Hazel Turns 2!!!!!!!!

I am just not sure how this happened! How can our baby be 2 years old? I have been very emotional the last two days! It is just amazing to see our baby turning into this sweet, loving, little toddler. Don't get me wrong, she has her feisty moments, daily, but she just loves with all her heart and she is so caring. It is so much fun to see the interactions between Norah and Hazel the older they get. I felt a little bad because Hazel's birthday was a little anti-climatic, but we spent our Friday evening at home, playing with the new toys, eating ice cream and just spending time together! I still have to get her 2 year pictures taken, but I got some great pictures of her opening her gifts and of Norah and Hazel eating some gigantic mint chocolate cupcakes on the front porch to celebrate!

Hazel loves babies, real babies and pretend babies!  Although we have a hundred babies already, I had to get her a new one to go with her new pram baby stroller.  And, of course, I had to get this one as soon as I saw the purple chevron!!  She loves her!

Happy Birthday Girl!

Testing out her new baby and stroller!

Norah got a present from Eric and Maggy for her birthday too!  She is in love with these butterfly wings!  They really are beautiful!  Thank you Eric and Maggy!  As we all know Norah kind of loves dressing up, so these are a great addition to her wardrobe!

Time for some cupcakes!

We went through just a couple wipes!

I am not sure what this was all about, but it doesn't matter......that is the best laughing face ever!  I can just hear her hearty laugh!

Such a good big sissy!

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

I'm pretty sure they both enjoyed their birthday cupcakes!  

School and Soccer Start!

Fall is officially here! Norah has started her second year of preschool and has had a great start to the year! She is going three days a week this year and she has fallen right into the routine. It sure was a different start to the year this year than last year!  I wasn't worried about her getting on the bus; she is just a regular, ol' pro!  Love this girl!

Something that IS new for Norah this year is soccer! We started our soccer season the same week we started school. She is having a good time playing and is doing a great job learning about the game!

This was her first soccer practice!  She got right in there and started dribbling the ball!

Game Time!!!

We were able to catch one of Audrey and Lilly's games after our game!  Norah laid down on her belly to watch the game, so of course Hazel had to follow her lead!

Norah and her friend, Hope, playing against each other!

Picture Time

I finally got my Nikon back (for the second time), so we were able to head out to Aunt Dinah and Uncle Kenny's a couple weeks ago to take Norah's 4 year old pictures! I was so glad I was able to get pictures of Norah and Hazel and both of them together! Now we HAVE TO get family pictures taken before the weather turns horrible! Enjoy these cutie pies though!!!!

**Can't Believe She's 4**

Where on Earth have the past 4 years gone? Our little Norah is just growing up so fast! We are so proud of the little girl she has become (as stubborn and sassy as she can be sometimes!) and are looking forward to all of the changes that will happen for her this year! She will be starting a new dance class with Step It Up Studios, she is starting her second year of Preschool and will be going three days a week instead of two, and she is starting soccer! It is going to be a busy year for all of us, but we are so excited about it! We love you Norah Kathryn Brining and can't imagine our lives without you sweet girl!

Her birthday morning.  She broke my heart because she came downstairs from bed and I had her gifts in the basement because we were going to wait to open them.  When she came around the corner, she got this look on her face and I knew right away what she was thinking!  She said, "Don't you have anything special for me Mommy?"  Ugh! Stab to the heart!  Drew and I looked at each other and I ran right downstairs and grabbed her gifts.  She got all of these opened before Hazey even woke up for the morning!  Needless to say, we learned our lesson and will definitely have her surprises ready for her in the morning.

Some Frozen books and a Preschool practice book!

We actually ended up getting Norah her biggest birthday present toward the beginning of summer!  She got her first big girl bike!  We didn't want to let half the summer pass by and then give her the bike, so for her birthday she got some accessories, like this new bike helmet, to go with her bike!

Every time she saw a Stretch-Kins commercial she would beg for the Unicorn one.  I thought, "Perfect, that's an easy birthday present!" 

Crazy Sand (definitely not as cool or well made as the Kinetic Sand that Uncle Jimmy got!  I think we might have to spend the little extra money and buy the good stuff next time)

The princess castle pinata was a huge hit!  Everyone got 4 hits, since Norah was turning 4, until it was broke open!

Go Audrey!

Go Lilly!

Hazel's turn!!

Norah was pretty excited when her hit broke the bottom open a little and some candy flew out!

Couple more hits!

Barbie car from Grammy and Papa

Hazel and Lilly being silly!

Our little princess wearing her crown!

The new Jeep from Gramma and Grandpa!

Ready to take a drive!  Too bad it was pouring outside! :(