Chocolate Bananas and my little kidletts

Chocolate Bananas. A few weeks ago I was craving chocolate bananas-before lunch time. So we froze the bananas, mixed up the chocolate, dipped them and spent the next few minutes enjoying the delicious treat. Well, I went a little overboard. It was before lunch...and I did finish off the "extra" chocolate. Lets just say I never want to eat a chocolate covered banana again.

"Stow Yer Weapons"

SWORDS!

My little boy and his cousins LOVE swords. Their swords come in many different varieties- sticks found outside, drumsticks from their uncles room (sorry Will), sharpie markers, hammers from Grandma's hammer dulcimers, parts of mixers and blenders (especially the dough hook), wooden spoons, you name it and they can turn it into a sword.

Of course, with two dogs and with Olivia even the best intentions of "carefully" playing with swords can turn haywire. For the protection of my dogs and my little girl swords deemed unsafe by Mom get put on top of the fridge. Thus, Will, when you come home from school and wonder where your drumsticks are-look on top of the fridge. I always know that if I need something long and pointy-I look on top of the fridge, where all the weapons are stowed.

And it lives again!

Braden and I were given this plant for our wedding. It is an amazing plant. We water it, forget about it and it'll look like the top picture. We'll water it again and 3 hours later it'll perk up and look heathly! This has happen time and time again over the last 4 years and 9 months.

Thus it begins...

Levi celebrates the arrival of the first box of wheat to come in the mail.

Between me and my Mom the UPS man is comes to our house an awful lot. Growing up the UPS man used to wave at me while driving around town. He recognized Big Ugs, my van. It's kinda like those movies where someone walks into the town diner and everyone knows eachother by name.

Food Storage Made Easy

"You can now purchase cases of wheat, white rice, beans, and oats online through ldscatalog.com for your longer-term supply of family home storage. These items are in addition to the Family Home Storage Starter Kit that was introduced in December 2007. Order today and have them shipped directly to your home." http://www.lds.org/

This is new and exciting! Following the Prophet has never been so easy. If you order the food storage online you do have to pay shipping on each box, which really adds up. But put it this way, if you were never really going to make it to the cannery, the extra shipping is worth it. To place an order, click here http://www.lds.org/

For those of you who do want to save on the shipping, the Bishop's Store House in Colton offers pre-canned boxes of Quick Oats, Rice, Pinto Beans, Potato Pearls, Pancake Mix and the Starter Kit. They are out of Red Wheat.

Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam!

Levi started Sunbeams this year. He was very disappointed that he couldn't go to nursery, but I think he's finally accepted going to primary. In my ward there are two sunbeam classes-I teach one class, but Levi's in the other. I love watching him get excited about the things he's learning. He just smiles and smiles.

One week he turned to me in the middle of sharing time and said, "It's taking too long to go to papas!!" (We often go to his Grandparent's after church). It's tough for all those little sunbeams to sit still during primary.

Texas!

This Christmas we joined the whole Hal and Gaila family and flew to San Antonio Texas to visit Braden's sister, Courtney. We got to meet a new cousin, Baby Hayden!
Olivia and Braden in downtown San Antonio. We loved the River walk-it had a New Orleans Square feel to it. Don't tell, but Braden, Hal, Marc, Bryce, and Dallin went to a Spurs game!
Somehow all 14 us of fit in an elevator. Luckily at Courtney's house there was lots of room for all of us. Braden and I had our own room and an air mattress. Thank you Hayden for giving up your room.
At the Zoo Levi connected with a monkey. While in the bird/fish sanctuary Hal knocked his cane of a balcony. We watched it slowly sink to the bottom of a pond.
Levi and his cousin Spencer wrestled and played rough the whole 2 1/2 weeks! We also visited Sadie's first cousin once removed, Charlotte. She took us on a walk around her block and we came across a meadow full of deer! (By the way, Levi and Spencer are wearing the official 2007 Christmas pajamas).

San Antonio is a beautiful city. We went "exploring", looking for neat neighborhoods and homes. Hal and Gaila found their dream home-but we hope they'll stick around in California!

On New Years Eve people set off BIG fireworks all around Courtney's house. Levi, Spencer and Caitlin spent a lot of time out there-even though it was freezing! When we weren't exploring, taking walks, going to Walmart, and eating, we all played games. We played HOURS of Boggle, which is my new favorite game!