Victoria's Big 17th Birthday Bash~

For Victoria's 1st ever 'American Birthday' we had to go big..  She was so excited about everything and invited all sorts of friends from school.  After her birthday lunch out she came home and relaxed and I ran around like a crazy lady getting this party together!  I swear birthday parties are so much stress on the mom and the kid is totally oblivious to any of that.  It's as it should be I suppose, but I was honestly a train wreck.  I had no idea how to throw a party for teenage girls!  I don't know what kinds of things they like.  Victoria wasn't really a lot of help in the idea area so I was pretty much on my own.  I am grateful that she handled the guests and invites.  I was just a worried mom hoping any of them would show!

I decorated the basement and put out all sorts of treats.  I had a few games up my sleeve, but the one I was counting on was the Just Dance III game we were going to give her as our gift. 

We moved the big T.V. downstairs for the big party and she hung out downstairs waiting for party time.  Like I said, I was panicked because to be honest, I've never met any of her friends.  She has yet to hang out with anyone or go anywhere with anyone.  She stays home.  She doesn't call anyone and no one calls her.  Girls are always late so when no one had showed and it was 30 minutes after the time they were supposed to come, Spen and I were in knots worrying!  I think Victoria was too, but she didn't really let on she just kept looking out the window and asking me why they weren't here yet?!  I think everyone she invited came.  phew.   I have to admit it was very refreshing to see her interact with her friends.  She was a totally different person!  She was friendly and very much the perfect hostess.  It was darling.  Why in the world was I worried?! 

I planned a few games, (only one of which was a hit.)  I bought a gift and wrapped it at least 30 times and they rolled until someone got doubles.  The person who rolled doubles got to unwrap it.  This went on until the gift was revealed!  It was a lot of fun for them.  They were all so darling.  It was fun to watch from the sidelines as the mom.  I do admit though that I texted my own mom many times during this party to thank her for everything she did for me! 

My sweet friend made this delicious cake for the occasion.  It was adorable, but also amazing red velvet.  Victoria requested a vampire cake.  Naturally.

Ezra and Ethan were very interested in everything going on at the party.  Vika and her friends were very nice and included them in the fun.  Ezra had to help me with the candles on the 'Famapire cake for Feeka.'

Happy 17th!!  I'm so glad the party was such a success.

We all sang and waited for Victoria to make her big wish and blow out the candles.

A few of the girls played my other games.  Marisa was the obvious winner on stacking dice on a Popsicle stick.  No one really could stack the golf balls though.  Oh well.  It was fun anyway.

The Dancing game was the big winner of the night.  These girls danced like crazy for hours!  It was the perfect time passer for the party.  I enjoyed watching it.  My favorite thing was that Spencer placed his GoPro Helmet cam next to the TV and recorded the whole night.  We got some great video of these girls!

Ashely is Vika's friend from Matveevka, Ukraine (the orphanage) and was adopted around the same time she was.  She lives long enough away that it warranted her sleeping over after the big birthday bash.  I loved how she kept finding Mason and talking and playing with him.  So sweet.  Happy Birthday Victoria!  We LOVE you!!

Victoria's Family Party~

After this month I was so birthday-ed out!  We had a family party for Victoria to open her presents from us and from her siblings a few days after her birthday.  Our presents this year for our kids were mostly clothes.  They both seemed to like that.  Ezra of course was right there in the action helping unwrap everything.

Ethan was very excited to go shopping and pick something special out for Victoria.  All of our boys just adore her.  She's actually quite darling with all of them.
A few things I love about Victoria are:

How fun she can be.
How sweet she is with her brothers.
How thoughtful she is.
How honest and obedient she is.
How smart she is.
How beautiful inside and out she is.
How she never forgets to do what she knows is right.
How she loves to read her scriptures.
How good of an example she is to her brothers.
How helpful she is.
How great it is to finally have her in our family.

These are just a few of the things I love about you!  Happy 17th Birthday Victoria!

Victoria's Birthday Lunch~

Victoria is so funny.  She was absolutely dying that we would send her to school on her birthday.  How could we?  Well, we did go and check her out for lunch so I think we made up for it.  She was pretty excited when Spencer showed up to check her out.  We had told her we couldn't and she was pretty upset and sad.  I have no idea why she believes us all the time!  We went to Smash Burger.  We love that place.  She really just wanted to take as long as possible so she wouldn't end up having to go back to school.

Ezra is the real lucky one... He gets to join all the parties.  He was pretty excited about it all too.  He loves Smash Burger!

He's an adorable pain to take places!

After lunch Victoria suckered us into taking her to Menchie's for Frozen Yogurt.  She still won't believe that it's not technically 'ice cream.'  We will have that fight every time we go there I'm sure.  She actually succeeded with her plan and didn't end up having time to go back to school.  She was thrilled.  Happy Birthday, Victoria!

Ethan and Victoria's Combined Birthday Celebration~

When we were planning birthday parties for two kids in the same week we also had to fit in a family party somewhere!  These two decided that they would rather have it combined and have everyone come over to celebrate them both together.  Phew.

It was pretty low key, although we had quite a crowd in our little space!  We took turns opening gifts, Ethan went first because his birthday is first.  He got all sorts of great things from his extended family.

We even sang to them separately so they both could make their own wish.  They thought it was fun that I got them both different candles even.  Moms sure think of everything, don't they!?

Some of the crowd that was here.  I think there were around 30 people here for the little party!

My mom always cuddles and plays with Mason when we get together.  I'm pretty sure he wouldn't allow her to get away without cuddling and playing with him.  He adores her.  They sat on the couch and kissed a lot. 

Victoria was very excited to get to her turn.  She loved her presents.

She also loved blowing out all of the candles in the cake. 

It's very weird to have a 17 year old and a 9 year old now!  Happy Birthday kiddos!

Ethan's Birthday Lunch~

On Ethan's birthday I decided to pull him out for lunch.  He was pretty excited about it, but in elementary school I think that it was kind of sad to pull him because they make a big deal about him during class and he missed a lot of it to come along for pizza.  It was kind of a last minute idea and so Spencer couldn't get away, but we called my parents to join us and that was special.  He loved when they sang to him even though he was so embarrassed.  It made him feel all important.  I love that kid.

Of course the Ezra Monster came along.  He screamed so loud that we had an audience for a lot of our meal, but those are just the joys that come along with this little angel!  Totally embarrassing, but he's worth it.  He loved to be invited along for the birthday party lunch.

Ethan's 9th Birthday~

Last year for Ethan's 8th birthday we had a HUGE party.  I mean the kind of party that I will never forget.  It was so loud and crazy that even Ethan was ready for it to end!  We talked last year about how he wasn't going to have a big birthday party again like that this year.  Well, last year we didn't really know that this year Ethan would have a teenage sister who happen to have a birthday the same week as he did and would really want to have a big birthday party for her first party ever.  That kind of made Ethan a bit sad.  He was upset that he was getting a family party but that he couldn't have a big friend party like Vika was.  He understood why, but it still wasn't fair.  So, we had a little compromise.  We told him he could invite over a few of his best friends (who we already were used to having at our house) for a game, dinner, a clone wars episode, and cupcakes.  That was great with Ethan and honestly as low key as it seemed it was my most successful party yet!

The kids were all amazed and entranced by the colored flames in the candles!  Spencer made Ethan's birthday dinner of choice, his famous chicken wings.  Our kids love them.  Ethan thought having his buddies over for dinner was pretty cool.  My favorite thing was that he invited Rex to come and he did!  Rex is the BYU football player / return missionary from Russia who came over all last summer to help Victoria with her English.  He also was our interpreter for the missionary discussions and when she was baptised he confirmed her.  Needless to say, we love Rex.  Our boys just love him because he comes over and plays with them.  He is one of the kids and they adore him.  Ezra ONLY refers to him as batman.

My favorite thing about my kids is that they are so sweet to each other.  If you look at any of the birthday pictures you will find Ezra right there along side of them blowing out candles or unwrapping their presents.  Ethan was very nice to let Ezra be a part of all of the birthday fun.  I think Ezra thought it was his party.

We played the present game.  I wrapped up a Lego set at least 20 times and they rolled dice to try to get doubles to unwrap it.  If they were the one to unwrap it the last time they got it!  It was funny because Ethan unwrapped it several times.  All of the kids got doubles a few times except for Eric.  The only time he got to unwrap it he won!  He was so happy.  It was fun.  They all loved that game.  After dinner they watched an episode of clone wars. 

When we finished the episode Ethan (and Ezra) opened gifts.  Victoria gave Ethan his sweet new gloves for skiing. 

He got a few fun toys and games from his friends and skiing stuff and clothes from his family. He was thrilled.  It really was so much better to have such a small crowd.  They all had more fun.

These are the party animals.  The other picture is better, but I just love Eric's face in this one and had to have both! 

From left to right: Nathan, Eric, Ethan, Ezra, Ryan, and Rex. 

A few things I love about Ethan are:
He is the sweetest, most thoughtful brother I have ever known. 
He is hilarious.
His laugh is contagious.
He loves to be goofy.
He is a great skier.
He is very musical.
He loves me and his family and we all know it.
He will share anything with anyone.
He loves to be a part of things.
He is handsome.
He is very smart.
He knows me well enough to push every one of my buttons when he wants to.
He loves to learn and to read.
He is a tender heart.
He would do anything to help his friends.
He has an amazing imagination.
He loves to play and run.
He is Mason's best friend.  He knows how to make Mason happier than anyone in the world can.
He tells great stories.
He loves adventures.
He is accepting and not intimidated by people who are 'different' than he is.
He writes the best notes.
When Ethan wants to do something there is no stopping him.
That's just a few, but Ethan - my big 9 year old! - I love you forever!  Happy Birthday.