A Spring Break for Mommy

In April, Frankie and I took a little trip with my Mom out to see my Brother and his family in Costa Mesa, California.

It was a perfect little getaway for me!  Something I don't get to do very often.

Frankie was a great travel buddy!  He's so easy that my brother kept wondering if I had really brought a baby with me.  Frankie made no fuss at all!

I didn't take many pictures.  It was just so nice not to have to do anything. :)

We shopped at the beautiful South Coast Plaza Mall and ate at the yummy Wolfgang Puck restaurant.

Aunt Insun and Frankie.  He loves to touch faces.  I love that about him.

a borrowed pic from my brother's blog

My adorable nieces!  They loved Frankie!

While we were there, I got to help out with cute Olivia's birthday party. 

We made a tea pot cake like Sadie's.

Why is California so dreamy?  I loved walking off the plane at the Long Beach airport to be welcomed by that beautiful coastal breeze.  It just feels heavenly!  And thankfully my brother lives so close to the beach that I was able to enjoy that breeze my whole trip in their home with the windows all open.

After making a pit stop at the world best donut shop, we had a beach day at Newport which was again, heavenly!!  The perfect temp.  

So relaxing.  Frankie and my niece Sophie were lulled to sleep by the sound of the ocean waves.  My favorite. 

I love Frankie's little "Sandal Gap" on his toes, a marker for Down syndrome.

I finally got a picture of this face he makes.  It just cracks me up!  When he does this, I call his name and his eyes will pop open all big, hello!  A total face transformation.  Ha.  

While I was gone, the kids got to stay home with their fun daddy who made them their personal hot tubs and let them build and sleep in a big fort.  Grandma was a big helper too.  

My flight got in so late that the kids were all asleep when I got home.  The next morning Frankie and I went to greet them.  I sat on the floor with Frankie on my lap and said "knock knock" on their fort door. They all jumped out and the second they saw Frankie they all exclaimed in unison, "FRANKIE!!!!!!!!!!!"  And they hovered around him repeating his name with excitement.  It was the cutest reunion ever.  Mommy who?

Thanks Nate and Insun for a great trip!  And also thanks to Stormy and Kevin for holding down the fort at home!  It was a nice treat!

A Flower Party

For Sadie's friend party, she wanted a flower party.  

I can't find the invitation to post. Darn.  

My kids have a friend party every year.  I grew up with the every other year thing, which is nice for the mother.  But I've given in to Kevin's motto of "they're only kids once" and "they won't want friend theme parties forever".  I hope the latter is true.

I didn't follow a color theme.  Just flower everything.  Sadie was really involved with the whole thing.  The flower buckets were from the $1 spot at Target.  I actually got them for 50 cents (long story). 

Having a spring birthday with a flower theme is really easy.  Flower decor is everywhere!  I bought silk flowers at the dollars store and made them into pens with floral tape as part of their party favor.

Kindergarten friends!

Lilly, Elle, Lucy, Ruby

Jane, Sadie, Leah, Cousin Kate and MaryJane 

MaryJane was very much apart of the party.  She really believes that these girls are all her friends too.

For our craft we made mini pom pom flower bouquets from napkins.  I had them all ready to be separated but I think they were a little on the hard side for them to make.  Some did just fine and others needed help.  

Once their bouquets were made they loved holding onto them.  

We played a little toss-your-bouquets-into-a-pot game and the girls got to choose a felt hair clip that I made for making the shot.

These were really easy and fun to make!

Sadie determined that there HAD to be face painting at the party.  Flowers.

Her face with that special birthday glow again.

A "pink flower cake with yellow in the middle".

There's nothin' like a homemade cake.  I love the look (and taste) of it.

My first attempt at buttercream frosting.  Yum!

I'm so bummed that I didn't have time to put ribbon in the cake stand.

It's a pain to do but looks cute in the end.

Sadie dreamed of having a "smash cake".

All her friends got a kick out of the idea.

After presents, cake and ice cream, we had a dance freeze party.  Lily gave Sadie that adorable masquerade mask.  A great way to wrap up a fun party.  

Sadie is Six!

This little girl

doing the happy dance.

She woke up to our traditional birthday morning of her room all decorated and presents awaiting to be opened on the table.  The best way to start your day!

Her friend party was scheduled for another day so we took her to dinner to 

the Pizza Factory and Fat Cats.

Sadie LOVES her baby brother and he ADORES her!! 

She is so motherly toward him and she always wants to hold him.  

 Sadie was so happy to have Nana and Great Grandma come!

One of my favorite things about Sadie is the glow she has on her face when it is her birthday!  

She feels special and it shows!

Sadie is such a pleasant little girl.  She's polite, thoughtful, kind and caring.  She says the funniest things (remember this)!  Her creativity always blows me away!  Just wait til I show you what she made for our show and tell family night!

Sadie LOVES her daddy!  They are so much a like and she is thrilled about that.

We love you Sadie!  Happy Birthday Sweetie!

A Baby Shower...

Cookies & Milk

I threw a boy shower for Jessica who works with me in the Young Womens.

I've seen this darling idea on Most Likely Late blog.

And let me just say that this was the best way to do an open house ward shower!!

Easy.

I just gathered a bunch of clean glass jars and assigned a couple cookies batches to people who offered to help.  

I bought the plastic tongs at the party store for 60 cents each.

I made some labels in photoshop and printed them on Avery Sticker paper.  

These stickers washed off so easily when the party was over!

I've seen people put paper or fabric in the jars to add color and design but I just like the look of the cookie.  Yum!!

I had so many leftover cookies even after I sent plates of them home.

Had I had more time to prepare, I would have bought those cute paper parchment bags with a "Thank You" sticker to send the cookies home in.  

I love these shortbread cookies!

Made with aqua sprinkles.

Water, Milk, Chocolate Milk and Strawberry Milk served in these Glass Milk Jars from Ikea ($3 each).

I put them in the steel bucket with ice.   

I get to do another one in June for another Young Women leader and I can't wait!

I love a good cookie bar.  Yum!

My new buffet!

When you walk into my home, you are greeted with this.

Built in little shelves and an entry table.  

This is where I set up my salon and do hair twice a week.

For the longest time I've wanted a buffet table (thanks to my SIL Emily).

Back in boring January, I found this one on KSL (better than craigslist in Utah) for a whopping $150

They sell for around $400 in consignment shops.  

I thought it'd be perfect for my "salon" station and I could not pass up such a good deal!

I loaded up the kids and headed to Payson with my Dad (an hour south) to get it. 

 I knew it was a winner and I knew it would sell fast!  

A BIG thanks to my Dad who painted it for me!

I just LOVE it!!!!

Don't you?

It just brightens up my room!

I'm still trying to figure out what to put on top of it.  Cole broke my bigger glass lamp so this one is there till I figure out what to put on the top.  That book shelf (which has been so hard for me to stage) has a lot going on so maybe I should keep the buffet simple.  My friend Alicia helped me with the current set up of the shelves and I love it.  

Any suggestions for the buffet?  

I replaced the knobs with Anthropology type glass knobs for half the price from World Market.

My little hanging heart souvenir from Paris.  So cute.  Thanks Mom!

 Notice the detail on the wood.  I love it!  

Here was my inspiration photo

Sorry, no source :(

I love the dark glaze in the cracks that bring out the detail.

Here is another cute buffet with the glaze that brings out the detail.

again, sorry no source. :(

I've been waiting for the paint to really dry on mine to sand and glaze it.
What do you think?  Glaze or no glaze?

St. Patricks Day 2011!

Whoa!  Where have I been?

New Beginnings 

Tending 10 kids for 5 days =

Frankie getting Pulled Elbow (from a 2yr. old :( )

Playgroups

Hosting A Baby Shower

Disney On Ice

A Wedding Anniversary (our 9th)

and now... 

St. Patricks Day!

That tricky leprechaun showed up again this year!  

Thankfully he forgot to draw green mustaches on everyone in their sleep like last year.

Sadly we forgot to set a trap and he really messed up our house!

 MaryJane went to dance as TinkerBell.  She was so accepting of everything today!  Surprise.

 Sadie wore the skirt I made her two years ago.  I LOVE all the mileage I've gotten out of it!

She's finally come around and is not so scared of that Leprechaun anymore.

I love how Cole is such a believer of this holiday!  Tonight he was trying so hard to think of a good trap for the leprechaun for next year.  Way to believe Cole!

The leprechaun left chocolate coins, a real gold coin, a few green candy pieces, Lucky Charms and Clover plates for dinner (pizza).  He sure went all out this year.  Well as much as he's ever going to for this holiday.

A little cheer from my hutch.

I hope you all had a great day!