Cousins

We had another fun evening with our cousins. Lisa asked me to watch her kids while they went to see Tyler play football at the Homecoming Game. Tyler is the center for Springville High School team. The cousins came over and we blew up lots and lots of water balloons. Then we made homemade pizza and played and played and played! We love our cousins!! Allie and Jag kept getting Ellee and Ellee had had enough. I only write about this because it was super funny after knowing Allie was ok. Of course I didn't get any good pictures. Ellee started chasing Allie. She flipped around and BAM!! right into our front tree. It threw her back and gave her a huge goose egg and a nice black and blue mark. It was one of those funny moments that you watch on AFV. I can laugh now since she wasn't hurt to badly.

AUBRIE's Balloon Birthday Party.

I love how I get so far behind and it has really only been 13 days since my last entry but it feels like so much has happened!!! So again begins a bunch of blog entries for the next few days! Birthday Girl! It was Aubrie's First Friend Birthday Party this year. We made a rule in our family that the first friend party would be when they are five and then they can have a friends party every other year. Because both Allie and Aubrie's birthdays are in September it works really well as we have a friends party every year but only one. We started talking about what to do for her birthday back in June. That is just how my mind works. I think and think and plan and plan and search and search for ideas and then do it at the last minute!!! We had started to come up with all sorts of fun ideas for her birthday. With a crazy August and September working two jobs and Justin back in school. I began to simplify everything. One day I finally said to Aubrie we are going to have a Balloon Party and she thought it would be fun after a little convincing. Everything we did had something to do with Balloons! Making Aubrie's Party Favors. Blowing up Balloons with Daddy's Compressor. Not only because I didn't want to spend money on a Pinata but also because I am trying to make sure I spend time doing things with my girls, I decided that Aubrie and I would make her a Pinata. It was a lot of fun and a lot of mess. Aubrie and her friends! Aubrie's decorations! Balloon Tag. We tied balloons to their ankles and then everyone runs around trying to pop the other balloon. The last one with a balloon not popped wins!! Balloon Toss. We had a big sheet and the goal was to keep the Balloon in the air. I remember playing this with a huge parachute and a ball in school. Thought it would be fun. The balloons were a little too light but the kids all had fun. Aubrie showing us how to play the games. Pin the Balloons on the board. We had a water balloon toss! Balloon Relay Race. We divide the kids into two groups. They had to run to the middle of the field and go through a hula hoop. Then run the rest of the field. When they got to the end they had to sit on a balloon and make it pop. Then run back through the hula hoop and touch the next team member. What a good laugh we all had. Aubrie taking a whack at her Balloon Pinata. Aubrie's Cupcakes! Aubrie blowing out her birthday candle!! Eating cake and ice cream! Birthday Guests! My fun spunky girl! We were so glad that Papa and Maama got to come and join in the FUN!! Sisters my chance, Friends by Choice. The day ended with Pizza for dinner. I had planned to make homemade but after the party we decided to splurge for $5.00 Little Ceasars. I must end this entry with a big THANK YOU to a great sister. She has become my personal photographer. I am so grateful for my willing sister to come and take pictures and all of my crazy events!! Thank you!!!

SALSA!!

This year the garden became a pile of weeds as Justin was getting an A out of Anatomy. We decided to try to harvest what we could. With our friends we made enough Salsa to split three ways and come home with 32 jars. Justin made one more batch last night and made an additional 27 pints.

Playing with Cousins

Over Labor Day is an exciting time in my sister's business. She was accepted the last two years at the Swiss Days Festivals. People come from all around and buy her crafts. A little plug for my sister.... She is has a great etsy store there is a link on my blog!!! I get the opportunity for a few months before to work for my sister and help build her inventory. It can get crazy busy, but I truly love to work with her. She is more than just my boss when I work for her. She is my shrink, my friend and my life coach. She has and always will be a great inspiration to me!!! I also had the opportunity to watch her kids for a few days while she was setting up and while she was at the show. Even though the whole weekend wasn't exactly what we planned, we had a great time with our cousins... it included dropping and picking up kids from school, trips to the park, movie night, riding bikes, playing in the creek behind the Giant O park, and lots of laughter from Aubrie and Jag. Unfortunately these are the only pictures I got of the weekend. Jag and Aubrie had such a hard time falling asleep and Jag had school the next day. It was 11:15 before I finally got them to go to sleep!!

Lessons learned from Dad

Justin has always had a good sense of being prepared. When we first got married it used to drive me crazy but I have learned the importance of it. When Justin runs out of a bottle of mouthwash, he will buy two at the store. This way you always have a back up and then never run out. Sometimes living on a budget does not always work with this philosophy. But I am always glad when we follow it. Aubrie ran out of toothpaste. It is funny how your children learn things from watching. I took Aubrie to Walmart to get some more toothpaste and she said, "Mom I need two." I said No, just get one. She then replied "But Mom, this way I will have another when the first one runs out." Deciding it was a better teaching opportunity then to argue with an almost 5 year old who thinks she knows everything I gave in. I am grateful for all the great lessons Justin teaches our children. I am grateful for the life lessons he teaches me too!!

Allie's Funny Moment

I sometimes forget to write down the funny moments, conversation, understandings of the girls. So I thought I would try to start so that I can record it and remember funny things when they are teenagers or mother themselves. I OFTEN!!! say "Remember a little goes a long way." especially when pouring ranch, ketchup, syrup etc. The other day I said this again and Allie said, "So mom does that mean "A lot goes a short way." LOL!!!