We are back from a week at my aunt’s and uncle’s beach house in Galveston, Texas. Already, we are missing the sunshine and warm weather!
We’ve got a bunch of pictures to go through but first we’ve got to attack the unpacking, mountain of laundry and grocery shopping. Not to mention last minute Christmas shopping! Over the next few days, I’ll try to post about our vacation.
Here is Lauren on the beach.
Last year, Dave planned Lauren’s entire birthday party. I was on bed rest so Dave took over and hosted a birthday party the Dave way. This year, Lauren requested an encore.
The party started with a lively game of Twister.
The girls then played “Dress Up the Birthday Girl”. They each got to choose several items to “accessorize” Lauren.
This is the spot where I was planning to put a really cute picture of Lauren dressed up in everything from a cat mask to pink gloves on her feet but she vetoed the picture! We have a rule that if someone doesn’t like a picture, we don’t put it on the blog. So, you will have to use your imagination! 
There were animal charades. There was an exciting game of “Grandpa Says” (Dave’s parents drove down for the party). There was fishing. Not real fishing but fishing from the main floor to the basement using the sliding glass door stopper pole and left-over oxygen tubing.
There was cake.
There was fun had by one and all! Thanks Dave for making our seven year old very happy.
Hope sat and watched all the crazy chaos. Next year I bet she joins right in!
Hope and I stayed upstairs most of the morning, cleaning up and doing laundry. When we came downstairs, we were greeted by a lovely surprise: SNOW!
It has been soooooooo cold here lately. If it has to be bitter cold, I would prefer a whole heap of snow! We only got a dusting but some snow is better than none. (Although I would greatly prefer 72 degrees and sunny right now!)
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Happy birthday to my sweet friend Cristie! I will miss you terribly when you move next month. You stuck by us through thick and thin. You have been a great example to me of true friendship. I hope 2011 is a truly wonderful year as you start all kinds of new adventures!
We are taking a trip to Galveston, TX soon. My aunt and uncle own a beach house right on the water and we are meeting my family there. I am THRILLED to be leaving our bitter cold 27 degree windy weather!
Dave flies all the time but I haven’t flown in a long time. Lauren and I took a weekend trip to Boston last year but besides that, I haven’t flown in four years (Carmen’s pick-up trip).
Over the past three years, we took everything but the kitchen sink in our minivan. Pediatric wheelchair, medical machines, medical supplies, medicines, and extras of everything. You just can’t run out and buy a suction catheter at the local mini-mart so we always took everything Carmen might possibly need plus more.
So, you would think that I would have an easy time packing for the four of us when the most important item is diapers!
I am befuddled. I don’t remember how to pack for flying. I think I better start now and give myself quite a bit of time to figure this out!
Thankfully, our plane will be a bit bigger than this one. Isn’t this seriously cute!? Lauren brought this craft home from school.
Lauren turned SEVEN today.
Can that be possible? Seven years sure have flown by. Seven more years will fly by too and she will be 14. Seven more and she will be 21. Ack!
Lauren slept until 8:00am. She came downstairs and found a note from Daddy. “I went to 7-Eleven for coffee. I’ll be back. Please don’t wake mommy.” Guess what? She didn’t wake me! Dave came back with a donut with chocolate icing for Lauren’s birthday breakfast. Everyone needs a special breakfast to celebrate another year!
Once we all got up, Lauren opened her presents: a bunny (not a real one), some Odyssey cds, Toy Story 3, an outfit for her doll and two books from TX Granddad.
Lauren dressed in her fanciest black velvet dress for church. As Supreme Ruler of the Day, she had the choice of wearing her fancy silver slippers or her big-clunky-navy-blue snow boots to church. She chose the fancy silver slippers. On the way to church, we saw a few snow flurries. Lauren thought maybe she should have gone with the snow boots!
After church Dave took a few pictures of the birthday girl and me.
Lauren requested her favorite Mac and Cheese from Red Robin for lunch. Hope needed a nap so Dave stayed home and I took Lauren for a mommy-daughter birthday lunch.
It was really cold and windy out today so Lauren ordered hot chocolate.
Sometimes birthday presents get to go out to lunch too. Meet Bonnie the Bunny (her real name is Nutmeg but Lauren calls her Bonnie).
The Red Robin staff busted out in a lively rendition of Happy Birthday to Lauren. When you are seven, that is wonderful.
When we got back home, Dave and Lauren worked on a craft project. Annie, Lauren’s friend, sent a quilt craft and cookie craft for Lauren’s birthday. I’m in charge of helping with the cookie baking/decorating and Dave is helping with the quilt. Thank you Annie!
Happy, happy birthday to our grown up little girl!!! We hope you had a WONDERFUL day!
