What Day is it?!

Wednesday, July 21st:

Today was Marcia's birthday and I told her if she came down to see my house I would make her a FABULOUS birthday lunch...and so, what did I do?  Oh, just busted out the awesome!

I made a deliciable afternoon lunch.  Just a salad you say?...oh no no no my friends, not just any salad.  That is a home made Winger's sticky finger salad.

That is deliciousness in a bowl!  Happy Birthday Marcia!

After our awesome lunch we were on the hunt for a perfect birthday cupcake, but alas, we couldn't find one and time ran out cuz I had to head to the cabin for the big 24th weekend.  So I sent Marcia home without her birthday cupcake (which I now owe her).  She did, however, stop by a Paradise bakery on the way home and got herself some yummy birthday cookies. 

So it was off to the cabinfor us to enjoy a long weekend.

Eden and I had fun on the way up...

sometimes it's hard for me to go up to the cabin cuz Eden hates sleeping in the pack-n-play. That night when we put her down, she was mashing her face against the side and yelling "DA!" (dad).  Les and I were rolling, we were laughing so hard. 

she thought she was pretty funny too!

needless to say, we had a hard time getting her to go to bed!

Thursday, July 22nd:

Today most of the day was spent just hanging out.  We had no real agdena but to relax.  Les spend almost 8 hours (I kid you not) in the creek getting it ready for the kids.  I, on the other hand, pretty much just kicked it in the living room all day. I think Eden was getting bored of me and was very happy to see her dad emerge from the creek

"Hey, where you been dad?!"

Eden loving her gerber stars...isn't she so cute?!  I think so!

"enough with the pictures already!"

Friday, July 23rd:

Today all the cousins came up and we got to play in the creek ALL day with them.  The kids LOVED how Les transformed the creek into a water park.

Here's Eden going for a ride.  Les built up the river, using rocks, to create a little tunnel down the middle of the creek which opened up to a big pool/dam for the kids to play it.  The kids would go shooting down the creek where an adult would catch them and push them to the side.  The kids LOVED it!

Eden getting ready for launch

waving on her way down...

just enjoying the ride

 She flapped her arms the whole way down and LOVED it!

Dad getting ready to catch her

getting pushed to the side

"Is it over already?!"

waiting to go again...

Once she had her fill of the creek (and I was tired of her eating the rocks)  I put her in the kiddie pool with her two favorite cousins Kayla and Sammuel.  They enjoyed themselves quite a bit.

It was a LONG day playing in the water but can you guess how my child felt about it?...

BEST.DAY.EVER!

Saturday, July 24th

Today was the day we had all been waiting for.  The 24th is no joke to the Wilson/Rose/Rhodes family.  It's a big deal and all the bells and whistles are pulled out.  This year did not disappoint...

9:30am Getting ready for the Parade

Thank you Grandma Sherry for the perfect parade outfit!

Sam is Eden's new best friend. She just wanted to be by him the whole time. All the Wilson cousins got together to take a photo...can you find my child?

Oh she's just the one screaming!  She was ready for a nap and we needed to get this show on the road!

10:00am Parade

Lead by Grandpa and followed by the mass of children

Bronson had a blast waving during the parade...check out that face!

Coming on back...

11:00am Horse Shoe Tournament Begins

We only had 20 teams this year (last year we had 40 teams) so it was a little more low key but fun none the less.  I didn't play this year since I was in charge of Eden but we had a lot of fun!

We watched Dad play some shoes...

12:00pm Kids' Games

Every year they have TONS of games for the kids to play to keep them entertained while the big kids throw shoes.  This year I got to enjoy this aspect of the weekend.  We split the kids up according to age and sent each group to different game. 

First up...the sawdust find

They let the babies go first...which was only Eden and Sam but they found the toys right away

Then they let the older babies join in

Next stop, bean bag throw...

Eden didn't really get this game so we just watch Bronson have some fun.  After that, net fishing...

again, my child just wanted to get in the water so we just watched this game

Next, the barrel racing...

After each game the kids got tickets which we could trade for toys.  Eden got some chalk, bubbles, and a purse. 

1:00pm - 2:30pm nap + more horse shoes

2:30pm - 5:00pm horse shoes

After a nice nap we joined the crowd and watched some shoes

and more shoes

what better way to enjoy the day then eating cheetos with your best bud

We took a brief break from watching dad and hit the pinata...

Bronson took a turn for us

5:00pm Championship Game

After watching the kid all day I only expected and demanded my husband win this thing so I could get the winnings to pay for my day of labor.  Well, being the good husband that he is Les went ahead and made it to the championship game.

Dennis and Tracy came in 3rd with $20 each

Rollin' in the dough

Kwinton and Kaylen came in 2nd with $40 each

My husband backed up all his smack talk and took it home with 1st place and $75 dollars (which went promptly in MY pocket)

Wow! What a weekend.  It was so much fun!  I look forward to this weekend each year.  This is summer at its finest!  And if you made it through this whole post...bless your heart!

Quick Trip

On Sunday I made a quick trip to Ogden.  My cousin Vivian was in town from Texas and so my mom invited her to dinner.  I was up at the cabin but I packed me and Eden up and headed that way. 

Here is the reason we Hutchisons are they way we are...

Of course my mom had to theme this dinner...we had company!

Since it was July, my mom went for the independence theme...

This was all I got of our dinner...because shortly after taking this picture my child decided to channel a demon and was non-stop crying until she went to bed that night.  My baby is usually a pretty happy baby most of them time but she was NOT having it.  She cried from about 5-9pm.  Once I put her down she was out like a rock until 8am the next morning. 

Since my child decided she was feeling better we took the opportunity to go the Pineview with my dad, Tracy, Marcia and the kids. 

this was Eden the instant she got in the water...all smiles!

Tracy and Ever kickin' it on a fallen tree

I could not get Eden out of the water.  She just layed in her floaty and kicked, kicked, kicked.  Serioulsy people, my child could live in the water.

We found a nice shady beach and got Miss Clovi settled quite nicely.  We even used an inflatable kick pad for a padded air mattress.

She was in heaven...check out the drool

After the dam, Eden and I packed it up and headed home.  Just in time to do some laundry and pack again to head back to the cabin....I LOVE the summer!

Party Central

The last couple of weeks have been party central for us.  Last weekend Les' uncle invited us over to play some basketball.  Well, Les doesn't play basketball, but we went over anyway to hang out with the gang. Les' cousins all have babies so it was fun to get to see everyone and let Eden hang out with the kids.  She had her first trampoline experience and L.O.V.E.D. it. Dare I say that Eden loves most things. 

Jarom would jump and bounce Eden and she just screamed at him in delight.  It was very fun!

That same weekend a friend of ours had a party for her little girl Marlee.  She was turning two and she rented a jump house with an attached waterslide.  We came ready to get our slide on but after watching all the little kids pumpel each other trying to get up the ladder we decided it was best if we stayed as far away from the jump house as possible...maybe next year.  However, at the party she had snow cones and Eden was in love.  At first she was a little skeptical and had to keep looking at me to see if it was "OK"

Once she tasted the syrup, she was all in!

notice how her face is getting more and more red.  It isn't because the snowcone was red it was because her face was FREEZING! If I tried to take the snow cone away, she screamed (as per usual)

On Tuesday, Eden went to spend the day with her Pa.  Eden has a special place in her heart for her Pa.  If he's around she wants nothing to do anyone else, including me (which is great for me).  I had to get CPR certified for school and so my dad came down and we went to lunch at Happy Summo (delic) and then he took her back to Ogden with him.  Once my class was done I headed that way.  When I arrived this is how I found her.

literally swimming in the pool.  It's an understatement to say that my child loves the water.  She lives to be in the water. Look at that face!

This is her face right before she squeeled in delight.  The water was a little cold, but I couldn't get her out.  It wasn't until her lips turned purple that I MADE her get out which was followed by a tantrum...go figure.

Wednesday was Ever's 2nd birthday and so my services were enlisted by Marcia to get the party ready.  I know I don't need to explain to you all how our family does it so I'll just get right to it.  The theme was "horseys" since Ever is OBSESSSSED with them (according to Brennen)

My dad came over Wednesday morning and took Ever on her special day activity just her and Pa.  Now, if you know Brennen then you know it's a rare occasion that Brennen lets my dad go anywhere without him, but I guess since it was Ever's birthday Brennen was okay with him taking just her.  Here she is all ready to spend the day with her Pa.

He was going to take her swimming.  She was still not fully awake and I couldn't get a smile out of her for the life of me.

Anyway, back to the decor....

Marcia and I attempted to make some horsey cupcakes but after a few choice words and Marcia putting herself in a time out...this was the best we could do.

Noticed I didn't get to close and this is the only picture I took.  Not a proud moment for us...to say the least!  Marcia has sworn off cupcakes since they literally drive her bonkers....We will just have to see what happens when Brennen's birthday rolls around in 3 months...

After a delicous dinner of taco salads, we headed outside to let Ever open her presents.  She was a little nervous with all the attention so it was slow going.

Tracy had to step in and be the official present opener. 

If the present had a horse in it she wouldn't put it down.  It had to be on her lap when she opened the next gift...

Then came the moment we (or I) had been waiting for.  Ever opening MY gift.

with a little help from Brennen and Bennett.

yup that's a GIANT plastic horse.  I saw it at Target and couldn't resist.  After demanding we get it out of the box...Ever promptly did this...

because she can!

Here is the other awesome gift Ever got.  I am totally getting this for Eden....

How freaking cool is this bike?  Totally jealous and I'm 25!  Brennen even got in on the present action.

It was an early birthday gift for him but I think he was stoked!  Where was my child during all the shananagins? Oh here...

oh just here...in the water.  Happy as can be.  Guess that means a trip to Target for a kiddie pool is knocking on my door.  Now it's up to the cabin to prepare for the big 24th weekend.  Happy Weekend everyone!

Counting Airplanes

Last night the weather was so nice that I grabbed a blanket and headed outside.  Eden, Les and I layed out on the blanket in our backyard and watched the airplanes and birds fly by.  Everytime one would fly by Eden would wave to it.  It was very cute.  I wish I had a camera to capture that moment because it was sheer bliss.  Laying outside as a family, enjoying the nice weather.  I hope I have many more memories like this to come. 

Big Plans for the 4th!

So for this 4th I had a lot of things planned.  A friend of mine was having her son's birthday party at Cherry Hills that I REALLY wanted to go to but my husband told me he had "big plans" for us for the holiday weekend.  Now, if you know my husband you know he doesn't "plan" things so I was thinking "wow...he really must want to do something if he has something planned..." so regretfully I decline to invite to go to Cherry Hills....major bummer.  So the weekend rolls around and on friday I ask my husband what these big plans are.  I was thinking maybe we'd go to the cabin and go hiking up in the Uintas or something fun...um no, my husband's "big plans" were to finish the house.  LAME!  He refused to let me go anywhere because we needed to "focus" on getting the house finished....

I mean I guess I see what he's saying but Cherry Hills?!  come on people.  I was wanting to get my tan on, but I was a good wife and stayed home and I must say, our house looks great.  I have a few more things to do but it's pretty much done.  Hooray!  I will definately post some before/after pics once I'm done.

So how did we celebrate the 4th?  Well, on Sunday I had my parents and Tracy come down for dinner.  I think this was the first time I set my table...ever!

I don't think I've set this table since I got it 3 years ago AND I think I busted out more of stuff (as far as kitchen ware goes) then I ever had before. I want to take this time to thank everyone who got me stuff for my kitchen for my wedding because until this weekend I hadn't used any of it but it all came in handy quite nicely.  I would say to Les..."Man, we could really use something to put these hot dishes on..." and Les would reply..."I think we got something like that for our wedding."  Sure enough we had everything we needed to host a nice little get together with my parents.

Les even got fancy and busted this out!

My sweet husband thought it would be a fun tradition to make home made icecream for the 4th.  Ya know, start something new with Eden.  Very sweet right?  Well, he went to the store, bought all the ingredents, and had the icecream maker going all before I got home from church.  Well, as I was putting away all the extra supplies he got from the store (he had "big plans" to make icecream again) I noticed all these cans of evaporated milk.  I asked him what this was for since the recipe clearly call for condensed milk..not evaporated milk.  After a few choice words my husband begins to explain to me that ALL recipes are made for women.  He told me that at the store he couldn't find light cream anywhere.  I told him it was by the milk and it's just whipping cream...he just had to make sure not to get the heavy whipping cream.  He was all "Ya, I had to ask someone what it was.  Why can't they just put whipping cream in the directions...how am I suppose to know whipping cream and just cream are the same thing....AND why would they put evaporated milk and condensed milk right next to each other at the store?!  How confusing is that?!" 

Les was pretty bummed we weren't going to have homemade icecream for the 4th of july, but after adding a little bit of sugar and some coco we turned his concotion into a chocolate mousse of some sort.  It actually tasted pretty good and Les was quite impressed with himself for his "new" recipe. 

Anyway, dinner was great and dessert was great too.  My daugher has decided that she is old enough to feed herself and wants NO help from mom.  So this is pretty much how my table looks during/after she eats...

I usually let Dixie in after she's done and she pretty much takes care of the mess on the floor.

After my parents left and Eden had a bath we headed outside to have some fireworks.  It was still light outside but it was 8:30 people and this child of mine needed some sleep....so we went ahead and did it anyway....Eden's faces pretty much sum it all.  I'll let her tell you how her first firework experience went.

She wasn't a fan of the ones that made noise.  After our firework show, she hit the hay.  She was one beat little girl.  I layed her down and went to make her a bottle.  When I came back I found her like this...

dead asleep...

check out her leg...I wasn't sure it was very comfortable but she didn't make a pep...fine by me! 

Even though I didn't get to do what I thought we were going to do...our 4th of July was pretty low key but it was nice to spend the holiday as our little family. 

 

Happy 4th of July!