Happy Birthday to me!

I had a great birthday.  Nothing crazy, just a good day.  My mom offered to make me a cake, and I took her right up on that offer.  Since I am the baker around here, unless I bake myself a cake...we usually go buy a treat.  It was great to have someone bake me a real-live cake! We gathered for the cake the night before my birthday.

Yummy.

More tastiness.

We tried to do a mini-photo shoot even though it was kind of last minute.  Ryan doesn't have a lot of practice taking pictures.  In this one I am out of focus.  It doesn't really matter though, because you know what IS in focus, that's right, the cakes. 

Joshua took this one.  

I was trying to do a big ol' pose in this one.  I wish all the cute kids in the background showed a little more and I showed a little less.  

On my actual birthday my mom and sister/sister-in-law took me out for lunch at one of my favorite places in town...Babes.  Later that night Ryan took me out to dinner with all the kids.  We rarely all go out to a sit down restaurant as a family.  That night happened to be "family" night and they were doing face painting.  Perfect.  I just pretended it was part of the "party" I had planned!  Ha-ha.

Annie's face looked awesome. It was all sparkly but the lightning was bad and  I just took this on my phone. 

It was a great birthday.  Ryan left with the two youngest boys to California the next day and that seems SO long ago!  Birthdays for me are kind of like a second chance at making new resolutions for my life.  So far I have not committed to any great ones.  I am still thinking about it.  I will let you know what I come up with!  Anyway, thanks for all the people that wished me a Happy Birthday!  Those are the things that mean the most!

A few random things...

My family stays at the same resort at Bear Lake every year.  We have been going there since I was a kid.  Not much has changed since then either!  It is not fancy at all...but we love it.  You can pretty much just let the kids roam and you are not worried about them.  It is just a bunch of other families there having reunions too!  There are pools, tennis courts, and beach access to the lake. 

A few years ago some dear friends of ours from California built at home (or two) at Bear Lake just about a mile from where we usually stay with my family.  Over the years they have been so kind to let us crash there when space has been tight in the condo.  (My family has grown quite a bit in the past few years!)  We stayed there this year again.  This will be the last year we will stay in the big "cabin" as they call it, since they just sold it.  Here are a few pictures of it...(I took them last minute and hadn't done any cleaning up yet as you can tell!)  

The dining area....

Fireplace area off the huge living room. 

They have some beautiful art throughout the home. This is one of my favorites....

The playroom would be the kids favorite....this is just one side of the room.

There was so much attention to detail when building the cabin.  They included local plant themes throughout the home.  It is beautiful!

 The media room in the basement...my kids spent a lot of time playing pool here!

Every bathroom in the home is unique...

Annie could not get enough of the bathtub! 

The front of the media room in time basement.  It is a walk out basement and so when the blinds are up it is light and you can see the beautiful gardens around you. 

Another one of my favorite paintings. I believe it is by the same artist as the one above.  I love the colors! 

The "Red Room"...where we stayed this time.  

The family room on the main floor.  

These pictures are just a small portion of the home, but I really missed the most beautiful part to me...the grounds.  They are so pretty and the view of the lake is perfect.  The home is so lovely, but the owners are even more lovely.  They have been so generous to share with us!  

My family with their Arizona cousins....saying our goodbyes!

 Right after getting home from Bear Lake we took all the kids to the zoo.  I rarely get a shot of ALL four boys together like this.  I love it!

I sure miss those two boys on the left.  They have been gone for over a week, and it seems like forever!   I am ready for them to come home! 

Fun in the Sun

Okay, brace yourself.  I really tried to narrow this down!  

London and Anne in their twin pink polka dot swimsuits.

The Dad's take the kids to the pool.

Poor Soph, she has to watch from the sidelines.

This was the sky that night at the pool.  My camera didn't really capture the beauty.  It seems Bear Lake always has pretty sunsets.

I like how in this one you can imagine they are discussing something really important...or David is imparting some words of wisdom from his youth.

This one of Joshua looks so funny. I don't know what he is doing.

Anne stole the show each night jumping off the diving board.  She is fearless.

Had to get a shot from 'behind'.  :)

Alexis, Emmaline, and Chloe

Aunt Melissa and London

James, Holden, and Joshua

 Just thought this was funny, for several reasons.  First, my niece Abigail in her robe.  This girl wears a robe over her PJs always.  The little towel-thingy on her head just adds a special touch.  Second, I thought it was cute how the little girls were carrying on a deep conversation with her. 

The next day at the Beach was our last day at the Lake.  Anne was all prepared to look her best. :) 

Just looking at these make me wish I was at the lake, like right now.

Fun in the sand...

Photo shoot in the water...and I will have you know that photo SHOOT doesn't mean photo SHOP.  If could photo shop, I would have made myself have some really skinny legs! 

I had to zoom in on this one...I just love her face!

Joshua

More fun on the beach...

(Emmaline and Alexis)

(Eliza and Anne)

(Anne and Sophie...Emmaline too!)

Anne, Mom, and Michael tearing it up on the lake.  :)

Sophie enjoying some refreshment.

Luke and cousin, Austin. They are getting so big!

Isabelle and Eliza

Family love...

 Michael spent a long time trying to catch little fish.

Aunt Heidi...doing her thing at the beach.  That usually involves a coke and a good book.

Sophie....getting so tired after a long afternoon in the sun.

Look at these cuties! Not a care in the world! Just hand over your empty drink containers, and we will be happy for hours!

Well, that's a wrap!  I think we have the beach and pool pretty much covered.  We joke that every year we have a million pictures that look just about the same...but the kids are just a little older.  I just love, love, love summertime!