Happy Birthday Hayley!

Hayley is 4!

As usual she chose to have pancakes for breakfast. I made her a mickey mouse pancake like my Grandpa Forbes used to make us when we visited. 

We took her out to her choice of restaurant for lunch. She chose "castle nova" (LaCasa Lopez). Our favorite mexican spot in Moscow. She enjoyed her quesadilla, but when they came out to sing with the big fancy sombrero she was terrified. She enjoyed the ice cream once they all left.  

A few months ago her bff turned 4 and had a "sparkle cake with colored layers" so that's what she wanted. She did choose to have her favorite princess up there, Cinderella. 

We had a small party out at the playground with a few of her friends. 

Sweet girl blew out all her candles by herself this year... :( she's growing up. 

Hobbes had a great time too.

After everyone had gone, we came upstairs and let her open a few gifts from us and family. 

She is thrilled to have a big bike now like all her cousins. 

The inside of the cake- there was a bright green layer on the bottom... I tipped it over to bring it back upstairs, but when we finally left the playground the green layer was gone before I could get a picture of the whole thing. I don't really like frosting...so I tried out a new "recipe" I just used chocolate pudding mix with half the milk and then whipped it up with some cool whip. It turned out so good! It was way less sweet than regular frosting.  

Some questions I asked Hayley:

1. What is your favorite color? Pink and Purple

2. What is your favorite toy? Princesses

3. What is your favorite fruit? orange cuties

4. What is your favorite tv show? Curious George

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Tomato soup

6. What is your favorite outfit? new shirts

7. What is your favorite animal? pink piggies

8. Who is your best friend? probably Brooklyn or girls that like to play with me, Kharisma. And probably boys that like to play with me, like Logan.  

9. What is your favorite cereal? Raspberry and swaberry wheats

10. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Put my feet on the monkey bars, but I just cant get the monkey bars to put my feet up. 

11. What is your favorite drink? Apple juice and grape juice

12. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes

13. What do you want to be when you grow up? Cinderella

14: Favorite Number: Purpleish 3 and Pinkish 3

15: What is your favorite dinner: Pasta

16: What time do you go to bed? thirty o' clock just like Nathen Tapp. 

Bags for Ethiopia

Pres. Whitehead of our Stake presidency, has a son that works at the Embassy in Ethiopia, there is an Orphanage down there that just received running water and the likes so our Stake has been collecting items to send over, soap, washcloths, toothbrushes & paste, small mirrors and combs. 

The little things we take for granted. 

Along with these toiletries we have been sewing bags for them to keep their new stash of  personal items in. Something that is just for them :)

Our friend Kelli graciously donated a large chunk of thick canvas, of which I drafted a pattern from cardboard and cut out 20 bags. We pulled out our scraps and cut out linings. We also pooled old belts to make colorful straps on about half the bags. 

I especially liked the elephant ones...

I threw some ribbon and ric rac on some of them to give them a little extra something special. 

In the coming weeks we'll assemble the kits and send them off to  be taken to Africa. I'm hoping Pres. Whitehead's son will take a picture of the kids with them. I think I would probably cry :) 

(as if I'm not teary already thinking about the kids receiving their bags) 

Happy Easter!

Not 24hrs after getting home from Sunriver we had company! We were so happy to have family visit us out here :)

 So we were sure to keep busy! Everyone got in Friday afternoon and evening. Saturday morning we all participated in a 5k that Skyler's dept. was organizing through the University. Then we went back to their hotel for swimming. After that we came back to our apt for a light lunch and it was off to Reaney Park. The kids flew kites, Grandma Katie teeter-tottered, we had a great time. 

My Grandma was able to come! It was such a treat to get to spend so much time with family, unencumbered by work and obligations. 

 Would you look at that smile..

Alyssa and David, both holding front packs with the twins...on the tire swing. Sweet. 

Wow am I getting old or what, sentimental blog posts.....

When I was a kid it was tradition that we went to Grandma and Grandpa Forbes' house (Grandma pictured above), gathered with as many grandkids that could come and we would sit out on the drive way on Grandpa's picnic tables and dye probably over a hundred eggs. I have no idea what they did with all the eggs afterwards...but it sure was fun dyeing and wax drawing and layering countless number of eggs with cousins. So this Easter we did a small egg dying for good ol' times. They each did three since I wasn't sure what we'd do with nine hard boiled eggs anyways since I don't eat eggs. 

Then we had a candy egg hunt out in the grass by our apt. 

Grams looking lovely.

These boys, it's sure an adventure having three boy babies within two weeks of eachother, together. One is crying, one is grabbing the other's face, one is sleepy etc. So cute though.

I have several copies of this picture and this is the best. At least most are looking up...somewhere and there are at least half smiles on the majority. I call it a win! 

On the last day, we went back to Reaney park to hit up the swings one more time, stopped at Cougar Country for lunch, went by the bears and finished the trip off with authentic WSU ice cream from Ferdinand's. It was so nice to host Easter, even in our tiny cramped apt. I appreciated all of my family for driving the distance to come see us. We were happy to get to show them our favorite places. 

First Park Play day of the Year!

Not to jinx things but we've really had an awesome Spring here. 

I had to document Kelli and Marilou....since they'll both be leaving in a few weeks :( 

Hayley is so lucky to have so many friends her age. 

Silly Hobbes, this picture wasn't posed at all..well I did put hayley's glasses on him but he did the GQ look all on his own!