Today you turned 3

Alyssa:

Today you turned 3 years old - I can't believe it! You have turned into such a sweet little lady. You are so polite always saying please and thank you. You're Dad and I are so proud of the little girl you have become.

You love your sister so much - always wanting to play with her. You show her how to do everything (good and bad :-) ) and you are so patient with her. Sometimes when you are playing with her in her bedroom you get frustrated and let out a big sigh and say "Buggy Diane!!!" It is so cute!!!

We had a great time at your party today, most of your family was here and Denise, Darin and Hunter stopped by too. You had a Toy Story party. When you got up this morning you had a new play kitchen and you loved it. You kept saying "I love my birthday party" and the party hadn't even started yet. Again, just so sweet.

Even though you are my oldest daughter you will always be my sweet little girl. I love you Alyssa Joy with everything I have and I cannot wait to share many more birthdays with you. Happy Birthday my love!!!

Happy Father's Day

There are a few men in my life that I would like to wish a Happy Father's Day to.

Dad - Thank you for being such a great dad and grandfather, the girls love you so much. Every time I see them bonding with you it makes me so happy, I really can't put it into words. I am so grateful that you are willing and able to spend so much time with them. You are the best dad and bampa there could ever be!!! I love you!

Bob - I am so happy to have you as a father-in-law. You go above and beyond for your family and I don't know if we tell you enough how much we appreciate it. The love you have for your kids and grandkids is irreplaceable. Thank you for being the best father-in-law there is. I love you!

And finally my husband.

Brian - I know I complain and bitch and moan a lot (more often than not you deserve it) but I know that you know just how much I love you. You made me so happy by becoming my husband in January 2008 and then you made me even more happy by giving me our first daughter in December 2008, then just when I thought I couldn't be any more happy you gave me our second daughter in May 2010. I know I just told you the other day how happy I am with our little family, but I just really want you to know that I am so overjoyed with our life. I love you even more because you are a great father to our children, they love you so much! I wouldn't want to go on this journey with any one else but you. I love you baby!!!

Happy Father's Day!!!


We had the best time at Curt and Stacey's today!!!

Briella Sweet Bella

Briella:

You turned one a week ago and I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. You have grown from a sweet little newborn into a precious little toddler with such a personality! You love to play with your big sister and look up to her so much. You copy everything she does and want to play with whatever she is into. You started crawing aroung 8 1/2 months old and have not stopped moving since. You are so close to walking, I just know it is going to happen any day now. All of your family joined us for your birthday party and you had a great time. You danced when everyone started singing happy birthday to you, however you went to grab the candle and burned your sweet little finger. Daddy quickly scooped you up and we got you to calm down and then we sang happy birthday again and you were right back at dancing. You are just the sweetest little girl. You were so easy going from the beginning - always happy, smiling and laughing. Rarely ever do you cry and when you do we know something is really wrong - you always get over it so quickly and are back to smiling and laughing again.

You look so much like your Daddy! He says it is like looking into the mirror, I am sure you will hear that the rest of your life (sorry). You love to dance, every time we turn on music you just start dancing away, you and your sister have little dance partys all the time. You love your Bugga Bear, you will scoop him up and give him hugs and kisses all the time.

You have brought more joy into our lives than I could ever put into words. Briella sweet Bella, I will always treasure the day you were born and all the days that follow. Mommy, Daddy and Alyssa love more than you will ever know. Happy 1st Birthday precious one!

Briella Diane Eastman
Born 5/29/2010, 11:04 am
8lbs 7 oz, 21 Inches

Already trying to poke your sister's eye out

Your baptism September 2010

Your first Christmas

Bath time is no fun!

9 Months old

Easter 2011

1 year old

Yummy birthday cake!

Happy Birthday my love!

Mini Me(s)

Alyssa is a little mini me, she has the looks and the attitude. Briella is a little mini Brian, she has his looks and his attitude. What do you think?



Hammin' it up



This is Brian's outfit from when he was a baby

New Meanings

Mother's day has a whole new meaning to me. I LOVE being a mom, it is so easy with two wonderful daughters! At times it can be tough, but the rewards are all worth it. I understand my mom so much more now, all those times she told me to not tip back on my chair - I get it! Don't run into the street - I get it! Don't talk back - I get it! Eat your veges - I get it! Give me a hug and kiss - I get it!

Mom - I love you to pieces, I just hope I can be half the mother to my girls as you were and are to me!

There Goes Peter Cottontail

Easter has come and gone - we had so much fun! Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays, especially when I was a kid. And now that I have kids it is all coming back to me how much fun it is. Coloring the eggs, the excitment of the Easter Bunny coming, the egg hunt outside and spending time with family. I know that there is more meaning to Easter and the girls will learn all of that in the coming years, but for now it is all about the made up stuff :-) It is amazing how everything in life is just so much more enjoyable when you have kids, everyone told me so, but until you actually experience it - there is no comparison. Alyssa was so excited to see what was in her Easter basket and she had so much fun looking for the eggs in the house - ever since she has been saying "find eggs Mommy" - I hope we found them all already!!! And Briella just smiled and laughed watching her big sister run around, I can't wait until next year when they are both running around and the year after that when they are tackling each other to get to the eggs and fighting over the Easter baskets :-)

The loot

Easter morning

At the Eastman's

Good times

Beautiful Bella at the Barton's

Us

Sweet Alyssa

Random memories

There are certain memories of your childhood that stick with you. I drive down the river road every day after I pick up the girls from my mom's house. Since the weather has turned warmer, the river road has gotten pretty busy - another sign of spring. Today as I drove past the Minnehaha Falls, a childhood memory washed over me. I was in 5th grade and we were on a field trip to the falls. We were all climbing the steep dirt walls down by the creek. When I was running down one of them I couldn't stop and fell into the creek. It must have been this same time of the year as I remember wearing a light jacket and jeans and the water was freezing upon contact. The current was fast, I assume due to the high water from the melted snow - I was swept away. All my years of swimming lessons were lost in that moment, I panicked. I remember gasping for air as the creek kept dragging me under. A man that just happened to be on a walk saw me struggling, he ran ahead of me to the next bridge and put his hand out for me when I reached him - thankfully I was able to hold on. As I think back on that day, I don't know if I ever said Thank You to that man, I wish I could do so now.

Fast forward many years (I wont say how many) my sweet niece Taylor was knee boarding at Duck Lake, I was driving the boat, she fell and was stuck on the knee board - the knee board kept dragging her under the water. I got the boat back to her as fast as I could and when I asked her if she was OK she said no --- I saw that same look of panic in her eyes that I had on that field trip in 5th grade. I believe I was 4 or 5 months pregnant with Alyssa when this happened to Taylor, I didn't think twice, I jumped in the lake to help Taylor.

I am here for my girls now if they ever fall or get hurt. I don't want them to ever feel the way I felt as I was being washed down the creek. But I won't always be with them everyday and I know there will come a time when they feel helpless, I just hope there is someone there to help and comfort them, because they are the most precious things in my life.

Spring has Sprung

We have ventured out of our hibernation and finally got outside and out to visit family and friends. It feels good and is a welcome sign of what is to come this summer. Bella has turned into a menace with her crawling achievements!!! She is everywhere and anywhere she can get. She is now pulling herself to stand up - so her world has opened up to so many new things. Alyssa is her same ole crazy self. She loves being outside and I love seeing her so happy!!! Her vocabulary has blossomed so much in the last couple of months, I have to say I most enjoy when she tells me "No talking mommy" when I am having a conversation with someone or another favorite is "I need a snack" or "I need to go outside" since when does she need anything???

Miss Bella

Miss Alyssa

This could be trouble!!!

Time for a nap Kaelyn

Let us out!!!

To Cut or Not to Cut

I keep looking at the picture I posted in my last post and think - hmmmmmm, maybe Alyssa needs a haircut! I have been growing her bangs out for a while now, but the little stinker will not keep barrettes in her hair. Just throw a feather boa on her and you got Steven Tyler Junior! I have been thinking about cutting her hair for quite some time now, I dont know why I am so gun shy. It's not like she is Sampson and is going to loose all her strength if her hair gets cut! Maybe it is a step into the big girl direction I just am not able to make yet. I don't know what it is, but I have to do something soon before her hair turns into dread locks!!!

Short and Sweet

It has been a weekend of runny noses, coughing fits and sleepless nights! Where are you summer???

Patiently awaiting when they can be outside in a tent!

Alyssa is into just being in her diapers lately we just roll with it :-)

Time Flys

It was a big weekend for the Eastman Girls. Bella is now an official crawler and she is all over the place and in to everything she can get her hands on! Alyssa moved out of her crib and into a "big girl bed" and she loves it, she always adapts so well to new things.

Bella on the move

Big Girl Bed





Sister likes the big girl bed





Daddy likes the big girl bed too!



Counting my Blessings

Besides having two beautiful daughters, we have a wonderful bunch of nieces and nephews. It is so fun to see Alyssa and Briella interact with their cousins - it fills my heart so. I know it will only get better as the years go on. I am looking forward to the summer when they can all run about outside and play play play as only children can. There soon will be one more nephew to add to the bunch - I can't wait!!



Cori's Baby Shower



Gratuitous picture of Alyssa acting like her dad (double fisting)

Little MN Sports Fans

Brian and I are big MN sports fans, in some cases that is very unfortunate! So, whether or not they like it, our girls are going to grow up watching hockey, football, baseball and once and a while we will tune into basketball as well.

Brian took Alyssa to a high school hockey game a few weeks ago and she was yelling "go hockey go!" the whole game. So we are starting them young.

I am not Cloneing Around

We have a program on our computer that randomly displays pictures that I have stored over the years. There are times when a picture of Alyssa will come up and I think it is Bella, it is like Bella is a little clone of Alyssa. They may have their own personalities, but in the looks department they are sisters through and through!

You tell me if I am just seeing things - can you tell who is who???