anniversary gifts

I'm a little late getting to this, but I wanted to share what I made for Daren for our 15th anniversary last month. Yes, it was very late because I totally underestimated how long it would take to make, but in the end it was so worth it. Many thanks to my friend Jessica for teaching me the basics of Photoshop to get me going on this project.

Ever since we got home from our Route 66 trip, almost two years ago, Daren wanted to print out our blog and make it into a book. It always seemed like such a daunting task, plus I couldn't find a program or company I was happy with. So, with Jessica's help, I made my own book in Photoshop, page by page, and after many weeks (even all throughout our Washington D.C. trip), I finally got it done and sent it in to Shutterfly. Even I was surprised at how great it turned out. Not bad for a first timer!! To check out the whole book, click here.

I got extra spoiled as well for our anniversary--forget chocolates, jewelry, etc. Daren knows how to speak my love language and got me a new lens for my camera. It has been an amazing 15 years together already, and looking forward to so many more!!!

ripped

I was sitting on Jake's bed with Will on my lap after our nighttime prayers tonight, just settling in to read a book before bed, when Ben came in the room. He walked over to Jake's "journal," picked it up, and said to Jake, "Jake, because I am your very best friend, can I please read your journal?" Jake thought about it for a sec, and then replied, "sure." Immediately Will crumbled down, seemingly heartbroken, and wailed to Jake, "But Jake, I thought I was your best friend. Now my heart is ripped!!" Jake couldn't help but to laugh out loud because it was so cute and funny (I tried to contain my laughter), but Will was not amused.

remembering titanic

April 14, 1912: The Titanic hit an iceberg at approximately 11:40pm, and sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean at approximately 2:20am, on April 15, 1912. Almost 98 years later...

...on Saturday, April 10, 2010, the boys and I were eating breakfast, when Ben suddenly sat up straight with a start and exclaimed, "Mom! Today the Titanic left England. We need to have a celebration at noon!!" After I explained time zones, that it was well past noon in England, blah, blah, blah, he slumped back down in his chair a wee bit disappointed. I had to think quickly, so before I knew it I told Ben, "I think we need to have a celebration on the day it hits the iceberg." He and Jake immediately lit up, and a celebration was in the works.

I spent the next few days scouring the internet for ideas for a Titanic party, and then ran all over town to find supplies, only to be disappointed by the limited selection, but I did manage to find a few things to decorate with. On Wednesday, April 14, 2010, while Ben was at scouts and the twins were playing at Danielle's (Daren was at the fire station), I set up the ship with portholes and our best china (some of which, like the Titanic, had never been used before this day). When they all came home, I told them to change into their best clothes because we were going to a party.

When the boys came upstairs, they were met by me, the ship's waitress (dressed in all-black with a white apron), who told them they were going to dinner on the Titanic. Everyone's eyes grew huge and they ran to find their seats.


Just before dinner started, I looked over to the timer and saw that the rice was almost done and then *zap* the power went out. We waited and waited and nothing. We had to nix a couple of the courses, but still ended up with a great dinner. I have no experience as a waitress, but I have eaten out enough times to know what it takes to make a good one, and I made sure the boys had plenty of food, drinks, and checked often with them to see if they needed anything. Ben told me later that he LOVED it when I talked to them like that--"Do you need anything else, sir?"


I did my best to make Titanic cupcakes for dessert, and they seemed to turn out ok. I had plans to read Titanic books after dinner, but we had to spend our time scouring the house for flashlights and lanterns. When we finally found them all, the power came back on, of course, and then it was time for bed. Even with the power out for over two hours, the party was a success. I already have plans for a big party in a couple years for the centennial anniversary of the Titanic sinking, so I'd better get started now.

spring skiing

Some years spring skiing consists of dodging trees and rocks by now, but not this year. The 2-day storm we got at the beginning of last week dropped 50" of white gold on Alta. We got bumped out of the twins last lesson last week because the canyons were closed all day for avalanche control, so we made up for it yesterday. Snow was a bit slushy, but all in all, it looked pretty amazing and it was not very typical for this time of year.

Will and Jake were the ONLY two kids in ski school yesterday afternoon! It made up for the fact that they were in a jam-packed class last time, right before spring break. They and their teacher are those little dots at the top of the hill.

Jake can't EVER keep a straight face!

going for a magic carpet ride!

In the meantime, Daren and Ben spent the afternoon skiing together. I'm usually the one to go with Ben, but I thought it would be fun for Daren to ski with him on our last trip up this season, plus I wanted to take pictures and watch the twins in their lesson. Daren and Ben got all area passes from the twins class, and Daren took Ben on his first Black Diamond run (see above picture Daren took of Ben on his cell phone). Ben was so excited to tell me about it.

I love Daren's blonde curls!!

After Jake was done with his lessons he wanted to go up the real ski lift with Daren. He was thrilled Daren and Ben took him up. (another photo on the trail from Daren's phone)

Here they are, tiny specs on the hill, slowly making their way down.

By the end of the afternoon it was snowing like crazy. (Just saw the news tonight and Alta picked up another 15" out of yesterday and today's storms.) What a way to end our season!!

easter

easter eve

We had such a fun Easter weekend, spending lots of time with family. First up was the annual Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt at Brenda's house Saturday night. We started with haircuts there, and then on to the hunt. I didn't get any great pictures outside, but there were definitely some fun ones inside.

Anticipating the hunt!

Will finished his hunt early after he realized he didn't get the golden egg. He snuck inside to open his eggs and eat as much candy as he could before anyone realized he was missing!! I think he finished off most of his candy.

the loot

Daren was at the fire station so he missed out

easter day

It was a beautiful Easter morning with about 2 inches of new snow outside, the sun peeking through, and boys sleeping in. Once they woke up they were on the hunt for their baskets--the Easter bunny was kind of lazy this year because it didn't send them on a very long hunt, what a rip-off!
Daren brought the boys home a surprise from the fire station: each of them got their own Camelbak backpacks. They were so excited and were ready to go on a hike then and there!

We went to Brandon and Lori's for lunch and an easter egg hunt that day--more family good times!!


After we "hid" all the eggs outside in plain sight, Grandma gave bags and instructions to each kid, and then off they went.

What a haul!

Ben LOVES getting tickled by Grandma--it's their thing.

Jake tried showing Sydney how easy it is to ride a skateboard...especially when it's on a downslope. "See, there's nothing to it!"

The afternoon ended with a ride in Baby Blue--what a sweet truck!

I'm so glad Easter is over and most of the sugar is gone. Now I don't have to be tempted

by any more Cadbury Eggs...except for the ones I have hidden in my office to finish!

tooth fairy please

Since I didn't get around to posting this before, I had to do it now because it is worthy of it's own post. Lately Jake has been losing teeth so fast that the tooth fairy can hardly keep up. A couple weeks ago Jake got off the school bus holding his mouth closed in a weird way, so I knew something was up. When he finally smiled there was a big red hole in his mouth, because he had just lost it while eating an ice cream cone right before he got on the bus to come home.

A few days later he came home from school with a tooth that was literally hanging on by a thread. It kept hanging in there, and Jake loved grossing me out by opening his mouth and wiggling it every which way. I hate loose teeth; something about them are so gross!! I tried to be brave and help him pull it out with a long string, which we tied on to it.

Daren said Jake looks like a pumpkin face with so many teeth missing right now. Jake grabbed his own baggie and wrote a note to the tooth fairy, which deciphered says: "To Tooth Fairy. Please give me $90 please. I'll leave you $5 please." The tooth fairy came up quite a bit short, but Jake still was happy to find that the Tooth Fairy remembered him this time!

finally, it's spring...I mean snowing

I have lived in Utah for most of my life, and I continue to be amazed at what can happen during the springtime here. It was around 60+ degrees on Monday and Tuesday, and then this is what it looked like by the time Will got home from school at 11am Wednesday morning.

Will came in from the bus, dropped his backpack, and asked for his snow boots and snow pants and was out in the backyard less than 5 minutes later. Can you tell we had our lawn aerated the day before?! It was a dirty snowman.
The snowball for the snowman started clear on the other side of the yard and wound it's way around. Will pointed out that it looked like a snake with a long tail.
Will has been waiting since Christmas for another snowstorm to build a snowman, so we built it as big as we could so it would last...at least for a couple of days.
Will's finishing touches was the carrot nose and then drawing on his smile. Poor guy tipped over within a couple of hours, and now 3 days later it has almost completely melted. That's ok, though, because the grass is starting to grow and turn green--just in time for more snowstorms coming soon!