A month ago (May 2010)

May is the month when things start to get crazy around here. School starts winding down (which actually means it starts to get busier with Teacher Appreciation Week, which I got to help out with, and end of year teacher gifts, which thanks to my procrastination didn't actually take that much time), practices and recitals start kicking up and Lenny starts traveling for work. Plus there is Mother's Day and both of our mom's birthday's are in May! Lenny was gone for 3 weeks (at least he was home on weekends) so figuring out how to get this all done was a little tricky. Thankfully we have grandma and grandpa down the street to help out when we needed it...and more (Shawna and Bob took over all of Lenny's carpool duties plus some of mine). Like always, we survived the craziness and were able to enjoy seeing how much our children have grown this year and thank those who have helped them along the way.

HaPpy MoTheR's DaY!

Len took care of the kids and let me sleep in as long as possible to still be able to get to church on time - OH! and to eat the delicious breakfast that he made and my cute kids served to me in bed (I'm posting this pic because it's one of the only one's that was taken and I'm sure one day, when I'm much older, I'll be able to look at it without wishing I had combed my hair before it was taken)

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I loved-loved-loved Jackson and Abby's teachers this year. I wish they could both move up a grade and teach them all over again next year :)

For the last 4 years I've made vinyl signs for the end of school teacher gifts. I didn't get around to it this year so I had to come up with something quick at the last minute. Great Harvest is across the street from Boss's school so I made up some thank you notes before school, dropped Boston off, went across the street and got gift cards and some of their yummy cookies and put together a teacher "Thank You" gift. Nothing says "Thanks" like carbs!

(I can't find pics of the cookies right now so I'll post them later)

Abby loves to pose in her dance outfits.

This one was for her Jazz dance!

After Abby's Dance Recital.

She danced to Kiss 'I wanna Rock and Roll' and totally rocked an air guitar. It was so cute!

I'M BACK IN THE GAME!!!

-at least for today.

Thanks to my blog-stalkers sisters, I have been made aware that it has officially been 1 year since I've been out of the blogging world! It's not that I've been that busy, it's just that there is always that "one more thing" I have to do before I feel like I can sit down and write about it. I still haven't figured out how to shorten my 'to-do' list so that I actually have to time to do this but, since I started this blog to keep a record of what is going on in our lives, I figured it should have priority once in a while. So I will once again attempt to catch up on what we have been up to this past year :)

First things First... HaPpy BiRthDaY JACKSON!

Jackson turned 8 this month - you know what that means...A big party! Actually he did have a party but more importantly he got baptized on June 19th. I think I spent so much time making and sending out the invites, getting all the food ready, cleaning up the house, getting a new tie, shoes and white underwear for him along with taking care of the other kids (sort of) that I don't think I had time to really think about what it was going to be like on the day of the baptism. It might've had something to do with getting up at 5:30 that morning to get ready for everything but I was really quite unprepared for the wave of emotion that I felt as I was sitting in the chapel listening to the great talks that were given. Then when we went into the room where he was being baptized my emotions were out of my control (which I really really do not appreciate). It was an amazing experience to see my sweet boy take this important step. I really hope all that Lenny and I have tried to teach him the last 8 years has sunk in a little!

Lenny and Jackson on day of Jackson's baptism

June 19th 2010

********************

Now about the B-day party :)

Jackson's new obsession is Legos. So, of course, he had a Lego birthday party! I got to put my photoshop skills (which I learned in a continuing ed class this last winter) to work so I could make the LEGO font for the invitations. I'm sure I did it the hard way because it took me forever to figure out how to outline the font in black and yellow. Then as if that didn't waste enough time, I decided to make the cake this year. I figured it would be pretty hard to find a Lego cake and I've been wanting to try fondant anyways so I decided what better time to try (I'll post pics but be aware that I do not make cakes. I have ALWAYS bought them so this was my first attempt at both a cake and fondant frosting) Anyways...the party was so much fun. The boys loved making their own creations at the assembly table and having a turn to show them off to everyone. We also played some fun Lego themed games and had pizza and cake and ice cream...plus all the extra candy they got for prizes. One boy went home and, in the middle of telling his mom how much fun he had, threw up! I told Lenny about it and he started laughing. I guess Lenny had been trying to get rid of the pizza and had told the boys that they to keep eating pizza until they puked! Zach must've thought he was being serious. Sorry Sarah!

outside of invitations

Inside of invitations - I know you can't really see the yellow

outline around the black outline but I promise it's there!

I made arches for other people's parties for 10 years.

I decided it was time I made one for one of our parties.

It was a hit with the neighborhood kids!

We tried to get all the kids in the picture but it never

quite happened! 18 kids at the party...I think my ears

are still ringing from the deafening rendition of the Happy

Birthday song (oh wait, they are ringing for an entirely

different reason - which I may or may not get too eventually)

Here is my attempt! After the hours spent on this

it was a little painful to cut it up ant serve it to everyone!

We had a little "show and tell" at the end of the party.

Everyone got a turn to show what they had created during

the party! I think we had some official master Lego builders there!

*****Birthday Extras*****

Jackson's B-day breakfast in bed - same as my mom and dad

did for me on my birthdays - even down to the

zig-zag orange candle holder:)

The kids get to pick what they want for dinner on their b-day.

that privilege might be revoked next year due to the fact

that Jackson picked The Mayan (yuck!) He loved his cake

with a giant sparkler though!

********BONUS********

Jackson and Abby both played in the spring piano recital this year. They both did really good and enjoyed the giant pizza cookie grandma gives them after every recital- I think that might be the reason they both love piano so much.