That's my kid!

So Brielle swallowed a penny today while Russ was changing her diaper. Russ told her to spit it out, she didn't, choked on the penny for a few seconds, then managed to swallow it despite Russell's probing fingers. Once it was successfully swallowed Brielle grinned at us. Obviously her parents were wrong, she CAN swallow a penny! We called the doctor and they suggested we just wait, and to pass the time we can chop up her poop with plastic knives (I kid you not, she told us to do that!) So now we're taking wagers for when this penny will reappear. All guesses are welcome, just leave them as a comment and the winner will receive one VERY shiny penny and maybe some truffles. =0)

MY estimate is Monday at 8 pm.

(The x-ray is not of Brielle, I just found it online)

A Boy and his DOG

We adopted a collie from the pound to keep for a month and then send to my mom at Christmas time. The dog was amazing with children! Hyrum and Brielle could do anything with him and he was the most gentle creature imaginable. Unfortunately we had a battle with housebreaking him (I had thought an 8 year old dog would have been housebroken, but I think he was an outside dog before he was picked up as a stray) and in the end we gave him back to the shelter. (they assured us a purebred dog like him would have a good home within a week or else we wouldn't have taken him back, after all, every dog needs a home.) Anyway now my children are pining and asking where their dog went.

I tell them we can get a dog when we get a house, and Brielle always replies "can we go buy a house at the store now?" Can't wait til we go to the house store.

Driving a truck across the dog's ear. I spent a lot of time "rescuing" the dog from Hyrum's attentions. He loved having a dog, it's too bad we're in a small apartment, and too bad I have two other un-potty-trained creatures to clean up after........

No Tag Backs!

Alrighty, I've been tagged multiple times in my life and this one I think I'll do, since my friends Heidi and Shay ganged up and both hit me with the same blog-tag. I'm supposed to share 7 random OR weird facts about myself, so here goes:


1. I've skipped through a jungle chock full of active land-mines and salt water crocodiles. (Angaur, Micronesia)
(Both of these pictures are on the island Angaur)

2. I've skinnydipped in the Ocean (California) as well as several other places. Sorry, no pictures of this. =0)

3. I've swam with sharks. (Belize) No cage.



4. I excel at Dolphin water-skiing. Best in my class actually. (Quintana Roo)


(that's not me, but that's what dolphin water-skiing IS, for those of you not familiar with the sport)

5. I've hiked the Narrows (Zion's National Park) which was exceedingly long and grueling since you're in water for most of the 16 miles. (a tricky one because you can't stop halfway, there is no way out.)

and Half Dome (Yosemite), which was terrifying at the end going straight up the rock. I was right at the very VERY top there!


This was the hardest part, and if you went too slow (like me!) then people would want to pass you and you'd have to let go of the cables so they could get around.

6. I love, love, LOVE to dress up! Fancy, funny, silly, you name it. (these pictures are from ages 17-23)

7. I love food. Cooking it, eating it, experimenting with it, fights involving it, even watching OTHER people cook it. (my FAVORITE thing to do is read, but pictures of me doing that aren't very fun, and baking is my 2nd favorite.)

Some pretty caramel apples Russ and I made.
(Kraft caramels, Ghirardelli dipping chocolate, crushed Oreo, White chocolate)

Pumpkin pie fight. With Jess of course. I have many, MANY more food fight pictures, and dress up pictures, and all sorts of wild and crazy adventure pictures, but it's a little tedious scanning all of my college photos onto the computer. Just know that I'm not afraid of a little mess. =o)

So now I tag Amie, Joy, Oprah, Shannon, Sting, President Monson, Brooke and Tammy.

Silly Daddy!

Congratulations Barack!

I'm so glad Obama won! And Barack, buddy, when you read this I'm sorry I didn't call last night to congratulate you but I thought you'd be busy.

Seriously though I believe Obama will be a great President. He has wonderful family values, an exemplary knowledge of the Constitution and the responsibilities of a President, and an admirable moral integrity. Basically he is a good man, I'm glad the Country chose him.


(p.s. And no this doesn't mean I'm in favor of abortion, or changing the definition of marriage. The republicans have had control of the white house and senate for quite a while now and haven't bothered to do anything about those two issues, though they sure proclaim them from the rooftops when discussing the pros of their party.)

Happy Halloween!

We had a fun Halloween here. Hyrum was a dragon, Brielle was an elephant again.........and there WAS NO SNOW!!! I can't remember what it feels like to trick-or-treat without snow! It was 60 degrees and really quite a beautiful night. We went trick or treating with the Spjut's. Their daughter Madilyn is Brielle and Hyrum's favorite playmate.

These two girls were so cute, they would say "trick-or-treat" and "thank you" very nicely.

After a few doors Hyrum caught on to the pattern and he would run up to the next door and bang on it until someone answered, often falling inside when they opened the door. It was funny.

And, as is often the case with young children, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get a picture with everyone looking (didn't even try for smiling!)!!

We had tried to go to our Church Trunk-or-treat, but we got the time wrong and showed up to an empty parking lot at 7. Sadly this means we have a TON of candy at our house that I had bought in anticipation of hundreds of kids swarming my car steadily for an hour. And I'm not kidding here, it IS sad because I don't like the candy I bought!

The next day Russell and I went to a fun adult party at a friend's house. I was a surgeon and Russ was a computer geek. (in case we look too ordinary to tell what we are! We put our costumes together fairly quickly I'm afraid, maybe next year we'll put some more effort in it.)

How domestic AM I?!!!

I am becoming incredibly talented in my baking skills. Honestly, you should all be SO lucky...... There really aren't words to describe my culinary prowess so I shall have to start shipping my baked goods to each and every one of you so that you can understand. No but seriously, I love cooking, and regardless of how it turns out I'm always pleased with myself when I make something neat.

Our relief society made gifts in a jar and I made these nifty pumpkin cakes. They actually bake right in the jar and then you close them up and seal them in, then they can be stored for up to six months. Yahoo for food storage! =o)

I made these chocolate cake balls for a baby shower. I got the recipe on this blogspot: Bakerella And these are SOO DARN GOOD!! Love them. Everyone needs to make their own as quickly as possible, they are just that delicious. (Thank you Julie for introducing me to Bakerella!)