Birthday Tailgate

Birthdays were the thing to do in September.  Grayson turned 10 on the 12th, cousin Luke turned 5 on the 13th and Lennon turned 1 on the 17th.  With all of these fun birthdays to celebrate we decided to simply the birthday parties into one big tailgating birthday celebration!

 My beautiful 89 year old grandma and the girls.  So blessed that she can still share

 these special times with us!

 Grandma Erika and Beck, Lennon, Grayson, Wesley and Ayla.  So hard to get a pic where everyone is looking at the camera or has their eyes open.  

 The Zeka grandkids and our little friend Peyton.

 Jake, his brothers and sister Mandy

The extended Zeka family-all cheering on the CATS

My FAVORITE picture of all times...88 years apart but so close in heart.  Love these two!

Happy 1st Birthday Lennon!!

 Miss Lennon Lucille turned 1 on September 17th!  Your day started with a #1 pancake and and a family sing a long of happy birthday!

You LOVE shoes (mostly wearing them on your hands) and despise hairbows, barrettes and anything that has to do with making your wild hair less wild.  You eat with a fork, love to dance and walk only when pushing a walking toy.  You point and scream when you want something and definitely like to share about your your day while at the dinner table.  Your favorite foods are yogurt and nutri grain bars and you say "mmmmm" after each bite!  You still climb up and down stairs faster than I thought humanely possible and like to bounce on the trampoline with your siblings.   Rearranging your shoe closet is still a top form of entertainment for you and you think riding in a car for long trips is entirely overrated.  Your smile is contagious and you are loved so much!  Happy birthday Leni Lou!!

Double Digit Birthday

Can't believe that my first born has hit the double digit birthday!  I remember how excited I was when I found out I was having a baby girl and you have not let me down! You are smart, analytical, kind, funny and one of the best parts of our family.   Love the person that you have become and the choices you have made so far...including having these superstars as your friends!

 Filled the bedroom with lots of balloons

 Dad's traditional # pancake

 Lunch with school besties...at Pizza Hut... "because on Thursday's they serve curly fries at the buffet" (Only my child would know this!!)

A quick McDonald's ice cream run after pizza and a few friends begging to not go back to school!

Happy 10th Birthday Grayson Nicole!

Happy Campers

For the past two years the girls have wanted a "camping theme" party. Not sure what excuse I used two years ago but somehow I got off the hook.  Last year since I was having Lennon they understood that would not be possible.  This year I had no real excuse to NOT do it (well, except for the fact that we are leaving for Disney this week) so a camping party it was.  We hosted 12 girls plus our 2 for a night of scavenger hunts, a campfire, s'mores, campy crafts, an outdoor movie and sleeping in tents.  

 Love the invites (thanks pinterest and Jessie

 http://www.announcementstoponder.blogspot.com)

The pics aren't good...only managed to remember to take a few with my phone.

 Entry to "Camp Zeka"

 Plates and cups (tin cans and containers)

 The food table...complete with a trail mix bar on the back, (sorry..no pic)

 The eating and craft table...can barely see it but the cutest part of the table setting was the chairs...all stumps from a tree

The campfire!

 Crafting fun with Miss Smith....our favorite art teacher and friend!~

The Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt was a blast!  Stole the idea from a friend and pinterest of course!!

Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt- Team Wesley

 Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt-Team Grayson

 The only boy allowed-dear old dad

We could NOT have asked for better weather....and the outdoor movie was so fun!  The girls all bundled up in their sleeping bags, enjoyed trail mix, popcorn, and orange and purple pop!

School Days Fall 2013

Yes...back to school was a month ago but I am bound and determined to get caught up!  Here are some of our back to school photos!

 Meet the teachers- back to school night

 Wesley Grade 3

 Grayson Grade 4 with Miss Bryant (and she is back in class with her 2 besties-Roe and Claire!!)

 Wesley and Mrs. Bammes (Gray had her last year and we LOVE her!!)

 First day of school pancakes courtesy of dad

 First day of school 2013-2014

 The yearly Marlatt Elementary School sigh picture

 Beckhams 1st day of preschool (although he now attends a different school because the 12:30-3:30 schedule was NOT working for our family)

Beckham and Ms. Christy

What we do while the bigs are at school

Life as we know it changed when the girls went back to school.  My extra sets of hands are gone and now we fill our days in different ways.

Like watching  the "digger guys" out the window when we drop off our shoes at the shoe repair shop.

Riding on automated trains at K-Mart.

Dressing  Up in head to toe Superman gear (he really is MY Super man!)

PRAYing  that the grocery cart with the car will be at Dillons when we get there,

 building lots and lots of "flyships" with our Legos,

watching the neighbors tree get cut down...

...and lots and lots of playdates with our sweet friends!