This weekend I headed to NYC and felt like a teenager again. I flew seven hours from LHR, Justin flew five hours from SFO, and Jared and Matia flew a couple hours from ORD---all of us landing at JFK.

And to think, airports haven't been around that long but these days we use them like our lifeline.

I'm not sure what I did to spend my ten hours preparing for and sitting on that flight, but I gotta say, without having to be concerned about someone hitting someone, or someone else sneaking into the treat drawer, or someone else stomping on the stairs while Baby is sleeping, or where any one of six gloves and wellies are that aren't mine, the time went by faster than any work day I can ever remember!

Once grounded, we basically had a giant slumber party, except with separate rooms. I'm not sure what excuse we used first to get together: was it Justin's business trip? Was it Jared's residency interview? Was it seeing Will in "Hair"? Amazingly, all of the above coincided, and we packed a whole lot into a little bit of weekend.

In the end, the best part was less about what we did and more about being together again and hanging out. We ate our share of pizza and pastrami from greasy, tasty shops, but we also hit a few swanky places for brunch, including the restaurant Jane, whose french toast was divine.

At "Hair," we were treated to an amazing performance in some equally amazing seats. Will comes on and off stage as part of the musical, and at one point, he even sat down next to Justin and chatted it up---in character, of course. Was it bad that singer Josh Groban was sitting two rows behind us in the audience? Not for most of his fans, but I have to say, Justin and Jared's introduction to of themselves to him was memorable:

Jared to Josh: Hey, man, I don't know any of your music, but I loved your work in "Glee." [Groban had a cameo appearance and didn't even sing!]

Justin to Josh: My mother-in-law loves you! [Way to make an artist feel current!]

But the music lovers they are did try to penetrate the doors of the toughest concert yet: Lady Gaga at Radio City Music Hall. Even the scalpers didn't have tickets; the show was totally sold out. The boys managed to get themselves in, but Matia and I didn't stand a chance, so we bagged it, felt good already after having just attended the powerful Fuerza Bruta show and went to a movie instead.

Oh, and did I mention "hair"ports? On our way back, I got stopped for going through security with two miniature snow globe souvenirs in my carry-on luggage. Too much liquid, I guess---all of one ounce, maybe? So the lady made me check my bag. And, when I got home, one of the globes had broken. Good thing she let me through with a full water bottle in my purse. Gotta love bureaucracy. ---SM


(Above: Justin, Will-in-the-poster, and Jared)


(Above: Jared, Steph, Justin, Matia)

My good friend Michelle came to visit London for a few days, along with her sisters, and I think my boys thought they came just for them. The brothers woke up almost every morning with Michelle pampering their every need. She warmed up milk for Grant and Lennox and played a few rounds of dominoes or other games with Kellen---all before heading out with her sisters for the day!

I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Michelle, Jennifer, and Rose Marie, and we visited Portabello Road---some good flea market shopping, the BYU London house---where Michelle was able to attend college for six months during her BYU experience, and then we walked through Kensington Palace and the grounds.

Having five women in the house was fabulous, since my mom and I are usually outnumbered, but having these three women was sublime since they all have raised sons and are living to tell the joys! ---SM


(Above: Michelle and the twins)


(Above: Rose Marie, Michelle, Jennifer, Stephanie at BYU house)


(Above: Michelle and Steph at Kensington Palace)

The boys are getting really good at hide and seek lately. Usually, they can't stand the pressure when I come to find them, so they'll pop out of wherever they're hiding. But today, they remained silent lying inside this toy basket until I got really close to them, called out for them, and eventually they giggled. ---SM

So my friend posted on her blog her family's recipe for amazing cinnamon rolls. And when I read it, the rain poured down outside. So, I instantly got it into my mind that I needed those rolls smelling up my house on such a cold, rainy day and then finding their way into my belly.

Oh yeah, and this was my first time making them.

Grant and Kellen were on board, too. They helped me mix all the ingredients and when the dough had raised and it was time to roll and cut those things----yikes! I'm not sure what happened, but I started sweating. I had a giant blob of a mess sticking to every inch of skin on my hands, two very patient toddlers ready to dig in, too, and I felt like this project may have been a disaster.

My mom ended up bailing me out and we had the deepest gut-wrenching laugh as we plopped the blobs onto the cookie sheet. They looked like cinnamon buns that had taken a wild roller coaster ride. We were up so late that I told the boys they had to go upstairs for bedtime, but I brought them down for a midnight snack to enjoy the buns of their labor. My, what big smiles they had!

Fortunately, the taste was great, but I think I will save making those again when I have the mental fortitude. ---SM

P.S. If you make the recipe from the blog above, there are no listed ingredients for icing or glaze recipe, so I used the Paula Dean glaze glaze and loved it.


(Above: The blobs---before baking)


(Above: The buns---after baking. Deliciousness rules!)

Fresh snow today and my mom opened the back door for an afternoon of adventure.

While the boys and my mom were in the midst of building Snowman #1---a beady-eyed midget no taller than a toddler, Justin came home for lunch. Justin started a snowball fight, and #1 was used as battle material. So, Justin raked up most of the snow on the lawn and started Snowman #2---a carrot-nosed sheriff warmed by Auntie Staci's handmade scarf.

All were pleased.

By the time Justin returned home at the end of his work day, #2 had melted, though, just like the song says...

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman
Once there was a snowman,
Tall, tall, tall.

In the sun he melted, melted, melted
In the sun he melted,
Small, small, small.




(Above: Snowman #1)


(Above: Snowman #2)


(Above: The backyard boys)

I did something today that I swore I'd never do. Lennox was in a foul, fussy mood all morning (his canines are coming in) and didn't eat his hamburger at McDonald's. So, when he saw the twins eating their ice cream cones, he begged for one, too, and I got back into line and bought one for him.

Not one of my more brilliant moves, but his smile was better than ice cream to me, and certainly superior to his screaming! ---SM

Super heroes need super-sleep, and this clash between two small supermen ended on a battle axe and a blanket behind my mom's bed.

Say that five times fast. ---SM

While most days are all about the boys, today was all about the girls.

My cousin Nancy, who lives in London, scored tickets to the sought-after play The Misanthrope, a modern-day version of Moliere's play by the same name. Playing at the Comedy Theatre, the main actors Damian Lewis and Keira Knightley were the biggest reason we went to see the show, and Lewis' timing, particularly, was amazing. I thought the direction was a bit strange at times---Knightley over-dramatically paced round and round the stage at a few points, and the production felt a little unfinished by the end, but overall it didn't disappoint.

One of the more humorous parts of the experience was waiting in the queue for the loo and standing behind a group of young actresses who also patronized the play. One of them was a real-life clone of the character Rachael on Glee. And she was an American originally from the Bay Area. Holy Cow.

This was a follow-up adventure to a previous "girls' night out" in November when we saw Calendar Girls, which was both hilarious and touching---even from our chairs at the very front row.

Thank you, Justin for watching the homies! ---SM


(Above: Nancy, Mom, and me at the Comedy Theatre for "The Misanthrope")


(Above: Mom and me by the Piccadilly Circus underground)


(Above: Nancy and Mom in Leicester Square for "Calendar Girls")