Mya's Valentine's Day

Friday morning, February 12, when I saw Mya for the first time I could tell that she had gotten up early! She gets really excited for holidays! She had painted her face, put on a pink dress with heart legging and curled her hair and put a bright red bow in. So cute Mya, I hope you had a good Valentine's Day celebration at school!

Valentine's Day

Doug and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day on Friday, partially because that was the day we could get a babysitter and partially because we thought the restaurants wouldn't be quite as crowded. We wanted to go somewhere that most people wouldn't think of going. We try this approach every year, or most years and it saves us hours of waiting.

We had eaten at the Inn On the Creek in Midway a few years ago for Doug's birthday. It was really good food and we ended up being the only people in the restaurant. So I called to make a reservation there but I was informed that the restaurant was "temporarily closed". Strange. My next thought was the Blue Boar Inn Restaurant in Midway. I got a reservation there for 6:15pm.

The setting was Swiss country with a nice fire going in the fireplace. For the first course I got the House Cured Gravlax, I wasn't sure what gravlax was so I had Doug look that one up on his phone before I ordered it. It was the way the samon was prepared. Out came several slices of gravlax, egg chopped up fine with the white and yolk separated, chopped shallots, capers and gravlaxsas (a dill and mustard sauce) with pumpernickel toast. It was good and simple. Doug had seared scallops with a mango puree and a kiwi relish. They looked like they had more to them than the ones I had a month ago for our anniversary at La Caille--I won't be going back there any time soon, but that's another story!

For our second course we both had the same thing, Soup du Jour, which was a leek soup. It tasted like it had some pureed potato in it. It made me want to go home and try making some leek soup, something I have never done before, maybe because I don't have a good recipe for it!

Heather's Seafood Risotto

For the third course Doug had Seared Salmon with Rock Shrimp & Quinoa Risotto, Grilled Asparagus and Red Wine Gastrique. Quinoa must have been the grain type base that the salmon sat on. Doug thought it might have been barley. Again here was something on the menu that needed looking up. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa), is a grain that comes from the Andes Mountains of South America. Quinoa's origins are truly ancient. It was one of the three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization! The things you can learn when you go to a restaurant! For my third course I had a Seafood Risotto. the special for the night.

We were so full at the end of the night that we shared a Creme Brulee.

I love to go to restaurants that I have never been to before but many times I'm hesitant because I don't want to pay a bunch of money for something I'm not going to be pleased with. This Valentines Day was pretty good though. Thanks Doug for taking me out for a nice evening, and then making Lobster bisque the next night!

Ski Lessons

Last night was the final night of ski lessons for Mya. Mya's school, Orchard Elementary had organized four ski lessons with Sundance during January and February. Parents volunteered to drive and also got a free night skiing in doing so. Their lessons would begin at 4pm and go for two hours. The kids could then ski on their own for about an hour and a half. They were back to the school by 8pm.

Mya was in the most advanced of the levels of ski classes that they had for the kids. She was in level 6. She said that yesterdays class was spent going off jumps! I'm glad that she was able to have a good time with some of her friends and make some other friends as well.

FUTSAL

Futsal: a form of soccer played indoors, with five players per team. That's what Mya has been doing on Saturdays lately.

Mya's cousin Danielle said her AAA team needed another player and asked if Mya wanted to join. Mya plays with the Celtic Storm during the regular season but doesn't play during the winter so she decided to try it out.

Mya enjoys playing goalie. This last game she played goalie the whole game and only allowed one goal. Way to go Strikers!

Same Age, so Different!

It's those beautiful babies again! They are growing up so fast. Preston looks like he's contemplating the mysteries of the universe and Alexa just wants the camera!

Dinner Out with the Twins

Last Monday when Mya was gone to skiing lessons we decided to get out of the house and go to dinner at Jason's Deli. Dinner out with the twins is always an "adventure". I've learned to bring some items that make things a bit easier, like bibs, sippy cups and suckers, but even with all the things I bring to help make things easier is seems that after every meal out Doug always says, "never again!" Preston and Alexa are loud. They pound their sippy cups, throw food on the floor and at the last place we went to dinner, California Pizza kitchen, Alexa found the acoustics in the room so good that she wanted to squeal/scream the whole time. That trip because it took so long for us to get our food Doug and Mya were out walking more than they were in eating! Well, we'll see if and when the time will come to go out to dinner as a family again.

One of those Bitter, Sweet Days

Two weeks ago Preston and Alexa were finally at THAT age (18 months), they could go to nursery on Sunday! I was asked the day before to help out in the nursery that Sunday so it really wasn't the break that I had been looking forward to for the last 18 months, but oh well. The next Sunday came around and I dropped them off and went to my classes. It didn't turn out to be as wonderful as expected. I MISSED MY BABIES! And then I realized they weren't babies anymore. Now I've spent the last few days morning the loss of my babies and that never again will I have a newborn. It just seems that when you get out of a phase you miss it and want it back so you can remember it better. But, while you're in it, it's hard and you can't wait to get out of that phase. I guess you just need to make the most of each phase of life and enjoy it to the fullest that you can!

Here's a look back at the day Preston and Alexa were born and then their first day in Nursery without mommy!Alexa 7-15-2008

Preston 7-15-2008

Preston and Alexa 1-31-2010

Catch-up January

We celebrated New Years Eve at our home with family. We had the PS3 with Rock Band going on downstairs, the Wii with skiing upstairs and regular games going on in the dinning room. Of course we also had lots of food to eat!
The next morning after having seen everyone on the Wii board "skiing" the night before, Preston and Alexa decided it was their turn. With no TV on, just the board and the controls they began skiing at the tender young age of 17 months!

Sledding down the stairs on a small hill made by dad. Snowman making 101

One of the common activities at our home when Mya is around goes like this: Mya sits in the dump truck and she pushes Preston and Alexa on their car and airplane. Once the babies stop they use their feet to back-up to where Mya is and the fun starts again. The twins love it and I think Mya has fun too.

Hats!

It's been said that Mya and Alexa look a lot alike. I can see some of the same mannerisms in both and they have the same "crusty" stare. Mya calls Alexa her identical twin from the past. In this picture they are both doing one of their "faces" that they both do so well.

More fun in the snow!

My dad loves model trains so when he heard about the Ophir-Tintic and Western Model Railroad Show that would be happening at Thanksgiving Point in January he invited all the grandsons and their fathers to come with him. Doug and Preston had a wonderful time seeing all the tracks and trains along with cousins Kamen and Alex and uncle Duane and Papa.They finished the morning off with lunch at JCW's

Catch-up December

Preston and Alexa love flowers. Preston especially loves to smell and give flowers away. What a gentleman!

Mya REALLY wanted to make a gingerbread house this year for the holidays. I knew that wasn't going to happen on my watch. But, at BUNKO in December I won a gingerbread house kit. I had Mya watch the demo on the computer (it was nice because it wasn't an adult that did the demo but a kid). Mya ended up doing almost the whole thing by herself with a little help decorating from her cousin Karene. Now this kind of gingerbread house I could do every year!

The annual picture and conversation with Santa.

It's a working lunch!

Preston and Alex, but especially Preston, love to pretend to talk on the phone. If you put a real phone with a real person on the phone up to their ear they won't do much but listen in amazement! But, when it comes to pretend they use remote controls, cars, combs, anything that is about "that size" as their cell phone and jabber.

Preston with Santa at the ward Christmas Dinner. Alexa would have nothing to do with Santa this time.

I attended Orchard Elementary's Christmas sing on the day they performed for each other. Mya is wearing a green shirt/dress with sunglasses on.

Opening presents at my parents house.

I really need to hire a photographer for Christmas. These pictures are about all that I have with a small amount of video! The twins got their forward facing car seats and some toys to ride around on, as well as a bunch of clothes and pajamas. Mya got a pink rip stick, boots, videos, picture of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and accessories. The big family gift was a PS3 and Rock Band!

Catch-up November

Preston is not a binky boy, Alexa is the binky baby. But, from time to time Alexa will pass her binky from her crib over to Prestons. I think she does it just because she loves to see how silly he looks with a binky in his mouth the wrong way!

What do you do when the weather starts to get cold and your kids gotta get out of the house? You go to the pet store. Just make sure you don't come home with anything!

November was the month that Mya had her Spanish Dance Festival. The Spanish Immersion classes from second grade up to sixth grade had some very colorful costumes, sang some spanish songs and performed some wonderful spanish dances!

Thanksgiving with the Massey Family was held at our home this year. Mya made place cards for everyone and helped to set the table. We had Jeanene and Robert's family, Dave and Lorisa's family, Doug's parents, Doug's aunt Diane, her husband Dan and her daughter Adrianne and of course our family.


Fireplace in the family room where we stayed in Park City. No more pictures of the weekend other than this!


After dinner was eaten, the dishes were done and tummy's were full, my mom and dad picked-up Mya, Alexa and Preston and took them for Thanksgiving dinner at my Brother Tyler and sister in-law Brook's home. Doug and I had plans to celebrate his 40th birthday alone in Park City.
We spent Thursday and Friday night in Park City sans kids and it was wonderful! We stayed up shopping on Thursday night until 3am--Dave and Lorisa came up for the evening and joined us. The Park City Outlet mall had a Black Friday event that started at midnight. The next morning we ate at our favorite breakfast stop on Main Street, the Main Street Deli. Lunch, more shopping and relaxing and dinner were all that we did the rest of the time. I hope Doug enjoyed his 40th birthday, it's what he wanted to do.


Sunday we invited family and friends over to welcome Doug into his 40's!

Happy Birthday Doug! I'm so sorry you couldn't go skiing for your birthday like you usually do. You are a brilliant, strong, handsome, hardworking, fun, generous father, husband and friend!

A few hours after arriving home from Park City Doug and I went to the BYU vs. Utah game. BYU won 26-23 in overtime. It was a great game! When we got home and checked on the babies we found this....