Happy Birthday!

 Claire

6 years old!!! My little baby is now 6 years old...and it isn't fair that she is getting so big and wanting to grow up. She was explaining to Chris and me that when she grows up we will be grandparents and she will get to have babies. I'm not ready for her to think that far ahead! She will start 1st grade this coming week and already wants to have a family and make me old. But it could be because this weekend was so focused on her growing up because it was her birthday and she enjoyed feeling special. Her mermaid party was the most successful party I've ever planned despite all the other ones I've worked hard on. We had it over in Pocatello so family and friends from the area all were able to come, maybe when we have been in Star long enough we will have enough friends to have a party here. There was pizza, cupcakes, and presents under a pavilion right outside the pool we went swimming at. There was too much wind to light the candles so she blew out the lighter instead and then the cupcakes that I worked so hard on were enjoyed. I made sure she found out who gave her each present before she opened it and said thank you too!

Shay

I worked my best to help Shay this weekend to feel special and not get mad that Claire gets all the attention. She got a present to open at the party with a backpack she had been asking for forever and made sure Claire shared with her everything she could. Luckily, they shared so much now that Claire was really kind and shared a lot of her new toys and her mermaid makeup when we were getting ready for church. She had fun with cousins and swimming and only got mad after church when the primary gave Claire some candy for her birthday and she was jealous. I think two days of special treatment for Claire was too much, but they shared that too, and is now looking forward to her own birthday! It was nice that we were visitors at church and they recognized Claire, but we made it safely home and the girls are introducing their new toys to their old toys.

Mommy

Yes, I had a birthday this past week too...its easier to not focus on getting older when I get to talk about my daughter but I had a good birthday as well. My celebration was with my cousins and family last weekend and didn't need anything too special on an actual day except the girls making me pictures and singing Happy Birthday and picking good meals. I started with my favorite breakfast of French Toast, had a craving lunch of soup, and finished off with some yummy shrimp for dinner with ice cream for dessert. I got some impossible puzzles from a trolly brother that I worked on all day, and now I get to do the ones from my mom that I actually like! Chris convinced me to take a bubble bath while he took care of the girls getting ready for bed then gave me a massage so I think the day was really special. I also had a 5K run Saturday morning that I personally think went really well, so it was also a great week.

Chris

Soon enough we will be celebrating Daddy and I have some fun plans to make him feel extra loved! No one spoil it and warn him though because I always have to be the one to out-surprise him during birthday month. He has been working hard and got some praise from the bosses upstairs for how well he did last month on his first month as clinic director. I'm majorly proud of him and I know our lives have been very blessed by our decision to take this job and move to this area. We were being sentimental on my birthday and talking about how wonderful our lives have turned out because of each other. I'm so grateful to have him in my life for the past 8 years and I'm very excited for the future.