Brandon has been dreaming of being a pilot and going to the Air Force Academy since he was little....

Brandon's first flying lesson....

Joshua and I went along for the ride....

Brandon actually flew the plane very well....

....that was then....

....this is now....

 "Mom....Mom"

....I awoke this morning to the whispering voice, smiling face, and big hug of Brandon.

"I just got my acceptance letter from the Air Force Academy". 

Birthday Time!!!!

You might have guessed, by the sneak peek you got at the cake in the last post, that we had a

 Fish Party :)

....complete with hanging fish and blue decorations....

As is the custom in the Kopp home, we started pretty early....

...with doughnuts....

 ...and presents....

Jason and Reagan were totally spoiled....cars to paint from Grammi and Papa, outfits from Gramma Pauline, a giant tub of cheese balls from Brandon and Elli, a Star Wars bowl to eat the cheese balls out of from Trevor, and brand new walking sticks made by Joshua.  Daddy and Mommy got Jason and Reagan Fish Tanks ;)

After breakfast, the boys set up their tanks....

Then we all got dressed and headed out to buy fish.  Jason and Reagan wore their new outfits from Gramma Pauline...Elli made them a cake before we left....they both carried their new walking sticks with them all day :)

Reagan picked out a multi-colored fish and named it Bubbles....

Jason pick out a blue fish and named it Blue :)....

They were so excited to put the fish in their new tanks....

We had a party for them later on with the Williams....

Reagan began the "blowing out the candles process" but was overcome by the smoke...

 ...so Jason finished the process....

After the the party was over we sat down to a dinner of chicken and corn on the cob....requested by the birthday boys....

...and, while eating the corn on the cob, Reagan lost his second tooth!!!!  It was truly a memorable day!!!  Happy Birthday Ray and Jay!!!

Pre-Birthday Fun....

It snowed on Friday....just a little....

While the kids played outside in the snow, I made their birthday cake.....

It is going to be a fish party.  You will have to see why later ;)

Last night, Daddy took Jason, Reagan, and Elli to Chuck E. Cheese for a Pre-birthday celebration...

The older boys and I went to see Tim Hawkins live....the tickets were a Christmas Present from Daddy....we all had a blast....

I have a feeling though that the actual birthday celebration will be much more fun!!

Stay tuned....

A Rose Among the Thorns....

I have a lot of Rose bushes in my garden....I think there are 22 total.  Every time I prune them I am amazed at how many thorns there are, and I hate the thorns....

but the flowers are just so beautiful and I love them!!!

I don't think it is any secret how much I dislike New Jersey.....

it has been all "prickles and stings" (from Anne of Green Gables :) ) so far....

but today.....I found a rose among the thorns.

Meet Rachel....

....she is a girl in Jason and Reagan's Kindergarten class.  The day they met Rachel, they came home talking about this "little tiny girl" in their class who "didn't have any friends"....so Reagan told her "I will be your friend".  This past Monday Rachel wasn't in school.  The twins came home and said that they didn't know why she wasn't at school but that they had missed her.  

On Tuesday Rachel returned to school.  When the boys asked her where she was 

she told them she was at her mother's funeral.....the boys know what a funeral is, but they asked me if I thought that Rachel's mom had died...it made them really sad.

I asked the teacher about this and she confirmed that Rachel's mother had been sick for a very long time and had passed away the week before.  :(

This weekend Jason and Reagan will celebrate their 6th birthday....today was their class party.

I brought Dunkin Donuts and juice boxes for the party.  After everyone had their donuts and juice, and after the kids sang to Jason and Reagan, Rachel raised her hand and asked if she could come back to talk to the teacher.  When she came back she told the teacher that she "had to get a present for Jason and Reagan".  Mrs. Wilson assured her that it wasn't necessary to go get them a present.  Rachel said "yes, I have to give it to them, it is in my backpack".  So the teacher gave her permission to go get the present, and Rachel presented Jason and Reagan with a gift for their birthday....

I was totally in awe....she was so excited to give them their gift and told me about how she and her dad had gone shopping...then she began showing the boys how to work their new toy....because "her dad showed her how it worked"....

I teared up then, and I am tearing up now as I think about this little girl who just lost her mother, and her dad, taking time this week to go shopping for Jason and Reagan's birthday....

Jason told her "you don't have to give us a present, just being your friend is enough"...

I think he's right :)  I also think that no matter where we move to, they will never forget Rachel....

I know I won't.

Pretty dresses....

Elli's latest love is pretty dresses....

she is a Princess :)

Happy New Year!!!

2013 arrived to a pretty quiet house this year.  We have all been so sick throughout the holiday.  I had Jason, Reagan, and Elli at the doctor yesterday afternoon for high fevers, runny noses and coughs, and with Chris and I still not feeling totally healthy, I have to admit that most of us were sleeping before midnight.  We didn't sleep the night away, just napped and took it easy amidst the celebration of a new year.  The very first celebration began when Reagan lost his very first baby tooth....

He was so excited to put it under his pillow last night!!

The next celebration came at midnight....everyone was awake to throw our homemade confetti....

....and then head outside to blow horns and light some fireworks and sparklers....

Tomorrow school begins....today is being spent doing homework and resting...here's hoping everyone is healthy and ready to head out tomorrow morning ;)  or maybe not....maybe just one more day to rest....we shall see :)