Toy Story Bonanza

Maycee's birthday celebrations this year were all jampacked into one day. It was a really busy day and mom and dad were worn out at the end...but Maycee loved every single minute and that made it all worthwhile!

We had a low key morning, getting ready for th party later in the day and letting Maycee do pretty much whatever she wanted. Just before lunch and her nap we sang the first of many Happy Birthday and gave her all her gifts from Mom,Dad and Layla.

Can you tell this girl loves PINK??! On to the party...
Maycee has been slightly obbsessed with Toy story over the last year. She has memorized pretty much all of Toy Story 3 since Santa brought it, Jesse was on the top of the list to see when we were at Disneyland and her "Jesse boots" are a must pretty much every day! The spread...enough sugary treats for all the buckaroos! Some details... KC's handy work...
The kids all colored a Toy Story color page while everyone arrived... Then it was on to "Pin the Tail on Bullseye" And finally "There's a Snake in My Boot"The candle would not stay lit...She must have blown out her candle at least 5 times!! All the little cowgirls and cowboys...
Thanks to all for coming and all the wonderful gifts! Maycee was spoiled!! Grandpa Steve and the birthday girlThe three amigos...Maycee loves her some Halle and Jack!
Gotta love those blue eyes!!Perfect way to end your cowgirl party...in a princess dress! Love this girly-girl!This little lady ended her night with the throw-ups :( So sad to watch such a tiny person have to go through that! Unfortunately it was passed on to much of the Anderson clan (including KC who up-chucked for the first time in ten years!). Sorry everyone. And this one didn't have cake until the next day...and it was the only peice cut from the masterpiece that was the Toy Story cake!

She is Free (3)!

Hard to believe that three years has passed since little Maycee Jane joined our family. She is such a fun little lady to spend each day with and sometimes I forget she is only three because she talks so much and seems to understand so many things! Sometimes I wonder where she gets stuff from and then I remember its something I told her three or four days before! Some of the funny things she has been saying lately:

"Mom, I'm a lot of hungry"

"When kids are three they can't lay by themselves" (bed time is a struggle)

"I have a good idea..." (always has a plan to get what she wants)

"If you let me watch a show, I will let you put my hair in pony tails

She is for sure into anything princess or toy story right now. I think she may be able to recite a couple scenes word for word from Tangeled (we have had to limit the watching to a few times a week). So fun to see her wearing a princess dress up with her "jessie boots". She LOVES to play with her cousins and jumps off the wall when you mention that Jack & Halle are coming over or that we get to go play at Sophia's house. Her favorite friends right now are Emma and Serious - she made these two up. I think I may say "are you serious" too much. Emma and Serious go pretty much everywhere with us and they are really good at helping her get into trouble. I love that she has such an awesome imgaination!! She is a sucker for the swings and the slide at the playground and will beg for days to ride the dragon on the carosel at the mall. Bath time is the BEST time of the day for her...we have to make deals with her to get her out of the tub! Sadly this little girl has a very short list of what she is willing to eat, the top foods are fruit loops, oatmeal, bread with butter, chicken nuggets, peanut butter and jelly and yogurt. Just have to hope the pickiness will pass!
She is definitely one of my favorite people to be with and I am so glad I get to spend every day with her and love that she makes me smile and laugh every day.
I love my Maycee Jane...Happy 3rd Birthday!!

Baseball + Rain = :(

We are suckers for a good baseball game...especially if its the Angels. We usually head up to Seattle for a spring game and a stroll through the Tulip Festival, but this year it didn't work out. So we tried something new and headed to San Fran to see a new stadium and watch the Angels play the A's. The weather was not looking promising even a week before the game but we thought it may clear - boy were we wrong. Rain, rain, and more rain. Not fun with kids. But we all put on happy faces and braved the elements for the "ball game" as Maycee would call it.

Ok, so most of us put on happy faces...Grandpa doesn't normally smile for pictures, but I think there was a reason for it this time.This little lady loves the ball game...the peanuts, the hot dog and of course the ball she always gets from a player!She was a champ! Even with a little cold she was smiling and loving every bit of her first Angels game!What to do with a baseball?? Eat it of course!Can you see the rain? There was an hour rain dealy before the game, during which there was no rain. Two pitches into the game it started raining and didn't stop. We eventually moved from our front row seats up under the awning...then sadly departed way TOO early! Oh well...guess we now know we should stick to Seattle where they can close the roof! Our only group shot...Maycee is still happy, Layla is deciding, KC is sad to be leaving, and grandpa just wants to be dry!

Awe and Wonder...

Are two things I felt as I waited to cheer on one of my very best friends while she competed in the Ironman St. George. And the same feelings returned later that day while we watched so many athletes as they crossed the finish line in downtown St. George. I can not begin to relate the range of emotions that came and went during the three days we spent in southern Utah. I am so glad I was there to experience it all with a girl I consider to be my long lost sister and her little family and her wonderful parents. Sally - Brooke - Liz
Love these ladies...we were pretty much attached at the hip our whole senior year of high school
This the night before the Ironman at the kids race. Liz was there helping her sister, while her brother-in-law ran the Ironman. Brooke's husband Rich and cute mom Kelly...waiting in Ivins to cheer on Brooke during her bike.
Layla was only concerned with food...if you know her, you know thats all she really cares about!Here is she is! I almost missed her...but I was happy to see her and show how proud of her we are!

Shortly after this checkpoint Brooke was pulled from the race because of heat stroke. Such a hard and devestating blow to her and all the hard work and training she went through, but there could have been something far worse happen if she went on with the race. The day of the race tempuratures climbed nearly 20 degress higher than the previous day. This caused so many to have to involuntarily leave the race early. Nearly 1/3 of those who started the race ended up with a "DQ"...basically meaning they had to leave the race. This course is probably one of the toughest in the Ironman circut...a huge props to those who completed! There were a few familiar faces I saw cross the finish line...way to go guys!!!Maycee LOVED splashing and running around in the little river near the finish line in downtown St George.We were there to see Liz's brother-in-law Mark finish the race. This is right after he crossed the finish line...with his three ladies, Jane-Ali-Suri.Bailey got a little wet...Love this girl to death! Brooke, you are amazing and I am so lucky you want to be my friend!!

Birthday Grandma

My amazing Grandma turned 92 at the beginning of May...so we had a little party for her.

Grandma Hortense with all her great grandkids. Sweet Maycee snuggling up to the birthday girl Layla loves her cousin Tyson Grandma with her son TR This is Layla next to a picture of Sally's mom around the same age. Pretty crazy how much Layla looks like her grandma! All the kids helping grandma blow out the birthday candlesSohphia is very intense with her love...cousin hugs are the best!! Grandaddy: 104 yrs
Maycee: 3 yrs
Layla: 10 months Absolutely love this shot! Perfect cute smiles from three of my favorite ladies!!