Table for Eight

The weather is still really fickle here in Utah. Talk about testing my patience! Holy cow. Ugh. I'm seriously not usually one to complain, but if this keeps up, I'm going to consider a vacation to The Land of Geckos and Cactus-es (Arizona). In the meantime, rather than "Boo-Hoo" about the weather, I thought I'd share a few of my Spring Favorites: Pretzel bagels from Einsteins Bagels. Chorizo from Walmart (I know, Walmart!). But . . . it's great in scrambled eggs with a tortilla! Coconut Passionfruit lotion. The purse size is $1.00 on sale at Bath and Body Works right now. YUM-O! (Papaya and LuLu call it "delicious.") Our new home, Gnomey. We are still really loving our new home and the changes it is bringing. This photo of Bam, circa 2005. This photo of Bam, circa 2011. The 2 Shop-Vacs that Jay bought at the neighborhood garage sales--for 16.50 (total)! Woo hoo!

ZuZu and Gnomey (our new home) on a beautiful spring day! I'm really not usually one to complain, BUT . . . I have so HAD it with gloomy days. SO . . . today is a treat! SUNSHINE O'PLENTY! Woo hoo! No time to blog. I have to get out and get my Vitamin D for the year.

To my mum. And Dave-man's mum And our grandmums. And our the 5 beautiful mums that brought our bambinos to us. And to all of the amazing women who have mothered us throughout our lives, Happy Mum's Day!

We love love love Cinco de Mayo at our house. I think it has something to do with growing up in La Ciudad de Los Angeles (Translation = City of Angels). Or maybe it  has something to do with the fact that three of six bambinos in our home are un parte Mexicano? Viva la raza! (Click here for Wikipedia's summary of "What is Cinco de Mayo"? I like to think of it as the Mexican American version of St. Paddy's Day.) Anyway, my point! I love having a reason to celebrate LIFE! And for me, Cinco de Mayo is all about life and color and good food and smiles . . . and musica (channel 150 on XM today, gente). And that's my kinda day! So, I hope you make today a fiesta at work and with your family. Have a Costco jalepeno bagel. Put on a pot of beans (with cumin, garlic, onion, cilantro). Make some Mexican rice. Have some chips, salsa and guacamole! Watch Nacho Libre. (Just kidding. Kind of.)

There were a lot of years when Dave-man and I wondered if we'd ever be parents. Looking back now, that seems funny. (We have not one, but six kiddos!) I feel super blessed to be a mom. Here's one reason why: (PS: This is what goes on when you leave your teens and tweens in charge of your "babies" in order to go and get a haircut.)

I am SO glad it's May--that means we are one day closer to some extended SUNSHINE!  (I'm sorry to be a broken record about the weather here, but this winter in Utah has been HOR-I-BLE , in my opinion. Grey. Grey. Grey. Oh, and cold. Which is great if you are an author working on a Sherlock Holmes novel. But, I'm not.) Anyhow, this week is already filling with sunshine! (Literally and metaphorically.) -- Mother's Day is this coming week! (And in addition to having great moms, Dave-man and I "have" 5 AH-MAH-ZING birthmoms who have brought 6 AH-MAH-ZING bambinos into our lives. So we have a lot to be thankful for this week.) -- My friend Janeil offered to let me use her washing machine! (How nice is that? So nice. And did I mention that I didn't even have to ask? She just offered!! Thank you Janeil!! Like I said, "100s of bread loaves coming your way.") -- Cinco de Mayo is Thursday! (Viva la raza . . . and viva guacamole! Woo hoo!) and . .