Hello friends!

Hello friends! We made it! We're officially Utahns (again) for now.... The drive went well. We only had to stop a couple of times due to a screaming Mason, and Brooklyn timed her potty stops right in line with others. I was thankful for that! We drove as far as Laramie the first night and stayed in a really nice motel there. Then made it to the house around 5 yesterday. We're glad to be here and unloaded. Now to semi-unpack. That's today's project. Anywho...I have pics, but I need to upload them, etc. Then, I'll share! Thanks for everyone's help and all the good times! I miss everyone already!

Fare Thee Well...

Farewell, Iowa....This is probably my last blog from the plains of the Midwest... We're packing the truck tomorrow a.m. (probably around 9:30 if anyone wants to send their husbands over, we'd really appreciate it!) and then the burst of cleaning, check-out, a good night's sleep (we hope) and we're off. Off to new adventures, off to a "new" life. No more student complaints for us! More likely than not, we'll be wishing for simpler times :) hee hee just kidding! I'm so excited and I'm sure we'll love every minute of it! Iowa has been so good to us! Amazing ward(s), incredible friends, lots of good times; my list could go on and on. I think the best part about Iowa, for us, was how much we learned to be our own Family Unit. We love living around family, we love visiting and having cousins nearby; but, there is just something about only have the 3 (now 4) of you to rely on that makes the bond that much stronger. It will be so fun to be around family again, but I know that our "little" family will be stronger for having been away. We are really going to miss the many friends we made here, and I fully expect ALL of you to keep in touch!! If you have a blog, UPDATE IT!!! if you don't...you'd better email me once in a while, or better yet, CALL! We'll be keeping our IA cell numbers until we get settled, so if I have your email, you'll hear about it, and if I don't...well, send it my way. Anyway, back to the point...THANK YOU so much, everyone who has kept us sane over the last (almost) 3 years, THANK YOU to everyone who has befriended me and my kids, THANK YOU to everyone who commiserated with my husband and made him feel better about his test scores, homework, job-hunting, etc. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Feel free to come visit any time, and hopefully, we'll find excuses to all get together now and then. Fare Well, Iowa! We will miss you!

P.s. Happy Birthday to my blog...in two days, it will turn One-year-old....CRAZY!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

It's the big day! Well, Jon wouldn't think so, but I do. I love to make a big deal about birthdays. It's not Jon's favorite trait of mine, but he deals with it. Brooklyn chose her own gift for Daddy this year. She wanted to get him a puzzle so I let her choose. Then I "subtly" tell her that she and Daddy can do it together :). I'm sure Jon will love that! He actually won't mind. He loves to spend time with Brooklyn and now that he doesn't have school constantly on his mind (just the bar, that's a whole different story), he plays and plays with the kids. Anyway, back to the birthday...I got him a dang good gift this year, if I do say so myself. He's going to be spending some time with the pro at a course in UT! I was way excited to give it to him and I can't wait for him to use it! Just for him, I tried to make his favorite treat. He wanted Coconut Cream Pie, and I've never made a pie before. Needless to say, I was a LITTLE nervous. But, I sucked it up and got to work. My pie crust went ok...it didn't look very cute but tasted ok. Then came the actual pie part. Let's just say it looked good... I thought I'd done such a good job. Then Jon took a slice. My short-lived triumph was over. He took a slice and suddenly you couldn't tell that he had even taken one. It was so runny! We couldn't even pretend it was a custard. I told him to throw it in a bowl and pretend it was bad pudding. I'm so sad! I thought I would be such a good wife to make his special treat. I think I'll stick with cakes and leave the pies to Jon. Oh well...at least I tried. Happy Birthday, Babe! I hope it was a good one (even though the birthday treat STUNK!!).

Check this collage out clockwise from the picture top, left. Considering that picture #1, the captions correspond below...

The center picture is of the completed pie, before singing and cutting...Looks impressive, eh. Yeah well, looks CAN be deceiving!

1. The pie crust pre-bake. So far, so good.

2. Baking with Pennies....I don't have "baking beads"

3. All baked. Looks ok, nothing special.

4. Beginning the filling...again, so far so good...

5. More filling, successfully separated eggs..

6. Simmering filling, although things seem to be going well, this is where we think it all went awry.

7. Filled pie shell, no overflows, that's good. Still seems to be ok...

8. Blowing out the candle...we couldn't NOT do it, Brooklyn was very concerned that Daddy got a candle. And she wanted to know why he only got one? I didn't have the heart to explain that we didn't have enough for the true number...

9. More candle blowing. Doesn't Mason look thrilled?

10. The "piece" of pie... p.a.t.h.e.t.i.c

11. The pie after the first "piece" was "served"

12. The pie after three attempts of "pieces" were "served"

I told you it was bad...I guess, at least I tried, right??

Happy Birthday, Jon!

moving on...

Well, we had a successful weekend, a fantastic party, and lots of good times. Now, we're alone once again and I have no more excuses to put off packing. (ugh). We pack a little everday due to Jon's Review Sessions. Unfortunately, he is MUCH better at packing than me and that's enough to put me off from doing it while he's gone. I packed two boxes yesterday and was incredibly proud of myself. Yes, I am aware: that is pretty pathetic. Someday, I'm going to pay someone to do this crap for me. I'm really sad to leave Des Moines, but wishing at the same time that it was all over and done with. I'm also trying not to think about how we'll rent for a little longer then have to pack everything up again to settle in a HOUSE (I hope sooner rather than later). If I could live in my own little ideal world, we would have a job lined up, money in the bank, and a house to move right into from Des Moines. {Sigh} If only.... Patience is a virtue I struggle with. It'll come, though...I know it. Now, we are focusing on getting things together for the big drive. Brooklyn's playing with her little friends a little everday and it's hard to believe it's the last moments for her to do so. I don't know what we would've done without them. Moving on:

Brooklyn is loving her bike. She's getting better and better at pedaling, although she still likes to be a little lazy. Mason is more than willing to push her, though, so it's all good. Last night she got her first bike injury. Her foot slipped off the pedal and scraped her ankle. It did look painful (as she says, "Mom is Steaming!!!"), but she was carrying on as if it were broken. Silly girl. Fortunately, she hasn't paid it much mind today, but then, I haven't tried to take the bandaid off, either. Oh, bathtime will be a joy...

I'll try to keep everyone updated as we pull things together. We have a few more days in the old DS of M and I'm hoping to have an opportunity to see as many of our dear friends as possible. One thing is for certain, though. We'll always have the memories of all the good times!

Happy Birthday!

Four Years. Four years have passed since I first became a mom. Four years ago today, I was in the hospital, my mind whirling with the Huge responsibilty that weighed 8 lbs and was 21 inches long. (I don't have any newborn pics b/c we didn't go digital until she was 1 and all my photo albums are packed.) She stayed with me that first night and then was taken to the NICU the next day. I went home the day before she did, and that was the hardest thing I have ever done. That day, four years ago, she didn't have a name. We called her Baby and Baby Girl. Since we didn't know until that day that she was a girl; it sufficed. Three days later, she became Brooklyn. My Brooklyn. I cannot believe how much she has changed. She has changed and yet she is still the same. Always sweet and smiley. An excellent sleeper. Very Sensitive to emotions around her. Loved. We love her SO much! I can't believe she's four.

October 2005
May 19, 2008
Her big gift this year was a bike. She was so excited that she was speechless. That's saying something for my Brooklyn. She rode it all day, and almost has the hang of pedeling. We'll get it. Soon, I won't be able to keep her in the house.
Her Birthday cake today. Yes. My handwriting is really that bad.
We went on a mini-road-trip to Clark Tower in Winterset. It was awesome, and I am SO glad that my father-in-law was brave enough to drive down the path (I was afraid we would get in trouble).
Her bike helmet. I'm not sure if it fits right. We never had one!
Can you say, "Spoiled??!!"
The candles. She is so precious to us. My four-year-old. I wish I could tell her how much I love her. Especially on the days when I am so impatient. She is the Sunshine in my life. One of her loving hugs can make any hard moment better. We are so blessed to have her. Happy Birthday, Baby! We love you!!

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!

WE MADE IT!!!! Here's a quick recap of Saturday night's Festivities. I have more pics. They'll come later. This post is all for JON!

Waiting....waiting.....

The class coming in. If you look close, they're marching above the flags (around the top of the stadium).
There he is!!
There he goes!!! "Jonathan Hibshman" (imagine us clapping and me, "woohoo!")
Seated after the presentation
Introducing; Jonathan Hibshman, J.D. !!!
The "boys". We all survived!
The graduate. Doesn't he look HOT??!!!
The kids. I think they were mostly glad that it was over and we could go home and go to bed....ok, maybe not the bed part. :)

Ahh...it's so good to be done! I'm so proud of Jon and all that he has accomplished. He worked so hard and he deserves everything that is going to come now. Today he was right back to the school for Bar Review, but I know this is the last step. We just have to take it and we'll be done! WOohoo!. Congrats, Babe, we are SOOOOO proud of you!

tricky

My sis-in-law showed us this the other night. We love nintendo, and it's a*w*e*s*o*m*e! Check it out, if you're bored!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbfSkm66I5o

promised picture post

WARNING: this is a long one. Scroll at your own risk!



So, here's all the pics that I promised. Enjoy!

The "pacha" fire. Tricky, eh?
Yes, we need a haircut!

More "Pacha" fire
We {Heart} the playground!
Especially the slide!
Cute hat, eh? Too bad he won't leave it on...
The boys' haircuts...Can you tell which is Jon's and which is Mason's? This is why we think Mason really does look more like my family.

New 'do
Ah, Mother's Day...Breakfast!
...Dinner
...Dessert! I have the BEST hubby EVER!
Buddies!

The three Crazies. We are sure gonna miss these guys!
The Mother's Day Roses [sigh], I love roses!
B flying her new kite! It's amazing how much better kites work when they cost more than a $1...Thanks Hallie!
Do you think she's having a good time?
The Red one and the greenery is Brooklyn's first flower from a boy! We love it!

a short pause before the whirlwind

Ok, so I do have pics I could post, but I'm the wrong computer for that. Sorry. You'll just have to use your imaginations :). It's been a good couple of weeks. Since Jon took his last final ever!!! a week ago, we've been LOVING having him around. Today he deep cleaned 90% of my house while I watched kids play and chatted with my friend. Then I cashed in on my Mother's Day gift and got a massage. What a great day, huh? I have the bestest hubby ever! It was heavenly. I've never had a massage before but I definitely wouldn't waste any time getting another one! Yesterday was divine as well! I woke up to kids being taken care of by their Daddy and him making breakfast for me. I got up and was told I wasn't supposed to be out of bed yet. So, I went back. Who am I to argue, right? They brought me breakfast in bed and it was YUMMY! Jon is quite the chef and I love that he takes over dinner (and breakfast) when he has the time! (sorry for all the !!!, I'll try to cut back...) So, I had breakfast in bed, then we had steaks, potatoes and asparagus for dinner, and he made me a pumpkin pie. Just for me! What a gem! It was great. -- Funny story: while we were hanging out waiting for church, Jon and I were in the back bedroom and Brooklyn and Mason were in theirs (I think). Mason waddled back by us and suddenly Brooklyn started sobbing, crying. He waddled back her direction and Brooklyn immediately says to him, "Mason, I didn't want you to leave me here all alone and you did!" All the while sobbing. All Jon and I could do was shake our heads. Within 5 minutes she was over it and they played together all morning. She's nuts, I tell you. Nuts. -- It was a good day all in all. We've been enjoying the "warmer" weather and all the sunshine. I say "warmer" b/c it's a little chilly, but not enough to chase us indoors. We love it! Mason isn't very good at leaving his hat on. We really, really need to work on that. He now is fascinated with Elmo (or "melmo" as he calls it). I love it, he cracks me up. He's so cute, he'll bring me Elmo DVD's nonstop (ok, that gets a little old fast...but still...), and if the t.v. happens to be off, Mason turns it on. For no reason at all; he just wants it ON! Crazy kid. Hmmm...what else was I going to blog about....Family is going to start trickling in tomorrow or the next day, so things should really be getting exciting (please sense the sarcasm here). It's gonna be great to see everyone, but I never know how to entertain them and worry that they're bored, etc. Of course, since it's grandmas and grandpas, they're "content to sit and be with us" but I really feel that that isn't enough...it always seems to work out. I'm sure it will again. It's going to be great and we can't wait! There was more...I can't think of it, so maybe tomorrow I'll put up some pics we've been taking. I have a bunch of Mason on the slide. He loves to slide! and Brooklyn playing in the dirt. She's been watching Emperor's New Groove (which I think we can officially quote word-for-word now..) so she spent one day trying to start a fire the way Pacha does... Good times. Good times. Happy Tuesday all!

the princess party

Photobucket Album

***Ok, people. Sorry to have this GIGANTIC pic on my blog! I tried to do cute little slideshows that are MUCH more pleasant to look at with no success! So, if you commented previously, Thank you! and feel free to not comment on this one (or comment again..I love it!).***

Well, here we are. One birthday party later :). We all survived and it was Successful! Woohoo! Praise be! It was really fun! I'll be the first to admit, being in charge of 8 4-year-olds stressed me out just a little, but thanks to my dear hubby and great friend, Erica, all went well. We "colored" (this lasted about two seconds and I was planning it to go more like 15 minutes), played with balloons, read a story and danced like prince/princesses, played bingo, danced around with wands, pinned the crown on the princess (again, this didn't go so well), played simon says (slightly more complicated than expected why does everyone want a turn at the same time? Oh that's right. They're 4!), ate cake, opened presents, then popped balloons to know which prize bag was yours. All in all, a good time! I'm glad it's over. I'm glad Brooklyn had fun. I'm glad I get to wait an entire year before attempting it again! When I asked Brooklyn what her favorite part was she said, "All of it, mom. My favorite part was all of it." That made me feel good at least! So, THANK YOU, everyone, for coming! And, Happy Pre-Birthday, Brooklyn!

yummy

I've made this recipe a couple times now, and get rave reviews. The next time I make it, I think I'm going to find a devil's food cake recipe from scratch. It's great the way it is, but I think it could be better that way. Also, I learned on this go-round..., don't refrigerate the chocolate for more than an hour. It gets a little too heavy and sinks to the bottom of the cupcake (instead of staying in the middle). Any Whoo....enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes (by Betty Crocker)
Prep: 30 min. Start to Finish: 2 hrs. Yield 18 cupcakes
1/2 c whipping cream
1 c semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1 box devil's food cake mix
1 c water
1/3 c vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 container chocolate frosting (i just made some from scratch)

1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium-high heat until hot but not boiling. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and mixture is smooth. Refrigerate about 1 hour stirring occasionally, until thick.
2. Heat oven to 350 deg. F (325 for dark or nonstick pans). Spray 18 lg. muffin cups, 2 3/4 x 1 1/4 in, with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on med. speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl constantly. Place 1/4 cup batter in each muffin cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon cold chocolate mixture on top of batter in center of each cup.
3. Bake 18 to 22 min. or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 1 minute. Carefully remove from pan; place on cooking parchment paper. Cool 10 minutes. Frost with choc. frosting. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar; garnish with strawberry slices. Serve warm.

Just for the record, I love watching these babies bake. I think it's so FUN to watch the chocolate sink into the cupcake. I know, I know, simple minds...simple pleasures. I've come to terms :) enjoy!

linus

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, our lives have been really boring. Nothing at all exciting to blog about. However, this is all about to change! Within the next month or so, TONZ of stuff is gonna happen. This could mean 1 of 2 things. 1) I have LOTS to blog about and many pics to post; or 2) I'll be incredibly busy and you won't hear about any of it! We'll hope for #1, but I'm not making any promises! Between Brooklyn's birthday party (which I'm determined won't be a dud this year!), family coming, graduation, actual birthdays, moving and saying good-bye, there is a good chance the old blog will take the back burner. I'll try my hardest not to let that happen, though. So, in an attempt to take a step in the "right" direction, I have some pictures to share!
I've said before that Mason is a bit of a "Linus". You know the kid on Charlie Brown who always has his blanket...? Well, this trait has suddenly become dominant again. He carries a blanket (sometimes two) with him almost all the time. I've had to get out the lighter, smaller blankets so he'll stop tripping over them! It's so cute! It doesn't matter which blanket it is. He just wants one. Friday he would NOT go into Target without the darn thing and he never once let go of it! It's a little strange for me. Brooklyn was never necessarily attached to one thing all the time. She had her binky, but even that she wasn't insistant on having. So, here's our little Linus. It's So cute!

He is all boy, too. We bought a box of diapers and before we even made it out of the store, he was trying to climb on it. Jon put it on the floor while he put the cart away and Mason tried to tip it on its side so he could climb up. As SOON as we got home, this is where he was:
And...any time the camera comes out, Brooklyn MUST cheese. She's also fascinated with taking pictures lately. I should really look into getting her her own camera.
Lastly, naptime. Yesterday, Mason fell asleep with his book over his head. Who needs a sleep mask when you have a peek-a-boo book?