MY OH MY! How the Time Does Fly!!!

It's official! We have a 6 year old...yes a SIX year old!!! Six years ago, it was December 2002. Jason and I hadn't even been married 1 year yet! We were living in a gross, over-priced basement apartment in freezing cold Laramie, WY. Jason was in his first year of Pharmacy School and we were as poor as could be! And yes, we were getting ready to have our first baby! We were so excited to become parents! The doctor had followed my high risk pregnancy carefully and induced me a week early, knowing the baby was going to be big (and also I'm sure he didn't want to have it impose on his holiday...I was due on Christmas Day!). We were in labor for about 25 hours, with several of those hours being pushing!!! Well, after a very intense, painful labor, we ended up having our precious little girl by c-section. She was perfect and everything we could have hoped for. It is over-whelming to think about how much one child can change your lives! Jaylee definitely added a whole new meaning of what happiness is and has been such a blessing to our family!
It has been fun watching Jaylee change, learn and grow over the years and we are just amazed at what a beautiful little girl she is! She was a hard baby, but in return for that, she has been a pretty darn close-to-perfect little kid! She already has such a sweet personality and has so much love in her heart! She is an amazing big sister and helps her little brothers out so much! She has definitely taught us a lot about being parents and we're glad she still loves us even though she's our little guinea pig and we get to make all the big mistakes on her. Thank goodness she is such a sweet girl and so forgiving! We love you sooo much Jaylee and you'll always be our little princess!!! Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!


Jaylee opening her presents! She was kind of sad she didn't get to wear a cute birthday outfit to school, but it was her school's day to wear their school spirit shirts, so she had to settle for putting a cute little "Birthday Girl" ribbon on it!


Jaylee (and Bretten) getting ready to start the fun day!!! We woke up a little early so that she would have time to open her presents before going to school. She had a fun day because it was her school's Christmas party that same day. She was pretty excited for that because she got to take cupcakes for her whole class! Kids are so easily pleased!


Jaylee and her cake! She must have had Bretten's birthday fresh in her mind because she reminded me several times that we needed to make her cake (like we did with Bretten's party). Usually I buy the kids' cakes, but I think now we'll have a tradition of making them together...at least while they are young and enjoy doing it with me. The kids seem to like to be a part of it. I guess I need to learn how to decorate cakes better, because I'm about as basic as you can get! I'll enjoy my kids thinking I'm good at it though...while it lasts!
Jaylee was so sweet to share and make sure that everybody got a toy from her cake.


Daizy, Lily, Bretten, and Jaylee diggin' in!
Since Jaylee didn't get to have a Birthday party, we went to lunch with some of her friends and then had them over to play and share in some yummy cake!


Daizy, Lily, Bretten and Jaylee having fun with the party supplies!


Jaylee enjoying some of her cake!