Miss K turns 8!

Miss K turned 8 on Saturday. I have an EIGHT year old daughter. Once again we hosted a Birthday Party on a Budget. Total spent on party- $55!

I made the invitation in PicMonkey. Had them printed at Wal-Mart as 4x6 prints and invited 9 friends.

I picked up canvases and acrylic paints from Michaels and ordered paint trays, brushes and aprons from Amazon. I then used masking tape and taped off each girl's first letter of their name. Letters like "R" and "S" are hard y'all!

The girls painted over their taped off initial. They painted their way. Girls are creative that way.

The birthday girl hard at work. 

The final masterpieces! So adorable!

For the "birthday cake", I made cake balls. 81 cake balls to be exacts. Only 79 ended up getting decorated, and 45 ended up on the cake plates for the girls to eat. I served Miss K's favorite Cherry Limeade in Mason jars and Cheddar Cheese Bugles.

Each guest got their picture taken with the birthday girl. I really should have thought and had a better background other than the garage door. I will print these pictures out and send as the thank you card. 

 My sweet little sassy, artsy dancer is EIGHT YEARS OLD! Yes, we butt heads- like mad, but each day it is like looking into a mirror of myself at that age. I often wonder aloud about where she gets her independence, about where she gets her energy, her constant need to be doing something. I find more often than not that her need to do something involves creativity, either through a craft or through dance. I mean really, what 8 year old asks for duct tape and rubber bands for her birthday? She truly is my mini-me. She reciprocates everything I do, yet still embraces her own individuality. She is growing into a beautiful young lady, and I thank God each day that He chose me to be her mother.



P.S. Do you see the chalkboard easel in the first picture? My friend Glenna gave it to us. A huge shout of thank you goes out to her for that party decoration and toy. Also, what I didn't mention in the post was my trip to urgent care the morning of Miss K's party. My boy took over the heavy lifting and clean up of this party. I could never have pulled it off without him. My kids are AWESOME!

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Bye Bye 30's...Helloooooo 40's! Happy #FortyFabulous Birthday to Me!

Today I say goodbye to my 30's. My 30's was my favorite decade so far. I kind of like to think of it as the decade when "our" story began.

A few weeks after turning 30 I met my soon to be husband. Before he proposed in February of 2005, B then age 4, asked if it was okay to call him Daddy. That probably was the turning point in our relationship as I look back. B even went with him to pick out the ring. I said yes of course, after finding it in the bottom of a Walmart sack and we were married in May of 2005. In January 2007, Miss K was born. I was 32. The 4-Crows were complete.

In my 30's I said goodbye to a ten year banking career to say hello to full-time wife and mommy duty. Yes, it has been full of sacrifices, but I know in my heart that I have made the right decision with the choices we have made.

I began writing again in my 30's, I opened this blog on September 5, 2008. For eight years now I have been writing stories of living, laughing, learning and loving from our nest. I also was a founder of the blog The RHOK, a regular contributor at Oklahoma Women Bloggers, and have guest posted at several other blogs.

In my 30's, I learned just how competitive I really am. I learned that I am a coach in and out of the bleachers. I am a dance mom. I am a football/basketball mom. I am a volunteer. I learned that I have a voice that can and will make a difference.

I found a confidence somewhere in my 30's that never existed before. A confidence to stand up for what I believe in. To speak up when I feel something is not right. Sure, I still get knocked down at times, and my insecurities of my earlier years reappear. That's life. When things like this happen I just have to remember the cross. My savior went through so much more than I ever even can imagine before, during, and on the day he died on that cross. He died for me, and life beyond my 30's, 40's, 50's...is going to be unimaginable.

Hello 40's. I am excited to meet you. I look forward to all you have to teach me. I can't wait to embrace your decade and bring what I learn to the world around me.

Happy #FortyFabulous to me!