Thirty Five!!

We celebrated our {favorite} person tonight!  He's our rock, our comedian, our life-saver, our provider, our mechanic, our back-scratcher, our singer, our cheering section, our all-around go-to guy!  We love you!  Happy, Happy Birthday! 

Catch Up

 Click {HERE} to see updates from January 2013 (gasp!) almost a year ago!! I WILL get caught up!
 Click {HERE} and {HERE} to see updates from February 2013
 Click {HERE} to see updates from March 2013
 Click {HERE} to see updates from April 2013
 Click {HERE} for Landon's eleventh birthday post
 Click {HERE} for May's updates

Masquerade {Halloween Costumes}

{sweet} fall photos

This year's mandatory Fall photo shoot produced some great snap shots.  The boys loved swinging posing from the trees.  I love these kids {and husband!} of mine!

Isaac is S-I-X

This kid's turn for a special day!  Happy Birthday Isaac!

 Birthday Breakfast!

He asked for a 'Journey to the Mysterious Island' party. This year was a family party year so we spent some time at the BMX race track, came home to watch  the rented movie, ate his requested birthday meal: Lasagna, opened presents and ate cake.  (the cake looks very much like a real volcano, don't you think? ;) )

I love how happy this kid is!

Isaac had been asking for a new scooter for his next birthday since this spring, really, almost on a weekly basis.  At the last minute he changed his mind and decided he wanted a BMX bike.  We found him an AWESOME one!  He was thrilled.  (The next day he decided he had changed his mind and wanted to the scooter instead!  Too late, Buddy.  Put it on your Christmas list) 

A couple other little things to open... this Lego set, he declared, would not loose ANY pieces!

Isaac's personality is so unique.  He has every quality rolled up into one great big personality.  He does things with so much emotion.  He isn't just happy, he's ECSTATIC, he isn't just annoyed, he's ANGRY, he  isn't just sad, his feelings are HURT, he isn't just excited about something he CAN'T WAIT, he doesn't just care he thinks about what he can do to SHOW HE CARES... so much fun to have this boy around and never a dull moment

Autumn Snow Day

In Colorado Springs weather-style we had a snow day in the midst of the normal 40-60 degree weather.  The kids were ready to play in it by 8:45 am!  I'm glad I let them go out because by noon the snow was completely melted!

Ella's first-ever snowball fight...

....and her first-ever sledding experience (with lots of help from brothers!) 

Updates {Instagram Style}

We made it to the water one more time before the cold settled in. 

We love being on the boat.  Sweet, Isaac made his sister feel better after she jumped fell in. 

We saw our 5th baby for the first time!  Yep! F-I-V-E!  Our last baby will be born sometime around March 10 and we are very excited.  We've had a rough patch - as in a rough 3 months - morning sickness like a monster, placental bleed that led to bed rest and then 'light duty" and migraines.  Things are looking UP now, as long as I rest enough to keep the migraines to a minimum.

Isaac spent the last 5 weeks running track.  It has built his confidence so much!  This day after I picked him up he said, "it was so hard to keep running but I told myself, 'Isaac do you want to be a quitter or a winner?  You just have to keep running!' "

Landon tested in the top 1% of the nation overall in Math and English.  The kid is amazing, that way!

  

 Ella-girl has been taking dance lessons and LOVES them.  She has a little BFF that she talks about every day.

Austin insisted that his "map assignment" had to be done in a 3D medium.  We made a cake into a map of his imaginary 'Football World'.  He made my day, month, year, when he said, "This is so cool!  Everyone in my class will say it's awesome and I'll say, 'my mom helped me!' and they'll say, 'she's awesome!' "  

Football is in full swing.  Landon plays both offensive and defensive line.  Austin got a little jipped because he broke his finger in a fluke accident at practice, early in the season.  He was bummed!

Landon has been camping like a Mountain Man : Scout Camps once a month.  He's been lucky enough to have his dad with him for three of them.

His first tack meet : He was so proud of himself!  He should have been; he did great!

Our annual Fall Feast was a success!  The kids say this is their favorite "food holiday"!  Landon told me it's better than Thanksgiving.  I like it because it's just a little special family day.

Austin got some good, no, GREAT news!  He can have milk and eggs now!  He is so happy!  Further testing is coming up to see if we can give him soy.

Migraines kind of rule my life.  I'm either fighting them or trying to prevent them.  Ugh!  I tell myself,
'there's a baby at the end of this....' over and over again.  {Sometimes it helps, a little :)  }

~happy anniversary to  us~ We celebrated 13 years! Cameron took us to a french restaurant.  Sounds fancy right?  It was!  And it was good!! Love this guy.

he's nine!

happy birthday to an energetic, happy, fun-loving, responsible, smart, excited, helpful boy  

we love this kid... and his amazingly contagious smile

Austin asked for "wedding cake" for his birthday!  I thought that was a strange request until he explained it was because he wanted a HUGE cake and wedding cakes are the biggest {naturally - duh ;) }.  So I talked him into a 4-layer "tower" cake because it's a little less 'girly'.  It was filled with raspberry filling just like a real wedding cake and covered in his favorite chocolate frosting (it's not as pretty since we don't use dairy products but it tasted G-O-O-D!)

Austin could NOT decide what present to ask for.  He was convinced he wouldn't get anything because he didn't know what he wanted.  We wanted to get him something that would really make him excited - it is his birthday, after all.  Phew!  I think we came up with a winner!  I love how happy he looks in these pictures.  Austin is a kid that knows how to make you feel appreciated.  

***this smile***