What have I been up to...

My life has been pretty busy and I like it that way! I feel much more productive when I'm not sitting around in my jammies all day. I read somewhere that the Lord doesn't want us to idle and I'm taking his advice. It feels so good to be doing so much. After all he know's what's best for us!

I started working here about a month ago. I do LOVE it! It's just 2 days a week and it is just like therapy, although I'm getting paid. On the other hand...I have been buying, so I'll call it retail therapy - trust me ladies, these are no comfort buys!! This store is just...very, very addicting with all it's doodads! If you've shopped here for your little one, you know what I mean!

I'm also on my way to Utah for one whole week!! I'm attending our church's 178th Annual General Conference. It will be exciting as this will be the first with President Thomas S. Monson as our Prophet. I encourage all of you to read this article and watch conference.

Friends, friends, friends...4 years ago we knew nobody in Utah, now we have an entire family out there! I am just about booked! I LOVE it! I'm staying with my best friend who introduced us to the church and as well as our awesome Alisa (my sister missionary). I could go on and on about these girls, they guided us (Bob & I) along and we really love the life we have as memebers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are grateful.

The children...well...the children are going to be well taken care of by my in-laws (thanks mom & dad!) they will be here the entire week. I know it will be a fun filled week of love and laughter. I'm glad I will be coming home from such a spiritual place, where I can regain my patience ---I'm going to need "patience" when I get home!! Everyone will be so spoiled, my hubby included!!

Sorting the goods...

Rosie was eating as fast as she could unwrap. Did anyone see us at church today? If you were there then you did!! My children were bouncing off the wall!!

LOOK, crabby patties!!

My kids love em'

crabby patties!!!

egg hunt at home

Some bunny went outside "early" this morning to put eggs in our back yard. We hinted around till 10:30 for the kids to look outside...we did everything we could and they just didn't get it! Finally some bunny said "look...hey, what are those things outside?" Finally the hunt was on!!!

taking a break

Rosie got side tracked with the swing for a few minutes, she was saying "Nick, push, push me" and he did.

it's all about Star Wars & Sponge Bob

Guess what was in his easter basket??

Gift from the Bunny

Rosie LOVEs her princess bike! She was very excited to see it had princessed on it and a bell - that "burrings" really, really loud.

WOWIE!!

Do you see how big her head looks in that helmet? I can't believe my child has to ride her tri-cycle around with that helmet on! Her head looks HUGE!

Best friends

It was established yesterday over hotcakes and sausage at Mc Donalds that Nicolas and Connor were "best friends." This is how it went down...

Connor: You know your my best friend, right Nick?
Nicolas: I know Connor, your my best friend too, the best ever.
Nicolas: Are you guys moving?
Connor: No, are you guys moving?
Nicolas: Mom, are we moving?
Mom: No honey we're not going anywhere for a while.
Nicolas to Connor: No we're definately not moving
Connor: your my best friend, forever and ever
Nicolas: you're my bestest friend, for ever and ever and ever
Nicolas to me: we need more sausage!

Egg Hunt at Camp Arrowhead

Our first egg hunt at Camp Arrowhead, this place was so fun for Nicolas, Connor & Rosie. The egg hunt was in "The Enchanted Forest" the boys loved it and would've stayed all day, Rosie on the other hand was freezing!

Sugar anyone??

We colored eggs first, that's why Rosie is shirtless, she had egg dye everywhere! We discovered...she really LOVES icing!! I don't know if you can really see it but she has yellow icing all over her chest and orange icing on her face.

Nicolas had no interest in decorating cookies, the eggs were enough for him. I did at one point, see him with the icing tool (the whatever you call it - that thing that Rosie has in her hand above) continually squirting icing in his mouth.

Just the girls

Coloring eggs

and the story goes...

Next year we'll buy two egg kits, I didn't realize that the wire egg dipper this would cause such a problem.
This is what happened in order:
1. (top left) Kirstin couldn't move fast enough in getting Rosie the egg dipper from Nicolas, SHARE is not in her vocabulary yet.
2. (bottom right) After she dipped her one egg, Nicolas came over are took it right out of her hand, but not without a fight.
3. (bottom left) the aftermath
4. (top right) yes, she's a drama queen

Rosie's love for Kirstin

Meet our sweet babysitter Kirstin (although most of you know her already) Rosie LOVES her. When she's at our house and if she's paying Nicolas any attention at all, Rosie yells at Nicolas "my Niersen mine" yes... that's "her Kirstin"

Nicolas and the flour...

Nicolas enjoyed the "flouring" part of making cookies. He cut out...maybe 2 cookies. Then he proceeded to take much of the flour out of the bag to make a pile - I didn't get a picture of the pile - between Rosie going after his "flour pile" and Nicolas defending his masterpiece it ended up on the kitchen floor.

Making cookies

Rosie really enjoyed making cookies, she's quite domesticated for her age.

I told you we were addicted..

I cannot say enough about this place, we LOVE it! The definition in the Oxford Dictionary reads...addicted 1 unable to do without. We have been here several times in the last month. The hour drive is totally worth it. If you LOVE wings (I recommend the medium), amazing spag. sauce (so much like my gram's) and awesome everything else, this is the place for you!! www.anchorbar.com

See these happy faces!!

After eating at The Anchor Bar, everyone smiles!!

Meet George

Yes, your eyes are seeing two fish in this picture. Since this picture was taken, Roxy, the fish on the left has gone on to better things (she just missed the 14 day dead fish policy!) So now there's George. Roxy died yesterday and Nicolas was really amazing about it all day, he didn't react as I thought he would when I told him. He did have a friend here, so I think that's why he was so brave. Until...last night we were reading the Friend in my bed (Bob's out of town and Nicolas LOVES to sleep with me when he's gone) there was a picture of a missionary and he told me that he missed Elder Rets so much and then he cried out "I miss my dead fish too!" The tears began to flow. This began about a 30 minute tearful hug and kiss session. In the end, when he finally calmed down, he said "I know that I won't see Roxy on earth again, she's with Heavenly Father and Jesus, she's happy mommy" I began to weep a bit, I guess he really is listening at times that I think he isn't.

These are the days of Rosie

Just a few random pictures from this past week. I swear she looks more and more like her father every day.

Table dancing anyone...

Do you see that face?? UH OH! She knew that she wasn't suppose to be up there!

Pizza Dip for Rachael..

1 envelope Herb Soup Mix dry
1 cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup pepperoni chopped
1 Baguette sliced *I like to brush slices with olive oil and toast

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In shallow 1 quart baking dish, combine soup mix, sour cream, ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and peperoni. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (I use more). Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve with bread.

for the ladies...

Many of you have asked me for this peanut butter icing recipe...here you go! It is the BEST when you use the DH dark chololate fudge cake mix, I have used devils food before and it's just not as good.

Bea's Icing

1 stick butter or Land O' Lakes margarine
1 1/2 C Crisco Vegetable Shortening
2 lb. bag Confectioners Sugar (I actually prefer WalMart Brand over Domino's)
dash salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 to 8 oz. heavy cream
optional for peanut butter icing: 18 oz. jar your favorite brand creamy peanut butter

Cream the butter and shortening together, then gradually add the confectioners sugar. At about halfway through the bag of sugar, I add the salt and the vanilla and beat it pretty well, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of my mixer bowl really well. Begin to add the rest of the confectioner's sugar, and at about 3/4 of the way through the bag, I start adding up to 4 oz. of the cream, to keep the icing workable. When all the sugar is added, I mix it well on med speed, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again. I beat the icing for about 6 to 8 minutes, to help break down the sugar so it is less grainy. I then check the consistency, turn the mixer up to med -hi speed and begin to add more cream oz. by oz. until I get the consistency that I want. **If you want to make PB icing LOOK below! When it is almost "there" I turn the mixer up to the highest speed to whip the icing a bit. (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes). Done!

Peanut butter variation: Before the very last step, turning the mixer up to high, I will add the peanut butter. Add the entire jar, and beat on medium speed scraping the sides and bottom to make sure it all gets mixed in. I check the consistency again, because adding the peanut butter cuts the creaminess, and I usually end up adding up to another 2 oz. of heavy cream. If you run out of cream, you can add some milk. Beat on high for a minute or so to whip, and you are ready to go.

Garnish with shaved chocolate or chopped chocolate chips on top! It looks pretty!!

FYI The peanut butter icing will be milder the first day, and will taste stronger after sitting a day or two. This recipe will easily frost a layer cake up to 10" round, a 1/4 sheet cake, or even a 1/2 sheet cake, with enough left to do borders. For smaller cakes, you will definitely have leftovers, but this frosting will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. I do freeze it and it's great!