{Busy, Busy, Busy}

The last few weeks for us have been....busy, busy, busy! Because of that, a few things have been neglected, namely my blog and my house. I've been trying to work on the house this morning and it's time for a little bloggy break to share a few of the things we've been up to lately.

• The Race for a Cure
  

I finally got our pictures off my moms camera. Unfortunately, the group shot we took with my Aunt and cousins turned out really dark, darn it!

Lis and I always have such a great time together, and this weekend was no exception. I laughed until I cried (I wish I could share the pictures of Lisa's fantastic PJ's, but she made me swear I wouldn't) and we shopped until I was ready to cry (I have a time/patience limit when it comes to shopping) and it was just fun to spend a little girl time with my momma and my sis, and of course my dad too. I have to say dad was a good sport and didn't complain about the shopping at all!

• Baseball

Both Brock and Kaleb are playing on a coach pitch team this year, and their dad is the coach, which makes me the team secretary! So, we've been busy with games and practices and such.
Carlie thinks baseball games are the best and runs all over the place and just can't understand why she can't go out on the field with "my boys".

• Yard Work
  I think the biggest drawback to building a new house is starting a yard from scratch! We've been in our house for two and a half years now and I'm still overwhelmed by the yard.....there is just SO much to do! We put the lawn and a few trees in two summer ago, but that's as far as we got, no flowers, shrubs, bushes etc. I think this is the year that's going to change and we've done a lot in the last few weeks, and we spent the entire day yesterday working on things.

My mom got a set of these washtub containers at a yard sale last year. She gave me one, and I loved it, but didn't have a place for it. Well, with a few holes drilled in the bottom, it makes a pretty cute planter.

Derrick brought this old broken down wagon home when we lived in Santaquin. We've moved it with us at least 4 times and Derrick tried to chuck it every time. I finally planted some flowers in it, and I'm glad I made him keep it. Unfortunately the planters are the only things that have flowers right now, since we still need to get the sprinklers in the flower beds, but we are working on it!
An old wheelbarrow made into a cute planter, it also doubles as a nice shady spot for Licorice the kitty.
This old wash tub was my Grandma's. I claimed it awhile back, but it's been sitting out behind my parents house for quite awhile waiting for me to come get it. What a cute planter it finally made! I'm pretty sure the weeds still out-number the flowers, but I am making an effort.
We took a break from yard work to have a BBQ at Gram & Papa's. Derrick drove the four wheeler with the new yard trailer hooked to it and all the kids just had to have rides. They ended up filthy, so he brought them home to spray them off and ended up filling the trailer with water. They thought it was the best thing ever...silly boys!

The little girls found the ideal spot to eat their ice cream cones.

Are you all as busy as we've been? I always things things will slow down as summer comes, but instead it's crazy for us. We've also had the kids school program (not one of my pictures turned out), a quick visit from Ann and her family, the end of school stuff, Bunko and Derrick's been busy with the town park, among other things. Hopefully things will slow down soon and I can get caught up!

{Flashback Friday}

How can it be Friday again? If I don't get on the ball and start posting more, my entire blog will just be Flashback Fridays?!?

How can it be the end of the school year already? It was the kids, and the hubby's last day yesterday, but I swear it was just Christmas? And, really, how can it have been 15 years since I graduated from good old Millard High? Really, 15 years??? Lucky me, I get to help plan our 15 year reunion this year too!

Me and my parents ~ Graduation 1994 Since I seem to be suck on the subject of "how did that happen" today, here is one more. See that adorable little Miss in the above picture...that's my Skyler, she's not only my cousin, but I claim her and her sisters as"my girls". Sky was our flower girl at our wedding, and somehow she's all grown up now and it was her turn to graduate from good old Millard High on Tuesday night. How could that have happened?

Monna & Sky

(Sky has always called me Monna, not Mo like everyone else does)

Really how on earth can she be all grown up and ready to head to college? I've offered to let her stay and be my nanny, but for some reason she isn't jumping at that chance!?!

Is it just me that feels like the days just fly by, or do you all feel it too?

{Today is....}

National Chocolate Chip Day!

Wow, who knew chocolate chips had their very own day? I'm not sayin' they don't deserve it or anything, I was just surprised when I heard that. In honor of this great holiday, I thought I'd share one of my favorite (and most easy) recipes that features chocolate chips (it's their day, they deserve to be bolded).

** Fall Harvest Bars**

(don't let the name fool you, they're great in the summer and winter too)

1 yellow or white cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

1/2 cup Skor toffee bits (I use more like umm, 3/4 a cup or even a whole cup)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (more of these yummies too)

Heat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, egg and oil with a spoon (not a mixer). Stir in candy and chocolate chips. Press dough in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 14-20 min. (in my oven it's 18 min.) until light golden brown around the edges. Cut into bars and serve.

Seriously could it be any easier than that? It takes more effort to drive to the nearest grocery store (which is 7 miles away and in the next town) to buy cookies than it does to make these babies and they are YUMMM! At least in my opinion and they make my house smell scrumptious. Go ahead, try them, I dare you, then let me know what you think!

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!

P.S.~ I have officially decided, I am doing preschool next year. I hung up my signs today and I must admit it made me a bit nervous. Thank you all for you input and suggestions! I'm sure I'll have many, many more questions.

{Flashback Friday}

This weekend my mom, dad, sister, some of my Aunts and cousins and I are participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure in Salt Lake City. A few years ago, my sweet Aunt Suzi invited us to do this with her and her girls. It's become a mother's day weekend tradition, and this will be my third year. Our team name is Dot's Darlings in honor of my Great Grandma Dot Wyler. When I was just a young girl, Grandma Dot fought breast cancer and won, living many more years! I have so many great memories of this sweet little lady and am honored to do this each year in remembrance of her.

This is what I think of when I remember Grandma Dot, her sitting in her chair in the front room. She would always find us a cookie and we kids would line up on the couch and visit. All her family always got together for a big family party in August, for Grandma's birthday, usually in Grandma and Grandpas yard. As long as I can remember Grandma had that white curly hair and such a beautiful smile.

Back Row~ Grandma Renae Ainge, Aunt Helen Ainge

Front Row~ Great Grandma Dot Wyler, Grandpa Jay Ainge, Uncle Max Ainge

Here's to a fun weekend in honor of Grandma Dot!

{Preschool}

I have a bunch of Preschool questions and who better than to help me out than all my super great bloggy friends?!?

I've been thinking for awhile now about starting a small, like 5-8 kids small, preschool here in my home. Carlie is ready for some sort of preschool, but she can't go to Kindergarten for two more years (she missed the deadline by just a few weeks), I love kiddos, it would save me a trip to town 4 times a week, not to mention $$, and before I quit college got my Associates degree and decided Derrick needed a Bachelors degree more than I did, my major was Early Childhood Development, and mostly I just think I'd enjoy it. I've pretty much decided I'm going to do it, but here's where all the questions come up. How much to charge? I'm thinking 2 days a week.... for an hour and a half, or two hours? What about a supply fee at the first? Treats? Anything that your child's preschool did that you just loved? What do you think are the basics a child needs to know when starting Kindergarten? Maybe this isn't the best idea? I don't know!!! I'm not very good at making decisions!

What do you all think? Share, please! Any and all help/input would be great!

{Sunday, Bloody Sunday}

Who would have thought when we left for Church this morning that we would end up in the ER? Carlie tripped as she was walking down the hall and hit her head on a chair, not even on anything sharp, just the chair. It was a pretty deep cut, but not very big and I was surprised how little it bled. If it would have been anywhere but on her face, I probably wouldn't have taken her in, but we didn't want her to have an ugly scar.

It's kind of blurry, but you can kind of see how deep it was.

Showing off her hospital bracelet.

Just being her darling little self while waiting to get stitched up.

I was amazed at how little she cried and how good she was.....until it was time for the numbing shots, they must have hurt a bit and then she got really scared. I felt so bad holding her down while she was crying to try and keep her still. She ended up with 2 stitches and was pretty happy to get out of there. We stopped in to see Derrick's grandma Stevens, who is in the extended care at the hospital, for a minute and then made a quick stop and got her some cute band-aids so hopefully she'll keep it covered!

She wouldn't let me tke a picture of the stitches themselves, only of her Dora band-aid.