My Birthday Weekend!

Last weekend was my 32nd birthday! We had a great time celebrating ALL WEEKEND long! It was a perfect weekend spent with the people I love most.

Friday the boys and I took a little day trip up to Mesa Falls. It has become a little bit of a tradition as it was what we did the very first summer we lived here. We went there for my 29th birthday and now we try to get up there sometime around my birthday every year. It is one of my favorite places ever. We stopped at Big Juds for lunch on the way up and stopped there for ice cream on the way back!

One of Anna's first words has been "KiKi" for our cat. She was calling all of these animals skins "KiKi." The boys and I got a good laugh.

 Anna kept saying "Oh, Wow!" as she looked at the waterfall. Cutest little girl ever. I love that she loved it and could actually comment on what she was looking at!

Later that night we met up with some friends and watched a movie at the park. Anna did so great. It was such a long day and late night for her but she was a trooper. Love that girl of mine.

The next day (my actual birthday) Nate took me to lunch at Texas Roadhouse (my fave), and then he let me loose to go shopping by myself for a few hours. I love shopping alone. It is a rare treat for me. Later that night we piled into the car and headed up to Rigby for the Figure 8 car Races! So. Much. Fun. We've never done anything like this before. We loved it. We're SO going again. Old junker cars go racing in mud around 2 big tires in a huge figure 8 pattern. Mud is flying, cars are smacking each other, cars are smoking, one car even got FLIPPED OVER, it was NUTS!!!

It was SO white trash but I loved each minute! The boys (Nate included) loved it! We stopped for some shakes on the way home. Birthday 32.....one for the books!

Fort Hall Museum

A few weeks ago a lady at church came up to me and asked, "Do you EVER stay home?" She proceeded to tell me that she'd never met anyone who took their kids so many different places. I wasn't sure how to respond. It's just how we roll. It's what we do. I honestly feel like the time I have with my kids is priceless and cherished time. Children only get ONE childhood. I feel it is up to me to make it memorable and meaningful. I also think that when we stay home for too many consecutive days then the boys could seriously kill each other. It's the best way I have found to deal with that as well. ☺

I've been doing a crappy job of keeping up the blog so I will start a few weeks back when I took the boys down to Pocatello to the Fort Hall Replica Museum. The boys loved it. We started with a scavenger hunt in the actual museum and then explored the fort and the old town replicas. It was really fun and educational at the same time. 

That night Anna and Daddy stayed home and went to bed at a descent hour while I took the boys to the drive in. We saw Monsters University and loved it. It was fun to be just with my boys. Don't mind the nasty no make up photo.

A big truck pulled up right next to us and I was so annoyed because there were TONS of open parking places. The funny part was that a bunch of Nate's Samoan cousins jumped out! We were happy to have them next to us!

The fabulous 4th!

Ah yeah! The 4th of July. BEST holiday ever.We had a great day. Mom and Dad stayed awhile and hung out in the morning. EE stayed for awhile too. Then our friends the Koppings stopped by on their way to Yellowstone. We ran some errands together, showed them our new house and had lunch together. Then everyone left and we headed with some friends over to our secret front row seat for the fireworks! The Claytons own Falls Fertilizer which is right down by the river. We got some sweet preferred parking and had an amazing view of the fireworks. It was INCREDIBLE. The fireworks in Idaho Falls really are some of the best in the United States! It was a very late night but it was fantastic!

Anna's First Birthday!

I closed my eyes for two seconds and my tiny baby turned into a one year old. I can hardly even STAND it. 

This was my very first GIRL birthday part to we just HAD to have an entirely PINK party! Here was her invite:

We had a light dinner and then we had an ice cream parlor afterwords. Anna didn't dig into her cake too badly. She just put a little on her finger and would eat it slowly. She was very dainty and proper. Girl style I guess. ;)

We also watched a little slideshow of Anna's first year. I couldn't even watch it because every time I would turn the music on I would just start to BAWL. I fell in love with Lee Marshall's song. Here are a few of the lyrics:
We started to think you’d never come along

But in God’s time and his own way he proved us wrong.
I never knew love like this
You consume my word
You’re daddy’s little angel
But you’re mommy’s little girl

Verse 2
If I ever doubted miracles
One thing is true
I see a walking talking miracle
Every time I look at you
I wouldn’t trade those big blue eyes
For the oceans rarest pearl
You’re daddy’s little angel
But you’re mommy’s little girl

You can enjoy the video here:

SOBBING....every time. 

 Our little ice cream cotton candy handouts!

Later that night we set off some fireworks. It was the perfect way to end a great day of celebration.

Grandma EE, LeeLee, Rock and Grandpa Rock came up for the party. Aunt Kelsey and Kye came as well as did some friends and neighbors. This little girl was spoiled rotten. Before the party she had ZERO baby dolls and now she has 6! I was so busy making the food ready and everything that I didn't take many pictures. I hate that. Oh well, next week she is getting her one year old professional pictures done. Happy Birthday to the little girl that I love MOST in the world. What a special day!