Sully Turns 3

We have been so lucky to have a special friendship with Sully since he was in his momma's belly and Mattie was in mine.  We have literally watched these kids grow up together from the very beginnings!

Sully recently celebrated his THIRD birthday at Chico - soaking, swimming, friends, pizza, pinatas, and cupcakes... Oh my!

Birthday Boy 

So anxious to sing and eat the candy on top of the healthy carrot muffins!  

Lucas and Matine waiting patiently! 

Such happy smiles and cute kids. 

We love Chico!  AND, banging on a piñata.  

You can recap birthday two here,  our first 5K walk/race together with the new borns when they were only 20 days old, our first Fathers Day camping trip when the babes were 6 weeks old, Emily and I's first real "trip to the park" with the babies (we thought it was so crazy at the time) .... It's been fun and we love our little Sully so much.

And most recently, he shared our excitement as we he and the new school welcomed Mattie on her first day of school!

That's what friends are for ..... Old friends are the best kind of friends.

Spring Craziness has begun!

It was a BUSY weekend here for us.  It felt good to be so active with all our great friends and get out and about more after a long winter.  Friday was a get together with folks and soak at Chico, Saturday I had coffee and a nice good walk with some other pregnant girlfriends, and then Saturday night we had a great St Patricks Day dinner and fun fest at our friend Camy and Andy's in Bozeman.  After that we took a trip to Nana Jo's for Saturday and Sunday morning.   This momma is tired and Matine took a 4.5 hour nap after "school" today!

Before we could leave our house for Camy's house Matine made sure she had her own bag "which I want to carry like the mail lady" (over one shoulder and across the chest) with appropriate toys she thought the other kids would like to play with.   This included a My Little Pony, Bride Barbie, a plastic sheep, and a stuffed Giraffe, and a few extra barrettes (in her words, "in case I lose the ones in my hair").

After a 5 hour PARTY for adults and kids, Mattie was half delirious (it was 930 by now) but still clear headed enough to make sure that our next stop to Nana Jo's was well thought out.  On our way up there, Matine was going through the "pack list" in her head.  No kidding, this kid sat in her car seat and asked me if I remembered to pack her swimsuit, towel, toothbrush, pajamas and gloves.   I don't think I am going to be able to miss a single step with this kid.  I guess I don't really have to worry about introducing baby #2 and being overwhelmed... Mattie will clearly keep me in line!

Michelle made a nice bday cake for Andrew!  

Pat, Alexis, Michael (rocking the party in his undies), Camy and Levia 

Lucas and Matine with Peter 

Lucas is the cutest boy on the planet... He is SO funny (if you can't tell by just looking at this face)

Anna, Danica and Kennedy - Matine worshipped them! 

 Time is never wasted at Joellyn's.  By 8am she and Peter (and Matine of course) were hard at work fertilizing  her fields for spring ... Mattie supervised from the back of the 6th wheeler... With a big grig of course!

Monkey See Monkey Do

It was a gorgeous day in Livingston last week. The winds stayed at bay for a a few hours, the sun came out and it seemed that everyone had the same idea... GET OUTSIDE!

Sacajawea Park is the ideal place to be when the stars align and you have such amazing weather (and antsy kids).  We had 4 little monkeys ready to do hot laps all over the park for a couple good hours!

SLIDE 

JUMP

CLIMB

SMILE (and try to ensure all three of her kids go home alive ... she's superwoman!)

VISIT (I and pretty sure this dad - duo were talking about fishing or fish tanks) 

MORE CLIMBING (Monkey Matine's favorite part of the park - the spider web)

SWING

I am looking forward to many more days like this.  I have to admit, I have been feeling a bit claustrophobic lately ... Spring?  Are you here yet? For good?

And the Oscar goes to....

It was the Roger's 2nd Annual Oscar Party.  I am declaring an "annual" even if they aren't completely on board yet because it is so much fun and a nice change of pace in the middle of our long winters.  There is something fun about dressing up in sleeveless dresses that show off my wintery white pasty arms and trying to walk in heels on ice that I just can't get enough of! I also adore the costume jewelry and a reason to dig out my 1 tube of lipstick that I have had for 12 years.  Thanks Clinique.

My daughter clearly has the same love of dress up as her momma.  As you can imagine, this party might be Matine's FAVORITE of the year.   Poofy pink dress - check.  Pretty ladies with jewelry - check.  Getting to wear dress up shoes that click and gloves - check.  Talking about "Logan will dance with me?" for an entire week - check!   Thanks to Nona and her amazing finds at the thrift store, Matine had about 3 new dress up dresses to choose from for the occasion.

Check out LAST YEARS party with the link here: http://brookeandpeter.blogspot.com/2011/03/red-carpet.html.  I cannot believe this is what 1 year can do!  Madeleine and I are going to take this picture with our gals each year to see the growth!  Theirs and ours.  Yikes.

"I just can't accept this award!  I am so shocked.  I'd like to share it with my friend Sophia. "

Let's just say there were about 30 people there, and more than 1/2 of them were under the age of 6!  There were 3 pregnant ladies as well, which means by next year, the we will be completely outnumbered!

Guys stayed upstairs and drank beer, ladies watched the red carpet and ceremonies from the comfort of the movie room downstairs (champagne and wine in hand).  The kids ran all over.

Me and JimPa, the "french director"

I LOVE Williams bow-tie on the superhero costume!   And, Matine wore the dress Sophia is wearing last year! 

Brooke, Raluca and Aga - Due April, May and June (in that order) 

Sally, Brooke, Raluca, Aga and Debbie

Mattie and Audrey did their own Oscar performances on stage in front of the big screen. 

Where's the Pig?

We don't miss the Annual Baldner/Rogers Birthday bash each summer.  Mike Rogers and Theresa Baldner have birthdays within days of each other and they always throw a fun shindig up at the Baldner's beautiful property just outside of the City Limits.  This year: pig roast, beer, lots of kids, potluck sides, and terrific friends.

Mattie overheard people talking about "the pig" and naturally assumed there was a little pink Wilbur running around.  She asked about every 15 minutes "Momma, I want to see the pig.   I want to hold it?"  I don't want to deceive her but also understand that the concept of eating our four legged friends is pretty horrific and difficult to even grasp at 27 months, so I very carefully showed her the BBQ'ed pig and said that is pig meat in the grill.  She looked at it with no reaction and then went about playing.  She clearly (thank goodness) couldn't make that connection and just kept asking when she could see the pig ... Crisis averted (for now)... we still have a meat eater.

The kids played and frolicked.  It was a perfect night.  Perfect weather.  A great mix of music blaring (a perk to having no neighbors), and as always, I just want to cry to see all our friends - they are so wonderful.  I drank a few too many beers and we eventually left around 9:30 - when our party girl FINALLY showed signs of slowing down.  

Another wonderful summer memory for the scrapbook!

every party needs a little picnic blanket cribbage game!

the demise of Wilbur

Matine obsessed with Christy's dog ... of course.  "I hold it."

Henry and Finn - always adorable.

THE Rob Bankston!

My beautiful friends and their beautiful babies.

Megan and Elias - after a brief move to Boulder, CO - they are BACK for good!

My favorite shots of the night.  The girls playing in the flowers.

Having so much fun.

The fire was a HIT!  AND, all the kids stayed behind the green hose line like good boys and girls.

Me and Tony chatting - Peter said I looked like I was wearing a maternity dress. So much for trying to be fashionable in a maxi dress!  Ugh....

Livingston Round Up Weekend - 2011

We LOVE 4th of July in Montana - particularly Livingston.  It is truly the most idyllic, wonderful place to be during the 4th of July weekend.  The entire weekend is filled with small-town charm, hospitality, cuteness, and classic American fun.   

Saturday the 2nd, the entire state seems to show up in town for our parade.  It's nothing particularly special- it's a parade - horses, Shriners, clowns, beauty queens, locals advertising their businesses or strange talents.  But in Livingston, it always to have an extra "flair."  I still can't put my finger on it, but it's wonderful and I don't ever want it to change.

We started that day with a walk through the Art Festival - hundreds of artists and crafters selling their beautiful things.  We strolled up and down the main streets which were lined with empty camp and patio chairs - waiting for people to fill them for the Parade.  At 5:30am that morning I had my alarm set to run down to put our chairs out, but my sweet (and obviously carzy) friend Laurie had already been down there to set hers up and was worried we wouldn't get our special spot next to them, so she called me before my alarm had gone off and come up to the house to grab our chairs and get them down there!  Can you say "Parade Excitement!"  Thank goodness for Laurie's OCD and punctuality, because by 6am we would have lost our perfect parade viewing spot. 

After our Art Festival shopping we headed over to our Bank where they had some music playing, giving away complimentary hot dogs and ice cream (so amazingly small town).   It was mandatory naps before the Parade and I needed time to carefully mix 1 Nalgene and 2 mason jars full of a strawberry stoli / cranberry drink (not all for me) and we were set.  We met up with more friends at Mike and Laurie's for pre-parade fun and we all made our way to our reserved seats.  

ice cream with Nona and Jim Pa at the Bank's customer appreciation celebration

Summer dress, ice cream on her face, boots ... So American and SO happy!

Matine and her entourage of boys walking to the Parade .. We are in SO much trouble. 

Can you say, "we love Montana!"

Jacqueline and Grif found us to say hi!

Matine waving furiously at Miss Rodeo Montana!

Every time we looked over, Mattie had her hand gently resting on Logan's back... You know, just making sure you never forget that I love you .... Forever.

God Bless America!

Her loot of candy and her man.

Our posse - taking up most of the corner near the Murray.

A highlight of the Parade was the vintage "Rangerettes" from Park High.  The "older" gals recreated their outfits and even got their boots out to do routine's down the street - there were SO many of them!

Just love this stance.

Cool horses and ceremonial garb.

Occasionally her hand drifted lower  .... Aghem.

The great thing about Livingston is you know half the people in the parade!  Hi O'Connor Family!

Lucas and Levia watching with us.

Amore.

So, after an eventful (and always LONG) Parade, Mattie went home with Nona and JimPa and I hit a Democratic Party After-Party that some friends host each year - mixed and mingled and then happily played the Third Wheel and enjoyed a Livingston Saturday night with Brian and Sally.   We did dinner at the 2nd Street Bistro and people watched at the Murray Bar - you NEVER know what you might see on this weekend and I wasn't about to miss out!

Sunday night we went to the Rodeo with Nona and JimPa, Madeleine and boys, Melynda, Henry and boys ... Mattie couldn't stop asking about the horses and bulls and was THRILLED to wear her horse dress and cowboy boots again.  When I put on my boots, buckle and hat - boy - she was pumped.  She loved it and could barely sit still (I have the bruises on my thighs to prove it).   "More bulls!" she screamed for most of the night.  She was in awe of the fireworks and she kept telling me, "momma, I like it!" as they went off in the air.  At one point she grabbed my face by each cheek and squeezed hard and made me look her directly in the eyes as she emphatically said, "momma, I REALLY LOVE IT!"  Between that, the look on her face the entire night, all the laughs I had with my sweet friends, and the soundtrack of patriotic music they play as the fireworks go off with the backdrop of the mountains - I was, as always, a weeping pile of mush and feeling SO proud to be an American!

Crazy moms trying to wrangle children at at Rodeo - not sure which is harder work - bull riding or toddlers in bleachers .....

Look over there, JimPa!  Horses, bulls, cowboys- this gal loved it all!

Melynda, Finn, Logan Rogers, Anders, (and Henry's hand)

Must wear hat!

Ok, and MELYNDA is a MUCH better blogger than I and took some terrific pics of Rodeo Night and has some good descriptions fo the fun ... Check out her blog post and pics HERE on her blog.