Graduation Celebration BBQ

Bryce doesn't really like to be the center of attention. Actually, he hates it. We wanted to have a celebration with some friends of his for his upcoming graduation from Med School. So, we picked a weekend and Bryce called all his buds together and we had a BBQ. Of course, no one knew it was a celebration of Bryce graduating so it really was just a fun night with food and friends. Good enough for me!

Kara, Ashlyn and Troy. Try is actually the person that introduced me to Bryce. I was hanging out with Troy the day that I met Bryce. I guess I owe him a lot for bringing us lovebirds together.

Mike and Bryce enjoying some hearty laughs over dinner.

Ashlyn, Troy, and Jared. I think they look like they had a good time.

I love this picture because Jared obviously is holding in a giant laugh or maybe it was my cupcake he is trying to hold in.

Happy Graduation Cupcakes! This was my first attempt at butter cream frosting and it was DELICIOUS if I don't say so myself. Thanks again allrecipes.com for the killer recipe. The idea for the graduation caps came form the internet so thank you internet for the cute idea.

Baby Shower March 5, 2010

Another attempt at photo collage. I'm just learning how to do this. Baby Shower March 5, 2010. FUN FUN FUN!

My Friend Karin The STAR

You all know that I am a sucker for showtunes and the stage. I have been wanting to see a show at the Mysique dinner theater in Pocatello for a REALLY long time now. I haven't been able to persuade anyone along until last night. It was a discounted show and I finally talked Bryce into going. I have a very wonderful husband for indulging me in so many ways.

The show was great and my friend Karin was one of the performers. I met Karin in Iowa while we were going to med school and she and her husband were in law school. She was always a great friend and I was so happy to see her again. Karin, you did awesome. I want to come see another show some time! EVERYONE should go and enjoy it. I loved it.

OH GLORIOUS FLAMES!

MY FAVORITE THING! I love to make a good bonfire. I love to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over the flames and cook tinfoil dinners in the coals. I love coming home and smelling like a campfire. I love all of it so much, especially when it is a perfect spring night!

Bryce and I are moving and we had this old, junky dresser that we couldn't get ride of. So, I decided that we needed to burn it! There was a nice pallet out by our dumpster than also needed burning so it was just our duty to do this. I wanted to break the dresser into pieces before we burnt it, but the boys had other plans. They just stuck the whole thing on top of the fire and watched it get engulfed with flames. I'll admit that once the fire got this huge, I was pretty nervous, but it was really neat.

This picture reminds me of the poem my Dad quotes. Sam Mcgee has asked to be cremated in the frosty arctic. His friend goes to see how the whole "process" is going. He opens to door to see Sam relaxing and enjoying the flames surrounding him. "PLEASE SHUT THAT DOOR! It's nice in here, but I dreafully fear you'll let in the cold and storm. Since I left Plumtree down in Tennessee, this's the first time I've been warm." I could just imagine Sam Mcgee lounging in the flames, basking in the heat. It was very therapeautic to see these flames after so long a winter. I guess I have a little bit of Sam in me too!

Here i am getting too close to the fire with my long stick. Bryce was pretty nervous about how adacious I was around the fire. I guess he hasn't done this with me enough. I did get burned, but just a little and it was totally worth it.

Our friends Nate and Mary Jones came to enjoy the fire with us. Here is Mary in the background also enjoying the blaze.

And this video shows how fast the little dresser was engulfed in flames then tumbled to the ground. It was really cool, but a little frightening. Nate is videoing this and we are all just talking nonsense, don't try to make sense out of it. ENJOY!

Am I THE Luckiest Girl or WHAT!

Bryce has been promising me Wicked tickets for a while now. It has happened a few times but we never could shell out the cash. So, finally he promised me that he would take me before we leave Des Moines. Well, we leave in less that 4 weeks and I AM FINALLY GOING. Omaha is showing Wicked right now and we get to go. Bryce's Mom, Dad, and little sister are coming and they get to go with us. HOORAY!

An Old Friend!

Oh what a joy it is to see a familiar face and hear a familiar voice. Wednesday I got an unexpected phone call from an old pal. Kacey, a friend I went to high school with, called and said she was in town. She works for Wells Fargo and was hear for some training meetings. Kacey flew here all the way from Deer Lodge Montana and decided she couldn't leave without giving her old pal a call. I was so excited. We all went out to dinner that night and then had some ice cream at my apartment. It was wonderful to get caught up on the news from home and enjoy the company of someone I haven't seen for ages.

I used to drag Kacey to early morning seminary. We were the ONLY two in our H.S. who went to seminary, and I am a few years older than Kacey so I became the driver. It was difficult because if one couldn't go, then we had no seminary. Our stalwart teacher prepared so hard and long for us. I regret that we may have been less than appreciate of his efforts. In has to be a trial to get up and teach a seminary class of two. Let alone, two silly, teenage girls who would rather be in bed. I did learn a lot and I am glad that I had Kacey to go with me or else I would have had to do it on my own. Looking back it seems a little unreal. I am shocked that I was able to graduate.

Kacey and I also played B-Ball together. I am a little embarrassed to admit that although I played basketball all my years of high school, I never played varsity basketball. I was the star of the JV team though. Since Kacey is two years below me in school, I was able to play some ball with her until she got shifted to varsity. Oh, well. I never have loved basketball, but I did love being part of a team. I am actually glad for my JV days.

Kacey and I were also in show-choir together. I have to admit that show-choir was my fav or all my school activities. When you live in a town with population 300 you get to do a lot with your fellow schoolchums.

It was good to hear someone else say that Des Moines is a "big" city and that the traffic is frightening. I have told that exact same thing to many of my friends who all look at me in a face of astonishment and then quickly tell me of places they lived that are larger and more hectic in traffic. I had some vindication this week though as Kacey feels the same way I do. I guess us country girls all think a like.

Thanks for the visit Kace, You are the best. Good Luck with the rest of life!

Festival of Trees and DISNEY ON ICE

A very pretty tree. Whitney and I went to the tree lighting downtown and then to the Festival of Trees. It was fun, but I got all bundled up for the cold and then the tree building was HOT. I had leggings on under my jeans, three shirts, a sweatshirt, my coat, my gloves, and a scarf. I was not cold. I tried to shed layers for this pic, but I still have a thousand on.

This was a spectacular event. Disney on Ice. Our good friend Jamie Cook invited us to go with her and her kids. It was really cool! I have never seen people ice-skate in real life. I have only seen it on TV. They go so fast and are so graceful.

Mulan was my favorite part of the show. This dragon was very long and very beautiful.

I think most the kids in the audience enjoyed this the most. Finding Nemo! Here is Dori and Marlin talking to Bruce the shark. Unfortunately, Whitters was really sick the whole time. I felt so awful. I would look over and she would be just uncomfortable and in pain. Sorry Bub, it was a good show.

Bowlers

Happy Halloween Take 2: Murder Mystery Night

We were invited to a murder mystery party. We were assigned characters that we needed to come dressed as. My character was supposed to be a singer/songwriter. So I decided to dress up as the most eccentric singer/songwriter I could think of, Amy Winehouse. So, here is my "still modest" version of Amy Winehouse. The make-up and hair was the best part. Oh how fun.

Bryce was suppossed to be a pro basketball player. He really took this costume to the extreme and it is GREAT. We got those nice shorts at Goodwill and the tattoos we just did today. We thought it was time that Bryce covered his arms in tattoos. So, his arms were a little sore but, KIDDING. The tatto sleeves were half off at Walgreens this morning. Yes! Oh, and so was the nice black widow tattoo on his inner thigh.

Yes, this is his ready to get down and dirty pose. Would anyone challenge this man, NO WAY JOSE. He is way to intense and such a killer baskeball player.

Race for the Cure

Today was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Des Moines. There were a number of races. They had a 5K run/walk, one mile run/walk, and a kids race. There were about 24,000 people who participated in the event. It was packed with people who came out to support this cause. And, what better way could you spend your Saturday morning. I walked with some freinds from my ward and I really enjoyed it. They had a lot of tents set up with little free trinkets, which I can't resist. But, the best part was seeing all of the people there for loved ones.

I wore this on my sweater during the race. It sure isn't much, but I wanted to remember my Aunt Shannon today. I hope this little tribute helps us get closer to a cure.

All my goodies from the race. Yes, my T-shirt is XL because this was all they had left when our T-shirts got picked up. Luckily, I will wear this shirt very often. Just ask my husband, I can't wear anything that is even close to my body for bed.

After the race waiting in the cold for the prize drawing. We ended up leaving because, despite the sunshine, it was freezing.

A view from the back.

All of us who "Raced for the Cure." Left to right: Jordan Hansen (the organizer and leader of the event, THANKS JORDAN) Natali, Kamala Sloan, And her sister Jessica? (oh I am so sorry I don't remember her name! Curses) Nathalie Beeston is taking the pic.

A Little Digger

Myles at the Park digging with this little . . . digger.

I am back to my nanny job again now for the third year. I have been with Myah since she was 4 and she is now 7. I have been with Myles since he was 2 and he will be 5 at the beginning of next year. Since Myah is now in first grade and in school all day, I get Myles all to myself most of the time. He really is a funny, entertaining, and great kid. He sure is active and he loves the park. But, without his sister to play with him, he really expects me to fill in. I can't just sit on the park bench and watch anymore because he NEEDS me to play everything with him. He wants me to climb all over the equipment too, and I have gotten a lot of funny looks from Moms when I climb all over the playground equipment and their children also look at me funny. So, I try my hardest to let him do this on his own. It's getting better.

Of course, the sound effects that go along are essential.

Prom Night . . . MAMMA MIA!

My favorite movie right now! I got to have a great girls night a couple weeks ago and we went to Mamma Mia! I loved every second of it and want to see it a million times. I thought I would give it an A or an A+, but then I totally forgot that there was an A++! (Michael from the office said that, for those of you who thought that humor was wierd)

This is the lovely group of ladies I got to hit the town with. Luckily for them, I reminded them that Breaking Dawn came out that very night and we were obligated to go to the Prom themed Barnes and Noble launch party. So great and fantastic it was. And yes, we did stay until midnight to get the book and yes, the average age was around 15 and . . . well we are all older than 15, sooooo. Thanks to Aunna for the picture.

Killer Bunnies!

Our good friends Phil and Aunna Hasler came over two nights in a row to play this game with us. We can't get enough of it! What is better than a couple friends, cookies, cheesecake, and a good board game on a Sunday evening.

This is the most addicting game on the planet. Bryce and I love this game. It's called Killer Bunnies and it is all the rage right now. And since we are so cool and hip, we own this game. It comes with two sets of the cards and there are about 10 more expansion packs/booster decks you can buy to add to the game. We only have three of the 10 booster decks, but we slowly add to our collection. Once you get all the decks there ends up being over 700 cards in play. Try it, you will love it. Just a warning though: it takes a while to learn. The rule books are like novels, and you will be blown away by how many rules there are. I suggest learning with someone who already knows how to play, it makes it so much easier to learn.

Girls Night At the Movies

I got invited to spend the night with a bunch of amazing girls this Tuesday. Everyone, especially my husband, should be very proud of me for going because I have a tendency to be a hermit. I am so glad that I went! We went to coldstone to get ice cream and then saw Made of Honor. The ice cream of course was fantastic beyond description, but the movie left something to be desired. Granted, I had pretty low expectations for I had heard the movie wasn't that wonderful. And, guess what, it wasn't that wonderful. BUT, the company and the conversation was more than wonderful. Here Amanda, Natalie, and Brittany settle in their seats before the movie starts.

Karin, Me, and Jenni really had a good time. As you can see, I have a turtleneck and a winter coat on. Yes, it is spring, but I FREEZE in movie theaters. I also have been on a make-up strike so I am so happy that all of you get to see me face nude. I do look a little scared that I'm getting my picture taken don't I.

P.S. Jenni, Karin and Amanda are all three on to bigger and better parts of their lives. They get to say so long, farewell to Des Moines and get going with the rest of forever! Good Luck Girls, I will miss you all. Thanks for letting me be a part of this good bye night.

Our Indoor Jungle

My story time class made newspaper beanstalks last week. I used to make these little trees when I was little. I actually remember learning how to make them from Lamb Chops Playalong. I know that it is very sad that I admit that, but what can ya do. So, yesterday was a rainy day and it ruined our hopes of park time so we brought the jungle indoors. We didn't color on the walls even though it may look as if. We spread butcher paper along the whole wall and the kids enjoyed coloring on the wall. They drew volcanoes and lizards and lions and tigers and bears, oh my my. Then we added our trees. They did a very good job for first time tree makers.

Myah is really excited and Myles is a pirate I guess. This makes me laugh even looking at it right now, oh what cute kids.

This is their tiger pose. They look very menacing, I wouldn't mess with them. You know that you are in the jungle when you see creatures that can look this frightening.

Perfect Weather

I was beginning to have my doubts about the weather here in Iowa. I grew up in Wyoming and Montana so I've seen my fair share of very yucky weather. BUT, this winter topped all my memories of bad weather. I can't remember so much snow and so much cold. Spring is literally a breath of fresh air out here. We all have been cooped up indoors all winter and are just aching for the sunshine. It got to be March and I was waiting for that in like a lion out like a lamb thing, and it was in like a lion out like a rabid lion. We got snow all through march and into the beginning of April. Yet, the sun does shine in Iowa. Much to the disbelief of many of us who are living here. This week has been a little bit of heaven. The clouds gathered to pour down some warm rain, but when they parted and the sun shone down it was a perfect 69 degrees. Today was the most beautiful day I can remember. The grass is green and the trees are budding, what more could a person ask for. The kids and I have been just yearning at the window waiting for sunshine and here it is. The first chance we got, we were out the door.

Myles is starting to learn to pump his feet to swing. After a while he gets annoyed and just swings on his belly so he can do it himself.

I'm pretty sure that the green thing is a cover to some sort of sewer hole or something. I had my doubts at first about letting Myah play with it, but it was just sitting on the playground all washed from a recent rain. She had a lot of fun finding treasures to fill up the holes. It was ver heavy and she nearly dropped it in the middle of this picture. If she looks strained, she probably is.

I asked them to show me a treasure they found and give me a smile. I got a smile from Myah as you can see. A cute little missing teeth grin from her, but Myles wouldn't smile for me. No, he doesn't look like that when he smiles, but this is all I could get out of him.

Some Really Cute Kids

For Easter I got the kids a bubble maker. Their Mom is very adamant about not using it inside the house. So, we took it into the little balcony. I thought that the bubbles would show up in the picture, but obviously they didn't. Myah is starting to become a very good reader. Here she is reading her new favorite book "Kitten for a Day." She is reading it to her favorite little animal, a snow Tiger which she called Snowy Snowflake. I love this picture, she looks so so cute.

Myles would not smile or pose for a picture for anything. Here I actually caught him by surprise. He looked at the camera at the very last second. The picture came out adorable. He looks like a little baby model. Besides the dirt on his face.

This is what I usually saw when I pointed the camera at him. He is shooting me with a bubble gun and I'm not sure where he learned to stick out his tongue. The tongue is quite a new development. He must have picked it up from preschool.

57 Degrees and Muddy Sand

It was 57 degrees yesterday! I have been promising the kids that we would go to the park, but it keeps on snowing. Even though, when it snows, they still want to go. We actually got to go yesterday afternoon. Of course, the only thing they wanted to do was play in the sand. Or, should I say mud because it was so wet from all the snow melt. Initially, I told them that they couldn't play in the sand, only the playground equipment. But, there was this magnetic pull just dragging them to that sand. So, I gave in. I just always feel kind of bad when their Mom comes home and they are really dirty. I didn't have time to wash them up at all afterwards. BUT, they had a blast.

Here Myah is building a pyramid with sand and sticks. it was actually really cool after it was all finished, but I didn't get a picture of the finished product.

Myles wanted to make a pyramid too. Only, he didn't have enough patience. Every time he built one, he couldn't resist smashing it to the ground with his Power Ranger moves. He made about a hundred of them, and they all got destroyed.

This picture I told them to smile for me, and Myles wouldn't. He was making all sorts of silly faces, so I just took the picture when Myah was making a cute face and came to grips with the fact that my little buddy was not going to cooperate.

Finally, Myles wanted a pyramid for real. But, he didn't want to make one on his own. He wanted Myah to make one for him so he could smash it too. Here he is begging her to make a pyramid for him, she is pushing him away because she is really frightened that his is going to ruin her hard work. He then asked me to make him a pyramid, which I did, and he smashed.

It was really muddy sand. As you can see in the background, there is still some snow that hasn't melted yet. "Oh no, look how dirty my hand got Mahali!" Myles has called my that ever since I started nannying for him. He does know how to say it correctly, but I guess habits are hard to change.