Happy...To You!

Since Nora's 1st birthday she's loved this toy cake we got her.  It teaches you the birthday song and you practice blowing out the candles.  It's all in hopes that she'll learn to blow out her candles at her 2nd birthday...since she missed that memo before her 1st.

Here's proof:

All that learning finally paid off and se has a new favorite song!  Goodbye "Itsy Bitsy Spider", hello "Happy Birthday!"  The perfect day came for her to show it off...Daddy's birthday!  She did not disappoint.  She sang to him for days!

Here's a video of her singing "Happy Birthday" her way:

Aaron had a wonderful birthday week to celebrate his 28th birthday!

We started early by celebrating with his Dad & Dee Dee and his siblings on  Saturday since they were in town.  We also celebrated Halloween so he probably doesn't count it as a birthday celebration.  We met at a pumpkin patch and the kids picked out pumpkins.

Daddy & Nora picking a pumpkin

The girls: Nora, Ellie, & Hayley

She still LOVES 'chairs'!

Then, everyone came over to our house to cook, eat, and paint pumpkins.

It was CRAZY & left a HUGE mess!

After everyone finished painting we sang to Aaron & had Oreo ice cream cake and a cookies & cream cake. Nora was happy to sing to and sit with Daddy to help him eat!

Blowing out his candles!

She LOVES sitting with Daddy!

On Wednesday (Aaron's actual birthday) we met Aaron's Mom (She goes by grandma but the way the kids say it sounds more like gram.mah), Aaron's sisters (Christie & Rachael), and Rachael's kids (Hayley, Ellie, Tyler, & Aiden) at Cici's.  Aaron's typical birthday request is pizza.  Easy, huh?  I didn't take any pictures though.  We looked about the same as we did in last year's pictures. =)  During the day Nora & I decorated the front door for his birthday.  Of course, that means he went through the garage and missed it all.

Our front door.  The colors are paint samples with 28 things we love about Aaron on the back of each.

Our hidden cupcake.  Newest family tradition.  You get to find in on your birthday with some kind of  treat/surprise in it.  This had 28 more things we love about Aaron.

On Thursday, we celebrated with my Mom & Steve.  Steve picked the perfect place...Red Lobster.  Aaron has been oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the endless shrimp commercials.  It was my first time there.  Yes, those biscuits were good.  My recommendation...don't get the steak.  Haha.  I'm not in love with shrimp.  Aaron loved every bite of it!  Nora's favorite part was probably the lobster tank.

Aaron & Nora at Red Lobster

On Friday we wrapped up the birthday week by going out with April & Travis.  They took us to a Mexican restaurant.  You can never go wrong with Mexican.  Lucky me, that followed up with a little quick shopping!

Aaron is one lucky guy!  He made out like a bandit on his birthday with new clothes and shoes.  (He definitely needed them if you've ever seen him at work with holes in his pants & shoes!)  He is the absolute best!  While I stay home and play (among lots of cleaning up messes) with Nora, he's out there working very hard for us!  Nora & I love him so much and are happy to celebrate his birthday for a whole week!  Heck, we'd celebrate it for 2 weeks if he wanted...he's that good to us!  We love you, Aaron!!

Partying Hard

October 26th was Aaron's birthday.  He turned the big 27!   Since it was his special day, he picked what we would do.  Of course, it involved pizza!  (Surprisingly, it did not involve a movie.  That's what he's requested the last several years!)

Both of our families met at CiCi's for pizza.  (Aaron's birthday, Aaron's choice!)

This little girl, Ellie, took LOTS of pictures!

Here are Aaron's family...well parts of them from a 3 year old's perspetive...

                   

           

                         

          

We came back to our house after dinner for cake and ice cream.  

Aaron wanted carrot cake & butter pecan ice cream.

We sang, ate, and Aaron opened his presents!

Happy Birthday, Aaron!  We LOVE you!  Nora & I appreciate EVERYTHING you do!  XOXOXO

1,2,3,4

Finally a blog catch-up...

ONE. 1 trip to TN for the week to get to know some of Aaron's family while he and his uncle worked on his grandma's house! We had fun and they LOVED Nora! (Was there any doubt...?) It was nice to spend time getting to know them. Sadly, I never took any pictures! We have just be on the go lately and it's not stopping! This week we're home wrapping things up and then we're beach bound until mid-August! Woo-hoo for Nora's first summer at the beach!

TWO. 2 people that love, love, love Aaron! (Well, I'm sure there are more...) Nora and I pulled out all the stops to show Aaron how much we love him for Father's Day! It started with special edition pop tarts (YES! We are too late Sunday mornings to eat a real breakfast!), some new shirts, cookies, and Nora gave him a book about Father's Day. (Nothing too great...just lots of thoughts!) Oh yeah, Nora wore a special outfit that said "Daddy Loves Me" too! We did eat diner with my family and had a meal he likes--mini meatloaves. Each of the men had their own desert of their choosing too. Aaron chose a strawberry cheesecake ice cream cake.

Aaron is the BEST Dad! He loves even the diaper changing because Nora smiles and shows him how much she loves him too! Aaron did a great job speaking at church about fatherhood and does a great job taking care of us every day! He works hard all day and then often works hard at home fixing up the house! I love him so much and am so happy with the great man he is!



THREE. Nora is now 3 MONTHS OLD! Can you believe it? She is growing like crazy and it is so exciting as she begins to do more and more on her own! She absolutely loves watching people and sitting up to be a part of things. (Yes, she also enjoys the tv. Our poor girl will bend her whole body while eating to see the tv!) She can play on her own with her play gyms for a long time now! (Woo-hoo!!) We've also been working with her on a new trick. If we howl, she sings along!! I haven't decided if that's to get her to love dogs or Team Jacob. =)





FOUR. The 4th of July. We had fun celebrating for two nights. Nora looked super-cute in her outfit my mom made her! Her cousin, Millie, had a matching one but sadly we never got a picture of them together in it. Good news: Aaron didn't even get hurt shooting off fireworks this year! (I'm always nervous!)

Mr. Dad

Excited. That is what Aaron is.

He can hardly stand the waiting some days. He loves to watch my belly move at night when I'm conked out on the couch and he's watching tv. He's even been known to pull out his cell phone and shine the light on my belly to watch it move. Yeah, there's an alien or something in there.=) She moves crazily sometimes!!

We recently went to a weekend childbirth class. It was long...Aaron was MUCH better at sitting still than I was. (Surprise, suprise! I mean I can't sit still normally, especially not in an uncomfortable chair 8 months pregnant!) He also listenend, and probably learned, a lot more than I did! So, each couple got a baby. Aaron picked ours out. I think it may be Asian. He did all the work. He washed her, changed her diaper, and got her dressed. He was the BEST in the class at putting the diaper on! Seriously, those other Dads must have no clue. They were folding the top flap in, letting it sag, all kinds of crazy stuff! Aaron even folded down the front for her umbilical cordage. =)

He tried to tell people that he thought she'd be born in February. He's always saying he doesn't think I'll make it and she'll come early. Finally I asked him why he thought that and the truth finally came out...he just wants her here so he can hold her! Haha. How sweet! =)

Here's a few pics of him taking care of our baby doll...enjoy!

Listening, intently, on his baby care instructions...

Cleaning out the crevices...our plumper will SURELY have a lot of these!

He knows exactly how to get the corner of the washcloth and wipe the baby gently! Hah!

He LOVED it!!

What Goes Around, Comes Around

It's true. What goes around, comes around. Just ask Aaron.

He teased a youth at church about cutting his forehead/eye area with his scope while hunting. A few weeks later, Aaron does the SAME thing.

He teased another youth about wobbling and walking funny on a hurt foot. A few weeks later, Aaron twists his ankle BAD and can't walk right for a while.

He teases his wife, FOR AS LONG AS HE'S KNOWN ME, about having glasses and such horrible vision. Whatd'ya know...he needs glasses! Ha!

He is handsome in them though. And looks very smart...