The Keyes!: Hiking, Lake Time, and Happy 40th Birthday Kim!

These morning doves like to hang out on the backboard of our basket ball hoop

We don't see Henry painting very often

Kim, Nixon, and I did a hike last a few weeks ago in Liberty Lake

We picked up some clothes on the way home and these boys loved these oversized sweaters

Mason doing some crafting outside

He made a pinball game

Matching

Mason made a plan out of metal earth

Nixon making us some dessert

The kids picked some blueberries

Lyza at a dentist appointment. She should have her braces off before the end of the year.

Mason got a fresh hair cut

Mason and Henry had some swimming lessons and even learned how to dive

We had a few days with friends at the Bunts' cabin

Kayaks on the water was fun

The kids got to do some tubing before the starter on the boat broke

The kids played some fun games together

With the boat out of commission we brought out the floating dock to keep the kids entertained

We also did some paddle boarding

Fishing from the dock

And an outdoor movie

There was even some time for relaxing

We had lots of fun together

Some burgers for dinner in the back yard

Kim looking stunning for church

Henry and I did some photos in the back yard to use for an invitation to his upcoming baptism

You are all invited

With the fresh blueberries they picked Nixon made some white chocolate blueberry scones

Henry playing chess with a friend

Playing Sleeping Queens with some friends

Lyza was invited to a birthday party where everyone was supposed to dress up like one of their favorite book characters. She chose Paedyn Gray from Fearless.

Lyza had an orientation at the High School. Freshman year here she comes

Henry hanging out at the beach

Kim and I went out for dinner for her birthday

The food was delicious

Then the next morning we did a hike together. We found some large bones along the trail

View of the lake

After that we went to the farmer's market and we got her a huge bouquet of flowers

When we got home Kim rearranged it into three parts because there were so many flowers

Mason caught a praying mantis and made a home for it

The sky was really moody that day

That evening some friends took Kim out to dinner for her birthday

The next day Kim turned 40. We had a delicious breakfast and then walked to church together

Nixon got a photo of us after church

Then we opened some presents

We sang her Happy Birthday while Nixon played it on the trumpet ;)

Then we had lots of fun reading a cute card that Nixon made

Mason made this beautiful drawing for her

Kim got some pretty necklaces

And a new sweater

I told Kim earlier in the week that I was going to take care of dinner and that I wanted us to eat a little later than usual so we could comfortably eat outside.

At about 5:45 I told Kim that Lyza and Nixon wanted to take her on a walk while I got dinner ready. Kim was busy having the kids try on clothes for upcoming family pictures. I didn't think she was ever going to leave the house. Finally I was able to get her out of the house and then it was time for a transformation.

Friends flooded into the house with food and asked what they could do to help.

We got some banner hung up.

I got potatoes in the oven and chicken on the grill and then it was time to wait for Kim to return

I can't believe I managed to plan a surprise party for Kim, with 5 additional families, with a full meal, and all at our house. All without her having any clue. It was a miracle.

Kim got to visit with friends and we had a fun night.

She knew there was a cheese cake for her because she saw it in the fridge. That afternoon she even suggested that we invite another family over for cake because she knew we had more cake than our family needed ;) I just told her "no" and that it was her day. The logic wasn't right, but I was too tired at that point from trying to plan and organize everything and I didn't want her getting in the way.