I'll Tell You One Thing.....

Happy Love Day!

2012-02-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Valentine's Day! I like Valentine's Day. I look forward to getting little goodies for the kids and I of course look forward to my traditional chocolate covered strawberries from Kelly! Yum!

Monday night we spent the evening making preparations for the boys' class parties.

We did the brownies for their teachers. I found the "Shooting For Brownie Points" from a cute blog.

We also tied 50+ friendship bracelets for their classmates. Making that many bracelets ended up being a lot of work for mom because the boys don't quite know how to braid! But it was fun and it brought back memories of me making them when I was younger! And I should give some credit to Kelly, he was a big help too!

The kids were excited to wake up to their balloons and valentines from mom and dad. I did forget to get a picture of the boys before they left for school. Ooops!

After school was out and the kids rummaged through their valentines, Kelly and I went out on a date! We went to dinner and a movie with some friends and we had a great time. Connor babysat (with the help and supervision of Grandma) and we came home to all the children in their jammies. Connor and Carson also managed to change Jace's diaper! What a surprise!

When Christmas was over and we were putting away the many decorations, Katelyn asked me what decorations we could put out next. It dawned on my that the only decoration I had for Valentine's Day was heart shaped door hanger. So, during the last several weeks I was determined to add to my collection!

The conversation hearts came from The Wood Connection. Love that place! And the easiest craft project one can do is a printable! I got this one from Pinterest. You just upload it to your computer and send it to your favorite photo lab. Find a frame and voila, you have a cute craft!

Thanks to my Kohl's Cash, I picked up this cute heart shape wreath!

And my new obsession is Groopdealz. That is where this cute "Love" banner came from!

So that was how we celebrated and decorated for Valentine's Day! Next up is St. Patrick's Day and I know I don't have any decorations for that! There may be a trip to The Wood Connection in my future!

Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

2012-01-20T09:47:00.001-07:00

Have you ever seen a recipe that looks so yummy but you are afraid to make it? What if it doesn't taste nearly as good as it looks? Well, I am guilty of this. I usually need to try it from someone first or be told that it is absolutely to die for!

Last night I went ahead and made something that I saw on Pinterest. It was super yummy and I will go ahead and confess that I had a piece for breakfast!

You can click here for the step by step recipe. Mine doesn't exactly look the same but it sure tasted good! I think I let my pudding set up too much before I poured it over the cake. The cake ended up being more like a brownie. So, in case you are like me, and skeptical to make a new recipe, just know this is a must try!

Jace

2012-01-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

There is no question how much I love this little boy........

And there is no denying that his cute and happy moments make it possible to survive his not so cute an happy moments!

If you didn't know already, well, Jace is a handful! You can see by the wound on his eye that he is always up to something!

He keeps me running (sometimes sprinting) all day long! If he isn't climbing on the counter, then he is making his way up the pantry. If he isn't standing in the fridge looking for a "nack," then he is sitting in the bathroom sink with water filling to the rim! Seriously, it is one thing after the other with this boy.

As of late, he completely despises going to sleep. Getting him down at nap time and bedtime are downright miserable! I probably have a few bald spots from the frustration it causes!

But no matter what, I would never trade him or the crazy adventures for anything! It is because of moments like this picture, that make me smile. Those moments have a way of making me forget all the rough times of the day!

Underneath the tantrums and the climbing and the bathroom floods, he is a sweet and lovable little guy! He loves his "Nonors" (Connor and Carson) and he loves his mom and dad. He loves to swim and loves to play football, and basketball, and soccer, well anything that involves a ball!

He is my little firecracker and I love him so much!

The Rest of December!

2012-01-11T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting about Christmas! Better late than never, I suppose!

We had a great Christmas. Having it on Sunday made it extra special. I love Christmas and getting things for the kids and other loved ones, but I have to admit, I am a little relieved when it is over! I find myself stressing about everything right up until the big day. I check and recheck my lists, making sure everyone has all the appropriate things. I have to make sure that I remember where I hid everything. I am always afraid I am going to leave something out! So, I always feel a little less overwhelmed when it is all said and done. Nevertheless, I love the holiday and spending the day with our family.

Usually I like to get a picture of the kids on the stairs before we let them in the family room, but Kelly took the lead this year and opened the door before I was ready! Oh, well. You can just imagine the sleepy yet excited faces all lined up on the staircase!

Katelyn wanted two things, a Cinderella baby and lipstick! She was so happy to have gotten her doll and she didn't let it out of her sight all day (except for when I made her leave it in the car while we went into church!)

This was the best I could do for a family picture with them all in their pretty clothes. Once we came home from church, taking a photo was the last thing they wanted to do!

And my personal Christmas favorite is this......breakfast!

Our breakfast casserole (otherwise known as "Special Breakfast,") ambrosia, and cinnamon toast. YUM!

And we couldn't end the month without this little sweetie! We had a new baby enter the family. Phoebe made her debut on December 29 (only a week late!) She is so precious and we are so glad that our year ended with her!

December Fun......

2011-12-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

*disclaimer.....don't mind the line spacing. I don't have the patience to figure it out right now!

What is more fun than December activities?! Now that my kids are getting older, it seems like there are a lot of things going on. I love it!

Yesterday, my boys had their school song festival. Here is Carson (middle, top row.)

And Here is Connor (end, middle row.)

Lucky for us, we got there plenty early, so we got the front row! And it was nice that our kids were on the same side we were sitting on. They did so good and it is always a fun way to bring in some Christmas spirit!

Our next family fun activity was going to Winder Dairy for scones and hot chocolate.

That is always a fun time too!

(sorry Mom! I know you will hate me for this picture!)

This is one of my favorite things to do in December. Except, next year I don't think I will pick a Saturday at 6:00 pm. A little too busy! But still fun!

Another highlight of the month was Kate's dance concert. It is also a fun way to bring in the spirit of Christmas.

She did "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." She did such a great job!

What is Christmastime without decorating sugar cookies? This particular time I cheated and we just used the prepared cookie dough. It worked perfect for a last minute cookie decorating activity!

And of course, Kelly has to do something silly and crazy. This time it was squeezing frosting into the kids' mouths!

To start the month out, I gave a shower for my sister in law. She and my oldest brother are about to have their first baby (any day now, hopefully!)

It had been a long time since I had either been to or thrown a baby shower.

I had a fun time gathering ideas (mostly from Pinterest!) We had lots of yummy food and treats. And the company was great too!

This was the table centerpiece and a gift for baby Phoebe's room!

So that has been the month thus far! As Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's approach, we will be having many more family gatherings and traditions. Can't wait!

Temple Square

2011-11-29T11:14:00.001-07:00

Last night we went downtown to see the lights on Temple Square. The last time we saw them, I was pregnant with Connor! So, none of our kids had seen the beautiful lights before!

Last night was such a pleasant evening, we decided to go down for family night. I think the reasons why we haven't been down before was either we lived 700 miles away, or it was just too frigid to take the little ones out. I was grateful that last night was so nice and just our coats were needed!

My favorite red tree!

After the lights we walked across the street to the Church History Museum.

Katelyn loves this place! She loves to play "what do you want to eat?"

Jace and Kate gathering eggs

and doing some dancing!

It was a fun evening!

Thankful.....Day 6

2011-11-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

I am thankful for the funny things my kids say. It makes me laugh and makes me smile and I love it!

Katelyn and I were in the car and she heard a Christmas song. She says to me, "Mom, I love Twinkle Bells!" I couldn't dare correct her, because Twinkle Bells is so much cuter than Jingle Bells!

I also love the way Jace calls his brother Nonnor. And how he makes all sorts of animal sounds!

This morning Connor says "Mom, we get to have Thanksgiving dinner for lunch tomorrow." Then Carson, in all seriousness replies, "we get pancakes for lunch?" What?! It made us laugh!

I love when Carson says "amen" at the end of a book.

Every time Katelyn asks for Mini Meats (Mini Wheats) for breakfast, it makes me smile!

The older boys have started to outgrow the "cutesy" things, but one thing I love, is listening to them pray. Connor's prayers are so thoughtful and Carson thanks Heavenly Father for just about everything there is! I love it!

And whenever Kate says something that makes me laugh, she always gets real bashful and says "don't tell daddy!"

Love my kids and the funny things they say!

Thankful......Day 5

2011-11-14T12:09:00.001-07:00

Friends!

Today I am thankful for all my friends!

We made some of the greatest friends in Phoenix.

Friends that I crafted with, taught preschool with, ate bagels with, and partied with.

Friends that we laughed with and cried with.

Friends that we vacationed with and celebrated holidays with.

It was a blessing that one of these friends is a doctor. He came to our home to check on our sick or injured child (two different children!) And who made us feel reassured that they would be okay (which saved us from a visit to Urgent Care!)

I am grateful for FB and Blogger so that I can keep in touch with these friends! I get to hear about their families and their accomplishments.

I am equally thankful for our friends here in Salt Lake.

We were blessed to move in a neighborhood where there are so many great families!

We've had BBQs

and camping trips.

There's been Rockband,

playgroups, parties, movies, and game nights.

I am blessed to still have relationships with some of the friends I grew up with. We've had lunch dates, park dates, and long chats! Even one I get to see regularly because she cuts my hair!

There are friends who play recreation sports with Kelly! Which I am thankful for because I don't know how he would form a softball or basketball team without his friends!

We love all of our friends near and far! We are thankful for your examples and your thoughtfulness. You are apart of so many memories and we will cherish your friendships forever!

Thankful......Day 4

2011-11-12T08:38:00.001-07:00

Since Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away (where has the time gone?!) I have been thinking of family traditions.

I am thankful for our family traditions and it seems like this is the time of year when we have a lot of them.

Yesterday was the first of many. It is around Thanksgiving that I start to think of Christmas cards and getting a photo ready. Every year since Connor was a baby, we have done a photo card. It is fun to look back at them and see just how our family has grown and changed. So, yesterday we took the family out and took some fun fall pictures for our 2011 card. This kids were so cooperative, which doesn't usually happen! I could have kept taking pictures all night! This time, instead of using the timer and tripod, we were blessed to have our friend do them for us!

Today marks another tradition. Football! I love football. Seriously, Saturday can never come quick enough when there is a game to watch! It has been apart of my family since before my birth! I love being able to go to the stadium and cheer on my team or gather all together in the family room and watch on TV. I also love that I have passed the tradition on to my own little family! The season is nearing the end, and that makes me sad. But we will enjoy what is left!

Then in a week or so, I will start preparing for our Thanksgiving dinner. It is now my job (used to be Grandma's job) to make the all important Chocolate Roll! This is a must for Thanksgiving dinner. We look forward to it all year (it just might be my favorite part of Thanksgiving day!) And now I have the privilege of sharing it with the family!

Those are just a few of the traditions I have been thinking of the last few days. I can't wait for the holidays to come in full force so we can take part in more of them!

Thankful......Day 3

2011-11-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted about being thankful for Kelly's safety at work, but today I am posting about being thankful for him in general. And since today is his birthday, I wanted to write something just for him!

I am so thankful for my dear husband! Here are some things about him that make me especially grateful (and here are some outdated pictures of him doing some of his favorite things:)

He is kind

He is patient

He is hardworking

He is forgiving

He is not easily offended

He is an easy going, goes with flow kind of guy

He is selfless

He is great at playing with the kids

He is adventurous

He is young at heart

He is faithful

He is obedient (not just to me!)

He is helpful

I guess I could go on and on, but you get the point! I am one lucky lady to have married this man. And when I count my many blessings, I count him twice!

Happy birthday my sweet!

Thankful......Day Two

2011-11-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful that my kids love to play! To be specific......they like to play out in the cold snow with their friends. And I am thankful that we have a great sledding hill right behind our house which makes it possible for me to stay in the nice warm house! Double thankful for that!

Last Saturday we woke to snow and the kids were overly excited. Before I knew what was happening, they started digging through the closet for snow pants, gloves, boots, and coats. Oh, and I just realized one more thing I am grateful for.........their snow gear still fits from last year! Yay, I didn't have to run out and buy new boots or snow pants!

Here are some pictures of them out with their friends, enjoying a fresh layer of snow!

Jace and mom drove around the corner so I could get some pictures. He wasn't quite sure what to think! And he wasn't quite happy to have cold hands!

I am sure we will find ourselves here again. Probably sooner rather than later. And I will have the continual pile of snow stuff right by the door. I've got to find a solution to that!

Thankful......Day One

2011-11-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

(Kelly and his bike partner, Freeman)

My good friend gave me a good idea. During the month of November, she tries and posts a couple times a week of things she is thankful for.

So, thanks Heidi! I am going to copy your idea!

Something that I am always thankful for is that one my husband has a job and two, that he is kept safe at work.

I realize that every job and activity we do each day has an element of danger. But Kelly's job as a police officer might have a slightly higher danger rate than other jobs.

Performing a traffic stop can be a bit unpredictable. Does the driver or passenger have a weapon? Do they have drugs? Are they going to be cooperative or cause a fuss? He always has to be prepared for the worst.

Also, he has been to a lot of domestic problems. Most of these people are drunk or impaired because of drugs. These types of people aren't always easy to deal with and often times he has had to wrestle people to ground or chase them over fences.

At any rate, I am thankful each and every night/early morning when he crawls into bed and I know he has made it home safe and sound! Lots of people have asked me how I handle having him have a dangerous job. I just tell him that first of all he loves it! I have to remember he is happy and doing something that he loves and that he is good at. Also, early on, when he was in the police academy, we felt strongly that as long as we were doing our best at doing the things we needed to do (attend church, have family home evening, pray, etc.,) then he would always be safe. I am thankful to say that has continued to happen over the last 7 years!

Here is a link to his blog if you want to read some exciting cop stories! It is a bit outdated, but nonetheless, there are some good things on there!

Rosette Boards

2011-11-01T12:01:00.008-07:00

I love fabric rolled rosettes! They are so fun to make and the possibilities are endless!

Here is my latest creation.

I got the printable here on Pinterest (who doesn't love this site?!) I saved it as a photo and sent it to Walmart to get printed.

First get your fabric. Each rosette takes about a 3"x22" strip of fabric. They length will vary, depending on how big of round you want them. If you have scraps on hand, great! Pick a few coordinating fabrics (I picked 3.) I bought a 1/4 yard of each. Which is enough to make several rosettes.

Next, cut the fabric into 3 inch strips.

Then, you will want to fold those strips in half.

Tie a knot at the end, leaving just a little fabric.

Fold the fabric at the end of the knot over and secure with a dab of hot glue.

Then you start twisting away! You can twist as tightly or loosely as you wish. Make sure you continue to twist the same direction and that your knot remains facing up and in the center of your circle.

Secure with a little more hot glue as you twist.

When you get the rosette to the size you want, cut the remaining fabric.

Fold over the remaining fabric and secure with hot glue (just like the beginning.)

Here are some finished rosettes. Notice how they are all a bit difference in size.

I then put my printable in a 8x10 frame and arranged my rosettes and hot glued them along the frame.

I love it! Now it just needs to be Christmastime so I can put it out!

This is another one I did. We did this dry erase board at a church craft night.

I love them and there are so many ways you can use the rosettes. I have seen them on headbands, hair clips, wreaths, etc.

Give them a try, you'll love it too!

Fall!

2011-11-01T10:04:00.007-07:00

Our kids recently went back on track at school, so the Friday before, we took advantage of the most beautiful day and had some fun!

At the request of our children, we went to the "Castle Park." My kids love this park!
They always play restaurant with the wood chips.
Katelyn, kindly taking daddy's order!
Dad took Katelyn to jail!
Kelly always gives the kids a good spin on the tire swing. This was Jace's introduction to the swing!

After the park, we went to the pumpkin patch to pick a pumpkin.
This is probably one of my favorite fall traditions!

Last Monday, we went to Thanksgiving Point for the Barnyard Boo!
Jace and Kate won witches fingers. Thanks Jace for showing me "the finger!"
I learned one thing this night, Connor has quickly outgrown the kid games at carnivals. He would have much rather have gone to the haunted house across the way. But he was a good sport!
Pony rides. Jace did NOT enjoy the ponies!

This was once again one of the most beautiful nights of the season. I truly love Fall! I wish it wasn't gone already (as we are experiencing snow today!)
Face painting.....
And a hay ride.
What a fun night!
Then last night was Halloween! It couldn't have come sooner, since today the weather is awful!
It didn't take long for Jace to get the hang of things!
My kids loved being able to Trick or Treat with their friends.

My sweet little Witch!

The last few weeks have been great! Now it is time to start thinking about the rest of the year and the holidays to come!

Family Night at Silver Lake.......

2011-09-27T13:01:00.012-07:00

We took a drive up the canyon to Silver Lake last night. We sure love this place! It has been a family favorite for years.

Enjoy the many pictures......

See the moose in the background? We almost always see a moose when we come here. And I love Kate's face in this picture!

The perfect night for a walk around the lake.

(Do you love Katelyn's face is this one? She was mad because dad just wanted a picture with mom!)

Parties!

2011-09-26T11:52:00.014-07:00

This month is a month of birthdays in our family. Cousins, aunt, uncle, sister, and Great Grandpa!

We recently celebrated Grandpa Zierse's 90th birthday!

Lots of his family and friends came by to wish him a happy birthday. It just happened that the party was on the day of the Utah vs BYU football game. Since there are fans of both teams in the family, the room was decorated appropriately! Notice the table in this picture has BYU written with blue tape.

Lots of visiting!

Jace was on present patrol!

Katelyn (no need to mention what table she sat at!)

Bill (Kelly's dad,) Lyenna (Kelly's sister,) Grandpa Zierse, and Kelly.

Grandpa Zierse is from Holland and so the wife of Kelly's cousin made this lovely cake of a windmill and a field of tulips. It was so sweet!

Grandpa and the cake!

Kelly's grandpa loves BYU and when we saw these BYU pillow pets, we had to get him one (it was hard for me to pass up the Utah pillow pet for this one, but I figured since it was for a sweet 90 year old man, it would be okay!) He loved it and wanted his picture with it.

A few days later, we celebrated Kate's birthday. Of course she wanted a princess cake.

She also got princess bubbles and a princess purse.

Mommy and Jace enjoying the party!

And she got her very first bike. She loves to ride her bike!

We had a good time celebrating this month!

Happy 4th to Katelyn!

2011-09-19T07:00:00.003-07:00

Four years ago today, Little Miss Kate entered our family!

Here are some favorites of Katelyn's

Favorite colors:
Pink
Purple
Yellow
Green

Favorite things to do:
Dance
Swim
Go to the park
Sing

Favorite foods:
Pizza
Cereal
Mustard Sandwiches (yep, mustard on two pieces of bread!)
Eggs

Four of her best friends:
Camberlyn
Ryker
Abby
Raylie

Her favorite TV shows/movies:
Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
The Little Mermaid
Tangled

Four things that I love about Kate:

Watching her play pretend and listening to her sing. When she sings "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," she says "how I wondered what you are." Makes me smile every time!

I also love how kind and loving she can be. Like when she comes up to me and says, "I love you so much." Or when she runs up and gives her little brother a great big hug.

I love her fearlessness. Don't get me wrong, she is as shy as shy can be and most the time she will only talk to you on her terms. But she isn't afraid of many things. Like swimming or the rides at the amusement park. I love how she gets so excited about those things. I also love how she can be so girly one minute and then play in the dirt with the boys the next!

I love her laugh! I could listen to her laugh all day (which is much better than the alternative!)

Happy #4 Katelyn!

S'Mores Cookies

2011-08-11T11:10:00.002-07:00

These are YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!

1 Pkg graham crackers

6 T butter, melted
1 T sugar
dash salt
1 C butter, softened
2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
2 T milk
2 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C chocolate chips
24 large marshmallow
4 small Hershey bars

Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add 6 T melted butter, 1 T sugar, and dash of salt, set asside.

Place softened butter and brown sugar in large mixing bowl. Beat until creamed. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix 2 minutes.

In separate bowl, combine soda, powder, salt, and flour. Add to creamed mixture. Mix in chocolate chips.

Pour graham cracker mixture into cookie dough. Smash dough in with wooden spoon. Don't completely mix them in.

Roll into 2 inch balls and place them on lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes, until cookie begins to crack.

While cooking, cut marshmallows in half and break chocolate bars into individual pieces.

Remove cookies from oven and press marshmallow into center of each hot cookie. Return to oven and bake for 1 1/2 more minutes.

Remove once more and let cookie sit for 2 minutes. Press one Hershey piece into center of marshmallow.

Remove cookie from sheet to cool.

Enjoy!

My Long Awaited Window Project!

2011-08-08T13:49:00.010-07:00

Have you seen old windows being used in home decor? Well years ago, my friend in Arizona found an old window and made it into a beautiful frame.

Ever since then, I have been dying to make a similar project. I hadn't been looking too hard until lately. My mom was in Rexburg and told me she was going to a flea market of sorts. I told her to look out for an old window.

Lucky for me she found this one!

Here it is at the beginning.

I gave it a quick sand and then painted it
with some left over paint from my bathroom.

Next, I sanded it again.

I sanded it just enough to let the wood show in some places.

Next came the glazing. Glazing or staining always makes me nervous!

Here it is after I glazed it. Looking so good!

The only downside was there was no glass. I went to Lowe's and had some custom glass cut, which was reasonably priced, I thought.

I have been seeing lots of different types of subway art. I wanted to put something family oriented in one of the openings.

I found this free and cute printable from Pinterest.
Side note.....have you checked out Pinterest? Love it!

I love the way it turned out! I just want to keep looking at it. Also, part of what makes it so beautiful, are the pictures that my neighbor took! Love the way they look in here!

First and Third!

2011-07-29T14:20:00.004-07:00

Wow! Our 3 week summer break has come and gone (thanks year round schedule!) That was sure quick. Now it is back to early bedtimes (which I really don't mind) and making sure we are up and organized by 7:30!

Connor and Carson just finished their first week of school. So far so good! They both have great teachers and they have good friends in their classes.

Here they are having their traditional "I want to take a picture in the front yard" picture!

Carson at his classroom door. Carson has been really excited for school. Each night around 7:00 he asks if it is time for bed and then he lays out his clothes for the next day. We will see how long this lasts!

Connor at his fancy desk equipped with a computer! I can't believe he is in 3rd grade. I am excited to see him learn new things this year.

Here's hoping for a great year!

The Goon....a.k.a.....Lagoon!

2011-07-23T15:18:00.008-07:00

Last week we headed to Lagoon for our yearly visit! My kids love Lagoon and it is such a fun, clean, family friendly amusement park. We always have an enjoyable time.

Jace and Katelyn going for a ride!

Happy to play in water!

Now for the exciting part......

Those of you who know me, know, that I don't have an adventurous bone in my body! I am easily afraid of anything thrilling! But my mom has been dying to see someone she knows go on the Sky Coaster. So this time she begged me to go, along with Carson and Kelly. I don't know what on earth possessed me to agree, but I did!

Here we are being hoisted up 150 feet into the sky. I closed my eyes at first and when I quickly opened them I told Kelly we must be to the top and he said "uh, we aren't even half way yet!" Too late to change my mind!

On the count of 3, Kelly pulled the rip cord and down we went!

I will admit that it was pretty fun and I am glad that I overcame my fear and did something exciting!
Kelly was pretty proud of me too!

My kids loved all the rides, especially Kate. She was pretty sad when all the rides were closed and it was time to leave.

Here's to next year and more fun at The Goon!

Camping!

2011-06-30T13:44:00.013-07:00

Last weekend we took a little camping trip with our friends. We went up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Spruces campground. What a fun time we had!

S'Mores! I don't think we were there an hour before Carson was requesting S'Mores.

A muddy face and a marshmallow! Perfect combo!

On Saturday we took a drive up to Silver Lake.

The dads and kids did some fishing.

We also had cousin Ellie with us!

Looking at worms!

Katelyn and her best buds (even you Tia!)

What is camping without a little dirt?!

Some of us hiked up to Donut Falls. I couldn't believe the snow that is still up there!

The only way to keep this kid contained was to give him something to eat! He sure had his share of Cheetos and cookies!

Katelyn, all tuckered out!

Our yummy Catalina Chicken and potatoes!

I love to camp and as much work as it is, it is so worth it! We had such a great time with our friends and made so many memories!

Catching Up!

2011-06-22T13:45:00.013-07:00

So, I have been really behind on my blogging! I finally managed to get some pictures uploaded and I can get up to date!

First off, in May, Katelyn had her first Shellie's School of Dance Spring Concert.

Her dance was called "The Tigger Bop." She sure makes a cute Tigger.

Mom and Jace waiting for the show to start.

Next on the update, we had a neighborhood bbq in our circle. It was a fun night and a great turnout of great neighbors!

We had 3 bbqs cooking lots of yummy meat!

The kids also had a great time filling up water balloons.

Then this guy stopped by to get some food! I love it when my favorite officer gets to come home for dinner.

Our kids are almost done with school. Because they are in year round school, it feels like they have been waiting forever to start summer break!

Last week they had an assembly to recognize the students who read all year. Here are the boys with their "Bee-A-Reader" medals and certificates.

Our yearly summer playgroup has also begun. Last week we went to Wheeler farm.

Katelyn brought her cousin Keira with us and they had a great time!

It was such a beautiful day!

And perfect for climbing trees!

Next on the schedule is a camping trip and a visit from some of our family who lives in Vegas. So, hopefully I get some more great pictures to share!

Wingers Sticky Finger Salad

2011-05-11T11:20:00.004-07:00

Don't you just love a good copycat recipe? I do! And now I have another one to add to my list!

This was absolutely wonderful! I can't wait to try it again.

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup bread crumbs
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes
croutons
cheddar cheese, grated
ranch dressing
craisins
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup Frank's Hot Sauce(Original. I found mine at Smith's)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Dip chicken breasts into the sour cream and then into bread crumbs. Place on a sprayed/greased sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked and crispy.

While the chicken is baking, prepare salad and make the dressing.

To make the dressing, combine the 2 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1/3 cup Franks Hot Sauce, and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar in a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let boil for one minute, but no longer! If you boil too long it will turn hard.

When the chicken is done dip into sticky sauce and place on a plate. To serve, place sliced strips on top of salad with any additional toppings (cheese, croutons, tomatoes, craisins, etc.) and drench in ranch dressing. Save the additional sticky dressing as an extra topping for the salad...it adds a little more tang!

*Oh, I reserved a few pieces of chicken and didn't dip it in the sauce. I wasn't sure if it would be too spicy for the little ones!

Starting the Backyard!

2011-04-29T18:49:00.007-07:00

We have dedicated this Spring and Summer to finishing our backyard. It is an x-large piece of slanty yard which just so happens to need a lot of TLC!

We knew what needed to be done first, excavation and a retaining wall. After several bids, we were able to pick a company to go with. There was just one problem. It was now the beginning of April and they were more than six weeks out (thanks to the help of Mother Nature!) Yikes, my dream backyard wouldn't take shape until the end of May!?!

Then last Thursday we got a call. They had a cancellation and asked if they could start work that day. We said of course! Which was good because they were already sitting in our drive way!

They waisted no time getting started.

We had to leave for a couple of hours and when we returned we found this,

A huge mountain of dirt, which the kids immediately started to climb on!

In those few hours, the digging was done and all the rocks had been delivered. We were so surprised.

They returned the next day to build the rock wall. We watched them work all day long! It was so fascinating watching them pick up each rock and strategically set it in its place. It was also so amazing that it was coming along so quickly!

It took a total of 11 hours to finish the project.

Here is what it looks like today (yes, that is snow you see on the ground! So sad.)

We have so much work left to do but I am so glad that the biggest part is all done and about 5 weeks earlier than we thought!

Great 8.....

2011-04-26T19:38:00.012-07:00

On Saturday, the 23rd my oldest child turned 8 years old. What a fun 8 years it has been!

I will admit, the older he gets, the more I miss the years that have gone! I love that with age kids become more self sufficient and they are capable of doing a whole lot more. But, I miss all the cuteness and innocence that little toddlers have. I don't know if I am ready for the older kid stuff!

Connor was a great baby, probably my easiest as far as temperment goes. He loved everyone, ate great (once he figured things out,) he was happy, and was a great sleeper.

(I had to include a picture of Connor and his helmet! What a fun few months this was!)

Things pretty much stayed the same as he grew from a baby into a toddler. One of my most favorite things was when he started to talk, he called Kelly Daddyn. I remember being so sad when it changed to daddy! He had a favorite blanket that he called "bootie." He had two favorite stuffed animals that he carried everywhere, Mr. Dog and Whisikers.

Another thing that I loved (and still love) is that Connor could meet a friend wherever we went. The playground, nursery, the splash park. It didn't matter. He could always find someone to play with.

He is such a joy in our life and I am thankful for him and all the happiness he has brought to us. I just hope the next 8 years are as pleasant!

1 Year Later.....

2011-03-28T05:55:00.012-07:00

Today is March 28, 2011. That can only mean one thing. Jace is 1 today!

I have to say that the last year went by so fast! I know I say that with every child, but seriously, Jace's first year was the quickest ever!

It is hard to believe that exactly one year ago today, I was getting ready to deliver this beautiful baby boy!

Little did I know that he was going to be a little ball of fire!

Before I delivered, we talked about how he probably wouldn't have red hair like his sister. But I remember Kelly coming in after they bathed him and he announced "he definitely has red hair!" We couldn't believe it. Two redheads!

As a newborn, Jace was more than pleasant. He was my best eater and my best sleeper. That all changed as soon as he got teeth and learned to be mobile!

(Doesn't this picture just make you long for summer?!)

Just like his older siblings, Jace loves to be tickled and tossed around by Daddy!

He also likes to torment the cat!

There is never a shortage of messes wherever Jace has been!

He is our first of four children who can empty all the drawers and cupboards in the blink of an eye! (no kidding at all!)

Our little one year old can say "Ma-Ma," "Da-Da," "Go," and "Down." It is exciting to see him start talking and becoming a little person!

Yesterday we celebrated his first birthday. Always fun to watch them dive into their first birthday cake!

Happy Birthday Jacey Boy, Jace-a-bud, Monkey, and Little Monster!

We love you!

Carson Turns 6!

2011-03-25T08:00:00.010-07:00

Carson turns 6 today! Time sure flies when you are having fun.

Here some of my favorite pictures of Carson. It was hard to pick just a few out of the thousands on my computer. I tried to pick the ones that show off his personality!

Carson was born in Phoenix Arizona on March 25, 2005.

We were so excited to have another sweet little boy in the family!

Carson was a happy baby and his smiles and grins were always this big!

He quickly learned that playing with daddy was something he enjoyed!

He also learned quickly which team the family cheered for!

Carson loves to swim and because we lived in Phoenix for the first 5 years of his life, he got to spend lots of time in the pool. He was jumping in and swimming by age 2!

Another perk to living in Phoenix was the quick drive to Disneyland! He loved the times we got to go there. Carson wasn't afraid to try any of the rides. Some of his favorites are Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and Soarin' Over California.

Carson has always been adventurous and one thing I love about him is that he isn't afraid to try anything (including jumping off the rocks of our friends pool!)

Or climbing to the top of the jungle gym!

He has also been known to fall asleep anywhere, anytime, or anyhow! Yes, he fell asleep like this one night!

Happy Birthday to a wonderful, happy, friendly, exciting, adventure seeking, and fun loving kid!

We love you Cars!

Her First Crack At It!

2011-03-19T14:15:00.006-07:00

Katelyn is well, lets just face it, she is shy. She is friendly to those she chooses to be friendly to, which usually only includes Mom and Dad at first, until she warms up! When she is having a "moment", she often hides her face, chews on her shirt, or puts her fingers in her mouth.

I decided to sign Katelyn up for the Baby Silhouettes dance clinic. I thought that any extra activity to help her come out of her shell could be beneficial. Of course I thought having someone familiar with her would help, so her cousin Keira came along too!

When she woke up yesterday, she asked to put curlers in her hair, and when it was time, I put some pretty makeup on her. She kept going in the bathroom to "look at myself one more time!" We went to the performance and she was so cute. I feared she would just stand there, once again with her shirt or her fingers in her mouth. She actually did the dance! I was so proud!

Here are some pictures of her big night!

So, our seats were at the very top and I don't have a fancy lense for my camera. You can barely see Kate thanks to her white bow. She is in the back just left of center.

So, that was a little taste of what it will be like for her spring concert in a couple of months. Hopefully it goes just as well!

Step by Step......

2011-03-09T20:02:00.004-07:00

Little Jace is walking and loving it! Well, except for when he falls! You can clearly see his lovely wound after taking a dive into the bar stool! But he is happy to be walking and gets around pretty good now! I thought these pictures were cute. I have no idea who took them, but they did a good job at catching his steps!

It's a whole new world with Jace on the move now! He has also mastered climbing up on the couch. It caught me by surprise one morning when I was sitting at the table and he popped up and looked over the back of the couch at me. He was pretty proud of himself!

He is such a busy little thing!

Snow

2011-03-09T16:54:00.001-07:00

Whew.....a New Post!

2011-02-26T15:39:00.011-07:00

I am well overdue for a new post! I suppose I have had a case of bloggers block! That and I finally got around to charging my camera so I could upload photos. Not that I have anything real exciting to share, but it is time to write something.

Things around here are same old same old. School, dance, Jr. Jazz, wrestling (yep, Carson just signed up for wrestling,) and the usual things like dentist and doctor appointments have filled our time the past several weeks.

We have managed to have some fun family outings. A couple of weeks ago we took Trax downtown and visited the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Art museum. They have a brand new exhibit which includes a great hands on area for children. It kept my kids entertained for a long time! It is always fun to take the train downtown. I even got to meet some interesting characters on our train ride! Whenever you ride Trax, you usually see a few odd ducks?!

Here are some pictures of the kids. Jace is nearly 1 year! I can't believe it. He is officially walking and he gets busier by the minute. Seriously, if he isn't pulling things out of the pantry, he is pulling things out the drawers. If he isn't splashing in the toilet, he is climbing on top of the toy box. This boy doesn't slow down! Which makes for a tired Mama! Sometimes at the end of the day, I wonder to myself why I feel so tired. Then I quickly remind myself of the days activities which always include chasing this little character!

We also discovered a new place called Airborne Trampoline Arena (thanks to Citydeals!) Of course the kids, (when I say kids, I mean Kelly too!) had a great time and it wore them right out. I managed to have my camera so I took some pictures.

This place is wall to wall trampolines! They have a large foam pit to jump into. You can play dodge ball. They even have a miniature foam pit and jumping area for littler kids. We all had a great time.

So that is my update! Until next time.......

2011-01-07T14:05:00.004-07:00

For the last several weeks, I have been preparing Katelyn for a very important day! Telling her how exciting it was going to be and that she was going to have so much fun.

Her "first" day was drawing nearer. I think I was actually a tiny bit more excited than her.

Monday morning came. I woke up feeling so happy for her. Again, as the morning went on, we continued to talk about this new adventure.

It was 2:45, Katelyn was ready to head out. I made that familiar drive. The one that I had driven on a weekly basis from the age of 4 until 23! We pulled into the parking lot and saw girls just like Katelyn getting out of their cars. What if she cried? What if she hated it? What if she didn't want me to leave? What if she pulled her ever common shyness when someone said hi to her? I was so nervous not knowing how she would react to this. Hoping she would love it, just as I did all those years ago, we got out of the car and headed in.

Waiting inside was a familiar face to me. A flood of memories came rushing by and for a moment, I was wishing I could rewind time and be that little girl again!

Katelyn was a little unsure at first, but it all quickly vanished and she was ready!

I said goodbye and left her with the other 3 year old girls and her teacher, Sara.

It is so crazy that I have a little girl attending dance where I did all those years ago. For a time, I didn't think I would have a little dancer at Shellie's School of Dance. At the time, I had two little boys and wasn't sure if the next would be a girl. Then, when we did have Katelyn, we were living in Phoenix, and surely a 12 hour drive for dance class was out of the question!

Lucky for us, my dream came true. I now have a daughter to send off to dance. And not just to any dance class. The one where I spent many hours. The one where I made wonderful friends and memories. I only hope the next 15 years are as exciting for Katelyn as they were for me!

Katelyn got some new dancing clothes for Christmas. She was so happy to finally be putting them on for dance class. As we were driving, she kept singing, "I'm going to dance class, I'm going to dance class!" This week I have even caught her playing house and she was taking her daughter to dance with Sara.

This is going to be fun!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-06T21:11:00.008-07:00

Christmas festivities started early in our home. Since Kelly was working graves, he got home at 6:00 am. Because the rest of the day would be spent celebrating and visiting his family, he would need to get some sleep. So, as soon as he got home, we woke the kids and started the day!

Their sleepy little faces! Jace was still sleeping soundly and we weren't about to wake him!

Since moving back to Salt Lake, our kids have become obsessed with the snow. Thankfully, Santa brought them sleds and snow gear!

Carson, sporting his new sweatshirt!

Love this picture of Kate and her snow hat.

Jace finally woke up long after the older kids finished opening their presents. Good thing he is only 9 months and didn't know the difference!

One of my favorite thing about Christmas is getting new church clothes. Here are my little beauties in their new outfits.

I had to use two pictures because they looked so cute!

We had a great Christmas. It was a fun day, filled with lots of family and good times!

Santa Made an Early Stop!

2010-12-11T19:07:00.003-07:00

I made it on Santa's good list so he brought me these beauties a little early!

Carson has been fascinated with them. Quite frankly, I have enjoyed watching a little bit too!

I don’t know what I like most, the shiny red color, that it weighs the load and automatically fills the right amount of water, the amount of energy it will save, or the fun little tune it plays to indicate the cycle is over!

If only it would fold and put away the mounds of laundy I seem to do each week! That would definitely make for the perfect gift!

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-10T14:01:00.005-07:00

One tradition that my family started years ago, is going to Winder Dairy for scones and hot chocolate! Because we lived in Arizona, the last time we were able to participate in this activity was when Connor was 8 months old!

This last week we joined some of my family members and we headed to the dairy for some good old fun! The scones there are so yummy!

Here are some pictures of the night.

Yummiest Cookie Ever!

2010-12-10T12:25:00.004-07:00

This is the time of year for baking and sharing goodies! This is a must try cookie recipe. I made them yesterday and out of three dozen, there is just one left! I might be heading out to the store so I can make some more. These are so soft, chewy, and delish! Enjoy.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

1 box chocolate cake mix (any variety)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/3 C oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
1 (10 oz) bag Nestle dark chocolate and mint morsels

Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and water until soft dough forms
Fold in morsels. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

On a Roll!

2010-11-10T15:28:00.004-07:00

Since Kelly was home today and entertaining the children I decided I would catch up on some blogging. I got it all done! So here you go. Scroll down to see all 5 of my new entries!

Yummy Soup For the Soul!

2010-11-10T15:23:00.003-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love a good soup on a chilly night! This soup is so delightful, I have to share it!

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup:

3 1/2 Cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 Cup diced celery
1/3 Cup finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup diced carrots
1 Cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon pepper
5 Tablespoon butter
5 Tablespoon flour
2 Cups milk

Combine all the vegetables (I actually put in a little bit more of the veggies than what was called) ham and broth in a stockpot (because I added a little more veggies, I also added a little water to the stockpot.) Bring to a boil and cook over med heat until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 min.)

In a separate saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Slowly add in milk so lumps don't form. Continue stirring over med-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes.

Stir in milk mixture to stock pot, cook until heated through.

Top with shredded cheese, green onion, and bacon, if desired.

Enjoy!

2010-11-10T15:15:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was Kelly's birthday and he decided he wanted to go to Fatcats to celebrate!

Yummy pizza

and bowling!

We also got Grandma and Grandpa Z to tag along!

Happy Birthday to the best husband and daddy in the whole world!

Kate Gets Earrings!

2010-11-10T14:55:00.003-07:00

The closer Katelyn got to turning three, the more I began to wonder if she would be in diapers indefinitely! She had absolutely no desire to give potty training a try.

Her third birthday came and went and Kate was still in diapers.

Finally I just decided that I would try again, with full force! I might not have any hair left and my other kids would probably want to stay far away, but nevertheless, I was going to try. It was two days of crying and whining and fighting, but after those two days, it was a sinch! She did so well, minimal accidents and she also stays dry at night! So, I am convinced, the older the child, the easier it is (at least in Kate's case!)

To celebrate her success, and no more diaper duty for Katelyn, she got her ears pierced.

For the first few days she would just stare at her new ears. She loves her earrings!

Since I am on the subject of Katelyn, I thought I would throw in these two super cute pictures of her!

2010-11-10T14:53:00.001-07:00

Jace loves the cat......

Not so sure the cat has the same feelings for Jace!

A Road Trip

2010-11-10T10:58:00.015-07:00

We decided since the kids off track break fell over Halloween, we would take a little road trip to visit some friends in Buckeye. I had mixed feelings about making the 12 hour drive with an infant who hates being in the car! But we would make a pit stop in Vegas to see Kelly's brother and his family, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. And to our surprise, he did great (thank goodness!)

First we spent a couple of days in Vegas. I don't know why but I didn't even get my camera out of the car! So unfortunately, no pictures. We had a great visit with them. Katelyn was especially in heaven because they have three little girls. With three little girls comes an endless supply of dolls, princesses and dress up clothes! She isn't used to having so much girly things at her fingertips!We even got a babysitter and had dinner with Jim and Emily at Serendipity at Cesar's Palace. YUM! For dessert we shared a giant cup of frozen hot chocolate. That was definitely a good time!

I forgot that Jim took this with his phone and sent it to us! So I got one picture after all!

Then we would continue our drive to Phoenix. We got to drive over the newly finished bridge at the Hoover Dam. We watched that thing be constructed over our many trips home over the last 6 years. It was fun to get to drive over the finished product. And also not having to drive over the dam in the awful traffic was a plus!

On our first day there, Kelly went to work with Freeman. Just like the good old days! Except this time they weren't riding along on their bicycles :( It was fun for them to reminisce and hang out together doing what they love. They even came upon some of the hoodlums that they had arrested in earlier years.

Good friends enjoying a movie!

While the boys played, (okay, while the men went to work) we took the kids to Connor's old school to their Halloween carnival. Connor enjoyed seeing old friends and his 1st grade teacher.

Here is Connor and his friend Cassidy.

Another activity on our trip was going to one of our favorite parks in Scottsdale, the train park.

Nate and Kate are so cute!

Waiting for the train.

And of course, a ride on the carousel.

What's a trip to the park without playing catch with your buddy?

Another park to visit!

We took a picnic to another favorite park in Estrella Mountain Ranch.

Tiffany and Freeman are making Z's with there fingers for Zierse!

Some other friends came to join us. Here I am with two great gals, JoAnna and Christy!

Kelly and Freeman being goofy, again!

Katelyn, Connor, Carson, and Little Freeman at the trunk or treat.

We got to go to the Halloween activity at the church and see some more great friends!

We had a wonderful visit and it was great to see so many of our friends. Being there made me miss it and I asked Kelly if we were too young to be snowbirds! Thanks Tiffany and Freeman for letting us crash your place and hang out!

A Little.........Off Track!

2010-10-23T16:47:00.008-07:00

Last week was the first week of being off track from school. Because our kids are always asking if we can do something fun (they are so like their mother and never want to stay home,) we decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and take a drive to the Zoo.

It was a little late in the afternoon and the outing had potential to be a disaster. However, it was quite the opposite. It was one of those times when you think that your kids are pretty perfect! No one whined, complained, fought, cried (well with the exception of Carson falling and skinning his knee because he was watching where he was going!) It was just a great family experience! But don't let me fool you, this great behavior can't last forever!

Katelyn looking in on the monkeys.

We also had a chance to see Zuri, the baby elephant. So sweet!

So I already mentioned how the kids were perfect : ). Well, so was the weather. Such a pleasant evening! Also, the scenery was so beautiful. I had never been to the zoo in the fall and the leaves were absolutely amazing.

I wish I had a better lens for this shot. It was a little eerie having this tiger staring at us, even with the cage separating us!

Ah, so sweet!

What a fun night at the zoo!

Another activity this week was going swimming.

Jace is proving to follow in his siblings footsteps and loves the pool! We just might have another swimmer on our hands!

So that's that! Fun times are to continue as we drive South to spend Halloween in Phoenix!

Fall Fun!

2010-10-19T11:05:00.008-07:00

This year we started two new traditions.......

First a trip to the pumpkin patch.

We went to the pumpkin patch with my brother's family. Here are Kate and Sophie.

Jace wanted nothing to do with looking at the camera! He was way more interested in the straw!

Everyone found one they liked!

What a perfect day for picking pumpkins!

Our next night of fun was going to a corn maze.

The kids had so much fun following the clues that led us all through the maze.

Jace just hung out in his stroller!

What a beautiful night! This fall has sure been great. We have loved it!

Crawling and Crafting!

2010-10-04T13:59:00.007-07:00

First and foremost, little Jace is crawling! Well, the army kind of crawling. At five months old he decided to get mobile. We are off to buy a gate because he is getting awfully quick at this stuff! He usually makes his way from the family room into the kitchen (which is where he is headed in this picture) and finds himself stuck under the table!

Next comes crafting! I have been wanting to craft for a long time. I saw these weeks ago and finally got what I needed to get it done!

Aren't they so cute? My sister in law came over on Saturday while the hubbies were gone and we crafted! It was a fun time.

Especially because it was followed by this deliciousness!

YUM!

Katie Bug is 3!

2010-09-19T12:27:00.003-07:00

Three years ago this lovely little ball of fire came into our life!

She is a lot of sweet and a whole lot of sass!

She is our little firecacker

who keeps us on our toes!

She always makes us smile and has a way of keeping
things interesting around here!

Happy Birthday Little Miss Katelyn!

Sunny Days.....

2010-09-17T09:41:00.004-07:00

Fall is on its way but I am going to enjoy every minute of these last warm and sunny days!

Yesterday, as we waited for Connor to come home from school, the other kids ran around and drew pictures on the sidewalk.

It might look like Kelly is torturing Carson, but trust me, Carson loved every minute of it! Kelly had him pinned to the ground and was tickling him with grass!

I don't want these days to go away!

That Time of Year Again!

2010-09-03T12:17:00.002-07:00

My cute little Ute.....

and big Ute!

Give Aways....I will win someday!

2010-08-30T10:00:00.007-07:00

Do any of you have favorite crafty blogs that you follow? I have several that I love. They always have fun ideas for home decor, yummy recipes, and most of them are always having some real exciting give aways! Now, I have yet to win, (because I generally don't win things).....but I am determined to win one and I hope it is sometime soon!

Tatertots and Jello is having a give away to a fantastic site, The Vintage Pearl. The Vintage Pearl has beautiful personalized jewelry, and I would love to own some of it!

So, check them out! Maybe you'll get lucky too!

And check out My Give Away Today to see some great give aways out there in Blogland!

Some of August

2010-08-20T12:41:00.014-07:00

I can't believe that August is nearing the end! Seriously? Where has the time gone? Of course the older we get, the faster time flies!

This week was the first week of school. Another reminder of just how quickly my kids are growing and getting older.

Carson actually starts next week, but he got to go meet his teacher, so he was just as excited to get all ready for the "first day." I will get some pictures of his official day on Monday.

Connor had a few little jitters the night before. I tried to comfort him and help him to realize it would be an exciting day. There are lots of kids from the neighborhood in his class. It wasn't until he saw them, that he started to relax and get excited.

It has been hard for me to get back into "schedule." Especially because it is still August! Whatever happened to starting school after Labor Day?! I love the freedom of summer break. I love doing fun things all the time, and letting bedtime slip here and there. But, it is time to get back into the swing of things!

Here are some pics of the kids just doing the day to day stuff in the Zierse house!

This has been a rough week for baby Jace. Sick babies are no fun!

I knew something was wrong with him because he NEVER cuddles! Cuddling is all he has wanted to do for the last 4 days!

He started to perk up a bit last night so we went outside to play and enjoy the pleasant evening.

I haven't quite decided who Jace looks like. But, I do have an identical picture of Connor at this same age!

Katelyn and her cousin ran around forever!

Ring around the Rosie's

and chasing each other all over the yard.

I am going to miss the nice weather. I love just sitting in the yard and watching the kids play and play. Hopefully we will be blessed with a nice and long fall!

The Rest of the Story.....

2010-08-09T12:43:00.015-07:00

Okay, so this is my final post of our vacation! I hope you enjoy the rest of our pictures!

After we left Rexburg, we made our way up to Island Park. We made a few stops along the way.

One of those stops was to Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. I love it up here. It is so pretty and the views are breathtaking!

First was Upper Falls and then Lower Falls

As we entered Island Park, we stopped at Big Springs. The water here is so clear (and cold!)

Kelly had to take each child and hang them upside down and pretend to drop them in the water. Of course, this was a fun game to them!

One of our days there Kelly rented a four wheeler and took the boys out all day. Connor said it was more fun than Splash Mountain......I begged to differ!

They did enjoy their 9 hours of 4 wheeling and I enjoyed going to West Yellowstone for lunch with my grandparents!

You can't come all this way and not spend some time in Yellowstone! We had a great day there and saw lots of neat things.

We saw lots of elk (like the one in the background,) deer, and bison (we even had to stop for 30 minutes or so to let a herd of them cross the road!) Kelly even got to see a brown bear.

One of my favorite parts of Yellowstone are the waterfalls.

We had campfires and S'mores (as Carson is so kindly showing us with his chocolate grin!)

Our cabin also came equipped with a hot tub. This was sure a fun treat! Although the kids just thought it was a small swimming pool. We had to remind them that hot tubs were for sitting and relaxing!

On our last night we went to The Mountain Vue Ranch. It was in the most beautiful location, just off Henry's Lake.

They put on a little rodeo, which the kids are down participating in some activity in this photo

After the rodeo, we had the best dutch oven dinner ever! Chicken, steak, beans, potatoes, homemade rolls, and peach cobbler for desert. YUM!

This was the view we enjoyed while we ate.

At one point during dinner, they let the horses out of the stable and they all went running through the field.

After dinner we sang songs and did some line dancing. Katelyn especially loved the dancing. It was such a great way to end our vacation!

So, that's the end! What a great time we had. It was such a beautiful and relaxing place to spend some time together!

Lets Start At the Very Begining......

2010-08-06T07:34:00.020-07:00

To start off our vacation, we spent a couple of days in Rexburg with my Aunt and her family. First we went to Porter Park and spent some time at the splash pad and carousel. It was a great splash park and the kids had so much fun!

On July 24th, we spent the day in St. Anthony, ID where my mom and her family are from. They have a big celebration for Pioneer day, including a parade.

The kids managed to collect quite a bit of candy. Of course to them, this was the highlight of the parade!

They have a 5 and 10k race as part of the festivities. Kelly ran his 2nd 5k and beat his time by 2 minutes! He was pretty proud.

After the parade and a picnic, we went to the St. Anthony Sand Bar.

The kids weren't too sure about getting in the river at first, but soon enough they were having a grand old time!

Up next: More Island Park and Yellowstone fun!

2010-08-03T14:18:00.003-07:00

One of my most favorite things to do is travel. I love a vacation. It doesn't have to be far or overly spectacular. Just a nice getaway with my family is good for me! There are times I wish I could just live on vacation and not have a care in world!

We recently got home from a wonderful getaway to Island Park, ID. We rented a beautiful cabin near Henry's Lake and had a lot of good times!

Some of my pictures were uploaded to my computer as well as my mom's laptop. So I suppose I will be sharing our photos in a couple of posts.

This is our second day in Island Park. We rented a raft at Macks Inn and floated down the Snake River.

Here we are awaiting our adventure!

My one job was to hang on to Jace! The last time (8 years ago) we floated down this river was in a canoe and one of our canoes tipped over! We lost our lunch and our goodies. My brother, his wife, and one year old daughter also had a wet treat! I was determined not to have that happen again! So we went for the more expensive raft to insure no tipping!

We pulled off to the side several times to let the kids splash in water.

The boys were especially excited to help row the raft.

Katelyn helping daddy!

We were floating down and Kelly saw something up ahead in the water. Here he is pointing out his finding.

This is what we saw! This moose was having his lunch break! It was cool to see him just standing there, without a care in the world. We weren't sure if we should wait for him to leave or slowly float by him. We ended up just waiting and watching. It was quite a sight!

Stay tuned for more pictures of our trip!

My New Favorite Dinner......

2010-07-30T15:25:00.007-07:00

This is now my favorite dinner! I love when I see something that looks good and when I attempt it, I succeed! The best part is when your family (namely the picky eaters) devour it!

I found this recipe from http://www.sistersstuff.blogspot.com/
They have lots of fun things on their blog.

Here is the recipe if you are in the mood to try something new and yummy!

ORANGE CHICKEN

12 CHICKEN TENDERS
3 EGGS
½ C. CORN STARCH
½ C. FLOUR
GARLIC SALT (SPRINKLE)
OIL

¼ C. CHICKEN BROTH
½ C. VINIGAR
¾ C. SUGAR
1 TBSP. SOY SAUCE
4 TBSP. KETCHUP

DIP CHICKEN IN EGGS THEN CORN STARCH, FLOUR AND GARLIC SALT MIXTURE AND FRY IN HOT OIL. PUT FRIED CHICKEN IN A BAKING DISH.

BOIL BROTH, VINIGAR, SOY SAUCE, AND KETCHUP. POUR OVER CHICKEN. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 45 MIN.- 1 HOUR.

Enjoy!

More Summer Fun!

2010-07-16T20:09:00.011-07:00

To continue with the festivities of summer, we decided to spend the day at Lagoon.

Half way into the day, I realized the camera was in the car. I wish I had gotten more pictures of the kids. They had so much fun. Katelyn was a crack up on the rides. She laughed so hard and got so excited while ridding. The best part was when she rode the "Bumpin Cars" AKA the Bumper Cars. She was laughing so hard as she drove her car all over the place. Then at one point she was just going around and around in a circle, with the biggest grin on her face. It was a fun and exhausting day!

My brothers and their kids came with us to the splash park earlier this week.

I love the splash park. It is such an easy and safe way for the kids to play and get wet!

This week for playgroup we went up Little Cottonwood Canyon to walk around and explore the temple quarry.

The kids loved being able to climb on the rocks.

They also loved jumping off !

I love summer! So many fun things to do!

Sum....Sum....Summertime!

2010-07-12T20:58:00.030-07:00

Brace yourselves.......there are plenty of pictures in this post!

First off, these are just two cute pictures of Jace. He is 3 months old now and has two teeth! Yes, TWO teeth!

Summer is in full swing and we have been doing some fun things.

Last weekend we had a Davis family reunion at my mom's cousin's house.

They have a beautiful home and yard. The kids all had a great time exploring and playing.

Katelyn and Sophie playing in the fountain.

We all gathered together and listened to my grandpa and his sisters tell stories of their growing up years. It was fun to hear them talk about experiences in their lives.

Having lunch!

There were 145 of us! Aunts, uncles, grandparents, first, second and third cousins! Most of these people we haven't seen for many years. It was fun to see how everyone had changed and how their families have grown.

Don't the kids look thrilled?! They had to stop playing long enough to run through introductions!

My Grandparents. Grandpa is always pulling a funny face when his picture is taken!

Another adventure last week was going up the canyon with some of Kelly's family. We had such a fun evening.

We roasted marshmallows, had tin foil dinners and dutch oven peach cobbler! Those are some of my favorite parts about being in the mountains.

Uncle Kelcey brought up his fishing gear and let the boys give it a try. This was the first time Connor had tried fishing and he caught a fish in the first few minutes. He was pretty thrilled!

We also made another trip to the pool.

This is my niece Tayler. After jumping off the high dive, Kelly got her to try the platform just higher than this. She almost didn't do it, but we all started chanting her name and she jumped right off. She was pretty proud! Plus grandpa said he would give her $10 if she did it!

These next few pictures loaded backwards and I am too tired to fix it. You get the idea anyway!

We also went to the park for a 4th of July picnic. We had it on Saturday and it was COLD! Well, had it not been for the wind, it probably wouldn't have been too bad. But I honestly couldn't remember a time I ever wore a jacket on the 4th of July

We had a game of kickball.

Kelly and Katelyn ate ice cream in a tree!

And despite the cool and windy day, we had a great time with our family!

Later this week we are headed to Lagoon and then next week we are off to Island Park. Stay tuned to hear about those adventures!