My favorite cake...

If you don't own the Pampered Chef fluted Stone or what I like to call the Bundt Pan...then you should (no, I don't sell Pampered Chef so don't worry I am not trying to sell you anything...I just really love it!). I use it all the time to make this wonderful German Chocolate Cake! I love German Chocolate Cake and this is my favorite "recipe" (recipe is a loose word..I guess I should say this is my favorite way to make it)..it's so moist and its sooo easy that I can almost guarantee that Benson will make me this cake for my birthday every year...

1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients on back of box to make)

1 can coconut pecan frosting

"Grease" bundt pan with frosting (for this recipe you have to use the Pampered Chef stone). Make cake according to directions and pour over frosting..put in your MICROWAVE (yeah, you heard me right) for 13 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 5 minutes then pop out your cake...its seriously that easy. I don't know about you but I don't know any other recipe that gives you a FROSTED cake in 13 minutes...and its SOO moist and delicious. I love it!

Nathan taking his turn stirring!
This is right out of the microwave...not the best picture..just trust me IT'S GOOD!

My kids love it too...except Ben doesn't like the "yucky frosting" but lucky for him the rest of us are always willing to eat that part for him!!

Check this out...

Okay, so today I woke up a little cranky...I can go into all the reasons, but I'll spare you all the details...lets just say I had an idea on how my day should go and it wasn't happening...Anyway, my friend Britany recommended this blog to me the other day and guess what I laughed so much that my bad mood was gone...so I thought I would pass on this gloriously funny blog for all of you (like me) who need a good laugh today...

http://itsababynotbrainsurgery.blogspot.com/



I read this blog for like an hour...funny stuff!

Future NBA Star?

Due to the NBA playoffs there has been an increase in the amount of Basketball talking, watching, and playing in our home! Yesterday, Benson and Ben were playing on Ben's hoop (which he calls his "hula hoop"). Ben likes to play any type of sport but the funny thing is...he loves to coach Benson and report all the stats of the game (which are usually incorrect)...when they were playing he was saying stuff like "daddy, block me" or "go around me on this side" then every time one of them takes a shot Ben would say "He's 14 for 64" or some weird number. Also, the other day he was playing and he made a shot and said "Now, I can retire!"..WHAT?? He is a funny kid! Ben at the "free throw line"...

SLEEPOVER!

Sammy has been wanting to have a sleepover with Pyper (her cousin) forever...nothing like the fact that they are moving to St George to finally make it happen. They watched Enchanted (love that movie)... Got busted watching fireworks out the window when they were supposed to be sleeping...

Finally in bed (at 10pm)...

Today, because I am super nice, I took them to get their 1st Webkinz...Sammy had been wanting one forever and I wanted to get them something so they could remember each other. Plus, I made them work really hard for it AND there is some big sale and we ended up getting buy one get one free! Yea!

Have I mentioned that Nate loves Buzz Lightyear?

About 2 years ago we took our kids to Build-a-Bear...luckily for Nate (who was an infant at the time and didn't get a bear) Ben picked a Buzz Lightyear Monkey...well we have somehow lost the monkey but we still have the Buzz outfit which has recently become an outfit of choice for Nate. He has been bringing the outfit to me to put on him and I have told him over and over that its for a stuffed animal and he is too big. Well, I finally just put it on him so he would understand...except he didn't care if it was too small! He loved it. I am pretty sure he is convinced that he is the REAL Buzz Lightyear (when I showed him this picture I ask him "who is this?" and he said "Buzz" I said "No, its Nate" and he said "no, Buzz")! Please don't notice the binky...I am in denial about the whole thing. (for the record...he only gets it when he sleeps and this picture was taken right before he was going down for bed).

Ben got a hold of my camera...

Ben decided to play photographer today and I ended up with 45 pictures on my camera that were like this... or this...

and I had 15 of this same truck from different views!

I wasn't really mad until I was downloading my pictures tonight and it took longer than I wanted. Than I thought to myself "well at least this is a digital camera...imagine how mad I would have been if I had to PAY to develop pictures like this?" Then I found myself singing "I love technology" (just like Kip)!

Loving Tumble Weed Park...

Ben loved pretending like he had hatched out of an egg...Nathan and Tiger riding motorcycles...

Sammy and Pyper on the tire swing...
Last night we went to Tumble Weed Park (again) and brought the Cuff cousins. We are so sad that they are moving to St George and we are trying to get tons of play time in before they leave. Plus, we wanted to give Lisa (Benson's sister) a little alone time to pack and clean! I seriously love this park and for the record I went twice yesterday (which I wasn't really going to admit to but I saw some fellow bloggers)...you would think that I live super close (I wish)!

Seriously.

I am so happy that the best show on TV has a new episode tonight! Welcome back McDreamy! We have missed you...
Seriously.

Ben cracks me up!

Last night for Family Night Ben was in charge of the game. Usually, we just play Uno or whatever...but he decided to make up his own game. He cut out these strips of paper and wrote the first letter of everyones name. Then everyone took a turn picking a paper and describing the person...some favorite descriptions were from Ben "her name starts with M, she is really fancy, she has 'curry' hair, and she can dress herself"..."its Mommy" or "His name starts with D, he knows how to turn on and off the TV, he can go potty all by himself and he likes to wrestle with me"..."its daddy"! The way he described himself was also funny "He's 4 years old, he is really crazy for his mom, and likes to run"...anyway, you get the idea! It was a super fun game and I couldn't believe Ben came up with it on his own..AND that he knew everyones first initial! (I am also impressed that he had noted that I am FANCY and I know how to dress myself..I am very proud of both of those things).



Today the kids were coloring and Ben made this picture to hang on his door...I ask him what it said and he said "it says that Sammy can't come in" I couldn't believe he made a no girls allowed sign...he drew a picture of Sammy and crossed it out??? I told them it wasn't very nice and that he needs to let Sammy in his room..then I ran and got the camera before we took it down..I know I shouldn't admit this..but, I thought it was funny! Only because they usually play so well together!

When I Grow up...

Last week in Sammy's Kindergarten class they were learning about "community helpers". One day she came home with a doctors kit and informed us that when she grew up she wanted to be a doctor. I told her I thought that would be great and ask her what kind of doctor she would like to be. She didn't know so Benson suggested she should be a Pediatrician and explained that she would be a children's doctor..she agreed that is what she would like to be. The next day she comes home with a huge smile "Mom, we learned about what I want to be when I grow up!" I was thinking that she (being only 5) had changed her mind on what she was going to be but no...she pulled this police hat out of her backpack and said they learned about "P.D.atricians". Umm...I am pretty sure she wasn't listening in school!

Spring Fling!

Sammy potato sack racing...

Ben potato sack racing... Ben and Sammy "go,go, go"...

Benson really wanted to beat Rob in this race...sorry babe!

Sammy loved this water slide...too bad we forgot swimsuits...oh well!
Nathan couldn't quite make up his mind...I think he liked it but he would take FOREVER to slide down!
So after a couple times down...we told him he couldn't go on the water slide anymore! I don't think he liked that...

We are so lucky to live in such a fun neighborhood...there are always so many fun activities! On Saturday afternoon our neighborhood had a Spring Fling...so fun. We had a little BBQ, a little water sliding, and a lot of racing (potato sack, 3 legged races, and a good ol' dash)...come on who doesn't like a potato sack race?

Pat's Run

Today we ran in the Pat Tillman Run...it was so much fun. Ben was especially excited for this because first of all he loves to race and second he LOVES Sparky...the finish line was on the 42 yard line at Sun Devil Stadium. On the way to the race Ben said to Benson "Daddy are you going to run in my race?" Benson told him "yeah Ben we are all going to be in the race" then Ben said "Daddy, will you run behind me so I can beat you?" I thought that was so funny..and just so you know Benson did run behind him (with Nathan...who ran almost the whole race). The kids had so much fun especially because they have been to so many of their dad's races (Benson likes to do triathlons) so it was fun for them to have their own race and cheering section (Nana and Papa came to cheer them on). Our family at the starting line

Nathan loved to run during the race he just kept saying "running, running, running"

Sammy and Ben at the finish line

Benson and Nathan at the finish line (by the end Nathan was done running..so he was able to get a shoulder ride)

Ben, Sparky, and Sammy..Ben was in heaven at this moment!

Tumble Weed Park

It has been politely brought to my attention (by all of the comments I received) that I neglected to inform you of the whereabouts of the park mentioned below so for all of you that are dying to go to this park....Tumble Weed Park is in Chandler on McQueen and Germann (right off the 202) on the Southwest side of the street...its a super big park so you can't miss it! I am totally serious about meeting people there too...I am probably going again this week :)

Spring Holiday???

Today was "Spring Holiday" for the kids...I am confused...didn't we just have Spring Break? Anyway, they had the day off of school so we decided to go to Tumble Weed Park and play at the "playtopia"! It was such an amazing park...some of the perks were...no sand (wood chips), the majority of the park was under this barn (the park has a farm theme), tire swings, a fun bike path that is painted like a road ( I told Sammy that we should come back and bring our bikes and she said "we can't ride our bikes in the street"..she's funny!), fun slides and structures that are buses and fire trucks (in the city area of the park)! I swear under the barn the weather was like 20 degrees cooler! We had so much fun...thanks Hillsteads for meeting us there! I am definitely going back to this park soon...if anyone wants to meet us let me know! This is the barn...notice all the other mini barns..that is all the covered seating!

The kids loved the 3 person slide so they could race down...Sammy, Hallie, and Ashley

Sammy and Hallie (Sammy really wanted to invite a friend so we decided to bring Hallie along for the fun!) These girls could have played at this park all day long!

Nathan playing..Isn't the barn play structure so cute...love the wood chips (except when I fell and got a splinter...don't laugh Anne!)Ben, Nate and Sammy on the tire swing!

They also had a city area with buses and fire trucks...on the side of this picture you can see the "street" that is a bike path.

Ben climbing on the barn!

After the park...we went to McDonald's (kids loved it...I am not so wild about that place) then Walmart...on our way home we decided to pick up some friends to come and play at our house for the afternoon.

Sammy, Tori, Ben , and Brendan making some Spring necklaces...I figured we needed to make a Spring craft if it was Spring Holiday! So I guess the long story short of our day (so far..wow its only 3 in the afternoon) is that I am not sure what we are celebrating (Spring...again?) but its been a fun Holiday!

Secret Identitiy Revealed!

On the way to gymnastics today Sammy and her friend Madi (who we carpool with) had this little conversation...

Madi asks, " Sammy, do you believe in super heroes?"
Sammy replies, "Yes"

Madi than says, "well... I don't"

Sammy (in disbelief) replies, "oh, you should because I KNOW a real super hero!'

Madi's interest is piqued a little and asks, "oh yeah, who? " (a tinge accusationally)
Sammy whispers, "well you can't tell anyone...but its my Daddy!"

Madi concedes, "you are probably right. He is the fastest runner I know!"

Sammy proudly says, "I know... its because he is a REAL super hero!"

Guess who else likes my new computer..

SOMETIMES I feel like a 3 year old little girl that doesn't want to share her new toy! Don't they have their own toys? (I am kidding...kind of)

I am back in the game...

I know everybody has been dying to know this....but Benson has FINALLY received his new computer...that means I have his old one! No more computerless days for me!
The world is good again!

The Frog Prince and his Princesses

Nathan is in the cutest little playgroup where he is the only boy and has all of these little girlfriends. Half the time 2 of the girls are fighting over who is his best friend... I think they all like Nathan because he lets them play with whatever doll or princess they want...he is happy with his cars! Today playgroup was at my house and we got out all the dress ups. I loved their costume choices and had to take a picture of my little "frog prince"!

(for the record...Kinsley made sure I called everyone by the correct princess name for the rest of the morning and would not answer unless I called her by her name "Tinkerbell")

A few of my favorite things...

1. First off...my new favorite thing is not a product but a website GOOGLE READER! How much time has this saved me lately! I love it...all you do is enter the blog addresses of the blogs you like to read and Google Reader notifies you when they have updated...seriously has cut my computer time in half..which is good considering I don't have a computer (have I mentioned that???)

2. Blue Bell Ice Cream...chocolate covered strawberries...can you say "heaven inside a carton"? Wow, this was so amazing. If you have never tried it..please do! And, its on sale at Bashas this week!

3. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and Conditioner. I love this shampoo and conditioner because it makes my hair smell and feel so clean. It almost makes my eyes burn..but I love it.
4. Clinique Sparkle Skin...this is a skin exfoliater and it is amazing. Again, makes me feel so clean after the shower. Plus, it gives you a good shave...I combined this with soap and use it as shaving cream and makes my legs so smooth. One more bonus, it says that it will help your self tanner stay on longer and makes the tan more even!

Honorable mention...not a new product (but I am not sure if the other products are new either..just new to me) but I thought I would mention this just in case you have been living under a rock and didn't know about Jergens natural glow self tanner...I don't know about anyone else but I feel like this product is life changing! I mean who doesn't feel better about themselves with a little tan and WHO HAS TIME TO TAN??? Love this stuff!

Rocking Out!

Hopefully I am not the only one...but one of my favorite things to do with my kids is turn on some LOUD music and dance our hearts out! It is super fun and I recommend it for all! Sammy and Nate love it and it is so much fun just to be silly with them every once in a while! I teach my kids little dance moves but mostly I just like to watch them "freestyle" and make up their own things! The problem is...usually Ben stands back and watches us dance and says "I can't dance" or "I don't want to". I try so hard to get him to participate but he won't (he must get this from Benson..definitely not a Jones trait). Today, Sammy and I were dancing and Ben came in and started dancing with us...he even invented a "surf dance" which is pretty much self explanatory and he dances like he's surfing! I loved it! I had no idea that boys had this fear of dancing at such a young age! But I do know that his future wife (and all the girls at the stake dances in the future) will thank me for teaching him to let loose and ROCK OUT!