Celebrating 13!

In our family, we don't do parties for every birthday. We do 1-5, 10. 13, 16, and maybe 18. This year Faith, Selah and Gabe all have birthday parties! Selah was up first!

She wanted a Hunger Game theme - and I was SO EXCITED about it! 

I used the "Girl on Fire" theme to decorate.

The favor boxes had Nightlock Berries (berry gummies), Tracker Jacker antivenom (sanitizer) and mocking jay pens for each girl. 

Selah's party was on Friday evening. Wednesday evening she started complaining of eye pain. By that night she couldn't sleep. On Thursday morning it was puffy and super painful. She had an internal stye. Poor thing. By Friday the pain was better, but you can tell that her eye-lid was still swollen. 

Selah invited her 3 closest friends for hamburgers, cake and a Hunger Games themed escape room.

After dinner they worked really hard on each escape room task. 

They were successful and had no trouble escaping with 15 minutes left on the clock!! 

 I think they all had a fun time!! 

A visit from Kansas City!

The last weekend in June was the best weekend ever!! Our sweet family friends from Kansas City came to visit!!

We had the best time and ate too much (including waffles for breakfast with cookies on top!)!

We took them to the Denton Square. The boys loved the Fine Farts - I mean Fine Arts -  building!

Faith and Maddox were adopted from the same province in China on the same day! They are adoption buddies and one day will get married! 

We ate at LSA Burger (LSA stands for Lone Star Attitude).

And we introduced them to Fuzzy's Taco Shop - where you can order tacos or pancakes! 

And also went to HTEaO - our new favorite drink place.

That evening we did a water balloon games and a water gun fight!

Even their puppy Macy had fun!!

We were so sad when they had to go back home on Sunday afternoon, but were so thankful for the fun memories we made while they were here!

 

Let's Paint the Walls!

I have been wanting to paint our living and dining rooms for awhile now. This summer seemed like a perfect time to do it! 

The dining room had a wainscoting that was an odd greenish/gray hue. It didn't match any other paint color in our house. 

 Here is the dining room before painting. 

Mig and I painted the wainscoting a bright white. It took many coats to cover the green/gray!! It looks much cleaner and brighter now! I love it!! 

I love the built in book case and stone accents in our living room, but thought that the white walls did not do them justice. 

I decided a nice golden color would bring the stone out more while coordinating well with the wood on the mantle and the built in. Byron was not sold on the color (and maybe still isn't) but let me do my thing. I love it!! It is warm and inviting! 

 My next two projects will be painting the staircase and the homeschool room....

Welcome to your teenage years!!!

Thirteen....

The time when one transitions from childhood into a teen.

Selah, you are definitely not a kid anymore. You have conquered childhood!

Over the last 13 years you have done so much to make us smile and even more to make us proud.

We know that you will meet the new challenges in this phase of life with the same passion and joy of your younger years and you will continue to be successful! 

You are going to rock these teen years!

And we get to watch you do it!! 

 Happy Birthday. beautiful girl!!!