It's in her genes...

Me:  Lillianna, look at all your bags.  Each one has a bazillion treasures.  Can we throw some of it away?

L:  No.  I need them.

Me:  Lillianna, you are a pack rat.

Lillianna:  I am NOT a pack rat!

Me:  It's not a bad thing.  It just means you like to collect and keep ALOT of stuff.

Lillianna:  I am not a pack RAT.

Me:  Okay, you are a pack MOUSE.

Lillianna:  No, I am a pack BUNNY.

I love my little pack bunny.

L.O.V.E

Happy Valentine's Day!

One night at dinner last week,
we took turns telling each other what we loved about one another.
It's my new (and only) favorite Valentine's tradition!

Brad and I wrote down what the girls said and then I taped them up on the kitchen cabinets...

 

It was so great to read and re-read them all week long.

  Such a sweet and LOVE-ly little exercise to remind us of all the BIG but especially all the little reasons we LOVE one another.

From the Parsons...

The Bluegrass State

L:  Ellenie, Do you want to look out the window?  You can see all the snow covered houses as we fly over nashville.  I think I see Aunt Corky's house.

E:  No thanks.  Got three more layers of meek-up to apply.

L:  You really should take a break and take a look.  It's beautiful!

E:  Just like my lips.

Last week, the girls I flew to Louisville to visit Dandy and Wil.  It was so much fun!

As you can see, we were greeted by snow and bears dressed like Elvis.  Then we went straight to the hat shop where Lillianna picked out her Derby hat.

Then we went to the Science Center where Ellenie decided

that if her career as the next Estee Lauder doesn't work out, she might be look into a career on a cruise ship.

Meanwhile, Lillianna tried on NASA's latest (and greatest) astronaut suit.

These deep South girls didn't know what to think of the snow that was on the ground the ENTIRE trip!

Everywhere we went they made sure to stomp through, not around, the remaining snow.

We went out to play in it just once because it was SO cold.  Ellenie was so very tempted by the look of it, she kept taking off her mittens to touch it, only to whine immediatley that she wanted them back on.

Lillianna loved it and started right away on a Princess tower. 

Since it was such a huge hit last visit,

Dandy and Wil treated the girls to another night with this friendly rodent. 

Once again, they had THE BEST time...

Ellenie loved the Monster truck ride and Lillianna loved (for us) to win tickets.

On the last morning we were there, my girls got to do something with Dandy

that I did with him MANY (30+) times as a little girl.  Visit a state captial building.

 It was even more special that their visit to a state capital building just happened to be

in Dandy's favorite state...Kentucky!

Thanks for such a memorable visit!  We love you!

The Queens are in their court

I hope...

I hope they always find a reason to laugh...

I hope they always look up...to God...to their parents...to each other.

I hope they will learn to be both a great leader and a good follower.

I hope they will always reach a little farther, try a little harder, dream a little bigger.

I hope they will always be present in the moment, be content with who they are,  

and most of all,

know they are loved.

Is there such a thing as too much?

Having practiced on 47 tubes of chapstick in all flavors and colors,

Ellenie has really perfected her application technique.

One night, her "meek up" was particularly stunning

so we let her see for herself in the bathroom mirror...

As I said...stunning.

The look quickly grew on her...

She has now decided she is ready to take customers.  Makeover anyone?

Simon says

Simon says, "Look like a fish."

Simon says, "Give your cheeks a hug."

Simon says, "Pose like a babydoll at a tea party."

Simon says,"Look at cute as you can."

Olympic training

This afternoon we were outside enjoying Spring-like weather.

Just one week ago...

we were ice-skating!

Mississippi style of course...on the frozen water in our side yard ditch!

Grass is always greener...

The light at the end of the tunnel

So we made it through the week of pneumonia and croup.

oooooooh! exciting! wish you could have been there? what was it like?

Let's see...

It had LOTS of time inside the house.

LOTS of hand sanitizer.

LOTS of pajamas.

LOTS of medicine.

LOTS of whining and crying.

LOTS and LOTS of coughing.

Not alot of

running,

yelling,

singing,

laughing

or sometimes sleeping.
Not alot of eating.

Eventually, a few smiles broke through...
and I sighed with relief that it was almost over.
So I'm just going to ignore my sore throat...

Ellenie's official unofficial birthday

One year ago last week, my baby girl turned one.

We were moving to a new town on her birthday,

so we had a small, sweet, simple birthday party the night before.

She loved it.

So did I.

It was a room full of love without all the stress of a big party.

Moving day fell on her first birthday...
and the BSC National Championship Game fell on her second.
Brad and I were celebrating her birthday and cheering on Alabama way out in California.

So we pretended that her 2nd birthday was this week.
She'll never know...RIGHT?!
I got over my guilt that she hasn't had the elaborate birthdays her sister has had
because I know she has LOVED her birthdays...as sweet and simple and full of love as they have been.

So she was the Birthday Princess ALL DAY!
Even with the croup (luckily she didn't feel too bad until the day after) she was very happy.

She got to eat her favorite breakfast,
watch Dora anytime she asked,
& lick the bowl of her cake batter.


The Birthday Princess with her royal scepter.

She even got to open her presents early!

She and her sister loved her tiny Princess carriage, I mean, 4-wheeler.

Her favorite gift, by far, was La La's contribution to Ellenie's latest addiction:

"apdick" or "meek-up"

A little gloss goes a looooong way in this girls heart.

And a long way all over her forehead, cheeks, nose, and lips.

She loved our singing and she loved her cake.

Do you see how close her lips are to the flame?

Well, to my horror, .2 seconds later they collided!

That's right, she stuck her face in the flame!

She did have a cinge spot on her upper lip but nothing a little aloe and some blue ice cream couldn't cure 2 minutes later.

Truly, no evidence of it except on video! (I don't want to watch!)

My dear Ellenie,

At two, you are too cute for your own good. You are confident, snuggly, and full of spirit.

You love your family - you love the comfort of your Mommy, you love your Daddy to rock you, & you love ANYTHING your La La does with you.

You suprise us each day with all that you say.

"I ove ou too" and "I ove ou so uch" have been the ones that melt my heart.

You love feel like a big girl and keep up with La La.

Then the next minute you protest me calling you a big girl,

insisting, "I not big girl, I a baby. I Ellenie."

You love family, chapstick, and anything sweet. In that order.

You love Dora the Explorer and never get tired of her. (I do!)

You love to be barefoot, love to be read to, and love to hear La-La sing.

You now stand at my knees with you arms stretched high,

saying, "Hold you" just like your sister used to.

You are too good to be true.

And we love you.

SO UCH!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!