Parker's 8th Birthday

My oldest turned 8 on the 1st!! Holy cow! I am getting old! Matt and I are still in shock that we have an 8 year old, we can't even remember what life was like when it was just the two of us before we had kids. We sure love Parker and all the wild and crazy excitement he adds to our family. He is a great kid and we are so proud of him. For his birthday I sent boxed rice crispy treats to school, I was so overwhelmed with his birthday, Halloween, his baptism, and Pieper's blessing that I didn't want to have to worry about getting to his school to drop off treats. And with Halloween being the day before the kids were all probably still on a sugar high anyway. I felt a little guilty for not making him something homemade that he chose, but only for a little while. After he got home from school and Matt got home from working, we met my parents, Grandpa and Grandma Yancey, for Pizza at Mr. Pizza. It was delicious! I love their cheese breadsticks, I could eat them for dinner all by themselves! Parker wanted pizza and at first he chose Little Ceasers, but I convinced him that Mr. Pizza was better and that we needed to go there. It was great and I didn't have to cook!! We came back to the house for cake and gifts. Parker wanted an Army (camouflage) cake this year. It turned out great and he loved it. When he came home from school and saw it, he was so excited and immediately told me how much he loved it. I was glad I could at least do that for him to make his day special. He got a cub scout shirt, neckerchief, and scout book from Matt and I, along with a baptism book and towel. Grandma Yancey made him a quilt for his bed and a scrapbook about his baptism. Grandpa Yancey got him a remote control truck. He was quite excited for a new remote control vehicle. (Grandpa & Grandma Christiansen were out of town on Parker's birthday weekend but they got him a new church outfit with a white shirt, tie, and tie tack and he looked so handsome in his new clothes!). After gifts we had cake and then called it a night. We had a big day to get ready for the next day!

Paige Turns 5!

Paige turned 5 on the 12th of April, but we celebrated her birthday on the 6th because I was going to be out of town on her actual birthday (scrapbooking with my mom and Charyn). Paige didn't seem to mind at all that we were celebrating early, especially since that meant that she got to open presents earlier. We had a few family and friends over to help us celebrate with dinner and cake and ice cream. We made hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings, potato salad, veggie tray, fruit tray, chips, and soda. This year Paige wanted a Lalaloopsey cake and I was able to talk her into just the face of a Lalaloopsey. I think it turned out very well and Paige loved it so much!! I makes me so happy to see how excited they are when they see the finished cake and love it! Paige was spoiled for her birthday and got a variety of great things. Doc McStuffins dress up, Doc McStuffins doctors kit with Lambie and the big book of boo-boos. She got several new Lalaloopsey dolls, a cowgirl hat (that she had to have when we were in Cal-Ranch), an itunes gift card, a new outfit, dress up clothes, ballet slippers, a new barbie, and a few other things. She loved them all and we were very appreciative of those that came and showed their love and support for our sweet and sassy little girl!!

Paxten's 2 Yr. Photos

At the beginning of May I got Paxten's 2 year photos taken, so I was only about 3 months behind, but it got done. He was a litle stinker and would not hold still or let me go for Misty to take the picture. I was about to give up, when Charyn arrived with Zander to get some photos of him as well. Paxten was so excited to see his cousin that he finally started to smile. And of course at the end of the session he was all smiles and would sit on the chair, and played in the cube. But it had to be HIS idea. I was thrilled that she was able to get a few good smiles out of my little guy, and I must admit I think he is pretty darn cute!!

Paxten Turns 2!

Paxten celebrated his 2nd birthday on the 9th of February. I can't believe my baby is 2, and isn't a baby anymore!! We had a small party at our house for our little guy with grandparents and my sister. We had little smokies, tater tots, cheese and crackers, a veggies tray, and a fruit tray. It turned out quite yummy and there was something for everyone. We enjoyed visiting with each other and watched Paxten open gifts. He was loving unwrapping the presents and wanted to play with all his new stuff as he was unwrapping. He got a few new outfits, a ball and bat, plastic golf clubs, gummie bears, goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, a couple of cars that make noise, sidewalk chalk, nerf guns, coloring book and markers, and an Ipad Mini. Talk about spoiled!! After Christmas time when Parker and Paige both got an ipad mini, Paxten would take theirs and play with it or was always trying to take my phone and play on it, so we convinced my parents that he needed his own. He had loved it and played with it almost every day. There are so many educational games that I don't feel bad about him playing on it. After he opened gifts, we had cake and ice cream. I made Paxten a robot cake with chocolate doughnuts. I thought he turned out pretty darn cute and it was one of the easier cakes I have done. Paxten seemed to like him. He had a fun day and was spoiled rotten by the people that love him. 

Goodbye Twenties

I had a birthday last week, a very sad birthday...I turned 30!! I can't belive it. I don't feel thirty, not that thirty is old, but when I was younger it did seem old. But now that I have reached that age, I realize that I was wrong. I had a great birthday week and had some sort of celebration almost every day. It was great! My family got together the Sunday before my birthday and we had birthday dinner. Our regular Yancey tradition. Charyn, Jackson, and Zander came from Idaho Falls (Mike was in Seattle at a football game). We had pulled pork tacos and pumpkin pie. My choice and it was delicious! I was spoiled and got 2 new purses from Charyn. Some scrapbook paper and stickers from my mom along with a Frankenstein candle warmer, some Halloween lights, 2 new books by Josi Kilpack, and a picture frame. My dad gave me some money and Matt did as well. I have been wanting a new pair of Shears so I am going to save that money to go towards those, maybe fore Christmas. I also had several friend drop by during the week and drop stuff off to me. It is nice to be thought of and know that you are loved. So on my actual birthday my mom, Charyn and I, and our friend Sheri, went on our semi-annual scrapbook reatreat. I was so excited to go and told Matt that that was all I wanted was to be able to go and scrapbook for a few days and get away from the daily grind. My mom made a birthday cake for me while we were there and everyone sang Happy Birthday. It was nice. I was able to get 44 pages done and I put a small book together for Paxten with 20 pages in it. So the weekend was successful and the kids loved seeing the pages when I got home. It is so nice to be able to get away and spend some time with my mom and sister and the other friends we have made over the years as we have been scrapbooking there. I stayed up way too late, 2:00, 2:30 in the morning. And got up early 7:00 each morning. We laughed alot, ate to much and had a great time. I can't wait to go again!!! It was a great birthday and I think I can settle into my 30's alright, at least 40 is ten years away and I don't have to worry about that for a long time!!

Matt's 30th

Matt turned the big 3-0 on the 17th!! Can you believe it?? I can't! That makes me sad because I know I am only a few months behind him then we will both be out of our 20's. It is a sad time!! But we sure don't feel old! I remember being small, like 8 or 10, and thinking that the ladies that were in the Primary as leaders were old. Well now I am one of them and I sure don't feel old. For Matt's birthday per his request, my dad smoked us his "Damn fine burgers" and we had all the toppingd to go along, lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon, avacado, ketchup, mustard, and chipotle mayo. We also had potato salad and chips. It was even nice enough outside that we had our first outdoor BBQ! It was wonderful. For his gifts he got golf balls, tees, 2 pair of jeans, an itunes gift card and a new ladder from my parents. He was extremely excited about the ladder and can't wait to use it. Of course he like the golf stuff from the kids, we call that "the usual" the gifts that he always gets when you don't know exactly what to get him. Matt's usuals include: itunes gift card, anything golf, socks, gift cards to the movies, 5 Guys Burgers & Fries, Famous Footwear, Cal-Ranch, & El Vaquero. At least we know he will use that stuff. We had planned on going bowling as a family to celebrate, but both bowling alleys were packed full of people so we weren't able to go. The kids were very sad about that and are still bugging us to go. We had Rupe's ice cream for dessert on the way home. It was great!! Happy birthday to the best husband ever. I am sure glad we get to spend forever together! Love ya!

Birthday Girl Jammies

I found these "Birthday Girls" jammies about the same time I found the ones for Paxten on his birthday. I couldn't resist getting them for her. I think she thought it was fun that she got special jammies just for her birthday. She is quite the poser and loves to have her picture taken. She is so happy that she is finally 4!! She has been counting down to her birthday since Parker turned 6, so a very long time!!! She could hardly wait until it was her day and loved every minute of the day when it finally arrived!

Paige's 4th Birthday

Paige turned 4 on the 12th and I just barely getting around to writing about it. At least it is still the same month! Our sweet little princess was just that on her birthday. She put in the order that she wanted a "Tangled" cake. She loves that new movie and wants to be just like Rapunzel. I did not know how I would make a castle cake, but I happened to come across an edible image that you put on top of a cake and I bought it. It was perfect and one of the easiest cakes I have done. Paige loved it!! She took chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting to preschool for her birthday treat. The evening of her birthday we had grandparents over for pizza and salad (suprise suprise, all our kids pick pizza for their birthday dinner) Grandpa & Grandma C were there along with Grandpa & Grandma Yancey. Paige of course was spoiled and got a lot of fun things. She got a few new outfits, several jammies, tennis shoes (which she calls her new Sketchers, although they are not Sketcher brand!), nail polish, a barbie, squinkies, money for our Disneyland trip, a jewelry box, lots of bracelets and necklaces to put in the jewelry box, a barbie hand held game, a LaLaLoopsey outfit to dress up in, a little lalaloopsey, and a cute gardening set with miniature tools. She got quite a variety of things and very happy with most things she got. She had told me, along with everyone that she wanted a jewelry box. I looked all over and could only find a red or silver on. I bought the silver one for her thinking she would like it because it was kind of sparkly. As soon as she opened it and realized what it was she exclaimed "but I wanted a pink one!" So she was a little disappointed at first about the color, but since has realized that she does indeed like it. She is quite the spit fire and sure says what is one her mind!



Some of miss Paige's favorite things right now are:
Pepperoni pizza,
frozen go-gurts,
Cheddar cheese slices,
strawberries
the color pink
anything chocolate, especially Hershey Kisses
green (lime) sherbet
she loves to play barbies
cooking with mom
watching cartoons, especially Max & Ruby, Peppa Pig, and Olivia
She loves to have her nails polished, then she picks the polish off after it dries
She is such a fun little girl to have in our family and we all love her so very much. She often makes the funniest comments and usually is the comic relief in our family. We hope you had a fabulous birthday Paige!!
 

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

Look what Matt got me for my birthday! Yes I am excited and no he didn't think of it on his own. I coached him on what to get me and I am glad that he listened. This will come in very handy when I am doing haircuts!! Thanks Matt!