Daybell Family

Happy Birthday Brad!

2012-01-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

We celebrated Brad's birthday this year

with peanut butter cups (his favorite).

His cake was loaded with

peanut butter cups

and rich chocolate ganache.

Soooo D-E-L-I-S-H.

Happy Birthday to our dashing fellow. :-)

We all adore you.

RECIPE

1 devil’s food cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups chopped peanut butter cups (plus more for garnishing – I used 2 bags)

8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup peanut butter

•Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with wax paper and coat paper.

•In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down sides after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.

•Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

•Cool cakes completely.

•Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth.

•Trim each cake layer so the tops are flat. Place one layer on a cooling rack and pour 1 cup frosting on top. Spread evenly with a spatula. Add second layer and pour remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Smooth out with spatula.

•Allow frosting to set for a minute and gently press remaining chopped peanut butter cup pieces all over top and sides of cake. Place in refrigerator for about an hour to set.

Remove and serve with vanilla ice cream

Christmas-New Year

2012-01-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous Christmas.

L-o-v-e-d the time together---away from school and work.

Santa found our new house and left a few surprises.

The favorites...

Addison's new alarm clock (her top request). She's a cutie.

Tickets to Beauty and the Beast and Wicked. Can't wait.

Ava's wooden instruments.

Instead of playing them,

she pushes them around in her stroller.

SO s-w-e-e-t.

The girls received a plethora of American Girl crafts to keep them busy.

Olivia was so happy about her new sewing machine. She loves to sew.

After Christmas, our little Ava spent some time in the hospital with pneumonia.

She was in the hospital for 4 days and on oxygen at home for another 4 days.

NOT what we had planned to celebrate the new year. Poor little girl!

She is such a sweetheart and has made a full recovery. So glad.

While Ava was recovering, we spent a lot of time at home.

So, I decided to give our bedroom a makeover...

I painted our bed, armoire and even our old pillows!

Brad knows how much I love to paint furniture, but pillows?!?

I wasn't too sure, but it worked. :-) Here is one of my favorites.

New home

2011-12-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been busy!

We moved into a new home and we are loving it!

We were so excited to find a home within the same

community, school and village of fantastic friends.

Our girls are adjusting beautifully to the change.

Our cute little Ava is walking now.

She started walking soon after we moved.

She is excited to have new space to explore. So fun.

The last few weeks have also been

full of holiday fun! So much more to come. :)

Love this time of year!

The Lion King

2011-11-10T10:20:00.001-08:00

The Lion King at the Buell Theatre.

We spent the evening spellbound by costumes

and magical theatrics. The costumes were unbelievable!

We were captivated from the start. Loved it!

Fuzzy picture inside the theatre.

The girls were so cute--so excited.

They loved every minute of it.

Baby Ava

2011-11-04T08:46:00.003-07:00

Having a 4th little girl join our family has been a delight!

Baby Ava is a s-w-e-e-t-h-e-a-r-t.

It is so exciting to watch her grow

and see her little personality blossom.

She loves to be with her sisters.

She follows them everywhere. They LOVE it.

Watching a movie---all in a row.

Ava thinks she is so big! :)

A few snapshots from my phone...

Eating a banana before church--her favorite.

Shop 'til you drop.

She sleeps anywhere. I love it. She is a very easy baby.

I could kiss her little cheeks all day.

Morning run--she loves to ride in the stroller.

Listening to the story at Pottery Barn Kids story time.

She is growing up so fast. LOVE HER!

Halloween

2011-11-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

C*O*S*T*U*M*E*S

Angel---Ladybug---Mad Scientist---Fairy

Sweet Little Ladybug

She loved Halloween.

Halloween highlight--creepy Hillary Clinton mask.

Brad went to the Costume Shop in search of a

costume for work. The last minute selection

was terrible. He ended up with...Hillary.

His costume was H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S.

Little Ella could not get enough.

She thought it was the funniest thing ever!

She had a great time in photo booth,

laughing hysterically under the mask.

H-a-p-p-y H-a-l-l-o-w-e-e-n!

First Snow

2011-10-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Snow, snow and more snow

in Denver today!

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L

Olivia and Addison after school--

SO excited about all of the new snow!

Training-Day #1

2011-10-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

Ella, Ava(hiding in the stroller) and I---early morning run.

Brad and I are looking forward to our next race. Training started today. We are training with my sisters, cousins, and other family members. Our goal: Train together and run in a race Thanksgiving morning. We are going to run different races since we don't all live near each other. Brad and I will be running the Turkey Chase 10k. I love my family so much! We are very close. It will be so much fun to train together. Love it!

Steamboat Springs

2011-09-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend we fell in love with Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

My parents invited us to join them at their condo for the weekend.

Steamboat Springs is nestled in the mountains northwest of Denver.

Our surroundings were covered with Autumn Aspens---s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g.

Fall colors were in full bloom. We loved it. WOW

Thank you Mom and Dad for an unforgettable weekend!

2011-09-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Addison is the newest member of the student council.

The election was on Friday.

She was so excited-so nervous.

She had to give a speech before the voting took place.

She really wanted to write it by herself.

I thought that her speech was darling! We are so proud of her.

ADDISON'S WINNING SPEECH

This is why you should vote for me for student council:

I will be positive and a good example.

I will share my ideas.

I will attend meetings, student store, and help with spirit days.

I will try to get good grades and be good in class.

I will be kind and follow the rules.

I will help others if they need help and I will be a hard worker.

If you fall down, I will come to the rescue.

If you need a friend, I will be there.

That is why you should vote for me for student council.

On Friday night we celebrated.

Brad took Addison and Olivia to the Rockies-Giants baseball game.

They had a blast being energetic cheerleaders. :-) So fun.

Paris Street Market

2011-09-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend we strolled through the Paris Street Market.

Learn more about it here.

It was a treat.

It is open on Saturdays, May-October.

My girls and I spent the morning rummaging

through antiques and vintage treasures.

So many treasures.

We were there for hours and loved every minute of it.

We will be visiting again...soon.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic Labor Day Weekend.

We began the weekend with

Les Misérables at the Buell Theatre.

One of our favorites.

B-R-A-V-O

Grandma Daybell was here to visit!

We had so much fun at the...

Pool

Butterfly Pavilion
Art Museum--Marvelous Mud Exhibit
Elitch Gardens
Farmer's Market
Boulder--Pearl Street
Downtown Denver Food Festival
SO fun.

Denver Art Museum

Mud Studio---So many creative sculptures.

Addison added a cute little puppy to the gallery.

Boulder's Pearl Street
Great street performers on the weekends.
Ella had the best view. :-)

Elitch Garden's
Mind Eraser Roller Coaster- YIKES

SO tired-busy weekend with Grandma.
S-w-e-e-t baby.

Mt. Bierstadt

2011-08-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

We hiked our first 14er on Saturday.
Mt. Bierstadt
Elevation: 14,060
It was an adventure.
View was spectacular.
Can't wait for the next one.

First Day of School

2011-08-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Addison and Olivia are off to school!

They started school on Monday and they are loving it.
They are so excited about their new teachers,
new grade, the bus, friends and

all of the fun things they will be learning.

Although I miss them,

it will be fun to have some time

with our two little ones,

Ella and Ava.

After I dropped Olivia and Addison

off at the bus stop, Ella turned to me and said,

"Yes!  Now I am in charge!"

She likes to be the BIG SISTER and

she definitely likes to be in charge.

Ella getting Ava ready for

 a ride in her doll pram.  

Ava loves it- laughs so hard.

Ella is a little M-O-M.
She is gentle and sweet with Ava.
They have a great time together.

Addison's 9th BIRTHDAY!

2011-08-21T09:26:00.000-07:00

Addison had a birthday this week.
She is 9 years old!
She is such a sweetie! She was so excited to visit
the American Girl store to pick out her new doll!
She picked Julie Albright-
she loves her and loves to read her books.
So cute.
She was also very excited about her new butterfly garden
and earrings from her sweet grandparents and
a ticket to The Lion King musical from her sisters.
She is growing up!

Addison had so many cute ideas for her birthday party...
chocolate fudge cupcakes with suckers and handmade pinwheels.

She invited 5 of her good friends to celebrate at
Elitch Gardens. We had a blast.
They were so much fun.
H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S

Happy Birthday Addison- LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday Ava!

2011-08-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

Sweet Ava turned 1 this week!

We celebrated with swimming and sweets (Ava's favorite).
We invited our good friends over for a
POOL PARTY!

Lots of cupcakes for 50 fabulous guests- we had so much fun.

Some of the party guests- great friends.Ava's chocolate cream "smash cake". She devoured it-loved it.

My very talented friend (Natalie) helped me build this
picnic table and beach chair for Ava.
She's a little small for the table (she'll grow into it).
She loves to climb into her chair, she thinks she is SO big.
Love this age-what a cutie.
Happy Birthday Ava!
We love you!

2011-07-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

L--O--V--E
S U M M E R

Ballet Recital

2011-06-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Addison and Olivia had a ballet recital this weekend.
Their performance was in Boulder on Saturday afternoon- it was fantastic!
The girls both love being on stage- they did such a great job.
They have really enjoyed being in the same ballet classes this year.
They are best friends. D-A-R-L-I-N-G.

S-W-E-E-T-I-E-S

We were not allowed to take pictures during the performance or dress rehearsal.
I was able to take a picture of the final bow after the performance.
They are in the front row, far right.
Loved it.

Addison's Tennis Lessons- She's a Pro.

2011-06-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T18:50:00.001-07:00

School is out and it's time to play!

We kicked off summer vacation at
E-l-i-t-c-h G-a-r-d-e-n-s.
Brad surprised us with season passes!
Our family loves amusement parks.
It was a blast.
So excited for summer!

Addison, Ella and Olivia
-Loved it.

Sweet Baby Ava- LOVE HER!

Addie's favorite ride-

They just made it through a HUGE wave.
They were soaked :)

Monday was the Bolder Boulder 10K.
It was a really great race.
Can't wait to run it next year.

2011-05-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Ella, Ava, Addison and Olivia

Ava- 9 months

Ella- 4 years

Olivia- 6 years

Addison- 8 years

Our Sweeties.

2011-05-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

We had a "vintage photo shoot" earlier this week.

Ava had a lot of fun shots...sweet baby.

Springtime

2011-05-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and we are loving it.

The weather has been fabulous- so warm.

We love tulips and each year we look for tulip gardens.

Our favorite- the lovely tulip gardens in downtown Boulder.

Over 15,000 tulips adorn Pearl Street.

The colors are vibrant and beautiful.

We have been frequent visitors this year-

the flowers are s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g.

We attended Boulder's annual Tulip Festival.

It began with a Tulip Fairy parade.

Tulip Fairies led the kids down Pearl Street "waking the tulips for spring".

After the parade, the fairies gave special gifts to each of the participants.

It was a delight. Our girls had such a great time(especially Ella).

D-a-r-l-i-n-g!

Mother's Day weekend was so great.

Brad and I went biking in Boulder Canyon on Saturday(my request for Mother's Day).

It was f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c.

My girls gave me a new North Face jacket, running shoes and guitar lessons.

I am so excited about guitar lessons!

We ended the weekend with a few crazy photos on our iMac. haha

I adore being a mom. We have a lot of energy in our home. :)

Life couldn't be better.

My new favorite salad dressing recipe-tastes like Springtime. :)

*Olive Oil

*Agave Nectar

*Lemon Juice

*Ground Coriander

*Ground Cayenne Red Pepper

*Salt and Pepper

Put it on a bed of Kale and other favorite veggies....DELISH.

WORK WITH DAD

2011-04-29T14:54:00.001-07:00

Addison and Olivia had an opportunity to go to work with
Brad this week (school project).
They were both able to miss a full day of school and
spend that time learning all about being a lawyer.
They have an amazing dad.
He worked very long hours throughout
the week to make this day possible.
The girls loved their day together- so did he.

First stop was the Jefferson County Courthouse.
They took a tour, looked inside the courtrooms
and became sheriff's deputies for the day.
They were fascinated.

They finished their day at Brad's office at Interlocken.
They felt very important acting as his "legal assistants" for a while.
The highlight of the day- the y-u-m-m-o hot chocolate
from the break room (they are still talking about it).
It was a great experience for them. Thanks Brad! So fun.

Ava- 8 months old

2011-04-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

This little lady is the center
of attention at our house.

She is already 8 months old!
She is a sweetie- so cheerful-so easy.
We absolutely adore her!

Enough said.

2011-04-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

BEFORE
(I need a new hiding spot for my scissors)

AFTER

Colorado Springs

2011-04-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took a trip to Colorado Springs.

We spent the weekend hiking, swimming and exploring with the kiddos. The trip was fabulous-so sunny, relaxing and beautiful! Loved it.

Manitou Cliff Dwellings

Seven Falls
Our Favorite

Bolder Boulder

2011-04-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

The Bolder Boulder is in less than 8 weeks!
Brad and I are really excited to run in this race!!
We will be running with 12 other couples.
It is going to be a blast!
The Bolder Boulder is a 10k race in Boulder, Colorado
with over 50,000 runners.
The race is lined with over 30 entertainers-
bands, circus acts, weddings, impersonators, dancers, etc.
It is a party. Can't wait.

We started training on Monday. :)
My good friend gave me a great idea for a
"power breakfast" before my morning run-
a breakfast smoothie loaded with fruits and veggies.
I absolutely LOVE this smoothie.
It keeps me going all morning and my family loves it too!
RECIPE
1 C Water
1 C Kale
1/2 of an apple
1/2 of a cucumber
1 ripe banana
1/4 C frozen blueberries
1/4 C frozen raspberries
D-E-L-I-S-H

Happy Birthday Ella!

2011-04-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little Ella is four years old!

After attending Disney On Ice a few weeks ago,
Ella has been set on having a "royal celebration" with a lot of pink!
This weekend we celebrated with 10 of Ella's cute little friends.
They were darling!
I love planning princess parties-
with a family full of girls we have had our share.
So much fun.
Happy Birthday Ella!

Our sweet little princess requested a birthday cake with a "sparkly crown" on top.
She was so excited to finally take the crown off of the cake.
She has been wearing it day and night. What a sweetheart!

Our little darlings are growing up!
Life is so good.

Redo #2

2011-03-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

So, Saturday morning I told Brad that I thought our coffee table was boring-a little too country-needs some color.
He laughed and knew what was coming next...
another redo.
I painted it a greenish/greyish/bluish and glazed it with walnut. It is hard to see the actual color in the picture. I love the vintage knobs. I think I'll keep it like this for a while. Maybe :)

Furniture Redo

2011-03-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

This week I found a storage coffee table on Craigslist.
So... I sent Brad on over to check it out.
He liked it, he paid for it and I painted it the next day.
I think it turned out great. $50.00

AFTER

Our favorite part and the selling point for Brad...
not only does it provide storage space, it folds out into a table.
H i l a r i o u s.
Can't wait to try it out this weekend:
dinner and a board game in front of a movie.
Love it.

Up next:
Craigslist $40
A stand for our television.
I am thinking...dark vintage knobs and a light
greenish/bluish/greyish paint-glazed with walnut stain.
Who knows!?! Can't wait.

2011-02-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

This week I celebrated my birthday.
I love my birthday, Brad always makes the day so great. He is the best!
The minute I woke up in the morning, he put a
birthday crown on my head (with blinking lights) and I was the queen for the day.
It was w o n d e r f u l.
That night Brad took me to a great sushi restaurant. My favorite.
We topped the night off with a very delicious dark-chocolate cake with
ganache frosting and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
( my 3 sweet kitchen helpers assisted me in making my cake).
The day could not have been better.

On Thursday I celebrated with a group of amazing ladies!
My good friends took me out to dinner and surprised me
with a Charming Charlie gift card.
LOVE IT!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

R E C I P E
Dark-Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, room temperature

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in chocolate and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pans 15 minutes; run a knife around edge of each pan, and invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Set a rimmed baking sheet upside down on a work surface. Place one cake on sheet, and spread top with 1/3 of ganache. Place second cake on top, and spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Using two wide metal spatulas, carefully transfer frosted cake to a serving platter.

Ganache

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil. Remove from heat; add 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, and let stand, without stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk just until combined. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until spreadable, about 1 hour.

Happy Birthday Olivia!

2011-02-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

Our girls really love the American Girl dolls.
I do too. I enjoy reading about history and have really liked reading the American Girl books with my girls. We check out new books each week from the library. We are so excited to have a store here in Denver. Brad and I took Olivia on a date this weekend to visit the American Girl store and to pick out a doll for her birthday. She picked the Kit Kittredge doll, one of the historical characters in the books that we have been reading. We just finished the book titled, "Happy Birthday, Kit". Olivia has been counting down the days to her birthday and to her trip to the American Girl store. She treasures her new doll! Kit has not left her side.
Saturday we had Oliva's birthday party with her friends and family.
We have fun celebrating birthdays and decided to have a "Sweet Shoppe" this year.
Our little Olivia is SO SWEET. We could not think of a better theme to suit her. :)

Olivia requested a "pinkalicious" cake. When I asked her what she meant by pinkalicious, she said that she wanted a "pink and fluffy cake". I attempted Martha Stewart's pink ruffle cake. Hmm...not quite Martha, but Olivia loved it. We had twelve lovely guests and a plethora of candy. We played Sweet Shoppe Bingo, Candy Land, doughnut drop, colored a birthday cake and made candy necklaces. At the end of the party, everyone filled their gift bags with as many sweet treats as they possibly could! It was a S-W-E-E-T celebration. The kids were adorable.

Olivia and Kit in front of the Sweet Shoppe

A gift from Grandma- Olivia's new chalkboard

She has been busy playing school with her sisters! So fun.

Boulder

2011-01-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

This week has been sunny and beautiful...weather in the 50s and high 60s. Fabulous. I love Denver. The girls and I have been outside as much as we possibly can. We have been playing at parks and visiting the Farmers Markets (Denver has a plethora). Yesterday we went to Boulder to try the new Gelato Shop at the Whole Foods Market. We have grown attached to Boulder and try to visit as often as we can. We always spend some time on Pearl Street. It is a popular destination in Boulder and the stage for all sorts of street performers, musicians and artists. There is always something new to see or do on Pearl Street. Yesterday was no exception.

Most interesting street performer of the day- Eli the body contortionist.
Kids were amazed. I wasn't sure what to think, especially when he asked for volunteers and my kids ran to his aid. His plan was to fit 4 kids into a box (two 8 years old, a 5 year old and a 3 year old). I didn't want to ruin his show (he had a large audience) but when I could tell that they could not breath and he was about to shove Ella in for the finale...I had to put a stop to it. Addie was a little embarrassed and claims that her friend Rory (back corner) still had a pocket of air, Ella thanked me for saving her and said, "Mom, let's get out of here!"
I could not agree more.

After our adventures on Pearl Street, we went for a treat at Whole Foods.
The girls are members of the Whole Foods Kids Club. Each store offers different activities, events or classes for the kids each month. In the Boulder market, the kids get to pick out the "healthy snack foods of the month" every time they visit. This month: Satsuma Tangerine, organic gingerbread crackers, and a cheese stick. They were delighted, but we had something a little creamier in mind...
G-E-L-A-T-O

The Boulder market has a new Gelato Shop. I have been so excited to try it.
We ordered a cookies and cream, coconut lime and a vanilla fudge.
I chose the coconut lime. WOW. It was so creamy-so rich. I can't wait to go back.

Y-U-M-M-Y

Happy Birthday Brad!

2011-01-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating Brad's birthday this week!
The girls planned a surprise party last night.
Addison took charge of the planning...
Theme: blue balloons and pink butterflies
Activities: dancing to Lion King and Wicked,
Candy Land, Old Maid and pedicures.
Dessert: coconut cream cupcakes
Brad loved it, especially his shimmering butterfly glasses. :)
I am sure the blue balloons were a pleasant surprise.

My favorite part of the party:
Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cream Cupcakes(from Crate&Barrel).
Easy and DELICIOUS.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-01-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

We really love musical theatre at our house.

Our girls love to dance and listen to our favorite musicals. For Christmas we bought tickets to a couple of upcoming musicals. Last night we went to Sleeping Beauty with a group of darling little girls(and darling moms). The play was not the same story that the girls were used to, but it was hysterical and very entertaining. I am so excited that Addison and Olivia are getting old enough to love and appreciate performing arts. So much fun!

Zoo and Cupcakes

2010-12-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the girls and I visited a cute little cupcake shop nestled in Denver's historic Park Hill. Our good friends joined us for some very delicious treats. We tried a variety of goodies...the red velvet cupcake being the favorite (I think I had one bite while Ella hurried to eat the rest).
We have heard a lot of great things about this bakery...home of the Denver Cupcake Truck.
WE LOVED IT.

After indulging in cupcakes, we took a trip to the Denver Zoo.
We were so excited to be able to spend the afternoon with the Westhoff kiddos.
Our kids get along so well, we love to get together.
We explored the Zoo all afternoon. We had so much fun!

December

2010-12-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

This month has been delightful.
It has been full of sunny days, walks, visits to Santa, parties, family activities, bike rides, laughter, chocolate dipping, Christmas programs, hot chocolate, good friends, playing outside, cupcakes, movies, Christmas lights, projects, gingerbread houses, Christmas music, dates with Brad, and smiles from sweet little Ava.
I love this time of year and I am not ready to see it go!

Ella had a fun surprise from Santa-
She has been very busy cooking in her new little kitchen.

Little girls are so much fun!
I had a couple of sewing projects this year.
Leg warmers.
I wore them when I was their age(can't believe they are back). haha

And aprons for my 3 sweet kitchen helpers.

The girls were busy with their own Christmas projects.
This was their favorite.

They designed, frosted and decorated.

I was impressed. So cute.

Happy Holidays!

The countdown begins.

2010-12-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

The magical month of December is finally here!

SO EXCITED.

Our countdown is under the Christmas tree.

This morning the kiddos opened day #1.

Drum roll...

Sorry kids. The Nuggets tickets are for Mom and Dad. :)

You can eat the candy.

2010-11-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

This week we have had "give thanks" cards taped up throughout our home. We decided that whenever we saw one of these colorful reminders, we would say something that we are thankful for or express thanks to someone (not always easy at our house). It was so cute to hear all of the wonderful things that our kids are thankful for. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for! I am extremely thankful for great friends, family and our Faith.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I am so excited to have the kids out of school for a few days. We have been decorating for Christmas while listening to Josh Groban's Ave Maria on repeat. Love it.
This morning we went out for crepes with my friend Celeste and her 3 adorable boys.

We have the best friends. It takes a village right? We have a great one.

Our girls with the darling Hutchison boys.

Loving the Holiday Season

Can't pass up a French bistro.
Crepes- superb!

P.S. I am thankful for delicious food. :)

2010-11-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Our little darling is 3 months old.
She is such a sweetheart!
WE ADORE HER.

Butterfly Pavilion

2010-11-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

The Butterfly Pavilion is one of our favorite stops.
It is a lush tropical conservatory with over 1200 butterflies from rainforests all over the world.
It is so much fun, my girls absolutely love to explore and hunt for butterflies. The butterflies are so beautiful and fly right into your space, even land on you. It is quite an experience!

Outside of the conservatory, there are exhibit halls with all sorts of creepy crawlers.
And I mean C R E E P Y!
This month the featured guests are the Arachnids.
The star of the show... the TARANTULA.
Spiders make me nervous, very nervous. Especially big hairy ones!
My girls did not inherit my scare of spiders, they were totally enthralled. :)

Addison holding "Rosie the Tarantula"
She loved it and went back 4 times.
Brave girl.

Ella stuck in a spider's web.

Olivia- a very spooky tarantula.

YIKES! She is hilarious.

Denver Arts Week

2010-11-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

Saturday was the kickoff to Denver's annual Arts Week. Arts Week celebrates Denver's arts and cultural scene with free museums, art walks, displays, discounted performing arts, and much more throughout the city. We spent the day at the Denver Art Museum.
A M A Z I N G!
Each gallery hosts a kids art area with so much for the kids to do and learn. We had such a fabulous day, we can not wait to go back!!

King Tut is currently visiting the museum, so there was so much to learn
about Egypt and Egyptology. It was so fascinating!

Ella-so much fun to dress up.

Olivia and Ella on their way to the next gallery.

The best piece of art in the entire museum. :)

H A L L O W E E N

2010-11-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

A very tired pink princess, a silly angel and a sweet little witch.

Happy Halloween!
We had such a great Halloween weekend!
We were all over the city at different
Halloween events and activities.
We ended the weekend with good friends
at a delicious dinner and Halloween party. YUM.

Little Ava-cheeks so fun to kiss!

Ella and Ava

2010-10-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love my mornings with Ella and Ava. It has been so much fun to have time with the two of them while Addison and Olivia are at school. Ella is a little mom and is so great with Ava! She is darling! This morning we met up with some of the girls from my running group for a morning run. Ella filled the stroller with toys and took very good care of sweet little Ava. It was a beautiful morning-the girls loved it and so did I.

Pumpkins

2010-10-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

So, we took a trip to the Farmer's Market and each picked out our favorite pumpkin. We love to do our annual glitter pumpkins, and this year we tried to mod podge a few as well. I think that our little Ella could mod podge all day. She thought it was a lot of fun to make a mess...and we did! My kids loved this project and I loved how they turned out. They were SO easy and last through Thanksgiving!

Here is our sweet little pumpkin.

She is growing up so fast!
She is such an easy baby. We love her so much!

Pumpkin Festival

2010-10-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, our family spent the day at the Denver Botanic Garden - Chatfield Nature Preserve. Chatfield was hosting Denver's annual Pumpkin Festival. The festivities included a pumpkin patch, corn maze, pony rides, wagon rides, games, crafts, face painting, art exhibits, bands and so much more. We enjoyed every minute of it. Love this time of year!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

2010-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent:

4 Cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax
8 T Tang drink mix (to brighten and crisp colors)

-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.  
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing  soda, Tang and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top  with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.  
-To make it easy to use, pour it in to an old laundry detergent container.  
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once  soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.  
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 5 gallons.  
-Top Load Machine- 1/4 Cup per load (Approx. 320 loads)  
-Front Load Machines- 1/8 Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

Each 5 gallon mixture costs just about 2 dollars...under a penny per load. Hooray!

Berry Patch Farm

2010-09-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

This week we took a delightful little trip to a berry patch farm. We spent the morning with friends picking raspberries. The kids worked so hard picking and eating and eating some more. It was such a beautiful day and so much fun!

The berry pickers.

Ella-hard at work!

Addison and Olivia

We picked enough raspberries for
3 jars of raspberry jam and

raspberry mousse for dessert- DELISH!

Ballet

2010-09-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Addison and Olivia started ballet this week at their new dance studio. They love their new studio that allows them to be in the same class (so much easier for me). Their first class was so much fun, they loved it. I had to snap a few pictures of them dancing around on our front yard. They like to show off their moves. They keep Brad and I very entertained. So darling.

Nederland Carousel

2010-09-09T08:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we experienced the "Carousel of Happiness", located in the heart of Nederland, Colorado. Nederland is nestled in Boulder Canyon along the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. This 1910 carousel features 36 whimsical, hand carved animals turning to the music of a 1913 Wurlitzer band organ. Each animal is carved out of basswood and decorated with acrylic paint. It took the wood carver over 22 years to finish! The carousel is fascinating, unique and absolutely adorable! Our girls went round and round, trying out most of the animals. They loved it and can not wait to go back!

Ella riding her favorite...the peacock.

Addison riding her favorite...
the moose with little birds on his antlers.

Olivia riding her favorite...the kitten.

2010-09-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend was very special.

Saturday,
Addison was baptized and confirmed a member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
She has been looking forward to this day for a while...
it was perfect.

Our family after the baptism.

Sunday morning,

our little Ava was blessed at church.

She is almost 4 weeks old, we absolutely adore her.

Thanks to our awesome parents who came

to share this weekend with us.

We were so happy that you were here, we love you so much!

Addison's Birthday.

2010-08-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Addison is 8 years old!

Her birthday is just 5 days after Ava's.

She was SO HAPPY to have a new baby sister on her birthday.

We celebrated with an outdoor party with thirteen of her darling little friends. It was so much fun!

Addison is such a sweetie. We love her so much!

First Day of School

2010-08-25T06:35:00.000-07:00

Addison and Olivia have started school this year and they absolutely LOVE it. They are so happy about their school, teachers, bus driver (Brad and his fast truck) and all of their new friends. We are so glad that they have adjusted so well to our new home in Colorado and that they are having such a good experience at school. I am loving the time that I have at home with Ella and Ava. We are looking forward to a great new school year!

Sweet little Ava-1 week old.

2010-08-18T17:28:00.001-07:00

She's here.

2010-08-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Ava Claire Daybell
Born: Tuesday, August 10th @ 1:30 a.m.
6 lbs 8 oz 19.5 inches
We could not be happier!

It's time.

2010-08-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Baby Ava will be arriving this week! We are SO EXCITED to finally meet her. I am scheduled for induction on Wednesday. We have had so much fun this month preparing for our new

BABY GIRL!

Olivia has been busy drawing pictures for her new baby sister.

This is a picture of Ava in her cradle. :)

Our new rocking chair.
Our girls really wanted a rocking chair to rock their new sister.
I found this on craigslist.
It needed some clean up and paint, but it will do the job.

Sweet Ella is very anxious to be a big sister.
She goes through all of the baby clothes every morning.
She is so excited to dress and take care of a new baby.
She will be the best little helper!

A few days ago, Addison made us a cute candy countdown chain...

3 days to go!

2010-08-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

My girls love to help in the kitchen. We have had a lot of fun preparing food from this great recipe book for kids by Williams-Sonoma. Addison can prepare some of the recipes by herself. Here is one of our new favorite summer recipes that our whole family loves. We make them almost every day.

Fruity Morning Shakes:
1 container (8 oz) low fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup of fresh fruit. We usually use peaches, strawberries, mango, bananas or blueberries.
ice cubes

Simple, healthy and so YUMMY.

Farmers Market

2010-06-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today we took our weekly trip to Sprouts Farmers Market. If you have a Sprouts nearby, you need to check it out. We seriously love this place. They have incredible prices on fruit and vegetables and everything is fresh, organic and delicious.

Today we walked away with...

1 large bag of carrots

20 yellow peaches

3 cartons of strawberries

2 cartons of blueberries

2 bags of red grapes

2 bags of green grapes

1 bag of cauliflower

2 bunches of radishes

1 pineapple

Total: $22.00

Broomfield Family Festival

2010-06-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Life is good.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

We have had a great Father's Day weekend! Brad was very excited to get a subscription to the Denver Post, a new hat and tickets to the Colorado Rockies. We have had a fun weekend of swimming, shopping, yummy food and golf. Happy Father's Day Brad! You are the perfect dad for a family full of girls. We LOVE you so much!!!!!

SUPER DAD

Relaxing by the pool.

Olivia and Ella, playing in the sand at FlatIron Crossing Mall,

while Brad is in the mall hunting for a new hat.

Learning the game of chess from an expert.

Afternoon in the pool.

Evening at the golf range.

and the highlight of the day...

Dinner from Brad's favorite Asian Market.

DELICIOUS

Colorado

2010-06-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to be in Colorado again! We are finally settled into the area and we are loving it!!! The weather has been fantastic, so we have been spending a lot of time in the pool. We live in the Denver Metro and absolutely LOVE the area that we are in. We have a beautiful view of the mountains, so many fun things to do close by and we live near an open space filled with trails, ponds and parks for running, biking and playing. Brad started his new job and is very happy with it. It has been fun visiting old friends and getting to know new ones. We look forward to a busy, fun-filled summer.

California

2010-06-09T14:40:00.001-07:00

We vacationed in California a week before our move to Denver. We thought that before Brad started his new job, we should take our sweeties to Disneyland. They loved every minute of it and so did we. It was a relaxing vacation...the perfect break before a busy move to Colorado.

Ella was so excited to meet all of her favorite

Disney characters- so cute.

When we were not at Disneyland,

we were spending all of our time at the beach.

We love the ocean. It was beautiful.

We celebrated our 10th anniversary while we were in California.

10 amazing years with the greatest guy in the world.

After a lot of hard work, Addison finished her masterpiece.

Brad is hilarious.

Olivia- ballet on the beach

A Night On Broadway

2010-05-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Addison and Olivia had another great night on stage at the local university. They were so excited to dance to some of their favorite songs in a fantastic production of "A Night On Broadway ". They were so darling on stage, the evening was so much fun!

Olivia in "Beauty and the Beast"

Addison's tap dance

"Always Look on the Bright Side"

Addison in "Castle on a Cloud"

Olivia's jazz dance

"Little Shop of Horrors"

Back to Colorado

2010-04-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

We are on our way back to Colorado!

We will be moving to Denver on Memorial Day weekend.

Brad has been offered a great opportunity

that we just can not pass up!

We are SO EXCITED

to get settled in our new home

and enjoy all of the fun in Denver!

NEWS

2010-03-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting another baby girl in August! Addison, Olivia and Ella have been praying for another baby girl, so they were very glad to hear the news. Brad and I could not be happier...a family full of girls will be L O V E L Y.

INTRODUCING...

New Favorite Recipe-DELISH!

2010-03-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Coconut Curried Vegetables with Shrimp

Serves 6-8 /400 calories/ 6 grams of fat

Ingredients:

1 lb rice noodles
- 1 C broccoli (cut into florets)
- 1 cup carrots (matchstick or julienne cut)
- ½ cup scallions (cut on the bias)
- ½ cup red peppers (matchstick or julienne cut)
- 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (peeled & chopped)
- 1 tbsp Thai curry paste (red or green)
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 can “lite”coconut milk (from your favorite Asian market)
- 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce, low sodium (from your favorite Asian market)
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce (from your favorite Asian market)
- 1 tsp black sesame seeds (from your favorite Asian market)
- 24 shrimp (16-20 peeled & de-veined)
Cooking procedures:
1. Soak noodles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Drain and cool in ice water. Drain, let rest & toss with oil.
2. Blanch broccoli & carrots in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain, cool down in ice water, drain and set aside.
3. Place large sauté pan over high heat. Add canola oil and sauteed mushrooms until lightly golden.
4. Add shrimp, coconut milk and Thai curry paste.
5. Add carrots, broccoli, peppers, scallions, ginger, sweet chili sauce, sweet soy, and noodles to pan in that order. Toss once or twice to coat all ingredients well with sauce.
6. Place on platter and sprinkle with black sesame seeds

Happy Birthday Olivia!

2010-02-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

Our sweet little Olivia turned 5 years old! She is growing up so fast. We had a great time celebrating with her cute little friends, cousins and Grandma and Grandpa Daybell. Olivia is such a doll, we love her so much!

Out 'n About

2010-02-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

We love C U P C A K E S! We are so happy to live near a delightful cupcake shop where we have become regular visitors. We l o v e anything chocolate with pink frosting. :) We also have become fans of their delicious strawberry hot chocolate. YUM. It's a fun little stop on cold winter days (we have many of them). After the cupcake shop, our next stop is usually Brad's office. Our little girls adore their dad and get so excited to visit him at his office, ride the elevator a million times and bring him a sweet treat. Life is good.

Christmas Highlights

2009-12-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

Temple Square in Salt Lake City

Spending time with family and friends

Aunt Karla's Christmas Party

Ella's pink wooden kitchen

Tinker Toys

Wooden dress-up dolls from Grandma

My personal highlight:

(after a very long night on Black Friday)

THANK YOU SANTA!

Nutcracker Ballet

2009-12-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

Addison and Olivia performed in the Nutcracker Ballet right before Christmas. The production was FABULOUS and the girls absolutely loved it. They were in a performance Friday night and two on Saturday. Busy weekend! Olivia danced in the Chinese Tea, she was the smallest ballerina in the show-ADORABLE. Addison danced in the Arabian Coffee. The Arabian dance was beautiful, Addie was fantastic. We were not allowed to record or take pictures at the show, but here are a few pictures from dress rehearsal.

Playing in the SNOW

2009-12-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

Bobcadette Minis

2009-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

The Bobcadette Minis performed this week at a local high school basketball game. Addison and Olivia love to dance. They are performing in the Nutcracker Ballet next weekend and can not wait to be on stage again. So cute. Little girls are so much fun!

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Click here for a Thanksgiving message. Love it!

Family Pictures

2009-11-17T17:58:00.000-08:00

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU to our wonderful veterans who have served to protect our freedoms. THANK YOU to those who are currently serving our country. THANK YOU for your courage and sacrifice. This morning we were able to attend a very touching ceremony paying tribute to our military and veterans. After the ceremony, we had a great day honoring family veterans and hearing stories about their service. We were very impressed and intrigued by their experiences. Wow. They are heroes.

HONORING OUR HEROES

Children's Nature Park

2009-11-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today we visited the Children's Nature Park. We are frequent visitors to the park, we love to walk along the paths that circle the park pond. Our favorite... the waterfowl. This afternoon, we sat by the pond feeding ducks and savoring every moment of sunshine and warm autumn weather. Hope this beautiful weather stays for a few days.

H A L L O W E E N

2009-11-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

Costumes:

Vampire(trying to be as spooky as possible),

a sweet little bunny and a dancer.

H a p p y H a l l o w e e n !

Mesa Falls

2009-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

We absolutely love spending time in the mountains. Yesterday, we visited Mesa Falls. The upper and lower falls are breathtaking. We hiked, played in the leaves and fed the fish at Warm River.

Feeding the fish at Warm River

Upper Mesa Falls

Love this time of year!

Our little sweeties

Lower Mesa Falls

Night at the Derby

2009-10-18T18:34:00.001-07:00

Diamond Princess

Brad is a fan of the pinewood derby :) He is lucky to have three little girls who share in his enthusiasm. I go along with it, slightly embarrassed to enter the derby without a scout in the house, but eager to support their ambitions. This year the girls and their cute dad entered the "Diamond Princess" car. She was double the weight and three times the height of the other cars. Diamond Princess flew down the track (we about lost Snow White when they crashed into the finish line). At the end of the night we had 3 very proud little girls. They won a prize for best design and that is all that mattered to them :)

Glitter Pumpkins

2009-10-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

Glitter pumpkins have become an annual autumn project at our house! We make them in October and they last through Thanksgiving. We love them. Click here for directions.

The kids each did their own pumpkin this year.

They were very proud of themselves and very messy :)

The Bench & The Bar

2009-10-02T12:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had another opportunity to sit in on a session of the Supreme Court... this time Idaho. Brad was admitted to the Idaho Bar along with two good friends, Blake Murray and Adam Andersen. The ceremony was awesome. Idaho only had 99 admittees, so the Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court called each new attorney to the stage, one by one, and congratulated them personally. It was a great honor. Another fantastic day!

Mount Timpanogos

2009-09-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

Uncle Steve, Sadie, Brad and I at the summit.

SUMMIT

Distance: 15 miles

Elevation: 11,749 feet

Time: 8.5 hours

View: SPECTACULAR

Mountain goats along the trail.

Bear Lake

2009-09-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

This week we spent a few days with my sister and her family at my parent's condo in Bear Lake. We enjoyed our time playing in the water on Bear Lake's north beach. It was the perfect week to visit the lake. The weather was so nice and we were surrounded by autumn leaves beginning to show their color. BEAUTIFUL.

The kids played in the lake for hours.

Have you heard the legend of the famous Bear Lake Sea Monster?

Click here to check it out.
I think we got a picture :)

Good News

2009-09-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

After a long wait, results are in...

Brad PASSED the Idaho bar exam :)

We are celebrating.

Congrats Brad! I love you.

Survivor

2009-09-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here are the clothes of an ice cave survivor. Brad started his journey early yesterday morning with his brother and a few other guys. They started in the ice caves and climbed through to the wind caves. They were in the caves for over 6 hours. The day was full of adventure, a little more than he had planned on...hiking, sliding, rappelling, crawling through mud, wading through ice cold water and climbing. Sound like fun? I am glad he made it home safe, sound and with another mission accomplished :)

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

We had such a great Labor Day weekend! The weekend started with camping on Friday night. We cooked brats and s'mores on the fire, played games, sang songs and then disco danced in our tent (flashlight-strobe light effect) late into the night. Brad was champion of the dance off. When it comes to disco, he can't be beat-seriously :)

After our camp out, we spent a fantastic evening in Island Park at my Uncle Chris's cabin. The food was fabulous (fresh fish caught in Alaska) and it was so great to spend time with Chris and Tina and their family. Our girls had so much fun playing with all of their cute cousins. We will have to get together again soon!

After Island Park, we went with my parents to their condo in West Yellowstone. It was a nice get away. We especially enjoyed the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. We observed and learned a lot about the mighty grizzly. Very big, strong and impressive. I have been telling Brad all summer that I want to see a bear in the wild. After this experience, I have decide that I am fine observing bears behind a fence, and that we are going to start hiking with bear spray :)

First week of school

2009-08-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

The start of a new school year is always so much fun. Addison loves the 1st grade. She is so excited about her teacher and all of the fun things they are going to learn this year. The highlight of her week was definitely going to cheer clinic each day after school. Last night she cheered at the university stadium for a local high school's half time. It was fun to watch her, she loved every minute of it.

Two adorable little spectators.

A girl with a lot of spirit :)

So excited to be a flyer on the front row.

Mesa Falls Marathon

2009-08-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning was the Mesa Falls Marathon. A few months ago, several people in my family decided to make this day a family event. My uncle (Steve) was planning on doing the full marathon. My cousin (Tarra) and I were going to do the half marathon. My sister (Kambria) and my aunt (Karla) were going to do the 5k. In the weeks before the race, I injured my IT band. Ouch! So, training had to stop. Big disappointment, but the day still turned out to be so much fun! Tarra decided last minute to run the full marathon and she did AWESOME. I met them somewhere in the middle and ran with them and then ran Tarra in her last couple of miles. Karla, Kam, Brad and I did the 5k and then Brad ran Steve in his last couple of miles. What a huge accomplishment for our two marathoners!!!!!! They made it look so easy!

Here is a funny picture that Brad snapped. After I ran my short stretch in the middle of the marathon I was tired and ready to hop back in the car. Well, this is me trying to catch up with the car. Brad was going just fast enough that I could not catch up and just slow enough that I could reach out and touch the bumper. He was laughing and snapping pictures of my desperate state. He was nice enough to let me in before a huge hill, thanks Brad :)

Mountain Man

2009-08-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Brad hiked to the Tetons in the Grand Teton National Park. He took off early in the morning (alone) to begin his very adventurous 15 mile hike. I was a little nervous that he was alone, and after taking a very dangerous journey (off trail) he will be hiking with a buddy next time :) He made it home with cuts, bruises and burn from stinging nettle, but overall had an amazing experience. He took some beautiful pictures.

Happy Birthday Addison!

2009-08-17T13:33:00.000-07:00

Addison turned 7 years old this weekend! She is growing up so fast! We had a water party with family and friends on Friday and then a day trip to Yellowstone on Saturday. Lots of fun. Addie's birthday request...a cell phone and a bright green beach cruiser. The cell phone request really made us laugh. Instead of a cell phone, she received walkie talkies that look and act like cell phones. She was busy calling Olivia all day. CUTE, she is so much fun!

Strolling around Yellowstone with her new cell phone :)

Huckleberries

2009-08-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening on Monday night, we decided to venture to the mountains and do a little huckleberry picking. We left after dinner and had very high hopes for huckleberry jam and syrup in our future. We picked until sunset and were only able to pick about 2 cups of berries! Our huge bucket shows our ambition. We just laughed. Next year we'll have to plan a day trip :)

Sweet Ella picking berries...

put it in, take it out and eat it. So cute!

2 cups of berries were perfect for

5 fantastic milkshakes-DELISH!

Trip to Boise

2009-08-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Brad and I took a little 4 day vacation to Boise. Well, it was a vacation for me, not so much for Brad. He was there for the Idaho bar exam. My sister had our kids, so I spent my days soaking in the sun by the pool- reading, relaxing and eating blueberries. It was the best!

After the test, Brad and I had a couple days to explore Boise. We loved the downtown area, a lot of fun shops and restaurants. Whenever we travel, we like to try new food and best loved restaurants and bakeries. I found two of my favorites in Boise. Boise has really great sushi! We went to Boise's top rated sushi bar-WOW. We loved it and can not wait to go back! After that we found some serious chocolatiers at a bakery-bistro in BoDo. YUM.

It was so fun to get away for a few days. Thanks so much to my awesome sister who took care of our kids! We had a great time.

Bills Island-Island Park, Idaho

2009-07-24T22:50:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU Grandma and Grandpa Daybell for a great getaway!

Café Dejeuner

2009-07-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

This week, Brad and I enjoyed a night of fine dining at Café Dejeuner on the BYU-I campus. Café Dejeuner is a fancy little restaurant conducted by the students in the Culinary Arts program. Once a year, they compose a seven course meal of beautifully presented, gourmet dishes (final exam for the semester). It was very impressive and absolutely scrumptious. Each course is created by one of the culinary students and is served with a unique beverage designed to go with the dish and to clean your palate for the upcoming course. We relished every bite! LOVED it- romantic and delicious!

Days of Summer

2009-07-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

We have had a fantastic week! The days have been sunny and beautiful. We have been enjoying every moment of sunlight!

Ahhh,the sweet days of summer!!

Addie,taking a snooze on a sunny afternoon.

Splash Park

Carousel of fun with cousins.

FAMILY REUNION

We have the best family!

I love this pic with my girls & their great-grandparents.

Some of my fabulous cousins!

It was so much fun to get together.

We have always been very good friends.

G O O D T I M E S !

Cave Falls

2009-07-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend we hiked to Cave Falls in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. The falls are very impressive, especially with the Falls River running so high right now. From here, there are several hiking trails that lead to other waterfalls, however, we were told that there was a bear on the trail up ahead. We decided not to risk it and to end our journey here. We would have loved to see a bear, but not up too close!

Cave Falls is not reachable on the main loop. Instead, you travel down a long washboard dirt road. It was not so good on our already worn tires. We had two flats this weekend! One on the way home and one the next day! Poor Brad! He's my hero.

Utah

2009-07-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a weekend trip to Utah. It's always fun to visit friends and family! The weather was perfect, so we spent our days playing outside in the water. We also had an awesome evening in the mountains riding 4 wheelers through beautiful Hobble Creek Canyon. Lots of fun.

Ella-enjoying the sun with a yummy red popsicle.

Cuties in the canyon.

Happy Father's Day Brad!

2009-06-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

Three little girls and one AMAZING dad!

They absolutely adore him and so do I :)

Memorial Day Weekend- Estes Park

2009-05-30T20:49:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! We spent a few days in Estes Park with my parents. The days were filled with hikes, golf, swimming, shopping, relaxing in the hot tub and yummy food. Estes Park is gorgeous! It was so much fun exploring the area.

Hiking around Bear Lake

in the Rocky Mountain National Park.