For all the cookie bar fans.........

The easiest, most popular cookie bars............posted due to great demand! This recipe was given to me by my totally awesome sister in law, Crystal, who is coming to see me in just a few days!

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups oats

1 bag of chocolate chips or m & ms and/or nuts.

1. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.

2. Mix in dry ingredients.

3. Pour into a greased 13x9 pan and bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

They are going to hate me for this one day!

So today, there was a nazi grandma at the swim park who would not allow the little kids to rinse off in the kiddie pool after they played in the sandbox. Rather than fight her, I loaded up my sandy kids and headed home. Before going into the house, I stripped them both down and let them play in the hose to get all that stuck on sand off! They were having the best time spraying each other and accidentally themselves! It was hilarious. I snapped a few pictures, which they will definately hate me for some day, but oh well.

My cute little girl got a big haircut!

Here's my little cutie, BEFORE her haircut!

Hop on your pony for a fun ride!Olivia loves her hair dresser, Jen!
Jen is giving her a good "a-line."
Drum roll..............here's the finished product!

Take a hike!

And that's just what we did today! It was an overcast, sprinkly day here, but we donned our packs and went a hiking anyway! It was so fun! The twins LOVE to be in their back packs (thanks, Goodwill) and reach up to the high trees. Olivia loves to climb, climb, climb. We stopped at our favorite bridge (nicknamed "Olivia's bridge" by Jon) to throw rocks in the creek. The twins loved this new sport. And, here's the miraculous thing..........no one got a rock to the head! That made the day even sweeter! Of course, it's always the sweetest day when I'm with my awesome family!

And then, on the way home, we stopped for a little treat! Mmmmmmmmmmm, slurpees!

Soggy

So, I just got back from a long, gray, run in the rain. I came home soaked. My shoes are soggy. I wore a jacket that I thought was waterproof, but indeed was definately not. Why, you may ask, did I run in the rain? I guess I was feeling positive this morning; not willing to let the rain stop me. And, lately, I just can't NOT run. It's becoming something of an addiction. If you would have told me a few years ago that was even possible, I would have laughed OUT LOUD, but now I don't feel totally OK if I don't get my runs in each week. It's interesting the things that keep us sane.

Stopping to smell the roses........

We took a trip to the Rose Garden last night for FHE. The roses are in full bloom and absolutely beautiful! The kids loved finding all of the different colored roses and smelling them!

Molly especially loved putting them up to her nose, but instead of sniffing, blowing OUT of her nose! It's so cute! She just doesn't have "sniffing" down quite yet!

Max loved the red ones best. His mommy better be the only woman he ever gives roses to!

It was an awesome night! The weather was perfect, we had a yummy picnic, and everyone was happy, especially when we stopped at McDonalds for an ice cream cone on the way home. It was a super way to celebrate our Anniversary (don't worry, we had a HOT date on Saturday night!).

It still feels like our best times are together

Thirteen years ago, Jon and I were in a rental car, on our honeymoon, driving up the California coast, trying to decide what "our song" should be, when I felt something stabbing me in the behind. I reached into the seat of our Nissan Maxima and pulled out a cassette tape (yes, it's been that long ago) of recorded songs. We laughed at the irony, and I popped in the tape. We knew it was meant to be when we heard Bryan Adams crooning these words........

"It still feels like our first night together.

Feels like the first kiss, it's getting better baby,

no one can better this.

Still holding on, you're still the one.

First time our eyes met, same feeling I get.

It only gets much stronger, I want to love you longer.

You still turn the fire on.

So if you're feeling lonely, don't.

You're the only one I'll ever want.

I only want to make it good.

So if I love you a little more than I should........

Please forgive me, I know not what I do

Please forgive me, I can't stop loving you

Don't deny me this pain I'm going through

Please forgive me, if I need you like I do

Please forgive me, I can't stop loving you.

So, needless to say, we found our song. Or, more accurately, our song found us! And to this day, whenever I hear it on the radio, I call Jon and put my cell phone up to the speaker for the entire length of the song. Cheesy?

So, on this day, July 16th, 1994, I married my handsome prince, when I was 18 years old. I knew that I loved him then, and that somehow we would make it through this crazy world together. Now here we are, 13 years later, and things are so much more complicated. But the one constant in my life has always been him. He's the friend who I tell everything to. He's the only person in the world who has seen what I mess I REALLY am, and yet somehow falls more in love with me each year. How did I get so lucky?

I just wanted to publicly tell all of the world (who read my blog) that I am so incredibly grateful for Jonny, and wish him a Happy Anniversary! It's the closest thing I could get to shouting it from the mountain tops.

I love you, Jonny!

A little Project!

Well, my fabric from http://www.reprodepot.com/ arrived finally (thanks for the tip, Phoebe!). I found the most adorable fabric for a window treatment for the twins' room. To my disappointment, though, I realized it was super thin weight and I would have to LINE it (sewing 101 anyone?). So, I made the trek down to JoAnn's to ask the resident experts there how to go about lining window treatments! Over my screaming kids (no kidding) she explained how to attach the premium muslin to the back of the fabric, treating them like one, and sew them that way. Well, once I get an idea in my head, I can't let it go until I resolve it, so I came home, put my kids down for a nap and sewed, sewed, sewed (and cussed, cussed, cussed, a biproduct of sewing). Here is the finished product. After all that frustration, it turned out pretty cute.

(My hope is that my children will not absorb any of what I say when I sew!)

A camping we will go!

We just returned from a camping trip to Timothy Lake in the Mt. Hood forest. It was beautiful up there, and an escape from the 100 degree Portland heat! We went up Sunday afternoon and met our nice friends up there, Steve, Stacy, Ryan and Mason. I was a little concerned when we pulled up to our campsite and saw that we were 20 feet from the Lake, considering Houdini Max's antics, but we learned a new trick to stop the madness............when he starts wandering off, if we look the other way and ignore him, he comes back. BUT, if we call to him and chase after him, he giggles and runs like mad! Quite a little card.





Molly liked the water, but did not like it when her life vest tried to kill her by making her bottom half so bouyant that her head went under!






Olivia had a blast on her boogie board!



Our friends brought some paddle boats, and Olivia worked so hard trying to row herself! Unfortuneately, she kept washing ashore!














Daddy and his twins!













(I highly recommend waiting until kids are older to start camping!)




Our new tent worked beautifully (thanks REI used gear sale!), it could even hold another kid or two! Don't get any ideas, Jon. So, we did what campers do: played in the dirt a lot, swam in the lake, hiked, and ATE like only the outdoors can make you do! It was a good time. Of course, all good times must come to an end, and ours did early Tuesday morning when Jon sprung from bed and began tearing down the tent with a vengence.
"Oh, come on, Dad, let's stay just one more day!" I guess Jonny, with his love for camping, didn't realize that with three kids, camping is not all fun and games. He was the most ready of all of us to head back home!

Molly Heart!

Here's a picture of sweet Molly, just because I felt she was being left out! I have posted more of Olivia and Max! I love this little gal! And she loves her mom, she follows me around the house all day saying, "up.........up pease!" Bless her heart, she'd be attached to my hip if I'd allow it! And, I think I should allow it a bit more, come to think of it. She'll only be small enough to hold for a while. I think I'll go hold her right now!

Thank you fly lady

Thanks so much to http://www.flylady.net/, I was motivated to pick a small spot to organize! This afternoon I hopped in my car and took a little drive down to the container store, where I bought drawer organizers and shelf paper to make my out-of-control-bathroom-catch-all drawers less atrocious! I don't know if anyone cares, but it certainly made me feel good about my day, so I thought I'd share. Of course, when I finished the bathroom, the rest of the house was a disaster.............baby steps!

Olivia or Grandma?

I was just wondering if anyone could tell which one of these toothless gals is my daughter? Olivia lost another tooth yesterday, which makes her an official snaggle-tooth! We need to get her wiggling that one in the middle so that her mother doesn't think "homeless" every time I look at her!

Forever XXI

I found a new store today (well, ok, new to me), and I wanted to share it with ya'll.............Forever 21! Now, I know that I have been "forever 21" for about 10 years now, but I had so much fun shopping there. There are a few reasons that I loved it so much, one was the fact that I was by myself (a rarity these days), and two, the stuff is so cheap (a necessity these days). I got some super cute linen pants for $22.80, three shirts for about $14.00 each, a purse for, get this: $15.80, and a cute headband. I had to do a double take at the price tags. Let's just say that I highly recommend it!

But don't worry, I still love Modbe most, and you need to stock up on your basics to wear under many of the tops from Forever 21........don't forget to visit http://www.modbeclothing.com/ and let me know what you'd love to order!

Taking a survey!

To cut or not to cut, that is the question! If this little guy were your child, would you ever cut his curls? I don't know if I can ever bring myself to do it, I just love this hair!

Something too yummy not to share!

Ok, so this is my favorite summer pasta dish! It's easy, and so yummy, if you like avacado, asparagus and tomatos! Here it is:

1 lb pasta of your choice 1 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced 2 avacados, mashed
1 lb fresh asparagus (trimmed and chopped)1/2 lime, juiced
2 cups grape tomatos, halved 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth 1 cup shredded queso asadero
(mexican cheese blend)

1. Boil your pasta of choice until al dente, toss with some EVOO
2. Heat oil in skillet, cook garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add the asparagus and tomatos, stirring to coat. Pour in the broth and cook uncovered 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender, but still bright green.
3. Place the pasta in a large bowl, and toss with the asparagus mixture. Season with dill and salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the avacados, lime juice, and garlic powder together until blended.
4. Serve pasta with a dollup of the avacado mixture and top with cheese.

Enjoy and think of me while you slurp your pasta!

Happy Birthday to the land that I love!

Happy 4th of July! I absolutely love celebrating this holiday. I feel so warm inside to know that I live in a country where I am free to live my life in the way that I have chosen. I am so grateful for the brave men and women who are fighting to make sure that I maintain that right. I am so proud to be an American! We had a wonderful and eventful 4th of July, and I took so many pictures that I am just bursting to share with you all! I began the day with a preemptive RUN (in anticipation of the huge amount of calories I was sure to consume!). I ran six miles at 7 AM, and it was already gloriously sunny! The perfect way to start the day! Then, I came home to a still sleeping house, took a shower and shook everyone out of bed! Time for the annual ward breakfast! It was awesome, as always! Good food, great friends, and to top it off, this year they held a bike parade for the kids! Olivia decorated her bike the night before and loaded her basket with goodies to throw to the onlookers!

After the good ole breakfast, we headed to buy our fireworks, the K-mart $9.99 variety, which, luckily Olivia is still thrilled with! Then, we headed home to let the babies and their dad nap, before our next fun adventure, which was:

Swimming with the our friends, Phoebe, David, and children! Our friends, invited us up to their condo to swim on this 90+ degree day! It was so great! The water was the perfect temperature, refreshing but not bone-chilling. Olivia swam like a fish with her friend, Henry, and Max and Molly had a good time playing in the water with Mom and Dad. They are slowly warming up to the idea of water, last year they screamed at the sight of a pool! Progress!

OH, and just a side note: Olivia learned how to tie her shoes today! She was so excited for her accomplishment. I have included some pictures of her proud moment! Out with the velcro, in with the laces!

After the fun at the pool, we headed home to get ready for the Luau that we were invited to by some friends of ours in the ward that are from Hawaii and Samoa. We arrived to find them pulling the pork out of the ground after 12 hours! They marinated it at 5 AM and then wrapped it in banana leaves, and then foil before putting it into the hole and covering it with wet burlap sacks. It was so cool! They unwrapped it, shredded it, and then we had the most amazing feast of island foods. Peter made coconut bread, barbeque chicken, pork, yummy pineapple with a secret sauce, and raw fish salad (which I unwillingly tried and LOVED). Bonita made sticky rice with seaweed. I ate so much! Then, top that off with a beautiful flag cake that Che made, and Jon practically had to wheel me out of there! Oh, how I long for the islands!

As if the feast were not enough, Bonita gathered the women together and tried to teach us how to hula. I am afraid I am a lost cause. I have the hips, but I am hopeless at shaking them! Peter worked on the guys, but Jon got out of it, because my little Max wasn't feeling well, and he only wanted "daddy." To top this all off, Peter did a fire dance for us, which was absolutely the most amazing thing. We had a great time! We are so thankful that we were included in this awesome adventure. I have always known, that besides the pale skin, Hawaii is my native land!

We headed out a bit early, to put Maxers to bed, poor guy was burning up and just miserable. Olivia couldn't wait for the $9.99 fireworks show, so even though it was only 9:15 and the sun was still out, we lit it up! This is the first year she has been brave enough to hold a sparkler, and she just LOVED the cheesy assortment of TNT that our package included. One of these years she will want to stay up late enough to hit a "real" fireworks display, and she will realize that we have been ripping her off all of these years! But, until then........ignorance is truly bliss. And of course, right after the "fireworks" were over, true to form, Olivia looked at us and said, "I'm tired, I want to go to bed." OH, HOW I LOVE THOSE WORDS!

We hope your 4th of July was as fun-filled as ours was!