Matching Socks

One day, Sam and Soph just HAD to have matching socks on. One stripedy toe sock and one heart sock for each of them. These pictures remind me VERY much of some certain pictures from my childhood. I can't find them (I don't think I have a copy), but KATE, if you're reading this... YOU know what I'm talking about! Something about cousins and matching socks!

They had a lot of fun playing together... but started to fall...

Oh well! Just keep playing!

Last of all - here are all the cousins together in ONE picture. This doesn't happen very often. Check out the height difference. Trav thought it was no fair that he's the shortest, so he stood closer to the camera to gain a couple inches. :)

I Feel Like Soph

As I was going through my photos from Austin, it occured to me that I currently feel like my darling neice Sophie.

Now, let me first clarify. Sophie IS darling. See?
But, she also gave me some gems which relate EXACTLY to how I feel.

You see, Lisa, Soph and Trav were all sick by the time we left Austin. Fevers and nasty colds. And I succumbed to the bug on Friday... and have been sick for SIX days now. Zack just started his fever / cold last night, and Sam so far has been healthy. (AMAZING)

So, when I wake up, I feel like this:

"STILL SICK???!?!! WHEN WILL THIS GO AWAY?"

"UGH! I have NO energy! I wish I had energy!!"

"I hate you germs! Go away!!!"

And hopefully one of these days, I'll wake up with my own tousled hair and think...

"Hmmmm... I think I'm getting better!"

(Thanks Soph for letting me use your pics. We miss you!)

Day One - Austin Children's Museum

On our first REAL day in Austin, we went to the Children's Museum. It was TOTALLY fun. Best part? We discovered this fabulous cupcake shop afterwards. Their lemon cupcake was DIVINE. (Leese, just go get another one for me, wouldja??? It sounds so good right now!)

First stop at the museum? We became The BAND

Then, we checked out this "pinata" of sorts. My boys could have played there for hours.

And then, in case you missed it, Zack is starting to "smile" for the camera. This is what I get... a little closer up.
We moved on to the wind area. I'm not sure what these headphones were supposed to do, but they looked HILARIOUS. I want some.
We hung out by the motor train that ran around the 2nd floor area. The kids LOVED that until one of the school groups all came upstairs...
And finally... where did my boys play (especially Zack) before we left???

You betcha. The train table.

Talkin on the Austin Banana Phone

More pics from our trip later... but I just found these and thought they were so funny.

Here are my boys... talking on the banana phone at breakfast one morning while we were visiting the FABULOUS LaPierres in Texas.

New Look

Matt has been bugging me for weeks now to cut Zack's hair. I just couldn't bare to lose his curls - even though I have NO IDEA how to style wavy hair like his. ???

Today was the day. He went from THIS wavy fro

to THIS. Quite the handsome young man!

Both boys got haircuts today. Now that they both have such short hair, I can see at least SOME similarities! Maybe they do look like brothers after all!!

"Smile" at the BYU Basketball Game

At the BYU Basketball game last month -
"Hey Sam - Stand right here so I can get the basketball court in my picture... okay.
Now, smile for the picture!"

and this is what I get. This pic makes me laugh every time I see it... Classic.

We went with these people - Sam's favorite uncles these days...

and these people
(Z money did okay at the game as long as I kept the food coming. We had to sneak in food for Z. Is there ANYTHING to buy at a basketball game that has no dairy, eggs, or nuts???)

Everyone was EXCITED to be there in our nosebleed seats

It was so fun! And I finally got Sam to give me a REAL smile... cheesy as it may be.

Money Tip #3 from Jen

I have this fabulous friend who used to be a roommate of mine for several years...

Meet Jeanette.

and her cute family after being sealed to her second daughter, Callie.and two of my favorite friends in the universe. (yes... these pics are about two years old now! Reggs - your hair was so short! My hair was so long! Jen, you officially had bangs! and CALLIE is so tiny!)

She is beautiful, kind, funny, patient, wise, caring, and generous. AND it turns out that she has managed to feed her family of four for $200 per month!

Check out her tips here. She also blogged about it although in my 5 minute search, I couldn't find that post... (Jen?)

Lots of good stuff there, people. She's fabulous AND frugal!

Sam's New Scripture Bag

Sam inherited (read found on the floor and claimed as his own) an old Book of Mormon from Matt. He really wanted a scripture bag like some of the other kids who go to church with us. So, I made him one yesterday. I think it turned out so cute!

I used navy duck cloth and this flannel with cartoon-y missionaries, letters, and etc all over it. I put his name on the bottom right of one side of the bag (above) and a huge pocket on the other side (below). Inside there is a huge pocket made out of duckcloth too - mostly to keep the flannel from sticking together. It's just wide enough to hold a regular piece of paper and plenty big for his Book of Mormon.
And once I started taking pics, Zack needed to be in on the action too (hording cars and trains in his hands of course). Here are these cute brothers.

Hooray for Brownies

My sweet neighbor, Erika, gave me this cookbook for my birthday. I'm pretty sure I blogged about this before, but it's fabulous.

I tried the brownie recipe last night and it was DELICIOUS! Zack can eat them too! Really, you should make them. The batter is really thick, so you don't think they will turn out, but they do. The texture is right and they are chocolately yummy delicious. Plus... they have to be better for you than the regular recipe, right?

Here's the recipe (recipe and photo credit to www.foodallergymama.com - or just click the link)

Brownies

½ c. dairy free shortening

1 c. granulated sugar

½ c. silken tofu

1 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c. unbleached all purpose flour

½ c. cocoa

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ c. dairy free mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8 inch square baking dish coated with dairy free baking spray.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine shortening, sugar, tofu and vanilla thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Add to the shortening mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.

Spread batter into prepared baking pan and bake 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Yield: 16 bars

Now, when I gave them to Zack (his FIRST brownies ever!), I have to admit to being overly sappy about the whole thing. And I documented it. From the first "here ya go" to the last smile.

"Show me your brownie!"

And in it goes.

and chewing...YUM! He loves them!

What you can't hear is that right after I took this pic, Zack said, "More yum?"