Go Owlets!

Chloe is starting her second year as an Owlet!
We had cheer camp a couple of weeks ago!
We will have a parade this weekend and our first game next weekend! Woo hoo!
Now if we could just have some nice Fall weather, it would be perfect!







Here is a video of the girls doing their chant and cheer on the last day of camp.
Chloe is the little shrimp on the front row who says "Owlets Hit It!"


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books

Chloe B. First Grader (at last)

Last night we had dinner at The Purple Cow to celebrate going back to school.

Chloe and Koby with their Great-Grandma



Chloe and Koby having purple ice cream.






Chloe was sick and running a fever all weekend.
I was soooo worried that she would wake up feeling bad this morning.
But she didn't! And she was SUPER excited to go back to school.

All dressed and ready to go!



Showing off her cute "Little Miss Sunshine" backpack...



YAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! I'm going to FIRST GRADE!!!!



She did GREAT!!!
No tears....so big improvement over last year!


And a few pics from years past....

1st day of Kindergarten...last year.



And 1st day of Preschool! (2006)

Isn't She Lovely?

Here are the rest of our pictures from our session with Chera!

Isn't my baby beautiful!?

Seven

Seven years ago today I gave birth to my precious Chloe Beth.

The second I looked into those beautiful dark brown eyes, my life changed forever.

I was 19, "single" and scared. I had no idea how to take care of a baby but there I was, holding a tiny, helpless little person in my arms. She made a grand appearance after days (seemed like an eternity at the time) of labor. You would be amazed how loud a teeny tiny 5lb 15oz baby girl can scream.
It took me some time to get into the swing of taking care of her. I had lots of help and my mom was truly amazing. I don't know how I would have gotten through those first 6 colicky months without her. That was, by far, the hardest, most tiring 6 months of my life.

As time went on things started coming more naturally to me. Some of my fears eased up and I started really enjoying my role as "Mommy".

My colicky infant grew into a vivacious toddler.
She was curious from the start and seemed to soak everything up and she really learned so much during this time.

That toddler turned into a dramatic, spunky, smart, fun and cautious preschooler.
We spent lots of time making new friends and trying new activities.

Somewhere in there...I blinked.

The *baby-ness* was gone.
My teeny tiny "peanut" was now a *big girl*.
She started school and her independance started emerging.

Today, she is seven. Wow...seven.
Looking back, I really had no idea just how much my life had changed that rainy Sunday in August seven years ago.
That 19-year old, scared, selfish girl held in her arms the biggest blessing of her life.

I am so incredibly proud of my daughter.
She is smart.
She is friendly.
She is loving. (I don't think she will ever be too big to cuddle mommy)
She is helpful.
She is dramatic. (Nothing is done quietly or calmly. Sometimes I have to remind myself that even though this is verrrry trying for me, it is who she is. One day that spunky spirit is going to serve her well. God help me during her teen years)
She is AMAZING.

She is my world. My everything. My sunshine.

Happy Birthday my sweet Chloe Beth. I love you.

Chloe Celebrates Turning 7!

This past Saturday Chloe celebrated turning SEVEN!
She had a gymnastics party with a few of her closest friends and had a great time!










The cake






She has been talking about getting her first American Girl Doll for months.
It was her #1 *wish* on her wishlist and it's been all she can talk about.
She was SO excited when she opened "Emily Bennett" from Nana and Pawpaw. She has hardly put her down and we've already been to the American Girl Boutique today for new outfits and accessories for her new doll.
I'll have to dig up the old pics from when I got my first AG Doll.







This was Chloe's first birthday without Bop Bop. :(
When we got home from her party she released 7 balloons for him since he couldn't be with us to celebrate.

A Sneak Peek!

Chera sent me a "sneak peek" of our session from Sunday.
I was going to wait to share them once I got them all but I can't wait anymore...so I'm sharing these 3. Watch for more soon!
I am in LOVE with the photos of my pretty *baby*.

Did You Know....

that unless you are under the age of...oh....10, you should not wear socks and tennis shoes with a mini skirt?
Now you know.

I'm still alive, sorta.

Where oh where did the summer go?

I feel like I have been SO busy but when I look back...I can't figure out what I was so busy doing.
Now that it is August I have SO much to do.

Chloe will start 1st grade in 2 and a half weeks!
She is ready and pretty excited and I am excited for her. (HUGE change from last year when she had so much anxiety over starting Kindergarten.)
We should find out which teacher she got in the next week or so. She knows which teacher she wants and I am crossing my fingers that she gets her.

So, that means I have 2 and a half weeks to get all of her school supplies (yes, I am a procrastinator) and school clothes. She hasn't grown much, but just enough that all of her clothes from last year are a little snug or short.
School clothes shopping was SO much fun as a kid. As a parent...well, not quite as much fun. Especially when you have a verrrry picky, opinionated child. ;) She'll need a haircut before the first day too.

I can't really worry too much about that just yet, though.
I have a birthday party to finish planning. My *baby* will be SEVEN in in only 5 more days. She is having a party this weekend with some of her closest friends and she is SUPER excited. I still have decorations to buy, a cake to order, etc.
Right after her party we will have her birthday pictures done by the amazing Chera. I haven't had professional pictures done of Chloe since Christmas so I am excited to get some new ones! Of course I will post those pictures the second I get them! :)

And before I can really handle all of that...
we have our first cheer practice of the season tonight.
I am coaching the squad again this year.
Last year we only had 5 girls which eventually turned into 3.
This year we have....18!!!!!! BIG difference to say the least. I've had something different to handle everyday for the last several weeks and I'm already exhausted. lol We have our 3-day cheer camp next week and then our season will start in September.

So...just in case I didn't already have 10 million little things to take care of...
Chloe appears to be gettiing SICK!!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
I am hoping it wil just be a short, somewhat painless bug and she will be better asap!
Say a prayer for my sanity PLEASE!