Shout out to my Bro!

So, in a past blog, I gave kudos to my "little" brothers. Now, I'm taking a minute to praise my older brother, and yes, he's as awesome as the younger two.
Blair and his wife are foster parents. Blair also attends graduate school full time, works full time, and together they take care of 5 wonderful kids (three are theirs, two are foster kids). Oh, and they have two dogs and a couple cats (last I checked). The best part- their house is practically spakles! I don't need to tell you how busy they are, it's pretty obvious.
Blair just won the Foster Father of the Year award here in Utah! HOORAY for him!! It goes without saying that Caron had a lot to do with that too, but together they are absolutely amazing with their children. They are so loving, generous, thoughtful and kind with everyone they associate with (kids, adults, family and friends). It is hard for me to comprehend how much work and emotion goes into what they do on a daily basis. They will have foster kids there for a long time, fall in love with them, and then return them to their families. They struggle every day to provide a safe and caring environment for their whole family. And, they do this all out of the hugeness of their hearts.
Maybe one day the children who they've helped will thank them, maybe not. But no matter what, they have made a large impact on numerous children's lives.
Blair is an amazing Uncle to my kids. They absolutely love him. My kids are so lucky to have so many wonderful Uncles! The example that Blair and his family set for the rest of us is priceless.
So, congratulations Brother! No one deserves this award more than you, whether you believe it or no! I love you.

Ayden's Boy Party

He's FIVE years old! It's official, he now knows everything, doesn't need help with anything (except transforming Transformers), and has an opinion on every little thing. He was thoroughly spoiled for his birthday (and is acting like it). We had loads of friends over to help him celebrate. First was Pizza, then Spiderman races, then cupcakes and icecream and finally (after much begging) we opened presents. This was a party for the boys, although Jade and Ash were allowed to hang out (I needed some females in the room!). If only I could figure out a way to bottle the energy that the 7 boys were exerting- I would be rich. Here are a few more pictures of our Birthday Bash!

Jade doing her best Spiderman Pose

Ayden getting his party on

A room full of energy and fun!

Cheers to Amazing Weekends!

We have successfully finished our first family road trip! Hoorah! We left for Sacramento on Wednesday of last week and arrived home today, Tuesday. 4 long days in the car and 3 wonderful days playing in California. The first day we were there (Ayden's 5th birthday), we went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Valejo. What a blast! The kids went on their first roller coaster rides, saw dolphins and a killer whale. They walked through a huge aquarium filled with sharks and other large fish. They ate Cotton Candy (Jade did not like it, but Ayden is in love with the stuff). They played games and won prizes. The weather was perfect, about 65 degrees with lots of clouds to keep us out of the sun. I made my brother go on a huge roller coaster with me. I haven't been on a roller coaster for over 10 years. It was awesome. I haven't screamed that loud in well, over 10 years! It was good to remind myself that I'm not that old, yet! I can't imagine a better way to spend your 5th birthday than this! After we were finished at the park, we drove to San Ramone to visit my other brother and his girlfriend. We at at Chili's (no surprise there, right?) It was so great to see him, we all miss my brothers in a big way.

The next day we attempted to shop, but Jade hit a wall and needed a day at home. So, we chilled at Jess's house. On Sunday, it was Jess's Birthday so we took him to Horton Hears a Who (it was the top of his list of movies he wanted to see :) then to lunch at Center Court (yummy food). Back to Jess's for nap time. During Jade's naps, Jess would play video games with Ayden while Steve and I rested (he's a great Uncle and brother!). Jess lives by a pond with ducks and geese. On Saturday night we took the kids over to feed the birds and have a little time in Nature. It was nice, the best part of the trip really. We chatted and chased bunnies. Jess also has a hot tub and swimming pool where he lives so we spent a lot of time there too!

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Although, having to leave my brothers so far away makes me very sad. I miss them and can't wait until they live closer. 10 hours is just too far away. But, here is where I tell you how proud I am of my brothers. They have both grown into amazing men. They are responsible, caring, and generous. They put their lives at risk every day to do their jobs and put up with crap from people who don't understand what they sacrifice to help our communities. Most of all, my brothers are, and will always be, my best friends. When I was younger, all I wished for was a little sister. While I got an awesome sister (who I'm slowly getting to know), my brothers have been the world to me. So, thanks guys for putting up with us this weekend!