Beach Party!

Abi and her friend Ella are only a week apart. Her mom, Jenny and I work on piano camp stuff all the time, planning and brainstorming, and it is totally fun. So we decided to plan and brainstorm a fun party. We were inspired by our friend's awesome circus themed party she threw for her son, and it was so fun, and so we wanted to try our hand at throwing an awesome party.

It was beach themed, and we tried really hard to keep it simple, but still be fun. The activities were a kiddie pool in the back yard for the older kids, and a ball pit in a beach cabana inside for babies. It was a hit. Very simple and fun.

The food was simple, goldfish (3 varieties), flip-flop cookies (made by Jeff!!!), and cake mix cupcakes some decorated with blue frosting, and some decorated with "sand" (crumbs), and blue jello with fruit snack fish in cups.

The decorations: crepe paper, balloons, and scrapbook paper. Jenny went the extra mile and bought a tablecloth and tray and cute cups. Seashells that we already had, and hand made paper seagulls hanging from the ceiling fan (Jonathon's middle of the night contribution :) And the dollar store always comes in handy. Window clings and cheap leis.

Abi got a pretty good haul, which is amazing considering we put "no gifts please" on the invitation! Just think what we might have gotten if we hadn't said that. :) Jenny made an awesome stuffed pig with a zipper on the belly that had baby piglets inside. So cute. Abi loves it. She lays on it, and plays with the little tiny pigs and stuffs them in and takes them out. Amazing.

Here you can see Jeff's handy work: Flip flip cookies! He's an artist at heart.:)

Yum! Just enough food to ruin the kid's appetites for lunch, but nothing sustainable or nutritious, perfect party food!

The ladies of the hour! So cute!

Anyways, the girl isn't even 1 yet, (so she'll get to eat cake again), but we thoroughly enjoyed throwing her the party Let's be honest, it was more for us, than it is was for her.

The Spout... and other Hairstyles of High Fashion

Yesterday was a momentous occasion. Abi's first day of "The Spout". "The Spout" is a solution to the notorious problem of girl baby hair. Long in front, short in back. Our solution, make it stick straight up.

Pre Spout, adorned with plastic necklaces

Messy Face Spout

Pajama Girl Spout

The  cutest girl ever!

After a day of wearing "The Spout"

Party Animal

Abi is a party animal! Always has been. When she was teeny and would fall asleep everywhere, (around Christmastime), we took her with us to several Christmas parties, and she would stay awake and happy for the entire party. She really just loved being with everyone. Now she is getting big enough to join in the fun. She was invited to her first birthday party of a friend. It was a blast!!! Like, cooler than any another birthday party I've ever been to! Hope Abi doesn't get her hopes up. She will not have a party like that... Ever. :)

She knew just what to do ... dove right into the ball pit. She really loved it.

Love the look on her face!

The party was circus themed, and these pictures don't do it justice. It really was cool!

P.S. Um... isn't she getting too big!? She will turn one next month! Crazy. I love this picture of her. Always up on the tip toes! Cute little hair sticking up, and she is wearing a dress that was worn by Jeff's sisters when they were babies.

Piano Recital!

So I started taking piano lessons again in the fall, after Abi was born. And I've been working on this song ever since. A week or two ago, I performed in a recital. My friend Jenny teaches me and is awesome! She is patient and talented, and a really good teacher. The song that I played was Romance Op 24 #9 by Jean Sibelius. It is an AWESOME song. You should youtube it. I played with a bunch of young kids, but I was really proud. It wasn't perfect, but I feel good about it.

oh yeah- Jeff ran a half marathon!!!

Okay, I feel really bad, and self centered. Jeff is the coolest ever!!! He ran a half marathon! The same day I ran a marathon. He trained well, but his IT band really gave him alot of pain during the last month, so he really couldn't run anymore. So sad. But he still did it. and he did great. And we are both really excited for the next cool race we'll do together. We're thinking a Triathlon! 

Way to finish!

Look at all those oranges!

You did it Jeff! Great job!

Abi was so proud of her Papa, she sucked her thumb!

Cute Fans

 Seriously, though, Jeff really supported me in my goal and ran even though he is not really a runner. I am pretty lucky. Great job Jeff!

Non Stop Fun

Before and right after my marathon Jeff and I spent a wonderful weekend with his family.Then Jeff went home to work. Sorry Jeff, someone had to do it. I partied with my awesome twin sister in Utah for a week, and then went down to Arches National Park for a Hart Family Reunion (my mother's side). Non stop fun. I'll let the pictures tell the story, not in any order:

 I got to see lots of friends. It was fun to see Sally, and her cute baby Auralia.

 I rode a motorcycle/dirtbike thing with Jeff, and got bit by a dog while riding. Not even kidding. It was scary and painful.

 Abi was super cute. However, she did NOT actually sleep well. And she got a cold/2 teeth while on our trip.

 Abi got chocolate chip cookies for the first time! That is what Grandparents are for! As you can see, she loved it! Big surprise there.

 The Blair Family! Thank you SOOO much Kari, for always letting everyone stay with you. You are the best!

 Abi, going to town on grapes! she probably could eat the whole bowl, if we'd let her.

 Ummm... a makeshift high chair. we tied her to a smallish chair with a scarf. This was at my Aunt Linda's. Where I also stayed. Thank you Linda!

 Abi fell in LOVE with this giraffe on the trip. She still sleeps with it, and giggles when she sees it.

 Abi lots of cousin time in and did great. 

 got to see another friend from High School

 And my mentor/good friend from my adolescent years, and her kids that I babsat when they were small. Crazy how big they are now. 

Got my first pedicure!! It won't be my last. Abi did awesome, and just sat patiently on my lap the whole time.

 Loved sister time! It was really great to see her and do fun things with her.

 Saw the Indian Petroglyphs near Arches National Park

 Abi did ok on the plane. Not terrific, not terrible. Just ok. I think she got sick of Fuzzy, Yellow Ducklings. I know I did. :)

 Saw the Dinosaur Footprints near Arches National Park

 Went on a couple hikes in Arches National Park in the BLAZING sun. A lady came up to me as we were leaving the park and offered me her hat for Abi. I know I'm a bad Mom. I couldn't find the hat I packed for her. But let's be honest, she wouldn't have kept it on anyways. I did put sunscreen on her, and she didn't burn. She did get very tan, but she didn't.burn.

Abi's sleep schedule become very,what shall we say, flexible on this trip.

It was a great trip, and good to be home.