Can I get an amen?

Mike took us to Hidden Mesa this week to show us where he mountain bikes. We brought Kennedy's friend Kate along with us and the girls had a great time climbing rocks and running everywhere. Here they all are on a wobbly rock. Kennedy and Kate on top of the world.

A couple of pals.

Earlier in the week we went to the Wildlife Experience. Here Kennedy is building a damn.

Tonight we had the missionaries over for dinner. While one missionary was telling us about an experience he had with a lady yelling at him to get out of their neighborhood he then said, "I really wanted to say, listen lady missionaries are not solicitors. But I didn't want to argue with her." To that Kennedy replied, "I say Amen to that."
I thought the missionaries were going to spit out their food. It was really funny.

We were also in the middle of a nice spiritual lesson when she yelled down from upstairs, "Hey Mom, my Snow White dress doesn't have pee on it."
She is nothing if not entertaining.

Blog to Blog

Just wanted to share a few things from friends that I have enjoyed.

1. A very cute website showing how to do different hairstyles for girls. I have had fun trying out some of them and Kennedy thinks it's the coolest.
shedoeshair.blogspot.com

2. An excellent talk called The Uses of Adversity. A talk to help us see the bright side of the poor economy.
http://www.dcsinfosys.com/dfwms/christofferson.pdf

Feelin the love

For Valentines this week we started out on Monday for FHE talking about families and how we can show love for each other. This is hanging in the kitchen and each time we catch someone doing something nice for us we fill out a heart and put it in the house...so far we are strugglin. I got this cake recipe last year from my friend Brenda and I made it this week for Young Women's for a birthday party. It was a big hit so I thought I would pass it along. Very moist and delicious!!!
Chocolate Cake with ganache frosting
Chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c. oil
1 small package chocolate pudding mix
1 c. light sour cream
(the recipe says to use 3 8" pans but I use two)
cook using directions from your mix

Ganache
1 package bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chips
2-2 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 T unsalted butter
Bring whipping cream to low boil, stir in butter and add chips. Continue stirring until smooth and melted.

Let the ganache cool in the fridge and spread over top of bottom and top layer and stack together. I put it in the fridge and served cold.


Sophie eating my keys at Kennedy's ballet class.

Kennedy displaying her cookie she got at the ballet Valentine exchange.

Kennedy and her ballet class exchanging Valentines. Pardon the cleavage of the mom behind her...YOWSA!

I never realized how tall Kennedy is until I saw her in ballet and she towers over the other girls.

Weekend Update

Thank you to everyone that made suggestions as to why I was so dizzy. It turns out that it was due to allergies and sinus/ear congestion. My doc gave me some great allergy medicine and the problem has pretty much gone away...thank goodness!

I had the opportunity to listen to a great speaker yesterday during a Stake Relief Society meeting. I forget his name but he speaks at Education Week and Time Out for Women and is a marriage and family counselor. His talk was on Learning to Love Thyself. I just wanted to jot down a few notes to remember the highlights.

1. Re-brand yourself. If you don't like the label others put on you then do what you can to change it. For example: if you are known as the pessimist you do not have to live up to that you can change the way you look at things.

2. Compare to yourself not to others: when we compare with others we either determine we are better than they are or they are better than us...neither a good outcome. Compare your current self with yourself in the past in areas of health, spirituality etc. How can you do better?

3. Forgive and forget. Do not let the things of the past destroy or hold you back. Let them go and forgive or ask for forgiveness and move forward.

4. Gratitude journal each morning: take time each day to yourself and ask yourself questions such as; What am I looking forward to today? What am I grateful for? Who can I serve today? What are my talents? Ask a positive or uplifting question to get you through the day.

5. Change your internal dialogue. Stop putting negative questions and comments in your mind.

Later that day Kennedy and I went to Disney Live. She had a great time and was so enthusiastic and cute about every new character that came on stage, it was darling.

Kennedy was thrilled to be there! She loved the little June doll she got from the Little Einsteins and has been dancing around with her ever since.Below is Kennedy dancing with Mickey Mouse and his pals, her dancing was crackin me up.

Field Trip

For preschool yesterday Kennedy went on a field trip to Sunflower Market. She wore a lovely hairnet and got to see in the bakery, meat department and produce area. She even stood in the giant freezer for a couple of seconds. The girls were all so cute and funny about the whole experience. They got to sample some blueberries and have their very own choice of milk (Kennedy of course picked chocolate...that's my girl). They also got balloons at the end of the tour.

Here we all are learning about sushi and how they made focaccia bread.Kennedy kept saying how much fun she was having until we got home and her balloon popped and then she told me "this is the worst day ever M0m."I really wish Kennedy would come out of her shell more...yikes!

PS: It was almost 70 degrees yesterday in Denver.

Tricks are for kids

Our happy little girl and her big sister. Sophie loves to watch Kennedy and she can really get her going right before bed when she's super tired.

Sophie loves to clap and do this new little trick, kind of an "I dunno" with her hands. We think it's pretty darn cute. She is also really good at pretending to be a dog. She has crawled away after baths and peed right on the floor two days in a row. She also likes to pull herself up onto her knees next to the couch and chew on the edge. What a cute little puppy we have.

I'm so dizzy my head is spinnin...

Today in Kennedy's prayer she asked that "Sophie will grow up to be quite a woman" and she continually prays that "Grandpa Barben will come back to life", not really sure how to approach that one??? She has also asked me several times in the last few days if she can have a little brother, did someone put her up to this because if so IT IS NOT FUNNY! Just kiddin, I would also love to have a little boy but all in good time, all in good time.

Mike had his 29th birthday over the weekend. We went to dinner with our good friends the Buckmelters and the Farris'. We had yummy Chicago Pizza and topped it off with a little Cold Stone. Mike got various things for his mountain bike and a watch with an altimeter. I took the girls up to his hospital and dropped off treats for him and his co-workers.

The last five days I have been incredibly dizzy and have woken up with horrible headaches. I went to the doc today to see what was up. She did a series of tests, similar to what I would assume someone gets when being pulled over for drunk driving and then she did some blood work. If anyone has advice or ideas as to what could be happening, please share. I am so annoyed by the whole thing since it is keeping me from running and getting ready for my half marathon. I am hoping it ends soon and I can pick right back up on my training. Plus, running errands and holding my little Sophie without feeling like I am going to tip over or pass out would be cool too.