Ode to Earth Day!

We thought it would be fun to make cupcakes that resembled grass and flowers (and a few "Wall-E") as a homage to Earth Day today!

So our friend Vinessa, and her two boys, Carter and Ethan came over to play and helped decorate the cupcakes.

While we were out watching the kids play in the hottub, Maggie decided to lick the frosting off 6 of the cupcakes... hilarious! (No, I will not re-frost those!) We'll just pop the top off and eat 'em!

Heres the 'Coconut rice salad' I made last week from a recipe out of "Original Fast Foods". It tasted better in their 'Shepherd's Pie' which I topped with tater tots - the only way my kids will eat their vegetables!

We also had a picnic last week, while I worked on Keala's word cards for preschool. Kai rolled himself up in the blanket cuz it was still chilly. Too cold for me after a while!

Behind the Scenes

Keala's preschool took a trip to the grocery store a couple weeks ago. They were glad they wore their coats in the freezer! Macy's store gave them a 'backstage' pass to see how everything works in the back of the produce and meat section.

Mom decided it was a good idea not to go with Keala since I always get requests to "buy this for me". So these photos are from her teacher's blog. The kids were showed cow tongue, stomach, and heart. But they were also given a free cookie after they watched the bakery make flowers for cake decorations. The next week I took Kai and Keala to Macey's where Keala was really excited to show me the cow tongue! We'll pass on that!

A month ago Kai's class went to Wheeler Farm and the Aquarium. (Mom didn't go on those fieldtrips either.) But Kai came home telling me all about it and how much fun it was. Kai is up at the very top in his bright yellow jacket... you can't miss him!

The New Kids on the Block

Keala and I visited my sister Jacque last week to see her new baby. She and cousin Ella played dress-up for hours!

Many of my friends hear me talk about my 4 other sisters and their kids but I thought I would take a minute to point them out individually. (With the help of their own photos from their blogs.) This is Jacque with her fourth baby, Ian, just a few short weeks ago.

Ian was born March 30th (just the day after Keala's birthday!) He's the youngest of four children. (Yes, there will be a test at the end of this post!)

This is Will, the oldest brother of new baby Ian. I love how little kids hold babies! Precious!

Here are Ella and Alex gazing on newborn baby Ian in the hospital. They're so cute!

I love little Alex's personality. He's full of spunk and will tease with all the adults (even thought he's shy)... so cute!

This is Breanne, the youngest of all of us, with her first baby, Jane, who was born January 26th. The next few photos are all my favorites of baby Jane (that I stole off Bre's blog - thanks!)

This is my mom with baby Jane. I love her expression... she looks just like all the rest of us when G'ma Bobbi shares her wisdom! (ha aha ha!) ...just kidding mom!

All the cousins are crowded around Jane at Keala's birthday party. I love the dress Jane!

Look at Erika's happy face! Thats just the magic and joy that new babies bring in the world!

Here are my oldest sister, Erika's kids. The oldest is neice Matti, with her sister Merri, and younger brother Jack. They live just around the corner from us (in West Valley).

And lastly this is my sister Lauren (with husband, Ryan) and her kids at Disneyland last month. Lauren is only 18 months younger than me. But she lives the farthest away in Spanish Fork.

I love this picture of her daughter, Eden with Belle. Eden has been growing off the charts since she was born. Shes only 6 months older than Keala, but a whole head taller (for a 5 yr old, she already fits in size 7 clothes). But she's a cutie! Her dad told her at Disneyland that she was a princess too... and she said "then how come I didn't see myself!" Yeah, no kidding!

I love Cameron with Snow White. Look at all the little princesses in the background! Cute!

This is Lauren's youngest, Austin. The cutest bug in a rug! I love his face- a real heartbreaker!

Dallin, Cameron, and Eden standing in line for a ride - perfect time for a photo!

Thought I would throw in a photo of G'pa Ross with the grandkids!

So that was a rundown of all my nieces and nephews. Sorry I dont have any new pictures of Adam, but he doesn't have any kids right now... well, at least none that we KNOW of. Ha! Just kidding Adam! This is my sibling rundown.... Oldest - Erika, (Me), Lauren, Adam, Jacque, Breanne. Now all my friends should know who I am talking about when I mention my sisters or their kids.... Right?! (Bwah hahaha!)

We love our Hot Tub!

Does this girl love to pose or what! If I am too tired of taking (a thousand) pictures of her she asks me "Mom, why are you so grumpy!" (Well, gee! I don't know!)

Poor Keala is so bored with mom working so many hours on spreadsheets for our Pioneer Trek food order. But thank goodness she loves the hot tub... and its right outside my window where I work on the computer! But before she went out the back door she saw this crawling on the wall...

I went to kill it with my shoe but it disappeared. So I went back to work while Keala played outside. Then right as I got off a phone call, something caught my eye directly above me! I don't even know if it was the same one! But I think it was coming to get me!

So, it had a red thing-a-ma-jigger on its back... is that something I need to be worried about? I sprayed it down with something lethal that I could only buy in Mexico. It fell to the floor and wiggled and wrythed the same way the Evil Wicked Witch of the West did when she was melting. Is that cool or what!

On a positive note... Is live or is it "Memorex"? Anyone remember that commercial? (Its missing an eye too!)

C'mon people! Would I be resting my feet up on the desk if this thing were real! (No comments about fat feet!)

Platinum Security Protection

Last Wednesday night we had a sales rep from this company offer us a free system just to advertise with their sign outside our front door. The thought has crossed my mind lately to have added security now that I have my business downstairs and for other personal reasons. So I agreed and signed up. The sales rep said a technician was in the area and would be by in an hour to install our new "State of the Art" security system in just 30 minutes! So heres how the rest of the night played out... 8:30pm said sales rep comes in, (looking 19 years old) and asks us where our phone jacks are. After showing her ALL 15 (ok, maybe just 7!) of our phone jacks she asks if we know where they join together... are you kidding me? An hour later I am trying to put my kids in bed while shes drilling in the hallway (where my kids sleep). Thank goodness its the first night of Spring Break! At 10:30pm I ask her how much longer. I guess people of that age don't have the best customer service skills... she answered just a few more minutes. At 11:15 pm I kicked her out. (She still hasn't installed any of the door or window securities mind you!) I go to bed fatigued with a grumbling, angry, husband next to me. Granted, heres where I realized we are prejudiced to cute little college students, because if it had been any other person with the slight ounce of ugliness to them we would have both been yelling at them an hour earlier.

The next day, the rest of the installation is completed in another hours time and we're off to enjoy our new alarm security system. Don't ask me how it works, I am still recovering from the 4 hours of installation... now I've got to go read 4 hours of directions. But we really like it!

Easter Sunday

Brent and I were awake before 7 and hurried to hide the 'goodies' before the kids jumped on the scene. We actually made Keala watch a half hour of tv at 8 before Kai got up... let sleeping dragons lay! We tried to wake the teenagers, to no avail. So we let the kids go wild!

Mom got too busy painting Keala's room all weekend to remember to color eggs. But they had done that with their dad this weekend, so they didn't miss out on too much. But we still hid all the candy eggs from Sam's Club. I bought every kid their own package (to avoid arguments) and just for fun!

After working sun-up to sun-down yesterday, Brent and I were spent! But we still enjoyed watching the kids be kids. I was bummed the 'older' kids slept through it all... but what can you do? Everyone missed being in California for the yearly 'Jenson' Easter holiday tradition.

Kai was so excited to find the Easter eggs. How come kids have to scream every time they find one? In our house... that was 128 screams! (minus a few we still can't find... a few tears were shed for those.) Nonetheless, a rather successful Easter egg hunt with just 2 kids, and 2 tired adults (VERY tired adults!) (Pictures of Keala's room to be posted soon!)

Each package of eggs came with 32 candy filled eggs. Then the kids had baskets (or gift bags) filled with a few of their favorite goodies. Keala got her 4th Zhu Zhu pet (why do kids love these?) Since the teenagers were still incognito, Keala checked out their stashs' too!

I had to play 'Easter goodie monitor' with this one... I was getting worried she'd steal treats from Kasey's bag and quietly relocated them to her own bag. (Man, she takes after her mom! Right Auntie Lauren?!)

Kasey got the 'Bug' eggs. Keala got the Princess ones, Kai the Dinosaur ones, and Austin the Sports ones. (Mostly they liked the candy inside!) But the little kids love these things! How is it great things come in small packages? We have been 'egg' hunting for what seems all day today!

Of course mom made more decorated cupcakes. The neighbor 'twins' came by to visit Kai and Keala and compare Easter loot! They kept checking on my cupcakes to ask if I had any 'extra'. (If I had more EGGS I would have made a batch just for them!) But for some reason I was all out of eggs this weekend! I even had to borrow some from Joan just to make this frosting! (Its called Swiss 'Meringue' Buttercream.)

The Meringue gives it a beautiful color, but its basically just one cup of sugar (and 5 egg whites!) and a whole pound of butter! No kidding. I just kept telling everyone to scrape off the frosting and eat the rest. (I couldnt watch! Keala JUST wanted the frosting! gaaahhh!)

Cousin Maddox came to dinner again with his dad Aaron, and G'ma Cindy. One of you sisters asked Cindy if Maddox was her son... she loved that! But we had a good laugh about it.

G'pa Bill hid eggs too... only they were filled with dollar bills. Can you tell my son is a little excited about this?! Each kid collects their own colors (so they all find the SAME amount of mula!)

Keala searched G'pa's office for all the blue eggs while the boys were out in the livingroom looking for the yellow and purple. It sure is cute watching these kids never tire of the same game all day long!

Look at that Maddox smile! This is exciting stuff people! We should do this every day!

Why are the teenagers still sitting! C'mon people... theres eggs to be found! (Except they were the ones who hid them, so they helped the kids find them! Kinda cute!)

4 Family generations here. Aaron is Bill's grandson, and Maddox is his great-grandson. This is a cute picture. Aaron is Cindy's son... for my sister who asked... and Maddox is Aaron's son.

Aunt Cindy brought the kids bubble -maker machines for Easter. Boy was that the highlight of the day! Kai set the makers side by side on the deck and then jumped off the deck into all the bubbles. He had a blast. We ran out of bubbles really fast!

Keala wanted to join Kai in the jumping but I warned her not to. Her sandals have small heals on them and after jumping and hurting her ankle she decided mom was right. How come we're right AFTER the kids hurt themselves?! I can hear you grunting dad! I was the most ignorant, self-inflicting-pained kid I know! Oh the stories... garage doors, roofs, bunk-beds, amusement park rides... you name it, I've been hurt on it (or hurt someone else!) Anyways... Happy Easter!