Only the Good Spy Young

Megan really, really wanted to have a birthday party this year. I really, really didn't want to have to plan one (because I am a lazy mom). But, I made a concession and just recycled the idea we used for Brooke's 10th birthday. It was a Spy party, and for the invitations I cut down a file folder so it was smaller. I stamped "TOP SECRET" on the outside, and on the inside I stapled this:

Everyone arrived in disguise. They were so funny! (Brea Johnston even had a fake mole.)


They did a fingerprinting activity, a memory game, and a "spot the missing object" game. Then I announced that we couldn't have cake, because an enemy agent had stolen it while I was at the store. I explained that I had called all of them to help solve the crime and recover the cake. I handed them an envelope with the first clue. They were so excited, and went running all over the house and neighborhood solving the clues.

Karli Farnes and Ally Megill

Once they discovered where the cake was hidden (the Hogge's house), they came back and we had cake and ice cream and Megan opened her presents. I hate making cakes, but Danika loves it, and helped by frosting it. It turned out really cute!

The whole gang

For treat bags we got some spy things from Oriental Trading--including fake mustaches!

Lindsee Fuhriman and Maddy Oyler

Karli and Emmalie Watson

Kennady Stettler and Ally

It turned out better than expected, and I think everyone had fun!

Happy 10th Birthday Megan!

My little Meg-a-roo turned 10 today. I can't believe how fast she's growing up! She's so full of energy--she's always outside playing with her friends or doing something active. There's never a dull moment when she's around. We sure love her tons!!!

Family Pics

We finally managed to get our family pictures taken (it was supposed to happen in Feb. for my birthday). If you want to see a preview, you can go here. Jessica is so great to work with, and she has such an eye for composition & light. I can't wait to see the rest of the shots!

The Curse of Progress

The past couple of months every appliance I have seems to be on the blitz. When we first moved in to this rental home, the dishwasher didn't work. The little spring that opens the door on the soap dispenser is sprung, so it won't open during the proper time during the cycle. The dishes come out dirtier than when I put them in. So we hand wash our dishes because I don't care about getting it fixed.

The secondhand fridge Mike bought to tide us over until we move again started making what I can only call "tap dancing" sounds several months ago. It has something to do with the compressor. When it shuts off the fridge start to rock back and forth and makes this rhythmic popping sound. We are just going to let it go until it blows up or dies. It is embarrassing, but it's fun to dance to!

Then a month ago the dryer stopped heating up. Of course to fix it costs almost as much as buying a new one, and Mike refuses to buy any large new appliance that we would have to move to our new place (where ever that is). So he figured out how to fix it himself (bless him!), and now I can have dry clothes again.

If that weren't enough, the Honda Civic we bought as a second car (and for Danika, who is driving now) started making this annoying metal-on-metal sound a few weeks ago. It comes and goes, so we ignored it. But yesterday it was so bad that Mike told me to take it in to find out what is making that sound. Turns out our brake pads are gone, and we need new front brakes. That is something we can't ignore, so we will be shelling out for that repair.

Honestly, sometimes "progress" is a pain! Cleaning guru Dan Aslett says that each item we accumulate, “stifles us and robs us of freedom because it requires so much of our time to tend. . . . We have to pay for it, keep track of it, protect it, clean it, store it, insure it, and worry about it." While I wouldn't want to do without a refrigerator, dryer, or brakes for my car, I wonder what I could do without that would make my life simpler.