5th Birthday Party

Everyone at Chuck E Cheese

Everyone at the Bear Mill

A surprise visit from a special friend...Carrol

We celebrated Shaleigh's 5th birthday party by taking a few of her friends to Amarillo to Chucky Cheese and then to the bear mill to built an animal. They had so much fun running around and playing games and sharing laughter. It was hard at times for me to find the kids so that I could shoot some pictures of them playing games.

We then proceeded to the bear mill where most of the little girls picked out a unicorn and clothes. They got to stuff each animal and place the x and o inside their body. They also got to color a t-shirt for each of their animals. They then got to take a picture of them with their animal and get a certificate printed of them.

All and all it was a good time had by all and we enjoyed having a different kind of party then we have ever had before. I think that Shaleigh and her friends enjoyed having time with each other and playing games and making animals.

We are so blessed to have the group of friends that Shaleigh has acquired through playschool and dance/cheer. They are a great group of kids that I hope will be friends for a very long time.

5 Years Old

It is so hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that Shaleigh turned 5 years old this past April. We have had so many great adventures and I know that we will have many more as her life speeds by us.

This year it will be the end of playschool and we will leave such wonderful teachers behind and embark on the next adventure named public school. She has so much lined up this summer between T-Ball, VBS, swimming lessons, and Soccer. Thrown in there is also the end of dance/cheer for the summer, gymnastics for the summer. We also have Miss Tulia and Miss Splash to get through.

I know personally I have had some challenges with the issue of her minding but I think that is just the stage she is going through. I know I will be paid for my raising with this child and I know that she will be the one to give me gray hair. But regardless of all of this I don't regret a single moment we have had with her. We also look forward to many more challenges that we have ahead of us with her. God knew what he was doing when he blessed us with her and I know that he will protect her as she grows.

My LIttle Monkey

Kori can still boogie with the best of them

Shaleigh's turn and she loves to hula hoop

I'm a tree huger at heart

Look at me all by myself in that tree

Kori this is so much fun

Kori it looks so far to the ground we had better not fall

Wow I love climbing trees

Mom can I finally move positions

Kori, Shaleigh, and I went to Lubbock Friday night for a weekend of celebration for our precious Lucas. He turned one on the 17th and his birthday party was Saturday. We went up on Friday so that we could go and take Easter pictures and 5 year old birthday pictures on Saturday early.

When we arrived Lee was in the backyard putting together a toy and we joined him out in the sunshine. Kori decided to climb a tree and of course there went Shaleigh. She had never climbed one before since we don't have good climbing trees around our house. Kori was really good to keep close so that if Shaleigh started to slip she could grab her. They had such a good time in the trees and then they moved to the ground and the hula hoop. Thanks to Kori who is so good with Shaleigh they made some more memories of them together again.

Giddy Up Ya'll

The sweetest thing in the WEST

Howdy Partner

This is for all the Tech in my family...."Get your guns up" Love ya Aunt Beth and Uncle Tim and Uncle Alan.

Shake that can-can

This one she looks like she is running away from a crime scene

Lets do the two-step and dosie doe

This is the only one that she sat still for

We were trying to determine what Shaleigh would wear for her 5 year old pictures this year. I loved the thought of her wearing her tutu and had bought a shirt that said cowgirls rule. Inspiration hit.....mom and dad hunted all over Amarillo for a pair of black western boots that we will put with her tutu, shirt, and her black western hat.

I decided that she needed to try it on and this shows what it looks like and how goofy she really is. I believe that her dance is really influencing her life since she is always dancing around the room and in the attire it was no different. I enjoyed watching her and laughed at her antics. What a goof ball but she is so cute in it and her personality just shines through.

Playschool Valentine's Party

Shaleigh in her Valentine's outfit

The 3 and 4 year old classes

Another picture of them

The Oklahoma Hokey Pokey

Friends forever (we hope)...Laynee, Shaleigh, and Kylie

They hugged each other so hard they all tipped over

Shaleigh and Gracie (don't think they get along very well) but they still have fun together

This was a fun day but at the same time a sad. This was Shaleigh's last Valentine's Party at Playschool. It is so hard to believe that my baby will start Kindergarden next year. It is amazing how time flies. It seems just like yesterday that our adventure began with this precious child.

They had so much fun performing for the parents. They even sang a version of the Hookey Pokey it was the Oklahoma version. They were so entertaining and we all laughed at the actions to the song. Afterward the songs were done we had snacks and sat around and visited with some great kids and parents. I know personally I will miss the playschool and we have been so blessed by such great teachers.

Playing in the sand with cousins

The kids playing with the Barbies

Wow look how many of them there are

Look at my Barbie house

Burying Junior in the sand

The start of burying Junior

Had lots of help and had fun

Uncle Dan coaching Karissa on the trampoline

Playing in the sand

The weekend was planned for Crystal, Kristie, and I to go to the church and scrapbook. Jesus was in charge of the boys with the help of 2 teenagers. They had so much fun playing in the sand and having the run of the yard. We now have a swing-set, a fort, trampoline, and a big sand pile that the swimming pool sits on when it is up. That seems to be their favorite place to play is in the sand. They decided to bury Junior and he was a good sport and let them.

We always have so much fun when the cousins all get together and play. I wouldn't trade my yard and my family for anything int the world. They all play well together.

Shaleigh even talked her cousins into playing with her Barbie house she got for Christmas. The boys loved playing with her and enjoyed their time with her.

Camping Out

Dan and Shaleigh camping out

Shaleigh felt bad about taking me from Dan so she gave him new bed partners

This is us in the tent

Okay folks most of you by now know that I hate anything related to camping out. My theory is that if it doesn't have electricity or a potty it is not for me. So you can imagine my horror of Shaleigh asking me to go camping.

Okay I just didn't have the heart to tell her no, so we set out to get our tent ready. The tent being her Disney tent that is huge and takes up most of her room so it lives in the garage. We sat it up in the living room and had a camp out. I laid on the hard wood floor until 11:00 and went to bed. The next night I suggested Shaleigh ask Dan to camp out and he stayed on the floor all night.

What mattered is that Shaleigh had her first camp out and it was successful.