Lucas Turns 10!

Happy 10th Birthday, Lucas!

Lucas had his birthday just three days after we arrived in our new state.

I was worried about how swell of a birthday I could make for him.

However, Shane had it all under control. 

 Remote control.

 We did our usual presents in the morning, so that the birthday kid can have the day to enjoy them.

 Nerf guns from Aidan, Minecraft toys from Julia...

 A trip to the zoo right by our apartment!

 Phone calls from loved ones.

 Riding the tiger at the zoo... too hot to sit on!

 And Lucas requested a stick figure cake.  That was his costume on halloween, and he's enjoyed them ever since.

 Always a little help with the candles!

 Taking his plane out for a spin.

He's gotten pretty good, which is no surprise for kids these days!

The first kid with two digits... where does the time go?

He is really fun, loves to hang around his parents, which I think we should be soaking up.

Quite the wit, loves jokes, and is interested in everything.

We are really enjoying you today, Son!

Birthdays for Big Kids

In December, Shane and I turned 38 and 35, respectively.

And oh, what a delight to celebrate turning another year older while spending it with each other!

My highlights were some new REAL leather boots because I've never bought myself something that nice.  I'm not known for having nice things, exactly...  And these flowers because Shane hunted for them all over town until he got gerberas and calla lilies for me. So sweet!

I don't know what Shane's highlight was.  Maybe the lazy daisy cake.  I take that back: he got himself some track time in Las Vegas, baby!  I'll post more on that later.

As usual, we had quiet and happy days for our birthdays.  Just the way we like them!

Julia Turns 8!

Happy Birthday, Julia!

A little late to posting, but it was a special day!  We were snowed in.

Although Julia's birthday is not always on Thanksgiving, she is still our little "thanksgiving girl"!  She was born on Thanksgiving in 2005.

This year, her dream was to get the Kaya doll and her extended family surprised her with a few accessories.  She listened to the books on CD the month before her birthday, and became even more excited about getting the doll.  Of course, she wasn't certain that Kaya was among the presents, but I think she felt fairly confident!

                                         
Her Grandma made her a lovely Indian costume, and her Nana made her a bearskin for Kaya to sleep on.  She got some winter clothes and a doll hairbrush from her brothers.

She wanted a Kaya doll cake, and as usual when I'm at a loss, I asked her to draw the cake she wanted for me, so I'd know just what she wanted.  This way, it helps her keep it simple and ensures that I don't disappoint her!

This is Kaya and her horse.

Julia and her brothers:

And Julia's birthday weather:

Aidan's 6th Birthday

Happy 6th Birthday, Aidan!

Aidan opened gifts in the am after his requested breakfast of scones, cheesy eggs and bacon.

There was his first Bible, hymn book and bible case....

Which led to this later in the afternoon.  I already feel good about the purchase!

Then we took cupcakes to Explora, but first stopped by to see our friends, the Rudolphs, as they passed through town.  So fun!

After a lunch at Sonic, we went and tried our hand at miniature golf.  It was a first for the kids, and they ended up liking it!  Not that we stuck to the rules exactly...

Then we came home and had cake, mint chip ice cream, and white grape punch with floating lime sherbet in it.  No supper.  Just cake.

Aidan successfully turned 6!  And now my baby doesn't have much "baby" left of him!  He still lets me snuggle and he will allow some lap time before he's off and running again. =)

Aidan loves a poem that my mother taught me, that I seem to recall she learned from her dad.

When I was one, I was just begun.

When I was two I was nearly new.

When I was three I was hardly me.

When I was four I was not much more.

When I was five I was just alive.

But now I'm six and as clever and clever.

So I think I'll stay six, for now and forever!

Aidan Turns 5!

Happy Birthday, Aidan!

My littlest baby has now become a handful.

This baby that is five has legs that hang way down when you rock him on your lap.  He thinks he's a big, tough kid and speaks in lawyer talk.  Including asking our brother worker, "Why do people get married?" To which Carl wisely replied, "Give it a few years and then you'll understand what all the fuss is about." These are not the antics of sweet little babies, these are the antics of children growing up!

This year, Aidan wanted a fox cake.  (No one knows why.) Google came to the rescue and a decent fox cake was found for me to copy!

This birthday was pretty relaxed, just some corn dogs, cake and root beer floats.  Christian came over to help us party it up a little.  And Aidan got an army set-up (sorry, Susan, no Marine gear):

Elbow and knee pads with a bike helmet:

And a very special rc car that is little and doesn't have a bottom.  This thing flips over and keeps on going.  And everyone is eager for a turn! So eager, that there are no pictures...

Aidan is happy and healthy and very ready to be five.  He's extremely focused on how cool he is, how brave and strong, how smart and interesting.  Perhaps this year he'll learn about serving others with humility. =)  At least he has plenty of confidence!  We think he's pretty wonderful ourselves, we just need to make sure that head doesn't get too big. ;)

He's a joy and delight!

Birthday Bliss

 This month, Shane and I had our birthdays.  Yay!  And a friend of mine has a friend.... got that?  That has dealt with breast cancer and is thankful for every birthday she has.  This is my new aspiring attitude, to be grateful that each birthday, each anniversary is a reminder of what I have.  It marks the end of a year which is a gift that is mine to treasure. 

With this in mind, I will gaze again at the front of my hair, which is rapidly sprouting grey, and be glad that I am getting old.  I have so far had this much time with my husband and children, and the grey-er and wrinkly-er I get, the luckier I am.  

This year, Shane and I had fairly easy-going birthdays.  This is becoming more and more our style, it's just nice to have a day with family and a little extra attention.

For Shane, we met up with him for lunch at a Vietnamese place, then went Karting!

Well, he and Lucas did. Me and the other two played air hockey and some other arcade games.  I got Shane a go-pro and thought he might use it, but they were ready for him on the track so he didn't get a chance to set it up.  However, he'll have it for the next time!  Lucas did much better this second time on the track, too.  Shane also got a Creme Brulee torch, new winter gloves and a laser pointer.

The cake flopped, so we just had a plain cake for him this year.  It stuck to the pan, in spite of being oiled and floured, so I couldn't use it to make the Porsche decal that we had in mind.  However, it tasted just fine!  And the next day I made him some INSANE Creme Brulee so we could burn some sugar.  It was SO, so good!

For me, Shane took me and the kids out to breakfast, something I dearly love!  Poor thing had a tummy ache later, but I downed the Crazy Larry omelet with no trouble whatsoever.

We came home, had Creamy Caramel Flan and opened some presents. Shane got me a much nicer camera and some cozy (but not sloppy) pj's and a quilted down vest.  =)  Yay!

He got this pirate card from him and the kids that said:

Front: "I told me crew to lavish ye with some fine pirate booty"

Inside: "Not THAT kind of booty!" as three little pirates pants come down and they are saying things like "Is this the poop deck?" and "got any sunscreen?"

The kids loved it!

Then Shane and I went out on a mutual birthday date and saw Mission Impossible #408 and went to Red Lobster for a yummy shrimp and lobster treat.  

It was nice!

Julia Turns 6!

Waaayyyy back on Thanksgiving Day, our little girl had a birthday.  Actually, this year she got to have TWO birthdays!

Makin' da cake!

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Shane's side of the family and got to see some of his Aunts and Uncles, it was really nice.  And while there, Julia received much love and attention from everyone on her real birthday.  However, we did have our family birthday for her before we left. =)

Excited about her new presents...

One special thing about this year is that Julia was born on Thanksgiving Day in 2005.  This year is the first time her birthday landed on Thanksgiving since her birth.  Fun! =) A few birthday photos...

Her new hat from Papa, which accidentally matches her dolly's hat!

Her dearest love, Bitsy Doll.

Julia's Beehive Cake from the "pre-party"

Her cake from Gma June

Auntie Calysta and Uncle Mike were on hand when Julia arrived in our lives.  Mike helpfully watched Lucas for us, while Calysta was a support to me.  Julia was six days late, but came quickly once she decided to come.  Three hours in the hospital and we were the proud parents of a sweet baby girl.  We have fun being surprised at delivery with the baby's gender, so it was fun to see we had a girl!  The real reason for not finding out is that I have an affectionate attachment to being surprised.  Whee! =)

Brand new-born Julia!

Julia was so round and chubby, especially compared to her skinny brother, but she was always in the 50th percentile for height and weight through the first few years that I kept track.  And during her first few hours after being born, her nose was smooshed to the side of her face!  It popped out again, soon, however.

Julia is her own special breed in our family.  She looks like her Mommy's side of the family for the most part.  She seems to get her personality from a little of both sides. =)  She's the most reserved and shy and has a hard time expressing herself.  She's a snuggler and a caretaker.  She loves to decorate herself and her dollies and her room, loves tea parties and dressing up and playing house.  She loves beauty!

She's a smart little girl, jumping ahead of her school age and being in first grade this year.  She yearns to do things alone with "just you and me, Mom!" and loves the exclusivity of being the only daughter.

Happy Future, lovely daughter!  I love to be your Mommy, and to kiss your sweet cheeks when you are sleeping.  You make me happy!

Lucas Turns 7!

Such a common thing, to be amazed every year that our children grow.  To exclaim that it doesn't seem like they should be this big!  This old!  This grown up!  But it's the first time that MY child has turned seven, and it's the first time I've parented a seven year old.  So I'm going to go ahead and be amazed. =)

Lucas turned 7 without any difficulties or trouble.  He just woke up that morning and it happened.  8:20am rolled around and *bing*!  Seven he was.  I couldn't help but think of his birth as I made breakfast, a combo that seemed natural.  There was so much I didn't know back then, including HOW to listen to my body that was supposed to guide me on this natural journey.  My body did try to guide me, but I didn't know how to listen.  Lucas was a homebirth, and he took his sweet time in arriving.  The pushing stage lasted from midnight to 8:20 the next morning, and there are few things as discouraging as the moment I saw the sky begin to lighten and I had no baby in my arms.  But no complications, really, and he was healthy and sound.  He was so tiny, just 6 lbs 12 oz and I got to cut the cord.  He was a people person from the start and there are so many things about how he was as a baby that are SO like he is today.  The talking, the cute face and expressions, the caution, the need for relationships.  He looks like his father and "emotions" like his mother. =)

He got his little party this year, with his adored buddy, Ethan and family.  His theme was icebergs and I could have done better with a little more thought.  I goofed.  He wanted a red cake, so I made a red velvet cake base and then put blue gel on it.  See?

The cookies with whipping cream on top are small ice floes.

Not really well thought out.  Needed to have white icing first!

Anyway, we mounded up cake and covered it with whipping cream and topped it with animlas from both polar regions.  Polar bears and penguins, take advantage!

Ice berg cake and homemade pizza was the birthday request!

An embarrassed glance during the singing...

Blowing out the candles!

We wanted to make ice berg punch.  We mixed blueberry juice and ginger ale, then put clumps of vanilla ice cream in it.  Don't do this.  There's a reason people put sherbet in punch and not ice cream.  It curdles the milk.  But in our innocence, we made curdled milk punch.  Mmmm.  Shane made the punch and I have to poke a little fun at him, because instead of putting clumps of ice cream in it, he mixed it in.  He was not aware of the ice berg theme, I guess.  Even though he'd been all over Albuquerque to find a plastic polar bear for the cake.  =)

This year, Lucas' main gift was a rock polisher.  As we speak, it is on week 2 with the coarse grit, tumbling away.  3 more weeks and he might have polished rock!  We'll see how often this gets used... =)

Thank-you Emma and Ethan for the joy you brought to ALL the kids!  How does it feel to be better than Santa?

We are happy to have such a little grown-up man in our lives, and it's just a constant reminder that our parenting must keep shifting with his needs.  It's getting a little harder in some ways... the accountability to myself just increaces daily.  But in other ways, it's just more rewarding and fun!  =)