Did someone say Chinese Torture a couple days ago?!?

This year I had decided not do Birthday parties and just have family over!
It went over just fine with Zane, but Avery cried saying I promised her last year she could have a Sweet N Sassy party this year....

I let her win...about one week before the party!
I waited until the last minute and did a terrible job at planning how it would all go down. I don't recommend doing that with this type of party!!! I needed to have more girls helping with hair and nails, but forgot to ask!!
(Getting my Uppercase Living order yesterday didn't help either. I just couldn't wait to put them up!!) At first, I was VERY unsure how it was all going to go down. I miscalculated ribbon and sent Zac to hobby lobby and lost the crimp beads and spent 15 minutes frantically looking for them- missing the opening of presents and singing happy birthday. I thought about running away!A few had to get their hair done while opening gifts and some girls we didn't spray enough and the curl didn't hold. Hope the girls weren't too disappointed in our lack of skills!!You can't tell by the pictures, but if you look at our kitchen floor, you will see we did in fact spray everyone's hair with lots of glitter!! Thank you to everyone for the great gifts- Avery has been occupied the past 5 hours!!
It was then time for Brittany's amazing gourmet cupcakes!! The girls also colored a shrink a doodle charm with their initial on it. I should have had them use only light colors so you could see the initial better. Some may need to go over it with a silver paint pen. I think they still turned out pretty cute though!!

Thank goodness the girls were patient, sweet, and calm! I would have needed a couple of shots if they weren't ;)
It worked out. It's over. I never have to do it again. Yipee!!
Next year- swim party where I don't have to do ANYTHING...except borrow a neighborhood pool!!

Proof OK is better than TX ;)

Hehehe.

Earlier this month, I finally took the kids to the Jasmine Moran Museum. I believe it took us exactly 1 hour to get there. Not too bad, especially since the kids were occupied on the drive...I had it in my head that it probably wasn't going to be worth the drive- I find it better to have really low expectations! However, I was pleasantly surprised. The kids got to dig for dinosaur bones and learn how to draw dinosaurs on a big chalkboard... and ride through a train tunnel you could scream in...and pretend they were grocery store workers. Avery is adding up the prices at the register, Zane is passing them to Austen who is the bagless bagboy who would toss them back into the cart...Then there was the auto shop. I can now say I have successfully changed a tire all by myself. Wes should be very proud!!
(You know Zane is concentrating when he's got his tongue sticking out)

There it is again...

They took turns being the "teacher" in the classroom...

and they got to climb into an airplane, ambulance, and fire truck... Zane is going to be such a good little daddy!!! This place was so neat... but my all time favorite thing was being able to sit for longer than five seconds...So many more pictures of so many other things. I just didn't feel like uploading anymore!
I do want to add that you never ever ever ever EVER want to go without bringing your own lunch. You will wait FOREVER while one lady heats up everyone's food. One lady. Two microwaves and a freezer full of hamburger patties, chicken nuggets, and mini pizzas that tasted semi freezer burned! Not to mention you'll pay $5 for that super mini pizza that you waited 30 minutes for. Not complaining. Just trying to help out those who plan to go there in the future!!!

Joplin-My dad's old home...

Earlier this month we went to visit my mom's side of the family and decided to drive through Joplin (The kids stayed at my aunts). This is all we saw out our windows... I was amazed at the artwork by the High School. Someone carved animals out of the tree stumps

This is the house my dad grew up in. We drove everywhere he rode his bike. There was an entire roof chillin in the grass just to the left (West)of this house! We passed it before I got a picture.The tornado went East down 20th street heading right toward his old house. One block before the house is when the tornado veered South, missing it... and hitting here... Not pictured, but I could not believe how big trees were that were just ripped up and laying over roots and all. This was one very sad drive... My cousins husband was working at the hospital when it hit. Thankfully he was OK! This is the path it took. You can click to enlarge if you so wish...Thinking about you, Joplin.

Totally Toothless=Drooling and Flying Spit!

and cute conversation...

Yep. It's Late. 4th of July

I have to start with Zane's packing skills. The Spiderman backpack was full of toys. The little bag was for the clothes! He forgot underwear and a toothbrush and I added a 4th of July shirt, but what I love about this picture is how he folds his shirts and puts them into the legs of his pants. I pulled them out a little for the picture. Who showed him that!? It's brilliant! First up: Jello poke flag cupcakes! I'm not a big fan of icing but this cool-whip mixed with a box of vanilla pudding is amazing!! Bert made the cupcakes!

Next on the list, help PaPa put up the baby swing for Mason...drive down to the fruit trees...

Pick some fruit...and take a picture the fruit.

3rd thing on the list: Work on the second floor of the playhouse...and check out all the caterpillars/cocoons/empty cocoons all around the playhouse.

Number 4: Take a cousin's pic...5: Listen to the Banjo and Guitar duo while it rained for 30 minutes!5: Visit the Great Grandparents...and eat good food that I didn't have to cook!6: End with an awesome fireworks show

My Bday Surprise!

My little sis made me a yummy cake...wax droplets and all! You know you don't go on many dates when your sis gets all excited for you and wants to take twenty pictures of you before you leave...unfortunately none of them really turned out great! Ha.

Off for a surprise couples pedicure. Then on to Melting Pot.
I was able to eat it this time and boy was it yummy!!!
My favs: The shrimp in the butter sauce and chicken in the teriyaki. We had our waitress take a pic of us, thinking she'd get the dessert with the birthday candle in the picture. She barely got the flame! So here it is. Milk chocolate, marshmallow cream and oreos!! After finishing off the fruit, we found out we could have ordered just the fruit...so she gave us seconds of it! I just can't handle desserts covered in desserts. Too much of a good thing is no longer a good thing. That banana and oreo mix was HEAV. EN. LY.

Want to know how to give Wes a heart attack...put your feet up on his car....
Love my pedi though! It looks like one foot is smaller by the placement of my feet inside the shoe. It's not. Sadly, my second toe is indeed longer.

Thanks to Brant and Britt for keeping the kiddos overnight!!
It's now nap time for us all...