Father's Day 2012

Father's day started early and went all weekend (except for ballet time).  We worked really hard on spoiling!  Decorations (superhero theme) were up when Jason got home from work on Friday.

 The celebration began with some fabulous food - designer donuts and delicious ribs!  Yum!

The actual Father's day began with gifts that we wrapped the night before.  I had been purchasing little things for Jason for months.  He got clothes, shoes, etc.  The best gift I had worked on for ages.  I had Lisa take pictures of the girls with signs and then created a triptic for his office.  I love how it turned out!

After church, since we had been sick and Jason's dad can't be around illness right now, we had my folks over for dinner.  It was a wonderful joint BBQ of bacon wrapped filet, grilled pineapple, new potatoes, corn on the cob, and key lime pie.  Then the girls gave the men some questionnaires I helped them fill out - this was the highlight of the night with much laughter and some sentimentality.

Sara's Ballet Performance: Swan Lake 2012

Sara recently had her annual ballet performance.  She was a butterfly in Swan Lake along with her friend Alyssa.  I was the "class mom" with my special magic backpack (with snacks, coloring, bobbypins, etc) and got some great pictures of her and some super special time together.

She was wonderful in the performance: utterly adorable, and super proud of herself.  Both grandmas watched her perform (thanks Mom for sharing your extra ticket with Grandma B. when Dad got sick) as well as Jason and both other girls.  Eliza didn't last until the end, but apparently loved the whole thing until she wore out.  Jason was wonderful and took her home to bed!

Well done, Sara!  You were a beautiful butterfly ballerina!

Splash Pad

We have a Thanksgiving Point membership and love it! The special events, museums, and gardens are wonderful. One of our favorites now that it is warm is the splash pad at the children's garden. So fun!! We took the camera and good lens the other day and now have too many fun pictures to share!

Cabin

While Jason was gone on business at the beginning of the month, the girls and I went to the cabin with Grandma and Grandpa.  It was a wonderful diversion!

The girls worked hard cutting back a tree.  They also rescued a baby mouse and watched a whole flock of eagles flying overhead.  I enjoyed the beautiful outdoors, adult conversation, and happy kids!

Family Photos 2012

Apparently, I can't seem to get it together often enough to get professional family pictures more than once a year.  It had been a year and we were in desperate need of new ones.  Fortunately, Lisa was willing to take them for us again.  I love them!

We went to the Utah County Courthouse to take them (on a Sunday) and it was a wonderful location.  Also, it is sentimental to Jason and I.

We have a new one over our mantel that you can see in the patriotic post.  I also did a new arrangement next to the TV armoire in the family room (those are 11x14s and still look small to me) and updated the one in the basement.  I am loving them!  Thank you again, Lisa!!

Patriotic Home Decor

I wanted it up by June 4th in order to enjoy the patriotic home decor a full month before Independence Day. Plus, I have a sweet spot in my heart for Flag Day, which takes place in June.  I made it and we are all enjoying the festivities!  (My kids just revel in holidays.  Yours too??)

Credits: flags and flowers from Hobby Lobby, banner files from silhouette, star banner from Laura's piano teacher, printable from Crafting Chicks.

Miss Provo Reunion

It all started when Provo City decided to remodel. Read about it here. I got contacted to give me my old picture of when I was Miss Provo. (For those who haven't heard, here's the info. Year: 1998-99, Talent: Ballet, Contenstants: 12, Platform: Eating Disorders Awareness, Organization: Miss America). After much discussion on where one puts a nearly life-sizedphoto of oneself in a crown (Jason wouldn't put it in his office and I wouldn't put it over the piano) it ended up in the unfinished basement under the stairs with all the other unused art and frames.

The pageant had a reunion. I couldn't attend the dinner - it was held on Sara's birthday. But, I did make it to the pageant itself after Sara's Mad Tea Party. The thought of this totally stressed me out even though I knew I was filler and I knew would only be onstage a short time with lots of other ladies. There was nervousness about the "formal/blingy" dress - I bought three before settling on this one. There was nervousness about size - I've had three kids since my reign, but my diet did me bring down to something I found acceptable. There was severe nervousness about finding a replacement babysitter last minute - thank you for saving me Danyelle and Diane!!

I was wrong to be nervous. It was WONDERFUL! Jason, Laura, and my folks came with me and were proud of me and so sweet. There were so many memories to relive! Laura learned that I used to be exceptional. The other former Miss Provos were wonderful as were the pageant organizers. I thoroughly enjoyed myself!

A Mad Tea Party: Sara's 5th

I went overboard. It was so much fun, though. My opinionated and funky Sara knew she wanted an Alice in Wonderland party for her birthday more than 6 months ago. I ran with the theme! Pinterest helped with a few ideas, but most of them were my own. The place whose ideas I used the most was this one. 

Thank you to my silhouette, my favorite bakers twine, and a missing hubby (work trip) for wonderful invitations.

Guests knew they were in the right place when they found these signs!

Until most tea party guests had arrived, we kept the little ones busy with the caterpillar bubbles while the Alice Soundtrack played in the background. Oh, and this bubble maker was amazing!

Laura had given each guest a pair of bunny ears (purchased over Easter) when they arrived. So, our first real game was "Follow the White Rabbit" - our Alice-d version of follow the leader. They had a great time running, dancing, and going down the rabbit hole (slide). Each guest loved her turn being the leader.

When we finished with the ears we put them in individual "take me" bags that I labeled with their names. These bags kept all the little accouterments(ears, gloves, etc) divided and clear throughout the party and were a real lifesaver!

Then we divided the group in half to decorate hats or play croquet. I purchased the hats months ago when they were in the dollar section at Target and at the dollar store for Easter (yes, even the boy hat). We used ribbon, silk flowers, and tulle (attached with glue dots) to customize each hat.

While I was decorating, Jason took the little ones to the Queen's Croquet Grounds for a game. It was a bit tricky, so we were glad for a smaller group there. However, they loved selecting their mallet and trying to hit the balls.

Then we had the main event: the tea party! I had prepped most of the food the night before. We selected a kid-friendly menu of PB&H tea sandwiches cut into flower shapes and a selection of favorite fruit (apple slices, strawberries and grapes). Capri Suns in cups (to prevent squeezing spills) were our tea.

All but only the pickiest eater (yep, just one) found plenty that they enjoyed. The presentation was a favorite; they loved reading each little "eat me" or "drink me" sign, and checking out the flowers with faces. Jason as the Mad Hatter put on a bit of a show for the kids and they giggled, laughed and ate that up as well.

While I cleaned up the tea and readied the cake, Jason took the kids inside to do presents. (It was also a good chance for them to all cool down.) Sara was spoiled rotten and loved all the carefully chosen gifts, attention, and cards. It was PRECIOUS!

Then it was back outside for a game of "The Queen Says" (modified Simon Says) while Jason set up for cake and ice cream. We played non-competitively and had lots of laughs!

Costco did a wonderful job on the cake (following my instructions on the writing perfectly!) with roses that were painted red. I dressed it up with these Alice figurines and it came out just right! (And it was one less thing for me to have to make from scratch).

Sara sent each guest home with their bag of accessories, hat, and a marshmallow sucker. She wished them a "Very Merry Unbirthday" and asked me when we could do it again!

It was a smashing success and little Sara felt super loved! I saved all the party items to hopefully throw another mad tea party! How fun would it be for a shower or ladies party?!