Happy Birthday to Marin!

We received a fun phone call just hours before Marin's birthday that Auntie Laura had her baby almost two weeks early! Beautiful Paige Noelle couldn't wait even 3 more hours to be born on Marin and Papa's birthday, but we were excited to have her anyway!

After Marin's friends had left after her slumber party, we cleaned up a bit, stopped to buy some cute baby presents and headed up to the hospital at UCLA to see our newest cousin. When we got there Laura and Kevin still had not decided what to name her, but we didn't care! We took turns holding and staring at her cute red hair and dimpled chin.

No one wanted to give her up for the next person to hold. We stayed about an hour and then had to head home. What a fun birthday present- even if it was a few hours early! Happy 10th birthday Marin- the beautiful, talented, hard-working, and wonderful! Welcome Paige- we love you already if you couldn't tell!

Why Can't They Just Freeze?

Recently I have really wanted to freeze my children as they are right now and not have them grow up anymore. Well, it would be better if Justin were still 12- he is becoming a bit too much of a teenager this summer :). I really do get sad when I think of them growing up and moving away. You may think I am silly to worry about such things, but in just 3 years we will be packing up Amber for college at this time of year! I love the ages they are right now and I am sad that they are getting so big. Grace will be starting preschool and Ben will be in 3rd grade! The one that really gets me is Marin- how can she be going into 5th grade? Justin to 8th and Amber to 10th! I would love to freeze them now- Grace is so cute as she sings and dances through the house, learns to write her name and plays imaginary games with her Barbies. Ben is hysterically funny lately and really amazing at football- he just seems much more grown up and mature. Marin is as sweet as ever, the best big sister and deciding that dance may really be her thing. Justin, as I said, sleeps constantly, has grown 2 inches in the last 2 months (5'-7" now) and has a sassy comment for everything. Amber is excited for school and is at such a fun age. We share clothes, stories, and performing together all the time. But alas, they are growing up and I cannot stop time- so sad for me!