whobody turned ONE?

WOW.

 

These past few weeks have been ABSOLUTELY crazy.

 

...and I am just looking back at this blog...and realizing that I never finished posting about Cruz's birthday!

 

We just returned from a trip to Disney World with the kids...which, as you might have guessed, I will be hopefully sharing about in the near future.

 

But, with preparing for the trip AND Christmas AND having kids that are under the weather...getting on my computer has been pretty low on the priority list.  SO....hopefully I can shell out a few blog posts here in the next couple of days before all of the Christmas festivities begin!!!

 

 

SOOOOO here goes:

 

Cruz's birthday was actually the 28th of November...and he had a great day! He spent the daytime at home doing our normal things...you know, eating and sleeping and dodging Nash's love attacks. (Nash LOVES Cruz so much, that he tries to hug and kiss him and ends up knocking Cruz over.)

 

When the kids got home from school...we all hopped in the car for a quick family fun trip for Cruz's birthday (actually this trip was just something that we wanted to do before Christmas, and his birthday seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something special!). 

 

First, we went to Target and the kids did their Christmas shopping for kids in need in our area.  They really did a good job of trying to pick out nice things that they would want too.  This trip warmed my heart....this is our 3rd or 4th? year doing this shopping trip.  Other years have been frustrating for both Jason and I because in the past, Keaton and Lola have had a hard time not making the trip about them...or whining about how they want those toys too...or just wanting to buy the toys for themselves instead of other kids.

 

BUT, this year...we told the kids a certain amount that they could spend....and they happily went through the aisles discussing what would be the best gifts for these kids...and how to get the most bang for their buck! They did a great job...and not ONCE did it come up that they wanted any toys for themselves....they kept it about the other kids. (Nash, on the other hand, didn't quite GET it...and was very disappointed when we left the store without the $45 orange helicopter that he really really loved.)  All in  all, the trip was a success.

 

THEN we went out for supper....and here is the birthday boy!

 

 

Cruz actually got his first taste of ice cream that night! The kids got ice cream sundaes with their meals...so Jason shared some of Keaton's with Cruz! He LOVED it!

 

 

We then did our annual drive through the "reflections in the park" light display...the kids LOVE to see the Christmas lights...and especially enjoy that they can unbuckle and be free to run around the car while we are driving through the park!

 

 

 

And...finally. I had to share this card that Lola made for Cruz for his birthday! I love it when my kids do sweet things for each other. There are so many things that happen in life that make me feel like I am doing something wrong in parenting....but when they do thoughtful things for each other...it makes me feel like we are doing at least something right!!!

 

 

...by the way...Lola always writes the z backwards in Cruz's name...and I LOVE IT!!!

 

Cruz is SUCH a good boy...and he had a great birthday!