5th Birthday

We celebrated the 5th birthday of our oldest daughter last week. We had a family celebration on her actual birthday and then a small party of just girls to celebrate two days later. We made Shrinky Dinks and necklaces for a party activity. We also played charades. If you have never seen 5 year olds play this game, you should. It's hilarious! Our daughter had asked me for a Little Pony cake, so we just put a few plastic toys on top and added a few other details. My girl was so happy to help me bake and decorate her cake. What fun we had together.

Babysitting Club

Here are some pictures from our play group last week. I am part of a wonderful club where we take turns watching each other's children. We meet twice a month. There are three families involved so I watch the children for four hours when I am on duty and then I get to have two times off duty. We have been doing this club for two years now, and it has been such a blessing. The kids enjoy playing together-most of the time, and it's a great way for me to get a break from the kids. I use the time to run errands, schedule appointments, clean house, and have a lunch date with my hubby.

By the River

We went down to the river last weekend to play and watch Drew kayak. The girls enjoyed the water and a little ride in their Daddy's boat. We were at the Pueblo play park. It definitely isn't the prettiest spot to play in the Arkansas, but it's fun and convenient for the kayakers.

My Girly Girl

She is about to turn five, but she acts like she will be turning sixteen. It reminds me of my sister. She likes everything girly and feminine. It's almost impossible to get her to wear anything other than her favorite skirt and spaghetti strap top. But, she is also very much like me. She is concerned with details and likes to contemplate things. She is slow to take a risk. Her favorite thing about our beach trip was searching for shells with her Mommy. She was much more interested in playing in the sand than the water. Could my girls be any more different?!

My Baby Girl

Okay, she's not a baby anymore. She did just turn three. And, she is really more like her Daddy than me. However, she is still my baby. She is adventurous and fun. She is a risk-taker. She is full of energy and life, and she exhausts me. I wanted to post some photos that showcase her personality. She's catching a wave in the ocean, not afraid of the jellyfish, and picking all the m&m's out of the chex mix. (Her love of chocolate is one thing that she inherited from me.)

Keira's 3rd Birthday

Our baby is three years old! We celebrated her birthday at the beach house. We had pizza on the beach, and then cake and presents in the house. Keira loved it!

We're Home

Praise the Lord, we made it home safely. We were on the road for twenty-nine hours straight. Thankfully, we had some friends traveling with us so we were able to share the driving. The girls did quite well. Having a DVD player, books, stickers, and coloring activities helped them to handle the many hours in the car. They also slept from about 10 pm until 6 am. We really didn't have any troubles on our trip, but we did have a traumatic experience in Mobile, AL. We had been traveling for approximately one and a half hours when we stopped at a traffic light on a busy highway. A man ran in front of our car and was struck by a car on our left that was coming up to the red light in the left turn lane. This happened right in front of us, but the girls did not see it. I am so grateful that the Lord spared them from the experience. The man's injuries were not life-threating, but he was badly hurt. I have been praying for the family that hit the man. It was not their fault, and they had two girls about the same age as mine. Although the girls had no physical injuries, they were very shaken by the accident.

Things have been very busy since our return. I hope to sort through some photos soon and post them.