cinco de mayo

we hosted our annual cinco de mayo taco party on sunday. i couldnt handle my excitement that it was hot and sunny! definitely made it feel more legit.

i loved using these mini pinatas for the place cards but they cost a pretty penny so they only went to the adults.

the boys got their own little cactus filled with jelly bellys.

before our friends arrived, i made my boys suffer through a few photos.

sully and me, being serious about cinco de mayo.

tagg is such a good sport.

and sully is just nuts.

how much more proof do you need?

right when the thompsons arrived, i finished preparing the taco ingredients, fried up some chips (no one wants stale mexican food)

made the guacamole

sliced the limes

and made our absolute favorite drink: diet 7up with frozen limeade. so good.

tagg

blake

ella and kaitlin

tagg got the idea to tape the mustaches to the mini pinatas. he got the double sided tape and did it all by himself without even telling me. such a crafty guy! i've taught him well.

my pride and joy holding his pride and joy.

after the dinner was eaten, the pinatas were busted, and the kitchen was cleaned,  kaitlin and i made churros.

there's something about fried dough coated with cinnamon and sugar that never gets old.

just ask taggy.

it was such a fun night. the boys had a blast.

happy cinco de mayo from our favorite little chicos.

tagg

tagg started tball a couple weeks ago. he is on a team with all of his little friends and has so much fun.

 

this was his first practice. i was so proud of that hit!

last week we took the boys to a mariners game. tagg had such a great time that his double chin even made an appearance. my favorite.

he loved safeco field. especially all the food it offered.

tagg is five and he loves to: build blanket forts, dig in the dirt, race around on his bike or scooter, go to mcdonalds, write his name, practice in his numbers workbook (he's his father's son), conduct family home evening and take cute pictures with sully. tagg really is the best brother to sully. i serisouly cannot wait for tagg to go to kindergarten and watch him start his little life. 

 

i love my tagg.

amy turned thirty

my friend, amy, turned thirty last week so her husband asked if we would help throw her a surprise party. i want my friends to feel special on their birthday aaaaaaand i love any excuse to get one of those BIG balloons! so of course, we said 'yes'. win win.

hanna put up this little picture wall of amy. super cute. 

gold glitter makes everything better.

i had been wanting to make these fringed paper lanterns. they were so easy. i love them so much i am trying to figure out a place in my house where i can keep them up year round.

if you want your guests to arrive on time tell them it is a surprise party. everyone showed up RIGHT at 8pm. while the men talked, the girls helped me finish making the bruschetta until 8.30, when the birthday girl (in the red) arrived!

i told the men they didnt have to sip out of those girly straws. but that i wanted to get a picture of them doing it before they tossed them.

amy's favorite snacks/treats.

kevin and trish brought "minute to win it" games. i think our group (or maybe its just me) is a little too competitive for friendly games such as these. 

exhibit a.

after games, it was time for amy to blow out her candles. 

then it was kinect dancing. and if you think is painful......

here are the men.

it was a very fun night and i hope amy will always remember her 30th birthday! xo

easter

this year, craig and i hosted easter dinner at our house for his family. it was a very relaxed, sunny and special day. at the last second, i threw this quilt on the table as the tablecloth. it was a perfect punch of color .

before everyone came over for dinner we went to church. im pretty sure it doesnt get any more heavenly than a sunny easter sunday in seattle.

im glad i set the table the day before because i spent the afternoon after church preparing the dinner. 

i found these little egg cups at crate & barrel the night before (could NOT believe there were any left!) for a dollar a piece.

i wanted something light and springtime-ish (not chocolate) for the dessert. so i made my aunt's cake with homemade lemon curd, seven minute frosting and toasted coconut.

i need to make it more often...

after dinner and dessert, grandma cheri surprised the boys with an easter egg hunt in the backyard. she is SO good to them.

i honestly dont know how that day could be topped. i smile just thinking about it.

last week we had our girls trip. we went to scottsdale again and had a wonderful time (except for the hotel. the hotel wasnt so hot). the first night there we shopped at fashion square.

after shopping, we went to our faaaaaavorite mexican restaurant, blanco. everything they serve is fabulous but the cheese crisp and the sundae are the best.

the next day we laid out by the pool (again, the hotel was pretty crappy so we didnt do too much lounging. kind of a bummer) then went to chick-fil-a for lunch. i was just a little bit excited to be eating there.

as if we werent stuffed up to our eyeballs from lunch, we drove over to bahama bucks. that place is out of this world. especially when you ask for two dollars worth of extra cream to pour on top of your shave ice.

we decided we needed to scout out a new hotel for next year. we found it!

we loved walking around the grounds of this beautiful hotel but were a little depressed that we had to go back to our flea bag for the night. :)

i look like a complete idiot in this picture. trying way too hard. but i wasnt really feeling my dress so i was trying to over compensate. besides my annoying pose, my mom and aunts are beautiful.

that night we had dinner (if you can even call it that. it was more of a life changing experience than just a meal) at culinary dropout. it was insaaaaaaaaaaaanely good.

so much so, that we went back the next day for lunch! :) they are known for their soft pretzels & provolone fondue which are completley delicious. we also loved their house potato chips & famous onion dip and.....

salted caramel pudding with caramel corn on top. love.

dont worry though, we somehow managed to still have room for paradise bakery cookies for our drive out to the boulders (a resort right outside of scottsdale).

we decided we needed a few pictures of us out there. so we prepped.

once we were all feeling pretty again, i set up THE most precarious camera stand ever. a phone on top of a cross body bag (held up by sunglasses) on top of a handbag on top of grass.

we all thought it was pretty funny/dumb.

one last shot of us in the desert.

at the gift shop i found these super cute scorpions for tagg and sully. i thought they would enjoy a picture of their guys on a spiky cactus.

before we flew home, we ate at blanco one last time. i love spending time with my mom and aunts. always a good time.