Princess Party

Rachel finally got to have her first friend party to celebrate her 6th birthday.  She was so excited!  The girl has been reminding me for at least 6 months that I promised we’d do a friend party this year!!

She knew right away that she wanted to have a Princess party.  NO BOYS ALLOWED!!  Believe me, I tried to convince her to invite the princes too, as there are a couple of boys in her class with whom she is really good friends.  She politely shot down that idea without hesitation!

This really does say Happy Birthday. The light pink ended up being a little too light, so you can’t see the white letters very well.

 

The girls decorated princess wands to start.

 

Then they played “Keep the poisonous balloon from touching the ground.”  I was going to have them use their wands for that, but forgot that there was glue on the wands that needed to dry.  So they used their hands or paper plates.  I was surprised how much they loved doing this!

 

They LOVED getting to kiss a frog…though a couple of them were a little hesitant about the lipstick at first.  Rachel had no problems with laying a big one on the fat fella!

 

Wicked Queen freeze tag was also a hit.  Man, I wish I had half the energy!!  After they’d each had a turn being the Wicked Queen, it was time for goodies.  Funny enough, I think the jelly beans (inside the jar where I put the star wands) were the biggest hit!

 

Pink princess cupcakes were pretty tasty though.

 

Pink princess punch and some ice cream topped it all off.  Mmmm, mmmm, goooood!!  I’m so glad I have Pinterest and the internet in my life.  I got all my ideas and printables for free, and thank goodness too!  I’m no good in the creativity department, but I’m a pro at copying someone else’s ideas!

One more birthday party for the year, and then we’re on friend party hiatus.  For a looooong time!

Rachel Had a Birthday!

Everyone shout, “Hooray!” because Rachel had a birthday.  Perhaps you’re wondering how old she is?  This should help…

 

Rachel is our silly, sweet, tender, spunky, smart, and amazing 6-year-old.  We love her to pieces!

 

How many 6-year-olds do YOU know that like anything to do with broccoli?!?!  We are lucky to have such a fun girl smack dab in the middle of our five kids.  I love all of Rachel’s overly-dramatic expressions, so here comes a photo bomb so you can enjoy some of them.

 

Teddy Graham love!

 

Flip-flops?  Seriously?

 

Ooooh, is this really what I think it is?!?!

 

So excited about getting the same bouncy toy that Daniel got for his birthday!

 

We love you Miss Rachel!  Your tender heart and thoughtful expressions brighten our days.  We’re so glad you’re part of our family!!

………

And now, because I couldn’t resist posting these ones…

She wants one for her birthday too!

 

And so does he.  But he may need to work out a few things with gravity first.

 

He just wants an umbrella (which would involve completely dismantling it, I’m sure).

 

And this kid…well, he can have anything he wants with that smile in his arsenal!!

Party Like You’re Two!!

Two years ago, I was snuggling a brand new baby.  Little did I know then what a ham Daniel would turn into!  This kid is so full of personality, he’s nearly bursting at the seams!

 

All the attention from siblings and Grandma and Grandpa was just egging him on.

 

I know this is not the greatest picture, but can you see the excitement?!?!  LOVE!!!

 

We let Daniel dig into his own cake again this year.  He taught us a few things.  First, a little caution goes a long way when a grown-up hands you an entire plate of cake.  Best to make sure it’s not broccoli hiding under all that frosting!

 

Second, once you’re sure it’s OK, please remember that cake is best eaten two-fisted!

 

Third, there’s never a wrong time for a round of “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.”

 

And last, but certainly not least – no matter how difficult it may be, don’t forget to at least ACT like you’re having fun!

 

We love us some Daniel!!  He is such a hoot and a true joy to have in our lives.

Some of his latest accomplishments:

• Almost full-time walking
• He loves to do the actions for “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” as well as “Popcorn Popping”
• He signs milk!
• He’s initiating communication by signing his wants

We have been blessed by Daniel’s presence in our family more than we can ever express.  Happy birthday little dude!

12 Years Old!

Oh my gosh!  I cannot believe I have a 12-year-old.  Every time my kids have a birthday, I wonder where the time went.  But sheesh, this one has blown me away!  I really don’t know where the last 12 years went!

But enough about me.  Emily is the one we’re here to talk about!  Look at this little cutie as a 1-year-old!

Emily has always been full of spunk.  I think it’s the red hair!  From the day she was born, she wanted to do things her way.  She ate when SHE was ready, and no amount of wiggling, tickling or wet rags to the feet would get her to eat any sooner.

She has always been a curious and creative person.  She blesses us with stories, pictures and even musical creations often.  She loves to figure things out, and she often sees things differently than the rest of us.

She is an amazing friend.  She has the ability to be friendly and kind to everyone.  She is thoughtful and sweet.  She has a real desire to do what is right.  She is so incredibly smart.  She is funny and silly and so innocent still (thankfully).

She is an amazing violinist, pianist, and singer.  Watch for her in the future – she’s going to do some amazing things for sure!

We love you so very much Miss Emily!  You are a wonderful blessing to our family and we are so glad to have you.  We are excited to see what the coming year brings to you.

Lego Olympics

Josh had a birthday, and we celebrated in style!  He got to have a friend party this year and chose a Lego theme.  (I’d like to thank Pinterest for guilting me into thinking I have to go all out for parties now-a-days.)  I found some great ideas and went to work making a banner and treats and coming up with games and activities to keep 10-year-old boys entertained.

We did Lego-style Olympics (thus the medals up above).  We tested their speed by racing Lego vehicles that they each made.  They really liked that!

We tested their accuracy by playing Lego Toss.

We pushed them higher in a speed-building contest to see who could build the tallest tower.

We tested their endurance by having them pick up Legos with a straw.

We tested their creativity with Lego head drawings.

And just for fun, we did a plain ol’ guessing game.  How many Legos do you think are in this jar?

The answer: 109

I think the boys (and Emily) had a lot of fun.  It was a blast to see them creating and playing and having fun together.  It was good to see all those Legos being put to good use!!!

The hit of the party?  Well, I think it was those yellow chocolate-covered marshmallow Lego heads!  Go figure!?!

Playing Catch Up

This is gonna be a long post – sorry!  I decided to just pay $50 to get a new hard drive for my computer, rather than buy a whole new computer – even though my screen is totally messed up and my battery is useless.  So I’m back in business for blogging!

Someone had a birthday last week.  Not sure who it was, but we had a fun day celebrating!  We spent the morning at the aquatic center.  You’ll thank me for not posting any pictures of that.  We’re all so white it’s scary!  After that we had lunch, and Jared and I did some shopping while Daniel was sleeping.  Then we came home, picked up Daniel and went out to dinner.  The kids love it when we go on dates because they eat cereal for dinner.  After we were done, we grabbed the kids and went for a special treat.  There’s a local food place in town that fills a sink with soft serve ice cream, bananas, toppings, and whipped cream.  They told us it’s around a gallon of ice cream…but they don’t measure, so no one really knows.

We thought that with 7 people we could easily finish it off.  If you do, you get your picture taken and earn a place in the “We Cleaned the Sink” Hall of Shame Fame.

Daniel sure pulled his weight.  He would have eaten (and then spit up) all night long!

 

Unfortunately, Josh has developed an aversion to ice cream since he threw up after eating 24-ounces of ice cream all by himself!  Five bites into the sink and he was complaining that he needed to throw up.  So he spent most of his time in the bathroom (no throwing up) and complaining about watching everyone else eat.

Emily added her personal touch with a little bit of art work on the side of the sink.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to finish.  That was a lot of ice cream and we were stuffed!!  And, believe it or not, that was waaaay cheaper than taking everyone to Twizzleberry!

On our way out, Caleb saw the rows of newspaper racks (?? – those bin-like-things that you put a quarter in and open the door to retrieve your paper) and exclaimed, “Video games!!!”  A couple walking in chuckled and the guy said, “That’s OK buddy.  They tricked me too!”  Love me some Caleb-isms!!

On Tuesday we had swimming performance day for Josh, Rachel and Caleb.  I brought Emily and Daniel – against my better judgement – so I didn’t get many pictures.  It was unbearably hot and Daniel was miserable.  The kids did a great job.  Josh is becoming quite the swimmer.  I think maybe he should aim for the swim team in high school.

This year he learned the breast stroke, the butterfly, and how to do an underwater summersault off the wall.  During the performance they were supposed to stand where they were and do a summersault.  Josh misunderstood and took off down the the pool as fast as he could and did his summersault off the wall – just like what you see in the Olympics.  I was in awe, and all the other parents were oohing and ahhing as well.  Take a look at this kid!  (Sorry about the crying Daniel in the background!)

Rachel is a natural fish and loves the water.  Look how white she is!!

Caleb is a little more reserved, especially when it comes to getting his face in the water.

They both did great and learned a lot for their first year.

Later in the week, we were at the park during a house showing.  Daniel was sitting right next to me on a bench, and in the 2 seconds that I was focusing on keeping one of the other kids in line, he fell off the bench and smacked his head on the cement.  That is a sound I will not soon forget.

He’s a tough kid though, and after a huge cry, he perked back up and was fine.

And just for fun…this kid thinks he’s a monkey!!

And the best news of the month: I got my birthday wish!  We accepted an offer on our house this week.  The offer was dated on my birthday, so it really was a birthday present!!  We are supposed to close on Sept. 4, so we’re in apartment hunting mode now.

I hope to get a house update up later today or tomorrow.  Please don’t keel over in anticipation!!

Happy Birthday Caleb!!

Happy 2nd birthday to our baby boy! Can you believe it has already been two years?!?! I keep saying this, but it's more and more evident every day that time is just getting away from me! It really does seem like just yesterday that we were holding this sweet, dark-haired little boy and feeling just slightly overwhelmed at the prospects of having two kids so close! I can honestly say that, thus far, it (usually) hasn't been as hard as I expected it to be!

How could it be difficult with such a cute little guy to love?!?!

Here are some things about Caleb:

• He is a busy, busy boy! He moves from one moment of curiosity to the next moment of mischief with the speed of a cheetah! Trying to keep up with this boy is next to impossible!
• He has been affectionately nick-named Caleb the Tornado. Grandma L. gave him this name after staying with him for a few days last year.
• He loves to be outside. He would live out there if I would let him
• He loves to eat pretzels, raisins, yogurt (which he calls low-gurt), popcorn, jellybeans, bananas, granola bars (knowns as ah-la bars)...ok, so he likes to eat - period!
• He likes to chew on the corners of one certain blanket, which has almost completely destroyed it!
• He is very particular about his bed-time routine. He will not settle down without his 3 favorite blankets, his giraffe, and his bear. And he always tries to get extra stuff - like toys, his sippy cup, books, etc.
• He is quite the chatter box and is very loud - especially when he's crying!
• He can already identify Maceys and Wal-Mart before we even get there!
• He is quite the charmer - he really knows how to use his big eyes to his advantage!

I could go on and on about this boy! He is truly a unique, enjoyable, lovable kid! We love you very much little Caleb! We are so glad you're a part of our family. Life just wouldn't be the same without you!

Happy Birthday Rachel!

I can't believe it has already been THREE years since our sweet little Rachel rushed into the world! Time really does pass more quickly each year! And my how things change! Here's a little walk down memory lane, starring Rachel.

A few days old

One year old (and loving brand-new Caleb)

Two years old

The Birthday Girl!

Here are a few tidbits about Rachel:

• She loves to sing, especially I am a Child of God and I Love to See the Temple. She hums and sings all the time!
• She loves candy (not much of a surprise), fruit, granola bars and pepper jack cheese.
• She is full of personality and spit fire. Don't mess with her because she knows how to defend herself!
• She still has red, naturally curly hair, though not as curly as when it was short. It is amazing how long her hair really is (and she's never had a haircut)!
• She knows lots of letters and loves to let us know when she sees any that she knows.
• She loves everybody (and she tells me all the time that she does)!
• She loves to be a helper.
• She is a really good sleeper.
• She loves to go on walks and bike rides and play at the park.

Rachel is such a special girl. We love her to pieces and are so thankful to have her in our family. There is something about her that is different - hard to explain - but I think she has a very strong spirit and will do amazing things in life.

We love you Rachel! You add such an amazing amount of warmth and love and energy to our lives.