Party like it's your birthday!

Emma's 6th Birthday party at Byer's Gymnastics

So what happens when your parents do not do friend parties for their children at bounce places, pizza places or other such places, but your birthday is before Christmas and last year your mom was in the hospital after giving birth to twins who will now also share that time of year for birthdays with you?....

You get a friend (including school friend!) party at a gymnastics place because your parents feel bad.   

Emma loved it!

They had an hour in the gym with a gymnastics coach doing obstacle courses and tumbling.

A whipped cream and chocolate cake

Loads of presents...

And your friends there to tell you Happy Birthday and surround you with a group hug (Emma is in the middle somewhere!)

They had a great time!  And mommy didn't have to make or do or clean any of it. 

Pinochio and stinky girls

One of these girls was the culprit.  I do not know which, but they were all in my warm car driving to the field trip and it was a stinky ride!  I am guessing that whoever it was also was the stinky one at the theater.  But they sure are cute anyway.

Nana braved it at our house with the three youngers all day so I could go to see Pinocchio at the B Street theater with Emma's class.  Only a few parents could actually go in since there was limited seating, and Emma's teachers picked me:)  The benefits of knowing them for four years pays off.

Emma and Isabelle.  Still best friends after all these months...Isabelle even gave Emma a Best Friends bracelet that day.  It is currently lost so we are on the search.

We got there early and the teachers were entertaining the kids with songs.  Emma got to be a helper.  This is also a good picture of her new dress.  FYI- JC Penny's 50% off clearance of holiday dresses plus the $10 coupon they send in the mail= Happy Emma and mommy. 

This picture is just because we print the blog and save it for our children to look back and see their silliness....

Does this look like someone happy to be done?!

Ben after his last final. The weight lifted...

Did I mention we are happy?!!

This is how we celebrate....

Every semester when Ben takes his last final, he brings home In and Out burger.  We thought for the momentous occasion of taking his LAST final, we should go to the restaurant and eat instead.  Uncle Curtis and Aunt Laurie came over to put the kids to bed and stay with them while I met Ben at In and Out.  It was pouring rain and cold, but waiting until 8:30 to eat dinner was worth it! 

We are McGeorge

I was starting Kindergarten the year Daddy started at McGeorge.

I was small and sassy when Daddy started at McGeorge.

I was living in Mommy's tummy when Daddy started at McGeorge.

We were a big funny surprise Heavenly Father was planning when Daddy started at McGeorge.

I was sane when Daddy started at McGeorge.

(OK, so this was a loooonggg time ago, but you get the point.  I was preggo with Nathan and probably looked less sane than I do now)

We started as a family of four and a half.

And finished as a family of seven.

Goodbye McGeorge.  You shall be remembered by the license plate frames that will adorn our cars, the monthly student loan payment we will make each month, and Daddy's gorgeous gray hairs. We are your poster family, the reason Daddy gets gasps when it comes time for introductions in classes.  We love you more than Sac State (which isn't hard) and less than each other. In this last 24 hours that we exist together, may your buildings stay warm, your power not go out and your tests be easy. 

Snow Day

This only happens in Sacramento every decade or so... For that reason, it must be documented! 

Bailey was so excited to run outside and see the "snow"  He later decided it wasn't as cool as snow in Utah.  I agree...you can leave the snow behind when you come back to California!

There were people from Auburn who had a TON more snow packed on their car while driving on the freeway, but this was good enough for me!

The kids wanted to put gloves on and have a snowball fight after school...Unfortunately the snow was gone thanks to Mr. Sun by the time they got home.  We might have to do a snow trip one of these days. 

Our New Countdown

On the blog, I have started a new countdown.  I apologize to Ben now as it is not one he wants to be reminded of in the middle of finals, but I had to do it!  The B&K icon was actually offered on this random website I got the ticker from.  I have no idea what it is supposed to mean, but for our purposes, I thought it was funny to have it for Ben and Kaci:)  The countdown is until the Bar is over and taken.  Then, we will have the countdown until Bar results, then who knows? 
Maybe I will do one for when I am finishing school.  Yup, in about a month, I go back...Online for the first class and then on campus once Ben is done with the Bar.  I have 30 credits left, why not... Maybe we are just really trying to stay in school FOR-E-VER!  Hold off those student loan pay backs until we die...Maybe it would work?  :) 
We have lots of things going on this month, so I am sure there will be a lot more interesting blog posts than this.  Blogging is now my one and only online outlet.  For those facebook people who also read my blog, I deleted the account.  No big dramatic reason except it became a time waster for me.  I have no facebook self control!  So, it went bye bye.... 

Because no post is complete without pictures, here are some new ones, courtesy of Uncle Curtis.

Growing, growing...

Two awesome things about Emma:

1. She has been a great help with Kate and Addison lately and they love their big sister.  She desperately wants to be able to change their diapers, but they are too squirmy. 

2. She has finally, after almost six years, learned to clean her room.  The last few months when I ask her to clean it, she actually does!  No more things shoved under the bed or in the closet. 

Always my little boy

Two awesome things about Bailey:

1. As you can see from the picture, he is a great older brother.  He is always there to help and sometimes even helps without being asked

2. He doesn't give up.  Side story: last night I left to go to a Relief Society Christmas party.  Two of the young men in our ward were babysitting and they brought over some Wii games.  I had told Bailey to finish his homework as I left.  I didn't think it would take him that much longer and he would be able to play the Wii in a little bit.  Well, it took him until bedtime.  I didn't know until I got home and he was teary eyed in bed.  When I realized he was crying I found out that he had sat there and didn't even ask to play because he hadn't finished his homework.  So he had to listen to everyone having a good time and couldn't join in.  It would be one thing if his homework wasn't done because he had slacked off.  It wasn't and he is really only supposed to work on chunks each night anyway.  But I told him to finish, and in his mind, that meant FINISH.  My literal little boy... Let's just say, we are renting a Wii game at blockbuster tonight and Bailey will get first pick. 

Nathan kissed by cousin Leena

Oh, Nathan, two awesome things about you.

1. At two years old, you have a sense of humor and make jokes. I have a feeling we have a class clown on our hands

2. You will still take naps, a year past when your older brother and sister decided to stop.  Mommy loves you , but also loves nap time!

Kate-Kate

Two awesome things about Kate:

1. If you ever want someone to smile at you, look anywhere near Kate's direction and you will get the biggest grin ever

2. Kate always does things first, and is probably the driving force behind her "little" sister having the motivation to crawl, stand, etc...

Addie, Ah-di, Ah-son, Addison

Two awesome things about Addison

1. She will always cuddle with me

2. Making her laugh is a great accomplishment and always feels like you did something special, even if it wasn't

There were a lot more pictures my brother took which I still need to post...Maybe next time as this post has gotten carried away!

That can't be comfortable

Addison can be found in this sleeping position quite often.

It is the "I was sitting up and staring into space upset that I couldn't sleep and just finally gave up" position. 

I'm glad she stayed asleep while I took pictures.  I wish I had taken the before shot.  She was peering at me, blanket and thumb in mouth with sad eyes.  I think she just fell over and bent in half:)