Birthdays!

Today is Matt's birthday! And man is he old! Well, 3 years older than me and that is all that counts! It has been a quiet birthday, which is suppose how they all are after you reach 16! Anyways.... it is funny, but not haha funny, but funny that today I worked so hard making practically a million cupcakes to bring to Matt's work as a surprise that I am now completely exhausted and in a kinda grouchy mood! Typical.... the cupcakes turned out fabulous, but it all turned out to be a 5 hour event! And I made cupcakes for one of my closest friends whose birthday was yesterday. So like 4 dozen cupcakes in 24 hours! All from scratch, even the frosting. Martha Stewarts Living Magazine in the Febuary one, has the most amazing cupcake recipes! So they all tasted and looked like a million bucks, if I do say so myself. But have left me feeling pooped. If we had money, I would have ordered dinner in cause I didn't want to make it and stand at the kitchen counter any longer. I do feel bad though cause I wanted tonight to be a good one for Matt cause we weren't doing anything super exciting for his birthday- dinner, cake and ice cream and us singing to him was about it- and to not have been be in the most-love-you-you're-the-best-husband-ever mood doesn't make the night even more fun! He even didn't get any exciting gifts- just clothes, which he got this past weekend not wrapped and with the tags still on them. But the kids, with my help, did get him a "World's Greatest Dad" pin to wear at work! Anyways....... probably making it sound much bigger than it is! I do hope he, and he said he did, have a wonderful birthday! Nothing makes you feel better than having poeple remember it is your birthday! And I do love Matt and am grateful to spend another year of his life with him!

Out of the Snow, Into the Sun!

I struggle this time of year with the winter blah's-that is what I am politely calling them when around other people. I get in this yucky, never want to leave the house, only want to eat, really grouchy to my husband phase. So after having a crummy week/weekend and having no patience with anyone, I told Matt I was truly doing crappy! He suggested we try going to St. George for the weekend. Matt's parents have a little 2 bedroom condo down there which we could stay at. The only hiccup was that Matt's parents were snowbirding there and were we going to drive each other crazy for a long weekend in such a small place. Before when it was suggested, I had said yes! But I was desperate to get out of the snow, which was still a foot deep in my front yard, and the cold and smog! If it was too much we could leave first thing Sun. morning!
It helped the week go by quickly, which I was grateful for. We decided not to tell the kids just incase we decided we couldn't go. And we almost decided not too cause Ella got sick on Wed. and Thurs, but luckily seemed mostly over it on Fri. So.... we went!
We left mid morning, much to Matt's dismay becuase we had set a 9 o'clock leave time and he gets bugged if we leave late, even if no one, including everyone else but him, cares when we get there! The car ride, was long enough for sure, but not long enough where I was starting to threated the kids within an inch of their life! That was nice. We got there mid-afternoon and from that point on we didn't do much of anything we didn't want to do! It was awesome! We played some games we brought from home, cause I didn't think they would have too many kids things to do- I also brought coloring books and some regular books to read at bed time! We watched a little tv, we swam in the community pool every day, which the kids loved. Carter and I brought our bikes and so we rode around the neighborhood! That was so fun! I hadn't been able to really try out the bike Matt splurged and bought me for christmas. It was so nice to get out in the 60 degree weather and see how fabulous my bike was. And I was not disappointed! Carter was a little out of shape though, well me too, but at least I didn't have to walk my bike up the hills like he did! That is what a yucky winter does to the best of us! We read books and went for walks. We did a little bit of shopping and ate lunch out at In-And-Out! Matt and I went on a date Friday night! The kids loved being with their Grammi and Grandpa who spoiled them with Lucky Charm cereal and candy and pop tarts when ever they wanted. Grandpa gave enough 'constant kisses' to last until they come home! Even Lincoln loved Grandpa by the end of the trip often reaching his little arms out for more kisses and hugs!
It was really such a wonderful, relaxing, enjoyable weekend! We needed to just get away and hang out and not worry about grocery shopping, or errands, or church stuff. It was awesome! I am so glad to have gone. I think we all were. Ella was crying today that she didn't want to go and asked several times if she could stay with Grammi! It helped my feel better and hopefully get through the next few weeks! And I am hoping it helped me just want to spend more time with my kids cause I had a lot of fun just doing all that little stuff that seems to get brushed aside in the business of keeping house and the family schedule! Carter summed it up best when he said, "This was the best weekend ever!"

Recommitted 3.... well, I think it is 3!

So I am going to recommit myself again... I think to simplify it and make it easier on myself to actually post, I think I will forgo the pictures, unless I just have something incredible to share because I have to say I am not the hugest picture taker and I have felt the need after viewing others blogs to have a picture with every post because they have pictures with every post, and I was feeling the need to keep up! But I did have the slowest interent and so pictures took forever to upload, so I am hoping that if I don't feel the need to include a picture with each post, I may feel more motivated to post! We will see..... maybe one day I will be able to take 'write on blog' off my weekly to do list cause I want to do it rather than feel like I should do it! I hear it is wonderful! I do even know poeple who have 3 blogs! I can't even do one- how can they have 3? Anyways.....Did you notice I said, 'did have the slowest interent'? Some how our internet company sent us a letter saying that we could get faster internet for free!!!! For Free! Nothing is ever free! But our speed is like 10 times faster than before, which was a snails pace, so now we are moving at the speed of a quick worm! It is awesome! Another good reason to recommitt myself for the third time to writing on my blog!