Happy Easter!

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It's a wonderful time to remember what our Savior has done for us. I am reminded of the quote from Martin Luther: "Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time."

A week before Easter, we took the girls to Temple Square to get some pics of them in their Easter dresses....








Our Easter day was fun and relaxing. We enjoyed watching Conference, visiting Quentin's grandma in her new home, and being with the Johnson family at Kerry and Joey's cottage - where we had dinner and the kids got to run around the gated/locked storage unit yard and have a gigantic Easter egg hunt!

SOMETHING FROM THE EASTER BUNNY....


WITH GREAT-GRANDMA STEPHENS....


AT THE JOHNSON EASTER PARTY....

Let There Be Light!

It's been a gruelling 3 weeks. Quentin has worked on the electrical for the preschool/theater room every single chance he got. He worked 16 hours on Saturdays and most weeknights after work for about 4 hours. Whew. But it's done - finally!! He ran into quite a few "snafoos" (I have no idea where he got that word) and had to improvise on a few things. He ran 350 feet of wire, and now we have 8 recessed lights, 6 outlets, lines and boxes for 7 sconces, and lines and boxes for the projector, subwoofer, speakers and theater system. Yippee!

Quentin had to turn the power off a couple of times yesterday. The last time was around 8:00 and it was off for a couple of hours. The girls thought it was an adventure, since it was starting to get dark around that time. We got out our lanterns and lit some candles. Kiera said, "It's like Christmas and we're poor!" And Kasidee kept singing "Happy Birthday" to herself over and over. But the girls and I had fun playing My Little Pony and reading stories by candlelight. They were all asleep by the time Quentin got done, but they were so excited to see the new lighting in the room this morning. It's starting to look like a real room rather than a shop/storage room! Next up: Mounting the speakers before we sheetrock around them, and putting in insulation on 1 1/2 walls. It's coming along, slowly but surely!

Tooth Fairy

So...the Tooth Fairy came last night. After going out for ice cream to celebrate and then getting ready for bed, Makenna got a little wishy-washy. She wanted the Tooth Fairy to visit, but she also didn't want to give away her tooth. So she wrote a little note that read, "I want to keep my tooth please." She put her tooth in the little tooth box Granny gave us and put it beside her pillow - not under it. Oh, and she left her water bottle lid off in case the Tooth Fairy wanted to take a swim. When Kiera woke up this morning (Makenna was still asleep), she came in to my room and said, "Mommy, the Tooth Fairy didn't come. I didn't see anything by the box." I found out later that Kiera had placed 5 of her pennies by the box because she was afraid Makenna would be so sad that the Tooth Fairy didn't leave anything. Little did she know that there was a silver dollar under Makenna's pillow! How lucky is that?! Makenna got to keep her tooth AND got a silver dollar! She must be a pretty special girl!

April Fool's!

I don't really like April Fool's Day. I feel like I'm on guard all day, and I'm always at a loss on how I can "get" people. Sometimes I can think of something good, like telling Mom last year that we decided to cancel our trip to Disneyland because we couldn't afford it, or the year I was expecting Kiera and we told our family just weeks before the due date that the doctor had made a mistake and found out it was a boy (after the nursery was finished and the pink clothes were bought). But mostly it's a rather dumb "holiday." I think, anyway.

But today was kind of fun. My mom dropped by with an "April Fool's Gift," some straws she found that are about 2 feet long! The girls have had a blast with them all day! See??


Then this afternoon while I was putting groceries away and the girls were playing in the playroom, they all ran upstairs yelling, "Makenna lost her tooth!" I knew what was going on and said, "Ha - I gotcha. April Fool's, right?" But guess what - her tooth really did come out! She bit into a cookie and it came right out - she thought her cookie had a seed in it! So...it's Makenna's first "Lost Tooth." I can't believe how big she's getting! And isn't her new smile so cute? (She had to change her clothes before she'd let me take her picture - she said she needed to look different because she had a different smile!)


This evening we were able to get Quentin really good, thanks to Kiera's idea. Quentin has been ordering things for the "Theater Room" and we've been receiving quite a few packages lately. One came today and Kiera had the idea of emptying the box, filling it up with toilet paper and paper towel rolls, then re-taping it. Quentin was totally shocked - and we all laughed for a long time!

Day Off!

The girls and I had an unexpected "day off" today! I was planning on going on a field trip with Kiera's class this morning. My mom (who is soooo incredibly nice to watch Makenna and Kasidee every Wednesday afternoon while I teach preschool) offered to come early and stay with Kasidee while I went. But about 30 minutes before school started, I found out that the field trip was cancelled due to "inclement weather." I called my mom but she was already halfway to our house. So guess what I decided to do? I asked the girls if they would like to stay home from school and take Granny out to breakfast!! I emphasized that school is important and that we can't just take a day off any old time just because we feel like it. But I felt okay about letting them stay home - I think they have only been home sick maybe one day this whole school year. And I remember my mom used to let me take a "Just Because" day off sometimes. And that made lots of fun memories! So it ended up being a fun day after all! (Oh, and thanks Mom for always going with the flow and going with our crazy whims!)

Birthday Day

It's been a "Birthday Day" today. Kasidee's little friend Helena turned 2 today and she invited a couple of friends over for a cupcake. Kasidee was SO excited - she could hardly wait!



Then Makenna's friend Samantha had a birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo this afternoon. And lucky Kasidee got to join them. It's been a party day! Hopefully with all that jumping, they'll go to bed early tonight!

For You, Aimee

Okay Aimee, this is for you...since you tagged me BY NAME. I've done something like this before, but normally I would probably just ignore it. But I like the fact that it is a snapshot of my life AT THIS MOMENT. Maybe someday I'll look back and it will bring back memories - not of the moments with the "posed" pictures but the moments that just happen. The rules for this tag are: no cleaning up whatsoever - just go take the picture asked.

So Picture #1 - FAVORITE SHOES
I am not one of those women who love shoes and have a million different pairs of them. Since we take our shoes off when we are home, I am most comfy without shoes on. But if I have to wear them, I want something simple and something that can slip on and off easily. That's why I love sandals in the summer. But since it's snowing today, I took a picture of these. I call them my "clogs." They were actually on clearance at Walmart - and they're mens. (Don't tell anyone!) I love 'em because they're durable, simple, and (I think) chic!!


#2 KITCHEN SINK
I spend quite a bit of time here, so I'm glad I have a pretty view of the trees and backyard and swingset (which you can't see in the picture because it's snowing!)


#3 FAVORITE ROOM
What happens if you have, like, 7 favorite rooms? I like my kitchen because it's where everything happens. I like my family room because it's where we all hang out. I like the playroom because it's just so fun. I like my downstairs bathroom because we worked hard remodeling it and I like how it turned out. I like the living room because of the beautiful view of the mountain. I like the scrapbooking room because it's "my" room. I like the girls' rooms because they're theirs and there's just a sweet feeling when you go in them (especially if they're clean). And I like my room and bathroom because it's where I feel safe at night. Okay, so that's, like 10 rooms. Well, I love every room in my whole house. But if I had to pick a favorite "spot," it would be the reading bench in Kiera and Makenna's room. It's where the 4 of us cuddle up each night and read stories and it's where I read MY books while they're falling asleep. Ahhhh....


#4 WHAT ARE THE KIDS DOING RIGHT NOW?
After a couple of hours playing "Tinkerbell" together, I guess the girls got tired of each other. They're all doing their own thing at the moment:
Kiera is writing or drawing in her little notebook:


Makenna is playing in the water (of course). Apparently plastic butterflies like to swim!


Kasidee is playing "chi-chin" (or how she says "kitchen") She loves, loves, loves the kitchen set Santa brought.


#5 SELF PORTRAIT
This technically isn't a self portrait since Makenna took the picture. She even told me how to pose.


#6 YOUR BATHROOM
Can't see my shower or my jetted tub. But they're there. And my closet too.


#7 YOUR CLOSET
I'm still trying to decide if I want a door or a curtain on this closet. And see Kasidee's clothes hanging up on the right side? It's because Kiera and Makenna's clothes are in the closet in Kasidee's room because they don't have a closet in their room. So her clothes are in our closet. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? Wait till they get to be teenagers and then Quentin will have to build them each their own closet!


#8 YOUR FRIDGE
Let's see...we've got milk, strawberry milk, and soymilk. Salad, blackberries, hummus, string cheese, wheat berries, almonds, leftover burritos, apples, carrots, celery, green peppers.... Oh, and some of the not-so-healthy stuff: root beer, chocolate syrup and fry sauce.


#9 YOUR LAUNDRY ROOM
It looks clean because all the dirty laundry is in the basket in the bottom cupboard. Today is one of my twice-weekly laundry days and I still haven't touched it. Yet. I'm too busy blogging!


So...who to tag? Well, I'd say anyone who would like to take a few minutes and document the "NOW" in your life. Come on, it's fun!

Field Trip

This morning I got to join Makenna for her "big" class field trip to Fresh Market in Centerville. I had volunteered to go but then the teacher discovered there were too many moms that volunteered so she just picked 6 to go and sent a letter home. Makenna said, "I hope they need you to go - because I need to you to go!" Oh, how sweet! So it was a good thing I was "picked!"

So we walked to the bus stop, took the maybe 3 minute bus ride on the UTA (not school!) bus, then walked to the grocery store. There, they got to sample cheese at the deli, look at the birthday cakes, get an apple from the produce manager, talk to the butcher (Makenna's least favorite part), and go in the back and see the walk-in freezer and walk-in fridge where the milk is stored. Then they each got to pretend to be a cashier and scan something. Then they got a balloon and a sack full of snacks. Then we walked back to the bus stop and rode back to school.

Today I had an "aha moment" about why I just love kids. Everything is new to them and so exciting. They are thrilled about such little things. One kid exclaimed as we were walking to the bus stop, "Woah! Look how little our school looks!" And you should have heard the squeals when they could spot the bus coming down the street. So sweet and simple!

Oh, and I have to tell something about Makenna. As we were walking back to the bus stop to go back to school, Makenna's friend Ellie came up to me and said, "Makenna is such a good friend. She gave me her balloon!" Each kid had received a balloon, so I asked Makenna why she gave Ellie the balloon. Makenna said, "Ellie's balloon went up in the sky. I didn't want her to be sad, so I gave her my balloon." So sweet! Another mom overheard and ran back and got Makenna a balloon. I just wish I could bottle up this sweetness and innocence and pure excitement!

MAKENNA'S REACTION WHEN THE BUS STARTED GOING

CUTE FRIENDS

PRETENDING TO BE A CASHIER

THE WHOLE GANG

WAITING FOR THE BUS TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL

Book Worm!

I've mentioned before how much Kiera loves to read. But I just can't tell you how much that means to me as her parent! Quentin has never really liked reading and has wished that he had that love, that desire, to delve into a good book. I love, love, love to read and am overjoyed that Kiera loves it as well. Friday she brought home a book from school - "Wayside School is Falling Down," a book about crazy things that happen at a crazy school. She sat and read, and read, and read. Even when we left in the evening to run a few errands, she read in the car. And by the end of the night, she had read the ENTIRE 180-page chapter book. And she was so sad it was over, she began reading it over again the next day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day has been a big deal at our house this year. A few days ago, Kiera came home from school, distraught, because her teacher said leprechauns are not real - they're like fables or fairytales. Kiera asked us what we thought. Oh, to be little again and have that imagination and hope! But we wanted to be cautious and truthful - we said that leprechauns are Irish and there are real Irish people (this spurred Kiera to do a bunch of research on Ireland, where it's located, what the flag looks like, what the people look like, Irish names, etc. etc.) Quentin also mentioned that leprechauns aren't usually seen, but that doesn't mean they're real or not real. I think that satisfied her a little.

Yesterday was a preparation day for St. Patrick's Day. At school Kiera and her friend Ashley made a "Leprechaun House" at the base of a tree. It was made out of leaves and twigs. Yesterday afternoon the girls' cousins came over and made St. Patrick's designs with perler beads. And after dinner, the girls' friends Chloe and Sophie came over and made their perler bead designs as well and contributed them to the "shrine" (for lack of a better word) they made for the leprechauns. Kiera had drawn pictures and wrote letters to the leprechauns that might visit in the night. In her letter, she asked if the house she and Ashley made could be their real house, she asked what their names are and she asked if they could come and play sometime. Oh, and she wrote, "And tell [my teacher] that you are real."

So imagine our surprise when, this morning, the marshmallows they left out for the leprechauns were half-eaten and scattered on the floor along with some "magic glitter." (Apparently leprechauns can be pretty messy!) They had answered Kiera's letter, saying their names were Patrick and Megan and they thanked them for the treats. They also left a picture of their house and left green stones with a thumbprint sticker on them under each of the girls' pillows. Wow! The leprechauns must think these girls are pretty sweet!

WHAT THE GIRLS LEFT FOR THE LEPRECHAUNS TO FIND

TREASURES FOR THE LEPRECHAUNS

WHERE THE LEPRECHAUNS LIVE

SHAMROCK WAFFLES FOR BREAKFAST!

ALL IN GREEN!

Chickpea Curry

I have a new obsession. Chickpea Curry. Seriously. I've tried different versions of this Indian staple but have found that most are overpoweringly (is that a word?) SPICY! I was in the mood to try a new recipe last week and stumbled upon this one. I made it...and fell in love! And I can't stop craving it - I think I'll have to make another batch SOON!

I decided to post this recipe so all future generations can know this was one of my favorites! I just added a simple green salad and some crusty bread. Mmmm.... Let me know if any of you try it!

4 large (Costco-sized!) potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder (or more, depending on your taste)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons cumin (or more - seriously, can you ever have too much cumin? Mmmm)
2 teaspoons salt
2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed tomato soup
1 cup milk (or soymilk!)
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, ginger, cumin and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring.
3. Pour in soup, milk, chickpeas and corn. Stir in potatoes. Simmer till heated through.

Daylight Savings Time

I hate Daylight Savings Time. A lot. By the time I enjoy the girls going to bed on time and waking up on time, the clock changes and messes my whole life up. The girls are too tired to get up on time, and they complain about going to bed when the sun hasn't even gone to bed yet. And I'm so dang tired too! And what's probably even worse is looking at the big clock I haven't changed yet (it's too high for me to reach and I need Quentin to change it) and realizing how much I could have gotten done in a day if only I had gotten up an hour earlier each day. But it's too late for that now. I'm too tired.

Ready, Set, GO!

I can't believe how much the girls love these bouncy ball things. Kiera got one when she was about 3 and she and Makenna had to take turns with it. Then we got another one a few months ago, but you can't just have 2 when you have 3 kids. I had bought the pink one over a year ago and stashed it away - I couldn't bring myself to open it and blow it up because then it would be one more thing to store. So I figured it would be a good gift for some other kid. But we decided to open it and make things fair - and I can't believe how much fun they've had. They have races down our long family room and they just seem to be bouncing constantly - good exercise! They asked me to try it once and it about killed my legs and gave me a headache. But they sure like it!

Framing: Check

Here's the thing about Quentin. He is a perfectionist. Big time. And he's so dang smart! He constantly amazes me by what he knows how to do - my mom says there's nothing he CAN'T do. Even if he hasn't done something before, he can analyze it and figure it out. But whatever he does, he takes his time and does it right. He's not satisfied until it's perfect. And I'm trying to remember that's a good quality!! Anyway, sweet Quentin has been working SOOOO hard on our preschool/theater space. I looked back in my journal, and he's worked 5 full days (like, 14 hours per day) on it. He's been doing the framing and just finished it tonight. Yay! One thing down! He had to frame 2 of the 4 walls which went relatively quickly - what took so long was cutting out and installing 2 vents in the heating ducts, framing around a water pipe, reinstalling the security system so it will fit outside the sheetrock, and especially framing around the heating ducts. But it is done. At least the framing. And that's a big accomplishment! Next up: electrical for outlets and recessed lighting. Here we go! (Good thing tomorrow is Sunday - he needs a break!)

Check out the intricate work he did around the heating vents:

Meet Your Meat

Okay, in my 22+ years of being a vegetarian, I feel like I've been a pretty good person (at least I hope so!). I feel like I don't judge others when they choose to eat meat, and I don't try to "convert" people and usually don't even talk about it unless someone seems interested in knowing more.

Lately I've read a few books and seen a few movies that have reconfirmed my decision to be a vegetarian (and borderline vegan!). Also recently, a few of my neighbors and family members have been trying to eat more naturally, including more organics and whole foods, etc. and I've been thrilled to see a lot of vegetarian "basics" becoming almost mainstream (at least in my little world) - even if they still include meat occasionally in their diet.

Well, one of my dear friends and neighbors has been doing most of her grocery shopping at Whole Foods for the last few months - she buys organic milk, soy yogurt, whole fruit roll-ups, quinoa, and grass-fed meat. She is amazed at what a difference it has made for her, her husband and her two young boys.

She's the one who told me about the video "Meet Your Meat." She said she hasn't dared watch it yet because she might not eat meat ever again (is that a bad thing?!) :) Anyway, I was curious and found it online. Wow - my heart is still pounding. If you're curious to know what really goes on and where your meat really comes from, I encourage you to watch it. Be aware that there are some disturbing images (and even a swear word), but the discomfort you feel may prompt you to better algin your values with your actions.

I realize that Heavenly Father created animals for a purpose and most likely one of their purposes is to sustain humans with meat, milk, eggs, etc. But I'm appalled at how things have changed from the "olden days" - animal products are not as pure and healthy as they used to be. In fact, everyone knows that cow's milk is known for its rich source of calcium. Calcium is a mineral which comes from the ground. When cows eat grass it becomes absorbed in their bodies and comes out into their milk. But nowadays, most cows don't eat grass - they eat corn - and their milk has very little calcium in it. So calcium is ADDED to the milk when it is being processed. It's not really in the milk to begin with!

Anyway, I'll get off my little soapbox now. Just a little food for thought. And I hope I haven't come across like a PETA commercial. But check out the video at http://uneasysilence.com/Qgd and let me know what you think!

Week In Review

Just a few random things to catch up on....

Last Saturday our niece Marina was baptized!! We're so proud of her and her decision, and it makes us even more excited for Kiera in her upcoming baptism!

KIERA, GREAT-GRANDMA STEPHENS AND MARINA

KASIDEE WITH GREAT-GRANDMA STEPHENS



This morning Kasidee and I joined a few neighborhood friends for a tour of the Bountiful Fire Station. Even though I've had a fire station tour about 3 or 4 times with different preschool groups, it was fun to see it through new eyes and watch how amazed the kids were who had never been there before!

FRIENDS AT THE FIRE STATION



In other random "news," we gave the girls a wireless thermometer as one of their Valentine's Day gifts (weird, I know). Kiera has really gotten interested in science this year at school and we're always on the lookout for things to promote her interests! I've seen different versions of these thermometers and have always thought they were kind of neat, but when I saw a version that displays the current time, indoor temperature, outdoor temperature and high and low of the day - plus a little girl that "dresses" for the weather (shorts and a tank top in hot weather, hat and scarf in cold weather, and about 4 other outfits in between), I thought that was way cool. The girls have loved watching it and making notes and forecasts. So fun! (P.S. I couldn't find a picture of the version we have, but this is pretty similar - except ours is not as elaborate, it's pink and has a girl).




And finally, March is my spring cleaning month. It's a month that I usually feel motivated to get it done (the sun shines in a different way and highlights all my dust!), plus I am energized to finish it before yard work starts calling me. In years past I've tried to take a few days and cram it all in - get it all done at once. But with kids I've found that's impossible. So my goal for this year is to just take 2 rooms each Tuesday and Thursday (the days I usually don't have other commitments). Dust blinds, wash windows (inside), organize drawers and closets, "shop vac" the carpet corners, pull out and vacuum under furniture, dust baseboards, scrub tile, etc. etc. etc. Things no one would probably even notice, but things that make me feel good, knowing every square inch is clean and organized!! I made a "master list" of what each room requires and just check it off as I go. But I've found that if I take a few hours and just concentrate on 1 or 2 rooms at a time, it's not so overwhelming. And by the end of March, I'll be done! And then it will be time to focus on the garage, the shed, the yard.... Hmmm...it never ends, does it!?

Tea Party for Annabelle

Yesterday the girls invited their cousins over to celebrate Annabelle's (Kiera's doll) birthday. Makenna brought her doll Annie to the party, Kasidee brought her doll Lily, Marina brought her "haircut" doll and Roman was a good sport and joined in the "girly party" with his dog. They all had a fun little tea party, then everyone made Annabelle birthday cards and Annabelle gave everyone Jolly Ranchers and cookies in their party favor bags. It's so fun to see how creative these kids get - and I would love to step into their imaginary world for just a moment! (P.S. Makenna was having fun, but she didn't want to be in the picture because, well, because she's Makenna!)

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Some say that movies and media don't influence the way kids think or act. Seriously?! One of the girls' friends let them borrow the movie "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" and they watched it the other night. When it was done, they started "fighting" with their swords (made out of ribbons and paper fans - that's girls for ya!). I made sure to emphasize that it's not good to have real swords or try to hurt other people for real. Kiera said, "Oh, I know. It's just fun pretending to be a...a...I can't remember the word - all I can think of is trapezoid. Oh yeah - a Musketeer!"

Some Excitement

We had some excitement this afternoon, but not necessarily the kind of excitement we like to see. Makenna, Kasidee and I were hanging out this afternoon when we heard a police siren pretty close. We looked out the window to see a couple of police cars, an ambulence and a fire truck speed down our street. My heart started pounding. My first thought was that something had happened at the school. I quickly grabbed Makenna and Kasidee and put them in the car. But as soon as we pulled out of the driveway we could see that the emergency vehicles were just about 6 houses down the street. The scene was like a movie - neighbors bolting out of their houses and running down the street. I joined them and it took awhile for the word to get out about what was going on - an 18-month-old had stopped breathing and was found passed out in their crib. The girls and our neighbors and I hung out outside while Life Flight came and landed right on the street. About 30 minutes later EMTs brought out the baby on a stretcher and the helicopter took off. The scene quickly cleared. I don't know the family (they are in a different ward), but I haven't stopped thinking about them all day. You just never know what the day will bring - and life can change in an instant. I think I'll hold my little family a little tighter and closer tonight and thank my lucky stars.