Rainbows of Fun

Happy 5th Birthday Addison Grace Russell

My beautiful Addi Grace, your mommy just can't believe I'm even typing on our blog about your FIFTH birthday party!! Your birthday was at the end of August but because of it being at the very beginning of school and football craziness we decided to wait a little bit for your rainbow party! Mommy wanted you to have a Pinkalicious party like your sister, Lex, had her favorite color purple party when she was 3! You had planned on a Pink party but then decided to have a Rainbow party! It was so much fun to plan!

We of course decorated with lots of rainbow colors and we planned a couple of crafts for your friends to make! You helped me make bags for your friends to thank them for coming...we put pieces of a rainbow in a bag (skittles) and attached a sweet note that said taste the rainbow, then tied it together with a rainbow ribbon. Mommy appreciated all of your help the day of your party! Ella went with Daddy to fill the balloons and you stayed with Mommy to help me and I just don't know what I would have done if I didn't have my sweet 5 year old to help me! Addi Grace, you were so sweet to all of your guests! You had friends from church and school come and I know that you enjoyed them so much at your party.

We had bowls filled with rainbow beads and made rainbow bracelets for your friends to wear! Everyone made such unique bracelets. Some lined up each color and others mixed all the colors! It was so sweet to see all your friends wearing their colorful rainbow bracelets at church the next day!

We also decorated cupcakes with white icing and sprinkled rainbows of sprinkles!! All of your friends did such a good job on decorating their cupcakes! Some friends used one color and some piled on all the colors!! I think Ella Jo just worried about how much icing she could fit on her one cupcake...We also got an ice cream cake for anyone who didn't decorate cupcakes! It was the first time we ever got an ice cream cake and it was such a big hit at your party!!

When your friends wanted a break from all the bracelets and cupcakes they jumped on the moonwalk!! Thank you Eric Plunkett for bringing the awesome moonwalk!! They had so much fun and what an awesome thing to have at your party for your friends to enjoy...I think it's a must at every party!!

Your Mommy remembers very well just last year and all the years before, I had to hold you to open presents! You were so shy and would barely open them! Not this year Addi Grace, that's just another way you are showing your Mommy and Daddy that you are growing older sweet baby! You were so thankful for all of your gifts and made Mommy so proud how you would thank each person after opening their gift they brought you!!

Okay...Mommy will need to explain what happens at the end of your party!!

Mommy and Daddy have sweet friends they hold so very dear to their heart and they prayed for many years just like we did to have beautiful babies bless their lives! Just like us, God answered their prayers and wow he blessed us just about at the same time! (isn't our God awesome?) Miss. Lexi Tubbleville came into our awesome lives just a few months before you did and y'all have grown up together! Mommy needs to work on a photo album because I have tons of pictures of y'all together before either of you had any hair...

When Lexi was leaving your party she was crying at the door not wanting to leave! I offered for her to stay and I could bring her home...but wait...better yet...let Lexi stay the NIGHT!! That is how both of your very first sleepover happened! So, after the party we picked Lexi up and you will see from the pictures how much fun you both had! Lexi kept saying..."This is going to be the best sleepover Ever!!" and it was my angel!! Addi Grace, your big sister, Alexa, would like to stay the night at her friends house too for your next sleepover!! We had church the next day and Mommy got all 3 of you ready and we were there on time...yay Mommy! All 3 of y'all giggled and giggled and that was the most precious sound to your Mommy's ears! I thought to myself...how precious little girls are! Sweet angels sharing giggles, cupcakes, and friendship! Thank you God for such sweet giggles between two best friends! I'm sure y'all will share lots of giggles as the years pass! 



The TuTu Crew
I just love those bare feet!



What an awesome way to end an awesome day! We had so much fun at your party! I wish we could celebrate every 6 months...but the 12 months seem to sneak it's way back too fast!
When Mommy was turning out all the lights from your party after cleaning up I just stopped and looked at the room that was put back exactly how we found it and I said a quick prayer thanking our Father for such an awesome party! I also thanked Him for giving me 5 years of Heaven on this Earth. You have blessed our lives so much my beautiful brown eyed girl! Mommy whispered in your ear when you were a baby..."I don't know how my heart was beating before you??" You have brought so many beautiful blessings to our lives and there isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't thank my Savior for answering my prayers. Thank you God for loaning me Your beautiful children! I promise to cherish every breath, memory, and all the giggles for all the years to come~

Joys of Fall

Orange Lions Club Carnival

Living in South East Texas, fall doesn't always get here when it's supposed to! Our weather is a little cooler than summer but we don't have true fall weather right now and we don't see all the colors changing yet.
One of the things we always look forward to this time of year is the carnival! The carnival has been in our town for many years and several generations have been able to come and enjoy it!
Alexa Rae came earlier in the week with friends and Mommy now wishes I would have reminded her to take her camera so I could add her pictures with friends to our blog too! Now that she's 16 she goes to the carnival with friends and enjoys hanging out with them and riding all the rides. This was the first year she didn't go with us as a family but she did surprise both of you little girls with 2 goldfish! One of them didn't make it through the night but the other one is still hanging in there.
Mommy and Daddy always enjoys the carnival because normaly the weather is cooler and walking around all the rides and booths is so much fun but now that y'all are getting older it makes it even MORE fun!!

Because we live in a small town we always see good friends at the carnival! Addi and Ella, y'all have grown so much over the years it is so sweet to watch both of you enjoy friends and riding rides together! Ella Jo, you are only 20 months younger than your sister and it is so precious that you enjoy all of your older sister's friends too!! Mommy couldn't have planned that one better herself! Just more awesome blessings our Father has blessed us with.




Ella Jo * Addi Grace * Sofia

Oh Addi and Ella, even though your older sister, Lex, brought home fish y'all both had to win fish all by yourself! (with the help of daddy and a sweet carnival volunteer!) We only rode a couple rides and both of you were crying for fish*fish*fish. Mommy and Daddy did not want to walk around for the rest of our family night at the carnival holding not one, but two bags of fish!!! But....both of you insisted, so we gave in, and y'all both "won" two fish and were very happy! The sweet carnival volunteer felt sorry for daddy because he kept spending tokens but was not getting any fish...so she called me to the side and just gave me two fish! How very sweet of her. Now we have 3 pet fish!!

The carnival always brings back precious memories to your Mommy because this was one of the first dates your Daddy took me on! It's such a blessing to me every year because as I'm walking beside your Daddy I reflect on the years past going to the carnival with Alexa Rae and praying for more little ones to enjoy it with. God has certainly answered those prayers~

Movie Night

The Russell family has started a new tradition!! Mommy has been wanting to have a movie night but we tried a couple of years ago and I think Ella Jo was a little too young to enjoy so we waited and now I think y'all are the perfect age!
Lion King has always been my favorite Disney movie! We had the VHS tape from when Alexa was little and y'all would watch that but a couple of years ago we lost the movie! We were so excited when we heard that Disney would re-release the movie! We went to the theatre to watch it in 3-D and it was even more awesome! Mommy and Lex got chill bumps all through out the movie and at the end Ella said ...."This movie makes my eyes water!" Don't worry my sweet baby...all movies makes your mommy's eyes water and that's ok! We surprised you girls with the Lion King and Spooky Buddies one evening and decided to make it special with our first movie night!
We popped popcorn, baked cookies, and moved Addi and Ella's mattresses in the living room! We all piled up with pillow pets and covers to enjoy our movies! Little girls, you had so much fun and thought it was so cool to have your mattress in the living room! Even Snow Flake enjoyed it snuggling on Addi's lap!

Mommy is sad that Lex wasn't home for our first Russell movie night but she was out with friends celebrating no school the next day!! We can't wait for our next movie night and I'm thinking we might have to go get Rio!
I treasure these times with my babies and your mommy is holding on so very tight! Who knows?? Maybe we can continue this as all of you get older and have to add on more mattresses in our living room!
Thank you God for all our blessings and our beautiful family You have given us! I am forever grateful~

Pinkalicious

Storybook Character Parade

Addi Grace, every year your school celebrates the last day of the book fair by having a storybook character parade through the halls of your school!! All the parents and the rest of the staff at your school line up in the halls waiting to see all the creativity and excitement in dressing up in your favorite storybook character!
My sweet angel, it made perfect sense for you to dress up as Pinkalicious! Aunt Katherine bought you the book along with pajamas to match for your second birthday and you have just loved reading it through the years and your favorite color is PINK PINK PINK!! I have been trying to get you to have a Pinkalicious birthday party but you change your mind in the theme each year! Your older sister, Lex, had a "purple" party one year because her favorite color was always purple!!!
You were absolutely precious for your parade! You carried your wand and of course your Pinkalicious book! We spray painted your hair pink and mommy painted pink circles on your face...(must have been too many pink cupcakes) As you passed mommy, you gave me a quick smile and you looked like you were enjoying walking with all your friends in character!! It was so fun to see the teachers dress up too!!

Clifford

Junie B Jones

Curious George

You were so excited my Precious Pinkalicious Princess!! Your mommy loved watching you in your parade and I can't wait to enjoy more sweet activities at your school big girl~

Mommy's Sweet Surprise

My precious Ella Jo, you never surprise me but that was NOT the case this morning!
It started off like it always does getting my angels up and heading out the door one by one. This morning was a little bit more rushed only because I had to turn your older sister, Addi, into Pinkalicious for the story book character parade that she was having at her school. I got Miss. Pinkalicious ready and off to school we went. When we got back home from bringing Addi to school mommy got you ready for your day at preschool. You were wearing a cute dress with pink and black flowers so I put a pair of black Cotton shorts on under your dress per school policy. After your mommy got ready we were out the door to bring you to school. Nothing seemed different to me at all. We had our regular sweet conversations that my 3 year old and I normally have the whole way there. We arrived at your school and I walked you to your room. I picked you up to give you a hug and kiss goodbye. Mommy doesn't always pick you up sometimes I bend down to you but thankfully this morning I picked you up and as I was saying goodbye I gave you a quick pat on your hiney and WOW... to my surprise you had a bare hiney!!! I gasped for air and your teacher said...ohhh did y'all forget something? My response was NO! I know she had on black shorts....but you at some point took them off! I looked at you and you gave me a mischievous smile and said "I took them off when I went to the potty and they are at home!" Mommy didn't have time to run and get you another pair because I had to get to Addi's school for the parade! Thank Heavens Mrs. Powell, the principal bought a pack of panties for emergencies and this was one!!!!
Your mommy laughed the whole way to your sisters school and I had little giggles to myself for the rest of the day and I'm sharing my sweet surprise with our friends and family! I'll never forget this one Ella Jo and I can't wait to tell you about it when your older~