Party, Cannoli, and Six Flags

Daddy quizzing Natalie on the spanish she learned at school that day. Now she is off all week for her first vacation.
On Saturday we had a birthday party in Dallas. Natalie loves parties and let me do a fancy up do with her hair. I was getting things ready to leave and walked in and saw them watching t.v. like this. They are so cute together.
We had to stop on the way to buy a gift and Natalie wanted to pose by these Grapevine leaves at the mall. She likes to have her hair done pretty, but it is funny because she is always nervous while I am curling her hair because she is worried I might burn her. I never have...maybe she can't forget how clumsy I am. When she was a baby I used to bump her on door frames because I am so clumsy, maybe she still remembers that:)
This is my friend little Ami. She is expecting a little baby girl in about six weeks. She wasn't supposed to have any more pregnancies because they are so hard on her health. She has two sons and I am so excited for her to be getting her baby girl! The birthday party was celebrating her son's 7th birthday. I still can't believe it has been seven years and that he could be so huge. They lived in Arizona when he was born and we got to see them a lot, she was my first friend to start having kids. We have known each other since I was 12 and lived in San Antonio. Pretty cool to have a friendship last so many years. I can still remember the day we met, she introduced me to chips and salsa that day.

The Colonel enjoyed the cake.
Natalie enjoyed watching Ryan open his gifts and had a great evening playing with Ryan after the party. They get along very well.
After the party, we went to went on a quest to find Cannoli's. Several weeks ago, we got Natalie a cannoli to try, but it wasn't authentic and we told her we would find her a real one to try. On Friday night we tried to find her one but the place had gone out of business and the other place had an hour wait. So we thought we would take the oppourtunity of being on the other side of town to try to find one. These ones were yummy and gigantic.
Stephen and Natalie LOVED them and although they were good, the filling was more dense and was made from cream cheese...not quite right. Now we have an excuse to keep looking. Maybe we'll have to take Natalie to Carlo's Bakery, that is where she really wants to go to find a cannoli--she thinks they have the best ones in the world:)



We got home pretty late from my friend Ami's and Natalie went to sleep with her hair still in the up do. I love these pictures I took of them the next morning. Natalie climbed in my bed that night, that is the first time she has done that in a VERY long time (she has been off her feeding tube for a week or so). It was fun to wake up with these cuties and their crazy, cute morning hair. I remember how I loved waking up with my hair still in an up do like this after a dance or after my wedding, it was always a great reminder of a special day!



Finally warm enough to wear her watermelon dress and the flips flops are freed from the back of the shoe closet!

Natalie loves this Princess Easter card that a sweet girl from New Zealand sent her. She also got an easter card from Grandma B. filled with stickers for her and Stephen. Sweet things in the mail are so special for kids. Thanks Grandma and Kylee!

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We spent Monday enjoying Six Flags. It was crowded and a little cool, but it was a great day.
The Colonel loves meeting the characters now. Natalie didn't want to meet the joker, but Stephen told us, "I'm not scared of the bad guy!"


Stephen spotted Scooby from far away. We saw him right before we headed to the carousel (the last thing we do before we leave). It was perfect. When it was his turn, Stephen ran up to him and gave him a giant hug. He was stroking Scooby too and the amazing thing is that you can SEE and FEEL the love the has for Scooby. It is hard to describe, but SO precious.