Come Back!

My sister came to town with her kids. I wish she would move here. And I wish I were better at taking pictures. I was so busy that I never got my camera out to document the fun cousin time. Except one.

But there was lots of fun. All the girls sleeping on the floor. Endless Barbies. Lots of jumping on the trampoline. Bedtime stories with Grandma or Grandpa (the are amazing story tellers and the kids live for it). And my favorite was having this adorable little toddler wander around my house. I really wanted to keep her for another week or forever. Plus we ate yummy food. Had fun outings (go see City Creek and the Utah Natural History Museum). And I loved having some extra hands around and late night chats with an Izze.

But they had to leave. It really would be better if they could move down the street.

And seriously, maybe we should move out to a ranch somewhere. These boys should be cowboys for real.

The Solution to Sibling Rivalry

Don't you want to know?

For Family Home Evening, I read an article from the Friend magazine (our go to source for FHE lessons). It is a short little article where the magazine asks a question and readers can write in and give their ideas.

And it was the perfect question for our children. "My brother and I argue a lot. I want to be nicer, but it's hard. What are some things I can do to stop fighting."

So I read through the answers and then we talked about which one they liked best or if they had a different ideas. Quinn doesn't like to be left out. And most of the time, she has been listening and has a pretty good answer.

Tonight her answer to sibling rivalry was brilliant.

Quinn (said with lots of hand motions): "I know. I know. Just calm down. And then eat marshmallows." For real she said that. We all died.

And I totally agree. And if you haven't had homemade marshmallows - you should.

Check out Our Best Bites. 
Or this one. I have it on good authority that nothing beats it.

Re-Thinking Chores and Stuff

Look how we (the kids) spent their Christmas break. Yep. I really did make them clean out all the kitchen cabinets. Fabulous. I am tempted to keep them home from school forever. And they even look so happy. No tears. No yelling. It really was brilliant. Here is why it worked: 1) they really needed money to buy their siblings Christmas gifts.  2) all their friends were still in school and they were bored. Result: the insides of my cupboards are clean and organized. Wahoo!

I am in the process of creating a new chore chart/system and allowance program. So many factors. It needs to be simple. The kids need to be motivated. It needs consequences. By the way, I need a chore chart for myself. I am getting so behind on the housework too.

Anybody have any brilliant ideas?

Funny Girl and my new guests

So we have two new house guests. And we love them. My mom and her sister (my aunt) Carla moved in. It is actually sad. But tonight was a good night. My cute aunt Carla (who is the favorite aunt) and I watched Funny Girl with Barbara Streisand. Have you seen it? I think you should. Carla taught me to appreciate old movies. And this is a good one.

How do you like that sassy picture of me? What? And I am wearing a Seattle Super Sonics shirt. But isn't Carla just gorgeous?

My aunt Carla was diagnosed last week with a bad news brain tumor called a glioblastoma. Google it. Not good. It is a very aggressive cancer. It happens to be the same brain tumor that her old brother (my uncle) died of about 10 years ago. We are all so sad about it. Have I ever told you that cancer is lame?

But we are so happy to have Carla living with us. She is sweet. And she is being a good patient. My Mom is awesome (as if you didn't know that already). She is the ultimate caregiver. And she is tireless. And we all think it is pretty great to have her here even though it is for sad reasons.

Supernova Granola

Check out the new blog my sister started - and soon to be business. She will be selling her yummy, healthy granola. You might even be able to get some now if you ask.

I LOVE granola. And she has been working the recipe to perfection.

Her blog also has great ideas and info on being healthy. She knows and she practices what she preaches. Me on the other hand - I know stuff but I am not so good at implementing it. Especially when there are left over cupcakes on the counter. Danger.

My biggest problem - overcoming sugar addiction. Check out a very interesting article here at Goop. I thought I could do it today - no treats. But it was a totally insane day. And the candy corn and M &Ms were so easy to grab. LAME O!

Not Yet

We have had a month of busy Monday nights. So Family Home Evening has been mostly in the car while driving somewhere.

Tonight on the way home from the piano recital (Teague chose to wear a shark costume), I said, "We need a gospel message. Anyone?" Nothing very gospel-ish came up so Kenyon suggested we talk about Stake Conference. But I missed the whole thing chasing Quinn in the halls (can you tell that I really need Love and Logic again?). He asked the kids to retell a story about the oxen. Apparently one of the speakers told the story of a pioneer woman who had lost her oxen and her prayers were answered clearly. She knew where to find her oxen.

Kenyon asked what the lesson was from this talk. We had quite a variety of answers before we got to the real one. But then Kenyon explained to the kids that the speakers in conference were trying to teach that our prayers are answered - sometimes with a yes and sometimes a no. But he pointed out that the speakers missed the most common answer - "Not Yet." I replied that that might be my least favorite answer.

I wish I could remember quite how it went from there but Teague and Elise both made comments referring to Kenyon's knee. It was so interesting to listen to these kids describing the MANY prayers for Kenyon's recovery have resulted in "not yet" answers. Elise said "there must be some reason." The kids are so consistent to remember Kenyon and his knees in every prayer. I am grateful they have the faith and commitment to his healing.

A New Scripture Bag

Look what came in the mail today from my sister-in-law Lindsey. She made this for Elise for her scriptures. I am in love with it and so is Elise. 

Coolest Mom Award

Everbody already knows that "Grandma Hottie" is pretty much the coolest mom/grandma ever.

This picture (thanks to jane?) was taken in Snow Canyon on Christmas Eve. It is our favorite spot to go. My mom made the COOLEST nativity costumes for each of the kids.
And she wrote a wonderful script. We love watching the kids act out the story of the Nativity out on the red rocks. We even get fellow hikers stopping by to watch the scene.

Quinn did not behave - she really just wanted her own part - so I ended up in the car with her.

My mom always knows how to make family gatherings great. She is a wealth of ideas and knowledge. She is a great problem solver. And she has an amazing testimony.
Plus, is the best cook and a really, really hard worker.

For He's A Jolly Good Fellow

My Dad is the best! I wish I had more picture evidence but I will try and tell you.

Most recently, we came home from a trip to St. George and the pipe to our master bath toilet had frozen. He fixed it. It was FREEZING outside and he had to go lie on the ground to reach that pipe. Everytime my parents come to visit, they find projects to complete and ways to serve each of their kids.

He is also really patient. He will do projects with Gavin for HOURS. I don't know how he does it. He helped him build this plane and earlier in the year they worked on this bird house.

He has developed an interest in wood projects and built each of our families a bird house for our family reunion this summer. The theme was "Birds of A Feather." (my favorite event of the year)

He also built Gavin the coolest ferry boat after our Seattle visit.

There are lots of other reasons (commitment, generous, sense of humor, righteous, patient) why he is great. But this week - I am thankful for these.

The last 3 days...

Life has been kind of crazy since we got back. But we have filled our time with some pretty good things. We got to go with Teague to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication. That was a great experience. We could definitely feel the Spirit. Hopefully, Teague will always remember it and have the desire to go back as soon as he can. We are so excited to have this temple just up the street.
New FAVORITE family night treat (at least for the summer). Sorry Yogurt Vibe - we will be back to you but probably not on a Monday night. I know frozen yogurt is so much better for you but you can't beat the deal or the flavors. $3 for our whole family to have a snow cone. Seriously? It is buy 1 get 1 free on Mondays at the place on 90th and 1300 West (in the Stock parking lot).
Flavor Selections:
Teague and Elise: Sour Watermelon, Apple Pie and Toxic Waste (eww? but they loved it)
Gavin: Banana and Apricot
Annie and Kenyon: Tiger's Blood (strawberry and coconut)

and next time...Quinn needs her own. Or at least she thinks he does. She LOVED it (almost as much as she loves sand).

A little walk at Cascade Springs (it is way the heck up American Fork canyon). It is a beautiful drive and the springs are pretty. It is a paved, nature walk and just perfect for us. (Reminder to the brain dead moms like me: take food for the baby. It is way too far to go without being prepared.) **Courtney - thanks for the fun idea!!

Pre-Reunion Shots

A few other pictures from the trip can be found here and here.

Check this out!

I love this video of another adoring Aunt babysitting Quinn and Gavin while we went to WICKED with Teague and Elise.

http://esquaredhouse.blogspot.com/2009/05/i-am-good-at-babysitting.html

Aren't my kids lucky? They have so much more fun when they are with their aunts or grandparents than when they are with me.

Random Mother's Day Photos

Jane and Kristine are pretty much obsessed with all things Quinn. And I love it. How could you not be? Really. She is pretty squishy and slobbery and smiley. Hard to resist. Thanks for being such cute aunts. They brought gorgeous flowers, fruit, salad, and treats for me. By the way - Sophie the Giraffe that Quinn is holding is pretty much the coolest toy I have ever bought and I just might buy it for you if you are having a baby. Quinn and I both LOVE it.

I mostly just want you to notice that I have gorgeous sisters and I am inspired to do a little work on my appearance. Looking a little worn. But I really want you to notice this cute little brooch that Gavin made for me. Love it.

Do you like our Sabbath day activity? A pediatrician or ER docs worst nightmare!

I loved this idea on Stephmodo and so I had to copy. These little vases were $1 at Target. Go get some. They are so perfect.

And lastly - but most importantly - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. I wish I was in Italy with my Mom. She is living the good life. :) She is the best mom. She continues to teach and inspire me. I want to be like her. Check out this super cute picture of her as kiddo.

Thanks to all the good mothers out there who surround me. I appreciate your example. I am working on it.

First Place

This year for a school fundraiser we had a 5k race on the Jordan River Parkway trail. The kids were supposed to collect pledges and then complete the race. I had told the kids that they could not ask their grandparents for money unless they were going to finish the whole race. We went a couple of times to practice/train. I wasn't sure how I was going to do but I could tell that they had much better endurance. I warned the kids to not start off too fast but Teague was right off the starting line. He ran the ENTIRE way. And he took first place in his age group and 25th overall. And even better - he loved it.

Elise stayed ahead of me most of the race but a little over half way she was really struggling with a side ache. I hate those things. So I ran/walked with her the last little bit. She was a good sport despite the fact that she wasn't feeling too hot. We were both able to run across the finish line. I won't tell you what place we took but we were also happy to have finished.

**UPDATE: Elise also took 1st in her age group. She felt bad that we didn't give her as much attention. That was my my fault.

Family Motto

I would say that we are pretty out of control at our house. We all seem to be too short and irritated with each other. Everyone is bossy and there is way too much fighting, arguing, etc. It is driving me crazy. But, the truth is that I have probably added to that. Yesterday was especially bad. We went from laughing to crying to yelling in the matter of minutes - over and over and over.

So, when we finally sat down for dinner I decided to tell the kids about the funeral that I went to on Saturday. My cute great-aunt Nadine Cook (sister to my grandma Elaine Cannon) passed away and the funeral was held Saturday. I have always loved her and felt loved by her.


She has a large family full of beautiful, good people. I was always impressed that she even remembered who I was. She always had a smile and used the words darling, wonderful, or great. Always positive.

At the funeral, each of her children and a couple of grandchildren, spoke so lovingly of her. She was a great mother and grandmother. They talked about their family motto -

The Cook Family Has The Most Fun.

They described loving all their family activities and that the goal was always to have the most fun. I love that and I keep thinking about it. I don't think that is true in our house. I know it isn't. I hear about how NOT FUN we are every time I suggest a chore, homework, bedtime, or some other responsibility.

I told the kids about this motto. They got excited about the idea of a family motto but they also knew that this one did not yet apply to us. Teague quickly came up with:

Porters Always Fight.

That might be the current motto but I would like to come up with something that we can work towards. However, it did create a good laugh at dinner.

Do you have a family motto?

A Few Things I Am LOVING

I Love Quinn - but I am not loving that she is already 3 months old. I want her to stay little for longer. She is starting to talk to us in her cute little baby language. She is also giggling and it kills me.
I also LOVE this spot of my house. I LOVE the wall color, the bedding, the chair, the framed art (thanks to Kristine). I love the little white bowl with headbands. I LOVE sitting there with Quinn E.

Speaking of rooms, I had Kristine make these wall hangings for the boys room. I LOVE them. Gavin was especially excited to make sure that I hung it just right.



I am also LOVING that H&M is in Las Vegas. Apparently I am a little behind the times and it has been there for a little while but I just barely found out. I really want to make a trip down there.

After a couple of recommendations, Kenyon and I finally made a trip to Five Guys Burger and Fries. (We ate out in the car) I am LOVING those fries and even the fresh hamburgers - and I am not a hamburger loving girl.



Am I loving this? Kenyon's hair is CURLY. And it is seriously long. I think it is ready for a little cut. But we are LOVING that he is home and generally feeling better.

And last thing I will mention in this post... Even with GLASSES - I am LOVING this girl.

Blessing Day

My sweet baby girl was blessed (christened) on Saturday. Usually it is done on Sundays, but for various reasons we did it on our own with a few family and friends. It is kind of nice to have it be such a simple, private affair. She was a little fussy but Kenyon was able to get her to settle down and proceed. It was a beautiful blessing that Kenyon gave. It is definitely a blessing in our lives to have her in the family.

And really - do you love the leggings and gold ballet shoes? They were killing me. Her feet are so dang skinny that they look kind of silly on her but oh well. And that dress. I fell in love with it. It is super soft and cute.

Amazing Race

Following a very relaxing and quiet Christmas morning (probably because I completely lost my voice), we went to St. George to meet up with all of my family. I love my family and I love St. George. It was a little cold the first couple days and then it really turned beautiful.

I volunteered (don't ask my why) to create an Amazing Race game for the family to compete in. Last year we did a photo race through St. George and we had a lot of fun. So thanks to the Internet and the actual show, I came up with 6 destinations in Washington County and tasks that had to be completed at each site. I divided the family into 3 teams and they competed in activities such as gulping down In-N-Out, performing at Tuachan, sketching famous artwork of Zions, racing to the marathon finish line. I wish I could have seen what actually happening at each place. But, I have pictures of the teams as they made it to the last pit stop.

On the 26th, we had a birthday party for my mom - HOLLYwood style. We had a red carpet, paparazzi, and a FroYo bar. Kenyon used photoshop to do some cool shots of my mom as a movie star. It was so fun and my mom was a good sport. She HATES any fuss over her birthday. However, my grandma always made sure that we made a special day for her.

We also fit in some tennis. I stink and really need some lessons. Kenyon, of course, did great even though he feels so lousy. Completely unfair. The kids also got to play a little. They love to play tennis with Grandma and Egan.



We only wish we were there for their New Year's Eve party. We have no party plans here.

The Twins Save FHE

Tonight FHE wasn't looking too great but the twins saved the day. They showed up just in time to make sugar cookies and help the kids frost them. They weren't masterpieces but they tasted yummy and the kids were HAPPY! Thanks Jane and Kristine (and check out their etsy shop!).