The "Hamburger Store"

Preston told us about 2 weeks ago that he really wanted to go to the "hamburger store" so we used it as motivation (bribery?!) to help him "take the next step" in potty training. He has done SO great and we rarely have had wet pants accidents . . . but for whatever reason messy pants accidents were recurrent and a seemingly impossible barrier to break. So Saturday morning he finally figured it out and wore ONE pair of underware the whole day!!! Needless to say I was ecstatic! So I can chant my enthusiasm (for having Preston that much closer to being fully potty trained) with those annoying commercials, " ba ba ba ba ba I'm lovin' it!!!"

Preston and Dad enjoying their hamburgers!

Rebekah got to try french fries! You can't tell in this pic, but she LOVED them!

Mom must have lost all of her willpower because she even let Preston go play in the "play place" (I've never let him in one before-- does that make me a bad Mom?!) However, Preston wouldn't wander too far into the maze without Mom and Dad. So much for his newfound freedom!

Then we topped of the visit with ice cream cones!

Rebekah proving once again that she can get just about anything she wants from her Daddy!


Way to go Preston! It is so fun for all of us to see you continue to improve! We love you and think you are an awesome kid!!

Ahhh February!!

Preston thought watching the ducks walk on the ice was hilarious-- especially when they slipped!

Rebekah finally likes the swing. She cried and cried when I took her out!

Preston teaching Rebekah about rocks-- he told he they were yucky, but she had to make sure . . .

We have had the most beautiful week! We have been going to parks almost every day. The kids and I are loving getting outside for longer than 5 minutes at a time. 50 degrees and loving it! (lest those of you who live in colder climates are feeling too jealous you can console yourself with the fact that we have snow forecast for the next three days!)

Mmmmmm . . . Chocolate Cake

Preston licking the frosting bowl-- hopefully someday when he gets married, he will just know how to make all of the yummy treats that he loves so his poor wife won't have to take years to figure it out!!!

Alright true confessions of the Hill household! My husband loves a good chocolate cake-- and before I married him, I could pass on chocolate cake. But he has taught me that there is a difference between a Betty Crocker Cake Mix and a "real" chocolate cake-- so now I am addicted right there with him. I found this recipe online after we had been married a few years-- it has become one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes--(yes--sadly-- I have more than one!)

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 Cup boiling Water
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 stick sweet butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups less 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Knock out excess flour. Pour boiling water over chocolate and butter. Let stand until melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Whisk in egg yolks, blending well. Mix together sour cream and baking soda, then whisk into batter. Add flour and baking powder and mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Stir 1/4 into batter thoroughly, then scoop remaining egg whites on top of batter and fold in gently. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set in middle rack in the oven and bake 40-45 minutes, or until edges pull away from sides of pan and cake tester (toothpick?!) inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Unmold and cool completely before frosting.

I should add that I usually cook mine in a 9x13 pan for 30 minutes or so.

Frosting
butter ( I usually use 1/4 cup)
cocoa powder
powdered sugar
LOTS of vanilla 2-3 capfuls

I hate recipes like this one because it is not an exact science-- but as my frosting mentors (Mel, Becky) have told me it is a little different every time. You just keep tasting it and adding more stuff until it is "right"!! Really I grew up in a house that bought frosting when it was needed so this was a challenge for me to learn-- my husband said no way could we buy that 'gross' prefab frosting-- so I don't want to brag, but after 5 years of marriage, I made this cake and frosting last week, and said, " I am officially a Hill-- this frosting is as good as your Mom's and Mel's." Boy was he proud of me!

Saturday's Warrior

Another steller FHE we have had lately: watching Saturday's Warrior! I was referring to a scene in this movie that Burke was totally clueless about-- then I figured out that he had never seen it! So I straight away added it to our Netflicks Queue. A few months later it finally came up and we got to experience: The Music . . . The Magic . . . The Message . . . really it had been many many years since I had seen it, but I still remembered all of the songs and most of the words (should I admit that?!)

In my defense I must ask how many times did I watch this as a little girl with my Aunt Julie (who had Downs Syndrome)? Clearly more times than I should have!!

I enjoyed some of Burke's reactions: (During the opening scenes of the movie when the missionaries are singing, "Humble Way" he says, "This reminds me of Tj (Michelle's oldest brother)-- BAD" He kept saying, "Oh wow . . . are you serious?" every time they burst into song. Truly it was memorable and we laughed sooooooooooooo hard!

Even though we only watched it once Preston kept asking for the "Jimmie" movie for the rest of the week! SCARY!

Just some random pictures . . .

It is hard to see in this picture, but Preston is feeding Rebekah a piece of cheese! Yikes!

I know she has cereal on her face, and she is still wearing pajamas, no thought to helping her look like a girl (aka fight her to keep a bow in her hair!), but I just cannot resist this girl's cuteness-- is that even a word? She is asleep in her bed right now, but I find myself looking forward to tomorrow when I can cuddle, kiss, and give this sweet little lady another squeeze. I am the luckiest Mommy in the world-- what a bright spot in my life my beautiful babies are!!

Preston is such a great helper. I know I tell you all mostly what a stinker he is too, but he really is great help--and so cute and precious to me. In the above picture, Burke had a back ache and was laying on the floor waiting to be rescued, Preston did everything he knew to make Daddy feel better: including loaning Daddy his pillow, favorite blankets, and beloved Bear! How could you not feel better with such a generous little doctor looking out for you?!

What a pair these two are! They have really become such adorable friends! They constantly copy each other (good and not so good!) Rebekah long ago figured out that she only wants to use sippy cups like Preston's-- no baby sippy or bottle for this girl! I love hanging out with these two everyday!

Moon Sand FHE!!

Preston got spoiled by the Theobald cousins for Christmas-- the Moon Sand "Digging for Dinos" set might be his favorite present of all time! The only thing that would make it better would be if Mom would let him play with it alone . . . but it is too messy and it would end up on every surface in my house-- let's face it he IS a little boy!! He kept telling Burke how fun it was, and so we pulled it out for an FHE activity --Burke and I had a great time also-- there is just something so fun about creative playing and getting your hands a little messy!

January is already half over!

Sorry to be so slow to update. I have been completely engrossed in my current adventure-- Potty training! Preston is doing SO great! I am so proud of him and find so much fulfillment and enjoyment watching him gain confidence and make progress. I have never heard anyone call this a "fun" experience, but I am telling you we have been having one big party at our house, and it really has been fun and exciting! He is so excited to be having some real success, and even though we have a l-o-n-g way to go before I will feel like he is really 'there', I know he will get it. I have come to peace with the fact that it will be a process, not an event. There have certainly been moments of frustration for us all, but overall, I am feeling like it is so fun to learn and grow together. Burke was duly impressed when Preston proudly showed him his full page sticker chart-- 40 stickers in 2 days! (Did you know you could sit on a toilet and produce a specimen that many times in 2 days?! --now you know why I can't get anything else done--and why we are having an endless celebration!) Anyway, it has proved to be the perfect time, because it is cold out and so I am staying home making soup and rolls a few times a week, and running to the bathroom literally every 10-15 minutes!!

In other news, we are still looking for a new job, but have continued to be sustained and supported in miraculous ways. We are grateful and blessed beyond our capacity to understand or express. Thank you for your continued faith and prayers for our family at this time.