Pretty Princess Party!

The day Mia has dreamed of for years and years finally came true on her 5th birthday! She has been begging for a princess party but I'm a mean mom and I don't let my kids have a "real" birthday party until they turn 5. They're stuck with a family party until then. (Hey! It gives them something to look forward to!) The girls made jewelry, decorated their own picture frames, and ate lots of cake and ice cream. Here are a few pics of the fun event:

My darling friend Shannon did SUCH a great job making this fabulous cake. Mia was elated. Thanks, Shan!

The princess and her cake.

The beautiful little princesses.

Noah decided he wanted to join the party too, but the girls all informed him he had to be dressed like a princess to come to the party. He decided it was worth getting into a dress for! Haha.

Mia was one spoiled little girl that day. A great big "thank-you" to my sister Jessica and her friend Whitney who actually did the party since I was on bedrest. Thanks for making our little princess feel so special on her super special day!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

Happy birthday #5, Princess Mia! We love you so much and are so happy that you are a part of our forever family. Here are a few reasons we love you:

*you're always singing

*you have a beautiful smile
*you're a great friend
*you're a wonderful joke teller :)
*you're kind to others
*you help mommy A LOT
*you have a willing heart
*you feel bad when others are sad
*you put up with all your brothers
*you try to be a peacemaker

Stay tuned for a post about the best "Princess Party" ever!

Long Live King Luke!

Today was a sad day at the Keeler house. After church, we found that our dog Luke had passed away. We're pretty sure it was just from natural causes even though he was only 3 years old.

Mia cried herself to sleep tonight because "I miss my Lukie". The boys were all very sad also. A lot of crying went on today. I've never been so attached to a pet before. Kirt was very good to me through the whole situation. He dug a grave tonight and we buried Luke in the backyard. He even gave a great memorial service and we said prayers outside around the grave.

We (OK Kirt, because I've been an emotional wreck all day) also took the opportunity to talk to the kids about life and death, the plan of salvation, etc. We had a good discussion and the kids asked lots of questions.

Rest in peace, my sweet baby boy! We will always love you.

Photo Tinks by WiddlyTinks.com

Kids say the cutest things!

Laundry is a pet peeve of mine. I don't mind DOING the laundry, or even folding it and putting it away, (OK, Kirt does that most of the time) but when I am sorting the dirty laundry and I find piles of FOLDED clothes in the kids' hampers, I am LIVID! I also hate it when they wear pajamas one time and put them in the hamper. I lost it a few weeks ago and told the kids they were not allowed to put their pj's in the hamper until they had worn them three times. (And yes, the boys all said, "What if we pee in them?")... But they've all been much better about it.

This morning Mia was eating breakfast and spilled a little egg on her nightgown. (The MAIN reason I don't let my kids get dressed before breakfast. :) After she was done eating, she went running in to get dressed and exclaimed, "I'm putting my nightgown in the hamster because it has egg on it!"

I had to laugh out loud. Moments like those make me SO glad I'm home with my little cuties. :)