M&M company . . . .'Crazy House' Est 2002

Cooking, Cooking, Cooking

2012-01-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

So I have come to a scary realization over the last few days that in the not so distant future I am pretty sure that I will be more of a taxi driver than a stay at home mom :) With school activities, church activities, cub scouts, maybe girl scouts, sports teams, music lessons, etc etc and all of my kids will be coming into those years at pretty much the same time I am pretty sure that lots of things will change around here. As I thought about that I decided that I need to start making some changes now to our daily routines in order to not sacrifice the really important things - i.e. a home cooked family dinner! I love love love love love to cook - I cook when I am sad, happy, excited, nervous, anxious - you name it and I will find a reason to cook for it. I love to take care of people with food so I have embarked on a new mission of 'freezer cooking'. The basic idea is that you make your meal plan and then you take 1 or 2 days to make as much of it as can be done ahead of time and essentially pull something out of the freezer in the morning and it is all ready to throw in the oven at dinner time. This does require a lot of effort from me up front since I plan/shop for 2 weeks of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and desserts at a time, but I am determined :) Over the last 48 hours I have made/prepped for the freezer:

Chocolate chip cookie dough
cranberry oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough
1 tater tot casserole
2 quiches
2 family servings of sloppy joes
1 family serving rice pilaf
1 batch cinnamon rolls
2 meatloaves
2 loaves Challah bread
2 loaves whole wheat bread
1 turkey and rice casserole
chicken and rice filling for chimichangas
1 family serving mexican rice
white enchiladas
red enchiladas
1 shepherds pie
2 loaves pumpkin chocolate chip bread
1 batch cranberry orange rolls
garlic herb spread for garlic bread
4 balls of freezable pizza dough
2 loaves banana bread
prepped the chicken for homemade chicken nuggets
24 sausage and cheese muffins
4 quarts of chicken noodle soup
1 batch chocolate chip sweet rolls
1 Andes chocolate cake
Cinnamon palmier cookies
2 batches of dinner rolls

There are some meals that just can't be done ahead but I am feeling pretty good about what has been accomplished so far. I also have a few cuts of meat ready for the crock pot. I will report back in at the end of the week on how it went :) Let me know what your tips and tricks are for keeping a busy family fed at home without filling your freezer with over-priced low-quality junk food from the frozen section at Walmart!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2011-12-16T10:19:00.000-08:00

Hello to my blog readers - if you are still out there! Lots of 'life events' have been going on in our little family and something had to show some neglect - my blog was the victim! Since we now live hundreds of miles away from family and friends I am recommitting myself to keeping up the blog. Check back on January 1 for lots of updates and fun pics :)

PS - I think I am going to make my blog private so email me of facebook msg me if you want me to include you on the 'approved' list

Homemade, Homespun :)

2011-08-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

What does one do when you harvest 20 pounds of tomatoes from the backyard? . . . .You get to work canning Basil (homegrown) and Garlic Spaghetti Sauce :)

And a quick shot of today's 30-minute craft

My sad and lonely table . . . .
Now festive and fun :)

School is Cool

2011-08-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Megan, and I am a school-a-holic :)

I confess, I love school, I love the start of a new school year, I love sharpened pencils, lined paper, sharp colored pencils, . . . .I could go on and on.

With 3 kids in school this year I knew I needed a plan on attack. Next week will begin the mountains of papers coming home in backpacks, hungry kids looking for a snack , and homework to be done.

Being severely outnumbered in the mom to kid ratio - here is my answer :)

I started with, of all things, a freestanding headboard with cubbies that we had sitting in the basement.

I got a bunch of 'homework supplies' on good sales this week, and vinyl labeled some canning jars . . . .

then the jars went into labeled baskets . . . .

Each school child has a backpack hook. . . .

There is a file box with - instead of printed tabs I used pictures . . .

There is a magnetic white board for reminders and notes to keep . . .

There is a board for the lunch plans . . .

There is a 'white board' so the kids know what their afternoon snack is . . . .
Just a fun sign

The 'plan' is that they can come home from school, hang up their packs, empty their lunch boxes, and put any papers from the packs in their file folder. Then, when it is time for homework after dinner all the needed pencils, pens, scissors, etc are right here to be used for homework then PUT BACK :), the lunch board is a plan for the week (I am going to make magnets that have their choices on them) so on Saturday they will plan their lunches for the week then all we have to do in the morning is pack what was already planned on. Hopefully, this will keep our school year nicely organized. What tips do you have for school success???

Kids do love squash - they just don't know it!

2011-08-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

So. . . .yes, it is true . . . .I have not blogged in a REALLY long time! Sorry about that :) Catching up would be very long so today I promise to move forward keeping up with all the fun and exciting happening with the Tippetts family :)

So today, I am posting my new favorite recipe. Some of you have been wanting it so here it is - the absolute most trickiest (I think I just made up that word) recipe that you will ever feed your kids! My kids loved it - granted they did not know they were eating dquash :)

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (about 1 lb)
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cup milk (I used half and half)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs elbow pasta
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 tbl finely shredded parmesan
4 tbl breadcrumbs
1 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil and lay cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Once soft, remove the flesh of the squash and place in a large pot or saute pan. Add the chicken broth, milk, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender to smooth our the mixture. (I have an immersion blender, but you could also use a food processor, regular blender, potato masher - basically anything that will mash up the chunks of squash). Boil the mixture for about 5 minutes or until starting to thicken, then stir in the cheddar cheese until melted. **Note - it is important to use the extra sharp cheddar so give the sauce a strong cheesy flavor.
While the squash mixture is boiling, cook the pasta according to package directions.
Once cooked, add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combined.
Place the mixture into a greased baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, parmesan, and bread crumbs. Sprinkle mixture over the pasta and cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. Serve immediately.

2011-06-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

What in the world, you might ask, is Hailey holding? . . . . .

It's onions! :)

I got the idea from a lady at the produce co-op that I volunteer at each Saturday morning. When she has a plethora of onions she uses the tights that her little girl has grown out of, snips of the bottom, ties a knot in the now-open tow end, and fills both legs with onions. She hangs them on hooks in her food storage room in her basement and they keep for a long time. In the tights there is still some air flow, they are up off the floor, and to they naturally rotate themselves because when you need an onion you just either untie the end and pull one out (if you want to reuse the tights), or just snip off the end and retie once you have removed what you need! :)

I thought it was a fantastic idea!

2011-06-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

So if you follow any crafty DIY blogs then I am sure you have seen some fantastic furniture refurbishes. I have seen dressers, bed frames, chairs, cribs, dining tables, coffee tables, etc, etc, redone in all varieties of colors and finishes . . . .and I have always wanted to try it :)

Just recently Matt and I were gifted a nice black bed frame. We have never had matching furniture in our room, but we did have 2 old very dirty dressers sitting in the garage and basement. With Matt being home this week we (by that I mean mostly he :) got to work revamping those old gross dressers into some fantastic nightstands!

I forgot to take a picture of the dresser intact in its original state, but this give you the general idea . . . .it was pretty bad! This particular dresser has been sitting in our garage for about 3 years!

The sanding began on the drawers
And the old molding around the bottom was removed

New molding was applied
Then the painting began :)
TWINS :)
The star pulls we found at Hobby Lobby and the damask vinyl cutout we found at Rod Works
- hands down by 2 favorite stores!
I love them :)
Next project . . . .the entertainment center . . . . .

Kindle love

2011-05-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

I am more than happy to admit that I love my Kindle. I love to read, I love to not haul around heavy books, and I love the immediate access to whatever book I want to read :)

So what does this picture have to do with my Kindle?

It is my new cover/case that I made this afternoon!

I love that it can stand on the table for when you are tired of holding it . . . .

And I love that is will fold up so you can hold it too :)

I have to come up with a handful of crafts to recommend for Super Saturday - I think this makes the list! Total cost was $10! What do you think?

A spring project

2011-04-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

I think that everyone's Spring decor should include a birdhouse :) And since the Easter Bunny brought be a gift card to Hobby Lobby (my new favorite obsession), I thought I would share :)

I started with spray primer on the plain wooden birdhouse and, of all things, a plain wooden candlestick

Next I painted with some apple green and magnolia white

Next comes the modge podge and coordinating scrapbook papers - you can't really see it to well, but the paper on the roof is covered in cute little birds :)

Ta Da! A few finishing touches with some Spanish Moss, sequined small flowers, and some wood glue to turn the candlestick into a stand.
Sometimes I struggle to really like the things that I make, but this one turned out just as I wanted it to :)

Yummy!

2011-04-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

I used a new recipe a couple of nights ago for chicken enchiladas and it was soooo good! All of my kids ate it, I loved it, and I had lots of filling leftovers to freeze for next time :) So here it is:

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups enchilada sauce (I used mild)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
4 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 cup parsley or cilantro, chopped (I HATE cilantro so used the more mild parsley)
corn tortillas
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in a large deep skillet and heat to boiling.
Generously sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and nestle them into the sauce.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until cooked through (20-25 minutes).
Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside, and let both the sauce and the chicken cool.
Once cooled, shred the chicken and transfer to a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cup of the cooled enchilada sauce, 2 cups of the cheese, and the chopped parsley or cilantro. Stir to combine.
Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
Warm up the tortillas in a microwave (to make rolling easier).
Spoon some filling into each tortilla and roll, placing in the greased pan seam side down.
Lightly spray the rolled tortillas with cooking spray or brush with olive oil (this will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and also help to keep them from cracking).
Place the baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, or until the tortillas begin to turn golden brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.
Lightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden.
Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

He is Risen

2011-04-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have a pet peeve . . . surprising I know ;). Easter is fast approaching and you go into the store and are bombarded with candy and baskets and bunnies and plastic grass . . . .Our kids come home from school talking excitedly about the easter bunny only to wonder how much candy they might magically receive :) So many kids get a new Sunday outfit and get all dressed up for services on Easter Sunday . . . .But how many of us take the time to focus on, like we say at Christmas, the 'reason for the season'. The death and resurrection of our Savior is the most compelling life changing and powerful lesson that we can teach to our children and I hope that we all take the time to sit with our little ones to teach them the good news of the gospel. I am always amazed at how even small children can understand such spiritually powerful concepts as the atonement and life after death.

Anways, in an effort to embrace the gospel during this easter season, I loved my project and wanted to share . . . .

I started with this as my inspiration. The pink tree is a little to . . . pink . . . .for me, but I thought the concept was really good.

Here is what I started with:

My new favorite goodie from the craft store - this stuff is FANTASTIC :)
Here are my finished eggs waiting patiently for me to put them somewhere :)
Ta Da!

Inside each of the 12 eggs is a surprise and a corresponding scripture that symbolically and scripturally walks through the trial, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are going to read one each day, with the last on Easter morning:

A miniature paper or plastic cup, Matthew 26:39
3 dimes, Matthew 26:14-15
a piece of rope, Matthew 27:1-2
A small piece of soap, Matthew 27:24-26
red fabric, Matthew 27:29-30
a nail, Matthew 27:31-32
dice, Matthew 27:35-37
several small rocks, Matthew 27:50-52
white piece of cloth, Matthew 27:58-60
one large stone, Matthew 27:60, 65-66
sweet spices (i.e. cloves), Mark 16:1, Matthew 28:2, 5
(leave this one empty), Mark 16:6

A new love :)

2011-04-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have to confess - I have a new love! I look forward to it all week :) I have discovered www.bountifulbaskets.org Here is what we got this week (for $25!!!):

5 loaves of honey whole wheat bread
1 large head of romaine lettuce
2 bags of fresh green beans
3 bundles of asparagus
4 vine ripe tomatoes
2 zucchini
2 green peppers
2 seedless watermelons
3 apples
7 oranges
2 mangos
6 bananas
1 box of strawberries

There are sites all over the valley and in lots of western states. I am thinking about asking the 2 ladies in charge of the whole thing if they are looking for another pick-up site in Saratoga and being the site coordinator. I think maybe next week we might try the granola or tortillas . . . . .

Love It!

2011-03-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

So this year I am trying to make a fun little home dec project for each holiday. I completely flopped on Valentines, but I did do a St. Patricks project today. The inspiration if this photo from a blog I like to read:

Here is my version :) I found some fun St. Paddy's scrapbook paper and I love how it turned out. The best part of all - the whole project cost me about $5!
Jacob came home from school yesterday and informed me that his teacher told the class that the leprechauns will fill your shoes with candy if you leave them by the fireplace on St. Patrick's day - that was news to me. . . . . .I guess we will see :)

Bags make me happy :)

2011-02-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

We recently got a dual screen dvd player for the car. I love it and the kids love it, but I am always worried about the screens getting scratched and never had anywear to store it, so tonight I followed a tutorial from a blog I like and made this handy storage bag for it. Here are some pics :)

I like the reversible strap (shout out to the ribbon goddess :)
Inside there are 2 dividers making 3 padded sections - 1 for each screen and 1 for the cords and plugs.

Here a Little, There a Little . . .

2011-02-17T17:52:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been trying to organize all of the neglected parts of the house. I started with the boys clothes.

Their drawers looked something like these piles

and now they look like this (there are labels on the pics but they are probably to hard to see). They now have bins for pjs, pants, shirts, socks, and underwear all within reach so they can get themselves 100% ready :)

Then I moved onto the little office nook in the kitchen and to the ubiquitous 'junk' drawers. Everything pulled out on the counter looked like this . . . .

And with a few inexpensive bins from Walmart it now looks like this :)

Finally, the pantry :/ How I ever was able to find anything in here is beyond me. But in the interest of full disclosure I have included a pic of the 'before'

With a visit to the dollar store for bins and $12 dollars later - my pantry now looks like this. It makes me sleep just a little better at night :)

I especially like my labels. I used the plastic name badge holders so that they can be easily changed and attached them to the baskets with a little bit of leftover grosgrain ribbon.

And on a funny note, Hailey woke up from her nap, looked in the pantry at all the new labeled baskets, and told me that it was very pretty :)

New year, new blog :)

2011-02-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

So, I once again have fallen behind in my blog! Instead of trying to do a monster post of the past few months, I think I will just try to keep up going forward :) Come back soon to see what's up with the 'crazy house'!

PS - how do you like the new layout?

Oreo truffles

2010-12-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

So I was on the phone with Erin the other day and she told me to make these -

You will never guess how simple these are to make . . . .

Put a whole package of Oreo cookies into a food processor and processes until ground. Add 8 ounces of softened cream cheese and processes until well combined and smooth.

Shape into bite-sized balls, set on wax paper, and freeze for about 1 hour or until firm.

At this point - you can eat them just like that and they are very delicious, but I included one more step

Melt 2 bags of chocolate chips (I used semi sweet) and about 2 tbls of shortening. Dip the oreo balls into the chocolate and top with sprinkles if you want to. Store in the refrigerator.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-05T10:12:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was at our house this year and we had a great time! The food was good, the company was good, and everything turned out just as planned!

I was very happy with my leaves around the streusel pumpkin pie so I thought I would share a quick pic :)
This is a shot of the table all set. All of the decorations I was able to pull together from other things I had around the house.
The apples down the table Matt drilled out to make votive candle holders. Kind of a fun idea.
And after we set the table we got busy and nobody took any more pictures! It was a great day and I was very happy to have my grandma down from Canada and a misplaced Canadian cousin over for the day too! I am really thankful for a great family and a great husband who indulges my crazy OCD perfectionist self every now and then :)

Hill USAF Museum

2010-12-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

A while ago we took the kids up to the museum at Hill AFB. They really liked walking around all the places and helicopters. Here are a few pics

I love the pictures with all four of the kids. Good memories . . .

Bryce LOVES helicopters so this was definitely one of his favorites :)
This one is Matt and Jacob looking into the engines - I just like the picture :)

Jacob has grown up!

2010-12-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

Jacob turned 7 this year and He seems HUGE! Every time I turn around it seems that he has grown another inch or two :)

He is VERY into camo everything - hence the wrapping paper . . . . .
. . . .and the new gear :)
He had a couple of friends over for a cake decorating party.
He had a great birthday and he still wants to wear at the very least 1 camo piece of clothing per day - usually 2 or 3 :)

My Little Spooks

2010-12-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

Halloween has come and gone, but I thought I would share a few quick pics . . .

Pumpkin carving is definitely getting funner as the kids get older. Here are the 6 pumpkins from this year.
We went to the costume parade at the school and then we ran into Jacob in the hall when we were leaving and Caleb was so excited to see him that he ran up to him and gave him a big hug - it was cute!
Our third blue dinosaur :)
Hailey and nana working on a fun spooky project
All four of the kids at the ward party - somehow this was the only picture I got with all of them together this year!

Bryce turned 4!

2010-12-05T09:40:00.001-08:00

Bryce turned 4 in September and I am just now getting around to a blog post! Anways, we had a simple family party with a movie and lots of treats. Notice that he did not even make is out of his pajamas for his birthday party :)

I think this pic is sooo funny! I love that we caught his reaction in just the right moment!

We love having Bryce in our family and happy that he is 4 :)

Our newest addition

2010-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, anyone who knew me growing up will be shocked and amazed - and I really have no explanation for my change of heart, but here are a few pics of our newest addition. Hailey LOVES the dog next door and has been asking every day for a dog. We got really lucky with this one - he is 2 so no crazy puppy chewing on everything, he has been around kids for all of his life, he is fully vaccinated, and is almost fully potty trained! And the best part - he was free on KSL!

His name is Patches :)

Caleb loves to get into the dog bed with Patch :)

Spooky!

2010-09-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Just in case you want to know what Caleb will look like when he is 7 just look at Jacob - this is Jacob when he was about 2 1/2!

Caleb Michael

2010-09-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pics that I took to hang on the wall for Caleb's 2nd birthday. I promise that I did brush his hair before we took the pics, but every time you brush his hair he likes to 'help' by rolling around on the floor and such and I tried to keep it all straightened and then I decided that I don't need perfect looking children - just happy ones!

Anyways, I think that I like #2 the most, but #1 is a close second place :)

Hailey Princess

2010-09-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would share a few pics from Hailey's photos that I took for her 5th birthday wall picture. I think that I like the first on the most - what do you think? :)

Soccer Season

2010-09-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Soccer season is here again. Jacob is playing on a team with his best little buddy (Josh) that lives right next door, Josh's dad is the coach, and the games and practices are literally right across the street from my house - it does not get much more convenient than that! Jacob played goalie for a while at the game on Saturday and he really liked it - he stopped a bunch of kicks and did a great job.

First Day of School (x 2)

2010-09-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

So we too must share our first day of school pics. Hailey is in kindergarten this year and Jacob is going to first grade. Bryce is enjoying having the house and me to himself (almost) for half of the day.

Can you sense the excitement on Hailey's face . . .as a side note, I don't think I ever realized how much shorter Hailey is!
Holding hands to the bust stop - Jacob is a great big brother. Every morning he gets Hailey on the bus and makes sure she has a good seat. The first day of school he walked her to her class :)

Tippetts Family Conference

2010-09-02T10:23:00.001-07:00

This August we participated in the Tippetts Family Conference. We had a good time with all the family there and had a few good laughs.

We played silly games like trying to get an oreo from your forhead to your mouth without your hands :)

Bryce tried to figure out how to play tetherball
We hang out with cousins
We went swimming (and down the big waterslide with her "Uncle Scotty")
Caleb in a stare down with the camera :)
We hung out on the front porch (notice the bobble head in the background - he would not take the helmet off)
And we did a little service

Let the birthdays begin :)

2010-09-02T10:15:00.001-07:00

So the Tippetts birthday season is upon us and we have 3 down and 3 to go . . . here are a few pics from Hailey's 5th and Caleb's 2nd birthdays

Hailey had a little party with a few friends. It was very pink with finger nail painting, cake decorating, and a princess movie :)

We also celebrated the big days with a small family party. Neither of the kids wanted a traditional cake - Hailey wanted a banana split and Caleb wanted donuts :)

Hailey got her first big girl bike - it was princesses, streamers, all pink, and a fun bag on the front to haul around all of her princess stuff :)

Puddle Play

2010-09-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

I love the strong summer rainstorms in Utah! We had a few good ones in July so me and the kids took a few minutes to play in all the gushing rain water :) After getting thoroughly soaked the kids raced popsicle sticks down the stream in the gutter - simple fun but we all had a good laugh!

Hailey lost her first . . .and second . . .and third tooth :)

2010-07-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here is our Hailey princess. Cute as a bug but sporting 1 extra baby tooth right in the front! Today was the big day - we got up early, took a shower, pulled back her hair, put on some clean and comfy PJs and took what would be her last official picture with her extra tooth!

We got to the surgical center and after some waiting for our turn Hailey got a new shirt to put on and a wagon to have some fun in for a bit while we did some more waiting.
The doc came and took her back to the surgery room where they put out the kids with gas they just have to breath in before they start the IV. She willingly went with the nice nurse . . . .and 20 minutes later they came to get us from the waiting room. She slept for a while in another room and once she started to come to they brought her into the room that we were in.

Showing dad her missing teeth!
Enjoying a popsicle :)
A cute smile once the numbing stuff wore off - she was asleep for the actual extraction but they still numb the area like you are at the dentist so that she doesn't have pain right after waking up.
What a gap!
Kind of blurry, but the dentist had to split the fused teeth into 2 pieces and then pull them out. Hailey is quite proud of them and has not really put them down since we have been home :)
Now we just wait! Her permanent tooth could drop down very soon, or it could be a while - we just don't know. Hailey did great - not one whine or tear and we are just happy to have it taken care of while she is young so her permanent teeth can have a chance to grow in 'normally'.

Nap Time Project

2010-07-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

When I was working at Walmart a lady came through my line with these cute skirts that were on clearance for $1.00. I bought 3 of them - 1 tan, 1 dark brown, and 1 black. I brought them home and much to my disappointment they were about 1" too short! So I put them in the back of the closet and would occasionally pull one out, get really irritated, then put it back (I don't really have an explanation for why I even kept them).

So anways, I pulled it down this skirt down this morning and was, once again, annoyed that it was just a little bit too short - and I have to say just a little bit boring and plain! Well, NO MORE! I decided to just do something about it or get rid of them.

I went to the fabric store with not much of a plan and found this really cute fabric with chickens that seemed oddly appropriate for me. The best part was that it was on a 50% off sale. So I bought 1 yard of fabric and some matching thread (note that now I am in $1 for the skirt and $3.50 for the fabric and thread).
I came home, looked up how to add a ruffle the bottom of a skirt, and . . . . . .

TaDa!
Sorry the picture is blurry but that is what you get when you have to take a picture in a mirror :/ I have lots of fabric left over so I am going to make a tie belt thing but I didn't have any interface at the house and the kids are asleep!
PM - I am thinking about an animal print for the bottom of the black one and maybe a white eyelet type fabric on the bottom of the dark brown one - or maybe a light weight denim . . .

the finale!

2010-07-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more July 4th weekend pics. A big thanks to Big Matt, Little Matt, Morgan, and Jacob for spending the night on the street in Provo to save a parade spot. I have to say it is just fantastic to show up right as the parade is beginning and walk right to the front of the crowd and take a seat :)

Matt and the boys went down to Provo at 2:00 Sunday and set everything up. Me and the kids took dinner down and played for a while. The tent in the background is for the sleeping and the shade is for the people-watching :) The guy that Matt is talking to stopped by. He is from Uganda and came to America this year. He said that he thought is was very special that so many people came together to celebrate the 4th of July - I agree :)

Caleb thought he was just the king of the hill when he got to walk around with his own big boy cup . . . .resulting in a really nice fruit punch smile!
Here is the whole group watching the parade.
What a cutie!
We did fireworks at dark. Caleb loved the sparklers!

I thought these pics were kind of cool :)

Happy July 4th!

Deer Creek

2010-07-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

Last night we took the kids up to Deer Creek for some hot dogs and a little fishing. It was nice to get away for even a couple of hours.

My cute boy :)

Hailey and Matt cleaning off the table.

Bryce being a goof!

All Caleb wanted to do was walk around and eat chips :)

Matt and the kids going down the hill to the lake

The kids were trying to be very patient while Matt got all the lines in the water :/

Just relaxing by the lake

Just fishin' :)

Chores, chores, chores

2010-07-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

So, to be frank, I am tired of doing all of the chores around the house. I really don't like chore charts covering the fridge, but wanted something for the kids to use to have a visual reminder of the chores they need to do.

I got the idea from www.howdoesshe.com I came up with a list of chores that I thought the kids could do. I printed them and modge podged the tasks to posicle sticks.

Next, I cut down a 2x4 and with the help of some handy power tools, the blocks were turned into . . . .

This!

Each morning the kids randomly pick 4 sticks. The sticks stay in their blocks until the task is complete then I goes back into the 'holding' block until tomorrow. I was pretty happy with it :)

4th of July . . .here we come . . .

2010-07-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today we went down to the Balloon Festival and a the Milestones of Freedom display at the park in Orem. We love the 4th of July weekend and are looking forward to the parade on Monday :)

Sometimes I look at the pictures of Jacob and wonder when he grew up! Holy Cow - he is almost 7!

We also took the kids to Krispy Kreme for a special treat. They loved to see the donuts being made. Captured below is a RARE moment of peace and harmony between the 2 middle children!

My 3 little bakers!
Hailey presenting the donuts to the camera . . . . thanks Vanna White :)

Lots of Catching Up To Do!

2010-06-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I have done it again - packed about 3 months of stuff into one blog post :/

Anyways,

Jacob's thinks that cleaning the toilet is really funny - maybe I will have him do it every week . . . .

Matt and Jacob went out for catfish. They caught a small one and a couple other fish.

Summer time means buzz cuts for the boys - Jacob kept a mohawk all week until Sunday!

We went to the Children's Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. The kids love to play in the water.

Last weekend I ran the Ragnar with 11 other fun girls! It was hard and fun and exhausting and hillarious, and . . . . .what can I say?

Yesterday we went to the splash park in Herriman for a picnic and some water fun. The kids love this place and I love it because it if free!

Caleb thought he could take a drink :PHailey has found a new love . . . . .sunbathing :)
All the while I have been packing around a little project - the Stars and Stripes Afghan. I think it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself :)

Graduation and a Special Gift

2010-05-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

Tonight I was saying to Matt that I love being on the school year cycle instead of the calendar year cycle :) Our first year of kindergarten has come and gone and Jacob has his little graduation program.

The graduate :)

I think he is not quite sure why all the moms just keep taking pictures . . . and more pictures . . .
Now he is just getting goofy :)

The 3 stooges - Jacob, Samantha, and Mason has been little buddies all year. Jacob got lucky - a week before school finished our ward was split and Samantha and Mason are now in our ward!
We took a really quick picture of the family and when I looked at it later I realized that he were inadvertantly coordinated - three blues and three reds :)
This evening Jacob got his graduation present - a new big boy bike!

Working together :)

Making sure everything looks right
Double checking the brakes and seat
Helmet on and ready to go
a test drive :)

pure fun!

Snow . . . . .In Utah . . . . .In May!

2010-05-27T20:50:00.000-07:00

So, yeah - we had a freak snow storm and I thought I would share a few pics

My little tomato plants that I planted no more than 48 hours prior. I think they survived OK though

Our first canyon trip of the year

2010-05-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

We has dinner up the canyon for the first time this year a couple of weeks ago. We all love being in the mountains and the kids like to feel a little bit of freedom to explore and play in the leaves and over the rocks.

We have finally started to feel like they enjoy being together . . . .sometimes:)

Off on an adventure . . .

Such a cute boy!

He wants to do everything just like the older ones - so he was so thrilled to steal Hailey's chair :)

Learning to build a fire - Hailey wanted to try burning rocks!

Helping with dinner . . . .by sitting right in the middle of the table!

Our Little Gymnast!

2010-05-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hailey has been taking gymnastics classes for the last few months. She has lots of fun and she seems to want to continue so this is probably the first of many gymnastics exhibitions in my future:)

Hailey loved getting flowers at the end from her dad

She always remember the big finish at the end

She REALLY like the balance beam. She is doing little hops across the beam in this pic

She was thrilled to get a medal so that she could compare it to Jacob's soccer medal

TA-DA :)

Summer Fun update

2010-05-27T16:22:00.001-07:00

Check out my summer fun page for a complete list of fun things to do with the kids every day from June 1 - August 28! I will keep it up to date with details on the next outing posted the day before in case anyone wants to join us :)

A cute 5 minute project

2010-05-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

This was a fun and really quick little office project. I picked up the clear acrylic frame at Walmart for $1 and put scrapbook paper inside, wrapped with a ribbon, secured with a cute little flower, and never again will I misplace my post-it notes! YIPPEE!

How Cute :)

2010-04-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

With a nod to my crafty sister-in-Law, Emma, I wanted to take just a moment to show off my latest creation:

This new menu board is sitting in my kitchen. I painted a board with the green paint, glued on the black paper, then the red paisley paper. I covered the whole thing in modge podge. Then, I painted a binder clip in the same green and hot glued a black bow onto it. The 'menu' is just stickers. Now each week I can print a new page, fill out the menu for each day, and post it in the kitchen. Stand it on a decorative easel and it makes a cute little decoration :)

2010-04-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

I have officially designated myself the worst blogger of the year for 2010 (thus far)! I used to blog all the time, and now I seem to let week after week pass without a peep! Anyways, I pledge to improve so all of my faithful readers :) don't have to work so hard to get through my marathon posts like the following -

Here is Caleb being our little leprechaun for St. Patricks Day. Just cute :)

Jacob loves to play at the park across the street from our house and the other day I go to check on him and much to my surprise I find him sitting ON TOP of the biggest slide at the park. Does anyone see broken bones in my future . . . . .

We recently went to Discovery Gateway with Joel and Britney. The kids really like it with all the hands on activities for the kids. Jacob really liked the crane.
and his other favorite part was the helicopter.
Hailey like the big horse,
the news desk so she could see herself on the TV,
& learning to use the microscope.
Caleb loved the diggers that he could push around.
And Bryce's favorite part was the little play house where he made himself a sandwich and kicked back in the little chair.
We took the kids to see 'How to Train Your Dragon' (which was FANTASTIC) and McDonalds has these hats you can make out of the happy meal boxes. Caleb loves it and it seems to suit him :)
Just a few days ago Caleb moved from the crib to a 'big boy' bed. His face says enough about what he thinks of his new bed . . .
Hailey got a new bed to - notice the polar opposite expression . . .
Easter has come and gone and we had the usual Easter Bunny visit.

Jacob seems like he is growing up so fast!

Caleb has the right idea - he will take 2!
and maybe just 1 more chocolate :)

This is the first year we dyed eggs with the kids. The had a pretty good time.
the three stooges with their finished eggs.
Jacob got his first official cowboy hat and we had to get some pictures. Which one do you like?

#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7

Wasatch Back Ragnar here I come!

2010-03-23T16:28:00.001-07:00

So . . .call me crazy . . . I am going to do the Wasatch Back Ragnar relay on a team with my psycho running sis! I am way excited since I am not running in the SL Marathon this time around. Everyone is welcome at the finish line so mark your calendar for June 19th (in Park City) :)

Princess and the Frog

2010-03-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

So here is the scoop . . . .

Go to Walmart and price match the new Princess and the Frog DVD to 8.95 at RC Willey (You can print the ad from RCwilley.com if you want, but you are not required to have the ad with you), then go here to print the $5 off coupon!

Just thought I would let you all know :)

Welcome Back!

2010-03-02T23:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my 'new' blog. I pledge to blog at least three times a month and hope to entertain you just a little with my crazy life! My passion as of late is price matching and coupon-ing for my groceries . . . .notice the 'Pages' list on the right - click on Dollars and Cents to link a page in my blog that will give you a list of my favorite deals of the week. Watch for more pages coming soon! Thanks for reading my blog and comment often :)

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2010-03-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Please excuse our mess as we are updating the look and content of our blog!

I'm Back :)

2010-01-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

I realize that it has been a while since I posted, so this one has a variety of things in it:)

First, Hailey did very well in her Christmas program at school. She sang the songs, smiled, and no stage fright at all! I love my preschool teacher and hope that we are in the same area when Bryce and Caleb go.

We made the traditional sugar cookies for Christmas. Bryce wanted only the colored sugar sprinkles, Jacob wanted to put as much of everything on one cookie as possible, and Hailey wanted everything to have a little bit of coconut on it :)
Christmas morning was lots of fun and chaos! Caleb had fun looking through his stocking.
Jacob really like the airplane that Bryce bought for him :)
Caleb suddenly realized that the holiday straw, if used 'correctly', can be made into a really annoying whistle!
Hailey loves all her pink things that she received this year from Santa!
Our big surprise this year was a Wii! Here is Matt and Hailey boxing :)
A day or two after Christmas, both of Jacob's front teeth fell out - he says it tickles :)
And finally, just the other night, Jacob decided to do my hair and pulled out all of Hailey hair clips and I think they all went in my hair.

I hope to blog 1nce a week this year, so check back often for updates on our little family!

Jingle Jammies!

2009-12-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

We had a special delivery tonight from a special elf - JINGLE JAMMIES! Here is a copy of the letter that came with our package (it was doorbell ditched on our front porch :)

Jacob, Hailey, Bryce, Caleb, Mom, and Dad,

Santa wanted to send you a little gift before the ‘big night’ so he sent out his most special and sneaky elf to deliver it to you. I hope you didn’t see me, but if you look closely you can find some sure signs that I was here: Is there golden glitter left on the snow, or treats near the fire aglow . . . was there a gift for each child left at the door with a reminder to be nice to see what else is in store?

So here is a list of Christmas ABCs, read it together as I escape on the breeze . .

A is for Angels, glorious and bright

Surrounding the Christ child on that first Christmas night

B is for building, a snowman at that

With eyes and a nose and a warm winter hat

C is for cookies and cookie making

Remember to have fun while the cookies are baking!

D is for decorations that Deck the Halls

The lights on the tree and the stockings on the walls

E is for elves, those jolly little guys

They help to get Santa up in the skies

F is for firsts – like the first Christmas night

When Jesus was born under the star so bright

G is for gold – a gift for a king

our gifts to him we daily bring

H is for holly, bright green and red

Don’t forget to be early to bed!

I is for icicles that glimmer with light

So cold and frosty when they are in sight

J is for jingle jammies, an early surprise

Everyone hopes they are the right size!

K is for kitchen where mom cooks the feast

Cookies and stuffing and even ‘roast beast’

L is for Luke , and in chapter 2

We read of the Savior, born for me and you

M is for music and carols for singing

Carolers abound with cheer and fun bringing

N is for nice, and naughty to

Make sure to be nice for You-Know-Who!

O is special, for O HOLY NIGHT

A gift to the world came into our sight

P is for Prancer, a jolly holly flyer

He takes Santa sleigh higher and higher

Q is for a quilt, a quilt made for giving

A quilt made with family started on Thanksgiving

R is for remember, remember, remember the reason

Always remember the reason for the season

S is for sledding, fast and free

We smile, and we laugh, and with giggle with glee

T is for the Temple Square lights

A fun family outing on a chilly December night

U is for under, under the tree or mistletoe

Always have fun even under the falling snow

V is for view – looking up to the sky

A new star appeared, telling that Jesus was nigh

W is for wise men, who found the king

Traveling far, the gifts they did bring

X is for Christ – it’s X in the Greek

Anointed Messiah – mighty and meek

Y is for Yule Log – a special Christmas treat

Covered in frosting and lots of candy sweet

ZZZZZZZZZ is for sleeping all through the night

Sleeping sound and still as Santa makes his flight!

Hillarious

2009-12-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Here is Caleb falling asleep in his high chair after eating dinner - so funny!

The PERFECT solution

2009-11-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Matt has come up with the perfect solution! Our kitchen chairs were getting pretty gross looking what with all of the small people running around my house. Additionally, every time we sit down to a meal someone ends up fighting over where to sit. BUT NOT MORE! For a mere $3 per chair my problems have been solved. We steam cleaned the existing chair cushion/fabric, dried them, popped out the seat from the chair frame, covered the existing fabric with a fabric of choice per child, covered that with really thin and flexible plastic, stapled around the back of the cushion, screwed the seat back into the frame, and VOILA - chairs with plastic cover for the spills and drips and each child has their own individualized chair so no more fights about who sits where!

What a procrastinator I am :)

2009-11-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I FINALLY took Bryce's birthday picture for this year! I am having a hard time deciding which one I like the most - I think I have an idea, but I wanted to know what ya'll thought! Leave a comment and let me know which one you like please - thanks :)

Where did October go?

2009-11-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we have officially survived 'birthday season' around our house with Jacob FINALLY (according to him) turning 6!

Jacob contemplating on the notion that he should feel older now . . .

Jacob decided to have his party at breakfast before school so we had waffles, eggs, OJ, and presents . . .
Apparently I am a cool mom now because I know what Bakugons are - just ask Jacob and he would be happy to tell you alllllllllllllllllll about them :)
His new hoodie for school (that he now zips up over his face and calls his ninja outfit . . .?)
We saved the birthday cake for after dinner - no chocolate for this boy . .yellow cake with white frosting and colored sprinkles!
I can't believe it has been 6 years!
The same day as Jacob's birthday was Hailey's preschool Halloween program. She knew the songs the were to sing, the actions to go with the songs, the whole bit . . . . . .so it starts with Teacher Nisha introducing all of the little characters - which went fine . . . . .she seems cooperative . . . . .

The little class gets into line and she doesn't seem quite sure that she wants to have the hood on for her costume, which is fine, but she is still smiling pleasantly . . . . . . .
WAIT FOR IT

WAIT FOR IT

Now you get the chubby cheeks of death look . . . . . . .probably thinking "you want me to do what, wearing what exactly?"
Now returns the nice little girls, minus the hood, with a bit of a tease to her mom - something like, "ya sure, I'll play this game . . . ."
And . . . . .now we are back to "wow, you guys really are idiots! I think I will just sit here and let the rest of the class sing and dance!"
Moral of that story - do not judge your parenting skills by the amount of participation in school productions by your 4 year old!

Anways, so onto Halloween . . .here are some pictures from carving the pumpkins.

Remember the excitement for carving the pumpkin (notice the pumpkin has not been opened yet)on this little face . . . . just remember . . . . .

Hailey was a trooper, digging right in (he Doireann, do you recognize the shirt?)
Nice belly shirt Jacob!
Remember that excitement from before . . . .yeah, now we have "I ain't touchin' anything that looks like that . . . "
What a brave older brother I have to reach right into that big scary pumpkin!

Halloween night the ward meets at the park right across from my house for potluck soup and to let all the kids do a little costume parade around the playground. . . .

What a cute zebra :)

Articles of Faith of the Mormon Culture

2009-10-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

1. We believe in SUVs and minivans as the form of transportation, and in knee length shorts, which are always nice, and in multi-level marketing.

2. We believe that church ball players should be punished for their own fouls, and not for unsportsmanlike aggression.

3. We believe that through bread crumbs, cheese, creamy soups, and rice all casseroles can be saved through obedience to ward cookbooks and creativity in the mixing bowl.

4. We believe that the first layers and ingredients of the Dip are: first, beans; second, cheese; third, chopped tomatoes; fourth, the gift of sour cream; fifth, olives; sixth, salsa; seventh, guacamole, that is, if you have it.

5. We believe that a Mormon should have a distinguished or a cute name, that it is appropriate to name a child after a church leader or a historical figure including an ancestor, that alternative spellings and French prefixes only add to a name, and that when referring to the names of General Authorities, middle initials should be a part
thereof.

6. We believe in the same wall decor that exists in many Mormon homes, namely, framed family proclamations, vinyl lettering, inspirational word signs, family photos, pictures of temples and Jesus, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of the re-gift, church books, crafts, family photos, baked goods, emergency supply kits, and so forth.

8. We believe in sparkling grape juice so long as it is nonalcoholic; we also believe in bringing root beer and sprite to ward parties.

9. We believe in all that we have scrapbooked, all that we will now scrapbook, and we believe that we will yet scrapbook many great and important things pertaining to our family, friends, pets, and
vacations.

10. We believe in the literal mixing of ketchup and mayo and in the generous application of ranch dressing; that CBAs (church-based acronyms) will be used to describe YM/YW, PEC, the Y, NCMO, and
CTR; that Mitt Romney will get Mormons to vote for him any time he runs; and, that the Mormons will enjoy reading Twilight and The Work and the Glory.

11. We claim the privilege of trying to identify common acquaintances with any visitor at church, and allow all other people at church the same privilege. Let them name drop the names of the famous and general authorities how, where, or whenever they may.

12. We believe in being subject to scoutmasters, pampered chef hostesses, and the writers of the U.S. News and World Report Rankings for professional schools, and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining Glenn Beck.

13. We believe in being above average, good at crafts, optimistic, and in being ten to fifteen minutes late everywhere we go. Indeed, we may say that we follow BYU football. We believe rumors about famous people joining the church, we hope to meet the three Nephites, we have endured many pyramid schemes, and hope to be able to endure all pyramid schemes. If there is anything cheap, free, sold in bulk, or given away when somebody is moving, we seek after these things.

2009-10-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Makes me proud to be an American!

My first holiday craft of 2009 :)

2009-09-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is what I started with:

And this is what I made :)
I attached these metal charms on the divider pages with eyelets to make tab markers
Each divider page has a label on the front and a holiday thought or poem on the back:

There is a to do section . . .

Activities section . . .
Cards section (everyone send me your addresses since I seemed to have misplaced my list from last year!)
a food section for new recipes to try this year . . .
A Deck the Halls section for decorating, gift wrapping, etc. tips and tricks . . .
And finally a gift section where I can keep info on what I want to get people, where it is on sale, etc.
I was actually quite impressed with the finished product!

I also put a ribbon marker for each divider page on the top because I thought it was cute :)
and finally, attached with a ribbon is a bookmark that runs the length of the book that I can use on whichever page I am currently using - and of course with an M for Megan
Let me know what you think - and can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner?

2009-09-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday we all went to the Utah State Fair. The kids had lots of fun and I will readily admit that my favorite part was definitely the funnel cake covered in powdered sugar and chocolate :) Anyways, here are a bunch of pics

Jacob loves sharks so the chance to see 3 of them up close was very exciting!
Don't us moms all secretly wish that we had a cage like this at our house every once in a while . . . .
This was a fun exhibit where the kids got to simulate a bunch of farm tasks and work
Everyone make sure to grab an apron and bucket
The cow was 'moo-ing' and it was kind of freaking Bryce out - you were supposed to put your bag of corn in the bucket under the cows head and Bryce would start to reach his hand out, then the cow would make its noise, and he would jump back :)
Hailey milking the cow
Picking apples. Love the apron string under the but look
I think this is just a cute picture. I like that sometimes I can see glimpses of the kids actually acting like friends!
Planting seeds
After the farm exhibit we walked through all of the livestock buildings - here is Jacob petting a goat
Here is Jacob trying to get Hailey to pet the goat
Caleb hung out the stroller most of the day, but really enjoyed the constant supply of licorice :)
I was really trying to get Bryce to look at me, but he gets a little nervous around animals and he just could not take his eyes off of those ferocious caged bunny rabbits :)
Bad lighting, but cute pic - this was waiting for a turn on the horses
the next 2 pics are completely out of order - but here is Hailey watching the bear show
Just hanging out :)
Here are the horse pics

Surprisingly, while he was highly suspect of the bunnies, horses seemed to be no problem . . .?

Our new place :)

2009-09-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

So, I am finally back in the blogging world and thought that I should share some pics of our new place.
I love my red front door :)

This is a view standing right inside the front door

This is standing in the kitchen looking towards the living room

in the dining area

standing in the front room looking into the kitchen

this is the hall to your right when standing inside the front door

the bathroom at the end of the hall - really exciting I know

Hailey and Bryce's room

Jacob and Caleb's room

my bedroom - the door to the right of the TV cabinet is the closet and the door to the left is the bathroom with a nice big tub and separate shower

This will at some point become my very nicely organized crafting/sewing/hobbies space

This is the beginning of the toy room

Did I mention that I hate moving - this is at some point in the not to distant future going to be an office for Matt

and this is where everything else landed that I have not dealt with yet - I am not sure how long it will be sitting in this exact spot but we are working on it:)
We feel like we landed in a good spot. Jacob LOVES being a bus student to the new elementary school and Hailey still gets to go to teacher Nisha's preschool. There are 2 little boys next door (Josh and Caleb) that Jacob met the first day here and they have become fast friends, playing nearly every day together. Hailey has a little girl friend, Tammy, who lives right behind us.

Anyways, feel free to stop by any time for a visit!

3 completely unrelated things :)

2009-09-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

These things are all completely unrelated, but cute enough to share!

We have recently learned that Caleb REALLY likes grandma's chocolate chip cookies :)

Jacob has turned into a complete computer junkie. He is now on facebook (in a very limited way - he pretty much likes to play one game:) Uncle Michael would be proud of how quick this boy catches on with all the computer 'stuff'
And alas, the day has finally come - Hailey has started preschool - HURRAY! She had quite an opinion about what to wear and was very excited. Jacob held her hand, walked her into class, showed her where to hang her backpack (I think he just wanted to go in to say hello to Teacher Nisha!) I am actually writing this blog while both Jacob and Hailey are at school and my house is so quiet - I think I don't realize any more how much noise four little kids make all at the same time . . . .

Our Little Lady :)

2009-08-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

I realize these are a bit past due, but Hailey did turn 4 in August so we finally got around to taking her annual picture for her birthday journal. I thought I would post each year since she was born - it is kind of fun to see the changes side by side. We feel very blessed to have Hailey in our family and look forward to many more birthdays to come.

Kindergarten Here We Come!

2009-08-27T11:37:00.001-07:00

Well, the day has finally come. Jacob started Kindergarten today and was more than ready (and frankly, I was too!) Here are a few pics from the big day :)

Don't we all have a line of photos just like these from every first day of school :)

Can you sense the excitement . . .

And who can resist collecting a few rolly-polly bugs on the way . . .
I am not sure why, but I love this pic
Playing on the slide before the line-up bell rings
Sitting at his chair ready to start class :)
When we picked him up Bryce ran up to him for a big hug and told him that he missed him. Jacob says they found a frog on the playground at recess time, had a snack, did some desk work, and he talked a little bit to his friend Christopher from church. He is excited to go back tomorrow.

Baby #5

2009-08-22T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well, Matt finally has baby #5 - a 22' camping trailer! Fortune has smiled upon us and we came across a lady that wanted ongoing yard maintenance but did not have the cash for it. Her husband recently passed and she did not want the trailer, so we are providing the work on a trade. It is in very good condition, well taken care of, and can sleep all 6 of us quite comfortably, along with a shower, potty, oven/stove, fridge/freezer, couch, and dining table. We are really excited. All we need to do is replace the water pump and then adventure awaits!

2009-08-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

With birthday season in the Tippetts house comes the annual birthday pictures for the kids birthday journals. Everyone who sees this post - which is your favorite?

Hailey turned 4!

2009-08-11T09:11:00.001-07:00

Well, Hailey turned 4 and does seem a little bit older. She will start preschool on September 1st, FINALLY is potty trained, loves her primary class, and still tries to boss around her brothers every chance she gets - but we love her :)

Her choice for dinner was cold cereal - she wanted the strawberry frosted shredded wheat!
It is so fun to have an aunt who wants to sit and paint fingernails together :)

Matt playing with Polly Pockets - PRICELESS!

Caleb turned 1!

2009-08-11T09:03:00.001-07:00

Well, I officially have no more infants in my house! Caleb turned 1 on August 7th. I think the older kids liked the party more than he did because he had no idea what was going on :)

Jacob trying to read him his card from grandma

This is my favorite pic - his chubby little hands in the cake :)

He loves the banana flavored puffs enough that he wants to chew straight through the bottle!

I love his facial expression - I can't even imagine what he was thinking . . . .

Canyon dinner

2009-08-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well, times seems to be looking up when my family can make our annual trek up the canyon for my birthday to eat dinner and play and IT DIDN'T RAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was fun and the kids all had a blast . . . .

I am not sure, but I think that the level of fun being had for little boys is directly related to how dirty their face is :)

The kids were trying to catch a squirrel in a box - the waiting was hard!
more waiting . . . .
When did he grow up ?!
Geez, do you think they are related?
Taking some time out for a bag of popcorn
looking for squirrels
More looking :)
And the squirrel takes some time out for some popcorn too!
Bryce has discovered a new love - Jello!

Just funny

2009-08-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Why would we just wash up and get out of the bath tub when we can snorkel with goggles and straws :)

Swimming

2009-07-23T07:02:00.001-07:00

Recently we got some free passes to the Legacy Center pool in Lehi so yesterday we took the kids and they LOVED it. We got there at about 3:00 and stayed until 7:00 and they were in the pool the entire time. Even Caleb decided he liked it after a few seemingly terrified moments :) I think next summer definetely calls for swimming lessons at least for Jacob and Hailey :)

Hailey was on and off with the goggles, but Jacob thought they were just cool!
Caleb eventually came to love the little baby swings in the kiddie pool
Jacob would have stayed another 4 hours if we had let him - I guess we will be going back soon!
Thank Uncle Matt for being an aligator with the rest of the little kids :)
Caleb stealing Aunt Erin's water bottle
And trying on Hailey's goggles :)
Bryce loved to jump into the kiddie pool from the edge and make a big splash

2009-07-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

This place is just delicious. We noticed this new doughnut place in Draper and stopped to let the kids pick a treat. This is what we ended up with! Flavors clockwise from the top left are chocolate ganache, chocolate dipped strawberry, german chocolate, pumpkin chocolate chip, grasshopper, and toasted coconut! There was about a dozen other flavors to pick from so next time you want to indulge - go the Beyond Glaze!

Sorry Grandma!

2009-07-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, it was time to give the boys haircuts and we asked Jacob what kind he wanted. Since it is the middle of summer with no important holidays of other functions coming right around the bend we thought we would let him do whatever he wanted (keeping in mind that Bryce is his little shadow these days). He wanted it done like Matt's! So we went down the middle and gave them both buzz cuts - they think they are great!

and of course we had to take a picture before finishing up with the mohawk!

A Crazy and Fun 4th of July

2009-07-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a whole bunch of pics from our 4th of July weekend in Star Valley. We had a great time and are looking forward to going back some time in the future.

Here is the cabin that Matt and the kids and I stayed in. They were really great inside, each with its own theme (cowboys, bears, moose, etc.)

Bryce activing like a goof while eating breakfast
Nate and Matt relaxing on the porch. The mornings were so nice with the cool foggy air.
Fishing on the river
This was the river that ran literally right across the little dirt road in front of our cabin. It was really beautiful!
Matt and Hailey marching off to fish :)
Uncle Bart and Bryce :)
The fishing crew going to the pond

Hailey was the only one to catch anything! :)
We made lots of crafts for the kids - Jacob was very proud of his visor
Hailey at the parade
Nate and Bryce waiting for the parade to start
The kids and grandpa collecting candy from the floats
The Malmrose decorated their big truck for the parade and all the big kids rode in the back throwing candy
Caleb at the parade
throwing candy
This is how the men participated in the games and races :)
Bryce running in the flag relay
Hailey getting her flag as quick as she can!
Hurry Hailey!
Run Hailey Run
We launched waterballoons at each other with parachuts over the volleyball net

And it quickly ended up in an all-out water fight :)

Hailey thought Earl was sooooo funny while filling the water baloons
Bryce liked chasing the bubbles

Jacob loved being a 'big kid' during the fireworks
lighting them with dad
Bryce and Uncle Matt
and chillin' with grandma
There was a dog, Jud, that lives at the cabin that Jacob just loved - he really wanted to bring him home and keeps asking when we can see him again

There was a second water fight with the remaining balloons right before coming home :)
This is how Caleb preferred to travel
Just cute

and more cute
Can't you just hear her, 'what do you want mother?'
Hailey and her 'big friend' Lexi looking for wild flowers

Awesome, awesome, awesome :)

2009-06-26T22:12:00.001-07:00

TSQ and Church History Museum visit

2009-06-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday the kids and I went down to Temple Square and the Church History Museum. It was fun and I think the kids had a good time. Here is the 'traditiona' TSQ pic of the kids :)

The History Museum has added a whole kids area that has a bunch of hands on exhibits for the kids - here is Bryce and Hailey turning the scrolls and looking at the pictures of different Bible stories
Jacob and President Hinckley's walnut tree
pictures and stories from the scriptures
The handcart - Jacob really wanted to get inside :)
Hailey on a ship bunk
Making stained glass drawings on a light board
Bryce doing a stained glass puzzle
Hailey told me she was building the Salt Lake Temple with the blocks :)
After our outing we spent the afternoon visiting Erin and Kids at grandma's house - and what do three small kids do when left alone for more than 5 minutes in the backyard . . . .they try to fill up the kiddie pool and play in the water with their clothes on :)

Tippetts Family Reunion

2009-06-14T07:36:00.001-07:00

We went to the annual Tippetts family reunion on Saturday. It rained for a bit, but all in all it was fun and the kids had a great time running around free to eat candy and act like dinosaurs all they wanted. A new event was added this year - a pie eating contest (see the pics below:)!

Here is Jacob participating in the kids pie eating contest :)

And here is Matt - Bryce thought it was hilarious to eatch Matt eat a pie with his hands pinned down with a garbage bag

Just hanging out . . .

Get used to it dad :)

A few things :)

2009-06-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Every day something reminds me that Jacob is getting to be a big kid! A few days ago his first baby tooth popped right out. I knew it was loose, then him and Bryce were wrestling on the floor one night and out it came. He just left the tooth on the floor so I had to get down on my hands and knees to search around for it, but we found it and the tooth fairy has done the deed:)

Out next summer outing was to the Bean Museum. The kids has a pretty good time. Here are a few pics.

I thought this picture was sooo cute with his big cheesy grin :)

Here is a picture with my whole gamily and my grandma. She is going home today back to Canada and we will miss having her here. Thanks for coming down for dinner grandma!

2009-06-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to the Tracy Aviary today. It was pretty fun! It sits on one corner of Liberty Park in downtown SLC. There were lots of birds, not a lot of people, and the kids were able to run around, chase peacocks, stare at big bald eagles, watch a bird show, and all for a grand total of $8.00 to get us all in! Here are some pics

The three stooges

Hailey and Jacob trying to pet the peacock - Bryce was a bit hesitant :)

Jacob and some condors

If you look in the middle top part of the pic you can see the bald eagle

Bryce preferred the smaller birds

Hailey loved the pink flamingos

Hailey and Bryce were quite mezmorized during the bird show

Finally it spread its feathers

Pony Expess Days Parade

2009-06-08T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the local town parade we went to on Saturday. . .

Matt looks really happy to be here :)
What a cute kid!
Waiting for the parade to start
Caleb's first chocolate chip cookie - what a treat!
I WANT MORE!!!!
Bryce was trying to tell the helicopter flying overhead to stop :)
Just buds
Bro. Jex and the gang :)
Just more waiting
What cute girls :)
Jeni - this one I put up just for you :)

2009-05-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I think my life has now officially morphed into school years instead of calendar years. Jacob's year of preschool has now come and gone. Here are a few pics from his little 'graduation' :)

This is his whole class

Waiting to start

Singing a song for all the parents

Getting his scrapbook and treat from teacher Nisha

These are a few pictures from Memorial Day lunch at Nana's house.

This picture snapped just at the right moment to make it look like the water is holding up the ball :)

Jacob loves to lounge

I thought this was the cutest picture of Bryce I have taken in a while - he finally looks naturally happy!

Caleb spent the afternoon in his new favorite spot - the beanbag chair

Hailey is tired

the little cowgirl

What do you want mom?

2009-05-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

I am working on a little project and needed some pictures of the kids so I thought I would share - let me know what you think :) (and yes, Bryce will forever be known as my emotional and sad child)

Erin and mom - I put this one on here for you - glance at is quickly and you might think that it was taken 25 years ago of Erin!

The little princess is growing up!

2009-05-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

So, Hailey's little friend across the street (Shayla) got her hair cut all cute about a week ago and Hailey wanted one so bad. Matt is pretty sure that no little girl should cut their long hair no matter how crazy it frequently gets so he gave Hailey the impossible task - go 5 days in 'big girl pants' with no accidents and you can go to the hair cut store for whatever you want. Matt should have learned by now that his daughter is just as stubborn as he is, because Hailey has been wearing underwear straight for 5 days so tonight we got her haircut. I think it is adorable!

This is where we started (keep in mind that 6 months ago I cut 6-8 inches off the bottom)

Boy feeds Boy

2009-05-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was feeding the kids lunch and I stepped away from the table for a few minutes only to come back to find Jacob feeding Caleb. They both thought it was so funny and Caleb was actually eating the green beans better for Jacob than he was for me. You could tell Jacob was very proud of himself. It was pretty cute and made me realize that I could be asking and letting Jacob do more 'big boy' things!

7 years!

2009-05-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

It sometimes seems longer, and sometimes not long at all, but today Matt and I have been married for 7 years! The road has not always been easy, but well worth it. Matt is a good husband who is supportive of me and always tries to push me to be my best. We have had 4 great kids who bring a laugh every day to our lives. We have also lived in 4 different places in these 7 years. I love that Matt is a hard worker, trustworthy, and loyal. He is a great husband, a great father, and a great friend. Happy Anniversary!

26.2

2009-04-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

This weekend I completed my first full marathon! It was an amazing thing. My older sis was the real trooper though, sometimes literally dragging me on during the last 5 or 6 miles. My mother ran most of the way and ran strong through the finish! I thought we were a close family before, but doing this together has brought us 100 times closer - I am really happy that I have such a cool family. Matt did a great job of coordinating all the runners and support staff and was leaned on by us all this weekend. Here are a few pics

This is Erin, mom, and I picking up our race packets on Friday

These are the race bibs that we made for our runners

Morgan did amazing! He ran the half marathon, then came back and ran into the finish with all the rest of us!

This is Erin and I running in the last mile together. You can see my dad on the left, Matt behind Erin, Doireann is next to me, then Morgan next to her

This is my mom running through the finish line with Nate and Morgan. She is just amazing.

Me, mom, and Erin right after the finish

My cool family

Don't say I did not warn you - all of you reading this post START RUNNING NOW because we are going to rock this marathon together next year . . . . :)