Celebrate!

July has been a super fun month of celebrating some of my favorite people. 

I love going all out for the birthday's of my loved one's- Celebrating the gift of their life and the special ways they add to the lives of others. 

I want to teach my kids the importance of doing for and thinking of others- celebrating and valuing others and the gifts that their lives bring. 

Everyday is a great day to teach these things but Birthdays are an extra fun way!

For Ryan's birthday I took the kids shopping and we picked out decorations, cards, and a gift from each kiddo. Their favorite purchase was those really loud squawker's. It got a little crazy in here with three of those things squawking out of sync! 

When I called the kids in to help decorate, the girls were dressed in "mom clothes" playing house with their dolls while Jude was acting as their mighty protector. I was worried I interrupted their play but all was well because it was nap time for the girls "babies". 

I couldn't help but capture them in the middle of this memory. 

And here while we were picking out decorations. 

In case you missed it on my Facebook or Instagram page, we celebrated Hayden's birthday last week too. 

I love her so much and I am so thankful for the joy she adds to our lives. 

We celebrated with our sweet neighbor and her precious children. I can't tell you how blessed we are to have stumbled upon such a close knit family of neighbors. I could go on and on but I'll save that for another post:)

After cake and ice cream, we headed to the pool for some wild and crazy fun.

Jude and Ellie Kate also got to celebrate the birthday's of their favorite people too. Their step-mom gave birth to their precious baby brother Friday (which also happens to be their dad's birthday) and they are in love. I'm so thankful that we are all able to celebrate. I'm thankful that they have the sweetest step-mom God could have given my children and that because of Jesus, forgiveness, and grace; we can all have a relationship that reassure's our children that they are never in the middle. It is also a reassurance for them that no matter what direction life takes- God is still God and God is still good.