max turns FIVE!!!

Max is my planner. He is super project-driven & loves to think about every little detail (he is my clone & it is adorable and scary all at the same time!!) Anyways, birthday parties are his thing & he helped me plan and execute his TMNT party amazingly well.

We started out with invites and he would not go to sleep until they were allll complete. Ave got tuckered out in the process, so he hand-delivered hers :) How adorable is that?! 

We stuck to his Primary class friends & it ended up being a huge success. The kids had a blast, Danny was an excellent ninja trainer, and Max was one HAPPY birthday boy. Still can't believe that I have a FIVE year old; time sure flies!!!

Happy birthday Maxwell! We are so happy that you're in our family & we certainly can't imagine life without you! XO

avery turns three!

I'm not going to lie, Avery's birthday was somewhat of a #momfail. It snuck up on us with Graham's birth, my birthday, conference, Danny's birthday, and spring break...so it was definitely on the low-key side. But! Despite the lack of presents, we spent the day together. Hopefully that counts as something?! Grandma Nell saved the day & brought her darling new jammies & incredible Easter baskets and that night, we had our annual ward auction where she was able to eat her weight in treats. Next year I vow to do better!

Danny found Princess tattoos at the store...they were a giant hit! And both Max and Avery were covered in Princesses for days.

Ave loves Grandma Nell!!

Avery is such a joy to have in our family! She is smart, brave, loves to dance & sing, looks up to both of her brothers, and has the most contagious laugh! She will talk your ear off if you let her and has such a great vocabulary. We can't believe she's just turning three (we've had people ask us for the last year when she's turning four!) she's quite mature for her age. We actually get asked all the time if Max & Ave are twins! She loves to imagine all sorts of things, and loves to be read to. She's great at pointing out letters that she knows as we drive, and her favorite show is Super Why. Her absolute favorite movie is Frozen and I'm pretty sure she's got the entire thing memorized. She loves to pray, and the second we get to church she wants to know when it's time for Nursery. She is dramatic, and sassy, and I'm slightly scared for her teenage years :) but we wouldn't have her any other way!!

Happy third birthday Avery Mae!!

We'll love you forever.

xoxo

spring break: danny's birthday

we decided to check out the new aquarium (with the rest of the state of utah!) for danny's birthday & though it was incredibly crowded, we all had a blast! danny's parents joined us and the kids loved seeing sharks, sea horses, and penguins all in real life!

Max saw the penny machine & once we explained what it did, he HAD to have one. They both decided on their favorites & loved turning that crank. True to their personalities, Avery lost hers by the time we got to the car, and Max still has his, carefully placed in his art kit. :)

On the way back to Layton we stopped at City Creek to get lunch/dinner (we were starving!!) and enjoy the beautiful day. Graham was a trooper (as usual).

And to end the night, we celebrated Avery's upcoming birthday with a special "Frozen" cake. She still doesn't quite get the concept of blowing out the candles, but she felt so special that Grandma Debbie had picked it out just for her.

spring break: the beginning

This year spring break was April 7-11 & we enjoyed every minute of having Danny with us! We spent the first few days up in Layton with Danny's family and as always, the drive was exhausting for the kiddos:

Aaron & Missy had their baby Stockton on the 3rd (the day after my birthday!) so we got to meet that cute little guy (with so much hair!!) Graham & Stockton are going to be best buds, just like their dads. (I'm sure there won't be any competition between them at all. Haha!)

Such cute cousins! And they couldn't look any more opposite! 

The weather was absolutely perfect so we spent a lot of time outside. The kids may have found Grandpa's John Deer lawnmower...and while they were out having fun, I was busy getting pooped on by (not a bird!) but my son!! Ha! Graham has got quite the aim :)

Love love these boys of mine. And I know I've said it before, but I just can't get enough of baby yawns. #heartmelter

Natalie set up a fun playdate at the "castle park" and it did not disappoint! The kids had a blast playing with their cousins.

They played frisbee:

And got the first grass stain of the season:

And that night we snuck away (without any kids!) for our free birthday burgers at Red Robin. Yum!!