Happy 2nd Birthday to Nia & Nala

It happened faster than I ever would have guessed, hoped, or dreamed...but today...I have two year olds!  We celebrated with a party at the Little Gym...not much went quite as planned (cake collasped in the heat, Nia's dressed was stained because her cousin thought she could drink out of a gatorade bottle, I left the favors at home, etc, etc), but I'm learning to roll with life as it comes.  And what matters most is that my girls had fun.

Happy Birthday Nia & Nala!!  Love you both to the moon and back!

Ten

I love this girl...my first baby. And while I'll never pick a favorite, truth be told, there is something very special about that.  Today she is ten. Suddenly I am not so sure what to do with that. I just want to put life in slow motion a bit because I'd like to hang on to this time just a bit longer...(or forever).

Ten, yep ten years ago I delivered you MacKie. How was I to know then what you'd mean to me today? For so long you were our everything and only thing, yet though it would seem impossible, dividing the love between you and your sisters created even more love. In short, that is the one word I have for you. I love you more than I can describe and/or show.  I love the way you love your sisters. I'm in awe of your work ethic, intellect, beauty, faith, kind and gentle spirit, and humor.  In truth, I want to be like you when I grow up. 

I very much enjoyed getting to spend time with you today.  It reminded me of how easy and simple things were before the girls - going shopping on the whim - so up my alley! You are really so much fun to hang out with it. 

Thank You for being you and for being mine.  Welcome to Double Digits!

here you are on your 10th birthday...at home in the evening and at Krispy Kreme for breakfast in the morning, you insisted :)

My Twenties

This is Me.  And tonight I say goodbye to my twenties.  I wanted to remember how I looked (with the pimples that I was promised would go away when I said farewell to my teens, gray hair streaks, and racoon eyes and all - no makeup) and how silly I was...that although sloppy, I can still "kinda" do a bridge-kickover. Sure, I wanted it to be a back walkover and could only dream of it being a back handspring, but I hey, I'm nearly 30 and have birthed 3 babies so I say, "Not Bad"!  Here I am with a hilarious outtake.


Here  (listen for my cheerleaders!) and Here (the outtake!)

Yes, I'm real mature! Only a mature mom would ask her nine year old to capture her so gracefully on the eve of her 30th Bday...

So long Twenties!  It's been REAL!

Just Plain Gorgeous

Today we celebrated my niece Cydney's 4th  birthday in Oklahoma City.  She celebrated costumed as Princess Tiana.  Her mom, my sister, asked me to take her outside quickly for some pics before I left.  Here is one of my favs!  Simply put, she is just plain gorgeous!

and another of her smiling this time ;)

and with the notebook that I had customized for her bday

School Birthday Party

On Friday, the girls celebrated their upcoming (at the time) birthday at their Mother's Day Out Program. It was a fun little party and precursor for their birthday the following day...here are a few snap shots I took. Of course, I'm not your typical or organized kinda mama so instead of cake or even cupcakes - we made do with iced sugar cookies and popsicles...my girls loved it. Nia was so slow and dainty eating her cookie...but she got it down. Nala was much quicker...she is a professional popscicle sucker. I love the face that Nia makes everytime she gets a hint of the cold. Nala opted to dip her popscicle in her cookie crumbs at one point and then lick away...yep, very gross, but that's my girl!

They didn't want to go home.  They had such a good time.  Kt tells me that this happens often...how blessed we are to have found a place where our girls are happy...we love Boston Avenue Weekday School!