It's Party Time

While Bella does not officially turn 6 until August 8th, she had her birthday parties this weekend. We like to stretch out the celebrating for as long as possible. I have the pictures out of order a little. This first one is of all the guests at Bella's "faux sleepover". A few little girls from the neighborhood came dressed in their pj's and we painted their nails, did their hair, sang karoke on the Wii, and decorated cupcakes. Then, thankfully they all went home.

Our birthday fun actually began on Wednesday with a trip to Build A Bear where Bella picked out her birthday gifts from G. and Pappa.

I had to throw this one in there, because I thought it was so cute of Ellie in the sandbox with the girls. I must retract my previous remark about Bella not wanting to get in the sandbox.


And, here are more pictures from the Friday faux sleepover party.

This is our friend Courtney that did their hair, and also Bella and Kenna's babysitter.



And, Saturday was the big family party day. Uncle James is awesome and came through with a bounce house which we surprised Bella with. Everyone had a great time jumping....and I don't just mean the kids.

Summer Fun Part II

Kenna's new sand box! I say Kenna because you can bet Bella won't get 10 feet from it. She washes her feet in the sink the second they get dirty. As if there wasn't enough sand in my house before.....

We thought we were missing a little culture in our lives, so last week we visited the Children's Museum in Houston with our friends from Cypress and Katy. We had never been before and it was pretty amazing. The girls had a great time. I think their favorite part was building parachutes from a paper cup, pipe cleaners, and a coffee filter. Then we let it go in this tunnel of air and watched it float to the ground. I hope we can go back and visit again.

Bella and our sweet little friend Allison. I love this kid. Seriously.

Bella, Kenna, Aidan, and Allison. This is an accurate picture of Aidan, since we mostly saw him from the back running away from us. I love that kid too.

Bella and I played around with the camera and took a few pictures of her before her birthday. Kellie - I need you to take her 6 year pictures!!!

Summer Fun

So, we have had a pretty busy summer. I had a technical difficulty with my computer and could not plug my camera in, but it has been resolved and the blog is back in business!

We have alot of upcoming events. A very special little lady will be turning 6 August 8th, and starting gymnastics August 17th. School begins for her August 22nd. Kenna starts her first year of preschool on September 6th, and maybe gymnastics for her too.

In June we visited my Granny and Papa in Oklahoma. We had lots of fun playing and growing rocks. The girls were on their best behavior, and it was a very enjoyable trip. Even the drive was not so bad thanks to them each having their own DVD player.

Bella and Kenna with their second cousins Laura Belle and Hunter.
Ellie is really growing. She is about 14 or 15 lbs now. She is still sweet as can be.


Our sweet neighbors Matt and Carolyn across the street brought the girls back these outfits from Hawaii. I wish I had a video of the show they put on.

Here are our shrinky dinks we made Granny!

Kindergarten Celebration

September 2010 - 1st day of Kindergarten

May 2011 - A Kindergarten Graduate

And we have blinked again, and Bella has grown before our eyes. What a sweet young lady she has become. Thank you to G. and Pappa, and Grandma and Grandpa for attending her celebration today!



Posing with the principal of the school with her certificate.

Pictures from the program.

Bella's two friends Payton and Ashlynn.

Her teacher Mrs. Anderson

Presents from Grandma and Grandpa.

Ellie and Kenna. Ellie Belle (her formal name) is adjusting very well with us. She is a very sweet little puppy, and very gentle with the girls. We are becoming quite attached to her.

Winnie is not missing out on any loving either. As a side note, Winnie had her annual exam this week and the vet said she is VERY healthy for a nine year old dog. She said we should get many more years of enjoyment with her. :0)

Meet Ellie

Daddy is now officially outnumbered 5 to 1. Meet Ellie, the newest member of our family. She is a 10 week old English Cocker Spaniel. Paul and I drove to Austin to pick her up, and surprised Bella and Kenna with their new puppy! You can watch the video of their first meeting here:

http://www.dropshots.com/winniegirl

(It's the May 21st video)

She is really a happy little girl with lots of energy. After she plays she is ready to snuggle up for a nap. She is asleep with her head on my feet while I am typing this. Winnie is doing as well as can be expected. Winnie is bossy, but sweet, and I know over time she will either love Ellie or learn to tolerate her.

For now we will be adjusting to life with a new puppy. Ask me again in a week if she is still cute. :0)

Almost A First Grader

Hard to believe, isn't it?