weekend recap...including Jaden's 10th bday party...

when i pulled up to the kiddos' summer daycare after work on Friday (Jaden's bday), it was pouring down rain! we've been without rain for weeks now! that, mixed with the outrageous temps we've been having = drought!

our grass is brown & crunchy...i've been having to water our garden with the hose every night...& i'm sure the local farmers were starting to really worry!

we got home (only about 7miles away) & found out that not a drop had fallen in our neck of the woods yet...so the kiddos & i did a little rain dance ;0)

the sky was gloomy & the breeze was blowing pretty good...so we had a feeling the rain was on it's way...but i was fearful that it was going to go around us & we wouldn't end up getting any

while we waited, the girls got out Gab's butterfly identification book & started trying to figure out what kind of moth they'd just found...

& in the process we found this...

i wish i'd put something by it, to show the scale in this pic...cause this bee had to have been 3 or 4 inches long! it was pretty scary looking!

i also checked out the garden while we waited...& look what i found!

now, it wasn't exactly ripe all the way...but i couldn't help myself! i had to go ahead & taste that first tomato out of our garden...& boy was it good! ;0)

anyway, about an hour later, the skies finally did open up on us...the kiddos were so excited - & so was i! we all played in the rain for a while...

it felt so good after going so long without...& the drop in temp was even nicer...goodbye 100 degree days! well, at least for this week ;0)

thank u Lord for this rain! it poured down again yesterday...& it's getting ready to storm again right now...i'm so thankful for the rain...the thunder & lightning is a bonus! ;0)

Saturday was Jaden's 10th birthday party...we had the immediate family over for pizza, presents, cake & ice cream

my sis got Jaden a real gumball machine...& u could say he kinda liked it ~lol~

uncle Joe got him a huge sketch pad...a really great gift for Jaden! Joe noticed last time he was over, that Jaden was taping pieces of paper together so he'd have one big sheet to draw on...super thoughtful gift brah! (of course, from the fellow artist)

& of course, Jaden got Legos...

from Nana & from us...Bionicles & Atlantis sets - his fav!

after the party, we all headed to the movies...Jaden couldn't wait to see Despicable Me! it was a really cute movie too...highly recommended!

(btw, for those wondering - we didn't go 3D...since my sis knew she'd have trouble with it...& cause i'm always trying to save a buck ~wink~)

that evening, Jaden drew in his sketch pad & built with Legos until bed time...& he told me that he'd had "the best birthday party day ever!"...although i think he says that every year ;0)

(the girls are doing a craft here - painting wooden picture frames i picked up from Michael's for $1...score!)

the rest of the weekend was spent relaxing (daddy worked, of course)...we took lots of walks & spent a good bit of our time outside, enjoying the cooler weather

the girls left for part of the afternoon on Sunday to play at their friends' house...Jaden really enjoyed that alone time with Ma...then we took a family trip to 7-11 for free Slurpees!

Sunday was 7-11's birthday...get it? ...7/11
did u make it out to try one? i had the sugar-free peach mango...yum!