Apple of my Eye

Okay so it all started when my friend Natalie gave me a couple boxes of apples from her mom's tree and then just went crazy from there! I had all these apples so I thought I would do some home canning and make applesauce,( 20 quarts)then I got a little more adventurous and tried some apple pie filling, which by the way we had at our 4th of July bbq and was delicious! (7 quarts) and if that wasn't enough I had to try making apple butter too! (12 pints) So needless to say with 3 crockpots going all the time my house has smelled like apples for over a week now! I quickly used up the apples Natalie gave me once I got into it and had to go over to my Uncle Lowell's house to get another whole laundry basket full and that was just from him shaking the tree and had fallen off! Thankfully though I have had the help of my sister Heather and of course Rory loved doing the peeler/corer/slicer! Paige wanted to help too but her idea of helping was going to get the apples out of the basket and see if they bounced like her ball or just taste testing one bite each! Anyway I know it is important to be prepared and have some things in reserve but I have to admit I LIKE doing it and am having a lot of fun seeing the "fruits" of my labors! So if anyone is interested in doing some apples I'm sure I could go get another load from my uncle and I haven't even done fruit leather or dried apples yet! I know I'm an addict...happy canning!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a wonderful Fourth of July and hope you all did too! My family and Mike's parents and Aunt came over to our house at about 10:30am to go swimming and then about 1pm we got out and had a BBQ back at our house. It was a lot of fun and there was a lot of food and I even had an All American Apple Pie for desert! We hung around until about 4pm and then people cleared out and I cleaned up then later that night Mike's parents came back over at 9pm to go with Rory to see the fireworks. Paige had already been in bed for a couple hours and we were going to wake her up to go too but Mike decided to stay home and I went with Rory. We just drove about 2 miles down Southern and pulled off the road, I don't know where they we shooting them off from but we had a good view and Rory was so funny, she just kept yelling out with excitement and asking each of us if we saw it too, man you gotta love holidays with kids!

I love my Husband

This is a little late in coming but I wanted to show you the BEAUTIFUL Roses Mike got me for our anniversary! Seriously they were amazing and lasted forever, even Rory and Paige couldn't take their eye's off them! As of June 6th, we have been married for 5 years and have loved every minute of it! Everyone told us the first year is the hardest and when we hit 1 year they told us the first 5 years are the hardest so now that we have hit that milestone I can look back and say if those years are supposed to be the hardest then bring it on because we've got nothing but blue skies ahead! Honestly we couldn't have had an easier road! Mike is such a wonderful husband! He is so low key that even when I freak out things are okay because he doesn't let it bother him! He is also the best father because he is still a kid at heart too! He loves to play and tease and I love to see him do it! I love you Michael Paul, always and forever!

Pickle Puss

Okay so I guess my kid loves the cuke family!

So remember the pictures of Paige eating cucumbers? I guess she couldn't get enough! Here are some of her chomping down on a huge dill pickle!

No sour faces here, she loved it! For some reason starting a couple months ago I stared calling Paige my little pickle just as term of endearment, now I guess I know why!

Cucumber Cuties

We had cucumbers for dinner the other night and it started out with Paige stuffing so many in her mouth that she could hardly close it and all the while juice is just pouring down her chin! Now as if that wasn’t funny enough Rory had to get in on the action so she puts them on her eyes and says “look I’m Yzma!” Now for those of you who may not watch Disney movies 24-7 she is the “bad guy” in Emperors New Groove! So needless to say we had a pretty entertaining dinner and who says kids won’t eat their vegetables! (I’m having trouble uploading pictures for some reason so the check out the slide show instead!)

Cucumber Cuties

Here are some more of our Snorkeling Pic's

Baja Baby!

Okay here is my review of our first cruise! It was great! We went on a 5 day cruise down the Baja for our 5th anniversary and my youngest sister Joanna and her husband Jared came along for their 1st anniversary/honeymoon since they missed the boat for their honeymoon and didn't get to go!

We left San Diego Monday afternoon and were at Sea all day Tuesday then hit Cabo San Lucas on Wednesday, at Sea again Thursday and Ensanada on Friday then back to San Diego Saturday. It was a lot of fun and can you say FOOD! Seriously I think you could go just for the food and it would be worth it! They say on average a person gains 7 pounds per cruise and I believe it! Tuesday night was formal night where they had a reception to meet the captain but mostly just give everyone the opportunity to get dressed up and take pictures like going to the Prom.

In Cabo we took a catamaran about 8 miles down the coast to a place called Chelino Bay where we went snorkeling. We swam around for about and hour and a half just checking out the sea life it was pretty cool!

Then we got back to the pier and found a guy to "make us fly like a chicken" aka para sailing, that was cool too, not as big of a rush as I thought it might be but still fun! They took us out and we took off siting right on the back of the boat then when the reeled you back in you just sat down on the back of the boat again you didn't ever even get wet!

After that we went into town to eat at Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar's (the former front man for Van Halen) restaurant, then walked around town and shopped a bit before heading back to the ship
In Ensanada we took a tour of the Riviera Pacifico which was built in 1932 as a casino and Al Capone was one of the original owners and they had lots of famous people there all the time during its day but the mexican govt. outlawed gambling soon there after and it is used as a civic center now and gambling was just recently allowed again in the last couple years.

Then we went to La Bufadora or the Blowhole, I guess there are only 3 in the world and Ensanada has one of them, it is where the waves rush into a cave and build up air pressure until it can't hold it anymore and then blows like a geyser.

Over all we had a great time and would totally do it again! Next time you all will have to come with us, the more the merrier!

Congratulations Savannah!!!

My oldest niece, Savannah, just graduated from 8th grade! I can't believe she is going to high school already! Time sure flies, Jason & Melissa, you did a good job with her!

Sweet Angel

I know I said my next post would be about the cruise and I promise I will once I get all our pictures organized but I just had to post this in my amazement of the sweet little angel girl I have as a daughter. I was just upstairs helping Rory get ready for bed and she was saying her prayers and these are some of the things she said; I'm thankful for Paige that she could come here as a baby; please help me to grow up big so I can get married and be a mom; Help me to do all of the things that are my size and play with the kids my size; and this is the clincher... (mike's sister and husband have been married for 10 years and haven't been able to have any kids on their own, his sister just recently had surgery and is going to be able to try fertility again the first part of next year but this is what Rory said...) Please bless Cindy and Doug that they can have a baby come to them. When I heard her say that I was almost in tears, I totally got choked up and immediately went downstairs and called Cindy to tell her. We haven't even been talking about them trying to have a baby recently but she is so perceptive and has a special bond with her Aunt CeeCee and I know that you couldn't ask for more then the prayers of little girl like her!

Cruise'n

So any of you cruisers out there I'm looking for advice, Mike and I are going on our first cruise next week to celebrate our 5th anniversary! We are doing a 5 day Baja tour and stopping in Cabo and Ensanada. So what should we bring, what shouldn't we bring? Any shore excursions you recommend, you know just about anything you can tell us will be more then we know now! Anyway we are excited and will have to post lots of pictures when we get back!

My Little Dancing Queen

Rory had her first "real" dance recital on Saturday afternoon. Now I say real because the lady who teaches her class has like 15 other classes and held the recital in the cultural hall of her stake center and let me just tell you it was PACKED!!!! I was there a half an hour before it started and was standing at the very back! We had to go look in classrooms to find extra chairs and even then it was hard to squeeze them in! So next year I will know better and have to camp out overnight or something so I can get close enough to even see my kid perform! It was fun though and she did two different numbers, How much is that Doggie in the Window with tap shoes and Que Sera Sera with ballet shoes. They were so cute and she was so excited! When she came down off stage after doing their second song she said "I want to go back and do it again!" She has had a taste of the lime light and is hooked, not that I thought it would be any other way I mean have you met my kid, she is all about preforming!

Rory's Dance Recital Slide Show

Lazy Days of Summer

Rory, Paige and their cousin Damien just kick'n back on grandmas new hammock!

Happy Birthday Honey!

Mike turned the big 3-0!!! on May 9th, so in order to help him celebrate Rory helped me make German pancakes for breakfast and was all excited until we took them out of the oven!

She looked at them and said these don't look like pancakes! Then she said " Mom, for my birthday can I just have circle pancakes?" But I think she changed her tune because when she went upstairs to get Mike, she told him we made pancakes that looked like a castle! Plus once she ate them all doubts about their looks were gone!Then that afternoon we had his family over for a BBQ/swim party to help celebrate! And later that night we went to another BBQ with some friends in the ward (they didn't know it was Mike's B-day, but happened to have a cake so it worked out) Thanks Greg & Bethanie!

Mother's Day Addendum

Okay so I didn't escape the motherhood call of duty like I thought. Tonight when I was putting Paige to bed, I was rocking her and just about to put her in bed and she threw up all over me! I called for Mike to come clean up the chair and the floor while I took Paige to the bathroom and put her in the tub. Mike said there wasn't much to clean up in the room and I think that is because most of it was on me needless to say as soon as the bath was over a load of laundry was started! Oh the joy's of motherhood, but you know I wouldn't trade them for the world!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hey all you Mom's out there hope you have a good one! I do have to say I'm grateful to be a mom and in fact we got to experience one of the joy's of Motherhood on the way to church this morning! Just as we pulled into the parking lot of the church, Paige threw up everywhere! Since I am the primary chorister I had to be there for sacrament meeting because the kids were singing some Mother's Day songs and since it is "my day" Mike being the wonderful dad that he stepped in. He dropped Rory and I off and took Paige home to clean up her, her car seat, his suit coat and the car! I'm sorry he had to miss Rory singing up in front for the first time and even more sorry my little Paige is sick but I'm grateful to be a mom and even more grateful not to be a single mom!

Rachel Portokalos

Which Movie Mom Are You?

Rachel, your movie mom match is My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Maria Portokalos Maria Portokalos may not have been the focus of the movie, but that's the only way she would have had it. You, like Maria, are the backbone of your family, but you do it without ever wanting to be the center of attention. You know what we're talking about — your kids always seek out your well-thought-out and sincere advice, and your husband knows who really wears the pants in your house.You consider motherhood a delicate balancing act — you're strong and tough when necessary, but it's tempered with love and respect. Fiercely loyal, you always act with your family's best interest at heart. And that's just the way you want it.

Balloons Anyone?

My sister Heather posted this on her blog and I thought I would pass it along to my groupies and try and help them get the word out. Matt, Heather's hubbie is a balloon artist ( I guess that is what you call them) and used to resturants back in the day but stopped for a while ANYWAY he has decided to get back into the balloon circuit but would like to do birthday parties this time around. He is really good with both balloons and kids! He even made an acutally full size wedding dress, that a girl wore, all out of balloons! He is doing parties for $70 for the first hour and $35 for the second and any after. He can do them mostly just on Saturdays but if you have an evening party he can do those as well after 7. These are just a few examples of what he can do, so if you are interested or know someone who is let us know!

Better Late then Never...

I know Easter was a while ago but I was just looking at these pictures of my girls and think they are just adorable so I have to post them anyway even if we are a month late!