Noelle is 4!

This last Saturday Noelle turned 4!  And boy was it a fun and crazy day.  I can't believe four years has gone by.  It has been the funnest and sweetest four years of my life!  So grateful that she is a part of our family.  She is such a great "oldest child" and such a helpful big sister.  Here are some things that describe our Noelle.  Her likes, dislikes and everything in between.

*Such a helpful girl, but so stubborn sometimes
*loves her little brother too much but also needs her space
*she's got such a good memory
*she loves to color right now and do anything crafty
*so sweet to her friends and others around her
*very proud of little accomplishments she does. 
*Did so good at the dentist office this last time around, she let them do everything they needed to do.  However she has 3 cavities :(.  Poor girl has my teeth, even when she brushes as often as she needs to
*Didn't cry once when she got her shots today.  But made quite a big deal of it later on.  She can be such a drama queen
*she has a very sensitive little heart.  She often cries when Mikey does and really feels bad when he is feeling bad
*started to get very bossy lately
*always talks about going to school and asks me when she can go.  No she isn't in preschool right now.  Her birthday makes it so she will not start kindergarten until 2014.  But two of her best friends are in preschool so she always hears about it.  I really wish she could be in school right now.  It would be so great for her.  Definitely next year. 
*loves to learn new things
*still a picky eater, but will try new things.  She loves pickles and salsa and chips though :)
*is very content with things she receives from others and is so happy about it
*very much a girl and does her fair share of whining and crying
*Loves Doc Mcstuffins, Sid the Science Kid, Angelina Ballerina, and Barney
*Says the funniest and sweetest things.  Lately she will come up to me and hug me and say "Thank you so much mommy, for taking such good care of us." :)
*really likes to make her friends laugh and loves being around them
*loves her new tumbling class
*knows her way around the ipad.  She'll get up in the morning and find it and start watching something on Netflix.  We have been better at remembering to put it somewhere high

I really could go on and on about Noelle.  I love her more than words can say and, like I've said before, she is the light of my life.  Enjoy some pictures from her birthday!

We are always going to the zoo because we got a year pass.  Unfortunately Michael can never come because he has been working a lot.  The day before Noelle's birthday Michael took work off and we went to the zoo as a family!  Noelle was so excited to have daddy there.  It was the day after a storm so it was cold but sunny.  No one was there which was pretty nice.  Because of that when Michael and Noelle went inside to see the giraffes a worker was feeding the mother giraffe and gave Noelle some bread to feed the giraffe herself.  How awesome is that?  She loved it!  What a fun birthday present for her.

Every time we have gone the tigers has always been laying down and never do anything.  This time was different.  This one was following us back and forth and looking at us.  Sometimes at the zoo I am interested in the animals more than Noelle.  I loved watching this beautiful tiger.  I can be such a little kid at heart.

She loves riding the carousel.

Mikey's first time riding the carousel

Good morning birthday girl!  She wanted pancakes for breakfast and really liked her birthday chair.

She had a doc mcstuffins birthday party with 8 other friends. 

The birthday banner I made for Noelle. 

All the goodies for the party.  The kids got to watch an episode of doc mcstuffins and then decorate a door tag that said "the doc is in" on one side and "the doc is out" on the other.  They got dollar store doctor's kits and stuffed monkeys to take home and take care of.  And of course yummy doc mcstuffins cupcakes

The closest doc mcstuffins outfit I could put together.  My cute little doc.  She was actually excited about going to her own doctor's appointment today and didn't get nervous at all about her shots.

They also played pin the nose and bandaid on Chilly.  One of doc mcstuffins toys that she takes care of on her show.  The birthday party was a lot of fun.  But I always seem to put so much into it that I stress myself out way too much.  So that will change for next year.  I made Michael promise to remind me about the stress next year when I probably will want to do another crazy party.

After that party we were going to have some of my family over and Michael's sister Becky.  So we made two small cakes for that.  Noelle wanted a tinkerbell cake.  So here she is helping me with one of them.

the cake

the cake with tink.  She wanted to put tinkerbell in herself.

She sure had fun opening presents this year.  And got some awfully fun gifts from everyone!

She struggled a little blowing out the candles but got it eventually

After this little get-together our ward had a trunk-or-treat so Noelle and I headed to that.  Mikey was so tired from the day so he got to stay home with daddy.  We couldn't miss it though.  Noelle is loving dressing up in her fairy princess costume.  So the day was crazy and I never got to sit down but it was worth it and Noelle loved her day.  In every prayer she keeps saying "grateful that I could have my birthday and that I am 4."  What a joy and blessing she is in our lives.  I can get enough of my silly sweetheart Noelle and hope she had the best 4th birthday ever!