Appropriate Response

This Mother's Day when you're sorely disappointed in the gift giving abilities of your family here is an appropriate response. You may need to start practicing now so it will come out right.

Disclaimer: My children read my blog and I want them to know that every Mothers Day has been the best day ever.

Let's back up a bit

One Turkey

(thanks to Bret for providing the muscle. no offence to Chris but he was out getting frost bite with the other golfers.)

16 Place cards
(designed and created by Ellinor)

One Family

and One Birthday Girl

Equals one fantastic Thanksgiving.

Here are some of my favorite people. Thanks for traveling and spending the day with us.

little (don't hate me because i'm beautiful) sister and hubby

the people that made all this possible, mom and dad

little brother and super cute, i'm pregnant with twins wife

Party Time

This girl is having a birthday soon. It's a very exciting 8th birthday. But that's not the point. The point is she wants a party...a full blown, invite every friend I know party. I usually give my kids a choice. I can spend money on a party or money on them. This year I was really hoping for something smaller and more intimate...like presents and cake with her siblings.

What I need are some ideas. What can I entice her with that will seem as fantastically exciting as a gazillion friends running around like mad men?

It's all about the pie

I don't remember this birthday party. It might be the time when the cows got out and we all rushed outside to help herd them back in. When we returned my littlest brother had eaten/destroyed the real birthday cake so we had to use MY pie as a replacement. Can you tell how happy I was?.

It's still all about the pie. I'd take pie over cake any day. Mmmmm...Pie.

Mother/Wife of the Year

Why I deserve the award.

First I agreed to host a birthday party for my 7 year old and all her classmates in the middle of our potential move. Next came the making of this pinata. (I'm very sad I forgot to get a picture of the finished product. It was the head of the alien from Monsters vs Aliens.)
Then came the construction of the B.O.B cake. (Watch for me on the next Food Network Extreme Cake Challenge.)

There was fun had by all.

And to top off my wonderfullositi...I got up early the next morning to prepare breakfast for this group of 25 teenagers. It was like trying to satiate a swarm of locusts.

First Born - no longer so little

My oldest has turned 7. She used to be so little...

...and so cute. (can you see jack in this picture?)

She's still so cute just not so little anymore.

Happy Birthday, Marin!

"Time rushes by like a mad swollen river" Part II

In this segment I take you back to 2005 just before Ellinor turns 1. So cute I can hardly stand it!
And then forward a bit to 2008 where she is now 4 years old. Still so cute but with a little more sass.

We had a little birthday party for the big 4 year old.

Thanks to Marin our guests were never lost.

Game Room

Parents Room is Table

Thanks to Marin we had some decorations.

Thanks to Aunt Kadie we finished making the birthday cake mostly on time.

Thanks to our friends and family we all had a fabulous time.