Couple Stuff

Last night we got together with the Chandlers and the Hardings and had a great time. It fun a fun "couples". After having Greg's yummy homemade pizza, each person was required to pick a song for their spouse along with share a personal poem. Sound silly? It wasn't - it actually turned out really cool. Everyone came through, and we all had a good laugh. Oh, did I mention most of the poems weren't too serious.

The only thing we didn't have enough time for was the hot tub. Hopefully next time!

Our Good Friends

"There's a miracle of friendship

that dwells within the heart,

And you don't know how it happens

or where it gets its start...

But the happiness it brings you

always gives a special lift

And you realize that Friendship

is God's most perfect gift."

-Jean Kyler McManus

Monthly Game Night with Old Friends

We used to be so good about getting together for game night. It was a ritual. Every month we'd get together a for a late night playing games - Boggle, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Scattegories, Pit...you name it.
Sadly too much time goes in between our visits now. I miss my old friends from our ward in Provo. They moved from Provo to Mapleton, and we moved from Provo to Pleasant Grove - totally opposite directions.
We have to work a lot harder now to get together. We have to deliberately set time aside. With everyone busy in their own lives, neighborhoods, families, and callings, it's sometimes hard to find a time that works for everyone.
Regardless of how much time falls between our get-togethers though, I always look forward to seeing them. It's like old times when we do get together - and very rarely do we call it quits before 1 a.m. With lots of Diet Pepsi and Dr. Pepper (not to mention endless amounts of candy), we find the energy to stay up later than our ever-getting older bodies thought possible.

Always the Jokester

So when did it start? Good question. I have pictures going back a year or two, and he wasn't always "this" way. December was the first time I noticed that he started "posing" for the camera. Now catching a good pic of Sara and Colby is near impossible. Of course Sara always looks radiant, but now Colby saves his "special faces" for my camera. I figured since he's now made a habit of it, I'd share his top photos with all of you to witness. This is our dear and mental friend Colby Allen. We all love him so.

Making Pizza with Daddy

I am so thankful that Greg is in Young Mens. Several months ago he went to Mutual with the boys, and our neighbor taught the teenage boys how to make homemade pizza. Greg liked it so much he asked for the recipe.






The first time he made it for me I was skeptical. The last time he cooked for me he tried making mac and cheese without milk. He thought water would work (using his "trust me" voice), and it was the most disgusting batch of mac and cheese I'd ever tasted. Anyway, the pizza looked descent, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was so good.




Now there's no going back. It's hands-down our favorite pizza. It just takes a little extra time. Last night we decided to make it for dinner for my mom, dad, and sister who are in town. Dakota was more than eager to assist Daddy in any way possible. He then helped me with the toppings. The finished product was delicious. He didn't let anyone down!

Game Night at the Hardings' Pad

Valentines Day with Friends

Yesterday was Valentines Day. Since I was out of town up through Wednesday, I didn't really have much preparation time. I didn't even have pancake mix in the pantry to make Dakota is favorite "pink" heart pancakes. What a bad mom! No card - no gift. I wasn't prepared. I did help Em with their Valentines party though, and that was fun. A bunch of silly 6 year olds running around.

After school I made Dakota pancakes and bummed a pink and white sprinkle Krisy Kreme donut off Sara to give to him. That would have to be good enough.

Then we headed out the door to find Greg (Daddy) a Valentines gift. We hit Buckle (our new favorite store) and picked out some jeans and a couple of t-shirts for him. His tight behind looked great in his new jeans. It would have been nice to have our personal shopper (BJ) with us to help make final decisions, but I think we did okay.





While there I couldn't resist shopping for me too! I found me a cute new pair that I absolutely love. Since friends take care of friends, I called Sara to tell her about them, and she and I both bought them. They are the comfiest jeans ever. I promise (Greg, I really do) to wear them a lot!








Last night we got together with some friends and had a yummy dinner from CPK (my personal favorite). Colby wasn't too excited about his "blah" salad - in which they piled it high with tomatoes (which I requested they leave off when I ordered everything) and beets (who eats these?).

The kids played, and the grown-ups chatted. All in all it was a nice evening. Thanks to our friends the Allens for always hosting our get-togethers. Their poor house was torn apart by the time we left.

Men in Training

So our cute men are training for their first sprint triathlon. Actually, Colby (the non-poser) is an experienced triathlon-er, and now it's his job to share his expertise with the rest of the men. They had their first taste of what it would be like swimming something like 32 laps in the Oakley pool. I think they have a long road ahead of them. They were all over the place. They will be swimming in open water in June when they compete in the St. George Triathlon. Of course Colby will be competing in the Olympic Triathlon. The men are excited and motivated. This should be quite the experience and an accomplishment!

The girls are training too. While the mens' sprint triathlon is in June, our's is in May. We've all been working out and are working towards reaching the finish! We'll be staying close to home at the American Fork Women of Steel. Our goal is not to place (though that wouldn't be so bad), but rather to finish! What started as four women has grown too. Lots of our friends and neighbors have now signed up, so we are all excited to do this together!

Playing in the Snow in Heber

A couple of weekends ago we went up to Heber with our good friends for some R&R. One day we rented a snowmobile, made some trails, and tubed and sledded all day. It was a fun time! The moms and dads had just as much fun as the kids. BJ and Greg caught some air later in the day when the rest of us went inside.

We were supposed to go up to Yellowstone that weekend, but it didn't work out. A huge snowstorm moved in, so we decided to play it safe and stay close to home. We're still making it up to poor BJ.