Sugar Cookies

So I thought I'd sweeten up our day by letting the kids decorate some sugar cookies. They could hardly wait until it was time to start putting on the frosting! Sprinkles was their favorite part, of course. I am proud to say that I only ate two cookies and absolutely no dough throughout the process! And since all the cookies I decorated have been given away, and the cookies Kate and Jonathan decorated were consumed by them, I should finish out the day without succumbing to any more sweets =)

The tattoo that wanted to last forever...

So Jonathan begged and begged for me to put the tattoo on him that we found in the pop tarts box this morning (yes--I am a terrible mother and I let my kids have pop tarts for breakfast. But I hate the morning rush--and I love that they can get them themselves). He liked if for just long enough to snap this picture and then wanted it OFF. I distracted him and he left it on for preschool, but when he got home we went to work to get it off. I was shocked that it wouldn't come off with water--it seems like they always do. Luckily the back of the tattoo was still on the counter and it gave us some options like baby oil and rubbing alcohol.

Tag, I'm It!

I was tagged, so here we go...

Rules of this Tag

1. Answer the questions about the list of friends and/or family on your blog.

2. If you don’t have the # of names that the question asks, answer the question about the next name that you have not had a question for on your list.

3. Tag your friends/ family.

When did you first meet the 1st person on your list? Well, the first person on my list is actually people: all my Allred family. I met most of them when Phil and I started dating almost 12 years ago, and I love having a family blog with them. It's so great to be more connected and hear more of what's going on in their lives. And they're all to blame for making me get into and love blogging!

What do you like about the third person on your list's blog? Amy O. is amazing! I don't think there's anything about her not to like--she's so friendly and open, and fun to be around. I could go on and on...but I'll end by copying what Charlene said: Amy is beautiful inside and out! I think that perfectly describes her.

What do you like best about the 5th and 6th people on your list? I'm excited to get to know Charlene more now that I'm her visiting teacher, but I already would have a hard time picking what I like best about her. She's great in every way and after only one visit to her house, I totally envy her house-decorating skills. Her house is BEAUTIFUL! But that shouldn't suprise me since she always looks great and everything she does at church is amazing, too. And Cherrisse is hilarious! I have loved reading her blog and laughing out loud at her great posts.

How long have you known the 8th person on your list? Just a few years since she married my cousin Brent. They don't live close, but it's fun to get to know them through blogging and see pictures of their cute new baby.

What impresses you about the 11th and 22nd people on your list? Lisa impresses me with her ability to still be fun and adventurous even with four kids! And when she took care of my kids, too, and had EIGHT she still went out and had more fun with the kids than I ever do with just my four. She's so fun to be around! And that goes for the rest of you on my list. You all amaze me with your mothering skills and I love reading everyone's blogs and seeing how we all deal with crazy daily life. Does that count for the 22nd person? I say it does =)

What is a memory you have with the 23rd person on your list? I'll pick Nicole. There's so many to choose from, but one of my favorites was canning apple pie filling at her house one fall. I just remember having a great time working together and enjoying visiting while we slaved away all day and our kids played out back. I canned by myself this year, and I totally missed having a good friend to work with.

Say something nice about the 27th person on your list. Well, I obviously don't have 27 people on my list, so I'll say something nice about Kandice, even though she tagged me =). She is so organized and artistic. I loved listening to her RS lessons (yes, I know that was forever ago), because she was so great at teaching the concept and getting everyone discussing.

Well, I'm going to tag Lisa, and Nicole, and anyone else who wants/needs an idea for a new post!

How would Tyler explain this picture?

1. I am the king and this is my throne. My mom and dad are my servants and give me everything I want.
2. I'm too messy to wear my white Sunday shirt while eating.
3. I cried for a half-an-hour while everybody else ate until my parents figured out that this is what I wanted. They sure are slow! I mean, who wouldn't want to eat with their pillow and blanket on a beat up chair that's too short for the table?
4. My mom likes to encourage my bad behavior by capturing it on film and making me think I've done something good.

5 Ways to Beat the Spurs

courtesy of the AZ Republic

1. Learn and commit to memory the definition of 'in the immediate vicinity.'

We were suprised that coach Mike hadn't gone through this with a mock bench and chalk lines.
It's vague. Evidently, the NBA determined that it is roughly the distance between the end of the bench and where Steve Nash landed from a Robert Horry hip check last year's series.

However it is evidently NOT defined by the distance from the bench to just past the 3-point line, which is where Tim Duncan went during another altercation.

Oh wait. The NBA decided that one wasn't an altercation.

2. Learn and commit to memory the definition of 'altercation.'

3. Hope that referee Joey Crawford is assigned to a pivotal game in the series and ask him, 'What's Duncan laughing about?'

4. Prepare to fight fire with fire, elbow with elbow, knee to the groin with knee to the groin.

Nash said he isn't anticipating any incidents but added with a smirk: "Boys will be boys."

We wondered whether the Suns playmaker ever does anything dirty in the heat of the battle.

He promised that if he does. Its never anything "premeditated."

Buy hey, he evidently doesn't mind an ocassional blood-gushing gash on the nose.

"I grew up playing hockey and rugby so this is nothing. Basketball is like nothing compared to soccer. ...Growing up in soccer, the other team's mucker (is) trying to break your leg every game."

5. Employ a Shaq Attack.

Someone asked Shaquille O'Neal recently whether he believes Horry would have delivered that late-game shot to Nash if O'Neal were on the Phoenix roster.

"No," O'Neal answered.

Because of his intimidating presence?

"No," Shaq said again. "I don't intimidate. I beat you. Like a man.

"I don't flop. I don't complain. I beat you."

Oh yes, this is going to be good.

They're ready!

The strawberries are ready to eat! That was quick--it seems like we only planted them a month or so ago. I guess that's what happens when you buy plants and use lots of miracle grow plant food =)



Jonathan, Kate and Tyler had fun picking them and eating them this morning.

TV Zombies

I had Erika's kids over yesterday morning, and after all their play, the four 4-year olds were worn out! While I fed the little kids lunch, I put on a movie for the rest and they crashed--for a whole five minutes before they were up running around again. I love it that they all get along and play so great together, but in this group poor Jonathan sure is "girl-trapped" as my kids like to say.

Utah

Well, my post will be without too many pictures. I could blame it on leaving our camera in Thatcher, but we did still have Phil's camera phone. So I'll just say it's cause we were having too much fun to stop for a picture =) Sorry for all the details--but this will be my "journal entry" for our trip.
Our trip was WONDERFUL!!! I left town right after the kids got out of school on Thursday (they have early release every Thursday), and we met up with my mom in Mesa (she had ridden over with a friend and gone to the temple). It was great to have her help traveling! We spent time at her house playing and eating, until bedtime when I took the kids over to Uncle Phil and Aunt Lisa's house to sleep. We kept the kids up until their dad arrived to tell them goodnight. I was so thankful that the kids (especially Tyler) went to bed great and already seemed at home there. Phil and I slept at his parents house for a few hours before waking up EARLY to start our long trip.
The drive went so smoothly. We made great time and arrived at our hotel in downtown Salt Lake by 6:00 that night.

We unpacked quickly and then walked to the nearby Olive Garden to eat dinner.
On Saturday we watched the first session of conference in our hotel room (we got a suite so we had a small living room to watch in), and then went to visit my Uncle Loren and Aunt Julie and their family. We had a great visit, but poor Loren couldn't find the conference tickets he was going to give us.
We picked up Phil's sister Wendy by the Temple and then went back to our hotel room to watch the second session with her. Then Phil's sister Cheryl and her husband Robert met up with us and we all walked to Temple Square where Wendy left with her friends and then the four of us waited in line so that Phil and Robert could go to the Priesthood session. They didn't get in, though, so they just went to the Tabernacle.

Cheryl and I walked over to the Gateway mall where we met up with one of my college friends, Meggan. We shopped and caught up. It was great to see her!!! I bought a new coat because I was FREEZING in the cold weather. Cheryl, on the other hand, was loving the "warm" weather (she lives in Idaho).
After the men were done, Cheryl, Robert, Phil and I went to dinner at Red Robin. It was so late by the time we finally ate, and then the waitress accidentally dumped Cheryl's dinner all over the floor!

Sunday morning we walked over to Temple Square again to stand in line as we listened to the first session. We were hopeful that we would get into the conference center when they passed out numbers to those in line and we were only 128 and 129. They even took us across and let us through security only to stand in line again at the top. Then they told us that it was still a slim to none chance that we would get in. While we were waiting, Loren called to tell us that he had found tickets for us and that Julie would drive them by. THANK YOU Loren and Julie for going the extra mile (or shall we say extra 40 or so miles) to get us tickets. We rushed in and then enjoyed an amazing session! Our seats were SO close--only about 11 rows from the front, and way off to the left side. It was incredible to be there!
After the session we saw a couple who had been in line in front of us, and they had not gotten in after all. So we are incredibly grateful for Loren and Julie!
We visited Phil's Uncle Gary on our way out of town, and he saved us from near starvation as he gave us some great croissant sandwiches to eat as we traveled. We arrived at my Aunt Leisel and Uncle Scott's house near Monticello late that night, and had a great time visiting with them in the morning. THANKS Leisel for letting us stay and a great breakfast!
We had to leave too soon, and made the long trip back to Globe where we met up with Phil's mom, Lisa and the kids.
It was then a very long trip home as the kids were tired and wanted to be out of the car. We arrived home where the kids discovered strawberries growing outside (THANKS Erika for watering them and feeding the fish!) just as I was talking to the credit card people who had left several messages worrying that our credit card had been stolen due to all of the sudden activity on our account. And I thought we had done a good job being frugal =).
Well, I'm impressed if you're still reading at this point =) It was a great trip and we're so glad that everything went so well. We can't thank everyone enough for all the help they gave us!

Trip sans children

We're very excited to be taking off tomorrow! The children are beyond thrilled to be staying with their cousins (THANK YOU Lisa and Phil!), and Phil and I are ready to get on the road and head up to Conference. Hopefully I'll remember to get our camera out and capture some of it for the blog. No promises though--it's easier to do the picture thing with kids who love to pose versus adults who aren't so interested. Until next week....