Valentine's Day!

Night Out

This isn't from V-day but I had to post this cheesy grin from Becca when we went to Olive Garden.

Sunday Before
This was the week before V-day, but its a good thing I put Becca in this dress this week, cause she was sick on Valentines!

If you recall this is one of my old dresses, she was SO SO adorable in it!

I love the back of the dress with the big bow! It just screams girly!

Then later that night, we had Tevan (Tyson's brother) and our friend Andrew and Shauna over for dinner. Afterwards we decorated sugar cookies (which I might add were store bought dough and they were not very good nor did they keep their shape very well...I don't think I'll ever short cut making sugar cookies again!)
Andrew and Shauna

Tevan showing off his cookies...that he promptly ate.

Me and Tyson! Forever sweethearts.

Becca enjoyed eating the frosting...I don't blame her for not eating much of the cookie...my home made frosting was the best part.

V-Day weekend
So Valentine's weekend I wanted to make heart shaped Red Velvet with White Chocolate Chantilly Cream Whoopie pies, but I couldn't find a pan to do it in, so I made them in muffin tins. It was an unconventional shape, but they were still really really yummy!

On Saturday my flowers arrived. They were in a huge box!

And they were really really pretty. The lillies smelled amazing! Unfortunately they didn't last very long, but since the company guaranteed them for 7 days Tyson got his money back! SO they were free! Sweet!

By now, Becca was really sick, so we didn't do much of anything all day, so we got a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphey's and had a yummy dinner at home.

Valentine's Day!
Thumbuddy showed up over night and left us all sorts of goodies and Vanlentines!

Becca wasn't feeling very well, but she did like seeing all the fun stuff on the table when she got up.

Then since we have later church, I had time to make pink heart pancakes with Boysenberry syrup. Mmmmmmmm!

Becca put on her cute heart seater for the day and while we were home sick waiting for daddy she opened her valentine from Grandma Bowen! She couldn't wait to eat the lollipops!

Then after Tyson got home we opened presents (more on that to come).

Isn't he cute?

That night I made my red potatoes, broccoli and Tyson grilled some steaks that I seasoned. They were seriously good!

Oh yes, and we had new peach and apple sparkling cider from Martinelli's it was SO good!

Avatar!
On Monday one of our friends was so gracious to watch Becca (who was a little better but still snotty) so Tyson and I could go see Avatar in IMAX 3D!
Visually it was amazing! And the story was good too. It was a ton of fun!

My Present!
Yes folks, I now have a cell phone! Woot! It's just a need to use basis pre-paid but still! I am very excited!

I love my family so so so much! Despite sickness and flower frustrations it was a really really good weekend. Becca is the light of my life and I am so grateful to have her with us. Tyson is the most amazing man. He tries so hard to make me happy and keep me safe.

I hope you all had great V-days too!

February 16th

After an amazing weekend with my honey, even with a sick baby (pictures to come later), today there are just a few things I am reflecting on.

1) Today marks 5 years since my bad car accident.

There are so many things that I am happy that has happened since then, my daughter, our home, the fact that I can do most of the things I need to do with little to no pain.

But that 5 year mark makes me think of everything I have yet to accomplish in my life that I dream about. Here's to the next five years! Bring it on! ;)

2) Today I have officially lost 15.5 lbs. I'm really excited about this. I am doing it and doing it with real food in my real life! I haven't ever done that before, it's always been one diet or another. Now, I am just doing it! I'm excited!

So that's today in my life. ;)

Christmas Part 2!

Okay, so I know this post is GIGANTIC, but I wanted to just be finished with updating you on Christmas!

Lights in Naples
We went to see lights in Naples, a little harbor town down by Long Beach. Each year almost EVERY house is decorated, and majorly decorated. It was a lot of fun!

Me and my cutie!

Rebecca and her cousin Christian. They both LOVE trains!

Can you see how cool this house is?

The porch of this house was covered in trees! Even an upside down one!

The Christmas Frog, of course!

Our Happy Family! It was really fun!

Grandma with her grandkids!

The Bowen girls!

Christmas Eve!

Christmas Eve was a big day! But it was a lot of fun!

Becca in her apron that Grandma made her! Thanks Gamma! It's so cute!

Making Sugar Cookies! Yum!

Daddy helping Becca cut out a gingerbread man shape!

Grandma made traditional Danish rice pudding with raspberry sauce. It was so so yummy. We even played the hide an almond in one of the bowls game. Christian got the almond in his bowl and got the chocolate coin prize!

Then we decorated the cookies. Becca frosted an angel with white frosting.

Then decided to taste it.

I mixed some red and green frosting ot make a brown gingerbread man.

Pretty trees, bells, gingerbread men and angels. Mmmm.

Then we took cookies to our neighbors and went caroling. Christian and Becca were both so cute!

Merry Christmas!

Daddy and Mommy out singing.

Waiting at the door.

Then we came back and Gamma read us the Christmas story. We did a simplified version this year for Becca and Christian.

Becca and Mommy listening.

Then Becca and Christian opened their Christmas Eve gifts...new jammies!

After a quick change, we put out a plate of cookies for Santa, and some carrots for Rudolf.

Christmas Jammies!

I sure love my cousin!

Then Uncle Sean read us "The Night Before Christmas" and it was time for bed!

All the while there was the Elf on the Shelf watching over us all week.

The adults had some Wassel (that I made) to warm up and relax for the night before time for bed! It was such a great night!

Christmas Day!

The morning came much too soon. Wendy said she held Christian back for an hour until 6:30 and coming to get us! Becca wasn't quite ready to wake up, but once she saw Christian she was awake!

Santa sure treated us good this year!

This was what he left for Becca!

The Bowen family tradition is that the youngest gets to go down the stairs first, so we led Becca down to see!

She was still a little sleepy.

But she was sure excited about her colors and her Elmo!

And she LOVES her baby!

Grandma got her wish! Mint Chocolate Marshmallow Stephen's hot cocoa!

Becca was so cute with the bows!

I got a good haul of movies, books, and lots of other fun stuff! It was a really really nice morning. Breakfast was beyond yummy. We had scones with scone syrup, sausage egg and cheese caserole bacon, grapefruit, orange juice AND hot chocolate! (needless to say we weren't at all hungry until dinner!)

Christmas Dinner

My mom's birthday flowers were opening up really big and pretty!

Derek and his family came later in the afternoon and were there for dinner. This is Devin with Becca. She makes an awfully cute tom boy!

Merry Christmas to us!

Kai, Grandma, Jesse and Devin eating yummy ham, yams, home made rolls, peas and corn, salad, jello salad, funeral potatoes, and martinellis! It was all so so good!

Christian and Great Grandpa Ricilli!

Derek, Becca, Tyson and me...and Kai's fingers.

Me and my big sis. we may not always get along, but I do love her!

Becca the super sleuth. She was too cute in her new outfit and Christians hat playing with Papa's magnifying glass!

Seal Beach Pier

The next day we went down to the Seal Beach Pier and it was a lot of fun. Lots of fun things were going on. We saw someone catch a starfish! We also saw someone catch a little ray.

Even cooler there was a LARGE pod of dolphins fishing on the North side of the pier. I got a few shots where you could see more than one black blob in the water, but this was the best dorsal fin shot I got. They even jumped a few times (missed those!)

Me at Tyson at the pier. I love this place! It will always be home to me.

So that's most of it. Becca got really sick, so we barelly got out to Ridgecrest before we had to come back to Utah, and she was still fairly miserable so I forgot to take many pictures (like almost NONE!) But it was a really good trip, and we were thirlled to see everyone in Ridgecrest and meet our new nephew Heath!