The Makers Faire

I-ka-rumba!! This thing was AH-MAY-ZING!! Inventors' paradise. Enter, all of my boys...(but first, please sign a waiver saying if you die it's not our fault--it made us pretty excited to get in there!)

 This picture doesn't do justice to the amazing art this guy did...everything is in miniature & it was just incredible.

 Make a cookie

 The middle one is supposed to be me...pretty good resemblance, I'd say

 Professional chocolate connoisseur

 3D printer creates things like this...the boys went to a workshop awhile ago & got to enter in the programming & 'print' something out.

 The actual machine with example objects on top, too bad I didn't get a picture at another angle

 Mindstorm robot=Jyson's ultimate dream

 Awesome elephant & award-winning car made from reclaimed items.

 PVC pipe marshmallow shooters

 Little race track (can't see the cars, go figure)

 World's biggest pot holder! (okay, it's a rug but it's the same little bands with the same weaving set-up)

 This guy's stuff is incredible...he's very symbolic with all of his pieces

 This piece spells 'Y-E-S'

This is 2 pieces of wood that naturally grew together in the middle so he made a sculpture out of it & he says it represents the way marriages should be: we grow together over time & work with one another...he also told Tony & I that we looked like a happy, content couple--I second that motion!

 The boys loved this robot...the wheel design makes it possible for it to turn on a dime & is now used in wheelchairs all over the country

 

Soldering project: all 3 boys did a robot with blinking eyes. So cool! p.s. the guy said I was a natural with the soldering iron...maybe he says that to all the ladies...

 Mama's dream: remote-controlled walker! It was pretty funny to see people's reaction when this babe whizzed by!

A guitar/lunch box?

 6-person bike that we got to ride! One person drives & the others pedal while having lunch...amazing!

 Budding tight-rope walker (these people do birthday parties & bring a bunch of circus set-ups for kids to experience various things)

 Jyson & balancing on an elephant ball :) Harder than it looks!

 Unicycles: also muucch harder than they might appear

 Our trapeze-artist-to-be

 Mini bikes!

 The water swing...time it right & you won't get wet!

 Glass-blowing

Both pics are Jyson

 Tony-the-man who made me the most awesome welded flower (picture to come)

Jaydon 

Jyson's pick-axe design prior to the welding...they set out a few different kinds of metal pieces & then you create whatever you want for FREE! I don't know why I didn't get pictures of the other 2 creations...Jyson said this was his favorite part & Tony now feels his life is more complete because what guy doesn't want to learn how to weld??!!

This ridiculously short video (the camera was almost out of juice so I had to time it just right) shows the teeniest bit of this incredible bike show. These guys were just unbelievable. Flips, double-flips & more tricks than I knew were possible on bikes...too bad it comes at a price--the guy announcing said he's had like 34 surgeries, broken bones, etc...that's why he's announcing nowadays...

We are a happy family! Thanks to Groupon & our baby-sitter friend, Liberty (I trade lessons so she can baby-sit once a month for us!) we were able to make it one-incredible date for the 4 of us!

Whatevers......

How Ari feels about Daddy leaving for work...

 Just chomping on an apple in my spaceship/truck box...I'm cute like that...

Party for the age 4 gal & the age 2 guy

 Ari & Rhett's choice of cake. It's a turtle in case you can't tell :) And since I couldn't think of any natural blue/turquoise-ish way to color the frosting, I caved & used the fake stuff ;) Seriously, what is blue in nature? Don't you worry though, I still snuck in the traditional veggies inSIDE the cake..totally yummo & discreet...

 

All gone already?

I wish we could have invited the whole ward, it's basically an amazing bunch of friends.

 And when the trampoline & corn hole no longer held the attention of the little people, Tony to the rescue with his balloon animal capabilities! Did I score big-time in the 'husband arena' or what?!

 And then it was back to the trampoline WITH the balloon animals...totally new excitement now...

And though we said no one needed to bring presents we had a couple of kind rebels who brought a little something. Molly & kiddos brought a fantastic sprinkler attachment & some restickable stickers & pictured above are the paint sets they got from another family of friends. The joy from opening those gifts was the sweetest thing--they loved every bit of the process and it was so cute to see how grateful they were! Thanks guys!

Snug as a bug in a...uh, on a... tub?

Ari sometimes keeps these buddies awake so they're allowed to go into our room to fall asleep. However, Jyson decided to make his own sleeping arrangements out of Rhett's clothes tubs on the landing :)

 Day before school picnic...gotta love those garden cukes!

 My 6th grade men!

 So hard for the littles to say goodbye...Ari has been saying "I'm 5, I go on da bus like da boys."

And it was just too boring around these parts...Rhett fell off the *cough* tramp (I know, many of you are shaking your heads while tsking at me...). His ulna broke in 2 places & was a 'plastic/bowed' fracture...his little arm really did look totally bowed in the middle...so sad! But what a trooper, after getting the cast he has just adapted to every new situation effortlessly (eating, cutting, coloring, climbing stairs, etc.)

 Water at the dr's office, his favorite part!

Eating left-handed, no problem?

 I had a big DIY party at a friend's house where we made homemade shampoo, deodorant, laundry soap, toothpaste, etc...so fun!

 Isn't he pretty?

 Jyson's spontaneous weaving project.

 Our pretty garden pepper :)