Boy Celebrates One Decade!

We try to make our children’s birthdays special for them each year.  This year Tristan thought hard about whether he wanted to have a “Friends” party at home or if he wanted to go out to eat lunch at a restaurant of his choice with just his Mom & Dad.  After months of consideration (in the back of his mind, at least) he decided to go out to eat.  He would get to eat at his favorite restaurant AND he would get Mom and Dad ALL to himself.  That combination only happens for a  birthday.

The reason that Red Lobster is Tristan’s favorite restaurant is because he likes to get the Crab Legs.  On the Children’s Menu it’s the most expensive kids meal you’ll ever order but that is why Tristan comes.  Well, for the crab legs AND a lobster pizza appetizer.  And we were there for his birthday, after all.  Tristan does a good job getting the crab meat out all on his own, now.  And yes, the staff at the restaurant sang to him, making him turn bright red with a smile.

After lunch we stopped at the Scout shop and bought his new Webelos uniform items.  Tristan loves Cub Scouts and in fact, going to Cub Scout day camp this summer was an early birthday gift for him.

Back at home that evening we grilled out some cheeseburgers for a family celebration.  Our pickles were JUST old enough to open and enjoy plus there was lots of watermelon.  I think we had roasted steak fries for dinner that night as well.  They are a family favorite and the only way we eat french fries any more.  After dinner Tristan looked forward to opening his presents including a package that arrived from his Grammy and Pops.

But somewhere before presents Tristan got a phone call about the reading contest he entered at our favorite book store.  He WON for his age division with the MOST LOGGED MINUTES (which was some ridiculous number of minutes after reading almost 4 Harry Potter books!!!  Here he is pictured holding his $25 gift card to their store… more reading material and lots of congratulations!!!  I’m proud of him; especially since he was able to put his reading experiences with his third grade teacher behind him.  She was less than inspirational to him and he was completely turned off to reading last year.

Birthday greetings… And a new long sleeved shirt for church.  This boy has grown so much this past year.

Obviously Nathan was intent on the gifts and present in case his help was necessary.

Tristan was so happy to get his new pillowcase!  He loved his new shark sweatshirt and Star Wars shirt…new and improved sizes to help keep him warm this winter.

Then came the really fun stuff.  LEGOS are his favorite toy and he frequently asks me if I’m glad he likes Legos more than his friends do who all live on their electronics.  Most certainly I am glad of that.  

Do you think Tristan is excited enough here?  He built some of these things in no time at all and was ready to play out scenes with the characters.  The Harry Potter set in the middle is actually a game… a really fun game that you play after you build the set.  He got me to play it with him one day right after his birthday, his enthusiasm contagious, and I’m ready to play it with him again.

And Tristan’s birthday treat was a Sundae Pie.  I’ve had the recipe in the house for 11 years and just tried it in July for the first time.  Tristan loved it so much that right then and there he declared that this was now HIS official birthday cake.  It is SO good and quite simple to make.

Getting ready for the birthday wish…

Can he get all 10 candles?

Whatever he wished for I hope Tristan’s hopes and dreams for the year come true.

Pie and chocolate Oreo ice cream… so good… but a little rich in combination with each other.  Just my opinion.  Tristan had a great 10th birthday.  I can’t believe he is ten years old already.  We love having this cute boy in our family blessing us with his hilarious sense of humor, his intelligence and energy, his conversation, friendship and as a help and role model for his younger siblings.  How does 10 years pass by so quickly?  I’m not sure but I have a feeling that the next 10 will go by even faster.  HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, TRISTAN!

Lindsay turns Teen!

As of June 9th, thirteen years have passed now since we welcomed a second beautiful girl to our family, which makes Lindsay now… a TEENAGER!!!  We are in our third year of nineteen years being parents of teenagers so I guess we might as well get used to it.

Kaitlyn helped with Lindsay’s chores and added a bouquet of flowers from around the yard to our dinner table.  Our birthday dinner menu was Lindsay’s pick and included some of her favorite foods.  We had a strawberry-blackberry-raspberry salad, a fresh spinach salad with tomatoes and Lindsay’s favorite dressing; homemade Italian.  We had garlic cheese biscuits and

a homemade low fat Chicken Alfredo over pasta; an all time favorite of Lindsay.
Kaitlyn’s bouquet of Lindsay’s Lillies is beautiful.

I spent a lot of the daytime preparing for this next celebration.  Usually I like to prepare a bit the day before but with two birthdays in a row this becomes impossible.  So Lindsay’s cake was made fresh that day but given enough time to cool while other things were prepared and presents were wrapped.  Lindsay wanted a horse cake this year again and so this is what I put together for her.  I think it’s pretty cute.  And with an incredible chocolate cake recipe frosted with homemade chocolate buttercream it was delicious too.  I think Lindsay has been asking for this chocolate cake on her birthday every year since she was two or three.

Kaitlyn presented Lindsay with a horse card she drew weeks ago and hid until the occasion.

Lindsay got a horse book; a story written from a horses perspective which looks like it might be a quick, enjoyable summer read.  The next box came with a message.   This is a gift from her Grammy & Pops but its presentation was left to me and I figured it needed something out of the ordinary.  Hmmmm!

Eyebrows lifted, Lindsay unwrapped a shoe box.  She should know by now never to trust a box.

The first thing she pulled out was a shopping bag with a note on it.  It told her that the box was full of clues.  In fact the “shopping bag” was the first clue and it had a large check mark across the front.  Clue number two; a cow.

Clue number three; a girl.            Clue number four hidden in a little box with a horseshoe on it is a tiny blue boot.

Lindsay didn’t get it.  At least not at first.  A “shopping” bag with a “check” mark followed by a “cow – girl – boot”. 

Thinking hard; Oh!  A check to go shopping for Cowgirl boots!!!  Her old ones from a few years ago are getting too tight so we are making plans to go pick out some special new ones.  So funny!

Another deceitful box…

yields two horse movies.                           And yet another deceitful box yields a game Lindsay has already owned for several years.
 
I try to tell her it is a new edition and she should open it to see how different it is.  She knows better and doesn't believe me but opens the box anyway.  Inside she found a letter. 

One week of full day Horse Day Camp in July, up a level from her previous camp experience.  After riding lessons this winter they said she was good enough to move on.  And plus she was getting tired of the less experienced girls who were really there to just pet the horses and dress them up for the horse show but didn’t want to muck stalls or work at skill so much.  Lindsay just wants to be with the horses for the horse factor.

All lit up and ready to go!  We embarrassed Haley by singing Happy Birthday OUTSIDE!!!

Lindsay loved her horse cake.

She made a wish and blew out her candles.

Once again, Rick’s homemade chocolate oreo ice cream accompanied the birthday cake.  Seriously chocolate!  Really good!  And now I need to cut back!

Everyone enjoyed sharing Lindsay’s special day with her.  We love having Lindsay in our family!