Wonders of a 4 year old

I've wished so many times I could jump into my kids' heads and see thier thought processes and understand better how thier little minds work. Allie has all of the sudden discovered the freezer and is completely intrigued that whatever you put in there, within a few hours will be a solid lump. It started out with sippy cups full of water, then evolved to half-eaten yogurt cups, and here is the latest...

I wonder what I'll find tomarrow.....

7 Years old Today!!

Happy Birthday buddy! I can't believe our little man is seven years old already! There are so many things we love about Layton! He is thoughtful, kind, always a peacemaker, and I can always count on him doing the right thing. He has a genuine love for people and a wonderful smile! Sometimes he can't even speak because he's smiling so big! We are so thankful for you Layton!


Layton loved his vintage airplanes from Great-Grandma and Grandpa Herbst!

Here are some of Layton's other loves right now:

Star Wars
Legos
Star Wars Legos
Motorcycles
the Wii (Lego Star Wars of course!)


The day started out with breakfast in bed (I had good intentions to make waffles, but fruit loops are good too, right?)


After church, Grandma and Grandpa Herbst and Mikesell came up for dinner and a little birthday celebration!



We love you Layton!

It's the MoSt Wonderful TiMe of the YeAr

Is it really another 11 months til Christmas? What a wonderful time and oh how quickly it passes. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail, and having conversations with friends and family that are long overdue. It's a good thing we have cameras and computers to help us document such special occasions! Here are a few highlights of our week-long celebration!

Happy New Year!!! How 'bout we celebrate by having another Christmas party?

Morgan and her cousin Nate opening gifts from Grandma

Cousins Madyson, Cason, and Reygan join the fun

Layton and Grandma showin the love

We tried something new in our family this year. Instead of having a couples exchange, we all put together gift baskets centered around a theme of our choice and brought the baskets with us to our party. Then we drew names at the party to see who recieved which basket. It was so much fun to see what each couple came up with for their gift basket. Here are some of the baskets recieved...


Mom and Dad recieved a car washing kit. Complete with bucket and everything needed to shine up your ride!

Mike and Camille recieved a basket entitled "My favorite things" including a hot cocoa maker and vinyl decor plate, Idaho spud bars, and lots of yummies.

Ryan and Cody recieved a "Family Fun Night" basket, also including things needed for breakfast the next morning!

Quinn and I also recieved a "fun night" basket with games, movies, and lots of yummy treats!

Sari and Derek recieved a "snowman in a box" gift basket with everything needed to make a snowman except the snow!

This was really such a fun way to get the creative juices flowing and challenging to stay within a certain budget, and I'm already thinking of what next year's theme just might be. Hmmmmm.....