Birthday weekend!

Also known to some as Memorial Day weekend. ;)

I rented a fancy camera for the weekend and had a lot of fun with it! It's one that I've been saving for and wanted to try it out first. 



On Friday night, Ben and the boys went to the father/son campout organized by our stake, so I took the girls out to play with the camera. We had a nice little walk, took some pictures (the ones of Ellie in the previous post), and walked to the store to get a donut afterwords.



Then, we read princess stories before bed time. :) The boys had fun and they came home dirty and smelly the next morning.

This year, mine and Ben's birthday fell right on Memorial Day. Ben decided a while ago that he wanted to try going on an overnight hike and Memorial Day weekend made the most sense, since he wouldn't have to take time off of work. I pouted a bit about him leaving me on my birthday, but ultimately told him to go for it.



He seemed to enjoy himself, though he came home with sore muscles and blisters to show for it.

As for me and the kids, we enjoyed a day off of school (of course). The boys brought me breakfast in bed: cereal and a mug of milk. :)



It was so sweet that they remembered it was my birthday and thought up breakfast in bed all on their own. They even got Aria out of bed and put her in her swing so I could stay in bed longer.

After my breakfast, the girls joined me in bed for some snuggles.



After a lazy morning, we headed to the cemetery down the street to try and catch their Memorial Day program. We arrived just as it was ending, but we still enjoyed walking around the cemetery, talking about the meaning of Memorial Day.

When I was a kid, we lived far from family and so we didn't have graves of loved ones to visit. We would go to the cemetery with flowers and pick a grave to lay them on. I always enjoyed that, so that's what I did with my kids this year. I gave them each some flowers and told them to pick a grave to lay them on.

Evan picked this grave because he liked how the soldier's name was "Fierce".





Asher decided to split his flowers up, laying them on several graves.



Ellie, always Asher's little shadow, did the same.



That afternoon, my friend watched the kids so that I could go get a pedicure. I got the one that included a foot massage and it was heavenly!



It was my first time leaving Aria with anyone besides Ben and she did great!

That night, Ben got home and we exchanged presents and had ice cream cake. Yum!

So grateful for another year of life and my amazing little family to spend it with. :)