SNOW CONES!!!!!!!!

This is what I have been saving for FOREVERRRRRR!!!!!  

Dash got a snow cone maker for Christmas and it hit me then that I REALLY wanted a commercial grade snow cone machine.  I was going to sell snow cones in my drive way to the middle school kids and teach my kids how to run a business with this baby!  Not to mention who DOESN'T LOVE A GOOD SNOW CONE!?!?!?  I thought I could rent it to the scouts and the youth and the school and and and and...... (1/2 of what they would rent it any where else of course)  I would be the coolest aunt/friend/mom/sister/daughter/wife/granddaughter/teacher/you name it I am now the coolest! ;)  who doesn't want to know the girl who owns a snow cone machine.  "Hi Suzy,  I'm having a party and I was wondering if I could borrow your amazing snowcone machine because you are the coolest person in the world?"

This is what it makes.....it's called snow......not chunks of ice.....SNOW!

It makes LOTS of it!

You add flavor and it creates joy!!!!  ;)

I LOVE this picture because the kids look like little baby birds waiting for their joyous delicious flavored snow that their wonderful mother created!

My man got involved at one point and decided I needed to save a little more and buy a cart because I was just going to buy a bus tub cart (like in restaurants) it seemed like a great idea at the time!  He got a bit bossy (because I was the one saving) and we ended up with this!

And it looks like this all together!  It is beautiful and I love it!  Her name is Sally!  Sally the snowCone machine!  If B loses his job (heaven forbid)  I have a back up plan!  :)   Summer just got a whole lot better at the Jeffords house!

Juliet's first haircut!

Juliet had her first haircut last week by our lovely "hair lady" Tonia!  We LOVE her!  (If you need THE BEST hairdresser with THE BEST prices in L.A. call me and I will share!)  Juliet was SO excited to get her hair cut.  She had seen her brothers get their hair cut a few times.  She was just getting a trim, but to her it was the whole shebang! 

The final product!  No more tangles!

Look WHOOOO'S 7!!! (a little late!)

Dash turned 7 this year!  I copied this cake from Natalie!  She made it for her son a couple weeks before.  Is Dash particularly fond of owls?  No. But I knew he would think it was really cool and special  just for him.   I was feeling really overwhelmed at the time and was so grateful that Nat had taken all the guess work out of the birthday job for me.  I am lucky to have such great friends who pick up the slack when I can't hack it!  It takes a village to raise a child and my kids are sure lucky that these women are a part of my village!  

Dash stayed home on his birthday and shopped for his cake stuff with me.  We went to the Goodwill bookstore and he picked out 6 books just for him.  They gave him one just for free too.  He thought he was a rock star!  

Uncle Jamie and Aunt Marilyn and the kids came over and celebrated with us!  We love to have them over!

Make a wish!

so yummy......

now that's a good cupcake! 

the birthday boy decorating his cupcakes!  He wanted to be a part of the process!

The whole family enjoying our time together!

Max and daddy.

Time for the gifts! 

Darby gave him a fill in your own comic book book ! 

Daddy gave him a fishing pole with a gift certificate to go fishing just the two of them.

It was his favorite gift.

Max gave him Skylanders. 

The next week we headed to Chik-Fil-A with his buddies to celebrate because they had a game truck. (they thought I rented it for his birthday.....it was there for a family night.....I let them think what ever they wanted to think!)

Garret, Dash and Nima

Juliet and Brianna

Gifts from his buddies 

Inside the game truck 

The sweet truck mom "rented"! Happy Birthday Dashel Keith!  We love you to bits!  

What does the first week of your summer look like?

This is what the first week of our summer looks like.  It's a favor.  A BIG ONE! ;)  We are Duck sitting for a week.  Ducks are easy right? 

 This guy LOVES animals.  ALL animals!  When they were saying what they wanted to be when they grew up in kindergarten he said he wanted to to be "a pet shop owner with hamsters" He wants to own a zoo too.  Animals love him too.  He is somewhat of an animal whisperer.....they flock to him.

 kissing the ducks

 I LOVE this picture!  He is laughing REALLY hard.......

 ........at the duck poop that his brother almost leaned into!!!!  Poop is funny!!!!   (that is NOT duck poop on Max's foot.  It is tanning solution that rubbed off on him earlier. )

 A few minutes later Juliet walked out with Dash's GIANT stuffed duck and said "they can snuggle with this!"  SO sweet!

And this right here is why I would agree to duck sitting.  Something that would bring all three of these guys together for over 2 hours has got to be worth the headache.  right?  

Our Graduate.......

Darby graduated from grade school.....   sigh.....  I don't like it at all.   I don't like that she looks like this. I don't like that she is going to Jr. High next year.  I don't like that she can baby sit...oh wait yes I do.  I don't like that my baby is growing up!  This picture made me cry. 

 I do like that she stays true to her self and no matter how gorgeous she looks she will always be goofy!

 A shot of me and her before we headed out the door!

 This is her and her friend Caitlyn Kalm.  Caitlyn will be going to the same Jr. High as Darby.  She is a great girl.  They did play production together!

 This is her and another friend Caitlyn Lynch!  Caitlyn Lynch was Student body secretary!  She was one of the first friends that Darby made when we moved to Wilbur!  She is a great girl and I wish she was going to school with Darby!

 This is Spencer. He  was in Darby's class this year.  SUPER FUNNY!  Super creative!  Does his own you tube videos and we LOVE to watch them!  He played Led Zeplin and Blackbird by the Beatles at the Culmination.  It was Awesome!!!!  (He will go to the same school as Darb next year!!!)

 Their theme was Bursting Into the Future! (Firework!)  They sang that song....I cried.

 Here they are singing the "I Hope You Dance". (I think that's what it's called...?) ;)  I cried.

 Darby's good friend Amanda sang and played the piano!  She sang "The Climb". It was AMAZING.  I cried!

 Their were skits....

....and dances.

.... and more songs.....these girls (Caitlyn Lynch is one of them) learned to play the Ukulele for Culmination.  They sang  "Hey Soul Sister".   Darby and I decided that we are going to do the same thing this summer!  It was awesome...  I may have cried!

 More of her friends sang "Stand by Me".... cried some more.

 Then Darby and her friend Ashley closed the show by doing a skit that Brandon wrote called "The top 10 Reasons I didn't finish my Homework in Mrs. Lavery's class"  It stole the show!  Darby was HILARIOUS!!!  I laughed!  Then I cried!

 Then Principal Platt gave a culmination speech about standing up for what you believe in and what is right and having moral courage!  I cried some more.

 Pictures with her friend Jade.

 pictures with Principal Platt....I think one of her biggest cheerleaders and one of the best principals we've come across.  Fair and just with perfect amount of fun!  We love her!

 Her good friend Emmy!

 Darby and Ashley!  The show stoppers!  ( I love the airbrushed tattoos that ALL the 5th graders had from the graduation party the day before!!!  They were ALL over there bodies!) :)

There was a lot of crying this day on my part.  Mostly because I am so proud of her!  She overcame so many obstacles this year.  It was a rough one.   She tested high honors and highly gifted.  (I had no idea?  I was walkin' around telling every one she was a dumby! :)    She dealt with mean girls and a not so nice teacher, she had some health issues, and of course all the crazy feelings you get as a young girl in 5th grade.  I think she handled herself with grace and dignity and she is absolutely one of the most amazing people I know.  I am so lucky to get to call her my daughter!  Thank you Darby for working so hard this year and ALL of your grade school career!    WE are so very proud of you and love you SO much!!!