Thanksgiving Point

photo by me

I love Thanksgiving Point! I renewed my membership just in time for the tulip festival (did I mention I love tulips). I took the kids down to check out the tulips and snap some Easter outfit pics. And no the flip flops are not part of the Easter ensemble.


The gardens are beautiful right now. And if you've never been, check out the children's garden. Very fun.

Copper Mine

It has been years since I have been to the Copper Mine. It's off-track time so I took the kids on a little field trip up there last week. They loved it! They thought it was very cool. I think we spent about 45 minutes there, which is a good amount considering it's not really an interactive visitor's center.

McKinley loved seeing the beautiful mineral rocks. Sawyer and Hayden loved the miniature diaramas with the trains, trucks, and tractors.

It is a good place for a mini-visit. It's $5 a car load, and the 45 minutes was just right, so there were no meltdowns :)

Book

Me Talk Pretty One Day

by David Sedaris

Summary: a collection of autobiographical essays about his life.

Review: I liked his cynical sense of humor, but there were enough things in the book to make me uncomfortable so I stopped wasting my time. Some naughty words and some gay thoughts. Not my cup of tea.

Go Green!

I can't believe it, but I did it! On Saturday I ran the 1/2 marathon. I couldn't have done it without my girls (Debbie, Amy and Laura). All four of us wore these bright green shirts, and people kept yelling out "go green!" I really had a blast! I can't wait to do it again...well, I can wait a few weeks. I am now hobbling around like an old woman. Can you believe not one of us wore an iPod? We just talked to each other. It really made all those long-run-Saturdays bearable. Thanks girls! And go green!

tulips

I love tulips. When we lived in Seattle we went to the tulip festival here. It was beautiful. There are seriously fields and fields of them. *sigh* I miss Seattle.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

by Jessica Day George

Summary: Based on a Nordic tale about an enchanted white Bear and the girl who can talk to animals and goes to live in his palace for one year and a day. Filled with trolls, talking animals, enchantments, curses, etc., etc., etc. You get the idea.

My thoughts: We get a book for Easter each year and I didn't know what to get. So here was this book on a table full of local authors so I took a risk (it was only $7.99). It is a teen fantasy book and reads like one. I think as long as that's all you expect you won't be disappointed. I was entertained. I think it rushed over a lot of parts that really could have been developed more. Especially the love interest. I never felt like I fell in love too, which is important to me as a reader. So, check it out from the library for a nice and entertaining little book. P.S. If you like Shannon Hale type books you'll probably like this one too.

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

Summary: A story narrated by Death himself, set in the height of Nazi Germany about a young German girl (non-Nazi and non-Jew) and interwoven with among other things an accordionist, a shrew, a Jew, love and hope.

My thoughts: I liked the book. It took a while for me to get into the story and actually care about the characters I was reading about, but after I did I really enjoyed it. I was glad that not a lot of the horrors of the holocaust were described in detail (I think people need to know about that, but since I already do I was glad not to have to go there again in this book). I especially liked the little relationships that sprung up in the middle of that terrible time and the hope that it gives that even in the bad times life goes on and so does love. I'm glad I read it. I would tweak the ending a little though.

Easter week

photo by me

This week we have been learning each day what the Savior was doing on the same day during his last week on earth. We have a mini (very mini) lesson and I post a picture representing what Jesus did that day of the week on our door.

Friday is the day of crucifixion. We took a trip downtown to visit temple square and see the Christus. I was really questioning my decision to do this Easter week activity since my kids are so young. I wasn't sure there was a point. But as we walked by the murals in the visitor's center I was pleasantly surprised at how much they actually had heard between all the wiggles and talking.

I'm glad I did it. I think I'll do it again next year.

If anyone wants the Ensign article I've been using for my info and mini lesson, here is the link.

Sugar dinner

I thought these looked tastey so we tried them tonight. They were yummy, but I should have made eggs and bacon to go with them. All that sugar needed some salt and protein to balance it out. I gave the kids hot chocolate with whipped cream to drink with it. So basically they had a nice well-rounded dinner of sugar with sugar.

recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks Blog:

French Breakfast Puffs

• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup shortening (Crisco)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 sticks butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. Pray. In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening, then add eggs and mix. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden. In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat. Faint.

***Update*** Blech! They were actually really heavy and shortening tasting. :( Try ebelskivers instead!

play room art

After contemplating for months, I finally figured out what to hang on the final empty space in our playroom...

My new favorite show

Food Network Challenge!

Last cake standing!

I love watching this show. Only the cake making ones though.

Confession: one night while Kent was working late I actually chose it over LOST.

I know, it's a serious addiction.

I think I may be a closeted cake decorator!

My prediction is that it will come down to Mary and Bronwen....if anyone has a clue what I'm talking about.

My favorite conference tradition

Crepes, made by grandma. Yum!

I think I can!

I finally did it! I registered for the SLC 1/2 marathon. In training today we ran 12 miles and I finally decided I can do it. So I've paid my money and I'm ready to go...almost!