It was time...

Before...

After...

Bye, bye baby!

Lincoln-isms and my finer assets

Lincoln and I walk back and forth to the elementary school three times a day, so we get a lot of quality time together walking and "talking." We are absolutely thrilled with how he is progressing with his speech. He has started really attempting to repeat the things we say and he often uses two and three word phrases these days. His speech therapist is one of his favorite people on the planet (he talks about Aimee incessantly, especially on Fridays, the day she comes.) She is also really impressed with his progress.

Lincoln is so funny on these daily treks to and from the school. He is obsessed with putting all the landscaping rocks that have been knocked onto the sidewalk back into place. He also insists on picking every single dandelion he sees for me (he says, "Mommy wa-woo"-- Mommy flower.) But my favorite little thing he does is walk in the grass. Mainly because of his pronunciation. He tends to drop the first consonants in many words. The speech therapist isn't worried about that now, we are just focusing on getting him to say anything at this point. So the other day we were walking along and he really wanted me to walk on the grass with him. I thought it was pretty hysterical and wondered what any people walking by thought when they heard him say, "Mommy ass, Mommy ass" all the way home from the school.

It's official!!!!!!

I mean, it already was, but it really seems official today. This came in the mail...

Ta-dah!! It will really, really seem official when he gets his automatic raise at work! :)

Our little wildcat

Oops, I mean Bobcat. :)

Isaac received his Bobcat award (rank?) at pack meeting last week. I wish someone had warned me that I was going to have to go up in front of everyone to get something pinned on me! I might have actually dressed up for the occasion. Anyway, I will admit that I am slowly warming up to this cub scout thing...(still have yet to buy any of the badges or the badge magic, though.)

Here is the whole family up with Isaac as he pins the Bobcat pin on me. (I don't really know why they pin it on the mom, but whatever.)

Another fun weekend

We spent last Saturday introducing Ryan to Castlewood Canyon and we had a wonderful day! We spent the morning on a two mile hike that took us down into the canyon. The kids saw some crawdads and frogs and even a small snake. We let Lincoln choose who would carry him in the backpack and he chose me. I don't mind at all (I figure it burns extra calories) but I couldn't believe how many people commented to me about it while we were hiking. Poor Ryan had to spend the whole morning having random strangers question his manhood. Oh well.

See? He took a turn with the backpack, too!

Isaac jumps across a creek

I love this picture! Audrey was acting like a bear (because they were in a "cave") and I don't know what the other two kids were doing!
After our picnic lunch, we drove over to another part of the canyon to look at the pioneer house and do another hike. It was an absolutely beautiful day. We hiked into the canyon to look at some dam ruins from a dam that burst like in 1910 or something. It was really cool. On the way back to the car we stopped and played in the river for a while.

We found a bunch of apple trees that the pioneers must have planted next to their house. They were brimming with apples so we let the kids try them and they liked them just fine!

Me and the girls at the pioneer house.
A waterfall on the way to the dam.What was left of the dam.
Playing in the river


Maybe one of these weekends we will stop playing and get back to reality...but maybe not. We are having so much fun!

Move over, Mary Lou!

The girls started gymnastics on Wednesday and they absolutely loved it! So yes, I spent the last three years begging and pleading and forcing them to take dance lessons because that is what I wanted to do when I was their age, but apparently it was all for naught. They are gymnasts!! I am glad we found something they love.

And I just had to sneak a veggie tale in here (hee, hee.) Deceptively Delicious came and I love it! I have been putting vegetables in everything--I just made myself a protein shake with pumpkin and spinach. I made peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with zucchini, pumpkin and spinach that were a huge hit. The kids drink down probably two servings of veggies every morning at breakfast in their smoothies. It really is easy to get it all in when you plan ahead. Anyway, that is my exciting update for all of you who have been waiting with baited breath to find out what weird vegetable thing I was going to do next!

OCD

On with the vegetable saga...

I'm sure most of you were gagging when you read that I was going to make whole wheat carrot pineapple muffins for breakfast. Even as I typed it I thought it sounded pretty bad. But they turned out to be SO GOOD!!! So, I am going to share the recipe for any of you that are interested and as obsessive about random things as I am. My only problem in sharing recipes is that when I bake, I sort of make things up, so I am never sure exactly on the amounts, but here is my best guess. Really, you should try these!!

Lindsay's Super Healthy Whole Wheat Carrot Pineapple Muffins

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups white flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups fat free milk
1 egg
2 TBSP applesauce
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)
1/2 cup coconut
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flaxseed (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup instant mashed potato flakes

Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, coconut, cinnamon, flaxseed and potato flakes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Put into sprayed muffin tin (DO NOT USE MUFFIN LINERS--as there is no fat in the recipe, the muffins won't come off of the paper.) Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes about 24 muffins. Poke tiny holes in the muffins. Top with glaze.

Glaze--mix pineapple juice (from crushed pineapple) with powdered sugar (about 1 cup?) to make a glaze. Put over hot muffins.

Another idea that I had--I don't know why I didn't think of it before--Breakfast smoothies!! This morning's was a HUGE hit--so here it is (again, I just make it up so the amounts could be off, but you can't mess this up...)

Breakfast Smoothie of the Day

2 bananas
1 cup low fat strawberry yogurt
3 stalks celery
1 1/2 cups Light V8 Fusion Strawberry Banana flavor
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cup light Vanilla Soy milk
1/2 cup blueberries

Blend it all in a blender and serve. I am going to try adding tomato juice tomorrow to see if they notice. They didn't notice the celery at all! :)

One final vegetable update...I made my regular whole wheat bread recipe with an added sweet potato and it was delicious!! Super soft and yummy, but the taste wasn't altered at all. This week I am going to try adding zucchini as well. From now on I will always make it that way!

Yes, OCD. I know, I know.

Rocky Mountain National Park

On Saturday we took advantage of the free National Park Day and went up to Rocky Mountain National Park. Whoever thought of this free day idea was brilliant--one free day up there and I am willing to shell out whatever it takes to get an annual pass. It was breathtakingly beautiful! I am going to have a hard time picking the pictures to go along with this post.

We got off to a somewhat slow start...We stopped to get gas and realized that neither of us had remembered to bring our wallets. So, back home we went. We then filled up and tried to buy firewood for our campfire that night--the third store we tried actually had some. By then I needed a Diet Coke break, so we had to go through the drive-thru. We forged on...and missed the turn-off onto I-25. After a detour, we were back on track...and Chloe had to go to the bathroom. We stopped and had a family potty break at Wal-Mart. While we were getting Lincoln buckled back into the car, Isaac somehow temporarily broke the car door. At this point it felt as if we had been on the road for eight hours... Ryan finally was able to fix the door and we pressed on--into what looked like a major thunderstorm.

It took us about three hours, I think, but we finally got there. We stopped and had a picnic lunch--it was kind of chilly and a bit rainy, but we were okay. We then decided to go on a hike to Alberta Falls. Apparently everyone else decided that too. All the lots were full and we literally drove around the parking lot for 25 minutes looking for a spot, or just waiting for one to open up. Finally we found one, hopped on a shuttle and started hiking. The hike made all the madness worth it. It was just so incredibly beautiful!!!! As we started back down the trail, it began pouring rain. Poor little Lincoln cried, "Mommy" the whole way down the mountain! We ran down the muddy trail (along with tons of others) and hopped back on the shuttle to ride back to our car. When we got off the shuttle there were blue skies all around! We decided to try our luck and drive to the next hike so we didn't have to bother with the shuttle again. Luckily we found a spot right away (I think the rain had scared the others off.)

Me and Lincoln at the top of Alberta Falls

The kids watching the waterfall and pondering the complexities of life, by the looks of it.
The next hike was easy, easy (like I wouldn't even call it a hike, but a paved walk) so we let Lincoln walk and he was in seventh heaven. He was thrilled with every little thing he saw and just kept saying "Me" and "Walk" the whole time. Other people on the trail were just watching him because it was so cute. We walked around an incredibly beautiful Bear Lake and just soaked it all in. I am so grateful to live in such a beautiful place!Lincoln was absolutely enamored with the little chipmunks that weren't at all scared of people.

The kids thought this was hysterical!
So many people offered to take this picture for us so I could be in it, but certain kids of mine won't smile for other people--or worse as you will see in the next shot. It would have been such a great picture, too. :(
After that hike we hopped in our car and drove to the place where we planned to have our campfire dinner. Unfortunately another storm had blown in. We tried to wait it out but it became apparent that the campfire was not going to happen that night. And I was in desperate need of another Diet Coke break. So we drove to Longmont and ate at Five Guys Burgers and Fries--I probably ate more calories in that one meal than I normally eat in three days!!! But it was good (and I came home and worked out for two hours.)

Anyway--long post for a GREAT day--made all the better by the fact that Ryan got to share it with us!!!!!!!!! :) I don't think I will ever take that fact for granted!

Veggies R Us

Well the bread was a hit, the bread pudding was a hit and the kids didn't even notice the vegetables I snuck into the meatloaf last night! Tomorrow morning we are trying whole wheat carrot pineapple muffins.

Heidi G. commented about my incredible bread pudding and I have to agree with her--it is divine (in my humble opinion.) However, one of the main ingredients is heavy whipping cream which is why I only save it for special occasions and very rarely serve it to my kids (I usually bust it out for Christmas morning.) But here is the much healthier version I concocted for this morning.

Lindsay's Vegetable-laden Healthier Breakfast Bread Pudding :)

2 egg whites
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup Splenda
2 cups fat free milk
1 cup light vanilla soy milk
1 loaf Sweet Potato Yeast Bread, cut into cubes (see previous post for recipe)

Whisk eggs, sugars, and milks in a large bowl. Spray a casserole dish. Arrange bread in the dish. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Stir, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

The only problem I have with this recipe and the last is that they are too good--I end up eating more of it than I should. Ah, well.

Tonight I am thinking of trying to make my regular wheat bread recipe with sweet potato added in just to see what it does. I'll let you know (if you care at all--I can get a bit obsessed with things sometimes, I know.)

Jennifer--I did buy that V8 Fusion juice this past week (the light Peach Mango flavor) and my kids did love it. The only problem is with four kids it didn't last very long and it is kind of pricey. I think I will pick up a few bottles every week though. I am determined to do this!

Tagged...

Micah tagged me so I thought I'd play along. This is the 10th picture in the first folder of pictures on my computer...sort of. Some of the really old pictures are in a different folder, but I just went with this. Anyway, it is Audrey digging in the sand in Maui (August 2005). That was such an incredible trip! Just for kicks, here are a few more shots...

Isaac on the beach
Audrey, my niece, Dylanie and Chloe
Ryan and I enjoying the sunrise at the top of a volcano before we biked down. (They gave us those ridiculous outfits to wear because it was really cold up there!)
The family at a waterfall
Aloha!

Thank goodness I've lost weight...Next time we hit Hawaii I will be smokin'! :)
Wow, that was a fun trip down memory lane! Thanks, Micah! I tag anyone who wants to play along!

Food Guide Pyramid Woes

I consider myself a very healthy eater. I always try to give our kids a variety of nutritious foods, limit sweets, only use ground turkey, drink lots of milk and soy milk, grind my own wheat to make my own bread (and I always add ground flaxseed) etc., etc. But the other day I was looking at the Food Guide Pyramid for kids and I read that they are supposed to be eating 2 1/2 cups of vegetables a day! Not fruits and vegetables--just vegetables. There is no way on earth my kids are getting that many veggies! So this week I have been on a new quest of increasing our veggie intake. I don't know if we will ever get up to the daily recommendation, but I figure we will give it our best shot. I have been sneaking them in here and there--tonight's meatloaf has grated carrots and green peppers in it (we will see if they notice.) And yes, I'm sure some of you will suggest it--I ordered Deceptively Delicious. Last night I concocted a recipe for this morning's breakfast that was divine!!! (Okay--techinically I found a recipe and altered it so that it was more healthy. I can't take too much credit for this!) I thought I would share...

Lindsay's Sweet Potato Yeast Bread

2 TBSP. yeast
1 3/4 cup warm water
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (don't add anything, just fork mash the cooked potatoes)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 tsp. salt
3 + cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups white flour
1 TBSP. cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cups chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, disolve yeast in warm water. Add sweet potatoes, applesauce, honey, egg, salt and whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough white flour to make a soft dough. Let rise one hour.

Punch dough down. Divide into two loaves; put into greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise an additional 30 minutes to one hour.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. (Cover loosely with foil to avoid browning too quickly.)

I served one loaf this morning with fat free cream cheese for added protein. The other loaf I made in breakfast bread pudding for tomorrow morning's breakfast. It is soooo good!

Return of the Road Warriors

Or, Our New Traveling Circus Act

We have been relishing Ryan's completion of school! I would say we have attempted to cram five years worth of activities into the past week! One of the first things Ryan did last weekend was get the family bikes down and fixed up. We used to ride all the time in Arizona, but seeing as how I was eight months pregnant when we moved here, we didn't ride them right away and then with Ryan's brutal school schedule, he never had time to get them all ready to go. We have been out riding at least four times since he finished and loving every minute of it! Okay, well not quite every minute. Lincoln feels very left out in his trailer and starts asking to walk about five minutes into every ride. The girls are needing to get "re-conditioned" a bit, so they need a starting push way more often than I want to give them one. Isaac's bike is too small for him, but luckily that doesn't hold him back. My legs are covered in cuts and bruises from injuries sustained on these family bike rides. What is it with kids and riding bikes? We will all be riding along, everything is going smoothly and then the kid in the front of the line sees a strange looking bug crawling along the sidewalk and what do they do? Why, slam on their brakes, of course, causing a five-bike pile up on the sidewalk. Gotta love it!

We are now teaching the girls to ride without training wheels so our bike rides consist of riding to the school parking lot and taking turns running around with the two-wheeler while the other parent and kids ride in circles around the parking lot. Luckily kids are very easily amused.

Oh, the things they say...

The other day an afternoon storm blew in and I rushed outside to secure our patio furniture. The kids watched through the window as I struggled with it in the strong winds. I happened to be wearing a skirt that day. When I came in, I said, "Wow, it is really windy out there." Chloe replied, "But not very modesty!"

This afternoon as I walked the girls to school I told them I had something very important to say to them and they could never ever forget it. After I built up the importance for a minute, I told them that I loved them. There was a long pause, then Audrey said, "Mommy, I have something very important to tell you and you can never, ever forget it." I said, "What?", fully expecting a reciprocal declaration of her feelings. She then said, in all seriousness, "Don't ever, ever touch a dead animal." Not exactly what I was expecting, but I'll take it!

Talent Show

Tonight we had the Primary Talent show which the kids have been so excited about for weeks and weeks. When I asked them what they were going to do, Chloe said she was going to dance. She chose her own music and costume and had very definite ideas about what she was going to do. But she wasn't too keen on practicing--and when she would she would tell me not to look, so I wasn't sure what to expect when she actually got up on stage. I put her on the program as doing an "Interpretive Folk Dance." She ended up rocking it! Many people commented on how well she did and how she stayed with the rhythm so well. One friend asked if she watches "Riverdance" a lot. (The answer is never.) I guess it is just all that Scottish and Irish blood flowing through her veins!


Audrey decided she was going to make refreshments for the talent show as her talent. As we were making them this morning, she wanted to hold off on decorating them until we got there--as if she was on the Food Network demonstrating her cake decorating skills or something. We just went ahead and finished them off at home. She did it entirely by herself--which explains the many different sizes of cupcakes. I'm sure they tasted wonderfully (hopefully there weren't too many eggshells!)

Isaac did an art display for his talent. He is very creative and has a good eye for color. He also has a fabulous art teacher at school and he is always bringing home really neat projects.

Yes, to celebrate Ryan's first night of freedom we went to a Primary Talent Show!!! It was so nice to have him there!

HE IS DONE!!!!!!

Camping Trip...or something like that

Once again I decided to attempt the ward campout sans husband. This year did not go quite as well. It would have been fine if the weather had cooperated. But I'll admit, I'm a fair-weather camper. (If you could even call me a camper at all, which admittedly is a big stretch.)

We got there and this year there was no willing and able fellow camper around to help me set up my tent. So by the time I had sorted out all the poles, tried to shove them in their little slots and gone and gotten Lincoln out of the fire pit (no fire in it) for the 12th time, we were an hour and a half into our little adventure. Then things really started to get crazy. The kids were thrilled that the tent was finally standing (sort of) and they immediately started unloading everything in our car into the tent (including a light saber--an essential piece of camping equipment; it doubles as a flashlight.) I was still trying to finish up staking the tent down when a huge gust of wind came along and blew the tent into the air. I rushed after it and caught it--it was literally airborne. I held onto it with all my might and wrestled it back to the ground. The wind died down and I looked around and realized I was missing one kid. It was at that moment that I realized that Chloe was inside the tent! If I hadn't grabbed onto the tent in time we would have lost her to Nebraska or somewhere! She was terrified, for obvious reasons, but I barely had time to deal with it because then it started raining and the wind picked up again. Two young men ran over and helped me try to stake the tent back down, but when the wind blew the tent away the first time most of the stakes were lost in the ground. We tried to weigh the tent down with Lincoln's pack and play and our cooler, but the wind was too strong and kept knocking it all around. When I finally noticed that the cooler had gotten blown over and spilled ice water all over the inside of the tent, I decided that enough was enough. I took it all down and shoved it back into the car. We will try again sometime when Ryan can go with us.

We did stay for the rest of the activities that night and had a lot of fun! The weather died down and it was absolutely beautiful. We enjoyed eating our tin foil dinners, roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores and being with lots of friends. The kids also got to make homemade ice cream in zip lock bags and catch bugs in a little bug house. We stayed late and got home dirty and tired, but it was worth it. It rained all night long but the kids slept in until 8:00 am on Saturday morning so I know that I made the right decision not to stay the night! They would have never slept that late had we been in a wet tent!!

Lincoln tastes his homemade ice cream


Lincoln and Isaac catching bugs
Family picture--Lincoln didn't want to participate
although he insisted I take this shot of him alone in the same place. Maybe he understands the concept of photoshop?! (That look on his face is him warning the other kids to stay out of his picture!)
Great photo op--do you see the rainbow behind them?! If only Lincoln would let me take a group picture!!!

(Ryan is done with school a week from today!!!! Then I will really be a happy camper!)