Happy Birthday, my Little Princess! (Part 1)

How did my first little girl go from this teeny tiny screaming, but oh so precious and cute little thing...

to this totally grown-up, talking, imaginative, smart, fun, sweet, funny, curly-headed, blonde, and still oh-so-precious 3-year-old!!?

It happened in the blink of an eye, I tell ya!  So before updating anything else, I thought it'd be most important to write about Alyssa's birthday. Oh where has the time gone??  I remember so vividly the day she was born, the following few months (and boy does looking at those pictures above bring back FLOODS of memories from those first few months of her little life... can you see the excitement, nerves, and pure joy in our eyes as parents??  So grateful we have that captured.  Thank you, Steve Fuller!!) and it seems like just yesterday was her first birthday.  Then turning 2 seemed like she was almost in college- and now 3?!!?

The day started out pretty well- besides being a tad bit grumpy when she first woke up.  Kinzley was right there to help her out though...

And of course once Kinz grabbed a present- she jumped right up!

Moment of truth... was it a good present??...

Oh yeah... Disney Princess Figurines

Princess dresses and dolls from Grandpa and Gramz Huntsman

Birthday Breakfast- special request- "white (powder sugar) donuts"!

Already sick of pictures and resorting to silly faces...

 After breakfast we got ready for the day- cute outfit, "curlies curled" and head crowned- and her perfectly genuine smile stretched across her face.

 We packed a picnic and headed to the park by Joseph's work to meet him for lunch.

 While driving to the park, I caught Alyssa in the rear-view mirror practicing holding up 3 fingers- she KNEW Joseph would ask her to show him 3... she continued practicing at the park. 

Oh my sweet Alyssa... if only she knew how much I really do love her.  I try to tell her and give her hugs and kisses galore... but it's something that runs so deep, she may never know until she has her own little girl.  

I love this next picture- that dreamy look she gets in her eye when she's with her dad.

She was beaming like this (below) ALL day.  I loved it.

And a few mushy details to remember for the future- I'll never get over her curly blonde hair.  Oh how I love it.  And her sweet little chicks that just sit so perfectly. and her eyes that tell a story every minute- you can almost see into her mind through them.  The picture below reminds me of all of those things.

And this next one- oh her sweet little hands.  I'll sure miss those in 10 years.  She is so girly and loves having those little fingernails painted as often as I'll do it.  She'd go for a new color every day, but since she knows that won't happen, she just gets a different color on every finger usually.  She puts those little fingers to worke very day lining up her toys, picking them up, packing them away, and running from Kinz.  Then unloads in her room, lines up again, and it goes on and on all day.  She holds her babies with those little hands, sometimes gets them dirty, paints and colors, helps her little sister, and gives the best "squeezes" (hugs) around my neck before she goes to bed.  Oh and when she prays- and folds those cute hands and says whatever's on her mind- my heart melts.

And last but not least- her giggle.  Her real giggle.  Not her little laugh that happens throughout the day.  The one that happens every once in a while- usually a certain dad has to be around for it to really come out.  But there's nothing like a sweet little girl giggle to make a mom smile.

 Sure love you, Alyssa Renee. Can't wait to see what your next year brings!

To be continued later with the rest of her special day...