Old Fogey

These are the cupcakes that made it unscathed to DXNA for Bryson's birthday embarrasment extravaganza. Bryson chose the all-you-can-eat crab legs buffet in Mesquite for his special bday dinner and then we polished off the night watching Hancock at the McCooks. Wow, next year begins a new decade. Mark your calendars now guys: we are going to have to have a big bash for that one.

Happy...um...holidays. All of them.

So it was pointed out to me this afternoon that something has been wrong with my blog -- technologically speaking -- since none of my new posts have shown up since Nov. 17. No need to contact tech support: I've just been busy. There actually haven't been any posts for almost a month. So let's fit all of the season in one biggy because we're headed to Florida next week and probably will be eating, eating, and eating (no time for blogging).

Here is Thanksgiving at Bryson's mom's house. She is renting a really cool basement with lots of nooks and crannies of fun space.

Avery got engaged to Derek Harris. We like the fam, so we're cool with it.

Over the next 10 days, we slowly set up our Christmas tree which we re-purchased again this year from CostCo. We bought one last year, but a strand of lights burned out on the bottom so we returned it after Christmas. Really, it was broken. We try not to make a habit of purchasing items and returning them after we are done with them. But since it's easier to store a gift card than a huge tree, we just waited until this year to buy it back. We are officially CostCo's worst nightmare.


No screaming babies this year for Santa! These pictures are from the live nativity out at Tuacahn. Ella told Santa all she wanted for Christmas was a candy cane because he had a huge bin of them next to his chair. Can do, no prob. Happy holidays!

Finally Fall

So we headed out to Zion National Park this past weekend to scout out a little cooler temps and see if the leaves had changed yet. It is, after all, almost Thanksgiving. Here are a few things you can expect on such an expedition...

Bryson experimenting with new tricks on our camera

Two little munchkins camping out in the leaves (one is having a little bit more fun than the other)

Avery gearing up to fill her diaper

Parents who have significantly scaled back on their ridiculously long excursions (this is Emerald Pools, shortest hike on the map)

And a bonus shot from the other day at the Sugar Loaf

I would like to brag that Ella completed the entire Emerald Pools hike on foot (it's about 2 miles the way we went). We also saw five Bambis, one of which crossed the trail right in front of us. I won't say who, but a close family member once accused us of trying to kill her by taking her on this exact same hike because it was so intense. I'm not saying who...but you know who you are.

Ok, us too...

After much discussion, we are joining the massive privatization movement. You know the drill: leave your email address and I'll send you an invite.

Busy Little Elves

Ta-da! At last, the prototype.
Yuletide meets princess in this Christmas tutu designed to put a little extra sugar where there's a lot of 3-year-old spice. Oh yes, those are rhinestones.
I saw this idea at the What Women Want Expo and thought a tied-together tutu looked like a manageable project. I'm making one for each of my kids and my nieces this Christmas so we will have a festive little fairyland...

Coupon Conquests Cont.

I clipped. I calculated. I conquered.

Here's what I came home with today for a grand total of $12.72:
18 Betty Crocker cookie mixes
9 cans Progresso soup
8 boxes frozen Green Giant vegetables
4 boxes Chex cereal
4 Knorr sides plus veggies
3 boxes Betty Crocker potato mixes
2 boxes Macaroni Grill pasta mix
2 boxes (8ct) GoGurts
2 packs Trix yogurt (6 ct)
1 Skippy peanut butter

And they sent me home with $15 of store vouchers. I have probably been to Albertson's four times in the past week, and I can't guarantee that I won't go again. I get home, look at my receipts, and think "Why didn't I get 25 of that item???" and then I'm back on the calculator figuring out another 95 cent list. Oh, I am definitely addicted...

Assorted Halloween

Our camera's been having issues lately, so I've only got pictures of Ella's spooky Halloween lunch. We had a few friends over and ate yummy treats, which Ella thought should be followed up by present-opening. Wrong kind of party, but my kind of girl!
For the memory bank: Our ward had a fantastic Halloween party this year replete with a chili cookoff, trunk or treat, the works. It was completely packed and a great way to celebrate Halloween Eve, an oft overlooked day. Fortunately, Devin was out of town and Bryson got promoted to the chili judging committee. Unfortunately, Ella went to the feel-the-yucky-brains-and-eyeballs activity first during the kids games and refused to participate in anything afterwards, including three-legged race and beanbag toss.


Picture of the day: All partied out.

I Heart Coupons

OK Coupon Queens,
I'm really feeling the love for Albertson's this morning as I stare and stare at my stocked pantry shelves. It wasn't like I made a killing like some of you have posted, but I was just shocked how much I brought home for $50:

-40 cans of baby food
-20 cans of vegetables
-2 3.5-lb. pot roasts
-10 lbs potatoes
-2 lbs carrots
-5 cans of Progresso soup (1 of which was 15 cents)
-4 boxes of good cereal (meaning not Malt O Meal, which is good too, but less so)
-Also, construction paper and parchment paper, which weren't on sale

I'm curious how much this would have cost at Wal-Mart or CostCo, just to know if the coupon thing is really a good way to go. It seemed like I got a ton more food for the money though. Plus, in a twisted kind of housewifey way, it was kind of fun.

Next, I made a stop at Harmons to pick up 5 California Pizza Kitchen pizzas for $15 with a $15 mail-in rebate, so they were free. That was definitely a good deal.

I'm planning to give my coupon days a 6-month trial period to see if it's worth it. But since this was week 1, I think I already dig it.

*This post brought to you by grocerysmarts.com*

Dear Construction Workers,

Thank you for the new sidewalk that goes up Flying J hill. I thoroughly enjoyed not brushing shoulders with moving cars and trucks this morning while running. I also appreciated not having to dodge potholes, since I'm not so talented at that either. Also, Ella would like to add thanks for the new road. She would like to ride in the Bobcat sometime if you could work that out.
Sincerely,
Green Family

A-maize-ing Fall Fun

Spoiler alert: It's not really corn.
Despite the hype, the Staheli corn maze is actually made up of some sort of tall wheat grass. But you can't blame them for the misnomer. Who would want to go to a wheat maze if they marketed it as such? Sounds lame.
When we pulled up in the parking lot, Ella practically hit the ground running. And then she didn't stop until we were buckling her back in to go home. With such attractions as the redneck trampoline (a mattress surrounded by bales of hay), horse tire swings, petting farm, slides, and a sandbox full of corn, how could the actual corn (wheat) maze even hold a candle?

Do Ella and Ailee look worried? We actually paid additional money to stick our sweet little kiddos in a train made of water buckets that was going 100 miles an hour while being driven by a 12-year-old on a tractor.

Let the record show that taking pictures in a dark, dusty place is next to impossible. And getting Ella to hold still for more than 5 seconds IS impossible.

Confessions of a Time-Share Ho

I can't help myself. It's like a moth to a flame. Every time we come in contact with someone offering us some random free gift in exchange for 90 minutes of our time, we are IN! And they just keep upping the ante. We are going to a presentation on Thurs. that got us two free airline tickets and a $100 gas card. Also in our time-share memory bank was our anniversary trip to Vegas last year with a free hotel and free show tickets. So bring on your sales pitch, bring on your investment hype. I am not even tempted to buy your over-priced real estate. But I will smile and nod, because you are, after all, funding next year's vaca.
Any other time-share hos out there who want their name added to the referral list?

Scary Inventory

Random orange and black decor around the house--check

Web with spider rings--check

Baby wearing Nana's cancer wig--check

Ella proving that actually she CAN still fit in her costume from two years ago--check

And jello mold shaped like a stomach (very appetizing)--check

By the way, does failure to dust my house count as decorating for Halloween?

Breaking Done

It is finished. At last, I can put these ridiculous pieces of silliness to rest. Creative, yes. Entertaining, OK. Sometimes boring. Sometimes laughable. And also alarmingly popular with a wide age range of women. Hmmmmmm.
You are welcome to profess your love for the series in my comments below--and I won't think less of you--but I just can't agree. It's not great literature. It doesn't add up to much more than a cheap romance novel under the name brand of an LDS author. And this last installment took things into bizarre territory with a weak, unresolved ending. Not that if she didn't write another one, I wouldn't read it. I just would be looking for something more than I would be likely to find here. So Kathy, you are finally getting your book back. It took me long enough!

Once Upon a Potty...

So here we go again. If you have any advice, here's your forum. This is attempt number I-can't-remember-anymore, but since we are out of diapers and between paychecks, we are motivated to get this one into the "I'm a big kid now" category soon.
I think we are on to something this time, though. With a chart full of boxes leading up to a princess Barbie, Ella seems to be on our team and excited to keep at it. In fact, after lunch today she showed us who No. 2 works for -- for the first time ever! She had to call daddy at work to tell him all about it. So, hopefully we will be joining the ranks of potty-users soon and out of diapers!

Lame is Rob

No, my title for this post is not an insult to Kyndel's husband. I had a linguistics professor one time that said he honestly had a student that misheard Les Miserables in that way, which is a random little nugget I find very funny.
What a great show. Any chance to see Les Mis is such a treat. It's the type of show that makes you want to be a better person. And to top it off, this production out at Tuacahn is fantastic. Not to embarrass her, but Jaime is amazing, so talented! She has a very strong voice and hands down steals the show as Eponine. We also really enjoyed the boy who played Gavroche; he had a charismatic personality that made his character very likeable.
We brought Avery along because she just seemed too little (OK age-wise, if you've been following my previous posts) to leave. I hope the people sitting behind me knew I had a baby and was not just rocking back and forth because I am crazy. Funny enough, she actually watched most of the show and only made a few peeps at the end because she was hungry.
I strongly recommend that if you haven't yet, you should go hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men. It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again...

Party all Knight

Yay! Little Miss Ella is 3 today! Although I should note that she seems to be living in the past; she vehemently denies her age and swears she is only 2. We had a fairy tale-themed party for her with ideas ripped off from Family Fun.


Here's the invitation. We rolled these up into little scrolls and attached a tag that said House of "Family Name."


And here is the spread. Nothing like a little fancy apples and PB for a 3-year-old's feast! And don't forget the Goldfish. We dressed our little knights up with foam swords and the little ladies with mini tiara barrettes. While we waited for our guests to arrive, the kiddos played in these cardboard castles that Bryson made and duelled with their swords.


Then we hunted for treasure in the seven dwarves' diamond mine, which you might recognize as the volleyball court. Also, you may be finding "treasure" there for the next two months. My recommendation: get a fish.


Bibbidy bobbidy boo! Ella showed her friends what Cinderella's fairy godmother says to cast a spell with her magic wand. And it worked! After decorating their cookie wands, the kids cast a spell that made all the cookies disappear.


What a lucky little princess! Ella loved all the dress up and princess items, Barbies, and candy to keep her creative little mind spinning full speed ahead. Thanks everyone for coming! We had a blast!

My Baby Can Eat Your Baby for Breakfast

And may have. We took Ella and Avery to the doctor's office today for Ella's three year visit and Avery's two month visit. Surprisingly, they weigh the same amount...
...just kidding. But close. Avery is topping out at a whopping 12.5 pounds and 24.5 inches at only two months old, which falls in the 97th percentile for height and 90th percentile for weight. Basically, the doctor followed her current weight and height over to the next upcoming milestone column and told me that she is the size of an average 4-month-old right now.
That explains a lot. For instance, why onesies that fit Ella up through 9 months are already a little short and tight. I thought somehow I had shrunk all of Ella's old clothes in the laundry. That's my girl!

It's Good to be Queen

Need I say more?

Artsplosion!

This week Ella has had an explosion of artistic creativity. Out of nowhere, her princess drawings have begun to have recognizable body parts like eyes, a head, hair, and a body. Sometimes they also have legs -- but never just two. They are octopus princesses, Ella says, and have had up to 27 legs. It's all or nothing in this house.
She spends about 45 minutes every morning constructing princess crowns and trying them on Avery's head. She cuts them the width way instead of the length way on the paper and ends up with a pile of bracelets. "Hmmm, doesn't fit. Avee, your head is toooooo big."
Nana, we will dedicate this post to you. If not for the "developmental purchases" of tape and scissors, our budding Picasso would have been stifled with only the MagnaDoodle.

Labor Day...no, really

With the crazy storm we had this weekend, we decided to throw caution to the wind and take a hike in Snow Canyon. If you live in Southern Utah, you know that this park is for some reason always about 30 degrees more scorching than anywhere else. Step outside the park boundaries, 90 degrees. Step inside, 120. So we usually only tackle this one in the winter. But this weekend, we decided to live on the edge...


Ella asked me probably about 100 times, "Momma, are you want to see me make my feets?" Then this. She is constantly excited about the mark she leaves on the world. And so far, it's a kid's size 8 with a flower logo.


Love it. This is my 3-year-old: adventure/outdoor meets glamour princess. She is actually wearing a diamond bracelet from her dress-up bin.


Note to self: Why do you bother bringing sandwiches when there are cookies in the pack?


Avery: not so much.


This hike is Jenny's Canyon. It's a shortie (kid-friendly) and ends in a little slot canyon full of hollowed-out sandstone hideaways. Playhouse heaven!

Vegas at 3

So we stayed in Vegas Monday night to take my mom back to the airport early Tuesday morning. We didn't have a lot of time, but apparently enough for Ella to acquire two fun memories from the trip--casinos and porn.
The casino to her was a giant toy store. Every time we walked through it she'd yell out, "All the peoples are playing with the toys! That's fun, isn't it?" And of course, there was a slot machine with a mermaid logo on the front. "Ariel!!!"
The billboards of scantily clad women also caught her attention. She just couldn't believe how many princesses there were in Vegas. A little different take on Sin City.
The whole way there we kept saying, "We're going to Vegas, baby!" and Ella wants the record set straight that there is no baby in Vegas. It is just Vegas. No baby.
While my mom was still here, we printed some paper dolls and outfits off the internet for Ella. She was helping us cut them out with the finesse of an almost 3-year-old's scissor skills. Apparently on one of the outfits she did not like the coordinating shoes. Snip, snip. The next thing we knew, the doll's feet were gone. "What, mom? She didn't want to wear those!"

Avery's Blessing

IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you took pictures on Sunday, please send them to us! We only have a few.
Avery was the sweetest little baby for her blessing on Sunday. She slept through the prayer and thoroughly enjoyed being held and snuggled all day. We filled up two pews with my mom, Heather & company (including one pirate), Glen & Carol Green, Bryson's mom and sisters: Melody, Jessie, and Ashley, and Bryson's dad. The highlight for Ella? Janine brought tape to church. Grandmas just know the best ways to keep kids happy, and that just happens to be Ella's latest craze.
Now if we could just keep my mom from telling embarrassing stories about me...and from eating raw shrimp. And by that I mean "white shrimp."

Already?!

One month today, folks. That's right, it's August 18. Avery is officially an adult. And next month on this special 18th day, Miss Ella will be 3 years old. I hate it when people say cliche things like "Your kids grow up way too fast" and "I feel like I'm getting old" and now I am thinking, writing, and saying these things. I feel like I'm getting old. Why does 30 not seem too bad anymore?

Poor Nana!

How did we entertain ourselves before Nana came to visit? I honestly don't remember. But I do know that we are enjoying her company for the next month. It's a good thing my mom is easy-going. Here's a clip of Ella dragging Nana around by a string.

In other news, we have been completely ignoring Ella since the new baby came. So my mom watched Avery for us last night and we took Ella on a special outing to the county fair with just me and Bry. She was stoked to ride on the carousel and drive a car ride and tour the petting zoo, topped off by a fireworks show at the end of the evening.

Although a little confused by the sudden interest of both parents (and the plethora of rides contorting people upside down and whirling around), Ella jumped right in and had a good time. If we start saving now, maybe we'll cough up the $20 it would have cost for all three of us to ride the ferris wheel when we go next year.

Say Cheese

I love Amy Hummel! She's a local photographer who took some pictures of the girls that I think are fantastic. Especially considering that Ella is 2. And that Avery can't be without her pacifier for more than 5 seconds.



Also, Bryson would like me to post that we will be holding Avery's blessing on Sunday, August 24. Our sacrament meeting is at 11 a.m. If you are planning a St. George getaway around that time, we'd love to see you!

And here's Amy's web site if you want to see more of her stuff -- http://www.amyhummel.com/.