Happy 5th Birthday...

Today is Brysen's 5th Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful boy!!

I can't believe so much time has passed already...

This will be a very busy day with cake baking... and eating.

There will be presents to open and games to play.

So...

I will leave you with some beautiful photos of our evenings so that you won't feel to depressed when I tell you that the cake was wonderful...

He wants chocolate.

Now, off to bake.

Birthday photos will come soon...

Hoped and Prayed For...

Today is a very special day.

Happy 19th birthday, Cheyenne!!!!!!!

This is a photo from our oldest daughters wedding.

It was interesting watching Chey interact with her newly married sister.

There has always been so much rivalry between the two... born less than 2 years apart.

You knew they loved each other, but the competition was intense.

Cheyenne has always felt the need to prove that she was as "good" as Cadi.

What she never realized, was that she always was exactly what she was intended to be...

The perfect Cheyenne she could possibly be.

19 years...

This is your last year as a teenager, baby.

I love you so very much!

I hope this year brings you everything you have hoped and prayed for.

That's just what I got on this very day... 19 years ago!

Aubrey...

Today is Aubrey's 11th birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday, beloved!!!!!!!!

Today...

Today is May Day.

But, more importantly...

Today would have been my grandmother's 86th birthday.

This woman taught me so many things.  Some of which include... baking, cooking, putting family first... but she really taught me how to make the hard choices.  She taught me how to give a task everything you've got and then a little more.  This lady was one of the hardest workers I have ever known.  She taught me how to smile even when faced with what seem like insurrmountable trials.  This woman taught me how important it is to slow down and enjoy what is right in front of you.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

We miss you!

This is a photo of my grandmother holding Miranda... 16 years ago!

Grandma Did Soooooo Good...

12 years ago today...

the worst pregnancy of my life came to an end!

The beginning of such a beautiful and blessed life began...

Sydnee (Debra- after her aunt) entered this world... to the delight of her parents and three older sisters.

She was our tiniest baby.  She weighed only 5 pounds.  Her start was scary. We had many issues facing us... dire warnings about what her future held... but God is so good.  She is perfect and healthy and absolutely normal.

We took Sydnee out to breakfast this morning.  Yummy!  She picked the restaurant and enjoyed the one on one time with Mom and Dad... and when the waitress called her a teenager (not yet, lady!)  she nearly glowed!

We like to say she is our leprechaun, since she came to us on St. Patrick's Day.

I remember the nurse putting those cute little green socks on your tiny feet so you wouldn't get pinched... as if Mommy would have let anyone hurt you!

I love that Sydnee is always full of smiles.

You can totally read her mood by looking at her face.

She hides nothing!

Grandma and Bampa sent her the always anticipated "big bucks".

Her sister Miranda gave her some hot pink heels... a major hit!

Her sister Cheyenne took her out to lunch and icecream yesterday for the occasion.

Cadi and Galen sent her this awesome purse!  She loves it, guys!

Mom and Dad gave her a new mp3 player and a Bible with her name imprinted on the cover.

But...

The biggest hit of the day...

was this "totally cool" shirt from Bampa and Grandma!

Syd put it on and said, "Grandma did soooo good!"

Good job, Grandma!  You get the prize for this birthday!  If you were here right now (instead of on your way to Israel) you would get the biggest hug from a very happy 12 year old girl!

Happy Birthday, Sydnee!

We are so blessed to have been given the gift of...you!

Happy Birthday, Lily...

Lily is 5!

Happy Birthday, Lily!!!!!!!

We made chocolate filled brownies and hot fudge cake with ice cream.

The hot fudge sauce in the bottom of the cake is oh so good.  I found this recipe on a blog that I visit, but now I can't remember where.  So, if it is your blog... thank you and drop me a note and I will give you credit for the yumminess of this cake!

Grandma sent a hula skirt and a lei...

So cute!

This was Lily doing the hula...

Galen challenged her to wiggle her hips so she had to show him her stuff...

Five is so cool.

She has such big changes coming this year. 

I am so glad that we get to be here to see it all!

Happy Birthday, Lily Hillbilly!

Happy Birthday Brother...

My big brother is great!

I love him dearly!

I love to tease him... dearly. After all, I am his little sister...

Today is his 40-something birthday.

So...

Haaaappppyyyyy BBbbbbbiiiirrrtttthhhhdddaaaaayyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday Celebration...

Miranda asked for homemade bread bowls and potato soup/corn chowder.

How could I turn her down?

Especially when it is her birthday...

...and I love potato soup and bread bowls!

I think she loves it too...

She also asked for a soda pop cake.

Oh, baby!

This day alone may add 10 pounds!

You only turn 16 once, right?!

I couldn't waste the cake on my fingers...

Daddy loved this picture.

Our oldest girl and our youngest girl.

We are so blessed to have Cadi actually want to join us through the computer for these family celebrations!

What a blessing to have raised such wonderful young women!

Cadi gave Miranda a beautiful scarf...

We probably will see her wearing that to church this sunday.

... and the tradition continues...

Grandma and Bampa gave her money... always loved... she already has plans for it.

They gave her a figurine that has been given an important place in her room...

and they gave her a key chain for when she takes her drivers test and gets the keys to the cars.

Momma and Daddy then gave her...

bom bom bom...

a really nice guitar case!

She has been asking for one of these for over a year!

The smile on her face was the biggest thank you!

Wow...

Look down the table at the beautiful faces...

God knew just what I have always needed.

Even when I didn't know it...

He did.

Happy, Sweet 16 my wonderful daughter!

I wish I could put into words how much I love you and how truly blessed I am to have you.

Some day you will know.

You will understand that what you feel for your daughter is what I feel for you...

For now, I will just say I love you and...

Happy Birthday!

Birthdays Coming Out of Our Ears...

Miranda will be so angry at me for using this picture, but we need to get some new ones of her...

Anyway...

16 years ago today...

This wonderful young lady entered our lives...

She was born on the living room floor...

in front of the Christmas Tree...

With a blazing fire roaring in the wood stove...

She had her Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Lee and two midwives in attendance...

Her older sisters came to check her out just minutes after she joined the family...

Now, she is the tallest of the whole crew...

even taller than her mother!

She went through her extremely tomboy phase...

she went through her chubby phase...

and now is tall and very thin and just amazingly beautiful... inside and out!

She has such an amazing mix of strenth and compassion...

She is an all around amazing young lady...

I have been so blessed to be her mother...

she teaches me, daily, how to be a better person...

I couldn't even begin to imagine my life without her...

Happy Birthday, Miranda!!!!

Happy Birthday, Ari...

I don't think she's happy about this day... do you?

You do?

Oh, maybe the smile gave it away?

You know...

The smile that wrinkles up the entire face and wiggles its way into all of the fingers and toes... and makes it hard to wait... all the way through dinner for presents and cake!

How old are you today Ari?

Ari's answer... "Thwee"

One of Ari's sisters gave her some coloring books...

... and hasn't learned yet to take off the price tag... lol.....

Our kids look forward to Grandma and Bampa's present like no other! 

Ari opened her card and immediately went for the money... which Daddy immediately confiscated and secretly gave to Mommy to hold.

Daddy tried to read the card to Ari...

... but Ari decided she had better things to do with her time...

like open the present!

What?

There are cupcakes in the house?!

Where!

Chow down!

Yummy... German Chocolate!

The great thing was that even though Cadi lives in another state now...

she was able to be a part of it through Skype.

We love that thing.

Happy Birthday, Ari!

You are such a blessing!

Two Birthdays... 16 years and 5 days apart...

My oldest child... ahem... turned 20 last week!

She is an amazing young lady who has a really good head on her shoulders... most of the time.

I am the parent... so ... you know...

She got some really great gifts... but who doesn't love getting money?!

... and jewelry...

... until your little brother steals your money and runs away!

Cadi asked for banana splits... so

we did cheesecake and banana splits.

Holding my baby just doesn't seem the same... as it did 20 years ago!

Our son turned 4 last week also!

He was so excited to open presents and eat cake and get on with the birthday...

His favorite gift was the cape that has superman on one side and batman on the other!

What more can a little boy ask for?

Yes, I do see the crazy hair... but it was spiked before nap time and he woke up like this...

ummmm......

I got the wrong kind of icing to write with so we wrote quickly, blew out the candles quickly and moved on to the eating!

Happy Birthday Cadi and Brysen!