Daddy's Birthday

Yikes we are getting up there - 33!! The girls don't miss a chance to remind us that we "lived in the olden days" or that we are getting wrinkles. Even though I still think I have a chance at passing for a young, cool, hip girl they put me right back in my place. Reality check - I am a mom and no matter how bad I don't want to wear "mom" jeans, say those uncool comments, or have that tired worn out look - I know I do. It happened to me. I guess as parents, we have arrived.


It was Justin's birthday yesterday and the girls were so excited. They both picked out gifts for him (CD, boy magazine, and a lantern). We decorated the kitchen and made brownies. They wrapped the gifts and fought over whose present he would open first. Chaos at it's best...


They are so in tuned to what he likes I think it is just a testament to how much they adore him. I remember when they were babies crying in my arms and he would swoop them up and instantly the crying would stop. He would put them up high on his broad shoulders and do that little bounce-pat thing. Ohh, the jealousy would eat me up. But now, just picturing it brings tears to my eyes. Right then and there he was a creating a bond with them and it gets stronger every year.



Here's to being 33 love. Happy Birthday!

9 Years

Remember this? It was out backyard in August when we first started landscaping. (Lesson learned - not good to start a landscaping project during the hottest month of the year.) The ground was hard to work with and I wasn't sure how it would end up. Our goal was to make it feel as lush as possible - you know bring a little Pacific Northwest to the Arizona desert (don't ask to see our water bill!!) I am happy to say we are so pleased with the results. We have our splash pad area which is so great for the kids. I can just ship them outside and I know they won't drown. We hope to build off of the bench a little more and can't wait to see the trees grow and start shading some of the area.

On the other side of the yard are plants and trees, including 3 fruit trees. By next summer I should have so many limes we won't be able to drink enough Corona's...

I also now have these lovely Arizona Roses. A gift from Justin for our 9th anniversary. To me Roses represent how things that look so tough on the outside can turn out to be the most beautiful. I am proud to say that we have been married 9 years. It takes hard work and dedication to keep a loving marriage thriving and I am so happy and grateful to be a wife to my husband.

He makes my heart happy ~ this is the quilt I made him. Our gifts to each other were supposed to cost $9. With a little help from my girlfriend, Goodwill, and a Linen Outlet I was able to do it. Hard to make a manly quilt...

Oh, and just because we finished landscaping doesn't mean we have stopped construction. This is the shed/playhouse/outhouse/man cave/craft shop going in on the side of the house...

Seriously, never a dull moment.

Flashback

A pink punk pirate, My little Pony, and Edward (HA) all came out on Halloween. They knew the drill. Walk fast, ring bell, say thanks, and move out. Now mommy has candy.

It is too cool when one of your kids wants the evil pumpkin. It just proves they are realizing the difference between real and make-believe.
It doesn't hurt to have a sweet, nice, pumpkin hanging around either, though.

Speaking of jack o'lantern's... I must toot my own horn and mention these darling ladies. All carved up for the Preschool Halloween Party. Considering how everything I make turns to crap, I was pretty impressed with myself.

Can you believe before all that there was another weekend I forgot to mention? My parents came into town to take the girls out for a night at a hotel. (Man, they are so spoiled!!) First we joined them at the Phoenix Botanical Gardens just in time for the Mariposa Monarch exhibit.

Along the lines of cooking I also stink at taking pictures but, again, I must say this is pretty dang impressive! Isn't he beautiful? (There is a way to tell, I found out.)

Every child under 12 got to take home a pumpkin. My Dad picked out a good one...

It was a little toasty and the lines were a little long. But we persevered and were all smiles.

And, to end the post, with the beginning. The Guy Family's first ever Relay for Life team. A great learning experience for Audrey who yelled out to people "Pick-A-Pop" for 4 straight hours. She was determined to get people to play our game and make money for the cause.

She is noticing that it isn't just us in this world. There are many, many, more. Some hurting, some healing, some that give, and some that take. Some that it might be OK to just ignore!

So there it is - a flashback of the last two weeks - Whew.