Breezing Through

Lila's Valentine Birthday

2012-01-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lila turned 5, this week. AHHH!! I am old! Really, to think that my babiest baby is half a decade seems completely bananas. She still seems so young to us, (mainly beacause of her speech issues) and I'm recognizing how the youngest child becomes slotted into the "spoiled one" position in a family. We just want to keep that one our baby forever. So we wait on, give in to, and coddle them. I'm not worried about how she'll turn out. After all, I'm the youngest child and I turned out fine:)

We made prncess crowns.

and decorated Valentine cookies,

and ate cake,

and opened presents,

and this little beauty...earned 1st PLACE at her cheer competition!!Congratulations, Phoebs:)

And, a big THANK YOU to my helpers! Alexa actually texted me to see if she could help out! I love these two. I couldn't have done it without them:)

I can't believe my baby is 5!

2012-01-23T08:07:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-08T08:07:00.001-07:00

In the 11 years that Casey and I have been parents, we have not, once, had an adults only New Year's Eve. So when Summer and Kam invited us to Prescott for the weekend, we were more than happy to go. To make the most of our time together, as we always do, we decided to stop in Sedona for a dayhike up Bell Rock...off the trails and as high as we could go:) I'm still in awe of the weather in the middle of the winter... perfection.

After the hike, we ate lunch at Jose's Cafe in Sedona and finished the drive up to Prescott and to our little bed & breakfast that served us appetizers in the evening and breakfast in the morning...so quaint. (Notice the festive confetti on the table:))

Whatever, New York...Prescott has a boot-drop!!

Love these two and every trip we take with them.

BTW, Kam and Sum...DON'T GO!!!!

Christmas Weekend

2011-12-26T08:25:00.004-07:00

Phoebe's 10th!

2011-12-20T08:15:00.023-07:00

Phoebe is double digits! I can't believe how old my little girl is getting. For her birthday, this year, she decided that she just wanted to take her 2 cousins, Lex and Bry, for a GNO. We started at my house with nail-painting and pizza and then went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks (riveting) with all the treats, stuffed animals and blankets that I had packed in their bags. After the movie, I took the girls to the Sugar Bowl for ice cream sundaes.
Thanks for letting me hang with you fun girls for the night:)

To a Lovely 13 Years...

2011-12-19T13:46:00.001-07:00

Football Weekends

2011-11-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Cade has spent the last couple of months getting to know a game that his dad has practically BEGGED him to play since he was old enough to walk. Luckily, he has discovered that football is not something to be feared (thanks to flags) but a sport that he loves to play. (And, Lila and Sofia have discovered that football games are a great place to find puppies.)Next week, playoffs begin. Wishing my little boy the best of luck.

What We Look Like

2011-10-30T18:55:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, I shared one of my favorite mormon.org profiles, Tessa Winger (see below). Today I had the privilege to hear the stories of more beautifully ordinary (and some not-so-ordinary), faithful Mormons. It always blows me away to hear the misconceptions about who make up the LDS church and what we look and act like. I believe that people and events are brought into one's life for a reason and to teach us lessons...about life, about ourselves, about God. For different reasons, these stories have touched and taught me.

2011-10-30T18:36:00.004-07:00

Lila, The Spaniard

2011-10-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is definately in contention for my favorite of my kids' costumes!

Our Kids In Disguise

2011-10-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last night, we took the kids to the costume store to pick out their Halloween costumes and it got us to talking about what they had been over the last few years. My favorites were, hands down, Phoebe's hippie and Fia's Red Queen. I think we'll have some contenders this year, though:)

My Travel Diary

2011-10-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Mazatlan

Cabo

Rome

Florence

Paris

Rocky Point

Kauai

Key West

Miami

My Monsters!

2011-10-09T20:52:00.001-07:00

You gotta love the things you can do in picnik.

I am a Mormon

2011-10-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

When I first saw this mom's story I cried. When I saw it again, I cried. I don't know what it is about her story. Maybe it's her humor. Maybe it's how loving her husband seems. Maybe it's her honesty in admitting her anger and then her ability to look past that to a profound understanding. Watching this video gave me something to aspire to. Thank you for that, http://www.mormon.org/.

Miami, baby!

2011-08-07T09:32:00.002-07:00

In July, Casey and I and my cousin, Summer and her husband, Kam, flew to Florida for an ADULT vacation!! (Every parent needs one of those once in a while, right;))

We flew into Fort Lauderdale...

and checked into our Miami hotel, Circa 39, right across from Miami beach. Circa 39 was an Art Deco building turned boutique hotel that was built in...1939. It was a fun change of pace from the big hotels we usually stay in. Thanks for the reccomendation, hotels.com:)

We spent the next couple of days eating...

and beaching...

Then, on the third day, we drove down south through the glades, where we went on an airboat tour and watched a 250lb. man "wrestle" a 75lb alligator, and pulled into Key Largo...

Where we, again, ate...

and stayed up WAY too late holding our sides from laughter.

The next day we headed out to do some snorkeling, which is as deep as I'll EVER get in the ocean. We were lucky enough to get to see a couple of nurse sharks and unlucky enough to get stung by several little jellyfish. One amazing thing about Florida is the water temperature. It could not have been more perfect.

When we got back from the dive, we packed up our stuff, again, and drove further south, into Key West...my favorite stop. Our hotel was just a collection of little white cottages across the street from Ernest Hemingway's home, so cute.

In Key West, we ate dinner and listened to live music at a couple of little bars.

And on day two in Key West, we rented Cruisers and rode around the entire island...mostly in the rain!

Of course we stopped to eat!

And had the best key lime pie at an outdoor Cuban restarant, that night, before wasting the night away singing along at a dueling piano bar. My favorite one was 'Pour Some Sugar on Me', by my request;)...

We had the best time! And don't feel too bad for my kids that were left behind. When we got home, my 5 year-old asked when we were leaving again so the babysitters could come back.

In-home Personal Training

2011-08-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

After, deciding to take on more training clients, Casey and I created a home-gym in our seperate third car garage. Since I am a big believer in free weights and reactive training over machines, the space does all that I need it to. I'm loving training a little more with each new clinet that signs on. Altering programs for different needs is challenging and keeps me on my toes. I'll offer a new BOOTYcamp session when it cools down again but I'm loving the one-on-one.

Arrow of Light

2011-08-02T22:33:00.001-07:00

Just add this to the proud days that I have enjoyed as a mom to this phenominal kid. Cade earned his Arrow of Light and moved from Cub Scouts to 11-year old Scouts.

Happy St. Patrick's Day...

2011-08-02T22:16:00.001-07:00

...from our all-green picnic with family and friends:)

Phoebe's green glitter toes

me and Tasha

some of the kids, (and Jax)

Lila

rainbow cupcakes

me and Li

all-green fruit salad

Lila and Fia

Another Spring Break Outing

2011-08-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to get to spend a day with the Hiatt's, eating Fatburger and painting penguins, butterflies and airplanes at As U Wish.

me and Phoebs

Cade's hard at work.

Tramps Suck!!

2011-08-02T21:44:00.001-07:00

Here's a tip from Doctor Udall...anytime the bruising goes from the ankle to the knee, don't make your child go to school for a week and hope that it heals. It's not a sprain...it's busted! Cade was first, casted and then booted for 6 weeks, poor kid.

The Conference Edition

2011-08-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

What I was doing during Conference...

What they were SUPPOSED to be doing during conference...

What LILA was doing during conference...

(and, yes, this is from all the way back in April:))

Day 1- The Spring Break Chronicles

2011-03-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Phoebe turns nine!

2011-01-04T19:32:00.001-07:00

2010-11-29T13:27:00.001-07:00

How blessed am I to live in Arizona where November affords such amazing race weather?! This month held 'firsts' for all of us; Casey's first 'Platinum' recognitions in 2 cycling events, the Tour de Safford and the Tour de Tucson, Cade and Phoebe's first 5k, and my first half-marathon.

Our Halloween

2010-11-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Since Halloween was on a Sunday, this year, our family decided that keeping the Sabbath day holy meant staying at home and handing out candy. So, Trunk or Treat became our big dress-up day. As always, Alice, the red and white queens, and our resident zombie had a blast cake-walking, cornbread and chili-eating, and trunk-or-treating.

*On a side note, Casey got platinum at the Tour de Safford that morning:)

Treats for a 'Fall" bridal shower

2010-11-13T18:21:00.001-07:00

My sister's wedding was beautiful.
Strung lights, burlap table runners, antique vases, jars that glowed with candle lights, and...
fall flowers.
So there was the inspiration for her fun bridal shower/bachelorette party that I hosted at Kona Grill.
But rather than go pretty, like the wedding,
I decided to go completely literal...Halloween and all.
So I made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, (Kristi and Lindsey made the cutest toppers for them) and carameled apples with toffee chips, M&M's and chocolate drizzles.
And, just for fun, all of the girls wore masquerade masks.

Lucky me for being able to share these moments with my PERFECT sister. Love ya, Sar.

2010-11-05T22:44:00.002-07:00

Goodness, gracious! Where do I start??
Here, I guess...
With my most prized possessions.

Nothing makes me happier than the fruits of the work that goes in to preparing for and sitting for family pictures.

Before and After

2010-08-04T19:00:00.001-07:00

DON"T TELL HIM I DID THIS!!!

But I just had to say...

Biking- it does a body good. (And makes a wife happy;)

Blueberry Crumb Cake!

2010-07-23T14:48:00.001-07:00

Ok...I know that i seem to always be tooting Martha's horn, but this recipe really takes the 'cake'.

I made it for a luncheon with friends a couple of weeks ago and we all loved it, especially the kids.

And it is sooo much better than plain ole' blueberry muffins.(Just ignore how much butter you put in;))

Or better yet, eat all you want and then sign up for my bootcamp!

Summertime in Carlsbad

2010-07-20T09:16:00.007-07:00

75 degrees +7 cousins +3 live snails (2 dead) +16 shiny balls on a table +3 hand held game systems +

162 stairs to the sand +5 minutes to Legoland +3 sexy men with biking tans +3 empty bottles of sunscreen +

1 of the biggest pizzas I've ever seen +1 'dirty' board game +12 magazines +10 lbs of sand in swimsuits =

See ya next year, Carlsbad.

My Little Fishy

2010-07-09T14:19:00.001-07:00

This speedy little girl just swam her last swim meet of the summer and she was awesome.
Last night, Phoebe was chosen to swim in both the freestyle and medley relays in the city-wide rely meet. Her freestyle and backstroke relays had previously taken first place, so we had high hopes for this meet. Her first event was the freestyle relay and she was swimming third. Her teammates started off in high gear and had a big lead when it was Phoebe's turn. And she held the lead. They came in first by a big margin. Yay, Phoebe!!
Next, she was starting off the medley relay with the backstroke and wouldn't you know it, she hit the wall first! It all came down to their last swimmer who just lost the lead by a fraction of a second. They got second place...not too shabby. Again, YAY Phoebe!!
I love watching this sweet girl succeed.

Our small town Fourth

2010-07-05T12:33:00.001-07:00

This weekend, we packed up the kids, 4-wheelers, bikes and enough food to feed an army, and headed to the fresh-country-air of Happy Jack, AZ.
I have decided that short vacations are the best vacations. Every time a little voice whined, "I'm tired" or "I'm bored" we would say "Go outside and play some more. We only have two days!" They played pretend in the trees, whizzed around the neighborhood on the little quad, and swung as high as Casey could push them on the rope swing. And when it was time to go, they begged to stay.
Perfect.
Here are the highlights...

QUAD RIDING

COOKIE DECORATING

BLUE RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT CRAFT FAIR

BECOMING AT-ONE WITH NATURE

4th OF JULY TAILGATING

I did it!

2010-06-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

After months of reading, researching excercise trends, trying new machines and workouts, attending workshops, studying flashcards and taking online practice quiz after online practice quiz...
I am, now, a certified personal trainer!
My plan is to spend the next few weeks designing a bootcamp that I will launch in the fall. I want to lead the kind of bootcamp that really hits calorie burn and strength building hard. I want to have the kind of bootcamp that produces results that ALL women want; tighter buns, thighs, abs and arms and greater cardio endurance. My goal is to never have someone leave the last day of my bootcamp feeling the same as when they came in.
This is what will keep me up at night for the remainder of the summer.

See you all when school starts;)

Pecan Pie

2010-06-16T15:32:00.001-07:00

There is only one single dessert on the entire planet that I have refused to give even a second thought to.
I have judged it on appearance alone, but for good reason. It looks like ground up
these

But this weekend was my dear mother-in-law's birthday and guess what her favorite pie just happens to be.

I'm always up for a challenge.

So, for the first time in my life, I made one of

these

Pecan pie...where have you been all my life???

Here's the YUMMY recipe for pie and crust-

Cream Cheese Pie Crust and Pecan Pie

(Makes one 9-inch crust)

• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 1 teaspoon cold cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into small pieces

Directions
1. Combine water and vinegar in a small bowl. Combine flour and salt in another bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut butter and cream cheese into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining.
2. Add water mixture to dough in a slow, steady stream, stirring, until mixture just begins to hold together. (Alternatively, pulse ingredients in a food processor.) Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, and wrap. Press dough into a disk using a rolling pin. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight. (Dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw before using.)
3. Roll dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Trim edge, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Turn overhang under so that edge is flush with rim. Flute edge. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
4. Make filling (see our Pecan Pie recipe).

Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie

• 10 ounces pecan halves (2 3/4 cups), toasted
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cream Cheese Pie Crust

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set aside 16 pecan halves for garnish; coarsely chop remaining pecans. Stir together eggs, sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Stir in chopped pecans, and pour mixture into prepared piecrust, spreading evenly. Garnish edges with remaining pecan halves.
2. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake, rotating halfway through, until filling is just set and crust is golden brown, about 90 minutes. (Tent with foil if nuts are getting too dark.) Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. (Pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)

GNO

2010-06-09T08:15:00.001-07:00

Manicures, pedicures,

french fries and rootbeer...

the makings of a perfect girls night out with the best cousins in the world.

Action!

2010-06-07T12:25:00.001-07:00

I love this idea for any coaches or team moms out there. Our very talented coaches wife took action shots of all of Cade's baseball teammates and blew them up into posters for the kids rooms.

Here's Cade's-

Now, he has a real hero hanging on his wall...love it!

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

It's ba-ack...

2010-05-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have spent the day deep-cleaning every nook and cranny of my house in preparation for not having a minute to myself for the next three months. I can do this!

It must be Spring:)

2010-05-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today, I had a BEE for a daughter. Too cute!

My Graduate

2010-05-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

After 2 years of fingerpainting, fieldtrips to the zoo, snacks of crackers and water, and daily goodbye songs, Fia has graduated from preschool. Sure, she had to be dragged on more than one occasion (leaving me must be difficult,) but, she really did love Miss Heidi's preschool.

I'll miss it, too, but grand thoughts of ALL-DAY kindergarten grace my mind each time I get a bit sad and I'm just excited for the both of us. WE're ready!

She is such a big girl...

Easter Sunday

2010-04-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

This was a special Easter Sunday. We were all excited about the prospect of not having to get ready for church, rather just enjoy an easy, quiet Conference at home while noshing on jelly beans and Reese's Pieces.

And what made these Conference sessions even more edifying was that they were almost entirely centered on our Savior.

This is the story of our Easter Sunday, 2010-

BEFORE Conference began, the kids woke Casey and I up bright and early to dive into their baskets overflowing with candy, chocolate bunnies, Pez dispensers, swimming suits (the Easter basket tradition) and Zhu Zhu pets!

The 2 older kids got books and bookmarks, scripture highlighters and scripture stickers of Christ. I'm always looking for ways to remind the kids of why we really are celebrating Easter.

The kids all love their new swimsuits. Bring on swim season!

AFTER Conference, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Skidmore's house for lunch and egg hunting.

This guy was SO not invited so we were nice enough to send him to heaven:)

THE HUNT...

Eggs with money are ALWAYS their favorite to find. Sofia found $4.50 that she says she is going to buy a kitty with.

My lunch assignment, the dessert.

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for the adults. YUM!

Iced butterfly sugar cookies for the kids. YUM!

2010-03-30T21:41:00.001-07:00

If you were looking for inspiration to throw a spring party, check out this blog.

Ahhhh....hold on while I catch my breath.

Our Spring Break STAY-cation!

2010-03-22T15:40:00.001-07:00

Last week, Cade said, "Mom, let's not go to California again. Let's go someplace different for Spring Break." I'm not sure that he meant Phoenix and Camp Verde, but that worked for us!

On Monday afternoon, Casey and I loaded up our stuff (including our kids) and headed southwest to The Arizona Grand Resort for 2 days of watersliding and lazy-river floating. On the way, we stopped at the theater to see...

And after the movie, we checked into the resort and spent the rest of the evening at the pools, followed by pizza in bed while watching back to back Ultimate Cake Challenges on TV.

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the resort cafe, went on a walk around the grounds, and then went back for more of this...

When the kids had had their fill of sun and water, we packed up and headed to lunch at the Farm at South Mountain, just around the corner. If you haven't been...run, don't walk. I have been there several times, but this was Casey and the kids' first time. They were sold. Cade- on the egg salad, Casey- on the carrot cake!

That was Tuesday. On Wednesday, we woke up bright and early, packed a picnic lunch (including green chips, green grapes, and green Oreos to celebrate St. Patrick's Day), and picked up Grandpa Peterson for the drive up to Out of Africa in Camp Verde...well worth the drive! The kids were loving how close they were to such amazing animals, like tigers, grizzlies, giraffes, and Boom Boom the Rhino. They even got to pet a 4-foot monitor lizard!
Sofia, my own Dr. Doolittle, was in animal heaven.

I was even able to convince Casey to fork out a little extra dough so that we could do this...

(Can you see the strings of slobber connecting his tongue to my hand? Lovely.)

All in all, our Staycation was a success.
Now, what do I do with these kids all summer?!

It's never too late to plan a party, right?!

2010-03-06T00:05:00.001-07:00

I just ran across the most adorable, FREE printables to throw your very own Oscar party. Thank goodness for the uber-creative and generous minds that blog! To print your own, go here and here.

My ballots are printed and ready to go.

Rag-nasty!!

2010-02-28T21:39:00.002-07:00

We made it!

After 29 hours and 204 miles of racing through the Arizona desert, team Haulin' Asphalt is no worse for the wear, and it feels SO good.

Not that we didn't have our challenges...

The night before the run, Aimee, my favorite Texan, got the flu and had to give up her spot to our AMAZING alternate runner, Brenda. If we learned one thing, it was to ALWAYS have a backup plan.
So, Friday morning, van 1 (Brittny, Melissa, Brook, Kelly, Brenda and Heidi) took off to be in Prescott for our 9:30 start time.
We slept in:)

We (van 2) left at 10AM for Kirkland where we picked up our first legs. That's when we got the news that Heidi had tweaked her knee just a couple of miles into her first run and had to pull out. Again, thank goodness for Brenda who jumped out and finished Heidi's leg.

So, now we're down 2 of our teammates:(

Fortunately, the rest of the day was amazing. Our van ran Sandi,

then, Sara,

then, Summer,

then, me,

then, Lisa,

then, Cheryl.

And at about 8PM, we retired to the Wickenburg Super 8 for some Subway, showers and sleep...until midnight. And then we were back on the road to relieve the other van.
Sandi began her long 8 mile run. She was a machine, but sheer will can't get you all the way through a race if your body doesn't cooperate and at mile 7, her knee, too, had other plans. But she pushed through to the end! However, she had to be done.

That's, 3 teammates gone.

That's when we got the news that at the very next exchange, an 18 year old runner had been struck by a car and they were closing down the highway. Race officials ordered us to go straight to exchange 24 where we all were assigned new start times to finish the race. Ours was 6:10AM. But we had skipped Sara, Summer and my second legs of the race. And, then...we found out that Brittny had gotten food poisoning and was DEFINATELY not able to run her last leg.

Are you still counting? That's 4.

So, we went back to the drawing board.
After switching around some runs and fueling up with Denny's, we were pumped and ready to finish off strong. And we did!

And after all of that, some might ask why we would ever do it again. To that I say...
"Where do I sign up?"

Double Digits!

2010-02-24T21:44:00.001-07:00

It's your day, bud.

Make it real:)

Phoebe's Baptism

2010-02-21T16:02:00.002-07:00

Phoebe is now an official member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are so proud of her for the maturity with which she handled the entire day. She read a book on baptism on Saturday morning and followed it up with a million questions about details of the ordinance. I loved the conversation that followed. I have learned that the baptism of a child is one of the most special days for a mom.
Last night, at bedtime, Phoebe said that she wished she could do "it" again.

This mother's prayer was answered.

Cade's 10th Birthday Party

2010-02-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

Pizza, soda, pizza, bumper cars, laser tag, arcade games, soda, presents, cake, soda, games that give you lots of tickets, ice cream, balloons...
in that order.
Happy birthday to my favorite son!

I'm in the process...

2010-02-16T21:08:00.001-07:00

of attempting to create this...

I worship Amy Atlas's tablescapes.

In an alternate universe, I'm a party planner.

Thank goodness for the events in life that allow me to cross that universe with this.

Little Me

2010-02-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

Ever since this girl was tiny, people have said that she looks just like me. I've never seen it quite as obvious as others do. Frankly, I think that she's much prettier than I was as a child. But, I'll take the compliment.

Phoebe is 8, now. I still remember the day I went into labor like it was yesterday. It was the day after Christmas and Sara, my mom and I were going to do some present returns at the mall. It didn't take more than 5 minutes of waiting for my mom to take the velcro rollers out of her hair to realize that that was not going to happen, today. No, instead of returning a present, I was about to recieve another. Phoebe came into our lives on December 26, 2001.

In 2 weeks, she will be baptized. As scary as it is to see my first daughter growing up so fast, I am sick with pride in my lovely daughter.

She is a gift.

I Can Save Your Life

2010-02-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

In my qwest to become a certified personal trainer, I am now CPR certified!

Here's hoping that I never have to use what I learned, (especially on someone the size of the sasquatch I was paired up with, in class).

Let the games begin!

2010-02-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

If 'you are what you eat', then this is what I will look like very soon.

Today is the first day of a new health challenge that I am committed to, monetarily as well as emotionally. The rules of this challenge are as follows;

1. Drink 48 ounces of water I feel like I'm drowning

2. 45 minutes of exercise (doesn't have to be consecutive) in the bag

3. No soda or alcohol no sweat

4. No sweets (desserts, pastries, candy, sugary snacks, or cereals), fast food, or unhealthy snacks (chips)

sugar-free alt. are ok kill me now

5. Consume 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegtables getting used to it

6. No eating after 8p.m. I'm changing my bedtime to 8:15.

7. Read 15 minutes of spiritual or uplifting text love this

8. Write in your journal voila!

9. Express specific appreciation, love, or praise to another person great idea

10. Personal goal- each week make a personal goal for everyday (read to kids, organize a

closet, get 8 hours of sleep) This will be a life-changer.

So far, so good. But, 3 months?! Oy, vey!

L-O-V-E

2010-01-30T07:30:00.002-07:00

I just fell in LOVE with a 'LOVE'-blog!

This is non-stop shopping for the month of February, which starts on MONDAY!
Here's the link to all things Valentine.

Where's the White?!!

2010-01-29T08:16:00.002-07:00

I discovered something, this week. Stores do not carry white dresses for little girls. Well, they probably do, when I'm not looking for one. But, this week, I'm looking for one for Phoebe's baptism. So I went on an online search and after much website hopping, I found this-

In the mood for a little more formal? Try this-

And the best part, they are all well under $100.

Oh, how I wish I was 8.

Monarch Butterfly Cupcakes

2010-01-24T14:05:00.001-07:00

For my kids birthdays', I open up my array of decorating books and let them choose what they want their cake or cupcakes to look like. But, since Lila can't talk, yet, I made the executive decision to make these butterfly cupcakes that I've been wanting to try for a while. I even had enough leftover batter to make an 8in. round to top my cupcake stand. The wings are made by tracing 2 wing templates with candy melts and sprinkling with white nonpareils. After practicing with the consistency of the melted chocolate until I got it right, the rest was 'cake'.

TIP- Dipping the edges of cupcakes in sprinkles is so easy and really gives a clean edge. It will also cover any overspill that may have happened in baking. I love the chocolate sprinkles on chocolate cupcakes and color matching sugar sprinkles to colored frosting.

My Baby is Growing Up!!

2010-01-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend my baby turns 3 years old. Tears... :( It seems like just yesterday that Casey and I were sitting at Phoenix Children's Hospital, comforting our crying 9 month old after the surgery that corrected her cleft. Since then, she has been just a joy... easy, sweet, content...the kind of baby that everyone should have.

So yesterday found her back under anesthesia. The ENT was putting tubes in her ears because it turns out that Lila has had fluid blocking her ability to hear very well for a very long time. But, in true Lila-fashion, she awoke with a smile and is doing well on her way to hearing sounds correctly and starting speech therapy very soon.

Happy birthday, sweet girl.

We're back

2010-01-19T09:51:00.001-07:00

After 7days and 7nights, we're back on dry land in the comforts of home. Although I missed my kids (and bed) terribly, we had an absolute blast. We filled the first 2 days at sea with spin classes, reading, cyber golf competitions (Casey got 3rd in the 'Longest Drive' and wants a do-over), playing cards, watching football in the lounges, dinner shows, and eating (of course).

Our first port was...

This jungle canopy was amazing in that it was 100% eco-friendly. Not a single nail was used in any tree. Everything was held on and up by a system of tethers and cables. (A little scary, 150 ft. in the air)
We did around a dozen different ziplines, 2 freefall repels, several hanging bridges and 2 rope ladders.
Sooo fun!!

The next day, we arrived in...

where we took a private tour of the city.

We stopped for lunch at a restaraunt on the beach where we got a glimpse of a parasil that called to us:)

Last, we hit...

A van drove us out to Chileno Bay (I highly reccomend it) where we spent the day snorkeling (TONS of fish), relaxing, exploring and being goofy on a pristine beach with ZERO vendors and almost no other people.

Back on the boat, we tried our hands at karaoke where Heidi treated us to a little 'Bad Medicine' by Bon Jovi. How I wish we had our video camera. Thanks to that, one of the cruise directors invited us to dress up as the Supremes, the next night, and sing again. It was terrible (so they tell us) but so much fun.

So... my kids survived and I feel refreshed.
Bring on the rest of the school year!

Skidmore Family Photos

2010-01-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

The best thing about Christmas is, without a doubt, seeing all of the family that we love so much. I always think about how lucky our kids are to have so many cousins their age.

Since Lance and Aimee drove in from Texas for the break, it was the perfect opportunity for catching the whole Skidmore gang together.

Thanks, Sara, for catching the memories.

The Peterson Family pictures will be coming soon;)

Viva, Mexico!!

2010-01-04T11:30:00.003-07:00

This morning, I was listening to FOX News on XM, (did I just give up too much info about myself?). The newscaster joked about escaping the East Coast freeze and traveling to Mexico. Well...

I AM!

I know, the weather here in sunny AZ is beautiful, right now, but a week of sailing down the coast and playing in all of the big Mexican resort cities is even better. So now, the rush begins.

My To Do List for the week looks like this:

~plan and prepare a weeks worth of meals for my kids

~organize the house so that it makes perfect sense to a new sitter

~clean and schedule all the kids' clothes for school

~write down the entire schedule for all 4 kiddos

~get my room ready for someone else to live in it : /

~go cruise-wear shopping! (Does that make me sound like an old lady, or what!)

~paint on a nice glow:)

So..ADIOS, Amigos!

Why I have been too busy to blog, this month...

2009-12-30T22:01:00.004-07:00

The storm has passed!

I love December...for all of it's craziness and stress as much as anything else. My next few posts are a look at some of the things that have kept the Skidmore family busy over the last couple of weeks. These have been...

Baby it's cold outside

2009-12-30T21:53:00.005-07:00

The only thing missing, this time of year, is my mom. She was such a huge presence always, but especially at Christmas. I have been telling my kids how much their Grandma Peterson loved buying them Christmas toys.

I miss her, now.

But, we feel her with us at the cabin. That's why we go.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a trip there.

12k's of Christmas!!

2009-12-30T21:38:00.006-07:00

This was the first year for this race that benefited local animal shelters.

The kids loved getting to pet all of the sweet dogs, but I hated how much my knee hurt the entire 7 1/2 miles. I have been off of my legs since. I'm feeling so out of shape and our race is in less than 2 months! My break is just about over:(

A Night in Bethlehem

2009-12-30T20:26:00.016-07:00

This year's ward party required us (and by 'us' I mean 'the kids')to dress as though we were there when the baby Jesus was born (who knew what a few pillow cases and stretchy headbands could do?!).

(Fia's friends, Kitty and Rivers)

Of course, Fia would make fast friends with the livestock.

It was fun(ny) to see everyone in period dress. We kind of thought that Bishop Johnson, front and center, looked like Aladdin.

Christmas Sweets and Sharingtime!!

2009-12-30T20:25:00.007-07:00

This season was filledwith a lot of baking for me. Here is the recipe for the Orange-Ginger Baby Cheesecakes that I made for the Relief Society Christmas Party.

Ingredients
3/4 cup finely crushed gingersnap cookies (about fourteen, 1 3/4-inch cookies)
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For crust, in a small mixing bowl, combine crushed cookies, brown sugar, and melted butter. Divide crumb mixture evenly among sixteen 1-3/4-inch muffin cups. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of each cup. Bake in a preheated oven for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the marmalade, the egg yolk, and flour. Divide cheese mixture evenly among the muffin cups. Bake about 15 minutes more or until a knife inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool cheesecakes in tins on a wire rack (centers will dip slightly). Remove from muffin tins. Top each cheesecake with about 1/2 teaspoon marmalade. Serve at once or cover and chill up to 24 hours.
3. Makes 16 servings

I just have to add, Martha Stewarts' glitter kits are awesome.

Phoebe's Birthday Party!!

2009-12-30T20:24:00.006-07:00

I have heard over and over again, how much people hated their Christmas-time birthdays, when they were young, because they felt overlooked or they got jipped on presents.

So, for 7 years, now, we have waited until at least a week after Christmas to celebrate Phoebe's December 26th birthday.

That's why I was so surprised to hear Phoebe say that she wanted an entirely Christmas-themed party, this year.

We had it just days before Christmas with red and white decorations, Christmas wreath (donut) decorating, ornament painting, and a gift exchange. She loved all of it, especially, the penguin cupcakes that she and I made the night before.

Here's the link.

Reese and Janie

Phoebe with Katie

The whole crew!

Christmas Morning!!

2009-12-30T20:23:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas, my babies! I hope you like what Santa brought you...

...I know Lila did!

2009-12-17T17:10:00.004-07:00

Now, it feels like Christmas. All I needed was a little snow and my favorite peeps.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-08T23:22:00.005-07:00

...from the Skidmores.

It's On!

2009-12-02T21:47:00.006-07:00

We finally have a full team..a PERFECT full team...

So excited to do this with these awesome women.

Thanks for going crazy with us,

Sara

Summer

Heidi

Aimee

Brittny

Melissa

Cheryl

Lisa

Sandi

Brook

and Kelly!!

Anxiously awaiting...

2009-12-01T10:39:00.004-07:00

Who says you can't find a cute twin bed?? I did, for weeks and weeks. Until I found this for Phoebe's room:

It should be here any day:)

Even moms can pull all-nighters!!

2009-11-30T14:08:00.011-07:00

As much as I love shopping, I hate, hate, hate crowds. That's where the irony comes in-

I went Black Friday shopping. Why?? Because Sara convinced me that it would be fun.

And as we approached Old Navy and saw the line that snaked around out front, I knew I had been duped.

Actually, it was fun just to stay out all night with Sara. The funny part is I found a lot of stuff, but nothing I bought was 'on sale'. Go figure...my mom would have called that one! Wish she was there:)

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving!

(thanks for the pics, Sara)

THE Pie

2009-11-20T14:32:00.002-07:00

I've found it!

My signature Thanksgiving pie. And Martha Stewart calls it an 'advanced' pie. (But, between you and me...it's not that hard;)).

The key is the crust, so follow the directions to the T.

My one piece of advice...don't let your stomach get the best of you, causing you to dive into it right out of the oven. It really is best after cooling completely. (I'm making it Wednesday, along with my pumpkins.)

So, here it is...Apple-blackberry Pie with "Fall Leaves" Pate Brisee'

Enjoy...I did!!

Mom's Day

2009-11-06T08:15:00.003-07:00

All Hallow's Eve

2009-11-05T18:03:00.007-07:00

hThis was the first year that my little goblins all wanted to dress dark and scary. Don't tell them, but I think they came out cuter than ever.

Cade was sweet not to wear his skeleton mask around Lila. She was terrified of it.

Phoebe was so surprised that she won 'Best Costume' at Trunk or Treat. I wasn't.

It's scary how sweet they are.

Fia, the Midnight Fairy

Daisy

Happy October Conference Sunday!

2009-10-05T13:28:00.001-07:00

Nothing says Conference weekend like family and some home cooking.

Here are a couple of fall recipes that you may enjoy;

Brianne's Easy Spinach Salad

organic baby spinach
crumbled feta cheese
bag of glazed walnuts (in the mixed nuts aisle), crushed in the bag with a meat mallet
craisins
broccoli, cut into small bite-sized pieces
red onion, diced
Paul Newman's Balsamic Vinaigrette

After deciding how much spinach you need and mounding it in the bowl, just eyeball equal amounts of the other ingredients (first, broccoli, then, onion, then walnuts, then craisins then feta). When you are ready to serve, pour on 1/3-1/2 of the salad dressing(according to the size of your salad).

Bakerella's Pumpkin Pie Bites

You'll find this adorable recipe here.

Happy Fall cooking!

the Skidmore Skunk Farm

2009-09-25T08:30:00.003-07:00

Enough is enough!

For the second time in a month, we have been graced with the beauty (and aroma) of one of God's most powerful creatures. The impenetrable force field that such a small animal possesses is actually quite impressive. I just wish that someone would have told my dog what happens when you attempt to cross over it.

These little super-villains are starting to get on my nerves.

And so I'm left wondering...what is it about this house that skunks find so appealing.

Run off, skunk, and tell your other stinky friends what happens when you enter MY backyard
You mess with the Skidmores, you get the hose!

Portraits From Fia's Party

2009-09-14T08:04:00.006-07:00

I never posted Fia's 4th birthday party pics, so here are some of the faces that made the night so much fun;

Happy birthday, my mermaid princess!

To My Mom,

2009-09-08T08:54:00.003-07:00

I have Elle, Sofia and Lila here, playing right now. I know you would love to see them all being so silly together. Fia reminds me of you. I know you'd get such a kick out of her sassiness.

I'll give them all a big hug from you, today, (even though I know you give your own when they're sleeping).

In The Sticks

2009-09-07T19:37:00.005-07:00

This Labor Day weekend, the Skidmores decided that we needeed a break. So, we all packed up our kiddos, blankets, air mattresses (our cabin isn't furnished yet), ice chests, bikes, running shoes, playing cards (what's a Skidmore vacation without Hearts and Scum), and headed for Show Low.

On Saturday, Carol and Ray Woodhouse invited us over to their cabin for some college football and IBC's.

I love this beast!
Sofia loves her grandma.
We were really hoping that Heidi and Greg could get some much needed relaxation, but 11 kids under 1 roof may have made that a longshot.
Cousins!!

Casey helped out a ton.

We learned that Lila is allergic to wool.

Even the kids get in on the card action. Hopefully their skills will pay off in the casino one day;)

We Will Miss You Forever

2009-08-21T06:42:00.004-07:00

You have taught us the kind of strength that helps us to go on at times like this. We love you painfully, Ethan Randall Skidmore.

*Ethan's service has been set for Thursday, 10AM at the LDS church building on McDowell, east of Power.

For Love of the Game

2009-08-19T17:59:00.004-07:00

Football season has begun:(

Goodbye, Casey. It was fun to spend family nights together on Mondays and quiet Sundays together.

I'll always love you.
See you in 2010...

At least our son is having a blast!

Max and Cade ditched school and spent Monday with their amazing Grandpa at the Cardinals' practice, this week.

Out of the two of them, can you tell who's the more aggressive?:) Cade was grateful for Max's ability to squeeze in front of people.

Freedom!!

2009-08-14T08:57:00.005-07:00

I love, love, love my kids! But, I also love, love, love when summer ends and I get to scoot them out the door and onto the bus.

This year, it was really time. After a fun summer (Wicked, Makutu's Island, Park City, Vegas, etc.) they were starting to get bored and I was starting to go crazy.

However, I miss my little helpers and just pray each day that when I send them off, they have the kind of days that I remember having in Elementary school, days where they are safe and happy.

Thanks to Natalie for the fresh new haircuts to start out the new year!

Here's to another school year...

Our 4th of July ended with a bang (or more like a blllllaaaaahhhhh...)

2009-07-06T10:08:00.001-07:00

This year was the first in a long time that we have not spent July 4th soaking up the California beach scene. So, we, at least, had to get out of the heat!

We headed to Dad's cabin in Happy Jack.

Saturday morning, Casey, my dad, Cade, Max and Phoebe (aka. the BIG cousins) got up before dawn to go fishing. In the meantime, Sara, Lance and I walked the 'little' cousins down to the Blue Ridge Fire Dept.'s craft fair. The kids had fun painting big paper butterflies but, shockingly, there was nothing that quite called out to me, so we came home, empty-handed.

That afternoon, we drove back down to Payson to see 'Ice Age 2' eat at McDonald's (yum:/) and watch fireworks at the park.

It felt the way that I thought a small-town Fourth would feel...easy.

BTW- On the drive back up to the cabin, Phoebe began puking all over the middle row of my car. When I thought she was done I reached back to grab the baby wipes and she started up again, all over my arms. That was 30 min in to a 60 minute drive. Fun times;)

A little much?

2009-06-30T16:33:00.004-07:00

OK, maybe. But, it's better than what I'm working with.

Another day, another plan.

I have gotten a new, WONDERFUL trainer to set me up a workout plan (that is already kicking my butt) with one goal, to get ripped.

I'm really not into the whole beanpole thing. It does nothing for me and actually makes me quite sad to see how weak and unhealthy women are striving to be.

After losing my mom to pancreatic cancer, fighting my personal battles with skin cancer, watching my dear father-in-law suffer the pain of rhumatoid arthritis and standing by helplessly as my sweet, little nephew battles his way through the first few months of life with practically half a heart, I have come to realize that our bodies are so fragile.

It is now my mission to become as healthy and strong as I can be.

As my trainer puts it, 'If you don't take care of your body, where else will you live?'

(I know this post must seem funny coming from the girl that constantly blogs cupcake recipes and ideas, but, what can I say...making salads just isn't quite as fun.)

Swim bags

2009-06-12T09:05:00.004-07:00

For all of you swim team moms or moms of girls that just love to swim, here's a really fun tutorial on making these. My girls are so proud of their custom bags.

Moving on,

2009-06-10T21:32:00.003-07:00

Only seven more days until we start the move to our new house. Can you sense the excitement in my voice?:( It only took about a day before the joy of selling our house wore down to groans and angst over not having a bigger, better home to move into. This will be the first time that we have sold our house without a plan, that plan being a home that we have spent months materializing from dream to reality.

THIS SUCKS.

I know I sound spoiled. Maybe that is the lesson that I am being taught. So I'll move into the rental (while we make a 'plan') with a smile and anticipation for memories yet to be realized within those new walls.

PS- Have fun at Powell, Casey. Don't worry, I'll pack up and clean all 5000sq ft. of this house and have it ready to move out of by the time you get home:) No, really, have fun and you owe me!

I'm in love...

2009-06-05T08:49:00.006-07:00

with these cupcakes!!

This is hard to say, coming from a cupcake lover, but sometimes I just don't want all of the heavy frosting that accompanies a good cupcake. For me, this cupcake, having a different texture and topping, was like a breath of fresh air, like a snickerdoodle cupcake.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Sugar Puff Cupcakes

1 1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground nutmeg

6 T unsalted butter, at room temp

1/2 C sugar

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1/2 C milk (any fat content)

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray inside of 12 muffin cups with nonstick coating.
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until blended and creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl, as needed. Beat in the egg, mixing until smooth and thick. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing just until the flour mixture is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.
Fill each muffin cup with about 3 T of batter, to about 1/2 inch below the top. Bake just until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes. Cool the cupcakes for five minutes in the pan on a wire rack.

Coating

6 T unsalted butter, melted

1/2 C sugar

1 1/4 t ground cinnamon

Meanwhile, make the coating. Put the melted butter in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, stir the sugar and cinnamon together.
Carefully place the wire rack on top of the cupcakes in their pan. Protecting your hands with pot holders and holding the pan and the rack together, invert them to release the cupcakes onto the rack. Turn the cupcakes atop and immediately roll them in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat completely. Yummy served warm but room temp is fine, too.
(from the book 'cupcakes' by Elinor Klivans)

Our Last Memorial Weekend on Monarch

2009-05-28T22:37:00.004-07:00

Well, they've gone and done it!

Grandma and Grandpa sold their Dana Point house.

No more walks along the golf course, up to the park or

down to the beach.

No more watching fireworks from the balcony on the Fourth.

No more racing the other cars, all the way from Mesa, to get the king-size bed.

Oh, I'm sure we'll be in Southern Cal, as a family, again. Someone will get a house,

or we'll all stay at the same place together, but,

will it ever be free again;)

Thanks for making so many wonderful memories for my family, Randy and Miriam.

Snapshots of May

2009-05-21T10:51:00.002-07:00

Our family has officially become computer addicts!!

My cup runneth over.

Teacher gifts, (and another excuse to make cake pops),

What a season

2009-05-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

Presenting...the runner's up in the RMALL Rookie League World Series, (with the best record...I might add).
Congratulations, Cade. We are beaming.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

2009-05-10T13:49:00.001-07:00

Can't wait to put my arms around you, again.

For all of you scouters out there...

2009-05-10T09:33:00.001-07:00

I'm going to start blogging all of the invitations and other crafty things that I fill my days with. Here are my Arrow of Light invitations. The theme is 'Leave Nothing but Footprints'.

Cali Baby!

2009-04-29T10:28:00.005-07:00

To celebrate the big 3-0, myself and my oldest, dearest friends decided to take a celebratory trip down to San Diego for the weekend. We stayed at the Pierson condo on Pacific beach.

We left late Thursday and didn't arrive in California until after 1AM. That pretty much set the tone for the entire weekend, staying up late with scary movies, frozen yogurt and ridiculous stories that had us in stitches (I would have never used that phrase in my twenties).

So we discovered that none of us, despite our age, has really changed that much since junior high. Emily(Pierson) is still the easy-going one driving daddy's car;). Val is the one who has us laughing nonstop, and often at her own expense. Emily(Sharp) is the incredibly likeable one who could make friends with anyone. Meredith is the super quick one, with both one-liners and jumping out from behind things! And I, well I just get to enjoy all of them.

Thanks, girlies, for a memorable trip.

Thanks, Natalie! We love it. Crisis averted!

2009-04-21T13:50:00.001-07:00

A Cut Above...

2009-04-20T22:15:00.003-07:00

The bad news- Today, Casey and I had to confiscate every pair of scissors from around the house and hide them in the most unsuspecting cabinet.

The good news- Sofia is rockin' a progressively punk, short on one side, long on the other, trendy haircut.

Stay tuned! Natalie is fixing it tomorrow.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T12:56:00.009-07:00

I love Easter. I love the cool, morning air and the wet grass. I love how it seems to usher in spring. I love the CHOCOLATE! I love how excited my kids wake up. And I love the reason we celebrate Easter.

This year, I was lucky enough to have Sara, Lance and the kids along with my dad and the Greg Skidmore fam over for brunch. Thanks to the egg casserole, lemon raspberry cake and CHOCOLATE, I am toting a couple extra happy pounds this week.

I still vividly remember my last Easter with my mom. Thanks to the Savior's gift, we will be with her, one day, forever. Did I mention, I love Easter?

Is it just me, or...

2009-04-08T20:55:00.001-07:00

April...so far

2009-04-07T14:09:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, I sat down to write a summary of the past couple of months and my mind was blank. Could I really be forgetting the small events in my life just as quickly as they come? It actually made me quite sad. My sister has always been such a good documentor of 'the little things' in life. Today, I am deciding to emulate that quality.

I'm afraid that if I wait to long to make these brush strokes, my canvas will dry and that little bit of color will be missing. So here a few strokes from April, so far...

Sofia fell down the stairs and broke her elbow resulting in a very long night from Urgent Care to ER to OR. Three pins and a purple cast later, and I have the meanest little girl that I've ever had the privilege of meeting. When did that become a side effect of a broken arm?! Don't fall for that sweet, sad face. In Marley and Me, the dog sitter said, "That's not a dog. That's evil with a dog's face,". You know where I'm going with this.

Even so, my heart broke for her and I'm amazed at how tough she is. (In honor of the cast, let's make that a big purple stroke.)

And... Chance hates his new dog bed. He'd rather sleep outside. But, we have temporarily halted our hunt for a new bed for Lila.

Happy birthday, Dad.

2009-03-12T12:18:00.001-07:00

You've been there for each of the most important events in my life.

Thank you and happy birthday.

Cade's Birthday Party

2009-03-06T10:05:00.001-07:00

STRATUM

So much fun.

The best part... the confused looks on all of the boys faces as I took them out one by one from my sniper position.

Happy birthday, Cade. You're a Bear, now!