A Soggy Happy Halloween

We had a very soggy Halloween, but that didn't dampen the spirits of these princesses!  They were so excited to put on these dresses and hit the streets...rain and all!!

Our sweet friends that we do life with.  Very rarely are our entire families in one place, so I was excited to get a pic of everyone :)

 Love that there were 2 knights and 2 princesses :)

This looks like something it's not, but I think it's hysterical!!!

Cute as Ever!

As promised, here's my little toothless wonder.  I still think she's too young to have "big teeth" coming in, but there's obviously nothing I can do about it except take some pics of her cuteness!!

As cute as she is, I'm sure hoping we have some time before those top teeth come out!  This mama is NOT ready for that!  I'm thinking Gracie won't be too far behind Miss W with the teeth, seeing as all she does is wiggle them so the tooth fairy will come to her!!  

Thought I'd share a little about Wesleigh and her progress in kindergarten:

She is doing great!  She is smart as a whip and has not struggled with any of the content so far.  She is beginning to figure out the reading, which makes her very happy.  She loves to walk around with a pen and notebook, making notes and drawing pictures.  She likes to have me write specific words in the notebook so she can copy them down.

The funniest thing she's said lately is about a little boy in her class named Tanner (or as W says it "tannu".  She doesn't have that "r" sound yet :)  She tells me one day, "Me and Tannu are fallin in lub.  We just lub each other.  He's my boyfwiend.  We almost kissed at school".  So I explain to her that she is too young to have a boyfriend and there is absolutely no kissing.  So she replies, "Well, what about in first grade, or second...."  Oh Gracious!!

I told Richard to ask her about Tanner and this was her comment to him, "I just can't help it.  He's just so cute!"  She and Gracie both seem to be quite the boy-crazy pair!  I'm not sure if it's because they're so comfortable around boys because of their brothers or if that's just what girls do??  Either way...I think it's going to be a LONG 12 years!!!!!!!

The Tooth Fairy x 2

In the midst of the craziness that was my life a couple weeks ago, Miss W decided it was time to lose, not one, but TWO teeth!!!  Those teeth had been loose for weeks, but I had told her not to touch them :)  She didn't, but it was inevitable. She now has a big gap (adorable as it is) where the cutest little crooked teeth used to sit.  I don't know why it makes me so sad.  I loved the way those little teeth turned in to make a "v" in her mouth.  I'm pretty sure they were like that from sucking on her finger as a baby.   Now, she doesn't suck that finger...and she doesn't have those teeth :(

As sad as I was to see that first tooth  go, Wesleigh was giddy with excitement!  You see, a few weeks before, she had been shown pictures of what the tooth fairy left behind for a friend of hers.  It included pixie dust!  You must understand...the tooth fairy doesn't have a great track record at my house.  Don't ask my why, but we seem to have been stuck with a dud!!  Pixie dust is a tall order for our fairy!  Wesleigh talked for weeks about the tooth fairy.  Telling us, "I hope I get the same tooth fairy as Camille, so I can have pixie dust".  Of course, the tooth fairy couldn't let this little cutie down :)

She is so proud!  Gracie wasn't really jealous.  She was determined to stay awake so she could see the tooth fairy :) lol...  She even cried in the morning when she realized she had been sprinkled with dust and didn't even know it!

The tooth fairy left a trail of pixie dust and a dollar....

...with pixie dust hearts :)

I have some pics of her sweet little gap, I'll post tomorrow :)

My Favorite

Yes...it's true.  I have a favorite.  Actually on any given day, I have between 1 and 5 favorites and I have between 0 and 5 who are... let's just say.... not.  It's a sliding scale.  You can move up and down this scale minute by minute, day by day :)  Does that sound bad?  Just keeping it real over here!

Lately, though, this boy has been way up on the favorites list :)

He has been agreeable, helpful, talkative and pleasant... consistently.  Anyone with teenagers knows that this is not always the case!

His band performed in a marching competition this weekend.  They scored all 1's (the best!)  I am so proud of him and all the hard work he has invested in the band and his studies this year.

I am so sad that there are only 2 more football games and only one more marching competition  before this chapter of our lives is over :(  I can't believe it!  I never knew how much I would enjoy it and now will miss it greatly.

I have not been emotional about him graduating this year until now.  I am enjoying him so much that it makes me so sad to think of him leaving home!!  We do not know where he will end up going to college yet, but I do know that God has a great plan for this boy of mine!  God loves him even more than I do!

Trevor

My sweet little buddy, Trevor, went home to be with the Lord this morning.  He was an amazing little boy and I am blessed to have gotten to know this family over the past couple of months.

This image was taken Monday, when I brought Tiana to the hospital to say "goodbye" to her brother. It is probably the most emotional images I have ever taken. I had to get Allison's permission to use it.  I am honored to have been there.

Football comes to an end...almost

Cade played his last 7th grade game last night.  He still has one more 8th grade game left next week, but I won't be able to attend.  He had an amazing season, and broke the record for the number of touchdowns in a 7th grade season!  His total was 12, which was his goal :)  He scored 2 last night and almost a third.  I absolutely love to watch this boy play football!!  Here are a few favorite shots from last night:

Homecoming Number 3

Our last homecoming for the year was Saturday.  Once again, the group came to our house to take pics.  I have to admit that I was a little ho-hum about taking another set of homecoming pics in the same exact places...BORING!  Then Braden told me that he and his date had a different idea.  Karleigh loves to hunt and play ball...just like Braden.  They wanted to take pics with their bows and baseball equipment.  Yay!  Something different was just the motivation I needed :)  These are my favorite homecoming pics ever!

Jennifer Coco...how about Princess Ariel???  She is STILL wearing it!!!

Karleigh and her mom made this boutonniere for Braden from the leather of a baseball!  It was so cool!! 

How can he be this old??  It's hard to imagine!!!

Seriously...how cute is this???  I think Braden has found the perfect girl for him :)

This might be my favorite!

20 Years!!

How is it possible?  How could it be that it has been 20 years since this day??

We've come a LOOONNNGG way, Baby!

Richard and I were married only 10 months after we met!  (No...I was not pregnant :)  I just knew.  I am so thankful that God blessed me with such a wonderful man to share my life with.  He loves me, and works so hard to take care of our family.  I could not have asked for a better partner to be on this wild ride with.  It has been anything but boring.  And anyone who knows me, knows that I hate to be bored :)  I could never have imagined that this journey would lead us to where we are now.  I can't wait to see what the next 20 years hold!!!

Madame Butterfly

I am in love with this shot!  She told the lady that she wanted a butterfly and must not have specified a color.  Surely, my priss pot would have chosen pink and purple, but I love that it matched her clothes instead :)

The Princess :)