Unslumber Party

Braden got to experience his first sleepover when Cornell spent the night.  Unfortunately, the boys had to leave for soccer at 7:30 the next morning, but they still managed to live it up a bit.

Capping off dinner with ice cream seemed necessary.  A little sugar before bed never hurt anyone.

Cornell told Braden he needs to learn how to golf, so he kindly offered a free lesson before bedtime....in the family room.

Everything is a competition with these boys. They raced to see who could brush their teeth quickest.  I told them to do the opposite and see who could do the best job brushing their teeth.

They insisted on sleeping in the same bed.

Just a quick pillow fight before sleep.

Somehow they got a hold of my phone.  They begged to play just one game of Angry Birds.

Then they decided to snap a photo of themselves.  Do either of these boys appear delirious yet?!

After making up jokes and cracking each other up, these boys finally acknowledged they needed to go to sleep so they would have energy for their early morning soccer game.

King for a Day

There was no shortage of celebrating on Braden's 6th birthday.  It started bright and early at school and continued late into the night.

It was only the second week of school and Braden already ended up in the principal's office...fortunately, just for a photo with Mr. Birkompas since it was Braden's birthday.

Braden's whole school wished him a happy birthday. Ironically, he shares a birthday with his teacher and the 6th grader who helps in his class.

Mrs. Abell let Braden pick a book to read to the class.

Braden decided to cap off his day at school by sharing Krispy Kreme donuts with his class.

Braden didn't even change out of his uniform before tearing into his gifts.

Star Wars Legos are always a favorite. Any gift that involves Dad's participation is extra fun.

Just when I thought he had every monster truck ever made, I found out that apparently there are a couple he still needed to add to his collection.

Gramma and Papa caught wind of the fact Braden wants to start golfing.  The Angry Bird golf balls were an extra bonus.

The rescue we adopted Bentley from estimated her birthday is in September, so we decided she could share in the celebration on the 18th too.

Root beer with dinner was a special treat.

Braden chose to have a teppanyaki dinner.  He had just caught a mouthful of rice the chef threw at him.

This kid loves grilled onions....and his dad just loves being weird.

An ice cream sundae with a cherry on top seemed like an appropriate way to top off a fun-filled day.

What a Difference Two Decades Makes...

Connecting with family we haven't seen in about 20 years meant we were able to meet a whole new generation and catch up a bit!

Jackson, Violet, Journee, Charley, Miles and Braden managed to sit still...well, sort of.  Somehow Tucker managed to sleep through all the mayhem.

Braden is quite the photographer.  He did an impressive job of capturing the whole group!

We haven't changed a bit in all these years!

These two cuties were probably gabbing about where to get the latest fashions and adorable hairdos.

These boys still manage to pull off cuteness with their goofy expressions.

Just giving knuckles to Miles...

Matt's getting a little practice with how to handle a daughter.

Braden and Aunt Maria share September birthdays, so this was a great reason to celebrate!

Chocolate cake slices the size of bricks are what someone served up for these boys....glad we were only taking one of them home!

Hey Charley, you've got a little something above your lip...and on your chest...oh, your stomach too.

No chance of Uncle John-Paul's BBQ getting stolen from his patio again with these guys standing watch.

This group wasn't quite intimidating enough until Charley grabbed the broom for protection.

Oldies but Goodies

We met our old friends, the Kordicks and McCoys, at Aliso Creek Beach to enjoy a beautiful day.  It's been way too long since we saw them last, but it is always great to see good friends.

Boogie boarding in the water is so last weekend.  This sandy hill offered a new adventure.

Who knew a boogie board could be so versatile?!

My attempt to get a cute photo of Colt was interrupted by Braden and his apple smile.

There's no way Braden could have caught Kreg's toss...

Braden proved me wrong!  Is that a female fan in the background?

Smiles were out of the question, so I suggested that Drake and Braden flex....does this look like flexing?! 

A quick break from tossing the football to pose for a photo.  Shocking that they happily obliged.

After Braden was born, we anxiously anticipated the day Keiley would turn 10 so she could be allowed to change his diaper and babysit.  She's always been so mature and great with kids that we trusted her....how is she nearly 15 now and in high school?!  Sweet little Jax was not so sure about this photo proposition.

Despite the fact Kelsey and Keiley are full fledged teenagers, they are still as sweet and cute as they were as little girls.  We all got a kick out of their hand shake routine they created to do every time they see each other at school.

Looking forward to seeing my old pals, Nicole and Sandy, more often!

The Stork Has Quite a Mouthful

We've always been content with just having Braden. He's such a great, sweet and fun boy that offers us lots of enjoyment.  We have thought that it would be nice to add to our family though, but it just didn't happen.  Prayer changes things though.....sometimes in a really big way!

Braden has never asked for a sibling, so it came as a huge surprise when he started praying this prayer nightly.  He's really tired in this video, but that gave me the opportunity to record him without his knowledge.

God sure answered Braden's exact prayer.  We have no idea where he came up with the idea of wanting twin siblings, specifically a brother and a sister!

Braden's world is going to be rocked when the little ones arrive, but he will make an awesome big brother!

The big news called for a celebration. 

Braden threw in his ideas for names.  He likes Carl and KT...we'll take those into consideration!  Better than other options a 5-year-old may come up with!

Ready or Not...

Lots of parents have mixed emotions about the first day of kindergarten.  There were lots of tears shed by parents when we dropped Braden off for his official first day at Stoneybrooke Christian School.  We know he is ready for kindergarten and excited to make new friends, so we were all smiles.

Braden read The Night Before Kindergarten to Bentley in preparation for the big day.

The fake smile indicated Braden wasn't thrilled about having to take a photo before leaving for school.  I warned him I'd have to take one at school.

Now this looks more like the happy kid we know and love!

It is essential to get the new uniform dirty by testing out the playground before class.

Time to get serious for the pledge of allegiance.  He really is growing up fast!