Ansley Harper: 6 Year Old Update

As I type that, I can't even believe it myself.  I don't feel adequately prepared to continue to grow and teach a 6 year old, but that's not up to me I guess!

This girl is such a joy.  She is so compassionate, sensitive, loves to please, loves Beatrice, roadtrips, and fairytales.  We couldn't have asked for a sweeter daughter and big sister.

Here's what Ansley is up to these days:

*She's seriously so grown up.  She used the word "intruder" the other day in a properly formed sentence and I thought, wow....aren't you still like 3?!

*She has no front teeth.  Her little mouth is so cute with her missing teeth right now and she knows it.  I'll find her smiling and primping in the mirror before school.  It has begun.  :)

*When this girl wakes up she needs about 5 minutes to stretch and wake up and then she's singing!  It's really a phenomenon.  She performs full-on musicals every day, usually morning and night to songs she just randomly makes up.  It sometimes comes in the form of your favorite Disney tune or a Christian song.  The girl remembers lyrics and tunes like no other.  I love that she always has a song on her heart.

*She's such a great big sister.  I don't say this flippantly.  She amazes me with her mothering skills at 6 (she really amazed me when Hollyn entered the world last year).  She's responsible and she usually obeys.  I feel like I can trust her already with watching Hollyn while I grab a quick shower or run to the car for something.  I hope I never forget what it looks like to see her prop Hollyn on her hip and go.  Her and Charli are a little different.  Their relationship comes in waves....some days it's wonderful and others, well....trying.  They love to play with the same things and some days....that's just hard.  :)

*Her favorite song: Beyonce's Halo.  There's a little story behind this.  It's downloaded to an old phone we had.  It was actually Jason's phone while we were delivering Ansley.  He had put together a list of songs to listen to while I was in labor and that was one of them.  It was one of my favorites at the time...she was my angel and I hadn't even met her yet.  Now that we don't use that phone anymore.....Ansley has made it her own and she listens to it all the time because of the story behind it. She knows every word and every run that she does in that song.  It's unbelievable to hear her sing it.

*Right now, she's playing soccer, gymnastics, and does dance.  She stays busy!

*She's still got to have her after school nap!!  She can go without one and some days she has to, but she could always use one.

*She's recently learned how to do a cartwheel (for the most part-she's still working on straightening one leg).

*She's reading and doing great!

*She LOVES her American girl dolls, Disney princesses, Barbies, and Palace Pets

*She currently is in love with her AG doll, Grace, but has Saige and Kit also.

*She loves sushi.  Like loves it.  She begs for it all the time!! Her favorite is crab and cream cheese and shrimp tempura roll.

*She whistles when she's excited...only she sucks air in instead of out.  :)

*Hates to wash her hair.  I should say....hates to brush it to.

*Loves to camp.

*Talks about Heaven and Jesus often.  She always remembers Adler and often times wonders what he's doing in Heaven.

*She loves to pack for trips and enjoys making plans for our mini vacations. She usually doesn't leave the house without her purse and sunglasses.  She also brings her wallet and money (from the tooth fairy) with her too.

*She's 48 inches tall and she's stout.  She is strong!

*She's still a little clumsy at times, but I think she's getting used to her feet. ?? :)

*She loves to swim and is like a little fish. No fear.  She holds her breath under water longer than I do.

Charli Suttyn: 3 Year Old Update

We have a live one here!  :)  She's a mess.  A totally fun mess that is so different from our first child, Ansley and we love it.  She keeps things lively!  You can see it in her eyes, facial expressions, and the personality that comes out daily.

Here's what Charli is up to these days:

*She is writing her name pretty well!  She of course, needs some help, but she really does a great job if you help remind her which letters come next.  When she does it by herself, the letters are there, but usually a little out of order. :)

*She still has beautiful blonde curls.  Her hair is to die for! When we're out and about we get stopped almost daily with comments about her locks.

*She is full of sass and sometimes an eye roll.  She gets in trouble almost daily for her defiance, but she's so darn cute and it makes it painful sometimes to get onto her!

*She loves Disney princesses, her blankie, and her mouse camper she got for her birthday.

*She adores her sisters and sometimes loves on Hollyn a little too much (Hollyn's standard) and loves to play Barbie's and school with Ansley.

*Her favorite song right now is Kari Jobe's "I Am Not Alone" (something I sang in church), "Watch me whip, watch me Nae Nae", and any Psalty song!  :)  

*She loves to tell me that Jesus died on the cross for us.  She is wise beyond her years.

*She loves to make pictures for us and they are usually beautiful in their own unique way.

*She is actually a pretty decent little artist! She likes to draw butterflies, people, and flowers and they all are pretty good!  Then she says.....flower starts with an F and butterfly starts with a B.  She's a smart cookie.

*She still eats ALL THE TIME! Nothing food related gets past this girl.  If she so happens to hear unwrapping of any food, she'll say...."whatcha eating?" or "whatcha got, Mommy?!".  I always get busted!

*She loves to swim, but is a little more timid than Ansley.  She did great in swim lessons, but we're still using water wings.

*She always mentions that she wants to go back to Disney.  I can't believe she still remembers it!

*She loves to play a little game where we all pick a place to go and we pretend we're actually going there.  It could be Discovery Playhouse, the beach, the movies....the list goes on!  She imagines we're going there and then everything is related to our destination.  It's the cutest thing and I hope she never gets tired of doing this!

*Watching her do her Psalty motions and songs in the car is a highlight of my days.

*She's got one volume.....loud! :)

*She spends the most time in time-out (between her and Ansley)!

*She loves Anna and especially Elsa!

*She loves spending time at the cabin and on the farm.  She another little farmgirl!

*She occasionally slips into our bed at night from time to time.  I think it's mostly her sleep walking or when she starts coughing that causes her to come in.  If I'm awake enough, I put her back in bed but some mornings I am surprised that she's snuggled in next to us.

*Her bed still looks like a crib, but she climbs in and out of it all the time.  She refuses our help and likes to do it herself.  Even in the dead of night, she climbs out (thankfully with no injuries) by herself.  Sometimes we find her sleep walking too.  It's probably about time we take the side off of her bed, but we're afraid where we may find her! :)

*Ansley is affectionately called "Answay" and Hollyn is "Howyn"