New Favorite Food:

LETTUCE WRAPS

We've done this about once a week for the last month.  Each time we use a little bit different recipe. 

I think we could have this once a week for a whole year and never use the same exact recipe.  We prefer the Asian style, but one of these days we might branch out.  Last night we made the PF Change Recipe we found on the internet.  So YUUUUMMMM.  I have only been to PF Chang's one time because Rick got a gift card from someone at work.  Now I guess I won't have to go back because we can make our own!!  Although at PF Chang's this is an appetizer, we eat it for our meal.  The kids love it, too.  Except Cole--he just eats it without the lettuce.  I don't think that kid can go a day without eating rice. 

April Wrap-Up

It's been a few days, so I thought I'd lay out some of the details of our last couple of weeks...

let see, we went to the zoo last week.  the weather was perfect.  Hogle zoo doesn't have very many animals.  but we still had a good time.

Cole said to Summer in the car the other day while driving home from piano:

"Summer, can you make your voice stop so I can talk?"  the funny thing is how much Cole and Summer are alike.  So, now any time anyone wants to say something we just announce, "Can you make your voice stop so I can talk?"

Foot update:  i went to the dr. last week.  Yes, the peace toes are still a problem.  Not getting any better.  The only solution is surgery to shorten/lengthen the tendons which will (hopefully) keep my foot aligned and reduce the pain and swelling.  It would require a 6 week recovery including pins in my toes to keep them from moving while the tendons heal ( the dr crossed. his fingers when he said that so whatever that means.  Nothing seems to be going smoothly with this darn foot)  so, that would be limited walking, No water/swimming, no running, no hiking, no yard work, etc.  I begged to have the surgery put off for a while.  The dr. said I could postpone it as long as I wanted to as long as I do certain things to keep the swelling down and I don't injure it any further.  So, I have to wear the elastic sock thing and keep some of my activities limited.  I was hoping that I would have to limit things like housework, laundry, cooking, and cleaning--but the dr. just laughed at that.  I can walk/run and exercise, I just have to keep my toes all taped together and be careful with swelling.  (all things that I have been doing for the last 2 months)  I will probably end up having the surgery in the fall when Rick has some time off, but before the end of the year--insurance.  Yippee.

So, speaking of exercise... I signed up for the Race for the Cure in SLC next weekend.  The girls are going to do it with me so I figure we'll just be walking.  I might be praying for rain.  So, if it rains AGAIN, you can blame me.  We got our t-shirts in the mail yesterday and the girls are wearing them today.  Summer and Sierra had the most hilarious conversation yesterday.  We have been talking about the "Race for the Cure" for a few weeks now.  And I had asked the girls if they would do it with me.  Sierra sort of missed the boat and thought she was racing to a "Cure" concert.  you know, Robert Smith?  anyways, she couldn't figure out why we were racing and we why we were all wearing the same t-shirt to the concert.  Summer had to explain the whole thing to her.  I think she's disappointed.  Oh well.  We'll make it up to her when we go to the U2 concert in the fall.  I won't make her race and she can wear whatever she wants.

And speaking of races.  A friend of mine called and asked if I wanted to do a local 5k with her.  I said yes, what was I thinking.  She knows my foot situation.  As a matter of fact, she's had the same surgeries as I have. So, she knew what she was getting into.  She said we could run/walk.  (This is where I run for 3 minutes and walk for 2.  It allows me to go further and longer and it lets my foot rest a little in between the running.  Jeff Galloway said it was a good idea and he's run 100+ marathons!!)  So, we might be walking; we might be run/walking.  yeah, right.  Sadie is a foot taller than I am.  her hips end at my shoulders.  She's totally athletic.  She'll be walking and I'll be sprinting.  I went to the gym yesterday to practice the run/walk on the treadmill just to see what my pace was.  a 14 minute mile.  AWESOME.  I could run faster than that when i was 7 months pregnant.  I might be praying for snow on the 23, too!

Rick ran 20 miles again last week.  he's hoping his first race ever is a marathon.  I think it's the Utah Valley Marathon in June.

We went to Summer's debate tournament in West Valley last week.  It was interesting.  Summer and her partner did quite well--until we saw the judges sheet and then we discovered that the judges thought the exact opposite as the parents did.  Oh well.  They had fun and we were proud of them.  (I never would have dared to get up in front of people and debate at that age--I wouldn't dare at any age)     

Summer's debate coach was informed that a major speaking part in a play that she is directing has to move before the play is performed and after observing Summer debate, has asked Summer to step in and be the narrator for a play that will be performed next month.  Horray.  More practices.  That's OK, Summer is thrilled.  

Play practices.

Choir practices and performances.

Gymnastics classes.

Piano classes and recitals.

I'm ready for SUMMER to get here.

  

   

YW help request

OK, all of my smart friends.  I am in charge of a YW Activity in 2 weeks.  Our Sunday lessons for the next few weeks are about the Priesthood.  So, back in Jan. when we planned out the 6 month calendar we assigned one of our activities to be a "Priesthood Night". 

Can you think of something that the girls could do?  It can be a game, a guest speaker, an activity of any kind really.

The Beehives have really been rockin' with our activities the past few months.  everyone wants to be a Beehive.  It's so awesome.  So, I just wanted to keep up the momentum and do something really cool.  I asked a member of the bishopric who is over the YW program if he had any inspiration for us and he recommended using the Joseph Smith book (RS & Priesthood Lessons) for our resource.   

So, if you have any great ideas, send them my way.  Also, if you want to hike the "Y" on Tuesday at 5:30 let me know.

Sierra's Turn in the Spotlight

I figured it was time for Sierra's to enjoy the spotlight.  Sierra is just a good, easy kid to have around.  On the rare occasion when she and I are the only ones home, it's so easy to just forget that she's around.  She is so easy going.  She'll do anything, eat anything, wear anything.  She'll even wear unmatching socks, just so that the socks don't feel bad for not being worn because they don't have a match. Unlike her sister, she is so easy to take to the store.  Once I get her there anyway.  Summer is always begging to go shopping.  "I want this....Gimme that...Can I have.."  But, not Sierra.  She keeps her mouth shut and just wanders around, day dreaming and humming to herself.  some times I can even do her Christmas shopping when she is right there with me.  It's so easy.  I remember when  my dad died and we came to Utah.  It was a crazy, hectic time.  Stuff to be done, decisions to be made, people to talk to.  On and on.  It's the one time that I actually forgot to eat and therefore, forgot to feed my kids.  Crazy.  Anyway, I remember Sierra sitting at the counter at my mom's house with one of those mini boxes of raisins just playing with those little shriveled grapes.  She talked and laughed and played with them and every once in a while would pop a raisin in her mouth.  Afterwards we realized that she sat there at the counter for about 3 hours and never bothered another person.  I would buy raisins by the ton if I thought it would keep Cole occupied!!

My favorite thing about SIerra is that I can be doing something in the kitchen or reading in the evenings or whatever and she'll just come up and give me a hug or play with my hair or rub my back.  She snuggles pretty good at night when Rick's at work.    

Progress...

OK, so I figured that the only way to get Cole to use the potty was to fight him about it.  For about 3 days I talked to him about using the potty "tomorrow".  Well, tomorrow ended up being last Sunday morning.  I told him that it was time to use the potty.  He refused.  so, I refused to put a diaper on him.  He laid on his bedroom floor and yelled and screamed and cried for at least an hour.  I finally gave in and told him that I would put a diaper on him if he would just try to use the potty.  He was fighting me the entire time.  I'm sure the whole neighborhood could hear the commotion coming from our house.  Somehow when he got on the toilet, he managed to pee.  Only a couple of minor accidents this week.  He wants to wear a diaper most of the time, but he's always dry when I remind him to potty.  He's been dry every morning this week as well.  Now I just have to ween him from the diaper during the day.  It's amazing how successful this has been once he finally realized what to do.  

(he's going to really hate me somewhere down the line when he discovers this photo.  I was just so darn happy, I had to record the moment.)