It's been a while...

WOW! I can't believe that my last post was the first day of school! I am ashamed that I let that happen. There has been so much that has happened in the the last 6 weeks. The girls have had 2 lamb and goat livestock shows, they have completed the first 6 weeks of school and have made great grades, there was the Homecoming Football Game,and we have planned a trip to Walt Disney World for December.
Whew!
It is a crazy life but it is fun!


This is a scary sight! Dad was helping Lilly shoot at a target at a church fellowship. One of the boys that was there commented that this was the best church get-together because he could shoot!



We were all needing a nap, but Lilly was the only one that managed to get comfortable enough!



This was Emily's first show and I am proud of what an great job she did! But, she did show Nemo, which is the goat that Lilly spends most of her time with (she's not old enough to show) and so Lilly gets a lot of the credit as well. They all got 1st place!

First Day of School

My 4th grader!


My 1st grader!


My 6th grader! (Saying that makes me feel old!)


My 3rd grader!


The whole gang, excited and ready to go!

Dad was in town today and I had to explain to him that it IS in the parenting rule book to walk your children into school on the first day. So, he took them and I took Haley. A great first day!

My Helpers

For the last couple of days, Haley and Macey have been at 4-H Camp and Jay has been out of town as well. So, you would think that with just me and the little girls at home we would have had all kinds of fun things planned, especially with Lilly's birthday on Thursday.

Well............

"Our" Birthday...Lilly is 7!!!

Today is Lilly's 7th Birthday!!! And we finally get to give her a real celebration. I have often thought about the birthdays that we weren't able to be with her and the milestones that we missed, but today I am just grateful to get to share this special day with her. She has been sooooo excited about her birthday, not really just about the presents (like her mom and sisters) but more about the joy of sharing her day with family and friends. She has planned her "guest list" for the last 2 months and each time she made a new friend she quickly amended her list. There were even days that we asked her NOT to talk about her birthday until it was only 1 month away.
So, following her sisters' birthday posts I will share 7 (one for each year)special qualities of our Lilly Mei:

1. Lilly has had a great sense of humor since the day we got her. She will make silly faces, play practical jokes on us and giggle uncontrollably!



2. Although Lilly truly dislikes being Mei Mei (littlest sister) she really looks up to her big sisters. She wants to do everything that they do. She also wants each of them to share in different activities with her.



3. Lilly has a wonderfully grateful heart! She has said thank you so much for her birthday gifts, but she has also been grateful simply for the birthday itself. A few days ago she and Haley were discussing homeless people and she asked why we didn't give them money to buy a house. Haley told me that it really bothered Lilly that there were people that did not have food or homes.

4. Lilly has a very determined personality. This has certainly been beneficial for her as she has had to overcome many physical and emotional difficulties. There is absolutely no telling just how far she will go because of her determination!


5. She lights up a room wherever she goes! There are often very few times that Lilly won't smile at people or want to share a story with them.



6. Lilly is a VERY smart little girl and has amazed us all at how quickly she has learned English. Not only has she learned English but she will be entering 1st grade almost on target...after only being in school for 1 semester!

7. Lilly is one very special little girl! She has amazed us, taught us patience, and made the perfect addition to our family!


Happy Birthday Lilly Mei! We can't wait to share all of the upcoming milestones with you! We love you!!!!