Make Up is Not Cheap!

Which is why when the house gets really quiet and no one knows where Eliza is I start to panic. I have lost quiet a bit of make-up by it being dumped out by little hands. You would think I would learn quicker and put my make up high. I blame it on the fact that I am not a morning person, therefore not awake enough to remember to do this. Eliza has really found a new love of make up, especially lip gloss, which she likes to call lips, "I need some lips, please" she will say. I have walked in on her several times with the reddest checks and the biggest clowns lips. She doesn't do much with the eyes yet, she likes to put everything and every color on her lips. The other day I was heading to the store. As I was heading out the door Eliza came running saying "I come, I come" not as a question but a statement. I felt so bad because she wasn't feeling well, so I knew her coming was out of the question. I told her I would bring her home a treat. While at the store I thought what better treat than her on lips (a lite color of course) She was pretty excited. Here is a picture of her handy work!!! I think she used the whole tub in one sitting!

What a Doll Baby!

New House on the Block!

My parents water heater went out
which of course can only mean one thing.
The little ones got a new play house for the week!

We put 2 windows on one side and a door on the other side.

They where so cute. They colored pretty pictures all over it!




They had fun playing inside!
(even Rob got in on the action - that is his hand coming out the window)

Just A Little Update

Well I made it to 4 miles today! and I wasn't dieing, that had to be the best part. I don't do any exercising on Saturday or Sunday, so I am really well rested by the time Monday gets here. I figured if I was going to try for 4 miles It should be today.

Recipe of the Week - Oatmeal Chip Cookies!

Oatmeal Chip Cookies! (One of my Favorite Cookies)

Cream Well

2 Cups Butter at room temp.
1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cups Sugar

Add:

4 Large Eggs

Beat Until Creamy, Then Add:

2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla

Blend Well Then Stir in the Remaining Ingredients

4 C. Flour
3 1/2 Cups Oats
1- 6 oz bag White Chocolate Chips
1- 6 oz. bag Butterscotch Chips


Place on Greased Cookie Sheet or Parchment Paper

Bake at 350 for 12 Minutes. Let Set Up on Pan for 5 Min. Then Transfer to a Cooling Rack

So Yummy!!!

I'm So Excited!!!!!

I upped my mileage and ran three miles yesterday!!! Yea for me!! I can usually only get to two miles and then my body dies out. Today I really pushed myself to keep going, I thought I was going to die, but it felt so good when I got to the three mile mark. Now granted it was on a treadmill, which is not as hard as huffing it outside. But maybe by the time Spring gets here, and decides to stay, I will be able to run outside without embarrassing myself!

I later paid for it when my asthma flared up, at six in the morning, but I kind of knew that was coming - darn asthma!! I used to love running and really want to get back to that place in my life. I know by pushing myself little by little I will get there. Just wish my sister Denise was closer, then I would have a running buddy.

Janel is really into spinning (indoor cycling) and tried really hard to talk me into it. I went a few times but my asthma kicked in from the start. That's strange that cycling would trigger my asthma quicker than running. Also by butt hurt so bad!!! Later we were talking (laughing really) about how long it took for your butt to stop hurting. I concluded that mine stopped hurting when I stopped going - worked for me!! It's a hard sport, but it burns a lot of calories, which is why Janel always looks so darn good!!!

Take a Deep Breath - Here is my Update!

Pretty Sad that I am finally getting around to updating my blog and I am starting with a photo about our first snow fall, with spring right around the corner. Now I can't even stand the sight of snow!!!! I keep hoping Spring will just come already - I think it's trying to make it's way here. Anyway the first Snow fall didn't bring a lot of snow, but it did bring enough to make a baby snowman. Eliza helped me, she was so cute to watch her reaction to the snow. With her help as with all little kids, she actually ended up decapitating the baby snowman, but we got the head back on. I think Janel got that part on film. The birds took off with the carrot nose and twig arms by the next day, but we had fun!




Then came Christmas!!! Which meant Denise and her darling family came to visit. I had been looking forward to this visit all year! I think one of the things I like best when they come is just staying up late talking, like we used to do growing up. Some of our conversations get a little zany, which is when the guys make an exit!!

Denise is showing off her apron that mom made! -- Very Cute
Mom always make one homemade gift for us, which we always look forward to!

Alexa got a cash register- what a cuttie, she sure can light up a room!

Eliza in her new Kitchen! She was making up orders all day, her specialty is Grilled Cheese!



Tess showing off her MP3 player, that she was so excited to get!



And here is Grace with her new baby doll, she was the envy of all the little ones!



And my favorite gift was- An advent Calendar that my Mother made. She actually made one for all the grand babies. I was afraid that by the time I have kids she would be worn out and wouldn't want to make any more. I kept making her promise that she would make me one when I had kids. When we would go shopping she would point to other advent calendars (ones not as cute) and say wouldn't this be OK? I thought for sure I would never get one, so it was a great surprise when I opened this up! There are 25 tiny pockets with hand embroidered very detailed pictures on each one, with surprises inside. One pocket held the presser foot for my sewing machine that I had been wanting! Very cute, my Mother does such a good job. The other gifts that I really liked were new running shoes. I went with a new brand (new to me) - Asics, and I really like them. They are now dirty which I hate! I tried to keep them clean, I think I can run better when they're clean, funny I know! And the Hollinger family gave me a beautiful necklace, that seems almost too fancy to wear!




For the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend we headed up to Aspen Grove!
We had a lot of fun. Mostly we just hung out inside and worked on projects -crochet, needle work, watched MacGyver- Mom. We are not really snow people or should I say cold people so we didn't do any skiing. It was just fun to get away!


Mom working on a puzzle!


Everyone else getting in on the puzzle! It was a Fall Amish scene, so it was pretty difficult. We needed the expertise of the babies for sure!

We did try to go sledding the first night. It got dark pretty quick and then the babies got scared. We were able to go down the hill a few times. Apparently when Ammon and my dad went down the hill with the babies they put their feet or hands down on the snow to slow them down. No one informed me of this. So when I went down with Eliza we went flying. At one point we were airborne, landed with a thud, up onto the side of the sled and then finally straightened out. Everyone watching thought we for sure were going to wipe out. Needless to say Eliza was done after that! It didn't help that because it was getting dark it was hard to see where we were going and what was in front of us, so when we did hit the bump that sent us into the air it was quite the surprise!!!

Here is the little play house that is so lovingly referred to as "boggy house" I am sure there is something wrong with me, but then again it runs in the family-we like to scare the little one. Janel and I took a short cut to the the play area and hide inside the house. We closed up the shutters and when everyone got close we through them open and screamed! It didn't faze Eliza, she's used to it, but Grace didn't want to go near the house after that, too much scaring!! Here she is with her daddy slowing getting closer and closer, she did end up going inside!

Most of the kids area was covered in Snow. Here is the Pirate Ship that they could climb on.

On the other side of the park is a small western town. Half of the shops were closed up, but a few were open.


Here is Eliza and Grace in Jail!

And the guys of course found their own entertainment. On top of the school house was a bell. The game was who ever hit the bell with a snowball first and got it to ring, won. Sorry guys I can't remember who won!



And to some it all up Here is baby Johnathan or baby John-un as Eliza likes to call him. He is a really cute baby. Such a cute round head. He seemed to be chunky right from birth, which is the way I like babies, they are cuter that way. I don't know how Jillian feels about giving birth to a chunkster, but he's here!


Eliza was so cute after she got to see baby Johnathan for the first time. She kept asking when her turn was to hold him. Before she met him she would carry her dolls around by their arms, but now she tenderly holds her baby doll in her arms.



I will really try hard to keep you updated Denise, but don't hold your breath!!!!!

Gingerbread House's

I guess I should get these posted before Christmas is over. I have been so busy at work and now I am just really tired. It just doesn't seem to slow down.

This year I decided to make Disney themed Gingerbread House's. All the Grand babies are in Utah this year for Christmas and they are all at the princess loving age, and now also Mickey Mouse. Tess' favorite is Aurora from sleeping beauty, Eliza likes Cinderella with Aurora coming in as a close second, Grace love Mickey Mouse and Lexa loves Cinderella. We are also planning a family trip to Disneyland next year so I thought it would be a fun kick off to get everyone excited.

Everything is edible, except the glue that holds the houses together. I hot glue it together, it's faster that way. And really who wants to eat it after it has been sitting out for a month?

This is Mickey's Play house

The Side of Mickey's House

Cinderella's Castle

Daisy's Flower Shop

The icing for the front bushes was to runny. I meant to
thicken it, but through it away and then I didn't want to make more.
Which is why there is a green mark.
Oh well, like Tess says, "We can pretend"

The side of Daisy's House.