Look how much I've grown!



First Day of Kindergarten
August 27, 2010



Last Day of Kindergarten
June 6, 2011



Lauren's 6th Birthday

Lauren had a magical birthday party!  It took place at The Enchanted Village, a toy store and popular party spot for little girls. 

Every room in the Enchanted Village has a theme.  This is the jungle room.  It is the gathering place as everyone arrives.

The Narnia Room was next.  It was a winter wonderland, decorated in snowy white. 

Each of Lauren's guests took turns posing with her in the sleigh.





In the next room, Lauren was given a magic key from the fairies.  Tapping the key on every door six times would allow her to enter a new room.



The fairies also gave her some gifts:  a frame, ceramic box, and ring.



Next, the girls entered the Dress Up Room, where they decorated a bag for their goodies and applied their new lip gloss.



In the kitchen, the girls decorated cookies with fairy dust.  Yummy!



The Dress Up Room was a little girl's dream come true!  Everyone got to pick an outfit and accessories.

Princess Kaitlyn



Lauren, showing off her shoes.



Satisfied with the complete outfit.



In the tea room, the girls played follow the leader.



Even the stuffed animal and doll friends had a good time.



The friends enjoyed their cookies and tea.



Then it was time to blow out the candles.  When asked what her favorite part of her birthday was, she said, "At the very end, everyone sang to me, and I was so proud."

The girls' final activity was to hunt for a treasure chest hidden somewhere in the village.  Six magic taps revealed gifts for everyone inside.



Princess Lauren outside of the Enchanted Village.

After the birthday party, we headed to Nana and Papa's house for more fun.  Lauren is all smiles in front of her specially requested flower cake (which should not have taken me 6 hours to decorate.)



Another wish made, and another year prouder of our little girl.  Happy birthday Lauren Paige. 



Here Fishy, Fishy!

Lauren and Kaitlyn had a blast on our 2nd annual fishing trip to celebrate Papa's birthday.  Even the vicious geese nearby couldn't keep us away...although they tried over and over again.  Ask Kaitlyn what she remembers about the day, and she'll probably tell you, "Papa whacked a goose with the rod!"   

Lauren looks like a natural!

Papa and Kaitlyn wait for the big one.

Big smiles for a good day.

Kaitlyn worked up the courage to touch a fish for the first time.  We're so proud!

Lauren loved holding the blue gills.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sami!

Happy birthday to our favorite little three year old in the whole world!

Sami's birthday was great fun.  She requested a Care Bear cake, which I quickly found was hard to find.  With my mom's help, I decorated Funshine Bear for our little sunshine.  One of the most memorable parts of the day was watching Sami share her germs!  After she blew out the candles, she pulled one out, licked the bottom, and promptly dug it back in the cake for more.  If that wasn't enough, she sneezed all over the cake as I was cutting it.  Yummy! 

Tricky Little Leprechauns

Lauren's first official school project was to build a leprechaun trap.  I think she had a well-developed plan!

 A trail of gold leads the leprechauns into the little house to a large pot. 

 A friendly note welcomes the little guys.  Surely the writer means them no harm!

A trip wire at the door causes them to fall into the house.  Ever concerned for the safety of others, Lauren made a soft landing for the little guys.  After all, "They might break a bone."  After falling, the leprechauns become stuck to the tape covering the floor.

Unfortunately, the trap did not capture any leprechauns.  Instead, the house was covered with green footprints, and only the wrappers were left in the pot.  Happy St. Patrick's day everyone! 

Bran and I just returned from a great little getaway to Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia.  It was my second ski trip, and I have the bruises to prove it.  Lucky for me, I have a patient partner and good teacher.

The view from our balcony.

Breathtaking.

The pro.

Trying hard to look like a pro.

So happy for some time away.

Princess Sami - Heehaw!