Two words...Bountiful Baskets

I have two words for you. Bountiful Baskets. This is so amazing!! Got to BountifulBaskets.org for more information on it. I have been participating for a while now and I have never been disappointed. I was a little overwhelmed by the 19 bok choy I got, but pleased none the less. Here is what I got for $16.50.

Farmer's Market

We love the farmer's market. We try to go once or twice a month. It always costs us WAY too much, but it is a fun family activity. This week the boys got their faces painted like spider-man. We also let the boys jump in the big jumpy thing. After all was said and done, we indulged ourselves in Mexican corn on the cob and tamales. Delicious! It was a fun morning!

Attempt

My attempt at potty training this morning was not too great. I wasn't feeling well, so I laid on the couch for a minute. In the mean time, Tevan took off his poopy diaper and put it in the kitchen garbage...or attempted to. Troy stopped in for a minute to get his breakfast and found poop all over the kitchen. So, the diaper went back on and Tevan got a spanking for taking off his own diaper. The technique was to let him go without a diaper. I have heard several success stories with this method. However, I learned today that if I'm upset in the stomach, cleaning up poop doesn't help that situation. We are not giving up, I am just going to put it on hold until my tummy feels better. And, no. I am not pregnant. Why is it that every time a woman in the child bearing years gets sick it is automatically assumed she is prego? I think I am getting ulcers or something. I worry way too much about things!!!!

Tev an

Me: Are you pooping?

Tevan: Yeah

Me: Wanna go sit on the potty?

Tevan: No, mommy change mine diaper.

Lucky me!

Memorial Day weekend 2010

I have no pictures, but I have to write this down before I forget. Troy, surprisingly, had a day off, so we headed to SLC. Adam and Kayla (thank you a million times, again) took our kids while we were away. Saturday after we arrived in SLC, we met Danielli-o, Toddly, and kids, Bart and Annaleen for dinner at MacCool's Irish restaurant. It was great food and wonderful company. Our friends, Annaleen and Bart were here from Belgium and hung out with us the whole weekend. After dinner, we headed to the Off Broadway Theater in downtown. It was so funny. We were able to Priceline our tickets and stayed at the Hilton. I love staying there. It is very roomy and clean. However, the room service tag was written on, so I threw it away. I was very disturbed when I found it out of the trash can and back on my bed the next day!!! I was not happy about it and if you know how germy I am, you know it grossed me out knowing that, first, someone else touched it and second, they took it out of the trash and put it back on the BED. Yuck. However, the rest of the stay was great.

Sunday morning we met Dani, Bart and Annaleen at Temple Square and went to Music and the Spoken Word. They did a memorial theme and it was great. We walked around a bit and headed to Park City to scope out the Olympic park. It was neat to see and I think Bart and Annaleen liked it. We also went to the outlet and had a good time there. I stopped at Gap and found some capris, camis, and a couple of shirts. I also found a cute pair of flip flops and casual shoes at the Sketchers store. Danielle departed and the rest of us headed to Lagoon. I rode Wicked. It was so exhilarating! It is definitely a love-hate relationship there. I could not quit shaking when the ride stopped and I felt like my head was going to explode, but it was amazing. We stayed for a while and we ran into my bro, Jesse and his wife, Carlie and Tucker and Carlie's nephew. They were with my Uncle Kip and Aunt Mitzi and their fam: Shade, Shawntel, Shalese, and Shad. Jess and Shalese rode mouse trap with us. It was fun seeing them. Honestly, if Shad hadn't gone on Wicked, I probably wouldn't have. My uncle Kip rode it 2x's and liked it, too. After Lagoon, we headed for SLC once again. Troy and I ate at Rodizio Grill. He had been there before but I thought I would try it. I really like it and their Flan is to die for. Amazing.

Monday morning we went to Village Inn for breakfast and headed to IKEA. This is one store I always spend way too much money in and I think I need to buy everything. We got the boys some very cute creative toys. We also had to try the meatballs everyone tells us about. They were tasty, but we were still full from breakfast so we had little tastes. We were going to stop at Tai Pan, but we missed the exit. I begged Troy to stop in Malad so I could say hi to those at the store, but they are all new faces there. I did run into the Ray's and it was nice to catch up with my friend Bob's parents. We then did a surprise visit to the Jeppsen's. I was worried I had the wrong house, but relieved to see Anita. Brian (aka Jacob's dad) and Anita look exactly how they did 10 yrs ago. Very youthful. It was so nice to catch up with them. It made me very reminiscent of high school. It also made me sad that I have no roots there anymore. However, I was so happy they were home!!! They are super great people and I am glad to know that after 10 yrs of not seeing them, they still welcome me into their home as if it were yesterday. I miss my friends from High School. It is crazy to think I have been graduated for 12 years!!!!

We picked up the boys and I think Adam and Kayla were very glad to see us. Or maybe just to see my kids leave :). They gave up their weekend to watch our kids and I am glad they were willing to do it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

I am hoping that Bart and Annaleen email me some pics so I can post them. I wish you all could meet these wonderful people. They are so kind and thoughtful. One day I hope to be able to visit them in Belgium. Thank you, Bart and Annaleen, for all that you did for us! You two are so neat! I was so sad to see you go.

Now we are home and life has started once again. Sigh....

Daeson's fifth birthday

My big boy is five! I cannot believe it! I am having a hard time with it. However, he invited some of the primary kids and we had a last minute party. It was a great time and I am so grateful for Bart and Annaleen for all their help!!! It was great! I made mini cupcakes decorated like sports balls. That is what his theme was. He is getting more and more into sports and it is so fun. My brothers were all sporty and I did cheerleading and dance, but I was not sporty. Troy is not the sporty type either, so I am grateful for the YMCA! He had a fun bunch of kids, and they all gave him way more than he needed! Thank you everyone for the fun gifts! I wanted to have his party outside. Last year it was 82 degrees and this year it was rainy and cold. So, we improvised by playing candyland, chutes and ladders, and pin the ball to the mitt . Bart and Annaleen taught us 1-2-3 Piano, Troy printed off some coloring pages, and we made individual pizzas. Overall I think it went well. We finished up with cupcakes, icecream and gifts. It was a fun party. happy birthday, bug! I love you so much and I am proud of the boy you are. You are so special to me and to dad. Tevan loves you, too. He looks up to you and does EVERYTHING you do. We love you!!!!

My yard...

My yard has been neglected the past three years...or like five. This year I took charge and got it done. There used to be rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Troy and his dad (thanks a million) moved them outta here! I then took a shovel and turned all the dirt and got all the weeds out. The boys and I went to the nursery and planted some plants. Over the next few years we will add to it and I would love it to fill the entire space. I love flowers and plants. I am just not very good at growing them :)!

Petit fours or: little cakes

I made these for an achievement day activity. The girls really liked them, or so I am told. I did not taste them before I took them over. I guess they were a hit!

Tora's cake

I made this cake for my super-duper cute niece, Tora. It was strawberry fondant with yellow buttercream. There were little bows and flowers on it. I liked it a lot. The crease in the upper part I was kinda sad about. I bumped it as I was showing the cake off to family. Otherwise, I thought it turned out cute.

Three more cakes and several on the way!

These were cupcakes for Daeson's preschool graduation. I made each child in his class a hand-painted chocolate with their eye color and hair color. The picture is terrible, but they were pretty cute.

This is a wedding cake that I did made of chocolate cake and raspberry filling. The bottom two layers are styrofoam and royal frosting. The top is buttercream. It turned out pretty good. It was fun to learn this style.

We had a family birthday/ preschool graduation party for Daeson. His cake was strawberry with buttercream frosting. He wanted me to buy the one from Sam's, but there is no way I was going to BUY a cake. So, I found his decorations at a cake store and there you go. He really liked it and it was "just like Sam's".



I have been very busy with cakes and it has been very nice. I am almost to my 25 cakes. I changed this because I need to start making some money at this or Troy is going to make me quit. I have invested a lot into pans, tools and time. He is not too happy that I have not made any money yet. I did get an $18.00 tip on one of the cakes and that was so nice! I was very excited and it made me feel like they liked it. So, here are several more cake pics. I have four more orders for this week, so stay posted... I am not sure why I have duplicate pictures. Hmmm. Oh well, you can see them two times. :)

Daeson's graduation and family birthday party:

Congratulations, Daeson. We are so very proud of you! Great job!

We had a small birthday party for Daeson before graduation. He was so happy to have friends and family! Our friends from Belgium, Annaleen and Bart, were able to celebrate with us. Grandma Tom, Grandpa and Grandma Blue and Kaden, Kayla and girls, Bret, Holly, and girls, Justin, Hailey and Jaxon, and Great Grandma Grover were all able to spend time with us. Thank you everyone for celebrating Daeson's special night with us!!!

Daeson's preschool class

This is Daeson's preschool class. Left to right back row: Brooke, Miles, Dani, Rachel, Rylin, Ainsley, Corbin. Left to right front row: Hadley, Savvy, Isabelle, Brayden, Daeson, Saige and Andrea.

He loved his preschool so very much. All the kids were so nice and fun to play with. It will be a hard summer not going to preschool three times a week!!!!

Kangaroo sores

Troy gets canker sores a lot...mostly when he is stressed out. The other day Daeson was very upset and when I asked him why, he replied, "Mom, I have a kangaroo sore and it hurts really bad." I felt so bad for him...it was HUGE! I did think, however, it was so cute that he calls it a kangaroo sore. :) I love him so much!

Tonight...

Tonight I had the opportunity to attend the temple with my grandma. It has been since February that I attended, so I was looking forward to tonight. Troy was great and watched the kids. We left at 4:30 and after our 5:00 session, we had a chapel meeting. I had never been to one of those, but I thought it was rather neat. But tonight as I sat next to my gram, I was feeling very grateful that I get to have her in my life. I know that there are times I take her for granted, but how lucky I am. I watched her tonight. I looked at her hands. I looked at her face. I realized that I have her eyes, so does my dad and little brother. I realized how lonely it must be for her to sit night after night by herself. I realized how empty her house might seem after raising four kids. I tried to imagine myself in her shoes and I realized how I wouldn't be able to do what she does. I rely on Troy so much. She has no one to rely on. Night after night she goes to bed by herself. She eats dinner by herself. She watches movies by herself. I look at her wrinkles. I know some of those are happy wrinkles, and some are worry wrinkles, and some are sad wrinkles. For 12 years she has been alone. I am so lucky that she is capable and has the means to visit us. I am grateful that she can still read to my boys and wrestle with them. What a blessing it is in my life to know my grandparents. What a blessing it is that I get to sit in the Lord's house with my Grandmother. That we are able to sit and enjoy each other's company. She is here for a few days and I am lucky I get to spend time with her. I love Gram.

The cake Cricut...

Yeah, I want one!

Zoo

Today we went to the zoo. Aunt Heidi and Uncle Brad went with us. It was a fun day and it was the perfect temp for the animals to be out and about. I was a bit chilly, but got sunburned...suprise, suprise! We had a little picnic and enjoyed our day. After that, we got icecream at DQ. Yummy! Butterscotch dipped cones!

Happy Mother's Day 2010

Today was mother's day and I enjoyed it. My parents stayed the night last night and went to Sacrament Meeting this morning with us. I was sad to see them go, but Tevan had a really hard time. He kept saying, "I go home with Gamma." Daeson sang with the primary in sacrament meeting and he did a great job. After church, Troy took us to O'Brady's. Normally I wont go out on a Sunday, but he really wanted to do this and I appreciated it. I had an omelet and hash browns with really yummy toast and jam. I brought home most of it! Troy and I watched the Office and Community while the boys played outside. (They were visible the whole time.) I took a great nap and woke up when Heidi and Brad got here. We had a bbq with Troy's fam, or those who could come. It was great. Troy bought me a digital picture frame and some beautiful flowers. I got some great gifts from others, too. It was a nice day. I didn't do too much until it was time to do dinner. But, I liked that I could have my mom here for breakfast and my other mother here for dinner.

I appreciate all of the women in my life. Last night we went to Pocatello for dinner. I got to see my Great Aunt, Virginia, my cousins: Cheryl, Heidi, Shawntel, Shelese, Allison, and Addi, my Aunts: Mitzi and Lindy, and my sis in law, Carlie. I also got to see my niece, Brooke. My mom, and both Grandmothers were there. Of course, I got to see all the men, too. However, it was great to reflect on the important role each of these women/ girls have played in my life. Being a woman is so important. I need to appreciate it more. There are days that I dream of a different life, but there are also days that I relish my children and my role as a wife and mother. I admire so many women for all the roles they play, for all the "hats" they wear. Thank you to all the women in my life who make me want to be a better person.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Today we went to Alvin and the Chipmunks with preschool at the cheap seats. It was an adventure. There were a ton of kids and not so many parents, but they had a great time and we all enjoyed our popcorn, pop, and sucker. I loved when the kids would recognize a song and sing as loud as they could to it. It made me smile. Daeson has the best preschool teacher and I am sad to see the school year winding down. She has done an amazing job and Daeson has learned soooo much. I have Tev registered for next year, but I am not sure how he will do. He is only 3. He is a young 3. And, lets face it, he is my baby. Daeson adapts really well to new things and Tev struggles a lot with new things. Daeson has loved preschool and for that, I am happy. I cannot believe he is going to Kindergarten. Is he really ready? Did I teach him everything he needs to know to get him ready for school? I am sure he is ready...he is ready to fly from the nest for the first time. Am I ready? Most likely not. Every child has to grow up. Every child moves on. It is all part of the plan. So, ready or not, here he comes!!!

Pipes

While my neighbor and friend, Sandy, came for a visit, she had some problems with her rental property's pipes. After watching her go through her problems, we decided it would be a great idea to have our sewer main camera-ed. They stick a long tube with a camera on the end in the pipes and see what is going on...kinda like a colonoscopy for your house :). We found a separation and we have to get it fixed. Another house on our street had the same problem as Sandy and they actually had a break. I guess that is what comes with owning an older home. Troy and I are considering fixing it and possibly moving in the next couple years to a newer house with some acreage. I love where we live, I love our ward, and I love my neighbors. However, I could have a beautiful home with everything I have put into this house. So...we shall see what happens. Troy now has to dig a trench 8.5 ft down and 2.5 ft across. Lovely.

Thank you for this!

I was reading a friend's blog about her experience at Women's Conference and I stumbled upon this quote: Decluttering puts us in step with a God of order. So for all those who say I declutter too much, there ya go. :) I might be obsessed with an orderly house and I might be a little neurotic with my yearly yard-sales, but I try to have a house of order and a house that is presentable. I love to have things in a place and if they don't have a place, I get rid of it. I do not like feeling weighed down with "stuff". I would rather fill my days with experiences rather than stressing out about a messy, unorganized house. I find that not having a lot of stuff is very refreshing. I would love to be a home organizer. That is my dream job. I love to find a place for things and get rid of the un-necessary baggage. I should start my own TLC or HGTV show!

Running

My neighbor, Kara, and I have started running. I go with her on Tuesday mornings. Since the beginning of the year, I think I have gone running 5 times. Three of those have been since last Tuesday. Today we ran 2.01 miles and walked another .99. Grand total: three miles. Not too shabby! However, but June 12, I have to run 6.2 miles. And, by September, I have to run a half marathon: 13.2 miles. Wish me luck. This is the year I have to do it...I turn the big 30 next month. Sigh....... I did promise myself I would run a half marathon by the time my 30th year was over. After that, I would love to stay in shape by running 10k's every year until I just cannot anymore. I figure after 3 runs I am already at 2 miles, I should be able to increase a half a mile every week and by June 12, I will just have to chug along and hope to finish the race!

Mom, take a picture

Tonight Tevan wanted me to take his picture, but I could barely get him to take the horses out o his face...what a silly kid! Daeson was at Grandma and Grandpa Blue's today. He spent the night last night.

Mother's Day cakes

I am now accepting orders thru Wednesday for Mother's Day cakes. This is a small round cake with buttercream frosting. I made this tonight just for a demo to put on fliers. I will make the square one tomorrow. The 8 in round is 6.50 for a basic one layer. The square 8x8 is the same price. Anything more elaborate or larger will be more. I thought some of the husbands and kids around my neighborhood would find it convenient to do this.

Cindrella cake

My neighbor loves Cinderella and this is the cake I did for her. I was a double chocolate cake with a cream bouquet buttercream frosting. I started off doing color flow, but then I smashed her face in on accident with my thumb. So, I had to star tip the entire picture. But, she loved it and that is what counts!!!!