2 Bodies Are Better Than One?

They actually got the elliptical jammin pretty fast together!

Red Suspenders Day 2012

Eating her favorite snack of blueberries and raspberries while waiting for the fun to begin!

The girls were so excited for Red Suspenders day!  We all got ready to go in the morning and right as we were about to leave Trent got a call to come in for an emergency surgery, so mom took the kids to the downtown fun and Papa met us there.

We wathed all the bed races.  Two teams race each other down the street literally pushing a bed on wheels with a rider wearing a hat and a nighty.  At the end of the street the rider must switch hat and nighty and places with a pusher who puts the clothes on and jumps on the bed and they rush back to the other end of the street.  Pretty darn funny to see the firefighters competing against community members and high school football team members too.

Then we watched the big tire races.  Kids had to push these awkward tires down the street, around a cone, down and around another cone and all the way back.

We watched the parade which is always a highlight and then Trent joined us for lunch at Sylvio's for some of the best calzones in the world.  After lunch we headed back to the fun and they took a ride on these furry creatures.  There's a switch to turn it on, and no gas or brake.  So, for 5 minutes you literally just ride around in a circle or wherever you want in the enclosed area, the girls remembered it from last year and were so excited to go for a ride again!

There were people giving out free cotton candy and who can resist that crazy sweet, sticky goodness!

Kendra and Papa waiting for the firemen games.

Me and my hot hubby in his new hospital shirt.

We saw so many people we knew around town today and ran into lots of our babysitters.  The girls loved sitting and playing with Carrie and Renae.

In between heats of the firemen games, they raised their ladder and hose high in the air and let it spray down on the street.

The kids loved getting soaking wet and playing in the street with so many other kids!  We finally got home before dinner and it sure made for a long, fun, tiring day.  We love our small town fun!

Megan's Ariel Party!

Megan has been in love with The Little Mermaid for as long as we can remember so it was only fitting that she REALLY wanted an Ariel party.  We came up with a tiered cake for it including all the movie characters "except no Ursula, because she's evil."

We made "crab" sandwiches.  I was trying to come up with something cute that was still kinda under the sea themed.

We cut seahorses, starfish, and clamshells out of watermelon.  Perfectly-sized portions, I am so doing this again in the future!

All our little mermaids having lunch together.

Taylor and Gracie

Megan and Mikayla

Mikayla and Kendra

Qelsi and Meredith

Then, each girl got a bucket and we went outside to search for "gadgets and gizmos aplenty" and "whoozits and whatzits galore."

When trying to come up with party ideas the treasure hunt was Mikayla's idea--smart girl!

All our little mermaids posing in their mermaid skirts!

I had leftover scraps from their skirt and some easter basket grass lying around so after painting some big styrofoam bowls, I hot glued the scraps inside the bowls and we had beautiful jellyfish.

We hung them all around the house and they were by far my favorite decoration.

Then we had mermaid dance party time.

We turned on the music videos for "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" and the girls danced their little booties all over the place.  Even Trent got in on the fun and joined in the conga line.

Megan loved her princess musical instrument set.

She got many Ariel dolls and toys.

Megan wants to be a photographer when she grows up, so this digital camera with carrying case from Grandma and Grandpa D was just perfect.

We got Megan a power wheels car and though she was an awful driver her first day, we've taken it out once or twice a day for a week now and she's really getting quite good and quite fast!  It is so much fun!

As soon as we finished the song, Kendra blew out all the candles, so we had to relight them and try again.

Make a wish!

Megan and Magaw

Some Merm-Ade punch, I'm so punny, I know, I know... :)

Some of the 7 mermaid skirts I sewed!  It was a long week of shopping for material, cutting it, sewing skirts, attaching tulle around the waist to tie them closed.  Whew-glad that's over!  Happy birthday sweet Megan.  It's hard to believe you already 5 years old!  I can't believe how quickly my baby Megan is turning into a big girl getting ready for Kindergarten and learning to ride a bike without training wheels and writing her name and letters.  We just love Megan's sweet, affectionate, easy-going personality and she is such a great addition to our family!