Kim and Rachel, I totally thought of you girls when I saw this! Click where it says "share" and you can copy the embed code to add to your blog. Enjoy!!!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
since Easter
While Faith was on spring break, I went into the optometrist at Sam's Club for a check up. I was glad that Faith was there to keep Christian busy during the 
long appointment, and both kids were really very good and mostly quiet. One exception was while I was answering the "lens one, or lens two" questions behind this thing.-->
(I learned while trying to find a picture of one that it's called a phoropter. This blog is nothing if not educational!)
.
Christian started in with his, "mom------mom------mom." I kept telling him, "Quiet, Bud, and mom will be done in just a minute." and finally the doctor told him that he needed to wait until mommy was done. After a hundred more "mom"s, I finally said, "WHAT, Buddy?" and he replied, "Mom, wook wike wobot!" (translation-"Mom, you look like a robot!")
Next, the doctor put on crazy specs on me like these which have interchangable lenses, but he put a black plastic piece in the left side while he checked the prescription for my right eye. After a minute or two Christian blurted out, "Now wook wike piwate!" (Now you look like a pirate!) After that one, Faith, the doctor and I all cracked up!!
On April 14th I found this cat toy on clearance for $7 (regular price: $18) and just couldn't pass it up. Faith had been wanting something like this for Dusty and was just thrilled.
She even made him a matching pirate's hat!
A couple of weeks ago, we had gotten these barstools and I forgot to take and post a picture.
.
It was the weirdest thing. First of all, they are from Target and our dining set is from RC Willey, neither of which carried the opposite item and they are not marked as being from the same company (which I'm pretty sure they are since they're nearly identical.)
.
Secondly, was the way we got them. I had seen them in a Target ad about 8 months ago when they were on sale for 15 or 20 percent off the regular price of $90 each. I, of course, decided to wait until they went on a better sale. I scoured the Target ad each Sunday only to find that these never went on sale again! I checked on-line a few months ago and they weren't even listed, so I was afraid they had been discontinued.
.
That particular Saturday at the beginning of April, we went out to eat at the Bountiful Chuck-A-Rama, which is unusual because we don't eat out very often and if we do go to Chuck-A-Grandma's (as Faith calls it), we go to the Riverdale one. We stopped at the Centerville Target on the way home and happened to find my barstools being clearanced out for half price!
.
When we asked an employee for a flatbed cart to wheel them out, he remarked that he was surprised and glad to be getting rid of the stools so quickly since they had been in the back room for awhile and he'd just put them out a few hours before! Luck like that just doesn't usually happen around here! Even better was that my mom paid for them as a gift to us!!! I should have entered the lottery that day :)
On the 15th, we had a blizzard most of the day and the snow finally started sticking around 1 pm. This is crazy Utah spring!
That night I made omelets for dinner which Tony, Christian & I thoroughly enjoyed (Faith doesn't care for eggs and didn't really touch hers). The next morning, Buddy wanted to eat Faith's for breakfast since he loved it so much! Here he is with a gigantic bite.
On April 17th our primary had a talent show activity. Faith brought this picture of Olivia for the display table because she decided that art is her best talent. I think this drawing is amazing!
.
Some of the other kids sang, played piano, did karate, jump roped, played kazoos, and one even showed his talent for burping. Afterward, they got medals, light sticks (for letting their talents "shine"), and giant cookies. It turned out to be a really fun activity and all I really had to do was make the invitation and call half the families with a reminder!
.
On a sad note, just this past Sunday I was released as the Primary first counselor. Yes, I was only in the presidency since November, but the president had been in for three years. (Interesting note: I was the third person to be first counselor in this presidency that I know of because she lost one who got called to be Young Women's president and another when the ward split this last time.) I hope I get another calling in the primary, I think I'm too used to the action and would have a hard time sitting through a three hour block of church without it!
.
.
After the activity, I couldn't get the kids to leave the church grounds! They ran up and down the little hill and collected lots of dandilions. I played with this pic a bit--cropped it extra close and desaturized the color--and thought it turned out pretty cool.
.
.
Then, the little monkeys climbed up on the hood of the car and didn't want to get off. It seriously took us an extra 30 minutes or more to get on the road after that activity!
.
.
.
On the 18th our family headed over to J & J Nursery to get some flowers and such for our front and side planting beds. I love this pose of Buddy's, it reminds me of a "keep it real" rap star pose!
We picked mostly budget-friendly petunias, but also got some snap dragons, marigolds and geraniums. (We later stopped at WalMart and got two rose bushes and four peonies.) We also bought large and small hanging baskets and an urn of white geraniums. The kids loved the koi pond and could have spent another couple of hours staring at it!
Also at Walmart, Tony picked the kids up some gardening gloves in thier favorite colors. Christian had fun playing outside, and Faith was a big help planting the flowers. Next up will be a vegetable garden, as soon as we get a non-stormy weekend!!
The next day after church, I let Christian spend a minute or two watering our new flowers with his long lost friend, the hose sprayer. Unfortunately, it took him way longer than two minutes because it was just so darn fun.
.
And I say "unfortunately" because little Buddy's mom is not so great at remembering the sunscreen at the beginning of spring, and she needs to work on that now that she has a child with skin just one nano-shade darker than an albino. His arms got kinda crispy and his face looked rosy, but it could have been much worse.
Tony's 38th birthday was the 20th, so we celebrated the day before at the parents' houses. My mom made Tony his favorite dessert, Chocolate Lush. (You can find the recipe for it HERE.)
.
He got money, fun cards, and a shirt.
I don't write often enough how much I and the kids love that guy. He's a wonderful, caring husband (and believe me, I know how hard I am to put up with!), works so hard for our family, and is the cutest, sweetest, funnest dad ever!!! We love you soooooo much, happy birthday Ton!!
The night of the 20th, Christan was doing his best to talk me into letting him fall asleep in my bed (good try, Buddy!) while Faith rounded up items to take to school for a time capsule that she was putting together in her class.
.
.
They were each sealing their items in a #10 can, not to be opened until high school graduation. She wanted a recent picture, so I took this one that very night and printed it out for her. Tony and I each wrote a letter for the project and I gave them to Faith in sealed envelopes.
.
After school the next day, Faith asked what we wrote in the letters. I told her that it was a surprise and that she would find out when she got to unseal the time capsule.
"Is it the Easter Bunny's phone number??"
"No."
"Is it Santa Claus's phone number?!?!!"
"No."
(Very dejectedly) "Oh."
.
.
And lastly, here is a video of Christian singing "Happy Birthday" to himself (because he always wishes he were the birthday boy) and blowing out a hot glue stick "candle":
long appointment, and both kids were really very good and mostly quiet. One exception was while I was answering the "lens one, or lens two" questions behind this thing.-->(I learned while trying to find a picture of one that it's called a phoropter. This blog is nothing if not educational!)
.
Christian started in with his, "mom------mom------mom." I kept telling him, "Quiet, Bud, and mom will be done in just a minute." and finally the doctor told him that he needed to wait until mommy was done. After a hundred more "mom"s, I finally said, "WHAT, Buddy?" and he replied, "Mom, wook wike wobot!" (translation-"Mom, you look like a robot!")
Next, the doctor put on crazy specs on me like these which have interchangable lenses, but he put a black plastic piece in the left side while he checked the prescription for my right eye. After a minute or two Christian blurted out, "Now wook wike piwate!" (Now you look like a pirate!) After that one, Faith, the doctor and I all cracked up!!
On April 14th I found this cat toy on clearance for $7 (regular price: $18) and just couldn't pass it up. Faith had been wanting something like this for Dusty and was just thrilled.
She even made him a matching pirate's hat!
A couple of weeks ago, we had gotten these barstools and I forgot to take and post a picture..
It was the weirdest thing. First of all, they are from Target and our dining set is from RC Willey, neither of which carried the opposite item and they are not marked as being from the same company (which I'm pretty sure they are since they're nearly identical.)
.
Secondly, was the way we got them. I had seen them in a Target ad about 8 months ago when they were on sale for 15 or 20 percent off the regular price of $90 each. I, of course, decided to wait until they went on a better sale. I scoured the Target ad each Sunday only to find that these never went on sale again! I checked on-line a few months ago and they weren't even listed, so I was afraid they had been discontinued.
.
That particular Saturday at the beginning of April, we went out to eat at the Bountiful Chuck-A-Rama, which is unusual because we don't eat out very often and if we do go to Chuck-A-Grandma's (as Faith calls it), we go to the Riverdale one. We stopped at the Centerville Target on the way home and happened to find my barstools being clearanced out for half price!
.
When we asked an employee for a flatbed cart to wheel them out, he remarked that he was surprised and glad to be getting rid of the stools so quickly since they had been in the back room for awhile and he'd just put them out a few hours before! Luck like that just doesn't usually happen around here! Even better was that my mom paid for them as a gift to us!!! I should have entered the lottery that day :)
On the 15th, we had a blizzard most of the day and the snow finally started sticking around 1 pm. This is crazy Utah spring!
That night I made omelets for dinner which Tony, Christian & I thoroughly enjoyed (Faith doesn't care for eggs and didn't really touch hers). The next morning, Buddy wanted to eat Faith's for breakfast since he loved it so much! Here he is with a gigantic bite.
On April 17th our primary had a talent show activity. Faith brought this picture of Olivia for the display table because she decided that art is her best talent. I think this drawing is amazing!.
Some of the other kids sang, played piano, did karate, jump roped, played kazoos, and one even showed his talent for burping. Afterward, they got medals, light sticks (for letting their talents "shine"), and giant cookies. It turned out to be a really fun activity and all I really had to do was make the invitation and call half the families with a reminder!
.
On a sad note, just this past Sunday I was released as the Primary first counselor. Yes, I was only in the presidency since November, but the president had been in for three years. (Interesting note: I was the third person to be first counselor in this presidency that I know of because she lost one who got called to be Young Women's president and another when the ward split this last time.) I hope I get another calling in the primary, I think I'm too used to the action and would have a hard time sitting through a three hour block of church without it!
.
.
After the activity, I couldn't get the kids to leave the church grounds! They ran up and down the little hill and collected lots of dandilions. I played with this pic a bit--cropped it extra close and desaturized the color--and thought it turned out pretty cool.
.
.
Then, the little monkeys climbed up on the hood of the car and didn't want to get off. It seriously took us an extra 30 minutes or more to get on the road after that activity!
.
.
.
On the 18th our family headed over to J & J Nursery to get some flowers and such for our front and side planting beds. I love this pose of Buddy's, it reminds me of a "keep it real" rap star pose!
We picked mostly budget-friendly petunias, but also got some snap dragons, marigolds and geraniums. (We later stopped at WalMart and got two rose bushes and four peonies.) We also bought large and small hanging baskets and an urn of white geraniums. The kids loved the koi pond and could have spent another couple of hours staring at it!
Also at Walmart, Tony picked the kids up some gardening gloves in thier favorite colors. Christian had fun playing outside, and Faith was a big help planting the flowers. Next up will be a vegetable garden, as soon as we get a non-stormy weekend!!
The next day after church, I let Christian spend a minute or two watering our new flowers with his long lost friend, the hose sprayer. Unfortunately, it took him way longer than two minutes because it was just so darn fun..
And I say "unfortunately" because little Buddy's mom is not so great at remembering the sunscreen at the beginning of spring, and she needs to work on that now that she has a child with skin just one nano-shade darker than an albino. His arms got kinda crispy and his face looked rosy, but it could have been much worse.
Tony's 38th birthday was the 20th, so we celebrated the day before at the parents' houses. My mom made Tony his favorite dessert, Chocolate Lush. (You can find the recipe for it HERE.)
.He got money, fun cards, and a shirt.
I don't write often enough how much I and the kids love that guy. He's a wonderful, caring husband (and believe me, I know how hard I am to put up with!), works so hard for our family, and is the cutest, sweetest, funnest dad ever!!! We love you soooooo much, happy birthday Ton!!
The night of the 20th, Christan was doing his best to talk me into letting him fall asleep in my bed (good try, Buddy!) while Faith rounded up items to take to school for a time capsule that she was putting together in her class.
.
.
They were each sealing their items in a #10 can, not to be opened until high school graduation. She wanted a recent picture, so I took this one that very night and printed it out for her. Tony and I each wrote a letter for the project and I gave them to Faith in sealed envelopes.
.
After school the next day, Faith asked what we wrote in the letters. I told her that it was a surprise and that she would find out when she got to unseal the time capsule.
"Is it the Easter Bunny's phone number??"
"No."
"Is it Santa Claus's phone number?!?!!"
"No."
(Very dejectedly) "Oh."
.
.
And lastly, here is a video of Christian singing "Happy Birthday" to himself (because he always wishes he were the birthday boy) and blowing out a hot glue stick "candle":
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Broken
I heard this song on Sunday during "Soft Sunday Sounds" on FM100 and was happy to find this on YouTube:
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
It's been too long since I posted a recipe, so I thought I would put up a family favorite:
Chicken Divan
.
2 - 10 oz packages of broccoli florets
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup Progresso Italian style bread crumbs
1 Tbs. butter
Cook brocolli according to package, drain. Place in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle chicken pieces over broccoli.
Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry. Pour over chicken layer. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs and dot butter over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.
*Don't completely cook the broccoli or it will end up mushy after baking in the casserole.
*Sometimes I use fresh broccoli and steam it until it's about halfway done instead of using frozen.
*I often use whatever I have on hand like pieced rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey instead of the chicken breasts.
Chicken Divan
.
2 - 10 oz packages of broccoli florets
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonaise
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup Progresso Italian style bread crumbs
1 Tbs. butter
Cook brocolli according to package, drain. Place in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle chicken pieces over broccoli.
Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry. Pour over chicken layer. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs and dot butter over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.
*Don't completely cook the broccoli or it will end up mushy after baking in the casserole.
*Sometimes I use fresh broccoli and steam it until it's about halfway done instead of using frozen.
*I often use whatever I have on hand like pieced rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey instead of the chicken breasts.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Easter and stuff
On April 10th, Tina called me up and said that I needed to see her hair. I asked her what she did 
to it and she replied that I would just have to see it in person and that she would be over within the hour. Faith was worried that she dyed it a strange color or cut it super short, but Tina was just freaking out about the adorable highlights that Chelsea put in for her! Of course, because I'm never with it enough to get pictures of everything I want, I don't have one of Tina and her cute hair, but I do have this one of Zach playing football with Christian.
I had to add yet another picture of Dusty because this one turned out so cute!
.
Saturday, April 11th was a very busy day. It started at 9 am at the Albertson's Easter candy scramble. They had the 0-3 year olds go first and Buddy completely cleaned up. This was not like the Smith's Easter to-do of my youth where they offered up the crappy candy that didn't sell out of the bins the previous year. I always ended up with a bag of plain hard candy, circus peanuts, and big rectangle gum drops (which I actually enjoyed because we didn't get much candy). Albertson's put out Reece's peanut butter cups & peanut butter eggs, Kit Kats, Whopper Eggs, bubble gum and such!
.
They both had a fun time there!
At the last minute we decided to go to the Kaysville City Easter egg hunt that started at 10. Last year it was horrible because they had the kids line up outside the fence of the field, then when the whistle blew they could start entering through the four foot wide entrance. We were late and were at the back of the line, so it took ten minutes for us just to enter the field. By that time, all of the earlier entrants had found every egg! This year they were smarter.
They had the kids all go into their designated field and stand around the perimeter. That way they could all start hunting at once when it started. Tony had Christian and said that the younger kids (with over-eager and rule-breaking parents) started right after they announced the two minute warning, but both our kids came away with plenty of plastic eggs filled with small candy or plastic bugs!
At 11 was Faith's soccer game. She was a little timid at first, but by the end of the game was really getting in there and almost scored a goal!
Christian saw some birds out on the field and wanted some bread to feed to them. I didn't have any on hand and told him so, which led to an hourlong fit of screaming "bread birds!!!"
.
After getting the kids a quick bath, we got on over to Braegger's for their Easter Egg Hunt & Dinner. Tammy made 14 plastic eggs for each child with their initial on it that they had to find.
It's always a fun challenge to locate them in the groves of scrub oak. Some of the eggs had candy, some had gold dollar coins, and others had slips of paper with prizes on them. When all the eggs were found, we went inside so the kids could collect on those.
They each got two outfits, bubbles, and other treats. Tammy got Faith this shirt since she's so excited to get braces. Man, she doesn't know what she's in for!
The kids have suckers in their mouths that had bunny nose, cheeks & teeth for the handle. Cute!
Tammy showed Christian how you use Whopper Eggs as lipstick,
.
The next day was Easter! Even though we were running a few minutes late, I managed to get this pic of the kids in their Easter duds before 9 am church. Thank you mom for Faith's dress and Tammy for making sure Christian looked extra spiffy!
When we came home from church, we found that the Easter bunny had visited while we were gone. He was one sneaky guy this year--he hid their baskets way up on the plant shelf. Tony had to use the ladder to get them down!
Luckily, the kids found all 27 eggs that the Easter Bunny hid
because they both gave it their best effort. Christian & Faith had been practicing with plastic eggs a few days before by hiding them for each other. :)
Crumpet just watched all the action from her perch on the couch.
.
and Faith loved that her Peeps were hot pink--her favorite color.
Here they're displaying some of their finds.
They needed me to blow up their punching balloons right away and ravenously devoured the ears of their bunnies!
Later that afternoon, my mom did her annual jelly bean & Easter gift hunt. Here is the starting with Faith helping her brother strategise where the most candy he could reach could be found.
Faith was most excited to find this lamb Webkinz inside a giant egg with her name on it!
Here's Buddy's candy haul.
And the cousins posing with their matching lambies. I thought it was hilarious that Alaura named hers "Lamb-Bo."
The little boys got dinosaurs that make a chomping sound when you put your finger in its mouth. Sometimes they burp afterwards, you've gotta know that's Christian's favorite part!
to it and she replied that I would just have to see it in person and that she would be over within the hour. Faith was worried that she dyed it a strange color or cut it super short, but Tina was just freaking out about the adorable highlights that Chelsea put in for her! Of course, because I'm never with it enough to get pictures of everything I want, I don't have one of Tina and her cute hair, but I do have this one of Zach playing football with Christian.
I had to add yet another picture of Dusty because this one turned out so cute!
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Saturday, April 11th was a very busy day. It started at 9 am at the Albertson's Easter candy scramble. They had the 0-3 year olds go first and Buddy completely cleaned up. This was not like the Smith's Easter to-do of my youth where they offered up the crappy candy that didn't sell out of the bins the previous year. I always ended up with a bag of plain hard candy, circus peanuts, and big rectangle gum drops (which I actually enjoyed because we didn't get much candy). Albertson's put out Reece's peanut butter cups & peanut butter eggs, Kit Kats, Whopper Eggs, bubble gum and such! .
Next was the 4-8 year old group. Faith's in here somewhere, searching through the shredded paper for the goodies. She got quite a bit as well, but there were more kids in her age group so her loot was smaller than Christian's.
They both had a fun time there!
.
.
At the last minute we decided to go to the Kaysville City Easter egg hunt that started at 10. Last year it was horrible because they had the kids line up outside the fence of the field, then when the whistle blew they could start entering through the four foot wide entrance. We were late and were at the back of the line, so it took ten minutes for us just to enter the field. By that time, all of the earlier entrants had found every egg! This year they were smarter.
They had the kids all go into their designated field and stand around the perimeter. That way they could all start hunting at once when it started. Tony had Christian and said that the younger kids (with over-eager and rule-breaking parents) started right after they announced the two minute warning, but both our kids came away with plenty of plastic eggs filled with small candy or plastic bugs!
At 11 was Faith's soccer game. She was a little timid at first, but by the end of the game was really getting in there and almost scored a goal!
Christian saw some birds out on the field and wanted some bread to feed to them. I didn't have any on hand and told him so, which led to an hourlong fit of screaming "bread birds!!!"
. .
.
.
.
At home after the soccer game, I got a picture of the gorgeous blooms on our magnolia bush.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After getting the kids a quick bath, we got on over to Braegger's for their Easter Egg Hunt & Dinner. Tammy made 14 plastic eggs for each child with their initial on it that they had to find.
It's always a fun challenge to locate them in the groves of scrub oak. Some of the eggs had candy, some had gold dollar coins, and others had slips of paper with prizes on them. When all the eggs were found, we went inside so the kids could collect on those.
They each got two outfits, bubbles, and other treats. Tammy got Faith this shirt since she's so excited to get braces. Man, she doesn't know what she's in for!
.
The kids have suckers in their mouths that had bunny nose, cheeks & teeth for the handle. Cute!
Tammy showed Christian how you use Whopper Eggs as lipstick,
.
and shared a "blue lips" kiss!
The next day was Easter! Even though we were running a few minutes late, I managed to get this pic of the kids in their Easter duds before 9 am church. Thank you mom for Faith's dress and Tammy for making sure Christian looked extra spiffy!
When we came home from church, we found that the Easter bunny had visited while we were gone. He was one sneaky guy this year--he hid their baskets way up on the plant shelf. Tony had to use the ladder to get them down!
Luckily, the kids found all 27 eggs that the Easter Bunny hid
because they both gave it their best effort. Christian & Faith had been practicing with plastic eggs a few days before by hiding them for each other. :)
Crumpet just watched all the action from her perch on the couch.
.
Buddy was amazed by the size of his chocolate bunny
and Faith loved that her Peeps were hot pink--her favorite color.
Here they're displaying some of their finds.
They needed me to blow up their punching balloons right away and ravenously devoured the ears of their bunnies!
Later that afternoon, my mom did her annual jelly bean & Easter gift hunt. Here is the starting with Faith helping her brother strategise where the most candy he could reach could be found.
Faith was most excited to find this lamb Webkinz inside a giant egg with her name on it!
Here's Buddy's candy haul.
And the cousins posing with their matching lambies. I thought it was hilarious that Alaura named hers "Lamb-Bo."
The little boys got dinosaurs that make a chomping sound when you put your finger in its mouth. Sometimes they burp afterwards, you've gotta know that's Christian's favorite part!We had a wonderful Easter with all of the fun activities, but also with the celebration of the atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He lives!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
And since I finally updated with kid pictures, I feel that I can add yet another video!! I've been meaning to post this since I saw it on Good Things Utah the first week of April. Sorry that you have to sit through a commercial to get to the song, but I promise it's worth it!
Sam Payne and Russ Dixon singing "Lullaby"
(no longer available to embed--CLICK HERE)
Sam Payne and Russ Dixon singing "Lullaby"
(no longer available to embed--CLICK HERE)
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