{I love you}

Having Norah here was such a joy. She is fun & sweet. I really liked having an extra pair of baby feet running through the house.  I loved hearing extra giggles & handing out an extra graham cracker. I loved lining up 6 plates at meals & kissing 6 children at bedtime.  I laughed carrying 2 babies on my hips & pushing the buggy with 2 babies. But most of all I loved having an extra little one to say "I love you" to. I do love her. I did instantly. 

{tubby}

The girls took tubs together. They splashed & Presley "braided" Norah's hair which looked a lot like twisting. They both smelled of baby shampoo when we pulled them out & little curls made their appearance as their hair dried.  

{ride}

Before Brad & Kalen went on the hunt for the perfect home Brad gave the boys rides on his motorcycle. Slow & steady & just around the block. Maddox loved it! He is officially a huge fan of Uncle Brad! 

{2 years}

For 2 years I admired her through pictures, blog posts, FaceTime. Saturday evening I met my niece, Norah Marie for the very first time. My heart swelled right away. she's a dream. She is busy & talks & talks! She makes us all smile & has brought so much joy to our family. The children comment on how cute she is & they wish to help her up or down the stairs. I have pictures from earlier, but yesterday was our first day with my brother & sister in law out house hunting. Norah kept saying "where'd they go" with a shrug of her shoulders & a puzzled look. She even had me walk her down the street to make sure daddy was not hiding outside.she is being a big girl about the changes taking place. Moving is not easy on adults, and less so on little ones. Also..Maddox has met his match in the blue eyes department! His cousin Norah has the same striking eyes! 

{Reading Restaurant}

It was Britton's turn for the 1st grade reading restaurant this year. He is such a quiet kid most of the time & is hard to pull things out of. I see the wheels turning & often wonder what he is thinking, but mostly what he is feeling. This school event gave me a peek into his heart. He shared poems he had written, stories he had made, read me his favorite books & showed me some art projects. He was so proud of himself & we both really soaked in the special time just the two of us to chat. His teacher this year has been so patient & loving with Britton. He had a difficult start at school but has finished off the year with praises of his behavior & knowledge. In fact the boy has had strait As all year.  We are so proud of him. He still very much monopolizes much of my heart. 

It was fun to see all our neighborhood friends too.