65 and 68 Years!

Joyce Flower's 65th birthday was on July 19th and Helen & Dayton Anderson's 68th Anniversary was on the 24th, so we put them together and had a (mainly) family dual celebration. It was great fun!


I wanted to make sure to do something special for Joyce since she does so much for everyone else and is always the host of every gathering.

The party was held at our neighborhood Clubhouse since our backyard is still being renovated somewhat (the pool is just about finished, but Ryan and my dad are building a patio cover, so wood slats are everywhere). It was nice to have the room to have everyone sit inside since it was a very hot day.

25 people came together for a nice brunch, some spent a little time in the pool, we had cake and opened a few gifts.


We couldn't have executed the party without the help of my parents and Ryan's dad. They really helped me to get it all together that party morning. And the party went off without a hitch!

Nice to Meet You, Mickey Mouse!

No, we didn't go to Disneyland, but we had so much fun at Thomas' birthday party that it felt like Disneyland! Our friends, Jeff & Tamme Smith, had a party for their little boy who turned one last weekend. Mickey Mouse showed up at the park to play games with the kids for an hour. Shaye stepped right up to get Mickey's attention and waved and said "hi" (several times!).
She waited patiently in the front row for her flower balloon and followed Mickey around the park.


They played a few games - with a parachute, Simon (Mickey) Says, and Red Light Green Light. Shaye played along with each game and had a blast. Ryan and I may have had more fun watching her with Mickey and the kids! When Mickey left, Shaye was sure to say "BYE!" and wave, as if they were old pals.

Beach Day!

Baseball Game Firsts

On the 4th of July, Ryan was given his company's tickets to the Angels game. They are very good seats and we thought this would be a great opportunity to take Shaye to her first game. It was a 6pm game (perfect, since it wasn't hot) against the Detroit Tigers. My parents joined us as well.

As soon as we arrived and headed toward our seats during the 1st inning, we heard the roar of the crowd and fireworks just after Tori Hunter hit a homerun. Shaye was confused, but excited that there was so much to see! She loved pushing the seats up and down, sitting in her own big girl chair, and switching from lap to lap.

Grandma taught her about the loud crack that you hear when the ball is hit by the bat and flies in the air. Shaye followed the ball carefully!

I took Shaye on a walk around the stadium, carrying her for half and she walked the other half, just taking in all the sites around her. She ate a snack and watched the game some more.


Ryan took Shaye on the next walk around the stadium and taught her about his favorite baseball team, The Angels.

Another snack was next as was starting to get tired. Then we spent some time drawing in the Mickey Mouse coloring book with her markers. We cheered some more, and then at the bottom of the 7th inning, just after 8pm, Shaye decided she was too tired and it was time to go home. Although we didn't make it to the fireworks at the end of the game, we couldn't have imagined a more fun experience with Shaye at the game. Her eyes were full of wonder and we know she had a great time. And she cheered all the way until the very end!

Annual 4th of July Parade

This morning on the 4th of July, we had a blast at our neighborhood Parade. Shaye is finally old enough to enjoy more of the festivities. First, Shaye got to drive her little car down the street in the parade with all the other walkers and bikers.

Then, she jumped in the bounce house on and off for the next hour. She had a ton of fun bouncing with the other kids.




She also got 3 tatoos that made her look like a superstar!

And beat on the big parade drums!

Also enjoyed some OJ and muffins. Next year, maybe she can play tug-o-war, throw some water balloons and get her face painted like the big kids. Can't wait!