Preston is 5!

Happy Birthday big guy - we all love ya!

Yes, I did make them!

Colin and Cam - and this was willingly!

This on the other hand, I had to force!

Madison was a good sport and indulged her mother!

Colin picked out a pumpkin with a few warts...

I ended up talking Quincy into an orange pumpkin - she likes green though!

Cameron picked out this monster warty pumpkin!

Preston officially turned 5 years old today. As I mentioned, he requested lunch at McDonalds and a shopping spree with which to pick out his own birthday gifts. Since the other kids had a day off of school, it made it pretty easy to slip in a trip to the pumpkin patch today as well! We had a great day, with perfect weather and lots of fun!

When I was pregnant with Preston, I remember telling the kids and having Madison burst into tears - "we don't need any more kids in our family" - she was 8 years old at the time and just couldn't imagine having another little one around! It progressed from there to "if it is a girl we can keep her" - but that wasn't meant to be either! Funny part of the story - one look at that little baby and Madison was in love. She only put him down when she was at school or when I was feeding him! She nicknamed him "Precious" and he was hers - and still is to this day! She would move heaven and earth for her little brother, and no doubt about it, she is very blessed by his presence in her life! We all are! He is such a fun kid - because of all the older siblings his vocabulary is astounding - and some of the stuff that comes from his mouth even though it isn't always appropriate, is truly hilarious! Today for example - I came home from work early and took the kids to lunch, the pumpkin patch, and Wal-mart to let Preston pick out his own gift. When we got in the van to come home Preston told me "thanks mom -when I got up and you weren't home, I thought that my birthday was going to suck bigtime....but it turned out to be a really rockin' day"

I really am not fond of the 5 year old saying stuff sucks - but in this case I just had to giggle at him! Jim and I are very lucky to have been entrusted by God to raise such a fun little guy!

The Pumpkin Patch is a place that I truly love taking the kids to each fall. We always go to the Shaake's Pumpkin farm, as it is a family that I went to 4-H with growing up, and I enjoy seeing them and their growing brood of kids! Not to mention that it is all free - the hayrack rides, the hay maze, the playground, seeing their animals. The only thing that costs any money is if you decide to purchase a pumpkin (or in our case a trunk load of pumpkins). Most anyone who knows me knows that Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday! We had a great time today picking out pumpkins and playing around the Shaake's farm. There is only one rule, and it is my rule - you can get any pumpkin that you want, but you have to carry it back by yourself! I also have to point out - and I think you can tell from the photos, Cam picked out the absolute grossest looking pumpkin I have ever seen - the thing looks like it is covered in warts - and he is extremely proud of it. I can't help but wonder what it will look like when we carve it next week!