Greenville Gemstone Birthday Celebration
Karlie very carefully picking out the perfect rock bucket to mine today!
I picked the girls up a few minutes early from school on their birthday and took them on an adventure to downtown Greenville. Our first stop was the Greenville Gemstone store. A couple months ago the girls studied about various types of rocks for their Science unit so we thought this would be a fun and educational experience for them. They LOVED mining the gemstones and finding all the cool treasures. It was a great activity. They had a blast identifying the various gemstones they found too.
Getting started on mining their rocks. They were quite excited whenever they found a treasure!
Brina found a huge one and the bonus is it was amethyst which is their birthstone! Cool find on her birthday!
Karlie was so excited and trying to do her mining task it was impossible to get her to look up for the camera. She was having a blast finding all the neat stones!
Brina on the other hand stopped every time she found a treasure to show me. This one was a beautiful green! “Look Mom your favorite color!”
It was hilarious watching both of them! Seeing their expressions and hearing them giggle. Once they found a gemstone they would compare it to the charts that they were given to try and figure out what type of rock it was, there were moments of discussion if they couldn’t figure out which category it fell into.
Karlie pauses for a brief moment to show me some of her latest gemstone finds!
Brina carefully putting each rock into her bag so she doesn’t break any of them.
Karlie still hunting for treasures!
We were thrilled that they enjoyed this fun adventure.
The beautiful gemstones Karlie found during her mining experience!
All the neat gemstones Brina found while mining!
Proud of their cool gemstones. They couldn’t wait to show Daddy their treasures while mining today!
After we finished mining their gemstones we headed for a relaxing walk through downtown Greenville. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect birthday weather! We made a brief stop in OP Taylor’s Toy Store to check out all their neat toys. Talked with Grandma few a minutes on the phone then went to Mast General Store to pick out 5 pieces of candy out of the barrels. They each picked out different candies and were very good about sharing them so everyone could taste the different candies they found like cow tails and cherry mash just to name a couple!
Birthday Celebrations
Happy Birthday to Brina & Karlie! We are so thrilled to be celebrating another great year with our sweet girls. Even though their birthday was a few days ago it has been a whirlwind of activities, fun, and celebrations so I am just now getting around to posting all the super fun stuff! The Happy Birthday banner was hung up in our kitchen over the sink the night before so they were greeted with it first thing in the morning as they went into the kitchen to eat breakfast!
Jake made the girls a delicious birthday breakfast treat to celebrate their birthday!!! He made them a yogurt cup topped with fresh blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries! Jake also made the girls ham and homemade hash browns.
The girls watching their sparkler candles while we sing “Happy Birthday” to them! We stuck the candles in their yogurt and fruit cups.
Brina very excited about her cool new bike!
Karlie ready to go for a ride on her new bike!
Karlie and Brina in their new birthday shirts ready to have a super fun birthday. First activity after breakfast…..a day at school.
Karlie’s entire school lunch and snack wrapped up and ready to go. She was so excited to unwrap all her food gifts for her lunch!
Brina’s birthday lunch all wrapped up in festive birthday wrapping, complete with a sweet card!
Birthday lunch packed and ready to go!
Birthday balloons always add a little fun to the big celebration day! They are still up and floating around in their rooms even though I picked them up before their birthdays!
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!
Happy Birthday Brina and Karlie!
We love you so much sweet girls! It is amazing to think you are turning 9 years old today (the years have flown by very quickly)! We prayed for a long time for you and are so blessed to have you both as our daughters!
Wishing you an awesome birthday and many more wonderful years packed full of great memories! We are praying that God will use you in great ways this year! We are grateful for our kind, thoughtful, loving, smart, funny, and beautiful girls! You both bring so many smiles, sunshine, and laughter into our lives! We are blessed to be your Dad and Mom!
Lots of HUGS & LOVE,
Dad & Mom
XOXO
Sweet Celebration
Jake brought me a sweet treat shortly after midnight on my birthday
I had a great birthday. There are so many reasons to celebrate yet another year. All the cards, calls, texts, emails, messages, and more from family and friends made my birthday extra special. Thankful for Jake and the girls, they treated me very well and managed to surprise me several times too!
Cute birthday notes from Brina and her classmates at school!
Brina and Karlie made me breakfast in bed for my birthday, such a neat surprise!
Birthday sign from Karlie
Homemade ice cream cake made by Jake and the girls! Delicious!
Birthday Celebration (part 2)
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie
We were actually traveling on the girls actual birthday (they had a great time visiting their grandparents in Vermont). After we got back from our trip we scheduled a birthday party for the friends and family in our area. It was held at the Upstate Children’s Museum. The girls had a blast playing at the Children’s Museum with their family and friends. It was a great place to have a birthday celebration!
Karlie having fun at the Children’s Museum
Brina shopping at the Children’s Museum
Karlie having fun at the Children’s Museum
Daddy and Brina building a structure
Karlie having a blast
Daddy and Brina playing the Turn the Lights Off game
Karlie made a giant “K” out of the light brights
Birthday Celebration
Our Sweet Brina
The weekend after we got back in town we took the girls to Outback for their birthday lunch. It was nice to have a quiet lunch with them, talk, and celebrate their birthday. I still cannot believe my girls are growing up so quickly. There is so much to be thankful for in our lives.
Our Karlie girl
Brina giggling…always love hearing my girls laugh!
Sweet Karlie with a big smile
Sirloin tips and fries, can’t ask for a better birthday dinner at Outback! 🙂 The girls both wanted steak for their birthday lunch.
Brina’s little gift to Karlie. Love that she wrote a cute message to Karlie – “I love you!” I took each of them out at different times to pick out a gift for their sister. Brina used her money to go to Goodwill and pick out a bunch of used “chapter” books for Karlie to read. It was so cute helping her look through the books and pick out ones Karlie would like. Karlie was very surprised Brina found so many books and been enjoying reading them.
Karlie’s “secret” birthday message to Brina. It says “K(arlie) L(oves) Y(ou) Brina!” Karlie picked up some really cute crafts for Brina. Brina has been found painting and doing a variety of crafts over the past few weeks!
Aw…Karlie got a gift from Brina
My Handsome Man! Enjoying some time with his girls!
Travel & Vacation: Celebrating in Vermont
Birthday cake! Doesn’t the birthday cake look beautiful?! Grandma Kay made the cake and did the main layer of frosting and Brina added all the colorful frosting and goodies to the cake. It looked pretty and tasted delicious! 🙂
The girls had a four day birthday weekend since they didn’t have school on Friday or Monday so we made a quick trip up to Vermont to spend some time with Jake’s Mom and grandparents. We celebrated the girls birthday during our visit which was a lot of fun. The girls enjoyed spending time with their grandparents. It was a great trip packed full of a lot of good memories. Grandma Kay gave Brina some good tips on cake decorating which Brina loved (she was tickled pink that Grandma let her decorate their birthday cake).
Brina decorating her and Karlie’s birthday cake
Karlie all smiles. While Brina was decorating the birthday cake Karlie was happily picking up the toys and cleaning.
Brina loves helping in the kitchen, decorating the birthday cake was a big hit with her
Karlie discovered a cool toy in Grandma’s stash while cleaning up! She thought the helicopter was pretty amazing!
Grandma Kay showing Brina how to do another neat trick with the frosting!
Sweet girl having fun
Brina so proud of her decorated cake
Karlie having fun!
Brina had extra frosting so Grandma let her decorate some cookies. Daddy eating one of the cookies Brina just frosted.
Happy Birthday Sweet Girls!
Look whose eight! Grandma Kay found some really cool number 8 balloons that the girls loved!
Travel & Vacation: Cruising with the Family
Snapping a picture of Jake from across the table
After a fun full day at Labadee, Haiti swimming in the Aqua Park, zipping down the giant water slide, and time at the beach while some people went parasailing. We enjoyed some evening activities on the boat after our great day at Haiti. That night the girls ate lobster, tiger shrimp and steak for dinner. They had a grand time hanging out with the entire family.
Karlie was so happy! She got her own lobster tail (and she eat it all)! 🙂
One kiddo down during dinner….it’s been a busy day!
Singing “Happy Birthday” to Amber! Happy Birthday Amber!
Singing “Happy Birthday” to Josh! Happy Birthday Josh! Amber and Josh got an awesome piece of cheesecake in celebration of their birthday.
Family at evening dinner
Zach and Nicko hanging out at the table
Leo all smiles
Karlie Kool Kat
Hanging out with my sweet nephew!
Do you see the girls in this picture? They are on up a floor higher than us.
Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!
Happy 8th Birthday Brina and Karlie! We love you sweet girls more than words can say! Wishing you both many more amazing years packed full of great memories! 🙂 We are thankful for the our beautiful girls and the many rays of sunshine they bring into our lives! We are so blessed to be your parents!
Lots of LOVE & HUGs,
Dad & Mom
XOXO
Celebrating Another Year!
When I came home one day this tower of goodies from Harry & David was sitting on my front porch from my Mother-in-Law! The girls were thrilled to help eat the goodies with me! 🙂
I recently celebrated my birthday (on Thanksgiving Day). The year flew by so quickly it was hard to believe I was yet again celebrating another birthday. I have so much to be thankful for in my life. What a wonderful day to celebrate and reflect on the many blessings over the past year.
Cute candle from Karlie
The night before Thanksgiving we had a Game Night with some family and friends. That night my sweet husband brought out an ice cream cake to share. I am not one that thrives on big celebrations and being put in the center of the spotlight so this was the perfect way for me to celebrate with close family and friends.
Brina ready to play the new game (In A Pickle) her and Karlie got me for my birthday.
On Thanksgiving day we had an amazing dinner and relaxed playing games (even a new game the girls picked out for me), reading books, and having fun together. It was so sweet getting the phone calls, texts, birthday cards, and other goodies to remind me of yet another great year.
My Handsome Man reading the directions so we can play the new game!
Then this week once life had calm down (a little bit, maybe) a great of girlfriends got together for a Girls Night Out to celebrate my birthday. It was nice to get out for a little bit and hang out with friends. Thankful for the neat people in my life.
Thanksgiving morning opening my gifts from the girls.
They had a blast picking out their gifts and wrapping them all by themselves!
It is my hope and prayer that this next year will be another year packed full of great memories. May God use me to make a difference in the hearts and lives of my husband, kids, family, friends and people I encounter from day to day. Even though I am another year older I feel like I still have so much to learn. May it be a year of learning, growth, and wonderful experiences!
