N and C created and built these structures and wanted to display them, so voila'...

N built the house and ambulance, and C mostly built the helicopter. They had a great time building them.

Someone in our family got a haircut....

Most of the red has now been cut off and he doesn't look so much like my baby now, but I guess he and Dad like it, so I'll deal with it. Sorry the pics are lousy because I couldn't find my camera.

Ebay vs. Craig's list

So I don't want to offend any ebay lovers out there, but I really despise ebay and the whole auction format. I was looking for a couple of items yesterday (mainly a cub scout leader shirt)and Craig's list had nothing. A friend had mentioned that she found hers on ebay, and while there wasn't much, the little there was just frustrated me. You make a bid and someone has always put in just a little more than you want to, and I'm not competitive enough or desperate enough to give it all I've got, so I just leave frustrated. There's plenty of brand new "buy it now" options too for some items when you've gotten annoyed with the delayed frustration.

I didn't end up buying anything, but it was tempting to get N's baptism dress while browsing. I'm still bracing myself for a growth spurt and I really do want to sew her something myself, though both DH and N have been discouraging that idea. (Does that say something about my sewing abilities, or as they claim, my lack of time?)

Spiritual influences

DH liked this commercial and the other was a random choice to be different from my sister's...

Others to look at

I also wanted to say how grateful I am for personal revelation and the chance to listen to Apostles who are guided by our Savior to help us know the ways we can become better. General Conference was a wonderful way to spend a weekend with my family. There were many talks that influenced me and have given me renewed focus and love.

Smoothie faces

These are the faces of some happy people after enjoying a strawberry smoothie.

N took a few of the pictures and then C took the others.
If you look closely you can see why I still haven't posted pics. of my house inside. If it's ever clean, it's because someone is about to come over so I don't have time to take pics!

Foodness

I like the recipes that I've seen posted so I'm going to mention a couple of ingredients we occasionally use that make a rice dish pop! I can post recipes if anyone is interested...
The first item that I've found is an intriguing grain . It's called Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) and it contains a higher amount of protein than any other grain, but it's easy to disgest. It's also gluten-free, but when I took to friends who have a family member who can't eat wheat, this person hadn't heard of it and didn't eat it. :( It isn't the easiest food to find and it isn't the cheapest, but it's great for something different and healthy. I can find it in our bulk food bins at our produce market and in the natural foods sections of grocery stores. We ate a pilaf last night with it that my kids love! Sauteed carrots, celery, bell peppers, almonds, garlic, and quinoa--it's really good.

There is also a brown basmati rice that is good. I've found it at the grocery store, but it's a crazy price compared to what I can get from our bulk bins. It brings a distinct flavor to dishes, like how white basmati or jasmine rice taste. I first found out about it from a friend who brought it with a cream cheese chicken dish that was perfect with it. Let me know if you can find these ingredients and you like them; otherwise, come visit me and I'll make them for you (upon request)! I realize these items are not for everyone! :)