Ya Gotta Love Family!

My sister, Robin, and her family were here for a few days last week, which we loved. Friday, we found out they would be here again Saturday and Sunday for a very quick trip. Robin's family has 3 girls, the youngest, Jenna, being only a month older than Regan. Regan and Hadyn were beyond excited to see them again. They all play great together. Erin and Alli, the older girls are great sports, letting the younger girls dictate the activities, etc. Here they are with all of them ganging up on poor Alli. She's the bottom of this pile of giggling girls. Lucky for Alli, not one of them weighs more than 15 pounds it seems. :) Ahhh, to be young again...

Here's Regan and Jenna. They love being together. It is so awesome that they are so close in age.

In other very exciting news, they just announced two new temple to be built in Arizona. One just a few miles from the home we built in Arizona. We are so excited for a friends and neighbors in Gilbert!

Bring Your Inventor to Work Day

Yesterday was HP's Bring Your Inventor to Work Day. Regan loved it last year, and was so excited to go again. HP does a really good job with it, with a whole day full of activities in which you can choose to participate. Regan's favorite is getting to go with her dad to lunch, but the vibration table was a close second. It can be set to vibrate at different speeds. Here, Regan is vibrating as she would in the back of a pick-up going down a really bumpy road. Having grown up in Ririe, I don't have to stand on some new-fangled contraption to know how that feels...Anyway, she loved it.

Check out the New Specs!

Last week Regan accidentally sat on her glasses and broke the frames. This isn't the best picture, but here are her new glasses. Her old frames were discontinued and I was really sad. I loved her old glasses, but I think these frames are really pretty. It's hard to tell, but they are a shiny pink metal. Very hip for a kindergartner. If anyone should ever need glasses for their kids, make sure you get the breakage warranty. At Wal-Mart, which actually has really cute styles, the warranty is free. It worked out really well for us!

Yes, I know I am a slacker...

Wow, April 9th was my last post...I guess that tells you how exciting things have been. Actually, we've had a great 2 weeks, I just haven't posted anything. Anyway, we have big news, anyone who knows us knows we (meaning Jeff and I) are not pet people. So far it hasn't been a problem since Regan and Hadyn are terrified of anything that doesn't have opposable thumbs and walk upright. Well, we broke down, and agreed to a pet, actually, 22 of them! Check them out...

Okay, you'll have to take my word for it, they are actually cool. They are huge, as ants go, and bright red. We all spend way too much time watching them. Although we have allowed these pets (they remain unnamed) into our house, I am not naive to their true nature and have taken some precautions. First, they do not leave the counter in the laundry room, the smallest, most isolated room in our house, and far from Hadyn's curious, sometimes clumsey hands. Second, I lovingly sprayed the entire perimiter of the room with bug spray that will "dispatch" them to a better home should any of them try an escape.

In other very exciting news, our beautiful tile floor which Jeff installed in December has finally been grouted! We didn't know what we were doing, and were, therefore, nervous to start. My sister Robin and her family were here last week on their spring break, and she and my bro-in-law, Scott said we could get it done that night and they'd help. It is so great. Now we just have to finish the bathroom make-over, add trim pieces to the floor, replace baseboards and seal the grout. Nothing like a small project to help you feel like you've accomplished something.

Seriously though, Robin and Scott will forever be on our "We-Owe-You-Bigtime" list. We decided it would be easier to repay their kindness if they just moved to Boise, so if any of you know them, feel free to sing Boise's and our praises as often as possible, maybe they'll be so moved they'll come be our neighbors!

A Great Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday and it was so great. My mom surprised me be making an unannounced 5 hour drive to make me dinner and a birthday cake. It was so much fun to see her. I forget how nice it is to have your mom around on your birthday. She wouldn't let me do anything, sweep, vacuum, help with dinner...I will admit I didn't put up much of a fight. Jeff got me an awesome ski coat and new gloves, which I really needed and wanted. Spring had already arrived in Boise, but there is still snow in the mountains, so I thought I could try my new stuff out next time we go skiing. Then, this is what we woke up to this morning...

So, I actually got to try out my coat and gloves this morning, and they were awesome! Thanks sweetheart!

And look at my sad daffodils all bent over with snow. Okay, this isn't the best picture, but I was still in pajamas and not about to go outside...

Also, my mom, besides making a delicious meal and a fabulous cake, brought homemade pajamas for the girls. The girls had gone through all her material when we were there last month, and picked out what they wanted their pajamas made out of, and here are the end results. I know it's hard to even see Regan. She always picks such subdued, conservative colors and patterns. She reminds me of my Grandma Williams. I bet she had this exact nightgown. I'm sure she is looking down at Regan and smiling.

And last, but not least, I love cooking and I LOVE kitchen gadgets. Jeff is always great at picking out great gadgets for gifts. This year he outdid himself. He gave me this spatula made by OXO. It is really thin stainless steel that is flexible. "So" you are saying? No, this thing is amazing. We used it last night to dish out cake from a 9x13 pan. You know how the first piece out always gets messed up? Those days are gone my friends. Everyone run out and buy one today. Think of how many first pieces of cake can be saved! How many cookies will remain unbroken! Don't delay! But wait, if you buy one today, we'll throw in an extra...oh wait, I'm turning into QVC. Sorry. I just love it, and think everyone needs one. Thanks honey!

The Good Ol' Days

My good friend Rebekah sent me some OLD pictures from the beginning of time. She and I have been friends for 27 years! This is our 1st Grade class picture. Let's see who can guess which one is me... The best part of growing up in such a small town, is I can still name every single person from this picture. I also think of Mrs. Miller (in the black jacket) everytime I smell coffee or hear the sound of celery being eaten. I'm not sure she actually consumed anything but those two foods... Anyway, as I said, let me know which of these promising young faces is mine!

Daddy-Daughter Ski Trip

Jeff surprised Regan today by coming home at lunch and taking her skiing. She was pretty excited to have some one-on-one time on the slopes with her dad. This time we actually got some film of her skiing. She has so much natural talent, it is fun to watch her. Ski runs are graded green, blue and black, being easiest (green) to hardest (black). Up until today she stuck to green runs, but the run she usually does ends in a pretty steep run that is probably not green. Anyway, today she went up the high-speed lift and skied Alpine, a blue run. Jeff said she did awesome. She was a little nervous at first, looking down, because it was so steep, but then she remembered her turns and just went. So cool. At one point there was a couple stopped on the hill. The guy was trying to reassure the girl that it wasn't too steep, and was trying to show her how to make the turns to make it easier. Just then, little Regan went zipping by doing an effortless turn or two right in front of them. Nice...that's my girl...okay, her being my girl has nothing to do with it. If she got any of her talent from me, she'd still be on the bunny hill.

Thinking Back

The past few days I've been working on our food storage, doing inventory, etc. Basically, since I haven't looked at it since we moved, I decided it was time to work on it. Anyway, as I was going through my list, I realized I needed to make more freezer jam. That got me thinking of the first time I made it, about four years ago. Regan was almost two, and was "helping". I knew we had filmed it, and I found it. Who knew a such a little girl could eat so many strawberries. I thought I'd share...

Also, keeping with the Regan and food theme, last night I went up to check on the girls before I went to bed. They had been asleep for a couple hours. Regan was in bed with Hadyn, so I went to move her to her own bed. She sat up with a big smile, but was not awake. This is not uncommon, Regan doesn't sleep walk, but often sits up, looks awake, and talks without being awake or really being aware of who she is talking to. It is fun to talk to her when what she says is completely unfiltered. I asked if she has a boyfriend, she smiled and said she wasn't allowed to have one (this brought on a big, proud grin from mom). I asked who she was going to marry, and with an even bigger grin (and still glazed-over eyes) she replied, "Bacon". It goes without saying that Jeff and I were both excited, but for different reasons. Me, because her infatuation with the skateboarder kid in kindergarten hasn't made it to her subconscious, and Jeff, because he thinks it would be awesome to have bacon as a "son-in-law" or at least meat-product-in-law.