Iris' Spring Tea

Tell me,

what good is a beautiful spring day

if not for an equally fabulous spring tea?

Iris and I were of the same opinion,

and so we sent out invites to all the four-year olds we know,

decorated our home,

baked treats,

and waited...

...for the fun to begin!

The doorbell rang...

and rang...

and rang...

and soon our backyard was humming with excitement!

The air was filled with happy squeals...

...a flurry of bubbles...

...and laughter!

We coul not have done it were it not for our fabulous helpers!

Thank you Ava...

Elizabeth and Isabella!

We took a break from the fun in the sun to decorate sugar cookies!

Never have you seen so many sprinkles...

...atop gobs and gobs of frosting!

There was a brief respite from the festivities to watch a little of

-what else?-

"Cinderella"!

We took our tea (fruit punch),

caramel corn,

petite brownies & cupcakes...

...al fresco!

Amidst the fluff of organza and lace...

...there was a lone boy!

We were delighted that Iri's Sunday School classmate chose to join us!  Though he was in the minority, I do believe he had a great time! 

Thanks for coming, Nathan!

As the "tea hour' came to a close...

...it was time for some games "on the lawn"!

We divided the girls into teams,

and in relay-fashion they attempted to fill water pitchers with

...what else? 

Tea cups filled with water!

Some were intent on not spilling a drop!

Others ran without care!

And still some tottered graceful as can be!

In the end though,

they had a smashing time!

The grand finale of was a riotous game of "Duck, Duck, Goose!".  They had so much fun, and we all died laughing when Nathan, at the conclusion of our game, took a flying leap to capture the runner!  Well done!

Then it was time to wait for mom's and dad's to collect their princes and princesses!

What better way to wait than with lollies?

It was a delighful day! 

And at the end, I positively flopped on the bed!

Thank you to all the mom's who stayed to help,

and for all the parents who let their little ones 

share this special day with us! 

We were so glad to have you!

And last of all,

endless XOXO's to my sidekick and best friend. 

He is happy to help in every capacity,

and most of all,

he makes us smile.

Iris and I are eternally grateful!

Happy Tea-ing!

2010 Father & Son Campout

Samuel took the boys-

{I can't believe I can say that: 

I have BOYS!}

-up the hill to our ward's annual Father & Son Camp-out.

It's something we all look forward to,

the girls and I love the alone girly time,

and the men get to be burly

and stomp around in the grass for awhile!

This year Samuel was in charge of the food and he spent the better part of the afternoon mixing pounds and pounds of pancake batter.  Before he left I begged him to take photos and he came through with flying colors.  There are a total of two, yes two, photos which does qualify for my request for photo"S"!

Thanks hon!

They enjoyed beautiful weather,

fire-side skits,

ate a world-class breakfast,

and came home safe and sound!

Until next year...

Uncommon Friends...And the Tears that Fall When You Say Good-bye

You know what I'm talking about. 

And if you don't, you surely will one day.

I never thought that one of my best friends would reside "just over the fence".  And yet, when we moved to Roseville nearly two years ago now, that's exactly what happened.

We passed sugar, eggs, and who knows what else over that fence.  

We laughed together,

cried gobs of tears together,

and just were.

We not only shared a love of cooking,

but a between the two of us,

we had a bounty of life experiences that tried us,

and yes,

ultimately strengthened us.

Thank you, friend.

Our family has been richly blessed to know you and yours.

We dearly miss you all.

And look forward to keeping in touch.

Queen Victoria:

"You will go when I dismiss you.
I am your queen, and I am telling you to stay!"

Prince Albert:

"Good night, Victoria."

[Exits]

Queen Victoria:

[Storms over to door.]

"You may not go!
You may not go!
I order you to stay here in this room!
Albert!"

{Mmmm.}

I suppose they'll be no ordering you to stay...

Afterall it didn't work for Victoria, did it?

Anyhow, we love you and

we wish everyone all the best!

Thank you again...

for everything.

Olivia

P.S. 
And the Jackie Roll...
How can I ever repay you?

My Fabulous Four-Star Mother's Day

I am so grateful for my sweet children and a wonderful husband who always make Mother's Day special for me. 

This year it all began with breakfast at the world famous...

"Elmer Restaurant"!

The elegant table, complete with a floral bed sheet tablecloth, held a bounty of edible treats...

The menu featured all of my favorites, including an egg white omelet and chocolate dipped strawberries!

The restaurant was all decked out with family photos and...

one-of-a-kind artwork!

Of course there were gifts, and yes,

that's a tea bag resting on my eye!

It's my spa treatment and it supposedly works miracles on tired eyes!

Are you guys trying to tell me something?

Anyhow,

It was a wonderful, wonderful Mother's Day!

I am grateful to have such beautiful, loving, and mostly well-behaved children!

{Smile}

Weeds, Work, & Love

Samuel and I participated in the state-wide,
"Mormon Helping Hands" service project
alongside tens of thousands of members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California. 

Weed-eaters in hands,
we took to a lengthy section of Roseville's biketrails
and cleared the over-growth. 

It was an invigorating experience,

and my favorite moment was hearing of how a local neighbor

 saw what we were doing and jumped in to help out. 

The spirit of this gospel is catching,

and I am grateful to be apart of this great work

and to share it with others.

After the project Samuel and I were starving! 

We headed to Togos for our favorite:  The Number 24. 

And laughed at the number of odd looks we garnered

for being covered from head to toe in remnants of wild brush!

Even though we talked very little during the project-
the noise from the weed-eaters made it virtually impossible
to hear anything!-
I felt close to my sweetheart.
 
It was definitely an experience that drew us closer together.

Service has a way of doing that.

Reading Rewards & Stomach Cramps!

Each of my beautiful daughters was awarded a dinner certificate for reading at a local restaurant.  They were super-proud of their accomplishment, and it was fun to take them out for a night on the town!

The upside:

We always have a great time together. 

Tonight was no different.

Also, the signature monster chocolate cake was a hit with the kids. 

Who wouldn't love 7-layers of incredible yummy goodness?

The downsides:

Owen decided that now was the time to

 launch crayons way high up in the sky during dinner.

Hello!

He never does that!

I was APPALLED!

And then, an hour after leaving, Samuel became super, super sick.

He vowed never to order fish from a restaurant again!

All in all, it was a typical night for the Samuel Elmers:

There's the good, the bad, and the UGLY!

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Samuel might though.

{Smile}

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!!!

In May our ward held their second annual

Mother & Daughter Relief Society Event

with a

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta!

It was a huge hit and we had the largest turnout ever!

We had incredible sisters serving on the board,

and together the event ROCKED

with authentic Mexican food, colorful decor, & fun!

My Grandma Irene was kind enough to allow us to borrow a number of her artifacts and they were beautifully displayed around the room.

Would you believe that a sister in our ward, Shana, MADE this? 

It looks AMAZING-and far and away better than anything you'd buy at the store!

What better way to conclude then whopping a pinta until candy spills to the floor?  These girls can power swing!

What a night! 

Our ward had just recently split the Sunday prior, and this evening gave the sisters from both sides of the new boundaries an opportunity to reminisce and cement friendships despite the changes.

Buenos Noches!

{Good Night!}

Sunshine!

This is what it's all about.

Simple sunshine!

Bright.  Cherry.  Fiery.  Bold.  Warm.  Light.

Iris,
thank you for being my ray of sunshine. 
You truly do brighten everyday,
and I love you!

XOXOMom

Garbage Duty

Ava took it upon herself a few weeks back to take over garbage duty!  She's done a great job and Samuel loves the help!

Thank you Ava!