31

Today has been amazing. What a great day to celebrate turning another year older. Started with pancake breakfast, 90 minute massage, new running shoes, pedicure, playing with my favorite kids, lots of Facebook messages, some new clothes, macaroons, a babysitter, dinner with my parents and husband, and ended the night with a Lindsey sterling concert!

Thanks for all the calls, texts, and love. I really felt it today.

Happy birthday husband!

Today I was excited to surprise rich with his birthday gift of a hot air balloon ride! Unfortunately the weather wasn't great so we rescheduled for tomorrow. In order to make his birthday special we dropped Ryann off at school and took sick little Cara and Mac to the boon fly cafe for breakfast. Delicious and we ate and ordered way too much food.

We also had birthday donuts with a candle in it and took lots of selfies. Mac ended up covered in sugar from the donuts.

Happy birthday rich. Words can't express how much you mean to me so hopefully your day is fabulous enough that I don't have to even try to tell you how awesome you are! Forever and ever and ever. I love you.

Birthday week

We started off Mac's birthday week with a bang! Grandma mingo and auntie Vicki brought us panda express and a giant cupcake. Also some blocks, cars, and some fun clothes. He has a blast with his cupcake until he got frosting in his eye.

Fyi... when Mac is tired he has started to pick at his eyelashes and pull on them. Weird. That's how he got the frosting there.

Happy 7th birthday

My big girl Ryann turned 7 and what a day she had! She started with cinnamon rolls for breakfast in bed, wearing her beautiful new dress from grandma, a special birthday rainbow loom bracelet, a new necklace, lunch with daddy, watching movies after school, build a bear with Cara, spaghetti dinner and cake with the bakers, and opening presents. Whew.

She had so many phone calls, love from the family, and just a special day overall. 

I love you Ryann!

7 things about Ryann:

1. She has such a kind heart and is always trying to make people happy.

2. Loves horses, unicorns, rainbows, and puppies

3. Learning to read and getting much better at it.

4. Has 6 articles of faith memorized

5. Rides a 2 wheel bike and a scooter with no problems

6. Has lost 2 teeth

7. She can identify almost any instrumental music from a movie with what movie it is and what scene it comes from

Disneyland

Tuesday afternoon Rich drove the kids up to my office. The car was loaded and packed up. Cara had no idea what was going on, but Ryann was a little smarter and figured out we were going to Disneyland.

 We spent the night at my Aunt Barbara's house (THANK YOU!) and then in the morning we got dressed and loaded up the stroller and walked over to Disneyland. Yes, they live that close.

 Once we were there we met up with my parents, brother Cory, sister in law Katie, and cousin Dean. It was a blast. I have a hundred more pictures on my phone and will post them when I find the time.

Poor Rich had to stay  home to work. But it was a fast and furious trip and I drove home when the park closed and made it home safe and sound... ready for work the next morning. 

Happy 30th birthday to me! 

Happy Birthday Auntie Devyn and Auntie Erin

I have some of the best sisters in the world. 

These sisters just happen to have birthdays about a week apart.

These sisters are some of the hardest working people I know (along with my other sisters!)

They make me laugh.

They make me cry.

(in good ways!)

The love me and my family unconditionally.

They are gorgeous.

They are one year older.

Happy Birthday to my younger sisters!

Happy Birthday Grandma Mingo

We celebrated Grandma Mingo's birthday this past weekend with lunch, some princess candyland and some swimming in her backyard. 

I am not sure who had more fun, the girls or Grandma Mingo from laughing at the girls.  They can be quite the riot. 

Present from Ryann

Seriously, how much better can it get than a barbie movie from your big sister and a birthday crown??

Chuck E Cheese part 3

 Seriously I am done with Chuck E Cheese posts. I am only doing this for documentation purposes. Because who really wants pictures of a giant mouse?

Chuck E Cheese Part 2

I have never been a fan of Chuck E Cheese because growing up there was one near us that was super ghetto, dirty, and a little scary. I have never taken the girls to one because of this. However, for Cara's family birthday party I caved and was pleasantly surprised!

 I am not sure who had more fun... Cory or Dean?

 Ryann or Rich?

 Addie?

 Me and Hazel?

Or Auntie Erin with her glamour shot pictures (for only 1 token!!)

Happy Birthday Cara (Chuck E Cheese part 1)

Today you are 4. Every day you make us laugh. When you don't mean to make us laugh you get pretty upset and usually end up in full blown tears. You are often called "the maniac" because you have more energy than most kids we know. 

 Seriously, I knew you had a lot of energy, but I recently texted Miss Teddie, your preschool teacher, and asked if you had like "top 5% energy" and she said "yes." Apparently ALL YEAR LONG in preschool you have worked to sit in a chair. Thank goodness for another year of preschool before kindergarten. 

 This year was a family birthday party for you, which happened to also be a celebration for Cousin Ethan who was adopted this week by Auntie Ashley. What a wonderful blessing he is to our family and knowing that he is forever ours! Your party was at Chuck E Cheese and you played your little heart out with tokens and tickets. Seriously, endless amounts.

 At 4 you still take naps. You love to wake up early and come into mommy's bed and fall back asleep. If I kick you out of bed then you go wake up Ryann to play with you... So being that you have mommy wrapped around your little finger... you get to cuddle in bed with me most mornings between 4 and 6am. But I really don't mind, you are a great snuggler. 

You love to talk in the third person. "Cara is hungry." "Cara wants popcorn" "Cara can't go to sleep" "Cara's feet hurt" "Cara can't walk"

Cara is little (almost 30lbs) and she knows it. She thinks that she can get away with anything because "Cara is little."  We try to stress that she is a big girl but she isn't having that most days. She is a picky eater and we are constantly working on that one.  

Cara isn't very sneaky. She is loud and we almost always know when she is up to no good. She pouts, she shouts, she crys, she yells and she loves more than anyone. She is always kissing my belly. She loves Baby Mac and wants him to come out and play more than anything. She is smart (don't all parents say this?) and she is identifying all her letters and numbers and even some words. She writes her name and thinks that the letters C-A-R-A were made just for her. The world has always revolved around Cara in her eyes and I am excited to see what the world of a 4 year old has in store for us. 

Birthday Party

This year I knew there wouldn't be time to prepare a fabulous birthday party for Ryann, so we decided to head on over to Makutu's Island. A play place with a personal party attendant. (Seriously, she did everything and it was so awesome to just sit and watch and take pictures)

 Ryann wearing her new party dress and her amazing necklace from Auntie Erin!!

 Grandma Mingo and Auntie Vicki joined the fun. 

  Makutu came to say hi and happy birthday.

 The party girl (Amanda) fed the kids, refilled drinks, helped them play games, open presents, and she even wrote down everything that Ryann got for gifts. She cleaned everything up too!

 Best family picture we could get with Makutu

 Ryann's favorite present was a giant Unicorn. She dances with it, eats with it, sleeps with it... you get the picture. 

 Cara having fun. 

 Rich having even more fun! 

Present Time

Ryann opened some of her presents last week from the family. She was so excited. A new horse backpack from Grandma!

 A Unicorn helmet from Cousin Dean, Charlotte, Mavis, Arizona, the chickens, the other goat, Lulu, and of course Uncle Cory and Auntie Katie. 

 This helmet came in very handy since she crashed her bike and hit her head a few days later. She wasn't very happy that the helmet was snug (aka... not broken like her last one), but now she is beyond thrilled that is saved her head from being cracked open. 

 And of course she got to blow out her candles!

It is great to be 6, even better to stretch the birthday out as long as possible.