Cregan turns 12

In my church, turning 12 is important.  It's when you graduate per say from the kiddie group and move up to the youth program.  If you are a girl that means going to Young Woman's, if you are a boy you receive the Aaronic Priesthood and start going to Young Men's.   

My Cregan turned 12 and received his priesthood from his PaPa and this week he got to pass the sacrament for the 1st time.  I sat in my seat, so apprehensive for him passing the sacrament, he was so nervous!  But he did well as I suspected he would and then sat at the front of the church to be the Bishop's messenger, if he needed anything.  It made me proud to see him up there. Being the middle child is rough, he never gets anything first, and all my last events are made into a production because I know it will be the last of something.  So I wanted to make him feel special at his birthday  party  this year!

I ordered a Game Truck.  It's basically a really nice trailor truck with tons of games and flat screens in it and he invited 10 of his closest friends to come hang out with him for 2 hours and played video games, he was in HEAVEN!

I'm so grateful for my wise, funny, loveable, middle child.  He brings me so much joy.  

Harry Potter and Collin

My darling Collin is obsessed with Harry Potter, he and his brothers have watched all the movies and are in the process of reading the books, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when Collin announced he wanted a Harry Potter themed birthday party.  The only flaw in his brilliant plan was that Harry Potter has been out of fashion for a while now and finding the supplies required some ordering online, but I was also lucky in that some of my friends children, who had once loved Harry Potter, had now out grown and/or just didn't want the stuff any more and so I was able to get a broom and a wand and a Dumbledore hat (thanks Janny) and at a garage sale the week before his birthday Cregan happened upon a Harry Potter party favor box (3 actually) that had glasses, an owl (Hedwig), some stickers, and a lightening bolt.  And while strolling through the discount store one day, Collin happened upon a spider pinata brand new for 1.99$, and yelled from across the room, "hey Mom, it's Aragog" (who's referenced in the books and movies).  So we got a pinata even though, I wasn't intending on it. 

I actually wasn't intending on having a birthday party at all, but by the time you invite the family and the kids and the friends, well it's a party.  There were 16 kids including my 3 there, and there was the park up the street.  A great little area where we usually play baseball in the spring, but has a large covered pavillion and shaded play area.  

I did it simple, cupcakes and Little Caesar's pizza and chips oh and Jugs for the kids and pop for the adults.  (although I did find Clay drinking a Diet Coke!!  Shameful!)  So cleanup was easy and it really turned out to be memorable for Collin who announced it was his best birthday EVER...                   And now my baby is 6....

 

Clay's Day

I can hardly believe I am a mom to this big huge guy, he is almost as tall as me, and I'm sure by the end of 2012 he will be taller than me.  He is dramatic and sassy but also loving and insecure and he's such a compassionate little boy, I love him so much.

For his birthday this year, I was sick, like post surgery, popping Percocet 10 like candy sick.  But luckily, Aunt Julie was here to save the day, She took him to McDonolds, and the movies to see Spiderman in 3D, got him nerd AND popcorn AND a drink.  Got him a present before the movie AND a present after the movie!  And to top it all off, made him an ICE CREAM CAKE!  

it was DELICIOUS! all oreo and snickers, dang it was good

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAYTON

I LOVE YOU

It's great to be 8

Cregan turned eight on Friday, he was super excited. He turned 8 and got to have his dad home for his birthday. Josh flew in on Wednesday night very late and left on Sunday. On Cregan's birthday, Josh and he went shopping just the two of them he got this SWAT outfitand then, we all went to Chuck E. Cheese. We tried convincing him of going to the Olive Garden and a movie but nope... it was Chuck E. Cheese all the way. He had a blast playing games and getting tokens and then picking out the presents he wanted, after that we went to Steak and Shake and got milkshakes. It was a fun evening.The next morning was busy, like most of my Saturdays are now. First, Clay and Collin went to the church for practice on the Primary Program and then rushed home to get Josh and Collin and take them to soccer game and then back to the church to pick up kids and set up the church for Cregan's baptism!!

At 2pm, we had a double baptism for Cregan and our friends son Andrew. It was such a fun and spiritual baptism. Andrew's brother gave an outstanding talk on baptism. Bob (Cregan's grandfather) baptized him and then Tanya (my sister in law) talked on the Holy Ghost. I was so happy with how it turned out.

After the baptism, we had an ice cream bar in the gym and the kids were all jacked up on sugar so that was a lot of fun as well!

Clay turns 10

10...double digit's! I can hardly believe I have a 10 year son!! Where does the time go? This year Clay wanted to have a Captain America party, he also wanted to have a sleep over with some of his friends.
The day came, we had ordered the cake, got all the supplies, made the Captain America shields, pool was cleaned out, Josh was bringing home the pizza...everything was planned...
Then the kids came....and they all jumped into the pool...then the thunder came and they all jumped out of the pool...and then Josh called and says he's going to be late...and I can't put 9 kids in a van to get pizza, in the rain...OH NO!!


All was saved though, ordered pizza, sun came back out, kids ran and played and still didn't get to bed before midnight...but had a BLAST! And now I have an emotional, sensitive 10 year to deal with

Birthday Celebrations

My good friend Crystal just had her birthday and we went to the Melting Pot, she'd never been there so it was so much fun showing her how to cook the meats and tasting the yummy, yummy sauces. Of course her favorite as well as mine was the Flaming Turtle chocolate fondue at the end!! If you've never been to the Melting Pot, GO!! Stop reading this post and just GO, GO, GO!! You won't regret it!! :)

Cregan turns 7!

Cregan turned 7 this year and with some prodding I was able to get him to have a Halloween themed birthday party. I let him pick out the cake, he had choices from Frankenstien, spiders, coffins but finally chose a Mad Scientist cake. I got arm and leg and eyeball gummies from the Dollar Tree, added some gummy worms and green icing and 'voila Mad Scientist cake.

Clay decided to make a mad scientist laboratory in the tree house, he had peeled grapes for eyes, noodles for intestines, watered marshmallows for brains, and inside of pumpkin for stomach, the boys came into the room blindfolded and they were totally grossed out by all it...tehehe, boys are so much fun

We had cake and ice cream and opened presents then we had a mummy contest, the kids were partnered up and then given a roll of toilet paper and were to mummify their partner, they had a blast with that, and then they all just played and jumped on the trampoline.