The Birthday Boy

*WARNING: PHOTO OVERLOAD. SOMEONE HAD A BIRTHDAY AND HIS WIFE LIKES TO DOCUMENT EVERY MOMENT WITH THE CAMERA*

This week was Patrick's birthday.  Here is a blog post with lots and lots of photos of the birthday boy man. I always look forward to my own birthday week, but I get even more excited to help celebrate someone else's special day.  Planning and scheming is just too fun!

The day started with breakfast at Kneader's.  We had been needing an excuse to go and try their unlimited french toast.

For my birthdays, Patrick has put together little scavenger hunts where I  follow clues to find my gifts.  It is always very fun so I decided to put together one for him, too.  I think it has become a family tradition!

I put papers in balloons.  He had to pop the balloons and then piece the papers together.

Here he is carefully removing tape from the papers.  Oh, the anticipation! 

The papers formed a note with "Handsome Hubby" on it which led him to the catchall baskets we have hanging in the kitchen.  There he found a the key to our storage unit and a flashlight since it was very dark outside.

Inside the storage unit was Patrick's stash of birthday gifts.

New leather gloves, salted chocolate caramels, and a little display plaque I DIYed to show off one of his missionary badges.

It was only fair that the birthday boy man got to choose the dinner menu- pizza...

and dessert pizza!

Happy Birthday, Patrick! 

Into the Woods Jr.

I think I am a pretty lucky girl.  I've been blessed to have had so many opportunities in my life to use the wonderful and fun talents I've been given.  As I've said many times before, the Utah Children's Theatre is one of my favorite places in Salt Lake City and I am always ecstatic to be working on a project with them.  "Into the Woods Jr." was my latest adventure. I am a little late posting this... hopefully you'll still have a chance to catch one of the final performances.  And you really should try to see it!

I choreographed the main musical numbers for this Youth Stage production.  Wow, there are so many talented kids out there!  It is a neat experience to envision something in your head and then have a group of performers bring it to life on stage.  I couldn't be happier with the hard work and commitment of these young performers!

The stage starting to come to life.  

Have you passed UCT before?  It is centrally located in Salt Lake City at 3605 S. State Street.  If you haven't been before now is the time to experience live theater for the whole family!

The cast during tech week receiving notes from Director Meighan Smith and Musical Director Jana Cox.

uctheatre.org

Haunted Gingerbread Houses

It was Cake Boss all over again this weekend at our place! However, cakes were replaced by gingerbread and Rice Krispy Treats.  We needed an at-home date since we both worked late on Friday and Saturday nights. We decided to get in the Halloween spirit by decorating a haunted house.

We started with a kit that I found at Michael's.  We decided to step it up a bit by adding Rice Krispy Treat pumpkins and witch's dirt (made from Halloween Oreos).  Here's the finished result...

Patrick's creativity amazed me!  Here was responsible for some of the house's finest details, such as...

 The fondant skeleton...

 

the spider web, and the coloring of the pumpkin stems!

 

We were so proud of our decorating project that we just had to document it with a little photo shoot.

 

 Ta-da!!!

 

 Time to eat?!

 

 We thought a kissy photo would be cute, but I couldn't stop laughing which is why I have awkward fish lips! Ha!

 

 

P <3 M