Plus 1 Makes 6...

So it is no surprise to all of you that I really love my puppies, and this week my mom and dad brought me another furry, little gift - my other black lab, Indy. My parents had to make another quick trip to Arizona and asked if JJ and I could watch "Blackie"... And how could I turn down that sweet face??? So, that makes 6 of us (three dogs, a cat and two humans) living in a much too small house. Oh , well. We love our three-ring circus life, and thankfully, we all get along really well, although getting a picture with the dogs AND the cat could be a bit more challenging!

Surprise, Dad!

My dad's 60th birthday was on April 18, a day which unfortunately fell right in the middle of our Albuquerque show. Although Mom and I tried to make his happy day special, in all honesty, we were working hard at selling jewlery, and did not have time for much else. Thankfully, we had another plan in mind. Brock and his roommates, Richard and Jay, graciously offered to host a surprise party for my dad on May 2. Because of the belated date and our excellent secret keeping (I personally nearly blew it on three different occasions), my dad was truly surprised, and the party was a huge success, not to mention, a ton of fun. The theme, as you will see below, was a Mexican Fiesta! Ole!

The birthday boy in one of his finer moments....

Molly and Maya arrive for the party in style.

Supposedly my dad is holding up two fingers for the "two amigos"... not sure where I fit in, but whatever! I am just a gringa...





Brock's happy gingerbread-man potholder helped us get all the yummy enchiladas to the table just in time for the hungry crowd to strike.

As you can see, that sombrero made its way around the party. Here Mark makes the perfect model.

Richard and his roomie Jay (not pictured - that is me), definitely did the lion's share of the work for this party. From cleaning their huge house, to running errands, we could not have pulled this off without them. You guys are great! Thank you so much!

Surprise, Dad! (cont.)

The "birthday boy" with Uncle Bob and Mark.

Ty, Scott and Molly are engrossed in a heavy conversation - if I remember correctly, it had something to do with the Portland Trailblazers and their most talented players. I am sure, had JJ been there, he would have had something to say about that! Go Jazz!






Cousins Oliver and Blair striking a pose. Thanks for making the trip for dad's party, guys!

Good friends, Aaron and Bonnie Drake, with Brock.

Maya is quite serious even though Blair and Vince are enjoying every moment with her.

Surprise, Dad! (cont.)

Uncle Rick and Aunt Marty share a moment, and a beverage, in the kitchen.

Dad is opening his presents amidst the family. Surprisingly, he was not embarrassed, and did not kick up a fuss at having to be the center of attention.

Brock and my Fairy God-Mother, Jenny Powell.

Grammy and Uncle Vince playing Patty Cake-Patty Cake with Miss Maya.

I just couldn't resist. Maya was having a little snack before the party, and I got down on the floor in front of her with my camera...

The Spring Clean...

While JJ was deployed to Turkey, my mom and dad came up to my house on their way home from Arizona to Washington, and helped me with some much needed repairs on the house. JJ and I are so grateful to them for helping us with these not-so-small projects. Thanks Mil and Ed!!! We love you!

Dad shows particular skill with some ribbon - we had to have something to hold our insulation in the ceiling, and this was the best I could do. I don't think that he has ever fixed something with scrapbooking supplies before. :0)

The next project was laying pavers next to our car-port. I would love to say that I helped with this project, but other than shoveling some dirt, I didn't do much.

Taking a much needed break for a little lunch.



It is finally spring here in Salt Lake, so we dragged the lawn mower out of the shed, and while dad and I worked on pavers, mom mowed. Whew!

Mouse Ears and Sunshine...

For those of you who know my family well, you know that our very most favorite place on earth (next, of course, to the cabin on Loon Lake) is Disneyland. JJ and I went there for our honeymoon a year and half ago, and since then, we have talked, as a family, about going back. So, this past Christmas, in lieu of gift giving, we all pooled our money for a trip to Disneyland. Thanks to Molly, our resident travel agent, and my husband's awsome military discount, we were all able to go this past week for four of the most enjoyable days I think I have ever spent with my family. In addition to JJ and Maya, once our two newest family members, Brock brought along his new beau, Vince, who completed our "family". What a time we all had!!!

Our now extended version of the old "Matthews' Family".

"Ed and Mil" in front of It's a Small World - one of my very most favorite pictures of the two of them.

Vince and Brock in Tommorrowland... We had such a good time with Vince, and I believe that he is reflecting the same sentiment about us, too. Whew! What a relief! Our family can get a little crazy sometimes, especially on vacation.

JJ, the group clown, tried on every hat he could find. Brock and Vince however, needed a bit of convincing for me to get this pic! Thanks, guys! You look great!

JJ and I sporting our "Pirate" Mickey Ears. It's hard to tell, but JJ's ears even have a gold hoop earring on one side, just like a real-live pirate!

Disneyland (cont.)...

The first day that we were at the parks, we attended the "Princess Luncheon" at Ariel's Grotto in California Adventure, thanks to Uncle Brock, who made all the reservations. Maya looked so cute in her "Fairy Princess" dress that Brock bought her; she was much too young to really appreciate what was going on around her, so I guess we could say that it was more of an adult indulgence on behalf of our little princess. So fun!

Waiting to go into Disneyland and California Adventure, we took LOTS of pictures of Maya in her new outfit. She was such a trooper, and didn't fuss once when we put layers of clothes on her, followed by her dress... Once again, this was much more fun for the adults than for her. :0)

Although I am sure she did not appreciate being plopped in a stranger's arms, she did not make a peep while we got pictures of her with the Little Mermaid, Ariel.



Uncle Brock and Maya with Belle, from Beauty and the Beast.

Needless to say, by the time the fourth and last princess, Cinderella, glided by our table, Maya had had enough. She was hungry and ready for a nap, which equated to a bit of a cranky child. We figured that Uncle Brock could stand in for her, which was appropriate considering that this enjoyable lunch was all his idea. Thanks, Brother!