He's 9!

That's right! 9! He is growing up SO fast!

We had a fun time celebrating with my Parents. My Dad has been so excited to give Porter this special surprise that involved giving my consent. I knew when he called before he bought it to ask permission I was in trouble!

You might recognize the shape of the box. All of a sudden I felt like we were living in the Christmas Story Movie!

All I can say is he better not shoot his eye out!

Porter was so excited! My Parents live in the forrest, so the BB gun is a fun thing to keep at their house and safely use it with no other houses around :) He did get some safety glasses to help with the whole "shooting your eye out" thing!

In true "Porter fashion" his very first shot hit the soda can square in the middle!

Star Wars cake this year.

What a fun day! He felt very loved by everyone who called, sent cards, emailed, and sent gifts. He has seemed to grow up a lot this last year. 3rd grade has brought some new stages and adventures. He is the best brother in the world and we all think he is the BEST!

Happy Birthday, Porter! We love you!

Happy Birthday to Allen!

For Allen's Birthday I thought I would share 36 things I love about him. I was totally ready for his 58th Birthday, it was hard to shorten my list to just 36!

1. His enthusiasm about his Birthday. Anyone who knows Allen knows that he doesn't just have a Birth-DAY, he has a Birthday MONTH!

2. His positive attitude.

3. His motivation to eat well, work out, and stay in shape. He's got the body to prove it!

4. His adventurous spirit. He is always looking for something fun and exciting to do or try.

5. How he seems to always be good, really good at whatever he decides to try.

6. His Testimony.

7. His willingness to serve others.

8. How he always knows just what I need help with around the house, and does it without me asking. (I know, he is a keeper!)

9. He is a great Dad. Always ready to play.

10. He doesn't mind taking the kids to do things on his own. He was the first to take all 3 kids to the pool!

11. He has a great family. Parents, siblings, nieces, nephews! He is the middle of 7 kids, he has a big family and I love them all!

12. He is a great friend.

13. He loves the water. Totally his element.

14. He is a great wakeboarder. Very sexy.

15. He is the best scuba diving partner.

16. He is very genuine.

17. He is great with money. He has all our finances organized. He is a very good at budgeting.

18. He plans ahead, yet is fun and spontaneous.

19. He is a very good and patient teacher.

20. He always matches :)

21. He is a good listener.

22. He is a great cook, and never complains about making meals or cleaning up!

23. He has a great sense of humor. He cracks himself up on a regular basis!

24. He is very organized.

25. He works hard and plays hard.

26. He loves my family.

27. He is honest.

28. He always lets me have the last bite, no matter what we are eating.

29. He is very smart.

30. He is very respectful of me and women in general. He is a great example of this to our son.

I pray that our girls will marry someone EXACTLY like him.

31. He is very thoughtful. He is great with gifts and surprises.

32. He is patient with me.

33. He is the most supportive person I know.

34. He is a great handy man. He can fix anything, and finished our last basement by himself just learning as he goes.

35. He makes sure the kids know how much he loves me.

36. He makes sure I always know how much he loves me.

Happy Birthday, Babe! I love you more every day.

Winter fun!

We took all the kids skiing. They had a great time! Porter had fun on his snow board for the first time on a real ski hill. He did great.

I don't have a good picture of Sidney, but she did great for her first time on ski's. She was a little nervous and not sure she wanted to go. Once she got started she didn't want to stop and decided she liked to go "really fast"!

Even Rylee tried skiing for a couple runs!

We also went ice skating on a real pond! So much fun. We rented a sled for Rylee and she loved being pulled around the lake!

Love is in the air!

We had a fun Valentines Day.

The kids always get so excited! We enjoyed treats, surprises, flowers, cards, valentines, parties, a fancy homemade dinner, homemade chocolate strawberries, and lots of hugs and kisses.

What a great day! Happy Valentines Day!

Fun with Aunt Keri!

Man, we are so lucky to get to have Keri come to visit! We partied! We went ice skating. Everyone had lots of fun, but I think we might have froze Keri to death! We had good food, played, went on a candy factory tour, went to the Denver Nugget Basketball game, went out to dinner, went shopping, and so much more. I am happy to say that Keri survived her winter trip to Colorado!

Rylee had fun. Sometimes she skated, and sometimes she would ride!

What a great night at the Nuggets game. Nuggets won in overtime! Lots of cheering and great snacks!

The kids always dread having to tell Keri goodbye. They beg her to stay a little longer and try to plan when she is coming again. They just can't get enough of her............

Me either