Notions on Nesting

Heart Breaker

2012-02-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about Valentines day, but last year I was hugely pregnant and this year I'm sick. Again. I just got over a cold I've had for two weeks.
When I went to bed last night my stomach hurt.
I tossed and turned all night and by the time I woke up I could barely get up,
except to worship the white throne. Aggggh.
I flushed all my V-day plans down the toilet.
Lunch with the "husbird" just doesn't sound so appetizing at the moment.

Now if you'll excuse me, my bed is calling. The "husbird" turned it down so nicely for
me. I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in days--actually, months.

ELEVEN MONTHS

2012-02-11T16:20:00.000-08:00

This little man is into everything,
climbing on anything,
walking between furniture,
busy exploring his world.

"in between"

2012-02-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

February is that "in between" month where we're not quite out of winter,

but not quite to spring yet. So far it's been a hard month to digest probably because there is a lot of "in between" in my life right now.
Almost all of us are "in between" having health and not having it.
All my home projects are in the "in between" stage, started, but not finished.
Baby "G" is "in between" crawling and walking and is the main reason home projects are at an almost complete stand still. Someone has to protect him from himself.
Miss "C" is "in between" reading and not reading.
Everyday we read with her and work with her to improve her reading skills.
She wants to be a boss of a candy factory when she grows up.
She has a sweet tooth unlike anything I've ever seen.
She says the funniest things everyday, today she came home and told me that Jacob from school told her she has the "a-word" in her name. WHAT! How does a six year old know the a-word? And to think she was going to invite Jacob over for a play date. Ha. Ha.
Then at dinner we were talking about the baby's four teeth and she piped in and said "he looks like a beaver", so the "husbird" nick named him "Beave", for the time being anyways. Speaking of beavers I saw one in the river behind our house the other day.
Miss "A" is probably the least in between anything.
Her love for reading is taking off full force. If I can't find her with her nose in a book,
I can find her with some sort of art supply in her hands.
She started art classes in the fall and loves it!
Tonight she asked me what my dream is and I told her I have lots of dreams and
I asked her what her dream is.
She told me she wants to be an author and an illustrator.
I know if she works hard her dream will come true someday.
Mister "T" is "in between" childhood and being a teenager. A tween for sure.
He says things like, "I need to protect my reputation." I try to only laugh to myself.
He's started to care what people think and how he looks.
I wish he could go back to not caring. He even seems to care how I look.
On Sunday I had a rather noticeable zit and while I was styling his hair (yes I still do his hair) he asked me what I was going to do about it. I told him I was staying home because baby "G" is still sick and he said, "I bet you're relieved." I guess I should never leave my house if I have a one zit, not to mention a few.
I may not be leaving my house ever again. lol.

The "husbird" and I are all caught up watching Parenthood and Downton Abbey,
so we're in between TV shows/seasons. All we can do is wait.

The suppose the key is to enjoy the "in between" and that is exactly what I'm trying to
do.

Why buying an iPad is worth every penny

2012-02-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

After five kids and almost fifteen years of marriage the "husbird" has taken it upon himself to iron.
No kidding.All it takes is an iPad to watch the news on, a hanger, and he's in business.
The iPad may be the best invention ever! Now if only Steve Jobs would have invented something to help fold and put away my laundry. Like a robot.
I guess I'm on my own with that one:(

Survival Mode

2012-02-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

If you saw my house right now you might think we've been robbed.
It looks like bomb went off in it.
Since Saturday we've been in what the "husbird" and I call survival mode.
It's where we do the bare minimum to survive during a particularly rough period of time.

{a picture "C" and "G" before he got sick }

This time it involved two sick parents and a sick baby, all at the same time.
That's like breaking a cardinal rule, isn't it?
Except for the fact that we don't have control over who gets sick when. Darn.
I've accomplished next to nothing this week except the most important things,
holding my sick baby while blowing my nose.
Fun times:)

Santa Baby

2012-01-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

I know it's past the season. I'm not delusional. Okay, maybe a little.
After all, I am posting about Thanksgiving food and Christmas pictures.
Mostly, I'm just behind.
At least I'm not as deluded as some people who try out for American Idol.
I know I can't sing, but I do know I'm so happy I made time in the very busy month of December to get these pictures taken. They were well worth the extra effort.

At first baby "G" didn't quite know what to think when I stripped his clothes off,
put a hat on him, plopped him down on a cold wood floor,

and then gave him some Christmas lights to play with.
Can't really blame him.

I just love that sweet little face.

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

2012-01-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

A New Favorite.

This cake is so delicious, it is downright sinful.
Maybe that is why I like it so much:)
Mix:
4 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pumpkin

Then add:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Bake at 350º for 20 minutes
*The key is to not overcook it, if anything slightly under cook it.

Cool and Frost.

Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Warning: Only make this if you have a few people to help you eat it, because if not you might down the whole thing yourself. It's that good.

Bowl full of good stuff

2012-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

After a very hard workout I made this delicious concoction of

vanilla yogurt, granola, blueberries, sliced bananas and strawberries. Yum!
What do you eat after you exercise?

Movie Screen

2012-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

When the "husbird" got bored this afternoon one of our massive blank walls came in handy. He set up his work projector on top of the cabinets so the "nestlings" could watch a movie on a BIG screen --aka our second story wall.

Anyone want to come over?
Apparently it's movie day at our house.
Cost of admission--anything chocolate, of course. For the Mrs., of course.
Oops, one of our pendant lights chains is in the way. No worries, we can fix that.Now that's better, at least to the side, not right down the middle.
You know, this could work to my advantage, I'm thinking episodes of
"Downton Abbey" playing while I prepare dinner daily. Now we're talking.
Maybe I'll have to forgo the shutter idea.

Second Story Walls

2012-01-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

What is it about the month of January that makes me restless with my house?

All of a sudden I want to tackle a bunch of projects I've been turning over and over in my head. One of them is my two story kitchen walls,
which I have a love/hate relationship with.
I love that the open two stories connects the upstairs with the downstairs,
but I hate that it doesn't feel cozy.
Above my cabinets are big bare walls that stare at me day in, day out and I'm ready to do something about them.
What do you do with a blank canvas that is a whole level up?
It has had me stumped for many years. I'm thinking shutters old or new.
What do you think?
Shutters would make it appear that a window is behind them and
add some interest to the walls.
I also have these second story windows that I want to put some bamboo blinds on.
Now for the hunt...I have a lot of space to cover I need some cheap shutters.
I went to the thrift store, but had no luck. I'm going to try a few more places.
It may take a while to find some for the right price.
A true test in patience.
Bamboo blinds that large are going to be an investment as well.
Do you have second story walls, if so did how did you fill them or did you leave them?

We Found Love

2012-01-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

Six year old "C" thinks this Rihanna song says, "We found love in a homeless place."

Cracks me up. Since it really says "we found love in a hopeless place."

The song has seriously good beat, even though it's just the same words over and over about finding love in a "homeless" place. Ha!

It makes me want to move, so much so that I found the energy to decorate for
"love" day early this year.

Have you decorated for Valentines yet?

TEN MONTHS

2012-01-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

Our stairs are in a U shape and last week I found baby "G" at the top of the
first landing, as happy as can be, so proud of himself.

It scared me to death, of course, because I didn't know he had learned the
skill of climbing stairs.
Surprise.

Then later on the same day, while I was making dinner, he walked across the room pushing a car. Yes walked.

There's never a dull moment when you have a ten month old that wants to grow up in a day.

Family Fajitas

2012-01-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

Whenever I see peppers on sale at the grocery store I grab a few because I love fajitas! They are so delicious and healthy!

Ingredients:
6 to 8 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 green pepper, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced into strips
2 Tablespoons butter
whole wheat flour tortillas

Directions:
Cut the chicken into strips. Place in glass dish, sprinkle with garlic salt and pour lime juice over the top, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.
(I often forget to do this beforehand, so I just cook the chicken in the lime juice and it still turns out great.)

In a large skillet or wok saute the onions and peppers in butter for a couple of minutes. Remove vegetables and add chicken. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about five minutes. Add the onion and peppers back. Cook until heated through.
Fill warm tortillas with chicken mixture and any desired condiments,
i.e. -sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cheese.
Roll and Enjoy them while they're hot!

Lifelong Learning

2012-01-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

I got dressed like a working professional today and went to a meeting.
It felt weird, but good at the same time.
In April I'm going to be teaching a mommy blogging class for the University of Utah.

Don't Laugh. I'm just teaching how to start a blog, find blogs my students will enjoy reading, and how to make blogs into books. The basics. I have learned a few tricks since I started blogging in 08 that I wish I'd known in the very beginning.
I remember how overwhelming blogging was at first, when I felt like I had so many things to learn to get started. Hopefully the things I've learned can help my students gain the confidence they need to start their own blogs. I'm excited to teach.
If you're reading this you probably already blog, but if you don't and you're a local Utahn and want to start a blog I'd love for you to join us.

A big thank you to my friend Carrie for recommending me:)

This Morning

2012-01-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

I woke my sleeping "nestlings" from their cozy holiday slumbers so they could get ready for school.

After they were all ready the "husbird" drove them to school and then drove them back home and let me know there is NO school today. What!
I obviously got the dates wrong on my calendar and now I feel sorry for my kids who kind of got cheated out of a day off school because I messed up. Whoops.
I guess we got a head start on our day. I guess we'll go to the gym, take down the Christmas tree, do some laundry, and who knows what else...?
Hopefully this isn't a sign of how the rest of my year will go.
{Because I can't post without a picture, here's a grainy, but cute photo that my MIL took of the "husbird" kissing baby "G"}

Managing the "Nestlings" Clothes

2011-12-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

I got a jump start on the new year organizing.
I spent the whole day going through every square inch of all the "nestlings" closets.
I dread this chore, but it had gotten sooo bad that I couldn't put it off any longer.
It took me the entire day long, some snacks, and most importantly--
some sideline cheerleading from the "husbird."
You know what they say about these things,
"It always gets worse before it gets better."
The proof is in the pictures, and these were taken after I had cleaned up a lot.

I put the clothes they'll grow into in clear sterilite containers under their beds.

Now their closets are all organized with clothes that fit them,
until next week when one or all of them grow and inch or two.
And so it goes...

Gifts to Love

2011-12-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share some of our favorite gifts from this years Christmas.
I got the "husbird" this journal. It's a cute little thing.
It asks one question each day for five years. Love it!

After I saw this video of Kiki and Coco in Paris I wanted to get my girls a similar doll, so I looked and looked on Etsy,
but the the most inexpensive dolls I could find were around sixty for one doll:(
When I got the Pottery Barn catalog in the mail I was so excited when I saw these
adorable dolls.
On black Friday PB Kids had all their dolls 20% off.
I had an additional 10% off coupon.
Sweet!

Aren't they darling?
My girls love them and I told them I'd make a little video of them with their dolls sometime.

Mister "T" got these blocks that are all uniform in size.
You can build all kinds of cool things with them.
I got them at Lake Shore Learning.

Miss "A" has been busy making jewelry with this Shrink Art Jewelry Kit from Klutz.

The whole family has had fun watching the little cars go around this track and making different tracks, even though it's little "D's" gift.
Any little or big boy would love to have an iplay build a road.

Since I didn't get this posted before the holidays I hope it will help for next year
or an upcoming birthday:)

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

Santa found our "nest," Did he find yours?

Merry "Go" Round

2011-12-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

We took baby "G" on his first carousel ride.

He loved it so much he didn't want to get off.

The other four "nestlings" had a great time too,

going around and around on a different animal each time.
The epitome of joy for a child!

Crunch Time

2011-12-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

The "nestlings" last day of school for this year is today.

I'm taking baby "G" to get his nine month pictures professionally taken and

then I'm off to the grocery store to get all the ingredients for our
holiday meals and treats,
then I pick up the "nestlings" and go home to clean and clean and clean,
until I can't feel my hands or legs, because my house has become a dumping ground this month while we ran to one party or activity to another.
We had breakfast with Santa.
Miss "C" was a clown and glow stick dancer in the 1st grade Nutcracker, and
both the girls were ballerinas in the Christmas dance recital.
("A's" the one with glasses)
The in-laws are coming to spend Christmas with us and they arrive tonight.
We're going to enjoy having them here for Christmas.
I'm going to show my mother-in-law the wonderful world of Pinterest and Google Reader.
It's going to be fun and also wonderful to celebrate the gift of our Saviour.

Nutcracker Hospital

2011-12-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

These nutcrackers payed a visit to the doctor today, me being the doctor. I prescribed some E6000 glue to hold them together.

They're feeling much better now,
until the "nestlings" get a hold of them again.

The Most Delicious CornBread

2011-12-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law gave me this delicious recipe.
It tastes like the appetizer "Sweet Corn Tamales" at the Cheesecake factory,
which I love and it's super easy to make.

1 CUP YELLOW CORNMEAL
1/2 CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 CUP SUGAR
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 MEDIUM ONION CHOPPED
1 (15 OUNCES) CAN CREAMED CORN
1 (15 OUNCES ) CAN WHOLE-KERNEL CORN DRAINED
1 (15 0UNCES ) CAN BLACK-EYES PEAS DRAINED
(I substituted a can of green chiles instead)
1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER
2 EGGS
1 CUP BUTTERMILK
1/2 CUP OIL

Preheat the oven to 350 F, grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together. Pour the prepared dish and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes before serving.

You can eat it plain, which is still delish, or add your favorite toppings, which for us happens to be sour cream, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and avocado.

NINE MONTHS

2011-12-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

Has four teeth
Stands up holding onto anything
Very verbal
Tall, but skinny (about 19lbs.)
Moved to his next car seat (rear facing)

A Twist on Taco Salad

2011-11-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

I often get bored making the same meals over and over again, so instead of tacos tonight I made a healthy version of a taco salad. I took whole wheat tortillas and put some olive oil on one side of them and put them in a pie tin.

Then I stuck them under the broiler for a minute or two.
As you can see I burnt a few of the tortillas because I wasn't watching them.

Then we added our favorite toppings---taco meat (extra lean ground beef), cheese, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, sour cream, and a little ranch dressing. Yum.
What would have been normal tacos was a little more fun.

11/11/11

2011-11-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

In addition to celebrating the people who make our freedom possible we celebrated "A."

Today she's NINE!She requested a coconut cake.
I think it's the prettiest and most delicious cake I've ever made.
I realize that's not saying a lot, but I am a terrible cake maker, so I was pretty happy when it turned out and tasted great too.

I told her it would be fun if she was turning eleven, but I'm so glad she's not because I want to keep her longer.
She is helpful, makes me laugh, and is a joy to be around!

EIGHT MONTHS

2011-11-10T15:58:00.001-08:00

-Baby "G's" notables-
It's near impossible to change his diaper.
He is pretty much always on the move, unless he's asleep.
He has two teeth.
He' s pulls himself up on anything he can reach so he can stand up.
And my favorite, he says mama.

"UP" House

2011-11-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we drove out to Herriman to see a replica of the house from the "UP" show.

We all loved it.

It's just like the house in the show.I especially loved the kitchen and its blue appliances, so fun! It's for sale so I asked the "nestlings" if they wanted to sell our house and buy it.They thought about it, but in the end they decided we should stay put.It was sure fun to explore though.

Update: The "UP" house sold and will only be open through December. If you live nearby you should take your kids while you still can:) It's free admission!

Halloween Scences

2011-11-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our October fun.We took the "nestlings" to the witch festival at Gardner Village.

Miss"C" went sporting her witch hat and cute smile.I may or may not have bribed the "husbird" to let me take his picture with this
rather large busted witch.For the the first time we went to a corn maze and it was fun!

There was all kinds of things to do there, besides the maze.

Little "D" was so creeped out by this guy on stilts, until I told him that he was nice, but he still didn't take his eyes off him.Mister "T" and a cute cashier witch, more bribing may have occurred.

The corn was glowing as the sun went down.
Miss "C's" witches, "Mommy Goo and Baby Goo" adorned our front door this year.

The "husbird" and I got invited to a Halloween party.
I went as a cat and the "husbird" was a pirate.
It's been years since I've dressed up for Halloween. I felt a little silly.
Here are the "nestlings" right before leaving to trick or treat.
This year we had a pumpkin, Zorro, a witch, a doctor, and a frog.
Let the chocolate consuming begin!

Another Lil' Pumpkin

2011-10-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Has anyone been around long enough to remember little "D" from my old blog?
Everyone of my "nestlings" have worn this pumpkin outfit I bought at
Gap eleven years ago. Money well spent.

Pineapple Party Cookies

2011-10-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that I love anything pinacolada.
These cookies are no exception. The perfect blend of pineapple and coconut.
Yum!

6 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup sifted flour

1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup silvered almonds(optional)
1/2 cup undrained crushed pineapple

1/4 tsp. soda

Cream butter and sugar; add egg and vanilla. Sift flour and measure and sift again w/ salt. Add soda to pineapple and mix well. Add this to creamed mixture alternately with the dry ingredients. Drop on greased cookie sheet by rounded teaspoons.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Cool and frost.

Frosting: Heat together 2 T. butter and 2 T. milk. Add 1/2 t. vanilla and enough powdered sugar to spreading consistency. Beat well.
Dip in coconut while frosting is still wet.
Enjoy!

When he's fussy...

2011-10-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

and I have to get ready to go somewhere

I put him on the stool between my legs and he's happy,
hot air blowing all around him and all.

Peanut Butter Krispies

2011-10-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe for a healthier rice krispie treat and so I gave it a try.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 cups peanut butter (I used creamy natural)
1/2 cup honey
4 cups rice cereal
1 good handful (about a 1/2 cup) of mini-chocolate chips and/or shredded coconut

Directions:

In a large pot on the stove top, melt the coconut oil and peanut butter on low heat.

Then, add in the honey and stir well.

Remove from heat and fold in rice crispy cereal.

Once everything is well-incorporated, place in a parchment lined or greased 9×13 pan. While it is still warm add the chocolate chips and pressed them down a little so they stick. Let chill in fridge for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.

The best part is the"nestlings" loved them. They would be great for school lunches.
I'll definitely be making them again.

End of the Rainbow

2011-10-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

I guess I should look for the pot of gold at my house:)

I think I'll find it in the form of a "husbird" that works hard to provide a living for our family and five healthy "nestlings."

It doesn't get much better than that!

Lemon Cookies

2011-10-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

1 lemon cake mix

1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg

Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick cookie sheets).
In large bowl, beat cake mix, shortening, butter and egg on medium speed about 2 minutes or until blended.
Drop dough onto un-greased cookie sheet by rounded tablespoonfuls.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until light brown around edges.
Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet; cool completely.

Glaze topping---(picture is without the glaze)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
10 drops food coloring
Stir confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, and water together. Stir in food coloring if desired. This glaze must be stirred each time you use it. If it is not stirred before each use it will dry with a mottled look instead of a solid color.

These were good, but very lemony, so if you love a lemon flavor you'll love them.
I rarely buy boxed cake mixes, because I try to stay away from anything that has
partially hydrogenated oil in it.
The "husbird" loves these though, so maybe I'll make them for him occasionally.

Entering a New Era...

2011-10-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

of busyness.
Since the "nestlings" are getting older I find that I am in the car a lot, too much, and
I know it's only going to get worse. Three of the "nestlings" are in different activities from piano lessons, art lessons, scouts, and dance.
I crave nights where I don't have to go anywhere and everyone is home.
They are rare these days.
I miss the long days at home when the "nestlings" were younger.
The crazy thing is, I always felt like I had to be doing something when my first two were young. I was always on the go instead of just enjoying them as much as I should have.
I should have stayed home more and done less when I could,
now I don't have a choice and I'm doing it all with a baby in tow.
Some days baby "G" cries the saddest cries when I have to strap him up in his car seat once again and put him in the car, breaks my heart. Poor thing. I want to cry too.
My house looks like a bomb went off in it since I rarely have time to clean it.
Down time is hard to come by.
Don't get me wrong I know everyone is busy.
I remember thinking I was as busy as I could get when I only had one baby.
I'm not having a pity party, I'm just trying to figure out how to balance life
with older and younger children together and still get the laundry done,
forget the house looking decent.
Anyone with me?

If I had a picture of what being busy looked like I'd post that, but I think a picture of my messy house would scare you away if my complaining hasn't already.

Since I hate to post without a picture, here's a picture of the cute face that reminds me to slow down, if only I could:)
Most days leave my head spinning.
Moms with older children please give me some advice on how to stay sane without eating massive amounts of chocolate!?

Lime Chiffon Pie

2011-10-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

I found this pie recipe and just happened to have lime jello in my pantry, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was like eating air, except better. Very Delicious!

3oz. lime jello

1 cup boiling water
16 oz cool whip
2 8oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
graham cracker crust

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Cool. Mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add jello mixture. Stir in both tubs of cool whip. Spread over graham cracker crust. Chill. Makes two round pies or one large 9x13.

SEVEN MONTHS

2011-10-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's getting harder to get a good picture of this sweet baby with his sign.
He has to have it in his hands, not to the side of him, but holding it, so hold it he did.He has one tooth.
He is now fully mobile, crawling everywhere.
I leave him in one room and find him in another.
In the last week he also figured out how to sit up.
These milestones are happening far to fast for my liking:(

Drowning..

2011-10-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

in a sea of shoes and clothes and too many things to do, such is a life of a mother.

I spent a good part of my Saturday going through the "nestlings" mudroom closets.
I usually go through them in the Spring and the Fall, but I didn't get to it last Spring since I had a baby, and so it had been a whole year.
Oh my! They were BAD!

I took out enough shoes to outfit a village of kids.
I made piles of coats and shoes of every kind that don't fit the "nestlings" right now.

In the evening I took a break, from my sinking ship of things to get done, to go on a rare and much needed date with the "husbird." It felt like a sacrifice at the time, leaving mini-messes all over my house. Sad I know.
It's not that I didn't want to go on a date with my sweetie, it's just that I knew I would wake up to all the messes on Sunday morning. Aghhh.
Wish I had had more time to clean them up before we left.
Oh well, I'm so glad we went.
We saw an excellent show, that I am still thinking about.

It made me laugh and cry. I recommend taking some Kleenex.

Then we went and ate at a new restaurant in the area, Brio.
It was very tasty.
It's always nice to fit some work and play in a day!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2011-10-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe, so I made a batch of homemade whole wheat tortillas and

this meal was so delicious.

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
3oz cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa verde
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1/2 lime)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
1 cup grated cheese (I used 1/2 pepperjack and 1/2 monterrey jack)
12 small flour tortillas
Oil for misting

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat cream cheese in microwave safe bowl for 20-30 seconds until soft.
Stir in salsa verde, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and garlic.
Stir in cilantro, green onions, chicken and cheese.

Heat 4 tortillas at a time in microwave for 20 seconds to soften. Scoop 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture into the middle of each tortilla, keeping the mixture 1/2 inch from edges and roll tightly. Place seam side down on metal baking sheet. Line up but don't let them touch.

Spray tops lightly with oil and bake for 15 minutes or until crisp and ends are golden brown.
Have you discovered this Ball fruit protector?
It's a powder that keeps fruit from turning brown,
I especially love it for apple slices in the "nestlings" lunches.
It also works great on avocados.

Male Bonding

2011-10-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Since the three oldest "nestlings" started school little "D" and Baby "G" have been spending a lot of time together.

It consists of "D" playing on or around "G".
Baby "G" studies every move "D" makes, mesmerized, taking it all in,
strategizing about all the things he'll do with his brother as soon as he's able.

Cupcake Souffle

2011-10-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

I tried making some yummy looking cupcakes for the "nestlings" but they didn't turn out. They just raised and then spread out. Maybe someone that actually knows how to bake can tell me what I did wrong. I didn't forget the baking powder:)
I thought about tossing them, but instead decided to scoop them out and put them in bowls.

Confetti Cupcakes

1 cube butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Stir in milk. Combine dry ingredients* and mix into wet ingredients just until smooth. Stir in sprinkles (I used 2 Tablespoons and you can see there is plenty of color).

Pour into 12 muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Cool before frosting with this yummy buttercream frosting.

They were like happy little bowls of color and were yummy just the same!

Family Picture Outfits

2011-09-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder what people wear for their family pictures? I do.

I start sweating even thinking about putting together an ensemble for seven people,
but lately I feel a strong desire to have more family photos, because I want to
to have something to remember what the "nestlings" looked like, what the "husbird" and I looked liked when our children were young, strung out and all.
I feel time is slipping away. The "nestlings" are growing up so fast,
so even though preparing for pictures isn't my favorite thing, I do it anyways.
I find it very challenging to coordinate seven outfits and not look to matchy matchy,
but after going to six different stores and gathering items from all our closets I came up with some outfits for the family pictures we had taken on Saturday.

For those interested here is what we wore.On the bottom the boys all wore jeans except the baby and the girls wore brown leggings.

On the top...

"G" wore a cute one piece denim like outfit.
"D" wore a polo blue button up shirt. In his individual picture he also wore a puffy brown vest, not pictured.
"C" wore a orange and off white sweater.
"A" wore a long orange shirt with a cute faux fur vest over it.
"T" wore a blue button down shirt with a patterned v-neck sweater over it.
"B" wore a brown v-neck sweater.
I wore a long sleeve brown shirt with a ruffly collared long orange tank over it and
of course a cute blue and orange necklace, not pictured.

I made some flower headbands for the girl's hair and then clipped the flowers to brown knit hats for their individual pictures.

I'm going to use the family picture for our Christmas cards this year,
but here's a little tease, of course of the baby.
Do you have as hard a time as I do getting ready for family family pictures or
does choosing clothes for many people come easy to you?

Sweet Potatoes

2011-09-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

Mmm

One way to Lose Five Pounds..

2011-09-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

is to throw up for twelve straight hours at least once an hour until you're dry heaving and there is nothing left in you to come out.
Sorry, TMI.

Since the "nestlings" have started school we have had two different illnesses
tear through our nest and wipe us out one by one.
The most recent one had me down and out for a good twenty four hours or more.
It was so awful that in the middle of it I thought giving birth to a baby was easier, because at least in labor you know the pain will end and you'll get a gift at the end.
Baby "G" and I spent a lot of time in bed, but I definitely wasn't smiling:(
Thankfully, I'm feeling much better now:)

Wackadoodle

2011-09-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite word. Say it a few times.

It has a nice ring do it, don't you think?
I think I first heard it from a news anchor describing the Duchess of York's daughter's hats that they wore to Kate and Prince Williams wedding.
Now when anything is slightly wacky I say, "That is wackadoodle."
I think the "nestlings" are a little sick of it, oh well.
I googled the definition just to make sure I wasn't crazy and sure enough it said it means---crazy aka loony toony.
Perfect word to describe so many things in the wacky,
crazy life I live with five "nestlings".

Speaking of things said at our nest,
here are a few wacky things the "nestlings" have said lately:
Little "D" was recently crying and so I said, "Those are some sad cries "D"
Little "D" replied, I not crying. I whining."
(I'm glad he knows the difference, because I apparently do not)
When the baby was a few weeks old "T" said to me,
"I want to find a way to bottle the baby's smell.
Can we take him to someone to see if they can do that?"
When baby "G" was a couple of months old Miss "C" said to me,

"Lucky mom. I wish I just had a baby."
(as if she was jealous of me)
At least once a week she tells me she wishes she had a baby.

In the summer she said to me,
"You have lots of beauty marks Mommy, because Daddy loves you so much."
(I don't want to burst her and my bubble and tell her I have them because I'm old)
and
one more from "C"

"I bet Jesus is happy with me because I shared my candy with "D."
I said, "Indeed, my dear, Jesus is happy with you."

SIX MONTHS

2011-09-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

Mobile

army crawling
Claps his hands
loves to play pat-a-cake
Still has blue eyes
crossing our fingers he keeps them forever

Preschool

2011-09-08T17:01:00.000-07:00

Little "D" started his first year of preschool today.
He was pretty reluctant, but I know he'll love it.
If he doesn't after a couple of times then we'll take him out and try again next year. It's just two days a week for a couple of hours.I get four whole hours in the week with only one "nestling."
I'll miss "D," but I know he'll be having a lot more fun at preschool,
than running errands with me.
It's crazy how much I'll try to pack in those two hours.
I'll be racing to get as much done as I can.
Precious time for both of us.

Everyday Beauty

2011-09-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Even though my life at this stage consists mainly of housework and child care
I'm trying to make an effort to see beauty in my everyday.
Here is some beauty I captured last Spring.
Yes, it's taken this long to post it.

"T" basking in the sun while reading a good book in the backyard,
so glad I bought that chaise on clearance at Home Depot last year.Little "D's" cars and trucks lined up on a rolled up rug.

Baby "G's" binki matching his elephant pajamas.
Little "D's" pruney hands after a long bath.

Miss "A" singing to the baby even though he kept right on crying.

What beauty do you find in your everyday?

King of the Nest

2011-08-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

Baby "G" has a six year old sister ("C") that makes him homemade crowns.It's okay that she thinks he's her doll, because he knows he rules!

Could it be...

2011-08-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

my house stayed clean longer than thirty seconds?

You know what that means...three of the "nestlings" started school today.
It's a good day and I would probably relax some of the day except we have friends coming to dinner tomorrow night and the cupboards are bare,
so off to the grocery store I go.

Miss "C"

"A" sporting her new glasses.

Mister "T"
This is the last year they'll all be in elementary school together.
Boo Hoo!

STI11

2011-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

At age eleven "T" still wanted to get his free Toys R Us birthday balloon.
Be still my heart.
Even though on most days he has a teenage attitude he's still a little boy at heart.

My heart almost exploded of joy when "T" asked if we could stop and get his birthday balloon. I was happy to oblige, because I know by next year it won't be the same.

I still have sand in my shoes...

2011-08-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

and I can't shake the thought of Rocky Point.
Cheese, I know.
Actually I never wore shoes on vacation,
so my title should be that I still have sand in my van.
In addition to that, I have numerous suitcases to unpack, piles of laundry to wash, and stacks of mail and newspapers to go through.

I'm really missing the easy going days of vacation right about now.

Can you blame me?

FIVE MONTHS

2011-08-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

Not only is baby "G" rolling everywhere,

he has started to scoot.
Yikes!
He is at the stage where he grabs at everything.
Whatever I have in my hands or on my lap he tries to get.
He's becoming way too active way too soon!

Summer of Discovery-Week Ten

2011-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Little "D" discovered he doesn't even notice when there is sand on his face anymore.
It's now a permanent fixture.

We discovered more cool boats.
I liked this pirate-like one.

Baby "G" discovered he loves hangin' at the beach with me.

I discovered I love the coconut-pineapple ice cream at Thrifty,
but look at the sign---made in the USA. What? I thought I was in Mexico. Ha.

Sunsets at the beach are the best.
Except for when their is a guy in a speedo in the way of all your photos.
Annoying.
I was tempted to take a close up of his rear end,
but then decided I didn't need to see it that clearly.

Miss "A" jumping for joy...

we got to enjoy two whole weeks in Mexico!

Someone Did Pinch Me

2011-08-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yep.

It happened.

Can you believe it?
It didn't take long.
How rude.

There is still laundry to be done (lots and lots of wet towels),
mouths to feed (even hungrier ones it seems), and
number one sand to sweep and sweep (oh the sand!).
Even paradise has its problems.
I still love it though.

A typical day goes something like this:
eat breakfast
go to the beach,
then the pool with cousins
come inside, eat lunch, hang out, maybe watch a movie, play a game, or go to town
go back to the beach in the early evening,
then back to the pool,
go in, eat dinner...
ahhh...beach living...someones gotta do it!
I guess I'll keep on sweeping.

Summer of Discovery -Week Nine

2011-08-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

This week we discovered some old rusty fishing boats.

I wonder how old they are and how many times they've been out to sea?The boys discovered how much fun the sand on the other side of the beach can be.

When I wasn't snapping pictures I took a little spin just as the sun was setting.

The girls discovered places to hang their suits to dry and...

ways to get their swimsuits to dry faster.
I brought two suits for everyone, but we could really use three.

I discovered the best yogurt ever, pinacolada, sooo good!
I made the most delicious smoothies with it.

The yogurt in Mexico is so much better than the yogurt in the U.S.

Perspective

2011-08-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Zoomed InZoomed Out

As tradition would have it, while the "husbird" and "T"sit at the beach,
the tide comes in little by little
and
they don't move an inch.

Someone Pinch Me

2011-07-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

We made it!

Our drive was actually not too bad.
The "nestlings" were happy and excited the whole way.
I think the anticipation helped, a lot.
It only took us fourteen hours. We got here before it was dark, a huge plus.
Our place is beautiful and everywhere you look is an ocean view.
It's glorious!

I seriously need this sign.
Little "D", water gun in hand, admiring the view from the deck.
How could you not?

Summer of Discovery-Weeks Seven & Eight

2011-07-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

I spent most of weeks seven and eight discovering how much work it is to prepare for a vacation with five "nestlings" for the first time.

Since we're driving to Mexico and our battery had been acting up in our minivan we had to replace it. In the process of getting the battery changed I discovered our tires had little to no tread and thought it might not be a good idea to drive thirty hours or more on bald tires so I discovered how many different brands of tires there are (a lot) and how hard it is to decide which ones were the best to buy.
Then to top it all off I was on a search for used cross bars and car top carrier so we'd have enough room for all our luggage.
Before we even left we had spent our whole vacation budget getting ready to go...yeah...I know...not the best way to start a vacation.
Since I'm feeling poor, do you think my neighbors would mind
a jar of Mexican seashells for Christmas this year?
They'd be from a beautiful beach in Mexico....that's gotta count for something, right?
Amidst all the packing and car issues I did manage to sneak away to Home Goods the day it opened. I found this great little bell to hang in my kitchen,
which will hopefully help call everyone to dinner.
It's really loud.

Next up...pictures from the beach...if we survive the drive.

Summer of Discovery-Week Six

2011-07-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

What a week!

We packed in a lot this week, sadly I don't have many pictures to show for it.
We took the "nestlings" to a water park and discovered this upon entering.

This picture is horrible, because I had the settings on my camera wrong.
The wave pool was full, tube to tube.

If we would have been smart we would have turned around and walked back out,
but we didn't:)
It was so crowded and the lines were so horrendously long,
but the "nestlings" did manage to have fun, not sure I can say the same for myself.

The "husbird" and I discovered that having a couple of nights without four of the "nestlings" was very needed and helped us feel connected again.
We went to see "Larry Crowne" and "17 Miracles."
The next day we went to iFly to use the gift certificate I gave him for his 40th birthday in March.
He got to do a simulated sky dive, indoor rock climbing, and surfing.
It was great to see him having fun and video tape his experiences.

We commented to each other how easy it was to have one child (as opposed to five),
but that when we had our first baby we thought it was so hard.
Perspective is an interesting thing.

The "nestlings" came back from Grandmas house sufficiently spoiled and tired.
Aren't Grandparents wonderful?!
I discovered little "D" on the couch doing what I wish I could have been doing.

FOUR MONTHS

2011-07-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Baby "G" can often be found with his little hands clasped together,
like he's going to pray or something, sooo cute!He likes to...
roll over,
lay in his bouncer, playing with the toys on it,
play with his feet
hum (sing) while he nurses
smile a lot
and
giggle
(he's very ticklish)
He is an absolute joy to have around!

Summer of Discovery-Week Five

2011-07-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

This week the "husbird's" parents, "Nono and Nona"came to visit.

We enjoyed our week with them and as you can see
the "nestlings"didn't mind the extra attention only grandparents can give.
They are bilingual, but since Spanish is their first language sometimes
they have a had time understanding what the "nestlings" say.
While looking through a photobook something miss "C" said got lost in translation and "Nono" started laughing until everyone was rolling in laughter.

I liked having someone else telling the "nestlings" some of the same things I often do,
but for some reason it was listened to better this week.

It felt great to have back-up.

We discovered fun taking a break from our normal routine to swim with cousins, watch fireworks, eat out, go to the children's Book of Mormon interactive exhibit, go to a beautiful park, and to a little family festival.
Good Times spent with the "Nono's."

P.S. As for the sleeping arrangements, we moved baby "G's" port-a-crib into our closet and he slept surprisingly well. Yahoo!

Summer of Discovery-Week Four

2011-07-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

This week I discovered it takes me a whole week, in spurts here and there, to clean my house, and not even to the level of tidiness I would like.

While cleaning I discovered the "nestlings" have way too many toys.
After cleaning them up and organizing them for hours I want to trash half of them.
I also discovered that my in-laws coming to visit for the 4th of July has motivated me to finish some projects around the nest.
I'll share them later.

Miss "A" discovered that new paint for four dollars, along with poster size paper from grandma, entertained her all week as she painted picture after picture.
My couches are all decked out for the 4th of July because I discovered two ektorp sofa covers at the Ikea temple, that's what the "husbird" calls it,
in the "as is" department for $9.99. They were normally $149.
It must have been fate because I happen to have two ektorp couches that reside in the same room. The pattern is different than I would normally pick,
but that's what makes them fun. I got a whole new look for twenty dollars.
Can't beat that.
My family room reminds me of a primary song from church called "Primary Colors."
It has a rainbow of colors going on.
What's funny is when "T" saw the "husbird" put the blue and white slip cover on the first sofa he asked if the other one was red. Ha. Ha.
Truth be told, the extent of my 4th of July decor this year was sticking little flags in a few plants around the house.
Happy 4th!

Summer of Discovery-Week Three

2011-06-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

This week I discovered I have four fish.
One that still needs a life jacket, but a fish all the same.

Here's a little video compliments of the "husbird."

My "fish" swam everyday except Sunday.

MakeShift Nursery

2011-06-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here's Baby "G's" little nursery spot.

We still need to set up the real crib in here, for now we are using a port-a-crib.

I'm still tweaking it, ever tweaking.
The only thing I bought was the curtains, a couple of pillows, and
the starfish garland (which I don't know will stay)-everything else I already had.I love to sit in the glider to snuggle and nurse baby "G" to sleep.
One of my dear friends gave me the lamb and lion when I had my first baby,
such a sweet gift representing the joys and hardships of babies.
The shoes were my dad's when he was a baby.
I found the star at a thrift store for a dollar and the skeleton key is used to open the antique wardrobe that was my grandmas.
The suitcase was also my grandmas and she just happens to have a name that starts with a "G" as well.

The hourglass is a good reminder to me of how fast time goes by and to enjoy the time I have with my sweet baby.
The little white and blue bench was my grandmas as well.
She used it outside and so the paint is peeling. I love the patina and layers.

I got the amour (love) pillow from saseaboutique on etsy.
She makes the cutest pillows.

Of course the best part of the nursery and the thing I love most about it is the
baby that occupies it:)

Multipurpose Nursery Problems

2011-06-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

How's that for a title?

From my experience of having five babies, I've learned that babies need there own room. If they share a room with siblings they wake them up when they cry.

If they sleep in your room they wake you up

and

they wake up every time they hear you.

If baby sleeps good everyone else sleeps good, so what do you do when you have a nursery that needs to have more than one use like I do?

Baby "G's" nursery is also our guest/play room and I'm not sure it's working because,

the first problem is...

when we have guests come I don't want to kick the baby out and disrupt his sleep schedule. I should learn from past experiences from when little "D" was five months old and someone came to visit.

I put him in our room in his port-a-crib while they were here.

Well, when our visitors left I couldn't get him to sleep in his crib again.

It was awful and I suffered because of it.
I think I'm going to have to kick the boys or girls out of their room and my guests will have to sleep in singles.
It seems silly really since we still have the guest bed set up in the nursery,

but I don't know what else to do.

Any suggestions?
Do you have a guest room? If you don't, what do you do when guests come?

the second problem is...

that it is where most of the "nestlings" toys are

and

I almost kill myself nightly tripping over toys trying to get the baby to and from his crib.

I have to clear a path through all the toys the "nestlings" don't put away.

Oh the joys of a multi-purpose room!
I'm starting to dream of a finished basement and a money tree.

Wouldn't that be great.

****************************

Despite the limitations with this room I managed to put together I cute nursery spot.

Inspired by this picture of a nursery I saw on Endless Crafting,

months ago, I set out to create a nursery for baby "G".

I started off with curtains, unfortunately they were too short,

so after searching every fabric shop known to man to find a fabric and trim that would look just right I finally found some.

I sewed the fabric and pom pom trim onto the bottom of the curtains.
I didn't like how it looked, so I unpicked it all and sewed the fabric and trim to the top. It looks so much better now.
I'll post pictures tomorrow of how the nursery turned out.

Summer of Discovery-Week Two

2011-06-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

Baby "G" discovered his tongue and he can often be found sticking it out.

He also discovered that he can roll from his back to his stomach and do "super" baby.
Would he stop growing already!?

Those baby blues get me every time.
Love those eyes.
I discovered that I'm really good at building laundry towers.

I'm hoping to get this one to the ceiling by next week. It's about halfway there.
Deciding to get family photos taken has contributed to taking many outfits out of every closet in my house to find coordinating outfits for seven people.
Do you have any idea how hard that is?
All the clothes that didn't make the cut were discarded to the laundry tower,
thus making it even taller.

I hope by next week I can discover a way to keep my house clean with
five "nestlings" at home, but I'm not holding my breath.

Everyday Smoothies

2011-06-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been making a smoothie everyday to get more fruit in my diet.
A friend gave me this smoothie recipe and it's delicious.
I just use whatever fruit I have on hand.

1 cup ice

1/ 2 cup any liquid (milk, juice, water)
1 to 2 cups fruit (fresh or frozen)
1 banana
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

Add ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
Mmm, Mmm, good!

Sunday Thought

2011-06-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

“we would do well to slow down a little,

proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances,
focus on the significant,
lift up our eyes,
and
truly see the things that matter most.”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Summer of Discovery-Week One

2011-06-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

We kicked off our summer on Saturday at the children's Museum to celebrate "C's"sixth birthday as a family.
The "nestlings" had a great time discovering lots of fun things.
Four whole hours they played, never thought they'd last that long.
My bum still hurts from sitting on a hard bench while I watched them play.On Monday I discovered that I can survive three hours of errands with all five "nestlings" all by myself. Granted most of the errands were for them,
like signing up for the summer reading program at the library.
I also discovered that I have a very capable ten year old who can help.
He watched the young ones (minus the baby) on the school playground while I dug through the ginormous lost and found at the school where I discovered two of the "nestlings" coats that I didn't even know were missing,
felt like I needed a shower when I was done.On Tuesday "C" discovered she can swim and is gaining more confidence in the water.
Hallelujah!
I discovered that it's not a good idea to make dinner after swimming, because the "nestlings" are famished when they get home and they can't wait another hour to eat without multiple melt downs.

I think my crock pot is going to become my best friend this summer.
Anyone have any great crock pot recipes?
I need them.

On Wednesday, much to my detriment I discovered Cracked Sugar Cookies.
They are very addicting, thus the name.

On Thursday I discovered that the nestlings brought home a mountain of papers I had to go through and although I trashed most of it, I discovered a few gems in the mix,

like a book of bad ideas "T" made. It cracked me up, because it has all the dumb, interesting things he's done in the last little while,
like try to bring a garter snake in the house.
He also threw a peanut butter jar into the air, didn't catch it, and it hit him in the nose, split his skin open and it started bleeding.
This book warns against doing those kinds of things.
It's Hilarious!

By Friday I discovered that having five kids home 24/7 is absolutely
exhausting.

THREE MONTHS

2011-06-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm officially in denial that my baby is growing up so fast.
Sniff. Sniff. Sniff.It's like I blinked and he was three months.
Why can't time stand still, just for a moment!?

"Nestlings" lunch of choice

2011-06-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

I rarely buy boxed macaroni and cheese, so I had to come up with a
homemade alternative.
I think this is going to be our summer lunch.
It's tasty and easy.
I use any kind of shredded cheese and wheat pasta I have on hand.

Ingredients:
A box or bag of pasta
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese

Melt butter, blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk, stir until it thickens slightly. Add cheese. Take off heat and combine with pasta.
Enjoy!

If I make it for dinner I put it in a casserole dish, put bread crumbs on top and bake it, but for lunch I keep it simple and serve it from the stove top.

Oh Happy Day!

2011-06-03T13:32:00.001-07:00

When I was at the bank today I looked across the street and was thrilled when I saw this--Coming Soon Home Goods!

and then there is also this opening in the fall.
Yay!
It's great that they are less than five minutes from my house,
great for some retail therapy,
great for my nest,
not so great for my pocketbook:)

It was the "nestlings" last day of school today.
I get them 100% of the time now, which is both exciting and overwhelming.
We made our summer list. We're keeping it pretty low key this summer.
I'm sure I'll love having them home and having no schedule,
at least until the sibling rivalry and "I'm boreds" start.
Then I'll hope school starts soon.
This is my first summer with five kids.
Pray for me.

Every night...

2011-05-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

"T"climbs in little "D's" bed and reads him a story.I think it's the cutest thing ever,
but I may be biased.

Hide and Seek

2011-05-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

The other day the house got really quiet and I thought I better go investigate.
I called after miss C and little D while I went through the house looking for them.
I looked in their bedrooms, the playroom,everywhere I thought they could be.
I couldn't find them anywhere.
I was starting to get worried when
I looked in here, a cabinet in our family room where we keep blankets.

Their they were, happily watching "Despicable Me" on the ipad.Ha. Ha.

I'm glad they can entertain themselves.

Officially Blessed

2011-05-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

It was baby "G's" big day today.

He looked adorable in his v-neck cable knit vest and little shorts.His daddy gave him a beautiful blessing, at least what I heard of it.
Little "D" had a melt down in the middle of it, because "C" took something away from him, so I was trying to keep them both quiet.
Luckily the "husbird" recorded it on his iphone.

After wards we ate a table full of yummy food, which I didn't get a picture of, but I did manage to snap a picture of the deli tray I made.
Here's Baby "G" with his great grandpa and (step) great grandma.Unfortunately I was suffering from horrible allergies all day, so I was just trying to enjoy the day between sneezing and blowing my nose.
I was pretty miserable, but tried not to let it show.
I don't think it worked though, because I have a red nose and eyes in all the picture I'm in. Sniff.

Despite real life stuff, it was a wonderful day celebrating our baby boy.

The way we roll...

2011-05-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

at the grocery store,

with little "D" in the front and the babe in the back.

Three year old "D" insists on sitting in the built-in car seat, with sucker in mouth.
He's just a tad too big for it, ha!
If I get lucky he falls asleep.

TWO MONTHS

2011-05-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

You'd think I'd be happy to be through the first two months after giving birth,
but I'm not. I'm sad the time is gone. It has flown by.
I would go through labor, birth, and recovery to live it all again.

I seriously would.
I have absolutely loved having a baby in the "nest" again.

"A babe in the house is a well-spring of pleasure,
a messenger of peace and love,
a resting place for innocence on earth,
a link between angels and men."
Martin Tupper

Being a mom...

2011-05-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

is the greatest privilege in my life.The fact that God has entrusted me to raise five of his children is a gift.

The older I get the more I realize the importance of my calling as a mother.
On this mother's day I feel so blessed to be a mom
and
to have a wonderful mom.

As if I don't have enough to do..

2011-05-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

I discovered Pinterest and have been pinning ever since.
For those of you who don't know what Pinterest is, it is a place to store and organize links to images that you find on the internet.It can be seriously addictive so I have to stay off it most of the time, but I love having a place to organize all the bloggy loveliness I run across here and there.
If I'm wondering what to make for dinner I just pop over to my Pinterest account and look at my Recipe board and pick something that looks good,
instead of looking though a million papers trying to find that ONE recipe.
If I want to make a craft with the "nestlings" that I saw on a particular blog,
I just go to my Kids Craft board and look it up.
If I need some decorating inspiration I bring up my Home Idea board.
Well, you get the idea.
It's genius I tell ya! It saves me so much time.
Happy Pinning!

Anniversary Date

2011-05-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

"T" took this picture of the "husbird" and I as we left for a date to celebrate our
14th anniversary!

We went to see "Water for Elephants".

After we got home and put the kids to bed we ate one of these delicious cupcakes from Sweet Tooth Fairy.
Yum-O!

Then we snapped a few photos of ourselves with my iphone.Life is great when you get to go on a date with your sweetie!

His Talent...

2011-04-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

is blowing milk bubbles.He likes to see how big he can get them.

When I saw this one I grabbed the closest camera, my iphone,
and snapped his biggest bubble yet.

In my Shower...

2011-04-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have a shark tank, compliments of miss "C".
It's made out of a q-tip box.

She can be quite creative when she needs to be.Speaking of sharks, have you ever watched the show, "Shark Tank"?

It's another show by Mark Burnett.
The "husbird" and I are hooked on it right now.
We love to see the interaction between the sharks, so entertaining.

Operation Tackle Bunny

2011-04-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

When we were at our egg hunt last weekend the "husbird" dared "T' to tackle the bunny.
Here's a video of him attempting to...

I laughed so hard when I saw this because the bunny had no idea what was going on.
At first you can tell he thinks "T" is just hugging him, then when "T' starts hanging on his leg I wonder what he thought, sooo funny!
At the end of the tape "C" says, "Do you want me to do it?"
Poor Bunny probably wondering who these crazy kids were.

Egg hunt and more...

2011-04-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Get ready for picture overload,

because so many things made me laugh today.
It was absolutely splendid and I don't want to forget the things that made it fabulous.

We kicked off the weekend by taking the "nestlings" to an egg hunt.
The three pictures below depict five year old "C's" personality so well,
one minute she's happy the next minute she's sad or mad.
I put hairspray in little "D's" hair to keep it under control.
It made it look like a greasy old man's.
Can you tell he's freezing?

"C" was so thrilled with her loot of candy and eggs until her basket broke.
Poor "D" was trying to keep his pants up all morning, looks like it only sorta worked.

Miss "A" insisted on wearing her bunny ears, so funny in this picture.

This picture makes me laugh because "T' is eating a chocolate doughut and "D" has his mouth full of jellybeans, thus the crooked smile.

When we got home I made freezer jam.

I had bought eight pounds of strawberries because they were 99 cents a pound.
When the "husbird" saw all of them he said,
"Do you think you bought enough strawberries?"

He was happy when he saw what I did with them all.
In the process of making jam something caught my eye outside.
I went out to find some adorable geeslings with their mommy, so sweet.

Then we dyed some eggs.

A few beautiful eggs to end a beautifully fun day.

Little Hunk of Love

2011-04-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Baby "G" at eight days old.

I'm thinking in my next life I'll be a newborn photographer instead of a hairstylist.
I could get my baby fix weekly.

It would be so much fun.
I would be in heaven.

Although I found out that getting great newborn pictures aren't as easy to get as you'd think they'd be. It takes some one with a lot of patience and skill.
Luckily Sheri at Sweet Pea Photos has both.
Baby boy did not want to sleep at his first session,
so I had to go back for a second session.

We eventually got some precious shots of my sweet pea,
but he definitely made us work for them.

Dear Mom...

2011-04-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

As I was drifting off to dream land last night I sat straight up in bed in a panic when I realized I forgot your birthday, completely spaced it.
How could I forget your birthday?
Please forgive me for being so wrapped up in myself and baby that I forgot your birthday. I think you even dropped by on your big day and I called you too,
not once did I wish you a happy birthday.
I'm so lame.

How can a daughter forget her own mother's birthday?
The same mom that gave me life, the one that cleans my disgusting microwave and refrigerator whenever she baby sits for me, the mom that just got done mending a load of clothes for me, the mom that gave me the very best birthday present ever---taking my kids home with you so when I came home from the hospital I could relax and settle in without being overwhelmed by the needs of my other children,
yet I did nothing for you on your birthday.
I feel awful.

Will you forgive me?
Some day I'll make it up to you:)
Love, your absentminded daughter

I spy

2011-04-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

with my blue eyesa baby surrounded by clean stacks of laundry.

If you want to love your laundry piles this post is a must read.
You'll never look at laundry the same again. Promise.

Our Beautiful World

2011-04-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

My brother emailed me this wonderful video.
I thought you might enjoy it.

(if you click on the symbol between HD and Vimeo it will make it full screen)

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

I've been listening to this beautiful song over and over.

It's called Nuvole Bianche. You can find it on iTunes.

I found out what song it is by using one of my favorite iphone apps, Shazam.

If you hear a song you like and hold you phone up to the sound, it tells you what song it is. Isn't that awesome!?

Desperate Housewife

2011-04-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

feeling a bit desperate lately...(don't judge unless you've had five kids in ten years)

*desperate for my baby to quit growing

*desperate for more hours in the day...It seems like I can't get enough done in the day and still have time to kiss and cuddle my baby as much as I want to

*desperate for a clean house...I'd rather hold my baby than clean, therefore my house has been going to complete pot one day at a time

*desperate to feel content just being a mom... and not feel like I want to do a million other things to be fulfilled

*desperate for chocolate, that's why I made these brownies last night

*desperate for the "husbird" to be present more... it's not his fault, but if he's not working he's gone to church meetings, baseball with "T," or errands for me... picking up my slack... and being self-employed isn't all it's cracked up to be, that's all I have to say about that. Miss him.
After dinner I kiss him goodbye, then I look at the dishes on the table, in the sink, and on the stove and think about the
work of picking up the house,
getting two kids to shower themselves, showering two myself, and bathing one
making sure everyone's teeth gets brushed, including my own,
family scripture reading,
prayers,
tucking in and then tucking in again, oh, and again,
ironing clothes
all while keeping the baby happy
changing the baby, nursing the baby, putting the baby to sleep,
and after thinking about all that...

I want to go hide in a corner and not come out.

How do single parents do it?

I know lots of women do this every day, many with more children than five.
I can do it, right?

After each baby I've had, I've wished the world would stop, just for a short while,
but it doesn't.

I'll eventually get my groove on.
It will just take some time.
baby steps here,
Baby steps.

ONE MONTH

2011-04-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

Two questions:

Where has the time gone?Why oh why do they have to grow up?

Getting Back in Shape

2011-04-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

I'm so flabby and weak from having a baby and not working out for a month now.
Today I attempted to learn "Evacuate the Dance Floor" on the Xbox.
I kept calling it excavate the dance floor and "T" kept correcting me. Ha. Ha.

What I learned is I can't dance.
I used to kill the "Just Dance" game on the Wii, but it only judges you on your arms.
The Xbox has a sensor that sees your whole body and I found out
coordinating your arms and legs together is a wee bit more complicated.
Then I did a video by Shape, Firm Flat Abs Fast.
I'll never look like those women no matter how much I workout, nor is that my goal, although I wouldn't mind:)
After carrying a baby around for ten months I have zero strength in my core.
It's pathetic what little muscle I have left. I have loads of work to do.
I might be more motivated if I had real ocean waves behind me,
then again I'd probably want to lay on the beach sipping on a pina colada,
while reading a good book.
After I had "D" I got back in shape by going to a Pilates class at the gym.
I could bring the baby with me. The class was designed for moms with young babies, unfortunately they don't offer that class anymore and I can't take the baby to the kids care until he's six months old. Eventually I can leave him with the "husbird",
but he's been extremely busy at work lately, so I haven't yet.

While I worked out "D" and "C" made a royal mess making a fishing barbie
bathtub in the bathroom sink.
Later on I heard miss "C' saying "Where's Kenny's head? Kenny where's your head?" Apparently Ken dolls head went missing.
Kids, you gotta love em'
even though they wreck your house some days.

mini long johns

2011-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

for a mini person

Scarfs and Bags as Art

2011-04-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

I finally filled an empty wall in my bedroom.
(pre-baby)
It all started with this expandable hook thingy I found at a thrift store for a $1.

I already had a few bags,
(two from Walmart and one from the thrift store)
a couple of scarfs
(brown one from Kohls, off white one from Walmart)
and a small metal sign

Everything together only cost about twenty five dollars.

Eventually I'll paint the hook thingy off white,
but for now it's a big improvement to an otherwise blank wall.

Two Day Excuse...

2011-04-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

for... Pajama Wearing

Baby Holding

Jenga Building

Snow Watching
(yes, we woke up to snow today)

Stuffed animal dressing

Crayon Coloring

all because it's
Conference Weekend.
(for the sake of listening, some of these activities were done between sessions, not during)
My three favorite messages were from Oaks, Uchtdorf, and Robins.

Another March Birthday

2011-03-29T17:15:00.001-07:00

Since the baby was born in March we will have four March birthdays to celebrate each year, not sure what I was thinking:)

Little "D" turned three today.
The "husbird" made him his favorite breakfast, pancakes.

He calls dinosaurs, "dinohorrs."
He loves playing with his tractor, motorcycle, and dinohorrs.
He can navigate an i-pad like nobody's business.
He calls the baby, "his baby."
He's very easy to love.
Happy Birthday My Boy!

Spring Break Survival

2011-03-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

In order to survive spring break we gave the "nestlings" each a cardboard box and let them make whatever they wanted. It occupied them for a few hours and about three rolls of tape later they each had a car or spaceship to watch a movie in that night.

I'm content to just stay home and stare at the baby and listen to his sweet baby sounds, come to think of it I' haven't been anywhere since I had the baby except to drop a kid(s) off or pick them up from school and to get the baby's pictures taken. That's it. The "husbird" has picked up some milk and eggs at Costco.

I'm sure I'll get cabin fever at some point, but I haven't yet.
The "nestlings" want to go do something fun over their break and I feel guilty that I won't be taking them anywhere. I'm not ready to take the baby out yet,
so I'm trying to find things to entertain them at home.
Tomorrow we're making sugar cookies.

Before and After Dining Chairs

2011-03-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this post from my old blog when I bought some used dining chairs to go with my lone table?
They reminded me of these ones from Pottery Barn.
Well, I attempted to paint them last summer. I got them primed and half painted.
Then while preparing for the baby to come I decided I needed some help getting some items painted and finished instead of them sitting in my garage collecting dust,
so I hauled them over to Sausha's house from Show and Tell and
let her do the work for me. Painting furniture is her thing and
sometimes it pays to get help, like when your nine months pregnant.
Before the baby was born my mom helped me cut out some Richloom fabric I bought.

Then last weekend, in between nursing sessions, the "husbird" and I finally stapled the fabric to the seats.

Getting these chairs finished definitely took a team effort, hiring Sausha, getting help from my mom and the "husbird"...but they are finally done!

They look so much better.
If you're a Utah local and are in need of having furniture painted, Sausha will do a great job.

My Man Turns Forty

2011-03-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

For the "husbird's" fortieth birthday I wanted to do something really special to celebrate, but I knew I'd still be recovering from giving birth and so pretty much anything I wanted to do wasn't going to happen, not even the traditional gift that I give him every year on his birthday *wink, *wink.
Since I knew this would be the case, I surprised him with a gift certificate to an
indoor rock climbing, surfing, and simulated skydive
(because I can't take the chance on a real sky dive where he risks his life and could leave me with five kids to raise on my own).
I want to tag along to take video of him so he may have to wait awhile to use it.
I actually tease him and tell him that I gave him a gift that keeps giving
for his birthday, a baby:)
In addition to the gift certificate and baby I gave him he ordered himself a new ipad.
Happy Birthday to Himself.
He deserves it!

Five by Thirty Five...

2011-03-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

by the skin of my teeth, because I turn thirty six tomorrow. I often wondered if I'd have my baby while I was still 35. I ended up officially having him seven days over due at 41 weeks, kind of crazy.

Did you know I had what is called a precipitous delivery? Which means sudden and dramatic. Every nurse that cares for me makes a comment about my delivery and how I barley made it to the hospital.

Speaking of nurses, why does a nurse think 4:30 a.m.--when you and your baby are sound asleep--is a good time to do a baby's PKU test? and when I ask her if she can do it later she comes back an hour later at 5:30 a.m.? Just because it is the middle of her shift, doesn't make it the middle of the day for us.

(the view from my hospital room)

Ten year old "T" stayed with me the second night in the hospital. We told him he wouldn't sleep well and that nurses come in all night and they would wake him up, but he begged us to let him sleep over. He thought it would be fun. There is probably some hospital rule against it, but we didn't ask, and luckily no one kicked him out.
While staying at the hospital two of my favorite words during the day are "Food Service", four times a day. I can't help but think, if only I could take the cafeteria home with me, I'd be set.

I couldn't live without and will forever be grateful for the all the meals friends and neighbors bring to us. I can't imagine planning and cooking meals while being completely sleep deprived. Getting back to cooking dinner after having a baby is always a challenge. I think it has to do with the fact that, that seems to be the time of day when the baby is awake and needs attention. Well, like it or not that is part of normal life so eventually I'll have to cook again, all too soon. I need a program like meals of wheels, for a year. Now that would be awesome.