Party time!

 I can't believe how fast this summer went by! I love summer and I just wanted to enjoy every moment and do so many fun summer things that I think it went by even faster! I am so far behind here that I'm not even sure where to begin. I was told that with scrap booking you should start with the pictures that are newer because you will be more excited about them and you remember it a little more. So I guess I'll start more recent and go back. I will probably date my posts with the date it actually happened so it will be in order and when I look back I will know the actual date. So know that Olivia and Madi are back in school and most of my canning and freezing is done I can put a little effort into this over nap time. (Although Jess, my sister-in-law just called and asked about doing applesauce with her) Those in-laws! :)

Anyway, I would like to start with my friend, Mary Lou's 40th birthday party.

We actually celebrated a half year later but I think she still enjoyed it although we didn't really surprise her. We all got babysitters and were going to go swimming WITHOUT kids but like all our get togethers disaster struck and it rained. The night before we had a furious storm and two trees came down and there were leaves and branches all over our yard. Oh well at least we didn't get a blizzard this time. Right, ladies?

Also I want to add. I am the worst at taking pictures at a party. I trying to get everything ready or usually I'm gabbing and later when everything is eaten or destroyed I only think, oh, I should have taken a picture of that. Also my camera has been broken for the last year so I'm trying to coax it along. I got a lot of these pictures from Lisa who managed to take pictures while juggling a newborn! Wish I had it all together like that!

 

Jen brought the iced coffee complete with whipped cream and chocolate! YUM!!



Lisa got some awesome cupcakes from Sublime cupcakes in Lititz.  They were so  good. Great idea, Lisa! They need to show up everytime we get together.

This little darling, Zoey was allowed at the party. Because who really could say no to her. She is around a month old here and finally the size of my newborns. What a peanut!

We had so much fun just sitting around talking even if we couldn't go swimming.  You might not be able to get word in edge wise but there is never a quiet, dull, akward moment then!



Olivia hit the two digits!!

Our oldest daughter just went ahead and turned 10.

Her birthday was June 30th and yes, I only got around to getting her pictures off my camera. I needed room on my card for other things or they might have been on there for another year!

We had Hoot owl party for her. She was so excited to invite her friends.

We sent out these owl invitations.

The day of the party I took them swimming at my sister-in-law's pool.

I had a little snack at the pool for them to enjoy.

I took an idea from Bible school for the food.

I gave them some pretzel sticks for twigs, cheese whiz to hold them together and white gum drops as eggs and they made a little hoot owl nest. I also had grapes so it would offset all the cheese whiz they would likely consume.

They fed the horses some grass before heading home.

At home we had supper. I made grilled cheeseburger wraps,

(they have been a big hit in our home thanks to pinterest), macaroni and cheese and peas. I bought tiny little cups and put ketchup in them to dip their wraps in. Quintin drilled holes in the top of canning jar lids for their cups. 



For dessert they made owl cupcakes. Oreos for the eyes and M&MS for the nose.

The oreos are supposed to be opened up but since I had refrigerated them they were cold and just cracked. I thought they looked a little odd but the girls enjoyed being creative with them.

When we got home from the pool, Olivia's birthday gift had arrived through the mail and was sitting on the front porch. Talk about good timings! I let her open it.

The girls all gave her a little something.

After that they had craft time.

They mod podged owls to wood and painted ceramic owls.

I put their mod podge in the same type cups that I put the ketchup in. Those little paper cups sure came in handy.   

Later in the evening Olivia gave her guests a tote with gifts in.

They each got an owl shirt to wear for bed, bubbles, jump rope, glow sticks, and an owl water bottle.

It also served as a way to carry their crafts home. 

So to wind down for the night we put an American girl doll movie in. As you can tell Quintin was so excited about all the girliness going on in the house. I should add that the other children went to Grandma's house. He probably wished he could go too. I figured Madi would stay for the party but, come on, miss out going to Grandmas? Not a chance!

I made hanging jars for when it got dark so they would have some light.

I set up their sleeping quarters in the corner of the deck. (Yes it's unfinished)

The next morning they admired their owls and checked to see if they were dry.

Really it was so warm the previous day that they had dried really fast.

Olivia served them waffles cut into sticks, bananas, yogurt, and chocolate milk.

Yuppers used those little cups again for syrup.

Time to say good bye.

Olivia had been looking forward to this party ever since I had Madi's party last year.

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I love my ten year old.
She has a servants heart.
Her younger siblings adore her and we will miss her when she goes back to school. She is good at helping Madi with her chores, putting Abbi's dolly clothes on, and hooking up Preston's tractor and wagons.

 

Lake Tobias, A real adventure

That's what they advertise and that is what we got. We had Camrin and Anya for the weekend so we decided to go to Lake Tobias. I have not been there since I was a little girl. It's funny how things are a little different as you get older.

I wish I could say one of the kids took the pictures but I can not tell a lie. It was me. I was being all flippy and turny with my settings when I should have just let it be. I should not be allowed to own a camera.

I believe this is the only picture with everyone on. Well, except me. I'm always behind the camera.

LOL! This picture cracks me up! I told them to look scared. They were like, What do you mean? Olivia is still trying to figure it out. That or she is totally embarrassed to be told to act weird. She's at THAT age.

Another attempt at a group shot. Sadly missing Preston and me, of course.

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Next we went on a tour to see the animals. I was pleasantly surprised to see they still had the cutoff buses. I figured by now they would have some fancy shmancy off road vehicle. 

It was such a hot day I thought the animals would just stay sitting in the shade. But I guess like humans they were willing to exert themselves a little if food was involved.

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Touching an alligator? crocodile? at the reptile exhibit.

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Next we headed to the petting zoo. The heat was starting to make us cranky but I was looking forward to the petting zoo the most so being an awesome mom I drug everyone there yet.

Poor Preston was sweating like crazy.

We had a memorable day at Lake Tobias but come to think of it I'm not sure Camrin and Anya have been back since!