Celebrating 10

My little Karsy turned 10 yesterday.  It's funny how even when you know it's coming, when it actually happens you can't get over it!  For some reason coming to terms with the "double digits" is a struggle for me.  I guess up until then, I still feel like they are little.  Don't get me wrong, there are some really fun things about having older kids, but I have such a hard time letting go of the idea of little ones running around the house....well my girls actually still run around...but you know what I mean:}

Karsyn just wanted a family day on her actual birthday this year.  We started the day with our traditional breakfast in bed {french toast and chocolate milk}.  Then she and Bailee had Wyoming Honor Choir practice in the morning.  Bailee was such a good big sis and had the choir sing happy birthday to Kars {she was so surprised}.

This year Karsyn's "thing" is soccer {Brazil soccer}.  She still loves LEGOS and horses, but she always has her latest obsession.  So I tried to incorporate some yellow and green into our decorating. I did a centerpiece with 10 paper balloons where we wrote nice/funny things about Kars.  I also did a photo garland with a picture from each of her birthdays {including THE birthday}.  I LOVED taking a stroll down memory lane as I put together this project.  We all had fun remembering things about each day and cute things about Kars.  This will be a new tradition for sure {Emmrey already put me on the spot as to why she didn't have one of these for her birthday}

We also decorated her bedroom door ....which she likes so much she has actually added to it and I think she is hoping to make it permanent.  Sorry Charlie....a few days is about all I will be able to take of that:}

Kars was thrilled with her new Brazil soccer ball and poster....

Thank you Gram and Gramps for the horse hoodie!!  She is in love and has worn it non stop since;}

She also got some new basketball shorts and {badly needed} gym shoes {the size of them stunned me, but they fit her just right!!}, a little iPod so she can listen to music while she moves around the house bouncing a ball.  And some new Friend LEGOS, which her and Emm got right to work on.

 

Her choice for dinner was Bubba's

And she wanted Root Beer floats with chocolate on chocolate cake.  This girl is not a frosting fan.  She will usually ask me for a cookie or cupcake before I frost them ...crazy I know!  So I decided to make homemade buttercream frosting and see what she thought.  She loved it!!  I was pretty impressed with myself.  I made her cake and frosting from scratch and they were delicious.  What I was not impressed with was that I forgot to check candles and we only had 1 left.... bad mom!!

I typically like to plan big themed birthday parties.  While they are so fun, they are a lot of work and can quickly become the focus of the day.  This was a  low key kind of day and we were able to really focus on our Eva Lu  ...a very nice way to celebrate a birthday now and then!!

My Little Eva Lu

I am feeling a little sad today.  I know I should be happy because it is my little Beans birthday, but she is turning 10 and I am having a hard time accepting  how fast she is growing up.  Kars came into the world eyes wide open and has been full of curiosity ever since.  Although she has her struggles, for the most part she is a happy girl and really loves life.  She has always been a bit of a firecracker and pushes the limits at times, but she is one of the funniest kids I know and her beautiful brown eyes just melt me.  

In honor of her special day... I put together a list of 10 things about my 10 year old.

1. She is always on the move and usually bouncing a ball as she walks around the house
2. She is very sensitive to loud noises....does not like thunder or fireworks
3. She loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor
4. She can be very stubborn/strong willed
5. She will take comfort over fashion any day... She is very much a routine gal with her hair and clothes
6. She has never been much of a cuddler, and is not super affectionate, but often for no reason at all she will give me a huge hug and say "I love you Mom"
7. She is a natural athlete
8. She is exceptionally smart but gets bored very easily {she loves "reference books" where she can learn about a new subject}
9. She loves to build and is very good at figuring out how stuff works
10. She marches to her own beat and is not afraid to be different {unique:}

   

How in the world did we get from this.....

......to this?

We love you so much Eva Lu

Welcome Summer

This is what greeted us our first day of summer break....Yikes!!!  We have come to expect a spring snow storm.  This year it has been such a mild spring, that I had thought maybe it was going to skip this time....wishful thinking.  Well, the good thing is we know it won't last, but it does put a damper on the summer kickoff- I need to get out of here!!!!

 

Sending warm summer thoughts your way!!

Last Day of School

It's official..."Schools out for Summer".  Let's face it, school has been out for the past week, but technically in session.  It has been party after party I tell ya!!  I really am trying to simplify, but I still wanted to do something for all the girls teachers.  So we put together these little cups with flavor packets and salt water Taffy that say "Thank you for QUENCHING my thirst for knowledge".  They were easy and hopefully something their teachers can actually use.

Bailee had also taken in donuts to her Advanced LA class last week.  It was an inside joke....Mr. McLeod affectionately calls the kids "donuts" when they forget homework or other important items.  Bailee decided it would be fun to take him {and the class} in donuts.  I thought it was pretty clever, and he got a kick out of it too.  7th grade has been a tough one......it seems there is at least one teacher/class that makes it unpleasant... on the flip side, there seems to always be one that quickly becomes a favorite and your salvation.  This year that "favorite" would be Whit McLeod.  I fell in love with him the first time I met him and knew he would be one of those teachers.
                       
This year was a struggle for all of us in different ways and I can honestly say I learned a lot.  I learned that although some teachers are not "warm and fuzzy and a bit impersonable", they may actually be a great teacher.  I have learned {at the end of the year} that I need to be able to look beyond what I think I see, and appreciate the differences.  Kars had a teacher like that this year...Mrs. Galagan.   It was hard for her in the beginning, but she got over it quicker than I did.  It's really difficult when you feel like your child's teacher doesn't like you, and you are the kind of parent that enjoys that friendly teacher/parent relationship.  I learned that she really did like me, she just is one of those people who has a hard time interacting socially and being friendly.  So while she wasn't the smiley, go out of her way to greet you type of gal, she really did some neat things with the kids {ideas I am mentally taking note of}.  This will be a good lesson for me on looking deeper than the cover.

Since Bailee was scheduled for a sleepover on the last day of school,  I told Kars she could invite a few friends for a "Last Day Hoorah".  We went for pizza {school was released at 11:45} and then followed that up with a visit to our new frozen yogurt shop...Wyogurt:}  We had planned to stop at the park in between, but it POURED all.day.long!!  We played at our house for a little while instead.  It was so cute listening to them plan out when they should get together again and what they should do......I am so glad my girls have such good friends.  I wish I was better about planning play dates!!

Kya, Abram, Mason, Kars & Skyelar

Emm and Mason telling jokes