LET'S GO FLY A KITE...

A couple months back my dad came over to show the grandkids how to fly a kite. Abbey and Mike just happend to be over and Wyatt had been talking about flying a kite for a few days. The weather conditions were just perfect, but the kite didn't always cooperate. Could've been that the kids enjoyed playing in the streamers every time it fell to the ground. Thanks Grandpa, for being so fun!

Levi's new favorite spot...in the oven drawer. Only problem is he gets stuck and can't get out. Such a doll. I love you, Levi, and all of your quirks.

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Oh Levi! I can't believe you were born 1 year ago. My how the time has flown. You are getting so big and it makes me sad. I love you more and more each day. You are a beautiful baby boy. You are a joy!

Here you are walking around with your Grandpa Webb

You don't enjoy wearing hats, so, I hurried and put this on and snapped a picture right before you threw it off!

You didn't waste any time eating your cupcake. You didn't even get any on your shirt! You do love the sweets.

The party guests, minus a handful of adults and Miss Stella.

For your first birthday we had a party with family. Those in attendance included Grandpa Webb, Mickey, Carrie, Dan, Cam, Jenny, Stella, Connie, Tim, Abbey, Mike and baby Benjamin.

You were tired from a day of swimming, but took a nap right before the party.

The boys and I decorated the house with balloons and signs and the cupcakes were frosted with green frosting and sprinkles.

It was a fun night, but we had to be quick because you were getting tired and ready to go to bed! You LOVED your cupcake and ate it right up!

You got a lot of great presents. I know they were great, because all of the other kids took them away from you and played with them all night, but you didn't mind because you had fun with the balloons.

AT 1 YEAR OLD:

You love to sing and listen to others sing

You aren't walking yet, but have been standing up on your own

You have a very silly, yet very fast crawl

You have a temper...your face gets red and everything (funny story: earlier in the day when we were swimming a little girl pushed you down and you got really mad and yelled at her!)

You love to get into the kitchen cupboards and bathroom cupboards; pulling everything out and making a mess

You like taking baths

You take 2 great naps! You love to sleep

You eat big people food and love most anything

You love your bottle and thumb (especially when you're tired)

You love your blanket

You love your brothers

You lay your head on my shoulder (...and it melts my heart)

You babble and say, "da" all day long

You wave

You have 2 teeth on top, 2 on bottom

You smile and laugh a lot

You are ticklish

YOU ARE LOVED!

A few months ago I was online admiring the incredibly beautiful pictures of the Pied Piper (www.piedpiperphoto.blogspot.com) and saw that she was doing a "hot mama" shoot. I thought, "Well, I am a mama (needing to feel "hot") and I seem to just be getting older, so it might be a good idea to capture my "youth" while it's still sort of here, and it would be fun to get pampered (they did my makeup)!" Oh yeah, and maybe Jared would appreciate them too. So, I did it...

and it was fun....

and Jared WAS really surprised and LOVED them....

and I think the talented Lindsay did a great job!!

What do you think??

So, I thought it would be fun to keep it all a secret from Jared... thanks Connie for watching my kids! It was really, really hard for me to be patient and to wait for the pictures...and even harder not to tell Jared about them. The day I got them it happened to be the 5 year anniversary of Jared graduating from dental school, so the boys and I threw a grad party and I framed some of the pictures so he could put them up in his office! It was a lot of fun!

We don't believe in wasting any time around here!

Does anybody else's husband come straight home from work and start on the yard work without even changing clothes?...or just mine?!

LOOK WHO'S GROWING UP...

Too fast I might add! Ooooh, I sure do love this guy!! What a joy he is.

Luke got his cast off a couple months ago by Dr. Dad. His appointment to get it off fell right on the day that we were going out of town, so instead of waiting until we got back Jared took it off (Luke was sucessfully running on it).

First we started in the garage...

Let's try this laying down

Then we moved inside...

"Dad, let me help!"Silly observer"Yeah!"

A couple days later...

KIDS ARE SERIOUSLY AMAZING!