Birthday Boys

Wednesday is a crazy day around here, throw in two birthdays and it just gets crazier.

 Morning presents.

Both birthday boys got new mountain bikes.  Somehow I didn't get a picture of that....

 Clearance Easter candy is always a fun treat to take to his classmates!

 Breakfast.

The ladies at the office surprised him with a pirate party.  They wore their mustaches and hats all day!

 Evening.  Hamburger cake.  (The last time we ate/made hamburgers at home was in August.  Perhaps that's why he wanted this cake.)

 Dinner and cake lasted 20 minutes.  Then then Wednesday night church goers left us to ride bikes all evening.

It appears as though we only celebrated Nick.  Weeelllll, I only made one cake this year.  I am still working on making Austin's pie.  I did go to the bike store twice today to pick up his new bike.  

We love Nick because he is the first one to respond to our crying baby, because he empties the dishwasher every day, because he sings with his whole soul, because he learns 24 hard spelling words each week, because he shares well, laughs easily, because he has a testimony and has chosen to be baptized, and because he snores like Grandpa B.

We love Austin because he goes to work so that we can eat and buy stuff on amazon, because he turns music on and sings falsetto with Taylow Swift while making breakfast, because he gives piggy back rides every night (when he's home) on the way to bed, because he happily eats all meals made by mother, because he knows all things ESPN, and because he holds the priesthood with honor and goodness.

Oh, these boys just fill my heart and make our world happier, cleaner and louder.

Field Trip

Shut the front door!  I know, I actually asked my dearest friend to watch my boys so I could go on a field trip with Maddie the "kinderdartener."  We hiked the Old Jail Trail together.

 I loved that the other children were bored walking, but not her.

 Who knew the desert was full of so much green?

 And, this is the last day that these seven children of mine are all odd ages....1,3,5,7,9,11, and 13.  They are all smiling and looking at the camera, now that is odd!

Whirlwind Weekend

Saturday was just a total blur.
First, I was the cowardly lion at Maisie's activity days stake activity.  I hung mom's disco ball, decorated the stage with ballooned trees, and taught the girls a flash mob dance!

Scary.

 All the Oz characters.  I was wishing I could gain twenty pounds in one day.  Apparently my wish was granted by Maisie the photographer!

 Next Andy and his friend put on a canned food drive.

 Then Austin and I went to a birthday party for our friend.  Everyone should meet her, she is great!  All the while Grandma and Grandpa B. were home with the children and eating ice cream Sundays.

 Sunday night we all crashed and relaxed while watching Grandma's facebook feed.  We are so glad they came for a visit.

The Relatives Came!

Bam!  Just like that two siblings came with their families, didn't stay too long and then left us alone again in the desert.  Come baaaack!

Coons and Shelly and Logan came for Easter/Conference weekend.
 Egg hunting with the primary.

 Baskets.

 Lunch.

I don't have too many pictures -- 10 hours of conference viewing with 11 kids will do that to you.

Then the Campbells came.

Walmart run.

 Meg's soccer game.

Maddie's bruised foot.

Eddie's sand box "cup cake party" friends.

 Ice cream.

 These next three pictures were all taken within minutes of each other -- I just walked around the house finding the groups together.

 Buda beach hike/wade.  Let's just admit that I did not navigate well.

 This is where we got soaked, just after Emily puked.

 This is where we dried off.

 This is where we played.

 Allie just ate my baby up!

And just like that they were gone.  We were very sad today.  Luckily another group comes on Friday!

(Tonight Maddie noticed our matching KEENS.)

Reading Bug

Maddie's teacher sent home this very nice note on her weekly work packet -- she's caught the reading bug!  Tonight at scriptures she began her verse shouting, "Awake!" the noting the exclamation mark. I couldn't help but giggle.  (2 Nephi 1:14 if you want the reference.)  No better place to "get nearer to God" or teach literacy than in daily family scripture study.