we are LOVIN' this warmth

We spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful warm weather.

We had a nice walk, enjoyed some cool refreshments, skateboarded
golfed

and rode scooters

It really couldn't have been more

PERFECT

60* weather

a BELATED birthday thanks!

Grandpa & Grandma...

I haven't officially received my birthday money,

(Aunt Karli says she has it right on the desk).

But I got this today, with the $$ I am getting from you.

It completely CAPTURES my attention,

and anything that does that for me,

obviously must be pretty fantastic!

(I have been playing with it ever since I finished lunch)

I kept telling my mommy that she was the BEST

for getting it for me, but she reminded me several

times that I needed to send my thanks to YOU!!!

So, I am telling YOU...

YOU'RE THE BEST

thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

please don't

As much as I want my Ashy Boy to become more independent and not SUCH A MOMMA's BOY, I really don't want him to grow up so fast either. Ame was reading on the calendar today and realized that Ash's birthday is THIS month. I know...he will be 2 soon!! I wanted to document something that I have been stressed about with him, of which he has made some great development in. That would be his speech. For the past several month I have been worried because he wasn't speaking much, definitley not as quickly as his siblings.

Here is a list of the words he is saying (that I can think of, off the top of my head), some may not be understood by others, but definitely by most of us here at home:

-MILK (by far his MOST favorite word-would drink it all day if I let him)

-apple

-eat

-ball

-bu-bye (bye, bye)

-more

-bath

-mom

-dad

-aipo (Kaipo, but doesn't pronounce the K)

-Ame

-all done

-uh huh (not quite sure how to spell it, but that is his yes response)

-nose (it sounds like no, but I figured out he was wanting me to wipe his runny nose-which has been running a ton lately)

I'm sure I will be adding to this list as I think of more, or as he develops more of a vocabulary :)

Way to go my growing boy!!

Pine Wood Derby

QUinn is STILL the elder's quorum president and as such was in charge of the Pine Wood Derby again this year. They had one last year and it was such a hit, that they hosted it again. Funny thing though, Quinn didn't make a car this year or last. Lucky for Kaipo, one of the Young Men brought an old car and GAVE it to him. Oh was he ever excited! The boy who gave it to him, said his car was awarded for being a cool lookin' car, not for its speed.

As you can see, Kaipo was no winner, but he didn't care about that, he just loved that he had his own racing car!
SOme of the racers, with their cars (Ame is peeking through to show off Kaipo's car). We didn't have as good of a turn out as we would have hoped for, but we had LOTS and LOTS of Nachos to enjoy (and are still eating, maybe not so enjoyable the 3rd or 4th time around)! QUinn was behind the scenes in all these pictures. But he pulled off a fun night, enjoyed by all who came :)

Flirty Aprons

This was one of the Valentine's Gifts Quinn gave me.

He was pretty impressed with HIS ability to find

yet another CREATIVE gift.

I told him, not to seem ungrateful,

but it is soo much easier for a Husband to shop for his Wife,

than the other way around. He reminded me how

much effort he spent finding this and the yummy

chocolate covered strawberries that came with it.

But...to back me up...how many wife's out there

AGREE WITH ME???

Here's the baking girls, stopping for a quick

picture, during our hard work in the kitchen!
You've seem Ame's apron b4, and isn't mommy's
new Flirty Apron soo cute?!

Ame and I tried this recipe out for our FHE treat tonight.

If you like peanut butter AND chocolate it's a great one.

I couldn't find the swirled chips, so I actually

used Reeses mini baking chips.

My kids LOVED the candie pieces.

Of course they aren't hard to please,

but this crowd gave a big thumbs-up!

Brownie SWIRLED™ Peanut Butter Cups

Estimated Times: Preparation - 20 min Cooking - 13 min Yields - 12 servings
Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® SWIRLED™ Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Morsels, divided
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 12 muffin cups. COMBINE sugar, butter and water in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute or until butter is melted. Add semi-sweet morsels; stir until melted. Add egg and vanilla extract and stir well. Add flour and baking soda and stir until blended. Allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in 1 cup Swirled morsels. Spoon a heaping tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top is set and wooden pick inserted center comes out still slightly wet. Place muffin pan on wire rack. Centers of brownies will fall upon cooling. If some do not, with back of teaspoon, tap center to make a hole. PLACE peanut butter in small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; stir. While brownies are still hot, spoon a scant tablespoon peanut butter into center of each brownie. Top with remaining Swirled morsels. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Run a knife around edge and carefully remove from pan.