January things

When you finish running 6 miles and then just wanna die on the grass in your front yard...

Super proud of her new CTR ring she got in Primary!

Sick girl at Urgent Care in jammies with her blankie

And there you have it! 100K miles on the Suburban!

Still not feeling well, still wearing her CTR ring.
I think her sucking her finger has dissolved the bone!  Look how far back her finger is bent!

It's been raining this entire week but we must do it anyway!  I love running in the rain!

Blake got BRACES today!! 1/8/16

A rare moment when these two sit by each other in peace!

Sometimes they do twinny things and I must document.
Today they ended up getting the EXACT same score on Ticket to Ride!

Phoenix Suns basketball game with Matt's office crew.
One of the MDs spoiled the boys with these mini basketballs!

Expander OFF!!  1/18/16

Hayden's first attempt at writing her name! 3 yrs old

We're ready!  Cards post-season

(from Instagram)
8am church is hard.  It's hard to drag five kids out of bed and make it to church on time.  However, I love being done so early in the day and the fact that we actually get Matt home by 2pm!  Today after church, the kids and I each wrote down three things we can do to prepare to be at church on time and three things we can do to keep the Sabbath day more holy.  We will be working hard on those goals to bring more peace into our home on Sunday.  We also were privileged to attend a fireside this evening at which Al Fox Carroway (aka the Tattooed Mormon) spoke.  I love her conversion story and her enthusiasm for the gospel!  It's good to be reminded that Heavenly Father knows each one of us and is keenly aware of our needs and desires.  I kinda get giddy when I get to sit by Matt at churchy things! 

New shoes make running 10 miles a little more exciting! ;)

Preston's 7th bday party - FINALLY.

December birthdays are hard.  People are crazy busy before Christmas, then a lot of people are out of town between Christmas and New Years.  Finding time to have a birthday party gets tricky.  Although it was a few weeks past his birthday, and even past GAVIN'S birthday, we still made his birthday party happen!

Preston had been talking about his party for MONTHS!  Star Wars everything. Thank goodness for people on the internet that have blazed a trail before us!  It wasn't hard to find approx one billion Star Wars birthday party ideas on Pinterest.  Plus, with the new Star Wars movie just being released, there were decorations and merchandise a'plenty!  

Oreo cupcakes-- SO yum!! 

Everybody loves a little pin the lightsaber on Yoda!

And then there was THIS --- JEDI TRAINING ACADEMY!  Each of the kids got a jedi robe and a {pool noodle} lightsaber.  They had to leap over lava blobs, crawl through a tunnel, navigating through storm trooper laser fire, and last of all, defeat Kylo Ren.

Aubree Rosenbaum, Victoria Rosenbaum, Paislee Hatch, Cole Jensen, Reagan Christensen, Ashton Yost, Bentley Owen, Cameron Nelson,  Jaden VanNoy, Parker Connolly, Preston, Adam Hilton

Then the TRUE battle began when DARTH VADER showed up!!

The poor pinata only lasted through three kids, then it just separated and dropped to the floor, leaving Vader's head hanging.  haha!

 Lightsaber pretzel sticks!

I feel like this picture accurately describes gift-opening at a birthday party.  I was constantly having to tell the kids to move back!!  They start creeping closer and closer every time!

I'm grateful that kids are forgiving when plans get pushed back later than originally planned.  I think Preston was pretty happy with his birthday party!

Gavin turns TEN!!

Double digits for this sweet boy!!  We started off the morning at the district SPELLING BEE!  I could NOT believe the words they were throwing at these kids!!!  Unfortunately, he got on the first round but ended up as an alternate for the Pinal County bee.  

He chose Cafe Zupas for his birthday lunch!  I let him decide whether or not he wanted to go to school at all, since by the time we got back from the Spelling Bee and lunch, he only had 2 hours left of school!  He didn't want to miss all of school that day so I dropped him off.

Gavin is not a fan of frosting, EXCEPT for my chocolate frosting on the best chocolate cake.  He's probably had this same cake for the past couple years!  He had a small bag of mini Oreos and requested they go on top in the shape of a 10~

Time to open gifts!

Gavin has been BEGGING for Bean Boozled!  There are Jelly Belly jelly beans that look like the normal flavored beans, but some are barf, grass clippings, skunk spray, baby wipes, dirty socks, dog food, etc.  I've always wondered who is the lucky person that gets to determine how these jelly beans should taste???  Blech!!

A new 3DS game that he asked for

10 yr old boy - pranks - best thing ever

That face!!

THE GHOST

And, in keeping with the 10 years old birthday tradition, a pellet (BB) gun!

Gavin is still the sweetest thing.  He's so go-with-the-flow and usually is a pleasant kiddo to be around.  He is quietly smart, doesn't really make a big deal about it.  I'm so curious to see where this kid ends up one day with his big brain!  He has the cutest, freckley face that I love so very much.  Happy Birthday, Gavin!!!