30 years

I turned 30 years old on the 17th. It was a good day. Evie and I went to breakfast after dropping the girls at school. We just played around all day, and I did as little housework as I was comfortable with. When the girls got home, they wanted to play games all afternoon for a birthday party. It was pretty fun and funny.When Ben got home, we went down to a private sale at morgan jewelers in Tacoma. I got a pretty new ring, but don't have a picture, as it was sent out for sizing. I also got some fun free stuff too. then we all went to dinner, and the girls were really well behaved. We didn't have room for dessert, which upset Kara because I had told her instead of a birthday cake i was going to have dessert at the restaurant. (she had wanted me to help her bake a cake earlier). So she was unhappy that I didn't have dessert, so Ben stopped at dairy queen and got an Ice cream cake, and we went home. I had a few gifts to open, and Kiersten was glad we woke her back up to see me open them all.
Posing with the jewelry bag. you can see my new feetie pajamas on the couch that Kiersten gave me. I wanted them so much to stay warm in our drafty house. the part I didn't think about was what a pain it is to go to the bathroom when wearing them. you can kind of also see the chore board I got from my mother in law, and my new purse. I should have gotten a better picture, but I was so ready for bed!Once Evie saw Ben taking my picture, she got right up on the fireplace to get her picture taken too. Her personality is getting so fun lately!More than half of the cake is still sitting in the freezer. I'm sure we'll finish it soon enough, though, if the girls would just finish their dinner so they can have dessert.I absolutely LOVE my card from Kara.

I guess I thought turning 30 would be upsetting, or hard, but it was actually great, and I don't feel the least bit sad about it. I think maybe if life wasn't turning out well, or if I were unhappy it might be upsetting. But my life is everything I could want it to be. I have an amazing husband that I adore and admire, 3 gorgeous, healthy girls who love me, and great family and friends. So I'm pretty happy to be where I am at 30 years.

It's your day, Mama!

Kiersten was very excited on sunday to inform me that it was "my day". Ben was sweet enough to have my favorite breakfast ready and waiting for me as soon as Evie woke me up that morning. He took the girls to buy me a gift on saturday, and they couldn't wait til the next morning to give it to me. We played a game of hot and cold for me to find the gift. I finally located it in the washing machine. Please ignore Kiersten's bum scratching... They got me this adorable charm bracelet, and picked out all the pieces for me. The 3 girls are obviously my kids' birth stones. The hexagon beads are my and Ben's birth stones, and they just chose a few other cute beads and charms to complete it. Isn't that the cutest present?

I've been making tons of bows for the girls lately. Here is Evie sporting one of them.

Kiersten and Kara have started requesting certain bows. They will draw pictures of how they want it, and go through all my ribbon to pick out what they want.

On days she doesn't go to school, Kara expects me to make her a matching bow for whatever outfit she picks out. I don't know how long that will last though. I guess until I get tired of making them.

St. Valentines Day 2011

We pretended that valentine's day was on sunday. the girls don't really know the difference, anyway. Ben made breakfast for everyone. He asked me for a heart shaped cookie cutter so he could make the girls' plates look like this. The U is toast that he cut out with a knife. I thought it was pretty cute. After breakfast the girls got to open valentine's from us. Evie got a cute little stuffed frog, and a bear that was free when I bought the frog. Kiersten has really taken a liking to the bear, and keeps asking Evie's permission to play with it. Evie hasn't had a problem with that so far.

The girls were so happy to finally get pillow pets. they have wanted them for so long. Evie got one for Christmas, and they have been totally jealous.

Kara got the unicorn she has been dying to have. She named it "pretty big fluffy bottom cutie".

Kiersten has been wanting the puppy. There was a red valentine's version of it, so that's what she got. I've heard her call it "love puppy", and "ruff ruff". So one of those must be his name.

We spent the rest of the day at the NW trek. The girls really love it, and I think Evie even enjoyed it this time.

Monday, Kara had a valentine's day party at school, and also class picture day. She had lots of fun, and was bouncing off the walls when I picked her up from school. Kiersten and Evie got to do a few valentine's activities in the daycare at the gym too. We always eat a heart shaped pizza for dinner. Our first valentine's date 9 years ago, was at Pier 49 in Utah. Not all the heart pizzas are as good as that one was, but pizza is pizza. This year, Ben brought home papa john's. The girls were pretty excited about it.

He also surprised me with new jewelry! yay! I gave him an out this year, (and I deserved for him to take me up on it...), so I thought I'd get flowers, or candy, or one of those baskets people sell on the side of the road. So I was thrilled to get this pretty necklace, and earings! All he got for valentines was a new wii game. but that's what he likes, so he's happy with that.

Evie wearing her cute heart shirt. She is able to do about 14-15 steps now, so we're calling her a walker. She really is a sweet girl.

Kiersten saw valentine t-shirts at the store a week ago. She asked if she could get the front one that she could see. I started looking through them and reading what they said. As soon as she heard this one said, "I love Grandpa", she insisted on getting it. There were cuter ones, but who am I to get in the way of a 2 year old expressing her love and admiration for her grandpa?

Kiersten picked out a shirt for Karalee, but I didn't want her to wear it on picture day. So she is wearing it today instead. Her hair was curled when I took her to school, but when I picked her up all the curls had fallen out. I used tons of product to keep the curl, but I'm hoping it looked good for the pictures. they were first thing in the morning. Her teacher is too smart to try to do pictures after they are full of sugar.

St. Valentine's Day

On saturday, we went shoppping at Sam's club, and when we were bringing all of our groceries in the house, I saw Ben bring in a jewelry bag. So I hurried and got his gift from my purse and gave it to him a day early. My plan worked, and that prompted him to give me my gift early too. Of course after that we had to let the girls open their gifts as well. Here they are on the couch starting to open. Kar wanted hers, but didn't want Kiersten to get anything. It was a not very nice moment for her, but she got past it quickly once there was a gift bag in her hands.

Kiersten was so excited to get a ni hao Kai-Lan see and say. It's amazing how just a few dollars can go so far to impress them. They also got some new barbie clothes. I have been having such a hard time finding regular barbie clothes. I've looked several places, and it seems barbies are just dressing slutty these days. So ben has been calling all the short strappy dresses pajamas. This inspired Kara's barbies to have a pajama party. it was cute, except when her "boy barbie", as she calls them, asked cinderella if she wanted to sleep with him. Of course Kara had no naughty intentions, so I just let it go, but said, "make sure they each sleep in their own bed". kinda silly, I know. Kara loves this mickey and minnie puzzle. She's already put it together several times.

They also got these cute suckers. They were soft marsmallow ones, kinda like peeps on a stick. The girls really liked them, but I thought they kind of tasted like play-doh.

my gift from Ben was a new pink saphire ring with small diamonds and heart shaped earings to match. I was surprised to get jewelry, and very happy. I totally just expected flowers or candy this year, but I love a good surprise!

a close-up. I know it's horrible my nails aren't done, but I've been really busy lately! I like to think the ring can outshine my dry, wintery hands, anyway.

Ben's gift was candy, and some new shorts. He also got to get some new shirts and ties at Van Heusen. The last few weeks, he kept saying, "we don't really plan on doing valentine's gifts this year, right?" or, "didn't we say we weren't really gonna do valentine's this year?" I realize he was trying to trick me, but I really did go low key because he kept saying that. And he actually was really glad because he would rather just spend money on things when he wants them, instead of hoping that I'll get him a gift he wants. So it all went well for us this year. And I have no problem with being the spoiled one, after all.