A Decade

Just after Darin hit his 4th decade, we celebrated having this guy in our lives for 1 decade. How lucky are we that we get to have him in our family?  I feel bad for people who don't get to hang out with Byron.  I seriously do, I feel bad for people who don't have Darin in their lives too, and the thing is....both of them kind of sit back and let themselves be overlooked so it takes a quality person to notice them.  See what I did there...I complimented myself twice because I married Darin and I helped create Byron.  I am going to go ahead and toot my own horn here because it's the truth. 

( I just realized what a weird saying that is because I wouldn't want to toot anyone else horn...slobber, gross.)

Byron woke up to bagels and chocolate dipped strawberries.  His big gift from us was getting to have a friend party but he had a birthday card from G'ma and G'pa Ray and a gift from Miriam and Soren to open.

M & S bought Byron a chance to swim with sting rays and sharks at Sea Quest.  So thoughtful, and I LOVE that they invested in an experience gift that they could do together. 

It was a tiny bit rainy but every since "ride your bike to school day" last week Byron has wanted to ride to school.  I love it too.  It's fun. It just takes me being "on task" in the mornings...thats rough.

He played with a friend after school, we ate Chicken Tikka Masala (requested) and then hit Menchies for dessert. 

Friend Party the next day, at Dartside.

My boys can't get enough of that place.

Miriam lovingly made Chess themed cupcakes and let me tell you they were DELICIOUS! I am trying to limit my sugar but I just couldn't resist the chocolate ones. So good.  I am going to have to keep Miriam out of the kitchen if I ever want to achieve my goals.

The happy 10 year old!

We love this kid to the moon and back.

Baptism, Blessing, Birthday and Mother's Day

We got to be a part of Wyler's baptism.  He is such a cute, enthusiastic kid. He beamed the entire morning, and giggled right before he was baptized. That kid knows how to enjoy life and he is the toughest little guy I know.

 Then darling Hazel was blessed by her dad. Just hours after blowing chunks all over Erik, they are both happy and content. I hope that is how all her life trials may be....momentary with a quick recovery.

Grandma and Grandpa's newest grandbaby.

My dad took us to Balance Rock Eatery for lunch. Such a cute place in downtown Helper.  

Darin got the Dagwood in honor of Grandpa Rasmussen who use to call him that as well as "Darwin" we shall never know if he was kidding or if he really couldn't remember his grand son-in-law's name.

Then we flew kites at the water basin walk path in gusty strong winds.

Darin flew that thing happily for 3 hours.  2 hours with kids and cousins and 1 hour just he and I together.  We found a shady spot to sit and just watched the kite blow around while we talked and laughed.  It was so relaxing and those are the moments our best conversations happen. I swear every time we fly a kite we wonder why we don't do it more often.

The boys found a mud hole in the middle of the water basin...and of course Soren "fell in"

They were happy as pigs in that little mud hole, but it was a different story while hosing them down.  That mud was more like clay. We almost had to scrape it off of them.

We heard 2 of the most real and sweet mothers day talks ever given by Grandmas in my parents ward the next day. I think the combination of years lived + not needing to impress anyone + actually knowing what it's like to be a mother and grandmother made the talks especially good. 

We ended the weekend with a Birthday/Mother's Day picnic at the DinoMine. Then we drove home to face the weekend laundry, and get ready for the upcoming week.

Right about dusk Soren opened his birthday gift from my parents so he and Byron and decided to go outside and play. They had the time of their lives sling shoting light up arrows in the sky...but of course that meant a trip up to the roof to retrieve a few.

One thing led to another....next thing you know we are all up on the roof for a Birthday/Mother's Day photo shoot.

There are a few more up there right now from yesterday's fun, but a freak rain/snow storm has kept anyone from getting up to get them.  I hope Soren's watermelon seed survives, luckily I hadn't planted my tomatoes yet!