80's Bunco Night...

Yesterday was 80's Bunco night...and I had to pull together an outfit in 20 min...luckily 80's fashion has been creeping itself into the main stream for some time. My bangs, which I raved about cutting myself after a Youtube instructional look terrible in this picture because I sprayed an entire can of hairspray trying to get them to do 'the 80's wave' which my hair was not meant for!

Here are some people who did not pull from their closet, rather went all out and went to Eileen's closet (the local thrift shop). Yes, those are jelly shoes Hillary is sporting! Mandy is just a hot mess on the left of 80's craziness!!!

You will be impressed as she googled '80's make-up!'

...whenever there is fun there's always, coca-cola!!!!

...I think we're alone now!!!! April was literally on the ground dancing with Tiffany's, 'I Think we're alone now." her favorite song of all time, 'Baby pick your head up...come on and look me in the face. Is it the rumor, that another guy, wants to take your place...don't you know I'm forever your girl!' (By Paula Abdul...pre X Factor, pre American Idol, Post Lakers Cheerleader).

Top three best dressed!!!

The whole group...I'm making the ugliest pose...but that's because I couldn't help 'getting on the floor and doing...a dance...cause they put me in a trance with a funky song' (my all time favorite band ever...can you name that song?!). Hint, I went on a few dates with one of the singers (after giving him a Book of Mormon at a concert)!!

The Girls' Blessing

This is my favorite picture of the entire day!

The girls and I sported our matching bracelets (courtesy of Charayye).

Max and Lia. She was a little tired, but they both did fabulously at their first sacrament meeting.

Family shot.

Everyone...thank you everyone for coming, we know the drive is a long one and we appreciated it so much!!!

Max and Lucy...is there anything cuter, seriously?!?!?!

O.k., maybe this one...

I love pink and have always wanted a pink party...so, I made sure we were pink galore!!! I even made pink heart shaped ice cubes to go in the pink punch! Some women have to learn to embrace the pink once they have a daughter...not the case with me!!

I made a pink trifle with three different pinks!

Kristee, Linzie, Adam & Eric eating...

Jason...

Kenzie (Buzz Lightyear), Max (Woody) & Lucy (Jessie). Lucy found a brilliant way to torment Max's soul by saying that Woody is a girl...Max could not handle life while she taunted him...it was hilarious!

Me & Meradith. Don't be fooled...I'm not wearing a dress...that's my apron.

Julie & Carli...we were sad Chuck couldn't make it!!

Jared and Kristee...

Our new friends in the ward happen to be two of Camille and Adam's best friends! So, we invited them to come over for lunch! Ruth teaches relief society and I am always excited when it's her Sunday.

Among other things Adam & Camille gave Max some silly putty and Eric and Carli were being mean to Kiri...I didn't get a good picture of the pig nose he put on her...

Max and Julie share the same birthday, so I made Julie and strawberry lemonade cake with purple fondant roses I learned how to do online. Here she is making a wish and then never had a single piece of my cake!!! I'll try not to be offended! :) Happy birthday, Julie!

Happy Birthday, Max!

Max turned three this past weekend. He requested a superhero party. So, with the invitations, we attached superhero rings to set up the theme. Max also loves dressing up so much that we asked that everyone come in costume...which was not met with much resistance from three-year-old boys!

The girls were also being blessed we had lots of family come up for the party and I didn't want to disappoint with a lame cake...so, I tried my hand at making a cake with fondant. I think it turned out o.k. The bottom layer is Spiderman, the middle is The Hulk (notice the fist imprint- Hulk Smash!!!) and the top is Captain America.

Hanhy, Linzie, Kenzsie, Brookie and Max eating their 'Hero Sandwiches' and their Captain America Drinks before activities began... I made these red and blue star shaped ice cubes for the Captain America drinks.

We had all of these games planned out...and in the end, they really enjoyed running in a circle!

Eric came up with a great game of Superhero and Villain that was similar to Musical Chairs and involved a lot of dancing and Super Hero theme music. It was great! Notice in almost every picture, Kristee is standing somewhere...without her there to help, the party would have been a disaster. I think I was way in over my head and I'm so grateful that she was there as another helper. Also, a special thanks to Julie for watching the girls and bringing Hanky and Brookie (who was also a spectacular helper) to the party!!!

Then, no party is a party without a Pinata...Lucy, Kenzie & Linzie were so cute but were no match for Brookie's strong swing!!!

This was the first year that Max actually understood and was capable of blowing the candle out on his cake...my baby is growing up!

We handed out capes to everyone who came (thanks Meradith for picking those up for me!!!) and let each person pick out what design they wanted on the back...max wanted an Mr. Incredible cape, I think it turned out pretty good! Happy Birthday, Max, you are everything I could hope for in a son and enjoy everyday that I get to spend with you! We love you so much!!!

Happy 2012!

On New Year's Eve, everyone was so shot from helping us with Max and the girls that they all conked out by 10 o'clock (myself included) but I woke up just before midnight and Eric and I still had to run our traditional run in the snow around the house. Since we were in California and there was a lack of snow, we decided to walk down to the Bay in front of my parents' house and counted that as an adequate substitution for our traditional run. I was sad to not get to do our usual run, but after last year's particularly cold weather and me getting trapped in a snow drift and then having my entire feet blister and peel like I'd dipped them in paraffin, I think my feet were grateful for a year off. Here's hoping you all had a wonderful New Years!!!

Christmas #2 and #3

The day after Halloween, Max asked when it would be Halloween, again. He was pretty baffled as the thought of having to wait an entire year. Everyday for the next week, he asked if it were Halloween yet. Then came my birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Christmas has been the only holiday that has earned the constant inquiring of it's return. This year, he got to have 3 Christmases. Christmas #2 at Grandma's house combined several of Max's favorite things, Halloween & Hanky. Max loves all of his cousins but holds a special adoration for Hanky (or, Buzz Lightyear).

Then we drove (and by "we," I mean, Eric drove all night) to California to have Christmas #3 with my family. Here is Max and the girls with my mom's cousins.

A cute picture of Kiri making a funny smiling face.

Eric holding the girls tandem.

Max in his ever adorable outfits.

Here is a picture of our first and only excursion out as an entire family to dinner...we left my parents' house at 4 o'clock to try to go to dinner and a walk...we only succeeded in going to dinner and that took 3 hours!!! After that experience, my brother said he was exhausted and was even more grateful to us for driving to visit them.

We were grateful to them for their gifts...particularly Max. He loved getting Mr. Conductor and completing his Dinosaur Train set!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas was quiet this year...but fulfilled all of my hopes. Max could not get over that all of the gifts were for him. He was pretty much content after the first two stocking stuffers. After Christmas at home, we will be partaking of two more Christmases, one in Evanston and one in California. Max won't know what hit him!

I made chocolate truffles for Eric to distribute to his colleagues.

Max, patiently awaiting Santa's arrival.

His loot! Thanks to George and Joan for getting all of the kids their own piggy bank! Max kept asking to take the girls' quarters and put it in his bank, because, 'they're so little, they don't need monies!'

After opening all of his gifts, Max graciously thanked Santa for his presents and then we cruelly told Max to stop playing with his toys and get ready for church...which he did...after many tears were shed.

I got some Justin Bieber perfume...you can mock all you want, but every time I go to the mall, I spray a little, 'Someday' on me and invariably someone comes up to me and compliments my perfume and wants to know what it is...to which I sheepishly reply, 'Someday' without mention of Justin Bieber.

Max said his favorite toy was this Iron Man costume...it's such a shame that Eric hid it underneath the bed and Max found it a few weeks ago and Eric had to tell him that it wasn't for him and that we were just keeping it for the neighbors. Even after opening it, Max asked if it was for him or the neighbor boy.

Max's favorite thing to do is to dress up...here they are as Iron Man and War Machine. Eric got some Kenneth Cole sunglasses, some tap out stuff and a subscription to Entertainment Magazine.

Max picked out this gift for me...so, when I cook, I can still play with him...he referred to me as Captain A-Mom-ica!

He pretty much sat like this the whole day recovering from sensory overload. We are so grateful for all of the blessings in our lives. I could not have received a single gift that would have made me more content than the three most precious gifts we have already been entrusted with. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!