Happy Birthday To Our Big Girl!!

How can it be that this was 6 years ago??!

We had no idea how our lives would change.  

We had no idea how deeply we would love, how fiercely we would protect, how greatly we would fear, and how much joy this bitty human would bring to our lives.

Six years has flown by, and although we have met our challenges, our feelings remain the same.  We are CRAZY about this little girl!

Here is how we spent her special day:

First off, a Pinterest fail. This took WAY longer than I expected, but I just knew it was worth it.  I was imagining her cute little giggle when the balloons would fall on her head.

Yeah.  Didn't happen.

I knocked on her door and had my camera ready.  I wanted this moment on video.  I hear her turn the door knob.  The door cracks……then NOTHING.  Nothing at all.  

I say "Landry, where are you??"  Nothing.

I repeat it. "Landry, where are you?"  Nothing

This went on for about 15 minutes before I was finally able to lure her out from behind the door.  I had scared her to death. 

Fail.

At least the rest of the day was a success.

First stop, Donut King, where the kids get to pick out a bag full of free birthday donuts.  They Rock!

Lan wanted to make her own birthday cake.  Couldn't argue with the birthday girl!

 Little brother wanted to help too.

After she finished baking her cake, the doorbell rang and we found a present on the doorstep for Lan.  Suddenly, GiGi jumped out and surprised the kids.  Their reaction was priceless!

And then Lan and I headed out to get her hair cut by Miss Tane.  

Before: Looooong hair

 After: Cute, fresh cut

 Tane is a braiding rock star!

 She just whipped up this little hair-do for Lan.

 Hair fit for a princess!

 After dinner was CAKE TIME!

 And then a movie with plenty of cuddles

Happy Birthday Lan!!!

Thanksgiving and The Saturday After

Why yes, I am months behind on my blog.  What's new?

Oh well. Life happens.

More important than recording it, is enjoying it.   And that, we have!

Today, I'm looking back at November 28th and 30th.  It was a wonderful couple of days.

We spent thanksgiving in Natchitoches with Cory's family.

The kids had been dying to make an Apple Pie, and they did quite a good job.

Then Lan took over my camera for a bit and got a couple of really nice shots!
This one really shows off Nana's blue eyes!

 And she caught a really sweet smile from Mason.

 Of course a day full of Thanksgiving activities tires a little guy out.  No better place than Daddy's shoulder to rest.

 And what better way to end the day than all the grandbabies piled on Nana watching the video for "What Does the Fox Say" LOL

 They are captivated.

We headed home the next day and on Saturday we headed to the Christmas Tree Farm.

We've had a fake tree for the last 8 years.  And after Christmas every year we say "We are going to get a real tree next year."  But then Christmas rolls around and convenience gets us.  We go to the attic and pull out the fake tree.  However, last year we decided to change that.  We tossed our fake tree on the curb so it would force us to get a real one this year. 

I'm so glad we did.

Once we got it into place inside, it was time to dress it up.....

....which was quite the task with Cooper around.  The ornaments are balls, so he treated them as such.  I've never been more thankful for shatterproof.

Coop finally directed his attention elsewhere.  But once we realized he was being a little too quiet, it was a little too late.  

He had thrown himself a little marshmallow party.

And boy did he have a ball.

Thankfully, he gave himself a little sugar high, then crashed just in time for bed.