9th Birthday party!

With Shayleigh's birthday we have to be what seems even more creative than normal with it being in February.  In Texas you just cannot depend on the weather to cooperate.  It will be either really cold and snowing or nice. 

In the past she's had a Candy Land birthday, a cooking party, and now this an Art party.  She's a very creative, craft little girl!

So this fit perfectly.

We had an apron, canvas, paints, and brushes for each girl.

Instead of telling them what to paint, they created their own little masterpiece!  They all had a blast.

Here are a few pictures of the party.  I honestly didn't get many as I didn't start until the first guest arrived and it's hard to host and photograph. Oh well.


 

Somehow I didn't even manage to get Shayleigh in focus.  It still was a very cute, little party.  On a pretty tight budget too.  :)  For what we did, I think it turned out great!

9 years..

Today, Sean and I have been married for 9 years.  I kind of can't believe it's been that long.  For those of you who don't know the story of our marriage here it goes..

I was 18, pregnant with Shayleigh, and Sean was 19 and in Puerto Rico getting ready to deploy.   One day he called me from Puerto Rico and said, "Are you ready to get married?"  "Well, of course I am!" I respond immediately.  His commander had decided to let him come home for the birth of our baby girl, as long as we got married.  At first I thought he was playing a cruel joke on me.  But after finding out that he wasn't, I was over the moon.  We didn't think he would get to come home for Shayleigh's birth.

So, we got him on flight after my doctor agreed on inducing me, because that was the only way we could guarantee her coming while he was going to be home all of four days.  (Also, if you know me, you know I really do not agree with induction unless necessary. )  In this case, I didn't know all I do now, and this HAD to happen then.  Her Daddy was going to war, you don't know the outcome of that.  They needed to meet each other.

So he flew in on Tuesday,

Got married Wednesday,
(It was rainy nasty, and we got married in a nursing home.  Maybe not the ideal wedding, but we took what we could get!)

Went to the hospital Wednesday night,

Shayleigh was born late Thursday,

Sean flew out to deploy on Saturday.

It was a big week.

I wouldn't change it for the world.

He's my best friend, and though nothing about our life together has been traditional or easy, it's been by each others side, and I can't imagine it any different.

Now, 2 deployments,4 kids, 3 houses, 6 moves later we are here.  I think we are ready to get comfortable and stay awhile like this. 

Happy Anniversary honey! 

You have always been my hero!

(Which by the way, I always said to him before he was in the Army when we were best friends in high school!)