The B-day continues....

Things are nuttin' but crazy around here right now (normal, I suppose!), but I know my dear mama has been requesting some b-day party pics so here's the latest....of the "best friends from her class" sleepover this past weekend. It really allowed for very little planning on my part and they girls had a ball (more pics of that to come later...who knew a bunch of smarties could be so crazy?!) :) Anyway....here's the darling cake I made for the event. I actually think it's one of my favs and it was surprisingly very therapeutic to make (almost like playing with playdoh, but fondant style :)). Anyway...it was supposed to be a two-layer cake, but Hailey nixed that idea (much to my chagrin...cuz you know I like to go ALL out!) :) Anyway....this is what she wanted...small and simple, which was more than enough for 5 girls.
A close-up of the detail work. And, yes, I know some of my peace signs are upside down. The cake I was copying from had it this way too and I never noticed til it was done that it looked sorta funny...I just love the coke, pizza, popcorn and teddy bear :) So, so cute. Hailey was thrilled with how it turned out....and in some of her fav. colors (the original cake I copied was pink and green...she's more a blue/green girl :))
Here's the party table sorta of set up. I also made some sad looking bowling cupcakes (and, yes, I know it's not a full pin set....I chucked some in the garbage in a semi-cake-making rage :)) And I made some very last minute sleepover cake pops. The theme was "sleep masks"...Hailey had made her invites to look like sleep masks too....
Another close-up of the cake....and, yes, I know the peace sign on the front is upside down...that I didn't do on purpose and didn't notice til it had been stuck on there for 12 hours :) Oh, and I added the little sleep mask per Hailey's request :)
Here's the crazy girls.....bowling at IU (the first thing we did that night). Hailey was bummed cuz she lost big time....I think her final score was something like 34 and that was with a friend who helped her out :( She hates to lose :(

The girls came right home from bowling... (it was snowing I might add :( )....and they had a pizza-making contest....Audrey and Baileigh won, though I think the judge (daddy, Kev) was a bit biased as he picked the two with fungus on them. Personally, I would have picked Hailey's four leaf clover with no fungus!
After some crazy fun the girls had cake...they loved eating the little fondant decorations :)
Much later on they had fondue....they loved it and got crazy eating choc. and strawberries and I do mean CRAZY...we found choc. later on even in the basement. We tried a new fondant this time....choc/marshmallow. It was yummy, but very sticky....
And this is the next morning...doing their annual "sleeping bag stair sledding"...Ash joined in the fun too! :)
And last weekend I got to take my girl out for her b-day...to our fav. spring event...the spring ballet...this year it was NY, NY...superb!

And then above is a cute pic I took of the kiddos in the sweet hats that Auntie Joy knitted for them. I love them and so do the kids. Thanks, Auntie Joy! :)

Quick St. Pat's B-day Recap!

A few quick pics of the "green" girl and her b-day celebration :) I have one beautiful 11 year old! :)
And 3 other green cuties too! :)
Here's the b-day cupcake pizza she requested. I felt slightly guilty that it was soooo easy to make and free of time-consuming fondant! :) If you don't have those cupcake cake books....get them! :) They are super fab!
It was the most beautiful day EVER! God was smiling down on us...sun and 70 degree weather...it was almost like FL w/o the humidity! Hays and all her backyard buds played outside the entire day. It was the perfect day...and she got to ride her new bike all day too (thanks Nina Stegs for driving it down earlier this week!).
And what a surprise it was to get this yummy Cookies By Design treat delivered to our doorstep from N&P Stegs. A yummy highlight of the day!
Hays and most of her b-day gifts. For a girl who "wanted nothing" for her b-day, she really hit the jackpot! Thanks to all who sent her well wishes, emails and cards and gifts...and phonecalls. She was showered with love and she LOVED it! :) And below is her biggest gift of the night...her new ballet barre from N&P Gritz and Aunt Mary and Great-Grandma in FL. I think daddy esp. looks nice showing off his dancing skills. What an awesome gift for our ballerina girl!
It was such a special day and we didn't even leave the house (well, except to take a short bike ride). It's been by far the nicest day of our spring break...and what a blessing that it hit just the right day...our Hailey's b-day! More pics to come....right now I am waiting for my hubby to come home for our weekend alone. Thanks to Nina and Poppy S. for taking the kids so we could rest in peace. Adios!

My Baby's 11! :( :)

Well, it's mind boggling to me, but somehow 11 years have gone by and my little baby girl is now a young lady :( Golly, do I feel old! And for some reason my mind is just overwhelmed with the feeling that in 11 more years she could very well be married and maybe even be pregnant like I was at 22 :) All that is just too much to think about right now...but I think it just goes to show how time truly does go by at warp speed. Seems like only yesterday we were all huddled together over this hospital warmer shocked that we'd had a little girl (we guessed she'd be a boy for some reason!) :) And she truly was the prettiest little girl with all that dark, crazy hair! :)
Can't even believe she was ever this small....7lbs, 2oz...the smallest of our babies....they just got bigger and bigger after her! :)
What a doll baby she was....the apple of our eyes! :)
So precious in her hand-knitted outfit from great-grandma Stegs :) (one of my fav. baby pics of her :))
And by the age of 2 she was budding ballerina always loving to put on a dance show for her family :)
...and now look at her...on IU's stage...so confident and beautiful as one of Clara's best friends :)
...there is no denying she is a lovely ballerina...and she loves every second of it!
...she's always been so full of life...
...and craziness...
...and love for her family (especially babies....and especially Cousin Austin this Christmas :))
...so trendy and hip...
so beautiful in every way....

That's our Hailey...she always has been and always will be...someone very special....just a diamond in the rough. I am so very blessed that God thought us somehow worthy to be her parents so long ago...when we were so young and so clueless. I think her miracle of life is what changed my life...she made me a better person...and now every day that I look at her I am so very proud of who she is and the way she uses her God-given talents. I honestly think she is a better person than I am (and maybe even smarter!) and I can't wait to see what awesome things God has in store for her.

So, Happy Birthday, Hailey Nicole. My life was forever changed that Y2K St. Patty's Day! I love you so very, very much!!!!