honesty...

Tonight at dinner, Zane was having a hard time staying in his chair (nothing new there!). As he was sitting on his knees, he slipped off the chair. We pointed out to him that we weren't falling off our chairs, and why did he think that was? He said "Lucifer pushed me off my chair." Hehe. Tonight's FHE lesson was on Honesty (after the chair incident).

reflections of christ...

Here's a link to a slideshow of images that are part of an exhibit at the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center. The photographer used the cast members of the temple's Easter pageant. I think that it is amazing. Enjoy!

Reflections of Christ

the brackets continued...

I forgot to mention something else hilarious Zane has said about the brackets. When he found out how good he was doing he said "I'm kicking all the trash out of people!" HAHAHA!

the brackets...

John plays the March Madness brackets with a group of guys at work. This year he had Zane choose one, by telling him to pick which team's mascot he liked better. For example: "Do you want the Delta Devils or the Bruins?" So, wondering how his bracket is doing vs. all the guys that spend years and years studying the statistics and perfecting theirs? He is #3. Out of almost 50 brackets. HAHA!

Zane really enjoys guitar hero, but his "competitive edge" has been coming out lately, so much that we have had to turn the game off a few times. Tonight John said he would play with Zane, as long as he didn't get mad if John won. Zane said he wouldn't, but then thought for a minute and said quietly "I feel much better if I win." We couldn't help but laugh at that. Don't we all, Zane.

springtime in pictures...

I haven't blogged much, but I've taken lots of pictures I need to post. This week has been fun with St. Patricks Day, a picture taking trip to the temple, coloring eggs, easter egg hunts, and of course Easter! Here is the week in pictures (warning it's picture overload!):

book tag...

*Find the book closest to you with at least 123 pages.
*Turn to page 123.
*Find the fifth sentence.
*Post the next 3 sentences.
*Tag 5 people

Now let me explain - the closest book to me was one of many many - I am sitting in front of my bookcase, so I blindly reached out and grabbed one. The one I grabbed was "Between Husband and Wife". This is a book that our branch president recommended to us when we were engaged. It's a really good book, but turns out that the particular passage would not be PG rated - and I didn't want any nasty people searching for weird stuff and finding MY blog. So I "blindly" picked another book from a different shelf, because apparently the church book shelf was not a safe bet.

My book:
"Anna Karenina"

"After dinner the two young men go into their host's study, and write a letter to the unknown fair one. They compose an ardent epistle, a declaration in fact, and they carry the letter up-stairs themselves, so as to elucidate whatever might not appear perfectly intelligible in the letter." "Why are you telling me these horrible stories? Well?"

-I think that I should read this book - I haven't. I'm in between books right now, so maybe I should start another epic - it's only 740 pgs.

I TAG:
Steph
Chardell
Carrie R.
Tasha
My sisters (u know who u are)

phoenix...

We took a last minute trip to Phoenix to visit my parents and sisters. We had a great time. We got to see Amanda's new house, saw Horton Hears a Who, went to the park, went shopping, and got to play in the hot tub. Here's a couple pics: (sorry for the boring post)

zane the photographer...

Zane decided to take a bunch of pictures (around 100) with the new digital camera. Some of faves: (these don't include pictures of the tv, computer, table, hands, feet, etc.)

happy anniversary...

Today John and I celebrate 7 years! I love you babe!

it's time...

Ok, so most of you know that I make jewelry and have forever. I've decided that I have just way too much stuff that I need to get rid of, so I am having a BIG SALE on my etsy site. I am new to etsy too, I'm trying it out to see if it's the avenue for me. Go check it out, tell all your friends, forward the link, shamelessly plug me to whomever you talk to. I need to sell my stuff so I can make more! Try etsy, it's ADDICTING!

Visit me here: http://www.petitepieces.com/ or http://petitepieces.etsy.com/. They go to the same place right now.

cruisin...

Zane had some funny things to say today. He was playing with John's remote control helicopter (see previous post) and John said "be careful, even though it's plastic it can still break". Zane replied "not excessively." What? Haha!

He loves playing guitar hero, and actually can play it ok on the easy level. He's been talking about a "guitar hero party" when he goes outside for awhile, and I never knew what he meant until today. I went outside with him, and he ran up to the back of our yard, up on top of some rocks, and said "take a picture of my guitar hero party!" This is what I got (it's him playing a guitar - and the top of the rocks: the STAGE - I get it now).

Lily has been so happy and active the past week. I guess all she needed was to put on a little weight - if that's the way it works, I should be full of energy! All she wants to do when she is not eating or sleeping is stand up. At church on Sunday, I held her up by her hands almost the entire 3 hours. Just today she has been a little bit more stable to hold on to something herself.

And then not so stable.
(I know I'm a mean mom, and ignore the stained carpet!)

I also wanted to mention that tonight Lily actually drank a bottle! No cereal in it. Straight up formula. No problems! So exciting! I had to include one more cute picture from this past week of Lily in her stroller. She hasn't ever been in a stroller much, and she does not really like it. She would be fine, until she would look back at me, then she would whimper and whine. This was a cute moment when she was just happily looking, to make sure I'm still there I guess?!

wait for it....

Here it is, My 100 ... or 100 things you really didn't want to know about me...

1. I don't like to call people on the phone
2. My husband doesn't like to call people on the phone.
3. We fight over who has to order pizza
4. If I lose, I order the pizza online
5. I try to do everything I can online, rather than have to talk to a live person
6. I would much rather do laundry than dishes
7. I am addicted to Mountain Dew
8. My New Years Resolution is to be off the MD by the end of the year (I'm realistic and waiting until New Year's Eve counts)
9. Aspartame, Sucralose, or any sugar deviant makes me sick to my stomach, literally
10. I can't chew a piece of sugar free gum or drink diet soda
11. I want a swimming pool
12. I'm not as embarrassed as I should be to wear a swimming suit
13. My own family's germs don't bother me, but other people's…
14. Yeah, I really really have a hard time in hotel rooms
15. Favorite quote: I don't think it's (OCD) getting worse as I get older, it's just getting harder to control. HAHA
16. I don't like meat that looks like it came from an animal
17. I miss a lot of things about living in a small apartment
18. I still have acne too (thanks steph - not for the acne, but the item on my list)
19. I'm only at 19 and I think I've run out
20. I really don't think I can sing, but I do it anyways
21. I want to grow a salsa garden - tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, can you do that?
22. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up
23. I dream of tropical vacations
24. Ok, I dream of ANY vacation
25. My next house will have LOTS of windows.
26. I would die without A/C
27. Sometimes I get in my car with the kids and just take a drive
28. I live for flip flops
29. I really think that someday I will be caught up on my scrapbooking (only 3 years behind right now)
30. I'm trying to eat my vegetables
31. I have wayyyyy too much gray hair for my age
32. This is how old I will be this year
33. I have a goal to one day be able to play the following songs on the piano: Fantasie-Impromptu (Chopin - minute waltz), Prelude Op. 32 No. 2 (Rachmaninoff), Sonata Pathetique (Beethoven), and Hungarian Rhapsody (Liszt)
34. I am 3 months and 12 days older than my husband
35. He never lets me forget this
36. He is 14 inches taller than me and I didn't say this to make you think that he is intimidating to me, he's the sweetest man, but I guess he could be an intimidating lawyer
37. I make jewelry and I like to sew
38. I can taste the freezer
39. I don't really think I have a style, but people look at things and say "that looks like you"
40. I want to get my masters degree
41. I still think that maybe one day I could be a doctor (see #22)
42. I get obsessed with books and can't stop reading.
43. I want to take a photography class (the one in high school didn't count)
44. I once worked as a telephone relay operator for deaf and hard of hearing people
45. I have had my tongue pierced, twice
46. The only reason I never got a tattoo when I was a "rebel" was that I promised my Grandpa I wouldn't
47. I was born RED (GO UTES)
48. I worked at BYU
49. I have a very strong testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
50. I love the rain
51. I still love to play in the rain and splash in gutters
52. I only miss the snow until I am in it, then I realize that's crazy
53. I'm not as picky an eater as I used to be
54. I would much rather have a fruity candy than a chocolate one
55. I pick cake and cookies over ice cream any day
56. Pink frosted sugar cookies make my day
57. I cry all the time, and that does not mean there is anything wrong with me
58. I can touch my tongue to my nose
59. I like to hike, camp, fish but rarely do it
60. I miss going fishing with my Dad
61. I love Disneyland
62. Places I want to visit: Hawaii, East coast, Europe
63. I love tutus on little girls
64. My natural fingernails are really ugly
65. I think I have cute feet
66. My hair is the longest it has been in 10 years
67. I enjoy garlic
68. and anything with cheese
69. It's unfortunate that my husband is lactose intolerant
70. I'm slightly freaked out that my son is starting kindergarten this year
71. I freely admit that I am a music snob
72. I once made fun of "those wives" that don't shave their legs for weeks
73. I am one
74. This may be the year I finally get a pedicure
75. I would live in pajama pants and tshirts if it was socially acceptable
76. I think play is very important for kids, and TV is very important for mom's sanity
77. Popcorn is wonderful
78. I'm realizing just how unhealthy I sound from writing this but I don't care
79. I feel like sitting home on a Saturday is a big waste of time
80. My husband and I have bitter discussions about #79
81. Really, there is no point to cockroaches and rats and I dare you to change my opinion
82. I once played the flute, and was good at it
83. I used to be in a dance group called Razz-ma-Tazz, fringy leotard, knee high socks, super curly hair and all (that would be a good Flashback Friday picture)
84. I waited until after Prom to break up with the guy I went with, just so I could go
85. We didn't even look at the kitchen before we bought our house.
86. I will never make that mistake again
87. I'm so close I can almost taste it
88. I envy moms that can conjure up a wonderful meal with whatever is left in their fridge/cupboards
89. Yes, I said conjure, because it must be a magical power
90. I came in 2nd place in my elementary school spelling bee
91. I came in 5th place in my junior high spelling bee only because I was disqualified by a disgruntled parent that made a complaint that I spelled a word wrong when really I didn't
92. I don't harbor any bad feelings about #91 can't you tell?
93. I was absent over half of my senior year and still graduated and noone said anything.
94. I graduated in a class of over 1000 people, maybe that's the reason for #93
95. My kids have been neglected while I've been writing this
96. I've had some realizations this past year that you really can find yourself in being selfless and giving and not focusing on yourself and your needs.
97. #96 may totally irk some people off
98. In #97 I really wrote piss instead of irk, but changed it because that's not very ladylike
99. I don't have ANY grand ideas that any of this is funny or witty.
100. I know I will be embarrassed after posting this list.

flashback friday...

I took this idea from my friend's blog...

This is a picture (of a polaroid picture) of me and my friends from our sophomore year in high school. I can't believe this picture was taken 16 years ago! We are all still very good friends. We talk to each other almost every day.

Can you believe how tan we were? We look HOT! And what is that I'm wearing? Yes, it's a sweater and SHORTS. wow.

Love you!

mmm deceptively spaghetti...

I bought the book "Deceptively Delicious" that has recipes of different foods with added vegetable purees - basically ways to get your kids to get the veggies they need - when they won't eat them. Now, Zane is not really big on veggies - but he's not opposed to sometimes having one bite. To be honest, I got the book because I was interested in putting veggies in things for ME. I like veggies ok, I'm just SOOO bad about cooking them. I never remember to make veggies with dinner. Or, I forget to buy them in the first place. I'm also the kind of cook that would prefer to cook a whole bunch of stuff at once, and throw it all in the freezer - so I can just throw something in the oven, etc. for dinner.

So, a few weekends ago, I spent the afternoon Sat. making dozens of dozens of purees that I can just throw into dishes: cauliflower, sweet potato, squash, carrot, spinach, broccoli, red pepper, etc. The plus side to having all these purees in the freezer is that Lily can eat them as baby food too! There are also some great looking (I haven't tried them yet) dessert recipes in the book. I will let you know how they are when I try them.


Tonight we just had regular old spaghetti, but I threw in a carrot and a broccoli puree - so an extra cup of veggies. Didn't change the taste one bit. Zane loved it and Lily really enjoyed it. I thought I would compare pictures of the kids eating spaghetti around the same ages (Zane was a little older)- pretty cute kids!

today...

Took Lily in today to have her weighed. It's been a week since we've been keeping track of her calories. She gained 2 pounds! She is now back up to her 6 month weight! Yay! She may still have to have the sweat chloride test done tomorrow, we'll see.

***Just edited to say that I did talk to the Dr. this evening. He called personally because he was SO excited that she had gained that much. He said that is 4 times the amount they expected. So, my "orders" are to keep doing what I'm doing, and check back in a couple weeks. No sweat chloride (cystic fibrosis) test for now - she probably wouldn't gain like that if that was the problem. I'm glad about that, because the test could take up to an hour with her sitting on my lap, blech.***

dinner club part 1 ...

I made the recipe from my dinner club tonight for Sunday dinner and it was super delicious. Everyone loved it! I always see people's blogs with pictures of the food they make, but my food never looks that good, so instead you get a picture of my baby with it all over her face.

*WARNING* this is in NO way low fat, healthy, or low in calories, I am sure - sorry Anne ;-)

Here's the recipe with the changes that I made:

Chicken Lasagna

Sauce:

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese (I used neufchatel)

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

2 Cups sour cream (1 pint - I used light)

1/2 tsp. salt (I left this out)

1 Cup cooked chicken, cut up/shredded (I used left over rotisserie chicken)

1 red pepper, julienned (I added the veggies - use more if you want - I think I will next time)

1 zucchini, julienned

10 oz. pkg. lasagna noodles (I used no-boil)

1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Preheat to 350 degrees.

2. Combine cream cheese, cr. of mushroom, cr. of chicken, sour cream, and salt in saucepan until cream cheese is melted and blended together.

3. While sauce is going, saute the red pepper and zucchini in 1 tbsp. canola or olive oil.

4. Layer sauce, noodles, chicken/veggies, cheese...and repeat.

5. Bake for 30 minutes.

THANKS Kami - It's delicious!

macaroni and kites...

Distraction still works sometimes on a 4 year old. Thank goodness! Zane was about to have a fit this morning over something... so I suggested we do Macaroni Art. Can you guess which one I did?



The weather was so beautiful today. We had lunch at the park and Zane and John tried to fly the kite. There wasn't much wind, so the kite didn't get off the ground very high. Just as high as a little leg power from Zane would get it. We had a blast. These pictures are from John's cell because I didn't have my camera. Spring is coming!