ROAR!!! Colson is FOUR!!!

While shopping for Alyvia's birthday, Colson decided he wanted a dinosaur birthday party and for months he's been saying he wanted his party at dad's warehouse....so that's what we did!

Dino bones and herbivore food

Swamp Juice

Grandma Alice, Aunt Liz and Livi

Colson and his buddy Graycen

Rylie, Cole and Kendall

Finn, Kendall and Dylan

"Dino Dig" for party gifts!

Red Neck entertainment....a dirt pile!

The party turned out great, the warehouse was perfect!  The kids all brought their bikes and had LOTS of room to run and play both inside and outside.  They all loved the giant dirt pile in the back and were all a GIANT mess!  We love our family and friends for celebrating our boy with us.  He had such a great party and got so many great gifts.  Thanks to all!!!

Colson turns 4!

Oh this baby boy, how is he 4 already?

 He was just a peanut when he was born, 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 19 inches long.  He took 48 hours to enter the world and he still only does things according to what he wants ;)  He's always been our "fickle pickle" and we couldn't possibly love him anymore!  He is SO FUNNY lately.  When you tell him to hurry and eat, he says "I just takin' my time".  He is really into singing-his favorites are Chainsaw by The Band Perry, This is How We Roll by Florida Georgia Line and a song about God from pre-school (something like "God does his work in the same old way")....he has eclectic taste!

The day before his birthday, Daddy took Cole to The John Deere Pavilion in the Quad Cities.  Colson got to play on the equipment and choose his birthday present, then the boys went to lunch together.  It's become their yearly tradition and they both love it.  

He got his "Big John" and auger wagon for his birthday-he's ready to pick crops!

 That evening we went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate-they sang Happy Birthday to Cole AND he rode the bull...well, he didn't get too into it but he didn't cry or refuse to do it and that's pretty good for our guy!!

Birthday dessert! 

Colson had school on his actual birthday and it was picture day!  He was such a handsome birthday boy!

We took donut holes for his birthday treat :)  He got to open his present from his sisters that evening. 

And after Alyvia's dance class, we sang happy birthday and had a brownies :)  He was a happy boy!

His birthday party was the next weekend :)  Hope you had a great day buddy-we love you!!!

Back to School

Livi has been back to school for 2 weeks now and Colson started pre-school last week!  That leaves me with just Miss Kendall three mornings a week :)  Livi started on August 15th-it seemed so early!  We found out her teacher was Mrs. Duckworth the week before school started and Livi was so happy.  She keeps getting the teacher she wants, which makes the start of the school year so much easier :)

The littler kids and I had some errands to do in Peoria that day so we had lunch together :)

Livi has been loving school so far!  She has homework every night, so that is something for us to get used to!  She's doing so good though and I can tell how much she has matured since last year :)
Colson started school last Tuesday, August 26th.  He is going to Punkin' Patch at Princeville United Methodist Church, just like Livi did.  Miss Chris and Miss Kayli are his teachers.  He was ready to go!

Colson did so great his first couple days of school!  Thursday morning came around though and the poor kid was coughing up a lung.  He sounds TERRIBLE when he catches a cough and I hated to send him "sick" the first week.  So we kept him home and he's getting over it now-poor guy.  I blame grade school-Livi caught it her first full week of school but since she's in 'real' school, she has to go as long as she doesn't have a fever!
This is what our "sick day" looked like-ha!

 I hope both kids have a great school year, it would take a lot of worry out of my life :)  In 2 short years, Baby K will be joining them too :(

Alyvia is 7!

I vividly remember the night of Alyvia's one week birthday.  It was bedtime, I had laid her in the bassinet beside our bed all swaddled tight with a hat on her head even though it was August (we had a window air conditioning unit in our room because we lived in our old farmhouse with no central air).  I got really emotional and was so sad that she was already a whole 7 days old.  I knew, even then, that before I could blink she would be 7 years old....and now here we are.  Her 7th birthday.  I feel like I barely blinked.  That perfect little baby is now a beautiful little girl who is quickly growing up faster than we'd like.  She loves to create art projects, give to others, dance and swim.  She is not afraid to say how much she loves her family and I hope she is always like that.  She is the BEST big sister you could ask for.  She has more patience than I do with her younger brother and most often does what he wants to make him happy.  She loves her baby sister and dotes on her.  She's amazing and I probably don't do a good enough job of telling her that.  Mental note to work on that more :)  We love her and are so proud of the little girl she is!  

We started her birthday celebration more than a week before her birthday!  The last 4 years, my mom has taken her to American Girl in Chicago for her birthday present.  It started to just get her first AG doll and it has morphed into a yearly tradition :)  Alyvia loves it and looks forward to it every year!

Livi wanted her toes painted before we went...Baby needed hers done too <3

I always love driving into the city on Lake Shore

She brought along Caroline this year :)

and Kendall!

Dropping Caroline off at the AG salon

 

 After we dropped Caroline off at the salon, we realized she wouldn't be able to join us for lunch :(  So we made a (very) quick trip around the store and grabbed Rebecca to join us-her birthday present from Mom and Dad!

We picked her up right after lunch, freshly styled!

Nana and her girls (poor baby was teething bad!)

We had a great day in the city and I love that we do it every year....maybe Kendall can have her first trip next year!
Our next celebration was the day before her birthday.  We had her friends party at noon and then her family party at 4.  It was a crazy busy day, but it turned out great.  Livi decided a long time ago that she wanted to have a Frozen party and she wanted to be Elsa, and she stuck with it, so we ran with it!

Her Daddy loves her so much, he strung lights and tulle outside the night before

We went with Olaf's summer for the food, IN SUMMERRRRRRR!!

 

Rylie, Livi, Reagan and Cole

  

Her actual birthday was Monday the 28th.  We found out a lot of places are closed on Mondays during the summer!  We finally decided to go to Wildlife Prairie Park and we met our friends Kristin and Lizzie there.  Right as we parked, Livi said "Hey Mom, look!"  Her birthday buddy Dylan was there with his family too! (His mom Stephanie is my best friend from grade school, h.s. and forever!  We had our first babies at the same hospital on the same day!)

Alyvia & Dylan are 7!

Cole, Lizzie & Livi

 

Someday they may all look at the camera!

That evening we let Alyvia choose where to go out to eat.  Her new favorite restaurant is Chilis :)

The birthday girl in her new scarf from Aunt Anne

 

Colson and his "brakwi" :)  The kid doesn't eat well at all, but LOVES broccoli!

I hope Alyvia had a very special birthday!  We love her so much!  I hope time slows down now....we'll be celebrating her 17th birthday before we know it....Love you Livi Lou!