Rachel's 3rd Birthday

This year for Rachel's 3rd Birthday, we had a backyard BBQ at the Walker's house. (We don't have a backyard and it poured the night before. So, the family that I nanny for let us use thier backyard. THANK YOU WALKERS)!! I made Rachel's cake, which until April was suppose to be a Hello Kitty cake until she decided that she NEEDED a Rapunzel cake, AWESOME!! I was going to do one of those barbie cakes where you just stick a barbie in the cake and then decorate it, but I thought with all the little kids a cupcake cake would be much easier! I got the idea from another blog I saw online while Mark and I were trying to plan her party. And thanks to our friend Becky for the idea of the Pascal cupcakes!! We spent too much time and effort on this 3 year old party for sure! We made Pascal party blowers and Mark made a "Pin the nose on Flynn Ryder" poster and then little ovals for all the kids to make thier own noses and paste them on. Then Mark thought of putting all of the beads for the Rapunzel necklaces into frying pans, pretty cleaver! All the kids seemed to enjoy themselves and the families too! I hope they really did. I know Rachel loved having all of her friends at her party, so did we.

We also went as a family for her birthday to a place called Dynamo Gymnastics. They have this really fun little obstacle course for the kids and it's only $5/2 hours and adults are free! We ran and jumped and played for about 90 minutes and then we were exhausted! Rachel really had a great time and it is a place we will go back to for sure! After she wanted to go to "Cheesecake", which is the Cheesecake Factory, obviously we said yes! We had a great time there and she loved that they all came and sang to her.

I can hardly believe she is 3 years old! What a beautiful little girl she has become. We are so lucky to have her. She brings so much joy and laughter into our lives. Lately, when she has been a little too crazy and she can see that she's about to get into trouble for something, she will stop and come up to one of us and snuggle and then say "I love you soooooooooooooo much!" Oh yeah, she works it. We are suckers and she knows it! I am so excited to see what we are in for in this next year with her.

Pops

Here are some pictures from one of our favorite places in Oklahoma. It's called Pops and it has more than 500 flavors of bottled soda. Everything you can think of, they have it. From all over the world. From floor to ceiling and in 8 coolers Pops is covered in different flavors and colors of soda bottles. (Brilliantly the ones on the windows are glued down and not for sale, because my child, like many others I'm sure would break many of those glasses). We have been here for both breakfast and dinner, the food is great and reasonably priced. It is also a working gas station, which is great for the buses carrying loads of people who come in and buy tons of bottled soda! If you are ever in OKC we will be happy to take you!

8 years

Gymnastics 2011

Prague Kolache Festival

We were able to go to a parade and festival about an hour away from our house in Prague, OK in April. We had fun and enjoyed our extra long corndogs and the Polish Dancing. Rachel insisted on taking a picture with this year's queen. She also had fun playing on the one playground in the whole town. We had a great time and after, of course, we went to the zoo.

Most Days....

I know that this is way behind, but I really wanted to post Easter pictures. Rachel had a really GREAT time this year coloring eggs and going on the Easter Egg hunt. Unfortunately, Mark was not home for Easter because the hockey team played in Hamilton, Ontario for a playoff game. Yes, that's right, on Easter Sunday. (Also annoying, they lost that game and that ended their playoff run for the year). But he was home to color Easter Eggs and Rachel had a great time doing that with him, so life is good.

Day One Cadillac Ranch TX

On our first day of the road trip we stopped in Texas at the "Cadillac Ranch". It is 10 cars buried 1/2 way in the ground to show the different fins on the Cadillac car. We found some spray paint and went to town. We got in the cars and had a great break after driving for 5 hours. Rachel loved that she got paint on her hand just like Mark and I. It was so fun to watch her light up as we spray painted her name on the cars. These are the moments that I hope she will always remember. And it is just the beginning of the trip!!

I loved this picture and thought I should share it with all of you!

Day 1- OK to TX and NM