Our Little Family

2011-01-21T12:55:00.000-08:00

Where is their mother? I can't believe she let them out looking like that.

2011-01-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

At the begining of the school year, my Gramps and Bailey made a deal. If Bailey got 100% on her spelling test ten times in a row, he would give her a brand new $5 bill.

Not too long before Christmas, Bailey reached her goal and Gramps went to the bank and brought her a brand new $5 bill. Not wanting it to get lost in the first ten minutes of getting it, I told her to put it away somewhere safe. About 5 minutes later she comes out of her room, with the $5 bill grumpled up and a corner ripped off of it. She was trying to put it in her piggy bank and in the process ruined the new bill Gramps went to the bank for. Kids!

2011-01-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

"Mom, I couldn't sleep last night. There was a dragon scampering around my room, keeping me awake."

2011-01-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

"TA- DA !"

LONG OVER DUE...

2010-08-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

In order to appease all those who have rebuked me for not posting since February, I present our last six months in pictures (and out of order because it takes me way to long to fix it.)

Cuddling Claire after she lost her hairbow in the waterfall

Scott and Hazel in front of Treasure Falls in Colorado.

Yummy Nutella!!!

Bailey at her SIXTH birthday! Why do they have to grow up so fast!

Kindergarten Graduation!

Grandpa reading to "his ladies." You guessed, EASTER!

TOOO CUTE!!!!

I am not done with all the cute pictures I have found on my camera.

To Be Continued...........

Birthday Girl

2010-02-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Little Sister!!!

She likes:

Dancing

Eating Sausage

Coloring

Blankets

Waking up WAY to early

Riding her plasma car

The Three Little Pigs Story

Mary Poppins

2010-02-23T08:51:00.000-08:00

Do you remember when you were little and you could watch the same movie or show a hundred times in a row and never grow tired of it. When I was seven, my obsession of choice was Mary Poppins. I watched it so many times that my parents said it broke and they threw it away, only for me to find it later when we were moving.
Well to my delight, my children have their own obsession with Mary Poppins and I couldn't be happier. I was even more delighted when I learned that Mary Poppins was coming to Gammage Auditorium at ASU.
This last Saturday the girls and I went to Gammage to see Mary in person. The girls LOVED it! They got so excited when the recognized the songs and saw Mary "fly" over the audience. What an amazing way to spend a Saturday!

I LOVE MARY POPPINS!!

2010-02-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!!!

Finally....

2010-02-17T14:50:00.000-08:00

Our old house is sold!

We have moved into our new house!

We are mostly unpacked!

The kids are use to their new rooms and are sleeping at night!

YIPPEE!!!

2010-02-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

Some of her FAVORITE things are:

dancing

sippy cups

bread (she is a carb addict)

baby dolls

her blankie

making bunny nose faces

running between her parents legs

The Second Coming

2009-12-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

This morning Bailey came into my room and asked me if I knew what the second coming was. I replied yes and asked her is she learned about it in primary. She said she did and also told me she learned during the second coming Jesus will be incharge. Then she paused for a second and I could tell she was thinking. She then looks at me and tells me she is excited for the second coming because Jesus will be incharge, not me and I won't be able to tell her to eat her breakfast.

2009-12-05T09:28:00.000-08:00

We will now break in our ignoring of this blog to bring you some very important messages.

*** Bailey went to play at a friend's house last week with all teeth accounted for and nothing wiggling and came home sans a tooth. The Toothfairy visited, Bailey was excited, mom cried because her baby is growing up way to fast.

*** Clementines are food from HEAVEN. Easy enough for kids to peel themselves, which keeps them occupied for a while, and the kids think they are candy.

*** We are proud owners of two homes and not very happy about it. Anyone want to buy our house????

*** Hazel got her first haircut. She no longer has a comb over. Oh and she is walking 3-4 steps between furniture. Again, Hazel is excited, mom is crying.

*** Claires new favorite "butt" is "Sleeping Booty." Translation: her favorite book is Sleeping Beauty

*** And this just in. I was just informed by my eldest that I have "Lost the privilege of being her mother." I thought she was five not thirteen.

Now back to our regular scheduled programing already in progress.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-18T20:23:00.003-07:00

Despite the 104 degree temps on Saturday, we took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. I admit our local patch isn't as idilic as pumpkin patches in other parts of the country, but we still had a good time. Here is what we did.

Hazel ate some dirt and dead grass.
Bailey loved decorating her very own pumpkin.

Claire loved posing as a "farmer."

And we loved spending time with our girls!

The Land of Enchantment

2009-10-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

"Over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go."
Well it was actually over the mountains and through the Indian reservation to Albuquerque we go. Bailey had a two week fall break so we decided to take advantage of the break and take a long overdue trip to visit Grandpa and Grandma Sherwood house.

We had such a full and very fun week. The week started with a trip to the children's museum. We did art projects out of recyclable products, played with magnets, musical instruments, bubbles, water and Scott even rode a bike on a tight rope.

Later in the week we went to Albuquerque's annual International Balloon Fiesta. Every year during the first week of October, hot air balloon enthusiast descend on Albuquerque for a week of events.

First we went to a "Glowdeo." We rode on a school bus, a highlight for the girls in and of itself, to the balloon park. We had a picnic and watched the balloons inflate and then we got to walk among the balloons. Once it got dark, every few minutes they would all light the fire in the balloon and the whole field would glow. It was very impressive and a little magical.

On Saturday morning we woke the girls up early to go to a hillside park and watch the balloons float along the mountains. They flew right over the top of our heads, so close we could see the people in the basket. We also were able to see several of them land and pack up.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Sherwood for such a fun week. We may just make this an annual event! We love and miss you!

The End

It's Offical

2009-10-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Our house is for sale. If you know anyone that is looking for a well taken care of home in Gilbert, send them my way. Here are a few of the highlight of the house:

*Exterior was painted in spring 2008

*All new exterior doors

*All new carpet, tile and laminate wood flooring on the inside. Plus we had a no shoe policy so the carpet is clean!

*HUGE storage room and pantry. Not many houses this size have storage rooms.

*Bonus room/office off of the master bedroom

*Fireplace

*New Corian counter tops in kitchen

Email me at barlownatalie@hotmail.com if you want more details or have any questions!!!

p.s. Our new house is still here in Gilbert. It is about a mile away from our current house. So we will still be close to all our friends around here.

2009-09-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

SURPRISE! I have a tooth.

It's right here.

2009-09-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

This will hopefully be ours soon!

A few months ago we put an offer in on this house. Monday, Scott got a call from the realtor telling us the bank excepted our offer and wants to close on October 21st. I am still a little scared that it won't happen because I have heard so many horror stories about short sales and foreclosures. But if all goes as plan we will be moving soon.

If anyone is looking for a cute little starter house in Gilbert, we will probably put ours on the market soon. Let us know!!!

2009-09-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

At what age do kids...

sleep through the night

and

sleep past 6:00 am

and

not scream and cry until 10:30 at night because

they are beyond exhausted, yet refuse to go to sleep.

Please tell me when, so I can start counting the

seconds until that glorious age.

If I survive until then.

Crazy Hat Day

2009-09-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

Friday was crazy hat day at Baileys school. This is the beauty she chose to wear. Needless to say she had the craziest hat in her class.

Thanks Aunt Celeste for the hat!

Just had to share

2009-09-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Walgreens and I came home with these...

and I got paid $5 to take them away.

Not bad!

2009-09-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

Mom! Look what I can do!

I promise she does wear things other than just her diaper. She looks so skinny in her disposables compared to her cloth diapers.

Huggies Baby Wipes

2009-09-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

I just found this link to $2.00 off Huggies Diapering PRODUCTS coupon
http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qinjblu9829492&bt=vi&o=57463&c=HG&p=7gaQhPFm
Use it in combination with a sale on Huggies Baby Wipes and you could get yourself some cheap baby wipes.
Who knows, maybe we may get lucky and there will be a sale were you can get paid to take the wipes away like there was a few weeks ago!!!!

p.s. If the cashier gives you grief about the coupons wording, make sure you point out to them it says "diapering product" not just diapers.
p.s.s. can someone teach me how to link to other websites without having to put the entire web address down. Thanks!

2009-09-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

How can you say no to a face like this?

She is too little.....

2009-09-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

to be doing this.

And this.

When she is only 6 months and her feet are so little

like this.

2009-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Look at those baby blues!

I thought this was funny

2009-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

My mom sent this quote to me and I thought I was rather amusing.

"Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it and whose members will be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that is broke.What could possibly go wrong?"

The Morning

2009-08-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

I love kids first thing in the morning. I love how they are still half asleep and are willing to take a few minutes to cuddle with you. Often they are smelly and have fabulous hairdos from the night, but for some reason you love them even more for it.

My dad likes to say that they are so perfect and awful at the same time in the morning. I agree.

Jedi Mullet

2009-08-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

My poor little Hazel is loosing her hair. Her hair on top is actually very long but she has lost a ton of her underneath hair. We tease that she has a Jedi Mullet. I try to hide it with a combover hairdo but it doesn't work too well. Poor little thing.

2009-08-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Baby Half Off

Want deep discounts on child and baby items? Head on over to www.babyhalfoff.com

2009-08-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone need a car wash?

2009-08-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

"Yoot Mom, I got dressed!"

My New Bathroom!!

2009-08-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

While the girls and I were gone in Idaho, my sweet husband spent his nights redoing the kids bathroom. He laid a tile floor and gave us a new countertop and faucet. He did such a good job. It looks fabulous! And to make it even better, I didn't have to deal with all the construction. We just came home to a new bathroom. Thank you Scott!

Treasures!!!

2009-07-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

The last month or two I have collected quite a few treasures. The first set of treasures I got was a box from my mother in law Carol with a pillow for Hazel made by her great grandma Hazel. There was also a bag of old buttons from great grandma Hazel. There are some fabulous buttons I can't wait to use! Thanks Carol!

The next set of treasure came from my aunt Lisa. Her mother in law passed away a few years ago leaving a treasure trove of craft supplies. Lisa took me to her inlaws house and her father inlaw, Brother Hawkins, shared with me TONS of stuff. The pictures below shows just a few of the things he gave me including crochet thread, needles, crochet hooks, lace, ric rac and a cool old ciagr box. Thank you Brother Hawkins and Lisa, I can't wait to get started on some projects!

This last picture shows my great grandmothers and grandmothers buttons. My aunt Pam had the buttons and was kind enough to let me have some of them. If you can't tell, I love buttons!!! I already have ideas about where I am going to use the buttons.

p.s. if anyone is ever getting rid of buttons or has family that is getting rid of theirs, I would be happy to take them off your hands and put them to good use!!!

Secret Dream

2009-07-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

I had a dream. A dream I haven't told many people. A dream I never thought would come true. A dream that finally, after many years, of patiently waiting, came true a few weeks ago. My secret little dream is... I have always wanted to be a BANJO player.
Last summer I told Scotts family about my dream. They all thought I was joking and thought it was pretty funny but I was serious. Well my sister in laws Chelsea and Stacie recognized the seriousness of my dream and helped it come true.
We were is Orem, Ut a few weeks ago visiting family when I got a call from Chelsea saying she wanted to come visit us. Little did I know the treasure she had for me, MY VERY OWN BANJO. I was in complete and utter shock when she came up to the house carrying a BANJO! Her brother had a BANJO he never played so Chelsea worked her magic, did a little trading and got the BANJO for me for my birthday!!!!! I could have never asked for a better birthday present or sister in laws.

THANK YOU SO MUCH CHELSEA AND STACIE!!! I LOVE YOU and the BANJO!!! When I become a rich and famous BANJO player, I will owe it all to you!

2009-07-24T08:01:00.001-07:00

Bailey isn't the only one growing up way to fast and starting new things. Hazel has decided to join the sitting world this week. Now she can roll over both ways, scoot across the floor on her forehead and feet, and she can sit. She is also SO close to crawling. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth. Where did my little baby go?!?

It is Official...

2009-07-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

I am the mother of a Kindergartner. Bailey started school yesterday. In typical fashion she was so excited to go to school and I was VERY far from excited. But we both survived it and I think she will do so well this year!!!

We had a little party for her the night before school started. She chose the menu of spaghetti and meatballs with breadsticks. She also wanted to wear her preschool shirt since she won't be able to wear it again because she is a kindergartner now.

Here she is being picked up from school. I can't believe it but I forgot my camera when I dropped her off at school so I had to get some when I picked her up.

The first day of school outfit!

p.s. A few people have asked where Bailey is going to school. She is going to a charter school called Edu-Prize and they are on a modified year round schedule. That is why she is starting so early.

2009-07-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Broulims Grocery in Driggs, ID

How do I love you, let me count the ways...

I love the fact you are the only place in town to eat.

I love the eating area overlooking the produce section.

I love that I get to eat potatoe wedges and chicken strip from the deli and mom gets sushi/chinese food everytime we go.

I love that I get to eat lunch with the stores employees and construction workers.

I love the fact that you have a party room and signs advertising a place to have baby and bridal showers.

My love is unwavering. I have been there four times in 2 weeks and it brings me to tears at the thought of going to another place to dine. Thank you for providing the highlight of my summer vacation. Until we meet again, I love you!

Love,

Bailey Sherwood

2009-07-18T20:27:00.001-07:00

S'mores anyone?

Can't get much better than this

2009-07-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

For my girls, summer wouldn't be summer without a trip Grandpa and Grandma Barlows house is Idaho. It is something they look forward to all year long. It is the perfect place for childhood adventures. What could be better than...

Throwing rocks in the pond and at the dog after dinner

Picking Grandmas wildflowers

Being outside eventhough mom makes you cover up in a mosquito net

Riding on Grandpas Massey Ferguson tractor

And picnics with Grandma at the other pond

All this and it is only the first three days!!!!!

So Long, Farewell....

2009-06-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

For weeks Bailey has been asking me to get her hair cut. She wanted to donate it so a little girl could have a "twig". She donated her hair to Locks of Love last June and thought it was so fun and wanted to do it again.

Yesterday I finally gave in and took her. I love her long hair but I think it looks darling short. Plus a little girl will get a new "twig!"

She hasn't had her hair this short since she was about 6 months old.

Nice!

2009-06-19T14:22:00.002-07:00

Today I was laying on my bed, minding my own business when out of no where Hazels little hand was in my mouth. I had yawned and Hazel, bless her heart, decided she wanted to share, took her hand out of her mouth and put it in mine. Thanks Hazel.

BOSTON!!!!

2009-06-14T17:28:00.001-07:00

WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES!!!

(and a travel log)

We loved every minute of our trip to Boston. Not only did we get to see Grandma and Grandpa but we got to play tourist and see the sights of Boston.

Our trip started weeks before we actually left, with a count down to the day we left.

We also spent some time teaching the kids about the Pilgrims, Paul Revere and other important facts about Boston before we left.

The first day we got there we walked the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a brick path that goes through all of Boston and leads you to all of the historic sites. Here is a picture of Hazel and her Grandpa that I think is just cute so I had to show it off.

Bailey really loved learning about Paul Revere. If you don't know much about him, you should do a little research. He is actually an amazing talented and interesting person. Among his many talents, he was a blacksmith and this is a bell he made that stands outside his house.

One of our favortie places in Boston is Mikes Pastry. You can't go to Boston without eating your weight in heavenly treats from Mikes. I actually gained 2 lbs on our trip, which I attribute to 4 trips to Mikes. Here is Claire eating a cookie the size of her face.

The day we went to the Plimoth Plantation, a recreation of a 17th centuary village, it rained and was freezing. We didn't take many pictures but Bailey couldn't leave without a picture infront of the "Mo-flower." We also went on a reconstruction of the Mayflower. I decided I would rather have crossed the plains with the pioneers than sail across the ocean. Baileys favorite part was counting the number of chamber pots at the plantation and on the Mayflower. What is it with children and toilets?

Of course there was many graduation celebrations!

And lots of time spent with Grandma.

We were in Boston on Baileys birthday. We celebrated by going to the childrens museum. I could have spent days there, it was so fun. My girls favorite room was a room dedicated to bubbles. The kids got to wear plastic smocks and play in huge trays of bubbles.

They even got to stand on a platform and have a bubble made around them!

If you actually read my whole travel log, I am very impressed. You deserve a cannoli from Mikes Pastry. Next time we go I will bring you one. Or better yet, you could come with us!

SHE DID IT!!!!!

2009-06-10T18:46:00.001-07:00

My Mom is a Harvard graduate!!!

We just returned from Boston, where we watched my mom graduate with a Masters in Public Administration from Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government. Impressed? I am.

I am so proud of my mom. Not only did she have the courage to go back to school at the age of...lets just say she is older than me, but she choose to go to Harvard. While there she had the courage to stand up for what she believes in, at a school where most peoples point of view and values are completely different from hers. On top of all that she was able to excel in all she did, touch people hearts and make her family oh so proud of her.

Mom you are my hero!!!!

Free

2009-05-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

Who said coupon clipping and sale shopping doesn't pay off. This is some of the toiletry type items I have gotten for free in the last month and a half. It doesn't include about 10 4packs of Cottonelle TP and grocery items I have gotten for free.

Total amount spent on items pictured;

I was paid $.24 to take them away!!!

Not bad!

Rite of Passage

2009-05-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

At our home, the day you get your first piggy tail is a bit of a rite of passage. One that consists of many photos, calls to grandma and lots of oohs and aahs.
Last night Scott asked me why we haven't given Hazel her piggies yet. To tell you the truth I hadn't even thought of it. With two other wiggly heads to deal with, I haven't thought of giving Hazel piggies. So today was the day and I think she looks pretty darn cute!!!

Hazel 3 months 2 weeks old

Claire 2 months 3 weeks old

Bailey 1 month 4 days old

A new look

2009-05-23T22:41:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I gave Claire a hair cut and gave her bangs. I think it is really cute but she doesn't like her "twohead" being covered.

Helping mom embroider

2009-05-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

If you are really good you can do it with your feet.

Preschool Graduation

2009-05-23T22:17:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I am the mother of a preschool graduate, it is a little weird. Actually the weird part is I am soon to be the mother of a kindergartner. Frightening!!!!

Here are a few pictures of the perks of graduating from preschool

You get to wear a cool graduation hat that you try to throw at your dads face rather than in the air at the end of the program.

You get a trophy that your sister sits on and breaks within the first 48 hours of having it. Luckily you live down the street from a trophy shop and dad can go get it replaced before you realize it is broken.

You get to be in a jungle themed program and get to eat all the cupcakes and cookies you want after the program.

Baileys Cafe

2009-05-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Baileys birthday isn't for a few more weeks but because of a few different things we had her birthday party last weekend. She wanted to have a cooking party so we sent out the invites to 11 of her closest friends, inviting them to an afternoon of cooking at Baileys' Cafe.

It was a fun party complete with decorating placemats, making individual lasagnas, eating cupcakes, lots of giggles and of course aprons!!!!

I was a little busy at the party and didn't take very many pictures. I seriously think I need to hire someone to take pictures during parties so I actually get pictures. Or better yet maybe hire someone to do the party so I can take the pictures.

Simple Pleasures

2009-05-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

As I sit here searching around on the computer, Bailey is sitting on the floor in front of me allowing me to do one of my favorite things, listen to her play. I love listening to little ones play and imagine by themselves. The stories they create and the names they come up with for the characters in their stories are fabulous. It is such a small thing, but one that makes me immensely happy.

A Sad Day

2009-05-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

Pictures taken by my dad

This morning while I was eating breakfast I got a phone call from my mom telling me she was standing outside, watching her church building burn down.

She and my dad were at stake conference in the Longfellow building in Cambridge MA when the fire alarm went off. They eventually evacuated the building and within minutes they watched as the roof went up in flames and the building burned.

According to the Boston Globe it took 22 engines, seven ladder companies, and about 80 firefighters to control the fire. My mom said that was a accurate number.

It is a sad day for many in the area because the 60 year old building was the first in the area and holds lots of memories for the members.

Later tonight my dad shared with me a very special story about the fire. A few hours after the fire my dad was back to check on what was going on and to help if needed. While there, two fire fighters came out of the part of the building that had the most damage, carrying to framed pieces of art. The fighter fighters didn't know where to put the art, so my dad offered to take them and get them to the right place. As he took them he noticed that after being in a building that just burned down and had water sprayed on it for several hours, the art was spotless. There was absolutely no ash or water on them. He eventually took the pictures to a Quaker church across the street that was storing things retrieved from the fire and there were several other pieces of art rescued from the fire that were in perfect condition also. For my dad this was a special moment, to know that the art work that hangs in our ward buildings is so important and a testimony of the things we believe in.

Here is a link to more pictures of the fire: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/05_17_09_cambridge_church_fire/

2009-05-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

My feelings are starting to get a little hurt that no one else wants a present from me.

I promise it will be good!

If you are worried about the whole making something for someone else, remember two things...

One, I won't know if you made something or not.

Two, it can be something that is edible like cookies. I know all of you have some sweets recipe that you can brighten someones day with.

Craft it Forward

2009-05-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had this on her blog and I thought I would play along.

The first 5 people that leave a comment get a personalized gift made by me.

The only rules I have are ...

1. I have until the end of the year to get it to you.

2. If you recieve something from me, play along and make something for someone else.

I can't wait to see who plays!!!

One of these things is not like the other

2009-05-08T14:45:00.001-07:00

My unintentional footwear to Cold Stone Creamery last night.

Yesterday was a long day.

Apple Cheeks

2009-05-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Skye, has an online store for clothe diapers. Right now she is hosting a giveaway for a starter kit of Apple Cheek diapers. They are darling diapers and her website has so many awesome things for baby and mom. Even if you don't use clothe diapers, check out her site.
www.diaperstyle.com

Sleeping wars

2009-04-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

For the last week or so I feel like I go into battle every night. I think Hazel and Claire have decided to take turns keeping me up all night. Hazel went from sleeping for 6-7 hour stretches to waking up every 2-3 hours. Claire has joined in the fun, and I am not sure why.

Then last night I was watching Letterman interview Jennifer Garner. He was asking her about the lack of sleep she gets because of her two little ones. Her comment was something to the effect of "What is night? I put on my sweats, it is dark outside and I get to take a few naps." I felt like saying "Amen sister!" when I heard it. That is exactly how I feel. I don't get to go to bed at night, rather I get to take a nap in the dark.

I am not sure why I am posting this other than I am tired and feel like whining.

Not happy

2009-04-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

After putting the older girls to bed, Hazel and I decided to get the strawberries ready for our jam making fest tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I don't think she was very happy. I am not sure why she was so mad, she had her apron on and we were listening to a little CCR, both good things.

Hopefully she will be happier tomorrow when we make 4 batches of mixed berry and rasberry jam or it will be a long day.

P.S. If you live in the Mesa/Gilbert area, Superstition Ranch market had 8 lbs of strawberries on sale for $3 as of Tuesday. Go get some!

The Dreaded Walrus

2009-04-24T10:18:00.001-07:00

I am not sure if it made the national news yesterday, but there was a walrus loose in Gilbert and unfortunatey was coming straight for my girls. Luckly they had red tubs to hide/play in all day to protect them from a walrus attack.

Because I am a shameless mom ....

2009-04-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

and I think these pictures are really cute!

2009-04-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

I found that other than mixing bread and having an amazing blender, seriously it is the best blender, my bosch is also amazing at putting my sick and fussy baby to sleep in seconds. I think I will be making a lot of bread until she gets better.

My nightly routine as of late

2009-04-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

Feed Hazel ... check
Try to get Hazel to sleep ... check
Look in on Bailey ... check
Give Bailey a kiss ... check
Look in on Claire ...check
Make sure Claire still has clothes on .... BLAST!!!!!!

Well at least she has her diaper on this time.

2009-04-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

Just beacuse I think this is a cute picture!

2009-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Look what I made!

Family Fun

2009-04-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last week was a really fun week for our family. My mom had spring break at Harvard so she came home to meet Hazel. My girls love it when Grandma comes because she takes them on special dates, to buy candy at the Dollar Store, invites them over for sleep overs, you know all the important grandma stuff.

Later in the week Scotts parents and sister Kristi came from New Mexico to meet Hazel and visit the girls. We went to lunch, shopping and hiking.

Saturday we decided to have a girls day. My mom, Lauren, Celeste, Scotts mom, Kristi, Bailey, Claire and I all went to a local playhouse and saw a childrens production of Sleeping Beauty. The girls loved going out with the big girls and Aunt Lauren even made their day better by buying them fairy wands. After the show we went out to lunch and the girls got to drink rootbeer!

That night we blessed Hazel at my parents home since both sets of grandparents were leaving to go home the next day. Scott gave a beautiful blessing and Hazel didn't make a sound during the whole thing. I wish I could say the same about Claire who was telling everyone to close their eyes and fold their arms during the whole blessing. After the blessing we had a picnic in the backyard.

I feel so lucky to have so much family around me to support and love me and my little family.

Best Friends

2009-03-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Growing up, one of my very best friends was Becky Barlow. We meet when we were about 9 and were pretty much inseperable after that. We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same school and ward and we both played the violin. People would get us mixed up all the time, which I am not sure why because we don't look anything like eachother. To this day I still respond to the name Becky because I was called it so much.

Well I am still be friends with Becky, even though we live on opposite sides of the country. (hopefully that will change soon if her hubby gets a job here!) And it makes me so happy that our little girls are becoming good friends, just like me and Becky.

Last week Becky was here to visit her family and our little girls got to spend time together. It was fun watching them do several of the things Becky and I did together, even though I doubt they will ever jump on a trampoline, belting out lyrics to "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel, while imagining NKOTB was on the other side of the fence watching them like Becky and I did. (I can't believe I just admitted that!)

Becky, I hope you move home so Marina and Bailey can do all the silly things we use to do together.

Favorite Quote of the week

2009-03-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Bailey

"Mom, moms do everything don't they? And dads just go to work and do what moms tell them to do."

Obsessions

2009-03-13T09:44:00.001-07:00

There are three things Claire is obsessed with right now

#1 OBSESSION is Walruses. She can't say her own name but she can say walrus and she thinks there is one that lives at our house. If anything bad happens or she is scared it is because of the dreaded walrus. The Walrus is even to blame for waking up the baby and rubbing baby soap all over Claire. Darn Walrus.

#2 OBSESSION is FLIES. If I hear another word about flies I am going to scream. If there is a fly within a 100 mile radius of Claire she knows about it and can not do or talk about anything other than the fly.

#3 Obsession is BODILY FUNCTIONS. Tuesday morning Claire decided she was going to potty train. So this week we have done little else. I guess I am lucky because she is doing really well and is mostly doing it herself but all I hear about all day other than the dreaded walrus and flies is Claires bodily functions.

Lemons

2009-03-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

When life gives you lemons make Lemonade, Lemon bars, Lemon Chicken, Lemon muffins, Lemon pasta, Lemon cookies, decorate your kitchen table with Lemons and Baileys idea "invite thirty forty five people over for a Lemon ROLL!!!!"

Does anyone have any good recipes that uses lemons? As you can tell we have more than enough and it makes me sad to see them go to waste. What is in the wagon is only about half of our lemons.

If anyone lives close by and wants some lemons, COME AND GET THEM PLEASE!!!!!

Diaper Coupons!!!

2009-03-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

As of 11:30 am today, www.boodle.com has coupons for $5 off and $3 off Huggies diapers. I don't know about other states but here in AZ, grocery stores still take internet coupons and it seems like every week at least one grocery store has Huggies on sale for $10 making the diapers $5 or $7.
You do have to sign up using your email address to print from the website, but I have never recieved any junk mail from them. You can also only print 2 sets of the coupons per email address and I think per printer. If your hubby is willing, sign up his email and see if he is allowed to print things from work so you can get more coupons.
GOOD LUCK and happy shopping!

Nine Days Old

2009-02-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hazel Nicole Sherwood

2009-02-21T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hazel Nicole Sherwood was born Monday February 16th at 2:04 am. She weighed 8 lb 3 oz , was 19 1/2 inches, has tons of hair and is "practically perfect in every way!" Hazel followed the tradition of her older sisters by starting the process of being born two days before her due date, which has just so happened to be on a Sunday for each girl. She also followed Claire's lead by being born on Presidents day.

Her birth has by far been the easiest for me. I started "real" contractions around 9:30 Sunday night. We finally went to the hospital after 11:00 and got into my room shortly after midnight. They gave me my epidural about an hour later and within 3o minutes Hazel entered the world after only 3 pushes.

We are so excited to finally have our new little one with us. The girls love her so much and are being such good helpers. Now I just need to get rid of my bronchitis and life will be wonderful.

Claire is TWO!!!!!

2009-02-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Claire!!!

We are so happy you are a part of our family! Your big smile and sweet hugs make us so happy. We can't wait to see what this year holds for you. WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Pedicures and Lunch

2009-02-18T11:49:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it is just so hard to find someone to give you a good pedicure. When it happens, you just have to take matters upon yourself. All you need is a carrot and some applesauce and you are set.

I'M HERE!!!

2009-02-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Love, Hazel

A day with the girls

2009-02-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks I have been really worried about my girls and how they are going to respond to having a new addition to the family. I have been working really hard to get lots of things done early so when the baby comes I will still have lots of time to spend with my other girls.

On Saturday I was really stressed about it so I decided to forget about everything else I had planned for the day and to focus totally on my girls. We decided we would do whatever they wanted that day.

Our adventures started with a trip to Build a Bear. We have only been there one other time but Bailey LOVES it and has been wanting to go back. Since it was her day we obliged and took them. We also thought it might be a good chance to teach the girls how to work together and to work for someone else by having them make a bear for their new sister as a gift.

They actually worked really well together and didn't fight at all!!!!! (Which was the highlight of my day!) They chose out a pink bear with a summery dress and leggins. Their favorite part of the whole experience was giving the bear a "bath" after it was stuffed. I think it is now the cleanest bear in the world.

Claire insisted the bear sit in a hot pink chair while getting dressed. Scott had the honor of dressing the pink bear in pink clothes while the bear sat in a pink chair, what a good dad!

We couldn't get the girls to pay attention long enough to get a good picture of them and the bear. But I promise the bear is really cute!

After Build a Bear, we let the girls spend some time at the germ infested playground. Am I the only mother that gets totally grossed out by mall playgrounds that every snotty nosed kid insists on playing on? But it was their day so I didn't try to talk/bribe them out of it.

To top of the morning we went to In and Out for lunch. We have yet to convince the girls that they would like hamburgers if they would try them, so they ate french fries for lunch. I had good intentions of feeding them some healthy food when we got home but that never happened so they had french fries for lunch.

The morning was finished off with eating candy hearts, loving on the bear and belting out the lyrics to Bailey favorite song about corn dogs on our way home.

No baby yet

2009-02-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

We are still waiting for the baby to make her debute. 6 more days to my due date, but who is counting. So sorry no baby. But we do have a one year old with pink eye, a cold, an ear infection and a dreadful cough, a mom and dad with bad colds and a 4 year old running the house. Lots of of fun!!!!

Nesting, big time

2009-01-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

Today I decided this baby better come soon or I am going to go crazy from all the nesting impulses I have been having. With Bailey, my nesting manifested itself with a few little things I sewed for her, no big deal. With Claire, I was obsessed with curtains and crocheting dish clothes, a little worse than Bailey but not bad. But this baby, oh boy!

Not only do I do the regular cleaning and organizing but I have been ripping apart rooms and closests, taking out countertops, painting walls, sewing and crocheting like a mad woman. In the last few weeks I have crocheted 3 1/2 blankets, several dish clothes, 4 baby hats and over a dozen booties. Plus I have a laundry basket full of half finished sewing projects. I need it to STOP. My fingers are sore and I don't know if I can afford the cost of my corcheting habit much longer.

I guess the only good part of all this is my girls now have warm blankets to cuddle up with in the "cold" 80 degree weather we are having.

Favorite Quote of the week

2009-01-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

"Share me cha cha milk, sista."

Claire Sherwood

Finally!

2009-01-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

"It's autumn time, it's autumn time. The leaves are falling down...."

and being raked jumped in

rolled in
and making two little girls very happy!

Gumball Stand

2009-01-09T13:37:00.000-08:00

(Photo courtesy of Bailey portfolio)
My conversation with Bailey today:

Bailey: Mom, I have been thinking and I think I am old enough now to set up a gumball stand.

Me: What are you going to sell?
Bailey: Gumballs and my stuff that I don't want. (Then she proceeds to tell what "stuff" she is going to sell, most of which belongs to her sister)

Me: Why are you going to sell gumballs and stuff?
Bailey: I need some cash.

For Grandma Sherwood

2009-01-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Looking lovely in their black Christmas dresses from you!

Thank you!

Toxic What?

2009-01-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

A few days before Christmas, our little Claire woke up with a limp in her right leg. I didn't think anything of it because sometimes she thinks she is a gangster and purposely limps around. But the limp never went away.

Then the next day and the next (Christmas day) the limp got so bad that she wouldn't walk and couldn't get up off the floor without something to pull herself up on. She mostly sat in one place and if she had to go somewhere she crawled. Of course I started to get really stressed because we couldn't see any bruises or swelling in her legs but she wouldn't walk. It was also heartbreaking to see my baby surrounded by all her Christmas presents and not be able to move to get to them.

On Friday we finally took her to the doctor. After a long day of trips to the medical lab for a blood draw, not something you want to do the day after Christmas, and after a lot of tears, mostly mine, we found out she had toxic synovitis in her right hip.

Toxic what? Yup that was what I was said. After doing some research we found out that it is a viral infection in her hip. The best way to put it is, she has temporary arthritis in her hip. We don't know how she got it but we were told that it doesn't cause any long lasting problems, thank goodness.

Well it has been two weeks today and she is finally back to her regular self. It seemed to go away as fast as it came. After an experience like this, I am even more grateful for my healthy kids and my heart goes out to parents who have kids that don't get better after two weeks and some medicine.

Claire inspecting the bug we found on the wagon

Christmas Highlights

2008-12-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

Happy day after Christmas!!!! Here are a few of my favorite pictures taken yesterday. I think the absolute best part of Christmas is little kids in their jammies with huge smiles on their face.

Bailey "helping" Claire open her presents. Claire is just trying to read her book, she did care about the rest of the presents.

Claire peeking through the window of her new doll house

What do you think, did we have enough pink at our house yesterday?

Claires favorite present. She has spent most of the last 24 hours sitting in it. Maybe someday she will learn to get in moving.

This is the one day of the year that I actually enjoy having a huge mess in my house.

Sights of Christmas

2008-12-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

The sight of Christmas by Bailey Sherwood (Notice the baby Jesus is on top of the stable and the angel and cow are inside)

The Big Day

2008-12-19T14:11:00.001-08:00

Today was a VERY big day at our house, or at least a very big day for our little 4 year old. Today was the Christmas program at Baileys preschool.

From the second she woke up, there was excitement in the air. We spent the morning choosing out the perfect outfit, practicing her line, putting curlers in her hair and we even had to put on a little of moms makeup to make sure she was extra beautiful.

The program was fabulous! It only took 45 minutes for 14 kids to say one line each and for the class to sing 6 songs. The program also only had to be stopped 3 times so the teacher could tell the kids to be quiet, stop cheering for one another and to keep their appendages to themselves. All in all, the perfect Christmas program.

Few of my favorite things

2008-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

I have never understood why the song "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music is considered a Christmas song but it is played all the time on the Christmas radio station. At any rate, I was listening to the song the other day while driving and started to think of a few of my favorite things. Of course there are the obvious favorite things like my hubby and girls, but I was thinking more superficially of things that I like that I have around my house.

Then I started to think, I would love to know what are some of my friends favorite things. What if they know about something I have never heard of that would make my life complete.

Then I thought of this, what if I asked everyone to tell me 2-3 of their favorite things. Do you have a favorite scented candle that makes your house smell heavenly, or a recipe that your family would eat every night or the perfect type of blanket that keeps you so warm? Whatever it is, I want to hear about. Then if anyone actually responds, I will make a list and post it for everyone to see.

I will start off the list with 3 of my favorite things right now:

1. I LOVE microfiber cleaning clothes. I bought a package of 25 from Sams Club a while back for about $8 and I seriously use them everyday. They clean up spills so quickly, are perfect for using with Windex to wash windows and stainless steel appliances. They even makes fabulous dolly blankets.
2. A few days ago my good friend Alene introduced me to Frontier spices and their chicken flavored broth powder. LOVE IT!!!! It makes the best chicken broth and gravy. So much better than bullion or Swanson chicken broth. Here is their website http://www.frontiercoop.com/ or if you live in the Mesa/Gilbert area, you can buy it at Shars Kitchen Store.
3. At this time of year, I love to make a homemade simmering potpourri. Here is what you do.
Put 2 slices of orange, 2 slices of lemon, 2 bay leaves, about 6-7 whole cloves and a cinnamon stick in a pot. Cover with water and simmer on your stove top. Or if you have a mini crock pot use it. I usually buy the spices at Walmart in their Mexican food aisle, so much cheaper than the regualr spice aisle.

So there you go, a few of my favorite things, what are yours?

The Good, Complaining and the Cute

2008-11-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Good:
I have finally reached adulthood and joined the 21st century. After years of holding out, last night I finally bought a cell phone. I think I was the only person over the age of 10 that didn't have one as evident by all the probably 9 year old at the AT&T store getting her second cell phone. At any rate, I am now the proud owner of a shiny red cell phone! Now I just have to figure out how in the world to use it.

The Complaining:
This week at my dr. appointment I found out that my 28 week gestational diabetes test came back postive by ONE FREAKIN POINT!!!!! Now I get the privilege of doing the three hour fasting glucose test to make sure I really have diabetes.

For those who have never had this test done, I will tell you what it involves. Pretty much you go in fasting, drink the awful orange crud, have your blood sugar spike and have your blood drawn 4 times in 3 hours and try to not cry while it is all happening.

When I was pregnant with Claire I also had to have this test done. Boy was it a joyous experience! For those of you who know me really well know that I don't do well with blood/needles. I passed out in high school just reading a story about donating blood. I can't even get a TB test without passing out. So having this test done is right up there with Christmas and being drawn and quatered.

So this is how the glucose test went when I was pregnant with Claire. I went into the germ infested medical lab fasting. Drank the orange crud. Began to shake and room started to spin. Tried to crochet to pass time while still sitting in the germ infested waiting room. Had my blood drawn 4 times. Passed out. Couldn't find vains by the 3rd draw. Nurse had to dig around for vains. Blood gushed down my arm. Almost passed out again. Was sick for the rest of the day and into the next. And to add a cherry on top, walked in on an asian guy leaving a urine sample because he didn't lock the door or respond when I knocked on the door to see if anyone was in there.

So if you try and call me on my NEW CELL PHONE this week and I don't answer, I probably died from anxiety of having to get my blood drawn again or I died of some incurable disease I caught while in the waiting room of the medical lab.
p.s. The test with Claire came back negative for diabetes.

The Cute:

Bailey and Claire eating dry cereal while watching Saturday cartoons. Claire has her jammies unzipped because she dumped all her cereal down her jammies and was using a spoon to scoop them out and eat them.

Turkey fun!

2008-11-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

Last night Scott was asking me why I haven't made rolls in a long time. Then this morning Bailey really wanted to do a Thanksgiving project. So I decided to combine the two requests and this is what I came up with. Can you tell what it is?

Here is a hint:

My girls snitched a few of the "feathers."

Names

2008-11-13T11:05:00.001-08:00

Scott and I have been having a hard time coming up with a name for our new little one until my Granny came to our rescue. While working on family search, she came across some fabulous names for us to consider. They are so good I thought I would share them with everyone since so many people are having little ones soon. Here they are in no particular order:

Giddy
Euphemia
Typhosa
Portia
Sultana

I have dibs on Typhosa!

A little bragging

2008-11-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

The other day I was sorting through my girls clothes, trying to get ready for the winter. Which by the way is SO NOT MY FAVORITE THING TO DO!!!!!! While doing this,I realized the girls did't have very many fall/winter clothes to wear to church. Well that just wouldn't do so I decided to dig through my pile of fabric and see if I could remedy the situtation. This is what we ended up with.
Two pretty darn cute skirts if you ask me. And the best part about it, I didn't spend any money, used up fabric that has been sitting around too long, it took me less than 2 hours start to finish and now I have two very pleased and might I add lovely little girls!!! The only down side, now I have 2 more articles of clothing to sort through when I put away all the winter clothes. Oh well!

Donuts!

2008-11-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

This summer we started a family tradition of every Sunday night we try to bake a treat with as a whole family. Tonight we choose donuts.
On Halloween night we went to my good friend Becky Tiffanys parents house and had fabulous homemade donuts. Since that night, Bailey asks me at least once a day if we can make donuts. I always told her no because I can do without the frying aspect of the process since it makes everything smell. Well today, while blog hopping, I found a recipe for baked donuts. JACKPOT!!!!
So here is is the end result...

They actually taste pretty good, which isn't too hard since they are pretty much cinnamon roll dough with tons of sugar and butter.

I would consider our adventures into donut making a success. It left us with several big smiles and thumbs up from Bailey, Claire licking sugar off the table and Scott trying to figure out a good frosting for them. And as for me, I am in the process of slowly eating my way to obesity, one donut hole at a time.

It's over!!!

2008-11-05T07:11:00.000-08:00

I am so glad elections are over and I can rest and hopefully my dads bloodpressure can go back down. Yesterday was a exciting and disappointing day. Yesterday morning I went to the polls to stand with my Yes 102 sign and encourage the people to "vote for Marriage." I was so encouraged that so many people treated me with respect and thanked me for "helping bring morality back to this lost world." Two years ago I stood outside the same polls, with the same sign and cause, and I had people glaring at me and saying nasty things to me. Then that night I watched the prop we worked so hard on fail.

Last night was a much better night. As I sewed my girls fall skirts, ( I was too anxious to just sit) my heart was so happy as I watched the polls close, the numbers come in and saw that Prop 102 was going to pass this time. Even though I am not happy about all the outcomes of the election, at least I know there are good people out there, who still have traditional values and are concerned about the future of our children and country.

I wish the war for good values was over and we could all rest. Unfortuately, I think we still have a long hard fight ahead of us, but at least one battle is done. Let us all keep faith and get ready for the next battle.

Yummy smoothie

2008-11-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about winter is oranges are in season, which means fresh squeezed orange juice. Last winter I came up with a smoothie using orange juice and mangos that my family fell in love with. Since then I have had a few people ask me for my recipe for the smoothie. Rather then send out a bunch of emails I thought I would post it on my blog for anyone who would like it.

I usually eyeball the quantities of ingredients but this is about how much of each I use.

1 cup fresh squeezed OJ (about 3-4 oranges)
8 oz. (fill the blender about 1/2 full)of frozen mangos. If you live by a Trader Joes, they usually have frozen mangos for a really good price but I heard that Costco also sells them.
1 individual size cup of strawberry yogurt
1/2-1 banana
1 tsp. vanilla
*Sometimes I add fresh strawberries if I have them.

Blend it all up. Sometimes I have to add more juice to help blend it better. If I am serving it to my girls usually I add a little milk rather than extra juice, extra calcium. Play around with the ingredients until you find the combo you like.

My little pumpkins

2008-10-18T20:49:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures of my pumpkins at the pumpkin patch today.

Eating Krispy Kreams
Claire carefully choosing out the best pumpkin. She had to do the drop and bounce test on several of them before she found the perfect one.

Bailey hard at work decorating her pumpkin.

Claires farm themed pumpkin.

On the hayride that was somewhat lacking in hay.

Our big girls!

The crazy animals I live with everyday!

Why we need to protect marriage

2008-10-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have been asked by several people why it is important to support propositions that protect marriage becuase they know how active my mom has been in this important issue. Today I found an article that is very easy to read and gives 8 clear reasons to protect marriage. Many of us of the LDS faith know several reasons why traditional marriage is so important but this article gives secular reasons that may help you when talking to some not of our faith.

http://www.familywatchinternational.org/fwi/policy_brief_manwomanmarriage.pdf

Vote YES on PROP 102 (AZ) or PROP 8 (CA)!!!!

The Tale of Two Shoes

2008-10-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

Last Christmas my mom bought these for Bailey

a set of six Disney princess shoes. They were an instant hint. Actually that is an understatement, they became my daughters life. They LOVE the shoes. They wear them ALL day long. I have even found Bailey wearing them to bed. And Claire, who isn't going to miss out on an opportunity to be beautiful, learned to walk in them only weeks after learning to walk.

Then last month tragedy struck our house, one of the Snow White shoes broke in half due to a long hard life of tiny little feet stomping on wood floor. Bailey was traumatized, we weren't sure she would make it. Then to make life even more unbearable, the Bell pair followed suit a week or so later. Then a few others began to fall apart, but I will save you from the gruesome details.

Needless to say, I was becoming a little upset myself. How could I be happy when my miserable daughters happiness hinged on uncomfortable plastic princess shoes. So like any good mom I went to Costco, were they were bought last Christmas, to find a new box. No luck. I looked online but couldn't find them for a price I was willing to pay, I admit I am cheap. I even asked a few friends to keep an eye out for them for me. Still no luck.

Then yesterday, as we were walking down the aisles of Sams Club, the heavens suddenly parted and angels began to sing. There, right in front of Baileys free sample covered face, was another box of princess shoes. Without even looking at the price, I threw them in my cart and ran to the checkout line for fear someone was playing a cruel trick on me and the shoes would suddenly disappear. While in the checkout line I kept my eyes on a very suspicious looking 7 year old girl, eyeing my shoes from over in the cafe and held my breath until the cashier handed me the receipt. They were MINE!!!

Well, life at the Sherwood home is as it should be now. Both girls are properly shoed and I might add, looking fabulous. I am now on my way to Sams Club to buy one more box of princess shoes because we have another little princess on the way and I don't want her to go through the pain and suffering her older sister had to deal with.

HELP!

2008-10-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

I have two things I need help with and was hoping someone had an answer.
1- Does anyone have a good way to clean bath tub toys? Ours are getting a little on the slimmy, yucky side (even though I drain them everytime they bathe.) I looked around on the internet and most people say to put a little bleach and water in with the toys but I am worried that will ruin or fade the toys. Has anyone ever done that?
2- Does anyone have a really yummy recipe for granola? I have had a the biggest craving for granola but it is so blasted expensive at the store, I would go broke supporting my habit. I have looked up a few on recipe websites but I am a little scared to put all the time and ingredients into making it and have it fail. Does someone have a recipe they have made and really like? Also a little side note. I am not a huge nut fan, they are ok but in moderation. So if you have one that doesn't have a ton of nuts would be even better.

The day!!!!!

2008-10-10T15:12:00.001-07:00

Today was the day! One of my favorite days of the year. PLANTING DAY!!!! I love the day in late early October when the weather has cooled off and it is finally time to beautify my yard and plant flowers. While most of the country is tearing out their gardens and flowers beds, getting ready for winter and snow, here in AZ we are breathing a sigh of relief because we made it through the summer and now we can enjoy the beautiful weather, flowers and grass the rest of you had all summer.
One of my favorite places to go is A&P nursery. I could spend hours and lots of money there choosing out the perfect flower or plant that would be perfect in my yard. Today I decided to take my girls with me to the nursery to control myself a little. It is hard to enjoy a nursery when your kids are picking all the flowers and knocking over plants with wheelbarrows. This year I also let the girls pick out all the flowers, a little scary but we ended up with beautiful red geraniums, pink, purple and white petunias and fall colored mums. Nothing fancy but will be perfect non the less.
Then we headed home to plant our loot. It took about 2 x's longer than it should because I had so much help but we now have all the flowers in the ground, Claire and Bailey both got to run around naked in the back yard and take baths in buckets outside and all my sidewalks are covered in mud. What a glorious day!!!
Now tomorrow I get to hack all my bushes way down to get rid of all the burnt stuff from the summer, another activity I LOVE to do and scalp my grass to put in the winter lawn!

Our California Adventure

2008-10-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the generousity of my parents, we just got back from a week long trip to S. California. Here is a quick run down of our trip.

-One week at a gorgeous Mariott resort, over looking the ocean, in Newport Beach. All this curtiousy of my parents. THANK YOU!!!!!!
-Sunday was spent going to church and visiting the Newport Beach Temple. The temple is brown rather than white, which I thought was pretty cool.

-First part of the week was spent with a sick Bailey who had a cold, pink eye and threw up several times. FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!!

-Monday we went to Sea World. The highlight of the entire trip for Bailey was "Breakfast with Shamu." If you have never done it before, I would recommend it. Bailey loved it becuase she got to eat a chocolate muffin and be only a few feet away from Shamu as he did tricks. Claire loved it because she got to eat eggs and watch pigeons fly around, she couldn't care less about Shamu.

-We spent Wednesday at the beach. Bailey loved the sand and hated the water. Claire loved the water and HATED the sand.

_Tuesday and Thursday we went to Disneyland. Boy, that is a big park when you are pregnant! Bailey loved meeting her favorite pricesses, Claire loved the Tiki room and the birds, Scott loved the scary rides and I loved sitting in shady areas.

_Friday we went to the San Diego Zoo. Scott was in charge of the camera that day and only took pictures of animals so I will refrain from showing those.

It was a fun and tiring week. Thanks mom and dad for helping us stay at the condo. We love you!

Are they serious!?!

2008-09-25T15:17:00.001-07:00

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have sent a letter to the head guys at Ben and Jerrys icecream asking them to replace cows milk with human milk in their icecream. What? Are they serious? I can understand their concern about baby cows but common on, human milk!

http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=11993