Kyndall's 6th Birthday!

This year's birthday celebration was quite different than years past simply because we had only been living here for a month when her birthday rolled around.  That meant we really didn't have any friends to speak of and aside from that my life was so chaotic with the move that I really didn't have the time or energy to plan a party.  Thankfully my sweet girl showed me some grace and did not make me feel any worse about this than I already did.  She was perfectly content with having a week long "family celebration" as both my parents and my in-laws made their way into town to visit.

On September 20th our little princess woke up as a 6 year old!  She requested a chocolate glazed donut as her special birthday breakfast.

Since it was a typical school day there wasn't much celebrating we could do but she was excited for me to come have lunch with her.  She requested pizza.

That night after Matthew got home from work we all went and saw Pete's Dragon at the theater as a special birthday outing

The following weekend Matthew's parents flew in for their first visit to our new home in Texas.  The birthday celebrations continued....

She wanted to make her own birthday cake....

And decorate the house for a Secret Life of Pets party

The perfectionist at work....

Her completed masterpiece

On Friday Nonie, Poppie and I had lunch with Kyndall at school.  Even though I had just been there a few days prior she loved having us all there to spend some time with her.

That evening she chose to spend her birthday "party" night at the splash pad here in Forney.  Once the sun went down and it wasn't so hot, we headed over to the park and we were surprised to find we were the pretty much the only ones there.

We came home and ate pizza then went for a quick swim in the neighborhood pool before heading back for presents and cake

A beautiful sunset from our backyard to close out a fun day

Nonie and Poppie have a tradition of giving Kyndall a new pair of earrings each year for her birthday. 

So excited to get some of her favorite buddies from The Secret Life of Pets

Max is her favorite, as you can tell

Nonie and Poppie also bought her a claw machine of her very own since we've all practically gone broke funding her addiction to these money pits at the local restaurants!

Matthew played with it as much as she did!

Poppie's birthday had been the month prior so we celebrated him as well

The night of the family party was also the anniversary of my liver transplant.  September 16th will always and forever be a bittersweet day for me.  I didn't do anything particularly special to celebrate this year but that doesn't mean it wasn't on my mind and heart all day.  For me, September 16th is like a second birthday.  It's the day my life was spared and the day my broken and worn out body was made new again.  It's the day that GRACE the liver and I became one!  I still long to know who my donor was and what happened to him or her but to this day I have no clue.  I don't know if they were male or female...young or old....black or white or yellow.  It's all a deep dark mystery to me and unfortunately although time is passing on, my desire to know is not.  I still send letters to the donor family, desperately hoping to hear back from them someday.  Even if I never do, I'll always remember and I'll always be thankful.  

My thoughtful husband ordered this special necklace and gave it to me that day as a token of remembrance on my second "liver-versary".

On Saturday Matthew took us all up to his new facility to show us the progress that was being made.  It was still five months from being ready to operate but it was neat to see it coming along.  

Lunch at our favorite local diner called Mama's Daughters

Saturday night was very special because it was the neighborhood Daddy/Daughter dance.  It was made even more special by having Kyndall's Poppie here as well.  She was the only girl at the dance with TWO escorts!

The neighborhood clubhouse looked SO pretty!

The RobinJo is our neighborhood lifestyle director and she does a fantastic job with all of these events!  Everything was just perfect!

They came home with all kinds of goodies from the dance

Nonie and Poppie flew back to Georgia bright and early Sunday morning.  We were sad to see them go but excited to welcome our next group of house guests just three days later!

I picked my Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother-in-Law and nephew up from the airport and they were waiting when Kyndall got home from school

As picky as Kyndall is, she could eat her body weight in Slim Jims.  She and my Dad share a love for these things so he brought her the biggest stash he could find.  

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Kyndall is still so bummed that there seem to be no frogs in Texas.  She's settled on crickets and during the summer months when they were literally taking over our yard, she loved to hunt them down and check them out up close.  Wyatt wasn't so sure about them and I honestly can't blame him....

"Isn't he cute, Mommy??"  She can't understand why I don't share her passion for all things creepy crawly!

Even Uncle Michael found himself sucked into trying to conquer the claw machine

Once again we all joined Kyndall for lunch at school on Friday.  This time we had quite the entourage, taking up an entire table on the stage!  She loved having everyone there and especially loved all the attention it drew from the other kids!

She was excited to get home from school that afternoon and spend some time playing "tee ball tee" (her name for it) in the backyard with G-Daddy....

She's a creature of habit and therefore wanted to return to the splash pad that night, just as we had done the week before, to celebrate with her second round of guests. 

It's always more fun having a playmate and she and Wyatt had a blast together!

Grammy and G-Daddy with their biggest fans

Once again, back home for pizza, cake and presents....Does this sound familiar??

I could not love this next series of pictures more!  It sums up their relationship perfectly!!

Great Grandma Basford always puts a smile on her face with this birthday gift!

Grammy and G-Daddy gave her a new sleeping bag and camping supplies for her upcoming fall campout...

She LOVED this walking, talking life-like version of Max from the Secret Life of Pets.  Thanks Aunt Kelly, Uncle Michael and Wyatt!

(I have to share this for memory's sake....One of the lines from the movie that the dog recites is "I'm Max and I'm the luckiest dog in New York."  Kyndall loves to go around saying it but instead of New York she says Yew Nork.  As hard as she tries, she always says it wrong but I think it's cute!)

The next morning was the big neighborhood yard sale that I had been preparing for since we moved in. I still had a ton of things to sort through but thanks to my helpful family, I got it all done while also being thoroughly entertained.....

Elsa Michael

Elsa Matthew

Bride Grammy

Nerd Kyndall

We had lots of visitors the next morning and thankfully I was able to get rid of everything and I didn't bring one single thing back in this house.  It felt GOOD to get rid of so much stuff!

While the neighborhood yard sale was going on, these two cruised the streets looking for bargains together.  I have no idea why poor Wyatt is holding on for dear life? Ha!

Later that night we took everyone into downtown Forney to let them experience Mama's Daughters Diner as well.  We did a little sight seeing while we were down there....

G-Daddy was proud to find a Farm Bureau right here in Forney

A little night swim to end the evening....

Followed once again by a gorgeous Texas sunset.  This is the view of downtown Dallas from the bluff in our neighborhood near the pool.  I love to go up there in the evenings and see the skyline illuminated by the beautiful colors of the sunset.  

I made this comparison picture of Wyatt lounging on Kyndall's bean bag chair.  The picture on the left was August of 2014 when he was only a little over a month old. The picture on the right was September of 2016 when he was just over two years old.  He's growing so fast!  They both are!

The next morning we told them all goodbye as they headed out early to catch their flight back to Florida.  We enjoyed our time with them but as always just wished it could have been longer.

Kyndall had a wonderful sixth birthday, despite the fact that it was a little different and there was no big party. Having her family here meant more to her than any party would and she will tell you that herself.

Each year on her birthday I share things I want to remember about her, so I'll do that this year as well. Time is going so quickly and the memories fade with time so I want to capture the essence of six year old Kyndall as best as I can here so that when she's all grown up I'll be able to reflect on the little girl that she once was.

 I absolutely LOVE this age because she is the perfect combination of a little adult but also still has smidge of baby in her.  She's getting more and more independent by the day, yet she still needs me.  More importantly, she still wants me.  She still likes for me to hold her hand, kiss her goodbye, tuck her in, read her stories, wash and style her hair, pick out her clothes, and in general she just wants me to be a big part of her life. I know soon that will not be the case and she'll want less and less of my opinions, my suggestions, my help, my attention and my time.  For now I will gladly do anything and everything she needs or wants me to because far too soon I will long for the days when she relied on me.

Here are some 6 year old "Kyndall-isms" that I never want to forget....

She has quite an impressive vocabulary and this started even before kindergarten began.  Some words she has recently used appropriately are "vibrant", "metallic", "capability", "sanitary", "attempt", "immediately", "inappropriate", "ordinary", "artificial", "pupil", and the list goes on.  She's also recently told me to "make the best of it, Mommy" and has told me she "would not recommend" I do something.  She also told me I qualify for "major medical" insurance coverage.  Ha!  Apparently she's been watching too many ads on Youtube!  She keeps us laughing but at the same time surprises us with her accurate use of the words she comes up with.  

She still is the pickiest eater (other than her Daddy) that I've EVER met!  Her food groups include dairy and carbs, with a few fruits.  She still refuses to eat any meat, no veggies and lots of junk!!  Her favorites are mayo and cheese sandwiches, cheese quesadillas, grilled cheese, cheese pizza (dipped in ranch), mac and cheese, yogurt, peanut butter and jelly, apples dipped in peanut butter, kiwi, bananas, mandarin oranges, pineapple, dill pickles, scrambled eggs, pancakes and spaghetti.  On a rare occasion I can talk her into eating part of a small cheeseburger but not very often.  She also hates french fries.  Who hates french fries?!  It makes life pretty hard when your kid won't eat typical kid foods but she seems growing and extremely healthy so I guess something is working for her.  In general she's not a big eater anyway.  Even if I offered her FAVORITE thing she would probably only eat half of it.  As the pediatrician says, she eats to live rather than lives to eat!  

She's a night owl and could stay up all night long (just like her mama) but HATES the mornings (just like her mama again).  

Currently she's lost six teeth and #7 should be gone any day now.  Losing teeth is still dramatic and traumatic for her, but it's getting a little better.

She hasn't been to the pediatrician lately (because she's never sick!!) so I'm not sure what she weighs but I'm guessing somewhere around 45 pounds.  She is tall for her age and we're not sure where she gets that since neither Matthew or myself are tall.  She's wearing a size 6X but can still fit into some size 5 and even some 4!  Her waist is so tiny!  She wears a size 13 or 1 shoe, depending on the style.  She most definitely inherited my gargantuan feet!

Her favorite things to do are draw, paint, sew and create.  She has her very own craft room upstairs and that's where she spends most of her time.  She has a real talent and I see potential in her drawings!  Her mind is very creative and she can make a masterpiece out of  ordinary things that she finds around the house.  

She has also recently taken up the game of Scrabble and surprisingly she's pretty good!  She's also really good at checkers.

She's a social butterfly who never meets a stranger.  Her personality just attracts people and she is friendly and welcoming to everyone.  At school she tells me she plays with all the kids, and from what I've seen during my time volunteering there, she is loved by everyone.  Everyone wants to sit by Kyndall, to play with Kyndall, to talk to Kyndall.  When I have lunch with her on Fridays and we sit up on the stage at the parents table, her name is constantly being yelled out from the kids tables down below.  If she keeps this up she'll make a great homecoming queen and a great politician!  Ha!  Simply put, she has charisma.  She's definitely a leader and not a follower and I hope she always stays that way.

She has wonderful manners and uses her "mams and sirs" pretty much all the time.  If she forgets, usually she will correct herself before I even have to.  

She's caring and sensitive and rarely has to be disciplined at all.  Even a stern tone and a serious talk and the thoughts of disappointing us will put her in tears and that's all it takes to teach her a lesson.  She makes good choices nearly all of the time and I never worry about behavior being an issue with her.  If punishment is ever needed, usually taking away a privilege or a favorite toy is our method of discipline.  She's never needed anything more and for that I am so thankful!  

She has the gift of encouragement and has been recognized even at school for displaying this.  A fellow classmate has been struggling all year and her teacher told me she overheard Kyndall telling him he was doing a good job and to keep up the good work.  She received an award and was recognized for displaying kindness to her fellow student.  Even at home she's constantly telling us we're the "best Mommy and Daddy ever" and recently she's began telling me that I'm perfect just the way I am.  If I ever say anything negative about myself in front of her, she is very quick to respond with "no Mommy, you're perfect!!!"  I've even heard her say it to my Mom and my Mother-in-Law.  I'm far from perfect but it means the world to me that in her eyes I am.  

She is a perfectionist in every way and borderline obsessive about certain things.  She most definitely gets this from me and that's no shock to anyone.  She is very detail oriented and cares about order and organization.  For example, I thought I would do her a favor and reorganize her craft room recently.  I just felt like a few things were out of place.  When she saw it she nearly broke down in tears.  It completely threw her off because apparently there is a method to her madness and she doesn't want anyone bothering it.  I can respect that!  

She continues to have a soft spot in her heart for those less fortunate than herself and she loves corresponding with our two Compassion children, Alicia and Enyer.  She prays for them every single night that they would have "food, money and water" and that they would know about Jesus.  She cannot pass by a homeless person on the street without begging me to stop and get them food.  She often tells me she wants to give her money (usually a few pennies) to people who don't have any money and she loves donating her old clothes to the food pantry.  

She loves going to church and is especially proud of her new Bible which she carries with her every Sunday.  She loves reading her nightly bedtime devotionals with us and is not afraid or ashamed to pray out loud.  Just last week she was asked to say the prayer at the Upward basketball game and she didn't hesitate for a second.

Her current hobbies are cheerleading, dance and art.  She hasn't shown any interest in taking up piano again but hopefully when she's a little older she'll pick it back up.  Matthew wants to put her in golf lessons but we'll see about that!  

She loves to be outside riding her bike, cruising in her pink Jeep with her best friend from across the street, Ashlyn or fishing down at the pond with Matthew.  On any given day as long as it's not raining or freezing you can usually find her out in our front yard immediately after school.

She is cautious and careful when it comes to physical things like playing on the playground at school.  She tells me she never plays on the playground because "those kids are wild" and she's afraid of getting knocked down and being hurt.  In crowded places she gets nervous and a bit anxious.  She doesn't like the unexpected and doesn't seek out adventure unless she's encouraged to do so.  

Right now her favorite character is the Pokemon named Pikachu.  She is absolutely obsessed with all things Pikachu, more so than she's ever been obsessed with any other character.  I can't stand it and long for the days of Elsa, Anna and the My Little Ponies but unfortunately it doesn't look like this craze will be ending anytime soon.  Ugh.

Six year old Kyndall is bright, funny, happy, compassionate, smart, outgoing, helpful, loving and kind, just to name a few.

I love you to the moon and back, Kyndall Anne Hughes.  You are my greatest joy in this life and being your Mommy is the most wonderful gift I've ever been given.  You are my entire world wrapped up in one beautiful little six year old package.  I don't know where the last six years have gone so quickly, but I pray there are many more ahead for us together.  I love watching you grow and learn and blossom.  You are my greatest accomplishment and I could not be more proud of you.  I'll love you ALWAYS!