Edible Play dough

I found this edible play dough recipe and I love it. Most of the edible recipes had peanut butter in them, so I decided I would try this chocolate play dough for Ammon, since, he tries to eat regular NON-edible play dough. He hasn't played with it yet because he is sleeping, but I love it! It doesn't stick to your hands, it's very moldable, and it's edible!

Here's the recipe for anyone who is interested:

1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/2 C salt
1/2 Tbsp cream of tarter
1 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 C water

Combine flour, cocoa, salt, and cream of tarter in pan. In separate pan, boil water. Add vegetable oil to boiling water and flour mixutre. Stir very quickly and mix well. Cook over low heat, stir until the dough becomes a ball. Allow to cool.


Let me know if you try it and like it!

Ladies Night

Saturday night was lots of fun. I was able to get together with most of my aunts and cousins who live in Utah at my mom's for a girl's night out. We made candy bar posters to send to two of my cousins who are serving missions, ate a scrumptious dinner, and watched The Scarlet Pimpernell. I had a lot of fun, and I hope that everyone else did too. I look forward to more girl's nights, and hope to see more faces!

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Friday was a terrific day. It was great weather and I was itching to get Ammon outside. Janelle, Meg, me, and the kids got together Friday and frosted sugar cookies while babies slept. I should have taken pictures of the cookies Bailee decorated. She LOVES sprinkles!!! After lunch, We went outside to run around. Ammon just walked and walked and walked. We got the slide out and the kids soon discovered that the slide is one of the best outside toys! They would all whine after sliding down because they had to wait for their next turn. The first picture below is illustrating Bailee's impatience. Ha ha! She just gave Ammon a little push to get him going.

Bailee's very brave and went down lots of different ways.

This picture is reminiscent of Gardner Village at Halloween last year. Poor kids...You think we should try doing Spring/Easter pictures? It seems like anytime we try to take a picture of all of the grandkids, this is how it turns out. It sure makes for a good laugh.




My little buddy with his sly little smily and beautiful blue eyes! That night, Matt went to Brian's bachelor party where they had burgers, and played video games. While he was gone, I was at Dave and Sue's with Jason, Meg, Dan, and Janelle, and we laughed until about 2 in the morning! It was great.

A Tribute to Parents

I feel so blessed to have the parents that I have. I look up to and respect them, and love them dearly. They are so supportive and so willing to help out whenever possible. I love talking to my mom on the phone about anything and nothing and I love visiting with my dad whenever I go to their house. They are both terrific grandparents who love Ammon so much and I'm very grateful that they are involved in his life. I am grateful for the testimonies of my mom and dad and for their examples of faith and trusting in the Lord in all things, they have taught me much. I have always had a special closeness to my mom, I think I would hold her hand until I was like 10 years old. She has always put her children before herself, and I am so appreciative of her availability to help me and support me in my activities growing up. I loved sitting across the counter talking with her watching her cook. She has taught me well, and I hope that I can show the love and devotion to my husband and children and she has shown to hers. I love talking to my dad, he has great wisdom and great love for his children. He has taught me more about the character of our Father in Heaven as a father because of his example of love and mercy. He has been a profound example of remaining steadfast in the face of affliction without murmering. He also makes me laugh a lot which is wonderful.

Since being married, I have been blessed to have two additional parents. I have so enjoyed coming to know and love Dave and Sue, and not as in-laws, but as another mom and another dad. I liked them from the start, but obviously it has taken time as I came to know them better to trust them as I trust my own parents. I respect them both, and love them as my own parents and I feel priviledged to be one of their daughters. I didn't know them very well at all by the time Matt and I were married, but they treated me as part of the family from the start. I remember the first time Dave expressed that he does not say daughters-in-law, because we are his daughters. That has always meant so much to me. Dave and Sue have been through a lot together,(raising 4 crazy boys ;) )and I admire them for the lives they live. Sue is full of energy and life and is always up for having fun. She has taught me to relax and to "never waste a worry". She has her priorities straight, and that has helped me a lot in my efforts to establish a balance in my own life. She is always willing to help out wherever she can, especially with her family, and that means a lot as well. Ever since I have known her, Sue has been slow to anger and quick to love. She makes me happy, and I love to spend time with her. I have come to respect and love Dave as he quietly shares his wisdom and insights. I am grateful for His testimony and for his willingness to let all us kids spend day after day at his house amid lots of chaos. I am grateful for the power of his example over his boys. I am grateful that he is the patriarch of his family. I look upon Dave and Sue as my own parents and I am so grateful to have twice as much support and love.

It is my hope that I can take what I have learned from both sets of parents and strive to apply those principles in my everyday life and with my growing family.

Thank you moms and dads, I love you all forever!

Time for another post

I have kind of been slacking off on taking pictures and recording events, although, lately, there hasn't been too much to record because life has been a tad slow. We have done some fun things, though. We took Ammon swimming on Monday for family night. Matt had the day off, and we were going with Dan and Janelle and their family. We WERE going to try going around lunch time; however, we got to the pool at 5pm. Such is life, right?

Previously, when we have taken Ammon swimming, he kind of liked it but would only want Matt or me to hold him and wouldn't smile or splash. I decided that part of it might be because he's only wearing shorts and he's probably freezing! So Monday I picked up a little swim shirt for him to see if it would make a difference. Boy did it! This swimming outing has been the best so far! He smiled and laughed, and screamed, kicked, and loved swimming to his grandma and papa. We had a great time.

After Janelle and Sue got their hair colored and cut this weekend, I felt the need for a change in my own looks. My hair has been at that stupid in between short and long hair stage for a while and I haven't liked how it looked, so Tuesday I got it cut. I want to grow it out so I didn't want to take any length off, but I wanted it to look different. So I got bangs! They sweep across my forehead, so I don't quite have actual "bangs", but it's a change and I like it! I haven't had bangs since 7th grade... I guess I could take a picture and post it, I will once I get ready for the day.

Matt is currently looking for a part-time job after work to bring in some extra money to get out of debt and save for his beloved Jeep. So I'm hoping he is able to find something that will be good for him. I'm not necessarily looking forward to never seeing him 6 days a week and eating dinner alone, but I feel so blessed that Matt is willing to work so hard for our family. Good thing I've got such great family to hang out with!

January and first of February

Ammon is following well in Matt's and my(I have no clue how to say that gramatically correct...)footsteps. He absolutely LOVES music. If it's music he likes, he'll dance and wave his arms. He also loves the piano at my parents and his little rockin' piano that Aunt Janelle and Uncle Dan gave him for Christmas. His new favorite is playing on pots and pans. We had a great time watching him rock out on these and on the Rock Band drums at Jason and Meg's.
Yesterday was a fun day for almost all of the cousins(we missed Janie). Matt was helping Dan and Janelle move the rest of their belongings out of their house, so Sue and I played with the kids in the afternoon and evening. We went to the Red Balloon, and I loved it! I could spend hours probably in that store looking at all the cool toys. The kids had fun too. Especially Ammon and Afton who walked around stopping at the most exciting toys. We came home and put all the kids in the bath and got these excellent pictures. They all had fun. We had yummy quesedillas for dinner and watched the Brandi version of Roger's and Hamerstein's Cinderella with Bailee.

Trying to get Ammon to go to sleep in places other than home has been quite the ordeal. We even tried driving him around in the car to help him go to sleep. But alas....he just wakes up and cries. He just loves his bed I guess. I'm worried for when we go to midway for our anniversary and Ammon stays with Grandma Sue and Papa. Maybe things will get better......we'll see.

This is in the car as we drove around. Bailee was holding Afton's and Ammon hands. Usually Ammon won't hold hands. He certainly loves his cousins.

While the kids were sleeping, Sue and I, and later, Janelle, worked on wedding invitations for some friends. We were able to get done so they can send them off, so that was good!


Ammon 12 mos stats:

Weight 20 lbs 13 oz. 15%
Height 30 in 55%
Head circ 45%

Developmentally he's doing great. He's walking, and eating well. He loves singing songs and will sort of do the actions for Popcorn Popping and Itsy Bitsy Spider. He's a really picky eater when it comes to new things which is a source of much frustration. I have to keep reminding myself that it takes several times of introducing new foods...

We've been swimming at the Rec Center which was fun and we're definitely looking forward to the Spring!