Isabelle’s 8th Birthday Celebration

My baby girl turned eight a couple of weeks ago. I can’t believe how much has happened and changed in those eight years. Isabelle’s looks and personality is changing so much at this time. We definitely have our moments of stubborn defiance, but for she is the sweetest and most tender-hearted kid. She loves everyone and though she is a follower and easily led by other people, she loves everyone!

 

I pray that she continues to love and share with everyone and doesn’t lose that sweetness as she enters those ‘difficult years’ as I have heard so many other parents call them.  Please join with me in praying that she trusts God and lives to serve him and share him with her friends.

 

For years now I have told Isabelle that she couldn’t spend the night with anyone until she was in the third grade. Well…now that Isabelle is in the third grade, what do you think she wanted for her birthday party? Yep! A slumber party.  In an effort to not go crazy with the parties this year, I told her that she could have two friends over.  She was so excited.

 

The morning of the party, she and Anna spent the whole day at the window looking for her friends to show up.

Here are the cups that we did instead of goody bags this time.

Leave it to my child to pick these simple cupcakes for her party. With all of the fancy cakes that I do for everyone else, Isabelle just chooses plain old cupcakes with Squinkies sitting on top of each one for her friends to take home. Here is the cupcakes.

Before the ‘slumber party’ began, we had the cake and presents so that Anna could be there. Here is a group shot of the kids at the party part.

Isabelle got a new toy box and room décor for her birthday. Here is Isabelle, Skylar and Jada in her new toy box.

The girls had fun playing dress up.

And here is the girls in their matching shirts that Jada gave Isabelle and Skylar for their birthdays. They loved these.

And here they are all snuggled up at 10:30 at night. They didn’t go to sleep until around 4:00 AM though…

They all had a good time and Isabelle can’t wait to do it again. Now…what can I tell her to make her believe that she only gets one sleepover a year?!?!

Styx River with the Baileys

A few weeks ago we spent some time at Styx River Campground with our cousins Joshua, Sarah, and Connor. The girls love spending time with family, especially little cousins that they can mother (a.k.a. boss and not be bossed).

 

Here is Joshua grilling hamburgers.

The kids journeyed down to the creek and wanted to make a sand castle. Will called it a mud castle instead. Looks really gross if you ask me.

Here is Isabelle’s Little Mermaid pose.

Here are the three kids standing in the creek. At this point Isabelle noticed the algae floating down the river and wasn’t real thrilled with being in the water.

Aunt Sarah brought bubbles…

Here we all are hanging out in the heat in front of the Bailey’s pop-up.

This is what the grown-ups did to occupy our time while the kids watched movies at night.

We also attempted a nature hike…I forgot how much I hate bugs, woods, and being hot. I regretted it five minutes in. Joshua taught Luke how to say “Yah Snake” so when we walked through the woods Luke repeatedly said, “Yah Snake!” It was cute.

 

We had a great time being with family and can’t wait to do it again next year. Oh, and thanks Joshua for the beautiful sight-seeing tour of Foley that you took us on in search of a Wal-Mart. I am sure there was one right down the road if we had just kept going a little bit.