A week after the big 5 birthday, Grace and 20 of her closest friends from day care and preschool and our friends' kids descended on House of Bounce.   If you have never been to HOB, it is a HUGE room full of multiple inflatable bouncing toys...a moonbounce, an inflatable slide, and even an obstacle course.  Very cool for the 4-8 year old set.  Don' t tell us parents that though - we have just as much fun playing!

The party was a hit and I event managed to get the exact cake requested by our little diva.  You see, we had 2 parties - one on her real birthday with close friends and family and then the HOB party.  For the family party, we HAD to have a Princess cake.  Ask anyone who was here - NO ONE ate the cake after Grace coughed on it while blowing out her candles.  Luckily I bought cupcakes too. 

The cake at her Kids Party was a disaster to order but all the kiddos loved it.  High School Musical cake with music notes and a cd case for Grace to take home.  I spent 40 minutes on the phone with the grocery store trying to order it before hanging up on them.  Then a trip to another store to place the actual order when they told me they werent sure they could deliver the specific cake by the time of the party.  I was THRILLED when I went to pick it up and there it was....in all its HSM glory.....the High School Musical cake. The party was saved. 

Pictures of the party are posted - enjoy!

Today Grace had her first official swim lesson.  She had a great time and did very well.  The coolest part was that she is learning how to swim at the same pool Mommy used to swim at as a little girl.....and NOTHING about that place has changed!

Pictures of the first lesson and a video have been added to the site!!

5 years old.  Unbelievable.  It really doesnt feel like it has been that long but wow - she has grown up so much!!!!

Grace's 5th birthday happened to be Easter Sunday so we spent the morning doing Easter things - getting dressed up, going to church (where Grace announced her birthday and the Easter Bunny's visit to everyone!), and opening all the gifts in her basket from the Easter Bunny.

Once naptime was over, the birthday began.  The Devey family came over for Easter lunch/dinner and later more family and friends joined us for birthday cake.  Cake looked really good - until Grace coughed on it!!  HAHAHAHA. 

Thank you to all of you who spent the day with us and those of you who couldnt be here - we missed you!  Check out the new pics in the photo gallery.

What a busy day today. 

We met MoMo and Papa at the portrait studio this morning to get Grace's 5 year old portraits taken.  Grace was so good through the whole sitting.  She posed and modeled just like the photographer asked and she was hysterical when he needed her to be for the funny candid shots.  Check out some of today's pictures in the Feb/March 2009 album - 70 pics were taken all together so I only loaded a sampling here.

When we finally picked up with tpictures after some cotton candy ice cream (really, its BRIGHT blue!!), we realized just how many pictures we have from the session - MoMo and Mommy each got 15 5x7s of Grace!!!!!  But Mommy found frames and a purpose for each and every picture.  :) 

I have the best intentions with this site - really I do!!  But we are busy with work and home and all those "life" things that this site gets left behind sometimes.  :)

Grace has turned into a child.  Not a baby.  Not a little kid.  But a child with her own agenda; her own rules; and her very own opinions.  She even negotiates when she doesnt like the plan we come up with. She is JUST like her MaMa!! Oh no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lately we have been getting ready for her upcoming birthday......5 years old.  Unbelievable!  Grace took a break from ballet but will be getting back into that in April.  We are signing her up for swim lessons and she gets more party invites than Dad and I combined!!!  Such the social life.  

The past month has been pretty quiet.  Grace is growing up so much lately....really turning into a big kid.  She has been learning some really funny songs at school.....and yes, I am attempting to capture them on video to upload here.  Definitely worth a listen. 

She is very exctied about Thanksgiving and was quite the little helper this weekend cleaning the house. We are hosting 13 people for dinner and Grace asks every single morning if it is Thanksgiving yet. 

This morning, we got up extra early, put on our red shirts (since we arent allowed to wear political shirts in polling places around here!), and headed to the polls.  We only had to stand in line for 47 minutes...not bad for such a historical election.  Grace really wanted to vote but settled for a sticker instead. 

Halloween this year was great.  It was really the first time Grace was actively involved.  She was so excited to be the "real" Cinderella....none of that "fake" stuff for her....the costume was entirely from Disney thanks to Allie, Matt, and my mother. 

Since our neighborhood doesnt have many young kids, we took Grace over to her best friend's house for some group trick or treating.  It was great.....until the skeleton on someone's door started making noise, scaring Grace.  And that was only the first house!!!!!

She got some great candy and I have found a great hiding spot for all of it.