Madelyn turned 4!

Have I mentioned that if Spencer gets a flight, that it pretty much happens at the worst time possible for that day? Well, it does. We decided to celebrate Mad's birthday even though Spencer was on call, because that was pretty much the only time we could do it. The party started at 6, the flight came in at 5:20ish. He literally came back home right after almost everyone had left.  Oh well, such is life!

We had a great turn out, with our friends the Wysowskis, the Jenkins, the Clarks, and the Prados. We had 3 cakes; the All-American Chocolate cake, from Costco (which Mad requested as "the black cake"), my home-made vanilla bean cheesecake, and a yellow, chocolate chip with chocolate frosting. I was worried we wouldn't have enough for everyone, but of course there was extra. Madelyn was ecstatic and loved it all!

The birthday banner I made for Mad

 Wysowski Family

 The "big" girls

 The boys

 little girls

 Lucy slept on Holly the entire time!

Tunnels Beach

We went to Tunnels Beach with the Wysowskis in September. It was a beautiful beach; one we had not been to before. There is great snorkeling there so it was extra fun, since most beaches here are sandy and not great for seeing anything. There was a monk seal nearby. They are endangered, so we can't get very close. They just swim up to the beach and rest there for a while before taking off again. It was beautiful to see.

 I love big, chubby baby bellies in a bikini! 
The first and only time she wore it!

Finishing projects...

Now that Lucy is starting to entertain herself a little more, I have been trying to catch up on some unfinished projects. This is a Transformers scrub shirt I made for Spencer a few years ago!!!, but just hadn't hemmed the sleeves and the bottom. So quick and easy, and so silly to not have finished. But now it's done, just in time for him to start working once a week on his off weeks in the ICU at the hospital here. He's trying to keep up on his hospital skills.

I got an awesome new camera for our anniversary, but the small pictures still show up as fuzzy on here. Anyone know why? If you click on the pictures, they show up crisp. Weird!

Sienna's Soccer game

Sienna is also playing soccer this year, probably for the last time. She just doesn't enjoy it enough and it's not where her talents lie, which is completely fine. As long as she gets out there and tries her best is all we care about. We are so proud of her and her effort.

Aidan's 1st soccer game

Aidan is playing soccer for the first time this year. He's actually doing very well. He's out there, running hard, chasing down the ball. He's actually a pretty good goalie too, (just like his Daddy!). He runs right up there and snatches up the ball. I love seeing my children have these opportunities that I didn't have as a child, especially when they end up loving it.

The Awesome Eagles

Trying to ride a bike...

Poor Aidan. He is such a sweet, tender-hearted child, but he is also very scared of new things. One fear is riding a bike. He has been trying to learn for a couple of years now, off and on, and is still struggling. Spencer has gotten out there with him for hours at a time and he's still just so scared. The sad thing is, he can do it; Spence has let go and he'll be fine until he realizes Spence isn't holding him up and he will literally lift his legs, and try to turn and grab at him. Someday...

Now Madelyn is doing very well on her little bike. She is great at peddling with her short little legs, churning as fast as they can. I so love these little people and all the individual things that make them who they are!

Lucy's Toes

One of the very first things I noticed about Lucy when she was born was she got her Daddy's toes. They are  very long. It's fun to see how she is using them right now as she is almost crawling, and how she pushes off of those long, strong toes and uses them to help her get around. I love seeing these amazing little people as they grow and develop right in front of my eyes. It is such a miracle and I am so blessed to have the privilege of watching them.