Birthday Celebrations!

I'm going to post both Braeden and Lexi's birthday stuff at the same time... even though they are 4 months apart!  {That way you'll get to see something old-ish and something new!  Yay!}

Braeden turned 7 on the 8th of January.  And we were still on Christmas break, so throwing a party for him became not only difficult, but impossible.  Not just because of scheduling around the school break and then our subsequent trip to Utah after only one week back in school.  Braeden had been being a super-stinker, and by the time he shaped up, he had decided to take his dad's offer of $50 rather than a party.  True.  He took the money and ran.  Yet he is still hoarding most of it!  Silly kid.  He has, however, made some great purchases with it!

His birthday was actually on a Sunday this year, so we celebrated after church with some yummy homemade treats!

This is as good as it gets for ice cream cake on a Sunday.  We just made some cupcakes and turned them into ice cream sandwiches with frosting and sprinkles on top!  They were good, but very messy!

All 7 out in just one breath!  Happy Birthday, Braeden!

I know the focus is on Lexi here, but sometimes the best part of the picture isn't really what the lens was aimed for.  Look at what Braeden did with his ice cream.  Just like an Oreo cookie!  ;o)

HURRY and eat it!  It's meeelllltting!

Seriously.  Messy.  But.  Oh.  So.  Good!

Braeden was allowed to have 2, but also figured out pretty quick that they were really messy... which, I'm GUESSING, is the reason he is on TOP of my table.  Hmmm...

Yay for opening presents!

I would say that it's safe to assume that he LOVES it!

It's a baseball shirt!  A really cool one... that he has since ruined.  Somehow he got something on it at Gma Pam's and though I tried my best, I could NOT get it out!  :o(  So... now he wears it as an undershirt for baseball practice.

Money and a hat from Gma Pam.  And though he is eyeing the money right now, look for the hat in the next picture!

Yep... on his head!  And really, Braeden??  Did you really need to rip the bag all the way down the side??  ;o)

Ella!  Are you okay??  Did you have too much frosting??

Daddy's best wrapping ever!  Love it!

I would say that he was happy, wouldn't you??  This is his replacement helicopter, which he has been explicitly told NOT to take outside and fly too high, so as to be caught by the wind and sent to an untimely end on the neighbor's roof.

I just have to say that even though he is now 7, I'm grateful for the things that keep him little in my eyes... like the fact that he still has little dimples in the knuckles on his hands!  You can't see them very good here, but they still exist! 

Making some "thank you" phone calls!  {He did do cards, too, but wanted to tell some Gma's and Gpa what he got!}

And then... we Skyped with John and Colleen!  Can you see them on my computer??  :o)

And we're skipping a couple of things that are linked to Lexi's birthday celebration, but they were at different times and we are trying to focus on just her birthday DAY... just for this post!  She turned the BIG #9 on April 27th!!

However, I will say that we got Disneyland passes again!!  Yay for us!  And just a few days before her birthday.  We offered that to her as her major gift from us, and she took it!  We did it so we could meet Gail and Seth and their kids there for some fun!  And at the end of the day, just before leaving, Braeden had been wanting to replace his multi-color glowing light saber and WILLINGLY and HAPPILY also bought EACH of his sisters something!!  He bought a spinning one for Lexi, and then took Ella back to the cart and she picked out a glow stick!  {These are the moments they talk about when you're told to cherish the small things that your children do to show that they really are learning something and starting to get it!!  He really is a great example of not being selfish with his money.  Other things, yes, but he's usually willing to buy things for others as long as he gets a little something, too!  And you know that these things... at Disneyland, no less, aren't cheap!!}

Lexi's gift from Braeden!  {Along with what he bought himself and Ella!}  Doesn't it look so cool??  Love it!  I know it's blurry, but it's just like watching it in person!

Braeden also gave her something else for her birthday!  Haha... just kidding!  It was an accident the night before her big day!  They had gone over to Avery's to play and were jumping on the trampoline just before it was time to leave.  Well... when Suz called them to get off and get ready to go, Lexi ACTUALLY listened and started to get off, but Braeden was still happily bouncing.  He was bouncing over to get out, as well, but was still BOUNCING when his foot came down and connected with her thumb and wrist.  Boo.  By the time they got home, despite the icepack Suz and Avery gave her, it was pretty swollen and VERY discolored.  Damian gave her some medicine, looked at it, and herded her off into the shower.  But when the pain relief and swelling meds did nothing, and it was still very gray... we decided it would be better this time to be safe than sorry... {like we were with Braeden... when we thought he was fine and yet he ended up with a cast for a fractured thumb} so she and I headed out to the urgent care where we knew they had X-ray capability!  Yep... even though they saw us quickly and we didn't wait around for more than 10 mins. we were there forever.  They just couldn't decide for SURE whether or not she had a fracture in her thumb, and the discoloration was a concern.  So... in the end, they sent the films out to the radiologist to make sure, but just gave her a splint and wrapped it up.  Whew.  Turns out it was fine, and we don't know the reason for the awful coloring.  But it wasn't good... this is her writing hand.  Just like Braeden...  And this is how she went to school ON HER BIRTHDAY!!  And on top of that... she was already peeved that she had to go to Braeden's baseball game that evening BEFORE she even got to choose where dinner was!  Thank goodness it was a Friday night!  We didn't even eat until after 8.  She chose Chili's!!

But... we did all get to sign her wrap, and by the time she came home it was full with all her little friends' names on it!  Poor thing!  Happy Birthday, Lexi!!  ;o)

 I took Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches to school for her to share with all her classmates!  They love those... and so do I!  {I also took them for Braeden's class, but it was the Friday AFTER his birthday!}

Waiting for everyone to gather around so she can open her gifts!

Well... it's sort of a smile!  Damian thinks he has an "excuse" for not smiling for the next year or so.  Unfortunately, we don't like his excuse, and we don't think that the metal in his mouth will hurt the camera... so we keep trying to catch it!  No luck this time, though!  :o(

You know the routine... we had to ask Ella and Braeden to MOVE BACK about a million times, but it's fun to watch their excitement!

She had convinced herself that she wouldn't get as much money as Braeden... well... she was wrong!

From Gma Pam... and we already have papers all over the house with her artwork on it!  What a great gift... PERFECT for her!  She loves it!

Not sure what the card says, but the expression says a lot!

Hmmm... what is going on here??  And you should know that I don't have the camera!  There's proof, too... see my face right under Braeden's leg?? 

A pretty, FLOWY dress from Gma and Gpa Linda!

Waiting patiently... for her to maneuver her gifts with her sad hand.

Her helicopter replacement!  This was the only thing we got her... well... besides the Disneyland passes!

And just for good measure... Another look at Braeden's gift to Lexi, and what he bought himself with his birthday money!  And... just because I really do love these pictures!  :o)

 Happy Birthday to my two older kids!  We love you so much and are so grateful to have you with us here on this earth and into the eternities!  Thank you for the love and joy you share with us each day!