Happy Birthday, Sweet Nora Bean!

July 5, 2011

Not too sure she really wants to go to school...

My very favorite first photo of Nora and Molly together. Keep in mind that Heed, aka Molly (lookit that great noggin) is 7 weeks older than Tiny...this picture really just sums it all up! I love our babies...so sweet.

June 2008...these baby girls would be inseparable if we'd let 'em be. Though nowadays, Molly would try to mother Nora, boss her around, maybe cut her hair or her clothing, I dunno...I love that they have each other!

On August 26, 2009...my family, Uncle Tom and I were at Lake MI in Holland...so we wrote the Bean's name in the sand to remember her!

Christmas 2010...so stylish!

Christmas 2009 - hanging out in a clothes basket? really? and to think, we just bought you all of those amazing toys for Christmas.

Summer 2009...these expressions...ahhhh, just does not get any better! Molly LOVES celery. oh my, this makes me laugh!

Man, these two make theeee best faces, don't you agree? August 2009. Love these little sillies.

Time to get back to blogging for my loved ones' birthdays...sorry if I've managed to forget yours. (Kara, I'm planning to dig up a pic of you as soon as I post this)

Nora, I will never forget how happy I was when your momma called to tell me that her ultrasound said you'd be coming. A friend for our baby girl, Molly. In November of 2006, when I found out I was prego, I told your momma that she'd probably ought to get pregnant too.

Your momma was always so obedient (shyeah). it was one of my favorite times of my life, being pregnant together, and then finding out we'd both have baby girls. Molly, Gramma and I got to be in the room on August 26th (which just also happens to be one of your momma's best friends birthdays also. Happy Birthday, Amanda!) and it was so exciting when you plopped out. You were so tiny and your mom was wondering where all of your hair was. She'd had bad heartburn the whole time! 5 pounds, 12 ounces of Scott Cunniff glory...you are Cunniff thru and thru, no denying who your daddy is! (that was a close one! whew...ha ha. I kid)

I look forward to all of the shenanigans that you and Molly will get into in the coming years. I'm sure Molly will be the ringleader..

We are so glad to have your squeaky little self in our family. Can't wait to celebrate your FOURTH birthday this weekend, sweet girl. I love you and I'm blessed to be your aunt!

Happy 14th Birthday, Alexandra!

A huge shout out to our niece, Alexandra, pictured above hugging on Levi, who turns the big 1-4 this year!!

She's our first niece and when she was born, I'd only had Will and Ethan so I was quite green with envy over her arrival...I actually thought I'd never have a daughter. And then when Alexandra's sister, Abbey, pictured above also, on the left, showed up when I was pregs with Mel (but didn't know it was a girl)...was even more green with envy.

God was gracious in giving Melanie to us, for imagine the mayhem that would've ensued if it had been Melvin instead of Melanie. ha ha. (I do love my boys!)

Happy Wednesday to you and a very happy birthday to Zandra.

Thanks for the membership....

Mom, Dad, and Uncle Tom...it's already paid for itself! Thank you so much...

Molly wasn't so sure about all this carousing...

Big kids like carousel rides too!

couldn't go to the museum and have all that fun without taking the infamous self portrait...yikes.

Molly and Nora, checking out the itty bitty dollhouse display...

I love the section that has the little playhouses...here, Mel, Pipes, and Levi were in the 50's style soda shop...in this exact spot, one of my favorite Melanie pics ever was taken 3 years ago...I must find it and post it here...be right back...

~Ok, found it....look below...can't believe how grown up she is now...and I thought back then (2006) that she was so grown up! slow down, girl! what's yer hurry with that growin' up business?

This is the classroom in the new display at the C Museum...it focuses on 3 kids in history who have had to deal with discrimination...and I can't remember off hand why there is a school room like this but it might have something to do with Ruby Bridges....

Molly was really "digging" the sand...check out the pic below...she was hooked onto the sand box, by her ribs, and her little feet were off the ground...Nora couldn't stay away from the water section...so that is why there aren't any of her in the sandy area...

for some reason, she likes closing herself into small spaces. she makes me nervous with this.

at the end of the visit, when mom's are ready to leave their kids on the corner of Illinois and 30th...let alone take some pics of them for posterity's sake...I joke...and actually, this visit to the Children's Museum was pretty good...Friday afternoon, 3 pm - close at 5 pm, when most people have gone home, school field trips have left...gotta remember to do this again in the future...

Resurrection Day delightfulness

goofballs

Piper has that serious, "I must find lots of eggs" expression on her face...

David robbed Levi of one of his blue Peeps.

The hunt is on...

Having the 3 older children hide the eggs always has some interesting advantages...like eggs hidden up in the unfinished porch rafters...

and eggs on cars

and eggs hidden high up in the trees.

I think in this picture, Will was actually laying an egg. yup.

you're not done yet, kids....run.

we have this strange self-portrait obsession....I think, when we are old, or when we die, our kids and grandkids will enjoy these. maybe.

she's a two fisted egg hunter!

and eggs up on house ledges that only climby kids can get to...Will is lifting Pipes up here...and she was NOT excited....so much so..........

that she pushed him off of the 5 foot high wall....thankfully, he survived. (hee hee)

She was telling him to "GET UP" here....it was kinda cute

oh oh hoooo hooo, the new family tradition..."Pioneer Woman's sheet cake"...and oh, it's heavenly! Great cake, B! thanks!~

ok, so they were the only ones that sat long enough to get a family shot.

honey

thankfully, Uncle Tom was "on it" and got some pix before your nap, Molly. I was a bad mommy and didn't get any pix of all 5 of my children on this Easter day.

Thankfully, again, I got a pic of Mollsy, Pipes and Nora and my dirty laundry basket was in the background. Yah!

I hope your Easter celebrations were joyful.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of tacos..since it's easiest to cook up quick...and then the traditional egg hunt...

Ya know what? I will update this tomorrow...at least you have some pics to look at...until then!

I just realized how truly tired I am after a crazy, scary, hectic, rainy day...more on this tomorrow.