"Free" Years Old

 Vera Louise is three!  She is pretty thrilled to be three years-old. The memorable line for this birthday is, "I love it!"  or as Vera says it, "I yove it!"  Over and over again we heard this as we celebrated her birthday.  She "yoved" her cards, her cakes, her gifts, her parties, and everything that goes with turning three.

On Saturday, the day before her birthday, Grammy and Papa hosted a birthday party for Vera and Bailey's birthdays.  Papa decorated some cupcakes and made them into a cute bunny for the girls' birthday cake.  We also had homemade ice cream and plenty of other good food to eat.

Bailey the 4 year-old and Vera the 3 year-old

Vera ate the icing off of the cupcakes, and dad struggled with an ice cream headache!

And then it was time for presents....!

Isn't Bailey's face priceless?

From Aunt Mindy, Sanchez and Bailey...a bag full of cool surprises:  Doc McStuffins' Big Book of BooBoos, Sofia cup, Twistable crayons (which are awesome!), the  movie Frozen, and some other things that I know I'm forgetting.

A nice Reds shirt from Uncle Brian

along with lots of sidewalk chalk, notebooks, pens, Poultry Days ride tickets, and...

more PICKLES!

From Grammy and Papa, Crazy 8s and Go Fish card games and Minnie Mouse walkie talkies.

I love this picture.  I have a picture of her when she was about 1 year old with this same expression.  She looks so much the same!  Adam and I were just talking about how we still think she looks a lot like she did in the first hours we met her, especially when she sleeps.  Hard to believe it was three years ago.  Throughout her birthday weekend, I found myself reminiscing about her birth...seems like just yesterday and so long ago at the same time!

Obligatory photo.  Cheese!

Sunday was BIRTHDAY!  At 7:15am I heard little footsteps run into our bedroom and run up next to me and whisper, "Mom, do I have any birthday surprises in the living room?!"  :)  After some breakfast and a bath, the birthday girl got to enjoy her birthday surprises from mom and dad.

A steering wheel and telescope for the swing set.  Vera is really excited to drive the ship and watch out for pirates!

I love the surprised and excited face

 

A new swing for the swing set.

And a garden cart / wheel barrow.  Vera was in need of outside toys for the summer!

There was no time to waste!  The toy had to be out of the box and put together immediately!

And she got to work right away watering the flowers.

Here's the birthday girl in her many birthday hats:

This princess hat is from Aunt Mandy, Jeff and Blake.

This hat is from the birthday celebration at Patty's house.

And this one is from Aunt Mindy, Sanchez and Bailey.  (Can you tell it's too big for her head?  :)  We had plenty of outtakes of this photo because the hat kept falling off.)

That afternoon, we took Vera to McDonald's for lunch.  Then we went to see The Five Little Monkeys performance at Memorial Hall in Greenville.  Vera was so excited about the show.  Throughout the whole show, she asked when the monkeys were going to jump on the bed.  Thankfully, at the end they did.  The show was really cute, and it was just the right length for small, wiggly children. 

That afternoon, Vera and I decorated these cupcakes for Vera's friends at Patty's house.  Vera was thrilled to help and, of course, snitch jelly beans throughout.

Later in the evening, Grandma and Grandpa Otte stopped by to see the birthday girl and enjoy some cake and ice cream.

On Friday before Vera's birthday, Grandma and I (well, mostly grandma) made and decorated a butterfly cake at Vera's request.

According to Vera, putting the candles on the cake was the best part of the birthday cake.  All week she talked about three candles on the cake.  While we were decorating the cake, she pouted because we didn't put three candles on it.              When it was time for the candles, she excitedly poked the three candles in the cake all by herself and then announced that, "now we need fire."  After singing, she blew out her candles in one breath on the first try.  We lit them a second time so she could make a wish.  She announced her wish out loud, "I wish to be a big girl!" then excitedly blew the candles out a second time.

 

Again, she enjoyed icing and ice cream and not so much cake.

Grandma and Grandpa brought a small birthday surprise...a pretty "braceyet" and "neckyace" that match her dress perfectly.

 

At Vera's request, they had to play the Fishing Game.  Even grandpa played.  He did a lot of cheating.  Is anyone surprised?

We finished Vera's special day with some photos with the newest three year-old.

Happy Birthday to the best three year-old we know!  We love you to pieces little Tater!