The Final Countdown....

The countdown(s) that has been going on for a month or so is coming down to the wire...we are in the "home stretch"! The last day of school has surpassed, the friend birthday party anticipation has been built and partied up (with one more birthday party to go), and the MN departure day is soon approaching. I flipped the calendar to June and literally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled...it's nearly a blank canvas and I like that. Summer is here. Granted, there is a busyness to it, but it's a different type of busyness...it's one that allows us to relax among the variety of comings and goings.

the outdoor projects continue...

I just love these two crazies...

Austin helping daddy plant some trees..

..and taking a much needed Popsicle break. :)

nice work babe!

Mason jumping...it's his new favorite thing these days

Austin's medal for Reading Excellency!

Carson loves watering the flowers

  Before we can think about getting our MN bags packed, we need to pack in the birthday parties for my eldest. I thought about getting all fancy-schmancy for Austin's friend party with a pinteresty pretty puppy cake and trying my limited skills at that complicated fondant...but as we shopped the aisles of Walmart together I decided to let him pick the cake flavor and frosting and get his input on what he wanted. He chose funfetti cupcakes. Perfect. Baking them, frosting them, and topping them with the sprinkles together as we giggled and chatted away was much more fun than trying my hand at a prize-winning puppy cake to surprise him with. I'm not a heightened-pinteresty mom....I'm a pretty simple one. (Pinterest is that 'crafty website' where there's way too many fun things to try but not enough time to try them all...but I admit I have tried a few simple ones!) The friends came, games were played, hot dogs and cupcakes devoured, presents opened, sugar-rush come and gone, and now we take a breather and 'rest' before round two for Austin's actual birthday!!!

ready to get this party started!

"doggie bags" ;)

I love that the simplest of games bring about the most genuine laughter--they couldn't play it enough!!

"Pass the puppy paw" (aka..hot potato)

Viv, Austin, and Ryan

sprinkler time!!

my mini-man

Lunch!!

puppy card!

And a round of musical chairs ;)

Water-balloons!!!

Austin and Logan

Simple. And yet so fun.