Match Day Celebrations.

So obviously we found out the results of our match months ago, but last Friday was the big Match Day for everyone else! Seeing everyone open their letters (with very happy results) was SO FUN! And having a babysitter take care of our kids twice in one day while we partied was not bad either. Here are some of the girlies right after envelopes were opened.

(Is this a good time to announce that I'm pregnant? Hello, belly button.)

And the boys. All happy with the match!

At the delicious luncheon. I thought the food was just perfect!

Headed to Pennsylvania, Texas, and Arizona. 

That night we got to go to a real live party!

Party girls. (Yeah right. We are actually all the ones who arrived right at 9 p.m. when it started and left at 10:30, when others were just arriving. We've all got babysitters at home!)

Faye knows how to smile for a picture.

The other two could learn from her!

Camera update: bought a new battery charger thinking that might be the problem. Sadly it still won't work. This taking-pictures-with-a-phone thing is actually pretty fun, if only the picture quality were good. I actually want an iPhone now! Yikes!

Carson hearts sports.

For a while we were very into Outer Space over here. We checked out every book our library has to offer about the sun, the planets, etc. (And you better believe Carson absorbed tons of random facts, like the names of the planets' biggest moons.) 

Then, we discovered the Magic Treehouse books. Listening to the CDs or playing "Jack and Annie" topped his list of favorite activities. 

Well, now Carson has a new obsession: sports. He pores over Rick's ESPN magazine. He begs to go to our neighbor Barbara's house every day to watch whatever game is on. He can't wait to fill out his March Madness bracket. This sure is a fun interest!

And Carson starts T-ball this week. His first sport! He is beyond happy about this.

Sunday morning bread.

Church isn't until 11, so Sunday mornings sort of beg for a little relaxing activity. For the last two Sundays I've made a week's worth of wheat bread, and having that lovely smell hanging around all day is just wonderful. Today's loaves didn't turn out too pretty; don't focus on the wrinkly tops! Warm bread plus strawberry jam is the best!

My baby girl.

I keep telling people she just turned one, but now that I think about it she's more like 13-and-a-half months. How did that happen? We feel like Faye sort of skipped babyhood and went straight to a running-around toddler. 

Faye still nurses once or twice a day. I almost quit when she went through a biting phase at 10 or 11 months, but we worked it out, and I'm so glad we did. 

In the last week, she's started to say a few words clearly. "Mommy" and "baby" are said often and with excitement. These first words are the cutest!

I sewed a dress for this girl! It's much cuter in person than in this awful phone picture. And it fits her better when she doesn't have that right-after-dinner full belly.

My boys have always been pretty well-behaved while running errands. But this Faye-girl refuses to sit in shopping cart, freaks out if she sees a treat or something she wants, and begs to be allowed to run around the store. We make our grocery trips quick these days!

Faye likes to carry a purse or a bag around at all times. Sometimes even the loaf of bread she always steals off the shelf will do.

We always start the day with cute pigtails or a nice bow in her hair. But by naptime she is a mess! 

Sometimes I just watch her for a few minutes and feel so happy that I have a cute, busy baby girl full of personality and spunk. We sure love her!

My biker gang.

Carson looooves his bike now and rides it everywhere we go. I think he's getting close to being ready for one with pedals. Everett is getting better at pedaling his trike, and can you believe how cute and old that Faye looks?!?!