forredfamilyfun

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Birthday Season Part Four (final)

Soooo...turns out that turning twelve is a pretty BIG deal. It is the "new 13" so to speak. This is the age where our kids leave behind the Primary years, and enter the Youth Group! YIKES! But, as you may know, Miss Katie was BORN to be a teenager, so this has been an age she been LONGING for most of her life, seriously. Her actual birthday fell on a day with no school, so the day before, she invited her 6th grade classmates to stop by her house for an Open House on their way home from school for birthday treats to celebrate.

It was a really good way to fit in the large number of people she wanted over! Our house is a block from the school, and is perched on the corner, so it is easy access for many of her classmates. Pandora, popsicles, some candy, pop, and cupcakes were an easy, inexpensive way to make a lot of little "tweeners" super happy!

The day of her birthday was GIRLS DAY OUT. It started with a little trip over to a beauty product store for a tiny bit of make-up for those pesky blemishes and tasteful, age- appropriate tips from a specialist. (Advice that went over WAY better with her than if it were just from mom!)

Then it was off to the mall!
And what's a day out with the girls without some mani/pedi's!

Later that evening, we went out with her favorite Texas friend to a fun, Allen American's hockey game!

(She takes the best "selfie's"!)

Her favorite frozen yogurt was the perfect way to end the day of celebration.

Unsurprisingly, we are entering our most challenging stage yet with this incredible girl, and she's worth every ounce of effort we can give! She's meant to accomplish great things, and she's got the spirit, talent and gifts to match! We are so thankful for her creativity, intelligence, and keen, sharp senses. She brings laughter and TONS of dynamite into our lives. She's a great girl with sincere intent to develop friendships with everyone around her.

Aren't we so lucky to have her as our very own?!?!

Yes! Yes!! YES!!!

The Birthday Season Part Three

Our Balloons in Bed tradition continues...#14!!!!!

After school, we took him to HIS restaturant of choice,

where we embarrassed him by asking the staff to sing to him!

And, yep, I let my kids lick the candles.

As a gift, we took Jacob and his friends out to play at a local driving range.

You can only imagine the antics this group of 13-14 year olds came up with!

And later that day, he got to attend his first Stake Youth Dance along with another friend pictured here. In our church, the youth group gets together monthly with other youth groups of our church in area towns, to socialize in a fun, safe, and energetic environment. In spite of the fact that the crowd was small as many families were gone for Spring Break, he managed to dance the night away with a grand total of 9 young ladies, and even found himself on stage at one point to help the crowd with "YMCA".

What a guy.

He continues to be the light of my life, and this year is going to bring about many changes for him as his maturity level moves up another notch.

Looking forward to watching some of our hard work start to pay off with this guy as he starts to break out on his own in some areas of his life.

The Birthday Season-Part Two

The dear, sweet daddy at our house had a lot of work to do on his birthday. January was a brutal and stressful month at work. In the midst of that, he was ill with bronchitis. Sadly, he was not able to take off any time from work, and had to muscle through. Which he accomplished like a champ.

We did take time out to have a little lunch

at his favorite wings restaurant.

This is what we did the evening of his birthday--MARKETING at a health fair night at a local school.

*His assistant whips up cool balloon animals while he gives short massages to their parents.*

Cool operation.

No matter how busy we are, nor how late it is,

it is not officially your birthday at our house

until you've had the Birthday Song sung to you

and you've blown out your candles!

The following weekend, we did manage to get our hard-working daddy out for a lovely dinner.

He discovered a little restaurant at a country club that he wanted to try.

Quiet, secluded, affordable and mainly patronized by the local retired residents.

We found a new favortite.

By the time my birthday rolled around, Joe's bronchitis had worsened, and the kids were dropping like flies as well with fevers and coughs. It was hard to think of celebrating in the middle of that.

But, a loving neighbor popped in with a gift card, so we went out for lunch anyway,

requesting a secluded table in a corner. Sorry folks. We like birthdays around here.

Then we stopped by a local cake shop and had everyone pick out a cupcake.

Yum.

I feel my favorite birthday gift came in the form of a tender mercy: I did not get sick!

Joe later ended up at the emergency clinic with the flu and pneumonia, just thankful that it was the weekend and he was off work!

Jacob had bronchitis and ear infection

and the others were right behind him in their ailments, and it seemed to drag on and on.

Wow.

Yes, I think the Lord loves me!

(FYI-We eventually learned that most of their sickness was originally ALLERGY INDUCED

and that allergies are atrocious here in this area at that time of the year.

Now we know.)

The Birthday Season Part One

January-March is the height of the Birthday Season at our house

with 5 of 6 birthdays falling within those 3 months!

We started with Levi's big #5!

He got to celebrate his big day with a fun Mad Scientist party

complete with a range of fun experiments, activities and FRIENDS.

His best buddy here in Texas also happens to also have blonde hair, blue eyes, the same awesome energy

AND

the exact same birthday!

She is a great pal, full of life and spunk, and they get along beautifully, which of course is priceless.

So, it was double the candles, double the wishes and double the fun!

We later had a Cowboy party with just our family,

complete with a full-on "cowboy" grilled steak dinner and barn cake,

per the birthday boy's request.

Yes, time flies, and we naturally find it hard to believe he's grown so.

He continues to be the spunk and energy a growing family needs,

and I am daily amazed at the good friend he is to me, personally.

He is full of imagination and love,

with enough orneriness to keep him balanced.

Absolutely in love with this kid.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Christmas Catch Up-Part 3

We had plans to go home to the Wichita area a couple of days after Christmas.

It was debateable, since our world looked like THIS:

But, I determinedly set out, and white-knuckled it all the way to the Oklahoma border. The roads were awful clear up to that point. Then seriously, right at the border, the roads cleared, the interstate widened, and traffic thin out considerably. What a relief

Because, THIS is what awaited us---The open arms of our loving family!!

Ice Skating for Teenie's birthday!!!!

Happy Birthday, Teenie-beans!!!

Country fun is always heart-warming!

Built his very own fire-pit. Such a busy guy!

Waiting on the avid shoe-shoppers in the group

These girls know how to have fun!

These next 2 pictures are of some life-long friends. The first one is the "Moreland girls" and the "McBee girls". Our parents were friends in high school, so we've literally been friends forever!

One of my sisters planned the surprise reunion, and it was thrilling!

And this next picture is my brood with another dear friend and her brood! She's been a "kindred spirit" of mine since the 6th grade! She and her hubby recently bought her grandparents farm, where we had roamed and played together for years. And, just as we dreamed about in days past, she is getting the chance to gut the entire house and remodel it! That makes me very, very happy.

(As does her doggie-of-choice!)