Harriet Tubman came to life today at Fort Riley Elementary during a special presentation from the Wax Museum! It was fascinating meeting Mrs. Tubman especially in this lifetime. She really was an amazing woman and her life lessons taught me so much today. There is a quote she taught me today and one that I will value in my life today and my children's lives:
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
― Harriet Tubman
If you don't remember Harriet Tubman, then please listen to the following presentation given by Mrs. Harriet Tubman!
PS- Mommy loves you Lillian! And I am very proud of you!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Lydia's First Preschool Field Trip!
This morning Lydia and her class mates visited the Sterling House in Junction City, Kansas. It was a great first little field trip. The class played Valentine's Tic-Tac-Toe with the nursing home residents and then sang them two FANTASTIC songs. Lydia and her class performed "The Penguin Song." It was adorable! Lydia was a little shy, but warmed up to the performance idea. My little Lydia just melts my heart! I am so glad we have found this terrific little school for her and I am excited for what Preschool will bring her! :)
Julie
Monday, February 4, 2013
Bates Dance Showcase
What a fabulous day for Lillian and all of the Bates Dancers! Lillian had her first showcase with Bates Dance Studio this afternoon. I was so impressed with my Lillian! She has been sick since Thursday and had a tough rehearsal yesterday. But, she pushed right through this afternoon. I was so proud of my sunshine...she always makes me smile while she is dancing. I think because she just loves to dance so much. It brings her such joy and happiness. Even when she misses a step, she just keeps on going and smiles. Although, tonight she didn't miss a beat! :)
It was such a pleasure to watch all the Bates Dancers tonight. The Sparklers, The Gems and The Prides rocked the house. They should all be so proud of themselves tonight when going to bed. All their hard work and rehearsals paid off.
A BIG Thank you to our friends for coming out to support Lillian. We appreciate you more than you know. Lillian just smiled when she saw everyone there to watch her dance. She missed her daddy, but knows he was cheering for her the whole time! Love you all!
Julie
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Lydia's First Day of Preschool
Today, Lydia grew up before my eyes! It was her first day of preschool. She will be attending JC Naz in Junction City, KS. She will go Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30am to 11:30am. She looked so cute this morning as we were preparing to leave. Lillian was so proud of her and kept telling her how wonderful it was going to be today. If you know my Lydia, then you know her famous saying, "I HATE school!" We spent the whole weekend telling her how wonderful her day would be and how much she would enjoy school. My little Lydia.
I wasn't ready to put her in preschool, but I know she has to go. I was initially just preparing for next year and interviewing different schools to get a feel for my options. But, something told me this was the PERFECT match for Lydia. I fell in love with the director and knew it was where Lydia needed to be. My little peanut in a big girl school. My little Lydia.
She didn't cry this morning, but was hesitant to get out of the van. I just kept telling her again I would only be gone for a little while. She is my sidekick and I miss her already. I know she is in good hands and will eventually be in school all day long like Lillian. But, she is my little one. My little Lydia.
Have a great day Lydia and know I am with you. I love you dearly and I am so proud of you for being such a big girl. You are missed at home, but you are in a loving atmosphere. My little Lydia. Love you!!
Mommy
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Where Have The Martins Been..?
Well, it is me! I was just thinking last week that I haven't blogged in a while. I don't know why besides everyday life gets in the way. :) So, I thought I would catch you up with the Martin Family.
We will start with Rich...Rich officially graduated from SAMS (School of Advanced Military Studies) last week on May 17th. He was thrilled to finally have completed his third school while in Kansas and obtained his second Master's Degree. He will use his knowledge well for his follow on assignment. As most of you know, he made the Battalion Command list and we are off to Fort Riley, Kansas this summer. We have been stationed there before, so we will be going back to familiar territory. Rich will be traveling a lot between now and December and expected to take command the following year. He couldn't be happier and we are so proud of his accomplishments!
Lillian is a graduate of First Grade (okay, not until Friday) at Bradley Elementary. She has enjoyed her two years at Bradley and will greatly miss this school. So will I! We have had many great times at this school and hope she continues to love her education at Fort Riley Elementary where she will start Second Grade. We are believing she will continue at this school until the end of 4th Grade, but as you Army families know, nothing is ever guaranteed!
Lillian also completed her first year on Dance Team at Katie's Dance Studio. She put in a lot of effort and work this year for dance and managed to take ballet/tap, jazz and perform on dance team. She completed her recital on Mother's Day and did wonderful! She had four routines in the first show and five routines in the second show. The shows were only an hour apart and she pushed right through until the end. I was proud of her for memorizing all those routines and still smiling until the end. I think I was more tired than her with costumes flying, feathers flying and make up flying all in the back room and on the side stage. Rich even participated in the recital this year. There was a daddy daughter dance in the show and all the dads did an amazing job! The highlight of the show! By the way, the song playing on my blog currently was the song they danced too...melt your heart. :)
We also drove Lillian to Bates Dance Studio at Fort Riley, Kansas a few weeks ago in April. The studio held dance team try outs for the following year and we were lucky enough to only be two hours away. We made the drive and Lillian is now a Sparkler! She continues to take jazz, ballet and tap and declares dance her passion. And that brings me to Lydia...
Lydia is ready to get back into dance too. She will be taking predance at Bates Dance Studio too. She dropped out last year from ballet/tap, Sunday School and preschool. Yeah, we only made it two days! But, she said she is ready for preschool and dance this year. She continues to take mommy and me gymnastics and loves it! She will continue at Fort Riley too. She is my crazy one in gymnastics and tumbles all over the place. That would explain her busted lip last night while rough housing in the basement! :)
Lydia will be attending St. Luke's Preschool starting in September. She will only go on Tuesday and Thursdays from 9:00am to 11:30am. I really hope she enjoys preschool. My heart is not ready to see her so upset like last year. That was too much for my heart and soul. Both Lydia and I will have to be strong!
I thought I would attach a video of Lydia learning to ride her bike without training wheels too. This was Lydia's idea and we have been working a little at a time for a couple of weeks. Lydia has her own mind set and tries for five minutes and then moves onto something bigger and better. But, she doesn't want the training wheels back on and is starting to really get it. Not bad for a 3 year old! :) So proud of her! She has really grown up lately and just too stinking cute!
I also attached a video of Lillian performing the Hula Dance at her school Talent Show. She performed in the Talent Show last year and made it again this year. This dance was originally done in her recital with her dance team members (17 total members). She looked adorable in the recital and talent show. I was not like her as a child...way too shy to try something like this in front of the whole school. I am so happy both my children seem to be just as outgoing as their dad!
Well, we will be off to TX next week to visit our wonderful friends. Then, once we return, we will pack up and head to Fort Riley. Wish us luck! Good bye Fort Leavenworth and all our wonderful friends we have made here. We will miss each and every one of you and will look for you at future duty stations. We also wish you all nothing but continued success. Love you all! See you down the road....
Julie
Monday, April 9, 2012
Hip Hop Easter!
However, Easter was wonderful in KS too! We ended up with a beautiful Easter Sunday. We were lucky to have Mickie's son in town for Easter weekend. Nick is 17 now! He got a dose of dealing with two wild children over the weekend and I am sure was ready to go back to NC on the first plane heading home. He even asked Rich, "What time is it? I don't want to miss my plane!" It was four hours until flight time! HA!
The girls enjoyed all the usual events for Easter- dying Easter eggs and egg hunts. We spent the whole day outside with friends. It was fun eating yummy foods, playing egg toss and relay games, egg hunts and showing KS about confetti eggs. The day ended with a water balloon fight with both my girls almost in tears- we just over did it a little too much in the sun! :) We even got sun burned! :( By 4:30pm, it was time for a nice television show and relaxation time! The girls were beyond exhausted!
Happy Easter 2012! Love you all and hope you had a glorious Easter too!
Julie
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Spring Break St. Louis!
We arrived Friday night and went straight to bed! We knew the adventures would begin bright and early the next day. We woke up and had breakfast in our room and then the girls were ready for The Magic House. It is an amazing children's museum and more that we could have imagined! It was developed from the base of an old house. The developers were two St. Louis women who created this wonderful and interactive way of learning. They added more rooms onto the house and it now has a Purple Wing and Red Wing that included three stories in each wing. It was more than enough for one day as we spent 7 1/2 hours there exploring each area! It even had a secret room once you found the passage way! :) The girls enjoyed running from one area to the next and quickly found their favorite room. Can you believe Lillian's was the construction room? I was floored! HA! Lydia's favorite room was the Magic School House (based on the book series). She loved picking the vegetables and playing dress up.
Saturday was another fun fulled day! The St. Louis Zoo was amazing and FREE! Can you believe it? We enjoyed carousel rides, a 3D movie and a 4D motion simulator that played Happy Feet. Lydia was not thrilled once the ride begun and the seal chasing after the penguin scared her beyond her years. We haven't seen violence in any way in their lives....trying to protect them as long as I can. Funny, even Disney movies still scare Lillian! :) However, they thoroughly enjoyed the zoo and all the animals! Even the Zebra exhibition! That was a show we didn't need to see, but what can you do with wild animals? :) Poor Lydia was so tired of day two of no napping and fell asleep in the car ride home. She even was upset when leaving the zoo because she didn't realize she missed her nap and wanted to nap in Lillian's bed! HA!
Of course, Monday turned into another adventure! I turned 37 years old and the girls really tried to make it my day. We ended up at City Museum and this really turned into my day scaring me beyond MY years! Once you see the pictures you will understand! It is a museum made of obstacles, climbing, slides and more. We managed to climb all the way up to enjoy a 10 Story Slide down, down and down! Yep, my brave Lydia did it too!~ This is a must see place to truly understand and appreciate all it has to offer.
After the museum, we made it to our last destination. The St. Louis Arch! It was amazing to ride to the top- 629 feet in the air! I got some great pictures from the top looking out over the city and Mississippi River. We didn't visit too much else at the base because Lydia was completely worn out after day three of no nap. She fell asleep on the way back to the base with snack bag on her lap and apple in hand! Pitiful!
We had a wonderful visit to this city and would love to go back to visit Science City! It was a great way to start Spring Break and we still have puppet show and Disney on Ice for this week. Now, can the rain end? I already miss the sunshine and warmth of St. Louis! Love you all!
Julie
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
LTC???
Rich officially is now officially a LTC in the US Army! YEAH! Rich has waited so long for this moment and it is one he deserves. He has put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the Army and deserves this promotion. The ceremony was short and sweet, but COL Graves had a lot of important insights into Rich's career. Rich has always asked for the "hard" job and has never backed down from the fight. Rich and all of his fellow soldiers have seen a lot in this modern Armed Forces. There have been many moments of peace, happiness and joy, but those moments are also accompanied by moments of hardship, many goodbyes, deployments and friends lost forever. It is not an easy life to choose, but he chose it and honors the life everyday. So proud of you today honey and enjoy this moment!! We love you!!!
Love,
Julie, Lillian and Lydia (Dutchess too!)(OH and the Hermit Crab left alive)
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year- Snow Creek!
Of course, 2012 rang in with bells and is now upon us! We celebrated by heading to T-Rex Cafe for their New Year celebration. We went last year and had so much fun we decided to go back again this year. It is always wonderful to see the girls counting down to the New Year and waiting for the balloons to drop. They each grabbed a pink balloon this year. Surprise! :)
We took our final day of leave to go to Snow Creek. We went tubing for two hours and I think everyone was wiped out after that many trips down the hill. Lydia lasted much longer this year and I was proud of her. We had lots of friends join us today and I think all had a good time. Thanks AJ, Joe and Nathan for coming today! It wasn't that bad weather wise either with lots of sunshine to keep us warm at 32 degrees.
It was a wonderful way to end our Christmas break, but back to normal schedule tomorrow! Happy New Year!
Love,
Us
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Twas the Night Before Christmas....
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Merry Christmas from the Martin Family...from our house to your house! May there be peace and happiness on earth! God bless all the troops who are still serving our country and not able to be home this year! Enjoy all the moments you have with family and make traditions happen! Tis the Season! Happy 2012!
Julie
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Lillian's First Dance Team Perfomance
Today was an exciting day for both girls! We started our Saturday morning off bright and early! We rushed to have Breakfast with Santa at the Riverfront Community Center. The girls were amazed that Santa Claus and even Mrs. Claus were there this morning. We never get to see Mrs. Claus! And surprise surprise...Lydia sat on Mrs. Claus's lap and no tears! We got a cute picture!
Then, the elves made a Congo line and the kiddos ran around trying to tag Rudolph. Lydia actually caught him in the end. So much for trying to out run a 3 year old with determination! We saw Frosty too and then it was time to eat. The cooks flipped the pancakes in the air and you had to catch them on your plate! We had a couple hit the floor, but managed to get some yummy ones in the end. Mrs. Claus made a wonderful breakfast!
Lillian was also performing for the very first time with her dance team. The older girls danced to 12 Days of Christmas and the four younger girls danced to Frosty. Katie's Dance also had clogging and hip hop routines today. Lillian did very well in her performance and she had a great time!
Next, on the list, trip to E.R.! Lydia woke up and told me her ear was hurting and I was just too worried to let it go. We rushed over to the E.R. and can you believe in and out in 30 minutes? No ear infection! YEAH!
We were still able to make it to Santa's Mall. The girls got to go shopping with their own elf. Lillian bought for Lydia and Lydia bought for Lillian. The elves even wrap the gift, so now they don't know what they got. They are trying to figure it out though! Shame on them!
It was time to come home with one little tired three year old. Lydia took a nap and Lillian and I were off to her second performance at Golden Living Center. It is always a joy to bring the Christmas spirit to this nursing home. The residents so enjoy the little girls and it makes everyone smile and feel good for the holidays.
We end the weekend with Breakfast with Santa at T-Rex Cafe. We went last year and enjoyed it so much that we went back again this year. Who knew Santa could Scuba Dive? We do now!
And one last performance at the Mayor Tree Lighting! That is this evening. Who could forget that?
Happy Holidays and much love from all of us!
Julie
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thanksgiving Break
What an exciting Thanksgiving break! Rich's brother and sister-in-law, their two boys and Grandpa came for a visit in Kansas. It was so exciting to see everyone and Lillian was thrilled to be around family again. It has been years since we have seen one another and it was so nice to be able to have the chance this year.
Of course, the kiddos played all day long. The cousins really enjoyed being around one another and it is so nice since everyone is close to the same age- poor Lydia is the one out there alone. But, Lydia hangs in there with the big boys and girls.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and everyone chipped in to help bake all the goodies. Rich did his normal turkey and it was delicious. We had some friends over too for the holiday and they fit right in with the holiday drinking clan. :) I was very thankful I ran six miles before we had such a big meal! :)
We had the chance to all go ice skating too. It was a nice day to be outside and around 50 degrees. Who can beat that in Kansas? Lillian picked right up where she left off ice skating last year and really enjoyed herself. The boys did great too including Grandpa. Grandpa did take out a 10 year old little girl! HA! They all lasted for an hour and a half which I was impressed! Lydia made it around the whole ring this time which was much longer than last year! HA! Maybe next year will be her year. So, we just played outside for a while and waited for the gang.
We also made it to Fritz's for lunch and Science City. By that time, Lydia was worn out! We managed to squeeze dinner in and head home. Grandpa has to leave in the morning and the girls are really sad especially Lillian. She really does love her family and she knows we don't get to see everyone often considering being a military family. I am glad both girls have enjoyed this opportunity. We will have one more day with the cousins, so who knows what we will do tomorrow.
It was a great Thanksgiving full of good memories! Love you all!
Julie
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween 2011!
Happy Halloween! It has been a fun and busy weekend for the Martin clan. We started Saturday morning off by selling Girl Scout cookies. Yes, they are officially on sale in the Martin household and all immediate family have to buy 10 boxes and extended family 4-6 boxes! And you know who you are! HA!
Then, we all got in costume and headed into downtown Leavenworth for the store Trick or Treating. We are Safari Hunters and the girls are zebras. Yes, we are hunting are own children! Rich brought that to my attention! The girls enjoyed playing some games and trick or treating in and out of the stores.
We came home in time for Lydia's nap and then went to the Carousel Museum in the afternoon for their Halloween festival. The girls enjoyed the cupcake walk, crafts, balloons and face painting. Plus, you could ride the carousel as many times as you wanted...over and over again! I think my stomach had enough after a few rounds, but the girls went on and on.
We put the girls to bed and went to the Maguire house for the adult Halloween party.
It was so much fun hanging out by the firepit chatting with old friends. The dancing in the smoke was fun too although I was a bystander. I am not as young as I used to be- no comments from the friends or family. :) Drinks, good friends and good food...what a fun night!
Finally, the night of Halloween arrived! We had a little neighborhood potluck in my garage before hitting the street. I made Hotdog Mummies, Pizza Face Mummies and Turkey Meatloaf Pumpkins. We also enjoyed chicken tortilla soup, pumpkin spice dip, bat wings and other goodies from the neighbors. Everything was so delicious! YUMMY! Thanks for everyone contributing to make it a fun Halloween dinner!
The girls enjoyed trick or treating this year in the neighborhood. It is no joke trick or treating on post..the kiddos are out for blood! Blood in the amount of 15 bags of candy! WHEW! The girls went out for about an hour or so and then came back to hand out candy until we completely ran out. YES! It was a little chilly tonight in Kansas, but we managed at 57 degrees. No laughing from my friends in Texas considering it was probably in the 70s!
Happy Halloween and good night all my little ghosts and ghouls!
Julie
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Carolyn's Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch
Who doesn't enjoy another wonderful sunny Saturday morning at a pumpkin patch? The whole family did today! This pumpkin patch had so much to offer and we spent about four hours touring the farm. It is in Liberty, KS which is about an hour from Fort Leavenworth. But, it really was worth the drive this morning. For those of you who live here, then you know everything is an HOUR away! HA!
The girls enjoyed the whole adventure. They rode the train twice, went down barrel slides (red and blue), rode the pony swings, dug for Dinosaur fossils, went on a hayride, went through several corn mazes, went through the petting zoo, had their face painted, tried to lasso a bull and I am probably forgetting the rest. And what morning is complete at the farm without a good old fashioned pig race too? Miss Piggy sadly lost!
Rich even enjoyed the pumpkin doughnuts and homemade fudge. Okay, I did nibble on one or two doughnuts myself...but, don't hold it against me! :) They were amazing and even still warm when I bit into one this morning in the brisk 60 degree weather. YUMMY!
Enjoy the fall and all it has to offer! Love you all!
Julie
Friday, October 7, 2011
Lillian Turns 7 in Mrs. Blain's Classroom!
Today we celebrated Lillian's 7th birthday at school. It was so nice to have Mrs. Blain invite us into the classroom after lunch. We brought cupcakes- purple ones! Of course, Justin Beiber's favorite color! Lillian also got to stand on her desk while her whole classroom sang Happy Birthday to her. She couldn't wait to stand on her desk, but she told me not to worry since Mrs. Blain would be holding her! :)
Lydia got to sit at a desk too. Lydia loved all the extra attention from the older kiddos. Then, Mrs. Blain asked if Lydia would like to stay to play a game of Four Corners. How sweet was that? Lydia and Lillian both loved it and we got to play two games.
Then, school had to start up again with lots of work. On Monday, the principal will announce her birthday during the morning announcements and Lillian will get a book. This birthday is going on FOREVER this year and she is getting spoiled rotten!
So, tomorrow Lillian officially turns 7 years old. The BIG day will FINALLY arrive in the household. Lillian is really growing up and amazes me everyday. She is so bright and beyond her years. I just keep telling her to enjoy being who you are at this age and don't worry about being any other age. She enjoys her friends, being in 1st Grade, loves her teacher, and still loves to dance. She joined Dance Team this year and started taking jazz classes on top of tap and ballet. She really is something else and I am thrilled I get to watch her grow up everyday! Mommy loves you Lillian and enjoy being 7 years old!
An Angel Left Her Wings
I have this little angel. For me she left her wings.
She has no idea how much happiness she truly brings.
She brightens up my days with her smiles and her laughs.
She helps me to remember all the blessings that I have.
Her face, it is so perfect, she's sweet and soft and pure.
Sometimes she can be willful and sometimes she is demure.
She tries her very hardest to please and do what's right.
She gives the greatest hugs from morning until night.
Every person that has known her sees this light within her soul
I know that in this whole great world, she has a special role.
She's helpful and considerate to everyone she knows
This light in her shines brighter as my angel grows.
When she sees someone is sad, it opens up her heart.
She wants to do all that she can; she wants to do her part.
She'll squeeze away the sorrow and make me forget about my pain.
She shows me where the sun is when we're hiding from the rain.
I know that God must love me, He showed me with His Grace
I knew just how completely when I saw my angel's face.
And in that very moment when she came into my world,
I knew that she was so much more than just my baby girl.
She would be my sunshine, with a sweetness that won't end.
And when she grows up one day she would be my closest friend.
She would be the reason I would always try my best.
For my little angel baby girl would be my greatest test.
When God entrusts to you an angel, who has left her wings for you.
Encircle her with love with everything you do.
Let her know God made her, and that He trusts you with her care.
Be sure to make time for special moments with her to share.
And when at night she finally says her prayers and goes to sleep
I Thank Him for my angel, and ask for him to always keep
A watchful eye and hand to protect her from this world.
Protect my little angel; protect my baby girl.
Love you all!
Julie
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Weston Big Red Farm
This morning was a gorgeous morning in Kansas! It actually felt like fall and not too cold, but a brisk 57 degree morning. We went to Weston this morning with Lydia's Parents As Teachers group. We always enjoy the Fall season and going to pumpkin patches. We also love this farm in Weston. They always do a great job with the pumpkins and all their activities!
The girls enjoyed visiting with all the animals this morning. They saw the chickens, pigs and goats. Lillian and Lydia also went on a pony ride. Lydia rode Bulls Eye and Lillian had Sweet Pea. I think they could have rode those ponies all morning long, but it was time for their turn to end.
We also rode on the hayride and went out to the pumpkin patch. Each girl found the exact pumpkin they wanted and we rode the tractor back to the main farm. We also picked out a few more pumpkins and corn stalk for the front porch. Time to decorate this afternoon!
Love you all!
Julie
Friday, September 23, 2011
Justin Bieber 2011!
Tonight we ROCKED it out with Justin Bieber and all of Lillian and Lydia's friends for their joint birthday party! Lydia turned 3 years old on September 20th and Lillian will turn 7 years old on October 8th. This was the first year I combined the girls' birthday parties, but they both wanted a dance party..so, why not?
We had a Justin Bieber Dance Party at Play Bounce and Jump. We rented our their Mini Night club and turned on the Justin Bieber movies, flashed the lights and disco balls, and played Musical Chairs, Freeze Dance, Pass the Microphone and just DANCED! We even had a great friend, Sarah, who placed Justin Bieber tattoos on the kiddos faces as they arrived tonight. All the kiddos, all 40 of them, seemed to have a great time... I hope so among all the chaos!
My girls enjoyed every minute! Lydia said tonight at bedtime that she wanted to go back tomorrow and Lillian said it was the best party ever! So, in my book, it was a successful night! All of their friends were so generous and we spent a while going through the oodles of presents. The girls are really lucky to have such amazing friends that care so much about them and their happiness. They have been spoiled all week by presents and more presents. I don't know what we will even think about asking Santa to bring them for Christmas. He might have to skip this house!
Thank you for everyone who came to ROCK it out with us this year. We want to thank you for all your kindness and generosity. The girls had a night to remember always! Love to everyone and Happy Birthday Lillian and Lydia! So, the big question is... Will I ever combine the parties again? NEVER SAY NEVER!!!
Lillian and Lydia- How did you grow up so fast?
Love you all!
Julie
To My Daughters:
Can I Carry You?
I guess that I can hold you
one more time before you grow.
And tell you that I love you
so that you will always know.
Please let me tie your shoe again.
One day you'll tie your own.
And when you think back to this time
I hope it's love I've shown.
Can I help you put your coat on?
Can I please cut up your meat?
Can I pull you in the wagon?
Can I pick you out a treat?
One day you might just care for me,
so let me care for you.
I want to be a part
of every little thing you do.
Tonight could I please wash your hair?
Can I put toys in the bath?
Can I help you count your small ten toes
before I teach you math?
Before you join a baseball team
can I pitch you one more ball?
And one more time can I stand near
to make sure you don't fall?
Let's take another space-ship ride
Up to the Planet Zoor.
Before our Cardboard Rocket
doesn't fit us anymore.
Please let me help you up the hill.
while you're still too small to climb.
And let me read you stories
while you're young and have the time.
I know the day will come
when you will do these things alone.
Will you recall the shoulder rides
and all the balls we've thrown?
I want you to grow stronger
than your Mom could ever be.
And when you find success
there will be no soul more proud than me.
So will you let me carry you?
One day you'll walk alone.
I cannot bear to miss one day
from now until you've grown.
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