We summoned all Nerf Soldiers for battle this weekend in honor of Camden's 11th birthday. The boys had an absolute blast...as did several of the adults. :)
Sergeant Sellers giving orders for battle
Happy Birthday to our Camden Paul! It's hard to believe he is 11! He is full of life and loves to help others and has a heart to serve. We are so proud of the young man you are becoming and we can't wait to see what God is going to do through you!
I cannot believe how beautiful she is. Daddy is going to have to get a bigger gun. Maylee Grace was so excited for her dance recital. She did great! I might have bribed her with ice cream, but she still did fabulous.
Matt and I took Camden to the Rock and Worship Roadshow. Anyone who spends any time at all with Camden will realize his love for Christian music quickly. He is rarely found without his Ipod in hand listening to music. Matt's best friend/best man came into Albuquerque to also come to the concert. His sister is married to one of the guys in Tenth Avenue North. We got to go backstage and meet several band members and watch the majority of the show from the side of the stage! It was a night Camden will not soon forget!
Lead Singer of Tenth Avenue North One of Camden's favorites: LaCrae!! He was so nice to Camden. He talked with him for a minute and asked where he would be during the show. We told him we were watching from the side of the stage. During his performace, he came to the corner of the stage, looked and pointed at Camden and threw him a drumstick! We got it signed by him later. Camden was so pumped!
Maylee Grace got her very own set of stitches. My crazy little lady bumped her chin on the footboard of the boy's bed. She was a trooper. She watched Lady and the Tramp while the doctor stitched her up. The only thing she was truly upset by was the giant bandage they put on her chin to cover the cut. As soon as we got home, the giant, ugly bandage was replaced by princess bandaids. She also earned a yummy strawberry julius for being brave at the doctor.
For years now, we've taken all of our special Valentines on individual dates in the month of February. They get to pick whatever they want to do. Matt takes Maylee Grace and I take the boys. It is such a special time and it's so fun to see how excited each of the kids get as their date day approaches.
Maylee Grace picked a date to the library and Krispy Kreme. Daddy surprised her with mini roses which she proudly has displayed in her room currently. He also took her to buy her a new dress. She picked a very pink and princessy dress and could not wait to show off her treasures from the day. She must have smiled all day long!
Payton knew exactly where he wanted to go. He picked a date to Build a Bear. He also wanted to eat lunch at Lone Star Steakhouse, because he "loves their bread." He had a blast and even talked the waitress into giving him two loaves of bread to bring home.
Camden picked Cold Stone and a movie. So, we went to watch 'Journey 2 Mysterious Island' and got a yummy treat at Cold Stone. He really enjoyed the movie! We had a great time.
I've been thinking a lot about how special Maylee Grace is. God has truly blessed her with a sweet, kind spirit. She's always talking, singing and dancing around. She brings so much joy into our home. I love the relationship she has with Matt. She loves her Daddy in such a special way. It's so different than the way she interacts with me. She loves to get Daddy's approval of her outfit or the way she is caring for her baby doll or any major coloring project she's working on. I am so thankful that when the time comes for her to look for the man God has designed for her that her standard for a husband will be set by her fabulous Daddy. She will look for someone just like him....and that is a great thing.
Payton and Maylee Grace have been doing two new classes through the City of Rio Rancho. Payton is taking tennis lessons and Maylee Grace is taking a Tiny Toes class that is an intro to ballet and tap. They are both having an absolute blast.
Christmas was wonderful as always this year. On Christmas Eve, we read the story of the real St. Nicholas about how he gave and showed love because God gave His love to him. What amazing history that people have no idea is a depiction of God's love! Our church had a beautiful Christmas morning service where we had to bring out more chairs, because there was so many people there to celebrate Jesus' birth! We wrapped up the day with the Packers winning. It was a great day!
Maylee Grace with her new bike complete with baby seat and bell!
Couldn't get the boys to turn around long enough for a picture :)
In 2008, we took the family and rode the Polar Express in Durango, CO. We knew after that trip that we would want to bring the kids back and do it again. In November, we got a great deal on a hotel, so we knew it was the perfect opportunity! We bought train tickets and waited to surprise the kids. We didn't tell them until the morning we were leaving. I had all the bags packed and we told the kids we had a present that we were going to let them open early. They tore through the packages to find new pajamas and a ticket for the Polar Express. We had a great time and the kids absolutely loved it!
Camden and his friend, Brenna. They've been friends since they were 1! She and her family got tickets on the same train as us!
May holding the golden ticket. She was not going to let go of it. She just sat and took everything in. She loved it!