Easter Eggs!

We've never decorated eggs before, I'm not sure why....maybe I thought it would be too messy for Charley. But while I was at the grocery store on Monday I found a simple little egg dying kit for $1, so I bought it. I decided it was a good activity to do for family night. It was soooo much fun. Charley loved it. And it wasn't really that messy.

I see a lot of friends blogs that do all this cute stuff for different holidays (Rebecca I think you are amazing at this...she does it for EVERY holiday, even one's I've never heard of!). I decided I need to be better at this.

Gabby just had to sit in her bumbo and watch this year, but maybe next year, she'll be old enough to drop the eggs in they dye or put stickers on!

Birthday!

I cut the top of the cake....to make it flat...and found a heart shaped fudge swirl! kinda cool!

I know I'm not great at making cakes, but I love another outlet to be creative. I love any excuse to make a cake! This past weekend was Courtney's birthday! So I made a cake! (Calvin and Courtney got engaged a few weeks ago and are getting married June 25th!!!....Calvin is Ben's brother for those who didn't know...or couldn't tell by the picture that they are related!)

The cake is a fudge swirl with chocolate pudding... with vanilla frosting and decorated with white chocolate....the pink is white chocolate as well...I just dyed it pink!....YUMMY!

Happy Birthday Courtney!

tradition....

I like this picture because the girls are following in the mom's footsteps!....If you look, Crystal, Chauma, Melisa (you can't see her very well, she's behind Chauma), and I are talking to the right....and our little girls (all 3 years old) are off to the left talking.....I'm so glad they are good little friends!

In about 15 years Living Legends will have half the Native Section filled with Charley (hoop), Chenoa (fancy), and Mya (jingle)....they were so cute the whole time, they followed each other everywhere!!

Charley danced every inter-tribal!

Jordan and Gabby...Jordan was a HUGE help with the girls! and all these pictures are her's, my camera battery was dead!

Every year since we have been here in Utah, we always make it a point to attend the BYU Pow Wow. When we were younger, we lived in Utah while my dad attended BYU Law School. Even back then I remember my mom getting us dressed up for Pow Wow.

This past weekend was the Pow Wow....I made the girls little outfits for it, as mentioned in the previous post. I am so glad I did. It was worth it to just watch Charley out there dancing! I loved watching her with her friends, I loved watching her try to hoop dance, and I loved seeing her have fun!

Tiny Tots: When the music started for tiny tots, Charley set her hoops on the ground and this kids comes and grabs one. Charley hurried and picked up the rest of her hoops, and ran after the boy! She grabbed it back and wouldn't put her hoops back down on the floor. I was a little sad because during the inter tribals she was trying to make some formations. Next time...

My mad sewing skills.....

I totally made these hoop outfits in one afternoon. I'm totally lazy and didn't even change the thread, but oh well. But my little hoop dancers are ready for pow wow season. However, when I get more time I'm going to have to make Gabby a new one....her's is a little snug, but it will do for tomorrow...the BYU Pow Wow. We have plans tonight, otherwise we would go tonight. It would be a tragedy if we were at a Pow Wow and the girls weren't dressed for Tiny Tots! Luckily hoop outfits don't need shawls, or jingles, or anything too extravagant. I was able to make these out of material I already had.

crawling baby...

Gabby started crawling a little over a week ago. I could tell she was going to start the day we left for Omaha for my sisters wedding. She took a few little steps while we were there, and probably would have done it sooner, but she was held the whole time! (she was getting lots of love from her aunts, uncles, and grandparents who dont get to see her often)

She was just about 8 months old when she started.

I've figured it out!....

I figured out why I am so forgetful these days....

I figured out why I can't seem to loose the last of my baby weight, and why my girls are so dang small!....

....my kids have taken my memory and my metabolism!

If you have been around Charley lately, you'll see how skinny she is.....and she remembers EVERYTHING! I used to be like that....I used to be able to eat whatever and not gain weight....and I used to be able remember where I put my shoes or placed my phone....not anymore....WHY?... because my girls have stolen it!

Good thing they are so dang cute, it's too hard to be mad at them!

A wedding...

The 3 grand-daughter! My mom made these matching dresses....the girls looked beautiful!

Daddy's girls!

Our cute little family

Gabby trying to stay warm...it was really cold. Her smile will melt any one's heart!

The family

This past weekend was my little sisters wedding. It is still hard to believe she is married, she seems like she shouldn't be old enough, but she is! We drove to Nebraska Thursday night, and got in Friday morning. We took a nap while everyone went to the church to set up. Afterward everyone came over for a luncheon. Then we got ready for the temple, and did a session with Sara. After the temple we had ribs for dinner! YUM! Saturday morning we all got ready for the sealing. Then came home for a lunch. Then to take pictures at the Ford Memorial Gardens, and then more pictures at the Church. The reception looked great. Mom did a great job! Then it was take down of the decorations. We stayed Sunday to relax and recuperate. Then it was back in the car for a 14 hour drive back to Lehi. It was a crazy weekend! It may take us a few weeks to recover from this! It was a fun weekend, and fun to see all of our family! Congrats to Sara and Spencer!

**I did not take any of these pictures. They are still on my camera....and a video of Sara falling coming out of the temple (she was just so excited, and I think she forgot she was wearing 5 inch heals! ...but I'll post that later!) The first picture came from my grandma's camera, and the rest came from my Aunt Chrissy. Chrissy was the photographer for the day. She also took the girls Christmas pictures. She is an amazing photographer.

Pirate Island

Move over Chuck E Cheese.....there is a new cool place in town!

For family night last night we went to Pirate Island with some friends. It was pretty cool. The whole restaurant was decorated like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and everyone was dressed like Pirates. There is an arcade and play area, and you get tokens for the arcade with your meal. The food wasn't amazing, but it was still good. Charley loved it, and we'll probably go back soon!

*Charley and Brooklynn

I'm 50% back...

So I gave in and went to the doctors last week. I realized that at the way I felt, there was no way I was going to finish the marathon. The doctor said it may be my hip flexor and recommended that I go to a physical therapist. So I went. It is very common for ladies that had babies for the joint where my hip flexor is at to turn a little because everything is already moving down there for the baby to come out. Because of that there is some stress on my muscles, and some other strains on my leg....and a lot of other stuff.

I was hooked up to this machine that ran electricity through my thigh to heat it, and then I got a massage, and they did a series of stretches to try and re fix my hip. It felt GREAT! Saturday I went on my long run and ran 10 miles before I started to feel it hurting. I probably could have stretched and gone longer but I didn't want to risk it. So I got on the bike for 6 more miles. I'm gonna have to do a lot of strength training and catching up to do, but I should make it. I'm not expecting a fast time, I'll just be happy to finish. I need to go back one more time, and hopefully that should do it.

Marathon Update

We have less than two months before Ben and I run our marathon. We are running the SLC marathon on April 17th. It has been a challenge getting in our daily runs, and even a bigger challenge getting in our long runs on the weekend. There are days one or both of us can't get in our daily run, but we are always sure to get in our long run. It has been fun doing this together. I can't actually wait to run it....and maybe we'll actually get to run together!

My only problem running is my left leg. It has been hurting me ever since I started running after I had Gabby. Some days it's okay, but others it hurts too much to run. I've tried icing it, and heating it. I've taken weeks off of running and just rode the bike, but it hasn't seemed to go away. As I was running my long run on Saturday, I was trying to figure out where the pain was coming from. I don't think it is my muscle. It feels like a pinched nerve. I feel like I can run forever, except for this stabbing pain. I probably should go to the doctor. But I am hopping to fix it myself....I'm afraid if I go to the doctor, he'll tell me to stop running. We convinced Ben's brother, aunt and uncle and some cousins to run it with us. Plus Ben's parents are coming out to watch everyone run the race. Plus I really want to run it. I may end up walking, but I'll finish!