We made these cute gingerbread friends this year.  I had to make eggless, dairy free, ginger free gingerbread, but it worked!  

Aeven, Lachlan and Ilsa

Christmas Time's a Comin' and I know I'm Going Home

This is truly a season of joy.  I love Christmas.  I love the tree and the lights.  I love cookies and candy.  I love Christmas songs on the radio.  I love watching cheesy Christmas movies.  Most of all I love that at this time of year people seem to be more willing to openly talk about Jesus.  It seems like people are more accepting of the idea that a little baby came to save us when there are lights and decorations commemorating the day.

My emotions run so high this time of year.  I get so excited about the goings on and at the same time I feel so deeply about the events that have preceded us.  In my own life I mourn the losses that have occurred during this time of year.  I laugh and cry at the memories of chatting with my Grandmama at Christmastime.  She had the best Christmas tree because she let us throw those shiny icicles all over it and make a huge mess.  She always had the best snacks at her house.  She made Chex mix or Trash as she called it every year and she always had those hard Christmas candies in dishes laying around the living room.  She made this delicious orange cake that I guess everyone but me hated.  It was so good!  I miss her this time of year, but I also rejoice for her because I know that Jesus was born to save her and give her eternal life with him.  I'm thankful for that in the same breath that I'm sad that she's not here anymore.

I am still emotional about the baby I lost right after Christmas a couple of years ago.  It was such an exciting Christmas that year feeling a baby grow and thinking about the next Christmas when we would have another little one.  I am so thankful to God for the sweet baby girl he blessed us with this year, but I miss the baby we never got to meet.

I also have such strong emotions about the first Christmas.  Now that I have children the idea of God sending his son for us is almost more than I can handle.  Seeing my own new baby makes me think about the face of the baby that would eventually die for me.  A sweet baby was born and lived a perfect life only to be ridiculed, tormented and killed because I can't live the life God wants me to live without that sacrifice.  My heart hurts for my Father in heaven because He had to sacrifice His son and at the same time my heart is full of joy because my Father in heaven loves me more than I can even imagine or contemplate.

This is truly a season of joy because Christ came and I know I'm going home someday to be with my Grandmama, my beautiful babies I have yet to meet and most importantly my sweet Jesus.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

I hosted a baby shower right before Thanksgiving.  It was an autumn theme with a little sugar and spice for the baby girl.  I thought the decor was cute but very easy to put together because of the time of year.  I used pumpkins, gourds, fall flowers and cranberries.  It was a fun theme.  I made a pumpkin pie cheesecake and we had hot apple cider to top off the autumn/sugar and spice theme.  Here are a few pictures.

I used these pears as party favors.  Each one has a card attached that says "sugar and spice and everything nice."  They are rimmed with a little glitter to look like sugar.

These pots have a small cup in them to hold the bunch of flowers tied with ribbon.  I put paper towels in the bottom of the pots so I didn't have to use so many cranberries.

I glittered the vase to go with the sugar part of the theme and then glittered the honored guest's last initial in the vase as well.  I really wanted a pumpkin for this instead of a vase, but would you believe I couldn't find one?!  I was so mad about that!

I think this picture speaks for itself.  Seriously though, don't you just want to smoosh those cheeks?  Don't you just want to wrap this up and put it under the tree?  Don't you just want this baby to wear this hat every single day?  I think you know what I'm saying here.

Have a Holly Jolly...Lights!

We went to see Jolly Holiday Lights tonight!  I LOVE Jolly Holiday Lights!  Driving through the park looking at all the lights displays, making fun of the ridiculous ones and loving the cute ones.  It's the best!  The funniest one this year was a pumpkin carriage being carried through the air by a unicorn pegasus.  What was that?!  Other than that they were pretty standard.  The snowmen with feet playing sports and Santa Claus on the computer were a couple of contemporary classics.

The thing that really topped the night off right though was eating Sunday fried chicken at Cracker Barrel afterward.  Is this not the best combination ever?  Christmas lights and fried chicken?  So choice.

Best.  Night.  Ever.

3 Reasons I Don't Want to do Anything Today

1.  It's starting to snow and I just want to stare out the window and think about Christmas.

2.  I'm still in my pajamas at 11am and it's too cold in the house to change out of them.

3.  I've eaten too many carbs since last Thursday and now I have no energy or will or discipline left.

Favorite Thanksgiving Things

Lachlan
1.  Potatoes
2.  Whoopie pies
3.  Watching shows

Aeven
1.  Watching shows
2.  Potatoes
3.  Whoopie pies

What does this say?  I'm not sure.  But really, isn't that what Thanksgiving is all about?  Watching shows and eating, right?  Oh yeah and that whole being thankful thing.  We might need to work on being thankful next year.  This year I guess we're concentrating on eating and watching shows.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like....

We were in Minnesota last weekend and it snowed like 8 inches!  The kids were so excited.  I have to say, there is something magical about the first snow.  The flakes were so huge and beautiful.  It snowed all day, but it was still warm enough to be outside for most of the day and play.  I am not a winter person, but this was fun.  I wish we could just have two or three days of winter fun and then go back to summer weather.  Doesn't that sound perfect?  I think it's a good plan.

I made something!

I made this elf doll from www.make-baby-stuff.com/elf-pattern.html

Isn't he cute?  He's not perfect, but I made him and I love him.  My kids were freaked out about his eyes being closed though.  They said they want one, but they want "eyes open."  It really only took me an hour to make after I figured out how to make the face.  The tutorial says to sew the face on after you make the doll, but I found it much easier to sew the face and then finish putting the doll together.  I am quite an amateur though, so maybe it's not the best way.  I don't care, I made something!

I Almost Forgot!

Our little peapod!

She didn't get so much candy and quite frankly did not enjoy this costume.  I think she looks hysterical though and made her wear it many times in the days leading up to Halloween.

Buzz and Jessie

I thought I would finally post a picture of the kids from Halloween. They got so much candy!  I was surprised this year at how much candy they got that they could actually eat.  In years past we've had to send most of our candy to work with Kyle because we usually get a lot of chocolate and nuts.  This year we had a lot of little bags of Skittles, Starbursts and gummies.  This makes me think that allergies are becoming part of our culture and more and more people are being affected.  It makes me kind of sad, but at the same time happy for my kids that they are able to enjoy treats with everyone else on these kinds of holidays.

3 Reasons I'm Embarrassed Today

1.  I had to breast feed my daughter in the church "nursing room" today with 2 other ladies.  When I got there the room was full, so one mother who was done nursing, but still visiting with the other mothers had to leave, making me feel like a total bother.  The whole time my blanket was falling off of my shoulder.  I started sweating and worrying about what everyone was seeing.  Then the baby decided she didn't want to eat and made me look like I totally didn't know what I was doing.

2.  I was trying to talk to a group of adults about Sunday school this morning and they all ignored me.  I wasn't sure if they couldn't see me because I'm so much shorter than all of them, or if they just don't like me because well, I'm me.

3.  I taught the Bible lesson to the kindergarten through 3rd grade classes at church today and I totally lost my place and forgot my lines...TWICE!!!!  I even did the dreaded announce to everyone that I lost my place thing.  Aahhahhh!  I also had to speak after Kyle and everybody knows how great Kyle is at speaking in front of kids and adults for that matter.  I felt so stupid!

I was going to write about my very fun surprise birthday party, but I realized that the only people who read this blog were there.  I was going to share the story about me losing my supper after an unfortunate cupcake incident, but you already know all about that.  One of you had first ear experience.  Get it, Catherine, instead of first hand?  I was also going to share how delicious those cupcakes were before they came back up.  They were so delicious that after feeling like I ate something I was allergic to in the apple crumb one I decided a second flavor would heal all that was ailing me, so I ate a vanilla one.  Then I was going to talk about how the vanilla one didn't help, but instead sped up the throwing up process.  Lastly, I wanted to inform you that throwing up all those cupcakes did not deter me from eating the left overs for the next couple of days.  That's right friends, I'm a fighter.  I'm not sure if I threw up at the end of the party or if the party ended because I threw up.  That we'll never know.  What we do know is that I will always do something embarrassing or disgusting any time I am taken in a public setting.  That, as they say, is Irish for the course.

3 Reasons Why I'm Nervous for Aevie's First Dance Class

1.  I'm scared that Aevie is going to freak out when we get there and I won't know how to get her to go in the classroom.

2.  I'm worried that the other mommies won't like me.  I know, redonk bro, but seriously a concern of mine.

3.  I'm not sure what to dress her like.  Should she wear a leotard and ballet slippers or will all the other kids just be wearing regular clothes?

Just so you know...

I decided to share my cheesecake.  I felt guilty every time I opened the refrigerator and took a bite of the scrumptious, just slightly lemon flavored cake.  I realized that at this rate, in a few days I would have eaten an entire cheesecake by myself and I just couldn't live with that fact.  Well, I guess I could have lived with that fact, but I would have been slightly embarrassed.

I have a personal dilemma.  I know that this is a dilemma because I looked it up and neither horn is comfortable.  I think you'll know what I mean.  I made a cheesecake yesterday because I had a bunch of cream cheese in my refrigerator that was going to go bad.  Why did I have a bunch of cream cheese in my refrigerator that was going to go bad?  It's fun to just guess, don't you think?  Go ahead, guess.  Nope, you're all wrong!  It's because the expiration date was October 20th, so they were going to go bad.  And, oh yeah, I had them because I over bought for a wedding shower where the only thing we ate was cream cheese.  No, I'm kidding!  It was for a birthday party that we only ate cream cheese!  Okay,  it was for a wedding shower that I made cheesecake for and over bought on the cream cheese.  A cream cheese only party would be kind of funny though, right?  And disgusting, but mostly funny.

Oh yeah, the dilemma.  So, I made the cheesecake and now I'm trying to decide if I should eat it all by myself because Kyle doesn't like cheesecake or should I take it to someone and share?  I already ate a couple pieces out of it mind you.  So, there it is.  The end.

I Do Declare...

Or maybe I eclair.  Anyway, I declare today the day I start gaining my winter weight.  You know, the fat layer I need to put on to survive the winter.  It's necessary, trust me.

So, Kyle and I are trying to do our Christmas shopping early again this year.  We always start with all the kids because they are the most fun and easiest to shop for.  I always intend to start with the adults to get the hard ones out of the way, but I never do because the kid stuff is too exciting.

I have figured out that I am no fun when it comes to buying kids things though.  I can't help myself.  I think too practically.  I want to go for the big Christmas day reaction, but then I start thinking about the staying power of the toy.  So many times those toys that get a reaction are only played with for a month or so and then tossed aside.  I can't help but think about all those toys that don't get played with and just take up room in the house.  I start thinking that really, the kids love art supplies and building blocks.  They love these things all year long, but art supplies don't really get that excited reaction like, say a Bat Cave does or a dinosaur that moves.

Kyle really does not enjoy the buzz kill that my practicality in toy shopping brings.  Last night I had the brilliant idea of getting one of the kids a blank board book so that they could make their own book and illustrate it.  Kyle basically yawned and feigned interest over the thing.  The best thing he had to say was, "Well, it's affordable."  Would you expect anything less from Miss Practical?

So, I'm not sure.  Am I on the right path with Christmas kid shopping or am I the stick in the mud?  Am I looking out for what the kids really want or am I getting them what I want them to have?  Am I the most intuitive parent or am I the most boring?

I have nothing to write about because all I can think about are donuts and cupcakes.  Catherine called and said the Sioux Falls Hy-Vee has whoopie pies, so now I also want one of those.  I'm completely addicted to sugar.  Something must be done, but first I have to find something sweet to eat before I try to solve this problem.

So, there is this guy at the gym that seems to be there just about every night.  He works out in kind of a weird fashion.  He will do the elliptical for about 15 minutes and then stop and walk off and come back and do it for another 10 minutes or so and then he'll switch to something else and come back.  He is there when I get there and is still there when I leave.

One night I was working out on the machine next to him and I could hardly control my laughter because he was laughing so hard about whatever show he was watching.  It was hilarious.  Especially because he's wearing headphones and he's the only person who knows what's so funny about what he's watching.

I went home and told Kyle about this and he described the guy and it turns out he's usually there when Kyle goes to the gym as well!  So, Kyle and I have decided that we are pretty sure this guy comes to work out just to watch TV.  I do not judge at all because half of my motivation is TV too.  I love it though and we've decided that the love of TV explains why he doesn't really run or work out too hard since he really has different motivation than most people for being there.

Help!  Somebody drag me off of my lazy bottom and get me away from the Cinnamon Toast Crunch!  That's right, I am spending this beautiful fall Friday inside watching terrible internet TV and eating dry cereal.  I need motivation or a pep talk maybe.  Or, I think, maybe I might just need a very large piece of cake.  Yes, cake would definitely get me up and moving.  Good idea.

Stay-at-Home Loser

Yesterday I spent two hours cooking and cleaning only to have to throw out all of my work.  I don't even know if I can tell this story yet, but here goes.  I started making chicken and rice soup.  I had already started cooking the vegetables and was adding the stock when a huge glob of what looked like snot fell in the pot. I fished it out and it made me gag.  I had to throw the whole pot out.  Then I had mixed up and kneaded a bread dough that never rose!  I cooked it anyway and it was ridiculously bad.  I threw it out too.

I was looking on Facebook as I'm prone to do and I noticed a few of my friends were fans of this "A Wise Woman Builds Her House."  So, I had to check it out.  Well, it's about women who work from home and help their husbands with the money making.  I, of course, have no work from home skills and am very insecure about this fact.  At least once or twice a year I try to come up with ideas to help out with the family income.  I got nothin' I tell ya, nothin'.  If you have any ideas of how I can become a little less losery let me know.  I know losery is not a word, but I'm a loser, what do I know?

Stay-at-home loser, signing off.

Thoughts

I don't think green tea really suppresses your appetite.  I've been eating sweets all day and drinking green tea to go along with them.  I feel like my body isn't getting the point.  Maybe it's my mind that isn't getting the point, but that's nothing new.

I'm always itchy after I sweat, but instead of taking a shower I torture myself by being lazy and sitting in front of this computer.

I've decided that the green I picked out years ago for one of the paint colors in my room is really ugly.  I don't know why I ever liked it.  Don't tell Kyle.  I'm pretty sure that after making him paint those ridiculous stripes on the wall he is going to cut the wall out of this house and take it to the next one.

Do you know that you cannot buy a baby book for less than $13.99?  I still haven't bought Ilsa a baby book because I don't want to spend that much money on something I'll write in a couple of times.  I have to buy one though because the other kids have one and I refuse to give that up on the third child.  What if I have a fourth?  Am I going to decide not to clothe it or buy it diapers because it's just too much money and we've already spent that money three times?

I can't believe I just wasted this time writing on this blog that no one reads when I should have been taking a shower.  Now the baby is awake and I'm itchy!

3 Things That Made Me Cry Last Night

1.  After visiting my parents for a week I realize that I want to stay with them all the time.  I want to be just like I was as a kid and have them do my laundry and make me meals and talk to me until bedtime.  The only change I want is for my husband and kids to be there and for my parents to take care of all of us.  That sounds reasonable and rational, right?

2.  My teeny tiny baby slept in her own room last night for the first time.  I can already see her packing up and going to college.  Her life is flashing before my eyes.  I know she's three months old, but she's growing up too fast!  And, yes, she's three months old and just now getting in her own room.  I'm a little over protective, so what of it?!

3.  My hair is still totally out of control and I cannot figure out a way to make it look good without using a hair dryer, straightener or curling iron.  I really don't want to have to break down and spend more than thirty seconds on my hair.  Help!

Today, one of the children informed me that she was misbehaving because she was just tired.  What do I do with this?  How many times have I, as a parent, tried to reason away my child's behavior because they didn't get a good nap or went to bed too late?  I know I'm totally fooling myself in this logic, but now the children are trying to fool me as well?  I'm not naming any names here, but I'll give you a hint.  She's sassy, cute as a button and red headed.  Bet ya can't guess who!

Today at the park we heard the high school marching band playing "Hey Jude."  I thought this was kind of a weird marching band song.  Who's with me?  Is it performed much in the marching band realm?  Is it like "Your Song" for show choirs?  I'm not sure.  Either way, I couldn't help but walk a little faster when the drum line started playing the fast, jazzy version of the chorus.  How does "Hey Jude" have a fast, jazzy chorus you ask?  I'm not sure, but they were definitely playing it that way and it was a little bit of a toe tapper if I do say so myself.

Mickey Mouse Party!

Mickey and Minnie together forever.

Take a whack at Ouiser!

"Yes, I have frosting up my nose and I like it!"

Aevie seriously said, "I can't believe I really got a lunch box!"

"How can I eat all the icing off of this and not bite in to any cake?"

Why is it so hard for me to throw away old, stretched out underwear?  I mean, it's not just hard for me to throw out my own old underwear, but my kids' and Kyle's.

As I was folding laundry this morning I decided I just had to get rid of a few pairs of underwear.  I found a pair of Kyle's with holes in them and then rethought throwing them out because what if they were his favorite pair?  What if he totally ran out one day and that old pair with all the holes in them was somehow stuck at the back of the drawer and he found them and they saved him from some embarrassing situation?

Next I found an old pair of mine that I've been meaning to throw out but have found excuses to keep.  My mother pointed out on her last visit that some of my unmentionables have gone through three pregnancies now and they've seen better days.  Yes, my mother was doing my laundry.  I had just had a baby afterall, and I take advantage when I can, and she's my mother.  There is something oddly comforting about my mother folding my panties, as she calls them (although, it sounds more like pannies when she says it).

The last pair of underwear I saw that I knew needed to be thrown out was my five year old's training pants.  he hates this pair of underwear and they look very babyish, but I have kept them because he's still my baby and I don't want him to be old enough to throw out training pants.  Don't get me wrong, I love that he is trained in the ways of the potty and that he is way too old to worry about training pants, but those Spiderman under roos are just another reminder of my baby growing up.

As I looked at these three pair of old, ragged, well used underwear, I noticed something.  They were all blue.  I took it as a sad sign.  I threw them all out.  At least they are together.

3 Things That kept me Awake Last Night

1.  Day 1 of kindergarten homeschooling tomorrow.  I'm already tired, confused and worried that I'm ruining my kids.

2.  My hair is a wavy, frizzy mess.  I'm too lazy to dry and straighten it though.  How am I going to fix my hair on a regular basis without putting in any effort?

3.  I can't think of a good place to hang my calendar.  I want it in the kitchen and easily accessible to the kids.

I know, how sad is it that these are the things keeping me up at night?  Oh, my brain, what a messed up confused, minutiae filled thing.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes?

I surely hope not!  I woke up this morning from another crazy dream.  I dreamt that I was at a baby shower in the middle of an airport when I got in a fight with my huband, who I was not married to in the dream.  So, I walked over to another chair and sat down.  The person in the chair next to me turned around and who should be sitting there, but the guy I had a crush on in third grade.  Let's call him Landon because I love that name and his real name isn't as cool.  So, Landon and I start talking and he is telling me about his wife and two little girls.  The first little girl had a cute name, but I can't remember it because the second little girl's name was so memorable.  He said they named her Gerald because they got lazy and couldn't come up with anything else.

Soon, his wife (let's call her Caroline because I love that name too and she never told me her name in the dream), came over and I introduced myself.  She was a lovely woman and very pretty.  Next her mother-in-law, Landon's mom, came over and I talked to her.  Caroline then started talking to her mother-in-law and then walked away for a minute.  As soon as Caroline left the MIL started talking badly about her to me.  Then when MIL left I noticed that Caroline was actually hiding in this cave looking place right beside us and had heard every bit of the conversation.  And, poor Caroline was crying! I felt so badly for her.  I talked to her for a bit to try and make her feel better.

All of a sudden I realized I was late for a class, so I hurried off to find the room where the class was taking place.  I new that I only needed to go up two floors in the elevator, but when I got up there it didn't look familiar so I went up another flight of stairs.  When I opened that door I was outside!

This is where the dream gets really weird.  I saw an older man walking down some stairs I was walking up.  He stopped and it looked like he was having a seizure, except he was standing up.  I kept asking if he was okay, but he didn't answer at first.  Then all of a sudden he stopped and said, "Oh don't worry, I was just having a little heart attack."  Of course I looked alarmed and he said, "What?  You've never seen anyone have a heart attack before?"  This guy started to freak me out, so I tried to go through the next door.  The weird guy then told me that the door just led to the parking garage.

By this time I was completely discouraged and just started running the way I had come.  The scene turned into a fairy tale looking world covered with stone steps that led nowhere.  Finally, to my relief, I woke up.

3 Things That Freak Me Out...

1.  I had a dream that my house was infested with bed bugs.  Has anyone else been completely taken over by fear of bed bugs because of all the recent cases in big cities?  No?  Just me?

2.  Beezy likes to talk to the baby while she's nursing.  He says things like, "You like to eat, don't you?" and "Hi Little, how are you today?"

3.  Every time I check out library books I can't help but wonder where they've been.  You know what I'm saying, I know you do.

Little Forever

My son, we call him Beezy, is the perfect little daddy.  He talks to my almost three month old daughter in a baby voice and hugs on her and tells me how to mother her.  He acts just like any other dad I know.  Am I right ladies?  The other day, he was talking to Shibby, (Don't ask where we come up with these names), and in his best baby talk voice, he said, "I wish you could stay little forever."  I could not agree more with this statement.  As I looked at my oldest baby saying that to my youngest baby I realized how I wished Beezy could stay little forever too.  If I could I would keep them all little and never let them leave the house.  Even as I write this and two out of the three children are crying I know that I would keep them all little forever.

Don't You See It?

Don't you see the joy in these kids' faces?  Don't they look like the picture of happiness?  These are the faces of children who love their mommy.

Doesn't she look like she wants to give me the biggest hug?  You know she does.  She loves the fact that I am taking her picture.

I know what you're thinking, you don't have to tell me.  She has got to be Mother of the Year.  Look at these happy, well adjusted children that she's raising.  We all need to take parenting tips from her.  I don't know what I'm doing, but it must be something good.  I mean, just look at these faces!  

Let Them Eat...Everything!

I survived the state fair.  It was so delicious.  Oh, I mean fun.  No, I mean delicious.  Here are the photos of my night at the fair.  I ate it all.  I mean saw it all.  No, I mean ate it all.

Here is my sister with the funnel cake she totally wimped out on and I had to finish.

This is me with my beloved curly fries.

"Oh, look at all this glorious food!"

The infamous fried twinkie.  Loving it, as you can tell.

We seriously took food home.  We just couldn't get enough.

The State Fair

I'm going to the fair tonight with my sister.  I cannot wait.  I go strictly for the food, of course.  I mean, I like looking around at animals and walking through the exhibits, but let's just be real here, I'm going for the food.  I'm mapping out my plan this afternoon.  There are way too many food stands and so little time.  I have to have a fried twinkie.  That's right, I said a fried twinkie.  Before you turn your nose up let me just explain this.  Twinkie + funnel cake batter = complete happiness.  Do you get it yet?  No?  Fine, more for me.  I love the curly fries too.  Oh, and the fried cheese curds.  And, let us not forget the most amazing food stand at our state fair, the one that sells fried shrimp on a stick and crawfish etouffee.  It is so tasty that I don't mind spending $8 to dine on exquisite cuisine just mere feet or sometime inches from horse manure. It's that good.  Well, I'm sure you wish you were going with me.  I'll take pictures, of the food, of course!

I really want to be one of those bloggers who shows the world the wonderful things they have created that day.  I look at so many blogs with great recipes or a new sewing project and it amazes me.  I really want to be that mom.  I'm not.  I barely made it out of bed before ten this morning and that was only because my two month old was crying to be fed.  My other two children were doing who knows what by that time, but I was not about to go looking for them when they were being so quiet.  I realize now that leaving a four and five year old the run of the house is not the best idea, but in my sleepy state I just didn't care.  When I did get out of the bed I managed to take the kids to the park, feed them their meals and do a little cleaning.  By the time I was done with that I was exhausted.  I just don't understand the energy of the super mommies.  I feel sorry for my children and my husband.  At the same time, do they really care if I can make a blanket out of old clothes?  I will continue to feel insecure and inadequate until the day I post a how to on this blog.  I will do it one day, just not today.

I love a good party

As I'm thinking about my daughter's upcoming birthday party I am becoming sentimental.  She's going to be four this September.  I have had control over all of her birthday parties up to this point.  Her first birthday party was all about cupcakes, her second was a barnyard party, and her third was a pink poodle celebration.  This year, well, she has a mind of her own.  This year we are having a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse party.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good character party, but for someone else's kids.  I loved coming up with creative and inexpensive ideas for cakes and cookies and decorations with all of her former parties.  I loved getting to live out my own birthday dreams through her parties.  I already had plans of tea parties and princess picnics.  But, alas, the TV wins out.  We are doing it up Mickey Mouse style this year.  My saving grace for this party was that our local party store was going out of business, so we got all of our supplies for 70% off.  I'm sorry party store.  I guess from here on out I should be on the look out for going out of business party stores.  There's no telling what I'll be looking for next year.  Carebears?  Dora?  Wonder Pets?  Oh no, not Wonder Pets!

For a walk down wonderful birthday memory lane check out these pictures of girly birthdays past.

This is Aevie's 1st birthday party.  It was all about sweets.  So much fun!

The farm party.  I loved making animal cookies and who doesn't love a good checkered table cloth?

The pink poodle party was one of my favorites.  I put to use those cool Martha Stewart pom poms.  Oh how I miss all that pink fluffiness.  I don't think Mickey Mouse would be into pink frosting, do you?