I really have no excuses at this point EXCEPT that I have tried to do this post a number of times, but stinkin Picasa won't let me upload pictures and I knew that I had so many of them and kept hoping they'd get their act together. So I kept waiting....and procrastinating....and waiting.....and quite a bit more procrastinating...and FINALLY I have given up and am going to upload the pictures the old fashioned way, one by painful one.

Lilly, Lilly Lou. You are about as cute as a button as much as you are a stinker. You have been the child that has restored the saying, "terrible 3's." Its funny, if you're in a good mood you are the sweetest, most patient child. If you're not....well lets say dad and I may have to sell you to the Indians. You were SOOO excited to spend your birthday at the lake this year, I really think you decided that everyone showed up to the lake JUST for you! You are into puppies, really any living creature, and princess characters (heaven help us), riding your bike, loving on your "baby bru-der" Sam, and seeing just how far you can push the envelope. Your theme this year was, "I do this?" Everytime Dad or I would ask you to not do something, you'd ask "I do this?" as you go through all the other things that you can do seeing how close you can come to what you were asked not to do. Dad and I laugh at your accent...I wish I could write out an example...... you sound like you were born to be a southern belle and it makes me smile everytime I hear it. I think my favorite word you say is Whay-uh (where) and when you tell me to quit calling you Lou Lou, that your name is Lilly MeyJohn (Lilly Marijeanne). You are SOOOO excited to go to preschool this year. Your teacher has been impressed with how smart you are and I just smile and think, oh if you only knew how smart you really are. Although you can totally be an independant, headstrong stinker, you are so good at being the one to give something that you have that one of your siblings wants just to see them smile and I love watching you beam when you see how excited they get. You love making others happy and you are so cute. Your sweet little face and lips make me smile inside just thinking about it. You LOVE to sing. I absolutely love it. I wish I could find the video I have when you were about 4 or 5 months old, you were laying in the bouncer and I was singing while I did the dishes. All the sudden I noticed that you were trying to mimic me and trying to sing. You had your cute lips puckered up and making the cutest sound. I grabbed my camera and took a video of it. Your favorite song to sing is "Part of your World" and at 3 you know every word. You sing at the top of your lungs, usually songs that you make up but I'm so impressed at how good of an ear you have already and how fast you can learn the words. I hope you know how much Dad and I love you and how proud we are that you will always be our Lilly Lou.

 Lilly let me know way ahead of time that she was expecting a "puppy party"

 Since it was at the lake, I just had to bring everything needed for the cake.  Anyone who knows me well, knows how INCREDIBLY hard it was to run out of the decorative frosting and having to finish with the other that didn't match at the bottom.  I was fighting my panic attack the rest of the day.

 Birthdays around here are exciting because its like a birthday for all!!!  Everyone gets so excited and is more than happy to help!

 Just chillin....his typical pose this trip...and basically always

 I love this picture of Jadyn.  SO cute.  She was hiding her bday present for Lilly in her swim trunks :)

I love how the rest of the day, and for days to follow she lets me know ALL the things she can all the sudden do, now that she's "free" (3)  Oh how I love my Lilly Lou :)