Easy and so so good!!

Here is a great and easy recipe from my sister-in-law that turned out awesome!

Barbacoa Pork

1 picnic pork roast
1 can of coke
1 cup of brown sugar
16 oz of chunky salsa

Boil pork roast for about 2 hours in a large pan. Then put roast in a crock pot, and pour the coke, sugar, and salsa over the roast. Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for about 3-4.. Remove pork and shred...put back into crock pot. Serve in warm tortillas with cheese and lettuce. You can even serve it over salad like Cafe Rio. So So Yummy! Thanks Mel for the tasty recipe!!!

Emily & Matayia

Today I was running out of options to entertain Emily...So we called her very best friend Matayia to come play. Those two are seriously a pair! They've been friends since before they could talk or walk for that matter!! Its been so fun to see them grow together and become such cute girls! I can't tell you how many pictures I have of the two of them in the tub, or just playing so cute together! I thought I'd post a few for memory lane sake! They are FRIENDS FOREVER!!!

Aren't they adorable? I had many more pic's, and more of when they were babies but those are all on saved disc's.. We are just greatful that they are such good friends.. Thanks Johnson's for all your wonderful friendship!

Easter Sunday...

This is the best I could get of the kids in their Easter outfits.. They looked so great! Emily was so proud of her new dress, and Easton was just in his normal church attire... So cute!

 

Happy Easter!!!

I love Easter! This year will be the first in a couple years that we are actually home! We missed going camping and 4-wheeling with Nate's family but are very excited to be here at home.. Today I thought we'd better get the eggs colored before daddy goes to work so he can join the fun. So we woke up and before we even ate breakfast we dyed the eggs!





And since we get daddy home all day tomorrow, I thought we'd splurge and do the whole Easter feast complete with a ham! I've never done a ham before, but it shouldn't be too hard since it came pre-cooked right?! I'm also trying a new recipe for scalloped potatoes, and sweet potato biscuits... Cooking from scratch has always been an adventure for me so wish me luck! We hope you all have a nice Easter Sunday!!

You're gonna miss this...

I heard this song on the radio the other day..I hope you listen to the whole thing, it should start playing once you open our blog. I think the artist is Toby Keith. Lately I've been wishing these days away with all the tantrums and demands, the cleaning up after, and making of the meals... Its hard some days, but looking past all the surface "crap" its good to realize I am doing the best work I can do for my kids. I hope that they will grow to appreciate it someday like I do with my parents. I had no idea before becoming a mother the concious effort it sometimes takes to even smile! I don't know if you are like me but sometimes I forget to smile at my kids, especially when they've "put me in a mood"! So lately that has been a goal of mine just to smile at them more, without being upset about the mood they've put me in or whatever. Having Emily smile back or Easton run the other way giggling is worth it! Every minute is truly worth it! Its hard to not get upset over the growing pile of laundry, the crusty dishes from breakfast, or the toys scattered on every level of the house. I do get upset sometimes and stressed and fuming about it, it truly rubs off on the kids...and the hubby. I want the harmony of peace and happiness in my home so I've got to do better at "letting it slide".. Anyone relate????? I just love my kids and home and hope I'm the type of mom that won't get mad at my kids cause I didn't get the laundry done....

Diaper change from Hell!!!

Nate works on Sundays. It stresses me out to do church alone. Today during sacrament meeting I experienced the diaper change from hell... I told Easton after the sacrament was done that we would go change his poopy. He told me "no!" of course, but I didn't want to have him permeate the area with his stench. I grabbed him and we left, while Emily sat reverently coloring. He immediately started screaming and launched into some sort of thrashing episode and he was horizontal in my arms with his back arched, legs kicking wildly. Once we were safely in the Mothers Lounge, I tried to ignore him for a moment and then tried to distract him. Nothing was working so I just strapped him down on the changing table and started to undress his lower half. The whole time he of course is kicking against the table and screaming in the highest pitch you've ever heard. (not exaggerating) Anyway, after he proceeded to smear poop on his hand, feet and butt, I was perplexed. What do you do when both of my hands are trying to keep his feet from kicking in poo, and he is grabbing himself, therefore getting poo on his hands? After a quick wetwipe to the hands, I started cleaning his bottom and then a lady walks in... Here is the dialogue:
her: "Is everything alright?!"(sounding VERY concerned)
Me: "uh, I think so.."
her: "We are in the class next door and we heard all this kicking and screaming and wondered if everything is okay?"
me: "Sorry, I'm just trying to change a diaper.."
her: "Well, is he okay?"
me: "He is just fine."
her: staring and putting her hand to her chest
me: "I'll be done soon, this is the mothers lounge though, and I had nowhere else to do this."
her: "Alright, we just thought something was wrong."
me: "NOPE!"

Needless to say I was a little on edge and she probably thought I was killing him! After a good fight we got the bum clean and amazingly a new diaper on. He wouldn't let me get him dressed so I just gathered him up like a football and left the mothers lounge. I HAD to get out of there ASAP but needed to get Emily and all our stuff. I couldn't just leave Easton in the hall in his condition of temporary insanity so we entered the chapel. As I opened the door it was silent, except for Easton's shrill screaming and I swear, every head turned! I wished that I was dead and luckily the lady we were sitting by saw the distress signal and helped gather our things. Oh and as I was lifting my bag to my shoulder it lifted that back of my skirt up so who knows how many people saw MY backend!! I left with the door banging shut and I was outta there! Who knew it would have turned into such a climatic event. I should have held my nose and just waited till we got home. -sigh- I Love that kid!!!! Next time Nate has a Sunday off, HE can change the diapers...

My 10 things...

Well my sister tagged me awhile ago, so I thought I'd get caught up! Here goes!

1. I do NOT like mornings.. I am a night owl and would prefer to wake up at about 10 every morning but that never happens anymore! When I lived with mom and dad, my siblings had to draw straws to see who would come "wake up the bear!" Unfortunately little brother Robert always got selected and I remember biting his head off on many occasions! Sorry Rob... =)

2. While living in Hawaii I took Hula lessons and always had to perform for our family...And no I will not try it now!

3. I LOVE going 4-wheeling with my family...I hope to buy a new Honda Rubicon soon!

4. I love to read, although I don't always find time for it! If I have a good romance novel by Anita Stansfield then I finish the book pretty fast cause I can't put it down...(I'll even admit to reading while in the bathroom!)

5. I love being bare foot..eventhough I have severely ugly feet!!! I can't wait for spring and summer to get back into my flipflops!

6. Some of you might know that Nate and I met on a blind date! He took me to the Utah State Fair, but we didn't like each other until after our second date...He took me out twice to make up for the lack of chivalry on our first date.. (he claims to being really tired that night!)

7. I worked as a nanny in New Jersey for a year back when I was 19-20.. It was awesome! I got to see many cool East Coast sights! Four months before September 11th, I had the opportunity to take some friends back to visit my nanny family and we stood at the top of the World Trade Center in NYC..

8. Once when I worked as a teller managing the drive-up, I went to get up on my chair and it slipped out from under me so I fell to a heap on the floor.. When I stood up the cutest guy was laughing at me at the window!

9. I've been sky-diving! I jumped from a perfectly functioning airplane at nearly 14,000 feet elevation! Serious adrenaline!!

10. The summer between my 7th and 8th grade year my family lived in a tent for three months! My dad had a job working for the forest service so we stayed at Lodgepole campground in our tents until his work was done!!! It was a blast!

That was harder than I thought! Hope you enjoy reading about these little bits of info from my life!!

Mexican Riviera Cruise 2008