We Have A Birthday Girl! Gabrielle Is the Big 1!

Dear Gabrielle,

Wow, here we are.  Celebrating your first birthday!  It went by so quickly and yet time slowed down just a bit just enough for me to watch all of your accomplishments and your milestones.   What a wonderful year it has been.   We first announced we were pregnant with you to your sisters when they got out for school vacation around Easter.    They were so excited, and asked everyday what size you were inside of Mommy's tummy.  And when you arrived, your sisters asked to help us with everything.   Even a year later, Samantha and Sarah still love to help out and change your diapers and feed you.

So today, you have 5 teeth and you are a fantastic eater.   Your absolute FAVORITE food is yogurt. Mommy still purees your fruits and vegetables and your finishing up your last container of formula.   Mommy is pretty sure that you'll be on whole milk soon enough.

You love crawling and cruising around the house.  Pushing your high chair and our dining room chairs all around the place.    Your new discovery is Samantha and Sarah's shoes.   They organize them constantly, and you feel the need to help them out and re-organize them.

As far as talking, you're saying "Dah-dah" and "Nah-nah" and the occasional "Mah-Mah".   Mommy tries not to take too much offense that "Mah-Mah" isn't said as much.   You're now waving "hi".

Mommy recently discovered Facebook yard sales and she found some really awesome toys for you for next to nothing.    Brand new toys!  It doesn't take much to make Mommy excited, but when she finds a good bargain, she finds a good one.

Well Gabrielle, it certainly has been a wonderful year with you as part of our family.   Thank you for being so entertaining and always making us smile.  We can't wait to see what else God has in store for you.

We love you Gabrielle.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

Popping the Question

We recently had Uncle Chris and Aunt Leeann over for dinner this past weekend and they had a really big question to ask Samantha and Sarah...

Chris and Leeann gave the girls very special boxes with the following inside.   The video is Sarah's reaction to the following.

Sarah is especially excited as she has never been a flower girl in a wedding before.   So both girls will be part of their Uncle's wedding set for next Spring.

Peak's Island

We had a wonderful weekend in Maine.   Before we headed back home to Massachusetts, we decided to make the most of our day in Maine.   After eating breakfast and attending church, we piled into the car and took a ferry ride over to Peak's Island.   One of the many islands off the coast of Maine.   The Madoreables loved being inside of a car on a boat.

Gabrielle and her Papere

Halloween 2015

This year for Halloween, we celebrated up in Maine and trick or treated with some of our nieces.   Very low key, and very fun.  The weather was absolutely perfect.

Samantha and Sarah decided they wanted to be Harry Potter.  And Miss Gabrielle?   Well, we thought she would look bee-utiful as a bee.

Cousin Anna adding a scar to the girls foreheads

So if the girls were Harry Potter, does this mean Gabrielle played the part of "Bumble-dore"?

Hitting the Books

This past week, both Samantha and Sarah had their first "really big" school project.   The project was "Career Week" and each student needed to pick a profession that they were interested in and then interview someone within that profession and present it to their class.

Samantha chose to be a photographer and Sarah chose to be a police officer.  Samantha of course interviewed her Daddy and Sarah and I were fortunate enough to go to our local police department and receive the grand tour.

We started our projects last weekend and created outlines and drafts so that when it came time to finalize everything, the girls at least had a plan for where they wanted to place things on their poster boards.

Sarah interviewing the officer

The officer gave Sarah and I quite the lengthy tour.   Everything from where the perp is brought in and finger printed and has their mug shot.  We saw the dispatch room (where the 911 phone calls come in) to the jail cells to the interview rooms.   I was completely knocked off my feet with all the attention that we received.  Sarah's favorite part was sitting inside the police cruiser.

The parents were also invited to come in to the classroom for a "talk share" of their profession.   Jeremy went in to speak with Samantha's class and I went in to speak to Sarah's class.  It really was a lot of fun.

Samantha's poster

Sarah's poster

To conclude the week, the school hosted a parade where all the students come into school dressed as their career alter-ego ;)