Jacob's 9th Birthday

Jacob had a fun-filled 9th birthday!  First, we celebrated with family at our house.  It was really cold, so the wiener roast didn't work out, but Josh cooked on the grill for us.  

Aunt Sherry being silly:

Jacob got lots of nice gifts:

We took the family to Red Lobster to celebrate and let Jacob get all you can eat shrimp:

Jacob got to have a laser tag / pizza / slumber party with 6 of  his closest friends:

Three of the friends did not make it through the night.  One went home around 11 am; one went home around 1 am; and one went home around 4 am.... He just couldn't make it....

Needless to say, everyone was tired the next day:

Halloween 2019

Mickey Mouse, Mal & Evie from Descendants, & Luigi

Halloween with 4 kids - what a week!  We had Trunk or Treat at church (which I was technically in charge of this year); I was also in charge of Hannah's class party; I helped a little bit at Aleah's & Lucas' class parties; we went trick-or-treating, and we ended our Halloween night with a party at my parents' house! 

Hannah and Jacob helped me set-up at Trunk or Treat.  Hannah did her own trunk:

and Jacob helped me set-up the photo booth:

The girls were sick of their wigs before too long:

My mom also had a trunk:

Lucas got to go with me to Aleah's class party:

The kids wore Halloween shirts to school:

We met up with cousins and Papa Steve at my parents' house:

We love ending our night each year with a chili party:

Several of the cousins were from Descendants this year.  We didn't even know Aleah & Lydia were both going to be Evie until that night!

Hadley was Audrey:

My mom made this cute dessert:

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

Our annual trip to the pumpkin patch... Wanna hear a PARENT FAIL?  We drove out to the patch just outside of Catlin and walked around picking pumpkins for awhile before I realized that we had four kids... but we were supposed to have FIVE because our nephew Landon was with us that day.  We left Aleah at home!!  I jumped in the car and raced home, dialing the home phone the whole way (no answer).  I arrived home to find her happily playing in the yard with neighborhood kids.  She was unphased by it.  So Aleah.  I'm writing this 5 months later and I still feel bad.  (PS-She was in "the 6th bedroom" playing Barbies and didn't hear us leaving.  That room is a dead zone.)

My 37th Birthday

The week of my 37th birthday was so crazy.  I was loved on by so many, but I was also stressed to the max.  I was a few weeks into covering the entire children's ministry at church, including Cross Training, our after school program with 100 kids.  I had a big cookie order that I had booked before I knew about the children's ministry situation.  My grandparents were in town from Florida visiting, which I was SO EXCITED about because my Grandpa and I share a birthday!  We hardly ever get to celebrate together!

Aleah's kindergarten class had 2 field trips in one week and it was important to us for me to go to both.  Also, we had some stressful things happening on the home front...  And in the middle of that, I had a ton of birthday celebrations... 

Sense a theme here: the church staff took me out for Mexican at Tacos Nieves; the next day my mom took my grandparents and I out for Mexican at El Toro:

That night our small group went out to celebrate with Mexican food at La Potosina (same day, different sombrero):

Another day, Sandy took me to Mexican lunch at El Toro.  On the 10th, I had a "sandwich day" celebration with the Aldermans with Mexican takeout from Maize.  Also, we had a party another day at Aldermans with lots of family.

The three of us share a birthday week (10-9, 10-9, 10-11)

Josh took me and the kids for a day at The Covered Bridge Festival.

He got me these signs (and some other fun things):

Josh also got me a mug that he had his brother pick up for me in DisneyWorld, a Disney board game, a Cubs hoodie, some candy, and Stitch Fix money.  Sandy got me some incredible rings that I had mentioned several years ago with all of my kids' names on them!  I can't believe she remembered!  Such a nice gift:

My parents got me some really cute fall decorations that I wanted. 

My sister-in-law Alisa made me some awesome custom napkin rings and a leather bracelet.  My favorite gift of all might have been from Aleah.  She took an avocado seed, wrote messages on it, and wrapped it in toilet paper with scotch tape.  It seriously melted my heart and about made me cry.  How precious is that from a 5 year old.  She had no way of getting me a gift... but she made a way.  So sweet.  I love her heart. 

    

I was even well celebrated at Cross Training!  My friend Kris gave me a Mad Goat gift card; my boss brought me iced coffee (I needed it); and 100+ kids sang to me with a cupcake! 

I had so many extremely kind facebook messages, text messages, and Marco Polos that I was brought to tears over and over. 

It was a great day but maybe you can also sense I was a little overwhelmed by everything!  And if I'm being honest, there were also some very unperfect moments mixed into this crazy week of celebration.  I have already thought of ways to reduce the craziness next year ;)  But I am so very thankful to have been shown so much love by so many people that I love!