Hungry Hungry Hippo

I used to love playing that game as a kid...you know the one where you controlled your hungry hippo and whoever ate the most marbles won!
Well, I just visited another kind of hippo...the kind that my husband hunts in Africa...it gets mounted, shipped and delivered two years later at our house....we discover it's waaaaay too big to put anywhere in our little casita....so it takes another little trip to St. George where it lives happily ever after in it's little home in Sportsmans Warehouse eating grass all day long :)

Oh yeah... that's just where he should be...doesn't he look so happy. I just had to stop and see it, since I hadn't seen it out of the crate yet.
Happy Happy Hippo!

Beauty Within

I know Miranda is going to kill me for posting these, but I just think she is so beautiful! I just love her sparkling personality and her beauty from within as well!

These pictures were taken in Disneyland while we were waiting for the boys to ride Grizzly River.

Spring Break 2011

We headed off to Newport Beach to camp in the trailer again this year.

The kids had a fun time with the surry...not to mention all the exercise they got from peddling

Sophie got to come along this time and did pretty good around the camp. 

Of course the trip to California just wouldn't be complete without a visit to Disneyland!
Enjoy another Disney Slideshow!!!

It was another fabulous weekend hanging out in California...now back to school and work :(

Sweet Music

I was just hanging in the kitchen minding my own business when I heard a beautiful noise coming from the living room.
Piano music was being played, but by whom? I hadn't forced gently reminded anyone to practice. Could someone really be playing on their own free will and choice? 
   I tip-toed over and peeked around the corner and found Parker playing up a storm!

It was truly beautiful music to my ears :)

I just love it when the kids practice piano, or saxophone, or sing around the house.  Loud and clear for everyone to hear... music brings such sweet harmony (pun intended) to our home!

Wash & Spin

This year Parker's Boy Scout troop did a car wash as a fundraiser for their scout camp. Parker and I were in charge of making signs to direct people and advertise the car wash. The scouts took turns standing on the street corner.
We were out and about and Parker happened to be on the corner holding the sign.

When he noticed us, he started waving and spinning his sign like you see many "sign holders" do.

They had a successful fundraiser, I'm sure my signs made all the difference :)

Look What "popped" up

For Christmas, my sister Natalie, gave me this Cake Pops book by Bakerella.
I've been hooked on her site forever, but was super excited to get this book and try these little beauties for myself. 

I guess I just never had an official occasion to make them, so the book just sat and sat waiting for me to use it.  Finally.... my chance came.  The Young Women were having a bake sale fundraiser for girls camp.  Perfect! 
   Miranda and I flipped through the pages trying to decide what would be good to make for the bake sale.  Finally, we decided on the pirates (you can see it on the front cover above).  I thought the boys would love it, but the girls needed something too.  I searched for ways to make a princess, but didn't find anything.  So, I just figured out a way to create my own :)
   I baked the cake (chocolate), bought all the supplies...now I was ready to make cake pops! 

Without further delay.... here they are!

Meet the Pirates for the boys....

And the Princesses for the girls....

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.  I had issues with the edible markers so had to resort to making their faces with colored chocolate. 

The Pirate bandannas and princess tiaras are made with giant heart sprinkles....
Miranda came up with the pirate mustache idea, I like them much better than the smile
and we added these little earrings for them too..

I'm just OK with the princess faces, there's just something not quite right.  This was definately a learning process and I will make some changes next time. 

We ended up with 50 (25 each)

It was a little army of pirate and princess cake pops :)
Overall, I'm pretty happy with my first cake pop experience...next up.... baby chicks!

Shining Moment

Gus needed his moment to shine too...

Ok, I think he's a cutie as well :)