Happy 10th Birthday Carson!

Carson turned 10 on the last day of our Missouri vacation. We had celebrated his birthday earlier while all the cousins were still there by opening presents and roasting smores. But on his birthday morning we said goodbye to Gram and Gramps, got in the car, and began the long drive home. 

Carson likes to eat so his one request was to pick all the meals for the day, and Golden Corral was top on his list.  We don't have these in California, so we've only eaten here on road trips.  But gratefully there was one in Wichita Kansas- so we celebrated his birthday lunch with steak and cake and ice cream! 

Carson also likes to read.  His birthday night was our Wizard of Oz adventure, but this picture shows our most common view of him- behind a book.  He finished the Guardians of Gahoole series during vacation, but here he is shown with his newest Tin Tin book.  

Carson learned he liked to fish so we got him a fishing rod for his birthday.  It was a perfect way to spend lots of time down by the lake when he had enough of climbing trees and tea parties.  He is intense at most anything he tries and was successful pretty quick- even if it involved lots of untangling.  

Carson likes to win and play video games.  Eric took him to play laser tag on our way home in Albuquerque.  What a blast!  He loves anything competitive especially if it has guns and strategy.  He's also excited about a new set of legos he got for his birthday and is on his way to becoming a 'master builder'.

Carson is very responsible and trustworthy- generally serious and sometimes worried.  He is a huge help around the house and a kind big brother.  Having a ten year old is new for us- the balance between having a man sized boy who can carry on very meaningful adult conversations, yet is still a child that needs someone to wipe his face occasionally!  

Yes, and I did say man-sized.  Carson was the youngest on the baseball team this spring- but you'll see him third from the left- while the coaches are almost at eye level on the right.  He's 5'6" now and his size is generally the first thing you notice (and if you check out his feet they are now size 11!).  But his eagerness to learn and respond to coaching also set him apart.  Even though the baseball team had a terrible record, Carson worked really hard and had a great attitude.  

Happy Birthday Carson!  Welcome to the double digits!  You are growing up to be quite a man and we love you very much!!

Happy 8th Birthday Henry!

Henry had been asking to go bowling for months (okay, maybe it had been years) so his birthday was the perfect opportunity to do it.  Our local Irvine Bowl had a weekday lunch time special- two games with shoes, two hot dogs and soda for $10.  

So on a Thursday, enjoying the homeschool advantage, we went bowling. And Henry is proud to say he even ate 3 of those hot dogs.  Two games were a lot for this crew, so I'm hoping it got the bowling requests out of the system.  Also, grateful that no one got hurt and nothing was broken. 

That evening we had pizza and cake with our good friends, the Blackmans.  Always fun to celebrate!  Favorite gifts were a nerf gun and portable art easel.

Henry wants to be an inventor when he grows up- in fact sometimes he worries he may lose all the good ideas he has now before he is able to put them all into action.  We studied Leonardo da Vinci recently, so he began keeping a journal with drawings of his ideas and plans.  

Henry is a leader at pretend play with Natalie and Peter.  It usually has to do with some sort of animal, often pets, especially cats.  Dad got him a huge cat book for his birthday and now he puts on shows where he poses like the cats in the books.  

Henry is a adventurer.  He does need to have more explicit instructions though- like the time he was on the roof and insisted that no one said he couldn't go out on the roof.  Often his defense is airtight even if wisdom hasn't caught up with him yet. 

Henry is an observer who sees the world differently.  One of his most difficult chores is emptying the dishwasher because he finds out new things about each dish and utensil as he pulls it out- which ones balance on the others, what sounds they make banging together, how much water they can hold, whether or not he can lift them with tongs, etc etc.  Well, I guess it's only difficult for me because the job takes so long!

Henry makes us laugh.  He is also interested in all things 'spy' so I will often have him sneaking up behind me in stealth mode- and he's pretty good at it!  We love you Henry!!

Happy 9th Birthday Carson!

Our big guy turned 9 years old recently. He is a sweetheart- the gentle giant (5'2" and 130 lbs!) who loves to read and play legos. He dreams big and always has some major project underway. He's a great leader and does an awesome job taking care of his brothers and sister. He loves the water and will stay in the ocean easily for 4 hours until we make him come in. Happy Birthday to you Carson!

Happy 7th Birthday Henry!

Henry turned 7 years old Wednesday Jan 27th. We went out to Denny's for his grand slam breakfast, had cake with some neighborhood friends, and pizza (with rootbeer!) for dinner. He was very disappointed to have to do school on his birthday (he was quick to remember that we didn't for any of the other kids last year), but he survived and was excited to open presents.
His favorite gift this year was his very own baby Taylor guitar. He is already writing his own songs and playing by himself in his bedroom. We look forward to seeing how he progresses with a few lessons from Dad!Henry makes us happy! He is easy going and fun to be around. He can be very creative and gets wrapped up in imaginative play or building tree forts. He likes to play nerf gun battles and tag with the older kids, but he usually takes on the role of a spy and can be found sneaking around the edges of a room- especially in his night vision googles. We love you Henry!

Happy 5th Birthday Natalie!

Natalie was in princess glory for her birthday on Sunday Nov 15th. Her big requests were a robe, umbrella, and rain boots. And she hit the jackpot as you can see below.
She also received the labor of Gram's love- a beautiful pink and purple quilt with cats, ballerinas, and flowers. She loves it and likes to snuggle with it on her own comfy chair. Thanks Gram- it's awesome!!
She is a sweet little girl who speaks very quickly with lots of trills. She loves to color and loves anything beautiful. She gives kisses (and apologized to me this weekend that she wouldn't be giving me too many for awhile until her chapped lips heal). She loves school and has a very sensitive heart. Daddy is her favorite and she is quick to go to him when she needs comfort. For something special, we decided to go camping at O'Neill Regional park in Mission Viejo (only 20 mins away). The kids and I went tent camping with Gram and Gramps this summer, but we hadn't taken our tent out since before Peter was born. The kids are finally at great ages for it, so we thought we'd find out how one night away would work.

The kids loved it! The fire and marshmallows (or shmarsyellows as Henry says) were named as their favorite part. It was a chilly night, but everyone slept well and no one complained (except during the hike that they felt was too long). We got a great campsite under some climbing trees next to a dry river bed where the kids could play. One by one they each fell out of the tree (we still have one boy limping and making me wonder if we should see the doctor), one singed his long blond hair and the other his sweatshirt. If we stayed a whole week, I'm sure we'd end up in the ER. It was a lot of dirt and a bit of danger, but definitely worth it. Although one night may be all we can handle, we look forward to trying again soon. The kids are already planning the next birthday camping trip- hoping to get site #57 again.

Happy Birthday Peter!

Peter turned 3 years old yesterday. It's been a bit of a family joke that for the last 3 months if you ask him "Peter, when is your birthday?"; he answers "August 18th". We trained him to parrot the correct answer to people after the response he gave back in June was "Wednesday".

While were in PA, Peter was able to ride a tricycle for the first time and loved it. However, once we got back we needed to move Natalie up to a bigger bike so Eric painted Natalie's old pink and purple bike an appropriate silver for Peter. He got it today and rode with training wheels for the first time. He is a pro! What a change in life for the Turbedsky family to have everyone on bicycles!! Irvine is an awesome place for bikes (lots of trails and flat!) so Eric and I plan to buy some for ourselves soon.


Peter is a ham and a non-stop talker right now. He generally repeats and embellishes whatever his siblings say at the dinner table. It's tempting to tune him out since he never stops- and he's usually asking questions about how and why and what. He's very outgoing and loves meeting all the new folks here in OC. He still loves his naps (and milk), and now reading stories tops his list too.

Happy Birthday Peter! You are such a source of joy in our lives! We are grateful to God for how he has made you and protected you these last three years. We are loving every minute of watching you grow!

Happy 8th Birthday Carson!

Carson turned 8 years old on June 25th. He had been thinking long and hard about how to celebrate it and was very eager for the big day. In bed one night last week, he told me he'd like a civil war birthday. (I assume this was suggested to him by a recent trip to a Civil War enactment with Dad & Gramps). Since I couldn't find any "Happy Civil War Birthday" balloons, Eric built long rifles with the kids as part of Carson's birthday gifts (with dowels, 2x4's, and Gramps old belts). The boys got to paint them and played yankees vs rebels at my aunt & uncle's cabin in the Poconos (more photos of that to come)...

Happy Birthday Carson! We love you very much! You are kind and intense and love to do the right thing. Thanks for being a leader, a helper and a great big brother! We are excited to see how the Lord uses you and grows you up to a man of God!