I'm Big Now!!

Brennen has been looking forward to his birthday for about the last 360 days. Right before he turned 3, he went to a friends skating birthday party and loved it. He decided that was what he wanted to do for his birthday. Unfortunately, Mommy already had a plan for his birthday which involved renting a large bounce house, so we went with Mommy's plan. For the entire year, Brennen was dead set on having a skating party. (Well, that was until 3 days before his party, when he switched to Chuck E. Cheese! Again, too late!)

Brennen loved this cake from Dillons. The dinosaur was motion activated and would lunge out, roar, and light up his eyes with red. Super cool, even when you're not four!

Time for presents!! Brennen has great friends and family who brought him some fabulous presents!

A light saber just like Maddox got. Hoping this will help solve some of the "brotherly love" wrestling that's been going on while fighting over the one.

Maddox skating while Mom blinds him with the camera!

Here is Katelyn skating with Grandma Carol.

Lauren and Shawn with their skates on. Still upright too!

The Birthday Boy!!

Here is Madison after recently losing a tooth!

Lily and Don on a lap around the rink! Lily is one of Brennen's best girlfriends. The boy's got a way with the ladies, I tell you!

The birthday boy again posing like he belongs on one of those The DOG pictures!

Preston didn't skate, but hung out with his partner in crime, Taegan, instead.

Don and Lily taking another lap around the rink, this time with Brennen in tow!

This is Courtlyn taking a break from skating. She lives next door and Brennen calls her one of his girls!

On Brennen's actual birthday, we did the same thing for him that we did for Maddox on his birthday. A trip to the donut shop and presents that morning. As they were getting ready to leave for for the shop, Brennen turns and said, "Now I'm 4! That's big. It's close to 10 and that's when I'll be real big!"

It's so hard to believe that he's four already. I so vividly remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. He's come so far from that little baby laying in an isolette struggling to breathe. That was such a difficult time for us, yet looking back, it was an amazingly wonderful opportunity to feel God's comfort and watch him move.

Our brand new four-year-old!!!!

7 Months and Growing!!

It's so hard to believe that our little Ella-Belle is already 7 months old. She is such a joy and has truly completed our family. The boys dote on her non-stop! She is one spoiled little girl!

She is growing and changing so fast. These are a few pictures of her playing with a tea set that Grandma got her for Christmas. I guess this was her very first tea party!

As you can see, Ella is already sitting up, eating all kinds of new foods, including some table foods, and has even started to try to get her knees up under herself so that she can learn to crawl. She seems super motivated to grow up. I, however, am not in a big hurry for that!

A trip to the photographer...

Recently we took the kids to JCPenneys to have a few updated pictures of them. It went - okay. But then when you're taking pictures of 5 children all 7 and under, you kind of just go with the understanding that frankly you'd just like one shot with them all in the frame. We did accomplish that!

Here are Caden's shots. So crazy to think that my oldest will be 8 years old in just a few weeks!

Maddox has hit the "forced smile phase", but we did get a couple good shots!

Brennen used to be our little boy who would NOT smile in a picture. So glad that stage is over!

Here is my little man!!

And last, but certainly not least, is our beautiful little Ella!

The Deuce Turns 6!!

We made it through another year!!! That's right - Maddox turned 6 last Saturday! I have always been really into my children's birthdays. I used to tell myself that it was because I wanted them to have at least one day a year that they were the center of attention, all while building fabulous memories. However, I am starting to think that I do great parties really just to celebrate my own success throughout the previous year. Sorry if that makes it seem like I'm a little full of myself, but frankly I deserve a good party. I kept this child alive for one more year! As any parent will attest to, that is no small task!!

Time was something that we did not have a lot of on Maddox's birthday. So that morning, the boys all went and got donuts with Dad. We sang to Maddox over breakfast and he opened his presents from us.
Maddox had asked for a Leapfrog Didj from us. So that's what he got along with a game, cover, and personalized faceplates. He loved it. (I sure do miss the days of cheaper birthday gifts!)

We had basketball games after breakfast and then headed straight to Maddox's party. He wanted a party at Copeland Gymnastics. We invited all the boys from his class and also the kids he knows through us. We ended up with 19 kids!! Here is a picture of the cake Maddox chose. It was pretty cute.

The birthday boy before blue icing attacked his face!!

And after the attack of blue icing!!

Maddox got a lot of great gifts which have really helped keep all the boys amused this week. Here's a shot of the whole gang of partygoers!