Idaho in the house!

It wasn't too long ago that we used to be the furthest ones out from the rest of the family, but now it's James' family. I can't say that I mind giving that title up much. :)

James and Brooke had some stuff going on in Utah at the tail end of May, so it was great to have some time with them while they were here visiting, and it was an extra treat to meet their new family member, Preston. What a chill baby he is! It was super cute to watch his big sisters love on him.

A bunch of the family got together to celebrate their daughter, Madison's, 2nd birthday with a little cake and ice cream.

I love any excuse to make a fun cake!

 

We hadn't planned on it, but threw together a little impromptu bbq a day later, and we were joined by my parents and James' family after their visit to the zoo earlier in the day. The kids had lots of fun together, and we got to enjoy an extra helping of their company before their trip was over. It's always fun to get together...especially with how much the kids change in between our visits.

Saffy Lunch

After quite a good turnout for the 4th, my family had the added bonus of assembling again today at my brother Eric's place. His daughter Saffron was baptized, and they hosted a lunch at their place afterwards. James' family was down from Idaho, and Michel's family was also there.

Melinda & Saffy

Miles, Ian, Lisette, Saffy, Eric & Nigel

Anytime there are lots of cousins and a house with "new" toys, I rarely see my boys for very long. It's nice that they have such a great time, especially when it gives me time to sit and catch up with everyone.

Sarah is quite the firecracker and will give any kid twice her size a serious dose of fierce!

A lot changes in a month with little kiddies. We just saw Madison on her birthday a little over a month ago, and she wasn't quite walking, but she is now.

In addition to the Canfield side, Melinda's Ashton family was there as well. We don't have many opportunities to see them, and I love our visits with them! Her family members are lovely and talking with each of them is so enjoyable.

James, Clair & Eric. We don't see these men together very often, but I sure love it when we do!

Carrie, Archer & Joy. They're all so stinkin cute.

Michel and two (out of 5) of her lovely daughters, Kylee & Karissa.

I have a great family. I love it when we can all get together, it never gets old.

 

Mishmash

The past few weeks have been a good mix of some fun stuff. Now I know why my dear friend will publish "This week in pictures" posts every so often. Time has a way of sneaking off, and this past month has gone by pretty quick...so I guess instead of a week's worth of photos, I'll cover most of May instead. :)

Darius, Ben, Zach and I joined Clair's family for a swim party to celebrate Makenna's recent birthday. I had lots of fun making cute little fondant owls to top her cupcakes, and we got to watch Makenna jump off the diving board for the first time!

I made several cakes this month...this one was for my cousin, Anthony's, lovely wife for Mother's Day. They enjoyed Grandma's birthday cake so much that they had to have another, so Anthony got in touch with me and surprised his wife.

I love that Clair and I love the same baseball team! Most of the family was able to get together for a BBQ at Carrie & Bobby's place to celebrate Clair's birthday. We feasted on some good eats...Sanpete Turkey, homemade rolls, yummy salads, and pudding cake. There were some really happy tummies. :)

My lovely and extremely talented niece, Karissa, graduated from high school. I put together this cake as a nod to her talents as an artist. We joined her family for some lunch and cake and enjoyed a good visit with them.

This sweet little soul just turned 1! The boys and I drove up to James and Brooke's home in Idaho to celebrate Madison's birthday. I brought some pizza dough and sauce and we cooked up some pizza the night before, and enjoyed a little family BBQ the following day. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a great party!



 

We've been wanting to get a dog, but it's just not in the cards for us right now. Lucky for us, we can get our puppy fix from Joy's sweet new friend, Ulli. The boys and I got to dog sit for him while Joy was at work. The boys love him (so long as he not chewing on them).

It's been a good month! I love my family, and it feels really good to live close to everyone again. There's a bunch of us, and there's always something going on, and I love that I'm not missing out on so much of it anymore.