Mouth watering menu, enjoying the view of fresh produce growing in a large garden, little cousins tromping around the yard, spending time with extended family, being with Grandma Beckstrom....

these are the memorable family birthday parties we get to attend each month.

Here is the pre-engaged beautiful couple, Jamilyn and Nathan, who became engaged on July 3rd!

Sweet, sweet baby Samuel.

Hyrum, Caleb, Caroline, and Andrew enjoying the treasure that they found.

Happy Birthday to Caroline, Adam, and Aunt Jan!

Please your palate

A couple of weeks ago all of the Winegar girls, including our darling new addition Kate (Clark's wife), and the nephews went to lunch at a little cafe called Mini's.  It's a mini cupcake shop that also has amazing sandwiches.  I had Leslie's favorite: Fresh Mozzarella, roasted Red Peppers, Field Greens with a pesto and balsamic Vinegar Spread...can you say yum!?  And my cupcake choice, well the cupcake of the day was Key Lime and all sold out, so I went for the Chocoholic.  Yes, I have a problem and I am the first to admit it.

The vintage outdoor rocking chairs and checkers table helped us to just sit back and enjoy the breezy, sunny summer day.

That same week, Adam and I, along with our parents, all went out to an incredible Japanese Restaurant: Koko's Kitchen.  It is a cozy little place and my mouth waters as I am thinking about the food which was sensational!  Both of our father's went to Japan on their missions and it was fun to hear about the variety of foods they ate, blowtorching slugs in the shower, and how the missionaries ate chicken feed (moogi in Japanese) for breakfast.  I truly love both of our parents so much.  They have eached sacrificed to have us live with them once throughout our marriage and we have been lucky to not only make without problems, but to actually really enjoy it.
(When I told someone that in New Hampshire they asked where the halo was over my head, they didn't believe that I liked it.)  
It was so fun to dine over sushi and katsu don and hear our dad's laughing about different quirky cultural differences.

Tea Party Birthday!

I loved throwing Caroline's birthday tea party.  I had been planning it for months and was so pleased that we could host the party in Utah with all of our family.  Everyone was in town and was able to come which hasn't happened in a long time.  I found the most incredible ideas here and had so much fun putting everything together.  I really wanted to have everyone dress up fancy, but I didn't think her 8 boy cousins would have loved that, so we passed.  I was lucky enough to have the party at my parent's home because 

my mom is a dish fanatic!  She had teacups from my great grandma and elsewhere that were perfect.

The entire menu was finger foods so that everyone could be dainty while enjoying their mini cupcake or fruit on a decorative toothpick.

The main reason I think I wanted to do a tea party is because of this cake.  I was in love when I saw it.  It was my first experience with fondant and it was intimidating to think about making it. 

I made marshmellow fondant which tastes way better than regular fondant, and after I made a really gross looking first cake, the second turned out like this.  Adam was so sweet to help me make the spout

and put on the handle.  I love that he enjoys being in the kitchen to help me with my often crazy ideas. 

Sweet, sweet Great Grandma Beckstrom.  Our girls are so lucky to be around her!

My cute sister with the happy birthday girl!

My cute grandmother, Gigi, wore her sweater with a big red heart on it.  She came out and said, "I know this is a Valentine's sweater, but I thought it was appropriate for the occasion.  I heart Caroline."  

She couldn't have said it better because I heart Caroline oh so much too!

Miss Caroline,

Today you are 3.

Today you weigh 31 pounds and are 38 inches tall

Today you love to communicate by singing, all day every day

Today you love your little sister, Olive, who you are so dear to

Today you love cheerios, life cereal, yogurt bites, taco soup, milk, and strawberries

Today you love to read with mom and dad and snuggle up to us

Today you describe things as "dewicious" and "so good"

Today it's hard to count how many times you say magical, wonderful, and oh wow

Today you are extremely observant and a keen listener

Today you are independent and say “I need some privacy” when going potty

Today you love to get dressed about 5 times a day and you do all the dressing yourself

Today you dance to music often, always taking a bow with 3 claps after

Today you like princesses, bubbles, and doing chalk

Today you are close to Whiskers your stuffed animal

Today you adore your friends and cousins

Today you can run fast, love to climb, and shake it off when you fall

Today you are sweet, very sweet

Today you have a quirky smile… nose scrunched, eyes barely open

Today you like to swim, collect special treasures, anything with your daddy, and always outside

Today you make people smile, on the street, everywhere we go

Today you are the highlight of my day!

I love you Miss Caroline, Happy Birthday sweetheart.

You're invited....

I have had the best time planning Caroline's 3rd birthday.  The event is still to come, but the invites are out and man, the Cricut would have really been nice to make the invites.  But I did it old school, and they worked out ok.  The Cricut is so amazing though, right!?  I am so glad we (my mom and I) could borrow her dear friend's machine for the banner and other details!  I can't wait to post about the party after this weekend.

Olive Mary {6 months}

We all just can't seem to get enough of our smiley bright eyed baby Olive.

I can't smooch her kissable thighs enough.

All who know her say 'she is the happiest baby'

Caroline often says in a high pitch voice to Olive "Oh chubby stuff!"

Loves all varieties of baby food and has stopped showering us with the food when she would blow out.

She can't get enough of her fists in her mouth, luckily we have a binky to stop the ever flowing drool.

She is still a speed eater and nurses in about 5 minutes.

If she had a choice she would love to sleep with a sleepmask.  If we put a baby sock over our tired little Olive's eyes she immediately relaxes into slumber.

Caroline makes her laugh the hardest with her silly dance moves and zerbert kisses on her face.

Memorial Day Weekend

me  chandler  ally  hailey and all the sweet, sticky kids

Memorial Day Weekend was monumental.  We loved having bbq's with both of our families.  The food was divine!  Also, our little Beckstrom family was reunited with the mountains which was so refreshing!  We were able to go to our friend Ally's cabin up in Heber. 

This place is too amazing to even begin to describe.  From the log furniture outside that we ate dinner on, the boot collection upstairs, artwork everywhere, to the antique furniture inside.

Ally and I figured out that we had all of our elementary school classes together except for one.

6 out of 7, no wonder we have so many memories together.