5

We have a 5 year old girl in our house as of this morning!
She said yesterday:
G: Mom, when I wake up in the morning will I be 5?
Mom: YES! You will be 5!
G: (thinking, then to self) OH, right, I will still have blond hair!

Here is a look back at all the wonderful things that Gabi did this past year!

She can keep up with the fastest of the boys on the soccer field!

She knows how to put on her best smile!

This girl can really pull together an outfit!

She can feed goats!

Ride the wildest of animals!

Clean her plate.

Act her age.

Pose for the camera.

Pose for the camera.

Look angelic.

Eat a Chicago-dog!

Enjoy some blue ice cream.

Can handle her drinks!

Walk and enjoy the scenery at Navy Pier.
(sidenote: this photo was taken right after Gabi shoved her head through the protective-metal-guardrail...
note red ear!)

Enjoy fine delicacies like Hagen Daas Ice Cream ($$$$).

Wear fine jewelery, unless they contain bugs.

Chill with a sista.

Be the life of a party.

Show a pinata a hard time.

Be herself!

Hold strong to her flower girl responsibilities, and eat cake!

Get some ink, to match her dad.

What an amazing gift-challenge-joy-love she has put into our lives!
Happy Happy Birthday, Gabberjaw!

*****HAPPY HALLOWEEN*********

I heard recently that we did not post our Halloween costumes, a certain birthday girl mentioned it, and since it is her birthday, I will make the effort!

Here are the kiddos, there are 2 extras in the back, don't mind them, we just rented them!
(BACK: John the vampire, Lila the witch, Isa as Native American, Will as N.American)
(FRONT: B as M&M, Gabi the Hawkeye Cheerleader)

The kids with their personally created Jack-o-laterns.

Tucker even got into the spirit with a costume. He went as a dog who had major surgery just 2 days prior. He really played the part well!

Daddy went solo to an annual Halloween Bash, that is too terrifying for our children to even mention! After chipping a nail, and his updo wouldn't hold, he dropped the Sarah Palin, and went for a tourist look!

~Birthday Girl~

Today is our Grammy's birthday!

We love her because:
She is nice,
fun,
smart,
a snack giver,
beautiful (inside and out),
generous,
has a t.v. with cable,
has a contagious smile,
loves our Opa,
AND
because she raised our daddy,
and we think she did a great job!

HAVE A HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAMMY!!!!
WE LOVE YOU!

Extreme Makeover: Spoiled Rotten Edition

This is what happens at our house when you go away to Grandma's for the weekend - you come home to a completely refurbished room.

Mom and Dad (and, to some messy extent, Gabi's siblings) transformed Gabi's room from drab tan to Pepto-Bismol pink and added a few other touches with spray paint and stamping. Her brown dresser was painted white with silver handles, and we added a silver toy chest and some holiday lighting mixed with tool. Mom made her some new pillows. And Hobby Lobby supplied the rest.

The result: her "princess room."

Gabi's siblings hid in her room to surprise her when she came home from her weekend away. Here's how it went (Dad highlighted his favorite lines with subtitles).