Our Top 10 Easter '08 Memories

10. Coleman and Cooper got to participate in three Easter egg hunts this year. One church egg hunt, one neighborhood party and one with family. That's close to 40 candy filled eggs for each boy! Kinda makes your sweet tooth ache, doesn't it?

9. We colored easter eggs for Family Home Evening the Monday before Easter. The boys got a big kick out of "coloring" the egg with the invisible crayon and then dipping it to see what they drew.

8. On the way to Easter egg hunt #1, I got a flat tire only to be scooped up by a sweet neighbor. When asked if I needed a ride home, I told her no because Will was supposed to meet me at the park after his Praxis test at BYU. Well, Will's test ran long and he didn't show so I ended up walking 1/2 a mile home in the freezing weather with Cooper in my arms and Coleman dragging along behind me. I made it as fun as I could by racing the boys and singing songs but it was pretty miserable. Here's a video from before the long walk home-

7. Easter Sunday fell on a Stake Conference day and in our book that means NO CHURCH! I know that's so bad! Even non-religious types go to church on Easter Sunday, right?! Well, hopefully we didn't miss out on too many blessings by playing hooky...

6. We had dinner at June's (Will's sister's) house. That means great food and lots of it. Also, the boys were completely occupied by other kids and we actually got in some adult conversation. There was much to do about Obama's pastor. Any opinions?

5. I usually allow myself one Cadbury creme egg as a special treat every Easter. (I know they are sickeningly sweet, but I love them!) This year I think I allowed myself 1/2 a dozen! Guess I can't have another until the year 2013! It's probably for the best.


4. On Easter Day (when we were supposed to be at church) I cleaned the entire upstairs of our house. Let me tell you, that's quite a feat. And I'm happy to say that it has stayed clean since! If only the Easter bunny could do windows...


3. Coleman did such a great job playing with all the other kids on Easter at June's house. Typically, when there are a lot of people around, he just sorta shuts down and tries to be alone (it's an autism/overstimulation thing) but this year he was right in the thick of things. We were so proud of him! There were a lot of kids there! See for yourself!2. The Easter bunny was very generous this year and got the boys some pretty cool stuff. Coleman's Test Tube Alien is a constant reminder of just how generous the Easter bunny is. It's sitting by the kitchen sink in all it's test tube glory. This thing is creepy and Coleman loves it! Cooper got some Spiderman body wash and since he loves anything Spiderman, he was more than thrilled.

1. The best part about Easter 2008 was not the candy or toys or the Easter egg hunts, it was all the quality time that our li'l family got to spend together. I'm cherishing every moment because I know they grow up fast and our lives will only get busier and busier. So Happy Belated Easter from our family to yours!

Coleman's Birthday Slideshow!

My baby boy is 6! Coleman's birthday party was on Saturday but we had his birthday party on Friday hoping to beat the weekend crowds. We booked a party at Jump On It which is this neat place that has wall to wall trampolines and also an area with blow-ups, video games and some private decorated party rooms. My goal this year was to have his party somewhere other than my house so I wouldn't have to stress over cleaning, decorating, games and all the other stuff that comes with birthday parties. I stress enough over the cake (not too mention make a huge mess preparing it.) This year was the most stress free party yet and I think Coleman had more fun than ever. He had 7 cousins and 4 little friends (and parents, too) come to celebrate with him and he couldn't have been more pleased.

After an hour and a half of all the fun a kid can handle we all made our way to the party room to have cake and open presents. Coleman wanted an El Tigre themed cake. El Tigre is a new cartoon that plays on Nickelodeon. It's not very well known and it was near impossible to find toys for the cake but I finally found a set of McDonald's Happy Meal El Tigre toys on eBay. the cake was a fairly simple vanilla sheet cake filled with cookies and creme filling and frosted with chocolate fudge buttercream. The piece de resistance was the volcano that sat atop the cake. I formed it out of rice krispie treats and iced it with the same frosting as the cake, then I poured "molten lava" (tinted red icing) around the sides. At the time of presentation, I added a bit of dried ice and hot water inside the top of the volcano to give it that about-to-erupt cool factor. It was a total hit and my brother says I get an A+ for my science project! Thanks Chad!

Thanks for all who came and shared this party with us! It means so much to me to have so many people who love and care for Coleman. Truly.

And what a blessing he is to us. I mean how many people can say they have an actual super hero living with them! Thanks, Dr. Chalk, for always keeping us safe. We love you!

The goodie bags are ready...

Coleman is turning 6 this Saturday and I just love my boys' birthdays! They are seriously my two favorite days of the year! Tonight I put together the goodie bags for Coleman's li'l guests. We've got something really exciting planned for his party and, of course, his cake. More to come later on those. Just thought I'd post a teaser. Happy *almost* birthday Coleman!

My 100

1. I love tennis! Will play anytime, anywhere, with anybody.
2. I hate doing dishes and there are always dirty dishes in my sink. Always.
3. I miss being by my family in West Virginia but never want to live there again.
4. I love the smell of fresh cut grass.
5. I still don't know how to properly apply eyeshadow.
6. I constantly lose words and end up saying, "Ummm..." a lot in conversations. This drives me crazy! And probably everyone that I talk to.
7. I have "Flintstone" toes. They are all the same length.
8. I hate the snow.
9. My sweet little boys make me laugh all the time.
10. It really annoys me that my husband is so obsessed with football. I mean, it's just a game!
11. I can make a mean cupcake. My favorite is the strawberry cupcake with lemon cream cheese frosting and topped with a slice of strawberry and lemon zest. Oh, and there's the PB&J cupcake...
12. I miss eating sweets. It's been 13 days.
13. I don't believe that the number 13 is unlucky. I'm not superstitious and you'll never get one of those, "Send this to 7 people or else" kind-of emails from me.
14. I wash my hands way too much. Most of the time, my hands look like I just dipped them in flour.
15. I run to keep my sanity. Not sure if it's working.
16. It took me three tries to pass my driver's license test.
17. I love musicals but haven't seen one in years.
18. My parents took me to Disney World pretty much every year of my young life and now I love it probably more than my kids.
19. I love watching the Food Network especially when I'm dieting. It's like food porn and I'm an addict!
20. I'm really competitive.
21. My dad calls me "Leesh" with a thick hillbilly accent.
22. My middle name is Marie, named after Marie Osmond.
23. I've met Marie Osmond on a couple different occasions. She's really sweet.
24. I love celebrities but I do not envy them one bit.
25. I'm a happy girl.
26. I was president of the Environmental Action Club in high school long enough to get my picture taken for the yearbook.
27. I rarely go to bed before midnight.
28. I keep a daily food log. Have for the past 2 years.
29. I still can't believe that I have a little one with red hair.
30. My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate peanut butter.
31. My favorite color is pink most days. Sometimes it's blue.
32. I was a free spirit in high school and my hair has been every color under the sun.
33. I made a split second decision to get a tattoo when I was 21. I don't love it but I don't regret it.
34. I'd love to have my own cupcake shop.
35. I'm completely unorganized right now which is so unlike me.
36. I love my neighbors.
37. My favorite restaurant is Happy Sumo. I love sushi! It's my favorite food.
38. I hope they have good sushi in South Carolina.
39. The dentist says I need a crown on one of my teeth. Not good.
40. I love getting packages in the mail even if it's just something I ordered and knew was coming.
41. I absolutely hate scary movies and will not watch them.
42. I wake up in the middle of the night pretty much every night and cannot go back to sleep until I check on the boys.
43. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
44. I listen to my Norah Jones CD when I need to relax.
45. I've never been able to do a cartwheel. I'm pretty fantastic at somersaults, though.
46. I love watching Elvis movies and pretty much any old classic movie from the '50s or '60s.
47. I worked at Old Navy in Orlando one summer and I dressed up as the Old Navy dog for a celebrity all-star soccer game at Disney Wide World of Sports. Woof!
48. I love my hair down but it's pretty much always pulled back.
49. I very rarely make my bed in the morning.
50. I love my husband. No seven year itch here.
51. I've been told that I say, "Gee whiz!" whenever I'm annoyed.
52. My sister-in-law calls me Doris Day. I must've been born in the wrong era. I was totally supposed to be a mom in the '50s! Gee whiz!
53. I recently spent over $100 on a pair of running shoes. The best $100 I've spent in a long while.
54. I rarely spend $100 on anything.
55. I love bargain hunting at Ross. It's completely cathartic.
56. I had to look up cathartic in the dictionary to make sure I was using it right.
57. Did you know catharsis also means cleansing your bowels? That's weird.
58. That's not what I meant when I said shopping was cathartic.
59. I love pop music and will blast it in my MP3 player while I clean. It boosts my energy. My right now favorite is Move Your Feet by Junior Senior.
60. We have dance parties at my house all the time. The boys and I are always cutting a rug! I turn on the music and yell,"Verburg Dance party!" and we boogie. It's so fun to hear their giggles while we dance.
61. I'm a terrible dancer. Total white girl.
62. My favorite movie is The Notebook.
63. We have a standing kickboxing bag in our family room. I bought it for Will but I use it way more than he does.
64. I miss the sun. Can't wait for spring!
65. I've never scrapbooked.
66. I love that my husband is the only Valentine I've ever had. I had many boyfriends but never was with anyone on Valentine's until Will.
67. I am not a picky eater. I like pretty much everything.
68. I broke my big toe when I was a kid and my mom cut the toe out of my sneakers to make room for my big, bandaged toe.
69. I took dance lessons for 8 years between the ages of 2-10.
70. I still vividly remember one of my classmates puking next to me in 7th grade.
71. I really want to buy a bike, as in a bicycle not a Harley.
72. I'm not good at decorating and it gives me a headache to even think about it.
73. I still know all the words to Ice, Ice Baby.
74. Will and I are planning to go on a cruise for our 10th wedding anniversary in 2010.
75. I haven't been on an overnighter with Will and I alone since before Coleman was born.
76. I've had laser hair removal and I love it! I'm going back for more and more until I'm as hairless as a sphynx.
77. I love oatmeal for breakfast and eat in about 100 different ways.
78. I'm the only blonde out of all my siblings (3 sisters, 1 brother.)
79. I love long, hot bubble baths with no interruptions.
80. I predict that Will will buy me a another CD for Valentine's Day. Not sure which one though. Maybe the newish John Mayer CD.
81. I had my first kiss at 16.
82. My favorite days of the year are my kids birthdays.
83. My favorite day of the week is Friday.
84. My mailbox is falling apart and needs new screws. Has for the past 2 years.
85. I went on my first diet when I was just 11. I took my little baggy of Slimfast powder and thermos full of milk and that's what I had for lunch. That's really sad, right?
86. I can outrun my husband and I do outrun him in every 5k we enter. I love that! See #20.
87. I used to work as a paraeducator in a classroom with severe and profoundly disabled teens. That was a very rewarding job.
88. I wish I were lying on a beach somewhere right now.
89. I really like eating at diners. There's just something about it.
90. I have a rather extensive Hello Kitty collection. Dolls, bags, notepads, figurines, even Hello Kitty McDonald's toys from Thailand. Got those on eBay.
91. I hate to drive anywhere further than into town.
92. My favorite flowers are daisies.
93. My most favorite thing I've ever done on vacation is go whitewater rafting.
94. I love entering sweepstakes but have yet to win anything.
95. I love to sing along to Patsy Cline and Frank Sinatra songs. Again, so should've been around in the 1950s.
96. I have my own set of golf clubs and play with Will as often as he'll let me. I need to find a girlfriend who likes to play.
97. I got hit by a car when I was 5 yrs old. Don't worry. I'm okay.
98. I love to do something I call "Windows" shopping. It's where you shop online, put a bunch of stuff in your cart and then don't buy it. I don't know why but I do it all the time!
99. I cannot use forks with bent prongs. It's drives me crazy!
100. I'm making chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight. Better get started!