cooking

I have to say I am pretty proud of myself.

I am learning to cook.

I have never liked to cook and didn't know the first thing about anything. I stressed about dinner time and what to feed the kids. If it were just me, I could live on peanut butter and bananas for all 3 meals. But now that I am responsible for little mouths I have felt really guilty about what I have been feeding them and have felt bad that they don't get a nice dinner from mom.

It has taken some time and a lot of practice. First I just started with ANY recipe and hoped someone would like it. But now I am learning how to cook healthier meals and we are all trying new things. And no, not every meal is good and sometimes more often than not it ends up in the trash with everyone turning to cereal. And that's okay, I am a work in progress. And how do I know what these kids like when all they really have grown up on thus far is pasta and red sauce. I am even getting to the point where I can plan a meal and use the leftovers to make a whole new meal the next day. Check me out! My life has been 100 percent easier now that I make a menu plan for the week and shop only for those items, including snacks, I plan out snacks for the week and make those as well. I don't dread dinner time now and the girls are actually trying new things. It's awesome!

Tonight I thought I would stretch myself and try to roast a whole chicken.

I almost threw up when I had to put my hand inside and separate the skin from the body to put in the spices. It was gross. I even made a caramelized Brussels sprout salad. Turns out I kinda like Brussels sprouts. But I am alone on that one.

The dinner was pretty much not a winner but that's okay because I can use all of the chicken in other meals for the week. All in all I feel like a grown up mom today.

I am almost 29 with 3 kids.

I should feel grown up.

Scripture reading

Lexi has let it be known that she wants to have a turn reading scriptures at night.

IT IS THE CUTEST THING EVER!!

I read a word, she repeats.

EVEN THE HARD, LONG ONES!

Her voice is so tiny and she says those words so well.

TJ and I could not stop laughing the first time she read.

I guess you should never put an age limit on scripture reading.

Too CUTE!

Sweet moment with Tallie

Tonight Tallie wanted to read stories out of the Friend.

We read one about a girl who was confused about whether or not the Book of Mormon was fiction or nonfiction. She prayed to know whether the Book is true or not.

After the story Tallie told me that earlier today she prayed 2 times that Heavenly Father would help her get her doll unstuck from the ball popper and nothing. He didn't come down and help.

I asked her if her doll ever got unstuck and she said yes.

It was a good opportunity for me to teach her that sometimes Heavenly Father answers our prayers through other people.

I asked her who got her doll out.

She said dad helped her.

You could just see the wheels turning in her head and she smiled and said,

"Maybe Jesus told dad in his mind that I needed help." I told her that the Holy Ghost can prompt us and whisper in our minds and hearts if and how we can help people. And that it is through the Holy Ghost and through other people our prayers are answered. She then reminded me of the time that Jade slept over at our house and how she bit a hole in her tongue. In the mist of all the screaming and crying Tallie said she went into another room and said a prayer for Jade to get better.

My eyes got blurry as I sat there and listened to my sweet little 6 year old experiment with prayer and watch her testimony grow.

I love how the Spirit works in each of our lives.

Lately I have been having "mom moments" which are me evaluating my parenting and what I need to work on and do better. Having said that there will be some changes in our house.

We have started as a family to learn and memorize the articles of faith.

Each month I will print and post one article on the fridge and when the girls are able to recite it without reading it we will start another.

Instead of watching TV shows after school while eating lunch I want the girls to watch all of the different Letter Factory movies.

We will get on our chore system and we will start giving allowances.

I have been in a serious organizing kick and am de junking and cleaning out drawers and cabinets, pantries and adding in organizing systems that make things flow and my life easier. Wish I would have done some of this stuff years ago.

Tessa's Birthday

We went out on a double date for Tessa's birthday. We first went to the temple and did Sealings. I don't know why we all don't go to the temple together more often. It was nice. It was definitely nice to be there with TJ and to listen to the sealing promises we made almost 9 years ago. Lately I have been thinking a lot about faith and trust. I have been thinking about my generation and the upcoming ones and how lightly we take things and how we don't work hard and how we want want want now now now. We want the nicest of things right off the bat. We want life to be peachy and great and never let our kids feel pain or disappointment. We take the smallest of things and make huge parties out of them and we totally indulge ourselves in all areas of life. We give up too easily and we don't want to work our way through the hard times. We tend to take the easy way out. We are all guilty of it. Including me.

In the past ten years I have seen friends, family members, and neighbors (all people my age) rush into things (especially marriage) and then realize when they don't know the person they married (due to the lack of dating) they call it quits. And sometimes its because they don't want to grow up and take on responsibility. They want to play forever. It's been heavy on my mind and it is so sad to watch families form and then seperate. Why do I know so many?? Why did I go to so many of these weddings/Sealings that no longer exist? What is wrong with my generation?

After the temple we went to PF Changs to eat the GREAT WALL OF CHOCOLATE! It was pretty much amazing. However I have been so depressed lately because I have had absolutely no control over what I put into my mouth. It is so frusturating to me that I wake up in the morning with the goal in mind to only eat good things that my body can use that day only to fail shortly after breakfast. And as a result my clothes don't fit and it's driving me crazy having nothing to wear. I am frustrated because I want my self control back. I want to be able to say no. I want that self discipline. I want to be in control not food.

A light bulb went off for me when I found out that I was not pregnant (and I honestly really thought that I was). Of course I was in a bad mood. I want to be pregnant now, not down the road. So since I do not have control over when I get pregnant, I do have control over my body and what I feed it. For the past 3 days I have been solid and it feels really good to stand firm to what I decided I wanted to do.

Speaking of self mastery, lent starts today. This year I decided I would most benefit from giving up facebook, pinterest, and email during the daytime hours. I hate my kids seeing me always glued to something. I can be more productive with my time and enjoy my kids more.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to me!!! The red TOMS that have been on my "in head want list" are now on my feet!! Thank you TJ knowing just what I want without even having to ask!

This year I wasn't quite sure what to get the kids. I don't like spending money on tiny little gadgets that I know will break that same day but I also didn't want to spend a lot. And since I always feel bad for not getting the "Christmas PJ's" (mainly because they never need them and I already have other things I want to get them and money is limited) so I thought I would get some not so wintery pj's that could carry them into spring and summer. Lexi got Dora one's and is obsessed and has been wearing hers for 2 days straight, yogurt stained and all.

Here we are having our annual Valentine's Tea Party. I will be so sad when they grow up and no longer want to. We stole the cute table from Grandma and Grandpa Lee's house while they are away on their mission.

Partners in crime!

And here is a random picture of "La-La Loopsy".

For dinner the girls choose to eat at Subway (their favorite). Then we made a quick trip to Walmart to exchange Tallie's pajamas for a bigger size. Nothing too exciting but we were all together and that is what counts.

After the kids were in bed Mr. Lee and I watched our new show:

Alcatraz

At school Tallie received flowers from the same boy who wrote her the love note. Well, I guess I shouldn't say "received" because she refused to take them from him. She told me he kept saying "take them" and she said "No, I don't want them". Her teacher texted me and told me she was pretty embarrassed and didn't want to bring the flowers home so she would bring them by later. I can only imagine just how embarrassed Tallie was and how sad the boy must have felt that she wouldn't take them. And who let's their SIX year old take flowers to their crush at school?? A little early don't you think?

I think Tallie will be a heartbreaker.

And I think TJ will hate her teenage years.

Jazz game and Daddy-Tallie Date

Last night TJ and I went to a Jazz game and it was a lot of fun. I can't remember the last time that I actually got into a game and cheered and had a good time watching it. I feel bad for TJ because I know he would love it if I was into it more. And when I was growing up I totally was. I watched all of the Chicago Bulls games and I wore Micheal Jordans Jersey. I bought all of their Championship hats too. I was always going to the New Mexico Lobo games with my parents (especially my dad) and I loved it. I guess I just got away from it and forgot all of my memories associated with sports. When I started playing church ball it started coming back and I got excited again. I guess my beef with sports is all the hype that comes with it. When people are crazy obsessed and LIVE for the games. I have big issues with the whole money part of professional sports too and HOW RIDICULOUS it is that they get paid what they do and to top it off they are greedy always asking for MORE. Anyways it was a good time and fun to celebrate Valentines doing something different other than a nice dinner. Today TJ took Tallie on a daddy-daughter date to a BYU basketball game and that makes me so happy! I have great memories from going with my dad. She had fun and gets excited when they score. While they were gone Chloe, Lexi and I met Tessa and the girls at the park and played for like 2 hours! And it wasn't even that warm. We actually had to beg them to go home because Tessa and I were freezing. It was a great day. I even snuck a nap in. I had to get up for a 6AM world wide leadership training and I got home from the Jazz game after midnight. I also went running today and am so sad that I have lost my speed and endurance (sigh).

And it begins...

Tallie came home from school yesterday with her very first love note. She was blushing and quite embarrassed and said she found it in her cubby. It read:

"I love you Tallie,

Colten"

She grabbed it back and crumpled it up and said "That's weird, how can you already like someone?" she promptly threw it away.

It was cute. But I know it won't be long before the kissing games at recess start. I can't believe my little Tallie is getting so big (sniff sniff).

Teej and I are going to a Jazz game tonight. I'm excited to get out, alone with TJ and no kids. I just hope I don't fall asleep during the game. I am soooo tired. Lexi has been sleeping like crap and I have had the hardest time falling asleep at night. I just lay in bed for hours. And I am still getting up at 5:30 for my super pump class. I just want to sleep allllllll day.

Chloe's first "haircut"

My dear sweet Chloe and her cousin Jade thought it was time for a haircut and took matters into their own hands. Let's just say that things could have been a LOT worse. But I can save her hair. Thank goodness I keep it pretty short anyways. Tessa on the other hand was pretty upset (Jade has nice thick long hair) and didn't take it so well. I will be seeing them in the morning for a haircut fix.

Today is the Superbowl. I wish I cared. Really I do. But I really really do not. I think football is lame and dumb and so are football players. Literally. They have been hit way too many times in the head.

This week is ovulating week....you know what that means.

Tallie and Chloe have been obsessed with playing in the mud with their snowboots over in the empty lot next door. And I totally let them. Everyday. Why? Because it keeps them busy and they have fun and like each other. They get fresh air and they use their imaginations. Playing in the empty lot with my best friend growing up was the best thing in the world! But once summer rolls around and the millions of goat heads come back it will be off limits and they will pay serious consequences if they venture into the lot. I'm totally bi polar. Lexi was a fan of the mud too until her shoe got stuck and her foot came out of her boot and she was standing ankle deep in freezing goopy gross mud. She now just walks around the house saying "Shoe. Mudd."

That is all.