Friday, August 31, 2012

My gifts!

I don't make my way into too many pictures it seems, so here is one of me with my best gifts ever!
I love you Dylan Michael Caleb and Aleah Faith!
You are the answers to many prayers
and true living examples of God's faithfulness

Because they won't be this age again...

Here are some pictures that we took earlier this summer

I just had to share them

The kids are growing up so fast

And they won't ever be this age again...




Don't they look like they actually get along in this one?!?







ok, this one just makes me smile


and I want to remember them just as they are at this age.
Aleah: 6 1/2       Dylan: 11 1/2

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Party #4: Old-school style

**I apologize ahead of time for the poor pictures in this post. My nice camera was MIA so this is a combination of pictures from my phone and an old camera**

As I shared in my previous post, we celebrated my daughter's 7th birthday with a "friend party" just a couple days ago...several weeks after her actual birthday.

She didn't really know what she wanted to do for her party (other than things that were really expensive!) so mommy took charge and decided to do a party like I always used to have when I was little.

So...an "old-school party" needed to have:

Some "Pin the tail on the donkey" (a classic!)


 Some clothespin dropping (is there an actual name for this game??)

Some crafting (foam door hangers...thank you Dollar Store!)

Showing off their finished projects
Some tire-swinging

Some swingset playing (ignore the weeds in the sandbox please)

Some horn blowing and present opening


Some silly playing (found fun dress-up kits on clearance that were our party favors!)
ok, this picture is really terrible, but the activity was too fun to not include! They all sang a couple songs together. Hilarious!
Some supper eating

Some pinata breaking

and finally, some cake-eating (Missed getting any pictures of this somehow...)

All in just over 2 hours. This momma was really tired after that whirlwind!

An "old-school" party?  Just what the girls needed!

7!

My baby girl is 7. Well, she actually turned 7 on July 26th, and we have been celebrating in various ways since then it seems! We finally had her "friend" party this week, so I think the major parties are all complete.

Party #1: at Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Gene's house while we were on vacation. The night before, and morning of her actual birthday.




Birthday 4-wheeler ride with daddy!

Birthday morning pancake
Party #2: At Family Camp with Grandma Sue, Grandpa Dale, Aunt Krista, Uncle Greg, and cousins. On her birthday after travelling from our other Grandma and Grandpa's to camp. The camp staff even made her a birthday cookie!


Party #3: Once we were back home, a couple weeks after her actual birthday.


She had been to the dentist that morning, and bit her lip when it was numb, so we have great documentation of her fat lip at her party!
Party #4: Well, party #4 probably deserves a post all it's own (and I need to track down the pictures before I can write about that one!). This party was just a couple days ago, and was great fun!

I can't believe that my princess is already 7, and will be starting 2nd grade very soon! Sometimes time just needs so slow down a bit...

Friday, August 17, 2012

Enjoying

We are working on enjoying our last few precious days of summer. I go back to work next week already. My kids go back to school a couple weeks after that.

There are parts of me that are always excited about Fall coming...great weather, new students, returning students, schedules (yes, that is a good thing to me!), the excitement of my kids starting a new year...

But there are also parts of me that are so sad to see summer go...great weather, no students :), no schedule (yes, that is also a good thing to me!), the excitement of my kids having time to just be kids...

Oh, the dilemma this creates! Guess I will just have to enjoy both while I have them!

I promise a post with pictures soon. My camera went MIA, but it is found again now!

Off to run errands with my 2 favorite little people (when they aren't at each others' throats), then to get ready for the reception and dance for some of our other favorite people! My kids were in the wedding earlier this summer, and now we get to celebrate again! Pictures soon I promise.

Then, I think we are going camping as a family for a few days (daddy joining us in the evening after work).

Can't imagine a better way to enjoy our last days of summer!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Really? Really!

Our family has a new hobby this summer. Well, maybe "hobby" is a bit too strong of a word, but we have been enjoying a new activity as a family. What is it? Wait for it...





BOWLING!!! Yes, really!

There is a wonderful organization called Kids Bowl Free and if you sign up, guess what? Your kids get to bowl free! 2 free games EVERY DAY, ALL SUMMER LONG. So, we have been bowling this summer. The kids and I even have really cool bowling shoes. If I had planned ahead better, I would have taken a picture of us in our shoes, but I am not going to get my kids out of bed now to take the picture. Mike just has to wear the lame bowling alley shoes when he decides to come with us. He's just not as cool as we are.


We have great friends who are WAY more ambitious than I am, and they decided to set up a bowling league for a bunch of friends (and anyone else who wanted to join along the way!). They have handicaps worked out each week and everything.


Just to clarify...I am NOT a good bowler. Even with a handicap I have never won. Ever. But it is a lot of fun and my kids love it.


One of the 2 times my hubby has joined us :)


Drama? I don't know where she gets that from!!



And yes, I am there too! Thanks to my friend Tina for having some photographic proof!
Bummer...the bowling alley carries Pepsi products. Boo!!!


Oh, back to the reason I was initially inspired to write this post...

We were bowling tonight, and there were people a couple tables over from us giving their baby...wait for it...








MOUNTAIN DEW in a bottle!

We tried to give them the benefit of the doubt at first and assume it was apple juice, but when we saw them refill it from the pitcher on the table we had to face the reality. REALLY??? Really.

Disclaimer: the lovely mom and baby behind me in the above picture are definitely NOT the Mountain Dew people. That is actually the wife of one of our pastors. Wow, could have started some rumors with that one.