This is how we found our lil Banks the other night before we turned in for the night....

I learned a lil cake decorating from a lady in our ward.  I volunteered to help her make the cupcakes for the Relief Society Birthday party.  The theme was "my favorite things".  So we wanted to ornament the cupcakes with what are some peoples favorite things: the temple, scriptures, and children.

She taught me how to make gumpaste and make these simple garnishes.

This was my first cake putting some of my newly learned cake decorating skills to use.  Not very good ha ha, but you have to start somewhere right?  I made this for my friend's lil boy who turned 10 and wasnt going to get a cake because his mom was out of town on his birthday.

Banks at Kate's birthday party

She had a really cool pinata... it was one where you pull ribbons instead of hitting it with a bat.  You dont know which ribbon will be the lucky one to dump all the candy out!...Genius!  (Considering a party with 2 year olds swinging bats wouldnt be super safe)

This was Banks the majority of the time..he wasn't interested in the candy...just his water cup.

Banks helping mommy plant peas!

Jeff and Daddy at the new Aquarium in Sandy.

Yesterday I made a lot of coconut macaroons dipped in chocolate.  Banks thought they were very yummy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                              Some of you may know that I am signed up to run my first marathon June 14th!  I am running the Utah Valley marathon.   I am also signed up to run the Provo City half marathon May 3rd.  Training is going great.  I ran 12 miles Saturday.

 Banks decided it would be fun to eat his roll and drink his milk inside daddy's underwear drawer.

 Coconut Macaroons dipped in chocolate for the General Relief Society Broadcast

                                                                                                               Banks insists on walking his daddy to priesthood.

Last week the Elders Quorum was in charge of the ward party.  The theme was "Hillbilly Hoe Down".  It was actually a lot of fun.  We had dutch oven chicken (as seen above) with pot luck sides, homemade root beer, a pie eating contest, square dancing, gunny sack race and bean bag toss games for the kids, and a costume contest.  A lot of people really got into it.  Super fun!

 Banks LOVES this lil car.  Unfortunately, its the neighbor girls.  But she is nice enough to let Banks drive it.

Banks helping daddy prep the soil for mommy's herb garden

My sweet husband surprised me when I came home from the gym Valentines morning with these crepes!!  So yummy and oh so sweet of him.  I forgot to take a picture of the tulips, framed picture, and card he also gave me.  He's a keeper!

Banks loves to help me vacuum.  It takes twice as long, but I love that HE LOVES to be my helper.

This is how Jeff found Banks the other morning.  :)

Jeff spent a weekend in Chicago at a dental conference.  Him out to dinner with members of the Dental Technicians Group.

Chicken cutlets with a homemade creamy mushroom sauce and homemade onion rings on a bed of brown rice.  (Thanks Em for recipe!)

It wouldn't be Valentines Day without heart shaped SUGAR COOKIES!!

So, one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE desserts I make are my Ghiradelli Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes.  To celebrate Valentines Day, I made these.  To serve, you heat them up, then when you cut into them you have a warm cake and a gooey center with vanilla ice cream dripping off, TOPPED with chocolate sauce!

OK, you might think this is a strange picture.  BUT!!  If you look closely there are two small tulip sprouts!  AHHHH!  I am sooo thrilled!!  YAAAAY!!

Banks gets a thrill out of throwing dirt.  (What a boy!)  I'm trying to capture the sheer bliss lil man feels upon throwing dirt!

So pleased with himself.

The wind-up!  Watch out...youre about to get dirt thrown at you!

I've started taking Banks to "Wee-Read" at the library.  Its super fun...despite Banks's expression here ha ha!

This is a picture of pearl sugar.  My dear sister Emily surprised me with this in the mail the other day.  We've talked about it many a times...but its not the easiest thing to come by.  Anyways, its the 1 of the 2 secret ingredients to making the most DIVINE waffles you've ever, ever, ever tasted!

This is the dough/batter.  (2nd secret ingredient: yeast!)

Drum roll please!!!......  (If you look closely you can see the pearl sugar.  It gives this amazing crunch and of course sweetness to make you BEG for more)

 And...just to make it even better!  Add some fresh cream and berries.  MMMM SOOOO, so good!  Come to Utah family/friends and I'll make you some.  (No more buying $8 waffles from the waffle love food truck!)  Thank you Emily Sycamore for unlocking the secret to the BEST waffles!!!...  Unfortunately though, I can never eat another "normal" waffle again.

Wednesday was free day at the Hogle Zoo.  Who doesn't love free?  Banks is watching the sea otters here.  He loved the zoo!  And we had BEAUTIFUL 60 degree weather (which rarely happens in February). 

Banks watching the Brown Bears.  (He makes a great bear sound!)

I know he doesn't look very excited here...but he really did love all the animals. 

Playground!

This is our tile back splash we purchased recently at Costco.  We will be putting this up in the kitchen.. Can't wait!!