The Bergs Are Back In Town

My cousin, Ashley and her three kids, Maile, Michael & Xander were back in town this week. Jenna has so much fun with them. All three of them. They are great kids and are really sweet to her. Jenna loves giving Xander loves...

...whether he wants them or not...

And of course, we spent a lot of time swimming again. Since we just spent the last week in swim lessons, it was nice for her to put some of it to practice. But the end of this week, swimming with them every day, she had made huge progress! And it so much more at ease, which is slightly worrisome because she thinks she can swim now. She just seems to have lost so much of the fear. It's a double edged sword, that loss of fear. 

She loved taking turns to jump in the pool. 

Keep an eye on this one - she's going to be famous one day. Mark my words. 

A Candy Land Birthday Party - Jenna's Two!

For the second year we had a joint birthday party for my nephew, Cooper, and Jenna. Since they were born just 3 days apart this is what's happening for now. We had the funnest time at the party. My sister, Sara, and I decided to do it in Saint George this year since her family was in town for Thanksgiving and went with a Candy Land theme. As most of you are probably aware, we don't really do anything on a small scale. So, yeah, went a little overboard....but it was to be expected, right? You'll have to forgive the 1000 pictures but I promised pics for the out of town fam...

We had candy cane balloon pillars on the entrance to the clubhouse.

When you opened the doors you were greeting by the start of the construction paper board game. 

It lead you around the room to each of the stations.

You started by getting your ice cream. 

You then stopped at the "Gingerbread Plum Tree" station. Where you could top your ice cream with chocolate sauce, crushed graham crackers, cheese cake crumbs, yogurt chips, brownie chunks, crushed Oreos, Butterfingers crumbs, mini Reese's peanut butter cups, milk chocolate caramels, or cookie dough chunks. 

The next station was the "Gumdrop Mountains" / "Lollipop Pass" where you could have a choice of Skittles, Dots, Smarties, Gummy Bears, Nerds, Mike & Ikes, M&Ms, gum balls, Pixie Stix, and lollipops. 

At the "Peppermint Stick Forrest" station we had well, peppermint candy canes, peppermint mints, licorice, and Jolly Ranchers. 

We also include the kid's gift "bags". Because we were pumping these children full of sugar before we sent them home we decided to not include any candy in the gift bags. We were lucky enough to come across some Candy Land chapstick in the Target One Spot {oh man, I love that place way too much!}. Target also had bubbles in a ice cream cone container, and we topped it off with a squiggly straw. 

We had cupcakes topped with Airheads Xtremes to look like a rainbow.  

I made a wreath from water balloons, tulle, and ribbon. I bought a Styrofoam wreath and inserted each balloon/tulle/ribbon piece in with a floral pin. It took FOREVER and my fingers were killing me by the time I was finished but I loved how it turned out. And I can totally reuse this at another party. I finished it off by printing a miniature version of the bunting banner I made for the entrance. 

We also had a water station, thinking these needed to be grounded with water after all the sweetness. 

My lollipop tree. Loved it. 

The reversible banner at the entry way. "Happy 2nd Birthday" on one side...

...Cooper & Jenna on the other. With a picture of each of them at either end ended up being the perfect number of characters. 

Birthday girl, Jenna Rose! 

We felt so supported by all of our friends and family that came out. My cute sister, Sara did the ice cream serving. The Quarders clan; Cooper, Sara, Chloe & Chris. And the birthday boy, Cooper. Seriously, how cute is he, all sugared up?!

We had a little cake walk for the kids to play. It was the only game we had. It was a great night. A lot of work!!! I really need to figure out a way to reign it in, but so far, that's not my m.o. so I have little hope of that changing. 

Thanksgiving

What a fun Thanksgiving this year! My Aunt Janice (my Dad's sister) and Uncle Mike both a second home in St. George a year or so ago and decided to host Thanksgiving this year. My Aunt Ruann, Uncle Robert, and my cousin Jared made it over from Colorado Springs. My Dad, Holly, Sara, Chris, Chloe, and Cooper all came up from San Diego. And my cousin Ashley (Janice's daughter), her husband Ken, and their kids Maile, Michael, and Xander came down from Highland, UT. It was so great time to get some time with the family. My Aunt Janice made these really cute place cards with our names and glued a penny on each one. 

After we were done eating, we went around the table and told a story or something good that happened in the year that was on the penny. Aunt Janice had the year she was born and told about how they didn't expect her to live with she was born. She was a "blue baby", which usually meant heart problems. She received a blessing, and obviously survived, with no signs of any heart problems. Sara Lyne, got the year she and Chris were married...lucky bitch. 

Holly's veggie turkey

Uncle Mike carving the turkey

The kid's table

Aunt Janice sharing her birth story

Dad and Holly

Aunt Ruann

Let the rough housing begin...

September

I'm kind-of liking the all in one random shots throughout the month that I didn't feel like doing individual posts for. I realize it's lazy...but as I am very busy and very important, I'm totally comfortable and accepting of my laziness. Hope you can be too...

Jenna's favorite way to wear her sunglasses is upside down. I think it's because they don't slide down her face but it cracks me.  She's insistent that she wears sunglasses, though more often than not they are upside down and on her forehead, so hysterical. My cousin Ashley came to St. George again and of course we did our traditional trip to TJ Maxx. They had the most fabulous faux fur coats and it was all I could do not to purchase immediately. But I didn't, and my budget is thanking me. My mom came into town as well and it was so incredible to get a little time with her. It feels like quality time with her has been few and far between and we had a lot of fun.

Cousins

My cousin Ashley was in town with her kids for the week, so Jenna and I got some great quality time with them swimming at my Aunt & Uncle's community pool. Her kids are so great to be around; funny and happy and not the least bit contentious. Such a joy. Jenna is getting less and less intimidated by the water and I couldn't be more grateful. We are working on her back float and everything seems a little bit better when song is involved. So we float on our back and sing, "I'm a little pancake on my back. I'm a little pancake short and flat. I'm a little pancake on my back. Flip me over just like that." sung to the tune of Tea Pot. She still freaks out a little but it feels like she got a little better each day.