Happy 60th Birthday MOM!!!!!

So Tuesday was my mom's 60th birthday!!! My sisters and I (my sisters did most the work since they could all get together in AZ) planned a surprise birthday party for my mom. It was SOOOO much fun and boy was she surprised! It all turned out so great and was decorated sooo stinkin cute (thanks to Annie not being able to sleep at night because she couldn't stop the great ideas flowing into her mind ;) ). We chose to do a superman thing because our mom is truly a SUPER WOMAN!!! I know what your thinking...sounds like a little boys birthday party...but it definitely was not! It was so cute and classy and most of all my mom LOVED it!!! We invited old friends, new friends, neighbors, family, all the people that have made a special impact on our mom. She loved seeing everybody and was definitely surprised to see me there since we are leaving back there tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I am SOOOO glad that I was able to go though because it meant so much to her and I wouldn't have missed it for the world! My mom is truly the BEST!!!

So here are some fun pics of the party and all the cuteness!!!

This was right when you walk in. We did it at a church as you can tell because we had too many people to fit in a house and renting somewhere was super expensive. But after it was all decorated it was still AMAZING!

LOTS & LOTS of pictures of my mom everywhere! So fun!

My aunt and cousin put together a slide show of pictures and music of my mom.

The food table! Yummy food! (Not sure what I am doing in this pic)

One of the cute tables. The pens were party favors for the guests to take home. Such a cute and fun idea.

The boxes were to put memories of my mom that people wrote down in.

Her amazing cake!! It doesn't even look real! It was dang good too!

Don't those chandeliers rock! Annie you are amazing!!!

The best part of it all...my mom's face!! Her friend Fran was in town staying with her and she thought she was going to lunch and pedicure. We had the relief society president call her and ask her to stop by the Church to pick something up for her. Worked out great although she came a few minutes early. Fran tried her best to hold her off...but there is no stopping this superwoman!!

Putting her superwoman apron on her!

Birthday girl!!!

My cute dad serving cake. I think he enjoyed it just as much as my mom!!

My mom and her cute sisters!! They match so well...you would thing they planned it! :)

All the sisters and my cute parents! We missed Heather and Ty.

The BEST parents in the world!! Happy Birthday mom!! I sure love you and am SOOO blessed to have you as my mom!!!!

Goodbye Snowflake :(

So like I have said before Dakota has the BEST grandparents in the whole world!!!

So in case you haven’t noticed from some of Dakota’s pictures…he is such a little cowboy. He LOVES anything to do with being a cowboy-the hat, the boots (no doubt), horses, belt buckles, EVERYTHING!

I grew up with horses my whole life doing the whole rodeo thing and my parents of course still have many horses so every time we go down to “ZONA” as Dakota calls it, we get to ride and he always has a blast.

Well, because I have the cutest and best parents in the whole world, they decided to bring one of their horses up to us and board it in a place really close to our house so that Dakota could have a horse to ride, whenever he wants. So in July they brought up Snowflake and Dakota and I have just LOVED having her here. (I’m not sure who loved it more…me or him. :) )

Our first day with Snowflake!

He started taking charge and learning to do it all.

Well, since it is getting colder Snowflake had to go back to Zona for the winter. We are sure going to miss her but luckily we will be down there for Thanksgiving so Dakota will ride again soon.

We had one last photo shoot with Snowflake on our last day to ride. As you can tell it was a FREEZING day but we didn’t let it stop us.

Sorry for the millions of pictures. Vicki came so of course we got A LOT of pictures thanks to her and I don’t want to forget about them!

Helping Papa get Snowflake

Just waiting patiently

Exploring with Nana while Snowflake is getting saddled

We started out outside in the arena.

The weather took a big turn! COLD is all I have to say!

We took it in the barn. Papa was so nice to keep walking and walking and walking. Whenever we would stop Dakota would say, "Let's go!"

My cute little cowboy!

So big riding all by himself.

Petting Snowflake

Zach is the farthesest thing from a cowboy and never would of thought his son would be into all of this. He is a cute dad though and loves how much Dakota enjoys it.

Papa fixing his hat.

Dakota and his pretty Nana

What?! We are done already?!

Found a new friend.

Thanks Nana and Papa for sharing Snowflake with us! We have loved every minute of it!!!!

Funny/Sweet Moments:

1. I was asking Dakota if he wanted to go get his haircut and then go to the library and he says (in his exact words) “That’d be sweet.” I was like what?! Did he seriously just say that??? It was hilarious. Usually he says, “That would be fun!!” But sweet was a new one! :)

2. Sometimes, mostly in serious conversations when Zach and I are disagreeing, we call each other babe. So the other day in a very serious voice Dakota says, “I don’t think so babe.” It was so funny to hear the word “babe” come out of his cute little voice.

3. Whenever Dakota falls and gets hurt Zach always tells him…your tough, don’t cry. So the other day he got hurt and was trying so hard to not cry but in his sad little whimper he says, “I’m tough. I don’t cry.”

4. For Halloween he was in his sherriff costume and in my cowboy voice I said “hey partner!” He looks at me with a serious face and says, “I’m not a partner. I’m handsome!” If you can’t tell we often tell him he is handsome! :)

5. Sometimes after I fix him a meal he says in his most excited and sincere voice, “Thank you mom! That’s so nice.” You would think I never give him any food to eat he is so appreciative.

6. One of the cutest…The other day he all the sudden started singing these words, “Jesus wants to help you. Jesus wants to help you. He can help you.” The tune sounded like the song, “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam” but I have never heard those words before so I’m not sure if he just made that up or if there is another song out there that he learned at nursery that I’m not aware of. Either way it was super cute and I hope he really know that Jesus will help us!



Halloweeeeen

Halloween has been SO fun but I have to say I am exhausted and glad that it is over. After dressing Dakota up in his costume for 4 days this week I am glad I don't have to do it anymore.

So as we were deciding what he should be this year, we knew we didn't want to spend much money, and he wears his cowboy hat and boots every day...so we decided to just go with what we had. We couldn't just do a plain cowboy because that is what he is every day :) so we decided to dress it up a little more and so....

we got ourselves a real live sheriff! Is he not the cutest sheriff you have ever seen?! We think so! The best part about his costume is that the jacket he is wearing was my mom's when she was a little girl. And his belt buckle was also one that my mom won! How cool huh?!

He sure LOVED playing the part too!

He is in a duel!!! :)

So we started off our Halloween partiness with our ward party. Zach and I weren't able to go because he had A LOT of homework to get done so our sweet neighbors volunteered to take Dakota with them and he had a ball with his buddy Tanner.

Tanner and Dakota

Friday both sets of Zach's grandparents had trick or treaters at their assisted living homes. The first place only has like 20 residents so it was pretty low key and all of the residents were in one room in a circle and you just walked around and they passed out candy. They were sure cuties.

Us with Grandma Minnie and Grandpa Ed.

We then went to Grandma Nannie's place and I was not prepared for the intensity of this place. The line was out the door to get in. The residents were all outside their rooms and you had to go through the whole place and you couldn't take your time because people were lined up behind you. They had a spook alley and everything. It was pretty crazy but really fun. Dakota LOVED it!

Us with Ashley, Beau, Monkey Houston, Vicki, and Doug is taking the pic.

Us with Grandma Nannie

After the grandparents trick-or-treat we took Dakota to the Treehouse Museum for their little non-scary Halloween thing (I can't remember what it's called if you can't tell). Doug, Vicki, and Houston came with us. It was pretty cute but a little long for Dakota.

Waiting with Daddy for it to start.

Taking a cowboy break, eating an apple.

Grammy and Houston

Of course Saturday we had to dress him up again to go trick or treating to the other Granparents, a couple neighbors and friends. We were pretty trick or treated out by that time so we went home and passed out soda to the trick or treaters that we didn't miss. Dakota thought that was pretty cool too to see all the kids come to our house.

Sunday was the Friedli Halloween party and that was SUPER fun! We all dressed up, had dinner, and played a few games. There were some pretty good costumes...everyone got pretty creative!

The whole gang! Grandma a Gypsy, grandpa an "old cowboy", Jenny as Wonderwoman, Bobby as aquaman (yes he has underwear over his thermal pants :)), Olivia was a ladybug, Beau, Ashley, and Houston were little gangsters (Houston looked so cute), Zach was a chic magnet (wearing my tight shirt, while pumping some iron :) )and I was a babe magnet (last minute idea), Dakota of course a sheriff, Ryan was Bob Marley (SOOOO funny) and Lindsay was his girl, Vicki a witch, and Doug was Elvis. It was so fun!

Playing our parts!

So game #1. Us wives hid gummy worms in whipped cream and gave the boys 40 seconds (cuz it was Bobby's 40th birthday party as well) to find as many as they could. It was great fun to watch. Zach, Beau, and Ryan all tied and got all 12 of them.

The aftermath

Game #2- The boys had to throw little pumpkins into our mouths. The ones who caught the most win. We were at a clear disadvantage...my partner was blind...no fair! J/K That is just my excuse because we didn't win. :) Ashley and Beau won that one, despite Vicki's criticism that Ashley wouldn't catch any! :)

Game #3- Who could eat their doughnuts the fastest. Of course Ryan won! He said he has lots of practice! :) But I beat all the girls, that counts for something right?! I am good at one thing...EATING! :)

Overall, it was a great time!!! Just being around friends and family is the best!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!