My Grown Up Girl.

Oh my Kenna bear.
I can't believe how fast you are growing up.

Sassy. Inquisitive. Bright. You never forget anything! You remember every word we say and take it very seriously anytime you feel like we are not keeping our word to you. You still wear your heart on your sleeve and can go from happy to complete breakdown so very quickly. So independent that I relish the times you still need my help or just want my snuggles.

The SWEETEST thing when you want to be.

You are so musical- always singing and making up little songs and you taught your brother to hum which is about the cutest thing ever. You alternate between singing songs you have heard in your T.V. shows and movies with little ones you make up as you go along- it is February and you're still singing Christmas carols. You love painting and often paint crosses- "Jesus dieds" which makes Mommy and Daddy so happy!

Dress up is your favorite game- complete with elaborate stories of what you are dressed as and what adventures you are going on. You are an accessories girl and love to wear a necklace or two to church (like Mommy). Your church shoes are your favorite and you much prefer dresses to shirts and jeans which you say give you "itchy spots."

Your favorite toys are My Little Ponies and your Barbie dolls which you call "dollies." They host elaborate picnics together and all their accessories must be arranged just so. You like to switch them all around from bag to basket to bucket to tote them all around the house- and to keep Finn from touching them.

You "turned into" 4 years old just after we moved to Eagle Springs, and your Daddy and I have been shocked at how much you grew. Four just seems so much bigger and smarter than three- you still love to paint, love to have books read to you and your special Buttercup stories with Daddy at bedtime. You just started sleeping in your bunk bed that we painted for you, and you just seem so big. You can brush your own teeth and buckle your own car seat and you're such a big helper. I can give you a task and you love to help!

You are brave and independent, but still love Mommy's snuggles and Daddy's attention. You have lots of stories to tell and questions to ask. You love on Finn and always want to help take care of him- washing him in the bath, singing bedtime songs to him, and kissing him goodnight. You do like to remind him that he's littler than you though- that he's not allowed on your bunk bed and that he can only color with the washable markers. You definitely want to be the little mommy of the house.

You're even learning to write your name and other short words (you wrote "Hi" on all your Valentines this year) and I can't believe it's almost time for you to start school! We love you so much, Kenna bear!

Photo A Day- August 22

Today I told Kenna I had a special treat for her. While she was eating dinner, I went down to the basement and brought up this one little Barbie that was mine when I was little and the handful of my favorite clothes. I saved this Barbie for my own little girl one day... she was always my favorite because she was a "gymnast" Barbie, and so her arms and legs bend in ways normal Barbies' don't. Kenna is thrilled with her new favorite doll, and told me that she is "not a baby doll. she is a big girl doll." Kenna loves to change her clothes over and over, and picks out her favorite dress each night for the doll to sleep in. (We have been told her name is not "Barbie" but "Doll").

Emmie's 3rd Birthday!

In June, we celebrated a very special little girl's 3rd birthday- our cousin Emmie! Kenna was very excited not only to receive some mail addressed to her, but also that the invitation asked her to pick out her favorite princess outfit to wear to the party! Kenna chose her favorite one, a medieval-style princess gown that Papa and Mimi gave her about a year ago that she has loved almost to death- we had to hand wash it to clean it up a bit for the occasion!

She was so excited to pick out all her princess accessories, all the way down to her high heeled dress up shoes, and that Mommy had wrapped Emmie's present in a princess bag!

We ran a little late waiting for little brother to wake up from his nap, and when we got to Emmie's house, Princess Cinderella was just arriving too! Her dress was beautiful and her hair perfectly in place, just a princess should be. She started by reading us a story about herself and Prince Charming, of course.

 Kenna loved sitting with her best princess buddy, Emmie, who was also dressed like Cinderella!

Princess Cinderella brought lots of fun activities and surprises with her for all the girls! Things like face painting, dancing to princess songs, and stickering their very own princess crowns with their names on them. Kenna chose a rainbow on her cheek for her face painting, and was so cute waiting patiently and watching while Cinderella painted her. Here she is working on her stickered crown kit:

After birthday cake and lots of yummy pink treats, Every princess got to take a picture with Cinderella, and then Uncle Jason and Aunt Alisa very thoughtfully included a copy of it in everybody's thank you notes! What a thrill to meet a real life princess!

Finn on the other hand, was very careful to stick close to his Daddy and make extra sure he was not mistaken for a princess.

As we wished Princess Cinderella and each other goodbye, Kenna was given a princess art set with markers as a party favor. She was high on all the princess girly goodness! (The two pieces of cake she ate probably had nothing to do with it!)

She still loves to play dress up in her purple stickered crown and use her princess markers. Happy birthday Emmie, and thank you for letting us come play princesses with you!

Pictures in the Park.

I'm finally trying to finish up blogging some older photos we have, so these are from back on October! If you haven't read the story of the heirloom red boots, start here...

I realized this fall that as Kenna was about to turn 3, if I didn't take a picture of her wearing the red boots and little blue dress that my mom made and saved, neither would fit her anymore! In the hubbub of late pregnancy and newborn days with Finn, I almost missed it. I still regret not taking them sooner, but thankfully, she was happy to squish into them (maybe one last time? Tears.) and we added leggings under the dress that was short on me at 2 years old, and very short on Kenna at almost 3 years old!

So here I am in the dress and boots:
And here's my pretty girl in them:
Apparently Kenna is a bit taller than Mommy was when I wore them (even with little jeans bloomers on underneath!) The weather was beautiful, and Kenna had so much fun being the center of Mommy's attention with the camera. I think she can tell there's something special about these boots. I just let her run and play and be silly with her little suitcase.
That bright red tongue is proof that her Momma may or may not have bribed her with candy for a good smile in the photos. Shhhhh.

And the beautiful red curls are all Kenna's own, her trademark.
We added some little "jeggings" to cover up those long legs. I think she looks like something out of a Sundance catalog here... she may have missed her calling as a model! Carrying around her favorite little "cutecase" as she calls it.
We were having so much fun that little brother wanted in on the action! (Truth be told, he needed his diaper changed and was getting antsy in the stroller.) We seriously have some baby models in the family.
Kenna sat down with him and I didn't do a thing other than just click away as they played together. These are some of the sweetest sibling photos we have of them so far. They absolutely melt my heart every time I look at them. Love them so.
I found one of those free canvas deals online and have this one printed on a little 8x10 art canvas in our living room. Love it!