A weekend for celebrating...

We had lots to celebrate this weekend. Big reasons... small reasons... and just because we felt like it. It's the end of January, and it's safe to say cabin fever has sunk in around here. I'm working extra hard to make our days stuck inside our home special -- even if it's just digging out the football tent from the closet that we haven't seen in months... or finding that packet of chocolate chip pancake mix from the very back corner of the cupboard. And speaking of our home, I found myself extra thankful for it yesterday. As the ice fell from the sky all morning, we were cozy and warm and sheltered. Sure, we are quickly ourgrowing this little abode, but it sure is a cute one. It's cozy, it's charming, and it's filled with love and memories.

...we celebrated potty training success. Brandon rocked it. We are so proud of him. He went the entire weekend in his undies without a single accident, and he even woke up from a long night of sleep this morning with a compeltely dry pull-up. I'm sure there will be accidents here and there... (sometimes he barely makes it to the potty because he puts it off for too long)... but, we're pretty much there. Do you know how good it feels to not have "$20 diapers" on every single grocery list?? :) For the first time in five years, we are a diaper-free house, and it feels pretty sweet.

...we celebrated a birthday boy. With chocolate chip pancakes, backwards football jerseys, and a full breakfast of eggs and pancakes two mornings in a row. The outfits these kids put on daily always give us chances to laugh...

 

...we celebrated with an early birthday present shipped from Uncle Bob and Aunt Sally and a delivery from an Ikea all the way in Tampa, Florida... (more to come on that)...

Air Force One... a gift from the White House!

Lucy celebrated with bows... (thanks Sally!)

 

 

...we celebrated with cupcake batter. The boys love to help me bake cakes. No idea why...

 



...and I celebrated when Cody ASKED me if he could help decorate the Spiderman cupcakes! ;)

...we celebrated over a cozy supper and an old maternity picture. We showed Jaden what I looked like just before he was born and told him about how we felt that final week before we got to meet him. He was a little in awe of the picture... ;)

...and we celebrated with a bowling party. We were so happy that a few kids were able to show up in the middle of an ice storm. Jaden loved his party, and Brandon took his bowling very seriously!

...Brandon celebrated with cupcakes. (Two of them). He'd been waiting patiently for 24 hours to sink his  mouth into one of these babies...

Thanks to my fellow-blogging friend, Ashley, we knew to ask for this adorable little Dino ramp. It made Brandon's bowling so much easier, and even some of the older kids wanted to use it.

...notice Brandon's hand on that bowling ball? That was his ball, and whenever he was not actively bowling, his hand did not leave that ball. He owned it.

...we celebrated with Spiderman cup party-favors... filled with assorted candies.

...today, our boy is five. And he celebrated by proudly walking into daycare this morning with two dozen cupcakes to share with his friends. More celebrating tonight. We're eatin' some pizza... his absolute favorite!