Deacon's Nerf Party

Deacon's party was the next weekend after Bentley's party, so we were kept busy this month! Deacon requested a nerf war so I took that and went with it. 

He invited 10 people as well, including Bentley and Leo, which was a good number. We had a great time turning the boys into men as we put them through boot camp, target training, and gave them the equipment they needed for the nerf war. Jeff was the strict one that put more weight on them as they were doing push-ups, called them princesses, and told them they didn't look tired enough! I think they enjoyed the training the most, as we did an obstacle course and relays as well. 
We had hotdogs, gatorade (a hit!), and other snacks to prepare for war, and then afterwards had a medal ceremony and celebratory cake and presents. I made the cake, which was a double layer of chocolate cake. It had chocolate icing and then I used m&m's to look like a target. Kit kats were lined up on the side. I put a skewer through a nerf bullet and attached it to the bullseye of the cake. I think it turned out really well!
Deacon loved having a red team and a blue team. Everyone got their own nerf gun, bullets with a wristband, safety glasses, and a bandana. We played capture the flag a couple of times, and then just let them go wild with the nerf guns. It was a great party!

I'm still in disbelief that Deacon is 7! It actually makes me want to cry because he is such a gem, and I just don't want him to grow up!! We made his actual birthday special by having crepes for breakfast, sushi for dinner, timbits for his class, and a movie night at his school with his friends and whatever treats from concession he wanted. 

Deacon is just the purest they come. Truly kind and loving, always worried about how others are feeling. The sweetest words come out of his mouth constantly. If I forget to give him a hug before bed, he'll remind me saying, "don't forget our hug!" He tells us how he says lots of prayers during the day, sometimes for other people. He's the most sweet, but also the most competitive! He loves basketball, karate, ball hockey, water skiing, or really any sport. Give him some equipment and he'll be down to not only play, but to be the best at it! He's super determined in everything he does, and never gives up. He's an excellent reader, already reading chapter books and even the scriptures. He's also hilarious and we love him so much! Happy birthday my Deacon!!

Bentley's Art Party

 January has been filled with birthdays, as it always is! Bentley and Deacon both had their parties, but they also seemed to have lots of friend's parties to go to as well. This year started out with going to Treehouse, a primary swimming party at the Okotoks pool (which was so fun!), and then getting back into the swing of school and activities again. Then, as I said, party planning!!
Bentley decided on an Art party, which was so fun for me to plan, but also lots of work! We did it at our house and when the kids arrived, we gave them each their own apron with their name on it. They were really cute aprons! We also invited a caricature artist to come and draw each of the kids. It was a lot of fun to see him draw everyone, and they could decide what they wanted to be doing in the drawing. Bentley decided on gymnastics, so she has a very cute drawing of her on the beam! Deacon chose Karate, and Leo chose swimming. We decorated picture frames as one of our crafts and then put the drawing inside. This activity probably took the longest because we used mod podge and tissue paper. They all turned out great though, and luckily my mom came and helped some of the kids finish decorating. We also did some sand art and made candy necklaces. 

Lunch was Bentley's favorite - chicken nuggets and fries. We ordered a bunch from McDonald's and then had a big fruit tray as well. Instead of a cake, I made a giant cookie, and then decorated it to look like a paint palette. It turned out really good! My mom helped me out and made some rice krispie "paint brushes" that also looked really cute. I wasn't sure if the cookie would turn out or be big enough to share, so I made cupcakes for the kids to decorate, and I put them on a paint palette with the toppings in each hole. It looked cute, and the kids had a lot of fun! There were definitely a lot of treats though!

Bentley got spoiled with lots of great presents from her friends. This year, we kept the number of friends to 10 so it wasn't so overwhelming. I think it turned out great and Bentley had a great time at her birthday party!

I can't believe Bentley is already 9! On her actual birthday, we made it special by having fruit loops for breakfast, timbits with her school class, turkey chili for dinner (no idea why this is her favorite, but I'll take it!), and a play date with Violet who she then went off to dance class with!

Bentley is such a fun, smart girl who loves to giggle and have a good time with her friends. Her love language is quality time, so she just loves when we do things together as a family or go on individual dates. She loves a good checklist and calendar just like me. She can't decide if she wants to go all in on dance, gymnastics, or basketball, but one day she will have to make a choice! She absolutely hates getting up early, showering, and tidying, but don't worry those things get done! She doesn't mind cleaning the bathroom or unloading the dishwasher. She has a strong testimony of the church and always makes sure we read our scriptures before bed. We love our Bentley Boo/Bento Box/BenBen/B so much!!