San Antonio Vacation

Bryan had a conference in San Antonio, at the Hyatt Hill Country, and we all got to tag along! 3 days of sun, water, "fake" beach, all sorts of kid activities, and even some cousin time! Outdoor movies, hairbraiding, bicycles...So much fun! On the way home, we got to stop in New Braunfels and see old friends for church and lunch. We took little Chloe back to Houston to be with her Aunt...she is such a sweetie, and we were so glad to spend time with her! She calls Bryan "By-ren", and I think it melts him!

Sleep-Over

Callie has been asking to have a girl sleepover for a while, and so, I finally relented! Annalise and Kate Selby, and Hannah Sherwin came, and they had such a fun time (and I did, too!) We did some crafts, ate some pizza, danced on furniture (ok, so I didn't really "ok" that one!), and watched a movie. At one point, they came up with a cool idea to dress up like specific characters--the Disney characters Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy...sounds sorta silly, but it was pretty creative! We are so thankful to these two families for their friendship, and letting us "borrow" their precious girls for a fun night!

Isn't That Smile Pretty Enough??!

Poor sweet Callie has had so many teeth/mouth issues already at her young age!! From early cavities/fillings, to getting her front teeth knocked out early, to the present issue of not enough space and bad overbite--whew! She seriously went almost a year without the row of 4 top front teeth. We are now in the expander phase, and this is the lovely headgear she has to wear at least 12 hours a day. I jokingly (and lovingly) kid my husband that this is "his fault"--he and his sister had some similar issues, and I've never even had a cavity (knocking on wood right now!)! Callie is a trooper, though, and always has been. Hugely-high pain tolerance, and happy-go-lucky attitude...I love her!

Callie is EIGHT!!

Oh, my goodness, my firstborn is 8 years old!! Time has flown SO fast. It's hard to put into words how much I love this spirited, independent, smart, cute, quirky little girl. She has brought us so much joy over the years, and we are so proud of the young lady she is quickly growing up to be. We have really noticed how much she is maturing, both in her behavior and physically--she seems to be losing any remaining "babyness" and turning long and lean. It seems like such a short time ago that I held a 5 lb, 6 oz preemie in my arms and marveled at her tiny-ness...

My Cal:

--loves all animals, but especially horses

--ADORES stuffed animals!

--would probably do continuous art projects all day if permitted

--would probably watch movies all day if the art project thing didn't work out

--loves to play by herself

--is fiercely independent

--finally has all of her top front teeth growing back in after over a year of being toothless!

--is a fish in the water, and a mean softball hitter

--is very creative in her imaginative play

--is great at art, and really amazes us in her drawing abilities

--has great handwriting for a leftie!

--loves cotton comfy clothes

--reminds me of me in almost every way

--made the Advanced Reading program at school for 3rd grade!

--has a compassionate heart, and is always kind to everyone (well, except her brother!)

--is tough

--has a fiery spirit and is quite defiant--which I love, if I can just guide it!

--is super wonderful and I LOVE HER!!

More Birthday

Callie's Birthday "day" was a quiet one spent at home, with the traditional birthday breakfast donut, and Papa and Grammy brought over an ice cream cake for later. Callie is so easy to shop for...anything horse, stuffed animals..and you are golden! She had requested an Okapi Webkinz, of all things, and thank goodness I found it! We also got her a new piece of luggage, covered in luggage, and.....tickets to the American Idol concert coming to Houston!!! We are all in to that show, and she LOVED it this season, keeping up with all the final contestants, and having her favorites. I can't wait to go with her! Thanks, Daddy!

Callie's Birthday Party

This year, we opted for a small birthday gathering of a few of Callie's girlfriends (plus Jack) for her birthday celebration. We had it at a local bakery, where the girls were able to decorate their own huge cupcake and cookie, with instruction on different icing techniques for an employee. It was a lot of fun! I mean't to apologize to the parents for the extreme amount of sugar that went into those kiddos...oh well! Even Mae got into the fun, with help from whatever adult was not afraid of having icing put onto their clothes! I still can not believe Cal is 8!!