It is GREAT to be 8!

Her BIRTHDAY Celebration

So our CUTE little VALERIE turned 8 in July!

She has been SOOOO excited for this 

birthday that she has told EVERYONE!!!!!

Our girls were told that when they turn 8 they can get 

their ears pierced, so sure enough on the morning her birthday

that was the first thing she wanted to do. So we 

called up Camille to see if she could 

pierce some ears....

 Anticipation...and waiting...

 1...2...3...

 DONE!

That SMILE is a MILLION WATTS!

Camille is so cute with my kids!!! THANKS a 

MILLION Mille!  (love it!) 

Then we went BOWLING!!! this is the first time in 4 years we have been! It was super FUN!!! Once the kids got the hang of not THROWING the bowling ball! LOL.....hope we didn't leave cracks in the floor!

 She would do this little dance each time she bowled...it was hilarious!

 gotta love bowling shoes!!!

  Actually, Peyton did...he was mad because he had to take them

off and leave them! HILARIOUS!!!  I think we

 need to make this a family date once a month we had so much fun

of COURSE I am LOUSY at bowling!!! But had 

a BALL!!!

as you can see...i lost! lol....

Then off to dinner at our family favorite 

WINGERS!!!!

 Where she inhaled a Jr. Cheeseburger and

received a yummy sundae and was

sang to by the Winger's staff! 

I believe she had the BEST day!!! 

So then for the next few days mom stayed super

busy sewing a Baptism dress, searching with

Val for the perfect shoes and making a 

her a Birthday cake!!!

The dress....she looks like a princess!!!

"Mom! It's like getting ready for PROM!" up, she is only

EIGHT!!!! 

The Shoes

there is a story behind the shoes...middle of summer it is hard to find anything WHITE
and all the shoes we did find were not in her size! UGH!!! So then we decide
to go to FAMILY DOLLAR here in Gunnison and found these CUTE silver shoes!!!
The last pair IN HER SIZE!!! She fell in love...if we would
of gone there first we would of saved ton's of time and gas! lol...
 

Her Baptism Day

 (July 30th)

Pictures with her dad....she was sooo excited!

 Her little cousin Kyson was sitting by me and he whispered to me 

"Her smile is from hear to here" (pointing at his ears!)

And it was.  Her 2 cousin's Dylan and Tylan (nope..not twins) 

were able to speak on Baptism and the Holy Ghost, 

both just recently returned from LDS Missions

in June. That was pretty awesome!

We had a fun dinner at the park for our family and friends who were

able to come...

It was great fun!

We were so happy BOTH sets of grandparents were able to be there!!! 

Love them so much!!!

Now for this picture.......

 Valerie and her Grandpa's! I have been 

wanting a picture like this for

a

VERY

long time!!

You see Valerie received her name from these 2

AMAZING MEN! 

Grandpa Jackson's Bday is the 24th (his name is Valton) and my dad's

Bday is the 27th (his name is Mark, even though he goes by grandpa Ed!)

WELL....Valerie's birthday is the 25th...right there

in the MIDDLE! So her name became Valerie Markell after

these 2 WONDERFUL dad's/grandpa's!
I always thought it was pretty cool to be a girl

named after Grandpa's!

 I think all in all Valerie had a great birthday filled with

many special moments. I love you little girl!

I am sooo very blessed to be your mom!