Birthday Time

Four-year old birthday theme of beach balls and water slide full of sun, water, cake and presents and sliding all afternoon.

Almost everyone took advantage of the chance to get wet and cool off in the 100 degree temps. 

Then the birthday cake to share with all the guests. 

Singing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles.

Opening presents is always fun.

And a lot of Teenage Ninja Turtles in the mix of gifts. 

Happy Birthday!! Four Years Old!

Hello Sunshine

That's what I read on my package delivered by the USPS.

I subscribed to a monthly mono box that after keeping up with daily on FB for the last few months I caved and subscribed and received my first monthly box. I like the results and so glad I subscribed and look forward to one every month now for only $21.95. I've come across quite a few monogram subscription boxes online. 

My July monobox included monogram beach towel, monogram casual bracelet, and 2 drink coozies.

The beach towel is aqua in color, large in size 60"x30". It's not a thick towel, but tightly woven. 

The monogram bracelet is a corded double band with an adjustable slip and slide closure with monogram letters nicely set on gold plated bar.

Their FB page gives you a monthly preview of what to expect in the month coming up. Next month is a mono tote! 

Check it out here. 

My Zoo Project

The "My Zoo" stuffed animal storage is a cute idea seen on Etsy and then came to life in our work shop. On Etsy it looks like this on many different Etsy shops.

All colors lined up on Etsy for sale from $95 up to $150. 

So our project began with a trip to Lowe's to purchase 2x4's, rope, and paint to make 3 "My Zoo's", for a total amount right under forty bucks. A lucky grab of 8oz Valspar paint on sale for 99 cents each (regular priced $3.89) helped to keep the "My Zoo's" way under budget. Except, there really was no budget, but I'm proud of rock bottom sale prices. 

Soooo, I bought 2 each of sassy lilac, blush pink, and deep twilight blue Valspar 8oz paint samples. Tho I would have preferred another pinker  color, there wasn't a large selection of colors left to choose from. 

My project was taken over by my workshop/tool owner and I became the project manager over seeing the progress. I determined the size of the "My Zoo" should be 18" square by 32" high. 

Then all glued and nailed together waiting  for day 2 to paint. 

With two coats of paint there is enough of the 99 cents samples left to make at least two more "My Zoo's".

On day 3 after paint was fully dry, ropes were stapled in for the animal caged look. 

The hardest part was the words "My Zoo". I needed a stencil to add the words. Office Depot only had straight box letters in stencil form. And I wanted a cute-sy kinda font. So I printed it off the computer, taped together, and cut out. It presented a few problems since it was a handmade stencil. But only had to sand the words off once and repaint and re-stencil. 

They are finished and I love the end result. They're ready to be delivered and become home to all the stuffed animals laying around.

There's an engagement

We're going to have a wedding. Soon. But she just wants to relish in being engaged first.

Congratulations to you two!

Future Olympic Swimmer

The The last day of "swimming school" as he calls it and I get invited to be one of the spectators. The perks of being the fun mawmaw.

The little kiddos learned the basics of floating, kicking, and holding their breath under water. 

Cute little kids like fish in the water.

And even jumps off the diving board and swimming across the deep end. 

Congratulations Cohen on your success!

Cinderella Day

Another pageant day with fun, friends, and a fabulous time at the State Cinderella Scholarship Pageant. We have done it all three years now from Infant Division to Baby Division to Tiny Tot Division for each girl.

We haven't made it to Nationals in Dallas yet, but that's my plan. I don't know what the mom's plan is. 

So the two-day event went like this: 

Group playtime with Judges. Here we are  waiting for line up time. 

After a crying episode by the littlest one after she was kicked in the head while sitting on the floor by a passerby where the area was so congested you could hardly pass while waiting for your group to be called in. 

Casual Wear 

Dressy casual wear starts off day two.

Everyone was so cute. And this one was a ham while waiting to line up. 

She was having fun on and off stage. 

And this one has no fear of the stage. She likes the pageant scene as much as me. 

Sunday Dress Competition

The final competion was the party dress competition. All little girls in sweet little dresses walking across the stage smiling. 

The Grand Finals

Titles and awards at the end. Everyone's a winner in their own way. 

We didn't win Overall Tiny Tot Winner or Overall Baby Winner. Our titles and awards were the Cinderella Tiny Tot 3rd Runner Up and Cinderella Tiny Tot Photogenic and Cinderella Baby 1st Runner Up and Cinderella Baby Beauty.

Did I say I love pageants?

I love love love the pageant scene.

And they do too. 

Birthdays

How could I forget to share two birthdays!

First the oldest of the adult children had a birthday in May. He's funny, sweet and a wonderful son, dad, husband, brother, friend.

And the middle sibling had her birthday in June just 6 days after her baby girl turned two. So there was a two for one party for two special girls.

Happy Happy Happy Birthdays!!  

The 4th

Seems like we're always celebrating a holiday around here. How fortunate for us  as Americans to have the freedom and opportunity to celebrate.

July 4th was celebrated with fireworks, pools, RVing, food, sun and heat. We made Jellystone Yogi Bear our holiday destination.

It was a nice fireworks show over the lake. Plenty of people. And golf cart city. With golf carts decorated with all red, white and blue and music blarring across the open area. 

There was two huge pools, splash pad, kiddie pool with slides, etc. 

Sun and heat and water all day. 

We lived off of snowballs everyday. And spent our share of relaxing and waiting for the next scheduled event. 

America the Beautiful.