Happy Birthday Baby Sister!

Ok, she's not quite a baby anymore, but if she can call me and call me an old lady, I can call her a baby!

Truly, she is my sister and my best friend! We've spent 38 years together (ooops, did I share her age?) and she's always been there when I've needed her!

Love you baby sister!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ME... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!! AND MANY MORE......

I challenge you to leave me a creative message - no normal birthday greeting need post themselves here!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today my mother is celebrating the 30+ anniversary of her 29th birthday!

Tho she may not be happy with me sharing her general age,, too bad, she's off traveling in Italy with my dad, aunt and good friend - she's lucky I didn't give the exact number as payback for not taking me!

I hope she enjoyed a nice meal and a nicer bottle of wine!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy Birthday LuLu!

Great Grandma LuLu has a birthday today! A Lady doesn't share her age, but we can confirm the she is old enough to legally collect social security ;) Hubby's grandmother is one of only two great grandparents that the girls have left - the other being his other grandmother - good genes on both sides!

Happy Birthday Little G!!!!

It's hard to believe that 8 years ago you joined our little family! You always bring a smile to our faces! I hope you have a wonderful birthday little one!!

I love you! Momma

Happy Birthday Big S!!!!!

It's hard to believe that 11 years ago you were a 5lb 12oz newborn, lying in my arms totally trusting me and daddy to take care of you and raise you!  Thank goodness you had no idea that we had no idea what we were doing!  For novices, I think we did a pretty good job since you have turned into a lovely young lady whom we are very proud of!

Shocking that another year has gone by so fast!

another milestone reached!

so, Big S still has some little girl in her - it doesn't show itself very often, but it's still there!

this is the girl I see more often these days - love her - there are times I'm sad she's growing up so quickly, but there are a lot of fun things about this age too!  

Anyway, we gave her a slightly early birthday present!

yes, she finally has her very own cell phone - with a list of rules that is almost as long as the instruction manual (which we told her she had to read cover to cover!) .  The others now have a definite timeline that they can monitor and count down until they have a phone that they can call their own!  2 years and counting for Little S - and 3 for Little G!! 

Happy 70th birthday Dad!!!

I hope you have a super fabulous birthday today and many many more to come!!

I love you!!

Happy 9th Birthday Little S!!!

This is one of my favorite pictures of her.  Even though I took it last November, I just think it's so sweet!

This is a very typical view of Little S during her leisure time - what's in her hand often changes between the DS, ipod and a good book, but she loves to lounge and relax!!  I think this one may have been taking while we were camping last year!

From the time she was about 6 months old, Little S has LOVED elephants!  A dear childhood friend gave her a stuffed elephant (in the very life-like colors of mint green and yellow!) and she has carried "Elli" with her everywhere - planes, trains, automobiles, boats, sometime stuffed in a backpack, sometimes out in the open, but always the first choice for a companion e

specially when comfort is needed!  Ellie is indeed her very special friend!  See above she's even helping with the DS game!!!

I love you my dear little girl!  Everytime I look into those big blue eyes I just melt!  I want nothing short than a lifetime of health, love, happiness for you my dear daughter!  May all your dreams come true on this special day!

Momma

Happy Birthday dear blog.....

So, my little blog is growing up!  One year today - I had to look back to find my start date and I was really surprised that it had already been a year.  My how time flies!  Although I started blogging because I good friend told me that it was cathartic, I also figured that it was a good way to keep friends and family updated on some of the happenings around here.  I am always surprised to find that other people out there whom I haven't met face to face read this too!  I have met some really nice ladies whose blogs I also read!  All in all, this is sort of an online diary (although public) and scrapbook all wrapped into one!  So, happy birthday little blog - it will be fun to see what the next year holds for us!!

My fabulous birthday surprise!!

So, I return from my fabulous girls trip to Reno to open the garage door and find my birthday present waiting for me!  Then the girls and hubby jumped out and yelled "surprise!!"  I was so excited!!  I LOVE my cute little green beetle bug!  The girls and I are having so much fun buzzing around town in it!!  The Armada is hanging out and we will use it for camping, Costco runs,road trips,  carpooling etc... but the darling Beetle Bug will be my every day run around town car!

Isn't it darling?  Here it is that night with the with the big red bow and all my hand made cards!!  Great present, huh?!?

You remember those days, right?  Slumber parties are soooo much fun - until the next day when you are worthless from lack of sleep!  Well, Big S had her 10th bday in July but because so many people were out of town, we postponed her party for a month.  The theme was 10 - obvious, but cute!  It started with inviting 10 guests - actually 11, but one couldn't come, then one was a no show, so including mine, we had 11 girls at the party until bedtime, then one more left because she had early plans the next morning, so really there were only 10 girls sleeping on the basement - ONLY 10!!  Anyway, the party really was a lot of fun and Big S deserves most of the credit - I did the shopping, but she had the vision and gave me the list!  She may have a future in event planning.  The goody bags were little spa kits put together mostly from the Target dollar section - yipee!  Instead of a cake, she wanted everyone to be able to decorate their own cupcakes.  I found those little Reynolds aluminum cupcake tins in the shape of a heart at Big Lots for $1 (24 tins for $1 I might add) and did 12 vanilla cake and 12 dozen per the birthday girl.  I was also instructed to put sprinkles in the tins before I put the batter in - another cute idea per the bday girl! They ate dinner, played, opened presents, watched a movie, decorated cupcakes, watched another movie, went to bed (mind you I didn't say sleep)!  I slept on the couch in the living room in case anyone needed anything and I was only woken up once!  One girl had to leave at 8am, so I went downstairs to wake her up at 7:45am and much to my chagrin, everyone was up by the time she left.  I hadn't expected to see them so soon - I thought I was going to get to go back to sleep - bummer.  Good news is that breakfast is hubby's thing - pancakes and turkey bacon for everyone and I didn't have to lift a finger!  All but one were gone by 11am and I spent pretty much the rest of the day on the couch - I was more tired than the kids - age was not serving me well!  All in all it was a successful party and I am done with birthday parties until next June!  Yea for me!

Little G turns 7!!

It's hard to believe, but my baby turned 7 today (sniff).  Where did the years go?

Funny story about this birthday party though...  as is often the case with Little G, things seem to take on a life of their own.... 

At first she just wanted to have a party with the 5 of us (last year ALL 5 of us went to Build-a-Bear and yes, we each and to make our own bear (ok, hubby made a turtle, but you get the point), and then we went to Chuck E Cheese for dinner (did you know that they serve beer there - what wise person came up with that I wonder, makes the place much more tolerable!).  Anyway, I digress...  it was supposed to be just the 5 of us again (don't ask me why, her sisters always want a gazillion kids at their parties) and then she decides that she wants her best friend M and her family to join us - yeah!  We love the parents and I will have someone to talk to when the kids (and hubby) go off to play games.  Then she wanted C and her family to join us (now I'm getting worried because the party is a week away and it is evolving before my eyes).  Then thursday night (keep in mind her birthday is sunday) she decides she wants to add more friends!!  YIKES!!  I get online to Chuck E's party planner and they can take us, so I get on the phone and call a few parents, apologize for the late notice, explain my daughter's evolving birthday scenario and lo and behold, EVERYONE but one can come!  Fast forward to saturday night and hubby is making toll-house sheet cookie for her cake (I'm a smooth talker, huh?  he didn't know what hit him and the next thing he knows, he's baking a cookie cake!!)  We decorate the cake sunday morning (my job)and leave early for the party to stop at the party store and get stuff for goody bags... 2pm we are in Chuck E Cheese and the birthday girl couldn't be happier!

What a darling birthday girl!  Fabulous cake hubby!!

Chuck E makes an appearance!!

The moral of the story?  Don't diss the mouse - he can save your a** when a last minute birthday party becomes an issue in your home!