I Melt For You!

I had to come up with a really "cheesy" title for this one!

Yesterday Bryan told me that he had a lecture/dinner at the hospital that spouses were invited to. Instead, he had gotten reservations at The Melting Pot to surprise me. I have been wanting to go to The Melting Pot for years - ever since the one in Salt Lake City opened - so I was so excited! Since we were at such a fancy-schmancy restautant, we were on our best behavior! Really, it was so nice to just sit, talk, look at each other, and eat our food without a highchair, kids menu, or crayons in sight!

The cheese fondue was awesome!

Quattro Formaggio Cheese Fondue
Fontina, Grùyere, and Gran Queso cheeses blended with roasted garlic, basil and tomato pestos and fresh mozzarella Perlini. -mmmm! (yes, that was straight from the menu. I know, I'm a nerd.)

A salad was the second course, followed by the entree (veggies, chicken, steak, salmon, and shrimp) which we cooked at our table. The best part was, of course, the dessert!
Our "Flaming Turtle" chocolate fondue (milk chocolate, caramel, and pecans) was delicious (and on fire!)

It was fun to do the whole 4-course meal, but I think if we ever go back, we will just order a cheese fondue and a chocolate fondue. Those were, by far, the best parts of the meal.

Thanks Babe! That was such a sweet, thoughtful surprise and I had a great time with you! THANK YOU, Carl and Nancy, for Bryan's birthday money that paid for it! And last but not least, THANK YOU, Shupes, for watching the munchkins! We don't get out just the two of us very often, so this was an extra special treat!

Ironic

This is what it looks like outside today. It's been snowing almost nonstop for two days.And this is what I received in the mail today.

I ordered them last week when it was 70 degrees outside. Spring can be so cruel sometimes.

P.S. These are the absolute BEST flip-flops on the planet - Skechers Heatwaves! They are so cute and comfy! I bought a pair two years ago and wore them almost every day from April-October for two years. They come out with new colors/designs every year. (These are last year's model, so I got them on clearance $15.00 @ 6PM.com) Do yourself a favor and get some! You wont be sorry...if the snow ever melts.

Potty Animal

Does this picture make you cringe? Yeah, me too! This is Hannah's favorite place to play. What is it with toddlers and toilets? I turn my back and a minute later, and I find Hannah splashing with glee. ICK! What's the draw, Hannah?! It's not like she can open the door herself though. I've hounded and hounded the boys a million times to, "PLEASE CLOSE THE DOOR WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THE BATHROOM!" But apparently that's just not possible.

This afternoon, Hannah decided to bring the phone along. It went for a swim. It doesn't work now. This is the downside to having only a cell phone. We are going to let it dry out a few days and see if we can get it working again. Until then, if you need to reach us, email will probably be your best bet.

Oh no...I hear splashing...gotta go!

Bathroom Update

Well, we're down to the 2x4s and the subfloor in the bathroom.This is where the sink used to be. When Bryan pulled up the old tile floor, he found some of the subfloor near the tub was soft from water damage. So... now we have a hole in the floor too. This is about as wrecked as it can get. So I'm thinking it can only get better from here, right?
Since the bathtub is out of order, we've had to get a little creative with bathing the kids. The boys have had a few hose-downs in the big utility sink in the laundry room, and Hannah had a blast in the kitchen sink!
This is why you shouldn't bathe a one-year-old in the sink. When she wasn't splashing and standing up to look out the window, she was turning the water on and off and on and off. I guess I should have been more concerned about all the water sloshing out onto the counters, down the cupboards, and puddling on the floor. But then again, it's the closest thing to a mopping my kitchen floor has seen in a while, so...
Sorry about this last one; I just couldn't resisist!

April Foolin'

I got in the first prank of the day by adding a couple drops of food coloring to the boys' cereal bowls before filling them with cereal and milk. When Andrew stirred his cereal and the milk began to change color he said, "Wait a minute. What day is it?"

"APRIL FOOLS'!"

Don't worry, he got me back later by hiding my shoes in a place I would never find them: the closet!

Later that day, my little baking buddy helped me work on some yummy dinnertime pranks.

We used frosting, candy, and caramel topping to make cupcakes that looked like veggies and mashed potatoes. (I wish I could take the credit for this idea, but I found it in this book. I checked it out from the library, but I'm going to have to buy my own copy. Seriously the cutest cupcake ideas EVER!!!)

Since it was April Fools' Day, I let everyone eat their "dessert" first: ice cream sundaes made of popcorn chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a cherry tomato on top.I think Logan was a little confused about the whole thing. After taking a bite he said, "It's not ice cream, it's SMASHED POTATOES!"

After "dessert," we had "dinner."
Bryan loves him some mashed potatoes!
Even Andrew ate his veggies without complaining for once!

I Hate Cars

Well, maybe not all cars - just ours, or maybe just GM.

In 2001, I inherited a 1982 rust-red Chevy Cavalier station wagon from my younger brother. In the three years or so that we had it, it broke down only once; I had to replace the starter, if I remember right. We upgraded (and I use the term upgraded VERY loosely) to a 1992 Ford Tempo which broke down EVERY week. First it was the fuel pump, then the power steering, then the alternator, then a water pump, as well as a few others I can't remember. Thousands of dollars later, and after getting sick of fixing it, we bought a 1995 Ford Escort. The transmission went out about a month later. We forked out $700 to get a new transmission, which also went out about a month later. We sold it for salvage and bought a 2002 Saturn which never broke down, but we had to sell it less than a year later anyway to pay for flights for residency interviews. We then bought our infamous 2002 Pontiac Montana minivan. It ran pretty well up until three or four months ago when the intake manifold gasket started leaking. We had it replaced, but now, just months later it's leaking again. When the van originally broke down, my parents felt so sorry for us that they actually drove an old mid-90s Buick Park Avenue all the way from Utah to Ohio. It lasted a month before we forked out a few hundred dollars to a mechanic that couldn't figure out what the problem was. We sold it and bought an '02 Ford Escort which is suddenly having major front axle problems. As soon as our mechanic is done with the van, we'll be trading him for the Escort, and hopefully, we'll be back to two running cars. If not, here's my new dream car:

Memories

Bryan: "Has anyone seen the memory card?"


Logan: "Yes."


Bryan: "You've seen the memory card? Where?"


Logan: "Upstairs on the table."


Bryan: "No. I've looked there. It's not there."


Logan: "Yes they are!"


Bryan: "I was just there. It's not there."


Logan: "YES THEY ARE!"


Bryan: "The memory card?"


Logan: "YES!!!"


Bryan: "Okay, show me."

Birthday Bash!

Last Saturday, we celebrated the birthdays of these three - The Birthday Boys - Bryan, Eric, and Chris.

(It was Hudson's 1st birthday party too, but he was taking a nap.)

I baked Bryan a Chocolate Turtle cake with plenty of caramel and nuts. Looked pretty good...

...until it tipped over in the fridge.

Oh well. Luckily the birthday boy is very easy to please.

Bryan and Hannah

There were lots of yummy treats for all.

This birthday boy just finished overnight call at the hospital. It's okay Eric, we all understand! Plus, it was extra cute with sleepy Ainsley in his arms.

It is so fun that these three friends have their b-days within a week of each other so that we could celebrate them together! Kimberly suggested we do it again, five years from now...in Hawaii. So put in on your calendars, friends:

March 2014 - Hawaii!!!