The Rest of May 2012

1)  Riana got braces!!  And she looks way to cute in them!!  It isn't even fair!  :)
2)  Grant and I were lucky enough to celebrate our anniversary twice.  (We have been married 14 years!!)  A few days before our anniversary, we went out to lunch, right on the water, in Tacoma, at Katy Downs.  We both decided to get fish, since we were right on the water.  The fish tacos were super yummy and healthy and the fish sampler was not so healthy but still super yummy.  Then on our actual anniversary, we played soccer together on our Co-ed 30+ team (something we really enjoy doing together.)  Then we went out to The Rock (Wood Fired Pizza.)  We both absolutely loved it!!  Seriously, the best pizza around!!

3) Just Calyssa being cute
4-5) Aurora and her friends from ORLA, taking turns judging and putting on a show, on the stage.  Aurora has such natural grace to her dancing.  She is fun to watch!

6-8) Riana took a class at ORLA called 2D/3D art.  They learned about the mystery of the paper sculptures anonymously left around the city of Edinburgh, Scotland.  And they decided to create a similar mystery here in our town.  Riana started this sculpture but had to leave the class early (to go to public school) so her teacher's 11 year old niece finished it.  I was absolutely amazed by the way it turned out!!  Incredible!  The main parts Riana made were the pig and the web (as well as a few other smaller details.)  After they had finished, Riana and I went to one of the local libraries and snuck it onto a shelf and left... without saying a word.  (It was so cute to watch Riana, as she was being sneaky!  She was pretty nervous about making sure she wasn't seen.  Cute!  Also, the library and a couple other blogs/websites posted a picture of her sculpture and several people commented/liked it.  That was fun!)  So just remember if you happen to see this sculpture around town, don't tell anyone who made it, it's a secret!!!  SHH!!!  ;)

7-9) Our girls love playing with each other and often come up with very creative ideas of things to do.  Here Sariah was interviewing the girls about things they like.  I love that they love being together!

10-12) Isn't it funny how people grow up when you aren't with them and yet you still think of them as the age you last saw them?  Well, my Beehives from our last ward are starting to get married... and it's crazy!!  (And the kids I used to babysit, when I was 12, are having babies, returning from missions, etc!!)  Melissa and Liahona both got married last month!  It is so neat to see what wonderful women they have turned into and am so happy that they are choosing to get married in the temple to this really neat guys!!  It makes me so happy to see that they are so happy!!  :)  We had the opportunity to go to Liah's reception and she made such a gorgeous bride!!  In the first picture, she is dancing with her Daddy.  (It was great to see Marcos and Tawnya too!)  The second picture is of her and her husband, Dan, talking to a cute little girl (I think maybe his niece or something.)  Dan seemed like such a good guy!  The last picture was a bit scary to me.  When they asked for all single girls to catch the bouquet, my girls went up!  I was thinking how Liah was just 12 and now she's getting married and Riana is 12 now!  Ahhh!!  Time needs to slow down!!!
13) Our girls loved the pretty, edible, shell cupcake toppers.  They thought they were so cute and yummy!
14-15) We also had the opportunity, in May, to attend Matt's homecoming from his mission to South Africa.  (It is so neat that he was called there, as his mother, Lisa, has a real love for the people of Africa and has visited there several times and their family even had an exchange student from there.)  It was neat to hear him speak and to visit with the family at their house afterwards.  Greg, Matt's Dad, has been a mentor for Grant since he was a teenager.  He has had a really wonderful influence on Grant and Grant appreciates all the love he has shown for him and for the good example he has been.  (Greg is also a pharmacuetical rep and has helped Grant with many questions.)  We also had the chance to visit with Grant's Grandparents, while we were in Bremerton/Silverdale, which was nice.

While we were up in Bremerton, Riana and Sariah were going to their cousin, Paige's, birthday party, spending the night, and attending church with their cousins the day we were in Bremerton for the homecoming.  They had so much fun at Paige's party-- Jill sure knows how to throw a party!  They were sufficiently spoiled, while they were there.  I'm glad they could go spend time with Grant's sister, Jill, and her family.

Sariah was so excited to catch this butterfly (or pretty moth.)  She kept it for about 24 or 48 hours.  When I told her it was time to let it go, it was nighttime and she didn't want to do it right then because she didn't want the butterfly to get cold.  She decided to wait until the next morning, to let it go.  Sadly, the butterfly died during the night.  Sariah was terribly brokenhearted!!  She cried and cried.  She was very upset!  She is such a sweet, tender girl, who loves all of Heavenly Father's creatures, both big and small.

1) Here is what I wrote on my Facebook to explain this picture, "Within an hour of getting dressed this morning, I had to completely change my clothes, as I sat in milk (which had been spilt on the carpet... at least I found it so I could clean it up... LOL!) and my sweater was covered in all kinds of lovely treasures from my little cuties! No wonder I have so much laundry to do!! And yet, I wouldn't trade my life! I love my girls!! :)"
2) I don't pay Riana to babysit very often, however, Aurora was sick and my sis-in-law, Jolie, was having a surprise Graduation party for my brother, Dan.  It also happened to be at her sister, April's house, who has a daughter, Sarah, that Riana and Sariah are friends with.  For her sacrifice, I paid her and we brought them both home some treats from the party.  This made them very happy!!  :)
3) Lucrecia, Caleb's friend, came over to drop off Hailey, one morning.  She stayed for a while and we had a really nice chat.  Then she played with the girls in the backyard for a while, as well.  They loved it!  And they love her!! 

4) "Look Mommy, I did it all by myself!!"

5-6) My little Minnie Mouse... so cute!