The Fab Fisher Family's Blog

Instagram photo a day for January

2012-02-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

I love my iPhone. I can admit it. One of the reasons I love it is because of all the awesome app's you can put on it. One of those is Instagram.

It's kind of like Facebook for photos. I find myself snapping pictures all day and sharing them for friends and family to see. One of my Instagram friends Shelley Smith of the House of Smiths fame, shared a picture for a photo a day idea. We all know how the merry month of blogging went (not so great) so I was a little skeptical at first. I don't have time to do that. Its too much work. Blah, blah, blah...

Boy, was I wrong. It was so much fun! I missed a few days and had to catch up but for the most part I posted a picture every day. It was so fun! I had to be a little creative some days too. I also liked to see how people interpreted the daily task.

Here is the daily photo tasks for January courtesy of Chantelle (a.k.a. fatmumslim):

So here is a peak into my January through Instagram:

Whew! What a month! Its been a lot of fun and February is already off to a great start! Here is a link to Chantelle's February photo a day challenge from her blog. She encourages people to share using Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, your blog, what ever! It's a great way to capture those special moments! And if you are on Instagram, please feel free to follow me (search for brendafisher).

Happy picture taking my friends!

Merry Month of Blogging | Counting down to Christmas

2011-12-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Day Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen

Blogging every day in a month is hard work (I know I've already whined about this)! In theory it sounds like a great idea. In the real world, blogging ranks pretty low on my list of priorities when I've got tons of other stuff to do. Regardless, even if I haven't blogged every day this month, I have still enjoyed putting up the posts more regularly than I have this year.

Its officially one week until Christmas and I can't believe its come so fast! I started making my preparations in October for Christmas because I knew November and December would be a little rough because of my surgery(s). It's been fun to be in a Christmas mind a little longer this year since the month of December goes by so quickly!

I love Christmas. I love everything about it - the colors, the presents, the decorations, the music, the food, and most importantly, the hope and love it brings. I'm not a big fan of holidays designed to show one person love (Valentines = blech, Mother's Day = horrifying disappointment, ect...You get the drift.) But Christmas is different. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus (even though biblical scholars don't think it really happened in December, closer to Easter time - I think.)

With a 4-year old, the true meaning of Christmas can get a little muddled sometimes. Its so easy to loose sight of what is really important at this time of year. No, it isn't Candy Cane (our Elf on the Shelf) or Santa Claus. It isn't the Christmas presents under the tree, shopping or looking at lights. It's celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Christmas is just around the corner. In seven days, it will be done for this year. I am really sad about that. We love looking at Christmas lights as a family. It's something that James really likes and has helped Bridget love it as well. It's sad to think that in two weeks, most of the Christmas lights will be turned off. By New Year's, most people take their Christmas trees down. Two weeks from now, everything changes.

But this isn't meant to be a sad post, quite the contrary. This year we have much to be thankful for and much to celebrate. James has a job, I am healthy and cancer free and Bridget is a thriving 4-year old. That's just the abbreviated version of the Fisher Grateful List, it could go on for days. This year, Christmas has been truly merry and bright. It's been filled with giggles, beautiful lights, presents, singing, and most importantly, family.

Christmas is only a week away and I can't wait for it to get here. We're spending Christmas at our house this year and I can't wait to see the look on Bridget's face when she sees what Santa brought her. It's going to be an awesome day!

Merry Month of Blogging | Goodbye Aunt Eva

2011-12-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Day Fifteen

{Warm River - November 2008}

This summer I said good bye to one of the spiciest ladies I knew, my great aunt Eva Baker. Aunt Eva was a firecracker. She is my Grandma Ballou's sister and her polar opposit. Where Grandma Ballou was tomboyish, Eva was all girly girl. She always had a smile on her face and a big hug for you when you saw her.

She also has one of the sweetest love stories around. When she was a girl, she had a boyfriend name Chuck Baker. They were in love and would have gotten married but Great Grandma Egbert didn't approve because Chuck was Catholic and Eva was Mormon. They eventually broke up, married other people and had families of their own.

Fast forward about sixty or so years. They managed to meet up again - he was widowed and she was divorced. Their cute love story blossomed again and they were married for almost 15 years when she passed away in August. My grandma has been gone for three years now. Aunt Eva moved into the role of Grandma for us after Grandma Ballou died. I love her a lot and will always miss her.

Merry Month of Blogging | Missed days

2011-12-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

Day twelve, thirteen and fourteen

Blogging every day is really hard! I missed a few days this week because I had my first deadline since I had my surgery and everything was a little crazy! But I'm back with some good pictures today.

We have had such a rainy year this year. It has been fun and kept temperatures really cool, which has been good for me but not so good for gardens. What was great about it was that we had tons of warm summer rainstorms. Bridget had so much fun running around in the rain with her clothes on. Come to think of it, so did Tonya and I, but that's another story.

The water came down so fast during this storm that it filled the gutters and onto the street. It was a Sunday afternoon and very little traffic on the street which made it the perfect opportunity for Bridget to splash around in the makeshift swimming pool!

{She had so much fun that day!}

{Being the weirdo James is, he has his shoes in stomping in the puddles. So weird.}

{James and Bridget had fun splashing each other}

{Sometimes splashing around can make you so tired. Time for a 'noozer as Abby would say.}

Merry Month of Blogging | Bridget's first dance recital

2011-12-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

Day Eleven

Earlier this year we decided to try Bridget in a dance class to see how she liked it. Although the studio was a complete disaster and we've since decided to pull her out, she had a great performance in June as a bumble bee.

Bridget has really taken to dance and was so cute during her performance. She was by far the best dancer up there and we were really proud of her! Jim, Cindy and Makensie were able to come and watch her and I know Bridget appreciated it. It's so nice that she is able to have family around to support her. We love it!

{I love ruffles on the butt!}

{Seriously, she was good. They put her on the front row.}

{We heart family support!}

Merry Month of Blogging | Random James craziness

2011-12-10T21:32:00.001-08:00

Day Ten

James kind of gets the shaft on our family blog. He is usually working hard when we are doing fun things that make it on here and he gets very little recognition. Plus when you have a cute kid like Bridget, no one really wants to see pictures of the parents with a kid that cute, right? Right.

{My handsome hubby at the Roof restaurant last year during my birthday dinner}

I don't know what I would do with out James in my life. There are times when he drives me to the threshold of insanity and other times when he is so kind of compassionate it makes me cry. He has been so good while I've been dealing with my health issues this fall and I love him so much. He waited patiently in the hospital twice while I had surgery, gave me shots twice a day while I was recovering and has been an amazing help around the house.

I love torturing James and one way I can do that is by taking his picture. Since I'm the one usually behind the camera, he has to pose in front of what ever we're looking at. After a bit of grumbling, James will always stand where I want him to no matter what. He's a good guy.

Here are some random pictures I've taken of James over the last few years. They are all with my cell phone and they are pretty funny!

{Gotta love the Mexican wrestling masks. I tried to get him to try one on but he wasn't having it. Fun hater.}

{Brenda: Can I take your picture? James: Grrrrrrr.....}

{Yes, he is getting smacked with a sticky hand. He's a good daddy.}

{Taking a noozer with Logan}

{This is the James everyone knows - happy and always laughing}


{James and Bridget are two great cuddlers}

{James's big win at the casino in Vegas}

{Thumbs up to Beau Jo's pizza indeed}

{Classic James cheese}

{Epic fail on this pumpkin but he had fun carving it with Bridget}

Thanks for working so hard and being a great dad and husband James. Love you!

Merry Month of Blogging | Random craziness with Bridget and Paige

2011-12-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Bridget and Paige are crazy girls. They have so much fun together. These pictures were taken last year when Paige was visiting from New Mexico. These two are total nuts and when they get together its a total giggle fest. They are also best friends and we're lucky to have Paige living so close now.

Merry Month of Blogging | Bees Game

2011-12-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

Day Eight

This year we only made it to one Bees game, which is unheard of for us! We love going to the baseball games and Bridget loves cheering for the home team and eating ball park treats.

Bridget loves baseball a lot. We've taken her to the games since she was a little girl and she has always responded well. She wasn't a big fan of Buzby the bee mascot but she started warming up this year to him. Next year she might actually take a photo with him!

Next year we're going to try to make it to more games. We'll see if that actually happens. :)

{Looking very chic in my sunglasses and Bees hat}

{My little baseball fans}

{Bridget rocking the big sunglasses. She's such a pretty girl.}

Merry Month of Blogging | Bridget's first day of school

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day Seven

I will be the first to admit I'm not one of those sentimental mom's who cry when their kids go to school. School has been a blessing for us in every sense. Not only has it given Bridget loads of confidence, helped her be better socially and taught her things she will need for kindergarten next year, but it's given me a little free time during the week. Because I work from home, those precious hours have been a miracle.

That makes me sound like the worst mother in creation. I love my daughter, she is my absolute life. But there are times when its easier to get things done when Bridget isn't helping. Ms. Lorie and Grandpa Avery do a great job and Bridget has grown up so much since she's been attending there.

This year brought some changes to school and also included Paige! We were so excited when we got the call that Ms. Lorie had a spot for Paige. It's been such a blessing having them be in school together. They are BFF's and fight like sisters. I love those two cute little girls.

Finding Bridget's first day of school outfit was a miracle. I looked all over and just couldn't find something that fit her personality and her age. The stuff I found either made her look too old or too young. I finally found this outfit at the Gymboree outlet at the Park City Outlet Mall of all places. Tonya fell in love with it too and decided Paige needed one as well.

{Bridget actually hugging Paige and smiling - truly a red letter day}

{My Paige is such a cutie}

The girls looked adorable in their cute outfits! They were so excited to be going to school with each other. I love that they have each other. I love my girls!

There was no looking back for these two, they got out of the car, strapped on their backpacks and headed for the door. My baby girls is getting bigger with each passing day. In a way it is sad because I love the way she is now. But she has so much ahead of her and I can't wait to see what she can accomplish in her life.

Merry Month of Blogging | Random Bridget pictures

2011-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day Six

Bridget is a cheeser and can't make a normal face or look at the camera when I'm trying to take her picture. But sometimes she does the most random photos and funny faces. As I was looking back through my photos to find something to blog about today, I realized how many quick snapshots I've taken of her this year.

So here is a glimpse into Bridget's quirky personality through photos!

Merry Month of Blogging | Sneaking into mom's bed

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day Five

Most nights, Bridget sleeps in her bed the whole night. Occasionally she will sneak into our bed, always with at least one animal. One morning this summer she had snuck into our bed after James had gone to work. This is how she was when I woke up:

She makes me laugh! Not only does she bring all her animals with her, but she spreads out and takes over the bed. I love this funny little girl.

Merry Month of Blogging | We also did this in Denver...

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day Four

Beside going to the baseball game for Bridget's birthday, we also hit the sights around the Mile High City. It was so fun being able to show James and Bridget some of the things I remember from when I was a little girl. I think my favorite day was probably the drive from Roosevelt to Denver. Driving along I-70 through Glenwood Canyon made me think about all the trips we made through there, in good weather and in bad.

Here are a few highlights from the trip:

{The whole family (except for me) went to Elitchs and had a great time!}

{It rained a lot while we were there so the kids spent a lot of time in the hot tub. Bridget is like a fish and had so much fun swimming with her cousins.}

{We went to the aquarium to show the kids. It was really crowded but we all had a lot of fun.}

{Bridget and Makensie showing their best mermaid poses}

{My saucy little girl}

{Having a little fun at the aquarium gift shop}

{We couldn't drive through Idaho Springs with out stopping at Beau Jo's Pizza. It was so good, just like I remember as a kid.}

{Even Leppy liked it}

{Waiting for lunch at the Cherry Cricket and being cheesy}

{James and I wanted to go here because it was one of the spaces Adam Richmond stopped on Man vs. Food. Although everyone else hated it and James threw a major bitch fit about the wait, my burger was great! It was a fun place to eat I thought and a historic part of Cherry Creek.}

{We brought home two new brothers for Leppy - a white bear from Elitchs named Marshmallow and a yellow duck from the aquarium but I can't remember the name because we got rid of it shortly after we got home. Bridget still sleeps with Marshmallow though. She loves that squishy cheap bear.}

Denver was a blast and we can't wait to go back!

Merry Month of Blogging | Bridget's birthday in Denver

2011-12-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

Day three

This summer we were able to go to Denver with James's family over Bridget's birthday. The trip was pretty fun. We had a great time celebrating Bridget's birthday at a Colorado Rockies game. She is a baseball fan and has been since she was little. We've taken her to several Bees games but this was her first Colorado Rockies game.

{My cute family at the ball park}

It was scorching hot. It felt like someone had poured molten lava on us. Literally like the surface of the sun. But even the record high temperatures couldn't detract us from the fun of being in a major league ball park.We ate hot dogs, cheered for the Rockies and had a great experience at the ball park.

Denver is a place I hold very dear because its where we lived for 10 years when I was in school. We moved the middle of my junior year and it was always hard for me. Although I don't have any family there, its still home and I would move back in a heart beat!

The trip also allowed me to meet up with my good friend Damon Drew and meet his partner Christopher. It was a fun dinner with the hottest Thai food I've ever eaten. I loved being able to introduce James and Bridget to Damon because he's one of my oldest friends.

I had a great time showing my family Denver and can't wait to take them back again! Come back tomorrow for more pictures from our trip.

Merry Month of Blogging | Handprint turkeys for Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Day Two

As I've said numerous times, Bridget and I have loved having Tonya and Paige live so close to us. We've had so much fun doing crafty projects together. I am so thankful to have my sister live so close to me. It's been such a blessing in my life and for my family.

When we're doing crafty projects, I like them to not only encourage Bridget's creative side, but to also measure where she is developmentally. It's fun to look back at her projects from last year and see how far she's come. I'm so thankful Bridget has a creative side and loves doing projects with me.

{Bridget's Masterpiece}

To celebrate Thanksgiving, Tonya and I decided to do hand print turkeys. The girls had a blast having their hands painted and pressing them onto the paper. Bridget was so proud of her turkey and had a great time making it.

Although it was a little messy, the girls had a great time making feathers out of their hand prints, choosing the paint colors, gluing everything together and cutting out their turkey legs. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Merry Month of Blogging | Christmas Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T11:06:00.000-08:00

Day One

My blogging efforts this year have been less than stellar. We've had a great year but because we're I'm so lame, I haven't blogged about it at all. Since its December 1 today, I thought I'd try to blog every day about something we've done this year.

Every year for Christmas, James's mom and dad buy all the grand kids a chocolate advent calendar. I'm not sure how the tradition started all those years ago, but Bridget has loved it! This year my mom bought Bridget one as well so we have twice the chocolate advent fun. I can't complain because I know how much Bridget loves opening the little doors and finding the right number.

{A present is always a good way to start the Christmas advent calendar}

This year she's been able to find the right numbers herself as well. She knows 1-9 by sight but still has trouble with the double numbers. She's doing so good at preschool and having a great time.

Giving thanks for a good year

2011-11-29T10:00:00.000-08:00

{Aliso Beach, California September 2011}

For our family, this year started on a low note. James was laid off for the second time and we had just barely struggled through another depressing Christmas with no job prospects on the horizon. Thankfully, James found employment with the first company he started with in the surveying field, Meridian Engineering. It felt like coming home for us and we've been very happy being back.

We've had a lot of fun this year and the highs have out numbered the lows. We traveled to Boise, Denver, Las Vegas, West Yellowstone, Aston, Idaho, and Newport Beach this year with family. It was a lot of fun and we're already looking forward to visiting some fun places next year!

As the year comes to a close, I have a lot to be thankful for. I am grateful for modern medicine and the ability to make people better. In August during a routine physical my doctor became concerned about my abnormal menstrual cycle. It didn't mean much to me, it was something I'd dealt with all my life but she was very worried about it.

A fast trip to the OB/GYN and one hideously uncomfortable vaginal ultrasound later, it was determined that I had to have a hysterectomy. This hit us pretty hard. The "having our own babies" boat has already sailed for James and I, so that wasn't an issue. But I will admit I was scared about the recovery and the procedure. I had the best doctors around and although the procedure took longer than planned and I struggled to come out of the anesthesia, the results were good and my ovaries remained, which meant no need for hormone therapy. Hurray!

Two weeks later, everything changed. I got a call from the OB/GYN Oncologist while Bridget was at school. She said after further examination, there was one cancerous cell in my discarded uterus. It was small - less than a centimeter big. But it was big enough to concern her. The presence of cancer in my uterus meant an increased chance of the possibility of ovarian cancer later. The decision was made to go back in and remove the ovaries to eliminate the threat of ovarian cancer. That surgery will happen on December 7. Hmmmm....

Cancer is ugly, its scary and although I put on a brave front for my family since we caught it so early, I was scared. It made me think about my life and what was important to me. My cancer story had a happy ending because of my hysterectomy. I know many people aren't that lucky. I'm so grateful for Dr. Laine and Dr. Zimpolic. They are listened to my crazy concerns, wiped the tears away and held my hand when I just couldn't be strong anymore. They are both amazing women and I owe them my life.

Tonya lost her dear friend Whitni earlier this year to a rare form of single cell ovarian cancer. At the time she died, we had no idea that there was a tiny cancerous cell getting ready to take over my body. Whitni lost her brave battle against cancer after fighting it like a gladiator. She was a rock star and she will be missed. I am so lucky to be able to sleep next to my husband at night, pinch Bridget's bum when she runs up the stairs, be frustrated with my family when they irritate me, go to the grocery store, and do laundry after my own tiny cancer scare.

Christmas and Thanksgiving this year means something different to me. I'm so grateful for my family and the love and support they have given us through this difficult process. I'm a lucky girl. I have so much to be thankful for. I can't possibly name everything here. It shouldn't take something as serious as medical problems to make a person realize how much they are blessed. None the less, I have a new found love and respect for the wonderful people in my life and I hope next year I can do what I can to serve them so they will know how much they mean to me.

We wish all our friends and family the very best this holiday season. Have a wonderful Christmas filled with joy, laughter, love, and most importantly our Savior. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Halloween 2011 | Photo shoot

2011-11-14T16:14:00.000-08:00

I met my friend Emilie last year by accident. I won a session from her and we've been friends ever since. Once again this year we took Bridget out to her cute studio in Draper for her Halloween Photo event. This year didn't disappoint! She managed to capture Bridget's cute personality and her awesome Queen of Hearts costume. It was a great time and we're already looking forward to next year!

Fall Photo Shoot

2011-11-11T16:24:00.000-08:00

It has been so much fun having Tonya and Paige so close to us. We hang out all the time, do crafty projects and have a lot of fun. Tonya and I decided to take advantage of the warm fall weather we've been enjoying and take some pictures in the leaves. It was a lot of fun and Tonya took some amazing pictures. If you need family pictures taken, you should definitely call Tonya.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!

(More to come later)

Bridget turns 4

2011-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

I find it amusing when people reminisce about the good old days before kids, husbands and responsibilities. When I hear people say "I can't even remember what it was like before I had kids," I just smile because I remember with vivid clarity. For James and I, every day with out children was a painful reminder of my broken body and what I can't produce.

I will never forget the day that James and I found out we were going to be parents - February 13, 2007. That was the first night we talked to Celina and she decided to place her baby with us. Fast forward five months to July. I met Celina for the first time the day before she gave birth. We'd been talking for months on the phone but that first meeting was still nerve wracking for me.

Bridget was born on July 17, 2007 and of course, she was perfect. I'd never seen a more beautiful baby. When I first saw her in the nursery, I knew she was meant to be with us. I know the decision wasn't easy for Celina. But I know that she knows that Bridget is loved and adored by James and I and the people around her.

I can't believe that four years have come and gone. I begged her to stay three but she was too excited to be four. I love everything about her, even her mood swings and grumpy attitude. Even on my hardest day, when she says something funny or smiles at me, everything seems a little better.

Bridget, your daddy and I love you so much! You are so special to us and I want you to know how you've made our lives richer. We couldn't imagine not having you around. We can't wait to watch you grow up and experience the world. I have a feeling you are going to do great things but most of all we want you to be happy! Happy birthday baby girl!

Technology - blessing and a curse

2011-07-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

So this is what our family time has come to - being in the same room, not interacting with each other, but obsessed with iPhones and iPods. Oy vey. Technology is such a blessing, but sometimes it just feels like a curse. When I saw James and Bridget sitting like this, I just had to chuckle. Both so involved in their own device, neither of them knew what was going on around them.

At lease they are together. Its' a small consolation. It only gets worse from here I think! :)

Impromptu 4th of July photo session

2011-07-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July. I love everything about it - the food, the color scheme, the fireworks, the get-togethers with friends and family - everything. Our color scheme for church today was of course, red/white/blue and I must say, we all looked fab.

Bridget's outfit was adorable and although it is hot as hell outside, we both braved it for a short, impromptu photo session.

Father's Day

2011-06-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Despite my thoughts on Mother's Day (the worst holiday next to Valentines Day), Father's Day doesn't actually make me feel violent. I never see my dad on Father's Day weekend because the annual API golf tournament is in Roosevelt, which means my Ballou uncles desend on my parent's house. It's not that I don't love my uncles, but that's a lot of Ballou testosterone to deal with. No thanks.

Bridget will be four in about a month (can you believe that???) and she's really gotten into the spirit of gift giving on the holidays. This year we decided to give James a case for his Nintendo DS and a coupon for a game. OK, I know, a video game for James? Really? Really? Video games are the bane of my existence and it makes me bonkers to watch him spend hours playing those dumb games. But I got what I wanted this year for Mother's Day so I figured James deserved something fun.

We went to church and then spent the rest of the afternoon with James's family. It was a really nice time, the best I've had up there for a while. We had everyone up there except for Alyse and the kids had so much fun playing together. It was just a nice time. I'm so lucky to have a lot of good male examples in my life. My husband isn't always perfect, but he loves being a dad. He is so cute with Bridget and she loves him so much.

And my dad is far from perfect, but he taught me a lot and I'm the person I am today because of him. He taught me not to put up with other people's bullshit, to be kind to others and always be willing to lend a helping hand. He helped me develop my testimony and taught me the importance of the Lord in my life. I got my love of cooking and my sense of humor from my dad. Also my deep appreciation of the cinema classics "The Blues Brothers" and "Animal House".My dad taught me how to fish, how to work and how to to be a good person.

I love my dad a lot. He can be a complete pain in the ass sometimes and there are times, when I just want to strangle him dead because he can be so dumb. But he's my dad and I'm stuck with him. I love you Bob.

I couldn't help but throw this picture in there too. This was taken at my wedding with my two grandpa's. They were so different but I loved them a lot. I lost them the same week and I miss them both terribly.

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there. Keep being the best dad's you can be for your kids, it's matters a lot. Kisses!

Swimming lessons with Ms. Lorie

2011-06-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Bridget's preschool teacher Ms. Lorie has been such a blessing this year. Bridget learned so much this year in preschool and we were excited to see how she would handle swimming lessons with her. As you well know, Bridget is a chicken. She doesn't trust easily and scares even more easily. I knew if she was going to master the swimming thing, she was going to need a miracle.

Enter Saint Lorie.

She is wonderful! Bridget has been going all week and she already jumped into the pool and went under the water! O.M.G! She thought she was brave enough to go off the diving board today but it turned out that was just too scary. But she told me in the car she probably wanted to try it tomorrow. We shall see.

Taking a noodle ride

Look how big she is! Putting her face under the water!

Preschool Completion Ceremony 2011

2011-05-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

Graduation isn't the right word since Bridget has another year of preschool but none the less, James and I went to her completion/commencement/graduation ceremony on May 26 at Grandpa Avery's house. Bridget stood up there with her cute friends and sang her little heart out. It was so fun to watch her!

She's getting so big and some days when she talks to me, I hardly recognize her. Its a difficult thing to watch your kids grow up and start down the same path we've all taken. Her going to school has been difficult for me. On one hand, I love the 4.5 hours a week I have to myself that I can work, go to lunch, do what ever. On the other hand, I just want to bundle her up and keep her locked away and safe from the bad things I know she'll encounter. It's a completely irrastional way to think and bordering on completely bonkers. My sister thinks I'm nuts and I probably am, but that motherly instinct to protect her is so strong that sometimes it just takes over. I'm working on it, most days.

She's been such a blessing in James and my life that I can't imagine our family with out her. My heart bursts with love when I'm around her, even when she's driving me bat shit crazy. In face I'm bawling like a baby just putting these words down. Seriously, I need therapy.

Back to the blog subject, thank you very much....

James has been insanely busy this week but made sure he got away from a long lunch to watch our beautiful girl sing songs with her class and recite a poem with her friend Izabelle in front of all the parents. Miss Lorie and Grandpa Avery have been the best teachers for Bridget and she's made such progress this past year. We will miss them over the summer and are looking forward to her final year of preschool before she starts kindergarten next year. Holy Hell, deep breath mama.

When we walked in, Bridget immediately found us and saw that we were carrying a balloon. I love how her pretty face just lights up when she smiles.

We were treated to several songs that James faithfully camcorded. Oh, the memories.

Bridget and Izabelle rocked their parts. Memorizing poems is something Miss Lorie does all year and Bridget has really enjoyed it. So proud of my little lady!

Getting a big hug from Miss Lorie and getting her certificate. Sniff.

The whole class showing us their certificates. Sniff, sniff.

It wouldn't be Bridget with out a cheesy smile pose!

James and I are so lucky to have such a great little girl. I can't wait to see what she can accomplish in her life. I know she's going to do great things. Mommy and Daddy love you Bridget!

Golds Gym personal training up for grabs

2011-05-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

I have 21 pre-paid personal training sessions at Golds Gym I am trying to sell. We had to cancel our membership and of course they won't refund my money. If anyone out there is interested in buying them, I have to sell them before June 20. I am asking $1,000 for them and I will pay the $100 transfer fee.

These are 30 minute sessions. I have enjoyed them but they just don't fit our budget right now. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone you might know that might be interested. Thanks!

Swingset heaven

2011-05-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

Bridget is in heaven. When its not raining, my beautiful girl gets the chance to play on the swing set her daddy built for her. This was a project and a half. Thanks to our good friend James Wayman, the swing set is all put together and done the right way! Hurray!

It has an awesome slide...

Three great swings...

A great rock wall perfect for climbing...

A lovely playhouse with bay windows...

A ladder that carries my beautiful girl up to the playhouse...

And a guarantee of happy faces and dirty feet all summer...

Priceless.

Itty Bitty Track Meet

2011-05-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

There are times when my job and my family mesh perfectly and this was one of them. While covering a story for the Sugar House Journal at Fairmont Park, James and I decided Bridget would have some fun participating in a track meet specifically for 3-5 year olds. She was really excited about it and had a great time.

She did some jumping...

Some running...

And some throwing...

And then the payoff...

Bridget had a great time and we're so proud of her for not giving up and trying all of it. She told me her favorite part was the jumping and her least favorite was the running. Takes after her mother there!

Easter 2011 | The Easter Dress

2011-05-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Growing up, my mom always made sure we had new Easter outfits. That's a tradition I have loved carrying on with Bridget and one that she likes too. I was inspired by my good friend Angie Cooper (who always looks amazing and color coordinated with her five girls and hubby) so I decided our theme this year would be yellow. Bridget got her new dress, James got a new shirt and tie and I got a cute shirt and sweater. We looked so darn cute!

Last year we visited my sister in New Mexico and General Conference was on Easter Weekend so Bridget didn't really have an Easter dress last year. But thanks to Grandma Trenna's amazing find, Bridget had a darling Easter dress that matched her cute personality.

My favorite picture of Bridget from our mini-session. She's such a cheeser.

I love this picture of James and Bridget. Isn't my family just the cutest ever?

Easter bunnies and dresses aside, I am grateful for the Atonement and the real reason we celebrate Easter. I hope that all our friends had a wonderful day too. Bridget said the Easter Bunny has gone back to Easter Island to start making preparations for next year so until then, Happy Easter!

Easter 2011 | Easter Sunday

2011-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

I love being home on Easter and watching my baby girl hunt for eggs and having the privilege of attending my ward on Easter Sunday. This year didn't disappoint for sure! The Easter Bunny out did himself this year and hid a bunch of eggs and fun things. He brought Bridget two books, some Hello Kitty lip gloss, earrings, Squinkey's, and tons of candy. Bridget had a great time finding the eggs and playing with her new stuff!

Easter 2011 | Fisher Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

James's mom loves spoiling her grand kids and takes every opportunity to do it. Her Easter Egg Hunt is something the kids look forward to each year and this year was no exception. The weather up at the Cabin was cool and wet but that didn't stop us from having a great time.

This was Bridget's first Easter Egg hunt outside and we had a great time hiding the eggs on the rock wall behind the cabin. Mark and Makensie were so cute with Bridget and I think they had as much fun helping her find eggs as they did finding their own!

I couldn't resist this picture of Bridget and her little butt crack poking out.

That girl and her butt crack showing, I swear.

This is a black mail picture and count on it being in the wedding video when she gets married!

Bridget's loot. Cindy goes all out and this year the kids collected 38 eggs each! That's a lot of eggs!

I asked each of the kids to pick their favorite egg. I think each of them picked the egg that really fit their personality to a tee!

Easter 2011 | Dying Easter Eggs

2011-05-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Easter was so fun this year and Bridget had a great time. She learned the Peter Cottontail song from preschool has been belting it out ever since (hard to imagine, I'm sure). We had a great time spending time with James's family and doing our own family traditions.

Bridget had a great time with this whole process, even if I did leave the eggs in the hot water too long and it made my house smell like rotten eggs. Dislike.

Any way, we heated the eggs up....

And then cooled them down...

Only had one sad casualty (I'm counting this as a win)....

Got the classic egg dying kit I remembered a a kid...

Waited FOREVER for those dumb color tablets to dissolve before adding more water...

Putting eggs in the colored bowls...

And the payoff - beautifully colored Easter eggs done by my beautiful baby girl!

I have two more posts from Easter to follow!

Our 8th Anniversary

2011-04-30T12:13:00.001-07:00

On April 30, 2003 I married the best guy in the world. James and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple on the most perfect day a girl could ask for. Over the last eight years, we've added people in our family, lost some too and have been going about putting our lives together.

We spent our anniversary in Roosevelt with my family as Jack was baptized. I'm so proud of him for choosing to become baptized and James and I were honored to share that special day with him. Jack was born four days before our wedding on the night we took out our endowments. He is my special little guy.

This was the first real trip we took together as a couple. We went to San Francisco and San Luis Obispo for my friend JP's wedding in October 2002. Trenna came with us and we had a great time driving the coast and being together. San Francisco is one of our favorite places and some of our best memories.

The last eight years have been great and we can't wait to see what the the next year brings for our family!

Bubbles!

2011-04-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Bubbles are great. I love that I can spend $1 and entertain my lovely child for hours. We've had such miserable weather lately so we couldn't pass up the chance to get out in the sun on Monday and blow some bubbles. I even got my first sunburn of the year. Good times.

Spring Flowers

2011-04-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

I love spring. I love watching the first spring flowers brave the unpredictable weather and fill our dead gardens with bursts of color. Our yard is a continuous work in progress and we don't have many bulbs this year, but thankfully our neighbors Kerry and Jeff have such a beautiful yard we can admire! We are lucky to have so many great neighbors on our street.

The weather was so beautiful yesterday I thought it would be fun to take some pictures of the flowers in their yard. Happy spring everyone!

Isn't my baby girl so cute? I love that smile!

The last three pictures turned out great and I used some new Photoshop actions on them. They are going up in my room!

Golden Goddess Caramelized Onion Dip

2011-03-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

James loves onion dip like a fat girl loves an all you can eat buffet, and that's a lot!

We make an awesome onion dip with chopped olives that sounds foul but is really so good! While stalking Pinterest I found a yummy recipe for a caramelized onion dip. As soon as James saw the picture, he began whimpering, begging me to make it.

I'm a giver, you all know this so I agreed to chop TWO smelly onions to make this dip. I will admit, it's pretty good. If you like onion dip, try this. The prep is kind of a pain but its worth it and the longer it sits, the better it gets.

What I also love about this is the Greek yogurt is very low in fat and high in protein, which makes this dip almost good for you, expect when you eat it with an entire bag of chips.

Going in the for the taste test....

Ahhh....the face of a satisfied customer. James owes me big time.

Golden Goddess Caramelized Onion Dip

Adapted from: 101 Cookbooks

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter
2 large yellow onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), finely chopped
3/4 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine if you like)
3/4 cup Greek yogurt (low-fat is fine if you like)
3 teaspoons onion powder (not onion salt)
1 tsp. salt

2 beef bullion cubes

1 tsp. hot water

1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

In non-stick skillet over medium heat, saute the chopped onions in the olive oil and butter along with a couple pinches of salt. Stir occasionally with a wood or metal spatula and cook until the onions are deeply golden, brown, and caramelized - roughly 40 or 50 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

In the meantime, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, onion powder, and salt (adjust the salt/onion powder to taste). In a small bowl, combine the two bullion cubes and the water and microwave for about 30 seconds until the bullion cube is soft. Mash them up into a thick paste and add to the dip along with the Worchestershire sauce. Stir in 2/3 of the caramelized onions and top with the remaining onions.

For all the birth mothers out there....

2011-03-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

As you all know, James and I hope to be able to adopt again. I put together some layouts for potential birth mothers. If you know of someone who has an unplanned pregnancy and is thinking about adoption, will you please let them know about us? Love you all! Enjoy a little slice of our life!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T20:38:00.001-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Bridget had so much fun with St. Patrick's day this year, thanks to Ms. Lorie and Grandpa Avery at pre-school. The Leprechauns messed up her class room and left goodies for all the kids. She had a great time! We found her a cute Hello Kitty shamrock shirt and Tonya gave her the cute hair bow. She looked so darn cute!

Bridget made this cute shamrock headband at preschool. She cut it out herself!

Bugged.

2011-03-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Really?

Isn't it irritating when you find out after the bread has been baked

you didn't grease and flour the pan well enough?

For the love...

A desperate plea!

2011-03-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

As you know, things around our house have been a little tighter than usual with James losing his job last year. Instead of dwelling on the negative, I'm putting my talents to good use and trying to support my family until James can get back to work.

I've started working with my sister-in-law Alyse for International Student Exchange, a great program that places kids from around the world with host families. I've started working in the Eastern part of the state from Park City to Vernal.

Here comes the begging (be prepared).

I need help! I have one student placed and need to find good homes for nine more before then end of March! Aack! Alyse has been doing this for a few years now and has had several students stay with her during the school year. It is such a fun experience and her family has loved it. In fact, when we get through with our foster care/adoption process, we are planning on hosting a student at our house.

These are great kids who want to come and experience life in America. Utah is a great place to do that because the quality of people here is so high. If you are interested in hosting a student and you live outside of the areas I'm searching for, please let me know! We can find a student for you.

Here are a few facts about this program:

1. The kids speak and understand English.
2. They are expected to attend school and maintain a C average
3. They are here to become a part of your family for the school year.
4. Hosting a student is fairly easy, you basically provide room and board, food and support for them.
5. These kids come with their own spending money, insurance and a desire to become a part of your family.

Think about what a great opportunity this would be to teach your kids about another culture. We got to know Alyse's exchange student last year Francisco and we're still Facebook friends. He was a nice, quiet young man from Equador who taught their family a lot.

My friends, I love you all and I appreciate the support you give me and my family. Please share this with your friends, family, neighbors, church members, and who ever else. I only have 27 more days to get nine more students placed!

It's so unattractive but I'm desperate to find homes for these students. I don't want to let them down. Any help you could give I would appreciate.

Spring Photography Classes

2011-02-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

My sister Tonya has a gift. She's an amazing photographer and captures not just people in her pictures, but manages to tell a story with out saying a word. I'm completely biased of course but I feel wholly confident saying she's the best photographer in the world. There, I said it.

She's coming to visit me in March and is having a photography class while she's here. Not only is Tonya a good photographer, she's a great teacher. She is hosting a beginning photography class on March 12 that will teach you the basics plus a few tips on how to get better.

The cost includes lunch and good treats of course Tonya's expert instruction. Click {here} for more information about it.

If you're thinking this class doesn't apply to you or your not a photographer, think again. It takes more than owning a camera to be a photographer. Just because I own a set of kitchen knives doesn't make me a chef right? But I still enjoy cooking. Learning how to use your camera will give you the opportunity to take better pictures. Even if it never develops into a career for you, you will still be able to use it for your personal gain.

Even if you don't have the greatest camera, come and spend a day with friends and learn the other basics to photography. There is more than taking pictures and Tonya's class can help you learn how to capture the most important moments in your life.

Valentines Day 2011 | I {heart} Decorations

2011-02-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

In general, I think Valentine's Day is about the most useless holiday. A whole day to show the people you love how much you care about them? Lame. You should be doing that every day. My approach to Valentine's day is have low expectations and you won't be disappointed. I'm happy to report that my day was hardly disappointing again this year.

Regardless about my feelings, having a child is oodles of fun for Valentines day and Bridget and I have had tons of fun making Valentines for her to take to her class and to decorate the house. This year since I have found Pinterest, I've been so inspired to create things in my home and for my family. Although I just got my decorations up this weekend, I still did it before the dreaded day, so I'm good.

I tweaked my back last week when our car slid off the road so I've been laid up the last week. Last Friday night James took Bridget to the Utah gymnastics meet and gave me five blissful hours to myself. Sigh. I watched "Pride and Prejudice" and crafted the whole time. Sigh.

So what did I do with my time? I made sewn heart "curtains" after I saw them on Ashley's blog (She is fab by the way, she has great projects and gives great advice). I cut out thousands of hearts from an old book in all sizes and then sewed them together. Labor intensive, a little. Fingers cramping by the end, you bet. Worth it? Oh yeah.

Isn't it pretty? I love looking at it, especially when the heat comes on and it makes them sway. In addition to the book hearts I also cut out some pink hearts from card stock and threw those in there too.

I LOVE sewing paper like this! I did it for Bridget's birthday part and I love the effect. It's really easy and goes pretty fast too.

While we were hanging these up, I realized how filthy our windows are. Luckily it was warm outside that day! Look what a good helper James is out there cleaning them for me.

I just love the sun hitting these hearts. They are so pretty!

These hearts are in my kitchen window.

In addition to my hearts in the window, I also made a new wreath. I found this tutorial on Pinterest for a similar wreath. I had an old heart shaped wreath that was looking a little scary so I ripped everything off it and filled it with felt rosettes. It took some time but the end result is lovely I think.

I am so digging my awesome door knocker!

Another crafty project I tackled that night was a heart chandelier. It didn't turn out quite as I expected but I love the hearts. Next year I'm going to tie them together and use them as garland.

I started out cutting three identical hearts from a folded piece of paper (they were easier to glue together when they matched up). I used a hot glue gun glue them together, right before the last glue and glued in the string.

My pile of lovely heart dangles and Mr. Darcy. Yum.

Here is what they looked like before I hung them up.

Here they are after I cut them.

This is the string I used. I picked it up from Hobby Lobby. Good stuff.

Valentines Day 2011 | Bridget's school Valentines

2011-02-14T07:12:00.001-08:00

Your baby's first school Valentine's party doesn't happen only but once and I knew I had to make it pop! I found this idea on Pinterest and knew it was perfect!

This was really easy and very fun to do. I took a cute picture of Bridget and then in Photoshop added the hearts and the words. To slip in the sucker, you take a razor blade and cut two small slits at the top and bottom of her hands.

Her Valentine's couldn't be delivered in just anything, so I used an Anthropology bag my friend Heather had left and glued some cute felt hearts on it. I love this bag!

What a cute bag of Valentine's!

An experiment

2011-02-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

I saw a stunning picture of Heath Ledger the other day and it inspired me. He's good looking, no doubt but this picture really spoke to me. In my quest to improve my photography skills, I decided to try my hand at taking a photo I knew was going to be in black and white. I was quite pleased with the results. James helped me out with my picture (because I can't be in two places at once, shocking, I know) and I'm proud of his skills.

So this is my family. I'm not normally a huge fan of black and white photography, mostly because I think my child is so stunning in color. But when I look at Bridget and how elegant she looks, I think maybe I judged too quickly. I love James's picture, he's so handsome.

Utah Gymnastics

2011-01-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

James loves going to see the Utah Gymnastics team. His family has been doing it for more than 15 years! Bridget had a great time at the home meet on January 7, 2011. The Utes defeated #1 ranked U.C.L.A. narrowly, but a win is a win! Bridget hasn't figured out that we're there to watch gymnastics but she had a great time playing with Mark and Makensie.

Before the meet started, Bridget, Makensie and I went out to make posters, get a "U" painted on the girls faces and see Swoop. Bridget wasn't too excited to see Swoop, he still scares her a bit. But it was a great night and we had lots of fun.

We had such a fun time with Grandma and Grandpa and the Gomez family. The rest of the season should be great fun! Go Utes!

Welcome 2011

2011-01-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

At the start of a new year, I often find myself reflecting back on what the last year has held for me and my family. I will admit now, looking back on the last 12 months, it wasn't as good as it could have been but it could have been much worse. I think I have the winter blah's or something because I'm having a hard time getting excited about the new year and all the possibility it holds.

But enough with the blah's, 2010 had some great moments that we can't forget and all in all we laughed more than we cried last year and that's really all we can ask for, right?

Some highlights of 2010:
* Trip to Newport Beach for 10 days with my family in November and being able to see Maren and her cute kids.
* Cooking my first full Thanksgiving meal for James's family.
* Visiting Tonya and Alex in Roswell in April and then seeing them again in September in Albuquerque.
* Bridget starting preschool.
* Being honored for my writing with the Valley Journals for the second year in a row.
* Being able to go to two University of Utah football games in Albuquerque and San Diego.
* Spending the 4th of July with my family in Dutch John and watching fireworks snuggled up with James and Bridget in the back of my dad's truck.
* Crafty projects with Bridget.
* Becoming a primary teacher.
* Getting our front yard looking good for the first time since we've lived in our house. Realizing that the hours spent weeding, digging and what ever else actually paid off.
* Being surrounded by family and friends who love us and would do anything to help us out.
* Becoming involved with the Utah County Blizzard hockey team. These boys are going places, mark my words.
* Celebrating my 35th birthday and my 7th anniversary. My 30's have been great, I don't miss my 20's at all.
* Endless scheming with my sister.
* Having the opportunity to take pictures with some amazing ladies in my life.
* Throwing Bridget her first birthday party with friends.

I won't launch into the bad things that happened last year because there are a few that I'd rather not relive again. 2010 is in the past and its time to move on.

This year we hope to make some changes to our family through the amazing foster care program. We've been directed that this is the way our family will grow and we are so excited to be going through this process. If you've been a part of it, thank you for your help! We couldn't have done it with out great friends and family.

We're also looking forward to James graduating in May from Salt Lake Community College. This has been a long time coming and Bridget and I are so proud of James for finishing his degree and surveying certificate. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he gets a job soon so we can get back to our fabulous life so please keep us in your prayers.

There is so much we have to be grateful for and although we're struggling right now, we know that the tough times yield the sweetest results and we have to persevere. Here's to hoping 2011 is the best year for our family yet!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

I can't say I'm especially sorry to see 2010 go, it was a long, hard year filled with a lot of disappointment and heartbreak. But, 2011 is already looking up and James and I are on are way to having a great year. As you well know, Bridget is the absolute light of my life and there's nothing I like more than bragging about her. Shocker, huh? I also love digital scrapbooking. My love for these two things goes great together and Bridget is usually the subject of my pages.

Today was spent cleaning up Christmas (depressing and soothing at the same time), battling a cold (disgusting) and scrap booking (sigh). I haven't scrapped for a long time and it felt good to give it a try again. I find the best way to get motivated is to copy someone else's design! The idea for this design came from Janelle at the Shabby Shoppe Blog. (Who the Hell is Nick? Sorry, only my sister is going to get this joke but I couldn't help it!)

I need the inspiration and find it challenging to try to recreate their layout with my style. Some times it works, sometimes not so much. This time I'm really please with the results!

I had a great time coming up with words to describe Bridget from the letters in her name. Some letters were tough (I'm talking to you letter 'e') but it was a good time. I think I might do it for James too!

Snow Day

2010-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night and since Bridget has some fab snow gear, I couldn't wait to get my little angel out in the snow to play! She was so excited to build a snowman and as we were walking out of the house, she said "Mom, make sure you get a carrot." So cute! The snow was too powdery to build a snowman but that didn't stop her from having a great time!

She is so funny when she gets in the snow. If she falls onto her back, she's like a beetle - struggles to turn right side up! Of course being the mother I am, I don't help but just sit back and watch her struggle.

I love her eye lashes!

I love this picture! It just shows her quirky personality so much and I love how the hat (mine) is sitting over her eye. Sigh.

Snow golf anyone?

But here is the real reason anyone plays out in the cold, wet snow - hot chocolate made by mom!

I am loving my vintage melamine tea cup and saucer I picked up at the best second hand shop downtown. My heart swells just thinking about what a great find this was! Perfect for tea parties with my best gal. And it gives me even more joy to know I have a set of six. Who's up for a tea party?

The smile of a happy and warm little girl.

Christmas 2010 | Beaded Spiders

2010-12-29T07:22:00.001-08:00

I was given this cute Christmas story at our ward's Relief Society Christmas dinner. I'd never heard of it before but it was so cute James and I decided to share it with our family. I found a great tutorial on how to make these beaded spiders on You Tube. James helped me bead them and then I curled the edges. All in all we made 13 spiders for friends and family.

Here is the story that goes with the spiders:

Once upon a time a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year - the day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning and fled the farthest corner of the attic.

'Twas the Christmas eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. The oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him. Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. When the door opened a wee bit the spiders scurried into the room.

They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room so they crept all over the tree, up and down and over every branch and twig until they saw every one of the pretty things. At last they satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree beauty.

But alas!! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God's creatures too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so He touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold! Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our christmas trees, and according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.

The spiders are designed to just sit on a branch, not suspended like most ornaments. They look so cute on the tree!

This was Jack's favorite spider.

Christmas 2010 | Sledding with the Ballou Cousins

2010-12-29T06:32:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to have a white Christmas and this year didn't disappoint. It snowed a ton in Roosevelt right before we went which meant it was time to drag out the snow pants and have some fun with the cousins. We went out to Bob's office to sled and have some fun on the Razer in the snow. That was so fun! Bridget had a great time being pulled on the sled behind the Razer and was so upset when her turn was over.

Bridget really got into the sledding thing this year and had a lot of fun coming down the hill. She had a little trouble getting back up the hill so that meant James got to pull her up on the sled. He was such a cute dad with her that day, so patient and kind making sure she had so much fun.

I love these pictures of Jack and Bridget. What I wish you could have experienced was the sound as they drove by. Both of them were just giggling they were having so much fun being pulled behind the Razer.

Heading down the hill with Bailey. I got such a kick out of watching her because every time she went down the hill, she'd put her arms up and lay back on the sled, which meant she would roll off of it into the snow. It was so funny to watch.

James got in on the sledding action too.
Doesn't he look so cute going down the hill? Sigh.

Remember how when we were kids we'd build up jumps to use with the sleds? I'm happy to report they are just as much fun watching your kids do the same thing! I had the brilliant idea to build a jump and having Brian pull the kids over it with the Razer. The results were awesome!

Jack showed the most skill. He was able to land all his jumps with a style and grace I've not seen before in him. He held it steady and landed them perfectly. He could turn out to be quite the wake boarder.

Bailey had the best spills of the day. As soon as she went over that jump, she just let go and let nature take it course. She had so much fun jumping, which surprised me.

But Bridget's response was the shocker of the day. If you know my daughter, you know she's a total wimp and not brave at all. But she had so much fun going over the jump like the big kids and didn't fall off once. She's awesome, what can I say?

Christmas 2010 | Progressive Dinner

2010-12-23T15:01:00.001-08:00

I got James's family hooked on progressive dinners and they've made it a family tradition over the last few years. This year we started at our house for appetizers and I must say, they were so good. This was our menu:

Cucumber cups with poached salmon and cucumber dill sauce
Bacon wrapped chicken bites with Green Goddess dressing
Veggie plate with Green Goddess dressing
Swedish Meatballs
Cranberry Sierra Mist with blackberries

Salmon and cucumber are a natural fit and even non-salmon lovers couldn't fight the attraction of such an attractive appetizer. The cucumber dill sauce came from Market Street's recipe and it is so good on any kind of fish, but especially salmon. Yum!

Who doesn't love homemade Reindeer Antlers?

2010-12-16T16:11:00.001-08:00

Sigh. Look how cute my baby looks! She made this cute head band at preschool today and the antlers are her little hands.
So cute!

Christmas Crafty Projects | Beaded Candy Canes

2010-12-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

We decided a Christmas crafty project was a great idea for a beautiful, snowy afternoon. I had to get some stuff at Hobby Lobby so I thought I'd spend about $3 on beads and and pipe cleaners. Bridget had a ball making these cute little candy canes.

She's so serious when she's doing these projects, I love it.

It's true, they do look good enough to eat!

Christmas 2010 | Santa Pictures

2010-12-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

Bridget grew up a lot in the past year and sitting on Santa's lap was a big accomplishment for her! Last year she wouldn't go near the fat man and when I told her we needed to leave cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve, she told me it was time for bed and headed upstairs. Once she realized that he brings presents, she decided maybe he isn't so bad after all.

So cute, right? I love it!

We had my friend Emilie at Photo by Emilie take these pictures. Seriously, if you haven't checked her out yet, you are missing out! She is so great with the kids and takes amazing photos. I love the way these pictures turned out.

I bought Bridget a new necklace, earrings and bracelet to go with her cute dress. We actually bought it last year but didn't take any pictures and since it still fits her well, we decided to use it. The earrings are Bridget's first dangle pair. She looks so big in these pictures.

Who would have thought Bridget would actually give Santa a kiss on the cheek? Never underestimate the power of the promise of presents.

I love this picture! This is actually me in the Santa sleeve.
I love how she's looking up at "Santa". Sigh.

Hogle Zoo adventure

2010-12-09T23:57:00.001-08:00

I know, it seems odd to visit the zoo in December, but actually, it was pretty amazing! The weather has been so mild this month so far and we wanted to take advantage of it. Plus we had some free passes the zoo gave us when we donated our day lilies earlier this summer. A very nice worker came and spent several hours digging up lilies from our yard to transplant at the zoo in the big apes area. Apparently they like eating the leaves from day lilies, who knew? We were just grateful to have them out of our yard (with out having to dig them up ourselves) and happy they could find a new home in a place that really needed them.

There were only a few people there, which was great and the animals seemed a little more willing to interact. Nearly all the animals we saw were close to the glass and were moving around. We saw lots of crazy monkey's, the big cats and of course the elephants and rhinos.

Surprise, surprise Bridget wasn't looking at the camera. She was actually picking my pocket and managed to get my cell phone out. Little brat, good thing I love her.

Normally, this outing would have just been the girls, but we were fortunate to have James with us so us girls got a great picture! We sure love Heather and Elle.

Elle wanted to check out the tigers but drew the line at actually sitting on them. She would shake her head "no" and get a very determined look on her face. She's a rock star, I'm telling you!

Golly, I love these two girls!

Bridget has the hardest time smiling sincerely in a picture. I think it's her devilish nature, which I'm sure comes from James.

We loved seeing baby Zuri. We saw her last year right after she was born and she doesn't look much different. Bridget was pretty excited about seeing her. We bought her a stuffed elephant the last time we came and she still talks about it.

Elle wasn't keen on sitting on the elephants trunk and Heather barely
caught her before she went ass over tea kettle off the trunk!
Good thing for mom's lighting fast response!

I loved seeing these golden Tamarinds. They are the cutest damn things ever!

Bridget had a great time looking at the animals up close, especially the lemurs in the small animal exhibit. She kept saying "I just want to look at King Julien, mom". She's a big fan of "Madagascar" and we both think King Julien is the best! But she seriously got freaked out when she saw the disgusting bug exhibit in that building. I must admit, they are gross. We had a great time with Heather and Elle and of course with all the cute animals!

Christmas Crafty Projects | Glitter Glue Snowflakes

2010-12-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

cWho ever invented washable glitter glue was a genius! Bridget has become obsessed with it and uses it for everything. Mostly she likes to glob it on. She's an artist, or so she tells me. I love that she's such a crafty girl.

She was getting pretty good and making wavy lines with the glue for about five seconds and then just gave up and put blobs of glue every where.

Another blob of silver. But very artistic.

The finished products. If you get one of these little beauties, you are pretty lucky.

Isn't she just the cutest crafty girl you've ever seen? Such a cutie!

Build a Bear

2010-12-05T12:59:00.001-08:00

Yeah, it's been a while. Lots has happened. A fun vacation, a great holiday, a lost job. It hasn't always been easy but we have a lot to be thankful for.

We are very thankful for Ed and Cathy Gilmore. They live down the street from us and moved in just a few months after we did. It was destiny that we should be neighbors I think. They have three little girls (with one on the way). Jane is Bridget's age and they are best friends. They are in nursery together and will start in Sunbeams in just a few weeks.

Jane is about the sweetest child I've ever been in contact with. Her cute little smile lights up her face when she looks at you and has such a sweet disposition. We are so glad that she is friends with Bridget - I think they both have a lot to teach each other.

Cathy asked if Bridget wanted to come with Jane to Build a Bear yesterday (Dec. 4) to participate in an event that Shriner's Hospital was putting on for their patients. Bridget got to go with her BFF Jane and build a cute chocolaty brown bear she named Brownie. It was Jane's first time doing a bear and Bridget had so much fun helping her.

We picked out some cute clothes for the bears and it was fun to see what the girls picked out. Bridget decided her bear was a boy and she dressed him up like a soccer player. She said her Tiana bear needed a boyfriend. Oh boy, this is boggy territory. But its been all fun and we're grateful for the chance to spend time with the Gilmore's and for Jane and Bridget to be able to play together.

Jane chose a cream colored bear and loved it right from the start! After Cathy showed her how to push down the lever for the fluff, she did a great job!

Here she is putting in the heart, so cute!

Bridget is a pro at the filling part and she jumped right in!

Doing the squeeze test for softness - yep, it's done.

Next is time for the bear bath, a very necessary part before the
dressing of the bears.

The finished products! Cathy and I thought it was funny that the girls chose bears that match their hair! As you can tell, they weren't thrilled about having their pictures taken, but that's life! Mom's need the memories!

And if you notice a huge "soft" spot right in the middle of every picture, usually where someone is standing, that's an enormous smudge on my lens. Super happy about that.

Halloween 2010 | Pumpkins and Trick or Treating

2010-11-04T11:20:00.001-07:00

Carving pumpkins is probably James's least favorite part of Halloween. Not that it matters, I make him do it every year any way. As usual he indulges my crazy traditions and humors me, which makes everyone happy. We have this planned out - he guts the pumpkin and I make it look beautiful. It's a great system that we're both happy with.

This year Bridget got in on the gutting action and was completely
grossed out by the pumpkin guts. Pretty funny!

I look pretty serious carving the face on this pumpkin, huh?

The finished products! Ever since Bridget's first Halloween, we usually do
two pumpkins - one for Bridget and one for James and I.
Bridget wanted a huge grinning pumpkin.
We love the University of Utah so it shouldn't come as a surprise what James and I chose for our pumpkin. All I can say is that even our produce are Utah fans.
Go Utah Pumpkin!

Bridget had the great idea to give the pumpkin pipe cleaner eye brows.
She loves the crafty stuff I tell you!

Another fun tradition we've done the last three years has been trunk or treat with Jenny's ward. This year Bridget really got into the idea of trick or treating so for this girl to be able to go twice, she was in heaven. It's also fun because all of the cousins get together to have some fun. Bridget is lucky to live so close to her Fisher cousins. In a few years the older kids will be too old for this sort of thing, so we're cherishing these times.

Don't these kids look fab? From left to right: Makensie, Bridget, Danae, T.J., and Mark

Makensie is always such a sweetie when it comes to Bridget. She took her around to all the cars and made sure she got her fair share of the candy. She is a doll and we love her!

Last year I started taking Bridget to see Cindy at her office on Halloween. This year Bridget was a lot braver and had so much fun. She filled her candy bag up so full she could barely carry it. After we trick or treated there, we went to the Olive Garden with Grandma and Grandpa Fisher and had lunch. It was such a fun day! I will be sad when she starts school and can't go visit Grandma at work on Halloween anymore!

This is the last of my Halloween posts and I'm really sad. It's probably my favorite holiday. Looking forward to next year already, hopefully we have a new baby to help with the festivities!

Halloween 2010 | Ladybug Girl photoshoot

2010-11-02T17:49:00.000-07:00

I usually take Bridget's pictures or force my talented sister to do them when she's around. But this year, I saved myself a ton of trouble trying to force Bridget to smile and hold still. I won a give away on a blog I follow for a free session. I was pretty excited!

Emilie not only took Bridget's pictures and did a great job, but really captured her personality, which I love. Her studio is called Photo by Emilie and she has a great eye for pictures. Stop by her blog, it's really cute!

Bridget wasn't just a ladybug, she was Ladybug Girl, the character from a childrens book by the same name. If you have a little girl and you haven't checked this book out, you should! The drawings are outstanding and Lulu (a.k.a. Ladybug Girl) is adorable. Bridget got one for her birthday and we have loved it.

Halloween has come and gone and Bridget and I are both really sad. We love the pumpkins and dressing up. We'll just have to start looking forward to next year, Bridget already told me she wants to be an Oreo Cookie, stay tuned to see if she actually stays with that idea!

Halloween 2010 | Engh Garden's Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

Taking Bridget to pick out a pumpkin has been a tradition of ours since her first Halloween. Every year at the pumpkin patch is different. The first year she couldn't even sit up herself and had to be propped up. This year she has been fascinated by the pumpkins and Halloween in general.

2007
2008

2009 (coming soon)

2010

My hubby, a.k.a. Frankenfine!

Bridget and Mom

Bridget | Exchange Place

2010-10-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

I love taking pictures of my baby girl and when we went to Exchange Place with my friend Heather and her darling girl Elle, I knew it was the perfect chance to get a few pictures of Bridget and update the blog. We had such a fun time taking Elle's pictures and I got so many I can't hardly believe it! These are a few great shots I got of Bridget.

My Monday happy thought

2010-10-04T11:01:00.001-07:00

I love my Bridget. I love that she plays up in her room with her toys and is so good when I have to work. I'm really lucky. I love listening to the conversations she has with her toys. I love hearing her chatter. I love seeing the crazy dress up outfits she comes up with and I love that they almost always include a tutu. This is one funny little girl.

First day of preschool

2010-09-23T10:06:00.001-07:00

My baby is getting big and I just can't seem to stop it! She's obsessed with being a big girl and big girls go to school, or so I'm told. Everyone in the neighborhood raved about Ms. Laurie and Mr. Avery so we gave them a try. And I must say they are AWESOME!

Bridget loves going to preschool twice a week. They started the second week of September and she's already gone on her first field trip to Wheeler Farm and went on a bug walk. She has show and tell each week. This week she's taking her Witch Hello Kitty to show everyone. Lucky them.

She is going to preschool with her cousin Danae and they have a great time together. I don't think they actually play together but they don't seem to be fighting, so I consider it a win.

Albuquerque family pictures

2010-09-22T21:06:00.001-07:00

My sister Tonya is an amazing photographer (in case you didn't know!) We went down to Albuquerque to visit her over the weekend and to watch Utah kick the crap out of New Mexico, which they did! Since we're throwing ourselves back into another adoption, we wanted some awesome family pictures that would really showcase our personality. And these certainly did that.

We went to old town Albuquerque and it was so lovely. We were there on a Sunday morning with hardly anyone around. I love the colors of the Southwest - turquoise (the color of gangrene - I love that movie!), coral and sandy browns.

These were some of the best photos I've ever taken. Hopefully our birth mother will see these pictures and help us add another sweet spirit to our little family.

Our ride in the fire engine

2010-09-15T14:05:00.000-07:00

I love when my job gives me and my family opportunities that we normally wouldn't have. Today was one of those days! I wrote a story about Sandy's two new fire engines and Chief Don Rosencrantz invited me to come ride in one. It was awesome! Bridget at I sat in the back seat where the fire fighters would sit. What an incredible experience.

Bridget was so excited to get a new firefighter badge and a hat. If you haven't stopped by a fire house with your kids, you should. Firefighters are always so nice and love to show kids the engines. Our trip was short today but it was awesome. Thanks Sandy Fire Department!

Bridget sitting in the new engine in the drivers seat. She loved it and didn't want
to leave when we had to go home.

Muffins for brunch? Yes please!

2010-08-19T10:57:00.001-07:00

Muffins - the slightly less sweet version of the cupcake. It's perfection baked into a paper cup. What better way to celebrate a rainy Thursday than whipping up a batch of the best muffins. I found this recipe online this weekend while my family was here. I didn't have a muffin mix and was going to make something else when my mom asked me why I wasn't making them from scratch.

Uh, I dunno. I usually rely on the muffin mixes with the tin of teeny tiny little blueberries (yum) and hadn't thought about making them from scratch. I found this recipe online and decided to try it. After making it, all I can say is

I'll never buy a mix again - EVER.

It was easy to make and easy to customize with your favorite flavor. This morning the Midge wanted chocolate chip muffins (she is a chocoholic) and I was craving blueberry with a strudel topping. I whipped up a batch of the batter and then spooned some into two bowls. Bridget mixed her swirly chocolate chips into hers and I mixed a handful of frozen blueberries.

Yum. Seriously yum. The chocolate chip muffins baked a little quicker than the blueberry but I just took them out and put the blueberry back in the oven for a few minutes longer. They are better than any mix I've ever bought. I only used about 1/3 of the mix and just put it in the fridge to make muffins another day.

Bridget's muffins turned out great. The swirly chips kept their shape but were gooey and melty when she ate them. Tonya got me hooked on this new food photography thing too and I think these pictures turned out pretty good.

We all love blueberries at our house and my favorite part about them is the soft, warm, gooey blueberry pockets. And of course, hot blueberry muffins are best with a pat of cold butter.

I also love blueberry muffins with a sugary top. It's a staple in the Ballou house and I'm proud to carry on that proud tradition!

Here is the recipe, I hope you all enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened (plus 3 Tbsp. for the topping)
1 cup sugar (plus 6 Tbsp. for the topping. Raw sugar works great for the topping, it gives it a nice crunch texture and rich sweetness.)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour (plus 6 Tbsp. for the topping)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
muffin fillers: blueberries (fresh or frozen), chocolate chips, ect...

Preparation:

In a separate bowl, mix the butter, sugar and flour for the topping until combined and crumbly.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well; stir in milk. Combine dry ingredients and add to the mixture; stir to combine. Gently fold in blueberries or other filler. Fill greased muffin cups about 2/3 full.

Sprinkle tops with with a spoonful of the topping. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Makes about 12 muffins.

What's for lunch at the Fisher's?

2010-07-26T15:05:00.001-07:00

Homemade mac 'n cheese with broccoli. Yummers. Who's up for a lunch date?

Bridget's 3rd Birthday

2010-07-17T17:55:00.001-07:00

I can hardly believe that three years have come and gone already! It seems like just yesterday when I was holding her for the first time, wondering how I could be so lucky to have this beautiful baby girl as my child. She is brilliant and I love her so much.
Trenna, Bailey and Abby came to spend the day with us and Bridget was so excited about it! We had a jam packed day of fun that included:

Going to Jungle Jim's to ride the rides

Oreo ice cream cake from Coldstone

Playing with her presents

And cheesing it up in her birthday shirt.
That thing was so dirty by the end of the day, I don't know if I'll be able to wash it for her to wear to her tea party!

On Sunday we took a drive up to the Alpine Loop, which is one of our favorite places to take Sunday drives, and took some fun pictures for her third birthday. She has been so moody the last three days and today was no exception. Despite having to deal with an intense amount of whining, I got some beautiful shots of her.

Don't you love her Utah pin? So cute! Never too early to start reinforcing the red in my opinion.

4th of July 2010

2010-07-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, its been a little while since the 4th of July but I've been on deadline so nothing else has been getting done (come look at my house and you'll believe me). Our 4th of July was wonderful as usual. Its one of my favorite holidays along with Halloween, Christmas and Thanksgiving. The rest of the holidays - eh. I can take or leave them, but those are my favorites.
I digress, back to the 4th of July. We spent the weekend in Roosevelt with my family (minus Tonya's clan) and had a great time! On Saturday, July 3 we drove up to Flaming Gorge and had a picnic in Dutch John at Dripping Springs camp ground. They had a fire there about eight years ago and I couldn't believe how different it looks. So barren, it made me really sad. We cooked dutch ovens in preparation for the reunion and I think we have a winner.

We watched the fireworks in Dutch John and it was so much fun! I would have firework pictures to post but my dad's tripod didn't have the attachment for my camera so no pictures. Blah. We were on the front row and James, Bridget and I sat in the back of my dad's truck, snuggling under a blanket and watched one of the best fireworks shows I've ever seen. It was so much fun.

On Sunday, Trenna, Bridget and I made red, white and blue cupcakes and had sooo much fun! We put food coloring in the batter and then put a little bit of each color in the cupcake paper. Bridget tried to get the hang of mixing them with a toothpick but to be honest, she was more interested in licking the batter off the toothpick after she'd dip it in. She's my girl all right.

When the kids came over, we made pretzel sparklers and they were yummy too. Big pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate and then covered with sprinkles. Thanks Martha for that one.

We had a great dinner on the 4th and along with perfectly cooked ribeye steaks, I also made a Pavlova. It's a meringue dessert we ate in Australia. It's sooooo good. Sooooo good. Sooooo good. You should so try it, it's delish!

One reason I love the 4th of July is the amazing sense of patriotism that comes over the country. I'm very proud that I'm an American. This country might not be perfect, but if you don't like it, go some place else. I told James as we were sitting in the back of the truck watching the fireworks that this is what life is about - being with the people you love the most and celebrating the nation we live in.

I'm grateful for those who serve in our armed forces, past and present. They sacrifice a lot for all of us and so do their families. I watch Erin and how hard its been having Jason gone when he was in Afghanistan. She is strong and I'm proud of her.

Another thing I love about the 4th is the classic color scheme! I love the flags flying everywhere, and people putting out their best red, white and blue. Keep it up people, I love it!

Ballou girls tea party

2010-06-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Ballou girls gathered to have a fabulous tea party at Lili and Connie's house on Friday. We had such a good time watching the girls slip and slide, swim in the pool and finally enjoy their "tea" with the cute dishes F.A.P. (Favorite Aunt Pat) brought for them to use. It was a huge success and wish the rest of the girls would have been there too!

Here are a few highlights of the evening!

Cali O'Malley having some tea (that's what Bridget calls her, so cute!)

Andy and Jo's beautiful Nicole and Drew. Such cuties!

Holli's Savannah had her face painted from the Arts Festival.

Skylar (Jo and Andy) and Ashton (Ben and Camille) conspiring over a cup of tea.

Bridget having her own cup of tea.

All the kids gather around their make shift table (Connie's ottoman) to enjoy their snacks.

Speaking of snacks, Lili made a yummy raspberry lemonade, a spinach salad, chicken salad sandwiches, and this lovely cucumber/tomato/onion salad. F.A.P. brought some cupcakes but no frosting, I brought some lemonade and a few treats, Holli made some fresh chocolate chip scones, and Jo brought some fruit.

F.A.P. being cheesy as usual.

The girls chillin' in the pool.

Skylar, Aston and Ali taking full advantage of the slip and slide Lili lubed up with dish soap. Very slippery.

Bridget didn't quite get the hang of the slip and slide but she had fun playing on it.

Look what I found....

2010-06-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Any one who knows me really well knows I love books. I can get lost in the story for hours. It's a blessing and a curse sometimes. I found a new author, Sarah Addison Allen and have fallen in love with her stories! They are amazing. If you're looking for a great book with outstanding characters and story line, pick up her books. You won't be dissapointed.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

My dad and I have a great relationship, strange at times, but he and I are in sync most of the time - sometimes good, sometimes bad. If you know a Ballou girl you will know that those Ballou genes inherited from John and June Ballou are strong, bossy, opinionated, loud, and almost always right. I am a Ballou girl through and through and damn proud of it.

I never spend Father's Day with my dad because its the annual API golf tournament in Roosevelt, which means that my uncles over take my parent's house for a weekend of golf, food and of course, bull shit. But I always call my dad on Father's Day because I love him very much and because of the way he is, I don't tell him nearly enough.

Bob can be a bit prickly sometimes, doesn't show his emotions well (except for anger). But he's really a soft hearted, compassionate person that I favor not just in looks, but personality. But where he's quick to bluster, he's also loving and always fair. He's a pretty great guy.

I have a lot of great examples of amazing men in my life. I am lucky to have a great husband, dad, brother, brother in laws, father in laws, uncles, cousins, and two amazing grandfather's who I miss very much.

I love this picture! It's one of my favorites from my wedding. I was very close with my Papa but not as close with my Grandpa Ballou. I am who I am because of these two men and how they raised my parents. I miss them tons.

My uncles are a crazy group of guys when you get them in the same room. But they are fun and I love them a lot.

I love the look on my dad's face in this picture.

I took this picture at the park today because I wanted to make sure Bridget could see a picture of her and James on Father's Day. These two are so cute together. When I go to City Council on Tuesday nights, they go on Daddy/Daughter Dates. Bridget looks forward to them each week.

She was so small in this picture, just a few days old. I love this one because James's hands are so strong holding her and she's just so delicate. It was love at first sight for both of us with Bridget, but especially James.

Marcos and his two little monkeys. They were just babies when I first met them and now they are so big. Where does the time go?

This picture of Brian and his kids is old but I still love it.

Tom has a cute relationship with each of his kids and I really love that about him.

I love this picture of Jim and his three kids. They are all so alike in many ways and yet all three kids are so different. I guess that's what makes a family, right?

Alex and Paige - two peas in a pod for sure. He is a cute dad with her and lets her get away with murder!

Happy Father's Day 2010 everyone!

Seeing the fishies

2010-06-17T08:24:00.001-07:00

Lili and I took the girlies to the Sandy Aquarium yesterday and had so much fun! Neither one was really interested in touching the Stingrays but they loved watching the penguins.

Cali and Bridget modeling their new shades and being superstars. I had one of these on my head to try to get their attention for the picture which meant that they both needed one on their heads as well. You know how that works.

Bridget loves the penguins and was so funny when she stood next to this one. She basically told me everything she knew about penguins while she stood here. It was funny.

We tried to get Cali to go in the boat with the Midge but she wasn't having it.

It was such a fun day and we are looking forward to another cousin trip next week to the zoo!

Bridget first gymnastics class

2010-06-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

We signed Bridget up for a gymnastics class this summer from a girl in our neighborhood and yesterday was her first class. We bought her a cute black leotard and she looked soooo cute and so grown up! She finally figured out how to do a somersault with a little help from Savanna. I asked her what her favorite part was and she said flipping! So cute!

Doesn't she look so big in this picture with those other kids? She needed a little help with most of the stuff but not the balance beam, she mastered that!

Here is Savanna helping her do a back bend. She was a little nervous at first but then started having fun.

Blackberry Lemon Trifle

2010-06-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Have you had my blackberry lemon trifle? You are missing out if you haven't. I made it a few weeks ago for some friends and it was a huge hit! This is actually several recipes skillfully combined to make a divine taste creation. Here is the recipe:

Blackberry Lemon Trifle

2-3 cups blackberries (raspberries and strawberries work great too)
Lemon curd mousse
Sour cream pound cake

After the pound cake has cooled, slice it into 3/4 to 1 inch slices, then cut the slices down the middle and then into six pieces (they don't have to be neat). Put some of the mousse down in the bottom of your serving dish (I used my trifle bowl but anything will work) and then put down about half of the pound cake, pushing it down with your hand into the cream gently. Put half the berries on top of the pound cake and then top with half the mousse.

Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients. When adding the second layer of pound cake, push it down until the mousse starts to seep through the cake. The more compact the trifle is, the better it seems to be, but don't push it so hard you break up the cake or squish the berries.

Top the trifle with the remaining mousse and garnish with a few berries and some lemon zest (if you have some.)

This dessert is great the first day you make it but its also great if you make it the day before. The leftovers are great but the cake will start to get a little softer the longer it sits mixed with the mousse.

Here are the other recipes you will need for this dish:

Lemon Curd Mousse

6 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
2 cups sweetened whipped cream

To make the lemon curd: Bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl and whisk until smooth. Set the bowl over the simmering water, without letting the bottom touch, and continue to whisk. Keep working-out that arm and whisk it vigorously for a good 10 minutes, until the curd has doubled in volume and is very thick and yellow. Don't let it boil. Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the butter, a couple of chunks at a time, until melted. Refrigerate until the custard is cold and firm.

When ready to serve, fold in 2 cups sweetened whipped cream to make it a mousse.

Paula Dean's Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating in each egg 1 at a time. Add vanilla.

Pour the mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

BBQ sauce and the park

2010-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

My dad has the hands down best BBQ sauce recipe out there and if you've tasted it you'll agree. It's the perfect blend of smokey, slightly sweet, spicy goodness that you expect from a GREAT BBQ sauce. We all think that he should bottle it and sell it. We got together with James's family on Sunday for our weekly walk in Murray Park before it started flooding like crazy. James and I made yummy BBQ chopped chicken sandwiches and they were divine!

The sauce is super easy especially when you have a good helper like Bridget. I use this sauce on everything BBQ and I think once you taste it, you will too. Plus, if you know Bob (and love him) you know that he's serious about food and anything he tells you is good, probably is.

Here is the recipe:

2 1/4 cup ketchup
2 1/4 cup water
2 beef bullion cubes
1 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 TBSP. chili powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 shakes of hot sauce (I promise, this adds to the flavor not the heat)
1 1/2 TBSP. brown sugar or honey
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 TBSP. lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients and boil for 15 minutes.

The spices you will use:

The finished product. Yum!

It's so easy and soooooo good! If you make it, let me know what you think.

Here are the pictures from the park later that day!

James and Bridget hamming it up. They are so cute!

The ice cream man came by us and the kids freaked out they were so excited! Bridget got a Shrek Popsicle thing that smelled like green apple but looked like radioactive slime.

Danae showing off her watermelon Popsicle grin!

All the cousins posing with their ice cream. Such a cute bunch of rascals!

I couldn't help not snapping this picture and as you can see from the reflection in my glasses, I took it myself. Bridget wasn't happy about it but I rarely make an appearance in our pictures because I'm usually the one taking them!

I love these kids!

The whole family (except for Alyse - missed you girl!)

The biggest group of cheesers I know, especially T.J.!

Trouble in a wagon for sure!

Inside out ice cream cone

2010-05-27T13:37:00.000-07:00

Bridget discovered the joy of sundae cones and has been a big fan. She helped me clean up the living room today so she got to have one. Now that I think about it, James mentioned something about not rewarding her with food last night. Hmmm.....

Any hoo, I looked over at her and she had started eating the cone from the bottom! Get to the good stuff first, right? She was so cute I couldn't resist taking some pictures.

A scant few minutes later, I look over and she's finished the cone and eating the ice cream out of her hand. It was so cute! What started off as an ice cream cone finished in a bowl with a spoon. To be a kid again. Sigh.

Rhubarb bliss

2010-05-26T10:07:00.001-07:00

Do you like rhubarb? I find that most people haven't ever tried it, don't like it or love it. I fall into the last catagory. It is so yummy! After my Papa died, my mom dug up the rhubarb plant he had in his yard and took it to her house. This last weekend I cut a bunch of it and brought it home with me. Serious yum.

My favorite way to eat rhubarb is stewed in water and sugar. When I made it today I added some raspberries and they made it even better! Have you ever been to Mrs. Knotts chicken restaurant at Knotts Berry Farm? They serve it there stewed in cherry juice and its so good.

I guess one reason I love rhubarb is because it reminds me of my childhood and my Grandma Udy. The plant grew at her house and she would make stewed rhubarb for us when we would come visit, along with rice pudding. I miss her a lot and I think she would have liked me passing on the tradition to my Bridget.

Just can't wait for summer

2010-05-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

My little Bridget is a water bug! She loves it in any form and this spring she has found puddles again. It was so nice on Sunday evening that we decided to let her have a little fun in the sprinklers. She had a great time running around and jumping in the puddles. She is a sweet heart!