hear ye, hear ye

Hey everyone! I am 30 now! So I know stuff and can be taken seriously! Yes!

I don't know a lot of stuff, but I know some stuff. And one thing I know is that everyone should have a birthday once in a while so they can remember that people like them! My birthday was that kind of day for me! A lot of people happen to like me! Yay.

I got calls from 5 siblings, 1 aunt, 3 parents, and a couple friends. Plus had a nice lunch with 2 of my neighborhood girlfriends, got some sweet b-day cash, a few exciting gift cards, a night out with my husband, 68 happy birthdays on facebook, and these delivered to my house...

I love them! They are giving me spring fever!

Other stuff I know: 18 days with sick people at my house is too many days. I am ready to be freed from my boogery, feverish, chilly, pain reliever administering prison! I have tried my best to selflessly dump all my money into doctor co-pays, but now I'd really like to use it for something fun.

Um, what else, OH YEAH. Kids can be so mean. They were mean when I was a kid (I can use the phrase "when I was a kid" now), and they are still mean. There is a super mean kid in Preslie's class at school who tries to make many people's lives as miserable as he can. I actually feel bad for the kid because his life is probably the most miserable one of all. He just doesn't have it so good in the home department and I think he's trying to find his value in belittling others. It is really sad. I just hope that someone, somewhere down the line can help shuffle the cards stacked against him and I hope that Preslie and her friends can learn a great lesson from being in his class and never make fun of another kid because they know how much it can hurt. My young women's president when I was a laurel shared a poem with me one time that I like...

To those who have been done dirt:

Be thankful even unto your grave

That you were the one who received

Instead of the one who gave.

And the last bit of knowledge I wish to impart is to all those in the blogosphere that don't have it in them to read the 4th and final Twilight book... Just ask someone who has read it to summarize it for you. One of my closest friends is reading Breaking Dawn (something I cannot bring myself to do), and is so kindly giving me a play-by-play of what is happening in the book minus all of the author's cheesy goo. IT IS AWESOME!

What a great husband friend!

my lips hurt real bad

It's been a day full of service. I was on my way out the door this morning to get a few things for a dinner I was going to make for my neighbors when the phone rang. It was Preslie.

"Mom, can you bring me some chapstick? My lips are so dry and they are cracking."

Since I was already headed out, the grocery store is a block from the school, and it reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite, I took the girl some chapstick. I would have never called my Mom to bring me chapstick at school. I don't know if I am glad Preslie thought to do that or not. I digress..

So I grilled 16 hamburgers and took 11 of them to my neighbors. It is our pediatrician, his wife, and their 9 children. The Doc has seen every one of my kids once or twice in the past 2 weeks including a couple of house calls. He is the nicest guy and a such a competent doctor. (He is also the guy who saved Preslie last year when she had pneumonia.) I wanted to return the favor.

Then I fed my own kids and a friend and then watched my next door neighbors' little girl while they went to the cannery. She is such an easy going darling kid and it wasn't hard at all, but still I am glad I could help out.

I like doing things for people. It lifts my spirits in the best way. A lot of times I feel like I don't ever do much for others but then I think to myself, Hel-LO! A baby is a full-time service project as are toddlers and even older children. I do find joy in being a mother and a wife and I need to recognize the service I do in those capacities and probably find more ways to serve those in my home.

So whether it's bringing a child chapstick or doing something you know will make your Man happy, those little things will make YOU happy too!


Edit: This is Dax and I am adding this link

i love moo

Boy do I love it. But I love her more. I have decided to cut dairy from my diet to see if it will help my baby with a potential cow milk allergy. I have been 2 days without dairy and it's ok. Only a million more to go until she is one and weened. I am already missing chocolate. And I know pizza will be a hard one. But you know, Almond Milk is deeelish. So we're good. And she's worth it.

Feeling the LOVE ! ! !

We had such a fun Valentine's Day! I woke up to the kids chatting excitedly about all the hearts that were taped on the walls and "have you seen the kitchen?, it's crazy!" I was pleased that my 10 minute decorating the night before had them so wowed.

I let my husband sleep in while I got up and made heart pancakes with fresh strawberries for breakfast, fed the kids and got Preslie and Hunter out the door.

After Dax left for work, I got ready and made sugar cookies and frosting to take to Preslie's class Valentine's party. I dropped Mack off at my neighbor's and Quinn and I headed to the school. Preslie and her classmates were excited. I am glad I thought to bring my frosting bags to spell the kids' names on their cookies. They all wanted their name in cursive. I had fun helping my friend Lana with the class party and seeing all the people that Preslie talks about everyday. Quinn was an angel and after the party, we grabbed Hunter and headed home to start our sugar-induced comas.

It is tradition that you dump all the Valentines on the floor and start eating the candy as fast as you can until it is all gone. I told Preslie and Hunter to be careful because when I was in second grade, I did that same thing on Valentine's day and when I went to bed, I puked conversation hearts all night long. I can vividly remember that night and I have been careful never to repeat my sugar overdose.

The kids and I got some valentines ready for some of our neighborhood friends- kids and adults alike- and set out to deliver them the way I did when I was a kid: by putting them on the doorstep, knocking and running away. Apparently my neighborhood was the only one who did it that way because my husband didn't do that as a child and I've never heard of anyone else doing it either. I think it is one of my favorite Valentine's Day memories. Picking the right Valentine card, planning your escape plan and hiding spot, sneaking up, placing the valentine, knocking, and running like heck.

But let me tell you, the kids LOVED it. We all had the best time. We had one close CLOSE call when we delivered cookies to Hunter's primary teachers. He and I were hiding in their garage and their son pulled up with his buddy and came walking right past us. Talk about adrenaline rush! The kids did get caught by one of our fun neighbors but it just adds to the excitement for both giver and receiver.

Dax came home and we ate crock pot roast, baked potatoes, peas and homemade bread for dinner. Then we played and wrestled and laughed our guts out on the floor. A couple of sugar-induced meltdowns (of course) and then into bed.

And what do you think happened in the middle of the night? Preslie woke with a stomach ache and ended up puking and staying home from school the next day. She can't say I didn't warn her.

happy arms

Quinn's arms flap like crazy when she gets excited. What a cutie.

Here is my Super Man working on the last edits of his big Master's thesis. We're on the home stretch! Hip hip, hooray!


Preslie and Dax went to an Activity Days' sweethearts breakfast and had a lot of fun. Let's hope Dax is Preslie's sweetheart for many many more years...


Here are the boys playing Super PacMan...one has no shirt, the other no pants.


And lastly, a video of Quinn and Mack interacting. I know it looks like Mack's head is about to smack into her and at any moment Quinn might topple off the chair, but I assure you I had the situation under control..

my house smells so good

I just pulled 4 loaves of bread out of the oven. Oh, yeah! Dax wanted me to make bread and suggested a double batch so that we'd actually have some left tomorrow. He helped knead the huge ball of dough, which takes muscle, so that was good.

We visited my parents over the weekend and had a good time. They are so cool; I just love them. My Mom had a puzzle out and it was fun to work on it with her. It is something we both enjoy doing and I love how everytime I found a piece she'd cheer for me.

Quinn was so happy and smiley this weekend and had eyes for my Mom. She kept staring at my Mom smiling and making noises to get her attention. Then when Mom would look up and talk to her, Quinn would squeal and laugh and wiggle. It was super cute.

On Saturday we went to a fun desert cafe called The Chocolate in West Jordan and got some cupcakes. Cupcakes have been all the craze lately and I needed to see what all the hype was about. Well, the frosting was delish; the cake was good but not exceptional. But a fun atmosphere and their turtle brownie was really good.

Mack Quote of the Week

When Dax's Dad was here helping us rebuild our fire mess, this awesome conversation went down...

Craig: Mack, what's your favorite song?
Mack: Oh, I like Cowboys Fweetheart and Black and Yellow.
Tristie: [laughing her head off]
Craig: What's Black and Yellow?
Dax: It's a rap song.
Mack: You HAVE to trust me, Grandpa. It's really fun!

So here's to Mack. The boy who likes the two most opposite songs there could ever possibly be. I would like to arrange for LeAnn Rimes to sing a duet with Wiz Khalifa...