On Monday we celebrated Barry's birthday in a big way. All of our local cousins came over and and boy do those kids know how to party!

Earlier that morning Barry & Will helped me make the cupcakes. Barry picked the frosting color & they both helped put the sprinkles on. I tried to have them do this over a plate to contain the sprinkles a bit. But as luck would have it Barry spilled the plate of excess sprinkles on the floor anyway. Good times! I thought I might just leave them on the floor and tell everyone it was confetti - but decided against it when I remembered there would be crawling kids present (your welcome Lindy).


Here are the 4 year old cousins. I love, love, love this picture!


I wish I would have been smart enough to close the blinds but...well...we all know I'm not very smart.

Here is the whole gang. Everyone is smiling and happy except Satchel who looks a little concerned. I crack up when I see Cole totally laughing. And then there is Lily...what in the heck is she doing to her shirt?


Barry got some great gifts -- thanks to good friends and family!

There was a sad part to our day. We had to say good bye to Shayla & Max.

They are moving back to Oklahoma (with a pit stop in Wyoming) to wait for Brig to return from Iraq. We are really going to miss them. I wish I video of Max doing all of his animal impressions -- so dang cute!

And finally I have to give a shout out to Alli who watched ALL those kids so we could go out & eat. She is the champ!! Sorry Tevi -- not the best picture of you. :)

.

So the other day I was in Old Navy with Barry -- you know it's time to stock up on the basics.

And who do you think we saw?

I'll give you a hint...they're on TV.

Barry was star struck...

I mean who really expects to see a celebrity in Orem?

Not Barry -- that's for sure.

When he saw "some people from the T.V." in the store he kind of freaked out.

At first he was shy...

then he got up his courage ran up to them and started talking

Only they didn't talk back



Celebrities...who needs them?

Saturday night "the girls" & I celebrated Robyn & Brenda's birthdays. We had such a great time -- as I usually do with these chicas. Our night started out with some good Thai food where I ate way too much (I think the pumpkin curry was my favorite).


Here is the birthday girl Robyn & I at the restaurant

Rebecca & Britney

Brenda & Britney's cutie Liam (don't you want to pinch those cheeks!?!)

After dinner we went to Shauna's house for dessert. She made these great birthday hats for Robyn & Brenda and had a cute sign up & everything. Plus she made the best coconut lime cupcakes.



The gang after cupcakes & tea. Shauna's son Bruno took this picture. It took about 30 shots to get one normal picture we were laughing so hard. I am pretty sure he thinks we are all cuckoo.

I just had to show these two aprons I made them for their birthdays. I love aprons!

We had a great time and I am so glad we could schedule time to celebrate. And I am grateful Cord took care of my children of the corn so I could escape.

I know, I know, all of Utah has already blogged about the awful snow. How much we hate having it this late in the year. How we are yearning for some sun so we don't look like zombies anymore...blah...blah..blah. But I don't really care if you warm weather friends and family are sick of the whining. You will have to listen (well, actually read) some more whining while you smugly sit there smelling of coconut suntan lotion...I WILL whine some more!!!


This week was our spring break. What says spring more than snow? And not just a light dusting -- we are talking 6 inches. Here are what my sad hyacinths looked like .

Here are what my kids sad bikes looked like.

And here is what Will & Barry look like when they have been couped up in the house for 3 days and they get a hold of the camera. Self portrait time!


So that about sums up our spring break.

(We did swim at the indoor pool, see a movie and play with friends too)

This is from Mindy's blog. It's kind of fun to see what items you have done and what items you may want to do.

**I've done the items in bold**
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - does wiffleball count?
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Mt Rushmore
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Visited Ground zero
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - oops!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Visited the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

I have had a few requests for this recipe -- So I thought I'd share it with one and all. This is a favorite at my house the kids devour it and well lets say that Cord has a few small pieces too.

Base layer
1 white cake mix
Prepare according to package directions. Bake in a jelly roll pan for 15 minutes or until done.

Middle layer
1 package (8oz) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 small tub Cool Whip

With your mixer beat the cream cheese and the sugar together until smooth. Add the cool whip and gently combine . Spread this layer on top of the cooled cake.

Top layer
3-4 pints of strawberries sliced
2 packages of strawberry Junket or other purchased strawberry pie glaze --(feel free to make your own as well)

Prepare the Junket and when cooled stir in the sliced strawberries. Spread this strawberry mixture of top of the cream cheese mixture and chill about 1 hour.

Enjoy!!

Here are some photos of the kids this morning before church. Why is it so hard to get a good group photo? Is it because it is humanly impossible for my kids to be still? hmmm...

Cord & I laughed so hard at this picture -- his pose is so funny. I swear he thinks he is holding a handbag and waving to adoring fans .



Cole is always a good subject. He hates having his picture taken but he is so dang cute I just have to keep taking them.

Speaking of hating her picture being taken here's Alli. I don't know why she hates it either -- she is beautiful!!

Here is the closest I came to getting a good picture of all of them -- Lily's eyes are closed.

This is what the rest of the pictures took like look like.

I hope you had a great Easter and that your pictures turned out better than mine.

Oh & as a side note when I went upstairs tonight I found a half dissolved a green "peep" in a glass of water. Cole & Will informed me they are melting it. Good times...good times!

Here are a few photos of my two little munchkins have been up to...

Barry has been playing with some homemade play dough. He seriously plays with it for hours. I am amazed at his concentration. He carefully cuts and shapes the dough into all kinds of things from jack-o-lanterns (can you tell Halloween is a favorite) to various food items. My favorite was a sculpture of Cord. Oh it was a good one. Unfortunately I didn't have any batteries in my camera!

I have to say though that as a kid I loved to play with play dough and clay. I love the feel of it and I love to create. I have played a bit with the kids, but I am craving some real sculpture time Maybe I'll have to run to the art store and buy some. Didn't/don't you love play dough too?

Will has become the Udall's very own spider-man. Every time I want to walk though a doorway there he is. I really want to tickle him or give him a little goose but I know the results would be disastrous and may involve a visit to the ER.

As you can imagine my doorways are spic and span and free from all dirt & grime.

Finally, as usual there is a lot of play with the many (and I do mean many) action figures we have at our house. We have had more battles here than I can count.

I do love to spy on them and listen to their dialog -- until they start using "potty talk" and I have to remind them of that bar of soap in the still un-remodeled bathroom.

And just to give you a thrill I'll even post a picture of my favorite "action" figure....


Come on you know he's hot....


Karen, I know you are having second thoughts about passing this one on...


A real American hero...

Lily wanted to post about her Primary teachers. She has really loved them and is so sad that they are moving (that is one sad thing about living close to BYU -- we loose all the great students in April). So here are a few pictures from the farewell pizza party they had last week. Oh & Lily took the photos.


Lily loves the Ballards for so many reasons -- "because they are nice, they teach me about the gospel, they gave me scriptures (which she takes to her room and reads 'because sister Ballard said I should') and they took us to Jumping Jacks!"

I love them for all the same reasons. I am grateful for all the dedicated teachers who have and do teach my kids the gospel in primary & YW. I know it takes a lot time to prepare a lesson each week but I hope you know how much it means to the kids and their families. Thanks for all you do!

So I haven't been sleeping lately. I am not sure why (could it be that the big 4 0 is fast approaching) but for several months now I am able to get to sleep but then I wake up at 3:00am or so and I just can't go back to sleep. Well, last night was worse than normal -- I think I got about 2 hours of shut eye -- and not all at once.

Cord being the good hubby that he is had me go back to bed this morning and I slept in until 11:00 -whooo hooo! When I came down stairs the boys were happily coloring and I asked where dad was. They replied that he had just gone out to his office to take a business call (he works from home).

Well, a fully rested me, who realized that today was in fact April Fools Day concocted a plan.

I sent Will running into the office yelling that Barry had just pooped on the floor. Hee Hee! I knew that Cord thought I was still asleep and wouldn't suspect a thing. Plus although Barry has been potty trained for some time -- it might be possible -- right? (so you don't think I am too mean I did peek though the window to make sure he was off the phone)

I wish you could have seen Cordy hauling it into the house. Will came running in ahead of him and was totally laughing. "Where is it?" Cord exclaimed, only to be met with giggles as Will Barry & I popped up and yelled "April Fools!"

"That was a good one" Cord agreed.