Phoebe Leann's 3rd Birthday

Three years ago on September 14th, our last baby, Phoebe Leann, was born. She was born a beauty and a blessing, and remains a beauty and a blessing three years later. We have treasured her and enjoyed her, loved her and delighted in her.

Her first birthday:




















Her second birthday:




















Her third birthday:




















She had a princess party the day before her birthday and she had such a good time!




























































































I thank God every day for my little princess.

Chloe is 11???

I don't know how in the world Chloe just turned 11. But she did. Eleven years ago on August 28th, Chloe was born. She was a tiny thing at 6 pounds and 6 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long. The most wonderful, perfect, beautiful thing we had ever seen. My labor and delivery with her was horrible. No epidural and more pain that I could have ever imagined. We were so happy to meet her, to love her, to be her parents. She was my first baby, the one who made me a mother.



Being the mother of an eleven year old isn't something I thought about when I was pregnant with her, or when she was a baby, or even a toddler. It is sometimes interesting and not always pleasant. She is a delightful daughter though and is one of my greatest joys and blessings. Now at eleven she loves makeup, wild jewelry (less is more means nothing to her), especially earrings, gum, crazy clothes, pandas, reading, her new cell phone, magazines, sleepovers, and polishing her nails.

On her actual birthday this year we had a little cookout and an ice cream cake. We finally relented and got her a cell phone that she has been dying for.




For her party we rented the pool. She had a great time with all her friends despite the cool evening.





It was a great birthday and I hope she has many more happy ones! I can't wait to see what the next year brings (I think).

Happy 1st Birthday, Molly!

After years of asking for one, Chloe got a toy poodle for her birthday last year. She named her Molly. Molly has become part of our family.




Yesterday was her first birthday. Chloe wanted to celebrate with a party. So, she decorated the back porch, helped make a doggie cake, and invited some doggie friends.


Phoebe and Danny at the party (Phoebe does this pose for all pictures now):






With the doggie cake that the dogs promptly gobbled up before I could take a picture:



Opening gifts:



And all the doggie guests (Lucy with my Mom and Phoebe, my brother-in-law Ed with Chester, my sister Betsy with Lilly, and Chloe and Molly). Danny's four beagles also got a piece of cake and were at their dog boxes in the backyard for the party.

Owen's 6th Birthday

Owen's birthday was Friday and his party was on Saturday. Friday we took him to Bob Evan's for lunch, let him rent a couple movies, and had cupcakes and ice cream. We gave him the gifts from us, and later my parents and grandmother came with gifts too, and we had cupcakes and ice cream again. I made the cupcakes in ice cream cones, we all love that. If you haven't tried that, you must! Just make a cake mix from a box, and fill ice cream cones about 3/4 way full. Bake, then use icing for the tops. (Best eaten the same day you make them, or they get too soggy.) So good and kids love them (and so do I)!





Making a wish:









Chloe made him this sweet game:


He asked for Screature, and Mom and Dad got it for him. He loves it!





Saturday was Owen's party at McDonalds. It was the first McDonalds party we've had, I always plan a big party on the kids' birthdays, so it was kind of strange not to this time. It's what Owen wanted to do because he'd been to his friend's party there in the winter. It was a good day for a party and the kids loved playing on the playground there. Owen said it was the best day of his life.










Happy Birthday, baby boy!

Bikini Bread and other ramblings

Dad has zucchini ready in his garden now. I love zucchini from his garden. Love. It. Today I made zucchini bread with chocolate chips (with chocolate chips because I was dying for chocolate). Phoebe helped and told everyone she was making Bikini Bread. Not suitably named because you can't wear a bikini after eating two loaves of it like I am going to do. (Recipe from Paula Deen here.)


To update you on weird things found in my fridge, I found a Lego today along with a tomato with a bite out of it. The other day I found a diver "guy". The trend of toys found in the fridge leads me to believe the culprit is Owen. (The tomato incident though has Phoebe written all over it.)


(BTW, the pink stuff in the pitcher in the pic above is my Crystal Light raspberry lemonade that I totally love this summer.)




Chloe and I got our hair cut yesterday. I like hers a lot. Mine, not so much. It's the first time Chloe has ever had bangs in her life. They are long side bangs and she got some layers around her face, and about an inch cut off the length.

And finally, six years ago right now I found myself in the hospital ready to give birth to my baby boy, Owen. Chloe and I had been at the pool all day with my friend Mindy and her daughter Camryn. That was back in the day when we only had one girl each. Those girls would swim for hours and we'd kick back and gossip the afternoons away. That day was very hot and the pool was busy and rowdy. All day I told Mindy I was having contractions. It was June 25th and my due date was July 7th. I knew I was in labor. I oddly didn't panic. I knew it would take forever to have him, as it did Chloe. So we swam. When we were about to go a lady asked if she could have my chair. After I rolled myself out of it, I said sure we were leaving. She said I looked like I was about to have the baby any day. Why yes, I was. I told her I thought that day was the day.

I went home, took laundry off the line, cooked dinner, and got Chloe ready to go to my parents. I told Danny we would be going to the hospital but he stayed on the computer and took his time reading whatever it was he was reading while I scurried around. So that evening we finally made it to the hospital. I was dilated to 3 or 4 (I can't remember which now). The dr. on call sent me for an ultrasound and thought the baby was big (he wasn't, but bigger than Chloe who I barely had)and we should go ahead and do a c-section. I was worried about that because I didn't have one with Chloe. He called my dr. and my dr. said to wait until morning and he'd come in. They gave me cervidil and a sleeping pill. By morning I was ready to have Owen. I pushed for 2 hours and nothing. They were thinking I'd need a c-section so they gave me an epidural. I hadn't ever had one before and found it blissful. Finally after much drama that I won't bore you with, they wheeled me in for a c-section. He was facing up, instead of down like he should have been to be born, and he had a big cone head from being stuck so long. My first boy (as he likes to call himself) was born on June 26, 2003 at 5:37 pm. He was 7 pounds 9.4 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long.






What a joy he was then, and now.

Why do they have to be so cute?

Owen was talking about his birthday. He does this almost daily and wants to know how many days until his birthday (it's not until June 26th). Then he usually names all the things he wants. He names some things he really wants, then he starts just naming things to name them. However, yesterday he said he wanted his own dog. He said he wanted a boy dog. He wanted him to live in the house so Molly could have a brother. That was cute enough. Then the kicker was when I asked him what he'd name a boy dog of his own. Chip. He said Chip. I can't stand the cuteness. I told Danny about the conversation. He couldn't stand it either. He asked why he had to say that. Chip.

Happy Birthday, Danny!

Today is Danny's 38th birthday. He took the day off and has had a good family day. He took Owen deer hunting for the first time. Before they went I told Owen to remember he had to be quiet. He was excited to go but said, "I hate that part about it, don't you?". But Danny said he was so good and quiet and even fell asleep! Here they are about to leave. Owen is wearing Danny's orange vest because he doesn't have one of his own. It was huge on him. Danny said you had to have 400 square feet of orange on, and that Owen's whole body was barely 400 square feet.;) They didn't get a deer (or zero deer as Owen reported to me), but they had fun.






This evening we had a little party, which was fun. I made his carrot cake that he asks for every year. It's the only time I ever make it. We had the mini cheesecakes too. We ordered pizza, so it was an easy dinner.



Happy Birthday, Danny!

If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you. - Winnie the Pooh

Happy 2nd Birthday Phoebe!

Today our baby girl turned two. She had a wonderful day and really seemed to enjoy every moment. We went to church this morning, then when we came home we gave her the play kitchen we got for her. She loves it. (Chloe and Owen do too. We had to put it in Owen's room, so they all enjoy it.) She had lunch and a nap before the party at 4:00. Her party was a P party, where everything started with P for Phoebe. We had pizza, popcorn, pringles, pretzels, pickles, peanuts, pasta salad, pop, punch, pineapple upside down cake, pink cupcakes in the shape of a P, and popsicles. We played pass the present and pin the tail on the pig, and had a pinata. All the goody bag favors started with P. She liked all her presents and had fun playing with everything this evening. The only bad thing was the wind. It was at least 35 mph. It was blowing everything around and wasn't very pleasant.


Ready for church this morning:



With her kitchen:



In her party outfit:



With her cupcake:



Eating a popsicle:



With the cupcakes:



Opening her Bitty Baby:



More presents:



My sister Betsy got these Snuggle Cabbage Patches for her. I don't know who loves them more, Phoebe or me!



Princess Phoebe:



With the pinata:







On the trampoline:



It was a sweet day with Phoebe, and it's been a sweet two years. She's a special girl and as Danny said when we were putting her to sleep, "I'm glad we have her. Aren't you?". I'm so glad. And thankful. And blessed. Happy Birthday, Phoebs!