The SUN and a Plug for Blogging!

Our day at the Zoo...

I am so excited to report that my two little ones are happily playing outside in the backyard today with just sweatshirts on to keep them warm! WoW! Now I remember why we wanted a big backyard and a fence...I had sort of forgotten there for a while. Yee haw!

And I just have to put a plug in for us bloggers...we are pretty awesome thank you very much. My dear mother has run into several blog dissenters who view blogging as a waste of time and a prideful way to brag to others about our lives. WHAT???!!??? Have we not been encouraged to record our thoughts, happenings and family history? Is this NOT what I am doing for the first time in my life since I do not scrapbook and own 50 journals with 5 pages TOTAL filled out??? Am I not connecting and re-connecting with sisters and friends who I so love to keep track of and hear about THEIR lives and struggles and YES maybe even a little bit of bragging??? BUT come on! Can't we all just get along and be happy for one another's successes as much as we mourn with each other's loss and struggles??? What is it about us that does not allow us to be happy for one another??? Well I am VERY happy for you dear blogger friends and I love every one of you for who you are and what you do and how you blog so beautifully...carry on!

Happy 4th Birthday Morgan!

Today is my baby girl Morgan's 4th birthday and I can't believe it! She has just grown up way too fast - as they all do! I remember having her at Hoag hospital 4 years ago today and the joy her sweet little smile brought our family. Her two older sisters were thrilled and such amazing helpers...they still are to this day. Bailey got her dressed for her special day today and even did her hair! Sunday, we celebrated with the Knights and John and I made these cute butterfly cakes. Today we are going to the Hogle Zoo per the birthday girl's request and then out to Spag with the cousins. It should be a fun day to celebrate our Lolli!
We love you so much Morgan...
Happy Birthday!

Here is our little Morgan at 1 month old and our
little family at her blessing day in Irvine, California. And check out this video from the birthday party at the Knight's house...

Rachel ROCKS!

My little sister Rachel did a triathlon this morning and ROCKED the HOUSE! Check out that fit bod of hers. She has been one of my inspirations for getting into shape and running and led me on my first run around Christmas time in Irvine. She also spear-headed our Family Fitness Contest in which we all put in $100 to see who would lose the most weight. She won of course and has kept it up with the sweet bike she bought with her winnings!

I am soooo proud of her especially because she has not always been the total athlete in our family of sisters (and our brother Matt who is of course an athlete) -- that "jock" title always belonged to Annette. But NOW look at her...and in her thirties and all! Go Scrach! You continue to inspire me Rachel and I love you! I wish I could have been there like Annette and the rest of the California gang to see you cross the finish line. Next race, I'm there -- Running right beside you!

Martha Stewart I am NOT!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I decided to break out of my cookie routine --I am a Chocolate Chipper by nature and oh can I make a GREAT Chocolate Chip Cookie -- but alas I decided to take a risk and make special heart Sugar Cookies for my little ones and sweet hubby. Well after searching my favorite recipe site...recipe.com, I found a very highly rated (and simple looking) recipe and went for it. I started last night since the dough had to chill and made the simple dough and hardly made a mess. Then today the explosion of the kitchen began as I took out the chilled dough, rolled out the cookies and began to cut and bake.

After the hour I spent rolling out the dough and baking, I realized a big mistake...NO POWDERED sugar for frosting! Aargh! So I ran across the street, got my powdered sugar from my nice neighbor and began making frosting. THEN I figured out that I had no food coloring either...COME ON! Well a few red sprinkles took care of that (mix them in the frosting and VOILA! Pink Frosting...who knew???). And besides the corn syrup spill all over the counter (hey crying over spilled milk is NOTHING...try gooey, sticky corn syrup)...they turned out okay and my kitchen survived. And I only silent swore once or twice in the process! Once not so silent. Success!

Next year (or next sugar cookie holiday), I am going to go to Great Harvest or The Bun Basket and BUY the cookies! Seriously, do you think my family really cared that I worked so hard to try and be a better homemaker? No tears of gratitude thus far.

Hey but check out the oh-so-simple and cute Valentine's Boxes the girls made...
And P.S. The Cookies are REALLY tasty!

New York Fun and New York Run!

Run Megan Run! Finishing our Central Park run! We did it!

I got back from New York last night and of course John and I had a terrific time!
We stayed in Midtown (51st Street and 7th) close to everything....Times Square, Central Park, Broadway...We walked around and ate VERY WELL at amazing restaurants which pretty much was the theme of the trip I think! We also ran in Central Park which was so exhilarating. John was a great motivator and coach keeping me going for a whopping 4.5 miles which I never believed I could ever do this soon!

We also spent the day with John's brother Mike and his wife Nichole who were in town for none other than THE DOG event of the season, the Westminister Dog Show! We went to the hotel where all the dogs and owners stay (including Mike and Nichole and their 2 dogs) across from Madison Square Garden. It was unbelievable!!! Dogs everywhere in this super nice hotel that was transformed for these dogs! And the owners...Mike and Nichole have told us before that it is exactly like the movie "Dog Show" which is hilarious and indeed now I believe them. Unbelievably entertaining to just walk around and watch all the dogs and their owners.

Here we are in the bottom floor of the hotel where all the dogs do their duty. That's Mike and Nichole standing next to me. I am holding "Indy" the dog they are showing (an Ibizan Hound) and Mike has "Hudson" (a Field Spaniel) who is their personal dog and is retired from show life and might someday be the father of a puppy just for us - he is so beautiful and such a good dog and the pro Nichole said she would even train the puppy for us...are you kidding me??? Who wouldn't do that???!!!

We even did a what I like to call an "effort to the temple" trip. We were at our fancy schmancy lunch at "Jean Georges" in the Trump Tower and trying to find out what time we could go to the New York City temple and of course we call to find out that it was closed for cleaning and not opened until Tuesday. We were all dressed up and everything! This always seems to happen to me. So we walked in out ouchy dressy shoes back to the hotel to change and took a nap!

Speaking of ouchy dressy shoes, don't bring them! Even if you think you are JUST GOING TO WEAR THEM TO CHURCH! The subway was closed at our stop for construction so we had to walk to church and then after church we decided to do the Museum of Natural History while we were "close" (which was 15 blocks...ouch). I lasted about 1 hour and then headed home via ANOTHER subway that was opened and took a nap while John wandered around the rest of the museum for a couple of hours. And boy did my feet hurt! What was I thinking even packing my oh-so-cute but oh-so-impractical for New York brown boots?????


Me in my ouchy boots at a bird display centered around "Lake Chascomus" this tiny lake in a tiny city in Argentina where I served part of my mission and they had a display about it at the Museum of Natural History. Pretty cool.

And John's effort to show me what I missed...thanks Honey!!


Overall it was just so much fun to be in one of my all time favorite cities with my all time favorite person. I can't wait to do it again with more of my favorite people. Anyone up for a NYC trip???????

New York! New York!

Well in a couple of hours I am off to New York to be with my honey and I can not wait! I love New York...no matter the weather and I am so excited to walk everywhere, check out the awesome architecture, shop, eat yummies, and people watch. We are even going to run in Central Park. I will be home Sunday and thanks to the kindness of my sis Annette, my friends and babysitter Kortny, NO KIDS! Just Honey and me!

Snow Snow...

Snow Snow GO AWAY! Come back another YEAR!

I am so so so so so so so sick of snow. Every morning I wake up and there it is. Yes...it is pretty but pretty and cold get OLD and fast. And of course to escape it, I am going to New York to be with John. No, it's not Hawaii or Jamaica and yes it will be cold. But I won't care as long as I am with my sweetie in one of my favorite cities...all ALONE! No kids that is. Then it can snow all it wants. But here in Utah. Where I live and have to cart kids around and sweep and mop my floors from all the mud and snow being dragged in...NO MORE SNOW! DO YOU HEAR ME?? Stop all you people praying for moisture. We have enough! Yes...this is in my front yard. Snow piled higher than little Morgan. Okay...it is kind of exaggerated...this is the snow that has piled up from the millions of times we have had to shovel the driveway (and to be honest our wonderful neighbor actually does this chore while the honey is away...thanks neighbor).

Yes. This is my daughter's SNOW boot buried in the SNOW. Useful, huh?


And this is what we do INSIDE because we cannot go OUTSIDE! Pathetic...playing in the bathtub with no water.

Okay...I have vented...now on to reading cheerier, sunnier blogs...