Taelor's Tea Party

The girls got to make jewelry and get their nails painted

The Menu was decided by the birthday girl.....Nutella, PB &J, egg salad and turkey sandwiches. Jam tarts, butterfly cookies, cupcakes, pink petite fours, scones, pink lemonade and of course tea! All handmade by Gamma @ English Rose Teas

All of Taelor's friends and cousins joined her in celebrating

Mommy's got to have their own tea too.

"Ted" wanted to join in on the birthday singing and help blow out candles too!

Thanks to both Gamma and Grandma for everything!!

All the girls!!

I wouldn't of expected anything less when I asked Taelor what she wanted to do for her birthday party......she wanted a Tea Party just for GIRLS! I mean what little British girl wouldn't want a tea party, I still want to have tea parties! Lucky for her, Gamma is the best British Gamma and has her own English Rose Tea business and made her birthday party spectacular! The desserts were amazing, wait I mean AMAZING! It was so fun to watch all the girls sip tea out of their tiny cups while their moms got to enjoy a "big girl" tea party too! After it was all done, Taelor said "can we do that again next year", so we shall see, it might be tea parties for the next few years....maybe with different themes!

Happy 4th Birthday Taelor

Happy 4th Birthday Taelor!! More to come on her birthday, but it was a great day! What better day then to celebrate on New Years Eve!!

Taelor is 4

Birthday girl had to start her day with a cup of tea of course

My big 4 year old

Happy Birthday Taelor

Taelor's favorite....cupcakes

Making a wish (Ethan joined in too!)

Daddy and his little girl

My babies

Can't forget the Mince Pies Taelor had Gamma make...her other fav!

Yes my baby girl turned FOUR this past New Year's Eve. I still can't believe how time has flown by. She is one amazing, sweet, shy little girl and I feel so blessed to have her as my daughter. I love her to pieces.

Taelor was born at 12:19 am and we were still awake at that time, so I went in and gave her a kiss and said Happy birthday my baby girl, as I sat and stared at her, the memories of ringing in the New Year of 2007 in the hospital with our precious bundle of joy overwhelmed me. It was 4 years ago that our lives were changed forever. As I walked out of her room, tears came to my eyes, but tears of joy to see how much she has grown up into a little girl. A little girl who has the heart of gold, and the biggest heart already for Jesus!

In the morning, on her birthday, we started the day off with a cup of tea and french toast (Taelor's choice of course). We headed to the Spectrum for a bit of shopping with the birthday girl and then had lunch at Islands. Since Taelor has the best day to celebrate a birthday, New Year's Eve, we let her stay up as late as she wanted to. We did the New York New Year and she was so excited to see everyone celebrating on her birthday. We did the countdown....5,4,3,2,1.....and instead of saying Happy New Year, Taelor said Happy Birthday to ME! So cute! Ethan was so tired that night that he didn't even make it till 8:30! Taelor was tired too and at 9:30 she was done for the day. I kissed my little 4 year old to bed, tucked her in with a big smile on my face knowing my daughter made me a mom and I am so proud of her.

I look forward to this next year in her life, to see her grow and learn, but most of all I look forward to her just being the little girl that she is!

December 19....shopping

Hubby and I spent the day finishing up Christmas shopping! We had a great "day date", lunch and shopping in stores that we never go in with kids, it was a great day today!

December 19....My first teapot and Tea time

My first Teapot!!

Ethan opted for milk....

We enjoyed our tea!

Ethan then joined us

Love that this cup is bigger than her

Watched the Toot and Puddle Christmas as we sipped tea

Yes, that is right I finally got my first teapot! I know I am married to a Brit and I didn't even own a teapot! Well now I do thanks to Linda! Last night at my parents Christmas party we do a gift exchange where you can steal gifts, well of course my niece got this gift and didn't really want it so when my name was called I stole it from her, then the sugar and creamer was another gift that Saul stole (for me) from someone else. But a few people later and it got stolen from me! Oh I was so sad, but Linda my dad's cousin was the one who stole from me and at the end she came up to me and said Merry Christmas and handed me the teapot! An early Christmas present yeah and I love it! So tonight we made tea and snuggled on the couch for a Toot and Puddle Christmas special! It was a great night, movie watching, tea and rain, what more can I ask for!

December 18....Alanis Christmas party

Me and hubby

Karla and Aunt Tami

My beautiful niece Alycia and Randy

Renae, Kandice and Aunt Judy

Uncle Randy and his daughter Kandice

Alycia, Vanessa, Jon and Jessica

Watching the gift exchange

Only my brother would get this! Funny!

Tonight was the annual Alanis Christmas party at my parents house. It was a night filled with fun, laughter, chatting and eating, lots of eating! I look forward to this party every year, reminds me of the big Christmas' we had growing up, glad I still get to have a big Christmas with my family! I love my family, they are really the best!

December 17....movie night The Incredibles

Nothing to do with Christmas but the Incredibles was on TV tonight so it was a movie night for us Williams! No pictures of us, sorry, but it was a fun night and I liked this movie!

December 16...Christmas tree craft

Today was our Christmas tree craft. I cut little circles and the kids glued them in the shape of a Christmas tree. Then they got to decorate them. Ethan of course wanted all stars on his and Taelor went a little crazy with stickers, I love that she put a star on top of the tree though and presents under the tree. While doing this project we re-read about the Christmas tree and how it got started. I love crafts and I love that I do them with my kids!

December 15...Miracle on 34th Street

We snuggled on the couch and watched Miracle on 34th street (thanks to my Secret Santa at work that got me the movie). Not really sure this was a hit for Ethan, Taelor liked it though, but of course it was another movie with a lot of questions from the peanut gallery. I never knew that watching all these Christmas movies would mean that I would have to really explain Santa...real or not real? Just believe!

December 14... Angels

Tonight was an Angel craft! The kids thought it was funny that I traced their feet and Ethan thought it was even more hilarious that I put his face on his foot, his exact words " my face can't go on my foot, that's silly". I love that Taelor "painted" her toe nails I mean her angels body! The kids know that Angels protect us and that they are always around us, Ethan wonders why he can't see them. Sometimes I find myself going into way more detail then I need to with a 2 year old! But I am glad they know about Angels and that God sends them to earth to be with us!

December 13.....The Star

Tonight we learned about the Star! The kids really enjoyed this craft and now this great string of stars is on my tree at the bottom....gave up on having my tree just be for ornaments!

December 12...Letter from Santa

The kids received their letters today from Santa!!! Yes they were so excited ( I know you can't tell by the look on Ethan's face...he had just woke up!). Thanks to my sister Vanessa who always tells Santa that these two have been good! Ethan was wondering why his only said something about his Woody doll because that same day he realized he also wants a Mac Truck from Cars! Oh goodness, guess Santa needs to look for one of those too!

December 12....South Coast Plaza

Admiring the " North Pole"

Yep we braved South Coast Plaza today! It was a great day, the kids enjoyed all the decorations and the carol singers. I love this time of year!

And I just noticed... I am hardly in any pics because I am always the one taking them!

December 11...Movie night

The Santa Clause

Snuggling...or at least Taelor is!

After the movie, this is what Mommy and Daddy snacked on...Gamma's goodies!

Tonight we watched The Santa Clause, the kids thought it was great, but yes they had LOTS of questions. Never knew that watching a movie where a dad turns into Santa would have to have a commentary the whole time! But it was a nice movie night, I love these nights!

December 10.... Polar Express Sleep over...

The kids had their first real sleepover at Aunt Debbie's Polar Express sleepover with 7 of their cousins! They had a blast, stayed up till the wee hours of the night, and yes I mean wee hours, Ethan made it till midnight and Taelor was up with her cousin Morgan still watching movies till 2 am!! Yes my daughter who is in bed every night by 8 pm was up till 2 am! Guess that's what happens when you let a girl go to bed when she wants. But needless to say they both had a great time, watching Polar Express, making cookies, doing crafts and playing with their cousins. We will see if Aunt Debbie is up for these crazy kids next year! (And 9 kids was only from 3 of us older cousins, can you imagine next year if all the other cousins go!)