Happy Birthday to Me

I had an awesome birthday! Thanks to everyone that helped to make my day special(visits, gifts, phonecalls, emails, surprises, honks, "Happy Birthday!"s, blog comments, etc.) I had the best day. It started off with signs the girls made in the house wishing me a Happy Birthday.

Here is the one they taped on a window in the breakfast area. It was so sweet.

When I walked outside, I found the yard decorated with streamers and signs. It really surprised me. One of my best buds, Melissa, had done this at midnight. Thanks Melissa! I love ya!She even made a candy sign. I am so set in the candy department for a while....okay, maybe only a couple of days. What can I say? I like candy! Melissa, you are so awesome!

Joey decorated my car. I got a few honks to and from church:)

After a delicious steak dinner(Joey bbqs the best steak!), the girls helped make my birthday cake.

My sister, Tara, was the fearless cake decorator.

Didn't it turn out beautiful? Tara added frosted cake skirts to Polly Pocket dolls. It was so creative and so perdy! Thanks Tara! It went perfectly with the princess ballerina theme.

Ready to blow out my candles and eat some cake!(The cake was goooood-great job guys!)

Me and my man. Joey worked so hard yesterday. He cooked a big breakfast, an amazing dinner and helped the girls bake my cake. He even cleaned up after everything too. And he even gave me a massage later:) Thanks Joey for EVERYTHING! I love you!

Here's Cali laughing at Aubrey & Ella while they blew their party blowers.

Me hugging my Ella after she gave me her sweet handmade card.

Aubrey holding her card she made for me. It said, "Thank you for taking care of me Mom. I love you." You're welcome Aubrey:) I love taking care of you girls!

Tara got me a Miss Piggy card(and gifts too). It was so hilarious. It said inside, "Party till you break a heel."

After presents,(Joey's gift was my plane ticket to visit Laura. He also made me this classical CD of music that I have fond memories of dancing and being silly to with my sister when we were kids.) So, we turned the volume up and got down with our funky selves. The kids had fun being silly and dancing.


I had a great day filled with family, friends, food & fun. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

A surprise party for me? Aw shucks.

So, today I hit the big 28 and you know what? Its great! :) And I also have to say, I have the awesomest friends ever! Friday night a few of my buds threw me a surprise party and it was lots of fun! It meant so much to me that they did that. I feel so loved! And I was very surprised!

Here is the clan-everyone is laughing at Katie and I was totally out of the loop because I couldn't see her like everyone else could. So, while they giggle, I just sit and stare at the camera like a doofus.Smile!
Sarah made this cake-isn't it so cool? The girls picked a "Lucky Charm" theme to the party since my favorite cereal is Lucky Charms:) This must have taken all day to make Sarah! It turned out so cute and it meant so much that you put that much time into my cake. And it tasted so delicious!

Present time! Look at those pretty flowers!
Don't ask.
Gift card and candy, a winning combination

Time to blow out the candles. Hopefully I get "lucky" and get my wish this year.
I am so grateful to have such great friends! They planned such a fun party with great food(they even had mint milanos there-another favorite of mine!), fun games and good girly talk. They put a ton of thought into this and I will never forget it. Thank you so much for making my birthday special!

So, today is going splendidly. I have had a few fun surprises already! I will post today's surprises and festivities later tonight. So, check back later!

"I lost my tooth, Mom!"

When I picked Aubrey up from school yesterday, she smiled a new toothless smile and said, "I lost my tooth, Mom!" This was her very first tooth to lose, so she was so excited! She had even wanted to lose it at school because if you do, you get to go to the nurse's office and get a necklace that has a tooth-shaped tooth holder. The nurse also gave her a sticker to wear. She was beaming all afternoon and evening. She has been waiting and waiting to lose a tooth and finally, she did!

Look Mom!

Her new smile! If you look closely, the new tooth is actually already growing in!

Carefully placing her tooth in her "Tooth Fairy Pillow" as Ella excitedly watches.

Her pillow and letter to the tooth fairy(she had written this letter a couple of weeks ago when her tooth first became loose-it was so cute!)

This morning-SCORE! The tooth fairy decided to be extra nice to Aubrey and left her $2 since it was her first tooth. Aubrey was shocked! The tooth fairy also left a note stating what the tooth rate was for her(so she knows what to expect from here on out). The note said, "Congratulations Aubrey! $2 for the first tooth, $1 for each additional tooth. Love, The Tooth Fairy." Yea Aubrey! We're so happy you finally lost your tooth. Great job at wiggling it!

This morning, after Aubrey had found her money under her pillow, she took one of her dollars, wrote a note, and stuck it under Ella's pillow.

Could Aubrey be any sweeter? It just melted my heart. I have the sweetest girls ever! Ella was so happy. If you can't read it, it says, "Dear, Ella I just want you to fill good. Love, Aubrey." Its moments like these that make parenthood the best.

Trying to capture the light

Joey to the rescue!

As Joey made one of his usual lunch break stops at Best Buy yesterday, little did he know, he would become a hero. . .
As he was walking up to the store, he saw a woman panicking and yelling, "He stole my purse!" Joey saw a young guy holding a purse running towards a car that was stopped waiting outside the entrance(with someone else at the wheel) and Joey ran after him. And no, he wasn't trying to get the guy-he was just trying to get a vehicle description. He said he isn't crazy enough to risk his life over a girl's purse-to which I responded, "You better not! You have a wife and 3 kids and one on the way!" He was able to get close enough to see the license plate number and make and model of the car. The guy and his accomplice drove off and then Joey called 9-1-1. He was able to give the police all the info he had and within minutes, they caught the guys! Go Joey!When Joey told me this, I was very proud of him. He did exactly what he should have and then let the police do their job. However, it worried me. I just kept thinking, what if it had been more serious? What if a weapon had been involved and Joey was caught in the crossfire of it all? I am so grateful these guys didn't assault anyone and just took the purse. And I am very grateful no one was hurt, especially my Joey.

I forget sometimes that life can change in an instant and anything can happen at any time. Thats a scary thought. We have control of the things we do, but not what other people do. We don't have control of so many things that happen around us. Yesterday reminded me to treasure every moment I have with my loved ones. Not to let conflicts or arguments get the best of me and to resolve things quickly. You never know what tomorrow holds.

You would think this incidence would prevent Joey from returning to this particular Best Buy anytime soon. I talked to him a few minutes ago and where is he on his lunch break today? Best Buy. I was like, "Are you crazy?" And he just said, "I didn't actually get to come inside yesterday. With everything going on and the police and the questioning, I didn't get to do what I had wanted to yesterday!"

I still think he is crazy......yet sexy.

Lucy

It was one year ago today that my sister in law, Christine, along with her companion, Watson, lost their perfect baby girl, Olive Lucy. Christine gave birth to her beautiful, full-term, perfect angel August 27, 2007. She was born still. There is no proven medical reason. They still haven't been told why this happened or what the cause was. It has been a hard year for Christine and Watson, to say the least. As a mother, I can only imagine the pain they have had to endure. I know there hasn't been a day that has gone by that I haven't thought of Lucy. Though I didn't get to see her or meet her, I love her so much. She has touched all of our lives.

I'll never forget the phonecall from Christine that afternoon, never. Joey and I were shocked and in tears on the couch all that afternoon, grieving for the loss of our niece and for the pain we knew Christine, Watson and the entire family was feeling. Telling our girls was difficult, it was so hard to explain but they understood and their sadness showed. Ella, especially, had so many questions. They love their cousin and know they will get to see her someday. Thats a comfort to them. Joey was able to attend the funeral in New York a couple of days later and I'm glad he was able to be there with his family. He and his sister are very very close. I so wish I had been able to go, but it wasn't possible at the time. I am grateful Christine was able to visit this summer and that I finally got to hug her and spend time with her. She and Watson are expecting their second baby in just a couple of weeks. I know this baby will be a huge blessing to them and bring lots of love from his/her big sister, Lucy. Please keep this family in your prayers today and in the upcoming weeks. I know every prayer counts. This is a difficult week for them. We are lighting a candle today to remember Lucy on her birthday. All are welcome to light a candle as well. The more love, thoughts, and prayers their way, the better.

We love you, Christine, Watson, Lucy and baby. We wish we could be with you today, but we are glad you will be surrounded by your dear friends in New York.

Lucy will always be in our hearts. And I know someday she'll be in your arms again.

Dress-up time!

The other day all 3 girls got in on the dress-up action:) This was Cali's first time to play dress-up with her big sisters and she loved it! Shes getting to be one of the big girls now!

Aubrey's 1st Day of 1st Grade

Today is the beginning of the school year! And I can't believe I have a first grader! I have mixed emotions this year. I am happy for Aubrey to get to go to school, to learn and to grow, but I am still sad that the start of a new year of school just means she is growing up. :( And growing much too fast for me to handle! Why do kids have to grow so fast?

Last week, Aubrey was able to go to a Meet The Teacher night and just LOVES her new teacher, Mrs. Gahan already. I've heard great things about this teacher and have confidence Aubrey will have an awesome year.

This morning went smoothly for Aubrey- wake up, bathroom, breakfast, get dressed, do hair, put on new "dangly" earrings(back to school present from Mommy & Daddy), pose for pictures, then off to school! Here are pictures of her sportin her new shirt, shoes, bag, and earrings. She was so stylin this morning:)

Outside the school

Hugs goodbye

Ella said sadly as we were leaving school, "I want Aubey."(she says her name that way when she is pouting). Don't worry Ella, she'll be home before you know it and next week, you'll be going to preschool!

We love you and miss you already Aubrey! We hope your first day of school is the best!

I actually ate spinach

I went to a party at my good friend, Melissa's, last month and at this party she had the most delicious homemade spinach dip. She told me her sister had actually posted it to our recipe blog so I decided to try and make it myself today for an after church snackaroo. It turned out sooooo delicious! We all loved it and couldn't get enough. Check out the recipe on the recipe blog and give it a whirl. This is a great way to get your kids(or yourself-I'm not a huge spinach fan myself) to eat spinach!

Here is the finished masterpiece. I copied the way Melissa made it by hollowing out a round sourdough loaf and scooping the dip inside. Then you can use those pieces you ripped out to dip. Of course you can dip veggies, chips or crackers too. Isn't it perdy?

"We love it Mom!" And they really did- I had to cut them off after a little while so it wouldn't make them too full before dinner!

I am Gymnastics

I thought I'd jump on the Olympic Sport bandwagon....though I am no gymnast, I do agree that I try and try at things until I get it right. I am sometimes a perfectionist I admit! But when it comes to gymnastics, I'm a joke. I couldn't even do a frontroll until I was like 10.

You Are Gymnastics

You are agile, expressive, and precise. You have the drive to practice until you get something perfectly right. And you have the confidence to perform difficult moves when under pressure.

What Olympic Sport Are You?

Balance beamers

Old Navy Jean Sale

My sis in law, Christine, just emailed me this ad. There is a crazy jean sale at Old Navy-TOMORROW! I'm sooo there.

Funny Utah signs

While on my visit, I took pictures of a few funny signs that I thought I'd share with you.

The sign below is in Laura's bathroom above the toilet. It cracks me up....

This was outside of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I think someone needs to take a class in grammar.

And I just thought this license plate was funny. Evil Hummer comin' at ya!

Visiting the Hirschi squirts

I had so much fun with my bud Laura! We did a lot of eating, shopping, talking & eating, talking and shopping:) And that is totally what I needed, some major girl time!

So, here is the rundown of my trip. After our flight to Utah, first stop: In N Out. I still don't understand why Texas doesn't have one of these yet! They are the best fast food burgers! I love their cheesy greasiness and the sauce-to die for. I'm sure people who grew up next to these feel the same way I feel about Whataburger(delicious and all, but no big deal). But I am underprivileged in the In N Out department, so I was totally thrilled!

I look just crazy in this picture. The fact that I'm posting this is crazy. But its the only proof I have that I ate a Double Double. YUM! (I am eating for two, so its okay.)

When we arrived at Laura's house, Savannah warmed up to me pretty quickly. Probably because I gave her this fairy sticker/paper doll book. Bribery works like a charm! I'm glad she loved it so much and I'm glad my little plan worked.

Then she got all crazy for me and posed for a couple of silly face shots. This is totally Laura's daughter! I love her to pieces!

I was laying on Laura's bed and Savannah just came and laid on me. It was so sweet!

Two other people got quite cozy. I think Cali and Brig are quite the couple, don't you?

They even got a little kissing action in while we were there. It was adorable! Little do they know, they are actually betrothed.

This is just a gorgeous shot of Cali that Laura took. Her eyes are so big, brown and beautiful.Since my birthday is coming up, Laura and her mom, Barbara, took me out to the Olive Garden for lunch. They even had the staff sing to me. It was so delicious and so fun. Thanks guys!

Me and Laura just being, well, ourselves.Laura got me "The Art of Kissing" for my birthday present. It is HILARIOUS. This book will be featured in a future post. Thats how good it is.Barbara and I before we had to say goodbye. I love Laura's mom so much. I have so many memories of being at their home and doing fun things(couch volleyball being the most vivid memory...good times....good times) It was great to see you Barbara!Laura and Savy chillaxin at home

Me and Brigster. It looks like he really wanted me near him, doesn't it? :)He actually did most of the time, just not in this picture. It was so fun holding a little boy. I'm not used to that!

Look at that face, isn't he the cutest? He is also the sweetest, so laid back and so loving. He gave me lots of hugs.

Me and the kids reading a morning story. I loved getting to spend so much time with Laura's sweet and adorable children.

We also hit some outlets and Durangos(a great little Mexican spot), played Scene It, stayed up way too late, and talked about our deepest darkest secrets....Then the fun was all over and back to the airport we went:(

On our way back to the airport, we stopped on the Vegas strip to hit a couple of hot spots. One of the places we went to was M&M World to get the girls souvenirs. Cali liked this green M&M but didn't want to shake its hand. I asked her to and she just shook her head, "No."We tried to take a silly mannequin picture at the airport, but Cali got mad. Which actually makes the picture funnier and actually makes me look like a bad mom. She started to cry right when the picture was being taken, I promise! I wasn't torturing her!Me and the Hirschi's(minus Savy who was at her Grandma's) Some lady at the airport graciously took this picture of us. Thanks lady at the airport!Laura being Laura(this is why she is my bestie!)

BFF and ever! I miss you already:( Hope to see you again soon! Thanks for letting me and Cali girl party with you for a few days!