Sam

 I can't tell you how very much I love my Sammy.  He is just a delightful baby.  Not an easy or low maintenance baby, but so very affectionate.  From a young age he started hugging and giving slobbery open mouth kisses.  When I come back (from a meeting, or just from another room) he squeals to see me and when I pick him up he pats my head and face and puts his open mouth over my cheek bone in a "baby kiss."  When I hold him he hugs me tight and pats my back.  When he wakes up from nap and I'm laying next to him, he grabs my arm and with both of his little hands pulls it toward him like a fisherman pulling in a net until he has enough of my arm to wrap his little arms around and hug.  He's just so sweet and lovable!

Oh those chubby baby thighs!!

Hyrum's Birthday

 On Hyrum's 7th birthday he got to open presents, then go to P.F. Changs for dinner, then to Build a Bear to build a Spiderman Bear, and then to the Lego Store where he bought some Star Wars legos.

 Hyrum's birthday party was a week later.  We did a party package at Elevated Sportz, a trampoline place.  The kids got to jump for one hour, and then they had one hour to eat pizza and soda, open presents and eat cake.  Other than bringing the cake, I didn't have to do anything.  Quite a nice change from our normal type of parties!

 Brielle and Cassandra playing basketball.

 Little Sam didn't get to jump.

One of the spots has trampolines up the walls, Hyrum likes that room.

 And all of the kids loved jumping into the pit of foam, at the other end of the place.

 A third trampoline "room" where the kids play dodge ball.

 And then the basketball "room"

 Clara loved bouncing around.

 Time for pizza and cake!

Hyrum requested a Star Wars Angry Birds cake.  For the cake inside I made a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.

And last but not least, the sweaty, cake covered kids got to open presents!

Hyrum had a wonderful time at his party, and we're so glad he has such good friends to celebrate his birthday with him!

First Days of School

 My attempt to take a picture before the kids went to school on the first day didn't work well.  The bus is coming around the corner and Hyrum is already taking off to go catch it.

Here's a picture of them after school.

Clara's first day of preschool.

A Rapunzel Party

Clara had a Rapunzel themed party this year.

The kids got to pick duckies from a duck pond to win prizes.

 They each painted a lantern to take home.

 They helped Maximus find treasure by digging for pink diamonds.  

Not pictured, there was also a ring toss around blue "towers", and a Toss Pascal game where they threw plastic chameleons into frying pans.

 The pinata is always a favorite!!

 Present opening.  Clara's friends gave her awesome presents!

 The cake was fairly simple, but she loved it.

 All the princesses had fun.

I had bought 30 floating paper lanterns to send up into the air, but the first one we lit floated right over our fence into the neighbor's tree and continued to burn and light the branch on fire, which we put out with our garden hose.  Here you see the soggy remnants.  We didn't light anymore.  Maybe we'll do them for Brielle's January birthday.