All Star Party

My kids love birthday parties.
They love to go to them, love to throw them.
 Especially Parker.
They wait all year long for their birthdays  and put their orders in for their next party about 364 days in advance. No joke. Not because we throw amazing parties over here (we don't), but because they just adore their friends. I have tried to get them to skip and have friend parties every other year, but the whining devastation they exhibit at this probability is more than I can take - it's their birthday afterall and I want them to love their day!
It's the least I can do if it makes them feel so special. :)
This year my little Mr. Party Planner put in his detailed request for a
"Red White and Blue Sports Party"...:
& that's what he got. :)


Our SEVEN-year-old All Star!

The Décor
I probably wouldn't bother because I realize after seven years of kids that a bunch of seven year olds could care less about decorations, except that beginning months in advance I have this little blondie asking me,
 "Mom, why aren't you buying/making my party decorations yet?".
So to him, it matters, and as for me... I may have a love/hate relationship with the party planning process. :) In that moment that it all comes together, I love it. Mid-way through, not so much. I have learned however over the years how to simplify the planning, so really this wasn't anything that took an unreasonable amount of effort.
Okay so maybe my husband may not concur with that statement after I made him cut up and duct tape over a dozen pool noodles into rings for the relay (after I drove across town and bought out the only dollar store that still carried them)....but hey, besides that it really was fun and simple.:)
Besides anything great requires a little hard work, right?

Relays, present opening, half time breaks, pizza for lunch...
"pool noodle soccer" was a big hit!
 
As  always, a piñata was included in the celebrations!
 I couldn't help but sneak in a pic of  Emmie with her so-called boyfriend, with whom she is still scheming her
"Happily Ever After".
Her sweet 5-year-old little heart is pretty convinced that he's
 The One. :)
Sorry all other boys.
This 5 year old is taken. ;) 

I think Parker had a great time at his party which in my book spells success! He adores his friends and they made him feel super loved by coming to celebrate his big day with him. I'm so grateful to pretty much live in the best neighborhood around with all these awesome little guys right on our street (most of them) for him to grow up with!

So, the party was over and like any mom after hosting 13 little boys, I was ready to collapse...
and I did just that.
Literally.
In the middle of that night, I woke up aware that my body was having a serious problem. Short of breath,  experiencing extreme heart palpitations and vertigo, I wondered if I was having a heart attack or stroke. Feeling sick to my stomach, I got out of bed,  & somehow stumbled my way to the bathroom. Everything went black and I passed out cold...

 

SEVEN

This little blondie turned SEVEN in late July!


He wasn't always a blondie...


He originally came to us a red head.
 Like his Pops.
And our pup.
 

Here's the proof.
It's too bad he wasn't cute back then.;)
 When he arrived I remember thinking to myself,
 "Oh, here we go- the beginning of my little tribe of redheads!".
But he fooled us!
 After his first haircut at nine months old the red was gone forever!

Oh, how seeing these pictures from our old (and first) house makes me miss our Arizona days.
Those were some good times!

 

Back to the 7 year old Birthday Boy...

It's tradition that the kids get to choose a family birthday outing on their big days. Parker always chooses Boondocks, and E Cowabunga Bay.
So the morning of P's birthday(a Monday), we headed to Boondocks for a little celebrating....if you can call it that. 
Somehow, within an hour of being there, both girls had numerous screaming, crying meltdowns. As Lexi was kicking and rolling around screaming on the floor by the arcade (furious that she was too little for the kiddie land) while we waited for the boys to ride the slick track, I was seriously regretting our decision to all come especially since I had loads of things to do at home to prepare for P's friend party the next morning... when over walks Emmie, out of the playland, sopping wet.... and dripping in pee!
FABULOUS.
 (My regretful thoughts were confirmed in that moment!)
I could feel the stares of horror from the other parent's boring a hole into the back of my head (whose kids were crawling around in now pee-marked kiddie land).
AWE-SOME.
Frozen in horror, and doing my best to avoid all eye contact with the rightfully disgusted parents as my four year old dripped urine all over the floor, and my out of control toddler thrashed around in hysterics next to me (trust me, acknowledging her makes it worse and picking her up can result in serious scratch injuries to my face), I frantically began texting my husband wondering how the slick track could possibly take five hours, with virtually no line. Finally they reappeared and we resolved to all go home, and Chris and P would come back in late afternoon to complete P's day of fun in peace -- exactly the way it probably should have started - just the two of them!:)
Crazy kids.

 

So off we went and opened presents

and made cupcakes while putting together finishing touches for the next day's party.

P was sooo excited for his new legos (this is his first time having Legos that aren't the bigger Duplo kind), beyblades, and the new Wii game Pikmin (to be mailed the following week - after it's release date).

That night we were off to the Hansens (I forgot my camera!) where we did fireworks and had some more celebrations!
And that was just the beginning of a wild, unexpected week!!!
Next up -  A Sports Party with 13 little boys!

Red, White and Blue 2013

Fourth of July church digs!

Our kids look forward to the annual neighborhood bike parade for months. 

This year was no exception. It's a pretty big deal to this little crew!

That night, we had a block party with our neighbors, and then due to firework restrictions we went to a nearby park that was allowing our neighborhood/area to light off fireworks there, while monitored by the Fire Department. It was the most interesting night of fireworks I have ever seen. There were sooo many of them, all in one place. I was having a hard time breathing with all the smoke so I was pretty glad when we left, but we had a fun time!

 

June and July Randoms

 Emmie is obsessed with wearing these church shoes.
When I try to explain to her that they go best with a dress, and not even all her dresses, & that she has better options for most of her outfits, she tells me,
"But I just like the way they SOUND!".
Apparently, they "click".

And clicky shoes sound like big girl high heels.
This girl is 4 going on 17 I swear!

Lexi FINALLY got her very first haircut at 21 months old!

 She had a few chunky pieces of her newborn hair (aka rattails!) that were halfway down her back, so it was about time.
 (Not usually noticeable because of her waves)

(Took better pics with a real camera the next day)
 I love the natural curl her hair dries with.

Once in awhile the picture taker has to jump into the picture too!  

A good majority of our summer was spent at swim lessons during June and July. Four weeks of them, every day! It was a lot, especially in 100 degree heat, but the kids did good. I've never heard of kids loving swim lessons as much as mine do. No, they still can't swim, despite what they will tell you, but are getting closer. Parker has automatic ADHD and deafness once he hits the water and I couldn't get him to look up for a picture. But Emmie and  my side-watcher, Lex were happy to pose.

We made it over to one of our favorite community pools one night after swim lessons. The kids love this place and Lexi loved it too but almost gave me a heart attack with her bravery. Why are my kids not afraid of anything?!? I take that back, Parker is deathly afraid of bees. :) I don't know where he gets it from;).
A few days after swim lessons ended, Emmie had a severe ear infection. We took her in to find out she actually had a staph infection from Swimmer's Ear. She pretty much screamed in pain for the next week, and on top of it she had some sort of bad cold which she was put on antibiotics for. She temporarily lost some of her hearing as a result and the poor thing couldn't hear a word we would say to her. For a while I was worried that it would stick! So there was another week of our summer hit by sickness.
 

This little girl spent some time at the Dr. too..... after trying to bulk her up for four months, it was time to get her bone scan and blood work done. The phlebotomists were bracing themselves for screaming but Lex surprised us all by not making a single peep as her blood was taken, thanks to the distraction of her very first sucker! Thank goodness for the magic effect of a little sugar once in a while! We actually just got her test results back last Friday (fast forward 6 weeks) and the only thing off  on her tests was her growth hormone. However, sometimes it can be off just due to low weight... which is likely to be why. She could also really be lacking growth hormone, we will just have to see with time.  So unless she has major growth delay issues around three or four years old, we won't be needing the endocrinologist again! She's gained one pound since her last appointment in February (not too impressive), but THREE inches in height! YAY!!! Still tiny, but tiny isn't not so bad when you're a girl, right? :) Plus it's made it much easier for me to tote her around, probably a blessing in disguise!!

One of my favorite things this threesome does is their Cha Cha train around the house. Parker and Emmie are so good to their little sis and they know she LOVES this little number so they do it often. I love watching Lex shuffle to keep up with them!

 

So there's half of our summer! The rest has thrown us a few crazy curve balls, but we are trying to handle them the best we can... More on that later (hopefully!).

Anniversary 2013

On June 24th, we celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary! I know, I can't believe it either! And no, I did not get married when I was 12, but thanks for thinking I'm so young!;)

 

We actually went on TWO dates within 3 days of each other. Pretty sure that hasn't happened in the 7 years since we've had kids - especially since that's about how many dates we make it on in a year! Sad, I know! :) First, we went to a motivational speaker/concert with my favorite expert, Matt Townsend. I LOVE his insight on life and relationships and I just had to get us tickets when his "Date Night" happened to land on the one Saturday a month Chris had off! He split half of his time with musician Peter Breinholt, who is also amazing... so it really was an incredible night at the Sandy Amphitheater. I loved it and I think Chris at least liked it - and we even had Café Rio for dinner. So it was pretty perfect!

 

 We went home to a frazzled baby sitter who was ripping her hair out after Lexi cried for about 2 1/2 hours straight and didn't want to go to sleep... Pretty much why we never go out! (okay, also because of Chris' work schedule too!) Putting our kids to bed is no easy task and traumatizing 14 year girls (as well as my toddler) with the job is just not something I look forward to inflicting. Hence, it's just easier to stay home!
 

Then on Monday night ("night "is like 4 p.m. lol)we were off to a movie (which I don't remember? My mind is still not working right) and we ate at another one of our faves -the Cheesecake Factory while the Hansens watched our kids for us.

It was a great couple of nights out with my good-lookin' hubby!

 I'm a lucky girl and I know it!

 

Father's Day 2013

 

My favorite answer is that his favorite food is Otter Pops.
  That might just be true!

Chris just works one Sunday a month, and unfortunately it landed on Father's Day this year. Not a fun way to spend your holiday, but he is always a good sport. Before he scrambled out the door, we presented him with a few gifts and treats that we had put together for him, and a few more came later after work.
We are all super lucky to have this great guy in our lives! We love him so much!
Yes.... Emmie is sporting fleece Christmas pajamas in June along with her bed-head headband curls. What can I say? We don't have it together that early in the morning at our house!

June Wedding!

My Dad and Melissa got married on June 7th!

The Happy Couple!


We just love Melissa and her family and couldn't be happier!
Here they are with their adorable group of Grandkids.

My Little Fam.
I love this crew so much!

Three cuties

 

Kylie, Steven and Jack flew in from Cali and we were so glad to get to see them for a minute!

It was a beautiful day and such a pretty wedding.
Looking forward to lots of great memories!

Memorial Day 2013

For Memorial Day this year, I really wanted to go and visit all of our relative's graves. We started our trek that morning by visiting my brother at
Wasatch Lawn Memorial.
Such a beautiful cemetery.
For our second and third years of marriage, Chris and I lived up the street from this pretty place on 3300 S in Salt Lake.


Who knew that a few years later, my brother, just 30 years old, would end up here?


(this is just weeks before he passed away)

His smile, his sparkling green eyes, his confidence,
 his spunk, his determination, his drive, his soft heart.
My brother.
I miss him.


Next up, we visited my handsome Grandpa, "Papa".
We didn't have to go far.


He is buried right next to Michael.



Here he is with my cute Grandma, "Mimi" (who is still living).
I couldn't find a more current picture that is already scanned in, but honestly, he didn't change that much in his older years. He stayed super fit throughout his life, and I remember him on numerous occasions prodding me to punch  his super fit abs "as hard as I could", to show them off.  I remember his ritual of pinching my cheek and telling me I have a cute "mug" (face). He had pretty blue, friendly eyes and was kind and gentle. I also remember that he had to always wear his "house slippers", and didn't like us to go bare feet.
He had Parkinson's Disease and tragically passed away after falling down the stairs when I was 15.

Next up, we walked further down in the same cemetery to find my Great-Grandparent's grave, Nana and Gramps - Mimi's parents.

(Here they are holding my older brother, Michael, in 1978)
I remember that my Great Grandpa was a boxer, and I remember a little workshop he had out in the garage. He also smoked, and liked to smoke pipes if I remember right. He had piercing blue eyes. He survived a house fire. He passed away when I was six.
My Great Grandma had red hair and was a good cook and a great decorator, like my Grandma Mimi. Their home on the East end of 3900 S was fairly humble, but decorated pretty fancy on the inside.
Flashback to the 80's...I remember that they always had Lay's potato chips for us to munch on and that my brother and I would go upstairs to the TV room on our Sunday night visits there to watch the Disney Family movie of the night that was featured on TV. I remember that the one car they owned was this looong olive green car. A Cadillac maybe? I don't think Nana ever got her drivers license.
They only had one child, my Grandma, Faye, or was we call her, "Mimi".

I was excited to recognize other names on headstones close to theirs...


George and Florence are Nana's parents, and Betty and Earl are Nana's siblings. Earl had a twin sister...and that's all I know about them.

Next up, we headed further North to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. My Mom grew up across the street from this cemetery, on "T" Street, in the Avenues. We visited her parents, my Grandma and Grandpa.

 
I have lots of fun memories with my Grandma and Grandpa. We spent endless hours playing Skip-Bo, Rummikub, and Rummy. They had a big yard, an awesome garden and we loved to pick cherries and climb and swing around in the cherry tree. My only girl cousin would fly out from CA and we would have sleepovers for weeks in the summer at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We loved to sleep in the "front room" in our maroon sleeping bags. A&W Rootbeer, the "Little Store" on the corner as we called it, chocolate pudding, the yummiest Thanksgiving dinners, and rollerskating around their huge driveway all remind me of Grandma and Grandpa's house. I remember my Grandma's loud, but pretty singing voice at church and how she always had a peppermint tic tac to pass us from her dainty white church purse to keep us quiet. I remember how my cute Grandpa wore black rimmed glasses for reading, could likely be found reclining in his beige chair, and always had a butterscotch or peppermint candies in his pocket to share. My Grandma was very active and would get up early in the morning to go on big walks with her friends around the neighborhood. My Grandpa loved to golf and drink coffee - which he gave up in his seventies (eighties?) so that he could be sealed to my Grandma in the temple. He was such a tender hearted man and absolutely adored my Grandmother. He passed away when I was in 6th Grade, my Grandma passed away when I was barely 16 after a painful, fast moving bout of pancreatic cancer. Since things weren't digital back then, I don't have pictures of them scanned into my computer... I will have to add some later.

Next up, we were off to Midway, Utah to visit sweet Grandpa Lonczyna, who passed away in his nineties just last November.


Midway, Utah
Chris' grandparents lived here in Midway for over 30 years. Their house can be seen in this picture up on the hill there. Chris loved to go tubing here in the winter, fishing with his Grandpa, & has good memories hiking Bergy Hill.




What a pretty headstone!

I love this cute man! I was honored & blessed to know him for 12 years of my life. I couldn't always make out everything he said in that Ukranian accent of his, but nonetheless I loved to listen to his stories about life and his work in the grocery business. He was strong-willed and opinionated, but sweet, kind and purposeful. I think that he and my Grandpa Westwood probably get along great in Heaven...they have a lot in common. :) We sure miss him! How lucky he was to live such a full and well rounded life, and we are blessed to have had him for so many years.
Here he is holding Emmie at Brett and Bethany's wedding.

As our day of honoring these amazing family members came to a close, we had one final, very important member to pay our respects to, and that is precious Atticus. We talked about our sweet Angel Atticus and how much he means to us as we released some balloons into the beautiful Midway clouds in his honor.

 

Oh how we miss this cute little boy!

Words can't express how much this little four year old has touched our life. How much we miss him. How much we love him and adore him. How brave we think he is. How much our hearts ache that our kids don't get to grow up with their amazing cousin. How much we miss those gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes. How much we miss his witty comebacks and larger than life personality. How much our hearts ache for the excruciating pain and sadness his parents have to endure as a result of losing their child. It's so awful. There's just no way around it. His earthly time was far too short, yet his spirit was so far reaching you couldn't walk into the room without feeling how special he was. We are so blessed to have this chosen little spirit in our very own family. I'm grateful to know that he is still and will forever be an active part of our family. I know that his valiant little spirit is there giving us strength and cheering us on and helping us all in ways we can't comprehend.  

We love you Buddy!!!