Walunas Wins!!! Senor Nacho and You Are Going to Pee Your Pants!

Congratulations to the Walunas Family for their Senor Nacho title.
SHOUT OUT WALUNAS'! After much deliberation over the 4 entries, and having to shut down the contest from all of the excitement, wow, what a contest. And here I present you with more from Senor Nacho...and his kind of scared daughter P...

Seriously Dad, what the hay...

And Senor Nacho's first born offspring...

The original Senor Nacho, who "bought" the brown faux moustache with great behavior tickets in his first grade class. I think he spent like 50 tickets for it! That's like 5 good weeks of behavior. Seeing him ham it up in it: Priceless.

Happy New Year Everybody!

This is the funniest, pee in your pants thing I have seen in a long time. The saddest thing is these are circa 2004 in Utah. Thanks to Confessions of a Pioneer Woman's Ree for the link.

Grateful Sunday & Name this Photo Contest

Moustached or not, I am grateful for the above pictured dude. He rocks my world and makes me a better woman.

Now for the Name This Photo Contest. The person with the best name for the photo of AK above, as of tomorrow morning or so gets a....huge shout out from my 5 or 6 reader blog! Game on.

P.S. I re-heated the Cheese Whiz soup (we froze two gallon sized ziplocs full) and it was awesome! So take that you non-Cheese Whizzers and otherwise healthier people!

Made In Mexico

My kids love this song. They are definitely the sound choosers of the future. But it has grown on me. Mostly because I can now picture them rocking out to it and singing along. Check it here.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Thanks to Jennie and this awesome dessert (yes, still eating dessert after all of the goodies of the Holidays!!!), which I probably too forcefully demanded that she post the recipe. It is so so so good and worth it. See her cute as a button daughter Makayla, who I also demand is Penelope's very best neighborhood girl friend.

PJ the Fire Ant

Loot from Santa

Penelope's doll-baby. More of a present for me than for her. Owen was quite suspicious since he surprised-ly and excitedly recalled buying it at Tutoring Toy and was all-the-morning kind of skeptical.

It was car-track Christmas for the boys. H got a slot car race track (again maybe for a nostalgic mom more than anything) and O got his Hot Wheelers and this cool mechanical track that talks too. H got a few movies that they have watched 3 and 2 times each, at least (Shrek 3 and Ratatouille, respectively) and loves his new Leapster game and Webkinz (which they both kind of just snuggle and haven't really figured out the internet aspect of it, which I like). They are equally frustrated and enjoying their Star Wars transformers and have made a mess with the Moon Sand (Santa thought it would be more like our favorite Playdoh, oh well). I have yet to use my bike trainer, but am very excited (my widening bum and cookie filled tummy is too!). AK wore his new Snowbird 'Snowboarding Makes Me Happy' tee but has yet to use his Le Creuset or read his Lauren Conrad & Heidi cover magazines (hee hee!). It was an awesome, in budget, mellow, and early to bed Christmas Eve-Christmas for us!

Tradition

Every Christmas Eve we open one present. And every Christmas Eve that present is pajamas. Thank you Maama and Baampa! Andy loves his too! I even got to wear his new flannel pants last night, awesome! AK declared when opening, "Now I can throw away last years." Although I don't think he really will, he wore those the most of all I think. The boys love their 'Cars' pj's and we love PJ's pink monkeys. And of course, I love my 'very apres ski long-underwear-like' pj's.

Buche de Noel

On Christmas morning, Nik Looser, an awesome Austrian 70 or 80-something on his way to the slopes dropped off a beautiful, self-made Buche de Noel for us. This made my Christmas (although it was already super-delightful). I love people! I love talented people that can make incredible and beautiful and delicious desserts too maybe more. I told AK, "Dude, no pressure, but that's what I want when you are 70 or 80 something." Meaning still skiing/snowboarding and being super cute.

Merry Christmas Eve

Thanks to Audra, via Mary Sue for the YouTube of this great Charlie Brown Christmas scene!
Merry Christmas Eve! I can't wait to visit Great Grandpa, Aunt Terry's rainbow jello and nativity, and of course, our Christmas Eve gift, I wonder what it is? PJ'S! Yeah! I almost opened them up last night I wanted them already. Seriously, I love my boys, but they deserve rocks, not even coal, which might have some use for them. Ho-hum, ba humbug! I am just grateful for the reason of the season. Love, Boo

P.S. We are really bored. AK & P are napping. H & O are playing guitar hero (thank you Dori for the only bribe that works to get the boys to do anything, brush teeth, go potty, eat) which is hilarious to watch. O even beats H sometimes even though O is still using his thumb for all of the notes. They have played Message in a Bottle at least 7 times until I made them change. And now we've had one of their favorite all-time songs (even before GH) I want to be a Fisherman. We love Primus.

Soup Wars!

Kate called me out, but I totally wasn't Rowsting her. (If you are not from CDM you may not be able to pronounce this, it's like roast but with a ouw instead of oa, and I am not quite sure how to spell it.) I love Kate. I emulate her. She is my next big sister, yet she is always thinner than me. I mean come on, she worked at Sweet Life, I worked at Sweet Life. She was a cheerleader, I was a cheerleader. She went to the U, I went to the U. She was a Chi O, I became a Chi-O. As newlyweds she lived on Princeton, then we lived on Princeton. She moved to Newps with her husband, yes, a year later, we moved to Newps. I even started stalking on her husband. He worked at Pacific Life, then I and eventually AK worked at Pacific Life. They moved to Utah, then we moved everywhere and then eventually Utah. Her kids went to Holladay Pre-K, then our kids went to Holladay Pre-K. She made soup with Cheese Whiz, then I made soup with Cheese Whiz. Scary huh? I could say the same about my other sisters too, but especially about my next biggest sister Kate. Love and kisses!

9 Months Old Today!

AJ & PJ - Best Playmates. Except when AJ touches immovable PJ, PJ screams! 9 Months and ready for Jedi Knight training!

9 Month Stats: Weight: 20 lbs. 5 oz. 75%
Height: 29" 89%
Head: 18" 88%

Loves to LaLaLa and sing along. Favorite games are pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo. Wakes up talking and singing and trying to wake up her two entertainers (H & O) who read and sing morning books and songs to her. She loves feeding herself "puffs" and eating. She sleeps well, 2 naps a day and from 6:30 pm - 7:30 am (90% of the time). She likes to take out her bows. She loves to smile and talk to strangers, but as we saw with Dr. Witt yesterday does not want anyone to touch her (sound like someone?). I can't believe it's going by so quickly. Today we can finally see her two bottom teeth coming in. Yesterday Dr. Witt said he could "pull them out with pliers". We weren't sure what to think of that.

Oster comment of the week.

O: "Mom, I can make my heart beep." He proceeds to jump up and down furiously. "Mom, my heart is beeping."

Cheese Whiz

(Photo courtesy of Kraft foods I guess, but I got in from some Cheese Whiz Bio-engineering site, if you google Cheese Whiz you will find it. Don't sue me)

I just made and had two bowlfuls of soup and I think I just gained 10 pounds. That sounds impossible you say, and who ever heard of eating so much fatty soup when I could've gained that ten pounds eating Christmas fudge? We'll, we all sat down for dinner after I very quickly put this soup together...
AK: "Hey where are those two sticks of butter you melted and mixed up with the flour?" (see recipe)
Boo: "In the soup." (As I slurped down another spoonful)
AK stopped eating, left his bowl 3/4 full: "We could've made cookies with that butter! Wow, you sure made a lot of this soup."
Boo: "It has VEGETABLES in it!" (slurp, slurp) "And it will freeze." (slurp, slurp, but imagining eating it all up tonight)
The leftover soup filled 2 large freezer Ziplocks. I now imagine a three day outage when AK is starving enough to eat the fatty soup. Note to self - not his favorite.

And I have to make a confession, okay two confessions.
Confession #1 - I was at Wal-Mart today. And besides the checker asking me in the most serious manner to contradict what her daughter's Doctor told her about not feeding a 3 month old solids no matter how hungry he is, it was a most pleasant experience (the checker was sweet and had opened up a check out line for me, no wait! Someone even helped me unload my cart and took my cart away - wow, what service!).

Confession #2 - While at Wal-Mart Kate called me and asked me to pick up a few things. (I had called her previously telling her I was going and if she needed anything - just so you know how nice I am). After hemming and hawing about the pain, I consented.
Kate: "I am making a yummy soup and I need celery and a large jar of Cheese Whiz."
Boo: "Cheese Whiz!!!! CHEESE WHIZ!!!" (People in Aisle Toy are beginning to really stare, and not just at my darling singing daughter, but at her crazy mother)
Kate: "Yes, Cheese Whiz," (something to the effect of) "get a grip, you ARE at WAL-MART you know?"
Boo: "Nice point. But seriously, what does it look like? Where is it? Do you squeeze it out of a can? What are you making with CHEESE WHIZ anyway?"
Kate: "I am making that yummy cheese soup."
Boo: "Oh yeah, that was good soup. But CHEESE WHIZ seriously? What does it look like? Where is it? Seriously, Cheese Whiz. Like is it by Velveeta? I see the Velveeta. Not the right one."
Kate proceeds to direct me to exactly where to find Cheese Whiz at Wal-Mart.
Boo: "Can you please tell me where to find Velveeta, no I mean CHEESE WHIZ?"
Employee: (Waves her hand in the general direction of where Kate previously directed me)
Boo: "Oh I see now" (I didn't really see but I can see that I am in the pre-packaged processed cheese and Ro-Tel aisle, which I then recall, hey I have eaten a processed cheese in the last 12 years, thanks to John's awesome Super Bowl chip dip - just Velveeta and a can of Ro-Tel, which is right across from Velveeta and CHEESE WHIZ by the way).

I ended up buying two large jars of the stuff and making the soup as well. Don't tell my 'Home Chef' chef.

Vegetable Cheese Chowder - Kristen recipe ala Kate
12 chicken bouillon (I used 3 cubes, since that's what I heard not read and just realized it says 12, wow, that seems like a lot. Honestly 3 was fine)
1 large onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1/2 lb. butter
1 cup flour
1 LARGE JAR CHEESE WHIZ (16 oz. baby)
2 cup cooked diced chicken
1/2 pkg. frozen peas

Dissolve bouillon in 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil. Add onion and veggies. Cook until tender. Melt butter and flour. Blend to a smooth paste. Add to veggies in bouillon. Blend. Add CHEESE WHIZ. Mix well, stir constantly until thick, cooking over medium heat. Add chicken and peas.

Freezes well if peas are added just before serving.

Christmas Questionnaire

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper!!!!!!!!!
2. Real or Fake Tree? Real. Although, seriously I am thinking no tree, it is kind of silly I think.
3. When do you put up the tree? A few weeks before Christmas so it doesn't die.
4. When do you take the tree down? Now! I wish, I am kind of done with the clutter of Christmas.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, yes! I used to ask Mom to make it "real". I love the stuff.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Barbie doll house and unicycle I never quite tried (and I've always thought was quite mis-matched!)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Lots. I didn't even put them all out this year. Love the Little People one the best too.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Myself (I want everything! And I have a hard time deciding what to get!)
9. Easiest person to buy for? Owen. He has quite a list to pick from.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever got? See gift #2 in "favorite" which should be most memorable.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf and It's A Wonderful Life

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Pre-Turkey Day
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I am sure. Oh yes, our neighbors gave us See's and I gave it to the post-lady.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? See's. Ironic huh?
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night and Clay Aiken's Mary Did You Know
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? dasher, danner, blanner, bixen .... with Rachel, apparently not.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?

Shopping and grumpy-rushed people!

23. What I love most about Christmas? The music and lights.
24. Do you say Merry Christmas or Happy holidays?

Merry Christmas!

Grateful Sunday

1. Very, very, very fun and tremendously generous friends and their awesome Eat-a-lot and Sing-a long party! Seriously, get yourself best friends like these! We know at least once a year we get to be semi-dressy (well okay wear eye shadow and clean trousers, sorry Hill, one day I will budget to buy a snazzy party outfit!), and be glamorous at a huge dinner party where we meet more awesome friends every year!
2. Sisters that let me be Rudolph for aforementioned party 'Rudolph' bit. And for leading along with me. And for "honorary sister" Susannah and her schemes for next year's fete.
3. AK and his keyboard drum skills. Amazing!
4. P and her beautiful white dress (thanks again Hill!) and black patent leathers. Dreams come true.
5. O for being so entertaining for everyone sitting behind us in Sacrament meeting.
6. H for encouraging his brother, playing with P in the morning while we catch a few more ZZZ's, and overall a tremendous helper (when he wants to be!).
7. Family and friends that share the beauty, truth, and light of the Christmas season.
8. For feeling the spirit so strongly today and every Sunday at church.
9. Rachel and Madre's inspiration and encouragement in WWF success.
10. Having a warm, roof over our heads, food, clothes, laughter and love - all wrapped up in an awesome red brick bungalow. Sometimes what we have makes me want to gag.

Nerds and Scrabble

My little sister Jocelyn and I just finished this WICKED game of Scrabble in which we TIED 280-280. Pretty amazing or some pretty tired math on my end. We also got rid of every letter, so we really finished it out until the end and every word is legit. Aren't you impressed?

Debt

If you are in debt, or have ever been in debt, or plan to be in debt someday...or want to laugh at all of the donkeys in debt...please watch this video.

Happy Birthday Megan

There is no one I know that:

1. Loves babies more


2. More willing to serve others, thus having the luckiest neighbors, friends, and sisters in the world


3. Misses her husband more


4. Is most protective of her siblings


5. Always willing to have the scrounging Knight's up for dinner when they leave huge hints or even directly just ask to be invited up.


6. bowls with flair and her own shoes and ball


7. laughs harder and more joyfully


8. served on her mission harder


9. loves Jesus so wholeheartedly


10. watches shows like "the Bachelor" more religiously and with groups of friends ala 90210 and Melrose Place days.


11. are you kidding me, there is no one that loves Diet Coke more


12. loves Irvine - the inland empire of minivans - or can get others to love it too (including me!)


13. loves the PTA more (2 Presidencies at 2 amazing schools wow!)


14. loves leading choir more, even without any previous experience and possibly without being musically inclined at all (I am just saying..)


15. treats her babysitters like family more.


16. loves her minivan more.


17. cuddles her babies more.


18. loves living in the D.C. more


19. retains friendships best.


20. is wholly and proudly "Daddy's girl" most.


21. is Mom's biggest fan.


22. wow, let's just pretend you are 22 today! I mean you are amazing and accomplished, but seriously, I've got to get dressed! I love you loads Megan! Happy 22nd Birthday!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

This awesome ensemble was created in 7 minutes from tissue paper, fuzzy twisties, tape, scissors, cotton balls, and paper. How awesome is that! H had an awesome Santa wave and Ho, Ho, Ho totally straight face serious. Needless to say, he won the contest (which was questionable, due to additional cheerleaders from a table who thought they were voting for their Santa, oh well). Seriously check out the tissue paper boots!

Grateful Sunday

1. Funny People - "The Gap Girls" sketch from SNL that always makes me laugh (My favorite part is 4:14 into it, watch the whole thing though). The professional bloggers Dooce and Dub and Confessions of a Pioneer and Sue for telling funny and real stories that entertain and make me laugh. Liz J and her awesome "speaking" voices for Tim and Caroline.
2. Our daily Christmas chain countdown. A scripture, a song, and a story. I love how it brings the spirit into our home, for even just a few minutes (and then we bark at them to get into bed, and there goes the spirit). I love that we won't miss a Christmas song this season!
3. President Eyring's talk. Only after hearing it live, seeing it again at least 2 times (Tivo), reading it, and then listening to a talk and RG lesson on it did I finally apply it to my life. Am I stubborn or what?
4. A nice long no-guilt nap, since P & O were napping at the same time.
5. P loving "Patty Cake"
6. Deja Vu.
7. Being inspired by Rachel and Ryan who ran a 5 K this Saturday in 29 minutes and 25 minutes, respectively. You skinny, fit, weather loving people rock!
8. The snow for having a better excuse not to go outside running.
9. P's cute hat that keeps her warm on our walks to school and that everyone we see compliments.
   

15-Minute Snowman

So, do you think it took 15-minutes to make this snowman (complete with eyebrows), or 15-minutes to destroy? The answer is BOTH. The whole family contributed (see P on the porch?) and we even put Mr. Snowperson in a "covered" place so as not to melt too quickly (imagining it lasting all winter, seriously, we thought that). Only to look out the window minutes later with it's head and mid-section obliterated. Oh well, at least I got a picture. The boys had a blast. P loved the snow too.

Everyone Needs A 4-Year Old

Part One.
Thursday.
Owen really wanted a hair cut (he was previously growing it "long" but saw some old pictures of it really short and handsome). We headed over to Foothill and were waiting for his turn and I asked him, "So, how do you want it?".

"Blonde."

Part Deux
Yesterday.
Owen was obsessed with keys and wanted a flashlight keychain, which AK later relayed that he really wanted his missing one which AK later found. Anyway, so all day I kept telling him to be careful not to scratch everything in sight, the walls, the carpet, the wood floor, baby P, etc. So later that evening we were talking about the keys and again telling him to be careful, when I once again asked the boys if they had "keyed" the car (the passenger side has quite a whole side of scratches about their height yet no one had quite confessed. It really is a piece of work.) Holden emphatically denied once again, but I saw a twinkle in his eye like he knew who did it. So I said, "Well, whoever did it is a really good artist."

"I DID IT!" Owen quickly and emphatically declared!

It was too cute and late to be upset. We all just laughed but sternly warned him not to do it again.

Grateful Sunday

1. Holden learned how to tie his shoe - all by himself. I don't know how he did it but yesterday he excitedly did it.
   
2. Owen writing and re-writing his Santa letter 3 times. Thus really getting to learn how to write his letters and making it a little tougher for Santa.
3. Andy ever encouraging and getting us out the door for church on Sunday mornings.
4. Ocean's 13 for being awesome.
5. Penelope taking a bottle. I have never had a "bottle" baby and I think it is the cutest thing! (She sucked down Amanda Jane's bottle this week, so I knew she loved it!) Yeah for weaning!
6. I am grateful that not everyone on this great green Earth receive my parent's annual Christmas card (just half of them) which this year showcases the utter enormity of my upper chest in the first few months of nursing (much to my begging and pleading and threatenings not to publish the picture - I guess that's what parents do).
   
7. The blue skies and snow capped trees that we woke up to this morning that is simply breathtaking.
   

Happy December 1st

Happy Birthday Mia darling!

"Hey Holden, there's snow even covering the sidewalk."

The two boys proceeded to help each other clean their room (? totally without prompting, we were still feigning sleep), then proceed to put their snow clothes on. They were so excited to play, H even got O's snow clothes out of the car for him. They then proceeded to play in the snow for 45 minutes...all before 8:15 this morning.

What a great way to bring in the December holiday season!

Phoenix Trip Pictures

Montezuma Castle Ruins. This site is only about 45 minutes from Phoenix. We stopped on the way into town, it was our first trip. We had heard raves about it from our crazy Anthropology Professor (AK and I took some classes together, cheesy huh?). It was quite fascinating. The ruins have been "restored" from vandalism. The site has a beautiful river about 50 yards from the base of these dwellings, and a great clearing between where it is easy to envision maize crops growing. The picture above shows actual ruins of rooms within the "second" bigger dwelling.

Montezuma Castle

Can you be any cuter? Seriously.

Nally boys with the Turkey Vulture at the Phoenix Zoo.

H & O with their school's mascot - the bobcat (right between their heads, a little above, between the two "pole" looking branches). It was looking straight at us, very cool, but you can't see so much in the picture.

Saguaro Cactus slide. Only in Phoenix.

Owen breakfasting with his newly re-named buddy "Cactus" previously known as "Tex" nestled under his arm.