Happy Birthday to Us

I have finally decided to start updating the blog again. It is very overwhelming! I decided to just start with something recent and go back from there. So, here goes...

Happy Birthday to US!

Aubrey celebrated her big #5 this year. She has been counting down the days since last year. She knew that when she turned 5 she would get to go to school and she is VERY excited about it!

We usually let the kids pick a place to go out to dinner for their birthday. Somehow Aubrey found out about the Mayan and wanted to go there. Josh claims I told her about it. Who knows. So, we met up with Josh, Aaron, Mandee, their boys, and Aimee's girls.

The kids had fun exploring while we waited for Josh to come after work.

5 years old

Yay! Dad's here!

The kiddos were really excited to watch the cliff divers. They had a lot of fun...even Parker! Thanks to everyone for coming to celebrate with Aubrey.
The waitress brought Aubrey ice cream and we sang happy birthday to her. She loved the attention and loved pretending to be embarrassed.

Having fun posing!

Our little family...plus Max.

Vince insisted I take a picture of him being eaten by the snake.

Cute birthday girl.

Marty never lets Aubrey push him in the stroller. That day he let her push him all over. On the way back to the car she said, "This is the best birthday present ever...Marty is letting me push him!"

Aubrey requested a barbie birthday cake this year and the colors had to be white and pink. Here's the creation.

She wanted pictures with it from every angle. Silly girl!

Proof that I made the cake...or at least proof that I took a picture by it.Present time! Aubrey got new cute bandaids for her toe. She lost her ENTIRE big toe toenail (ripped off while riding bikes over a jump) a week or so before her birthday so she wanted some cute bandaids for her toe.A cute girly basket to add to her boy hand-me-down bike from Vince. She was excited that it made her bike look like a girl bike. It must have worked because Vince said he would never ride that bike again because it was too girly!

Heelys...that she has yet to practice and master. I am in the process of building Aubrey a bed and she always wants to build something with me. So, I gave her the plans to a dollhouse bookcase that we are going to make together...as soon as her bed is done. At first she was confused why we gave her a piece of paper for her birthday, but after we explained she was pretty excited!

Waiting for the singing to end so she could make her wish!You gotta lick the candles!

Yes, the pieces of cake were HUGE!Um, Bell, you're missing part of your dress!Dig in!

We hope you had a great birthday Aubrey! We love having you in our family. To think it was 5 years ago that we were about to welcome you to our home under such exciting circumstances...first by totaling the car the night before, and then by watching a fire out the hospital window followed by the power being out at the hospital for hours (without a generator kicking on). Who knew that our lives would be just as exciting everyday with you in our family?! Here are some things we want to remember about you at age 5:

YOU...

• are feisty!
  
• are a great sister
• love to torture your brothers...is that what makes you a great sister? :)
• love to act grown up
• love performing for the family
  
• have the greatest giggle
• can do great cart wheels and are improving on back hand springs (with help, of course)
• can't wait for your baby sister to be born (remember that when she is annoying you!)
  
• are super excited to start kindergarten
• still love to cuddle with your blankets
• are such a girl and yet, such a tomboy
• instead of hugging your dad when he gets home you like to use him as a punching bag...remember how I said you were feisty?
• are a great helper with anything...except cleaning your room
• love the color pink
• like to use new words you have learned...but usually not in the right context
• love calling your grandmas to chat on the phone
  

Some funny things you have said lately are:

• while flexing your muscles..."Mom, look how big my muscles are getting! I could beat up anybody!"
• one morning, you got dressed, put on your running shoes and a hoodie and said, "Mom, I'm going for a quick jog to the park and back."
  
• "Mom, your belly is sooo big! The baby has got to be ready to come out!"
  

Next up was my birthday. I turned the big 3-0! I can't believe I'm that old, but at least I don't feel older than I did when I was 29. I told Josh that for my birthday I wanted him to come swimming with the kids and I. He isn't a public pool fan, but I knew he'd have to join us for my birthday! So, as you look at pictures of us...or me...just remember we had just gotten back from swimming.

The kids wanted comfortable seats to watch me open presents. They were funny!Yay! A book light! I had been stealing Vince's every night
so the kids decided to get me my own...which Marty now steals!

I could not have been happier with my birthday presents! I love my Dyson! It was much needed since our old one broke and since it was a piece o' crap anyway. I actually enjoy vacuuming my house now. I think I could do it twice a day and it wouldn't get old. Amazing how your attitude changes when you have a vacuum that works!

I asked for a barbie birthday cake this year too!
Except, I ordered mine half eaten and with 30 candles!Here's where the cake excitement starts. Vince and Josh wanted to put 30 candles in my cake and light them all. So, Vince and I both started lighting. That's when drama started.

As they were singing happy birthday, the hair thing holding the barbie's hair melted and broke. Then her hair fell down into the flames and started melting. I grabbed her out as Aubrey cried, literally, "My birthday barbie is melting!" It was quite comical. So, although I don't feel old, I guess you know you're old when the heat from your birthday candles melts the barbie's hair.

So, here's the cake minus the barbie. Everything turned out good in the end. Aubrey got a new barbie and we gave the old barbie a very short haircut. So, for all the drama Aubrey ended up with an extra present. All in all, we both had great birthdays and the cake was delish!