Maiya is SIX !!!!!!!!!!!!

you on your first birthday.

Dear Maiya,

My tiniest baby.

this is right from the email Dad sent to everyone:

Born June 21, 2005 at 3:25pm
7 pounds 8 ounces
20 inches long

I had gestational cholestasis at the end with you.

The major risk was stillbirth.

I still remember you being laid on my chest healthy.

I chanted over and over again:

"I was so worried"

"I am glad you are ok"

Daddy, Grandma and Aunt Beth were at your birth. Aunt Beth had never seen a baby be born. She was very excited. And a little shocked that I breastfed you RIGHT after you were born. She thought I'd give you a day to adjust first LOL.

You are our little summer solstice baby.

I love your spunk

I love that you are so much like your Aunt Meg its scary/funny.

You hate cleaning.

You LOVE art.

Anything is art to you: stickers, water, soap, ripped up paper, food.

You are good at making friends.

I loved how on field day you held your best friend Aprils hand the entire time.

You are so sweet and we are so blessed to have you in our family.

Blog Book coupon

Remember my blog book?

They are running a coupon right now for 15% off.

Maybe I'll be able to order the rest of mine now :)

coupon goes till July 6th

Thank you...

So I was kind of into the Osbournes way back when their reality show was on, Total crap I know, but strangely entertaining crap at times. Anyway, there was this time when they had their whatever anniversary it was and they spent way too much money to make a spectacle of their strange marriage and by the end of the night Ozzy was face down in the bathroom too drunk to barely remember that he was even married.

But... before that end, he and Sharon exchanged a toast - and I remember Sharon in her amazingly cool british accent saying "thank you Ozzy for my babies" and she choked up and then started crying. I was totally bawling watching a crappy reality TV show.

I hear her voice sometimes when I think of my cute family and the wonderful man that is the Father of this here crazy gang.

Thank you Kyle for my babies.

Thank you for being such a good Dad, a steadfast provider, a keeper of Covenants, my best friend, and a wonderful loving husband. I couldn't do it without you, but even if I could I'd never, ever want to. I love you.

Ben.

Ella.

Maiya.

Cora.

Parker.

It was hot... but fun.

we went here:

It was beautiful and the woods reminded me of Virginia and the Pine trees in Ponchatoula LA - Pine trees will always remind me of my Maw-maw's house - her driveway was a bed of pine needles.

we stayed in a screened shelter - can't beat the price. But that is about all you can't beat. Everything else is a little lacking - but it works!

before:

after:

Making breakfast:

Hickory guarding the site - really he wasn't - he was complete chicken s** the whole time, especially when the raccoons came around at night

The very best part of being there:

the water was so clear - you could see straight to the bottom even eight feet deep.

Junk food is ok when you are camping right - offset by walking a 1/4 mile everytime you need to go to the bathroom and swimming all day right?

my man chilling in the "kitchen"

Meg and her fiance Justin - who bravely came camping with us!

Camping can be EXHAUSTING for mom and dad.

Justin our cuddly bodyguard!

I think you outgrew that Maiya

Hickory's apartment complete with fan when we'd head to the lake

He could drag her through the woods but luckily didn't

one of our favorite camp dinners: faJeetas

Our night time guests:

Early morning fishing (with scaredy cat Hickory):

Maiya was good at catching roly-polys

and feeding them breakfast:

Banana Boats - our fav camping dessert.

Hickory dug up a cool spot:

peace out!