Easter

One of my absolute favorite things about Easter is coloring easter eggs. It is way too much fun for two little boys to have. They were green little monsters and it all went so quickly it was over in seconds. They were sure proud of their beautiful eggs.

These pics are real poor quality, but you get the idea of just how much fun we had!

Book Tagged

Grab the book nearest you.
Go to page 123.
Go to the 5th sentence on the page. Type in the following 3 sentences.

It just so happens that the book closest to me at this very moment is The Preschooler's Busy Book - 365 creative games and activities to keep your 3 to 6 year old busy.
It's a real lifesaver some days.

Print each letter in your child's name on an index card. Lay them out to spell your child's name. Mix them up and have her try to put them back in the proper order.

Not quite as profound or beautiful as your selection Kara, but important none the less. It's called the name game. I haven't done this one yet. Maybe I should.

Now I tag: Sarah N, Becky Ann & Lori B.

Evan shows a real intrest in animals and lucky for him Gramps & Gram Willy have all kinds. Our last visit we got to meet the new chickens and the boys had a ball chasing them around the yard and just loving them to pieces. I couldn't get enough of Dallin's chubby fingers holding tightly to a fluffy baby chick. Evan was buys training the chicks to do wild tricks, or so he thought. He picked one out and named it Turtle. We had to name one Dal's Pal and we think it might end up being a little "touched" thanks to Dallin's immense love and affection. Evan wanted to play with them all day long, but the little things are still trying to grow. I've never really been a big animal gal, but watching Evan's eyes twinkle whenever he gets to play with Grandma's pets I'm just dying to get him his very own puppy. Someday soon little buddy. First we need to get a backyard!

The Inner-Child

Matthew had a free Friday and decided he needed to get away. So, we went out to Brentwood. He always gets an itch to go hiking in the spring. It sure is beautiful with the green hills and wild flowers. We went for a nice stroll through Black Diamond with Matthew's parents. The boys loved exploring and finding all sorts of neat rocks and weeds. Evan was our tour guide with his expert map reading skills. Oh to see the world through the eyes of a child. What an adventure!

Extreme Makeover

Thanks to my superb photographer Evan we snapped some nice Before & After pictures of my big hair cut. It has been 10 months since my last hair cut and I decided to change things up a bit. I took a picture of Jennifer Garner with me and although I knew there was no way I could walk out looking as beautiful as her, I think it turned out awesome. Matthew has no clue so he will be pleasently surprised when gets home and finds some strange woman cooking his dinner.

BEFORE

AFTER

Easter Eggs

We had a wonderful Primary Activity on Saturday with an Easter Egg Hunt. Evan could hardly go to sleep the night before because he was just soooooo excited for the hunt. I was surprised at how into it Dallin was, but he sure learns a lot by watching his brother. He just ran right out there and was swiping all the eggs he could find. He even snagged himself a well used tennis ball. Needless to say we have eggs all over the house and we get to re-enact the hunt all day long. I have many fond memories of wild easter egg hunts and I sure do love watching my boys creating their own fond memories.

Fun Times

The boys and I just returned from a great visit to our Portland cousins. We had such an awesome time just playing and playing all day long. The boys were in heaven having a gigantic backyard to run free in. Evan & Arwen were "best friend super heros" and Dallin just bossed around easy-going Shosh. I loved holding sweet baby Larkin all day and Nohie kept things exciting. Aaron came home early from work one day so Sarah and I could run around and shop. We had a fabulous time. Thanks for putting up with us you guys. We sure wish we lived closer so we could play all the time. Maybe someday!

Fun times in the backyard.

The next Star Wars kid.

Swinging at the park.

Building castles.

Tag

So I've been tagged a few times and have never particpated. I'm just super lazy. But I figured I should do one, so here's the latest

10 years ago: I was a Jr. in High School dating a farm boy and my basketball team had just lost the district Championship game.

5 things on my to-do list today: I kind of woke-up with the attitude that if I get anything done today that would be great. It's been some rough nights which tend to lead to unproductive days.
But I guess I should say that our bedroom and bathroom are atrocious and part of that has to do with the laundry/ironing.

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Cookies
2. Icecream
3. Chocolate anything
4. Hot Chocolate and Toast
5. Fruit
(and why can't I lose weight, hmmm?"

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
I would pay off our student loans and buy a comfortable home with plenty of space inside and out for running and jumping and playing. I would take a much needed Honeymoon with my honey and I sure wouldn't mind a day of being pampered at a spa and a closet full of clothes that I didn't find on a clearance rack 8 years ago. Oh, and right now I would buy myself a KING size bed, maybe two and stick them side by side because there are always way too many bodies in my bed when I wake up.

5 Places I have lived…. Marin City, CA; San Francisco, CA; Tualatin, OR; Aloha, OR; Phoenix, AZ; Kuna, ID; Brentwood, CA; Provo, UT (all in the 5 years we've been married).

Jobs that I have had...
1. My first real job besides babysitting was in a corn field, where we bagged the tassels and pollenated the ears. It was for a seed company, so I would call myself a corn breeder. I worked there another summer later on.
2. Sales Rep at American Eagle
3. Late night Janitor at the BYU law school. Good times!
4. Administrative Assistant for the CSCC (Collegiate Strength & Conditiong Coaches Association)
5. Preschool Teacher (3-4) and Daycare at the Dainty Center

5 things people don't know about me:
I kind of don't keep things about myself secret. I'm pretty open an vocal so I don't know.
1. I was a state champion in the high hurdles (most people think that's kind of surprise)
2. I wore a fuzzy dinosaur costume the day the Olympic torch came into Provo and had numerous people take their picture with me because they thought I was one of the Olympic mascots. I kind of always wanted to be a professional mascot. I got the Dinosaur costume from being the self-appointed mascot of my high school. Kuna Kavemen.
3. I love to fill out forms (any type of application, taxes, surveys, etc.) Kind of weird I know.
4. I slept with my baby blanket for 22 years and it went everywhere with me, even Paris. After a year of marriage Matthew finally got up the guts to say it's Me or the blanket. I picked him.
5. I received a marriage proposal (of sorts) every year at BYU, but Matthew was the only one to get a ring on my finger. Don't worry, only one of the others had actually bought a ring.

So there you go. I hope this makes up for all the tags that I've gotten and haven't followed up on. I'll try and be better.

Wild Things

On Saturday I was up nice and early and Evan and I were hanging out on the couch snuggling when we heard some mysterious animal noises outside. We snuck out onto the deck and this is what we discovered.


A bunch of wild turkeys. To be honest I don't think I have ever seen them in real life (that I can remember). I thought it was pretty neat. We usually just see deer around here.



Later that day I was starting on dinner when I heard some more mysterious noises and ran to the deck to see what wild animals I would find this time. And oh my goodness were they ever some ferocious beasts!

We sure have enjoyed the beautiful sunshine all week. There is nothing cuter than a Dad playing ball with his boys. I sure am lucky to have such a stellar man for a hubby. His boys adore him!

Go to Sleep Little Baby

Dallin is officially a little monster. He had started doing head dives in and out of crib so we had to convert it into a toddler bed, and bedtimes are quite a challenge now. I put the boys down together and Dallin sits and play with Evan until Evan falls asleep and then he tries to come out and play with us. He's just a party-animal who never tires I guess. He doesn't want to sleep in his new bed at bedtime (he does great for naps) but wants to sleep with "Edan" in "Edan's bed". I think it's terribly sweet, but Evan is not a huge fan. I sometimes just pull off the comforter at Evan's feet and tuck Dallin in when I've had enough. I don't stick to my guns very well. One of the first nights it got quiet pretty quickly because Evan was exhausted. When I snuck in to check on Dallin I found this sweet little moment. I sure do love sleeping babies!

My little Star

This is mostly for Grandpa & Grandma Bishop in Africa. It's not really a video because we're looking at the paper the whole time, but you can hear Dallin singing Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star. It goes a little something like this:

Rockin'

So to feed Matthew's love for video games I purchased the Rock Band kit for a little family fun. We've had some friends and family over to do some rockin' and I'll admit, I'm hooked. It's way too much fun. I am crazy about the drums, so we play some date night duets with me on the drums and Matthew on the guitar. Silly huh, but you can't say anything until you've tried it. I Gurantee that you'll love it. If anyone wants to come over for a "jam" session just let me know.

In Honor of a Great Man!

President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of our church, passed away Sunday evening. I can't say that I'm surprised or that I feel anything but relief for him. He is finally back with his sweet wife Marjorie. I can only imagine the tears of joy that were shed and the tight embraces when they were face to face again. He has served well and left his mark on the world within the church and without. He was a great man, a wonderful example of our Savior and valiant leader. His presence will be missed, but I'm happy for him.

It's in His Kiss

That's where it is. Oh yeah! Check out his little pucker. He's planting a wet one on little Quincy Whiting. They are so cute together, the little blonde munckins. This is one I'm sure he'll love when he's older. "Man Mom, why were letting me kiss girls. That's Gross!"

My Chef Boy(ardee)

Evan loves to help me cook, always has. I think that's quite common for the first born child. What else is there to do when Mom's cooking dinner but be right in the middle of it all. It use to drive me crazy because I just wanted to get all done and I was always so worried that he would stick his finger in the beater or grab the hot pan. He's older now and loves it even more. I decided to embrace this interest in hopes that he will develop a real love for it and give me a night off every once in a while. Isn't that every mother's dream? He's getting the hang of things and is actually very helpful. I'm amazed at how just a little help from the fella makes such a huge difference. He's starting to take on some responsibility in doing his chores. He and Dallin help me empty the dishwasher. Evan does the silverware and cooking utensils while Dallin is in charge of the lids and tupperware. It's so cute to see them so serious about their jobs. I just can't believe how big they are getting. As I count down the days until we're finished with Dental School I'm also counting down the days before my little Evan starts Kindergarten. Wow!

I have a little game that I like to play with Dallin called "I LOVE YOU". And pretty much it just entails us saying I love you at varying volumes. I just can't get enough of him saying it. Well, it has turned into the nightly ritual between Evan and Dallin as they lay in their beds trying to go to sleep. If you'll notice Dallin has yelled himself hoarse lately. Silly little wild-a-beast!

Grandpa & Grandma Bishop, you can pretend that he's trying to yell it to you both across the miles. It's a shout out from all of us. We love you!

Happy Birthday Bradley & Blake

Evan wanted to do a special song and dance for Uncle Bread and Baby Blake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Holiday Happenings

I'm having trouble with my pictures so they will have to come later. I wrote this on Sunday.

Tonight is the last night of fun. We have had 3 glorious weeks of pure bliss. We've had nothing to do but party and play all day everyday and that is hard to say goodbye to. I'm just glad that it also marks the beginning of our last 22 (or so) weeks of dental school. To me that is so terribly exciting and I'm always planning and dreaming about our next big step. I thinks it drives Matthew crazy because while I'm talking wistfully of our future destination and checking off the days, he is feeling that pressure of getting everything done in the short time he has left. He was able to lock all the stress and pressure up in a little box and put it on a high shelf for the last 3 weeks so that we could have some serious fun, and that we did.

Let there be Light!

Well that was a wonderful way to enjoy our return back home. We had heard a little something about rain headed our way, but had no idea that it was suppose to be a severe wind storm. My goodness.

I lay in bed Thursday night and listening to the wind howling outside, whipping the rain against our windows. I could hear the house creak and shift in the wind and the beeping of our microwave as the power flickered on and off. I had no idea that we would spend the next 36+ hours without power. We sat in our cold, dark living room trying to entertain the boys and using our hand crank radio to find out what was going on out there in this wild mess. The radio led us to believe that pretty much everyone in the Bay area was without power. So, we nibbled on snacks, not wanting to open the fridge/freezer because of all our food (went grocery shopping the night before) and getting desperately hungry for real food. We played board games, read books, played cars, wrestled and danced as we played the guitar and ukelele trying to keep the boys happy and whishing there was somewhere we could go to eat warm food and be entertained. It wasn't until we were sure things were pretty settled and that all the roads were opened that we decided to call someone up in San Rafael just to see if by some small chance their power had come back on. And what did they have to say but, "The power never went off here, it flickered a couple of times but that's all." WHAT! Are you kidding me? Here we've been hunkered down in our house trying to weather the storm and the darkness, trying to be little troopers when all we had to do was drive down the road a couple of exits and find warm food and light. You've got to be kidding me!

So we did just that. We ate some warm tacos and fajitas and spent the rest of the evening in a bookstore until it was time to put our boys to bed. We read scriptures and stories by candlelight and Evan prayed for light so he could play His nintendo. Matthew and I played games and he blamed the poor lighting on my kicking his behind. Then we played the "talking game" all night. Matthew hates this game because it requires talking.

I lay in bed again listening to the wind and the rain, but never hearing the beeping of the microwave. Oh no, another day of darkness. Well, at least we know the rest of the county is fully functioning. Let's just have some lunch and then bust this joint. What's that? Do I hear the microwave beeping?

Hooray!

We're Back on Track

Well, we are in possession of a camera again and so I need to get back in the habit of blogging our oh so precious memories. Starting with our quick trip out to Brentwood to see Meghan & Lily (her cute mini Daschund) before they head back to Utah. It was great seeing you!

Grandpa & Grandma Nielsen have a pet chicken named Henrietta that Evan absolutely adores. He chases the little lady around the yard until he catches her. It's pretty darn cute. He has this crazy idea that when Daddy is done with school and we move to a house somewhere that he will be able to get a pet chicken. I think I almost have him convinced that chickens are just a special Grandma Nielsen thing and that's all. He loves Henrietta!

Matthew of course spent a little time out at the old treehouse. The boys love that place. It still needs a few upgrades to be little tot friendly, but it's a pretty great place. I hope it becomes the boys favorite place to play. I have so many memories of building forts in the nature and creating all sorts of wild adventures for our great hideaway. Oh, to be a child again living in a magical world unrestricted by responsibility and stress. I guess I can't really say that because having my two curious boys I get to hunt for dinosaurs, hide from monsters and hide in indoor blanket forts quite often. I don't ever want to grow up!

Right now it's the little spa by the swimming pool. Those boys are always trying to go for a swim.