My Favorite Sis

Well, she's my only sister, but Kelly has to be the best sis in the world. Yesterday (when I was agonizing over Lauren going to school), I received a Priority Mail package. I could tell it was from Kelly, but had no idea what was inside. When I opened the card, $5.50 in cash fell out. I thought that was strange - especially since she'd paid over $12.00 to overnight this package from Elmo to Syracuse. But then I read her card...

When Kelly and Hayden were living with us, we'd frequent the local Dairy Queen for Blizzards (Kelly's only pregnancy craving). Anyway, she knew some ice cream would cheer me up! So, here we are at Dairy Queen last night, indulging in ice cream.

And, well, this pic's for you, Kelly! Everyone inside Dairy Queen looked at me funny when I was taking this picture - but hey, good memories. I won't even attempt to explain the sliced jalapenos...you just had to be there!

I love you, Kel. Thanks for making my day a little brighter!

A Day of Firsts...

Today was Bugga's FIRST day of Kindergarten. She has gotten so big! I was pretty dang sure I'd have a meltdown when we dropped her off this morning, but Pai beat me to the punch. When Lauren went into her classroom, Pai called out for her and then cried for the longest time. I couldn't get Pai to tell me what was wrong and then, when we were almost home, she said, "Mom, I'm really going to miss Lar." Pai and Lar have pretty much been inseparable since Pai was little. They are very close in age and that has helped them to become best friends. They share a room, friends, and, up until now, they've shared every day together. We will all miss Lauren. We love you, Bugga!

Even though Lauren was super nervous for her first day, she had a great time. She loved singing time, recess and her new friend, Taylor. She was really bothered by Jonathan - she said he's already gone to time-out. Jonathan was much too noisy for my studious girl!

Lauren's new Hello Kitty backpack with sequins (of course!). A must-have for this 5 year old!

Our FIRST experience with Uniforms. I have to admit, she looked dang cute, even in mandated clothing! I am a little biased though...

Lauren's FIRST homework assignment.

And, last but not least, Roo is cutting her FIRST tooth! How about Raegan's comb-over? I tend to think it's smokin'! Pai loves to "style" Roo's hair.

Girls Night Out!

Kristin, Diann, Mandy, Stacie, Tanya and Melissa

Cute Melissa (who I stole these pictures from...at least I'm admitting to the theft, right?!?) planned a girls-night-out with a few gals from our neighborhood. We went for pedicures and then for oh-so-yummy custard at Nielsen's. I had such a great time, full of conversation (adult conversation, which is a luxury!) and much, much laughter. I laughed so hard, my cheeks ached. Thanks girls for a fabulous evening!

Flat Stanley - Part III

Dear Lauren & Paityn,

Hello from Ferron!! It was a short adventure from Hayden and Kelly's farm to Tracy and Jacki's in Ferron. If you remember, they live right up the street from Ya Ya and Pop Pop's. It was a GREAT time at Tracy and Jacki's house. I happened to arrive the same weekend as Daine and Stephanie and their new little girl Kaicee. She is adorable. Hayden and Kelly's cousins also came over. You remember them I'm sure, Karson, Madison, and Jackson? Well, in celebration of my arrival to Tracy and Jacki's all the kids decided to take me fishing to Millsite Reservoir. Wow, it was beautiful! All 7 of us climbed into Brook's tuna cruiser and fished. We caught our limit! We had a great time!!! We almost fell into the lake a couple time because there were so many of us in the boat, but luckily we didn't! I think I love to fish!!

Anyway, Tracy and Jacki's was great! Here are a couple pictures when we got back to their house with the gang and all our fish! I'm off to Ya Ya and Pop Pop's now. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me soon!

Peace out, Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley - Part II

Next, Stanley was off to Kelly and Hayden's 88-acre farm in Elmo, Utah. Here's the message we received:

Dear Lauren & Paityn:

Greetings from the sticks! Well, it was a long journey from Colorado, but I finally made it to Elmo, Utah. I was packed away tightly in Uncle Hayden and Aunt Kelly's belongings and I finally was able to explore the farm this weekend. Although my time here hasn't been adventurous, it's been fun getting to stay with the Behling's in their new home! Here is a picture of all of us together on the porch of their new place. I think it's fantastic. I've been roaming around the farm with Hayden and Kelly. Attached is another picture of one of their new goats Audrey. Did you know that girl goats have beards? That's right! They have beards! They also have a heard of cows on their land that belong to Hayden's brother Brooks. They watch after his cows and make sure they don't escape. I was a little afraid to get too close that I might scare them off. Here is a picture of me and the cows. Aren't they big? Anyway, Hayden and Kelly talk about you all the time and can't wait until you can come down to the farm and stay for a while. They sure do love you.

I'm already off onto my next adventure. You should be getting some pictures soon. Hope all is well in Syracuse and enjoy your fun summer playing in the sun! P.S. Paityn, Happy Birthday next week!

Love, Stanley

The Adventures of Flat Stanley - Part I

This last Spring, the girls and I read the book “Flat Stanley.” We decided it would be fun to send Stanley on a Summer adventure and involve our extended families. Here's the letter we sent out:

April 29, 2008

As a family, we’ve been reading the book “Flat Stanley.” Stanley Lambchop was flattened one night by an enormous bulletin board. The fun thing is, Stanley wasn’t even hurt by the crash!

We’re sending Stanley - our own paper version - on an adventure and we hope you’ll be willing to help us out. Will you please take Stanley with you and your family to someplace special (or multiple special places!) and take a picture (be sure to include your family AND Stanley in your picture)? Then, we’re hoping you’ll either e-mail or snail-mail us the pictures. After that, please forward our paper Stanley on through the mail to the next family on the list below. We’re going to compile a scrapbook of Stanley’s adventures (and, at the same time, we get to scrapbook your adventures).

We are anxious to see the fun places you take Stanley. Be creative and enjoy! We love you and thank you for taking part in our fun.

Love,
Lauren and Paityn Cornell

We've gotten a few responses and the girls thought it would be fun to blog Stanley's adventures.

First off, Stanley visited Hayden during his PA rotation in Denver, Colorado.

Back to School Night

I'm thoroughly prepared to cry at the first day of Kindergarten...but at Back to School night? Oh my! Can you say "Pathetic Mom?" I felt myself start to get choked up last night when we met Lauren's new Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hansen. I guess I'm an overprotective, not-so-good-at-sharing kind of Mom. I'm really struggling with letting go of Lauren. She's so ready for school and has been for so long - and that's what counts, right? School starts Monday and I'm sure it's going to take me awhile to get used to the idea of her being gone everyday. I can only hope it gets easier with time!

Lauren and her new teacher, Mrs. Hansen

Taylor (a friend from dance and soon-to-be classmate) and Lauren

Chocolate Pudding, Anyone?

Evidently, on a recent episode of Jon & Kate Plus Eight, Kate allowed the kids to paint themselves with chocolate pudding. So, the girls' friends, Aubrey and Ally, decided they wanted to try it.

Long story short, this was not your typically playdate at the Tuttle's house. The girls doused themselves and each other in thick chocolate pudding. They had a fabulous time!

Aubrey and Lauren

Ally and Paityn

Minor Obsession...

I have this minor obsession with getting good deals on groceries. I'm not near as good at it or as dedicated as some of my friends, but I enjoy it. I think it's the CPA in me - I love to get lots of groceries for not very much money (it's all about the numbers!).

The first time my friend (and grocery deal guru) Melissa talked about her "coupon high," I nearly fell off my chair. But, I have to admit, I can totally relate to her now. And, our storage room will prove it!

Anyway, Tanner thinks I'm a little looney (although, deep down, I know he LoVeS all the $ I save). I asked him to stop at the grocery store for me on his way to work. Although he'll NEVER admit it, I think he experienced his first-ever coupon high! Here's the run-down:

16 jars of baby food

3 bottles of salad dressing

3 toothbrushes

All for the low price of $3.59. What a deal!

Yummy Cucumber Salad

Tanner looked at me like I was crazy when he came home from work today and I was taking pictures of the salad I'd just made. But, don't worry, there's a good explanation for my craziness...

My sweet friend Diann has a garden to die for. It's amazing! The best part is, she shares her bountiful crops with me. So, I've been searching for a fun (and really EaSy) cucumber and tomato salad recipe and, lo and behold, I've found a keeper. It makes a fabulous side dish on a hot summer night. Enjoy!

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

2 tomatoes, medium size cut into chunks
2 cucumber, medium size sliced
1 onion chopped

Mix together in a bowl. Add dressing:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil

Add seasonings to taste: garlic salt, pepper and basil. Mix together and chill.

Courtesy of Norah's Menus and Recipes

Our Weekend in Ferron

We love going to Ferron to Ya Ya and Pop Pop's house. It's so relaxing, my cell phone never rings (because I rarely have reception) and the kids think they're in heaven (there's 4-wheeler riding, swinging from the big tree, horseback riding and, this weekend, there was lots of riding in Pop Pop's 1967 Chevelle Super Sport - which was recently featured in Chevelle World magazine, might I add!). That car's a beauty and it rarely comes out of the garage...but that's a post for another day.

Here are some pics of our fun weekend.
Roo has learned to clap. Everytime someone says, "Yeah!", she grins and starts clapping. It's my new favorite thing - sure to bring a smile to my face everytime!

Baby Danzer

Kelly and Hayden's first baby is due in 4 weeks and 4 days (but who's counting, right?!?!) and we couldn't be more excited. A little boy...this is a first for our family.

Lauren and Paityn can't wait to have someone to be the groom and prince when they play (although no guarantees that they won't dress him up in bride and princess attire on occassion!).

Kel and Hayd have decided to name him Danzer, which is our maiden name. Because there were just girls in our family, the name has ended and this is such a sweet way to let the name live on. Tender!

Ya Ya and I had a baby shower for Kelly in Salt Lake. The shower in was perfect...except I forgot the camera. With the help of two very talented neighbors and friends, Diann and Alisa, we made a baby rattle cake for the shower (and, what do you know, I just happen to have a few pictures of that!).

We are so excited to meet (and, of course, fall in love with) Baby Danzer. Stay tuned for lots of pictures and all the stats!

Our Bear Lake Adventure

To celebrate my brother-in-law Hayden's recent graduation from PA school, we took a family trip to Bear Lake for 5 days of relaxation and sightseeing.

We spent a day at the beach, just taking in the sun.

This picture of Roo makes me giggle everytime I look at it!

Aunt Kelly calls this Pai's "lean, mean, floating machine." We couldn't stop laughing at this get-up (a fabulous hand-me-down from her friend Payson).

The girls begged to go to the swimming pool each night. Good thing Hayden and Tanner were such good sports!

We hiked the Minnetonka Cave near Bear Lake. There were 888 stairs in all and Kelly, who is 8-months pregnant, did it effortlessly. She's so tough! It was a little chilly at 40 degrees, year-round, but a definite must-see.

Roo looks a little nervous inside the cave.

Now that I look a little closer, Paityn looks petrified! I thought it was a fun family outing, but maybe I was the only one having a good time.

We also hiked to Bloomington Lake. It is glacier-fed (in other words, FrEeZiNg cold), but one of the most beautiful, crystal-clear lakes I've ever seen. Lauren was the only one brave enough to swim. Actually, in all-truth, she didn't mean to go swimming. Those pesky, slippery rocks got in her way!

Congratulations, Hayden (affectionately referred to as Hay-Nun at our house)! We wish you the best in your new career as a full-time PA and part-time farmer. We love you!

Swimming Lessons - Part I

Lauren and Paityn took two weeks of swimming lessons at the Clearfield Aquatic Center and immediately turned into little fish. Lauren became a pro at the "ice cream scoop" and was swimming on her own in no time at all. And Pai, well, she excelled in socializing and swam on the side. Pai is also turning into a good little swimmer.

Watch out, Phelps. You may have met your match!!

Pai's New Do

Pai has been asking for "hair to my shoulders" for quite some time. So, we took the plunge and, needless to say, she adores her new hair-do! Thanks Aunt Kelly, for the cute haircut.

California, Here We Come!

Grandma Ollie wanted to visit Northern California for a memorial service in honor of her dear friend, Palmer. Grandpa Pierre wasn't up for the trip so, before Ollie knew it, Ya Ya, Pop Pop and the Cornell 5 were tagging along on the road trip. We had such a fabulous time - thanks for the great memories, Ollie!

Here are some pics of our visit to downtown Santa Rosa.

We took the ferry into San Francisco and had fun playing on the pier. We also rode the famous SF tolley cars - the girls were loving it!

In between our day-trips, we did lots of swimming and made frequent trips to the nearby Costco for frozen yogurt!

One of my favorite days was visiting the redwood forests (the girls were in awe by the "trees that grew clear up to heaven") and spending time at the beach. We were lucky enough to whale-watch from the shore.