Swimming lessons

With this girl's lack of fear for the water and summer fast approaching, we wanted to get her into swimming lessons as soon as we could.  Tess and I have done the mom and me class, which is a great start, but today she started her "real" swim class.  With Tim starting his new job this coming Monday, he has some, much needed, time off and was able to come to Tessa's first class.  She was so excited to have her daddy right here watching her.

Tessa's swim teacher miss Kayla

 Little miss social...making friends on the first day of her class

3 years and counting

Every year, for the last three years, the day before Tessa's birthday, I begin to replay her birth story in my head.  I look up at the clock and think to myself...ok, at this time I was.....and so on.  It is one of those beautiful memories that will forever be ingrained.  I remember my mom telling us our birth story every year.  In fact, she still tells us.  It's still hard for me to believe it's already been three years.  Sometimes it feels as if it were yesterday.  Those moments are usually brief and I snap back into reality to find my little girl playing with her dolls, dragging toilet paper around the house, or smearing tooth paste all of the counter in the bathroom.  Every day we thank the Lord for our beautiful little girl.  It has been quite a journey the last three years.  We have learned so many different stages of childhood.  I don't think I can count all of the milestones Tess has reached over this last year.  She talks up a storm...really...this girl doesn't stop talking.  She is a social butterfly.  She has no fear just like her daddy.  She is a 100% type "A" personality just like Tim and I.  I'm not sure where she gets all of her energy, but I find myself wishing I could have some on most days.  One of my favorite things that she does is pray.  She loves to pray to Jesus, and asks to pray all the time.  It's beautiful, and I must say that as a parent it makes me feel like I'm must be doing something right.  Happy 3rd Birthday Tessa.  We love you more than words could ever say! 

Birthday breakfast...one of her favorites.  French toast and strawberries.

A Birthday Party at Build A Bear

Every year around mid-January, I begin planning Tessa's birthday party.  I just blame it on my type "A" personality because her birthday isn't until the end of March.  Google becomes my friend during Tessa's nap time as I search for hundreds of fun birthday ideas.  After narrowing our options down to Kidz Bounce or Build A Bear, Tessa made her choice....Build A Bear it was. 

Tessa and her friend Anna

After the kiddos each picked out a bear, they then got to help stuff it. 

 They got to play games with their newly stuffed friends

It's like Nordstrom for stuffed bears....where to begin picking out an outfit.

Bear bath time

All of the kids very proud of their new bears

We still can't believe our little girl is 3!

The first few days of Spring in the Bryan home

27 weeks and counting.  Tessa is so excited to be a big sister.  Here she is trying to wake Jayda up so that she can feel her move.

Our little miss social butterfly at her Gymboree class.  This class has been so much fun for Tess.  It has also been nice for this mama who goes to Starbucks for an hour after I drop her off.  



cupcakes....check, party favors.....check, a very excited little girl...check.  It's about time we get this party started!  Tessa is very much looking forward to her 3rd birthday party tomorrow.

Such a BEAUTIFUL Spring day in Seattle!  We'll let the pictures do all the talking.

Beautiful, but ready for spring

The snow falling outside is beautiful, but I must admit, I'm more than ready for spring!

A little bit of green

With St. Patty's Day quickly approaching, Tessa's favorite color being green, and the snow falling outside, we thought today was the perfect day to make a green craft. 

Very proud of her picture....and she should be.  

One less unfinished project

You know those projects that you're always telling yourself that one day you'll get around to?  Well, I have several of those projects.  However, after today, I now have one less.  For the last few years, I have been wanting to make Tess a special keepsake box.  Now with our second little girl on the way, I thought I'd better get a move on it. 

Tim's dad built several of these great little boxes to hold his various collections in.  He gave them to Tim a few years ago.  They are absolutely perfect for keepsake boxes.  With a few added personal touches, the boxes are complete.  Jayda's box is still pretty empty, but Tessa's is now almost full.  I didn't realize how many of her little treasures I had saved over the last few years.  From a little lock of her curly hair, to her recent picture art, we will cherish her little trinkets until one day she's old enough to have them. 

"Daddy, you shaved.  You're face is soft."  Every time Tim shaves this is what Tess says, and she always wants to feel his smooth face.  One of the many daddy daughter moments I've grown to love and look forward to.

A taste of Spring...

What a beautiful day to have a picnic at the zoo.  So that's just what we did.  We had a yummy lunch from a great deli and toured the Cougar Mtn. Zoo.  We love this zoo because it's tiny and very well kept.

Notice the cougar in the back ground eyeing my little girl...this mama kept a close eye on Tess around the big cats.   

 The macaws were our favorite part of the zoo



Babe, I know what you're thinking, but they don't allow bow and arrows in the zoo.

Tessa's favorite animal is the giraffe....as if you couldn't tell.