Happy Birthday Gracie...5 Years old.

Yesterday, Gracie turned 5 years old. I can't even believe it. My life has come so far in 5 years. We had a weekend of Partying. It started with a Big family party and Uncle Jeff and Aunt Jenny's house on Saturday. Kira was also celebrating her 12th birthday. I asked Grace what type of birthday cake she wanted and she said a Barbie doll cake. Oh great, i thought. I am not a cake decorator at all. I have never claimed to be.
But, for my baby girl, I tried it.

The Barbie Cake
It says Gracie and Kira (not shown)
"Why are her arms out stretched?"
you might ask...well because when I made her top i had to have her arms out of the way. But when I tried to put down her arms the pieces started falling off of the dress.
So there you have it.
Gracie Loved her Barbie Cake. Which made me happy.
We had a great time and Jeffs. We had Pizza and salad and soda.
Yummy. Emily was the pizza thief. She would walk around to all the plates and take a slice...Here are all the grandkids (minus Justice) Lets see. on the front row..Gracie, Tember, Lilly, Olivia, Maddie, Elenor, Second Row sort of: Bayley, Joe, Parker, Dylan, Kunka Third sort of row: Becca/Itsy, Jordan, Kira/Abby, Jake & Maggie and Todd in the back. What a group.
I love this picture of Anne (Jamies Love nugget getting married Sept. 1st) and her daughter Elenor.
So tender.
The Swimmers
Dylan (Steves Youngest)Jer and Ashlee (Becca pouting in the back ground)
Grandma and Abby *Love this picture*Gracie opening her gifts-Barbie from Uncle Jeff: "How did he know I love Barbie?"And her opening Kunka's gift: "oh my gosh, another Barbie, Yeah!" And Lilly got her a Brat Doll (I guess I didn't get a picture of but oh well) and Grandma and Pappa Olsen got her a sleeping bag.
Grandma LaRae got her some clothes.
"Blowing" out the candles. It was windy so there wasn't really anything to blow out.
We had a lot of fun that day.
Monday, Gracie's official birthday, I took the day off to spend with her. She got up and we went to the park around 11.
Emily (with real shoes on) had fun climbing around. She has no fear.Gracie choose her outfit today. Brats shirt, green skirt and a turquoise belt with her sparkle flip flops. she also wanted her hair curly (so that is why her hair was in braids in earlier pictures)The played really well together. Lilly is the mother of the group. Making sure everyone is okay.
And she hates shoes almost as much as I do. After the Park and Lunch Gracie and I went to the Mall to get her birthday Mani and Pedi.
Here she is waiting and waiting at California Nails in the Fashion Place Mall. Wink Wink.After an hour or so wait she finally went back. They put her in a big Pedicure chair and started working on her. She had a good time being pampered.The color she chose was Pink passion. with a pink flower on the big toe. Pretty.After hanging at the mall with mom we went back and picked up the rest of the family. Gracie LOVES the Mayan...so she wanted to go there for her birthday. We parked walked over and..its closed on Monday. So instead we went to Spaghetti Mamas.
She ordered Spaghetti with meatballs and lots of root beer. Lilly ordered the same and Emily shared my lasagna (not on the diet mind you) and Blake's Seafood Linguine. We finished off with cherry/chocolate ice cream. It was a really great birthday. I love you Gracie.
You are my special buddy.
Happy Birthday Princess!!

Kiss or Kunka..you decide

Hummmmm....!

THE Amazing Kunka..ching da da da, da ching da da!

Heloo, my name is the amazing Kunka. I will perform for you a special magic trick..I need a volunteer from the audience. You, naked girl with diaper, you'll do.....
I need you to step into this box...careful careful. Good.
Now I'll shut the door and say the magic words..Alacazam!!!
Wala...disappeared.
(or Dis-da-peered if you are lilly)
Abracadabra...and...
Poof, reappear. MAGIC.
Thank you for coming..don't for get to tip your waitress.

"GET IN THE TUB...!!" the mommy yelled for the last time

The other day, I couldn't get my dirty sweaty kids in the tub. I was at my wits end when I noticed on the counter my craft paint. Just then I had a thought....Paint my kids!!!
If I paint them they will HAVE to get in the tub.
So that is just what I did.
Here is Lillybugs body paint art.
I tried to put wings on her back but it looked like a bear attacked her so we made an abstract bug. yeah she couldn't see it i was safe.
Lilly thought it was so cool that mommy was acting weird and painting her.
It was fun.Then it was Gracie's turn.
I have to say that we had a model that loves to be in the nude.
I told her to put panties on so I could take her picture.
She wanted a tear like Kunka had when she fell off the table at Daycare.
She also said to make her heart really big because she loves a lot of people.
And the best part she liked was her back. She wanted a big flower on there.
So that is what she got.
Two Painted ladies..(still stinky and sweaty mind you)
Painted faces..(yeah I know don't quit your day job)
But I have to say that my idea worked.
They are in the tub AND clean!
First time the water was RED...
And where was Kunka in all this...Screaming!
That is her new thing...Screaming.
She can now say words like, "dadda, mama, faca (fatcat), baba, gac (gracie), kuka (kunka) and wfffff (dog) funny.

Lets go Campin'

This last weekend, my mothers family got together at the Heber Valley Girls Camp for a family reunion. It was really a lot of fun.
Here is the Girls camp sign. I can't believe how dirty our windows are. sheesh.This is the view of Heber Valley. Beautiful isn't it?As part of the festivities were were all suppose to wear a certain color for a certain sibling. My moms color was Purple. she she got everyone Purple Bandannas. Here is Lilly wearing hers
"Arg!"
And Gracie Wearing hers. Kunkas won't stay on.
There was fun places to explore. We had a big rock the kids loved climbing on.
I decided to take the opportunity of being in the great outdoors to get some pictures of my kids. Here they are trying to be good...but this
Is how they normally are.

Happy girls in the woods.
Kira and Olivia..sisterly love.
Lilly and Abby putting rocks down their shirts. I don't know why..but they are two and I don't question.
Peekaboo Bug in the woods.
Family portrait. (photo by Maggie Olsen)Princess in the woods.
Here is Kunka in her bed. What a cutie pie. she had a good time. I think she ate more rocks then I care to count. The Cabins consist of 16 Bunk beds. It was really fun. We slept with Mom and dad, Jer (Ashlee for about an hour until the snoring drove her out) and the Watkins.
The day before we left, Emily was climbing around at daycare and got up on the table and I guess fell of and bumped her eye. Gracie says she looks like she has a chocolate tear drop. this is Lillybug comforting her. Sweet Lilly.


Here is a better view of her eye. Poor girl.

For those of you who don't know, Blake goes in for shoulder surgery tomorrow (wednesday) Keep him in your prayers.