Westin is 11!

 It's (almost) beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

On Monday we played with Katie's crew at the park before they had to head home. Those boys all have such a good time together. I love how our crew has grown from babies and toddlers to just a bunch of little boys who run around together.

On Tuesday we woke up with an 11-YEAR-OLD Westy boy! I can hardly believe it. That's a big year for him, young men's and priesthood responsibilities. I'm so proud of who he is and the choices he makes. He's a good friend, a wise boy, and just a fun person. He LOVES what he loves and knows all the things about it (hello football stats) and it makes it really fun to go through life with him. He is discerning about others and I feel like I can send him anywhere knowing he'll handle himself well and look out for other people. I'm excited for him to have this big transition to new things this year. He's going to be the littlest of the big instead of the biggest of the little, and he's ready for it. Man, he's growing fast.

For his birthday we woke up to presents and crepes, then had a fun day together while dad was at work. I drove him out to the dairy because he wanted some strawberry milk, but they aren't making that right now -- he was happy with egg nog instead and some Sprouts sushi with his brothers. We put together a spontaneous birthday party and went to the bowling alley that afternoon where Everett, Jensen, and Forest came to bowl with him. Michael met us there and we bowled with our little boys next to them all and just got to enjoy watching them have a good time together. Camden lining up his ramp down the middle of his lane with his arm and eye will forever make me smile when I think about it. Then we went home to have pizza and chocolate cake, and the boys ran wild in the basement. Westin for sure had a great birthday, and he deserved it. 

The rest of Thanksgiving break was pretty chill. Westin had a playdate with Jensen. Michael was home part way through Wednesday for the rest of the week. We ate Thanksgiving leftovers all week until actual Thanksgiving, which we turned into Thai and pie. I totally loved getting Thai takeout and making a cherry and chocolate pie that day. What's better than Thai food and pie?? We were all very content.

On Friday we went to Loveland to a post office appointment to get the boys some passports, and we walked around the sculpture garden before that. Saturday morning Westin loved playing football with Michael and the guys in our ward. It was SO COLD and so I ended up just manning the warm van for all the little boys who were there to watch their dads. They'd play on the playground until they just couldn't anymore, then we'd warm up in the car and eat the dad's donuts. 

That night we went to Rodizio's for the first time for Westin's birthday dinner. The boys were so brave to try new things (Camden and Westin even tried a chicken heart, gross) and they were just so fun to eat dinner with and well-behaved. These boys are growing up!! The tantrum days are fading away, with a few little reminders thrown in here or there :)

This was a happy birthday/Thanksgiving week and it felt like such a nice stretch of time with Michael home.

Katie keeps this kids cozy in matching shackets.

Took all the boys to our favorite dirt track/basketball court/playground and they were nonstop!

Cutest crew.

Ready for a big day tomorrow!

We've got an 11-year-old!
Westy is so big!

He's so big that our feet are allllmost the same size.

I FaceTimed with Ali this week as she kindly walked me through pie crust making,
and during a lot of it she had Elise hold the phone for her. I have about 10 screenshots from varying angles
that just make me laugh so much. She's a willing assistant.

Bowling party!
Westy and friends on one lane, us and the little boys on the other.

Then back to our house for pizza and cake.
Westin has some great friends and that's such a life bonus.

Went to the church for some basketball time and we played for quite a while.
This is just what you do on empty days with four boys :)

On Thanksgiving day we went downtown to the Turkey Trot and did the four-block children's run.
Then we watched the 2-mile race and people are FAST.

These guys loved running through the finish line and underneath firefighters on the extended truck.

Also check out that No-Shave November man!

Big kid, and a big beard dad. I love them.

This pie crust looks promising but it was, once again, not great.
It was the most decent I've ever made.
But still barely decent.
This is the cruelest curse the universe has on me,
which isn't much to complain about.

Thanksgiving fire.

Looks delicious, was only a 5/10.

We called actual Thanksgiving: Thai and pie.
We'd had Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday and leftovers all week,
so by the time Thursday came around, this felt just right.
It was my favorite Thanksgiving food I've ever had.

My sister set my mom up with WhatsApp before her Germany trip with her sister,
and had her send this picture to all our family. Makes me so happy haha.

Stocking up retailers and Amazon before Christmas!
Our book still sells copies every day, but more on third party sites than our own website as time goes on.
I still love learning about this process.

We went to the Loveland sculpture garden since we had to go down there for a Passport processing appointment, and it was fun to walk around and see all the different statues.

When I walk with Michael behind our four boys on wheels I'm just blown away
by how fast they're growing and how cute they are.

We haven't put up our tree yet,
but we got the boys' trees up!
Camden and Asher have our Indianapolis mini tree.
Westin and Bennett have our Fresno medium tree.
And soon we'll put up our main regular tree :)
Evolution of Christmases.

Huddled up during the Elders Quorum cooooold football game Saturday morning.

Eventually I put all my little boys plus the other little boys there into my van to warm them up.
It was hilarious seeing them thaw out -- first they were so still and silent and slowly they became louder and more wiggly until they reached a bearable temperature to go face the outdoors again :)
Donuts helped too.

The dads (+ Westin) having their Saturday morning match.
They had a lot of fun playing.

Getting warm with friends!

Westin has been wanting to try a Brazilian steakhouse for a while and his birthday dinner was really happy.
Our server told us that our boys had really great manners and that always just warms my heart so much when we hear that. I really think they're such sweet guys.

The lights are up!
Our little Hallmark downtown will forever make me happy.

We get down here for date nights but I love when we make a trip happen with all the kids.
There are parts of early darkness that I don't love,
but I do love when my kids get to see magic like this well before bedtime!