Austin is 7 Today!

It still amazes me just how fast he is growing!

He wanted to have a Monsters Inc. party so we started out making some monsters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then while we waited for the pizzas to cook we danced to some monster tunes:

 

After dinner he got to open his gifts.  He loved his new Lego set from Great Grandma so much that he didn't want to eat cake or watch Monsters Inc.  He just wanted to put the set together!

We had a monster cake.  Austin and Bethany helped me figure out, just how in the heck to make a cute monster on chocolate frosting!

 

 

I love you my birthday monster!

Beach Portraits

While at the beach today we snapped as many portraits as we could!

I tried to get a picture of all the cousins.  It didn't really work so well, but I did love this candid shot!

Bethany and Me

Bethany's toes

Me and Bryce

Austin

Danny

Bethany and Gabe

Steven

Myah

Lyndie

Gracie

Rainy Day at the Beach

My sister Bethany and her family have come down to visit for a couple of days and item number one on our list was a visit to the beach.  Today was rainy but it didn't stop us!  We drove up the north coast and stopped at Scott's Creek beach, which we renamed to Skipping Stone beach.

 

The kids all got soaking wet but they had so much fun exploring, digging, running, climbing, etc!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Austin showing me how old he is today!

Christmas Day

After Christmas Morning we packed up and headed home to be with Bryce the rest of the day!  When we got home Bryce told the kids that their room was a big mess and they needed to clean it up right away!  When they got upstairs, this is what they found:

A huge blow up, roll around in ball, that fills up with balls, the perfect gift for our 2 very active boys!  As soon as Austin saw it he hollered "Incoming!" and dove right in!

Bryce also surprised me with a nice, clean house, and he had borrowed a small tree from his Dad so we would have a tree!

 

I finally finished Danny's stocking this year!

He really spoiled the boys this year!  Danny got a Wall-E.  I think the look on his face tells just how much he loves it!

Austin got another Transformer:

And a Storm Trooper helmet and gun:

And a book to put his baseball cards in:

And for all the boys he got a Police Chase Slot Car Race Track.

Guess which car Bryce races?

Christmas Morning

We spent Christmas morning up at my mom and dad's because Bryce had to work Christmas eve and would be sleeping all morning.  It made for a great morning, to be surrounded by family and happy little ones.  My dad made us french toast for breakfast which was such a treat! 

I think Austin's favorite gift of the morning was his new automatic toothbrush.  He calls it his "animated" toothbrush!

Danny's favorite was definitely his new train!

Reading their new books:

Gypsy's first Christmas!

Playing the Melody Harp with Oma and Great Grandma: