Brett's Birthday and more

For Brett's 10th Birthday, he got his own BB/Pellet Gun. He was very excited. The 'Father's and Son's Outing' will contain a whole new level of excitement this year, I'm sure!
Brett is so funny. Sometimes you'll find him looking up breakdance moves on the computer to try out, and other times he's listening to country music and dreaming about moving to Wyoming to be a cowboy! Displaying his varied personalities, here he is with his cowboy cake and a flashy bowler hat he picked out himself.
That night, we had a really fun birthday party with pizza, presents and 10 boys playing laser tag. It was some serious competition! (For my own personal files, L to R front row: Dawson Hernandez, Brett, Connor Isom, Tristan Stanton, Brady Porter. Back Row: Cameron, Carter, Anson Youngberg, J.B. Zirker. Far back: Rob
Cameron amazes me every day with his BRAIN! Here he is with one of our local news casters. He had just gotten 3rd place in his school's geography bee. After an in-class competition, the top two kids from each class in the 4th-6th grades get to compete in it. (A total of 10 kids). It's usually a pretty big deal. For example, a friend of mine's daughter had written the date of the geography bee on her family calendar back in the fall telling her mom that she was going to be in it, and has been studying to assure that would happen. Cameron, on the other hand, tells me that morning as he's going out the door to school, "Oh, Mom, today is the geography bee and I'm in it. Can you come and watch?"
I'm grateful that he has such an amazing memory and mind, but I'm a bit worried that he's learning that he doesn't need to study, and that's not good. What to do... what to do???



We had let the twins "sleep in our bed" one weekend night (they got to fall asleep in our bed, then we moved them to theirs when Rob and I went to bed). This is what I found. I had to add a picture from when they were brand new as well. I used to go in and stare at them all the time in their crib (0r in this case, their bassinet) as babies. I was in awe that I had not one, but two of these gorgeous little girls. I still feel the same. It's not uncommon to find them snuggled in their bed like this. I hope they always realize how lucky they are to have each other. I know I realize how lucky I am to have them. They were truly a sweet tender mercy from my heavenly father and an answer to my prayers.
"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give
good things to them that ask him?
Matthew 7: 8-11.