Daddy Daughter Dance 2010

This year I helped the PTA with the dance, so lucky Olivia got to go with us!

It was a beach theme, so here they are dressed for some fun!

Addison and Megan . . . it seemed to be that a lot of the night the dads talked and the girls ran around dancing and giggling. However it happened, they looked like they were all having fun!


Olivia and Bella dancing! They were for sure more excited then the big sisters that were legitimately suppose to be there.


About every 5-10 minutes Olivia would find me and all she would say was . . . "snowcone." Addison really made her night when she bought her own cotten candy and shared with Liv!

What a night! It was so much fun being there to watch date night with Dad!

Where's Drew?

Peek - A -Boo!

He's playing peek a boo with anything he can get his hands on . . . and it's just so stinkin' cute!

We're going to Party, and Party Hardy!

My plan was never to have a party EVERY year, but since I neglected to tell Addison in January that there was no party this year and her heart was set on it by February - I caved. Besides next year is definitely a no party year since it's her baptism.

We just invited a few girls on a road trip to Banna's house for self-made pizzas, "swimming" in Branda's hot tub, presents and cake and ice-cream. Plus the 2 party extras I hadn't planned on.

Party Extra #1 - When they all first walked in, they wanted a tour and a tour they got. A very detailed tour. I didn't plan the tour, but it filled the dead space I needed to set up the pizza making.

On the way home I was telling the girls I used to live there in the basement and then they all filled in every detail of what my room looked like since they'd been on the tour.

And a couple hours after the party, my mom went down to the basement and EVERY single light was on including storage rooms and the bathroom. We had to laugh - that that might have been the highlight of the party.

Party Extra #2 - Jeff's water bed. At the end of the party I was loading up the car and all the girls disappeared . . . to Jeff's bedroom . . . on the water bed. They were all snuggled up in Jeff's bed enjoying the waves.

I guess I forgot how fascinating water beds are since my parents had a big one for most of my growing up and then my brother got one.

Addison (and the girls) had fun and it's always good to be the center of attention even if it's just for a moment.

And my "mom moment" . . .

It was a relatively easy party so I decided for sure I could do party bags. If its too easy, there must be something I'm missing, right? I guess I took it as a personal challenge to complicate things just a bit.

So 1 1/2 before the party we headed to Smith's for Ice-cream and few party bag things. We took our sweet time shopping around, then headed up to make our purchases.

That's when I realized I didn't have my wallet. Luckily the girls both had their wallets in the car, so I scrounged up $19 and put some items back.

We went to load up in the car and at some point I had my keys because I unlocked the doors, but then I lost them.

In the hunt for my keys I did find my wallet. So we went it and bought the rest of the stuff, and then came back out and finally found my keys.

We pulled up to the house as the first friend was arriving.

Awesome, but mission accomplished. I was a little flustered, a little hot and little crazy.

Happy 7th Addison!

Happy Birthday Addie-Babe!

We had poor Addison in college so we weren't really thinking about what "busy season" would mean for us. Notice the candles - that's 4 + 2+ 1 =7! So, here we are in the middle of crazy, but we still stretched her birthday into 3 days.

We had an "official celebration" Sunday night so Banna and Branda could come since they have Mutual on Tuesdays. Club sandwiches, chocolate cupcake cake (that's my girl) and ice-cream.

Olivia got her a little self serving birthday gift . . . Barbie clothes (notice she's really into Barbie's right now).

Plus she got clothes, a fingerprint art book, Princess and the Frog, bracelets, earrings, a Yankees shirt, a photo album, and Cold Stone (her choice) from Jeff.

And the day of . . . .we went to lunch with Banna,

(She's wearing the same dress both days because it was the dress she got for her birthday last year and so she HAD to wear for her birthday this year . . . it makes sense kind of, right?)

got her ears pierced! and got Cold Stone from Jeff,

opened a few presents we saved and ate the rest of the cake!

Love you Addison Leigh!

The Big Birthday Boy!

I got a package (only a few days late) for "Bday Boy Hatch" and I spent several minutes trying to decide who sent Drew such an early birthday present . . . Sorry Ansen. Ansen's been around for 11 year and Drew not even a year and the brain immediately goes to Drew (unfortunately that's what any baby does to any mother though, right? :)).

It was Ansen's 34th Birthday last month and for the 3rd year in a row I got the cake right! First try and everything. And now I'm wondering how in the world I was able to sucessfully RUIN every cake for the first 8 years. But anyway . . . we had Hamburgers (since it was nice enough to grill) and then cake and ice-cream.

And then the presents. I asked the girls what they thought we should get Dad for his Birthday and Olivia became set on a Barbie, a boy Barbie, so he could play Barbies with her. So she picked a good one out that could go swimming and we headed home.

As we got in the car, Addison whispered . . .

I didn't even say anything when Olivia picked out a Barbie for Dad.

I love the super huge perma-grin (with lip gloss) Liv has on while she's waiting for Ansen's to open her present!

He also got ties, $ for a new driver, $ for more Ammo, a bucket at the driving range and marshmellow fluff from Maine.

Then we all went to bed . . . including Ken (Olivia found him a special bed).

Just a scripture case and a wallet . . .

We sure love our Dad! Happy Birthday!

Drew: 11 Months

Drew "found" his tongue this month and for two days

it was hanging out all the time.

Accomplishments: 2 bottom teeth now, crawling everywhere, finally rolling all the time (he had only rolled 3 times until now), tries to pull up onto everything, prefers to feed himself, says "dad", he "talks" on the phone, plays peek a boo with everything, and gives those cute open mouth kisses when he's feeling lovey.

Why We Love Him Right Now: he loves the bath and has a real opinion about getting out, loves pears and bananas, when he plays peek a boo with fingers spread wide open and eyes peeking out, we can't let him fall asleep for one second in the car or it's all over, he still loves hair . . . I have to be careful about how close I stand to anyone because if I'm busy in the conversation, next thing I know he's got their hair-it's the worst at church, and while it's never that convenient-I can't pass over his little reaching arms to be picked up and that cute smile-I always have to pick him up.

"We've got to get away from the Silly Monster"

Olivia and the Pollies hiding from the the Silly Monster

and here comes the silly monster!

He's crawling (March 23)! And Olivia's is already finding the "joys" of her new play partner.

Drew:10 Months

Ohhh, little buddy boy! Love him!

(Olive "stuffed" him into her baby stroller and pushed it around until finally the only person having fun was her)

Accomplishments: First tooth (bottom, right) came, 2 ear aches and maybe an amoxicillin allergy (please no), finally is moving around-not crawling though, but at least he can go flat on his tummy . . . to all-fours . . .to sitting

He's not moving a whole terribly lot, but we think it's just him. He's just always so chill.

Why We Love Him Right Now: When we tip our head back and forth-he copies but it's more funny because his head is big and heavy as compared to ours, he attacks my sunglasses, he attacks my hair (and believe me-"attack" is the right word), and he's sleeping in a little later!