Every year for several years Beth-El has a mothers day tea.  It used to be referred to as the Mother Daughter Tea, but is now called the Women's Tea.  I still call it the Mother Daughter Tea.  I like that better.  Anyhow, each year there is a theme.  I love dressing up and I love theme parties!  I like to go all out!  This year the theme was English Tea Party.  We were supposed to wear hats.  I immediately knew which dress I would wear to the tea party and envisioned the hat to go with it.  After finding a plain white hat I was off to Hobby Lobby for feathers.  It turned out just as I had imagined it.  We had a lovely evening with delicious tea party snacks, musicians and a guest speaker. 

 I look forward to this tradition so much every year.  

 

 

 

Dirty 30!

My dear sweet husband turned 30 on the 25th of March.  It was a low key night at home.  I made meatloaf at his request and also attempted my first ever from scratch cake.  That was my new thing I tried in March.  It was tasty, but could have been a bit more moist.  I'm sure I'll have a chance to try again some day.
The Saturday before Adam's birthday we went out to dinner with Nathan, Marika and the kids, Adam's brother Scot and friends, Sarah, Joe and Ryan & Stacey.  After dinner some of us stopped by a brewery then finished the night playing games at Nathan and Marika's.  We had a great time.  It's also nice to get out with friends!

 

Vacation!

The Montoya men have been making an annual trip to Las Vegas together for about the past five years.  I joined them in 2011 and tagged along again this year.  We left in the evening from Denver on the 10th.   This year we stayed at Excalibur.  We walked up and down the strip, stopped in different places to play a few slots (pops and Scot played the table games) and my favorite, shopping!  Scot, Adam and I went and saw the show Jubilee! one evening too.  As usual it was a good time.  We flew home early on the 13th.  Adam and I spent the day being lazy in an effort to recuperate for the rest of the week!

 

On Thursday morning I went to pick up Emily S.G. from her friend Allison's house here in Colorado Springs.  We spent the day busy running errands and preparing to leave for Buena Vista, CO on Friday morning for Snowball 2013!  We got to meet up with Joe, Henry and Sophie for dinner at the Hogan.  Erin and Jesse arrived at the Colorado Springs airport on Thursday night and even later on Thursday night/Friday morning Amanda, Brandt and Joel flew into Denver and drove to Colorado Springs to sleep at our house.
Friday morning we hit up neighborhood favorite spot The North End Diner for breakfast with the group.  Nathan was also able to join us there.  After that we loaded the truck and took off for the cabin.  We gathered at the cabin with many college friends for Snowball 2013.  Snowball is a tradition that began when Joel and Emily were living in Kansas City and hosted a winter formal.  They had a few Snowballs at their house and the last was in Woodland Park, CO in 2008, hosted by Jay and Emily.  This year twenty of us gathered and had a fun weekend eating, hiking, going to the hot springs, skyping with missing persons Rachel and Shawn and Snowballing!

      

Jack's 2nd birthday party

Nathan and Marika hosted a family birthday party for Jack on Sunday which was his 2nd birthday.  The time together was complete with a baked potato bar, cake and ice cream!  It was a nice gathering and as always Jack was very entertaining!  Emily and Rob made the trip for the party so we got to meet little Austin!  He was born in March (on Adam's birthday).  What a little pumpikn!  He looks so much like Rob  They were good sports and let us pass their child around and almost everyone got to hold him, except Nathan.  I held him twice.  I was a baby hog. :)

 Jack being silly while waiting for his guests to arrive

 Jack playing with his new truck from Austin

 Austin making his debut

 

He got a workbench with tools from Ba and Pa

 Nanoo and A'am gave him a wheelbarrow full of toys...

 ...toys that were perfect for his new sandbox from his mommy and daddy!

 

I missed getting any clear shots to show the Curious George DVD from GG or the watering can, shovel, and gloves from Kanagy's.  Turns out it can be difficult to catch an excited 2 year old holding still. 

What an amazing little guy he is!  I feel so lucky to be his aunt!  Looking forward to all the new memories we'll make in the year to come!