Wordle

To: Mommy

From: Gabrielle 

Happy Mother's Day

{Please excuse the poor quality scanned image}

I treasure this thoughtful gift from Gabrielle and have it proudly displayed in our kitchen.

It encompasses all the words that quickly come to mind when she thinks of me. 

I adore that she included dogs because our family has a shared love for the 4 legged fuzzy friends :)

What I love most about this simple piece of "art" is that all these words also describe her. She is 

Beautiful, Christian, Clean, Fair, Happy, Loving, Organized, Silly, Sweet & Trustworthy. She is also extremely artistic, creative, compassionate and a loyal friend to a fault. 

You can go here to www.wordle.net to create your own. 

I think they would make an awesome gift for any occasion!

Valentine's

February 

The shortest month of the year

The month my niece celebrated her 21st birthday

also the month we celebrate Valentine's Day

A fellow blogger refers to it as Lover's Holiday which I think is charming 

I can thank all the recent snow days we've had for my creative crafting spark being lit

We dedicated some time the weekend prior to Lover's Holiday creating Valentine's boxes and Valentine's for the bigs classroom parties

We 100% lifted (that's a craft term for any non-crafters that may read this post) the ideas from the www and Pinterest

We used an empty cereal box for the body of Gabrielle's owl then recycled some crepe paper streamers I had sewn for previous party decor to create its feathers, corrugated card stock for the eyes and feet and an over abundance of hot glue to attach everything

What can I say? Girlfriend {Gabi} worked the glue gun like a boss

We confiscated Papa and Mema's oatmeal cylinder for Dawson's shark

We wrapped the cylinder in aluminum foil (I would have loved to use silver wrapping paper but used what we had on hand) and simply cut slits to insert the fins & tail

Travis free handed the body parts and cut them from craft foam

I honestly can't recall where I stumbled upon this free printable Valentine but just did a google search and found it here

I give this quick valentine exchange a big thumbs up for cost, ease and cuteness

Valentine day was spent celebrating with my 3 favorite little peeps

As we were heading out for a full day of activities, we were surprised with a super fun love package from Lynee, Micah and Makayla

She knows the way to our hearts is straight access through our sweet tooth!!

I tweaked our mantel a bit this year by removing the glass hurricane candy holders from the black candle bases and replaced them with tin mailboxes I picked up at Target a few years back

I added the La La Love You print from the girls 2012 birthday decor to a fun magnetic board we received from Aunt Linda

I anchored the left side of the mantel with a feather heart wreath

And everyone's favorite new addition is this adorable red and pink dachshund 

She fits right in with our dachsie lovin' family!

Ms. G celebrates #9

New Year's Day marked another year in life for our #1, Gabrielle Annique. She wanted a small group of friends for a few games of bowling and a sleepover to celebrate her 9th. Wish granted!

These girls rocked the lanes at Mission Bowl.
Ava {far right} got a strike followed by a spare in the 1st round of bowling and Gabi got a spare.

Photo evidence of G's spare :)

 

It was really fun for me to watch the girls interact and giggle until I was sure they couldn't laugh any more. After bowling we returned home for pink lemonade cupcakes and ice cream sundaes in waffle bowls before the girls retreated to the basement for a movie, popcorn and theater candy. It is fair to say they were successfully sugared up yet amazingly well mannered!

Good morning bed head x 4!!!!

A big shout out and thanks to the Morris's for the FUN birthday spectacles! I'm sure these bad boys will make frequent return appearances over the years :)

Saturday morning we fixed Gabrielle's favorite breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.  She had invited five friends for her birthday but Tatum traveled to Oklahoma to celebrate Christmas the weekend of the sleepover and Harper woke with the stomach flu. 

* Once again the iPhone saved the day in documenting Gabrielle's 9th birthday celebration * 

We gifted Gabi a protective case for her Kindle, a cardigan sweater and headband that coordinate with the wellies she received in her stocking for her AG dolls and an AG craft kit. Her friends were very generous in gifting her cash, new clothing from H&M (one of her favorite stores), Beat the Parents board game and friendship bracelet kit, loom accessories and a Tapefitti Art Desk Set. 

Christmas 2013

Christmas.

It wasn't the picturesque morning most parents envision.
In fact it was quite the opposite.
We woke just minutes before the kids so we all trickled downstairs to gather around the tree in preparation to open gifts. That is when all pandemonium broke lose between the two oldest in very short order.  One was blaming the other for peeking at the gifts or something to that affect but just envision voices and tempers escalating in seconds flat. Somehow we managed to settle down the forces just long enough for ONE gift to be opened. You read that right. One gift before attitudes became out of check again (mine included) and I called a family time out. A couple hours passed before the kids asked if we could revisit the gifts. I'm so relieved our 2nd attempt was a success. The kids were excellent and were thrilled with their gifts. Gabrielle's only wish, which came in late, was for another Vintage Pearl piece. Dawson wished BIG and asked for a Mustang - the real deal folks, not a matchbox, remote control, or toy model. We told him he needs to start saving his nickels and dimes now :)

In keeping with recording what the kids received this year (we follow the 3 gift "rule"):

Gabrielle -
Kindle Fire HD
Rainbow Loom tutorial book and storage case
Fleece leggings and cowl neck sweatshirt from Old Navy

I love that I captured her look of sheer surprise and excitement over her gift. Tears of overwhelming joy followed.

Dawson -
2 Lego City sets
{Nerf like} Bow and Arrow from Bass Pro
3 pair of {2nd hand} pants

Dawson whipped together this smaller Lego set in short order Christmas afternoon

McKenna -
McKenna the American Girl doll
Dream Lite
Carters fleece footie pajamas

McKenna tore into her AG doll immediately (ripping the box darn it!) and now has all the AG dolls housed in her Playskool Rose Petal Cottage. We renamed the doll baby Mackie to avoid any confusion. 

Family gift -
2 sets of Silly Hands identical to these but for a fraction of the cost. Honestly best gift ever and hysterical too!


I think in total we spent less than $175 for Christmas. Times called for resourcefulness and I'm so thankful for how well things played out with providing a wonderful Christmas for the kids. I picked up the Kindle on a screaming deal; we had $35 Bass Pro credit which covered the cost of the bow and arrow set; I bought the Legos on a B1G1 deal at Target and applied a $20 gift card I've had forever; the AG doll was purchased last year (thanks in part to GG paying for half) and tucked away until this year; and all the clothing items cost around $25 total out of pocket. Stockings were filled with gifts from Terry & Barb along with miscellaneous other fun finds.

Dawson's Big Day(s)

Dawson turned SIX on September 21st. 

We spread the celebratory festivities over several days. 

Kiersten made chocolate cupcakes with frosting, sprinkles and candied Legos at his request to share with his classmates at school on Friday. They serenaded him with an upbeat birthday song I wasn't familiar with, a birthday card and a 1st reader book. 

Dawson gave me the obligatory cheese when I asked him to smile for a picture :)

This one pulls on the momma heartstrings a bit more.

Ahhhhh, my handsome devil of a sweet boy!

Evan joined us early Friday evening for supper, play time, a movie (Star Wars) & popcorn and Dawson's 1st {hosted} sleepover.

Saturday was jam packed with fun!

We played miniature golf at Smiley's with his two buddies, Evan VonMoss and Brandon Lewis.

According to Travis, D has a natural swing, but I wouldn't exactly say it showed on the putt putt course. The boys were being boys! We left Smiley's and headed to Dickinson Theatres to see the movie Planes, then had lunch, cupcakes & gift opening at McDonalds.

After Evan and Brandon's parents picked them up, our family of 5 reloaded and headed to the River Run car show in Ottawa, Kansas. The picture above was the state of our troops in route to Ottawa. One followed by the other drifted off into a deep sleep.

The car show was phenomenal and something we will absolutely attend again in years to come. The weather was beyond perfect and the cars didn't disappoint! We all wished we had more time to spend there but alas we had evening plans.

We made a super fast 5 minute pit stop back at the house to change into blue jeans, grab our sweatshirts and hit the road to Liberty to watch the William Jewel Cardinals football team with the Eaton family which consists of D's favorite teen bud, Corey. It was a wonderful evening in which our little man was spoiled and given lots of love and attention. 

Sunday morning we opted to sleep in and played hooky from church. Dawson opened his gifts from us which were a Star Wars Lego set, a Star Wars wall puzzle, refill foam darts for his Nerf guns and the Action Bible (which was immediately confiscated by his sister who <3 it="" nbsp="" p="" reading="" s="">

He has his eye on this Lego set (costs $100 gulp) so we are saving up his birthday cash & chore earning and waiting on a great sale. 

Birthday Blessings

With school back in full swing I am determined to dedicate a bit more time to keeping our family journal (aka blog) more up to date. In doing so I will be starting with "back log" so please bear with me as I document. As another mother put in words that ring true here as well "This is my story catcher, dream saver and family album." 

I am one blessed girl when it comes to girlfriends. I am a better wife, mother, friend and Christian because of these women. They encourage me, uplift me and enrich my life. They planned an entire day of fun in celebration of my 38th birthday.  They went above and beyond to show me love, share in laughter, and make me feel treasured and loved. 

Our morning began with a little beautification in the form of pedicures for Heather and Daina

and manicures for Rene and myself. 

Then it was off to breakfast and a morning cup of joe (an orange coolatta for this non coffee drinker) at Dunkin Donuts.

From there we made the 2 hour trek to quaint Jamesport, MO. We had lunch at the Country Cupboard Restaurant. The food was home cooked, filling and super yum. We then visited The Fabric Barn, the Amish country store H&M & Anna's bake shop {where Rene and I shared a delicious pastry that left you wishing for more} on the outskirts of town before touring the art & antique district. We made a few fun purchases & did a little wine tasting before stopping for fudge. We made a quick stop back into The Collection Wine and Gift Shop to purchase a couple bottles of savory wine before heading back to KC. 

Rene, Heather, Daina and myself 

After a wonderful day spent in Jamesport we all enjoyed our 1st dining experience at Blanc Burgers & Bottles. The atmosphere was loud and distracting (envision thee most loud, obnoxious fellow diner at the table directly next to us) but we laughed until I cried and devoured our scrumptious burgers leaving enough fries behind to feed the next party. Lesson learned one shopping basket full of fries goes a loooong way let alone two :) 

Lynelle, myself & Heather

We ogled window shopped at Anthropology then went to Forever XXI (much easier on the checkbook) before calling it a day.

I love these women and am so thankful to each of them for making this day a memorable one for me! Mwah!!!!

Number the Stars

Sunday February 10th Gabrielle and I joined our friends Lynelle and Adyson for a fun afternoon downtown at Crown Center. We saw the production of Number the Stars based from the Newberry Medal winning book by Lois Lowry at the Coterie Theatre. It is the story of the rescue of the Danish Jewish population during WWII. The Johansen family faces soldiers, interrogations, fierce dogs and the loss of loved ones to help their neighbors, the Rosens, escape across the sea to Sweden and safety. The production was very well done, was captivating and really held the girls attention. 

After the play we hit up the toy store, the candy shop and Big Mama's Bakery Cafe where we indulged on some delicious cinnamon rolls. I regretted I didn't buy more to bring home! 

We are thankful for the Lankford's move to the KC area and for their new found friendship. We have already made some fun memories together with many more sure to come. 

GG, Gabi loves her messenger purse and carries it often. She loves that is it stocked with all a girls necessities :)

Our Girls Combined Birthday Celebration

In true form I am a bit late in getting this post up. We had a small combined birthday celebration for the girls birthday's this year. We invited four families whose kiddos happen to be our girl's top picks :)

Gabrielle choose fruit cookie "pizza" in place of cake or cupcakes. We used my mom's tried and true sugar cookie recipe and a super easy,  super light yummy frosting recipe I found online here with kiwi, raspberry and blackberry for toppings. We also served mini ham and turkey sandwiches, Strawberry Hill Povitica Company Apple Cinnamon bread and raspberry lemonade.

My sweet friend whipped up this printable for me at my request. I <3 as="" atop="" decor.="" is="" it="" mantel="" now="" of="" our="" p="" part="" sitting="" valentine="">

My SIL loaned us her Pottery Barn drink dispenser which I would gladly steal from her if allowed.

The tiered plate stand is one of my favorite garage sale finds of all time and has been used plenty by both myself and Kiersten.

The party napkins and window poms were a Target clearance purchase last year that I tucked away.

That hot mess of a pile on the counter are the take home gifts.

I failed to get a picture of the girls crafting, but Gabrielle choose something similar to the picture below as the craft/take home gift for her friends {Bryten, Adyson & Tatum}. 

We purchased silver trays at the Dollar Tree and taped off the edges with painters tape and then gave them a coat of Krylon's chalkboard paint. Gabi picked out some cute chipboard and cardstock embellishments & grosgrain ribbon to create the hanger at JoAnn's. They turned out pretty darn cute!

McKenna's girlfriends {Hartley & Logann} received a little plastic storage caddy with a coloring book and either crayons or markers and her boyfriend {Micah} and the big boys {Dawson and Evan} got to make a Build and Grow woodworking kit (check them out at Lowes - they are fun and affordable!) while the girls crafted. 

To conclude I'm sharing a picture of each of the girls with one of their favorite gifts. 

McKenna received the ThinkFun Roll & Play game (which is a must own in my books). We promptly purchased it online after her receiving it and gave it as a gift to one our favorite 1 year old. You can find it at Toys R Us, Learning Tree and Amazon.

Gabrielle received a beautiful keepsake necklace from Premier Designs with a personal note from Papa and Mema telling her to always remember Christ's love for her. 

We were so glad Papa, Mema, Uncle Brett and Aunt Linda could join us and we are especially happy that Daddy was able to finagle his schedule in order to be off work that morning. 

Christmas 2012

Christmas looked a bit different for us this year compared to years past. The DuBay family gathering was scheduled on an evening when Daddy worked and you kiddos were sick with snotty noses and a croupy cough so we decided to forgo attending. Papa & Mema spent Christmas in Alabama with Uncle Derek, Aunt Teri and family flying out on the 19th. We allowed you to open two items from your stockings from Papa and Mema before leaving for Springfield the weekend prior to Christmas. Daddy had to work Christmas Eve so I allowed you to open your remaining stocking gifts from P & M in the morning. Mommy took you to the candle light service at church Christmas Eve. Christmas morning you woke and opened your stockings from Daddy and Mommy and then we all sat down to a yummy pancake breakfast Daddy made. After breakfast you opened your gifts. Honestly I don't recall all the details even though Christmas was just a few short weeks back. I can tell you that Christmas was quiet and peaceful. Papa and Mema had left your gifts here for you, but we waited for them to return from AL in early January to open them. I couldn't quite wrap my mind around not have Christmas without them so we "redid" Christmas on Friday the 4th - gifts followed by another pancake breakfast made by Daddy. 

The two bigs in front of the tree Christmas morning

Little Miss inspecting a handful of her stocking items - wooden alpha and number magnets, felt cupcakes for tea parties & a juice and milk bottle for her babies 

MJ opening her gift from Papa & Mema
A Tag Junior Reader, book set & storage bag

Papa and Mema added to Dawson's Imaginext line

Gabi thrilled with her new girly perfumed lotion set 

Our favorite gift from this Christmas was the Jesus Calling devotional book by Sarah Young. I have LOVED crawling in bed with all 3 of you {nearly} every night and reading the daily devotion. You take turns looking up the additional scripture verses on Mommy's iPhone. I have noticed such a difference in your evening/bedtime demeanor on the evenings we complete the devotional. You each settle right to sleep after tucking you in.
I decided last year to record what your gifts were, so in keeping up with that here is this years list.
Gabrielle:

 MP3 player

 Fijit Friend Willa
Lego friends set

Dawson:

 Robotic toy

 Lego DS case and 2 DS games

 BOB book set 1 

McKenna:

 Shopping cart

 Large plastic food set

 Toy Vacuum