Dates with our kids

The girls and I had the funnest little party the other night. We made what we call "Take 4" chocolates. They reminded me of my favorite candy bar, Take 5, and since there's only 4 ingredients we just changed the name. They were so proud of these chocolates that they made all by themselves...and they were delicious. Then we watched one of my favorite movies.....I'm a sucker for classics, anything with Carey Grant, Doris Day, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stuart, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Shirley Temple or Haley Mills, just to name a few. I told them it was in black and white and they were skeptical to say the least, but ended up loving it and watching it again. Roman Holiday. So cute.











Brody doesn't like church. He has it is his mind that during the sacrament would be the best time to throw tantrums, toys, and food. It's his ticket outta there....I'd rather put him to bed than fight in the halls. This is our date together...it's called he and I come home and he takes a nap while I read my scriptures and make dinner.
This Sunday I came home to bake some bread for friends we had over and he woke up so I went back to RS, and again....crying and squirming all over. I'd much rather have peace at home and at least read my scriptures.
He's just a little boy trapped in a body that's too small for his spirit. Can't I see he's screaming to get out?!

On Saturday it was nice and sunny so I decided to go out for a long run. I've tried to go more than an hour, but my hands are SO cold that it hurts too much (I have a cirrculation problem in my hands). I went 17 miles...11 more weeks till Ogden...and when I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe I couldn't even tie my laces back up! The rest of me was warm but my hands stayed cold even until I got home. Todd didn't understand how my hands couldn't work when I got in. It was 45 degrees out!







Strolling across downtown bridges on a sunny spring-like day.
Cheers to you!

We love taking the kids on dates downtown. My parents took my sisters and I on so many family outings. These moments bond us together and create lasting memories, plus it was such a beautiful day to be outside! 50's to us is heaven! I love taking just our kids on these fun outings. Maybe it's becuase I get to be the one in charge?? Hmm, dad what do you think about that?


Something we hadn't done before was to walk across the Hawthorn bridge to the East Bank Esplanade and back across the Burnside to Saturday Market. The kids enjoyed the view from the bridge and the city landscape looking to the west can't be beat. We rode the Max to Pioneer Square where we got off and the kids enjoyed a treat. This statue used to scare Camdyn when she was a baby. They didn't quite understand why he would go to so much work to paint himself all up like that? Giving him some money made them feel better.

Browny-ish and Blondy-ish

I figured I'd try embracing my roots and had 6 inches cut off...
Surprisingly Todd likes it, Brody didn't know who I was and Kennedy said "Mom, your hair is browny-ish, I love it!" Change is a good thing....but we'll see where this heads down the road :>

Todd and Kennedy like it strait

Last night I swear I looked like Linny

Popcicle addictions

As part of a service for Activity Days Camdyn made dinner for two families in our ward that were in need. It was delicious! She loves cooking and does it with a great deal of enthusiasm.

In a new resolution to educate my children and expose them to more cultural activities, Griffin and I had an afternoon downtown at the Historical Society's display of Lincoln's "A House Divided", among others. We parked a far ways out so that we could enjoy a nice long walk there and back, sipping a steamer to keep him warm was his treat.



Just last night I drew the girls a bath. Tradition has it that they get a popcicle when they bathe. Brody was with me when I drew the bath and got them in. We went downstairs and he could hear their laughter coming from up above. He scoots his little body towards the stairs and takes them with great speed heading swiftly for the bathroom door and right up to the edge of that bathtub where he pleads with sad eyes for a taste of popcicle. It was the cutest thing we had all seen. After getting wet, trying to get in....I finally let him soak with Kennedy.
His brother and sisters get just as excited over him and his accomplishments as Todd and I do. We enjoy him so much and will be sad when he turns one!!!

Sweethearts Day

My kids seem to be so excited over the smallest pleasures in life! Hopefully they learned that from me!
I cooked up a few Thai dishes and served some of the treats we brought back from Thailand as our appetizers. The kids were wild about my Cashew Chicken. They have become very good about eating everything I make...or at least trying it. Otherwise there will be no dessert.... and they will have none of that! My friend brought over these cupcakes from the Barefoot Contessa. They were bar none the best cupcakes I have EVER tasted!! And so beautiful!


Todd bought me red tulips which are my favorite flower. He worked a double shift over Valentines so the kids and I had a "party" of our own. It's tradition for me to sprinkle a trail of paper hearts leading to thier room with beautifully wrapped gifts. This year it was Valentine pj's, little rootbeers and gum which was the fave.

With Lindsey's advice I made this book for Todd. It's meant to be used as a place to write notes of thanks, love or little "just because" messages back and forth to one another. We do that on a pretty regular basis, but now it will be fun to see it go back and forth and having it discovered in odd and end places. ( on the inside flap it says....I love you)