LandB's

Welcome to Alexis' 4th Birthday Party!

The Tutu table... (the skirt took all of 15 minutes to make - don't be impressed).

The arts and crafts table - BEFORE the kids got to it.


The Birthday Girl!

Vases - handmade by Holly!

Bear in a tutu

I will take credit for the cupcakes!

We played an old fashioned game of Pin the Tail on the donkey! It was a hit.

So was Aubrey! Everyone loved her!


Too Funny! After each child had their cupcake in hand. Brendan makes this announcement "THE BACK DOOR IS OPEN" - he opened the slider and they filed outside like it was some huge treat to eat outside in February!

Lexi chose to eat her cupcake on the tractor! And yes, she added a cinderella dress to her tutu outfit.

Friends helping with gifts!

Trying out her new bicycle!

The best part of living on a cul de sac... chalk, frisbee and rocket launchers!

So ... we were planning a VERY SMALL 4th birthday party, with a cute theme - TUTUS and TIES! We originally planned for the Coopers (our cousins) and the Lemms (the twins). Well, then we added the neighbors (the "grandkids" which are 4 kiddos) then, two other friends and their parents and we ended up with a full fledged party! Thank goodness for good weather and for a good friend that likes to decorate... Start at the top and scroll down to see the party in action.

Since Lexi was outgrowing her tent within a tent, we practiced her new air mattress and sleeping bag at home. She loved being a princess in her bag with a matching flashlight!

When we got to the campground - there was not camp ranger (darn budget cuts) but we have been here sooo many years now, we know the drill. We did our registrations, pulled into our big beautiful campsite and set it up. Its great, enough room for the two families, three kids and all of our "Stuff"

After setting up camp, by tradition we headed into town to the Northcoast Brewing Company - kids all had giant grilled cheese and milk - adults had beer, chowder and fish! Madi and Lexi were awesome - they colored and colored and colored while we waited for our table.

When we got back to camp (at 9:30PM) way past all three kids bedtimes, Holly and I put kids to bed. Ready for a relaxing campfire and visiting with our hubby's we find a man claiming that we set up camp in the wrong spot!!! How could that be??? We camp here at this site EVERY YEAR ... well with the luck of technology - everyone pulled up their reservations on line (laptops and cell phones while camping!!).... YEP, we were in the wrong spot. He took pity on us and let us stay the night - he took his wife, trailer and dogs and slept in the parking lot of the bathrooms (with the camp host approval).

At 7 AM, our friendly camper is no longer so friendly - we were still sleeping and he was ready to start his vacation - AND his dogs got skunked that night.... We got all three kiddos up, and we made a train of moving camp gear. Needless to say, setting up camp once is a pain, but twice is ROUGH! Our new site was super COZY... close in and fantastic to be so near each other and all our STUFF. We missed our Skunk Train ride... but the kids were troopers and for all they new we had planned this crazy morning.

FINALLY - off to the beach!!! YIPPEE.... Madi, Mason and Lexi were so happy to play and run!

But guess what? There are some seriously crazy seagulls! The kids were feeding them snacks, Madi ended up running away because one kept pecking at her foot - and leaving a flip flop behind --- one seagull picked it up and flew with it! It dropped in the ocean and Holly being a good mom, went to the beach and caught the flip flop.

Finally - some S'mores!

Some of our good friends, cleaning the fish we were going to eat for dinner!

Scooter girl!

HOT DOG BEACH!!!

Mason - snoozing

Madi covered!

Building "Sand Stuff"

Back at camp.... Mason gets his bike stuck in the dirt and GIRLS to the rescue! His wheels were just spinning and they were thinking as hard as they could to fix it.

Holly is fantastically creative - Movie under the stars!

Ahhhh... kids to bed, adult campfire with roasted twinkies and smores - NOT REALLY! Poor Madi was hit with a serious bout of croup - couldn't breathe - off to the ER they go......

AND the BEST Trip of all ... since we missed our Friday Skunk Train - "Let's go on Sunday" After a strained breakfast, tired everyone, we made it to the station ... we end up on the waiting list (that should have been our first clue), we end up getting tickets ... We end up being the record breaking number of people on the Skunk Train.

Sure that sounds like fun, but it was more like being herded in a cattle car and having three people sit in one seat! We made the best of it with our picnic at the logging camp (with a thousand other people) and tried to enjoy fresh air on the outside car - but NOTE TO SELF... no Skunk Train on Labor Day Sunday!

When we got back to the station, we hit the Brewery for some nourishment and relaxation... back we went to enjoy the abscence of people! Play and teach Lexi about trains. (these were on old abonded tracks)