Feeling Old...

I registered Joseph for kindergarten today. I went into his school and I just felt overwhelmed with emotion--particularly feeling OLD! Where did the time go?

Time for an update

Wow. Time has really flown by these past few weeks. We have been a really busy family. I'll give you a list of reasons why my blog has been neglected, accompanied by a few photos!

Reason #1: I did photography for a friend whose family was sealed in the temple. I devoted a great deal of time and attention to finishing and retouching photos for them. Here's a little sample of my hard work:

Reason #2: I have been in a spring cleaning frenzy. My house was a disaster. It is no longer. Here is what our spare room looked like (sorry I don't have an "after" photo).

Reason #3: Mothers' Day. I wanted to put together an extra special present for my mom on her special day, so I put photography skills to good use and was able to present her with framed photographs of her beautiful grandsons.

Reason #4: Television. The Office, in particular, has had a PHENOMENAL season (as if it wasn't amazing already). The season finale revealed that Jam is going to have a little Jambino. Squee!

And American Idol has been top notch as well. I am very sad, however, that my favorite did not make it to the finale. Sorry Danny! You and your many pairs of eyeglasses will be missed.

Reason #5: The Cookbook. My bestest pal just had a birthday and I decided to put together a cookbook for her as a birthday gift. Here is one of my favorite recipes that I included:

Orient Express
Marinade:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chicken broth
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
Stir-fry:
8 oz cavatappi or penne pasta (really, any hollow pasta tastes good)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. broccoli florets
8 whole canned baby corn, cut in half
1 red sweet pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
½ c sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules, dissolved in 6 tbsp boiling water

Marinate chicken for about 30 minutes. Cook pasta; drain and set aside. In a non-stick skillet, fry eggs until set. Slice into small pieces and set aside. Heat 1 ½ tbsp oil in wok and stir fry chicken; set aside. Add remaining oil to wok. Stir-fry onion and garlic until tender. Add remaining vegetables and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add a few tbsp water to wok and cover; let vegetables steam for about 5 minutes. Uncover wok and add chicken, eggs, pasta, soy sauce, and bouillon. Cook until heated through.

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Add these on top of my job as resident laudress, dishwasher, cook, maid, nurse, childcare provider, bill-payer, etc. and you have one busy woman!

Things seemed to have slowed down some for now, so hopefully I will be less neglectful of my blog. Thanks to all of you out there who actually read it! You'll be hearing from me again soon, I promise.

The Good, The Bad, and The Adorable

The Good:

First item of business. This morning, out of the clear blue, Joseph looks at me and says, "Mommy -- Jesus created the whole earth." Apparently he is retaining the information he learns in Primary, and I'm glad that he is willing to share it with me!

Second. As I have mentioned in previous posts, Joseph is already a fantastic artist. Here is some new artwork!

A drawing of his cup.

A drawing of our fish in his tank (which died this week, by the way...eek).

A drawing of our home, which he labeled appropriately.

And this is my favorite. A message for daddy. It says: To daddy, Love (a heart) Joseph. The big red circle in the center is the Target symbol. He told me that this was a message to tell daddy that he wanted to go to Target. Ha!

The Bad:

If I had a million dollars, I would give it to whomever could tell the difference between these two place settings.

To the naked eye, there is no difference. But apparently to the toddler eye there is. My children fight every day over who gets what plate, what cup, what fork, spoon, high chair, etc. I bought them exactly the same for a reason, and yet my children still fight over them. This goes for things other than place settings as well -- clothes, bed...the list goes on and on! So, if you can find any difference, I pledge to give you something (not a million dollars) for solving all of my problems!

And now for...

The Adorable:

Even though my children are terrified of dogs (animals in general, really), they love to pretend that they are dogs. These are their "dog houses," and they played in them all last week.

How can you resist this sweet little face?

And, even though they fight over things they really are best friends. They love to play together, and they love each other!

Country Roads

This is quite possibly the best moment EVER on The Office!

Almost Heaven

I just wanted to let y'all know that I've started another blog. Read it so that you can make fun of me when I can't keep up with any of my goals!

http://almost-heaven-wva.blogspot.com

Spring Break - Take Two

The past week was the best week ever! Berkeley County schools were on spring break, so Brad was home all week long. I loved having a little R&R time with my family. We were able to get some spring cleaning done, go to the temple, and Grandma and Grandpa came to visit on Saturday.

I always enjoy visits from my family, and my mom likes to spoil us just a little. Who doesn't like to be spoiled? She brought me a cute little antique syrup pourer filled with candy, and we went to an antique shop where she bought me some serving dishes to match my china. And, she brought Brad a big ol' bag of candy, and easter baskets full of goodies for the boys. I made a really nice dinner and lots of yummy baked goods for everyone to enjoy (and they did). After Grandma and Grandpa headed home we went for a walk on the C&O canal trail.

The only part of our week that we didn't enjoy was Easter Sunday. It always seems like the more spiritual the occasion is supposed to be, the more my kids misbehave. Brad had to leave before the sacrament was even passed because our children were being such terrors, and I wasn't able to offer any help because I had to stay to lead the music and sing. So, I was a little disappointed that we didn't really get to focus on the sacred meaning of the day. I just have to remember that they're little kids, and they were still wound up from the day before. But overall, we had a wonderful week, and we were all sad when daddy had to go back to work on Monday.

Here are some pics of our vacation:

My culinary creations

Andrew carrying his bike around a mud puddle.

Crossing the aqueduct over the Potomac river.

Daddy helping his boys.

The handsome hubby!

Me and my boys!

The Blessings of Temple Attendance

I am so thankful that Brad and I had the opportunity to visit the temple today! It was such a beautiful, peaceful experience. It's difficult to say much more, as going to the temple affects everyone in such a personal way. I can say that every time I attend the temple, I feel my testimony of the gospel strengthened, and I learn so much more about Heavenly Father's plan for his children. I am reminded of how much He loves each and every one of us, and I know that He hears our prayers.

I also wanted to express my gratitude to Kathi and Chris for babysitting for us. This is the first time in four years that Brad and I have attended the temple as a couple. Usually we take turns, so that one of us is watching the kids. It was so much more meaningful to attend together, and the experience is so much more spiritual when you aren't stressed out from chasing children all over the temple grounds. So, to the Johnson family, we are incredibly thankful for your service. I hope that we have the opportunity to return the favor.

Some photos to remember the day:

Happy to be together!

The only downfall of the day: It was freezing!