Star Wars Party

A long time ago in California which is far, far away...

It is a period of 6-year-old birthday parties.

Rebel 4 to 7-year-olds, striking from the neighborhood, have each won a Jedi costume for the party.

(Including the visiting cousin and the baby brother.)

During the battle, Rebel spies and Imperial troopers placed stickers on the wall to find the plans for the DEATH STAR (and win points for their team).

An armored space station has nothing on these Jedis in training (who are keeping balloons afloat with their lightsabers).

Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents (and cheered by other Jedis in training), Princess Leia races through the Jedi obstacle course, custodian of Yoda and the plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy...

 Ryan Madden has returned to his home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to "force lift" a snow speeder from the clutches of the sandbox.

Jedi Academy.  Little do our Jedis know that DARTH MAUL is lurking around the neighborhood.

When they meet, these Jedis will spell certain doom for the Sith and restore freedom to the galaxy...

Strike a Jedi pose!

Turmoil has engulfed the Jedi party.  Darth Maul has appeared to wipe out the Jedi.

Hoping to resolve the matter, the birthday boy steps in and strikes Darth Maul down.

While the Congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Jedis are photographed with their trainer and their enemy.

The Supreme Chancellor secretly dispatched Darth Maul to rematch a Jedi who missed an earlier opportunity to defeat the enemy. As a guardian of peace in the galaxy, the young Jedi uses all his might to once again restore peace to the galaxy...

California Adventure

Highlights of our trip to visit the Maddens:

• Many many many thanks to Ryan's mom for helping pay for Rachael and I to fly out at the last minute.
• Ryan staying for five days on extended layover.
• Rachael was a great traveler.  An excellent traveler.  Even when we sat next to a very rude woman.
• Declan picked us up at the airport literally the second we walked out the door.  Happiness.
• Seeing cute Aunt Lorie. 
• Seeing our three cute nephews/cousins.
• Seeing Grandma and Grandpa.
• Meeting up with Ryan at Lorie's house after he had been in Taiwan for almost two weeks.
• Watching Rachael love on the baby.  Teaching the difference between love and smothering.
• Seeing the ocean.
• Driving over the bridge that Declan "built."
• Eating at In N Out.  And getting chocolate at Sees.
• Making 30 cupcakes, one giant birthday cupcake, and two three pies.
• Buying another lightsaber. You can never have too many.
• Star Wars Party! Happy Birthday Braden!
• Jedi training.
• Hot chocolate with whipped cream.
• Star Wars pancakes.
• Girls Day Out for Rachael and Lorie.
• Smoked pork and ribs. So good.
• Happy Birthday Grandpa! 
• Playing Star Wars legos and toys with Braden, Ryan and Ryan.
• S'mores!
• Sunday Brunch with lots of great friends and food.
• Zach's Baby Blessing.
• Watching Declan hold the microphone.
• Family pictures.
• Hanging out with the family.  Which makes us all realize we live way too far apart. 

Keeping Busy

Ryan is in Taiwan and the girls will play! Or eat Chinese food and clean the house, anyway.  Between ballet, Financial Peace University, church and school, it's been a rather normal week around here.  We did go out for Chinese food on Wednesday, though; Rachael wanted to break in her Disney Princess chopsticks her dad brought her from China.  (And he doesn't eat Chinese food when he is in America anymore.  It's a fairly new rule.  So we went out while he was gone.)  I kind of just wanted to order it and eat in, but I couldn't find a menu so we went to the restaurant.  After dining there I realized why I don't bother keeping a menu, but at least they had some decent rice so we could try out the chopsticks.  She tried several methods, the best being clutching the two sticks together and shoveling.  Kind of like a fork.

Saturday we cleaned the house, and because she was such a good helper I took her to McDonalds for dinner. (And so I wouldn't have to cook dinner.)  McDonalds has Barbie toys in the Happy Kids Meal right now.  I see a few more trips in our future.  She told someone we were going there for her 'usual,' I didn't even realize she had a 'usual.'  Perhaps we should expand our restaurant repertoire.

Because I hate to post without pictures, here are a few of our impromptu trip to the park on Thursday...

Love the static!

Classic park picture