Burgandy BBQ

The day after the 50th Anniversary Party we had a Family Reunion at Cascade Park.

There was coloring & a candy hunt for the little kids...

 trying to keep the paparazzi away... (I think it'll be my goal to use the word paparazzi in every post from now on)

relay races and a water balloon toss for the adults...

playing in the river...

naptime...

spending time with family...

and first attempts at slacklining.

Even our two missionaries were there.

It was a really fun day.  There was also food.  But the Little Man was eating at the same time as everyone else, so I was admiring the stunning blue sky and green leaves above the hammock...without a camera, sadly.

A couple of special-to-me things:

Obviously we all had matching t-shirts (no, it wasn't one of those funny coincidences), and since they didn't have baby sizes, I altered an XL to fit the Little Man.  I used the baby gown tutorial for the neckline & sleeves, and more or less traced an existing shorts romper for the rest.  I'm happy with how it turned out.

These two were thick as thieves, and I wish the didn't live so far away (UT).  This is one of my favorite pictures of them.

The 50th Anniversary Party

Friday afternoon traffic and there was a BUS FIRE on the freeway.

It took us over an hour to get to the Anniversary party... over an hour in a non-A/C car that only has 2 windows that go down, and with 3 kids.  One of whom was nursed part of the time that we were driving (but were only going 5 mph for most of the feeding).  {Think what you will about my parenting, but it beat listening to him scream.  And at least I'm honest.  I told HH that it's a good thing we aren't famous--the paparazzi would have had a heyday}

Anyhow, the party was fun.  We had all of the children/grandkids/great-grandkids there, except for 2 grandsons that are serving missions & the husband of my neice (he had dental school finals).  Family in from Pittsburg, Idaho, Utah, California, & Nevada.  It's not often that we all can get together...I loved it.

My parents looked great.  The slideshow was awesome.  The music was fun (at least I thought so, but then I put that part together so I'm biased).  Delicious food.  Nice decor (my favorites were: the replica of their wedding cake & the huge effusions of flowers used as centerpieces).  It was a nice evening.  I'm excited for my parents to have reached such a big milestone.

I might post more pictures later, when I get pics from the official photographers, but here are my snapshots for now.

Little Man wore his new dress shirt "onesie" and bow tie (click on them for the tutorials).  He'd already had his pants taken off by the time we took these pictures.  They were silly pants anyhow, but stay tuned, because I'll do then next pair right and I'll do a tutorial for them...hopefully).

Yesterday's Thrift Store Finds

I returned a couple of pairs of shoes to the thrift store yesterday, and here's what I got instead...

The skirt needs taken in, but I don't think it'll be too hard.  The little boys cap is going to be serving as a pattern, but hopefully I won't have to cut it apart to do so, since it's cute on it's own (and would be darling paired with the shoes!).

The most exciting part is the cash register, I think ($3.99).  It adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides... essentially it's a glorified calculator with a cash drawer.  I'm so excited to play store with the girls!

I can never see a toy cash register without remembering mine from when I was little.  It was my favorite toy.  One day I was sitting on top of the barrel that they put the newspapers into (for my brother's paper route), and the girl that I didn't like from across the street came over and was talking to me.  She wasn't even saying anything mean, but I couldn't stand her.  So in my rage of not standing her, I threw my cash register at her.  I don't think I hit her, but the toy busted all over the street.  It was devastating.

Similarly, I was in time-out in my room, and my brother came in to taunt me.  I threw my special Strawberry Shortcake lamp at him. (I can't find a picture of the lamp-- my sister had given it to me.  It was a ceramic strawberry, with holes where the seeds would be.  The light shone out of the holes.)

Can we say "Anger Management"?!

On this Day

50 years ago, these two kids got married.

I'm sure glad they did!

Congratulations, Mom & Dad!

All sorts of fun things.

Some of the great gals in my ward threw the Little Man and me a shower. Yummy food and some fun visiting (sitting around gabbing with the girls...does that really still happen?! I need to get out of the house more often!).  And great presents.  It was nice to feel so supported and loved. Thank you to all who helped out & who came! I loved it.

I love the ACTION of this picture.  So much living going on in one snapshot.

I guess this is where I eat crow for my last post.  I got some DARLING DARLING boy things that I'm so excited to use!!

I never did post pictures of the 4th of July, so here are a couple...starting with my flag jello.

These are just some everyday living pictures.  I love my family.

Today on the drive to church Chick commented on a "pretty car" next to us (a fancy convertible).  Then she was saying that she wants a pretty car.  I told her that she could get herself one when she got older.  She agreed and said that lots of other people could buy pretty cars when they got older too (she was naming names...lots of people get to buy pretty cars....).  I was in the list, and I told her that yes, I could buy a pretty car when I got older, but not right now because I want a car that can fit lots of carseats because I'd rather have my family with me than drive a pretty car.  Even when they are twits.  They are so precious to me.

Monkey's turn first...she's thrilled.

Chick's turn.  Monkey is NOT happy...we had to pry the little man from her clutches!

I think this is one of my all-time favorite pictures.

Catching smiles : )

BTW, the Little Man, as of Tuesday (5.5 wks), is at 24" length (2" growth since birth), and 12 pounds, 5 ounces (3+ pounds gain).  One thing that I love about him is his wavy upper lip.

The makings of (hopefully) somethings beautiful.

The fabric in action: Chick's interpretation of the Dance of the Seven Three Veils.

People who say that boy clothes are as much fun as girl clothes are just trying to console themselves.*

Hi.  It's me.  I feel like I miss you all.  Or at least that you should miss me.

Priorities.  I don't have much blogging time these days. 

Or sewing time.

BUT I have a project in my head.  And I'll do it by the end of the month. 

And I might even do a tutorial for the boy part of it! (I've never done a tutorial, but my project seems like a good tutorial idea...and I haven't seen it done already, so maybe it's even somewhat original).

Anyhow, THIS TUTU ONESIE is the inspiration for the dresses that I have in my head to make for the girls to wear to my parents' 50th anniversary at the end of the month!  But with a more elegant fabric on top, and longer skirts.  I had been planning to make long versions of the Can-Can skirt in sort of a dress form.  Then I saw the tutu onesie and knew.

Love at first sight.
So stay tuned.

(I guess I should say that things are going pretty well here. 
It's been a hard hard hard week.  In hindsight I should not have "gone" back to work.  Another month off would have been nice.  So that's been a bit of a stress on me, plus stinky hot weather-- with nowhere to go because I had to be working!  I've made several online purchases as a coping mechanism.  A swimsuit that is one-shouldered AND a good color for me (the aqua one) (It also cost WAY less than the other one that I mentioned the other day).  Spanx.  Unmentionables (in black cherry).  A new step counter because my old one became inaccurate and I should start to be attentive to that sort of thing...  A new patch for my diaper bag.    I think I've spent all of the money that I'll earn this month.

The girls have been good about being stuck at home while I worked, though.  They are dolls, really.  I honestly can't get over how darling they can be.  Even when Monkey broke my glasses yesterday and Chick thinks she gets to take over my reign and decide everything {she told me that she gets to take care of Monkey because she's Monkey's Mama.  I'm the LittleMan's Mama now.}.  Even then.  I'm lucky to be a mama. The Little Man is a delight too.  Especially when he doesn't have a leaky diaper and he's awake and not hungry.)

*Disclaimer: There are some darn cute boy clothes.  Really.  Super cute.  BUT the cutest boy clothes do not compare with the cutest girl clothes.  Honestly, I went to pick up a boy item today and had THE HARDEST TIME NOT loitering in the girl section. 

mostly just pictures

I hate goopy eyes.  and baby acne.  but I love the little man, so I put up with the rest.

"Monkey, show me the tree and smile."

(Note the baby gate in the fireplace....)

Driving home from the church 4th of July Breakfast & Parade (of which I have no pictures...they're all on HH's cellphone & he doesn't have the wherewithall to connect it to the computer, which is ALL FOR THE BEST if you knew the picture that he took of his wife the other day.)we passed a soccer team car wash.

HH said to Chick, "Look, Chick, when you are older you can join a soccer team to wash cars too."

Somehow that turned into us washing the jeep in the driveway. Chick did very little of the washing, but in the end it didn't matter because the birds adorned the jeep by the time we went to drive it the next day.

When Chick learned about roasting marshmallows in the junkyard our backyard there was no going back....

The little man doesn't stand a chance.

Hmmm, other news:
I feel great.  I found a bag of clothes that fit pre-pregnancy and I am managing to sqeeze myself in (when I lay down on the bed to zip the jeans....). 

Little man turns 1 month this weekend.  Crazy.

I'm going to make this jello flag for Sunday.

Do you remember my inspiration swimsuit from last summer (you know, just before I watched my belly button become non-existent, etc)?  It's on sale.  What do you think would be best on me: navy blue or gray?

Our anniversary went great.  The girls had fun at Uncle E's house.  HH and I took a drive around the lake and had a nice dinner.  I sure do love him.