Weston is 2!

I spent Weston's first birthday crying the ENTIRE day! I fared much better this year. He is 2 and he is perfect and he is totally a toddler. No denying it!
Weston is talking up a storm and loving life. He is fiercely independent and can even peel his own orange over the trashcan like a boss. And in case you were wondering, he can also open the fridge and thinks he can do almost everything BY HIMSELF!

This year he had an Easter birthday, so there were egg hunts galore. And Candy is one of his newest words! 

He is still very much the baby of the family despite the fact that he is quickly growing up! He wears a size 9 SHOE! I just cannot believe that. The older children continue to spoil him and let him get away with most things. We will be in serious trouble!

Happy birthday to my selfie-lovin, cake eatin, happy koala baby! 

Miriam is 4

Miriam spent the weekend before her birthday with her Gigi and Papa! She had a blast. They went out to eat, saw family, and Gigi took her to the spa for a manicure and pedicure. When they brought her home, we celebrated Landon, Gigi, and Miriam's birthdays in style!

Miriam has seen this cake every time we've been in Publix for the last year. EVERY TIME she sees it she reminds me it is her birthday cake! She was so happy to finally have her birthday cake!

Miriam is a happy, enthusiastic child. She is always on the go, unless Sofia is on TV. She loves to help me and often does something to help before she is even asked. Her favorite colors are Pink and Purple. She loves going to church and seeing her friends. I am so grateful that I got a daughter! She is a true joy in my life and in the life of everyone she meets!

Landon is 6

My Sunshine Boy turned 6 this year! I have to admit, Landon was one of the greatest surprises of my life. I did not think I was ready. I was scared and overwhelmed, but being his mom is one of my greatest blessings.
He is a friendly, kind, thoughtful, intelligent, happy, optimistic, ray of Sunshine! He teaches me every day to look on the bright side and to skip through life (which he does literally--why walk when you can SKIP?!). Lately, Landon has been having bad dreams. We talked about how he could feel less scared and one suggestion was to pray to Heavenly Father for help. I am so in awe of Landon's faith. He is diligent and prays nightly that  he "won't have bad dreams and that I'll have dreams like when I was a baby." He is so sweet.

Donuts and Chocolate Milk for Landon's classmates

I love this kid!

Happy birthday, little buddy!

Grayson is 7!

Grayson came crashing into this world 7 years ago! I cannot even believe it sometimes.
He has turned into quite the handsome lil fella!. Grayson is creative, thoughtful, helpful, hard working, funny, learning how to use sarcasm appropriately, always willing to share, and though he'll never admit it, he is quite the HAM!

We celebrated Grayson at school with his class friends. Miriam, Weston, and I brought in donuts and milk. The party continued after school with neighborhood friends, pizza, an obstacle course, and Italian Ice.

I am not joking when I say those kids ran that course for 2 full hours. I brought out the dry erase board and a stopwatch. They kept going and kept trying to get the fastest time. It was fun and awesome. Jared even got in on the course, but got stuck in the tunnel and had to finish the course while still inside the tunnel. We were all laughing so very hard!

Grandma and Papa K stopped by after dinner for presents and fun. After they left and the younger three were in bed, we played cards and watched Harry Potter.

Gigi and Papa came on Saturday. They took Grayson to lunch and to Wal-mart where they purchased him a new bike and helmet.

Overall, I'd say it was a pretty fabulous birthday.

When 9 years feels like 9 weeks

How did my eldest boy go from this

to this?

Ethan really is a great child. I honestly feel so blessed to be his mama. He came into this world exactly when he was supposed to. We were inspired to start our family and we have been blessed beyond measure by following that inspiration. 

At 9 years old, Ethan is responsible, kind, thoughtful, helpful, intelligent, inquisitive, compassionate, and passionate. He seeks to make good choices and respects those around him. Ethan looks after his siblings and is a fantastic big brother. 

He has his moments, of course, where he is less than stellar. But, don't we all. When he makes mistakes, he apologizes and tries to do better. I love that about him. He really wants to do what is right. It is a joy to be his mom and grow up right along side him! 

We celebrated for 3 days this year! 

Treats at school! 

And smooches in front of his friends!

An outing with friends!

Cake and ice cream with family!

36!

As hard as it is to believe that my children are growing up so fast, it is even harder to believe that I am a 36 year old woman! My birthday was pretty fantabulous this year. It basically lasted a week. I got birthday mail! I love birthday mail even more than regular mail! I had two birthday cakes. I got to go on a date with Jared! My children were so dear to me. Grayson even used his saved money to buy me a movie (The Blind Side) for a gift. I love my little family and they love me! 36 is not as old as I feared it was.

Our Baby of all Babies is ONE

And just like that I have a one year old! This darling baby boy has been such a blessing in our lives. He is the sweetest little guy who really loves giving hugs and snuggling. We had family over on his birthday to celebrate with cake and ice cream. I cried most of the day, but in a happy/sad way. I have really struggled with knowing I am exiting the child-bearing years of my life. They were very hard, but they were the most meaningful years of my life. Looking forward to the next phase of life, but sad that it means this phase has ended.

Aunt Stacey delivered another delicious and beautiful cake!

And Weston really liked it!

A Daughter

I am definitely a boy mom because my daughter falls flat on her face in the street, gets up without tears, and keeps on running. She's one tough little girl, but she has a tender heart.
I love that I was given a daughter. She is one of my greatest gifts.

I love how she wraps her little arms around my neck to give me kisses. I love how she is quick to say "sowwy, mommy" when she makes a mistake. I love how she is in tune with the needs of her family. Recently, Weston was playing on the floor and had acquired some nice-sized boogers on his face. Before I even realized what was happening, Miriam had tromped upstairs where the tissues were and returned to wipe his little face.

Today, my daughter turned 3! It always happens and I always struggle to believe it. The last couple of nights, she has wanted to "read" on her own, like her big brothers do before going to bed.  When she'd fallen asleep and it was time to turn out her light, I stood at her door for a long time with a heart full of gratitude.

The Big 5!

This sweet little guy turned 5 last week! I can't even believe it! I really need to embrace my children growing up. Every stage is fun and exciting. I love the people they are becoming. Thankfully, our Chromecast on the TV is synced with my Google Account where all our pictures are stored. So, whenever I sit down to watch TV, I always spend a little time looking at the randomly selected photos Google puts up. The kids love to play "guess that baby?" It is great.

Anywhoo... We took Landon donuts (his all time favorite) to school at lunch time. The three boys have overlapping lunches, so we all got to eat together and that was super fun.

Landon requested pizza for his birthday feast! We got to try out some of the new toys my dad sent me. It felt like it was my birthday!

Best pizza I've ever made! The crust was perfection.

Happy birthday, Landon. You are a joy to have in our family. Your optimism, hope, kindness, and love are a true gift to each of us. We love you and are so proud of you!

Stacey, My Favorite Sister

Stacey is by far the best sister in the world for me! I am so grateful for her. Experiencing marriage and motherhood with her is one of my favorite things. I found some vintage photos and wanted to post them in honor of her birthday.

Stacey's BFF's: Becky and David

I love when I got to hang out with these three. They are hilarious and so fun!

Ain't no party like a Cheese Wheel party!

I think I was on break from BYU in this photo. 

BYU graduation August 2002

Stacey at about age 5

Sisters for life!

Grayson is 6!

Grayson is such an amazing child! I love that he is in our family. He is so inquisitive and full of life. He had a pretty epic birthday week.  On Monday, he got to ride in a limo and eat frozen yogurt as a reward for his contribution to the school's read-a-thon fundraiser.

On Wednesday, his actual birthday, Landon, Miriam, Weston, and I met him at school for lunch adn brought him an Italian Ice.  Later, the Cottle's came for dinner and we enjoyed some of his favorites: roasted broccoli, roasted chicken, buttered noodles, and more Italian Ice.

And, finally, on Friday, he was awarded the Terrific Kid award for Respect at the monthly assembly. 

Horses, Horses, Horses

Grayson fell in love with horses when he attended the rodeo with Norb and Sabra. Then, we moved to the country and we see dozens of horses anytime we drive anywhere. Naturally, this fueled his desire to ride a horse. So, to celebrate his 6th birthday, we went to a horse ranch and rode some horses.  Grayson and Ethan actually did a riding lesson and were able to groom and prepare their horse. They also got to do more than just saunter around the arena on the horse. Their favorite thing was trotting with the horse and learning to lead the horse by the reigns.  I think these pictures speak for themselves.

On the way to Dreamcatcher Horse Ranch, we passed over Sugar Loaf Mountain, the highest point in Florida at approximately 347 feet above sea level. It felt like we weren't in Florida at all. It was so beautiful. Jared's ears even popped!

Grayson doesn't like cake, but he loves donuts. Aunt Stacey made him a yummy donut cake.

Katy and Miriam have really become friends. I am sad we don't live closer.

Ethan and Grayson participated in a riding lesson and were taught how to saddle, brush, and clean the horses.

 

Ethan getting Tommy ready for a ride.

Ethan had a great time and Tommy enjoyed his post lesson carrot.

Grayson got to ride Nick. Nick was a little lazy, but did manage to make our birthday boy's dreams come true.  Not sure if you can see that Grayson is wearing a Bolo Tie and Cowboy boots. (Bday gifts from Gigi and Papa). He is also wearing his "cowboy" shirt. This is the shirt Sabra bought him to wear at the rodeo, so naturally it is a cowboy shirt.

The horses at the ranch are actually rescues and it was so fun to see how healthy they are after being brought to the ranch. Many came from sad circumstances. Nick, Grayson's horse, only had one eye. They were all so sweet and full of personality. 

While Ethan and Grayson did their riding lesson, the younger children participated in pony rides.  Norb got some great shots!

Another wonderful birthday and a fun day with family.