Thursday, February 16, 2017

Evin is 5!

Planning began for Evin's birthday last year.  In years past all my help is just standing around waiting for me to tell them what to do.  NOT this year!  Here's the planning corner with to-do list by time, complete with photos of my inspirations, and a map of the party! 

These terrariums were fun and easy!  Jars off our local neighborhood facebook page, some succulents we already had, moss and mini dinosaurs. 

I have never mastered cake icing so Cody assisted.  This cake had a special surprise inside!  Scroll down to see!

Cookie dough mud and dinosuar bones.  The Indominus Rex head made a reappearance for decor!



Some adults only Jungle juice! 


The dino den in Evin's room. 



Lego Dinosaur building area!

Digging for Dino skeletons! 

We're ready bring on the party!
Little brother is ready to party!




Orange slime made for a fun dino DNA area!

Dino doodling with stencils and stamps we got for Christmas! 

Add kids!













Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Wife for Life University

 Today I got yet another reminder of why the work I'm doing on my marriage is so very important and paying off!  

About a year and a half ago I was doing some soul searching and thru Chalene Johnson's 30-day push program I realized that my intrinsic priority in my life was work. I'm good at, motivated by, and driven to work.  I also discovered that my marriage was a key priority something that's VERY important to me but doesn't come naturally.  Chalene suggests that if there's something you're not that great it just good how to be better at it.  So I googled, "How to be a better wife." 

I found Ramona Zabriskie. I started watching her youtube videos, put her book on my Christmas list, read all her blogs, and followed her a Facebook.  I loved what she had to say.  It was marriage help for the wife.  Karl didn't have to do a thing but just be him.  

One night we got in to an argument and I had vented to all my friends and family about this particular topic.  I'd say most of us have disagreements in this area.  I disagreed with how he was parenting Evin.  Since historically my friends and family just got me more riled up, I facebook messaged Ramona.  After my tirade I felt better, didn't ever expect her to respond, but she did.  And her response made SO much sense!  It was explanatory, consoling, and action based.  It was PERFECT.  

The book arrived from Christmas and I've read it multiple times including listening to it while I drive.  I enrolled in Wife for Life University and now I'm a teaching assistant for the program, so YES I'm biased.  

But the results are real.  I have so many examples of our progress.  We'd been living in marriage survival mode with two small kids, busy careers, and all the other adult responsibilities.  

Now I get hugs, squeezes, and thank yous when I buy pizza rolls.  

I'm referred to as his cornerstone. 

We hold hands on date nights. 

I don't get mad when he doesn't listen when he's on his phone or watching T.V. (well most of the time). 

He helps whenever I ask. 

And today he saved me from utter embarrassment.  

We're trying to work toward being debt free so we're scrimping and saving whereever possible.  The boys were starting to look a little scraggly and it was time for hair cuts.  I figured, I can save us some dough, this can't be that hard.  I'll just cut Briggs' myself.....

It was bad, like uneven, scraggly, goofy, bad. I was humiliated and could not bare to take him in and admit my failure.  I don't like to be bad at things.  So Karl said, "I'll just tell them I did it." 

He called, made the appointment, claimed he cut the hair.  

We went in to the hairdresser and the woman told Karl to go sit in the corner in time out.  She continued to tease him about how awful of a job he did and scold him.  I couldn't take it, I had to walk away and sulk.  He just laughed and took it all in stride.  

Thank you amazing husband.  
And thank you Wife for Life.   


Monday, February 13, 2017

Evin's 6 Nerf Party!




Evin's been dreaming about a Nerf party since last February.  Well here it is!  

His dad brought home some giant pieces of cardboard from work. 

We amassed a Nerf collection.  


 
 
Pro tip: if you do this, go easy on the guns.  Everyone will bring their own and every gift will be another Nerf gun!

Eye protection is a must so the other parents think you're responsible.  
 

Orange food is EASY!  



A handy husband means some great Nerf targets. 

A graphic designer sister means your kid gets his own nerf logo.






Balloons and streamers add flair....a tall father-in-law is incredibly helpful for streamer installations.  

Add kids and some wild adults and you've got a party!