Just call me Martha, or Happy 4th!

 Fourth of July is serious business around Longmont and my bff Katy and I took it to the next level this year, competing in the Longmont Picnic Contest. 

It has now become our tradition to have all of our friends meet up before the big concert in the park and have all the kids decorate their bikes. Last year after we all about died from the extreme heat parading from our house to the park, we decided that we would meet at the park and just parade around the park before the concert. We did just that this year, and it was perfect. Our parade has changed from mainly strollers and wagons to scooters and big kid bikes as our kids have gotten older, and we have some new babies in the group, so it just keeps growing each year!

And they're off! Notice John and Colin's shirts that I made from a handme down tie die.

Each year, there is a contest for the best picnic set-up at the park. We have never participated before, but this year we really got into it combine all of our party planning experience for a tablescape that we can now call award winning.  All of our friends and families humored us and we set up a pretty awesome patriotic tent/tablescape/picnic spread. Here is most of the crew.

 Here we are with our finished tablescape. We got to the park at 9am to stake out an ideal shady location next to the playground and spent time perfecting our decorations before everyone else arrived.

Every single thing on the table played into our Stars and Stripes theme.  We warned them it wouldn't make the table if it didn't.  Luckily we have really understanding friends:)  Highlights included: sliders, which made the paper here, layered Jello shots , custom water bottle wrappers and other stickers, a red, white and blue layered punch, 7 layer dip with an American flag on top , a trifle with a star on top, table runner sewn for the event, fruit flag , patriotic pasta salad, and pretzel sparklers.

When the judges came to our table, we had our kids sing Yankee Doodle Dandee. We thought it added that little something extra.

There were 24 entries in the contest this year, and we came in 3rd. Not too shabby for our first time. We took notes and are already planning next year's tablescape. We figure if we had won the first time we entered, it would have been kind of anti-climatic anyway. Now we have something to work towards. We won a family movie night themed gift basket with candy, popcorn, and movies, and a gift certificate to get our oil changed.

Both of us felt very validated by all of our over the top efforts in decor and food when no less than 10 strangers stopped to take photos of our spread, and multiple people also stopped and asked if they could buy our food. We are good at picnicing!

We headed home for naps after the concert and reconvened at our house that evening for a barbeque. All the kids had a great time playing together, and the adults enjoyed patriotic mojitos, good food and Katy's patriotic playlist that has been accumulating songs for the past 4 years.

The kids' table chowing down on hot dogs and/or black bean burgers, fruit, chips and pasta salad.

How many kids can fit in a wagon?

4 kids didn't seem to be pushing the limits of the wagon enough, so Mac and Cam crammed themselves in for a few spins around the yard.

All the kids had patriotic outfits, and Em even had a day AND night outfit.  I think she is just the cutest kiddo!

John, Colin and James doing an impromptu jam session/dance party on the picnic table after dinner. I really wish this was a video because Colin and James' had some seriously awesome moves.

Patriotic bomb pops are really the only way to end a 4th of July meal if you are a kid.

Look how much everyone (Minus Riley and the babies) has grown from last year:

Longmont, along with many other Colorado towns has a fire ban for the rest of the summer, which includes ALL fireworks-even sparklers. I have to admit that I was a little bummed, fireworks are one of my all time favorite things, but we all came inside, turned off the lights and watched NYC's fireworks show on tv and all the kids had a dance party to Katy Perry's Fireworks.
Like most Nichols' parties, this one ended with a little nudity and table dancing.  Just checking if you were sill reading:)

Happy Independence Day!

Most of this post was clearly stolen from Katy's blog, and used for my own :)  Thanks Katy!

Emerson Anne is 1 year!

I am having a hard time believing our beautiful baby girl is 1, it seems like a was JUST pregnant!  It has been amazing watching her grow into herself, seeing how she has changed her brothers and watching our family find it's rhythm. 
We celebrated at home with a ladybug themed party with close friends and family. Again Katy did all the photoshopping, and took the pictures.

 Looking for lady bugs!

 The O face, she does this a lot!

Happy birthday Wemerson!  We LOVE you!!!!

Luck be a lady, tonight!

Seth and I took the rare night off to celebrate our good friends birthday up in Blackhawk.  Gambling, music, and dinner were great, but winning big was better!
We were a little under heading into the wee hours of the morning, when I hit big on nickle slots!  I cashed out and walked away, when Seth pulled again on the very same machine, HE hit big!!  He took his winnings to the roulette table and just kept the good times rolling!  We ended up getting home around 4AM, and had swimming the next morning, so we were beat, but totally worth it!
We've used some of the money on pull out draws in the kitchen, a complete frivolous, but wonderful splurge!  I'm not sure what we will spend the rest on, possibly a tent...  Needless to say we had fun and will be willing to head up the mountain again :)

 Should've known it would be lucky!

 The whole crew!

 Looking a little nervous there Seth!

Just some of our winnings:)

John Michael es cinco, cinco, cinco!!

Happy birthday to my first born who made his grand appearance on May 5, 2007.  We celebrated with a fiesta themed party with many friends and family.  Everyone had an amazing time, especially the birthday boy!  Big thanks to my friend Katy who did all of the photoshop work and the picture taking, which was most of it!

 Goodie bags, for your 'stach

 Part of the taco bar!

 Mimi bouncing!

 Cupcakes and their toppers

 Pinata!

 But then dad had to break it :)

Make your own maraca station

The weather was perfect the company was wonderful, and I don't think we could have asked for a better way to celebrate our son!  Happy birthday big guy!!

42 pounds, 46 inches BMI-11

Emerson is 11 months!

Seriously how will I have a one year old in a few short weeks?  And yet, I can't remember life with out my sweet mama's girl!  Pictures were hard this month as sister likes to JUMP on the couches!

I'm not sure on your weight, you don't seem any different....  Clothes are still 9-12, some are a little snug, but to be fair some are a little big.  Dipes are the same too!

You are waking up once a night usually late morning, but not late enough to be awake for the day, between 4-6.  You are taking two naps, two hours after you wake up and around 1.  Bed time is 7ish You'd like to go down earlier, I'd like you to go down later, for the summer... we will see:-)

You are eating better every day!  Usually one pouch eaten through the day, breakfast is cereal and a fruit, lunch is whatever the boys are eating (you love chicken!) and dinner is whatever we are eating unless it's fish.  You love most things, but rice, beans, and meat are still top dogs.

Still no new teeth!!  This is shocking to me.  It seems like weeks I've thought those top two were due!

Still love dogs, your brothers and me, with dad in last place.  Come on sister don't you know you have to wrap him around your finger?

You will take little steps here and there, but you get everywhere!  You are a master at the step (going up and down), and I'm glad our house has gates like a levee system.  You think our playroom  upstairs is the place to be and given the chance you will crawl up there to play.

John just figured out that he can carry you, and does even when mom begs him to stop.  But it's also been helpful at times.... 

The countdown to the 1 year old lady bug party has started, with a healthy dose of cinco de mayo mayhem thrown in.  Please let me survive this month!  2 birthdays is too many when they are such important ones:)