In a nutshell....

We went to the zoo with some of our favorite people. We got cokes and churros. We saw all the cool dinosaurs on display. The youngest member of our zoo party found the dinosaurs to be exciting and awesome and roared right back. The second youngest member of our zoo party was terrified.

Oh, we're so glad that Meranda is back in the valley for the summer.



We ate homemade chocolate malt marble cake for my birthday with a butt load of chocolate malt frosting. It was one of the yummiest cakes I've ever eaten if I do say so myself.



We visited a few graves.



We saw a lot of rain, but this pretty rainbow made up for it. We saw the entire thing, from one end to the other in the sky. It was beautiful.

On my birthday...

The boys and I took my Grandma some flowers.

I've been missing my grandma a lot lately. Particularly yesterday. She would almost always call me on my birthday and be front and center at my self-thrown birthday party every year. Oh I missed her today.

The boys were so good and respectful at the cemetery. Elliott wanted to know about headstones and cemetery etiquette. He's such a good boy. Wyatt just tried to steal pinwheels from a nearby grave. He was quiet about it though and like a nice boy put them back.

My boy drew me a birthday picture on the sidewalk. It was a pink, blue and yellow birthday cake and a herd of jelly fish. I loved it. Elliott was so good yesterday. One of his best days ever. I was so proud of him and he told me that he was being especially good because it was my birthday.

We went on a walk that ended up at the park. My boys are crazy and that Chick is a daredevil. They had fun and were good boys and then even came home without a fight.

And no birthday is complete without a present. Especially a present that you pick out yourself and your husband sweetly obliges.

Side Note: I am late to the Tom's shoes bandwagon but I wore these new guys all night last night. It felt like I was walking on a pillow. These are my new favorite shoes. I'm already going to start saving my money for a second pair.

Thank you to all the friends and family that wished me a happy birthday in person, in e-mail, in the mail and via text.  I really appreciate it.

living down the legend...

Today is my birthday.

I am 33.

I have a great husband, two handsome and smart little boys and the weather outside my window right now is beautiful and sunny and the tree in front of my house is actually filling in with leaves.

Today I am going to the doctor because I feel like I have strep throat. Last year on my birthday I spent the day in staff meetings for a job I no longer have. The year before that I sat at home in the dark watching sad movies, thinking sad things, all alone except for my sleeping two week old squishy baby boy.

I bought my own present yesterday afternoon just in case everyone forgot about me. A new purse and some new pajamas.  A sweet friend brought me a beautiful gift though so I wasn't forgotten and her card made me cry.  Thank you!

I spent half my night last night in the basement watching "16 and Pregnant" on MTV because the teenage girl was also anorexic and she only gained 12 pounds her entire pregnancy and it was freaking me and my fat out.

The celebrations today are going to be awesome!  Packing up my house because I have to.  Taking myself to the doctor because I need to.  And, because it's my birthday I think that today I'm going to go and visit my grandma. I've missed her so much this week and I've got some beautiful tulips from my yard that I want to share with her.

Jodi and Trevor got Married (witrh more photos)

Note: I've added more pictures. Please scroll through all the photo booth shots and the wedding pics are at the end.

On Friday, May 20, 2011 my cousin Jodi married Trevor.  It was a good day with cooperative weather.  It was also the first time I've heard my newest cousin speak.  They've been dating for almost two years and not until their wedding day had I ever heard his voice.

Good to know you're not a mute, Trevor!

Jodi asked me months ago if I would take the pictures for her photo booth guest book.  I of course said yes and after hours and hours of editing in the last few days I finally got them finished.  I took a few other pictures too.  It's hard to take photos when one of your kids is screaming and you're ignoring him.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Morning Conversation

(Note: The Chick is not tall enough to actually reach up to the counter. He was standing on a bike seat.)

Mama: Hey Chick, what are you doing?
Chick: Yust Yooking.
Mama: What are you looking for?
Chick: I yooking for pizes.
Mama: Oh, did you find any prizes on the counter?
Chick: No. Not yet.