Happy Birthday BabyCakes!

Full disclosure... there are a LOT of pictures in this post.  I can't help myself sometimes.  I love my babies and I love birthdays.  Sometimes that just makes for a long post.  

Kate is obsessed with a tiny princess named Sofia.  Those of you who know what I am talking about are probably part of the cult-like following of a show on the Disney Channel called Sofia the First.  And really- it's a cute show.  So when I asked Kate what kind of a party she wanted... it was all about Sofia.  

We started with some purple crown cookies... (gluten and dairy free of course)

Princess Sofia cupcakes... (also gluten free)

My sister in law Jeni taught me how to make these cute tissue paper pom poms...

Purple gumballs...

Purple suckers...

Purple paper plates, cups and straws...

And a purple birthday girl!  Kate turned three this year and I am loving it!  She is hilarious and such a sweetheart.

We just had family over for a BBQ and cupcakes- it was pretty low key and we even turned the sprinklers on in the backyard for the kids to play in.  I love those kind of parties.  I don't mind feeding people- but please don't' expect me to entertain!!

After dinner we opened presents...

Ty and Ryan were excellent helpers when the tape and paper got the best of their little sister...

Kate was so excited... The boys picked out a Sofia doll and jammies for her.  She's all blurry because she would NOT hold still for a picture with her doll... WAY too excited!

Cousin Cam liked the princess wand...

Another blurry picture because she was literally jumping up and down hyperventilating.  My mom totally spoiled her and bought her the Princess Sofia dress up dress... It really was an amazing dress!

And Kate had to put in on IMMEDIATELY.

Take a look... you think we have our hands full???  I say yes.

Four generation picture of Kate, me, my sister, my mom and my grandma (who Kate is named after)...

Thanks for coming ALL the way down from Idaho Grandma and Papa!

Then it was time for some cake!

She only ate the frosting, but as it was her birthday I figured she was entitled to it.

Thanks for coming to our party Grandma and Grandpa!

I love this baby girl more than she will ever know.  She was a total surprise when we found out we were pregnant with her and she has just been one surprise after another- but I know we would never trade her for anything!

I took a few minutes to "interview" Kate on her birthday... results as follows:

Kate's favorite thing to do is play with her Barbies.  Barbies is a loose term that includes any kind of doll that is not a baby.  We have lots of "Barbies".

When she grows up she wants to be a singer- because she loves to belt out the tunes!

Her favorite food is guacamole.  And tomatoes.

I asked Kate who she likes to spend time with and I was informed that it was "Snow White."

Kate is a very good painter and she loves to laugh at her "silly brothers."

Her favorite time of the day is when we go swimming and she is very afraid of dragons.

Her best friend is Grandma Jedi (her great grandma and namesake) and if she had one wish it would be to go to Grandma Jedi's house to have a tea party.  Grandma's tea parties really are the best.  She serves root beer and cheese balls.  What's not to love?

Kate likes to say prayers with her family and loves to learn about the animals in the zoo.

Her favorite book is "Llama Llama Red Pajama"... we BOTH have it memorized... verbatim.

Kate is tiny- but don't let her size fool you.  She is a force to be reckoned with.  She knows what she wants and what she won't put up with.  She loves her family.  She loves to play with friends- both old and new and NEVER has a hard time making new buddies.  She loves Jesus.  Her favorite dinner is tomatoes and guacamole.  Hot dogs are a close second.  She is the best little mother to her "babies".  She has a very big heart and I hope that never changes.  Happy Birthday baby girl.

We Be Jammin'

I have been cleaning out my freezer this week.  Fun job right?  No.  I hate digging to the bottom and finding something that I put in there four years ago and is beyond recognition.  Be that as it may- I did find some frozen huckleberries!  Woohoo!!  Huckleberries grow wild in the mountains by our old house in Montpelier and they only come on for about two weeks in August.  People up there are WILD about the little purple berries- and for good reason!  They are sooo yummy!  I took a small army with me last time we went picking so that I would have plenty in the year to come...  Throughout the year, I put them in muffins and pancakes and sometimes syrup- but mostly I try and save them for jam.  Raspberry Huckleberry jam is something that is so addicting it should be illegal.  Okay- maybe I just love it.  Yummy yummy yummy.  

Anyway- I also had a bag of frozen raspberries that we picked last summer too... you know where I'm going with this right?!!?  

So Ty and I started jamming.  I actually wanted to try something a little different this time.  I had read in a book I got from the library on canning (my reading choices are ALWAYS this exciting) that if you cook your  jam long enough, the heat will actually bring out the fruit's natural pectin- so that you don't need any jel and you can use less sugar.  I thought it sounded pretty good...  

It took FOREVER.  Ty and I had to take turns stirring the berries and sugar... and finally after about an hour... the fruit was ready.  Into the cans it went (about 12 pints) and I processed it.

Oh people.  It was so worth the wait.  The color was absolutely gorgeous... even this picture doesn't do it justice.  And it tasted so good.

Kate was a jewel while Ty and I were working on this.  She just sat up in her room the WHOLE time playing with her little princess castle.

Last Baseball Game of the Season

Green Acres Is The Place For Me

The last time that we were in Declo, we went to Farm Days.  It's kind of cool- we went last year too.  There are these people that have put together an old time working farm.  Kids get to look at animals and climb around in old wagons and carriages...  It's kind of fun.  

Kate wasn't sure about the horses at first... she peeked at them from around the corner of the gate at first.  

Grandma Jacki gave her a boost and I don't know that she was all that impressed by the idea.  Especially when Grandma held out some hay for the horse and he came closer and closer...

Hello Mr. Ed...

Next we went to check out the lady that was carding and spinning wool.  The boys even got to have a try... I don't think this is something that WE'LL be trying in the future... but it's always kind of fun to play around with new toys!

Here's Kate hangin' by a wagon wheel...

And Ty...

And Ry...

Twiner girly girls...  It was so funny- I dressed Kate in a hot pink t-shirt and braided her hair.  When we came upstairs- we found out that our cousin Deja was in the same thing!  Great minds, Dani... :)

I was using this opportunity to take some pictures of our cousins that we don't see very often, and Ryan pointed out that he NEVER gets to take pictures of anyone.  I asked him who he wanted a picture of and he said "YOU, mom!"  He got extra brownie points and I handed over the camera.  He did pretty good too!

What a goose!

Mother's Day

I try really hard to be creative sometimes.  And sometimes it's ridiculous how hard it is to be creative... even just sometimes.  Guh.  Mother's Day just came and went and with it- a new card for all the lovely moms in our lives.  

This year I was determined to have a decent background for my pictures and nearly died in the process.  Unfortunately for me- the place I was determined to take pictures this year is a Frisbee golf course.  Frisbee golfers are kind of ill mannered when you get right down to it.  But the course also in a public park- so while we had Frisbees winging and whirring around our heads- I told my kids to look and the camera and say "cheese".  

I think they turned out alright!  

One Year

I love any reason to celebrate... but this is an extra special one.  Ty just had his 1- year checkup with his gastroenterologist... Tyler's numbers are back to normal.  He has completely healed the inside of his gut- we are one year gluten free and Shaun and I couldn't be prouder.  This diagnosis couldn't have been a bigger blessing in our lives- true it's a hard row to hoe- but Ty has mastered the art of asking questions (I confess- sometimes I think he asks too many questions- but I'm trying to look on the upside here) and reading labels.  He trusts no one with his food and won't eat anything unless he is sure that it is on the approved list.  

His dr is really proud of him too- and as long as he continues with a gluten free diet, his symptoms won't return and he can continue to grow like a maniac.  I had to have her read me his stats two times because I was in shock.  Ty has gained almost 20 pounds and grown 6 inches in ONE YEAR.  Holy Guacamole.  You can see it too I think.  

This is a picture taken just before Mother's Day 2013...

And this was taken just before Mother's Day 2012...

He looks different, he acts different... probably because he feels different!  And different in this case- is VERY GOOD!

Getcha' Some... Babies!

I'm a little behind on posting these pictures... but I couldn't leave them out!  Babies are home!!!  If you remember, my brother and his wife recently had quadruplets- and all the babies are home now!  I only snapped pictures of the boys- my Grandma Newren and I went out to help with feeding the other night... it's wild.  I remember doing it with my own kids- but times it by three and repeat every three hours.  Exhausting. My sister in law must be wonder woman in disguise!     

Spring Sing 2013

I picked Ryan up from preschool on Monday and was totally SHOCKED to find out that it is his last week of school.  Seriously?  Where did the year go?  I swear I was just dropping him off and having to  peel him off my leg in order to get him to go into the school!!!  Unbelievable.  I guess I'm just oblivious... I go throughout my day to day activities without ever really thinking about the big picture.  Well I have just been made aware.  Sheesh.  I guess I need to get them signed up for swimming lessons!!

Obliviousness aside (is that even a word?)... Ryan was able to participate in his school's Spring Sing this last week.  I snapped a few pictures before we took off...

(on a side note- I recently took a photography class and my instructor mentioned that it makes for interesting pictures when you let your subjects "pose" themselves... the picture below is exactly that)

I love watching Ryan at any kind of performance- be it school or church- because he literally does NOTHING.  I know that he knows the songs because I've heard him sing them to himself when he thinks no one is listening- but you would never know it when he gets up there in front of any kind of audience.  It's hilarious.  He sat up there for the entire performance with a completely dead-pan look on his face and barely moved his arms/ legs/ body at all.  Complete this image with a huge 4 year old sigh and you can see why I absolutely die laughing.  It's almost like he thinks he's above such whimsical nonsense.  

The grand finale involved caveman costumes!  And each of the kids were asked to take off their shoes and socks and roll up their pants.  Look carefully at this picture and I bet you can tell which feet belong to my little goose.

I actually took this picture and blew it up into a card for his teacher... he'll be a hard one to forget!  Thank goodness Miss Tammy is the world's most amazing woman- or I am pretty sure she wouldn't put up with him next year!!

Happy Anniversary

Shaun and I turned 11 today.  Crazy.  Shaun made a comment on Facebook about it.  He said:  "Happy Anniversary Pookie!! It has been "always eventful" the last 11 years!! I love you and hopefully you can continue your patience with me."

1. 

Kind of sweet right?  He's not big on words, so I'll take what I can get from him.  We went to dinner last night at Rodizio Grill- they have a 95% gluten free menu and gluten free desserts- so it's a total win for me!  Afterwards, we spent the night at the Armstrong Mansion downtown.  It's always so nice to get away- not that our kids are bad or anything- but sometimes it's just nice to get away together and take a second to remember why we are STILL together after all these years.  

I know that we aren't goofy anymore and I probably don't try as hard to look sexy... but the reality is- our relationship is stable.  And I trust Shaun beyond anyone else in this world.  And that's sexy enough for me.  :)

I remember reading a book by Nicholas Sparks (A Walk To Remember) where he paraphrased a verse from the Bible- but I always liked it.  He said "Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes."  I'm not saying that Shaun and I fit this description exactly- because we have our moments for sure- but in the end- isn't this exactly what we married people are all striving for?  

Shaun and I struggle with finances and the challenges that come with being parents- but I am so grateful for him and I am still so grateful that i said "Yes" all those years ago.  Love you Shaun... and here's to MANY more years!