A Birthday Party!

Mr. Erik had his 4th birthday party last weekend!

And based on the weather forecast, it should not have taken place outside like planned.

But God came through with beautiful weather!!!

The party started at 11am, and we watched the clouds roll in right around 1pm.

Perfect timing!!!

Erik invited his family and two friends to the party.  

This is Erik welcoming his first friend!  He's just a little excited :-).

He looks so big here.  Waiting patiently for mom to find the candles :-).

This picture makes Matt & me smile because it's SO Erik.  He shows his excitement with body language - he makes cute faces, claps and sort of shakes when he gets excited - so this is classic!

We had such a difficult time keeping his candles lit.  Uncle Josh finally took over and managed to keep them lit while we sang.  But I'm pretty sure the wind blew 3 out of 4 out.  

Oh well, E didn't seem to mind! 

This is another classic Erik picture....trying hard to keep his fingers clean.  He can't stand dirty/sticky hands!

Cousin Benton enjoying the cake!

Tripp confused fiesta with siesta :-)

This is what happens when you interrupt cupcake time for a picture.  

Working hard to open presents.  Isn't the concentration on their faces adorable??

Cutie, cutie.

Ash and I snapped a rare pic together!  We matched too!

Another rare picture!  Left to right: Teri, Ashley, Benton, me, Jodie

The birthday boy!
(don't worry, I bought him some chapstick :-).

Papa, Nana & Pepper came for the party too!!!  

They drove over 8 hours for a quick, 2.5 day trip.  We were so blessed by their visit!!!

A pic of Papa & Nana with their Minnesota grandkids!  

As you can see, it was quite challenging keeping the boys still.  We even let Tripp keep his mag-lite...still wouldn't sit still or look at the camera.  Oh well, capturing the moment is what counts!

We had such a fun weekend!  We are truly blessed to have lots of loving family & friends.  Our cup runneth over!!!  

Happy 4th Birthday Erik!!!

Today is Erik's 4th birthday!!!!  

He wanted powdered sugar donuts for breakfast...

...and a lunch date with dad...  

...and a play date with his cousins.  

It's going to be a great day!!!

We love you so much Erik.  

You are a complete joy to parent.  

And we're excited to celebrate YOU today!!!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I thought I'd take today to share some funny pictures of my kiddos.  

One of the best things about being a mom is witnessing all the hilarious things they do.  

Am I right?

And isn't it great we have smart phones to capture it all?

We get to witness the funny, capture the funny and then share the funny with the world.

LOVE IT!!!

So here are a few pics that make me smile :-) 

  

My boys give Iron Man (or men) a seat at the breakfast table.  He's part of the family.

This guy wears shades while watching tv.  

And inside the library.

These two take their coffee black.  

A certain 6 year old loves stealing my phone...so I find random pics like this one every day.  

I love it.

This guy recently pointed out Iron Man's "pee pee." 

These two found a great way to cool off their oatmeal.

This guy thought it would be fun to wear a stache to Wacky Wednesday.  He wore it the entire day.

Dane loves carrying Tripp around...Tripp thinks it's hilarious.

The state of our kitchen in this pic...not so hilarious.

This guy likes wearing baby toupees.  

 This guy destroys his older brother's preschool artwork just to entertain himself.

This guy actually wants to sing hymns at bible study.

This guy can't stay awake if we get in either the car or the bike trailer past 3pm.  Can.not.stay.awake.

I get the chance (daily) to practice my bicep curls.  Who needs free weights?

You may have seen some of these if you follow we on instagram (@shellyzitz).

Hope a few of these made you smile :-).

Happy Mother's Day!!!

What I Wore Wednesday

Hi Everyone!

It's my hubbie's birthday today, so we're gettin' ready to celebrate big time!  

Which pretty much means I'll cook him breakfast and then we'll run around like crazy people trying to make up for the 15 minutes we actually sat around while eating breakfast...all so the kiddos won't be late for school.

Like I said, BIG TIME :-)

Happy Birthday, Babe!!!

Now onto some outfits...

I wore this for Cinco de Mayo.  Ole!

T-shirt: J.Crew Factory / Jeans: Gap / Shoes: Havaianas / Necklace: Gift

I had to sneak in the next two pictures.  They were too fun!

I was feeling patriotic this day.  

Shirt: J. Crew Factory / Jeans & Shoes: Old Navy

I'm really into this jean jacket I found at a local thrift store.  It's all worn in and comfy.

T-shirt & Shoes: Old Navy / Jacket: American Eagle / Belt: Target / Necklace: T&J Designs

Red shoes for a little pop of color.

T-shirt & Shoes: Target / Skirt: Gap / Jacket: American Eagle

I hope you have a great day today!
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy!

Play

We can finally play outside again!!!  And the boys are loving it!

After months of being cooped up inside, it's like they can feel the freedom on their skin.  

Finally, they can run as fast as their little feet will carry them.

They can laugh and scream without being told to quiet down.

And their mama can chase them without fear of tripping on a chair or slipping on a rug.  

Ah, the good life.

Erik's pants kept sliding down, so he'd pull them up every 5 strides.  He's such a tiny guy!

Letting mom catch her breath.

Spinning never gets old.  Check out his cute smile :-).

Awww...stopping for a quick hug.  

Running so fast his neck is straining.  Ha!!!

Great smile.  Great dimples.  He's having a blast.

And love, love, love that hair flop!!!

Only 19 months apart.  

I could eat 'em up!

I'm so thankful Matt brought his camera out this day.  We really were having so much fun just running and chasing each other.  One of those moments where you forget the 'To Do' list and just have fun!!!

Train Love

Hi Everyone!

As often as our boys are crazy active, there are also moments when they are still.  It's usually in those moments that we sit back and watch them.  

We watch them get lost in a moment.  

We see joy in their eyes.

We witness intense concentration.

We see minds working and thoughts brewing.

 We breathe in the peace & quiet.

And we witness the cutest little faces.  

It's the best!