Pirate Party

Saturday we had a Pirate Party at my parents house. It was silly, great fun! Elijah and Sam we just so excited! First we all got dressed up as pirates with sashes, swords, earings, eye patches, and head scarves. Even the dog got a scarf. They we were of to play pirate games. We played "Pirate, Pirate, Shark" based off of duck duck goose, we played find the Crocodile (which was a metrenome tick tocking like the croc in Peter Pan. We had sword fights which even Sam got in the action. We also had a treasure hunt complete with maps and clues. The whole time we were all running around saying "Arrgh!!" like pirates. Sam and Elijah truly were the cutest pirates. After we found the buried treasure we ate our pirate ship cake which Elijah made with Grammie, complete with green sails (it being his favorite color). Overall, it was a rather simple party but great fun! Thank you Grammie for putting it together!

made it... but sick (again)

We finally made it to Utah, though I'm not sure they want us. They boys have been throwing up and we all have the boo. Bleh. (I'm not sure we will be able to set foot in the Wendy's in Eagle again.)

Here's really hopeing we all feel better soon. At least before we have to get back in the car for the eight hour drive home.

plans pushed back... again

We are still trying to make it out to Utah this month. Our first attempt didn't happen becuase Sam got sick. This weekend is our nephew's baby blessing and we would love to get our hands on that new baby! We were planning on leaving today, but Josh has the wonderful opprotunity to be serving on a jury. (great timing, I know) They did jury selection and started the trial yesterday and it has continued through today. Josh was pretty sure they would be done today and I was hopeful that they would be done early enough that we could still leave today. Alas the time is slowly slipping by and I still haven't heard from Josh. I'm afraid we will just have to leave tomorrow. Here's keeping our fingers crossed! We haven't had the best of luck with travel this month.


Side Note:
We have now counted TEN baby fish! I just don't know where they are coming from! Is she still popping them out? I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all the fish. They simply can't stay here, there are just too many, and Mat(now matilda) and Daniel will have to be split up so as to prevent any more babies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Does the pet store take fish back, take babies, or trade females for males??

Garage Sale-ing!

The weather is getting warmer, the sun is rising earlier, and spring is in the air. You all know what that means... the spring cleaning bug is bitting. And what does that lead to? GARAGE SALES!!! I am gearing up for another season of garage sale-ing. (Christina and I even came across and early one when I was in Oklahoma) I've started my garage sale fund and I'm saving up my quarters and dimes.

Today I came across a garage sale guide on the blog tipnut.com. Granted I'm not exactly in the positon to be running a garage sale myself, but it is very interesting to read about the other side of the coin. For those of you who might be thinking about doing your own sale, the guide might proove helpful. Here's to happy garage sale-ing! I'll be sure to post any fantastic finds (last year I found a darling white sideboard/buffet!) May the force be with you!

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday! We had a fun weekend (despite Sam being sick with a fever again Friday and some of Saturday).
Yesterday we made our arabic/middle eastern dinner. Everything went really well and all the food turned out great! I'm rather proud that Josh and I pulled it off! We had friends over to help eat all the yummy food. One brought a delicious cucumber salad and another brought homemade baklava. Both wonderful additions to our meal. I'm thinking we have the making of a new tradition! The recipes are now posted on Everyday Recipes, complete with pictures. They may seem intimidating, but they really aren't that bad and very much worth it!



Update: I'm pretty sure we have at least six baby fish. Sometimes when I count I come up with seven or eight. They are very hard to count! We aren't sure what to do with our new traditions, when they grow up it will make for a full tank. But it is very exciting to have babies!

I'm a godmother....

...to 5-6 new baby fish!!

Josh discovered our new additions last night when he was cleaning out the fish tank (it was in dire need of a cleaning). We have no clue how long we have even had them. They are very good at hiding so I'm not sure exactly how many we actually have. They are about 3/4 of an inch long and black like their mother. We knew we had mollies and that they gave live birth. we didn't know that our two different breeds of mollies would actually mate. What a great Easter surprise!

Elmo underwear

We opened a new package of underwear the other day. Elijah picked out the pair he wanted to wear and quickly put them on. A little while later he came to me and said he wanted to wear a different pair too. I was busy at the time and told him he couldn't wear two at once, you wouldn't be able to see the ones underneath, and left it at that. A few minutes later I walked back into the room and saw that Elijah had solved the problem (and created another--it's not easy to walk with four pairs of underwear down your legs.)

Easter Ideas

I'm trying to figure out how we are going to celebrate Easter this year and thought I would share the ideas I have decided on and give other's an opprotunity to share what they are doing.

Growing up, my family always celebrated the secular side of Easter, i.e. the Easter Bunny, on the Saturday before Easter so as to keep Sunday centered around the real reason for Easter, Jesus Christ and His resurection. Josh and I have decided to carry on this tradition in our family.

Saturday the Easter bunny will bring the boys' small easter baskets and we will have an easter egg hunt with friends and decorate hard-boiled eggs as a family.

This year on Sunday we are planning a special dinner with Arabic food and dishes from the middle east that Christ might have eaten (we are still planning on doing the traditional ham dinner, but on another day. I really can't pass that up!) I am planning on making some arabic dishes that my great aunt has passed on to us including stuffed grape leaves, sfeeha (meat pies), spinach pies, hummus and pita bread etc. (I'm posting the recipes on Everyday Recipes in the next few days).

While everyone is at the table we will go over the Easter Story. I have the scriptures separated into different easter eggs with objects that go with the scripture in them. You can make your own eggs with instructions on Sugardoodle.net

Probably for lunch or while all the dinner preparations are going on I'm planning on making "Resurrection Rolls" with Elijah. The recipe and symbolizm are also on Sugardoodle (in fact sugardoodle has a large section full of different easter ideas, religious and not.)

In all I'm trying to make this weekend special but still very simple. What are your plans? What family traditions do you do in your family? I'd love to know!

One Word Quiz

I've gotten a couple of these via email and thought I would just post mine here. If you do your own-- leave me a comment or email me! Enjoy!

1. Where is your cell phone? dead
2. Your significant other? Josh
3. Your hair? curly
4. Worst bad habit? procrastination
5. Favorite food? chocolate
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? forgot
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? grandkids
10.The room you're in? living
11. Your ex? none
12. Your fear? failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Utah
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you're not? organized
16. Muffins? yummy
17. One of your wish list items? van
18. Where you grew up? Orem
19. The last thing you did? blog
20. What are you wearing? blue
21. Your TV? tiny
22. Your pets? fish
23. Your computer? laptop
24. Your life? mazo
25. Your mood? frazled
26. Missing someone? mother
27. Your car? totaled
28. Something you're not wearing? makeup
29. Favorite Store? Target
30. Your summer? warm
31. Love someone? indeed
32. When is the last time you laughed? today
33. Last time you cried? Tuesday
34. Who will re-post this? anyone?

Movies

I've been able to watch a few movies this past week. Happily there have been a lot of good ones coming out on DVD lately.

Dan in Real Life: A very amusing movie with laugh out loud parts. It has a central theme on family and the importance of relationships with family. I could see Josh's family being like that in a few years. overall, a fun, feel good movie that was rather clean. Another one I would recommend.


No Reservations: a very cute, clean, happy/sad movie. The story is interesting, with some character development and some heart wrenching parts. The cooking atmosphere is also very interesting. I love to see how things really happen and it is cool to see some of what goes into getting food on a table at a restaurant. I would recommend this movie to anyone.


August Rush: A fair movie but the story is a bit far fetched and not true to life. The music is pretty fun and I like they way they emphasize that there is music everywhere, all you have to do is listen. It's a good option to rent if you are looking for something entertaining and clean, but not something I would rush out to see and will probably not watch again.




Enchanted: A very cute Disney movie that mixes the traditional animated princess happily-ever-after story with real life. Amusing for all ages with some fun music that is bound to get stuck in your head. Highly recommended.

phew! we made it home!

we safely made it home Tuesday. There were a few moments that I was sure we just weren't going to make it but prayers were answered and we are all home again. our day consisted of Elijah throwing up, pouring rain, a flat tire, a dead battery, switching cars, rushing to the airport-grateful that my flight was 2 hours late, standing in two lines before I actually knew I was going to be able to get on the plane, and flying with two tired boys. phew!

Our trip to Oklahoma to visit the Reeds was a whirlwind roller coaster, full of twists and turns, ups and downs, with some throwing up along the ride. (i think i'm ready for a vacation after my vacation) unfortunately my blogging fell by the wayside and now you get a massive jumble.

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go to the ward in Ponca City with Christina and all four boys. I'm sure we were quite a spectacle sitting in sacrament meeting of the small ward wrestling the boys to be reverent and quiet. It was a relief when we survived. I am so grateful for Josh! I haven't had the opportunity to visit many wards but it was reaffirmed to me that the Church really is the same everywhere. It is just amazing that where ever you are you can find a ward to attend, feel welcomed, hear the same gospel teachings, and feel the spirit.

The topic of religion was one that came up and was on my mind a lot during the trip. Ponca City is dotted everywhere by many different Churches. The town has a population of around 30,000 and you can't drive down any major street without passing at three or four different churches. I have a hard time just figuring out what denomination they all belong to and how they all fit together. It is just boggling to me.

Presley has decided that he wants his family to attend the First Baptist Church in Ponca City (so named because it was the first Baptist church in town, there is a Second Baptist Church in town too). Christina has been stuck in the middle and thrown back into the Baptist religion. It has been an eye opening and frustrating experience for her. (I'm convinced she needs to write a book)

The beginning of last week was rather rough. Poor Caleb got really sick with an ear infection and eventually ended up in the hospital for a night because he wasn't keeping fluids down. While all that was going on, I was lucky enough to get the 24 hour flu, complete with nausea and fever. Poor Presley was left with three boys and a store to juggle. I am very grateful no one else got sick and Caleb was able to come home sooner than predicted but the whole scenario left Christina and I wiped out.

The rest of the week Christina and I kept busy keeping the boys alive, doing family history, touring Ponca city, visiting Enid and Christina's old stomping grounds, watching some good movies (more on that to come later), and talking religion. I was also able to attend the Baptist church.

It turned out to be a whirlwind trip made crazy with four boys, three and under. By the end Christina and I were ready to run away and leave our kids with the highest bidder. I am grateful that we were able to go. It was sooo good to be able to see Christina and see where she is living and what she is up to. I miss that girl so much! We are scheming to get both of us in Utah this summer, hopefully kid free!

Boys Boys Boys and Boys

Yesterday we all made pancakes together. Three boys were in on the action.

It is pretty wild around here with four boys running amuck. Yesterday Christina and I had few moments peace when all of the boys crashed in the car. We took advantage of it by taking a nap ourselves. It was a memorably moment... very picture worthy.

we made it!

we made it to Oklahoma in one (sane) piece. We had some delays in the Denver airport, we eventually ended up with a new plane and were a few hours late. I was sooo grateful that Josh went through security with us or I would have been dead meat! The flight itself went pretty smoothly. We got a warm welcome from Caed- a big yealling, running hug. I was amazed at how small the Oklahoma City airport is.
After we got our luggage we were off to Chuck E. Cheese! Elijah and Sam have neve been there so we were off to another adventure. Elijah just didn't know what to think let alone what to do first. He and Caed ran wild and had great time. Sam was big eyed with wonder.

After chuck E. Cheese we were off to Caed's house. The boys crashed in the car on the way home. Talk about a long day.

Ooook--lahoma!!!

the boys and I are off on an adventure tomorrow (isn't everyday an adventure with two little boys? well, this will be extra ordinary). we are flying, just the three of us, to Oklahoma! I am very excited though a little nervous about the whole traveling while out numbered bit.

here's hopin' in goes smoothly!

I'm definitely planning on posting during the week and a half we will be there. I'm sure with four boys three and under there is bound to be some good material for blogging. Christina also swears that the sunsets are a lot better in Oklahoma than ours with mountains. I'm hoping to catch a picture to prove it, we'll see.

Easter Sugar Cookies

I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. Sammy was having a grand ol' time eating the frosting and ended up looking like a smurf. What was his mother thinking?

*my sugar cookie recipe can be found on everyday recipes*

Poems: Consecration and Bread From Heaven

My friend Laura has posted her Deseret Recognition award winning poems Consecration and Bread From Heaven on her blog. These poems are very thoughtful and I found that they resonated strongly with me.

Oh my....

Elijah and I decided to color a big sturdy box that Josh brought home last night from costco. We determined it was going to be a car with green fire etc. I helped Elijah get started and then got distracted by laundry and email, then Josh called me. While I was on the phone Elijah comes to me and says "look what I did, mommy?" I looked and what I saw took my breath away.

My three year old son had gotten creative with the markers all over himself (thankfully they are washable) . Of course he is just in his underwear and jammie shirt, so his entire legs are now covered in rainbow colors, his hands, and his cheeks are covered as well. He is rather proud of himself and has decided that sammy should get in on the show so he can ride in the car too. ohhhh my! of course, me being the blogging mommy now, i had to whip out the camera and catch the moment. Boy did I get a good laugh after the initial shock.

rainbow chocolate cake

a creation by Elijah (with a little help from daddy)

I woke up from a nap yesterday to find this beautiful creation. The boys had been busy (well Sam is still sick and was crashed out on the couch). It was Elijah's idea to make a rainbow cake. He loved mixing the frosting colors (he has a lot of practice from making pancakes) and then frosting the cake with a little help from daddy. Of course frosting ended up everywhere including inside Elijah's mouth and on his face as well as on the carpet. Hey, if you're going to be creative there is bound to be a mess!

Check It Out: Pandora Radio

My sister cued me into this website. It's an online radio site without commercials! It gets even better... They are part of the Music Genome Project. Essentially they take the songs and artists you know you like and find songs with a similar musical identity. You have control over what songs you hear! You can give the song a thumbs up that will help them find more songs you like or a thumbs down and they will take the song off of your station and calculate that into future songs you hear. You can also block explicit content. When you create an account you save your specific station, you can create more than one station, you can listen whenever you are online, and even share it with friends. Pretty cool! I wish I had known about this while I was working! oh well.

Check it out!

ward fast

this year our bishop has decided to focus on missionary work. he has asked the ward to fast together today that we might have missionary experiences.

it is a year ago this month that I was experiencing my own amazing missionary experiences with my dear friend Christina. the joy of missionary work is hard for me to express. the spirit of that work is so powerful. not only does it carry the power to convert others but your own heart is more strongly converted to what you are sharing.

so today, I am fasting that I might again have the spirit of missionary work in my life more fully. that I might be prepared to open up when the opprotunity does arise, and that I will recognize those opprotunities because I know they will come.