14 Baby!

Mason is 14!  We celebrated with cinnamon rolls in the morning and presents and cake in the evening.

 Friday night was a party with pizza, play, a movie, and of course more cake!

Mason at 14:

1.  Proud to be almost as tall as his mom.  With hands and feet bigger than mine as well.

2.  Intelligent with a great memory.

3.  Has great rhythm, which is evident by his piano and trumpet playing.

4.  Loves to spend time with his family.

5.  School work is not his favorite thing, he and I struggle with this part of the parent/child relationship. But sometimes he really surprises me.

6.  Lives his standards.

7.  Speaks Spanish fairly darn well.

8.  Helps a lot around the house (of course you have to ask a few times, but he sure does a good job when he starts).

9.  I love his quick wit and humor.

10.  He and I have common interests of books and TV programs.

11.  Mark and he talk basketball…March madness is big.  And they both can't wait to be back in the US to watch all the games together. 

12.  He and his brothers do fight, but Mason is also very protective of his siblings.  

13.  Mason is an excellent writer.

14.  He is still my baby!  My first born and when I look at him I am amazed at what a great young man he is.  

Down on the Farm

A year ago in February my two wonderful friends Karen and Julie took Easton and a car full of little kiddies to an educational farm.  Easton has been asking me at least 1-2 times per month since then when we could go again.  There were several weeks after the big kids began school and the beginning of preschool and I thought it would make the perfect time to go.  So finally on the last day of February of this year we went.  We loaded up my 8 passenger car with car seats, picnic, and great friends and headed to the farm.

 Attack!!!

 Look close, Easton is freaking out and crying he is so nervous about the many birds that came running when we started throwing the grain.

 Giant pig!  This was Easton's favorite animal.  He just couldn't get enough of the huge pigs.

So cute!

We had a fab time while visiting the farm.  And we have a story to remember on our way home.  We were nearly home, when we heard Easton and Luke scream from the third row, "MOM!  Noah just threw up on the I-pad!"  All of us mom's turned around to see Noah with no noise at all, just spewing vomit like a faucet.  And the funny thing was Easton had it all over him since he was right by him and yet the only thing Easton and Luke were concerned about was the I-pad. It was one of those things that will go down in history.  And the clean up was not my favorite thing - think hours of clorox wipes, buckets of soapy water, and a can of Lysol!  Here's to great adventures with amazing friends.  The good and the not so good!

Party at Easton's!!!

Easton was so excited about his birthday party.  He could hardly wait until everyone showed up, it was "just too hard" to wait for it all.  For months Easton had been talking about the race car party with a piñata with a race car cake and with his friends coming.  So here is the big day!  Drew, Dallin, and Mason all pitched in and helped a ton to make it a special day for Easton.

 Thanks to Drew and Dallin there was a track and trains!  They took an idea and flew with it!

 BBQ!

 I know his face is hard to see, but look close and you can feel his excitement over beating this piñata!

Collecting the loot.

 His normal picture stance!

Happy Birthday my 5 year old!  We love you so much!

Give me 5

The weekend of Easton's birthday was a whole lot of fun!  Easton was a ball of excitement.  He has been talking about his birthday for the past 6 months and it FINALLY got here!  On his actual birthday he had to wait and wait and wait for brothers and dad to get home.  It was so hard for him.  He just couldn't understand why he couldn't open his presents without them.  But amazingly he survived and once dad got home it was present time.  After presents we went and had dinner at Easton's pick of Applebee's and then home for a doughnut cake.

 Skylanders!

 A picture of the video maker.

A little about my five year old:
- He can tell a story or make up a game like no other.  And it is like the Energizer bunny…it goes on and on and on.
- He has a cute little voice that people love to listen to.
- He says hello and hola to random people all the time.  It brings a lot of smiles to others.
- He has a great imagination and it leads to some very fun games for him and his friends.  From robots to ninjas, he can make up a scenario that can last whole afternoons.
- He loves to be able to do things on his own.  He will ask things like, "can I make a sandwich on my own?" to which I will reply, "Yes." and he always replies, "YEESSS!!!"  It is so cute.
- He loves to help you (with everything but his own specific chores).  With whatever, he just wants to be with his family.
- He loves to be with his brothers.
- He has great motor skills due to following his brothers in all things.
- He gives us lots of hugs and kids.
- Whenever our nana leaves he says, "Ciao bebe!" really loud and she always laughs.
- He loves peanut butter and jelly open faces (for any meal of the day), chocolate milk, tacos, carrots, and raspberries.
- He is so animated when he talks.  I love watching his face and his whole body when he talks.
- He is loyal to his friends.  He loves being a social bug with those he knows.  It takes him a little while to warm up, but once he does he takes that person in and loves to be with them.
- He is definitely the baby!  And we love it that way.
- Love you my Easton!

Beating the Heat

Friends and Sprinklers! In February of course!

 Thanks Noah and Luke for so much fun!