Reasons Why April 9th Was Da Bomb (diggity)

#1- We finally got our zoo membership!

And an even bigger bonus was skipping past the 1/2 hour + line that everyone else was waiting in just to get in, and go straight to the front since we were actually purchasing a membership.

 The baby gorilla was out and she was pretty dang cute.

 (And this baby monkey came too, but he slept the whole time!)

 #2- The sun was shining!!!

Oh my, I NEEDED the sun. I couldn't soak up enough. And since the boys were both napping in the afternoon (Collin took a 3 hour nap btw- hallelujah), I decided to go for a jog at the track. It felt GOOD. I don't typically enjoy running, but this felt amazing. Add some lunges and my legs are SORE! But it's a good kinda sore. The boys were still asleep when I got home and I started to crash in the living room, then thought...why not take this outside?! So I laid in the glorious sun another 45 min. and got myself a slight sunburn. Love. It.

#3- Easter goodness is now hanging from the trees!

Sis. Groscost's tradition continues! Eggs on branches makes me smile. And these two boys make me smile everyday!

 Collin looooves pictures.

#4- I got to spend the whole day with this guy!

(He digs getting his picture taken.)

I love being married to my best friend. Just spending time with him makes me happy.

It was just too nice to be indoors, so after hanging up the eggs, we tossed the football around then went for a walk.... to Dairy Queen. (Nothin' wrong with a buy one, get one free blizzard!... unless it's buy one, get 6 free-haha Dad... [he got punked on April Fools with that one])

#5- I found the {Reester Bunny} at Wegmans!! bahahahaha

I saved the best for last! I love Reeces anyway, but would have bought this just for the name. It kills me! Seriously, this kind of stuff cracks me up. I love a good play on words. Especially a cheesy one!

(And what a pleasant surprise to grocery shop on a Saturday morning, expecting a nasty crowd, but getting an empty store! Glorious!!! Me and Weglemans might be having our weekly date every Sat. at 9am from now on.)

April Fools

Here is my attempt to {April Fool} Travis....

(If you look closely, you can see the bowl of powdered sugar above the door)

Ya, didn't work out like I had planned. :(

But the salt on his toothbrush worked like a charm! I didn't know how strong it would taste, but only a second after he started brushing, I got the desired facial expression of utter disgust. I tried to keep a straight face, but cracked immedietly and had to bury my face in the bathroom towel I was drying my hands on, while I busted up. Too fun.

So this past week was a week of birthdays in my family! My mom's is March 30, my brother's is April 1, and my dad's is April 2.

The following is an excerpt from my twin's blog:

"The mother had a birthday! I got a sitter and was able to spend the day with my mom and Marcie. It was a blast. My dad decorated her car and filled it with 49 balloons. Apparently she now needs a new horn because she busted it from honking too much while driving the kids to school.


I am used to having a mom who honks the horn often while driving... or screeching over speed bumps... or screaming out the car window phrases such as "don't burp your bottom" to you, your friends and pretty much the entire Mesa High student body on her week of car pool. I guess during her birthday honking episode she was tooting to the tune of "happy birthday" then had an encore of ♫and many mooooore on channel fouuuur and scooby doooooo on channel twooooo♫. I guess one little reserved girl in the car quietly said, this is kinda freakin me out. Haha, oh girl you have no idea!"

This is all too true and just a part of why I love my mom! My mom and sisters had a fun day of eating out at Pita Jungle (organic heaven), shopping for some new furniture, getting treats at Poppy's, and eating out again at Matta's. Needless to say I was memoaning the miles between us. I SO missed out. Happy 49th B-day to the grooviest mom around!

My dad turned the big Five- O this year so I sent a little package to commemorate his "Over the Hill" birthday. I sent a package of Tootsie Roll Pop's, tied with a tag that said "50 Sucks". Haha

Then I also sent him a copy of The Mentalist, season 1. This was to help with his failing mental abilities and such. :)

This is actually my new favorite show. I'm pretty much obsessed with it. It has mystery, comedy, and action.

[And I hear that the main character, Simon Baker, isn't too bad on the eyes. I will neither confirm, nor deny this. :)]

My sister got him a "50" pinata and it looks like the fam had a good time swingin' their hearts out. Again, so sad I missed out on all the fun. And sunshine. Just look at that luscious, green grass. I'm pining!

 Ok, so as much as I would have loved to participate in all that, we didn't have too shabby a weekend out here either. The guys had Friday off of school since the clinic was closed for the seniors to take the WREB test. Trav still went in for a make-up seminar from being in Tonga, but that afternoon, he took Collin to the YMCA with Doug and Gavin (thanks for the invite, guys!) to go swimming. He said Collin did great and loved the water. (Phew, he would have been toast otherwise, given Trav's swim teaching past). Then after that we met up with some friends to go to Chuckie Cheese. (Does anyone else feel the need to douse themselves in Purell after being there?) Collin loves it though and now can say it perfectly. We ended the night at the Shaw's with pizza. The kids play so well together... ok, most of the time. I thought this was too cute of Collin and Lily.

 The caged animals. :)

 On Saturday we watched Conference and attempted a much too chilly walk to the park. Trav also went and got our taxes done in the morning, then tried his own post-April Fools joke on me that we owed both the Federal and State money. Haha, not funny. What a nightmare that would have been.
Then, I baked the night away while Trav went to Priesthood session and then Duff's with the guys. And that is where he saw......

 Yup, Ryan from The Office! Or, B.J. Novak. I guess he was leaving when they recognized him and the ever tactful Creed (in his excitement, I'm sure) pointed his finger at him ("him" being not three feet away) and yelled, "Hey, it's the guy from The Office!!!". B.J, was pretending to scratch his face/hide as he made his way out, but when he got to the door, Garth yelled, "Hey B.J!!" and he turned and waved at them. Wow. See... Blessings come from attending your priesthood meetings. :)

On Sunday morning we went over the Shaheen's for a yummy nummy breakfast, then jetted to our ward building for another breakfast (we aren't THAT hungry... but I had signed up to bring cinnamon rolls and invited some less actives that I didn't want to be MIA for). I'm glad we did because both were a lot of fun.

We came home to watch the first session so Collin could go down for his nap. I may have entertained myself with a little photo shoot of Weston (haha, I just realized you can even see Conference on the lap top behind him)

Collin's not the only one with funny faces!

 I crocheted to stay awake.... Trav succumbed. For how tired he was this weekend, I was pretty impressed that he only snoozed through about 3 speakers.

Since Conference Sunday always means yummy food and gathering with family, we invited friends over after the last session to enjoy some Buster Bars with us. I got the recipe from my sister and it was a hit.

Here is the recipe for anyone who might want to try it...

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 1/2 cups roasted Spanish peanuts
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter, chocolate chips, and confectioners' sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool thoroughly.
2. In a large bowl, mix together crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and 1/2 cup melted butter. Press onto the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan; freeze until firm. Spread softened ice cream over crust, then freeze until firm. Spread top with cooled fudge sauce, and sprinkle with peanuts; freeze until firm. Spread with whipped topping, and freeze until firm, or overnight.

 And just because I'm absolutely eating this kid up....

here's a few more of my bebe. :)
Just after a bath.

Getting dressed to go outside.

I think originally, he was in the sun, but by the time I took a picture, not so much.

I still feel like most of my time is spent nursing or changing diapers (or cleaning, doing laundry, making meals, or exercising). And even though several times a week I get drenched in enough spit up that I have to change my shirt.... or realize I need to take a shower not just because it's time, but because I smell... I love my life. It's a special time in your life when you have 3 places in your house designated for dirty diapers and 5 different places you keep diaper wipes. It's all good. :) Spring is coming. I can feel it. What's not to love right now?!

Weston 6 weeks

Well I had some requests for pictures of Weston, so how could I resist? :) Actually, I do have to make more of an effort to remember to take pictures of this guy. And since I didn't have my camera for about 12 days, that didn't help!

He had his one month appointment more around 5 1/2 weeks, but his stats were:

9lbs 3oz

20 1/2 in.

Since he was only 6lbs9oz at birth, I was pretty excited that he had gained over 2 lbs!

 Now Collin screetches for a picture whenever I'm taking one of Weston.

As a side note, it's a good thing Trav is back, because I think Collin needed some more testosterone in the house. He called Paula "Momma" since he couldn't pronounce Grandma, and after she left, he started calling Travis "Momma" also. He did not like that. He has also been seen on several occasions, stuffing nursing pads down his shirt.

 Weston's male pattern baldness.

Poor child. He's totally got business up front and a party in the back. And I don't know why!! I'm very careful not to rub the top during baths and it's not like he's wearing headbands. So strange.

 I seriously LOVE the yawns and stretching.

 A quizzical look.

I wish these pictures captured his blue eyes better. Collin never had blue eyes, even as a baby. They were always a different, dark sort of color until they turned brown. Not this guy. Totally blue. It throws me off a little.

 He started smiling while Trav was gone. His smile melts me. It's ironic, because he's not as smiley as Collin, yet he's a much more content and happy baby. I'm usually only up twice a night to feed him and then he goes right back to sleep. So if you need to call me around 3:30am and 6:30am, I'll be available.

The boo boo lip. I think it's so cute when he pouts the lip!

Here's Collin at one month sportin' the lip!

Well this was the first week that I attempted outings with both kids by myself. We went to the Family Room on Mon. and Wed. and on Mon. afternoon I got really daring and took them to Target and the post office. Weston didn't make a peep. He slept for all of it. And yet I still found it to be an enormous inconvenience. I drove around the Target parking lot just to find a cart left out, and parked next to it, so I could load them all in then push it into the store. Collin sat in the big part of the cart and did ok with snacks. But I couldn't put my ginormous bag in there or he'd get into it. So I had to carry it on my shoulder. I'm sure once I have 3 kids, I'll dream of the days with 2, but for now I'm dreaming of the days with 1. Ok, well if I'm really dreaming, I'll head back to the shopping days with none. :)

That said, I love my boys! It's so fun to be able to say that in the plural tense. Collin still loves his "bebe" brother and hasn't seemed to generate any feelings of jealousy. He loves to hand me diapers and wipes when Weston needs a change and shove that pacifier in, whether Weston likes it or not. Lucky Weston.

Book Review

Last year I made a goal. Finish the Book of Mormon. I know that it was a pathetic goal and even more sad that I'm admitting said goal, but there you have it. I've read it many times before, but it's been a long time since I'd done a "cover to cover" read. I'm pro at getting to Mosiah, then letting too much time go by so when I start reading again, I go back to the beginning. Anyway, the other part of the goal was to read every day... even if it was just a verse. Perhaps I used the fall back {verse} option too often because by December I still had over 100 pages to go. Now, I'm actually grateful, because I realized I really enjoyed reading it more like a {book}. You know, reading big chunks at a time instead of a measly chapter. It flowed so much better and I realized I truly loved reading it. Not just out of obligation, but because I loved what it said and knew it was true. And by the week of Christmas, I was done. Now I'm reading it with commentary from David Ridges and it's pretty interesting. Kind of like reading it in seminary. I just wish I had my BofM from seminary. Me, the pack rat, can't find it anywhere! What a waste.

My mother in law gave me this for my birthday and even though it took some time, I ended up liking it. I don't know if it truly qualifies as historical fiction, but it's pretty close. It's sort of a love story that takes place in Seattle and delves into the time of Japanese internment camps. It's a slow moving story, so that's why I didn't immediately love it, but by the end I was glad I had read it.

 I had heard great things about this book and even got it for my dad on CD last year for Christmas so I figured I'd better read it myself! Even though I think it's aim is to improve businesses, it uses a lot of family examples. The main idea is to overcome our tendendcies to see people {in the box}... meaning to see them as objects that get in our way or cause us problems. When we see people {out of the box} we see them as people. We remember that they have feelings and are just like us. It speaks very simply... almost to the point that I felt I was being "talked to" like a child as it illustrated it's points. Very good ideas, but I think if you read How to Win Friends and Influence People you would come away with the same principles plus more.

I was gypped! I never got to read this book in high school! I'm pretty upset about it actually. The only "classic" I remember reading is the Scarlet Letter and that was simply a horrible, horrible book. I HATED it. Anyway, I decided it was high time I read this book and I'm glad I did. It ended up being picked for book club the month after I finished it, but I'm glad because the girl who chose it, teaches this book in her high school English class, so I'm sure she'll have lots of insights that I missed while reading it. It seems the first time you read something, it's just a {surface read}. Like watching a movie for the first time, you only catch some of what is going on. With each viewing you pick up more and more. 

It takes place in the 1930's in Alabama and is told from the perspective of a young girl named Scout. Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer who ends up defending a black man on trial for raping a white girl. Atticus, of course, is the most intruging character and I think, is truly Christlike. I think the book is like a puzzle that is being pieced together as you go. And of course I'd recommend it! Next time I read it though, I'll make sure I have a dictionary on hand for all the words I didn't know!

 This was a book club pick and to be honest, I can't say I really liked it. It was ok. It's juvenile, but then, that's who it was written for, so I can't really pick on it for that. The moral of the story is, everybody is different, but we should accept all personalities, because everyone is of worth. It's about an eccentric high school girl that "rocks the boat" with her crazy personality. In all honestly, it was pretty weird. Interesting in parts, but overall... a bit weird. 

 Another book club pick! It took me a LONG time to get into this book. I was well over half way before I started liking it. It's long, but a quick read. It's about a post apocalyptic world where at 16, everyone has a surgery to make them beautiful and perfect. Before that, they are an "ugly". So like I said, I got sucked in during the last 200 pages, so right after I finished, I request the 2nd book in the trilogy...

...Pretties! I thought the sequel flopped. Most of the time I was reading it, I felt like I was wasting time. (I love a good, mindless novel...but if it's not amazing then I feel like I'm wasting time since I'm not learning anything. Books are best when I feel like I learned something) Thus, I will not be reading the third book, Specials. It seems there is something about trilogies. This was how the Hunger Games went too. I love the first one, am wishy washy on the second, and have no desire to read the third.

"Cuz I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane..."

When I made Trav take the camera, he protested. He said he wouldn't remember to take pictures. Well I guess he remembered who his wife was and did a pretty good job. I told him to take pictures of even the mundane things like where they were staying, so I could get an idea of where he was for a week and a half. Well not only did I get pics of the house, but also the closet, shower, and toilet. Yes, a picture solely of the toilet. I spared you.

Had to get a pic of the plane, given he spent 40+ hours on them while he was gone, not including time just in airports.

 Here is the clinic they worked in.

 I wish this wasn't blurry, but it's the only one I have of Trav doing dental work. The dentist that went with them as their supervisor basically told them to not bother him with questions and just get to it. So I think he really enjoyed working in the clinic and getting so much experience.

 I guess the church leases (something weird about not being able to buy property on Tonga) a big area/campus that has elementary through high school on it. The house they stayed in was on this same land. Here is a shot of the campus.

One of the days they did an outreach program with the kids from the schools.

 I love this picture! Especially since no girls made them do it. It was all of their own accord.

This pic is going to the be the cover of their upcoming boy band album.

They swear it wasn't posed.... sure guys. Sure. :)

 Trav grew out his beard with the intent of shaving it and leaving his mustache. Not sure why. Just because he could I guess. I never got the whole story, but apparently it only lasted one day.

 They went to a show one night and he was mortally embarrassed when one of the women called him up on stage to dance. He got a lei from it, but left it since it wouldn't have passed customs.

These are all pictures of the place they stayed in. Bugs were abundant much to one of the guys' dismay (we'll leave him anonymous... I think he got enough grief on this trip). So they smooshed the bugs whenever they saw them and by the time they left it looked like a millipede cemetery. Gross.

 Obviously not the Hilton, but it reminded me a lot of the dorm I stayed in at BYU Hawaii. Apparently the island felt much more {third world} then he expected.

 Here's the sweet ride they drove around.

 He was able to go to the Tongan temple a couple times.

Rach made a couple of cakes for our guys the day they got home. I was so excited to have him back. And after washing all his clothes in ultra hot water and double rinsing them, I felt like life was right back to normal. Luckily, no creepy crawlers made it back in his luggage either.

 But this sweet tie did!

 And this shirt!

When I first saw this, I laughed so hard. It was starched to the hilt and screamed {casino employee}. Hideous, right? Well, it's grown on me now. Not enough to wear in public, but still. :)

 And I just died over these widdle things!

 They didn't even fit! His feet were too wide. Ah well, good enough for one picture. When he left I told him not to buy me anything. I don't need Tongan paraphernalia that has no purpose, yet will feel like a waste to throw away. Already went through that living in Hawaii. And he listened. (Maybe I secretly hoped he would find something cute that I would actually wear... so I was a bit disappointed when there was nothing for me) UNTIL... the next day he whipped out a bookmark he had forgotten about. Perfect! I was thrilled. Seriously. It totally looks {Tongan} and I will actually use it. He did good. :)