June's 4th Birthday

Our sweet June. Where do I start? This girl keeps the whole family laughing and/or pulling our hair out. She's got an amazingly developed sense of humor and can be so clever that I can't believe what's coming out of her mouth. For example, I told the girls not to use the word "butt" and she gets around it by calling everyone "-utts" while looking at me with a grin. I wrote on Instagram that around her birthday she told me that she feels "ready for real make-up now." She loves to sit on my bathroom vanity and pass me each make-up item as I request it when I'm getting ready in the morning. She also loves to put my lipstick on me. Two days ago I was putting some play make-up on her and she puckers her lips just right doing the lipstick. When Ryan got home from work she ran out to the garage with lips puckered to show him all her make-up.

Her birthday came two days after we got home from Disneyland, so she got to celebrate a few times. She got presents from us, my parents, and her cousins at Disneyland (her first birthday, as she calls it). On her actual birthday at home, Rebecca and Brandon came over and she got more gifts. I love these photos of her with her cupcake and ice cream. She has always been such a beautiful little baby and now little girl.

The next day, we met two friends at Chuck E Cheese in the morning. It was nearly empty, so I got everyone lots of tokens and they rode the rides, ate pizza, and did presents. June really wanted a friend party, but with Disneyland being so close, I just didn't have it in me to plan something. Plus, it felt like we'd already done tons of celebrating. So I talked her into inviting Lyla and Annie to Chuck E Cheese and she loved that idea. I wish we still lived close to these two girls. We don't have any girls June's same age in our new ward. These three get along so well together.

 Ahhh, so cute!

June is looking older and older to me. I think I've just kept her a baby in my mind because she's the youngest, but she really is turning into a little girl. She's gotten very opinionated on what to wear and how to do her hair. She loves snuggles and attention. Lately, her favorite thing is to sit with me at the computer and scroll through her old baby pictures. Seeing her all newborn gets me excited for the new baby and I hope it's preparing her a little too. She was such a cute thing! She loves preschool and her gymnastics class. She's just my best little buddy right now with Willa in school. She's at the age where she is reasonable and can be talked through logical solutions to problems. She's happy and chipper on most of our outings and it's so delightful. She loves to help me bake and cook and is getting good and adding the ingredients and even making scrambled eggs (with me right there). I don't think I really got to enjoy Willa at this stage as much because I was caring for baby June. So everything Willa might have or was doing, was tempered by caring for a baby/toddler. Whereas right now, June gets undivided attention and doesn't have to share with younger siblings when we are at home. The baby is going to be a hard adjustment for her, but she's getting ready (though, she often cries to me that she doesn't want to be a big sister and what's she going to do when the baby cries, and what if she gets hurt and I'm holding the baby and can't help her). But, I think she's ready to be full of love and be very helpful with him too. I'm just so glad we've had this time to be just the two of us.

The most adorable baby!!