Take your kiddos to work day!

Leaving for a "hard day at work."

The 4th Thursday of April is designated as the National Take Your Child to Work Day
and Steve's company always participates with a theme, goodie bags for the kids, real fake ID's like Daddy's work ID, (but their ID's don't magically unlock doors and open parking structures) and activities and snacks to keep them entertained. I kind of always thought this was a time to go and learn about your parent's workplace, what they do there, life lessons about work ethic, that sort of thing. Nope. At least not at The Apollo Group. This year the theme was nutrition and health and they got backpacks, pedometers, healthy snack bags, t-shirts, and played relay races in the common area outside the elevators. Steve has a daily 9:30am meeting and decided to include the girls on his agenda. Lindsay got to share about her newly learned cursive writing skills and Caroline was supposed to talk about facts she learned about the Earth this week but got shy. At noon I met up with them and brought Kate for some hanging around time and photo opps. Lunch in the cafeteria finished their day - they love to eat in the cafeteria. Steve would take us anywhere for lunch but the girls chose this.

Roaming the halls, meeting with the Boss, talking on the phone, eating lunch. That sort of thing. I give Steve a hard time about boxes every time I go to his office ...he changes offices fairly frequently or at least often enough that he never finishes unpacking before he gets moved to another place. Glamorous life of a software manager. He spends a lot of time there. I think I need to go and help him out and spice the place up. I just don't get out there that often. Even his framed photos are all still in a box from the last move!!!

Thanks for making this a fun day the girls look forward to all year, Steve!!

Thoughts in the back of my mind...

My mom holding Caroline (9 mo old) in August 2003. From a group of the last photos I have of my mom before treatments had started to show their signs. I often wonder what it would be like to have her here with Kate...and Bryn, Siobhan, Audrey, Zac, and Will.

A couple weeks ago a friend wrote on Facebook about spending a lovely afternoon visiting his grandmother in Tucson, who was in a hospice facility. He wrote of tenderly feeding her and holding her hand and just being with her, days before she passed away. It made me reflect again on the last 8 days of my mother's life, spent at Hospice of the Valley in Mesa, where we were able to sit with her and talk to her and even, gulp, sing to her. Cherished memories. Really, those days spent with my children (Lindsay was 3, Caroline 16 mo.) chasing bunnies in the yard of that the lovely facility, visiting with friends and love ones on the front porch, sharing a meal and memories and tears and laughter, being a friend to a homeless man who had no one in his final hour. My mom, Sue, Nama Sue, passed away 4 years ago today and it has been in the back of my mind all week. I am glad that we can laugh and remember her in our day to day conversations but I won't lie and say there isn't a hole in my heart that wishes she was here to go with me to Kate's doctor appointments for her feet, to watch the kids swim, to help me work through the pros and cons of buying a new house. A lump in my throat is forming as I type this, fighting back the tears that I have not cried in quite a while. But Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings and is really the way I cope on a day to day basis.

One of the last gifts to my mom before she got sick (or rather, when she was starting to show symptoms but was keeping them from us so we would not worry) was to decorate her kitchen and paint the kitchen and family room while she was out of town for Mother's Day with my Dad. Molly and I worked our tails off shopping and painting and choosing accessories and working with fabrics she loved to help make her dream come true. We got most of it done by the time she arrived home and finished the rest with her there. I loved surprising her like that. I wish she could have enjoyed it longer. To stand at the counter and make more cookies with grandkids. To host more birthday parties. To work on more craft projects together at the island. I cherish memories created in that kitchen. Sure, there were other kitchens where memories were made but this one involves all of us. My kids with their Nama Sue.

Since you asked...

Killer Brownies
(At least this is what I call them. I got the recipe from my Sister in Law Jeannie and she got the recipe from a fellow teacher at the school where she used to work)

2 boxes Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownies (+ water, eggs, & oil as called for)
3 LARGE Toffee and Almond Symphony Bars (the kind that are about $1.69 each or get them when they go on sale 10 for $10.)

Mix 1 batch of brownies according to the directions and spread in a 9x13 pan. Unwrap the 3 candy bars and lay on top of the brownie batter. Mix 2nd batch of brownies according to package directions and spread on top of the candy bars. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

That's it!!!

You are welcome.

Pajama Parties x 2!

Since we don't really do the sleepover thing with friends (we make an exception for cousins and almost cousins like Ellie - I grew up having sleepovers with her mom Maddy's family so how can we not - seriously, almost cousins is cousins in my book) the girls wanted to have their very own Pajama Party/Almost Sleepover/Late-over. No special occasion, not a birthday, a "just because" party.

Lindsay was first. She invited a few of her best friends - we had Ellie, Lizzie, Abbie, and Caroline tagged along. Paige couldn't make it and we were bummed. But the girls had a blast for 3 solid hours of PJ fun!

The agenda for the night: Homemade Pizza, watch HSM 3, assorted play activities of dress-up and playing store, and, Lindsay's favorite, build your own ice cream sundaes. We had a blast - it went pretty fast and they could have kept this up for hours more but it was nice to send everyone home to sleep in their own beds.

(Click collage to enlarge)

3 Weeks later....


...it was Caroline's turn. She wanted a big girl party just like Lindsay's so the agenda and menu were the same. That night, we had twins Zoe and Lucy, Presley, Madison, and of course Lindsay was in on it too.

Pizza, HSM 3, ice cream sundaes, and makeovers. Seriously? Makeovers at 5? Who thinks this stuff up? Caroline insisted the night include makeovers and she planned it all out. The got out all the lip glosses and lotions and got all prettied up. The best part? When Caroline came up to me and wrapped her arms around me and thanked me for her Pajama Party without being prompted.

(Click collage to enlarge)

Yup!!! Still here...and here is evidence!

Me and my friend Kelly at a Baby Shower I hosted at my house Thursday night...a mere 30 hours ago...no, the shower was not for her - it was for another friend. (Hers is soon.) Anyway, Kelly and I serve together in YW over the Mia Maids. She is awesome, by the way.

The wonder drug. I am on my 2nd box of Zyrtec-D after switching from Claritin D (On sale - $20 for 12 days worth...) and cut open all the individually wrapped blister packs and put them in another old (childproof) medicine bottle. Why, oh why is getting into some medications so hard? 24 individual blister packs? I mean, really. It is hard enough that us allergy sufferers have to jump thru hoops to buy the good OTC stuff BTC (behind the counter) because the key ingredient that really works on the congestion is also a key ingredient in making meth and a driver's license is required for purchase!

I have an old friend from high school who swears by acupuncture for seasonal allergies. Hmmm.....

I am also beginning to think I may have an honest to goodness sinus infection. I can keep the allergy symptoms like the itchy eyes and sneezing, mostly at bay but even on Zyrtec-D and Tylonol Severe Cold and Sinus I am still producing enough of the green stuff all day long that I should be losing water weight! Nice, huh? But, I feel almost fine - I don't even really feel sick. Oh - I did have a blocked ear for a week. The kids each missed a bit of school. Steve finally went to the Doc when he couldn't kick his cough and was up every night in a coughing fit, and was told it is Bronchitis.

Anyway, I have been blogger slacker extraordinaire! I even had a friend email me to see if I was OK - it seemed as if I had fallen off the face of the earth. It is 2am and I am getting a couple of posts out there - more to come Sunday afternoon. I am doing it mostly for myself because if I never get this stuff "down on paper/blog" it is forgotten. We have about 47 sessions of Stake Conference to attend this weekend plus a twin cousin birthday party for Kate and Zac. A little early for Kate but it works out with family being in town. it seems we have had SOMETHING going on every night for about 3 weeks. I am ready to sloooooooow down!

Upcoming posts will include:
*my birthday and trip to Atlanta from all the way back in January!
*Lindsay and some cool stuff at school
*Spring break adventures
*Almost sleepovers for the girls
*Preschool field trip
*I am sure a bunch of other stuff I am sure.....

Thanks for all the shout outs and well wishes - I have just been a busy Mama trying to keep most of the balls in the air!

Once upon a time, I turned 33 years old (And Jeannie turned 40!)

My birthday is January 26th but the celebrating got started a little earlier in January. My 2 sister-in-laws also have birthdays in January and SIL Jeannie was turning 40 and wanted me to attend her 40th birthday party and spend a few days visiting and "hanging out" with her and her family. I am so glad I was able to make it work out with the help of a dear friend and a wonderful husband and sister and friends who helped take care of the big kids. It was quite a treat to travel with just me and Kate - we had the best time - she really is my little buddy.

I learned how to make these Killer Brownies. (this is my photo of the brownies I made a couple weeks after returning - every bit as good as I remember!) Jeannie greeted me when I got in around midnight with a pan of these monsters and we sat up laughing and eating brownies for hours. No wonder I still have a few pounds of baby weight to lose - I keep eating stuff like this!

What did we do when I was there? We had a little outing to Costco, of course! Living in the South is just not like living here - where it takes Jeannie 20 minutes to get to Wal-Mart, I can get to 5 Wal-Marts in 20 minutes! Where Costco is 30 minutes away, I can get to 3, maybe 4 Costcos in 30 minutes! Jeannie is always talking about Mr. Yoshida's Teriyaki marinade that was used at my wedding 11 years ago and I always say I will bring her some because she cannot buy it where she lives. Well, the day I was leaving I was at Costco and grabbed a 1/2 gallon size jug for her only to realize they would never let me carry that thing on! It may be mistaken for Teriyaki bomb sauce or something. So, I took her shopping to Costco (HER FIRST TIME!!!!) and bought her a jug of sauce as a "birthday gift" because that is just the kind of SIL I am!!! Jeannie is now a proud member of Costco - way to go Jeannie!


Out for a day of shopping - it was bitterly cold (like 28 degrees or something) and Jeannie hated it but cold like this is such a novelty to me anymore so I just enjoyed it while I could. Much to her chagrin, I kept wanting to shop! I think she thought I was nutso!

This is Everett, aka Bobby. He was dying complaining of needing a haircut (he has awesome curly dark red hair and I think he likes it short!) but one late night I was straigtening Kayleigh's hair and we decided to take the flat iron to Everett's hair. We thought it looked a little Edward when it was all straightened - it was kinda fun and funny! Everett, thanks for sleeping on your sister's floor and letting me crash in your bedroom!

Saturday I got to attend Miss Basketball's (Kayleigh's) game - she had quite the cheering section with both sets of Grandparents and assorted Aunts and Uncles and cousins cheering her on - I loved being there to support cute Kayleigh and her team.

The ladies out to dinner for Jeannie's birthday. From left: me, our mother in Law Shirley 9came from SC for the party weekend), Jeannie, Jeannie's mom Penny, and sisters Quincy and Nikki. I think the men were annoyed with all the picture taking at this point. They were off to the side holding bags and purses and cameras and coats. We were so disappointed that Barbara, our sister in law, Steve and Brad's sister, was unable to make it like planned. Barbara - you were missed.

Jeannie's sister Nikki was my date for the dinner. Thanks Nikki! I had a great time! ;)

Kate thought these M&M's were pretty tempting. Good thing she was still a pre-crawler!

I had such a fantastic time in Atlanta - we didn't do a whole lot of special stuff - stayed up late talking, watching TV, playing games, playing with the babies, chasing Cozette, that sort of thing. Jeannie's family is wonderful and I told her parents I would be another daughter in their family in a heartbeat.

Monday the 26th of January (my actual birthday) was kind of a rough day. I was still in shock and pretty devastated about my Cousin Neil's accident 2 days previous. We had not made any big celebratory plans (since my birthday gift had really been the trip to Atlanta) but the girls wanted to make it a special night and planned a birthday dinner all by themselves. They picked an outfit for me to wear and set up our small patio table for dinner with candles and our favorite party dishes. The menu included: Chicken Nuggets, yogurt, oranges, left over bean dip and chips, sparkling cider (we happened to have a bottle in the fridge) and dessert would be s'mores over the fire. They made name tags for the chairs and I got to sit and be served by the most attentive wait staff ever! They even made a kids menu and brought out a bucket of crayons for Kate. They thought of everything!!! Really, that day there was a huge hole in my heart (and I actually spent that night setting up Neil's update blog for my Aunt Lori) but my girls made me feel so special and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Here's a close-up of that fabulous dinner!

Me and my girlies - some pretty chic party planners!

My trip to Atlanta and my sweet girls making me a special birthday dinner - I spent the month with people I love the most and that is what matters most!

Are you ready for a Throw Down???

Throw Down, Mutual Night Style!

The Mia Maids and Teachers hard at work frying bacon, mashing avocados, grilling burgers, mixing seasoning for fries, testing milkshakes... lots of milkshake testing!

Wednesday night we had our first Combined YM/YW Mutual night since I was called to the YW presidency a few weeks ago. This activity was a total riot and we had a blast doing it. (I think the youth had fun too! ;) ) We were invited by the YM to a Bobby Flay style Throw Down and would combine Beehives/Deacons' MiaMaids/Teachers; and Laurels/Priests and compete with Burgers, Fries, and a Milk Shake.

I got a little nervous because the at the home of the YM President, there is also a Deacon, Teacher and Laurel so their was a lotta smack and trash talk - they had been planning and strategizing for days and my group? Well, the other leaders and I sent a couple text messages and had a couple brief conversations on the phone, made some assignments and hoped it would all come together!

Our menu?
Burger - seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning and Chili sauce
-stuffed with two cheeses and bacon bits (the real deal, nothing from a bag)
-topped with sharp white cheddar, letttuce and tomato
-Toasted sesame bun with fresh avacado spread

Fries - steak fries with custom seasoning blend
- mayo/BBQ sauce fry sauce like Training Table in Utah

Shake -We had a couple options. The kids on our team spent most of the hour experimenting
with diverent combos (banana, hot fudge, and strawberry - various combos) and
ultimately settled on Fresh Strawberry

Presentation (Because really, it is ALL about lookin' good) was a burger basket, parchment paper liners and wrappers, and a soda fountain glass for the shake. Really, it was adorable.

The goods at the judges table

There were probably 75 youth at that house all waiting for the results (and for some taste testing) after slaving for 1 hour to prepare. Bishop Wilken did the honors of reading the results and lets just say the Priest/Laurel Team was quite proud of their burger win and overall 1st place. (Homemade burger buns - who could compete with that??) Teachers/Mia Maids took overall 2nd (with 1st place for fries) . And the Beehive/Deacons? Well, they probably had the most strategy yet came in with a 3rd place overall and no category win. Doh! See where all that Trash Talk gets ya? I understand the milkshake category was a draw. I guess the Deacons were pretty bugged and we overheard one of their leaders say "We tasted all the other entrie. Ours was NOT GOOD!" That was funny.