Spring Happenings

Also this spring Garrett continued in soccer and he loves to play.  He was put on a team with a really good friend and was super happy about that. He has gotten better and wants to play in the fall.  I think this might be his sport of choice over the next few years.  He is pretty naturally athletic, we feel like he will improve with time.

 It was a sunny day so there was lots of squinting going on.  But they are totally cute!

He is trying to score, getting shots where the move is a bit trickier and I will have to practice my skills more this next year. 

Brady has enjoyed Cub Scouts and has been super excited to do the pine wood derby this spring. His father however was not.  Brad isn't the most excited about  working with tools to shape it but after some prodding he and Brady went to a friends house and worked on it together. His car was not the fastest but he has a good time at the race and learned how to make the car even faster for next time.  

Happy Easter

Easter came and we had a great day, the kids loved doing an Easter Egg hunt two different times this year.  Once was with friends and the other was at a church that had a hunt open to then community.  Jillian started to quickly pick up on what you had to do to get the treats.  Find the eggs.  She was a fan of this whole process.  The boys are old pro's at this and just love to run and get candy.

Garrett filling his basket up with loot!

 At the community hunt they had a sign you could take a group picture by so we tried it out....

Easter morning came and the kids got little things in their baskets and were super excited. We tried to get a cute group shot all dressed up for church.  That didn't go over so well.  Jillian was in a mood. She was not wanting to smile she wanted to be silly or make angry faces.  

While everyone was posting on Facebook Happy Easter with their cute family photos this is what I had to work with.....

This last one just made me laugh...

Once I removed our little comedian I did how ever get a cute one of the boys.  Happy Easter everyone!

New Beginnings

              With turning eight Brady also got to start the Cub Scout program.  He was super excited because he already knew some of the boys in the Wolf Den, it was a huge den with 14 boys!  They didn't stay that big for very long because it was just to much so with in a few months they split into 2 Dens but they still have pack meetings together.  He really likes it, and is staying busy with it.

                                                            His first cub scout meeting!

Another new start was his decision to be baptized into the Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  In the church you are 8 years old before you can be baptized, I feel like this is a good age to be able to understand the commitment and convents that one makes during a baptism. After many talks he decided to go forward and so we made the preparations with the Church leaders and family that wanted to help out with this day.  The date was set for April 12th and we let family far away know so that they could come if they wanted to.  My parents both felt like Dad had recovered enough to be able to make the trip and his doctors agreed so they came.  Brad's mom Natalie and two of his Sisters Jenny and Erin, who brought Abbie her daughter also come from out of town. 

We had such a good weekend, most of them came for just a few days.  My parents stayed the longest since they drove. Brad's mother had written a song when they were younger and she and Jenny and Erin sang it for everyone that came to the church and baptism.  Then we watched Brad Baptize Brady, and it was really sweet.  While Brady was getting dried off and dressed we watched a slideshow of pictures and music that him and all of his friends and family were in,  Then there were a couple of talks, one given my our good friend Ryan Bell and the other by Natalie- Brady's grandmother.  We had refreshments and then after we left the Church we took our family out to eat to celebrate.  

Erin and Abbie had never been to Bentonville so later on we took them to the cute downtown square where the first Walmart was and now there is a museum and cute soda shop.We got milk shakes and talked for a while.  The kids had a really good time.  

  Garrett, Brady, Addison, Jonas, Abbie and Jillian all at the fountain before milkshakes!

 Garrett, Abbie and Erin together.  We have few pictures of Erin and Abbie since they live in Colorado we don't get to see them very often.  Erin had surprised Abbie when they came, she packed all her stuff and picked her up at school and told they were going on a trip together.  Erin is such a cool mom!  

                                                        My parents with the kids.
 

Jenny and all the kids. 

Natalie (Nana Holbrook)

Lots of things going on in April and we were so glad we got to see some many family members. Love them all!

Turning Eight is Great!

            Brad and Brady both have birthdays in March, and this year Brady was turning 8 years old.  Which for us even numbered birthdays means they get to have big parties with friends.  Odd is a small family party.  So he had been excited to plan this party, his birthday is in the first half of the month and I had just gotten home from my parents and dealing with the heart attack situation.  Celebrating seemed life and the 8 years he has been with our family seemed like a reminder of the good things in our lives.  He invited over a bunch of boys his age to celebrate 7 boys showed up and were ready to party!  We started out making paper airplanes and then lining up to see who could fly them the farthest.  Then we played a team game that we kind of made up but it was based on capture the flag.  We had 9 boys total so we split them up into three teams of three.  We had them go to the three corners of the yard and we put a toy in the middle of the yard.  Brad and I were "guarding" this toy each armed with a can of silly string!  We told them they had to try and get the toy but if we sprayed them with the string they were sent to the patio for a 2 min. time out before they could join in the game.  We wanted them to work together and come up with a plan.  Oh my goodness it was the best game ever!!!  I wish I could have taken pictures or video of it but I was to busy playing.  The amount of shirking and laughing that went one for those few mins were awesome!  We did two rounds of it before we ran out of string to spray them with.

 Samuel won the air plan contest,

   All the kids lined up for a group picture.  Brady is of course crossing his eyes

Then we went inside to eat cake and ice cream and open presents.It was a crazy, loud,and exciting night for these boys and Brady felt so loved by all his friends.  He has really sweet friends that I am grateful for.  Some of these kids have known him for years now, and as a parent you always want your kids to get in with a good crowd and have good influences.  I think these boys are just the right crowd for him.    

Eight things we all love about Brady

1. He is full of life, always ready to do anything.  You should see him go down crazy watersides!

2. Heart of gold, he has good intentions-always.  At school his teacher kept saying how he'd get into trouble for getting out of his seat, because he was helping someone else!  LOL

3. Great big brother.  He is good to his little sister even when she messes up his Lego creations and his little brother is his best buddy!

4. He has these crazy ambitions, he is pretty sure that he WILL one day see the Titanic in person in a submarine.

5.  He doesn't see the bad in people, we are trying to teach him to be a bit more cautious in life with out scaring him. He just doesn't see the bad and can't imagine why someone would choose to be that way.

6. He is learning about making choices and had decided to be baptized into our church.  We have had lots of talks about this, he wants to do it and are happy with the choice he has made.

7. He is learning to overcome his aversion to foods he doesn't like.  He now eats SO much more than he use to,and we are PROUD of him for trying new things!

8.Watching him learn and grow, he has an amazing spirit and teaches us many things as we raise him. 

Love this boy!  Happy Birthday Brady