50 Things About Me - Installment 2

39. my favorite ice cream in the world is baskin robbins baseball nut. vanilla ice cream with cashews and a raspberry ribbon - love it!

38. i am a huge worry wart. i worry all the time about really stupid stuff that i have no control over

37. if my house were to catch on fire right now the only thing i would try to save, besides my children of course, are old photographs. priceless pieces of family history that can never be replaced. oh! and a pair of undies because when i worked retail a friend of mines house burnt to the ground and i remember trying to help his mom find some clothes and she burst into tears about not having any undies. sorta stuck with me...

36. i don't think i have a defined style. you know how people will say "oh that looks like you". my styles and tastes are so all over the place that i don't think it's easy to peg what i would and wouldn't like

35. even though i have enjoyed being home with my kiddos for the last four years (and wouldn't trade it for anything!) there are a lot of things that i miss from working outside the home

34. my favorite flowers are sterling roses

33. i have no sense of direction what so ever. when we first moved here i got lost about a mile from our house and was lost for 2 hours. totally humiliating

32. lighting the grill scares me, i am always afraid it's going to blow up in my face

31. if i had unlimited resources one of my splurges would be attending the theatre on a regular basis. when i was a kid my big dream was to be on broadway. you can see how that one worked out for me....

30. my kids can draw better than i can ;) i have zero artistic ability in that area which always irritated me because i have two brothers that can draw and paint like you can't believe

Boring, Predictable Pot Roast Begone!

Who doesn't love a good pot roast for Sunday dinner? It's been a solid standby in my family forever. Periodically I throw in a little twist here and there, just to try and jazz it up because let's face it....... it can get a little too familiar tasting. But, I got the following recipe from a friend of mine and it is so scrumptious I had to share!

1 roast

carrots and potatoes; however many you want

onion soup mix

gingerale

Put your carrots and potatoes in the bottom of a crock pot, dash of salt and pepper. Place the roast on top. Mix together the soup mix and gingerale, I used about 5-6 cups. Pour over the top of your roast and cook for about 6-8 hours. And the juice makes the best gravy. It has just a hint of ginger and is slightly sweet.

So simple and fabulous. Seriously, my family could not stop talking about how much they loved it. Huge success!! Thanks for the recipe Laura!

Info that I thought I would share

Do you know what to do if your child sticks their finger into an opened can trapping their finger between the cut lid and the can?? I did not have a clue what to do this evening when Lily reached into the trash can, grabbed a can and did exactly that. I was petrified. All I could think about was that I was going to cut the tip of her finger off trying to get it out and Larry wasn't home so how was I going to look marching into the emergency room with all those kids in tow while Lily's severed finger bled profusely. And of course there would be the social service type questions when they saw Brooke and Lily's eye (I was brave enough to take them out together today and had two people ask me what happened to them). I called Larry and in my panicked state I didn't explain the situation in a way that made sense so I started calling his sisters because they just always seem to know what to do with that kind of stuff. And they speak hysterical mom language. So, if this happens to your kiddos, take their hand and push it down towards the bottom of the can. The lid will release and let the trapped finger go. The finger will be cut, but it shouldn't be too bad. And just try to keep them from wiggling it or pulling up because that makes the cut larger. Now some of you might be thinking, "well if she had a safety can opener that wouldn't happen". And you would be right. But, I have had more than one of those and for some reason they break every time! I'm sure it's just my luck and that they work great for everyone else. Of course since this happened I will however be purchasing another one......

Fun With Aunt Kristy and Uncle JC

This has been the summer of family. First Bear Lake, then Bella's baptism and now Larry's sister Kristy and her husband JC from Houston! We were so excited when they told us that they were coming to town. Buisness brought them here, JC works for a company that sells fire trucks and there is a big convention. But, they came out several days early to spend time with us! Kristy loves the mountains and unfortunately Houston isn't exactly mountain territory. So we decided to spend the weekend soaking in the mountain air. Our first stop was Winter Park to ride the alpine slide and other miscellaneous activities. When we left town the sun was shining and it was a glorious day. And then as we climbed the mountain the sky looked more and more ominous. The first rain drop hit our windshield right as we pulled into the parking lot and the rain did not stop. It was terrible! Personally, I hate rain to begin with but this was the really cold, bonechilling rain. We tried to forge ahead but in the end we had to give up. It was just too stinkin cold! And I couldn't believe that after living in Colorado for nine years we went to the mountains so unprepared! When are we going to learn that the mountain weather is so unpredictable? We didn't have any coats and we were all in shorts and flip flops (well the girls were anyway) and it was a whopping 50 degrees. So in the end all we did was buy some cool sweatshirts. Determined not to have our adventures spoiled the next day by uncooperative weather we packed everyone a change of clothes, shoes and two coats for everyone. We also packed a ton of towels and headed off for four wheeling outside Co. Springs. When we got there it was really warm and perfect for riding but we could see the storm moving in.

Brendan pondering life?? I actually have no clue what was running through his mind at this moment and it's possible that I don't want to know! He caught a tiny fish this time while we were there (last time it was a lizard). But unfortunately it didn't survive the ride down the mountain.
Lily kept begging Uncle JC to take her for a ride so they lesiurely rode around the campsite a little bit. I say campsite because it really is like camping when you are there even though it's just a few hours.
After a little ride she went on a climb with Aunt Kristy. We got in some good riding before the storm hit. Once it started raining we moved the canopy over to cover part of the trailer and broke out the portable dvd player for the kids. They watched a movie and had some soda and snacks. It was kind of like being at the drive in. But then the rain was pounding so hard on the canopy that we couldn't hear the dvd player. So much for the "it's going to pass really soon" theory!
But you know that you are in good company when the pounding rain and collapse of plans doesn't bother you at all. We hung out under the canopy laughing with the kids and just enjoying each other and the beautiful scenery. The mountains are glorious, even in the rain.

While they were here we celebrated Kristy's birthday at Maggianno's. I can sum up our experiance there in one word "Delectable". It was our first trip there and I just keep asking myself why we haven't frequented that place for all our special events?! We also did a little shopping and they spoiled our kids with attention and other things.

I don't want to sound like a sentimental sap, but........ as our parents get older I really appreciate the relationships between siblings. There is something about the never ending, stand by your family no matter what, love that I appreciate. Larry and I treasure the time we get to spend with our siblings. Unfortunately, I have not seen most of my brothers for a really long time, seven years to be exact, and it weighs heavily on my heart. I want my kids to know them the way that they know Larry's sisters. So, my goal is to somehow get together with each of them in the next year. As for Kristy and JC, they fly out tomorrow. We are going to meet them at the fire show and the kids are so excited to see the engines and equipment that they can hardly sleep.

Matchy - Matchy

I love it when my kids match each other or at least color coordinate. It creates such a polished and classic look. Now don't misunderstand me, I am not one of those moms that drives all over town trying desperately to match everyone up. At least not very often anyway. But, it is a look that I like. Especially with the girls because I can only do that with them for so long and then they won't think it's fun or cute anymore. This is one of my favorite pictures of the kids. Easter morning 2007 everyone matchy matchy in lavender.

I found out this week that there is one kind of matchy matchy I do not like at all. It's called "blackeye and eye trauma matchy".
Brooke got hers while jumping on the tramp and colliding with another little girl. This is our first real accident on the tramp. When I saw her I thought for sure we were on our way to the emergency room with a concussion. For days it was so swollen she could hardly open her eye. I felt so bad for her!
Lily got her's while being naughty at the store. She was over tired which for her turns the mischievous meter up a few notches. Add in an empty display table, a girl that is so fast she seems to have wings on her feet, likes to climb and the result is a cut that starts right along the crease of the eye. So far it is not discolored but I am sure it will be in the next few days. With two little girls sporting such lovely facial trauma Larry and I have decided that it is best not to take them out anywhere together for awhile. I can already see the stares and here peoples whisperings as we pass by in my head. "Did you see those two girls?? I wonder what is going on in that house?....." Good times......good times.....

what i miss about being a kid!

As I watch my kids and the joy they find in things it makes me reminisce about being a kid myself. Childhood is such a fun and free time. You truly believe with all your heart that you can do absolutely anything.

The top ten things I miss about being a child are:

(drum roll please)

1. fireflies; we would chase them for hours and then pull off the tails (sorry, not very humane) and makes rings out of them. it makes me sad that they don't live here because i feel like my kiddos are missing out on some major fun!

2.food; being able to eat anything you wanted without thinking for a second about fat content or how many calories it possessed.

3. laughing all the time

4. riding bikes all over town with no helmet! shocking i know. how did we ever survive?

5.responsibilites - zero; no need to elaborate on that one

6.sleepovers - so many good memories, so many secrets shared

7.homecoming pep rallies and parades that ended at the park across from my house. go wildcats!

8.playing football with my brothers

9. my mom's cooking

10.being clueless to how tumultuous the world really is. ignorance is bliss so to speak.

Bella's Baptism

As your children grow there are certain milestones that they reach which touch your heart and soul more than you thought would be possible. Bella's baptism was one of those things. We were so excited to have family here, Nonie and Papa, Aunt Nancy with the cousins. All of them contributed so much to her special day.

Bella was very calm yet extrememly excited through the whole thing. She was very specific about who she wanted to give talks and prayers. The one thing that I picked rather than her was we had Brendan sing "When I am Baptized" and he did such a good job! I was so proud of him. He was very composed, not the least bit nervous. The only thing that we didn't talk to him about was what to do when he was done. So at the end of the song, I could see the hesitation and the "what do I do now" look in his eyes. His answer to the question was a little bow, not a big one, just a half one. It was very funny and so Brendan like.

The baptism had a very spiritual presence through the whole thing. I was touched at how strong the spirit was. And I was so very proud of Bella for making the decision to be baptized. Yes, her decision - not mine or Larry's. When Brendan was baptized I had a friend of another faith that "grilled" me a little bit on how Brendan felt about having to be baptized. I realized that she honestly felt it was not his decision to make but ours' because it is standard practice in the church for children to be baptized at the age of eight. But this is not a decision that we (parents)make. The children are so excited to be baptized. They are excited to start their journey towards following the savior's plan for their life and striving to return to him one day. It is a sign of our willingness to do what the savior has commanded. One brick in the path that marks our way.
The other thing that struck me as we were getting ready for the baptism is how much it reminded me of another special day that I know will come way to soon. Silly I know but I couldn't help but think as I helped her into her white dress and fixed her hair that before I knew it we would be doing this again. But on a much larger scale. That thought brought such perspective to me in regards to how fast time flies and how we really do need to try and savor each little minute that we have with them while they are young.

The whole weekend was so perfect and we just feel so blessed and loved not only by our family but by our church family as well.

The Dress

My friend Rachael offered to take pictures of Bella in her dress. Here are a few of my favorites.

Didn't she do such a great job? Also, a HUGE thanks goes out to Kim C for getting sleeves put on the dress!! Couldn't have done it with out ya

FINISHED!!!

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Breaking Dawn since devouring the rest of the series in one week last November. With the release date set the same weekend as Bella's baptism, I wasn't sure how I was going to get any good reading time in. But, luckily I was able to steal a few moments during the day and well who can sleep with an unfinished book in the house?!?! So I finished it last night around 11:30.

It was SO phenomenal. There is something about her writing style that is just so addictive for me. My sister in law and I cheated a little bit and randomly read pages here and there because it was driving us nuts that we couldn't just find a place to hide and read. So, I knew a few things before I really got into the book. It helped with the "I can't put this book down for any reason other than an extreme emergancy" issue, but I still found myself completely engrossed in the story. Excitedly flipping each page, waiting for the story to unfold. I can't wait to talk about it with the rest of you "twilighters", you know who you are. And I promise, if you are not done I will REVEAL NOTHING!!!!

As for the important stuff, like Bella's baptism, it was absolutely perfect and I will be posting about that later after a serious nap. I am soooo sleep deprived!!