what we've been up to~birthday party edition

With Jonah's and Noah's and Graham's birthdays being so close together, it's always been tricky scheduling parties for them.  And when I say 'party', I mean 'sleepover'.  We've never done parties, because hello?  Four kids?  So we have always let them invite their friends over and I make it special by letting them choose the menu and dessert.  Graham and Drew stopped wanting parties and started wanting special nights out for dinner, with just themselves and Todd and me the year they turned thirteen and fourteen.

I am so embarrassed to admit that in all my years of being a mom (sixteen), I have never once thought of letting my boys use my dad's land for a party.

When I realized that Graham and Drew would be gone this week and that Jonah and Noah would be a little lost without them around, we started talking about having their sleepover this week.  Jonah came up with the bright idea of having an air soft gun war at my dad's house, on his eleven acres.  And my dad loved the idea of having a bunch of boys play all over his land.

So after a huge breakfast of leprechaun pancakes yesterday morning, we loaded up my Suburban with all the necessities and headed to Eads.

They look kinda gross, don't they?  I spilled a lot more food coloring in the batter than I intended, but it sure did make them green!  When they said they were going to pinch me for not wearing green, I threatened to sit on them.  I did not get pinched one time, I am proud to say.  ;)

The weather was perfect!  Breezy and a little overcast so the boys didn't get too hot running a round in all their long sleeved pants and shirts.  My dad and step-mom and I enjoyed sitting outside watching and listening to them.  It was good to just sit and visit, too.

I had packed the makings of a picnic, so they ate outside and played for another couple of hours.  All in all, we were there from eleven fifteen till three forty-five.  They walked every square inch of my dad's land at least twice, probably more like three times.  They were exhausted!

Can you even stand how cute they are?  I love them so much.  These are a great group of friends to my boys, and I thank God for them.

It was an awesome day.  Thanks for reading!  Love to all.