Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

This weekend Aunt Krystal came for a short, but very fun visit.  On Saturday she took us to Pei Wei for Chinese Food, one of our family's favorite foods.  We also spent much of the day watching Return to Cranford, from a BBC Series.  It was lots of fun relaxing, eating popcorn and laughing with her. 

On Sunday, Valentine's Day, we decided to make a delicious Red Velvet Cake.  It was very yummy and all the kids helped decorate the frosting.  Of course, before we had our dessert, we had a barbeque and Daddy made hamburgers and Krystal helped make homemade potato wedges.  We hadn't had hamburgers and fries for a very long time.  It was a real yummy treat!

We wish we had more pictures to show for our fun weekend.  Happy Valentine's Day

to all, and thanks for a great weekend Krystal!

Happy Birthday Papa Bob

Today is my dad's birthday!  He would have been 57 today!  We celebrated his birthday by sharing some of his favorite foods.  We all hope that he enjoyed watching us celebrate his earthly life!

One of his favorite foods was Chicken Enchiladas.  He requested for me to make these for him on many occasions.  We also drank strawberry lemonade out of the Oreo Cookie mugs that Matt and I gave him for Christmas one year.  I would guess that he likes strawberry lemonade because he loves most everything else!  We didn't have any milk and oreo's or else we would have ate some for him.

This little tongue picture was too cute not to post.

The kids all enjoyed eating Papa Bob's birthday dinner.

I also ventured out to make Papa Bob's favorite...German Chocolate Cake.  I made it all from scratch, even the frosting.  It has 3 layers and was quite tasty.  It doesn't look so beautiful, but it was sweet.  My dad would always say, "It's the thought that counts."  So, I believe he must  have been pleased with my efforts.

Getting anxious to sing Happy Birthday.

And a united effort to blow out the candles!

What a fun birthday party for Papa Bob.  We love and miss you!  Hope your day was full of happiness!

1st Annual Pine Wood Derby Race

One of the most exciting things we have done this year is attend the Pinewood Derby Race with Carter.  He has waited for the day he can be a Cub Scout and work with his dad building a race car!  I can't quite tell who had anticipated this race day more...but my guess would be Carter's Daddy! 

I have a philosphy about The Pinewood Derby and that is...Dad's are so excited to finally have the opportunity to make the car, since their dad made theirs...hence the cycle continuing.  Well, I tried really hard to insist that Matt let Carter do all the work, but when the time came, it also went, and they were hurrying to complete the job.  I would say that they shared the work and the creation of....Sponge Bob Rectangle Racer.

We have a guy in our ward who literally "went-all-out."  He owns his own metal race track that is fully-loaded with camera's (for the photo-finishes), loops (for the trick racers), projectors (for the fan's easy viewing),  dozens of signs (for the transformation of the gym into a race track), and you get the idea.  I must say that there was even wiring with sensors for I can't remember what.  Anyway, it was very exciting!

The boys started off by taking a written "Driver's License Test."  They had to pass the test

in order to drive their race car. 

The Driver's License was followed by an Eye Exam. 

All lined up, with engines pur-r-r-r-ring.  Doesn't Sponge Bob look like he is a 

wanna-be Bob-sledder?

Carter told his Dad that he wanted a Sponge Bob car, and after the car was near completion, Carter told Matt that what he really wanted was Sponge Bob riding in a race car. 

Any guesses on who might have been the winner at the finish line?

After all the different race heats.....Carter was the 1st Place winner!  He only lost one heat and that was by Quinn Divett, the reigning champion from the last 2 years. 

Dad, and Mom couldn't be more proud and Carter went away telling people that he got 2nd Place.  He figured that because he lost once, he didn't deserve to take the 1st Place ribbon.  Matt told us that he won his first pinewood derby race also, years ago.  Way to keep up family tradition Carter!  :)  Carter also won the "Funniest Car" Award.

The evening ended with cupcakes.  I think the boys enjoyed refreshments as much as the race.  Hey, I totally agree with the boys!  What a fun and eventful evening!  Way to go Carter and Daddy!

In Order to Get Things Done

This morning, I was really pressed for time in order to get a lot of things done.  I normally spend much of my day trying to herd these two little kittens.  They run circles around me giggling, fighting, whining and especially un-tidying up the house.  This day...was different.  

I came downstairs and found them all buckled up nicely in their car seats.  Yesterday, we had brought the car seats in the house to clean them (don't ask me why!) and it worked to my great advantage this morning.  I had a brilliant idea...well it was their's actually...I moved them in front of the t.v., gave them a bowl of popcorn and ran around the house as fast as I could to take advantage of every last second of this captivity.  The blessing of it all is that they can't get out of their seat belts!      

No, I have not done this since and do not plan on making a habit of it.  :)  Although, when push comes to shove (that sounds a little like fighting) it just might come in handy again.

Who's Got the Gum-Gum?

We are among the many parents who allow our children to have gum on rare occassions, expecting that they keep the rules of the Gum-Gum.  Well this little girl, LOVES gum!  She notices anyone and everyone chewing it.  One of the rules is that if you take it out of your mouth, you lose it.  This morning, I was too slow in grabbing it from her.  I think she is the first of all 4 kids to get gum in her hair.  Thank goodness for the old peanut butter trick, I learned from my mom!  It worked like a charm! 

She was oh, so proud of her debut!

She almost looks like a cute little unicorn!

This was perhaps the look she gave me when I told her she couldn't have gum again...for the rest of her life!

Carter's First Talk

So, Carter has somehow slipped through the hoops for many years in Primary.  He is quite shy when it comes to speaking and has never given a talk.  He has given the scripture and prayer on occassion, but never the talk.  A year ago, he even prepared one and then "lost it" in the car on the way to church, so he wasn't able to give it. 

This time, he actually followed through and did a wonderful job!  He didn't even look nervous as he spoke.  Here is what he said...

"On a beautiful spring morning in 1820, Joseph Smith went into the woods near his home to pray.  He did not know which church to join and decided to ask Heavenly Father.  Joseph looked around to make sure he was alone, then knelt and began to pray.  He was immediately overcome by some evil power.  Thick darkness surrounded him and he could not speak.  Joseph thought he was going to be destroyed, but using all the energy he had, he asked God to deliver him from this unseen enemy.  Just as he was about to give up, he saw a pillar of light over his head, and he was released from the evil force that held him.  The light came down and rested upon him, and Joseph saw two Personages whose brightness and glory were beyond description.  They were standing in the air above Joseph.  One called Joseph by name and, pointing to the other, said, 'This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!'  These Personages were Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. 

From Joseph Smith's experience, we have revealed to us the first Article of Faith.  'We believe in God, the Eternal Father and in his son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.'

I know these things are true.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

New Year's Resolution

Where has the past year gone???  I have completely run out of time to finish my last year goals!  Oh wait, I didn't really set any for last year.  I decided to try to "let it go" and figure out what I really wanted to accomplish in life.  Click here to read about last year's resolutions.  Looking back, I think I made some progress, which brings me to this years resolution. 

I only have one and it is something I have needed to work on for years now.  It is something that has become harder as the daily life tasks have quadrupled.  Regardless, it is something that, if accomplished, will make life a little more simple...I do believe. 

So, my one little goal is to Follow Through!  I am posting this phrase everywhere, in hopes that it will become part of my reality.  I have so many thoughts daily...thoughts to do service, thoughts to call those whom I love, thoughts to be a little kinder to my children and husband, thoughts to make my world a better one, and often those thoughts go un-noticed if I do not follow through.  My life may or may not be affected by my lack of taking action, but those around me definately may be. 

I love to organize and have always felt pretty confident in my abilities to organize, but if I do not follow through with the order I have created, it will become chaos...rather quickly!  So, may this year bring many finished projects, completed kind deeds and many worthy acts of love shown to those who may not feel my affections.  With this being said, I must get busy, following through!