FBC Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

The 3's classes treated us to a Thanksgiving Feast and special musical performance today. Lily was SO excited. This morning she said the Ms. Jenny, the music teacher, told them that they needed to have big smiles on their faces for the parents. Following orders, Lily had a huge, fake smile plastered on her face the whole time she was on stage. It was hilarious and absolutely adorable! :)

Smiling BIG for the camera after she spotted Mommy in the audience

The 3's Classes

Dressed in her Indian costume...SO CUTE!

With Finny after the performance...she was ready to eat!

Blessing the food...Lily tends to be extreme, so it cracked me up that her hands were clasped as tightly as she could hold them and her eyes were squeezed shut!

"I'm a Little Indian"

"Mr. Turkey"

Thanksgiving Day Song...notice the HUGE (borderline scary) fake smile! :)

Finn's 1-Year Portraits

This morning I made it all the way to JCP Portrait Studios by myself with 3 kids in tow. I arrived a few minutes shy of our 9:00 appointment only to discover that although I had 3 kids, 3 breakfasts, toys, blankets, diapers, and pocketbook, I had forgotten Finn's clothing! AHHHHH! I stood there panicking for several minutes then begged the receptionist to squeeze us in later in them morning after my parents drove all the way to my house and then all the way to the studio to bring me the clothes....did I mention how much I LOVE my parents?!?!?!

After a looooong delay I thought Finn might be too tired to get good pictures, but the photographer was great and she got some really cute shots. On top of that, the kids got to spend some time with Mema and Gran, topped off by a trip to Mickey D's for lunch and playtime. What could be better???

Here are some of my favorites from Finn's session:

Beautiful Blue Eyes

Little Man

Seriously, how cute is he?!?!?

And how CUTE is that suit?!?!

I never would purchase an outfit like this on my own...WAY too expensive...thank goodness for hand-me-downs! :)

Ready for a day on the yacht

This is Joey's absolute favorite!

Maybe he could be a Gap Kid model. :)

Finn's 1st Birthday

We celebrated Finn's birthday quietly as a family on Wednesday and then with an extended family lunch on Veteran's Day. It was very relaxed...my favorite kind of birthday! :)

Finn's Birthday Shirt

A Monkey Cake for My Monkey

Finn's Birthday Banner...a gift from his sisters.

The Birthday Boy

Joey brought the kids Christmas Tree cakes on Wednesday...a warm-up for the real birthday cake!

YUM!!!

(Cassidy ate all but the last bite of her cake, when she suddenly realized that it had cream in the center. She reminded us that she does NOT like cream and even though she had obviously enjoyed the cake, she refused to eat another bite!)

Opening presents

SO EXCITED!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

Blowing out the candles

Opening more presents

Finn's 1-Year Stats

FINNEGAN MICHAEL WALLS

25 pounds, 3 ounces (80th percentile)

30 inches (60th percentile)

19 1/2 inch head circumference (97th percentile)

Compare to Cassidy and Lily

Speed Racer

Some footage of Finn on walking. He is walking all over the house. He can stop and start again, change directions, side-step, and even dance! :)

Happy 1st Birthday, Finny Michael!

My Sweet Finny Monkey,

Today marks the one year anniversary of the moment we first saw your precious face. You must have known how anxious we were to meet you – or maybe you were just sick of your cramped living quarters - because you came screaming into the world just 27 minutes after Daddy and I arrived at the hospital. Am I glad we didn’t hit traffic that morning!

And then, there you were, lying on my chest, your chubby, pink body and head full of black hair. And Daddy discovered that he had a son. And he cried because Daddy always cries when he is joyful beyond words. And our hearts overflowed with love for you, this beautiful new person who – like your sisters – would change our lives forever.

That was a whole year ago and, yet, ONLY a year ago. It is hard to believe that the adorable little 8-pound potato I brought home from the hospital is now the wild monkey that tears around my house at lightning speed, leaving a path of destruction behind him. It is hard to believe that the beautiful, dark-haired infant that your Mema triumphantly declared to be “A Dudley…finally!” is now the fair-haired boy that – save for the shape and color of his eyes – resembles his father more each day. Only God could create our bodies and minds so perfectly that we could undergo such radical growth in the course of 12 short months.

Finn, you are becoming such a wonderful little person. Each day we watch as your personality continues to emerge. You are rough and tough as all little boys should be – you regularly tackle your sisters – but you also know the gentle touch to use when petting Maddie and how to lean in tenderly and plant one of your slobbery open-mouthed kisses on my lips. You are a man of few words – and you often get annoyed if I try to force you to use them – but when you do speak, your meaning is VERY clear.

You LOVE Maddie dearly, and all animals by extension. We picked out your birthday present the other day and I let you choose between a farm version and a vehicle version of the same toy. You repeatedly chose the farm toy over the other…maybe you have a future career working with animals.

Cassidy and Lily are your two most favorite people in the whole world. They can entertain you for hours and make you laugh harder and longer than anyone else. You adore them and they, in turn, love you with the ferocity that only big sisters do. They will always be your most loyal allies and protectors…keep that in mind when you’re thinking about pummeling one of them.

Finn, I love you. I love your sweet face that lights up when I walk in the room and the feel of your soft little body as you snuggle on my shoulder. I love your inquisitive nature – you ask about everything – “Dis?” I love your million faces and expressions. I love your energy and excitement to try new things, even if it does keep me on the run all day. I love the love and the light you have brought into our family. I can’t imagine my world without you and I am so thankful to have the honor of guiding you as you grow into a wonderful man of God.

I love you, Finny Michael. Thank you for teaching me all about the wonder and joy of boys. I love you, my sweet boy. You are God’s best!

Love,
Mommy

Trick-or-Treat 2010

We had so much fun last night, we're moving a little slow this morning. It's the Halloween Hangover...all the excitement and WAY too much SUGAR!!! :)

Cassidy transforming into Ariel...this is what happens when Daddy is alone in the costume shop...WIGS!!!

Princess Ariel

She added some accessories to her outfit...pink gloves and Rosetta shoes. Daddy supplied the Ariel Princess scepture.

LOVELY!

That is some RED hair!!!

Joey's favorite part was seeing them in the skull caps...he cracked up every time! :)

Lily as Princess Tiana

(The only parts of the costume that even began to resemble Tiana were the wig and the crown, but she was happy, so who cares!)

Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen...when he was still a frog!

Pretty Princesses

Sweet Sisters

Finny as Tigger the Tiger

I cringe to think what Joey spent on this costume that he will only wear once...but I have to admit, he was SO stinkin' cute!!!

A Tale of Two Tiggers
(The boy LOVES Tigger!!!)

Precious Face
(He was such a good sport and didn't fuss at all while in his costume.)

Ready for Trick-or-Treating

We are SO excited!!!

When the door would open, the girls would announce, "I'm Tiana!" "I'm Ariel!" instead of saying "Tick-or-Treat!"

Lily had to examine her loot after each house...

...and for some unknown reason, she decided to pick a dandelion along the way and EAT it! Here she is trying to scrape dandelion fuzz off her tongue! :)

Tigger taking a ride with Prince Naveen

Tigger needed to stretch his legs, so he took a turn pushing the wagon...LOVE that tiger tail! :)

Exploring...he found Princess Ariel's Royal Scepture

Tigger climbing the steps to get his hands on his first Halloween candy!