May

Next to December, I feel like this is the busiest month of the year. School, sports, extracurriculars are crazy busy. There are so many concerts, recitals, performances, field trips, assemblies, team parties, and activities.

First up was our 23rd anniversary! This year was extra special and we were so happy to celebrate. The day started off with me at a baptism for one of my primary kids and Tyler was at one of Bryn's track meets. After we were done we met up and headed downtown for a day of fun. Our first stop was for lunch at the Davenport Tower. So good!

Then we spent the day shopping and bumming around downtown. It was so fun! We had a great day all to ourselves. We ended the night trying out the restaurant Blackbird. This restaurant just changed up their menu. The owner's concept is to revamp the menu every three years. Now it is a hipster BBQ joint. Listen, I am from Kansas City AND Texas and I KNOW my BBQ!! I was hopeful...but my expectations were low. BUT...I am always craving BBQ. So we decided to try it out.

Tyler dreaming about his BBQ... 

We had a long wait because the place was packed!! Tyler served his mission in North Carolina and loves his BBQ too. Blackbird was advertising that they do all kinds of BBQ and have all of the different sauces...KC, Texas, Carolina, Alabama White. In case you don't know...there are MANY different kinds of BBQ (they are all done differently) and they each have their own style of sauce and they are all VERY different. I like them all but Kansas City style BBQ and sauce is HANDS DOWN the absolute best!! There is no competition. Tyler was all about the Carolina BBQ until he took a trip to KC and changed his tune. Now, we are in 100% agreement. I dream of Gates BBQ in Kansas City and Oklahoma Joe's. When I was in high school Wyndotte BBQ was right down the street from my school and we had open lunch so we went there all the time. It is a total dive but I have such great memories. But my all time favorite is Gates. Their  BBQ sauce is to die for!!!!! TO DIE FOR!! Oklahoma Joe's maybe has the better meat but Gates has the best sauce and I'm all about the sauce and the brisket and burnt the ends...with some ribs on the side. Now I am so hungry!!

Just for the record here is my BBQ of choice:

1.) KC
2.) Texas
3.) Carolina
4.) Alabama

Tyler's list looks like this:

1.) KC
2.) Carolina
3.) Alabama
4.) Texas

So we had high expectations for ol' Blackbird... and things started off fantastic. We ordered the pimento cheese with homemade potato chips. YUM.

Pimento Cheese is something that Tyler got me hooked on. It is HUGE down south (not so much in Texas) and was a staple on his mission in NC. Everyone had their own recipe and everyone served it at everything. It is delicious. Tyler is always trying to find one that tastes as good as his favorite one from his mission. It was an old family recipe made by a little old lady named Peepee. (Got to love the South!) Apparently Peepee was the queen of the pimento cheese and Ty has yet to taste its equal although he keeps trying. This one was pretty tasty though!

Then our food arrived and we had all the sauces. 

We are tough critics. It's probably okay BBQ for Spokane...but we were disappointed. The brisket was pretty bland...the KC BBQ sauce was not up to KC standards. The Texas one was pretty legit. We both liked the Alabama White sauce. Carolina BBQ is all about the vinegar and that didn't happen. The pecan smoked pork was by far the best meat. It was really good. So while the food didn't live up to our dreams it was still BBQ and we still chowed it down. We ordered buttermilk pie for dessert. We really need to move down South. I love the food so much!!

While waiting for our dessert to arrive I started to feel sick...VERY SICK...like EXTREMELY sick. Let me preface this by saying that our kids had all been sick the week before...particularly Kameron...throw up sick. They were all over it and we felt great so we thought we had dodged a bullet. Well, while waiting for my dessert the overwhelming need to vomit arose. I very rarely throw up...usually only when pregnant. But while I sat there waiting for my pie I broke into a cold sweat and was so nauseous that I could barely make it to the restroom. My one goal was to not puke in a restaurant full of hipsters!! I made it to the bathroom and was so sick. Sick enough that people were knocking on my stall asking if I was okay and did I need them to go get someone. Sweet of them... but I was like "Just leave me the @#$% alone and let me puke in peace!!" I managed to text Tyler from the bathroom telling him to get the check asap and we sped for home with my head hanging out of the window. Good times. I spent the rest of the night throwing up. Nothing says sexy romantic anniversary like a puking wife. Tyler wisely kept his distance and yeah... Happy Anniversary to us! He never did get the stomach bug. Lucky!

Then it was Mother's Day and I already told you about mine. My sister Kelley and I met Mom the week after Mother's Day to celebrate her. We had a girls day...lunch and a movie. It was a lot of fun. We ate at Twigs and then went to see the movie The Book Club.

We were laughing so hard about the two daughters who try to "take care" of their mother, Diane Keaton. Kelley had literally said some of  the exact same words as one of the daughters in the movie (the escalator scene) only a few minutes before!! Too funny. Extra funny was our sad selfie attempts ("My hands are too weak!") and my mom trying to get out of her reclining seat. I thought the three of us were going to die laughing. Anyway, it was a fun and amusing afternoon.

I also had the pleasure of going to Bryn's Activity Days Mother/Daughter Activity. They did a spa day for their mothers and we got pampered. We got sugar scrub that they made and hand massages and neck massages. We also got our hair brushed and a bunch of other things. We answered cute questionnaires and ate delicious food and drank Italian Sodas. It was a fun time with these super cute girls!

Bryn had her school spring concert and sang a little solo. She did such a great job! And none of her classmates threw up on the risers this year! #winning It was a fun night at the elementary school. She is growing up too fast.

Her little solo.

Berkley and Bryn

Then we were off to celebrate her wonderful concert and performance at Baskin Robbins!

Then it was the Jr. Lilac Parade. Ailey's drill team was marching in it with her middle school. The parade's theme this year was western and Ailey was not a fan. She would've rather been in their uniforms with their pompoms. I don't know why the parade picks a lame theme every year. At least it is better than the year that Kameron had to be a minion. Ha Ha! He was not amused.

Waiting for Ailey to go marching by!!

This is a good parade. They throw lots of candy and we were ready!! Bryn had her jacket pockets full by the end of the parade.



Then we had to sprint from the parade to the high school where the dance team was doing a fundraiser and showcase. We got there just in time for Ailey to perform. It was her first time performing with her new team and she was a little nervous but she did great!!

Here's a snippet from her performance.

Then it was the royal wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle!! Did I stay up all night to watch it? Of course I did!! And so did Ailey and Bryn. We loved it...and we ate macrons!! It doesn't get much better than that!

We had the greatest time!! When I was a kid I was allowed to stay up all night and watch the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. I also watched when Fergie married Prince Andrew and when Prince Edward married Sophie. I stayed up to watch the funeral of Princess Diana and then the wedding of Prince William to Kate. It is a fun tradition and one that I love sharing with my daughters.

Prince Harry is our favorite! Once you go red... ha ha!!

Bryn finished up a fantastic first season of track. She did such a great job! She is so fast and it was so fun watching her push herself and fly around the track.

Don't mess with her!!

Celebrating the end of her season at her team party at Bluberry!

Then all of the lilacs bloomed and Spokane aka the Lilac City smelled like sheer heaven!!

Speaking of lilacs...Kameron and our nephew Dane were in the Lilac Parade with their marching bands. No pictures though...too bad. Next year Kam, Dane, and Ailey will all be in it. Should be a par-tay!

Kameron had many...and I mean MANY...MANY...MANY...band and jazz band performances. Despite what he claims...we went to all of them!!!!!!!!

Waiting for Kameron to perform.

There were so many performances, meets, concerts...you name it...we were at it. That by the end of the month we were all absolutely exhausted and we still had a few more weeks of activities to go. I could do a whole chat book of random places where I found Bryn asleep!!

We had a great Memorial Day weekend out at the lake. My brother, Kirk, and his family were in town. We met up with Stacey and Kelley and their families and spent a long weekend out there. The weather was beautiful!!

Tyler and Kirk kayaking.

There was paddleboarding too!

Lots of cousin time.

Some relaxation time...not nearly enough.

And...Kirin cuddle time!!

When we left on Memorial Day we headed to Coeur d' Alene for lunch at our favorite Greek place and stopped and placed flowers on the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents.

It also happened to be my Grandma's birthday. She would've been 95 years old. It was also the one year anniversary of her death. We were lucky to have her for as long as we did. What a matriarch! What a force of nature! She was truly an incredible woman who held her family together with an iron will. It made me so happy to see that other family members had been out to the cemetery too. A lot has happened in our extended family in a year...none of it good...but I am hopeful that things will improve as time goes on. I love my family and rifts are so difficult.

In other news, several of our good friends children got married this month. Kids that Reilly grew up with...man that makes me feel old. Our friends Chris and Valynn's daughter got married and I admit some tears were shed at that reception. Kaitlyn looked beautiful!! Also cute Jacob son of our friends Erica and Tyler got married...Reilly's childhood crush and formerly one of the rowdiest kids in primary!! He has grown to be such a sweet and kind young man. We are so glad that they have both found special people to share their lives with.

It's hard to remember all of the things that we had going on in May. It was such a blur. I also had a fun brunch with friends, Kameron spoke in church on the topic of the youth's role in ministering, there were a lot of Primary visits to kids getting baptized and a baptism. We debated the whole Yanny/Laurel situation. Tyler, Bryn, Kam, and I heard Yanny. Technically I heard what sounded like the devil saying "jelly" so what does that say about me? Reilly and Ailey both heard a clear and distinct Laurel. Interesting. The rest of the month was prepping for Farm Chicks which is HUGE! So much time and effort goes into that and it pretty much consumed my life in May.