Happy Birthday!

We love you! And your wild kids say next year I need a candle for each year so we can save electricity. We shall see about that!

Go team pink!

This morning we were able to cheer on our niece Natalie during her championship basketball game.  It was a great game!  Here she is on defense!

And then an action shot on offense!

And working as a team!

It was wonderful to be able to see her play and get second in the championship game!  Way to go!!

Strategic Thinkers!

Today the boys got Strategic Thinkers awards at school!  Last year they both got the award for Strategic Thinkers too, but last year they were in shorts and tee shirts, this year it was pants, long sleeves and jackets!  

We are extremely proud of them and how they are putting their brains to the test!  Well done!

Off to the Dance!

Matt and Anna went to the sweetheart dance again this year!  It is sweet to see how much they look forward to it and how much Anna has grown!  No need for Matt to kneel this year to get a more even photo!

A cute photo that was taken before they went inside.  

We were talking about Anna's shoes and if they were too big and if they would fall off.  After I asked if they fell off and she said no but while they were at the dance they remembered that last year she did have a shoe fly off while she was dancing!  :-)  

Build it and they will climb!

Today we took the kids to a climbing center to use part of the gift certificates they got for Christmas.  At first it was a bit overwhelming, not knowing where to start!  

And then they just started going for it!

And trying new routes!

And yes, even hanging upside down.  

 

They have a number of walls that require harnesses and the kids were limited to the automatic ones because Matt and I weren't climbing.  I think that was a good thing though because those options were the routes more of their level.  

In this area there were a few kids specific routes.  Anna went up. 

And Mason.

 And Olivier. 

 They did venture to some of the other routes too.  Here is Olivier on the right. 

And Anna.

They are all very tired tonight and are planning what they want to do when we go back! 

Bowling into 11!

Today we went bowling with a group of Anna's friends and family!  It is getting much easier to take the kids bowling now that they can actually lift and bowl in the proper way!  :-)  There was a group of eight girls on two lanes that were having a blast!

Then three boys and Corbyn had a lane.  Helping Corbyn bowl reminded me so much of bowling when the Arnold kids were little and before she joined us! 

 After pizza and brownies and almost everyone had left, Anna and Corbyn played the dance game.  Anna and Corbyn are still joined at the hip!

 Looking forward to see what the next year holds for our sweet Anna!

Yes, Anna is 11!!!

Today our sweet Anna turned 11!  She still love pink, horses and glitter but also has grown personally so much in the last year.  She has a lot to be proud of and I am sure the year ahead will bring many new adventures and challenges that she will rise up to face and grow from and we can't wait to watch her!

Tonight she opened a few gifts.  

And per her request she had brownies for desert! 

And yes, she did let the boys have some.  :-)

We have more celebrating we will be doing this weekend.  In the mean time, here are the silly questions we ask each year:

Favorite Color:  Pink (pink, pink, pink, pink, pink, pink)
Favorite Book:  Unwanteds or Going Wild books by Lisa McMann (Harry Potter spell book, Harry Potter - all of them, Rainbow Magic, Rainbow Magic, Rainbow Fairy, The Cat in the Hat)
Favorite Gift:   (Hermione wand - from Harry Potter, pen pal kit, doll scooter, roller skates, wallet, pop charm bracelets)
What do you want to be when you grow up:  Horse trainer or vet, not so sure on the vet because it would be more school (horse trainer, horse trainer, horse hider, horse rider, librarian, librarian)
Friends:  Lina her cousin and Lupe from school (Lina and Lupe, Lupe from school, Lupe from school, Lina her cousin, Sydney from Cal Poly, Sydney and Brooklyn from school)
Favorite thing to do:  Read (read, read, read, read, read books, play on the structure at school)
Favorite thing to do at school:  Science (science, science, science, write, play on the structure, write in straight lines)
Favorite food:  Macaroni and Cheese and ham casserole (macaroni and cheese, macaroni and cheese, Macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni, yogurt)
Favorite place to go:  anywhere with horses (I forgot to ask!!, she wasn't sure where this year, school, beach, library, the secret forest - a place they trek to at school)
How old will you be when you grow up:  21 (20 because she won't be a teenager anymore, 25, 20, 53, 34 - Same age as Mom, 16)
How old will you be when you get married:  24 (22 like mom, she didn't have an answer and wasn't sure if she would, 30, 20, 20, 17 - and she said she would marry Mason)
How old will you be when you have a baby:  29 (she isn't sure that she will, 30 if she gets married, 35, 25, 40, she said she didn't know if she would have a baby)
She is 4' 9.75" and Mason is about 1" away.  She somehow keeps growing enough to stay taller than him.