Hannah's Baptism

I would like to say that Hannah's baptism went off with out a hitch; but that would be lying. That darn broken arm got in the way [among other problems]. Mom and dad were here for her baptism day and Grandpa Coates had the opportunity to preform the baptism.

So here is how it should happen. Say a prayer, dunk the child and it's over...well not quite yet. The water seemed to be a little shallow [it didn't even come up to her waist] and she didn't go all the way under, the dress floated to the surface. Take 2 - dad just dunked her and didn't say the prayer, who knew!

So that brings us to Take 3 - After much convincing she agrees to try again, this time her feet float up and her toes come out of the water. Are you kidding me? At this point I'm starting to wonder what could go wrong now.

So we told Hannah 'one more time'. No way was she going to have it. So we cleared the room, only myself, the 2 witnesses [Uncle Darren and Bishop Withers], Grandpa and Hannah. We try for about 5 minutes to convince her this will be the LAST time. She's not buying it. And she's now shivering and her lips are turning blue. So the bishop tells her to kneel in the water so she'll stay warmer. At this point we decide to just go ahead and almost ambush her. Grandpa is kneeling down beside her, says the prayer and - whoosh, Hannah is under, wait, no her gammy arm is still out of the water. So with a herculean effort Grandpa slides down under the water, taking Hannah with him. Finally! Success. The child has managed to get every part of her wet at once!

So yes 4 times, people, FOUR times. At lest the rest of the evening went off without a hitch! We enjoyed yummy treats and super adorable cupcakes made by Aunty Amy.

And the important thing Hannah is now a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

Saturday's with Ethan

I go into the kitchen to get a drink this morning after doing my Pilates, and this is what I find on the kitchen table.



Chef Ethan had been hard at work wasting, um I mean combining ingredients to make a most disgusting, um I mean delicious creation. I so thought he was out of this phase.


This lumpy pink stuff that looks like oatmeal is really mayo, Parmesan cheese, Catalina dressing and who knows what else.

This other red goop is Catalina and I think sour cream and maybe some salsa. He left those ingredients on the kitchen floor. Who knows maybe one day he'll grow up to be an Iron Chef!

I have been promising Ethan for a few days that I would take his picture with his pirate skull cap. Since I had the camera out anyway... This was the Happy Meal toy from McDonald's and he loves it! I think he looks pretty pirate-ish don't you? ARGH, matey.

And here is Mary and her Webkinz, Webee. Just because.

Easter Bunny Parade

A couple pf weeks ago I got a notice home from Ethan's teacher outlining the activities for the month. One of the things they were doing was having a Bunny Parade. Could I please send in my child's favorite stuffed bunny [????? yeah cause everybody has one of those!] and then spend some time decorating a float with said child. It could be a stroller, wagon, or even a box with a string attached so they can pull it. What the heck?? But I went out and bought him a bunny [which he called Snuffles] and decorated our kids shopping cart with him and on the designated day, loaded it all up and dropped it at school. Only to end up missing the Parade because Hannah's appointment ran late, grrr. So that evening took some pictures, and I have to say he looks pretty darn cute!

My Cute Kids

Just because I can...

St Patty's Day Cupcakes

This will mostly be a photo essay because I took about a hundred, well only 48, but still. This afternoon we baked and decorated green cupcakes with green frosting and decorated them with green candies and sprinkles. Seeing a theme? It was a sticky, ooey-gooey, sweet mess.

Dying Easter Eggs

K folks, sorry to say, but this activity took so much supervision that I took 3, yes 3 pictures total. And they all suck.

Oh, I think I forgot to tell everyone that Mary's body has been temporarily taken over by alien beings. In both pictures.

Here is the actual dying process. We had blue, red, purple, pink, yellow and orange. That's all the glasses I could find that were tall enough to accommodate the dye and not spill over when the egg was added. Don't ask how I know that happens. But it will.

And here is the finished product. Well, we didn't make these, but somebody did, and they're real pretty.

This is more what they really looked like. And the kids enjoyed themselves, so a good time was had by all. [Well except maybe me, I was terrified they'd spill the dye]

Guess What?.... I

Got my ears pierced. Well it was really Hannah, but I had to hold her down, so can I have some credit? Our girls have to wait until they turn 8 before they can get their ears pierced. That's how old I was so it seemed like a good place to jump off. Hannah had decided that she didn't want to tell anyone she was getting it done, she wanted to surprise them. So after her therapy appointment on Wednesday she asked if sh could get it done. So we went to the mall and 15 minutes later {she's pretty stubborn and didn't want to get the second one pierced} it was all over, phew! You can't tell in the picture but they are a really pale pink. And now that they're done she's happy as can be.

Going Private

Sorry about the inconvenience, but recent events in my life have required me to make my blog private. I hope this doesn't discourage you from reading and getting a sneak peek into my life. And if you get a moment could you please remember my kids and myself in your prayers. Thanks so much.

Katey's New Room

Finally, after about 3 years of searching for the perfect bedding for Katey, I have had success. While shopping at Target today I took a shortcut through the bedding aisle and stumbled upon this beauty. And - it was ON SALE! That has to be one of the sweetest words in the English language, sale, ahhh yes! Amy came over this afternoon and we moved furniture around for about half an hour to obtain the maximum floor space. Who knew one dresser and a bed could be configured soooo many ways.

Once we got it all together I realised I didn't have a before picture. Upon reflection, that's probably a good thing. We revealed the room to Katey with much trepidation as she has a reputation of being VERY picky. But we needn't have worried. She LOVES it! Woohoo! And I must say I love it too. {Thanks for your help Amy!}

Homemade Bread

Mmm, bet you wish you were at my house right now!

Lately I have been in a bread making mode. I had been having miserable luck with any bread-type food since we moved here. I blamed it on the oven, the elevation, and then finally discovered it was my yeast. Phttt, stupid yeast. So upon replacing it I have had success at last. And my family is quite appreciative I might add. And full; full of homemade yummy goodness!