Isn’t it a glorious week?!?!  I hope you have been enjoying each and every day!!

 

Caiden and Kynlee

Saturday was a day for celebration!!  We celebrated Kynlee’s 1st birthday and Caiden’s 11th birthday with a double party that included a massive 20 foot water slide, 2 mini pools for the little kids, redneck golf (ladder ball), bean bag toss, grilled hot dogs, chips, and the always necessary sweets – cake, cupcakes, and cookies.  We were worried that the party was going to be a bust because it was storming that morning and the news showed more rain coming in the afternoon.  Luckily, the rain stopped shortly before the party and the weatherman was wrong because the rain never started again.  A day with family and friends sharing laughter and stories is definitely the best way to spend a Saturday!!!

Mom spent tons of time making the cakes, cookies, and cupcakes for the party.  I wish I could send you a taste of each of them because they are amazing.  I absolutely love my mom’s cakes.  She makes her cakes, butter cream icing, and fondant icing using her own recipes.  She also decorates each and every one by hand.

I wish I had been able to get a picture of the table decorated for Caiden.  The cupcakes are on a glass cake stand.  She filled the base of the stand with sunflower seeds and tiny chocolate baseballs.  It was so dang adorable.

 

 

Kynlee wasn’t too sure about her smash cake.  She acted like she didn’t want to mess it up!!  I can’t blame her, the cake was gorgeous!!  She got a little help from her mom and Mimi.  They held it up until she decided to grab it and shove some into her mouth.  When she was done, she grabbed onto her Mimi and smeared cake and icing all over the front and back of her shirt!!

 

 

Caiden’s candles wouldn’t stay lit on his cake because the wind was blowing so much.  Oh well!!  We were so thankful for the wind to help keep us cool in the humidity and heat that we weren’t even upset about the candles!!  Caiden pretended to blow out the candles as we sang Happy Birthday.

 

The kids LOVED the waterslide.  I don’t know we peeled them away from it to open presents.  I guess we lured them away from it with the promise of food and cake!!  That tactic still works for me, too.

We could not let them be the only ones enjoying the waterslide.  Soooooo…..mom, Traci, and I got ready to take our turn!!  I did not bring any extra clothes because I thought it was going to be raining but mom said she had something I could wear.  It was so much fun.  It was difficult to get up the stairs because the stairway was so narrow.  Yes, I know it is inflatable and I know it is mostly designed for kids –  so it really wasn’t built to accommodate adults my size.  I made the statement to Traci on the way up that I felt as if I was being birthed!!!  At the top, there is a water hose that sprays water.  Ok.  No problem.  Except the fact that the water was spraying directly into our faces as we sat at the summit ready to slide.  OHMYGOSH.  Imagine staring directly into a water sprinkle.  That is exactly what it was like.  Not joking!!  We were trying to use our hands to fight through the water.  So that sent us into fits of laughter before we even had a chance to drop down the slide at what felt like 55 miles an hour into a small pool of water.  It also locked our faces into the water scowl.  You know the one.  The one you make when someone squirts water in your face.  Yep.  That one.

Only when I got to the bottom did I realize that I hadn’t taken my mascara off!!  The sprinkler in the face managed to blow part of it off before the decent and the tsunami wave at the bottom washed the rest of it down onto my cheeks!  That’s a great look, huh??  Grown women belly laughing, rolling around in a shallow pool surrounded by inflated walls, and with 2 black eyes like someone punched us in the face before we went up the ladder.  Let me tell you…. We. Did. Not. Care.  We laughed so hard and went right back up the ladder to do it again.  We went solo, we went together, and we tried to take Kynlee down.  That is a completely different story.  I laughed so hard I thought I was gonna fall over.  I took Kynlee half way up the ladder with the intention of handing her over to Traci, who was walking up the slide area.  The plan was for Traci to walk up to where I was, turn around, take Kynlee, and slide down with her.  The plan did not work!!!  Traci walked all the way up to where I was, turned around, fell, and slid all the way down to the pool alone while I stood there still holding Kynlee.  Ok…….try again.  Nope.  Same thing.  Only this time we are all screaming laughing with tears running down our faces.  At this point, I don’t know if we wanted it to work or wanted to keep watching the repeated fails!!  3rd time is the charm, right?  Nope.  But there was a slight difference this time.  When Traci turned around and slipped, she didn’t make it all the way to the pool.  She slid halfway down and stayed there….waiting to make it to the pool.  She shimmied, she bucked, and she scooted to no avail.  Finally, through the tears, mom and a couple of the kids grabbed her ankle and pulled her the rest of the way down the slide.  I’m done!!  I honestly have no idea how I am managing to stay in place on the ladder, holding this baby who is still waiting to slide.   New plan!  I tried to set Kynlee down on the slide so she could ride alone down to Traci, who was waiting at the bottom for her.  Nope!!  Kynlee, like Traci, got stuck partially down the slide and had to be pulled the rest of the way by her ankles.  I am seriously falling down on the ladder because I am laughing so hard.  One of Caiden’s friends was pushing me from the back to keep me from falling off the ladder.  He could obviously see the disaster waiting to happen and recognized that I was laughing too hard to prevent it from happening!!  Finally, Traci decided to hold Kynlee and walk up the slide, turn around, and slide.  Success!!  YAY!!!  Kynlee loved it.  She belly laughed every time they got to the bottom.  It was fantastic!!

We finally let the boys get back on the slide when we were through and we went inside to change.  Connie had just arrived with 6 pizzas for the adults and kids, so the party continues!!  Mom gave me one of her gowns to wear home.  No problem.  I love gowns – they are so comfortable.  I threw my soaking wet clothes into a plastic bag and put on my grey socks and athletic shoes.  Hot, hot outfit to wear home.  We all got a huge laugh out of the idea that I would have to get out at a store in this outfit.  Kym said I looked like someone on the cast of Mama’s Family.  So….pics or it didn’t happen, right?!?  You are welcome for the sting in your side caused by the laughter while you look this picture.  The things to we do for fun and laughter with family.  Right?!?!

 

 

Memories cannot be bought.  They can only be made and I suggest you make as many memories as you can with the people you love because those memories will last forever.  Your family will rarely remember the things you bought for them but they will always remember the memories.  Make sure they are memories worth remembering.

 

 

 

 

Helpful App

Key Ring

How many times have you signed up for rewards at a store you go to frequently?  A lot, right?  Me too!!  But when I get to the store, I realize that I left the dang card at home!!  Or, I lose it.  UGH!!!  I know that a lot stores can find your rewards information using your phone number, but not all of them.  I use the Key Ring app to take a picture and keep all of my cards so I never have to carry the cards with me or worry about leaving them at home.

It’s super simple to use and you can take a picture of the card (front & back).  Then you have access to all of your rewards cards!!  You love it, right??