The day Karis turned EIGHT!

What a fun day celebrating my sweet girl turning EIGHT!  That's almost double digits folks and I am NOT ready for it!  I took this pic the night before her birthday...last night to tuck her in as a 7 year old!  SNIFF!

The next morning I cooked breakfast per her request her favorite bacon (turkey) and eggs and chocolate milk and of course she got to use our "special birthday plate."

She opened her gifts from our family.  Brayden and Lucy had picked her out a mood "K" necklace and Jay and I got her gift cards to go shopping to Justice and Claires (what she asked for).  She has definitely grown up when she is asking for gift cards instead of toys, things.  She loved them!

All ready to go to school to celebrate!

I was taking pics of her and Everett was already here and kept backing up like he knew he was supposed to sit there too for a picture.  So he got to get one with the birthday girl! :)

Karis (8), Brayden (6), and Lucy (3)

Me and my sweet girl....

Daddy with his princess

Jay and I went to eat lunch with Karis and Brayden at school and brought them Subway and of course cupcakes for the class.  

They sang happy birthday to her but she had to stand up and basically the whole 2nd grade sang to her. She was 10 shades of red when it was all over!  She was soooo embarrassed!!!

Birthday lunch....

Oh my word these two look alike in this picture.  People tell me all the time they look alike and I usually don't see it (other than they stand just alike!), but I think they look alike here...

She had just gotten off the bus and showed me what her teacher gave her at school....

That night for her birthday we went to her favorite restaurant, Sekisui (well really any Japanese hibachi restaurant) and she got to invite her best friend Mari-Morgan.  Lolli got to join us as well!

My kids do better than I do with chopsticks!

Their faces make me laugh!

And she got a complimentary dessert because it was her birthday!

They don't love Lolli at all...can you tell?! Ha!

My favorite people in the world!

Then she got to go shopping and spend her gift cards!  She was super thrilled about this!

MM gave her a Justice gift card too so she had $75 to Justice and $50 to Claires...who wouldn't love to go spend some "free" money?!  She spent almost all of it (saved $15 to Claires) and then the fun had to end.  :(  One last pic with her best friend...

This is her loot!  She got 5 shirts from Justice, makeup, a journal, hair color stick for the party, and nail stick-ons.  She was HAP-PY! :)  When I was tucking her into bed I asked her if she had had a great day and she said, "This has been the best birthday ever!  They just get better every year!"  Aw my sweet girl!!!!

I took a screen pic of my phone of several facebook messages just so she can look back one day and see how much she is loved!

Karis Taylor, I love you to the moon and back!  Can't wait to celebrate many more with you!!!!

I found Karis' diary about her day and thought I would post it...so cute.

Happy 8th Birthday to my oldest princess!

My sweet princess, I can not believe you are now EIGHT!!!  I blinked and now you are so grown up!

I can't tell you how much of an honor it is to be your mom!  You are such a delightful, fun to be around, sweet, caring, beautiful girl inside and out.  You are a great big sister to both Brayden and Lucy and they both look up to you so much and you are such a WONDERFUL role model for them both to follow.  Always remember that they are watching your every move and want to be just like you.  I know you will make them and me and dad so proud.  Part of me wants you to not grow any more but then other parts of me want you to spread your wings and flourish, because I KNOW you will.  It's hard for this momma to see you struggle and learn your way through life but at the same time I know I have to.  I am doing everything in my power to "train you in the way of the Lord" and I know that the Lord will prove Himself faithful through your life.  

I love you so much sweet girl more than you will ever know!

The day you were born....

1st birthday....

2nd birthday....

3rd birthday....

4th birthday....

5th birthday....

6th birthday....

7th birthday just one year ago....

Today you turn 8 baby girl and are as beautiful as ever, inside and out!

Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!

Happy Birthday to one of my kids' favorite uncles!  Not only was yesterday Pop's birthday, but today is Uncle Matt's and Karis'!  Matt and Pop have always been so sweet to share their birthday with my baby.  But we don't want to leave them out!  Thanks Matt for being my best friend growing up and such a wonderful example to my children.  We love you so much and hope this day is extra special for you!

Happy Birthday Uncle Matt!!!!

Happy Birthday Pop!

Happy Birthday to the first man in my heart, my daddy, the kids' Pop!

My dad holds a very special place in my heart.  He was the one who treated me like a lady, taught me how to walk with the Lord by example, showed me how precious and delicate I am and worthy to be loved, the man who showed me what to look for in a future mate.  But in spite of all those wonderful things, he holds these little guys in the palm of his hand.  They love him to death!  He is a wonderful granddad to my children and he will always be our hero!

LOVE YOU DAD!  Happy Birthday!

Scripture, Truth and sweet faces

This post was one I started last week and forgot to write and post on it...old brain!

I wrote a whole post about this last week about the dangers of questioning God.  Here is the text in which Zechariah questions God and then ends up mute because of it.

Sweet baby girl...

One of my friends posted this on facebook last week and it has resonated through my heart over and over and over again.  So true!  This may be one of my favorite quotes!!!

Daily story time when Karis gets home from school!

Scary to think our children and grandchildren could be affected and suffer the consequences from our sins.  Such a wake up call!!!

I was learning about idolatry last week when a friend of mine posted this on Instagram.  What are your idols and can you live without them?

Read this in my commentary last week...so good!

Love this angel face!

The other day we went to Taco Bell with some friends and this sweet lady made all NINE of our kids balloons and learned all their names just to be sweet.  I hope she is there next time we go.  The kids LOVED her!

Church, rain and bubbles!

Sunday was a great day at church!  I got to keep Lucy's class and she was soooo excited.  She kept telling everyone that I was her teacher today ha!  I love all of her little friends that are in there so it was fun!  Seeing all of those light bulbs come on in their heads are priceless.

Sunday afternoon was so relaxing which was so needed after our long but fun Saturday.  After church I made my quick weekly run to the grocery store and they we relaxed at home in our pj's!  It was great!  We opened the windows, lit some candles and Jay and I even got a small nap and got to read our books for a while!

Monday both Hazel and Everett were sick so me and these two cuties got out a little bit.  It was pouring down rain but we went anyway.  We went to Target for a little stroll, ran some errands at the mall for Karis' upcoming birthday and then to Chick-fil-a for lunch and some play time!

Crazy story...in Chick-fil-a line and this random man and Jake are staring at each other.  I was confused and said, "Do you know him?"  The man said, "Yea that is my grandson!"  I think Jake was a little confused as to why he was seeing him at a strange place and it took a few minutes to warm up to the idea that his Pop was there too!  I let them eat together and it made both of their days!

We got in some playtime and ice cream too!

Looks like all the fun wore this little guy out!

Lucy reading to me....

Monday night the kids got to take a long bath because we actually didn't have anywhere we had to be...nice!  They entertained themselves as you can see ha!

LOVE these three so much!