so, this is what we're up too

Basketball is over. Noah and Sam both loved it which led to a new basketball stand outside! Hurray! Now we're on to baseball for both boys! It's time to pack up the camp chairs, blankets, umbrellas emergency treats and drinks, etc. and get ready for the long haul! So for 4 days a week, I'll be at a field somewhere in Bountiful! Yee Haw! They are both excited!

Bailey just had piano Federation at the University of UT. She got there, got seated at the piano, and one of the judges said, "where is your other piece of music?" WHAT!? Bailey THOUGHT she have brought both but really had grabbed a practice book that looked similar and her other sheet music for her other piece. You can't be judged without your music!!! I thought she'd cry! But she held it together and played the one piece she had BEAUTIFULLY and then we left. She will have to do a make up this Thursday. She was NOT happy. She was READY that day and it was heartbreaking to see her beat herself up over an easy mistake! She has stared to have an interest in soccer since she and her friends have been playing soccer during recess at school. We'll see... For now she plans on summer tennis, gymnastics, and an acting class. Jenna is my free spirit who is content to live through her sibling's activities. Thank heavens I don't have to worry about her schedule...yet!

Noah won second place in the Scout "Take Flight" build your own airplane out of a cardboard box contest. Of course Grampy built the whole thing!!!!! (Muchas gracias Dad!!!!!) But we glued it and painted it!!!! It was a fun night! Fun to see all the different airplanes (some of which were quite impressive!) Fun to see the boys racing around in them from "airport" to "airport"! I think they learned a thing or two while they were at it!

Noah and I were learning about the planets and space flight in Scouts so we thought it would be cool to do a boys/mom date to the Planetarium and see "Hubble 3D" and eat Milky Way bars. So we did and it was really impressive! I had tears in my eyes a few times. Hartley would understand. Love this stuff! Love having boys to do it with!

dipped in cheese and chocolate

Part of my invite

a March birthday celebration!

Ok, this was my favorite moment of the night. Gabe just leaned over and kissed Mi'Chelle. A REAL kiss! (And a real grope which i didn't see until I downloaded these pictures!) They left soon after.....did I put too much wine in the cheese sauce?

The table.

Party favors. A must at a birthday party!

Strange, but as much as I love food and feel like I've tried most things, I had never tried fondue....until now!!!! You know when you have someone over for dinner and you try a new dish thinking it will turn out fine but you're still a little nervous? I tried a whole party centered around fondue, something I had NO experience with! How do you fondue? What sauces are good? What to dip? Well, it all worked out fine. We dipped steak, shrimp, fingerling potatoes, bratwurst, french bread, sauteed veggies of EVERY kind and then for dessert, chocolate! We dipped marshmallows which were then dipped in chopped pecans (my favorite), cheese cake, pound cake, macaroons, strawberries, pineapple, banana, and mini cream puffs! Oh boy! It was a March birthday party for Kelly and some of our March birthday friends! I'm thinking fondue is pretty great. I now need to sit back at Melting Pot and have someone ELSE make it all!!!! I'm glad fondue made a come back. The 70's had at least one good thing going for it besides Andy Gibb! Haha!

simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo Da Vinci

The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials. ~Lin Yutang

You know how I LOVE my quotes! There is great wisdom here. Keep it simple! Get back to the basics. Spring clean! Throw away. Focus on the necessities of life, love, health, your spirit within, and giving. I love the simple life! And I have to remember, even doing laundry, dishes, and cleaning toilets is part of my "duties". There is beauty to be found in all things, as simple as they may be!

beauty secrets....shhhh!

My dear, gorgeous, blogging friends,

I need you! We need each other! Beauty is important to all of us right? I mean who doesn't want to look good? How many women do you know out there that can get away with NO makeup? I need your help because one of my favorite makeup lines went out of business! It was Prescriptives! I used their Site Unseen concealer, their Mineral Powder and their foundation!!! I CAN'T live without this stuff! It is my base, my clean canvas! So please share your favorite products and why so I can save some time out there looking, trying and buying the right products for me!

I'll give you mine:

Eyelash curler, every time! Makes my eyelashes look so much longer! (Grocery store)

My lit tweezers (has a little light inside the base) shows me every hair so I can get a clean pluck every time! (It was a gift, so look online?)

And then there is highlighting. I use MAC iridescent face powder or bronzer to highlight the bridge of my nose, and top of my cheek bones. It gives a luster to the skin that makes my skin look healthy and "glowing."

What are your secrets?

Love ya!

Heather

the real deal: being a parent can show you just what you're made of...or not made of.

I'm not made for this day. My heart is breaking for my sweet son. I just found out he's been hiding out in the bathroom during recess, for the past couple months! He went from everyone loving him to everyone noticing that he has difficulties and therefore, teasing him and leaving him out. I've always known that he has been behind, that he struggles, that he has learning disabilities...but to hear it all said out loud in a room at school today was enough to make me cry. He needs to be tested, he needs counseling from the school psychiatrist, he needs reading and speech and language therapy, he needs to be tested for ADD & ADHD, he needs, he needs. I have so much love for this boy of mine!!!! I can't bare to see him hurt, feel inadequate, have low self confidence. What do you do? Do you call all his friend's mom's and ask them to have their boys play with your child so he won't be alone? Why do I feel like I have to explain to other mom's/teachers why he acts the way he does or talks the way he does etc, etc. I feel so overwhelmed. I want to spend every waking moment teaching, loving, encouraging so that this child will develop what is necessary to keep up, to keep afloat in school, in life, socially, mentally, spiritually. I want to go to school at recess and play with him when he is alone. I can't. I know. I have 3 other children, and their needs too. Our challenges come in many different forms but the emotional have to be the worst! I just feel so bad....BUT I KNOW that I have one of the BEST boys ever because I see what other people don't see. I know his heart. That's what keeps me going. It has been a hard, long road and I know much time and patience lays ahead. I just wish I could make it easier for him. I'd gladly take it all away if I could. This I do know, that he will overcome these challenges. I don't doubt. He WILL.

Jenna, "Mom, why do guys go outside in their dressups and wave to us?" (500 S. and tax season!)