A Very Berry Birthday for our 5 Year Old!

My baby girl is 5!

It's happy and sad at the same time.  I feel like 5 is serious big girl now...

We had so much fun celebrating our little girl!  She chose Strawberry Shortcake as the theme for her birthday.  It was super fun to put together.  

Grandma and Papa/ Uncle Cody and Aunt Erica came for her birthday weekend.  Isaac was so excited that Papa was here when he woke up.  He was in his arms and said "I love my Papa"

 Hannah got her first present in the morning.  A Strawberry Shortcake shirt and strawberry hair bows.  

The Birthday Girl all dressed and as excited as could be for her party!

Decorations.  

Seth and a few of the teen girls helped me make the strawberry balloons and flower puffs.  

a kid friendly centerpiece :)

Erica stayed up with us the night before and helped hang all the decorations!  

Goody bags  for friends

Strawberry Craft

Hannah wanted a true strawberry shortcake for her cake.  She wanted Strawberry with the number 5.  This is what we came up with.  She loved it and I was happy with how it turned out too :)

This is my favorite strawberry shortcake recipe...you can find it here.

Mommy and Hannah  

The food matched some of the characters from Strawberry Shortcake.  We had Orange Blossoms orange slices, chocolate covered strawberries, Gingersnaps Gingersnaps, and Blueberry Muffins...you guessed it...blueberry muffins :)

Hannah and two of her friends from church  

 strawberry nails.  :)

 craft time!  

Now game time!  

 Pin the top on the strawberry.  Hannah loved helping to spin her friends.  

 And pass the strawberry.  Nana made us a cute strawberry bean bag to play with..the kids really liked this game.  

 even Cal...I love that smile!!  

 The last game was some sort of strawberry toss. The kids had to keep their "strawberries" in the air...last one left won.  

sweet Abby loved the veggie straws

 Cake time!!  

 love the grin on her face!

 yum!

finally..presents...she's so excited!

These busy books are so cool!  It's a book with a playmat and characters to retell the story with.  Isaac has Thomas the Tank...now Hannah has Strawberry shortcake.  

 dress up!!  

 paper dolls  

 playdough ice cream shop

A Strawberry Shortcake game  from mom and dad

 and a Toy Story leapster game  

 Brianne :) 

 Nana and Pop gave Hannah a toy Strawberry Shortcake high chair that Beth and I used to play with when we were little.  Abby was testing it out..isn't she just full of cuteness?!  

 dolls with Grandma 

What a fun day celebrating such a fun little girl!!

Abby's One!!

Abby is one!  It was so much fun to celebrate with her!  This little girl has brought so many smiles, snuggles, and giggles into our lives this year.  We thank God for her!!  

Beth did a polka dot birthday for her.  Abby was complete with her adorable polka dot outfit!  

 Isaac wanted to get his pic taken with her.  :)

She was pretty serious about eating her cake :)  She did eat it though...

 and when the time for a family picture came..she wasn't about to be done eating her cupcake...too cute, abby!!

 Isaac was very excited about his cupcake  

 Me and my first niece.  :)  What fun to be an auntie!  Happy Birthday, dear Abby.

SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, Jay!

It's so hard to believe that my baby brother is 18!!  

I remember what a special day it was when God blessed our family with Jeremy!  Time sure flies!!  

My sister hosted a surprise party for him...he had no idea!  It was so fun to meet his friends, hang out and celebrate his life!  What an awesome young man he has grown to be! 

 Hannah was SO excited to hide from Uncle Jeremy and surprise him!  

 camera's ready...

smiles on...

...in he comes!

SURPRISE!!!

it was so much fun to meet Jeremy's friends!  What a great group of kids!!

 Hannah jumped right in with them.  You sure can tell she's comfortable with teenagers :)  

 Ethan loved watching Uncle J open his gifts 

 two studs  

nice photo bomb...Tim

 Thanks, Beth for throwing such a great party!  God has blessed her with the gift of hospitality..it's awesome to see her blessings others with her gift!   

Happy Homemaker Monday

The Weather:::
35 degrees and sunny.  It's so nice to see the sun shining today!  

Right now I am: 
Editing pictures.  I would like to get caught up on my pictures and blog so that I can post pics from Hannah's birthday party :)

Thinking:
About my long to-do list and prioritizing what is the most important/best place to start

On my reading pile:::
Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges  I've just started and what I have read so far has been very good.  I'm prepared to be very convicted and challenged.  

On my tv::: 
With Downton Abbey being over, just not much to watch anymore...

Favorite Blog post this week (mine or other):::
Perfect

Something fun to share:::
My dear friend Julia had her 3 baby today!  I sweet little girl...they named her Vienna.  God is so good!!  It's always exciting to see godly parents having children...she is blessed to be born into the home that God sent her too!   

On the menu for this week:::
Monday - out to eat for family day
Tuesday - Tortellini with Mushrooms, Spinach and Italian Sausage 
Wednesday - Mom's chili with cornbread crackers  
Thursday -  weeknight quiche and salad
Friday - pizza and veggie sticks  
Saturday - Turkey Meatloaf and mashed potatoes 
Sunday -leftover buffet  

On my to do list:::
Laundry 
Homeschooling:  We started "A Pair of Red Clogs Today"  
Menu plan, grocery list, and coupons
work on family photo book

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Need to get started on some St.Patty's and Easter decorations  

Homemaking Tips:::
a load of laundry a day keeps the mountains of laundry away (I don't always get to a load every day...but it does the trick when I do :))

Looking around the house:::
It was nice to see the sun shining through the windows today.  Birthday decorations are coming down...making room for a little bit of green to go up.  Hannah played with her new birthday presents today and Isaac played along side her.  It was a great day.  :)

From the camera:::
My big {gasp} 5 year old all ready for her Strawberry Shortcake Birthday party!  

On my prayer list:::
Praising God for the birth of our friends new baby...so many answered prayers there.  Also praying for their family as they adjust to having an infant in the house again.  

Praying and trusting God for the details concerning our house.  

Praying today for our pastor and his wife and the people of our church.  

Bible verse, Devotional:::

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."

(James 5:13-18 ESV)