Nothin' much

I haven't blogged lately because it seems like we're just going through the routines of normal, boring days. Chores, school, homework, meals, lessons, nothing extra-ordinary. But my mom told me the other day that it's time for a new post, and she's right. So here are some random little tidbits.

Dallin has been asking me for awhile to teach him to play the violin. Well, I haven't kept it up as well as I'd like to, and I wouldn't know the first thing about teaching violin. Luckily, we have a family in our ward whose kids all play string instruments and one of their teenagers plays violin and teaches beginner violinists. So he just started taking violin lessons a couple of weeks ago, and he's really excited about learning that instrument.

I figured Daphne needed something extra this year, so she is trying a gymnastics/tap/ballet combo class that she loves. She's totally excited about her ballet shoes and showed us a very beautiful curtsey they learned this week.

Sean is enjoying his preschool. We're doing a mom's preschool again this year, and he comes home with some pretty fun projects. I'm always amazed at the good ideas everybody has.

This is the first day of preschool at my house. We have seven kids in the group, (plus Hayden at our house.) We traced their bodies on that butcher paper, and I thought they were so cute all lying there waiting their turn.

In our family scripture reading lately, we've been memorizing scriptures with the kids. We've learned three so far, but the first one we learned was Moroni 10:5 which says "And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things." The last time we recited this scripture, Sean said afterward, "Not just one thing, or six things, or four things, but ALL things."

Hayden is busy, busy, busy. He climbs onto tables, kitchen counters, bathroom counters, stove-tops. And he loves to dump stuff out. Flour, cereal, water, those crunchy La Choy Chinese noodles, toys that have just been picked up, laundry out of baskets . . . I spend a lot of time just chasing him, and cleaning up his most recent dumping. Hayden also loves to ride bikes with Sean outside. Sean is a really good brother to Hayden.

"When the working day is done. . .

Oh, girls just wanna fu-un, oh girls--just wanna have fun."

The youth in our ward had a "Decades Dinner" tonight for the combined activity, and my friend Amber had the great idea that we should volunteer to help in the kitchen and dress up to represent the 80's.

Amber, and I in our 80's garb.

We looked totally radical.

And we were really good kitchen help.

Me & Jill, above, working very hard as you can see, & sipping our Shirley Temples.

Below, Amber, Sharee, (80's) Jill, (50's), Kellie (70's)

The scary thing is, I got my top, bracelets, and turquoise leggings at Walmart. I honestly thought the 80's might be one fashion decade that might just get skipped over in the great fashion recycling plan, but no.

Brace yourselves.

They are back.

Labor Day Trip

Since everyone was off for Labor Day, we decided we should go up to Pagosa Springs, CO and check out some land so we can buy some and build a cabin. . . . someday. But hopefully not too far away. We'd like to have it done before the kids are all gone so they can enjoy it and we can all make some fun memories together before they leave! This trip was mostly familiarizing ourselves with the options in our price range, and dreaming. :)

We stayed in Farmington, NM on Sunday night, because we had a free hotel night there. Arthur found a cool place for us to have a picnic dinner, and go for a walk afterward along the Animas river. It was perfect! The weather was gorgeous, and the sunlight that time of day is my favorite because it's so rich and golden.

Monday morning, we drove over to beautiful Pagosa Springs, and spent the morning looking at a lot of different spots. The kids were great for the most part. We went out to lunch, and then went for a short hike up to this little waterfall called Treasure Falls. There is a fun legend about some french treasure that was hidden somewhere around this area, and has never been found! The kids were looking in hollow logs and wondering if it was in the bottom of the pool at the base of the waterfall.

Just think, if we found that treasure, we could BUY SOME LAND!!! Dallin said if we were a dollar short, he would spot us the cash. Thanks Dallin!

Birthdays-Daphne & Sean

We recently had a joint celebration for Daphne & Sean whose birthdays are 5 days apart. These two are good little friends and Sean was sad when Daphne started school last year. But they just play and play when they are both home. I love it.

Daphne & I on her birthday. She's probably just an hour or two old.

Around 3 months

14 months

Iron Kettle Farms Pumpkin Patch in upstate NY

about 2 years

The Fruitstand, Hughson, CA

3 years,

Lake Tahoe

4 years,

Aunt Jewel's wedding

5 years,

just being a goof-ball

Almost 6,

pretty in pink

Daphne giving Sean kisses on his "brand-new" birthday

2 months

Almost 2,

at Uncle Kent & Aunt Kathy's ranch in the California foothills

2+ years,

looking for our Christmas tree in the Mountains up by Cuba, NM

3 years,

Putt-putt golf

Almost 4,

backyard tire swing

Daphne, 6 years, and Sean 4 years

Here is Sean with his Woody doll, from Nona & Grandpa--thank you!!! He LOVES it!

Daphne modeling her new birthday dress that I made. It turned out pretty cute, I think.

They each chose their own cake decorations, and yes they were kind of random. Sean's was a "Light'ning McQueen/Star Wars" birthday cake. He particularly wanted R2D2 and Light'ning to be on it. And Daphne had a sparkly, pink, princess cake with Belle, Cinderella's prince (since we don't have Belle's prince/beast) a horse-drawn carriage, and a pretty pink archway. She wanted to put a few more princesses on there, but we just ran out of space.

Happy Birthday Daphne & Sean!

We are so glad you two are in our family!

Tadpole to Toad!

Our little tadpoles have graduated. They have grown their two front legs, and they are the cutest little things, about as big as your finger-tip. We made a new habitat for them with dirt they could practice hopping on and Arthur was really nervous about them hopping out. But toads only do little hops as opposed to frogs big hops, so I wasn't too worried, especially since these brand new baby toads were not very good at hopping. It was so endearing watching them try and try to hop around on their new legs.

Isn't he cute?

Well Sunday morning, I only saw one toad in the habitat. Hmmm . . . I didn't say anything to Arthur because I knew he wouldn't like that one bit. I looked all over the container thinking maybe it got stuck under a rock or something, but it was just not in there! I was looking all over the counters, behind the kleenex, and knife block, under the bread basket, and found nothing. We had to leave for church, so hopefully it would resurface by the time we got back. When we got home, Dallin told me that he was fasting to find the little toad. I had another look around the counter, when I saw something small out of the corner of my eye. He had survived a big long hop down into the kitchen sink and had been hiding under a washcloth! It's kind of miraculous that he didn't hop right down the drain, because he would have fit even on the side with the strainer thing.

So after realizing that they had become rather proficient hoppers, it was time to move them outside to fend for themselves in the great outdoors! It sure was fascinating watching them change! I hope we'll see them around the garden sometime.

Pin-Wheel Cookie Recipe

Here is the yummy recipe for the pin-wheel cookies me and Sean made.

I got it from a "Taste of Home" Magazine. ( I hope it's okay for me to post it?)

Pin-wheel Cookies

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3/4 c butter, softened

1 egg, separated

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

2/3 c colored sugars

30 milk chocolate M&M's

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter & egg yolk until smooth. Combine flour and baking powder; beat into cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (I skipped this step and they still turned out fine.)

Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each portion into a 15 in. X 9 in. rectangle. With a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into 3 in. squares. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. (*I didn't get out the measuring tape, here; approximation works great for me!)

Beat egg white until frothy; brush over squares. Sprinkle with colored sugars. Cut through the dough from each corner of a square to within 1/2 in. of the center. Fold alternating points into the center to form a windmill; pinch gently at center to seal. Press an M&M into each center.

Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes or until set. (Cookies will not brown). Remove immediately to wire racks to cool. They are so tasty!

I made some more for Daphne to share with her class for her birthday, and this time Hayden was my "helper." His idea of helping is putting handfuls of flour on the table and spreading it around for me, pouring green sprinkles on a cookie that was already sprinkled with pink, and eating the M&M centers.

Can't get much more helpful than that.