Fresh Sqeezed Lemonade!

This is the second round of lemonade that we've made this week. It is soo good! The recipe goes like this: 8-10 lemons from the tree, water to the top of the pitcher and a cup (or two) of sugar... delicious! Another one of the neat perks of Arizona winters.

Biking Bananza

Luke's been on his bike a ton this week teaching himself how to start on his own, go up and down curbs and turn around in the street. It hasn't been easy, as his bruised legs show, but we are so happy that he is finally having fun on his bike in this great neighborhood!

My trip to Seattle

Enjoying Chipotle, of course. (I'm trying to see how many food pics I can post of Ali while she's prego. I think it is funny.)
Thai food with B and A
DeeDee working on her wedding registry at Macy's
Enjoying a beautiful day in Seattle after a nice lunch
Having our nails done
The happy couple, Dee and Geoff - to be married in August (I was there for their engagement party)
Me, Dee and Jana - friends for life - at the party
My other engaged friends Megan and James - to be married in May!
A nice toast to their relationship by Mr. Abo
Enjoying a tea party with little Lauren, Jana's daughter

Adventures in potty-training

Or maybe I should call it "pre-potty-training". It's whatever you're doing when the child is 1 for 12 over the past three days and the '1' was an accidental success while watching the bathwater fill up the tub while sitting on the toilet! :) The honest truth is that he is showing no signs of readiness other than an eagerness for potty treats and to be called a big boy. But I am showing signs of readiness - and folks that may just be all that matters. Look at him - so big, strong and proud of himself ... who needs to notice the pants?! ... truly priceless.



P.S. He just walked in and saw himself on the blog and smiled really big. I scooped him up and said, "who is that?!" And he said "JAKEY... look, Jakey went peepee..."

God Bless America

Perhaps only adorable to their parents and grandparents, I wanted to share this anyway! I found it appropriate for this week's inauguration.

Jack is Back!

Okay. So here is the simple story about my car. Ashley threw a small rock at my back window last Wednesday night, explaining later that she was trying to get it in the car so that she could play with it on the way home. Instead of just cracking, the window SHATTERED and blew out with a loud pop and it scared me half to death (I was buckling Jake in at the moment). I did spank her and got very angry and was panicked because Tyler was out of town, it was late and I didn't know what to do. But when I opened the driver's side door to turn on the overhead lights, then shut the door, the whole window caved in and that made the situation easier to deal with. I guess I was going with the no window look.

So I drove around until Saturday morning like this. It was too bad I didn't get the filthy car washed from the snow in Utah before this happened! Anyway, all is well now and I do believe she learned, and will never forget, her lesson! Although that night when we were driving home she commented gently that atleast we could have some fresh air now. I found that thoughful... always the glass half full with her.






As for the other things I wrote about last time, the gym is going great. Learned that it takes 3500 calories to gain or loss a pound. That means that if I gained four pounds over the holidays (hypothetically speaking of course) I OVERATE 14,000 calories. And even more discouraging is that to lose those hypothetical four I need to get my body to burn an extra 14,000. Huh....

About JACK!! I was not able to commit myself to cable b/c cox wanted $75 a month and dish nor direct TV could get it started soon enough. So I had surrendered to the idea of just buying '24' when it comes out on DVD. BUT! Last night we learned that we can watch full episodes on the internet, which is SO COOL! We climbed in bed, got our hot chocolate and a handful of prezels and enjoyed both hours from Sunday night! It was so great because they don't even do commercials... only a 15 second blackberry commercial at every break. And I am SO HAPPY to be watching Jack in Action again. It really gives me something the be excited about! :)

Ty's brother Todd found out we are living without TV and said we are freaks and what's next? Homeschooling?! He doesn't want to talk to us again until we are plugged in. I gave up on Twilight, couldn't hook me. Oh well. At least I know who Edward is now! Over and out.

Life Continues, plus Holiday Memories!

I'm giving myself two weeks to recuperate after our 15 day trip to Utah... cleaning out the car, unpacking suitcases, unloading Christmas gifts, doing laundry and taking down Christmas decor. All can be overwhelming. So I am doing a little every day, and then enjoying myself.
I've started reading Twilight this week and I am enjoying it, although still waiting for the part to start when I can't put the book down. I am on about page 200 now, out of 500. The anticipation of what everyone talks about is what's got me hooked.
I also joined a gym yesterday. Got tired of feeling like blob, as I so gently put it to the sales guy, and went and worked out this morning which felt awesome. Got the kids signed up for the kids club for cheap so everybody's happy - and I'm taking Ty over tomorrow to see if he'd like to jump on the bandwagon too. They have raquetball and b-ball courts so I imagine he will.
Still waiting for the back window to be replaced in my van (another post...) but for now am feeling grateful to live in Arizona where the air is warm and dry - since I am white-trashing it around town in my child-made convertible. Picture how cool I feel.
Lastly, I am sad to admit it but I am caving in on the no TV thing. I've been enjoying its quiet absence over the last month, but today when I was at the gym I saw commercials for the upcoming 24 Season and American Idol season BOTH which start this week. I did come right home and start calling cable companies, telling each I would go with whomever could have me up and running by Sunday night at 7. I'm still working on that.
Uploading a bunch of fun pictures from the trip now. As always, it was a great time had by all.

Luke's ski-day with dad.
Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve
Ali and her baby girl at 20 weeks (can't wait!)
In the truck, off to see Rudolf
Christmas Eve, new Christmas p.j.s
Our pretty girl on Christmas morning
Santa Came!
One of my favorite gifts, a warm quilt made by Shauna!
Beautiful Baby Samantha, Todd and Natalie's new daughter.
Girls night out shopping and having fun!
Weinersnishle run at 11pm - mortifying for all of us!
Looking good at the BYU bowling alley
At Temple Square the day we walked the Vistors Centers and Church Museum
Nana and Poppi and the grandkids
Ty and his great brother Zach
All cuddled up after a long day of playing
Luke sledding
Ash sledding

findmadeleine.com

This is the little girl I've talked about once or twice on this blog over the past year. I just haven't been able to get her story off my mind and still continue to check her website weekly! I did so tonight and found that they have updated the website with a Christmas message and new video. I just watched it twice through and wanted to share it.

It makes me sick that she is still gone. It's too much for any parent to imagine. It's like when Elizabeth Smart was missing I would go for runs around Utah imagining if I found her... I wish I could find this little Madeleine for them.

So sad.

www.findmadeleine.com/2008/

Believe.

On Christmas Eve my sweet husband, his father and brothers conjured up an upclose and personal sighting of Rudolf for my kids. Running in the house, out of breath and in a panic, Uncle Blake shouted, "You guys! You won't believe it! We were coming home from the store just now and we saw Rudolf!! He is right down the street! Get in the truck quick!"... Entertained and amused at his enthusiasm we grabbed blankets, hurried the kids out into the cold and onto the back of the pick-up. Just down the road we came to a bend, and as we rounded the corner I about lost it. Those boys had taken the enormous, mounted Elk Head that Tyler's grandpa had shot (hunted) off of the garage wall and stuck it in a mound of snow off in the distance. I could barely makeout my husband hunched down behind it holding a red light up to it's nose and IT LOOKED REAL!! The kids were stoked. Especially Luke. They were serious about getting straight to bed after that. And I couldn't believe how well the men had pulled it off.

Anyway, yesterday at school Luke's teacher asked each student to share their favorite part of the Christmas break. Despite all of the wonderful things he did, including losing two teeth, Luke chose to share that he saw Rudolf in his grandma's neighborhood on Christmas Eve. That was his single favorite thing to share. And SOME PUNK KID said to him, in front of everyone, something along the lines of, "That's not true! Rudolf's fake and so is Santa. My mom and dad don't want to lie to me so they told me that!" Luke came home quiet and ultimately in tears about it and wanted to know if I believe in Rudolf and if he is real.

Fortunately, we had riden the Polar Express the night before and I was able to salvage the magic - and we are both still believers. But it was so sad that he was embarrassed.

Christmas at Home

The day before we left for Utah we had a family gifts exhange. Normally Santa brings the bigger, unwrapped gifts but we switched things up this year so that the Santa gifts could get home in the van... it was fun.

"Big Puppy", our new pet.

Jake's a train conductor (however not pictured due to the fact that he slept in).

Luke's a drummer boy.

Ashley's a McDonald's employee.

Mom's a chinese tourist (new camera - yay! I can finally retire my old one!).

Dad is Clark Griswald (thanks, Kanks).