Hailey's 7th Birthday!

Hailey turned seven on October 18. It was a fun day. The night before we were able to go to the store just her and me and pick out her cake and ice cream. The day of, I was able to go eat lunch with her at school, spend the hour with her, and meet some of her friends. (It's amazing how many friends you have when your mom goes to lunch with you in grade school.)
We ended up watching one of her neighbor friends for a bit after school and she ended up staying for our party. They had fun together. It was just a family party. My parents were able to make it. She loved her gift from them. It's the monkey jammies and sleeping bag for her American Girl doll (generic version). She sleeps with her every night.


I ran out of energy for the cake and realized that when I finally decided (the day of) what I was going to do, that I didn't have sprinkles to give it the look it needed. I didn't make it to the store. Oh well, Bo said it still tasted good and Hailey didn't care. :) She had chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, and two different chocolate ice creams to choose from. Can we say chocoholic. Hailey LOVES chocolate!

Hailey loves:
Arts and Crafts
School
Writing numbers (she wrote to up to 220 yesterday just for fun)
TV
Church
Riding her bike
Her Grandparents
Being the older sister
Helping out with Brayden
Dates with Mom or Dad

We love:
Seeing your smiling face every day
All of the help you give to us
Watching you grow and learn
Learning from you
Helping you with homework (most days)
Going shopping with you
Our Dates
Watching you play and spend time with your brothers
And Many More...

Wow! Can it be possible that we have a seven year old?! I can't believe how fast time goes by. I pondered a lot a couple of days before the feelings I felt seven years ago as we waited in anticipation for our sweet new baby girl. We'd be first time parents and I couldn't wait to be a mother and care for a precious new baby straight from heaven. We are so blessed. I am so blessed to be able to be a mom! These past 7 years have been the happiest, hardest, most amazing years of my life. So many happy, sad, tiring, exciting, nerve wrecking, Hailey teaching me memories that I wouldn't trade for anything. Hailey, I love you. You amaze me. I am so grateful for you and all you add to our family.

We love you!

One Hand!

Okay, so I have to post this before I forget.

Jackson loves proving to us that he can do many things with one hand.

• While saying his prayers, he only folds one arm

• While riding his bike he holds one hand on one handle and wraps the other arm around the handle being sure not to be holding the handle with his hand.
• eating with a utensil he says look, one hand
• holding or carrying something, especially groceries
• coloring too

He is also saying look mom, one foot when he jumps around the house.  This he can really do, it's just funny to have the narration.

I am terrible at making this sound funny, but it is hilarious.  He's so proud of anything if he can do it with one hand, even if he's the only one who sees it that way. :)

Brayden's One Year Stats

Brayden is growing on a perfect curve

Height: 30.5 in (60th percentile)
Weight: 23.5 (70th percentile)
Head: 18.25

He did great with the first shot.  If they would have left it at that he would have been fine.  But, three others and a finger prick was not his or my idea of fun.

SNOW!!??

Thursday morning I left our house early to make it to my parents in IF so my mom could watch the kids while I took Brayden to the Pediatrician for a well baby check at 9:15. Then I spent a few hours at my parents house with my mom. We decided to go check out Shopko's sale because I needed snow clothes for the older kids and the sale was just starting. Little did I know when we left in flip flops we would be coming home to this. Luckily I was planning on buying snow clothes anyway.
(Please let us have a Fall!!!!)

Hailey loving the snow. (Notice she lost her 3rd tooth on Tuesday.)

Conrad working hard on their snowman.

Jack hammin' it up like it's  nobody's business.

Here's their first snowman that they built all by themselves. I stayed inside with Brayden. I know I'm the most boring mom in the world. But, I just couldn't get excited for the snow. It has it's time and place. The week before Christmas and the week after :). I know, I know, I live in the wrong place....

I Can't Believe Brayden is 1!

Today is Brayden's first birthday. We had a little party for him tonight. Grandma and Grandpa Christensen joined in on the festivities with us. Brayden was extremely interested in his gifts, but you know he just couldn't quite figure out how to get them opened. We didn't have to worry about that. There were three other siblings there willing to help him out with that.

Here is everyone checking out what Brayden got.

checking out the book grandma and grandpa gave  him
Here's what he got

Here he is awaiting his cupcake. He can hardly contain himself.

His first little touch...

and two cupcakes later...

Need I say more. He loved it!!! (I think we have another Jack on our hands.)

At age 1
Brayden loves:

• to play with his brothers and sister
• when Dad gets home
• his mom any chance he can get
• starting to show interest in cars
• peas
• green beans
• wheat bread
• milk
• cheese is probably his favorite (excluding cupcakes)
• his puppy grandpa Porter gave him
• being outside
• riding in the shopping cart

We Love:

• his happy spirit
• his smile
• he goes to bed with no problems between 7 & 7:30
• the way he walks sticking out his chest
• how much the 3 older kids love him
• he is finally getting on a schedule (even though we will ruin it again running around with school)
• his personality starting to get stronger
• the way he lays his head on our shoulder when he's unsure of someone
• he's just so sweet

We have had such a great past year with you in our family Brayden!!! We love you so much and can't wait to see what the next year brings. (It doesn't have to go quite as fast as this last one though.)