Updates

So, it's been like 10 months since I've updated this blog...and with 5 kids, a LOT has happened in those 10 months.  So, get ready for quite a few pictures with some short stories.  :)

Over last summer, Benjamin celebrated his 9th birthday.  He had a party with friends over and I do believe after all was said and done and the running around they did, those boys slept well that night.

Ben and his friends celebrating

My baby had her 1st birthday!  We had a small family gathering and her Tia Sunshine (my sister) was able to make it up from Las Vegas with her family...Sophia loved it and I love that her birthday is in July so the kids were able to play in the water outside!

My July babies - Gavin and Sophia

Her new chair from Tia Sunshine...

she still just loves this thing!

Not quite sure what to think of cake yet...

...but ends up loving her new treat!

Gavin attended his first week-long church youth camp.  He had such a great time fellow-shipping with others his age and came back to us on his 13th birthday!  We officially have a teenager and are taking this new journey one day at a time.

His birthday banana cream pie...

(2 of my kids prefer something other than cake...)

Sophia and I were lucky to have met up with my aunt Pam, who was visiting from Los Angeles.  She doesn't come up to Idaho very often and it was also the first time my mom's family has met Sophia so this was a treat for us.

My cousin, Tessa and her little boy, Colton;

Aunt Pam, me and Sophia

Sophia with her great-aunt Kathy

Mingling with great-aunts Tina and Shelly

Wanting up with aunt Pam

Jacob had a blast at Boondocks for this 7th birthday.  I appreciated that he only wanted his cousins, Liberty and Emma to join us--cause that place can get a little crazy wild.

Getting a little lift from cousin, Liberty

Miley and cousin, Emma celebrating with Jacob

Jacob and Liberty taking a break from the fun for a quick bite

The boys are all in school for a full day now.  Paul took Gavin to his first-day breakfast and then off to his first day in Jr. High.  The girls and I took Benjamin and Jacob to IHOP and then I grudgingly took them to start 4th and 1st grades.

Gavin, Benjamin and Jacob

This past Halloween was the first one in which Gavin stayed home and passed out candy instead of going out in the cold to collect it.  We did all attend our church Trunk or Treat, so he was able to get some goodies there (as well as from his 4 siblings, of course).

Carving fun...

'Tangled' Miley, 'Dallas Cowboy' Jacob,

'Football Player' Gavin, 'Froggy' Sophia & 'Mobster' Benjamin

Miley turned 5 in December.  We were going to have a neat little shin-dig with friends, but things got pretty hectic for us this year...next year for sure she'll have friends over.  So, we had family: Nanna (my mom) and Kay-Cee and Ellie (who the kids think is their cousin) over to celebrate.

Miley growing up way too fast...

 Miley during a ballet rehearsal

Random Picture Time:

 A rare photo with all 7 of us actually

looking at the camera at the same time

 This girl just loves her NFL Sundays...

 Gavin and Jacob staining their new bookshelf

 2 of my favorite people with

my 2 favorite flags

 Playdate with Kiari

 Nobody makes her laugh quite like an older brother can...

Checking herself out before going out in public

I kept the kids home Thursday as it was basically a skating rink over the roads.  Gavin waited for his bus for 20 minutes and it never even showed.  I didn't completely trust my Texas-raised husband on the roads so I just said I was calling a 'snow-day' for my kids and Paul only had to drive 3 miles to work (still took him twice as long to get there).  With Gavin's help watching Sophia, I was actually able to get quite a bit of cleaning done.  We even had time for a little 'experiment': watching color 'explode'.  I wish I would have done a video instead...the still picture doesn't quite do it justice.

Pour a layer of milk, add some food coloring,

then drop in some dish soap to watch the colors 'explode'