So, I left off on my last post with all the party decor. Once everything was set up, we were ready for the guests to arrive!! I did have to do Annie's hair and thankfully Aunt Izzy came through with some clear pony tail holders just as people were starting to show up.
Annie enjoys "Burt-Grayson" so much!!
They play well together and play a lot at school based on what she tells me.
Lynlee, Wes, and Sabrina came! Lynlee is such a sweet friend!
Gaga, Papa, Aunt Izzy, and Uncle Alex came and they came bearing big, special gifts!
Annie opened this special one from Gaga and Papa right away!
Surprise!! It was her very own Mary Poppins hat handmade by Gaga!
Thank you Gaga for such a special gift! You are so talented! The hat is perfect!
I modeled it in hopes of encouraging Annie to wear it during the party!
It worked :)
Annie looked absolutely adorable in the hat and it fit just perfectly!!
Jane Darby and Rollins came and played hard on the play ground!!
Trey and family also came!! These boys look so handsome!
LOVE this one of Annie and Lynlee!! The top of the slide made for beautiful pictures!
Love this unposed one of our very own, sweet, beautiful Mary Poppins!!
Look how adorable the hat is with cherries and flowers!
Annie was ready for some donughts - one of her favorite treats - to start off the party!
Grandpa was there too!! Love this one of Brad and his Dad!
Papa and Annie!
Annie got a little overwhelmed by all the attention I think. Plus, she needed more to eat to get her going and bring up her blood sugar. She has the same problems that Mommy has when she hasn't eaten enough :( I loved the snuggles and that Mommy is still what she wants and needs the most! She also got her baby paci at this point. I know it doesn't make for the best pictures but it was a sweet little reminder that she is still not so big after all! My best big / little girl!!
Franklin, Kat, Elizabeth and Emmie!
Emmie and Annie started off the chalk drawings!
More snuggles with Mommy!
Uncle Alex, Izzy, Rose, and Katie (Jane Darby's mom and sister!)
Robert (Trey's Daddy) giving big pushes on the tire swing!
Annie, Lynlee, and Trey
Uncle T, Wes, Grandpa, Aunt Cole, and Baby Brooklyn!
Sweet Sara Jane!
Wes and Grandpa
After a lot of play time, we decided it was time to sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake! Unfortunatley, the only thing I forgot were the candles. Everyone looked around and we even tried the cigarette lighter in my car, but nothing worked. So, we just had to use our imaginations and sing anyways! Love this one of Lynlee, Annie, and Grayson checking out the cake!
Waiting for candles...
Singing Happy Birthday to our best birthday girl! Per her request, we all sang "Happy Birthday dear Burt!"even though I think she changed her mind mid-song and wanted to be "Mary Poppins!"
More sweet friends...Charlotte, Annie, Calton (from Ross Bridge), Lynlee, and Grayson!
Everyone enjoying the cake and trying to cool off in the shade!
The kiddos look so big sitting around the table together!
Papa is so good at talking to the kiddos (and adults too) and getting to know them!
Sweet Franklin in his baby bubble!
So glad the chalk paper was a hit!
Love this one of Daddy / Papa, Annie, and me!
More friends...the Dettling family on the left.
Sweet Noah!
After cake, it was time to open presents!!
I definitely think this was one of Annie's favorite parts of the day!
Lynlee was a very sweet helper!
Uncle T and beautiful baby Brooklyn watched!
The older kids (4 and up) were especially interested in helping with the gift opening and very interested to see what she got!
Annie got the best presents including the original Mary Poppins hat and the white hat and parasol all handmade by Gaga, a new big girl bike with training wheels from Grandpa, an easy bake oven and accessories , Mary Poppins umbrella and carpet bag, stickers, Candy Land board game, Highlights magazine subscription, the best paper bag puppet craft kit and wedding dress-up outfit and veil, modeling sand, zoo carousel tickets, an apron, puzzles, and so much more!! We are so thankful to all of our friends and family for all of their generosity and thoughtfulness! We have sincerely enjoyed every single one of her new gifts!
Annie LOVED her new bike and wanted to ride it right away!! She took to it immediately and keeps getting stronger and stronger at riding it! Thank you Grandpa! I loved riding bikes as a kid and hope that Annie will too - and also have a neighborhood that she can ride all over like Em and I did!
Love this little girl!
Sweet cousins! Annie (3) and Brooklyn (8 months)
Love this one also of Brooklyn, Nicole, and Tom!
Lynlee wanted a turn to hold Brooklyn too!
Our annual Godparents shot - Annie, Me, Wes, Brad, and Sabrina!
So thankful for these friends!
Charlotte!
I took a turn on the playground too!
Aunt Emmie!!
Our little family!
Mommy and Daddy! So glad the party was a success!
This picture cracks me up!
Lynlee and Rollins wanted to join in which makes us look like a family of 5 which is a-okay with me!!
At the end, all the adults and kiddos took turns as Mary Poppins and Burt!
These pictures are hysterical!
Daddy and Annie!
Annie looking in!
Wes and Brad!?!?
Aaron and Tally! I'm thankful that so many wanted to play along! It made for a really fun day!
Lynlee and Annie!
Brad and Me!
Annie and Emmie!
And one of my favorites from the day - Emmie and Annie!!
Annie loves her Emmie so, so much (and vise versa, I know!)
Charlotte and Jennifer!
Papa and Gaga! Mom said we look a lot like Julie Andrews and I think she does too!
Uncle Alex and Aunt Izzy!
And some more of our precocious Mary Poppins with "rosy cheeks and a cheery disposition,
very sweet and fairly pretty,"
loves to "sings songs, gives us loves treats,"
loves to go "on outings"
and is "practically perfect in every way!"
My favorite one from the day! Mary Poppins with all her accessories and the sweetest little face!!
Jane Darby and Annie!
Love this one of the entire Jones family!
(The Oser's were already gone or we would have had one with them too!)
Mary Poppins measuring up!
Aunt Izzy and Uncle Alex with the birthday girl!
I love these of all the "children!" We missed Uncle Jeffrey so much :( He was on a mission trip with our church and didn't get back until Saturday night. He was so sad not to be here and Annie was sad he was not there too!
Annie loved her bride costume and veil from Izzy and Alex!! She loves to watch our wedding video and look at our wedding pictures. She talks a lot about my long white dress and my veil! So sweet!
Aunt Emmie also modeled Mary Poppin's hat! She looks beautiful and so much like Julie Andrews!
Love this one!
Overall, the party was a huge success full of lots of love, fun, sweet things to eat, and surrounded by so many of our family and friends!! I think that Annie felt very special and loved her Mary Poppins party!
We love you so much our sweet Annie! We are so proud of you and the big girl that you are becoming! We cannot believe that you are 3 years old. We are sad that you are no longer the little baby that you were but we are also so excited about the big girl that you are becoming! You have learned so much in your 3 short years of life and blow us away with your love, your affection, your memory, your observation of all things, your kindness and empathy towards others, your silliness, your growth, and all the wonderful things that you have learned! We pray for you every day, sweet girl, that you will continue to grow in wisdom and in stature and that Lord will bless you and keep you!
A few things about Annie at 3 so that we can remember:
Stats:
Weight: 36 lbs, 90th percentile
Height: 39 1/2", 90th percentile
Head Circumference: 19"
- People usually thing she is older because she is so tall!
- For the most part, she is never shy! She is never shy when she is with her family and is mostly not shy with friends. I think she is very good at responding accordingly to strangers who are nice or who are strange. She can tell the difference and responds accordingly.
- Annie has usually referred to herslef as "Ninnie" or answered "Ninnie" when asked her name. But lately, she answers with whatever character she is most into..."Mary Poppins" Cinderella" "Ballerina" etc. I love that strangers don't always get her real name :) And most recently, she has also started to call herself "Annie!" I am a little sad that Ninnie is gone because it was so cute but I am also proud of her for pronouncing her name correctly!
- She loves an audience and stage to sing or dance on! She wants everyone to watch her!
- In June, she basically became potty trained over night! We first tried in May due to some leaking diapers but she was not ready and I forced it due to the diaper issue. About two weeks after our first try, she woke up and told me she wanted to wear panties! She was ready and has done extemely well every since! She has had very few accidents and is so proud to be a big girl!
- She still loves her "baby paci" and I am in no hurry to give it up. She has it at naptime and night time (for the most part). It really helps her calm down and wind down for sleep. Plus, I am not one of those Mamas who worries that she will have it forever. We talk about how its not good for her teeth and she knows that not all of her friends still use one. I am actually hoping that she will decide on her own to give it up like she did with potty training. We will see!
- She loves to learn and is constantly picking up on new things!
- She is extremely observant and notices so many details and has an excellent memory. She gets both these skills from Brad because I am very unobservant and have a terrible memory. Both will serve her well in life as it has Brad.
- She loves to clean! She initiates cleaning her room or other toys and also is a great helper at school I have heard!
- She still loves to do anything I do! Go to the grocery (espically Publix becaue they have cookies!), run errands, cook dinner, etc. I love that she is so engaged with me and all that we do together! She is a super sweet and fun companion!
- She is very opinionated. This is good but can be hard. I know its also a big part of being 3! She picks out her outfit most days (and can mostly dress herself!)
- She is very confident and "owns the place" where ever she goes! I am thankful for her confidence and think that it will serve her well.
- She is very sweet and loving and encouraging! She tells us things like "You did a good job Mommy!" or "Great reading, Daddy!" or "You're the best Mommy in the whole world!!"
- She is very funny! She says things like "I've never seen such a thing!"
- She knows a lot of her capitalized letters and is learning to write them as well! It is fun to teach her and see how well she picks up on new things.
- She loves to scream! Mostly in excitement when I come pick her up at school or she is just having fun, but sometimes when she wants our attention or is being bad. It is shrill!!!
- She is still a good eater. She loves junk food and sweets but thankfully still likes her veggies too. Our main problem with eating is getting her to stay still and focused long enough to eat. Usually she prefers to be playing and moving around and eat "drive by bites." It is exhausting!
This is a pretty good list describing Annie at 3, but I am sure there is more! She is such a sweet girl and we are so thankful to be her Mommy and Daddy! We love you sweet girl!
