Kaylee's 4th Grade Christmas Party

I also got to attend Kaylee's 4th grade Christmas Party today. Luckily hers was a few hours after Campbell's so there was no overlapping.

I walked into Kaylee's classroom and could immediately tell I was not at the Elementary campus anymore. No Christmas art projects decorating the room. No Christmas music playing in the background. No kids dressed in their holiday clothing to celebrate. I am not sure I like all of those changes. I am still wanting to hang on to my sweet baby. Oh well! I suppose I will learn to adapt but I am not going to pretend to like it;-)

Once I entered the room I put down my veggie tray, that's right I said veggie tray. I had to search the room for Kaylee because the tables were all mixed up and I was not sure where to look with all the students and parents in the room. After a few seconds I found her. I love my girl and her smiling face.

After all the students took turns getting a plate buffet style they returned to their seats to talk. I do remember that being a treat on party days since you have to be quiet all day long.

Next they decorated some ornaments with gold glitter and then returned to their seats to talk a little more and eat a little more.

I loved being there and seeing how Kaylee is with her school friends. Speaking of which here is Kaylee with her best bud Reid.

This is a picture of the whole class. This was obviously the silly picture, my more serious one did not turn out well. I think the silly picture captured their personalities well though. In the end I am just glad Kaylee still wants me to be at her school parties and is not too embarrassed to hug me in front of her friends. I get to walk away thankful for the memories.

Campbell's 1st grade Christmas Party

Well today was party day for Campbell! Last year she missed her class Christmas party because she was sick so as you can imagine we were very excited to be able to attend this year. Campbell even insisted we make homemade sugar cookies and frost them to take to the party today. Of course, today was the one day it decided to pour down rain so I got to the room a little early to find out the room Mom had already been a busy bee. Look at all those goodies on their desk already.

There were also lots of art projects and ornaments decorating the room. (which are now decorating my house) I do not know how they found the time to get them al done. That Mrs. Jensen has a lot of energy and must keep them very busy. We love her so much and feel so blessed by her daily.

The students had a few activities to do at the party. First they frosted a sugar cone and attached mini M&M's to decorate it like a Christmas tree.

Then they drew numbers and each child picked a wrapped puzzle to open according to their given number. Campbell was so excited to end up with a Happy Feet 2 puzzle. If you know Campbell at all you will know this is right up her alley. (In the picture below are Ella, Morgan, and Campbell)

In the last activity one boy and one girl dressed up in two red large jogging suits and the boys' team and girls' team raced to see who could fill their friend's suit up with the most balloons before the time was up. The girls ended up with 16 balloons in sweet Ella's suit and the boys filled Simon's suit with 27 balloons. Needless to say the trick is to blow up smaller balloons so you can fit more in the suit. They had a blast and I had to chuckle myself a few times.

At the end of the party we gathered all of their treasures around the room to take home and enjoy. I have to say this gold ornament was my favorite. Who would have thought noodles attached to a plate all painted gold would make such a beautiful ornament. Not me. In the end the party was a huge success and one of the calmer elementary parties I have been to so far. Thank you to all those who made this day special for my sweet girl!

A Christmas Portrait

Today was Kaylee's 4th grade music program and we were all so excited. This year Kaylee tried out for a solo and got a part! She sang "An Old Fashioned Christmas" with her friend Megan. You can tell from the photo she was really concentrating on her part. I asked her later if she was nervous and she said she was until she saw all the familiar faces in the audience and then she was fine. We could not have been more proud sitting there listening to her beautiful voice. I love that she had the confidence to tryout. She constantly amazes me with the amazing young lady she is turning into before our eyes.

The rest of the program was filled with songs. I believe I counted 19 in all. I do not think I could sing all the words to 19 Christmas songs, but Kaylee along with the rest of her friends sang their hearts out. It was such a nice ending to a busy week.

Here are my two favorite girls!! (Campbell was pretty proud of her big sister too.)

Our family after the show.

Christmas Carols with our Church

Tonight our Children's Ministry team arranged for our children to walk down to one of the retirement homes and sing Christmas carols to the residents. Since Kaylee's piano teacher, Julie, is on this team she arranged for her piano students to perform a little pre-show music while the rest of the group walked down from the church. Kaylee chose "Away in a Manger" and "Silent Night" for her mini performance. I was so proud of her and the way she played for those gathered.

While waiting for our friends to arrive from church those of us already there went into the meeting room and sang a few songs for the sweet residents. I have to say after a few songs with about 15 of us, I was very excited to see our amazing children's minister walk through the door with the calvary to help us sing. Once all the children were situated they sang their hearts out. The smiles and cheers from the audience were so genuine and filled with gratitude. At the end of the performance all the children got to pass out gifts, give hugs, and tell them Merry Christmas individually. Some of the sweet ladies gathered were smiling through tears. I felt so blessed to be able to be there and watch my girls introduce themselves and give the biggest hugs they could to all those gathered. As I walked away I felt I had been given so much more than we had given them. Tonight was truly priceless and I cannot wait to do a service project there again.

In the end I think it touched me so much because it reminded me of my Nannie. When I was the ages of both my girls I remember going to the nursing homes in town with my Nannie. She would always take the time to sit and listen to them, give a hug, and ask if there was anything they needed her to bring them. It was not unusual for her to return the next time with fuzzy socks for their feet, lotion, slippers, or a variety of other special treats. Most of all she gave of herself, her time, and her heart. She taught me so much on those visits and I want to pass that on to my children.

Thank you to the sweet men and women of Covenant Place for letting us entertain you tonight and teaching us so much in the process.

Christmas Program x2

December has turned out to be a great month for programs.

On Sunday night our church had its First Christmas Pageant. Campbell got to be an angel and sang beautifully. She knew all the words and did not miss a beat even when her halo kept falling off her head. She was so excited for this night and it was something special for the first and second graders alone. At the end of the performance we all held candles and sang some beautiful songs. It was a very moving moment that I felt so blessed to experience and reflect on the reason for the season which is Christ.

On Tuesday Campbell's school had their music program titled "Celebrate the Season". Once again Campbell sang her heart out and also got to participate in a dance. My sweet girl loves to perform so she soaked the attention up.

Campbell with Ella

Campbell with Morgan

I loved watching all of these sweet first graders get into the season and enjoy themselves so much!

Kaylee's 10th Birthday Party

On Friday night we finally got to have Kaylee's Birthday Party! She wanted to have a few close friends spend the night and last weekend worked with everyone's schedules so there you have it. Kaylee is at such an easy age when it comes to parties. I gave her several options for the evening and she decided to go with the pizza, movie, and crafting option.

All the girls arrived at 6:00pm and we had pizza first followed by a lot of laughter in Kaylee's room. Girl giggles take me back to the slumber parties of my youth, so fun.

Next we opened presents and ate some of the cute cake we happened upon at our local grocery store. Kaylee was going to pick out cupcakes but this cake quickly changed her mind. It had blue flowers and since blue is her favorite color she was so excited. I have to say I was very impressed with how well Kaylee's friends know her which was reflected in their gifts. One friend gave her a Texas Rangers necklace. Another friend had a bag filled with cookbooks, cookie mix, an apron, and her own recipe organizer. Lastly was a friendship bracelet kit. It really touched me that they took the time to pick out something specific for Kaylee.

After the cake I took the girls to see Arthur Christmas and we really enjoyed the movie. I was a little worried they would think it was too childish but they loved it! If you have a chance I would recommend going to see it.

Once the movie was over I gave the girls the option of looking at Christmas lights or making jewelry at home and they chose the jewelry. While I was cleaning up they watched a movie in the playroom and crafted away.

I think they all finally went to sleep around 3:00am. I love these girls and their sweet families so much! It is such a blessing that Kaylee has some amazing friends in her life who are always happy to celebrate with her. Thanks Abbie, Chloe, and Anna for making Kaylee's Birthday extra special.

Hello December!

Hello December!! Where did you come from? I feel like the past year has flown by and here we are at December again. I love this time of year once the shopping is done, presents are wrapped, house is decorated, and I can just enjoy the season. It has not happened yet but I am looking forward to it;-) Here is our tree in the den. We actually put it up before we left for Thanksgiving since I knew how busy our lives would be once we returned home.

I added trees in the girls' rooms this year and each has its own theme. Campbell's is the pink one pictured here with shopping ornaments and girly things with the exception of the soccer ornament.

The white tree is Kaylee's and we filled it with baking things along with sweet treats. I had so much fun watching the girls pick out their special ornaments.

Along with the month of December came the return of Pep short for Peppermint. He has managed to move all over the house without being detected by tiny eyes.

Here is part of my decorated kitchen. My parents gave me this piece of furniture a few years ago and I love placing seasonal decor on it.

Here is the mantle all decorated for Santa to arrive.

Last of all here are some of my favorite people in the world. I was the co-host along with my sweet friend Melissa of December Bunko which also motivated me to get my decorating done. These women are a great treasure to me. One of the definitions of blessed right here.

Basketball here we come!!

Kaylee has decided to play basketball this year and is having a blast. I am amazed at how quickly she picks up different sports since I am such a non-athlete. ( I know that is a great shock to many of you reading this.) Her team name is Rage and there are some extremely talented girls on her team. Kaylee is on the B team and giving each practice and game her all. If you are on the B Team you play the second and third period of the game. I do not know how they run so much without a break. It does not look like my idea of fun but I do enjoy watching and cheering.

They have played two scrimmage games so far and won both. The first game they won 35-0 and the second game they won 16-2. I am thrilled that Kaylee is trying something new and loving every minute of it.

Kaylee is 10 years old!

Today my firstborn daughter is 10 years old!! How did that happen? I do not know why but this birthday has really been hard for me. I keep thinking that she will only be in my house under my roof full time for 8 more years. Oh, I cannot even bare the thought, so on to happier things.

Kaylee is in fourth grade this year and soaking up every moment of it. She makes friends so easily and really enjoys meeting new people and making them feel welcome.

It seems that each season we add a different sport. So far we are still enjoying softball and have added basketball this year. I love my little athlete!

One of her favorite past times is watching any type of sporting event with her Dad whether it is on the television or in the ballpark. I am so thankful they get to bond in this way.

Along with watching sports with Dad she also loves to go hunting. He cannot even think about leaving the house to do either one of those activities without her included in them.

She still wants to be a baker and open her own bakery one day so we do enjoy cooking together as our special time. Kaylee has also gotten into shopping over the past year so we get to have our bonding time too.

She is still enjoying piano lessons and looks forward to them each week. I love listening to her play!

She has the most tender heart and hates to disappoint anyone. This can be good and bad. When it comes to school this can be hard because she wants to get 100's on everything and pushes herself very hard. Luckily school work seems to come easily for her now so I pray that continues with this personality trait. The good side is she is always polite to others and respectful.

She loves Bible Bowl and learning about God. I love the conversations we have about God and the things we learn about in the Bible. Seeing it all through the eyes of your child gives it a new light and she teaches me something new too.

She loves listening to music and singing as well. It is a sound I never grow tired of.

She loves her sister, most of the time;-) Over the past few months I have seen more of a friendship growing between the girls and I pray each day that this lasts a lifetime.

She is a great encourager of others. One of her favorite things is to praise her friends for their good job on something. It is so sweet to hear.

I love our precious daughter and cannot wait to see how she uses all the gifts God has blessed her with over the next year. You are a constant joy to my souls and I am so thankful I get to be your Mom!

Kaylee's 3 Birthday Celebrations!

Kaylee is lucky enough to have a birthday around Thanksgiving so each year we seem to celebrate several times.

The first celebration was with Cary's family over Thanksgiving but for some reason I have no pictures. She did enjoy celebrating with her cousins.

The second celebration was at my parents' home. My Mom got Kaylee the best cake ever, a Texas Rangers cake. I really think they could have gotten away with n

o gift at all after the excitement over the cake.

Kaylee is blessed to have a birthday around the same time as Papaw so we usually get to celebrate their special day together. They both love getting to share in the fun and papaw does not seem to ever mind the theme of the cake. I am so glad that my girls are always so excited to spend time with their Great Papaw and love him as much as I do. He is an amazing man.

A few of Kaylee's favorite gifts were a Nook color, Rangers pillow pet, Connect 4 Launchers, and money.

The third celebration was at Chuck E. Cheese with just our family. I wonder each year how many more birthdays we will spend at Chuck E. Cheese before our girls want to eat somewhere else. I know that when the time comes I will miss the mediocre pizza, the fun games, and the what seems like hours picking out prizes with he tickets won. However the smiles on these two precious faces make it all worth it in the end.

Happy Birthday to my sweet 10 year old girl!

San Francisco!

The first week in November Cary had a business trip to San Francisco planned so I decided to tag along since it had been a while since we took a trip together. What a fun place San Francisco is and a little odd too;-) We managed to pack a lot of places into a weeks time.The first evening we were there we went to this fun alley filled with restaurants called Belden Place. I wish we could have eaten there again on our trip. The food was amazing!

The next day we took a tour of the Napa Valley area along with Sonoma. Our schedule was full so there was no time to shop in the square of Sanoma but it was somewhere I would like to go back to one day and experience some fun shopping.

The third day we ventured on a tour of Muir Woods and Salsalito. If you ever have a chance to hike in Muir Woods please do. The trees were amazing and the views were breathtaking. What a Mighty God we have who gave us such natural beauty to enjoy! We also enjoyed eating at a restaurant on the water in Salsalito and shopping around town a little before heading back to the hotel.

Look how tall these Redwoods are! I could not even capture all it in my camera lens. Amazing!!

The fourth day we only had half a day together because of Cary's conference starting. We enjoyed a leisurely morning and then went on a group tour with the rest of the office to AT&T Park, home of the SF Giants. It was very informative and I picked out a suite I would love to sit in if we ever take in a game there;-)

Can you tell Cary is in his element??

We ended our day going to an event where we got to take a cruise ship to Alkatraz for a nighttime tour of the facilities. Let me just say if you ever go there wear comfortable shoes not high heeled boots;-) Our tour guide I think was one of the best. He had us going up random ladders and really get a feel for what the prison was like for those incarcerated there. We were there an hour and a half and still did not see everything. It was a very interesting place with all the history and people who were locked up there.

The next day while our spouses were in classes I got to experience ships and submarines with this character, Larry. He and I had a lot of fun walking around several piers, a submarine (The Jeremiah O'Brian I believe), too many ships to count, and even a stop at In-N-Out burger. We also did some sight seeing/people watching in the process. That evening the whole crew went to eat at a restaurant across from the ballpark and enjoyed a delicious meal.

Larry's sweet wife insisted the next day that Larry go with me shopping so he could carry my bags. Lucky for us the hotel was located off Market Street which was conveniently located close to some of my favorite places including an indoor mall, Tiffany's, Macy's, Ugg shoe store, H&M, and about 200 other places to enjoy. We decided to tackle the indoor mall since it was a little rainy. There were so many wonderful shops and I even got to find a few treasures to bring home. We did stop for a little bit to enjoy the Brookstone massage chair which I am sure Larry is getting for Christmas;-) Larry was a great sport and did not complain once. Thanks for the company Larry.

I am so thankful I got to spend a week away with the Love of my Life! Thanks again Nana for taking care of the girls!