Baseball Birthday Boy

Andrew had requested a "baseball birthday" and did not waver from that idea, so we set out to fulfill his wishes with a simple party with cousins at the park for our big three-year-old.

We had a little dinner (snack) of hot dogs and other junk food...

Baseball cupcakes!

 The highlight for Andrew was getting to play baseball on the real baseball diamond. He hit the ball and ran the bases with such intensity, each time coming into home plate with a dramatic shout of "HOME RUN!" with his arms in the air. The best way to describe it: He was in HEAVEN. This little man has loved sports since he was really little and we get such a kick out of watching how this love has continued to grow. Giving him his ultimate birthday wish--to feel like a real baseball player--made us so happy that day.

The baseball pinata was a hit with all the kids!

Andrew with his loot!

I was luckily able to fulfill his birthday cake request--chocolate and white ice cream cake--with this super easy baseball cake.

No doubt about it, Andrew knew what he wanted this year when it came to his birthday. When it was time to open presents, he said he needed to wear the birthday hat (which he had not wanted anything to do with earlier). I love that he remembered this tradition all on his own.

His one present request was "Petty-Bone", which is the name of Lauren's Webkinz Dog that he has been trying to adopt for months--he was totally obsessed with her puppy. She finally hid it from him (and all of us--so well that I really thought it was gone for good), but Andrew had not forgotten about Petty Bone and he really wanted his own. Luckily, we found a very close relative of Petty Bone for Andrew's special birthday gift, and as the pictures show, it was love at first sight. (Miraculously, Lauren's Petty Bone appeared that night too!)

Dear Andrew,

It is hard to believe it was THREE years ago since you were my tiny baby. You are growing up into such a fun little guy. I just love having you around all day to be my buddy. Here are a few of my favorite things you do right now:

1. Play pretend. I love hearing you and Lauren play puppies and kitties, and also eavesdropping on the conversations you have with your trains, Toy Story guys, and animals.

2. Play Sports. You live to kick, throw, and catch balls with your dad. It is the cutest and I love how Dad loves it too.

3. Play Wii. Seriously, you are killing me with the way you play "Wii Sports 'asort (resort)" and how you sometimes even beat your brother and sister.

4. Give loves. Thank you for interrupting whatever you are doing to give mommy a kiss and hug when I ask. It melts my heart.

I'm so glad you came to our family, Andrew.
Happy Birthday, Buddy!

Lake Tahoe Pit Stop

View from the car driving into Lake Tahoe

The kids have been asking to go to Lake Tahoe for a long time--ever since our last trip two years ago. We were finally able to squeeze in a short trip on our way to Utah. This camground was located right between the Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake, which is a smaller, yet just-as-beautiful lake. 

We drove around the lake looking for a sandy beach where the kids could play, but with no luck. We did find a gem of a deli/restaurant, overlooking the lake. The food and the views were wonderful!

Andrew wanted nothing but strawberry ice cream and was very vocal and unrelenting until he was rewarded with his heart's desire. Oh well, we're on vacation!

This is the Yurt where we stayed. It's a little hut with beds inside and electricity--just right for our family. We were so lucky to discover that this campground had a few of these scattered among the regular campsites. It saved us the hassle of bringing our tent and extra gear. And boy, was it a treat for the kids!

 After finding our Yurt, we walked over to a little rocky beach on Fallen Leaf Lake to enjoy the evening.

 Although we didn't cook out, we couldn't resist having a little campfire and making S'mores.

 The kids couldn't wait to go to bed. We weren't sure what they were more excited about: sleeping in the Yurt or in the bunkbeds. Do these kids look sleepy? After a bedtime story to help us all settle down, we all slept pretty well--better than regular camping! The best part was packing up the next morning. I couldn't get over how clean everyone and everything was. Whether it was because of playing in the water or sleeping in the Yurt, it was great not to have a lot of camping dirt to bring with us on the last leg of our road trip.

 On our way out of town, we stopped at Sand Harbor--a great sandy beach in Tahoe. The water was a little chilly (you can tell by the kids' faces) but the weather was gorgeous. We got to the beach early and had to be on the road by lunchtime to make it to Provo that night.

We had just enough time for some quick sand castle building and sunbathing.

Although it was quick, we packed a lot of fun into our visit to Tahoe!