Our week...

FRIDAY NIGHT...
Friday we went with some friends to watch a luau rehearsal....and while there we found the King Pot for cooking, Greg says it should be the new Goulash (I don't know how to spell it) pot...

SATURDAY...

Then, on Saturday morning I decided to try a flourless chocolate cake recipe that was featured on an amazing baking blog that I follow, Bakerella (she is listed on my favorite blogs list on the right...), she got it from a Paula Deen recipe, and it was a million times better tasting than I ever could have imagined!!

You bake it and it comes out all normal looking...

Then you let it sit and it falls...HARD...

And then when you release it from the springform pan it looks even neater...But be warned, this is a cake for extreme chocolate lovers!! it is dense and moist and RICH...DO NOT eat even a bite without a fair supply of milk on hand!!

And you want a real treat? Warm a small piece up, put a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some chocolate and caramel syrup and you have a Brownie Obsession (it's even better than the original one at TGIFriday's!!)

If you'd like the recipe, click on over to Bakerella's blog and in the search box type "Flourless Chocolate Cake" and the post will come up with the recipe and some tasty looking pictures!!

Backyard belated update....

Here are some pictures of the planter in the backyard....as of now (Sunday night) it is actually all finished, but here are some pictures of it almost done. The bullnose brick on top looks awesome and they did a great job!!

Lowe's

Greg, Karyl and her personal photographer (Uncle David) went to Lowe's this morning...here's some pics of her and Daddy buildin' a boat

And here is a picture of all the guys outside...workin' hard!!!

They are building a planter....it goes all the way along the wall and then the curve. Apparently there are already 2 plants on the waiting list, they are being placed there in honor of 2 of our friends...one is a palm tree...the other, well, we need a plant that says gentle, but sassy; a plant with attitude....any ideas??

Oh well...

Let me tell you how my Saturday was supposed to go...

Get up and work...get the kids up....Karyl and Daddy and Uncle David go to Lowe's to build something...Karyl comes home and watches TV/plays...she takes a nap...I feed Freddie a few times and he sleeps...I finish working around 1pm...I take a shower (was going to do it while kids were napping)....Greg and David finish working in the back..I do some reading and cleaning while the kids are napping...so peaceful, right??

So, what do you do when 4 extra kids show up at your house when you're least expecting it and totally change your plans??

You improvise....

You make lots and lots of PB&J sandwiches and cheese sandwiches...

You break out that Costco pack of popsicles that have been sitting in the freezer in the garage....

And you thank your friends for being willing to come over on Saturday (even if it's totally unexpected) and work on your husband's dream backyard...

A HUGE thank you to Misi, David and "Neighbor" (yes, that's what Greg and him call each other...I've decided it's a term of endearment).

So, here I sit now...sweaty and unshowered...but feeling very proud that I was able to take care of everything and keep all the kids happy!!

Now I must go outside...there are children putting sticky handprints all over our sliding door =)

A little something for mommy...

Tonight was the Grand Opening for a Harvey's store**(see bottom of post) in Chino Hills...and I decided to pack up the kids and go for it!!

We had to wait in line, but it was worth it!! We even met some of the Harvey Family, their girls were playing with Freddie and making him laugh!!



Can you believe it, Freddie has been upgraded..he outgrew the carrier so now he and Karyl have matching seats (well, they are slightly different colors). He looks so big!!

We really do have the cutest kids...they were so good waiting in line. The photographer for the company took pics of them too...said they were the cutest kids there =) Maybe they'll be on the website!!

This was my loot...a little something for mommy. And when I say a little something, that's exactly what it was. I already have the purse...and I had a gift card from work that needed to be used, so I got the wallet that matches my purse.

I know, I know, this is SOOOO unlike me, "What, Diana caring that things match, especially a wallet and a purse"

I know, it's weird....I am starting to want to be more girly, and this seemed like an appropriate way to start. Besides these are practical too...they stay nice, will last forever (made of seatbelts, remember) and I got all black...that never goes out of style!! I like to think that it's basic and plain, but classic....kinda like me....

**For those of you who don't know what Harvey's is, they make the Original Seatbelt Bags (usually you see purses). I have a black one that I got for Christmas last year (thank you Greg!!).

Thursday...

Honestly, I'm trying to post pics from a few different things, so this will be quick. The boys worked all day today on the wall in the back and got quite a bit done. When it's completed it will be a plantar that goes along the fence from the end of the RV access driveway to the pool...I think there will be a palm tree where the curve is...our own tropical oasis is getting closer and closer!!

While the boys worked, Mele, the kids and I goofed off and eventually Mate and Karyl played in her room...he taught her how to jump on the bed. Until Thursday she didn't know that was an option...

For anyone who cares, this is my computer in the office...I was bored and decided to take a picture in case anyone wanted to know "where" I worked.

I heard the kids giggling WAY too loudly and thought "I'd better grab the camera"...glad I did...they were climbing into this playpen that is sized for dolls...then when I caught them they fell over...it was worth the giggling!!

This is the wall for the planter at the end, near the RV access

And here is the wall in the middle with the curve...

We had a blast with our friends, and then to finish off the night we had Taco Salad, some yummy watermelon and all sat down to watch the DVRd Wipeout episide from Wednesday night...we laughed and it was a great night!!

FIRE and friends

Last night we went with our friends to watch some serious fire fun!! We watched Mele's "little bro" Vili practice his flaming poi balls and his teacher gave us a demonstration of the double flaming poi balls...it was awesome to see! She was the same gal that performed at the ward luau a few weeks ago, and she is VERY talented. When we met her last night she was so sweet and genuinely welcoming, we were sad to see her leave to go back to Guam!!

I told Mele that I want to learn some of these dances...there is one that you do with a large "stick' (a guy did it at the luau) and you can light the ends on fire...I am totally into learning the ones that involve flames!!

Mele and Misi also had dinner with us before the fire fun and Karyl and Mate had a blast playing outside and making a mess with the bubbles...Mate loved her bubble gun we got from the OC Fair! Here are a few pics of them goofing around...

The one with Mate on the bike is while we were watching the Fire Poi!!

Then, this morning the boys started early....6:30 a.m. early. They went to get a huge cement mixer (the thing is its own trailer!) and when I went out at 9 a.m. they had already made a ton of progress considering they didn't get back and started until after they got the equipment and got everything set up! Below are a few pictures of their progress and the fun toys they get to play with today....

I will post more pics as they get more done, I couldn't believe how fast they were, they were already half done with the front patio!! If I don't pay attention they are liable to cement the entire house down...on second thought, that would keep the wasps out, wouldn't it?

Here are just a few cute pics of the kids yesterday, I was trying out different settings on the camera and honestly, I can't tell the difference other than some setting take smaller pictures. I guess I should go find the manual and read it...

Oh the construction....

So apparently work is slow for everyone (thank you Obama and your "stimulus" package...that's working swell...) and Greg and Misi decided to get started today on the concrete....lots and lots of concrete....

They went to some place that apparently sells gravel and sand by the "scoop" (I love construction and their exact measurements) because that apparently is how you make concrete by scratch...anyways, they went out this morning and this afternoon there is a large blue truck in the middle of our street and a man on a forklift dumping sand and gravel in our front yard, not to mention a pallette's worth of cinderblock and brick that will be used as a capstone on the planter they are making. They also got more cement to mix in with the dirt so they can fill in the patio (which has been "wooded" off and is ready to be poured.

Here is the truck...a big thank you to LARRY'S for freaking out all the poor passerby's while the delivery driver zipped in and out of the street with the forklift

The first pic is the brick capstone, the cinderblock and the cement....

The second pic is from the backyard as the forklift driver was dumping the stuff from those blue canisters...

This is the side shot of the front patio, just waiting for it's concrete cover

As you can see, things at our house are busy!! Misi and Greg have been working most of the day on all of this and I think they are working again tomorrow....at least they are keeping themselves busy and with Misi over here is means that eventually Mele and the kids have to come over, and that's a happy for mommy!!!

Also, a HUGE thank you to Carri for recommending a new cooking blog. If you want a great blog for cute dessert ideas (my kind of woman, it's all desserts from what I'v seen) check out the blog for Bakerella (it's in my favorite blog list). This woman is amazing and I can't wait to try some of the things!!

Oh, and since I've been slow at work too (again, thanks Obama...) I've taken up some light reading...20 cool points to the person who can guess what I'm reading and an extra 10 cool points if you can guess exactly which one I'm reading!!

I HATE BUGS!!!

So I had another giant wasp in our bedroom this morning. I was feeding Freddie and it flew right over me. I got him and put him in the other room, then had to get the vacuum and go back for it. Luckily, when I opened the door it had nested onto one of Karyl's dresses that was hanging there so I sucked him up. Then I called the Orkin man and they are coming this afternoon.

I hate bugs....I think they are coming in through the recessed lighting in our room. Greg and David found them going in the wall behind our bedroom and plugged the hole, so my guess is they are looking for places to get out and this one was probably just hanging out in the lighting and when I turned it on it got too hot and sent him out.

Why on earth recessed lighting doesn't have some kind of screen around the vents I will never understand...I had mentioned that to Greg, asked him if bugs could get in through the vents and he said they could, but why would they be in the attic? Well, Greg put up attic vent covers a while back, so their exit routes are mostly gone....ugh, you just can't win!!

Hopefully the Orkin man comes and finds the nest and destroys those pests!! They are always having to kill their nests outside, but I want to at least feel safe inside!! On the positive side, these things are so big that I can hear them flying around when they get in so they are easy to spot and get rid of.

OK....deep breath.....just relax.....

Friday night fun...

What are we teaching our children...

What goes on at the fair stays at the fair...

Friday we headed to the OC Fair...I don't need to write much else, if you don't know about the OC Fair then I suggest you get your rear up and head over there. Below are some pictures from our afternoon/night at the fair...

I also put a few cute pics of Karyl and Freddie, one is Karyl chasing Greg with a squirt bottle full of water (if you're gonna teach her how to use it, she will inevitably use it against you) and a pic of Freddie next to a large pillow...look at this boy, he is a football player in the making!!

We visited the petting zoo...Karyl loved it, Freddie was a little too tired to appreciate it....

The "GIANT" horse....Greg and Karyl went in to see it. That curtain behind it was about 6 feet high...I guess we can call it rather large...

Greg asked me to take this pitcure...I think it's the original Pong machine (I'm only guessing based on the label...I really have NO idea!!), he seemed pretty enthused about seeing it.

THAT is Weird Al in sandcastle form!! He had steam coming out of his head too. At the Fair they had a 3D exhibit of the brain by Weird Al. We didn't get to go see it, but it looked neat!!

After dinner Karyl found her favorite exhibit, the kid's play area where there was a huge sand box. I had to plead, beg and bribe to get her out to go ride some rides!!

Well, Freddie is finally learning that if you want to sleep in this family you need to be able to do it no matter where you are!!

The giant slides, I had never been on one....

Greg went first with Karyl and then I went, it went a LOT faster than I had anticipated and over the last 2 humps, we got some air. Karyl loved it, I just squeezed her hoping she wouldn't fly out of my lap!!

In true flirty girl fashion Karyl made some new boy friends who let her play with them and chase their bubbles.

The teacups...she had to go, and I had to squeeze myself in there...those things are NOT meant for full grown adults to ride in!

She rode these rides 2 times each, there was a bee ride, a pirate ship ride...you get the picture. She LOVED them and she went all by herself.

Oh, and there was an airplane...

And then there was the dog...Greg won it on the basketball throwing game (he's almost undefeated in that game!!) and she wouldn't put it down the rest of the night.

Except to flirt with the boys....

You KNOW it's been a good day at the Fair when you leave with a cheap oversized stuffed animal!!!