Brownies are yummmmm!

Our families absolute favorite dessert is brownies with ice cream. I use the same Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie mix every time, with a cup of Guittard milk chocolate chips. Just so dang good! Ava was having a little bite of brownie, and she apparently thinks brownies are yummmmmm, because she kept humming while she was eating them, as if that was the only way she could express just how delicious they were! I couldn't resist posting her yummmm pictures! There's no doubt she's our child with the way she was lovin' on that brownie!

She's a keeper!

Grant turns 7!

Grant turned the big seven on May 14th, and he couldn't have been more thrilled! We had a small family party on his actual birthday, followed by the much anticipated friend birthday party!

I got an idea earlier this year from my friend Andrea, to do a marshmallow shooter party! Both of the boys loved the idea, and I loved it, because that meant that I didn't have to do party favors, and elaborate decorations (like in years past). Each boy took home a shooter and a bag of mini marshmallows, and everyone had a blast! My yard and driveway were covered with little white marshmallows for almost a week!!! Each shooter cost just under $2, and all in all were not that difficult to make. Grant had an awesome time, and thanked me several times for the cool party!

Chuck giving the kids step by step instructions for assembling their sugar blasting weapons!

I had just asked Dallin if he like the shooter, and he told me it rocked!

Grant mid breath getting ready for his next attack!

This is the calmest picture I could get of the party goers!

I'm DONE people!

After a long morning at church showing off her newly acquired walking skills to everyone, with much enthusiasm I might add, Ava was DONE by the time we arrived home and attempted lunch!

She was so cute walking around church in her new denim skirt! I, like most people don't bring a camera to church, so I have no proof of just how cute she was. You'll just have to take my word for it! ( I'll post a picture of her in it soon) My dad, Aka Grandpa Tom, said she looked like she was wearing a lamp shade for a skirt! As soon as he said that, a memory came flooding back of a pink plastic and lace ripple lamp shade my grandmother had in her bedroom when I was little, and I hadn't thought of that in years. Thinking of that made me remember her room exactly the way she had it, and the countless sleepovers we had at her house. I love that we live close to much of our family, and that my grandmother is still kickin' at 90, and enjoying my kids! I also love when random memories are triggered, and the unexpected smile they can bring to your soul!(Not the direction I saw this post going, but it's my blog so I'll do what I want!)

I love this picture of Ava mooching bites off of Grandma pink's plate on Easter!

Dance Recital

The Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, Callie was in her first ever dance recital! She has been so excited for this day, but I was a little nervous. At 4 years old, it's a little bit of a gamble if they will actually go on stage or not. At the dress rehearsal the day before, she did awesome! I told her to make her moves really big, so that the people in the audience could she her dance really well. So sure enough, she got on stage and was the most obnoxiously animated dancer of the whole preschool class! Thankfully at the recital, she toned it down a few notches, and was just adorable:) This has been such a fun little activity for her, and she can hardly wait until next year!

This was her right before we sent her back stage in her "Baby take a Bow" costume.

I think she was just as excited to wear a little bit of makeup, as she was to dance!

This was right after the finale when we picked her up off the stage. A bit of a super excited smile on her face I'd say!

Way to go twinkle toes!!!

Love you to pieces!

Yesterday, was a very fun day with the girls, even in spite of Ava being a severe crab! (one short nap will do that to a girl:) It was a glorious day out, and we had spent about 45 min on the tramp with a beach ball just laughing and playing together. I said to Callie, "I just love you girls to pieces!", to which she said, "You like us broken?"!

It's a good thing that kids are so dang cute, and say the funniest things, because there are a lot of days I scratch my head and wonder, what have I gotten myself into?!

Out with the old!

Last week, we FINALLY got a new trampoline!!! Our old tramp came with the house when we moved in almost 4 years ago, and it was most likely 3-4 years old then! Approximately 8 years of faithful service, and our trusty tramp was well past it's prime! In fact, it was all the way in the public eye sore, white trash, total embarrassment category! The net was barely hanging on, in fact, it was so low that Callie would sit on it and swing like she was in a hammock! About 6 weeks ago the surface of the tramp started to rip where the springs attached, and we knew that the death of our trusty tramp was fast approaching! We started shopping around, and finally found the one that came very highly recommended by our Bishops kids, on sale for $100.00 off! The kids were beyond thrilled, and could hardly wait for Friday to come for the big set up!


They were so excited to tare down the old tramp, that I didn't get a good final picture of our tramp in full ghetto mode! The neighborhood kids all helped with the deconstruction, I think they were just as excited as our kids!



Chuck and I worked our tushes off trying to put this thing together! Whoever wrote the instructions most likely never finished grade school! After several failed attempts, we finally managed to get it together! The funny part is, that the next day when I went to put the net up, I realized we put some of it together backwards! No harm, we can just drill some new screw holes for the net poles!


We are all so happy to have this new fun toy, that provides countless hours of laughter and exercise, and makes for some pretty exhausted kids at the end of the day! (That's my favorite part!)

Our little Dancer

Callie started to take dance this year from the same teacher I took from as a child. She has really enjoyed herself, and had loads of fun! She is beyond excited for the recital next weekend! I pray she will actually go on stage, and not be one of "the criers" her teachers has warned us about. A few weekends ago, she had her class pictures taken, and looked adorable! I took a few pictures of her when we got home, and you can see how pretty our little dancer is!



On a side note, her costume is such a bright pink, that if you look at it for too long, and then look away, your vision is all kinds of messed up! You won't be able to miss those preschoolers when they take the stage, that's for sure!!