September 2010 – Baby Meatball

August is always our crazy month. We celebrate 5 birthdays and our anniversary each year, but it is also a month that reminds us just how blessed we are! Now that we can breathe again, I am SO excited to share some pictures from the festivities.

One of our celebrations this August was Dayla turning 3 years old! One of our TOP blessings in life is that we had the joy of having Dayla in the same month that 5 other friends had their babies. We love it. And we love that this offers us the opportunity to share the birthday party throwing duties/stress with two other families! I hope we get to keep doing the “joint birthday party” for Dayla until she is 18, but if that doesn’t work, we will do it until she asks for her own. For now, she loves it!

This year we had the gift of a free bounce house, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate the bounce house into a theme….so I came up with “Carnival!” Hence the 3×3 Carnival was born! Three little girls, all turning 3, a new house to host it at, and a lot of friends to share in the joy. We went all out (3 moms means 3x the ideas and 3x craftiness!), but it was SO fun doing it, and I think everyone got a kick out of our craziness too (not to mention, it makes fun pictures to share with you!) Without further ado….

The 3×3 Carnival

(at the New Sundin Home!)

Welcome to the Carnival:

Come to the Midway…where the lights were hung, and the games are played!

First, get your tickets at the ticket booth….

To enjoy some carnival games…

And of course, if you win (which everyone does at a 3 year old’s party), come and get prizes!

(This is Kaitlyn showing off hers!)

The Grill Master wants to remind you, once you have worked up your appetite, enjoy a carnival hot dog

(with all the toppings of course!)…
The grill master

..and a little more snacks for both the “lion cubs” and the “lion tamers”

I had fun trying to come up with “healthier” (but still carnival themed of course!) food:

Because of course there were snow cones to enjoy:

And Stacy made the cutest lion cakes for the three birthday girls….

AND Stacy made the YUMMIEST clown-ice-cream-cone-cupcakes (which were SOOO good!) for all the guests to enjoy!

Which we think they did…

…especially our birthday girls! They got treats right and left….but hey, it WAS their party…..

(Left to right is Ellie, Yzzy, and Dayla)

….And it ended with smiles had by all.

Happy 3rd Birthday Dayla! We love you!

Last weekend we got to spend a relaxing weekend with our good friends the Friesens at their family’s cabin in Sugarloaf, just outside Big Bear. This is the same place we visited in the winter when Dayla saw snow for the first time. Actually, let me qualify that first statement. It was eventually a relaxing weekend.

As we started heading up the mountain the radiator light came on in my Volvo. Assuming the radiator was just low we poured in 21 bottles (literally) of water. Amazingly it wasn’t full yet so we poured in a gallon of coolant and two more gallons of water. Nope, still not full. We drove down to the Circle K and put 75 cents into the water/air pump and started pouring more water in. Only then did I realize that something was seriously wrong and all the water that I thought was going into my radiator was actually pouring into the backseat of my car via a broken hose of some sort. Once I discovered this we immediately stopped putting water in and proceeded to siphon out gallons of boiling hot, neon green water. Fun.

The wives and kids headed up the mountain while Ben and I hung outside the Circle K for a few hours like J and Silent Bob waiting for the tow truck. We were there so long I actually considered eating the burrito pictured below.

After the car fiasco we had a great time in the mountains.

We hit up the Alpine Slide which is, amazingly, legal. I’m sure that whatever governing authority is responsible for ride safety doesn’t know this attraction exists. It’s just you (with possibly a small child on your lap) flying down a concrete shoot on a skateboard like contraption with no seatbelt and a hand “brake” in between your legs. I did it once thinking I would just fly down that sucker and never touch the brake once. Brother, I yanked that brake.

Ellie and some random trucker on the Alpine Slide

Amazingly, Dayla volunteered to ride on these. She didn't say a word the whole time and never let go of my leg. I don't think she realized what she volunteered for.

On the second day we all headed out to an interpretive trail (whatever that is). Lots of fun was had but there was a little more child carrying than walking.

I wish I was a kid and could get a piggy back ride when I was tired

Ben, working on his nomination for father of the year

All in all it was a great trip. The girls are at a really fun age.

Month: September 2010

The 3×3 Carnival (A 3rd Birthday Party for 3 Sweet Little Girls)

Sugarloaf