Happy Birthday Shaelyn!

It's hard to believe - my youngest child is turning 8 today! Seven years ago we happily welcomed you into our family.
We have a lot of plans for the day. First of all, it is Egyptian Day for her at school today. They have been
studying about Egypt. Today they all get to dress in Egyptian costumes and eat Egyptian snacks. They also will be making mummies with each other out of toilet paper. She was very excited that this fell on her birthday. Then I will be bringing her lunch from McDonalds. We will be decorating her birthday cake when she comes home. She chose a gumball machine birthday cake. There will be a lot of gumballs. For supper, we are going to Chuckie Cheese and will be opening presents. It's a lot to fit into 1 day but we're going to try.
Happy Birthday Shaelyn - We love you and hope you have a great birthday!



Here she is in her Egyptian costume and with her class.



























Standing by the mummy with her friend Grace

Happy Birthday, Katelyn!

Today is Katelyn's birthday. She is turning 19!
Here you are at 6 months old. You look so sweet and innocent! Even though you started off awfully small, you grew quickly. You were an easy going baby, except for those 2 nights. Dad was working nights and it was just you and me. You decided that you did not want to sleep at all and just cried. Your monitor would go off when you cried so I could not just let you sleep in your crib. Dawn B. decided to keep you for the next night so that I could get some sleep. Do you remember the drawer that she let you sleep in?




















This is your 3 year old picture. I love your curls here. All I had to do was wet them a little and let them go. This was just like my hair at this age! You're just like me!

















Here you are at 6 years old - getting older and going to Kindergarten.


Katelyn means: pure beauty.
Leigh means: either Gaelic form of male Lee or Hebrew form of Leah which means delicate.

I think I did a great job of choosing your name; even though you don't like it. I think you are beautiful, inside and out. And at the small size you were when you were born; I'd say you were fairly delicate.



This is your senior picture from last year. I just love this picture.


Now you have completed your first semester in college. I think you are making a wise decision to go into the field of social work. You have a very caring heart and you do great with kids. I'm very proud of how you have grown - aside from 1 or 2 blond moments. But hey, who's counting. At least you're staying true to your natural color! Katelyn, I hope you have a great 19th birthday! I love you!

Watch out World - Someone's turning 16!

Today is Chelsea's 16th birthday. Can you all believe it? I hardly can! These have
been years with some highs and lows. Here you are at 1 year old. You always did have a contagious smile. You were a happy, easy going and contented baby.









When you were 2 weeks old, I remember Grandpa saying, "I think she's going to be an easy kid". Well.....there have been a few difficult moments. Let me see, I recall you being just over 2 years old and I was trying to put your cute little dress on for church. For some reason, you did not want to get dressed. Dad and I were both working on getting that dress on you. As quick as we'd get one arm in and start working on the other, you'd pull that first arm out. Stubborn....

Here you are at 5 years old, gettting ready to start Kindergarten in the fall.



Chelsea means: a shipping port
Lynne: a cascading waterfall
I guess this somewhat fits you. You enjoy water. You like swimming and taking long showers?! Good thing we didn't put a lot of thought and meaning into the name we chose. We just picked it because:
a) Dad liked the name Chelsea
b) Lynne is Mom's middle name






Here is the picture we had taken last summer. Quite a change over
the last few years!


Deciding to work with animals in the future fits you well. I think you will do a great job doing something in the veterinarian field. You have a great heart for animals - well most of them. (poor spiders)
You've been through quite a lot in these past 16 years and we are proud of the way you've handled it all. Love you.










HAPPY SWEET 16th BIRTHDAY!
(and no - you're not going to find one of these in the driveway for you, we're keeping those roads safe a little while longer!)

42 - but who's counting

Yes, it's my birthday today. I've made it to 42 but I'm still going, (pretty strong). I'm off to a good start today. Shaelyn is off to school for her 1st day of Kindergarten. I will be posting pictures of her when she comes home, so don't forget to come back to take a look! I guess I will spend the day at the stores, all by myself!! Katelyn will be home tonight because she has to work so we'll do some celebrating then.

Happy Birthday, Katelyn

Happy Birthday, Katelyn. I really can't believe you're 18 already. That seems like such an old number. I think I'm really to young to have an 18 year old. You've brought a lot of love into this family. What would Shaelyn do without you? Next year, you'll be in college! Hope you have a great day. We love you.