Leigh's Birthday Party

Leigh has been able to say duck since she was 8 months old. So naturally, that is what kind of party she had. I have been asked by several to write out the details of the party. I will try to write out what I did.

Here is the duck cake that I made. I got the 3d duck pan from Hobby Lobby. It took 1 1/2 pound cake mixes to make it. I used a #32 star tip to ice the cake. I put it in a blue tin also from Hobby Lobby. I cut up a blue plastic table cloth to make it look like it was in water and then used clear "marbles" from the flower section. I used big flat ones and little round ones to look like bubbles. I was planning on using something else that H.L. was out of, but I ended up liking the marbles more--found them just walking around looking for something that might work. We did not eat this cake--it's actually still sitting on my counter!

The smash cake was very easy. I took a duck cookie cutter and lightly pressed down on my cake. Then frosted it yellow and blue. Very easy!

Baby Leigh loved her presents!

Big sister (dressed in a get-up) helping to blow out the candle!
Not so much into the cake!

Honey made the dress for Leigh!

My favorite view!

These were the party favors. I gathered all the duck/water songs I could find and made a cd with them (actually Sara did because I couldn't figure out how to on our computer). Then from Dollar Tree I got duck bubbles. I tied one on there per kid in the family.

Dinner: We had about 25 people there (we have large families) so dinner had to be easy. I did Mexican Pile-up. I got the recipe from Dale Sorgenfrei--anyway very easy to prepare and good for the kids because they can pick out what they will eat. I trippled the recipe and didn't have many leftovers.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 small can paste

1 can kidney beans drained

garlic salt to taste

chili powder to taste

brown meat and drain fat. add the other ingredients, stir and simmer (i put them in a crockpot)

layer regular fritos, rice, meat, then pile on: grated cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, salsa, chopped pecans, chopped black olives, and coconut (just try it)

I gathered all the duck items from around our house to use as the center piece of the kids tables which doubled as toys for them to play with.

Birthday Party Central

There have been 549 pictures taken on my camera over the last week. It will take me a while to go through them and pick out ones to post. These below may not even be the best ones.

After several hours of cooking on Thursday afternoon, I stepped back, looked around, and this is what I saw.... a complete mess!



This was the outcome of the mess: 3 cakes and 48 cupcakes! We celebrated both of the girls birthdays this weekend. Sara Beth turned 3 Saturday and Leigh will be one on March 11th. We had both parties on Saturday at our house so that all of our family would be able to be there. Sara Beth had a Pinkalicious Party and Leigh had a duck party. If you don't know the book Pinkalicious you need to find a copy to read.

Birthday tradition around our house is to have cake and ice cream and open presents for breakfast. Since cake and ice cream were on the menu for two times already on Saturday we decided to skip it for breakfast. Sara Beth did open her presents though.

The plan for her party was to rent a jumpy slide and for the kids to play in the backyard (we gave them a "park" in the backyard for their birthdays). Well, even though it had been 75 and sunny all week Saturday was freezing, windy, and cloudy so we had to go to plan B...The Garage!

I bought a bunch of playdough and all the accessories and the kids had fun playing with it.

Aunt Laura and SB making a lady out of playdough.

Daddy even got in on the whole pinkalicious theme!

I also bought black butcher paper from the teacher store and put it on the garage wall and gave them pink sidewalk chalk to draw with.

Also, they got to put pink sprinkles and dots on their cupcakes before they ate them.

Sara Beth blowing out her candles. She was so excited to have all of her friends sing Happy Birthday. It was her favorite part!

Just a few from lately...

Being silly

Making music
Bye, Bye Daddy...We miss you!

My favorite

Setting up the dollhouse that My May and Bo Bo gave her for Christmas--she just got it this week! Very fun!

Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Sara

We have made a few changes in our house over the last couple of weeks. We couldn't have done it without my family. I got a new foyer light fixture for Christmas. Mom made numerous trips around town until I found one that I liked. Then she helped me decide which light fixtures in my house I should move and she painted one black that was white. Dad hung 4 fixtures for me! Thanks Dad!


My sister, Sara, was ever so kind and helped me to paint my bathroom. Below is what it originally looked like--the EXACT color of a cardboard box. It is a nice sized bathroom and it seemed so small and dark.




Now it is light and it feels much bigger! I still have a few holes to patch, door knobs to change to silver, and some pictures to hang, but we are done!





Dad and his favorite assistant changed the faucet in my kitchen. All of these were changes that I knew I wanted to make when we bought the house over a year ago, but it has taken us this long to get it done.

Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy!

We love you Daddy!

Thank you for being a wonderful husband and father! You are a truly a servant leader and a model to our family of how Christ loves His church. Thank you! I can only hope and pray that our girls will one day find a Valentine like you! Happy Valentine's Day!

11 months

Baby Leigh is 11 months old! I can't believe it! What a joy she is! The picture below is her hanging upside down--one of her favorite things to do! You can barely hold her now because she is trying to flip backwards.

She is still a happy sweet child, but she sure has that famous "red headed temper"! She is on the move all the time! When you ask her where her head is she will pat her head. The same with her belly!

I love that cute profile!


I still can't get over how much she is eating! We just left a restaurant with my parents where Leigh ate: 7 grapes, a handful of cheese, 1/2 of a grilled cheese, a cracker, rice, sweet potato...and then came home and drank almost 4 oz of formula. She has worked hard on those precious cheeks and belly! Zeb and I are so thankful that God has allowed her little tongue to work so that she can swallow properly!

Cabin No. 14

Our church did a women's retreat last weekend at Twin Lakes Camp! What a fun and beautiful weekend! Ashley Hall spoke on "Designed by God, Living in a Designer World". She discussed how this world is turned upside down by sin, but God will turn the world upright--He will have the last word. We are to learn on Christ who has overcome the world. The picture above is all the girls in my cabin--this picture was taken in the morning after very little sleep! Top-Kristy, Chrysler, Jennifer, Brittany, bottom-Kim, Anna, Kristen

When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it Lord that I should boast, Save on the death of Christ, my God, All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, his hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down, Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.

Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small, Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

And it's official...

The paci is gone and she's a big girl now!

We took the pacis to the babies at the hospital. Daddy told Sara Beth at the beginning of the year that in order to have a birthday party she was going to have to say bye-bye to the paci. She has been talking about this a lot. Today, she told Dr. Tiffany what she was going to do and Dr. Tiffany said that was a good idea and that she needed to go ahead and do it. When she and Zeb were having a discussion about this she told him that Dr. Tiffany said she must get rid of her paci "right now". Poor Zeb had just gotten home from 33 hours at the hospital only to turn around and go right back. He decided, though, since she was ready now was the time.

All the way to the hospital she was talking about giving them up. She said, "Mommy, the babies are going to love my pacis cause they are pinkalicious!" Of course, I agreed wholeheartedly!


Handing them over to Daddy to take to the nurse.

She gave them right over. You can tell she was trying really hard to be big! When we walked away she was real quiet and didn't really want to talk--it absolutely broke my heart. I was hoping she would break into tears so my could come flowing!

A big cone for a big girl!

So bedtime... I put Leigh to bed first so I could focus on SB (Zeb had a meeting and was not here). Sara Beth and I read three books and she was snuggling with me. In the middle of book no. 2 she said, "hold on Momma and let me get my..... oh never mind". What a big girl! After we pray and she climbs in bed she says, "Momma, can I just use Spot's ear (a puppy) as my paci." I just assure her that Spot is a good snuggle partner. She gets out of bed several times. After about 30 minutes of her getting up and me putting her back I hear her rumbling around. She comes out with a knob from one of her drawers. She tells me that she is looking for her purple paci. (Now, she had lots of pink pacis and one purple paci---she knew she had just given the pink ones to the babies--too smart!) Little did she know that her mean mommy has been throwing pacis out and cutting pacis for the last week! After 1 1/2 hours I had to tell her that if she got out of bed one more time I was going to have to spank her. Fortunately she knew I would so she stayed in bed. I really didn't want to punish her because I knew this was a hard night.
I can only wait to see what happens in the middle of the night and for naps tomorrow!

We're Gonna Have to Get Smarter

Sara Beth is turning 3 ("On my birfday--Febrewawy tenty-ate!"), so we decided it's about time the pacis had to go--even our new best friend, Dr Green, agreed. We're really smart people (if you combine the two of us), so we came up with a full-proof plan. We were gonna break the pacis!! Brilliant!!

So I took most of her pacis and threw them out, but of the two that I left, I cut a whole in the nipple of one of the pacis. One night as Sara Beth was going to bed, we secretly gave her a "broken" paci.

Immediately after putting it in her mouth, she spit it out and said, "Daddy, it broked!"

"Oh well," Daddy responded. "I guess we'll have to throw it out."

"NOOO!"

"OK, well you're gonna have to sleep with a broken paci if you want one"

"OK"

We hoped that the plan had worked and she would quickly disguard this broken paci. Unfortunately, she's smarter than us!! Next thing we know, we were awakened at 3 am with a cold hand to the face and a little voice whispering, "Daddy, I can't find my broken paci. Where is it?"

"Use your other one."

"NOOOOO! I want my broken paci!!"

Next thing you know, lights are on at 3 am and Daddy's looking for a "broken paci".

She wins!!

Tea Time

My May took us on a tea party to Friends last Friday. This is a quaint restaurant that has the best chicken salad around! You can see Sara Beth is fully enjoying herself. She loves pouring herself "tea"!

Even Leigh enjoyed herself. She loved the muffin--not so much the veggies! Her sister has a lot to teach her!

Sweet picture of My May and Sara Beth

The Dentist

Sara Beth made her first trip to the dentist today. I was expecting a meltdown, but instead she fully cooperated. Everyone at Dr. Tiffany Green's office was so friendly toward children and made the experience wonderful. Here she is getting ready to watch t.v. (on the ceiling) while she is getting her teeth cleaned. I am taking Leigh in about 6 weeks--not counting on full cooperation!

Dr. Green working on her teeth--I highly recommend her if you are looking for a dentist!

Up Close and Personal

Have you ever been this close to a bear?

How much fun chasing a peacock!!!!!

Even the babies got into it this time! You can tell poor Leigh has another ear infection.

Leigh really is enjoying her pancake! She just would not cooperate and smile! Thank you God for answering the prayers of many and allowing Leigh to learn to use her tongue so that she can eat! We are so thankful that He opened doors for us to get in and see the doctors and therapists that we needed to around Christmas and that they were able to help us. Leigh is eating lots of "people" food now! She is able to eat yogurt and baby food with a spoon although it doesn't look exactly correct. We will work on that later when she can follow directions!




Two sweet neighbors, Molly and Natalie come over every now and then and play with the girls. Last weekend they had a tea party with water and nilla wafers!

Amelia Bedilia lives here

sara beth:  mommy, why is austin barking?

me: no telling!

sara beth:  why aren't you telling me?

Funny Things

The girls have been so funny lately and I must record them so I will never forget.  I am going to try to do this from now on!

Leigh has not been feeling well this week and has had a hard time sleeping. Tonight I was rocking and singing to her--thinking we were having the sweetest mother/daughter time ever when she looks at me laughs and grabs my mouth with her hands as if to tell me that I can't sing--if you know me, you know this is true!

We were driving across Spillway yesterday and out of the blue Sara Beth says, "Mommy, where is all of Daddy's hair?"

On Tuesday she was hungry and asked for a snack around 5:00.  I told her she would have to wait for dinner and she said, "Well, I guess that's my problem!"

Movie Night

Zeb had to work tonight so I decided to do something fun with the girls.  I asked Sara Beth what she wanted to do tonight and she said, "put on makeup"!  This cracked me up because I have never put makeup on her.  So, we decided to have pizza, popcorn, and movie night on the floor in the living room.  Sara Beth has never seen a movie so she was extra excited! We watched Cinderella! She was mesmerized--and I never knew anyone to have so many questions during one movie!