Happy 8th Birthday today, Natalie!

Happy Birthday to Mimi's Little Sweetheart!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATALIE!

Six years ago today is the day that the author of this blog became Mimi to the most loving little girl she has ever known. She is loved and adored by her whole family. Anyone who meets her can't help but fall in love with her too. She captures your heart! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LITTLE SWEET!

LOVE--MIMI

Then and Now THURSDAY

(above and below)

SUMMER 2011 Summer 2007

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  She's gotten very picky with her clothes.


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  She rarely likes to wear what Mimi or Mommy picks out for her to wear.


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  She loves Justin Beiber and when I say love, I mean love...she's loved this teen idol since before Christmas. You can just bring up his name and she gets giddy.


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  She likes little "teen" shows on Disney or Nickelodeon verses Dora on Nick Jr. or Elmo or Curious George on PBS.


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  Wants to wear flip flops with everything and I mean everything. I had to let her know that they would not be allowed to be worn with a few certain dresses that she picked out recently when they were purchased.


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  She wants to dance like a teenager too (not good)!


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  She often very headstrong and opinionated and sometimes just wants to do it "her" way because it's nothing more than "her" way!

My, my...a lot of difference in four short years. This little sweetheart of mine has gone from cute-as-a-button toddler to an almost-6-year old. She's like 6 going on 16. Let me see if I can describe the similarity of that:

BUT IN MANY WAYS SHE IS STILL A LITTLE GIRL AND I LOVE THAT SO MUCH! SOME LITTLE GIRL TRAITS:

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  She knows that the Smurf Movie comes out on her birthday (tomorrow) and wants to go see it.


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  She recently giggled herself silly when Mimi took her to see the new Winnie-the-Pooh Movie at the theater.


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  She still loves playing at Chuck E. Cheese!


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  She still loves to be read to. I enjoyed reading many of her Fancy Nancy Books recently. And my almost-6-year old read the easy reader Fancy Nancy Books with me. We both just love the Fancy words in the books. Like Extraordinary....because after all, her Mimi thinks she is pretty extraordinary!


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  She loves to swim. I mean love it like a mermaid in training. She can swim up to 3 hours without taking a real break.


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  She loved her Beginning Tables Manners Class with Mignon. She didn't even complain about her dresses. Although I finally let her wear flip flops on the 4th day with a dress that would have looked nicer with sandals, but she had been so cooperative all week.


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  She picked out some really cute dresses recently at Kelly's Kids. Some nice little girl dresses!


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  She loves playing dress up and has loved that for about 2 years now!

NOTE: If I can think of additional things to add to these list I may do so since this is a little birthday documentary, since tomorrow is her 6th birthday!

~Natalie's Mimi~

"Why is my daddy crying?"

...because his beloved football team, the New Orleans Saints, just won the Super Bowl!

Yeah, well...how do you explain that one to a 4-year old. That's how! Did she understand? I don't think so, but I think she'll remember the day that we all got dressed in our Saints clothes, went to New Orleans to eat and watch the game (in her case...color Saints pictures) ...and the day that her daddy and many other adults cried and screamed! At least, I hope she remembers the day that history was made! After all that's why I am blogging about it...I want her to remember she was just a little girl the first time that a team who had never even won the championship of their league won the Super Bowl!

Natalie has worn Saints clothes and accessories since since before she could talk. I am certain she doesn't truly understand who or what the Saints are, but I am sure that she will remember this day or something about it!

We chose to celebrate the Super Bowl in New Orleans (not downtown, but in Metarie) at Deanies Seafood...at Bucktown. Randy called Monday (to make reservations) after they won the NFC championship (defeating the Vikings) because that was where he wanted to go. He listens to the Saints on the New Orleans radio stations all the time. He listens to Bobby Hebert give the Point After Show from WWL. Randy was certain that this was the Deanie's Seafood where Bobby did the show. Come to find out, the show is actually at the downtown location not this one...OH WeLL. We weren't wanting to go downtown...just to the NOLA area. It all ended up being a great family adventure/family party with lots of new family--people with kindred spirits...aka other Saints fans. It was a nice family atmosphere.

So we had this super bowl party location booked at one flat-rate (per person). It was a little steep for our budget (even though we found out the one downtown was more than double the price we paid and sold out). We were concerned if the food would be good, would it be crowded, would it be a family environment...in general: would it be worth it!

I think YES it was! It was great that we did this as a family and made precious memories with our children, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law.

Before our food started coming out.

Can you just see the excitement (before the game started)?

I love that Cari and her daddy watch the Saints together. It is "there thing"!

Natalie, always happy to smile for the camera...

Me and my girls...

I love that watching the Saints with her daddy is one of her favorite things to do.

Cameron, Brittany and Natalie...

Everyone stood up for the National Anthem.

You can't tell for this photo and if you happened to miss this...that's Carrie Underwood singing it.

Natalie found a little friend. Her name was Paris!

This is one of Natalie coloring before Paris got there. I was her playmate (missing most of the game) coloring and entertaining Natalie as much as possible. I found and printed her these Saints and NFL photos online. She loves coloring with makers.

My family and many others in the background....seriously watching this. I think maybe this is when we were behind...at the beginning of the game. Those are some serious expressions!

See what I mean...

A posed photo of my hunny, sweetheart and me before the food came or the game started.

And this was how Natalie and Paris reacted to the screaming excitement as the game progressed...

Finally, it going our way...the SAINTS way!

After eating awhile, Natalie was very tired of being here. Her mommy wasn't feeling well. So they went to the car to watch a movie. After I got them set up, I came back in with intentions of going back to hang out with them. The game was just too good to leave. Once it became evident that the Saints were about to become Super Bowl Champions, Cameron asked me to get Brittany and Natalie. He wanted them in there as history was being unfolded right before our eyes! I am so glad he did. What compelling moments...

And yes, that is Tracy Porter right after he made that last breakout touchdown! It was awesome. It gave me chills!

My family could not have been happier if they had been there in person!

And yes, I know this is out of focus...we were caught up in the moment and I am not deleting the out-of-focus image because it make me cry with pride and joy. I love that those two shared this moment and I KNOW I WANT TO REMEMBER IT FOREVER.

People everywhere were laughing and crying...

SO WHAT WILL MAKE GROWN MEN CRY? OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THERE TEAM WINNING THE SUPER BOWL!

It really was a great game and I am not even "real" sports fan.
Sorry, Peyton...it was our time!

I love how this quarterback got up there and gave God the credit!

Our family loves you, Drew!

Later that night when we were trying to wind down and I was thinking about the significance of the history that we had all witnessed I tried teaching this line to Natalie...she asked me to repeat it several times so she could learn it: "On February 7, 2010, I was four years old and the Saints won the Super Bowl for the first time and I was in New Orleans at the time."

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

BACKTRACKING #10: Saturday Fun (05.23.09)

Above: posing (Mallory Pose--Brittany's friend, Mallary taught her this one!)

As look at these 2 years later and I can't help but remember this was when I could get her to look for the bug in my hair, camera or anything to get natural expressions. Now (July 2011) she just won't fall for that any more.

This was what she said when she had the camera in her hand! About being a photographer (not the others, but she had said those recently!)

MIMI AND HER SWEETHEART!

Cari and Natalie...

Poppa and Natalie...

Making Silly faces...

[I think we were waiting for the boyfriend to show up.]

Natalie and Precious!

3D glasses!

Who looks better wearing them?

NOW CHUCK E. CHEESE...

This is sort of sad...another post that I didn't finish. This is why you should do these right away. I think this was Memorial Day weekend. Cari, her boyfriend, Natalie and Mimi and Poppa went to Alexandria to see a 3D movie (I can't remember which at the moment) and dinner at Chuck E. Cheese. I think it was the first time we took her to CEC.