~Love Will Keep Us Together~

These two royal babies are making me smile this morning....

(Now if only you could see the three tries before when Alec was DENIED! Funny girl, that Lyssa Lou.)

I love it when my kids are sweet to each other. This trio is going up on my black and white kissing wall in my bedroom.

Photos courtesy of the amazing Alana Lange.

Looking at all the pretty pictures other people have been taking of my children has re-sparked my desire to pull out the camera again.

Perhaps more beautiful pictures of the royal babies taken by our kingdom's resident photographer will start donning this blog again...

~Don't Worry. I'm Chocolacated.~

I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to good high quality junk food, more specifically good chocolate. I love rich moist chocolate overload cakes, fudge chocolate brownie batter ice cream, Ghirardelli's chocolate squares of every non-fruity variety, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate gnache, dark chocolate M&Ms, Mrs. Cavanaughs chocolates, Lindt truffles chocolates, Stephen's Mint Chocolate hot cocoa, chocolate milk, Dove chocolates, chocolate pudding, double fudge chocolate brownies, chocolate mousse, Bliss chocolates, almost everything chocolate (except for cheap candy bars, tootsie rolls, and chocolate Coke... gross).

I crave chocolate. I can't go a day without it, and when I try to abstain from it I go through grouchy withdrawals. It's like my mind, my body, my life needs a little chocolate every day and without it I'm a basket case. Then again even with it I'm a basket case sometimes, but we all have those days right?

One of my major defenses for seasonal blues is chocolication. I'm not medicated (yet anyway) but during the Fall and Winter I am most certainly chocolacated on a daily basis.

I think my kids are addicted to junk food too. They crave it, they love it, and they beg for it regularly. Cookies, cakes, or chocolates can turn any unhappiness in our house into peaceful bliss. I try to be reasonable and limit the intake of such delicacies but sometimes there is now way around it, especially when thoughtful friends show up with dutch letters and sugar cookies all around. After a rough morning, how can I deprive my babies of special treats that made the long trek from Pella all the way to our door? They were happy as pie, and while they devoured their lovelies I found a way to sneak in a little piece of rich dark chocolate. Yes, it really must be an addiction.

Too bad I'm not addicted to something like running, or watermelon, or cucumbers, or ice water. All things that are healthier than chocolate, things that I even enjoy, but they just don't do what chocolate does for me.

I guess we all have our vices, don't we?

~Southern Italian Spaghetti Sauce~

Monday night was Nick's first day of class for his new school year, and I wanted to send him off in style. I thought about just grilling, but with my new kitchen almost completed I wanted to christened my stove with something truly fabulous. My sad looking tomato plants have been giving off a tomato or two every day so I already had all the ingredients I needed in my fridge. It was time to make Mama Shannon's

Southern Italian Spaghetti Sauce.

Ingredients:

8-10 tomatoes chopped

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 onion

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. fresh parsley

Ideally you start out with a sink full of garden fresh tomatoes, which you then proceed to wash and chop.

Then I move on to chopping my onion and garlic, which I saute in olive oil in the bottom of my biggest cooking pot.

Throw in the tomatoes on top...

And add salt, basil, and parsley. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, let this baby simmer for 3-5 hours. Your house will smell yummy.

(I usually leave the lid off and simmer for 3 hours. I'm impatient like that.)

About three hours later your sauce will look something divine like this.

(If you're an anti-chunk person then this may be the time you throw everything in the blender and puree the life out of it. Personally we like the chunks.)

Walla! Serve over spaghetti noodles with parmesan (if you have it in the house) a side of garlic bread, green beans, or a green salad.

(Growing up this meal was usually accompanied by grape juice, but milk works wonderfully too.)

Smiles all around give this meal a gold star for success...

(No "Hail To The Chef"s necessary at this meal!)

Finishing it all off with Hyvee's Triple Tiger Chocolate Cake certainly didn't hurt my popularity with this crowd either.

Happy Cooking!

~Our Engagement Anniversary~

It's anniversary time for the BYU crowds... you know, all the people who got married at the end of the summer right before the Fall semester started. Or all the people who wanted to get married between Summer and Fall semester. That time of year when the Salt Lake Temple has somewhere between 50 to 60 brides a day starting as early at 6 AM. My fellow BYU alumni should know exactly what I'm talking about.

(September 2004)

Well all this anniversary talk has got me thinking about my own marriage. This isn't our wedding anniversary time of year, but it is the anniversary of our engagement. You know, the anniversary of all the promises you don't intend to keep... then again most people probably take engagements well and don't make their husband-to-be sit and convince them that they will still be their own person even if they get married. Most people don't get engaged the night after they get back from a summer long life changing experience half way around the world, but whatever.

(The day after my roommate took this photo. Yes, the ring was way too big and barely fit on my middle finger.)

The night we got engaged Nick took me to play mini-golf (sadly one of my least favorite dating activities), then to dinner in an Italian restaurant (where I sat frozen and shivering under a blasting air conditioning vent) and then to the Provo River (ideal, as this was the place where Nick first told me he loved me). Nick even brought along strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar for dipping. Yum!

I was feeling a little jet lagged and emotional as it was, but when Nick got down on one knee to propose I really started to cry and they were not tears of joy. I was a basket case, and poor Nick had know clue what to do besides start making silly promises that he couldn't keep... like that we would dance together every night, that he would make me laugh every day, that I wouldn't have to change my last name, or that we could always go home to my parent's house for Christmas.

Some promises just don't get kept and that's the way it is.

Luck for us all the really important promises were made on our wedding day, and they have all been kept.

And really that is the way it should be.

(Our Wedding Day at the Jordan River Temple)

Nick may not have kept all his engagement promises, but he did come home from class last night with an extra cookie special for me.

And when I broke off half my fingernail and was writhing on the floor in pain (that's right... into the pink part... big ouch) he never laughed and he went and found me two bandaids. He even helped me wash and condition my mop of hair so I wouldn't have to use my maimed right hand.

Hey, if that isn't love I don't know what is...

(photo courtesy of Rosie)

~A Sight for Sore Eyes~

Who knew that something as simple as a kitchen sink and built in dishwasher could bring tears to my eyes! I seriously wanted to hug the guys who delivered and installed the countertops, and I was ready to smother Nick with kisses when he finished installing the sink. Oh, how I love my Nicholas!

Please excuse the mess. We were just finishing up this delightful breakfast....

I heart summer!

~Adventures in Utah 2009: Day 17 Videos~

Maybe someday when Nick is done building me a kitchen he will have time to put all these movies together in one show. For now this will have to do. Enjoy!

Fearless Lyssa on the slide.

Alec on the baby slide.

Not Alec's deepest jump... but believe me, there were probably 20 jumps before and after this one too. :-)

~Adventures in Utah 2009: Day 17~

Swimming swimming! Oh boy, do we love to go swimming! The babies enjoy the splash pools around town in Iowa, but they seem to almost do better in the big deeper swimming pools. Naturally we went to the Scera Pool a couple times with the family while in Utah, and Wednesday every one came! Every time we got the babies do better and better.

Alec loves to jump into the deep end of the pool. He goes all the way under the water and touches the bottom. He is almost always smiling when you pull him back up. He loves to be tossed across the pool, and knows how to climb out all by himself. We're trying to teach him how to float on his back, but so far he's not much of a fan. We'll get there soon I'm sure.

If you see a crocodile don't forget to SCREAM!

Flying across the pool... at a certain point Nick and Robert got so far apart and were throwing Alec so hard and so far that they actually got in trouble with the lifeguard. Alec was so disappointed when they had to stop.

Lyssa puts her face in the water, blows bubbles, and kicks with her legs. She holds onto the side of the pool like a champ, and is starting to learn how to reach her arms out while she kicks. It's pretty cute.

Who will be my next swimming helper?

Reach baby! Reach!

Other highlights:

Grandma Shannon ran and bought a baby life vest as soon as she found out babies weren't allowed on the big slides without one. The kids took turns going down the big swirly slide with Nick. Thanks Mom! They loved it!

Lyssa went down the baby slide into the water on her tummy , every time ending with her entire body completely under water. She would sit up an instantly say "Moe! Moe!" I seriously lost count after 30 turns. She was hilarious!

Playing 'Hot Baby' (like hot potato) in the pool. The babies loved bouncing through the water getting passed around the circle... that is they loved it until a little head accidentally came in contact with Alan's braces. :-)

Thanks Robert, Mike, Erin, Alan, Grandpa Steve and Grandma Shannon for going to the pool with us and making it so much fun!

Videos and pictures of they event courtesy of Auntie Erin.

~Adventures in Utah 2009: Day 16 Video~

Because this is where I document things like this...

What does a dinosaur say, Alec?

Very nice. Very nice.

~Adventures in Utah 2009: Day 16~

After a fabulous, sleep depriving holiday weekend with my circle of sisters, I returned to my parent's home in Orem and crashed. The babies arrived with Nick about an hour after I got back. As they walked up to the front door they both said "hi, mommy" and gave me hugs, but it wasn't a happy greeting. It was more like a "Ah ha! So this is where you've been for the last 4 days." They were pretty unhappy with me for leaving, and wouldn't let me get them drinks, tuck them in to bed, read them stories, or even kisses their booboos for four days straight. With a reaction like that I am left wondering if I should never leave my babies for that long again or if I should do it more often!

Tuesday everyone had caught up on sleep and we were up for an adventure so we headed off to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point! My sister and I marveled about all how kid friendly and well designed the place was for children of a wide variety of ages.

Saying hello to the paleontologists hard at work:

Reaction to large dinosaur skeletons over head:

Notice the giant T-rex behind Lyssa. She looked up at him, turned around and cheesed. Seriously no fear...

In response to the question "What does a dinosaur say?":

What they did in the big sand water tables with the dinosaur and palm tree toys...

Alec was convinced this was a four-wheeler. I love his imagination. Lately everything can be a four-wheeler, even the legs under the dinner table.

Reaction to a large shark head: Alec whines, while Lyssa squeals with delight.

Reaction to largest indoor sandbox ever full of dinosaur bones:

I highly recommend this attraction to all my dear friends that take their annual vacations out to Utah. The entire museum was awesome... worth every penny of Grandpa Steve's hard earned money. (Thanks Daddy! wink wink)

~Adventures in Utah 2009: Circle of Sisters Reunion~

I cut my trip to Idaho short, leaving Nick and my sweet babies in the loving arms of my in-laws. My minivan and I had a journey to make. I went down to St. George to spend four days with my dear friends that I went to Romania with five years ago.

My Dad calls these ladies my “band of sisters” similar to band of brothers (an HBO mini series). We didn’t necessarily go to battle together, but in a way we did. Essentially we went to Romania together to volunteer in an orphanage, loving, teaching, and caring for children with a wide range of disabilities. In the process we saw the best of each other and the worst of ourselves. We cried, we laughed, and we desperately tried to eat like kings. We all learned our own unique life changing lessons because as Marci puts it “Romania is never what you want it to be. Romania is what you needed it to be.” It was a refiners fire and we all came back bonded, ready to stand together through thick and thin.

I call these ladies my “middle friends”. They knew me not as Steve and Shannon’s daughter but not as Nick’s wife, Sister Parkinson, or Alec and Elyssa’s mommy. They knew me as pure, passionate, and complicated (never simple) Chrissy. They keep me grounded when I have those identity loss moments that so many stay at home mothers experience. These ladies are my sisters.

We also refer to ourselves as a “Circle of Sisters”. For some of us, we really are the only sisters we’ve ever had. For others we are an amazing addition of love to sisters we were raised knowing. We are ten unique, beautiful, intelligent, strong women who love the Lord and love each other. We cheer for one another through our triumphs and cry together through our trials and failures. In so many ways we are a family.

All 10 of us are scattered across the United States, living in tight budgets, but still found a way to come together for this one weekend. We shared our unique talents with each other. We retold birth stories, wedding stories, and gave advice to our bride to be! We shopped a little, ate a lot, and soaked up the sun by the side of a pool. We stayed up till 2 AM every night, and woke up with the first crying baby in the morning. We laughed, we cried, we shared favorite memories. It was all a little surreal, but thankfully I have pictures to prove it really did happen.

I love you all, my dear Circle of Sisters. Thanks for a fabulous weekend, but even more thanks for being a life long sister.

~My Big Eyed Beauty~

(A brief interruption from our Adventures in Utah saga)

Can you believe this big eyed beauty is a year and a half old?I can't.

I mean I guess I can, but it's hard to believe that she isn't really a baby anymore. She's a walking, talking, running, jumping, singing, whole foods eating, nursery going, potty sitting big girl these days! She'll always be my baby though. Until another baby comes along that's just the way it is (and no that was in no way meant to be an announcement of things to come any time soon).

I took Lyssa in for her 18 month check up the day after we got home and she weighed in at 23.7 lbs (35%), 32 1/2 inches (70%), with her usual a little head circumference measuring 18 1/8 (30%). She handled shots like a pro, crying, but being quickly and easily comforted. She even said "Doctor!" when our doctor came in the room. Responding to the question how are you doing she said "Happy!" wowing our pediatrician. (I give Alec lots of credit for Lyssa's early language skills. He's always trying to teach her new words, and with a brother like Alec talking to you all the time how can you not pick up the language?)

Lyssa flies like a superhero, loves pretty things like her little bracelet, and adores the color yellow. Mortimer and "cow" are still her favorite objects in the world, and she can name them both! She loves her Daddy more than anyone, and loves to pretend to fall asleep in the backseat on short drives (and when you call her on it she giggles with her eyes shut totally giving herself away). She eats just about anything and everything as long as she doesn't see you cut it up (apparently it offends her independent personality). She gives great hugs and blows the sweetest kisses around. I love my sweet little girl to bits and I'm so glad I get to be her Mommy.

Photography credits: The lovely Alana Lange

~Adventures In Utah 2009: Parkinson Family Photos~

A few months ago I e-mailed my dear friend, Mandy, requesting a list of her favorite photographers in Logan, Utah. Being the amazing friend she is, she e-mailed me back a list that very night and I began my search for the perfect photographer for our Parkinson Family Photos. There were many in the list who would fit my style but the bill was high. Then I found Alana. I loved her work from the moment I opened her blog. I browsed for hours at her website and blog, studying her work. The price was right, the work fantastic, and when I called she just happen to have her only openings on the nights we would be in town. It was meant to be... and once I met her in person I knew I chose the right woman! Quick, painless, professional but sassy in her own way, and very very talented! 350 photos and 45 minutes later she had caught all these beautiful moments... be prepared to see lots and lots of the Parkinson Family.

Sitting

Cluster

Grandma and Grandpa with all their grandchildren.

Nick & Chrissy Parkinson Family (yeah... our kids were by far the most difficult subjects of the day)

Shaun & Cami Parkinson Family

Lance & Heather Parkinson Family

The beautiful Nichelle Parkinson (who really is only 16 if you can believe it)

Stuart and Lael

Shaun and Cami

Nick and Chrissy

Lance and Heather

Little Prince Alec.... he was sure on one that evening...

Happy Shayden

My little princess, Elyssa Lael... isn't she adoreable!?

Sweet baby Kasyn

All four grandbabies with their own unique personalities...

I love this shot.... so cute!

But this one takes the cake... This is by far my very favorite shot. All four Parkinson Siblings together, laughing, showing their own personalities. I love everything about this photo. I love that Nichelle, being the only girl is wearing black while her brothers wear white. I love that Shaun has his cowboy hat, shirt, and belt buckle to boot. I love Lance's spiky hair, soul patch, and that if you look close you can see his transformers belt buckle. I love that in the color version you can see Nick wearing his white pinstriped dress shirt and grey pinstrip pants. I mostly just love how happy they all are together.

Thanks again, Alana for all your beautiful work. And thanks to all the Parkinson's for humoring me and posing for all these beautiful shots. We love you all.