A little something...

These last few weeks have been nutso crazy...and I'm kind of having a really hard time trying to figure out what all to tell you about, and then how to tie it together.  So I guess I'll start with past stuff..and jump around to the present.  Or something.  This post may end up being like, twenty paragraphs long, and given my penchant for adding like six more sentences to my paragraphs than necessary anyway, it's just going to be a really long read.  Good luck.  
Anyhoo, while Lora was still here, we decided to have a campfire and roast marshmallows and hot dogs, and just enjoy the evening with my siblings.  (Minus Jessey and Gabby, because they were in San Diego vacationing).  Rough life, you know?

Syd and Jeff did their regular backyard ritual.  She sits on his lap and snuggles with him while he enjoys all her attention and lets her be the biggest brat in the world simply because she loves him best.  Whatever.  I'm not bitter about their relationship. 

And all of us just hung out, some of us, (Lora), jumped on the trampoline, and Lora and Muff talked the fundamentals of photography.  I basically roasted and ate marshmallows the whole time.  It was a good night. 

Muff and Chris supplied the hot dogs and buns and all was delicious.  I'm usually not a fan of the hot dog--as I still suffer from massive burnout from my childhood.  But, these were really good; they hooked us up.  

I took a bazillion pictures that night.  And these were the only ones that turned out.  Perhaps I should have taken part of Muff and Lora's photography conversation...but I didn't.  And I only got four semi-okay pictures. Ahhh...my sweet girls.  Sometimes sisters are happiest when they're together...and I think my mom captured that when she took this of us:  

Onto more recent happenings:

I painted Cole's room.  That was kind of a nightmare.  After three different trips to the paint place, (because the second time I went they got the wrong color and I had to re-paint all the walls), it was done.  Yet again, a two day job that turned into a four day job.  And it's like, half the size of Riley's room.  The thing is, Cole wanted his room orange, AGAIN.  And after some deliberation, we couldn't go through with it.  So we decided instead to go with blue.  Because he's Cole, he LOVED it, and was really excited.  This is why he's my favorite. ;)

I'm pretty sure Jeff wants to do something artsy with Cole's room as well, but he needs time first.  So it may be a while before he gets to it.  And the finished pictures were taken almost two weeks after his room was done.  That's how clean he keeps it.  I kid you not, every night he tidies up and then goes to bed...Riley's room was a disaster like, ten minutes after Lora left.  


And lastly, my little secret.  As you all know, I love food.  And it's been my fantasy to say that I can cook...that maybe the reason my figure is perpetually rotund is because I'm a fantastic cook.  Or I make excellent cookies, or I can whip up a cake to die for.  But, the truth is?  I suck.  As all the Andersons can attest, I'm VERY far from being an even passable cook.  Or baker...or anything food preparation related.  I guess that last part would be my shameful un-secret.  
I always said that if I ever had a kitchen I could cook in, I'd learn how to cook.  And I've been thinking about that since we've moved.  I honestly love my kitchen.  It's like something from the show "Leave it to Beaver".  Except for more modern and better colors, and better appliances.  Okay, so maybe not exactly like Leave it to Beaver, but it's a place that inspires me...makes me wish I could make stuff.  Good stuff.  And to be truthful?  I'm tired of being that lady that isn't good at anything.  Seriously.  I don't do crafts, I'm not an excellent teacher of children, I can't sew or knit or grow a garden, or any of that stuff.  But I am surrounded by people that do..I'm related to people that do.  They had to have started somewhere, right?  Had to have acted on their interest.  (right?)
So, I bought some cook books.  I've been trying to make HOMEMADE stuff everyday for the last week.  It's been kind of relaxing and Riley is my assistant, and she at least TRIES stuff even when she knows what's in it, if she can help make it.  I'm learning stuff...I'm beginning to tweak recipes and add stuff or take stuff away.  Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't...but it's honestly been my desire to eat more healthy--better, natural ingredients and such.  And it's been fun.  

Almond and Raspberry Cream cheese bars.  These I liked...but they were too rich.  I had to give a lot away.  The kids weren't happy about the almonds, and so it was mainly me that ate it, but I enjoy anything with cream cheese and almonds, AND raspberries.  So I ate a few and enjoyed them. 

A lot of what Riley and I are trying to do is make natural fruit and vegetable purees and put them in different foods.  We are inspired by the Deceptively Delicious idea.  But it's been fun finding out HOW to cook vegetables and such...Don't scoff.  I know that for a lot of people, this is common knowledge.  But I'm honestly starting at step one.  I told myself that if I go with babysteps, I won't put too much pressure on myself.  We want to make good stuff, but add more nutritional value into it.  Above are "brown sugar muffins" but I tweaked the recipe to add some zucchini puree and make them less sugary.  (Okay, stop laughing at me...I know this is lame, but this is how I've been spending my time). 

And the kids are enjoying it.  Maybe they're taking a lot of the nutrition that we put in back out, but at least they're trying new foods...and eating. And this is actually "homemade" macaroni and cheese.  (Don't feed it to the Coplen children, as it is NOT a hit).  But my best Wyoming bud Moriah made it for us when she was here like, seven years ago, and we occasionally still make it. This dish reminds me of when I'd go with her to her grandparents' ranch during docking season of their sheep.  After the entire process, Moriah's grandmother would make a HUGE delicious dinner and the macaroni and cheese she'd make was my most favorite part.  I'd eat like three plate fulls.  I never had it anywhere else, and then I found out it's so easy it's something I even felt comfortable making.  And because I know that she knows how hopeless I am in the kitchen, I'm thinking that's why Moriah taught me the recipe.   (We have added to it a bit, but it's a hit).    

And Syd digs it, too.  Big time.  Lately we've made homemade spinach pizza and tomorrow I'm trying my luck with making something with the eggplant I bought.  It's not an exciting fantasy, but it's mine.  And I'm making good use of my lovely kitchen.  

So that's a little something of our last two weeks. fyi:  I've replaced the white flour with wheat...and it's not gone over as well, but we're working on it.  Wish me luck, I need it. 

Stuff that we've been doing.

Be warned.  This is a VERY long post.  So it should take a good chunk of your time. 
I've been painting and such.  Not that painting is overly hard, but there aren't a lot of things I can do around the house without Jeff's supervision.  And it's not that Jeff makes me feel that way, but this is just me speaking from previous experiences.  I amazingly can easily ruin everything I touch.  I'd say it was a true gift if it wasn't so annoying...and expensive.  I started out with Cole's door.  Now that it's done, there are other things I want to do with it, but it was kind of a trial run.  I wanted whatever had dripped down it when the previous owners had it, to just disappear... I was tired of wondering what it was. Dog urine? Teenage boy urine?  I couldn't look at it anymore.  Before:  

And after:  

We're going to paint the playroom, as well. I'm already feeling like I have to defend the color and the placement--so don't judge, yet.  We're still figuring it out.  

Anyway, last week my sister Lora came down and stayed with us.  Riley graciously agreed to let Lora stay in her room, so I decided that painting it before she arrived would be in our, and more importantly her, best interest.  I wanted Lora to think her room was nice. Here it is before:

Riley wanted her room's color to be predominately green.  And we tried to make everything work together without painting, but the room was just too clinical looking and...dirty.  The paint that was there originally only had one coat, and you could see through a lot of it.  What I thought would be a two day process turned into four.  That's how all my projects go.  Anyway, here's the end result: (fyi, though the plain painted walls and ceiling were all me, Jeff just painted the bubble-looking things and such..this is why being married to an artist sometimes contributes to my feelings of inadequacy).  

Jeff did well, right? Despite me being a bit perturbed with his making my work look mediocre and such, Riley loves it, and I will admit, he made the room look cuter than I did.  And he says there's more he wants to do with it...however, for now, Riley is just excited to be back into her own room, enjoying the walls they way they are.  And I'm happy to write it off as being "done" for now.  But just so you know, my paint job was pretty sweet, even before Jeff's final touches.  That's what I keep telling myself.  

For those of you that were wondering?  By the time Lora got here, the paint fumes had just had enough time to disperse, so it all worked out.  


Lora and I called Muff, and we all made it a sister's night. Dinner and going through Spanish Fork's      Festival Days tents.  It was nice.  And crowded.  And I was reminded of how old I've become.  Looking at all the kids and their really tight jeans in 100 degree weather....I'm now really seeing why adults would choose comfort over style.  And I'm really thankful I'm on this end of it, even though it means I'm at that phase in life where I've lost all the "cool credits" I thought I may have had. Lastly I made them go grocery shopping with me...which I'm sure was a yawn and a half, but then we came back to my house and just talked--till 2:00am, and Muff had to work in the morning.  It was way nice of her to hang with us knowing what lay ahead of her in five hours, (a full day of work).  Big thanks to her for making us a priority, because I love long-overdue sister time. 


The next morning Lora saw how we really do sleep in on summer mornings, and that it's not something I exaggerate.  About 11:00am she came up to my room worried that we'd just been quiet and waiting for her to wake.  The reality was I had just heard Syd make her morning noises, and was getting up to get her.  From there, we just hung out.  It was nice.  There were no plans or schedules and all was laid back.  Lora and I took the kids to the Fiesta Days Carnival.  Syd didn't go on any rides, but she enjoyed her stroller.  

Cole was first to spend his tickets.  He wanted to slide.

After his ride, Cole decided to rate his choices in the thumbs up/thumbs down fashion.  A tried and true system that works for our family.

Remember last year when we went to Lagoon?  And how my kids were the ultimate chickens?  That aaaaallllmost happened this time, too.  However, they decided to expand their horizons.  Now, we didn't go overboard with the kiddie roller coaster, or anything.  That would have been too much too soon.  But the tilt-o-whirl was a giant leap, for sure. 

You may scoff, but Jeff can't handle this ride.  It makes him sick.  Both Riley and Cole were kind of tricked into this one, because they didn't get to see how it worked before they got on.  However, they were good sports at the end, and suddenly were more eager to try more exciting stuff.  

For a while they weren't too sure about the above decision.  Another ride chosen BEFORE seeing how it actually worked, but I dared them, and they obliged.  And were the loudest screamers at the carnival.  But they made it.  And I was proud.  

Lora pretty much took care of Syd while I "avidly encouraged" Riley and Cole to go on rides that weren't specifically for 3yrs and under.  It was nice to have a partner to take care of kiddos with me--going alone with three kids to a place with a lot of people walking around puts me in kind of panic mode, and I can't enjoy myself.  I'm afraid of a oncoming disaster.  But Lora let me have fun, too.  So it was super fun!

Until the last ride.  And Riley got to choose, because Cole went on a ride that Riley didn't go on, so Riley decided to go on the "Berry Bop".  (It sounds like a complicated system, and it kind of is.  But it cuts WAY down on any whining and feelings of being short-changed, so we use it).

This ride was honestly like four times the length of all the others.  They just kept going around and around at the slowest pace imaginable.  I almost felt sorry for them.  Almost.  

Despite that, we had fun.  (Cole was telling me he WAS NOT having fun on that ride).  It's a crappy video, but funny to me.  Anyhoo, hope you all have a good day, and this was nice distraction.  I've got so much stuff to blog about, that I'm a bit overwhelmed, so hopefully I'll be better about posting.  Later dudes. 

This and that

Hey You.  You missed me, didn't ya?  Of course you did.  

I think that my last post mentioning how lazy I've been was kind of a mistake. Because all of a sudden, life seems to have gotten a LOT busier. 
This last week we had a lot of visitors.  My mom and stepdad came down from Canada.  It was nice to see them, and they took the kids and I to the Aquarium in Sandy and the Dinosaur Museum in Lehi.  We started the day at the Aquarium, and we had a lot of fun...the last time we were there, it was only half the size it is now, so I would recommend going to those that haven't been in a while.  

And then we were off to the nearest Target...because Sydney peed all over the front of me while we were looking at the South African fish.  I'm going to just say it:  PAMPERS are NOT what they are cracked up to be.  Buy Luvs--you won't be sorry.   After purchasing a new shirt, we were then off to the Dinosaur Museum.  I'd never been before, and we all really liked it. 

I REALLY liked that part.  :) 

Riley loved reading the factoids around each exhibit.  She can remember all of it, and always amazes me with the stuff that she retains.  However, they didn't have anything written up for this section...and I think we all know why:  

I was kind of surprised that this arrangement of bones wasn't vetoed. 
Syd did her best at trying to replicate the facial expressions of each prehistoric creature she was stopped next to. (For those of you with dirty minds, I didn't park her next to the above display).  

Syd was great the whole time.  However, a consecutive three hours of wearing actual clothing is just too much for her.  So she decided that she was done wearing them. 

Coincidentally, this is why I haven't had a lot of pictures of Syd.  Although I think she's adorable in her birthday suit, and she seems to think it's the most comfortable outfit she owns, it doesn't transcend that way through photographs--instead coming across as creepy and uncomfortable.  And that was our day.  Big thanks to Mom and Scott.  They entertained all of us the entire time, and trust me, it's not easy.  I've got a lot more to write about, but I've got to pace myself.  Hope this gives you something to read as you're pretending to work, and all of you have a good Monday!