Science Fair...

We spent most of January working on Jackson's 5th grade science fair project. His question was "Does color affect taste", and we made 6 batches of gummy candy so he could test his subjects. Some batches were clear, some were colored with a matching flavor, and some were random colors with the flavors. We bought 15 different flavor oils, and some were a little strange to make into gummy candy: butterscotch, eggnog, and pistachio to name a few. It was a fun experiment to do because people were very thrown off by the colors, or they assumed certain flavors because of the color.

 

Jackson ended up qualifying to go to the district competition which he was really hoping for. From there, he had to be interviewed by judges at the district level. He was very reluctant to practice or revise anything about his presentation, and consequently, he didn't move on to state. That was a little upsetting for him, but I hope it was a good lesson that you have to really work at something you want! Needless to say, if I never see any of these gummy candies again I'd be ok! We used almost 20 lbs of sugar! I just couldn't figure out how to make smaller batches without making the flavor too strong because I only used 1/8 of a tsp as it was for a full batch. We ended up putting the gummies into a plastic Lego container as a dessert for our Cub Scout Blue and Gold dinner that had a Lego theme. I know several people at them, but it still only made a dent in pile!

Valentines Day!

Blaze is obsessed with Ninja Turtles lately, and I love it because it makes me think of when my brothers were in love with them! I was pretty proud of my creation and being able to make Blaze so happy. I hate crafts, especially Valentine boxes!

We had pizza, as per our Valentine tradition. What was different this year, is they wanted homemade pizza instead of Papa Johns. Fun for me! We made pepperoni, Hawaiian, and barbeque basil and veggie pizza.

I was pretty worn out after spending the day at Snowbird and then getting ready for the "holiday"! I was in charge of Paul and Alanna's class party, and it was lots of fun and lots of work!

Alanna got this cool cake pan that makes tiered cakes, so I made one for each of the kids and let them decorate it. It was a hit, of course!

James got me a swim/snorkeling pass for the crater in Midway. I got him something that he loves...best Valentine present ever!

Jazz Game!

Caleb was not able to use his Jazz tickets the night before his birthday. He was in a better place (Shanghai), but not with family. James hadn't ever been to an NBA game, so we used the tickets and will give Caleb some of our REAL tickets. It was so fun to eat at the Cheesecake Factory and City Creek, and then walk on over to the Energy Solutions Arena all without kids! We thought our seats were pretty great and had a clear view of the court. I texted Caleb some pictures during the game so he could be "jealous" while he was chowing down on authentic Chinese food in his fancy Marriot Hotel in Shanghai! The first time the Kings scored, I said "Yes!". The guy next to us who was very into the game and very vocal looked at me like I was a leper! I told him I grew up in Sac, so I'm kind of divided but had made a bet with James and was rooting for the Kings. He said he may have to scoot over, but it was all in good fun. Listening to him made the game more exciting. I lost the bet, so I had to make James Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo for dinner the next night. And I missed out on a massage...actually he gave me one anyway. It still would have been fun for the Kings to win!

Caleb's Birthday!

Caleb spent his 30th birthday on a business trip in Shanghai! So we had to celebrate his birthday early, and what better day than the Super Bowl Sunday! I used the Belgian dipping chocolates that Andrea gave me for Christmas. They taste so good and are so easy to dip with that I don't think I can ever use chocolate chips again! We had SO much food! Lauren made some ham and cheese sliders, Luke and Andrea brought nan bread and some Chicken Curry, and we all brought tons of appetizers!

 Max and Cache are going through a phase of shoe envy. They must try on every body's shoes, and they fight over them. Max was so proud of himself for getting Alanna's sequin shoes which were a much coveted item that evening. Kind of like the Red Ruby Slippers in the Wizard of Oz I think!

Cache finally got one of the sequin shoes for himself!

Jackson was pretty creative with his gift for Caleb. We are a divided family since James and I are BYU alumni, and Caleb and Luke are University of Utah alumni. Jackson loves BYU though, so he had to rub it in and drew the U logo all over a roll of toilet paper for Caleb...so he wipe his butt on the U he said! It was pretty funny, especially since I hadn't seen him working on it earlier.

And stinker Paul gave Caleb a jar of some chocolate peanut butter coconut spread that has been passed around the family for months. It sounds like it should be good, but it's disgusting. My mom's co-worker brought it back for her from HI, and she didn't care for it. I saw it in her fridge with a note on it that said "For Sarah", but after tasting it I didn't want it! But my dad brought it down to our house, and after being untouched for a month, it has found a new home with Caleb. Lucky guy!

Beauty and the Beast!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of our fun double date with Luke and Andrea. We gave them tickets to see Beauty and the Beast at Kingsbury hall, and we already had tickets since we are season ticket holders. It was pretty amazing! I loved the special effects of the beast turning into the Prince especially. The characters were hilarious, and I think Lumiere was a huge hit with the audience. This is one musical that I could see over and over again. Next time I will have to take Alanna, she would absolutely love the singing and dancing. Before we saw the play, Luke introduced us to a restaurant downtown called Koko Kitchen. He had been there with some collegues from work, and were up for trying it because they have sushi and Asian cuisine. We were not disappointed. 

Winter Weekends...

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We have spent about every Saturday up at Snowbird with the kids. Snowbird is the best! They have a "Magic Carpet" that carries learners to the top of the small hill and it's free. Chicadee is inexpensive and offers a much longer and steeper bunny hill. Jackson, Paul, and Blaze are on snowboards, and Alanna is on skis. Jackson and Paul have the skills to ride on real lifts now, and Blaze is doing a great job staying up all the way down the bunny hill. Alanna quickly picked up skiing, and riding the Chickadee lift. At first, she would not get on the lift for anything, so James spent a day of hiking up the mountain with Alanna's gear! Then the next Saturday she decided she was going to ride the lift, and after a couple of runs she told James she didn't even need him and wanted to ride alone!

 

I decided that I really need to learn to ski so I can keep up with my kids, but I just haven't had the time for lessons this year. We've had an unusual winter without much snow, so I think our ski days are numbered. At least I finally got cute new ski pants and a new jacket from the end of year sales! I'll be ready to go for next year if I don't get the chance for lessons this year. I have loved all of the sunshine in the beautiful mountains