A surprise weekend for my soon to be 10 year old.

My sweet girl will turn 10 years old on Monday. Yep, double digits! Oh, my sweet baby girl is growing up way too fast. As I sit her tonight and think about what it will be like when the morning comes and I will now have a beautiful 10 year old daughter I can't help but smile and feel so blessed. God knew I needed Lauren. She has brought me so much joy and love that I never knew about until I had a daughter. Tonight I want to blog about Lauren's surprise trip to Dallas and save the other tear jerker post for later. This is hard my friends!

Lauren knew that we were going to Dallas for her birthday but she didn't know all about the surprises ahead. She took one of her best friends Tate to help celebrate. As we were on our way to big D she opened a card from us with a surprise inside.

She found out that she is going to American Girl store to get the 2009 doll and getting her ears pierced at the mall. She was so excited!
Big D here we come.

A 10 year old girls dream store.

Lauren brought her doll Mia.

I had a blast with these two girls! They were so much fun.

The store was amazing. So many little girls having the best time with their moms.

Lauren and Tate have decided that they want to work for American Girl when they get older. ha!

Having the best time!

What a fun day...wait there is more!

We had plans to ice skate but it was too crowded.

Dad and the boys had fun together too.

On to the second surprise......ears pierced.

We all gathered around for support. She was nervous (I was too! How do you explain that they have to do it twice?)

She had a few tears at first. We held hands and took a deep breath.

There you go! She did it. I was so proud of her for being brave. She looks so much older now. yikes!

After picking out some future earrings to wear. It was time for the next surprise.

Dave and Busters! This place is awesome. Just a ton of games to play.

The boys had a great time too.

Having the best day.

After dinner at Spaghetti Warehouse it was time for one last surprise...a carriage ride through Dallas. It was a beautiful night to do this.

Luke, Lauren, and Tate

Casey, Landry, and me

Lauren said on the way home that this was the best birthday ever. We all had fun helping her celebrate. So, in the morning when I wake up I will now have a 10 year old daughter and I will smile! You are everything to us Tootie. We LOVE you Lauren!!

Happy 10th Birthday Lauren

Bringing in the New Year with friends

We were blessed to bring in the New Year with some wonderful friends and their little ones. I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't stop and thank the good Lord for these friends. Anytime we get together it is a blast. Here are the little Hoodies. They were excited to welcome in 2009 together. See pretty excited?

Lauren, Jillian, and Abby.

Luke had his horn ready.

Sweet Brady

My beautiful Hoodie girls

Handsome Hoodie men.

We rocked it old school. There were lots of Ms. Packman tournaments.

Mindy represented the girls. I must say I never knew you were so good at this!

Then we played scategories. It is a lot like charades. Pretty funny stuff!

As 2008 left and we welcomed in the New Year, I couldn't think of a place I would rather be right now but with these friends. 3L's God puts certain people in your life for a reason I believe. Take care of them and they will help take care of you. Happy New Year!

Christmas in Hereford

Better late than never right? ha! Here are the pictures from our Hereford trip. With 7 boys and only two girls there had to be a game of football in there. I think this was a start of a new tradition with the boys. This is the very first "cousin football" game. It was so funny. Most of them are still too young to understand what to do. Landry had the ball at one time and he kept running in circles around a tree with all of them chasing him. Fun times. Kyndall, Lauren, Landry, Luke, Griffen, Cade, and Alex
Opening presents is always fun at Appy's house.

Lauren was excited to get some new American Girl clothes.

About 2 Christmas ago, my mom and dad pulled a good one on us! My dad had been telling me he bought my mom something REALLY nice that year. He wouldn't tell me but all of the clues made me believe she was getting a new car. (little did I know she was in on the secret) On Christmas day they loaded all of us up (brothers, sister in laws, and cousins) and drove us to a different part of town. They had bought a new house and didn't tell anyone that they were moving. Stinkers! What a shock it was to me because I grew up in this other house. I just never thought they would move but I was so HAPPY for them. It was a Christmas to remember. THEN this Christmas, my dad pulls me into his office and says watch your mother's eyes when she opens this up. Again, I thought he was pulling another joke on me. ha! He had bought her.....

a new wedding ring. It really was so sweet and special to see my parents "getting engaged again" as I call it. ha!

My mom cried (as the rest of us did too).

Ok, for the next bunch of pictures look out! Please tell me it isn't just my family who can't take a good group picture? There always seems to be a nut in the bunch (mainly Brett) or someones eyes closed. None the less, I look at these and smile. This is sooo my family. Funny, jokesters, and glad to be together.

See? I told you it is mainly Brett!

Aww...brothers! What do you do with them?

This poor group had no clue what they were marrying into. ha!

Chad, Brett, and me

Like I said, nut! 3L's your Uncle Moose is funny.

I look forward to seeing them again at Christmas next year. It is a shame we only get to see each other once a year. Maybe this year will be different.

Christmas with Gma

What a fast trip to Hereford! Not really (8 hours away) but the time sure did go fast getting to visit with my family for Christmas. So much to blog about and I don't know where to start. ha! I will start with one of my favorite people of all times....Gma or known as Great grandmother to the 3L's. Gma (pronounced G-maw) lives in a little retirement home in Hereford. She is 88 years old and does not act her age. ha! She is spunky, can out wit you in any game you play with her, a social butterfly, loved by all who know her, and can out beat me any day in a foot race. She is amazing! God has blessed her with great health. Here she is with a couple of her dear friends.

Katherine (Gma), Marie, and Joyce The 3L's, Casey and I ate Christmas lunch at her place. Landry loved all of the attention and his face was covered with red lipstick from all of the little grandmothers there.

Having Lauren made a 4th generation of women. Gma, my mom, me, and Lauren. When we all get together it is so much fun. My grandmother often comes with my mom to Waco. I love having her here. It makes me sad to think one day I won't have her around. Until then I let her know often how much she means to me.


I have learned a lot from her! Her funny sayings, compassion for others, stubbornness, laugh a lot if you can, and love for God. The list really could go on. It was so nice to spend Christmas with Gma!