8 Looks Great on Miss Jaida!

September 27th our Jaida Ruth turned 8!

In our house with our crazy schedule we sometimes have to celebrate special occasions on alternate dates! Well, lucky for Jaida she had 4 different celebrations of sorts.

Note to self: Gotta trim this down. Too hard with 5 kids :)

 Celebration #1 was a girls day with a trip to the salon on Sept 20th to have her hair washed, cut, blow dried and curled. This was the first time Jaida has ever gone to the salon for this as I have always trimmed her hair.

 Before the cut

The after! SO very very BEAUTIFUL!

After the salon we had frozen yogurt and shopped for girly things.

It was such a wonderful day with my 2 little princesses.

I love these girls of mine!

Celebration #2 was Sept 26th when we celebrated together with dinner out with the fam!

Dining choice: Yo Pizza!

Then it was home for presents and cake!

 Xin made Jaida an 8 out of Legos

 Putting together the new Lego set

Celebration #3 was on the actual day of her birth...imagine that!

The girls all headed out at 6:50 a.m. for a soccer game in Atlanta.

I surprised them with donut holes for the ride and a brand new Barbie movie.

We then had lunch in Atlanta after a win from Julia's team and some shopping before we headed back home. The boys departed early also for the UGA football game.

Celebration #4 was Sept 30th when Lulu and I joined Jaida at school for lunch and treats for her class!

The entire lunch room sings Happy Birthday!

Whew!!!Celebrations aside, we love our Jaida so very much and love just cherishing her life!

Being her mother and watching her grow is such a gift.

 This sweet, sensitive, and deep little gem melts my heart.

Happy 8th Birthday my precious girl!

I love you more than words can express.

She Keeps Us Smiling

The littlest one in our clan is quite a character.

Here are some recent quotes:

Me: Lulu I love your cowboy boots! They look so cute!

Lulu: They not cowBOY boots, they cowGIRL boots. I am a girl not a boy cause I don't have peanuts. :)

She likes to know the "plan" for the day so I will tell her kinda the schedule.

Me: We have to run to Publix and the post office. After that we can get some lunch and then we can draw pictures together.

Lulu: I like that......10 minutes later... Mommy what's the deal? I forgot it.

When playing Barbies with her recently (all her playmates were at school) I had 2 Barbies and I had them singing and dancing. She gave me quite the look 

Lulu: No! Just play normally. Don't do that. I know, let's pretend we don't have that dancing. It is in another city, ok? Let's pretend that. 

When picking her up from school, I always ask about her day

Me: So did you go out on the playground today?

Lulu: Yes

Me: Well who did you play with today?

Lulu: My friends

Me: What are some of your friends names

Lulu: I don't know that is too hard.

Me: Did you do some art today?

Lulu: yes

Me: What did you make?

Lulu: I just want to stop this talking now.

She inserts thumb in mouth, rests her head on her carseat, and closes her eyes.

Lulu: UGH! Xin is soooo annoying? Accompanied by eye-rolling

Me: Why is Xin annoying?

Lulu: Cause Mei Mei (Jaida) says he is.

Recently she has started crying and saying she doesn't want to go to school.

Me: Lulu, why don't you want to go to school?

Lulu: Cause I just want to stay home and play with Mei Mei.

Me: But sweetheart Mei Mei is at school too.

Lulu: I just want to stay home and play with you.

Me: (Trying to sound as if it is not going to be much fun at home) Well, Mommy has to run some boring errands and then go to a boring meeting so I won't be home either.

Lulu: Well I just miss SOMEBODY!

Again with the school situation

Me: Lulu it is ok to be sad and to miss home but you can't scream when you get to school.(the screaming is quite loud and dramatic)

Lulu: I can't help it! It just comes right out of my mouth!

Oh dear sweet, spunky Lulu. We adore you and all your antics! So glad you are our daughter and sister!

Labor Day Weekend 2014

My original plan of a family getaway for the long weekend didn't happen.

We booked a cabin in Gatlinburg TN for the weekend and both kids were going to play in the Gatlinburg Invitational. I was so excited about this family getaway!!!

Well, plans change.

Not enough teams in the U17 girls bracket.

So Julia's team played in Jacksonville FL in the Jacksonville Labor Day Shoot Out.

The rest of us headed to the mountains while my parents took Julia to the beach.

We missed our big girl terribly.

Sam had a 7:00 am game Saturday...yes that means arrive at fields by 6:00.

Vacation....NOT!

He played in a beautiful complex with turf fields and the Appalachain Mtns as a backdrop.

The boys were phenomenal!

Bringing home yet another Championship!

They really are an amazing team for being so young!

Julia's team braved the sweltering Florida heat indexes above 100 degrees to bring home a Championship too!

Hated missing her play.

The Littles enjoyed the cabin and it's basement with pool table, foozball, and their very own tv. And quite a bit of good old fashioned junk food!

We took them on a little hike walk along the river path.

Enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

And then to a little museum.

We watched a little football.

Ate too much.

And then headed home to be reunited.

Well, kinda sorta....Xin had plans with a friend.

Julia had plans with friends.

But we did all manage to sit together briefly and talk over the weekend.

Such is the life of a large family.

Trying to make the best of the moments we all have together.

I do hope we are making good memories for our kiddos!