Operation Brace Face: The Final Mission

These last few months have FLOWN by! 

I always say that the older I get the quicker it goes and these last few months REALLY has proven my point! 

Now if you ask the kids they would TOTALLY disagree because we ALL know Mom's have no idea what they are talking about :)

After our last check in here with you guys on Operation Brace Face (which was in JANUARY!) we were in hopes that the appointment in March would bring us good news....

THANK the LORD it did! 

Everything was looking good and with a quick swap of colors and a few new packs of rubber bands we were out the door with not one but TWO appointments to wrap u the mission and get these jokers out! 

On May 4th Dakota got to go in and have an impression made of her now straightened smile and got to pick out the color and design for her retainer! 

They now do a permanent retainer on the bottom so it was a face and easy choice for her when they gave her the HUGE selection of design ideas! 

On May 26th (the day after school let out) we made a mad dash to the orthodontist in excitement to get them removed after 38 months of them on! 

I took the other two girls and they were SUPER excited for Dakota and they talked non stop of EVERYTHING she could eat again!

Here is the appointment recap in pictures :)

Here are some throwbacks for you from Operation Brace Face!

Our Valentines Weekend Recap PLUS Life Lately

It has been WAY TOOOOO LONG!

First I have to say that I am SO very sorry that I have been majorly MIA here...

I guess that I am NOT doing so hot with my blogging goals so far... does it at least count even a little bit that I DO think about blogging daily...even JUST a little?

Anyways...

As you can see life has been CRAY CRAY on my end... SO much has happened since I last left you with my hair-tastic post....

But lets start with a recap of our Valentines weekend recap shall we?

Friday night the elementary girls came through the door right after school all hyped up... of course because they had their bellies full of valentines candy and goodies from their annual valentines parties but also because this particular Friday meant Valentines Dance AND a the beginning of their three day weekend thanks to today being President's Day...

Friday afternoon I managed to cook dinner and get 4 VERY EXCITED and HYPED up girls ready for their BIG night of dancing...

Wonderful #epicfailrealization came later when it dawned on me I only got ONE out of FOUR of the girls' pictures after they were decked out...

WAY TO GO MOM!

Saturday was pretty laid back around here, we ran errands and went grocery shopping because we all  know how fun that can be...

Saturday night we lined up our kitchen table with Valentine goodies for our loves and on Sunday morning you would have thought it was Christmas in our house!

For our LOVES

From MY LOVE! 

 The rest of the day was filled with our wild child's drama and movies in between. 

So it was a typical day after the spoiling of gifts :)

Today all the kiddies are home and since it is wet and rainy out I plan on overhauling some rooms that are in desperate need of some deep cleaning with hopes the rain will let up long enough to get a photo sesh in for my sister and her babies...

As for where we have been?

Here is a quick recap... 

Prepare for pic over load!

Aaliyah had to have a tooth taken out on the fly... no more crowns for this princess! :)

We have been bargain shopping like mad over here :) 

We squeezed in a girls day!

 I am working on a new home decor project... which usually takes a day... has been a WEEK and counting :/

The hubby tried his FIRST ever cinnabon!

Of course I updated my chalkboard for Cupid's holiday!

 A friend of ours was murdered at the age of 20. He had just recently graduated from High School and had his WHOLE life in front of him... I have known Trevon since he was about 12 or 13 years old and he was like a son to me. My heart and mind has been very numb over the whole ordeal...

Trevon you will be missed dearly and never forgotten!

My prayers and thoughts are with his family and friends. 

I still HEART ipsy!

We are party prepping for Dakota's birthday next month!

A dear friend of Alora's is in the hospital. Today marks day 11...Prayers are with Aiden and his family

With a mild winter we have been able to get out and do some yard work as we work towards making our house our home!

There has BEEN SO much more happen here but I of course can't blog it all! 

What have you all been up too?

Operation Brace Face: Phase.... UMMM...

Yesterday we checked in on operation brace face...

I couldn't believe when they said she has been in braces for a whooping 34 month! 

I thought D was exaggerating when she said 3 years and well no she wasn't... jeesh! 

Last time we checked in I caught you all up on the phases that we have missed over time...

Before

 

 

 

After

 

Yesterday's appointment was seriously super quick and just checking in on how things were lining up. She has a few gaps in teeth that I am having a MAJOR fit over seeing that we are towards the end of all this and they are still there plus we have paid WAY to much money for results like this but they are reassuring me that they will all be gone VERY soon and these bad boys will be off before we know it! 

They chained her top brackets to do just that and I am SUPER excited she got to pick a color again! 

There for a while she was grounded from color choice due to lack of her brushing skills but we are in hopes that those days are behind us and she will get it together so these things can be off her face sooner rather than later... I mean we have already DOUBLED our treatment plan time and I am sure they are ready to get her finished as much as I am ready to see her mouth without the metal accessories. 

We are to go back in March to see where things are lining up and how the gaps are doing in this time of moving into place! I hope that the next appointment they one they schedule is for removal! 

Here's to crossing fingers, toes and maybe eyes!

Stay tuned!

And the Theme Is...

If you stay and hang out with us here on the blog for any length of time you will come to find out several things about me.

#1: Birthdays in this house is a HUGE deal!

#2: I plan for these things WAY in advance...

Perfect example... I have the theme picked out for 2 of my daughter's sweet 16's ALREADY!

#3:  I tend to go OVER THE TOP for them and I REALLY don't care...

Growing up I was taught that each year you are given on this earth is a gift. A gift from God and should be celebrated. As a mom I couldn't thank my grandmother enough for giving me this knowledge to show and share with my children just how important their lives are not only to God but to me. This is one of the things that I hope they will pick up on and continue on one day with their own children. 

ANYWAYS...

As you may have guessed I have already been brain storming what the 2016 birthday parties will bring us and I can tell you that we are SET with themes for my three girls and I am EXCITED! 

Plus since my sister and her kids are here we get  more to plan and that makes me even HAPPIER and we are one shy of having them worked out. Once we do I will share them also. 

So without further ado...

Here are our birthday party themes this year!

HORROR MOVIES:

 My oldest turns 14 in March and to be honest I am SCARED TO DEATH! 

I think it is really the number that gets me but the knowledge of knowing the things that I did at 14 worries me too but that is another story we WON'T be going into :) but either way I am fearful. A TON has changed in a year and she is no longer Mommy's "baby" but a young woman and recently that fact hits harder and HARDER each passing day...

Dakota chose her party theme this year since I said no horror movies til she was 14 and she thought it would be great to make it a BIG deal and use her birthday party to do so.

Since I am SCARED to death of her growing up it fit well for us both. 

I am not a horror movie fan these days and refuse to watch them anymore but it is HER day and I am REALLY EXCITED to do this one...

GHOSTBUSTERS:

My youngest Aaliyah will be 9 in April and I am really unsure why she decided on this one but since I was a ghostbuster fan as a kid myself you can say I am kinda proud...

She has never picked a simple party for mommy so I love the challenge she gives me every year for her big day!

The hubby's bday is also the day before her so when she picks a unisex party like this it is easier for mommy to feel a little less guilty that daddy got the shitty deal of a birthday party that is well peacock themed like last years... 

I am grateful he is a good sport about these themes because LORD knows it takes a strong man to embrace pink, fairies, Minnie Mouse and peacocks as a birthday themes...

BONFIRE:

Alora ends our birthdays for the year in September and this year she graduates from the tween status and graduates to being a TEEN...

YES THAT IS 2 TEENAGE GIRLS IN MY HOUSE!!!!

Since her birthday is in the fall she opted for a bonfire themed party... 

and since we ALL LOVE bonfires you know I am game!

Ideas are running 90 to nothing in my brain and I am keep having to think about I still have A MILLION other things to worry about first.... 

Speaking of birthdays this weekend we get to celebrate my youngest nieces birthday with her Frozen aka Elsa Party! 

Stay tuned for more updates!

Which party are you most excited to hear more about?

 

Red Ribbon Week Celebration!

Last week at school the girls showed off being drug free with Red Ribbon Week.

 This week is always a blast and the girls ALWAYS look forward to it every year.

This year Red Ribbon Week also happened to fall on their 10th week of school so in a weird way it was kind of like a week long party for surviving those first 9 weeks!

Each of the girls had a different theme each day so keeping up with all of it was a chore in it's self and everyday after school was like a three ringed circus with Alora having her two BFF's over trying to to make sure that the outfits for the next day were JUST right and of course because Alora had her style team Aaliyah had to have hers over too! 

I beg of you to PLEASE forgive the shit photography skills with these pictures... my ancient smart phone  and I are not seeing eye to eye recently and my kids are not always the best shooting subjects at 6 am ;)

Monday October 26th

Dakota

Elderly Day

D wasn't able to think of a costume for the day so she skipped participating for the day. 

Alora

Red, White & Blue Day

In true "Mom of the Year" fashion my dumb ass FORGOT to take a picture!!!

smh... I am TOTALLY going to win this year I am telling you and what is so sad....

I am a photographer...

Aaliyah

Crazy & Miss-Matched Day

 I promise she didn't match. As a matter she wore her pajamas that day and I am just lucky enough she remembered to add some sort of bottoms to her outfit. 

Tuesday October 27th

Dakota

Miss-Matched Day

D was more into getting involved for this theme more than I excpected.

We all know teens are not always the best participants in things especially with school events. 

You know it can be considered "uncool" 

Alora

Nerd Day

This girl really pulled off the "nerd" look! 

Aaliyah

Super Hero Day

 I surprised her earlier the week before with this batman shirt JUST for this day. I saw it at our local Walmart for $7 and the fact that there was a cape attached I she HAD to have it! 

 She loved it SO much she even changed her Halloween costume to be bat girl!

Wednesday October 28th

Dakota

Future Career Day

Since she wore just her old elementary hoodie and jeans that morning I didn't think about taking a picture of her because I thought she wasn't participating in this day seeing her and Alora had an appointment that afternoon.

Come to find out...

She DID and her career choice was a teacher... 

way to go mom...

Alora

Elderly Day

Alora decided she was not dressing up since she did not want to look like an old lady going to her appointment later that day. She did however get some new bling that day and FINALLY got her braces! 

You can follow her journey with our Metal Mouth Madness series.

Aaliyah

Twinkie Day

We REALLY got lucky with this one! Her BFF lives across the street from us and they both happened to already own the SAME EXACT shirts! Me and her mom were about as excited as they were!

Thursday October 29th

Dakota

Maroon & Grey Day

So you would THINK that since Maroon & Grey ARE her schools colors and HAS been for the last 4 years she would own SOMETHING in these colors...

yeah

nope

SOOO needless to say we skipped this day too

Alora

Super Hero Day

So it is sad to say that Alora TOTALLY stole this shirt from Aaliyah to wear for her super hero day at school...

Aaliyah

Neon Day

Friday October 30th

Dakota

Hawaiian Day

Thank goodness for our Luau themed potluck a few years ago because it dang sure came in handy for her!

Alora

80's Day

Awww the 80's...
Do I need to say more...

Aaliyah

Panther Spirit or Sports Team Day 

 You know the saying you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl?
Well this apparently stands true for an Alabamian...
and an Auburn Tiger fan...

They are already excited for next years!

I would love to hear what crazy ideas your schools came up with for this weeks celebration!