Aubrey is 6!!

Time is flying and we can't stop it!  Good thing we have pictures and videos to look back on.  I can not believe our little girl is 6.  

It feels like it was just yesterday that I was taking these pictures,

but then again, when I see these pictures, it feels like forever ago!

Although I do prefer this age much more than the baby days,

She still does her laundry all by herself.  This routine started when she turned five years old.  She has done great with it, although for some reason folding the clothes and putting it away has become quite the challenge to tackle, but we push on!  I know in the end this will be very helpful!  I do know that it is a blessing to have one less person's laundry to do.  When I do the rest of the laundry I just don't pick up hers.  When her basket gets full then it is time for her to take care of it.  It is still a lot of consistency on my part, but hopefully it will be worth it.  One time, she was out of clean underwear and Blake said I needed to help her out and do it while she was at school.  As much as I wanted to, I didn't have much sympathy.  Mean mommy!!  She got it done though!!

My girlie girl loooooves hers (and my) accessories!

Oh loosing her first tooth.  This will forever be a wonderful memory to look back on!

Our little Kindergartner!  She loved going to school, even the first day she was anxious and ready to go!

Here is when Aubrey Rose turned:

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

Austin is 3!

It feels like just yesterday Austin was born.  

Okay maybe not yesterday because at the same time, 

I can't even remember what life was like without with this little ball of energy running all around.

Austin you are spunky, silly, incredibly expressive with your personality and also so very sweet.

You are a lover of everything with wheels.  

Cars, airplanes, tractors, trucks, trains or even big "humungous Monster" trucks.

Austin, you love to make messes.

 

Not just messes, 

I am pretty sure you take pleasure in breaking things.

Why???  

Your Daddy and I have no idea.

 You might just want to test Daddy to see if he can really "fix" the problem.

You have bent back and ruined more books than I can count.

You choose to often bend your toys until they pop and break.

We are trying to teach you how to respect your things (and our things) every day.

I hope the lesson will soon sink in.  :)

However, with the struggles of raising a two year old, now three year old,

comes great joy too.

Austin, you are a ball of energy,

running in circles around the house.

You make me giggle and laugh all throughout the day.

Sometimes even just your silly smirk makes me laugh.

We are so very thankful you figured out how to go to the bathroom in the toilet.

Your sister just decided one day she was done.

She was done with diapers for naps and night all in one day.

You didn't ever want to get rid of diapers.

But, one day Daddy and Mommy decided for you and you have not looked back.

You have rocked that new challenge and we are soooooooo very thankful!!

We aren't 100% through naps and nighttime, but we are SUPER close!

You have some big shoes to fill, but you can do it with that big grin 

and the way you love with all your heart!

Your Daddy might be your FAVORITE person on Earth.

However, that might be highly debatable.  :)

Then again, that might be debatable as well.  ;)

You have been telling us since last summer that your "birthday is COMING!!"

Well, your birthday finally came.

You are officially THREE!

Austin James, I praise the Lord every day that you were born.

You sure are my favorite little boy.

You are so very loved.

Not just by your daddy, your sister and myself, 

but by sooooo many others.

Most of all, God loves you even more than I could ever imagine.

I am so very thankful for God blessing us with YOU!

Happy 30th Lauren!

Last weekend we got to enjoy the evening with some new friends.  

We met these friends about a year ago when Aubrey Rose came home from Awana's, 

asking us if we "knew who Drew was going to marry."  

I, at that time, had no clue who "Drew" even was, 

let alone who he was going to marry.  

Aubrey proceeded to tell Blake and I, 

"He is going to marry me!"  

Oh really???!!!  

We are not okay with her already talking about marriage.  

She is only 5!!  

However, then we met Drew's parents.

They are wonderful!  We hit it off right away.

Here is Drew and Aubrey Rose.

Well, Drew's mommy turned 30 and her husband and her sister 

threw her the most adorable party.

 It was a black and white cocktail attire party.

 Here are the ladies who were at the party.  

We didn't get a picture of the guys!

Lauren has three sisters.

Here is Lauren (sitting next to me) and two of her sisters.

I would definitely love to be an adopted sister in this family.

These girls were so fun.

Or maybe even better we could have an arranged marriage for our kids.  HA!!

Sun Valley

The morning after Christmas, we hopped on a plane and went to Sun Valley, Idaho.

We went to celebrate Blake's sister, Blair's birthday.

She turned 25.

It was freezing cold there, with only a tiny bit of snow.

Good thing we can figure out how to have fun anywhere!  :)

The first morning we went to breakfast, the guys went skiing and then...

we went ice skating.

CC trying to figure out how to make rainbow looms (Aubrey Rose's new Christmas gift).

When you cross the street in Sun Valley, you take these orange flags 

and hold them until you get to the other side of the street.

Daddy and Austin….matching sunglasses.

For Blair's birthday dinner, we went out for some yummy sushi.

Mimi is always so prepared.

She brought sunglasses for the birthday fun.

The next day the five of us went skiing…

A little bit of play time in the snow.

Just barely enough snow to make her "snow fairy"

Aubrey took some ski classes and this was the mountain she tackled.  

By the end of our time here, she loved to ski.

Next time we hope there will be more snow!

One of our favorite pics from the trip!

A little shuffle board action on our last night out on the town in Sun Valley.

It was Blake and Brad against Bill and I.  

Blake is just TOO good at that shuffleboard!!

The game started the evening off good though.

Above is really how we are, but we can let loose every now and then.  HA!

Last day.

Aubrey had another ski class.

Daddy and Uncle Brad went skiing,

while the rest of us relaxed and enjoyed our last day before reality set back in.

We ended the kids day with some epic tube fun.

The kids absolutely loved it.

The next morning, it was time to go home.  :(

Sweet, cold memories to last a lifetime!