MLK Hike

During the MLK holiday we took the kids for a hike up at Red Rock.
It was an unseasonably warm, sunny and calm day. Just beautiful. We packed the back pack with lunch + snacks and spent the entire afternoon up there. Oh that sun felt soooo good. Scott had done this particular route before but it was new to me and harder than I thought. I was impressed with the kids for having the energy to climb and descend the technical terrain like they did.
We came home tired and happy with that warm, sunny glow still simmering inside, turned on the hot tub and soaked after dinner. Ah. Can you tell we are desert folk? I'm looking forward to that summer warmth!

Booky Stuff

Reading books is a good thing. And having a good book group helps me with that because I probably wouldn't fit it in otherwise (or my recipe experimentation's).
But having a book group that goes to L.A. for the January "assignment" is the best. :)
Our little group was joking over the holidays about taking advantage of cheap San Francisco airfares and traveling for one of our meetings. Not long after this a house swap offer arose for a gorgeous home in West Hollywood via one of our members, which she offered for us to take advantage of. Should we? Of course! We are smart. We read books.
Sure- there are a lot of cool things you can do while in CA. But after the holidays, most of us moms just wanted to compare cupcake bakeries (Sprinkles is still tops, imo), shop, dine out, laugh really hard, talk late into the night about important things like gel manicures and school lunch shortcuts,.... you know, smart stuff. So we did. And it was wonderful.
My sister takes girl trips with friends a couple of times a year and now I know why. You come home so recharged and motivated. I loved getting to know these friends better. Now let's see if I can pull off wearing vintage!

Healthy Crack

I love Trader Joes.
I pick up the tasty staples I am familiar with and enjoy trying a few that I am not. The upside: I discover new things that are great (Needless to say, this method is not often successful at the local grocery). The downside: my list of 'staples' grows more and more and they are usually snacky things that I shouldn't be shoving in my mouth all day. But this is one I can! I know they look weird but they are so freaking dynamo. They are tangy, chewy, and crunchy from the little seed inside... I've been burning through the bags and keep going back for more. Like an addiction. To a fruity, chewy drug. You should see me in the aisles of the store... wearing a trench with messy hair, all shifty eyed; my possessive arms full of these bags, elbowing people out of my way as I run to the register...
Time to eat this photo sample.

Friend

Found this on the marker board in Luke's room the other day.
So funny.

North + South

The weather has been a little wonky around here. I'm sure most of you heard about our snow in early January? That was one wet week. It was fun to have a change of weather but after it all melted away and dried up, it was coooold. Then last week it was so wonderfully warm. We took the kids on a long hike and it was at least 75 degrees and so sunny. We just soaked up the vitamin D that day. I loved it. Temps are starting to slide back to their usual place now but I'm so looking forward to that sun again.

StayCay

We usually go to Utah and visit family during the second week out of school but this year we decided to stay home and enjoy some R&R in our hood. I am glad we did, too. We filled it up with lots of fun with friends and family. All you can eat Crab night, The Springs Preserve & game night with the Leavers, the Shark Reef down town with good friends...
We also took advantage of sales and did some post holiday shopping (scored those large West Elm nutcrackers at a steal!) and Scott and I caught up on movies we missed.
The fun week ended on a high note with a great New Years Eve party thrown by our friends. We ate great food, played a bunch of "Minute to Win It" games that were a complete riot. These pics are from that; the fastest to empty tissue boxes and knocking over soda bottles with baseball-toed stockings on your head. See those brown paper bags you see by my friend Kath's feet, all cut at shorter lengths? Scott and I were competing each other and were supposed to pick those up with our MOUTHS only. No kneeling, no hands, nothing. It's pretty hard and you look ridiculous (he won- bah!). We played more games and the classic white elephant swap before ringing in the New Year.
What a nice week we had. I loved spending time with Scott and our family vacationing at home.
And what great hopes I have for 2011! I am excited for this new year & new goals. 2010 held some great changes as well as some difficult times but I'm learning to accept, grow and move forward. Thanks to our friends and loved ones who are part of our lives. We love you very much. Happy New Year!

Christmas 2010

Wow! Check me out updating my blog weeks late. Here's a quick run through of our holiday break.
Christmas Crafts:
Prior to Christmas, I covered my office table with pipe cleaners, feathers and tons of colored pom poms. The kids made some fun decorations but the best was this garland from 6yr old Sadie. She had all the letters bent and ready and asked for my help in gluing them onto this tinsel ribbon & dotting the ends with tiny white pom poms. It. was. so. cute. I have been saving many pages of school homework to record their cute handwriting and this has further immortalized it. I confess I did try to sway her to give this one to me and make another for Papa & Nana (I admitted this to my Mom already) but Sadie relented and said she'd make the 2nd one for me. Which I never got.
Christmas Eve was spent with family here and always fun to enjoy each other. We had our costumed reading of the Christmas story and then came home and set out all the Santa goods. I love that my kids are young enough to not expect much and still want innocent little toys- no crazy iPad requests or mp3 players...yet. It's around the corner... I know it, so I am savoring it's lack now. Note the Wii Chores game which sleeve I created to throw Elliet off from guessing the D.Me movie inside. It worked great- she was a little bummed to see it really was a Chores Wii game, and then I tossed her the movie. After we finished our presents, we hurried over to the Leavers and joined everyone else for the day. The kids got some more fun gifts and we all relaxed together through the day. It was great being with people we love and enjoying the spirit of the season. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Pure and Simple

This may be a little dorky for me to post but journals are dorky sometimes...
But I wanted to post this because I don't want to forget something I absolutely love about my husband. Every time the kids are asked to give a talk in Primary, he calmly volunteers to oversee that task. Sometimes he has time to sit down with E/L/S and have a little visit reviewing the topic and helps them write a little something. But really, most times we don't have time to do that so he'll whip up something like this.
I have tried to do the 'whip up' a few times before and the paper is covered in words crossed out or erased, phrases that don't flow well and horribly executed. And then there is Scott who jots out something organized, error free, to the point and thoughtful in less than 60 seconds.
Now for the dorky part: as much as I envy his simple talent, I adore his wisdom and how our kids can have a dad like that. It inspires me to take a good look at myself and strive for similar mental clarity so I can reach the quick-awesome-talk-writer status.