On her 13th birthday, 13 reasons I love Keaton

 

1.  She is quick.  Oh, that girl can make me laugh.

2.  She has beautiful, gorgeous big brown eyes.

3.  She’s the most frugal child I have.  Once she gets a dollar, she won’t let go.

4.  Because she’s frugal, she doesn’t want me to spend money.  This can be quite the pain as I have to justify anything I spend as she reprimands and evaluates my every. single. purchase.

5.  She won’t let me buy her new clothes.  She won’t let anyone buy her new clothes.  She wears the same old hand-me-down clothes and shoes year after year.

6.  She cracks me up regularly.  Did I already say she was funny?  Especially when she’s in a good mood.  But watch out for those bad moods.  They’re infamous.

7.  She cleans up sibling-vomit without being asked.  No really, she does and you can’t have her…she’s ALL MINE!

8.  She’s the first to ask if  I’m okay.

9.  She likes to fix my hair and it feels really good.

10.  She eats hummus with me:)

11.  She has the ultimate servant’s heart.

12.  Not only is she funny, which I might have already mentioned, but she is crack-your-rib hysterical and can command a room full of people with her wit.  They just sit and wait for her next one-liner.

13.  She makes me so very proud of her every single day no matter what.  I love being her momma!!

Happy birthday, sweet girl!  I love you so very much!!

3, 6, 9, 12, 15

That’s how old five of my children are.  Sutton (20) kind of screws up the whole multiples-of-three theme I have going here, but I guess it’s not her fault:)

I just think it’s pretty cool when I’m asked about my children and I can rattle their ages off without having to think too hard.  Yet, this will only last another 48 hours before Keaton turns 13 and messes everything up…oh, is she excited.

But for now I can honestly say we’re in our “prime.” 

Get it?

She’s resourceful, that one

Peyton (3): “Rea Rea, I need juice.”
Reagan (15):  “Okay, just a minute.”

Peyton:  “Keaton, you get me juice?”
Keaton (12):  “Yep, hold on just a second.”

Peyton:  “Bubbas…JUICE!”
Hayden (9), Landon (6):  “Ask Mom!”

Peyton:  “MOM!!! JUICE PEEEEESE!!!
Mom:  “Okay, I’m in the bathroom!  Just a minute!”

Clearly, she got tired of waiting and just helped herself.
 
Yep, that’s her sippy cup lid and she’s on the counter.  Poor thing.

I heart church camp

Miss Keaton (12) went to Oklahoma for church camp last weekend.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun she’s been since she’s gotten home.  There’s nothing like dropping your surly, grumpy, I’m-the-middle-child-and-nobody-loves-me, hormone-surging pre-teen off at the church and four days later picking up your sweet, loving, okay-I’m-ready-to-give-life-(and you, mom)-another-shot, darling of a daughter.

Yeah, church camp only happens once a year.

(**sigh**)

  

Expressions

 

She’s so sweet it makes my heart race and my teeth hurt.

Yoga hurts, I mean really hurts

Yeah, this is so not a photo of me. 

I’m really bad at it.

But I’ll keep trying:/

Flying high

Little is more fun for Landon than being hurled through the air at the speed of light by his Uncle David.  He hits the water, checks to make sure everyone saw the throw and the always amazing landing, then he immediately jumps back up on the side so he can “fly” again.

 

Dayden wanted to try flying too.

“Look, Mom!

”

Dayden: “I need another chip.”

Peyton: “Huh?”

Dayden: “I said I need another chip!”

Peyton: “Oh, ok!”

It was zoo-pendous!

My little Peyton (3) and my sister’s little Dayden (3) have both been wanting to go to the zoo.  So being the incredible parents that we are, we made it happen.  I discovered it’s easy to plan a zoo trip on your computer from your air-conditioned perch at home; it’s another thing to actually go to the zoo when it’s 459 degrees in Texas.

Not only did we brave the heat, but we lasted five hours(!!) and had a really great time.

 

Landon and Peyton waiting for Auntie Gina, Uncle David and Dayden to arrive.

Poppie shot!  It’s a family joke:)

 

 

Peyton wanted a picture with the giraffe.  If you look very closely, you can see the giraffe waaaay in the back.