Ethan is six years old!

Ethan turns six years old today. Just one year and a few days ago we met Ethan Gezahegn in Ethiopia. So much has happened in the last year. We love our smart, resilient, silly six year old. Happy Birthday, Ethan!

Ethan is six!

The Great Easter Egg Hunt of 2012

Victoria and Savannah

Ethan

We had our Easter Egg hunt on "Easter Eve", as Daddy has to work tomorrow. This was the boys' first egg hunt, and they loved it! Their older sisters were a big help in showing them the fine art of egg hunting.

Laramie

Levi

I love my kids!

Fun with pipe cleaners! Who knew what you could do?

We've got the best kids ever... loving, kind, funny, creative! Life is good.

Well Bless this Momma's Heart!

What Momma would not be totally blessed by this interaction.... at bedtime prayers tonight I asked each child "What are you most thankful to God about today? Levi, age 3, thought for a moment and then looked at me and said, "Beautiful Momma". Sigh. Heart melting. God is good!

Victoria's 18th birthday

 Our firstborn "baby" is now eighteen! We can't believe it! Victoria is a blessing to our family in so many ways, and we had a fun time celebrating her special day. Victoria's 18th birthday will undoubtedly be remembered by the "best day ever" (any "Tangled" fans out there?)....a surprise visit from her cousin, Lydia, who flew in from Washington. We had planned a "girl's shopping day"  in Sacramento as our cover story to get us near the airport. Victoria was completely and utterly surprised by Lydia's visit, and we had a fabulous time with this delightful lady.

Heading out bright and early!

These two sisters are also best friends :o)

 

 

 

SURPRISE, Victoria!! Happy Birthday!

 

Birthday dinner out at Kobe's - live adventurously!

Exploring a new fashion statement at Target - feather earrings, anyone?

Quick...someone have another major birthday! We need to have some more fun around here. Lucky for us Savannah's 16th is just around the corner. To be continued......

Christmas 2011

The Crew

Laramie is thrilled with her new bow and arrow set!

Daddy and Laramie

Levi modeling his hat made by Ashlyn

We had a fun Christmas this year, especially since Daddy had Christmas day off -  a rarity in his line of work. That fact was made even more special considering this was the first time the boys would experience Christmas with our family. Each boy had a unique reaction to the day and to the gift-giving...Levi was a bit hesitant and quiet, and as he opened each gift he would then take it and run to put it under his bed where it would be "safe". We explained to him that no one would take his presents and after that he was able to enjoy the experience a bit more. Ethan grew more excited as the day progressed, as he has already developed an attitude of wanting lots of "stuff". He, too, kept a close watch on his "loot" and bagged it up right away, keeping his bag next to him to protect it and watch it. We felt like both boys handled the holiday well. One thing that made this Christmas special was the kid's gift-giving. Every child really went all-out to save their money in order to purchase gifts for all their siblings. It was so fun to watch their enthusiasm as the other kids opened the presents they had purchased or made for one another. It was a special time to enjoy as a family and to share the reason behind the season - the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior - with the two newest members of the family.

Sweet Ashlyn

Cute kids in PJs' under the Christmas tree - love it!

Daddy reads a Christmas story to the boys

Family Fun Nights

We have borrowed an idea from a fellow blogger (kudos to the Mullis Family!) and initiated "Family Fun Nights - the 2012 Adventure" twice a month here at the old Grant Family Farm. We came up with two themes/ideas for each month of the year and activities that would go along with the theme. So far we have "Backwards Night" (come dressed with all your clothes on backwards, and we had dinner "backwards", starting with dessert) and then "Come as a Bible Character" night. The kids have really taken the idea and ran with it, with the olders helping the youngers, making it much easier for ol' mom and dad (and thus much more likely to continue!). And did I mention the kiddos are much more creative than I am? I have laughed and been blessed with their ingenious ideas and ways to pull off a funny idea. Way to go, kids! We are all looking forward to our remaining family fun nights. Maybe this is something you want to try for yourself!

Backwards Night - this is a nice look for us!

Bible Character Night: Laramie as "Lydia"

Bible Character Night: The "Pharaoh's daughter" with "Moses"