Monkey Madness....

Delwyn and Lachelle celebrated their 10th Anniversary this week and so their four monkeys came to stay with Matt and I over night. I got a cast iron pizza stone for Christmas and was anxious to try it out. I found a pizza dough recipe in my Skookie cook book and thought it might be fun for the kids to make their own pizzas. (Makes a great family home evening activity by the way. Matt and I love it.)

I couldn't tell which Geran enjoyed the most eating the ingredients or making the pizza.

Dillion isn't sure why Aunt Alice has turned into a camera freak!

I think Braiden enjoyed the pizza making the best! But how could he not we had such a selection of pizza toppings!

And sweet Adaira and her perfect pizza crust! I was really impressed with how well her crust turned out... and a little jealous. My crust struggled...but it helps when you follow the recipe just so ya know. Yup another cooking blunder but if I keep practicing maybe some day I can cook with fewer problems. There's so much I want to learn about cooking... Perhaps I should start with healthier cooking this year.

Brandee and Reed had been looking at houses in Farmington and were on their way home and stopped because their Monkeys wanted to see us too. So here it is the Monkey Madness.

For cousins who don't see each other too often they get along really well. But this is a guilty tell all picture. I love Dillion and Adaira's faces!


I felt bad I asked Delwyn to bring the kids snow clothes so we could maybe go sledding. The poor children probably asked me ten times when they could go. We didn't go anywhere because the snow was really hard and crusty. So the kids sledded down the little hill Matt built off the back steps where he'd piled the snow from the patio. They had a ball for a few minutes till they got cold and we headed inside for some hot chocolate. The short span made me not feel as bad about not packing them up and taking them up the canyon.

Adaria tried to pull Geran up the hill and then they would slide down together. She needed a little help to get him to the top but she's a strong little girl.

She's so photogenic and beautiful! Thank heavens Delwyn married Lachelle his children might be hopeless without her...j/k.

Not being outside for very long made us a little stir crazy. After a movie, two board games, and a card game we were running out of things to do. I grabbed my craft box and dumped the contents I thought the children would enjoy on the table just as Delwyn and Lachelle pulled in to the drive way so the kids got to play with them for a minute while we chatted. They came up with some really creative stuff. What talented kids they are.

Dillion hard at work. Check out his concentration face.

Adaira's creative juices were definately flowing quickly as you can see it didn't take her long to build several things. And you'll notice Delwyn's creative contribution...Lee's doughnuts. They're the best!

Braiden and Geran weren't as intrigued with the craft stuff as the other two were so they played with a giant yoga ball in the living room. Braiden was the most stir crazy I think as you can see by his giggle.

All I have to say about this picture is I know he ate well! I didn't realize how dirty his face was until I was looking at these pictures today.

This was Dillions creation.

And Adaira's... I didn't get good pictures of her's or Braidens.

Kids say the darndest things. If you ever want to know random facts about a family spend a day with the children.

I gave the kids hot chocolate with their breakfast (what fun is it going to your Aunt's house if she doesn't shake stuff up, right?) After asking for marshmallows to put in her hot chocolate she told me she liked it better without having to "dodge all the marshmallows."

Or at lunch when I told the children they were being spoiled because they had hot chocolate and popcorn during a movie shortly before. Dillion asked what spoiled meant and Adaira explained that it meant "you got more things that other people didn't" or things you usually don't get.

Oh they made me laugh and we had a good time. And unfortunately Delwyn and Lachelle your four children did not convince Matt or I that we didn't want children but nice try.

Each time they drank hot chocolate they would sing, "...we only have one rule. Never ever let it cool." It took me a couple times of them singing it before I realized it was one of the songs from Polar Express.