Kid's Birthdays

All of the kid's birthdays were low-key this year do to our crazy lives, but they still enjoyed the traditional favorite dinner, cake, ice cream, and opening gifts around the kitchen table.

Breck turned 16 this year and I think he got an Android tablet, or something like that (I loose track after awhile).

His cake of choice was Banana Pudding Wafer dessert.

His favorite gifts were from the Holts...

a homemade Goodwill Gift card (Breck's favorite place to shop),

and a way-cool personalized coloring book!

Brittney turned 20 this year (I can hardly believe it!),

and Merinda surprised her with a Mint Chocolate Cake.

Brad and I gave her a heart-shaped silver necklace (to symbolise our love for her), with a butterfly on the outside (representing growth and freedom to fly), and a red-ruby inside (her birthstone).

So no matter how long, or how far away she is from us, we will always be close to her, and she will always be in our heart!

Merinda turned 12 years old this year and Aubrey decorated her cake with flowers made out of candy (not too shabby--for Aubrey).

I am not sure how well Strawberry Cake and Blue Bell Lemon Bliss ice cream compliment eachother, but that is the beauty of picking the dessert on your birthday--nothing has to go together! Here, Breck and Aubrey are reaping the benefits of another birthday, and just being themselves.

Of all the gifts, we got the best reaction from the candy bars (wish we would of known that from the beginning!).

Just us girls at the kitchen table.

I think Merinda scored this year because in addition to the cool green reading chair from Aubrey, Brittney took her out to get her ears pierced...

AND get a manicure (yet another advantage of being the youngest)!

Aubrey wanted Strawberry Cheesecake for her birthday treat and it was decorated with Princess decorations (of course!). She turned 18 this year, and enjoyed celebrating her birthday with the family, and Tyler Jors (of course!).

Carrying on with the theme, she is reading her princess card, and will soon open her straightening iron (expensive enough for a princess), wrapped in princess wrapping paper (o.k. so it's snowflake wrapping paper leftover from Christmas, but we'll just keep with the princess spirit and make-believe!).