Two Cute Pics

These were from the first day of that visit from my family a couple weeks ago. Shortly after we came home from the airport, Alaire crawled up on Aunt Becki and drifted right off to sleep. Curran did the same with his Paw later that afternoon...and Paw joined in on that snoozefest. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you all a very happy heart today and always!

Maren's 8th Birthday

Just typing out "Maren's 8th Birthday" is so weird. I cannot believe my little Mamie (who was our baby for 4 1/2 years) is now an 8-year-old! She had an absolutely wonderful birthday weekend. All of her grandparents, great-Granny Joy, and Nannie Becki came for the occasion. Florida truly lived up to its Sunshine State name, and God couldn't have provided a more beautiful day for a party!

Little sister Alaire was so pooped out after lunchtime that she really only wanted a nap but made us promise not to sing Happy Birthday to Maren or cut any cake without her! So we worked a little in reverse. Maren got the pleasure of opening all her gifts (and boy were there plenty) first this year! I have included only a small sampling of some of her gifts and some of her adorable expressions while opening them. Thanks to all our friends and loved ones who came or sent gifts or cards by mail or called with special wishes for our special girl. All were so greatly appreciated!

Webkinz are always a hit!

Cake time did finally come, and it was perfect timing because after the huge and delicious barbecue Daddy, Pop, and Paw prepared for lunch, it took a little while for everyone to be ready for dessert. You may notice that Maren was in her jammies by cake time! : )

Nannie Becki Comes to Town!

What a fun birthday treat! We recently had the pleasure of enjoying a weeklong visit with Nannie Becki (aka Aunt Beck, Teetee Beck, or Beeks). We all agreed it would be fun to surprise all the kids once she got here rather than telling them in advance.

Alaire and Curran got the first surprise as they were with me at the airport when her flight came in. They were all smiles ear to ear for about two hours straight and wanted nothing to do with me, opting instead for her to hold them, help them, etc.

Ramsey was last to be surprised because we had to pick her up from her afterschool activity, so Becki snuck into the back seat of the van to surprise her which was very much fun!

But the one surprise we did capture in photos was the surprise when Maren (who is Becki's godchild and whose birthday prompted this whole visit) got off the bus that afternoon. It was really sooo cute to see her stepping off the bus puzzled by Mommy snapping pics with the camera, then her spying Nannie Becki hidden behind a fence as she rounded the corner, and then the fun hugs and squeals as she realized that her Nannie was here all the way from Louisiana. :)

Daddy Got His Wish

Aaron has been seriously hounding me to break down and have the boy's hair cut for several months now. Last Saturday poor Curran was having a particularly bad hair day, and somehow with his two grandmothers, one great-grandmother, and one aunt in town pretty much agreeing with Daddy, I finally caved.

I do admit it was a whole lot of fun to sneak over to the barber shop with all of Curran's favorite women (imagine that--three big sisters, one mother, two grandmothers, one great-grandmother, and one aunt all watching every snip of the scissors on our baby's first haircut!) without telling Daddy the plan. And what a fun, fun, fun thing it was to watch Aaron's face and hear his *GASP* when we got home later and he discovered his son looking like a real little boy.

Seemed only appropriate that we'd take him to a little place called Tiny Town for his first haircut. It is one amazing place for a kid to get a haircut! Here are a few photos of him playing in the waiting area, then having his hair cut, then the after pic of his new look.

And as cute and handsome as he is now with the big boy haircut, I am just still so torn. I see pictures from before with the flippy little curls and my heart aches a little. sigh...