Party Time!

Meghan had a great party! The "best party ever" just like last years. ;) hehe This is the dessert table. The banner was created by A to Zebra Celebrations. I made all the goodies except the brownies which are from Bite Me Brownies and are amazing!

We started the day by Meghan's friend Miqa coming over to play early. She loved that! Miqa came around 10 and the girls spent the morning playing. A couple of Meghan's friends from the complex came over to play too. We got them pizza for lunch and they played while we got everything ready for the party.

What is the perfect activity for a Hannah Montana Rock Star Party??? Making your own silver jewelry, of course!! Meghan was so excited about that! As her friends would get there she would tell them all about it. "We get to make REAL jewelry!" Uncle John, (a fabulous jeweler!) brought all the stuff for them. They used a silver clay to make a charm. When the clay is fired and shined up it is a perfect piece of real silver jewelry! They loved it and each got to make one to take home.

Choosing a charm design.

Kaden waiting to help me make one.

Meghan got to make hers first.

Getting some help from cousin Lauren!

Kaden is really studying how to do this.

Miqa making her charm.

Hannah making hers.

Friends from our complex Alyssa and Natalie.

Meghan's finished charm.

This is the one I made. Well I started it and then John finished it for me. :) Thanks Uncle John! I love it! If you would like more information check out the website for Impression Silver! This is just the most amazing thing. They have classes at our local Hobby Lobby and book parties at their office.

Then Meghan said she wanted to do the pinata next. She has been wanting to have a pinata for a while so this is the year we got one! A Hannah Montana Guitar of course!

After that we sang Happy Birthday and Meghan blew out the candles.

Then she opened her gifts.

What a fun party. She had just the right amount of people and was able to play lots, which she loved too.

Thank you friends!! <3

What a day!

Today was my oldest daughter’s birthday party. She had a good time. One of her friends was able to come early; they had several hours before the party to play. A couple friends that live in the complex came early to play too.


We live in a townhome community. Which means we have other townhomes around us, a parking lot etc. We have a gated patio area but the kids were playing in the grassy area between our group of homes. Ellie and Kaden were out playing with the girls and it was just a few minutes before everyone was to get there. Nathan and I were doing last minute things inside when I asked Nate to check on the kids. I go check on them often when Ellie is playing with them. She had earlier in the day tried to run into the parking lot because she was being chased and doesn’t really know better. So I tell Nate to check on her that I am not sure if she is in or out. I start calling out for her in the house and he is looking outside. I realize that no one sees her so I go out and start looking. I tell all the girls that I don’t know where she is and everyone runs off looking. I double check the house again and then I run out and start walking up the parking lot toward the entrance of the complex and see a woman all the way at the end of the turn walking back holding Ellie’s hand. So I quickly walk up to her, she lets Ellie go and she runs the last couple steps to me and wants up. She doesn’t seem concerned at all. I said something to the woman about I can’t believe she was way over here and she tells me “Yea she almost made it to the entrance”, (I hope she was exaggerating), which is where the cars come in from the main road. I said “Oh my gosh, really” and then I say “thank you” (embarrassed and ashamed) and walk away holding my baby. I know I looked like the moron mom that can’t keep track of her kids today. The lady just kind of looked at me. I guess it’s never happened to her. It’s never happen to me either… before today. I feel awful about it. I think earlier today I still had the party to get through and lots going on. Ellie came in and fell asleep right after that so she slept through most of the party and I kept busy. Now that it’s all over though and it’s time to go to sleep I am just sick thinking about what could have happened. I can’t believe I am “that mom”. I mean we have all heard stories of kids being found out by roads or getting hit by cars. I am that overly cautious type. I always stay with my kids on playgrounds and on field trips. I hold their hands at events and through parking lots. My kids stay right in front of the house so I can see who they are with and what they are doing. I get grief for being too protective. I can’t believe I let this happen!

I feel bad for Meghan too. She always begs for Ellie to go out so I tell her ok but you need to watch her and let me know if I need to get her. I also, like I said check on her every few minutes and leave the door open so I can hear what’s going on. Meghan is usually great about it but today she had too many people around and was distracted, like me. I really didn’t expect her to have to do anything today but I didn’t know Ellie would take off either. I assumed that Ellie would want to be with everyone else. Plus she had never left before. Meghan felt really bad and was crying. I had to comfort her and let her know it was NOT her fault. Luckily she calmed down before the party began and she didn’t seem to be upset or thinking about it at all during the party. She hasn’t brought it up again so I think she is fine. Kids are so resilient.

I know that Ellie won’t be going outside of the gate anymore. I am thankful that someone found her before she got any further and came back our direction. (Maybe she saw the balloons and assumed that’s where she came from?). I, Thank God, that He was watching out for her today when I so horribly failed.


Sigh…

My Baby Is Nine!

I can hardly believe it. Meghan, my first born, the one that was an only for the first 5 years of her life.... turned 9 years old today. Amazing. Next year she will be in the double digits!

She told me she wanted a mother daughter night. So we went out to eat. She chose the place, Sweet Tomatoes.

She wanted me to tell the wait staff it was her birthday. I know she wanted them to sing to her. That would embarrass me and she said it would her as well but she wanted it anyway.

Well there was no singing but our waiter brought out three balloons and a big cookie in the shape of a 9. :) That was very cute and she was happy and felt special.

We also did a little shopping. We went to a couple stores and just wandered around looking at things. We did order balloons and get a few things for her birthday party next weekend. She is having a few friends over for a couple hours, just a small party. She loves to decorate and everything though so we'll be working on that. All in all I think we had a good day! We love a little girl time alone every once in a while. :)

Happy Birthday Meghan. I love you my sweet girl!

(PS I was informed she is not a little girl twice today when I called her "little girl". She also insisted on the adult cup and not the kids cup with a lid... so it begins.)

Giveaway to Share!

I am having a giveaway for a super cute cupcake purse on my cake blog. Go check it out and enter!

Big G and Hot Wheels Giveaway winner!

Our number chosen by Random.org is number 2...
Shannon you are the winner of the Big G Prize package!! Congrats!
I will email for your address!

Thanks everyone who entered!

It's a Giveaway!

It's time for another fun giveaway! This one is sponsored by Hot Wheels and Big G cereals. Fun! Starting January 26th every participating box of cereal contains one of four custom designed collectible pull back racers! Each car also comes with a code to unlock an online racing game! Here are the participating cereals.

My kids love cereal and were more than happy to review these products. ;) General Mills and Hot Wheels through MyBlogSparkvb provided us with one box of each of these cereals. My kids like to have cereals for breakfast and snacks. I like for them to have them for snacks the most. I am having some Cookie Crisp snack as I write this. YUM! They are also loving these Hot Wheels! Kaden, of course, loves cars but the girls are having a great time playing with them too. There are enough for races!

So now for the good news! You, yes you! Can win your very own prize pack. You will get one box of each; Cheerios^® 14 oz, Cinnamon Toast Crunch^® 17 oz, Lucky Charms^® 16 oz, Reese’s Puffs^® 18 oz, and Cookie Crisp^® 15.6 oz. This will be sent to you directly from MyBlogSpark.

To enter!
#1 Follow my blog and leave a comment. (If you are already a follower just leave a comment letting me know).
#2 Leave a comment telling me your favorite Big G cereal.


I will draw a winner on Wednesday the 16th. Make sure to leave your email address in your comments so I can contact you and good luck!!

My Rut...

I have been in a rut lately. Kind of. I haven't been posting much because I have these periods of time where I am worried, for lack of a better word, about being judged. No matter how much we don't want to let other people affect us, they do. If you hear enough negativity or someone acts mean toward you often enough, it's going to have an influence. Of course it is the same way if you are around positivity also. So it makes sense to be around people who lift you up and genuinely care about you. Often times it's the people who are suppose to care about you that bring us down. There is a lesson to learn. Treat those closest to you just as nice as you would a stranger.

I have reminded myself that I started the blog as a record for MYSELF and to share. I have already enjoyed going back through old posts to see what we were doing when Kaden was Ellie's age. I love that part. I think without a record of some sort, IE. a journal, we forget a lot of little things. I want to remember those little details from when the kids were young.

I also love to share. I like posting what my kids are learning and how. I know I enjoy reading about my homeschooling friends and how their days are going and what they are learning. I also like to share recipes. Again I read a lot of blogs and sites about cooking, baking and getting kids to eat different foods. I have found and tried so many recipes. I like to share what I have learned and the recipes we try and enjoy.

So all that to say I am going to post more. If someone has a problem with what I am doing, I guess they have a problem. My children were given to me and my husband, not anyone else, by God  and we will raise them the way we feel He has guided us to do. Until He shows us differently we will keep going the way we are, seeking guidance from Him every step of the way. We aren't perfect by any means and never claim to be but we do the best we can. I won't let someone else tell me how to raise my children or what I am doing wrong.

And now! My new favorite song! Pretty much sums up my feeling here and just makes me happy. LOVE this song! This phrase is also something my mom used to say to my dad when she was teasing him. I had forgotten about it until I heard the song.

Until later!