Here's to Memorial Day Weekend! Here is the view from Herriman Cemetary. We don't know anyone YET who is going to be buried here. But I must admit my parents decided that this is the place for them. So that made for interesting conversation with the kiddos. We were out for the night for some quality family time, having pizza at the park and the park of choice was right next to the cemetary. So I must admit it started out a wonderful holiday weekend!
Here we are battling the sun for a picture. If we faced the other direction the picture was black. If we faced the sun on the side bad light too. Yeah, I need to take a photography class to figure the lighting thing out! Either way my favorite part of the picture is me holding Jake with a great mom hold to keep him in the picture. And then there is Caleb...just having some more dinner...eating Jared's head! Sweet Alayna just jumped up and gave us her sweet smile, despite the sun!
YIKES...is this a reflection on the possible future? Well, I sure hope not. the adults under the pavilion were cracking up laughing at her hand on her hip and her intensity in making a "pretend" phone call. Randy (Jared's dad) gave Caleb this old cell phone as a toy. But Alayna insisted on carrying it around in her jacket and acting like she was making real phone calls. Oh, my little girl please stay little just a bit longer. Since I'm thinking about her growing up here is our conversation and cute moment on Saturday morning.
Alayna is by my bed drawing a darling picture in my gratitude journal. It happened to be a picture of me. (If you haven't seen her people picture drawings you are missing out!) I was looking down on her just thinking how this sweet little picture will soon stay and the sweet little girl drawing it will grow and get old. I was taken over for a brief "OH...my little girl...stay little" moment. When I said, "Alayna, don't grow old." She said, "Sorry, Mom I have too." I said, "No really Alayna please stay my little girl, don't grow!" (I'm hugging her and keeping her from drawing which she is putting up me oozing all over her but trying to maintain composure.) To which she replies, "I'm sorry mom, there is no other way. That's the plan. But don't worry I will still love you when I'm a mom!" I laughed and said, "I'm not worried about that I know by then you will LOVE me the very most, it's when your a teenager." She then laughed and said, "Mom, I will love you forever!" At which point I gave her another gigantic squeeze and hugged her so tight she screamed. Honestly, do they have to grow up?
Speaking of growing up, Caleb has. He's one years old and WALKING! Yeah, for those of you that celebrated with us just a week ago, as of June 1st (at Olivia's birthday party) he took his first two or three steps. Tonight he did about 6 or 7. He even managed to walk one handed with his thumb in his mouth! (Brian and Ashley don't worry we will get you online to have you witness it first hand!) This picture is even showing off a little ball quilt that I managed to sew for him for his birthday. Cute Aunt Ashley sewed one for Jake and let's just say it's his own personal lifeline that he can't live without. So I insisted to collect darling flannel fabric from Walmart and sew the little man one too.
Here's to another wonderful Sunday cooking away with Brian and Ashley. Yup, you guessed it Margarita pizza! Yum. Really, why don't we eat this everyday???
Aunt Ashley and the crazy man!
Oh, and here is one of my new favorite additions to the home. We have placed a United States map under my other favorite home item (my plastic table cloth from Walmart). This map has allowed my kids to discuss where family and friends are traveling, living and talking about. It's so cute because even Jake knows just by mentioning a handful of states. Brian and Ashley were impressed to have the kids know where Texas was!
Thanks to Grandma Suker she baked little Caleb a cake that he was able to do anything he wanted to it. He really didn't care for the cake but he did love the candle! Thanks to everyone in sharing in the great weekend together as family. A major thank you to Randy you funded the long weekend trip so Brian and Ashley could come and visit! Honestly, we are so blessed to have such a great family. This was a good holiday.
