Youth Pizza Cook Off

For our combined youth activity at church this month we had a Pizza Cook-off. We had each class and quorum go to their leaders homes and make a delicious pizza then take it to the church to be taste tested. Our judges were the Bishop and his first counselor.

Ally was the only girl at my house and she made a
very yummy veggie pie. We used a homemade pizza
sauce and covered it with a layer of cheese, olives,
mushrooms, pineapple, red bell pepper and more cheese.

Here is group 1 with our Veggie pizza.

Group 2 with their Asian BBQ Chicken pizza
They won first place, by the way, and I want the recipe!

Group 3 with their tasty pizza.
Pepperoni and Black Olive with a stuffed crust.

Group 4 with their Mango Tango pizza.
It was surprisingly delicious and they got 3rd place.

Group 5 with their half Meat-lovers
and half Chicken Alfredo pizza.

Group 6 with their Taco Pizza.
It was very tasty and they got 2nd place.

Here are our wonderful judges: Bishop Hansen and Brother Nash.

They got to taste six scrumptious pizzas.
I must say I totally agree with the pizzas they picked. They were
definitely the best ones in the bunch. I hope we do another cook off next year.

Building Forts

I vaguely remember my babysitter making forts in her basement when I was in elementary school. It would take up almost the whole area and most of the kids enjoyed it. I don't remember if I liked it or not.
As an adult I haven't enjoyed making forts because it is cluttered and chaotic looking. There are times when the kids will build a small tunnel between the couch and ottoman but nothing much bigger. Yesterday they were trying to build a fort and I thought I would surprise them by making a HUGE fort for them to play in. Well, they played in it for about 10 minutes then went outside to play.
After an hour of playing outside, they came back in and played in the fort for another five minutes and went to another area of the house. Every time I mentioned taking it down they would beg me to leave it up but wouldn't actually play in it. I left it up until M came home and then he took it down. What is so appealing about a fort? I guess it might be fun to hide in and read to yourself or take a nap in, but my kids don't do anything but build them and walk away. Maybe they fancy themselves construction workers. Build it up for someone else and leave when the job is done. I thought my fort was quite impressive, especially since it's only the second time I have ever tried to make one.

L crawling inside.

L waving from under the chair.

K waving from their skylight.

There were lots of tunnels and cubbys to hide in.

Learning to Swim

K has been taking swim lessons through our local Parks and Rec since December. She started in Tots class and moved on to Tots Advanced. Her teacher said she was a natural fish in the water. Most of the kids have to take Advanced Tots a few times before they can move onto Flippers but it only took K one time. She did pretty well in Flippers but needed to take that class twice. In Flippers you learn how to do ice cream scoops which is the breast stroke. It's hard for the kids to learn to move their arms without moving their whole body. She just finished that class for the second time and will be taking advanced flippers after soccer is over. We are very proud of how well she is doing and she loves being in the water. Who knows, maybe someday she will be on the swim team.

Here she is in Advanced Tots going for a ride on a floatie.

Advanced Tots again, learning how to swim with her
arms in a point out in front of her.

In Flippers she started wearing goggles.
She loves going underwater and looking around.

In Flippers using a kick board.

Swimming underwater.

Learning how to swim with a life preserver on.

At the end of each Flippers class she got to jump into the
water from the side of the pool. Once she got to jump
from the racing boards at the end of the pool.

K swimming with kick board.


K swimming.


K jumping into the pool.

Couch to 5K

I have always thought people who run for fun were crazy. I mean, who runs for fun? You run to get away from your pursuer or maybe in basketball or football though, those kind of fall under the same heading. But for fun? What are these people thinking?
Then, as I got older and saw all the dedication and work it took to do these fun races I was in awe of these people. I could never run just to run, let alone put in all those hours and energy to run in a race with really fast people so I could maybe come in 50th or better but never first place. But kudos to those who did.
I have been in my ward for almost 3 years now and so many people run in this ward. My neighbor runs religiously and has been encouraging me to take it up. I have always laughed it off and thought never in a million years will that happen!
So, I guess a million years goes by much quicker than I thought it would. This week I started doing the Couch to 5K program. I ran three days this week and it wasn't so bad. The first day I had a very hard time catching my breath towards the end of the session, but I made it through. I skipped a day and on the next day my hip joints and calves hurt so bad I could barely make it up the stairs.
My neighbor, Kristy, told me I had to run again; I would feel so much better if I did. I didn't believe her, but I went anyway. She was right, I felt much better after my second run and I didn't have as hard of a time breathing like I had the first day.
That brings us to today. I just got back from my third day of running. I was able to do the whole session but I had a hard time catching my breath again. I also felt really jell-0ie. Is that word? It felt like I was running on sponges. I don't know if any of this is normal, but I will keep up the program and see where it takes me. Next week I am starting week two, obviously, and I am a little nervous about doing it since I had a hard time today. But I guess if it is too hard I can always do week one again.
When I am a little more comfortable with my outfit, maybe I will post a picture of myself in my running clothes. Until then, any advice from you runners out there would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and what is this about stretching? I never stretch. Why do you do it and how? Happy Running:)

A Frog Lullabye

When we bought our house, we were happy to learn that there would never be any houses built behind our home. There are electrical lines running beyond some trees past our back fence and the city is unable to use the land to build on. We have some tall pretty trees and a creek to enjoy while in our backyard and the trees give off great shade in the summer time.
We also have tons of frogs along the creek bed that sing us to sleep every night. It is very relaxing and pleasurable to drift off to their croaks and peeps. However, M found a frog in our kitchen last week and earlier this week he found a flattened frog in the laundry room. He thinks it came in on the bottom of someone's shoe.
Though I enjoy listening to nature, I HATE when nature invades my home. Spiders, ants, frogs, birds, and the like have no business in my house. When I was little I enjoyed playing with bugs, frogs, lizards, and daddy long legs (because I wouldn't acknowledge them as spiders and I could relate to their long legs and small body), but now I can't stand any of those things. They are creepy and crawly. I was grateful that M was the one to find these frogs and get rid of them without me knowing about them.
What about you? How do you feel about frogs, bugs and the like?

Happy Sixth Birthday!

K turned six today and we celebrated on two days. On Monday she picked Road House Grill to eat at for dinner. I was disappointed that no one sang to her, but she did get her meal for free. After dinner we came home and she opened her gifts from the family. She got a fisher price microscope, some books, and a notebook for her boogie board she got for Christmas which also has a place for a notepad and coloring pencils. From Bahmah she got a music player like her sister's only it is pink. I like the pink one better. She also got some money from her Grandma and a cute card from her little buddy, Clara.

K ready for her birthday dinner.
Doesn't she look adorable in her pink hat?

Eating fish sticks and apple sauce.

Her ice cream sundae.

Standing with her presents.

All the gifts she got from her family.

K was one of three children in her kindergarten class celebrating her birthday today. They all got a birthday crown, a pencil and a book. After school K wanted to go to Sonic for lunch. She also got to play with her friends who live next door.
For dinner we ate meatloaf sandwiches with french fries followed by The Dolphin movie. During the movie we had intermission so K could blow out the candles on her doughnut cake. We gave the girls a small piece of each kind of doughnut. After the movie the girls opened their gifts from auntie and Mikaelas.

Doughnut cake.

K blowing out her candles.
Gifts from Auntie and Mikaelas.
A cute denim outfit, littlest pet shops, and a cute jacket.

L also got to open her birthday presents from Auntie and Mikaelas. She got an adorable jacket just like K's from Mika. From auntie she got a pretty church dress and some legos. L really liked her legos and couldn't wait to play with them. I love all the faces she is making in these photos. She is a crack up.

Guns and Legos

L really enjoys playing the shooting game on Wii Play. She isn't very good yet, but she seems to be getting the form down.

K put together this cool lego guy with some help from daddy. She did a great job. He now resides on her window shelf as a lookout while she sleeps.

Project Chalkboard

I have been wanting to put a chalkboard up in the girls playroom but they are VERY expensive. After talking to my husband, we came up with a cheaper plan. We bought some chalkboard contact paper on Amazon and attached it to some metal M brought home from work. Our walls are bumpy so we had to put it on something smooth first. We attached some decorative baseboard to the finished chalkboards and hung them on the wall. The kids even helped us hang them up. We ended up having two boards that are three feet square. They really like having their own boards and I think they look pretty too.

K hammering in a drywall anchor.

L putting in a screw.

K also had a turn to put in a screw.

Enjoying the fruits of their labor.

I was gone this weekend and K drew a picture for
me. It is me on a hill at the park with a creek nearby.
There is an apple tree, flowers and birds in the sky.

An Answer, an Author & a Crush

So the answer to yesterday's post is:
K-a fire breathing dragon.
M & N-Penny Hen gathering grain to make her cake.
I think it is amazing she was able to draw something that looks like two different pictures in one.

Today is Dr. Suess's birthday and the kids got to celebrate it by wearing pajamas to school and read The Cat in the Hat. They also made the signature hat with rhyming words on them and then we made their faces up to look like the Cat in the Hat.
You see the HUGE heart ring on her finger? She got that yesterday from Kyle and today he gave her this toy lizard.
At the beginning of the year she complained that Kyle was always kicking her and picking on her. I told her he probably liked her but didn't know how to show it. She didn't believe me. I think these gifts he has started to shower her with is proof that Mommy was right.

Optical Illusion

K drew this picture on the doodle and showed it to us. We were very impressed with what we thought it was. Then she told us what it really was and we were more impressed. What do you think this is a picture of?
The answer will come tomorrow.