It's PARTY time! Let's skate!

9. My baby girl is 9. NINE! How on earth did that happen?? While I am sad that the years are going by so fast, I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming. She is sweet, caring, sensitive, strong willed, stubborn, and outgoing. She loves to cuddle, and I do my best to not ever take a moment of that for granted.
For her birthday this year, she wanted to have a skating party. I was totally on board with this since it meant that I didn't have to plan a party! All I had to do was get a cake. SCORE!
On the 23rd, we got up early and headed to the Granbury skating rink! We had the whole place to ourselves for a bit until everyone arrived. Josh, Brenna and Macie took full advantage!

I was so proud of all three of them! Brenna loves to skate and will do laps in the garage. Macie just got her first pair of skates for Christmas, and did really well! Josh is a skater from way back, yet hadn't been on skates in YEARS. He did great too! (not gonna lie- I was a bit nervous with him on skates. His accident record is a mile long, and if anyone is going to get hurt, I just knew it would be my husband. But he proved me wrong!)
My sweet girls!

They do love each other....sometimes!
Soon the guests started arriving and everyone was on skates! Some stayed upright, and some didn't! And some (including me) didn't even attempt it. I am mature enough to admit that I am not coordinated and should not try to put wheels on my feet and stay upright!
These sweet girls did a great job helping Maylee!

And Josh was a pro!

Brenna and sweet Landry

Miss Maylee had all kinds of help! That sweet girl can wrap anyone around her finger.

Schaef and Carter..

Yes my Wy-man that is exactly what it would look like if I was out there skating too buddy!

This girl is practically a pro! Her Daddy even gave her a few tips that helped her even more!

I am so thankful that she has so many wonderful friends!
Brenna and Kinley

While the brave people were skating, Memaw was trying to take a selfie for something she had to do for work. She was having trouble figuring it out, so I helped her a little..

Soon it was time for cake and presents!

Brenna requested a red velvet Nothing Bundt Cake again this year, so that's exactly what she got! I also baked some strawberry cupcakes for anyone that didn't like red velvet. Easiest birthday party I've ever thrown!

Pictured are:
Left side: Brenna, Kinley Evans, Maggie Buttler, Landry Middleton, Addison and Kayleigh Swearingin.
Right side: Maylee Baldwin, Macie Pool, Tia Thurman, Carter Riley, and Wyatt
They sang happy birthday while Brenna just smiled. (This girl loves attention. LOL!)

She got a ton of great presents!

Then it was time for a little more skating before we had to pack up and leave. They did the Hokey Pokey, the Macarena, and the Chicken Dance!

The best Daddy ever. It melts my heart to watch him with the girls. I hope that they one day realize how lucky they are to have him.

A horrible, but obligatory, family picture.

Oh Memaw- still working on perfecting that selfie!

These two still got it! (Even if one of them, who shall remain nameless, skated MUCH against my desires! I told her that my baby nephew did NOT want her to fall on him! But like I said- I won't name names because I don't want to call her out.)

Sweet Tia! I love this girl. aka- my 3rd child!

Hey look! There's Wyatt standing up on skates!

Good job buddy!!
And while we were packing up to leave, Pops and Memaw took the opportunity to take a spin on the dance floor!

Thank you to everyone who came to help us celebrate our big girl! We had a great time and appreciate the love you showed to Miss Brenna. She claimed at lunch that "this was the best party I've ever had! And I've even been to American Girl!" So I guess if it topped American girl, then it was a great party!!

January=Birthday Month!

Around our house, January is birthday month! Six of them to be exact! And 3 of those fall within 4 days. Talk about busy!
The first up was Mimi on January 4th! I absolutely love this precious and beautiful woman. I have always wanted to get to spend more time with her, and over the last couple of years, I have made that happen. It's really hard to live 4 hours away. And when the girls were little, it was just too hard to make the trip up there by myself. Plus, during that time was also when Papaw was declining, so it just didn't work out. But during the last 3 years, the girls and I have made it a point to make annual summer trips to Mimi's. And in the last year, our trips have gotten more frequent- and I LOVE it! Mimi has been a great support for me with loosing Mom. She listens, gives me "nudges" in the right direction without actually telling me what to do, supports me (even when I am being crazy), never judges me, and offers wisdom that always makes me feel better. I am so thankful for her and the time we get to spend together. I only hope to look as good as she does when I'm 82! I love you Mimi, and I am so thankful that God put you in my life!

Next up in the birthday line up was Kyson on the 10th! My little side kick- who isn't so little anymore. This dude and I were inseparable when he was little. I took him everywhere. If I got out of school early and didn't have to go to work, I went and picked him up at the sitter. I was probably the only high school kid, who didn't have a child of her own, with a car seat in my truck! No one could ever ride with me anywhere because I only had a single cab truck and there was a car seat in the front seat! I taught him to say "French fries coke" every time we drove by Sonic, and carted him all over town. He holds a special place in my heart. It made me feel so OLD when he turned 21 this year! Holy cow. How did that happen?? He's still suppose to be 3 and following every step I take! Now he's grown up and off to college. Makes me want to cry! I am pretty sure I have had my picture made more times with him than I have with my own children!

January 19th was our Papaw's birthday. I miss him so much. He always made me laugh, so matter what he said. When he opened his mouth, you better listen up because it was going to be something great. He was full of sayings that we now call "Papawisms". Rarely a day goes by that there isn't a "Papawism" used in my house. He left a great legacy for all of us. We miss him dearly, but I am so thankful that he is now in heaven and HEALED. His mind has been made whole, and his body repaired. I know that he and my Mama are having the time of their lives up there watching over all of us. Mom and Papaw had a pretty special bond, and I am grateful that they are up there taking care of each other until the rest of us join them.

Only a few days later on January 21st was Nina's 79th birthday! (We are going to have to celebrate BIG next year!) I had so much fun going through pictures for her facebook birthday post. I spent several hours the night before going through boxes of old pictures and reliving wonderful memories of vacations to places like Branson and New York City with just she and I and Mom. Some of my most treasured memories. The three of us had so much fun together doing things like that. There were lots of laughs, crazy adventures, and memories that I hold dear to my heart. I am so thankful that we got to make these memories. It has caused me to be more intentional with making memories with my girls. I have learned that you won't remember that the dishes went undone, or that the laundry was piled waist high, but you will remember the time spent doing fun things. There is no time like the present, and no present like time. Thank you Nina, for always taking the time to make memories with me!
Here is the facebook post I made for her on her birthday:
"Today this beautiful lady turns 79 years young. She knows everything there is to know about the insurance business. still works 8-5 every day. Makes the best ham n dumplings and deviled eggs you've ever tasted. And is always willing to do anything her family needs her to. We are blessed to call her our Nina. We love you Nina and hope you have a wonderful birthday!! And I hope you enjoy this photo trip down memory lane as much as I did."

The very next day, on the 21st, was Josh's birthday. There are so many things I could say about this wonderful man. He is my rock. I would not have made it through the last 3 years without him by my side. When we got married, I was sure that I couldn't love him more than I did that day. I was so very wrong. I love him more every single day. He is always supportive of me, yet he knows just the right time to tell me when I need to suck it up. He goes to bat for me and nothing ruffles his feathers more than when he thinks someone hasn't treated me or one of the girls right. He is one amazing Daddy. Brenna, Macie and I are so very blessed to have this man in our lives. He makes every day a little better and more fun!

For his birthday we went to Boo Rays to eat crawfish with the Rileys, Baldwins, and Middletons. It was a great night full of good food, friends, and laughs! I am thankful that we get to do life with these people!!

These girls- I don't know what to say about how much I love them all. I am so thankful that God placed us where he did, when he did. The friendships we have formed are a true blessing.

Brenna's birthday was the last one of the month, but I think that deserves its own post!

Randomness

A couple of pictures and stories that I don't want to leave out, but that don't quite justify their own post...

The day after Christmas, the Riley's came over to hang out. It was SOOO good to see them! I knew it would be lonely when they moved, but I had absolutely no idea just how lonely I would be! I miss this lady right here!!

And Brenna enjoyed hanging out with her friend Carter too.

Date nights are few and far between for us. It's just too hard to find someone to keep the girls, and I always feel guilty because I know it is an inconvenience for which ever family member has to keep them. But every now and then, we just MAKE time to do it. Thank you to Pops and Memaw for keeping them this night so that we could go out to dinner and just get away for a bit! Sometimes it's just nice to go and sit at the bar at a restaurant and enjoy the atmosphere and people. Something we can't do with two kids in tow. It was Buffalo Wild Wings for the WIN! And of course- Josh can't take a selfie without a goofy face. Just part of the reason I love this man!

I saw this idea on Facebook. You stack up candy canes and use one in your mouth as a hook to pick up candy canes and put them on a plate. I just knew that the girls would LOVE it! So one night I got it all out and set up.

Macie loved it and laughed the whole time. Brenna...not so much. She kept giving me the evil glare after she wasn't so good at it. haha! Josh and I laughed the whole time!

This girl and her milk.

I had just a little milk left in the jug one night and so I thought it would be fun to hand it to her and let her drink it. That may have been a mistake- because she thought that was the coolest thing she has ever done! She even sat the jug next to her dinner plate and drank from it with her dinner. Now she begs to drink from the carton. I may have created a monster. *Disclaimer: The milk at our house is safe to drink. She does NOT get to drink from the carton unless it is the very last bit and she finishes it!

New Year's day was kind of low key for us, and I loved it! We laid around and took naps and put away a few more Christmas presents. That evening we invited Pops and Memaw and Aunt Emily and Wyatt over for supper. Except Wyatt was gone with his Grandma and Grandpa, so it was just Aunt Emily. That made two little girls VERY sad. I learned very early on in Brenna's life that once you have kids, no one really wants to see you anymore. They are only interested in your kid! And Aunt Emily learned that lesson on New Year's day. (Well- she probably already knew it, but the girls were quick to remind her of it). As soon as she walked in, all I heard was "Where's Wyatt?" haha! They were none too happy with her. But they quickly got over it when Pops, Memaw, Aunt Emily, and myself joined them in coloring! Yep- we are wild and crazy at our house! Josh cooked dinner, and we all colored! Couldn't think of a more perfect evening!
This was our traditional New Year's Day meal:

The corn bread was still in the oven when I took the picture. Josh makes the BEST New Year's Day food! I loved looking at my Timehop app and seeing the meals of years past.... they all looked pretty much the same!

The only real difference was the one year that it was served on a black plate..... That was the year we lived with Mom and Dad and ate on her black plates! ha!

I had the pleasure of eating with this little guy and his Mama at Golden Moon right after school started back.

Sorry Brycen- but when you hang out with your Aunt Jen, and dig through her purse while we eat, you get to pose for pictures with rainbow sunshades on! I love you buddy- and I promise to only bring this picture out to embarrass you a couple of times when you are older.

We went to Railhead to eat dinner one evening, and Macie insisted on bringing Bitty Baby inside with us. All was well until it was time to eat and Bitty Baby needed a place to go. Yep- into Mommy's purse she went! And I couldn't help but laugh when I picked up my purse to leave and saw this. You know you are a Mommy when.....

This picture totally makes me laugh. I sent it to Sarah to tell her Thank You for my new sweat shirt and ear rings she got me for my birthday and Christmas present. Then I had to be sure and add in "Please don't ever tell anyone that I took a selfie.....in the car.....and actually sent it to someone!" ha! And here I am telling on myself. But I do love my shirt and ear rings!!

The girls and I had a pajama and movie party the first weekend after school started back. They insisted on wearing footed pajamas, except that Macie's were all too small, so she had to raid Brenna's drawer! They were a little big, but better that than too small! I loved that both were zebra!

We curled up and watched "Cinderella". Macie had never seen it, and loved it! We have a goal to watch all of the Disney movies that we haven't seen so that the girls will know who all of the characters are before we get to Disney in June! So far our count is.....1. Oops. We better get to work on that!

Oh Macie Claire! I feel like I should coin that phrase. This girl keeps us in stitches. In the last two weeks, I have found several comical selfies on my phone...

There is never a dull moment with this girl!