Just Another Day in Paradise...

Lake Powell

2009-08-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

We decided to have one last summer fling at Lake Powell before we all had to go back to school. We had grandma come with us, and we gathered up Chris' kids Kylie and Justice for an afternoon of fun in the sun. The breeze was nice and we had a great time in the water. This is the life!

Canning has officially begun!

2009-08-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let you know what I have been up to the last week or so. I canned green beans from my garden for the first time last Friday, I pulled the bell peppers and the corn from my garden this morning. When Dad comes next week he gets to help me harvest the corn. I love eating from my garden, nothing tastes better (except eating it in the winter!).

Look who is blogging!

2009-07-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

Mom came by the house on her way to education week in Idaho (she drove for the first time without stopping overnight...that's why she looks so bad) and decided to learn how to blog. She came to the master (well, Marsh was busy, so I had to fill in for him). I spent the better part of the day teaching her the ins and outs of blogging. Then, Mike came in and organized all her pictures on the computer in about 5 minutes flat. She has now doubled our inheritance in her will...SWEET!!

Move along little doggie...

2009-07-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

While we were traveling home from vacation, we ran into a little bit of a snag. Some cowboys were herding the cattle over the mountain, and WE were in the way. As you can see, the cows expected us to move out of the way. You can see Mike's arm out the window and see that the cattle is right next to us. The boys were asleep and Devin woke up just in time to see the cows. Carter, however, woke up as we started moving again.

5K racing!

2009-03-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

These are some of the greatest friends EVER!! We have been training after school daily for this race, so they came down to my area to do the 5K with me. It was a COLD day, but a great to race because we weren't hot. My friend Mary Kay is on the left and Amy is on the right.

It was a small race, about 300 people.

About 1/2 way through the race, Carter comes running up to us! It was really fun to have him there. It was his b-day (as well as Mary Kay's). He walked with us the rest of the way. He kept up with us and was happy to be there. He wants to do the next one with us.

Here is us at the finish line. There were 2 girls in front of us that we wanted to pass. I think they heard us because everytime we sped up to pass, they sped up. We were never able to pass them, but we ran into the finish line. Mike got our time. It was 3.26 miles in 45 minutes. Great baseline! We have another 5K coming up in April. We had sooooo much fun.

Here is us getting our ticket that says what place we came in and how fast we did the race.

Game ON!!

2009-03-15T18:58:00.001-07:00

Luke, Carter and Jared play ball! We didn't get on the same team like last time, so Jared is actually playing against Luke and Carter. It is so fun watching these boys play. They are actually getting good!

This is the gang hanging out while the boys play. Sam's got Josh (now 5 months old!!!). Cutest kids ever!!

Future Cheer Leader

2009-02-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

We signed Sam up for the mini cheer camp at my school. They practiced 2 nights then got to do a little dance for the half-time show. She of course LOVED hanging out with the real cheerleaders. Here is her at one of the practices.

Here is the actual night. As you can see, I didn't have my camera on the right mode, so ALL the pictures of the performance turned out like this. Oh well. At least you can see her in this one.

This is one of my students that Sam loves. My student is so cute with my kids. This was a great night for them.

Flash

2009-02-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

The kids got free tickets to go see the minor league basketball team called the Flash. We took the kids and had a great time. We saw several people from the ward there, as we are all taking advantage of FREE!!

To get the game started, Flash the mascot came out on a Harley. The boys were sooooo excited. Boys!!

Future Harley Riders

2009-02-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

This is our little neighbor Cooper who is 3. He is a fearless rider and has been racing a 4 wheeler for at least a year. He has moved onto a motorcycle (with training wheels). He is a maniac on wheels.

Carter, not to be outdone, has to have his turn. Cameron and Cooper had to show him the ropes. As you can see, he got it, except for the turning around. Hospital...here we come!

Here is Carter is action!

Cooper's dad was trying to get him to stop. Just like a 3 year old, he laughed and blew past his dad. Coop then lost the bike for the night.

This is Christian, one of my cute little nursery kids. He lives across the street and was helping his dad shovel the latest batch of snow as Carter and Cooper were flying past.

Home Depot

2009-02-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturdays Home Depot has a project you can do with your kids. Mike took Carter and they built a jewlery box for me and football book ends. Carter and Sammy finished the staining project and here are the final projects!!

Aren't they cute?

2009-02-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

My cute kids!!

Mickey Mouse

2009-02-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

Is he such a character or what? He has been after me to take a picture of him as Mickey Mouse. So here is Dev's version of Mickey Mouse.

Boys in the Hood

2009-02-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Luke, Trey and Carter on their way to school. I love the fact that it is like 20 degrees outside. Trey and Luke dress warmly and good ole Carter thinks it is 60 degrees with his jogging jacket. Kids, you gotta love them.

Birthday Party!

2009-02-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

Devin went to a birthday party the other day that was so fun! It was inside with the bouncing toys, but it also has a jungle area that the kids crawl around in, a skating rink and in the summer, a swimming area. Of course, Dev had to have a picture every other minute. I have created a monster!!

The Tooth Fairy's Broke

2009-02-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

The tooth fairy had to come 2 times this week. First Sammy lost her tooth and then Carter did. I think the tooth fairy may have to take out a loan soon. Carter talks a little funny now! Sammy's is hard to see, but it is the tooth on the left side, in the front.

Sausage Broccoli Chowder

2009-01-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Mike made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo yummy! The kids even thought it was great!
2 cans corn

1/2 to 1 # Italian sausage

1/2 cup celery chopped

1 large onion chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

3 large potatoes, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 cans condensed cream of broccoli soup

1 cup half and half

Drain corn, reserving liquid. Brown sausage, pour off all but 2 TBSP drippings. Saute celery, onion and pepper for 3 minutes. Add reserved corn liquid, potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; simmer for 5 minutes. Add broccoli, corn and sausage. Simmer 5 minutes or until veggies are cooked. In a bowl, mix soup and half and half. Whisk into soup. Simmer 5 minutes, but do not boil. Makes a large pan full.

While Mom trains...

2009-01-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we went to the Rec Center so I could do my training and Mike took the kids swimming. I finished my workout and they still wanted to swim. I think they were so excited to be in the pool in January, since that only happens in AZ!! The big splash you see is Carter's cannonball. I just caught the end of it!

This was me while I was waiting for the kids to grow tired of the pool! Nice red face, you can see I was working hard!

Baby Steps...'Til I'm full grown

2009-01-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Kathy has inspired me for one of my New Year's goals. Instead of setting a goal to lose weight, I am setting a fitness goal. I am going to do a 5K every other month, starting in March. In September I am going to do a 10K. My goal is to walk the first 2 (March and May) and run the July, Sept and the November. I looked up on the internet how to train for a 5K, so I am one week into my training, so far so good. I guess this is my "before" picture (nice, huh!).

This was the first injury of the training season. I was downstairs on the treadmill and Sammy was talking to me. I was distracted and fell, while the treadmill was still going. Ouch!! Sam and Carter were so cute because they were really worried. I survived, then they had to jump on the treadmill so they could train!!

Birthday Weekend

2009-01-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

I just found out that my SIL Krissy has the same b-day as me, so I want to give her a late shout out and hope it was great!!

This is the start of my b-day celebration at work. We had brownies, watched The Office and opened my present, which was a "The Office Trivia Game". I have already played it (I must admit I am pretty good), and all I have to say is "GAME ON"!!

These people are the lunch crew. They are sometimes the only reason I get out of bed. Besides, they actually laugh at my jokes (sometimes).

After school, my friends took me out for a "girl's night" to PF Chang's. Can we say YUUUMMMMMMMMMMMM!! My friend Kathy ran a 5K the next morning (crazy girl).

The next day Kelly and I took the kids out to Paradise Cafe for lunch and saw Bedtime Stories. We always have fun together (with or without the kids!!)

This is the official b-day and when I looked outside, this was the sight. It was so pretty with all the frost on the trees. And yes, it is really that cold!

Later that night we made the annual trek to...where else? Outback!!

I know that you think that I am done with the b-day, but nope! Mike invited our friends Tiff and Cam over for cake and ice cream. Sammy made the cake, Mike made the frosting and I got to enjoy it!

Sam's hair

2009-01-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

Sammy has finally gotten to the point where she will let me do her hair. She complains, but she looks so dang cute when she lets me do it. Today she even let me do it (not on Sunday) and take pictures of it! What a cutie!!

Sunday Dinners

2009-01-18T19:32:00.000-08:00

This is our cousin Rachel who comes over on Sundays for dinner. She is a good sport and the kids adore her. She is a very PATIENT person to hang out with our family!!

Sometimes we can even talk her into playing games with us. Tonight she got roped into guitar hero. Next week, The Office trivia game!

Now that the camera is working, the boys can't get enough of themselves. Tomorrow I am going to make sure to get some of Sammy!!

What do you do in the wintertime...

2009-01-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...does this look familiar? Dev wants to be like Carter.

We have gotten so much snow this year that we have to be creative with what to do with it. My neighbor made the kids a "snow tunnel" for them to play in. Carter, Devin and Dan hang out in the tunnels, then come in the house for hot chocolate.

Our favorite meatloaf

2009-01-11T19:57:00.000-08:00

1 TBSP oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 packed brown sugar
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Tabasco
1# hamburger
1# Italian sausage
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/3 cup fresh parsley

1. Heat oven to 350

2. Saute onions until soft about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook 15 seconds. Set aside.

3. Mix ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar; set aside.

4. Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture.

5. Press meat mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9 X 5 loaf. Brush half the ketchuo mixture on top and bake 45 minutes.

6. Brush remaining ketchup mixture on top and bake 15 more min. Remove from oven and let it cool 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

This is from the Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

What did you do on vacation?

2009-01-04T18:41:00.001-08:00

Got a haircut!! Tasha (my neighbor) cuts their hair and I bake her a loaf a bread. The law of consecration works in our neighborhood!

Carter was literally climbing the walls over the break!! When you come to my house, Carter is always climbing the stairs or the walls. He was telling me a story and didn't know I had a camera until he looked down.

Santa brought guitar hero to the family. Now everyone is a rocker! You should see Sam with a microphone, she has the moves to be the next American Idol.

We have a camera again!

2009-01-01T13:38:00.000-08:00

Our house is always safe because we have so many superheros
living with us. Currently we are home to IronMan (aka Devin)

The family got Guitar Hero for Christmas and Carter now knows

what he wants to do with his life. Become a guitar hero with the

name "DARK KNIGHT". He keeps the hat down low so no one knows

who he is.

Sam and Devin getting ready for the movies.

This is what happens when the camera gets fixed and the kids get ahold of it! This is what is left of our snow in the front and the back. Sam takes a picture of herself!

Neighborhood FHE Nativity Scenes

2008-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Each year we as neighbors get together and read the Christmas story. The kids dress up as various characters and re-enact that holy night. This year Sammy was Mary, Devin was Joseph and Carter was one of the 3 wise men.

Visits with Santa

2008-12-15T17:36:00.000-08:00

Our neighbor's dad dressed up as Santa and visited our annual neighborhood nativity party. We really only have 3 kids, but Ky comes over to our house enough that we are going to claim him on our taxes this year!! We really think of him as our 4th child (brother from another mother).

2008-12-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

Carter is in 1st grade and having a ball. He loves school and his teacher. Carter is smiling so you can see his lost tooth. He has since lost 2 more teeth (3 altogether).

Cutest Kids

2008-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Here are the kids school pictures. Sammy is in 5th grade and is loving life. She has an awesome teacher and has finally come into her own.

Favorite Things

2008-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

These are a few of our favorite things:

School vacations!
Dove chocolate (who can resist the message inside)
Cocomotion (like a coffee maker for hot chocolate)
Coke
Movies (Mama Mia, HSM 3, X-Files- I Want to Believe, Twilight)
The Office (I can watch the episodes over and over!)
Holiday food (Eggnog, Martinelli's, Honey-baked Ham, apple cider)
Going out to eat
Working in Nursery
Trying new recipes
Clear Play (DVD player that edits movies!!)
Having the best friends and neighbors
Hanging out with the family
Hershey's Kisses with hot cocoa filling
Snow

Bucket List

2008-01-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the "Bucket List" things I just completed:
1) Go on a church history tour: completed summer 2008
2) Be there when they turn on the lights at Temple Square: completed Nov 2008
3) Ride in a limo: completed summer 2008 (Thanks to Renda!!!)

I will continually be updating this, but here is a start of things that I want to do before I die:

1) Eat a hot dog on the streets of New York.
2) Go ice skating in New York.
3) Walk or ride a horse carriage through Central Park.
4) Go on a horse-drawn carriage.
5) Attend a professional football game.
6) See the lights at Rockefeller Square at Christmas-time.
7) Swim with dolphins.
8) See a Broadway Play on Broadway.
9) Go on a cruise.
10) Read the Book of Mormon in 63 days.
11) Visit Mt. Rushmore.
12) Pay cash for a car.
13) Visit all the Utah temples.
14) Attend a temple session in Manti.
15) Own and run a bed and breakfast inn.
16) Attend the Washington DC temple.
17) Attend the New York temple.
18) Go with a tour group to another country.
19) Own a car that has 3 rows of seats.
20) Pay off my house.
21) Maintain ideal weight for 1 year.
22) Go on a service mission.
23) Visit Disneyworld.
24) Visit Alcatraz.
25) Stay in a 5 star hotel and order room service.
26) Go on a girls-weekend.
27) Buy a new car--fully loaded.
28) Visit the Empire State Bldg and go to the top.
29) Visit the Statue of Liberty.
30) Have season tickets to the Arena Football.
31) Have season tickets to plays.
32) Get my masters degree.
33) Learn how to fix minor things on my car.
34) Go to Jerusalem.
35) Live close to my family.
36) Fly first class at least once in my life!
37) Eat a New York pizza.
38) Buy the willow tree nativity scene--it's my favorite!
39) Put a home theater system in my house and set up a "theater" room.

Fiesta Pork Soup

2007-01-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

1 # lean ground pork

1 14 1/2 oz can of chicken broth

1/8 oz. jar of picante sauce

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp ground pepper

1 11 oz. can fiesta nacho cheese soup

1 cup small round tortilla chips

1/4 cup sour cream

In medium saucepan, cook and stir pork until brown. Drain and add chicken broth, picante sauce, cumin and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese soup, simmer until heated through. Do not boil. Pour into bowl, garnish with chips and sour cream.