Sweet Little Ones...

I know I shouldn't do it but sometimes I love to rock or lay down with the boys and put them to sleep. I am amused by the antics they will use to try and keep themselves awake like moving their legs or hitting their head. They are usually so tired by the end of the day that it only takes a few minutes. It is so peaceful to watch them drift into sleep. They like to hold my hand. Good thing I have two hands.
Sometimes I let them go to sleep in our bed. We climb in and hold hands and go to sleep...

Ancestor Doll

Hyrum had to make an ancestor doll for a school project. This is not as easy as it may sound. The doll is made on a clothes pin so it is really only about 2 1/2 - 3 inches tall. We had fun doing it. Hyrum is especially proud of the face he drew. Can you guess where some of his ancestors come from?

Math...

Don't worry, I have all my widgets saved and the old blog template. I am still messing around with the code so I decided to keep it simple till I figure out what I am doing....

Anyway, today Math came up to our bed and got in. He then exclaimed, "Precious dad, precious mom....This is the life!" We couldn't help but laugh and laugh. After awhile John told Math that he was "Living the dream." Math replied, "I am not living in a dream, I am living in a house." What an age for saying funny things!!

Under Construction

I have been playing with the html. Obviously I am not that great at it yet but I am trying to learn so the blog will probably be a little bit of a mess for awhile as I try and change it!

Pictures...

I am not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think I would even rank as amateur but every once in awhile I capture John in a good action shot. These are pictures I feel represent him very well even if the picture technically may not be that good. These are my two favorite...

Texas Sun...


Colorado Snow...

Boulder Falls

Our trip to Boulder Falls started with a dreary day...this is what greeted us when we arrived.



It wasn't much of an improvement when we started on the hike and were again greeted with bad news...



Fortunately, no one died and we had a great time. As Matthew said, "Those falls were AWESOME!"



I had some fun messing around with the camera and different filters like the color swap.



Also, Matthew and Josh were in a very SILLY mood...




We ended with Seth crying on the grass because he didn't want to go home.

New

It has been almost a year since I got a haircut. I have been looking for a black skirt (that fits right) for almost a year. I was so desperate that I made both of these a goal for this year and I was going to get a nice haircut since apparently I only get one once a year. I know, sad right?? Well, I am happy to announce that I was able to fulfill some of my goals while regaining sanity.

Awesome haircut $38
Fabulous black pencil skirt $23
Smashing Pumpkins downloads playing in the car $4.00
New outlook on life - priceless

I didn't get enough...

I didn't get enough sugar cookies over Christmas. I usually make a bunch for neighbors (and us) and John's mom always makes a round of sugar cookies that we eat a few times during the month. That is usually enough to last till Valentines or Easter when I begin to feel the need for them again. That didn't happen this year....
So, tonight I made more. They were pretty good. I used a non-roll recipe and it tasted decent. The best part was the frosting where I added Cotton Candy flavoring. Next time I am going to try Raspberry or Orange Creme frosting...yum...

In the Hot Tub...

In the hot tub today while we were swimming...
Math was floating around. He looked up and said, "Mom, this is like a paradise."
"Yes Math, it is."

The Bane of Dickens

Why don't I like Dickens? I have started 3 of his books hoping that it will be the one I will make it through but I have never made it through any of them. This is VERY UNUSUAL for me. I even made it through Farewell to Arms which just about killed me. The only other books I have stopped reading are Jane Eyre and Killer Angels but it was because they were just too sad. It was so sad for Jane and all the different men that I couldn't keep reading. Obviously, I have finished these books many times now but the first time through I cried too much.

So...why don't I like Dickens? I do like sad novels and he is the same time period of almost all my favorite authors. Love the all the Brontes, Austen, Elliot, Hugo, Tolstoy, James, etc. With the exception of Jane Austen, none of these writes are especially bright and cheery (although Elliot isn't too bad). My point being that I love crazy & sad novels (but not Tess). Why then can I not handle Dickens? I need someone to inspire me to read Dickens or give me a good reason to feel okay about not reading him. I feel like I must be missing something from my life not reading Dickens. Someone help...

Perhaps it is the terrible videos of his books I was forced to watch in school....

Amish Friendship Bread

My brother and sister-in-law gave me a starter over Christmas. Every time I make up the bread it only lasts a day. It makes 2 loaves or 6 little loaves. Today John told me to not give away the starter but use it to make 2 or 3 sets of bread....I would be making 6 loaves ;) He suggested we freeze them and then use them throughout the 10 days we have to wait till the starter is ready again for cooking. Also, apparently we watch too much Food Network because Josh added the suggestion that I make a few different flavors (I have tried a few already) every time I make it and then he, John and Hyrum will sit and I can present different breads for them to judge. He'll call it Iron Chef Bread Challenge...hmmmmm....

PS...On a side note, there is an Iron Chef Wii game coming...I wonder what that will be like.