the simple things in life

Last night Dean grilled burgers out on the patio and we ate dinner outside.  Charles who only recently started eating hamburgers thought they were the absolute best.  As we sat eating and talking Charles got a big smile on his face and said, "Ahh, this is the life".  He couldn't have been more right.  You can't beat cooking and eating outside and just being with your family. 

Saturday night our ward had a luau. Unfortunatley it was cold and rainy so they had to move it inside. It was fun nontheless.

A family from the ward roasted a pig for dinner and there were polynesian dancers to entertain us. At the end they invited the kids up to learn a dance. They were so cute!

Happy Birthday Eric

Tomorrow is Eric's 9th birthday!  Nine years come and go rather quickly.  Eric is such a blessing to our family.  He always tries his best and is a great big brother to Charles and Katie.  He is sweet and caring and artistic.  He has always been so easy going.  I remember when he was a month old we flew to Vegas for a conference and one of Dean's co-workers couldn't believe how good he was.  He never cried or became fussy while at the airport or on the plane. He was a very happy baby and I'm glad that he has turned out to be a happy boy too.  All of his teachers have said that he is a great student, that he is respectful and he puts a lot of effort into all that he does.  He makes us proud everyday.  Happy Birthday Eric!!

We celebrated his birthday on Saturday with family.  For months he has asked for a root beer float cake and party.  I was looking at cake decorating web sites to get some ideas and instead of finding cakes that looked like floats I found recipes for cakes that taste like a root beer float.  I tried two different recipes, made three different cakes and two different kinds of frosting.  I spent hours trying to get this cake the way he wanted it.  It should have been very simple to make and decorate but I had so many problems.  The first cake I made was a round layer cake but he didn't like it because it didn't look like a mug of root beer ( I saved that cake to take to the ward party instead).  The next cake stuck to the pan even though I sprayed it and had parchment paper on the bottom of the  pan.  It crumbled as I tried to take it out.  It was almost ten o'clock the night before his party and I wasn't going to make another cake so I salvaged it.  I held it together with lots of frosting.  I then had to bake another round cake for the handle of the mug.  I was ready to cry or scream or do something dramatic by the time I finished the cake. 

The good news is he loved the cake, said I was the best mom and that I deserved a cupcake because of all the hard work I put into it.  The party was lots of fun.  I bought soda glasses for the kids to drink their floats out of and Dean made hamburgers.  Then he opened presents and we ate cake and more ice cream.  He got his first BB gun and was so excited to try it out.  We set up cans in the back yard for target practice.  He had a good time. 

It's been a while...

I haven't posted in quite a while, but that's because I haven't done anything terribly exciting in a while.  Over Memorial Day weekend Dean took the boys camping.  I seriously considered going then backed out at the last minute.  It was actually quite nice to be home with just Katie for a few days.  We cleaned house, did laundry, cleaned up the back yard and planted some flowers.  I came very close to painting the kitchen cabinets as well but ran out of time and energy.  When they got back we spent a day going to the movie, playing in the fountain at the theater, going out for lunch then while Katie and Dean rested the boys and I went mini golfing. 

This weekend the kids and I washed and cleaned out the cars.  To the passerby it probably looked like I was breaking some child labor laws as I sat in the shade while they cleaned away.  Luckily for them it was a lot more fun than it was work so I didn't feel a bit guilty.  We now have two very clean cars. 

One last update.  Three weeks ago at my last OB appointment I did not pass the glucose test AND  I had to have a doppler scheduled for my leg to make sure I didn't have any blood clots forming in the oh so attractive varicose vein running down my calf.  I cried because I thought I was going from healthy to possibly having gestational diabetes and blood clots.  Lucky for me the doppler came back clean.  There was nothing harmful lurking in my veins  and today I had the three hour glucose test and passed with flying colors.  I am very thankful for my health!

Mother's Day

Today is doubly special because it's Mother's Day and Katie's birthday. The primary kids sang Little Purple Pansies and I Often Go Walking in sacrament meeting today. I love when they sing! In primary the kids made a book of kisses for their moms. It has a poem and blank pages that they either kissed with lipstick lips or used stamps and stickers. This is what the poem says:

Mommy I Love You
by Nicholas Gordon

Mommy, I love you
For all that you do.
I'll kiss you and hug you
'Cause you love me too
You feed me and need e
To teach you to play.
So smile 'cause I love you
On this Mother's Day.

Mom, this is a book of kisses for you. You can redeem each page of this book for a real kiss. Happy Mother's Day 2010.

Dean bought me flowers and a Dyson hand held vacuum. You may be thinking the flowers were a nice touch but the vacuum? I have actually been wanting one for a very long time and was absolutely thrilled to get it. Thank you Dean, Charles, Eric and Katie for making my Mother's Day so special.

Here's something funny that happened today. I was in the kitchen getting things ready for lunch and Katie was at the table waiting for her food. She kept asking me for different things like carrots with ranch, two slices of apple not just one, a big glass and on and on. As I'm trying to keep up with her Eric comes over to me and says, "Man, I'm glad I'm not a mom!"

Happy Mother's Day to all of you hard working moms out there, especially my own!!!

My Baby Girl Turned Three

Yesterday our family celebrated Katie's 3rd birthday, which is actually today . I really can't believe that she is such a big girl. She has been a sweet handful for the past three years. Who knew that such a little thing could try your patience and tug at your heart strings in so many ways. She was so excited for her birthday (cake). I tried to put it where she wouldn't see it, but she found it. Every time I looked at it she had picked off and eaten a flower from the dress. She wasn't so sure she wanted to cut her princess. Dean's family came to help us celebrate. She put on a little show as she was opening presents. Her brothers gave her a pair of dress up "high" heels. She loved them because they were like my shoes. She was opening a present from her great grandparents and thought the clothes were fantastic until she saw the money that was included. She said, "look at my new dollars". After she was done opening presents she put the heels on and went walking across the family room. She automatically put one hand on her hip as she walked. I promise, there was no modeling or coaching from me. I don't know how she knew to to that. We had a fun celebrating her.