Let's Have a Soiree' (That's a Fancy Word For Party!!)

My fancy little Ariah is turning FOUR!! She is such a sweet little girly girl - that loves to be fancy everyday - so what better party for her than FANCY NANCY!!

My mom made our family this fun little birthday wreath. I think I will display it the week we are having a birthday in our home. LOVE IT!!

Miss Ariah's entrance to her FANCY NANCY PARTY!!

This is the invitation. The flower is a removable bow for hair. The girls were to come in their fanciest party attire.

When they arrived, they colored fancy nancy pages, we then made bracelets and painted sparkly faces.

After face painting, the girls got to go "shopping". They each got to shop for a feather boa, crown, ribbon wand, candy and party poppers. Afterwards, we had a dance party with lots of feathers flying - what cute little fancy preschoolers :)

We made icecream sundaes with fun toppings, and ate our fancy cupcakes.

Ariah loved her gifts! Birthdays are the best.

We had her friend party on Saturday, and her real birthday was on Tuesday. Our traditional bust out is always something they look forward too. Before she went to sleep the night before, she kept asking me when I "was going to paper her door up."

Lots of petshops. That was the request this birthday - and a unicorn pillow pet. (Very similar to Ambra's request for her bday if you remember - she loves to copy her big sister ;)

...and getting ready for the big family dinner party.

Made these cute little take home favors for the fam.

Grandma Wade came from Idaho.

Uncle Ethan, Uncle Josh and Aunt Becca, Aunt Jill and cousins Joshua and Emma came.

We had a blast partying for days. Thanks to all who came and loved my fancy little Ariah. We love her so much, and she is such a sweet light in our family. How on earth did we ever get along with her?

Shown' Some Love...

Okay, finally I will get to the Vday post. The fam woke up to the kitchen being "heart attacked" and the table set festive. We of course did heart hair and dressed up in fancy red clothes that day too. What can I say, I am a sucker for holidays - why not make it extra special right?

Had to get all set for the big parties at the school. I was in charge of Coles kinder party and helped with Ambra's (darn too busy to snap photos there :( They were fun though. Did the traditional split up into four groups and did games, crafts and treats. Gotta love being room mom. Had to have plenty of prizes for winners of the games.

Little Miss Ariah in all her vday glory. She looks so grown up here. NOOOOOO! Stay little forever! She's turning 4 in like a week. I shouldn't allow these things to happen. Good thing I'm cookin another one in the oven - they really grow up too fast.

These were the roses Adam left for me to find when I woke.

After Cole's vday party and before lunch, I called Adam's boss and talked him into taking Adam out of the office to do something somewhere so I could heart attack him. The kids thought this was pretty cool.

Had to leave jelly filled krispie kreams. Daddy's fav.

Aw darn, its upside down. Well heres Ambra's heart hair and festive red attire.

Pretty little second grader.

My mom was with us for vday. It was fun to have grandma here. Here we are getting ready for our candlelight dinner. I love that we spend vday as a family. It's so fun to involve the kids in these special days.

We did heart shaped pizzas from Murpheys, but I think they pretty much missed the boat on the heart shape - no resemblance whatsoever.

Kids and there valentines. Terribly dark and blurry picture - oops.

After dinner, we played heart bingo and made towers out of conversation hearts. Daddy won the prize with 13 hearts (before it fell over). - yes we had prizes for these games too.

We also did chopstick hearts. How many hearts can you get out of the bowl in 1 minute?

...and finally I made this icecream cake. Yummy :)

Happy Valentines Day! I love you little family :)

Day of Love...preshow!

We had party after party in honor of the big love day. You all know how I love to party - so count me in :)

Ariah had her little preschool party. The kids loved finding candy in this newspaper mess.

Adam and I always do our Vday on Feb.9, since that is the day he proposed to me. We make it a special date, and that frees up the Feb.14 so we can spend it with those cute little angels we call our children.

We went to the Roof, one of our fav restaraunts when we are splurging, and then to the Deseret Star - they have such fun plays there. Then we came home and stayed up till 2am waching movies, sharing treats, and just enjoying one anothers company. Love that man!

The view from the Roof is unbeatable :)

Earlier that day I got to vparty with some college roomies. We love to get together and chat while our kids play (well the chatting is def better without the kids, but tis the life of a mommy).

Cole was so sweet on our heart hunt. He helped 2 yr. old Evie get into the game a bit more.

Poor Cole, he is the biggest and baddest among this little group. Next year he will be in all day school - he better enjoy the preschool parties while he can I guess. Most of these kiddos are Ariah's age (although Ariah looks like she's 5 like Nyah next to her), and babies under a year. It was a fun little party. Thanks Emily for hosting :)

I Search...

The "I Search" project that is usually mandatory at Ambra's school was optional this year....YAY! In my pregs condition I was so getting out of that! - but Ambra had other ideas. She was heartbroken at the thought of not doing it...sigh...

Fine.. it turned out to be a really good experience. I was able to teach her about researching and reading for information that is interesting to report on, highlighting, and the steps of a report. Last year she was still to young for that.

She really did this all herself (well - I made the anthill in the middle) - I told her what steps to take and what to do, but she carried it all out herself, did the research and made the project. It was a great experience.

He's Married!!

Yay! My bro has finally entered the world of matrimony! This is his cute bride. We are excited to have Becca in our family! Now, if they could just grow us some cousins so my kids wouldn't be all alone in the world - that would be fab! Ya right - we've been assured that it will be YEARS!

It was a fun day.
They are saving to travel the country in a trailer for a year or so, and then off to New York for at least a year. They love to travel - hence the travel theme for their wedding. :)