Jack's Birthday, Bella's Birthday, Tessa's Birthday

 

Jack turned 13 in April. He is growing up so fast! He's been gone to the National Boy Scout Jamboree and I bet he will look taller when he returns.

 Isabella turned 10 at the end of May. She got to have a friend party and wanted to go swimming. So we gathered up a group of girls and swam and had ice cream cake at the Legacy Center.

Tessa turned 2 at the beginning of June. She loves to play and be with her older siblings. She is very distressed when she can't do what they do. She is upset I don't let her roam outside on her own or go play with friends. She has a mind of her own and knows what she wants. She will be bereft when everyone heads off to school next month.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

Sophie turned four this past Monday!  It was a minimal day at school so the big kids got out early and we met up with Nate for lunch.  Well, let me back up, we began her birthday celebrations at 6:30 am that morning.  We seem to have filled evenings these days and we didn't want Sophie to have to wait to open her presents and play with them til almost bedtime, so we just started very early. 

My mom had brought her presents down when I had Tessa, so she had quite a bunch of stuff to open. 

So we spent the early morning opening presents and singing.  Then we got the kids off to school and Nate off to work and Sophie and I played with her presents until it was time to go get the kids.  We ate lunch at Zupas then came home and I finished decorating her cake.

  She requested a cake that looked like Ariel, I did my best, but it really isn't my forte.  I think cake without faces are easier.  Then we took Jack and Bella to their practices and came home to get ready to go to the mascot bowl.  We met up with Nate and headed over to the high school to watch a bunch of mascots play football with the Lehi eighth grade teams.  It was a good time and we didn't get home until way too late.  

Four great things about Sophie:

1. She is exuberant, really excited about most things.  We love to see how she smiles when she runs, it's pure joy.

2. She is really helpful with Tessa, she has been very patient ever since she was born.  She loves Tessa and it shows.  

3.  Sophie is funny, she says the funniest things all the time, we need to be better about writing them down.  Her observations of the world are pretty keen, and she isn't afraid of asking for what she wants and being clear with people.

4. She is smart, she knows so many things.  I think she will have a ball when she starts school in a few years, in the mean time, we do joy school and lessons at home.  She gets frustrated when she doesn't just know things-very reminiscent of Jack in that way. 

We love Sophie and I am glad she had such a fun birthday! 

Happy Birthday Isabella!

 

Isabella turned eight years old on the 29th of May.  She had a fabulous birthday and I didn't have the baby, so she doesn't have to share, which made he pretty happy.  Her sister picked out this little giraffe for her weeks before her birthday.  Then while we were out shopping after the fact, she showed it to Bella and said, isn't this cute Bella, don't you wish you had a cute giraffe like this.  Bella said she did like the giraffe.  Sophie whispered to me that she now knew that Bella would like her gift, it was pretty funny and clever for a three year old.  I had prepared everything well in advance and since Bella doesn't like cake, we just had Oreo ice cream.  It was a nice day and I can't believe she is eight!

Eight Things about Isabella

1.She is dedicated.  When she wants to do something she sets her mind to it and accomplishes it.

2. She is kind.  Bella is always loves everyone.

3. Bella is super helpful.  She reads a bedtime story to Sophie every night because they both like it.

4. Bella is strong.  Three years of gymnastics have made her strong and very coordinated.  I can't believe how much the gymnastics helps with other sports.

5. Bella is a great student.  She always got great notes home from her teacher and loves school.

6.  Bella loves to dance.  She gets the music in her and can't sit still.  She had us all entertained at her gymnastics meet because she just couldn't hold the dance moves in.

7.  Bella is a great writer.  She brought home five or six journals this year filled with poems and stories and all sorts of things.  She got a few journals for her birthday and has already begun to fill them up.

8. She is inquisitive.  She is always wanting to know more and asking what things mean.  

We love Isabella so much and can't imagine our family without her.  She is a great sister and daughter and we are so blessed to have her!

Happy Birthday Jack!

On the 22nd Jack turned 11 years old.  It was a busy week for him, so we opened presents and went to birthday dinner the night before. 

Jack got a lot of fun things, but the best thing in my opinion was a football card holder that Isabella made out of scrapbook paper.  She just wanted to make him something he would really like for his birthday and did it without any prompting or help.  I love the fact that they are great friends.  They have always gotten along so well together.  Jack also got a sleeping bag, some legos, new scout stuff, and some deodorant as a hint from me.  He thinks that's way funny.  He had a baseball game, then wanted to go to Chuck-a-Rama (why?!?) then we came home and opened presents.  So he didn't even get to play with anything he got that night. 

On Friday, his actual birthday, he got to go on his first camp out with the eleven-year old scouts.  I was fairly nervous, just because it being the first time and him being so new.  But he had a fabulous time and told us all sorts of crazy stories.  Hopefully he will keep giving us the details!  They are fun and crazy to hear at the same time. 

I made the whole group pose for pictures. They are all smiling because instead of saying cheese I had them say-whoa what a big belly you have.  Anyway, he can't wait for all the fun scouting stuff he gets to do this year and I am excited for him.  I think I will be less nervous next time now that I know what to expect.  And he will probably not take quite as much stuff, because I really don't want to wash all that stuff again!

We didn't even eat birthday cake together or blow out candles.  Jack seemed okay with all of that-which is what counts.  In the past it's usually Sophie's birthday that gets all changed around and the spring ones work out just fine.  But now we will have three kids with spring birthdays and I imagine they will just get more busy.  I have great hope that I won't be in the hospital on Bella's birthday this year, but there is a chance that I will, I am getting all organized so my mom and Nate can really make it fun for her if I don't make it. 

Nine is Fine!

Jack is nine years old today! Nate and I started the festivities last night. After Jack fell asleep we moved him out of his bed and changed the bedding to new Star Wars sheets and a quilt I had made him. He usually sleeps in a nest of blankets, he said he woke up while it was dark and searched for all his blankets until he just decided to crawl under the unfamiliar quilt on his bed to warm up-crazy kid.He got out of bed early as well, I returned from water aerobics around 7:15 and everyone was awake and ready to tear into some presents. I have tried year after year to convince him to not go for all of them in the morning, but wait until evening and spread them out during the day, but I have not been successful.
He was delighted to receive remote control helicopter from Nate and I, along with a new bike. His sisters got him a lacrosse set and Bella is dying to play.

Then at just after 8, I let him call his grandma and grandpa so he could open their gifts while they listened on. They were good sports, it was 7 am there. Anyway, he was thrilled with everything but really freaked out about the Giant Lego Star Wars Republic ship. My mom has a good story about the legos. They went on clearance at her Wal-Mart after Christmas. Things go on clearance there that don't seem to go on clearance here. Well, the price was better than the original, but still pretty high, so she watched and watched for them to drop lower. They never did. She came down here to visit, and when she went back, all the lego sets were gone. Then she went back a few days later, and they were back, but still not marked any lower, she decided to scan one anyway just to see if they hadn't marked the tag yet. And they hadn't! She called very excited to tell me she had gotten this huge lego set for like 75% off! And if you have a kid who loves legos, you know they are expensive and almost never go on sale. So there has been much excitement all around about this particular set. It paid off, Jack is very very very excited.

Thus far the kid has had a great day and currently I am making a football field cake. I remember being nine fondly, and I hope he does as well. This is the last year of single digits, it is really flying by. Love you Jack!