Friday, August 28, 2009

Happy Birthday to the greatest Mimi Ever!

Happy Birthday Mimi! We love you!



Greenville Drive Baseball Game

The kids all read (or listened to) 50 books this summer and earned a free ticket to the Greenville Drive baseball game! They were part of the pre-game "show". They got their names on the jumbo-tron... and got to walk around the field!
Here we are posing for the camera and daddy!

Bowen giving the baseball player a high five!


Bowen and Daddy watching the game!


Clair...all smiles!


Kate watching the game!


The kids with the field as a back drop!


Next to a photo of Shoeless Joe Jackson...the local baseball legend!


We didn't get to stay for the whole game...it was a school night! But the kids had fun and the Greenville Drive stadium is amazing!

Way to go kiddos!

Happy Birthday Mimi!


Happy Birthday Mimi. Her big day was yesterday, but she...being the good mother that she is...spent it at a Judson football game...supporting her son. Instead of getting to celebrate her birthday today...she is giving that up as well, so that Joel can help us celebrate with her. So instead of just getting one day, Mimi is getting part of THursday, Friday, and Saturday to celebrate. She's so flexible...just one of her many qualities. We sure love mom and are so glad that she is our mom and mimi. We all love her and appreciate all she does for us. Thanks for being such a great mom. Hope you had a great birthday and many more to come.

I wish someone who had the picture of Mimi with the girls in their Mexican dresses would post it, because it's one of my favorites.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Brooklyn Builds a Bear

Brooklyn has been working very hard on an important goal...well, she finally achieved that goal. She really wanted another crab, but we found out that crabs need about 7-10 inches of dirt to dig into and they need to live in groups of at least 3. That meant that a crab was out of the question. As was a "little tiny pup all my own," which was her next idea. Instead we settled for her very own Build a Bear. She and I made the trip across town to the local Build a Bear. She picked her bear...a fuzzy, very soft hot pink with specks of rainbow in its fur. (This of course was not Aunt Emily's choice...I really tried to change her mind, but she was set on the hot pink bear.)

Let me tell you this Build a Bear has it down to a science. First you pick the bear, stuff it, dress it, and accessorize. Why didn't I think of this idea? Such a simple place that brings joy to all who come near.

Here is Brooklyn telling the lady that she wants her bear really soft. She had 3 choices...soft, middle, or hard. What child wouldn't pick soft.

Every bear needs a heart. And Sparkles (the name Brooklyn chose) is no different. Brooklyn is rubbing the heart next to her side so that Sparkles will always be near her. She rubbed it on her nose so that Sparkles would recognize her smell.

Brooklyn got to push the stuffing petal to make Sparkles just the right softness.

Here she is trying her out to make sure she is soft enough.

Before dressing her in her formal attire, she air washed her to make sure her fur was nice and fluffy.
Since I forgot my camera in the first place, I had to use my blackberyy to take these pictures...so they aren't the best, but that also meant limited number of pictures. I was not able to get a picture of Sparkles dressed and ready to go to her new home. Trust me she looked gorgeous.
The whole time Brooklyn kept saying, "Wouldn't Kate and Clair love this." "Maybe we should make one for them." Instead we decided that we would just send them the funds to do it themselves as a back to school treat. After all...half the fun is building it yourself. Read Ros' post below to see how Kate and Clair made out at Build a Bear. Can't wait for Sparkles, Beauty, and Max to all get together. :)

Build a Bear

Thanks to Aunt Em for sending the girls the means for this little trip to Build a Bear as a back to school treat! Bowen had birthday money, but wants to use it to buy a racetrack! So he happily watched the girls make there bears...well, actually they picked dogs!
Kate's dog getting stitched up! Clair's doggy getting stuffing!
Clair picking a heart!

Clair giving Beauty her air bath!


Kate giving Max his air bath!


The girls dressing their dogs!


Kate and soccer dog Max!


Max in action!

Clair and Beauty - in her purple prom dress and sparkly heels!


Two sisters, two black lab dogs!

As Kate said, It was a BLAST! Thanks Aunt Em!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Bowen's 3rd Birthday Party

So, I wasn't very good at taking photos all through the party. As a matter of fact, the kids had been there for over 30 minutes before I remembered to take a photo! Then I got busy and forgot again! It is just too much to host and to photograph! But here are a few I got (or my friend Susan took for me)!

So, the kids were playing upstairs, just making a racket and this is what I found. Bowen standing on the toy box singing his lungs out while Briggs played the drums, Owen was mixing on the computer, Ryan watched the show, and Halie baked! It was cute!

Then we ate some yummy hot dogs! I love this group of kiddos!

Owen - Bowen's partner in crime!

Briggs, Owen's big brother!


Roma and Halie - the two angels!

Ben - the cuz!


Bowen taking a sip!


Beth and Buster came for a little bit!


The bar stool gang!


The adult table!


The cake - I know, I should have made the cake myself, I had a cute idea and everything! But with school starting this week and everything, I just couldn't get it together! But it was a cute cake and Bowen loved it and it was yummy!

The kids all thought it was cool too!


Here I am lighting the candles! THREE to be exact!


Bowen was the first to dig in!

It was a great party. The kids played like there was no tomorrow and I didn't even use the games or activities I had planned! As I was putting Bowen to bed last night, I asked him if he had a good day. He said yes and then asked, "Mom can tomorrow be like today?" I guess that means he really did have a great day! Happy birthday son!

Bowen's Birthday Breakfast in Bed OR B.B.B. in B.

Bowen's birthday started off with breakfast in bed...the old tried and true Call family tradition! When he heard us coming up the stairs he started singing happy birthday to himself! :) He wanted chocolate chip pancakes and apple with apple juice! This kid is easy! Here he is with his sister - they are all in their morning glory!
Bowen chilaxing and eating a little apple before he opens his gifts!


He is really into these cool Lego/Mega Block Cars things. So, his sisters each got him some. Here he is with Sheriff.

He is also getting into Star Wars and wants to watch it with Stephen all the time! (That makes Stephen happy!) So, I got him a "Darf-a-vador" shirt...his favorite character! He LOVED it!


Another cool Cars Lego thing! It's Mator!


And his big gift, Mac - Lightening's big rig! It's a Lego thing too, so now we have WAY too many pieces when things aren't all put together!

It was a great start to a great day!