Happy Birthday Creder!

Well Crede was excited for his birthday ~ mainly because Morgans, Grace's and mine are all a few short weeks before his.  So obviously his expectations were set....and he let me know what they were.

He woke up to a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday sung to him at breakfast...including a candle in his vanilla yogurt.

We then spent the day waiting for school.  And waiting............and......waiting.  He was so excited to go and bring his doughnut holes with him as his treat.

He came home with a lovely birthday cake picture wishing him a very Happy Birthday.

While he was gone I cooked his Red Velvet Cake (his request) and wrapped his present...

 

Crede asked the entire day when he would be able to open his present.  All.  Day.

The moment finally arrived....

and...

he

was

thrilled.

 How can you go wrong with Hot Wheels?

When Dad arrived home, Crede (non-nonchalantly) asked:

"Did you bring me home a present?"

Dad said, "Yep, let me go grab it!"

He came back upstairs with a wad of toilet paper.

This was what was inside.

Crede was still pretty pumped about it though. 

 Then the big moment arrived.  Dinner on the special plate, and blowing out candles.

Oh ~ and don't forget tickling from Dad.

 

  And you know what Crede wanted to do for his birthday?  Rent a movie and have a popcorn party.

We ended up watching the Smurfs. (Bru-tal.)

Happy Birthday Crede!

We love you.

Oh, and Crede's very favorite things right now include:

riding his 2-wheeler (no training wheels...)

coloring (and coloring, and coloring)

reading ~ he reads almost as well as Grace

bossing Gage around

staying up late

eating German Pancakes (but not eggs, cuz they're "gross")

watching movies

playing Wii

Easter!!

  Even though we've "toned down" Easter the past few years, it's always a pretty big deal.  Easter Saturday we get up early, and get ready for the all-important city Easter Egg Hunt.  Chance will get out the "fast running spray" and coat each kid's shoes.  Then he will hide eggs around the front yard so the kids can get a "feel" for what they'll actually be doing.  Funny thing ~ this is one of the only holiday's he get's really involved in.  Not so much with the Easter Bunny....mainly just the egg hunts.  Does that mean that he's competitive?  Yep.

Here he is spraying down the shoes (notice Morgan's cleats....)

 Waiting for the trial run to start....

 We have a lot of kids.

 

 

"Okay Morgan.  You have to run fast, and run hard.  Don't let any of those other puny kids get in your way.  You take what's yours."  (okay maybe he didn't say those words EXACTLY.......)

 

Gage giving Lilah a little love before his "heat" begins, and do you see that fire engine with that ladder?  That's where the guy with the air-horn stands.  I think I would puke up there.  Just sayin'.

 

And what would Easter be without an Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's house?

Our kids get a little bored while waiting for the hunt to begin.

Goofballs.

 Here are all our cute kids done up for Easter Sunday.  I couldn't resist buying that bow-tie for Gage.  It just makes me smile.

The reason some of these shots look different is due to the fact that I had literally 45 seconds to take photo's of all 5 kids before church.  Grace, Gage and Morgan had some taken after.....it's just what happens when you have 9:00am church on Sundays.

I really love this look Lilah's giving me.....bored, yet regal.

Handsome little man....

 

I can't believe how much she's turning into a "tween".  It freaks me out a little.

I just really think Grace looks cute.  You wouldn't believe the fight she put up just so she wouldn't have to wear her "leggings".

Our little entrepreneurs....

This is the first time I've let my kids sell anything on the sidewalk.  I now understand why, when I was little, my Mom told me that I couldn't sell lemonade because I didn't have a sales license.

Anywho ~ the kids wanted to sell some old candy that we had kicking around since Valentines day.  They took out our little table, made some signs, and did a little door-to-door solicitation (that I was not aware of) and ended up making about 10.00!  I was pretty impressed.

Passover....

Each year, the week before Easter, we focus on the week before Christ's death, and we talk about what he did each day before he died and was resurrected.  It's a special week for us ~ we spend it as a family, and I feel like it really brings the true feeling of Easter out in our home....not just the Easter Bunny side of things. 

Also each year we set up a "Love One Another" poster.  Throughout the week we write things about members of our family that we love.  This year Grace cracked me up.  I couldn't resist taking a few photo's of her comments.

Here's a photo of our "timeline".  This is where we post pictures about what Christ did that specific day ~ leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.  

 

 Now.  Here are some of the comments left on our poster.

First one from Morgan:

This one says, "I love how mom is so nice ~ Crede" (I promise I"m not putting these here to make you think I'm all wonderful and all....these were just a few of my favorites.  Sorry....I just realized we've got a whole theme going)

 Grace wrote this to herself ~ it says, "I love how Grace is funny ~ Grace".  At least we know she loves the fact that she's a crack-up.

 

 And I just love the simplicity of these 2 statements that Grace wrote.  I love that my first 2 children are girls, and that they are learning to be good friends and that they love each other.  This makes me happy.

Grace's Birthday Poster

 I had to quickly add this post ~ Grace made this poster for her birthday to bring to school.  She would NOT let me help her at all because "her teacher said she had to do it all by herself."  

I have to admit.....I wanted to help so, SO badly....and it took all my self control not to draw something on there for her.  I'm so glad I didn't though, because...

 

she did a great job!

These are a few of her favorite things:

 Her favorite food:  Ice Cream

 Her favorite flower:  Daffodil 

(she sounded that out all on her own.)

 Her favorite Magnets

 (she came up with that category all on her own...haha):

Green

 

 Her favorite Vegetable and Fruit:

Pea and Banana

 Favorite Color:  blue

Favorite Video Game:  Mario

 

 Favorite Toy:  My camera  (awww)

Happy Birthday Grace!

Well here's another year.  Grace officially turned 6 this year.  We had a fun day with her, and she got to choose her cake flavor, cupcake or big cake, and even got to choose where we went for her big night.  She opted for Chuck-E-Cheese instead of a birthday party ~ go figure.

Graces very favorite things right now are:
the sweater she wore to school today
reading
playing with friends
chocolate (I should have listed this as number ONE)
riding her re-furbished bike
and just being plain ol' cute.

Here's a photo documentary of her big day.....


Dad always leaves a early-morning surprise for the birthday kiddo's ~ here's Grace's chocolate milk:

Grace's birthday oatmeal (I know, I'm so "hip" it's scary)

Here we are at Chuck-E-Cheese (note the shirt change....it turned out to be too hot for that sweater.  Here's another of Graces favorite shirts)

Grace on the big screen...

Crede doing his best to get some tickets...

Gage was doing some pretty impressive Michael Jackson moves trying to get his shoes back on.  OW!

Of course Dad had to get in on the action....good job Chance, you beat the toddler whack-a-mole game...

Go Gage!!

Look at that slicked missionary hairdo.  Woot woo!

I love this one...

Some more exciting activities our kids enjoyed...

I love this one....

 

I hope you had a great birthday Grace. We sure love you and are happy you are a part of our family!!