Ashlyn's 10th Birthday!

There are a few birthday traditions we have made up in our family. 1st: I put streamers on the birthday boy or girl's door frame so when they get up, they walk through them and immediately start to feel special! 2nd: we gather in the morning for them to open presents, they sit in the "special" chair to open them 3rd: we have their favorite breakfast, which is usually German pancakes 4th: we have a birthday party with friends 5th: they get to chose what we have for dinner!
This year, after 1,2, and 3 were done, Alex and Jane wanted to entertain Ashlyn before she went to school! Alex made up a few tricks to make her laugh!

Since Ashlyn's birthday was on a Thursday, we had her party on Friday so we had a little more time! She wanted to go to my parent's house so we could play a few relay races indoors and to have a different atmosphere!

They swung on the rope, shot baskets, and danced with the disco ball going!

They played outside a little too!

Ashlyn requested Papa Murphy's pizza, breadsticks, cut up fruit, and jelly belly's. Apparently 10 years old is when I say, make me a list and I will check it off;)

Then we had cake and ice-cream (with a tradition from my own mom: using an abnormally large candle for the cake!) Happy Birthday Ashlyn!

Something right

October 2009

I was lying in bed, wondering why I couldn't sleep. As my mind was wandering, I started realizing how grown up my kids are, and how suprisingly happy that makes me. When Ashlyn was about 3, Ben used to tease her about getting so big and say he'd have to give her "stop growing pills". I do love kids at young, little ages. But, wow! The older they get, the more I appreciate the people they are becoming.

Just last night I realized we must be doing something right, because as I was getting bugged about the cookies I was making for Ben's scouts (in a time crunch, of course). Ashlyn, noticing my frustration, started doing the dishes. Alex kept the younger girls busy and playing, and once when Jane was crying and I was freaking out about the mixer not being big enough for the recipe, Ashlyn just said, "Jane, come here, I can help you!" I was so shocked when I recognized that my little kids aren't all little anymore, they are actually quite helpful. Unfortunately, judging by the numbers of posts I do about Ashlyn, I am definitely taking her talents for granted.

So, Ashlyn, I made a list of just a few of the many talents I have noticed you possess:

1. Good sleeper. Honestly, this can get you far. Everyone is better off after a good sleep. I call you "Sleeping Beauty" because you can usually outsleep the rest of us. I was doubly impressed when you set your alarm to wake up earlier than usual on Alex's birthday, just to "see if there was anything I needed help with". Then finding out that I already had things taken care of (surprise), you just showered and hid the presents I wrapped to make it "more fun for Alex"!

Pantry sleeping 2007

2. You have the makings to be a baking goddess. So, your first and second tries at cookies weren't perfect, they did get incrementally better! You can make you own instant oatmeal in the morning like a champ, and your Macaroni and Cheese dinner under my (nervous) supervision was good (well, you ate it).

2007 Coeur D' Alene, Idaho 17 mile bike ride!

3. You make most of the fun for the kids in the house. You think up the plans for a fort, play library, make a tv from a box and then make up programs and commercials for us to watch. You do our family home evening lessons almost every week, and make assignments for each of us.

Breckenridge, Colorado 2008

4. You take genuine interest in others. You know and like all of Alex's and Jane's friends and them play with you and your friends. For your birthday last year, you loved spending time with grandma, and going to grandma's sister's house after dinner together. I think you will always love "Aunt" Sue. Plus, you went out to dinner and had a sleepover with Nana and Grandpa. You just ate up the adult conversation and the one on one attention!

Spring boating, March 2007

5. You are the perfect oldest child for me! You are a girl, but not too girly. Fun, but not crazy. Sweet, but not boring. Smart, but not intimidating. Oooh! I love you.

Breckenridge, Colorado 2008

Just Chill-axin'

Lately, my kids' favorite spot is in the pantry. Usually, its for food, but the other day they were laying on the ground with the door closed. I, of course wanted them out, and Alex said, "But mom! We're just chillaxin'" Chill-axin' is a word Alex made up a year ago in Cord De Alene, Idaho while we were on a very long bike ride. He said it meant, "relaxing and chillin' at the same time". I know its a terrible picture, but I am sure you can still get the point!

Ashlyn's 8!

It makes me feel weird to have an eight-year-old. I feel like I need to be more responsible and more adultish. Ashlyn really is perfect for being the oldest, she lets us make lots of mistakes, and doesn't seem to hold a grudge. She is an amazing example to her brother and sisters. She is just a really good girl!
The honest truth is, I can't believe she is eight years old! This is a big one. It is a birthday she will look back on many times in her life. She'll write journal entries about her baptism, she'll want to remember the details, and I hope she has good memories of this particular birthday!

So I made another special cake for Ashlyn's birthday ("special" could mean a few things here). I tried to illustrate a few of her hobbies: dance, soccer, and playing in the water. The new little webkinz dog was obviously the highlight of the cake. She is pretty much obsessed with webkinz, she and Alex get on the computer daily to feed, play with, buy things for, and just check on the webkinz.

I also decorated her room with streamers and made her favorite breakfast, German pancakes.
We had an old-fashioned tea party for Ashlyn. We went to Historic Sorensen Home in Draper where she and her friends shopped in the candy store, played games, and made handkerchief dolls and bracelets.
Of course, they also got to drink from a real tea set (lemonade), and eat chicken salad sandwiches (I even cut the crusts off and cut them into little triangles). The ladies there were dressed in period clothing (mid 1800's), and all the girls were dressed in party dresses!

My mom came to pick up my sister Chelsea's girls, and I wanted to get a picture of them with grandma. Plus, when I asked Ashlyn where she wanted to have a picture of her cousin Alyssa and her taken, she said she wanted it by this mannequin dressed in black! Nice.

My absolute favorite part of her birthday (since we haven't had her baptism yet), is her attitude about presents. I have been on a new kick to try to simplify things. I bought Ashlyn 8 presents for her eighth birthday. I always get her an outfit, then I got her seven $1 gifts: bookmark, decorative barrettes, lip gloss etc.
As you can tell, each present was pure joy to her. She was more excited to open each one then she was of what was actually inside! Later I was asking about how she felt about what she got for her birthday. She said, "I loved it! I got more presents than Alex did for his birthday! I guess he just a couple of big presents and I got eight medium presents, so its about the same."

Sidney was in the hospital during Alex's birthday and if it hadn't been for my mom, he wouldn't have had any celebration for his birthday. Apparently, we were feeling a little out of it, because Alex got: a game cube game, a PS3 game, an outfit, and a new light up and sounds light saber. About the same as Ashlyn's dollar presents...

Did I ever tell you...

The other day while we were in the car, Alex was talking about cars on the road and Ashlyn suddenly asks, "Did I ever tell you I want to be an astronaut when I grow up?" then, "And a model and a movie star."
Quickly Alex chimes in, "I just want to see the stars."

Sometimes, I have to wonder where my kids come up with this stuff. I know that much of the sense of humor and certainly some personality traits come from Ben and I and the environment my kids have grown up in. But a astronaut, model and a movie star? First of all, how do those things even come to be in the same sentence? I remember seeing a picture of Buzz Aldrin, he was certainly no model. Ashlyn does have the dramatics to be an actress, so I guess "movie star" isn't that big of a stretch for an 8 year-old.

(Side note: obviously Ben wasn't home at the time I took these pictures. I don't think rollerblading and remote control trucks really go hand in hand. Hmm, I wonder where my kids get such weird combos in their minds...)

yay for school

First day of school for Ashlyn! She is now in second grade and feels like she is big stuff! She had this shirt planned for wearing on the first day of school probably a month ago. I totally admit to being a sale shopper and she has had it in her closet for quite some time now, so it was a real treat to finally get to wear it!

Wow! I think she's a little tired this morning! She couldn't sleep very well the night before, she kept coming out of her room to tell us how excited she was! It's not like we are going to Disneyland! What is with this girl?

First day of school on this sunny Tuesday morning. Ashlyn gets to ride her scooter to meet up with a few other kids in the neighborhood and they all go off together. She has been so excited! She even told me when we went to see her teacher at the open house, that she has really missed the school and couldn't wait for it to start again. I am glad she likes school so much and I know I would be cursing this day were she not so happy herself. She makes me laugh with her enthusiasm for learning and I know for the social aspect of school as well. Yay for school!

This is the money shot!

My girl Ashlyn waterskiing! Wow! The scenery, the sunset, the water...this is #1 in my book!

LAKE POWELL LAKE POWELL LAKE POWELL !

Here are my two older kids CLIFF JUMPING AT LAKE POWELL! It does not get much better for me as a mom. Ben is in the water and it is about a 12 foot drop, but this is a real highlight for me! For my kids to be cliffjumping, waterskiing, tubing, and kneeboarding, makes me so happy! I have always had fun parents who do fun things and it never occured to me that it makes them happy when we do those things with them. To me, it's like finding a new best friend in my wonderful kids! (Of course, I wasn't able to be out there, since even a 12' drop is probably not good for the baby)

Here are my kids! They love being on the water and love being together! Our little boat may not be much, but we are starting the memories while they are young to keep our own family close and connected!

This one of Ashlyn (top) makes me see her as so grown up! She is starting second grade soon, and just looks beautiful! I am glad she's the oldest in the fam, she really tries to take care of Alex and Jane. I love my kids!

It was a great trip and it seems we really know how to wear out our kids! This is my Benny and Jane "helping" him drive the boat, it just became too much for her!

This is a big "thank you" to my parents for providing this and other trips for us each year! We love the memories and the fun, we love Lake Powell and summer boating. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!