It's just so sad to see you go!

We have had a crazy fun weekend.  We had two parties for Evie's birthday. Her first ever friend party on Saturday and then a family barbecue on Sunday.  And we also had Tiffany and Steven staying with us for a couple of nights.  The kids LOVE having people over to visit, and get even more excited to have overnight guests.  (Lila was a little unsure of having another baby invading her territory, but she got over it... mostly.)  I am not sure why it was so hard for Jake and Evie to say good-bye this time, but this is what happened after we waved them off.

We hope you come visit us again soon Tiffany, Steven and Kaia, because it just about broke our hearts to say good-bye!

Let me explain... no, there is too much, let me sum up....

I was originally going to title this post something like "I am back, just in case you noticed I was gone..." But then I got a call a few days ago from my aunt. She was checking to make sure I hadn't fallen into a well, or something equally horrible, since I hadn't posted in over 3 weeks! I know, I know, I totally threw the blogging universe out of alignment with my lack of posting... (self-important? me?) But I was reassured that I have loyal and adoring fans out there who were wondering just what was going on. Nothing very dramatic, more along the lines of technical difficulties. I.E., the laptop died and I couldn't figure out how to change the batteries in my cordless keyboard downstairs. (Shut up Josh.) A quick call to my dad and a few simple instructions later I am back in business.

So the last month in overview, just in case you are interested...

Went to Bear Lake, had a blast and got totally fried. Spent the next week skulking around like vampires and not leaving the house until the sun went down,(Hey, vampires are in right now.) and then spent a week and a half looking like I had leprosy while the burn peeled off. Spent a lot of time knitting and sewing some birthday presents for my soon-to-be 4 year old. Went camping/fishing, had a blast and a faulty air-mattress so didn't sleep. Also forgot just how exhausting camping with an 18 month old is. Jake attempted to crack his sternum flying over the handle bars on his bike and ending up with a rather spectacular bruise and a new bike rebuilt by his Uncle Patrick. Evie has been on birthday countdown mode since Jake's birthday in May and is pretty excited about her first ever friend party! Lila got her first haircut and started attending Nursery. And after 31 years I have finally figured out a system that gets me a house that is clean all at the same time! Tucked into all that we have gone on a breakfast picnic, gone to the drive-in, used the public transportation system to go have lunch with Brian, gone to the Children's Museum, had a baking lesson with Grandma-Great, gone swimming, to the library and watched awesome fireworks off Grandma and Grandpa T's deck. Throw in a couple of birthday parties and church activities and I am going to need a month to recover from our summer before school starts! Many of these things are posts in and of themselves and will be coming with pictures soon, but for now I am just trying to get back in the habit of writing. Hope you missed me enough to read my rambling, and maybe even comment? Pretty please?

Bear Lake

Fourth of July= Fireworks!

Evie has a love affair with fireworks.  When she was eleven months old we celebrated her first Fourth of July.  We went to see fireworks prepared to cover her ears and keep her wrapped safe and snug in a blanket so that she wouldn't be scared by the loud booms, bangs, and pops.  (Jake completely freaked during his first fireworks show, cowering and sobbing into my shirt for most of it... so that's what we were expecting.)  Well, she wasn't having that.  The lights and colors completely mesmerized her, and as for the noise...  she took it as a challenge and spent the entire show trying to drown out the fireworks with her shouts and screams.  And it hasn't noticeably changed over the past three years.

Starting last Monday she has told me at least a dozen times a day that we would get to see fireworks soon!  She doesn't give a fig about anything else to do with the Fourth of July, the parades (and around here they throw candy!), swimming at Pa Dave's, barbecue with family and friends. Nope.  For this girl the Fourth of July is all about the fireworks!

Evie enjoying a Fruit-by-the-Foot snack while we were waiting for the show to begin.

Jake and Jack, what buddies!

Poor Lila definitely took more after her brother than her sister in her enjoyment of fireworks.  She didn't seem to mind them so much last year, but I seem to remember her just sleeping through them because she was so little...

Seriously, could that girl's smile get any wider?  I'm glad that you love fireworks so much my Evers, it makes the holiday that much more fun for the rest of us.

Princess Festival

Saturday was a wonderful Mommy and Evie day!  We went to the Princess Festival with Dinee, Tay, and Libby.  Our two little princesses were so excited that when they picked us up, the girls just giggled at each other for five straight minutes.

We got to meet so many different princesses and characters like the Little Mermaid

Snow White

and Sleeping Beauty!

We flew to Never Land with Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and Wendy

and played Ring Around the Fairy!

We had a tea party with the Queen of Hearts

and the Mad Hatter!

 Cinderella, her Prince, and the Fairy Lucinda asked us to help defeat the Snow Queen and her sisters who were trying to take over their kingdom.

All the princesses were ready to help!

The Queen of Spring had captured Aladdin...

The Summer Queen had turned the Little Mermaid and Beauty's Beast back into their animal forms...

And the Robber Queen of Fall had forgotten how to love.

The princess learned they had courage, grace and kindness and were ready to face the Snow Queen and Cinderella's Step-sisters.

There was even a frog who was kissed and turned back into a prince!

They warmed the Snow Queen's heart so that she only wanted to rule her own season instead of all the kingdoms.

After our adventure we visited Snow White's cottage.

The girls had fun sitting on toadstools,

checking out the dwarf's little beds,

and leaving by way of a convenient slide!

Evie hugged the dragon because Princesses are kind to everyone.

The girls went for a spin in Cinderella's magic carriage,

although I think Libby liked driving it even more!

The girls also participated in a treasure hunt for eight clues which culminated in the Prince trying on a sparkling pink shoe to see if they were true princesses.  (They were, in case you were wondering...)  So they both got a special story book called Princess Ilissa's Idea.  After all that running around we were all hot and tired and ready to get some lunch, so we head for the car but got a little side tracked at the Little Mermaid's fountain...

The seamstress in me couldn't bear to let her splash around in her satin gown I had only finished the night before, so I had her take it off and splash around in her slip.  I love the unselfconsciousness of this age!

After the girls (and Tay) had cooled down in the fountain we went for lunch at the Macaroni Grill. Yum.  But the best part for me was how sweet and happy Evie was the whole day.  She had so much fun being a princess and being with her buddy Libby. They are so cute to watch together, and it makes me smile to think that almost 20 years ago her mom and I were playing dress up and dolls together, just like they do now!  Thanks for a great day Dinee, Tay and Libby.  And thanks for being my special princess Evie!

Fun in the sun...

Today all that we needed to have a good time was a garden hose, a sprinkler, and our cousins!

Jake, Jack, and Josh: The three J's! These guys have so much fun and they play together so well.

Jake ready to run through the sprinkler.  Watching the kids playing brought back so many memories, living in our swimsuits, covered in grass and weber water, laying on the sun warmed driveway until our suits dried and we could start all over again.

Just like my little sun worshiper Lila!  

Evie on the other hand didn't stop moving once she got started...

The kids called this the "hot tub".  It is a low spot on the sidewalk where the water pooled, and it was the favorite place to sit and splash.

Thanks Aunt Tracie, Lunch and Water Fun at your house was huge hit!

A French Meal with Aunt Caite...

As promised the post about the meal the kids cooked using recipes out of a cookbook Jake got from the library last week...

Aunt Caite and Jacob decided on a French menu of Pain au Chocolat, Parisian Hot Chocolate, French-cut green beans, and Chicken Oh-La-La.  But first they all had to get into the proper French spirit.

"Can't you tell I am Fr-anch from sis expression of boredom I 'ave perfected?"  (Jake spent the next two days doing his very best Inspector Clouseau voice...)

Mademoiselle Genevieve couldn't look bored to save her life, so we opt to try for stylish and fashionable...

And for all you Phineas and Ferb fans out there, Jake and Evie posing with the "Triffle Tower"!

Okay, now that Mom and Caite are done being silly let's get down to cooking.  Jake helping to chop the pecans for topping the chicken.

Evie needed a turn too.  

Lila just wanted to eat already!

Monsieur Jacob ready for the french feast.

Doesn't it look yummy?

Trois little helpers ready to make dessert.  (I can attest that the Pain au Chocolat was really tasty!) 

And once again we have documented just why Tante Caitlin is their very most favorite babysitter of all time! Merci Beaucoup Caite!