Pinterest Project!

So... have you heard of Pinterest? It's my latest addiction. It's a virtual online pinboard that helps keep track of all those great ideas and things that I find online. And it's a goldmine of great ideas. I can't tell you how many times I've found a little gem that someone else has pinned onto Pinterest and thought to myself, "How come I didn't think of that?!".... or "That is genius!".... or "I have to make that!" Michael has also started "pinning" and decided to make one of the awesome projects we discovered. It's a ruler growth chart that hangs on the wall that you can use through the years to keep track of the height of the kids. And thanks to Michael's mom, who was better at measuring the boys on a regular basis than me, we have a pretty good history that we transferred onto the ruler from the door frame in her kitchen. I personally think it turned out fabulous!

We used a 1"x8"x6' board. And when I say we.... I mean Michael. We rounded the edges on the side that was going to be the front, sanded it, and stained it. The numbers are vinyl that I cut with my Cricut. The thin black lines are also vinyl that Michael cut with my paper trimmer. I LOVE IT!

The last day of the first week of school pictures!

So, in all the excitement I forgot to take pictures of Logan and Ty on the first day of school. I know! What kind of parent forgets that? Not only was it the first day, but we also had to take Michael to the airport by 7:30 to fly to Houston for a training, so that's my excuse...ha ha. Instead of first day pictures, we have last day of the first week of school pictures!

Can't believe he's a sixth grader.

Awwww... my big boys.

Excited for kindergarten!

Ty is doing really well! He's very quiet and just seems to be taking it all in. It always takes him a little while to warm up to new things, but he's enjoying it quietly so far.  His new teacher is in our ward and is AMAZING! We love Mrs. Langford.

Even though Logan was initially disappointed that he didn't get the teacher he wanted, he's really liking the teacher he did get. Sixth grade here is still in the elementary school, which I like. And I've heard they do a great job getting kids ready for junior high, but I'm not going to think about Logan going to junior high just yet.

Here's to a great new school year!

Spring Break In Oregon

Logan & Ty Outside the Lighthouse.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, OR

So, Michael had a training scheduled in Redmond, OR over Logan's spring break, so we decided to go with him. And, we invited Max and Peg along so they could enjoy some time with us during spring break too! We headed over to Newport, OR on the coast for a couple of days.We visited the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and climbed to the top. We spent some time on Cobble Beach checking out the tide pools at low tide. We stayed right on Agate Beach which was also fun for the boys.Then we came back inland to Redmond. We stayed at Eaglecrest Resort just outside of town, and it was a lot of fun. They had pools and playgrounds and trails and golf courses and gamerooms... plenty to keep the boys busy for a few days. We also did some geocaching along the way which is always fun. As far as the weather was concerned, we saw it all... snow, rain, wind, and sun. This was my first trip to Oregon, and I was just amazed by the forests there. The trees are so tall and they just hang with moss... it was beautiful... much different than the forest I'm used to in Idaho and Utah.

Peg and the boys listening to the story of the lighthouse.

Logan checking out the tide pools on Cobble Beach.

Michael & Me on Cobble Beach.

They used these drums to store the whale oil they used to keep the light burning.

Michael on cobble Beach.

Feeding the seagulls on Agate Beach.

Ty showing off his winking ability in the oil drum room.

Ty loved feeding the birds.

Interesting shoe tree that had a cache hidden nearby.

Monument in Prineville, Oregon to the 14 firefighters lost on the South Canyon Fire on Storm King Mountain in 1994.

SOLD!

So Michael and I signed the closing papers on the house today! We didn't even have to make a trip to Cedar City. The title company emailed the documents to us... We signed them in front of a notary... and we over-nighted them back... Easy as pie! So, unless we made a mistake in our paperwork, the new owner will probably take possession of the house on Friday.  Yeah!.... I mean Boo Hoo... NO... I really mean Yeah! It's a huge relief. We are bummed that we won't be able to buy a house for a while, but we really can't complain AT ALL because we love the house we are renting and the neighborhood and the new ward and the school. I actually wouldn't have minded a trip down south because we are missing everyone, so SOON I hope we will get a chance! We also owe Max and Peg about a hundred times over for all the help and all the trips to Cedar to check on things and run errands and take things to the realtor, etc... I don't know what we would have done without them!

Under Contract!

So, our cute house in Cedar City is officially under contract! What a relief! About a month ago, the bank approved us for a short sale. We were happy and sad all at the same time. Happy because that's the only way we were going to sell it, but sad that we were going to take a hit on our credit. But, we had an offer come in last week on Thursday. Our Realtor got right on the phone with our mortgage holder and let them know, and she countered back exactly what the bank wanted. The buyer accepted the offer, and by yesterday morning the bank had officially agreed to the offer and scheduled a closing date of February 17th! For a short sale, that's a super fast response from a bank. We have been really pleased with our realtor and our mortgage holder and how they have stayed on top of it. I remember back when we were house shopping, we waited for 2 months to hear back from a bank on a short sale offer and finally gave up and walked away from the house after no response whatsoever. Short sales are famous for taking months to complete, so we are blessed that things are progressing this quickly. Now we will just keep praying for the next 4 weeks that everything else goes as smoothly!

Santa's Fire Truck

So, tonight was the Christmas party at the church, and Ty was super duper excited because Santa was scheduled to make an appearance. Little did we know that he would show up in an old fashioned fire truck. I guess because almost all of the snow has melted here in Boise, he needed alternate transportation. He loaded the kids up in the back of the truck and took them for a little ride! It was raining and cold, but the boys looked awfully hadsome with there rosy cheeks afterward!

Santa putting some tarps down for the kids to sit on.

Santa lifting Ty up into the truck!

Going for a ride with lights and sirens!

Ty wanted Logan to hold him because he felt a little unsure, but they both had a good time!

Cookies!

I am making one of my favorite cookies today, and I thought I would share the recipe. Most of you have probably already heard of these, but just in case you haven't... YUMMO!

Andes Mint Cookies

3/4 C. Butter

1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. Water

Melt in saucepan over medium heat until melted. Then add...

2 C. Semi sweet chocolate chips

Take off heat and stir until completely melted. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then add:

2 eggs

Beat Well... then add...

2 1/2 C. Flour

1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

Mix together and chill for 45 minutes. Roll into balls 1 to 1.5 inches in size, flatten slightly, and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. When cookies come out of oven, place an Andes mint on top of each cookie and allow to melt. Swirl melted chocolate like icing and allow to cool before serving!