Bounce Bounce Bounce

Today we had a two-hour playtime at Backyard Adventures with Corbin, Nikki, Eric, Mischelle, and all of our kids (thanks, Corbin & Nikki!) We got to play on the bouncy toys, have pizza, and just goof off. It was fun. From there, we went to Ikea (I LOVE that store - it gets me in the mood to paint or decorate or something!) Then we went to Cabella's and checked out the huge aquarium - the girls loved the huge fish! From there, we were going to head to Eagle Mountain to pick up a trailer from our friends, but they called to let us know the tailer tire was flat and it would take till next week to get it fixed. So since we were out that way, we HAD to have dinner at my favorite place - Sweet Tomatoes. There are only 2 locations in Utah, and they're both pretty far from our house. So anytime we are out "that way," we make it a point to go there. Yum!

Risotto

(Sorry about the blurry photo. I need a better close-up camera)

Dinner tonight was risotto. Yum. Can you tell I've been into "comfort foods" lately? I guess that's what Fall is for. Risotto is hearty, savory and creamy. Mmmmm... I'm still stuffing my mouth with it (as I type!) - I can't get enough!

Puppy Prayer

(Warning: this got to be kind of a long story as I typed it. It will probably be boring for you to read, but I wanted to record this for posterity!!)

Makenna has been a little obsessed with some Littlest Pet Shop creatures that she acquired for her birthday. She's been particularly attached to a little puppy and likes to take it everywhere with her. On Saturday we made a quick trip to Walmart and we warned her that she probably shouldn't take her puppy in the store. We didn't know she had put it in her pocket till we saw her puppy prancing on the store shelves. Well, I bet you can guess what happened. Yep - we got to the car and Makenna said, "Oh no! My puppy!" So she and I went back in and retraced our steps (which were few), but no puppy was in sight. When we got to the car, Kiera began crying about the lost little puppy but Makenna's face was like stone. Quentin promised the girls that he would come back later and look for it. When we got home, I spied Kiera saying a sweet little prayer that Heavenly Father would be with the little puppy and comfort it and keep it safe. She also asked that we might be able to find it. This was around 2:00 and our afternoon and evening were jam-packed with things to do and places to go. Finally around 9:30 (after our ward swimming party), Quentin pulled into Walmart's parking lot and said he'd look for the puppy. While he was in the store, the girls and I offered a little prayer. I know it might seem silly - first of all, the puppy is replaceable, and second of all, this should teach Makenna a lesson, right? But Makenna simply said, "Heavenly Father, I'm sad about my puppy. Please help." How simple and sweet. When Quentin got to the car, he wordlessly started the car then quietly asked, "Well, should we go home?" The girls nodded with tears in their eyes. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out the little puppy. Makenna's eyes were huge as she gasped and reached for the puppy. She pulled it close to her face, closed her eyes and just sobbed. Foolishly, I figured that maybe Quentin bought another puppy (isn't that what parents do to protect their children?), but no - these girls' humble prayers were answered. Quentin went in the store and began going down every aisle. Finally he decided to check the checkout line we were in. A different cashier was there, but he asked her if she had seen it. She wasn't sure, but she said she had found something earlier and turned it into customer service - not to the lost and found department, but it was put in a basket to be returned to the selling floor. It could be anywhere! But Quentin went to the customer service area and began looking through the baskets. The first one he went through, he saw the puppy toward the bottom corner! It's kind of a silly story, but I'm sure the girls will look back at this event throughout their lives and remember that Heavenly Father hears His children's prayers. Even if things don't always turn out how WE would have it, He still hears us and loves us and answers us.

Maybe...

This evening as Makenna and I were making cookies, she began eating an apple as we waited for the cookies to finish baking. She came across a few apple seeds and asked if she planted them, if they’d turn into an apple tree. I said yes, then began explaining that there are different kinds of seeds that grow different things (like watermelon seeds and apple seeds might look similar, but they each grow different things). She nodded her head then said, “So chocolate must come from M&M seeds. . . .”

Parade and Pool Party!

Saturday could have been called a ward party day. Kiera and Makenna (and me too!) were part of a Stake Children's Parade. Each of the 9 wards in our stake was assigned a country (ours was Italy) and we got dressed up and had props and walked from the Stake Center to the park, where they had popsicles, a band, and the kids all sang the Primary song "Children Holding Hands Around the World." The kids had so much fun and loved trying to spot their parents and friends lining the streets. A little while after the parade, our ward had a party at the Rec Center in Bountiful. We had dinner and had the whole pool just for our ward. The girls always like going to the Rec Center, but they especially liked being able to be with all their neighborhood friends! What a weekend!

First REAL Day of Preschool

Makenna FINALLY started her first "real" day of preschool today - meaning, without Mommy or Daddy there. The teacher said there were a few tears at first, but then she was okay. She was so excited to tell us all about her day - she picked her nametag off the wall, learned how to hoola-hoop, and best of all, she got a tootsie roll. Wow - it makes me want to go to preschool too!

Dinner

Tonight I tried a new recipe for tortilla soup. I looooved the tortilla soup my cousin Mischelle made up camping, and I wanted to see how this recipe compared. It was good, but not as good as Mischelle's. So if anyone is interested in her recipe, you can check it out - her blog is listed in the right-hand column under "Mischelle" and it's on her January 11, 2008 entry. Her recipe has chicken in it, but she made a vegetarian version for me that had vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and kidney beans instead of chicken. Yum! For dessert, I tried a super-simple recipe for "Baked Apple Slices." You just slice up some apples, toss them with a little sugar and cinnamon and microwave them (I don't know why the recipe is called BAKED Apple Slices!) till they're tender, then add a little maple syrup. Yum. It tastes like apple pie filling, which is perfect since that's the only part I like in apple pie! Here's to Fall eating!

Little Cinderella

I guess I've trained my kids well - at least the youngest one. Last night, Kasidee found a napkin and began dusting and cleaning everything in our family room, even the bricks on the fireplace. I just wonder why her older sisters complain every time it's their turn to clean!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Well, I guess we (did I say WE?!) are the "proud" new owners of a 1991 Honda 4x4 Four-Wheeler. Hmmm. It all started back in May when we went to our niece's baptism up in Riverside (see my May 31st entry). Chris and Wendy have the perfect place for riding four-wheelers - they can go out their backyard and ride for miles. Plus, they all enjoy riding and all 6 of them have their own. But they let us take their four-wheelers for a spin when we were up there in May - and since then Quentin was obsessed. And when Quentin becomes obsessed, it doesn't end until he gets it. I have heard all about four-wheelers for 3 1/2 months. He's researched them a lot, finally found a good deal, and used his quarterly bonus for it. So there ya have it. He sweetly said if I had any reservations, he wouldn't get it. But how could I deprive him of something he's wanted HIS WHOLE LIFE (or at least the last 3 1/2 months)?! I'm nervous for lots of reasons, but oh well. The smile on his face was, well, priceless!

Kids Say the Darndest...

Some of you who have been to my house have probably noticed the sign in my bedroom of Kiera's quote. When she was 4, she woke up, sat up in bed, and with a huge smile, looked around and said excitedly, "Mama! I've never had this day before!" I loved that so much that I had a sign made so I could always remember it. Well, I recently (finally) added a sign for something Makenna said nearly a year ago. Several times as we walked Kiera to school, Makenna would look around, sigh, and say, "Ahhh...a yummy day!" So cute! I want to always remember the excitement and innocence my girls have for a brand-new day!

3 Little Monkeys

Tonight the girls and I went to the Rock Loft (Secret Haven) for their Halloween open house. We had planned on going with Nikki and her kids, but a traffic jam prevented them from being able to go (we missed you guys!) The employees (and a few customers) were totally decked out in their witch costumes - Kiera loved it (especially since she wants to be a witch this year), but Makenna got a little spooked and kept asking if we could go home. Anyway, I couldn't leave empty-handed, and I spotted these awesome little pumpkins. They are so neat, and I absolutely love them - they make me all fluttery inside! Pretty cool. And something even cooler - there's a new-ish store by the Rock Loft called "3 Little Monkeys." Soooo cute! They've got the cutest little toys and children's books. They're a little expensive, but they've got things you can't find everywhere - except maybe online! Anyway, it gave me a lot of ideas for Christmas, and I know we'll be back - they have a weekly storytime! Yay!

Lazy Weekend

This is how most of our pictures turn out. Quentin wanted a picture of his "4 girls," but Makenna always pouts when it comes to picture time. So here it is.


What a lazy weekend. It has felt so nice and has been a much-needed break for all of us. We've been going, going, going for so long and the next 4 weekends are pretty much booked, so it was nice to have a breather! We spent Friday night at Corbin and Nikki's (Eric and Mischelle were also there) - the girls always like to play with their cousins. Saturday morning we all slept sooooo late (9:00!) then had waffles for brunch. Later, we checked out the store Bukoos - we had never been there before. It was fun. There's a LOT of junk, but if you look hard you can find some great deals. We got some brand-new kids books that have been on my "list" for 3 bucks (regularly $17) and a few DVDs. Quentin was excited to find the Indiana Jones 3 DVD boxed set (regularly $40) for $21! Yay! After that, we visited my Grandma and Mom. Then today after church, Quentin wanted to try an experiment. He has been suffering from a nasty ear infection since Wednesday. He's been on antibiotics for a few days, but he says it still feels like a knife is stuck in his ear. Anyway, he wanted to drive up Farmington Canyon to see if the altitude would make a difference. Crazy enough, it did - up at the top, his pain lessened. But coming back down, he was in pain again. Yuck. Poor guy! Anyway, being up in the canyon made Quentin all giddy about his new obsession - getting a 4-Wheeler. I'm not sure I'm supportive of this (at least not till we have a cabin or some property to drive it on!) but once Quentin's obsessed about something, it doesn't go away. But it was a nice little drive for us - we went all the way up to the top, where we could see Davis County on one side and Morgan on the other side. And we were even so high that we could see the Great Salt Lake all the way around Antelope Island. The girls thought that was pretty neat. Toodles till next time! :0)

Mmm...Moroccan Stew - Part 2

Okay, so I've had a few requests for my Moroccan Stew recipe. Here goes: (Oh, this serves 6 but I always double it so we can eat it for a few meals). Let me know if anyone is brave enough to try it - it's SOOOO yummy!

1 cup lentils, washed
3 cups water
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash
1 15-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can corn, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. ginger (dried)
1 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1. Place the lentils in a pot with 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
2. Partially cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the vegetables, spices and chickpeas; partially cover and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. If the stew is too thick, add boiling water to thin.
5. May serve over rice or couscous.

First Day of Preschool (Sort Of)

Makenna's been wearing her backpack all morning, waiting for preschool. It doesn't start till the afternoon, so it was a long morning. She was SO excited! Today was just an orientation meeting - the kids got to color their snack placemats and the teacher talked to the parents. Makenna will be going to the same preschool Kiera went to (in our old neighborhood) - it is fabulous! She can't wait to go but she's also glad Mommy can come in once a month to be the parent helper. I don't know - something about preschool gets me all excited inside. Maybe someday I'll be a preschool teacher - that would be such a fun job!

Mmm...Moroccan Stew

The pic above is not very flattering (blurry, not "plated" very prettily, etc.), but I wanted to share what we had for dinner tonight: Cumin-Scented Moroccan Stew. Yum. There's nothing like cumin. It's warm, fragrant, comforting. Mmm - my favorite spice. And when cumin is paired with garbanzo beans, lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and brown rice, well, it's almost heavenly. This cooler weather has really gotten me in the cooking mood. I've been going through my recipes, making my mouth water over Fall flavors - sweet potatoes, baked apples, pumpkin pancakes, butternut squash, stews...yum!

This is the Place

On a whim, we decided to visit This is the Place Heritage Park yesterday (for those who don't know, it's a "living history village" about Pioneer life. The employees are "Pioneers," and there are about 50 buildings that have been relocated or are replicas of Pioneer homes and businesses). I hadn't been there since I was a kid, Quentin had never been there at all, and we've been talking about going there for a couple of years but hadn't made it. So we finally went! And boy, we were impressed! We thought we'd be there maybe an hour or so - we didn't realize how much there is to do and how much fun the girls (and us!) would have! We were there for 4 1/2 hours and probably could have stayed nearly an hour more if they hadn't closed for the day! We had an absolute blast. We saw a blacksmith and tinsmith make stuff, rode a train, panned for gold, and the girls rode a pony, made cornhusk dolls, ate penny candy, played in the schoolhouse, and got a "loan" from the banker. What a fun experience - Kiera kept saying how much she loves visiting the "Olden Days."

First Day

Well, we did it. We dropped Kiera off for her very first day of first grade. She was so brave, and I was brave too - till I got out into the empty hallway. I started getting teary-eyed. Then I ran into 4 of my neighbors and we all laughed and gave each other hugs! A few days ago I clipped something I saw in a magazine ad and put it on my fridge: "There will be bigger hallways and bigger kids. There will be new sounds, new friends and new teachers. She'll line up, look back and file inside and at that moment you'll realize this is your first day of school too."

I'm sure Kiera will do fine. She loves school and learning and she's a social butterfly. Yes, she'll have fun and be happy. I'm just sad for me. I miss her. She's my friend, my helper and my entertainer for Makenna and Kasidee. My neighbor says Kiera is sunshine - full of brightness, happiness, goodness and is always thinking of others. This time will be good for me to be able to focus on Makenna and Kasidee. Makenna will be going to preschool in a couple of weeks, we have "standing" playdates arranged, and I have a list of fun things we can do. But I'll still feel lost and a little empty - at least for awhile.

Treasure Hunt

It's our last day of "freedom" till school starts tomorrow. *Sigh* Yesterday we went to Lowes for their bi-monthly FREE building project. I can't believe how much the girls look forward to this and LOVE doing it! Yesterday they made a truck - how cool is that?! I'll tell ya - if you have kids, you gotta get over there. Check it out at www.lowesbuildandgrow.com. I've heard Home Depot does something once a month too. After that, we had lunch at Olive Garden then went on a few geocaches (another thing the girls LOVE - treasure hunts!) Check it out at www.geocaching.com. You can type in a location, it will give you coordinates to a "cache," then you follow your GPS unit - it will point you in the direction and guide you within feet of the "cache." (There are hundreds of thousands of caches all over the world!) When you find the hidden cache, you can open it up - inside is a dozen or so trinkets that you can choose from, then replace with one of your own. Kiera chose a coin from Seattle and Makenna chose a bubble necklace. You can also log your journey into a journal that is enclosed in the cache. It is so fun.

So tonight the back-to-school jitters have begun. Kiera's so excited, but she's afraid she'll have nightmares tonight. She's so sad she won't be in class with her BFF (I feel like a teenager writing that!) Sophie. But she's excited to have 3 (3!) recesses AND lunch with all of her friends. It will be an adventure!

Misc. Stuff 'Cuz I'm Addicted to Blogging. . .

A few random things that I feel the need to document since I'm hoping to print my blog into a book by the end of the year (sorry to make y'all put up with it!)...

When we went to the County Fair last week, the girls weren't the only ones enthralled by the clowns who twisted balloons into animal shapes. I thought they were awesome and I figured I could learn a few tricks for my future in the clowning business! Anyway, the girls and I got some books at the library, some balloons at Zurchers...and then we made Quentin figure it out! Here's his first "balloon sculpture" - can you tell it's a black hummingbird?? Well, I'm impressed!



Quentin was lucky enough to have the day off again today, so we took the girls swimming. 'Tis the last "real" day till school starts on Monday. Kiera's SOOOO excited for school, but I'm sad - I'll really miss her being gone all day. And I'm dreading the "sitting down and doing homework" thing, plus I'll miss the "whatever" schedule we've gotten so used to. Oh well. It will be good to have a "real" schedule and new goals - for me it's like a New Year!




Inspired by Nikki's recent post as well as a couple websites I've perused this week (www.laptoplunches.com and http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com), I LOVE the idea of posting what we're having for dinner!! I love seeing foods and recipes that other people post on their websites, so why shouldn't I do it too? :0) Many of mt friends have wondered what we (as vegetarians) eat - so maybe every once in awhile I'll show ya! Tonight we had brushetta (sp?) - simple and yummy!! I take rolls and cut them in half, put them under the broiler for a couple minutes to toast them a bit, then top them with tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, a pinch of salt, and fresh basil. (I took the girls to the Farmer's Market last night while Quentin helped his sister and brother-in-law move into their first house; a cute little farmer tempted me with fresh basil and my mouth started watering. There's nothing like fresh basil!) Oh yum!


Again, inspired by someone else's blog (this time from Quentin's niece Jamie), Quentin took this picture of my grandma's hand, my mom's hand, my hand, and my 3 girls' hands. I love what Jamie said about her picture: "Much love, caring, soothing and hard work is held in this picture. It is so neat to see the beauty of a young hand, turned to a beautiful, wrinkled, aged hand. How lucky I am to have wonderful hands to follow!" What a neat idea, Jamie - you inspired me to have a picture like that of my own! Thank you!


Last but not least, Quentin and I got a VERY exciting phone call this evening from my cousin Aaron - he and his wife Lisa are expecting their first baby in February! Yahoo!!! We're SO happy for them - they'll be AWESOME parents! Yay!!