My favorite Christmas present!

Before and after, don't you just love those?!

I have been wanting to paint our home's exterior since we moved in. And I finally got the green light--'cause it was my Christmas present! Thanks, Babe!

I recommend the Color Smart mobile app by Behr.

I spent a lot of time on this app! Also bought about 7 samples to slap on the back of my house, just to really get a feel for the colors.

In the end I went with: Behr's Smokestack (N220-3) with Cotton Sheets (RD-W15) on the garage and trim and Club Navy (QE-56) on the top trim. And I love it!!!!!

So,

Before:

AND after!!!!

My contribution was redoing the outside lights:

Before:

(Apply painter's tape--such a pain, but totally worth it)

Spray paint--I love you!

SWEET SIXTEEN!

#1 had a 16th birthday to remember!

 

Homecoming dance was on her birthday. What a fun surprise to get asked a couple weeks prior!

Her friend did her hair--lovely!

What a nice guy!

Awesome birthday!

Her party was a few weeks later. She wanted to invite friends to hang out at a park and play fun games. DONE!

decorating drawstring backpacks

hanging around

How many girls can we fit on the slide?

Here they come!

More!

And more!

Still not done!

Nineteen!!!

Yard-sized Bananagrams!

Are these girls cute, or what?!

My baby girl is bigger than me!

Pass-the-parcel

Wish I had this on video because it was hilarious!

shower caps + whipped cream + cheese puffs = messy fun!

Mom forgot birthday candles. 16 matches were lit and then #1 raced around to blow them all out.

Glow friends watch as she ends with birthday presents...

FOURTEEN in the FALL!

What does one do when she turns fourteen. Being sick on your actual birthday is the pits.

Even worse that there was no school that day--not even getting to miss school when sick--not cool!

 

 

But as you can see, within a few days, she was back to her normal self, saving the world, braving the Costco fridges to secure milk for the family, etc...

 

 

 

Such a posh gal deserves a posh party....

 

this one'll do

Italian soda bar

custom-made stemware



the fairytale suspects in our murder mystery party!

birthday girl is adorable as Glenda, the good witch

Malificent done done it--killing the Evil Queen

Happy birthday, beautiful girl!!

August Adventures

To make this speedy--I will simply list what we did in August and then post pictures. You are all smart enough to label the activities accordingly :-).

Adventures in August were: Tice Family reunion at Aspen Grove family camp (Hubby had to stay home and work--thank you government for picking this as your one and only week to conduct surveys on his Sacramento office--NOT!), school starting for our 10th, 8th, 6th, 4th graders, and one preschooler, deciding on a paint color for the kitchen/family room, my youngest brother's temple wedding and reception, and finally a real vacation for Hubby, with me, in Las Vegas.