Clara Catherine - Yesterday and Today

Today is Clara's 5th birthday.

Clara was our 8th granddaughter and 20th grandchild.

She is an important part of this large family.

and an even more important part of this smaller family.

I wrote about Clara in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.  Those posts tell a lot about Clara and how her personality has evolved 'through the years' and the following pictures will show how she's changed physically 'through the years'.

So now I want to talk about Clara's todays and what's been going on in Clara's world during the past year.  First of all, after going to preschool two days a week last year, she's graduated to going to preschool every day and she loves it.

And she spent the holiday week in Gulf Shores with her large, extended family.

Then in February she visited Florida and stayed with us for a few days where she enjoyed the pool

Blue Spring State Park to see the manatees,

Disney World,

and Universal Studios where she won these valuable prizes all by herself.

Then she spent a few days with her dad visiting all the Disney sites and attending and being a part of his surprise (for the kids) wedding.  And just this Fall she started ballet lessons.  Here she is at her very first one.

So it's been a busy and eventful year for Clara.  She's interested in sports and looks forward to playing soccer next year

  which is not surprising because she's always showed an affinity for this kind of activity

And she continues to be very active - especially enjoying playing outside with her brothers.

She also enjoys being creative and artistic.

 and spending time with her best pal brother, Eli

her biggest brother and frequent helper, Noah

and her adored sister, always helper, and mentor, Anna

And I couldn't end this post without mentioning how much she loves her daddy

and adores her mommy.

And of course I have to add a few more important facts about Clara.  She's a bright, loving, interesting and interested little girl.  She doesn't miss a thing and is always thinking.  She figures life out as she goes along and nothing is boring to her.  She's active, happy, engaging, and a lot of fun.  For these reasons and so many more, we're wishing her the best birthday possible and a year that's even better than her special day.

Happy Birthday, Clara!  We love you so much!

Tessa Mary - Yesterday and Today

Today is Tessa's 10th birthday.

Tessa was our 16th grandchild and 7th granddaughter.

Tessa is a very important part of this large family.

and a very, very important part of this beautiful family.

I wrote about Tessa in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Those posts tell a lot about Tessa and the following pictures will show how she's changed 'through the years'.

 So now we can see how Tessa has changed in so many ways 'through the years' but now I want to talk about what Tessa's been up to for the past year.  And what a busy year it's been for her - full of changes and very special events.  Last year on her birthday, her dad had just moved across the country to go to school for the Army which was not an easy change since she's always been close with her daddy.

That meant she and her mom spent a lot of time together which was not new - just more intense than in recent years.  Here they are on a field trip up Pikes Peak last Spring.

And she spent Christmas in Florida; and the week between Christmas and New Years in Gulf Shores with her giant extended family.

In March, she and her mom met up with her dad so they could look for their new home and it was a great reunion.

They all met at their new house in the south and have been together ever since.  Another event for Tessa this year happened when her parents and her best cousin friend's parents arranged for the girls to spend a week together at Tessa's new house.  They had a wonderful time.

So for Tessa it's been a year of new - new location, new house, new school, new friends, and even new climate.  But she's adjusting well and is still the same, sweet girl she's always been.  Which leads me to the many more things I want to mention about Tessa.  First of all she's loves the outdoors including swings

which is nothing new since she's always enjoyed swings.

She loves to swim

And one of the perks of meeting her dad to look for a house in March was having him join her in the pool.

And she's a great swimmer

She loves animals and is anxious for her dog to love swimming as much as she does.

But most importantly she loves spending time in the pool with her mom

and her dad.

She's also very organized and responsible.  Here she is getting ready for the arrival of the moving truck with all her furniture.

And she's quirky, 

 adventuresome,

and sweet.

She's unfailingly thoughtful, loving, and sensitive, has a great sense of humor, and is always agreeable and cooperative.

For these reasons and a thousand others, we're wishing her the happiest birthday ever and a year filled with accomplishments and joy!  Happy Birthday, Tessa!  We love you!