Perfect

Hurray! My husband got it perfect this year for our anniversary! I LOVE these kind of flowers...He has learned through the years....NO Roses...and while the fruit baskets are yummy I would rather take the 100 bucks and go buy something fun...this year he got it perfect!
Happy Anniversary to us!


We also share the day with Conwey's dad Ed...Happy Happy Birthday Ed!

I couldn't find a good picture of Ed but when I saw this one it made me smile because this is just the kind of grandpa he is....

And my dad Vic's b-day is the day before...Happy Happy Birthday Vic!

Sorry the pictures so small...I have NO pictures of my dad! Sad!
We love you both~

V-Day 2010

I am not the biggest fan of Valentines Day...I just find it stupid and cheesy.
I don't need a day to tell the ones I love that I love them...but with that said it's always fun to get a good little gift. I know last years gift of a toilet seat is hard to beat but Conwey did pretty good this year. A cute skirt from J. Crew...some chocolates (too bad I went off sugar 3 weeks ago! ) and a couple of other items I won't write about on a blog...if you know what I mean!

I do think it's fun to get little treats for my kiddos and Conwey then at some point during the day I always leave it on their beds for them to find. The scream from Sienna when she realized what was on her bed was hilarious! I wish I had it recorded....needless to say she was very excited to walk in her room and find this....


And the boys didn't let out quite the scream but they were happy about their treats too...


We spent some time working on Valentines Boxes....Jackson made a box for his teacher.....Coop wasn't sure what he was doing with his and Sienna knew she wanted to keep hers although it did cross her mind to give it to her friend Jackson because he gave her a doll.....


So on Valentines Day we were invited over to some friends house and we had a fun Valentine meal of all our favorite foods....there was a yummy salad, taco's, home made mac and cheese, steak, won tons, and Conwey made his yummy guacamole. We had quite the arrangement of foods....then we made cookies and frosted them...planning to take them to people but unfortunately they never made it to anyone else... besides the kids bellies! It was a great way to spend Valentines Day!
Now if we can just make it to spring time I will be a very happy girl!

Summer time anyone?

Wow we have been hit with a record breaking snow storm this year not once but three times! Trust me once was enough....kids school has been cancelled for 7 full school days counting weekends that is 11 days in a row home...need I say more?

That little brown thing...that's my mailbox!

Good thing she has some brothers!
It's amazing what snow can do....my Safeway store down the street...closed because they have too much snow on the roof and the walls are cracking....my gym...same thing....it really makes you realize how dangerous and scary snow can be. I am very grateful we only get this kind of snow once every 20 years or so....I think they said this is the 4th biggest storm in Washington DC history!

Let the digging begin...

And if you can believe it we have only 1 snow shovel...our other one broke in the last storm and of course I don't think about getting a new one till there's another storm and not a shovel left in all of Northern Virginia! I seriously went to about 10 stores looking for one.
But never fear good friends are near!


Not only did Julie bring shovels so we could all shovel together she stayed and helped shovel for hours! She says she needed a much needed break from her house and kiddos...which I believe but still...what a friend!

Now we are having yet another storm today and I am not sure where we will put all this snow!

This was out my front door a few minutes ago....can't see anything out there! CRAZY!


So on another note...just wanted to show a few lovely things that have happened in my house from my wonderful children!

We can start with Sienna's beautiful artwork on her bedroom wall...which by the way wouldn't come all the way off even with the magic eraser!

Now lets go to Jackson...he was having a little temper tantrum and not even sure how he did this to his blinds in his room....isn't that lovely! Not sure how I fix those without having to replace them!

Cooper's bedroom door! Isn't that nice! He and Hunter were fighting through the door apparently!

Now lets move to Hunter...who right now as we speak has no computer privileges until he fixes things he has broken....
First the laundry room light! Yes that's right he punched the wall and broke the light....


Next we have the hole in the wall that he tried to fix....ummm not really gonna cut it Hunter.

And oh you can imagine how very happy I was when I got home to find this on my kitchen pantry door...

Yes he threw a Healy shoe at his brother and the door was in the way.....not sure what it would have done if it actually had hit his brother.

So with all of that I will be busy trying to figure out ways to fix them ( Most likely hiring a handyman cuz that husband of mine...not so handy with these things...)

I do have to throw in though that yesterday we came home and Hunter had cleaned the whole middle floor of my house....he has NO IDEA how much that means to me!! Thanks Hunter! I love you even though you break my house!

Good thing I have this to keep me laughing....at least 25 times a day we get a new outfit....isn't this one cute!

Double Digits!

So Jackson is finally in the Double Digits! 10 years old! How does 10 years go by so fast?

Jackson says he got the best ever birthday present this year because we woke up to this...

and because of this... he didn't have to go to school! What a birthday present no school!
As for me...well I can't even begin to tell you how done with the snow I am this year. We have had more snow this year than we ever get and I am DONE!

So Jackson chose Dunkin Doughnuts for his b-day breakfast...I am glad they were open!


Sienna kept blowing out his candle..she thought she was pretty dang funny!



So after breakfast and presents Jackson decided he wanted to go bowling...so off we went.
***BTW bowling is probably one of my least favorite things to do with the kids but it was Jackson's day so I sacrificed! :) It might have something to do with the headache I always have from the smoke smell in there or the fact that I feel like I have to shower and change my clothes to get the smell off of me....someone in Ashburn, Va please please build a smoke free bowling alley!


Jackson was very sweet helping Sienna...

Hunter couldn't figure out why he kept getting gutter balls all day then I finally told him how to throw the ball and he couldn't believe he started getting strikes...see sometimes...just sometimes...a mom might actually know what she is talking about! I have done some bowling in my day!

So after bowling and pizza we were off to a movie....
Hunter and Cooper were fighting as per usual so I decided to follow through with my threat of taking them home.
So it was just Jackson and I...he was a little nervous I think wondering if a movie with his mom would be fun or cool...well he decided it was pretty great when we went to the refreshment stand and he got to pick whatever he wanted...a large slushy...sure Jackson...it's your big day get what ever you want. Okay...it would be ok going with just mom....
We saw Sherlock Holmes...and while I thought for sure he wouldn't like it, and maybe it was a bit slow for him.... he loved it. Huh guess he is growing up! And it was better than sitting through Alvin and the Chipmunks or The Tooth fairy!

So after picking up Sienna who my good friend Julie offered to watch...we were off to dinner. I know it seems like there is a lot of food in this day! Well that is what makes 10 yr old boys happy I guess!
Jackson chose one of his favorite places to eat The Steakhouse...in fact that is where he chose last year too.


This is what I get when I ask for a simple smile...guess what Jackson... I am using it! Ha!


He was a bit embarrassed by the 5 girls that were singing Happy Birthday to him...but he loved his Brownie Sundae...in fact he was so full from it he didn't get to enjoy these...


Made from my sweet friend Holly for him...he loves Holly's chocolate chip cookies so he got a giant one from her, she also made him his favorite dinner of homemade ribs which he will eat tonight for dinner. I must not give these kids meat enough they devour it when they get it. The other day Jackson begged me to make Taco's with "regular" meat. (ground beef) I was feeling nice and even though it totally grossed me out I made them. They all were in HEAVEN over ground beef!
I don't get it!

He also got these delicious and colorful cupcakes from cute little Julie..who made them with her 4 kids plus Sienna! My kids are very lucky I have such great friends!! :)


So after a lot of eating Jackson climbed in his bed...as did I exhausted from the day. Birthday's are a lot of work! Especially when it is on a snow day!

As I lay in my bed thinking about J-man, J-dog, Action Jackson as his coaches all call him I couldn't help but smile. I love that kid! He is one of the sweetest, kindest kids.

So here are my
10 Things I love about Jackson Edward Casillas.....

1. No matter when he gets home or from where he always comes to find me to tell me all about whatever he has been doing.
2. He still gives me the BEST hugs...which I don't get as often from his older brothers...
3. He really really is my best go getter...no matter what I ask him to run and get he does it and does it lightning fast!
4. He is the BEST big brother to Sienna...even though she can be extremely frustrating he always tries to find a solution for her meltdown.
5. He really is an amazing little athlete...what ever he does he does it very well. We are in basketball season right now and I LOVE watching him play basketball! He is awesome!
6. He makes his bed every day before school.
7. He has a lot of friends because he is such a good friend.
8. He gets straight A's at school.
9. He adores his big brothers..he might not like me saying that but he does.. he would do anything they asked him to. He wants to be just like them. (good thing they are good kids too!)
10. He is the hardest worker. When he is trying to earn money he will do what ever he has to whether it's raking leaves, cleaning bathrooms, shoveling snow...he will work at it till it's done. I sooooooo appreciate that about him! (seriously you have no idea just how much I appreciate that about him!)

Jackson is just an amazing kid and I don't mean to keep saying that but hey it's his birthday post I am allowed right?!?!
I feel very lucky to have his as my son and in my family. I don't know what I would do without him. I am extremely grateful he is healthy and strong and such a good kid!
I love you Jackson!!!