Happy Birthday Cade!

*sigh*
Where does the time go? Did I just say that? OK. I'm officially old. In theory. Anyway, today is Cade's 8th birthday and I can hardly believe our little man is getting so big so fast.

Join me on a little walk down memory lane, will you?

Happy Birthday, Cade! We love you so much and are so blessed to call you son. May you continue to learn and grow and love life as you always do!

Rock Chalk, Baby! It's Almost Time for Some Football!!

Last night we attended the Topeka Jayhawk Club's football pep rally held at the Kansas Museum of History. Cade was pretty amped up when he saw the bounce house and obstacle course, but it was nothing compared to Lydia's reaction when she spotted the gigantic Jayhawk from clear across the parking lot. Then she heard the pep band and saw the cheerleaders and dancers and she was totally taken again. Gotta get this girl to a game soon! And Lydia too!



'Hi Jayhawk! Hi Jayhawk! Hi Jayhawk!'

This very nice Crimson dancer fell in love with Lydia immediately and gave Lydia her poms to play with.

What? You want these back?

Cade trying to show Lydia the big inflatable Jayhawk is harmless.

Not interested in the enormous Jayhawk at all.

Rusty couldn't even coax her in for a quick picture.

Once she heard the band start playing, she stood up to get a better view. She was mesmerized by the cheerleaders and dancers. She begged me to take her up to the front...

...she ran right up to line up and dance with them. What can I say? The girl's got it
in her blood.

'Do it? Do it?' 'No, Lydia, you can't do it. Yet.'

Doing her own routine...feeding off the crowd. Yep, definitely my kid.

Kansas! Woo-woo! Jayhawks! Woo-woo! Kaaaaaaaaaay U! Wooo!

'Cuz I'm a Jay, Jay, Jay, Jayhawk with a sis-boom, hip-hurrah!

Going right up and meeting Baby Jay for the first time.

Same thing with Big Jay.

Cade is such a nice brother...he offered to take Lydia in the bounce house...she didn't get to, though...too many big kids. Maybe next year.

'Jayhawk! Jayhawk! Jayhawk!'

Awww...poor Lydia. She wanted so badly to hop up here and climb around.

Cade couldn't get enough of the obstacle course.

She was in awe of the cheerleaders. She calls them 'chee-eaders'.

Awesome.

Traded poms with another Crimson dancer.

She's actually shaking the poms and saying, 'Go Jayhawks!'.
I tell you, I nearly cried...

Talking shop with the spirit squad.

Giving the big inflatable Jayhawk a peek from behind.

Enjoying her 15 minutes of fame.

Cooling off in the play area of the museum.

Giddy up!

What's up!

Howdy, partner!

Ride 'em, cowgirl!

She FREAKED when she saw Big Jay and Baby Jay inside. Not sure what
happened but she wouldn't go near them again after this.

Cade humored me by posing with Big Jay.

Only the die hard fans would stop to watch footage of an awesome win over
Mizzou during a pep rally.

Coach Mangino, aka Mr. Lunt, telling us all he thinks we're going to have a pretty
good team this year.

She wasn't having ANY of this picture taking with the enormous Jayhawk.

Awesome!!!!

Yep. That's my son, holding THE championship trophy. I asked the 20 year old guys in charge if they had insurance on it and I swear, I could hear crickets chirp as they looked blankly at me, having no idea what I was talking about. Fortunately, it wasn't an issue. Cade felt pretty awesome afterwards.
So did I.