A Birthday Event

Today was Gabby Birthday, July 20, 2010. I can not tell you how much I love this girl! I think Ben and I got super lucky to have two adorable, loving, smart, so stinkin' cute little girls!

Gabby started the day sleeping in. (do you love her random clothes I put her to bed in?!!) And she woke up just as happy as ever! Crazy hair and all! Love it!
We got her a few big things for her birthday this year, and decided to just give them to her rather than try and wrap them. One of which was her very own big girl car seat!!! She also got a baby high chair, stroller, and cradle for her new baby doll she got (we just wrapped the baby doll, and she opened it later at her party.) those items were too big to wrap, so they were out waiting for her to play with in the morning!

I didn't have time to install the new car seat, but just threw it in the back of the car to put in later. In the morning we went over to our friend Michele Reyes house. A few months ago she approached me about service swapping! I am teaching her boys how to hoop dance, and in return, she was going to take the girls pictures. She was the one who took Charley's one year pictures, and I wanted to have her do Gabby's anyway....so it all worked out perfect!! I love her work, and think she is Amazing! So while I was teaching her boys hoop, she took Charley's pictures, and Gabby napped in her car seat (her old one, she could lay down better). And then when we were done, both girls got their pictures done, then Gabby got her's done.

After pictures we were off to pick up dad at work to take the girls to lunch. We let Charley pick, and she picked Wendy's. She says Wendy's is her favorite food store!...hahaa...
Once we took dad back to the office, he helped us get Gabby into her new car seat. (notice their matching dresses?...I am obsessed with all things matching with girls! That's one of the many fun things about having 2 girls....coordinating outfits! priceless!!!)
She LOVES it! I wish I wasn't driving and was able to film her squealing and kicking her little feet with joy!
What a pretty girl!
We had to run to the store for a few things, then it was back home to put the birthday girl down for a much needed nap. And Charley and I decorated the cake and set up for the party. We had grilled cheese for dinner, and cake for dessert!....

A Birthday Event...cont.

Gabby's birthday party was a princes themed party, complete with princess dresses and tiaras!
Can you tell how excited and happy she was!?! What princes wouldn't love all the attention she got today!

My masterpieces....the princess castle cake, some extra yummy cupcakes, and Gabby's own personal cake.My two princesses before the party!
Opening Presents!! She caught on really quick, and tore right into everything!
Gabby started digging into her cake before we finished her happy birthday song!!! And she literally ate almost the whole thing!!! And besides her hands and face, she didn't get the cake any where else.
Poor Brooklyn. She got excited that we were going to have cake, and then we all waited until Gabby finished her's to start serving (we were all taking pics and video-taping it). But after a while, Brooklyn decided she wasn't going to wait for us anymore! It was really cute!

both my sisters that live here asked what they could get Gabby for her birthday. I told them books. It is really quite fun how much both girls love reading. I admit, they both have their moments (in-fact, Charley had one tonight. It was a really long day, and the party went past her bed time, and she started getting cranky!) but for the most part, putting them to bed is pretty easy.....why you ask?....Books. I put them in bed, and give them each a few books, and they read themselves to sleep. I think Gabby likes doing it because she sees Charley do it. But either way, they both love to read. And I love it!!!....so after I put them to bed tonight, I went back in with a camera, and this is what I found!..

Happy Birthday Gabby!!!! We love you so much!

Gabby Walking

Gabby started Walking last week before we took off to AZ to see our new little nephew. (pics to follow later...I'll let my sister post some first) Gabby is still in the beginning stages of walking, but she is gradually getting better and better! She'll turn 1-years old in just 6 days!!!

summer picts

Gabby is one of those babies, that can not stand to have things inside drawers or cupboards! this mess is pretty tame compared to what she can do!
July 3rd, at the pool! We've spent a lot of time there these days! It is getting pretty hot over on our side of the world! Ben got to come with us on this swimming trip, so it was extra fun!
Dora and Princess floats....she can't decide which one she likes best! She's not in swim lessons this year. We did the mommy and me lessons last summer, but it was a lot easier since I didn't have gabby yet. And even with me in the pool she was so clingy. So I thought this year, we would just go swimming a lot, and let her get used to swimming and having some good experiences with water. And then maybe next year, she'll be okay with lessons with out me in the pool with her.
Isn't her bathing suite cute!? We had some old suits from when Charley was a baby, but the smallest size we had was 18 mo. I normally would have just stuck her in it, and maybe pinned the straps, but I found this suit, and couldn't pass up the deal!!!....it was $1 !!!!! It was my impressive dollar store find! (yes, you heard me right...the dollar store. Actually the Dollar Tree to be more exact!)
This next week the girls, aunt Jordan, and I are driving down to AZ to see my sister and her new baby. Then when we come back Charley starts up Soccer! Since she has told me that when she grows up she wants to be a "Princess Soccer Player" I thought she needed some lessons first! So she is on a Itty Bitty team with the Parks and Rec. She is doing it with one of her friends, so I'm hoping it will be fun for her, and she'll have a good time!

more wdding

The Schramm Boys!
Charley helping Gabby walk...
the Ben Schramm Family!....so cute!
Charley loves Grandpa Schramm....
The new Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Schramm!!!

The last Schramm.....

....got married this weekend! Ben's younger brother, Calvin, got married to Courtney this weekend in the Boise, Idaho temple. It was beautiful!!!....and I must say the girls looked darling!

~the pictures will be out of order because I didn't want to spend time organizing them!....so enjoy!

At the reception with Schrammpa!
They are so cute!
Charley with Schramma at the reception...I love how she is like a little lady!...trying to be all grown up!
Gabby....I'd like to point out that I made the girls little jackets!! I'm pretty proud of them. And since I had to trim Gabby's dress...the excess material I used to make hair bows!
3 of the 4 girl cousins!...
My little model!
At the hotel....
Charley got her own bed at the hotel....as we were driving back home she was crying and wanting to go back to the hotel....I guess I can't blame her....that huge bed all to herself! She was in heaven!
The girls with their new aunt!

Ragnar....

What is a Ragnar Relay you ask?....well, let me tell you. It is a running race that is 188.2 miles long! Ben and I were on a team of 12 people. We were able to have 2 vans. We each were assigned a leg, and then Van 1 would run all 6 runners, then Van 2 would run all 6 of their runners. After each van went, we did the same process 2 more times. We each ran a total of 3 times with various miles depending on your leg. All legs were pre-determined, and we had check points/hand offs along the way. Since it was a long race, we ran through the night....while the other van was running, we were sleeping and eating....or trying to sleep!

Leading up to the race, it was a bit crazy and stressful. But thanks to my wonderful sisters, who watched the girls, we were able to enjoy running without worrying too much about the girls!

It sounds like it wouldn't be that much fun, but I can honestly tell you it was SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!
Van 1 team members "Running Native"....Laiza, Me, Ben, Tevita, Kyle, Anahi....us at the start. We met up with Van 2 at exchange 6.

Ben and I at the starting line.

Ben waiting at his exchange point for Anahi to hand off the slap bracelet, we used as a baton...

Running my first leg...I ran a total of 23 miles!

Our whole team..."Running Native!"....at the finish 34 hours later!

Ragnar Relay Series ~ Wasatch Back 2010

just for FuN!!!

Cal & Courtney's wedding is in a few weeks. I pulled the girls dresses out because I needed to see how much I needed to hem Gabby's dress. We got her a 2T, it was the smallest size they had, and it hangs to her feet! But since Gabby got to try hers on, Charley wanted to as well. Courtney's mom founds these dresses for the girls...they are so cute! .... cute dresses for pretty much the cutest girls ever!!! (I'm the mom, and it's my blog, so I can say that!!! :) )

Charley kept waving her hands all over, so I finally told her to just fold her arms like a princess...and it worked....no hands in her face!

Charley came up with this pose all by herself! ....I guess she wanted to show off her muscles!

This is Charley's dance pose!...but I think it looks more like the crane kick!
Pretty Girl!

Her dress is going to have to come up about 6 inches!....however, I'm debating on heming it or not....it kinda looks like a really formal dress long, but the other girls dresses arn't going to be so long....but I if hem it, I can make matching bows out of the leftover!

Isn't she an angel!?

Now back to my sewing!....

Summer is here!...

...and we love it! However, the pool at our clubhouse wont be open until next. There was some "winteriztion" problems, and it had to be fixed. But it should be up and running next week! But in the mean time, we've been heading over to our favorite place...Thanksgiving Point! They have the coolest children's gardens. They have this huge Noah's arch thing that squirts water out...and water fountains coming out of the ground for kids to play in, and caves, and a lighthouse, a sand pit, and tons of other cute little things for kids to play on! We were there for 4 hours the other day...both girls were out for the night by 7pm! It was great!

Tinkerbell Room....

Here is another one of my projects!....Charley & Gabby's Tinkerbell room....it isn't done, but it is getting closer!
So after my last project, I wised up and invested in an electric sander!....So we all know that Memorial Day weekend has tons of sales everywhere! Welp, guess what I was very excited to buy?...yep, a sander. When I told Ben he just laughed and said "You're just like your Mom!" I took that as a complement! But it made sanding the dresser sooooo much easier!
I bought this dresser a few months ago on KSL....for $20!!!! It was a perfect size for two little girls clothes! However, it was not the prettiest....so I decided to paint it! I asked Charley what color she wanted it painted, (thinking maybe she would say pink or purple) and she said she wanted it green and blue. So I decided to paint it the tinkerbell green and blue!
Here it is sanded thanks to my new handy dandy sander! I eventually took the knobs off to sand them down better....and primed and painted!

And the finished product~
Notice the lamp I finished on the dresser! And my sister Brooktynn made those little blocks on the dresser for the girls....one set says "Gabby" and the other says "Charley"...
Notice the teal curtains....I would like to thank Char once again for having her wedding colors Teal and Thanks MamaS for giving me all her leftover fabric/table clothes from the wedding! Yes, those were the lace they used for the tables!

I still have lots of projects I am anxious to get done around the house, but they will have to wait until after the wedding...I now have to get sewing! (Cal and Courtney's wedding)

Sneak Peak....

It's another week, and another project......This week it was the girls dresser.....however, it is still drying, so I am posting this lamp.....

I had this lamp when I was single. I had the whole animal print thing going on in my room. However, it doesn't really match anything anymore.....so I primed and painted it...and added a cute flower! Now it will match the girls Tinkerbell room!!!....pictures of the dresser coming soon!