celebrating our 7-year old...

We had so much fun celebrating Kaine's birthday with him this year!  It kind of stinks for the poor kid to have his birthday come right after Christmas, and then this year I was feeling bad for him because on his actual birthday we were packing up and moving back up to Michigan.  So his actual birthday was filled with packing up, driving 2.5 hours, and then unpacking!  But my level-headed hubby reminded me many times that I did NOT need to feel bad for this kid, who just spent 2.5 weeks filled with grandparents, presents, junk food, and other birthday celebrations.  Nathan is good for me :)

So prior to Kaine's birthday, we celebrated in a couple of different ways.  First, we had supper at my parents' house and we invited my grandparents and my aunt Susie.  That was fun!

 (I LOVE this picture of my grandpa and Abel!)

Kaine was able to choose any dessert that he wanted, and he chose...Redi-whip!  Haha!  He is so funny :)

my dad putting candles in the Redi whip...

Kaine is so funny...after a few bites he decided that he would like to add some ice cream to his Redi whip :)

Then, a couple of days later, we had some of Kaine's good friends over for a party!  This was our first time ever doing a party for one of our kids with their friends.  It was great!  Although Nathan did most of the work :)  They started off at the bowling alley (Nathan just took the boys):

And then they came back to Nathan's parents' house (where we were living at the time) for cake, ice cream and games.  It was a lot of fun! And again, Nathan gets the credit for the games that the boys played--he is the BEST daddy (and hubby)!

The next night, we did presents with Nathan's parents and grandma.  We also celebrated Terri, who had her birthday on the 12th! (Happy birthday, Mom!!!)

Then, when we woke up on Kaine's birthday morning, we found that Nathan's mom had tied these gifts to the ceiling...she made it into a fun game for Kaine where he had to shoot the gift with a dart gun, and then he could open it.   What a great idea, mom!  Kaine loved that.

See?  Nathan was right...I had no reason to feel bad for Kaine that he was somehow missing out on his birthday :)  He is one blessed little boy!  

One more time...Happy Birthday, Kaine!!

Kaine is 7!

It is so hard to believe that I have a 7-year old.  It doesn't seem possible!  Kaine's birthday is today, we we are thrilled to celebrate with our sweet boy.  This picture was taken last spring, and I can tell he has changed even just since then...he is just growing so fast!

(How can I have a kid old enough to own a bb gun?)

Some facts about Kaine:

#1.  He LOVES to wrestle!

(what boy doesn't??)

#2.  He LOVES Legos!!

(again...what boy doesn't?? :) )

#3.  He has a great sense of humor!  

He loves to tease and play jokes on people...and he is just funny!  He makes us laugh all the time.

#4.  He is such a good brother!

I am so thankful that our 3 girls have such a great older brother...I know (or at least pray) that he will love and protect them throughout life.  Sometimes I think it would be so nice for Kaine to have a brother, but he really doesn't seem to mind being the only boy...he truly loves and enjoys his sisters!  It definitely helps that Halle is now loving wrestling with him (she can pin him sometimes!) and playing football with him.  :)

We are so thankful that God has chosen to allow us to raise and love Kaine...we love this kid :)  

Happy Birthday, Kaine!

funny faces with layla :)

I love my goofy little girl :)

such a thoughtful son...

Kaine is such a little tease...he wrapped this up for Nathan for Christmas.  What a goofball :)

"snowing"

One thing that we will miss about living in the Midwest is the snow.  Although I love the snow purely for how it looks (I hate driving in it and I really don't like playing in it), my kids love BEING in the snow!  What kid doesn't?  I'm sure I liked it when I was a kid, too :)

Kaine, Halle and Layla were very excited to get out in the snow these past couple of weeks.  It was actually Layla's first time ever playing in the snow!  She has talked about sledding (or "snowing" as she calls it) for months.  So we tried it out...

Halle loved it :)

Of course, Kaine did too...but Layla was a little unsure :)  She was hardly able to walk!  I don't think she knew what she was getting herself into--I ended up carrying her around for most of it.

Nathan and his dad made a fun snow ramp for Kaine...

and a snow fort...

And Layla was ready (at first) to try out "snowing"...

(wouldn't sledding be so fun if you could be carried up the hill like this??)

But...she wasn't liking it too much :)

The next time Kaine and Halle went out, Layla preferred to stay inside with Daisy and watch:)  Maybe she will like it next year!

As much as I want my kiddos to enjoy this snow, I am very over it and so ready for it to be gone!  Spring, come quickly!!

new year's...

We celebrated New Year's with a great night at Nick and Jessica's! (Just like last year...thanks for being such great hosts, guys!)  Our kids (and we) always love going to their house, and this year was no different.

The kids had so much fun on the trampoline and the massive bean bag that was on it!  (Doesn't this look like a kid's paradise??)

Our wonderful hubbies organized games of kickball, dodgeball, musical chairs, and who knows what else with the kids.  While we ladies sat and talked :)  

I was so thrilled that Halle made some new friends...she doesn't know too many girls here in our hometown, so this was awesome.  They had so much fun together!  Halle keeps talking about Madalynn and Haleigh, too (and I'm pretty sure I spelled their names wrong :) ).

And it is always great to get these two boys together (and they missed Hudson!).  I know I have mentioned it before, and I probably will again...but we so so so appreciate the friendships that Kaine shares with these boys!

Thanks for such a fun evening, Nick and Jess!  We love you guys :)

a post about cousins

Here is a tribute to our kids' cousins...we feel so blessed to have them in our lives!!  We are so thankful to be doing life so closely with our kids' first cousins (Ivy, Israel and Abel).  This Christmas it was also so fun that our kiddos could spend some time with their second cousins, who they do not see too often (Avery, Atticus, Atlas, Drew, Hannah, Spencer, Allison, Caden, Conlin, Quinn).  We didn't get too many pictures, but we did have good times with them :)  

 

 

What a blessing to have cousins :)