Bridger's 6th Birthday

In the past, we have celebrated Bridger's half birthday because I think it is better to play in the summer and also not to have his birthday just before Christmas. But now that Bridger is old enough to have an opinion, he wanted to celebrate his REAL birthday. So we did. I asked him what he wanted to do for his party, he said that he wanted to go on the Polar Express to Santa's workshop  and do projects, then he wanted to have a snowball fight, build snow forts and then make gingerbread houses. Hhmmm.... a hard request. Especially since there was zero snow in Idaho at the time. So, after lots of coaxing and brainstorming, we came up with our best Plan Two and Bridger had a great time. 

Bridger wanted a big cake with a big number 6 on it. So we made it while he was at school.

 The cake pan took more than one mix, so we made some cupcakes with the extra. 

The cupcakes were much to Sissy's enjoyment, she dug into most of them and ate what she could. 

He wanted a swirly six.... 

We came up with some fun games, this one was to see who could unwrap a sucker with mittens on the fastest.

 Another game they played was to find a piece of bubblegum in a mountain of whipped cream without using your hands. The boys really liked this game. 

Presents: Lots of Lego's... just what Bridger wanted. Hooray!

A flying saucer game

They made these skiing Santa's for the craft.

Happy Birthday to you!

Bridger chose the "piece"of cake with his name on it. 

The birthday gang: clockwise starting at Bridger:

 Porter, Landon, Peyton, Sawyer, Carter, Cody, Mason... Gabe is missing from this picture

Sissy enjoyed walking around the house picking up forgotten treats, here she is with two suckers. What could be better? 

Half of the boys just wanted to play and run around the other half wanted to keep playing games.

This game was scooping up cotton balls blindfolded and to see how many you get into the bowl. 

Bridger spent the rest of the day, night and next day putting together Legos and playing with them. 

I really like Bridger's kindergarten teacher. She sent this home with him on his birthday, and apparently the class makes a poster sized birthday banner with positive traits about the birthday student written on it. 

It is hard to read, but it says:

Happy Birthday, Bridger. 

You are special, you are nice, you show thanks and use good manners, you are a good friend.

It is hard to believe that Bridger is already six years old. It seems like just yesterday he was born. He has been such a happy, helpful, organized, smart and enjoyable child. We are so lucky to have him in our family. We love you, Bridger!

More Christmas Fun

We have had too much fun in December doing so many Christmas things, including seeing Santa four times, eating and making lots of Christmas goodies, gathering and donating hats and mittens for children in the area, supplies and snacks for troops overseas, seeing friends, and having lots of family time (my personal favorite).

Here is our church Christmas party where Bridger was a shepherd in the Nativity. Carter was going to be a wise man, but refused. The kids did a really great job at singing and standing for their parts.

Carter and Sissy did a great job in the audience

Santa came and Bridger requested a "BB Gun." Santa said, 

"You know what they say! Don't shoot your eye out!"

Carter's visit with Santa made me burst out laughing. 

Carter approached Santa and stood right in his face, (his face was pretty much buried in Santa's beard). I'm not sure if this was because of the line pushing him that far, or if he just wanted to get really close. Anyway, Santa asked Carter what his name was and Carter yells right into his beard, "Carter Cole Tippets!" Santa then gently takes Carter by the shoulders and moves him out of his face and says,"Oh yes, Carter Cole Tippets. I remember that name on the Good List." 

Santa then proceeds to ask Carter what he wants for Christmas. Carter tells him a gun, a monster truck and a remote controlled bull. (Santa thinks he says ball... I'm not sure there is a remote controlled bucking bull...or ball) Anyway, it was really funny. I got some of the conversation on video, the link is posted underneath this picture. 

Santa gradually moving Carter out of his face.

Carter talking to Santa

Carter and Santa have a brief conversation about why Santa's  hands are cold  

before Carter moves into his face.

Family picture

Making sugar cookies- we borrowed the neighbors cookie cutters. They were huge, metal cookie cutters like I have never seen before. It was the fastest sugar cookie cutting and we got all the dough baked very quickly. When we returned them, we found out that their son had given us pancake shapers instead of cookie cutters. Nobody complained at the large cookies to say the least. 

We are getting ready to deliver neighbor gifts and we thought that Sissy looked like the girl Edith on "Despicable Me" with this hat. She is a cute girl and loves to wear her backpack whenever we go out. 

And, random picture with Carter and his first "real book" that he read. 

He was very excited about this.

 Sissy can't resist showing her cheesy smile when the camera is out. 

We had Ben's work party here and they surprised us with the Top Ten Names for our Baby Tippets Number Four. Apparently, they took a survey among lots of people at the hospital and this is what they came up with:

 It was quite humorous. As was the card that Ben's nurse sent to us, addressing the baby as "Muddy Gap." It made me burst out laughing. 

They have one name that we are considering on the poster, and it is Moose. 

So far, it is the only name that he has been called while in the womb. 

I think it's a cute nickname.