Celebrating Zack's 10th Birthday...

We celebrated at Sunday dinner...

 Zack lighting his ice cream cake.

 

 It's hard to believe he's already 10!

They celebrated with a little badminton...

 

 Nice photo bomb, WYATT!

 Josh & Bailey had a "serious" game of ping pong...

Happy Birthday Zack!

You are one special kid!!

I adore you!!

Then for his real birthday dinner he picked...

Chuck-A-Rama of course!!

My boys love that place!  

He celebrated with a few of his "favorite" people...

 His BEST friend Noah came along.  

These three boys are inseparable!

 Jazzy, Libby & Sophie

 Alayna & Grandma Steen

 Grandma & Grandpa Peterson

 Grandma & Pa-Pa Steen

 Shelly & Zack

 Shelly's everyone's favorite... Libby hopped in the picture!

 These two are getting so big...I love that they are still good friends!

I'm so glad these two have each other...they sure are great buddies!

This is more fitting to how they usually act!

We were hoping with all of your goofing around, you'd knock that tooth out!!

Zack sure takes good care of Sophie!!

 He was so excited to finally get his light saber...a gift he'd known about for weeks!

 He was surprised to get the Dumbledore wand from the Harry Potter series!

 Our family is lucky to have you Zack, everyone sure loves you!!

Happy "10th" Birthday Zack...

I can't believe my Zack is entering the double digits...

 
"10" years old!
It's hard to believe it's been that long since this sweet boy entered our lives.

I sometimes feel like he was my "miracle" child.
It started when I was in the hospital & the Dr. said  he was ready to come & I looked at my mom & started crying because Steve was going to miss the birth of our first son.  I thought for sure he would be back from Iraq by August, but then another miracle happened... Steve happened to call the hospital just then & was on the phone for the delivery!  It was such a blessing!
Steve didn't meet him until he was 2 months old! He got to visit us for 2 weeks that October.

He was already 8 months old when Steve finally made it home!

 He gave me quite a few scares his first few months of life.

 When Zack was 2 weeks old he was really hard to wake-up & had a temperature over 100 degrees. We had to run him to Primary's & he was given 2 spinal taps, an IV & antibiotics.  It turned out to be a virus & he was in the hospital 2 days.
Then when we went in for his 2 month checkup his soft spot had closed up already & he had to have head surgery.

   Luckily it all turned out well, but it was SO scary!

Even though it was one of the most stressful times in my whole life, that sweet boy's smile could always melt my heart!

He is definitely one special kid!

Here are 10 things about Zack:
-He is the best big brother...

He is so sweet to Sophie & Tyler!
-He is very good at origami...he's mastered the Star Wars Characters.
-He is so helpful...when we were building our retaining wall this summer he was the first one out there lifting blocks off the truck!
-He has the sweetest smile...love those dimples!
-He finished swimming lessons this summer!!

-He still hates fruits & vegetables...it's not getting better with age!
-He starts 5th grade in a few weeks!
-He might be shy, but he is so funny!  You should see his "Mario" on the trampoline!
-He can read instructions & put things together easily...a gift I wish I had!
-He is such a good friend!
We are so lucky to have you in our family!!
Happy Birthday Zack!!

4th Of July 2013

The 4th of July has become one of our favorite holidays...

We are so grateful to live in America!

Then 12 years ago we were blessed with the birth of our sweet Liberty!

We started the morning with her opening her presents...

 
 We ordered her a Fleur Delacour wand, it's from Harry Potter.  It hadn't come yet, so I rushed that night to get a few gifts so she would have something to open on her birthday.

Then Steve & I were working in the yard until after 1:30am to try and finish the trampoline area before the fence guys came the next morning.  Then Steve comes in for the night with the mail & says, "Maybe you should check the mail before you go shopping."  It came in time! It had been in the mailbox all day!

 She was so surprised & excited!!

Her brother's sure love her too!

   Tyler got up super early to make a card & Zack made her an origami Princess Leia!

 I love that they are all such good friends!

Then she chose to have lunch at her favorite place...Costa Vida!

Then we got ready for our traditional birthday BBQ!

It was a fun night!!

I always have to get a few pictures of the birthday girl...

 She was so excited about her outfit...

 She got the chevron skirt in Las Vegas & couldn't wait to wear it for her birthday!

 She looked adorable!!

I had to get a picture by the "caution" sign...

Only one more year & we'll have a teenager!!

Here is a picture overload, but I love pictures...

 It was so fun to have Amber & her kids here from Maryland...Love baby Dax!  He has the cutest smile!!

 Steve & his mom matched!

 Marli & baby Allison in their matching shirts!

 Sophie LOVES birthday parties...it looks like she was celebrating with her toy cake!

 Aunt Julie with the birthday girl!

 Cute cousins...Quinci, Winni & Jorie

 Of course we had to get a picture with the other 4th of July kid...Happy Birthday Eli!

 Cora didn't know I was taking a picture...very nice pose though!

 AJ, Eli & Abe were serious about their batmitton game!

Sammi,Grady & Maeli had fun in the playhouse!

So did cute Eden!

 Tyler on the swings!

 Trae & Tyler playing in the sand.

 These cute boys played for hours!

 I stopped them for a mini photo shoot!

 Jasmine, Libby, Jaxynn & Cora...beautiful girls!

We always have to get a picture of Libby & Jazzy together!

 Allison just turned one on the 3rd of July!

She & grandma matched!

 AJ was "busted" with a cookie...ha, ha!

 Another pic of the birthday boy!

We had to get a picture with our birthday girl!

 We sure do love her!!

Her grandparents sure adore her too...

 

Grandpa Steen, Libby, Grandma Steen

 We also had to get a picture with grandma & grandpa Peterson...

Libby is so lucky to have so many people who love her!

Our neighborhood was banned for fireworks again, but after everyone left Steve put the trampoline together.

He finished about 12:30am & the kids were in heaven!  

 I felt a little bad for our neighbors because they were also very loud with happiness! 

 It turned out to be a great birthday!

Happy "12th" birthday Liberty...

 We are so lucky to have you!!