This boy turned six yesterday....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my first baby.
He brings me joy everyday with his tiny-toothed smile and deep belly laugh.
The overwhelming, neverending love I have for this small man grows each day.


I have many things to say about him and his brithday extravaganzas (plural) however we are busy tonight preparing for our "special trip". Ahem. . . Disneyland - but don't tell our kid. They don't know our destination, yet. So details of the bday festivites will be postponed until next week.

**One year ago, on Eli's 5th birthday, we were told by Nichole & Troy that Griffin would be coming into our family. It was a happy day and one we will always celebrate.

Four

See this kid -

He turns four today. FOUR YEARS OLD. I still love to hold him like a baby and smell him while he sleeps. He loves tigger, blanket and spiderman. He sneaks chocolate anytime he can. His clothes never match and his shoes are always on the wrong feet. He is funny and random and unique. He is stubborn and independent. He cannot be bribed, threatened or punished. He stickes to his guns and forces me to stick to mine. He is creative and loud. He helps me clean and is the messiest person in our family. He likes things best when they are his idea. He carries things around. All the time. He loves to sing and listen to music. He has the bluest eyes and squishiest nose. He makes me insanely happy. He is fantastic. He is fun. He is mine.

We love you Blakey! Happy Birthday!

Happy, Happy Birthday Sister Dear

Happy Birthday, Hailey Jan. We love you at this house.

Month of loooove - 30th edition

Um. So. Last month (January 15th to be exact). I officially left my 20's and entered the next decade. Yes, my name is Britney and I am 30 years old. There I feel much better now. Actually I wasn't ever really that upset about it. I feel like I have done enough that I deserve to be 30. So I will wear it proudly. Except the cellulite and beginning of wrinkles.

Ben spoiled me fantastically. I enjoyed every minute. I have always known he was a great husband, but he blew me away this time. I woke up and he handed me a paper titled "30 Things for 30 Years". One of the sweetest things ever. He had written out our schedule for the weekend including heading to Salt Lake for the weekend to shop, eat, go to a Jazz game, breakfast in bed and sleeping in. My favorite was line 17 -"Back massage from me - with clothes on". Hilarious. The day/weekend was so wonderful. He had everything taken care of, even the babysitting. Thanks for my best birthday ever babe!

We had such great time and thanks to Shell and Hailey for watching the boys.

I also went to breakfast with some friends and then Hailey and Celine came over and helped the boys make me a special birthday cake. So we did cake and presents before Ben and I left for our weekend get-a-way.

I am such a lucky girl to have so many people who love me. I am undeserving.

My sweet Eli was so excited to help make my cake.

There is nothing left to wish for.

Happy Birthday to my Benny boo boo boo and other people too

Happy birthday (oct 25) to my main man. He turned 33. I will always be younger. He's the best guy I know. I really do love him and I even like him, too. He gets better and better every year!

Dinner at Tepanyaki - our fave birthday meal.

Blakey loves the big fire

Griffin is so awesome. He just chills.

Opening presents. He had some help.

Also happy birthday to these people

Sept. 5 Gavin - 1
Sept. 17 Addie -2
Oct. 4 Sam - 2
Oct. 6 Amy - 35
Oct. 24 Shell - 37
Oct. 31 Beckett -3

We love you.

(when you only blog once a month, you have to get 'em all at once).

Happy Birthday . . .

to the cute little girl stuck in the middle of all the boys

love you, ainsley.

My baby boy

Happy birthday, Eli.
You make my heart happy.
You make me laugh and smile.
You help me.
You constantly amaze me.
You made us a family.
You made me a mom.
I love you forever!

A Bath with my Dad

crashed on gma e's couch after a hard day of playing with his cousins

Eli and I were having a deep discussion about birthdays today. He is determined that every day is his birthday, or mine, or Blakey's.

He said "blakey had his birthday so he is three".

me -"yep. how old will you be on your birthday?

E - "five. then i will have another birthday and be six and then i will have another birthday and i will be seven. (at this point my eyes fill up and I'm ready to tell him that no more birthdays are allowed in our house. my boys will not get that old).

E continues - and then i will have another birthday and i will be eight and then i get to take a bath with my dad.

Me - what?

E - I get to take a bath with my dad. . . in the water.

Me - (crying) oh you mean daddy will baptize you in the water so you can have the Holy Ghost.

E - Ya. what's the Holy Ghost? (another deep discussion begins).

I spent many nights during Eli's first 2 1/2 years of life wondering how I would be able to explain things to him. If he would understand the important things I wanted to teach him. I still worry about him. a lot. But I find time and time again that I don't give him enough credit. He understands much more that I think. He surprises me constantly.

I learned today that I am the one who needs to understand the important things he is trying to teach me.

I'm a lucky lady, that I get to be his mom.


Click here to find out what we believe about baptism and the Holy Ghost.

Blakey's Day

Our little Blakey-man turned 3 last Thursday(March 19). We had a fun packed day with cousins grandparents and aunts and uncles all here to celebrate Blake. It's crazy to think that it has been three years since Blake was born. He has been such a blessing to our family and we know that he came to us at a very important time. He is such a unique guy and is always surprising us with things he does and says. He makes me laugh every single day and we love, love, love him very much. I am so happy that I get to be his mom.

Ben and I took Blake, Eli and their cousins Ainsley and Beckett to Jumping Jacks. I think they all had fun - probably more than should be allowed.

this is ben taking all four kids down the "really huge" slide. hil-ar-i-ous!


Then we came home and got ready for the big bash. Blakey kept telling people that it was his Spider-man birthday. So Spider-man it was.

gma ellie knew to get two cans of pringles as part of the gift. no sharing necessary.

matt & erica gave him this fantastic jersey

he thought the candle was a big candy shaped like a 3

spider-man scooter

the scooter gma jan gave him - two scooters and both have already been worn-in


opening presents can be exhausting


An intense game of baseball with a soccer ball and fun in the bouncy castle followed the festivities.

beckett

this is one of my favorite pics.
beckett, cooper, eli & ainsley -
yes ainsley, all dressed up in in eli's "boy clothes"


Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us - especially Matt & Erica, who came all the way from Indiana just for Blake's big day - right guys? And to my mom and dad who were there because of a head injury, but still managed to party with us. We love you all and Blakey is very lucky to have so many people that love him!

*and thanks, mom, for taking the pictures for me!

Happy birthday, sister of mine.

Happy bday (on tuesday) to my little sis. I hope it was fantastic even though Mr Mesnick messed it up by choosing that one girl and then changing his mind and kissing the other girl.

I hope you found many, many cats.

We love you.

I'm 29

We went to my parents house the week of my birthday - Ben was yet again out of town. I was spoiled by my family. I hung out with some of my best friends and laughed my insides out. I love you girls. Thanks, mom & dad, for letting us come up and for making my birthday happy.

he really is my kid