This picture made me laugh so much after I saw it. It looks like the three of them are about to get run over by a motorcycle, and they are completely oblivious to it. :) Just so you know, we were walking on the sidewalk (which is also the bike path).
Lauren chose to eat out at the "Chinese Restaurant" for her birthday. She was one happy little girl. We let her order whatever she wanted from the menu.
Afterwards, we took the kids to the play place to celebrate her birthday. The kids had a blast going before public schools were out because they had the entire place practically to themselves.
The best ball pit around.
Her birthday also fell on a night when ladies were coming over to our home. I thought it was a great excuse to try Mamaw's fruit pizza recipe. It was a winner! They all loved it!
Since Lauren doesn't like the fruit pizza, We also made some butterfly sugar cookies.
The day after her real birthday we had her party. 7 already!
She helped pick out the things for her butterfly party. The masks were a hit. (Katherine, Wing, and Lauren)
Xiao Jun, Regan, and Hudson
having fun while waiting for a few more friends to arrive
Xiao Jun, my mom, me
These are two of Lauren's dance friends that came to her party. I'm pretty sure it was their first time to have pizza because they were not quite sure how to eat...but they LOVED the cake!
What?!?! That is a huge bear!! She sleeps with this bear every night. The bear was bigger than her little friend that brought it.
Lauren enjoyed opening her presents (who wouldn't, right) but I think her friends had just as much fun.
Group shot!
This girl was so excited about getting skates for her birthday that she was putting them on her feet while we were trying to sing happy birthday to her and let her blow out the candles. All she could think about was getting outside to play.
Sweet friends
I'm sure the downstairs neighbors loved that the girls all tried out the new jump rope.
Lauren loves that it counts your jumps :)
We finally decided that it would be a good idea to go downstairs and play in the dark while we waited for some parents to come back This was the excited crowd going down the elevator.
Regan teaching some of the adults how to use her skateboard.
Doggy Bones got to ride, too. I think he was glad to get a break from all those kids wanting to run with him.
Hudson is always asking to ride this ride, but I never have a coin. They were so glad to each get a coin. Lauren played a little pinball game and Hudson rode is ride.
On Sunday we met some friends for lunch. Lauren enjoyed looking at the turtles. I kept asking her which one she though we were going to eat. I think she was trying to figure out if I was kidding or serious...
Lauren found a little friend.
Well, it happened. She was skating and decided to jump in her skates and fell right on her face. She looked so pitiful. Her little nose was bleeding and she chipped her front tooth. It happened on a holiday, so we had to wait 3 days to get it fixed. All I know, is her new tooth now looks just the same as it did before. I'm very impressed.
Then let the decorating begin for Benjamin's glow in the dark birthday party!
complete with plates and cups that glow
The kids put glow sticks inside balloons and Jonathan was able to find a quasi black light for the room.
The birthday boy is ELEVEN!!
How creative. I never would have thought to play tic-tac-toe with the glow sticks.
Our dinner table with pizza and Scooby
Doo napkins (since it was technically a glow in the dark veterinary party)
Ha! HE even opened his presents in the dark.
He finally let me turn the lights on for a second for the cake part. I tried a recipe that I found online to make icing for the cupcakes that glowed in the dark....pretty fun to look at, but tastes horrible! (Well, Hudson loved it, be he was THE only one)
He got a stethoscope for his birthday and it was so much fun seeing people's expressions when they heard a heartbeat for the very first time! So cool.
Regan wanted this picture......here's my disclaimer....Regan is wearing skates! ;)
Benjamin has wanted a telescope for a long time and he finally got one. Now we just need a pretty night with no rain, clouds, or pollution and we can give it a try. I'm not sure we will get to see many starts where we live, but he should be able to look at the moon.
Regan got her first ever foot massage. She liked it :)
Eating at Burger King for Benjamin's birthday lunch. I still can't believe we had 8 people sitting at a table for 4 (6 at the most if you're squished...I guess it's good some of them are still little!)
After lunch, we went to the arcade and let the kids celebrate Benjamin's birthday there. They each got 20 tokens to play and have fun with.
These two had fun on the 4D off road ride :)
And this is the look I get nearly every day from one of my kids about some animal that needs a home, and it's so cute, and it only costs ____ amount of money. Yes. The husky was cute, but I think Gracie the cat would be jealous.
The pose...
A friend bought Lauren a little panda dessert. She thought it was so cute.
Auntie Em sent each of the kids their very own handmade toboggan. I love the "real" smiles in this picture!!! I also loved the card with a real hug from Emily in it. Too cute!
You just can't help but pose with your leg in the air next to Kungfu Panda ;)
Hudson learning to skate
So I got up one morning and the kids were already fixing their breakfast...Katherine was teaching Lauren how to make macaroni (for breakfast) :) too sweet
A little science experiment....learning how to make bouncy balls. It was fun and it really worked
Jonathan helping Hudson with his ingredients for the bouncy ball
Katherine was so excited to be a "big kid" in the front seat of the taxi :)
We passed a massive wave of school kids while we were out.
Katherine decided that she only wanted to eat a sandwich if it looked like a bunny....OK, whatever works. She ate nearly all of it :)
My first wedding cake. It was a little difficult because the bride requested red velvet cake and we live in a really hot city and the wedding was 2 hours from my house!
I thought it turned out nicely though. The icing was starting to slide off the cake by the time the wedding was over.
another group shot
Regan was asked to make a decoration for the candle...
The bride being made up before the wedding...
the rings that Hudson actually carried down the aisle...
the ring bearer, the bride, the flower girl
This one is a little blurry, but I love how Hudson just made him self comfortable :)
While I was back in the back getting Hudson situated for the wedding, the girls were getting pictures made with friends
I do have to say that he is the cutest ring bearer ever! This makes it official...all of my kids have now been in at least one wedding :)
Hillary and her dad
Hillary and Daniel 4.19.2016 I'm so glad that I got to be a part of this wedding. Hillary has been a very good friend the past several years. I am looking forward to seeing all the things God has in store for this sweet couple!
