Robust and loving it!

I know I haven't posted in a while, alas, summer has hit with a smashing success.  The Vial family reunion has happened, lovely time. I took a million pictures, so if you want to see some, look on Paula's blog.  I will have to add more memory to my computer before I can add anymore pix.
I was looking at facebook on my sister in law Cara's, page and a friend of hers sent her a link to a KSL news story regarding mothers of twins being more robust and living longer.  Hah! That's just so flattering.  Here it is if you want to read the details. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1009&sid=15414161
My favorite line is this one


 "Most people's first thought would be, 'No that would take years away from your life(being a mother of twins),'" she said. "(But) if we can get through the first years of twins, we can get through anything."


Love it.  BTW, Cara is due with her twins anyday.  So excited.  Wanted to make them these onesies, but alas (love that word), hers are boy/girl and it just wouldn't work.  Though, don't be surprised if for Halloween or a Tuesday, you see mine sporting the shirts. 

peace out. h

amy and michelle

Are beautiful friends Amy and Michelle Lichtenstein came to play today and I had to take some snaps of them for their awesome mom, Carmen.  Such awesome friends, thanks for playing with us.

excited for summer

My goal this summer is to 1- get a tan, harder than it sounds, and 2- have fun with my kids. 

Last summer was a nightmare of moving and remodeling and selling our home and Nic's company going *!@#*!

This summer I'm going to build me one of these and hang out in the yard.  Come join me.  

I believe in pink

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. 

I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. 

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. 

I believe that happy girls are the pretties girls. 

I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles

-Audrey Hepburn

Spinach Orzo Salad

I've found a salad that is awesome and several people have asked me for the recipe, so here goes.  It's sort of made up, so I'm sure you can change it up however you like.  I'm tempted to add grilled chicken and call it a one dish dinner.

SPINACH ORZO SALAD

Makes enough to have as a side or bring to a potluck for 10ish.  Double/add more of what you like if you need more

2 cups Orzo pasta uncooked
1 pkg New Seasons Dressing (make up according to directions, I use EVOO and white wine vinegar)
1 pkg sun dried tomatoes (I prefer the dry/ it's cheaper and there's already oil in the dressing)
1/2 -1 cup crumbled feta (to taste.. I like lots)
1 pkg baby spinach (about 4 cups)

Make orzo to al dente, about 9 minutes boiling.  Rinse cold.  Make up dressing and combine with orzo.  Add chopped tomatoes and feta.  This can be made up ahead.  Toss in spinach before serving.
Enjoy~
Hailey

a-MAY-zing

Kennedy's our champion athlete. She got an award for swimming this last year with the Hillsboro Heat Swimteam.  

Sierra had her dance rehearsal, and will have her recital on Tuesday, so more photos to come (or not, since this is me.)

Mickey entertaining Bree and Ava and Grandma Vial.

The Jungle Safari theme song and dance.  I love this dance group.  Each performance has a theme, this one being Disneyland, and then the theme is recycled every five years, so they can reuse the costumes and songs.  Love it!

This is Pirates of the Caribbean. Argghh!

This is Mulan and an actual Dragon dance. Awesome!

 The "Introducing Princess..." Dance.  Each girl was presented as a princess and then asked their dad/mom/grandma to dance.  One dad was crying, it wasn't Nic.  

The twins did the exact same numbers, just with a different class.  Just as adorable the second time. 

Here's the Aladdin dance.

And more pretty princesses...

Is this Gorilla enough for you?

This is my kids favorite so far.  These are killing me!

my kids are loving these

Mystery Bird for Rich

***Thanks Caitlin for showing me these!****  See her blog for another---->

"easter spoils" or "paying the mommy tax"

This is me and the girls breaking open the Easter spoils at the Vial grandparents Easter Insanity Eggstravaganza. 

This is also me claiming my rights to my mommy taxes of laffy taffy's and twixes.  Yumm...

monday pix

random pix

So, I'm going to start randomly throwing out here pix from my trip to england.  

Much less intimidating that way ;)

Sheri, here lovely daughters and me at the Roman Baths in Bath, England.

new nephew

I have a new nephew. Beautiful Jayden was born on April 6th.  Isn't he and his momma, Hai, gorgeous.

Welcome to the family, handsome!

For my lego loving nephews & nieces

While googling "illustrated scriptures," this awesomeness appeared.
www.brickofmormon.com

new picture site

Hi,
I'm finding that I'm more involved in the picture bragging part of blogging, versus the monologuing.
So, I've started a different site

www.vialvilla.shutterfly.com


So, I'll be updating that with pix of my kids and such,  more than blabbing here.

Thank you and have a lovely day.

H

p.s. I'm outta here in like 4 days.  I'm kind of freaking out?!! So excited.  Did you ever see that commercial for Disneyland where the kids can't sleep cause they are so excited? Yeah, that's me.

England Favs

I leave for England in less than a month.

I"m kind of freaking out, because I've been getting ready for months and now all of a sudden I'm procrastinating making the final details. weird, but oh so excited. 

If you have been to England, what were some of your favorite things to see or do?

I'm very excited to see Bath and London, but mostly to be immersed in my friends Sheri and Erin and their families. It feels very dear to see them because of how far away they are.

On a side note:

Kennedy got an awesome camera with all the birthday money she received. Here she is at her swim meet with her all weather camera. She's awesome.

christmas, I know, it's a little late

Portlandia

So, I haven't quite figured out the picasa photo storage question, so the pictures of Christmas, the girls dance recital, and Kennedy's birthday this last week will have to wait until I want to put some brain power into researching it.  Until then, I'm spending my spare moments researching everything ENGLAND! I'm going to England in March to visit to friends, a bridesmaid, Erin (in London), and my maid of honor, Sheri (in Cambridge), and their children and all the lovely sites I've been reading about/drooling over in Jane Austen books and movies.
So I really need to figure out the photo storage question by then, cause I just got a new memory card for my camera that holds 4300 pictures! Who-rah!
So, we don't have tv or cable, but I heard on the radio that Fred Armesen of SNL is pitching a show called "Portlandia."  So I looked it up on HULU, and yes, it's about quirky Portland.  It's funny in that I live here and we have these types of "characters" all over town.  And, yes, the bit about the pedigree of the chicken they were going to eat was humorous. But what I liked about it the most (not that I loved the show, more like humored it and probably will never watch it again) was the lighting.  It was filmed here, so they got the locations exactly right, but the lighting in the stores, and outside was perfect.  We may be overcast and rainy a lot, but there's a lovely glow from the sun in the evenings.  Not like the blaring sun of LA.  I always thought that was fake until I went to CA.
Anywho,  here's a clip is you want to see Portland exaggerated.

zurbert

Fun pix of Chris and Kenne, and my niece Zuri, being awesome.