I Meant to Post These a While Back

…but life got in the way… (and that’s the best and most legit excuse I have!)

You may remember me mentioning a while back that Kev and I were going to go to the winter X-Games in Aspen to take photos. And we did. And we decided that, unless you have a very special press pass that can get you into the prime spots to take photos, the X-Games are much better viewed from the comfort of your very own cozy (and warm!) couch. It was a bit too crowded (with an aged 15-21 range) and cold and snowy (duh!) and we didn’t care much for the long lines to get on the shuttle that took us back to our cars. That being said, it was still a fun time and an out of the ordinary date for Kevin and I. (And I don’t remember the last time we had a date before this…)

This is from our view from back behind the huge crowd of people (who weren’t even paying attention) where we could actually see better. Everything was still in miniature, but at least I wasn’t staring at the drunk-face in front of me. If you click on any of these photos and then go to flickr and click on the “all sizes” icon just above the pic, you can see what is going on in a larger format. You’ll be better able to see the dude who is catching some serious air here. (And I’ll take credit for a quick trigger finger, though there was plenty of hang time in the air.)

Kevin with his beloved. (the Canon.) (Just kidding, well… technically he was with me, so I guess that statement is true.)

This is about as good as it got for the photos we took. You can kind of see the snowboarder above the crowd there (in a turquoise coat). We really wanted to be on the deck, which is at the top of the high banks of the half-pipe- but that was restricted to special people. We weren’t too special that night.

I wanted to post a few of the pics from Kev’s camera, but we seem to have misplaced them, well, he did, not me. Sooooo, whenever they are rediscovered, I’ll have to post them too. 🙂

…and just so you know, all hyperbole is used for the sake of being funny. Explanation is because sometimes my sarcasm just doesn’t translate over the internet…

I Like this Quote

“Man is born to live, not to prepare for life.” – Boris Pasternak

It seems so simple and obvious, yet I find myself needing to be reminded of it from time to time, as my life falls into a steady rhythm of preparation instead of living. We always think we know what we’ll do when certain things come our way, but the truth is, we really don’t until it happens, and so it does no good to spend an exorbitant amount of time stressing about it. Don’t let your fears and worries steal precious living time.

A Meme

Because…what the heck, I haven’t done one in a while…

One: Link to the person who tagged you. Amy.

Two: Post the rules.

Three: Write six random things about yourself.

1. I am a weird mixture of slob and neat freak all at the same time.

2. I am so thankful that I had a little girl, it has changed and enriched my world, in ways I never thought possible. (But I DO love my boys too.)

3. I am not a fan of watching the news (though I kind of feel guilty about it) because I find it somewhat overwhelming and depressing, and I like to hold on to my general sense of well-being. (even if it is somewhat false.)

4. I haven’t flown since 2002 (when my hubby and I went to NYC), but I love to fly! When going on a trip that requires me to get on a plane, I almost look forward to the flying part as much as the trip.

5. I have had the past haircut (minus the bangs) for over a year and a half now, which is saying a lot for me. (I normally change my hair quite a bit.) That being said, I’m going to add some more blonde today.

6. I have become a bigger fan of the season of Summer than I ever thought I would be. I think it has something to do with the fact that I haven’t been able to snowboard for the past two years, and the town that I live in is, well, really ugly,grey and cold in the winter time.

Tag six people.
Heather Layne
Cherry
Lisa
Tonya
Kevin
Shayna

Drew’s Birthday

So for Drew’s birthday celebration last week, I again, went a little overboard. I tend to do that with the birthday parties, and I’m not completely sure why, though, I DO know that to some degree, they become a creative outlet for me (and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.) Drew’s actual day of birth was on Friday. I sent him to school with a batch of rice krispie treats, per his request. We invited two of his closest buddies for a sleep-over that night. When Kevin heard about my spend- the- night idea, he said, “Woah! Are you trying to win ‘mom of the year’?!”

“Well, yes, actually, I am.”

We also had a little family party Friday night as well. (My mom had indicated that she wasn’t really into partying with 12 little kids at the kiddie party the next day. I figured she might not be the only one that felt that way, so I had all the grandparents come hang the night before.) It was a fun evening. We ended the night with a movie in the playroom, and the boys all snuggled up in their sleeping bags. (Beau had already fallen asleep on the couch while daddy was reading to him.)

The next day it was a bit of scramble to get everything ready, as our kiddie party started at 11 a.m.
My best friend, Mel, and her hubby came, as well as Jim, to join their kiddos at the party. Mel, was an angel for me that day! She jumped right in and helped me out with all the small details that stitched everything together and kept everything running smooth, as well as providing some much needed girly talk. I love my best bud!

I had to ice the cupcakes, and make the pizzas (one of which I totally torched! OOOPS!) , and get everything else ready- which was plenty!

I sculpted each lightsaber out of fondant, that I tinted by myself as well. I also made the little Captain Rex helmet you see there, especially for Drew, since that is his favorite character.

As you can see, Drew, again requested a Star Wars theme birthday party. I was kind of hard pressed to come up with new ideas, but my friend Allison saved my rear by sending me this link. To save money, I made a Death Star pinata out of paper mache. It took some time, but in the end, it was really worth it, and definitely the hit of the party.

(If I look a little crazed here, it’s because the permanent marker fumes went to my head…)

We took all of the kiddos outside (and it couldn’t have been a more beautifully warm winter day!) and let them whack away at the thing. It lasted quite awhile, and each kid got at least 3 tries. After the first round, they all started chanting, “CRACK IT OPEN! CRACK IT OPEN!” I was really impressed with how loud they were! Holy cow!

Drew’s First…

then Beau…

even Selah took a swing at it…

It finally came off the rope…

but Kevin had to throw it at the concrete to get it actually crack open.

It was definitely a successful day, and Drew was very pleased and content with the whole thing. He told me so several times, later that day.

Number 6, down in the history books, or at least on my flickr page.

Now for Some Pics

Not last weekend, and not the one before that, but the one before that (got that?) we went up to my parents house to spend the weekend and a little time in the backyard sledding. Who knew the best hill was always right behind my parents house?
It was a beautiful sunny day, and we really enjoyed ourselves, especially Selah. This was her first year sledding. (At least I do not think I was stupid enough to take her down the hill with me last year… but I could be wrong.)

I don’t think my baby girl stopped smiling the entire time! And there were many giggles escaping her mouth as we made our way down the hill.

She was a pro in no time!

Then after the boys were “tired” and decided to go inside, my lil’ tough-girl, was still at it! She went for a sled all by herself with no prodding from me!

Then she actually slid down all on her own! (with mom and daddy running along beside her of course!) I was so proud of my girl!

Drew and Beau also took their first snowboard runs, and were naturals.

I was also super proud of them, and impressed by hubby’s skills (and must take credit for having a quick trigger finger here!)

Finally the boys came back out, and took a few more runs before the sun went behind the mountain.

Click here to see the whole set.

A Small Explanation

So… sorry for the lack of posts lately dear readers. For some reason or another, and only the cable people know why, our internet service has been extremely slow. I haven’t been able to load friends sites up, and if I am able to; forget being able to comment! It’s just gotten worse and worse. Enter my hubby’s Sprint wireless card, and I am again a happy swift internet surfer. And I can now painlessly post again. Phew! As for the cable… who knows? I’m just glad it’s not my computer.