Big News!

Olivia received a surprise present today from us. Seeing that it was not her birthday or a major holiday...this made the gift a REALLY big deal. During the unwrapping process, she made sure that she voiced her hopes of finding a new Barbie inside of the box. But instead she found....

a shirt with the words Big Sister. Of course my hopes that the meaning of this shirt would "click" with our 6 year old sweetie were not quite realized....

See the confusion on her face.... huh???

Well, the wise Michael was finally able to explain the Big News to our little Olivia. So here it is...the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT to the few faithful followers of this blog. In February--Michael, Olivia, and I will be welcoming a new little one to our family. We are all excited and hopeful for the wonderful things that the future holds. Please pray that everything goes as God would want it for our growing family. One final thing....

Later this afternoon Olivia decided to practice taking care of the baby using her own Bitty Baby. I think she will be the Best Big Sister ever!

American Girl Lunch

My mom took Olivia and me to Chicago for Olivia's 6th birthday. The main reason for the trip was a visit to the American Girl Store. Before leaving we made reservations for lunch at the cafe. It was so much fun. Above Olivia and Kit (along with 100 others) are ready to be seated. They look mighty cute in the matching outfits that my mom made.

The waiters make sure to include the dolls when seating the party. Kit was given her own special chair and place setting. We were also so lucky to be placed at a great table right next to the window. Everything was so nicely decorated in pink, white, and black. The napkin holders are hair ties that we were able to take home as souveniers. The box in the middle of the table was a conversation game to play throughout the meal. It was filled with questions to ask and answer. Very cute.

Here is a picture of the cute cafe. The lights are made from pink flowers. The picture really doesn't do the sweet restaurant justice.

When we were seated a waiter promptly brought over warm cinnamon buns as a special treat! Yummy! Above is a picture of the appetizer platter. The big, doughy puffs were cheese stuffed pretzels....mmmm! I did not get any pictures of the main course, but it was equally as delicious. There were plenty of choices: salads, sandwiches, mini burgers, hot dogs, pizzas, pastas, and souffles.

Finally, the meal ended with a delicious dessert that we were too stuffed to eat. Our waitress sang Happy Birthday to Olivia and the whole cafe went quiet. Everyone clapped for Olivia and she got to blow out a birthday candle. There were a lot of birthdays that day, but it was special because Olivia's was the first one celebrated.

Of course this special lunch was only one part of our Chicago visit. In the next few days, I will post about Olivia's other adventures and her new doll she brought home. I didn't want to pour all the excitement into just one blog!

Turning 6

Today was the day! Olivia turned the BIG 6! We decorated the house with streamers and a banner. Olivia and I baked and decorated our first chocolate cake. We ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. The waiters even sang Happy Birthday and treated her with a chocolate sundae.

Olivia received a fishing pole, bubble wand, and a special Barbie. As I type this- she is enjoying decorating her new Barbie's clothes. From Mimi and Papa, she received a swimming cover-up, Hello Kitty sponge, and money to take to the American Girl Store. Next week- Nana, Olivia, and I will celebrate her birthday at the American Girl Store in Chicago. Turning 6 sounds pretty good to me....

Big, Big News

My mom, Olivia, and I went to the Bloomington quilt show today. Many quilters from around the country send their work to this show to be judged! Reluctantly- my mom had entered one of her quilts this year.

We had just walked into the display room when one of my mom's good friends came racing over to us with screams and hugs of CONGRATULATIONS. My mom's beautiful quilt had won....FIRST PLACE and the $500 prize that went with it!!!!!! Of course, Mom would not believe the news until she actually saw it with her own eyes. So we bypassed all the other hanging masterpieces to find hers. And there it was hanging in all its glory....


and attached to its side ever so carefully the prize for all her hard work.

A blue first place ribbon.

She deserves it. Look at it...it truly is gorgeous. And Olivia and I were so lucky to be able to share the pure joy of the moment. Congrats Mom....Master Quilter! Olivia said it best.

We are proud of you!

Makeover Night

So Olivia came up with the fun idea of playing makeover... complete with rollers, blush, eyeshadow, and lip gloss. Suddenly, my bathroom was her own personal salon, and I was the beautician rolling up her hair in my high school curlers. The magazine she read while she was waiting for the rollers to set was certainly a nice added touch.

Voila! My hair masterpiece.

Then for Olivia the fun really started. She found her little palette of makeup, and Mommy the Makeup Artist turned her into a STAR!

I hate to say it but even with turquoise eyeshadow and glitter lip gloss she looks sooooooo cute!

Saturday Pool Party

Outside our window the grass is still covered with something cold and white. The trees are still bare and the bushes still brown. But....


Inside our house it's a 90 degree summer's day. It's a perfect day to put on that suit, blow up your beach ball, and have a beach party. Sunscreen anyone???

Twins

Today for church Kit and Olivia dressed in their matching outfits (that Nana made). They looked pretty cute. Olivia was stopped by every other person on her way into the sanctuary. Everyone was wanting to take a look at the look alikes. I know that Olivia loved all the attention. You could tell by the look on her face and the swagger in he stride that she felt so "cool!"