Happy Birthday Cydnee

Last night, I threw my neice, Cydnee, a birthday party.  We had lots of fun cooking out and watching the kiddos play outside.  The weather could not have been more beautiful!  My favorite part about living in the desert is the evening weather.  No matter how hot it gets during the day, it cools down at night.

The birthday girl.

Safety is a top priority on our playground equipment!

Yay for Build-A-Bear!

Abby and Macey saw a commercial for Baskin Robbins ice cream bears at Build-A-Bear the other day, and they were desperate to go!  Macey pleaded her case for a couple weeks letting me know that we would get a coupon for a free ice cream cone if we went.  So yesterday, along with my friend Pam and her daughter Katie, we went to Build-A-Bear!  This was their third time to go.  The last time they went was over a year ago so the excitement level was high.  I have to admit that I have as much fun as they do.  The little animals and all those cute outfits are so much fun!

There is no one like Daddy and Papa!

There is something really special about the relationship little girls have with the men in their life.  My girls have the BEST two men I could ever ask for to call Daddy and Papa.  I thank God everyday for giving me such a great dad and my girls such great dad and grandfather! 

Ok Papa, let's play a game.  Ask me if I love you or carrots more. 

       

Can you guess what she picked? 

Now it's my turn.  Papa, do you love me or shoes better? 

I'm gonna tickle you till you say me!

I love you Papa.

That is such a fun game!

Is there any better place to draw a picture than daddy's lap?

What could be better than napping with daddy?

When there are no words

This last week has been somewhat of a nightmare.  We went from celebrating the brith of our good friend's, Jen and Jason, baby to mourning his death.  He was nine days old when he died.  No one even knew anything was wrong with him until the day before he died, and even then he didn't seem that sick.  By the time the doctors discovered that he was born with a bad liver, it was to late to save him.  That baby fought very hard to live.  He stopped breathing five times and came back.  It wasn't until Jason (who is a doctor himself) told the doctors not to revive him the next time that he finally passed away.  All week, I have tried to find the right words to type, but I'm just not sure there are any.  

Bret and I spent several hours at the hospital with them, hearing good news and then getting bad news.  It was such an up and down day emotionally.  We were all heartbroken because we love our friends and baby Jarren, but as parents, you can't help but feel it even harder knowing that it could have been us.  I will tell you that nothing in my life has ever grabbed my heart and touched me like that night did.  We were all in the room, supporting Jen and Jason, as baby Jarren slowly stopped breathing.  As he died, Jen and Jason sobbed, but they also put their hands in the air and praised God for giving them their baby for nine beautiful days.  They fully admit that they don't understand and are broken hearted, but they know that their Heavenly Father will see them through.  Even this situation will go to God's glory. 

The only reason I blog this is to honor my friends, and to share with my girls that even in something so horrible, you can still trust God.   It was hard talking to the girls about it, especially Abby who is old enough to be very upset.  All I could tell her was that I don't know why things like this happen.  It's ok to be sad or even mad, but we will still praise God who loves us so much.

By his light I walked through darkness. (Job 29:3)

Fourth of July Fun

We had a great fourth of July.  The girls started the hoiday weekend by riding their bikes and scooters in a parade at the summer camp they are going to.  We then headed to Ruidoso to spend some time with my parents.  Our 11 year old niece Cyndee got to come with us so Bret was even more outnumbered than usual!  The girls pretty much stayed in the river the entire time we were up there.  I gave up on dressing them cute.  They "accidentally" fell in the water so many times that I ended up washing the same outift over and over so they wouldn't ruin any of their good clothes.  It's a good thing too because when my mom and I left to do a little shopping, Bret and my dad took the girls to the waterfall.  They slid down it over and over on their behinds.  All four of them came home with  holes in the back of their shorts and really sore bums. According to Abby, "it was so worth it."

Getting ready for their parade!

This is when Shelby decided she couldn't do it unless I walked beside her.  So I got to be in the parade too!

My sweet, happy Abby.

Then there is Macey...  I could not make her understand that a parade was not a race!  She never slowed down enough for me to take her picture, and she kept passing the people in front of her. 

Here she is when she finally took "the lead."  She definitly has her daddy's competitive nature!  Oh how proud she was of herself when it was over. :)

Here is the video Bret took on his phone of the girls going down the waterfall. 

Best Buddies

Shelby and Sandy are great napping buddies.  Sandy is always up for a good, long nap now that she is getting older.  Please ignore the disarray of my bed.  Bret and I need a new bedset as our 11 year old comforter and sheets finally fell apart.  I just haven't found one I like yet so we are using miscellaneous sheets and blankets for the time being.  As far as it being unmade, that happens a lot at our house.  Just don't tell my mother!  ;)

Huck loves his family so much!  We always say he is a lap dog trapped in a big dog's body.  I have heard that a lot of big dogs don't like to be snuggled or held tight, but that is not the case for our Huck.  He likes nothing better than to be curled up as close as possible to us.  He and Abby are especially close.  Abby loves playing with him and "training" him.  She has taught him to sit, shake, and stay.  Right now, she is dead set on teaching him to high five!  Bret and I don't let him get on the furniture in the living room (the poor mistreated dog is forced to lay down on his $100 orthopedic dog bed instead), but every once in a while he convices someone to hold him.  I thought these pictures of Abby rocking him to sleep were too cute.