Mark & Elaine and our wonderful crazy life!

The world didn't end!!! 17 1/2 more days :D

2011-05-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to be able to write this blog...THE RAPTURE DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!

I got so tired of hearing about this all week but it was funny!

I only have 17 1/2 more days until I get to pick Mark up

It's been an overall great week! I've had ups and downs but definitely more ups!!!

I decided on Monday that I should take class at Taekwondo every time I take the kids. So Monday I took class and it was great! Thursday I played Volleyball for 2 hours in the morning and then took Sparring class. I haven't sparred in over 2 months and it was awesome! I almost knocked out a 16 year old!!! Man I wish Mark could have been there to see it!

I got a phone call Thursday afternoon as I was on my way to get the kids from school. It was some funky huge long number and I almost didn't answer it. ... I AM SO GLAD I DID!!!

It was Mark! I got to talk to him for a whole 3 minutes!!! He sounded excited and happy which was good to hear! I can't WAIT to see him in just over 17 days!!!

Then Friday I skipped class for myself and after the kids class we all went to my friend Sean and Kris's house for dinner and just so I could have some adult time! Our kids get along very well and hung out w/ minimal interference from us which was awesome!

Today was $1 flip-flop day at Old Navy! So the kids and I all got new flip-flops!

We went to the park

This is Jordan w/ his boomerang (Moriah and I kept trying to throw it and have it come back and we can't) Jordan is the only one who can make it work!

McKenzie playing on the playground equipment (didn't think it was time to go to the library yet)

The kids had tons of fun pushing or riding the merry go round!

McKenzie always loves her time on the swings (probably her favorite thing at the park!)

Monday May 16th - Day 25

2011-05-16T23:06:00.001-07:00

24 more days... (not that I'm counting or anything! :D)

Today was kind of a lazy day for me... :(

I was slacking to say the least and I had a bunch of things I needed to do.

I finally got to "work" after a couple hours... laundry, dishes, taking out trash etc

I haven't been sleeping very well since Saturday and I think it's partial from the wedding cake making and then other from being on my feet most of Saturday, so after a couple of night without very good sleep I was dragging.

I was uplifted by a couple of things today...

1 - it was a taekwondo day so any work that I did on the house would stay done because the kids wouldn't be home until way after their bedtimes.

2 - Words to Hilary's none parody song from her book/cd

It may seem simple

All the little things you do

But the lives you touch matter so much

And there's no one else like you

And Father needs you to be strong and faithful

To be all you can be

Oh, if you could see what He sees

You'd believe in what you're doing

You'd believe in who you are

Hold tight to the truth that your a daughter of God

Believe in who you're becoming

Believe in who you are

Today like I said we went to Taekwondo

The kids had a ton of fun and I took class tonight. It was a wonderful class! (Thanks Ed)

Then Zumba was at Taekwondo. I babysat today so my cousin could come try it out.

Ah what a wonderful day it turned out to be after such a slow day.

Sunday May 15th - Day 26

2011-05-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

25 days until we see Mark again.

Our ward is at 9am and I was bound and determined to not miss sacrament meeting. (I figured if I didn't do it this week it would be nearly impossible to get the rest of them while Mark is gone.)

We were late but only by about 8 minutes!!! (That's a record for us - unless I'm there @ 8:30 for a choir performance!!!)

Church was so wonderful on Sunday. You know how there are the days that you just know that you are there to go through the motions and then all of a sudden you get a huge outpouring of the spirit that you realize...how well Heavenly Father knows you and cares about every detail in your life!

As I stated in my earlier post I've read and listened to a book called Bedtime and Naptime. Amazing how a book can drastically change your perceptions of life!

The book starts off w/ such a wonderful thought from Hilary:

I had two hopes in writing this book.

The first one is that you will be reminded to laugh

...at the funny things that happen each day

...at yourself a little more

...in the moment instead of waiting for it to be "funny someday"

...when you might otherwise cry

And, if for no other reason,

...to strengthen your abdominal muscles.

The second hope is that you will feel

...the power of your influence as a mother

...the love and support of our Heavenly Father

...that you can do all you have been asked to do (This is the one that I needed the most this week)

...inspired to continue giving your best

...a desire to fill another sippy cup, make another meal, find another missing shoe, and wipe another food-covered, chubby cheeked face

How blessed I am to have to Gospel in my life and be able to teach my children about a loving Heavenly Father who KNOWS them and EVERYTHING that is going on in their lives. He is definitely a magnifier of what we are willing to submit to him and ask for help with. I have felt myself being magnified to handle the difficulty of having Mark gone for a while. I have felt the love of my Heavenly Father as I have asked for that help to become a better mother and wife and person. My situation has not changed but I have been strengthened to bear that which is right and good for my family! God is truly good!

Day 27

2011-05-14T22:30:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided I would blog about my time while Mark is gone. One reason is to help me to not let the time just pass but to catch all those amazing things that happen in ordinary days. I have a friend who's blog I LOVE to check often because she posts so often and like I said I LOVE IT!!! I want to be more organized so that I can do that as well.

Today was the wedding of my brothers sister in law. I made their wedding cake and this is how it turned out!

Then after picking the kids up from their friends we came home, got ready for bed, enjoyed a movie and they are down for the count!

Then Mark called from Maine! I got to talk to him for 40 min and it was wonderful! I wasn't expecting to speak to him for 26 more days so having time was wonderful. He leaves in a short while to head across the pond! :D

He didn't have his cell phone and he said there is this place in the airport where they have old cell phones that are for military to use so they can call family!! Oh my how grateful I am for that program and the opportunity it gave me to tell Mark that I love him one last time before I can't tell him for 26 days!

So another thing I need to add to this is that I have been making it through my days thanks to a wonderful book and CD by Hilary Weeks! It's called Bedtime and Naptime...i saw it on Good Things Utah the week before Mothers day and just had to get it!

She sings some parody songs that are amazing:

If you have a chance go get the book, it's great for moms, grandmas, & aunts!

The Best Birthday!

2011-05-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

So my birthday was last Saturday May 7th. With Mother's Day the following day and then Mark having AT (Annual training) for a month starting the 11th we had a day packed full of fun!

First we took the kids to Natalie in Bountiful. Thanks for watching them Natalie, I know they enjoyed it! Then Mark and I met our friends Nick and Marissa @ the Gateway to watch Thor!

*what a great movie Thor is. If you haven't seen it GO!!!

Next we walked around the gateway and hung out for a while. Then picked up the kids and drove to Nick and Marissa's place in West Haven.

Now it was dinner time. There is this great restaurant in Ogden (up that way anyway) called ABC Mandarin. So we went there for dinner (can't beat feeding all 5 people in my family for 28 (that included the tip!!!)

Then we went bowling @ hill AFB which was awesome!

**I'll post pictures once Mark gets back from AT. He took the camera and we left the pics on it so that he would have pics of us to look at while he's gone!

All in all I must say I am so blessed and thankful for everyone who made my birthday so wonderful!

SPRING CLEANING!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Life has been extremely busy over the last few weeks!

I am trying to get better at doing all the things around the house that I should be doing! Lets just say I've totally noticed my influence of being a procrastinator showing up in my older children! They may be shocked when they see what my plan is for the next month! :)

Mark and I have almost been married for 10 years. In that whole time it seems we have just acquired, acquired and acquired things! It's CRAZY the amount of STUFF that we have acquired. Especially because everything is SO cluttered that most of the STUFF isn't used! I'm just sick of the things that we can't do because of the clutter and excess we have. I bet that I could get rid of 3/4 of the things we have and all be happy and have our most wanted items and be able to have a clean house more easily!

SO my goal between now and the middle of April is to de-clutter our home and garage!

I will be having a virtual garage sale (using facebook) and hopefully soon know of a sat in April that I can have a yard sale too! I'm stressed by this idea but super excited at the same time!

This will help me be more organized for my Mary Kay business, make it easier to move when our lease is up and greatly de-stress our lives.

Maxfield recap of 2010 & resolutions for 2011

2010-12-31T09:06:00.000-08:00

I hope this letter finds you all in good health

2010 flew by in such a flash it's difficult to believe that it is the last day of 2010!

Here is a pic of the kids from August of 2009 and below that is one from June of 2010. BOY my kids have grown so much this year!!!

Mark & I have had a busy year, the first half of the year Mark was in school full time. He took a break in July due to his Marine Corps Annual 2 week training being in the middle of a semester. He started two new jobs in September. One for A&B Mechanical a plumbing contractor, he works @ BYU on the DT project, usually. He's so amazing and took this job so that I could stay home w/ the baby so I was able to quit my job in September. The other job Mark started is working at a Martial Arts School. He is business partners w/ a friend who opened a new school. Infinite Martial Arts, it's in Kearns (right down the street from where we used to live ;)

I have loved staying home w/ McKenzie! I can't believe I worked for 18 months!

Both Jordan and Moriah tested for their Yellow Belts on Dec 15th and did a WONDERFUL job! It's fun to see them work hard for something and get the gratification of their hard work. I love that we are all doing Tae kwon do again! (McKenzie is too young to start class but she LOVES to do it w/ us too!)

Jordan started taking Adderall in April and it has definitely helped him to focus at school! He's in 3rd grade now and he got Baptized June 5th! It was wonderful to see him choose to be baptized.

Moriah is in 2nd grade and loving it. She is 7 and growing up so fast.

McKenzie just turned 2 and is such a smart girl. My parents were here for Christmas and my dad kept talking about how articulate she is. She just speaks w/ such clarity it is hard to believe she is 2. Also when she had her 2 year check up we found out that if she really doubles her height that would put her taller than Mark at 6'1.5"!!! She is at 110% for height at two years old which is a 50% for a 3 year old! This year she learned to run, jump, kick, play, imagine, feed herself. As shown from the pictures above she has really grown up this year.

We are loving our place in Saratoga Springs. The condos are full of other kids and it is a very safe environment for playing. We look right down on the playground which is wonderful for the kids to be w/in ear shot!

I started a Mary Kay Business in Nov of 2009 but didn't really do much w/ it because of work and school this year. I am however getting to work this year to help get mark home from his first job so he can do the TKD and get back in school. I'm super excited for the opportunities and positive people I have met doing Mary Kay and I can't wait to reach my goals and my families goals while making the money by helping others feel & be beautiful and wonderful.

This coming year Mark and I have a few resolutions that I am totally excited about! I am working on losing the last 50lbs so that I can be in good health to try for another baby! :D (I lost 25 lbs between August & December) Also to make things easier for our Black Belt Test in August of 2011. Mark will be going for his 4th Dan and I will be going for my 2nd Dan!

Mark and I are starting a Total Money Makeover thanks to DAVE RAMSEY - check it out if you have any kind of goal to be more financially fit in 2011! (www.daveramsey.com)

We wish everyone a safe and Happy new year and the best of luck for 2011

The Maxfields

Mark, Elaine, Jordan, Moriah, & McKenzie

check out my craft blog!

2010-12-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

http://elainescreationsandaccessories.blogspot.com/

I just posted on my craft blog. I plan to do so more often, please check it out and let me know what you think!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

We are off to Provo early before the Stadium of Fire. Mark is volunteering for a military tribute they are doing so we got 4 free tickets! I'm so excited to see Carrie Underwood! Today is also Moriah's 7th Birthday, I can't believe that she's 7 now.

I'm posting...finally... the family pictures we had taken memorial weekend. My friend Kylee Pack took them and did an AMAZING job! especially since we had some not cooperative kids most of the time. Let me know what you think!

2009-10-08T13:45:00.001-07:00

These hats are ADORABLE Check out Forever and a Day(link below)!!! You've gotta check out this giveaway from Something simple!

Here is what is in store...
Here is a description of the cuteness:
Forever and a Day specializes in hand crocheted items for everyone from baby to adult. Unique items that are sure to impress wherever you go! This week, 2 LUCKY READERS will get their pick of one of the following brimmed hats, made using Acrylic YarnAva Hat- Dark Brown, Light Brown, Cream and RaspberryJack Hat- Dark Brown, Light Brown,Cream and Navy BlueSizes Available:0-3 months3-6 months6-9 months9-12 months12 months - 3 years3 years - 5years Here is how to enter:1. You must be a follower of somewhat simple.2. Head to Forever and a Day and leave Selissa a comment!...that's it! So easy, right?! But wait, there are more ways to win!1. Become a follower of forever and a day (1 additional entry)2. Blog about this giveaway (1 additional entry)3. Post Forever and a Day's button on your blog (1 additional entry) When you have done all you want to do, leave me a separate comment for each item you did. (It makes it easier when random.org selects a winner to do it this way.)
I will announce the winner next Thursday, October 15th.
Good Luck!

2009-09-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

9/21/09

Local Giveaway Entry: Orson Gygi

For all you lucky Salt Lake City Area residence!!!Enter here to win a $50 Gift Card good for one Free Cooking classat Orson Gygi!!Check out their upcoming classesHERE!Here's how to enter to win....
Check the awesome classes offered and tell me which one is tempting you!
Be sure to become a follower or subscriber to this blog!!! You wouldn't want to miss out on another cool giveaway would ya'!?
Add my button to your own blog!
Blog about this giveaway on your own bloggy blog!4 chances to win!!! One comment per entry please! This makes it easier for me to randomly select my winner with random.org.Winner will be announced Sunday September 27th.Good Luck Friends!!!!

2009-09-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

I found this GREAT blog for great craft ideas and almost anything you can think of for your home!!! CHECK IT OUT!
"I've got this in the BAG!!!" GIVEAWAY

Ok girls!!!!

(and boy's I guess! I don't discriminate!)

Are you sitting down!!!???!!!

Presenting....

A giveaway.........

That will make your girlfriends jealous!
Your wardrobe stylishly updated!
Your wallet, cell phone, emergency nutrigrain bar and lip gloss feel right athome!
and your ultimate happy meter reach an all time HIGH!!

Feast your Eyes on this Sweet Prize.....

*Your choice of either...

A THOMAS PAUL SMALL KABUKI TOTE IN RED

or...

A Rope Pleated Linen Tote in Pastel Green

All Courtesy of www.luggage.com

Click on the photos for more details and measurements!

One lucky Blue Cricket reader will be randomly selected to win their choice of one totally adorable bag from the selection above!

Last week my/our new friend Tyler from www.luggage.com andcsnmattresses.com contacted me with the awesome opportunity to do a giveaway on Blue Cricket!!!

GET OUT!!!

I jumped at the chance to give away one of their ENDLESS fantastic products! I spent all afternoon searching from hundred and hundreds of choices 'till I found, what I hope are drool worthy bags any gal would love to sling over her arm!

Wanna see how hard it was for me!!
Here are a few other fave bags I had on my wish list...

WAY HARD HUH!!!!

And to make it even harder I could have picked a fancy accent pillow, luxurious sheet
set or accessory from their GREAT Mattress Site!

Check out this adorable print...
Be sure to jump on over there and get lost in their eye candy like I did!!!

Ok... here's how to enter to win!!!

Leave ONE comment for each entry!

Tell me which adorable bag you would like dangling from your arm this Fall!! Kabuki Red Tote or the Pleated Linen Tote!! Either one will make you look slimmer and well rested! He he he!!!
You must be a follower of this blog! Tell me you already follow or you are a NEW follower!
Post about this giveaway on your own blog and post the link in a comment!
Tell me about another cool product you fell in love with from either site!
Give a shout out "Muchos Gracias!" to TYLER!!!The man behind this rad giveaway!!! Show some love people!!!

5 Chances to win!!! Are you kidding me!!!

The lucky winner will be announced Monday Sept. 7th

Good Luck!!!!

Side note: Thanks to all my awesome readers! Your daily visits and comments not only put a smile on my
face but are getting my blog noticed!!! How cool to be contacted by companies that want ME to review or
giveaway a product to YOU!!! Is this fun or what!!! So spread the word and keep the comments and
visits coming!!! Hopefully more Blog Swag to come!!!

2009-04-24T17:26:00.001-07:00

It has been a while so I'll try and catch up a little at a time.

I FINALLY found some of my wedding pictures on my dad's home computer server.

This makes it look really good but this is the biggest that I can print any or they look VERY GRAINY they were not taken on a high resolution digital and if anyone knows if there is anything I can do to be able to get a good print in at least an 8x10 I'd appreciate it!

Here are some more.

2009-01-30T22:17:00.001-08:00

Found this really awesome website to get prints of your digital pictures!
Check out the link!
http://www.artscow.com/?Ref=540353

it's only 0.06 cents for 4x6 and all the way up to a 12x18 for under $5!!!
Plus when you sign up (free) you get a credit for a bunch of prints!

2009-01-23T17:18:00.000-08:00

Jordan was so cute yesterday morning. He wanted to hold McKenzie before school even though he was still sleepy himself. She was eating so I gave him the bottle too. He fed her and then while I was getting ready he also burped her!

I found this outfit and so I made Kenzie this bow.

SOOO BLESSED

2009-01-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that my little girl is almost 2 months old, next monday, already!!! She can focus and see us much better. She can smile and laugh when she sees us or hears us. She has an older brother and sister that love her so much sometimes we have to remind them to LEAVE HER ALONE! :)

She is such a good baby I'm so glad to have her a part of our family forever. I always wanted more kids after Jordan and Moriah and I must say that the 5 year wait for this precious girl was totally worth it.

She has so much hair that doesn't seem to be falling out just growing like CRAZY! I swear that on top it's grown almost and inch since she was born. She'll need a hair cut soon at this rate.

I feel so blessed to have such a special spirit with us so newly departed from our Heavenly Father's Presence. I'm so grateful for the knowledge and blessings of the temple and for my testimony of Jesus Christ and what he has done for me.

**I'm making hair bows now, I will get some other picutres up soon. Let me know what you think and tell your friends I will be starting to sell them soon.***

2008-12-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

Pictures of

McKenzie Noel Maxfield

FINALLY ;)

She's HERE!!!

2008-11-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

McKenzie Noel Maxfield has arrived!!!!
She was born Wednesday November 26, 2008
at 9:02 AM She was born at 36 weeks and 1 day gestation so was about 4 weeks early
She weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long.

She is absolutely perfect and didn't need the NICU at all. She is amazing!

I'll have pictures and more details up later once I get to the other computer.

Night out with Mark!

2008-11-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend Mark took me to watch Twilight. We both didn't like it, they really did some wierd things. I'll just stick to reading the books and imagining it myself!

It was soooo nice to get to go out with Mark. It's been so long since we've been on a date. And since it will probably be a while before we get to go out on one again at least without the baby it was nice to reconnect without the kids around. A great big THANKS to Natalie and James and Linda and Roger for watching the kids.

6 weeks and counting!

2008-11-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Ok so I had my appointment on Tuesday and was exactly 34 weeks along. Yeah I'm almost there. Well my doctor said that I was measuring small but that I had grown since last time. I was measuring only 32 weeks. So he wanted me to get another ultrasound. I went in this morning to get my ultrasound. I was excited to get one this far along so we took a DVD with us. Unfortunately their machine wasn't working so I didn't get any pictures of her. BUT...
I was measuring at 35 weeks and 3 days!!!! Everything I've read recently says that the baby at this stage (34 weeks) should weigh about 4-4.5 lbs. Based on her measurments today she is 5-5.5 lbs!!!

I've been so frustrated when people keep telling me that I am small for how far along I am. Well the other day one of my friends in the ward was telling me that and I said oh, it's because I'm carrying her all in my back. She looked behind me and said "Oh yeah, you do look pregnant from behind!" At first I was like OMG, but I really do!

I'm so excited for this little girl to get here! We still need to pull out the crib to see if we have all the parts, maybe a good weekend project for Mark huh! But I've made nursing covers, burp cloths, and car seat covers. There's probably a lot more I need to do but for now I'm glad that my kids are excited and that we are finally getting the next little one to add to our wonderful family.

Happy Holidays everyone and enjoy the season!

TIME FLIES!!!

2008-11-03T06:50:00.000-08:00

7 weeks left!

As the beginning of November came I realized that this little girl is supposed to be here NEXT MONTH!!! As LONG as the pregnancy seems sometimes I can't believe that it's time for her to be here so soon. I can't wait to get to know her and play with her, McKenzie Noel Maxfield is on her way!!

That means there is also 7 weeks before Paul and Candy come home for Christmas. About 8 weeks until my parents and at least some of my siblings come and Mark's sister Anna is coming around New Years too!

Unfortunately and Fortunately that also means there is only 7 weeks and 3 days until Christmas!!! We are excited for the holiday. I can't wait to get my decorations up since that is the one holiday that I have Oodles of things to decorate the house with! But it also means that I need to have my Christmas shopping done ASAP and since I haven't started I think we're in trouble! Hopefully McKenzie will come early enough to let me get more done after she comes before the holiday is upon us.

Happy Holiday Season to everyone and God Bless you all. We love you!

Halloween

2008-11-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween the kids were Marines 0313, LAV Crewmen to be exact. Just like daddy! We borrowed Linda's Garden Wagon and made them an LAV.

Finished LAV

They had a parade at School and they ended up being the stars!

Going down the Halls you would hear everyone saying oh, how cute etc. Then when Jordan and Moriah would come by, pulled by Mark, the people would Cheer and were giving them Hi fives and the kids thought it was great.

We didn't do much trick or treating but went around to friends houses, and Grandparents.

The kids really had a great time and lucky for me didn't get too much candy so their candy is already gone!!!

THANKS A LOT CANDY!!!

2008-10-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

SO I'VE BEEN TAGGED
Rules:
1. People who are tagged need to post these rules, and 8 random habits/facts/quirks about themselves.
2. At the end of the post you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names.

Eight things about me...
1.I've been married for 28% of my life time!
2.I love to make gifts for people instead of buying things.
3.I wish I could see my parents more often and see their new house.
4.I am almost 31 week pregnant and still am talking about the "next baby" after this one!
5.I wish I was more organized.
6.I am finally going to college.
7.I love spending time with friends and family
8.I'm way too lazy for my own good.

Now anyone reading this you have been tagged. I couldn't think of 8 people so everyone gets tagged!

12 more weeks!

2008-09-30T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm officially 28 weeks today! McKenzie is getting very big and I can't wait until she gets here.
After my appointment today we went to the mall to walk around. My friend that watched Moriah was taking her to school so we had time without the kids! We tasted the most wonderful toffee candy that was..... $50.00 for 3 lbs!!! OMG ok it wasn't THAT good! LOL We also went to Modest by design, since it's across the street from Fashion Place mall.

For those who don't know there is a Marine Corps Ball EVERY YEAR! it's also mandatory. So even though I will be 8 months pregnant I have to put on a formal and go with Mark to a dance! So I've been looking at dresses to get an idea of what I want. My mom's friend is making me my dress as soon as I can afford to get the material! I tried on like 5 dresses and only 1 of them could zip all the way up! it was a size 18!!! AHH but it was HUGE on top so I felt better. Still trying to decide on what color to do. Any suggestions? Mark's uniform is a DARK DARK Navy blue, with gold buttons and red trims etc.

Anna came to visit this past weekend and we loved seeing her. The kids made a banner for her so that when she got here from the airport and walked into Roger and Linda's house she would see it. I'll have to get a picture from Linda and put it up here. It was adorable. Moriah is my little artist and loves to decorate and draw and bake.

Linda's fruit and veggies are coming on in enormous amounts. We have had a ton of zucchini and Peaches. My mom was here visiting a few weeks ago and we made 27 loaves of zucchini bread!!! I've also been making peach cobbler. Sooooo good and such an easy recipie:

4 cups fresh peaches (you can substitute frozen)
1/2 cup of sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice

Heat oven to 400
combine ingredients into a 2 quart sauce pan and bring to boil. Boil for 1 min stirring constantly. remove from heat and place in 2 quart backing dish and place in oven to keep warm.
This could be bottled or used as topping for icecream etc! SO GOOD

Pastry top
1 cup flour
3 Tbs shortening
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
cut shortening into flour mix until the whole mixture looks like crumbs. (I used the bottom of my wisk and it was WAY EASY) Add milk and mix, dough will be sticky.
Drop in 6 spoonfulls over the top of the peach mixture and bake for 25-30 min
Wondeful topped with whipped cream or ice cream!

I love this because it is simple and doesn't have a ton of extra sugar added!

So that's some of what we have been up to. I'm currently working part time at a Target Portrait studio. If anyone wants to come get pictures I'm at the Target at 70th south and Redwood Rd in West Jordan. I usually work mornings a few days a week 10-2 Stop by and say hello if you get the chance.

I can't wait until conference this weekend. I'm bummed that mark will miss it, he has his Marine drill that he can't miss :( But I definitely need the boost and to help my children learn more about Heavenly Father and Jesus. It always interests me to see what things they get out of talks when we are sitting and listening. All of a sudden they ask a question and I didn't even know they were paying attention! How amazing and insightful they are and how we can learn from them as well as help to teach them!

2008-09-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Mark's Birthday
Mark turned 29 this weekend.
Well, the kids and I went to Wal-Mart Friday night to get a birthday present for a birthday party the kids are going to on Labor Day. (That's what we told Mark anyway) We did that too but went to get Mark something for his birthday which was Saturday. After looking around for a while we couldn't really decide what to get him that wasn't going to break the meager bank for the occasion. Finally we decided to get him some of his favorite candies: Butterfingers, Snickers, and Twizzlers. The kids wanted to get him a cake. I normally would make one but I've been to tired :D and then it wouldn't be a surprise! Well, we went and looked and the tiny rounds were $8! I decided at that price to just make a cake! As we were still walking around we passed the expires today 40% bakery cart. There was one of the cakes we wanted to get for only $4.80! We got home and I left the kids in the car and ran in and grabbed a lighter and a few candles. I ran back out and got everything ready and then I called Mark to get Moriah out of the car cause she was asleep and I couldn't carry her. :D I ran out ahead of him and lit the candles and we sang happy birthday to him and enjoyed the cake. I think Mark really enjoyed it and the kids were so excited to surprise daddy.
Saturday we slept in and then went to the Deseret Book outlet in South Jordan. They had a stack of books, most by general authorities, for $0.99 each!!! One was the first book of the discourses of President Hinckley 1995-1999! We got 5 books and then I remembered that I had plenty of points so we got Mark a bunch of books and didn't spend anything!
Then we went to get Mark some military garments and looked around the Deseret Book for a while. The kids and I then took Mark to lunch at Golden Corral.

We all enjoyed being able to spend the day together and celebrate Mark's Birthday!

2008-09-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm late getting this up, like everything else :D

First day of school!

Jordan and Moriah started school on August 11th.
Moriah loves Kindergarten and really enjoys making friends and getting ready for school. Jordan is doing much better this year and he has great teachers.
He is being tested at school and as soon as we have insurance again we are going to have him medically tested to see what LDs he has (learning disabilities)

*I will add the pics later they are on the other computer*

2008-08-13T07:19:00.001-07:00

***Fun day with friends at Liberty Park***

We met Fred and Amie and their girls on the south end of the park. The kids really enjoyed feeding the geese.

We walked to the other end of the park to play at the playground and in the water park area. We stopped to have snow cones and the kids posed for pictures.

Moriah and Gabby

Jordan, Moriah, and Gabby.
(Yes Moriah is carrying Gabby)

Now Jordan is carrying Gabby.

Jordan and Moriah are going to be so good with thier baby sister!

This is Fred and Amies other daughter Emilie. She's 2 1/2 months older than Moriah!!! lol

**ONTO THE WATER PARK!!!**

Fred and Gabby playing in the water

Moriah decided she didn't like the water! Look at that sad face :(

It's adorable!!! lol

Jordan did have one problem with the water though ...

We couldn't get him to get out!!! lol

Once we got Jordan out of the water all the kids played in the playground and had a blast!

Round and Round they go!

Do I look as tired as I felt?

Mark and Moriah playing. What does her hair make her look like?

Mark said it looks like devil horns! That does fit sometimes but really she just looks adorable!

After our long day we made Mark and Fred go up to their house in the van and we rode Front Runner back up to Clearfield. It was the first time for us to ride it.

*Girls Night Out!*

Later that evening while the boys fed the kids dinner and stuff, Amie and I went to the movies and watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. It was really good, they could have ended it a couple of scenes earlier but other than that it was good if you liked the first one!

2008-08-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mark's Graduation from LAV school!

7/18/08 He's FINALLY DONE!!!

This is his class. There were about 45 of them in this class.

I was so glad to have him done! It was nice to be down there and get to see him every weekend for June and July but nothing beats getting to see him every day and how good it is for the kids to see him too. They've missed him so much. I'm glad they were, for the most part :D, good little troopers and know that their daddy is doing something important and that he will always love them. It's much easier for them to believe now that he's home!

2008-08-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got some of the pictures from this summer onto the computer! While we were visiting California we went to Sea World for the first time. The kids enjoyed it and I think Mark enjoyed it even more because we got in free!

The kids really enjoyed the tide pools and seeing the starfish.

It looks like he got to touch it! They loved the aquarium. I was dying cause of the Humidity but we all had fun seeing all the animals!

This is REALLY how big the fish was!!! This isn't zoomed in! CRAZY!

As you can see these are the flamingos. Moriah is showing us where we are going and what we are going to do next!

Moriah took this picture all by herself with my big DSLR camera. It's her favorite thing to do!

WAITING TO SEE SHAMU!!!

We wanted good seats so we had to sit for almost an hour!!!

The kids taking turns with the camera:

We really enjoyed our day. We saw the shamu show, still haven't developed those pictures yet. lol. We saw the sea lion show and rode the Rapids ride. We got so soaked and the sun had already gone down so we were FREEZING!!!

Time for school

2008-08-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

Jordan and Moriah start school on Monday August 11th. Their back to school night is tomorrow and Jordan will meet his teacher for the first time. Her name is Mrs. Wartman. No offense to her but that is a horrible name for a 1st grade teacher. When Jordan's friend Brittany came over to play last week she was telling him that they were in the same class and that his teachers name was Mrs. Wartman. He came running down stairs to me saying that Brittany was using bad words!! lol It's going to be a long year!

Moriah has a new kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Proud, the teacher from last year, had a baby and is switching to a charter school that will allow her to work a half day. Her new teacher, Mrs. Brown, I think, seems very nice and I think Moriah will do great in her class.

I've been very busy with school myself. 3 classes but the most difficult thing is with the kids around it's hard to concentrate on the computer. Things should run smoother next week once they are at school.

Mark is still looking for work but has been very busy working at Camp Williams last week and this week. It is hard work and he comes home EXHAUSTED!!

I think what exhausts all of us the most is that we are trying to get the kids on a better schedule before school starts and it's not going great. But we continue to work on it so hopefully it will be easier once they are expending more energy during the day!

We're having a girl!!!!

2008-07-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Baby number 3 is going to be a little girl. My due date is still set for December 23rd but I'll have another ultrasound in 5 weeks so we can get a better idea by then. I'm 19 weeks and 2 days today. I am so excited for the new baby to come and can't believe it's only 20 weeks and 2 days until Christmas!!! How quickly this year is flying by.

A Busy Family

2008-07-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't written for just over 3 months. So much has gone one so I will try to catch you up. First of all, right after my last blog we found out that we were pregnant. I'm currently 16 weeks prego, almost half way!!!
I just started college yesterday. I'm taking 18 credit hours this trimester. All online classes too.
Mark finishes his training in 10 days on July 18th and shortly thereafter we will be heading back home to Utah. Jordan and Moriah have school starting August 11th and by the beginning of September all four of us will be in school!
The baby is due December 23rd and we hope to find out what we're having as soon as we get home.
If anyone knows of any job openings that mark could apply for that would be wonderful since he's just a reservist he'll need to get a job asap.

My life

2008-04-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided that I would start a blog like so many of my friends have. My name is Elaine I've been married for almost 7 years obviously to Mark :) We have two kids that are growing up WAY TOO FAST. Right now life is crazy. Mark is in the Marine Corps and finishing initial training. So the last year has been hectic to say the least, but also rewarding in a way I didn't really expect. I HATE having him gone but it has taught me a lot about myself!
Well, right now we are trying to conceive, which is obviously difficult with having only seen him twice in the last 6 weeks :) Luckily we will be moving in with my parents which is near his training so in another 8 weeks I will get to see him on a more regular basis. My youngest is almost 5, OMG, and I've been baby hungry for a while, to say the least!

Right now we are visiting my parents so I've seen Mark the last two weekends and it has been WONDERFUL!!! I just wish that it wasn't going to be so long before I see him again. Hopefully I can come visit him for my birthay :D (May 7)