Fall Badge Ceremonies

It's badge time once again for Kaitlyn and Preston.  Preston's ceremony for Royal Rangers came first.  He got to hold the Christian flag during the ceremony.

He did a great job reciting all the pledges.

Preston sat so patiently while watching the other boys receive their badges.  Check out the ones he already has on his vest!

Then it was time for the Rangers Kids, Preston's group.

He was very proud of the 6 badges he earned this fall.

The week after Preston's ceremony, Kaitlyn had hers with the Mpact Girls Club.  She also got to hold a flag during the ceremony.

Kaitlyn is in the Stars group and these are all things she has to know about her group.

Kaitlyn earned 4 badges this fall and a star for reciting the Books of the Bible in order.

She got to make an ornament after her ceremony.

Kaitlyn LOVES crafts so she really enjoyed making simple ornaments.

As usual, we are super proud of all their hard work these past few months.  We know it wasn't easy having to complete all the tasks and memorize lots of Scripture.  But we continue to base our family on this verse:

"Train up a child in the way he should go, 

and when he is old he will not depart from it."

-Proverbs 22:6

December Birthdays

We celebrated 2 special birthdays in our family this past month.  First, Craig turned another year older.  He actually had his work Christmas party to attend on the night of his bday (we had Mexican food for his bday on another night).  So, we got dressed up, the grandparents came to watch the kids, and we headed out.

It was a formal banquet held at a Marriott in North Dallas.  I didn't really know anybody, but met lots of people and ate some delicious food.

The pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy was the best I've ever had.

Who doesn't love a huge slice of cheesecake?

To Craig's surprise, his associates brought him a huge gift basket with his favorite goodies.  The tag says "Enjoy A Movie Night On Us".  Despicable Me was in the basket with some popcorn and candy.  It was so thoughtful. 

We got home late that evening and Kaitlyn had left a surprise for Craig.  Notice how the chocolate candy cane is half eaten?  I guess she just couldn't resist!

Kaitlyn's birthday fell on a Saturday this year.  It was also the first night of our huge Christmas program at church.  Since she had her birthday party a couple weekends before, it was just going to be a day of small celebrations.  First stop, McDonald's for lunch.

Then, she had a McFlurry for dessert.  It was a special treat since she's usually not allowed to get dessert at McDonald's.

That night was our Christmas Program and she actually had a ballet solo.  I was so proud of her and that she was brave enough to do it!!!  I was the choreographer, but I was not the one that picked her for the solo.  But it did make it easier to work on the dance at home.  Kaitlyn sang with Preston and the other elementary kids as well.  I worked with all of them and was super proud of the job they did.

Afterwards, the Stage Manager surprised Kaitlyn with a huge cupcake cake that she shared with the other ballerinas.  Such a nice treat!

We actually went home to another dozen of cupcakes that I had ordered from my friend, Amy, for Kaitlyn's birthday.  However, we did not eat those until the next night.

Craig also got each of us a dozen roses for all of our work during the program.  He got Preston some candy.  :)

Finally, I was able to bring Kaitlyn her birthday lunch at school on the following Monday.  It felt even more special considering the tragic events that had happened in Connecticut that previous Friday.  We had a great lunch together.

Of course, I brought some food for her brother too.  He was acting so goofy the whole time.

That afternoon, I joined her class for the birthday song and special treats that she brought for everyone.  They make the birthday student stand on a chair in front of the room so they can sing to them.  Kaitlyn was so embarassed.

Since the treats have to be store bought, we just picked up some boxes of Little Debbie's Gingerbread Men and passed them around.

 It's always a little hectic trying to celebrate the two birthdays during the holiday season, but we always find the time.  And we always make it special.

Happy Birthday Craig and Kaitlyn!!!!

Kaitlyn's Birthday Letter

Dear Kaitlyn,

It has been 9 wonderful years since you entered our lives.  God gave us everything we had prayed for when He entrusted you to us.  You were a miracle that we continue to be thankful for.

You have become such an independent person and quickly maturing before our eyes.  You love sharing your artistic side whether it is through art, music, or dance.  Your eagerness to try new things shows that your fearfulness is fading.  We love sharing these adventures with you.

You have become a great example to those around you and willing to share a teaching moment with those that may not know better.  You've handled difficult situations with such grace and dignity and it reveals what a great person you are becoming.

More than anything, you love Jesus.  You are eager to attend church and just absorb all you can.  Seeing you worship Him fills our heart with an unspeakable joy. 

We just love seeing you blossom into such a beautiful young lady, yet it is bittersweet.  Thank you for letting us have a glimpse as to what your future could possibly be like. We are extremely proud of you!

We love you, KK!

Dad, Mom, and Preston

An American Girl Party

Kaitlyn was so eager for her 9th birthday this year because she chose to have it at the American Girl Store!  If you have never heard of American Girl dolls, consider yourself lucky.  Each doll is from a different decade and there's a different story about her.  You can also get dolls made to look like their owner.  There are about a million outfits and accessories that you can purchase for the doll. AND it's very expensive!  Thankfully, you can find some knock off brands at Michael's and Target and it's much cheaper.  But for the party, we let Kaitlyn go to the real store.

Kaitlyn decided to invite just a few close friends and have lunch at the bistro inside the store.  You can bring your American Girl doll and sit in a special doll high chair at the table next to you.  Kaitlyn did not have an American Girl doll, but knew she could borrow one from the bistro.

Here are just a few of the dolls and accessories.  

Here are some nightgowns for the little girls.

And here is the matching outfit for the doll.

There is also a doll salon inside the store.  Yes, that is actually a person styling the doll's hair.  There's actually a line as people wait for their doll to have her turn.  It's not cheap either.  The doll's have special hair so you have to use their special comb or it gets ratted.  If not, you have to take the doll to the salon.  Well played, American Girl, well played.

After everyone arrived for the party (it was just me and 4 girls), we were escorted to our table where a special gift was waiting for Kaitlyn.

She looked inside the bag and found her very own Julie doll waiting for her.  It was a surprise gift from Craig and I and she was soooo excited and thankful!

I think Kaitlyn didn't stop smiling throughout her party.

Then, it was time to order.  The lunch includes an appetizer and main entree.

We all ordered pink lemonade and even the dolls got their own drinks.  I could not stop laughing as our server kept pouring these teeny, tiny cups of lemonade.

Our appetizers arrived and it was delicious!!!  Half of us got a fruit plate with mini muffins and yogurt dipping sauce.  The other half of us got soft pretzel bites with a honey mustard sauce.

The dolls had to eat too!

Then our entree arrived.  There was a lot of food and well worth the money.  The sweet potato fries were the best!

Of course, it's not a party without a cake.  The party package includes cake and ice cream from the bistro.  It was half chocolate and half vanilla.  The server brought it out on a beautiful cake stand and we all sang to Kaitlyn.

Each girl also got to take home a bag full of goodies!

I loved that all I had to do was pay for the party (and it was well within my budget) and American Girl took care of the rest.  We thought Kaitlyn may be too old for these dolls but we found out girls enjoy them until about 11 or 12 years old.

How did Kaitlyn feel about everything?  I think this picture says it all.

The Nutcracker

With the holiday season upon us, I wanted to start a new tradition for just me and my favorite daughter, Kaitlyn.  We decided to have a night out to go see The Nutcracker.  I first saw the ballet when I was in college. I had friends playing in the orchestra and dancing the ballet so I loved it.  Plus, the music is beautiful! I couldn't wait to take Kaitlyn to her very first ballet experience.

We got all dressed up, left the boys to fend for themselves, and we headed out.

There was a ballet company performing at the famous Bass Hall in Ft. Worth and another company performing at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.  However, I decided I would purchase much cheaper tickets and see a production closer to home.

Here are just a few pics from our wonderful evening.

Kaitlyn was mesmerized by the whole thing.  Her favorite scene was the battle between the Nutcracker and Rat King.  It was such a great night together and we can't wait for next year!