Cocoa Anyone??

I was making brownies with Andrew today for our treat for Family Home Evening. I had bought a new can of cocoa and it had a foil-pull-back top. I noticed that the top was a bit puffed up. "It must have some air in it," I thought. So I carefully started to pull the top open, hoping to let some of the air out without letting the cocoa out. All of sudden, I heard a POOF!! and, like a bad comedy episode, cocoa (lots of cocoa) flew at me!! I was covered (COVERED!!) from my nose all down the front of my shirt and I could feel it going down my shirt! It was in my nose, hair, down my neck and just all over. I turned around to Zach and he had a look of shock on his face. "It's all over your face!" he said. I just laughed, took off my shirt, and got cleaned up. Luckily, cocoa doesn't clump like flour...

P.S. I was going to take a picture, but by the time I thought of it I had my shirt off and, well, you wouldn't have taken a picture either... I just let you visualize... :)

New Ambition

My exercise program
has gone to the wayside
too many commitments in the morning
Exercise at night?
too many commitments to plan at night
exercise during the day?
Like I don't have enough things to do
get up earlier?
but that 30 extra minutes of sleep is
oh, so nice

And, I've realized
I'm an emotional eater
Tired?
eat
Bored?
eat
Stressed?
eat
and chocolate is my vice
combine that with no exercise
it's starting to show
flabby arms
soggy thighs
saddle bags
excess tummy

So
I'm trying to eat healthier
snack healthier
less sugar
less crap
more fruits and veggies
more water
add the exercise back in sometime

But some days
those days
are so hard
when the last candy bar in the cookie jar
is calling my name.

Weekend Pictures

See below for more!

What a Weekend! (con't)

(Note: Read below post first!)

Saturday started with Zach's soccer game. He loves to play and he scored a goal from almost mid-field!

After the game, we loaded up on groceries, packed our bags and headed down to Carlsbad. We spent the night in a hotel, then got up the next morning and went to the Carlsbad Caverns. Talk about amazing! There are two ways to go down into the caves; one is an elevator, and the other is to take a mile-long trail through the natural entrance. However, either way, it takes you 750 feet down into the Big Room of the cave. We decided to be adventurous and take the natural entrance - a mile or so of downhill trail. The boys did great. After an hour and half we made it down to the Big Room, where we took the elevator back up so we could have some lunch (because well-fed boys are happy boys!). After lunch, we took the elevator back down and went around the 1.2 mile trail of the Big Room. It took us two hours to get around the whole trail and we were in awe at the creations that had been made over thousands of years. We took the elevator back up, and went to a park for an hour before we went back to see the bat flight. The bats started coming out of the cave at about 6:00 and when we left an hour later, they were still coming! I couldn't believe how many bats there were. They would come up out of the cave, circle a few times, then take of in a massive stream where they would then break off into groups and fly off to go hunt for the night. It was very impressive.

We stayed in the hotel that night, then got up Monday morning, loaded up everything and drove to Alamogordo to see the White Sands. We rented a sled at the visitor's center, then headed out to the middle of the dunes. We walked out a ways until we found some good hills to sled down. We all took turns going down the hills and playing in the sand. Porter's favorite thing was so run and jump off the edge of the hill. We could've spent all day there on the cool sand. It was a sight to see.

Unfortunately, we did have to come home. But we had a great time and I highly recommend everyone seeing those sights.

(Enjoy the pictures above - I took 985 pics over the 5 days! I love my camera!!)

What a Weekend!!

Are you ready? We had an amazing long weekend. It all started Thursday night when we went to the Balloon Fiesta Glow. As most of you know, I've been trying to see a glow for the past two years, but the weather is usually so bad the nights we have gone that the glows are cancelled. So when Thursday night was pleasant (and rain and winds were predicted for Friday and Saturday night), we jumped at the chance to go. It was fabulous! Most of the special shape balloons were there and it was so cool to see them "glowing". The night ended with a great firework show!
Then we had to go home so we could go to bed early so the boys and I could get up early Friday morning to see the balloons again! Rhett had to go into work, so he couldn't join us, but we had great time. The balloons were amazing as always - I'm facinated everytime. The Special shape balloons took off, then others that had taken off from around the city came over the park. We hung around, and later, three helicopters (a army one, the sheriff one, and police one), 5 hovercrafts, a firetruck, an ambulance, and two police motorcycles came and parked on the grass and we were able to look and climb on them (or the boys were). According to Porter, it was "the best day ever!"
For more pictures, click here

It'a a bird, it's a plane, it's a BALLOON!!

Balloon Fiesta has begun!! I love living in Albuquerque for only this week. No matter how many times I see the balloons, I am always in awe and amazement. I would go everyday to see them if I could. Friday morning a balloon was launching from Porter's school, so we got up a little earlier to see it. It's reall cool to see how the balloon is layed out, then blown up, then how they use the torch to heat the air to get it to stand up, then to heat up the air enough that it will take off. Amazing...

Rhett went to Salt Lake this weekend, so it was just the boys and I all weekend. Zach had his first soccer game on Saturday and he played great! It took him a minute to get warmed up, and then he was in there with the rest of the gang! Andrew is the best fan - he was cheering for Zach as much and as loud I was!

We had plans to hang out with our neighbors at the house Saturday night, but when Katie got handed a corporate parking pass to the balloon glow that night, we couldn't resist. We loaded up all the kids in our car and headed down to Balloon Fiesta Park. A Balloo Glow was scheduled for the night, but with the weather threatening rain, it was cancelled. We had a great time regardless - going through the kids' balloon tent where they were able to color their own wooden balloons and fix them with a light to make them "glow". We ate "carnival" food, junk food and the kids ran around on the grass. They had an amazing fireworks show. It was tons of fun. We are planning on going to the balloons Friday morning - I can't wait!

My Special Day

Happy Birthday to me! It seems like I was just blogging last month celebrating reaching the big 3-0; and now it's been a year and my birthday is here again. I have no idea where the last year has gone - I think it's the fastest year I've ever had. And I just have a feeling that they're going to go by faster and faster.

In celebration of my big day, we had a birthday party for preschool. The intention was to celebrate everyone's birthday (or un-birthday) since they have either already passed or don't fall on preschool days. The kids were excited about it from the first time I mentioned on Monday and they all came today ready to party. We decorated party hats, played limbo, pass the hot balloon, pin the tail on the donkey, red light green light, and danced around. Snack was chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles. I had everyone bring a small gift for a white elephant exchange. We exchanged gifts and had a great time! I'm partying like that from now on. :)

Rhett and the boys have been good to me today. Rhett came home after seminary this morning and fixed me cinnamon rolls and orange slices for breakfast. He then brought home flowers, pizza and me a delicious sub for dinner. He had to leave with Zach for Zach's soccer practice, but I have a feeling he's bringing birthday cake home. YUM!

The Latest

Sometimes I feel like my life is running away from me. I get to the end of the day, thankful that it's over because I'm exhausted, but also wondering what I did that made me so busy during the day that I can't even remember what I did or if I accomplished anything. Yet I feel like nothing ever gets done. I still have all my uncompeted projects that I never seem to have time for. And I never feel like I do enough with the kids. Is life supposed to be like this??

Anyways, Here's the latest. Our PTO election ended last week and I lost. However, Katie won the position of President and the others we were hoping would get voted in won as well.

Rhett and I spent last weekend in Santa Fe for his boss' wedding. We dropped the kids off at the neighbors (thanks Giras'!!!) and went up Friday for the wedding the evening, then stayed the night and toured around the various churches, art galleries, and places Saturday. That night Rhett's boss and new wife invited everyone to a dinner where we ate great food while the waiters and waitresses sang us show tunes! It was a wonderful evening.

Porter and especially Zach spend all of their free time with their Legos. They build cars, spaceships, airplanes and Transformers (transforming Transformers). Their creations are so cool - cooler than anything you'd find on any instructions. Rhett and I are always amazed at what they come up with.

The other night the boys were playing in the family room while I took pictures. Porter wanted his picture taken with this pose:

Then it was Andrew's turn:

And Zach had his own:

The Ugly Bush

We have this bush in our front yard that I hate. For 51 out of the 52 weeks of the year, it is brown (like everything else in Albuquerque), ugly and so big it's threatening to take over our driveway. Rhett and I have talked about pulling it for quite a while now; but it's gotten so big that I'm afraid it would be an all day project. But it really needs to go.

The one week that I don't mind the bush is when it's in bloom. It has bright yellow flowers; it smells a little funky, but is somewhat pretty, none-the-less. And for the past few days, it has been filled with Monarch Butterflies! I have never seen so many butterflies in one place in my life! It's been amazing - when we walk by the plant, they all fly up, then settle down back on the flowers to continue their feasting. I had to get my camera and get a few shots!