Last Day of K

Today is Kaitlyn's last day of Kindergarten. It's surprisingly hard for me. It's just another reminder of how the time flies.

This morning, she put on the exact outfit that she wore back in August for her first day of school (minus the shoes because they don't fit anymore). She has definitely filled out, grown taller, and is looking older. She has lost her baby girl look...it disappeared right before my eyes.

Kaitlyn on her first day of kindergarten.

Kaitlyn on her last day of kindergarten.

Congratulations on finishing kindergarten, baby girl! I remember how hard those first couple of weeks were for you. I remember Daddy having to take you to school because I couldn't stand to see the tears or watch you take your place on the brick wall and not go play with the other kids. You have blossomed this year. So much that even your teachers have made comments to Mommy about how far you have come. Little by little, you have come out of your shell and now love to run and play with the little girls and make friends with a few little boys. You have done so well. I knew you could do it. You are a smart cookie and I am so proud of how well you did this past school year. The sky is the limit, my princess...God has great things planned for you. I love you more than the stars in the sky.

Mommy

Kaitlyn's 6th Birthday in Pictures

Kaitlyn wanted to wear a pretty dress for school. She looked like a princess.

My princess sitting with her presents...she was wanting to get the party started.


Opening her favorite card...yes, this reaction was over a card with a fluffy white cat on it.

Landon picked this present out all by himself and he was so happy that she loved it.

I brought donuts to school for her class party. She felt so special.

After she came home from school, we loaded up and headed off to Chuck E Cheese...request of the princess. I had a coupon for 95 tokens for $15 so we stayed and played for about an hour.

She was thrilled with her princess cup and had to model it for me.

The beautiful cake that Daddy picked out...it was yummy too!

We had Grandma and Grandpa over for a pizza dinner and cake (again, request by the princess). Grandma and Grandpa got her a new swimsuit and a cover up for the summer days by the pool.

My princess had a wonderful birthday. While tucking her in at night we went over her day and what she liked best about it (which was almost everything). She then said, "Man, I am so not used to being six!" to which I replied, "You have a whole year to get used to it, Kait...enjoy it!"

Blessed with Six Years

Six years ago today, Kaitlyn made me a mother. After laboring through the night and seriously doubting if it would ever end, the doctor came in a little after 6AM and told me that it was time to push. I had an "is this really happening" moment and then went to work trying to get my stubborn little princess out. She still continues to do everything on her own time.



Six years ago, I was holding my curious little girl for the first time...her big eyes taking everything in. She was alert and didn't want to miss a thing in this new world of hers. She lay awake for hours (yeah, I thought newborns were supposed to sleep, but this one did not) soaking everyone and everything in. She still likes to know everything that's going on around her.



What would I do without my princess? I am so in love with my baby girl. Mamma is a little sad that she is six already...but, the years with her just keep getting better.



She has excelled in school this year and really blossomed socially. Like any first born girl, she loves running the show. She is a lover of animals, anything artsy, dresses, being outside, cinnamon toast, and salt. She aspires to be an author/illustrator one day...and maybe a cheerleader on the side.

Baby girl, I feel so incredible blessed to be your Mommy. I have enjoyed watching you blossom this year. This morning on my run I prayed for you the entire time. I thanked Him for the gift that you were and are to your Daddy and me. You have brought so much joy and laughter in to our lives. I prayed that God would continue to watch over you. That He would give you a heart for Him. That He would bless your life like He has blessed mine. I pray that, like the meaning of your name, He would keep you pure. He has bigs plans for you, Kaitlyn...and I will be here to help you find your way. I love you beyond words.

Move

This is on my running playlist and I absolutely love it!

Personal Record

I had a blast running another Half Marathon with my sister this morning. It was a great race and a personal best for me. You can read about it on my running blog. I am done racing for a bit now.

Beautifully Written

Storing Up Treasures: The Clink

Sustained

Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

~Psalms 55:22

An Early Mother's Day Note...

My princess is doing so well with her reading and writing. She loves to read anything...labels, cereal boxes, my journal. :-) She is a little sponge. She is having so much fun now that this whole new world has opened to her.

The other night, I had just gotten home from work. It was a rainy day and they didn't have a chance to get outside at all and run off some of their stored up energy, which makes them cranky and easily angered. Kaitlyn got in a fight with one of her brothers and so I sent her to her room while I was getting dinner around. A few minutes later, I told her if she was ready to treat her brother with love she could come out. It took her a few minutes, but out she came. She walked right up to me with a little note in her hand. She is always making me cards and writing me notes that tell me how much she loves me...I just figured this was one of those notes...and who knows, maybe it would say, "I'm sorry," or something like that too. Well, I opened up to read this:

Der Mom,
You are a meen mom.
Love,Kaitlyn

What a riot! I acted very sad in front of her and told her that writing something that was meant to hurt someone's feeling was not nice at all. But, after our little talk, I couldn't help but laugh everytime I thought of it. I have to say, that was a first...not the first time she has thought I was mean, I am sure, but the first time she thought to put it down on paper. And for her to end her note with Love, Kaitlyn just makes it even more funny to me.

One Man's Trash

Let me start by say that I am a firm believer that people set things out in the trash for a reason. The reason being that it's trash. Now, my husband has a different view entirely. This might explain why we have a few things sitting in our basement that were once in someone else's trash pile. He's a trash picker. I am not.

One day last week, I came home to find someone else's trash setting in the kids' wagon. I was not happy because I knew where this was going to lead. It would be like a conversation I had with Dan once upon a time when Curtis (our once stray black cat) wandered in to our garage...a "can we keep him" kind of a conversation only this time he would be speaking about someone else's trash and not a living creature.

Once inside, I could not help but see the excitement in his eyes. He had truly found what he considered to be a treasure...not trash at all. It was then I decided that it could come in and I would help him clear a space for this piece of trash in, of all places, my living room.

Wouldn't you know, it fits, it's comfortable, and I am sitting in this piece of trash as I type.

It just goes to show you that the saying is true (most of the time):

One man's trash is another man's treasure:

the piece of trash :-)

My first 26.2!!!

I finished!!

Instead of blogging again about my first Marathon experience, you can go here to read about it.