5....or 6?

It just dawned on me that my title sounds like a pregnancy announcement... but since it's OBVIOUSLY not, let me explain.

Camden turned 5 on Sunday, August 2nd!!!!!

But we had his party in Saturday. Then on Sunday when we kept calling him the birthday boy he was convinced he had another one, so now he was 6. Smart kid.

Anyway, he had a "super fun" birthday party. He knew who he wanted to invite, the Scotts and the Haines. (Check out the 7 boys.....and Aleeya) :)He LOVED his fancy super-dooper box cake! :) He wanted a blue Star Wars cake. So it's blue and he got Star Wars figurines on it. He couldn't have been happier.
For his pinata he wanted Darth Vader, "so we could whack him with our light sabors".
And that's what he got. Here's what it looked like before I covered it with newspaper and paint. Talk about a good use of a pizza box!

And it is soooooooo hard to get a good picture of something ALL black, so I brightened it up so the wall behind it, is almost blinding. I do have to say though I LOVED having a pinata that was just all one color and I didn't have to add details.

And usually on birthday posts the Mom writes something like, "We love you Camden!" or something like that.....but honestly, this kid is the best.

If I could pick one kid to have home with me that would be the "easiest", it would be him!

(Who would have thought I'd be saying this 3 years ago?!?!?!?)

And yes Camden, WE DO LOVE YOU!!!!

D.C. Action

We went to Washington D.C. to go visit our friends, the Henriods and their new baby Claire (born 2 weeks after Iris). We had the best time. We couldn't believe how BOTH babies looked exactly like their dads...........

so we had to get a picture with the Dads and the mini-mes.The Rogers went up there too! Here we are at the National Zoo there.

Have I mentioned I just love free? We didn't feel bad when we left early to miss traffic too!
Luke Rogers wanted to hold Bronson's hand. It was so cute.

Swimming at the Henriods...........Aleeya wanted Emerson's suit on and goggles. What a trip, that girl.

Here the boys are at some waterfalls they went to. I sent the camera with them under STRICT instructions to bring me back pictures. Thanks to Sarah's sister.....I got them.

And yes, I'm aware they don't have shirts on.

All of them missed their naps everyday we were there. So whenever we got in the car, they just zonked out. I love the head plant Emerson is pulling in the back seat.

The Washington D.C. temple was closed but we got to the Visitor's Center! That temple is just so incredible.

Don't you love the family shot with one in a car seat and one asleep in the stroller (Emerson)...which has a story. While watching a movie inside Spencer Henriod, said, "Is something spilling on Emerson because he's dripping?" Come to find out, the kid was soooo exhausted he just was laying there, peeing in his sleep, IN THE STROLLER!

And he STILL didn't wake up!

Camden and Daddy talking about the Cristus.

This is while listening the the words of scripture from the Bible when the Savior was speaking. I love how attentive the kids are!

After a FUN-filled weekend (we seriously had the BEST time!),

the kids got right back into home-life making forts, huts and the like downstairs!

(Grandma and R.A. the kids are just warming up your bed for you for this weekend!)

Lazy 5

No, that title does NOT refer to my children......they are anything BUT lazy. :)

We went to a place called "Lazy 5" with a few of my friends. It's pretty much a drive-thru zoo, but we opted for the horse-drawn wagon. Anyway, so as we pulled up we were greeted by these donkeys.

Oh, and one quick warning, there are A LOT of pictures, but it's worth seeing them, they're pretty cool, and the sweet picture of Iris in the next post! So bear with me.Iris pooped out of her clothes on the way there. Kim has a little boy, and he was so nice to lend Iris an outfit. Mom is CONVINCED Iris looks like Brooks and in this picture, I can't help but to agree with her. Iris is a regular mini-Brooks. We kept referring to Iris as "him" throughout the day. Poor thing.
Check out these baby pigs! Aren't they the cutest?!?!? The pink one is smiling!!!
But then they grow up into pot-bellied pigs and they really are one of the ugliest creatures I've ever seen. Talk about a perma-ugly phase. It's like they're stuck in the 10-12 year stage forever!
Getting ready to take off in the wagon ride. They were soooooo excited.

Bronson and Chris Gee.

I HAVE to have you notice Bronson's hair he did by himself. It actually turned out really good, but he rode to Lazy 5 with the Blackhams (7 year old girl and a 5 year old girl) and as soon as I told him that he ran into the bathroom and did his hair. What a stud.

A little zebra action.....we couldn't feed them because I guess the feed we had makes them sick and NOBODY likes a diarrea-ing zebra, right?

Here's to hoping the horse doesn't have gas.

Iris slept the whole time...........in THIS position.

Feeding the mud-bathed Water Buffalo.

My AWESOMEST OF THE AWESOMEST friends, Rachel and Kim

(they're the tan ones with the dark sunglasses....I know, I know, I should really stop hanging out with them)

The giraffes were so cool. All I could think of was Melman from Madagascar!

These bison/buffalos have NO fear. They just wanted more and more.

Aleeya was NOT amused when the buffalo decided to lick her arm.

Check out that tongue!!!

I know you're thinking, this picture is blurry.....but I couldn't get Emerson to hold still for it. He kept jumping up and down because he was so excited after he fed the Camel at the petting zoo part.

My kids absolutely LOVE toucans. Camden kept disappearing to come look at them, so I had to take a picture.

Mom was a good sport pushing the stroller for me!

The whole clan before trucking back home posing in front of the electrical fence..........that I THOUGHT was fake until Camden tested it out for us.

NOTICE: the other two couples snuggling. Now before you think that Brooks and I aren't on good terms, please note the disappearance of Camden from the picture. He's on the ground between me and Brooks, and Iris is under the blanket. The rest of my kids are covering their eyes. I'm thinking I should just crop out everyone else and use this as my new family picture. Talk about a winner!

But I promise, I really DO love Brooks.

Mom's visit

Mom hadn't seen my kids for over a year!!! I was so glad that they got to know her better and that she got to see and get to know my crazy clan!!!! Aleeya LOVED Grams and had to always know where she was. Anyone who knows Aleeya KNOWS that she doesn't warm up to people that well.Mom insisted we take pictures of Iris in this outfit! :) Iris is smiling like crazy and all the time now. It's just soooooo fun. And her cheeks are still kissable enough and I love it.

So we did......while the others were going at the Play-dough on the dining room table.

Summer "summer-ized" in a picture

Need I say more?The only thing we're missing is them eating watermelon too........

(which they did for lunch)

Yay for free.

I know you're thinking, "what a geek!" posting shopping trips and buys but it gives Brooks and I such a high.......and plus, it's my blog, right?

Last week Target was good to us, and we didn't even take pictures of everything! So everything you see in the following pictures (and 2 boxes of cereal, 4 contact solutions, 12 more Johnson's Soap Buddies that weren't pictured) were all free! (it was 80 Sobe Drinks in all, but we drank a few before Brooks and the boys stacked them)
I actually ended up paying 10.37 cents, but after the Kellog's Fuel for School rebate (buying 10 Kellog's products on one receipt) it was free since they'll send me $10 in the mail. So you're thinking it wasn't free because I actually spent 37 cents for all of the above? Wrong again, thanks to Target, I got $10 on a giftcard to Target....for the Sobe drinks deal.
(Oh, and a BIG thanks to Brooks and the computers at the library in the hospital for printing all the Sobe coupons......3 cents a copy there isn't too bad in order to get free things, right?)

My Mom came to town yesterday!!!! So I'm going to go enjoy her being here!

Does this outfit make my "calves" look big?

I find it amusing that I dress like a cow, since I feel like one anyway, considering Iris is only 6 weeks now....and that's what I am.....a cow.

Yep, it was "Cow Appreciation Day" today at Chick-Fil-A.

And if you dress up like a cow, you get a free meal (kids get kid's meals!!!)
My 4 of my calves. Bronson wasn't too thrilled about the nose painting.
He asked, "Why isn't it 'Tiger Appreciation Day' or something cool?"
Ummmmm, BECAUSE TONY THE TIGER DOESN'T GIVE FREE FOOD!!!

A TRUE friend would dress up like a cow with you! Here's Cianne and her kids after we got to Chick-Fil-A. We got food, balls, balloons, stuffed animals, and Happy Meal toys and MOST OF ALL, AWESOME lemonade as only Chick-Fil-A can do!

Brooks brings home the bacon, yes. I can acknowledge that. But today, I provided DINNER, so I guess that means I bring home the.....beef.

Tired yet?

of all my postings of Iris? Sorry, but I'm a proud mama.Loving resting on Daddy's chest (I can't blame her), with her pathetic heat rashed face.

I've tried kissing it off, but it hasn't come off yet. :)

Don't even think it......

Would YOU dare hold Iris?(Like I've said before, Sally is her constant companion. It's actually quite sweet and I'm still wondering if it's her way of having an offspring since she was spayed.....hmmmm. )

Oh, and here's a shot of my new haircut

(while the boys were playing with the camera and somehow some of the buttons don't work anymore. Nice.) And before you go thinking that now that my hair is done all the time that I wash it more often.....you're REALLY mistaken. It feels soooo much better in this heat with my hair like this, that's for sure!

Bringin' my zoo to the zoo

Bronson goes to Zoo Camp 3 times this summer at an awesome zoo about a hour away. So I decided, "Why not, go spend 5 hours at a zoo, in the middle of the day with 4 kids, one being a newborn that hates her carseat and stroller? Sounds like fun!" Actually, it wasn't too bad and the kids had a great time! Nursing in nasty bathrooms and hot/humid puppet theaters wasn't too fun though.

They LOVED this tadpole pond that you could catch.....um.......tadpoles (obviously). Oh, you're wondering why Aleeya is in her swimsuit? Well, it's because that was her spare set of "clothes" after she peed through her first set.....but it turned out to be a pretty good idea considering...........

Yep, you guessed it! She fell in. So nasty. But at least she didn't let go of her net.






Yep, all 4 are in there. Who needs to go to the gym with this workout?

Aleeya couldn't be happier with that icecream cone......that melted sooooooooo fast in the heat that I MAYBE got a third of my money's worth. But who cares....her smile was worth it. I forgot how I don't like sprinkles and how they taste like old sugar.

Camden and Emerson got to ride the Merry-go-round and found their 2 favorite animals! What luck! They were next to eachother too!

The lizard Camden caught.......BEFORE it detached itself from his tail and ran away. Camden didn't notice until the lizard was safely out of his site, and was shocked when he looked in his hands and had half a tail.

My 2 kids are the ones laying on the buffalo's back and backside. We later met up with a friend here, and that's her little boy Will on the front. He's a cutie.

We had fun though and they all fell asleep on the way home! However, I'm thinking next time Bronson has zoo camp, I may talk Brooks into going with me.........call me crazy.