Baby Shower for Candice

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE to throw parties! I love all the details of planning and making. I also love to decorate the party room so it's visually stimulating and fun to look at.

Thank goodness Candice was having a baby and there was another reason to have a party. :)

I had offered to throw Candice a baby shower for Jackson or Lizzy, but she didn't want to trouble me. This time I wouldn't take NO for an answer. She just got to tell me what day and time would work and give her input on what direction I should go with a theme.

Because she liked the color combination of green and brown for a baby boy, we went for a jungle and monkey theme.

This was my first, and maybe my last, attempt at making a sock monkey.

It wasn't nearly as fun or as easy as I thought it would be. The socks I had chosen were quite long and VERY stretchy. So this made my monkey extra long. My family had concerns as I was constructing it, but in the end I think it turned out OK. :)

I had fun making this banner and I liked how it turned out.
I used brown paper grocery bags, green paper and computer printed letters and monkey. Then stapled the circles to one of my grocery bag "vines".

When my kids saw my making and decorating efforts, they wanted to help. Taylee, Treyson and Abree made these monkeys and bananas for decoration.
The yellow thing that kinda looks like a flower is a banana peel. Taylee's cute idea. Love it!

Grandma Ison's sock monkey came to the party.

The vines were made out of brown paper grocery bags that had been cut, folded and then sewn together attaching green felt leaves randomly.

My kids also helped by getting their Webkins jungle animals and decorating the bookshelf.

Treyson was just sure we needed a HUGE snake at the jungle party. He let me use Bowden the Boa Constrictor to decorate the banister.

Vines were everywhere! It was a JUNGLE in there. :)

I wanted to make a jungle themed diaper cake. In my creating process I came up with this diaper tree instead. This was another of my ideas that my family was skeptical of at first. I LOVE the monkey we found to hang out in the tree. His face is so happy.

The party wouldn't be a party without yummy snacks.... jungle themed of course.

We had a nice turn out of friends and family at the party.

Jacque & Nici

Amber

Amber & Lisa

Mom-LoraDawn, Tera, Miriam

Daisylyn was part of our entertainment. She was a cute little busy monkey.

Tammy

What is a shower or party without games? Don't say "perfect"!

The first game we played was fun. I had Candice's kids (Micaela-8, Jackson-5 & Lizzy-3) draw pictures of Nursery Rhymes. We numbered them and then had everyone guess which nursery rhymes they were. They were SO cute.... even with the additions of snakes and camouflage, that had nothing to do with the rhyme. :)

Wish I had taken some pictures of them. I was too busy holding the pictures and being hostess, I guess.

Next, instead of giving Candice baby advice, we wrote down "Wishes for Baby". I gathered these and put them in a little photo album for Candice to take home.

Next was draw a baby on a plate.... on top of your head.

The winning "baby".

Joan-Candice's mom & Candice

After snacking on jungle food, opening gifts was next.

Candice received lots of C-U-T-E baby boy things.

This diaper cake was from Jacque.

See? I told you she got lots of C-U-T-E stuff.

Can't wait to meet baby boy!

Taylee's Creativity Strikes Again

Taylee said to me the other day, "Mom, can we go to the dollar store?"

Me- "What do you need?"

T- "It's a surprise."

Me- "Is it a surprise for me or can you tell me?"

T- "I just want to go to the dollar store."

Me-"Does it have to be the dollar store or can we get what you need some where else. I have errands to run, but didn't plan on the dollar store."

T-"I only have enough for the dollar store."

Me-"Do you want to tell me, so I can help?"

T- "No."

Taylee doesn't often press her needs. She may mention it once in passing and then I don't hear about it until she's in tears. She pressed me about the dollar store, so I decided to put it on our TO DO list.

When we got to the dollar store, she went to the candy isle. She said she was looking for a bag of candy that had a variety.

I then whispered, "Is it for a pinata?"

She got a shocked look on her face and said, "How did you know?"

Mother's intuition, I guess. :)

She had taken regular paper and watered down glue and made a pinata.


It was a little softer than regular paper mache, so it kind of squished when she was making holes for the string.

Abree got to be the first one to try.

She whacked it a few times, barely making a dent.

Treyson whacked at it, then Taylee, then Rylee and finally Jason. Poor paper ball basically just squished instead of breaking a part. When the kids finally got the candy out, much of it had been beaten to death and was in many pieces. :)

Happy 4th of July!

On July 3rd, we celebrated Independence Day, by participating in the neighborhood kid parade.

For the last 2 years, we had family in town to celebrate with us. Jared, Teresa and family had planned on coming this year, but things came up last minute, so we were on our own to decorate scooters.

Treyson went All American with a USA sign and blue stars.

Abree had my help to cover her scooter and herself, in some of the extra fabric and rag garland we had made for decoration.

Taylee was creative (as usual) and used some flag tissue paper (her Primary teacher had given her) and tinfoil (for stars) to make her scooter sign.

Rylee thought she was too old to participate, but was a good sport (as much as a COOL teenager can be) going to the parade with us.

It was uncharacteristically cool that morning. We all brought our jackets and kept them on until the very end. Brrrr.

When the fire engine showed up, the kids got excited!

As is tradition, we followed the fire engine on foot, bike, wagon and scooter.

Rylee and Abree kind of hung in the back.

While Taylee and Treyson rode the bumper of the fire truck the whole way.

When Abree would get tired of scootering, Rylee would push as Abree rode. What a nice sister!

After making it through the neighborhood and around the common area, the fire truck stopped.

Kids gathered at the pavilion for Otter Pop Popsicles, while the firemen prepared their hoses.

Then they let the kids take turns shooting the hoses across the grass.

Don't look like you're having ANY fun Abree! Good job.

Last year it was HOT, the mist from the fire hoses got everyone wet and it felt SO good.
This year was chilly, I didn't let Treyson get wet even after he begged and begged and promised me he wouldn't complain about being cold. Ya, right. He cheered up when it was his turn to shoot the fire hose.

On the actual 4th of July, we took a family walk around the neighborhood, when it was starting to get dark. We enjoyed watching everyone else's fireworks.

That's the way to go! Lots of firework watching at no cost to us!

We kept walking until we came to the really BIG (like professional grade) fireworks at the edge of our neighborhood. Some friends from the ward offered us chairs and invited us to watch the BIG show. They were amazing! --We found out in conversation, that the big fireworks were coming from a ward member's house (our former Stake President). We were told he had only spent $1,000 this year, instead of $3,000 (darn economy!). It was better than going to the park or fair grounds. Up close and personal and NO traffic to get home. :)

We had a happy 4th of July!

Fun Night!

June 29th, 2010 was a fun night for all.

While I was doing this...... watching the midnight showing of "Eclipse"

"I'm Team Jacob... if I'm on a team."

.....with these lovely ladies.
Candice, were you hiding from me?! You're not in any of my photos.
There were other lovely ladies there too (from my ward), but the darkish theater made it hard to get a good photo.



Jason and the kids were doing this.... camping at Shafer Butte.

They had Spaghetti-O's, Cheetos, Little Debbie oatmeal cremes and s'mores for dinner.

Who was in charge of that menu?!

Got a little wet from the consistent sprinkle.

But woke up cheerful and ready to tackle a hike!

But only after their Pop-tart breakfast.

BEE-U-TI-FUL!

"Sorry guys, got to take lots of pictures for Mom."

They hiked and hiked and....

rested a bit and then hiked some more.

"Where is this poor little muffin's mom?"

They made it to the top!

Just look at what I missed.

But Jacob and his bare-chested pack were pretty BEE-U-TI-FUL to look at too. :)

Like I said earlier, it was a fun night for all!

Thanks Jason, for supporting me in my silly Twilight Eclipse GNO!

Rocket Express Carwash

On our way home from Utah, we stopped in Twin Falls, to check out the new carwash.

J.C. (Jason's brother) is the "main man" when it comes to managing.

It is a VERY nice carwash! If you're ever in Twin Falls, stop by and say HI to J.C...... he'll probably be there. :)
Just ask his wife, Julia.