BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS!

5 YEARS OLD. 

I'll leave out all the mush and gush and disbelief this year (but it truly is bittersweet to see my baby-no-more).

5 years old! Can't even believe it!

Sooooo... We made it a week long celebration!

To begin festivities, we'd have a family adventure...

Momma and Daddy decided to take Bray to Great Wolf Lodge for her birthday (and the cherry on top was that Sug got to join)! 

Who doesn't like an indoor WATER PARK?!?

GREAT WOLF LODGE!

Bray had a blast! 

JUST LOOK AT THAT PLACE!!

She even got to use a magic wand for a secret adventure throughout the hotel!

late night entertainment

a mini movie in 4D

This was actually not the best idea...
We watched a dinosaur movie. The seats vibrated and tossed us around.
Braylin was brave, but as soon as the 7 minute movie ended, she burst into tears.
We've talked about "the scary dinosaur" movie for weeks now.
#PARENTFAIL

But it wasn't anything a COOKIES AND CREAM cupcake couldn't cute! 

Early MORNING (before the big birthday party):

Braylin had a soccer game at 8:30. She was soooooo excited that Jalee got to come watch her play!

BIRTHDAY PARTY TIME:

Isn't she so darn cute! Thanks to Sug for making the CUTEST birthday shorts to match her shirt!

This may have been one of the funnest parties! 

We had Braylin's party a week before her real birthday day. So to extend the celebration to her actual birthday week, she and Avery got to bust out of school to watch a matinee movie!

Braylin and Avery were both so excited to watch Transylvania 2

best little friends. 

Braylin- you are a gorgeous little 5 year old. Your personality bursts with sunshine. You LOVE like nobody I've ever known. With that said, you also have quite the little hot-head which is "brave enough" to challenge Momma no matter the consequences. I'd like to believe that it's simply your strong will for life showing through, and you'll someday be an outstanding leader and fight for what is right. 

In fact, I watch you play when you don't think I'm looking. It amazes me to see how you bring all of your little animals TO LIFE. It's silly. Sometimes it's more serious. But each time there is a new story and a new problem that you intend on solving. Even those little animal figurines love each other without end. They speak with kindness. I watch turtles and horses give hugs and kisses. I've watched the unthinkable...an alligator and a puppy help each other out!  It's your little world. And I think it's a small window of the future as to how the rest of the world will see you... when you think nobody is looking.   You care deeply. You show concern for other's feelings. You are aware of right and wrong and point that out to the needed.  You lead with heart. You care with your whole little soul.

Never change! Stay true to yourself.

Hold on to that God given gift. 

Use it with purpose. 

Happy Birthday, my Munchkin-Land.