First Day of School

Today, Kendal started 4th grade and Payton started 1st. Blows my mind that in two short years we will have one in Middle School. It seems like I just walked Kendal into her Kindergarten classroom. Embrace the time you have with your children! Enjoy it, even the not so enjoyable moments. Before we know it, they will be off living their own lives and we will wonder where the time went.

So cute!

3rd grade was the year that Kendal would only wear her hair in a low ponytail. Didn't want it any other way and would have a fit when I made her wear it down for pictures. Apparently 4th grade is the year to wear it down. :)

Bsyn wanted to be in a pic with her sisters. Thankfully, Grandma and Papa were here so I didn't have to have her up and ready to go.

Kendal with her teacher, Ms. P

She is still OK with me walking her to her class (she wanted me to) and taking pictures. I wonder if 5th grade will be the year that that all changes....

Payton with her teacher, Mrs. M

her locker that she gets to share with a good friend

at her desk

A nice way to end our first day of school...a trip to Bahama Bucks with friends.

Until next time...

Payton turns 6

Our birthday tradition is that the birthday girl gets to pick where they want to go for dinner on (or around) their birthday. After a week or so of her thinking about where she wanted to go, Red Robin, Texas Roadhouse, Ol' McDonalds (yes, that is what our girls call it, or if your Bsyn, it's McOl' McDonalds) or Burger King. When the day finally came for her to make her choice, the winner was Red Robin. Of course! Papa and Grandma W were here for her special day and Papa was happy with her choice, he really wanted a nice, big, juicy burger!

done with dinner and her bday sundae and balloon were delivered

she embarrasses easily

and this is why....

some good sport employees were singing Happy Birthday to her

***a little side note...at one point in our marriage, I worked at a restaurant and whenever it came time for the crew to get together to go sing to someone, I always had to use the bathroom, stupid bladder! Of course, it wasn't just a simple walk to the table, announce that we have a birthday in the house, oh no, it was a big production of the group attaching together and running through the restaurant like a train. Train noises and all! This chic don't do that!! OK, side note over.***

with her favorite bird

Papa got his nice, big, juicy burger and in true guy fashion couldn't NOT drip it down his shirt :)

Today is my birthday

look, money!

We had gone to Sam Moon the day before and she was upset with me because I wouldn't buy her two necklaces that she wanted. Little did she know that I did in fact buy them and her sisters gave them to her for her birthday. She was happy!

our little ragamuffins

I'm SIX!!!

She got an extra special treat. Since Grandma and Papa were here, after church they took us to Cici's for lunch.

After lunch, we took her to pick out her new, bigger bike since her knees were practically hitting the handle bars on her old one. Now she just needs to learn how to balance the bigger, heavier one! :)

Happy Birthday, Sweet Payton!

Mama, Daddy and your sisters love you very much!

Birthday Celebration

Payton turns 6 on Sunday and Bransyn turns 5, fifteen days later on Sept. 6 so last night they had a combined party at Going Bonkers, a big indoor play area...climbing equipment complete with slides, bridges, swinging ropes and an upstairs area with a bunch of different games. It was the first friend party for both of them. They were so excited to be having a party and didn't care that they were having one together.

having fun playing all the games

some random boy counting all their tickets

look how many tickets I got!!

LOVE this cute faced little girl!!!

"I'm (gonna be) 5!!"

LOVE this cute faced little girl too!!!

"I'm (gonna be) 6!!"

Payton and friend being daredevils on the motorcycles

Kendal with the older sibling friends that came to play and hang out

When planning a joined bday party, I wasn't sure how it would turn out when picking decorations and a cake. I thought they might end up wanting two different themes, but when walking down the girly decoration isle at Party City, they got to the Hello Kitty section and both pointed at it and said that they wanted Hello Kitty. Perfect!!

Happy Birthday to you....

Mama and Daddy with the birthday girls

showing their frosting stained tongues

time for presents

both were very excited to get their very own color bag...Kendal has one

discussing how they can make bracelets and necklaces

Her very own jewelry box!! Happy!! :)

the birthday gang minus one that was being camera shy

silly faces

our boy besties

he's no longer being camera shy

They each got to have one friend come home with us and have a sleepover. The four of them and Kendal doing Color Wonder papers....at 11 PM! :)

the big girls finally fell asleep between 12 and 12:30 on the playroom floor

the little girls at 12:30...STILL awake

so awake that they wanted me to take pics of them making silly faces
checked on them 10 min. later and they were finally asleep

cinnamon rolls and sausage for breakfast
despite the late night, they were all up between 7 and 7:30

time for friends to go home

A couple of hours later, more friends came over, but this time I got to have friends here too. Us Mamas got to sit and talk while the 8 kids played for a few hours.

After everyone left, we were getting the house back in order and while I was organizing the playroom closet, Bransyn fell asleep on the floor. She wasn't much help!

Payton didn't want to help clean up her room, claimed to have a headache, so I told her she had to lay on her bed. Once I was finished with it, miraculously the headache was gone and she wanted to get up. NO WAY!!! I told her she had to stay there until I told her she could come out. This is how I found her 5 min. later. Both took about a 2 1/2 hour nap. Sweet!!

I am glad to have all birthday parties done for the year. Now just to get past the actual birth days and our birthday tradition of letting the birthday child pick where they want to eat and presents from Mama and Daddy. Payton's is Sunday...so far she started with wanting to go to Red Robin, then it was Texas Roadhouse, then it was Old McDonald's (that's what my girls call it) and last choice was Burger King. We'll see where we end up.

Until next time...