MIA!

When you have a blog, there's just so much pressure to post. I mean, all those people (my mom and sister, at least!) just checking in, seeing if I had anything interesting, or even mundane, to post. And I do! I have many mundane things to post! And yet, sometimes it's just hard to make it to the computer. It's not that I don't have things to talk about... I mean, Nolan turned five, for goodness sakes! But we were busy, with birthday celebrations, with a visit from Gram and Grumpy, with a trip to Minnesota, with soccer, tball and softball. Lots of things! But what I do like about a blog is that people read it! It is pressure, but it's good pressure! If this were my own personal journal, it would now be sitting on the table next to the bed, pen on top, gathering dust. Much better to let a blog go for a week or two and continue it, than to journal for a day and give up!

So, with all that, here's what's going on in our lives lately. The biggest thing is that Nolan turned 5. FIVE! Can you believe it? I sure can't. I just wrote about him turning four and I couldn't believe that, and now here it is another year later. Five-year-olds can talk clearly (mostly, anyway), they go to school, can read, have their own interests, a sense of humor. And Nolan's there right in the middle of all of that! His celebration lasted for at least a week, with several events to commemorate...

To start it out, we made our annual trek to Stonefire Pizza to meet Aunt Jen and cousins to celebrate both Nolan's and Chad's birthdays. Stonefire is a cross between Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Busters. What was really neat this time is that they had a special going where you purchase a card to use, and you got to play unlimited games for an hour. I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or Jen and me! Here's some highlights...

They have a paint your own face station, and the kids love it. Even more fun is trying to get it off once you get home and the kids are tired.


Erin and Max riding in the car and below in the train... it was cool because with the unlimited card for an hour, they could ride these as much as they wanted and I didn't have to pay for it!

They don't let you bring presents inside the restaurant, so we always open them in the back of the van and open them afterwards. It's kind of funny, we have three years of pictures like this, I think!

Here's Nolan's actual birthday... he woke up to balloons, streamers across the door to his room, and got to open his presents in the morning.

We celebrated that night with neighbors Cody, Kyle, Jenny and Rocky.

Nolan loves his roller skates, but I'm not sure his butt and knees are so happy with them after he took them outside. He could use a little practice!

This is apparently the birthday cake pose. Not sure what that's all about?

Unfortunately, mid-day, Nolan looked a little like this. He spiked a 102 fever and was a little out of it. But, with some rest and some drugs, he was ready to play tball for his first practice that night.

The next day, Gram and Grumpy came to celebrate with Nolan, too. He really wanted to go back to Stonefire Pizza, but we talked him into Family Funland instead. It's not better, just 30 minutes closer! Then Friday we headed up to Minnesota to Aunt Lisa and Uncle John's house. Saturday we celebrated Nolan's birthday and Sunday was Megan's First communion. We had a ton of fun up there, but the drive. Ugh! The drive. I just can't do it. And I'm not even sure who's the worst in the car, the kids or Dave!!

John and Lisa have a karaoke microphone. Here's Dave and Jake, who never met a microphone they didn't like!

More presents!

The girls...

Happy birthday dear Nolan, Happy birthday to you!

Abby calls this the bird cage chair.

They look so peaceful! :)

Abby has decided to let me get her bangs cut. After this picture, I'm especially thankful!

All the kids. Well, all the kids that I'm not carrying around with me.

The boys...

No way would Max sit for another picture. I'm just glad you can't see all the gray in my hair! It's getting bad... to color or not to color. THAT is the quesiton!

It was a long and hot mass, but the kids did really well.

And that's basically it, other than some random pictures. Here's Max. He likes sitting on the potty. Won't go, but will sit. I guess I'll take what I can get!


And here's a nice day, although windy. We decided to get the kite out (I may have posted these already... if I did, forgive me!)

Max thinks he's big...

And Nolan, who can now do the monkey bars alone, really is big!

The great thing about Nolan turning five is that I totally exploit it because he's so proud of it. "Is that how a five year old acts?" "A five-year old would help me." "Five year olds can run faster, go get that ball!" I'm mean, but I'll take it for what it's worth!

Happy week!