Birthday Boy!

So I know I'm way behind, but there are a whole bunch of things that I need to get recorded, for posterity's sake.  First and foremost, back in May, Colson had a birthday.  He was born on one of the coolest days of the year.  National Star Wars Day!  May the fourth be with you!  

No birthday is complete without pancakes.  Especially teddy bear pancakes.

Opening presents.  Spoiled rotten boy!

The Friday before his birthday, Jilly, Preston and I took Colson some lunch at school since his birthday landed on a Saturday this year.  Saturday birthdays are the best!  He of course chose Good Times for lunch.  His absolute favorite.  (He still hasn't gotten over it that there are no Good Times in Atlanta.)  Friday night Trent and I took him and his friends Ryan and Jared to see Iron Man 3.  They loved it!

The night of his birthday we had everyone over for birthday dinner.  Colson chose sloppy joe's this year, and as always for his cake and ice cream, chocolate with chocolate frosting and chocolate.  Ever since he was old enough to choose his cake flavor himself, he has always chosen chocolate with chocolate frosting.  

Birthday snuggles.

A rare picture of Dustin.  While he isn't looking directly at the camera, at least his face isn't covered.  And he's smiling to boot!

Jilly and grandma.  These two are best buds.  I'm pretty sure Jilly thinks grandma Guercio was placed on this earth just for her.  When grandma is around, she doesn't want much to do with anyone else.

Jilly and Montserrat getting ready for the balloon launch.

Make a wish birthday boy!

This was the first time Jilly said "balloon".  Except it sounded more like "doon".  I like doon better.

We always like to stay and watch the balloons until we can't see them any more.

Cute siblings.

He's not excited at all!  Can you tell?

I love this boy so much and am so grateful for the day he was born!  (If I had a dollar for every photo I have with Trenton photo bombing, I'd be rich!)

Birthday Girl!

Back in April, our sweet little Jillian turned 2!  We are so grateful for the day she came to join our family.  She brings so much joy and laughter into our home.

I didn't have to do any decorating for her birthday.  Vivian took care of everything in that department.  She made the streamers and everything!  On the left, she wrote some things about Jilly.  The signs read:

"Cute baby girl"

"So silly and loves Shaun the Sheep"

and, "Snuggles a lot with others"

She sure loves and knows her baby sister!  Vivi was especially glad for the day Jilly was born, after begging for a sister for years.

We had a homemade mac and cheese dinner and cake and ice cream over at grandma and grandpa Stock's house with everyone.

This was Jilly trying to blow the candle out.  She had her lips pursed tight and would try to blow through them.  I think a sibling ended up helping her out. ;)

Yay!  Wow, I forgot just how dirty her clothes were that day.  Ah well.

That's some serious static electricity!

Opening presents.

She thought her new dolly needed a taste of her lollipop.  Such a good sharer!

The balloon launch.  Jilly was so excited for the "doons", as she calls them.

Hooray!  Jilly kept saying, "Bye doons!"

The whole fam damily.  We were so happy that grandma Chapman was in town and could celebrate with us.  We were glad we were still in town too!  Our original move date had been April 8th.

A little fun in the back yard together.  We decided to ditch Jilly's clothes since they were so filthy.  She was much happier running around practically naked anyway.

Jilly is the most loved little girl I have ever known.  Her older siblings are always there loving on her, and they all help to take such good care of her.

So Jilly has had a few fetishes in her life.  Her first was her belly button.  She loved to dig in her belly button for the longest time!  If she had a onesie on, it drove her crazy because she couldn't get to her 'belly butt', as she called it.  Next was her nose.  She had her finger in her nose an awful lot for a while there.  Then it was her eyelashes.  She would, ever so softly, rub her fingertips along her eyelashes when she was tired.  Lately, it is her nipples.  The second you take her shirt off, that is right where her hands go.  I won't even tell you what she does when you change her diaper.

There she is again, hands to the chest.  This girl is a crack up!

Here are a few things about our little Lou:

She is so gross!  When Colson was in preschool, there was another mom I had gotten to know pretty well.  She had a daughter that was in Colson's class, and boy did she have some stories to tell about her little girl!  She had been dubbed with the nickname of Poocasso because she loved to make lovely art creations on the walls with her poop.  At the time, I remember thinking, “I’m so glad my kids don’t do gross stuff like that".  Eight years later, that thought has come back to bite me in the butt.  While Jillian hasn't resorted to drawing on the walls with her poop, she does like to dig around in her diaper.  I have just been lucky enough so far to have caught her in the act, and it has gotten no further than her hands.  I also had to buy a garbage can with a lid that locks, and not because she would throw everything away in it.  It was because she kept pulling things out of it to eat.  I think we have finally gotten through her toilet obsession.  On more than one occasion I have either found her playing in the toilet, or drinking out of it.  Ick!

She says “Hi mama” in the sweetest voice you have ever heard when she knows she is about to get in trouble.  And then guess what?  She doesn’t get in trouble.  Because it is so cute and so sweet, it melts my heart like butter, and there is nothing I can do except mug on her.

The other day she started saying, "Happy day!"  Except she says it like it's all one word.  "Happyday!" And now all of us go around saying, "Happyday!"

She has the best belly laugh ever.  I have several sound clips of it recorded, and if I'm having a down day, all I have to do is listen to that, and I can't help but smile and laugh.

She is very sweet, but she also has quite a bit of spunk and sass in her.  I’m telling you right now, you don’t’ want to cross her!  She has recently figured out how to stick her tongue out, and she does exactly that to anyone who is doing something she doesn't like.  Either that or she'll blow raspberries at you.  Little stinker!

She gives the best snuggles.

Her favorite thing to do at the park is swing.  The slides are a close second.

I love how she says please.  It's not just the word please.  It's, "Please, yeaaaaaah".  And she signs it as she says it too.  I hope she never stops saying it like that!

She loves her books.  Especially "Blue Hat, Green Hat" and "Moo, Baa, La La La" by Sandra Boynton.

She has the cutest, biggest, bucky beaver teeth!  I love to see her smile!

Her favorite show is “Shaun the Sheep”.  This show is my saving grace.  It is the only way I can get things done some days.  You know, like taking a shower and maybe getting dressed.

I am so glad we had her.  There was a lot of debate whether we should have baby number five.  And Trent and I were never on the same page about it. Either I was ready and he wasn’t, or he was ready and I wasn’t.  Until one day, we were both ready and we both knew it had to be then, or never.  When we first told the kids we were going to have another baby, Trenton said, “Another one?”  He was less than thrilled.  But by the time we had her and he came to the hospital to visit us, he was a changed boy.  He sat down to hold her and said, “I wish I could hold her forever!”

I can’t imagine life without her.  She completes our family and has brought all of us closer together.  Every one of her older siblings dotes on her.  She brightens our world in a million different ways.

Girls Day Out

For her birthday, Vivi got some gift cards to American Girl from her grandparents.  So naturally it was the perfect excuse for all of us girls to get together for some shopping and lunch.

 With her gift cards, Vivi ended up getting the McKenna doll.  She had seen the movie several times, and was so excited to be able to get the doll.

It is always our tradition that we go to White Chocolate Grill after shopping at the American Doll store. Vivi loves it because they have high chairs for the dolls.  It is always so much fun to go out shopping with the girls!  It is one of Vivi's most favorite past times.

A Week's Worth of Stuff :)

Last week was a busy one for us.  Nothing unusual with it it being the end of the school year. 

Colson received a couple of awards at the end of the school year for being an outstanding student.

We went to his 5th grade continuation.  Looking sharp!

I can't believe he's going to be a 6th grader next year!

Walking up to the podium to receive his "diploma".

Shaking hands with the principal and teachers.

My boy is so big!

The class of of 2019.

The big exit.

I'll have two kids in middle school next year.  When did I get so old?!

Lovin' my sweet boy.

With teacher, Mrs. Christy, who is absolutely amazing!

With best buds, Jared and Mac.

The same day, Vivi had her picnic lunch at the park with her class.  The grandmas were so nice to go to this with her since Trent and I were at Colson's continuation.

Loving the park.

Vivi on her last day of school with her teacher, Mrs. Johnson.  Colson had her for a 1st grade teacher as well.  We're hoping we can keep the trend going and that Preston will have her when he is in first grade.  We love her to pieces!

Here is our cupcake for the week.  Colson chose molten chocolate cupcakes.  Super yummy!

We have had some gorgeous sunsets this past week.  Even more beautiful than normal.

Jilly had her first ride in the hummer.  She laughed the whole time.  :)

T had some fun borrowing the neighbor girl's purple scooter.  He cracks me up to no end.

Trent turns 37 tomorrow.  He is such a good dad, he is spending his birthday waking up at 5:00 am to head off to scout camp with Trenton.  Since he and T are going to be gone, and since most of the rest of the family are going to be out of town this week, we celebrated last week.  We also celebrated Father's Day.

Blowing out the candles.  It came as a shock to me when they put the number 37 on the cake.  I could have sworn he was only turning 36.  How did I miss a year?  My mom made a super yummy tiramisu dessert, Trent's favorite.

After the BBQ/birthday/Father's Day celebrations, we all went to the park where we played on the playground, swung on the swings, rode scooters and long boards, took Ziggy for walks, and played lots of tennis.  (I couldn't believe how sore my arm was the next day!)  Jilly is getting so close to walking!  She could totally do it if she wanted to, but honestly, I think it is too slow for her.  She crawls at lightning speeds.  She'll take a few steps, then drop to her hands and knees and cruise around like a greyhound chasing after a rabbit.  I'm sure once she has figured out how to run, she'll give up crawling for good.  :)

We are so ecstatic that school is finally out for all the kids.  We have already been to the pool several times, had movie nights, lazed around reading books, had water fights with the hose, and have spent hours playing outside riding bikes and scooters and such.  Our summer is off to a great start and we are enjoying so much being able to spend time together.