Whirlwind of Fun!

So, we just got home from spending the weekend with my husband's family and having a family reunion.  Whew!  I'm exhausted!  I always find it funny how we (or at least I) so look forward to a vacation, but it never fails that I need a vacation once I get home. 

So, really quick, I wanted to share what we did for our craft last week.  It was a lot of fun and super easy.  We made shirts, using fabric crayons (I bought mine at JoAnn's) and plain white shirts I found wherever I could get them cheap. 

 The kids just drew a picture of their choice on a regular sheet of paper, using the fabric crayons.  (Keep in mind that it will be reversed once it is ironed onto the shirt.)  They need to color as dark as they can.  I even went over them to make them darker before we transferred them. 

 Then, you just iron the picture onto a shirt.  Here are the finished products.  Super fun!  The boys were pretty dang proud of their creations! 

Alright, so onto the family vacation.  My husband's family lives about three hours away.  We used to get there to visit more often, but as we have had more children and our lives have become busier, it seems we only get there a few times a year.  So when we go, it is like trying to fit in 6 months of memories into 3 days of time.  Wow!  We had fun!  Here are a few of the things we did.

On Friday (Fieldtrip Friday) we took a fieldtrip to an art museum.  They had a display of shoes.  I have to say, I don't necessarily agree with what others call "art" but it was fun to see what some have used to create these shoes and some of the crazy designs.  This is a few of us outside the museum, since we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. 
                                      
 So, I love (no wait) LOVE the 4th of July!!!  Growing up, I always thought the celebration was for me, as my birthday is the next day.  To me, it is a holiday that never disappoints.  You know how sometimes at Christmas, you work like a maniac to make it special, but sometimes, the "feeling" of Christmas never comes.  Well, the 4th is always amazing to me!  Watching the fireworks is is tradition and I love every minute of it!  So, we had to do a few crafts and activities to make it extra special.  For our craft on Monday, we did firework art.  You simply take acrylic paints and thin them out.  Then drop a small amount onto paper.  Then, using a straw (it was easier when the straw was cut in half) the boys had to blow on the paint to make it "pop" into a firework.  It was pretty fun. 

 We also made these fun hats, by cutting stars from card stock and attaching them to a straw.  Then, we just stapled the straws at varying heights onto a headband.  Voila! 

 The boys wore them when we did our "parade".  It was just my older two and two cousins, but we let them wave flags and throw candy to the grown-ups who lined the sidewalks as the spectators.  They thought it was fun. 

 Here are our ducks lined up for our duck races.  We had to damn up the gutter to make a river for them to float in.  Ultimately, they didn't want to stay afloat on their bottoms.  They just bobbed around and we had to use the hose to spray them down to the end. 

 But we sure cheered loud! 

 We got back just in time to head over to see the firework display at our fairgrounds.  I've gone each year of my life (minus the one on my mission) and it is one of my favorite traditions.  It wouldn't be the 4th without it.  The show was awesome! and it sure makes me grateful for the freedoms we enjoy. 

 So, today was my birthday.  I had grand plans for pampering myself, but life as a mom requires some flexibility, and I have yet to get my pampering in.  But, we did celebrate with a cake (made of fruit) and presents.  I figured that we had had enough candy and junk over the last 5 days to last a while, so a cake made of fruit was perfect.  We'll do a party with my family when we do Chad's birthday next week and I'll have Dave make me a real cake then. 

 Dave and I were able to go out together while in Boise and do a little shopping.  He did surprise me with a beautiful flower (my favorite kind even)!  Most of all, I just enjoyed the time to spend with family and feel like the queen for a day.