Today's Photo Shoot

Comings and Goings

All sorts of things have been going on but we have not taken the time to blog about them. First of all was St. Patrick's Day. We didn't do anything big or amazing but the kids got shirts and were excited for all the activities at school.






Next was Grandpa Jake's birthday party. We all had a great time at Jake and Carolyn's, enjoying a nice dinner and hanging out with the Madigan family.






The kids always keep life interesting at our house. Sometimes we forget to record the little moments like Asher and Hannah hiding in her room looking at her jewelry.

And JJ and Asher wrestling on the floor.

Asher is Mommy's Wii buddy.

JJ's big news was loosing his first tooth. An event that he was beginning to think would never happen. There are several kids of our acquaintance who are younger than Hannah who have lost teeth. This did not go unnoticed by JJ. But finally his bottom tooth fell out. I made him a little bag for his tooth and the tooth fairy brought him a one dollar bill rolled up really tiny and tied with floss with an itty bitty note attached. He was thrilled and can't wait for the next tooth to fall out.

Favorite Food Friday . . . er, um, Monday

Ok so I forgot to post another favorite recipe on Friday so here it is today! Our kids LOVE this one and it has so much more flavor than the store bought kind - Lance and I like it too!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

4 chicken breast halves, cut into strips OR 1 pkg of chicken tenders
1/4 C Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp crushed basil leaves
1 tsp crushed thyme leaves
1/2 C unseasoned (or Italian) fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 C margarine - melted

Cut meat into strips, to desired size (we found that cutting the pieces very small ends up with very dry chicken). Combine bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Dip chicken pieces in margarine, then in crumb mixture. Place a single layer on foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

We like to dip these in a Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

1 C mayo
1 C honey
1 C mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tsp ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients well. (This is also good with corn dogs, ham sandwiches and pretzels!)

My baby

Ok so this is nothing close to a baby but it is really fun! Lance got me a new phone for our anniversary! A BlackBerry Curve. I am loving all the fun features. Ya, you could say I am a techno-geek.



Speaking of our anniversary . . . we hit the big 1-0 mark. Ten years ago on Wednesday I married my best friend and soul mate in the Timpanogos Temple. We were truly the best of friends before anything else and continue to be that for each other to this day. I still get excited when I know he is coming home from work and I still like just kicking around with him. My favorite memories of these last ten years include the many, many nights we stayed up way too late just talking about anything and everything, our trip to China (I would have been terrified to go there without him!), and watching him become an awesome Dad to our three kids. I couldn't ask for a better partner for this life and the next.


I feel the need to add something soft and squishy here ... of course, this is Lance. Being able to marry my best friend, someone that I can always talk to and laugh with, has been the best thing to ever happen to me. Sometimes I take advantage of that (and this is unfair of me), but it is wonderful to always know where you stand with someone. Here is to 10 years babe ... and an eternity more.

Temples, pets and food

Yesterday we attended the Draper Temple Open House. It was a great experience for all of us but especially the kids. JJ had been looking forward to seeing the baptismal font and it was beautiful. I LOVED the sconces and chandeliers in the brides room - they were breathtaking. Asher kept yelling "my temple!" as we walked through the different rooms. Hannah was just happy that someone noticed her dress and her curled hair. It was really special to have my mom be able to come too. We weren't sure she would be able to make it right up until the last moment. She got really tired but made it through without a wheelchair. Going through the temple was a great reminder to me of how grateful I am to be sealed to my family forever. I think we often forget that altough we may be sealed -- it is also conditional upon our faithfulness. All the more reason to take advantage of this precious gift. I need to work so much harder to be worthy of this gift.









This week Hannah had her "Preschool Pet Day"! Pet day is always entertaining. I am so glad that I can laugh from afar. Kudos to her teachers who had to deal with gale force winds, rowdy dogs, and pet fish who were "shaken, not stirred".


Also on the subject of pets - we were visiting our friends the other day and thier puppy took a liking to Asher's binkie. Next thing we know he is walking around the house with the binkie in his mouth like a baby. It ruined the bink but was so hilarious Missy had to take a picture. (He has a cone on his head because he just got neutered)



Last but not least I am going to try something new. I am starting up "Favorite Food Friday". Every Friday I plan to post a favorite recipe so come back and check it out on Fridays!
Today's recipe is courtesy of a stake women's conference a year or so ago. It is delish!

Bow Tie Pasta Salad
1 pkg bow tie pasta, cooked
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup grapes
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup craisins
2 cups chopped chicken (I use two large cans of chicken)
Mix together and add dressing.
Dressing:
1 bottle coleslaw dressing (Lite House is good)
1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo
1 Tbsp. sugar