Birthday leftovers

We could think about taking down the decorations, or we could keep playing with these balloons and just leave them up until Jonathan's birthday...
 

Sunset at the pond

I wonder if my orange coat makes the turtles think I'm part of the sun going down? 
 

Are you ready for some football?

I feel like the rest of you aren't in the full gameday spirit. 
 

Party times

We always have multiple cakes and parties around our brithdays, but I still feel like we could fit a few more in...

My girls and I took over Allen Pond park for a bithday celebration last weekend, and that included testing out their outdoor stage for our future performances. Check back in with usin a few years, we'll be selling out all the tickets for those seats. 

No birthday party is complete without candy, even if you have to fight for it!
 

Best pillow ever

OK, it's pretty lumpy, but I still think it's good for napping. 
 

Cross country meet #1

After a few weeks of practice, this weekend was out first cross-country meet of the season. I opted to jump up into the older division with the rest of my fourth-grade friends, so that meant two miles each race this year. That's a ton!

I hung in there for my first-two miler, but it was hard. Why do they put so many hills on the course?

Jonathan is taking on two-miles for his races too. I think Mom and Dad should think about investing in a hot tub for our sore muscles after these competitions!

Happy birthday to me (version 2, part 9)

Another trip around the sun means another check-in with our birthday bear to see how much he has grown. 

Here he is just a few days after I was born:

And after one year:

When I was two, he seemed to get a little smaller:  

And by three years old, he was definitely shrinking: 

He kind of leveled out around age four:

But he started shrinking again at five:

And at six:  

And at seven:

 

By last year, the guy was almost tiny:

And now, nine years later, this guy is still super cute but definitely undersized: 

Luckily, I haven't changed at all. And the bear is still big enough to get angry when you make fun of how small he is: 

Of course, there is someone in the house who just keeps growing too much ...

... but he's kinda cute and cuddly too.

Boy scouts drive-in

A giant screen, a giant soda and a giant tub of popcorn? Sign me up! 

Autumn skies

I still don't want summer to be over, but the sunsets for fall are awfully pretty. 
 

School photos preview

Hopefully we'll look this good when they take our formal portaits. We used super glue on Jonathan's hair to try and keep it in place. 
 

Comfy seat

I guess when they called it a "Kids' Chair" they meant more than one kid. 
 

Making breakfast

I mean, I'm not going to eat it, but I bet Mom would love breakfast in bed...