In search of sunshine

during spring break we packed up the car and did not stop until the temperature gauge reported above 60 degrees. Then we took a short break.

We took back to the road 60 degrees was certainly not good enough for Spring Break. We did not stop until it was warm enough to drive with the music way up and the windows way down. When I glanced at the temperature is said 75. I knew we had found our destination.


There was lots of swimming, waves, shark reeks, parks, good friends and thank goodness for the sunshine it felt so good! Nothing like a good old road trip with the family! I could already use another one!

sweet cheeks

I just love her sweet little face in this picture.

I could stare at it for a long time.

I also laugh when I look at it.

She is trying to copy Ellie doing the double thumbs up.....

but all the girl gots is double index every time

no matter how hard she tries.

saving the day

Do you ever miss your child looking at you right in the eyes and at that moment you can tell that they love you more than anyone in the whole world. Kind of like they used to do when they were much younger and you were practically the only person in their whole world. Eyes gleaming, filled with adoration and extreme gratitude for you in their life. A little while ago I managed by luck to get Canyon to give me that look once again....

Seconds before he was about to enter his elementary school doors I quickly summoned him back to the car and whispered to him that his pants were on backwards. Then while he quickly changed his pants I shielded him from any curious onlookers. Afterwards he took a deep breath and when he looked at me to say good-bye I got the "I really, really love you look" that any mother longs for. The look I have missed so much, along with a million thank you, thank you, thank yous. It feels good to know he still needs me. Even if it's only a little bit, I'll take it! I love him more than everything in the big blue sky and I love that just once in a while I still get to save the day for him.

hoppy hop

We had such a lovely Easter Weekend.
{Lucy was in ultra excite mode over eggs filled with yummy candy}
{she also said bunny a lot.... but said candy more standing on her head with a chocolate face}
{Ellie loved twirling in her new dress as much as egg hunting she was content with just a few good finds which allowed more time to twirl}
{Canyon was busy looking for those really hard to find eggs and boycotting the camera at all costs}
{Over the weekend he also scaled to the top of a rock climbing wall to get a hold of the grandest of eggs. One that contained a 10 punch pass to the local rock climbing wall. He was stoked!}
{Sunday}
{Easter sunshine}
{Delicious feast}
{cadbury mini eggs}
{peeps galore}
{family I love}
{ lovely}




{my mom drilled holes in some of the plastic eggs and stuck suckers through them. They stuck up out of all the grass and plants....cute.}

hoover craft vs. ripening banana

When the door slams after school and you hear a heart broken voice yell for mom.....well you know things must not be good.

Canyon with the help of his father (extraordinaire) built a fully functional hoover craft for the Science Fair this year. When I was told of the escapade I will admit I was not a believer. In fact I was a sassy skeptical full of jokes of defeat.

But after hours in the garage, some plastic and a leaf blower motor rigged on top of some wood later.... the craft hoovered, and I was proved wrong. Canyon was in heaven and his big toothless smile was here to stay a while. He hoovered and hoovered around and around...so proud...so proud. Then he painted it silver and made a chart up of how it works and then we hauled that big round saucer into the school on the big day.

After school on that big day is when the door slammed... and things really were not good. The hoover craft did not win....not even close. And trying to hold back tears of defeat and disbelief Canyon informed me that his splendid hoover was beat out by a ripening banana and even worse a 2nd grader with bubbles (because he is in 3rd grade what could be worse?). He was beyond disappointed that they did not even call him out of class to start it and "hoover around". I think he had day dreams of hoovering around for those judges happy as could be. I fed him a lot of lines that contained positive reinforcement. Like "it doesn't matter you tried your best" and a bunch of other stuff....none of which worked. Then finally I said at the end of the day would you rather have a hoover craft to bring home and "hoover" on or a ripening banana to bring home and eat? He smiled a little and said my hoover craft. My job was done. (phew)

The next day I went to school to pick up that silver saucer. This was the day the school kids walked around to check out the bubbles, the ripining banana and the hoover craft. When I met up with Canyon his big smile was back along with the words "this is the best day of my life". I guess it just happened that Canyon got a lot of attention from school children for his hoover craft. Contrary to the judges the 5th graders thought it should have won first place. Canyon talked about those big cool 5th graders and how much they loved his hoover craft all day.

His good night words " I'm so happy I made the hoover craft". I guess 5th graders opinions are far more important and superior than the science fair judges at least to a hoover craft building 3rd grader.

So...here is it in all of it's glory during the construction phase.

The beloved hoover craft.





Hopefully soon I will get the finished product on here.

peek a boo

tree trails

I love heading up to the mountain with the kids. It's fun to be on a tree trail and ahead of you are your 2 little ones zipping through the pines like old pros. We just need to get Lucy up there zipping around and then it will be complete. Next year she will be in training. :) maybe this year...but just a little bit.

a suacy singer

She is closer to being 2 than being 1.

She is:

Saucy {loves sauces on all of her foods ranch being the favorite. The saucier the better is her rule. I think she gets this attribute from me.}

A singy little thing {she sings and sings. There are 5 or 6 songs she just loves and she sings, hums and stays in pitch it's funny.}

Very talkative {she surprises me with new words every day}

A jumper {she is known for clearing some pretty big gaps from couch to ottoman these days}

Kissy {she still gives kisses like no other practically to anyone. It is her speciality, part of her charm in life.}

A high fiver {these usually follow right behind the kiss she gives}

A eyebrow raiser {I think she has learned that raising her eyebrows on demand always gets a good laugh ...someday I will get a picture of this spectacle}

An amazing part of my day!

tippy toes

Ellie is always letting me how many more days it is until Wednesday. She is constantly on the count down for when she can spend an hour straight on her tippy toes in front of those big fancy mirrors listening to beautiful music. It makes her happy....it really does. 

scatter love

Little Lucy out and about scattering love.....a little here....a little there. 

love day

Lots of love 

Tons and tons of sugar cookies with delicious pink frosting and mountain high sprinkles on top. 

A heart shaped pancake breakfast with my loves (little and big)

Gifts with love for the kids. Surprise gift for the Mr. and cute new shoes and bag for the Mrs. 

Topped off  with taking big wide open fresh turns on best powder day of the year with my Valentine. 

It was a really really good Valentines Day!

to ellie, love mom

To, Ellie

When I was pregnant with you I would daydream and try to imagine what you would be like. What it would be like to have a daughter. I will have to say that you are not exactly what I invisioned. You do not fit the mold.....not even a little bit. For you are far far better than anything I could have ever imagined. I love you more than I ever thought possible. I feel so lucky that you are mine.  Happy Valentine's Day Ellie-Aspen. I love you forever and ever!

Love, Mom

wish

Today, I really really wish I was up at the mountain getting fresh tracks. Even a meesely hour would do. In fact that hour would be an absolute dream. I tell ya sometimes big responsibilities like kids are hard. Worth it....yes most definitely, but still hard. A downright sacrifice at times. Kids are amazing creatures how do they manage to make all the sacrifices worth it? It's a good thing they are tricky like that I guess. There... now that I have that off my chest I feel much better. Now I am going to go pull up all my blinds let the sunshine in, turn on the song featured below full blast and get back to those big responsibilities. Who knows I may even try to fit in a few of the little responsibilities like finishing mopping my floor, and scrubbin some toilets....YEAH!!!

Slung-Lo - Erin McKeown

have a happy monday

I saw this video on my sis-in-law Allison's  blog a few days ago and it made my morning happy. The song has been one of my favorites for a while and now the video is just as amazing. It is really really good. So watch it and maybe it will make your Monday happy.

Thanks Allison.






be mine

Last year I wrote this about my little Valentine. A lot changes in a year. She doesn't mind it so much anymore if her big brown eyes loose line of sight. In fact I think she kind of likes it so she can cause mayhem in the pantry or string toilet paper about the house. She insists on walking all by her big girl self and her favorite place to be is probably chasing Canyon and Ellie around the house instead of riding on my hip. Yet, I still think she loves me because she says "laaaaa uuuuuu" as she kisses me and when she smiles at me her eyes light up and twinkle. I love you too Lucy B. You will always be mine.

more love

Canyon loved going ice skating during school today.  

I loved being able to go and watch him. 

month of love

January is a now a thing of the past. I am sooooo glad I like February so much better! The month of love!  So why not talk about love the whole month? For instance I love looking through this web-site the pictures are beautiful and I love the clothes. It doesn't really matter that there is NO way I could pull off half of these lovely ensembles.  I still love them just the same. The dress below is one of my favorites.  I'm pretty sure I need it and the shoes to. 

cuppy cake

Please tell me I am not the only mother who has neglected to bake a birthday cake while in labor for her infant still in the womb. For the soul purpose of presenting it to that infant as she makes her way into the world on her "birth" day.  Ellie and I had a conversation the other day and it went a little like this. 

Ellie- Does my Birthday always have to be on May 1st.

Mom- Yes it does

Ellie- Why can't I have a birthday on May 1st and then change it to a day in July.

Mom- Why would you want to change it to July?

Ellie- So I can have presents and a cake again. {she is pretty clever}

Mom- You can't just change your birthday. Your birthday is the day you were born.

Ellie- Ohhh.... I see! So the day I came out of your belly in the hospital is my birthday.

Mom- Yep you were born on May 1st so that is your birthday.

Ellie- So was there a cake waiting for me with candles to blow out? {with excitement}

Mom- Well...not really. {feeling kind of bad...she was so excited}

Ellie- Was there at least a little cuppy cake with a candle? {with desperation}

Mom- Sorry... no cuppy cake. Babies can't blow and you were a month early and....{Interuption}

Ellie- Mom, but it was my birthday {with frustration}

Mom- I'm really sorry but your first birthday really isn't until you turn one. Mom's don't think about those things when they are getting ready to have a baby. Sorry :( {at least this mom doesn't}

Ellie- Fine...whatever.. But I really do think babies would like cake not just milk when they are born. {with disappointment}

I guess life is full of disappointments. Apparently discovering that as you made your grand entrance into the world and there was not even a glimmer of a cuppy cake for you to lay your newly born eyes upon is a very big one. Who would have thought?

yummy goodness

When it looks this wintery outside make this recipe for dinner and warm up with it's yummy goodness. 

White Chicken Chili 

1- 16 oz of sour cream

1- large can of Swansons chicken stock

3- cans of white beans

2-can diced chopped chili's 

1- glass jar of La Victoria salsa verda

1- tablespoon of white cooking wine

Cook chicken breasts with cooking wine and garlic salt.

Chop chicken breasts into cubes and add to mixture above.

Add shredded Monterey Jack cheese, Avocado and Tortilla chips to your liking.

{add these rolls to make it extra yummy}

Rolls

2-cups of warm water

1/2 cup of sugar

1-package of dry active yeast

put warm water sugar and yeast in bowl mix together let it sit for 10 minutes

add to mixture

2-eggs well beaten

1/2 cup of melted shortening {not oil}

5 1/2 cups of flour

{Stir in flour a few cups at a time if your doing it by hand it makes it easier.} 

Let dough rise in bowl for about an hour.

Melt a cube of butter

grab a small hand full of dough pat flat like a pancake

Fold it in half and dip into butter

put the rolls so they are touching into 9x13 dish.

Let them rise for another hour or a little longer.

Cook for 20 minutes at 375.

These rolls really are easy and they are so yummy.

{don't let them rise for long or they will turn out doughy....believe me I have done it}

This is one of my favorite winter meals. To all those who wanted the chili recipe sorry it took me so long to post it. And thanks to Ali who gave me the recipe and the tasty little cafe that was so kind to give it to her. 

wow! there is no way!

It was fun to watch the watch the X-games a little here and there over the weekend. I found my self saying "wow...there is no way" quite a bit. I mean... come on a double back flip on a snowmobile...really that's possible? I guess it is. ...pretty insane. And how big they go these days snowboarding/skiing really is pretty amazing also. Canyon loved watching the Flying Tomato= Shaun White take double golds in the half pipe and slope style. (When an event such as the half pipe comes on times tables homework comes to a screeching halt. Maybe that's where part of his excitement was stemming from. :)
Thank you X-games for the weekends entertainment.

blue skies

I don't mean to brag. I don't mean to boast (I'm pretty sure I just quoted the beastie boys?) but today when I look outside all I see are blue skies. Beautiful blue skies just right for an afternoon stroll. One of the top 5 reasons I love living where I do.... absolutely no Inversion! Sorry to all you Wasatch front rangers down there who have to breath in ample amounts of soot and smog every time you step a foot outside. I feel bad for you...really I do.  Head up to the mountains it will make you feel better :)

Yep I did.... ha ha... it just came back to me.  

"I don't mean to brag I don't mean to boast but I'm intercontinental when I eat french toast".  

Beastie Boys

browsing and beaches

Browsing Anthropologies new getaway collection has me wishing. 

Wishing I were wearing this whimsical little number or any of the other lovely items on an exotic beach somewhere like....umm... Fiji. (oh! and I would be all golden and toned)

Wishing I could lay reading  a book cover to cover on that exotic beach.

Wishing I could justify spending 38.00 dollars on this headband.

I will keep wishing because in 2.5 hours I will be snuggled up in my warm winter wear. Snowshoeing with 2 good friends, 7 energetic children and a baby lucy in tote. So it's not exactly relaxing on a beach in Fiji. It is pretty much the exact opposite but it will still be great right? I will be spending the next 2.5 hours wishing that it will be. (not Fiji great but great)

lucy + dad

I was looking through some old pictures the other day and found this one. I LOVE it so much!  I don't know why I didn't notice it much before. Lucy is such a daddy's girl. Anyone who has seen how excited she gets to see him can testify to this. It looks like a year ago he was still her favorite. I love how she is nuzzled up against him on a sunday afternoon. Some things never change.

her gifts in life

I have mentioned before  that Lucy has a gift for fake laughing. Well her fake cry is also pretty extraordinary. She is probably better at these two things than anything else in life. Ok...ok... maybe she is a little incy bit  better at raising her eyebrows on demand but that is it.... I promise. 

(pictures taken one sunny november day)

reality check

(goodbye holiday house)

The holidays have come to an end. That means no more Fa La La La La, surprise goodies on my porch, stockings hung with care, or the glow of the Christmas tree. It means saying goodbye to staying up really late, sleeping in every day and eating more jelly bellies, christmas deserts, and other scrumptious foods than I thought was humanly possible.  It means I am missing the excitement and wonder that filled the house, my holiday honey being home on a 2 week break, lucy whispering santa...santa....santa, snowboarding any day I felt like it, and spending more time with family and friends. Now I have January to look forward to and January is not my favorite. What happens in January anyway? Something should to take away the hum drum. I need some things to spice up this month that starts the new year. Any ideas?

Ellie wished for a wowii robotic panda. (random I know)

Canyon wished for a new snowboard.

Lucy loved opening and peeking into her presents. She was so fun this Christmas!

the holiday escape

It is hard to find a nice hill for sledding where we live, but we were determined. So we headed on a drive to find ourselves in a new development. We only had to move a couple orange cones to get in so it was a GO. The snow was very deep and there was some shrubs to overcome but instead of walking the top you  could drive so that was a huge bonus. I was waiting at the bottom for the pick-up when i noticed a development security vehicle at the top of the hill slowing down to take a gander at us. I shouted out the warning that we were going to get busted and when my partners in crime reached the bottom they were thrown in the back of the get-a-way car along with the sledding paraphernalia in no time flat.  We sped out of there never to look back. That gandering, holiday sled busting guard never had a chance. I was pretty proud of our little families ability at escaping. We were so smooth. 

holiday houses

Ellie = The house of many paths 

Canyon = Modern masterpiece
Mine= quaint cottage

Shane = Condo /Hotel.  

He is always trying to show all of us up. :)

Christmas Cards 2008

I had good intentions of mailing off Christmas cards like in years past I really did....but it never quite got it checked off my Christmas to-do list.  I don't know if it was because I blew it off to spend days boarding with my holiday honey and kids, make gingerbread houses, or going sleigh riding. Maybe it was because I spent to much holiday time visiting friends and family, seeing movies, baking and napping. I would like to put full blame on my 12 year old address book containing all the mailing addresses to most of my loved ones. It is in hiding at to this day can still not be found (that's what I get for not having a digital address back up I guess). For whatever reason it was, or a combination of many, Christmas cards were a bust this year.  We already had these done so I decided I would throw out a belated Christmas message to all of our wonderful friends and family.  We hope you all had yourselves a Merry Little Christmas This Year!  Next year I will rule at sending out Christmas cards and it will be checked off my to-do list early...just wait and see.

**if any of you would please e-mail me their home address to monniecox@gmail.com I would love it! I need to start a new address collection**

holiday moods

My kids have been in the best moods lately. Every day at school is "the best day ever" and the overall mood in the house is plain old jolly! With treats to nibble on all day, a paper chain link to cut off, and freshly fallen snow who can blame them? Christmas is in the air! Even adults like me can feel it now, so it must be pretty thick. Sometimes I wish I was five again and could past time waiting for Christmas by throwing on my best dress up garb, some wings, a reflection contest medal and bounce around the house to Christmas music.  Instead I will settle for checking off my Christmas to-do list  while watching the magic of Christmas in my kids care-free lives. It makes my to-do list worth it.....every bit of it!  Speaking of that to-do list. It is pretty much done. So today I think I will be care-free for a few hours and hit the slopes with my holiday honey. It is a Christmasy thing to do! You all should try it and get your Christmas ON. 

Swiss Miss Dance

Ellie did a little ballet performance at Swiss Christmas Days.  Although the place was so packed that you could not move an inch and hot, really hot and extremely stuffy. It was fun to be at a Christmas community event, kick off the holiday Christmas season and see Ellie up on that Christmas stage doing her thing. She was counting down the days until she could wear her very beautiful ballet outfit and dance on the stage. (literally counting down like she is doing now for Christmas) Stage freight...nope she loved every minute of it!  Oh and isn't it amazing what a little mascara can do to my 5 year old. I feel like I have seen her in the future now. Shane and I have decided after looking at these pictures that she can't wear mascara or lip gloss until she is 18. 

My mom and Stephanie came up for the show. Stephanie 

bought that pretty flower for Ellie. What a nice Auntie!

Ellie with her friend Jada. How cute are they? They defiantly 

can't wear makeup and leave the house together until they are 21!

These two girls think every waking hour together just isn't quite enough. 

Ellie wishes they were sisters on a regular basis. 

Sweet moves Ellie!