Zeke turns 7

Zeke wanted an Octonaut party this year.  We chose an orange/blue/green theme and ran with it.  We made cupcakes and played games with a couple friends and family.  This was a strange birthday since we moved, but it was really really good too.  I can't believe he is 7.  The whole day I just kept thinking back over the day he was born and all the details of him so tiny.  

A tissue paper banner

cupcakes

Breakfast for the birthday boy

Octonauts banner

He is really 7

Ben's Spy Party

Ben decided he wanted his fifth birthday to be a spy party.  When he said this, I was all "huh, what?!"  And then I hit the Pinterest and started planning.  We decided to have a Spy Academy with a training mission before they could become spies.  We fingerprinted and gave them new ids and names to start the time off.  

the check in table

Ben showing me how he would fight the bad guys

Cupcakes

Laser Lane

Balloon Blast- we did some target shooting with marshmallow blasters

Punch card- each hole had a card with a word.  Once they sorted the words out it gave them their final clue to find the treasure.  

The final challenge was breaking open a piñata 

The crew observing

Happy birthday Agent Ben!

Oh, and let's throw in a little cuteness too. 

 Girl, knew exact what to do with that cupcake this week

Haddie's birthday

Hadassah Lucille, you are one year old.  This one is hitting mama hard.  I am generally a very excited for each new age and stage with you kiddos.  But you, my surprise baby girl, you getting bigger is hitting me like a ton of bricks.  Not all surprises are good, but Haddie Lu, you are an amazingly wonderful surprise.  I had no idea how much our family needed you.  It has been such a joy to watch your daddy fall in love with another baby girl.  It has been sweet to watch Zeke take on big brother to his sisters in a different way from big brother to Ben.  Ben has loved you from the minute we told him we were having a baby.  He is always the first to want to hold you, still when you are fighting to not be held.  I can not wait to see the friendship you and Ellie will have.  She has already babied you and been sweet, but there are peeks of sister rivalry already.  

And you my girl.  You have been the best sleeper we have had, thank you so much for that.  You are so laid back and go with the flow about everything.  We need your nap to be cut short? You roll with it.  We need to feed you early or later than normal?  What evs, man.  Brother or sister climb all over you? You climb right back.  Things are getting loud and crazy around here? You respond either by popping that beloved thumb in your mouth, or by joining in and letting everyone know that you too can be loud and crazy if you choose.  We need to drive around for 9.5 hours looking for where we could possibly move?  Cool, you just take naps and get snuggles when you can.  

Sweet baby, we pray that you will continue to grow into a woman after the Lord.  We desire for you to know His saving grace early and that you will not waiver in your pursuit of Him.  We can't wait to see you do great things for the kingdom.  We pray that you will be close to your siblings.  We love the relationships that we can already see forming between each of you.  It's fun to see who pairs off to spend time together.  We love you more than we can even describe.   

Haddie's First Birthday Party