Spring is really making me want to get out my camera! Also, we've had so many big events lately.  Ayla was recently baptized.  It was really special because we had so many family members and friends come.  We also had chilli and every yummy thing Dan could make in two or three days time.  I made Dreamsicle cupcakes.  I used cheesecake pudding mix in a white cake batter, along with some modifications I found online like using butter instead of oil.  Then I whipped some cream cheese and orange kool aid into the buttercream frosting.  I thought they were yummy!  My friend Leslie sewed a special dress for Ayla.  I helped pick out the style and fabric, Ayla wanted teal or blue in it, and this is what Leslie came up with.  She's magical.  http://leslielheroncouture.blogspot.com/
Savy had a rainbow-riffic St. Patrick's day birthday party.  It was very fun but so much work that afterwards I wondered why I went to so much effort for 6 yr. olds who may or may not have noticed that I painstakingly crafted rainbow poofs and a cutesy banner etc. etc.  I think they all had fun though. 
Katia got glasses.  She looks so cute in them.  The nice thing is a few of her friends wear them, so it was no big deal for her.  She's just so excited to be able to see everything clearly.  Dan finally got some new glasses today too.  The guys at the store formerly known as Cheaper Peepers, who always remember us by name and insurance no matter how long it's been, said they hadn't seen Dan in awhile.  I told them that was because they hooked him up with those glasses that never break.  And I hate those glasses!  The ones he had before reminded me of HRG (that's Horn Rimmed Glasses) from Heroes, RIP.  Then he got the boring ones.  Anyway this time he went all the way and got really dark rimmed ones.  I think he got them so he could look like Clark Kent.   He and his brother are always fighting over who gets to be Superman for some reason.  So I think he wins now.  I'll have to get a picture of him after he picks them up.  And I even got sunglasses so I can be one of the cool ladies at the park who make you nervous because you don't know where to look when you talk to them because you can't see their eyes. 
Well, one more day until the lovely weather comes back!!!

At Peace with my Kindle...Mostly.

So for Valentines Day Dan gave me a Kindle.  I was surprised because I've always said I didn't need one of those.  I like to hold a real book in my hands.  There's just something more genuine about that, and these days I seem to always have a battle in my heart to try to keep some real-ness around me in a world full of plastics and composites and personality-less chain stores (which I must admit I shop at).  And of course in my mind a book is associated with being in a book store or library where you can smell the books and feel the pages or curling up in a chair with a cup of cocoa and a sense of blissful calm.  I finally decided to keep it and I must admit I like it.  The kids love the games. I love flicking to the next page of a Neil Gaiman book that I only paid $4 for  with a slight brush of my pinky finger.  I love that I can browse Pinterest or maybe even catch up on Downton Abbey from my bathtub.  However, there are still a lot of books I'd rather buy used than pay $12 for, regardless of the instant gratification.  Often I can buy them on Amazon and have an actual book for less.  I have been buying a lot of used books lately though, and they do take up a lot of space.  Maybe it won't hurt to keep some of my library in a more compact location.  I do hope that soon someone cares enough to make a good web browsing content blocker, I did some research and they all look crappy.  Anyway, on to my super glue craft.  To make peace with myself  I made a Kindle holder out of an old book.  I tried to dig a hole in the book but it was too small and the edges kept ripping.  So I just removed a chunk of the pages and super glued some fabric on there.  One of the chapters was titled, "In which Andrew Reale improves an aquaintance and eats one magic dinner than is supposed to be healthy for a young man."  When I saw that I felt bad for destroying a book with such delightful chapter titles.  The Kindle does slide down in there even though it doesn't look like it in the photos.  I'd like to make a little velcro strap to hold it in safely, but we didn't have any, so this will have to do for now.  I did favorite a bunch of fabric cases on Etsy, and I will probably buy one eventually.  They are very cute and will bring me joy.
I also want to attach a picture of the faux fireplace Dan made me!  Please disregard the above segment in which I expressed my loathing for all that is not genuine.  BUT that is an antique piece there in the middle which I purchased off Etsy.  Can you imagine it in an old home somewhere very far east of Idaho many years ago?  That makes it okay, right?   I'm so proud of Dan, and so happy to have this up! Love it!

Valentine's Day Sweets

I made a goal recently.  Not the one where I eat green smoothies and loose weight, but a different one, where I learn to make beautiful cupcakes.  It's a plus if they taste good as well.  So I'm here to report that I think I did it! That was a much easier, and more enjoyable goal to attain than some of those others.  The keys were buying some equipment and learning to make buttercream frosting. I always wondered what makes buttercream different from the frosting I usually make.  Turns out, the answer is a lot more butter!
For equipment I first tried a $10 cupcake kit from Target.  It was pretty nice.  It had an easy handle you squeeze and came with a few tips.  Everything was made of plastic, though.  The second time I used it one of the connecting pieces snapped.  I had put something on in the wrong order, but I don't think it should have broken so easily.  So I took that back and bought one at Michaels.  It was $34 but I printed out a half off coupon.  Most of it is metal, except for the connectors, but those are thicker at least.  You push with your thumb on this one.  The only down side is I think your thumb could get pretty tired if the frosting or filling is thick or you have to do a lot of cupcakes!  There are less pieces to put together.  Overall it's a thumbs up!
So it seems the key to buttercream is you have to put your room temperature butter and shortening if you choose (some swear by it, other shun it), and cream cheese if you want it, in the blender and let it whip up for five minutes or so.  Then add your powdered sugar gradually, then vanilla, and whatever else you want.  I think the recipe I first tried was a cup of butter, cup shortening, 5 cups pwd. sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup or so cocoa powder (opt.) I'm excited to try some more variations.
SoI have to share what I made for Katia's Valentine's party at school.  I used a stick of butter, cup of shortening, didn't measure the powdered sugar but used extra and added a few tablespoons of milk to make it go farther, vanilla, and part of a packet of tropical punch Kool-Aid.  I thought it was super yummy, and fun for kids!

Enough

I thought this time I'd post some family pics and New Yearsy thoughts.  I was reading a blog earlier and it said you're supposed to pick a word for the year, that would inspire you to improve something in your life.  The first word that popped into my head, probably because I was thinking about it last night, was "enough." Not my usual "enough" as in "It's a good enough thing," but is what I'm doing enough. Not to be negative, I just feel like it's time to step things up a notch.  Is the attention I'm giving my kids enough?  Am I teaching them (by word AND example) enough?  Am I signing up or offering to volunteer when I can? Am I doing things, spiritually speaking, that I know I'm supposed to do but have let slip?  I hope I keep this word in my head when I'm tempted to be lazy instead of taking opportunities to be what I should be.  And I guess this could extend to, "That's enough ice cream, thank you."  The end.

  

 My favorite kind of mom photo.  How many times have we looked down and seen this?  And I have to admit, it's usually associated with frustration because when they go through this phase, it's not always easy.

Leave it to Savy to ask for a bb gun.  Needless to say she got a pop gun and they all got nerf guns.  She slept with this thing like a teddy bear.

Here are some Christmas and miscellaneous pics, just for fun! I tried to give some of them a retro look, but I'm not sure I fully succeeded.

Family Picture Time!

Whenever I do family pictures, I have new empathy for my clients.  It is hard for parents! My friend Leslie helped us out with these.  Of course we tried to do it when the light was almost gone and it was too cold for the kids.  I think, somehow, we got a couple family pics that I like.  I got a few cute ones of the kids but wish I'd had more time.  I didn't even get to Ellis!

Yummy Cookie Recipe

How about a recipe post today.  My husband makes these amazing cookies for me on a regular basis.  I can't resist them.  Unlike some recipes, they're super tasty the next day too, so they're extra dangerous.  They have some texture to them, so that's kindof nice for a change.  I wouldn't be surprised if he adds extra chocolate for me. * I realized that my man altered this recipe quite a bit, so I made the necessary changes 3/20

Monster Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet choc chips
1 cup m&m's

preheat to 350
cream together butter and sugars until smooth, beat in eggs one at a time then stir in vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and rolled oats: stir into the sugar mixture.  Mix in chocolate, drop by tbsp. onto baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 11 min., if you like them chewy, take them out before they look done.

Mischief Managed

Just thought I'd post a couple of Halloween picture for fun.  We have a Luna Lovegood, A Zombie, Coraline Jones, and a couple of princesses.  Savy actually wanted to be a plastic bag for Halloween.  I was for it, except for the safety concern of having a plastic bag over her head.  That's all she would settle for, by the way, none of this pulling it down over her head like a shirt. She screamed for at least ten minutes when we tried that. For some reason when Katia explained the dangers of wearing plastic over your head it suddenly made sense to her, that and the embellishment that if you didn't wear a good enough costume people woudn't give you as much candy.  Big sisters know so much more than parents.  At least she values originality.  Honestly I'm sure she would have been fine with the bag, but if nothing else I wasn't going to have other parents looking at me like, "So, us good parents never put plastic over our children's heads." Come to think of it last year she wanted to be a box, but became distracted by a Super Girl costume in the store.  The kids are old enough to do some of the creating now, they did pretty well.  I think we only paid for makeup this year too, so that's awesome.  Also, I had to try some of the sugar skull day of the day makeup.  Very fun, I can totally see photo shoot possibilities.

Also, Dan and I watched Night of the Living Dead, the old black and white one.  Quite shocking, at least it must have been back then.  It was actually pretty cool, except that most of the women were pretty much only good for balling up in a corner or getting other people killed. There was one that was worth something, but it didn't do her much good in the long run.  Well, now I can say I've seen it!  Onto the next holiday! Yay for turkey!