Birthday Parties!!!

*PICTURE OVERLOAD!*
A few days after school started, we celebrated my nieces 3rd birthday at a local park. A lot of the parks here now offer little water play areas for the kids, which is great because they don't get all hot and bothered playing on swings and slides all day!
The water keeps them entertained for hours, especially in Lilah's case! It also saves the parents from dealing with kids wanting to just sit around!!! I'm glad we were able to celebrate Sydney's birthday this year!

 Oh and check out the awesome cupcakes my mom and I spent making! They turned out soooo yummy and sorta cute!

The next party on the list was for my besties nephew Davion. He also had a water party with a kiddie pool, jumbo blow up play area, and crazy sprinkler! All the kids had so much fun! *Side note, the water idea was last minute because it was a nice day out, thus we didn't have swimsuits!* But that didn't stop the fun!

She splashed not realizing they would immediately splash back three times as much!

 Love this picture! He's such a happy boy!

And the next party we were able to attend was my cousins baby boys first birthday! Late afternoons don't always seem to be the best times for parties because he was sooo tired and wanted nothing to do cake, ice cream, or singing!

Even though he wasn't to pleased with the events around him, everyone was happy to be together! 

First Day of School!!!

I have been planning for Lilah to go to school this year since May. We started the process for possible therapy at school in May with the Count Your Kid In Program for the school district she would be in. We had appointments set and everything was in the works. I go to enroll her for school on a Tuesday, pay my fees and off I go. School supplies bought (out of excitement) the next day, and low and behold, I get a call on Thursday. It's the school district calling to say that Lilah will not be old enough for PreK that year for the public school district, but they would love to have her next year. Very frustrated, and with the school year starting in less than a week, I start to look for other schools. The one she was going to attend was only half day, but that was the most other schools were offering.
I decided that she would go to school with her cousins this year. It is an all day Pre-Kinder program and also offers a Catholic curriculum. So far, she has not been wanting to go, but does very well when she gets there. We're working on the drop-off process and have enlisted a few troops- her Uncle Jerry (my sisters husband) and my mom!  Let's hope for a smoother transition within the next few weeks!

We were running late the first day because I wanted to get a few pictures before school started!

All smiles in the morning with Papa Gary and Grandma Barbara

(my dad and step mom)

Even more big smiles on the first day!!!

(Since the smallest size they had for her uniform was a 2-T, I altered her uniform, almost 2 inches up on the bottom and an inch up above the waist)

With mommy...please excuse the workout outfit!!!

And this is 'the face' I get as I tried to walk out the door. The face has yet to get better!

This is Uncle Jerry- I couldn't thank him enough for all the help he has been with getting Lilah set and ready for school in the mornings. Plus helping me deal with the crying! WE LOVE YOU UNLCE JERRY!!!

With Grandma Salita after school. This is Jerry's mom and she lives directly across the street from the school. Which means, after school SNACKS!!! Everyday after school I'm asked if we're going to see Grandma! I watch my nephew's and niece after school for a few hours and our first stop is grandma's!

Eli, Lilah, Syd, and Grandma Love.

Sydney and Lilah. I don't know if any of you can tell, but Lilah's uniform does NOT match Syd's. In my excitement to get her ready for school, I did not realize that the store ordered and mailed the wrong uniform plaid to us. So her first day was in the wrong uniform. Fortunately, the school did not notice and she went all day like this. The next day I went back to the store and had the correct order placed! Off to alter another uniform for next week!

We also had to stop by Grandma's (My mom) house after we left Grandma Love's. Oh how these kids love all their grandparents! First day of school was a success!!! Only 10 more months to go!

Wait, only about 13 more years of first school days to go! :o) She doesn't know that yet! Hope everyone is having a great school year start!!!

Day's with dad

Lilah has been able to spend a few fun weekends with Trent before she started school. Since he lives in Colorado now, they spend the day together. About a month ago he took her to a place called Tanganyka Wildlife Park, that day they were suppose to have Dora and Sponge Bob Square Pants out, but since it was about 90 plus degrees out, she only caught a glimpse of them!

She got to ride the horsie on her own, she kept telling me how fun it was!

And she was able to pet the goats! 

Before school started, Lilah was able to get a weekend in with her dad in Colorado. He's been wanting to take her to see the mountains, and a few weeks ago they drove to Pike's Peak! Lilah had a blast and couldn't stop talking about the mountains....she still does!

We hope you all were able to enjoy your weekends before school started!!!

Summer water fights!

A few weekends ago we celebrated my grandma's birthday. Considering the heat and all the children we had at her cozy house, my mother brought water balloons and water guns! The kids had a blast, even though it was hot outside and the adults, well they enjoyed the inside AC!!! Here are a few sneak peak photos, but more are attached in the slide show below! We filled over 100 balloons! Holding her little balloon They are all ready to go! Throwing the balloon and giving it her all!!! Hope you guys enjoy the slideshow and the end of summer!

Customize your own free slideshow

Mother's Day

Mother's Day this past year was all to bitter-sweet for me, thus this post shall be short and to the point! We celebrated this year at the park with family, friends, and food!!!

My earth girl running (from the camera) to play

My older sister and her daughter having a moment!

My sis and her 3 beautiful children! Happy Mother's Day sister! We love you!

Lilah and her cousin trying to play and pretend that they are not in desperate need of a nap!

"Mama watch me! Mama watch me!"

I want to make a side note that I did take pictures of my mother and my grandmother while we were there, but I know if I post them, my mother would find a way to delete them!!! Thus, I leave with saying I love you mommy and thank you for teaching me the values of family, faith, and love. You have given me something which no one else can, the heart of a mother!

Hutchinson Salt Mine and Underground Vault

Wow, I so much dislike when I get on a roll with posting blogs and then they fall to the wayside do to life expectancies! Instead of boring you with details of the past few months, I shall overload you all with photos! Besides, who really takes the time to read what I have to say, most want to look at Lilah anyways! 

In early May, we met up with the Sunflower Chapter of LPA for some food and fun! We met up at a local restaurant (the name escapes me because it has been so long!) for some great home cooking and conversation before heading to the Salt Mines.

Lilah and her friend Katie Scheer. Fortunately for us, the Scheers live close, and the girls are only 2 years difference in age, Lilah is 3 and Katie is 5. 

We visited the Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson, KS. Although I live less than 45 minutes from this place, this was the first time I had ever been here, and I was VERY happy that we made the trip to see this place! It was a great place to learn and explore. The girls had so much fun and looked so cute in their hard hats!

Look at that cute miner! ;)

This was one lesson in history. If you look closely to the left of the photograph you can see where it says "Our loss, Great National Tragedy, Death of the President" The price of this paper was 20 cents!!!

I thought this was pretty funny, having a Miss Salt Queen Pageant. How would you liked to be crowned the Queen of Salt, almost has the same ring to it as The Queen of Corn as held by Birdee Pruitt!

Taking a nice tour through the Salt Mines. We were lucky enough to stop and pick up some large salt rocks of our own to take home. This was the part I think Lilah enjoyed the most!

I don't think anyone wanted to be photographed wearing their hard hats! *Thus why I stayed BEHIND my own camera!!! Clever!*

Lilah looking for the rocks she wanted to take home with her. Side note: As an embarrassing reflection of my childhood, I used to collect rocks. It did not matter how plain they were or if they were cement, I would come home with my pockets full of rockets, which would then be placed in my junk drawer or if I really liked them, on my book case. I have since passed such collecting on to my child!

We had a blast hanging out with our LP Chapter and can't wait to get together again before the school year starts!