Seven and Nine

As some of you may know, February is a big month for us. Not only is it Valentine's Day but all of our kids' birthdays are in February. This year Jake turned seven and Matthew, Kate, and Claire turned nine. I just read a post by my friend Jessie who said that if she could freeze time, it would be now because her kids are all at perfect ages. My kids are at such fun ages now too. We are past the sometimes painful toddler years and not yet into teenager angst. Time has gone so fast though, it seems like yesterday when they were born. Our family structure is definitely unique in that all four kids are within two years of each other and it makes life a lot of fun. Matt and I are constantly marveling at how blessed we are to have each of our children in our family.

I am usually not one bit sentimental but I just want to say a little bit about each of my kids in honor of their recent birthdays.

Matthew is such a great kid. He loves his Dad and really enjoys doing anything that Matt is doing. They have grown so close lately due to Matt's involvement in Matthew's sports teams and while I sometimes complain about the time that coaching takes, it has been great for their father-son relationship. Matthew is also really funny. His sense of humor is advanced for his age and he is constantly doing things to get a laugh. Another thing about Matthew is that he is a great helper -- at school, at home, with other little kids, anywhere. I really love being around him and appreciate him so much.

Kate can be summed up in one word -- NICE. She is always kind to her siblings and friends looking for ways to make them happy and she always has a hug ready for me. Katie also loves kids. I know that she will be a great babysitter when the time comes. Not only does she love other kids but they always love her. I also love Katie's creativity. Just the other day she decided to make some shoes out of pipe cleaners and they were actually really cute. She is always surprising me with the projects that she comes up with. I Love you Katie!

Claire is such a cutie. I love her little pixie face and blue eyes. She is a very smart girl and a quick learner. She also has an excellent memory. She is constantly talking about people she met or things that we did years ago. I am always amazed with the things she remembers. She is also really good at finishing projects. When she sets her mind to something, she will finish it whether it is reading a book, knitting a hat, or cooking a meal. That reminds me of something else, she LOVES to cook. I wouldn't be surprised if she became a chef, possibly an expert on potatoes which is her favorite food. She is a joy to have in our family.

Baby Jake, as I still refer to him, will always be my baby. He still even snuggles with me. I know that will end someday though. Jake is such a cute kid with his sparkling blue eyes and little dimples. He is cooperative, nice, and funny and adults who know him are constantly gushing over what a good kid he is. I agree with them. He has always been kind of the fourth triplet in our family. Even though he is two years younger than his siblings, it hasn't mattered. He has always kept up just fine. Jake is also a great athlete. I have never seen such a coordinated kid. He is good at and really loves all sports. He is a perfect end to a fantastic group of kids.

That is the end of the gushing. Here are some pictures from their birthday celebrations. It is a non-party year so everyone got a little celebration on their day.

The triplet's birthday was celebrated while we were in Mexico. Normally they get cake in bed for breakfast but we couldn't get a cake at our resort so they got donuts with candles in the restaurant for breakfast. I know that they had a great day -- spending it with our friends at the beach and swimming all day long. It couldn't get any better than that!

Jake got his chocolate cake in bed for breakfast on his birthday and then we went to SkyBox for his birthday dinner. It was his choice to go eat there and then play all the games. It was a fun night and here is a picture of him with his best buddy Matt.

At SkyBox.