Cinders and Ashes, Logan is 5!

My big boy turned 5 yesterday, and we had a full day of fun! We started out with our first day back at gymnastics. Logan and Myra both have great classes with great coaches.

Upside down is Logan's favorite position. After gymnastics, we went to Target to pick up Logan's cake and have a treat. Our local Target has a great little snack bar and the seating area in the Starbucks is spacious and fun. From there we stopped at Sonic for drinks and then headed to a park we hadn't tried out yet.

It was awesome! It was a gorgeous day and the park has the most amazing view of the mountains.

Logan thought this rope bridge was the coolest thing ever.

Myra chilled out with her orange soda at the table, then she ran around with Logan. A couple of kids were there with their Nanny and the kids played together while I chatted. After prying the kids off the equipment, we headed home for a low-key afternoon. The best part of the day was when Daddy came home!! Mitch has been working insane hours this month and hasn't been home for bedtime about half of the time. We have all missed him, but Logan especially. It was so great to all be able to celebrate together. After we had a Logan friendly dinner of pancakes and fruit, it was time for presents!

Here is Logan's impressive haul. Yes, you should all buy stock in Thomas & Friends... We took a ton of pictures, the best of which can be found here. Click for all the details. After presents, we had cake. Logan broke with the traditional Lightning McQueen cake, and went with ... Thomas. I know, a shock.

I think the folks at Target did a lovely job. It is the first time we've gotten a cake at Target, and it was very good. Logan surprised us again by asking for chocolate cake. It was yummy!

Logan was really happy! He was so excited to see his name next to Thomas and the tracks!
After cake, it was time for bed. It was hard to pry Logan away from all the new toys. This morning it was imperative to break them in.

Still in jammies, and before even having breakfast, they had already built two different train tracks.

I convinced them to actually have breakfast by allowing them to share it with Woody, Buzz and Jessie. Those kids crack me up.

So freakin' cute!! (Warning:Seriously pic heavy)

I recently made Duncan a little romper, for which I had a photo shoot for the sewing blog. He just so darn cute, I had to share some of the pictures here as well.

I think this one is my favorite, but they are all so adorable, I just can't decide.

And the birthdays continue...

Poor Mitch sort of gets overshadowed for his birthday. Myra's is 4 days before, and then Logan's is a few weeks later (but he starts talking about it during the Myra birthday prep!) so he sort of gets lost in the middle. This year was especially challenging since he began his fellowship last month and has had very little discretionary time. Working 14-16 hour days 6 days a week doesn't leave much time for hobbies, fun or even sleeping. He did manage to get off work in time for a birthday dinner. Even Steven and Sylvia came! Yay!
Gifts were a wee bit tricky this year. I try to shy away from work related gifts, but he doesn't have time really for anything else.

Logan loves to open presents. This one is a pair of pants, yet to be assembled. it's a new pattern, so I need to fine tune the fit, so inside the box were the pattern and a muslin.

I know, a flash drive - so romantic. He broke his old one and he doesn't have time to shop for himself.

A book from his parents. He's excited about reading this one!

When I asked Mitch what he wanted for his birthday, he responded with some frustration, "I just want to have some extra tine to roast marshmallows with my little boy!" Maybe if the roasting is in the back yard, we can squeeze in more of it.

3!!

I cannot believe that my little princess is already three! She had one heck of a celebration, with a giant Rapunzel cake and an even more giant pile of presents. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The cake

Rapunzel!

The baby bed was too big to wrap, so we just brought it out, and she put baby down for a nap immediately.

Princesses from Oma and Pappy!

Jessie talks! Yee-haw!

Aurora!

Cupcakes to decorate from Grandma and Grandpa. She spent all evening feeding them to us and her dolls.

She loves books. Logan and Duncan got a kick out of this one, too.

No, Mom! You can't have my princess placemat!

In true princess style, she kisses the Handsome Prince(s)

Logan's favorites were the puzzles (natch.) and the Rapunzel figurines.

As soon as everything was unwrapped, Myra tucked in all the dolls.

She asked me to take a picture of Jessie.

Today, she and baby are wearing their matching Tiana dresses, and Myra is toting around an armful of new dolls.  All is well in her kingdom.

Millcreek Canyon and a stop at the Zoo.

Mitch was off this weekend, so although we have a ton of stuff to do around the house, we took a little time off of all the chores to enjoy some family time. Saturday evening we decided to hit the Zoo for a couple of hours. We got a membership when we first got here, and the kids LOVE it. Since we go all the time, I don't usually take pictures, but Myra made a new friend...

I don't know his name, but Myra insists that he is a Prairie Cat. That kid is cute.

Sunday after church we decided to check out one of the local hiking hotspots, Millcreek Canyon. We packed up a big picnic and headed out there. Logan was so excited to go climb a mountain!

They were both so excited to get there and see all the trees and streams! I also must deny responsibility for Myra's outfit. Midriff baring and leopard print - I see trouble in the teen years ahead.

We climbed some trees and threw rocks in every stream we passed.

There were waterfalls everywhere, and the kids had to stop at every one.

Myra wasn't sure she wanted to get any closer though. They spit!

Duncan had fun too. And how cute are those boys in their matching hats?! Of course, the plan was for Duncan to ride and Logan and Myra to walk...

Myra had other plans. It was really fun, and so beautiful! We all had a blast.

And after all that hiking, we're pooped!

Gymnastics!

Logan has been having all the fun in gymnastics for the last 2 years, and now  it's Myra's turn!!

Once we found a gym here in SLC that we liked, we registered them both. Myra was so excited!! The came the first day of class. Logan was in his element, but Myra had a little trouble getting adjusted.

But after 4 weeks, she is participating for the entire 45  minute class with only minimal mommy intervention. The biggest breakthrough was last week we she actually got into the pit!!

Doesn't that look fun?! It's the same concept as a ball pit, but filled with big foam blocks. The more advanced gymnasts do all sort of cool tricks off the trampoline or bars and into them. Myra was afraid to go near it, but I sat Duncan in there last week and she hopped in, too. Now it's hard to get her out...

It's a good thing we have gymnastics to distract them. If they had their way, this is what my little couch potatoes would do all day long.