Hard to believe

that our baby is four!
It has been fun watching Justee grow from this:

to this 1 year old: to this 2 year old:

to this 3 year old:

to a now 4 year old!

We started on her last week about how 4 year olds don't cry and can't be carried everywhere. I don't think it had much effect on her.

Justee's favorite meal is mac and cheese, so it wasn't a surprise that she wanted to go to Noodles and Co. for mac and cheese as her birthday dinner. After Sydnee's bball practice we headed there to eat and then came home for the presents and cake. Justee had not been very patient about waiting for those two things all day.

She was a gracious bday girl and hugged her sisters after opening the presents they picked for her.

When it was time to cut the cake, the little girl who tried to convince me all day long that she needed a piece right now, was too busy with her new toys to stop for cake.

She got a little purse with hair things and a ring in it from Gma and Gpa H, and some slippers from Gma and Gpa D.

I asked Justee what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday (while trying to convince her that a parrot cake would be cute...cause that seemed fun to make.) She told me she wanted a fish tank cake...probably due to the fact that the fish tank is right by our computer. So I looked up some ideas...then she told me she wanted a snake cake instead. Really? A girl snake cake of course. hmmm okay, I finally got used to the idea of a girl snake cake and was thinking of cute ways to girly it up when she went back to the fish tank. I let her mull it over for a while and then got her final decision.

I started with two 8 in rounds (if I ever do this cake again, I would use 3 just to give it more stability. Mine started to lean throughout the day.)

Then I thought about the decor. I saw this cake done with goldfish crackers, but thought about how gross those would taste, so I decided to use Swedish fish. After thinking about it more, I wanted to be creative with the fish, so I decided I would mold them out of gum drops. The plants and coral were done with fruit roll ups and such, but I couldn't find the right colors. So, I decided to mold them out of jolly ranchers that I melted in the microwave. I only slightly burned myself once or twice. ;)

Then I set up a scene that I thought worked (using nerds for the gravel.) Then I frosted the cake in my favorite white mountain frosting. Getting the frosting on is always the worst part.

Then the fun began...placing the candy on.

Justee loved her cake and had a great birthday. Thanks to everyone who called or did something to help make this day special for our little Rosie.

2 of 2

Just before 8 am, the girls were ready to attack Christmas morning.

Even Dozer had a great day!

Charlee got a pogo stick. After a small accident Justin had while trying to loosen the spring, it was a hit. Char gave it her best shot, but it was Sydnee who mastered it. Syd was a real pro by that afternoon.

We didn't have a white Christmas this year, but it was a beautiful day and the girls were constantly taking their new toys outside to play.

It was a lovely Christmas, but it seemed to come and go too quickly.

Because Christmas wasn't too long ago...

Christmas Eve PJs. Dozer even wanted in on the action.

I don't think I have ever seen a little girl as excited about pajamas as Justee was. She ran and hugged me and told me this was the best Christmas ever! Wow, and it was just getting started.
She didn't even hesitate to get them on. She is already making her move to rid herself of clothes.

We always get our pjs on and then head out to look at Christmas lights. Once we get home, it is cocoa and story time and then off to bed.

The day before the girls decorated a gingerbread house.

It was up and down in less than an hour...

Another tradition is a puzzle...Since the girls can't really help with mine, they got their own: