The Terrific Two's!!

I've decided to forgo calling the two's terrible, and I'm going to call them terrific, I figure if you call something terrible, then it will be, so obviously, if I call them terrific, then this year will go smoothly with no tantrums or crankiness from my toddler. (Hey! Stop laughing!  It could happen!)

Well any who, we started Harper being 2 off with a bang, she had a fabulous birthday! We began our day with her favorite french toast for breakfast (after opening a few gifts), put on the birthday tutu and went to meet the positively perfect Pennebakers at the Pacific Science Center! Harper had a grand time with Beckett and we all stopped at Dick's and got some burgers for an impromptu picnic in the park.  Then we went home, opened some more presents (we tried to stagger them throughout the day so she could enjoy each toy before she got another) After a failed attempt at a nap, we opened MORE presents, then went to the Robbins to have dinner and celebrate Harper (and Daddy's birthday) where Harper got her biggie gift from Grandma Sheila, her first trike!

Woo!  It was pretty exciting, and really exhausting, so much so that Mommy forgot to bring the camera to the Robbin's, so saddly there are no pictures of Harper with her Aunt, Uncle and Cousins.  Parental FAIL!!

Enjoy what I did get though! And stay tuned to find out all about Harper's birthday party this weekend!

Harper really wasn't into wearing the Birthday tiara

Beckett however though it went just perfect with his outfit

I don't know what they are looking at... but obviously it is really interesting

I don't know what they are looking at either... but still interesting

Just chilling... its coo

Obviously she was big enough to do this on her own...

As with all great bands, they decided to call it quits before the public got bored with them... but I'm sure a greatest hits album is in the near future.

If Harper and Beckett lived when the dinosaurs did... this is how they would look standing in a dino footprint.

Also this is how they'd look riding a giant caterpillar.

The PSC is sooo exhausting!

Cortney is fancy... with her fancy chauffeur

Silly butterfly, that's not a flower

Look at my kid on a bike... crazy!

The Tale of the First Carrot Cake

We have a big week and a half coming up, Harper's second birthday, Ryan's thirty-second birthday, Harper's girly elmo party, then we leave for 10 days in Iowa/Illinois... crazy! This post however, is all about Carrot Cake... Random you say?  No, not really.

Let me take you on a journey that is centered around a vegetable flavored cake.  6 years ago, I was fairly new to the Seattle area, and also I had a bit of a crush on the cute guy named Ryan King, and he asked me to go to Bumbershoot (a music festival thing, even though I thought he said bum shoot, and why would I want to go shoot bums?) with him and some friends. This was a very important outing, because it was our first without the presence of Eric Robbins, not that there is anything wrong with him, but you try getting your flirt on in the presence of your brother/pastor.

After a jolly good day, I learned that the next day was Ryan's birthday and I told him I would bake him whatever he wanted, and he asked for a carrot cake.  Well of course I had never made a carrot cake, and it didn't help that someone (not to mention any names, but she gave birth to me) kept telling me that it didn't look right. 

Luckily for me it turned out ok, because Ryan King claims he married me for my carrot cake, so who knows what would have happened if I burnt that sucker?!?  Any who, I have made a carrot cake for the last 6 years (except 2 years ago, but I had just given birth so give me some slack!).  And for an interesting side note, Harper was born 4 years to the day (September 3) that we went to Bumbershoot together, CRAZY!

What is the point of this story?  Didn't really have one, just reminiscing and explaining why Ryan King will have a carrot birthday cake for the rest of forever. Happy birthday a little early Mr. King! Thanks for asking me to go shoot bums, otherwise there would be no carrot cake, and then you would not have married me.

The only picture I could find from when we first started dating... there is a lot of hair happening here.

5 Months!?!

I can't believe even a little bit that my little baby is 5 months old!  In a crazy clash of contradiction, I feel that she is growing up so so fast, but also that I feel like she has been with us for so much longer than 5 months.  It seems like little Sawyer Belle has always been a part of our family, everyone loves her, even down the dogs, which is crazy, because she pulls their fur and tries to eat their tails... mmmm delicious!

5 Things to know about Sawyer Belle at 5 months old...

1. She is so loud!  She loves to talk and scream, grunt and giggle, oh and spit like ththtpthpthth!
2.  She LOVES her big sister and her puppies, her face lights up when she sees them and she will just stare and smile, they are pretty awesome.
3.  She has no problem telling you something is wrong, however when something isn't wrong, she is so full of joy and very silly, its hard to not smile at her.
4.  She is the snuggle baby queen!  She loves loves to snuggle and is sooo good at it, I've wasted many hours just getting my baby snuggle fix.
5.  She is huge and strong for her 5 months age.  Pretty much she just skipped the tiny baby phase.
 

Helloooo!

So happy!

Can I maybe put this camera in my mouth?

I'm just cute, I can't help it...

Also can I put this puppy ear in my mouth?

They love each other a lot right now... I'm hoping it lasts

Even Griz has to get in his baby snuggles!

One Little Monkey...

Sleeping in her big girl bed!  So when Grandpa and Grandma King were her, they ordered Harper a big girl bed (after much deliberating about which kind), and it finally came on Friday.  So Harper and I put it together (really she just stole my tools and ran away), and then daddy went and picked up the mattress we bought, and Harper got to sleep in her bed on Saturday.  She did so so good, she likes to play a little but she doesn't get off the bed, she did figure out she can open the dresser from her bed and for I will find her in a pile of Sawyer's clothes, but oh well, she eventually falls asleep.   She even asks to go to bed and gets so excited about it.  I'm a jealous because her bed looks so comfy cozy, but I don't think Ryan King would be up for getting two twin beds. 

It is crazy how easy a transition this has been since she has never slept in anything other than a crib or pack and play.  We are giving her a little time before we move Sawyer into the crib at night, but then my girls will be the cutest little roomies!

Harper's new bed!

Sawyer's new bed!

I don't know why... I just think those little piggy banks are so cute

Also I still like that mobile thing Kenzie and I made... so I just took a picture

Reading in bed, notice the book?  I'm hoping its a sign!

Unfortunately, Harper is not the only one who likes her new bed

I don't know, I left Sawyer in the pack and play for a minute and when I came back, Harper had crawled in with her. I guess since her bed was occupied... so she had to go somewhere.

The King and I

I have never seen The King and I, but I'm pretty sure there is a lot of singing and dancing, happy times, and probably a King, which pretty much sums up my marriage.  Except I don't sing, and I don't dance but there has been happy times, and a King (a Ryan King that is) and Ryan does sing... so yes, pretty much the same thing.  Why am I telling you this you may ask?  Well tomorrow is the 5 year anniversary of the day I became Mrs. Ryan King.  I am blogging today, because tomorrow I want to spend the day with my amazing husband and my two beautiful girls.  (Although I am currently getting frustrated with one because she keeps getting into things in my office!) 

Moving on...  I just want to say thank you Ryan King (yes I call him Ryan King, just saying Ryan feels weird) for being such an amazing husband.  You are affectionate and caring and put up with me real swell, even through those tough cranky-Lonnie moments.  I also couldn't ask for a better dad for Harper Willow and Sawyer Belle, you are so fabulous with them, whether its having a tea party, tackling a super nasty poo, or just snuggling on the couch, you make my heart happy every time I see your super-daddness.

5 years, 2 girls, and 2 k-9s later, I'm still crazy in love with you even though I don't always say it, and I know I'll be even more so 5 years from now!  Happy Anniversary!

My brother married us... pretty darn tootin special

I just like this picture

Can you believe its been 5 years!?!

Look how cute they were! Look at Kennedy's model pose... and Tristan's poor little face :(

Studs... enough said

Also I just really like this picture... pretty Amanda!

We really dig these people... even Aaron who is hiding behind Sam

3 of the most amazing ladies in all the land!