party central

Birthday Girl...ready to party!

pressing out the pizza dough!

Saucing the pizza!

While the pizzas were baking, the girls got to frost their very own cake!

And tasting it too!!

They all loved the frosting, and not just spreading it around the cake...eating it too! By the time the pizzas came out, no one was hungry!

Pinata Time!
The girls in their matching aprons!

I asked Bryanna what her favorite part of the day was, and she said, "Blowing out the candles!" So, here's for you Bryanna!

Present time! One of the best parts of a little girl's party! Thanks for all those cute presents! Bryanna loves them. I have been opening toys the entire afternoon!

I think it turned out well, for all the work it was! It really was a special day and all the girls had a blast!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYANNA!

Mermaid Cake

The Mermaid Cake. At first, Bryanna really wanted a Dolphin cake. (I mean every time I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, that was it!) I had a hard time trying to get myself geared up to create such a cake. I'm not much of an artist (at all), so that was going to be on a level I shouldn't even touch. Thank goodness for Barbies and Mermaids. I can decorate, and so can Bryanna. She had a total BLAST helping me put on some of the candy designs!! (with only one blunder!)

This girl LOVES her cake. And I'm a happy mom, getting out of making the Dolphin cake just about made my day!!

(Yes, below is my NEW Cuisinart mixer. I love it. It is better than anything I've looked at by far. It has 1000 watts (not one hundred, but one thousand!!) 12 speeds, and a timer!!! All the attachments, bells and whistles!! Its what makes this Birthday party possible!!

I also baked ten 9" cakes for all the party girls to frost and decorate!! I think they will have the time of their lives!

My mom gave her a Glam make-up set...she is already putting it to good use! (and yes, she picked out her own outfit. And yes, that's a christmas tree on her shirt)

A little over board if you ask me. But if you ask her, she's just getting started!

Happy almost Birthday my beautiful Bryanna!

Birthday Aprons

The last two days, my mom and I have been working like busy bees making the most adorable aprons ever!! Thanks Lindsay for helping, we couldn't have done it without looking at your mom's creation first...thanks!!

My mom is leaving for Chicago today, so we had to get it done last night. Tuesday we traced out a pattern and cut all the fabric. Yesterday, we worked passed midnight, (and I'm dragging today). But I'm so glad it is all finished. What mothers do for their children...let me tell ya, its a fierce love! Thanks mom, you are the best!

My hard working, creative, smart, wonderful mother, sewing like a china factory!

This is the Birthday Girl's Apron. I added mini pom-poms to it, just giving it an extra special touch, for an extra special girl!
Bryanna's party is on Saturday. She's having 9 little girls over and they need aprons for a baking party! They get to make their own pizza for lunch and then they will decorate their very own cake!

One of ten Aprons we put together!!

If you can believe it, I snatched this fabric up at Walmart, of all places!! I used EVERYstitch of fabric, binding and rick rack. Talk about cutting the pattern wisely!

I'm so excited for her party! The girls will all look so adorable in them!

Wishy Watchy

My friend has started the CUTEST watch company ever! It's on Etsy, and you'll have to check it out at: www.wishywatchy.etsy.com.

They are VERY reasonable, and totally hip!!! She has a huge collection, more so than shows, with children sizes too!!!

company

While Mark and I were in San Francisco at Fisherman's Wharf, we met this couple who was traveling the world for 4 months. It is really quite interesting how it all worked out. As we were getting to know one another, we told them we were from Las Vegas, and that just so happened to be the one of their next destinations! We gave them our number and told them to call us for a BBQ and swimming. That was all in 15 minutes before we had to take off for our tour at Alcatraz. So that was that!

We'd been home from our trip for one day and they called us!! We did a BBQ and swimming at my parents house. Through getting to know more about them that night, we found that they were on the tail end of their traveling. They had already been to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. For the next few days they were just going to drive back to L.A. and kill some time before they flew of to N. Y. on Easter Sunday. We offered them to stay with us til they had to drive back to L.A. and they accepted!

Crazy. Yes. I am Crazy.

But, they were extremely cordial. Very intellectual. Leonie spoke a few more languages, other than Dutch and English, and Erwin was fluent just in Dutch and English (as if that's not accomplished enough!) I am always amazed with people who speak beautiful English, as their 2nd language. Their vocabulary was enormous, more so than the average American high school student. I was stunned.

During their stay with us, we became wonderful friends. For life. When they get married, Mark and I have made it a goal to fly over for their wedding. (Hopefully that won't happen for another 1-2 years so we have ample time to save for the trip, with ample souvenir money!)

I have ancestry from Holland, and my grandpa went to Holland on his mission, still speaks it, and tells the conversion story of our ancestors (his grandparents) every Christmas Eve.

Erwin and Leonie came to church with us on Easter Sunday. They had just enough time to listen to the choir sing. As they were leaving we gave them Book of Mormons, and they graciously received them. You never know how the seeds will grow after planting them, until the eternities unravel their mysteries...

Banana Bread

Banana Nut Bread

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 4 cups mashed bananas (about 10-12 bananas)
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, vanilla. Combine water and bananas then stir it in. Stir in dry indregients. Stir in nuts, except save a handful. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of granulated sugar and remaining walnuts. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

**I baked the bread in mini loaves, and if so you only bake for 30 minutes. Its a perfect size when baking a lot...and it makes for a great gift when visiting teaching!

Egg Hunt

This morning we went over to our neighborhood park in Mountain's Edge and partook in a wild and crazy-busy Easter event! It was plenty of fun, with plenty of people!

Peter Cottontail doing his 'thing'

Maddox boy...handsome little devil!

Bryanna, striking a pose! Don't you just love the smile she's giving?

Maddox passed the time by taking pictures with my digital camera, thank goodness for the digital age, I only deleted about 2o images! It would be a different story if there was real film in the camera.

This one was worth keeping.

Our ward choir has been preparing for the Easter Cantata to sing in Sacrament meeting for a few months now. I'm very excited that its finally here. We have some extremely talented people in our ward who can sing just about anything, and some very talented pianists. How in the world they wanted me to be the choir director is still a confusing mystery, for a few good reason. #1: I'm not a soloist, and I don't do duets. I can carry a tune, sing the alto part of hymns, but that's about all I'm vocally apt of. #2: I'm not a very good pianist. At all. I can plunk out a hymn or a primary song. But learning the dynamics and accentuating certain parts in a choir number I knew nothing about. Til this calling! The joys of learning a new skill. I have grown to love being apart of our ward choir. I especially love learning new songs and messages about our Savior and the wonderful meaning of Easter. There is a close camaraderie between the choir members. We (or I guess I should say, "I") have a great time singing, mixed with socializing during practice.

Happy Easter!!

I left my Heart in San Francisco

To celebrate our 5th anniversary, we went to San Francisco with NO kids!! We had a blast walking up and down the hills of San Fran, going to an A's game (Mark's favorite baseball team, he's quite the fan!), touring Alcatraz, eating lots of clam and crab chowder at Fisherman's Warf, shopping at Union Square, and finding deals in China Town. Needless to say, it was an unforgettable trip spent with good company!

endless amounts of taffy candy, with endless flavors, really!


on the streets of San Fran...very cool, old buildings. (something you don't find in Las Vegas, the old buildings get imploded and new one pop up in their place)

Heading into Little Italy

Ghiradeli Sqaure. We sat in the cafe to get warm, our first day there it was freezing, and we wanted to drink some hot chocolate. The cups were extra small and we then we found out why when we took a sip. It was like drinking a melted chocolate bar...like straight DARK chocolate. Not exactly what we were expecting.

Love the hills here. We got Trolley passes, but we also did a lot of walking, which I really enjoyed and needed with all the yummy food we were eating.

Lombardi Street, the most windy, curvey street in the world!

And again at the top!

At the Giant's Stadium. The A's beat them by 1, thank you very much!

We got the traditional yummy stadium food...peanuts, hot chocolate (not the meltd choc. bar!), a philly cheesesteak, and garlic fries.

Second row seats behind home plate!!

Looking out from Alcatraz. After taking the audio tour, I'm so glad its colsed now! It's a scary thought to have all those convicts so close to home.

Viewing Alcatraz from a hillside in San Francisco. Ya, a little too close to home if you ask me!

Riding the cable car. Food for thought, San Fran is the only city that still has running, working, profitable cable cars. And not to mention they are exciting to ride!

Ding Ding!! The gang!

China Town. Dirty. Smelly. Good Deals.

This is not what Japan looks like. Sorry to dissapoint! It is China town with a mix of japanese stores. The only thing that resembles Japan is the kanji, of which I can't read anymore. Sad. I know!

In this picture, it looks like one of the paper lights hanging from the ceiling is actually a hat Mark is wearing!

Capitola Beach...one that Mark spent half his junoir year at while ditching school. I would have too, honey! Beach = Chicks...no brainer!! All of us hanging out...I thought this was a very good, candid group picture capturing the essence of our trip, lots of adult time, spending it with the most dear people in our lives. (besides our children!)

Need I say more?

Union Square

This Anniversary trip was just what the Doctor ordered! A much needed break to focus on just us!

Here's to another 5 amazing years! Love you, babe!!