Ashley's 8th Birthday

My sweet daughter, Ashley, turned 8 years old and decided she wanted a spa party with her friends. We had such a blast. About ten girls showed up in pajamas. They had sparkling cider in plastic stemware with strawberries and glass charms. We had bubbling foot baths to relax in.

What is better than drinking some bubbly and soothing your tootsies. Ryan, Ashley's ten year old brother dressed up and served the girls drinks, bon bons, and chocolate covered cherries. They also munched on fruit kabobs.

Ashley, Gillian, and Aubrey relaxing and posing.

Next was facial treatment time for Ashley, Aislin, and Gillian. After scrubbing with facial cleansers, they put on simple face masks and cucumbers. We completed the treatment with mani/ pedies.

This is after a hard night of relaxing! Oh and the none slumber, slumber party! It was definitely a hit of an evening.

Anniversary Weekend

Darin and I celebrated our 13th anniversary. We crack up because we have really known each other for 20 years but married for 13. I can honestly say that man has made me so very happy and I praise God for our marriage and friendship. For our anniversary we stayed home and our children went away. It is a fun way to spend a weekend. Home where you have everything you need and in a town where you know where everything is. We sleep in, get coffee and spend Black Friday watching people and listening to crazy stories. We just enjoy each other. He is truly my best friend. I could spend hours and hours with him. Some of the things we have seen together are hilarious. Darin and I at Penny's . We ran into Jessica at the mall and Darin is cracking up that she took our picture.. later that night we went to Walmart and played Walmart bingo. Look it up! Its hilarious. We also played Spy. Where you seperate and one tries to sneak up on the other. Darin totally had me till I ditched him. We text the entire time saying if we can see one another while staying out of sight. I know random, but it is fun! We are both twelve years old at heart.

And of course the night out to dinner. Jennifer Bettes was decorating so we stopped by and she shot a picture for us. We love our extended family.

Thanksgiving

So I know that I am way behind on my blogging but that is my style. Nothing and then swamp you with blogs. We split Thanksgiving this year. My in-laws usually are back in VA this time of year but they came back early. It was so nice seeing everyone. Here is my niece Kylie and Ashley playing. The other cousin pictures were blurring due to the action content. After an early lunch we headed to our house were we met up with my family. Actually they all showed while the kids and I were down at the school playing with our neighbors. My husband was smoking the turkey so I was free to play. Our other fambors ( neighbors we love like family) the Parkers had her family up so we played wall ball. We were supposed to play football but the boys couldn't hang. ;)

Sean and his brother-in law bullying the kids in the wall ball line. Nathan figured since he was in the military he should lay down the rules. See the littlest kids, Ashley and Aislin taking them on.

Ryan was clarifying the rules to Jess because her father neglected that area of her child raising. Such a shame! Sean in the background being very mature and manly. Cause he's a manly man!

Alex and Nolan going for it! Sean and Nathan still talking smack. Good thing they are all grown up.

Finally the men having a ball. Sean and Nathan are intense! Their father-in-law was in the court to help make the correct calls. Apparently he still wanted to play football based on the ball in his hands. The rest of the day was very nice and mellow. My family came over and ate. We hung out and then it was our anniversary weekend. Starting with my parents taking the kids for the weekend that night(so sweet !). That will be next on the blog list.

Boys night at the Beavers

So, a couple of weeks ago, my son Alex was telling me, that after his fun 13th birthday, some friends at school wanted to come over and hang out. I thought it was a great idea. I mean I really like his friends, they are great! So we printed out a couple dozen fliers and I sent him on his way. Well this friday the 21st was the day. We ended up with 17 boys. That in addition to the two neighbor boys and our four kids we had 23 . I was so excited. I mean who doesn't like a fun party. Everyone came over right after school. I had apples, apple dip, a veggie tray, and rice crispies. I would of posted pictures but ....... they didn't last very long. After they ate the snack they headed off to the school down the street from us. We live in an amazing cul-de-sac that is a block from the school. I knew when those boys got back would be hungry so I made a huge pot of chili, green salad and 15 lbs of baked potatoes. I put out all of the bake potatoe toppings I could think of and in 3hours it was on!! Boys playing football in our backyard after dinner.

Seth checking his injury status.. Thank goodness he didn't end up on the injury reserve list.

Setting their plan and tossing the looks!

Kaleb cracking me up!

Ohh I think it was a completed pass ! Who is at the bottom in the red sweatshirt! I don't see a head.

Inside for brownies, popcorn, ice cream, rice crispies, chocolate chip cookies and some Wii playing. Of course it was Madden Wii.... I mean we can't just stop playing football.. They only came in because it was after 10 p.m. and we would like to keep the neighbors happy.

Most of the boys spent the night too. They played nerf gun wars throughout the house and wall ball and four square in the garage. I put a movie in at 12:00 so they might get sleepy. Hey a girl could dream! Some of the kids stayed up all night. They even set an alarm to get up at 5:00 a.m. to go play football at the school but it was too dark. They let me sleep til 8:00. ( I was up til 4a.m.) I made them chocolat chip pancakes and sent them off to play football.

They slept on hard wood floors!

Here is what was left from my pot off chili. Everyone headed home by 11 a.m. Ahhhh ! what a fun night. And no you don't get to see pictures of my house post party. Leave it to your imagination! Yes it was bad but worth it. Those boys were great and I would do again in a heart beat! I probably will in a couple of months . I mean we have to get through my anniversary, Thanksgiving, Ashley's birthday, Christmas, and New Years. Hmmm January sounds like a great month to do this again!

Pilgram Day

Friday the 21st was pilgram day in my daughter's class. All of the parent volunteers were asked to dress as pilgrams for the different centers. Of course I had to go see Ryan and Kaleb while I was there. I didn't have my camera for Kaleb.

Riley and Ashley and another friend enjoying their hardwork. Pilgram soup.

This station children cut up all of the vegtables for the soup. With plastic knives of course!

Mrs. Hicks and Ashley's teacher, Mrs Harvey. Caught you eating!!

This was my station, candlemaking. Yes that is hot paraffin the children are dipping wicks in. If I had a dollar for every " OWww! That's hot! ".........

Ahh yes Squanto, played by Steve Campbell. He showed the children how to plant corn using soil corn and fish. Real stinking fish. It was awesome! The kids also carved soap.

And the very happy laundry lady. She saw me laughing at her pilgram costume on my way to school. She thought I was making fun of her.. No it was the fact I was on my way home to dress like a pilgram like her!

Riley and my sweet Ashley! She is at Riley's as I write this. I love my kids friends.

It was such a great day! I love these days at school. My next post will tell you how that night made the day even better!

The coast with our fambors (Neighbors we love like family) the Bettes.

I love going to the coast! My daughter Ashley and I had a blast jumping waves. The ocean in the pacific northwest is cold! Darin and Shane loving me capturing the moment.

Jennifer's squared! She is an awesome friend who I can be goofy and serious all together in ten minutes. She is my twin her love of the ocean and its creator.

Go boys go!

The love of my life Darin. He is such an amazing husband and father.

Ryan at the beach is truly Ryan happy. One day he will be a beach bum and be happy as can be!And he loves me. I am so blessed.

I love my teenagers face in the background!

And the boys look fine building their fortress but then ........

Nature strikes! I love it! Erika ( my niece ) and Ashley are oblivious.

Going online!

Finally I am putting my business online! My husband ( along with many eager friends) have been bugging me to do this for quite a while. So a couple of weeks ago I took a web class and learned just a smidgen of what to do. Its enough to get me started. I started designing jewelry about four years ago and have dabbled here and there with getting it out there. Sweet Baby Jane, a speciality boutique in the Mount Shasta Mall, carries my mommy and me sets as well as in their online shop. So I jumped and put a few items on Etsy. Etsy is a selling site for all things handmade. I thought I would put things on there while I am working on my website, Jennifer'sFinerThings.com., which is not published yet. So in my free time this is what I will be up to ! Cinderella's Dream for little girls

Crystal Snowflake.

Simple Classic.

Late Halloween post

Yes we had a fun yet simple Halloween. Kaleb ( the skeleton) wanted to be a skeleton because , in his words, it would be cool to have his endoskeleton be his exoskeleton. Can't argue with that logic. Ryan ( the Ninja) just likes to be anything with props. They both went to a friends house for a party....weird they are growing up! Alex was just Alex with facepaint . He hung out and handed out candy. He was so sweet to them.

Ashley was a pirate. Funny I have three boys and my daughter wants to be a pirate!

She's fierce but funny! Diane and her girls came over and my sister came over with Kam, Max and Erika. We trick or treated from our house to Little Country Church to the Harvest Party. Then we trick or treated back home. Pretty simple yet so much fun!

First Place!

Yeah! We won at the Whiskeytown school run! We put together a team for K-2 and they ran 1.35 miles and all of them medaled. Ashley came in first in her division. Then our team scores combined to win the team event. $200 dollars was donated to Boulder Creek. It was really fun. Alex came out and ran to run and to be with his sister. It was a fun day!