A birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to our little Sabree!!

Although her birthday was Tuesday, we celebrated on Monday because we had ball games and such on Tuesday.  She didn't know the difference.

I decided to make her a strawberry cake because she LOVES strawberries.  (and because Dave and I are doing a weight loss challenge and angel food cake is way less calories than anything else).  I took Sabree and Braden to Costco with me that morning to buy strawberries and as soon as she laid eye on those red berries she went crazy.  She was very upset I would let her have all of them right then.  When  we checked out I grabbed a plastic knife from the pizza place and cut up a few and put them in a cut and she was in dog heaven in the car eating her berries.

Then more for lunch.

Then that evening I took the berries to the park with me to cut them up while we watched Tanner practice ball and she again ate berries.  This is her face when I say, "no more berries."

 

We had the Webbs and the Strattons over for cake and a little bday party.  We had to do it fast because tomorrow was a school day.

 She didn't care about that candle at all!

By the time it came around to strawberries and cake, I think she was all strawberried out.  She mostly just played in the cake.

For a one year old she sure got spoiled with lots of gifts!

 We sure love our funny girl!!!

 Sabree is now a walker.  She stands up and goes more often than crawling now.  And she is getting pretty fast.

She is also obsessed with shoes.  She wants shoes on all the time and will find whatever of her shoes she can and bring them to you to put them on her.  She holds her foot straight up in the air so you can put it on.  She loves her brothers and gets so excited if any of them come to play with her.  She loves our kitties.  Strawberries and grapes are her favorite food.  She like so swing and play on the slide.  She loves to be outside and if there is water around she is there!  She loves bath time and if Braden will bathe with her it is the best.  She has figured out how to crawl backwards down the stairs.  She says "here kitty kitty" and will say mama and daddy but I am still not sure it is intentional.  She HATES the carseat.  Sabree is a really great sleeper and eater.  She goes to bed and takes naps like a champ and sleeps for really good stretches during the day and all night.  Her hair is like a feather, but is sure cute when it is in piggy tails.  She is 22 lbs and in the 65 percentile for her weight.  She is much bigger than her brothers were at this age - they were barely 19 lbs at a year.  But she has tiny feet.

Happy Birthday little Peanut!

New family members - try 3

We are on our 3rd set of kitties.  We have high hopes this time that they will stay.

Meet Pebbles

and Slate.

They look very similar but after a few weeks now we can tell them apart.  Slate has more markings on his legs and sides.  And the boys say their noses are little different color.

At first Sabree was terrified of them.   At first she would give this funny face anytime she saw them.

 But now she loves them so much.  And she says "here kitty kitty."  (Hopefully I will get it on video sometime.)

Don't be alarmed, there is nothing but love in these pictures.  She scotches on her bum up to the kitties and grabs them and hugs them.  And they allow it.  It is kind of cute.

Basically they are very loved and will be happy in our family, I am sure.

I can do hard things

My friend gave me a used dining room table and I decided to refinish it for my kitchen.  I have never done anything like this, so it felt overwhelming at first.  Dave didn't like the table at first.  He thought it was too "cabinny", but I had a vision.   My friend Karrie came over and helped me figure out how to do it.  

We sanded and sanded and sanded.

 Then we ran into a problem and were rescued by a friend who brought over a belt sander. That saved me.

After we got everything sanded - it took about 4 days off an on, Dave helped me take it all apart and we moved it to the garage.  I used a black stain with polyurethane in it.  It took 2 coats, and then 2 coats of just wipeone poly.  We roughly sanded the legs and did 2 fresh coats of oak stain on them.

 Then put it all back together.  I LOVE IT!!!!

We hope to find some unfinished chairs that we can refinish to match, but until then we will use what we have which match fine for now.  

The hardest part was waiting for stuff to dry.  I am so happy with the finished project.  It only took about a week.

Footloose

Our stake had an adult dance.  Dave complained at first, but we had a great time.  We went to the chacha instruction before the dance and then loved dancing the steps we learned.

It was very structured ballroom-ish, which isn't as fun when you don't know how to dance.  I was really hoping for some country line dancing.

But I got a new dress and we had such a fun time being together and enjoying company of friends there too.

A Very Special Weekend

Our stake does stake baptisms on the first Saturday of each month, but it was the scheduled date for our ward Father and Sons, so the Bishop talked to us and said that he suggested we have a private baptism the following week.  Uh, okay, we would love to!

After a titch of stress due to an unorganized city baseball league, we finally got the baptism time planned.  We would have it on Saturday, May 11th at 11:30am.  That would give us time to have a baseball game from 9 to 10:30, the baptism, lunch, and another ball game from 2 to 3:30.  It would be busy, but would be the best thing.

Grandpa and Grandma Peterson came on Thursday and brought Mitch and Madolyn with them. Matt and Cami flew in that evening from Las Vegas.  Grandma and Grandpa Mills came in on Friday afternoon.

Dave took Mitch golfing on Thursday night.  Grandpa had a bad back so he didn't go.  He came with me and Tanner to Tanner's ball practice and played catch with Colt almost the whole time.  He also played catch with Sabree.  She is a pill and isn't a big fan of Grandpa, but she would play catch with him.

Friday afternoon we went to the river and took the boat out for the first time of the season.  It was 90+ degrees outside (over 20 degrees above average) but the river was a chilly 54 degrees.  It felt nice to dip our toes, and a few brave/crazy kids played in the water and tubed and kneeboarded and such.  Sabree loved to eat river rocks and drink the water.

That evening Dave took Grandpa Peterson and Mitch sturgeon fishing and the rest of us hung out at home.

This is what they were hoping for....
but they got skunked!!!

Saturday morning Grandpa Peterson took Tanner for team pictures at 8 am and the rest of us went to cheer on the game at 9am.  Tanner was awesome.  He did such a great job and hit the ball clear out there every time he was up to bat.  He had a little issue one time when he ran from 3rd base to the dug out instead of home, but the kid behind him ran from 3rd to 1st, so it is okay!  Then we hopped home, got ready for the "main event" and headed to the church.

  

What a sweet program.  Cami spoke and Grandma Peterson spoke.  We had a full primary room of family and friends that have become family.  It was just the right amount of time, about 40 minutes from start to end.  Then the Webbs and Platts came over for a ribs BBQ and we enjoyed visiting and eating delicious food.  It means so much to mean when friends make us such a priority that they are willing to spend their busy day with us.

Then Colt went to team pictures with Coach Webb and the rest of us headed to the ball field and 3 to watch Colt's tball game in 95 degree weather.  IT WAS HOT!!!

Saturday night we all vegged out.  The kids were all so exhausted from the hot, busy day, and the adults laid on the couches and watched Cami & Matt's wedding video and Captain America.

What a special day!

Sunday was Mother's Day.  I got to sleep in, wake up to breakfast on the table, and not have to do anything.   What a treat to have both Grandma's here with us.  We had a lovely church service, and then a delicious dinner of salmon and asparagus all cooked by the men, and then cleaned up by them too!!  We had a nice afternoon playing games and being together.

Cami and Matt flew out tonight.  Everyone else goes home in the morning.  We are so blessed.

Piano Recital

Our Spring piano recital was lovely.  Tanner and Colton both did a great job!  They had their pieces memorized and both of them had a duet that they played with me!  It was so great!

We feel so grateful to have a piano teacher that is so fun and patient and awesome!!!!