Camilla's Birthday Cake!

Create your own free digital slideshow

Build A Bear, or Horse or Kitty...

Camilla decided she would like to go to the Build a Bear workshop to celebrate her 9th birthday. She invited her friend, Camilla Adams. Here is a shot of them after they picked out their bears...oops, I mean Camilla Pearl picked out a horse and Camilla Rose picked out a Kitty Cat. They are standing in front of the stuffing machine.

Camilla Pearl picked out a heart for her horse and pushed on the foot pedal and the white puffy stuffing began to fill up her horse and make it come ALIVE. Camilla Rose did the same for her kitty.

After the animals were properly stuffed and sewed together; the girls washed and groomed their new best friends. Then they set out to find clothes and shoes for them. After they were clothed in the latest fashion, Camilla Pearl, named her horse, Beezus, and Camilla Rose named her kitty cat, Crystal. They both received printed birth certificates and everything!

Here they are the two little princesses with their new Build a Bear Worshop hand-made kitty cat and horse.

After the workshop we dined on hamburger, fries, chicken and shakes from Iceberg. Then we went to the movie "Ramona and Beezus"..it was very cute! It was a fun day. Camilla said "It was a lot of fun, but the bears were much bigger than she thought they'd be." She explained to me later that she was thinking she'd just make a cute little cuddly bear, so when she saw how BIG they were she decided to get a HORSE.

Today is Camilla's actual birthday. She had breakfast in bed. Eggs over medium, toast lightly buttered and a berry smoothy. Camilla asked for Ramen Noodle for lunch, which I delivered. Now I will be preparing her favorite dinner entree..Spaghetti!

Happy birthday to our 9 year old daughter! This morning she told me she was a little sad to say goodbye to 8. I told her to remember all the fun things she did when she was 8 and then let it go and EMBRACE "9". She said, "I am!" So, I left her for her brief moments of silence and returned to my job of making her birthday wishes come true.

Thanks Camilla Rose and Dawn for celebrating with us yesterday and making it so much FUN!

A funny picture of Neal

I came across this picture today and it made me LAUGH.  I just had to share it.

Neal is 2 years old..well, almost 2 1/2 years old.

He is a HANDFUL.

At church he is up and down and over and LOUD.

He likes ELMO.

He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

He likes his...let me rephrase, he LOVES his blue kitty blanket.

He still likes his blue binky.

He likes to sing, "The wheels on the Bus, If you're happy and you know it, 1, 2 buckle my shoe, Popcorn Popping, I have a little Turtle."

He gives kisses on the lips, sometimes.

He hits.

He can almost jump with both feet off the ground.

He climbs.

He runs.

He runs away from me when I ask him to come to me...

He has a temper and he screams.

He laughs.

He dances.

He says "hi" to people when we walk by them.

He wrestles with Spencer.

He plays with Camilla, usually.

He likes to take walks with Eric to the park.

He rides in the stroller while I walk to the school, then he hops out and plays on the playground until I say.."Okay, Neal, mommy is ready to finish her walk, get back in the stroller and you can have your blanket and binky"

This evening Neal ate cookies dough from a fork as I was making cookies...he kept saying,"Mow pease?"

Neal just said his own prayer at bedtime tonight!

Some days I have to remind myself just how far he's come, days when I am at the end of my patience, energy and don't think I'm going to make it to bedtime. 

I have a friend who has a little baby in the NICU.  She's been staying in the hospital feeding him and preparing for him to go home with her.  Listening to her, even though her story is different than Neal's, brings back memories.  Memories of the prayers, support, two and half months spent driving back and forth to Mt. Timpanogas Regional Medical Center. Staying home for months after he came home, during flu and cold season for two years.  All in hopes that Neal would be just who he is today!

Neal begins my day and ends my day with pure happiness.

Summer..SunBURN

Eric took Spencer and Camilla to the Payson pool and they put sunscreen on, but probably not enough or not often enough.  All three of them came home sunburned. 

Neal and I were saved because we didn't go.  SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN!!!

4th of July

Spencer and the Linx 

Neal and the Baboon

Camilla and the Reindeer

For the 4th of July we went to Provo and experienced Colonial Days. Camilla enjoyed meeting Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln.  We spent a bit of time there and then headed to the Bean Museum at BYU.  As you can see from the pictures each child had their favorite animal.

Summertime SALAD

I posted a picture of this salad on Facebook and got a lot of responses, as well as request for the ingredients.  It is REALLY good.  I didn't even use the dressing, shared some with Lisa last night at the park and we just drizzled a tiny bit of BYU reduced ranch dressing!  Eric said the dressing is good and sweet. So give it a try and let me know how you like it!

 I served rolls with it as well, and Lisa and I shared an Oroweat bagel..the flat kind.  

Erlene & Maranda's Spinach Salad

Dressing:

Mix hours ahead; it keeps for weeks

2/3 Cup white vinegar

1 1/4 Cup Corn oil

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

3/4 Cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Salad:

Mixture of salad greens: spinach, red leaf lettuce, romaine, and iceburg lettuces

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

Feta cheese OR cottage cheese OR Swiss cheese  (I used Feta..LOVE IT)

Slivered almonds, toasted  (I used whole almonds)

Bermuda onion, thinly sliced (If you don't like onions I would suggest still putting some in for the flavor)

Craisins

Mushrooms (optional)

Can also add...sliced carrots, cucumbers, chopped apples

I made the salad about an hour before eating and let it sit in the refrigerator to blend the flavors together a bit more (Nez)

(Erlene Curtis Fairview 1st Ward Relief Society Tried and Treasured Recipes, 2006)

Summertime personal pizzas

I discovered that I could use Rhodes Rolls to make personal size crust for pizza. I let them sit out to thaw for maybe 30 minutes, then flatten them with my hands, kids can help, and then top them with spaghetti sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you might like.

I like to use my pampered chef pizza stones and bake them in the oven 350 degrees for about 15 to 18 minutes.

They turn out with a thick crust, they are DELICIOUS and the KIDS LOVE THEM.
So, so, so easy.
Just thought I'd share.
You can find the recipe on the Rhodes Rolls bag as well..so I didn't just think it up all on my own.
They are fun to make and fun to eat.