I know I'm seriously behind on my blogging and I will catch up soon. We just got back from our month-long vacation to Utah and Idaho so there's lots to tell. Until I find the time to catch up I wanted to do some shameless advertising for my sister-in-law. You may have read my post about Grace's birthday and the amazing cake her Aunt Katie made for her. Well now you can have one too because Katie has started a cake business. You can check it out here:
The Cake Bizzle
It was time for summer haircuts and the girls decided to be bold this year. Check it out:
They both love their new hair and have remarked about how much cooler their necks are now. Nothing like a short cut for the summer. Thanks Rach for the cute new styles!
Things have been a little crazy around here lately. During Spring Break the girls and I partied nearly every day. We went to the movies, shopping, the Arizona Science Center, and the Botanical Gardens. There is a special exhibit at the Botanical Gardens right now so throughout the Gardens are these amazing blown glass sculptures by an artist named Dale Chihuly. They are beautiful and huge and I can't even imagine how they are made. We loved it. Here are some of our favorites.
We had a nice, uneventful Easter. We spent the morning at home and the girls were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Easter Bunny had even remembered to fill a basket for baby sister. After church we had dinner with our friends, the Stephens.
The last couple of weeks some friends and I nearly killed ourselves preparing for our school's annual spring carnival. We don't have a lot of parental support at this school so it was up to only a few of us to pull it off. In past years the carnival has been quite small but we wanted to do something grander this year so it took a lot of planning and work. We had food, game booths, bouncers, a rock wall, raffle baskets, etc. There was also a Kindergarten Science Fair that Jenna participated in and they sang their little science song that night. I think it was quite successful and people really enjoyed themselves. I barely made it out of bed the next day and today my back decided to give out completely but I think it was worth it. Here are some pictures of that night.
Yesterday was Grace's 9th birthday. We had an extended Tolman family party at my Aunt Janet's house and then dinner with Devon's mom, who is in town visiting, and the other Miller/Jones family. Then tonight we had a family party at my parents' house to celebrate. My sister-in-law, Katie, made the most amazing cake for her. Grace wanted a pirate theme because they have been studying pirates in her ELP (Extended Learning Program) classroom this year. So my brother suggested a treasure chest which Katie somehow managed to create. I felt really bad when it was time to cut it and eat it because I'm sure it took forever to make. Thanks Katie--it was awesome!!
The birthday girl
Grace
Jenna with a bag full of loot after the treasure hunt at Aunt Janet's
The coolest cake ever!
This really is so silly but I needed a good chuckle this morning and this did it for me. Thought I'd share.
This video really moved me today so I thought I would share it. It is an excerpt from a talk given by Elder Enzio Busche (formerly of the Quorum of the Seventy) at a BYU devotional in 1996. It's a little long but worth the watch. Maybe it will speak to you too.
Some FANTASTIC money saving, culturally enlightening news for my Arizona pals...
Starting on April 1, it’s your ticket to local museums, the Phoenix Zoo, and other must-do attractions (like Desert Botanical Gardens and The Arizona Science Center) FREE. FOR SEVEN DAYS. FOR FOUR PEOPLE.
Here’s how it works - you pick up a Culture Pass at your local library anywhere in Greater Phoenix (that means it includes Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Mesa). The pass is good for seven days, for four people. Some of the places it gets you in: Arizona Museum of Natural History, Arizona Science Center, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Heard Museum,Phoenix Art Museum and more are all covered by the pass.
I know you’re asking, “What’s the catch?” There is no catch. Economic times are hard and everyone is looking for something to do that’s free and entertaining. So a bunch of sponsors got together and decided to influence the community with arts and activity.
To see a full listing of FREE attractions, as well as more details, visit: http://www.theculturepass.org/. And be sure to tell your friends - there are enough passes to go around!
Baby girl #3 is headed our way! She's healthy and we can't wait to meet her!
