The dinner....

With birthdays two days apart and all the celebrations with friends or family that go along with it, it was gettin' a little crazy. One had a birthday sleepover planned and the other a party with school friends that's still in the works.

So we tried to get everybody together to have a birthday dinner out

We're a pretty large group with lots of noise so we like to pick the busy, noisy places to eat:)

This one had her first bite of lemon.....

...... and probably her last

And of course we had to alert the waitress so we could get the birthday sundaes and the group of clappin' happy singers.

Later at home we opened gifts... some were just as excited for everyone else

And then some crashed a bit early

Sunday Snapshots~ And another one a year older...

And warp speed doesn't even begin to describe how fast time has gone

Smart as a whip and a bit too sassy for her own good at times Our little artist with such impulsive creativity that when inspiration strikes, she does not rest until it is finished Which is a problem if we don't have that one material she's looking for. Mom, I need yarn. Mom, I need a straw. Mom, do we have any cotton balls? One Saturday morning she was feelin' kinda patriotic and began making a book based on our National Anthem. It took her most of the day. She wrote the entire lyrics and made illustrations for each line. It was a masterpiece I tell ya.

Still keepin' tabs on her big brothers- a little more than she should And still lovin' her animals, especially dogs. She still mentions dogs in her dinnertime prayers every night knowing that there's one out there somewhere that needs help. Lately she's been thinking she wants to train dogs to help people. Like for people who can't reach things or get out of earthquakes, she says

And after moving up nine levels in 6 months in what was supposed to be recreational gymnastics, the conversation between me and the hubs yesterday went something like this-

Him- What are you doing?

Me- Looking up used balance beams on Craigslist....

Him- Where are we going to put a balance beam??

Me- In the living room.... where the gymnastics mat is....

Him- Hmm.. I could totally build a better one than that....

Happy Seventh Birthday Baby!

Mom and Dad love you more than there are stars:)

Sunday Snapshot~ There really was no getting out of it....

I insisted on at least 10 or so minutes of his time to get some pictures. So last Saturday when it was predicted to reach sixty, I pried him off the computer and shoved him out onto the deck and snapped away. I told him to just relax and tell me what's been goin' on inside those middle school walls lately Gotta keep those communication lines open ya know Girls? Okay, so maybe I'm still not quite ready to hear that....yet But it's apparent that the days of girls having cooties have long passed

So this kid still loves his American history.... in fact, check out his latest blog posts to see what he's stuck on now. Still playin' the trumpet and the fife

{we don't count the Xbox} Still lovin' sports and is eagerly awaiting the start of baseball season up here

and also askin' for a bit more freedom lately. Like, riding his bike further than the mailbox to a friends house and stayin' up later.

I have no idea what I'm gonna do when he starts to drive. I've got some time yet though, especially since we told them all when we moved to Minnesota that the driving age was 21. Shhh!

Don't blow it.Still has enormous amounts of self confidence....

..and an enormous heart Happy 12th birthday baby

We are so proud of you and your accomplishments. You've had such strong faith since you were very little, I can only hope it gets even stronger as you navigate your way through middle school and high school.

We love you

Sunday Snapshot~ I luv me some kitty.......

.....and kitty luvs me:)