Girls Weekend

A couple of moths ago, my college roommate, Jodie, suggested we have a girls weekend. I thought it sounded fun and told her that if she got the ball rolling, I would totally be there. Recently she became friends with my best friend from junior high, Trisha, and decided that all three of us should get together. When Jodie suggested the idea to Trisha, she offered her apartment in Orem as the stomping grounds and everything else fell into place. It turned out to be a super fun weekend. Jodie treated us to Outback Steakhouse for dinner and then we headed back to the apartment. We spent the rest of the evening talking while putting together a puzzle. It the morning we did a small hike up Provo Canyon and then went out to eat for lunch. (I tried Thai food for the first time in my life.) I love that the three of us were able to relax and enjoy each other's company while gaining insights and a renewed strength to be better, at least that's the way I felt.

Candy Land Birthday Party

Thanks to a friend, I got the wonderful idea of throwing a Candy Land themed birthday party for Sadie. She's our little sweet tooth so it was perfect for her. A lot of time and preparation went into a short two hours of fun, but I think it ended up turning out pretty cute.

The kids started off by creating their own large characters to use while playing a large version of the game. All of them turned out so unique and so cute and they had so much fun making them.

Then they played the game. I simply made large squares that instructed the kids to do fun little things to keep them laughing and playing with each other. Unfortunately the kids got a little distracted toward the end and became more interested in playing with the toys in the toy room. It would have worked a lot better outside, but it had become quite windy and we were worried the game would just blow away. Oh well, you live and learn.

The path led to a huge golden castle and the winner got a gigantic lollipop.

Then we moved on to more candy!!! I made a pinata that looked like a big piece of candy (which was way too much work) and filled it over half full of candy. The sad thing is that the candy ended up being too heavy and after two kids hit it, it broke in half. Thankfully the kids didn't mind. They were excited to fill their bags full of candy and then beat the broken pinata on the ground.

And last of all, the kids got to enjoy some brightly frosted cupcakes with fun candies on top. Needless to say, I sent a bunch of little kids home on sugar highs with bags full of candy. They couldn't have been more excited. And what a way to celebrate a birthday.

True Friends

One of my long time friends, Jen, decided to serve a mission and will be leaving the end of next month. We had a friend gathering to wish her well. I stayed way too late, but it was so nice to catch up with old friends. It brought back a lot of memories and made me remember how grateful I am for the influence of good friends. There are a few select people that had a big influence on me during those critical teenage years that I will forever be grateful for and Jenny is one of those people. She never said or did anything profound but she was a true friend that was kind and did what she was supposed to do. The power of a good example goes a long way. Thanks Jen, and good luck!