Another Year Older...

and hopefully getting wiser :) Paul turned 27! We love our husband and daddy and couldn't ask for anyone better.  It's a Sunday so we spent the day at home, going to church, and had a nice dinner at the Heslop's. We one giant celebration for Nic coming home, Annie turning two yesterday, and Paul's birthday today. Paul was the lucky one who got to pick the meal menu, so to no ones surprise, he wanted Mexican: sweet pork tacos topped with garden tomatoes, cabbage, and "grinch ranch", mexican rice, sweet corn cakes, black beans, and no birthday of his would be complete without an ice-cream cake! Sara made a sweet TinkerBell cake for Annie too. It was a great day and I hope that Paul has a great year!!

Dear Daddy,

since you've been gone on an airplane me and Stewar' and Mommy are trying to keep busy...

 making soap clouds to use in the tub every night to make us squeaky clean after a dirty day of playing,

playing hide-and-go-seek,

shopping at City Creek, with a stop at the dinosaurs,

a walk to share a yummy smoothie at the park,

multiple movie nights watching second-hand turtle and kitty stars - complete with popcorn and a visit from Grandma & Grandpa Stewart,

nummy homemade french bread french toast with "tella" and raspberries,

a stop at 'Get Air', our new favorite energy-releasing place full of foam pits and trampoline slides,

 lots of milk to keep us happy, and that sad ouchy on Stew's hand (we don't even know how that happened poor baby),

and last a fun cousin breakfast with german pancakes, blue milk (apparently from a cow that turned blue after he jumped over the moon) and banana treat. 

"we had fun and cousins over, umm, be good to Stew, play with him, play with cousins. I love him hap, umm, that he wears his hat safe, that Stewart bleed his hand. I love you Daddy!" We've had fun but we are sooooo excited you are coming home today!!       LOVE LILY

Friends Cabin Party

Last week we had our Salt of the Earth work party and right as our employees were leaving, our friends were arriving. So we had a fun FILLED weekend at the cabin. We really were trying to soak up every last ounce of summer. But I've already convince Paul we are going to spend lots of weekends at the cabin this winter drinking hot cocoa and playing in the snow. 

Worlds colliding... friends, employees, family. Although I guess our worlds are always one big jumble.

(Jenny, little Liam, Andy, Danny, Holland, Nic, Janette, baby Max, & Sam)

Matt, Abbey, Mya, Everett, Jenny, Andy, & Liam came up Friday night. After the always entertaining stories about Matt's awkward childhood and upbringing, we played a game of BONANZA, planting and harvesting beans. Someday, Paul and I will invest in this game because we love it. Side note: I totally won! Anyways, the next morning we headed down to the lake for some boating.   

Andy & Matt tryin' out the wakesurf looking timid and awkward as ever :) And Abbey showing her stuff on the wakeboard representing us girls!

Taking the chilies out on the tube was the highlight of my weekend. I was looking forward to it the whole trip. When it actually came down to it, I wasn't sure if Lily would get on, but she hoped right on and was so brave! I'm already looking forward to it next year when Stew realizes what is going on and can be excited. 

This could have been such a cute little family picture, but what are friends for!

Salt of the Earth Work Party

Remember how I like to make things simple? Well HERE is little about our Salt of the Earth summer work party. Thought I would take advantage of the two birds, one post deal again!

These are some of my favorite pictures from that day that didn't quite make the "professional business" cut for the work blog. 

A Night to Play

While Paul was busy working late the other night, the kids and I took advantage of the evening for a little extra play. The days been so hot lately that we haven't been able to make it to the parks or even outside much at all. We walked to Station Park to watch the fountains, which maintenance men were working on so we didn't see much at all, and to play at the playground. Stewart loves his independence and feels like he is just one-of-the kids while he was climbing and sliding all over that park. It is so fun to see my little guy growing up. 

Contrary to most people, I am not the most sentimental person. This is something I am recently learning about myself as I listen and watch other people have difficulty with time passing. I like change, or at least the changes I have experienced this far in my life. It doesn't make me sad to see my kids growing up. I love seeing them grow into themselves and watching their little personalities take off. I'm guessing one day I will be wishing they were little babes in my arms again, but for now I get excited seeing them learn and do new things on their own. 

After we came home from Station Park, I was putting some things in the house and when I came back outside this is what I found. Lily had helped Stew get on the back of her wiggle car and they were flying down the driveway. This is not new to Lily, she is always racing down to the sidewalk. Stew on the other-hand, was not quite sure about cruising so fast and had a slightly terrified face. But I can't blame him because just a few minutes later, as they were barreling down the driveway, they lost control on the turn and both of them went tumbling into the grass. While neither one got hurt, it sure shook them up a bit and Stew was content to let Lily fly solo the rest of the night. 

A Happy Belated Birthday Post - to ME!

August 3rd I turned...uh, 26. Sheesh, this is the first year that I am feeling like that is a little old for my style. It was just a smidgen depressing, which is ironic because I used to think people were so lame for hating their birthdays. It was still an awesome day, of course, because it was all about me :) but I am now understanding why people don't want their birthdays to come. It means you get old...

And I am fully aware the 26 is still relatively young, it's just older than 25!

Other than the fact that I now have to say, "26" when people ask me how old I am, my birthday was SOO fun this year! My sweet honey woke up early to make me a delish breakfast. And the even greater surprise was that we got to eat it alone, there were no precious children nagging at us. Lily slept in a little more than usual and didn't make her appearance of requesting apple juice and Dora until we were done eating. Than my sweetest baby boy gave me the greatest gift that day. He slept until 10:15!! Un-heard of! I even checked on him multiple times to make sure he was still breathing. He knew how to treat his mama on her special day. He was an angel baby all day! Oh how I love my little Stew Stew.

Paul made me a yummy english muffin breakfast sandwich with the sweetest nectarine.

Later on my parents stopped by to visit and had a quick lunch with me. Lily and Stew sure love their grandparents. Since they moved to St. George, we are missing them more and more so it is always a sweet treat to have them come visit.

With the help of her awesome Daddy, Lily got me some carmel & chocolate covered pretzels which I have recently decided are my all time favorite! They were even from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, wow, my family sure loves me. I also got a carmel, white chocolate & cinnamon covered apple, also a major favorite, and Paul surprised me with an American Express gift card. As I was opened it, he threw in a little disclaimer that it was boring. But I sure didn't think so! He arranged for the kids to be watched by his family and we headed off to City Creek Center and Gateway for some birthday shopping. Then we stopped by Flemings, another favorite (this day is full of my favorites, birthdays are the BEST), and had a tasty dinner at the bar. 

Then - ya, the day wasn't even over - we picked up the kids and put them to bed while Eric hung out at the house so that we could go hit up a little movie action. We hopped on the mo-ped to Station Park and went to Spider Man. It was such a fun day all thanks to my wonderful family. I am one lucky girl!

Stew's Comfort

This is Stew. This is generally what I see when I look back at him while driving in the car. What is he doing?! I know that he is not trying to find anything up there. He just sits there, just like that... for a long time! I have decided that I think it is just his comfort, like how some kids suck their thumbs, mine sticks his finger up his nose.