A Happy 1/2 Birthday Surprise

Think we surprised him?

Everyone likes cake and presents, right?  And everyone knows when to blow out the candles, right?  WRONG!  When we walked out with the cake all a glow, he immediately blew them out - didn't even know he was supposed to wait for the singing to end or make a wish first.  Who made up those rules anyway?  That light-up card he's reading is a Hoops an YoYo b-day card.  He's still laughing each time he opens that one (so is his mother).  I heart hoops and yoyo.

Our little family taking a stroll...(thanks for cooperating, family...and by cooperating,
I mean not complaining TOO much)

When your teenage son gets big enough to wrestle his dad & wins most of the time, it's time to change the rules of "fair fighting".  For example, why not go ahead and lock your teen in one of these thingies while trying to punch him back?  After all, he started it!

The boys were trying to prove that goats will eat anything...but don't worry, mom stopped the "feeding" after just one rather large leaf.

Went to NC for the weekend (which is where all these photos come from)
to see my little brother and his cute wife.

This would be my LITTLE brother.  Pretty sure he could bench press me.

Played at a children's museum where MJ loved the pretend store.  My check-out girl just didn't like when I bought the fish.  Of course I had to buy it again and again because this face was just too cute to NOT see each "trip" I made to the store!

Never too old to play with Leggo's...no matter how many times you tell you mother you're bored. 
Sure didn't look bored to me!

Building...something. 

Madam C loves to climb trees....

MJ...not so much! 
Too bad you can't "hear" this photo - she was screaming like a Corey!
(yes, it's called screaming like a Corey because his scream is so ear-piercing and annoying that it would be offensive to girls if we called it 'screaming like a girl.)

In other news, we finally have some regular activities in our life.  Of course they all revolve around athletics (surprise, surprise, eh?)

Chelsea is in gymnastics and loves, loves, loves it.  One of these days her mother might remember to take her camera and take some pics.

Miranda Joy is in dance and donning tap shoes once in a while.  Mostly, though, I think she just likes to wear her pretty pink leotard and twirl to music.

Corey and Jacob are patiently waiting for soccer season to roll around.  No indoor leagues here unless you pay $500. - which I won't!  So, they hang at the YMCA when we're there - which is at least 3 times a week - playing in the interactive "teen room", swimming and learning to play racquetball.  Surprisingly, neither of them are terribly bad at racquetball.

Jared made the JV basketball team this week - Yea Jared!  He's been going to open gym nights since school started, but this week he came home sore and tired and sore from tryouts.  That doesn't happen often, so they MUST have worked him hard!  Looks like we'll need the family season game pass to watch him play - I wonder how much a family of 6 will cost?  Yike$! 

And Mom and Dad are at the Y with the above mentioned kiddo's.  I am learning that treadmills aren't too terrible - mostly because nobody needs anything from me while I'm on it.  It's like I get into a zone...and it's almost peaceful (Tiffany & Elisabeth, I hope you were sitting down when you read that last sentence).  And playing racquetball with my hubby and teenage son is quite enjoyable. Sometimes I even win :o)

Still church shopping, but it's getting easier to just show up somewhere and go with the flow.  Have officially been invited to church by 2 different people now.  I honestly expected more than 2 people would have said the words "You should come join us at our church someday" given that we live in the Bible Belt.  Maybe 7 of us scare people?  Oh well, guess once we land somewhere permanent we'll be the one's going out of our way to invite people to church - because it would seem that very few people do that around here.