Ryan turns 4!!

It was my little Ryan's Birthday today but we went out to celebrate yesterday. I made his transformer cake the night before so that we would have the whole day to celebrate. It was a lemon-berry cake with rasberry filling and lemon buttercream underneath a layer of fondant.

We started off the day with the traditional "Blueberry-Banana-Birthday-Pancakes" and many

various versions of "Happy Birthday" were sung in celebration.

We then bundled up to go sleading at the local high school where they have a sweet hill to ride

on. Ryan LOVES sleding.

After that, we took the traditional trip to McDonalds for happy meals.

Then he got to go to Wal-Mart to pick out a toy from his "Grandma and Papa" birthday money. He picked out a transformer...of course. We came home and took a nap, read all the birthday cards that he got in the mail (thanks everyone!) and ordered pizza for dinner.

We sang him "Happy Birthday as a family and of course, he had to "Bite the Cake".

He got a huge walking (and very noisy) robot that he can't get enough of.

We stuffed ourselfs full of ice cream and cake and slept well that night. Happy Birthday Ry-Man! We love you!

P.S. Here's a little dance for you, Grandma! Thanks for the musical birthday card!

Husband of the year...

I think my hubby wins the prize for "Husband of the Year". He, along with 5 other hubbies got babysitters and secretly planned a fun scavenger hunt for me and 5 of my closest friends. None of us had a clue of what was going on. I was only told that we were doing something on Saturday. That was it. We ended up having a blast! Us girls were sent just about everywhere in the city, met lots of interesting people, stopped for ice cream, made a trip to the liquor store, delivered some groceries to a needy family and at the end of it all, ended up in a beautiful home where our husbands had prepared a FANTASTIC dinner of chicken scampi, french baguettes, cesar salad and asparagus. How great are they? And they paid a pretty penny too. They are the best. Here's how the day went:

I was driven to my friends house by my hubby and told to "get out of the car". Kinda rude, but okay. I watched from the driveway as he drove away, kinda baffled. A couple of my friends started showing up and we all just looked at eachother and then started to try and figure out what was going on. We went inside the house and 3 other girls showed up, kicked out of their cars as well, completely baffled just like the rest of us.

About 10 minutes later, the second counselor in the ward pulls into the driveway with his huge van. His 17 year old daughter was sitting in the front seat. He told us to get in and buckle up. We all piled in the van and started drilling him for answers. He was very good at staying tight-liped about the whole thing...dang it. He drove us to the mall parking lot, handed us an envelope and sped off, leaving his daughter there with us holding a video camera. Inside the envelope was a key to a Chevy. All the clue said was something about holding the keys to their hearts and finding a car to go along with the key to find our next clue. WHAT THE HEAK! We figured out that it must belong to one of the girls Saburbans. We started walking around to find it and decided to split up because it was absolutly FREEZING. We found it alright....on the OTHER side of the mall! ...Stinkers... The boys tried to spy on us but didn't do a very good job. We saw them in their very inconspicuous Hummer (insert sarcasm here) many times. It was pretty amusing watching them all duck down when we passed.

Inside the car was clue #2...along with props... Inside the envelope was a disposable camera and instructions to take at least 10 different pics with 10 different strangers...we had to use the costumes...uggg... But this could be fun...right?... To throw them off (because we knew they were following us) we didn't go inside the mall like they assumed we would. We drove to the photo shop where we were to develop the film instead to take pictures there. We had a LOT of fun taking pictures...maybe a little too much fun. Here are some of them...

We went to the beauty school to have some fun and I got this hillarious shot sitting next to an old lady that was totally snoozing while under the dryer...SO funny.

Just down the street was the state liquor store...that should make for some interesting photos... Here are those... I do have to explain the Vodka... I actually did have to go in to make a purchase. I needed Vodka for my cakes. Really! You mix it with this edible dust called "Luster Dust" and it makes kind of a paint to spray on the cake or paint what you need to. That's how you get the chrome-looking details or the sparkly, shiney finish on some of the fancy cakes. The alcohol evaporates quickly and that is why it's ideal. If you mix the dust with water, it just clumps up. Don't worry, you don't eat alcohol...it all evaporates. Anyway...we had fun taking pics with my Vodka bottle:

We took the pictures to be developed and again, spotted the boys in their very inconspicuous White Hummer...

We had a little fun with the guys at the photo place...

We got our next clue to go to a specific park and use the GPS system that was given to us to find the next five clues that were scattered around the park grounds. We had an hour to kill while the pictures got developed so we went to go get some ice cream and chat.

We then headed to the park, tried to use the GPS, gave up and ended up just walking around the park and found them. We put all the clues together and came up with an address to pick up the next clue...Now the objective was to find our hubbies...

We went to the address, picked up the envelope and it had a puzzle piece in it along with another address. This continued until we had five puzzle pieces that showed a map to the city with a big "X" over the local grocery store. On the back were instructions to price very random and yet specific items. After we had completed this task, we were to ask the store manager to check it and obtain another clue. It was a lot of fun doing this... When we were done, we located the manager who presented each of us with a boquet of beautiful roses and a personal card from each of our husbands. Then, she gave us an entire basket full of groceries that was purchased by our husbands. After some smiles, tears, ooohs and ahhs (from reading the cards) we were instructed to take the groceries to a specific address in a neighboring city.

When we got to the location, we recieved another clue and informed the lady at the residence that we were instructed to deliver these groceries to her. She was very appreciative and we realized that our husbands had given us the gift of service and the wonderful feeling that brings. (How awesome are these guys?!)

In the clue envelope, we were told to follow our noses to a wonderful dinner that was being prepared for us at a close by location. We realized that one of our friend's parent's beautiful home was just around the corner.

We arrived at the home to find our husbands cooking away in the kitchen and setting the table. The food was absolutely fantastic! We spent the rest of the evening eating and laughing at the video that our friend shot for us. They even went as far as to go to the Cheesecake Factory and buy us the most AMAZING white chocolate rasberry cheescake on a oreo crust. (I've never tasted a better cheesecake.)

It was quite a night to remember. Our hats are off to you, boys. I can't believe that none of us knew what they were planning! We usually always figure it out. They even had these envelopes that each husband was given. Inside were their tasks that they had to do throughout the day to keep the scavenger hunt going. Now us girls have to top it next year!

It's about time!

After a very long sabatical (pretty much, the entire holiday season) I've started up my pre-school again. Lizzy was just DYING to get it started again. This time, I've actually partnered with my neighbor who was a 1st grade teacher until she had her first baby. She is so awesome and I'm so excited about it. We will each swich off teaching a week. We do it on Tues, Wed, and Thursday for about 2 hours a day. So, the week that I don't teach, I get a 2 hour break 3 days a week! I taught this first week and the weekly theme was "Shapes and Colors". We also learned the letter "A". - By the way, I purcased a Leap-Frog DVD from Target called "The Letter Factory" (Thanks to suggestions from Memory and Violet) and it has done WONDERS for Lizzy and Ryan. It teaches them phonics in a fun way that they can remember. I was having a hard time teaching them why letters make sounds and they were having a hard time remembering the sounds that the letters make. I let them watch this video one time and they just "got it". It was amazing. Now, everytime I introduce a new letter, they remember the sound that it is supposed to make. Lizzy and Ryan can now read two and three letter words. Seriously...I have never been so happy that I spent $9.99. Here are some pictures from my little pre-school that my hubby built me downstairs. I went a little crazy at the school supply store and have all these amazing posters that the kids can learn from. I think it's my favorite area in the house. :)

This is us playing the Color/ Shape cakewalk. They had a blast. When the music stopped, I pulled out a shape from a bag and whoever was on that particular shape, got a sticker. And, yes, our little friend IS picking his nose...

They lLOVED learning that they could mix the primary colors to make other colors. Finger painting is so much fun!

Standing in front of the color graph that we did from magazing clippings. All their work from the day is displayed on these cute, colorful magnet clips that I got from the dollar store and glue-gunned to the chair railing.
They made "creatures" out of various sizes and shapes. Lizzy's was "kicking" the wall - as in the letter "K". (She got that idea from the Leap Frog video)

Thank You...

My neighbors are the best! (Excluding the neighbors across the street, of course) While Jacob is gone, they treat me so good! They always ask me if I need anything from the store, they shovel my driveway and steps, they offer to watch my kids and they even take my trash out for trash day. They are the best neighbors a girl could ask for. I guess they all know that Jacob spoils me and I'm not used to doing those kinds of things. :) I appreciate them so much so I made them these cupcakes (vanilla with bavarian creme filling and bavarian creme buttercream). As much as I appreciate them, I'm glad that Jacob is back home. :)

I've been Tagged...

I've been tagged by my friend Michelle. Thanks Michelle..... Evidently, I have to write 10 random, weird quirky facts about myself. I'll do you one better, Michelle. I actually was challenged to write 100 things about myself just a little while ago and so here are a few that I just copied and pasted from that.

1. I've dislocated my pinkie toe about a billion times. 3 in just the past month. Ever since the first time I dislocated it, any time it hits ANYTHING, it will pop back out of place. If you know me, you will also know that I'm not the most graceful person either so this happens quite frequently. My hubby has to pop it back every time I do it.
2. My favorite thing to do in the whole world is to go out for breakfast on a Saturday.
3. I was always "Chitarah" from Thundercats when my siblings and I watched it.
4. I have really long toes and fingers.
5. I have astigmatisms in both eyes. I never wear my glasses. I used to want glasses when I was a kid because I thought they made me look cool…Oh, the irony…
6. I have one leg that's shorter than the other because my hips are tilted.
7. I want so badly to publish a children's book. I've actually got one in the works that is called: Miss Conceptions. The main character is Miss Lizzy Conceptions and she gets very confused when grown-ups keep using sayings that don't make sense such as "fork in the road". The story is about the miscommunication between adults and children and how we need to listen to each other.
8. I can't wait to go back to school to pursue Dental Hygiene. I don't understand what compels me to pursue a career that requires me to stick my hands in other people's mouths and scrape the plaque off of their teeth. I just do.
9. I love Prince songs. It's my secret shame.
10. I could spend all day watching cooking shows if I was left to my own devices.
11. Reading was my escape from reality when I was younger. I can't tell you how many hours I spent reading as a kid...
12. Chocolate is now my escape from reality. It keeps me sane.
13. This probably isn't a shocker...I obsess about cakes 24/7. An hour or two could go by while I look at cakes online to get new ideas and I wouldn't even know it. Jacob calls it my "Cake Porn". I lay in bed at night just thinking of new ideas.
14. I had ear surgery when I was about 10 due to a perforated ear drum.
15. I love pencil sharpeners…weird, I know. I can't pass by the office supply isle without picking one up.
16. I'm a sucker for children's crafts. I have to divert myself from the children's craft isle at Michael's.
17. I'm somewhat of a germaphobic. I love my antibacterial wipes and soap! I always have them with me.
18. I turn into a maniac when I start an organization project. I literally will not eat, sleep or pee until the task at hand is completed or my children start crying from hunger and boredom.
19. If I could spend $5,000 on just one item, it would be shoes. I'm crazy for a great pair of stilettos. I can't walk by the shoe department of Nordstrom's without a full bottle of Prozac. (No, I'm not on medication.)
20. I have a weakness for melted chocolate. If you give me a chocolate bar, it will end up in the microwave.
21. I love to make lists for things…anything. Shopping, packing, guest list, menu item lists, everything. If I loose one, it's okay because that means I just get to make another one.
22. If you grind your teeth or crack your neck around me, you will literally see me go into convulsions.
23. Have you ever spelled a word so badly on the computer that even the computer; the device with all the words in the English language inside of it, can't figure out what in the heck you were trying to spell?…yeah, um, me neither…
24. I can't tell you how badly I secretly want to be nominated for TLC's show called "What Not To Wear". I want Nick Arojo to work his magic on my hair!
25. The movie "Alice in Wonderland" always freaked me out as a kid. It still does, actually.
26. I'm a sucker for dimples. I wish I had them!
27. I have the uncanny ability to be able to see a face on television and name which show or commercial I have seen them on before. My husband has lost $100.00 in bets on this little talent of mine. He has since learned not to bet me anymore.
28. My husband says that I'm horrible with directions but I say I'm fabulous!
29. I love my feet. Especially when I get a pedicure.
30. I'm the queen of re-inventing leftovers.
31. I could never stand the movie "Never Ending Story". I think it's title is very appropriate and self explanatory.
32. I've always been afraid of caffeine thanks to an 8th grade teacher that couldn't function without a constant can of diet coke and cup of coffee on her desk. I never wanted to live like that.
33. I have at least 7 different types of cheeses in my fridge at all times. No kidding! Here's a list of what's in there now: Cheddar, Pepper jack, Provolone, Swiss, Cream cheese, Feta, an Italian blend of Asiago, Romano & Parmesan, String Cheese, and Mozzarella. I'm a fan; so what!
34. If I had no self control, I would walk around the house with a spoonful of peanut butter all day long. I LOVE peanut butter!
35. I can't get enough bologna sandwiches (on white bread! Gasp!) when I'm pregnant. Disgusting; I know. I have to have it with a side of Cheetos too. How horrible, huh?
36. I probably ate at least 2 eggs on average every day when I was pregnant with Trevor. I HAD to have my eggs! An egg sandwich was my favorite way to eat them.
37. I use the words: like, dude and totally way too much. I stick out like a sore Californian thumb here in Utah. Even Jacob makes fun of me sometimes.

I'm sure some of you have done this already but I tag: Violet, Emily, Wendy, Shelly, Cari, Joanna, Melinda, Shalece, Erin, Katie. Fun blogging everyone! See if you can beat my 37!

Healthy Living...

So, I've gotten a lot of comments and questions lately about how to stay thin. First of all...I'm flattered but I'm not really that thin people!! I think the latest pics of me were just deceiving. I've still actually got about 8 more pounds to go to be "skinny" in my eyes.

But...I am healthy. I'll give myself that. I've become very passionate about healthy living. Baby number three was hard for me to kick the weight. Like I said, I've still got 8 more pounds to go. I think the key is to really change your lifestyle and then you have to do it for a long time before it comes naturally. You HAVE to learn to enjoy it and not dread it. It wasn't until 2005 that I finally "got it". I had been on every fad diet known to man since I was 14. I had major eating issues growing up and I finally just stopped dieting and learned how to eat.So here are some tips that I've shared with other people: I'm sure it's nothing you haven't heard before...

1. I guess I just eat small portions. If it's meat or starch, I just have a palm-full of it.

2. I fill up on veggies (which I LOVE). I have at LEAST 4 servings of veggies every day. Frozen vegetables are the best invention ever. They are microwavable so they are super easy and fast to do. Just add some salt and pepper! They are also flash frozen at the peak of their nutrients so they are super healthy too. My kids love them. So are canned tomatoes! They are full of so many healthy vitamins. I'm a huge tomato fan.

3. I never eat fast food. (it's too expensive anyway) It actually makes me feel slow and sick when I do eat it. Once you've been eating healthy for a while, you will start to not be able to tolerate those kinds of foods anymore. You'll notice your body reacting to them differently. If you do need to eat food on the run, there are actually lots of healthy alternatives on fast food menus now, namely salads. Just watch the dressing...

4. I keep a pre-packaged and pre-washed salad mix in my fridge at all times for easy, fast lunches. I usually get the spring mix. The darker the green, the healthier it is for you. Throw a little handful of crasins and a cut-up apple along with fetta cheese and a little seasame seed dressing and it makes an amazing lunch. If I have left-over chicken from the night before, I throw that in there too. If my kidos are having dino-bites for lunch, I'll cut up two of them, boil an egg and grab some of the peas and corn they are eating and throw them in my salad too for a cobb salad. Just watch the Ranch dressing.

5. I rarely ever eat bread and if I do, it's either whole grain or a small serving of it. I really don't crave it that much any more. It's not worth the calories.

6. I really watch what I drink...I've forced myself to love water. It took a while but I love it now. It really is the best thing possible for your body. I usually always grab a water bottle when I'm running around town to make sure I get my daily intake in. Keep water bottles in the fridge! You are more likely to drink it if it's cold. I don't really like soda. It's not good for you anyway and so not worth the calories. If I do crave a soda, I'll drink it once in a blue moon but I'll only drink it if it's diet. (By the way...even if it is diet, it's still not good for you.) Crystal Light is good too if you can't stand water. Wal-Mart has some really good generic brand flavors with no calories. My only device is Sangria (the non-alcoholic kind, of course!) I'll drink it once in a VERY blue moon. Maybe once every month and a half. You can cut so many calories a day by just watching what you drink...it really is amazing.

7. I eat lots of fish. Especially salmon. It's wonderful for your skin and has so many powerful nutrients in it.

8. I don't deprive myself of sweets either. I just have to tell myself to wait and eat it until the appointed time. I also don't deprive myself when I go to a party or something where there are yummy sweets and eats. I dig right in, but in small portions. How often do you go to parties anyway? I allow myself a small dessert every night(nothing over 150 calories. I try and keep it between 100 and 150.) and I usually have a Hershey kiss or small candy during the day, after lunch. I end up binging if I feel deprived.

9. Here's a big one: Between 3:00 and dinner time, I try and keep myself super busy because that is the most horrible craving time of the day for me and usually that's when I grab for something sweet. I HAVE to have a small snack of fruit or something or I binge on sweets. If I still feel hungry after having a snack, I tell myself: "Just wait until dinner! You will be so happy you did.". Also, those hunger pains tell me that I'm loosing weight. They probably aren't hunger pains anyway, just cravings. I appreciate my dinner so much more this way... :)

10. The biggest thing for me is to REALLY appreciate the food that I do eat. I appreciate the colors, smells, textures, everything about it. I've become somewhat of a food snob. I LOVE food. It's become my friend and hobby instead of my enemy. It has to be fantastic for me to eat it. I don't eat crappy chocolate or eat my kid's mac 'n cheese. It's not worth it. My grocery bill has gone up a tiny bit, with all the produce but it's worth it to stay healthy and to teach my kids healthy eating habits too.

11. I've gotten very addicted to cooking shows and have become strangely fascinated with how food cooks, how it reacts to other foods, the different flavors, different colors. I love trying new recipes. By the way...stay away from watching Paula Deen! She has great recipes but there is a pound of butter in each one! You can watch the shows to get tips on how to cook different foods and then start experimenting with stuff yourself. All the recipes are on www.foodnetwork.com. Add things to them, take stuff that you don't like out of them. I alter every recipe I get off of the Foodnetwork website - just so I can say it's "my recipe". :) I have a ton of yummy, healthy recipes that I can share with you all. I will make sure to post them little by little. It takes a while to type them up because I never measure anything and I have to remember what I put in each recipie. :)

12. I also run. I was just speed walking because of my knee but I got a brace and I've actually got up to running now on my treadmill. I watch my cooking shows while I run...good motivation huh? If I had to do it outside with 3 kids to bundle up, I would never do it. I LOVE my treadmill. Well worth the investment tword my health. You can find cheap ones at Wal-Mart. Usually I'll do 2 miles at least 3 times a week. I used to NEVER run before but once I did, I can't go more than a couple days without craving it. I started VERY slowly. 10 min. a day then worked myself up from there. I asked for a treadmill at the end of 2004 for my birthday/Christmas. (I told my husband that I needed to follow the word of wisdom :) He seriously doubted that I would use it but I totally proved him wrong! I use it ALL the time. You have to get good running shoes too though. It really is so much harder on you if you don't have good running shoes. You have to go to a running store to get them and they cost about $90.00 but they are VERY worth the investment. I had back problems and would always get shin splints, then my chiropractor told me I needed better shoes. They made a WORLD of difference. -You also need to streach really well before working out. Running is so much better on your body if you've streached first. I also have a Denise Austin "Shrink your female fat zones" video that I love. It helps me feel stretched out and lean. It's only 20 min. and only $13.00. (Plus the two 5 lb. weights that you need.) I do it in between running days. I've actually completed 2 5Ks since I started running and plan to do some more in the spring. That is a huge accomplishment for someone that used to HATE to excersize. I never thought I would get to this place.

13. When you play with your kids at the park or at home...really play hard! Run around, chase them, let them chase you, play on the jungle gym. Your kids will LOVE it, they will be ready for a nap, you have burned tons of calories...everybody is happy.

14. One thing I'm really trying to stick to but not doing a very good job at is not eating past 7:45. I heard it does miracles and I know if I followed that rule, I would loose the weight instantly. I'm trying... Your body just absorbs everything instead of trying to work it off after that time because that's when I just want to sit around with my hubby.

15. Another weird tip that really does work...brush your teeth after everything you eat or when you crave something you shouldn't eat. If you've got that mint taste in your mouth, you are less likely to finish your kid's lunches and just mindlessly pop stuff in your mouth.

16. Just remember...moderation in all things! You can eat it, just wait until the right time. If you mess up, just jump back on the healthy band wagon.

Once you eat healthy and excersize for a while and change your habits, your body will feel stronger, your hormones will stay in check, your skin will look better. It's how our bodies should be. This world has gotten so into fast food and huge portions. It's so not healthy. Don't go overboard either. Make sure you are getting at LEAST 900 (healthy) calories a day. Anything below that is unhealthy.

I hope these tips work for you guys. Stiving to be healthy instead of skinny really is the best way to live. Now that I've got the healthy part down, I can work on the skinny by upping my running time and not eating past 7:45.

A little cake for a little boy...

It was my friend's little boy's 1st birthday so I made him a little 6 inch cake. He is the cutest little thing ever. The teddy bear was fun to make out of fondant.