Crazy weather and a GREAT birthday!

I never would have guessed that I would associate the term "crazy weather" with California but I'm afraid I have to! May has been the coldest and wettest in years and Lake Tahoe is still getting snow...crazy! We have had sporadic rain and each rain storm I keep thinking it's the last one for the summer...but the rain keeps coming back!

Sunday we had a great day of weather and met up with Pattie and Braden at the pool! The kids had a blast and the pool wasn't quite as cold as I expected it to be!

This little girl LOVES the water and it was hard to get her out of the pool!

Braden was a stud and loved the pool too!

I faced a major meltdown when we got home because Miss Riley had not napped at all...we had a busy day of church, lunch, and shopping before we went to the pool and quite frankly there was no time for a nap...and I paid for it! She screamed through her entire bath and finally calmed down and was a cutie pie again...even strutting her stuff in her mama's shoes!Despite that we were at the pool on Sunday, Tuesday brought a wintery day with high's in the 50's and solid rain...yuck! I was very annoyed and wondered what fun Riley and I could have that afternoon...and then it occurred to me to take her to the movies! She actually went to a movie with us and my parents when she was wee little but she's never really been to a movie and she had been talking about Shrek ever since she got a toy from the golden arches! So off to Shrek we went!

She was in awe of the huge screen and the loud sound...and I thought she would be in awe of her kiddy pack complete with popcorn, M&M's, and Sprite...

However, she was so engrossed with the movie that she didn't even care that those scrumptious snacks were sitting in her lap!

I hate to admit it but I ate most of her kiddy pack...oops!

She loved hearing her "friends" in the theatre talk and laugh and she noticed every emotion of the movie...the funny parts, the sad parts, the scary parts! She didn't move the entire time and was sad when Shrek was gone. It was a great way to spend an afternoon with crummy weather!

She has talked about seeing Shrek ever since and was so excited to tell her friends about it this morning when she got to school. She is having the hardest time pronouncing Fiona...sometimes it's "Pinona", sometimes it's "Finuga", and sometimes it's "Pinuga"...it's hard one but she sure knows who she is talking about!

Today is my birthday and despite the fact that my hubby isn't here to share it with me it was a great day!

I got these great chocolate covered strawberries from my parents!

I also got lots of cards, presents, and spending money...and I'm also getting an iPad...woohoo!

I have some great friends here and am so blessed by them. They celebrated my birthday with me today...we went to Davis to eat at Sophia's...my favorite Thai restaurant!

Riley had fun with Braden during dinner...one of her best buds!

Here's one end of the table!

The sweet Burrell family...Tim was brave and hung out with all of us girls! Riley kept wanting him to hold her all night but when he tried she would shy away..silly girl!

Me and Jennie

The gang before we headed for yogurt!

There is a great yogurt shop just a few doors up from Sophia's...you get whatever flavor of yogurt you want and add all the toppings your heart desire and then they weigh your cup and you pay...it's awesome!

Even better is the fact that their flavor of the day was Red Velvet...one of my favorites!

Riley enjoyed her yogurt too..she had Red Velvet with marshmallows, oreos, and graham crackers!

Thanks to everyone for the gifts, cards, texts, and thoughts on my special day!

We're officially on the second half of this deployment and it couldn't end soon enough!