Happy Birthday Cai Lynn!

It's so hard to believe that My tiny little baby is now a 9 years old! Where has the time gone????? Cai Lynn is my feisty 4th grader who is always in competition with her brothers and everyone else. Straight A student, reading books that her brothers are reading and always a go-getter. 

Cai Lynn had two wishes for her birthday: 1 An American Girl doll 2: A Rainbow cake. (which I tried to talk her out of. LOL) Well, she got both. She has been looking at the catalogs for months (well, for years, but diligently for months.) and picking out the exact doll she wants to "make". I ordered what she wanted and had it shipped... there it sat until the "big day".

Before school she opened a few small items and took some "doughboys doughnut holes" to school to share with her class.

 

After school and before "Activity Days" at church, we went to "Noni's" house for dinner, cake and presents.

 

So I work the "Graveyard shift" two nights a week and happened to get off the morning of her birthday at 6:30am, she opened a few things, Michael went off to seminary, they got off to school, and I went to bed. When I got up I had a cake to make. ACK and a rainbow cake at that! So here it goes....

 

We dug in...

  

It was a quick celebration at my mom's before we headed off to Michael and Jared's Court of Honor and Cai Lynn's "Activity Days". (Where she brought cookies to share with everyone.) She kept saying all day what a fun birthday it was.... I hope it was!

Scottish Festival -- Day 2

Back for Day 2, it was just me, the kids Uncle Mark and Auntie Crystel. 

Our first stop was the dog competition. The dogs have to get the sheep through various obstacles in a specific time limit. It is so neat to watch... Ruby thought so too.

 

Right next door were the cows and the Clydesdale horses. In these pictures I am standing on my tiptoes. There were several, and some were larger than others.

 

Sometimes, there are random people walking through the "streets". :-)

 

Then off to the "Birds of Prey" exhibit.... Just amazing!!!!!

The Golden Eagle

 

 

The Egyptian Owl

 

Some itty bitty owls. 

 

Not to be outdone by his sister from the day before, Jared decided to give it a try.

 

 ... and no...he didn't beat her. (Not by 1/2) Much to her pleasure!

 

She  didn't even beat herself the second day. She said her arms were still sore.

Jared and I at the Albannach concert

 

So of course you remember the closing ceremonies. Ruby was tired and decided to lay down on some random lady's purse. The lady was so cute about it and took pictures and sent them to all of her kids. LOL So cute! (By the way, that's her foot, not mine.)

 

Just a few pictures for afterwards...

 

And on the car ride home, they were asleep VERY quickly! Hard to believe, one more year.. over!

The Scottish Festival -- Day One

This year was very different than years past. Grandma was gone, (second year) and with family's other commitments there were very few of us at the Games this year unlike other years. However, it was still a lot of fun.

Donald, Heather and Xara joined us on Saturday. We went straight over to the "Marine Station" where Cai Lynn last year was undefeated with her time. The boys have been practicing all year and have vowed to beat her in her time..... STILL the champ, AND she beat her time by more than 45 seconds! The Marines made her a little "gift bag" and bragged about her to all of the other participants.

 

 

Donald's turn for the pull-ups, he beat the previous record... Way to go Donald!

 

After that, the boys took off to their various destinations, and the girls hung out at the pony rides.  Xara was all ready to go, but decided against it. (Her Auntie has big horses and she is a little nervous around them.)

 

Waiting...

 

Lunch time!!!!! One of the great things about the games is the variety of food. "Welch Food" (Jared's favorite... the fish and chips) "Scottish Food" (Michael's favorite... the meat pies) and "Irish Food" (Crystel's favorite.... Corned Beef and Cabbage) Cai Lynn and I bounced back and forth and of course they even have hot dogs, hamburgers, etc...

 

Dance Time! We love to see Uncle Mark dance! He dances in the "Scottish Country Dancing". Cai Lynn and Xara had been dancing around all over before it began. 

 

Off to the piper competitions! We just LOVE watching the competitions. My Grandma and I would sit for literally hours and listen to all the different bands compete. 

 

At the end of each day, they have the "Mass Bands" come down to the fields and play several different numbers. They have several things going on up on the stage as well. This is my absolute FAVORITE part of the weekend. 

 

The Marine Band and Grade 1 L.A. Scots played together... AMAZING!!!!!

 

When we hear the last song about to be played we race down to the end to take pictures and meet all of the pipers, etc. SO much fun! And of course the horsing around ensues...

 

Grandma and Grandpa's Tartan being represented.... 

 

 

 

So.... Grandma's house has always been the meeting place (for 38 years)  after big events or even during. Those days are gone. Her house has sold and now belongs to someone else where they will make their own memories.... So we had to make a new tradition... we decided to go to Mountain Mike's. I didn't get pictures of us there, but I did get Xara and I goofing around with her little vending machine thingy....