Just another blog catch-up!!!

All I have to say is we've been havin' us some fun!!! I've missed blogging about so much but it still has happened and it's been great! Mostly I don't want any of my kiddos to look back at the blog and say, "hey...you forgot my birthday!" or "What about our summer vacation?" We're old school and do scrapbooks but just in-case of fire...here's our back-up!

Special Baptism Evening with Family

Another Special Night for Miaja...

Now that's one happy girl...surrounded by a couple of her favorite guys!

Mom, dad & brothers gave Miaja her first set of scriptures with her name on the front...she's already gotten some good use out of this book!

Grandma Coombs & great-grandma Coombs made some very special pillows to go with the comforter I made for Miaja. I was so touched by how much work Bonny put into these pillows, plus helping Bruce's mom, (who has some health challenges), start a pillow as well. So very, very special.

Mommy & Miaja with her baptism "comforter". Making this was such an experience. I've never made a quilt )from scratch) ALONE..but it was worth every stitch. I hope my little angel always remembers the gift that she was given on her baptismal day and the immeasurable comfort it can and will bring!

What a gift for Miaja to get to have BOTH sets of grandparents there for her special day...

Grandma & Grandpa Vorkink brought a towel w/ her name embroidered on it and a baptism book w/ bracelet. Grandma Vorkink and Great-grandma Beverly are also working on their pillows for Miaja to match her quilt. I am SO grateful for such beautiful and wonderful grandmothers so willing to share their talents and love with Miaja!

It's a PARTY!

Miaja's Birthday Party!!

So I am a bit behind but it's for a good reason...we've been having FUN!

Miaja did have such an awesome birthday party! We have big friend parties only ever other year so Miaja has had TWO YEARS to plan this baby...and plan she did!

To start it all off the girls came and we decorated cookies and boxes and made gift boxes for a few people in our area that we knew might need a little pick-me-up.... then we drove around and the girls got to run them up too the doors and knock & run! The had a blast (and they were pretty good too).

Chase & Nora decorating a box

I think we went through FIVE FULL bottles of sprinkles (hopefully the people that got the cookies have a sweet tooth)!

Run Girls, Run!!!

They had such a great time!

Next we came back home and the girls got to create their own works of art! It was so fun!

The girls going a little crazy!

Millie focused on her work

The boys got their own table

As the girls were painting I made them and their dolls each necklaces with a phrase of their choice engraved in them. (Jaron had to help me finish...it was a little harder than I realized)!

It's time for cake!!!
Miaja is a girl after momma's heart...she wanted applesauce cake "made with honey and not granulated sugar"....(I couldn't resist adding that...I was so proud!


Daddy was a HUGE help at the party! He's serving Miaja her favorite part..ICE-CREAM (of course WITH sugar)!


I love parties...this one was FUN!


Miaja's pretty blessed to have some really great friends.

Oh...I think I forgot to mention the theme of the party...
American Girls!
These "American Girls" are pretty great!
Happy Birthday Miaja!
(I have even MORE of Miaja's birthday to post...her party w/ the fam...including both grandparents...it was a party hardy kind of year!)

Miaja's Baptism

Love the picture..of course Miaja's brothers had to make pictures a challenge!

Miaja was baptised on March 12th, 2011 @ 10am.
What a beautiful day! We were so grateful for the support of our family and friends. It couldn't have asked for a more special day for my daughter.
Miaja has been preparing for her baptism since she turned 7. In fact, the morning that she turned 7 yrs. old she said to me, while still in bed, "Mom, I want to read the Book of Mormon this year, all by myself". A few months went by and one night I went in to turn her reading light-off and sure enough, she was reading the Book of Mormon.
Well, she finished the morning of her baptism. I was so amazed by her. She has such a beautiful spirit and I feel so privileged to get to be her mommy.
(Now she's reading the Pearl of Great Price and told me that she hopes to finish by May!)
Being a mom is such an interesting and beautiful experience. Some days I feel like I can barely get one thing through to my kids and I'm just grateful their still alive, then they go and teach me a whole bundle!
Thanks Miaja for making your baptism day such a special day by being such a special girl! I know that Heavenly Father is so proud of you!
You are loved.
-mommy

Mommy & Miaja. I was so proud of my little lady!

Miaja & daddy

We were so blessed to have both the Coombs grandparents...

....and the Vorkink!

What a beautiful day!

What a beautiful little girl! Wow eight...that happened too fast!

Let it Snow!

San Antonio got snow!!!
I am a bit behind, it was over a month ago...but it was fun!
The kids got school off and within two minutes of waking-up we had pulled out the winter boxes, (packed deep in the garage) and we were all our rolling around in barely a skiff as if it were five feet of powder! The kids were adorable! We spent the rest of the day sipping hot cocoa, watching movies and playing board games! What a treat! When I put the kids to bed that night Ayden asked me, "Mommy so was that (the snow) a miracle?" I told him yes!

Keystone Colorado!!!

Downtown Keystone...isn't it beautiful!
They had this great ice castle with slides and stuff that we a great time on...although I did miss the kids !
Jaron totally whooped me skiing but that's o.k. I had such a great time watching him! He was in HEAVEN!
I held my own...if I can say so myself! I might not have flown through air (atleast gracefully) but I did laugh so hard that I almost had a really embarrassing moment!
What a great weekend!
So Jaron and I went away on our first trip, just the two of us, since we got married almost ten years ago! We went to Keystone, Colorado and it was such a blast! Jaron was presenting some research for an ER conference and I got to tag along! I was literally in HEAVEN being in the snow and skiing with Jaron. It's a good thing that Keystone was so fun because I cried the entire way to the airport! I have never been separated from the kids for more then a 12 hours so I had to keep telling myself that they would be alright! I was sooooo grateful for Jaron's mom who flew all the way out to San Antonio to watch our kids for three days! They had a great time watching all three of the Home Alone movies and trying to keep Thomas alive (he's definitely a hand FULL)!
The highlights of our trip were :
#1- Skiing in the BEAUTIFUL mountains
#2- Sleeping in until 7am (our kids are really early risers...but so are Jaron and I)
#3- Seeing Jaron present his research
#4- Shopping ALONE at the outlet
and of course, seeing my kiddos faces when we got home! Thanks Jer for such a great weekend!

What a great date!!!

Too cooooool for school!
Date Night!!

Chase and I had such a blast on our date a couple of weeks ago! He has been working REALLY hard on not teasing his sister and brothers (which isn't easy on Chase), so as a reward he and I went to see, Gullivers Travels, and then out to dinner. It was so nice to spend some time just the two of us! Chase was a real gentleman, he even got the door for me, (daddy has taught him well). He loves the "too cool for school face" (above) and insisted I do that pose with him! Thanks for a great date Chase!