April is almost over?!?

Where did the last month go?

We took a trip to Logan, for my cousin Brad's wedding. It is always fun to get together with the Daines extended family.

I had a great birthday, doing just what I wanted to do - reading most of the day, shopping at Costco, and going out for a raw food feast.

William was trying to set a new personal best for how many stairs he could jump down - 6. He broke his foot on that attempt, the first metatarsal with a possible fracture of the second. It's been five days since the accident, and he's running at almost full speed again. I love how fast kids heal!

DJ and Gwennie got new bikes. DJ had a bit of a learning curve, now without training wheels, but he's doing great now. He begs to ride to Church every week.

Gwennie had one successful ride around the block on her bike the first week she had it and hasn't gotten out of the driveway since.

I got a new computer, as my old one died after 6 good years of service.

Amanda has started cruising on the furniture, and signing. She eats everything she can find on the floor and everything William gives her. She even tried to eat drywall joint compound yesterday.

The wallpaper is off of the kitchen walls! Hopefully we'll have some new paint up soon.

I have a new calling as the Cub Scout Committee Chairman. It was a lot of meetings the first month, getting trained and all. But I think it will be fun.

Lyman still is coasting without a calling in our Ward. He's keeping busy reading the Ender series. DJ also has read Ender's Game and is working on Ender's Shadow.

My list of books goes on and on. Some noteworthy ones are Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson), Saints (Orson Scott Card), and No Greater Love (Mother Teresa).

We got memberships to the Zoo and the Children's Museum this month. We also have tried out some new playgrounds. We are looking forward to consistent warm weather so we can plant our garden.

Horton Hears A Who

Our babysitter was a no-show last night, so we took the kids out on date night and saw Horton Hears A Who. It was such a fun movie! We all loved it.

In other news, we have new kitchen countertops. And they are beautiful! Thank goodness we have the second kitchen downstairs, as this was almost a week in production. But it's worth it!

Now if we could just get the awful wallpaper off so we could paint the walls...

We're Back

So, it's been awhile since our last update. 5 months or so. The good news is we are settling in quite nicely. We know where most things are located now, I think.

DJ is reading the Book of Mormon before he turns 8 in August. He's in Mosiah right now.

Gwennie is turning into a girlie girl. She got fingernail polish for Christmas, even. She loves to read and give talks in Primary.

William still likes to jump more than anything else. And eat, although you wouldn't guess it by looking at him.

Amanda is crawling and starting to pull up to a stand. She has no teeth yet, but that doesn't stop her from eating everything William feeds her!

Jennifer has started a new homeschool curriculum Karl G. Maeser Academy. It's great, so far and the kids are learning a lot.

Lyman loves his job and has no Church callings yet. What an easy life!

I'll post some pictures as soon as I find the camera.

Our New House

Our new house was quite a sight to see. We arrived around 5:30 pm on Monday the 15th. It was a bit of a shock to see all the repairs that needed to be done. Also, it was fun to see all the personal touches added to the house to make it right for the large family that lived here before. We like the built-in diaper changing table in the bedroom and the master bedroom addition that is really an office. It works for us, too!

The kids love the back yard swing set and shed/club house. Next summer it will be fun to have a full garden of fresh veggies.

Our neighbors are so friendly. There are not a lot of young children, but each of our kids has a kid their age very nearby.

There's lots of painting, and more unpacking, so if anyone wants to come help us we'd love to see you! Or you can just come visit, we'd still love to see you.

We're Moving!

Yes, it's a surprise to us, too. But when it's right, it's right, and things move fast.

Lyman's last day with GE will be October 10th. We will be driving out to Utah shortly thereafter. We are looking for houses in the Sandy area, to be close to Lyman's new job at S5 Wireless.

Oh, how I am looking forward to living near a Costco again! Not to mention family and friends in Utah. : )

We have loved being in Pennsylvania, except for the taxes. We will really miss our friends out here. Hopefully we will have lots of visitors!

Enjoying the Silence

Lyman's in Boston right now. He'll be in Richmond later this week.

I am enjoying the silence because all four kids are finally asleep! William went first, at 7:45 pm. DJ and Gwennie were both gone around 9 pm. And Amanda held out until about 10 pm.

We had fun with raw treats this afternoon. We made a chocolate banana shake, oatmeal cookies, and caramels. Yummy!

Raw Caramels

1 cup dates, pitted and diced
1 cup pine nuts, minced
1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend in food processor until smooth. It is important to chop before processing. If you over-process, the caramels will get oily. They are still delicious, though!

Chocolate Banana Shake

2 cups almond milk (check below for how to make your own)
3 cups frozen banana chunks
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
Dash of sea salt

Almond Milk
1 cup almonds, soaked for 8 hours or more and then drained
3 cups water

Blend on high for 2-3 minutes. Strain out pulp using nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or nylon.

If you want to use it for cereal, etc., I recommend adding a little sweetner (like maple syrup) and a dash of salt.

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup almond pulp
1 cup raisins or pitted dates
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt
Maple Syrup

Combine oats through salt in food processor. Add enough syrup to make the dough form a ball. Roll into cookie shapes and dehydrate for a few hours. Or you can eat it without dehydrating.

The kids made shapes with their cookies, and planets. William made a huge mess. But they had fun! I would have taken a picture, but Lyman took the camera with him.

Breaking News

Despite what you may have heard from us as recently as yesterday...

We are traveling to Utah on August 25th. We will be staying at least until Labor Day. Lyman will go home on Labor Day, but Jennifer and the kids might stay longer, and throw in a trip to Washington State.

There will be a birthday party for DJ sometime that week, somewhere. Details to follow. We will be attending the Davies Reunion at the Cabin.

If you would like to get ahold of us, we have a temporary number while our regular numbers are being switched to a new provider. The Utah local phone number is 447-5015.

We are looking forward to seeing all our Utah friends and family soon!!!

Today's featured recipe:

Lemon Coconut Cookies
1 cup cashews
3 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup honey
Juice of one lemon

Grind cashews in food processor. Add all other ingredients and process until thoroughly mixed. Shape into balls and dehydrate for 6 hours or so.

If you do not have a dehydrator, you can try cooking them in the oven on low, with the door open, for about an hour.