Birthday Party Pictures

Reese in her Halloween costume before her party

Dad, Mom, and Reese

Reese, me, and Mom

Reese with her cupcake with 8 candles on top (she doesn't like icing, so she added whipped cream after the candles were off)

Reese turned 8 on October 8, but we had her birthday party October 27 at a local pizza place. Given the proximity to Halloween, we told the kids who were invited they could dress up. Reese is being a leopard for Halloween, so she donned her costume purchased the night prior and drew on whiskers and it is just about the most cute thing I've seen. Some of you may remember Reese as a pink leopard back in 2007 for Halloween.

Reese, Halloween 2007

She had a good time with her friends and got some fun presents including a Boogie Board, a diary with a pen with invisible ink, a Target gift card, money, some iTunes gift cards, some cute clothes from Old Navy, and lotion and body wash from Bath and Body Works.

And here's a flashback through the years!

Reese 1st birthday (in China)

Reese's 2nd birthday (in China)

Reese's 3rd birthday (first home!)

Reese's 4th birthday party

5th birthday

6th birthday

7th birthday

Reese's 7th Birthday

Reese being a pain about blowing out her candles (read: not trying)

Mom showing off Reese's present, since Reese refused.

Yes, this post is about a week late. Reese turned 7 on October 8.

Reese was less than cooperative in the picture area this year on her birthday. For her actual birthday, we kept it simple. Cake and opening her present. Earlier in the week, Joseph and I had taken her to the Taylor Swift concert in town as our gift to her for her 7th birthday. But she got a Fijit and accessories from Mom and Dad on her birthday. Our big girl is now 7. That's 4 birthdays at home.

She's having a birthday party with friends next weekend, so hopefully I can get some better pictures then. She just wasn't being helpful in that area.

Happy birthday, Reese!

As for the lack of posting, it's been busy with wedding planning around here. Also, around the beginning of September, my fiance and I moved out of my parents' house into an apartment, so I'm not around Reese a lot any more either. So less opportunities for pictures as well. 

Happy Birthday to Me

Reese in one of my old t-shirt (you know there's something wrong with juniors sizing when a 19 year old can hand down a t-shirt to her 6 year old sister).

The Penguin Cake.

 

 

Yesterday (Dec. 20) was my 20th birthday. We went to my favorite local pizza place and ate. Joseph's (my fiance, for those of you who don't know/remember) family came, and his mother, who is going to make our wedding cake, wanted to make me a cake. So she did. She asked Joseph what I like, and as of late, I have a thing for penguins. The whole "mating for life" thing, so Joseph and I go around teasing each other going 'be my penguin?'. LOL. Joseph told her penguins and the above is what came of it. Isn't it amazing?!?

 

 

 

 

 

Little did I know that, attached to the fishing line (the penguins were fishing, lol), there was a gift. I had to pull the string out, and there was a present baked into the cake! It was the niftiest thing. It was a cute little penguin necklace, which is just lovely.

Mom and Dad got me an iPhone (which is awesome, since I am an Apple junkie). My cell phone was due for an upgrade and what an upgrade that is! I love it, it's an awesome phone, although it is a good deal different from my BlackBerry curve. 

So I had a good day. Joseph got me 2nd row on the floor tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra when they came to town on the 18th, so we went to that together. Obviously, he couldn't give me that gift on my birthday. :) Absolutely amazing show, though. If you've never heard Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), I highly advise them. They make Christmas music amazing again.

Thanks to everyone who made my day awesome!

Christmas Party

Working on her placemat

Playing with the jump rope her teacher got all the kids as a gift

Hugging her teacher

Snacks!

Trying to hide from the camera, lol

Reese had her kindergarten Christmas party today. It's hard to believe her kindergarten year could be halfway over! Joseph and I went to help, Mom was going to come, but she lost an uncle earlier this week and had to drive up to help with visitation. But Reese wasn't lacking for people! She had 2! :) They made placemats to eat on, played "Santa, Santa, Where is Rudolf?" which is where someone turns around where they can't see and the teacher picks someone else to hide the reindeer plushie somewhere on their body (most kids sat on it) and the person who couldn't look has to guess who has it, then they ate snacks and got letters from Santa Claus who had visited earlier in the day. Then they played a variety of "hot potato" for who got to get their gift from her teacher, Mrs. P.  Everyone got one, it was just a matter of what order. They all got jump ropes as a present from their teacher, so we all went outside to try them out. Reese is pretty good, she just doesn't really get more than one good jump. But that jump is good!

It was a sweet party and for the most part she's had a good year. We've had some trouble, according to Reese, about bigger kids being "scared" of her and her birthmark, but best as we can figure, that's chilled out as we haven't heard anything else about it. Hopefully, it will stay that way as long as she's in this school. And hopefully by the time she's in middle school, people will be intelligent enough, but middle school is rough so that's doubtful. But we'll deal with that when we get there.

Today is also our Mom's birthday. Happy birthday, Mommy!

It is also 1 year until Joseph and I get married. :o Interesting to think about. :)