Odds and ends and my crazy son

Well, this week has been super busy. Do I start every post like that? Anyways, with the end of the season TBall, last few days of school for Gabe, and the warm weather, there is just so much to get done and so much I want to do.

I will start with the weather. IT IS CRAZY! It starts in the 60s one day and then it is almost 100 degrees. Then 2 days later it is rainy and not getting over 70 degrees. What in the world?! I don't think I really got to enjoy the spring this year. I usually look forward to the crisp spring mornings to go walking. And we had barely any!! I am bummed. We did do a lot outside the past week. We have been going to numerous parks, playing in the sprinkler, gardening, and BBQing. Boy do I love a great BBQ!

Nolan outside on one of the really hot days

Next, Halfway through last week I got one of the cutest aprons I have ever seen from my wonderful inspiring cousin who is so darn crafty. The colors in the fabric are so much brighter in real life, the picture doesn't do it justice to how cute it is. She makes some of the cutest bags, aprons and she has another really cute blog also for mothers with daughters, although I have gotten some great ideas to do with Gabe :) Thanks Randi! I will call you soon!

Last week we also had a sleep out with Gabe. When we say sleep out we mean we made popcorn, smores, blew up sleeping bags, played mariocart then we moved sleeping bags into our room and Gabe slept on the floor and watched a movie while we fell asleep. Gabe had so much fun and now asks if we can have a sleepout every night. Also, I don't think that I have ever actually had a whole smore until our sleepout. And now I am hooked!! They are so yummy! I need to be careful to to eat too many!

This week I also got to do some new member visits for my calling which I had so much fun doing. And we also had a fantastic Elders Quorum BBQ/ Softball game which after the sun went down a bit and the heat went away a bit, it ended up being a whole lotta fun!!

So now we come to my crazy son. Gabe had his end of the year performance on Tuesday night. They did a play, sang some songs, and had an "open mic" so the kids could stand up and either tell a joke, do a dance, or sing a song. James and I knew this would be an interesting evening so we did a little bribery.....we would go to Sonic after if he sat up on stage nicely and did what the teachers tell him. Long story short.....it didn't go that well. Although he was darn cute up there and he was being "Gabe" the energetic, silly, entertainer that he is.

First problem....the teachers put him in the middle CLOSEST to the mic.....which it didn't take too long for him to figure out that he could say something quietly and it would still pick up on the mic for all to hear. First word said over the mic? COW-POOP. At this point I feel my stomach turning knowing that it is only 5 minutes into the show and he has just figured something out that he could have fun with.

Second problem....They put him by another little boy who is also very energetic and silly just like him.....what were they thinking?!?!? So between the two of them (mostly my son) there were words being said over the mic (diarreah, poop, bumbum, boogers, underwear, and his most famous word PINEAPPLE) Lots of stomping of the feet since he soon figured out that it echoed through the chapel. And lots of poking of the kids around him. He got talked to by the teachers a good 6 times...but that didn't seem to help.

It was funny.....just a little....I think it may be funnier when he gets older. Lets just say that he didn't get to go to Sonic afterward!!

May this be a warning to Kristen when you guys are figuring out the Primary performance :)

This is my new favorite picture of Nolan and my dad

I love this picture...this is Nolan's new "cheese" look.

And last...here is a new recipe that we have been making almost every week for the past 2 weeks because its is so darn easy and so yummy, and has very few calories. I found it off of my favorite site Allrecipes.

Southwest Chicken

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (I used tomoatos with Jalepenos)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 pinch ground cumin

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Add tomatoes with green chile peppers, beans and corn. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Add a dash of cumin and serve.

**Here is what I did. I sprinkled the chicken with cumin before browning. And added a tsp of minced garlic. Don't worry, it makes a ton of sauce as it cooks, which tastes great over rice. Also, I put cheese over the top and let it melt. This dish also tastes great the next day after sitting.**