THIS IS OUR NEW CHIMINEA! I NEVER KNEW THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE CALLED BUT WE LIKE IT! AND IT WAS ONLY $25 ON KSL.
HOT DOGS AND SMORES WITH RILEY'S LITTLE GAL FRIEND! LATER SHE COMBINED HER HOT DOG AND HER SMORE AND ATE THEM TOGETHER....GAG!
RILEY'S FIRST BOWLING EXPERIENCE. I THINK HE'S ENJOYING HIMSELF.
MALIA DRINKING HER WHOLE MILK.
RILEY CAN EVEN BOWL SIDEWAYS!
HE MIGHT GO PRO!
RILEY WAS SO BUMMED HE COULDN'T KEEP THESE SHOES.
THIS AFTER PICTURE IS BEFORE THE BEFORE PICTURE. THIS IS THE AREA OF MY YARD CALLED "CINDY'S CORNER" SINCE IT'S MY MOM WHO DESIGNED IT. YOU CAN SEE THE START OF A WALL THAT WE ARE GOING TO BUILD AS SOON AS WE GET MORE BLOCKS. I LOVE ALL THE PLANTS, ESPECIALLY SINCE MY MOM PICKED MOST OF THEM AND THEY ARE SOME I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF, BUT I LOVE THEM! I WILL TAKE ANOTHER PICTURE SOMEDAY IN THE DAY TIME WHEN THE WALL IS DONE.
HERE IS THE BEFORE PICTURE OF CINDY'S CORNER. OH AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE CINDY, IN THE CORNER :)
THESE BALLOONS ARE FROM MALIA'S PARTY. IF YOU EVER WANT HELIUM BALLOONS THAT LAST FOR WEEKS, GET THEM AT MACEY'S AND HAVE THEM USE "HI-FLOAT". WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL UP AT THE TOP OF OUR LIVING ROOM VAULT.
GOSH I TRIED TO CROP OUT MORE OF HIS TUSH! RILEY LOVES THIS NEW SNORKEL MASK! HE HAD IT ON DURING FAMILY PRAYER THE OTHER NIGHT AND IT SOUNDED LIKE WE WERE BEING JOINED BY DARTH VADAR.
RILEY TRYING TO LAUNCH MALIA. MALIA BRACING HERSELF AND CLEARLY SHE IS EXCITED.
I LOVE THESE PAJAMAS. THEY SAY "BIG BROTHER". RILEY IS SUCH A GREAT BIG BROTHER.
AND HERE'S CUTE LITTLE SIS!
MOM AND MALIA OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT
RILEY AND HIS BEST FRIEND! HE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HIS GRANDMA THE OTHER NIGHT AND AFTER TALKING A FEW MINUTES HE SAID "BUT, WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE YOU."
AS MALIA'S MOTHER, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE HER WITH LIME WEDGES. IT IS UP TO HER WHETHER SHE EATS THEM OR NOT. SOMETIMES IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD TO LET THEM FIND OUT FOR THEMSELVES IF THEY HAVE MADE A MISTAKE :)
THE HALLWAY OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX MY MOM, BROTHER AND I LIVED IN FROM 1989 TO 1995. OUR DOOR WAS DOWN THE HALL ON THE LEFT. QUITE A LOT OF MEMORIES THERE!
THE LAUNDRY ROOM WHERE I DID LOT'S OF LAUNDRY AND ONE TIME ACCIDENTALLY USED BLEACH INSTEAD OF LAUNDRY DETERGENT ON A LOAD OF DARKS. OOPS! I ALSO LIKED TO WATCH THE POWER METERS IN THE ROOM AND SEE WHICH APARTMENTS WERE USING MORE POWER.THE END!
Once again, pictures don't do it justice but we had this room decorated so cute. Butterflies on the wall, 30 balloons with curly ribbon hanging down, a big banner, etc. My mom and I had a great time decorating together! Thanks Mom! Poor lady had to work on her birthday. That's right, April 23rd is my mom's bday too but don't EVER say a word about it to her if you happen to see her on her birthday. She might deck you :)
It's a good thing Malia's not self-conscious because I sat her out in the middle of the room for the festivities. We all got to Ooh and Aah over how cute she was while pigging out on pasta salad. While SHE was pigging out on pasta, although the rest of us were pigging out on pasta salad too I guess.
Have you ever stood in front of a room of people and tried to rally them into playing musical chairs, and they all just look at you like they are embarassed to know you, not least of all your own husband? This was my situation at the party. I knew they would have fun, I even let them know there was a prize for the winner...but you should have seen the effort I had to put into getting them all off their hineys and you should have SEEN the daggers I gave Ben for not backing me up on what I knew would be fun! Well, I was right...they guys ended up have fun playing musical chairs while my mom controlled the pause button on the song "Let's Hear it for the Boys". It was so funny! Then the ladies played to the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." I am ashamed to say that I let my competetive side come out and later realized how dumb I must have looked trying ferociously to win a game where at the end I would have to award myself my own prize. But I didn't win, my sister in law Amy won and I'm happy for her. Besides, the prize was a bag of candy and she needs it more than I do, trust me.
Here's my mom walking through the crowd, running her fingers through her hair. Yes mom, we know you have beautiful hair :) Just kidding! If you know her, you know she couldn't care less about showing off her gorgeousness.
And finally, me and my girl! She's looking a little haggard because this is at the end of the party and I had just wiped a pound of frosting off her face. I think all in all she will look back and remember......nothing. But hey! We have pictures to show her so she can never accuse us of not throwing her a big first birthday party. I wish I had a pic of Ben and Malia. Maybe next year I will let Ben plan the whole thing and then I will sit at the party and eat and watch him run around like a chicken with his head cut off while I socialize....and then I will take HIS picture with Malia :) Love you Ben!!!!