Conference weekend = cinnamon rolls

I love conference weekend.  Watching conference together as a family is an uplifting spiritual experience, and it's good cuddle time too!  Something I look forward to is when David and Trey go to the Priesthood session together and Allie and I make cinnamon rolls together.  It's been a fun tradition for us.  We usually watch something like The Biggest Loser or Chopped while we wait for the dough to rise and then by time the boys come home the house smells like cinnamonny deliciousness.

This year was a little different.  We were chatting away while we added ingredients and when it came time to combine the two it was obvious there was a problem.  Hmmm, what's wrong with the dough, it's all liquidy and not pulling away from the bowl?  Ahhh!  With much discussion we realize that we made the following mistakes:

1 cup of brown sugar was added that was meant for the cinnamon filling
1/2 c. of butter was added instead of 1/4 c.

Instead of dumping it out we go ahead and make them for a comparison to the real thing.   We then made another batch, this time double checking our measurements and not chatting as much.  The messed up version did not rise at all but we went ahead and baked them with our good batch.  This morning Tanner and Sydney tried one of each and said the messed up one "wasn't too bad".

                    Allie, wearing the 100% party girl apron, hand sifting the flour with a cheese grater

Can you tell the good from the bad?

Sydney gets her ears pierced - take 2

 Sydney has been asking to get her ears pierced for a few years now.  I decided and told her I thought she'd (I'd) be ready when she was 10.  I had to wait until I was 14 (clearing throat sound.... dad!) ;) to get mine pierced and so I remember how important it is to a little girl who really wants to get her ears pierced.  She was not nervous at all, which surprised me.  She said it didn't hurt at all and has been the proud owner of daisy earrings ever since.  Hey, this makes Sydney the first cousin to have her ears pierced!

They're 10!!!!

It's really hard to believe my babies are 10.  We celebrated the weekend by having a cousin sleepover, watching lots of home videos of Tanner, Connor and Sydney as babies/toddlers, and all the family coming over on Sunday for some cinder cake.

Happy birthday to our miracle babies!!  Life would not be as joyful and fulfilling without you in it!

I took the girls out to get Sydney's ears pierced, but sadly the owner had gone home for the night so it had to wait until the next day.  The girls cheered up as we went over to Justice to do some shopping.

Happy Birthday Honey

David and I often talk about how old we are getting, but how we still feel so young...we'll discuss things like how he was talking to a client the other day and thinking "hmm, this guy is way older than me"  only to find out he's a year younger.  Huh. Sigh.

Things I love about my old guy:

The fact that he always takes my side
That he will go run/walk in the neighborhood with me even when he's tired or his knees/back/legs are sore
That he knows just what to say when I'm upset
That he tells me multiple times a day how beautiful and in shape he thinks I am
That when I go out of town he will always work on a project b/c he knows it makes me happy
That he loves desserts as much as I do
That he is such a wonderful mediator
His compassion
The sacrifice and service he renders to our family
His strength and confidence
His loyalty to friends and family
His sense of nostalgia
His sense of humor and ability to laugh at himself
His generous heart
That he spoils me

Ok, I guess this could go on all day.  I can't believe we've known each other over 25 years! 
Happy 43rd to David!!

zipline!!!

Trey and Connor tandem


We had an unusually non-humid, clear Saturday with the high only in the 70's here in Knoxville.  We were excited that this PICTURE PERFECT day coincided with our planned trip to do the zipline course in Sevierville with the Langford family.  Connor was a little nervous, but with a pep talk from Jared who had been before and was equally nervous at the start, even he was tentatively excited.  All I can say is:  amazing, beautifully breathtaking, awesome, fun for the whole family.

Carter and Allie tandem and then racing each other

Trey and David racing

Tanner and Jared about to go tandem

swim team

I know summer is over, but I finally have time to catch up on blogging so here it goes.  Summer meant sleeping in, lots of friends, no homework and swim team.  All 5 kids participated again this year.  Connor, Tanner and Sydney moved up to the 9-10 age group this year.  Sydney swam against someone as tall as Allie at one of the meets!  The boys were excited to master breast stroke enough this year to consistently be able to compete in that race.  Connor and Tanner usually raced each other, were very evenly matched, and were always good sports with the outcome .  Sydney, Allie and Trey all took turns racing in the IM again this year.  They all claim to dislike that event immensely, but I think the girls secretly like it.(:  We love swim team because of the routine in gives the summer, the exercise, but mostly because of the friends!

Allie's makeover

Have you ever wondered what Allie would look like with makeup on?  Well some of the Young women in our ward like to do make-overs on Allie for dances and such.  The other day Natalie, Cortney and Lizzy came over to do a back-to-school makeover, manicure and pedicure included- thanks girls!   Lookin' good Allie!