Fun on the iPad

The kids love to take weird pictures on the iPad. Before deleting over a hundred of them recently, I had to post my favorites here. 

Confessions and a Tag

Confession:
I don't forward emails.
Confession:
I delete email forwards before reading them.
Confession:
I don't always read blog tag posts.
Confession:
I don't always do blog tag posts when I'm tagged.
Confession:
I don't feel bad about this.
Confession:
Sometimes I want to do a tag and then think other people will just skip over it like I often do.
Resolution:
I'm going to not care if you skip over my tag posts like I sometimes do yours. I'm going to do them when I want to and ignore them when I don't. Who knows, maybe the kids'll enjoy reading these less than important tidbits one day.

Thanks, Liz, for the meme.

A List of Eights

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch
1. The Office
2. The Office
3. Life
4. Law & Order: SVU
5. American Idol
6. Seinfeld
7. The Office
8. KSL News at 10. Especially the weather. I kind of totally have a crush on Kevin Eubank...

8 Things that Happened Yesterday
1. Talked on the phone to my Aunt Sheri for 53 minutes
2. Tried a new hairdo on Lily. I didn't make it to the messy bun part, though.
3. Did not work out (see #s 1 and 7 -- totally worth it)
4. Went grocery shopping for the first time with all four kids. Made it home with every single one of them.
5. Made a new recipe for dinner -- had to seriously rework the recipe to use what I had on hand. Kids ate 2-5 helpings each. What?
6. Read to the kids for over an hour throughout the day. By the end of an excruciatingly long lovely version of Jack & The Beanstalk, I thought my head might explode.
7. Play date with Angie, Ethan, & Trevor. It was so nice to catch up.
8. Made Cheesy Mini Pumpkin snacks for Chloe's preschool tomorrow. Again, changed the recipe a bit - I used whole grain goldfish crackers on the outside and low fat cream cheese for the ball. And I got sick of trying to make the green onion vines so I bagged that.

8 Favorite Places to Eat
1. Hamilton's
2. Maddox
3. Cafe Rio
4. Rupe's Burgers
5. Le Nonne
6. Anchor Bar. I would consider moving back to Buffalo if only for this restaurant.
7. Any number of restaurants in Buffalo. Best restaurant town ever.
8. Good Mexican. Is there any good Mexican in Cache Valley? I haven't found it. You know, if I ever open a restaurant, I'm going to call it Good Mexican. That's what we're all looking for anyway, isn't it?

8 Things I Am Looking Forward To
1. Hawaii in November
2. Cannon's baby blessing on Sunday (and all the family that equals)
3. Reading bythelbs latest post
4. A day without Lily screaming or crying
5. Apple Cider day with the Allens
6. Christmas
7. Triathlon in the Spring
8. Working out

8 Things on My Wish List
1. Photoshop & Illustrator for the Mac
2. Having house, car, business debt completely paid off
3. A new blog design
4. Good Mexican food
5. A personal decorator for my house
6. To fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans without getting a stomach ache
7. To serve a service mission with Stanton
8. My kids to be nice, productive, faithful grown-ups

8 People I Tag
You know I'm not going to do this. But if you want to play along, tell me in the comments and I'll come visit you...

Various Items

I just signed a check Julie Rose. I do not know the last time I did that.

Flylady is working. I have swept my front porch (in which I was sweeping straw from the bales I had on my porch last fall) and beat my welcome mat (yikes -- 3 years with nary a second look -- it was dirty), cleaned out our kitchen desk (THAT took a while), put kid clothes (that had been randomly strewn about 2 rooms in diaper boxes) into bins with lids and into closets where they belonged, cleaned out my junk/sewing/exercise room, AND finished my apron swap apron and started the appliques for the girls' summer t-shirts. In 3 days time I have accomplished all of this. Stanton came home today and said, "Who is this Flylady and where can I thank her?" Funny. Not at all.

My neighbors whose dog always pooped on our lawn (even after they got the leash) have put in a wireless fence -- it is a slice of heaven and I find myself liking their dog again.

Got a great sale on Cookie Lee jewelry from that same neighbor (nothing over $2.50!). Spent more than I needed to.

Kids played in the new playhouse for 3 1/2 hours this morning. In their pajamas. And tea party dresses from their dress up box (thank you DI). Brigham played the whole time too, but did NOT wear a dress, thank you very much.

I hired a babysitter this afternoon to play with the kids while I worked on the apron/appliques. It was awesome. I also ran a couple of errands; on one of them I found the huge flower pot container things I've wanted for our front porch -- on clearance! Super worth the baby sitter fee.
She played in the playhouse with them, played dress-up, took them for a walk and a bike ride in the rain. No, you can't have her, she's MINE!

Studied my scriptures this morning and found a gem in the first verse I read -- and didn't get any further because of kid interruptions. But it was still a great scripture study because I found something in the first verse that I could totally apply to my life right now. Awesome. Oh, it was Alma 1:1 -- it talks about King Mosiah setting laws, but having them acknowledged and approved by the people. It then says that the people were "obliged to abide by the laws which he made." Ah Hah! So I need to set real rules and help my children to understand and acknowledge them. Then they'll be obliged to follow them! And when they break them, the consequence will naturally follow -- with no room for complaint. I'm not saying I expect them to not complain, but I won't have to feel bad about it.
It's strange to realize, but I've never sat down and "set rules" for our home. I hear myself all day long, though, saying things like, "That's against the rules, Sweety." What rules? They sure don't know. But that's going to change. I'm going to think and pray and work on this this weekend and we'll have a Family Home Evening where we all acknowledge the rules.
What are your rules? What works?

Even with the projects I finished today, I have at least 6 more that I've either started or purchased supplies for. Foolishness.

I haven't felt like cooking lately. But I've forced myself to at least make spaghetti this week. Oh, and Cheryl's little passing reference to a potato/chicken/balsamic vinegar dish -- it was good. And I think it's funny that that is what I came away with from that particular post.


While putting away the kid clothes mentioned above, I felt an urge to get rid of all the baby girl clothes. What?


Pictures of Various Items:






Jill, this counts, right?

Monopoly Money

We received our Economic Stimulus check in the mail today. Frankly, it's laughable to think our congress decided they could stimulate the economy by printing extra money and sending it to us to spend. It just doesn't add up in my mind. Nevertheless, we received ours today and it was kind of fun to see a few hundred bucks I'd done nothing to earn -- this must be what gambling feels like...
Our Bishop had some great counsel regarding the funds and Stanton and I feel inspired to follow it. So, we're using our Monopoly Money to beef up our food storage. We need to focus on canned meats, canned vegetables, and longer term items like rice, wheat, and beans. I think we'll be able to make some serious progress with funds we received.
What are you doing with your Monopoly Money?

Lest I Be Ungrateful

I must report that it has been sunny and beautiful for about 3 days straight here. Maybe our bouquet worked? I know it wasn't the SUV.
Emily took pictures of the kids on Friday night. Chloe fell off a wall and scraped her arm pretty bad. The kids "helped" Stanton outside all day Saturday, I ruined our bathroom with my paint job. They all got sunburned -- Chloe's was particularly humorous because it was a patchwork around her bandages from said wound. That night, we got a babysitter and went to dinner and a movie. Olive Garden and Iron Man. I loved Iron Man. It's the best super hero movie I've seen in a long long time. Loved it.
Sunday was nice enough to walk to church and play outside afterward.
Today the kids played outside for almost the entire day. And I remembered sunscreen.
Tonight we're planting the rest of our garden.
Yes, Spring is springing and we are loving it.

Pics from Friday & Saturday

Mostly for Mom & Dad...

*Lily: I look like Miss Jen!
*Lily: When I look through my magazinefying glass everything is big!

*I hope they still love gardening this much as they get older.
*And pizza for lunch. Could there be 3 cuter kids than these?

Things I Accomplished Today

Today my accomplishments really pleased me, so I'm recording them for posterity...
*Made breakfast
*Cleaned kitchen
*Tidied house
*Got ready, did my hair (on a Saturday!)
*Got kids ready, did their hair (on a Saturday!)
*Cleaned up perrennials outside
*Hauled wood & moved swingset with Stanton
*Got lunch for family, grocery shopped (strawberries on sale $5.99/case!)
*Painted pictures for the bathroom
*Set up trampoline (with a little help from Stanton)
*Made 24 jars of strawberry freezer jam
*Fed kids dinner
*Grocery shopped (yes, again)
One of those days where I just don't feel bad about sitting down in front of the new big screen and watching Dan in Real Life with Stanton and Jim & Rachel. Love those days!

Fun Goings On

So this weekend was General Conference and it was the most enjoyable in recent memory. The kids were just a little better than the last time and I got to hear a good bit of it! I missed Elder Ballard's talk while I was getting food for the kids. Ce'st la vie. (sp) I'll have to listen to it on the internet. Thank goodness for that!

The absolute highlight of the conference for me was the Solemn Assembly. I was about 13 or 14 when President Hinckley was sustained, but I don't remember an assembly like that. It was so incredible to see Stanton and James (his brother) stand together and sustain our new prophet, then to stand with Rachel (sister-in-law) and raise our hands together, and then to stand with Chloe and all of us make that choice together. It was confirmed at that moment that this great man was God's chosen prophet and I was glad to share that with people I love.

Jim & Rachel were over so Rach could give haircuts to Stanton and Brigham (thank you!). This haircut experience was a huge improvement over Brigham's last where I had to restrain his head so Rachel could finish the job. It was so traumatic. This time Stanton was there and was able to entertain Brig while I held him. He still whimpered and whined, but he held mostly still and there were no headlocks. That's a huge relief! He looks so cute, too. Although it's always sad to see his little curls fall on the floor and his hair isn't as red when it's short. Worth it, though. Here's a fun pic of he and Rachel.

Also, yesterday I got to spend the day with Jessica, our niece. For her 12th birthday she asked all of the aunts to go to lunch and the mall with her. No kids allowed. So Judy, Rachel, Julie, Ann, Emily, Patricia, and I met at Applebee's and had a great lunch then most of us headed to the mall. It was so much fun! Jessica got jewelry, lip gloss, clothes, and other fun things at the mall. Thanks for inviting us, Jess! We all had a fun fun time! Happy Birthday!

I loved that for her 12th birthday, she wanted to spend the day with us. I thought it was really great.

While we were in the area, Judy, Rachel, and I made some other fun stops: Dilly Dally's (the best dollar store ever! I got a sweet flip-flop pinata for our Hawaii party), Hobby Lobby (hooray for one in CV soon!), and Tai Pan (got a fun "inspiration piece" for my bathroom upstairs. I'll post pics when I get everything done). It was a fun day spent with girls that I love.

Rose girls, let's do this sometime! Maybe after Mom retires???

And thanks to Liz for tending all day. And thank you Stanton for sparing her from the office! It made the day even funner to not have to worry about the kids.

The Prophet Said to Plant a Garden...

...So that's what we did! Well, the first round of freeze-hardy crops, anyway. And can I just say this was the perfect afternoon? It was the perfect afternoon. The sun was shining, it was warm enough that no one had to wear a jacket, and it was productive! Perfect!

A few favorite pictures from today:

*Things to notice and love in this picture-- Brig following Stanton, Chloe in her Cinderella dress-up and cowboy hat, Stanton's cowboy hat is back out for the season!, the beautiful garden!

*Chloe was so careful to get just one pea in each hole!

*Brigham loved playing in the dirt!

*Lily was the official waterer! She did a great job.

Chloe took this adorable picture of Brigham! And yes, that's another wound on his face! What can I say? He's a rambuncious little kid!

The highlight of the day was being outside as a family. So so fun.

Some favorite moments:

* Chloe planting the peas and onions, being so careful to get just one in each hole.

* Lily handing each onion transplant to Chloe and saying, "Here ya go, Chloe."

* Brigham playing in the dirt, scooping it in a cup and dumping it out, pouring handsful into the watering can and dumping it out.

* Lily pouring her watering can water carefully onto the "baby onion seeds"

* The gorgeous weather.

* The fact that our kids were helpful, really helpful this year!

* This conversation with Lily while she was holding the onion transplants...

Lily: Mom, are these beans?

Me: No, sweetie, they're onions.

Lily: But are these beans?

Me: No, they're onions.

Lily: Mom, will these onions grow into beans?

And just for history's sake:

Brigham climbed up on the bar for the first time today. That's not a milestone I was holding my breath for. Now I find myself holding my breath regularly. Yippee!

And Chloe & Lily played with Little People in the toy room for 1 1/2 hours this morning! UNprecedented! Did I mention this was the perfect day?!

Happenings Today

We drove to Tretown to visit Mitch. He looks awesome and is just as awkward as a returned missionary should be! Fun to be with all the family. Brigham was scared to death of Daisy (Sandall's dog), Chloe was super cautious around her, and Lily wanted to ride her. Chloe warmed up in the couple of hours we were there, but Brigham got worse as he got more tired! It was a fun little trip and always a success when the movie doesn't have to be turned on in the car!

While we were driving over, I had a funny conversation with Chloe. It went like this...
Chloe: Mom, I'm really thirsty.
Me: Sorry, sweetie, I didn't bring any water.
Chloe: Hey, I have an idea. I'll eat my grapes!
Me: Great idea!
Chloe: Yeah, because japes are gruicy (giggle giggle), oh, I mean grapes are juicy!

New things Brigham is saying:
Outdide (outside)
A woof (a dog)
Iwannabiteabiteabite (I want a bite)
Oouch! (well, ouch. But it's from the Charlie Bit Me clip on YouTube--so cute!)

Family, isn't it about ... Pictures?

I didn't take any Easter dress pictures. I'm so mad at myself! We had a less than perfect Sunday morning (Stanton sick, Brigham sick, practicing with a new man for a duet due to Stanton being sick, 1 pm church, etc, etc, etc). I found myself racing out the door at 12:25 for choir practice with Chloe & Lily in tow. Stanton & Brigham stayed home. It was just not an ideal Sunday morning. But I still wish I had pictures! I do, however, have pictures of the Easter basket unveiling...this will have to do.

Some other cute pictures from the last week or so. Hey, if you have trouble remembering to take pictures of your kids (this is where I raise my hand the highest) start a blog! I'm always thinking, "That would be such a cute post! I've got to take a picture! " See, it works!

*Being "Mary & Martha"
*Easter puzzle Chloe put together all by herself! The barricade in the background was her way of keeping the "little kids" away so they wouldn't mess up her puzzle. Very clever and totally useless!

*I love this picture of Stanton with the kids. He's so huge in their play house, but they think it is the coolest thing when he gets inside! He's reading "Winter Craft Projects with Bitty Bear" it's a totally ridiculous book, but the girls were totally captivated! And Brigham is getting up to close the door on me...he really liked it to be cozy and just the four of them in there!

I Just Love Bubble Baths

We don't do baths at night. I guess it's because I really enjoy killing an hour or so every morning instead of rushing at night to get them done before bed. Plus I love that fresh clean look they have when I do their hair after a morning bath!

We did a bubble bath this morning and it was so much fun. The kids played nice, which is not always the case in the bathtub and they were having so much fun making costumes with the bubbles. It was just a fun morning...


Lily as "a witch"


Brigham wishing the soap tasted as good as it smelled


Brigham, Lily, & Chloe