Autumn's Happy Half Birthday

Autumn is officially 2 1/2 years old!  We did the whole birthday she-bang yesterday.  The day started with making "animal" pancakes.  I attempted to make monkeys.

Then Autumn opened up her special birthday outfit...she is suppose to be waiting for her dad, but the anticipation was killing her.  She just kept poking the shirt out of the wrapping.

After story time at the library we shared cupcakes with our friends out on the library lawn.

After nap time Autumn got her hair trimmed.  This was the first time she was getting an non-mom hair cut.  I figure every fourth hair cut I can pay for.  I had told her that she was going to get it cut, but then when it was time she started crying.  So she sat on my lap while she got her hair cut...as seen in our mirror selfie.  Once I gave her a sucker she was totally fine.  And it took the girl about 5 minutes.

And then there was the cake....Autumn kept talking about wanting a pink cake and of course Ariel.  So I bought an Ariel Lego set, but I refused to make the whole cake pink.  Pink frosting is nasty.  So after a multitude of mishaps this is the crumbly mess I came up with.  (The pink is three mini cake rounds)  Autumn also wanted the cake on the fancy cake stand, so I had to cut out the 9X13 cake pan which fell apart, thus the leaning.  I also ran out of Chocolate frosting and tried to hide it by added "sand".

All Autumn cared about was the Ariel.  Also she wanted to eat the chocolate cake instead of the pink.

Evan's cousin and his family dropped by for a quick visit...

Then we had some yummy Pizza Hut pizza. and of course presents.

Autumn was so excited.  And is definetly at the "next present" stage.

Tennis racket

Dress ups from G&G Robins

And a bike!!!

This is Autumn pushing her imaginary friend, "Ariel" in the bike (who by the way had to be buckled in and have the helmet buckled too.)

Autumn and "girl" in their new matching jammies from G&G Norby.

Since we've been home

Here is a couple of "every day" pictures....

Autumn eating peanut butter from the jar...she likes to do that when I make her sandwiches...except for today after church when I realized we were out of bread, so I handed her the jar and a spoon and called that lunch.

Autumn doing her chore...putting away the flatware.  She thought it was fun the first couple times.  Now of course she doesn't want to do it, but she gets time-out if she doesn't. Most of the time the time-out is a result of her throwing her plastic spoons all over the floor.

One day way back when I was in Utah I left Autumn with my mom and flew back for my 20 week ultra sound...they were so unaccommodating with Evan's work schedule that this is what worked best so he could come.  Well it is fun to see the babies move around, but laying flat on my back for 2 solid hours was so very painful and the ultra sound tech wouldn't tell me what was going on, so I was also very bored.  (I've since switched doctors..again.  And am very happy.)  Oh yeah, we're having one boy and one girl!  Just what we wanted!

 On memorial day we drove to Denver to look at a used car.  It smelt like smoke so we didn't buy it.  Since Evan was working in Denver he couldn't drive us back to Cheyenne. We ended up staying in Denver a few days with him at the hotel.  Luckily with some hard work and determination we found and bought a van.  I feel like a free woman.  Not only can I drive myself to the library- without having to come up with some elaborate plan of getting a ride or borrowing a car and switching car seats a million times-but Autumn can climb in and buckle herself...even if it does take longer, I don't have to bend over to buckle her or lift her up in the car.  Also it is really shiny.  This is Autumn and I posing (me at 25 weeks).  I put this maxi skirt on in the morning (because seamless yoga pants are more comfortable than pants), so Autumn wanted to dress up too.  She also wanted to be in the picture because I was using the self timer...the only time she is willing to take a picture...and she also wanted to touch her belly.

Another note:  I found a game Autumn and I can play together that doesn't involve me getting off the couch.  So we were playing said game and Autumn standing towards me on my left said pokes my belly and says, "boy baby? girl baby?"  I replied, "that is the boy baby"  So she takes her toys that she is playing with and moves to my right side and says, "I sit by girl baby".  It is funny to see how much she "gets" in regards to the babies.  She also likes to stand by the window and "wait for babies" to come.

Autumn's favorite, more involved game is airplane.  We usually ride in the airplane a.k.a dinning room chairs in the living room for about 6 seconds and then have to get up because we are "here" and then sit back down and do it again.  So one day I got bored of sitting down and standing up so I told her the plane crashed and I needed a doctor.  So now the game gets dragged out a little longer.  Autumn is always the doctor and her favorite is giving shots.

End of our month long vacation: New Mexico

After getting back from North Carolina Autumn and I stayed in Denver for one night with Evan.  Evan worked in Denver for the whole month of May, which was one of the reasons we planned our vacation the way we did.  So then Evan's parents picked us up and we drove to New Mexico for our brother-in-laws MBA graduation.  The road trip down there went pretty fast after we had to retrieve the car seat which I left in Evan's car and he took to the hospital, which resulted in a 40 minute delay....

Autumn loved playing with Lexi and all her girly toys.

Charlie and Autumn at the graduation.

He did it!  

The Norby grandkids

Just the girls

Proud wife

All the Norbys except Evan and Patrick

Autumn again with the girly toys..a Barbie  blow dryer.

The trip was short and sweet.  We took the kids swimming one morning and had two dinner parties with Justin's family to celebrate his graduation and his sister's graduation.

North Carolina and baby Henry

From Utah we flew to North Carolina.  The flights were long and hard on Autumn (or maybe just me)  but the worst was the two hour lay over with nothing to do but let Autumn hang out on the moving sidewalks while I watched people freak out that she was alone on the thing.  But we finally made it to Charlotte to visit my sister and her family and meet little Henry. 

Autumn was in love with baby Henry.  She asked to hold him all the time.  She also wanted to help with diapers and like to "push" him in the swing.

Alice is a ball of fire...she is not only wearing her jammy shirt inside out but also upside down.

The kids had lots of fun in the back yard...this day they were playing with dish soap foam.

I love bath pictures of cousins.  There is hardly any room in the tub for people since there are so many toys, but you get the idea...

Autumn playing with 8 week old Henry.

Rex playing t-ball.  Alice and Autumn would shout, "Go Rex GO!"

Mother's day.

More hanging out in the back yard.  Heather borrowed an extra car from a neighbor, but no matter what, whichever car was occupied first was the coveted car.

Then we went to a "petting zoo"  or rather a death ride.  You were suppose to feed the animals out the windows, but they had no problems coming into the car to find food.  It was super terrifying.  It is hard to tell your kids not to be afraid, when you yourself are wetting yourself from laughing and crying from the scary zoo animals.  But it was fun I promise.

The kids liked to feed the pigs...they were small and couldn't get near the windows.

The kids watching TV and eating popcorn...separated...we had problems with sharing all week.

Baby Henry...so serious.

Utah part II Cal's wedding

My cousin Calvin got married the weekend after Noah's graduation so Autumn and I decided to stay and just combine all our trips together...especially since we already had a trip planned to visit my sister in North Carolina.

The happy couple, Elizabeth and Calvin Roberts.  They got sealed in the LDS Bountiful temple.

Autumn getting bored of taking pictures after the ceremony and playing in the flowers.

My mom and her mom....why I didn't get a four generation picture I'm not sure-especially since my outfit totally coordinated.

Autumn eatting her "happy pills" aka M&Ms

Brad, Calvin, and Noah: freshmen roommates

I thought it was totally funny that the bride helped snap a photo of the boys.

At the luncheon after the wedding.  Autumn took out her braids and gave herself "cra hair" as she says-Also attempting to do the Marilyn over the air vent.

I love when groomsmen are all dressed up and I especially love argyle.  My cousins were confused why they had to wear matching socks if no one could see them and no one took pictures of them...so I helped them out.

My mom meet up with some neighborhood friends from when she was little and they decided to "crash" the wedding.  It was so funny to watch my mom straight up giggle with her gal pals.

This is what Autumn did practically the whole reception...eat mini cupcakes...or rather lick the frosting off of them.

more licking...

Smiling while in the receiving line

Autumn asking for yet another cupcake.

Autumn waiting for the bouquet toss with the bridesmaids...and Rachel who inadvertently matched perfectly with bridesmaid's dresses.

Autumn "caught" the bouquet.  All the girls just stood there as they watched it drop on the floor then someone picked it up and handed it to Autumn.  It was pathetic!

My cousin Cameron also "caught" the garter.

This is aunt Traci trying to be sly and getting a picture of Rachel and Noah together.

Here is Autumn sometime after the wedding with my grandma Dorthy.  They are such great hosts and don't mind Autumn being a 2 year old at there house.  Autumn insisted on climbing up the counter and using the hose thingy to "waA hands"