The Friends

So many friends and lots of family came to help the boys celebrate their birthdays this year. We had people missing their sporting events, and others driving for miles to make it to the party. The boys are so blessed!!

Tyler, Zach, Cade, Vance, and Milyke watching the safety video

Colt and Carter came even though they missed a little of the TX/OU game!

Brenda and me

Haddie (Carson's buddy Ethan's sister) and Ella Cate

Vance

Nathan

Zach and Milyke having fun with the Little Tikes car

Nathan and his sister Tasha

Zach Bell

Tyler

My mom and I with Emma Claire (the party hostess was sweet enough to take this picture for me, but it didn't get centered very well! )

Carson's buddy Ryder

Carson's buddy Ethan

Silly Ella Cate and Courtney

Uncle Caleb and me

Danni Miller and Tasha

Marissa and Noah

Shawna and Gage

Carson with his good buddies Corbin and Gage

Cade's good friend Jalen

Look at This Loot!!

The boys had such a fun party at Pump It Up this afternoon! They had loads of fun playing with their good friends, and they received many wonderful gifts.
After we got home from dinner (Spaghetti Warehouse...Carson's choice) I put all of the boys' gifts on the table just so they could see how very generous their friends and family are!!

Cade got just what he wanted...I-Tunes gift cards and $! Plus some bonus gifts that he really appreciated!

Thank you to everyone for being so generous to my boys! We love you all!!

Car had to try out as many presents as I would let him this evening! Here he is breaking in his Hulk Smash Gloves from Ethan and Haddie.

Car got a Mr. Incredible costume from the Williford fam. I made him go outside in the dark to take these pictures because our house was SUCH a cluttery mess by that point!!

*Pump It Up party post to come soon!! I'm not sure how I am going to narrow down which pictures that I want to use! I took nearly 200!!*

Happy Birthday Monkey In The Middle!!

We are celebrating another special birthday today! Carson is 4 years old! With the boys being 6 years and 4 days apart, October is a busy birthday month for us!!

Carson started his b-day celebration this morning with gifts from Mommy and Daddy, and then he headed to his 8:30 a.m. soccer game. After that he got to go watch Cade's football game, and play with one of his favorite "big girl friends" Courtney McVeigh. This afternoon we are having the boys b-day party together at "Pump It Up". This evening Carson gets to pick the restaurant for dinner...I am sure we will end up at McDonald's! : )

As I find myself repeating quite often, the 4 years that I have had with my Car have gone by faster than fast!! He keeps Sam and I on our toes, but we enjoy every minute of being with him. He is just a cool kid! He is always happy, full of everlasting energy, and he never meets a stranger. Carson is a great big brother to his sisters, and a great little brother to Cade. He adds a spark to the Stewart fam.

Chels and I were talking last weekend about how he has always seemed older to us than he really is. I guess that is mainly because he became a big brother to the twins at 16 months of age. He adjusted to being our "little monkey in the middle" better than I could have ever hoped for. I can't wait to see what the future holds for our sweet Car-Bear!!
Mommy and Daddy love you big 4 year old!

**The picture at the top of the post was taken at 6-Flags in July 2005. Carson was sitting on Brenda's lap (back when he loved to play with her "B" charm on her necklace). I had just found out that I was pregnant with the girls days before this picture was taken. Carson was 8 months old.**

Carson with Cade and Daddy at Huelieta's birthday party, July 2005.

Carson, summer 2005.

Carson fall 2008...

Cade's Big Day

Cade had a fabulous 10th birthday! He woke up and loved all of the birthday decorations, birthday cookie cake breakfast, and is soooo excited about his gift from us, the I-Pod Touch. He has asked me 100 times today when it is going to arrive in the mail. I got an e-mail that it was shipped yesterday, so he shouldn't have to wait much longer!
Since today was a school day he got to have his name announced on the morning announcements at school, he got to wear a b-day ribbon all day, and he picked a prize from the b-day treasure box. I told him this morning that I was always jealous of kids that had a b-day in the school year! I felt like the summer babies (me...July 26) were always left out of all the fun hype that goes along with celebrating your b-day at school.

I brought Cade lunch from Chik-fil-A today, and he got to eat with his friends Jalen and Vance, his reading teacher Mrs. Price, and me. We started out eating outside in the atrium, but the bees were swarming, so we decided to move into the cafeteria.

Cade, Vance, and Jalen after we moved into the cafeteria

Cade's friend Ore made him this sweet b-day card and gave it to him during lunch.

This picture is taken from a terrible angle, but it shows our little lunch group, so I had to post it!

Cade chose to eat at Outback for his b-day dinner. Hooters came in as a close second choice....I was keeping my fingers crossed that Hooters would not be his first choice!

The fam at Outback

Cdae getting ready to dive into his steak

10th birthday dinner

**What a fun and special day for our guy! I think Cade wishes everyday was his b-day : ) **

Happy 10th Birthday Baby Cade!

It is close to midnight right now as I stare at my computer screen trying to come up with just the right words to let my birthday boy what he means to me. Sam has assured me that this post could wait until tomorrow, but I couldn't wait.
I spent my lunch today scanning Cade's baby pictures at school, but when I e-mailed them to myself at home something was wrong with the format. So as I have done in the past I took pictures of old pictures. Oh how I wish there were digital cameras when Cade was a baby!

Here is what my birthday boy will see when he wakes up!

New birthday outfit

Birthday breakfast

Cade is getting an I-Pod touch for his 10th b-day. However, it has not come in the mail from Apple yet, so Cade will open this note while he is eating his breakfast. I can't wait to see the look on his face! ; )
--------------------------------------------------------

How can it possibly be that I have a 10 year old at 1:38 p.m. today?! The early morning drive to DFW Hospital (now closed) back in October 1998 seems too fresh on my mind. In a way it seems that those 10 years have passed so quickly, and in another way it feels like my Caden has been a part of my life forever.

Truthfully Cade and I grew up together. At the ripe old age of 20 years and 2 months I delivered this precious child. I had NO idea what it meant to be a mommy, and there were many times those early years that I still felt like I needed my mommy! Caden has taught me so much about the important things in life, and he has helped to shape me into the person that I am today. We have a special connection and understanding, and I have had the privilege of being a mommy to this sweet and special child.

Happy Birthday sweet boy! You make your mom and dad so proud! We love you!!

Cade's first professional picture, taken at 6 weeks old, November 1998.

Cade 1 year old October 1999.
-----------------------------------------------------

Just for fun this evening I was thumbing through Cade's baby book, and I found some fun info! I came across the page titled "As The World Turns". The page was designed to record current facts from the baby's year of birth. So here are some facts from 1998!!

Most popular singers: Alanis Morisett, Ricky Martin, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, and Brittney Spears

Most popular movies: Titanic, Armagedon, There's Something About Mary

Some prices today: a gallon of gasoline- $1.07!!!

World headlines: Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky

The facts made the year of his birth seem more distant for me! I cannot remember paying that little for gas!

--------------------------------------------------------

A Festive Fall Breakfast!

This morning after Carson's "crack of dawn soccer game" we headed through the drive-thru at Krispy Kreme to grab the kids a quick breakfast. The little ones chose the precious little pumpkin doughnut shown above. It must have been as tasty as it was cute, because each of them finished it in no time! I think I am going to send a dozen of these to school with Carson next week to celebrate his birthday. A cute alternative to cupcakes!!

Ella Cate gobbling away

Carson ate his doughnut along side of the pumpkin that he and Nana picked out at the pumpkin patch last week.

Messy Emma Claire enjoyed her pumpkin, and she did not get ANY orange icing on her shirt!! Yea!!

Cade opted against the pumpkins, and ordered 2 glazed doughnuts instead!