First Kiss

Another flashback of the past.  Continued from Burger King.

When I think of a romantic first kiss, I envision something outdoors: in the moonlight; in the softly falling snow; in a beautiful rainstorm - something along those lines.  I remember a really great date with Andy where we went downtown to ice skate on an outdoor rink.  Talk about the perfect setting for a first kiss!  I was so frustrated when it didn't happen!  I think I spent the entire night waiting for him to make a move of some sort.  Really, the ambiance of the evening just begged for it.  But the moment never came and I went home just shaking my head and wondering why not.

As it was, our first kiss was while we were watching a movie. Doesn't that sound blah? So unoriginal and boring. The movie was Anastasia, which I think is a cute and somewhat romantic movie, so at least we have that much going for us. But the setting of our kiss isn't what makes it so special.

When Andy was leaving his mission to come home, one of his companions made a bet with him.  Andy wagered that he would kiss a girl before his  friend came home several months later.  The friend said he wouldn't.  The winner owed the other lunch.

I knew nothing about any of this.  When Andy and I started dating, he hadn't yet kissed a girl since returning from his mission.  I was his chance to win the bet!  But he made a conscious decision that he didn't want our first kiss to be cheapened by being a victory of something so superfluous. 

And so he waited.  He waited until he could kiss me in a way that I would always know it was about him and me.  He waited so that I would always know that it had nothing to do with a silly goal he had set before we ever started dating. 

Which is why, on the most perfect night, where the setting was beautiful and just begged for that next romantic step, he held back and didn't kiss me.  And why, just a few days later he did.  He kissed me the very day the bet had  been lost, before the movie even ended.

I guess a first kiss during a movie can be romantic after all.

Continued in Flowers Blossom

Washing Dishes

One thing I have really enjoyed about not having a dishwasher

(OK, probably the ONLY thing)

is when my boys pull a chair up next to me and we do our chores side by side.

Ammon was my first helper(although I didn't take a picture then).

He loves to do things for other people and enjoys jobs that provide companionship.

Peter found that he delights in playing with the water.

And being my little tool-lover that he is, he especially likes scrubbing the dishes.

(Even though I've already washed them and all he needs to do is rinse.)

He takes dishes duty very seriously, but has a lot of fun while he works.

I have found that I spend very little time wishing for a dish-washer

and a surprising amount of time enjoying the fact that I don't have one.

Who would have thought?

Sleep

Picture taken October 20, 2010

6:30 on a Wednesday night.

I was jealous.

Speaking of sleep -

Later that night Andy I received this note from Ammon

as it was thrown into the hallway:

It says:

I can't sleep.

I need a story and a lullaby.

Dad, tell me a story.

Mom, tell me a lullaby.

Love,

Ammon.

Well, that cute little boy got his story and lullaby and blissfully went to sleep after that.

Pumpkin Patch

Just about every year, we head to a pumpkin patch for the boys to pick out a pumpkin.

This year has been hectic, though, and we just haven't made it.

But Grandma Lynn saved the day by having a pumpkin patch in her own backyard!

We stopped by for a visit and ended up with pumpkins for everyone.

(As well as several for her front porch.)

Thanks, Grandma!

Halloween Project

I picked up these little kits from a craft store the other day.

They were super cheap and came with glow-in-the-dark paint.

On Monday night we sat around the table and enjoyed great gospel conversation

While the boys listened and painted.

It turned out to be a great activity and Ammon and Peter couldn't be more proud of their bats.

Pretzel Turtles



I discoverd this recipe last year and LOVED it.

Shockingly delicious and deceptively easy!

Last year it was a Christmas treat.

This year we've made it twice already:

Once for general conference, and once for a Halloween party.

For general conference we topped them with M&M's which just made it a fun, colorful treat.

For the Halloween party we used cashews and then drizzled orange chocolate on top.

Peter was my helper for the Halloween batch.

Just lay out your pretzels on your baking sheet.

Unwrap Rollos and place on top of pretzels.

Melt in the oven for about three minutes.

Choose your topping to squish down the melted chocolate, and there you go!

So fast, so easy, and seriously EVERYONE at the party asked about how to make them.

I'm addicted.



Fall Break

Last week the boys and I all had Fall Break.

We had cousins visit,

Friends play,

A trip to the Zoo

(With more cousins.)

And even a fun Halloween party.

Sadly, the only time I broke out the camera, was at the zoo.

We went with my red-headed nieces.

(I especially adore them because I wish I had a red-headed girl of my own.)

Aunt Krista made sure we hit all the fun stuff - like the train and the carousel.

The day wore me out, but was fun while we were there!

It was a fun week, but I am eager to be back to the routine tomorrow

When the boys go back to school.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

When we got hit from the neighborhood "Boo"

I decided that it was the perfect time to make Candy Corn Cupcakes.

They were fun to make and a big hit with the family.

First, we ate our cupcakes

(Just to make sure they turned out...)

Then, under Daddy's supervision,

Ammon went out and secretly delivered a few plates of these Halloween treats.

I heard that he was very fast and good at his secret deliveries.

After that, they took a few more plates of cupcakes to friends of ours.

Ammon bragged to his friend about the fun "secret deliveries" he had made.

His friend bragged back, including the fact that he had "secretly" delivered treats to us the night before.

Yup, apparently six year olds can door-bell ditch, but they can't keep their mouths shut.

Corn Belly's

For the most part, I love being in school.

The main thing I don't like is that I am not able to be the full-time Mommy I always dreamed of being.

It hurts my heart, just a little bit, to not only have Peter in pre-school,

but to send him to a babysitter as well.

One thing that has helped ease the hurt is that he has such a great person taking care of him.

I see babysitting, but he see's playdate.

He loves the kids he gets to play with, and he gets to go on the funnest outings.

One time, while I was in class, he went to the zoo.

Every week while I'm listening to my lecture, he attends a dance class.

And last Friday, while I was learning how to program, he went down to Thanksgiving Point.

I haven't actually been to Corn Belly's, but I understand it's pretty fun.

From the pictures, it looks like there were all sorts of activities to explore - and they hit them all!

Thanks Melissa, for taking great care of my little boy.

(And for bringing me awesome pictures, too!)

General Conference

We love General Conference and look forward to it every six months.

We decided to make a real event of it including cooking our first holiday treat of the season.

I also made my traditional cinnamon roles.

(Although between you and me, they didn't turn out very good at all;

Apparently I needed to educate my husband about which flour to buy:

He accidentally got a self-rising flour and the result was NOT tasty at all.)

We played "Conference BINGO"

The boys (all THREE of them) loved munching on the candy corn BINGO markers.

Ammon enjoyed conducting the songs while we watched Grandma Peggy sing with the choir.

Saturday evening we had our night out with the adult members of Andy's family.

It's always fun to shop with the girls while the guys attend their Priesthood meeting.

Afterwards we met at Gecko's for a late dinner.

It was a great weekend!

Adventures of Peter

Peter has been a busy boy lately.

Here are some of his many activities:

Story time with Daddy!
Peter LOVES snuggling up with Daddy while they read a book together.

Coloring time!

Peter enjoyed coloring and was quite proud of his work -

Until it started causing more anxiety than fun.

After a while he became quite concerned with making sure he was exactly in the lines.

That's my three-year-old perfectionist!

Cheesing it up for the camera!

We went out for a family dinner in honor our our ninth wedding anniversary.

Peter asked that we take his picture.

He posed again, and again and again...

Dance class!

The other day Peter tapped me on the shoulder and asked,

"Is today my dance day?"

It was!

On Wednesday morning he attends a dance class at the local library.

He loves it!

Halloween Preview

The other day I took Ammon and Peter to the store.

We were in search of Halloween Costumes.

I came home with the cutest Luigi and Woody I have ever seen.

These boys are bursting with excitement for Halloween.

And when I see them so full of joy, so am I.