Seven is a LUCKY number!!

Seven is a LUCKY number!!!

A look at Larkin's 7th Birthday!

Newborn Larkin....love!

Jan 11th.....Mommy, Larkin and Tatum

Every year January 11th comes around we feel more than blessed knowing that our little sweet pea has turned another year older.  Larkin is 7!!!  I can not tell you how amazing this is considering we didn't think she would see 2 let alone 7 years old!  Again I couldn't throw just any party for Larkin...I actually started planning the party theme last January right after her "Sunshine" party.   I decided birds would be fun and birds remind me of her so it was a perfect theme.

Daddy, Lark and Mommy

I really didn't even spend much money this year which is even better. I found the birdhouses for a dollar a piece at the fabric store and painted them myself with twenty nine cent paint!  I did add a coat of Mod Podge Sparkle on top of the paint for a fun look.  I also had tons of felt so I  made all the little birdies that I glued onto the birdhouses and the birdie banner.

I have to tell you that I was freaking out a little about what kind of cake I was going to get for her. I had resigned myself to the fact that this year I couldn't afford to get her the cake that I had really wanted for her so I was going to try and bake and decorate it myself.  I was throwing around ideas and then out of the blue I was contacted by the sweet lady that made her Icing Smiles cake for her 5th birthday party.  (Rebecca Sutterby from Sugar Creations)  She said that she was doing laundry one day and had this feeling come over her that she needed to do another cake for Larkin's birthday.  Keep in mind that she donated one of her wonderful cakes for Larkin's 5th birthay through an organization called Icing Smiles. They make sure kiddo's with medical needs get a cake for their birthday.  This is a one time deal and it is so very wonderful.  Rebecca took this one step further and wanted to do yet another cake for Lark.  She asked me what my theme was for this year and after I told her she said she'd get me a sketch and it was a done deal.  I LOVE this lady so much....what a kind heart to offer her incredible cakes again to our family.  She totally rocked the bird theme and made a gorgeous cake....almost 3 feet of cake to be exact and it weighed a ton!  I'm so thankful for Rebecca and I can't thank her enough for making this another beautiful birthday.

this is the sketch Rebecca sent me and here is the cake!

It was a perfect day to celebrate......here are the many pictures from her party and a few pictures of her on her actual birthday.... enjoy.

 my pretty bow my mommy made me

opening my presents

sister in law Mandy and my brother Skylar

my brothers Stratton and Colton

my Buddy (grandpa) We share a birthday!!! yea!

Buddy and Grammy

Grandpa and Grandma Bish

my friend Summer and my Mommy

my friend Lisa

my nurse Leanne and her new baby Kenzley

my mommy lets me taste (lick) my cake every year

my sissy Tatum!

cake table...Koozies for the lemonade

my cute leggings

 Early bird gets the worm...party favors...

 mommy made my bird banner

A GREAT BIG SMILE & A CUTE LITTLE BOB

The other day we had a very scary thing happen. Colton was walking home from school by himself ( he's not allowed to do that) when a truck pulled in front of him and stopped. He was actually not far from home but far enough that he got scared and took off running to a friends house. He said that the situation seemed sketchy and he got scared. He totally did the right thing....he felt in his gut that it wasn't right so he started to run! He ran through a ditch and fell dropping his binder. He actually had his cell phone and he was dialing 911 as he was running. The guy in the truck backed up and took off really fast going the opposite direction. Anyway, it was a very scary thing for him and for all of us. We keep telling him that he did the right thing and we are so proud of him. So the BIG SMILE on Colton's face is because a sweet friend of mine brought Colton a huge bag of Halloween candy and cotton candy:). Also a hanging skeleton to decorate our tree outside because she too was do proud of him for doing the right thing and running to get help in a bad situation! Thanks Gina!!

Now the cute little bob! Lil miss had hair like Rapunzel and it was getting in the way of dressing her in the mornings and at bedtime. I had to put her hair in a bun to get her shirt on. Daddy kept saying it was TOO long! We called Mandy and she came over and cut it into a cute little hairdo:) thanks Mandy..XO

OH HAPPY DAY....A look at Tatum & Clayton's Wedding

 This was one incredible day....October 6, 2012

 Tatum married Clayton the man of her dreams.

It was very cold and clouds were in the sky and rain drops were coming down slightly but nothing could have made this day any more beautiful than this couple right here.

 

 

The wedding was so elegant with a violinist playing while our guests entered the church and also during the wedding itself.  To be quite honest I remember some but not all of what she was playing because my nerves were going crazy! ( and I'm just the mother of the bride)  Tatum was cool as a cucumber but maybe those last few shots of Hypnotic was what settled her nerves...sigh.  She told me that she was going to think of Zombies, Brown Recluses and something else dreadful during the ceremony so she wouldn't cry.  That girl is crazy!  ha ha

 

 

Larkin was at the church for pictures before the wedding and then we took her home so she was not at the actual ceremony.  Tate took a few pictures with her and then the rest of my kids were in a group shot as well.  It was such a hectic time right before the wedding and we had to give ourselves enough time to get her home so that we could be back at the church for the wedding.  It all worked out....whew!

 

 

The morning of the wedding a friend of mine did my hair and makeup.  It was wonderful!!  I told her that Tatum likes my makeup DARK!!!  but that I didn't want to look like I was in a drama production....lol   But by 4:00pm I guess I needed a touch up.  Tatum was reapplying my mascara and eyeliner. 

 

Getting a little love from L.P. aka Bud...my daddy!

 

 



Aren't these the most handsome boys you have EVER seen?! Skylar and Stratton were ushers.

So I didn't get a picture of Colton but rest assured there are PLENTY of them that the photogs took.  He was bouncing around from room to room at the church before the wedding and then at the reception he was "getting down" on the dance floor.  Tatum told her friends that weddings to Colton are like "crack cocaine"!  LMAO  But it is SO very true!

 

Bud and Grammy

 

This was a door that Summer and I found at a place in Old Town called Architectural Salvage. I ended up buying a few things that we used at the reception for signage.  Summer put the graphics on the door in the picture above and it was outside greeting guests as they arrived at the reception.

 

 

An old screen with a knob that we put in the "Cookie Room" at the reception.  We had 3 small rooms along one side of the room that we had a photo booth in and also the bar. It was perfect!

Again Summer from Sugar Britches Custom Designs did the graphics and flower on the screen

 

This picture does not do this room justice. It was so gorgeous in there with all of the cookies neatly stacked in the boxes that I made.  I wrapped burlap ribbon around each box and put a tulle puff on top.  We had five different types of cookies....Snickerdoodle, Funfetti, Chocolate Espresso, Peanut Butter Nutella and Ginger.  My wonderful friend Ashley Hall came over two full days and we made Snickerdoodles, the  Chocolate Espresso and the dough for the Peanut Butter Nutella cookies. Then Ashely made the Ginger ones on her own and I made the Funfetti's.  I'm not even kidding when I say it took over 40 hours to bake all these little sweeties...1200 of them!! I even have a freezer full of leftovers now:)  I also bought a wooden tray and put three pedestal candle holders and small burlap bags with parchment paper inside so guests could take a bag full of cookies home.  The paper lanterns were super cheap and thank goodness for Hobby Lobby that they started putting their Christmas stuff out in August!  I got the pearl garland hanging from the ceiling there.

 

The head table was gorgeous!! Lots of candles and small flower arrangements adorned the table.  The theme of the wedding was "Oh Happy Day".  The darling banner was made by Summer as well.

 

Amber Burton (Tate's sister in law) was her matron of honor.  Fun fact....Amber and Clinton (Clayton's twin brother) were married on this day October 6...five years earlier.  They now share the same wedding day!

 

 

Mandy was a Bridesmaid.  I have the most beautiful girlies:)

 

 

So this is the only picture I have of the pew flowers and Greg is making himself a belt bouquet!  ha ha  We were taking these down after the wedding.  We had cones with Hydrangea's with greenery and a little moss.  I am thinking they were one of my most favorite things from the wedding.

 

 

Three cakes and like 6 different flavors.  W.O.W. Cakes in Wichita made these and the cake is always delicious.  One cake was Fruit Loop!  It was Strawberry cake and lemon cake and combined it tasted like Fruit Loops. Of course we had the traditional white cake, a chocolate cake and for the life of me I can not remember the other two flavors.

 

The gorgeous couple!!!

 

 

Father daughter dance.....I love this picture of her and Greg.

 

 

And they split the dance.... My dad walked Tatum down the aisle as well.

 

 

My love....we had a great time enjoying the wedding and all of the details that made this day what it was.

 

 

I am wishing my daughter and son in law a long wonderful life together filled with love, health, happiness and lots of babies!!!!!

 

I LOVE YOU BOTH!!

 

and a look at the two that pulled this shindig together....

 

Me and my wonderful friend Summer....

thanks bunches...XO