Lucy's 14th Birthday Party

For her 14th birthday, Lucy wanted me to surprise her with a cake...I was just supposed to pick which cartoon character I thought she would like best and invite her friends to join her at one of Mrs E's historical dances.  

Cake got baked and frosted...

Girls got ready...thankful for pantelets since you must hike up your hoop to tie your shoes. :)

this was Iris's first OFFICIAL dance, since she's finally in colonial girls :)

And off to dance we went....

We got home, fed everyone some more, and they watched 'Mom's Night Out.'

Then we crammed a small living room full of sleeping girls!!

The next morning, by the time Stephen and I got up, Meg and Ellie had already cooked everyone breakfast!

We pulled out crafts that they were going to make for their 18" dolls, and I didn't even have to help!  They just crafted away!

mini laundry baskets, jump ropes and lamps...

bird houses...

 terrariums and pets...

Group shot!  Sweet girls!!

 Birthday girl!!

Then they watched Captain America; Winter Soldier and the first part of Beauty and the Beast, before we finally had to take them all home!!  They were splendid girls!!  I couldn't have asked for a sweeter, more loving and fun group!!

Happy 14th to my sweet Lucy!  I just LOOOOOVE you SOOOOOOO much!!!

Lucy & Iris's Birthday Dinner

Our sweet girls decided they wanted to have a joint birthday dinner at the American Girl store again this year.  This secretly always makes me very happy, because it makes them seem more little and I LOVE the food!  Also, the little girl inside me loves looking at all the tiny things and seeing what they pick out.

They did some window shopping first while waiting for our lunch reservations.

Then we and our dolls were seated...

After we ordered our food (they're always very allergy friendly) the girls began opening presents...

THANK YOU Rita and Allen!!!

From Nena and Papa!!

Clyde got beading stuff for Lu and a skylander for Iris...

Sherry & David gave them each money, and a mysterious promise of a joint present coming soon.

From Mommy and Daddy, Skylanders and money for Iris, and beads and organ lessons for Lu.

Then dinner...

What they bought...

Lu bought a crockpot and food set, another food set that came with Blockus for dolls (really works and all these items except a pizza are on the table), this lovely denim & pink outfit you see Josephina modeling.  Lucy and I had a MARVELOUS time setting these pics up! :D

AND Josephina's writing set (includes little doll, notebooks, journal, quill&ink, and candlestick).  

But even though she bought quite a bit, she was careful and didn't spend all her money.

Iris got the guitar set, the flute set, and the ducky bathrobe that Octavia is wearing.

She, also,was careful and came home with birthday money!

We all had so much fun celebrating our girls and are so thankful for another delightful year with them!!!

Breakfast In Bed & The Force Awakens

One Sunday, after church we hung out with one of our favorite families :)  I took these gorgeous, but disconcerting pictures.  I mean, they just make Lucy look so GROWN-UP!

Then we exchanged some kids for the night with the intention of meeting up to watch Star Wars the next day.

I didn't take pics, but the girls made "star wars" jewelry to wear the next day.

I ended up going to the ER in the middle of the night for low potassium...totally my own negligence, so the big girls were BEYOND sweet and fixed Stephen and I breakfast in bed!!

Yum!!!  I mean, how thoughtful and precious was that???

Our meet-up happened later than planned, but it was hard to take any pics INSIDE the theater, so afterward, I got everyone's special Star Wars jewelry documented.

Lucy and Iris's light-saber bracelets.

Lucy...

Meg...

Lilly...

Our Force Awakens group....

 May the force be with you!

Lucy Gets A Makeover

For Lucy's big Christmas present, she got a make-up application class.  We gave her a gift card that would cover that and purchasing some of the makeup she was taught to use.

Her aesthetician is named Mary Amanda and works at Ulta, and I LOVED her!!

This was because she continuously told Lucy, "you don't really need this, but this is how you use it," or "you're so beautiful just how you are, but if you wanted to play around with this, this is how you do it."  And though she gave Lucy a kind of "princess" look, which I though was not crazy overkill for a make-up store making over a 14  year old, she repeatedly told her that this would only be for special occasions, and for everyday, less is better.

Here's my documentation of the process ;)

And Lucy with Mary Amanda!!

I highly recommend this sweet lady!

Don't expect to see Lu in lots of make-up though!  Ironically, she just likes to play with it, not wear it out ;)

Christmas Day at Grandad and Grandmom's 2015

Christmas morning we woke up at Dad and Janet's.  It was fun waking up to so many people in the house :)  The kids took everyone downstairs to introduce them to our baby ferrets and Sherry and David's new dog, Savanah.

Janet, Bobbi, and Dyan fixed us an awesome dinner!

Sherry requested some music from Dad and Janet, and they obliged.  :)  The videos are HERE and HERE.  I REALLY wish that I had not been singing while videotaping!!  It's a bit too loud!  But THEY sound great!

Dad picked out matching necklaces for me and Sherry all by himself!!  We love them!  And Janet picked out one for Dyan.  I think together they picked out these cute ALMOST matching hearts for Lucy and Iris.  Very sweet!

Uncle Bobby with the gifts the kids gave him.

Aunt Dyan with the gifts the kids gave her.

Uncle Brent with the gifts the kids gave him.

Dad and Janet asked only for a framed 5x7 of each kid/grandkid.  Sorry, pic is blurry!  Some of the more creative of us put a prank pic in front ;)

Lu opens mass quantities of beading stuff as part of her crazy Christmas stash!

Iris as well!

Clyde got lots of neat tools as part of his :)

Group shot!!

Then on to the birthday celebrations with the birthday "kids"!

Surprisingly took less pics this time than I thought!!!

Was a Merry Christmas for all!!