Tidbit Tuesday

#1: Candy for decorations! One of my favorite ways to decorate for holidays is with candy - um no brainer there, right? I got this great idea from my sister. You take a clear vase and fill it with candy befitting the holiday, add some colorful matching flowers and wholla - center piece that you can eat.
Valentine's - conversation hearts w/ red and pink flowers
St. Patty's - gold coins with lilies or daisies
Easter - jelly beans with bright pinks, purples, yellows, oranges
4th of July - Red hots with fire cracker boxes or red and white flowers
Fall - Reese's PB cups or candy corn with fall colored wrappers and orange, yellow and brown florals
Christmas - peppermints with green and red poinsettas

#2: Different, simple ways to say I love you! The other day I left Shawn a little love letter on the mirror with lipstick and he thought that was so great. It was really simple and different. What are some easy, different ways you tell people you love them?

#3: Sour Cream Sugar Cookies - nothing says Valentine's Day more than sugar cookies do. This is my all time favorite recipe! So yummy I can literally eat 2 dozen in one sitting.
Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
1 cup sour cream
1 cup butter
6 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
Cream sugar and shortening. Add beaten eggs and sour cream. Sift together flour and other dry ingredients. Add both extract to creamed mixture. Chill before rolling. Bake 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Favorite Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe
½ c. shortening
½ c. margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
2 T. milk
Cream shortening, margarine, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Mixture will appear dry. Add milk and beat until fluffy.

#4. 10 Things I love about You Books: We did these at Enrichment, and they turned out so cute. It's a fun, cheap, and easy way to give a Valentine to someone.

#5: Shawn and I love to watch the King of Queens nearly every night. We kind of stumbled upon the series, but quickly fell in love with it because it really reminds us of each other and our marriage to a certain degree. He's fat, I'm mean - WHO CARES?? (a line from the show) Do you have any tv show couple that reminds you of you and your spouse? Here's a few of the "best of" the King of Queens... love you Shawn!

Saturday Soup

Imagination! Sam is all about connecting himself to any and all things. It is so fun to see his little mind work. Whether it be watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and having to wear his Mickey mouse ears, or dressing up in his Buzz light Year costume, he is always pretending and playing.
This weeks he's been really into being a "doctor" and "dad". When I was feeding Jack I kept seeing him run in and out of his room with baby in tow. I went in to see what he was doing and he had given the baby shots, cared for them with Spiderman bandaids, and was feeding him to put him down for a nap. I was so impressed that he gave the shots in the legs and put the bandaids on so well.

Sam is so smart, he really remembers everything especially stories we read to him. In his "dad" role he will read me five books at a time and can recite most of them word for word. He's also saying a lot of funny phrases like "what da heck" and his newest creation "oh crat." When reading the scriptures he insists upon reading them to us, he has been reading that we need to get in a space rocket to get to heaven (which is in outerspace) to see Jesus and Heavenly Father. Um, not sure where it says that.

Jack turned 5 months and has officially cut his first tooth. His lower right front tooth (if that makes sense)! He has also discovered his newest love - the exersaucer! He loves it, because he can see us everywhere as he rotates around, he has ten different chew toy options, and can dance to his hearts content. He is so cute! He is also becoming quite the little chatter box and talks to us all throughout the day. He is getting a little attitude and really doesn't like it when you take things away from his; which has become a problem now that he is putting everything and anything into his mouth! He is such a momma's boy and makes my day everyday because he is SO excited to see me! This is the face I see when I enter the room! How could you not love this little guy??The boys took the maiden voyage of the red wagon this week and it was great! Poor Jack can't sit well yet and he keep teetering over.... but it was still great to get out with both of them together in 50 degree weather!! Heat wave here in Iowa.

Tidbit Tuesday

The temptation already is to post everything all at once, but I'm telling myself this is a marathon not a sprint. Please, please when you are reading this use this to give me ideas too. I'm doing this to get ideas more than just posting my own.

Tidbit #1: Scrapbooking Solution! Yea! I'm really excited about this one, and it might not be a new idea to many of you but I'm so glad I found it. Since having Jack I've been struggling to keep up with my scrapbooking. Mind you - I'm not a fancy scrapbooker anyway. What I found was a 12x12 photo sheet that can hold six 4x6 pics (Pocket Pages at Archiver's) and then you can either do a few really cute regular 12x12 pages and then just slide your other 4x6's into the other pages, or you can do the story behind the photos on a 4x6 notecard and slip it in next to the pictures. This is great because I can keep up with Sam's pictures and still spend time doing Jack's baby scrapbook (which I'll do until he is the ripe old age of 2) then he'll be converted over to the same process! click on the image to make it larger

Tidbit#2: Basic Food Group Salad. YUM! My friend Marta had this super great recipe and lately I've been longing for spring time and salad = spring to me. Here's the recipe. It is healthy, colorful, delicious, and makes a lot and would be great for parties, showers, potlucks, etc. I'm making this tomorrow and will add a picture then.
Basic Food Group Salad
12 oz bow tie pasta
6 oz tri-colored pasta
4-5 cooked and cubed chicken breast
3 green onions chopped
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 can water chestnuts chopped
1 cup pineapple tidbits
2 small cans mandarin oranges
1 cup green grapes
1 cup red grapes
½ pkg craisins
Mix all above together with equal amounts of ranch dressing and coleslaw dressing.
What are your favorite spring time salad recipes?

Tidbit #3: Lately I've been thinking about love and at church this week, the Relief Society lesson was on seeing God in our lives. It reminded me of an experience that helped reaffirm God's love for me. I had been married for 1 1/2 years and I was golfing with Shawn and my dad. My wedding ring kept rubbing against the clubs, so rather than get a blister I took it off, and put it into my pants pocket. About 10 minutes later, I reached into my pocket and there was no ring! That's right - NO RING!!! AHHHHH!! You can imagine the panic I felt. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking for the ring, but had no luck. I went home feeling literally crushed, I was so sad. My nephew Carson promised me though that if we prayed we'd be able to find it. I took his advice and poured out my heart to my Heavenly Father. The next morning we rented two metal detectors and started from hole 1 and walked the course. We still came up empty handed. I decided to go back one more time to the last hole I remembered having it. We looked all around and nothing, as I turned to walk off the course I saw a little glint of something in the dirt. THere was no way it could be it right? I walked over to it and sure enough there it was - good as new! I found my needle in a huge 9 hole course haystack! At that moment I new that even though finding my ring was trivial and insignificant in the whole realm of things, that God does knows me, He is concerned about small and large things in my life, and that He answers prayers. I am so grateful for that experience and the many more that I've had in my life that testify of a loving Father in Heaven. Happy Tuesday everyone.

Saturday Soup

Since Summers Sons Saturday Soup is really a tongue twister we're making it easy and going to just the ol' Saturday Soup. I trimmed Sam's hair this week, he was starting to grow a mullet - and Sam tends to freak out, so I accidently cut his ear! Yep, that's why you have a professional do these things, but I always think oh, this time will be okay.... Sam did forgive me, but only after lots of hugs and kisses. He loves to do this mohawk in the tub. I think its so funny.
Sam finally got the hang of Primary and is really into wearing his "suit" - he makes such a handsome sunbeam.
We went to Omaha to attend the temple this weekend and stayed at a hotel with a great swimming pool for kids. Jack had his first swimming experience (the swim trunks are a little large). He loved the water as long as I was holding him... for some reason swimming with Shawn made scared him and he would cry so hard. It was really sad and funny all at once, Shawn must not be a very good swimmer :) Jack is the reason that I love babies, they love their mommies... once they are two they realize mom isn't very cool anymore and start buddying up with dad.
We also were able to hit the zoo and the weather was great 50 degrees, sunny and calm. The kids enjoyed being outside and seeing all the animals.
Sam loves animals especially ones that are on movies, so we saw Alex the Lion, Sher-Kan the tiger, Bruce the shark, etc... it was a really fun weekend that we topped off with Superbowl Sunday eating some yummy food with friends.

Starting this Tuesday I'm going to start doing a Tidbit Tuesday, hopefully posting some good recipes, craft ideas, kid ideas, etc. and trying to get some tips and tidbits from you all that I can share. I've decided to be a little more reflective in my blog and will also use this as a platform for things I'm grateful for.... until Tuesday, so long and far well.

Summers Sons' Saturday Soup

As reported last week Jack has started to scoot. I found him a few days ago like this. Nice chew toy huh? He seemed to think so.
Can you say Cup O' Beans! Sam can! He has a cup of beans that he gets to add to when he is really doing good and being a big helper. He recently reached the top of the cup and therefore gets a prize..... Here's what he chose! Yes a drum and a harmonica. He has really been into music lately and we hit up the Learning Post (if you haven't been there you must go, it has the greatest toys for kids). Sam was pretty stoked, um, me not so much but it is really funny to watch him wail on his harmonica. We finally had a super great WARM day here in the frigid land of Iowa and we enjoyed it to the fullest. Sam, Jack and I went for a walk and then Sam played outside with his neighborhood buddies who have been hibernating since the cold weather hit. It was great and I hope that permanent warm weather is near. Shawn and I finally went to the dentist (it had been like 4 years - gross I know) I have to put this down on record because Shawn went in feeling a little cocky since he uses a Sonicare toothbrush and was certain that would give him the upper hand. I don't like them, the vibrating freaks me out, so I stick to the old manual. He came out with 1 cavitity; I came out with 0!!! Yep thats right! But, before I could gloat too much the dentist then told me that I would need to get a mouth gard to wear at night (Shawn laughed thinking that it was head gear type contraption) because I clench me teeth; that there is a potential cavitiy lerking back in one of my molars, and to buckle up during my cleaning because she was going to go to town on me. OUCH - have you ever been prescribed Tylenol after a cleaning? I have, but boy its clean. So all in all we have a really big bill and another reminder why skipping out on the dentist really wasn't that bad right? On that happy note I leave you with this last pic of my two boys, I love these guys (most of the time :)!!!

Summers Sons' Saturday Soup - OVER and UNDER the WEATHER

Yes as the title indicates we've been all battling back from sniffles and sneezes. It hit me with avengence on Tuesday night and I am so grateful for my two wonderful and patient boys who let me lounge around on Wednesday and rest up, and for Shawn braving the cold to get me some cough drops and surprising me with some yummy ice cream (ice cream is like medicine right?).

We are also soooooo over the freezing cold weather! YUCK! Thursday Sam's preschool was cancelled because the high for the day was going to be -15, and that isn't factoring in wind chill that puts it 10-15 degrees colder. It is bitterly cold and we are hoping and praying that the weather gets better sooner than later. We are however excited to report alot of fun new updates with the boys:

1. Sam is officially in Primary! Our little Sunbeam wasn't too pleased to be in primary and cried most of the time (Uncle JD will be so pleased that he doesn't like church) Hopefully this week will go a little smoother. I still can't believe how quickly time flys and that he is really big enough to be in Primary.
2. Jack had his 4 months check up and the little porker weighed in at 15 lbs. 15 oz. and is 25.5 inches long!! Yes he had grown a bunch in the past two months and is now in the 75% in weight and height. He is still the GREATEST baby ever. He has started to eat rice cereal and seems to like it, though it ends up on his face for most part.
3. Shawn and I met with our realtors and are going to start the process of selling our house! We are so sad. This has been our first home and we've loved it. We just hope that things will go smoothly and that we will be able to sell the house sooner than later.....

4. Sam has discovered a LOVE for Golf that is Wii Golf. He is quite the little pro except when it comes to putting he doesn't understand "tapping" it in, but he thinks its funny to hit it over and over again!
5. Jack has started to scoot ... so its the funniest thing you can ever imagine and I'll try to post a video of him doing it soon. He puts his hands up by his head and does this back thrust and manages to move from one end of the room to the next. It is so funny.

Finally have our digital camera back!!! YEA!! I really wanted to post a thousand pictures and I've been taking all the pictures my heart desired, but I settled with five! Have a happy week everyone. Jack was so excited that American Idol is back on - we love Kara!!!

Back in the Saddle Again!

Yes we've returned from our wonderful vacation to Idaho. We had such a great trip, and the boys loved being loved by their cousins and grandparents. We also had a great time enjoying our being around family and friends and I already miss everyone. But it is always great to be back in our house, although this return is a little bittersweet for me because I feel like I'm only coming back to basically pack up and leave for good again. We have really grown to love Iowa and so we will have a hard time leaving, although being close to family definetly will help ease the sadness. Here are some pictures of Christmas from our "film" camera. Its so funny because I felt like I had to ration my picture taking to make sure I had enough film to capture the moments.... so needless to say if our Christmas had been digital this year we would have had a lot more photage. This first pic is what Sam should have been doing the entire time, but ended up missing much need hours of sleep. Here he and Cooper fell asleep about 10 minutes from home after being awake for a three hour car ride! Nice huh?
Jack hit some milestones while we were away - he rolled over and he has started to laugh! He really is such a happy baby and smiles and he has started to talk to anyone and anything. I'm just amazed by how quickly he is growing.

For Christmas Santa was extra kind and decided that since we would be leaving Iowa before the 25th that he would come early! What a great guy. He came on the 20th, bringing Sam his BIG HUGE Mack Truck. (When he told Santa that, Santa that he meant BIG Mac as in hamburger and was feeling really sorry for such a deprived child). Jack got a red wagon which he was ecstatic about and hasn't quite raving about since. Both boys got a John Deere Gator from Grandma Julie-dog that is still in the box because it is too cold and icy to venture outside yet.

We had a great vacation starting off in SLC at the Little America (a family tradition) where we enjoyed swimming and the breakfast buffet!! We then headed home to celebrate the rest of the holiday. We were able to go up to Island Park for a couple of days at Shawn's cabin, and it was BEAUTIFUL up there. Tons of snow equal tons of fun. In the picture of Shawn and Sam in the snow - Shawn is standing in the snow that is how deep it was!

We partied it up for New Years with some fun games and good food, and then I headed to Othello, WA with the two boys for my nieces baptism while Shawn headed home for school. Yes that means I had the fun experience of traveling with the boys by myself. BUt thanks to great people who could see my silent crys for help as I struggled to fold up the stroller while holding Jack and three carry-on bags we did great! (It really made me grateful for people who step up and help out and it made me more resolved to do the same in the future!) All in all we had a great holiday and it was wonderful to be with our family who we miss. Thanks to them for making it so much fun and for helping us out with the boys. We are looking forward to some fun months ahead as we wind down our time here in Waukee . . . until next Saturday - peace out!