The Beanie's Birthday

Lucy is much different than Jack.

She's quiet and shy and doesn't like a lot of attention.

Jack on the other hand, LOVES friends and thrives on social interactions.

We were in question about having a party for little miss beans.

Would she even care?

Who would we invite....most of her friends are Jack's friends?

The day before her actual birthday we decided to have a party for her on the weekend.

I'm so glad we did.

Though hard to tell in her non-expressive way, I know she felt special.

Because she loves dolls, it seemed natural to have a doll party.

The Invitation

We packed 12 sack lunches for the little kids to eat with their doll/stuffed animal.

Before the party started, Jack and Lucy set up their spots with their dolls comfortably laying on pillows and tucked under the blanket.

They were ready to GO!

Menu

Chicken Salad Croissants

Pasta Salad

Fruit Salad

Chips w/ Cara's 7-layer bean dip

The kids helped me make the cupcakes.

In our house it is mandatory routine to lick the bowl! We save extra just for this purpose!

Luckily we had some older girls there to help the little ones make their paper dolls.

Lucy adores Emily and Delaney and is still talking about them helping her.

Lucy loved opening presents. Who doesn't?

Weeks before her birthday I started to refurbish a hand-me-down toy given to us by our old neighbor. (thanks fawn) I love this kitchen and it had been sitting in our garage since we moved, so the kids kinda forgot about it.

I slapped a few coats of pink paint on the legs, spray painted the sink and a few knobs silver, sewed up a quick curtain and wah-lah....an almost free birthday present!

**I bought the dishes/goblets from Target and the pots/pans/cooking utensils from World Market.

It was a happy day for lucy. and us.

(some of this day is documented on video. when I figure that out, I will post.)

psych!...or is it SIKE?

So you may be thinking, "I thought she said this blog is going private."

You're right. I think I did say that.
Truth is.... I faked the whole I'm-going-private-routine to see how many readers I have.
Now I know I'm roughly about 80 friends popular. I was hoping to reach at least 100, but oh well.

Just kidding. I'm not that crazy. Just a little indecisive.

With more thought and a few tweaks on my privacy settings, I decided to keep this blog open to all. (until the crazy sick-os come back)

So enjoy. And thanks for being my blog friend through thick and thin.

He's so fine!

Remember back in Jr. High when all the cute boys were described as "fine"?

It was like the ultimate in hotness to be described as FINE! Nothing embodied hotness quite like FINE. Not cute, not handsome, not hot, not sexy, not dreamy...only FINE!

Hypercolor sweatshirt. Oh, that's so FINE!

Pegged acid washed jeans....ultra FINE!

Listens to Nirvana.....triple FINE!

Well, I think my man is pretty fine, too!

I thought that from the first day I ever saw him, and I still think that 7+ years later!

beanies....

Today it's lucy bean's 2nd birthday!

There is so much we love about this girl!

To name just a few:

her coy, demure smiles that she makes us work hard for

she is patient...her needs rarely demand immediate attention (unlike brother...wink, wink)

she is VERY helpful & loves any opportunity to help load the dishwasher or sweep the floors

she loves babies and is very nurturing

she is tenderly shy

hearing her say "where'd daddy go" or "I don't know mommy"

watching her vigilantly try #2 on the potty

her developing opinions on the clothes she wears...especially shoes

her dance moves

her "tomboy" side that comes out around jack

the JOY she expresses when we are ALL together as a family

her amazing appetite

her juicy buns!!!

her stubborn side and current dramatic tantrums

her fear of loud noises (lawnmower, blender, motorcycles)

the thing she does with her eyes when she pretends not to see you when she's in trouble

loves dogs, cats and all other animals in general

begs to say "hello" to any caller

the way she still NEEDS and LOVES both mom and dad

She's just an all-around sweetheart.

We LOVE you, LUCY!

Bodega Bay Family Reunion

Over Christmas (yes, I am still talking about Christmas) we had a little family reunion in Bodega Bay, CA. It is a quaint, sleepy coastal town where the famous film "The Birds" was filmed.

My parents rented a great place that slept all of us in separate bedrooms and had a table big enough for everyone to eat all together. It was togetherness at it's best!

On our second day there we went to this beautiful forest for a small hike/walk/trail stroll. We don't like to over-exert ourselves while vacationing so it was all we could do to walk a mile, but knowing that lunch would be after, we found motivation to mosey and enjoy nature for a bit.

Here are my ultra-tall brothers trying to be as big as the colonel tree. It was a risky stunt and I was very nervous for Carter at the top.

Here's Brady trying to help Lucy move a little faster. We would have been there well into the night if we let her stop and look at all that she wanted to.

Cousin Carter and his adorable leash backpack. Tell me again why we've never invested in those?

Us.

After our vigorous hike we went home and enjoyed Ashlin's delicious homemade mac and cheese. I am still having flashbacks of that cheesy, warm goodness. And those almond bars...oh help me!

Each night we took a turn cooking. For my night I decided to have a casual baby shower for my brother Brady and SIL Ashlin who are expecting their first baby boy. Let's call him Brashlin, for now. I saw this little tractor themed party online and thought that would be easy to pull off while traveling. We ate BBQ beef sandwiches, strawberry salad, kettle chips, soda, and vanilla cupcakes.

Snow Portraits

Over Christmas we spent a day in the snow....sledding, of course.

I am dreaming of sledding again before the sun comes to stay.

Troy....do you feel a cold coming on? I think it's high time for a "sick day".

a good reminder

via

Going Private

Believe it or not, from Miss Wishy-Washy herself, I am feeling a little bit conflicted about going PRIVATE.

For now, still leave me your e-mail so that I can add you to the list. Just don't be too surprised if I decide against it.

(I found out I didn't have ANY privacy settings set for my blog, so any old weirdo was allowed to comment. I want to see if changing those settings makes any difference at all)

New Post Below....

library poo

We just got a new library in town.

It's great.

I love taking my kids there, hoping they will develop a lifelong love of reading.

(even though my attention span for reading is limited to books with lots of pictures and big print)

But, here's to hoping.

Only problem with the library is that it seems to trigger a poop response in Lucy.

Of the four times we've visited in the last month, she's pooped in her diaper 3 times!

Last time was the icing on the cake.

While standing in the line to check out our stack of books, Lucy hunkered down in her "business" position, face turning all shades of red. Judging by the aroma, she confirmed for the 3rd time that the library encourages her movements.

Quickly I try to get out of there as the smell was gagging the patrons one by one.

Then as I turn to look at her, she is holding her hand up with you-know-what on each fingertip.

That's when you just have to abandon ship and read the books from your own collection for the week!

mmmm.....sugar

My LEAST favorite cookie to make has always been a sugar cookie.

So unenjoyable as far as I'm concerned.

You mix.

You chill.

(Which is very hard when patience is NOT your virtue)

You roll.

You cut.

You chill some more.

You cut some more.

Bake.

Now the shape you cut is hardly discernible because it's risen or spread into some wonky blob.

You cool.

(another thing I don't like waiting for.)

Then you frost.

It usually looks ugly, like a Kindergartner could have done a better job.

And really....is the taste even worth it in the end?

At least that has been my experience until now.

But listen up. I have something for you that will...

a.) knock your socks off, but not your saddlebags!

b.) make you feel like a professional cookie decorator. (You'll be doing bouquets in no time)

c.) buy you a few more friends you've been wishing for.

d.) give you something fun to do with your kids.

(or you could just sit them in front of little einsteins and tell them mommy's busy being awesome while you decorate)

I found THIS RECIPE from THIS BLOG!

I want to kiss this girl because she has rocked my sugar cookie world.

These cookies are the best. They retain their shape and they stay dense and chewy for days. They are incredibly caloric and incredibly delicious. (aren't delicious and caloric synonyms?) The frosting sounds unusual, but you've got to trust me on this! It is KILLER!

And oh the fun you can have decorating!

A few tips: DON'T over cook. I take mine out when they still look blonde in color. Not even brown edges (about 12 mins). I don't use clear vanilla in the frosting. I DO bake the cookies the day before, frost the next day, and eat for the next week! They taste even better after a day of sitting out!

Please enjoy & have a wonderful VALENTINES DAY!

M.I.A.

Hello friends.

I realize I've been missing in action for quite some time.

Here's the haps...

1. I am in a blogging quandary. What to do, what to do? I have been thinking about taking this blog private for quite some time (Why do I feel like there should be some kind of DOOM music that follows that statement). I keep getting random comments of Japanese origin that link back to inappropriate sites. That just doesn't sit well with me.

Plus, I think I am ready for my blog to be more for me! Not that it hasn't been in the past, but I can't help feeling this subconscious pressure to write something interesting, not too mommyish, not too braggy, something crafty, with witty stories about my life, intermixed with some pop-culture, and a small amount of non-gaggy posts about my wonderful husband. Are you with me? Why do I feel this way? I started out blogging as a means for recording our lives, but as blogging has gained popularity it has become more of a contest about who can portray the most perfect life. First of all, whether my life is perfect or not, I don't want to have in the back of my mind, "How will my readers take this post?" Lame, I know. I think I need a shrink! ha. I just want this to be more of a journal of our lives and if it comes out braggy or cheesy, well, sorry.

So...long story short, I will be taking this thing private. Leave me your e-mail for an exclusive INVITE!

2. Another reason for my lack of blogging has been because I just got a new job (or calling, as we call in in the LDS church). It's kind of a doosey! One that is hard for me to even type, but since I know a good handful of you will inquire, I will tell. I have been asked to be the new Stake YW President. (If you are not mormon this will mean nothing to you, sorry) It has been a month of mixed emotions. Mostly fear and thoughts of how on earth someone is trusting me and my airheaded self to do something like this. But for now, I just have a lot of meetings and speaking assignments, and HUGE events to plan. Which has left too little time for me to be lazy (like I prefer).

So, I am not depressed. Or hiding out. Just a little less blog-happy. It will return. It always does. In fact, tomorrow I will be posting about some delicious sugar cookies that I just can't get enough of!

So leave your e-mail addresses if you want to join my PRIVATE blog club!

(and ps. I really don't care if you are my best friend's, sister's, neighbor....you are still invited. As long as you are not a weirdo, then anything goes)

Christmas before Valentines

Holy Cow! Where did January go?

My goal is to document a little bit of our Christmas before Valentine's day starts knocking at our door. So here are a few highlights.

Disneyland

This year was magical for the kids. Everything from the fireworks, to the fake snow, to the parade and caramel apples. It was all perfect. Lucy loved the fireworks so intensely that she couldn't stop growling (which is how she shows excitement).

Visit with Santa and the Mrs.

"oh...you want a bike little boy?"

Lucy's face says it all.

Decorating Gingerbread Houses

13 kids + loads of candy = good times at our house!

watch for the blinking red light

Let me tell you how fun it is to take pictures of your own family...

on auto-timer

with kids that are only pacified by candy

with dad and brothers groaning about "just a couple more shots"

and mom stressed out about the family cooperating

all this while running back into position and trying to look as skinny as possible.

It's FUN!

Almost as fun as road trips when your kids have the flu

but not quite as fun as a P90x workout.

Ok. So, I'm being dramatic. I do that well. Everyone was mildly behaved, and we actually did it. Ahhhhhhh....

(p.s. If it had oodles of time I would show you all the out takes. they tell the real story.)

But for now, here is my family.

{cousins}

{mom & dad}

{grandkids - jack, lucy, carter}

{brother tallon}

{us looking so family photo-ish}

{brother brady & ashlin}

+

bun-in-the-oven

{brother garrett, mindy & carter}

And that's a wrap.

seek no further

I realize I am a little behind the curve with this post.  

Two weeks ago you would have been begging for some advice like this.  

Some direction for your Christmas shopping.

Well, seek no further.  

I am about to unveil....

 

Jay's 2009 Gift-giving Guide.

For as long as I can remember, my dad has been the master of gift giving.  He is always thinking of creative gifts.  

Here's the catch:  usually nothing over 3 dollars, mostly disguised as a children's toy, almost always unique and not always applicable.

So without further ado I bring you a slew of ideas for all your gift-giving needs in 2010!

(please keep in mind that NONE of these gifts were for the grandchildren)

Flip-Up Basketball Hoop

because what grown adult doesn't need one of these?

Eye Grow

you can choose your own sticker smiles

Double-brushed Toothbrush

it's like a carwash for your teeth.  cuts brushing time in half!

Mini Harmonica

for my not-so-mini 6'9" brother who used to drive us all crazy on family vacations buzzing on his harmonica

Gummy, Stretchy Body Parts

huh?

Grow a Degree/a Wife

for the scholar and single brother

His and Hers Anti Monkey Butt Powder

good thing sister-in-law mindy does not easily offend.

Blinking Reindeer Noses

i am sure corny family pictures were on the agenda with these gems

Feet Theme Gifts

you are really in trouble Christmas morning if my dad has thought of "theme" gifts for you.  my brother is a podiatrist.  so there you have it.

Each gift came finely wrapped with a clue written on the outside.  We were not allowed to open until we guessed what was inside.

I am still mad at myself for not being able to guess my grass growing eye plant.

How could I miss that?

Thanks Dad for another memorable Christmas.

And thanks Mom for a few "real" gifts.  phew.