My Baby Girl Turns Six!

Great View From the Hotel!

Silly Blue Tongues!

Happy Birthday Dear Kylie!

Look Mom, No Training Wheels!

American Girl Store

I'm watching a show on 20/20 as I write this blog and it happens to feature children who are homeless. Basically, these kids have no one to take care for them or provide them a loving, nurturing environment. I watch this thinking what a shame it is for their parents to not realize what a gift they have been given and how I will do absolutely anything to make sure my kids know they ALWAYS have a loving, safe place to come home to. Kids don't care if they live in biggest house in the most expensive neighborhood. They just want a place to feel secure and loved. So, I hope many people who watched the show tonight will join me in praying for those kids that they will some how find that safe place surrounded by people who love them.

My sweet Kylie turned six years old on Monday. It is just so strange how one minute I look at her and she still seems so young and the next minute I feel like she's so grown up. When I talk to her on the phone she still has the most precious little voice that I will always remember as one of the sweetest sounds on earth. Sometimes when I'm out of town for work she'll call and leave me messages and I just listen to them over and over as it blesses my heart more every time.

We are really going to focus more on her independence this year. She has started taking showers (most of the time) and brushing her own teeth. Now we are working on going to sleep on her own. We are starting with 5 songs and then we'll take one off until we get to just one song. So, eventually, I'll stay in her room for one song and then leave. As much as I love that cuddle time with her, I know it's not good for her to rely on me to be there when she goes to sleep. I almost forgot - Adam taught her to ride her bike without training wheels and she's so great at it. It took her about 15 minutes and she was a pro.

On to her big day! We started off the celebration the week before with a trip to the American Doll Store in Dallas with just Mom and Dad. We stayed at the Westin Galleria, went ice skating, and then had brunch at the American Girl Bistro before shopping. It was a special trip! Then, last weekend she had a slumber party with her cousins at Grandma Mary's house. Grandma decorated for her, they went rollerskating, and had dance party and karaoke fun. The next morning was a trip to Kylie's favorite breakfast spot - IHOP! Kylie really loves hanging out with her cousins and I'm so glad they had the chance to share her birthday with her. On Monday, I took cupcakes to school and got the house all decorated for the big party. All the family came over for pizza and cake! It was a Peace, Love, and Rock'n'Roll theme picked out by little miss birthday herself. The cake was really cute and very colorful. So colorful that we all had blue teeth and tongues after we ate it! Jackson chowed down big time on it.

Want to know what was on Kylie's birthday list? A Big Time Rush CD! What? Yes, that's right, a boy band cd. Huh-larious. And, now, she goes to sleep with it playing in her cd player every night. And notice in the picture her pink hat says "another year of fabulous." So fitting.

Adam and I were talking the other day about how we love life with our kids so much more than we ever loved the single life. Even when we're all tired and cranky, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Would I love a vacation - well, yes, of course! But, rest assured, no matter where I go I would be thinking about my kids and missing them terribly.

Happy Birthday Precious Kylie! I am so proud of you and can not wait to see what God has in store for you my sunshine.