Landon's Birthday Party

Our new neighbors have a 3 year old boy and a 1 year old girl. (really, can we be any more blessed?) They are so sweet and invited us to Landon's birthday party at a bounce house, Pump it Up! 

I got a few pictures and some video of Brody & Colt doing rolls at the end of the slide. 

We had a great time and are so thankful for our new neighbors.  

 

Early Racer

We were getting the kids ready for bed when we started having races. It was so fun watching Darby crawl as fast as her little body could take her. Her biggest fans were cheering her on. 

This was a re-enactment and we had to explain to Brody to not look at the camera to make it more realistic.

Family Date Night to DQ

It's been a while since we have been on a family outing. The vote was for Dairy Queen. It's always a special treat and the kids do a great job. Darby even had a cone to nibble on but she quickly threw it on the floor. 

We're Flying!

Brad and I have been going on date nights, once a week for the month of January.  (We did this last year too).  This week we planned a date to iFLY.

My parents had given a gift card to Brad over a year ago.  We also "bought" one from my sister Jessi.  The tricky part about our dates is finding someone to watch the kids.  My parents were so nice and agreed to watch all 4 kids for this date, even though it was going to keep them up a little past their bedtime.  (and it ended up being even later than I thought it would be) 

Brad and I had so much fun.  Our instructor was Cat and apparently she is the best one there. She did a great job with us and took us up the tunnel.  Brad went all the way to the top and I went half way (although now I wish I would have gone all the way up)  

Brad was a superstar and had perfect form.  The instructor even commented on his athletic ability that helped him to fly so easily.

I didn't have too much trouble but definitely didn't have the finer points of flying figured out.  I'm sure with more practice time I would get better very quickly. 

What a fun date night! 

Timberlake Park & BB Balls

I decided to take the boys on a hike. I wanted to go to a mountain but the boys wanted to go to Timberlake Park. It's kind of like hiking. There are trails but it isn't much of a hike. The good thing is that there are lots of BB balls (air soft pellets) to look for. And its very close to our house. It was a nice excuse to get out of the house. 

A self portrait.  She is such a little peanut that she still fits comfortably in the front pack. 

Ollie showing us his BB balls.

First Piano Recital

Grammy & Fafa took all 3 boys for the weekend. (I'm still so very thankful!) As always the boys had a blast and were absolutely wiped out when they got home. 

While they were there Grammy taught Brody a song on the piano.  He was so excited to play it for us when he got home and he also posed perfectly for his piano picture. 

 

So here you go!

Gator Box

The new gator came in a big box, so of course we let the kids play in it for a while.  

Darby was curious too.

New Gator

Papa Bob & Grandma Shari bought the boys a new John Deere Gator for Christmas. (our garage sale one was falling apart) We are so thankful we have replaced it. We finally got it put together and the boys took it out for a test drive. 

(I got too cold so I didn't get a picture of Brody) 

10 months & a tooth

My goodness we are only 2 months away from Darby's 1st birthday. I think I'm already starting to cry.   It still blows my mind how you can fall more and more in love with your children every single day.  She continues to be a happy little girl and so easy going. 

(My friend watched her the other night when the boys were at Grammy & Fafas and she couldn't stop talking about how easy she was to watch.  It's easy to forget how laid back she is when there are 3 boys running around her all day). 

AND one day after her 10 month birthday she got her FIRST TOOTH....finally!  

A little video.  

She's not doing much but its always fun to see her in action.

Palettes & Pairings

Last Friday I went out with some girlfriends. These are friends I met through Brody's playgroup, which means we have known each other for almost 6 years when our babies were just born. Although we have differences we share the bond of navigating life with a newborn. They have been such a blessing! 

Shelley is moving to California in a few weeks so we decided to have a going away party. They met for dinner and I joined them at Palettes & Pairings. This is a great place where you drink wine, eat appetizers and paint a picture. (They supply the materials and an instructor). It was so much fun! Our painting was Seattle Rain. Although we didn't paint any rain.

Shelley, Nicole, Me, Julie, Kyla

The best part is when I brought it home and Brad thought someone bought the picture for me.  He loved it!   In the midst of raising kids I am glad I get opportunities to go out with friends.

Pictures for Sale

Brody & Colt made some pictures using their Lego stickers. I thought it was pretty creative. Then Brody started using his business mind and thought he should sell them. He even sold one to Colt. He cut him a deal and gave him a picture for $1.25. Colt actually paid him, with real money. (Brad and I have since decided that we aren't going to allow selling between siblings) 

The prices for these pictures are more than $1.25.  

Let Brody know if you are interested.  :)  

"Deep See Robre"

Deep Sea Robber

"The Trackif Jam"

The Traffic Jam

"Fixing Trax"

Fixing Tracks

"The Cool Stuf"

The Cool Stuff

Dinner Time Manners

Brad is the one who is the best at enforcing table manners. Since he was gone at ski racing it was just me and the kids. We don't typically encourage them to play with their food or to get their siblings all excited, but how could I stop this absolute cuteness from happening. 

Both Darby and the boys were having a blast!   They did this for a long time and it took a long time to eat their dinner.  (I'm really hoping Darby doesn't pick up too many bad habits)