High 5 Friday!

It's High 5 Friday and that means what are your top 5 Favorite things that happened this week!

1. Hailey is finally starting to get confidence in reading and she actually pick up a book we had at home and tried to read it on her own.  And she did GREAT!

2. That I reconnected with a friend and it's like we never stopped talking!

3. That since Sunday I have given away $455 in free jewelry to 2 of my hostesses'.  (I am a Premier Designs Jeweler in case you didn't know!)  And I made $350!  Go me!

4.  That I did a load of laundry and actually folded it AND put it away right after it was done in the dryer!  (If you know me you know how hard that is for me to actually complete all in the same day).

5. That it is finally Friday and that I hardly have anything planned this weekend!!!  Relaxation here we come!

Happy Friday!!

Birthdays and New Goals...maybe??

So we are currently in the "Birthday Countdown" in my house.  Once Christmas is over, Hailey knows that her birthday is literally just around the corner.  And let me tell you, that "corner" is exactly 69 days long after Christmas and this year with it being a leap year...it's 70.  Constantly I hearing about what Hailey wants for her birthday and what she wants to do and then I'm figuring out in my head how I can make some kind of version that she wants to actually happen.  This year Hailey will be turning the big 6!  And around when I was 5 or 6 this is when I remember birthday parties at my house.  Cousins and the neighbor kids would come over for the afternoon of games and gifts and cake and seriously....they were the best birthdays ever!  Nowadays though, it seems like birthdays have become this HUGE thing and where doing "normal" party games and having cake/ice cream just isn't enough for some reason.  So I always really try to stay somewhere in the middle.  You will never catch me paying $300 to have a birthday party at some blowup house where you get the room for 30 minutes to open gifts and quickly eat cake and then the kids can play to their hearts content for a few hours.  I'll just take Hailey and a few of her friends for $7 each some Sunday afternoon.  Maybe Hailey is deprived but whatever....I'd say she's pretty darn lucky for what I'm able to provide for her as a single mom.  And guess what....she won't be getting a car for her birthday at 16 either!  AHH!  ha! 

So anyways....thinking about birthdays made me think of mine.  My birthday is in Aprl and I will be turning 29 this year.  And even though I do not feel 29 physically, mentally I would say I feel 32ish...bu the fact that in less than 1 1/2 years I'll be able to say I'm 3-0...it's like a milestone in my life.  I'm starting to feel like I need to reach some kind of goal by the time I get to that point in my life. 

Have my 20s been great...ehh...Hailey was the best thing about my 20s and the confidence and strength that I've found in myself has what I've found in my 20s and slowly digging myself out of the mistakes I've made in my 20s.  I want to live up my 30s.  Not exactly sure how or what I feel I need to do but I'm pondering it.  So we will see what happens.  I'm kind of thinking about making this blog about more than just Hailey and myself but also about myself in general, not just as Hailey's mom Sarah.  So who knows!  Stay tune...things could get interesting!  : )

Finishing up 2011 - Yes I'm late!

Here we are and it's already towards the end of January 2012 and I still have posted pictures from Christmas!  Christmas was great this year and completely was able to enjoy it with Hailey.  We also had Uncle Cody and Aunt Tracy and cousin Luke join us on Christmas eve after we went to mass.  We came home from church and Santa had already been there!  Hailey was in complete aww of the moment and I don't think she quite knew what to think seeing her barbie house sitting in front of the tree.  I threw in dinner real quick into the oven and she went to town opening all of her presents.  This year Hailey got her Barbie house, lots of new board games, books, puzzles, pjs, jewelry, and a few movies too and I feel like I'm forgetting something else!  Afterwards, Luke opened up his presents and then we sat down for dinner. 

Christmas morning Hailey played more with her toys before we headed off to Grandma's house where she received a new game for the Wii from Uncle Cody, clothes from Grandma and a digital camera from Tracy.  She also took along her umbrella she got from me "just in case" it started to rain. 

Also during December Hailey had her first sleepover with the neighbor girl, Kristen, I don't think I've ever heard so much giggling before! They had a blast from eating pizza, to playing in their room to watching movies. And this month, Hailey lost her first tooth!  She pulled it out herself at daycare! 

Christmas even 2011

Hailey and her Godfather - Cody

The Barbie House!!

Lots of presents

Toby even must have been good to get toys from Santa!

Luke LOVES Toby!

Christmas at Grandmas

Christmas Day 2011

Sleepover!

Hailey and Luke

Almost ready to come out

It's Out!!

Oh tooth fairy!!!

December Festivities

Hard to believe that December is here and that Christmas it literally just around the corner.  It's been a great month, lots of fun being had.  I've been baking like crazy and I'm getting to the point where if I see another cookie or chocolate covered pretzel it's going to just push me way over the edge!  lol 

This month Hailey officially started girl scouts and we had our first outing with them at a Christmas tree farm here in Troy and made table centerpieces with our Christmas mugs and evergreens.  It was a lot of fun.  Hailey is going to enjoy girl scouts a lot, it's going to be something fun we'll be able to do together. Also this month Hailey and Grandma made their annual gingerbread house together, always something fun Hailey enjoys with Grandma. Toby sure enjoyed waiting by Hailey's seat waiting to see if anything would fall on the floor. 

Speaking of Toby...the poor thing got a hair cut from me this month and for a while he looked like he had a lopside mohock or a small child went after him witha scissors.  The groomer last time left the  hair on his head way too long and there was no way I was gonna take him back just to get his head trimmed up.  I thought I could do it no problem.  Well...let's just say that now when Toby sees a scissors he starts to instantly shake.  lol  Poor guy.  After numerous attempts to try to fix it I just let it go and it'll grow out looking ok right??  lol Some of our visitors definitely had a good laugh at him though when they came to our place. 

And of course this month we watch Luked a couple of times for Aunt Tracy and Uncle Chris.  Love that Lukester so much!!!  Uncle Chris was deployed again this month so that was a sad but we'll see him in March just after Hailey's birthday.  One of these years he will be at her birthday party!! 

Last but not least our annual attempt to get a good Christmas card picture.  Aunt Tracy took it this year and to say the least...Hailey was "lots of fun" while doing this.  Thankfully we got a couple of good ones out of the 50 or so that Aunt Tracy took. 

Our 2011 Christmas Card Picture....turned out great didn't it??

Hailey making her gingerbread house

almost done!

Making her christmas decoration with the girl scouts

Our completed project!  Very cool!

Hailey and Toby...Toby looking semi decent

And the ever so cute...Luke!  He's crawling now too!

November - Where did it go???

Well here we are at the end of November and I have lost track of time and have fell behind in blogging. November was a busy month for us. I had lots of jewelry shows and Hailey had a lot of activities too. Early in November I went with Hailey's kindergarten glass on their field trip to Stillwater Prairie. I give those kindergartener teachers a lot of credit for how the can handle 20 kids at a time!!!

I also took Hailey to the eye Dr this month and we discovered that Miss Hailey definitely needed glasses. She picked out the pair she wanted right away and has done great with them so far. Sometimes we will forget to put them on and she'll soon realize she doesn't have them and she'll go get them herself. She's amazed how much they actually help her.

Hailey's also doing great in school and I'm sure she's going to be doing a lot better with her glasses on and being able to see properly. She seems a lot more confident now which is great!

Also this month we started our Holiday baking of our goodies and Hailey was a HUGE help this year. It's amazing to see her progress over the years and how much she wants to help each year.

Climbing through the bever den

Walking around like racoons

Making our Holiday treats

visiting the squirrel

Hailey and her glasses!

Hailey finding things in the woods



Pretty Hailey...prior to glasses



My group on the field trip










 

Happy Halloween!

Last night was Troy's Trick-or Treat and as always Hailey made out big time and we only walked 1/2 of our neighborhood!  Hailey was Minnie Mouse this year and Toby was a skelton.  First we stopped by Aunt Tracy and Uncle Chris' house to see Luke and he was all dressed up in the pumpkin costume Hailey wore when she was just 7 months old, hard to believe that it used to fit her!!!  Enjoy the pictures!

Hailey & Luke Halloween 2011 - Hailey 5 1/2 - Luke 5 months

Minnie Mouse and Skelton

Aunt Tracy and the cutest pumpkin - Luke!

Toby looking oh so thrilled in his costume! 

It's Fall Ya'll!

Well it is officially fall in Ohio and we've been taking part in our annual activities.  This past weekend we went to Fulton Farms to go get our pumpkins.  We had a blast and part of me can't believe that we've been doing this for 3 or 4 years now.  It was a great day for Hailey and Mommy!  We came home and put our pumpkins outside and Hailey brought her's in to paint. 

Also with it being fall now that means cooler temperatures which means lots of baking!  This past week Hailey helped me make brownies...she even cracked the eggs for me. 



Fulton Farms 2011



Almost 4 feet tall!

On the hunt for the perfect pumpkin!

Her pumpkin!

that's my Hailey...always posing for pictures!

Down the slide!

Making brownies!

My beautiful daughter...so proud of her!  Love you Hailey!