Kassi and Ron's reception.

Kassi and Ron's reception was wonderful, it looked beautiful and there was a great turn out. Here are just a few pictures of the ring ceremony and reception that night....

Tidbits from Grandma's visit...

Grandma Tobar, Eden and Kimbre came to our house for the whole week of the wedding. It was so much fun to have them here. The kids always look forward to Grandma coming. Emma playing with the light up chickens that GG gave her for Easter. She loves them and carries them around in this gallon freezer bag.Grandma and the grandkids....Hunter made this trophy for Grandpa Burch for a very special award he recieved at work. Deke and I were so impressed with him that he created this all on his own without a guide. He did such a great job and Grandpa loved it.The kids enjoying lunch outside one afternoon. Loving Ave's hairdo....Took a quick trip up to see GG and Papa. Had a little mini party to celebrate Grandpa turning 75. He is so special to us all, we love him and Grandma so much.Grandpa showing off the salamanders...The week went fast but it was so nice to have mom and the girls here, we always feel lucky for the times we get to spend with them.

Balloon aftermath

So the next morning after my birthday Emma woke up and realized the balloons were losing their air and now were falling down to where she could reach them to play with them. She must have played with them for almost an hour. It was so cute. Picking them up, throwing them in the air, "hiding" behind them....Playing peek-a-boo with them.Gathering them one by one and putting them into a line of sorts...Sitting in the middle of them, putting them on her head, tossing them up in the air. I sat and watched her as she played and played.
Sat there thinking about how ridiculously cute she is and how much fun and silliness she brings to our family.Seriously Em glad you enjoyed them, just wait, I believe you might have a birthday coming this way....

Turning 30....

So I have to state for the record that I have never been weird about aging thus far. I really have loved every age and getting older has always seemed really normal to me and didn't really feel that different. So it sort of took me off guard the last couple of months as my birthday came near and I realized that I would soon be leaving my 20's behind. Most surprising to me was 1) how much the thought of never being in my twenties again bummed me out and 2) how for the first time in my life I felt like my parents. Let me explain, I guess it is because when I was growing up or when I think of being a child I always think of my parent being around 33 or 34, in their thirties. That is weird to me to think of being like my parents in that way. I have loved my twenties, they have been the best ten years. Not easy years at times, but very full of life, fun, blessings, excitement etc. etc. I have LOVED my twenties. It is weird to let a decade of your life go by and enter a completely new one. Deke of course like always made my birthday nothing short of wonderful for me. I woke up and had a pretty normal day with Miss E and then had to tutor from 4-6. When I pulled into the driveway I opened the garage and saw a sign taped to the garage door with two balloons, it said..."Knock before intering" instantly I was grinning wondering what they had been up to. As I knocked I could hear voices, "she's here! she's here!!!" then tons of excited giggling. "Shhhhh, settle down guys, shhhhhh" I could hear Deke saying. More laughing trying to be stiffled by Avery but not being successful. Sounds of my babies laughter, best sound ever. The door opened a crack, "close your eyes" Deke said as I closed them and he led me into the room. "Okay, now open" he said as the kids yelled, "surprise!!!!" and I opened my eyes to see this..... 30 glowing balloons hanging from the ceiling, this picture does not do justice I promise. It was really hard to get a picture of them in the complete darkness and with me not really knowing everything still about my camera. I wish the pictures could acurately show how neat looking it was. It was beautiful. Deke had taken a glow stick and put it in the balloon and then blew it up. They were awesome. On the table was an assortment of fun cards and presents. We turned the lights on and I opened my cards and gifts first thing, the kids were too excited to wait.... Cards from the kids.....LOVING the card that Avery made me that she told me was "You and Kimbre holding hands." "What happened to us?" I asked her trying pointing to our smiles. "Those are your lost teeth" she told me smiling. "Oh, wow... yeah I don't really loose teeth anymore now" I told her hugging her. Hunter did his own reinactment of me at the shooting range.....Deke got me a new robe, the first Harry Potter book, my favorite perfume Heavenly, some flip flops I have been wanting and a certificate to get my hair and nails done. Not to mention he is goint to watch the kids for me so I can fly to San Francisco for four days and be with my sisters for a birthday/sister get away. After all the present opening Deke had put a blanket in the living room under the glowing balloons and had made delicious crossant sandwiches. Decked with turkey, swiss cheese (my fave) avacadoes etc. etc. and some yummy sides. Then the whole family sat in the dark with only the colored lights of the balloons above us. It was just what I would want for my birthday dinner. All of us huddled on the blanket together. I tried to get a picture of it but again it was really hard. Seriously though glow stick in a balloon, really fun...try it. Pictures of some of the balloons the next day, not quite as fun when they are not glowing....Deke had also hung the glowing balloons all over the ceiling in our bedroom which was pretty cool. After dinner and dessert the kids sang to me and headed to bed. It was neat to sit and just look at the balloons in the dark, the house quiet and think about this turning thirty thing. I feel so grateful for my husband and not just the big things and the romantic displays that he has always given me but for the day in and day out with him and the way he treats me. I am so blessed. I have been richly, richly, blessed these first thirty years of my life. It has been a great birthday, I'll definitely remember this dinner in the dark of our living room. So, thirty, all right bring it on. I am ready, it is going to be awesome, try to make my thirties even better than my twenties. Off to San Francisco for more birthday fun.....

Gonna party like its your birthday...

Deke turned 32 this year and knew exactly what he wanted to do for his birthday weekend. Deke told me he wanted to go shooting at this indoor range not far from our house for his birthday. Friday night we left the kids with a sitter and headed to the range. When we got there we were told that since it was "ladies night" and ladies got everything free it was so busy the wait would be close to two hours which would not leave us much time to shoot. The guy was really nice though and told us that if we would come back another day he would still honor the "ladies free" price, which was nice since shooting is expensive. It was going to be about ninety dollars. Deke was really bummed so instead we decided to go shopping to get him some shirts and shorts. So nice to not have to push a stroller or entertain kids while trying to shop. We could slowly walk through the store and then I could sit and watch him try stuff on and we could hold hands and just talk while we shopped. It was so nice. Determined to fulfill his birthday wish the next day we again got a babysitter and headed for the range. The same guy was working the counter and as the couple in front of us stepped up he told them the wait would be about an hour and a half. I realized that we probably weren't going to get to shoot again until we approached the counter. "Hey you guys" he said, "I can't let you walk away twice, I just can't do that to you. Give me fifteen to twenty minutes and I'll get you in" he said smiling. I thanked him and told him how much we appreciated it since it was Deke's birthday. Within ten minutes we were wearing protective glass and listening to the rules of the range being explained to us. Then handed some gear to protect our ears and a mini suitcase with a 9mm inside. When we got inside the range I couldn't believe how loud it was. The range master got us all set up and showed me how to load, chamber a round, aim and take a shot. He told me to aim at the orange rectangle in the center....so I did and what do you know for having never shot before I got all five shots in the orange. Deke was thrilled. The first time I shot it my heart jumped in my chest. I knew that it was going to be loud but it still startled me. Within a few minutes I got the idea and I LOVED it, so much fun, except when one of the shells kicked back and bounced off of my glasses and about gave me a heart attack. Deke was so proud of me, he kept hugging me and telling me how good I was doing. He told me that I had shot better than he had. My shooting paper is the guy on the right: After two hours of shooting we went to return our stuff and pay and Ben the guy who had been helping us told us we owed him $25 and then wished Deke a Happy Birthday. We couldn't believe us, he had given us an amazing deal, we had practically paid nothing to go shooting. It was so kind and nice to know that people still do those sort of things. After that we headed back to get the kids who had made some awesome cards for daddy. Front of Hunter's card:Inside of his card including a Larry Fitzgerald football and cake with 32 on top....Next page of the inside cracked us up, everyone's names on the left side. On the right side a globe, WWI and WWII and something about Amelia Earhart??????? What?? Love him.
Front of Ave's card......Inside of Avery's card......Then we headed to Scottsdale to meet Dad and Lisa for dinner at the Blue Burrito grill. It was yummy, I really liked their pico de gallo I seriously kept going back for more chips and just kept eating it. After that we headed to AJ's bakery to get something yummy instead of a cake. Their bakery is seriously so fun, all the different selections and everything not only tastes good but they make it look so pretty. We pulled up at 9:05 and it looked closed, we hurried and got the kids out and headed for the front door where someone was there locking it up. He looked at us and then opened the door a crack. "Are you guys just coming to get a treat?" he asked the kids. "Yeah its my dad's birthday today" Hunter said, and then smiling the guy opened the doors and told us to come on in. Again loving all the love given to Deke by random strangers on Deke's birthday. We headed to the counter and Deke picked out a few different desserts and we headed home. This yummy rasperry mousse in a chocolate tulip cup... Some cannoli, a cheesecake brownie, an individual lemon cheesecake.....and a small tiramisu cake in which we put some candles for him and sang to him. then the kids happily assisted in helping him blow them out.....it was such a relaxing weekend and so fun for Deke and I to get two days full of date time together. Happy Birthday babe, thirty two is going to be awesome, we love you.