building a table

 Jeff is hard at work building our dining room table.  It's difficult because he doesn't have a whole lot of time to work on it between work, his MBA program, and wanting to spend time with the girls.

The girls were so cute and decided to set up camp watching Jeff work.  Heidi got them all a phone and their water and set up some chairs.  They were out watching for a few hours.  If it wasn't so humid I bet they would be jump roping and riding their bikes.  Hopefully next week the humidity will break.  We are all getting a little antsy for fall since we had a surprise "fall like" week last week.  Fall here is incredible and we can't wait to experience it again...hopefully with a new table in our kitchen!  Thanks for working so hard for us, Jeff!!

life with the littles

 We always refer to Caimbree and Savanna as "the littles".  They are growing so fast none of them will be little for long!  Caimbree does not like the days when both of her sisters are at school.  When Savanna has school, nap time is really rough because we get home from her pick up at 1:20 and have to get in the car to get Heidi by 2:30.  One day that short hour nap just was not enough and she fell back asleep on the way to get Heidi.  That is very, very uncharacteristic of any of my children!  It's rough being #3 and not getting to keep your schedule!

Caimbree is by far my most difficult when it comes to coloring!!  She LOVES to color, but no matter how many times I tell her to only color on paper, I find marks everywhere...walls, her face, her
body, her clothes...you name it.  Whenever I talk to her about it she gets the cutest little puppy dog face and says, "Caim-ee sorry mommy".  She just can't resist I guess.  I guess she can't be completely perfect haha.

Savanna keeps life interesting and always has us laughing.  We refer to her as "Bouncy Butt" because she can't.stop.bouncing.  She has surprised the pants off of us and absolutely adores preschool and now also runs into dance.  I am so glad I signed her up for both because she is just blossoming!  It's so fun to see her come out of the safety of Heidi's shadow and discover the world a little on her own.  The other day she put this get up on and said, "Mom, I'm a grandpa."  What you can't see are the fairy wings strapped to her back.  So hilarious.  I don't know where so comes up with this stuff but I sure hope her spunky personality stays with her forever.  She is so incredibly joyful, forgiving, and just plain full of life.

I wish I could keep them all little just awhile longer.

heidi at 6

 This little 6 year old is such a treat!  She is so beautiful inside and out and was more than willing to do an impromptu photoshoot this morning!  Thankfully she is at an age where she actually not only enjoys having her picture taken, but she likes to come up with poses on her own!  There are just so many things we love about Heidi!

*Heidi is such a great big sister.  She keeps her sisters happy and entertained and they both idolize her.  She loves to be in charge and make the rules and they are *generally* happy to follow whatever she has in mind.

*Heidi loves structured activities...dance, school, church, soccer.  She loves her teachers and she loves to follow rules.

*Heidi has an unbelievable memory and attention span.  She amazes me with things she remembers and how quickly she picks things up.  She not only remembers everyone's name in her class, but she has already somehow learned everyone's name in Savanna's class!  I
often count on her to remember things for me!

*Heidi makes friends very easily.  She is super sweet and she also is very good at entertaining other kids so kids are naturally drawn to her.  Smaller kids especially latch onto her and she loves to mother them.

*Heidi is so crafty.  Lately she has started drawing and I am shocked at what she creates.  She got a fashion design kit where she traces and creates outfits for her birthday and she has been glued to that and her bead kit!

*Heidi is my least picky eater.  She enjoys vegetables and especially likes meat.

*Heidi loves to learn.  She absolutely loves to read.  She loves non fiction books lately, but there is nothing more she loves than to lay with me and read chapter books.  She tells me I know the best books and I do my best to read to her every chance we get!  It has been tricky since school started, but we are trying to work with the little time we have together.   It's my favorite time with her.

*She loves to help me cook and has recently showed interest in doing a lot of the meal prep on her own.

*She is still a pretty cautious little girl. We have to really encourage her to try to ride her bike faster and be more aggressive when she is playing sports.

*Heidi loves clothes and fashion.  She likes her hair a certain way and wants to pick out her own clothes.  She loves shopping and looking for clothes.  She loves to have her nails painted and insists on her hair being done the second she is dressed.  She is very girly.

*When Heidi is with her friends and she thinks they are funny, we all know because she is usually laughing the absolute loudest.  She is really into jokes and is often exchanging jokes with her friends.

*When Heidi is in structured environments or when adults talk to her, I describe her as being very stoic.  I think it's because she's a little shy.  She isn't super exciteable and gets a little nervous I think.

*I never, ever worry about Heidi misbehaving anywhere she goes without me.  She loves to be the good example and she loves to follow rules and make her teachers happy.

*Lately she has become very interested in math and numbers.  She loves when we give her math problems to solve...the bigger the number, the better.

*Her favorite color was always blue, but it has now become turquoise and anything with sparkles! If given a choice between blue or pink, she will go for pink.  It surprised me the first time she did this!

*Heidi is still a mama's girl.  She adores Jeff and loves to hang out with him, but she is very uncomfortable if I'm not around.  She gets really upset if I ever have to leave.

 *As much as Heidi loves school, she will not tell me much about it.  I think she thinks she has to tell me every single thing that happened and it overwhelms her.  I get little bits and pieces, but I sure wish she would tell me more!

Overall, Heidi is loving, smart, fun, 

creative, responsible, and 

sensitive.  She is such a special girl

and we can't wait to see all of the great things

she will accomplish in her life!

We love you, Heidi!!!

celebrating heidi

 We had a great time celebrating Heidi's special day!  She was so happy and excited the whole day. She was thrilled that she got to go to school.  It was pouring rain in the morning so I let her open one of her presents a little early...a Frozen umbrella.  She has been asking for an umbrella for a long time and she was so incredibly excited.  She kept practicing how to open and close it until we left and proudly carried it as we hiked up the hill to her school.  It was so cute.

I decided to surprise her and show up to eat lunch with her.  Savanna was so funny and said, "Well, are you sure she wants us to come?"  She was so worried Heidi would rather be eating with her friends.  When Heidi saw us there with Subway, she was happy and Savanna and Caimbree kept hugging her and telling her "happy birthday".  When we were walking out, Savanna kept saying, "But I miss Heidi.  I don't want to go."  It has been such a hard adjustment for all of us to have her gone all day!

 We picked Heidi up from school and then started getting ready to go over to a friend's house who had invited us to swim.  She got to open her presents before we left and was so thrilled with everything. She kept thanking us and telling us how happy she was.  Savanna and Caimbree were so cute watching her and were just as excited.  She got a bead kit from Grandma H and she kept telling the girls she would make them bracelets and that she would share her stuff.  So sweet.

We headed over to our friend's house for a bbq and swim evening!  She was so excited to share her cake with some of her favorite friends.  I didn't get any pictures of her actual cake...it was a rectangle cake with purple flowers and she decorated it just how she wanted with My Little Ponies.  We reenacted the cake with a few cupcakes, but she used different ponies to decorate the second time around.  We didn't get home until really late but she had fun listening to a few birthday messages left for her on my phone and phone apps.  This morning she could not wait to try out her new jumprope, read her new Cobblestreet Cousins books, sketch outfits in her fashion artbook,and make bead bracelets and necklaces for her sisters!

I am still having a hard time wrapping my head around having a 6 year old, but we are so glad we have this one!  She is such a special girl and we had the best time celebrating all things Heidi!  We love you, Heidi!!

happy birthday, heidi magdalena

8.19.2010

8.19.2011

 Happy 6th Birthday, Heidi Magdalena!

Six!!! 

I don't know how it has been six years already, but yet I cannot remember a day we didn't have your sweet little spirit in our home!

8.19.2012

You, my darling, are one amazing kid!  You are loved and adored wherever you go and for good reason!  You are smart, super duper responsible, kind, and loving.

8.19.2013

8.19.2014

You absolutely love school, dance, church, and all structured activities.  You are a master at coming up with the best games to keep everyone around you entertained and happy for hours.  Your sisters idolize you.  You love clothes, dressing up, having your nails painted, and all things girly.  You love to craft and you are meticulous with details.  Your memory is incredible, you love to read, and you can never turn down a game.  You love to laugh heartily when you find something funny.

8.19.2015

You are a pretty incredible, beautiful little girl and daddy and I could not be more proud to call you our daughter!

We love you so very much!
  Happy, happy, birthday pretty girl!

8.19.2016

swimming in the beauty

 When we first moved here, I told myself not to get used to the absolutely gorgeous surroundings.  Sometimes I don't notice how beautiful it is because it is starting to get familiar.  Every now and then it hits me, and I love those moments.  We really do live in the most beautiful setting and I am so, so grateful!  Sometimes I miss the openness of the west and the mountains, but the thought of leaving this forested state would be very difficult.

 Our neighbors went out of town and asked if we could take care of their pool.  As a bonus for helping with the pool, they said we could swim whenever we wanted.  So we have now made it our ritual to go clean the pool and swim every evening!  The girls have been loving it and as a bonus, the two oldest have been getting braver...the youngest has always been the bravest of the three haha.  We have the greatest neighbors and the greatest neighborhood.  We absolutely love our location and the people could not be nicer...a trend here in the south.  On Heidi's first day of school, the neighbor boy (a fifth grader) stopped by to ask Heidi how her first day went....so, so sweet.  She was just beaming!

a very happy birthday

 Today I turned 35. 35...halfway through my 30s.  I feel like I should maybe be wiser by now, make less mistakes, and feel like I sort of have life figured out.  I don't.  I'm a work in progress haha!  Either way, my day was pretty perfect.  I had so many texts, phone calls, and facebook messages.  When I woke up I found little notes hidden all over the house from Jeff with "Riesens" why he loved me.  Now that was a true surprise and the absolute best gift I have ever received.  I was in tears by the time I found the last one (it was an emotional day already with the girls starting school haha).  The girls were so cute and dying to help find them.  Such a fun way to start the morning.  One of my friends dropped off a cheesecake in the morning.  Then another friend took me to lunch.  It was such a treat.  As we were sitting down to dinner the doorbell rang and my sweet friend dropped off the most delicious homemade cheesecake with a card and darling gift.  I couldn't believe it!  I was in tears for the about the fifth time today reading

 her sweet note.  I am trying to figure out how on earth I have been blessed with so many wonderful people in my life.  It definitely makes me want to be a better wife, mother, and friend to be surrounded by such incredible people.  Thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to remember me.  I am so unbelievably blessed with far more than I deserve!

first day of kindergarten

 Dear Heidi,

You, my love, were made for school.  You love every single thing about it and you could not wait for this day to arrive so you could go every single day.  You are the perfect student and your teachers are so very lucky to have such a responsible, smart, helpful girl in their class...trust me, I know...in case you forgot, I was a teacher before you were born and you were the kind of kid I would have dreamed of having in my class!  You make friends so easily.  It surprised me when I dropped you off and a handful of kids were already saying hello to you and hoping you were going to sit at their table.  You have a way of making everyone's recess the best day of their life with the fun games you come up with and I am so very proud of you because you always make sure to include every person you can think of in your games.  You love to learn and you are so very responsible about everything.  You didn't want to tell me much when you got home, but from I gathered you had a great time making a clown with shapes in art and you knew which kid in your class kept getting in trouble everywhere he went.  A few kids fell asleep during the nap/quiet time, but you told me you just laid their quietly.  I'm sure you did, my little rule follower.  I never worry about you getting in trouble or not listening.  You say you want to be a vet and you are smart enough to do whatever you want, but truthfully, I wouldn't be surprised if you were a teacher one day.  I missed you so much while you were gone.  I shed a few tears every time I walked past your room.  I missed our time together and the day felt long and empty without you here laughing, playing, and reading with me.  I was so happy to see your smile at the end of the day.  Thank you for making me so proud.  I love you so very, very much!

XOXOXO,

Mom

first day of preschool

 Dear Savanna,

Today was your first day of preschool!  You were so nervous to go, even though you wanted to go in the worst way.  I was so worried about you and doubted myself on whether or not I should put you in this year.  The good news is that you did drop off really well!  Before we went to your school you said, "I guess I will just try it and if I don't like it, you can just cancel it".  I laughed and laughed.  You say the funniest things and I just love the way your mind works. You whimpered a little and told me your tummy was nervous when we got to your classroom.  You were so excited about the fun things at school and the apple juice in your lunch so you decided to stay.  I thought about you the whole time you were gone and Caimbree and I missed you so much.  When I picked you up, you were happy and said you had a fun day.  You didn't tell me much at first, but throughout the day you filled me in on little details.  You couldn't remember anyone's name but you told me you played with everyone.  You said you were trying to share the necklaces with everyone from the make up station and that the castle on the playground was where the girls play.  You got purple playdough and you made an apple with a worm out of your hand print and your thumb was the worm.  I loved hearing you tell me about that and I loved seeing the excitement on your face when you told me about the worm.  Your teachers are so lucky to have such a fun, spunky, HAPPY, precious girl like you in their class.  It's going to be a great year!  When you got home you couldn't wait to play with Caimbree and read her a joke book.  It's hard for me to watch you grow so fast, but I love watching you blossom.  I love you my little Zanny Zoo.  I'm sorry you get nervous about new things...I do too.  We will get through all this nervousness together!

XOXOXOXO,

Mommy

open house for Savanna

 Savanna gets to go to preschool this year. She has mixed feelings about it.  She is excited to go, but she is also extremely anxious about.  She liked seeing everything in her classroom, but she was oh so very relieved when she realized she wasn't going to stay there alone last night.  I wish I could take her anxiety away.  I wish I could know if sending her now is the right choice.  I hope her teachers see her amazing little personality and love the anxiety right out of her.  Her teachers seem to be great and I love this preschool so I am sure it will be a good experience, but there is always that fear of how it is going to go when it comes to structured activities for our sweet Savanna.  Good luck, baby girl!!!!

funny little moments

 This stage of raising kids is exhausting, but it is the best.  There are so many funny moments every single day.  I wish I was better at capturing all of them.  Yesterday the girls were playing dress up and Heidi came downstairs asking for a picture so she could see what she looked like in her "Queen of Cold" outfit.  When she saw the picture she said in a very disappointed voice, "I actually just look like an elf".  I love her imagination.  I love the fun games she is always creating to entertain her sisters.  They happily follow whatever she has in mind for the day.  She is the best playmate and older sister.

Savanna always has something up her sleeve.  We went to the bank one morning this week.  We went in and did what we needed to do and as we were walking out I glanced at her feet and noticed she had put baby wipes on her feet.  She explained that she was protecting her feet and shoes from getting dirty.  I absolutely love the way she looks at life.  She is so innocent and sweet.  She will do just about anything if she thinks it will make someone laugh and oh boy, her belly laugh.  It is the best sound in the world.

a dozen years

 On July 31, 2004 (a dozen years ago!!), Jeff and I tied the knot!  My parents happened to be in town which meant Jeff and I were able to actually go out and celebrate!  We went to the Listening Room in Nashville where they have live music.  It was really fun!  Marrying Jeff was, by far, the best decision I have ever made.  I am so grateful to have Jeff by my side through all of the crazy highs and lows in this adventure called life.

12 years
8 homes
6 cities
4 states
3 girls

Jeff, I thought I loved you the day we got married.  Twelve years later I love you more than I ever thought my heart was capable of loving.  You love me for me...even when I am a mess of emotions or at my lowest low.  You are the most amazing provider and the best daddy I could ever wish for our girls.  You are loyal, devoted, loving, fun, gentle, kind, and good. You would do anything to see your girls happy, even if it makes your life harder.  I am grateful for every day we have together and can't wait to spend the rest of my life in your arms.  I love you, Jefferson!!