Happy to Announce

...RommaDon 2010 was officially kicked off with a killer weekend!!!


Let's recap, shall we?

FRIDAY: Mr LKP's 30th birthday.  
I was exhausted, as it was a slammed day, and I was operating on very little sleep.  Mr LKP knew nothing, as ORIGINALLY I thought I had scheduled to feed the missionaries on his birthday.  So we planned on low-key cake & ice cream with them.  Imagine our surprise when it turned out that I had signed-up for the day BEFORE his birthday.  Thursday we scrambled a dinner together & it was a success.  Therefore nothing stood in the way of tossing a surprise bash together.  So that's what ensued.
Texted everyone like crazy (only family & a few friends).  Then headed off to volleyball at 9.  Left early for birthday prep.  Picked up the nephews (ages 12 & 14) around 10:30, and we gallivanted ALL OVER the TC's in order to piece together something amazing.  In the end, the boys chose EVERYTHING.  The cake choice was between an uber princess cake complete with pink princess crown & bright star wand on it & a fabulously unicorn-worthy rainbow cake.  They chose the rainbow.  Along the way we picked up my friends' 3 yr old, Joel, and he helped us have some fun.  In keeping with their rainbow theme, we were then on the hunt for EVERYTHING rainbow.  We hit the dollar store & Paper Factory for the perfect balloons & streamers.  Then we raced home to construct a masterpiece!

The boys' inspiration...

 

 The birthday crown...if I shared pix of Mr LKP in it, I'd be dead.

  

The boys wanted this to be the manliest party they could muster for their favorite uncle.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

psssst.....did you check out the ASH on that cake?!

Phew!  The boy's getting up there that's for sure.  Next year we might be paid a visit by the fire marshal ( P.S.  I can tease him with this since it's been the same, non-stop from him since October.  Lol!)

The party turned out to be a screaming success!  Just what the doctor ordered, since apparently the hubby's been dreading 3-0.  There was cake & ice cream enjoyed, as well as veggies & fruit.  My SIL brought the VAT of ice cream (ya know the kind you find at Baskin Robbins in the humungous cardboard container?  yeah, she straight hooked her brother up).  She also brought rootbeer for those who preferred rootbeer floats.  There was plenty of Wee-ing on the Wii (not whizzing, wee-ing.  AKA: squeals of excitement & fun).  Then a raging game of Quiddler broke out at the kitchen table & we partied like it was 1999.

(SIDE-NOTE:  For those who are keeping tabs, Friday marked the 6 year anniversary of that awful small pox inoculation that was behind Seth's "cancer scare", disability, & military medical fiasco.  We, including Mr LKP himself, weren't sure he was going to live to see 30.  He's certainly got one loving Heavenly Father, one amazing guardian angel of a mother, & millions of additional loved-ones up there watching over him.  Crazy to think it's already been that long.  Seems like only yesterday, maybe cause he's still dealing with the pain & discomfort now.  Just an FYI, in case you were wondering.  He's still dancing the Army's dance until they finally declare him medically retired.  Might be another 4 years.  Oi Vey is right!)

SATURDAY: NOT Valentine's Day, but we ignored that fact.  

Mr LKP spent his first official full day as a thirty-something collecting for Scouting for Food.  Kept him occupied all morning & into the early afternoon.  That was fine with me, as I spent the day on a shoot with Dani & her fiance.  Super cute.  Our friend, Elise, came a long and we had a hoot & a hollerin' kind of adventure all over the area.  We broke into barns (Elise's parents' barn), we crashed orchards, we even tromped in the mud.  Dani's fiance did so in one socked foot even!  I can't wait until they get to tell their kids & grandkids about it someday.  I'd toss previews from the day on here, but I've got some post production to do first.  Then I'll share.

That evening, since VDay was on Sunday, we went to the Stake sponsored Sweetheart's Dance.  Was so. much. fun.  And we had quite the showing from P8th!!!  Hooray for us, we closed the place DOWN!!!!  =)  My friend, Darin, was the photographer for the evening and he did a great job!  It was such a blast, and he tolerated us hamming it up all night.  Oooh, and the music was sooooo great, that my feet were extremely tender at church the next morning.  I DID keep my heels on all night, but man it made the dancing THAT much better.

 

  

 

   

  

  

 

GOOOOO PASCO 8th!!!

SUNDAY: Ward Conference.  Followed by a maiden voyage of a new LKP weekly game night! 

Good meetings.  GREAT meetings.  Learned a ton, and really appreciated hearing from the Stake President.  I mean, I know we'll get to hear from him again next week at Stake Conference.  But it was awesome to have him with us.  He, as well as the Stake Relief Society President, spoke to us in Relief Society.  I took SO many notes.  My hand hasn't cramped like that in years.  And let me tell you, I ALWAYS take notes.  So hopefully that helps ya better with an idea as to how great church was this week.

As for the game night maiden voyage, let me elaborate exactly what this means.  When we first moved to Idaho, we were blessed with the absolute BEST neighbors!  We lived in a 4-plex condo.  Opposite the main wall from us were the Brennans.  I would say they lived there, but really we all lived there & at our place.  Picture Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld???  Yep, pretty much.  Only maybe with a bigger dash of respect for personal space.  But really, they were our family.  Throughout the time we spent there, our neighbors below were cool too.  So each Sunday night was game night.  The 4-plex population gathered with their contribution to the table (some brought goodies, some brought fresh-baked bread & savory butters---yum, I very much miss!!!).  We spent all night playing.  It was the best time.  And when I picture Zion, I see game night as a part of it.  It was that smooth & perfect.  Usually it was either at the Brennans' table or ours since we were the only ones with kids.  Sometimes we ventured downstairs as well, but no matter how you sliced it, it was always what we all needed.  So, we figured, why not regenerate that same feeling now that we're back home.  I mean, really, it's more than about time---today being 2 years now since we moved back.  So that's what we did Sunday night.  Game night in the middle of our living room floor.  We hooted, we hollered, we played Buzzword, Catch Phrase, & Mad Gab.  It was non-stop laughs & friendship.  I cherished Sunday night.  It was the most home that home has felt since we've been back.  Hopefully each week is as wonderful.  Maybe I'll have some game night pix eventually.  For now, simply take my word for it: WORTHWHILE.

So there you have it the full report.  Only details I haven't gone into is this nasty head/chest-cold/sore-throat/virus thing that I picked up somewhere along the way.  I'm thinking Tiff's to blame, since both Dani & I have it.  Hmmmm....no matter.  Have cough syrup with codeine, I am good.

OFFICIALLY: RommaDon is ON, so stay tuned for what's next!!!