1st Grade

School started last week. Leah is now a 1st grader...I can't believe it.  She is growing up so fast. The first day of school wasn't as emotional as last year was(for me). There were so many things going through my head last year as the school year approached. By the time I had thought it all out, I saw my baby married and with children. I know you all are laughing but it's true. It started with Kindergarten to middle school, high school, college, marriage, and before I knew it I was a grandma. :(

This time around, I was actually a little excited about the new year and what it would bring. We are now getting into our normal routine. Which means we are busy. Just within the first week there was open house, a swim day, and cheer camp. So many new and exciting things going on and I will try to my best document most of them.

Look at how much she changed in just one year!

4 Years

Yesterday was Adrienne's 4th birthday! We already had her party but we still wanted to do something a little special on her real b-day. I read somewhere, I think on a blog, where a mom had blown up balloons and covered her kids floor while they were sleeping. I thought this would be perfect. We had never done this before, so I knew it would be a great surprise. There would be some prep work involved of course but the outcome was worth it.

We waited until we heard the girls wake up, and then I ran in there and saw this smiling face.

All 3 of them had so much fun!

How old are you Adrienne?

Her surprises weren't over yet.

Happy Birthday dear Adrienne, Happy Birthday to You!

It was an ice cream cake & it was yummy.

After cake for breakfast, we got ready and headed to Amarillo for her cousins party. (They share the same birthday.)

We came home later that evening and went to Grandma & Grandpas. Because a birthday isn't complete without a pinata.

Adrienne hit it first.

Then Brynlee took a whack at it.

 

Leah went.

And Adrienne broke it.

Poor donkey didn't know what he had coming.

Happy 4th Birthday!!

Mini Vacation

It has been a crazy-busy summer. It went by so fast we almost missed out on a vacation this year. We didn't know where we wanted to go but we knew it couldn't be too far. Our youngest, Brynlee, just turned a year and she can only handle being in the car for about 5 or 6 hours before she is really unhappy. With this in mind we had a few places we were considering. Dallas, Denver, Oklahoma City....

We decided a little smaller would be fun.

 Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

I always liked going to their theme park & zoo when I was young. So why not?

We packed and took off on Friday August 5th. It was the longest "short" drive ever. First we stopped in Dumas for gas & food. By Vega we needed to stop. Then in Tucumcari. And again in Santa Rosa. And then...I took away all of the drinks. We pulled in to Albuquerque @ 12:00 midnight(our time) & we got some much needed rest because the next day was going to be long.

The first day consisted of some shopping in the morning & after lunch we headed off to Cliff"s Amusement Park. It's a lot like our Wonderland with a few more rides. But it was much busier. The girls had fun & so did we. After a long day at the park we went to my aunt's house for a burger cook-out. ;)

On Sunday we took the girls to the Aquarium & Botanical Gardens. We spent most of the afternoon there and then headed to ITZ Pizza. Another good day.

We headed home on Monday but not before we checked out some more local shops and saw a few more sites. It was short, but it was a great mini-vacation.

Day 12: Close Up

There isn't a whole lot behind this picture. I just liked the two contrasting colors between the butterfly & the flower...

So here it is.

Day 11: Something Fun

I love amusement parks. I always have. And this is my idea of something fun. It's also a little preview of what's to come from our family vacation. :)

Day 5: Someone I Love

It's day 5 of the photo challenge: Someone I Love. This is Adrienne. When I had discussed having children I always said I wanted 2 or 4 because I didn't want to have a "middle" child. I never wanted one that would feel left out or overlooked. But here we are with 3 girls and she is the one in the middle. I hope she never has those stereotypical feelings that are accompanied with being the "middle" child. I hope she knows that she has the best of both worlds...She is the big sister & the little sister.

Day 3 & 4

Here is something you should know. I love to read blogs. It is just kind of recent, but I love them. Well, one of my favorites is Kendra Wisdom. She just started a 30 day photo challenge at the beginning of August. Since I am a few days behind, I decided to combine the last two days and here it is. 

Day:3 Clouds

Day 4: My favorite color

a little rain won't stop us

What's the worst thing that could happen on the day of a pool party? RAIN!! I know everyone is praying for rain and yes, we need it. But I did not want any this past Sunday.  For the last few months I have been planning a birthday party for Adrienne and Brynlee. We decided to go with a luau theme...it just made sense. 

I had everything ready to go. The family was here, cake and cupcakes were made, and the decor was perfect. But at about 4:00 the clouds started rolling in & at 4:30 the thunder began...I still had hope. The party didn't start until 6:00. So if the storm came it needed to be short and sweet. And it was. But in that short time it managed to knock out the electricity. OH NO!

I talked to the people at the pool to ask if we could still have the party. The said it was up to us...we decided to go ahead with the party & even with all the set-backs the party was a success.