happy 5th birthday Charli!!!

Doesn't seem possible, Charli is now FIVE years old!!  Five is a big deal, lots of things happen when you are five!  The most important to Charli is that she will get to start skipping nap at daycare!  Before I get the "she still naps" riot-act...yes she does, and we love it ;-) 

With 5 also brings more freedom and perks with life in general!  She also gets to ride her bike on the street, when she is ready.  wow, five is fun!!  She is excited to be five, and I think it is fun because I remember when I was five!!

We had her party the weekend before her birthday because there was going to be  a family campout the weekend after...which worked out great because I was in CA the week of her birthday and it would have not been fun to come home to prepare that!!  Charli got everything she asked for except the red power-ranger samari dress-up costume.  Shucks ;-)

 this is Charli and her green lantern sleeping one night last week!  He sleeps right next to her, and she will often cover him with her favorite blankets!  This night she stole one of Harper's blankets though!

 enjoying some fun in the sprinklers!  We have had some hot-hot weather, so its been fun to find ways to cool down!

 Harper could not wait to get in the tub one day last week!!  He took his shorts off, but didn't seem to mind keeping his diaper and shirt on!!!  I guess bath time is too much fun to wait for?!

 Charli's cake!!  It was delicious, I may add!  The top left is "space" with Buzz and the Alien hanging with the stars and the bottom right is the country with Woody, Dino, and Slinky!!  She loved it!

 Charli got everything she asked for, so really everything made her excited, but in looking at pictures - nothing matched the excitement of her green lantern mask/ring!!  She got a bird-book from my mom...which she has loved!  She really enjoys finding birds outside, going to her book  and discovering their names!  She is spoiled rotten, and our cluttered house proves it!

 for those moms of girly-girls...you will never understand this child!! 

 the pure joy of a little birthday girl!!

Five is so fun because not only can she show her emotions, but she can put them into words appropriately and vividly!! 

 proud of her cake!

pinata time!!  It was a soccer ball...so it only makes sense to kick the candy out of it!!  This was just as much fun to watch as it was for them to do I think!!

 I was in CA Monday - Thursday of this week for work.  On my way home I had a three-hour layover in Denver for Chad's oldest sister and her kids came to keep me company (which ended up being just long enough to watch me eat lunch).  It was fun to get to see the kids, and to "do lunch" like we could if they lived around here!  Conner and I ran around a bit together, racing his mom and sister down the escalator, and Londyn just loved me for bring her a Minnie Mouse from Disney earlier in the week!! 

 Harper is such a great little brother...he gave Charli several birthday gifts in quantities of two - so they could play together!! (these new dry erase/color boards and batman shirts!!)

 spiderman tossing a web!

 mini-spiderman!

 a purchase I may grow to regret!  Charli asked for the red power-ranger suit as well as buzz.  She originally didn't get either.  While in Disney I found this, and knew she would never forgive me should she knew how easy it would have been to get for her!!  She didn't want to take it off!  In fact, she wore this to daycare the next day ;-)

 loving on her new bedding set - which is Paul Frank...she loves it!

 SO-So-so excited to get a new baton.  She had one a few months ago which broke (perhaps because it is from the Dollar Store, but what do I know!!) and asked for one for her birthday!! She has given this a lot of love, and it is probably the most "typical little girl thing" she has played with all week!

 Charli is not a fan of cake, so for her birthday I got a birthday cookie...she loved it!

As you can see her buzz outfit and spiderman mask where involved too!!  She informed us that she "only had one boyfriend" after blowing her candles out!

getting ready to blow her candle out at her daycare party!!

Happy Birthday Charli

Almost every year I have done something special for Charli on the blog. However, this year I am in California tonight so this is as amazing as it gets!

Happy Birthday dear Charli! Your 5 years on this earth have brought more into my life than the 25 years before you! I love you and hope you have a great day!!!

So much love from the west coast!

-xoxo-
mommy

Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

it doesn't take much....it doesn't take anything at all

HOT * HOT * HOT!!

We have had several hot days lately!!  Both of our kids have been "blessed" with Chad's heating and cooling system, and seem to get red as soon as they get in the heat.  The second Harper steps outside it looks like he has a terrible sunburn...but he generally isn't phased!!  When we left for the fair today, my car said 106!!  Anyway...we have been finding ways to enjoy the heat :-)

Harper and Grandpa Bob looking over the edge from the top of the shop by gpas office!! 

Chad and Harper...he really enjoyed to be in and around all of the equipment! 

Last weekend we were out there riding while Chad was getting ready for whatever job they were doing Monday -- and Charli just jumped right in and wanted to check the tires, etc.  At one point we were all helping!!  Grandpa Bob and I had two pieces of pipe and the kids were moving blocks of wood!  I love how they want to jump in a help...and Chad loves it too!

 she gets so into riding sometimes, it is hilarious!!  She takes it very seriously ;-)

Charli loves to picnic at the shop when we are there...this is after supper play!  Hmmm, wonder were they went?!

this is Harper's new "oh no" face...love it!

 Harper playing dress up in Harper's clothes!! 

 big ole Platte County Fair! Harper was climbing all the fences!  Chad wasn't sure if Harper would be able to pet all the animals without trying to give them kisses!!  (he did pretty well, only tried to kiss a few!!)

 Chad and Charli after watching the pigs cool down with a nice little bath!

The other day while the kids were playing before we started our day Charli told me that Harper tried to hit her in the chest.  This is how the conversation went....

"Mom, did you know that Harper tried to hit me in the heart?  He could have broke my heart mom.  And you know what else would have happened?  Jesus would have been shattered, do you know why?  Because Jesus lives in my heart you know.  Did you know that Jesus died so he could wash somebodys sandals?  I wish someone would wash my sandals, they are dirty from the fair." 

I giggled so hard on the inside!!  She talks about Jesus a lot, but as you can see she is getting some story lines crossed a little!!  The best part is that she is always thinking and talking about him!  The rest will fall into place, I hope :-)  In the meantime, we will wash our own sandals!

Harper * Grandpa * Grandma 

the kids had a great time with them at the fair...they have so much fun watching the kids explore and as you will see below the kids get a few perks too!!  it's a win ~ win!

 ahhh, at home in some equipment!  Mom was commenting on how she thinks its too cute that Harper seems to feel so at home in large equipment. Just as she was saying that he found and put on his seat belt!!  He's a quick learner on these things!! 



 best perk of the night!!  Grandpa wanted to take Charli on the ferris wheel!!  WOW!!  She thought it was great, sadly Grandpa was "too scared" to go alone, so she had to go with him!  She thought it was hilarious that grandpa couldn't go on alone :-)



as they got on...check out her big smile!  She loved every second of it.  I would love to know what they talked about while they were on there!  A fun memory for the two of them.  I made dad hold on to her, because I did not trust that she would have any fear of peaking over the front..and she didn't!

 Harper's "lil buck" hat.  Between the two kids, they probably have a hat collection which could rival my dads. My dad is a farmer...who used to sell and buy a lot of seed corn -- so for those of you who grew up on a farm, you know how many hats he has had in his life! :-)

going on rides Saturday afternoon!  the heat was unreal, but something which we quickly got used to!  Charli had a great time on her rides!

 love this picture...love the lil guy Charli picked to ride on! 

 Harper enjoyed talking back to all the ducks, chickens, and birds today!  They would squawk and he would squawk back!

 wow...happiest girl on the earth!!  Charli with her new Green Lantern guy!

(thank you little ducks)

new sidekick...too bad he isn't a little smaller so people wouldn't look at us like we are crazy when we starts coming places with us!! (okay, well that will not happen, but she will sure try!!)

best of friends!!

weekends of fun!

 Stories and pictures and memories...OH MY!!  So many pictures and so many stories, it is so hard to pick what makes it on the blog!!  Blogger is being a bit difficult so I will cut this short in the effort of time!

Each year my brother and his family celebrate their oldest sons birthday in Nebraska (lucky us!!!).  He was born 7-7-7, so we always have a nice 4th of July celebration in combination!  The clouds were out a little, but it didn't bother the kids when it came to the pool and slip-n-slide!!  Charli had a blast, and whether his suit was on, or his clothes were on...Harper had fun too!!

catching some air here!  Harper was amazed by her courage, and he tried his best to recreate, but couldn't quite get it!!

Do you remember the picture a week or so ago of Charli near the corn...she didn't shrink :-)
Charli * Colton

Harper works so independently to buckle himself in at each meal!  Here is another way he is so totally different than Charli!  Charli was never "seat-belted" into anything (aside from her car seat!!), but Harper insists on being snapped into his highchair, stroller, etc..he loves to buckle himself in, maybe that is why he insists?!

And, he is SO proud when he is done!

'the sun never goes down when your cool'

I think Harper has the ability to read Charli's mind from time to time...before she even starts to do something, he is already trying it!  This is something cute...and sometimes naughty!!

pictures are a little out of order here I see!!  She had a lot of fun, thanks grandma for buying such a fun toy for the farm!  The kids had a great time out there for the weekend.  We took our camper out to the farm and "camped" for a few nights...best of both worlds!

I guess my theme for last week was "photo stories"...this one kind of explains itself!!  He ate so much watermelon this morning...!

mmm~mmm~good!

he just couldn't get enough!  I know the feeling...not much is better than a good watermelon!!

Harper and his cousin Grant.  It looks like Harper is a shrimp next to him, but he is just in a tiny chair!!  These two saw each other for the first time since Christmas and hugged, then went along their way to play...too cute!

they were pretty good buddies!

the little boy buddies!  We were missing Colton :(  (and the new little baby Borg boy which will be coming in the fall!!  wow...three little borg boys, all in a row.  Sounds like the start to a nursery ryhmn!)

It was toasty, but nothing so bad that downing some water wouldn't fix!

I think Charli felt like a big kid here...she liked to carry this chair around!  Speaking of "big kid" after hanging with her big cousin for a few days she has started to talk like her!  This is a sample of what Charli is saying now-a-days "Mom, did you hear Harper?  He was like "dad", but it wasn't dad - it was mom.  So I was like HARPER, it was mom not dad, okay?  Crazy huh".  WOW...thanks Ryen :-)

super excited to light fireworks this year!!

love this one!!  The wind wasn't blowing...it is her running backwards after lighting the firework!!

ahhh, these didn't even need explaining!!  :-)

he is such a pro at picking out clothes...no shirt, puma shorts, and cowboy boots.  He IS this father's son.  He played for along time outside like this...without a care in the world!!

we traveled north for what may be our last Relay of the season this past weekend.  The next day we had a day full of fun!  We had breakfast, went swimming, and then went to see the dam on the South Dakota/Nebraska boarder, throw in a trip to the fair...add in a little 4-wheeler riding and you can call it a day!  The kids thought the water was neat, and I realized how little we were...

 Charli thought the view was great!

I was certain one of the kids were going to get sucked in, good thing Chad held them tight!!  At the Relay the night before Chad scored this shirt...a camo shirt with a deer skull which says "Save the Rack" ;-)  Very fitting for Chad!

The two 4-year olds...for a few weeks yet!

Cohen * Charli

Harper enjoyed this view...he was doing somersaults while we were trying to get a picture of the kids together...so much for that memory to look back on ;-)