Color, Crown, and Blinds

Before (Look at the windows to the right)


After

We started this "house" project in April, and are finally getting closer to the finish, but not yet. First,we painted the entire house in one day....well, most of it....a pretty blue/green color that I love. We finally put crown up and framed in the windows in the living room and kitchen, and got new white blinds (different from the pine ones the house came with). We still have to touch up all the crown and windows, and put some decorative crown above the doors, but it is coming along. I think it looks so much better and brightens up the house. We didn't have blinds for 3days and let me tell you, it was sure bright in our house at 5:30am! I am so glad to have blinds again!

Our latest happenings....

Today the girls wore their new dresses their Auntie Angie sent them. They loved them, and could hardly wait to put them on all morning. They looked beautiful. (Sienna didn't get one, she has plenty of dresses....as you can imagine!) For the past week, my friend, Angie, from New York, has been staying with us. She used to lived in Utah, and she was our favorite babysitter, the girls love her. She always watched the girls when we went out for our anniversary...overnight. So Friday, we were lucky enough to go out while she was here to celebrate our 7th anniversary! (Which is actually June 2nd) We went to Ruby River and stuffed ourselves as usual, and then went to Somewhere Inn Time, which we love. It was so fun. Thanks Angie! While we have been playing with Angie this week, we went to Ikea. We got the girls this cute picnic table that was only $20! Can you believe it. Now if the weather would just get better so they can sit at it outside! We have had a fun week!

A Couple of Steps...

The other day, Sienna tried to walk. She does really well walking around the furniture and pushing stuff and walking, but this time she wanted a phone and went for it. She won't try too often. Every now and then we try to get her to do it, and when we are so excited she loves it, but still, she'd rather sit on her little bum or crawl. :) Anyhow, we captured her first couple of attempts....the first was best, but this one isn't too bad. She will be one next month, time flies! Maybe she will be walking by then?

There's Always Next Year....

I was so consumed in my cake decorating, I haven't had a chance to report that we went to the Jazz Playoff game Friday night against the Lakers. It was super fun to go. We went with Kimball and Michelle, which in itself was entertaining of course.I was so excited to go to the game, I fear I am becoming a Utah Jazz fan.... but was disappointed to see them play the first 3 quarters. If you watched the game, you know they were sleeping until the last 2 minutes of the game. I guess it wasn't in the cards this year. It also wasn't in the cards for us to sit any closer than the 6th row from the top..yikes.
I am hoping to get some good tickets next season for a regular game where we can actually hear what is going on on the court. But as for Friday's game, we were lucky to get those seats...truth be told. And we loved it. Too bad they lost, but no matter.....Go Jazz! (Next year of course!)

My 2nd Fondant Cake

Yesterday was my neighbor's little girl, Olivia's, birthday. Today was her party, and I got to make her cake. :) It was great practice for me and lots of fun. I think it turned out well. She loved it! If you haven't noticed yet, I created a cake blog for myself so check it out!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, who is the best mom in the entire world. She is the most selfless person I have ever known. She will do anything for anyone and give them anything, even if it is the shirt off her back. She has rarely, if ever,in her whole life done anything for herself, she is always going and doing or helping other people. She only sees the best in people and just loves them for who they are no matter what. She is such a special person, who was born with the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ. Most of us have to pray for that gift, because it does not come easy, but not her, it is her nature. I only hope I can teach my girls to be like her, and to love like her. I love you mom! Happy Mother's Day!




Happy Mother's Day Pam! You are a wonderful mother-in-law with such a strong testimony of the gospel. You are such a strong woman with a great love of family.
You have raised wonderful children who are raising wonderful families. You have given me Nelson, who is the love of my life. I could never thank you enough for that, but I will never stop trying. Thankyou for being such a great woman and wonderful mother-in law! Happy Mother's Day!


There are a lot of women who are mother's that I love. I have so many friends who are great mothers, so patient, so loving, so kind! There are so many great examples of the mother I would like to be. There are also many people in my life who have been a mom to me in some way. I could never name everyone, but I hope everyone who reads this has had a great mother's day and knows how special they are! And remember you don't have to have children to have been a mom to someone!

Coconut Cream Cake

My latest creation. If you love Coconut Cream Pie, you will love this!

2 boxes Duncan Hines Coconut Cake
1 box jello pudding-cocunut Cream

Frosting
1 tub cool whip
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup of milk
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
1/2 - 3/4 cup of coconut flakes

Directions:
When making the cake, add one box of instant vanilla pudding (just powder), and you can also substitue apple sauce for oil) also make the amount of water required 1 1/2 cups instead of the usual 1 1/3. Follow rest of directions.

(I made two 8 inch rounds- which req. two cake mixes)

After they were cooled I stacked them with coconut cream pudding (and I added a little more coconut) imbetween.

Then I frosted the cake with the cool whip frosting. This cake can be virtually fat free if you wish.

When making frosting....mix vanilla pudding powder with powdered sugar and cup of milk. Then fold in cool whip and coconut! YUMMMY!

The Utah Blaze

Last night, all the Cluff couples around here, went to a Utah Blaze game. Who are the Blaze you ask? So did I. :) They are Utah's own, Arena Football League. INDOOR FOOTBALL! Who knew! It was actually very interesting and fun. At first we were just trying to figure out the rules....and how it all worked. The field is only 50 yards, and between the big guys and the little space, there wasn't a lot of places for them to go, except into the audience. Every few minutes there was some kind of show, which was very entertaining....like gymnastics, cheerleading, dancing, bike jumping...you name it. Even Big Buddah was there from the news! By the end...we were solid Utah Blaze fans! They played the Colorado Crush and beat them something horrible, like 71 to 35... It was crazy! They just picked the ball off the Crush like it was candy. It was almost as if the Blaze were playing a high school team....It was lots of fun! Thanks Ben and Pam!

From Icing to Fondant...

Last week I started a fondant class, aka what Duff does....It is actually really fun. This is my first cake...I think it turned out rather well. Not planned, but the inside is one layer chocolate, one layer strawberry...so it is all pink and brown. I am excited for this new way to decorate cakes, there are many more ways to be creative now.

Cinco De Mayo

Ole! Today was Cinco de Mayo! My sister-in Law Jackie,(pictured on farthest left) served a mission in Chile, so we had a big "Fiesta" if you will at her house tonight! Her and her friends were extra festive....and the rest of us were just extra hungry! :) We have yummy taco, burritos, beans, chips, dips, etc. It was delicious! The kids lined up for a pinata filled with candy! They each got one whack at it, and that was all the little horsie could take! Although it may just have seen Jackie and decided to split! haha. Ole!

Skating Extravaganza!

On Saturday, my nephew Josh, had a birthday party at the skating rink. Mind you, I have been skating since I was two, but haven't done it since I was about 12! I walked into a time machine and flashed back to the retro skating, dancing, and limbo I grew up with. The only difference? Half the kids are on scooters now instead of skates. It was Jayda, Halle, and Mia's first time to attempt skating. The number of times they fell is too big to count, but they loved it! They didn't get the hang of it on their first try, but they loved it! Nelson and I couldn't "drag" them around the rink enough times. They couldn't seem to move their feet, they just wanted to be dragged around, it seemed more fun I guess! I was going to push Sienna around the rink in her stroller, but she slept the entire time! Nelson, Benson, Alyssa, Brady, and I skated....and let me tell you....I am old. My ankle hurt, from a sprained ankle over a month ago....we old folks just don't heal as fast....my knee was hurting, and the plastic skates did nothing to help. It was still fun, but I felt quite out of it. I couldn't skate as "cool" as I did when I was younger...I didn't even attempt to skate backwards.....although I used to be a pro. We skated to a little Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, and a few others....but was disappointed to miss the "couples skate! " :) It was super fun, and I guess my girls will need a little practice before they will be up and running or should I say rolling!

Made of Laughs

On Friday Night I went and saw Made of Honor with Patrick Demsey. It was acutally less like "My Best Friend's Wedding" than I expected and quite funny. I really liked it, although there are a few questionable parts. It was really funny, very entertaining, and I probably wouldn't mind seeing it again!