Celebrating a Birthday & Mother's Day

I just wrapped up a few days of celebrating my 48th birthday and Mother's Day with my family.  Ron and the kids did a great job making me feel loved and appreciated on both days.  Luckily, my birthday landed on a Wednesday this year which meant that Ella did not have gymnastics practice until late.  Lia had play rehearsal and Logan had track practice after school, but both were done by 5 pm.  Ella had a theater class from 5 to 6 pm, so we were all able to be home together to sit around the dinner table by 6:30 pm.  Ron treated me to Indian food and the kids to Mcdonald's which is a rare treat when we are not out of town.  I enjoyed opening a new set of frying pans before eating a delicious strawberry cake that I requested Ron pick up from Costco after seeing it in the bakery section last week.  

The next day, my mom drove down from Issaquah for our annual tradition of a picnic lunch in a park.  The weather turned out to be beautiful that day with temps in the high 70s.  We picked up Logan and Ella from school to go to our favorite Edgewood Park for two hours during the middle of the school day.  Since I only pull my children out of school for my birthday picnic while they are still in elementary school, this was sadly Logan's last time joining us.  We had a great time eating lunch and playing in the park while the sun shone down on us.  My mom then came back to our house and helped me pull some weeds in my backyard.

I was then treated to a delicious breakfast made by Ron and the kids this morning for Mother's Day.  After church and a much-needed nap, we got together a few hours later with the rest of my family at my parent's house.  Since Chris is in Nepal hiking to base camp at Mount Everest with his three older kids and Rebecca was flying to San Francisco for work, it was a small group that gathered together this year; however, we were grateful that Vivi and Bryce had just come home from college for the summer.  We still had a great time enjoying dinner and dessert and some outside play time.  We gathered together in the living room at the end of the evening to watch my mom open her gifts before heading home.  I am grateful for my family for helping to make these two days so special, and I am especially grateful for my four wonderful children who have brought such joy, love, and purpose to my life these past sixteen years!

Opening up my birthday gifts with all four kiddos at my side.

Getting ready to sing "Happy Birthday" to me after lighting the candles.

The three younger kids and me enjoying the dessert that grandma brought to our picnic lunch.

All three kids enjoying the climbing structure at Edgewood park.

Logan on the zipline.

Ella and Emmett going on the zipline together.

We took a few mother-kiddo pictures on the front porch together before church today.

Posing with my darling girls.

And my handsome boys.

Although I didn't take any other pictures at my parents' house today, here is the one group photo I took after finding all of the cousins sitting together on the couch.  I know that I have said this before, but I am so grateful that these kids have had each other to group up with over the years!