Heidi's Birthday Party

We has a birthday party/dinner for Heidi on Saturday, November 13th. I decided on a bubble theme, since she's not yet into anything super girly yet. She DOES love bubbles and balloons. We bought a big container of bubbles on clearance and fired up the bubble machine in the back yard. Each kid that came got a bubble wand to blow and take home. Daryl was in charge of cooking some meat for the main course. He fired up his meat smoker and went to work cooking some delicious ribs for his family and mine. I made a cheese ball with crackers and everyone else that was able, brought something to share. After dinner, we had cup cakes and ice cream. We even had soy ice cream so Heidi could have some too. She loves it. 

Here's Heidi with her "pupcake". She had no idea what to do with her candles.
It's a good thing Daddy and Daniel were there to help her out.



She decide that the Hands-free method works best.



Hey, it sure cuts on the messy hands.

At our request, my father-in-law made his famous homemade root beer. 

Everybody enjoyed it, especially Heidi.



She was a little annoyed with us when we took her cup away to unwrap her girts.



Grams (my dad's mother, came by earlier and dropped off this cute little bear for her. We're sorry that she wasn't able to stay. The bear has I love you on his tummy. When you squeeze his hand he says, "I love you! I love you! I love you!" Heidi couldn't get enough of it. It is so cute.

She also got some cute clothes for my mom, and from his mom and sisters, and several board books from my sister. Grandma and Grandpa Burgess brought he a cute card and a little giraffe toy. that she loves.
The dinner was great, the party was lots of fun and I know Heidi had a great time seeing her family all together. Thanks to both sides of the family for sharing this party with us.

Happy birthday Heidi! You are already such a big girl!



Happy Birthday Heidi!!

Last Thursday, November 11th (Veteran's Day) was Heidi's second birthday. Lucky for us, Daryl had the day off of work so he got to celebrate it with us for the day. We went to the Arizona Museum for Youth. We have a membership there. I have taken the kids tons of time, but this was Daryl's first time going with us so it was really special. There is a new exhibit about NASA and space. It was lots of fun.



The kids had fun bushing buttons and flipping switches as if the were in charge at NASA mission control.





They even had a little headset to wear and pretend with. Daniel loves it.



Here's a little room that looks like an alien space ship. Daniel picked out an alien and made a puppet show.



Heidi was making all kids of silly faces like this one...

and this one. Can you tell she's having a good time?

Daniel was really interested in this cool little box he found.
It rolls up and unrolls to reveal pictures and facts about astronauts and space.

Heidi and I looked at books about planets and stars.


After lots of fun at the space exhibit, we decided we were ready to go to Artville. Artville is a section of the museum designed just for kids 4 and under. There are several rooms with different themes where kids can play, build and create. 

First we decorated chameleon pictures with tissue paper.



 

Here they are making a track for a ball to roll down.



Heidi and I played nearby in the play kitchen.

Here she is setting the table with plates and cups on a magnetic board.



Then. in the next room, we stopped to play with the doll house.
She loves taking out some of the furniture and sitting the people at the table to eat.

It was such a fun day for everyone. Later, that evening I made homemade pizza for dinner and we red boxed Toy Story 3 to watch together. We all liked the movie and had a fun family day. We'll definitely have to do that again sometime. Stay tuned for the post on Heidi's birthday party last Saturday.

Happy Halloween

Here is a picture we took as we started out trick or treating this year. Daryl ran a lock through his rifle and went as a hunter. Daniel wore his Spiderman and Heidi was a lady bug.I finally remembered to put her antennae on. I thought they looked so cute.

Family Halloween

A few years ago, my sister-in-law, Cheryl started a Lamoreaux Family Halloween Party. This year, after a few scheduling conflicts, most of us were able to get together this past Saturday, the 23rd. We brought pumpkins to carve and Cheryl and Karolann prepared a lovely dinner of spaghetti squash (cooked and shredded spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce over-top) and witchy finger bread sticks. Mindi, Bret's wife, made meatball and white rice to share also. It was delicious. Thanks girls! They, Cheryl and Karolann, also planned a couple games and we finished the night off watching Hocus Pocus on the front lawn with my father-in-laws projector and a huge tarp draped over the side of Karolann's house next door. We had a great time. Daniel was so excited to finally wear his Spiderman costume. Heidi, on the other hand, wanted very little to do with the ladybug outfit I made for her. Wish us luck when we actually go trick-or-treating. I was able to get a few pictures of the festivities. Enjoy!



Here's how Heidi looks from the back and the front.
 I bought the leotard, and the black tights. I made the tutu and the wings.
(And i totally forgot her pipe-cleaner antenna at home.)
I also painted the two bean-bag toss games you see in the background.
They were still a little wet when we arrived, but it was worth it.



Unfortunately, this is the best picture so far of Daniel as Spiderman.

Even though I didn't MAKE this costume,

 I'm still mighty proud that I got for such a good deal.

It was free on craigslist because it needed some mending and a new zipper. Easily done.



Here he is bobbing for duckies.



This is Daryl on the left, trying on his brother, Trent's scary mask.
He's standing next to Cheryl's husband Robert.
Both of our kids were seriously afraid of this mask. They wouldn't go near Trent OR Daryl until they took it off again.



Rocky Point

This year we were able to get passports, and went on a Lamoreaux family trip to Mexico for October Break. We haven't been since September of '08 when I was 7 months pregnant with Heidi. It was a welcome break from the everyday life at home. We did all of the usual things. We ate authentic Mexican tacos at a new taco stand we found. We drove to one of the roads with lots of shops and looked around. We bought Daniel a little guitar, (the size of a ukulele) and Heidi a pair of little maracas. We HAD to stop for ice cream at Thrifty's. That's a given at least once. And of course we spent lots of time at the beach. On the beach we play and relax, and buy food and souvenirs from the beach vendors. This year was Heidi's first year to go and see the beach there.

Here is a picture of Heidi sitting with me on our blanket. She trying to put a floaty on her feet. She loved wearing a pair of sun glasses I bought on the beach for Daniel. We tried to buy her a pair at the markets, but she would only wear his. Go figure.

We all had a great time and can't wait until we get to go again!