Emery's 6th Birthday Party

I know, I know it has been embarrassingly long since I have posted. I almost wanted to give up on the blog all together. But since I don't journal and my mom keeps bugging me I decided to have another go at it. I got a little overwhelmed thinking about catching up on all that has happened in the last 5+ months (seriously makes me want to rock myself in the fetal position) and thus I have been putting it off for days... weeks... ok, months. Instead, I will just post about the latest and greatest and maybe someday move back from there.

The latest and greatest thing that happened in our household is that my first-born turned 6! Seriously! She's six! With the turning an even number came a birthday party, YAY! First, Emery told me she wanted a Pony Art Party. I wasn't sure how to make that happen (aka didn't want to do that) so I convinced her that an Art Party alone would be super fabulous. Thanks to Pinterest (the major reason I have stopped blogging, I love it) I found some fantastic ideas and showed Emery and she was all for it.

As the kids arrived we had aprons ready on the table for them to color and decorate their own.
We had some fun stations for the kids to do some little art projects. Including Marble Art,

Microwave Puff Paintingbut the big hit was the Mural Wall.
I also had a canvas that I outlined a flower and asked each kid to paint one petal and the collaborative masterpiece would be for the birthday girl. Unfortunately, not all the kids heard to only color one petal and it turned into a mess. But that's art for you, right?

We also had a fun photo booth. We brought out some dress ups and painted a frame. The kids had some fun with this. Here are just a few (with my kids in them because that is who my mom wants to see).
Finally we brought out the lunch. We had Masterpiece pizza, veggie shots, rainbow fruit kabobs, and rainbow ice (made from Kool-Aid) with Sprite (not pictured) and then for treats we had Rainbow of Oreos, Paintbrush Rice Krispie Treats, and Rainbow Cupcakes.
Emery got some pretty fantastic presents from all her wonderful friends. Including a little sewing machine, art projects, Squinkies (stupid commercials have had the girl begging for those things), and so much more.

We sang happy birthday to the very happy 6 year old.

Then sent the kids home with little paint palettes filled with rainbow skittles, paint brushes, rainbow crayon and rainbow pretzel M&M's. All in all the party was a success!
*Huge THANK YOU to Aunt Liz for taking all these fabulous pictures (minus the 2 lesser quality ones that were taken with our phones) and helping out with these wild kindergarteners. And Christi for sticking around and always knowing how to handle lots of kids and helping make the party so fun. And Brian/Dad, who took off work to help out and see the kids party hard.

That time of year again

It feels very fall today here in Vegas and it is getting me so excited! I want to make soup and pumpkin bread and put on a sweatshirt. Fall also means our favorite shows are coming back. I don't want to leave my legions of fans in the dark, so here is the line up of fall TV.

Monday

• How I Met Your Mother - (9/19, 8pm) This show is funny. I wonder if we will ever meet the mother.
• House - (10/3, 9pm) Seriously addicted to this show. Very curious how House is coming back after what he did at the end of last season.

Tuesday

• Parenthood - (9/13, 10pm, tonight!) I love this show. I know there were moments that I almost dropped it last year because it was getting a little depressing, but I am glad I stuck through. I can't wait for it to start back up.
• Glee - (9/20, 8pm) There is a good chance this show may lose its place on my DVR this year. I love the songs but I don't know if I can handle the storyline anymore. Sue, you are what is keeping me tuned in so you better step it up!
• New Girl - (9/20, 9pm) I think Zooey Deschanel is cute and I am excited for this one. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
• Raising Hope - (9/20, 9:30pm) This show surprised me with how much I ended up liking it. If you haven't watched it and you like a little WT, you definitely should tune it.

Wednesday

• Up All Night - (9/14 10pm) Will Arnett and Mya Rudolf. Sold. And sure I like Christina Applegate and I like a subject matter that I can totally relate to (parents with a baby - Side Note: I pinpoint all the less than real parts when shows have babies as bad as Brian points it out in legal dramas). Should be funny. Hopefully it will last the whole season.
• Free Agents - (9/14, 10:30pm) Don't know much about this one but I like Hank Azaria and Katherine Hahn, so I put it in to record once.
• Modern Family - (9/21, 9pm) Can't. Wait. If you don't watch this show I am not sure we can be friends. Ok, we can but we may have very little to laugh about together.
• Happy Endings - (9/29, 9:30pm) I think I mostly watch this show because it come on right after Modern Family. Not the best show but I have been known to laugh on a number of occasions.

Thursday

• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia - (9/15, 10pm on FX) I can't tell lies, I can only take so much of this show. I know it is funny but for me it is best in small doses. I know my other half will be tuning in, to be sure.
• Community - (9/22, 8pm) I know this show is losing steam but I still like it. Maybe they just needed a summer break.
• Parks and Rec - (9/22, 8:30pm) Yay!
• The Office - (9/22, 9pm) We'll see how much longer this show can hold on without Michael Scott. Not that I want it to die.

Friday
Missing Friday Night Lights :(

Sunday

• Desperate Housewives - (9/25, 9pm) Am I really admitting that this is still scheduled to record on my DVR? I am not even sure if I watched the season finale, but what else am I going to do on Sunday night?
• The Good Wife - (9/25, 9pm) Oh, maybe this is what I am going to watch Sunday night. I am pretty sure we started watching this show because my mom recorded it while we were out of town. I am glad she did because I like it.

I can't really think of that many new shows I am excited for this year. Maybe my addiction to TV is getting more manageable? Probably not. Let me know if you find any good ones. And in case I missed your favorite you could always get on TV Guide's website (like I did, I don't really spend as much time as you think researching TV premiers)

Happy TV watching and Happy Fall!

July

It's not even Christmas yet and I am already posting about July. I am so on top of things. (Pretend)

We had another fun month vacation up in Utah. July is a fabulous month to run away from the Vegas heat and go enjoy the beautiful mountains, family, friends and Lehi Country Bakery's chocolate cake doughnuts (seriously, BEST doughnut I have ever eaten).

The trip started off with the happiest of events...Josh and Kristy's wedding! It was such a fabulous day for the cutest couple of babies I know. There are some fabulous pictures of the event out there - but I didn't take any of them so I don't have them to share. But here is Brian and Palmer looking awesome in their bowties (I had to make Palmer match so I made him a bowtie onsie) up with the handsome groom.
The reception was in my in-laws beautiful backyard and was decorated as the cutest vintage tea party. Since that is also our home while we are in Utah the kids are very familiar with the place and had a blast. Sage was a little nightmare and kept getting lost. At one point we worked very hard to get all of the family gathered for a big group picture. Just when we thought we had everyone I noticed that Sage had vanished. Several people were sent to find her and after failed attempts Brian just said, "Forget her, lets just get this done." We took a few pictures then Kristy's brother came running holding our little escape artist asking, "Is this her?" She was hiding in the bushes.

Emery and Indie were inseparable. They had some pretty great dance moves.
Since everyone was in town for the wedding and all my family was in UT for the fourth, we decided to bless Palmer. It was a beautiful sweaty day to bless a baby. We are so lucky to have so many people to love our little guy.
We got to celebrate our country's independence with a lot of extended family, my crazy kids (half the day with my awesome hubbie)

yummy BBQ's, playing in water (Emme and Sage were the cutest little rascals the whole trip),

and fireworks (Pretend this picture was on the 4th, even though it was actually the 6th during one of Emery and Indie's many sleepovers).

Like many families, mine likes fireworks. Every year after our big BBQ at the park we have our own little "Pathway of Fire". We gather together to watch the big boys light a bunch of fires and kids laugh, cry, plug their ears, and scream. Since Utah was so wet this year we got to have some of the big-in-the-sky fireworks. Well, at one point one of the boxes with a bunch of those tipped over just after they were lit and fireworks started flying at us. It was funny/scary as 50+ people scrambled for their lives as my nephew, Jesse, saved the day dumping a bucket of water on the whole thing. Good times.

We also spent a lot of time swimming. Well, Emery swam. Sage ran around the backyard. I usually just hung out with Palmer.
Since Emery missed J&K's wedding I promised her that I would bring her back to the temple so she could see where they were married. Also happens to be where her parents were wed (not to mention 5 other sets of aunts and uncles).
We made a day of it with my mom and several sisters coming along.

It was such a fun day. First, we went to the Park City outlets, then toured Temple Square and finally hit Bear Country Cookies at the Gateway (BEST cookies ever. For reals.) Emery had such a blast with her cousins and I love that the bigger girls take such good care of her.
Emery and Libby and Indie had fun putting on Fashion Shows for us. Libby was the stylist, Indie the performer and Emery was her fancy little self.


We also made it up the canyon to roast marshmallows and make TFDs (Tin Foil Dinners). Orem is so great to have the canyon so close. It is so beautiful and cool. We just had to keep Sage, who is a master escape artist, from falling in the river. We did, so it was a fun night.

We also had a family reunion at Aspen Grove in July but that will get its own post.

Blogging Hiatus is over

Has it really been 2 months since my last post? Sorry Mom. We've been busy.

My brother came to visit us in June. It was a short trip but we had fun with our combined 6 kids (who are really good at posing for pictures).
Unfortunately, Brian dislocated and broke his elbow in June. A simple ride around the neighborhood with Emery has turned into several weeks of pain, surgery, and my loss of an extra diaper changer/baby holder. Here the girls were making a get well sign for their Dad while he was in surgery.
June also brought Father's Day. Brian and Palmer were twins. It was pretty awesome.
I had a baby shower at my house for my good friend, Sesily. I had lots of help (thank you Brieann and Kelly) and it turned out to be pretty darn cute. Luckily she kept that baby in long enough for us to have this party. Ses and I have been friends for over 10 years and now we live down the street from each other and have 3 kids that are the best of friends (we are making Palmer and Jexton be BFF's already).

And Finally, Sage turned 3 in June! We got to celebrate our funny little girl several times. We had pre-birthday dinner and birthday shopping with our little family in Vegas, then park and cupcakes with cousins up in UT, and finally swimming and presents with more family in UT. She is one loved little girl. Our little Sage definitely keeps us on our toes. She is so much fun, loves adventures, and has a total mind of her own.

Ok, that is all I have time for, for now. Our July was even busier so I will post about it hopefully before Christmas.

Palmer is 1 month

The boy is one month old! We are getting used to having the little guy around, but not so used to the lack of sleep. Let's hope that he will figure out the whole sleeping at night thing pretty soon because I don't know how much more Brian can handle (and I sure would like more sleep too). The girls love him. Emery is the hand washing expert and makes sure everyone washes up before touching Palmer (if I ask her to give him his paci in the car she refuses until she gets some handitizer). Sage is the best baby diaper fetcher ever. I have to specify baby diapers because the girl is still in diapers herself (she might go to college in diapers, I don't know how to get her motivated to potty train, I hate it so much). Both girls sweetly talking to Baby Palmer is about the cutest thing ever and I am so glad that they love him so much. He is one lucky boy!

Here are the stats from his check up today.

Weight: 8 lbs. 3 oz - 10%
Height: 21 in. - 25%
Head: 14 in. - 10%

We are pretty proud of his breaking 8 lbs! Way to go Palmer!
PS - I saw this photo series of the baby in the same outfit over several months. I am no photographer but I like the idea so here is Palmer in a 6 month outfit. I can't wait to see him grow into it and beyond.

April Recap - Easter

Easter was fun this year since we now have family that live nearby to help us celebrate. Easter was all about the eggs this year. We were joined by cousins Nash and Haven in our egg dyeing, egg rolling, egg hunting, and egg eating.

Saturday we dyed eggs. Soon after we started and egg dye got all over clothes and carpet we decided to take the party outside and ditch the clothes.
Then we found the biggest hill we could find in Las Vegas to roll the eggs down. This has been a tradition in Brian's family for years since they spent Easter in Logan and everyone rolls eggs down college hill. I have been part of the family for 9 years now and somehow missed on this adventure every year. I was happy that Steve and Liz brought the tradition down to Vegas with them.
On Easter Sunday, after our church meetings, we had a fabulous dinner with the other Vegas Andersons. After dinner the kids had their own egg hunt in the backyard.
I know Easter is a lot more than just eggs - and I am doing my best to teach that to my children. I love Easter for so many reasons, that it is in the spring where new life is growing, the fun activities, the delicious food - but most importantly for the celebration of our Savior and his miraculous Resurrection. I want my kids to know that as fun as this holiday can be - it is most important to remember Christ and the gift he gave us.

April Recap - Spring Break

Is May really almost over? The month has gone by in a blur. I guess that is what happens when you have a new baby. Well, I can't just skip over April because it was a fun and very busy month. So, here is my attempt to recap all our April fun. First up, Spring Break.

We had a fun week of visitors during Utah's spring break. My sister Kristin, Brett and Kassidy stopped by for a day on their way to Cali. I love being on the way to places. It is so fun to have visitors even if it is for only a day. Emery and Sage were so excited to have a sleepover with Kass.
The day they left, we got Brian's parents and sister and her family. They stayed at the "vacation house" (time share) so we got to play at the pool all week long. It was so much fun playing with cousins and Emery is still talking about how she wants Indie to move here (and that Indie, Libby and Chase really want to live at Las Vegas). They are building some houses near us and Emery keeps saying that they can move there. How 'bout it, guys?

Sage stole Capri's floaty most of the time but she was happy as can be floating around on her own.

Emery and Indie were the BCF. I love these girls together.

Other than swimming we ventured to the Silverton to see the Mermaid swim.

We walked on the new bridge by Hoover Dam. Man, I love that thing. It is amazing and if you have ever driven between Vegas and Phoenix, you love it too.

But the highlight of the week was the Adventuredome at Circus Circus. The freakish Vegas winds made swimming not an option one day so we decided to check out Circus Circus. We had a blast. I laughed my head off at the kids on the rides.

Emery loved all of it.
Sage was hilarious and hid her head on each ride. At first we thought she was scared but every time the ride ended she would lift her head and smile saying "Again!" Here are a couple short videos. Notice all of us laughing so hard watching them. The first time Haven went on the Frog Hopper she was super freaked out. It was hilarious. Liz posted about it here.


It wasn't crowded at all and the kids just kept running to get back on the rides.


We were sad to say goodbye after such a fun week. But then the day they left my sister Emily and her fam came for a day. It was fun to have them. I felt bad because by then I was EXHAUSTED (being huge and pregnant) so I did not take one picture. But we sure enjoyed all the visitors.

Next up for the recap - Easter.