Birthday Cake

So I love making Birthday Cakes... I don't really know why... it takes FOREVER and you are so worried its not gonna turn out... Jacob asked me after watching me work on different parts of this cake for 3 days why I like it... The only thing I could come up with is I love to see the finished product and know that I tackled something outside of my comfort zone. Tiff and I did this one for Paige's birthday this year. I couldn't believe it actually turned out. We made it early just in case it didn't and she'd have to make another one. But I think it turned out awesome. I didn't actually see it the next morning at the party, I guess some of the tier things fell off, but at its best right after we finished it here's what it looked like...

Boys at River

I'm having a problem uploading pictures... Grrr... Here are some pics I took of the boys down at the park the other day... I wanted new pictures for my wall and kinda knew what I wanted but didn't want to waste anyone's time so I just took the boys out one afternoon and we played around... post of the finished wall yet to come...
I just LOVE this picture...

Silverwood

We did our annual trip to Silverwood this summer with the Ostlers. It was a ton of fun. We were gonna go for 2 days and stay the night at Stoneridge. But we decided to just go for one day to save time and money. It was lots of fun. We always love to go on trips with the Ostlers. It seems like we all get along really well.
"What goes up...

...must come down!"

Jacob and I and Dan and Stacey Ostler...











Thanks Ostler Family for a SUPER FUN TIME! Sorry about cutting it short. Hopefully you'll still do it again with us!

Landon is 5!

Landon had a birthday and turned 5 in July... He had a Transformer Party! I made the cake and he had a few friends over. They played outside on a Slip N Slide and the Tramp, we did Water Balloons and a Pinata...

Here is the birthday cake. I love doing their birthday cakes. One of these days I'll do harder ones, but I love these Wilton Pans. They make it sooo easy!


All the boys in their Transformer Masks...

Kennedy was not about to be left out of the fun!

On the Sunday closest to a birthday we do a Family Dinner and the Birthday person gets to pick what they want for dinner. Landon wanted "Pancakes with a candle in it!" So we had Pancakes, German Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, Bacon and Fruit. I LOVE breakfast for dinner!


Landon is such a sweet boy. He is going to do one more year of preschool before starting kindergarden. He is always my big helper. So willing to do chores, or help me out. His new thing right now is hiding. I find him everywhere... I need to get some pictures of it. Its hilarious. He's under sinks, in coolers, pretty much anywhere he can fit. He is starting to read and is so excited to start preschool this year. He has started saying, "hey! I didn't get luvs from you yet today!" (my mom always says that to him) and he loves to play "I love YOU MORE!" we go on and on with who loves who more. (I always win because my arms stretch further:)) He checks to see if we are happy and plays so good with everyone. He likes to only play with one or two people at a time, but I'm amazed at the different people he plays with and seems to get along with everyone. I am so thankful he is part of our family. I can't imagine not having him around. He has just the cutest face and smile. And when he laughs it is contagious. I love you Landon!

Its been a year...

Most of you have seen this video, but I thought I'd post it anyway. It's kind of embarrassing, but what a great memory that night was. Its been a year since I had the miscarriage that almost cost me my life... EEK... still kind of a wierd thought. It seems like this last year I keep noticing how FRAGILE life is. So many things have happened this past year and it seems like I am always thinking how quickly things can change.

I came away from the whole expirience with the feeling like I couldn't make excuses any longer. It was time to take control. In some areas I've made vast improvements, in others we are still working on but as I was thinking about it all today I decided that maybe instead of New Year's Resolutions, which never seem to last very long, I will use this date as a time to make new goals and think about changes I want to make in the next year. This last year I've been successful at losing weight, FINALLY. I am about 10-15 pounds away from my goal still, but I feel great. This next year I want to focus on becoming FINANCIALLY FREE! I want to be out of debt, have a savings account and be better at living with in our means.

I'm so grateful for Jacob and for his desire to work hard for our family so we can live so comfortably. He is truly one of the hardest working people I know. I remember right after everything happened, how different I felt. I can't really think of another way to describe it. Just like "don't sweat the small stuff" ya know? And feelings of closeness to Jacob and the kids, and how thats what really matters. I wish I'd been able to keep that. I hate that so quickly you get wrapped up in all of the OTHER stuff. Anyway, I'm totally rambling, but just have felt again as I've been thinking of the whole expirience, how grateful I am for my life and my family. I am truly blessed and I think too often I'm always thinking about what I can't wait for to happen in the future instead of just living for the moment and in the moment. There is another goal for this year! Take advantage of every moment!

Annettes Viper

Cousins Reunion

My aunt Velma invited all of the cousins on the Parrish side to go up to Winthrop, WA for a weekend in July. We had so much fun. We got up there Friday afternoon. The kids went on horseback rides. They LOVED it! Landon was even on a horse with Damien and they totally slipped down the side of the horse and fell off. But they got right back on and went for another ride. We got up on Saturday and Jacob, Terry, Velma, Parker, Michael, Paul and I went on a 30 mile bike ride. It was awesome. We encountered all of 5 cars. Its so beautiful up there. We saw 2 baby deers in the road with their mom deer, a coyote ran across the road and all of these little tiny squirels. A bunch of people floated down the river and did the rope swing. The kids did a slip n slide.
Ky & Paige riding horses...

Landon and cousin Carter...

Kennedy with my cousin Rachelle...

They jumped on the tramp alot...

"Ring around the Rosy, Pocket full of Posies...

...they all fell down!"

Ky and Landon loved climbing this dirt pile...

A group picture of "the cousins" well, some of them at least...

All of the boys played poker and laser tag while the rest of us did cherades. Which I've never really played. But it was HILARIOUS!

Porcupine Bay 2009

Well after about 6 years of not going to Porcupine Bay as a Parrish Family, we finally did it again this year. And it was so fun! (sidenote: minus the bees!) The bees were SOOOOOO bad. It was supposed to be the whole Parrish Family, but between the bees being so bad and Michelle's baby Camryn not sleeping very well at night, we took off a day early. So Terry and his family and Lindy never made it up there.
Monday morning, my mom and dad, my uncle Steve's family, my good friend Pam and her kids and me and my kids headed up... With only slight incidents like Steve getting pulled over (which was totally random because he was following me) and 2 blow outs on the boat trailer, yes, you read correctly, 2! We all arrived safe and sound. And then... about 5 minutes into unloading we hear a blood curdling scream from Miss Chloe... she had just received the first of many beestings of the week. I think everyone except Landon and Brent got stung at least once. (Aizlyn took the record at 7! One got caught in her shirt and got her 4 times!) We set up camp, had dinner and took the boat out for a quick spin before sitting down to a camp fire with smores and guitar music played by yours truley and Pam. It was soooo fun! What is it about a camp fire? Anyway, the next morning we woke to the Beautiful lake and took the kids out to tear up the water on the tube...
Here's Ky and Brandon.... It was so fun to watch them. They all laughed so hard!


By the end of the week Landon was our little showboater out on the tube. He'd climb all around and bounce and I'm pretty sure at one point he stood up. It was so cute! They all loved the tube.
While the kids were tubing Aizlyn and Kennedy were happy to sit in the boat and cheer them on. Theyd scream and cheer and clap. It was very cute. *Sidenote on Kennedy tubing to come later....


Not to be left out Pam and I got out there to "get 'er done!"

Yes! That is a one person tube we are both on! I haven't laughed that hard in a loooong time. I was so afraid I was gonna pee my pants. (Not good with Pam on top of me) Pretty sure she was holding up my shorts most of the time and at one point she was falling off and I was trying to hold her on.... I couldn't quite laughing!

Pretty sure she looks like a model in EVERY picture! She has the most beautiful face... Isn't there something about getting your picture taken next to beautiful people? Like DON'T?!

The boys loved driving with Grandpa... So serious!


We spent HOURS every day swimming in the lake and the kids jumped off this platform over and over. It was about the only place to be where there were no bees...


We spent FOREVER on this sand castle... I don't think I've ever built a sand castle. Anyway, we were pretty proud of it... we went over swimming and I look over and Aizlyn and Kennedy are stomping all over it... Bye Bye Sand Castle!

We got in lots of good Wakeboarding, the water is soooo great there! Totally makes up for the bees! I decided to take Kennedy in the tube... what could go wrong right? I'll hang on to her, she'll love it! So she's crying, "No mommy no tube!" and Jacob looks at me and says, "This is not a good idea, Babe" I look at him, roll my eyes and think, "it'll be fine. I always take the kids when they are little". So we hop in and the boat starts to go. Ya know how when you first start out the tube dips down in the front until the boat planes? Well, I knew that would happen so I'm leaning way back totally prepared. We start dipping and I think "Just hang on. It'll pass quick!" Except we keep sinking and sinking and sinking and I am TOTALLY submerged in the water, trying to hold up Kennedy so she doesn't drown and realize that we aren't coming up. "Why isn't the boat GOING?" I keep thinking. "GO GO GO!" Which, I actually tried to yell and I think Brent thought I was saying to stop. I finally roll us off the tube still trying to hold Kennedy up above the water. She crying and when I come up theres Jacob right next to me in the water. He totally jumped in, in his clothes I might add, to save his little girl. How cute is that? Thanks Babe! Anyway, Brent just didn't know that he needed to get going faster to get us up. I hope I didn't totally traumatize Kennedy forever about being behind the boat. Dr. Kris, here we come!

Other than that, there were no boating mishaps. Everyone had a ton of fun! I think I've decided though that my ideal lake/boating vacation would take place at a condo or cabin... Camping is just sooo much work. I want to ski and board and be on the water but be able to prepare food in a kitchen and sleep in a bed and take a hot shower at night! Ya just can't beat the water there though! So in a few years I'll probably forget about the bees and how much work it was and say, "Hey! Lets do Porcupine Bay this summer!"

Moses Lake WaterPark

We went to the waterpark in Moses Lake. I REALLY like it. It is super fun. I wish we had one here. I went with Amanda and her boys and my FAVORITE person in the world, Rachel, came with me to help out with the boys. I couldn't do things like this without her. She is such a good sport to always come help me out. U R THE BEST RACH!
We got up there and ran into some other friends of ours, Brad and Karen... Seriously, we need one here...
The kids love the Lazy River, just floating in the tubes....

Heres Amamda and Jackson... how stinkin cute is this kid?!

Me and the kids...





There is one of these wave pool things that you can kneeboard or surf on. The boys loved it! They did so good on it... Here is Ky...

Here's Carson...

& Landon...

& my nephew Timothy...