Happy Birthday, My baby!

This is my baby in December 2002. He has a worried look on his face. My mom has always said he looked like a worried old man. Ian is such a sweet boy. We found out later that the name Ian means "Gift from God." He definitely is. I cannot believe it has been 6 years. My, how time flies. He had an awesome "Indiana Jones" party today. It was a lot of fun. I will post pictures of the day later.

This is a picture of Ian today. He had begged and pleaded for a pet for months. He wanted a guinea pig, then a rat, then a rabbit, then back to a rat. However, I am not a pet person and wanted to get him a STUFFED pet. So, Ryan sensibly decided on a bird. Owen has a bird and Ian handles his a lot. This is a picture of Ian and his pet "Puffin."

Moving On

Well, I always knew I was a topical kind of person: when my topic ran out, the blogging stopped. Actually, there have been several things/times when I started a post and either changed my mind or had to go do something else. Here where just a few of the highlights I was going to share of what's been going on the past two weeks: 1 - Emily had a great birthday party. It was laid back, low key and a lot of fun. I think all of the kids (and parents) enjoyed themselves. At first, she was a little nervous that it would not feel like a "party." 2 -I had a great birthday as well. It was on a Sunday so it was a little busy because of all our commitments. Ryan, the kids and my dad went in together and got me a recliner. We had one my parents had given us the Christmas before Owen was born but it was broken and BLUE so it didn't make the "new house" cut. Emily and Ryan went to pick it out - they even took a couch pillow to match. They came home with a beige chair (my couch is an olive color). I took it back the next day and exchanged it for a burgundy colored chair. The lady saw me walk in the door and commented that "she thought I would be back." I hated it do it - I really wanted to keep the one they bought - I just couldn't do it. I tried, I really did. However, I was very careful to make sure I got the same chair - just a different color. I have to say that I have not been in it that much but the kids are definitely enjoying it. Ian is convinced we got it for the sole purpose of rocking him! :) Not at night, just for little spells here and there. 3- All of the kids activities are in full swing. Owen had his first football game Saturday before last. He played a great game and is loving it. Emily's Chemistry class and choir has started back. They are both preparing for their 2nd degree black belts in November, so there is a huge amount of training and preparation that goes into that as well as everything else we already have going on. It feels as though every moment of my day is so structured that one idle minute and it is all a wash. I am like the princess in bug's life: "There is a gap in the line - what are we going to do!? There is a GAP in MY line!" My life has become one big "gap" that is spinning at a break-neck pace. I am coming to the conclusion that due to my control-oriented nature (I am saving that for another post later) chaos is God's way of keeping me reigned in and totally dependent on Him.

Happy Birthday Emily - Part 15

This is Emily's 15th Birthday. We will be having her party later this weekend. We are going to Red Robin this afternoon for a birthday lunch. At this point in our lives, lunch was much easier to arrange. Ryan is going to take a lunch break and meet us there. This picture is of Emily this morning after we had gotten home from the DMV. She was so nervous I thought her head was going to explode. Luckily, the man started joking and asking her questions so she tempered down a bit. I made her drive around the Food Lion parking lot and then I let her drive home. It wasn't too bad. She is very cautious. There was one guy on a moped making me a little nervous but she did good. I think I was more concerned about what bite me in Ryan's car than her driving! :) Ryan took the truck this morning so that she could drive the car. I am not ready for her to drive the van yet. I want her to practice a little before hitting the open road.

On one hand, I cannot believe she is 15; on the other hand, she seems so much older. She is one of the most terrific people I know. She is kind, intelligent, sensitive, cautious, and beautiful on the inside and out. She is a great, loyal, caring friend, sister, and daughter. I have been so blessed in the fact that I was chosen to be her mother. I hope she has learned a fraction from me what I have learned from her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!

Happy Birthday Emily - Part 13 & 14

This is Emily's 13th birthday. Next to her fourth, this was my favorite. We decided to have an Emmy/Oscar party. Once again, I was ahead of my time. There was NOTHING with any hint of this theme. You can find it everywhere now! Anyway, we decided the girls would make a movie or talent of their choice. One of my biggest regrets in life is that the first 6 minutes of this priceless video got recorded over. We have never reused a video tape again. After the talent/movie show, we got dressed for the award ceremony. We had gone to the Goodwill and purchased several party dresses and some of the girls brought dresses from their closets. They "shopped" and picked out a dress. My mom and sister-in-law came to do hair and make-up, my dad did nails. (For those of you that do not know - my dad is/was a nail technician.) Then we rolled out the red carpet and Ryan "announced" each girl as they came down the stairs. Unfortunately, I don't think we took a group shot of all the girls when they were dressed up. We took an individual picture as they came down the stairs. After the awards (everyone shared their favorite memory with Emily) we had the party and danced the night away. At the end of the video, everyone wished Emily a Happy Birthday. It was great.

This is Emily's 14th Birthday. We decided to have a mystery party. I decided against purchasing pre-who-dun-it type scenario cards. By mid-night the evening before the party, I was wishing that I had. We had asked the girls to come dressed as a profession. It was not quite like I wanted it to be; but, I tried. The girls were great sports and I think they had a great time anyway!

Happy Birthday Emily - Part 10, 11, & 12

This is Emily's 10th Birthday. She was in a crazy horse phase. So, since she was hitting the double digits, we decided to do something "big." We went horseback riding. And when I say we, I mean we. It was the last time I have been on a horse. Mine was crazy and took off down the creek (with me still on its back) and the little guide girl saying "Don't scream - it scares the horse!" Scare the horse, yeah right! We still laugh about that memory quite often.

This was Emily's 11th birthday. We had a doggie theme. They groomed their dogs, created dog bowls and got their nails done. The nails had nothing to do with dogs - it just became a tradition. I think nails have been done at every birthday since.

This is Emily's 12th Birthday party. We had an Asian theme. We went to see Sky High. A friend was doing a school project with a "Flat Zoie" that is why there is a paper doll in the picture.