July 4th Fun

This year was laid back and casual for the 4th.  Family came and went and lots of grilling happened!

We decided to get the tent out for fun.  Spent some time relaxing in it but, ended up back in the house to sleep.  Much cooler inside!

Some sparklers....

And a beautiful sunset with late night fireworks to top off the weekend!

Family Birthday

 There's nothing better than a birthday dinner and cake with your family!!!

Happy 7th Dawson!

The Big "7" UNFROZEN party

Happy "UNFrozen" Birthday Dawson!

This year's 7th birthday theme was based on the new Disney movie "Frozen."  Every single child I know loves this movie and sings the songs that go along with it.  If you haven't seen it, you really should!  The invites this year stated "please join us for an Unfrozen swim party."

 The highlight of the party was a visit by on of the main movie character's Elsa.  You can see how excited the girls were.

 When she arrived, they all sang "Let It Go" and danced around with her.  After singing, she did a bit of lip gloss on the girls and talked about looking beautiful.

They were mesmerized by Elsa!

Next came the Royal wave.  She taught the girls how do do this the right way and made them practice a few times!

Everyone was very focused as they perfected the wave...

And lastly a wand for everyone finalizing they have learned their Royal Manners.

Towards the end of her stay, each child had the chance to get their picture taken alone with Elsa.  I loved watching each one go up and talk to Elsa alone!!!

Two very good friends that both LOVE Elsa...Dawson and Karli

 After Elsa left, it was all fun in the pool.  The party favor this year was a blue inner tube for everyone.  These were a huge hit in the pool!

 They swam and swam and swam until I had to force them out of the pool because the party was over!

 I laid out tons of quilts so the girls could sit around and eat Chic Fil A before I cut the cake.  Swimming made these girls hungry because they ate a lot of food!!

 Time for cake....with lots of icing...

 Happy 7th Dawson!

 And back to the pool right after the cake!

Grace is getting in a little relaxation time...

And a final hug good bye.....a perfect day for a new 7 year old....Happy UnFrozen Birthday Dawson!

NYC for Breea's 16th Bday

 Happy 16th Birthday Breea!  Grammy and my sister and I took the girls to NYC to celebrate.  Breea had never been before and Dawson and I are always up for some traveling...especially NYC, one of our favorite places to be and explore.

This trip was mostly about showing Breea around.  We tried to show her many of the beautiful sights.  Here we are at the top of the Empire State building.  It was a hazy day but, still an amazing view as always.

The unique thing about NYC is that you can go over and over again and always find something new!

Checking things out!

 Breea wanted to sit on the steps of the Met like the girls from a T.V. show.  I can't remember which one!

 Beautiful art, sculptures, pottery etc in this museum.

 These were hand carved totem poles.   The fine details on these were amazing!

 One of our favorite parts were the men and horses in armor.  We stood on the second floor to get the best view!

 Stopped at the Boathouse restaurant in Central Park thanks to Lynn's mom.   It was a great suggestion and a place I have never been!  We were super lucky to get a waterside table!

 We also did a boat ride around NYC for the first time.  I loved our boat driver and his knowledge.  I have never had the "outside" tour before!  Quite a different perspective!

 The Brooklyn Bridge

The Statue of Liberty from our boat.  It had a beautiful night glow at dusk.

We have never been to NYC without a quick stop at American girl!

And you can't be in NYC without a ride on the Toys R Us ferris wheel.  We did so much more in the few days we were there but, I thought this was a long enough post!  

Good Bye First Grade...

I caught a a little picture with a little sassiness in it on the last day of school!

We couldn't be more ready for second grade!

Annie Jr.

Last night Dawson's school performed the musical "Annie Jr."  Every year her school has a spring musical which consists of grades k-6.  The sixth graders always have the key roles and it goes down by grade level.  I'm always amazed at the confidence of these girls on stage at such a young age.  It's always a fabulous production!  

 The first graders were orphans and were in the number "Little Girls".  It was perfect for her class of 16.  They are a sassy group of girls! 

 She's in the brown sweater with pig tails.

 One thing I love about her school is that the teachers really tap into the talents of the students.  The play included singing, dancing and gymnastics moves.

 The opportunity to be in a play and on stage is one I LOVE for Dawson.  The arts help build her self-confidence and stage presence.  Being shy, one would not think she would like to be on stage but, she LOVES IT!

My little orphan Dawson…….

Let the Hunt Begin!

Our annual tradition, the Stan Hywet Egg Hunt, was another  fun time with our friends 

Grace and Lynn.

 The girls where having so much fun looking in windows and checking inside the mansion.  Dawson has never been inside so we will put that on our list of things to do this summer.

 

 These girls loved walking and exploring the Japanese Garden.  It was filled with bridges, paths and stepping stones! 

 These girls were posing, posing, posing.  I hardly ever get a pose from this girl these days.  

 Let the hunt begin…...

 I love this event because it's so organized.  They limit the number of families to make it a more enjoyable event.  

 And this is our first picture with any character ever.  Thanks Grace for being our friend and helping us visit the Easter Bunny.

 And some dancing on the deck…..

When these girls get together, they sure do have great time.  We have a few more years left of this event!