Table for Eight

Jay and Lauryn in a snow cave in Provo Canyon. I've mentioned this before, but 2015 was such a long year for us that I've been really searching and listening for ways to SLOW DOWN. At first what I thought I really needed was to SIMPLIFY my life ( or take up drinking--LOL ), but for some reason the idea of SLOWING DOWN is really what is striking a chord with me. And so as Janae would say, "My Great Brain Project" this year is to learn everything I can about how to slow down. (Psst: For those of you who haven't heard about the Great Brain Project: Janae's kids have an annual project at their elementary school where they pick a topic--any topic--and learn all they can about it. It may be a favorite insect, a country, a profession . . . ANYTHING! It's really cool. So cool, that Janae started doing them herself. My favorite Janae Great Brain Project was a quest to learn about gelato--and then find "the best one" in town. Co

This year Dave found the "Baby Jesus" in our King's Cake. Every year, around Mardi Gras, we buy a King's Cake from our local grocery store. We don't understand much of the history behind it, but we know it has something to do with lent and Mardi Gras, and the Three Kings, and Jesus' birth. Legend has it that you hid the baby Jesus in the sweet roll cake and whoever finds it in their piece has good luck . . . and buys next year's cake! This year Dave found our Baby Jesus. It was pretty hilarious. A pic of the whole King's cake. And now, for some of the other things that crack me up this week: Jr. has been saving a lot of his pizza-making money. This was one of his first big purchases: a console that fits on his phone so he can play games using the console. Teenager-move, right? (Don't worry, he has a long term savings that he isn't allowed to touch, so these purchases are in the "okay" area for him.)