Happy 6th Birthday, Lauren! and more

Well, these two girls are officially in braces/appliances!  They were both so excited to get them on.  Regan had the appliance when she was Katherine's age and now her braces should only take about 18 months to correct her bite.  Katherine will need to wear hers for a longer time because it is helping her jaw.  Her bottom jaw is not growing at the same rate as her top (same thing Regan had)  I was a little skeptical when Regan was young about it, but it really did work!  Katherine really likes it, but her teeth have been sore.

 Just a little selfie while riding bikes outside!

 Hudson was so excited to go to the post office with Daddy.  It was his first trip and he came home so excited about this mysterious package that our other kids quickly informed him had lots of fun things inside for everyone.  Well, they were right!  What a fun box it was!

 Hudson got several cute wooden puzzles.  This one was his favorite.  After you get the final piece in, it makes a train engine sound.

 This moment was priceless and I wish I had it on video, but I had NO IDEA the kind of reaction she would give.  This package had her birthday gifts in it as well.  My friend had asked if it was ok to send her original iPhone as a gift...Lauren could listen to music or take pictures.  Sure.  No problem.  When she realized what it was, she screamed and then started crying because she was so happy.  It doesn't work as a phone, but she LOVES telling me that she has an iPhone ;)

 Benjamin got his birthday gifts as well.  He got some Tennessee clothes and this Book about Star Wars.  He was in his pj's during the gift opening and didn't want those pictures posted.

Regan got some cool art stuff.  She has been enjoying drawing at her desk.

We celebrated Lauren's birthday a few days early so that Regan and Chloe (Lauren's best friend) could both be able to be there.  It made for a late night decorating the cake, but I really liked how this one turned out.  I couldn't have done it without Jonathan's help!  He help me make things so that I could put it together.  

 I loved all of her expressions during the party.

I loved the purple stripe pattern of the cake inside.  It's so fun!

Lauren about to eat her cake!

 Oh, and Lauren informed everyone (in my family) what they needed to wear to the party....and they all listened!!  I couldn't believe she had Benjamin in his suit!  It's ok.  He has always loved wearing suits.

 After the party, I took the kids to the play place nearby.  It was a little crazy (busy) since it was a weekend, but still lots of fun.

 Then a final group shot before heading back home.

 Jonathan was super sweet to give me a morning to myself.  I got up and he said that he had homeschool today and I should go to Starbucks for some quiet time.  :)  I did enjoy my quiet time!

 Katherine decided that she wanted a hair cut.  I made her wait 2 weeks before letting her do it just to make sure she wasn't going to change her mind after she did it.

 My kids typically bring a crowd at the styling salon.  I'm not sure what all the other hairdressers were talking about, but they were fascinated by something....the blonde hair maybe?

 And here is the reveal!  The super cute, super fun, super short haircut!  I love it!

 She's so pretty!

 She wanted to prove that she could still pull it back if she got hot.  Cute little pigtails.  She said she felt like Kit Kittredge with the new hair cut.

 Before we left the States, we had some family pics made in Atlanta.  These were my 3 favorites. Me and my Sweetie...

 All of the cousins together....youngest is 1 yr and the oldest is 17yrs...

And then a picture with my brother and sister!

Back in the Swing of Things

 Jonathan took Regan out on a Daddy daughter date.  They enjoyed some good food and conversation.  :)

 My 5 year old, Lauren, had a school project due.  It turned into a family project.  These five year olds were asked to make 3D maps from their house to the school, mark the path, and label all the roads and buildings. It seemed a little difficult for the age, but the teachers did ask the parents to help out. HA!

 She was so proud of her model :)

 We have enjoyed some warmer weather outside and have been able to get a little P.E. in during the day.

 Yes, Hudson still is a HUGE fan of the selfie.

 We had saved some of his Christmas money for when we got back.  We knew that he would want a bike and that we could find one small enough here. Jonathan is so proud that he chose a Tennessee orange bike ;)  He's a smart boy.  He's gotten really good at it and asks every day to go out and ride.

 Benjamin woke up on Saturday morning and decided he wanted to surprise us with breakfast.  It wasn't a complete surprise since he had to ask for the pancake recipe, but breakfast was delicious!

Benjamin's masterpiece.  Looks like he will take after his Daddy :)

From Here to There

Well, we have slowly recovered from our jet lag from the States back to here.  We were able to squeeze in several things at the very end of the trip including family pictures!  There were several that we liked, and this is one of them.

Hudson's love for giraffes has continued to grow.  This was his bed in the States.  He brought one of them back with us and he sleeps with it every night.

We were able to see some old friends. It's hard to believe that Regan is already taller than Hannah.

We had to get the "Benjamins" picture :)

This has to be one of my new favorites.  I love the look on Benjamin's face.

Now, this pictures requires the story.  While we were in the States, Lauren and Benjamin both got an early birthday present from Grandmommy.  When we got back home, Hudson wanted to know why he didn't get one.  I told him that they had birthdays coming up soon and got an early present.  He said, "I have never had a birthday."  He was so serious and contemplative when he said it and said it several more times as he thought through what having a birthday meant.  So, we decided, if they can have and early birthday, then he can have a late one....and one for each year he missed....hence the 1-5 candles.

If you can't tell in this picture, he was so excited!

He loved the big deal we made over him and wanted every one to wear a hat...NO EXCEPTIONS!

Then a few days later, I had a birthday.  I got just what I wanted...a cookie cake!

I had a little helper to blow out my candles.

We got to have a great lunch visit with some dear friends as we were headed to Atlanta for the trip back.

Hudson and cousin Caleb

My two peas in a pod.

We discovered that Hudson loves Mexican food....especially spicy salsa...who knew!

We enjoyed seeing some of the decoration still up from CNY.