Concert in the Park

Every summer Bank of the West puts on a concert in Memorial Park and this year was a SUPER big deal because Kansas and Styx were playing! I had never heard of them before but I guess they were a really big hit like thirty years ago and are still pretty loved today.
So Bill and his friend Ben were put in charge of saving 'seats' (fold up chairs and blanket room on the grass) so they showed up at 3:00 a.m. and waited until the gates opened at 5:00 a.m.! They said there were about 1500 other people that showed up when the gates opened so they weren't the only crazy people there :) Then they sat there all day long until all the 60,000 other people showed up for the concert. By the time I got there, they were tired, smelly, sun burnt and starving.......but we had really good seats!

I was a good wife and brought Bill some Taco Bell. It was so incredibly jam packed down there that parking anywhere close was a joke. So Brandon, Sam and I had to park in the Target parking lot a good mile and a half away and walk it.

The sun was really bright....and I saw some of the craziest dance moves from people over fifty last night. They were living it up just like the good ol' days :)

Ashton and I waiting for the fire works to start.
They finally started at 10:00 p.m. and were just spectacular! They did such a great job and since we were close to the stage, the fireworks were going off right above us and it was soooo pretty!
I can't wait for tomorrow to see some more! If you can't tell, fireworks are one of my favorite things!!!!!!

Happy Birthday To ME!

Well, last Tuesday was my Birthday and my mom, Sawyer and Bill made the day really nice and special but we had begun celebrating the Friday before. It was hard trying to coordinate a time to go out between my in-laws 'busy-ness', my mother's arrival, Alex's baseball games, Father's Day, a graduation party ect. We did get together with my mom, Bill's parents and Bill's Uncle Bruce and Aunt Lynn and their daughter Mya who is best buddies with Sawyer. I had no idea where we were headed for dinner and was so excitedly surprised when we pulled up to Sulivans!

I have wanted to go to this place down town called Sulivans for months now but just never went. It is a FABULOUS very up scale steak house that serves the best of the best. It's very classy dimly lit atmosphere, viewable wine cellar, mahogany paneled walls, and white linen tablecloths. You'll have to dip into your kid's college funds to go there but totally worth it! My camera wasn't working very well so I'm pretty bummed that I didn't take like any pictures that night! But we all enjoyed a delicious dinner of all sorts of different steaks but I think that Bill and I got the best! We decided to share what they call a Tomahawk Steak. It's this huge steak on a huge bone as you can see from the picture! It was SO good!
I also had an out-of-this-world drink (I can't for the life of me remember what they called it). They took thick slices of fresh pineapple and let them soak in huge glass barrels of vodka for three weeks and then would take a few pieces, squeeze out all the juice, shake it with ice and waaaalaa!!!! D-Lish!
Then we went back to our house and opened gifts. This year I took the tacky route and decided to e-mail my family my birthday list! :) That way it took the headache out of it for them trying to figure out something to get me and also ensured that I would get the things that I had wanted for a long time. They all did a fabulous job and I was pretty stoked with my loot!
My in-laws gave me a huge basket full of all sorts of goodies: a new table cloth, different teas that I love, a gorgeous bonsai tree that I takes up more of my time than my day care kids, and these AWESOME rain boots that my father-in-law picked out himself!
Bill and Sawyer got me the new Rubbermaid Tupperware set with interlocking lids that I'd been eying and best of all-a memory foam mattress pad......oh my goodness....this thing is the most amazing thing to sleep on....Thank you Bill and Sawyer!!!
My mom also out did herself and got me my new prized possession~ an apple green Kitchen Aid mixer!!!! It is the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen and I absolutely LOVE it!

That Saturday night we also went to HIRO, my favorite sushi place to celebrate with friends and as always the food was just crazy good! Tuesday, my actually birthday I had to work but it was still a fun day. My mom ran to McDonalds to get Happy Meals for the kids and we had a fun, unhealthy lunch here and Sawyer and Nana Jane had made some really yummy cupcakes for us too! After naptime, we had ice cream cones and what party is complete without birthday CROWNS?!

The kids brought me tons of cards and gifts and we all just really enjoyed the day!

Singing Happy birthday!

Nathan , Ali and Sawyer on a sugar high....

That night we all went out to Fridays with my mom and Sandra and had a nice dinner-a perfect end to a perfect day!*

Mom, Me and Sandra

Father's Day

I completely procrastinated last week and was scrambling to figure out something to have the kids make for Father's Day when of course-Mom to the rescue! She had the cute idea of making the dad's faces out of candy! The kids had a blast making them and snuck a few candies to inspire they're creativity :)

As our Father's Day gift to Bill and his dad Steve, we had set up for them to go golfing all afternoon, but it was pouring down rain so that didn't happen....we still went through with dinner at his parent's house though. At the father's request, we got chicken from KFC and then made a bunch of homemade sides.

Alex & cousin George who was visiting from Missouri.

Daddy, Sawyer and Papa Steve admiring the artwork!

Toy Story 3 Extravaganza

Nick & Nathan are Sawyer's best new friends at Day Care! Nathan is Sawyer's age and Nick just turned two so they are like best buds. We were invited to Nick's second birthday last Saturday and let me tell you what a BLAST it was! Rachel (Nick & Nathan's Super-Mom) out did herself in putting on the party of all parties for a two year old!

The theme was Toy Story 3 and the back yard was decked out~a bouncy house, a huge ball that they rolled around in (Sawyer's favorite), coloring station, Mr. & Mrs. Potato head table, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, music....

All the kids stuffed themselves with hot dogs, mini sliders, chicken nuggets, tons of fresh fruit, and veggie chips. They could barely eat they were so excited!

As if they hadn't had enough food in their tummies already, they had cup cakes with cute little Toy Story toppers on them! We all got these awesome VIP movie passes with tickets to the afternoon showing and huge movie boxes complete with popcorn, candy, a drink, and tons of Toy Story toys! We all went to the movie and is was SO GOOD! It was an over the top awesome birthday bash~Thanks for setting the bar so high Rachel and potentially making us all look bad :)

The Mighty Sluggers

Sawyer had his first Tee Ball game last Saturday! He is in the Mighty Sluggers league and he is on the Dodgers team. He has been SO excited about playing but since the weather has been so darn rainy, he has had his first two games canceled! So this was the first day and he was ready to go!

Coach Jeff (Sawyer has an Uncle called Jeff so he calls his coach 'Uncle Jeff') leading the team in some stretches. The little girl flashing us in the pink shorts was a riot to watch. She clearly didn't want to be there, wouldn't ever throw the ball but would throw her glove instead and whenever Coach Jeff would habd her glove back to her, she's slap it out of his hand onto the ground.....I'm sure she's going to be his favorite player!

In the typical Tee Ball fashion, there wre tons of parents on the field directing and whenever someone was up to bat and actually hit it, they would throw out five more balls so that everyone had a chance to grab one...to avoid meltdowns when you have a son like Sawyer who burst into tears when he didn't catch one.

Little bottom itch on third base.

Rice Crispy treats and Capri Suns to replenish the athletes after they exerted so much energy :)

Nana Jane is HERE!!!

Welcome Nana Jane!


Nana Jane arrived from Brazil on Monday!!! WAHOO!!!
We all love it when my mom comes to visit, but I think Sawyer loves it the most! (and not just because she lets him play with her i-touch) He has been having the best time with her already-going out shopping, out for lunch, doing puzzles...and of course conning her into buying him all these things that he "really needs!"

Bill and Sawyer went to pick her up from the airport on Monday morning and we had made a sign for him to hold up, but apparently he thought that holding it behind his back was more climactic.....

AHHHH There we go-Here's the sign......

Lots of hugs and kisses!

Sawyer's thoughts about God....

Short account by Papa Steve:

So came the little voice in the dark from the back seat…

Sawyer:

“Does God make people?”

Nana & Papa:

“Yes Sawyer, God makes all living things.”

Sawyer:

“Do he make heads?”

Nana & Papa:

after a giggle...“Yes, he makes heads too.”

Sawyer:

after a pause...”thems be hard to put on.”

While driving home from Lincoln late one evening. 5/15/2010