Ailey is 14!!

Ailey's 14th Birthday

Ailey turned 14 years old!! She is growing up so fast. Every day she seems a little bit older. Ailey at 14 is very bubbly and enthusiastic. She is chatty and loves to tell us all of the details of her life. She is responsible and trustworthy. She is a lot of fun! She is a great big sister to Bryn and sets a great example for her. They are very close and so cute together.

Ailey's birthday celebrations started bright and early!! Tyler and Bryn decorated her room with balloons and had donuts and chocolate milk for her. Kam and Reilly had gifts for her too. Then she was kidnapped by her friends and brought over to her friend Zoe's house. They had a surprise waffle breakfast for her. I wish I had some pictures of that!

When Ailey got home that afternoon she wanted to go on a mother-daughter shopping spree. We had a great afternoon of shopping. Ailey wanted to buy clothes with her birthday money and she got a new iphone from us. She and I had a lot of fun having some one-on-one time together. I really think that is the key to parenting...one-on-one time with each child and with each parent...it is what keeps relationships strong. It provides time for parents and kids to really talk to each other and to connect. Just like date nights do for married couples. Tyler and I have always tried to have these one-on-one dates with our kids since they were very little. Sometimes it is an outing with both parents. They love doing that too. It has really helped us to stay close and connected with Reilly and Kameron through the high school years and beyond. We talk about doing it when our kids are married and have their own families too. How else do parents get an opportunity to really know what is going on with their grown children and to connect and feel close to them? Anyway... I digress. This is a topic that Tyler and I talk a lot about now...how we plan to stay close to our children as they grow up and move away from home. I am fascinated to hear and learn from other parents of grown children and what works for them. It seems like we are moving so quickly toward having our children grown and out on their own. So...back to Ailey's birthday! :)

We stopped for a snack at Starbucks!! Oh to be 14 and able to eat chips and frappuccinos! 

Then it was back to shopping!!

That night when everyone got home Ailey wanted to go to the park as a family. It was such a pretty night! We walked all over Manito and the roses were in full bloom. It was a lovely evening!! We played and had a great time together!

I love that I have kids who truly appreciate nature and beauty! All of them were smelling the roses and taking pictures...even Kameron. I am so glad that they value and notice the beauty that is all around them.

Then it was back home for donuts, ice cream, and birthday wish making!!

She is the cutest 14 year old on the planet!!

The next day Reilly took Ailey out for a sisters date. They had a great time together and Reilly did a little photo shoot for her. Reilly did her hair and make up and took some darling pictures of Ailey. She absolutely LOVED it!! I thought that was such a cute and fun birthday gift idea.

One of my favorites!!

Once the weekend hit and everyone was off of work we celebrated her birthday as a family. Ailey chose to go bowling. We haven't gone bowling in forever and we had an absolute BLAST!! One thing that is so great about our kids growing older is that we can go and do fun things and everyone can participate. Bryn killed it at bowling! She got the first strike!!

The proof! Unicorn Pug started things off strong!!

The cute birthday girl!!

We had a great time...and yes...a competitive time...as we bowled all hopped up on Mt. Dew, pizza, and totchos...aka...tator tot nachos. Who knew such magic existed?!

Then it was back home for Ailey's birthday dinner. She requested homemade pizzas, Dr. Pepper, and ice cream birthday cake. It was so nice that we were able to celebrate out on our deck. Which is looking so gorgeous right now! Ailey had the cutest mermaid birthday decorations...that I didn't get one picture of. Shoot! We had our patio lights on and it was a super fun night celebrating this cute girl!!

Happy Birthday Ailey!! 

We think that you are a pretty spectacular human being!! We love you very much!!

Father's Day 2018

Father's Day!!

Next up was Father's Day. We had a great Father's Day this year!! We were especially grateful to have a father to celebrate. We are about nine months out from Tyler's hospitalization and it is still terrifying to contemplate what could have happened. So...moving on to happier thoughts... We were also super happy to have Reilly back in town for Father's Day this year. Yay! I really do love having her live close again.

Tyler got to sleep in ever so slightly on Father's Day since it was also Stake Conference and it started an hour later than our regular church. He greeted the day with breakfast in bed, cards, and surprises! Then we headed off to church.

Reilly came over after church and we headed to Manito Park for Tyler's traditional Father's Day picnic and games. He picks this activity every single year even when we offer to do something different. He likes picnics and hanging out and this year we added hammocking so he was extra excited to get napping! We had a whole hammock town with double decker ones too. It was pretty cool!

We got to the park and managed to snag our very favorite spot! Our favorite knoll! We set up our picnic area, our croquet/kubb area, and our hammocking area. It was perfection!

Tyler requested his usual Father's Day picnic of: pasta salad, fruit, chips, homemade guacamole, pop/la croix, and pudding for dessert!!

That's a happy dad!! 

Kameron forgot to bring his hammock and hijacked mine for awhile. Luckily Tyler was kind enough to share!!

Then it was time to eat to build up our strength to kick some butt in our traditional croquet championship!!

Fueling up!

Then it was game on! We took our fiercest and most intimidating photos:

The undefeated champion...year after year... who fears no one!!

One of these things is not like the others... I guess she didn't get the "look fierce" part!!

This was our most challenging tournament yet! Dare I say it...we have all gotten too good!! We played and played and played. Our course was set up extra tricky too by Kameron. We had to take a break for dessert because no one had won yet! The days of Tyler totally creaming us are over! The course was a bit too tricky...hills and drop offs and beserker balls!! So eventually with Tyler in the lead...but not by much...we called it a draw due to course challenges. So basically...Tyler still won.

But I was right behind him and even held a substantial lead most of the game!! #winning
Right up until the last few minutes!!

After the game there was more napping...Kam got the boot and had to go lie down on the picnic blanket!!

Delightful!!

We had a pretty good rotation of playing...hammocking...eating...playing...hammocking...eating... which lasted for several hours. There was only one argument, one teary outburst, and two injuries. It was pretty spectacular!!

Happy Father's Day Ty!!

Tyler really is the very best!! He is loving and hard-working. He sets a fantastic example for all of us. He never complains and goes out of his way to serve his family and others. He is righteous and honorable. He loves God and the gospel. He keeps us all headed in the right direction. He has high expectations and walks the walk that he talks the talk about. He is a great friend and someone that you can always count on and want in your corner. He laughs a lot and likes to have fun! He never takes himself too seriously. He is strong and loyal and brave and true. We love and adore him!! We are so grateful that he is ours.

***Croquet side note: 

Duncan Garden

We went to Manito Park this week and saw the most incredible croquet set up! I like to think that we take croquet to a higher level but clearly we are in the minor leagues. There was a family playing croquet in the English formal garden (Duncan Garden) in dresses and shirts and ties. They were all snazzed up. They had vintage tables and chairs and beautiful linens and flowers in vases. They had a gorgeous spread of gourmet food and desserts on beautiful multi-level serving dishes. It was pretty amazing. And...the grandmother sat in a gorgeous upholstered chair, all dressed to the nines, and watched her kids and grandkids play like a royal monarch. Tyler and I were speechless. Impressive!! Some people are so cool! ***

My 46th Birthday

I turned 46! Always a cause for celebration!! I love my birthday and this year was no different. I was happy that for once my birthday didn't fall during the Farm Chicks show. That always makes things crazy and my birthday sometimes gets skipped by my extended family. This year it was a few days after and that was really nice. No, we did not have a repeat of Mother's Day morning. Ha ha!! My family was on top of all of the celebrating!!  Starting early in the morning, Tyler and the kids had all kinds of surprises waiting for me when I woke up. It was fantastic! I had a great day doing all of the things that I love to do and didn't have to do anything that I didn't want to do!! Sweet. I was well remembered by friends and family too which was extra nice.

I met my friend Rebecca for a Starbucks birthday "brunch" as we call it! Since we are usually there for breakfast and way past lunch. Ha ha! She is the sweetest. She had gifts and flowers. It was a lot of fun! She is super into "mindfulness" and "personal development" and goal setting and things like that so she is always fun and interesting to talk to!! She gave me a great pep talk for my 46th year!!

I love that she specifically bought me birthday flowers that matched my house and home decor! No clashing here! That girl gets me!

Bryn made me this darling card at school. I was laughing so hard when I opened it up and read it:

She told her class that it was my birthday. (I was even wished a happy birthday by her teacher.) Not only did she make me this darling card; she also had several of her classmates sign it. It was the sweetest thing ever! It totally pays to volunteer at school... you get extra birthday wishes. So cute!!

My birthday gift from Reilly was waiting for me when I got home:

It's official! We are a 100% hammocking family now! Thanks Reilly! She has outfitted us all. You will find us swaying from trees all around the Pacific Northwest!!

After work Tyler took me out on a "school night date" for my birthday. It felt so decadent! :) We went out for Mexican food. A miracle has occurred people!! We have FINALLY found not one...but...TWO... really good Mexican restaurants!! It's only taken 16 years! But it has finally happened. Spokane is not known for it's Mexican food. One restaurant is in town and one is in the little town next to the lake. Tyler also surprised me with my favorite caramel cake from my favorite bakery Sweet Frostings.

After dinner we grabbed the kids and went for a fun family hike/walk. Part of it is on a trail and part of it isn't. I love this trail because the view is stunning. The weather is getting so nice and I love being outside!! On my birthday, the weather was absolutely perfect and it was so gorgeous as the sun was setting!

We had such a great night hiking as a family (Reilly was working) and enjoying the view of this beautiful area that we live in!

Then it was back home for caramel birthday cake!!

That weekend I celebrated my birthday with extended family. We met up at one of my very favorite places...the Coeur d' Alene Resort for my fancy birthday brunch. It was a lot of fun!! My family loves a fancy brunch like no other!

I got my favorite strawberry gooey! This pic is seriously my life! Ha ha!!

Look what the Coeur d' Alene Resort was selling! Nice!!

I had an awesome birthday and enjoyed celebrating every.single.minute!!

****I am SO behind on blogging!! The summer is just flying by!****