He is five!

The big 5!

Gabriel had been counting the days until his birthday for months. He was so excited!! 

And I wanted to cry.

5 is a big number. It is the age when you begin the 12+ years of school and leave mommy behind.

*sigh*

I put on a brave face for my boy and we planned his party.

The weather in Washington is so unpredictable that we couldn't take the chance of rain to have a party outside. So we rented a room at our local indoor bouncy house, Charlie's Safari. 

But first, to begin the day he woke to find his presents on the table...

He opened them all and was very excited until he opened the beloved "slushy magic". He has dreamt about owning his own slushy magic ever since he watched the first info-mercial for it last year.now it is finally his!

As parents, however, we thought that this...

Would take the cake. 

Which, it was very exciting, but maybe drinking a homemade slushy WHILE riding it would make it more exciting.

After presents, it was off to our traditional IHOP breakfast. If I would let him, Gabe would order one plate of sausages. And he would lick his plate clean.

After breakfast, it was off the the party! The party was exactly what Gabe wanted (friends, jungle gym, screaming as loud as he can) and mine (hug and a kiss to my boys, then sit and watch the play out all their energy)

When I asked Gabe what kind of a cake he wanted this year, I was not suprised that he wanted a truck cake... But I was a little suprised he wanted a garbage truck.

Mmmmm....

Yum.

But before they could bring out the cake I made home, all the kids gathered to eat pizza. A childhood favorite and the only food that all 8 children will agree to eat.

Ta-da! The cake! And yes, it took a while.

We ate cake and ice cream, sang happy birthday, blew out the candles, and opened more presents.

Then I gave into the mob and handed out the coins for the arcade games.

In the end, my big boy was so happy. He had a great birthday and I am still have a hard tim with the fact that he is no longer asking for trucks and ninja costumes, and has started asking for iPads and four wheelers.

Happy Birthday Gabriel!!

L

Splish'n and a splash'n

We have had quite a few sweltering summer days here in Washington over the last few weeks.

Some of them have even reached as high as 80 degrees.

:)

So we took advantage of having friends in the military and joined them at the splash pad at JBLM. I am not exaggerating when I say it was like Fort Knox.

Yes, a mother with her two young children in her neighbors mini van is planning to take on your entire military base.

But I forgive you guys, and just for the record thanks for all you do:)

Once we saw the splash pad, my boys booked it across the parking lot and found us a place on the grass. 

Once the crowds got over my blindingly white legs, we got down to playing and splashing!

It was the coolest splash pad I have ever been too, hands down.

The boys thought so too!

I learned first hand how hard it is to capture your kids on camera on a splash pad. Next time I will remember to bring my poncho.

We had a glorious time! I was really nice to feel the sun hot on our skin for a while. 

And again, let me express my gratitude to our military for defending our country, and providing my children a wonderful afternoon.

A lot of hot air

The other day I decided to take the boys down the road to our local Jumping Jacks. We actually have three or four within a ten mile radius, I guess we moved into the right climate for indoor playgrounds! 

We had had only been to one of these styles of places twice before, when we were in Utah.

 Here? We have a seasons pass.

 I took a few pictures on our first adventure to one of the smaller playgrounds. Gabe had a blast going from one blow up slide to the next. Landon? He wanted to play with the broom the kept in the corner. But being the mean mother I am, I forced him down a few slides before we left.

It's a really good thing that this city has so many indoor playgrounds because the weather has removed all thoughts of 

getting a swing set! 

I am loving the idea of getting all Gabe's energy out and with the addition of a new child size broom, all members of our household are happy with our new plastic friends ;)

This 'n That

Really I have no reason to post these pictures,

Except that I thing my children are adorable.

We made pizza the other night for dinner, it has kind of become a weekly thing for us since I found my mom's recipe:) this has made me realize how deep Gabe's love for pepperoni runs, since we had some whining when I required we put sauce... And cheese before stacking the pepporoni's three thick.

I know, I know... And yes. I do just squish his chub everyday:)

We bleed blue

I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen my husband giddy. 

These times include our wedding day, our babies births, you know, things like that. 

The others? The days we have been able to attend a Dodgers game.

It has only happened twice, but every time, I see a glimpse of a that little boy used to watch the game religiously with his mother. That, and the boy that screams at the TV. 

But if there were ever a day I could get my hubby to drive an hour to stay in a hotel, walk a mile to the light rail station, beat hoards of people being corralled like cattle into thousands of seats, all for an insanely expensive hot dog, and to sing Take Me Out To The Ball Game with thousands of our best friends...this is the day.

And we all loved every minute of it.

Instead of peanuts and cracker jacks, we bought frozen lemonade and cotton candy. A little unconventional I know, but our boys were in heaven!

Don't lat him fool you. He was stoked to have a hot dog to himself:) 

After seeking Landon down behind the Dodgeres dug out twice and screaming to the players, I got no signatures and only a smile and a nod to my baby for his fist game:( the19 year old blondes in the tank tops though? They got first class 

photos! Have a heart guys!

We tried numerous times to get our whole family in a picture... Fail! Oh well. These kinds of photos have a lot more Memories!

Gabe loved the game. It was actually his second game and he really enjoys to atmosphere. This was a double treat though since we got to ride the "train" there. He has always wanted too:)

What a great day! We were exhausted when we made it back to the hotel and pushed swimming off until the next day:) what a great family weekend!

Go Dodgers!