The Heflebower Family

For Lukas' 5th birthday we had A Monster Truck Bash.  We had a taco bar, mud shots, choc donuts and of course cake and ice cream.  We made two huge monster truck arenas out of cardboard boxes and wood for the ramps and aluminum foil cars to crush (of course no picts of this).  The kids has so much fun playing with all of Lukas' monster trucks in the arena.  I also had made a video of Lukas and incorporated monster truck footage, the kids enjoyed watching the monster trucks smash things, as per Lukas' request the movie was complete with theme songs from his favorite monster trucks.  What 5 year old knows monster truck theme songs???  I also found some cute hot wheels license plates the kids decorated to could be put on their bikes.  It was such a fun party to plan and carry out!  Lukas was in heaven!!

Christmas was so much fun with the kids this year.  They were so excited like all kids are the entire month of December.  And the kids got to celebrate Christmas for a week straight.  It started out by Joel's parents coming for the weekend before Christmas.  We exchanged presents with them and just enjoyed eating, shopping and hanging out for a few days.  It was so nice to spend all that time with them, the kids love their MUM MUM and PAPA.  Then we spent Christmas Eve with my parents and had our traditional candlelight dinner on Christmas Eve night.  The kids always get a game and PJs from Joel and I on Christmas Eve morning.  Then my parents came over Christmas morning and got to see the kids open presents from Santa.  After the Christmas craziness, we got to facetime with our East Coast family, and Joel's parents and sister and her family.  It was so fun talking/seeing everyone.  Then we headed to my Gma's and did soup, presents and a sleigh ride.  The kids loved the sleigh ride.  Joel's Gma sent a BIG box of presents, so we had that to open as well.  Then we did presents with my parents and siblings a few days after...see I told you we celebrated for a week straight :)

Minnie Mouse is a favorite at our house, so we had a Minnie Mouse party for Miss Madalyn!  We decorated for her party while she was taking a nap, and Lukas could hardly wait to show her around.  When she woke up he took her by the hand and took her on a tour, it was so cute and of course I did't get a picture.  But it turned out to be a fun party.  We played Minnie Mouse bingo, and the kids had to help Minnie find all her bows for her Bow-tique. At the end of the hunt they found their gift boxes. Madalyn's cake was my first attempt with fondant. It is the FIRST cake I have every enjoyed making and was actually pleased with the results.  My cakes usually end up in the garbage, cuz they never turn out.  Thanks to Lori for the tips and tools!

Our first festivity of the Halloween season, was going to Cornbelly's.  The kids always have so much fun when we go to a pumpkin patch.  I think Cornbelly's has become a favorite.  There is so much to do for all the little people.

Our second Halloween Activity was carving pumpkins.  Madalyn tried her hardest to clean out her own pumpkin...yucky is all she kept saying.

Madalyn is obsessed with all things Minnie Mouse.  So of course we needed a Minnie Mouse pumpkin.

Lukas is still on his superhero kick.

And Little Miss Ella is just happy to be where everyone else is.

Megan and her kids came to visit family during Autumn Break, and came and hung out with us a couple times while they were here.  We sure do miss them!  It's so fun to watch how excited to kids get when they see each other!  They are defiantly some of our favorite people and we are sad we don't get to hang out like we use to when they lived here.  But we are always happy to hang with them when they come to visit!  I think we are due another trip to Denver soon :)