7 Years Old

Here's a post dedicated to our favorite 7 year old and all about her big day! She is pretty amazing and so funny. Happy birthday Baylor! 

Here's what Baylor is like at 7 years old:

• She went to the doctor today and is 43 pounds (14 percentile) and 3 feet 10.65 inches (29th percentile). She is so brave with shots and really always has been. She doesn't even flinch or cry. I also really appreciated today that when the doctor was asking her questions, she answered clearly and was so good with conversation.
• She is the perfect middle child and adds flair and sass to whatever she is doing.
• She says the funniest thing, has sacrasm down, and picks up on things so quick. She will often say something and I'll have to ask her where she learned that. Some funny things recently were me telling her not to say yucky when I tell her what is for dinner because it is rude and then she uses air quote with her fingers and says that it's "yummy". Then today on the radio a song said something about a cowboy and she says they should be called horseboys because they ride horses and not cows. :)
• She has the eye roll down but also does it with a twinkle in her eye and a little smirk. When she smiles, her entire being lights up. She has the most stunning brown eyes and the cutest little freckles.
• She is always quick to do what I ask of her. She will be the first to get up and go when I say it's time to do chores or go to bed. There may be a question of why but she is always quick to mind. She is also super helpful and always wants to help especially if I'm baking. She loves being my taste tester.
• She loves her accessories when getting dressed- headbands, necklaces, bracelets and anything sparkly. Though she hates her hair being brushed and is very dramatic every morning when I'm trying to do her hair for the day.
• She is my pickiest eater but will always try something and would never admit that she liked it but when she likes something she sure can eat. Her favorite dinner right now is chicken noodle soup in bread bowls.
• She is my snacker and loves sweets.
• She is my best sleeper. She falls asleep within about 5 minutes. She is also my earliest riser but knows how to turn the TV on and get to her own shows which is great for me. She is a morning person like her mama, ready to go as soon as she is up.
• She hardly ever cries but when she does it is the saddest thing in the world and she has the saddest puppy eyes.
• She loves to play games with anyone who is willing and loves to have stories read to her.
• She loves to be with friends and play with other kids. She doesn't like to be alone and whether at home or at school wants to have someone around. If she doesn't know a kid, she is shy but once she is comfortable or gets introduced then it's her best friend and she wants to have them over for a play date.
• She is excelling at school and loves math. She practices math problems at home on her own for fun. I have also been amazed at how much she has improved in her reading skills this school year.
• She is often the one pushing buttons or when her buttons get pushed, she is the loudest. She is SO loud all the time and really doesn't know the meaning of quiet unless she is at church then she is as quiet as a mouse and doens't show any expression besides serious.
• She loves to dance, twirl, or run everywhere around the house.
• She loves to build with legos, imagine while playing with dolls or babies, draw, or watch shows (favorites right now are Paw Patrol, Number Blocks and Gabby's Dollhouse).
• She loves the outdoors and is always up for an adventure. My favorite thing about hiking with her is she gets so excited for stairs. She's loves to find treasures when we go on adventures and she always wants me to keep that special shell or special rock safe for her.
• Bad or cold weather doesn't affect her. All the rest of us will be cold, and she's out in a swimsuit playing in the water. :) She hates wearing coats and it is a constant battle to get her to wear more than a jacket on rainy days. She is often hot and usually takes a small ice pack to bed with her because she is a hot sleeper.
• She is the perfect tease to a lot of her extended family and it's funny to watch her banter and tease with her older cousin, aunts & uncles, and esepcially Pops.
• She truly is the perfect middle child and I can't imagine our family without her!

A little trip down memory lane. As I looked through all these pictures, all I could think of is how Baylor's smile lights up her entire being and just makes me smile. She is full of fun, light, and joy.

She has always loved bubbles and running and dancing through them!

Look at that little miracle baby! Why does time fly when you have kids, but then it's this constant pull in your heart of wanting this little baby back in your arms and reflecting back on the past with such joy but also loving the stages of life your kids are going through in the moment. Of course, each stage has it hardships and rough patches, but it is such a joy to watch your kids grow, learn, and become. I love getting a front row seat in their lives.

Baylor wanted a Squishmallow birthday this year because first, she loves Squishmallows, but more importantly to her was that if she had a Squishmallow party then she would get more Squishmallows. Smart girl!

The party started and our house was filled with family and friends. I was planning on doing presents at the end, but Baylor was too excited so she wanted to do that first. She got Squishmallows and more and is so loved.

I loved watching her open presents! She gives the best facial expressions and shows so much joy and excitment for each gift.

The first game was pin the crown on the Squishmallow.

I helped Baylor know how to trace the Squishmallow on the poster so she did that all on her own and then she painted the red all on her own. I did the black lines and it turned out so cute. To start off her birthday, she woke up this morning to a big, new Squishmallow that looked just like this fox so of course that's the one she wanted to create for this game. Nona even got her gifts that were this fox and she was SO excited about it. 

Then we did Squishmallow Bingo. I created this one based off an idea found online. It turned out really cute and was a lot cheaper than buying one.

Paige made the most amazing Squishmallows out of clay for cake toppers. Baylor wanted Oreo fluff mostly but wanted something to put the cake toppers on. So I bought a small cake roll from Fred Meyer for the cake toppers and had cups filled the Oreo fluff with Squishmallows that I printed off and taped on toothpicks. So it was the perfect dessert to celebrate Baylor and Squishmallows.

Happy birthday sweet girl! It took her a little bit to get all her candles blown out but she did it and was so happy with how everything turned out.

She was spoiled and got so many amazing gifts.

These two tried out some of her new face masks before going to bed. They are so cute and love doing things together.

Happy birthday Baylor! Onto another great year of loving you!

Halloween

To start off our Halloween festivities, we had a ward trunk or treat. This year the theme was, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" I was asked to help with deocorations and so for the last month I have slowly been painting and creating scenes from the book. I started with getting the book from the library to kick off my inspiration and then I just took little segments to focus on for the different areas in the church.

First was the trick-or-treating scene. Then second was the pumpkin scene where Linus and Sally "see" the Great Pumpkin. (This scene was my favorite with how it turned out.)

Then for the back half of the gym, I focused on the Halloween party scene. I truly love doing decorations for a party and having this vision in my head and seeing it come to life. I really love how it turned out and it was a fun theme to work with.

There were a few other Charlie Brown touches that I did and then the main person in charge did more pumpkin and fall decorations along with the cute standing Charlie Brown inspired ghosts. I also painted Charlie Brown pumpkins to go on each table as a centerpiece. 

There was a pumpkin patch in the middle. Not a lot of people brought pumpkins but it was fun for our little family to bring and show our jack-o-lanterns that we created.

I did my costume with a few of the young women. I was Sadness and Paige was Joy. Then McCall was Cinderella and Baylor was her fairy godmother.

We had a chili cook off and there was plenty of food for everyone. It is always well attended and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

The two young women I had there were willing to do a little face painting station which was fun to watch. They did a great job and I loved seeing the kid's faces light up when I would show them a picture of the masterpiece.

Anna and Scott always go all out and do such amazing things for their trunk!

My girls walked around together with Paige leading the way. They got lots of great candy and had so much fun. Now onto Halloween and trick or treating!

McCall and I started our fun Halloween while the other two were at school. At the library, they had a Trick or Tales. The kids got to dress up and there were some songs and some Halloween stories. Then all the kids got to go trick or treating throughout the library. We joined Matilda for this fun event.

Then McCall and I did a little photo shoot of her costume. She was into all sorts of poses and she loves her princess dress. She is just the cutest and I am loving this stage with her.

I mean look at that sweet face! I just want to kiss her cheeks all day every day!

Just out here living her best life!

The smile melts me every time!

This was one of my favorite moments of our little photo shoot. She got so excited to find this little guy. Her big "ooh" and "so cute" and then going into her own imaginary world as this little guy was her friend and she was feeding it and making it walk around. Her chubby little toddler fingers are so cute! I always want to remember her cute little voice and the way she sees the world and takes it all in.

Then it was Baylor's turn once she got home from school. One very cute pink M&M!

I wasn't able to get a photo shoot of Paige since she got home from gymnastic practice just in time to eat and get going. Paige, Baylor, Emily, and Natalie were all M&Ms and they looked so cute together. Too bad it was raining the entire time we were trick or treating so not everyone got to see their costumes except maybe their skirts. We were joined by Eliza, Matilda, and Jonah. We had a big group and it was so fun walking around together. It was very wet and cold, but the girls were still so happy to get lots of candy and enjoy the evening together.

The candy haul from a successful night of trick or treating!

Happy Halloween!

October Doings

I started October with a fun ladies of the lake gathering going to Carpintos and doing the two corn mazes there. It was fun to visit while we figured out where to go and we only got lost a few times.

I always look forward to general conference. It's a weekend of relaxation, family time, and hearing the words of our prophet and apostles. I love our little traditions that come with it. Candy with words to help the girls listen. If they hear that word, then they get a piece of candy from that bowl. One talk the word was love and one speaker said it so many times! Paige was in heaven just sitting there gathering up all her nerd clusters. He ended his talk with something like may we all be full of Jesus' love and Paige said "I sure am!." :) Then we also always have cinnamon rolls and sausage balls Sunday morning and always get the legos out to keep our hands busy while we listen.

Paige finshed up track season this month. She continued to do long jump and hurdles. She was pretty consistent and did amazing. These pictures are from her home meet.

The Reptile Man came to Baylor's school and did an assemly to show them all the reptiles he has and then he did an evening event for families. We have seen him before and it's always entertaining to see all the reptiles and listen to his stories. The girls pet a boa constrictor, held a turtle (that peed and pooped while Paige was holding it), and of course got our picture with Lucy the alligator.

Nate kept McCall busy by making all sorts of faces. :)

I went bowling with the youth for our combined activity which is always fun. I even got a couple of strikes!

I love walking at the park with this cute girl and she always wants to play at the playground. This particular day she was all about posing at different spots and asking for a picture. She is too cute!

Paige and Baylor's 2 square court they created. I'm not going to lie, that I'm a little sad with cooler weather coming mostly because the girls have loved playing outside and they will miss it.

This girl and her MANY faces!

Whenever I get the the KitchenAid mixer out, McCall comes running and says, "Up, Please." It's so cute and she loves to help me especially when I'm making cookies. She loves to be my taste tester.

I went for my first time with Celina, Matilda, and Jonah to a play time at Kent Commons. The gym is filled with all sorts of bikes, balls, and toys and is for kids under 5. I wasn't sure how McCall would do but she loved it and had so much fun.

Then Paige had her last track meet and this school had a nice track for her to end her season on.

Paige was in charge of one of our young women activities this month and she wanted to do a paint night with a twist. The girls all started paiting their pictures and after a few minutes, Paige said, "Switch!" There were some groans but they accepted it and had fun adding to each picture as the pictures got past around. It was super fun to see the end results!

We are all excited for Halloween and Baylor had to try out this costume and was a little unsure about it but it was fun to try out at home.