Halle's birthday

Halle turned 8.  She wanted a rainbow cake and she LOVED the baby bunk beds Grandpa Ariel made her along with the awesome bedding made by Grandma Nette!  

Gid and Grace turn 10

In May (yup..way behind)  Gid and Grace turned 10.  I can't believe how fast the last 10 years have gone.  This year for the first year ever we made one cake.  It was way easy and way faster

Gid and Grace taking turns blowing out the candles.

Opening gifts.  Gid got football cleats, a bat and scooter.  Grace got a keyboard, clothes and shoes

And a quick pic of them with their friends!

Maren and Axel

Our kids were so excited to get another cousin in March.  Becki and Trav finally got a little girl and named her Maren.  She is so cute and chubby!  Her thighs are so cute!  The kids love to hold her. 

Even Gabbi calls her "my baby" 

In August Shawn and Sara had their first addition.  Little Axel Paul.  The kids love him and wish he lived closer to cuddle!  Not quite as chubby as Maren though but adorable. 

The kids and I got to go see Axel and even got to baby sit for a bit while Sara ran to the store!

Joseph

This year our school did Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat!  The girls were part of the childrens choir!  They loved it and will always turn on Jospeh when we are in the car (now I know how my mom felt when I replayed it over and over!  During the show we got some fun news that Becki and Trav had finally gotten a little girl (it's about time).  Such a cutie little (ha ha) Maren is!

Turning 8!

Halle turned 8 and got baptized!  We were so proud of her decision and we sure love this little gal!

First......

Gabbi Bo has had her first Emergency Room visit and stitches.  She was helping Gid put clothes in the hamper.  She put her finger in the hinge side of our closet door without Gid knowing and got her pinky smashed.  It pretty much ripped the nail off and ripped her finger wide open.  Since Instacare in Preston had just closed we rushed (really rushed) to Hyde Park before they closed at 8:00.  We made it by about 3 minutes!  The doctor looked at it and ordered x-rays to make sure it was not broken.   They came back fine.  He came in strapped her to a papoose board which made her freak out and numbed her up.  Then said "I am not comfortable with this, I can see bone, you need to take her to the ER".  Wow, could have said that an hour earlier. 

Since it was bedtime and everyone was in pajamas when it happened and we were hoping it would be a way fast trip to Instacare we left the older 3 kiddos home alone in order to get to Instacare before they closed. When we found out we would be going to the ER we called our wonderful Grandma and Grandpa Taylor who rushed over to the house to stay and comfort the older 3.  Gid was having a horrible time stressing over his "Bowie".  Grandma and Grandpa were able to calm him down and get him to go to sleep.  Gabbi was one heck of a trooper.  After a visit long visit to Instacare then to be referred to the Emergency Room for better care she was still her happy easy going self.  She sat in her Dads lap watched Daniel Tiger on my phone and let the Doc stitch away.   Four hours later we were on our way home.

They ended up removing her nail then stitching it back on so it will not scar and let the new nail grow underneath.  It required 10 stitches and we will be seeing a plastic surgeon next week for follow-up.  She gets to wear a pretty pink bandage mitten until we see the plastic surgeon but she is finally leaving it alone.  The first morning I re-bandaged it 5 times in a 30 minute period.  I loved coming home to well cared for sleeping kiddos!  The best part was the next morning when Gid, Gracie and Hal all told me how they had said 5 prayers for Gabbi while we were gone and asking for us to get to Instacare on time.  They were so worried about their little sister.   So cute to hear their faith building stories and where they turned for comfort!  There is always a silver lining to tragedy!

Her favorite color!

Evidently our little Gabbi Bo has a favorite color.  Green.  Monday I started making Hal's birthday cake and getting my frosting colors picked out.  I had them on the bar and left her watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and went to get dressed for the day.  A couple of minutes later she ran into my room looking like this (notice the green in her hair)!

She got into my cake colors.  These pictures honestly do not even do the mess justice.  It was hard trying to take pictures, run a bath and keep her from touching everything and making it green!  I had green full footprints running all over the kitchen and handprints down the hall.  We had to do 3 baths to get he green off her and get clean water (the first was insanely green).   I asked her if she had been naughty to which she replied "No".  Her favorite word.  Good thing for her she is as cute as she is.  She now has a new nickname.  The Jolly Green Giant.