Happy 6th Birthday Makenna!

I can't believe our little girl is 6 today! You are such a smart, sweet and sassy little girl. We love the passion you have for dance, tumbling and anything you set your mind to. At home, you are so creative, talking Camden and Delaney into such imaginative adventures. Every single day right now you spend countless hours up in the loft making up different solos by yourself and with Camden and Delaney. We love to see how patient you are with your little sister, and how goofy and fun you can be with your little brother. Friends have become a large part of you life lately, and it is so exciting to see you interact with other kids your age. You are just starting to grow out of that cute toddler stage and are becoming a really beautiful little girl. Makenna, we love you so much sweetie!!!

Makenna's First Slumber Party

Makenna had her first slumber party this past Friday night. She invited the three girls she has known the longest (4 years!) The girls had SO much fun!!

I brought all of them home from dance class, hence the black leotards. All the girls had their own code name they came up with. This was their name all night. :)

Bailey aka Cupcake
Emma aka Lollipop
Jacqueline aka Sprinkles
Makenna aka Rainbow

I really should have these girls over more often because they had so much fun playing together! After they played for a while, they each made their own pizzas.

While they were baking, they girls played a little Wii.

And after eating, of course they wanted to dance! They wrote their code names on paper and then they drew their duo partner.

Then I had a surprise for all the girls....matching pajamas!

Then the girls made bracelets, Makenna opened presents, and then the cake. Scary picture though!

The girls watched a movie in Makenna's room before Jacqueline had to leave (she didn't stay the night). Then, it was bed time. Bailey and Emma went down great...Makenna not so much. She struggles to go to bed sometimes.

Then blue pancakes in the morning.

It was a fun slumber party and I'm so glad Makenna has such great friends. I'm sure this was the first of many!

MIA

I have come to realize I will never get the pictures from the lake! (Mom!) It has been 3 weeks since I have posted, which is a record for me (and NOT one I am happy about). I have been waiting for the lake pictures so I can blog about it, so I guess I will just have to skip that for now and move on with our lives. When I do get them, I will be sure to add them.

The other problem is that on the first day of vacation, our camera feel from a balcony onto rocks and the screen was cracked. The camera still takes pictures but the LCD screen has no picture of what you are taking. I sure have realized how lucky we are to have digital cameras because now I am taking pictures, hoping they turn out okay. I also have no idea if I am aiming it right either! Hopefully getting a camera soon....

For now I leave you with a couple pictures I attempted to take of each of the kids. :)

May Recital Costumes

Well, better late than never, right? All 3 of our kids participated in the recital this year and it was so exciting!I am still waiting for the videos (hint, hint Mom), but here are the pictures that were actually taken before the recital. The group pictures are missing some girls (coordinating pictures is always difficult) but the majority of each group showed up.

Camden danced to a song called "Rockin' Zebra" He was actually pretty sick on picture day, but he did manage to participate.

Delaney was in the recital for the very first time and she did fantastic! She ran off stage after her song and said, "That was so much fun! Daddy, did you see me?" So cute! She danced to a little song called, "With My Little Hands," and "If You're Happy and You Know It."

(Delaney is in the back, 2nd from left). Try taking a picture with 13 1 and 2 year olds! Tough work!

Makenna had A LOT of pictures to take because she had A LOT of routines. The first picture is her Rockstar group. Love this costume!

On a separate day (hence the hair change) we did pictures of her other dances. This is the same group of girls as Rockstar and ballet, just another routine. This was a song called, "Gitchee, Gitchee, Goo."

Then we had ballet. I loved this sweet routine.

We did do a trio picture too!I did have a solo picture taken, but didn't like it. I LOVE this picture though!The last picture here is the Kinetic Energy, her big pom group.

Makenna is on the bottom row, the furthest left.I had this board made at Sassy Talk. She made one that matched the costume last year too. She does such great work! Cute costumes, and someday I will post the cute routines too!

3rd of July Celebrations

With my dad working on Sunday (the real 4th of July), Mom wanted us all to come over on Saturday, so we celebrated then. I wanted the girls to have festive hairstyles, so here was my attempt.

See, Delaney has a star in her hair.

Makenna's was a little crazier...just for fun. There is a star there (sort of). The crazy came in five little mini buns. Fun, but just for at Nana's and Papa's house for sure!

And here is cute little Cam, who picked out his own red, white and blue shirt...his favorite shirt....his KU jersey.Then we all messed up our hair and went swimming. :)

Delaney really has taken to swimming. She jumps of the side, goes down the slide and even can raise her head back up. We REALLY have watch her because she has NO FEAR and will just jump right on in.

Here she is jumping in.

Morgan is doing fantastic! she is swimming all over! Then the older cousins all wanted to play chicken.

Camden is starting to make improvements in his swimming. I can see him wanting to try, and he can swim short distances. He HATES for you to let go of him, but if you do it, he is okay with it after the fact. I think it's the thought of being on his own that he is most scared of. He loves being in the water and I see HUGE improvements each time he goes out. :)

Riley and her George Washington hair. Don't you remember doing this as a kid?!

Whenever the girls are in the pools with the dads, uncles and Papa, they always want to create crazy pyramids. Or maybe the dads do.....

Here we have (from the bottom to the top) Greg, Papa, Riley, Makenna)

Then they all became cheerleaders. Go Riley!

Go Makenna!

I even stunted Makenna. If she ever pursues cheerleading, she should get used to being a flyer. Here's Julia trying her "liberty"And Makenna's liberty.Their final pose. :)

For the real 4th of July, we stayed home, packing. But we did all climb outside Camden's window and sat on the roof (well above the patio) to watch the fireworks. We could see them just above a 2 story house across the way. Maybe next year we will go somewhere to watch them, but the kids had fun!

Hope everyone had a great 4th!