easter and tillie party in UTAH

you can cry to your mommy all you want, but I don't want to hear any lip about me not posting for so long.

so, why the long face? Have you missed the updates? The new insights I seem to glean? The random thoughts? I thought so.

Okay, okay, I'm back.
Contrary to popular belief, we're not dead.
We're actually alive and well.

Now I've heard rumors as to why it's taken me so long to post, and they are pretty funny.
but the truth of the matter is this: i've been on VACAY... in more ways than one!

Also, when you have an OVERWHELMING amount of photos to post, it takes extra courage/gumption/motivation to get crackin'. But, alas, here I am. Finally crackin'.

So, I'm not going to apologize for my absence and I'm also not going to apologize for the ridiculous amount of photos that will happen for the next while. People, it's my blog (well, Aaron & Matilda share it too--I guess, but mostly, it is mine).

With that preface, let's take a stroll up Memory Lane to the beginning of April. Remember that month? Easter happened? Matilda's very FIRST birthday happened? And, most of the month I was in Utah. So, alas, here 'tis:

why is this the only Easter picture I have? Nice look, Til-face.

crafty crafty night with the sisters and Calyn (sp?). I helped them make some felt flower headbands/corsages. Unfortunately, I ended up with a hand full of blisters from that BLASTED hot glue gun. Which, of course, burned and hurt like crazy. Mom, it's time for a new glue gun. And, no, it wasn't USER error, thank you very much.

CELEBRATION OF MATILDA!
okay, since I was in Utah and Tillie's birthday was a week away, we decided to go ahead and purchase that "Oh-So-Lovely-and-Delicious-All-American-Chocolate-Cake" at Costco. Again, worth ever penny of the $15.99. And, I thought, if we're gonna give Matilda cake for the first time, we're gonna do it right.

And, luckily, she is MY daughter too. We thought she was a clone of Aaron for a while, because she only seemed to like things that he did: Lasagna, Spaghetti, Cheese in large amounts, etc. But, she is mine too. She loved the chocolate cake and I have pictures to prove it.

We threw a little party up with the families (that's the beauty of our parents living 3 minutes away from each other). Here's what went down:

Darling birthday girl crown from Ikea. I loved it, and fortunately, Matilda didn't seem to mind it.

for those "non-chocolate-lovers" my mom and em whipped up some strawberry shortcake. But, let's say it, does ANYthing compare to that cake? No. Sorry you gals wasted your time. :)

the infamous cake from Costco. Man, my mouth is watering just looking at it, and that's not even a very good picture of it! Can you tell I love it? Matilda does too. You'll see...

Melody, Adam, Steph, and little Lydia (can you tell whose siblings they are? Lucky guess, I'm sure!)

lydi-bug.

darling garrett. is he a ham or what?!

em and the world renowned Miss Chalk. Whoop! Whoop!

the beginning phase of the cake testing.

yes, people, we have a success. I normally ALWAYS hate it when parents post pictures of their kids' disgusting food covered faces. Seriously, I gag. But, this one? I love it, of course.
Now, if that cake isn't a winner, I don't know what is.

Aaron joined us via iChat for the festivities. That was pretty funny.
Again, do you think they are brothers? :)

cutie Max and Melody.

Lots of the Wood girls.

This was funny, Max kept trying to hug Matilda. Here's a little play by play.

hA! she's like, "Uh, what's going on here?"

a group picture. gotta love these.

The little royalty with Grandma Wood.

Get a load of that darling face!

Not to be forgotten, Becca (my sister, on the right) was gracious enough to share her ACTUAL birthday with Tillie's Mock Birthday. Too kind, Too kind. One of her BFF's, Sarah Jane, came by to wish her a special day and showed up wearing the SAME jacket that Becca had purchased the day before.
They BOTH had purchased them the day before without knowing each other had gotten it. And, they BOTH had it on when Sarah Jane came by that night. TOO CRAZY.
Are they soul sisters, or what?!

Anyway, PHEW! We made it through the Utah trip of April 2009. Good work, team.