Birthday time for Daddy

I'm pretty sure Steve had a really fun birthday overall this year...but their was a moment I think he could have done without. He took the day off of work, which is always a most joyous occasion. We started out by eating the most amazing french toast for breakfast at Kneaders. We even let the kids miss the first hour of school, and buttered up their teachers by sending Max and Sophie to school with an ooey gooey cinnamon roll. Then my Mom watched Capri for a few hours while we went to a matinee, which is also a most joyous and rare occasion. For dinner we met Pat and Dick at a delicious restaurant in downtown Eagle...and this was the moment. Well, it was many moments, way too many moments. Our children, largely Capri, were not on their best behavior. This picture captures the climate at dinner perfectly. Steve finally couldn't handle it, and lost his cool a bit. I thought his birthday was going to end dreadfully, but I hit a homerun with the nightcap...a foosball table was waiting at home for him, along with all of his favorite dudes. I had all his favorite snack foods and beverages for all to share. They played foosball, halo on the x-box, more foosball, more halo, and I was downstairs enjoying a book and enjoying hearing my hubby act like a little boy. Did I mention that the culprits that caused his birthday meltdown were sleeping over at Grandma Pat's? Yeah...that was the best part!

All Kinds of Random Fun!!

I have to admit that Capri is not my favorite shopping buddy...yet, because she knows how to make messes in stores just like she makes messes at home! She must make shoe sales people especially aggravated because she finds every super shiny, super high-heeled, super red light district shoe in the department and tries it on, and then leaves them right where they came off her feet, in search of the next pair. I try to pick them all up but sometimes I just want to get out of the store and rush to the kids play place asap! At least she is a cute shopping buddy. I get all kinds of attention when she comes with me. I should rent her out to single men as a pseudo niece and they would get dates for sure...but then I would have to do fingerprints and background checks, which is way too much work. I'll just keep her all to myself.

We went to a new indoor play center and it was quite the hit with my girls. Sophie stayed in the grocery store section nearly the entire time. She was cashier and stocker and greeter...you name it she played it. Actually, she didn't really play it, she WAS it. It was serious business to her. She wasn't even smiling most of the time because she was so busy! I made her smile for the camera in this picture. You could tell she was having a fabulous time. That is her way of having a fabulous time. I told Steve that she is going to make the best employee when she gets older. I don't think I'll let anyone else hire her though...Steve and I are going to monopolize her. I'm thinking she'll be cleaning and organizing his office by 12...really.

While Max, Caleb and the Dad's practiced baseball, the girls enjoyed the playground at the park. I love that my girls play so well together, and Aubrie fits right in.

Capri loves Grandma Smith's chickens...behind the fence. I am the same way. In fact, I milked a cow nearly every day in high school, but I wouldn't ever gather eggs. The chicken always scared me with their squawking, and I thought for sure they would attack me as a mob if I entered the gate. I still have yet to enter that gate! By the way, this picture was taken just prior to our visit to the Romney for President rally. Again, Capri got lots of attention at the rally, but I could have done without that attention seeing as I had to carry her nearly the entire rally (and waiting for the rally to start) because the crazy conservative crowd scared her more than the chickens do!

A Leisurely Hike

What a perfect little afternoon this was. We joined the Johnsons for a little hike in the foothills. The hike was just long enough that I had to carry Capri by the end, but just short enough that I could still manage carrying Capri at the end! Then we drove up the road to the most charming neighborhood (which my sister Cali just happened to buy a home in) called Hidden Springs and ate at the neighborhood cafe. We sat at the bar, which the kids loved because they got to choose what was played on the large televisions...the Jetsons! The weather was perfect...for a winter day in Boise, the hike was perfect, the food was perfect, and most importantly, the company was perfect!!