My letter to Harper

My Dearest Harper Grace,
I am sorry my letter to you is a few days past your actual birthday, but I wanted to sit down and write you a note for you to read someday and I hope you catch a glimpse of how much you are cherished and adored as your baby girl.
Happy 1st birthday! I cannot believe it has already been a year since we held you and breathed you in for the first time. I will never forget that day and how your daddy's heart changed in an instance. He melted at the sight of you and your very first pout as you laid on the table getting your vitals taken. (I had already fallen head of heals for you as your growing in my tummy, but no one could have prepared me for the joy I would feel when I held you for the first time. You fulfilled a longing in my soul that I was unaware of. I never knew how much we all needed you in our lives. You have brought so much joy and laughter to our family in your first year of life. You instantaneously became Maddox's very best friend and one whom he truly adores and you brought out a soft side in Paxton that I was unaware existed and your daddy may not tell you this, but he turns to a ball of mush with one simple smile from you. I know the Lord has amazing plans for your life and I pray that He guides me to be the mother you need me to be and I pray when you are much older and out of your teenage years the two of us can become the best of friends. For now, I know my job is to be your mom. To guide you to become the woman you were created to be, but I do look forward to the day when I can sit back and simply be your friend.  My prayer for you is specific. I pray you grow with confidence. I pray you look at yourself and realize how beautiful and special you truly are. I pray you are kind, passionate and determined. I pray that you are surrounded with amazing friends and when the world tells you to be a "mean girl", I pray you maintain your sweet and kind spirit. I pray you come to know the Lord at a very early age and you live your life serving him. I pray you make wise choices and you work hard at everything you try. I pray you know that your daddy and I support you and we are always on your side. We love you Harper Grace. You have forever changed our lives and softened our hearts.

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! I hope you all had a wonderful day with family and friends celebrating our fantastic Nation!! We had a great low key day with just our little family of 5. We went downtown for a little while to see the 4th on Broadway festivities, enjoyed a long nap, swam, ate watermelon and waiting to watch some fireworks. I personally have never seen more fireworks than we did this year. We drove down a dirt road in the Ranger and we could see all around the flatlands of Lubbock. We saw about 6 different firework shows at the same time. It was amazing and the kids loved it. When we came home, all of our neighbors were out in their front yards lighting their own fireworks. It was so much fun! I sure do love living "outside of town".

Oh the sassiness in this little girl

My oh my, how different this year was from the last!

Birthday Bash for our Little Lady

Harper Grace in her birthday party outfit!

We decided to do a joint 1st birthday party for Harper and my nephew Henley. They were born 3 days apart and it just seemed apporpriate to celebrate their birthday's together. Growing up, Jason (my brother) and I always wanted our kids to be close we could have never expected them to be this CLOSE. What a special bond these two kiddos will share some day!!

The theme for the party was "Little Man and Little Lady" We decorated with mustaches and lips and Brad's mom made AMAZING High Heel cupcakes! The party was perfect! Harper and Henley had a great time and certainly felt loved on their special party day!!

Time to open Presents

Maddox to the rescue! Madd ran off to get his toy plastic knife to help open a box for sister. So sweet

Time for Cake

Not too happy that his cookie was finished!

CAKE!!!!!!

Sweet cousins

Mustache and Lips shenanigans 

The adorable party outfits

It was a fantastic party for two very special one year olds!! Happy 1st Birthday Henley and Harper!

Friends

Harper Grace is ONE year old!! I am so thankful for the joy and happiness she brings to our family...I'm just not sure what our family would be like without her in it.
To start off the birthday weekend, my best friend Sarah and her 19month old twins came to Lubbock to celebrate Harper's big day!! It was just Sarah and I and five kiddos...whew...it was loud, exhausting and so much fun! I love to watch the kiddos form a bond together and I pray they become the best of friends throughout the years!

Sarah with Harper Grace the day after she was born. Thankful that she was there for her birth and she came to celebrate her first year!

(Funny side note: I ran to pick up lunch and while I was gone Sarah and the babies arrived at the house. She and her kiddos were playing in the front yard waiting on us to get home and I watched Mallory playing in the grass and I just started laughing. We did not talk about it at all and we ended up dressing our girls in the exact same outfit that day. Ha. We are so much alike it is scary!)

The first evening we needed to give all the kiddos a bath so we plopped them down in the bath tub together. HA. It was one full tub o babies.

After bath we snuggled up on the couch for a movie and a little down time before heading off to bed. The kids played hard and did such a great job together. Yes there were fights and arguments over toys and personal space, but over all they did so good together! Love these little stinkers

Mason was following Maddox around asking Maddox to hold him. So sweet. Here they are snuggled together watching a movie

Harper and her boys

Now, don't get me wrong, it was a lot of work having all 5 kiddos and only the two adults, but I loved it. I love my girl time alone with Sarah, but I also cherish doing Real Life with her as well. Thank you so much Sarah, Mason and Mallory for making the trip to Lubbock to celebrate Miss Harper Grace. We sure do love you guys