#14 BC, P2 (SURPRISE!)

Kaleb and Noé's friends Brooklyn and Zaynab planned a surprise party for them!  They each invited a handful of friends from church and school, planned the games, decorations, and food.  All I had to do was clean house!

I think they all had a fun night!

They all took lots of pictures and shared on facebook, but they let me take some fun shots too.

The little ones also love a good party.

Silly face!

I had to take a couple more after Jessica S arrived.

Party monsters.

This is one I stole from facebook.  Kaleb looks so fancy in his hat and crown, ha ha!

They had a huge polaroid fest and I love this one of Noé and her purple nose!

My kids are blessed with such good friends!

#14 Birthday Celebration, Part 1

I can't believe my Kaleb and Noé turned 14 (old enough to start going to church youth dances!)!  It's always hard to celebrate birthdays on school days, so this year we've started a new tradition.  They took brownie bites to school to share with their classmates (the teachers of the older grades don't care like those of the younger grades do), then that night we had a simple celebration at home with a pancakes topped with strawberries, whip cream, and candles dinner.  Our kids are good sports and they were fine with this, as they also got to open their birthday cards from both of their sets of grandparents ($$).  We're also not throwing any "friends" birthdays this year (just too stressful with our upcoming move).

We'll celebrate Kaleb's birthday as a family again on Saturday.  He's going go-karting, getting a blue cake, and his birthday gifts from us.

 

The following Saturday we'll celebrate Noé's birthday as a family.  She's going to Sephora for a make-up lesson, getting a pink cake, and her birthday gift from us.

I'm sure they'll have more fun surprises this year and I'm just so grateful that they are mine!!

Happy Birthday Kaleb and Noé!!

Get Well Soon

Oh my goodness, 2016 has been the year of health care visits!!  So far we've had NINETEEN different appointments (and we have NINE more scheduled) with our family doctor, dentist, dental specialist, ENT specialists, x-ray clinic, Health Canada, and CHEO.  Ali had ear surgery; Teague and Hiram had dental surgery; and Noé was supposed to have surgery on her foot.  After spending two hours at the hospital we learned that she didn't have to have surgery after all.  We are grateful that she didn't have to have surgery and we hope the cysts on her foot will go away on their own and not cause her any pain or disrupt her shoe-wearing or sports-playing abilities.

 

Her sweet boy (friend) didn't know the surgery wouldn't go as scheduled and gave her a "Get Well" gift. 

He gave her a beautiful coloring book, some yummy chocolates, some squishy-soft socks, and a beautiful card.  (He's a keeper, I hope he'll still be around in about 8 years...)

Melody and Harmony

In the summer of 2014, my friend Marsha moved across the country and we got her keyboard.  Kaleb immediately took to it and started teaching himself to play.  After performing in the school talent show at the end of the school year in 2015, we decided to put him in lessons for this school year.  He began in Conservatory Grade 1.  After 6 months of lessons he has now completed Grade 2.  He loves to play (especially on a real piano), so whenever he finds one sitting empty he'll sit and let his fingers fly (at our friends' homes, at church, at school).  His teacher has a baby grand piano and he dreams of having his own someday.  He also sneaks and plays the organ at church whenever he can.

Last year at school was his first year of band and he quickly took to the saxophone.

Noé took the flute last year at school, but she decided this year she wanted to try something new and is now learning the clarinet.

Of course, that made Kaleb want to learn a new instrument too.  He is continuing with the saxophone for concert band, but has started learning the trumpet for jazz band.

During February, the school has 3 "winter fun" days.  In years past our kids have got to go skiing and snowboarding or sledding and ice-skating.  However, this year they will be attending University for a week and going to Toronto on an end-of-year field trip.  With the big expense of those activities, they had to stay in the school this year for the winter fun.  Noé came home from one of these days so excited because her music teacher taught her and a few of her friends how to start playing the ukulele.

Soon after that their teacher shared a new set of ukuleles with all of their class.  Kaleb is enjoying that instrument too.  I'm glad my kids enjoy music!  Someday I hope to take piano lessons again myself.

Bullet Bill

 

Gavin got all dressed up in is Cub Scout uniform...

 

...for the annual Kub Kar Rally!

 

He designed his car to look like Bullet Bill.

 

I think he did a great job!

He didn't win any races, but he didn't lose all of them either.  He made most of the car himself with the help of his Cub leaders (which we're so grateful, we're not very good builders at home).

 

Here's Bullet Bill with Gavin's lightsaber car from last year.

 

And here's Gavin's collection along with Kaleb's.  I would love to have a dozen cars designed by all of my boys, but I don't know if we'll have the opportunity for Kub Kars/Pinewood Derby in India  :).

Leap Year

One of our Leap Year traditions is eating dinner backwards.

Here is our appetizer:

Brownie sundaes

Our entrée:

Lasagna

 

Our dessert:

Caesar salad and yummy bread

And our drinks:

Ocean Sunrise

(Sprite, orange juice, and grenadine)

I always think of frogs when I think of Leap Year and this logo shows I'm not the only one!  We finished off our night with a double-feature.  Well, we actually played one movie in the basement- The Muppets, and another upstairs- Leap Year.  Both great shows.  We'll see you again in 2020 (when Kaleb and Noé will be seniors in high school, Gavin will be in 7th grade, Teague in 5th, Hiram in 2nd, and Ali in Senior Kindergarten, yikes!).

Have Teen, Will Shop!

For February's parent-child date we took Noé out to dinner at Robbie's Italian Restaurant and shopping!  We told her she could have the equivalent of movie tickets or museum admissions to use on whatever she wanted.  She decided she wanted to search for her 8th grade graduation dress (I kind of think it's silly to have graduations before 12th grade, but when in Rome...).  We ended up finding two super cute dresses that were both reasonably priced.  We decided to get both as the other will be her Easter dress.  She also got a new pair of high heels.

Here's a sneak peek at them.  I'll post more at Easter and the end of the year of her in them!

Monograms

I still have my handkerchief from the Las Vegas temple dedication in 1989.  Leonard still has his from the Cardston temple rededication in 1991.  We were so excited to get to participate in the Montreal temple rededication in 2015.  We had plain white handkerchiefs, but Kaleb wanted to embroider our initials on them.  He did such a wonderful job!  (That boy amazes me with all the things he is constantly learning how to do!)

Leonard

Jennifer

Kaleb

Noé

Gavin

 

I wish Teague, Hiram, and Ali were old enough to go, but we'll have to think of something else to monogram for them ;).