My Heart Beats Faster Every Day. .

YOU GUYS.

Can you believe that this has been the LONGEST I have ever lived in ONE HOUSE???? Two years. That is my record, ridiculous.

I promise to stay in my next house longer than two years. . .
Who knows, I may be in it for 20.

What I am saying is, I think I am well on my way to living a more stable life, but hey, what does stable mean anyway?

I am overwhelmed by exactly HOW MUCH PLANNING has gone into this move. Not only did we get a house. . (after 3 failed attempts). . . but we are opening a store, doing training. . (like ME. I went to training for a week!) my kids are out of school, I have to coordinate moving, and picking up households, and dropping off households, and getting keys to households, and all of the utilities to boot. I have driven 48 hours straight in two days, and have just 7 more until I need to be completely packed up. Not to mention by husband is at work every day from 10:30-8:30 PM! I am doing Dr. Apts, and shopping for school stuff, arguing with my landlord that is ripping me off (UNITED METRO PROPERTIES!!!!) Scheduling landscapers, and cleaners, and oh my gosh, the list never ends. My phone rings 20 times in a day.

And I am a FIRM believer that an out of state move is way more extensive than an in-state one because you have to have EVERY LIVING THING packed before you move. . . You can't cheat, and come back for one or two car loads.

I hear myself telling Abby (after I have been short with her) that the stress that is on me is unimaginable to her. . . and she indeed looks at me with a blank stare. I hope some day she will read this and realize that really, I had every reason to be a strung out mess. But, I am usually able to rebound and keep my cool. . . USUALLY.

It is blazing hot outside, my kids have nothing to do, and soon, nothing to play with and NO ONE to play with as school starts on Monday. . .

THE GOOD NEWS IS.

We have a move date.

It is solid (as of today. . what a relief)

I have a place to live (as long as nothing goes wrong)

I have arranged to have it cleaned (it was bank-owned) before we get in.

So, I think I am good.

I have begged for some help, and I have gotten some. And I sooooooooooooo appreciate that. To those of you who have come a HUGE, HEARTFELT, THANK YOU!!! It means the world to me, and I want you to know that.

I feel prepared.

As prepared as I CAN feel.

When chaos is about to ensue.

Most of my house is packed,

and the RS is coming on Tuesday to finish.

And you know what? If I don't have another thing to make food on between Tuesday and Friday until I actually move, I am not going to care one single bit, because it will be DONE. And THAT will be a relief.

Sweet, sweet relief.

Can't wait.

Can't wait.

CAN'T WAIT!

Design Mind

Renting a house for the past three years has almost killed my design desires.

I LOVE decorating. Love. But, on our budget . . . let me just put it this way, there WAS no budget for decorating. And the fact that we couldn't paint walls or make changes was stifling to say the least. I would look at catalogs and try to be inspired for the "future" but let's face it, it just isn't the same. . .

Our "budget" hasn't really changed, yet. Probably won't for quite some time, but I am excited to start doing "projects" that can make a big difference, but not take a lot of money. There won't be any big purchases, but I am excited to be able to paint a wall, or a piece of furniture. To be honest, I don't think I have spent over $100 on ANYTHING but our couches in our house, and I am proud of that fact. Don't think that will be changing either, but as least I can do something little here and there without stressing the budget.

For Abby's birthday, I told her we could re-do her room as her gift. When you decorate, it is best if you pick a favorite piece and build around it. I wanted to try to pick out a new comforter or duvet cover to work around. Abby knows her momma's MO so, it had to be cheap, or on sale. We finally settled on this.

It was on sale in the Pottery Barn Teen Catalog. It was the only item we got from the catalog, and I had a $25 off coupon. That always helps. :) It is not my favorite color scheme (HELLO 80's!) But someone has a mind of her own, and decided she LOVES blue (my least favorite) and didn't want any more PINK! I decided I could handle this aqua color over a navy, or baby blue, and liked the beachy pattern since we are going to be oh, so, close to the beach.

We have a kid transitioning from crib, to bed, and since Abby wanted to "grow up" and out of her room, that was going to involve some purchases. I have been super inspired by THIS website as of late, and decided that I could re-do some pieces for her to make her room just the way she wanted. Just click through some posts and you will be inspired too! You will never look at an old dresser the same way again!!

I started scouring Craig's List for some used furniture and found some great pieces I thought I could work with.

I got a desk:

PRICE: $20

A dresser: Hers is going to Kaylie's room. No more changing table or crib!

Price $60

The dresser came with a framed mirror for the top, which I am going to be making into something like this:

We also got a few accessories:

A round chair, perfect for reading books: Target $29. It folds up and is going to be a perfect cuddle spot and will replace the tea party table and chairs that are currently in her room.
And this peace sign at Home Goods $9. (Notice there is one EXACTLY like it in the picture below, and I didn't even notice it before I bought it!)
It is just a start. We are still missing a bed and bed frame, but since I haven't been able to find anything I like, or anything cheap, I think I am going to do something like THIS and do it in a Black background with white polka dots. (Watch the video to get inspired!)

I am hoping that her room will turn out looking something like this:

I love the light and airy look, so, I am going to have to steer clear of any more black accents, but, I think so far, so good! I will keep you posted on project updates. I told her this would be my first priority when we got there, so, stay tuned!

Home Stretch

Life is crazy.

My house is 75% packed.

Peter spends 11 hours a day at work, and when he gets home, he has more to do.

It is 118 degrees outside.

My kids are going nuts.

I am going nuts.

In a few days I will drive 24 hours, all by myself.

Excuse me, with 4 kids.

I will be glad when it is over.

I am sure it will be worth it.

I hope I make it.

Sanity wise.

Only 26 days left.

Then Peter's training will be over.

And we will be residents of California.

I can't wait.

Letters To California

Wade is obsessed with California. . . and if you could hear it in his little Wade voice, it kinda sounds a wee bit reminiscent of how the Governator says it. You know, Cal-i-for-ni-a has lots of syllables and I guess Wade, and the Governator just want to make sure they get them all in there. Believe me, it is much cuter the way Wade says it.

Anyway, Wade started his little obsession back in November when we went their for a family Holiday trip. Ever since then he would randomly bring up California and say it was his favorite place, or that he wanted to go back. Then Peter and I started going on investigative trips there and he would bring it up even more frequently. . . "OH!! Are you going to Cal-i-for-nia?"

Peter and I were pretty excited to tell him he would ACTUALLY be moving to his favorite state. And the excitement was not lost on Wade. He continues to talk about California and how much he loves it there. I don't think it has dawned on him yet that we will actually be LIVING there. But, I am sure he will get the idea soon. . . .

In the mean time, he has started making "Letters to California". . . It has ended up being quite literal. And as I look to my left, he is sitting at the table RIGHT NOW making something. I don't know if it is another letter to California, but it sure is cute. He has just started drawing actual IMAGES. I love this stage. Jaxon drew us endless pirate maps, and Wade has started with endless "Letters to California". He will deliver them to Peter or myself and INSIST that we deliver it to California. I made the mistake of agreeing, and then laying the letter carefully on the floor. I was immediately scolded that that was NOT where the letter was supposed to go.

My favorite letter to California ended up having one of Wade's first images on it. I am serious. He has never drawn stick figures to this point, and I love this image so much, that if I ever open my own surf shop in California (you never know. . . I mean, I am already opening my own Pizza shop) I think I will use this as the logo. Of course everyone will think I paid millions for some genius designer to draw it. . . but no. . . just my awesome 4 year old.

Enjoy just a FEW of Wade's "Letter's to California" . . . (I scanned three at once)

PS-

This is the latest image, which was delivered just SECONDS after I finished this post!
Description: This is on the beach, and (that thing in the middle) you can ride it on the beach and it goes really fast and (the thing right above that) is a gun force field (?) and there is sun and it rains too.

After he handed it to me, he went to the electric piano that we pulled from under Abby's bed today while packing. He pounded on it and sang a few words about California. . . Seriously.Obsessed.

PPS- Now Kaylie also randomly tells me she wants to go to California. I think we are ready.

When you know.

I was driving to California, and every second I got closer, it felt like I was driving home.

I am not quite sure how to explain it.

Even months ago when my husband and I were looking for houses.

We had to make a quick stop at Walmart, and as we were leaving, we felt like we should be driving back to our house.

The house we didn't have yet.

When we got the house, I hadn't even seen it yet.

The offer was accepted, and it was our 4th offer on our 4th house.

As soon as we had honed in on a neighborhood, Peter was relentless.

We weren't going to live anyplace else.

I checked real estate websites for months. Every day.

I saw houses come, I saw houses go.

But I felt peace.

We lost out on house one. I felt peace.

We lost out on house two. The WISTERIA house.

I felt peace. It wasn't perfect.

We lost out on house three. I started to be concerned, because time was getting short, but, still. . .it didn't turn to stress.

We put in a bid on house 4, it wasn't perfect, but it was in the neighborhood.

I was worried about the color, the size of the kitchen, the fact that there was no pantry, the layout, the fact that it didn't have a back yard, but. . .

I still felt fine about it.

We got it.

I felt peace.

Not excitement yet. But peace.

I drove 6 hours to go to the home inspection. This was going to be my only chance to see the house before we moved into it in a little over a month.

I pulled up.

It was a better color than I thought (It looks kinda pink in the pictures)

It had a better layout than I thought.

The tiles and carpet were all really nice! (House #3 had Forrest green carpet. . . so glad we lost out on THAT one)

The kitchen was big. . enough.

(The no pantry is still hurting, but I think I might convert a closet)

We have a lot of painting to do, but there were no crazy paint colors! (VERY common these days)

With each room, my excitement grew, and I knew. This. Was. Home.

If you have ever gone from owning homes, to renting one. You know.

How nice it is to finally call another space home.

I am so grateful.

It is perfect. For us.

It is big enough, for us.

It is close enough to the stores, for us.

It is wonderful to us.

I cannot wait another second to go HOME.

I am not sure how I can call a house that I have never lived in, in a town I have never lived, home. But I can.

And I am sure.

And it feels amazing.

I wasn't sure this day would come.

But it did.

What do YOU wake up to?

I wake up to this. . .




I.know.

That is buggy for you. Notice that she is not in pain, in duress, or anything of the like. She goes from one or two "Momma's" to full on shrill screaming.

It isn't my favorite way to wake up, but I felt like it is something that needs to be documented, FOR SURE!

Because you know she is never going to believe me when I tell her she screamed like a banshee when she got up in the morning. That said, my days with her in a crib are numbered, and I had to be sure it was documented!

Things that are good. . .

• We found a house. . . that feels AMAZING. Even though I haven't even seen it. (And it has no backyard)
• We have a move date, and it is before school starts. YAY!
• I am packing. . . and feel pretty good about the progress, but still worry about those last two weeks. Oy.
• I cleaned up my facebook account! No more clients. . . unless I love you MORE than just being a client.
• I get to leave Arizona! I am super excited to leave this place. . I like Arizona as a place to live, but everything else has pretty much STUNK.
• I get to start a new life! This may seem like something I am sick of doing, but in this case, I am super super excited.
• We finally signed our Area Development Agreement with Papa Murphy's! We are now the proud owners (co-owners) of 8 Papa Murphy's locations in the Inland Empire of California.
• Wade is obsessed with California. He talks about it all the time. The funny thing is, he has done this ever since we went there for Thanksgiving LAST YEAR.
• I am in a really great place with my kids. . . I look at them each day, amazed that I had them all (it really seems crazy to think about) but, I look at them and love them for their little personalities. They are all SO different.

Things are good. . .

Cart Before the Horse . . Or worst kept secrets.

This post has been a long time coming. And it might just be the most delayed post I have ever written. I wrote it MONTHS ago. I mean, MONTHS, but I am finally ready to post it. And so. . .here it is. It is probably the worst kept secret in my life, but I am ready to put it out there for everyone to see.

I don't think it will be shocking to ANYONE. Especially after my LAST post, but here it is.

Spring is my favorite time of year. Maybe it is because it is my Birthday! Maybe it is because I love the blooming flowers. Maybe it is because my Anniversary is in the spring! Maybe it is because the world seems to start anew. Maybe it is all because of new beginnings I have had, and I have had lots.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you would know that the past couple (3) years have been a big challenge for our family in many, many ways. If you don't know, you can read about it HERE.

Things seemed to calm down right around the time that Kaylie was born. However, they really didn't. That year Peter started a new job, we moved (for the 9th time in 10 years), and Peter embarked on doing a Master's Degree along with working full time. With a brand new baby, it was a lot to take on. Extreme stress and long hours became the name of the game. Not to mention, there still seemed to be a bit of "un-rest" with our new situation. It didn't sit well with Peter and he was uncertain our lives were moving in the right direction. Oy.

That was hard for me. (And him) Because we had been trying to get back on our feet for several months. Trying to re-group. Trying to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Trying to "buck-up". But even though he got a job (not a great one) and was re-careering, we still felt like we weren't quite there yet. We figured it was just because we were busier than ever, and in a job that was several steps backward. He interviewed, and interviewed, and interviewed. We even had several "final interview"s and we never got the offer. Something was still standing in our way, and we weren't sure what.

In November, Peter was laid off.

It wasn't what we were expecting.

He was only a year into his Master's Program, that his job was paying for.

It was the main reason we were at that job.

At first, it seemed like a curse.

Then we realized, it was a blessing.

This was our big chance.

To make it right.

Our family was reeling from the news, and once again faced with uncertainty. Or, continued with uncertainty, or increased our uncertainty. Been there? For three years? Really? It's not fun.

We have earned our stripes, and made it through. I am not going to say it was completely without scars, but I can say, we are stronger. We have finally chosen a direction to go, and almost feel compelled. Which is such a relief after years of uncertainty and question. Our new "trajectory" is taking us to a new place. A new STATE.

California.

I can hardly believe it as I type that. Peter and I have lived in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Washington, Arizona and now we are going to add California to our repitore. I can honestly say that neither one of us has EVER had a desire to live in the state. Don't get me wrong, it is a great place to visit, but I can honestly say, it wouldn't be our first choice, but it is now.

And we are going.

We feel peace. More peace that we have felt in a long time. We were scared, and took painstaking measures to make sure this was the right thing for our family. We have done countless hours of research and know exactly what to expect, and how it is going to go down.

But it has been decided, and it is final.

We are going to California.

And we are going to open a new franchise in a little town called Temecula.

And that franchise is one that we know well, and love, and have researched a TON.

It is:

Ever heard of it?

VOTE FOR MY HOUSE!

VOTE HERE! _------------------------------------------------------------>

Okay, in reality, you aren't going to pick my house, but this has really become a difficult decision! I think I know which way I am leaning, but, any help would be appreciated. :) In reality, there will be lots of prayer and thought that goes into this and many other things we have to think about. Anyway, It would be nice to have some help! So. . . HELP! Haven't you always wanted to pick a house where it has virtually NO impact on you? :)

You can click on the name of the house to see pictures and the actual listing.

Dodaro House:

Cons:

Smaller Square feet

On the corner and entrance of the neighborhood.

Only thing in the yard is the pool. No other space.

7.7 miles away from work. 15-25 mins depending on Traffic.

Pros:

Pool

Good Schools

Golden Mist House

Pros:

Large Yard

Large Square Footage

Shutters on all windows

Nice Neighborhood

Good Schools

Out of Town/Closer (by 10-15 mins to beaches)

Cul de sac

Cons:

Out of Town/ 8.7 Miles away from work

No Pool or HOA with a Pool.

Desert Willows House:

Pros:

Big house

Nicest upgrades

Nice Neighborhood

Cons:

Schools aren't quite as good as others

No pool, or association pool.

Needs work. Paint, Door, new carpeting in some areas.

Futher Away. 9.7 miles.
Wisteria Lane House:

Pros:

1.7 miles from work!!!!!

Association Pool

Cul De Sac

Name of the address! DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE!

Good Schools

Cons:

Smallest House

No Pool in the backyard, but nice back yard

Not as much storage space.

Closer to work, but much more traffic to fight to get anywhere, in a busy part of town.
With all of the great opinons, I decided to give everyone a real opportunity to see the options!

Lego Lament

Wade is one of my best "self- entertainment" kids. We can turn off the TV, and he can find a myriad of things to do. He puts together the mickey mouse puzzle (shown here) again and again. He will play with toys, make a mess, play with blocks and play with his Legos. . . for a long, long time. It is really great to have a kid who can keep himself occupied during those precious precious napping hours of a toddler.


These Legos aren't even HIS Legos. They are Jaxon's Legos. We held off on buying Legos for a long, long time. As a matter of fact, this Christmas was the first time we bought a Lego set. . . . it was for Jaxon. . . but he never plays with it. He doesn't have the patience for it. Wade does. . . . actually, Wade just plays with the "Lego guys". . . he takes their legs off, their heads, their hats, and puts them all back together again in a different order. Shall we call it, Barbie dress up? I mean, Lego guy dress up?


Here are a few of the latest creations. If you look really closely, you can see teeth marks on the legs of the white "Lego guy" because that is the only way Wade can take the legs off. Peter taught him that trick, after I decided "quiet time" was far too full of me constantly changing "Lego guy" clothes.

Tonight, we paid a visit to the Lego store. It was a first for Wade, and he was. . .overwhelmed. He saw the bin of "Lego guy" parts that you can create a pack of three. They are $9.99 for three. A little too much for some Lego guys. The clerk quickly showed me to some singles. They were in bags, and you could not see what kind of Lego guy you were going to get. But the clerk promised me that every single one was unique and un-like the other, and had parts that you can't buy in the "build your own" section.

I was intrigued.

I let each of the boys pick out a bag.

When we got home, I let the boys open their bags. Jaxon opened his, and it was this awesome Musketeer. Cool hat, shirt and sword. Nothing short of Awesome.


Then Wade opened his. . . and before I could even get it assembled he started to cry. . and scream, and wail in horrifying disgust.

His Lego guy.

Was a Lego GIRL.

Wade was not happy.

He wants nothing to do with Lego Lady.

The Happy People of Pennsylvania

Abby is working on a state project for her class. Gotta love the 4th grade. One of the pros, and cons, of her teacher this year is that they don't have a lot of homework. The pro is that she does most of the work for her big "projects" at school. They are given time, they work on it little by little and they learn to do these projects on their own, instead of having their parents do it for them.

I like that part.

The part I don't like is that when she is struggling in class, I have no idea about what to help her with because we don't have homework coming home.

I don't like that part.

For her state project Abby chose the state of Pennsylvania. Not Utah (where most of our extended family lives), not Washington (where she has lived most of her life and more extended family lives), not Oregon (where she was born), not California (where she loves to visit).

PENNSYLVANIA.

I have nothing against Pennsylvania. But could not for the life of me figure out why she chose Pennsylvania.

When I asked her, why? She said, "Because that is where Hershey's Chocolate is made." No lie.

I have no idea where she gets that from.

Anywho, last night was the first time I saw this project. Or the paper associated with the project. She was "working on it" which included nearly 40 minutes of changing font colors and sizes. (She does NOT get that from me) I finally told her that she needed to actually finish WRITING the project before tweaking the fonts.

Peter helped her print out the project last night, and it had a very colorful flag on the front. I figured it was probably the state symbol. It did occur to me that it was a rather bright flag and that it was a "little much" for a state flag, but didn't really give it a second thought.

This morning, as Abby was preparing for school and happily chatting about her fortune cookie from the day before and and asking me if I saw her report. "Mom, did you see my report?" "Yes, I did Abby, it looks great!" "Do you like the flag on the front? I have no idea why, but it is called the g*y flag of Pennsylvania!"
My eyes immediately darted to the image on the top page of her report, and I saw this.

The g*y flag of Pennsylvania

My instant reaction was to laugh out loud. But, decided against crushing my creative daughter's artistic eye. "Abby, " I said. "You can use that flag on the front of your report, but you CANNOT tell ANYONE it is called the g*y flag of Pennsylvania!" She looked at me with curiosity. "Why not?" I had a quick discussion with her regarding the term and the symbols at hand, and then, once she was busy with making her breakfast, ran into the bathroom to have a good laugh with Peter.

Gotta love the happy people of Pennsylvania!!!

Sidenote: In order to find this flag on-line, I had to scroll through at least 30 copies of the CORRECT flag of Pennsylvania in order to find the one that Abby thought was artistically sufficient for her paper.

Happy Easter

Translation:

A bunny

A bunny is the best thing yet.

A bunny is the bestest pet.

A bunny's nice to have around.

A bunny never makes a sound.

So if you ever get a pet.

The bunny is the best pet yet!

by, Abby.

Someone wants a bunny.

That same someone is not getting a bunny.

38 and counting

Age.

It is just a number.

Right?

The sad thing is, I remember my father's "Over the Hill" party. Ohhh. . he was so old. RIGHT?

Just a few short years away.

38 is definitely NOT what I thought it would be.

I don't feel a day older than say, 28, in my mind.

Here is to hoping my mind stays young.

Because I KNOW there is no hope for my body. . . with gravity and all.

2011 and 38 are going to be a BIG BIG year for this family.

BIG.

I will tell you why soon.

But, right now, my only intention is to CELEBRATE.

Much Ado about Hair

This morning, Abby had a hair bubble. You know, the kind that when you pull your ponytail back in a rubber band (or elastic, you choose) and it kind of bubbles. I mentioned it to her, and, exasperated, she said, "Can you do it?"

When I want to blow her hair, and she groans, I remind her that I would give ANYTHING to have someone blow dry my hair every day. She stops, but I relish the times right now when she WILL let me touch her hair, because I know that time is short. And I will take advantage of it now.

She brought a brush to me, and I brushed her beautiful naturally highlighted hair carefully as to get all the "bubbles" out. Do you know one time someone asked me if I highlighted my 5 year old daughter's hair? Um. No. I put the elastic in. . . a little (A LOT) higher that she normally does. She likes it at the nape of her neck. I wasn't really paying attention. Just doing it like I would normally do. When she walked into the bathroom to look at it, I admired my handy-work. It was cute. It bounced. It looked cheer-leader-esque. I liked it.

She returned from the bathroom a few minutes later.

Her hair was pulled back, to the nape of her neck. I smiled, and laughed out loud. "Ha!" You didn't like it! She said, "it was like clear up here!" Pointing to the very top of her head. I smiled, and laughed in my head. I am grateful. Very very grateful. Her look is plain, and not overstated. It is her, and that is okay with me. I hope it always is.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After I dropped Abby off at school Wade insisted he wants a smoothie at Costco. Peter did my Costco run yesterday, and I informed Wade that we would not be going to Costco. He said, "But you are a GOOD mommy!" Inferring that good mommies do exactly as demanding 4 year olds want. I must admit. Guilty as charged.

He then told me he didn't like my hair. It was messy, uncombed, and up. In a pony tail.

He said, "Your hair doesn't look pretty". I didn't object.

A short time later, I got out of the shower. My hair was wet, but combed, and down. I walked into the living room and Wade said, "Your hair looks pretty, mom."

Who knew kids would develop their likes of hair so early?

How To Tuesday: Make Yourself into a Culinary Goddess

And no, I don't mean a "goddess" of Sheen fame. I mean, many people think that in order to make an impressive meal, you need to cook well. And. You don't.

Sometimes you can whip together things that are actually quite good, but don't take a lot of effort (unlike Stie's cake balls--but they look awesome stie!).

Although I DO like to cook, and I make part of my living showing people HOW to cook, I still am amazed at times how easy it is to fake something REALLY REALLY good.

Just don't over think it.

The other day I made Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Paninis by the Pioneer Woman. Now, if you REALLY want to teach yourself to cook well, starting with a site like hers is a great idea, because there is always a great picture by picture, step by step tutorial. What I was amazed by was the spread that she put on those paninis.

It consisted of just a few ingredients. Yes, those sun dried tomatoes had been in my fridge for who knows HOW long... Guess what, they were fine, and they didn't kill anyone. Yes the pesto is pre-prepared. . . So. EASY.
Stick those ingredients in a manual food processor (new product from Pampered Chef!), mini processor, a big food processor, and if you don't have any of those, resort to your blender. You will be just fine. . . Juuuuuuuust fine.

I didn't have time to marinate my chicken breasts, so, I cut up some baked chicken from dinner the night before, and threw my "marinade" in for an hour. It was a win-win. Chicken already cooked. . . marinade made it yummy. #winning.


I even had some left over to spread on the said paninis and to spread it all over a regular turkey sandwich or what ever else I wanted. . . my thighs maybe? I wouldn't have cared. It was SO. GOOD.


You can even go so far as to roast your bell peppers just like the Pioneer Woman does. She gives a great tutorial, but, if you don't have a gas burner, do what I did and burn the heck out of your peppers under your broiler.

And guess what, I even burned my paninis JUST like the Pioneer Woman, and they were STILL GOOD.

Oh, one other thing. You want to REALLY feel like a culinary goddess? Make your own Panini bread by making the EASIEST Artisan bread EVER. And it is practically no fail.

You can see the concept video here.

Or if you are more of a step by step girl, go here.

My point is. You want to feel like a culinary goddess? Start with this no-fail recipe. It has amazing flavor, and when you are eating it, you will think you are at a fancy cafe where you just paid $10 for your fancy panini. . . . give it a try.

A beautiful thing. . .

One thing I DON'T like about Facebook, is that it makes me a lazy blogger, and I miss out on great opportunities to blog, because in a moment, I can post a quick quote on facebook. But there, it doesn't last, and so, because I didn't want to forget that moment, I will post it here.

Jaxon: "Mom, do you sometimes cry when you see beautiful things?"

Life with Jaxon is challenging. A lot. I honestly don't think you can compare Autism to anything else. You can't even compare Autistic kids, because they are all so different. One thing I DO love is that somehow, with Jaxon, he has quite a bit of sensitivity to the spirit, and he is not afraid to share it. I am grateful for that blessing, because sometimes he is trapped in a mind that he can't control perfectly, but the gift of the spirit, and the gift of feeling the spirit is not tied to our ability to think, it is tied to our ability to FEEL. And Jaxon can do that, just. fine. He proved it to me when we passed the San Diego Temple on our latest trip.

My little Giant.

Most people are surprised by my height. If they have never met me in person, they are VERY surprised. It they have met me in person the first thing people tell me is that I am tall, (Like I haven't noticed. . .but thanks) Anyway. . .

But, it looks like we will have another giant in the house.

Meet Kaylie.


We went and had a play date at Tamsen's house last week, and this is what I found. . . Kaylie, stands head and shoulders above the rest. These girls are only a few months apart, but here is Kaylie, looking down on top of her head. Head, and shoulders . . literally, above the rest.

That is okay. That is how I look at most people too.

Wade has an edge at being tall too, but he is not THAT much taller than his peers, but, still an inch or two still makes a difference! Tosh and Wade are only a few months apart as well, and Kaylie is about Tosh's height. CRAZY!

** Just a side note, Liv, Tamsen's little girl, IS on the small side of things, but still, it makes for a funny pic.

Doppleganger Day

I don't seem to have a doppelganger. . but I know someone who DOES!!!! :)

This picture of Kaylie has been on our screensaver for weeks and Peter finally said, you know? That picture reminds me of someone . . . Just so you can see the REAL screen saver . . .

3 Happy Kids sitting at the top of the tram at Snowbird, and one . . not so happy camper. <-------If you choose to click on that link, please do yourself a favor and scroll to the bottom picture to get the true effect. K. Thanks.

My Uniform

I have a uniform.

I wear a v-neck t-shirt,

and a pair of sweatpants.

I tried to take a picture for you,

but it wasn't flattering. (Hard to imagine WHY, huh?)

So, I didn't post it.

The outfit is NOT meant to impress.

But, I wear it almost every day.

Many people have seen my in my "uniform".

The ladies I car pool with,

my visiting teachers,

any repair man.

I really don't care.

I mean, I REALLY don't care.

I am comfortable.

And almost no one can sees me in it.

Except for the people I mentioned before.

Sometimes I don't shower. . .

until 3 in the afternoon,

when I have to go somewhere.

I read Cjane.

She wears Mumus.

She is proud of her Mu-mus.

In her vlog today, she and her sister are wearing mu-mus.

They look comfy.

But I am not sure I can pull it off.

She said they get them at Dillards.

I searched for "mu-mus" on Dillards website.

Guess what,

They aren't called mu-mus anymore. They are called Patio Dresses.

I think I like that term more.

So much more, I think I want a patio dress.

Do you want to see me in a patio dress?

Or in my uniform?

Let me know.

Here are some patio dress options.

I think I am in love.

I think I would have to go with a longer mu-mu because I am so tall. I think the short one would be a disaster.

Which mu-mu do you like?

If I get enough comments on this post, I will buy the preferred mu-mu and post a picture of me in it on my blog.

I will decide what is enough comments.

As a side note, I feel sorry for the patio dress model. I am sure when she got to work that day she thought, "and what about me says, patio dress exactly?". . .

Life by Chuck E. Cheese Photos

I love Chuck E. Cheese Photos. It started with the Chuck E. and Me pictures when you are riding in the car. That was one of Wade's favorite rides as a baby, and he didn't even know he was "posing" for a shot.

When Kaylie started visiting Chuck E. on a regular basis, I make sure she gets a ride with Chuck E. too.

Abby started my collection, because she is obsessed with the sketch machine.

She took this one, and I have had it on my fridge ever since she brought it home. She snagged Kaylie for this one.
It is one of my favorite pictures of them. Even of the ones I take with my actual camera! I think it is because Kaylie has no idea what is going on, I had no idea it was happening, and the joy on Abby's face is priceless.

Abby got in the machine last night for this one.



And Kaylie was forced in by me for this one. Believe it or not, I was supposed to be in the shot, but she was moving like a wet dog out of the tub, I couldn't get a great shot.


I know I haven't kept all of the pictures over the years, but I wish I had. I think they are a great way to document our fun.