New York

Happy Anniversary to US!

Brian and I decided to celebrate year 10 in style! We took a long awaited trip to NYC and up to Maine. It was so much fun and great to get away from everyday life for a while. I'm already ready for our next vacation. alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368178359063909314" />
This city is so cool. Amidst, all the buildings.. there are trees and water fountains and parks everywhere! Central Park was a huge highlight.. you would never believe you were in the heart of all the cabs, people, sky scrapers, etc. etc. It's so peaceful there.




Oh my gosh... Wicked was AMAZING! All I have to say is if you haven't seen it... GO GET TICKETS NOW!!! If you have seen it... this post will remind you that you WANT TO GO GET TICKETS AGAIN!!! I LOVED this play!

I'm Not Dead... Just Crazy Busy

I know. I know.... It's been TOO LONG since I've blogged and it's driving me nuts.. If I have anyone who even cares about my blog anymore, I PROMISE this weekend I will try and get caught up on my blogging.
But in the mean time... this is why I haven't blogged for a month. Wedding Cake Season is in full swing. That's all I've done for weeks. If you want to check out the cakes I did in May... log onto my cake blog.

My Kid the Movie Star

Kaden has been in two different commercials the last couple months. Not for any reason, but my friends and family needed kids and he was available. Don't worry.. I'm not adding "stage mom" to my list of to-do's anytime soon.
But he is adorable all the same.

Check out Kaden being the perfect patient at our friends dental office. If you don't have a pediatric dentist.. GO SEE THEM! They are awesome and their office is so cute.

Good Things Utah

Wow... It's hard to believe, but thanks to my dear friends at Swensen Photography and The Bridal Extravaganza, I will be appearing on Good Things Utah on Tuesday March 24th. I'm so excited for this opportunity to show off my cakes and am blown away that I was asked. It's going to be a little nerve racking to watch all the girls from the show eat my cake on live television (ahhhh). I hope they like it! Wouldn't that suck if you were on a food segment and the hosts actually spit your food out? Man.. worst nightmare right there.
Anyway... tune in to Channel 4 news at 10:0-11:00 next Tuesday morning.

My family was teasing me on Sunday saying that all my theatre in college and high school is finally paying off. I'll have my 10 minutes of fame!! Don't worry.. I'll be signing autographs after the show (hee, hee).

Updated Sugar Kisses Blog

Hey if you are interested, I've updated my sugar kisses blog that has a few more cakes on it. I got to make such a fun boat cake this past week. It's always so much fun to look outside the box and do something just fun.

Melt Down

As you can see it's been weeks since I've posted anything. I had a meltdown last week when I finally realized I have too much on my plate. Things aren't getting done... and others things are getting done half hearted due to lack of time.. and things I enjoy doing (like blogging) have gone to the wayside. I know I can do everything I need to do.. I just need to find that balance. I'm having a tough time trying to figure out my role as a mom of three (wow... it's still hard), having my own business, being a friend, doing my calling to the best of my ability, etc. etc. etc. I know everyone deals with this juggling act we as mom's do, and I think that for the most time, we do a dang good job at it, but sometimes... we break. That's what happened to me. I got so overwhelmed that there was nothing else I could do but cry. It's kindof crazy how a good cry session can clear your mind and get you back on track.
I'm not much of a crier... so for me to break down, I think it' frieks Brian out a little bit. He was great to be there for me though. I could talk, he listened. When I began to sob because a cup of crayons fell out of the cupboard, he rushed over and held me as I shook in his arms (seriously.. I'm sure he was thinking ... "What the crap is going on? They were crayons for heavens sakes") Well, those crayons were the last straw of a very long few months. I sometimes wonder why I put so much upon myself. I know part of it is how I was raised, and I think another part is just that feeling of wanting to always move and change and grow. I like to know I'm doing something to help others or improve my talents and especially be there for my kids. I have this need to constantly be moving. I don't know if that's necessarily good. I get to these "Melt Down" moments and realize that down time is HUGE! I don't give myself time just to chill. I don't stop until I've literally crashed on the couch and have to have Brian wake me up to go to bed. Why do I do that? Why is it so hard to find this balance? It's do-able.. I KNOW it is. I just gotta figure it out. For all you moms out there that cram your days, go, go, go and never take time for yourself... STOP! Stop right now or you will soon be crying hysterically over a bunch of crayons on your floor.
We need to have down time. We need to just sit down and reconnect with ourselves. If we don't do that... how in the world will we ever successfully connect with those we love and care about? We can't. At least, I can't. I'm learning that I can't be my best self for my family and friends and my church without making sure I'm OK first. It's a crazy balance.. but we can do it. We just need time to clear the chaos (even if it's just for a minute or two) and have your down time. It makes everything better and nothing seems too overwhelming. I am amazed at how easier it's been to refocus after my crazy "melt down". It cleared my head, it allowed me to see that if I plan a little better and try not to overbook myself.. I can find that balance. I may have to give up a few things here and there.... but that's not such a bad thing, Infact.. it will probably make me a better mom, a better wife, a better friend, a better business owner.. and all the other balls I juggle in my life. I just need to prioritize the most important things and then say goodbye to everything else. (ya.... a lot easier said than done for an overworker like myself)
Balance... I think THAT is going to be my greatest challenge as well as the my greatest strength if I can figure it out.

A Party fit for a Princess

OH MY GOSH!!!!!! Can I tell you how fun it is to have a princess party for a 3 year old? We had such a great time. Avery was hilarious the whole day. She was so darn cute and excited about everything. Here are a few highlights of her special day.
***NOTE*** Notice how many times she changed her clothes? She's too funny.



Here are the adorable princesses after they spent some time at the "Jewlrey Store" making wands and crowns.


The tea party was about the cutest thing I have ever seen. The menu consisted of pink wafer cookies, ham and cheese rolls, fishy crackers, grapes, pink lemonade or strawberry milk and of course... individual princess cakes. The highlight was pouring the drink into the TINY little teacups. The favorite part of the meal was beheading the princess cakes. All the girls had a kick out of eating the heads off their princesses. They may all look dainty.. but this picture proves they can hold their own!
Poor, Poor Princess Cakes.
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What a sweet little girl. She had so much fun today and I had even more fun watching her. I'm so lucky to be her mom. Her favorite gifts were her princess shoes, her magic wand, and her real live fishing pole she got from daddy. She wore her high heels while pretending to catch fish in our family room... she would point her wand at us and say, "I magic you!" Everytime she opened a present she would gasp and yell what the gift was as she was jumping up and down. It was awesome. I love this little girl!

Happy Birthday Avery

It's hard to imagine that it's been 3 years since this little 5 pound baby literally fell out of me. Who would have thought that in that tiny little body would hold such a strong willed, driven girl who has captured our hearts and brought us so much joy.
We love you Aves... thank you for being you. Happy Birthday.

From Scrap To That

Hey, I just wanted to show off my talented brothers work. If anyone is looking for someone who does AMAZING wood work, you need to give him a call. He's been making a ton of custom made kids beds lately that are so awesome. He's also doing custom made picture frames, dressers, etc. etc.

So if you know of anyone who is in the market... get a hold of him! He is so good and does everything custom made. If you have an idea of something you want, he'll be able to make it for you.

Here's his blog.
www.fromscraptothat.blogspot.com

Or Email: fromscraptothat@hotmail.com

"Knock On Wood"

It's been 3 days with NO DIAPERS and better yet.... NO ACCIDENTS!!! Whoo Hooo!!!

I've decided I'm a firm believer on just letting potty training happen on your kids own time table. For months I've been fighting this dumb thing... and all it took was a couple princess stickers and a desire on her part and it was taken care of. Way to go Aves. I'm proud of you!

I think I'm going to go private

I think I've decided to go private now that my name and business name is all over the web.  When I google my name, my blog pops right up...(I don't think I want all these people booking cakes from me to see my whole life story if ya know what I mean) so if you would like be on my blog list, let me know.  

My Kind of Sunday Afternoon

This hardly ever happens at our house, but when it does... there is nothing better.  So this is what makes the best sunday afternoons ever!!       

 Being with my family all day with no where to go                                                             

Kids all go to sleep  

Afternoon naps with Brian

No cleaning allowed!

Cuddling with sleepy kids 

Breakfast for Dinner                                                            

Hubby MAKES dinner

FHE with our kids

and a little bloggin!

Can't get better than that! What a great day!!

                              

Sugar Kisses Blog Updated

I still haven't updated my personal blog from the last month or so, but my business blog is in the process of being updated. I have a couple new cakes up if you want to check them out. If I get a chance, I'll post more in the next few days. You can link here or from my website or just by clicking the Sugar Kisses Blog button on the sidebar.

ALSO....
The offer still stands if you want to join Tidbits. Thank you for those who have posted cute things your kids say. This blog is a great way to keep track of all the funny and priceless words that come out our kids mouths. Check it out.. If you want me to send you an invite so you can post as well, let me know. The more we have.. the more often we can laugh!

The Sweetest Boy I Never Knew

It's been a pretty rough week for our family as well as one that has changed my life. I have been blessed this week by learning to love more, appreciate life's challenges for how they strengthen us and once again realize the importance of family.

Last Wednesday, my sister in law went in for her monthly check up to find out her little baby boy had no heartbeat. Since she was so far along, it was not a miscarriage, but a still birth. My heart ached for her and my brother as I thought of what they were going through. Not knowing how to show my love, concern and sympathy for them... all I could do is pray. What I gained from this experience is an overwhelming feeling of love for a little child that I never even met... one who changed so many lives and so many hearts in a life that never even breathed an ounce of this earth's precious air. His name is Matthew Keith Sohm. A name that stands for friendship and a love for all people. The name alone brings wonderful memories of good people from our past, but the name was not what brought that feeling of love into my heart. The love came from a small little boy.. who's hand didn't even wrap fully around my brothers finger. This little boy... Matthew Keith was not just an unborn fetus.. he is a boy. He is my nephew. He is a grandson, a cousin, a brother and most importantly.. a son. The world may tell us that it is not necessary to bury such a child... since he was never out of the womb alive... or that we he wasn't fully developed. But I am here to say otherwise. This little boy.. who left us before he even was here is a child with arms and legs, fingers and toes, a nose and a chin. His little body may not have been any bigger than a barbie doll, but his little spirit changed the lives of a whole entire family. He taught us how to love deeper and how to hold on to life in a better way. He gave us the desire to be a little better on this earth so that we may be able to be with him again. He taught us how important the gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives and the knowledge that families are forever is what gives us strength.
I watched my brother and sister in law today at the graveside service we had for this precious little guy and was lifted up by their strength. In their humility and sorrow.. in the most darkest hours of their lives, they have rose above the pain of loss and pulled together in faith. They have been taught in quiet moments the purpose of family and know they have a loving Heavenly Father who is with them. I am comforted by them and realize that God DOES take care of us... especially through our trials. I can't imagine the loss that they have felt, but I know they are strong. I watched them today in awe by their unwaivering faith. They were not complaining.. "why me??" but they were thanking Heavenly Father for what they had learned this past week. I hope I never have to go through a trial like this, but I know I will go through trials of some kind. All I can do is pray that I will be as strong and inspiring as my brother and his family were during the hardest trial of their lives.
I love my family so much. I don't know what I would do without any of them.

To end this post.. I just wanted to remember some of the neat words that were shared by Tyler and Jana's kids this past week. I think they understand death so much better than we do. They never even got to see their brother, but that didn't stop them from loving him and understanding his place in their family.

Riley:
I'm sad too.. but it's a happy sad. Now he gets to go live with Heavenly Father.

(in his prayer the night they found out) "Heavenly Father, please let my baby brother sprit get back to you ok"

I love Matthew because he was the first in our family to die and go back to live with Heavenly Father"

Abby:
I love Matthew because he is the third brother in our family.

A lot of catching up to do

I have so much to catch up on this past month. Life has been a whirlwind of ups and downs that I need to blog about, but of course... I don't have any time just yet.. But first and formost... I gotta give a happy birthday shoutout to my darling little brighton. (see post below)

I'll start updating soon... I promise.

A Year of "Brightness" for our family

Today is Brighton's Birthday. I feel so blessed to have this little guy in our lives. His smile radiates my soul. His huge eyes sparkle and shine. He is a joy and has brought so much love into our home this past year. He worships his brother and sister, and they worship him. Here are some of my favorite things about my little bright.

His high pitched squeal when he doesn't get his way
His smile and his enormous eyes that melt my heart
They way he "army crawled" before he became the speedster he is now with real crawling
His dimple on his right cheek
The way he giggles when Kaden and Avery are around
Cuddles on the couch
The way he grins every time a camera is in his face
That he sucks his thumb and pulls a blanket up to his cheek when he's tired
His midnight play time - when he just wants to be up with us and hang out
His little temper tantrums.... yes.. they've already begun
His chubby little legs.. cheeks... arms... belly
The way I INSTANTLY fell in love with him

It's been an incredible year with this little guy. Wow.. it's hard to imagine that I cried and cried when I found out I was pregnant with him. He's been the greatest little "surprise" I've ever gotten. I love you so much Brighton. Happy Birthday.

ps- Thank you Jen for the AMAZING picture of Bright. (check out www.jenleephoto.com)

Brighton Discovered the Christmas Tree AND that he could GET to the tree!

Brighton doesn't get too many posts that are just dedicated to him. Call me a bad mom. But I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more posts on Bright due to the fact that he's figured out how to get where ever he wants and that usually equals into getting into trouble.
So, he's already 11 months old and he's still not crawling, but he has discovered the "army crawl". It is the cutest thing ever! He moves his little arms as he drags his lower body as fast as he can. Today he was in my bedroom and he heard my in Avery's room and pretty soon, he comes crawling in with a huge grin on his face. He thinks he's pretty cool now that he has a little Independence on his side.

Avery's First Day of Skiing

Today was a great day for Avery and Daddy. Avery got her own ski pass this year so Brian took her up for the first time. She was so excited to go "deein wiff daddy". She kept telling me "I doe deein wif daddy and you can't come!". I love that Brian takes the time to make special moments for our kids. I think these little ski days are going to be so much more than skiing in fresh powder, or hitting the jumps (yes... Kaden already loves the jumps)... I think the greatest part will be the memories of being with their dad. And the coolest part is that Brian likes it just as much as they do. They are so blessed to have such an amazing dad. I hope someday they realize how special it is that he takes so much time to hang out with them.
One of my favorite things in the winter is heading up to watch them ski. I'm the cheesy one at the bottom of the hill in my jeans, tennis shoes, a kid attached to the front of me in a carrier, video camera and point and shoot camera in both hands ready to catch the shots of the kids heading down the slope. They are so darn cute!
Avery is going to LOVE skiing. She did AWESOME!!! She didn't want to stop. She kept telling Brian, "lets doe adin! Go deein now!" She couldn't get up on the lift fast enough and then would giggle all the way down. It's going to be fun watching her improve. She had these great little skis that kept her going slow enough she could stop on her own and turn pretty easy. Soon enough I bet she and Kaden will be skiing right along side Brian. That will be a fun day for all of them. But for today, we're just going to enjoy the big smiles, giggles and the excitement of seeing these guys learn to get down the hill by themselves.

The Call of the Christmas Tree

It's that time of year!
Our favorite tradition to start off the holiday season is always heading down south to cut down our Christmas Tree with Brian's family. This is something Brian has done since he was a kid.. and it's something we LOVE to do with our own kids. It is so much fun to go hang out with family.. hike up and down the mountain and watch Brian haul down the perfect tree.
I realized something this year about tree cutting. You can't just find any old tree. The tree has to call to you. It sounds funny... but it's true. You look at so many trees and you always find something wrong with them until you see "the one". Cutting down trees on your own.. you never get the perfect shaped tree... they are all a little charlie brownish in their own way, but they have character. Some are better than others... some take hours to find... others end up being the first one you set your eyes on. It's different every year.. but when you find it... you know it's your tree. It's a lot of fun. We have had a blast the last couple years finding trees that are huge! We usually end up with a 15 footer and it's always an adventure trying to cut it down and/or drag it back down the mountain. This year was no different.. we found a great tree.. a huge tree. Brian marked it on his GPS and headed across the mountain just in case he could find one better. After an hour or so of hiking... he ended up getting the first tree we found. I guess it was the one that called to us this year.
The day is full of fun. We visit, watch the kids play, swing on the huge tree swing, eat sandwiches and treats, blast Christmas music from our car and enjoy the nostalgia of this fun tradition. I don't know a better way to start the season off than by doing this. It's awesome!!!

I am Thankful

This time of year I start reflecting on all the things I'm thankful for and many things I take for grantid. As I get older, it seems as if the months pass by without being able to take a breath. Years go by quickly and I tend to blink and realize another day is gone... my kids are getting older each second and these years I hold so priceless of raising young kids are one more day behind me and I can't slow it down. How can I change this feeling of speed? How can I stop and make life go in slow motion? In reality.. I don't really want life to stop... where's the fun in that? But I do want to take advantage of EVERY MOMENT. I wish I could promise myself that I will NEVER FORGET each and every moment of watching my kids grow up. I find myself praying at night that I will be able to LOVE every stage my children are in as much as the previous. I can't imagine that these years right now.. that I treasure beyond belief... will probably not be the ones I will remember as my kids are adults. How can I REMEMBER? How can I keep in my mind the sweet voice of a 2 year old.. the belly laugh of an infant... or the innocent sparkle in the eyes of a 5 year old? How can I remember that every day I call Brian at work and say, "you'll never believe what Avery did... or Oh my gosh.. Kaden said the cutest thing today.. etc, etc.. Every day we laugh at their innocence and are in awe by their little lives. Even watching Brighton wave to us while he's in his jumper brightens our day. THESE ARE THE THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR.

Family is everything. My little family... The 5 of us... who would have thought this would be my life 15 years ago? And not just my life... but what makes me whole. Brian and my kids are my center.. they bring me the inner happiness I long for. I look at life differently because I am blessed to be able to see it through my children's eyes and then get to share that with my husband. What a privilege that is! Especially this time of year where magic seems to be around every corner.

So as I think about all the things I am grateful for this time of year... my list could go on and on... but above all.. I am thankful for my life and how it has evolved into my own little piece of heaven.

What A Weekend

This week was a little crazy for me. About 6 weeks ago I got called into the primary presidency and was told I would be in charge of writing the primary program. Writing a program for kids from the age of 4-11 is quite an interesting task. We have about 115 kids that are active. Trying to get each one of them a part and keep the program under 40 minutes was quite a task when the songs they sang took up about 20 minutes. Well... the program was Sunday and it went perfectly!! I am so grateful for all the people that helped manage chaos and especially the music leaders who did such an amazing job with those kids.
So if the primary program wasn't enough... I had a huge cake week. I had entered into a wedding cake competition for the Utah Chocolate Show. It was a really fun experience, but a lot of extra stress for such a busy weekend. The winner got $500 and guess what?????? drum roll please..... I didn't win.

I felt my cake was pretty darn creative and I was happy how it turned out, but the judges hated it. Yup.. they actually told me there was nothing about my cake they liked. They hated the concept of a chocolate fountain... they thought it was a terrible idea and I would have been judged a higher score without the fountain. (and they said this all to my face) So... I guess my chocolate fountain was not that great of idea. Oh well.... you win some - you lose some. Luckily... one of the judges did say she thought my cake tasted fabulous so at least that was something going for me. I'd hate to own a cake business and have crappy tasting cakes. (I guess I just have crappy looking cakes) -- ha, ha. Even though the judges didn't love my cake, I was still happy with it. I thought it was a fun idea.

My next couple cakes were not for competition.. but for clients. Luckily, I didn't get the same response from these two cakes. They were actually the opposite effect. Nothing makes creating a cake more rewarding than when you can see the excitement and emotion in people's faces. These two cakes had that effect. One cake was for a little girls birthday. I didn't get to deliver this one, but Brian said she kept wanting to hold it and she couldn't stop staring. I love it when that happens!!

My next cake was probably one of the funnest deliveries I have ever had. The party was for a ladies 75 birthday party that her kids threw for her. Her cake was decorated with figurines of all her grandkids doing things they were interested in and the birthday girl on top. It was so much fun to see all the family members come up and crowd me as I was putting all the figurines on the cake. They would say... "Oh look, it's you Sarah" "Hey, there are the twins", "Oh look at Hannah" etc, etc. Then all of a sudden I look behind me and I have about 6 people taking pictures of the cake and the birthday girl showing her guests her cake with her grandkids on it. Oh my gosh.. it was really fun. It's rewarding to do a cake when it's so customized to the client and they appreciate your work. It was a pleasant change from the judges of the cake competition.

(click on picture to see a larger image)

So... needless to say... this past week was insane and there were several sleepless nights. I was so grateful that all I had to do today was blog and hang out with my kids.

Is It Bad Parenting to be Entertained by Traumatizing your Children?

So here's a quick run down... then you can enjoy the visual!
Our Children..... Kaden especially are about the WORST eaters ever! Avery is usually pretty good, but today was an exception. We have tried many tricks to coerse our kiddos to eat.. some work.. others don't work so well. We've done the timer method. Which usually ends up with Kaden being so worried about the timer going off that he stops eating all together. We've done the "give me 5 bites" method... which works off and on.. but usually ends up having us feed our 5 year old (not cool). Sometimes it's pure frustration and we just give up all together and figure he's not going to starve if he doesn't eat his dinner. Then there are the other times..... times like this.... you know.... the times when you've had it with the typical threats and you have a little sense of humor in you so you bring out the big guns. Or in this case.... THE BLOW TORCH and a couple FAVORITE TOYS. As I'm writing this, it just dawned on me that we've just become our parents. Not that they ever threatened to burn our favorite things... but I know they would "encourage" us to get things done in slightly traumatizing ways. It's quite entertaining really. So entertaining that as my children were about to have a nervous breakdown with Brian's threat, all I could do was grab the camera and say... "This is so blog worthy!". So there you have it... Who's the worst parent here? Brian for almost burning our kids toys for not eating their dinner... or me.... taking pictures of them in their time of distress?
But... all you parents out there with any bit of sense of humor or sense of frustration that comes from child rearing... I think you'll enjoy this little series of events you are about to see. If you don't... please forget you ever saw this post and try not to call child services on us :)



AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE KIDS TO EAT..... DAD BRINGS OUT THE BLOW TORCH AND TWO INNOCENT LITTLE TOYS.










THE LOOK OF PANIC IS IN THEIR EYES.... BUT WILL THEY EAT?





IT LOOKS LIKE THE BLOW TORCH DID THE TRICK!!!! THEY WERE SHOVING FOOD IN THEIR MOUTHS!


AHHHH... BABY DOLL IS SAFE WITH HER MOMMY. (AVERY TOLD BRIAN... "DADDY, THIS ISN'T YOUR BABY.. THIS IS MY BABY" AND SHE WOULD NOT PUT IT DOWN FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING)

PARENTING RULES!!! IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THIS THAT KEEP IT ENTERTAINING. YOU GOTTA LOVE KIDS!

Our Own Little Sledding Hill

We found the "Hot Spot" for this winters activities. Every great neighborhood has the places where the kids all get together and hang out. Ours happens to be a hill across the street from our house where the kids spent hours sledding and throwing snowballs with all their friends.
It was quite nostalgic as I remember the long winter days of doing the same thing with my own neighbor friends growing up. I remember pulling our sleds to the hill and coming home with red hands and hot chocolate waiting for us. Oh the memories..

Sorry... I gotta brag (it's my blog - I can do what I want)
MY KIDS ARE SO DARN CUTE!!! I CAN'T STAND IT!

Thank You Snow Gods

We know the drill. Labor Day weekend the beard starts growing and won't come off till that first ski day of true powder.
It's a Brian Thing......

So I am pleased to announce that kissing my husband is much more pleasant again! The beard came off and my sink looked as if a large rat had exploded... (ya... it was pretty bad). I love this guy and his crazy rituals.

After years of "fake" mumbling... I must confess

I am a summer girl. Always have been.. Always will. I would prefer my days hanging out on a boat in my bathing suit soaking up the rays and getting a tan while the sun is bleaching my brown hair. For years I have made quite a scene over the first snowfall of the year. I grumble and complain, make disgusted faces and moan. This means summer is over and the LONG Utah winters have begun.
As a child my dad would come in to wake me up and say, "Turia... I have a suprise for you. Look outside!" As I would look out my window in the darkness, all I see is soft billowy clouds not in the sky but on my front lawn. It's all quiet and the lack of sound that snow seems to bring is a peaceful one. Me.... the summer girl would groan and roll back over in bed and say to my dad.. "I can't believe it's snowing already. I'm going back to bed."
Year after year.. I would wake up to a fresh cloud of snow and the quiet peace that accompanies it. I complain.. I grumble.. I "act" as if it's the worst thing that could happen.
BUT.... it is now time to confess. Even in those early years when I acted as if the snow was a gift from the devil himself... I always felt the magic in that first snowfall. Heaven forbid I actually admit that me.. the summer girl could actually enjoy snow as well. That was too difficult. I always play that day a little melodramatic. But not today. Today I woke up and I couldn't deny that magical excitement that I've felt year after year. I looked outside and joy filled my heart. Not because the long utah winters are about to begin (still hate that part).. but because of what the snow represents. It represents blankets, hot chocolate, soups, more time at home just hanging out, the holidays, playing in the snow and my husbands mood instantly turning to good to ecstatic. This is his "summer"... his "time on the lake". My excitement for this season is mostly in part by watching him... and now.. watching my kids. Today as the snow was falling, Kaden was staring out the window in his jammies and his ski helmet. He hadn't been awake more than 30 seconds before he was running in our room saying.... "Guess what? There's snow on the ground!". That magic is in him just as it's in us.

I don't know why I've fought this season for so many years... just because I prefer long summer days, great tans and flip flops doesn't change the truth that there really is magic in this first snowfall of the year.
Whew!!! It feels good after years of self denial to actually admit that (at times)... snow is pretty cool!

Halloween 2008

We had a wonderful Halloween. The kids were so cute trick or treating. Avery wanted to go to every house. Even when she was so tired and practically asleep in my arms, she would say... "lets go dat house". They went for a good couple hours straight and when their bags were full and their little legs too tired to walk anymore, we headed home.
The highlights of the evening were Avery saying "Arrrrrrr" when you asked her what a pirate says and Kaden running up and down the street too excited to stick to any organized route for trick or treating. On the way home, Kaden said, "Oh.. I just LOVE Halloween!". They were so darn cute! I love celebrating the holidays through their eyes. It brings back all the excitement of being a kid again.... but in a much more fulfilling way!

Grandma Becky's Halloween Party

My mom always does fun little holiday parties for the grandkids. She always does such a great job. This year was no exception. The kids all came over in their costumes and after a photo shoot from all the moms, they started with the festivities! Stories, games, monster mash, scavenger hunt to find the spooky ghost with all the treats, crafts, and of course lots of yummy, spooky food!
Thanks mom for all your hard work. The party was a hit!

Cousin Late Over

The highlight of my kids (and their cousins) week is "Cousin Late Over". Me, Jana & Jenni each take a Friday night where we watch all 9 grandkids so the other two couples can go on a date. It has been so much fun to have two free weekends of babysitting each month. But more importantly, the kids get to be together. The LOVE spending time with one another and look forward to the weekend. Kaden is usually counting down the days on Monday!
This past cousin late over was at my house. Kaden told me, "Mom.. I've been waiting 100 years for my cousins to come over". Since it was the weekend before Halloween we drew spooky pictures made spider cupcakes and decorated my basement with spider webs and ghosts for an upcoming family party.
I am so grateful for my sister in laws and their friendship. I feel so blessed to have them in my life. I could call on them for anything and I usually do! It's so important for me to have my kids close to their cousins. I think little night outs like the ones we're doing are helping out with that.

The quiet hours of the night part 2

Attention: This post is strictly for the soul purpose to make a note to "future me" that parenting wasn't always a bed of roses. :)

you know the post I did last week?
Well... it's 4 am, I've been up with Brighton for 2 hours now.... ya..... not feelin the warm fuzzies tonight.

Harvest Fun

We took the kids to a fun little apple orchard this weekend where they had hay rides, fresh pressed apple cider, a pumpkin patch and loads of carmel apples, doughnuts and chocolate popcorn. We had a blast picking out our pumpkins for the year and watching the kids try to carry them. This is always such a fun time and one I LOVE to do with my kids. We have made it a tradition to go and pick our own pumpkins from a patch instead of the local grocery storefront and it's been a highlight of our fall each year.
The kids enjoyed a fun evening eating their doughnuts, sitting on hay bales and watching "The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" that was projected on the side of their produce truck. (Wow.. are we country or what?) What could be more fun for a kid? Hanging out with cousins, eating treats, and watching movies? They had a blast and it was all worth it just to know they had a good time.

To Eat or Not to Eat

People LOVE sushi... I've never quite understood it. I mean it's absolutely gorgeous but the thought of raw fish and seaweed just doesn't excite me in the least bit. But this weekend, I ended up trying the so called "cuisine".
Brian loves the stuff, but me.... not so much. I tried to be brave and test it out, and lets just say it was kindof a disaster. I'm not positive, but our table was laughing so hard at my attempts that I think we disrupted the "zen" in the restaurant.

My experience with sushi went a little like this... (I so wish I had a picture to show this in all it's glory)

I grab the sushi with my chop sticks. I put it up to my mouth, open my mouth... oh I'm going to do it.... 'BLAH" (a little dry heave action) and I put it down closer to my plate.
OK.. here I go again... up, up, up.... "Blah"... back down to the plate.
I can do it this time..... "Blah" before I get it in my mouth. This time on it's way down to my plate I drop it in my teriyaki sauce. The raw salmon is falling off (which I'm not very disappointed in by the way) and the rest is drenched in sauce..Maybe it will make it more palatable??? Let's try it again!
Up, Up... almost there.... "Blah!" Back down to the plate
(Now the waitress is at our table watching and joining in on all the laughing..oh great, more people to watch me peuk)
It's getting a bit embarrassing now as well as the poor beautiful piece is getting utterly destroyed by all the handling. So I try it again... this time... I will not stop...
I shove my chopsticks to my mouth and voila it's in my mouth!!!!
Chew,...aaaahhhh!!!...another 1/2 chew..... I make a nasty worried look as if I'm going to blow a gasket and try to chew again... This time the dry heave is going to be a full on gag if I don't get it out as fast as possible... So in the napkin it goes! (Oh, I have such etiquette)
The best part was after the whole "sushi eating adventure", I continue to eat my own very delicious "non sushi meal" and go to pick up my napkin and proceed to wipe off my face... you guess it.... I PICKED UP THE SUSHI FILLED NAPKIN!!! AHHHHHH!! CHEWED UP NASTINESS NEAR MY MOUTH!! WHAT WAS I THINKING?? (K- I'm not ashamed to say I'm dry heaving a little as I'm reliving this experience)
That was some wasted cash/food (sushi and $$$ go hand in hand) that someone else could have enjoyed! I guess it's cheap entertainment though!! So, I think it's safe to say that I'm not one for sushi.. don't think I'll ever get used to it. Sorry Bri-- this is one dining experience you're gonna have to do with someone else.

The quiet hours of the night

It's nearly 2 am and I've just finished a wedding cake. This is pretty standard for me as it's so hard to work and be creative when you've got 3 kids and the craziness of life that takes up the rest of the day.
As I was cleaning up, I hear little Brighton talking in his room. I go in to see him on his tummy, rocking back and forth practicing his "crawl" that he hasn't quite figured out yet. As he saw me, a big smile shines across his face as he rolls over and starts moving his wrists back and forth as a sign for me to pick him up. As I do so, he immediately goes into cuddle position.. thumb in his mouth, the other fingers grabbed onto my nose and his other hand holding the back of my hair. I love this simple bit of affection I get from my little 9 month old on a daily basis.
I walk into the family room with the little guy in my arms, sit on the couch and there we sit. My cheek resting on the top of his head, his little fingers squeezing my nose as he slowly drifts to sleep. As I sat there, I realized the power of a mothers touch. That simple cradle in my arms calmed him gently to sleep. The need he had of me was a simple one... he needed the comfort of someone who loved him.
As I thought about this special little moment, I began to think of my other two kids and the power of a mothers touch in their lives. Kaden, at 5 years old still comes in my bed every morning to cuddle before I get up. With sleepy eyes I often blink to find him staring at me with a big smile on his face. I want to hold him closer as I realize the love I have for him.
Then I thought about Avery. My independent, strong willed beautiful daughter who sometimes shows me she needs her mothers touch. These moments are often found when I return home and I'm welcomed by opened arms running to me, or when she wakes up from her nap and she wants to sit and cuddle while watching Curious George. These moment are priceless to me. They are moments that I know they need me just because I'm their mom. What a better tribute could you get for the endless hours of housework, screaming, struggling with getting them to eat, etc, etc, etc... that comes with the daily job requirements of being a mom.
You know.. these tender moments will be over before I can even blink and I will only have my memories of the sweet "cuddle" moments I get from my children. I thought about it a lot as I was holding little Bright tonight. Will they still need me as much as they do now in a few years? Will the power of a mothers touch still be a magical tool of my love to them? Will I be able to have my love for them evolve in a way that is keeping up with their changing personalities and needs? I sure hope so..... I believe so.
My kids will always be my kids. I'm sure I'll look at Brighton someday as he's riding his skateboard down the street and think back on when he used to pull at my nose as he sucked his thumb. Maybe I'll think of Kaden cuddling up to me in the mornings as I watch him leave on his mission. I might even feel Avery's arms wrapped around me as we cuddle in her "sleep bag" the day she tells me she's getting married. Who knows? I hope moments like these will be imprinted in my memory to always treasure.
Wow... with all that said and done... I think I'm going to go to bed! That was a lot of thought for a simple cuddle with my baby. :)

We Love Fall

I have to say that fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Since my life doesn't revolve around laying out and getting a tan as much as it did in the summers of my youth, I think that fall might be tied to my favorite season.
Brian and I try to get the kids out as much as possible to enjoy hiking in our beautiful mountains here in Utah. We love to see the leaves, hike in the cooler weather and most of all, spent time with each other and our kids. I don't know what it is about nature, but it has a positive influence on us as a family. When we are out walking trails or watching the kids look in ponds for fish, we tend to slow down and appreciate one another. Every moment in priceless and there is no rush to go and get other things done. It's amazing how therapeutic a walk in the autumn leaves can do for you.
I love fall. I love our family hikes, I love my kids, and I love that I have a hubby who has shown me how to love and appreciate nature and the little things in life.

Tis The Season

If you see us on a regular basis, you may have noticed Brian's extra facial hair..
Yup... it's time to pay tribute to the snow gods in hopes for great powder.

For those of you that have followed my blog for the past year, many of you will remember my post about my husbands love for skiing.
He can't just be happy to ski when it begins to snow... that would far too normal. He has to prepare clear in August for this "sacred season". I am more of a summer girl myself, but Brian is all winter!!

So here we are again... beard in full swing since opening weekend of sniagrab (labor day)
and it's not coming off until that fresh powder sticks to his face.
All I can say is........ BOYS!!!

Good thing he's cute. I sure love him... even with his long tickley beard! He's the greatest over obsessed skiier I know. So for Brian's sake....
Snow Gods.. if you are listening... Come soon and give us a good year!

Released

After 6 years of serving in the Young Womens program at church, I was released on Sunday and put in the primary presidency. Being released from a calling is always a weird experience for me and this one was no different. I was out of town on Sunday, so I didn't get to spend my "last sunday" with my girls. They wouldn't have know any different anyway because our Sacrament meeting is last, but it still seems so harsh to be pulled out of something you've been apart of for many years and not even have a chance to say goodbye.
It's crazy. You know these girls so well. You spend hours on end with them, share spiritual experiences with them, see them laugh, cry, grow and dream. You are with them on Sundays, on Wednesday nights, at girls camp, youth conference, and other major events in their lives. You see them grow, you see some fall and you cheer them on the whole time. You love them, pray for them, worry about them and cry for them, laugh with them.. and then... you are gone. No goodbye, No time for that one last bit of counsel you want so desperatly for them to hear. It's over in a matter of moments when you are released. I understand this is part of the gospel and serving in it, but it doesn't make it easier. What do the girls think? Do they understand? Will they continue to know how much I will still care for them? Did I do anything in their lives that made a difference? You give your soul to a calling and just pray you did what you needed to do.
I am now going to be serving in the primary. It will be another growing experience for me and I am excited to learn from this calling. I am sure when the time comes to be released from from there, I will feel the same way as I do now.
But at this moment, my heart is with my beautiful young women. They have taught me so much. They have humbled me, have inspired me, encouraged me to be a better example. They have been my babysitters, my children's favorite friends, my excuse to stay young. These girls are spiritual giants who have so much to offer to the world. They are girls who I hope and pray my daughter will be like when she is older. I love you all and will miss you terribly.
So for all the young women I have had the opportunity to serve with the last 6 years... from my sweet beehives in my ward right now to those of you who are driving and going to college and even those of you now married and having babies.. I love you. I will not forget you and most of all... THANK YOU for bringing so much joy into my life as I've served as your young women leader.
Since I don't get to share my last bit of counsel with you... if I could, this is what I'd say:
Remember Always the beautiful daughter of God you are. Remember the power you have to set examples and change the world. Don't be afraid to set your standards high.. and rise above the temptations that will be put in your path. Stay beautiful by keeping your sprit strong and your dreams within reach. Rise above your expectations of yourself and strive for greatness. Don't get discouraged, but if you do... pray and know that there will always be someone praying for you as well. Love the lord, Love your parents, respect them. Know your leaders are doing their best to be there for you. Talk to them, lean on them if you need a friend.
Study the scriptures. Find characters in them that you can relate to and live according to their examples. There are powerful women in the scriptures that can be guides in your life on how to live. Learn about them, Figure out ways to apply their lives with yours. Complete your personal progress because it will be a GREAT tool for you in your life as you experience marriage, children, careers, missions, and all the other things your lives will be blessed with.
You WILL go places. You have nothing to fear when the Lord is with you. Change the world and be proud doing it.

Last, but not least I want to tell you this... Be strong, Live Life to the fullest, Have Fun and Love the Lord.

Our Trip to Pink Mountain

The other day I went on a trip. Not just any trip, but the kind that all the money in the world couldn't have made it any better. We started off with our fearless tour guide with all the necessary things a tour guide should have when going to Pink Mountain.
a parachute
*a knife
*Binoculars
*a pillow
*and a gun... why you ask? well I did ask and the reply was "In case we have to shoot any deers" (Hmmmm, interesting... we've never been hunters in our family, not really sure where this came from)


Once our group (Our tour guide, his assistant, myself and the little dude) all had our pillows, we were ready for our journey. We passed the the land of cake baking, trugged over laundry hill and traversed our way through the all so famous "A zillion things to do AND clean pass", then up the steep climb to our final destination.
We reached our "Two Day Vacation" to Pink Mountain just in time for dinner. What a remarkable resort we stayed at. The meals were the epitomy of fine dining. Pizza, Fruit and Kaden's famous Mushroom soup. The soux chef was creating masterpieces.










My room was better than any 5 star resort... It only had 1 rule. NO SNORING! (It may wake up the other guests said our tour guide). I had a wonderful nights sleep of about 15 seconds. I have never felt so refreshed in my life.








Breakfast was fresh fruit hand cut by our guide and his assistant. It was delectable.
Our adventures awaited us, so after breakfast there was an in-room movie party. Caillou was showing this morning. As the movie started (one of my "favorites" by the way... ha, ha) I made my own rule.... As a guest at Pink Mountain Resort there will be No Phone, No Internet, No Cleaning! I could only enjoy the beauty of my surroundings and the pleasure of being with my guests. You know, it doesn't get much better than a couple days at Pink Mountain with a tour guide, and assistant and a little dude who slobbers on everything.



DO I HAVE TO COME HOME?
I COULD STAY UP HERE FOREVER!

Seriously????

I really don't know who needs to learn more... ME???? or AVERY???? All I can say is.... Seriously????
This is the 3rd.. (yes, I said 3rd) creative learning experiment that took place in her room this week.
#1- Marker all over her dresser, fish tank, picket fence and bed (thank goodness for cleanser.. it works miracles)
#2- Chalk on all the same things (easy enough to clean up)
#3- And then this......

Let's just give you a run down....

11:30 PM.. Brian comes walking upstairs and says, "Turia, are you painting your nails?" It smells like fingernail polish.
Turia: Oh crap... Go check Avery's room now!

This is what we found....

Cute and innocent looking right? She's so sweet when she's asleep.


Cute.. yes... but innocent??? I guess it depends on how you define innocent. Let's just say she's curious.
Here's the evidence....


Well...... This is why it smells so strong in her room.

***Warning*** Picture below is graphic and those with any pride to home decor and their own skin, may cringe at what will be shown here on this blog.


So this is only part of the "crime scene". There was clear glitter polish in a nice smeared pile on her carpet. I don't know how we got so lucky to not have red polish get on the carpet... but her hand made quilt I made for her (that took me HOURS) is now nicely decorated in dark red... much worse than what is on her beloved "sleep bag and Straw Jammies".
Can I just say how happy I am that I just recently posted her two most favorite things before they looked like something that you'd find in the ER?

Brian and I spent the next 20 minutes trying to clean up the damage and just laughing at this precious little girl sleeping soundly in a bed full of fingernail polish. You know... nothing she does seems to phase me anymore. What can you do but laugh? (or maybe cry occasionally?) But mostly laugh... and love her more. Ave's what would I do without you??? I sure wouldn't have nearly as much stuff to blog about!

Bridal Show and the launch of my website

The bridal show was a success. It was a long week, a long Saturday, but so much fun. I hope I get some good clients for all the work we put into this. Here's a picture of about half the cakes I did this week. I think it turned out just as I hoped it would.
I couldn't have pulled it through without the help of so many people. Friends & family for stepping in and babysitting, my mom for taking charge of getting everything ready for my booth, my VERY, VERY supportive husband who believes in my more than I believe in myself, Swensen's for giving me the opportunity to even be in the show, and mostly my brother... He put as much time and sleepless nights in this week as I did trying to get my banners, brochures and website designed. They all look amazing and I am so grateful for everyone's support this week.

So, thanks to by bro... I have an awesome site up and going!!! It's still got a little bit of work we've got to do on it, but it looks awesome!! We will be launching a blog on it where I'm going to post lots of fun things. I may even offer some cake decorating classes (still stewing over that one). Check out the site. Hope you like it!!!

Computers Make Me Cry

So my computer crashed Friday night. With no warning, no clues that something terrible was about to happen, we said goodbye to hundreds of pictures, files of digi scrapbook stuff and all the other stuff that is on a computer. Ahhhh, I am sick. Why we rely on electronics for everything is beyond me right now. If I was smart and normal, I would have backed everything up on my external hard drive, but did I do that? NO!
All I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR BLOGGING! At least I've got a few pictures of my kids this year from the posts I've done.

To my smokin' hot wife

Turia Rocks!

This is going to be a bare bones post... No pictures, no sound, pretty short and to the point. I just had to publicly say how proud I am of my wife. She had her own "Hell week" and weathered it better than I think anyone could have. Her cakes turnedout amazing, the booth at her show was one of the best there, and she did it all with a smile on her face. I married the most amazing woman I know! I love you Turia. I couldn't be prouder!