2012

Some stats on 2012

Family weddings: 3

Major surgeries: 1

Car accidents: 0

Semesters of school: 2

Eardrum ruptures: 2

Favorite place visited: Mount Vernon in DC

Favorite saying: "you've got to be kidding me!" Said waaaay too much by our kids. Followed by "nuts!" from Jack.

Favorite Costco discovery: frozen cherries (Adam), goat cheese (Katie), twist nonfat yogurt at the front (Sam), flushable toilet wipes (Jack), samples (Oliver).

Favorite restaurant: Maize Grill. Which is now gone from the University Mall. So very very sad.

Proud parent moment: our kids cannot identify McDonald's restaurants.

Food victory: our kids eat empanadas.

Favorite pastimes: plants vs zombies, sorry! Just dance 4, chicken foot, anything on the wii. Obviously this all is the boys.

Favorite show: Sherlock

Most annoying thing: dealing with thyroid problems. Still dealing with it. But now it's lack of thyroid problems.

Most frequent food made: German pancakes. Parenting at its finest. It was our go-to meal in DC because we always had the ingredients.

Saddest moment of the year: being homeless. Adam says it was his first day of work he was so worried about me dragging the kids around DC looking for a place to live.

Happiest moment of the year: job offer from IRS!!! Or maybe it was accepting it. Or maybe it was hearing that it pays real money.

This year there was lots of missing home (in DC), wedding planning, sleepless nights, and lots of laughing and fun. Here is to more in 2013, the year of big change!

Pros and cons

Now you know we will be moving to Las Vegas next year. In making our decision here is our lists of pros and cons.

Pros:

Close to family (Utah county, Phoenix and Southern California)

Inexpensive housing

Lots of things to do!

Working for the government has good hours, I will see my husband!

Jack can start kindergarten! He misses the deadline by 2 days here. Nevada is September 30th!

There are really nice areas to raise a family in.

Year round yard sales!!!

The weather. In the winter.

Cons:

The weather the rest of the year. We are not heat people.

"The Strip" culture.

We have to move from Utah county, where our friends and family are.

Having to move period.

THERE IS NO IKEA.

Can you believe it?!?! No Ikea. What am I going to do!

Every time I come to Utah it's going to be a mandatory stop.

At least I'll still have Home Depot.

Also the pros should say that friends and family will drop in frequently to visit.

Well hello.  Here we are at Christmas again.  And again here is my digital Christmas card.

This is us at my sisters beautiful backyard reception.  Taken by the lovely Hannah at Etre Photography. 

Here's an update on us.  You read this blog, you know what's going on with us.

Oliver - yeller

Jack - reader

Samuel - kindergartener

Katie - keep-everything-togetherer

Adam - IRS-er

IRS is technically three words.  

Yes, Adam got a job.  We are so grateful and blessed at this time.  He will be working for the IRS in Las Vegas.

I know all of you who know me are laughing.  I hate Las Vegas.  I hate the desert.  HATE.  But this is what life is about right?  New experiences and new things.  Plus I'll be a few hours drive from Utah home. 

He does not start until next fall, so we won't be moving down for awhile.  He still has to graduate in April and take the bar in July, so we have plenty to keep us busy next year. 

This year was a great one, Washington DC being our highlight.  We had lots of fun and made wonderful memories.

Here's to another great year! 

And if anyone has any info on Vegas, send it our way!

Birthday Cake

Remember that cake class I took?  

Well I was brave and decided to try my own cake for Olives birthday.

I used this recipe for the cake.  Easy peasy.  

It looked like a lump of nothing when I put it in the pan, but baked up beautifully.  

Make sure you use wax paper!  Your cakes will slide out of the pan much easier!

Then I just layered the cakes.  I put the ugliest one on the bottom, a thick slab of buttercream, and then the top, and more buttercream.  I did use a cake knife to smooth the whole thing out.  

 

There are tutorials all over about how to do a "petal effect" cake, which is technically what this is.  Here is a good one if you want to see pictures or watch her video.  

It really is easy!  You should try it.  In no way am I perfect, nor am I aiming to be, but it was really fun to try something different.  And it was pretty good too.  

No picture of the birthday boy eating the cake (I know, I am sure someone in my family has one, but I do not!), but here he is enjoying our favorite apple oven pancakes for birthday breakfast.   

Is my tiny babe really one?  This little man has come out of his shell the past few months.  Who knew we had a little firecracker on our hands. 

I attempted to get a picture with him and the chalkboard.  He was too busy to even sit for a second.

And then he wiped all the chalk off with his shirt while standing up and yelling.

I decided that we were done.

Here is one of his few words.  He is also signing it while yelling it.

 

Love this naughty, loud, busy, sweet, baby.