Some Fun in the Sun

Yesterday we took the little girls over the pool for some energy burning. It was a tad cold, but once you got in it wasn't that bad. The girls had a blast and slept very well last night. :)

Daddy had told Grandpa John that he would feed and water the baby chicks - so after swimming the little girls got to hang out and check out the little chicken feet.

Late Lunch + No Nap + Swimming = Falling Asleep on the Ottoman at 7pm. :)

26 weeks?!?!!

Now hasn't time flown? 26 weeks today, that means just about 14 or so more and Gus-Gus will be here. Yikes and we've got a lot of work to do! But we'll get it done, we always do. :)

McKenzie's Avatar Movie Party

For McKenzie's birthday she wanted to have a Movie Party with friends from school. Avatar was the movie of choice - with all of the movie theater trimming to go with it. It was a total blast and the kids had a GREAT time!

The Invitation (A special thanks goes out to our company graphic designer for the ticket design he did for something this winter, it sure saved me lots of time.) :)

The Candy Bar - Holy Cavities

Cupcakes and Candy, Oh My!

The Birthday Girl

Hot Dogs Anyone?

A party isn't complete without Delanie's Popcorn Machine

The Party Crew

Happy Birthday Kenz, we hope you enjoyed your party! And thanks to all of the great girls who helped us celebrate!

Birthday - Take 1

Last night we celebrated McKenzie's 11th birthday with a birthday dinner at Chevy's. Chips, guacamole, enchiladas - yum.

The Birthday Girl with Sister #1.



And sister #2.


Embarrassed much?




Birthday Presents! Harry Potter Series from Auntie Kelly & Uncle Scott. SCORE!

E.L.E.V.E.N

Eleven years ago - well actually eleven years + 9 months - I had a major freak out moment. (And let's be honest, so did the entire family.) I was fresh out of high school and having a baby - ummm, yikes. Looking back now, that was the best thing that could have happened at that moment in time. Becoming a mom kept me in college, working hard and doing everything I could to raise a strong daughter. And what started out to be a rocky journey has turned into the best journey a mom could ask for. (Oh and it also got me a new job where I re-met Matt and found the best husband ever. So thanks for that.)

Now McKenzie is eleven. And eleven is a strange age. Not quite a little kid anymore and not quite a teen. The term these days for this stage of life is Tween. Now doesn't that sound cute? Yep, Miss M is a tween - oh the joys. We've got the boy crushes. We've got the hot electronics wants. We've got the I need skinny jeans. And we've got the changes that come along with being a girl - oh boy. Some days the road is nice and straight and smooth. Other days it's winding and bumpy and you're driving 50 down it. But the journey really is always wonderful.

In just another year McKenzie will be walking away from good ol' elementary school and walking into the Junior High! Eeek! Seems like not long ago she was a 6lb 2oz and 18" long bundle that fit into preemie clothes for almost 6 weeks and now she's a crazy preteen. Where has the time gone? No more are the days of cute hair bows and pink frilly dresses. Those are in the past. Today is the time for skinny jeans, rockin' t-shirts and Vans of various colors and prints. She's a girl with a mission. A mission to rule the world. And really, what's so wrong with that? It can be hard raising a strong girl - but when you've got a girl like McKenzie it makes it all worth while. And for three little sisters to have someone like her to look up to - what is better than that? Right, I can't think of anything either.

It's been an exciting 11 years and I know the next 11 will be just as exciting. We have put the world of first foods, first steps and first words behind us. Now we are moving on to first crushes, first kisses and first cars. Our road may not always be straight and smooth, but the journey will always be great. And I know I don't say it enough, but Thank You for being the one to make me a mom. Now, go clean your room. ;)

xoxoxo,
Mom

Steals & Giveaway, Oh My!

So as many of you know I work part time for the family business. I know, you'd think raising three kids and cooking another would be enough work, but hey, I guess I can't function if I don't have 1 million and ONE things on my plate. Anyway, I digress. Back to work - I've been trying to come up with some fun ideas to get our name out there, boost our customer base and just have fun. So right now I have come up with a couple of things - a Spring Giveaway for an Angel valued at $59.95 (crazy awesome, right) AND a Steal for an Angel frame that for a limited time is only $8.50 (that's 60% off folks). So, if you haven't entered the Giveaway - go ahead and do it. And if you need a gift - go grab a steal - what do you have to lose?

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing

I've been on a sewing kick getting, not only for my girls but also for baby & birthday gifts. This allows me to get a lot of different stuff in my Etsy Shop, which is fun. Here's one of my favorite models in a new halter dress. :)

24 weeks and A little corny

24 weeks down and Gus-Gus is about as long as an ear of corn - hmmm.

AllAngelGifts.com - Spring Giveaway

This is just TOO GOOD not to share! AllAngelGifts.com is having a Spring Giveaway Contest for an Angel valued at $59.95! Wow! It's easy to enter - visit their Facebook Page and LIKE them. Leave them a comment on why you LIKE them, what your favorite Angel Gift is or just say HI. Then tell a friend to enter too. You can also enter up to 5 times - so feel free to leave more than one comment! The contest ends on Friday, May 21, 2010 and the winner will be announced on Monday, May 24, 2010.

It's a great contest and a $60 FREE Angel - what a great thing to win!

Best Birthday Present EVAH!

McKenzie was scheduled to get her braces off a couple of weeks ago, but due to state testing I rescheduled her appointment so she didn't miss any of testing. Needless to say, she was rather bummed. Like "It's not fair, I want to eat popcorn" bummed. And for those of you who don't live in our house, popcorn is a huge deal around here. Delanie had a carnival party a couple of years ago, so we had Grandpa get her one of these.And Matt loves to eat popcorn for dessert, so I have to go to Costco and buy lots of cases of this. (At least he doesn't eat Movie Theater every night like he used to and then lick the bag.)
So back to McKenzie - her appointment to get her braces off was this morning and boy was she excited. I've never had braces (or any orthodontic work ever), so I guess I don't really "get it", but according to Matt, it's a HUGE deal. So exactly one week before her birthday the girl got her braces off! So thanks Dr. Anderson and Dr. Wafelbakker for the best birthday present the girl could ask for. Teeth that she can eat POPCORN with. :)

Before.After.

One Crying...One Laughing

On Friday we had a birthday dinner for yours truly at the parentals. I don't know what the heck Aubrie's problem was - but she flipped out on her taco. I mean F.L.I.P.P.E.D.

Case in point.Then it resulted in her trying to fling her plate across the table. She really is a nice child, so I have NO idea what in the world got into her. But the best part was what Delanie thought of the whole situation...
Totally F.U.N.N.Y. Way to egg her on Delanie. Let me tell you, you've got this big sister thing down pat. Good job. ;)

The Park & The Pool

The little girls love the park. Like can't get enough of it, LOVE.THE.PARK. Any chance they get they are asking to go play there, ride their bikes there, run around there. Whatever, they LOVE it. Are you getting the picture?

Park days are fun days - I get to sit and bask in the sun. And the girls get to get out wild amounts of energy. It's a Win-Win.

This kid is a climber - like a should you be climbing that, it's dangerous - kind of climber. Maybe Everest at 10? ;)

Look at the concentration - Watch out Lance Armstrong, you've got some competition.

And this is just sweet - sisters riding their bikes together. Can it get any cuter than that?

And then comes the pool - which on any given day could place first ahead of the park. But today it's coming after. And now that we have a CRC membership the girls can enjoy the pool rain or shine - gotta love access to an indoor pool. :)
Gosh - they are fun.

The Cast...

Miss M broke her arm last week and got her cast a week ago. It's purple, it's cool and she's the coolest kid in the 5th grade. :)

Just Because