Finally, a new post, and lots of pictures

So I've realized that it's much easier to post occasional Facebook updates than to sit down and write a full blog post. So I haven't blogged for a while. But Mom has mentioned that she would rather read blog posts than hear about Facebook posts from my sisters, since she isn't on Facebook. So, this is me writing a blog post!

A couple weeks ago we went up to Idaho to visit my family. Jeff had a couple days of work during that week, so the kids and I flew up on  Monday  Tuesday, and Jeff drove up on Friday. Yeah, we were supposed to fly on Monday but the plane was having trouble so we turned around mid-flight and had to go back to Salt Lake. We ended up getting bumped to a flight on Tuesday. The full story is much longer, but I don't want to relive it, lol.

Anyway, after the flight adventure, we had a great visit with my family! For me, a great deal of the visit was taken up by hat-making. I made myself a really cute hat a few weeks ago, and brought it with me. Janelle requested that I make her a hat, and before I knew it, everyone wanted one! I ended up making hats for Janelle, Marie, Samuel, Rheanna, Mom, and Michelle. I had such a blast making all those hats, and everyone else had a blast choosing fabrics and buttons, and wearing their new hats.

Nelle and her new hat

Marie loves her polka dots

Samuel enjoys his red hat with a big black button

Rheanna loves her flowered hat

Mom and Michelle, both wishing I wasn't taking their picture

The hat that started it all

On Sunday evening, Jeff and I had a big bake-off. We both wanted to make a special dessert before we headed home the next day, but had different ideas of what to make. So we turned it into a competition. Jeff made a vanilla cream pie with whipped cream and strawberries. I made cheesecake-layered brownies with boiled peanut butter frosting. Here's the breakdown:

Jeff's pies had a lovely presentation. Very fresh and pretty.

My brownies looked rather plain in the pan.

After cutting, Jeff's pie proved to be a little on the gloppy side.

My brownies, on the other hand, held their shape perfectly.

Side by side, mine has the definite advantage as far as looks.

Dad enjoyed his job as one of the taste testers.

In the end, there really could be no clear winner. Both desserts had good points and less-good points, but both were really delicious. Jeff's was fresh and light, mine was dark and rich. They complemented each other wonderfully. That being said, I think mine won. So there.

Like Michelle said on her blog, the she and I both came home with a bunch of fabrics from Mom's plentiful supply. I haven't had time to use any of the fabric yet, though, because I also came home with a few bags of yarn and have been having fun with that instead. I'm working on an afghan for Mom, which is about halfway done, and I started a little blanket for Janelle. I'll have to wait a few months before I can finish it, because I need to know whether to make it for a girl or a boy. ;-)

Just a few more random pictures.

Cutie-pie cousins Daniel and Audrey

Zaylee LOOOOVES her Aunt Rheanna

Zaylee on the car ride home

Thomas, what a cheerful little guy

Audrey was fussing until she noticed me taking pictures of her

There were some awesome cloud formations on the drive home. This picture is SOOC.

Okay, I think that's about it. There's more that's been going on, like ants in the cat food, FHE with some families in the ward, feeling super sleepy all the time, and finding our missing cell phone in Jeff's lunch bag. But you can read about those things on my Facebook page. ;-)