April 2012: Week One

So much for my New Town Resolution of posting a blog every week.  Technically, it's not my fault.  Blogger decided to update their site & while I thought I was doing the right thing by clicking on the "Update" button, I completely lost my blog.  Ooops. 

Thankfully, I have a brother-in-law who I was about to see in Montana who knew what he was doing & he saved the day. 

Nevertheless though, I was still behind on my posts & my procrastination & busyness seemed to take precedence over updating you all.

To begin the month of April, week one started with 12 girls in our new home.  Let me explain.

When we were in the process of moving, I prayed that I would:

(a) find a home with lots of windows for lots of beautiful sunshine (which I did get & I regret the request a teeny tiny smidgen while viewing all the dust every morning; however God is truly great & the dust makes me happy for my answered prayer)

&

(b) a home that I could entertain in because I knew that was something I needed to work on.  You can invite me over 100 times, but my home MUST be in tip-top shape in order for me to invite you over (it's an anal retentive issue I have), so I never invite anyone over. 

Well, God certainly blessed us with a fabulous home (& double ovens to boot, which according to my sister-in-law, SCREAM "Entertaining!") so I held true to my word & hosted the Twin Falls Bunco at my house for April. 

Bunco in Boise is crazy, but Bunco in Twin is WILD.  We had so much fun & all the girls who came (some I knew, some I didn't) were incredible, incredible girls who made me praise God yet again for allowing me to not only move to a town with such open arms, but into the arms of such sweet, thoughtful, kind & FUN girls. 

The great big bummer though -- I got NO pictures.  I was too busy hostessing with the mostessing that night.  Next month maybe.

The following morning, Cashe & I loaded up the car & drove to Montana for our niece's 1st birthday. 

It took 7 hours to get there & Cashe did wonderfully! 

[Because I am behind & because Blogger is making me a little crazy & won't let me flip my pictures, here is an array of what took place the week we were in Montana.  Use your imaginations or flip your computer screens for the sideways shots.]

As soon as we got to town, I started loving on the birthday girl. 
She loved me so much she would cry when I left the room after that
& my Little Man was not very happy with his mama either.

Little Tootsie turned one on Friday, so her mama bought her a cupcake to devour that morning for breakfast.

This is the gift table (before anyone showed up).  I had that poster made at work & brought it with me -- such a cutie (Sage, not me ... well me too).

Alicia's hardwork & creativity came together so well -- it was such a cute, yet beautiful, & rustic theme.

I just finished getting ready for the big partay & Alicia took this. 
I just appreciate that there is evidence that my hair did look cute & curled for a few minutes before everyone showed up.

Yes, I took this photo.  I will go ahead & pat myself on the back for a job well done.

Mama, Dad & the Bebe Birthday Girl.

Cousin Colty picked out this gift specifically for Sage -- it's Patrick from Sponge Bob Square Pants -- the majority of us weren't sure who Patrick was, but once we found out how much effort he put into choosing the perfect gift, it made it that much more funny AND special.

Love Love

Alicia, me & Shaunie (the cake-maker)

This is CLASSIC Sage.  She always has her hands up in the air when she's talking or SUPER excited (for cake).

Mmmmmmm ....

Shauna's cake ROCKS.

The Nelsons



BOO!  I love her. 
(And seriously, what the heck happened to my cute hair?)



Why wouldn't you love me?  More cake, please!

Tired Dad hanging out on Sage's new bear.  They're about the same size. 



The day we pulled into town, Cashe had a little pent-up energy from riding in a car all day, so he took it out on the trash can.  Sage found it quite amusing.

Cashe found it amusing to pile things on Gunner's back & watch him walk around with it on there -- dish towels, diapers, Sage's pants, papertowels, toilet paper. 

Shockingly, Cashe agreed to a bath with his little cousin. 
He was not happy with her existence, let alone the celebration of her existence. 
He did not want to share his attention, nor did he want to share his space with her.   

I love this pic -- Cashe made/was forced to make a birthday card for Sage.  I handed him stickers & gave him markers to use.  He scribbled a little all over the card & piled the stickers one on top of another, so she had a thick chunk of unrecognizable stickers on the front of her card.  It was quite cute & here she is holding it up with her toes.

Cashe-man got a little of his own Auntie Love from Alicia.

One day while we were in town, my fabulous mother agreed to watch both kiddos so we could hike the "M". 

We also had to check out Rock N Rudy's (one of my old, favorite local stores) while we were there.  There was a giant rooster outside (that I hadn't ever noticed before) & Cashe LOVES roosters, so I snapped a quick pic.

The last night I was in town, my brother came over from Portland.  Mom came down to Alicia's & we all contributed to a homecooked meal.  Matt (the chef), of course, made us some incredible prawns & halibut he brought with him. 

Cashe is SO into trains right now (particularily Thomas the Train), so I had to take him to another Missoula landmark, the train downtown by the X's (those of you MT-folk will know what I'm talking about). 
This was something else I hadn't realized was really there when I was growing up, but like the rooster, it was something Cashe was totally into.

Here he is lining up all of his trains on the dining room table when we got home from seeing a "real Thomas".

Nana also surprised Cashe with a new Thomas book in his Easter basket.

Since Sage got a cupcake for her birthday breakfast, Cashe got one too!  He was quite a bit more 'clean' about eating his because he didn't use his hands & he only ate the frosting (therefore, mama had to eat the rest because a good cupcake CANNOT go to waste).

Mmmmmmm ....

 

Cashe's other cousins came to Sage's birthday party & sweet Dyl kept an eye on Cashe while I helped out with the party where I could.  This is a photo of them eating berries from waffle cones.  Such a sweet pic. 

These are a few more of the posters I made at work.  Sage LOVED them. 

More "Thomas" pix -- Cashe kept saying, "choo choo..."

I couldn't get enough of this little sweetie.

Happy Easter!  This Little Man was a HIT at church & everywhere we went that day -- he was rockin' his little suit & looked spectacular!  What a doll.  I was a very proud mama.

Before we left, Cashe got hooked on the movie, "Finding Nemo".  (It's my fave, so I was thrilled to give up Thomas the Train for awhile.)  This is Cashe looking for Nemo in Salmon, Idaho on our way home.

More Rice Family photos.  We had such a great time together.

My dear dear friend Amanda & her family came to Sage's birthday too. 
It was so good to see her & actually catch up.

After the birthday party, we had decided to take a walk to the grocery store -- Cashe was excited about the walk, but NOT excited about the photo with mom. 

"Get off me, you fungus."