Billy, Willy, Silly, and Lily...

For Brenden's 8th birthday he had a sleepover with his cousins. They had fun jumping on the trampoline, climbing the mountian of sand outside, and playing the Wii. About half way through the evening Uncle Mike decided to re-name the boys. Billy got to keep his name, but Dominick became "Willy" Royce became "Silly" and Brenden became "Lily." For the rest of their stay that is how Mike referred to them, and even as they left they were calling each other by their new names. Good ol' Uncle Mike, always good for a laugh.

It's Derby Time!

Brenden was invited to participate in the cub scout Pinewood Derby since he was only 2 weeks away from turning 8 years old. He was so excited on his first night as a scouter. He came home with his pinewood block and got busy drawing up plans. He explained in great detail to me that it would have spikes just like "Sonic the Hedgehog" and be blue just like "Sonic the Hedgehog" and be the fastest ever just like "Sonic the Hedgehog." (Yes, he is an obsessive child) Well, he and daddy worked together and were able to make a pretty cool looking Sonic racer. He was even more excited when he found red wheels at the craft store. (Sonic wears red shoes) He had fun at the derby and won 3rd place.

Aw, Simple Sundays...

Now that so many of us live close by, we Thompson's have decided to make Fast Sundays family days. The plan is to get together for dinner at the ranch every Fast Sunday. Mike and I had another place we had to be, so we arrived late, but I was still able to steal a few pictures before the sun went down. The tulip tree was in full bloom, and the almond blossoms were still sprinkled all over the orchard, Papa gave the kids a ride on the "gator" and as always, we had a great time hanging out and being family.

The Last Airbender...

Okay, I admit it... we're obsessed. "Avatar - The Last Airbender" is one of our family favorites. Each week we rent another volume from Blockbuster and spend our Friday night on the couch watching all four or five episodes. We love it so much that we watch each volume three or four times. If you are not familiar, here is a brief description: There are four nations: Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Within each nation there are people that can manipulate that element. The Avatar is the only one that can control all four elements. It is the Avatar's destiny to save the world from the evil Fire Lord who seeks to take over all the nations. So, what you see in the above pictures are Brenden and Sophia acting as "The Avatar". They were so proud of their markings that I had to pretend that I was happy to see ink all over their faces too. There's a great deal of martial arts moves in the different types of "bending" and Brenden is more excited than ever to join a karate class.

Grins, Giggles, and Cheeks

Little Jett is quickly becoming not so little. He tips the scales at 16 pounds now and is beginning to show his personality. He lights up each time his brother or one of his sisters play with him. He loves bath time. Without fail, as soon as I begin dipping him in that warm soapy water he begins to coo and smile. His cheeks are his signature feature... they are sweet, soft, and kissable. He brings so much life and joy into our house. It's hard to believe that there was a time when we functioned without him...