I've been a little concerned lately about my brown thumb.
I know many of you will try to reassure me by saying, "Um, you're a little busy raising children." I'm still a plant murderer though. I still bought these things thinking that they would live a full and complete life. For example, I planted four small rows of carrots thinking we would get quite a large crop of carrots. No, only four have sprouted.
Maybe it's God's way of saying. "Don't get so proud. Sure you and your husband make the most adorable children on the planet, but you can't get carrots to grow."
The same goes for my grass. I've done everything grass experts (yes there are grass experts) tell me and use all of the pseudo-knowledge that I learned in class and the only place the grass is green is in my garden.
At least my compost is going. I can take comfort in knowing that I can turn perfectly good plant matter back into dirt.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
National Train Day
We went to the train museum for the first time for National Train Day! Yey!
They had two trains you could ride in a circle over and over again.
Then there were the amazing model trains. I've never seen a steam engine model train before. It was awesome, but kinda smelled funky.
Yeah, um... this picture wouldn't flip. Sorry. If you tilt your head to the side you will notice that those are my kids standing in front of a big blue engine.
They had two trains you could ride in a circle over and over again.
BaBY YeY!
We welcomed a new baby in April. His name is Daniel Aiden, and we love him to bits.
So pictures...
Here is Daniel.
Here is my family visiting me in the hospital. (This is how Sam appears in most photos.)
He held still long enough to eat some of my hospital food.
Here you can see a joke that none of the hospital staff understood, which made it even funnier when they would ask, "how do you pronounce that?" (We had them make two name tags for his crib.)
"That's all folks!"
So pictures...
Here is Daniel.
Two things post
Sam turned two...
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tagged Again
Ok, before I get to the millions of other posts, here is the tag of the month... brought to you by my amazing sister!
And here are their questions to answer:
1. What was the last book you read?
The whole book? To myself, or my children?
The last partial book was "The Culture of Fear" (I fell asleep)
The last book to my children was, "Megan the Monday Fairy" I'm glad my daughter loves me reading to her, I really do, but I really need to find some more interesting books that she loves.
The last book to myself was, "How to Train a Dragon: How to Escape a Dragon's Curse". You know you want to read them too.
2. What was your most memorable date with your significant other?
Going backpacking 4 miles to a glacier lake in picturesque Logan Canyon, while about four months pregnant with my first baby.
3. If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?
Sheesh, three? That's a lot for me. I have a lot of what I want in this world. Let me get back to you.
4. What would you want served for your last dinner?
Nothing, I'd rather spend the time with my family, than waste it eating!
5. Where is your favorite place to shop for clothes for yourself?
I hate shopping for clothes. I'd rather they were just given to me by someone who has better taste.
6. Where is one place you have always wanted to visit?
New Zealand.
7. What is your favorite holiday and why?
My birthday. For Obvious reasons. :)
8. What was your first impression of your spouse?
What a brave soul. He really had no idea what he was getting into.
9. Do you consider yourself to be a good driver?
No, which is why I bike, or take the road less traveled. (Thank you, I know I'm thoughtful.)
10. When you have some downtime, what do you spend it doing?
This made me giggle.
11. Chrome, IE, Firefox, other? And why?
And why.
And here are their questions to answer:
1. What was the last book you read?
The whole book? To myself, or my children?
The last partial book was "The Culture of Fear" (I fell asleep)
The last book to my children was, "Megan the Monday Fairy" I'm glad my daughter loves me reading to her, I really do, but I really need to find some more interesting books that she loves.
The last book to myself was, "How to Train a Dragon: How to Escape a Dragon's Curse". You know you want to read them too.
2. What was your most memorable date with your significant other?
Going backpacking 4 miles to a glacier lake in picturesque Logan Canyon, while about four months pregnant with my first baby.
3. If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?
Sheesh, three? That's a lot for me. I have a lot of what I want in this world. Let me get back to you.
4. What would you want served for your last dinner?
Nothing, I'd rather spend the time with my family, than waste it eating!
5. Where is your favorite place to shop for clothes for yourself?
I hate shopping for clothes. I'd rather they were just given to me by someone who has better taste.
6. Where is one place you have always wanted to visit?
New Zealand.
7. What is your favorite holiday and why?
My birthday. For Obvious reasons. :)
8. What was your first impression of your spouse?
What a brave soul. He really had no idea what he was getting into.
9. Do you consider yourself to be a good driver?
No, which is why I bike, or take the road less traveled. (Thank you, I know I'm thoughtful.)
10. When you have some downtime, what do you spend it doing?
This made me giggle.
11. Chrome, IE, Firefox, other? And why?
And why.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Trek to Salt Lake
Last year's train ride was such a hit that we decided to try it again. It was rough with two, but we managed. We ended up going to a sing-along in the Energy...um... the place where the Jazz play. Anyway, photos speak louder than words. Here it is.
Sorry they are so small. My computer was being funny. This one is on our way there.
On our way.
After the show.
:)
This is Liz's favorite fountain.
Sam liked the ride home.
Liz didn't. She ate too much junk food.
Sorry they are so small. My computer was being funny. This one is on our way there.
On our way.
After the show.
:)
This is Liz's favorite fountain.
Sam liked the ride home.
Liz didn't. She ate too much junk food.
How to Make a Gingerbread House
1. Get an idea.
2. Draw rough sketch.
3. Make a cardboard model of the gingerbread house. With all of the gingerbread pieces.
4. Make the dough. There are many good recipes online. (Hint: Use margarine instead of butter because it's cheaper an nobody will use it anyway. Hint 2: Honey does work instead of molasses, but it doesn't smell as good and is slightly lighter.)
5. Roll out pretty thin, but not too thin on the backs of cookie sheets (Just place in the oven when done cutting out). Using your cardboard model as a guide, cut out the shapes of the house, including windows.
6. Once house is cool, you can melt butterscotch candies for windows. (oven 350 until melted, check often. ~5 min.)
7. Let pieces go stale.
8. Melt sugar in frying pan. (Put sugar in pan on medium heat, let sit until caramel color, burns fast.) Dip pieces in caramel and stick together. Continue to hold walls up for about a day until it sets.
Picture 1: Wall being held up by whatever is in the kitchen. Green sugar crystals in the background will be used for shrubbery.
Picture 2: Butterscotch windows, Royal Frosting base and stairs, pretzel shutters, cookie shingles, candy wreath and topiary, twizzler raingutters.
Picture 3: Little CSI men made of Gum Paste. (Hint: Gum paste feels like chewed gum, keep it soft with vegetable oil.) Note the yellow "do not cross" line in the background made of fruit roll ups. This Gum paste man is climbing a pretzel ladder.
Picture 4: More CSI men. One with a gum paste camera, and one with a gum paste phone. The basket was not kept in the final shot due to obvious size issues. The walkway was cereal glued to card stock, glued to the board. (Hint: When making gum paste men, make a toothpick frame to build them around first.)
Picture 5: The owners of the home, devastated at the loss. They match the picture found inside the house. The people are stuck to the board with frosting. The white stuff is sugar crystals. The trees are pipe cleaners that had more sugar crystals/rock candy grown on it. (Hint: For rock candy, boil one cup of water with as much sugar in it as you can get (about 4 cups), put in container you don't really care about. Place string tied to the middle of a pencil suspended in the solution. If crystals form on edges of the container, then pour solution into a clean container.)
Picture 6: Landscaping done.
Picture 7: This is why the gingerbread house has a big hole in it. Note the Twizzler pull and peel rug, gum paste piano, and hard candy couch. Details missing include a Christmas tree and present, door, curtains, mantel piece with candles decorating it, and a framed picture of the family outside. All made of candy. For the final showing, there was a lamp made of a mag. light, which probably was never turned on. In fact, the whole inside of the house could not be seen because they had the house displayed on a high shelf. :(
2. Draw rough sketch.
3. Make a cardboard model of the gingerbread house. With all of the gingerbread pieces.
4. Make the dough. There are many good recipes online. (Hint: Use margarine instead of butter because it's cheaper an nobody will use it anyway. Hint 2: Honey does work instead of molasses, but it doesn't smell as good and is slightly lighter.)
5. Roll out pretty thin, but not too thin on the backs of cookie sheets (Just place in the oven when done cutting out). Using your cardboard model as a guide, cut out the shapes of the house, including windows.
6. Once house is cool, you can melt butterscotch candies for windows. (oven 350 until melted, check often. ~5 min.)
7. Let pieces go stale.
8. Melt sugar in frying pan. (Put sugar in pan on medium heat, let sit until caramel color, burns fast.) Dip pieces in caramel and stick together. Continue to hold walls up for about a day until it sets.
Picture 1: Wall being held up by whatever is in the kitchen. Green sugar crystals in the background will be used for shrubbery.9. Once house is assembled, decorate.
Picture 2: Butterscotch windows, Royal Frosting base and stairs, pretzel shutters, cookie shingles, candy wreath and topiary, twizzler raingutters.
Picture 3: Little CSI men made of Gum Paste. (Hint: Gum paste feels like chewed gum, keep it soft with vegetable oil.) Note the yellow "do not cross" line in the background made of fruit roll ups. This Gum paste man is climbing a pretzel ladder.
Picture 4: More CSI men. One with a gum paste camera, and one with a gum paste phone. The basket was not kept in the final shot due to obvious size issues. The walkway was cereal glued to card stock, glued to the board. (Hint: When making gum paste men, make a toothpick frame to build them around first.)
Picture 5: The owners of the home, devastated at the loss. They match the picture found inside the house. The people are stuck to the board with frosting. The white stuff is sugar crystals. The trees are pipe cleaners that had more sugar crystals/rock candy grown on it. (Hint: For rock candy, boil one cup of water with as much sugar in it as you can get (about 4 cups), put in container you don't really care about. Place string tied to the middle of a pencil suspended in the solution. If crystals form on edges of the container, then pour solution into a clean container.)
Picture 6: Landscaping done. 
Picture 7: This is why the gingerbread house has a big hole in it. Note the Twizzler pull and peel rug, gum paste piano, and hard candy couch. Details missing include a Christmas tree and present, door, curtains, mantel piece with candles decorating it, and a framed picture of the family outside. All made of candy. For the final showing, there was a lamp made of a mag. light, which probably was never turned on. In fact, the whole inside of the house could not be seen because they had the house displayed on a high shelf. :(
Monday, October 31, 2011
Fall Farm Fun
When are we going to go do something?
This is more like it!
I'm just happy no matter what.
I found Pumpkin Bob!
Fall Farm Fun Part 2
Pumpkin Bob is going home.
Donkey petting
Cow train
This was the biggest hit with my kids. Instead of a sandbox, they had a cornbox.
Sam liked it too.
Cardboard Box Robot Costume
Step 1: Take a milk jug and cut out the back part. Add eye holes.
Step 2: Hot glue two milk lids (with the backs cut out) to the eye holes for depth. Add plastic circles with hole punched circles. Cut out mouth.
Step 3: Glue some plastic from the jugs to form the details of the face. I used another jug to make the head taller. I also pinched the plastic to make a nose.
Step 4: Paint gold and then forget to document the rest of the process. Let's just say there's boxes, crepe paper, paper plates, bubble wrap, and straps involved. Can you tell what robot he's supposed to be?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
6 Month Sam
"Don't mind me, I'm just helping dad fix the faucet."
"ZZZZZ... downward dog....zzzzzz."
"The bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain! To see his Mommy!"
Liz's party
We decided to have a friend party this year for Liz. We invited kids from sunbeams and preschool. Liz wanted a rainbow cake we had seen on Pinterest, so I went with rainbows. This is how it turned out.
I've been on this blog many many times, yet I always forget that the order I upload the photos is the opposite of what it will post it as. Anyway, these are the balloon decorations we did. It was really fun and looked awesome from the top of our stairs. The balloons looked like they were floating in midair. However, tape was not enough to hold the strands and they kept coming down, so now all of the balloons are hanging out in Liz's room. I don't have a picture of it, but I think the best part of the party was when we gave the kids their own balloons and they just ran around with them.
We made some mini pizzas with toasted hamburger buns. The kids loved making their own pizzas.
The kids loved these rainbow kabobs.
My first real birthday cake. It turned out good. We normally don't really eat cake, and this was gone in a week!
We did some crafts and played some games. We had lots of games, and just had a blast. Liz loves being 4.
I've been on this blog many many times, yet I always forget that the order I upload the photos is the opposite of what it will post it as. Anyway, these are the balloon decorations we did. It was really fun and looked awesome from the top of our stairs. The balloons looked like they were floating in midair. However, tape was not enough to hold the strands and they kept coming down, so now all of the balloons are hanging out in Liz's room. I don't have a picture of it, but I think the best part of the party was when we gave the kids their own balloons and they just ran around with them.
We made some mini pizzas with toasted hamburger buns. The kids loved making their own pizzas.
The kids loved these rainbow kabobs.
My first real birthday cake. It turned out good. We normally don't really eat cake, and this was gone in a week!
We did some crafts and played some games. We had lots of games, and just had a blast. Liz loves being 4.
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