Watch out Betty Crocker-Here comes Brian!!

I am suffering from a bruised ego at the moment. Brian made bread-beautiful bread!!!


Let me explain= In an effort to become more domestic, save money, and learn how to use what is in my food storage, I have been attempting to make homemade bread. I have tried three different recipes. One from the internet, one from a friend, and then yesterday a lady Brian works with brought a recipe and a sample for Brian. So, today I tried the recipe and got the same result that I have gotten every other time=flat, brick-like bread!! When Brian came home I was a little miffed to say the least. So, he thought he was funny and kept going over the recipe asking if I did everything it said, needless to say that only made me more upset! I am by no means a gourmet chef, but I do pride myself on being a good cook. I enjoy cooking and I enjoy people enjoying what I cook even more. So, I said "You think it is so easy-you try it!" So, he did!! I went to young Womens and came home to three beautifully perfect loaves of warm, delicous bread!! Good job Brian!! yes I am BUGGED!! My husband should NOT make better bread than I do - It's like a law somewhere!!!

My bread is the one on the left, HIS is on the right!! (I am rolling my eyes right now, because he keeps saying "would you like me to teach you how to make bread?") I have decided it is now his job, and again he thinks he is funny and says "So, now I am the bread winner and bread maker!" Does anyone think he is funny? I DON'T!!!! I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but I am bugged. WHY CAN'T I MAKE BREAD????

This is what happened to my bread!!

The loss of a dear friend...

Today has been a sad day for me, I am mourning the loss of one of my best friends.

Rest in Peace-Dr Pepper addiction!! Now to be fair it has only been two days, but it is real this time-I am comitted!! I hesitated posting this just yet, because if I fall "off the wagon" then it could be a little embarrassing. But, I also think that maybe I will be more likely to stick to it if EVERYONE knows (because I KNOW "everyone" reads my blog). I have made this life changing decision for a few reasons: first "Hello, My name is Ashley and I am a Dr Pepperaholic" , no really I am addicted seriously! I know some of you are laughing at me right now, and that's ok, but for those of you who have similar weaknesses you know how I feel. I figure my addiction is definitely against the word of wisdom, because it has control over me (I stopped at the gas station to fill up my car after my spinning class, and I got a Dr Pepper, no big deal you say---IT WAS AT 6 AM!!! see I have a problem). So I am taking control back! My second reason is that in 5 months I turn-------well, lets just say I turn OLD!! And the worst part is, I feel old!!! I know that cutting out the sugar, carbonation and caffeine will help me loose the weight that I would like to, while helping to feel better, eventually-right now I have a withdrawal headache and feel like crap!! I am also hoping it will help me look younger also. Please don't judge me, this is just one way I am trying to be a better ME! Two days down! Now wish me luck!!

We love our Uncle Steve!!

A couple of weekends ago Brian's parents and his brother Steve came up to visit and Coyote hunt. And while they were here the girls talked Steve into playing their many games with them. Hungry hungry hippo, caraboo and Brylee's fav-Duck Duck Goose!! Everytime he would walk in the door Brylee would immediately start begging "you play duck duck goose?" And Steve would sit down and play EVERYTIME!! The kids loved it!! And he's still single?!?!? SHOCKING I know!!!!!

Cabin Fever!!

It seems as soon as Christmas and New Years end, I get a little stir crazy. No more fun parties or fun Christmas planning, just us stuck inside all day long!!! I have been looking into some different things to get the kids involved in and I found this great place!!! It is like the bouncin' off the walls place in SL. They have got huge inflatable slides, bouncers and play things. They even have a little pit, full of balls that Porter would live in if he could. I bought a monthly pass and we are taking advantage of it!! The kids run like crazy and when we are done they crash-they all fall asleep in the car on the way home! It is wonderful!! Brian went with us one night for family night and he even had fun-it is quite the workout too. Yeah--we might survive the next few months!!

Porter even enjoys it!!

Would it be THAT wrong to never go to sacrement meeting again???

Something awful happened at church!! SACREMENT MEETING!! With the new year came a change in our church schedule, now we start at 9 am, AND sacrement is LAST!!! It is awful, not the 9 am thing, but the sacrement meeting being last thing! Reason #1 Porter is right in the middle of nap time and he has grown out of the sweet, cuddle on your lap fall asleep anywhere stage and grown INTO the climb all over, cry at everything and not give up and fall asleep for anything stage! so much fun:) Reason #2 BRYLEE!!!! Need I say more! That girl is going to make church miserable. She started going to her Sunbeams class which she loves and they love her every week her teachers and someone in the primary presidency tells us how good she does-of course she is GOOD for them!!! Then sacrement meeting starts!!! AAAUUGGHH!!! Today it started with Brylee singing "Mary had a Little Lamb" as loud as she could, during the first hymn, yes-you can laugh- every one else did too! ok everyone except me!!! Then it was "I want to color" "I want gum" "I want candy""I want (whatever toy Aspen or Porter had)" And then it would start all over again!!! I had to go up front and sing with the Young Women which left Brian alone with the monsters, while up there, I could hear Porter screaming and the best part was Brylee dancing to the song in the middle of the aisle!! (One boy told his mom "look she's bustin' a move!"-so yes, people noticed!!) Two different people gave my kids candy to "help" ha ha One of my friends gave Brylee candy with a note that said "It is funny when it is someone else's kids!" Gee I am glad I could make someone smile!!! And during the song with the Young Women an older lady was sitting in the VERY back of the church came all the way up to us to give the kids smarties, again to "help", instead. Porter threw a fit because he could not get the wrapper open, then screamed louder because Brian took them from him to open them! So, needless to say by the end of church Brian and I were exhausted and embarrassed and the kids were on a major sugar high! (I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the candy, because it was really nice) And during all of this Brylee was having "panty problems" they kept going up her bum-so in turn she kept lifting her dress up to remove them, and she was not very lady like about it!! Well, I have to take the blame for this one-when we got home I discovered her panties were on backwards- which meant the skinny front part, was in the back!! OOPS!
Even with all of that I know that we are teaching our children where they should be and what they should be doing and that we will be blessed for being obedient. At least that is what I tell myself-over and over and over!!! And as a side note Aspen was wonderful through all of this, she quietly colored or laid on my lap. See I am not a total failure!!

New Years Eve!

We spent New Years in Salt Lake with family! We partied at Brian's parents house New Years Eve! My family came over also. The girls had a blast chasing their cousin Colton around and playing the Wii. Porter shared a sandwich with my dad-he didn't want just a little bit he wanted the whole dang thing!The girls with Colton blowing their noise makers and pretty crowns!

Brian went goose hunting new years day with his brothers and Dad, doesn't that look fun!!

Christmas Morning!

Santa Came!!! Christmas morning we woke before the girls did and waited for them to get up. As soon as they woke-we knew it! They were screaming "Santa Came!! We got bikes!!!" They were very excited! I wasn't sure what Porter would think, but just like everything he followed his sisters lead! He would say "ooohh!" about everything.

He quickly caught on to tearing off wrapping paper to get to the goods inside!

The girls got digital cameras from my parents, so all morning we had flashes going off all over the place, they also can play games on the cameras and put silly hats or faces on us.

Aspen's purple bike!

Brylee's pink (of course) bike!I love this picture-Brian and Porter putting all his BOY toys together. It was nice not to have all pink, girly stuff!

Woo hoo stockings!!

Say cheese!
We had to try the bikes out so, we went out to the shop and let the girls ride in circles. Now everyday I have to pull the car out of the garage so they can ride in the garage, we can't wait until summer time so, we can try riding in a straight line!
We got the same snowy weather everyone got on Christmas day, so we took advantage of it and played with the sled and four-wheeler-again! We had some friends over later in the day and pulled their kids around too.

We had a great Christmas season! We missed spending it with family, but we were definitely not bored! We had a party (sometimes two!) every weekend. It's great to have so many wonderful friends to celebrate the holidays with! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and has an even better new year!!

Christmas Eve!

This year we spent Christmas in Idaho, but don't worry we weren't alone! We had Christmas Eve dinner at the Paramedic Stationhouse, one of our friends is a paramedic and he was on that night so we all joined him and some other friends at the station, and we got lucky and he didn't get called out. We ate lots of yummy food. The kids ran all over the place and had a great time!We told the Christmas story and the kids each got a piece of the nativity so they could all participate. And, of course we opened our new Christmas jammies! Spongebob jammies!! (I swore I would never buy anything with Spongebob on it, but I was weak, and Aspen loves them!!)Nothing is more appropriate for Brylee than Pink jammies with butterflies on them.
This isn't the best picture of them, but we made Santa Seekers (binoculars out of toilet paper rolls and decorated them with wrapping paper and ribbons) the kids used them all night to look for Santa! Our families sent all of our Christmas presents home with us when we were down for Thanksgiving and we kept them outside in the shop until just before bed. And as I knew would happen Porter opened two different presents TWICE!! The girls could not stay away either, they would both find a present with their name on it and come tell me "Mom, there is another one for me!!" Can you tell they were not very happy I made them hold still and take this picture?