A little homesick

Here are a list of things I am missing out on since I am here in Arizona!

1. Having my mom an. d dad and sister and grandma and in-laws just around the corner.

2. summers at my cousin Stephanie's pool

3. floating the Boise River

4. Saturday morning Farmer's Market

5. Eating out on the patio somewhere downtown

6. Roaring Springs

7. Spending a few chaotic moments with my BFF Kelcy

8. SHAVED ICE... seriously there is none here

9. The Green Belt and/or mom and dad's backyard

10. BSU football

11. The Cabin

12. Family reunions in Montana

( and much more)

After spending a few days with my mom and dad I am very homesick. And after the way Scotlyn wrapped both of them around her little finger while they were here, I am guessing they are missing us too!

Scotlyn's Poker Face

Grandma Verne was wanting to see some more video of little Scoltyn walking and such...so here it is!  Maybe I'll go into the video making business on the side.  Let me know what you think and enjoy Mom aka. Grandma Verne!  We love you!  Scott, Jill and the kids

He's no snake charmer

I thought you all should meet the "very colorful and seemingly unassuming" poisonous Coral snake that charmed my husband into picking it up when he came across it one day working out in the desert. Notice the quotations, because this is how hubby described the snake. Why, you ask , would he pick up a poisonous snake? 1. He is a boy, and this is what boys do. They play with gross things, get dirty, and make risky decisions! 2. It turns out he had no clue it was poisonous! It was only after he showed me the picture of him holding the snake, and me with my vast knowledge of Arizona wildlife said, "Ain't that there one o' dem poisonous snakes?" Alright, I probably didn't say it like that, but I am the one who brought it to his attention. So, he decided to research it on the net, and sure enough, it was a poisonous Coral snake. So, here is the rule, because the Coral snake can often be confused for the non-poisonous King snake.

IF RED TOUCHES BLACK, IT'S YOUR FRIEND JACK,
IF RED TOUCHES YELLOW, YOU'RE A DEAD FELLOW!

My personal rule is, if it's a snake, run like hell!!!

Being Sneaky Never Felt SO Good!

So, as you saw on my previous post, I got the Deceptively Delicious cookbook for Mother's Day! The book is written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife Jessica, and a panel of experts. It has great recipes for families with kids who won't eat their fruits and vegetables. That totally applies to us! The trick is, and here is where the sneakiness comes in, you puree the fruits and veggies and stick them in the food, and they never know the difference!

Monday, Scott and I went to the store to stock up on veggies to puree! It didn't take very long  (though if I had a better blender or food processor it would have gone even quicker)!

Look at all the pretty colors! Here is what I've got from left to right- beets, strawberries, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, zucchini, and broccoli!  I still have a few more I need to do like avocados and sweet potatoes, as well as more fruit.

I had already planned to make Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner that night, so I decided to throw in about 3/4 cup of pureed cauliflower into the chicken gravy mix. The kids had no idea! They ate it all up! You couldn't taste anything different. There are a ton of great healthy recipes in the book that I am super excited to try. Claire is great about eating raw fruits and veggies, but never gets enough protein. Tonight I am going to make chicken quesadillas. You can puree the chicken and beans, and it also has butternut squash. I'll let you know how it goes!
That boy is loving that cauliflower and he doesn't even know it! Muuaaahhahahah!

My Wonderful Mother's Day

I am so spoiled! Look at all my wonderful Mother's day gifts! I received a cute palm print necklace, which I proudly wore at church, from Mostyn. I got a little pot of Magnolias from Claire. The kids also gave me, without their knowledge, the Deceptively Delicious recipe book. (I'll post more on this later). My hubby gave me a sewing machine. It was what I had asked for, though I have never used one in my life. Just you wait, I'll be a domestic diva before you know it!


I also got breakfast in bed! Can you believe this breakfast? I need help eating it all, and Scott, Hawk and the baby were all happy to oblige! Poached eggs on toast, salmon, strawberries, and juice. Yummy!
It was a wonderful Mother's Day and I am so grateful for my children. (Even though they can drive me crazy from time to time.) I am so blessed! I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day too!
Oh, I also got some wonderful cards from everyone!

My momma

I love this lady!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!

The Wilds of Arizona

Here are a few things you might find here in Southern Arizona

There are beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Scott took this pic while at work!

This pic was also taken by Scott while at work. Maybe he could get a side job for National Geographic!
We found this little beauty in our back yard. It was dead when we found it. The kids weren't to excited about this one.
I think Hawk thinks if he just walks by slowly and doesn't make eye contact this dino want give him any trouble!

This is Rocky! He is one of Scott's coworkers pet turtle. He is about the size of a medium sized dog. The kids enjoy him!

Come visit soon so you can experience some of these wonderful things too!

Mostyn's Baptism

Mostyn was baptized on Saturday. It was a wonderful event. We wish all the family could have been here, but we were very pleased that Jon, Heather and Rowan could come down for the weekend! We were running a little late, so I didn't get a pic of the boys in their white suits. Also, if you look closely you'll notice Mostyn has a black eye.

We spent Saturday in Tombstone! Unfortunately, Heather took this pic so she isn't in it!
Rowan and Scotlyn got along great! Rowan is almost as tall as Scotlyn, and I know he weighs more than her! She was trying to give him hugs, so I stood him up, but then she seemed a little intimidated!
Here's a family photo after the baptism. Thanks Jon for using the skinny feature on your camera. (Inside joke)
We miss you all and hope to see you soon! Thanks Heather, Jon, and Rowan (and Miles) for the great weekend!