Precious

This is baby Easton. He is darling, precious, and perfect.

Today was his blessing day.

I got to hold him all throughout church (his mommy [my sister Andrea] had to teach Nursery) and he was just like this.

Like I said . . .

Perfect.

Newborn babies are so soft. They smell so good. They are delicious.

Photo taken by Madison with my phone during Relief Society

Spring Break '12

It's time for Spring Break! It came early this year, the first time our school district has scheduled it not near Easter. We have no plans, which makes for a nice, relaxing time where we can unwind and play and play and play. In this case, bake and bake and bake.

Brooke has been on a baking spree. She made mock Reese's peanut butter bars (9x13), two cherry cream cheese pies (one for Shaun's birthday - his favorite), and cookie cakes:

Brooke and Monroe wanted to get creative and expressed it using stuff they found in my cake decorating box.

Cute girls.

Madison and I spent a morning at the Bishop's Storehouse filling orders. It was really fun and a great way to get some service hours. Unfortunately, she has several (like 6!) projects that are due the week after break. Ridiculous! So she's been spending a lot of time on those while Brooke works on a video presentation she's doing for school.

Thursday was a totally awesome day. It was sunny, a perfect temperature with clear skies that begged to have the books put away and to be played under.

First up, we went on a bike ride in the morning, found a neighborhood that had a very steep and quiet street and enjoyed flying down it at top speed.

Then John and I had a golf date that was his birthday present (3 months ago). It was for an hour-long lesson for the both of us at Malibu Golf Course by golf pro Rusty Tucker.

It was super fun, especially because we got to ride around in our own golf cart.

This makes us want to play golf for real.

Too bad we don't have the time at this point, but it was fun nonetheless.

While I was away, the kids had made a cooking show, filming how to make lunch which consisted of mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, ants on log, and chocolate milk. Brooke has been having fun all week making a movie for her class about the state of Iowa and is now using her newly-acquired filming and editing skills to become the next Rachel Ray.

It was 3:00 in the afternoon and they mentioned how we still hadn't gone to the beach yet during Break. Why not go now? We got to the beach after 4:00 and someone told us the fog just burned off. It was clear, beautiful and pleasant.

Christian drew in the sand. I texted it to John and he said that right there is worth the price of gas to drive to get to the beach. (Gas is crazy $4.35 now. GEESH)

why is this underlining??
They immediately ran all over the place, loving that the tide was way out and nobody was on the beach. It was perfect.
Draw 2 lines in the sand and have a leaping contest. Why not?

Since we are missing track practice, why not have our own sprints?

Christian found a piece of wood, made a see-saw and used it to catapult a broken shovel several yards in the air. Such a boy.

I'm so glad that we decided at the last minute to go to the beach. It was perfect and we stayed until after 6:00. Then drove through Chick Fil A on the way home. I've never been there, but heard it was decent for fast food and always wanted to try it. (This area only recently got this eatery). The only drive through we EVER do is In-n-Out, so we are really branching out here and found that we may now have a 2nd fast food option to add to our short list.

We got home, ate, the kids took showers and John and I went for a walk. It was such a beautiful night with bright clear stars and I wanted to still enjoy the great day, not let it end. We took Cole and walked to our Bishop's house who lives about a mile away and returned some books his daughter needed (Hunger Games). Walking hand in hand, chatting away, walking the dog, looking at the constellations.

It doesn't get much better than that.

However, it would be much better if I could figure out how to get rid of this underlining, and find out why it randomly shows up. Annoying!

Friday is supposed to be snow day, but I think it might be all gone (at least for the hour-long-drive locations). We couldn't go earlier in the week when there was some because Ashlyn was sick with the flu. Poor girl.

I love how Spring Break gives us a taste of summer. Now if we could just get our heads back in the game for 2 1/2 more months, we'll survive, knowing we have this and more (like Hawaii!) in store.

A Great Week - Even With a Teenager

The first week of March was gorgeous and fun and busy. Spring came early and we are now experiencing summer weather. I wonder if that will mean a cool a foggy summer?

One morning I helped with Christian's 2nd grade Art Masters lesson, which means that Ashlyn was able to come along. When the lesson was over, it was time for recess and Christian really wanted us to stay and play.

I showed them some of my mad hula hooping skills and tried to teach Ashlyn.

Some 1st grade girls that she knows from her track team came by and asked what a kindergartner was doing on the big kid playground. Well, when you have a cool 2nd grade brother, you just get all the perks.

Walking to school on another lovely morning. She loves to wear dresses.

We've been avoiding this as long as we could, but unfortunately, the calendar presses on.

Madison turned 13.

We officially have a teenager.

When I picked her up from school the day before, Brooke quickly made up this little surprise after-school snack for her. She couldn't find the birthday candles, so stuck a tea light in the middle of the bread.

Fresh homemade bread and delicious strawberries. Yum.

Birthday breakfast was buttermilk pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, and OJ. It was her request, but it had to be quick since we had to get to school.

After school, homework, track practice, dinner, etc., we finally were able to get to her last present . . . but made her hunt for it by playing "hot" and "cold".

It's a ukulele! Just what she wished.

A quick dessert of lemon bars and it's time for bed. Having a birthday on a school day is a bummer. Except that her locker was decorated by her friends, we stopped by and put helium balloons on her locker, and daddy brought her a favorite lunch to school: Mama Mia pizza from The Natural Cafe.

The next night we went to the movies and had our friend Monroe come along. She was squished in the back with Ashlyn and Christian who were pretending to over-love her. She's a good sport.

The Lorax is a great flick. Good job Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul! Madison is lucky to work with Ken for the stake film festival (which is next week); I bet their film will be great!

Madison wanted to go to the mall with her friend from school, so I took them, and Brooke invited Rebecca Tarbet to come along, too. They had a great time being girly at the mall.

Such fun girls!

We ended the week by donating blood on Saturday at the Stake Emergency Preparedness Expo and taking Madison out on a birthday dinner date to a restaurant of her choosing, which was Saffron - and Indian restaurant that has the best curries and naan. Good choice Maddy!

Finally

I can finally and officially say that it is done.

That is, the bathroom remodel that has taken nearly three whole years.

The seemingly never-ending project met its end late last night with the installation of the medicine cabinets.

Of course when they arrived, the size was *just* off so more sawing and rearranging studs in the wall had to take place, which of course lengthens what should be a simple project.

Frames needed to be built to account for the offness, which then needed to be stained the custom-blend stain that John came up with when he built the mirror frames.

Since he's such a genius and MacGyver, it all worked out and looks fabulous!

And there's not a bazillion bottles on the counter anymore.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

The funny thing is when the cabinets arrived, they were two huge boxes on our front porch. The kids were wondering what in the world it could be. When I explained, Christian was confused; he had no idea we were in need of a medicine cabinet. He had grown so accustomed to the Hole in the Wall that he didn't realized it needed to be filled!

Hallelujah! Thanks hunny for another job well done.

Now . . . (cough cough) the stairs? :-)

Random Acts of Kindness Week

Every other year, around Valentine's Day, Brooke donates her hair to Locks of Love and has done so three times already. This year is no exception except that Ashlyn wanted to do it, too.

They've talked about it for many weeks and Ashlyn really wanted to give her hair for those in need.

We went to see Julia today. Madison got a trim, Ashlyn and Brooke donated. We were at the salon for the long haul.

This is Ashlyn's first real hair cut and she loved being pampered.

A client in the chair next to ours was so moved by what the girls were doing, especially seeing little Ashlyn sitting in the chair getting her long gorgeous locks chopped, that she nearly cried. Julia heard on the radio this morning that it's Random Acts of Kindness Week - well what a perfect thing! Although this is not too random, it is still certainly an act of kindness.

The client left when she was done, only to return a few minutes later with a box of Bundtlets from Nothing Bundt Cakes. She said she wanted to do a Random Act of Kindness for our girls, too. Now that's random! What a nice lady.

I said we were in for the long haul . . . Christian brought a chapter book to start, and finished it, so was then entertained with my phone. He had enough of the girl stuff.

Although Madison was treated to a wash, trim, and blow dry, she luckily brought a book for the last hour.

Don't they look so cute?

Brooke has now donated 40 inches of her gorgeous hair! That's a total of 90 inches from our family in the past six 1/2 years.

Good job, girls!

A Little Weekend Get-a-Way

As a birthday gift for John, his parents offered to watch the kids for a weekend. Considering his birthday was two months ago, and our weekends are only getting more filled, we decided to seize the day and get out of dodge. We stayed pretty local, not wanting to waste our precious time driving; we booked a Marriott in Santa Monica right by the pier.

We were walking distance to 3rd Street, where the street performers are a'plenty.

We at at a delish restaurant called True Foods and felt energized and healthy afterwards.

We felt so energized, we were able to ride our bikes for 15 miles up and down the coast. It was beautiful. Between the pier and Venice Beach there is a giant skate park where people of all ages were showing their skills.

One of the perks of having John's Elite Marriott status is that they give you an in-room treat which could be a few different things including a pint of ice cream. Instead of just sending up one thing of ice cream, they had room service bring us a whole service, which was beautiful and fancy. Perfect for enjoying while snuggling up watching a movie.

On our way home, we stopped at a new restaurant that was recommended to me called The Counter. Holy cow, yes, that's my burger. And I wasn't even hungry!

I wish we could have these little escapes once a month, or at least once a quarter.

Or how 'bout right now?

It's Great to Be Eight!

When you turn eight, you get to celebrate

in many different ways!

There's grandma's house:

And birthday morning at home with your favorite breakfast:

And a lunch treat with mom and dad at school:

And the birthday fairy visits:

And Master Yoo has the whole studio sing:

And you get to go out to dinner with your family wherever you choose:

And you get presents! 8-year old boys get a Cub Scout uniform:

And a matching shirt with cousin Benjamin! It's a tradition. Can't wait to see him so they can be twins:

And you get to have a birthday party. A Star Wars party at that. You even get to dress up:

And your sisters will dress up too, to help with the party:

Lots of friends will come:

And go on full attack with light sabers:

And can do this for hours

And hours because they are boys with light sabers.

Pin the light saber on the Jedi:

Eat Han Burgers:

Destroy the death star pinata:

And have ice cream cake:

Eight year old boys get to make a wish and blow out their candles, but have to hurry before their little sister does:

Lots of little Jedis-in-training eating:

And crowding around for presents:

Birthday kids always get a special dinner date with mom and dad:

After all this, you'd think one little boy would be done celebrating his birthday, but ...

That's not all folks,

there's more to come . . .

that's why its great to be eight!