You've had a birthday...shout Hooray!

Happy Birthday Holly! She turned 6 Saturday and we had a fun day full of celebrations. She opened presents bright and early, we had friends over for a "Little Mermaid" party, we had a date with Grandpa to Build-a-Bear (where was my camera for that?), and then a pizza party with grandparents that evening. Whew!

Some sparkly new Hannah Montana shoes...

I love her reaction in this picture...isn't this what birthdays are all about? She got Sharpay in her pink Mustang :)

Here's the party group eating lunch; we had "shells" and cheese, ocean jello, fishy crackers, and shark teeth (apple bites)...I didn't get other pictures from the party because it's hard to be hostess and be behind the camera at the same time :( We colored pictures, painted our faces with green sparkly makeup like mermaids, did the limbo, had a fishy relay, made mermaid glitter gel (aloe vera with sparkles mixed in), pin the starfish in Ariel's hair, and of course cupcakes and ice cream.

Yum!
I love you Holly!

Some Classics

I've been reviewing some pictures (from my pre-blogging days) & decided a few of these are just too good not to share. In no particular order...Enjoy!

I must say I couldn't really find any particularly funny or embarrasing pictures of Ella, but I am proud to show that she learned at a very early age all about being a princess!

This was at a family reunion...Josh wore the hat & glasses the entire time!
Is it just me or wouldn't the other end be more enjoyable?

I could think of more comfortable places to sleep...

This is an all-time favorite candid shot of Holly up at the cabin

This is also a favorite - & probably future blackmail material!!

This is in Nauvoo...you can't really tell but Josh and I are literally in between the oxen heads and he was going berzerk!

A favorite from when Holly was just a few months old - she was always blowing raspberries

Josh has always been a little OCD...here is what he HAD to sleep with for his nap. A wagon? With Josh, you definitely learn to pick your battles!

No explanation needed! Doesn't every little boy have some kind of picture like this in cowboy boots?

Josh got himself stuck in a bucket. Of course instead of helping him right away I grabbed the camera.

Hope these brightened your day!

Busy in the Kitchen

Here Ammon is enjoying his first ever beater licking... He is obsessed with the dishwasher. I can't open the thing without him coming running from wherever he is to attack the silverware. He is very persistent and I'm learning I'm better off doing dishes (and a lot of other things!) when he is either asleep or in his high chair!

Uh, what's the weight limit on this thing?

Happy Birthday Ammon!

Ammon turned One Year Old Saturday! It's so hard to believe he's already that big! He was so cute all day and he knew he was getting special treatment. He loved the balloons, gifts, and as you can see he loved his cake! He insisted on having a spoon! Happy Birthday little guy!

Disneyland, anyone?

So we are planning a trip to Disneyland this fall (sometime in October) and are looking for some travelling buddies! Disneyland is always more fun with friends & much more manageable too (trading rides / kids is a must!) Let us know if you are interested...you have time to save up! (Tax returns are just around the corner too!) We can't wait to go to the happiest place on Earth!

4th Folder, 4th Picture

This was Holly on her first birthday...she had a fever and didn't feel well but Daddy was trying to help her feel "better" by feeding her birthday cake. You can see it in her eyes, poor little thing!

2008 Year in Review...so funny!

Happy 2009!

I wrote my first check of the new year today and it was so weird to write "2009"! We had a fun New Year's Eve - we got a babysitter and went out to dinner to Olive Garden & played games with some friends... Of course I don't have pictures of anything...maybe that should be my new year's resolution - to always have my camera with me....Then we stayed up with another couple and started played Batman Lego. We totally got sucked into it and played until 1:30 a.m. I think we forgot that we're not in college anymore! I especially noticed when my kids woke up bright and early the next morning!

New Year's Day was spent playing games and trying to avoid all the treats still left in the house. We also grouted the tile backsplash in our kitchen, and Mark made these cute trivets with the extras...(with Ella's help).

Christmas Eve & Christmas Morning

Christmas morning is so much fun with little ones...we were amazed everyone slept in until 7:30! We sure enjoyed a wonderful day!

Ammon got this great ball blowing toy...you can tell at first he wasn't too sure what to think, but he quickly decided it was lots of fun!Santa left wigs, gloves and wings for the girls to play dress-ups with...
they were both excited to get all glammed up.

Josh got a fun set of building cards...his first project was a pirate ship of course

I totally pirated these pictures from Steph...we had a really nice Christmas Eve with Mark's family; "A Night in Bethlehem." We all dressed up, had a wonderful "period" meal, a candlelight nativity, caroling with an accordian, and family togetherness...Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Bishop for a fun and meaningful evening!

Two Peas in a Pod

Ammon drinkin' with his bud...his cute little friend Will...they are only 7 days apart