Pre-K Jog-A-Thon

Owen's school had a Jog-A-Thon today. They invited the preschool to participate. Owen was so excited to... "exercise" as he would say. I told him he could earn a bean if he ran as much as he could without throwing a fit or sitting down. I told him he could walk if he was tired but that I wanted him to try. Every time he passed me he would yell out, "do I get a bean?" I bet people thought I starve the kid.

Here he is on another lap.
Owen with his preschool class after the run.

BTW - Mighty Beanz are Owen's latest collection. He loves to collect things and these are inexpensive. He loves to do extra things to "earn" them.

A Special Day

What a special day it was for Paige and our whole family... ok, let's be honest - for Paige and John. The boys were wiped out from camping (Fathers and Sons) the night before and Olive is a handful. It was a great day nonetheless. Paige and Eliza do just about everything together - why not get baptized together. I think it made the day even more exciting for them.

We sent invites to all the family member - even those who lived far and couldn't make it. We didn't get to take a family picture, mostly because Olive was grumpy, Brock was sick and Owen fell asleep (Fathers and Sons will do that to them).
The girls - so excited for their big day.
The girls and their dads.
Paige and her Daddy just before the Baptism program started. She was so excited all day. She asked her Uncle Jake to give a talk and her cousin Kate to sing a solo. It was really cute. Her Grandma Vicki said the prayer and Eliza got to choose the second half of the program. Very sweet.
Hannah, Paige, Cina & Eliza (notice Owen smiling for the camera too).

After the baptism we had 41 family members at our house. I know! And that is only the family members that could attend.

Did I mention that this day made me feel old? I can't believe I have an 8 year old.

Paint

So our house has been in need of a new paint job for a while now. As much as I would LOVE to have new wood floors or a number of other things done - this was getting out of hand. The last straw was when we received a letter from our association saying we needed to touch up our paint. Uh... Oh!

I thought I had it in the bag - I knew what I wanted. I'd seen a house with exactly what I wanted and this would be easy. Oh no it wasn't. The house I wanted was NOT on the "approved" list. I then had to go through a binder 2 inches thick and pick from the "approved color schemes" -- this was no easy task. I would wake up with anxiety sweats and in a panic over what color to choose. I think it was easier for me to decide on a husband than it was to decide on a paint color. Well, we chose it and although it wasn't my first choice -- I am happy with the new look.

BEFORE:

AFTER:
It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do.

Like it or not - we are stuck with this paint for a long while.

Birthday Bash!

Paige and Eliza were born just a day apart... every once in a while they share a birthday party. This year we decided to have it at Powell's Sweet Shop. This place was magical. It was a candy shop right out of the imagination of kids. The party started with fresh Cotton Candy for everyone. They played a candy game, went on a Scavenger Hunt in the candy shop and filled their Goodie Bags, had Gelato and Old Fashion soda pop and took a ride on the sugar high of their lives.... so fun, so loud, so crazy. They ended with decorating cupcakes and singing happy birthday. I had to apologize to the parents --- because in a couple hours their kids would come crashing down.

The kids lining up before the game.
Running through the store looking for the candy on their list.
Decorating cupcakes. Happy birthday Paige and Eliza! This place was perfect for a group of 8 year olds. :) The best part is that the store took care of everything - we literally got to sit back and watch.

Paige's 8 Year Photos

Paige is turning 8 this month and getting baptized. I wanted to get her pictures taken and put together a Baptism Photo Book for her to keep. I figured people can write in it and she can keep memories from the day in it. I thought the photos turned out great. Thanks Aynn Thurman.

Ear Piercing Party

With Paige turning 8, we thought it would be a great time to get her ears pierced. We thought we would make it a fun mommy daughter outing with friends. We all met at Clair's at the mall.

That morning Paige couldn't have been more excited, but when it was time to go on the drive there she looked like she was going to lose her breakfast. I assured her it would be fine and we turned up the volume to Justin Beaber's Baby Baby to take her mind off of it.

Here are the brave girls:

Kate, Avery, Paige, Eliza and Cate
She didn't even flinch. It was amazing.
She was SO happy when it was done. She kept saying "I can't believe I have my ears' pierced... I keep forgetting that I have my ears pierced." So funny.
We took the girls to Ruby's to celebrate. They all got lunch and shakes! I always remembered the day I got my ears pierced and I wanted to make sure this was a special day for Paige.