What we've been up to!

So as most know the past few months we've been in the process of moving. I thought I would share with everyone what our new house looks like. We have been busy decorating, working on the yard, everything that goes along with moving into a new house. We love being in Saratoga Springs for many different reasons! Although I do miss all my good friends! We have had a lot of different things happen in the past few months that will be other posts. In the mean time enjoy looking at our beautiful new house with a beautiful view!

Our beautiful yard that Greg has spent hours, days, weeks, months, etc. to work on. It's HUGE!
And our beautiful view of the lake. Every Saturday we have the priviledge to watch boats out on the lake. We also usually hear sirens going to the lake every Saturday. I also have seen a TON of bikers (Kendall are you one of them?) going up and down Redwood Rd. just behind our house. What an awesome sight!

Easter highlights!

Easter cookies I made for teachers, primary teachers, bishop, & VT! They were yummy!

We had an eventful Easter weekend this year!


Saturday we went to Greg's brother's house for a get together. The kids did an egg hunt and got things from candy to erasers, chap sticks, hair accessories, and even money! We ate, visited, laughed a lot, and played a game (girl's against boys-guess who won....yay girls). It was lots of fun!

Kayla and some of her cousins!

Kyle and cousin Max!

Kameron & Karianne looking to see their surprises!

Saturday night Greg and I went on a date with some good friends. We went to Sizzler, roamed the mall, and went to Emmett's for ice cream! It was fun!

Greg learns how to tie a tie!

Yay! He did it!

Sunday the kids got up and found their Easter baskets. They got new church clothes, outfits, flip flops, socks, hair accessories for the girls, and lots of candy! They had lots of fun! Sunday night they did sleepovers with cousins!

My gorgeous daughters!

My handsome young men!

Girl's Pedicures

Saturday was girl's day to get pedicures. Kayla didn't want to do it so just Karianne and I got our toes done. This is where Greg's feminine side comes in. I was telling him one day that a couple of our couple friends husband's will paint their daughters and their toenails and that he should paint Karianne's toe nails. So while listening to conference he pulled out the nail polish and painted mine and Karianne's toe nails. He did a great job and was a great sport about it. He even took my old nail polish off for me. Thanks sweetie!

Karianne getting hers done!

Karianne half way smiling for the picture. She didn't want a picture taken. Stinker!

Me getting mine done!

Baseball Tryouts

Last weekend Kyle had baseball tryouts! This is the first time for Kyle to play in a baseball league. He's played soccer and football but not baseball before. I dropped him off and was on my way. I guess he was the last one to be picked up after tryouts because they got done early so the coaches let him know what team he would be on. He's the only one that knows his team so far. He is on the "Angels" team. I guess we could say like the California Angels. I do have to say I like that! ;-) He did pretty good. He was really good at catching fly balls. Maybe he'll be in the outfield!

We're excited that he's excited to be playing baseball this spring. Reminds me of my brother Scott playing when he was a kid! Scott was a pitcher for a long time from what I can remember. I dont remember his team's name though. Mom would have to remind me (if she remembers).

I can't believe my oldest is growing up so fast. Our parents always say, "Enjoy them while they are young because before you know it, they'll be out of the house." I can see this happening pretty quickly! Too soon for my liking! ;-(

Kyle with his friend Austin (new kid that he befriended on the bus-so proud of him)

New 2-wheeler on the Block!

Do you Utah people remember that one really nice week we had a few weeks ago? Yeah, we haven't seen it for a while. Karianne decided she wanted me to take her training wheels off of her bike. At first I told her to wait until her Dad got home because I really didn't want to mess with it right then. Well finally I told her I would try to take them off. I got them off for her and she practiced all day. I took them off around noon and went with her on a short walk that ended up taking a long time but it was well worth it. She would pedal one turn around then stop and catch her balance all day. The more she did it the better she got. By that evening she had it down to a "T". She did great! She was so excited to show Dad what she had been working on ALL day! It's a good thing she has a short bike because I think it's the only way she could have done it. We're so proud of our baby girl!

Almost Official!

The adoption with my Sister's little boys is almost official! We received a conference call the 3rd week of February and after many days of court hearings they finally ruled for the re-unification with their mom to stop! What a roller coaster this has been.

Just last summer my sister was told that the boys would be going back to their mom. They started visits more frequent with their mom and started overnights with her even. Things that we don't know of happened and the overnights stopped completely!

Now since re-unification has stopped their visits have been decreased and will eventually stop completely. The judge wants the good-bye visit to happen ASAP! The mom's parental rights are going to be taken away in May hopefully and then they can start the adoption process. Hopefully by the end of the year it will be final! This was a HUGE milestone for them! They have had the boys since December of 2007 so we all are ready for this to be over.

One of the things just recently that they were finally able to do was cut their hair. Although the curls were cute and Bryan got lots of compliments of how cute of a girl he is, it was time. Bryan is almost 3 and Anthony is almost 2. Here are the new and improved nephews of ours! They are so cute!

Bryan & Anthony before their haircuts. They like to wear chip clips in their hair!

Here they are after their haircuts! They look so grown up all of a sudden! The mom has already complained about what they've done. But my sister was nice enough to give her a lock of their hair (wish she would have put a pink bow around it!).

St. Patty's Day!

We aren't much of St. Patty's Day people in fact when I cooked this dinner Kyle said, "This is a lame holiday why did you do this?" I said, "I know it is but I was just trying to do something fun in color!" I don't know why he said that because he enjoyed pinching a girl he has grown up with for 9 years TONS of times even though she was wearing TONS of green that day. Poor girl! He must like ya! lol!

I made fettuccine noodles colored green, Alfredo sauce colored green, chicken (not colored), green salad, and Rhodes rolls rolled out like a bread stick rubbed with butter on top and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese before I baked them. It was a yummy dinner!

Kayla enjoying her yummy green noodles!

Kyle picking up his big pile of yummy noodles getting ready to eat them! PIG!

Karianne also enjoying her yummy green noodles!

Kameron and Daddy didn't want their picture taken! Poor sports!

TAGGED!

I've been tagged! Here are the rules: Go to your fourth folder, and open the fourth picture and blog about it! Then tag four of your friends. I tag Mom, Stacie, Christine, and Kelly!

This picture is of my mom, dad, sister Stacie, her husband Mark, brother Scott, his wife Christine, and their two girls Maia and Carissa. We were at my parents house in California for a 4th of July in 2006 (someone will have to correct me on this if I'm wrong) maybe. Actually we weren't there I don't think. Everyone will have to correct me if I'm wrong. This computer used to be my parents computer and they just recently gave it to us along with all their pictures that I love to see because a lot of these things I wasn't able to be at so it's fun for me to see the special occasions they had. My parents lived in a culdesac and they would have block parties for the 4th. We were able to make it to a few but not all. They would have a BBQ and then do their fireworks together and then watch the city's fireworks from their house. It was always fun to do.

Poor Angel!

Our poor little angel has to have her tonsils taken out at the first of May. We went to see my cousin's wife's sister Heidi Heras on Friday and received the news that she needs to have them out. She talked to me for a while and then finally looked at them. Immediately she told her assistant to come and look. As you can see in this picture (I took it myself so it's not the best but it was as good as I could get) she barely has an opening to swallow. She said that if she were to choke on something, she would be afraid that she wouldn't be able to get it back up. So it's the best that we're doing it but it's going to be a BIG deal! She's definitely going to want her daddy there with her!

Crista's SOFTEST sugar cookies EVER!

Ok so here's the recipe for those cookies I've made a ton of recently. A good friend in our ward Crista gave me permission to share it!

Sugar Cookies

2 c. sugar

4 c. flour (I use an additional 1/2 c.)

1 c. shortening

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. sour cream

1/2 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream sugar, shortening, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl. Sift 1 c. at a time into creamed mixture. Mix well. Dough will be very sticky. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cover counter, rolling pin, and hands well with flour (as dough is a little hard to work with).

Roll dough to desired thickness. You may need to keep adding flour to work with it.

Cut into shapes and place on cookie sheet.

Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting or butter cream frosting!

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened

2-3 tbsp. evaporated canned milk

1/3 c. cream cheese, softened

3-4 c. powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients. Add more evap. milk or powdered sugar to spreadable consistency.

Buttercream Frosting

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter (not margarine), softened

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 tsp. vanilla (for white frosting use clear vanilla)

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

4 tbsp. milk

Combine all ingredients. Add more milk or powdered sugar to spreadable consistency.

Ready for Spring!

Yeah, I'm ready for spring for so many reasons. I'm ready for it to warm up a little (not a lot but 60's would be good). I'm ready to get back outside and exercise walking and running. I'm ready for the kids to be outside more instead of messing up the house when they're home. I'm ready to open my windows and smell and feel the fresh air come through the house. I'm ready to bring out my Capri's and short sleeve shirts! I'm ready to be a little tan (as tan as I can get). I'm ready for the flowers to blossom and to have color outside. I made some flower sugar cookies this week because I'm ready for the spring and it's the only way for me to feel a little bit of it for right now. A girl in my ward gave me a recipe for these (they are the softest sugar cookies EVER! No exaggeration! And they stay soft forever!). Yay for Spring!

Birthday Surprise

On January 19th (the day before my birthday) my Mom planned a surprise luncheon at Old Spaghetti Factory with all of my friends! What a surprise it was to walk in and see everyone sitting there trying to hide their faces with their menus. It was the greatest surprise ever! I had the best birthday I have had for a long time. It meant so much to me that all of my friends put me into their schedule, found someone for their kids, and make me feel special that day! I had no idea! I thought I was just going to lunch with my mom.....so it was a pleasant surprise to see everyone there. Thank you so much friends for that wonderful surprise and gifts! I appreciate it so much! Love you all!

On the 20th Greg took the day off and a friend took Karianne for the day (thanks Mandi) to spend the day with me. He spoiled me rotten. He took me to breakfast (we never go to breakfast), took me to get new blinds for the house (went from mini blinds to wooden), took me to Kohls to spend HIS Christmas gift card and even let me go over what was on there, then went to Target to get a few things! He fixed me dinner that night (Swiss Chicken......yummy recipe Mandi has), had my Mom and Greg's parents over for dinner and cake and icecream, and opened some wonderful gifts. I had finally decided to break down and upgrade my scriptures from the two books to the quad. They are beautiful scriptures.....I love them! Thank you sweetie for making this day the best EVER!

All in all this was the best birthday I've had for years thanks to my loved ones!

To my Mom on my birthday

Today is actually my birthday but years ago on my 18th birthday I had 18 roses sent to my mom at work. I'm sure she remembers this. I wanted to do that again for her today (in my blog-sorry it's not real) on my special day because without her, today wouldn't be my birthday. Words just can't express my mom. She is everything to me. She has always picked me up when I've fallen, she's kissed my owies, she's wiped away tears, she's laughed and played with me, she has been everything that a girl needs and wants. I cherish our relationship and wouldn't want it any other way! I have realized how challenging and rewarding it is to be a mother and I thank her today for always being there for me (good times and bad times)! I realize how a mother has unconditional love through her example! Thanks for being the wonderful mom you have been to me, Stacie , & Scott. So today I want to say thanks for giving me a wonderful day to remember! We have so many great memories!

I love you MOM!!