Zoo fun!

So we bought zoo passes in April and finally took advantage of the amazing cooler weather and spent the day at the zoo.  I had intended on only going for a few hours but a few turned into 5 in the blink of an eye! We had a blast!

 Playin' around in the barn

Stopped for a Bluebell treat!

 We got our golden ticket for the train ride! Waiting patiently :)

  All aboard!

 Fed the birds! Probably one of the highlights of the day!

 Happy girl!

 NOT so happy boy :)  -hehee!

 The Fort Worth Zoo has Dinosaurs on display - they're anamatronic - they growl & move their heads or tails -- really neat for the kids!

 Jake as T-Rex



The Brannon Birthday Bash!

Cassidy and her cousin, Reagan, are one year and three days apart!  They decided that they'd like to share a birthday party this year and so ... wha la! wish granted! The girls got to invite their own friends and burn some energy off at The Little Gym.  I think everyone had fun...except for maybe Will, he really wished he was big enough to join in all the fun!

 Poor Will -- just got to lick the glass!

Gosh! Where did the time go?? 5 years already??  Such a blessed family to have a beautiful, caring little girl!

Pics from Cassidy's Birthday

 Chocolate toast for breakfast!

 Talking to Daddy for a birthday wish!

Nachos from Taco Cabana for special Birthday lunch!

Opening a few presents from the Fam!



Cassidy turns FIVE!!

May showers have helped the craft bug get busy! At least with Cassidy’s birthday preparations.  I decided to make matching outfits for Cass and her cousin, Reagan, who will be sharing a birthday party this year! It will probably be rare that we’ll live this close to family again for a while so we’d better make the best of the time we have here.  And Reagan & Cassidy were stoked when we asked them if they wanted to share a party! The Little Gym is taking the pressure off of us parents and running the whole party.  We show up with cake and kids and they do the rest – whoo hoo! The pictures make the shirts look red, but they’re hot pink – a fave of both girls!

Cassidy is over the moon excited that tomorrow is her birthday.  I can’t help but recall how exhausted I felt this night 5 years ago – we hurried around the house trying to get things ready for the movers to come the next morning (we were moving into base housing to get things settled before the baby got here! ha!).  Having no idea that at 2 am my water would break (in the bed) and that by 5:01 a.m. we’d be parents of a petite 6#8oz baby girl who felt her due date of May 31st was a bit too far away!  And for my first Mother’s Day, I got to bring our little baby girl home ~ truly an unforgettable moment.  Our lives have never been the same and I thank GOD for that! Sweet baby Cassidy, why do you have to be 5 years old already!?!?  You are such a loving, caring and bright little girl – so tender (and bossy) with your brothers, so polite and thankful – we are soo blessed to have you as the little Momma in our family!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Ok, ok.. I could have a pity party because I don't have a handsome hunk of love to wake me up with breakfast in bed and handmade kid crafts...but instead I am having a peaceful morning enjoying the fact that my family is healthy, safe and for the most part happy!  Motherhood is such a blessing and I truly have to thank Michael on Mother's Day for giving me three sweet children to call my own..it wouldn't have been possible without him! 

The kids made some wonderful crafts at school and we Skyped with Michael this morning so it has been a wonderful day already! I just wish the kids understood "sleeping in" :)  I bought a couple of bunches of Gerbera daisies for Will's party and consider them my Mother's Day flowers...Gerberas are so vibrant and beautiful ~ bursting with color, delicate yet hardy and truly spirit lifting -- I love fresh flowers!

My mom is here for the weekend, it's nice to see her having fun with the kids and the kids getting to know their Grandma.  Jake especially loves his Grandmas -- he asks about them daily -- where they are, where they sleep, he'll see a car that looks like theirs and say "Hey that looks like Grandma Teddy's jeep" or "Hey, Grandma Susan has Daddy's car" -- he's just so loving! 

I thank GOD for giving me a wonderful family to celebrate this Mother's Day with.  I'll be grilling some bbq chicken for my Mom & Mother-in-law today, it's just the little things that make the day that much sweeter!

Super Soccer Star Cassidy!!

Today was Cassidy’s final soccer game…possibly forever, possibly not?!?  She was a really great sport today and even made the FIRST goal!! She thinks that she “made the other team kick it into our goal” but she actually got the ball away from the other team (just as they were going to kick it into our goal!) and managed to score the goal on her own!! Of course with my awful camcorder skills I got the grass…not the goal.  But! The Royals did awesome today – I think partially because the other team wasn’t on their “A” game…but mainly because their persistence with practice & teamwork paid off!

We don’t keep score in the 3-4 year old league … but it was 11-1!! We ROCKED that field this morning!  Cassidy was very proud of herself – and we were too!  At the awards presentation, Cassidy was given “The Braveheart” award.  She started the season off as a less than willing participant but turned her attitude around and became a wonderful team player who assisted her teammates to victory!  We are very proud of her and hope she will continue to try new sports and just have fun being a kid!

Will's First Fiesta!

Will turned 1 on Wednesday, we threw him a "First Fiesta" party on Cinco de Mayo - complete with pinata, pin-the-tail on the donkey, and make your own sombrero! We had an endless plate of chicken & beef flautas, black bean & corn salsa, nachos, quesadillas...veggies, fruit, sugar cookies...oh, and cupcakes! It was a crazy, whirlwind party -- but I think everyone had fun! We surely missed Daddy's presence but he was there in Daddy Doll form :) We had a wonderful turn out - 21 kids and 12 adults - yep, that many people fit into our tiny house and backyard...the weather was awesome, but should've had some full-fledged margaritas -- I think I needed one the most!

What do you get for a third child's 1st birthday?? Not much -- I asked everyone NOT to bring a present, we already have SOOOO many toys that I figured he wouldn't know or mind much if we just didn't have gifts. But of course, people brought them and what kind of mom would I be if I didn't get a couple of gifts?? So Will made out like a bandit! A Little People A to Z Zoo from Mommy & Daddy; a Little People Plane from Cass & Jake; a basketball hoop from my mom; clothes, balls, books, & a shake 'n go car from Grandma Teddy; Cold hard cash from Auntie Lisa, Uncle Jody & the girls; 2 tugboats, swim trunks, more balls, musical shakers, water/bath toys, and more balloons & paper than a 1 year old knows what to do with!!

My mom was a great help and none of the food would've been ready without her help! I think next year I'm going to keep it MUCH more low key...perhaps a combination Welcome Home/Birthday party! I cannot believe that my baby is already a whole-year-old...looking back through his first year of photos really makes me yearn to have another super-duper-cute Brannon baby...then the chaos, crying, whining and "mommmiieeee" comes screaming in from the background and well, I think we are COMPLETE! I love this sweet little family of mine and we are truly blessed by the Hand of the Father!