Bottom-less Pits

And so it begins. A mere thirty minutes after finishing a hearty dinner, Max complains that he's hungry. I have a feeling I'm going to have to stock up on a lot more bread and peanut butter to fill my five bottom-less pits.

Reason #429 That I'm Glad I Have 5 Sons

If you ever want a good laugh, come on down and watch Aaron coach Max's kindergarten basketball team. This should be the stock photo under the phrase "herding cats" in the dictionary. I love it! 

School Pictures '14-15

When the boys brought home their school photos, Aaron immediately called for re-takes. I'm certainly not arguing; I don't plan to hang these pictures over the mantel. I mean, come on, they all have a dazed and confused expression on their faces with a canned cheesy smile. But, let's be real. Let's say we did go ahead and order retakes...would they turn out any differently? They will make these same goofy, cheese-ball smiles next time, too! What can I say? They get their photogenic skills from their Dad;) I'm just feeling pretty wise about deciding against ordering the platinum package of these little beauties. 

Cornbelly's

Cornbellys is to a pumpkin patch what Disneyland is to a park....they gouge you on admission, the crowds are ridiculous, but it's a blast for all ages! The best part about our excision to Cornbellys this year was that it felt like there was something for everyone--the kids each found something different that they loved. Hank liked racing the cars and navigating us out of the maze, Max liked shooting the dried corn with a cannon, Ben couldn't get enough of the slides, Joey was fascinated with the animated animal band, and Rocky was pretty easily entertained just taking it all in. With our family spanning so many different stages, it was great that one place kept everyone engaged and happy. 

Halloween Kick-off Party!

Nana Grover threw a party to kick off the Halloween season and I took away two things from the event: 1. My kids are so ridiculously lucky to have a grandmother who spoils them with her time and affection; and 2. My kids need a big lesson on gratitude. 

Nana Grover invited the boys and several cousins to her house for games, dinner, and treats. She had put a tremendous amount of time into decorating for the party, planning games, preparing favors, and providing dinner but as soon as the kids caught sight of the candy it felt like they lost all of their manners and a frenzy ensued. It's like the sugar caused their eyes to glaze over and they became rabid animals, attacking anyone and anything for more candy. By the end of the party, the ground was littered with wrappers, the kids had sticky hair from mashing donuts with their faces, and they were still raring for more! Because in their sugar-rush my boys forgot to say it, I will say now what I know they meant to say: thank you, Nana Grover, for inviting us to your Halloween party and always making us feel special.

My Baby is 1!

Rocky's birthday was everything a first birthday should be: a reflection on a special first year of life, a celebration shared with loved ones, balloons to chase and slobber on, toys wrapped in fascinating wrapping paper, and a chance to smear chocolate cake into every bodily crevice. 

We love Rocky to bits and bits. He completes our family perfectly. Happy first birthday, Rocky!

Epic

I may have shared this before, but I have this crazy superstition about "epic" years occurring once every four years. Think about it: age 8 = baptism. Epic. Age 12 = almost a teenager, graduate from primary. Epic. Age 16 = driver's license and dating. Super Epic. You see the pattern here. Throughout my life, epic things have occurred clustered in multiple of four years...marriage, graduating college, becoming a mom, home ownership, etc. So, when year 32 rolled around, a multiple of four year, I curiously waited for what epic thing lay in store. As I prepared this collage tonight, on the eve of my littlest babe's first birthday, I realized that this may be my most epic of all years--past, present, and future--and yet nothing really monumental took place. Lots of really great things happened, but nothing milestone or headline worthy. So what about this year claims the all-time-most-epic title? Just look at the face of that gorgeous, perfect, sweet little boy in my display....I MADE him, and his four older brothers, and I bear the privilege/responsibility of watching my sons grow from fresh, squishy-nosed newborns into delightful, smart, special young men. Rocky has been a bonus; my cherry on top of a very sweet sundae. He is precious beyond words and has added an indescribable contentment to my heart. I cherish the year I've spent with my last baby boy, who won't be a baby for much longer, but look forward to watching him develop through his next stages too.  I really can't think of anything more epic than that.