Max's Minion Mania!!! He's 5!!!!

  

 Max wanted a Minion themed birthday...I saw these on Pinterest a few years ago when the first despicable me came out...luckily Hostess made the sweetest come back ever and Despicable me 2 also came out this year...These are what I made for Max's preschool...I even found fruit flavored looking hair so I didn't have to use black licorice...YUCK!!!!

 Max woke up the day of his birthday and yelled, 'Grandma says I can open her gifts today!!!!!' Max is lucky to have such a great grandmother who also shares the same birthday as Max!

 Here we are at Mrs. Merlee preschool.

 Max and his second minion cupcake...we didn't actually let him eat it...I'm a fraud and it was just used as a prop for the picture...

 This one as well...love Faith and Scarlett!!!

 This one was with his sisters and me and Eric, so we did let him eat this one...and light it himself...with his father's help...

 Lia LOVED singing Happy birthday...but she kept singing, 'TO ME!!!!'

 Us being silly, this is what Kiri would look like with long brunette hair!!!

The following Saturday we had his Minion party a Gym in town. BEST idea ever!!! NO Clean-up...

 We got him this Minion cape...

We also got this bank for Max on our cruise in Ensenada...brilliantly talked down the price to $3.00...didn't notice that there's no way to retrieve the money without smashing the entire bank until we got home...LOVELY.

 I made minion treat bags...

 Stay Calm...Love Minions!!! Be- do BE-Do!!!!

 I used a glass and traced everyone of those minion goggles...painful!!!

 Lots of yellow candy...once you do a candy bar...you never stop...

 Everyone got a temporary minion tattoo...

 Flirty Max swindled his way into getting two! Love this kid!!!

 No one really noticed that the girls were dressed up as Minions!

 Max's friend Caleb on the robe swing...

 Kiri loved "Agnus' caterpillars.'

 Friends and presents!

 They all loved getting credit for their own gift...we had a few boys not want to leave without them!

Instead of a messy cake that would need a lot of plates and forks, knives and napkins...I made Minion cake pops for all of the kids...I even gave them different faces and expressions...it was hilarious...they sort of each came to life...surprising how they all seem to be portraying a different emotion...like Michael Scott's puppet at his party when he wanted 100 kids!

 This was their present to me...the party was a hit!!!!

You make me wanna roll my windows down and CRUISE!!!!

 

 Here's our first selfie while on the bus from LAX to the port...

 

 

Princess was much more formal than Carnival was...

 and still...Eric did not bring formal attire...oh well, he has to wear a suit at work everyday...this was a vacation...we don't need your stinkin' suits!!!

 The best part of the new years eve bash was the crazy rainstorm that hit us...everyone was dressed in formal attire and we just danced in the rain!!! Way to start the new year...2014 is going to rock in unexpected ways!!!

 We took the exact picture at this spot last cruise!

This time we got the unlimited soda AND MOCKTAIL card....man, I think I drank more calories than I ate....it was awesome...I'll have a pina colada, not virgin, do you need to see ID 'cause I totally have it!
Sadly, my phone took a little dip into the ocean with us on our Cabo day trip and so, more pictures are to come from other phones.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Phillips..This year I made pepper jelly, again...and it seemed to be a hit. I also made Lace cookies...which were in honor of my late grandmother...not so much a hit...I also made Shortbread, as I promised Eric's aunt Joan that I would take over for her this year...sadly, she passed away before she got my cookies, she will be missed and every Christmas will not be the same without her shortbread in the mail...I will do my best to honor that promise and tradition she set. 

 

 A picture of Christmas calm before the storm!

They were so excited to wake up and go on their last Elf hunting expedition for the year.

  They looked so cute as little elves...Max went to a party recently and wanted to dress up in his Elf costume...sadly, he left that party not wanting to wear it in public any longer...innocence lost is always hardest on those who have already lost it...

 

Santa remembered how much Max loved Marley's Doc Mcstuffin' ones...so, he brought Max some Skull candy ones!

 Lia & Kiri love getting their toesies panted!

 Princess Kiri showing us her Barbie ornament from Joan

 Santa's Elves made Max's favorite super hero bobble heads as TMNT figures!!!

 Strawbop bop bop berry, strawberry shortcake!!! Play doh!!!

 Max got a Ben 10 robe!!!

Eric got some clothes, some gadgets for his phone, a walkie talkie for the cruise and most of all he wanted a portable dvd player for the cruise and car rides for the kids!
 

 The only picture of the both of us on Christmas morning courtesy of Max!!!

 Max has such a great imagination!!! He can spend so much time playing with his toys!

 

 They never like doing things as the same time! Funny little girls!!! Lia with her tongue out...

 

 Kiri with her tongue out! We had a great Christmas, were able to spend a little time with all of our family and felt so lucky for the wonderful family we have each been blessed with and for our own little growing family.... hope all of you did as well!

Thanksgiving in California

 I took this picture of the tree in our front yard the day  before we left for California...

 ...and this was the next day...hello winter, goodbye, fall...

 It always takes the kids a little bit to adjust to waking up in a different house...

 

My mom loved waking up in the morning for work and having little greeters

 

 This is one of my favorite pictures of the girls at a Japanese garden we walked through in Oakland.

 Max, sitting in front of a family friends house.

 Max & Kiri fooling around before Dim Sum

My dad took this picture of one of the famous Egghead sculptures on campus at UCDAVIS...my dad, mom, uncles, multiple cousins and I all went to UCDAVIS...Go AGGIES!!! It was great to spend so much time with my parents &; my brother's family...it was definitely very nostalgic!!!