Happy Birthday Mommom Campbell and Aunt Lisa

Monday, 11/24 was Brodie's Mom's and my Aunt Lisa's birthday. I just wanted to say happy birthday to both of them. You mean the world to my family and especially to me. You both have helped fill the void of losing my momma and are the best next to her. I'm sure she is very greatful that I have the both of you and honestly, so am I.

To celebrate Mommom's birthday, her children congregate at her house and of course we sing and eat.
Mommom and PoppopAlex and Sarah smilin pretty

Kevin is silly

The birthday cupcakes we made

Licking the candles

Happy Birthday to Mommom

Alex's Birthday Bash!

For Alex's Birthday this year, instead of going to Chuck E Cheese then having a family birthday party, we decided to have a big 'ol birthday bash. For this bash, we rented the hall at the American Legion (of which Brodie is a member), hired a magician, and invited 26 kindergarteners. We had a really good turnout and Alex made out like a bandit in the present department. Would you believe she only got 1 pair of pants, 1 long sleeve tee, and 1 hoodie! In the past, we have gotten way too many clothes. This year, she got toys galore. Anyway, the magician was fabulous and everyone had a great time.This is the dress she got for the party with the matching Barbie. This is the children patientiently waiting for the magic show to begin.This is Alex breaking the magician's wand. The magic words were "Happy Birthday Alex". She got to assist in pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

Then she got to let all the other kids pet the rabbit. This is Julianne from K-A

This is Gavin (K-B) and Haley (K-A)Joey loves Steffie

This is Alex floating on the magic carpet.

We had a pinata. I missed the actual pulling. This is the scavaging for candy. FUN! FUN!

I missed the singing of Happy Birthday below but Laura played "Happy Birthday To You" on her guitar whild we sang. =)

Happy Birthday To You Baby Girl! We love you to pieces!

My Punkin is 5 - Today!

Today is Alex's Birthday. We normally do Chuck E Cheese for each family members birthday but this year, for Alex, we are doing a big ol party with a magician and we rented a hall. She invited all her friends from school and we're expecting a big turn out. However, it is very costly so we decided to have Laura to come over and Alex chose where she wanted to have dinner. Initially she said she wanted McDonald's and I was not surprised. After some pondering, she says "I want to go to dinner at that place where you walk around and pick your food." I'm thinking, what is she talking about. After some investigation, we figured out she meant the Joy Buffet. This is a Chinese food buffet. My 5 year old chose a Chinese buffet. OK. This is Mine and Brod's new favorite place to eat so we had no objections. Not to mention it's 100 x's better than Mc Donalds. The food is excellent. Steffie and Laura went with us. Here's a few pics:This is the "Happy Birthday" cake. Her first Birthday present, a pair of pants, a hoodie, and Littlest Pet Shop online Pets.

Steffie and Joey with his finger in the hole where his tooth used to be.

Brodie and Laura with their ice creams. Laura had 4!This was Laura's present to Laura. It's a unicorn Rescue Pets E Pets. She really wanted this.

It was a fun time but I still had plenty of preparing to do for the big party tomorrow. Brodie and I didn't go to bed until 2:30 and ended up camping in the living room because that's where the kids fell asleep. Laura spent the night. Alex was so excited, she woke up at 6:00 and the sun was not even up. I was tired!

Joey, Lost A Tooth!

My boy lost his first tooth! Unfortunately, that tooth only cost about $900 and was supposed to last until he was at least 6. Yes, it was a cap. His two front teeth were rotten and last June we had them capped so he would not be toothless until he was 7 or 8 (that's the average age a boy loses there first tooth). Obviously a problem and certainly a waste of money. Besides that, he was excited he got two quaters from the tooth fairy and but himself some little construction trucks.

He looks a little funny. No funnier than when he first got the teeth. They were huge and white as can be. He looked like beaver boy. Now he just toothless and right before Christmas.

Life Moves Too Fast

In just one week, My Punkin will be 5! It seems like just yesterday she was taking her first steps and in September, she started Kindergarten. Where does life go? We have tried to capture all of her young years in photos and in video. I just wanted to use this post as time to reflect on the baby that she was and the young girl that she is today.

She is only 5 days old in this photo. She was so tiny and she slept most of the time.

Alex was 6 months old in this photo and she was baby of the week in K-Mart for it.

This is a video of Alex's first steps. It was taken on 8/20/2004 (she was 2 days shy of 9 months old). It wasn't long after that she was on her own.

This is a photo we used on our Christmas Labels in 2004. Alex is about a year old in this photo.
This is a photo of when we first brought Joey home from the hospital. Alex is 15 months old in this photo. She was such a big girl.


Today, Alex amazes me regularly with the things that she can do. I want to list 20 of them for you now.

1. She tells jokes.
2. She performs magic tricks.
3. She can tie knots.
4. She can button and unbutton her shirt ALONE!
5. She puts on and zips her coat ALONE!
6. She can swing herself. =)
7. She can buckle and unbuckle herself in and out of the carseat.
8. She can ride her bike (with training wheels).
9. She roller skates.
10. She can climb to the top of the jungle gym.
11. She recognizes and writes the Alphabet.
12. She draws people...and cats as well as colors in the lines.
13. She is very social and makes friends easily.
14. She prays on her own.
15. She remembers to tell me things that the teacher tells her to tell me.
16. She writes her first and last name as well as Joey, Mom, Mommom, and Poppop. She can also copy anything that you write for her.
17. One of my very most favorites is that she sings. She sings songs that she's been taught and she makes up her own.
18. She takes good photos.
19. She paints.
20. SHE WIPES HER OWN HINEY!!!

Here are some photos of my Punkin today:

This is her very first modeling gig.
Roller skating.
Mini golf. She hits the ball in the hole.

She is very flexible.

This is Pre-K Graduation from June. Isn't she beautiful.

One of the funny things she does is the Soduko that is in the bathroom when she goes. She randomly fills in numbers in open blocks. She looks very serious when she's doing it too. She also is such a daredevil. She loves to ride the roller coasters at the boardwalk and can't wait until she's tall enough to ride the bigger ones.

It's hard to grasp that my little punkin is not so little anymore. She's so self sufficient and independent. Sending her to school this year was very tough for me and not at all for her. She asks regularly if she can ride the bus. Brodie and I just aren't ready to take that step yet. She seems to have a little something going on with a boy at school and he shares the feelings. I say nothing to her about it because I'm not ready for my little girl to recognize that she likes boys. She loves to sing and will sing when she's happy or bored or just in a daze. She's such a good girl too. Such a mommy pleaser. She's getting so big. I always wonder what she'll be like when she's older. One thing is for sure, it's coming too quickly. Life Moves Too Fast.

Family Tree

This week and last, Alex's kindergarten class is learning about families. She was asked to make a family tree to turn in today to be hung in the hallway next to her classroom. I did all the cutting but she did all the pasting and writing! She and I both are very proud! We have parent teacher conferences tonight so I hope we get to see everyone's!

Alex's Family Tree

Family of the Week

Every week, Alex's school chooses 5 families to be the Family of the Week. The purpose is to showcase the family with a poster of photos that the family creates and the school focuses on those families during prayer. Our family was chosen a few weeks ago. I wanted to share our poster and some of the photos on it.Campbell Family posterAlex at church with her Rosery beadsJoey at the playground Alex, Joey, and Laura at Chuck E Cheese

Joey and Daddy mowing the grass

We ain't got nobody

Baby shark with Steffie

Alex's first chicken leg

Mommom and Poppop Campbell (and George)

Longwood Gardens

Joey, Emilee, and Alex stayin cool

TRAINS!

We were all impressed with this one

JOEY

Riding bikes

Screamin Halloween

Last year, we went camping for Halloween and our niece Sarah's Birthday. We loved it so much that we decided to make it a family tradition. Not to mention Sarah's Birthday will always be October 30th so her family will continue to celebrate it for Halloween. We are members of Outdoor World and spent a very fun & fulfilled weekend there. Amongst pumkin painting and carving, Halloween crafts, Hayrides, and Trick or Treating, the following are our highlights.

Costume Contest:

Haley, Sarah, Alex, Brianne and JoeyBaby Thomas. He's so cute! Laura and Alex

Jenny, Mark and Maya! Steffie's dog Prada

Apple Bobbing:

This is Ryan. Go Ryan!

Screaming Contest:

The loudest scream would be Laura. Next to her is Kevin. Then there's Alex, Joey, and Sarah

Birthday Party:

The Birthday Girl, Sarah
Haley & AlexThe Cake

Happy 3rd Birthday Sarah!

Magic Show:

Alex volunteered for every magic trick and he finally chose her for the grand finale, The rabbit out of the hat trick! I think we were all more excited than she was. She seemed a little nervous.

Other pics:

Joey, Laura, Alex

Like father, like son. This was not planned.RyanThomas & Maya (so cute!) They are close to 10 months apart and yes, they are very close in size!

Mommom & Thomas

All in all, we had a great time!