Birthday Girls and Football practice

Sydney turned 13 on the 13th. She had a very small pool party with her best friend/ boyfriend, Dustin and the Huyke's, Kerry and Allen. We made our own pizzas and had a good time watching Sydney make her famous pickle pizza. Everyone agrees that it is not as bad as it sounds. On the way to Su Su's house (where the pool is) we stopped at Dairy Queen and got a Cookie Dough Blizzard ice cream cake. Yummy. As the party was wrapping up, Adrian surprised Sydney with a diamond and ruby ring and told her he wanted to be the first man to give her a ring. She cried. So sweet! He did that for Jolie when she turned 13 too.

Jolie turned 15 on the 24th. She has been grounded until school starts. (just a little something about a camping trip and not calling home to tell us where she was and spending the night out with her friends, no parents...no big deal!) She has been very humbled by her consequence, but was sad she would be grounded on her birthday. I took the kids to the Mall of Georgia and Fischer, Jolie and Sydney got to finally see Harry Potter while Nicholas and Mollie played in the spray fountain. We did a little shopping and came home. Everyone thought we were going out to dinner so we waited in the van while Jolie had to run inside and put her shopping bags in her room. (I told her to do that.) She opened the door and some of her friends were there! Surprise! She nearly had a heart attack! The video at the bottom was taken after the surprise. We had some good eats, thanks to Adrian who put it all together while we were gone. Then the teenagers went to the back yard for a bonfire. Adrian pulled extension cords for Christmas lights and music. He even cut out heart luminaries to light the path. It was so pretty. It was fun and Jolie was so glad to see her friends! (sorry some pictures are fuzzy.)

Fischer has been playing football. Isn't the view of Mount Yonah so pretty from the field where they practice? It is hard work and we are very proud of Fischer for never giving up or complaining. The helmets are heavy and he gets super sweaty. It is a very different world for him. He's used to reading, fishing, drawing, and playing chess. He loves it.