BELLA-RINA SNOWFLAKE PARTY!

So my little Bella boo is turning 3 on Dec. 29....we are going to be away and I really wanted her to have a fun birthday party before we left! So the theme was ballerina/snowflake (tis the season!), and my amazing friend Ashley came up with the invites and the idea of calling it a "Bella-rina" party, just perfect!! I posted a slide show of everything, but here are the fun details:

DECOR: Ice blue and pink, ballerinas and snowflakes! I made a hanging "chandelier" by taking a white ikea frame and hanging ballerina and snowflake ornaments from it! We hung it in the dining room above the party table. Behind that was the banner I made, it said HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELLA and the "Bella" part was on 5 pictures of her that Ashley took in her studio...amazing. I had a pink sparkly christmas tree, pink tulle tied around the chairs, and snowflakes everywhere!
FOOD: For the little ones, sandwiches cut into snowflakes, fruit kebabs, pink punch, sugar cookies (that I MADE!!), and delicious cupcakes made by the fabulous Dorienne with snowflake/ballerina tutu toppers that I made!
GAMES: Decorating sugar cookies and I had my dearest friend Emily (a former ballerina!!) make an appearance (all dressed up!) and teach the little girls a few moves! It was such a huge hit, they were all SO cute, I could barely stand it! For favors, they got little gift bags with either a ballerina slipper ornament or snowflake ornament and of course candies....

I had so much fun planning this party, and it was all SO WORTH IT when Bella repeatedly came up and thanked me and hugged me throughout the day!

Make a scrapbook

Summer re-cap

I know, long overdue. But I thought I would post about some of the fun stuff we did! After all, I can't post my cute fall pictures until I've posted about summer!! So here it goes....

It was my long time friend Amber's wedding, and Bella was a flower girl for the first time!! It was AMAZING, a seriously beautiful day, Bella also had her first ride in a limo! So fun!!

Next up: trip to Utah! Business for Mason, shopping for me!! This was our first time driving there, which was good and bad. Good because there was WAY more room to fit in my retail therapy (seriously, home decor rocks in Utah!! and the prices are awesome!!). Bad because holy crap that is a long drive! Sooooo long. But worth it! We went to the cutest place called Gardener's Village, and I will be visiting there again for sure! Petting zoo, cute little boutiques, it was heaven!! And the temple grounds were just gorgeous, of course. It was a really fun little trip!

After Utah, it was home for a short while, and then a Dahl family trip to Whitefish, Montana. When I say Dahl family, I mean: Mason's mom and dad, his 2 older sisters their husbands and 8 children between them, his younger brother and his fiancee, and his 2 youngest sisters. Can you say full house?!! But somehow, in this amazing cabin on the mountain, every family had their own bedroom and bathroom! Fabulous! So much fun, we slid down these slides DOWN the mountain, we did a little shopping, A LOT of hanging out, and we went to Big Sky waterslides, where I basically suffered 3rd degree burns from the burning sun! So worth it though, I can see why so many people from Southern Alberta vacation down there all summer long! Oh, plus on the going over the sun highway we saw a bear! Right on the side of the road, it was SO close! I absolutely LOVE that drive.

Pouty face...not sure why!!
Can you say diva?!

Okay, these things were awesome! There was this random little park that had go-carts, spray boats, mini golf, etc. and of course like little kids Mason and his brother in law jumped on these! It was hilarious, they all got soaked. And Bella is naked because approx. 5 mins before this she had a massive diarrhea attack and ruined ALL HER CLOTHES. So much fun. Can you say white trash?!!

Next up on the Dahl agenda: Magrath Days and our anniversary!! Except I forgot my camera for Magrath Days. So so sad. But I did take ONE picture of us on our way out for dinner for our 5 year anniversary!

Next....Mason's 28th Birthday! I sent him golfing for the day (poor guy, it was his first time out all summer...we are WAY too busy), had a yummy bbq and made him his fave: German Chocolate Cake. Not my favourite, but he LOVES it. I have to make it every single year.


This next picture is of Bella on her new Strider bike. She loves it, but is still getting the hang of it. Maybe if we were around more...!!! Good thing is, this bike is good up until age 5 or so! Plus it's pink. Need I say more?

Bella got the chance to be a flowergirl for the second time this summer....at Melissa and Randy's wedding! It was just beautiful, a gorgeous setting and the little flowergirls were adorable!!

And our last adventure of the summer? ARIZONA!! This was the perfect ending to our summer. Great friends, great weather, and a backyard pool...nothing better! Not to mention endless drink concoctions from our fabulous hostess Val!! This is also where Mase served his mission, so we got to go around to his areas and see where they lived and stuff. Very cool, a little alarming in some neighbourhoods!! Bella loved the pool, she wasn't scared at all, with her water wings on she would just go!! The boys went golfing a few times, the girls went shopping...just perfect! Oh and the restaurants in AZ rock. Seriously, we had some good food!

I couldn't resist posting this picture! Sooooo funny!!

Okay, yay for you if you read this all the way to the END!!! I will try not to go so long without posting next time!! I still have to post about California (3rd time Bella was a flowergirl) and Katelyn's wedding (yep, Bella's 4th time being a flowergirl. She's a pro now!!). Then I should be caught up!

whoa now....

Okay so I don't post all summer and now 2 posts in like 30 minutes??! But I have to post this. It's been a hard day. So hard. It's been a hard month. I have been so overwhelmed. I cry daily over stupid and small stuff. And I just read my friends blog. She was having a hard day too. But she is stronger than me. She talks about things, and she deals with them. She posted this link and I can't stop reading this blog now. Amazing. Crazy how you think the worst is happening to you, and then you take the time to actually look around and realize that it really could be worse. Way worse. I am trying to understand why I have certain trials in my life. What I'm supposed to be learning here. And why I don't have other trials, things that other people like this poor young family has to deal with. I am so greatful for the church, I just need to rely more on my Heavenly Father. But I'm still learning. It's stories like this one that make me stop and listen. Sad how that's the way it has to happen.

Oh Summer....

It has been forever since my last post! And SO much has happened. I will one day get to it all. Tonight I am feeling kinda melancholy though, so I thought I'd write. I love to write, and I just started a journal...again. I seem to always start them, but, CONFESSION, I never finish them! Oh well, best intentions I guess. There is just so much going on right now, I don't want to forget anything.

So, first up. One of my dear friends moved out of town. And I'm feeling sad because it's hard for me to make really good friends. And I finally made a good one and got all comfortable and she moved!! But I'm happy for her, because she is in her absolute element. Seriously, it's like she was supposed to be there all along.

Next...I'm PREGNANT!!! In case you haven't heard. Man I hate how word gets around sometimes! I have been waiting FOREVER for this, and I tell a few people and then everyone knows...but I want to be the one to actually say it! Because I have worked hard and waited long for it!!! Oh man, no more clomid, no more "planning" and tracking...but...hello all day sickness, Diclectin, Zofram, nausea, and chubbiness!! But I LOVES it, I really do. And I can't wait to find out what my little peanut is!!

It's been a crazy summer. I will post pictures of all the fun stuff we got to do. Soon. I just wanted to let those who actually read this know that I'm still alive! Going through kind of a rough time with the business, but I'm alive. It's hard being a business owner and a mom. I feel like I don't give Bella all the attention she needs and deserves. I mean she's still not potty trained, what is wrong with me?? Any potty training tips would be MUCH appreciated!

Bella Boo...

....is in full crazy 2 1/2 year old stage. She is soooooo sassy, stubborn, and can do everything by herself. In the past 4 days, she has pulled our kitchen TV off the counter and on to our hardwood (denting it, and breaking the TV) and picked off 3 of the keys off my laptop keyboard. Sometimes I put on Dora, go into my bedroom, and close the door. And read a trashy magazine about how Vienna totally cheated on Jake, but he's a freak control psycho. Then I take a deep breath, and I reemerge, ready to LOVE on the cutest and most precious thing in my life!!
This was her adorable prayer tonight: "Dear Heavenly Father, thankful for blessings. thankful for family. thank you for daddy. thank you for mommy. thank you for dora. thank you for isa. thank you for tico. thank you for the tallest mountain. and thank you for my wedding dress. name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I about died! Yes, she watches way too much Dora. But it's for my sanity!! And her wedding dress? She is a flower girl this weekend and she loves trying on her "wedding dress"....hope she's not a little diva about it this Saturday! Who am I kidding, she will be and I will LOVE it!!

Breakfast at Tiffany's Party!!

Well, last weekend I had the opportunity to throw one of my oldest and best friends a bridal shower! Amber and I met on our first day of college together back in the fall of 2001...we were placed in the same house at MRC residence together. She has been there for me through EVERYTHING, she is one of the most amazing people I know. So I was so happy to do this for her, really it's the least I can do!!

The theme was "Breakfast at Tiffany's", and we had a backyard brunch at my house. Although it was a little windy, it was a beautiful day and it all went perfectly!! Here is the invite:

I put a sign and a jewelry box full of pearls at the front door for people to dress up with, and everyone went along with it...so fun!!

Outside, we had empty picture frames that the guests could hold up and take pictures with....


Food: catered by the fabulous Carla...we had delicious crepes, 3 different fillings! We also had fruit kebabs, punch and mimosas. Dorienne worked her magic for me again and made the cutest Tiffany cupcakes, they were a HUGE hit!!



Favors: cute little "tiffany" boxes filled with Hershey kisses and adorable hair pins made by the talented Bree!! Everyone loved them!


Decor: for centerpieces, I had Tiffany bags everywhere with white flowers in them, and on the main table I had 2 hurricane vases filled with Tiffany boxes and "diamond" napkin rings (so cute and PERFECT for the theme, I even put a few of them on the food table!). Chiavri (tiffany) chairs, damask prints, tiffany blue and white accents. I also had a note card folded in half at each place setting that had a quote from Audrey Hepburn in the movie! On the back of each card each guest wrote a little note to Amber! I set up a corner on the deck for the gifts with pictures of Audrey surrounding it, and I had blue, white and black tissue flower pom poms EVERYWHERE!!


Games: we played the game where the bride answers questions about the groom and the guests have to guess how many she will get right! Super fun! We also played the "toilet paper bridal gown" game, and everyone got super into it! For prizes I had mini compact mirrors with pictures of Audrey on the back, and cute colored OPI nail polishes!

It was an amazing day, I wish I'd taken more pictures, but I got so busy, I'm sad I didn't take more! Here is the blushing bride: beautiful Amber, I am SO excited for the wedding on Saturday!!