Couple Connection 2013

 We throw a lot of parties, but this is by far, my favorite.  It's probably one of my favorite nights of the year!

I usual don't end up with many party photos, but this year my friend Hatsuho brought her camera and captured the night.  Thank you!!  Ty and I laughed so hard looking back at the photos.  All photo credit goes to her and Jenny, who took photos while Hatsuho was playing.

Round 1 -- The Couple Connection:

Round 2 -- The Lightning Round

I think the top middle is my fave.  You can just hear Brett making a guess that is obviously wrong by Jenny's face.  Classic.

Then we paused for dessert.  Lemon cupcakes with fresh strawberry frosting, salted PB hearts, and the highlight of the night, gourmet s'mores shipped in for the occasion from Haypenny Confections (Ty's brothers company).

To. Die. For.

Here is the score board leading up to the "Final Connection".

The questions for the first two rounds change every year, but the format stays the same.  For the final connection, however,  we always come up with something new.  This year we wanted to see how well the top couples could work as a team.

Each couple had to link arms sitting back to back on the coffee table.  They had to stand up, walk to the kitchen table, and pick up an orange without using hands.  Then they had to drop the orange in a bucket back on the coffee table.  Then the other spouse had to pick up and orange and do the same.  The couples were timed -- fastest time wins.  We made the second couple go down to the basement so they wouldn't know what their challenge would be.  

Russells vs. Wildes

Game on.

   

And the winner was --

The Wildes!!

BY 0.2 SECONDS!!!  What!?

A seriously fun night.  Here are a few photos from my phone:

 My one regret is we didn't get everyone's "photo booth pic". I think we got all but one couple.  Shoot.

 I love this guy!

And you know what else I love...

s'mores.  

I may have hidden the last one so I could have it for breakfast the next day...

Ty's 33rd Birthday

 His birthday started off with a donut tower -- and of course with a little sparkle.   

What do you expect from a house full of girls!?

To his manly credit though, the girls did choose a superhero themed dinner.  

We eat off of "Avengers" plates and he had a cake Batman would be proud of.

About 4 months ago we joined a babysitting co-op with 4 other families.  We babysit (16 kids!!) one Friday night, then we get 4 weeks of date nights.  It's awesome.  We get to go on lots of dates, and the kids love having "late nights" once a week.  They are all friends, so they look forward to hanging out.

We have another group of friends that recently starting doing the same thing.  I thought it would be fun to take advantage of so many friends having a babysitter and planned a big group date for Ty's birthday celebration.    

First we went to Chipotle for dinner, then to the community center to ice skate.  I haven't skated in years, but it was so much fun!!  

Ty may or may not have been hit on.  Twice.  Once while I was holding his hand!?

 I made cookies and brought a candle so we could sing happy birthday (everyone needs to be a little embarrassed on their birthday, right!?).

It's fun having friends!  Especially friends with babysitters.

The boys totally out posed us girls, next time we'll have to step it up.

Fire

About 12:30 am Ty and I were awake in bed.  We heard yelling at the neighbors house.  That was not an unusual occurrence.  It got pretty loud and there was a lot of commotion, then a loud BOOM (which we later learner was 2 oxygen tanks exploding).  Ty got out of bed and went to our window that faces their house.  He couldn't see anything (now we know because of all the smoke) so he went to our other window and stuck his head out. 

"Their house is on fire!"

I leapt out of bed and pulled up the shades.  Huge flames were bellowing out of their window.  I dialed 911 while grabbing hazel out of her room.  Ty woke the other girls and ran them downstairs.  As we were headed down the stairs, someone started pounding on our door.  It was our neighbor Brett.  I handed him Hazel and he ran her over to his house.  We got the girls coats on and followed behind.

I took this photo as we ran out before the fire department arrived  (Man, those flames are close to our house!!).  It's was pretty heart breaking.  You can see my neighbor and his dog in the bottom right with his head hanging.  

Thank goodness for friends across the street.  We sat glued to the window watching what was going on.

McKinlay was scared.  Eliza was hyper.

Brett put a movie on for the girls in the basement.  Thanks you Fitzners!  I'm so grateful we had a place the girls could be warm and safe.  Being able to hang out and watch movies in their "awesome basement" made it more exciting than scary.

We waited a few hours til it looked like they got all the flames out.  The firemen gave us the all clear to go back in our house.   This was the view from our window when we got home.  

This was our view the next morning.  So so sad.

Thankfully no one was hurt and there was no damage done to our house.  The neighbors house needs to be gutted, but miraculously she just got home owners insurance 8 days ago!!

I was worried Mckinlay would be traumatized.  She is actually just fine.  Her biggest takeaway is how sad it is that our neighbors lost everything.  She has such a soft heart.  I'm so proud of the little girl he is turning out to be.

Sew magical! Sew cute!

 The much anticipated Lalaloopsy birthday party finally arrived.  

It was so fun to plan and the girls had a ball.

By far my favorite part of the party:

 

I love these cute little BFFs.   

My 6 year old.

 She woke up this morning looking 6.  I can't believe how old she's getting.

As is becoming tradition, she requested a birthday Poptart.

 Eliza, Hazel and I checker her out of school for lunch.

She choose chicken nuggets and frozen yogurt -- with two cherries, of course.

 Then we got to bring in cupcakes to share with her class.  She wanted vanilla with chocolate frosting, then at the last minute changed to red velvet ("because everyone in my class LOVES red velvet.")

Ms. Tyrrell tried to give her birthday spankings, but Mckinlay was too scared/embarrassed.

Later that night we had Mac & Cheese (at her request) 

and she got the Lalaloopsy house she has been drooling over. 

Happy Birthday sweet, sweet girl!

Good bye 2012!

Happy New Year!