Ben's 6th Birthday, the Great Water Balloon Launch!

Ben stood out in the field to mark the target, and his buddies tried to hit him!

Nolan -----------------------------Sahith------------------------------Jacob

Gavin-------------------------------Carson----------------------------------L.J.

Ben with the birthday cake he chose (topped with flowers and a sunshine!).

Of course, it's also topped with the same frog-prince I put on his cake every year.

My 6 year old prince!

Twins' Actual Birthday

Since the girls didn't do much demolishing of their raspberry-topped birthday cakes, I picked up a couple of cupcakes for them at Holy Cow Cupcakes today to celebrate their real birthday. Grandma Karen and Grandpa Mike met us at Culver's for dinner out.

Betsy with the chocolate cupcake, Bree with the vanilla

Then, we cut each cupcake in half and let them "have at it." This time, they were covered in frosting by the time the cake was gone. Mommy was pleased!
(I can't believe an entire year has passed since their birth. Sob, sob!)

Twins' 1st Birthday Party

Happy 1st Birthday, Little Gerbins!

Ben requested that the twins' cakes be made with raspberries on top.
They loved the berries so much that they didn't want to eat the cake!

Betsy in her new pink feather boa. Bree in her birthday crown.

True to Pictor form, we had to include some kind of competition with the birthday celebration. Ben was totally excited to try out our new water balloon sling shots before his birthday party the following weekend. The competition was fierce!

I think the Grandpa Hank/Jim/Dan Team finally won with the longest launch.

Glamour Girls?

trying on Maggie's sunglasses. SO Glam!

Look at what Sarah did to our hair!

Water Table

We borrowed a water table from our neighbors today. Big hit with the twins!
We're asking for one for their first birthday.

Vacation Bible School

Seton Summer Series is the first highlight of summer break.
Maggie is finally old enough to participate this year.
The theme: Pandamania. In the above photo, Maggie is posing ("ROAR") with her friends, Gavin and Grace.

Maggie: always eager to pose for a photo.
Ben: always near tears when I ask to take his picture!

Keeping Occupied

This summer, I'm making a valiant effort to keep the television and video games turned off. Ben is making it fairly easy on me thus far. Give the kid some kind of construction toy, and he can stay occupied for hours!

Here is his with his friend, Gavin, playing with the Trios.
(Why does every toy have to be dragged upstairs from the basement
to a location where the babies can find the tiny pieces?)

And, here he is with his Q-Ba-Maze blocks. (These things are incredible!)

He has built an island with a palm tree, some sort of double-helix, and a parrot, among many other things.

Today, however, this sign appeared on the wall outside of Ben's bedroom. I'm not so sure how the rest of the summer is going to go... "Maggies not aloud in this room." Does that mean that she can't go into his room (allowed?), or that she isn't allowed to speak "aloud" in his room? I fear the t.v. is going to be turned back on soon.