lacks in technical writing, he makes up for in voice and enthusiasm. He is the king of exclamation points. :) Enjoy...

August 13, 2001
I was Born

It was a steamin' hot day when Evan and Braxton Bird were blessed with triplets. Me, Myself, and I! Just joking! It was only me! They loved me!

August 2007

"I hope she makes it," we all prayed those weeks in August. my mother was suffering serious pain trying to get my little sister to join us. She was right on the line of Death and almost left us when "WAA" Lizzie and Mom came home safe.

Babtism

That was one steamin' hot day that September day in 2009. I still had to dress up tight in church clothes. I was sweatin' so bad my face was drippin'. That wasn't the only water that day. I was cooled down fast in the water on my own babtism day. It was a smile mania!

February 2011

The Biggest meet I've ever been to was regionals! That screamin' Loud meet got me timesnever to be at!

Summer 2011

After Jimmer, BYU campus was a blast! The library and sports feilds were awsome! I felt like I was a student at BYU.

Walt Disney World 2012

* Disclaimer--I have tons of pictures in this post because I can't stop looking at them and reliving all the fun memories I have of our week, so bear with me. :)

I love Disneyworld! My kids love Disneyworld! If money were no option and I didn't stress so much about taking my kids out of school, I'd go every year. As a kid, my parents said if all of us got straight A's, we'd go to Disneyland. Well, my siblings and I always got straight A's, so we went yearly for a long time. It truly is a magical place. Now, to share that excitement with my kids and see their facial expressions as they get off a ride or have a unique experience, my heart melts!

Here we are: one big happy family!

A true test of her character
Disney does waiting in lines right. Now, going on Wednesday, we had no lines, but Disney begins the magic early and sets the tone and creates an atmosphere of anticipation as you wind your way to the start of the ride. The Winnie the Pooh ride was new for us. This wall where you can draw in the "honey" was awesome.
Braxton, though shy at first, decided to take advantage of the unique opportunities to meet princesses. Cinderella was sweet, but her heart was with Prince Charming.
Drisella, on the other hand, was ready to find a chapel. She was flirty and vivacious. Braxton's inner embarrassed giggle was so cute! I love Carter in this picture! Is he 10 or what?

Anastasia chose Evan after discovering that he was "the smart one." The step-mother even quizzed him and gave him her approval--as long as he becomes rich and provides them with a castle of their own. :) This Royal Feast at the Grand Floridian was one of my highlights. Not only were the stepsisters delightful, especially since they even grabbed my boys to dance, but the food was delicious. My kids had their first experience with strawberry soup and ask for it every night! It's on the menu for Thursday. :)

One funny tidbit: Steve and Braxton do NOT enjoy rides that go around and around. So, every dumbo-type of ride was ridden by only 5 of us. :) Braxton and Steve were happy to stand on the side and wave.

Splash Mountain was Lizzie's favorite! We did it probably 5 or 6 times. She was an absolute daredevil. I was shocked. All my kids couldn't get enough of the thrill rides. I expected it from my boys, but Emma and Lizzie were amazing. They never slowed us down and were in the middle of the action from start to finish.

Emma got to be the driver on jungle cruise and even got a driver's license!

We are not a "take time out from rides to eat snacks" type of people. We literally run from ride to ride. However, on the dining plan, we had snacks we'd already paid for, and they were accumulating, so after smelling churros the first day, Evan asked for some. It wasn't until the last day at WDW that we finally found some! Mmmmm! He had 4 to make up for lost time.

Just like on New Year's Eve, Emma and Lizzie couldn't stop their bodies from moving whenever the music started. Emma was so into it, that the dancers would copy her moves--even when she was doing the robot! One parade stopped and then began a "street party." To my surprise, my boys even got into it.

One thing I like better at Disneyworld than Disneyland is the eating experience. The restaurants provide fun and different experiences. This diner is set up like a typical kitchen in a home in the 50s. The waiters act like moms telling you to "get your elbows off the table", "eat your vegetables", "use your manners," etc. Our waiter named the boys Sparky, Scooter, and Spanky. He rode them pretty hard. :) Carter could NOT remember to get his elbows off the table, and after being "smart" with the waiter, he had to sing I'm a Little Teapot in the middle of the restaurant and then was banished to eat with another family. They were really good sports, and so was Carter. He was loving the attention--as always.

He wasn't the only one busted. I was caught sending a text to my mom at the table, so I had to put my nose up against the wall. The kids thought that was great.

Again, another dance party that my girls are pulled out to the middle for because they are dancing so crazy on the sidelines.

Even Steve made friends.

In France (Epcot), the girls found their inner "Fancy Nancy"s.

In America, Braxton was paged because Goofy wanted to sing him Happy Birthday.

Is this the sweetest exchange between Mary Poppins (my hero) and Lizzie? Can I employ Mary Poppins for 1 week? I could use her help!

This exhibit reminded me of something they'd have at the Museum of Science and Industry. As your hands break the barrier, music is heard. The faster you conduct, the faster the song is played. Genius!

Epcot was made so much more interactive for kids with the Kim Possible missions. My kids struggled not fighting and figuring out the clues without my help, but it got us much more involved in parts of Epcot than we would have been.

Again, Emma and Lizzie dancing--this time at Downtown Disney. They never stopped!

In Downtown Disney, there is a store called "Little Miss Matched." They are known for mismatched socks. The socks do not come in pairs, they come in 3s and are not to have a match, but are color coordinated. DARLING! My girls spent 30 minutes in this one store. They convinced me to go back at the end of our night and even buy some. This hat was one of the cute, unique things in the store.

The picture below is of us drenched after going on the raft ride--a first for all of us. Lizzie loved it, but the rest of us favored Expedition Everest. This and Rockin' Roller Coaster were everyone's favorite rides (minus Lizzie who was a tad too short).

If you can't tell...we had a blast. The kids are asking us when we can go back. Since it had been five years in between our visits, Emma asked if we could go again in 5 years. It hit me that Braxton will be 19 and may be away at college in 5 years. My heart dropped as I realized how short my time is with everyone still at home. Our summers are numbered. I'm nuts, but I'm already starting to think of the places I want us to go as a family so that I make sure I squeeze them in. (NYC, Yellowstone, Victoria Canada, to name a few) Why do they keep getting older when I feel like I'm the same young mom with little toddlers and a baby on my hip? Weird.