Decorating...

Last week, we got the girls bunk beds.. that involved changing the orientation of the furniture, and moving things on the walls which led to patching and re-painting.. that took a day, the day we were getting the beds, and putting them together.
I painted their room two years ago, and it has by far been my favorite room I have done yet! So fun!!
This is the view of the bunk beds that sold the girls on them.. "so fancy"!
This has been in Lynn's room since she was two.
My favorite pictures of the girls.. had to move this shelf.
The doll house.. so much more room to play!!
The canvases..
Love this flower night light from IKEA.. Ashley is afraid of it.. the weirdo.
The girls love this magnet board.. and our stash of books.

Park City...

Saturday, Merrill had the day off (YAY!!! FINALLY!!!!!) So we made BIG plans..
- get new tires on the car (Woo-hoo...).
- go to Park City (the first time for most of us, me included..)
Fun stuff!!
So here's the girls, when we are finally, really on our way..
Alvin came along too.
Ashley' is totally faking it in this pic.. but she thought it would be cute, and it is. She's nicer than my brothers were to me.. sharing her little shoulder.
Peyton loves this puppy.. it was Ashley's (thanks Brookers!).. and it is the favorite of any child who comes to my house. It was our buddy this day too.. that long ride.. the songs got slightly old... but Peyton was happy!
The girls got a break from the "boring" outlet shopping (boring to them..) and played on the little playground there.
Loved this sunshine...
Pey enjoyed too..
We stopped at McDonald's for a homeward bound treat..
Peyton is well acquainted with these french fries..
They looked forward to seeing "Devil's Slide", again, and watched for it.
It was such a fun day spent together..

Wined & Dined..

Okay.. not so much "wine" but a lot of the "dine" part..
I guess part of the perks of the new business, is stuff like this happening...
Tonight, we were invited to eat at Zucca, a very yummy, and pretty new restaurant in our area. I have been there a couple of times myself, and loved it! (Mmmmm.. two words: MARGHERITA PIZZA..) So, when we were invited tonight, I was game.
Driving there (less than 5 minutes away), the thought came to me, we might not be picking what we were eating this evening..
I was spot on..
The Executive Chef had planned our authentic 7 (seven) course meal.
Wow...
We started off with a wine list, which we passed on :)
We were served a non-alcoholic peach Bellini (yummmmm).
We each enjoyed some of Evan's margherita pizza (see the drool marks above..) and then the rest of our courses followed.. all yummy.. I didn't so much care for the pictured dish.. I am not that big of a seafood fan.. Dixon and Merrill sure licked it up..
I also had Veal for the first time.. it was very tasty.
Now imagine this: 5 different desserts, beautifully plated, ready for me!!! Okay, not all for me, but we did pass them all around (counterclockwise so I would get Merrill's molten chocolate truffle cake first...) and got to sample them all!
Heaven!!!
What an experience... the best staff were there, to serve us, and the Maitre'd was like our best buddy...
Those guys are awesome!!

Flashback..

**WARNING!!!***
-Below is an overload (for some) of pictures documenting the last week of my life.. proceed at your own discretion..
I warned you!
This is a flashback to the last week.. we are still trying to get back to "normal" around here..
Helping dad organize his new office.. and find a desk..
Peyton's new favorite activity, which I love: she hooks her little arm around my neck and snuggles in..
We slept.. pretty much crashed into the bed at the end of the day everyday!
Had a sleepover at the hotel..
I must note that everyone slept through the night, no wakey-uppies.. except me.. the alarm clock was on my nightstand, Ash decided to turn it on.. it was set at midnight.. I want a King sized bed, preferably the one we slept in, yes, the EXACT ONE.. think you can swing that one hon? :)
Spent the weekend hunting for the perfect bunk beds (or "bonk" beds, as we call them here).. found them at John Paras.. the girls love them!!
"Alvin the Alligator" is visiting..
Built a fort underneath the kitchen table.. I was feeling not so hot Monday.. it kept the girls busy..
They even slept in it that night..
Played "Snow White".. Lynn was the Evil Queen.. she gets to wear the cape, that was her motivation, she really doesn't have the desire to be evil.. but look at that face!
And we tried to see just how far we could pull up our pajama pants.. see how silly we could possibly look..
Ash wears them well :D
Peyton's new love of playing cars.. she even makes her own sound effects.
Proud moment :)
Made cookie dough..
..and ate some..
Anyone interested in a plate? :)
Washed those dishes (of course) with help..
Hoping that I can get back into a rhythm... I had 258 e-mails yesterday :O
Here's to hoping ;)

Circa 1983-ish..

From left to right: Bottom- Me on Mike's lap, Sandy & Kevin, Tommy.
Second row- Jackie, Wesley, Gary.
Joe & Ken.

As if I needed an excuse to make those I love blush..
Here's a family pic from 1983, summer, I do believe..
We have lived in Utah our whole lives. My dad grew up in Michigan and Tennessee. His summers were spent in Tennessee with his grandparents on their tobacco farm. He worked his summers, and loved it. He loved them.
He graduated from a Junior college in pre-Engineering, proceeded to the Air Force, where he was the top in his class there, and was told he could go anywhere he chose. He told me he chose California (there was a beach close enough to go enjoy his hobbies that way, but mountains close enough to go camp, hunt, or ski.. it was the winner!) but was stationed at Hill Air Force Base, yup.. right here in good ol' Utah.
Mom had grown up here.. her whole life. Raised LDS. She was working as a car-hop at Warren's.
She spilled a coke on his car.. his 1968 Dodge Cornet RT.
She owed him a date.
She was waiting for a missionary.. but not for long.
Dad told her, as they were driving down the "old highway" (1900 west in Roy as it turns onto 27th street, I think..) "You're gonna have to break it off with your missionary, cause we're gonna get married."
Grandma and Grandpa told mom that he was "taking her to hell in a hand basket." (He really disproved that assumption!)
He eventually joined the church.
His family wasn't too happy about that.
But things got back on track, and we would go back east, in our '83 Mercury Zephyr to visit (Kansas would go on forever!!).
This year (1983) was the first time we went back.
Uncle Kenny tickled me relentlessly.. I remember crying..
Grandma was so excited to have all of her grandchildren in one place, she had to commemorate it with picture at Olan Mills.
The photographer set us all up, I was more than happy to be sitting on Mike's lap ;) I think he took a pic, and when he moved away from the camera, mom busts out her little Kodak camera, the kind with the flash that is stacked 6x6 cubes outside of the camera, and she snaps this pic. My aunts about died!!
But here, we have it.
It's been almost 11 years since I have last seen any of them.. I want my girls to know them all so bad!!
Someday..

The follow-up post..

So I met with Lynn's principal yesterday, I was heard!!
He was very understanding, and horrified to hear what I had to tell him.
Apparently he knew of Miss A's illness, after the day had ended.. she and her co-hort had neglected to tell him of the incident with Lynn and the stranger (to them) who returned her.
He didn't like that.
But he has a plan, for all of my issues with this teacher.
I am reassured.
And, as I ponder on it more, there's only two months left of this circus anyway :D

I kicked a baseball bat in your bathroom because I think I need some serious help.

Kristin did this one..
Good laugh!
Just Fun To Do...Please try!!!

Pick the month you were born:

January-------I kicked
February------I loved
March--------I karate chopped
April----------I licked
May----------I jumped on
June----------I smelled
July-----------I did the Macarena With
August--------I had lunch with
September----I danced with
October-------I sang to
November-----I yelled at
December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7-------my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbour
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19------ - a smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an iPod
29-------a surfer
30-------a homeless guy
31-------a llama

What is the last number of the year you were born:

1--------- In my car
2 --------- On your car
3 ----------- In a hole
4 ----------- Under your bed
5 ----------- Riding a Motorcycle
6 --------- sliding down a hill
7 --------- in an elevator
8---------- at the dinner table
9 -------- In line at the bank
0 -------- in your bathroom

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White---------because I'm cool like that
Black---------because that's how I roll.
Pink-----------because I'm NOT crazy.
Red-----------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green---------because I think I need some serious help.
Purple---------because I'm AWESOME!
Gray----------because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow--------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange--------because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown---------because I can.
Other----------because I'm a Ninja!
None----------because I can't control myself!

Humor..

Some little girl drama/humor today..
We were driving home from picking up little Lynnie-Lou when Ashley starts to panic..
"Mom!! Boogers are sliding out of my nose!!"
That is Ashley speak for "I have a runny nose".
I calmly tell her that we'll be home in just a minute to chill out. Just as I finish that sentence, Lynn yells: "IT'S NOT BOOGERS!!!! IT"S BLOOD!!!! ASHLEY IS DYING!!!!!"
Sure enough, when I turn to look, it's blood. Not just a smear, but a steady stream, and a steady drip as it runs over her top lip.
I sped up.
She began panicking the rest of our way, "Am I really dying mom?"
Girls.. :D
In other news, we are online!!

Really?!

So, I know that some things haven't been done as well, or as often as they should be done lately, around here.. but really?! Is it this bad?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Here's a cute one of two of my lucky charms.. Lynn was mad at me for some reason..
There was drama today.. I'll try to give the short version.
We haven't had the best school year this year.. to sum it up in Lynn's words, when asked how she likes her teacher, "Not so much.."
Today, I dropped her off a little late.. maybe 10 minutes. I rationalize by saying that the teacher doesn't always open up her door on time.
Well, I dropped her off, and left.
Lynn went to her classroom, where the lights were all off, and no one was there.
She went back to find me.
But I was gone, remember?
She decided to run home.
But in the opposite direction.
A sister from our ward found her, and helped her.
(Thankful for answered prayers. I don't even want my mind to go to the possibilities of what would have happened.. I shudder.)
Lynn's teacher sent them to class next door, and she laid down, behind her desk, in the dark, because she wasn't feeling well.
Hmmmm...
Still, so un-impressed..
She told Lynn to pass the message along to me, that I shouldn't drop her off late..
Hmmmmmmmm...
I'll be meeting with her principal tomorrow.
To which Lynn asked, "Can he fire her?"
Now how do you think she feels about her teacher?
It was a nice day today..
We went for a walk after dinner...

Hallie's cake..

It was my niece's birthday yesterday..
Having fondant that needed to be played with, I made her a cake..
I am so happy with how it turned out!!
I used the grass tip, writing tip, and large star tips.
Oh, and don't forget those cookie cutters!:)

Decorating Demo..

For Relief Society (RS) the other night, I was asked to do a cake decorating demonstration.
I can think of three other women, right off the top of my head, better equipped to do this.. but I did have fun!
Forgive the pics.. I am not a photographer! :D
I have a confession to make...
It was my first time ever playing with fondant.. it was fun!
I had to use my imagination to dream up some little boy ideas.. I am a girl expert though!
I use Wilton colors for everything (fondant included) and their featherweight bags. My favorite cake mix is Betty Crocker's butter recipe mixes, and I was taught a trick by my SIL from her friend that makes your cakes moist and yummy.. after you have let them cool, wrap them in foil and put them in the freezer until they are ready to decorate. It makes them easier to frost too!I used a grass tip on this one with a dinosaur cookie cutter to cut out the fondant.
Cookie cutters + fondant are my new best friends :D
Same tip, different cookie cutter. I shaped the flower center and the leaf by hand.
Grass tip, large star tip, butter fly cookie cutter.
Large star tip, "3" cookie cutter, and I rolled the balls out of left over fondant.
Small star tip..
So easy.. crushed Oreos (dirt) and a gummy worm cut in half.
This is a caterpillar made of whoppers.. so cute and so yummy!
Grass tip again. Water brushed on the fondant gives it a glossy look.
Cookie and Elmo. I used the grass tip again for the fur, rolled fondant into balls for the eyes and nose. Cookie Monster is feasting on a mini Chips A'hoy.. I became an expert on Cookie Monster when Lynn fell in love with him as a baby.
Cade helped me with this one. He smooshed the Oreos for my dirt and helped me place and re-place the dump truck repeatedly...
These flowers are another learned trick from Jaclyn. They are the chocolate candy melts, melted in a Zip-Loc bag, then the corner is snipped. I piped a doodle-y flower on to waked paper on my cutting board and put it into the fridge. Once they hardened, I placed them on the cake.
Easy-peasy! Here's the cupcake...
More large star tip and butterflies!