Seasonal Expressions

{Playing catch up...

2012-01-04T12:45:00.001-07:00

no message

{Labor Day Weekend...

2011-09-11T14:15:00.000-06:00

Jackson has been begging Todd to take him up a 14er all summer long. Some of his buddies at school have gone with their dad's and I think he was feeling a little left out. Luckily Todd loves to hike, especially the Colorado 14ers! They decided on an easier mountain to ease J into it and Sherman was picked.

Our whole family drove to the trailhead late on Friday night (since we were planning to stay in the Breckenridge area Sat, Sun and Monday). We had hoped to camp but by the time we got there it was late and very dark, so we blew up the air matress and all 4 of us snuggled up in the back of the Tahoe! That is how memories are made!!! Todd and Jackson were up at the crack of dawn and started their ascent. Sammy and I (thanks to the uncomfortable night in the car) were able to spread out a little and we slept in until 9! By the time we got up, re-packed the car and got on the trail ourselves, Todd and Jackson were done. We met them at an old abandoned mine near the trailhead and explored for an hour or so.

We spent the rest of the weekend riding bikes, hiking and enjoying the company of some dear friends!

This is our 3 year old going off a "jump." He is fearless!

{Pear Heaven...

2011-09-09T16:38:00.000-06:00

I have been canning up a storm! Ok not really, but it's more than I usually do. So much fun! The weather has cooled down this week and it actually kind of feels like fall (my favorite time of year). So when I broke out the cinnamon, nutmeg and my big box of pears it was like a little piece of heaven.

And because everything (and everyone!) looks a little bit better with an accessory or two here are some canning labels for you to download if you are so inclined!

{Romas and Onions and Chilies, Oh My!

2011-09-02T10:34:00.001-06:00

It has been the week of salsa!! I think I'm sweating it... garlic, tomatoes and chilies. What fun though! I look forward to this time of year when I can stock my food storage room with yummy, homemade salsa. Last year was the first year I attempted it (thanks to a dear friend who held my hand the whole way. Why is it that canning is so intimidating?) We made up our own recipe and threw ingredients in based on taste. It was good, but this year's salsa is FAB! I've included a copy of the recipe we used below. Now get some girlfriends together, fire up the grills and get canning!

It's a really good thing Todd likes salsa because he forgave me pretty quickly when he saw what I did to our dining room table! I would highly recommend placing hot jars on at least 2 towels (or better yet, glass)! I think another table painting session is in order!

{Preschool. Year 2...

2011-08-24T14:49:00.000-06:00

I love this little man with all of my heart! I think we are both ready for preschool to start however. He's been asking me for almost a month when he could see Ms. Carol and Ms. Robin again (I love them too, btw!). Here's to a fun year Mr. Sammy!

{3rd Grade...

2011-08-18T09:37:00.000-06:00

Jackson woke up pretty excited to head off to school today. I want nothing but the best for this little guy... go get 'em J!

Every first day of school is so much better with a great pair of kicks. Aren't they cute?

{Lunch Box Love Notes...

2011-08-17T12:14:00.000-06:00

Well, tomorrow is the BIG day. Back to School. To me that means back to routine (which I desperately crave!). This summer has been SO fun and I am sad to see it go but I'm also excited for what comes next. The first day back to school can be a little intimidating for a lot of kids. Jackson (who is super outgoing!) told me that he was even a little nervous. Well, the mom in me kicked in and I went on the hunt to make our transition into 3rd grade a little less nerve wracking! Here's what I found...

Lunch Box Love Notes! What kid wouldn't want a little encouragement from his mom in the middle of his big day back?

Download HERE courtesy of Silverbox Creative Studio

Download HERE courtesy of Paper & Pomegranates


Download HERE courtesy of Picklebums

Happy Back to School Days!

{Trying to fit it all in...

2011-08-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

With school starting on Thursday we've been busy trying to fit in all of our last minute summer fun. On Monday I took the boys down to Pueblo to float the river. It was the perfect day! Super sunny, and the water was calm. We went with a bunch of friends from church and had ourselves a little back to school adventure!

Today we met Grammies up at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This is the last week of the Pirates exhibit. Super cool!

New school year = New teacher!

2011-08-12T17:51:00.000-06:00

Jackson has been checking the mail religiously for a week straight. Today he finally found what he was looking for. Third grade will be spent with....... Mrs. Whitney!

{Rossell Reunion...

2011-08-11T18:36:00.001-06:00

Well, here we all are. It's a crazy bunch but everyone is so fun. When we all get together it's going to be a party and this year did not disappoint!

Grandma Gege. The lovely matriarch of our family.

Jackson is a fish! He sees the waves, grabs a board, and hops right in!

One of my favorite beach traditions... Abba Zabbas on the pier. It helps to kill time when we don't catch anything.

This is our catch. I'm not kidding! The night before I sent Jackson with Grandpa Semi and they caught some red snapper, a sting ray, a baby leopard shark and an octopus! Everyone was so excited that we went the very next night and this is what we came away with!

Each family takes a night and provides dinner and some kind of activity. Our night was Hippie night on the beach. SOooo fun!

This is Grams playing one of the crazy games that mom came up with. Good times!

One of the highlights of our trip was meeting my newest little niece, Sophie. What a little doll!

{Cub Scout Day Camp...

2011-08-11T18:06:00.001-06:00

One of the great things about being 8 years old is CUB SCOUTS! Jackson is the ultimate scouter. He loves everything about it! Frankly, his enthusiasm is exhausting. I got to 'walk along' for one day at day camp this summer and I was hot! That's pretty much all I can say about it. He, on the other hand had a ball 4 days in a row. The heat was no match for his love of all things scouting!

{Summer swim team and major pool time...

2011-08-11T17:55:00.000-06:00

Jackson swam on our local swim team. It was awesome! We were at the pool every day this summer! He had so much fun and got to swim with his buddies.

Here's one of those buddies. Jacob we're so glad you moved here!

While Jackson was swimming, Sam was socializing....

...or jumping into the pool like a crazy maniac!

{JDRF...

2011-08-11T17:27:00.002-06:00

My dear friend has a little boy who was fairly recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It has been so eye opening to watch their family deal with his disease. I have been moved as I have watched them struggle, try new things and finally succeed in stablizing his blood sugar. She is an inspiration to me as a mother. Bridget is very involved in the community so it was no surprise when she called me one day to tell me that she was co-hosting a massive event in May for JDRF. What a gal! She poured hours and hours of time gathering sponsors, donations and it all payed off. I played a small part for the evening's auction by working with some of the local kids affected by diabetes. We came up with a kids project that went up for auction. I don't even think I took any pictures but the kids and I went to a local stain glass store and created unique ornaments and hung them on a sparkly tree. It was such a good experience for me. Thanks B, and congratulations on raising over 450,000K for a cure!!!

{Memorial Day Camping...

2011-08-11T17:11:00.001-06:00

As soon as school was out we packed up the kids and went camping with a few other families from around here. It was so fun! We drove to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and fished, and played, and rode bikes, and vegged out. It was fabulous.

Crazy Sammy sans the training wheels!

A face full of smore and a fish in the hands! Life doesn't get better for an 8 year old boy.

Sammy trying his luck.

What a lucky little guy!

{End of school festivities...

2011-08-11T16:56:00.001-06:00

Jackson played Limburger in the 2nd grade play, "The Cheese Stands Alone." Hilarious.

Sammy and I got to go on a fieldtrip to the zoo with his preschool buddies.

The boys participated in a trail running series called Kokopelli Kids and it was awesome. It was fun to see the boys get after it. It's a definite repeat for next year.

{It's great to be eight...

2011-08-11T16:46:00.001-06:00

This is Jackson and Todd on Jackson's baptism day. What a great, great day! I still get choked up thinking about the meeting and the sweet spirit that was there. He is really a tender little boy. I'm so blessed to be his mom.

{Who's that stud in a tiny suit?

2011-08-11T16:42:00.001-06:00

It's my Jackson and these are some of his baptism pictures... love this kid!

{Art contest...

2011-08-11T16:38:00.001-06:00

J's got skills. Art skills to be exact. His teacher approached me in February and told me about an art contest that she thought Jackson should enter. School hasn't always been easy for Jackson so I'm always looking for things to boost his self esteem and art does that. I wanted him to do well in the contest so I went to Hobby Lobby, coupons in hand. We bought an oil kit, canvas and brushes (who in their right mind buys oil paints for a 7 year old?) I'm new at this, I guess. Well I figured we had all weekend to work on it so surely it would be dry by the time the painting needed to be turned in. Wrong. I asked if I could turn it in wet and they agreed. I found out that it took well over two weeks to dry to the touch. It's probably still not dry! Anyway long story short, not only did he place, he won first place complete with a blue ribbon! It was a national contest with over 1000 entries. Of course not all of them were in his age bracket but none the less. He was so excited! I was so excited for him. It made my mom heart happy to see him succeed... I got to pick him up from school and we spent an entire afternoon at the Broadmoor Hotel mixing and mingling with astronauts and NASA. So cool!

{Where's Sammy?

2011-08-11T16:29:00.000-06:00

Jackson had a lot going on in March/April so I'll throw in a crazy little Sam story... I swear I looked for this boy for close to 20 minutes. My heart was racing and I couldn't find him anywhere. I looked outside, in the dryer, in cabinets, all of his favorite hiding places. In complete desperation I was ripping through the house. Well, I opened up this ottoman and found him. asleep. I'm surprised he was still breathing. I'm honestly glad we're both still alive to tell the tale. He will be the death of me. I'm certain.

{Jackson turns 8!!!

2011-08-11T16:25:00.000-06:00

Um, wow! It's been a LONG time but I promise that I have a really good excuse (more on that later). Where to start? I guess we'll go back to March and take it from there...

My little J turned 8 years old. Kind of a BIG deal! Here are just a few pics at his lego party. He's slightly consumed by legos. We took his birthday treats to school on March 17th (since his actual birthday fell on a weekend) hence the 'over the rainbow cupcakes.' One bite and the rainbow took over. Yum.

Lego races

Lego buildoff

I used this super cute, lego party printable pack. It made the invitations and other decor a breeze. Highly recommend!

Jackson's creation for a cake topper.

It sure was fun!

Table OCD, cured!

2011-03-10T21:42:00.003-07:00

Todd jokes that I am a little OCD when it comes to the table in our eat-in kitchen. No seriously, I think I am. We inherited a large, lovely oak table from my in-laws a few years ago. Well, with two busy boys and a mom who loves to craft it was looking a little worse for the wear. So, "fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without..." I painted it black and it was like a whole new table. I was in love! The paint however was not as durable as I had hoped within 6 months I had to paint it again (this time using an oil based paint) and I promptly ordered a glass table top to protect all my hard work. Again, LOVE! ....then I noticed all the fingerprints, food smears and crumbs that started accumulating under the glass. It was more than I could take. On one of our recent date nights, I noticed that the table we were seated at had a glass top and a tablecloth underneath the glass. Brilliant! I found an *inspiration piece* on pinterest (if anyone needs an invite, just let me know. It is oh, so fabulous!) and went to work. I put together this burlap/canvas tablecloth and I really think that my table drama is over once and for all. The burlap masks little crumbs from morning toast and the creamy ruffle adds just the femininity that our family is in desperate need of.

{Happy Valentine's Day! ...and a little love detecting!

2011-02-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of the Valentine's that Jackson gave to his classmates this year. I saw this tutorial all over the web this year so we gave them a go and they did not dissappoint! He's such a cutie!

Sammy didn't want to cooperate in a little photo shoot for his Valentine's and had no desire to help in the planning or prep, so I just took over. I'm completely okay with that!

Jackson's teacher asked if I would come in a teach a little Valentine's craft about a week ago. I had the bright idea that we would make tote bags that would double as Valentine's carriers and a library book bag. When I told her what I was planning to do she said that the room mom's already planned to decorate bags at the party so what's a mom to do? I called my mom! What would I do without her? She told me that in the Friend back in the 90's there was a sharing time about service. Secret service. Well I took the idea and ran with it. The kids filled big manilla envelopes with hearts that they made in all shapes and sizes. I gave them a sheet of paper to track all of their good deeds on and we made a 'love bug' pencil (because every good detective has to record their movements). I told them if they were able to complete at least 7 secret acts of service for someone they loved (and left a homemade heart as their calling card) by the next week I would reward them at the class party. The kids totally got into it. Jackson made my bed. He left little notes for Sammy and the kids in his class were just as excited to be love detectives! On Friday Mrs. Jacob's gave me a list of kids that had brought back their lists of secret acts and I gave them this...

They are official detective badges. You should have seen all these little second graders wearing their badges with pride! So fun.

{Cupcake Love...

2011-02-14T14:46:00.003-07:00

Oh my.... nothing from December to February! Well, what can I say?? It's a busy time of year! Christmas was great! New Year's was great! It's been freezing cold here and I have spring fever Big Time! Yesterday was 65 beautiful degrees so I'm a little happier this week.

Last week in anticipation for teh day of *love* I had a little cupcake gathering. It was so fun! Okay, not that I need to make (or EAT) cupcakes right now -isn't swimsuit season right around the corner??- but they are darling and SO fun to make! I caved.

Here is a little 'taste' of what we came up with:

Kelly's bakerella spin off. I think they are just beautiful.

Annelisa's delish almond cupcake with raspberry creme filling.

This is a little deceiving... I wanted to make a beautiful, out of this world good cupcake and while I do think it turned out pretty, it tasted like grainy poop! Who except for Martha Stewart and Bakerella can make meringue frosting over a double broiler and not have it turn out grainy?

Love this. Jocelyn's hostess knock off!

Round two of the hi-hat cupcake. Well, hi-hat turned lo-hat... I tried a different recipe and it tasted great, but did not form stiff peaks! Anyone have a good suggestion for me on a no-fail meringue icing recipe?? :)

{Decking the Halls... and the stake center tables!

2010-12-04T13:27:00.001-07:00

Some friends and I were asked to come up with table centerpieces for our Stake Musical Christmas Fireside next week. I made a trip to ARC and the coffee isle of my local supermarket and came up with these super fun starbursts! I had seen something similar done with an old phone book at a local boutique in Colorado Springs and knew it could be adapted to work for our event. I love how they turned out and can't wait to see 24 of these beauties decking the cultural hall for Christmas!

{Christmas Vinyl Par-tay!

2010-11-27T18:41:00.001-07:00

Christmas is just around the corner... Yikes! For the last few weeks I've been thinking about, creating for and *anticipating* Christmas. I think I have come up with a few gift ideas almost anyone could benefit from. I hope you can make it!

When: Friday, December 3rd
Time: 7:30 until we finish!
Place: My home

Please feel free to call me with questions or to place an order (761-9084). I would appreciate your orders no later than Wednesday, December 1st (midnight).

Merry Christmas!
Tagan

.Click on the pictures to enlarge the image.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T10:47:00.001-06:00

Love, Harry and Draco.

Yesterday we had a super fun trunk or treat at the church... Todd and the Young Men were in charge of the spooky science lab. I'd say he has a little craft in him afterall. I was super proud!

We waited in line for what seemed like FOREVER for the hay ride but the boys loved it!

{Boot-licious!!!

2010-10-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

I love Conference weekend. I love OCTOBER Conference weekend. I am always ready to watch Conference, be inspired and hang out with my family. Mom and I usually do some kind of craft and this year we decided to *surprise* each other and just show up with something fun to make. Well, I guess I should back up because I was in Utah in September for my niece's baptism and I can't go to Utah and NOT go to Tai Pan Traders. I love that store! I was a little short on time so I just ran in really quick and of course found a million things that I loved, but the item at the top of my list was a Halloween witch boot filled with funky flowers. It was a little spendy (like $125.00 spendy, ouch!) so I passed, BUT not before I called my mom to tell her how darling it was. So, fast forward one month later and mom came up with an over-the-top WAY cuter rendition of the witch boot that I saw in Utah. It's funky, glitzy and just my kind of Halloween decor! Thanks for a super fun project mom!

{Official...

2010-09-14T21:25:00.006-06:00

Last weekend I had my first *official* photo shoot. I didn't know this family, they were a referral from a fundraiser that I did last year. I had the best time! I love getting to meet new people and Shawna and Dave were so kind. The kids were just darling and even their dog, Sally was fun to shoot! Here are a few from our session.

{Seriously??

2010-08-24T17:08:00.000-06:00

I am in love. It's a little ridiculous... it's a little funky... and it's a little FABULOUS! My latest craze are glitter cups! You would think that I drink a lot of soda. I probably drink more than I should but everything in moderation, right?? I think this will make a great water cup too... and I might just drink a little more now that I can drink it with flare! I have orange and black glitter, bling, cups and everything spooky to make one especially for my favorite time of year! To be continued....

{'Sammy's school...

2010-08-23T10:57:00.000-06:00

My little man started preschool today! He's been so excited. Ms. Carol came to our home on Friday to have a 'get aquanted' play date and since then he hasn't stopped talking about 'Sammy's school.' I'm not exactly sure what to do with myself and feel a little naked without someone to constantly be looking after. I just keep reminding myself that it's only 3 hours and there are so many things I can get accomplished in JUST 3 HOURS!!! Hooray!

{Back to School Mom projects!

2010-08-19T09:15:00.007-06:00

OK so I do miss my kids, but I'm not going to lie when I say that after 3 months of flying by the seat of our pants I also realized how much I missed routine. I am excited to get back in the gym on a regular basis and start a few projects of my own. So after I complete my homework (ie... paint the entire main floor of my house to cover up all of the sharpie marks and scuffs from balls and shoes) I am ready to tackle a few cute things... Here are a few that I've been eyeing since BEFORE girls camp took over my life!

1. Amy Butlers Weekender Bag (I've heard it's a doosy, but I'm up for the challenge).

2. I have the paint all ready to go for my laundry room, which is currently a burnt orange but will soon look something like House of Smith's pantry! I also love this idea only in a blue/grey. I love how fresh it looks and I could use a few more 'cool' colors in my home.

3. I've got to include something to get me excited for Halloween and these adorable trick or treat bags will do the trick!

{2nd Grade!!!

2010-08-19T09:11:00.001-06:00

Here's our big man on his first day of Second Grade!!! I think it's going to be a really great year for him! We met his teacher on Thursday and she seems like a firecracker (in a good way!). She will demand a lot from him, but I am excited to see him step up to the plate. Sammy and I are off to make giant back to school cookies and maybe the pool?? My little Sambo starts preschool on Monday (and then I get to tackle my poor house who suffered so much this summer!).

I found these cute little lunch notes on eighteen25.

My mom always took a picture of our new shoes on the first day of school... the tradition continues!

{Our summer garden...

2010-08-12T15:00:00.001-06:00

If you would have asked me last week if our decision to rent a garden spot at Bear Creek was worth it, I would have told you "no way"! We got a late start on planting our seeds (thanks to girls camp!) and every time we would go out to weed or water I would get discouraged because every one else's gardens seemed to be booming! ...that's what I get for comparing (there's a valuable lesson in there somewhere). Well, we finally have a little something to show for our hard work. Yesterday I went out to water and we came back with squash, peas, beans peppers, cucumbers and a radish. Exciting stuff I tell you! I think I've convinced Todd that we have to gate in a small plot in the backyard for next summer though because the 15 minute drive there and the 15 minute drive back is about murderous when I'm trying to get dinner on and the kids are tired. Here are a few pictures of the day we put our seeds in the ground...

These are our garden buddies, the Babcock's.

...and this is just the start of a very bountiful harvest (I'm crossing my fingers!)

{Mt. of the Holy Cross...

2010-08-03T22:48:00.005-06:00

Last Friday Todd and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. Mom and Dad took the boys for the weekend and we headed up into the mountains for an adventure! Over the last couple of years, Todd has really had a desire to climb all the fourteeners that Colorado has to offer. He started last year and has done 8 of the 54. ...it's a start. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and with only 2 under my belt we chose Mt. of the Holy Cross (which is just south of Vail) as our challenge. Well, challenge it was! I would definitely have to say that I it had to be one of the top 5 toughest things I have ever done (to my body, that is!). My feet must have grown because I had hot spots on my heels and toes climbing UP the mountain. It took us 10 hours to go just over 11 miles. Todd was very sweet and patient with me and my burning feet! The top was absolutely breath taking and once I get myself a new pair of hiking boots, I'd do it again in a heart beat!

I had never seen wild Columbine's in Colorado before so that was kind of exciting!
Todd and I at the summit.

{"My name is Tagan Hawker and I am 1/2 Bajan...

2010-07-13T15:03:00.002-06:00

We just got back from a pretty fabulous family vacation to Barbados. My father was born in Barbados and lived there until he was 14 years old. This was our first family trip to see the "home land." The running joke the entire vacation was that the Berry kids were 1/2 Bajan... we even attempted to fit in with the locals by working on our tans and our accents. Needless to say we weren't very successful! The people were so friendly (minus the airport!) and always willing to help us find our way around the island. The beaches were my favorite part of the trip. We stayed on the east side of the island which is the windy/rough side. We usually had a gorgeous white sand (that felt like brown sugar under your feet) beach all to ourselves! Here are some snapshots of our favorite beaches...

The Crane Beach, Foul Bay Beach and Beachy Head were our favorites.

These are some pictures we took around the island, they are mostly places dad remembers from his childhood...

We decided to take advantage of the fact that we were all together in a gorgeous location and have some family pictures taken...

We are a crazy Bajan bunch!

{The month of May and M.I.A...

2010-05-31T20:48:00.007-06:00

I have been missing in action... My entire spring and early summer has been completely devoted to girls camp! Ahhh!! It's going to be so much fun, but I'm sure my family is ready to call it quits. I've been more than frustrated a few times myself. Our theme this year is "O Be Wise" from Jacob 6. Once girls camp is over, I'll have to post all the details because no one should have to start from scratch!!! I'm working with the best women in the world and count my lucky stars every day for them!

This weekend we were able to take a breather with the Kimball's and Utah Hawker's in Steamboat Springs. It was so nice and relaxing and very much needed! We hiked and swam and just enjoyed being away from home!

Now, it's back to reality... ONE MORE WEEK and then I can breathe again!

{Happy Mother's Day...

2010-05-09T16:44:00.001-06:00

Mother's Day is a day that is full of emotion for me. I think of all the women that have touched my life over the years and made a difference in my life. I think of Young Women leaders, aunts, grandmothers, my Mother-in-law, my sisters-in-law, good girlfriends and my dear sweet birth mother's. My heart breaks for them as I watch my sweet boys growing so big. I am ever grateful to them for bringing them to this earth and placing them in our home. I of course think of my own mother. I love my her! I love her for raising us in the gospel. I admire her testimony, her strength and her ability to connect with people from all walks of life. I love her for always making things fun at our house! From "dance party / chore Saturday" to our late night talks after a date or night out with friends. A holiday never went by in college without a sticker laden box or package. Now her role has changed to helping me figure out how to be that fun mom. I appreciate all the advice and creative ideas that are ever flowing in her mind! (I don't know how she sleeps at night! She's always dreaming up the next big event). She is one of my dearest friends and greatest blessings. Love you mom! -If I were in Loveland today I would probably tickle your feet for a set of Lee Press On Nails!

Happy Mother's Day!

{Feelin' Lucky...

2010-03-17T19:02:00.007-06:00

to have friends like these...

Last night was my turn to host TLC. What a hoot! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by women who are fun and know how to kick back and have a good time. There have been periods in my life when I haven't had that and so I just have to say I LOVE these ladies! (and many more but these are the only pics I had on my camera). We shared beauty secrets and played like teenage girls until the "wee hours of the mornin'."

We were taught how to apply false eyelashes. Here's an action shot... one eyelash on and one off!

My beautiful Sister-in-law, Alicia.

One of my "co-hosts" for the evening (thanks Cori for a super fun time!)

J.B. nothing but good vibes comin' from her!

Buffy knows how to work the camera... this was just one of many gorgeous "glam" shots of the evening!

Valarie is a natural beauty (and a rockin' yoga instructor!)

Kelly moved in a little over 6 months ago and I just love being around her. What a fun addition to our little group!

{S'mores Cookie Bars...

2010-03-14T20:52:00.002-06:00

We had our first stake camp meeting this weekend (Yay for camp!) and I figured a camp meeting without S'mores was no camp meeting at all. So, short of building a fire in the backyard I found this recipe on the internet and it was a big hit. Just thought I'd share it for anyone looking for a fun new dessert for FHE or for this summer when your kids want to 'camp' in the backyard!

1/2 c butter, room temp

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

1 large egg

1 t vanilla extract

1 1/3 c flour

3/4 c graham cracker crumbs

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

2 king-sized Hershey's bars

1-7 oz jar of marshmallow fluff (or I substituted mini marshmallows and it worked out fine too)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with Pam. in a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Spread marshmallow fluff over chocolate (which is next to impossible, hence the mini marshmallows!). Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. cool completely before cutting into bars. Makes 16 squares.

{First Grade Valentine's Party...

2010-02-11T17:03:00.003-07:00

Jackson: "Mom, you made my Valentine's last year, this year I want to make my Valentine's."
Me: "Okay Jackson, what do you want to make?"
Jackson: "robots"
Me: "Oh, fun" (and I'm really thinking 'Seriously? HOW are we going to make robots?')

So we talk to grammies and she points us in the right direction (like always!), we head to Safeway and this is what we came up with. There was some hot glue involved but Jackson was the brains and most of the elbow grease behind his Valentine's this year. I love that Jackson is my crafting buddy. I think we're two peas in a pod that way!

...and thanks to my dad for this super fun lollipop tree that he made for me a few Christmas's ago! It made our Valentine's treats a breeze to display!

{Knock off Wood...

2010-02-11T15:47:00.003-07:00

I love, Love, LOVE this blog! Knock off Wood. I ran across it a few weeks ago and found myself inviting a few friends over to make Ana's version of PB Kids Collector Shelves. We modified the size and added some routing to make them look a little more like the PB version and they turned out SO cute! I have to say that for a bunch of girls that haven't ever worked with power tools (I think I qualified as the most experienced and I have really only used Todd's miter saw for a cut or two) that we did pretty good for ourselves! They came together fairly easily and will hopefully be as useful in our kids rooms as we have imagined.

After I painted and stained my shelves I was inspired to make Jackson a dry erase calendar for his room using my vinyl (if there is any interest, I may add them to my BNB blog). Hopefully I can move Sam into his "big boy" room by the end of the summer and give both boys' rooms a makeover. Nothing like a few little projects to get me motivated to switch things up around here!

This has to be one of the funniest things I've EVER seen!

2010-01-21T08:36:00.002-07:00

{Hammonds Candy Factory...

2010-01-09T09:10:00.003-07:00

Every year we go over to the Baer's to make homemade candy canes. It is truly one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. The day after Christmas we met my family in Denver to tour one of Colorado's oldest (still operating) candy factories. Wow... the difference that equipment (and highly skilled hands) can make! Julie, we've got to take you up there! Perfect swirls, airy centers and they are at least an inch and a half in diameter! It is most definitely a lost art and made for a very fun day. After the factory we went to lunch and shopped around downtown. I love the city at Christmas time!

We could not let this photo op pass us by! When we see anything heart shaped and Miss Loveland Valentine is in the vicinity, a picture must be snapped!

{Christmas morning...

2010-01-09T09:02:00.001-07:00

My Christmas decorations are down and I've started my annual 'tear through the house organizational process' (although this is the first year that I've had my vinyl cutter and WOW! more on that later... let's just say "I heart labels!"). So, I'm trying to get the last few posts of 2009 out there so that I can move on to 2010! This year we stayed home for Christmas. It was nice. It was relaxing. The boys slept in until 8:30! We did Christmas at our house, had a nice breakfast, gave the boys Christmas haircuts and then we went over to sANNta's (that's my new nickname for my very generous mother-in-law!). We played games and ate until our stomachs nearly exploded. It was fabulous!

{Christmas Card Ooops...

2009-12-30T15:53:00.008-07:00

Merry {late} Christmas

...and...

Seriously. So. Embarrassed.

OK, so this year I had no idea where my brain went to but it was no where near the rest of my body. At a recent birthday lunch for one of my friends my Christmas cards came up as a topic of conversation. Apparently this "birthday friend" gets a note in her mailbox from the post office that she has a package and needs to pick it up. So she goes down and waits in some crazy long Christmas lines to pick up her 'package'. Well, her exciting 'package' was my Christmas card. I totally forgot to put a stamp on it and they made HER pay for it! When I heard this, I thought I would die! How embarrassing?!? Just to defend myself a little I had planned on hand delivering cards around Colorado Springs and had them in a separate pile. Then, knowing myself and that I wouldn't find the time to go and make personal visits, I just put them in the mailbox -without stamps-! So, I sincerely apologize to anyone else that had to head down to the post office during a super busy Christmas season and pay to receive our Christmas card!

I'll be reimbursing those that I inconvenienced! :o)

{The Polar Express...

2009-12-10T23:20:00.001-07:00

Grammies, Semi and Tanner came down last weekend to surprise the boys with a ride on the Polar Express!! Our trip was complete with PJ's, hot chocolate, cookies, fun little elves that got the kids all worked up, Santa Claus and brass bell ornaments. It was a night to remember! My boys LOVE the movie and they LOVE trains so it really could not have been a more perfect surprise! They are still talking about it. Thanks Berry's!

{Thanksgiving...

2009-11-28T20:53:00.003-07:00

What a fun holiday! We had the Berry's, Grandma Gege and Scottie for Thanksgiving this year and it was so much fun. We even enjoyed a little visit with my Rossell cousins from CA (apparently Broc moved to Denver this summer... who knew??!). It was wonderful to be with so much of our family! The boys played in the annual turkey bowl and the girls had some crazy success with desserts in the kitchen (recipes to follow...). What did people do for Thanksgiving prior to allrecipes.com? Seriously.

Here are a few snapshots from our time together.

Grandma Gege stuffin' the bird.

Our place settings on my newly painted table!

Thanks to Carolyn Draney for finding these awesome hand pie molds. They were darling and this combination of recipes for apple pie can not be beat. I challenge anyone to a throw down!

Carolyn Draney's Pie Crust

2 ½ c flour
1 t salt
1 c butter
2 T sugar

Mix until crumbly

1 beaten egg
1 T vinegar (cider)
¼ c ice water

Mix but do not over work. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Makes 2 pie crusts (or 1 top and bottom pie)

Grandma Opel's Apple Pie (from allrecipes.com)

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Our Pecan Coconut Pie was a smashing success as well...

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add the sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla and salt; mix well. Stir in pecans and coconut. Pour into pastry shell. Make a domed cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Last but not least we made these mini Pumpkin Cakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting... delish!

Pumpkin Cake

2 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan (or a mini muffin pan). Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread batter into prepared 12x18 inch pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes (or 11 minutes for the mini muffins), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon honey

Directions: Melt butter and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, brown sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixer. When mixture starts to stiffen, stop mixer and add honey.
Continue to beat until light and fluffy. Do not over mix, or it will collapse.
Spread immediately and store cake in refrigerator.

*Feel free to add 2-3 cups of powdered sugar if you want the icing stiffer to pipe on top of mini cakes.*

{Vinyl...

2009-11-12T14:45:00.003-07:00

I've got a few Thanksgiving designs put together on my new vinyl blog... check it out!
http://www.boysnberries.blogspot.com/
I hope to have some fun Christmas projects posted in no time!

{Gratitude...

2009-11-10T14:35:00.002-07:00

I found this idea on one of my favorite blogs and decided to implement it for the month of November in our house. Last night we had a few friends over for FHE and talked about gratitude. We are going to add leaves of Thanksgiving all month long. As usual, Jackson got completely into it and has been writing leaves at every spare moment....

I was up ALL night with a super sick Sammy so Todd took the bull by the horns and got Jackson off for school. When I finally rolled out of bed around 8:15 I came down and saw that he had been busy making more leaves this morning. I about fell on the floor laughing when I read his most recent leaf! You gotta love 1st graders...

{Elvis Revealed...

2009-11-04T15:36:00.001-07:00

So I had this grand plan to get the boys in their costumes early and have a real photoshoot before we went Trick or Treating. Well, it didn't happen then and it still hasn't happened, so this is as good as it gets and I'm okay with that! To be honest they're lucky that they had any costumes at all... I finished them up just 15 minutes before Jackson's school party!

I have to say that they looked pretty rockin' in their matching Elvis costumes. As you can imagine, Jackson was eating it up and started singing and shakin' his booty at every chance he got. It took Sam a little while to get used to the idea but after a while he even got into it (except that he kept telling me that he DID NOT like the wig!). For a holiday that I absolutely love, I have to say that I was glad I could put away the temporary sweat shop I had set up in the basement and the candy disappeared!

{Studio T...

2009-11-03T17:37:00.004-07:00

A couple of months ago Tina Johnson and I decided to combine efforts and start a little side photography business. We've swapped taking each other's (and a few other families) pictures for Christmas cards for the last few years and Tina took some photos of clients for her husbands dental practice. We've had a good response so we decided to make it official! I love being behind the camera and Tina is a wonderful photographer so it just seemed like the natural thing to do. I feel like I've learned a lot and it's something I can see myself being passionate about. Maybe when the boys are older I could be a little more serious about it? Anyway, I thought I would share our photography blog Studio T here on my personal blog... Let me know what you think?!?

{Thank you, Thank you very much...

2009-10-31T11:55:00.002-06:00

Just a little teaser from Jackson's school party...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

{Art in the Suitcase...

2009-10-22T14:09:00.001-06:00

I love, LOVE, love going into Jackson's classroom to help with Art in the Suitcase! The kids have grown up so much in just one year, it's unbelievable. This year they look and act like little students. They are polite. They raise their hands and they totally get into the art projects. I don't think I could be a teacher but I thoroughly enjoy my time in the classroom with J-Dawg.

{Fall / Thanksgiving Pumpkin Craft...

2009-10-14T13:12:00.002-06:00

This morning a few mom's from Jackson's school came over and we put together these super fun pumpkin centerpieces! They didn't take very long and I think they pack a punch for any dining room table. Happy Fall everyone and thanks to Buffye for the inspiration!

P.S. Gotta love those white faux pumpkins at Target! Go gettem' while they're hot!

{Fabulous Fall...

2009-10-12T14:46:00.002-06:00

I love fall and I love family photos... here's one of our latest. (Thanks TJ!)

{Recession... what recession?

2009-10-08T15:43:00.000-06:00

Sam must think that we are rolling in it because unfortunately the above picture would have been a better use of our "cash stash."

This week I watched Sam grab a dollar bill off of the counter in the kitchen and high tail it to the office. Out of curiosity I followed. He went straight over to the shredder and proceeded to shred the one dollar bill! All of the sudden I got a pit in my stomach and went over to the drawer in the office where I kept a little stash of cash for babysitters, little emergencies, etc... well it was gone. All of it, gone! I lifted the lid on the shredder and found tiny bits of green bills mixed in with shredded bank statements and the like. An hour and a half later, I can only estimate that between $150 and $300 lay shredded in this little bowl. I think I might puzzle piece it back together and give it to him for graduation!

{Color Run...

2009-10-01T20:22:00.002-06:00

As part of Sammy's birthday weekend, we drove up to the mountains to take in all of the fall colors. (I will never forget driving up to Vail to get Sam and just taking in all of my surroundings. How fun is it to have a birthday to celebrate during the prettiest time of the year?!) We stayed the night in Buena Vista and woke up for a fun family day of racing! My dad, Todd and Jackson all ran the 1 mile fun run and to my complete surprise Jackson kicked some serious trash! He placed third (not that anyone's counting at his age!) over all and was running with kids twice his age. I'm pretty sure that he ran a mile faster than I can run a mile... Mom ran the 5K and Julie B and I ran the 10K. It was so much fun, a definate repeat for next year!

{Not a baby anymore...

2009-09-25T13:26:00.001-06:00

Last Friday our little Sammy turned two! He seems like such a big boy now... He even blew out the candle on his cupcake all by himself. His vocabulary is growing by at least 10 words a day and now that he can communicate he thinks that he is the family boss! He worships the ground that Jackson walks on and wants to be just like his older brother. -no pressure, J but you've got to pick it up a notch! He loves to run and jump and scream at the top of his lungs. He is most definately ALL BOY! I love this little guy!

{Vinyl Halloween Craft Party continued...

2009-09-22T16:37:00.003-06:00

Here are the other two crafts as promised. I'm sorry this is cutting it close, my computer was out of commission all weekend... Considering a Mac (any thoughts on that?!) Anyway, hope you like these...

{Calling all Ghouls...

2009-09-17T11:31:00.005-06:00

Who's ready for a little Halloween fun? I know I am... I've been excited for Halloween since the middle of July! In honor of my very favorite holiday I am hosting a Halloween craft night over Conference weekend for all my lady friends! Sound fun? Here are the details:

Ghouls Night Out

October 3rd from 6:00 until we're done!

Get a sitter for the goblins and come enjoy a night of crafting fun. These are all very easy projects and can be completed that night. Just e-mail or call (tagan.hawker(at)gmail(dot)com or 540.5060) in your order and I will have the kits ready to go when you arrive.

*All orders need to be recieved by Monday September 28th.*

Please feel free to invite your mom, best friend or anyone you know that loves Halloween! We will munch on homemade cinnamon rolls and hot apple cider... I can't wait!

***I AM OFFICIALLY OUT OF ORANGE PLATES***

**Stay tuned for pumpkin kits and one more sign option. My computer is on the fritz and all my pictures are on my laptop**

{What the??? ... Sick!

2009-09-15T08:30:00.000-06:00

So I get home from my morning jog at around 6:45 this morning and I hear this super weird chirping noise and I'm like "What the..." So I go into the Living Room and see a hole in our ceiling! Then I look down and see what I think are rats just below the window. Sick! Okay, so they're not rats, but they are baby squirrels! In my house! Thank heavens Todd hadn't left for the gym yet. Sam came totting down the stairs and when he saw them said, "my doggies." Luckily Jackson didn't see them or we might have some new pets!

{Grays and Torreys...

2009-08-30T18:48:00.002-06:00

This weekend I invited myself on a scout trip with Todd and some of the Young Men in our ward. They had been planning to hike a 14er all summer and I figured I would tag along since I've lived in Colorado basically all of my life and I have yet to hike one! What a cool experience! We left the boys with Brent, Ann and Elaina on Friday night and drove up to the trail head just a little west of Denver. We slept under the stars and even though it was only 35 degrees, I was nice and toasty thanks to these bad boys. After years of FREEZING I took the plunge and made the investment. SO worth it! Anyway, we woke up at 5:00 and headed out. The weather was beautiful and even though I ended up hiking by myself nearly all day (Todd had to stay with the boys and try to convince them to keep going) I had a great time.

Here is a picture of the two peaks at about 6 a.m

Todd and I met up on the summit of Grays peak. Check out the views!

{Yellowstone...

2009-08-23T21:23:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago we drove up to Yellowstone National Park. Gorgeous! My parents say they took us when we were kids, but I don't remember it... The weather was perfectly cool (great for hiking) and the scenery just couldn't be prettier. Here are a few of my favorite shots from our getaway with Todd's family.

On our way up to Yellowstone, we stopped in Teton National forest and hiked Jenny Lake. 6 miles of pure bliss with 3 little kids! No, really is was beautiful.

Grand Prismatic Spring

These are just some pictures of the "stinkies." Can you believe those colors?

This was some of the wildlife we encountered...

...and THIS is what 14 hours in a car does to a 23 month old!

SO worth it!

{And the winner is...

2009-08-23T13:46:00.003-06:00

(You'd think that I would know by now that I can't record vertically!)

Rebecca, give me a call and I'll place your order for a plug-in and bar ASAP! Details for an open house coming soon!

{Scentsy...

2009-08-19T10:44:00.003-06:00

This is something I always swore I would NEVER do. I always felt obligated to go to a "home party" that a friend went to all the trouble to "host" and then ended up buying something that I didn't really want or even plan to use. Well, never say never! At the beginning of the summer I went to California for my grandfather's funeral and walked into my cousins house for a family dinner and her house smelled SO good! I LOVE a good smelling house and I love a candle that can put out a strong scent. Scentsy wickless candles do that (even the strongest Yankee, Gold Canyon, and Salt City candles don't compare, in my opinion)! The most economic way to go is to buy the bricks (which are comparable in price to a large candle) once you find a scent that you love. I don't plan to do a lot of home parties but I'm considering having an open house. Is anyone out there interested?

My two picks for Fall are; Cinnamon Cider and Spiced Orange Harvest (which is being discontinued, so get it while it's still around!)... Wow, delish!

Fall is in the air a little early at my house, like always! :)

(Love, love, love these plug-ins for bathrooms and kitchens. No wicks and no cords!

For the month of August all individual items are 10% off to make room for the new fall/winter catalog.

Here is my website if anyone is interested.
www.scentsy.com/tagan

LEAVE A COMMENT AND I'LL ENTER YOU INTO A DRAWING FOR A FREE PLUG-IN AND SCENTSY BAR!

{Ahhh! First Grade...

2009-08-17T16:06:00.002-06:00

J looked so big as he walked up to the elementary school this morning. With the start of school comes routine (and I crave routine!) but it's also so sad to see summer go. I started thinking "seriously, what am I going to do with myself now that Jackson is in school every day, all day?"

And of course, I came up with a list a mile long...

1. Catch up the blog on all of our fun summer adventures.
2. Box up the kids old clothes (not to mention my closet!).
3. Give the office a major organizational over haul.
4. Paint the breakfast nook table and chairs.
5. Hang lots and lots of hooks in the laundry room.
6. Exercise everyday.
7. Finish Sammy's baby scrapbook (and continue on from there!).
8. Make curtains for the downstairs.
9. Take guitar lessons.
10. Launch an etsy store...
11. Tackle my craft area, serious organization needed there!

etc... etc... etc...

The only problem is now I am Sammy's entertainment! He is such a handful.... so much fun, but definately a handful! Here is a sample of what our typical summer day consisted of!

Who am I kidding? I may as well just throw that list in the garbage and savor the time that I have with just him!

{Buttery summer in a bottle...

2009-06-18T08:33:00.003-06:00

Last week in Utah my mom made this coconut syrup to die for. So, this morning I decided to whip some up and holy smokes! Delicious... You have got to try this even if you're not a big fan of coconut. This recipe comes from sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Coconut Syrup
7-8 T. butter
¾ c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract
Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

These whole wheat blender pancakes are the companion recipe. They are pretty good too (and it makes me feel better having whole wheat waffles with the "out of control, I don't even want to know how many calories it has" syrup.)

Whole Wheat Blender Waffles
1 c. plus 1 Tb whole wheat berries
1 c. milk
2 eggs
4 Tb oil
2 Tb sugar (or honey)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Blend wheat berries and milk on high for 4-5 minutes, until batter is smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend on low for a minute, or until incorporated. Cook on hot waffle iron. (Stir batter before pouring into waffle iron, because the heavier wheat particles will settle at the bottom.)
Makes about 10 waffles.
(To make pancakes instead of waffles, use 1 c. wheat berries and 2 Tb oil.)

{Brothers...

2009-06-17T09:37:00.001-06:00

I fell in love with the trail behind Liz's house. It's paved and just so convenient! One night I took the boys up to the trail and we walked while I snapped a few pictures. I love watching them play together and I couldn't pass up this photo op!

{Family trip to Utah...

2009-06-17T09:31:00.001-06:00

We kicked off our summer break by scooting over to Utah for just over a week. Anna graduated from High School and my niece Miah was baptized! We stayed at Craig and Liz's home in Draper (thanks for putting us up even with all that you had going on!). We sewed bags, the kids played, we got Miah's ears pierced, and Jackson learned how to ride a bike without training wheels! Go J!
Towards the end of the week I was able to get together with a few of my old roommates from the Y. What a ball! It was like I was a freshman again. We stayed up until 4 in the morning talking and looking at old pictures just reminiscing. So, so much fun. I didn't take one single picture, so girls you'll have to pass some my way!

{Food, Friends and Spaahhh...

2009-06-17T00:12:00.011-06:00

A girl couldn't ask for anything more! I have such a fun, fun group of girlfriends... about two and a half years ago my sister-in-law and my friend Julie and I decided that we needed to branch out and meet new people. We really just wanted an excuse to get out of the house by ourselves one night a month, so we started a Bunco group. It was a struggle to get even 5 ladies to come. Since then, we kicked Bunco to the curb and turned it into a general "Ladies Night Out" {actually officially, T.L.C. The Ladies Club... yes, I know... ;) } You pair up with a buddy or two and host one night a year making it anything you want it to be. We have over 40 ladies who are on the "invite" list but anyone is welcome. It has been such a fun thing in my life! Well, last night was my night to host and I was super smart and paired up with the two ladies who own beauty schools and we did a spa night! All I had to do was bring the food... is that great or what? Cori was gracious enough to let us do it at the Paul Mitchell School here in town and both she and Julie donated a heck of a whole lot of product! Thanks gals...

Our services for the night included a wash house special provided by the PMTS future professionals. Lemon juice scrub followed by a Perrier rinse or a raw sugar scrub. We also paired up and gave each other a quick facial and pedicure. Good, good times.

Ashli's rejuvenating mask...

Kari and Wendy partnering up for a deep cleansing...

Tiffany painting someone's toenails...

Katie, just relaxing...

Julie Baer, who doesn't read my blog (so don't tell her that I have this picture posted or she might kill me!)

Cori... the Paul Mitchell rockstar!

Elaina, getting down and dirty with someone's toes...

B-Ridge soaking it all in...

{Great Sand Dunes Nat'l Park...

2009-06-01T22:57:00.001-06:00

We went to the Sand Dunes over the weekend and had a ball. It was a little bit of a drive for one night, but it's a definate repeat next year! Our family had never been to the Sand Dunes and this year some friends invited us to go with them. We had so much fun. The weather was great and the kids played hard! The mountain runoff goes right through the sand creating this super shallow crystal clear stream that the boys went crazy over. I guess it dries up in the middle of June so you've got to go earlier in the summer. We hiked a little ways up the Sand Dunes and tried to slide down but found out that it was a lot more fun to run down them. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of the kids playing around...

{Sammy dropped his smore in the pine needles...

{Jackson waiting to catch a wave on his sled??

{This little man is not complete without a truck in hand...

{The Day of the Bear...

2009-05-23T21:37:00.001-06:00

Okay, so it all started this morning when I went for my jog. I was running back behind Broadmoor Elementary jammin' out to my music, completely oblivious to the world around me. All of the sudden, I see two beady eyes glaring at me from behind a tree about 25 feet away. It was a mama bear with her cub! I stopped what I was doing and started to back away slowly when she took three big leaps right for me! Luckily I was near someone's home and rang their doorbell and they let me in until she passed. I was still shaking 2 hours later!

When I got home I told the boys all about my near death experience, hopped in the shower and Todd and I went to work in the garage rearranging, organizing etc... We decided to break for lunch at about 1:30. Todd finished before us so he went out in the garage to finish up and I hear him yell, "Hey you! Get out of here!" I thought someone was taking off with our lawnmower or something??! Then he yelled to us to come see the BEAR digging through our trash in the garage. She had two bear cubs with her and she wasn't at all worried that we were 5 feet away screaming and carrying on... Crazy! What are the chances?

...and this shot is just because!

{It's that time of year...

2009-05-21T15:35:00.003-06:00

Kindergarten graduation that it... It was Jackson's turn to walk the stage to get his Kindergarten Certificate. What a hoot! The Master of Ceremonies was Joe Cole from Fox 21. The kids sang songs, recieved thier certificates and we watched a short slideshow of the kids in action this year. Short and sweet. Afterwards we hit Red Robin to make the day official!

He is the class of 2021. It seems so far away but I'm sure it will be here before I know it (and well before I am ready!). This whole year was a learning experience for me. It was full of fun, frustration, and a whole lot of laughs.... little boys are just a different breed!

I can't wait to play with the boys all summer long. We've got lots to look forward to!

{Jammin' out!

2009-04-15T15:55:00.002-06:00

I have been making jam like a crazy woman the last couple of weeks. Alicia came over and we whipped out a ton of strawberry freezer jam. Yesterday a few friends got together to make it again because strawberries have been so cheap, but I opted out because I still had SO much jam in my freezer... or so I thought. I am down to 5 pints because it makes such a nice gift. So today I made a bunch of it and thought I would share Julie's recipe because it is fast and calls for 1/2 the sugar of the SureJell recipe. (It is a little thinner, tarter but just as delicious)

1 c pureed strawberries
3 c crushed strawberries
1 pkg gelatin
1 1/2 c sugar

Add the gelatin to 1 c pureed strawberries. In a large microwavable bowl, microwave on high for 1 minute, STIR, 2 minutes, STIR and then for 1 more minute. While the mixture is cooking, add 1 1/2 c sugar to the remaining 3 c crushed berries. Combine well and pour into prepared containers.

Viola... enjoy!

{"Fold your arms..."

2009-04-06T14:54:00.000-06:00

Sam has recently joined us in "folding his arms" for prayer before meals... I don't know where he learned how to fold his arms but it sure makes us smile!

{34 and hotter than EVER...

2009-04-02T10:57:00.002-06:00

Today is Todd's birthday and I was looking for something fun to put in his inbox... well, I found it! I thought I would pee my pants I was laughing so hard! There's something about a ripped Brent Hawker that just puts a smile on my face!

Watch out World...

2009-04-02T10:56:00.001-06:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

{My handsome 6 year old...

2009-03-22T21:03:00.005-06:00

I seriously can't believe J-Dawg is 6 years old! March 19th was the big day and this year we kept it pretty low key. We are (I am) still reeling from our trip to Disney World so we took treats to school, enjoyed a fun day with Semi Sam and Tanner, ate pizza for lunch AND dinner, and played with some fun new toys!

The last six years Jackson has completely turned our world upside down with his ever changing, hilarious personality. That's what we call him, "Mr. Personality." He is laughing and joking one minute and crying the next! I think we've hit puberty about 6 years too soon. The hormones are already raging inside his little body... Right now he is loving school (the social aspect of it at least). His teacher called him a social butterfly at our last parent/teacher conference and continued, "at this point he is much more interested in making friends than learning to read." -That's our boy! He is however, reading small books and absolutely LOVES to draw. He is quick as a whip and catches on to everything we say. He can shake it better than Shakira and has recently discovered a love for Karate (thanks Semi and Grammies).

That just about sums it up for our J. This week is Spring Break and we are looking forward to a week of absolutely nothing but playing around and having fun! How fun to have a birthday at the beginning of Spring Break!

...and just because, here's a recent pic of our handsome little 18 month old! (By the way today was his first "official" day in Nursery, we made it for about an hour before he had a complete melt down)

{sPring Projects...

2009-03-11T19:48:00.002-06:00

There's nothing that puts me in the mood for a project like being cooped up in the house. I start to go stir crazy sometime in the middle of January after all the craziness of Christmas subsides. Here are a few of my recent favorites...

We went to Utah over Thansgiving break and a trip to Utah isn't complete without going to the Quilted Bear. There are so many fun things there! One of my purchases that day was a Family Home Evening chart. There wasn't one that really matched the colors in my house, so I bought it with the idea that I would have to come up with my own version. I had it framed at Hobby Lobby (with my 40% off coupon of course) and I love it!

Over the last year and a half or so I have really fallen in love with sewing... I love the colors, the textures, the finished product, pretty much everything about it. You get a couple of good friends to come over with their machines for a "party" and it doesn't get much better. This is our version of the "Ultimate Sunday Bag". I found the pattern for the bag at a quilt show in Longmont last fall and made up a few for Christmas gifts. I finally got around to making one for myself and it is now complete with coordinating "I spy" bag, crayon roll and diaper/wipe storage.

{We're back and ALL our dreams came true!!!

2009-03-08T15:41:00.011-06:00

Well... we are back! What a crazy, fun adventure... Brent and Ann started talking about a Hawker family vacation last year and the place was going to be Disney World. Last week we packed our bags and all 20 of us (10 kids 7 years and younger) met up in Orlando, FL. We had a ball! Grandma and Grandpa bought us each a 6 day pass to the Magic Kindom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. We hit it hard each day we were there and I am wiped out! Here are a few pictures from our fun family vacation...

{Princess Aurora called Jackson her "Prince Charming" and he was completely embarassed}

Indiana Jones AND Star Wars in one day... Jackson was in little boy heaven!

The kids took naps when just couldn't keep their eyes open any more. I'm hoping Sammy sleeps for a week solid!

One of my very favorite things was going through the land portion of Epcot. How cool would it be to have a gorgeous, soil free spiral of herbs growing in my kitchen??? I've got to figure that one out! Epcot should come out with a mini version for home use. Hmmmm....

{Sammy sends his love too!

2009-02-13T15:44:00.001-07:00

{Kindergarten Valentine's...

2009-02-12T12:38:00.004-07:00

Jackson's class party is today so we finished up his Valentine's and we're off!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

{Meet the MoHAWKER's...

2009-01-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Alright, Tyler this is for you!

Todd begged Jackson for WEEKS to let him give him a mohawk... He finally wore him down (by promising 2 weeks worth of chocolate doughnuts) and here they are. Notice that BOTH boys got mohawks because when Jackson looked in the mirror after being clipped, he started bawling and the only way to console him was to give Sammy one too!

Now, of course, he loves it and thinks he looks like a "motorcycle dude"!

{Hawker Holiday Adventures...

2009-01-07T11:53:00.006-07:00

It's been awhile since my last post, so this is my attempt to catch you up on the comings and goings of our family over Christmas break!

Thanksgiving came late this year and I was busy making gifts (since September, really. I'll have to post a few pictures of what I was able to finish.) so our house was finally decorated about mid December. Christmas decorations are my favorite!

We went over to the Baer's for year 2 of homemade candy cane making... it's becoming one of my very favorite Christmas traditions.

I am one of the room mom's for Jackson's kindergarten class and this is one of the take homes that each child got in their goodie bag. I actually like the look of lifesavers better, but because we were making so many of them we opted for plain old Breath Savers (much more cost effective!). Here are the directions.

Christmas morning was a hoot. Sam was up at the crack of dawn and we couldn't contain him upstairs, so he went down and ripped into the goodies that Santa brought for him. Jackson finally rolled out of bed around 9:00 (it must have been a late night for him!) He was a little upset that Santa didn't bring him a real penguin, but appreciated the note Santa left behind telling why he didn't bring him a real penguin!

Christmas afternoon we met up with the Meiner's and the Atkinson's to spread a little Christmas cheer to some elderly people at a local nursing home. It was a riot! I'm grateful that hearing is one of the first senses to go because honestly we sounded pretty bad. It was sweet to talk with a few of them afterwards and hear their stories.

The day after Christmas we met my family in Keystone for a little snowy adventure (none of us really ski, so we were there for the shopping and tubing runs!). We found a killer sledding hill (litterally, killer. As we were pulling into the parking lot we saw a man break his collar bone at the very least). We got all of our gear on and braved the slopes. It was bitter cold and Sammy was not at all enjoying himself so after about 5 minutes he was back in the car with Aunt Kenz (thanks!). Todd figured out how to launch off of his tube and land on his feet, which totally scared me to death since our last encounter with tubes ended in back surgery! All in all it was probably my favorite Christmas memory... (check out the bottom right picture! Todd was at least 5 feet in the air!)

This was fun... we found a chocolate display in Keystone. Everything here is CHOCOLATE! It was a work of art! The tree alone is over 500 pounds of pure white chocolate.

My family came down to the Springs for New Year's. New Year's Eve was a total bust with most everyone in bed by 10:00 so New Year's day we woke up early and went to Sertich Ice Arena for a little family ice skating. That night we stayed up until well past midnight playing games, go figure!

{Which one?

2009-01-07T09:56:00.005-07:00

We are making scrabble tile pendants for the young women with the mutual theme for 2009 on them. We are planning to give them to each girl for New Beginnings next month and my assignment was to come up with the design... I started designing and just couldn't stop! Help me decide which one to have printed up...

(This is what a scrabble tile pendant looks like when it's all put together. Aren't they cute?) AND... for those interested in making one for yourself, here's a great tutorial!

{Career Day...

2008-12-16T12:48:00.002-07:00

This week is spirit week at CME and today was "Career Day." Jackson told me last week that he wanted to be an "army, jet flyer man" when he grew up so we made a little trip to Hobby Lobby! I was up until 12:30 sewing this little get-up for him and when he woke up this morning he was SO excited for school. I remember my mom staying up late sewing little costumes and picture day outfits (that weren't quite finished and when the photographer would re-position me I would get stuck with a pin!) for me. I woke up this morning thinking about her and being thankful for the sleepless nights that she had on my behalf! Speaking of my mom, it's her birthday today!

Happy Birthday Grammies...

{Merry Christmas... enjoy!

2008-12-05T15:28:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

{Thanksgiving weekend and my favorite soup recipe...

2008-12-03T14:17:00.005-07:00

We had a whopper of a Thanksgiving weekend!

We hopped in the car and made our way over to Utah for a Thanksgiving with both the Hawker's and the Berry's. Liz, Anna and I ran the Utah Food Bank 5K Thanksgiving morning and then we made our way over to the stake center to watch the guys play football. We met up with our families at Northampton House for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a packed house! Todd's dad owns a reception center in American Fork Utah and that is typically where we have Thanksgiving. This year there were over 120 people! I usually prefer a quiet little family gathering, but there is something to be said of making a salad, showing up and having the rest done!

We managed to get in a little Black Friday shopping (at our favorite Utah stores), and of course attended the blessings of Max (on Sat.) and Stella (on Sun.).

We are home safe and sound and now I'm dying to get my tree up, listen to carols and everything else that goes with it!

Todd playing in a turkey bowl on Thanksgiving Day.

Stella.

Max.

Here's one of my VERY favorite (and SO easy) soup recipes:

Tortellini, Sausage Soup

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
5 c beef stock
2 c Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 large or 2 small zucchini, sliced
1 large or 2 small carrots, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
½ c dry red wine
3 T Italian seasoning
8-10 oz. fresh cheese tortellini
Fresh parmesan cheese

Sauté sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling. Using a slotted spoon transfer sausage to a large bowl. Pour off all but 1 T drippings from Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic to DO and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Return sausage to DO. Add stock, tomatoes, sauce, zucchini, carrot, pepper, wine basil and Italian seasonings. Simmer until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender (8 minutes). Season soup to taste with S&P. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve.

{Pay it forward...

2008-11-18T09:59:00.009-07:00

There's just nothing like having a new family picture up on my wall to bring me a little joy... after Tina took our family shots, I was able to take a few pictures of some other families myself. The Olson's and the Baer's were so much fun to work with (let's face it, we live in Colorado and the surroundings couldn't be prettier and these families are gorgeous). Thanks guys!

Speaking of paying it forward, check out this website if you are even remotely interested in photography.

{Go Cougs!!

2008-11-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

I love football games... and this one was a total blast! There had to have been almost as many BYU fans as there were Air Force fans at the game. My family came down for the game, Todd saw one of his old mission buddies and we saw a ton of friends from different wards we've lived in all over the state! I'll never miss another BYU football game in Colorado.

{Hollywood Halloween...

2008-11-02T15:16:00.013-07:00

We had a ball at our annual couples Halloween party... The theme was Hollywood and everyone (I mean everyone) went all out! We had everything from a Sarah Palin look-a-like to Ozzy Osbourne to the paparazzi! Todd and I opted to go as Ike and Tina Turner and after a bottle of Revlon foundation we were well on our way! We ate dinner, talked, and played games but I think my favorite part of the evening was the "wig swap." I don't think Dan could look bad with any hair style!!! I'm already looking forward to next year's bash!

{Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T17:45:00.001-06:00

{Freezing our tail ends off...

2008-10-25T18:17:00.003-06:00

What a crazy Friday night! We had planned to go to Moab with a few families this weekend, but with the Primary Program being Sunday and our Trunk or Treat activity today we opted to stay a little closer to home. Well, never again... at least not in October! Moab is completely "do-able" in October because it's at least 20 degrees warmer there. We drove up to Woodland Park yesterday afternoon, set up camp and literally laid in our sleeping bags and FROZE all night long. We came prepared with hand warmers, a tent heater and enough layers to keep anyone toasty, but it was no where near enough. I don't usually consider myself a wimp, but I can't count the number of times that I almost got up, got the keys to the Tahoe and cranked up the heater! It was enjoyable to get out and do a little camping with some good friends and I did have a good time when the sun was shining... so Baer's and Ronco's until next year!

{Girls Trip...

2008-10-18T21:39:00.003-06:00

What a fun, fun weekend with some crazy fun girls! I think I've really only had a group of girlfriends like this one other time in my life (post college) and there were just 3 of us. I was talking to Julie (second from left) and if you would have asked us three years ago if we liked living in this part of Colorado Springs, I think we would have hesitated to say yes. We are surrounded by beauty, true. But we were sorely lacking in the girlfriend department! It seems like in just the last two years we have had some really fun, dynamic families move into our wards and neighborhoods. Thank heavens! I am such a social person, I just need good friends.

We started planning a 'girls trip' this summer and it went from the Oregon coast to Vegas, to San Diego and finally to Denver. It was perfect. Thanks to Dan and Julie we were completely pampered at the Aveda Institue and enjoyed facials, pedicures and hair cuts/color. We stayed at the Burnsley hotel in Denver (on the 13th floor). It was great, thanks Buffy! Leslie popped in for a quick hair cut and Alicia and Sara met us at Aveda Friday afternoon. That night Meghan and Valerie joined us. We went to Maggianos for dinner, the Secret Life of Bees (theater 13), and a rip roaring Haunted House (called the 13th floor haunted house). Notice the trend?? I am completely exhausted and trying to concentrate on a talk for church tomorrow but I had so much fun. Thanks girls (and grammies for taking the boys all weekend!) We missed those of you that couldn't make it but there's always next year!

{I'm an aunt, TWICE!

2008-10-14T11:29:00.002-06:00

Well October 13th turned out to be a super exciting day in our family! My brother called at 6:00a.m. to tell me that they had a baby boy earlier that morning! McKendra wasn't due for another week and a half but she went into labor and got to the hospital at midnight and delivered the little guy 3 hours later. Go Kenz! They haven't decided on a name yet, but he is absolutely precious!

Liz was on a waiting list to be induced (at the same hospital) and wasn't very hopeful because there weren't enough open beds to put her on the schedule. (I teased her and told her it was because McKendra took her bed!) Well, at 11:00 they told her they could fit her in and at 3:00 that afternoon she gave birth to little Stella Christine Hawker. What a happy day for our family. We feel so blessed that everyone is here and healthy! What I wouldn't give to hop on a plane to Utah to hold these sweet new babies! Congratulations to all!

Little "baby boy Berry" with his dad (my brother) on the day of his birth!

This is Stella Christine Hawker, also born yesterday with her sweet mama (Liz, my sister-in-law).

{So excited!...

2008-10-12T22:08:00.002-06:00

My good friend Tina was generous enough to spend an evening with the us to take some fall family pictures. I am more than thrilled with how they turned out. The fall colors are perfect and let's face it, when all four of us are looking at the camera it is a complete success! She has such a good eye for light and a never ending supply of ideas for different ways to set up a shot. Thank you, thank you Tina! I have a folder full of pictures on my computer that are being uploaded to Costco as we speak. I can't wait to get them in frames and on my walls! You're the best.

{Conference, Football and Pumpkins...

2008-10-12T21:38:00.003-06:00

I've been meaning to get these pictures up all week... We had such a fun weekend in Loveland. We have a tradition that includes going up to the Berry's house for Conference weekend each fall. We typically go to one of Tanner's games on Saturday morning and hit the pumpkin patch right afterwards. They boys (and me) pick out pumpkins and then we head home for a weekend full of inspiring talks. Here are a few snapshots...

Uncle Tanner and J after the game

Heading out to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin

{Loving all things OWL...

2008-10-01T16:42:00.007-06:00

There is something about owls that has me smiling this fall... here are a couple of project ideas and other fun things that I've been eyeing

This Owl Pillow might just end up on Sam's bed (well, crib)!

Sam is a little big for an Owl Onsie, but maybe a t-shirt will do?

Absolutely love these Owl Cupcakes!

If only Halloween were a year round holiday! Owl Nightlight

I might just have to make one of these in orange and black for Jackson's school Halloween party!!! Owl Pin

...and this Owl Necklace is a little creepy, but something is still drawing me to it!

{Happy October 1st Eve...

2008-09-30T12:49:00.003-06:00

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love fall! I love apples and cider and chili and hot chocolate and colorful leaves, EVERYTHING about it! Of course Halloween is included on that list. I like Halloween better than birthday's, anniversary's, and any other holiday! I love the colors and the pumpkins and the costumes. You name it and I love it! I got a little jump start on a few Halloween decorations thanks to Sam's birthday this year. My favorite and only new decoration comes from a website that I discovered about a year ago. It's right up my alley... everything handmade. It is fabulous for ideas and inspiration and for those "that is so cute but I can't take on one more project" moments when you just have to buy it! I ordered this sign from Homespun Raven's shop. She has other really cute Halloween signs, but this was by far my fave!

My mom is the RS President in her ward, and last week they did a mini "enrichment project" at her house. I was the grateful recipient of one of her "trick or treat" banners made from ribbon and paper. It is adorable and add's just a little more fall flair to my mantle! Thanks madre!

{Todd's big weekend...

2008-09-23T21:27:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Todd and a few buddies hiked four - fourteeners in one day! For a guy that's never hiked a fourteener before, I was pretty impressed. He said it was tough but very rewarding. They went up on Friday night and slept in the car (and outside on cots) so that they could start hiking early in the morning. They hiked Mt. Bross, Mt. Lincoln, Mt. Democrat, and Mt. Cameron. 6 hours and 20 minutes later they were thawing out and on their way home. I told Todd that I'm all in next year but we've got to start out earlier in the summer when it's a little warmer at fourteen thousand feet!