Yes, these are all HOMEMADE!

Breaded Shrimp over a rice/edamame salad.

The kids favorite. Burrito Bowls. (Fill the bowl with rice and beans. Add meat of your choice - chicken, pork, carne asada. Then, top with all the stuff you love in a burrito: cheese, sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, avacado. To cheat: go to Cafe Rio and buy just the meat, beans and rice to go. Then you have extra yummies at the bottom).

My favorite. Sabayon Dessert. Haagen Daz vanilla bean ice cream topped with Sabayon Sauce and fresh berries. (This recipe stolen from Market Street)

If you know Jer at all, you know he has a love for the finer things in life (especially when it comes to food). I have always told him that he has champagne taste on a beer budget. And, he has done a great job of rubbing that off on our kids. Their favorite place to eat out is Tepanyaki. It's not exactly the nicest place in town, but it's not cheap for a family of five either.

Last weekend, Josh had an experience that, hopefully, he will never forget. He went to St. George with my parents to visit my grandma. And, with no hesitation, he offered to cook something up for the four of them. He worked up a recipe for chili on the way down and then with the ingredients in Grandma Helen's kitchen, made one hot bowl of chili! He loves to be in the kitchen and he is good at it.

As I was going through all of my pictures from last year, I came across so many of food. As strange as that seems, I am impressed (often) with Jer's cooking. His presentation is usually what makes me reach for the camera, but everything is always tasty! Josh has definitely learned from the best. He has spent many hours in the kitchen with his dad (and now with his great grandma) learning and experimenting.

Several years ago, Jer and I were in Park City for our Anniversary. I had a soup that was amazing! I told him that it was so yummy it was like it was "doing a dance in my mouth." So, in no time at all, Jer had figured out all the ingredients of the soup. He went home and made it exactly like the one in Park City. From there, he has continued to perfect his taste for different herbs and spices. He seriously can figure out how to make anything. He tries it once and goes home and makes it. This year on New Year's Day, he made his first attempt at Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup). We had my parents and my sister over to try it out. Wow! It was so good. Erin kept saying how great it is that we can eat Pho at home now! It was an all day process so we probably won't be doing that often, but now we know it can be done.



One of Jer's favorite things to do is get up early on a Saturday morning and head to the Farmer's Market. It's so hard for him when it's not going because he actually makes a habit out of going all summer long. He commented today, in fact, that all you need is $40 or $50 and a morning at the Farmer's Market. He loves to pick out fresh everything there and then go home and make an entire meal out of what he got at the Farmer's Market that morning. We have had some serious meals!

I'm most definitely looking forward to next Sunday (Superbowl Sunday). As long as we have been married, we have had a big Superbowl party with the Johnson boys. Jer always has a new something or other that he takes for everyone to try. Last year he did stuffed strawberries! I wish I had a picture. They were stuffed with cheesecake and dipped in chocolate. I love that my hubby cooks! I really really do.

P.S. I forgot to mention his ribs. Oh baby! And he bottles his own bbq sauce. MmmMmm!

Before and After

I have no idea why I decide that I need to grow my hair out, but every so often, I get this itch. It usually doesn't stick around as long as it did this time. In fact, when I went in to get it cut, the first thing Jana said is "you made it longer than I thought you would." Yes, I am weak. I never really grow it out. Maybe it's the mom in me. So, before I went to my appointment, I decided to take a "before" picture. Then, right when I walked in the door, I took an "after" picture. The funny thing is that it literally is like one hour later. After looking at the pictures, I'm thinking that my idea to grow my hair out is a ridiculous one! Look how frumpy I look. So next time I tell you I am growing my hair out - please convince me otherwise.

Dress Up?

My girls love to play "dress up." I don't really think it's anything that a girl grows out of. Our dress up bucket at home is over flowing with capes, hats, dresses, purses, shoes, jewelry, and just about anything else that looks like a queen would wear it.

I wanted to make the day that we find a dress for Emma's baptism a special day for her. So, we had a little GNO last Saturday and invited my sisters. We went to White Elegance to play a little "dress up" and to find her a special dress for her special day. We all had so much fun. I think Emma tried on 7 or 8 different dresses until she decided on one. And, Erin tried on at least that many. She is Cari's little dress up doll. I was surprised at Erin's willingness to try them all on, model them and then not get one to take home. She is such a good sport!

This last one is the one Emma decided on. It's pretty fancy (more than I probably would have liked), but it's the one she fell in love with. And, she does look very pretty in it. I've decided it's a good thing that she won't have to find a wedding dress for a long time.. for more than one reason. She was rather "bratty" while trying on all the dresses. She knew which one she liked and was not about to listen to me. Now I know when I take her shopping for a wedding dress I will tell her how much I LOVE the one that I hate! Then she won't choose it. Heaven forbid she get the one mom likes!

We spent a LONG while at Jason's Deli after finding the "right dress." So long that Erin fell asleep in Cari's arms. Look at my cute sisters big belly! I love it! March is just around the corner!

Project 365

On New Years Day, I purchased the Kit of the Month on Creating Keepsakes website. I have to tell you: they sold out. You can't get the kit, but I want to share with all of you the concept behind Project 365.

I have always loved to scrapbook - since high school. However, with each child, I do it less and less. I try to keep up with taking pictures and saving precious things, but I figure one day when all my kids are in school, I will get caught up on the scrapbook pages. Blogging has actually been my way of justifying it. I feel like if I post the moments to remember on my blog, it's fast and it gets done. So, along with the idea of having 2008's posts printed and made into a book, I have been looking for ways to "capture" the day to day events in our family.

With that said, I am making Project 365 my priority for 2009. The idea is to take a picture every single day. Just one. More if you want but only one will go in this book per day. Then, I have a little notebook that I jot down the simplest notes that go with the picture I took for that day. When my kit arrives (I think it will be here tomorrow!!), it has page protectors that are set up to have each week on a layout. There are 4x6 slots and then smaller ones under them for journaling. So, all I have to do is slip each photo in and jot down a few notes for each day. I am so excited to see what everyday of our 2009 will look like! Isn't that so much fun??? I am hoping that getting involved in this project will make me more aware of my blessings, my priorities, and my surroundings. Don’t think you do anything worthy of photographing? Think again. What you think is mundane and ordinary is actually a collection of very cool & unique factors of your life.

So far I have taken pictures of us bowling on Jan. 1, what our backyard looks like on a January day, my messy house, the innards of my purse.... and so forth. Today is Jan. 7 so I am one week into it. Unfortunately, there may or may not be more kits available on the CK website, but I wanted to share the idea so that you can do your own version! What a great YW project.

Click here for details on the kit and how you can get started!

http://community.creatingkeepsakes.com/store/products/project_365_kit

Shake Shake Shake It

Countdown to 2009...

10. Invite everyone over.

9. Shop for yummies.

8. Clean the house.

7. Set the table.

6. Greet your guests.

5. Eat and chat.

4. Rock out to Rockband!

3. Rock out to Rockband!

2. Miss the Time Square countdown because you are rocking out!

1. Rock out some more to Rockband!

Christmas Day

All I can think is that we must've done a really good job of wearing the kids out on Christmas Eve. They crashed early and Christmas morning came and no one moved. Jer and I waited.. and waited.. and at about 8am woke them up. I love Christmas morning! And can I tell you how much fun it is to have a four year old? I love her!

He actually posed for the camera!

Do you think she got what she asked for?

Erin: "Mom! Santa knowed! This is what I've been wanting!"

When the kids finished opening all 2000 gifts from Santa, they noticed something over in the corner with an envelope and a bow on it. It was a letter from Santa. It was "hinting" around taking care of something.. giving them a good home.. When they uncovered the "something" there were two gerbils in a cage! Santa is so sneaky! The kids were freaking out! Emma kept saying "I can't believe Santa gave us real pets, mom!" She told Jer and I later that if she hadn't gotten anything else, she would be happy with just the gerbils! They are two boys so the kids decided to name them Zac and Cody. . . one is smarter than the other.

Another tradition we have is going to the J's Christmas morning for breakfast. It's always so fun at grandma J's when everyone is there. The four kids that were born within one year are all 3 turning 4 this year. It's so entertaining with all of them together. It gets a little crazy.

The whole crew!

Josh.. another happy picture!

Since Grandma J. is the mother of boys, she loves to spoil her granddaughters. Every year she gives each of them a Madam Alexander doll. The girls look forward to it because they know that means they can get all of them out and look at them.. that only happens once a year. (I have to keep them hidden or they would be played with like all the other babies.)

This year Emma got this cute doll from the book The Secret Garden. Some others she has from grandma include: Heidi, Goldilocks, Little Red Riding Hood, Pollyanna, and some from different countries.

Erin, Emma, Hanah (Sadie is our other sweet girl)

The four 3/4 year olds!

(Erin, Hanah, Noah, Aiden)

Erin got a PlayDoh ice cream maker. It was quite a hit with all the grandkids!

Josh, Seth, Noah

Brady with his cute boys.

Christmas Eve at Grandma's House

Kailee, Emma, Cambree, Erin

Since we live so close to both sets of grandparents, we get to see them all throughout the holidays . . lots. Traditionally, we spend Christmas Eve at the B's. This is something the kids look forward to every year. Christmas Eve is about as good as Christmas Day. We start early and go late with our partying. This year, Grandma got a Gingerbread House kit for each grandchild. They had so much fun decorating their own.. and there were a lot less arguments this way. :) The grandkids exchanged gifts, the sisters exchanged gifts and we tried to play games. We played a little Rockband (as we usually do at family get togethers.. love it), played a little bit of an 80's game, did some gift wrapping and secret delivering, and ate lotsa food. By 10 o'clock, the Internet said Santa was already in Colorado and Erin was already asleep. So, we hurried home and by 10:15, the kids were all asleep! Grandma and Grandpa B. always give the kids matching jammies on Christmas Eve. Look how cute they all are in front of the tree!


Kailee and Emma

Emma, Erin, Josh

Care and Erin

Do you think this is the favorite aunt? She likes to claim that title anyway.

Cambree and Erin