My husband is freaking awesome!

My husband is really amazing. He is pure muscle. If you think this isn't amazing, just try it. Or have your husband try it. He is using only his abs. My abs can hardly do a single sit-up, let alone lift my entire body weight over my head. Man, he is so cool!

Future Photographer

Layla has become obsessed with taking pictures. Most of them were not really worth saving, but these few were pretty good. The first one I just love the look on Ryan's face. I could do without the way my behind looks in my work pants, but he is just adorable. I had no idea that she was taking that picture.

Bowling

During Education week, Jason took Layla to Austin's school to go bowling. These are the pictures that he took. What a good Daddy!

I love Austin's bowling stance!!

Vote

Does anyone know which of my children this is?

Twilight-the movie review

First of all,this post contains spoilers, so if you plan on seeing it and don't want my opinion, pass this post. Second of all, I really did like the movie, despite the following.

#1 I guess that I am secretly racist and never knew it, because all of Bella's high school friends were white when I was reading the book. They were also normal, not weirdos. I guess that leads to

#2 I am getting old also. I thought there was too much teenage stuff. For example, in my reality teenagers don't own cell phones. Yes, I know that I live in a fake reality. But, come-on. Why couldn't she just email her mom like she did in the book? Why did she have her i-pod on when she was waiting in the parking lot?

#3 What happened to Edward's "crooked smile." I don't think he smiled more than once in the movie? Also, she frequently talks about him dazzling her. Where was the dazzling?

#4 I think that they missed a lot by not including their conversations. I guess that we saw them talking a lot, and maybe that was when they talked about everything, like what they like to hunt. Like the whole history of Carlisle..I just think all of those deep conversations were really important.

#5 I am never satisfied with movies after I have read the book, so I should have expected this. They always add stuff in that seems so silly and then take out really good stuff.

All in all, I am glad I saw the movie.

What did you think?

School Pictures

This year's school pictures. Better than last years, but still!! Do they tell him to make the funniest face possible? COME ON!!!

The day after Halloween

The morning after Halloween I stepped outside to see candy wrappers in my grass. I was very frustrated, having seen kids eat the toss the previous night, where are your parents?!?!

So, anyway, the next morning there on my grass is a Snicker's wrapper, a Hershey's wrapper, and a Reese's wrapper. Well, I reached down to grab them all up and low and behold, they were not wrappers at all. They were still full of chocolaty goodness! I felt like it was Christmas morning, candy just magically appearing on my days normal path! Later that day I also found a tootsie pop!

Halloween

Here are our Halloween Pics. We all went trick or treating Halloween night. Michelle, Navin, and Mikayla came over and had dinner then went trick or treating with us.

Austin was a lion, using the costume that Grandma Carol made for Uncle Mike about 20 years ago. Layla was a kitty cat. And Ryan was a monkey. Little Mikayla was a butterfly wearing a costume that I bought for $4 at a consignment shop!

We had a great time. The kids were worn out before the parents were. I was not impressed with the number of teenagers out (sans costume) trying to get candy. In fact when we got home there was a gang of teenagers on our front porch. When they saw that our candy bowl was empty they picked it up and threw it across the yard.

I'm Bella, but don't tell my husband, he doesn't like her

Pumpkin Patch

We went and played at the pumpkin patch a few weekends ago. It was lots of fun.

Fantastic Breakfast!

Step One: Buy Wheat from Cannery with friends.







Step Two: Grind Wheat in brand new wheat grinder that your amazing parents gave you for Christmas (a little early)!








Step Three: Make delicious pancake's from pancake recipe you got at Enrichment.
Use yogurt you made earlier this week and your freshly ground flour.




Step Four: Feed your family breakfast on a Friday morning that is yummy and healthy!

Austin's Lost Teeth

Friday night while we were at the Temple, and the kids were at Grandma and Grandpa's Austin lost his front two bottom teeth. They had been loose for a little while, and one had already turned gray. Grandpa pulled that one out. Then Layla helped by kicking Austin in the mouth and the second one was easily pulled out too!

The Tooth Fairy came and left a whole dollar for each tooth! She is going to go broke if he looses too many at one time!


Just in general, it is kind of creepy when their teeth come out!

Weird and Random? Who me?

Six weird and random things about me:

The rules are:* Link to the person who tagged you * Post the rules on your blog * Write six random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself * Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them * Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog * Let the tagger know when your entry is posted Weird things about myself.... I know I am crazy!!


1. I have an abnormal fear of getting stabbed in the eye with a plastic straw. (Or maybe I just think it is abnormal, does everyone else have that fear too?)

2. I used to have warts all over my hands and my knees, circa 1987.

3. I hate going through drive-thrus. It is one of my least favorite things to do. Yelling into a little metal box, not my idea of fun! (Now that I have kids though, I seem to manage just fine.)

4. I would rather not eat than have to call a food order in. Can't order pizza, subs, chinese, etc
Who ever came up with on-line ordering was thinking of me!

5. I had a paper route when I was 10-11. I used to ride my bike and deliver news papers. (Actually, I am pretty sure it was my little brother's bike.) One day I somehow flipped off the front of the bike and into a drainage ditch. I was mortified! And muddy.

6. Sometimes when I go to work I feel like I am taking a break from my real job and it is nice. Then I get there and come back to reality!

Now it is your turn. Tell me your neuroses!

Random thoughts

I am sorry to all of my friends that my blog is so boring. I just don't really have time to post. Or anything super exciting to post about. I have just a couple things to share.

1. I went walking this morning. Walking, not jogging, running, galloping, or skipping, Walking. I haven't been very good about exercise lately (the whole too busy, lack of sleep thing. I know you are getting tired of hearing about it.) But I know that I feel better when I do it. So this morning I had Jason check the tire pressure in the jogging stroller, he topped all the tires off. The kids jumped in. I donned my exercise attire and we were off.....
Well, let me tell you. I have never attempted to exercise while pushing 75 pounds of children in a stroller where the front wheel doesn't turn. MAN THAT IS HARD. Plus the entire first mile of my walk in up hill. I was shocked at how out of shape I really am, or how hard it really is with that extra stroller in front of me.
I walked 2 miles (that is all!!) and was short of breath and sweating and dying. But I feel good.

Oh, and I ate a cookie for breakfast!

2. Ryan and Austin collided a few weeks ago. Last week we noticed that Ryan's two front teeth are gray. I researched on line and my friend asked her dentist. They are dead. My baby's teeth are dead!! GROSS!! They should be fine, it really isn't a big deal, but I feel like the worst mom in the world.

3. We had a little friend come over the other day and play for an hour or so. We watched about half an hour of sesame street and then the kids all ran outside and played. I did dishes, balanced the checkbook, updated the calendars. It was a good morning.

Well today I took my kids over to this friend's house and dropped them off. His mommy had a whole zoo set up and all these fun things to do. She is simply amazing. I feel like the worst playdate mom ever! She will probably never let her kids play with mine again. (Her initials are TR and she is a Bishop's wife!)

4. I have an amazing husband. Sometimes he drives me nuts (often). And sometimes he does incredible things, mostly simple things, that just mean the world to me.

One of the things that he does sometimes that reminds me of how much he loves me:
I drive his car to work, so when he gets home from school before he gets out of the car he puts my favorite CD in and sets it to play my favorite song, so when I get in the car to go to work my favorite song starts playing. It doesn't take him long, but it really makes my whole day better. Thank you husband!

Yogurt

Yes, I am a copy cat. Like my good friend Nichole, I was inspired by the Enrichment we had a few months ago about food storage and using the things that we store and following the commandments.

I am going to the cannery on Tuesday and will be buying wheat (and other stuff, I haven't figured out what yet). Also I am getting a wheat grinder for Christmas from my amazing parents! YEAH!!

Anyway, this is my Yogurt that I made. I was shocked by how easy it was, and by how thick and creamy it turned out.

I took 3 1/2 cups of 2% milk. Heated it in the microwave for 10minutes, to a temp of 185 degrees. (This is the sterilizing part. You heat it so if there is any bacteria it is killed off before you turn the milk into a petry dish for the right bacteria.)

Then I set the milk on my counter and took a bath. When I got out of the bath, the milk was the perfect temperature (115-118). I put 5 ounces of Dannon Straberry Yogurt in a borrowed thermos (thanks Nichole) and then put the warm milk in.

Then I left it on the counter for 8 hours. When I opened the thermos I had thick yogurt.

I was shocked! I am pretty good at burning things, and ruining recipes. I can't get through a batch of grilled cheese sandwhiches without having to throw at least one away, but I MADE YOGURT!!!

I put it in the fridge and then the next day I added a little home made jam (not this home, Sister Grabowski's home) and fed it to the kids. Austin had two big bowls and then other kids had less than half, but that is pretty normal.

Then a couple days later I added a little sugar, frozen strawberries, and bananas and blended it up in the blender. It was delicious!

Pre-school

My baby had his first day of pre-school last week. Ryan is attending the Aberdeen High School pre-school with Layla this year. I took them both last Friday and had a meeting while they played.

At first he cried and then he had fun. After the parents meeting we got to leave. I called Jason as I was driving away and cried and cried.

When did the baby in our house grow up? He is not in the nursery, or in a crib. He is out of diapers (yeah!). He had his first gymnastics class last week. And now he is in pre-school. It just seems like he is still my baby.

Well, I only cried for a little while and then I went to Target and the library all by myself! It was fun.

Today when they were at school I did laundry and then took a bath! I think I can get used to this no kids at home thing.

These pictures were of him before we went to school his first day! Isnt' he adorable!

Daddy Daughter

Friday night our Stake had a Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance Date (or something like that).
Jason took Layla, and I went to help. It was a fantastic activity.
They had lots of games, good food and dancing.

There were a lot of Daddies there and I was impressed that they were willing to give up a Friday night to be with their little girls. Dad's are so cool!

Below I have included a video of Layla and Jason doing the Chicken Dance. Layla is the little girl with the black skirt on who knows how to shake what her momma gave her!!

Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance Date

What a girl wants. What a girl needs.

So I have figured out what I need. Are you ready? Are you sure? I need a wife. I know that I have discussed this with some of you recently, but it is true. I need a wife...I need someone who just takes care of my needs before I even know what they are.

I need someone who picks up, washes, folds, and puts away my clothes.

I need someone to take care of my children while I am at work, or doing whatever it is that people who don't have children to take care of do.

I need someone to clean my house while I am away.

I need someone to make my dinner and have it ready when I get home.

I need someone to clean the bathrooms, change the sheets and do all the of cleaning that just doesn't get done!

It's funny, I know a lot of women feel like they just aren't living up to everything that they feel they are supposed to do...I don't have that problem, I accept that I can't get it all done, I just want to know what I need to do to find someone else to do it all!

Fun Family Date Night

Tonight is Friday night.

That means date night.

Right?

Right?

Um, no. Not at this house anyway.

Tonight Jason went to his parent's to help his dad work on something. That was good of him. The kids and I decided that we needed to do something fun. We decided to have a picnic dinner.

We made sandwiches and used cookie cutters to cut out shapes (thanks Aunt Mandy for the idea and the cookie cutters). Then we made cookies! My sister posted a really simple peanut butter recipe that was easy to let the kids help with. (one egg, 1c peanut butter, 1c sugar 1t vanilla, mix, roll, bake 350 for 10min). YUM!!

I guess date night can be fun even without my favorite date.

Jason's BIrthday Present

For Jason's birthday he got Guitar Hero for the Wii. He loves it. He has had his Dad, brother and sister over to play with him. He has even beat the game on the easy level. Although he says that they medium level is "kicking his butt".

And, yes, that is a new TV. We did not buy it for Jason's birthday, but we may as well have. It is mostly for him anyway. It does fit better than the other one did.

Anyone who wants to come over and play with him is more than welcome. I tried once and, excuse the language, I sucked!! Maybe I would try again if someone else came over and sucked too!

Boys will be boys

We have a whole in our back yard that fills up with water. Then we have a tiny pond in our back yard that frogs can jump in and play. Now we have a little boy who thinks that those frogs are his pets/friends. Ew!!!

It's Official

Okay, I am not sure what "it" is, but it is official.

We no longer have a nursery. We have had a nursery in our home for the last seven years, and we dismantled it today. Crib is in pieces, stars and moon border peeled off wall, star and moon shelves off walls. I am sending my baby clothes to friends who are expecting. No babies welcome here (at least anytime soon). (I mean to stay, please feel free to bring your baby over to visit, just take him or her with you when you leave!)

Ryan has been back and forth between the crib over the summer and we finally took the plunge and took it down. He is old enough to sleep in his big boy bed. I was the one who had such a hard time with it.

We are not sure yet what the plan is for that room. Austin suggested it be the "upstairs toy room". We will see. I am just proud that I finally let go and let it happen!

More Zoo pics

When I did the zoo post originally, the computer was being weird and wouldn't upload the pictures. So here are some more pictures of the Cape May Zoo.