I only took a couple pictures of Leonard’s birthday. I forgot to take pictures of the best part – his cake. We did a repeat of last year and make a chocolate lava cake as well as a huckleberry cheesecake. I am telling you, the combination is perfection. Nothing better.
I love how awesome our living room looks with everyone filling it!!
That’s it! Birthday’s aren’t as fun as you get older, I guess!
Aunt Sara invited everyone over for “Tea” at her house last year. The kids decided that it should be a yearly tradition, so we invited ourselves over for tea again this year!
Aunt Sara did not disappoint! The table was perfect, the weather was delightful, the food was delicious, and the tea was….eh!
We decided it’s our annual Tea Party where we remember we don’t really like tea. But everything else about it was awesome! And some liked it more then others. (It was herbal tea, of course!)
Thank you Aunt Sara, you were the perfect hostess!
We spent quite a few hours picking huckleberries this year. They are so yummy, but so hard to pick. The berries were plentiful this year and made it pretty fun. The kids were troupers the first two times we went. By the third and fourth time we went they were waning in their enthusiasm….yet somehow, they have no problem devouring the product of our labors. Even Shylee figured out that the little purple berries were worth fighting for.
We live in an awesome place. It amazes me constantly how beautiful it is here in Coeur d’Alene. These pictures are nothing compared to the real thing in person….
We had a family reunion this year for all the FitzSimmons gang at Winchester Lake State Park. I took ZERO pictures. SERIOUSLY. I am terrible with the camera when we are really having a great time!!! 
It was fun to have everyone together without any other distractions. The family is growing quite nicely with all the little kids now big and more little kids too! Uncle Mike returned from Saudi Arabia this month from his year long tour there for the Army. We were glad to have all of us together again…it doesn’t happen very often.
The highlights are:
Dillon was baptized…Awesome choice man!!
Family Sacrament Meeting – One I won’t soon forget.
FTS games were a hit – lots of fun things for us to do and compete against each other. I especially loved the nutella/peanut butter sandwich eating competition.
Kayak/Canoe – the kids lived ON the lake. This was awesome because they couldn’t really be IN the lake much. Lots of alge and other stuff growing on top. But they made great use of the two kayaks and the canoe.
The food was delicious and easy to prepare because of the awesome camp stove provided by the Stephans. Thank you!!
Crafty projects, games, walks around the lake, and plenty of stroller pushing!!
There was so much more! I stole a couple pictures from Jodi, I hope that’s okay. She got some great shots!!
We are so lucky to be related to people like you guys!! Love you all!
Timberlyn is now three years old!! I can’t believe how big she is. She is Miranda’s little mini-me and looks a lot like she did at the same age. For her birthday, we went to the lake! What else should you do on a beautiful day in the middle of the summer? Timber really wanted to ride in the Kayak. We purchased a new kayak for our family and took it on its maiden voyage today. Timberlyn wanted to ride…pretty soon she wanted to paddle too. What better way to spend a birthday??
She had a great time. We didn’t celebrate her birthday with cake and presents until the next day. We celebrated Dillon and Timberlyn’s birthday at Jodi’s house. Dillon turned 8.
Timber is in love with Frozen. She wanted a frozen cake. I attempted to make “ice” to decorate the cake out of hard candy but I didn’t cook it long enough and it never hardened like it should have. Pintrest fail….
Luckily, Timber was turning 3 and not 13 and she didn’t care that her mother messed up her cake.
She was so happy and pretty in her new skirt.
This marks the third year in a row that Timber cried when we sang to her and wouldn’t blow out her candles. She does not like to be the center of attention and gets nervous when everyone is looking at her.
Here she is waiting with Dillon for their cakes….
Now the singing has started
Now she sees Dillon’s cake with the cool sparkler for a candle….
The rest of the party she was a little on edge. But she managed to open her presents and was excited to take them home and play with them.
Dillon opened his presents like he knew what this business was all a bout. Happy Birthday Dillon!!
Things got a little better toward the end. Good thing she’s so cute!
Love you Timber.
