Avilee's Birthday

Avilee just turned nine and we celebrated with a girl's slumber party! She had four of her friends over and they had a giggling good time.

I decided to try my hand at fondant for her cake. Not professional by any means, but she was happy with it so I was too.

Balloon decorations to match the cake...

Eating pizza...

Spencer provided some dinner entertainment...

She opened her presents...

We sang happy birthday and ate cake...

Spencer practiced all day long preparing to put on a magic show for the girls. He researched tricks on the internet and practiced on the daycare kids and me. He is such a good brother.

The girls tried to give him a hard time and guess what was happening in his tricks...

But he was actually quite impressive!

The girls put on makeup, Avilee's church dresses, and my shoes, and put on a fashion show for the boys and I...

The fashion show finale!

I had bought a bunch of fun nail polish for the party, so after the fashion show, they got into their pajamas and painted their nails. Then we watched Soul Surfer and they set up their sleeping bags in the living room. The boys and I went to sleep around 11 and I believe two of the girls made it until 3:30! Ah memories :)

In the morning I took them for donuts and they put on some skits. It was a really fun time! Matt was disappointed to miss Avi's birthday, but I don't think he missed the party!

Happy Birthday Avilee!

I Love to See the Temple

Being that we have amazing husbands, two of my closest friends and I were able to go through the Bountiful Temple this weekend while the men took care of the kids. Between the three of us that is 14 little ones, so Father of the Year awards to them!

It was beautiful and I was so grateful to be there with my family and my girlfriends. The three of us were in the same ward when we all lived in Laramie. Then Shelby moved, Jenae moved, and finally we moved. It was wonderful to be together in such an amazing place.

Mason and the Elk

Mason cannot think of anything more exciting in the world than elk hunting. He talks about it everyday, and the majority of events in his life are related back to when he is old enough to shoot an elk. He has an elk toy that he packs around with him and spends quite a bit of time hunting and eating it.

I am truly baffled by the hunting of this toy. I loved playing with toys of course too, but I can't think of any instance when I wanted to kill them...I guess I never had any interest in going hunting either, outside of playing Oregon Trail!

Mason shooting his elk...

Matt got his elk earlier and Mason wasn't able to see much. So, this time when Matt and Duke got a small cow, they brought it by the house to show him.

He could not get there fast enough...

It was the most exciting day of his life...boys!

Rockhounds

Matt got a rock tumbler for Christmas and has been putting it to good use. The day after Christmas he went rock hunting and got the first batch in the tumbler. They came out really great!

 Before and After...The "befores" are the next group of rocks he put in to be polished.

They turned out really beautiful!

My Birthday

Well I turned the big 3-0 this year, or as I prefer 20-10 :)Matt was away on a fire, but my parents came to the valley to celebrate with the kids and I. I decided to make a candy cake and I was really happy with how it turned out!

Happy Birthday to me!

New Years Eve

This year for New Years Eve, we drove to Lehi and Salt Lake and spent the day at Cabelas and the night at Temple Square. It was Matt's last night before he left for fires so it was nice to spend this time together. Cabelas was lots of fun and the lights at Temple Square are amazing.

Matt is like...ECSTATIC to have a wife who loves to take pictures :P

The kids and I in front of the temple.

Our family in front of the temple.

Happy New Year!