Lunch Time

Matt wanted to fix his own lunch. So I let him. I later saw him sitting at the table with the following on his plate and placemat--banana, jelly beans, animal crackers, piece of bread, chocolate truffle, and kool-aid. I let him eat it.

Temple Trip

We went to Denver this weekend to attend the temple wedding of a friend. It was really nice to be there and share that special moment with her and her family. It got me thinking about how she and her new husband are just starting out on their journey together, and how Robert and I will be celebrating our 12th anniversary in May. I know 12 years isn't a really long time, in an eternal way, but it seems long enough now to feel like we've really accomplished something. I wonder how many marriages last this long? I can appreciate the effort and commitment from those that have been married 25, 40, 50+ years. Pres. Ezra T. Benson once wrote a article about blessings we receive from temple attendance. He said, "You will love your family with a deeper love than you have loved before. You will receive the spirit of Elijah, which will turn your heart to your spouse, to your children, and to your forebears, and your heart will be turned to your fathers, and theirs to you." I was also able to do an endowment session for an ancestor. That was the first time I've taken a family name to the temple. So much genealogy has been done on both sides of my family that a lot of the temple work has been done. Her name was Mrs. Elisabeth Ayres, from England. That sounded like a character from a Jane Austen novel.
Last night for FHE I did a lesson on temples. I had lots of pictures of different temples and the rooms inside. The boys, especially Adam, were very interested. Adam is getting to the age when he can comprehend more and therefore has more questions. It was one of those lessons where I felt like we taught a lot and they learned a lot.

Beware of the Mail

Yesterday I noticed Adam and Matt were hiding behind the couch. They seemed a little suspicious because I could hear them giggling. I went to check it out and found them looking at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue that we had just got in the mail. They were flipping through each page and would say, "look at her buns"--hahahaha. Who knew that a sports magazine could cause such trouble for mom and such amusement for little boys.
And then the kicker--Adam looked at the girl on the cover and asked,
A: "Is that what girls look like?"
Me (a bit confused): "Uh, you know what girls look like. I'm a girl."
A: "Yeah, but you don't look like that."
Ouch!!--the truth hurts.

Food Glorious Food

Every year for the Superbowl we go all out with the snacks and goodies. This year was no exception. We had a 'eat-whatever-you-want-because-tomorrow-we-go-back-to-counting-our-points-day'. I tend to go overboard on food, always thinking of more and more things I can make or buy. Yesterday we had: ribs and coleslaw, lil' smokies, 2 kinds of chips, cookies, pizza, onion rings, cheesecake, candy(6 kinds), soda, grapes and strawberries. Here's Adam and Matt helping put together the candy tray. They were VERY EXCITED!!

I've also decided to post a recipe. It's something I made recently for a friend that had a baby. They enjoyed it and it's really easy--something that any busy mom would love.

Taco Soup (from Lion House Recipes)--I have tweeked this a bit for my liking.

1 lb. lean ground beef/turkey

1 med. onion, chopped

1 pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 pkg. frozen corn or 1 can corn, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (black beans would also be good)

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 can(15 oz.) Rotel tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

Brown meat and onions together. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Add a few crushed tortilla chips to each bowl. Ladle soup and top with cheese. You can also top with sour cream, green onions, etc. If you don't like the tomatoes chunky, puree in the blender before adding to the soup. Voila--dinner is served.

Sweet Moment

Adam just told Robert and I this--"You're the best parents. Eventhough you don't have a Wii Fit, you're the funnest." Too cute.

Weekly Happenings

It's been a week or so since I last wrote. Things are going well. This week it was my turn to teach preschool. We also had a bit a snow at the beginning of the week. I'm glad that's all gone and the sunshine and warmer temperatures have returned. The boys and I were playing soccer in the backyard this afternoon. They got the crazy notion that it was warm enough to play in the sprinklers. They put their swimsuits on, however, Rob and I axed that idea before they got wet.
Adam's second tooth fell out this morning. So, the two middle bottom ones are gone. One of the adult teeth is starting to show. The tooth fairy will be visiting tonight.
Matt is constantly a character. He loves the new "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie and loves to quote lines from it. It's crazy to think he's only 3 years old but already quotes movie lines--what a guy thing to do. His two current favorite lines are "Well, helloooo, gorgeous!", and "We hit the motherload!". I also found him yesterday standing in the front window, flashing everyone that was passing by--and we live on a relatively busy street. He thought it was just too funny. He is always looking for ways to get a laugh out of us.
Rob is working hard to lose weight. So, we've been doing Weight Watchers together. He's lost over 10 lbs. (5 lbs. for me) this month.
And one more bit of news---we filed our federal taxes. Yeah, for returns. And yeah for paying tithing that helps us get bigger returns!!

Hulk Hands

Matt got a $5 giftcard from his Great-Grandma Ruth for Christmas. This week he told me he wanted to go to Target to buy a toy with the giftcard. He found these Hulk Hands, clearanced from $20 to $5. This is the perfect toy for him. He loves to act like a tough-guy and can really do so with these hands. When they are moved, they roar like the Hulk. Matt loves to imitate this. It's too funny!

You want a piece of me?
(Matt saw this picture and thought it should say--"You want a wedgie?")

Don't focus on Adam or the hands. Look at Matt. Pick a winner, buddy.