"Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime"

I was elated this morning. Laying in bed, still dark outside... something woke me up and I couldn't quite figure out what it was. I thought it was maybe the smoke detector for a minute. But the sounds had too irregular of a rhythm. Then a few more moments passed and much to my utter and complete JOY I realized it was the chirping of birds! Is Spring really just around the corner?? Are birds really chirping in the trees behind our house? Are the animals coming out of hiding and are they twitterpated?? Hallelujah!

Now, I don't want to get everyone too excited, snow is headed our way this weekend. But the changing of the seasons is my absolute FAVORITE. I don't need it to be basking-in-the-sun-poolside weather just yet. We all know that will come and when it does, most of us will be all hot and red faced complaining about how scorching it is (silly us). I just love the spring! I love the green peaking up through melted snow. I love the bunnies frolicking in the fields of freshly bloomed wild flowers! OK, but seriously folks, I really couldn't be more invigorated. I've been hibernating all winter, letting my blubber accumulate for insulation, and now it will come to an end!

I'm pretty twitterpated myself. Twitterpated over the beginnings of spring, the hub and baby, and these Kaakoush babies too. Here are some shots of our recent adventure to visit the clan in Arizona a couple weeks ago.

Insanely good chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies

I made these cookies on the night of our dinner party with Kalai and have had several requests for the recipe! I am not claiming the recipe as my own. In fact, when we were in San Fran, Vanessa made them for us, and I was completely lost in a "What about Bob?" trance. (Fay, is this corn hand shucked?) Upon inquiring of the origin of the cookies, I was outraged to learn that my mother and older sister have been making them for years and up until now I have been the lone sister left out of the recipe circle. Against my better judgment... I am now releasing the recipe to the public. I will not be held responsible from here on out for the consequences that will result.

1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups quick oats (blended into a powder or left as is)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 giant toffee and almond milk chocolate symphony bars (the 6 ounce bars)
bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes (check at 5 depending on the oven)

Beat the butter and sugars together first. Then just add everything else.
Cut the chocolate bars into chunks. Resist the temptation to whittle them into the shape of chocolate chips! The chocolate chunks cannot be too small! We are thinking outside the box here.

Allow me to expound upon my comment above, "Against my better judgment..." These cookies are dangerous. They will most likely make you insane. You will be embarrassed by your behavior and shocked at what will come out of your mouth in attempt to safe guard them for yourself. They have been known to destroy lives, and tear whole families apart. They should be regarded with respect. You should expect to feel comfortable knowing you will down at least 7 or 8 before you choose to make them. The following took place at our house this week.

Jason and I have made a goal to limit our sweets to Saturdays. So, for a Valentine's treat I made a batch for him Saturday night when we were getting ready to watch a movie we rented. My brother Jesse was here with us as well. We began furiously feasting as soon as they had cooled, each with a tall glass of milk in hand. I realized Jason was looking at Jesse with disdain, and upon asking what the matter was, he responded under his breath, "Those are MY Valentine's cookies," while he hoarded 2 or 3 more.

Saturday night after all had had their fill, I quickly took the remaining 7, stashed them in a zip lock bag and hid them in the back of the pantry. I have to protect my loved ones from themselves. Monday morning I tell Jason, "Ok, you've got to hide the cookies from me while you go to work, and then when you get home I will hide them from you." It's a deal. We are reading the scriptures before he leaves. I interrupt him with, "Are you gonna hide those cookies??" Him: umm Can we finish? are you gonna eat the whole bag right now if I con't hide them this second? Me: well, no. Just don't forget. I don't wanna deal with that temptation all day.

Oh course, he forgets. I reluncantly have eaten a couple, and I gave one to Jesse as he headed back up to Idaho Falls. (Jess said to me, "ohhh! I didn't know there were any left! Do you have any more??" I had to pretend like I didn't hear him.) I have reminded my husband every day to hide the cursed cookies before he leaves! But he has not. I have been a victim to his negligence and therefore have been forced to partake.

Yesterday he discovered that there were but 3 cookies remaining in the bag. We had a moment of truth, and I admitted some things I'm not exactly proud of. He claimed that since there were only 3 cookies left of 7, that they belonged to him. I disagreed but I didn't really have an argument. Today I found the bag with only 2 cookies left. I text him: I can see that there are only 2 cookies left. him: I ate one of my three yesterday. Me: one of your one. Him: There better be 2 whole cookies when I get home or so help me... I'll Sam Palmer you if you touch them."

I tell you this to warn you of the ridiculousness that will come your way. I'm embarrassed to say that Sam (my brother-in-law) was also behaving in a shameful way, when upon arriving home from work he spied an empty cookie sheet, and was under the pretense that Ness had made the cookies and we had eaten them all and saved none for him... But that is a story Nessa will have to tell you. Bakers beware!

Big. Crush. On. Him.

Valentine's '09 just may have been my very favorite. My parents and brother Jesse came into town and were planning on heading back to Idaho mid-day Saturday. Jason had previously called my mom and asked if he could take me away Friday night and leave Lucy with her. I kinda got a little hunch that he had something up his sleeve when I asked if I should call my parents and see if they could stay a little longer on Saturday so that we could go out. He said, "No," very abruptly, and then avoided eye contact. He also said, "Make sure you pump more milk than usual." and got the look he always gets on his face when he has a secret...tries his hardest not to smile... eyes slightly bugged out. Good thing he doesn't have secrets very often, I'd sniff him out every time. It's a gift you know, not being able to lie to your wife.

So we left around 5:30 on Friday and headed away. I was slightly torn with anxiety because Luce has been sick, so of course I shed a few tears as we left but knew how much we needed the night and knew there was no one I trusted her more with. Giving Grammy a detailed pep talk about all the dos and don'ts always seems to help as well, even though you realize the ridiculousness of your details as it's all spewing out of your mouth.

We drove up and checked into the Hilton in SLC. Haven't been there since the night before our wedding day, so it's a memorable place. Then we headed out on foot over to the Gallivan Center a few blocks away. I didn't even know that downtown had a place to ice skate! It was so cute! The lights were all still up. It felt so invigorating just to be outside even though it's winter. Plus, once I got started on my triple axles I didn't even feel the cold anymore. (Actually we were laughing because there were people there that were taking it way seriously... weaving in and out of little children...doing leg lifts...Blades of Glory style. I was kinda jealous and kinda embarrassed at the same time.)

We had reservations at Flemming's after skating. Dinner was fabulous and jumping on Trax afterwards to head back to the hotel made me feel like we were even more "out of town". Once we got back to the hotel, he gave me a double frame, one side with a poem he wrote me 5 years ago right before I left on my mission, the other side of it with a picture of the silhouette of a girl with short dark hair standing against the sunset, who actually looks like me. I gave him a home-made card with a few of my journal excerpts inside completely gushing about him from a long time ago when things started between us and from when we were engaged. The night was all very magical. Sweet and romantic and simple and wonderful and very much needed. Sometimes as parents you become so centered on caring for the little one that you forget just how much you really love being with each other. It was a huge reminder. I married the most unbelievable man. I couldn't have created a more perfect man for me. He just was and is and always will be my perfect match.

The next day we came home and found the little stink safe and sound! And she had actually had an ok night considering.

Kalai

I love Kalai. I am sure many of you are fans as well. He has not one but two songs that made it to our wedding video. His voice is like creamed butter. He is phenomenal on the guitar. I have been to a couple of his concerts but one of our girlfriends ran into him a while back and he ended up coming to perform for us at a private dinner party we put together last Friday. (Thank you Crystal!) The night was a hit! There was about 12 or 13 couples there. Dinner was great. The company was better. And the entertainment was awesome! He could do stand up comedy that guy. Hilarious.

And yes, that is Kalai's little chair that Candice and I are sitting on. Don't be jealous. I think Jason may or may not have even taken the bottled water he was drinking out of. Lucky!

BFFs- Lucy and Leah

I'm way behind in blogging but I have big plans to get caught up this week! Yes folks, our life simply IS that eventful! Anyway, Vanessa pretty much already hurried and posted on her blog exactly what I told her I was gonna say in my post about our weekend so I don't really have much more to say about our trip to the west coast. :) San Fran was wondeeeeeful! I hated to leave. It was so beautiful! (I'm so over Utah's winter. The fact that my child and I have been sick doesn't improve my relationship with the winter here. That's not the reason I hated to leave, but it didn't help. It was mostly those chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.)

Just look at 'em, the drool soaked little fatties!




It's amazing how different these itty girls are, I mean besides the obvious physical features. For example, Leah is so so bubbly smiley, which you can't get enough of. She is so ultra delicious and such a ham. I miss her. Lucy, on the other hand, is much more cautious with her smiles. She smiles for mom and dad but made a fool out of this lady at the grocery store the other day... poor duck danced in front of her for a solid 10 minutes and recieved nothing more than a blank stare from Luce. I kept trying to tell her, "She's not really in a smiley mood," because I could see where it all was going, but I couldn't convince her. At last, she walked away rejected. I smiled at her though so I think it made her feel better.

Lucy ended up getting so jealous of Leah's luscious locks and voluptuous figure that she tried to get her hands on some of that hair. I had to step in but it pretty much turned into a rodeo. 8 seconds on Leah and we're looking for anyone to challenge that record.

I love babies. I love babies together. I love my sisters. I love my sister's baby and my baby together. I don't really think you understand what I'm trying to say, but hopefully you I've made myself clear.