My Hero

As we were preparing for Patriotic Day at school this morning (dressing the girls in any red white and blue combos we could scrounge up) Kimball informed me that tomorrow is "Dress like your favorite Hero Day" Oh crap, on top of Halloween costumes for the weekend now I have to come up with a Hero costume. Ugh.

Then she said "mom, I want to go as you."

Oh, for the love of all things holy, if she didn't just make my year. *sniffle, sniffle

I guess I better get busy finding a very "motherly" looking hero costume.

1/2 a Year!

My baby is very nearly one half year old. He is growing way too fast. (I know that phrase is way over used but it's so true this time.) He is getting too big too fast and I just want my little baby to stay a baby for just a little longer.

He thinks he's so big.

His favorite toy is my phone or my ipod, definitely a 2011 baby!

He'll eat pretty much anything he can gum to death.

Luc can make him laugh at any given time.

He's learning to crawl and sit.

And he's cute. Super Cute!

He's gets "out" quite a bit. In his first 5 months he went to Utah and back, to Las Vegas (2x) and California, a NFL football game, a MLB game and to the zoo 3 times. No wonder he's growing up so fast!

His first experience with Utah... Not sure what he thinks of that.

He got to meet his Great Grandma Avey (aka Gma Vegas) just a couple weeks before she passed away.

The Cardinals/Chargers game was a little loud for him but he was a good sport.

He loved the Dbacks game but that might of had something to do with us being in an all-you-can-eat section where we didn't have to sit the whole time and all of Seth's co-workers could pass him around.

Plus 1

In case 4 young children wasn't enough we have once again added a teenager into the mix. Heaven forbid we would actually plan for something like this. Not us. We just jump into things at the last minute. Last year it was all my idea and it took some convincing to get Seth to agree to it but with about a week's notice we took in our first exchange student. Killian became one of the family with little effort. After he left it felt like we were always missing someone. But then we had Nash and our house was crazy and crowded and it felt normal.

Two weeks ago we got an email from the director of the exchange program saying they were in desperate need of a host family for a Brazilian student that had arrived the week before. I called Seth "knowing" that he would be my voice of reason and say "absolutely not." Level headed, practical Seth was nowhere to be found. And now life is again crazy and crowded. And of course we love it.

It's been an adjustment, it always is when you add another one to the family but we are so happy to have him with us. Poor kid got to live in a house with 2 other exchange students (1 who is also from Brazil) for the first week and then he was thrown into our house with 4 little kids and no other teenagers in sight. I think it has been more of an adjustment for him than for us.

Soccer Chicks

Seth is coaching McKay and Kimball's soccer team this season and it has been so much fun. The kids are having a blast and playing really well. They don't keep score in 5-6 year old soccer. The kids aren't supposed to know if they win or lose. But let me tell you something. They do. The parents (including me) totally keep score an the kids know who won. Last season we didn't win any games. Not one. And the kids definitely knew it. It's been fun for them to be on a little better team this year and to actually score some goals.

Isn't she cute?

Kimbalita

My little Kimbalita turned SIX on Monday. And in true Avey fashion we partied all weekend long. Birthdays last for days here in our home and I think that's how it should be. It only comes around once a year so we might was well get the most out of it.

She had a birthday party with friends. I keep saying that at some point we are only going to have a friend party every other year but as their birthdays get close and they start telling me about their "plans" I always cave. Maybe next year I'll be stronger. Here's how the fun went down.

Kimball's Rainbow Splash Party

Pin the Cloud on the Rainbow

(Kimball's idea)

Rainbow Cupcakes

(the inspiration behind the theme)

Rainbow Drinks with name labels

(my very inexpensive excuse for a party favor, there were also

rainbow candy bags but I forgot to get a picture of them

A Borrowed Water Slide

(fits right in with the inexpensive part of the theme)

We continued the weekend of celebrations with a party at Nana and Papa's with her cousin Sloan who was celebrating her 10th birthday. Kimball wanted salad for her birthday dinner and Sloan wanted Tacos so they compromised and we had taco salad. What 6 year old wants salad for her birthday dinner... she is a child after my own heart.

Then we finished off the celebrations on Monday by going to IHOP for dinner (kids eat free!)

All in all a good weekend. Kimball's birthday always falls right around General Conference weekend so she is blessed to have a mother who has it fresh in her mind that being a mother and loving her children is a top priority. I love General Conference.

On side note, this is my 5 month old. Is it just me or is he attempting to crawl? Please no. I'm not ready for that!!!