Birthday Boy...

On Sunday we officially celebrated Landen's 3rd birthday! I have always loved kids...but I never knew loving a child until I met my nephew! He stole my heart from the SECOND he was born! The first thing I said to my sister when he was born (and continue to say to her daily) "He is so cute!" I started looking through pictures to find a newborn picture to post with his latest and came across this one...how do you not LOVE that face!
At his party...with his ORANGE, MONSTER, CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE! He was dying to eat this sucker for a good 24 hours!

I wish I had been more on top of things at his party...but sadly I was not! :( I didn't get very good pictures this year, and even worse...I didn't get Landen on video when he was singing Happy Birthday to himself! Even though it's not the same...it went a little something like this!

Landen: "Hey everyone start singin' happy birthday!"

Everyone: "To who?"

Landen: "TO ME!"

Grandpa-grandpa: "Who will start us out?"

Landen: "YOU!"

Grandpa-grandpa: "Ohhh no, not grandpa-grandpa, how about you start?"

Landen: "Okay...Happy birthday to me..."

after the entire song has been completed our precious three-year-old claps incessantly with the biggest smile on that same darling little face!

Where does the time go??

Toy Yorkie...?

You've heard the term "toy" to describe small dogs...well now we use that term to describe Ace in many ways...he is small yes...but apparently he likes being in the basket with all the toys too!

Awesome surprise!

So with Ben coaching and spending EVERY Friday night at the games...I decided I would need a blanket. My sister, Katie, has made these awesome blankets for my mom and my dad...so I asked her if she would make me one if I got the fleece. She said sure no problem...turns out I'm never in Bellingham these days, so needless to say the fleece had not been purchased and the football season is half over! Then today my AMAZING sister shows up with this!!!!
That's right my pregnant sister took her 3-year-old shopping after her doctors appointment today and bought me fleece! THEN she went home and spent her day off!!! making me this blanket! Can you believe it???! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it Katie, Thank you! I can't wait for the game on Friday...watch out Meridian, I'm bringin' some serious purple pride!

Ace Bear

Ace LOVES to cuddle and last night he cuddled with Kristi all night while we watched 'Hitch.' He is one of the only boys we allow at our girls night in events every Sunday while Ben is at his coaches meetings! This picture was too cute not to post! Plus he was wearing his new sweater from grandma! :)

Service Project...

My parents have worked with the youth at our church (Christ Fellowship) for YEARS! They have a great group of kids and an awesome small group they meet with every Sunday night...where they play a "Minute to Win It" game, eat dinner, and oh yeah talk about the sermon from that morning! :) Anyways...apparently their Christ Group kiddos have been asking for a service project for quite some time...so this week mom and dad got lookin' and decided that Sumas Elementary could use a mini face lift! Dad got some bark donated and mom got some Fall flowers and Sunday afternoon the kids got workin'! This picture isn't the greatest...and I didn't get many pictures because I lost track of time in my classroom getting ready for the week...but here is the finished product!
Thanks so much guys...it looks awesome! Bring on Parent-Teacher conferences!

Monday treat...

Landen stopped by tonight (with his mommy) to pick up his birthday invitations! He requested a "Chocolate Birthday Party" this year...and Katie thought "Where do you find 3-year old birthday invites with a chocolate theme?" Sooo...we got busy and whipped them out in no time! Here he is holding his invites proudly...shortly after this picture he told Uncle Ben "you can come to my chocolate party...it's gonna be really fun!" :) How do you not LOVE this kid?!!
Thanks for the Monday visit buddy...it's just what I needed! -xoxoxo

Random...

Here are SOME of the pictures I had taken this summer with intentions of blogging...some of them are just too random to post...but these were okay I thought!

This is a picture of Ben and I before he left for his FIRST home game as a coach for NVHS!

And of course I MADE him let me get a picture for the blog! (I'm pretty sure he's thinking sometime like: "Really Wife?")

Here is a picture of Ben coaching the boys at their very first game at Quest Field!!! Not a great game, but a great opportunity to be a coach on an NFL field!

Uncle Ben gave Landen his first buzz...he sat so good...and now informs Ben that he "...needs a new buzz."

I'm not sure when he got so big...still just as blond as the day he was born!

"Ta Da!" Buzz complete...he gave us a nice cheesey smile to blog about!

Now I can feel better about taking new pictures for the blog and hopefully I'll be more successful with posting them!