A long weekend

I can hardly remember the last time I had a holiday off at work, so it was a pleasant surprise this weekend to have 4 days off in a row and Lowell home 3 of those. Party at my house! Sure it would have been nice to have worked and paid for all our playing, but where's the fun in that!?

Saturday's spa day didn't go quite as planned, i.e. there was a 3 hour wait for a massage so we just skipped it and spent nearly that long chatting and munching at Los Hermanos. Very nearly as relaxing--thanks for the good time girls! Then shopping with my mom was fruitful, finally made up my mind on the kids' new beds, bought 3 new dresses (they were sorely needed), and then ate at Sweet Tomatoes, glorious! Thanks for playing Mom!

Sunday we had my fam up for a nice BBQ and annoucement annoucement, Davis made it through his entire church class. Not sharing time mind you, but that was the first time I have ever had to go pick him up after class. He has always been returned to me much before the end of church.
Sunday night was the night we had planned to camp in the backyard, but also it turns out the day Mother Nature planned to water our garden for us. Rain flooded both the tent and the fire pit plan, so we ate microwaved S'mores in my bed!

Yeah, Lowell was cringing at all the chocolate ooey gooeyness getting on our clean sheets. Oh well, they wash. We planned on letting the kiddos sleep with us as well to complete the indoor camping plan, but wriggly little boys and the knowledge that their beds were only feet away cancelled out that idea. Wow, I love my bed. I sleep 3 nights a week in a recliner at work, so having so many days in my own snuggly bed was lovely. The time with Lowell was a big bonus too.

Monday we went on a search for mattresses and picked up the new beds from Ikea. I couldn't spend $100 on the foam mattresses they had there, so the search had to be postponed as well as the construction of the beds. They just weren't nice in my opinion and required the Ikea bedding sets which weren't fun. Monday night we had Lowell's fam over for a BBQ and had fun with them as well. Having cousins living close is so fun--growing up in California we had no family nearby. We made incredible friends who I consider family now, but I certainly did not see my cousins very often, once a year at best. We're so lucky to live close to our families and to have such willing and helpful baby-sitters.

Tuesday Lowell and I were roped into a Timeshare presentation. The offer of roundtrip air and hotel for 2 to Anaheim was too good to pass up. It still was almost not worth it, it was just so high pressure and made me really uncomfortable by the end. But yea for me, I escaped without buying anything and with my trip. Now should I get away with just my Lowelly and commit the worse possible crime to my children in not taking them or cough up the money to fly them too?? Hmmm. We also made it over to R.C. Willey where they were having a mattress sale, so I got 2 nice spring mattresses (normally $300 each) for less than I would have spent for the sub-standard ones at Ikea. Yea again for me.

Here are the munchkins Tuesday night, Stand up Davis said (like Stick 'em up, I think).

And proof that just because they are growing doesn't mean they no longer get dirty! I love that dirty little face.

Silly Billy boy

And Carter, who is actually my comedian--this was as good a funny face he could come up with.

Wednesday I spent the last of any money I'll ever have (at least it feels that way after all the bucks going into these beds!) to let the kids pick their own bedding. Sheesh bedding is expensive. Oh well, I guess these little faces are worth it:

C man chose WallE

And Big D Mickey Mouse clubhouse. Holy cow twin bedding is huge--I can't believe my little guys are growing up. I guess I knew someday they'd have to move beyond their crib/convertible toddler bed but it still snuck up on me. As much as I want them to grow and progress at the same time I feel like just freezing my sweet little guys how they are. Or just slow the flow maybe, give me some more time. Alas, it's not to be. Makes me almost, maybe, start thinking about considering trying for another.

So without further ado, $800 later, we have 2 of these:

Lots of little things to still finish, like curtains to cover the bottom, a light in there, a chair in there, and all their things re-organized, but I am excited. They really do love their "big boy beds". I hope they will last and be worth it (read, somehow magically keep my children in their beds long enough to fall asleep).

I finished reading New Moon this morning and was so happy again. Of the 4 novels I think #2 is the biggest roller coaster and it really pulls me along with it. Half the book I can barely stand to put it down to leave things as they are. So I am content at the end to leave my friends and move on to Next.

Tonight I am sneaking out of work for a few hours to go see my baby sister graduate. It's hard to believe the last of my sibs is now done with high school. That darn time keeps marching on thing. Congrats Miss Cyndel, pics to come!