PRINCESS BIRTHDAY GIRL

THIS FRIDAY WAS SYDNEY'S 6TH BIRTHDAY! 

We started with dress up

Then we did nails and hair. I made homemade feather extensions by attaching feathers to bobby pins and then sprayed major amounts of glitter spray. We also then did makeovers, complete with bright blue and pink eyeshadow.

Next was accessorizing with crowns and earrings

Of course once all the princesses were made up we had to have a photo shoot. 

Here is the birthday girls final shot.

Once we had photo's we needed frames so we had a craft to decorate frames followed by a craft to make wands.

After crafts we popped popcorn and started a movie. During the movie we had some of William's delicious cake. yes you read that right the princesses daddy made this beautiful cake.

All in all I believe the girls had a fun time. Happy Birthday Sydney Jean.

Twins photo Shoot

Madyson June: Talents include Banshie high screams

Super Sweet kisses

and the ability to open baby gates

 

Savanna : Talents include Super duper snuggler

Can and does climb up everything

Lover of fine shoes

Here comes Santa Clause

So we are so excited to have Ellie and her parents visiting Utah we decided to take her to see Santa Clause.

Come to think of it, last year the twins were little babies unaware that Father Christmas was posing for a photo with them.

BUT THIS YEAR, THEY BECAME AWARE!

Madyson clearly is not happy and at first glance Savanna appears to be fine. What you don't realize is she slipped into an almost catatonic phase, I believe she was holding her breath and holding as still as possible as if St. Nicholas was going to eat her. Look closer and you can see the panic in her eyes.

It was Ellie's turn next...

This is my favorite photo of the night.

But someone reminded the children that Old St. Nick hands out treats after the photos and we managed to pull it together for this cute photo

Merry Christmas to all !

Meet the Crew

Mommy and Daddy

Fell in Love

Then came Destini

Next was Brooke Lynn

Followed by Syndey

and completed by the Twins

Savanna Jayn

Madyson June

5 Beautiful Daughters

We are the Mason Family

(plus a few tag alongs)

Favorite Season

What is your favorite Season or time of year? For me it would be Autumn. I love how the weather cools down without being "hurts to breath too cold".  Yeah snow is pretty but I like to be able to feel my nose, and ears. In fall the leaves are so colorful and  a drive or hike through the canyons can be breathtakingly beautiful. Just like the day before Christmas holds so much joy and anticipation, Autumn has that electric feeling for me of all the fun Holiday's just ready to leap from around the corner. Before you even know it you will be crazy with Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentines day... but for now its just a calm, crisp, beautiful day in Fall. Its getting darker earlier; the only thing worse for a Mom putting your kids to bed when it still looks like noon day sunlight outside is the memory of being a kid wondering why in the world is your Mother making you go to bed when it is obviously noon outside. So, Yes getting darker earlier is a big plus for Autumn. I enjoy a nice scarf or light jacket, when you are going out, before you know it, getting ready to go out will have transformed from "that's a nice jacket" comments to people's eye widening and stepping to the side as you walk towards them puffed up in multiple layers like the state puff marshmallow man. No, I do not rock a giant winter coat. Speaking of things I do not rock, Autumn is the wonderful time of year I can once again tuck away my swimsuit and congratulate myself on surviving yet another swimming season. Don't get me wrong I am not hating on my body, I have never been a swimsuit loving girl. I love going to pumpkin patches to pick my own pumpkins, apple orchards to pick our own apples. All the fruit and veggie stands have amazing selections this time of year, sweet corn, zucchini, home grown or in our case neighbor grown tomatoes (they give them, we don't steal). I have loved all these things for years, but now add that many of my loved ones have gone home during this time of year and so I find my mind wonders often to those I love and miss and find myself smiling as I remember their amazing lives and examples. So as my Father and brothers know the official way to declare its Fall I raise my glass of tart apple cider and with a glazed maple bar (a real one, none of that whipped maple junk, only the glazed kind) I say Happy Fall everyone!

And I Quote...

Oh I love a great quote, which almost makes this blog entry extra hard, because I want to search out and include all of the wonderful quotes and include them. I feel almost like I will hurt one of the quotes feelings if I overlook them. I imagine my anxiety is much like an acceptance speech for a great award..."I would like to thank all the wonderful quotes that have helped me get to where I am today. The quotes who made me chuckle when I was down. The quotes who pushed me to be a better person, more kind and caring. The quotes that inspired me and left me pondering in deep reverie...." Now you can see when I pulled today's question "What is your favorite quote?" I almost shoved the slip of paper back in the jar and faithfully logged on to hulu to spend my 10 extra minutes of free time. But then the little voice (Brittney my sister in law) popped in my head and said I owe it to my 2 blog followers to post an entry. So in fairness to all the wonderful quotes in the world I will share only one of my favorites. 

" It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us... If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers."- Gordon B. Hinckley

You see what I mean about great quotes? This one has helped me many a morning facing a day with what feels like the weight of the world on my back. So now I ask what other great quotes are just waiting to join my family of amazing quotes? - Jenny

Icky Food

 The topic of Food is a fun topic, but today I pulled the statement; I'll never eat another...
I use to think I was super brave when if came to food. I know so many people who go out to eat only to order the same thing over and over again, even worse when they are bland boring food. I like to try new things, I enjoy asking the person taking my order for recommendations and most the time have enjoyed discovering new things. I would love to be so trained and skilled as to be a food critic or better said food taster, knowing all the flavors and lets be honest eating super fancy well made meals by individuals who spent years learning the craft would be AWESOME. That dream died when I moved to Taiwan. I still love an amazing cooked meal, but I found myself challenged to try new things. Enter the "thousand year egg".
It did not smell as bad as the stinky bean curd (that was the name someone else said, though I agree it is properly named), but it did stink. It is an egg curiously preserved I believe for several months leaving it completely black with the center a Carmel consistency of a green slime. OK confession time, I know the statement above said "I'll never eat another..." I DID NOT eat this egg, so in all fairness I cannot say I'll never eat another since I never have in the first place. Oh the shame I am a sissy food taster. If you are still curious about the egg YouTube Reme eats... its this little kid who takes the phrase 'will eat anything' seriously far. Go Reme Go! I did eat many other "icky"(by American cuisine standards) things while living in Taiwan that I guess would be fair to say I'll never eat again. Oh and Almond Roca! Now before you think I am crazy cause Almond Roca is a pretty wonderful treat, I did once love it, and may in fact someday be reformed. Basically there is a story about the Almond Roca I will tell another time.