April 2014 General Conference

Zach had to work Conference weekend, so we made it a fun Mother-Daughter time with a yummy breakfast and activities.

We pulled out the Friend magazines from the past few months and made the Around the World paper dolls that are found in each issue.

I'm not someone who usually advocates providing entertainment for your kids, and instead usually insist that they sit reverently and try to listen so they can learn and practice for church. I was surprised to find that I focused better while mindlessly coloring and actually got a lot more out of it than when I try to just watch and listen while attempting to corral two distracting babies.

Clara was confined to the highchair eating for one session, and napping the second, which worked great for her. Lucy was engrossed in her project and asking questions about what we were listening to, while I answered her inquiries, colored, and watched the broadcast myself. A win for everyone!

Proud of her paper dolls.

Happy to be eating German Pancakes and watching the church news in-between sessions.

What traditions do you do on Conference weekend?

Food, Food, Glorious Food!

Whenever Boyd comes to visit we can count on three things:

1. Lots of lounging around/relaxing while watching movies

2. Lots of game playing

3. Lots of good food!



It's time for cooking, baking, and eating!

Boyd's favorite: Apple Dumplings.

Shakshuka, or poached eggs in tomatoes and onion. Courtesy of Andrew.

So yummy! Serve with warm pita bread.

Roasted parsnips, new potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms with some pink Himalayan salt.

Roast lamb. Via Andrew.

Testing out the  cookbook we got Andrew for Christmas.

Gougère : Cheese puffs

Andrew treated us to crab legs!

Cheese party!

I'm drooling just looking at these pictures again. 

So yummy! These are actually served in hollowed out fruit! Find at a Costco near you. Perfect for a spa night. 

Boyd: the baby food whisperer

Homemade pizza with Great Harvest bread dough for crust. Yum!

Cinnamon rolls

Boyd and Andrew, come back soon! I'm hungry!

Family Time

While Boyd and Andrew visited we had plenty of fun family time at home enjoying each others company.

Mom and Lucy story time.

We also had the chance to meet with one of our friends from Alaska who randomly lives right here in Texas, and attends the same church congregation as us! Always a small world in the church. 

Tickle monster!

Drink it up while you can!

Home in December

Here are assorted pictures of us getting comfy in our house during the month of December.

Pink Pj twinners!

Snuggling for warmth when the temps dropped.

More snuggling.

Lucy enjoying her See's Halloween treats from Grandpa Billy and Grandma Gayle.

It's like looking into a mirror!

Skyping with family.

"Mom, why is there a Jesus card?" "Who is this, mom? Is this a prophet?"

Excited to get another cousin!

New House

Here are some pictures of our house while it was under contract. We were just waiting to close before moving in.

Stats:
4 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
Built in 2002
2796 sq ft

I've noticed that several houses on our street only have one light on one side of the garage door instead of the usual two.

Front room that leads into dining room.

Welcome!

Front porch, ready and waiting for a glider bench. 

The formal dining room. Ready and waiting for all the game nights!

All new carpet leading upstairs to the bedrooms.

A sneak peek into the huge master bedroom from the upstairs landing/hall.

Our lovely realtor standing in front of Lucy's room.

The fifth bedroom. Jk! The enormous master closet.

The master bath.

Lots of storage space! New tile, wood laminate floors, appliances, sink/faucet, and granite counter tops.

Living room.

You can see a little bit of the overhang from the back patio in the widow along with the shed.

Large pantry in kitchen.

We love our new house!

All the boxes were emptied by the movers so we have been organizing and putting things away for the past two weeks trying to get things in order. It's been nice to go through everything and pull out things that we don't want, need, or use to donate and get rid of.

My new philosophy is that if I don't love it, then I am not buying it! This will help me eliminate clutter and unused/unwanted items in my home for the future.


Any tips on maintaining a minimalist home only filled with things that you love, and that make you happy every time you see/use them?

I love open spaces!

Clean Fridge Out Party

Before heading on our trip to visit family in Iowa last month, we invited some friends over to help us eat the food in our fridge!

We stuck with our recent favorites and made Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup, English Muffin Bread, and Gourmet Grilled Cheese sandwiches. Yum!

I love these people! I love this food!