Christmas in Hawaii

I think the best place to start for this year is sharing some of our most fabulous pictures from our family Christmas vacation in Maui this year. I was slightly nervous about the idea....very little presents and 80 degree weather on Christmas Day, but I have to say...IT WAS PERFECT. I'm thinking it's a Christmas my kids will remember for years.

A little David Haselhoff on the beaches of Hawaii....

I have to be honest...I was a little nervous about how these two would take to the ocean since they insisted they would get eaten by sharks, but I think their faces say it all.
This one couldn't get any sweeter.....

Crack kills....even in Hawaii.
Leave it to Aunt SaDee to take a fun experience and make it dysfunctional.
Just in case you're wondering...yes, that is a fanny pack over a speedo.
Robby slightly nauseated on our whale watching adventure.
Yes..Kaiden is not longer a child and I'm convinced he thought the trip rule of no texting was totally uncool of his parents.
Way too cool for a shirt, but just cool enough for a hat and sunglasses.
Nothing like a Hawaiian Snowcone on Christmas Day.
Truly...the trip couldn't have been more perfect.

Michael Jordan

How many times did Michael Jackson retire and then come back to the great sport of basketball? I think I remember at least three. (There may have been a baseball stint somewhere in there as well.) So, I think it's completely acceptable for me to reannounce I am officially coming out of blog retirement. Most professional athletes come out of retirement and suck. I'm hoping my future in blogging isn't as bad. We will have to wait and see......

Finals Week

Hey everyone...you're gonna have to cut me some slack for a bit. It's finals week and I'm swamped. I'll be back in a few days.

Doggy Door II

I came home today from work and look who was trying to get through my doggy door.

I'm glad someone is using it.

(That is Alexa by the way).

Dutch Oven?

The school year is almost over, and I have a couple of goals I want to work on this summer.

One of those goals is to learn how to cook with a Dutch Oven.

If you scroll down and read my food storage post, this post will make a lot more sense.

I read the other day that if a person has no access to an electrical cooking element, you can cook virtually ANYTHING with a Dutch Oven.

So...I'm gonna learn how to do it.

I consider myself an okay cook, but I have to admit, I'm nervous about this one.

So...if you have any great suggestions or even better....recipes....I would LOVE to hear from you.

I also have to say that Dutch Oven cooking reminds me of 2 things:

1. When I was growing up, my family used to venture down to Lake Powell every year, and it was kind of a "tradition" to cook Dutch Oven style one night. I loved it. My dad had a great "Cowboy Stew" recipe that was really yummy. He just kind of threw a lot of yummy stuff in and let it brew. Honestly, there's nothing like sitting on the beach in Lake Powell as the sun is setting eating a yummy Dutch Oven dinner. It's something I will always remember.

2. Before my dear Grandma Staples passed away, my dad would arrange a day where he would cook a Dutch Oven meal out on the side of my grandma's house. We only did it a few times, but whenever I think of Dutch Oven cooking...I think of my grandma...and I can't tell you how much I miss her. I cry whenever I think about her not being here. But, I'm SO thankful for all of the great memories I have of her, and Dutch Oven cooking on the side of her house is definitely one of them.

So, I'm gonna post a recipe that I'm gonna try first. I would like to add to my collection, so please either email me the recipe at bkelly@weber.edu or post it here.

Beef Pot Roast in a Dutch Oven:

3 lb rump roast or pot roast

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 potatoes, peeled and halved

3 carrots, cut into 2' pieces

2 onions, halved1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup water

Brown roast in oven on all sides in oil.Remove meat. Place half of vegetables in bottom of oven.Return meat to oven and season with salt and pepper.Add remaining vegetables and water. Cover and cook at 300 degrees for 3-5 hours depending on how well done you like it.

Doggy Drama

I really love my dogs Max and Jack, but I am TWO SECONDS from putting them on KSL.

I have done everything short of putting a catheter in them to get them to go potty outside.

I have to say...they are MUCH better than they used to be.

I am just SOOOO thankful Robb owns a carpet cleaning business...otherwise our doggies would have been LONG GONE a LONG time ago.

Yesterday I had John Bankhead (awesome guy...even more awesome handyman) install a doggy door in the middle of my kitchen. The picture at the beginning of this post is NOT my doggy door, but it looks very similar. However, my doggy door is in my wall, and poor John had to cut through my BRICK to install it.

But...it is beautiful and John did a TREMENDOUS job.

But guess what??? THEY WON'T FREAKING USE IT!

I'm not kidding. We were doing all we could to get them through it last night, but they acted like I was leading them to some uncertain death.

My kids think it's awesome. All of them (except Kaid) tried to weasel their way through it, but the dogs? Not so much.

Anybody have any suggestions? I really am at my wit's end.

And if your post is something like, "This is exactly why I don't have dogs," then don't bother posting because as you can see, I'm past that point.

Thank you kindly.

Sexi Wexi

This is a horrible pic (of me). I look semi-Neandrothol because I had to take it with my cell phone (weird angle). But I wanted to get a picture of my sister, Lexa, on her birthday at her birthday dinner.

I am SO blessed to have FOUR sisters....that's right...NO brothers. I love all of them so much.

I have wonderful and very different relationships with each of them.

I can't imagine what my life would be like without any of them in my life.

They are TRULY my best friends.

What an honor to have a sister like Alexa.

She's HILARIOUS, she's BEAUTIFUL, she's CARING, she's SPIRITUAL, she's FORGIVING, she's PATIENT, she's ACCEPTING, she's SMART, and she's FUN!

I could go on and on.

I must have something right in Heaven for Heavenly Father to bless me with a sister like Alexa and 3 MORE sisters on top of that.

My life is rich.

Easter 2009

We got up and went to church before we did any Easter stuff. I bought all of the boys new suits for Easter...including Cannon. When we got home, I told the boys I wanted to take a picture of them in their Easter outfits. Needless to say, Cannon didn't like the idea. He really dislikes getting his picture taken. If you would hear what he was screaming in this picture, it was hilarious. He kept saying, "I don't want to get my picture taken. I feel like a moron." Don't ask me how he learned to say that.I had the advantage though because I told him he couldn't look for the Easter eggs until he got his picture taken. Needless to say..he snapped out of it pretty quickly.

All of my handsome boys!


Kaiden...being SO serious. After all, it's not cool to smile when you're 13.

I can always count on Cooper to give me a GREAT smile!
I truly think that Connor is one of the most photogenic kids I know. He takes a great pic.

And this kid truly LOATHES getting his picture taken...you can see it in his face. But he was on his best behavior because there was an Easter egg hunt right after this pic!


Pre-Easter Egg hunt....Yes, we hid the eggs in our basement. In years past, I have hid the eggs outside the night before to wake up to a rain storm which ruined all of the candy. So, not as fun as outside but much safer.

Post Easter egg hunt...and you can just see the excitement in their eyes...SERIOUS sugar rush in about 5 minutes!

And to end the Easter holiday...nothing like a good ol' game of charades with Grandma. I had to post this picture because she KILLS me. I swear this lady is always looking for a good time. She will play any game at any time. This is her acting out Big Foot for the grandkids. It's amazing how easily they grandkids are amused....and how much fun my mom has amusing them.

Food Storage

Last year I decided to work REALLY hard at getting my family's one-year food storage supply. It was A LOT of work, and needless to say.... A LOT of money. The Sister in our ward over Emergency Prepardness actually called me "her best customer". I was quite pleased at the title I have to say. I have spent a lot of time and money in other stores and was never given such a great title, so I wear that one with pride!

About a month ago, I was in my basement taking in all of the boxes of canned goods. It REALLY is a beautiful sight. As I was staring at the buckets of wheat, rice, beans and plenty of other goodies, the thought came to my mind....if there is a catastrophe, my little family just might be okay.

So then that got me thinking EVEN more, and I got a little arrogant. As I was staring at the shelves of food, I thought...if we ever have to use this, I bet there will be people who will want to break into my house and steal my food because I hate to brag, I have set up a pretty nice shop.

Which got me thinking EVEN MORE....maybe I should buy a GUN! (Temporary Insanity)

But, I had a SERIOUS wake-up call the other night, and I am thankful for a gracious Heavenly Father who loves me and is continually humbling and teaching me.

I was at Costco and bought the book I Dare You To Eat It: Designing Food Storage You Would Actually Want to Eat by Liesa Card. Chapter 1 is titled: Seeing Food Storage as Part of God's Plan. and I read this:

"The prophet's plan for food storage is today-as it has always been-a plan for everyone. As the First Presidency recently noted 'prepare every needful thing', so that should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.' If our bishops send out a call for food, who will be prepared to serve? Who will be ready to accept that calling? Ultimately, I believe food storage is about love-love for the Savior, love for the prophet, love for our families, and love for our neighbors. Perhaps there is an eternal responsibility in sharing food and sharing the gospel."

And just like that....SMACK.....it all made sense.

So...the dear sister in my ward who considers me "her best customer" is gonna be seeing a lot more of me cause I'm heading back to the cannery to amp up my food storage so I can have enough to share with others because I have a testimony of service and sharing and loving my neighbor.

So...consider this an invitation...if there's a catastrophe (or not), you are always welcome at my house and I will do all I can to feed you and the ones you love. We'll have one ROCKIN food storage party!!

Nothing

I got NOTHING today! Completely uneventful.

I'm convinced that school administrators give children Spring Break

so parents become more grateful and appreciative of the entire school system.

Love my kids, but school is a BEAUTIFUL thing.

Spring Break/Kids Gone Wild

When you let your kids get a hold of your phone...this is what you find.

This was HONESTLY one of the cutest things I have seen in a long time. Kaid got a

season pass to SWAN LAKES and he has been DYING to go use it.

Since both Kaid and Cannon were off of school, they both decided to take advantage of

the good weather. So...Kaid took Cannon up to Swan Lakes today to hit some golf balls.

Kaid is SUCH a good brother that way. He never complains when Cannon wants to "tag along".

This is what partying EVERY DAY during spring break will do to you.

I had to take this picture because Cannon got his official first sunburn of the season today.

If you know Cannon and his skin, that's not hard to do.

While I was at work, Kaid took Cannon to the park, but unfortunately left the sunscreen at home. The poor guy got really burned. You can't see it too well...especially with his face

plastered again my orange bedspread.

I have a feeling he's gonna sleep really well tonight...even with the BURN.

Conference Update

I love conference weekend. It's a really spiritual time for me. Maybe it's because I can do the laundry and clean the house and feel the Spirit at the same time.

THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL THING!

My favorite Conference talks:

Saturday Afternoon: Richard G. Scott

Sunday Morning: Jeffrey R. Holland

Sunday Morning: President Monson

Really, I love them ALL, but these talks especially touched me.

I was honestly doing my dishes and crying at the same time.

I think my kids thought I was crying cause I was tired of cleaning.

I'll let them continue to think that.

Maybe they'll feel sorry for me and pitch in one of these days.

(BTW....I really didn't miss a post. I posted two the day before, so I'm good, right?)

It's Back!

I remembered today what is one of my more FAVORITE smells ever.
FRESHLY CUT GRASS.
I smelled it for the first time today this year and it is for sure in my top 5 for my smeller.
(Isn't smell such a funny word?)

Night

In my English class at school, we are reading Night by Elie Wiesel.
If you haven't read it, I highly encourage you to.
It's an easy read...probably could be read in a day or two.
But I have to warn you...it is a difficult read.
It's definitely not a feel-good book, but important nonetheless.
It is a true account of the Holocaust, and we read it in my class because I think
it is so IMPORTANT to never forget what happened.
If you pick it up, let me know what you think.

American Idol

I'm not sure how many of you are fans of American Idol.

We are kind of obsessed.

Could Megan Joy been any more destroyed by Simon with his "We don't care response"?

And what sort of stuff is Lady Gaga taking cause I need to get me some of that!

I have just been dominated

My kids haven't been great about making their beds before school. I made a deal with them that if they don't make their beds, they don't get computer rights for the day.
So...as I was rushing to work this morning, I ran upstairs to check the beds.
Cooper and Connor have these whiteboards in their rooms that they write random stuff on everyday. They are so funny. They never miss a day of writing something on their boards.
Today...this is what Cooper's board said.
Remember yesterday Cooper got his eyes "dilated".
I guess dilated and dominated are the same thing.
HILARIOUS.
And what's normal school as opposed to abnormal school?
Good news...Cooper did make his bed so his "dominated" eyes will have computer privileges!

Check-up

Both Cooper and Cannon's teachers called me to inform me that they failed their eye tests.

So...today we visited the eye doctor.

They were both really great....up until the doctor put drops in their eyes so they would dilate.

I guess that stings a little bit.

The verdict...Cannon needs glasses when he goes into first grade.

Cooper is okay. He has something funny with his left eye, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Afterwards, we went to Cafe Rio to eat, and both of them had to sport these

ROCKIN glasses.

I couldn't stop laughing.

Obviously...Cannon wasn't amused.

Sunday Thought

I love this quote by President Monson:

“Too frequently, women underestimate their influence for good. Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: ‘Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God’ (D&C 88:119).
“In such a house will be found happy, smiling children who have been taught, by precept and example, the truth. In a Latter-day Saint home, children are not simply tolerated, but welcomed; not commanded, but encouraged; not driven, but guided; not neglected, but loved.”

I am so thankful that I am a mother and that I have the strength of the Gospel in my life. I pray to be a more patient, tolerant, understanding, and loving mother.

Perfect Motivation

So...Robb and I recently signed up at this new gym. Today we went together to do the workout, and Damon (the owner of the gym) began the work out by explaining that each workout had a name. Today's workout was titled "Murphy", and each workout is in honor of a fallen solider.

Damon began reading the story behind Solider Murphy while everyone who was gonna work out stood at attention. I have to admit...I was taken a little off guard. I had NEVER done this before a workout. But, I stood at attention and listened to the story.

Click on this link to read his story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21340490/

It was amazing how there was a moment of great respect for this individual in my gym class before our workout began. It was all kind of surreal.

Then we went on to do the workout and can I just say that it was one of the HARDEST workouts I have ever done. I wanted to quit so bad because my body was dying...but right when I thought I couldn't go another second, I thought of Solider Murphy. What an inspiration.

I am so grateful to live in this country, and I am so grateful to the men and women who serve and protect all of us on a daily basis. I know I often take it for granted. Thank you.

And...I am so grateful I made it through my workout. Thank you, Solider Murphy.

Summer is on its way....

Today I bought our annual Lagoon Season passes!

That's GREAT news! That means summer is on its way!

The bad news...Robb is gonna be motion sick all summer long!

Priceless....

City Registration Fee for Cooper's Basketball Season....$30 dollars

New Basketball Shoes for Cooper's Basketball Season....$50 dollars

Cooper copping attitude at the first game....PRICELESS

No Maintenance

The other day I got up to leave for work and Robb was staying with Cannon for the day. There were some breakfast dishes and a few things out of place, so I asked Robb..."Hey, do you think that maybe while I'm gone you could throw these dishes in the dishwasher and straighten up a bit?'

He looked up at me with almost the exact same face as in the picture above and said, "Ummm....I'm sorry. I don't do maintenance."

NICE.

Almost Forgot...,,,,,

I am SUCH a DORK! I was lying in bed recapping my day when I realized that I didn't blog anything today. How hilarious would it have been if I would have broken my new rule on the first freaking day. That would truly have been true Brooke Kelly style. I usually keep my New Year's Resolutions until January 2.

So, I pulled myself out of bed with 20 minutes left! You better appreciate this cause I'm exhausted!

What to say? What to say?

I know! Can I just say what a blessing it is to have in-laws that you love and get along with? Justin and Brooke (Robb's sister...yes...at one time, there were 2 Brooke Kellys) from Boise blew into town and we went to dinner. I love being with the Kelly's. It is always a good time. I love them all and have fun whenever we get together.

That was totally worth getting out of bed for! Now I'm going back to sleep.

A Post...Can You Freaking Believe It???

I get so BUGGED when people don't update their blogs. When I get to work in the morning, I do my daily blog stalking before I begin any work. It's like Christmas for me when someone has added something (don't mock...I don't get out much). So, yesterday I was thinking, "Why should I be bugged at everyone else when the last time I posted something was almost 2 months ago! I am pretty freaking pathetic.

So...I was lying in bed last night thinking (my Tylenol PM had not set in yet)...I am going to try REALLY hard to post something everyday. It doesn't have to be a fabulous post. It can just be about what I ate that day. Who knows....all I know is I'm going to be MUCH better.

Cause I was thinking....I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone....I could update my blog and do my journal keeping at the same time. What a great way to record the important things happening in the Kelly's lives. Then....my sister Tara has a friend who put all of her posts in a book at the end of the year to keep forever. What a great idea. I know I'm probably biting off more than I can chew, but I'm gonna give it a shot.

So, if you care about reading my blog like I care about reading all of yours...YOU JUST HIT THE JACKPOT.

By the way...you can take my blog I created where I was gonna rant and rave off your list. I don't have time to do both. It was the thought that counted, right? I have to tell myself that about a million times a day.

Beaver Mountain

For Kaiden's 13th birthday, Robb and I decided to take our boys skiing for the first time. We went and stayed in my parents' condo in Bear Lake overnight and got up the next day to go skiing at Beaver Mountain. The night before skiing, my twins were VERY worried. They kept asking a lot of questions concerning injuries and accidents (my children are very cautious). At one point, Cooper said, "What if we hit into a tree with our heads and die or become paralyzed?" I couldn't believe it. My children are What About Bob. I reassured them that everything was going to be fine. A tree was the LAST thing they needed to worry about. So...we got up and headed to Beaver Mountain.

Here we are with all our gear....ready to go. Robb and I decided the best idea would be to pay a couple of ski instructors to spend the first part of the day with the boys teaching them the fundamentals of skiing. Can I just say that was the best money we have ever spent? Here's Kaiden, Cooper and Connor with their ski instructor. He's teaching them the basics....pizza (snowplow) and french fries (parallel). I don't know about you, but I was hungry just listening to him talk.

And Cannon got an AWESOME ski instructor all to himself. At the end of the lesson, he was going down the slope with no problem. It was so fun to watch. After the lessons were over, Robb and I looked at each other because we couldn't believe how PERFECT the day was going. The weather was nice, the boys were picking it up, and they were loving it! We couldn't get them in to eat lunch. Finally, after some coaxing, they inhaled their sandwiches an wanted to go on one more run. So, for the last run of the day, Cooper, Connor and I went together. As we were making our way down the trail, there was a grove of trees of to the right. Before I knew what what happening, Connor said, "Watch Mom," and he disappeared into the trees. I screamed, "Don't go down there," but it was too late. Next thing I knew, Connor had lost all control and ran head first HARD right into a tree. I COULDN'T FREAKING BELIEVE IT!

Cooper automatically started crying hysterically and I rushed to Connor. When I got to him, he was in total shock. He kept saying, "I feel so weird, Mom. I can't feel my body." I thought for sure that he was paralyzed. I turned to Cooper (who was sobbing) and told him to ride down to the lodge and get Dad. I put my body on top of Connor so he wouldn't move because I didn't know if he had broken his neck. He was in total shock and was freaking out. Luckily, the accident happened close to a lift and several people started screaming for ski patrol, so I just laid there on top of Connor till they got there.

Ski patrol was awesome. After they pried me off of him, they checked him out. As they were examining him, I couldn't believe that he actually hit into a tree. It was the LAST thing I thought would ever happen. I know it's sick and twisted, but I had to take a picture of him, so here's Connor as ski patrol was examining him:

And here's ski patrol getting the tabbogan ready to take him to the medic place. (I have always been fascinated with the tabbogan and always wondered who had to actually had to ride in those things. Well, I can now check that off my list....MY SON HAS!)

Once they got him to the medic room, they determined that he had not hit his head, but his chest showed some trauma, so they put him in our car and we drove right to the ER. A few hours and X-Rays later, we found out that Connor kissed that tree hard enough to break his collarbone right where it connects to the sternum. I guess that is one of the worst places to break a collarbone. He was quite a bit of pain and had to sleep sitting up for a week, but I have been amazed at how quickly he has healed. I am also SO VERY VERY THANKFUL that his injuries weren't more serious.

Connor has been awesome about it as well. He never really complained and is already asking to go skiing again. I have to end this incredibly long post with the awesome bruise that came with the break. We tell him how awesome he is because his bruise looks like the symbol on Batman's chest. Pretty freaking sweet.

Kaiden's 13th Birthday

For Kaiden's 13th birthday, we took everyone to my parent's cabin in Bear Lake. The boys had a great time playing checkers and hanging out. The next morning we got up and went skiing at Beaver Mountain. Kaiden has officially entered the "teenage years". I'm a little bit nervous about it, but I'm having a great time watching Kaid grow up and become a man! Here's a little tribute to my oldest son:

K ind. One of the greatest things about Kaid. He truly is nice to everyone. No wonder he has lots of friends.

A ttentive. Kaiden is very observant and is aware of what is going on around him. He is courteous to others and tries to be respectful to everyone.

I ntelligent. Kaiden is very smart kid and does well in school. For the last two semesters, he has received a 3.7 on his report card. Way to go, Kaid!

D etermined. When Kaiden sets his mind to something, he's usually always successful. He knows how to get the job done.

E arnest. Kaiden has always been a sensitive person and intently cares about people and their feelings.

N eat. I appreciate the fact that Kaiden is good about taking care of himself. He always looks and smells good. That's a great thing...especially now that he's a teenager!

We love you, Kaiden. Happy Birthday!

Tagged...

Tagged.
I've been Tagged...Here are the rules:
1) Post rules on blog
2) Answer the six 8 items
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV Shows (I don't watch a lot of TV, so these will be occasional favorites)
1. Intervention
2. Biggest Loser
3. 60 Minutes
4. Barefoot Contessa (FoodNetwork)
5. Everyday Italian (Food Network) Yes...I like to cook, but I like to eat more.
6. Seinfield (they never get old)
7. Dateline
8. American Idol

8 Things I did Yesterday
1. Ran my kids to school (I can't bear to see them freeze)
2. Cleaned my freaking house (Can I just say that I'm getting tired of this?)
3. Went to lunch at Red Lobster (NOT my favorite restaurant)
4. Went to Sam's Club (Needed some more Diet Pepsi)
5. Picked up Cannon from pre-school
6. Went to the gym (I could have stayed there all night with as many calories as I consumed this weekend.)
7. Fixed dinner
8. Finished the laundry (3 more piles magically appeared when I was on my last batch)
Dont' be jealous of my life....

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Summertime
2. Running outside
3. Vegas in a couple of weeks
4. My 14th anniversary on Feb. 3 (Don't ask me why I got married in February. Horrible month.)
5. Mowing the lawn (I would work outside anyday rather than inside)
6. Getting my BRACES OFF!!!
7. My kids' Ballroom competition on Saturday. HILARIOUS!
8. The weekend

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Tepanyaki
2. Paradise Bakery
3. Pei Wei
4. Cafe Rio
5. Outback
6. Mikado's
7. Rooster's
8. The Mandarin
When did Bountiful become the coolest place to eat???

8 Things I Wish For
1. Happiness
2. No stretch marks (Hot...I know)
3. Uninterrupted Sleep
4. No teenage years
5. For my house to stay clean for 72 hours
6. To grow old gracefully
7. Good Health
8. An M&M blizzard (This is genius Nicole!!! But I would have to make it a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup)

8 People I Tagged
1. Natalie Niederhauser
2. Tara Curtis
3. Shannon Bankhead
4. Kamie Barrus
5. Michelle Noel
6. Samantha Kelly
7. Brooke Woodward (welcome to the Blog world...)
8. Melissa Pettingill

If You Care...

Have you ever had a ton of things in your brain that you have to get down on paper? No? What? Well, I do. Maybe that's the English teaching side of me. Maybe it's the chronic nerd side as well. Whatever it is, I think a blog is a perfect forum for me to post my rants and raves. I won't mix them in with my family stuff. I'll keep my dysfunction away from my family, so I created a website dedicated solely to my perceptions of life, food, relationships, the world...basically whatever! Check it out if you care. I would love to hear what you have to say about the things that get me going, so read and respond. I promise I won't grade you on your grammar, spelling, or response. I just like discussions. The website it http://agirls2sense.blogspot.com. Hope to see you there.

White Boots

Can I just say that my kids say the most HILARIOUS stuff! Today as Connor was getting ready for school, I told him that he looked really handsome. (Cooper and Connor just started going to Ballroom Dance in the mornings. They have been SO excited. I don't think they care about the dancing...I hear them tee-heeing about holding girls' hands. Needless to say, on Ballroom days, they're dressed to the hilt.)

Connor's response: "Thanks, but I think I would look so much better if I had some white jeans to go with this shirt."

My response: (I had to pause because I can't remember the last time I saw a guy in white jeans and thought it was HOT.) "Well, Connor, I think your blue jeans look way better than white jeans."

Connor's response: "Fine, then I think some white boots would look really good."

I had to look to see if he was joking. He was DEAD serious.

My response: "Connor. Sweetie. Why in the world would you want WHITE boots? I haven't ever seen a guy wear white boots."

Connor's response: "Uh huh...Nacho Libre. And they looked really good on him."

HILARIOUS! Maybe we can get him some of Cannon's sweatpants and they can be his "stretchy pants". Why are kids so DANG funny?

Basketball Star

If any of you know my twins, you know how badly they have HATED sports through the years. When the twins turned 6, we started signing them up for any city rec. sport that came available. We signed them up for baseball, basketball, football, tennis....everything! They're Robb's kids...they should like sports, right? WRONG! I couldn't have been more wrong, and I couldn't have wasted more money through the years. It was my twins that went all Bobby Knight at a couple of basketball games because no one passed the ball to them. It was my twins, while in the outfield on second base, sat on the ground and played with grass. It was my twins, right in the middle of a game, took off up a hill. When I asked them where they were going, he screamed, "To the bathroom. Is that alright?" I can't even begin to tell you how many tears have been shared and how many, "I hate sports. Why don't you get it?" with me through the years. Finally, about $500 dollars later and hours of running to practice, I resigned as the sport signer-upper about 2 years ago. We had a family council and I informed the twins that they were NEVER going to set foot on another field or on another court unless they came to me and asked me to sign them up. Needless to say, the tears stopped and they were relieved that their sports-playing days were over.

Right when I started getting used to the idea of no sports, Coop came home and begged me to sign him up for city basketball. I paused. I contemplated. I hesitated, and reluctantly decided to give it a shot. He has gone to the practices, and I am so proud of him because he makes it the entire time without one single breakdown.

Last Saturday was his first game. He started talking about how nervous he was a couple of days before. When I asked him why he was so nervous, he said, "Because everyone will be there looking at me." I had to remind him that was part of the game. He got up on Saturday and I could tell it was killing him. I kept reassuring him that all was going to be fine. We got in the car, and as we pulled into Central Davis, I heard Cooper say, "Oh no. Here we are. Oh no. Oh no. Okay....I can do this.....I just gotta believe in myself."

This is one of those moments as a mother when you want time to stop because you realize that your child has semi figured something out. In a matter of two years, Cooper went from being the WORST sport to being a very motivational sports player. I turned around and told him that was EXACTLY what he needed to do! And then Connor quickly ruined the moment by turning to Cooper and saying, "Guys, that was the cheesiest thing you have ever said."

I was so PROUD. Maybe a two year hiatus was exactly what Cooper needed. Maybe some of the pros could learn from Coop.

Eating Contest

I fixed dinner a couple of Sunday's ago. I fixed baked potatoes, carrots, corn, and steak. The steaks I bought were HUGE. I put a big steak on Robb's plate, and BIG steak on Kaid's. I didn't expect him to eat even a fourth of the steak. I figured he would give it a good shot and then I would save the rest. Robb took one look at his plate and called Kaiden to a challenge. He told Kaiden that if he ate EVERYTHING on his plate (and when I say EVERYTHING, I mean the skin of the potato and EVERYTHING), he wouldn't have to do any of the dishes. Kaiden agreed to the challenge. I was a little concerned about the entire thing because honestly, the steak was HUGE and he had to get everything else down as well. I thought for sure he was gonna BARF! A couple of times, I was so worried, I told him to stop and I would do the dishes. That only made Robb mad so I had to stay out of it. This is a picture right after he took his last bite. I think the last bite was pretty painful. You can kinda see it on his face. He did it though, and Robb had to do the dishes!!

A Weekend in Arizona

I haven't been down to see my sister Tara in Arizona for years. When I got done teaching fall semester, I knew it was time to go visit. So, I booked Cannon and me a ticket and we were off for a weekend. I take turns taking a kid every time and this time was Cannon's. I'm glad it was his turn too because he had a great time playing with his cousin Sophie. Tara's husband, Kirk, has a bird named Spot and one morning, Cannon let Kirk put him on his arm. It was hilarious. I could tell that he was scared to death but he tried so hard to be brave. You're probably wondering what the nasty thing is coming out of his nose. Well, he can thank Robb for that. He gets nasty cold sores, and this lovely thing came out of his nose. It was funny because Tara said he looked like Hitler. I have to agree.

I need to make an effort to go visit my sister Tara and her family more often. Her little girl Sophie actually likes me and wanted me to hold her. You know I love that! Tara and I had a great time making yummy things in her new Bosch, and you know that we went out to eat every chance that we could. I am a lucky girl to have 4 sisters that I love to spend time with. As much as I hate having Tara live so far away, it's nice being able to escape the cold and go see her where it's always warm.

Never a Good Sign

In my previous post when I talk about silence, this is one time where the outcome wasn't so great. It's never a good thing when you come into the bathroom and find the clippers and tufts of white hair. Needless to say, that afternoon we had to get a haircut.