[bright]

like these electric orange birthday tulips my friend kimberly brought me

and this sweetheart's happy little springtime spirit!

spring break is almost here!
we can't wait for: our out-of-town cousins to get here, our 4, possibly 5 easter egg hunts, jellybeans, general conference, egg salad sandwiches and much, much more!

see more of this cutie here

[wheat grass 101: update]

we have grass!
here is what our wheat grass looks like this morning (day 6)
i'm like a giddy little school girl watching this stuff grow! i'm laughing at myself right now!
it's like i've never seen anything grow before :)
check out these roots! i am utterly amazed at how thick & deep they quickly grew!
it's been really fun watching the growth through this clear container... i highly recommend transparency.

my kids are of course loving it too! every morning they anxiously observe; for the big growth happens at night!
can't wait to give it a little trim!

happy spring!

[wheat grass 101]

my mom taught me how to grow the cutest easter spring grass!
she's been growing it the last few years and i decided it was time to try it out myself.

here's how:
fill solid container (no holes in the bottom) with vermiculite and cover generously with fresh wheat (aprox 1/4-1/2 in deep) enough to cover vermiculite completely.
water with a light spray slowly, making sure it seeps in well without overflowing. when water starts to barely pool on top, you have enough water.
cover with plastic wrap to hold in heat and moisture. water lightly each day, and once fully sprouted, remove the plastic and let grow!
continue to water each day :)

i bought this thin plastic container (above) in the garden section and plan to plop it in a cute, bright easter basket.

i also planted this white oval dish (above) aka "the disappearing dish" thinking this will be really cute with tons of tall green grass growing in it!

here (above) is how my sprouts look this morning (3rd day)
i'm so excited!
start yours now and it just may be ready for easter!
happy planting!

[blend it up]

i am a smoothie lover.
i could have them every day and never tire.
and now i love them even more after my sissy told me about adding oats to the mix!
it seriously tastes like ice cream! but extremely healthy for you!

a peanut buttery berry shake!

just blend:
6 ice cubes
1-2 scoops chocolate *whey protein powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/4 cut steel cut oats
1 cup water or orange juice
1/4 cup berries or half a frozen banana
mix it all up until creamy & smooth

enjoy!

*i am in search of a delicious whey powder that only contains stevia as the sweetener. i know they're out there, just not sure which one tastes the best. anyone know of a good one?

[you know you're old when...]

you buy yourself a 7 day pill organizer for your birthday!

it happened. i turned thirty.
weird!
i never thought i would be this old! and the thing that's even weirder is that i've felt thirty for the last two years. yeah, ever since i had my third baby, i just felt thirty. don't ask me why.

sam kept teasing me, saying he was going to buy me one of these little containers when i kept asking him if he remembered me taking my medicine or vitamins; i get so busy and don't even realize when i pop 'em some days. i don't know if it's my scattered brain or if my memory just plain stinks.
i told him to get me one. he never did. so, i took it upon myself and finally "remembered" to pick one up at the grocery store :) pretty sad huh? it was great though and it really is ok to be 30.

a great big thank you to my friends and family who made my day extra special!
love you!

[blown away]

last saturday was the best day ever!
what an incredible event! i am still blown away every time i think about it! a few of holly & nate's amazing friends & ward members pulled together all of their resources and came up with a fantastic fundraising party!
the jazz bear flew in by helicopter and wowed the crowd! he threw out prizes, signed autographs and gave us all a great show!
flavors catering served a very delicious lunch, donating 100% of ticket sales to the gooch family,
while we jammed with munchkin radio's d.j.

face painting, head shaving (i think there were 60+ participants!), cotton candy making, and bouncy house fun are just to name of few of the activities.
kids and adults of all ages had a blast!



unfortunately spencer was unable to make it. he wasn't well enough to leave the hospital. he was really sad he couldn't be there. we all missed him, but were so happy we were there to help raise money for his family who are working so hard to help him get better!
we took lots of pictures & videos for you spence!
more to come soon!

p.s. if you weren't able to attend and would like to contribute, please go here and share the love!

[remember]

don't forget!

super spencer vs cancer benefit

tomorrow

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Time: 12:00pm-3:00 pm
Location: Fort Herriman Stake Center
Street: 12791 South 6000 West
Herriman, Utah
view map

be there or be shaved! it will be awesome!

[rit report]

i finally got up the courage to try it.
we have a front loader washer, which they did not supply directions for.
sam told me to just dump it in.
i am a worry wort.
so after a few days, i decided i could blame any mishaps on sam if something went awry :)

load
sprinkle
close
swish
rinse
spin
open
dry

sigh, nothing damaged.
they look a little brighter....
i think i'll try white brite before i buy rit again.
thank you for your comments and recommendations.
have you tried any of these products or other great ones? i'd love to hear your reports!

[pinch me]

for i am not wearing green...



yet.

happy st. patty's day everyone!

kate, you'll appreciate this - i want to go find the movie the gnome mobile! we l.o.v.e.d. that show!
ooh, and some corned beef & cabbage!

here are some cute st. patrick's day poems & little songs for your little ones.

[little miss sunshine]

cheerful colors, warm wishes, she is here to wake up the flowers!

.my favorite editorial photo i snapped over the weekend.
i want those lashes!
see more here

[today]

i am very happy and content today!
the sun is shining, i got my workout in, the kids are parked in front of the t.v. for a few minutes of quiet time,
i managed to squeeze in a shower before noon, and it's friday!
i have no idea where the week went- it was so busy and crazy...
but now i am able to breathe a great big sigh of relief now that it's over!
so refreshing!

i hope you have reason to smile today too! have a wonderful weekend!

[yesterday]

prepping for the boy's maturation program at our school.
i never thought i would be doing this!
thankfully i didn't speak. just coordinated.

banana juice... yum? kids.

loving the few lambs we've seen! the lions can take a hike! we want warmth!

my girls and their friends can't stop putting on swimsuits.
we decided to have a mini modeling session indoors.

gotta love the diaper hangin' out! enjoy the sunshine today!

[super spence vs cancer benefit]

please join with me

super spence vs cancer benefit

i will be joining with several other photographers to take pictures at this great event.

i love this boy! he is such an amazing kid! back in november i took pictures of him and his siblings before we knew he had cancer. it was truly an honor to capture him when i did, while he was vibrant, healthy, strong and happy. as i photographed him, i kept thinking to myself, what a great, respectful, kind, fun & wonderful boy he was! let's get this little superhero better!

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Time: 12:00pm-3:00 pm
Location: Fort Herriman Stake Center
Street: 12791 South 6000 West
Herriman, Utah
view map

Neighbors and friends of Spencer Gooch of Riverton, Utah are rallying to his and his family’s side while Spencer undergoes chemotherapy.

Seven-year old Spencer was diagnosed on February 2, 2010 with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a high-risk malignant tumor in the muscles of the parapharyngeal space at the base of his skull.

He will undergo 54 weeks of the highest and most difficult form of chemotherapy treatment as well as months of radiation which may also result in vision and hearing loss.

Spencer is a smart, witty boy who loves science, sharks, and space. He has a great love for his family and for all those around him.

For the benefit of Spencer and his family, we are holding an event to raise funds to help cover Spencer’s medical expenses that will mount over the next two years. If you, your family, your business, etc would be interested in donating to the cause, please contact us.

We are asking that you open your heart and show your generosity for Spencer’s benefit. Join us at the Fort Herriman Stake Center for an afternoon full of fun & wonderful opportunities to support this amazing little boy & his family. Food, silent auction, raffle, bake sale, "head shaving" by the U of U Mascot, "Swoop," other entertainment & pictures with the Jazz Bear himself!

Spread the word to friends & family. Let's show Spencer & his family how much we love them!!! We hope to see you there!

A big thanks to all the businesses, family, friends & community members for all of their donated goods & services thus far. For information & ways that your family and/or business can help by making a donation, providing service or contributing items to the auction email paiger83@gmail.com

his blog: the journey of a superhero

hope to see you there!

[under a blood red sky]

i awoke this morning stunned. my alarm clock had been beeping for quite some time while i lay dreaming of asteroids. last night i had an end of the world dream.... at least i think it was an end of the world dream. it took place on my birthday a few years into the future. we sent home party guests and were about to head out to dinner when all of the sudden we all malfunctioned. any possible electrical connection hiccuped. as we opened up our eyes and felt this power trip, we looked around at each other and couldn't figure out what was going on. all of the sudden we hear commotion going on outside. we run out our back doors and see neighbors hollering and pointing to the sky.




we were under a blood red sky. pink, blue and white streams of asteroids were flying fast, falling down close to us. running for cover, i woke up. ahhhh, don't you hate it when that happens? i wanted to see more! okay, not really, it actually really weirded me out! with all our world's recent destruction, it really makes me wonder when it could be our turn. are we prepared? i quickly told sam about my dream and expressed my urgency to have more water storage and boost up our food as well.
we have a missionary in our ward who is serving in chilé. his parents were finally able to contact him after their horrible earthquake. this missionary told his parents he witnessed many shootings on the streets for food. the baptismal font is their only water storage, which is now black. the grocery store shelves were raided and emptied within three hours.
know ones knows the day or time... are we ready like we've been counseled to be?

[silhouettes]

it's friday!

where did the week go?
who cares! the weekend is practically here & i am ready for it!

aren't these silhouettes fun?
they are huge right now - and to be honest, i don't know what to make of this hot trend.
on one hand, i love them, on the other, they seem a bit overdone.
(the big green dog is so awesome though, huh?)

i guess i am a bit leery when it comes to trendy décor, because,
like heidi says, "one minute you're in, the next, you're out!"

at least with these you can remove the vinyl easily.
just thinking out loud.

images courtesy of simply silhouettes

[Rit]

behold

Rit

a stain remover & whitener for non-bleachable whites!
a couple of posts ago, i posed the question, "how do you wash your whites?" my whites seem to get dingy too quickly.
anyway, a big huge thank you to those of you who gave your great advice!
while i was at walmart today, this is what i found. i am so antsy to try it! i'm sure i can round up some whites around here real quick!

on the back it reads:
-whitens dingy white fabrics including lingerie and other delicate washables.
-works on stains on white fabrics such as grass, grease, lipstick, rust, etc.
-safe for ALL white fabrics that can be washed in hot water.

kim commented about a product called white bright and said she finds hers at smith's.
i will give this a try and let all you interested readers know how it works :)
happy washing!

p.s. it was under $2
p.p.s. Rit also makes a black dye that i'd like to try as well. i have many great "blacks" that still look great, just a little faded. they carry several colors.

[the laughing cow]

my happiness today started with laughing!
okay, not literally, just this cheese :)

my sister kate introduced me and i love it! have you tried it?
with only 35 calories, 1 g carbs, and 2 g fat in each wedge, it's the best!
it tastes so good spread on toast (way healthier than butter & sugar filled jam) or even on cauliflower; that is what we had last night as a side dish (below) - the kids liked it too!

and, not that you care to know what i ate for breakfast, but merely another recipe idea... i made an open faced sandwich with laughing cow spread on top of whole grain wheat bread, scrambled eggs, and fresh avocado slices on top. SO delish!
if you have any ideas or recipes that would be yummy with this swiss, please share!

bon appétit!