Fulks Factory

When will my life begin

2011-12-08T14:42:00.001-08:00

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Family Pictures! I had a hard time chosing, so I posted most of them!

2011-11-30T22:31:00.001-08:00

Momo and Grammy.....

2011-11-25T17:40:00.001-08:00

Grammy was tickling Mo's arms and within a few seconds she was out like a light.

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Boo!

2011-10-29T08:12:00.001-07:00

When you have friends as talented as I do, we couldn't help but take advantage of her skills this year. Amy girl, you positively rock! It was really hard to look at Bri the entire night.....he was too creepy!

Aren't we Creepy?!?

Homemade Butterfinger......

2011-10-28T16:17:00.001-07:00

These delicious things are so easy to make and taste just like the store bought, if not better. Only 3 ingredients.
16 oz candy corn
16 oz peanut butter
Chocolate coating

Melt candy corn in microwave in 30 second intervals, stir in peanut butter then spread into a prepared 8x8 pan (just cover pan with wax paper then spread mixture) chill for 20 minutes in freezer. Cut into desired size and coat with chocolate.

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ketchup.....

2011-10-11T11:50:00.001-07:00

We ate @ good old McDONALD'S today and Po thouroughly enjoyed his cup of Ketchup...

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like pulling teeth......

2011-09-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

I cannot handle the loose tooth phase, it makes me shutter. So when Will asked me to yank his out of his face, at first I declined. But then I could see the agony on his face knowing Dad wouldn't be home for 2 hrs. So today, just for a moment, I was a good Mom.:.b

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while you were out.....

2011-09-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

Brian has been gone the past 2 weekends so I decided this past weekend to surprise him and do the wainscoting in our bedroom.....with some help of course, I am not that talented....

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he is growing up!

2011-09-12T16:38:00.001-07:00

William wanted a mohawk a few months back and I hated it. But we had a compromise. When his buzzed head grew out he could have a fohawk. It is finally long enough. I think it Looks super handsome on him, ya know if I don't say so myself....

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Almost September? Yikes...

2011-08-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

Soccer is starting, YAY!
I was excited that the boys both wanted to play again this year. Grey did such a great job! He is a natural defender and LOVES it when he gets to be the goalie.

Isn't he the most handsome soccer player or what?!!? William loves throwing in the ball, and goes crazy when his team scores a goal. I love it! Every time, it is like they just won the world cup. So priceless.
My Momo. I love this picture so much! so carefree and such a tease!!!!!
And what of this little lad? He loved watching the games. Popo is like a Platypus, he doesn't do much....(if you don't get that line, then go watch Phineas and Ferb NOW!) Popo doesn't say any words, wants absolutely nothing to do with walking, and mostly just wants his Ma, but he sure is adorable...and to be quite honest, can melt his Moms heart in a second.....I have gone soft with this one!

How you doin?

Hahaha, isn't that just what it looks like he should be saying? Sadly there are no pictures of me from the soccer games. Brian decided the picture he wanted for posterity was of my posterior and I am not posting it here, not that kind of girl :)

My little businessman...

2011-08-06T12:46:00.001-07:00

Ever since William has learned the concept of money, he has wanted to do a lemonade stand. He has been waiting all summer. so I got up early and baked some cookies. Then we went to the store and got him some cups and he finally got his stand. He is the cutest little salesman!

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Best Dad ever!

2011-08-05T19:16:00.001-07:00

Lately it's been all about the memories....

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The Fulks Drive-in is now open for business...

2011-08-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

My sister Katie & her crew came up for a visit. We wanted to go to the drive-in But they didn't have any good movies playing so we decided to improvise. after getting all the cars we could find from our neighbors, we watched Rio and ate way too many treats. This will definitely be a new tradition.

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3 Birthdays within 10 days....It's been a party around here!

2011-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, Where's Perry?

Oh, there you are Perry!

PJ is 1!!! I don't believe it either...... Since we all have a healthy obsession with Phineas and Ferb @ our house, we decided to do Perry the Platypus cakes. I used bakery Swiss cake rolls and cake baked in my mini loaf pan for 2 different body types. I ended up liking the shape of the mini loaf pan ones best, but they are harder to frost. I used circus peanuts cut in half for the bill, a nutter butter for the tail and circus peanut slices for the feet. I uses york pieces for the eyes and colored in the pupils with edible marker.
Oh Perry, we love you more than Ice cream cakes...we love you more than bugs and snakes....
PJ loves his Perry... He was loving the camera flash and kept squinting his eyes and making silly faces. He was working it....
What a cute mess!

Greyson's 5th Birthday...He wanted a "Jake and the Neverland Pirates'" cake this year. I had some major technical difficulties....so don't look to close. Only thing that matters is that he loved it. He kept tellling me "That cake is hilarious!" His favorite thing was the treasure chest with all his gold dablunes.Then on to my Little Momo. She wanted a Hoo hoo cake, and then a Rapunzel cake, then a hoo hoo cake, then a Rapunzel cake....Whew....let's just do both.... She is spoiled..... I adapted Morgan's Rapunzel cake from one originally done on family fun, but I liked this version best. CHeck it out if you have aRapunzel lover at your house. I found the little doll @ Walmart.

She also loved her Hoo hoo cupcakes....
We had plenty of cake left over, but it was one fun bash!

Hey, where's Perry?

2011-07-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

PJ's birthday cake...birthday boy pics to follow...

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alcohol messes up your brain

2011-07-12T13:04:00.001-07:00

Grey "mom, can I drink that peach juice now that we ate all the peaches?"
Mom: "sure" I was anxious to see his reaction because I loved it as a kid.
So he takes a swig and he says its good, so he takes another swig.
Grey: "hmmm, this kinda tastes like alcohol"
Mom: "that's weird, what do u know about alcohol?"
Grey: "alcohol is really bad and it messes up your brain and you don't think right. But don't worry mom, even though I am drinking this, I will still listen to you and behave and do my work."

Well at least he is drinking responsibly........

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Bring on the chocolate!

2011-07-10T18:01:00.001-07:00

Yes, if you are keeping track, we are a week early, but Dad said it was ok. Popo sure enjoyed his 1st Oreo.

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cheese

2011-06-24T21:57:00.001-07:00

She just wants me to take her picture with him......a lot. She likes her little bro....a lot.

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happy father's day!

2011-06-19T16:04:00.001-07:00

The kids made dad King for a day.....

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Birthday cake

2011-06-18T21:17:00.001-07:00

William wanted a logo star wars b-day cake. I surprised him with a darth vader alarm clock on top. He loved it. And consequently I always know what time it is.

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some shiny new rollerblades.

2011-06-18T21:12:00.001-07:00

All William wanted for his b-day was to go rollerblading. It was a lot of fun. He is so intense and focused while he is skating. He is getting really good.

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He is finally 7!

2011-06-16T08:46:00.001-07:00

Birthday donuts, strawberry milk, and a new star wars mini.....off to a good start.

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Shoshone Falls

2011-05-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Boise this past weekend, we stopped in Twin to see Shoshone falls. It was a beautiful pitstop. The kids were so excited that there were rainbows in the mist.The extra run off made the falls so beautiful! If you are headed that way, it is worth the detour.
You can kinda see a double rainbow in this one
My boys.
The Po was having a blast on Dad's shoulders.
I don't think that Grey could smile any wider. However, I can't get enough of those freckles!
William particularly wanted a pic with the rainbow.
I was glad we got a cute shot with me and the kiddos, but the out takes are more interesting :) I particularly love that PJ is pulling Morgan's hair.
2 Handsome Fellas
Little miss Mo had a blast hiking around at the heels of her 2 brothers and had to do everything that they did.

Easter Sunday Duds

2011-04-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

I love getting dressed up on Easter Sunday! The kids looked so handsome and adorable. Unfortunately, our photographer was a small table so this is about as good as it gets :)
I fell in love with Will's suit. He looks so grown up in it though.... he is getting to big.
Morgan and her Daddy are buds. She always asks me, "Mom, where's mdaddy?" (I wanted to spell it like she says it "my and daddy" are combined to mdaddy) I love to watch them hang out together. Whenever he wears a tie she always grabs it to give him a kiss. So sweet.
Who can resist these freckles? And that sweet high pitched voice? I sure can't.... wrap all of that adorableness up in a pinstripe shirt and tie and we have complete irresistableness...... (Yea, not a word, but it should be)Poor Mo was not feeling well on Easter. She was able to get dressed up for Sacrament meeting though, so she was happy. Even feeling sick she looked adorable anyhow.

I love me some Momo snuggles. She is so sweet and sassy.
And lets not forget the adorableness factor of the Po. He was quite finished with the picture taking....Even still....so handsome.

PJ's 1st Easter

2011-04-25T22:58:00.001-07:00

PJ has been the least documented child. Poor kid. I promised myself I would not do that, but alas, PJ's picture has much to be desired so I tried to make up for it in one day :). I am trying little buddy! Let's all sit and reflect on how irresistible this little guy is right now.
Here he is so stoked to color dem eggs! Let me at em
He tried to eat it, so I had to take it away...he was so sad... Bad Momma.
So happy for his cookies in his basket.
He loved all of fake grass. It is tastier than the real grass.
These kisses are my absolute favorite right now. I can't get enough of this kid.

Easter Baskets

2011-04-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

Just a few Easter highlights..Me and the egg hunters.
Grey is so happy he found his eggs, I think he almost cried with excitement.
Mo is loving her guitar
William has not stopped playing with his Frisbee (except for the rain) and I have already had to fetch it off the roof once.
I love the blur in this picture showing Grey furiously strumming his guitar.
I think the Easter Bunny did good.

PJ has been taking some acting classes.....

2011-04-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

PJ has been cracking me up lately with his drama..... he has been taking some acting classes and he is ready for his big debut... Enjoy. Sorry it is a little long, but it is all funny to me :)

He wanted to be a turtle...

2011-04-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

William's friend was having an animal themed birthday party and everyone was supposed to choose an animal and dress up. I figured we could pull out an old Halloween costume or something, but Will had other plans. He wanted to be a turtle. It was a skating party, and "a turtle would be a "cool" costume to skate around in" So, we went to work. My friend Amy painted his face and I took one of our sleds and covered it in a green tablecloth and glued on green paper plates for the shell and voila..... one pretty cool looking turtle.

Cupcake war!

2011-04-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Cupcake war 2011
This will need to be a semi-annual event, I am thinking :)

My friend Kara had a fantastic idea to have a cupcake war. I was so excited, but narrowing down a recipe was hard, waaaaay too many good looking cupcakes. I decided to go with the s'mores cupcake because I have always wanted to use our kitchen torch. We were supposed to make a large cupcake for show, and mini ones to eat.
S'moresPresentation wise, I LOVED mine! And using the torch was so dang fun! The mini version didn't taste quite as good as the large one, but they were sure fun to make. I made the marshmallow cream frosting from scratch. That was fun too! You just heat egg whites and sugar to 160 degrees on a double boiler, then whip it.

Tara made
Better than "certain extracurricular activities" cupcake
She was reluctant to enter with her "from a box baking skills" but it was yuumm!
Heidi made Key Lime Pie (this one was my favorite)
Kara made Caramel Apple Cupcakes...these were soooooo good too, They were B's favorite
Kara, Tara, Heidi, and meeeee
TJ, Chris, B, Ryan I know I took a better pic, but must have uploaded the wrong one. At least B looks good :)

Brian kept asking me if I would feel bad if he didn't vote for mine, which I didn't, because mine wasn't even my favorite, but he was a little worried the evening would cause marital strife in the neighborhood. I am already planning ahead for next time. I think I am going to go with the ginger/lemon cupcake.....Then maybe I will get my hubb'y vote...

Officially on vacation

2011-03-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hooray for spring break! I am headed to Logan today to drop off my kiddos, minus PJ so that Brian and I can head to Boise to celebrate our Anniversary. (I know, Boise?...but we love it and we will do something more exciting when we can ditch PJ) Wohoo! Since I had such an amazing response to the "Hoo hoo" party, the orders have been a little overwhelming. Since I want to make the most of our much needed break, I had to put my shop into vacation mode until I get back. It will be back up next Monday, so hopefully no one has a party between now and then :) Thanks for all your wonderful comments and encouragement.

Owl or Hoo Hoo Party! (didn't want to scare anyone with my post title)

2011-03-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

Owls. We are obsessed with them. Well mostly Morgan and I. She calls them Hoo hoos. It is my favorite Morganism. I have always wanted to design some party decorations and since we are obsessed with Hoo hoo's, that is what I decided to make as a party theme. Testing...testing..... I really had to twist my sister Katie's arm to let me use her daughter Macy's 2nd birthday party as my "test run" Here are some pics. I will be adding all of these designs to my my etsy shop and I am still in the product development phase..... All comments and critiques are welcomed. Thanks.

10 years and counting...

2011-03-09T08:23:00.001-08:00

Happy Anniversary Babe!

Gag right? I am soooo not the cheesy type...but it's true.
Thanks for keeping my glass half full babe... he he... it's as good as I could come up with.

My wicked talented bro-in-law Jer is making these glasses for us for our anniversary.

Grey definitely thinks outside the box...er inside I guess...

2011-03-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

I ran upstairs and told Grey to watch PJ for a couple minutes. (as aforementioned, I have not adjusted to his new found freedom) You know, just make sure he has something to play with, or his binky if he cries. When I came down the stairs, I found this. PJ was definitely entertained. Grey never ceases to amaze me with his little imagination.

I am not ready for this....

2011-03-03T15:10:00.001-08:00

YIKES!!!
Popo is not messing around. The other day he was after a paper, and practically swan across the rug to get to it. Today, I sat a tag from some shoes on the floor and he was on it. He doesn't army crawl per-say, he grabs at the carpet in front of him and pulls with his upper body. WHatever ya call it, I am not ready for his new found freedom....time to baby proof, or Porter proof that is...

My bday

2011-03-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

One year older. Whatever. I am starting to feel it. I have 4 kids and I am 31. Weird. Anywho, it was a great bday, thanks to the hubbs. I conned him into making me a rootbeer float cake. I saw it here and couldn't wait to try it.
He also made cupcakes. I LOVED my cake. It was so strange eating and chewing rootbeer, but I thought it was delicious. The cupcakes were a huge hit at his YM activity.

Of course, Ang and Amy can't just come over and sing happy birthday. They had to put on a show. It made me feel loved. Ang has 6 cups stacked in her hair, who wouldn't love to pull that off. I never could.

Randomness.....

2011-02-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

I am just posting a few random things today
1. I love this guy!
William worked so hard on this picture for the art fair. He drew Hiccup and Toothless from "How to Train Your Dragon." The theme was "Together we can...." and he chose this because a) he wanted to draw a dragon, and b) to go along with the theme, together, hiccup and toothless saved the vikings and dragons.... very deep. I found a site that showed him steps in how to draw the picture. I thought he did great. He won 1st place! (there were 3 first place spots....but still..)

2. When this happened, Brian told Will that this is what big brother's are for.... Cute!
3. This little man is getting MONSTROUS! I wanted to put "I hope they call me on a mission" in vinyl on the wall in his room, so I wanted to take some pics to go along with it....
I just loved that he was not looking @ the camera in this shot...

He is definitely feasting upon the words here......
I am curious as to which chapter he is on, cuz it looks entertaining....

4. Porter confused which opening he should be putting his rice puffs....

I spent the day with TInk

2011-02-09T22:42:00.000-08:00

We started with Princesses in her hairWe painted our toesWe ate lunch @ DonaldsWe ate popsicles

I think I wore her right out

It was a good day.....

Dear Idea Room......

2011-01-27T06:57:00.000-08:00

You should put a time/patience warning on your craft ideas. I am writing this post after spending at least an hour and a half of an unassumingly easy, inexpensive little craft. Adorable yes?!? As happy as I am at how it turned out, it took waaaaay to long! I was going to make 3. We'll see about that now. I did notice in one of their pics, she did really big roses. I am going to have to give that a try for sure! Here is the link of this "fun" project if you are interested. Happy crafting. Oh and I got the crepe paper and the Styrofoam balls @ the dollar store. Each one will only end up costing 1.50.

He's not toothless anymore...

2011-01-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

After a week of being sick, fevers, and an ear infection, Popo cut his first tooth.
He seems indifferent about the situation.

Recipe Websites

2011-01-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

I have been blog hopping and found some very fun recipe sites that I thought I would share.
http://www.ourbestbites.com
http://dealstomeals.blogspot.com/

old man laugh

2011-01-13T19:28:00.001-08:00

Brian could not contain himself the other day, during an episode of AFV. This is only 1 minute of what literally went on for a good 10 minutes. I have never seen him laugh so hard. Ever.

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Tinklebells

2011-01-04T07:30:00.001-08:00

And once Grey had a video taken, Momojo had to do one too.

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Joy to the World

2011-01-04T07:29:00.001-08:00

We learned Joy to the World in primary and Grey sings it all the time. I know Christmas is over, but it was too cute not to post

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Christmas Day!

2010-12-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve was everything I wanted it to be. This year was the 1st official Christmas at home. We have always been at relatives on Christmas and I was so excited to have one at our home. According to the kids, it was the "best Christmas Eve ever!"
Here are the reasons why:
1-Grandma and Papa Merrill came over that morning and we went to McDonalds for lunch (Awesome right?!?)
2-Grandma and Papa Fulks came over that evening and spent the night.
3-We had "THE BEST" Christmas Eve dinner. Brian and I had worked so hard on it and it turned out perfect!
4-We drove around the neighborhood before bedtime to see the lights and My bear leaned his head on my shoulder, wrapped his arms around me and whispered "Merry Christmas Mom" next William whispered "Merry Christmas Mom and Dad" and then Mo boomed from her chair "Merry Christmas Mom and Daddy, Merry Chrstmas Grammy, Merry Christmas Grandpa!" I don't think I will ever forget it......

You could taste the excitement in the room as we waited to go downstairs......

Santa FINALLY brought Mo her "Dragon Movie!" AND suprised her with a Tinkerbell doll. She was in Heaven.

Tea Time with Tink
Pj's favorite part of the day!

William was genuinely excited for his Leapster, and quite frankly hasn't put it down. (Except for the occasional Saber battle with Grey.)

It was such a fun, chill, day at home. Brian only had to run to the hospital a couple times during the day, so he was able to enjoy it too. I HAD to post a pic of what Brian got me for Christmas. It was a TOTAL suprise! I really had no clue, he did such a good job hiding it. He got me some great clothes, a new coat and...........................clip on hair extensions! I love them so much, I had to post a pic. They are so much fun....you know since I have the thinnest, saddest hair, and could never hope to actually grow out my hair this long on my own!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-23T13:22:00.000-08:00

I know, I know......most of you had to re-check your envelope to see if something was missing to your card this year. This is it. Just an adorable picture of the family. No bells, no whistles. Needless to say, 4 kids is still making me quite the under-achiever this year. Simplifying my life this year has been a necessity, so that I can actually enjoy the holiday season!
So, Merry Christmas everyone!

Toothless

2010-12-22T10:01:00.000-08:00

Will and his friend Faith lost their 1st tooth approximately 2 weeks apart and they are still SOOOOOOOOO excited

we thought this day would never come!

2010-12-21T07:52:00.001-08:00

All of Will's friends have had birthdays, all off Wills friends have lost a tooth. He was definitely starting to feel a little left out. So, he took matters into his own hands. Quite literally. He has wiggled that tooth relentlessly. And last night, with a little help from Dad, he lost his much anticipated first tooth. Brian had pulled it out but was pretending it was still there and Will didnt even know it was gone. It was pretty funny.

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Stitches take 2

2010-12-15T13:41:00.000-08:00

Flashback almost 2 years ago, to Jan 9, 2009. William stumbled going up the stairs @ McDonald's play place and needed stitches.
Now Flash forward to today, December 15, 2010. William was running around during recess when he stumbled and hit his face on the stairs of the slide.

Yep, stitches. In the EXACT same spot! The poor kid needs to stay away from stairs while on a playground, or play area! The scars Meet at the exact same spot on his lip, making one long scar. Kinda funny and ironic. Luckily Brian was home for lunch and was able to take him back to the clinic and help get him all stitched up.

Talk about wild weather!?!

2010-12-14T13:11:00.000-08:00

We had a blizzard in November.... and now it is December and we have green grass and sunshine......... lots of warm sunshine. I don't know what the official high was yesterday, but our van temp at noon said it was 56 degrees!
I enjoyed it...... the kids enjoyed it.............. and as you can see, the neighborhood enjoyed it.

Momo especially enjoyed it. No jacket! Morgan HATES having to wear coats and jackets and yetserday, it was okay.

And today it is pouring rain...... And we are ready for snow again.

Santa

2010-12-12T16:56:00.001-08:00

Santa stopped by our ward party and the kids were thrilled. I thought for sure Mo would bail but the jingle bells and the prospect of getting a candy cane were too hard to resist.

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Trip to see the lights

2010-12-10T22:44:00.000-08:00

Even though we have moved away, it has still been a tradition to go down and see the lights on Temple Square. This year it was a blast. We listened to Christmas music the whole way and the kids sang along. It was about 40 degrees in SLC so it was such a pleasant night to be out. The kids were so excited and were running to see the different lights. My Parents and Sister Katie and her family came down with us and it was a great weekend.

Princess

2010-12-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Morgan was so excited to wear this dress, and my butterfly headband (which she broke :) and go to church and "no cry nursery." She looked so darling. And today, she didn't cry. I think it was the dress.

I thought it was so cute that William wanted to have a pic with his sis. I am glad they are friends.

Sledding

2010-12-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving we went sledding. Good times.

Morgan didn't even want to sled. She just wanted to hit the playground with Papa.

PJ loved being outside. Cold Schmold
Grey chose rolling as his favored method of getting down the hill

I Love Turkey on Thanksgiving!

2010-12-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

I can't say enough, how wonderful Thanksgiving was. Most of the Merrill's crammed into my Mom & Dad's house, tons of cousins, tons of Merrill girls, and tons of laughs. I am so thankful for this guy right here. I know, I know.....but I am. He is the best.
Let's just analyze this picture. I had one of them all smiling, but I thought this one waaay better. William is being mr. cool, Mo is cheesing, PJ could care less, Grey is....I have no idea what he is, but it's funny. And I just Love my Mom and Dad. So thankful for them....
Grey and William wanted their pics with dinner. They are so funny. I am thankful for them too.

Thanksgiving was a blast.

PJ has something important to say

2010-11-21T17:48:00.001-08:00

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Today, I love the snow...... today

2010-11-21T08:38:00.001-08:00

Wintertime check list
Snowman....check
Snowball fight.....check
Eating lots of questionable snow.....check

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Can't get enough of this guy!

2010-11-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

This poor fella has been under-documented. Shocking, I know. So not like me.....He is 3 1/2 months old already! Where has the time and my sanity gone? 4 kids has sure thrown me for a loop but I would do it all over again for this face right here. His baby chick hair, squeals of delight when we are chatting, his tender heart over loud noises, and those gorgeous eyes! I love him. So much!On a random side note. We had our primary program this past Sunday and I bribed my kiddos with cupcakes if they sang nice and loud and I had to make good on my bribe. I cannot believe that I did not take a picture! 125 cupcakes! You should have seen my kitchen, it looked like a cupcake factory. Here are the few left over from the big day. I know it is over the top, but totally worth it. The kids LOVED them! And truthfully, I loved doing it. Weird, I know.

When the point of time-out gets overturned....

2010-11-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween a few days late.....

2010-11-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

I don't want to get behind so I have to post Halloween pics Sorry for the late post. First, the punkins.
Rogger, Rogger-------- oh, cute ---------sir, yes, sirGood thing I don't have a bunch of posers!
We had our annual Halloween Party @ Grandma & Papa Merrill's.
The fellas were Shadow troopers
My sis Katie and the hubbs, Jer always have to outdo themselves with their costume. Just seeing this pic makes me laugh. "Hey! Save me a piece of that corn"
PJ was an ear of corn, B was a scary scarecrow, and Mo and I were fairies.
Does this face not explain Halloween in a nutshell? Candy!?!?!?!
Morgan did not realize what trick or treating was all about, but once she did, she was unstoppable. Using her adorable powers to convince people into giving her extra candy
Man, was she happy.

Cutest fairies ever! Couldn't wait to get the costume off so I could breathe. Who's bright idea was it to be a fairy 3 months after having a baby anyway.

Blessing Day

2010-10-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this handsome little fella! On 10/24/10 we finally found a date that would work to bless this cute little man. I can't believe he is 3 months old already and even more surprised that his outfit still fit! Barely :)
This is our chill little PJ.

He was looking pretty comfy with Grammy.
.
PJ wasn't in the mood for pics, so Dad improvised.
I still have a hard time believing that we have 4 kids. 4 amazing kids!

Syringa Fun Run

2010-10-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

William was SOOOO excited for the fun run this year. He had been practicing all week long. He was so excited and asked us about a thousand times if we would be there to watch.Momo and Grey held signs and cheered him on.
I wish I had taken a video camera. On the last lap, he was just barely jogging until he saw us in the crowd and he kicked it into high gear and ran as fast as those little legs could carry him. His face was priceless. He was beat red for a couple hrs after the race. He worked so hard.
Oh and I made some cute Halloween cookies last night and decided to be all artistic. I had to post a pic so I could remember them because the kids keep eating them. Sniff sniff. I eat their abstract pieces of art and they eat mine. Somehow, it hurts less that way. Some days I just want to be a baker. I would love it.

I think I can....

2010-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

It is harvest time. It was so exciting to watch our garden grow. And I say "watch" because I basically watched Brian take care of it. He worked so hard and I am so proud of what we got out of our little garden..... until I realized that now I have all this stuff I need to do something with it. Yikes! I have never really canned anything by myself. I remember suffering through it as a kid but of course I didn't actually pay attention to what was going on. Anyhow, I decided to give it a try. My sweet neighbor Kathey brought us a bunch of apples from her in-laws, so I was able to do a couple batches of apple pie filling. It is sooooo yummy!And I also did a couple batches of salsa. Although I am really the only one who eats it. Guess I better go get some chips..... and don't be surprised if I show up at your door with a jar.
As I turned around and saw Grey doing this, I had to laugh because I had forgotten how much I loved playing with the canning rings as a kid. My Mom had a big box of them and we would run around the house with them on our arms.
It is also apparent that Morgan would like to replace PJ....... I just had to laugh. The things that girl got into while I was canning was ridiculous.
I turned to put PJ in his swing just to find this. I think she got a little bored. So much in fact that she started conjuring up ways to get my attention. She set me up. Earlier she had dragged a kitchen chair into the center of the kitchen and left it there. Later, she poured out Teenie's water all over the kitchen floor. I unaware, went running into the kitchen for something and.......... well you do the math.... It was not graceful... I slammed my shin into the chair, and smashed my other knee on the tile floor as I attempted to catch myself. I did not succeed. I wanted to cry and then curse and then I just yelled at poor Morgan. She kept a safe distance from me in the living room on the couch. There was no way she was going anywhere near me while I was in a screaming heap on the floor. After several minutes of moaning and whining, I picked myself up off the floor to check all mobility systems for damage. Aside from some sweet bruises, I was fine. I felt like I had been hit by a bus. My back ached all night long. I am getting old! We had a good laugh about it later.
And just check out how huge this little fella is getting.... that face just makes me so happy.

Wherever there is evil, or injustice in the world.......

2010-10-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

Just a small sampling of the daily entertainment that I enjoy with this little ham every day.....PJ is her evil nemesis

This is how Will and Grey include PJ in their playtime while @ the cabin.
Grey got this sweet shiner whilst helping his sister defend justice and truth...... or he may have butted heads with a girl on his soccer team. I wish I would have taken a follow up pick, he has had a sweet black eye for over a week.

You're way to beautiful girl.....

2010-09-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Isn't she? so much that I had to snap a couple pictures. Mo hates getting her hair curled, but I couldn't resist doing it when she wanted to wear her cute new outfit. She is such a girl these days, talking about her shoes, she has a new obsession with Tinkerbell, and likes to sit in the bathroom with me while I do my make-up. Oh, and she is such a HAM! Always teasing me and doing funny things and then asking me "That funny Mommy?" I love that blonde hair and sweet smile soooooo much. She makes me insane some days, but I really don't know what I would do without her!

This one is for Pappa Merrill

2010-09-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my sweet shirt. It says "My 1st ATV"

Quick Cabin Trip

2010-09-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Over Labor day we had a quick trip to the cabin and here are a few highlights.

When Brian was a little kid, he would often request a "catepillar" sandwich for lunch. This includes as follows; a slice of white bread, a squiggle of ketchup for the caterpillar body and 2 raisins for eyes. GROSS! Brian really wants this to be passed down for generations so he had grandma make some for the kiddos. They all ate it up and Grey has asked for them a few times since. Shocker!
Porter did not enjoy the traditional bath in the cabin sink. But he did enjoy the post bath lotion massage from Gramma
The kiddos with Gramma and Pappa Fulks by the fire. Way too much fun.

What was I thinking?

2010-09-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what I was thinking when I decided to sign up my 2 boys for fall soccer when I have a 6 week old baby. CRAZY! but fun. The boys are absolutely loving it. Between soccer practices and games I feel like we are running 24/7 but its for them, not me, and they love it.

This one is for Grandma Fulks

2010-09-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

I had to catch this one on video because it is too sweet. This is how Morgan has been saying her prayers lately. So Grandma, keep a smile on your face because someone is thinking of you. Hope This brightens your day :)

PJ Smiles...... and you won't be able to guess why!

2010-09-09T20:02:00.000-07:00

I was changing PJ's diaper tonight and he was being smiley so I snagged the camera and threw him onto our orange chair that I love. He gave me this adorable smile and I was so excited to catch it on camera. Until I pulled it into photoshop and saw the entire picture. Now I see why he was smiling. Naughty baby. Guess he was blessed with his momma's birdie.

I also thought that this was a cute smile.
Can't say I Love the color version. I might need to swap the green in the blanket to brown or change the orange. I doesn't work as well with the blanket. But on the other hand I kinda like it.

The bear goes to pre-school.....

2010-09-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

He is ever so ready.....Sweet new clothes.... check
One extra large backpack for all that tough pre-school homework............ check
One momma who is going to miss her Grey Bear........... check

Grey didn't skip a beat heading of to school today. He was so excited to finally experience everything that Will talks about. He has waited so long for this day. It is finally here and I had a blast watching him be so excited to finally get
to be a school boy.

2010-09-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Missed you......

1st day of 1st grade!

2010-09-02T12:34:00.001-07:00

William was excited beyond explanation to go to school today. I could hear him squealing in joy when he woke up this morning. I snapped a couple pics before he left to catch the bus. His messenger bag he chose is almost bigger than him, but I am proud of his good taste :) Is it true? I am already getting the "Mom, you are embarrassing me" look.
Just before he left today, he looked up at me and said "ya know Mom, I am gonna miss ya." Talk about melt my heart! I love this fella more that I could ever express and I am gonna miss my little buddy and helper around the house.

Brrrrrrrr Lake

2010-08-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, Brian had a free day and I had the bright idea of going over to Bear Lake for the day. We checked the weather and it was going to be approx 75-80 and mostly sunny so we decided to chance it. When we rolled into Garden City, so did the thunder clouds. It was 70 degrees and cloudy and very windy. We ate our lunch in the van and then miraculously, my prayers were answered and the sun came out. The wind was still freezing, but at least we had some sun.
I love that kids don't care what the temperature is, if there is water and sand, they were all for it. Will was cracking me up, throwing up the rabbit ears on his brother and cousin. Where did he learn that?
Gotta have a pic of our Bear @ Bear LakeMorgan and her cousin Macy had a blast splashing and freezing together.Mo was so excited to play in the sand.
This was the only pic we got of Porter because it was so cold. He spent the entire day in our tent with his Dad. The day ended on a high note. An hour before we left the winds calmed and we were all able to get into the water again. After the beach, we made our way to the "Quick n Tasty" for a burger and a Raspberry Fizz (which is really one of the main reasons that I wanted to go to Beak Lake :) All was well until we had to make a pit stop so Will could puke along side the road. We know we have officially had fun when our kids puke on a family outing.

Brian Definitely has a Green Thumb!

2010-08-17T10:51:00.001-07:00

I have to take a moment to brag about the hubs today. Ever since last fall Brian has been prepping our garden. We werent sure how this first year, with such poor soil would turn out. He tilled the garden, added compost and soil prep, tilled again, shoveled the rows, constructed his genius watering system, weeded, added iron, added other stuff that I really don't know the names of, and weeded and watered, and apparently gave the garden the much needed TLC that it needed because all of his hard work has payed off.
Our Personal Bountiful Basket
Pumpkins (and of course B is not just "letting them grow" he goes out an rotates them and makes sure they are standing up to ensure a nice round pumpkin, I think he may even sing to them a little :)
We have tons of tomatoes...
Peppers, and some sneaky onions trying to get some of the limelight.RASPBERRIES!!!!! We transplanted all of these berries from Brian's parents house. We weren't even expecting them all to survive, let alone actually produce berries this year!

And last but not least, our stubborn corn. We also transplanted a few from my dads garden to make up for the few empty slots that refused to grow, even after being planted twice!On a side note, if anyone needs some basil or lettuce...... we have TONS!

Some of the best things I've seen this week

2010-08-05T21:08:00.001-07:00

We decided to go up to Island Park for a few days of R&R. We were able to take the kids out and see a few sites. We went to a place called Wade Lake. It was absolutely gorgeous. See for yourself. Not too mention the wild life there.

That's a crawdad, a relative of a lobster. And of course our little "bug."

The next day we loaded up the kids and braved the crowds in Yellowstone. A word to the wise, you will have a much better Yellowstone experience if you go before Memorial day or after Labor day. Just look at how poor Mo looked after following a line of slow cars around the park all day.

A list of the cool things we saw include a herd of elk, a huge bull elk with huge rack, a deer, one lone bison way off in the distance, a bald eagle, chipmunks, a black bear, and unbelievably enough a grizzly bear. But by far, one of the coolest things I saw was just as we were leaving the park. We were so amazed we followed it until we could get a great picture. Yes this is real and we did not alter this photo in any way.

Yes, that is a Ranch Wagon I think on a truck frame. And I may be mistaken, but I think it has a lift kit. And for those careful observers out there, yes, those are spot lights on the roof. If I remember right, it did have Montana plates.

And last but not least, we showed the kids the soccer ball on the mountain. We didn't dare let the kids run and play because the horse flies were storming the car as soon as we pulled up.

This is the radar tower on top of Sawtelle Mountain. The kids thought it was the coolest ball ever.

THE END

Porter James Fulks

2010-08-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please........After a week of deliberation, we decided on the name....
Porter James
aka "PJ"Mo Mo and Po Po

My favorite thing....

2010-07-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

If only I had nothing else to do.................but this............I don't think he would complain much about it.

WHATS HIS NAME IS HERE!!!

2010-07-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

So he was suppose to come on Tuesday, but in true Fulks fashion no one was going to tell him what he was going to do. Toni was feeling some contractions yesterday, but at about 5 pm they suddenly turned serious. We went to the hospital about 6:30 and by 11:13 we had a new baby boy. His name is Porter or Emmett. We haven't decided and when we ask we usually get a 50/50 split. He weighed in at 8 lb 6oz and 21 inches. Both he and Toni are doing very well.

And then there was...ATTACK OF THE SIBLINGS!!!

The Zoo and Eating a Piece of Garbage...

2010-07-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Since I am feeling a little better and realized this baby is gonna stay put until they pull him out Tuesday, I decided to take the kiddos to the zoo. Just wanted to post a few random pics. Morgan squealed at every bird and did not want to move on to the next exhibit. She was equally thrilled with the monkeys........until they peed on the window.
I love all of the animals that the kids can climb on in the Idaho Falls Zoo. Good thing too because the real Tiger was MIA.
This was the best pic that I could get of all of us. I think it is pretty funny....good effort!

On a funny side note, later that night we went to eat @ Red Robin and William ordered a strawberry lemonade. He took a huge slurp from his straw and had this mortified look on his face that still makes me crack up as I remember him saying in a disgusted voice " I think I just ate a piece of garbage!" I was a little confused until I realized he had sucked a piece of strawberry up through his straw. I was immediately in tears.....It's a pregnancy thing. I could not stop laughing long enough to explain to the rest of the table what was so funny. My eyes are watering right now as I relive the moment. It was so random, but so hilarious. You had to see look on the kids face...... priceless.

Home Sweet Home

2010-07-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this for over a year. Our house has had one lonely decoration up for just over a year. I mean literally, there was one thing on our walls. I didn't want to decorate until my Rockstar Sis could make it out to help me with it. I have harassed her for months now making sure that she had time to spend a couple days @ my house. Well the time is finally here. I love working with my sis because she is not afraid to do something new and out of the box. I am so excited with how it turned out. We still need to decorate, but I wanted to get pics up before I have this baby. So, here you have it, drum roll please.......
This is the before.....
And here is the after! Ta-dah!

I LOVE it so much and can't wait to finish it off with some decor and side tables. The curtains took FOREVER, but are so worth it. My sis stayed up until 6:30 the first night painting, and then til 4:00 or so last night finishing the curtains and cleaning my house. She is the best ever and I don't think I will ever be able to re-pay her. Thanks again T

Phineas VS, Darth Maul!

2010-07-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Kiddos!
Darth Maul-
Grey bear's birthday was today, and Morgan's is tomorrow so we decided to throw a joint birthday bash this evening. All Grey wanted was a Darth Maul cake. He has been talking about it for over a month. I designated Brian to do Grey's cake. When he saw it, he was overjoyed!

AND so excited to be four!

Does his expression not say it all? I asked him what his favorite part of today was and promptly replied "Eating my Darth Maul cake and all of the frosting"

Phineas- (or as Morgan calls him "Ferb")
I am thrilled with Morgan's current obsession with "Phineas and Ferb" on the Disney channel. I have always loved this cartoon, it totally cracks me up and now I have someone to watch and laugh with. She is particularly obsessed with Ferb (who is actually Phineas) She also was thrilled with her cake and responded with "Ferb! Ferb cake nummy"
Cake time did not come soon enough, she asked all day to eat Ferb.
If you have to share a birthday, at least they don't need to share a cake. Quite the pair!
Cake anyone? We have a little bit left over :)

Bear also was thrilled to have his VERY OWN mini Star Wars figures and doesn't need to break, I mean, borrow, William's anymore. He aslo got Rex from "Toy Story", whom he used to gobble up the Star Wars figures. Spoiled.....and very loved.
I was so excited to give Mo her Phineas doll. She squealed when she opened it. She also got a baby that squawks and says momma, she squealed when she opened the baby. And some littlest pet shop animals which her brothers gave her, which she promptly kissed after opening. And zoomed her My little Pony car for a good portion of the evening. SPOILED! She is such a good girl, and a little spoilage isn't so bad right?

The 4th, a few days late

2010-07-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't get many pics from the 4th this year, but we had a great one, and here are a few from the parade in IF. We hit the parade first on the 3rd (brrrrrrrrrrr...it was so cold! 53 degrees, windy and overcast) then we had a barbecue with Bri's family, and later that evening went to the fireworks. It was a great day and we had a blast.Here is the crew anxiously awaiting the onslaught of candy. I love that my jacket is hiding my ginormous belly!
Mo, sharing some hot cocoa with daddy. Ha! Hot cocoa on the 4th of July! Only in Idaho.
Cold, yet patriotic.
On a final note, I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed on the turnout of tootie frooties candies at the parade this year :( Didn't get my fill. Guess I will have to go and buy a 5lb bag to satisfy that craving.....

What rhymes with GENIUS?

2010-06-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

I hope that no one is offended by this post, but it is too hilarious to pass up. My son William is such a rhymer. He hears a word and immediately spits out a rhyme. Tonight we were all out eating snow cones and someone commented that something was GENIUS! and William quickly pipes in "GENIUS PENIUS" We all tried so hard not to laugh (well not me, I couldn't hold it in) Pretty soon we were all busting up. I couldn't tell if he realized what he had actually said but we all had a good laugh.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for being our everything! We LOVE you! So Much!

6 Years old.....Finally!

2010-06-16T15:05:00.001-07:00

Today is finally here. The countdown has been going on for over a week now. Any passerbye, would be informed of the exact # of days until Will's sixth birthday, and I am pretty sure it felt like months to him. Going along with his Star Wars theme, Will wanted a Millenium Falcon cake. I decided to take a stab at fondant because I did not want to try and ice that thing. I mainly wanted to do fondant because I could then use the edible markers to add the detail. After many other preparations, I finally finished Will's cake @ 3:30 this morning. Ouch! But then again I would do anything for this little man. Will had complained that he was sick and came downstairs at 3:00 am telling me he felt "ugly" I was so confused, but he then said he felt "ucky." I was so worried he would be sick today, but I am quite certain that the trip was more of an excuse to come down and get a peak the cake.

Young Master Jedi William

2010-06-15T12:18:00.001-07:00

I decided to let William have an impromptu birthday lunch with his friends tomorrow for his bday, so I had to throw together a quick invite. It is Star Wars themed. Shocker! Even though it was last minute, I thought it turned out hilarious. It is a little cheezy, but oh man was William excited about it.

Manual Labor

2010-06-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Call us crazy, but this is one reason we were so excited to get a house. A little manual labor does the body good. Believe me, lots of planning, window shopping, more planning some more looking and a little more planning went into the landscaping in our front yard and now we are nearly complete. A few of the bushes and grasses we wanted had to be ordered in, but you will get the general idea. Now I just have to be patient while my little plants grow.Here is the "Before"
And here is the "after" 7,000 lbs of rock later...
After much begging and pleading and convincing, I finally got my Camperdown Elm tree. Is it seriously not the cutest tree!

Will's First T- Ball Game

2010-06-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

It is so funny, the things that make you so proud as a Mom. I was snapping pictures today as if Will were in the major leagues. As if I can take the credit for Will's T-ball skills. (although I will anyway :) I had so much fun watching his game today.Here he is doing a little warm up. His teammate kept calling him "Willy" it was driving me crazy.
He is next up to bat, getting his batting arm warm
And here he is smashing the ball across the field! Seriously, I couldn't cheer loud enough. No stinkin T for this fella.
Here is one serious gang of players in the dug-out. It is basically all of the kids in our neighborhood and the coach is in our ward. I love it.

Oh, and can't forget the adorable spectators.

Whew, he made it to the 1st grade!

2010-05-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

Will graduated from Kindergarten this week. Awe...... he is just getting too big. Love that little man's face off! I will spare the mushy Mommy ramblings, but I am proud of the kid.Here he is with his teacher, Mrs. Spiker. She was the best, and we are sad she doesn't teach 1st grade. Seriously, above and beyond kinda teacher. We don't know who Will's 1st grade teacher is yet, because they haven't hired a new teacher yet to replace the retiring teacher so we will be patient.
Will and Faith are such good buds. They are in the same class next year, hooray!

Please Grow!

2010-05-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Here she is... Our very first garden attempt (I don't think the 4 tomato bushes and 2 rows of lettuce in West Jordan counted) Brian has worked so hard, adding junk to the soil so that hopefully it will have some nutritional contribution to the plants and seeds we put in. He also just finished our handy watering system, and with only one geyser/ pipe burst casualty. I only wished I could have seen the actual event, all I got to see was a soaked and laughing, Brian come walking through the door.
Yay for raspberries! These are our raspberries we got from Brian's parents. They really need to start growing so that we can make our own raspberry freezer jam to sustain our family, so that we no longer have to rely on Grandma's supply:)

Mother's Day Highlights

2010-05-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

I had a great mothers day and here are the main reasons why....
1. William was so excited to give me his gift he made @ school, and was so proud. It was his turn to say prayer for breakfast and after he finished he said "uh wait, I forgot to say something else" so he bowed his head and blessed that I would have a good mother's Day and that Grandma could drive safely here to have a good Mother's day. I thought it was so thoughtful. Love that kid!
2. At church, I ran into Grey in the hallway in between classes. He saw me and was so excited and he said "Mom, I made something for you..... " and then he burst into tears as he handed it to me.."but it is broken." He had made this cute card, but it had gotten a big crease in it, therefore rendering it broken. It broke my heart, he was so devastated. I got a kick out of his card, so I had to post it.

3. Brian made the most amazing Mother's Day dinner for me and his Mom. Turkey, mashed potatoes, Corn on the cob, rolls, fruit and dip, and Suzie Q cake for desert (Chocolate cake with a creme center and chocolate frosting. mmmmmmmm.) I think he spent over 12 hrs of preparation on this meal, but so worth it. He sure knows the way to his pregnant wife's heart. He also gave me this for Mother's Day. I have wanted a bistro set for our front porch for sooooo long and I can't wait for it to get here. 4. Brian made this adorable card with all of the kids.

I also wanted to post Will's Mother's Day card so I have a digital copy of it.

Ultimate Strawberry Scones

2010-05-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry about posting another recipe so soon. (eh, but not really:) Maybe I should just start a blog for recipes instead of bombarding you all with them, but that will have to wait for another day. When I saw these scones a little while back, I could not wait to try them, I got the recipe from one of my new favorite blogs (mostly because she posts crazy yummy recipes!) http://createdbydiane.blogspot.com. And she posted ANOTHER scone recipe today that I cannot wait to try. If you want all of the photos with the recipe, you can find the link HERE

Strawberry scone

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar
(I am going to add more next time I make these)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup buttermilk or {1/2 cup milk and 1/2 T vinegar}

2 eggs

chocolate to melt for drizzling on top

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.(I use my food processor for that part, makes it so easy) Add buttermilk, one egg and one egg yolk {reserve white}, Mix until blended then add strawberries and chocolate chips, mix in but don't crush berries.Drop dough onto lightly floured surface and knead delicately, just until dough comes together.

Flour hands and pat dough into a rectangle and cut into triangles.

brush tops with reserved egg white.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

When cooled, melt chocolate and drizzle on top.

Sadness for me, happiness for them!

2010-05-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Grey awoke this morning cheering! I awoke very disgruntled. Grey cam over to me cheering that he could go sledding, and then he laid his head on my knee and said. "Oh Mom, it's okay." We had had a discussion several days earlier about how I wanted sun, not snow. I guess it is hard to be upset when they are so happy, but come one! It is May now, does that mean nothing here in Idaho? It doesn't snow when it is supposed to, and then it snows when it is not supposed to! I was very reluctant to pull out the snow clothes, but I caved and the kids had a blast at my neighbors house, jumping on the trampoline and eating snow.

Booty Call!

2010-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, I booty called 911! That is correct, we were out playing games with our friends when I called 911 with my butt without even realizing it! Now keep in mind that there is no speed dial for 911, I am just that talented. They tried to call me back several times. I kept hearing this strange ringtone, and I kept asking my friend if it was her phone. Finally I got up and walked into the kitchen and realized the ring was coming from my back pocket.When I looked at it I didn't recognize the # so I didn't answer. When I hit end, I saw that my phone said "EMERGENCY MODE" (hence the strange ringtone that I didn't recognize). I hit the button to exit and saw my call history and was in utter disbelief! I then realized what happened and decided that I should probably call them back so that they don't send the police or something to our door. The operator was awesome. She thought it was pretty hilarious.Some days, I never cease to amaze myself. With me around, anything is possible. He he he.

Pregnancy cravings = new recipes!

2010-04-28T07:07:00.001-07:00

I love trying new recipes and I found a few recently that I LOVE and will make over and over again. The first is a potato crescent roll. These were the best textured rolls I have ever made! I followed this recipe as written, but I did substitute 2 1/2 cups fresh wheat flour and added 2 tbsp of dough enhancer. Instead of fresh, I used instant potatoes, and I did not raise in the fridge for 8 hrs, I just let it raise until double in size. However, this is a fantastic make ahead recipe as you can leave it in the fridge for up to 5 days!
Ingredients

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, and mash.
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
When yeast is ready, mix in 1 cup mashed potatoes, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt, and 3 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough has become stiff but still pliable. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, and up to 5 days.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and form into rounds. Roll out each round to a 12 inch circle. Brush generously with melted butter, and cut each circle into 16 wedges. Roll wedges up tightly, starting with the large end. Place on lightly greased baking sheets with the points underneath, and the ends bent to form a crescent shape. Cover, and let rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter! Peanut Butter! Peanut Butter!
I made these twice last week, I cannot keep them around, the fam devours them!
You know, on regular days I like Peanut butter, but this pregnancy, I LOVE peanut butter and I found this simple cookie recipe that is a HUGE hit. I adapted it using my fail proof cake mix cookie recipe.

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used fudge and devil's food and both worked great)
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Combine ingredients. This takes elbow grease and makes a thick dough.
Next make filling.
Filling:

1 1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix equal parts of peanut butter and powdered sugar. mix as best you can with a fork and then I just knead it together with your hands. Once combined, roll into approx 3/4 inch balls. 1 1/4 cup each usually makes almost 26 peanut butter balls.

Now take about a tbps of chocolate dough (it will take a couple cookies to get a hang of the correct amount) and flatten into your hand to make a flat circle. Place the peanut butter ball in the middle, then wrap around the peanut butter ball. once covered, roll the entire ball in your palm to smooth out. Roll finished ball in sugar and place on greased cookie sheet. Once the full sheet is made, take the bottom of a glass and press each cookie down. Bake for 7 Min in a preheated oven, 350 degrees. DO NOT OVER BAKE! 7 Minutes is key. If you bake longer, the outer cookie will be crispy instead of chewy. let cool on cookie sheet for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Lastly, for some strange reason, I was craving grilled shrimp and found this marinade. So easy and crazy good! You don't even need cocktail sauce.

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
skewers

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add shrimp to the bowl, and stir until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.
Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.
Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp on preheated grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

I am a "Big Mac" girl and proud of it!

2010-04-25T20:44:00.001-07:00

So, where to begin? Last night my rocking Bro in law Jer had his 30th birthday, and to celebrate we went to his favorite restaurant, Takara (sp?) One of Katie and Jer's favorite thing is Sushi. Sounds pretty scary to me. I had an open mind and was excited to give it a try. They actually made sushi several months ago and I really liked it, so I had high hopes. (of course the sushi I had previously tried, was fully cooked and had steak in it. Pretty sure that is illegal in both Japan and China) Any how, I had ordered the "Sunny" roll which had rice, cucumber, mango, shrimp, avocado and cream cheese. Yummy! I had tempura veggies and shrimp, also delicious! The Ramen was nice and spicy, tasty
.............................and then....................
there was the "french kiss"

Sorry the pic is blurry, I used my phone and I was still hyperventilating at the thought of eating it. It was a pretty standard roll with crab, cucumber, and I don't even remember what else was inside.... but on top..................there in lies the problem... or my problem. This roll came topped with raw salmon, a thin lemon slice, some sort of fish eggs and scallions. I shutter just thinking about it all over again. To make a long story short, after totally psyching myself out, and much encouragement from my family at the table, most of which claimed to have "loved it," I finally popped it in my mouth. Wow.... and not a good wow. My face went every shade of red in the book and my eyes were watering. It took absolutely every power within my being to swallow that baby down. I guess it must be an acquired taste. So, I guess in the end, I do not have a sophisticated pallet, because truth be told, I would much rather have me a big mac from Old McDonalds any day!
On a side note, I at least learned proper chopstick etiquette and that is important:)

The Butt Crack Era.....

2010-04-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh last night as I was folding the laundry and looked down and I had 3 piles of undies. Weird. We are in day 3 of potty training with Morgan and things are going really good. I was fighting doing this, but she is so ready and wanted to do it, so here we are.
I just have one question.
What is it with the butt crack and little girls?
Do manufacturers not understand what they are doing when they are making pants? It is sorta cute, but I think it is going to drive me crazy! I never had this issue with my boys, but I have noticed that girls are plagued by the butt crack. Regardless, I am happy to be getting Mo out of diapers before this new little man gets here.

Getting a mind of his own.....

2010-04-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

If I were to describe Will in 2 words it would be "good kid." He is doing fantastic in school and always nice to his friends and usually listens to his Mom with little persuasion. I have noticed lately that he is getting a mind of his own. He wants to pour his cereal and milk by himself, he makes his bed immaculately with no wrinkles (just how Mom likes it!) He wants to help with dinner and set the table and comb his hair without my help. He LOVES to ride his bike and wants to do it every chance he can get and assures me that he can do so, without constant supervision. I am not sure how I am so lucky to have such a nice boy. And since he is such a good kid, when he asked if he could wear a Mohawk to school, I quickly whipped his hair up in do fashion. I love watching him make decisions for himself (never mind that at times I am in the corner hyperventilating!)

What is making us so happy?

2010-04-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

For one, SUNSHINE!!!!!! is making us soooooooooooo happy! But this post not about this long delayed arrival of warm spring weather.
Here is Grey, he looks pretty happy......
Will has been at this for the past 3 days now. I was shocked when he smashed the first pitch right back at me. He looks pretty happy......
And what of Mo? Well, let's just face it, she is happy most of the time, but there is one particular reason that she is a little more happy than usual............ One reason that we have been waiting for.......... for a long time.....
What is that reason? Well here it is...
New neighbors you ask? Nope, it's that long vinyl white thing obstructing the view of our potential neighbors.................... a FULLY FENCED yard! Happy dance, happy dance...... I love the fact that I can now send my kids and dog out in the back yard to play. And even only being somewhat unsupervised, for the time being, there will be no escapees!
I just had to add this picture of Teenie. She is quite possibly, the HAPPIEST of all about our fenced yard. I was thinking about her and the fact that she has lived in apartments for 7 years with barely a small patch of grass to relieve herself on and now she has not only a yard, but an empty garden plot where she has literally been living for the past 3 days. Digging, digging and digging some more, for who knows what exactly. But she literally has a smile on her face. (not in these photos of course, because she is worse than my kids and seems to avoid me at all costs if I have the camera. I guess we have photographed on or two, too many embarrassing dog outfits in her day) But she is definitely one happy pup and I am so happy for her to be able to finally have a little freedom.

April Fools! I just couldn't help myself...

2010-04-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

I have never really done any April Fools jokes before, but for some reason this year, I couldn't resist. The scene was set for dinner. I had made glasses of juice with Jello, and barbecued ribs with mashed potato frosting.

Adorable right? I told the kids that they were so good today that they got to have dessert for dinner. They cheered and got so excited. I am a terrible liar and was snickering under my breath the whole time I was serving them their "cupcakes."

This was the result. I loved Grey's initial reaction. He LOVES frosting so he took a huge bite off the top. As you can see, I thought I was hilarious! I was in tears I was laughing so hard..
Will took a bite and figured it out pretty fast.
Grey was more confused.

Morgan didn't really care.