Love & Laughter

Slacker

2012-01-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Blah, blah, I'm a slacker. I know. Sorry.

Anyway, Christmas was fantastic for us- it was so fun with the kids! I loved watching them open all the useful (read- not so fun) gifts we got them. Don't worry, though. Grandparents spoiled them plenty.

I've been doing some deep cleaning lately and trying to purge like crazy. Every once in a while I get the de-clutter bug where I want to throw EVERYTHING away and I have to take advantage of it before the feeling goes away. I started in the kitchen today, I'm doing the books tonight and the kids' toys tomorrow. I'm so excited about it! Yep.

So, I tried to upload some pictures, but it's not working. Sorry about that.

I will be a slacker no longer. Don't you love when you decide to change everything and pretend that you won't succumb to habits that have had years to flourish? I'm hoping I can institute a few changes and work on goals for the year.

Household

Continue meal planning.
Make freezer meals.
Purchase a food storage item once a month.
Do a budget once a month.

Children

Go on walks with the kids at least 3 times a week.
Have family home evening every week.
Play with and read to the kids- a LOT!
Do preschool activities with Ben M-F once a day.

Personal

Read the scriptures every day.
Blog once a week.
Go on a date with Stephen once a week, even if it's a "stay at home and watch a movie" date.
Complete visiting teaching assignments.

In general, I want to be more deliberate with the choices I make for our lives. I have always been a very go-with-the-flow person, but I think some things require conscious decisions and awareness. I'm just growing up, I guess!

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been away, but we've been busy. I am going to try to be better about writing in here (I know, I say that all the time, but maybe if I write it enough it will actually happen).

We took family pictures yesterday! Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

There are more, but I'm finding that the more people are in the picture, the more difficult it is to get everyone to look at the camera! I can completely understand why people photoshop their kids' heads from one picture into another. As a matter of fact, I did that exact thing last year! Someone's eyes were closed, so I copied some eyes from another picture onto the one I wanted. Luckily, we got some great shots this year. Special thanks to my wonderful mother-in-law for taking the time to take them for us!

Travel Town

2011-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

We headed back to Travel Town in Griffith Park with our playgroup a while back. The kids had so much fun! It was one of the last times Ben got to play with Bonnie before her family moved away (to a great job!). The kids loved looking at all the trains.

(edit: Rotated picture for you. - Stephen)

So I can't figure out how to get that last picture to be right side up, but it's rare that I can get Ben to smile for a camera these days. We had a good time, and we'll go back soon!

Motherhood

2011-09-16T00:55:00.000-07:00

Last week Stephen went to New Jersey on business and I stayed with my parents for the week. I hate how I seem to digress into a 17-year-old whenever I visit, but I like to think I did better this time at maintaining my own age. You know, cleaning up after myself, helping with chores while I was there, watching my children. The things normal adults do. Have I mentioned how great my mom is? That she makes my every visit feel stress free, even when I'm doing work with her?

Anyway, I brought a bunch of projects and my wonderful mother helped me get things together and watched the kids so I could get some of them out of the way. She is amazing. She also came to my house to help me today. I asked her to come and she did, because she is a super mom. Sometimes I just wonder how she does it, she is such a great mom, because sometimes I feel like something is missing in me. Sometimes I look at my kids and I just don't know what to do. They're happy, their basic needs are met. But something is missing.

I have been feeling lately like I need to reevaluate my parenting. I am coming to realize that raising children is just so much more than taking care of them and their needs. Argh, how do I voice this without sounding terrible?

My mom is great. I love watching her when she is with my children because I feel like she shows me how to be a mom. She plays with them, asks them questions, shows them interesting things, gets them snacks, and makes them feel important. I see it in Ben's face every time she visits.

I am good at making lists and goals and meeting specific needs. Ben is thirsty? Get him a drink. Sophie is cranky? Feed her, hold her, pacifier her, rock her, put her down. We're not saving as much as we'd like? Reevaluate the budget spreadsheet. Dishes are dirty? Do the dishes. Fridge empty? Plan meals and shop. I am good at concrete things like that.

I think that I try to fix a situation and move on to "the list." It is easy for me to feel like I've accomplished something important this way. That I'm taking care of my children by taking care of the household. But is it the best thing I should be doing? I don't think so.

I think I get Ben comfortable and step away too quickly. I think I spend too much time on the computer. I think I need to involve my children more in my tasks and, more importantly, I think I need to be a bigger part of theirs. I need to stop and play. I need to listen. I need to sing and dance with them. Teach them the best of what I know and love. I think I need to be as attached to them as I possibly can. Before they get older and start pushing me away.

I'm going to try something drastically different from the task-oriented way I've been living. I'm going to set for myself two to three things each day that are the most important concrete goals so I feel like I've accomplished something and then devote the rest of the day to spending it with my little children. For example, tomorrow my goals are to (1) get caught up with the dishes, (2) vacuum and (3) keep the computer off. The rest of the day I hope to spend playing trains, making pizza with Ben, and cuddling a not-feeling-so-well Sophie. I think this is realistic enough for me to feel like I'm still maintaining a household and still spend time with the children. Perhaps I just need to work on our quality time?

I know this post is a bit heavy, but that's what I'm feeling right now: the weight of raising two little ones to be happy and fulfilled children who trust that their mother will be there for them. The pressure is enormous sometimes. I just need to take it easy and be there for them.

On that note, what ideas do you have for spending time and playing with your children at home? How do you pass the time in a meaningful way? Ideas would be very much appreciated.

Menu Planning: Chicken Stock and Brown Rice Pilaf

2011-09-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

Meal planning is something I am still researching, so I was browsing the interwebs and came across this wonderful blog- Word of Wisdom Living. It's a reference to the Latter-day Saint doctrine of the Word of Wisdom and I am blown away by the amount of information he provides- everything from scholarly journals to life experiences. I was posting in a discussion over there on menu planning (and wrote a TON) so I thought I'd share what I wrote. :)

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I have only been menu planning for about 6 months, but I have a few things I'd like to share.

First things first- get to know what your family eats. Write down meals that your family considers "normal." This will save you a lot of brain-wracking trauma and will keep you from getting overly ambitious with changes and burning yourself out.

When getting ready to go shopping the first thing I do is check my inventory, especially what I have left from the previous week in my fridge- the fresh stuff that needs to be eaten right away. I start getting some ideas for what I'd like to use my ingredients for and check the circulars.

I live in Southern California like Skip [the blog author], so I shop at similar stores (Costco, Sprouts/Henry's, and Stater Brothers) and look for the best deals. I look for cheap cuts of meat that can be used in lots of ways. I know some people are more picky about their meat, but I try to serve it to my family conservatively and it's not an issue for us (at least not right now). I really like using whole chickens because you can get a lot out of them for .80-.99/lb. I like to cut them up myself and make stock from the back and gizzards though most grocery stores will cut them up for you free of charge (but not all). I use the stock whenever I make rice, gravy, soup, or sauces.

credit

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Crockpot Chicken Stock

Chicken Parts (back, bones, gizzards, etc)
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 onion, cut in half

Place chicken parts, carrot, celery and onion in crock pot. Fill with water, leaving about 1-2" space at the top. Cover and set on low. Cook about 10-12 hours. Take out crock, take off lid and allow to cool. Pour through a sieve into a bowl, discarding parts and vegetables (or you can eat them), and place stock in your fridge (you don't want it too hot or it will have adverse affects on the temperature of your fridge). Loosely cover and allow to cool until fats solidify on the surface. Skim away fats and store. (We keep the chicken fat and use it to cook with. Beware- don't put it in an already hot pan or it will sputter like crazy.)
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Get to know prices for items. We use rolled oats a lot and, believe it or not, the best price was a bulk bag at the regular grocery store and not at Costco like I expected. I am working on a pocket-sized notebook to keep track, but for now, it's all memory (or little notes in my planner).

I made a template on my computer for my grocery planning and print it out each week. It keeps me focused on what I need to plan for and makes menu planning that much easier. I plan on Tuesday nights (So my weekly list is Thursday-Wednesday) because that's the day the circular arrives. You don't have to plan Monday-Sunday.

Lunches are hard in my house because my husband comes home for lunch and doesn't like sandwiches. I have a hard time coming up with something that's quick and healthy, and usually one of those criteria gets sacrificed. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We recently switched from white rice to brown rice, a decision my husband still occasionally scoffs at (though I will admit, white rice is just so fluffy). I like to make kabobs and rice pilaf- we use peppers, onions, and pineapple. We use 1 cubed chicken breast to feed our family of 3, though it doesn't feel skimpy when served with our brown rice pilaf:

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Brown Rice Pilaf

2 T butter (or olive oil)
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c brown rice
2 1/2 c chicken broth, vegetable broth or 2 1/2 c water + 1 t salt

In a medium size skillet (with a lid) melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and sautee until translucent. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds to 1 minute until rendered (you can smell it). Add rice and sautee, making sure it gets coated, about 1-2 minutes. Add broth, season to taste with salt and pepper, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 45-50 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Check occasionally and add more broth or water if needed.
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I went a little crazy with this post, but menu planning is a point I firmly believe in. We have saved SO MUCH money by planning, it is ridiculous. We cut our grocery bill nearly in half just by planning our meals.

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So that's what I shared over there and I wanted to make sure I shared it with you, too. Happy meal planning!

The Three R's: A Thrifty Way to Store Bags

2011-09-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Let me just say, for the record, that I am not into the "green movement." I have lots of opinions about it that, for the moment, I will keep to myself. I do, however, believe that we are required to be good stewards of the earth and that there are merits and (frugal) benefits to living in a conservative way. I also believe that using the three "R's" (recycle, reduce, reuse) is a good way to save money and be responsible for all the excess stuff we seem to have.

I want to share with you an effective way of storing your old plastic bags from the grocery store. I know they are getting a lot of flack right now, but we reuse them all over the house as garbage liners, sack lunch bags, and wet bags for the beach, pool, or a kid's unfortunate accident (though I am using cloth grocery bags most of the time now). This storage bag is made from things I had lying around the house already and is a great way to recycle old remnants from sewing. It features a drawstring at one end for easy access or something to hang it from, plus an elastic opening on the other side.

You can easily grab a bag out of the elastic opening. This project can be done by a beginning sewer and it will save you precious cabinet space!

Supplies:

Fabric- mine measured 1 yard x 1/2 yard, but you can do any size you'd like as long as it's rectangle-ish in shape. Mine was fairly large. An old dish towel would work fine.
Thread
Elastic- at least 10", braided preferred, though whatever you have left over from other projects should work great.
A Shoelace- My husband's Vans came with two sets of shoelaces and, let's be honest, who changes those out? Ever? Anyway, the point is to use what you have lying around.
Sewing machine
Iron and board
Rotary cutter and self-healing mat or scissors (if you sew at all, I highly recommend investing in a rotary cutter system- it will make your life so much easier!)

Step 1 Square off your fabric. You can skip this if you are using an old towel. Do this by folding it in half, lining up the finished ends and cut the edges (that the fabric store made uneven) straight. If you don't have a mat, use something to help you with the 90 degree angle, like a book.

Step 2 Fold your fabric in half "hot-dog style." With right sides facing each other, sew along the long end of your rectangle. Iron seam open. At each end, fold and iron your fabric about 1/4" (again, you can skip this step with a towel).

Step 3 Fold and iron your fabric up one more time to make a casing that won't fray. I folded one end about 1" up for my shoelace casing and the other about 1/2" for the elastic casing.

Step 4 On the shoelace end, mark where you want to put your shoelace hole(s). I chose to have 2 holes, one for each end of the string, right where the long ends were sewn together and on the outside of the casing.

Step 5 Open up your casing and sew your shoelace holes using the buttonhole setting on your machine (don't mind how terrible mine are... I feel like I have to relearn how to do them every time). Using a seam ripper, open your button holes.

Step 6 Sew the shoelace casing all the way around. I didn't leave much of a seam allowance because I didn't want any plastic bags to get caught on open edges.

Step 7 Sew your elastic casing and leave 1-2" open.

Step 8 Using a safety pin (or in my case, a paper clip) insert your elastic through the casing. I just took out my big spool of elastic I had laying around and didn't cut it to size until I had drawn it through.

Step 9 Sew your elastic at the length you would like, making sure you leave a little slack so you can get your hand through the hole. Trim off excess and sew the casing closed.

And you're done!

This project really opened up a lot of cabinet space for me! I didn't realize how out of control it all was...

Before:

After:

What a difference, huh?

Goals

2011-08-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

I think I need to simmer down just a bit.

I have been doing a lot of research on healthy living, and while that's a positive thing, I've noticed that I haven't been taking care of the other important parts of my life. Obsessing over using white sugar vs. honey or organic vs. regular produce is stressing me out. It feels like it's a never ending can of worms; once I feel like I've made progress towards a more healthy, traditional lifestyle with our food, something else pops up.

The result of all my time researching healthier lifestyle changes is that I feel inadequate.

While I think it's important to work on improving ourselves throughout our lives, I've felt like someone's expecting me to be able to bench press 200 pounds. I am just not capable of making that amount of change all at once- at least not yet.

So, I've thought deep and hard about why I do things. Why do I feel the need to improve our lifestyle? Why on earth do I cloth diaper (and even enjoy it)? Why do I shop at three different stores for groceries? Why do I stay at home instead of getting a job? Why do I want to have more children? Why do I cook food from scratch? Why do I do all these things when sometimes they are just plain difficult?

The answers, for me, are two fold. First, I enjoy it. I love seeing improvement. I love to make things more beautiful. I love cooking something that tastes fantastic. I love knowing that I saved a bunch of money because of the work that I've done. I love watching every moment of my children growing up.

Second, and I think this really is the clincher, I am trying to nurture an eternal family with strong, enduring bonds. A few weeks ago I was struck with the what this means to me: I am in charge of giving my children the best possible circumstances to grow up as strong, successful people with motives governed by a perspective for the long term. I am trying to help ourselves become the best we can.

Typing that out made me feel a little stressed out. Deep breaths, Alicia. Deep breaths.

I think understanding the why- my motives and desires- will help me determine my priorities for my family. I don't need to stress out about the fact that I am (as yet) unwilling to give up white sugar or lysol.

It's okay for me to rearrange my priorities for what will work best for my family. And that realization has helped me get to a place where the perspective is a bit clearer.

On that note, I want to share with you a goal I've made for myself over the next year: I am going to read the standard works all the way through. So that means I'll be reading the Old Testament, New Testament, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Originally my plan was just to read the Old Testament because, I'll be honest, I've never read it all the way through. I've studied certain books of it, but never the whole thing. So I planned it all out and I made a schedule!

There are 1,581 chapters total, so that averages 4.3 chapters a day over the course of a year. I assigned myself 4 chapters a day with 5 chapters every 3 days, but when I wrote it all out I had 5 days left over (next year has a leap day)- perfect for days when I'm too sick/tired/busy/crazy to read. We'll see how it all works out.

I just have felt so much relief and peace with my little epiphany. Not that this is an occasion to slack off- far from it- but I finally feel like it's okay if my priorities are different than everyone else's, and that is a great thing.

The "Proper" Way to Cut a Melon

2011-08-19T00:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been away for a while! Summertime has been quite busy for us.

I have been working on a few sewing projects that I hope to have up soon, including the elusive diaper cover tutorial. For now, I wanted to share with you a great way to get the most out of your melons, as they are certainly in the peak of their season.

Back when Stephen and I first got married, I bought lots of oranges and cut them up as a snack. He looked at my cutting job and said, "What did you do to those?" Another time I was helping my sister-in-law prepare food for a family dinner by cutting up a melon. She glanced over at my work and said, "Here, let me help you with that."

Apparently I used to cut my produce in a not-so-mainstream way. Or my in-laws are food snobs. Either way, I want to show you the best way to cut a melon so you get the most out of it with the least amount of work (don't worry, my in-laws are great people and have shown me the light- at least when it comes to food prep).

Step 1 Cut off the ends of your melon (where the stem was) making sure you cut through part of the flesh (ew, that's a weird word) and not just the rind.

Step 2 Set the melon on its end. It will now balance quite well, making it easy to cut.

Step 3 Cut the rest of the rind off, cutting into the flesh (about 1/4-1/2" away from the rind- and it's still a weird word) following the curve of the rind. Cut all the "white" off.

Step 4 Admire your work. Isn't it pretty? Now cut it vertically in half straight through the middle.

Step 5 Lay each half on their sides. From here on out, you can cut it into whatever shapes you want, but I like cubes. Cut horizontally every 1" to 1 1/2" so the pieces will be mostly even.

Step 6 Cut long-ways keeping the same spacing you used going horizontally. See where this is going?

Step 7 Now cut the other direction, again using the same spacing, and voila! Beautiful fruity cubes!

I love cutting my large fruit this way. I put my melon in a big tupperware container and it's ready to go for any of our meals, plus I don't have to worry about the kids eating the rinds. However, I've always wondered what pickled melon rind tastes like (Laura Ingalls Wilder, anyone?). Anyway, good luck!

P.S. My way of cutting oranges is better than Stephen's. Just kidding. To each their own.

Fumigation Woes and... Homemade Granola!

2011-07-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, sorry for the absence. Things have been crazy around here to say the least.

Last September, I noticed a bug with wings on Sophie's play mat. I picked up the mat to shake off the bug outside and underneath were about 30 more! I took it outside, got my vacuum and got rid of them. I started looking around my living room and noticed four or five more sitting on our couch! Yuck. Turned out they were termites and were starting to swarm and, fortunately, that was the worst it got.

Our apartment manager promised a fumigation in the next year before they began to swarm again, so here we are. Last week we got fumigated and UGH- what an annoying process. We had to put anything digestible into plastic bags which included medicine, toothpaste, spices, everything in our fridge, freezer and more. Oh, and did I mention we couldn't be in our house for 2 days? I know that goes with the territory, but UGH.

Our landlord has been very generous, actually, and put up everyone in our building in a local hotel, but we opted to take a prorated discount to our rent and spend a few days with Stephen's family. We knew we would save more money that way by avoiding eating out, plus I wanted to keep Sophie away from the house for an extra day. I wasn't sure if/how her little body would react to the trace amounts (we're talking 20 parts per million, not much at all) that are allowed for re-entrance into the building. I also needed the extra day to get the house back together so I wouldn't have to worry about the kids getting into everything. Stephen's parents are so generous.

So, that's what we've been up to. Which means my meal planning thing has gone to pot. But, here we are at the beginning of another month, so I can really implement the goals I had last month of limiting going out to eat and preparing freezer items for meals. The next two months will be a challenge because we are going to two family reunions and will be traveling, but planning ahead will make all the difference, I think.

Today I need to prepare a lot of things for my kitchen. I need to:

Toast Granola for breakfasts and snacks
Make Granola Bars
Cook, package, and freeze beans
Bake bread

That sounds like a lot, but the beans take little to no effort and the other items come pretty easily to me now that I make them so regularly. Can I just say that not having to purchase cold cereal has saved us a TON of money?! It requires a little more effort on my part, but it's been totally worth it. Cold cereal has moved from our "necessity" list onto our "special-treat-when-it's-an-amazing-price" list.

photo credit

We love our granola. We eat it with milk, yogurt, or alone as a snack. I found a wonderful recipe from Kitchen Stewardship that I love. Please go to her site and browse her great recipes (on a side note, I have a different recipe for granola bars that I like better. I'll share that with you later!). This granola is sweet, nutty and has a nice coconut flavor. Delicious.

Coconut Granola

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

3 cups rolled oats (old fashioned or quick oats will work fine, doesn't matter)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (these are very inexpensive)
1/2 cup other nut (whatever is on sale, or more sunflower seeds)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Variations to add at this point:

1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup wheat flour or germ (if you struggle to get your family to eat grains)
1 cup dried fruit (raisins, craisins, dried berries, chopped dried mango, etc)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a medium saucepan (or in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time between stirring), melt together:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey (I store mine in the fridge because it's old and I don't want it to spoil, so it's pretty hard and needs to be melted. Stephen's grandmother gave us a a couple gallons of honey a while back, haha)

When melted together (and NOT boiling) remove from heat then add:

1/6 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour over dry ingredients and mix together. There are two options to toast it from here:

Option A

Spread granola in a shallow baking pan and bake at 250 degrees. Stir after 30 minutes, bake another 5 or so (to get the oven back up to temperature) then turn off the oven, leaving the door closed, and leave overnight. For this method, the layer of granola must be very thin so it will crisp, so I recommend using something like a jelly roll pan.

Option B

Put the granola in a 9x13 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then stir. Put back in the oven. Every 5 minutes stir the granola. Scrape the bottom of the pan and move it all around so it doesn't burn. Continue stirring every 5 minutes until granola is golden and crispy. It will change from the milky oatmeal color to a rich, toasted, golden brown color. If in doubt, taste it to see how crunchy it is, but be careful as it is easy to let it go an extra cycle and begin to taste a little burned. This process will take approximately 30-35 minutes.

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I use option B most often, as I usually make granola bars or get my bread dough going at the same time. It all depends on how you want to use your time and how soon you need your granola! I'm been known to procrastinate a bit and bake it the morning I need it.

Happy baking!

Food will make us or break us.

2011-06-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit

I know I haven't been posting about my challenge to follow a weekly menu, but here's why: it's been working. Last month I came in $9.40 under budget! How great is that?!

I know that we still need to work on a few things to help our budget, so I have some new goals for the coming month (wait, we're midway through, aren't we? darn).

Genuinely limit the frequency we go out to eat. Once a week is NOT okay.

Going out to eat is a budget buster. It will kill us (in more ways than one, ha). Though I did great with the groceries, we were $60 over our eating out budget. SIXTY. DOLLARS. Not okay.

The one exception I will make for this rule is for our anniversary next month. We are going to Houston's restaurant and then to see Les Miserables at the Ahmanson Theater in downtown L.A. I love Houston's. Having worked there, I know that they have great quality food and I am okay with splurging a little. Ok, it will be a pretty big splurge, but worth it in my eyes.

My next goal is related to my first goal:

Make easy-fix homemade freezer meals for busy or "do I really have to cook today?" days.

With some planning this shouldn't be too difficult. Last month I made a big batch of pinto beans and froze the portions. They were easy to defrost (I stored them in quart-sized freezer bags) and were versatile. We used them in taco salad, fajitas and bean burritos. I'm sure I could have thought of other uses but these were simple and (not including the fajitas) didn't take a lot of effort. I just cooked the beans throughout the day in my crockpot. Easy.

I need other things like this. I had a friend who did freezer meatballs, but I am too cheap to buy the ground beef to do this and we don't eat them often enough to make it worth it for me. Something delicious, but also frugal. Ideas?

The last month has really been an eye opener for me. Through our (mostly) excellent planning we were able to have a $700 surplus and pay off our debt!

We're debt free!

Phew! What a relief! We've paid off over $20,000 in debt over the last two years. Please keep in mind that we are not wealthy, at least by American standards. We have one income and live in a relatively expensive part of the country.

The key to it for us was to make paying off our debt a priority. We set a goal to have our debt paid off by our fifth anniversary (3 weeks from now). It wasn't an arbitrary date. We made a budget, determined what our monthly surplus was and started making cuts and asking ourselves a lot of questions. Did we really "need" all the things we were spending my money on?

All our major cuts to the budget were on food. In the same month last year I spent $527.98 on food. This year I spent $244.75. That's a $283.23 difference! Holy cow! I had to exhibit a lot of self control, especially at places like Costco where many staples (milk, butter and eggs) are cheaper. We are trying to keep the ball rolling as we now save for a house.

The irony of spending less money is that we've actually been eating better. I love making things from scratch- just having that knowledge makes me feel empowered and knowing exactly what we're eating feels great. I've never felt so satisfied with the meals I prepare and the pride I have in our food.

I know I can improve, though. I am trying to slowly phase out processed foods by eliminating or replacing them with ones I make from scratch. Recently I began making yogurt, granola and granola bars. They are all very tasty and Stephen now requests granola for breakfast.

So please, I beg of you, what meals do you find freeze well and are good for those times when you can't (or don't want to) cook?

Aaron & Kempo

2011-06-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of going to my cousins wedding last month and I offered to do their flowers as our gift to them. My cousin Aaron married Kempo, an awesome girl with an individual, unique sense of style, so I had a lot of fun!

Kempo is Korean and Mexican so she integrated both parts of her heritage into the wedding. First big rule with Korean weddings: no white. Initially she was going with just a blue and red theme, but we added the yellow as an accent color which went perfectly with what she was going for. She wanted bright, bright, bright. She wore a white dress for the ceremony and a traditional Korean dress for the reception.

The bride's bouquet- she added tiny bees to it. I used gerbera daisies, carnations, goldenrod, waxflower, lemon leaf, hypericum berry and billy balls.

The bridesmaid's bouquets. I used the same flowers as the bride but in a smaller arrangement.

I wrapped the handles of the bouquets in two ribbons. This is the bride's handle.

I used tall, skinny vases with a few gerberas, waxflower and lemon leaf for the centerpieces. The vases were about 2 1/2 feet tall.

Here's my cousin, the groom!

Sorry this is sideways, but this is an example of the boutonnieres I made. I used mini carnations, billy balls, hypericum berry, waxflower and leatherleaf. I wanted something kinda funky for Kempo and I think this hit the nail on the head.

Aunt Dian, the mother of the groom! She's wearing a red carnation corsage.

The ADORABLE wedding cake topper (again, sorry it's sideways).

Best part of the day: a piñata!

Even the bride took a swing!

We had such a good time!

It was such a great day, and they are such a cute couple. The ceremony was beautiful and fun (she pledged to protect him from zombies) and the reception was wonderful. What a perfect day. We wish you guys the best in your new life together!

Cloth Diapering

2011-05-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention this (I was very busy doing wedding flowers on Friday) but I was featured on my friend Jordan's website, The Fun, Cheap, or Free Queen in her series about cloth diapers.

Head over and check it out for my take on how to use prefolds, flats and covers!

P.S. I really am going to post a tutorial on how I make my covers- this week, I promise. :)

Meal Plan Wednesday

2011-05-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm a little late with this, but it's been a busy week. I do flowers and I have two weddings coming up- one this Saturday and one next Saturday! I'm trying to get my house in order before tomorrow, when I get the flowers, so I am so busy! But I think I should qualify "do flowers" as you may begin to think I'm some professional or something. It's just a hobby that I love. I took a class in college and did my brother-in-law's wedding. It was so fun! I only do it for myself, friends, or family. Especially weddings. We've all met bridezillas and I have no intention of subjecting myself to someone that nit-picky. I won't do it under those circumstances. It's something that's fun for me and that's all there is to it.

End rant.

Alright, on to the plan. For this week I tried to choose some easier meals, especially for the weekend, because of our busy schedule. I'm also going to try my hand at making my own granola, granola bars, and bread.

Breakfast
Granola - sunflower seeds, walnuts, coconut, flax seed meal, milk
Yogurt
Cream of wheat
Cereal

Lunch
Leftovers
Sandwiches

Dinner
W French onion soup, salad - onion (.25/lb), Swiss cheese
T   Chicken tacos - jalapeno
F   Pizza - red onion, bell pepper
S Sandwiches, apples & granola bars
M Bean burritos - flour tortillas, garlic, jalapeno
T Shepherd's pie - ground beef

Snack
Granola bars
Oranges
Honeydew

Other
Toilet paper
Dawn dish soap

So how did I do?

Costco           14.63
Sprouts          22.44
Stater Bros      7.86
TOTAL         44.93

Drats. Part of the problem was purchasing yogurt (2.49) and the Swiss cheese (2.69). That alone makes up the difference, but next time I won't have to buy granola ingredients. I think buying a smaller amount of cheese from the deli counter might help as well, plus I plan on trying my hand at making yogurt, which is why I bought it in the first place. You need active yogurt cultures to make your own. I also went a little produce crazy, but at least we'll be eating well.

Did I mention how excited I am about the jam I made? No? Well, it set up perfectly and tasted divine. I love mixing it into things like cream of wheat or yogurt. Delicious. I store mine in quart sized ziploc bags because they last longer and store better in the freezer. I can't give too much of it away because I'm not planning on making more; last year I made 4 batches whereas I only made 2 this year.

I think I'm still on the road to budgeting success, I just need to execute my plan better.

Must... resist... spending... money...

The Beast That is the Budget

2011-05-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

photo credit

As I've stated here before, we are trying to pay off our student loans. Boy, what a beast it has been.

We are so very lucky that our college expenses were reasonable. However, with both of us attending, then having a baby, we found that for our last year of school we had to take out quite a bit in loans. Now, here we are after 2 1/2 years, and there's only $2000 left to go! Just gotta keep our expenses low so we can finish those off.

I'm trying to stick to our budget, but every month it feels like something goes wrong.

For example, in April we spent $100 because I took Ben to the emergency room. Is there an alternative? For us, I think there might be. First, I think I need to step back and really evaluate how my child is doing. Is this an emergency? Or can I take my child to the urgent care instead? It's only a $10 copay. That's a $90 difference.

Then, there's Costco. We signed up for the American Express Costco card, and it's been pretty nice so far. We get cash back, and last year we earned $80 just by using the card. Nice. However, I've always thought credit cards feel like magic money; you can whip it out anytime and it'll work. It's bad, bad, bad. Dangerous. I think the key to overcoming this is to keep track of all my expenses, whether it's maintaining a checkbook ledger or collecting receipts.

I've decided to collect receipts and evaluate our expenses weekly, probably on Tuesdays when I make my grocery list for the week. I've also decided to freeze some of our leftovers so there are quick-fix meals available. Then maybe (just maybe) we'll be less likely to eat out.

Another challenge I've noticed is that it's hard to ignore that we have money. Not a ton of money, but we are never strapped for cash. Maintaining a frugal lifestyle isn't necessary, but it's the way we've chosen to live. I know that by saving money now, we are saving for the future, whether it's a future home, dishwasher, car, or child . . . the list goes on and on.

Self-motivation is difficult, but as I've gotten older I've realized it's just something you have to do. How do we stay motivated? I'm honestly not sure. I think it's a combination of things. Personality and established money habits have a lot to do with it, though I've noticed that I have grown much more thrifty over the years. See? Change is possible.

How about you? How have your money habits changed? How do you stay motivated toward your financial goals?

Osama bin Laden

2011-05-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

So, they finally got him.

I usually don't comment on political things (and yes, I think this topic could be considered political) but the war on terror has been a part of my life since I was in high school (yes, I know that really dates me- I'm a baby). As a high school student, I thought that all my guy friends would be drafted and that life would never be the same. I thought it would be interesting to share with you what my 15 year-old self wrote about 9/11, so here are some excerpts from my journal:

"The biggest event in the world's history of Terrorism: September 11, 2001

Today, what was said to be the worst attack on American soil took place. The World Trade Center, the Twin Towers, have been completely and utterly destroyed. Part of the pentagon has been destroyed and was on fire. They say over 10,000 people have died.

However, these were no ordinary destructions (sic). Planes were used. The terrorists went on suicide missions and ran the plane (sic) into the towers . . . . These men were members of Bin Laden's terrorist community. That is all I wish to say right now.

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2001

Today the President declared war against ~~Afghanistan~~ Terrorism. WE ARE OFFICIALLY AT WAR. All I know is that I'm really scared.

p.s. School games (sports) and homework are still proceeding as usual.

Sunday, Sept. 16 2001

I got my facts messed up. The president did not OFFICIALLY declare war, but he said that any country who harbors Bin Laden, we consider that country to be the same as him. I'm not scared anymore. . . .

September 18 - Tuesday

Today was the week aniversary (sic) of the tragedy in NY and Washington. I hope the country can heal itself. I hope we don't go to war.

November 22 Thursday

There's been a big anthrax scare being carried through the mail. We are totally wiping out the Taliban in Afghanistan. Surprisingly, no one has turned in Osama Bin Laden yet, considering the reward for him has reached 72 million - dead or alive."

I hope you don't mind, but I edited a lot out about boys. That's different subject matter entirely (and you're not ever reading that, mind you).

I know I wasn't the most eloquent teenager, but I remember how scared I was when I wrote about what happened that day. I don't think I knew how to react. The idea of war being a part of my generation didn't even occur to me. I'd completely forgotten about the anthrax scare and how positive the news was about the war at first; see that, up there? "We are totally wiping out the Taliban?" News media has certainly changed its tune a bit in the last 10 years.

I have some mixed feelings about this newest piece of news. I'm relieved that they finally got him. I'm sad that we've been at war so long. I'm happy for the families of the victims of 9/11. I can't help but feel a little irony that some of us are dancing in the streets they way they did after that Tuesday.

This evening we were driving home and saw a man waving a flag in the street. I didn't know why at the time and I'm ashamed to admit that I thought he was a total loon. I think I understand.

Bin Laden has been the face of terrorism for 10 years and today we got the news that he is dead and gone from this world. I don't think it is wrong to feel a little swelling of pride. We have been waiting for this for so long.

We were so positive and unified in our love for this country. I remember hearing and singing "God Bless the U.S.A." all the time back in 2001. I'm not gonna lie; I love that song.

"I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me
And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land; God bless the U.S.A."

I tear up every time I hear it and I don't care that it's cheesy. I realized this evening that we don't own an American flag. I remember growing up that each national holiday my mother would get out our fringed flag and carry it with reverence to our porch and set it up, carefully and gingerly sliding the flag onto its pole and easing it into its bracket. I remember the peace in her face and her smiles at me.

I think it's time to invest in a flag.

I want my children to know what a blessing it is to live here. They get to vote. They get to live. They can make life better for themselves. I know the American dream means different things to everyone, and some people discount it entirely, but I think it's important to recognize that it still means something. I think it's about potential, the potential to become something more. And it's still important to me.

After reflecting on all this, I feel a call to action to teach my children about life, principles of loyalty, honor and patriotism. I feel gratitude toward the men and women who have been fighting all these years. I need to remember how blessed we really are.

What about you? How have your feelings changed (or not) in the last 10 years?

Easter

2011-04-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

We are fortunate enough to live close to a lot of family. Or not so fortunate, depending on how you look at it. :) Each holiday we have to make a decision as to who to spend it with, and let me tell you, it can be pretty heart-wrenching. At least, it is for me.

As the kids get older and we start doing more holiday celebrating on our own, I think it will slowly get easier as others start joining us, rather than us joining them. I look forward to establishing our own traditions, but I'm not worried about it at the moment since the children are so young. For now, I will appreciate the opportunities we are given, because I know what it's like to be away from your family when all you want to do is see them and get a few hugs.

This year we went to Grandma and Grandpa Torgeson's in Glendale. They are Stephen's mother's parents, and they are wonderful. They live very close to Griffith Park and let me drop by whenever I'm in the neighborhood. Plus, Grandma Torgeson makes the best food. Ever.

After big holiday meals at the Torgeson's we go for walks through the neighborhood. It's an older neighborhood with beautiful houses, but it's really hilly! The pictures don't really do it justice.

Ben got pretty tired and I forgot to bring the stroller (whoops) so he needed a lot of motivation. He was such a trooper!

The main reason for the walk on Easter is to get the kids out of the house so the grown-ups can hide the eggs. It was Stephen's job this year, and he was pretty effective. Ben needed help for some of them, since Stephen would do things like hide a yellow egg in a lemon tree.

The next oldest after Ben is Jonny, who is in high school. Ben absolutely LOVES Jonny and follows him around whenever they're together.

We had such a good time. Thank you, Torgesons!

Meal Plan Wednesday

2011-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Here I am with another report from the front. The store front, that is.

This week (well, the last few anyway) presented a special challenge to me because we are approaching the end of strawberry season. "But, Alicia!" I hear you say, "Strawberries are available year-round!" Why yes, they are. But can you get deliciously sweet, melt-your-taste-buds, quality strawberries year-round? Absolutely not.

I make strawberry jam every year. Well, I have since last year when I moved to a city with strawberry fields growing next to main streets. Jam has to be made from quality ingredients or the end product is watery or pulpy, so I feel so lucky that we live in an area that produces amazing, quality strawberries. My dilemma for this year was that they tend to be pretty expensive (I didn't care as much about the price last year). A half flat of seconds (perfect strawberries, usually used for dipping in chocolate, are firsts, while seconds still have the great taste of firsts but are usually shaped funny and thus, cheaper) runs about $16 at my local grower. A half flat of strawberries is about 5-6 pounds, so that comes to about $2.65 a pound. Sorry, but that is not a good price.

photo credit

I told myself that if I saw good, quality (I mean, nearly perfect) strawberries go through my regular supermarket at an amazing price, I would give in and buy them. I didn't think it would happen, but it did! My local store was selling one pound packages of excellent strawberries for... $.88/pound! I was so excited! I bought 4 pounds and I already had a leftover package of pectin (I use Sure Jell), so we are making jam tomorrow. Dilemma solved.

Here's the plan for the week (parenthesis are things I needed to purchase that I didn't already have):

Breakfast
Cream of Wheat
Cereal (milk)
Pancakes

Dinner
W Pasta & Salad (lettuce, bell pepper)
T Scalloped Potatoes with Ham (potatoes)
F Pizza (bell pepper)
S Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Green Beans (chicken @ .75/lb)
M Chicken Tacos (jalapeno)
T Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Carrots (chicken @ .75/lb)

Extras
Watermelon
Strawberries
Face Moisturizer
(Possibly Cadbury Eggs? No, they were already out.)

Sprouts                6.87
Stater Bros        18.16
Costco           12.98
TOTAL            $38.01

Woot! We did it again! A whole $1.99 under! And I can still make jam! Maybe I can still go find those chocolate eggs somewhere.

This whole thing still amazes me and the money we are saving is shocking. Last year (April 2010) we spent a whopping $476.17 on grocery shopping and diapers. This month (including my trips to Joanne's for diapering materials), we've spent $214.88. That's a $258.29 difference! Holy cow! Imagine what we could do with that!

I think it's safe to say that we really do have control over our finances (at least the grocery part). Last year I thought I was doing all I could. Apparently not. :) Because I stay home, I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure we have an efficient household, not to mention a healthy one. I have really enjoyed this last month. I've noticed a marked difference in the way we've approached dinner. People in my house are happier. I love knowing what I'm making, and dinner doesn't feel as much like a chore. It almost seems like I should feel the opposite, but I've freed up so much time and worry!

Here's to happy planning!

Not Just Meal Planning...

2011-04-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking more about the blog and how I tend to get overly involved in something and it sort of overtakes my life. Like meal planning. I'm really good at concentrating on one thing, but then other things get left out or left behind in the dust of my creativity or determination. I must be better at balance.

Speaking of balance, I've been trying to do yoga (thank you netflix for instant streaming) and I found a video that I like because it has only 10 minute increments. That means I can actually complete something while the kiddos are otherwise occupied. Meanwhile, I'm not sure yoga is really "me." There's a lot of "relaxing" breathing in the video... along with loud breathing sounds for when you're supposed to exhale. I understand that is part of the exercise, but really... it's a bit distracting at times. Plus, I fall over a lot. I am just not a physical person.

So the latest project I have taken on has been another money saving strategy. I am switching to cloth diapers. Yes, you read that right. Initially I was only going to switch Ben to help with his potty training, as he had no problem sitting in a full disposable diaper all day. He just didn't care if he was wet or dirty, so the move to cloth was designed to help him feel when he was wet or dry. It totally worked! We did cloth off and on with him for about 3 weeks, alternating between cloth diapers and underwear. He'll go whenever we tell him, but he needs to be reminded. Overall, he is doing great and will even stay dry through the entire night. What a pro!

Now we are moving to cloth for Sophie. I've been researching a lot on the internet because cloth diapers are not how they used to be! My favorite brand is called Thirsties, a system involving a cover and inserts. To save money I am making the covers myself, as they cost about $13.00 each. The covers are adjustable so they will fit her through multiple sizes and I bought simple Gerber birdseye prefolds. It's working pretty well so far. Here's my favorite cover I've made so far:

The materials I used were a waterproof polyurethane laminate for the lining, a poly-cotton blend for the cover, and fold over elastic for the binding. It was surprisingly easy to make and took about 2 hours from start to finish, but I was moving slow because I had to draft a pattern and I'd never made one like this before. I'm sure it will move faster. I'll be saving about $50 a month on diapers, not to mention that I've learned a skill that will save money for all our future children. The supplies for everything cost about $75 which included prefolds, fabric, and notions for about 20 diapers. Not including the cost of prefolds (about $20) that comes to $2.75 a cover! I also bought fabric to make swim diapers and lined training pants for nighttime. This was well worth the investment for me.

Speaking of saving money, here's my menu for the week:

Breakfast
Pancakes (buttermilk)
Cream of Wheat
Cereal

Lunch
Leftovers
Sandwiches

Dinner
W Cream of Broccoli Soup & Rolls (broccoli, cream)
T Chicken Fajitas (bell pepper, red onion)
F Pizza (bell pepper, onion, sausage, cheese)
S Beef Back Ribs, Potato Salad, Green Beans (ribs @ 1.47 lb)
M Bean Burritos
T Ham and Bean Soup, Rolls, Salad (navy beans, red bell pepper, egg, lettuce)

Stater Bros       15.33
Sprouts            4.08
Costco    17.97
Total            37.38

Do you see that total? We did it! I think using inexpensive meats, having two vegetarian meals and using dried beans helped a lot.

Stephen has the day off from work tomorrow, so we're going to have a fun Friday together. :) TTFN.

Meal Plan Wednesday

2011-04-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's Friday. Sorry this is late.

It's been a busy week for us, as we had a funeral yesterday for a friend of the family. It was sad, though her death was expected because of a brain tumor. I must say, it was probably one of the most uplifting (almost happy) funerals I've ever been to. The woman who passed away was such a selfless, friendly person and I think her family was relieved that the fight was over. Her grandchildren sang, we sang a song she wrote with a choir that got together Wednesday, and the mood in the room was peaceful and celebratory. It felt like we were all patting her on the back whispering "Good job, Linda" in her ear.

Anyway, despite the busy-ness of the week I was still able to get our grocery shopping done. Here's our meal plan for the next week:

Breakfast
Cereal
Muffins
Pancakes

Lunch
Sandwiches
Leftovers

Dinner
W Tortilla Soup (Got moved b/c of the funeral- we ate at Stephen's parent's house)
T Bean Burritos (Also moved b/c of the funeral- ate at In n Out, which is covered by a separate $20/month eating out budget)
F Pizza
S BBQ Chicken Strips, Potato Salad, Green Beans
M Mac & Cheese, Smoked Sausage, Sauteed Spinach
T Chicken Fajitas

Snacks
Bananas
Watermelon
Pretzels
Juice for Ben

Baby
Rice cereal
Green Beans

My estimate for the week came out to exactly $40 (woot). However, I realized that I was nearly out of butter, and I use butter frequently. I have no shame about this. There is nothing tastier than a creamy, slightly salty addition to vegetables or baked items. Also, butter is my preferred fat for sauces, soups and gravies. The cheapest butter I found listed on sale was for $3 a pound! Ridiculous! Since when is that a sale?! At Costco I was able to purchase it for $2.32 a pound, but I had to buy 4 pounds. That set me back nearly $10, but it will last over a month if I limit my baking. Another thing that set me back more than I would have liked was a cereal sale at Albertsons. They were selling cereal at $1.75 a box, but you had to buy 4. That should last me 1-2 months.

Total for the week: $54.62

Not great. So, where did I go wrong? I spent the following:

Sprouts (produce) 9.13
Costco (diary, juice) 28.06
Albertsons (cereal) 7.79
Stater Bros (meat, grocery) 9.64

I think it's safe to say that Costco is the bane of my existence. Speaking of Costco, I had the following conversation with the clerk at check out:

"Has anyone offered you the executive membership yet?"
"Yes, I'm not interested."
"Um, you spend a lot of money here!"
"I know. I'm trying to change that."
"You have 2 babies! That's not going to change. Every time you eliminate one expense something else will come up. You should really think about getting the executive membership."
"Yeah, I'm still trying to be better about my spending..."

That whole experience made me want to NEVER get that executive membership. And slap her. I really am trying to do better. I mean, I only bought 4 things at Costco and I'm trying to only purchase necessities, like eggs, milk, cheese, or potatoes. Things that are always less expensive there. I could probably eliminate apple juice, but I'm trying to water it down so we go through it more slowly, and if I got rid of it I'd have one angry toddler. Anyway, I still want to smack that lady for telling me that I can't get any better with my spending habits. It reminded me of those lap band billboards that say, "Diets Fail! Lap Band Works!" I hate those- really, what a downer.

I think my grocery budget will have to come down to an average of $40 a week so that when I need to buy a lot of something, I can. After the month is out, I'll know for sure if I can do this and if it's realistic.

photo credit

Let me explain why I go to so many stores. Firstly, I have the time to go to them. Secondly, it is less expensive for me to drive around than to ignore the deals and only shop at one store. Sprouts is amazing and has double ad Wednesdays, when their ads overlap between weeks and I can get consistently great prices on fresh produce (bell peppers at .77 each and heads of lettuce for .50, etc). Their produce is quality and some of the best I've seen in the area. However, I will never buy other items from them because they specialize in organic/whole foods. They are expensive. This is the case for the other stores I shop at: good prices and quality for some things, yet terrible prices or quality for others. If there was a store that existed with great prices and good quality for every item I needed I would go there, but there isn't a place like that where I live. It only exists in my imagination.

I do not coupon because I generally try not to buy prepared foods and that's usually what coupons are for. I always try to use them if they are in a grocery ad. I will use them for specific items items I need, like face wash or toilet paper, but I sign up for specific newsletters for online coupons. That's the extent I go.

Lesson learned for the week: It's only a good deal if you would normally buy the item. For example, if soda were on sale next week for .50 a liter (in my dreams) I wouldn't buy it even though it's a fantastic price. Why? I don't usually purchase soda, so I'm still spending extra money for something I wouldn't buy anyway. If I were planning a party in the near future? Then I would purchase it because I would have bought it in the near future. Root beer... yum...

Happy shopping and happy weekend!

The Beach

2011-04-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

We went to the beach a few weeks back with my good friend, Jessica. The kids had a blast! Ben has always hated the sand, but Sophie loves it! Here she is digging her first hole:

We love the beach!

If you look carefully, you can almost see Catalina Island!

Grocery Store Lessons

2011-04-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I put my grocery and meal plan into action and was a little shocked by the results.

I went through my cupboards and made a list, deciding meals mostly based on what I had. I followed a meal plan template similar to this one I found through a link on Dave Ramsey's website (love his financial planning stuff, by the way) and here's what mine looked like:

Breakfast
Cereal
Cinnamon Rolls
Pancakes

Lunch
Leftovers (this is what we usually eat)
Sandwiches

Dinner
Sweet & Sour Pork with Fried Rice
Roast Chicken with Rice Pilaf
Pizza (probably a white pizza because I already had most of the ingredients)
Shepherd's Pie
Chicken Parmesan
Bean Burritos

Snacks
Pretzels
Apples
Melon
Chips & Salsa

Baby
Rice Cereal w/squash or green beans

After I made my list I found I only had to buy THREE THINGS. I only needed to purchase eggs, spinach for the white pizza (which I didn't really need to purchase) and a can of pineapple for the Sweet & Sour Pork. Obviously every week won't be like this, but I don't think I realized how much food I had in my fridge and my cupboards, and I find this a little frightening. I thought I was running a semi-tight ship, but I guess not.

My eyes have been opened to the failure that is my kitchen efficiency.

I think the real test of running a $40 a week kitchen will come when I don't already have a ton of meat stockpiled in my freezer. But here are a few lessons I've learned so far:

Plan your meals using your weekly grocery ads for deals. Don't try to do this at the store. I found that even though I had already made my list, the pressure to impulse buy and change my list was quite tempting. I always tend to go into a daze when I walk into a store and I feel like saying, "Oh. Shiny things."

Incorporate food storage items into your meals. I was trying to come up with a meal that didn't require me to purchase meat as this can be a very high ticket item. I thought about it and remembered my giant can of pinto beans in my food storage and decided that we were going to have bean burritos. Beans take a long time but don't require a lot of work. If your beans are old (like mine), you can add baking soda to the soaking water to them to help them get softer, though you must rinse it off before cooking.

Estimate your cost before you get there. This can save a lot of headaches at the store, especially for people like me with small children who need to get in and out quickly. Some grocery stores have their items listed online, like Vons. I like using their site because typically it's a little more expensive there and I can almost guarantee that I won't underestimate my costs, though I always make adjustments for what's on sale on my favorite grocery store.

Bring a calculator. I like knowing exactly what I'll be spending so I can put things back if I'm going over budget. Most, if not all, cell phones have a convenient calculator application already there, but I prefer using an actual calculator. I like writing down the cost of the item next to it on my list so I can make more specific adjustments.

photo credit

So that's what I've learned so far. Hopefully I can stick with the plan!

Welcome Back

2011-04-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, I'm back. It's been long enough, I think.

Our holidays were great. But I didn't send out over half of our Christmas cards. Better luck next year, I guess.

We have been pretty busy with the kids. Ben is now three years old and my dear daughter will be nine months in a few weeks! The speed of life is mind boggling sometimes.

We are about 2000 dollars away from being completely debt free and it feels amazing. Between student loans, medical bills and a car it's been an interesting ride. We have been working on this since we graduated two years ago and are excited to be nearly finished paying it all off.

Next goal- buy a house. That's a lot of money.

I have been reevaluating our budget today and trying to figure out where we can save more money, and we haven't been so great with the grocery budget. For a while we've been justifying spending extra on groceries so we don't go out to eat, but that clearly doesn't work since we've been eating out anyway.

I'm going to try and feed a family of four (well, three and a half) on $40 a week. April will be our experiment month to see if I can pull this off (though, I'll admit, I'm fairly skeptical I can do it). I have a few tricks up my sleeve to try and accomplish our goal:

Plan every meal, especially dinners.
Treat meat as a side.
Plan a few quick and easy meals so I don't burn out and give up.

I think if I make and stick to a plan I could be successful.

On a side note, we watched conference this weekend with family and it was great. I always come away feeling so pumped to improve my life. Speaking of life, here are some pictures of the babies:

My little sister takes fire dancing classes and she totally works it. It looks awesome on camera:

Crazy

2010-11-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

Ben and I went to the hospital today- he had a temp of 105 and was vomiting, so off we went. Fortunately Stephen was home so I didn't have to worry about bringing Sophie to the hospital, the un-happiest place on earth.

Ben had to get chest x-rays, which, let me tell you, are the biggest pain in the bum. You have to make sure your kid is absolutely still or the image comes out wacky. I'm just glad they didn't try to do a cat scan and have to sedate him or something. Turns out he's in the early stages of pneumonia.

On the bright side, we got to come home with a cute little hospital smock that has clowns and elephants on it. Ben vomited all over his clothes (and his carseat and the couch and my pants and up my sleeve) so they let us keep it. He is now sleeping on the couch wearing a diaper, socks and shoes. He looks so tired, but his temp is finally down to 98.

Sophie has a cough so we're going to try to have her looked at tomorrow when Ben has his doctor's appointment, but fortunately she hasn't had a temp at all.

Did I mention that I had a really bad migraine today, too? I didn't? Well, I lost vision, was dizzy, and I vomited. Fun.

I'm not sick- just a little worn out and feeling a little crazy. You know, twitchy crazy. Time to sit down with some cocoa and a book then crash for the night.

Family Pictures & Christmas Cards from Shutterfly

2010-11-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get Christmas cards together since Stephen and I got married, but I really stink at it, considering this is our fourth Christmas and we haven't sent a single one. I justified the lack of cards initially with a corresponding lack of children, but now that I have two, that excuse is out the window. I've resolved to just get over my bad self and finally do it.

What goes with a Christmas card? A family picture! We hadn't taken "formal" family pictures since Ben was 7 months old, so we were past due. Also, being from the beach, I have always wanted to take pictures under the Manhattan Beach Pier. So, after some grumbling, we did.

I was so excited by how well they turned out. My mom is amazing and took them for us with Stephen's camera. Now, on to the next step:

The actual card! I've wanted to do a photo card because I like them: they're personal and yet simple to put together and send. Shutterfly has an awesome deal where you can get 50 free Holiday cards just for blogging about them, so who am I to ignore a deal like that? I want to do a blue card to go with the ocean in our pictures.

I like this:
Or this:

I'm excited! I'll just make sure to keep it together and actually send these out. :)

L.A. County Fair

2010-10-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

So, it seems we've been spending lots of time in L.A. County. Actually, the L.A. County Fair is nestled in the Pomona Fairgrounds on the easternmost part of the county; only a hop and a skip away from our lovely city. Anyway...

We were able to secure tickets and a parking pass for FREE because a friend was leaving town and wouldn't be able to use them. Lucky us! We met our neighbors, the Ingrams, there. The had also conveniently scored some tickets and with them came Ben's best friend, Ava.

That day there was one of those amazing end of summer thunderstorms. You know, the kind that is warm and windy with scattered showers but makes the sky look like someone threw paint at it. This is what we saw:

It was beautiful. That streak of light reaching the mountains is actually a rainbow, but these were taken at sunset so the colors were insane.

The first stop we made was to see the animals, which just so happened to be on the opposite side of the fair (lucky us).

Ben's reaction was mixed with delight, fear and reservation. He liked to touch animals if and only if they were on the other side of the fence, Ava was touching them, or he was being held. He had a deep respect for them.

As you can see, he was a little afraid.

Yep. Still a little afraid.

Sophie enjoyed her outing in the stroller.

Ben and I went down a slide together. One of those huge carnival slides. The kind that you look at and realize that it had been disassembled and reassembled recently and then wonder how safe it is and how healthy it could possibly be for a slide to be disassembled and reassembled so often. Nevertheless, we went down together. He was delighted and I was afraid.

Going down together.

The only picture taken of me that night... Ben's thinking, "Mommy, what's wrong with you?"

Ben, of course, wanted to go down again but we were conveniently out of ride tickets.

Ben's favorite FAVORITE part of the fair were the trains. Pomona Fairgrounds has a permanent train display of retired engines and coaches. He and Ava love Thomas the Tank Engine and they love trains. They can't get enough and run around our houses screaming, "Choo choo! Choo choo trains!" They got to go in the cabs and look inside the trains.

We had a great time.

The Los Angeles Zoo

2010-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Since I'm already behind on the posts, I figure I'll just start wherever I want. So... how about our trip to the L.A. Zoo?

It was a great day to go to the zoo. It was overcast and a little rainy, so there were less people and more animal activity. Perfect!

We got to use the new "Sit n' Stand" stroller and, let me tell you, it is AWESOME. It can be stripped down to just a platform and one seat, built up to have two seats, or stripped to just be a double infant seat carrier. I love this double stroller.

So does Sophie.

We went with some of my friends who also have cute kids, including our next door neighbor and her daughter Ava. Ava is Ben's best friend and we can't say her name at home unless we are going to see her. Ben gets really excited and then really disappointed if we accidentally let her name slip.

Here they are sharing lunch:

And here we are as a group:

The kids had a lot of fun looking at the animals.

Chimps

Gorillas

Bears

Here's a pic of all the older kiddos. We had to bribe them with fruit snacks to get them to stay still:

We had a blast!

Lame, I Know

2010-10-04T22:29:00.001-07:00

I am super lame for being super tardy in writing something new on here. ESPECIALLY with a new baby and then destroying my goal of updating on a regular basis. Like Sophie's two month check-up.

Side Note: I thought I lost the camera. It's not really my camera in that it was Stephen's birthday present from his wonderful parents (though they fully intended for me to use it, too). I thought I lost it and couldn't bear to tell him for almost two weeks. I'd finally given up searching for it and began confessing my crime, when he laughed and said he hid it and knew exactly where it was. It was on his desk about four feet from my computer in a mug he got from Germany. Stinker. Thus, there have been no pictures lately. :)

Ben's newest antic is pretending to hurt himself. He'll throw something on the ground like a car, a piece of train track or himself and yell, "OW!" then peek at me, wanting a hug and a kiss. It's really cute (until he's done it about 25 times).

Sophie's two month check-up went great. She's had what I thought was a bad case of baby acne on her face and the doctor revealed that she has eczema. We've been battling it for about two weeks now and it's slowly improving. I've had about 5 people highly recommend Aveeno, so that's what we trying starting today. She gets really itchy though, so we're treating it with hydrocortisone as she needs it, plus she has to wear her little mitten things (which I've never really used on my kids). So, why was the check-up great? Because we've solved the mystery of the bad case of baby acne!

Did I mention I'm a little tired? Sorry if my thoughts are a little garbled.

She's 11 pounds now and all her measurements are about 50th percentile. She's very healthy (except the eczema thing). I feel like a lame mom because I want to take her to get pictures taken and I'm being vain about it and waiting for the eczema to clear. I need to just get over it and take her since I bought an ADORABLE dress and just need a big, fat bow for her head. Anyone know where to go to get bows?

I'm experiencing a little nerdy excitement because the release date for the next World of Warcraft expansion was announced for December 7th! Stephen and I are excited. Sometimes for a hot date we'll stay up after the kids are in bed and play the game together. Aw, nerd love. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it.

Pictures to come.

Today

2010-09-13T23:11:00.001-07:00

Today was a lovely day.

I woke up with a migraine and, while lying in bed listening to Sophie cry and Ben yell, "Mommy! Mommy!" I resolved that I had to make today be wonderful.

And it was.

We walked to the park. Ben splashed in the mud and his white socks became brown. I laughed.

We went with friends. Ben screamed, "Ava! Ava!" and she screamed, "Ben! Ben!" back.

A new friend became a better friend.

I snuck a dollar menu chicken sandwich from Wendy's with the change in the car. I put ranch dressing on it. It was delicious.

Sophie smiled at me. Lots.

We went to the store. With friends. Lots of friends. It was fun- and funny. We had four grocery carts and six kids. Definitely funny.

We had chicken tacos for dinner. Ben didn't fight me over it and, in fact, ate most of his taco. He was an angel.

Ben asked for a bath, which Daddy graciously did for him, and Ben sauntered into his room and plopped on his bed at 7:15.

Where did the angel child return from? He's been away, and now he's back. At least for now.

Stephen and I had a nice evening together (almost) alone. So nice.

It was a wonderful day.

Sniffles

2010-08-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

I am the only healthy person in my house. Everyone else has a stuffy nose, though in Ben's case it's more of a "wipe my snot on everything" nose. Sophie's been sleeping pretty well, but between 3 and 6 a.m. she gets snotty and mad. She's really mellow and I've hardly ever heard her "mad" cry. It makes me so sad. Hopefully everyone will start feeling better soon.

Ben had an awesome moment the other day. Lately he's been falling asleep for his naps in odd positions. I think he just tries to get comfortable wherever he is. The result is as follows:

And yes, he IS asleep.

What a sweetie.

Stephen is going to New York on Sunday and won't be back until the 7th. He'll be gone for Labor Day! :( Oh well. These trips are pretty beneficial financially, so I don't mind. I'll miss him like crazy, but we're trying to pay off our student loans by our 5th anniversary (next July) and every little bit helps.

Time to go and take care of the babies.

One Month

2010-08-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we survived our ten day separation. For the most part. :)

It was lonely. But, amazingly, the hardest part about being apart was getting used to each other again. There's nothing like a little selfish independence to make you appreciate being in a relationship. Things were weird, but now we're all getting back to normal.

Unfortunately, he has to go back at the beginning of next month. BOO! We'll find out the details later. On to happier business:

Today is Sophie's one month birthday!

One of my old friends who I now blog-stalk is pretty good at this and I wanted to try it. By "this" I mean providing regular updates on her kids. In general, I am awful about communicating updates on the kids, like the fact that Sophie has rolled 3 times now and Ben speaks in sentences and repeats practically everything anyone (including the TV) says. And he sings the ABC song.

Plus, I just know you want to know absolutely everything about them.

Sophie is special. She is gentle and calm and a heavenly baby, and I feel ridiculously lucky to have two kids that, for the record, are easy. As in, they are about as calm as a glassy lake. We are not without our challenges, but there is simply an aura of calm in my house that is ever present that I'm grateful for. Thank heavens the Lord has chosen to bless me this way, because I have a hard time with the feeling of chaos (I basically break down and shove my head in pillows).

Sophie can hold up her head for a short amount of time, loves her hands, likes to be swaddled with one arm sticking out, can roll back to front, and likes to be held. She has the talent to nurse, take a bottle, and enjoys a pacifier.

Sophie's appointment with her pediatrician is on Monday, so I will have stats then.

Now, for some highlights of the impromptu photo shoot we had yesterday:

Allow Me a Moment to Whine

2010-08-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

Stephen is in New York. For 10 days. And I'm home alone with a 2-year-old and a newborn.

I'm afraid.

"Stop whining!" I hear you all say. "It's only 10 days!" While that may be true, I have realized that the longest we've been apart since we've been dating was a mere 5 days in December of 2005 when I visited my grandparents for their 50th wedding anniversary. I feel this is sort of pathetic. I should be able to handle 10 days on my own, right?

Right?

RIGHT?!

Hopefully my dear son will make things easier for me, and my house won't become one of chaos and confusion.

And I won't see too many faces like this:

Baby Sophia

2010-07-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Sophia Lorraine!

Warning! Birthing story to follow... but I promise you it isn't graphic.

Monday afternoon was quite relaxing. I went to JoAnn's with Kari and Sarah to buy some fabric for Sarah's trek, then we went to a Sushi restaurant and found a candied apple store. Sarah and I shared a mudpie caramel apple and Kari got a pistachio covered apple. Very yummy. Meanwhile, I'm feeling pretty good- active, energetic, etc, when I noticed that I'd lost my mucous plug. In the pregnancy world, this doesn't mean anything much at all; labor could be within hours or weeks.

I continued my day with some swimming, Stephen and I made burgers, and I started to put Ben to bed. I felt a fun little gush while trying to prompt Ben with his prayers. I wiggled a little. More gush. Uh oh. I quickly finished prayers with him and ran. My water had definitely broken. I wasn't having any contractions at all, so I ate my burger, took a shower, and relaxed while Stephen's running around, unsure what to do. It was fun to watch. Kari came over to pick up Ben and we headed to the hospital and were admitted right away.

Contractions started up around 11:00 and got very intense, though not frequent, and I was only a 3. They gave me some painkillers so I could sleep for a little while, but those wore off by about 2:30 and I was a 3-4. Everything was getting more intense, so I ordered the epidural and by 3:15 when they got it going I was a 4 1/2-5. I had gotten the shakes, so the nurses thought I would give birth very soon. Unfortunately, I think the epidural slowed things down a bit. I also think they had given me a dose that was too strong, because I had no motor control over my right leg. This was scary for me because last time I had complete control over my body and it was easy when it came time to push. It felt MUCH harder this time, but she was out in 25 minutes, half my previous pushing time.

Baby Sophia was born on Tuesday at 9:06 a.m. She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches long. She came out the color of a purplish-blue jelly belly (a very cute purplish-blue jelly belly). She kicked and cried, but once they put her on my chest, she calmed down almost immediately. She was such a calm baby from the get-go and for the first two hours or so of her life, she just looked at Stephen and I, super alert and very content.

That day was kind of fun (though I was pretty tired after being awake most of the night). We had most of our immediate families visit. My parents came after they had finished work, around 7:30. My new evening nurse came in to check on me and said, "Where's that baby?" My sister was holding her at the time, and the nurse said, "That baby's blue- I'm taking her to the nursery." So she picked her up and left. Meanwhile, the doctors and nurses had been telling me all day that her bluish color was normal, and the nurse hadn't shown us her name badge which tells us if she's allowed to take her. Stephen chased after her to see her badge, and I'm freaking out a little bit that maybe something's actually been wrong and feeling like a bad mother for not noticing, as the nurse so clearly did, that my baby was blue.

They took her to the nursery and found that her sugar was low, her oxygen concentration was low, and she had a high number of respirations. They put her under an oxygen tent and fed her some formula and saw some improvement, though every time they removed the tent, her oxygen levels would drop again. Dr. Wu, the NICU doctor, came in to check on her and removed the tent. It had been 6 hours at this point, which is the maximum amount of time they're allowed to assist babies in the nursery without moving them to the NICU. Her oxygen levels still weren't where they needed to be, so our little Sophie was admitted to the NICU.

Under the tent.

The next few days are a blur for me. I was moved into a shared room with another mom who had her baby in the NICU, too. This was actually very comforting for me to see someone else in a similar position- both of us without our babies, trying to pump and recover from birth without that little reward sitting on your chest. I stayed in the hospital until Thursday evening, then the next few days were a blend of pumping, sleeping, eating, and driving to and from the hospital.

So, what was wrong with her? She had breathed in amniotic fluid when she was born. The fluid caused damage to her lungs which made it harder for her to breathe and process oxygen. This was something that would repair itself over time. I was relieved it wasn't something I had done. The doctor had a few goals for her before she would be allowed to go home. She had to:

Be off antibiotics. All babies are given antibiotics when they enter the NICU and a blood culture is taken to determine if there's an infection. This takes 3 days to develop. Sophie's turned out negative.
Be off oxygen. The fluid was absorbed into her system through her lungs and by early Friday morning, she no longer needed the extra oxygen to keep her levels where they should be.
Be off the IV. They started feeding her on Friday after she was removed from supplemental oxygen. By this time my milk had come in so she was able to be fed breast milk. On Saturday, they allowed her to eat as much as she wanted and reduced IV fluids proportionally to how much she ate. She was off the IV by the afternoon.
Maintain her temperature. She runs a little cold, but she was still in the normal range.

By Sunday morning, she was allowed to go home!

In the NICU.

No more wires or tubes!

Finally leaving.

It's been a whirlwind experience. We are just so grateful to have our family all at home and safe. Ben seems to be handling things pretty well. He volunteers to hold her and is very gentle. He likes to take her pacifier away, though. It's pretty funny.

We are just so glad to have her home.

A Funny Thing...

2010-07-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am silly. It's official.

I went to the hospital on Wednesday to turn in paperwork for pre-admission. As I was sitting in the lobby, I thought I felt a small gush and went, uh oh. I hadn't moved, wiggled, coughed, or sneezed which will usually trigger leaking, so I went to the bathroom and checked the damage. It didn't smell bad, so I called Kari, my mother-in-law, to see what I should do (mom was working). She recommended I just go in to have the doctors check if my water really broke since I was already there and Ben was at their house. I thought- good idea.

I walked to the labor and delivery wing and was put into a room right away. They set me up with a gown and monitors then laid me down on a super-pad. I knew within a few minutes that my water hadn't really broken since the pad stayed nice and dry, but I got a sweet little bonus- I got to just lie there, listening to the baby's heartbeat, for about an hour and a half while they monitored me. It was so peaceful.

I had a few contractions, but nothing that indicated I was progressing, and when they checked my progress I was 2 cm and 40% effaced. So, home I went.

When I got the discharge papers, the second sentence down said, "You should not feel embarrassed" which made me feel a little better, since I was quite embarrassed. Oh, well. Better safe than sorry!

Next time I go to the hospital, I won't be coming back until I've had that baby. That's a promise.

2010-06-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So, I'm surviving the last weeks of the pregnancy (only three weeks to go!!) and just enjoying the last of my time with only one child. It's surprisingly relaxing. I'm just really savoring the moment. I don't think I've done enough of that in the past, and it feels great.

L.J. and Melissa's wedding was great. It was an exhausting and exhilarating experience. I'll wait to do a more thorough post when I get pictures from Melissa, but I took these from Kari's facebook (thank you).

Loved her choice of colors/flowers. Apparently, these colors are very "in" right now. I want to do it again, but I do not want to do something like this professionally. It was enough stress, even with a very casual bride (all self-inflicted stress, I'll have you know).

I have an OB appointment tomorrow, which I'm excited for since they did not check my progress last week. Stephen and I toured the hospital last Wednesday and we feel pretty good about the facilities and room options. Their rooms are the kind where you stay in one room throughout the whole process, which Utah Valley was not. The only annoying thing is that our pediatrician has privileges at another hospital, so we have to choose a temporary pediatrician for the one I'm giving birth at. Lame.

In other good news, the kids' room is ready to go. I went though Ben's old clothes to pull out the neutral ones (not a ton of those, but enough) and we set up Ben's twin bed. He really likes it! He'll crawl into it at bedtime and pull up the covers. It's quite sweet. The crib is set up for the baby and Ben hasn't tried to climb in it yet, which I was a little worried about. It was his, but he is coping well. I'll take pictures once the final decorations are up.

Catch you later!

Busy Bees

2010-06-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I promise I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I'm not expecting that to happen until at least Friday.

It has been project time in my house. We have been diligently preparing for L.J. (Stephen's brother) and Melissa's wedding and the arrival of Baby Girl. My to-do list is a bit daunting, including doing Melissa's flowers and making a blessing gown for Baby Girl.

Part of me would really like Stephen and I to go on a "Babymoon" by ourselves as a break between the wedding and baby's arrival, but as time goes by I am seriously doubting it will be possible. I think we may just take Ben camping next weekend as a substitute, which I'm anticipating will be just as fun.

Did I mention that the wedding is on Saturday? Well, it's on Saturday. I am trying to deep clean the apartment so that when relatives come into town, they can come over here and I won't be severely mortified. The plan is to be done on Wednesday so I can play on Thursday, then attack the flowers on Friday. I am slightly worried about the difficulty of doing her flowers, because Melissa has fancy taste and we are doing lots of orchids and her bouquet has gardenias in it. Gorgeous? Absolutely. I just want them to look their best for Saturday and I really don't want to mess up.

Here are some sneak peeks at my project progress:

The jacket for the blessing gown (minus decorative ribbon at the waist):
Ben's vest and tie that I made for the wedding:
So, lots going on. I just need to be better at documenting it. :)

***
Ben Moment of the Week

Ben's new favorite words are:

Poo Poo
Pee Pee
Dirty
Wet

He enjoys saying these words at every opportunity. Like each time he passes gas. Or is in the grocery cart at the store. Or bored in the car.

He's a smart kid, that one. Because each time he says these words, I have to check his diaper, which results in attention for Ben. Honestly though, about a third of the time he's accurate. We're making progress.

Choo Choo - Revisited

2010-05-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to demonstrate Ben's love and fear of "Choo Choo." He's been introduced to you before (a moving, talking Thomas the Tank), but now I have a camera with video and SOUND! I am very excited about this.

So, here is Ben, admiring Choo Choo:

And here he is, mad that Choo Choo has a will of his own. Keep in mind that Choo Choo only moved about 3 inches:

Is it bad that I think this is hilarious?

No? I didn't think so.

What's in a Name?

2010-04-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

In sixth grade, my class was given the assignment to memorize 12-20 lines of a Shakespearean monologue. There were 5 choices, from Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, or Hamlet, to name a few. One of these selections was Juliet's speech from the balcony ("O Romeo"). To my dismay, I was not assigned to this lovely girly speech and was, instead, given the Prince's monologue at the end of Romeo and Juliet ("never was a story of such woe").

I was mad. No, not mad. Livid. So, I decided to memorize both but to this day, I cannot remember the Prince's speech. However, I do remember Juliet's. Muah haha (that shows you, Miss Sloat).

It is inevitable that when you're pregnant, people ask if you know what you're having and if you have a name yet. This was an easy question to answer with Ben- we had a few chosen, but nothing set in stone (none of which was the name Benjamin). However, with this baby, we know what her name is to about a 99% certainty. And we really like it. But I'm paranoid that when this little one pops out, I will have an "Oh no! That's not her name!" moment and panic. Because we have no other ideas we like. We have agreed on the one name we like, and cannot find another (at least not right now- we are planning on having more than 2 kids).

This is where Juliet comes in. I can't decide if one of her lines holds truth in it or not. I know, Juliet? A source of wisdom? Pah, the girl went stupid crazy over a boy who loved someone else the week before. Still, here's the line:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet" (II.2.45-46).

Will my baby be as sweet as she would be if I named her something terrible? Will she be just as precious if her name is Beavis or Butthead? Most likely, yes. However, there's just something to naming a baby that is exciting and so nerve wracking at the same time. We're deciding a huge part of her future.

At least I still have some time to think about it, right?

In the meantime, we'll just call her Ethel. Ben's in-utero name was Wilson, and I think Wilson and Ethel just sound cute together.

24

2010-04-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day for me. I turn 24 years old.

This seems really old to me.

I know it's not very old, but it still feels that way.

Stephen and I met when I was 19 and he was 24. At the time, that seemed REALLY old and nearly kept me from dating him. My logic was: he's already 24 and a lot more comfortable with the idea of getting married than I am and if I date him, we'll get married. As a matter of fact, I did break up with him once for this very reason. But I couldn't stay away. And, well, I was right. Not that that was a bad thing at all. :)

So, now I'm 24, and it feels a little weird. But I realize that I'm not the same as I was when I was 19, and that's a very good thing. When I think about where I am in my life and what I'm doing, 24 seems just right, and I couldn't be happier with where life has taken me.

Besides, 24 is NOT that old.

Really.

P.S. Happy Birthday to Grandpa Torgeson, too! We love you!

A Ton of Pictures

2010-04-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a while, but we've been a little busy. Ben turned two and we celebrated at Travel Town, an outdoor train museum:

Ben, Grandma Nielsen and I went to Disneyland for the last time (for a while) since our passes expired:
And we had a lovely egg hunt at Great Grandma and Grandpa Torgeson's house. Ben doesn't say, "egg." He says, "Egg-y." Stephen changed Ben out of his Easter Sunday clothes and into play clothes before I could get any pictures (grr). But here he is anyway:

We also went to the beach on Friday with Grandma Nielsen, Aunt Liz, and Aunt Rachel. It was such a beautiful day! There were tide pools on one side of the beach.

Grandma Nielsen with Ben.

Cuddling after being chased by the waves.

Aunt Liz.

Aunt Rachel.

Ben asking to be rescued from the water and sand.

Sorry for the picture overload, but we were way overdue. We are excited for April and are planning on going camping sometime in the next few weekends. Anyone want to join us?

It's a... Girl!

2010-03-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

As most of you predicted, it is indeed a girl! Yay! Here she is in 2D:

And in 3D:

A bit of an awkward position, but I'm not too surprised. She's really wiggly. And cute. Of course, I am pretty biased.

We are very excited. We've kind of felt that she was a girl, but obviously we didn't want to run around with that too much until our suspicions were confirmed. I am excited that she will have a big brother and that Ben will have a little sister.

I am slightly worried that Ben has no idea what's coming, but we'll worry about that more as we get to it.

This was a fun experience for me because our technician, Cheryl, is a good friend of Kari's. She was very attentive and explained absolutely everything we were looking at.

Best news of the day: the baby is perfectly healthy. She's measuring "adequately" which I assume means she's slightly small. All of her major organs are there and doing exactly what they should be.

I feel incredibly blessed to have this baby coming, because I thought I might not get to meet her. Even though she hasn't been born yet, I feel as though I know her. I am grateful for every kick, nudge, and flick. I feel like I'm getting to know her better everyday. She's beautiful.

And here, as promised, the belly picture:

It's a....

2010-02-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

We will be 20 weeks along in this pregnancy on Sunday. That means an ultrasound!

This will be ultrasound #4 for this baby (and hopefully the last). It's just the routine mid-pregnancy screening visual test to check for problems and progress, not to mention finding out:

If it's a BOY or GIRL!

Please VOTE what you think it is (on the sidebar over there --->) and we will reveal the answer on Tuesday, March 2nd after our appointment.

I don't like taking belly pictures. However, I will include a bonus belly picture in the post. I have no good reason for not liking them, but I'll give one to you anyway, just to mollify you all.

Have a great day.

Patio Gardening

2010-02-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

I have made a small attempt at gardening. My first ever attempt was in high school when I bought Gerbera Daisies for the window boxes in the front of the house. Those lasted, oh, about two weeks until they shriveled up and died. From what I understand about living flowers and water, they don't need to be watered every day. That's how I killed them. Whoops.

I bought herbs, daisies, some ivy, and Grandma Torgeson gave me a beautiful plant I don't remember the name of. Our complex is set up with the buildings all facing the inside, which is landscaped very well. Lots of trees, bushes, and a little grass.

L to R: Parsley, Lemon Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, & Cilantro.

I love daisies.

Stephen has a California Desert Tortoise he found as a child that lives at his parent's house. His name is Fred. He's a big guy and needs a lot of space. He loves the Nielsen's backyard- by his hole there are lots of wild strawberries, Dandelions, and on the other side of the yard he gets to eat grape leaves (when they're in season). Maybe someday when we own a house we'll bring him to live with us, but only maybe. He's very happy where he is.

I bought a little tortoise figurine for Stephen so he can remember Fred.

Quite a striking resemblance, if you ask me. :)

Warning! New Phone Numbers!

2010-02-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

We have finally changed our cell phone numbers to California numbers! While it was fun keeping Utah numbers a year longer than necessary, it was about time. We desperately needed new phones. Mine started acting up (I couldn't hear parts of conversations) and was missing the plastic antenna cover. Stephen's worked pretty well, but it was a hand-me-down twice over. It was frustrating to say the least, especially when talking to medical and insurance people.

So, if you try to call us, it's not going to work. Sorry.

For obvious reasons I am not putting our numbers on our blog. I'll try to get a hold of everyone soon but if you need our numbers, please, please email me, leave a comment, or send me a facebook message. Particularly if your phone number has changed in the last year or two.

I've been playing with the new camera and will post pictures soon. Pinky promise.

Hi.

2010-01-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hi.

I have some great news.

No... I have LOTS of great news.

Our amazing new HMO insurance was approved for the month of November. This means that: My emergency ultrasounds and blood work are COVERED. Ben's surgery is COVERED.Translation: we won't be slaves to medical bills for months like we were anticipating. Oh yeah.
I got the results of my last ultrasound. The clot is GONE. The results said the spot was healing, that the baby was normal/healthy, and that on January 11th I was 13 weeks 1 day. This puts my due date at July 18th... huh? Oh well. I'll probably find out if it's a boy/girl end of February. I am getting more and more excited about Baby #2 every day.
We have finally caught up with Ben's immunizations. He's had three doctors in the last year, so we are happy he's still on track.
We have couches! Well, new-to-us couches. They're very comfortable, and it finally feels like our apartment is home. Thank you, Rich!

Stephen had a great birthday and he got a new camera from his Mom and Dad. It's 10 mega pixels (our best camera besides this one was 3) so I am really excited about the potential picture taking opportunities. I plan on stealing it often.

Hope you have a great week.

Baby #1 Update

2010-01-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting news about my firstborn. No longer!

Ben has gotten very good at taking creative self portraits of himself, a-la facebook/myspace style profile pictures. His sudden aptitude with a camera is funny. He's actually pretty good at it! Here are some latest examples:

Nice nostrils.

This is not my belly (notice the diaper).

Drool...

As you can see, his aim isn't far off. Not too shabby.

He likes to climb inside/under/behind things, like laundry hampers, closets, tables, or chairs. Yesterday we found him like this:

Yes, he threw all the clothes on the ground and climbed in. Then he called for me (he calls me "ah-AH-ah!") and there he was.

A lot of times he climbs inside/under/behind things around naptime or bedtime, and we find him like this:

Under the table.

In the laundry hamper.

Okay, I just thought the last one was funny. Naptime frequently starts out that way. Yesterday we bought him his first big-boy pillow, but I don't think he's quite figured out what it's for. He fell asleep last night with his feet on it. But here he is (strategically put there after he fell asleep in the hamper) postioned correctly, with the infamous Blanky.

One last thing to update: he speaks. Correctly. Well, mostly. His new words/phrases include:
-Thanks, dad
-Elephant (he overemphasizes the "l" sound)
-Apple
-Cereal
-Grandma
-Sarah
-Thank you
-Pasta
-Applesauce
-On/off

P.S. A note on Baby #2- ultrasound on Monday went well. No diagnostic news yet, but I saw the baby moving around, opening his/her mouth, and little fingers and toes. The baby is 7 cm long from crown to rump.

Bilbo Baggins

2010-01-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

I love The Lord of the Rings. I love The Hobbit. Sometimes I wish I could live in Middle-Earth. You know, in one of the more peaceful times, preferably as a food loving hobbit or a horse riding Rohirrim.

So, I suppose you can understand that I am just a little excited that they're currently casting for the 2011 release of The Hobbit, directed by Guillermo Del Toro and produced by Peter Jackson. Not that I want to be in it. Because, I really don't. Really.

I just want to find out who will be our beloved Bilbo Baggins from the Shire!

Hmm... who will it be...

Ian Holme

Frankly, he's probably just too old at this point- which make me quite sad, since I thought he was a great Bilbo. I just imagine that it's probably easier for makeup to age up rather than age down.

A rumor floating around is...

James McAvoy

Better known to some as Mr. Tumnus or That Guy from Becoming Jane, I think he would be lovely as Bilbo. He's shown both dark and light moments in his films, which is required of someone to be Bilbo.

One more rumor...

David Tennant

Better known to some as The Doctor from Dr. Who or Barty Crouch Jr. from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I feel that he's... just too skinny and tall. Stupid, I know, but he just doesn't seem Hobbit-ish to me! I think he could definitely do it, but... he must become a bit more portly, the way a gentleman Hobbit would be.

They started auditioning last month, but who knows when we'll hear anything- I think they may go with a lot of unknowns (think Orlando Bloom as Legolas- no one knew who he was). Ultimately they could go with a lot of choices, considering that they drastically changed the age of Frodo from someone who should have appeared to be in his late thirties (according to the book) to an actor in his late teens. I'm just anxious for the news!

(But why do I care so much?!? I feel like such a nerd! Actually, loving this clip featuring Leonard Nimoy makes me a nerd:)

For reliable casting and other movie news, check out TheOneRing.net.

Baby News

2010-01-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

I know I promised news to appear about two weeks ago, but here we are. I had to reschedule my appointment to make sure I was completely covered (my only copay for the entire prenatal care is now $10- I'm glad I waited the extra two weeks). But now, I finally have something to report after today's visit.

Great news is that there has been no fresh hemorrhaging, as evidenced by my lack of bleeding. Obviously I knew this already, as I am the one who reports this to them, but there you go. I am scheduled for blood work and another ultrasound, but as far as results today, the nurse got out her Doppler and I got to hear Baby #2's heartbeat. The baby's still too small to feel (though that'll change pretty soon) so hearing the heartbeat really meant a lot. I was going to cry, but I was just so happy and relieved. I couldn't stop smiling today.

I am excited about this doctor's office because it is a group of doctors rather than just one. My last pregnancy was also with a group, though there were 5-6 people that could have potentially delivered Ben. This time there are only 3. During Ben's birth it was so nice to know that a doctor I knew would be there and wouldn't have to leave because of sleep/food/vacation/whatever, so I'm happy I have that option again.

This visit was my first official visit, so today I got lots of free, "Here, let us show you how to take care of a baby" handouts, long lists of medications and foods, and other random, useless handouts. It came in a nice folder and a little bag. Is it odd that this still made me feel special?

The best part about the visit today was the prevailing feeling that everything was going to be okay; I'm fine and the baby is fine. After my episode, I was feeling broken- like I wasn't working right. That feeling is (mostly) gone.

Stephen and I are rereading Harry Potter together- out loud. This seemed like a great idea- but I was looking at my shelf today and realized how... long that is. Good thing we absolutely love it.

Choo Choo

2009-12-31T08:40:00.001-08:00

Ben's former best friend, blanky, has nearly been displaced by the newest member of our toy family. Thomas the Tank Engine, affectionately known as "Choo Choo," must be in the room with Ben at all times. And he must be on. He must be talking, otherwise the only thing we hear for the next hour is, "Uh-oh, Choo Choo! Choo Choo! Uh-oh! Uh-oh!"

However, this is no ordinary Choo Choo.

Thomas the Tank Engine has four settings: On, Off, Follow Me, and Try Me. In both On and Follow Me modes, Thomas is skillfully trained to follow your voice. When Choo Choo is talking, Ben is very happy and affectionately talks to him, saying "Yay, Choo Choo! Yay!" which of course triggers Choo Choo to follow him around if he is set to either of these modes.

Chaos ensues.

When Choo Choo moves, Ben screams with terror. Nothing has ever set him off so much. He breaks down, convulsing on the ground, screaming and crying, which then corrects Thomas' direction and follows him. Ben views this as an assault. He'll run away, screaming, and will stand behind a door frame, waiting for Mommy and Daddy to fix Choo Choo, which, of course, we do. Choo Choo only belongs on Try Me mode because he doesn't move on this setting.

Almost immediately when the train has stopped moving, Ben says, "Yay, Choo Choo! Yay!" and runs over to play with him. Ultimately, Ben will turn the train over, play with his switch, and turn it to either mode that follows him. Chaos ensues, and the process continues.

Ben loves Choo Choo so much that he doesn't want him to be lonely at night. Two nights ago, we put Choo Choo to bed on his shelf with a blanky and told Ben "Choo Choo go night night!" Ben affectionately patted Thomas' blanky and kept getting up to check and see if he was okay, then stole his blanky.

I guess blanky is still Ben's best friend.

The Best (Cold) Roast Beef Sandwich

2009-12-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of French Dip Sandwiches. I think they are the most delicious delicacy ever derived of hot shaved beef placed on bread. Particularly when you buy this delicacy at Houston's and it's made from shaved prime rib, cooked to a perfect medium rare... ahhh....

These were definitely one of the most popular menu items, and my mouth watered every time I had to deliver it. Every. Time.

Anyway, back to the purpose of my post, I consumed the best COLD roast beef sandwich today. My creative mother-in-law, Kari, made it just for us. It was made of:

Light Rye Bread
Roast Beef
Cream Cheese (as the spread)
Cucumber

That was it. And it was AMAZING! The tangy-ness of the rye in combination with the sweet cream cheese, crisp cucumber, and tender beef was incredible.

I am a picky eater. I don't try new things often. One bite of this put me in sandwich heaven! Ruffles potato chips went with it perfectly (who doesn't like ridges?). I will most definitely be making this sandwich at home. Every time I try some combination of things and it tastes great, I think of dear Remy from Ratatouille, screaming about infinite combinations of flavors to explore...

I had this experience today. Anyone have a moment like this recently?

Medical Bills

2009-12-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

I casually mentioned it in October, but I didn't really say much else about it. Ben had a hernia. Never again will I joke about "giving myself a hernia" in such a light manner. :) Ben's was the size of an egg and sat right between his hip and well... you know. He whimpered the whole time. We rushed him to the emergency room and he had to be sedated before they could push his intestine back in. Yes, that's the treatment for a hernia. You just push it back in. (?!?)

2 1/2 weeks later he had follow-up surgery to close the abdominal wall. After the initial pain of recovery in the hospital, we brought him home and he acted as though nothing had happened! With no pain relievers! All in all, the surgeon was great, the hospital was pretty nice, and recovery was amazingly easy. He healed perfectly.

My issues happened mid-November, two weeks after Ben's surgery. That included a few doctor's visits, blood tests, plus an ultrasound exam at the hospital.

Trouble is, our amazing, awesome, new employer-provided insurance didn't start until December1st.

We had private PPO insurance that was pretty good for every-day sort of care, but pretty awful for anything remotely serious. It also didn't have maternity coverage. Now, the bills are coming in...

Fortunately, the hospital is AWESOME and doesn't charge interest for 16 months, and we've already paid quite a bit in deposits for services from the hospital and Ben's surgeon. Because of this, we've almost paid the entire copay for the year within a month and a half. I'm also hoping that, because I thought I was miscarrying, it won't count as maternity care (I hope, I hope). We'll see.

We had the foresight to have a lot of money saved up, and that has been amazing since we can pay bills as they come. We also have amazingly supportive family members.

I know I've said "awesome" and "amazing" a lot in this post, but that's how this situation has been. I haven't felt overwhelmed. I've never felt so calm or that my family is so safe and well taken care of. The peace has been incredible. I almost didn't notice it until I started tallying up all the things going on right now; they should be overwhelming, and yet... things feel fine. Has that every happened to you?

Ultrasound #2 Results

2009-12-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

I got the results... are you ready???

We have a heartbeat! It was thumping away at 160 beats per minute, which is great! Very normal. I am 7 1/2 weeks today, which makes my due date:

June 23rd, 2010

Hip hip, hooray! Now, for the "interesting" news.

The blood clot has gotten bigger. It's gone from 4cm to 6 cm. This could cause spotting and puts me at a higher risk for miscarriage. It could pass or just disappear. I've been told that I just need to take it really easy; no recreational activities or exercise. Hopefully this will just resolve itself.

The cyst on my right ovary is 4cm. To me, that seems kind of big. The good news is that ovarian cysts produce hormones that benefit pregnancy, so this isn't necessarily "bad" news at all, and my doctor wasn't really worried about it.

So, there we go. Things are progressing well! Hearing the words "good" and "normal" come out of my doctor's mouth made me want to laugh and cry and dance. I'm feeling much more optimistic now that I'm being scheduled for regular prenatal exams. There's that word again: "regular." Awful close to "normal." :) Two weeks till my next appointment!

No ultrasound pictures, but they probably look weird anyway. Maybe next time.

Ultrasound #2

2009-12-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

Today's ultrasound stunk. I have no news.

The technicians were nice and everything, and they made me feel comfortable, but they're not allowed to say anything. At all. I couldn't even watch the screen. It's a new "policy." So, I know nothing.

Well, I take that back. I know they measured from "crown to rump," but that was the extent of the lingo I could understand, since the rest of their communication was using acronyms most of the time.

They did an external and internal exam. The internal exam took forever and my legs started shaking and twitching because I had to hold them in a flexed position for about 20 minutes. One of the technicians helped me hold it in position. :) I'm a weakling, I guess. Maybe it's because I'm tall?

They will report the results to my doctor in 2-3 days. I just wish I had been able to watch. Maybe I could have seen the heartbeat. I don't know; maybe they only take that many measurements if the baby is viable? Or maybe it's protocol that they measure everything every time no matter the situation? This is only my third ultrasound, the first of which was significantly less frustrating and much more informative, since the technician was a nurse and could tell us everything we were looking at. Last time's was awful. She was really shy about being around my only-covered-with-a-sheet-lower-body, and almost fell over trying to shield her eyes when I had to adjust the sheet. Not that I was flashing her or anything, but I would think that usually people who are around ultrasound equipment, or any medical examination equipment, are more familiar with the idea that people have to be halfway exposed for medical examinations. Maybe it's just me. :)

My doctor is very good about calling anytime she has anything to report, so I know she'll let me know as soon as there's something to tell us. Let's hope it's two days and not three.

Christmas is Just Around the Corner!

2009-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

We decorated our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. It's just a little four footer we got the first Christmas we were married and I love it. I miss the fresh, clean smell of a real tree, but seriously, we just can't afford a $100 purchase for something that dies in one month.

We've begun the tedious task of unpacking and cleaning pretty much every thing we own. Jessica, my best friend from High School, came over on Saturday and she and I did the entire living room. I'd forgotten how many books we had! I found my Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings, plus all my Jane Austen novels and The Wheel of Time. I am in novel heaven!

As part of unpacking, we set up Ben's crib into a toddler bed. He loves it! He puts himself to bed now!

He also loves watching movies. We really have to limit him because, if he had his way, he'd watch movies all day. Here he is watching his newest favorite, Cars. He says, "Vroom, vroom!"

Through unpacking, I found my old camera with these pictures on it:

Last year I made my Mom this table centerpiece for my floral design class. These are silk flowers. I also made my Mother-in-law a fresh centerpiece, too. Centerpieces all around last year.

I also thought I would share some news with you. I didn't want to post about what's been going on, but things are taking longer than we thought and it's too difficult not to post about it.

We found out I was pregnant about a month ago and we were excited, but didn't tell anyone. Usually, you're supposed to "wait" until a safe amount of time has gone by, I guess so you can keep an early miscarriage to yourselves. I, however, am a blabbermouth and told my Mom, Mother-in-law, and my two local Sisters-in-law shortly after we found out. Two weeks ago, I started bleeding heavily during Church and thought I had miscarried (it was a lot of blood). Picture it: crying uncontrollably in the bathroom with your Mother-in-law while ladies are coming in trying to take a bathroom break before Relief Society. Yes, everyone in my In-law's ward knew.

The bleeding slowed down, so I didn't go to the emergency room and I went to the doctor the next day. She thought I had miscarried and that, since it was this early, it was a chromosomal issue that I had no control over. Testing, testing, and more testing and an ultrasound...

Guess what? I was still pregnant. I was five weeks along. There was no heartbeat. I had a 4 cm blood clot at the attachment site of the placenta. Hormone levels were not increasing as quickly as they wanted. HOWEVER... everything I just mentioned can be completely normal (except the last one). At five weeks, you can't see the heartbeat. You're not supposed to be able to see it until a solid six weeks. A blood clot at the attachment site is also common. The clot can either pass or can be absorbed into the uterus. The biggest problem it could pose is that it could be taking nutrients away from the placenta. Hormone levels are supposed to be increasing like crazy. My levels are increasing, but not as much as they should be. That is the most nerve-wracking part of all this. It could indicate something is wrong.

I have a scheduled ultrasound tomorrow to determine how things are going and what's going on. We're hoping and praying for the best.

Things are a little strange for me. It's hard not to get really excited, and I feel like I should be excited, but for more than 24 hours I thought I had had a miscarriage. I went through mourning for this little baby. I thought I had lost someone. It's just really difficult to get excited when so many things could still go wrong. Stranger yet, though I'm only seven weeks, my body has started changing already. I have a bump. That's just weird, because I've been telling myself that this pregnancy isn't a big deal and that it's okay if something goes wrong (sad, but easier to deal with). With my body acting like everything is fine and progressing in size as quickly as it is, it makes it feel like it would definitely be not fine if something happened. I'm just scared.

So, that's what's going on. I'll update as soon as I know anything.

In some distracting news, Stephen and I are singing in a choir this weekend for our Stake's Creche Festival. It's a display of over 1,000 nativity scenes with performances. I am so excited to be performing again! If you'd like to attend, email me at lisha[underscore]lacey[at]hotmail[dot]com for directions to the festival. We're performing Saturday at 7:00, but there will be performances starting around 5:00 and the festival is also on Thursday and Friday evenings. It's going to be so amazing.

New Moon and Some Great News...

2009-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

I went, like a crazy person, to New Moon's opening night at the 12:04 a.m. showing. With lots of screaming teenage girls. Lots. Despite the squeals that emitted from their mouths everytime Jacob or Edward showed up on screen (frequently shirtless), I must say that I absolutely loved the movie (and I have to admit a squeal or two came from my mouth, too).

My senior course of study in college was focused on fantasy literature and it's adaptation to film, and ever since, my love and appreciation of adaptation has only increased. What surprised me the most about New Moon was how incredibly faithful the movie was to the book. This shocked me a little, since the director was Chris Weitz, who directed the diabolically adapted The Golden Compass, a flop in both sales and fan reception. I read an interview with him this morning that basically said that all creative control on The Golden Compass was taken away from him and he has had a hard time recovering from that experience. Poor Chris Weitz. At least New Moon is the kind of movie that's going to make fans incredibly happy. Unfortunately, anyone not into the series might not "get it." I guess I should drag Stephen and see what he thinks. :)

And now... the great news...

We have moved into an apartment! We moved in our boxes last night and I'm going in to sanitize and line cabinets today with my mom. Hooray! Pictures soon to come.

And speaking of pictures... I FOUND MY CAMERA! It seems that whenever I blog about something I can't find, it shows up shortly thereafter. Anyway, hope you have a great day! Pictures to come! Yay!

My Poor, Missing Camera

2009-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

I haven't seen my camera in a while. It could be pretty much anywhere, which is why this blog has been so boring lately! It's a terrible, terrible thing.

Because we've been living all over the place, our stuff is, well, all over the place. We have our crib, dresser, mattress, and one computer at my in-laws. My wedding dress, sewing machine, old baby clothes, rocker, and Wii are at my parents'. Everything else is in storage, unless it's in our car. not to mention the little knick knacks in any of these places. THUS, the camera is somewhere in limbo between all these homes we've had!

The good news: we are planning on getting our own place, really and truly, THIS MONTH! Hooray! I'm so excited! It's like Christmas is coming early! Imagine all the stuff I'll find...

One thing I've learned through all of this is how unimportant "stuff" is. Many of the things we own are beautiful, and I love them (like platinum edged china, fluffy blue towels or the kitchen aid mixer), but life has been just as wonderful and fulfilling without these things. If we had to give up everything in that storage unit and never see it again, life would be fantastic, if not better in some ways (not that I really want that to happen). I'm just grateful I got to have my family down to the simplified, bare bones for a little while.

Ben and I went to Disneyland yesterday with Liz and had a blast! Here's a picture from the Buzz Lightyear ride:

No, Ben didn't actually hit a target; I helped him a little. :)

Have a great day!

Ridiculous Medical Happenings

2009-10-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Swine Flu may be in our house, but so far Ben is unscathed. We have about 5-6 more days of potential incubation time, but after that we should be in the clear. Ben's pediatrician prescribed a treatment that either treats the flu if he has it or helps make symptoms less severe, should he get the flu later. I am so grateful that Ben and I are still healthy (Stephen caught it, though).

HOWEVER...

Last night Ben had a hernia! A real, whimpering, grimacing, arching-the-back kind of hernia! It happened very quickly and was really scary because of its location. It was just above the groin area and the size of an egg.

Ben has a history of groin area problems that had to be resolved with surgery, so seeing more wrong with his lower abdomen was frightening. Fortunately, with a little sedation, the emergency room doctor was able to push the herniated intestine back into his abdomen. All that's left now is a follow up surgery to close the abdominal wall. My poor little baby.

However, he's been blissfully asleep for about 8 hours now, so I think he's feeling pretty good. :)

Oink, Oink

2009-10-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law both have swine flu! Ahh!

I'm a little worried about Ben since he took two long naps and has been sluggish overall today.

Hopefully things are fine.

We're taking him to the doctor to get a treatment that makes symptoms less severe should they appear.

Okay, I lied. I'm very worried.

But things will be fine.

For anyone else struggling with this sickness, may God bless you and watch over you.

Now, for a laugh:

Costume Ideas

2009-10-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Is it so bad that I am an addict to others' blogs and then do nothing about contributing to the conversation?

Yes, yes it is that bad.

In my English classes they taught us that if you are not a contributor to a conversation, i.e. not providing new insights or information, you are not really a part of that conversation. That principle definitely applies to blogging. So, I have a new goal: be a part of the conversation. Provide something new everyday. So, here we go (again).

Yesterday I made bouquets for my cousin's wedding on Friday. They turned out absolutely gorgeous (gerbera, statice, alstromeria, and carnation with leatherleaf) and she was so excited about them. It was so nice to do floral design again. I loved the class and I was so happy to do something for her wedding since I will be out of town this weekend: in UTAH!

I AM SO EXCITED! I never thought I could be so excited about going back to Utah when it's going to be cold. But I look forward to seeing my beloved Wasatch range and, even more, seeing some of the best friends in the world. *Sigh.*

Halloween, in my opinion, is one of the best holidays there could possibly be. Dressing up? Candy? Carven squash? I'm in! This year Ben is going to be... Indiana Jones! We got the hat and everything! (Plus, an awesome looking whip). Now the real trouble is what Stephen and I are going to be. Stephen thinks he'll be Indiana Jones Senior, but then what does that make me? The German Fraulein from The Last Crusade? Inappropriate much? Haha. Maybe I'll just be a princess.

Actually, I was leaning more toward this princess:

And Stephen could be:
And we'll have an Indiana baby... yeah, that works. :)

Lucky

2009-09-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ben is playing with the tub. Not in it, but with it. He's putting water into his bucket, then pouring it onto his foam letters. And he is giggling like crazy and saying over and over, "A, E, I . . . A, E, I . . ."

Recently I've been thinking about how lucky we are. We have two sets of parents, still young and kicking, who have been more than willing to let us stay with them for extended periods of time. Ben gets opportunities to be with both sets of grandparents almost every week. They have supported us through what has been the most stressful part of our marriage to date (because of unemployment) and made it some of the happiest memories I have. How grateful I am.

I started being a pen pal with my Grandma Vivie this last month. She married my Grandpa Hansen when I was little. I have discovered an amazing woman- someone beyond the Grandma I grew up with. She is so supportive and sweet. She helped teach me to sew clothes. Now she is lonely and needs friends. I need to write more often.

Ben is becoming more than just a baby- he's growing up and becoming a little boy. Now he's becoming not just someone I need to teach and love, but also a little loving friend. He hugs and kisses me and cries when I leave. That's some of the best love I've ever received.

Stephen's supervisors have told his Dad that he's been doing a good job. He's an amazing hard worker and is doing his best to prove he deserves the position. He recently told me he's going to try to be their best engineer. If anyone could accomplish such an ambitious goal, he can.

We are so lucky. I am so lucky.

17 Months (almost)

2009-08-14T14:13:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone! Things are going well with our new living arrangements and Stephen is enjoying employment. Here are some pictures from a Ben photo shoot we did on Wednesday. Enjoy!

Stephen Got a Job!

2009-08-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been keeping you all out of the loop, but it's just because I didn't want to jinx anything . . .

STEPHEN GOT A JOB! Hooray!

Stephen was hired to be an engineer at New Bedford Panoramex (NBP), an aviation, utility and defense company in Upland, California. They work mainly through government contracts with the FAA. He starts Wednesday! (Yes! In two days!)

We'll be moving from my parent's house to Stephen's parent's house, conveniently located in Upland. We have been so fortunate and blessed with such a great opportunity! Stephen's father is the controller for NBP, became aware of an opening for an engineer, and let us know. Stephen interviewed last week and they made us an offer this morning! Our families have been so incredibly supportive during this long, frustrating time. Hopefully in a month or so we'll have our own place! It's almost hard to imagine after living with other people for so long. . .

Ben is doing great. He is so surprising, fun, and smart. He remembers directions and instructions (even though sometimes he clearly doesn't want to- you can see the decision process working in his face) and the other day he counted to three. He loves music, dancing, and fuzzy blankets. He's gotten more cuddly and will walk up to us with his arms raised, just wanting to be held or hugged. It's hard to believe that he'll be in nursery next month (daycare at church)!

Last Tuesday night we went to the temple and Stephen and I felt so at peace. We've just been trying to do our best, and we were feeling good about where we stood, even though it wasn't exactly where we wanted to be. The timing with all of this has been almost ideally placed with everything going on around us. There was definitely a divine hand here.

We are looking forward to this new part of our lives. We couldn't be happier or more excited. We'll keep you posted!

July 4th!

2009-07-08T09:37:00.001-07:00

We had a great Independence Day this year! We went to a family reunion out in Palmdale with Stephen's side of the family. We had a lot of fun, even though we had to miss the afternoon portion because of work (grr). It was great to see everyone! Here are some pictures (courtesy of Kari- thanks!).

Relaxing around the jacuzzi at Eric and Robin's.

Ben wishes he could launch rockets just like Great Uncle Neil.

Ben and I watching everyone play in the pool.

Family Picture!

Ben's new favorite treat.

Playing outside before fireworks started.

Stephen and Ben playing inside.

We had a great time. We were sad to miss the afternoon festivities. Hopefully no one has to work next year!

Gooooooooooal!

2009-07-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Today I was working on my Sunday school lesson and listening to Stephen play with Ben. I heard Stephen say, "Sorry Ben. That's goal tending, huh? Can you say goal tending?" Then, I heard Ben say, "Goal tending." Ahh! I was so pleasantly shocked and surprised! His vocabulary has just taken off in the last few days (not that I really expect him to understand what goal tending is...). His vocabulary now includes:

Pretty
Dirty
Mom
Daddy
Nani (Grandma)
Uh-oh
Up
Down
Kitty
This
Peas (Please)
Dank-oo (Thank you)
Hey
Hi
Yeah

Of course, he never speaks when we want him to, but he surprises us.

SICK

2009-06-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I have been sick. For a week. It's the achy-runny-coughy-sneezy-sore type of sick. We've both been to the doctor, and both been told it's different things by different doctors. Apparently, I have a viral infection and Stephen has a bacterial infection. Huh.

Either way, we're both starting to feel much better, though I haven't been able to work for almost a week. Fortunately, we are okay enough financially that taking the week off isn't going to hurt too much.

Ben is doing fantastically. He's adventurous, talkative, and has started to run. Fast. He's getting to be such a big BOY. From playing in dirt to throwing rocks, he's starting to grow up. My little toddler is getting so big.

He also thinks any animal is classified as a "doggy." I'm working on it. :)

Well Baby Check-up

2009-05-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ben just had his 12 month check-up and, yes, he's 13 1/2 months old. We'd had temporary insurance since we graduated, but that expired in April and we've been waiting for our new private insurance to go through. Well, it finally did (yay!) and we got Ben an appointment with my former pediatrician, Dr. Tenenbaum. While we were in school, Ben went to whichever doctors were available at the student health center, so it was nice to have a doctor that I feel so comfortable with. Well, I'm sure you're dying to know the results!

Ben is 25th percentile for height and weight. The doctor is not worried about this: she said his body is very proportionate.
He has completely recovered from his surgery in December (a right orchiopexy, if you're curious). There is no resulting scar tissue, everything is where it should be, and the scar will fade with time.
He only had to get one shot, and he handled it pretty well. Some initial screaming, but within 5 minutes he was fine.
He has molars developing! You can see them in his gums.
Best news of all: she was very impressed with his social ability and his comprehension (such as responding to "Ben, come here" by coming to you) and thought his development was going very well.

It's always nice to hear that you've been raising your child in a way that's successful; hopefully things will continue this way for a long time!

It's About Time.

2009-04-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry, everyone. I took a little hiatus from blogging for a month while things simmered down. My parents moved, so we moved with them, and we took a trip to BYU to walk for our graduation (and got some cute pictures, I might add). And the best news of all . . .

We have pictures! Finally!

So, to resist bombarding you with a ridiculous amount of pictures, I'll start with the most recent events and go backwards until we're all caught up (which goes all the way to Thanksgiving, I might add). But really, this is very doable. So, on with graduation news:

We left Wednesday after I got off work (I was unable to get the day off) around 5:00. Imagine this... trying to trudge your way east through L.A. alongside commuters, realizing all too late how impossible it's going to be to escape the clutches of entangled freeways and frenzied drivers. It took 2 hours to make a trip that usually took about 50 minutes. Whoops. At least we were driving in the right direction, right?

Fortunately, we were able to stop at Stephen's parent's house for dinner (bless them) and we were able to continue our long journey. Nine hours later, we arrived at our destination at 6:30 am MST. Ew. EW EW EW. But, really, it was all worth it. We got such cute pictures!

Stephen waiting backstage before walking.

Near the Marriott Center with the Alumni Building in the background.

Next to the bell tower with the Y in the background.

Best of all, we got to see some old friends! We went to lunch on Friday with our former neighbors, Tim & Annalise and Tom & Lovetta, at Olive Garden. We played games with them every Sunday night while we were in Utah, and we miss them even more than we did before.

We also got to see our friends Matt & Heather and their little boy, Jonah. He and Ben were just playing with blocks and tumbling over each other like crazy little boys. They were so cute!

Of course, no post is complete without a homage to Ben! Enjoy:

Walking by a pond in the shadow of Y mountain.

Ben helping us move . . . riiiiiiight.

Ben got a balloon at the grocery store! He got so excited . . . then he fell asleep.

This is an older picture from Thanksgiving but he's just so cute!

Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-03-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Benjamin is one year old today! Here's an update on all the wonderful things about Ben:

1. He loves reading and books. He'll flip through them, just looking at the pictures and the words.

2. He took four steps in a row two days ago toward the piano, one of his favorite toys. Yes, the piano is more motivation than I am. :)

3. He says, "yeah," "hi," "huh," "moma," "dada," "yum," and giggles incessantly.

4. Ben clicks his tongue. Constantly. We'll blow kisses at him, then he'll smile and click his tongue. At least he's consistent!

5. He recognizes Mickey Mouse. When he sees a picture of Mickey, he says "huh" and points at him.

6. He is REALLY ticklish. The best spots are his armpits, belly, and knees.

7. Ben doesn't just sleep. When he first falls asleep, he crashes and is totally out. He's been known to fall asleep in his highchair.

8. He loves crackers. He especially loves crushing them and playing with the pieces.

9. He loves music and tries to sing to it. So cute!

10. Ben loves scary rides like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or the Roger Rabbit Ride. He'll make a tiny, high pitched scream with a huge smile on his face!

Ben's so big! It's hard to believe it's already been an entire year. Happy Birthday, Ben!

Cheesecake!

2009-03-12T09:44:00.001-07:00

Recently, I got a craving for cheesecake, so I went on the Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese website. I figured they would have the best recipes, but they also had a "create your own cheesecake" application. It's wicked cool! I'm going to try out the recipe tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it goes! In the meanwhile, we're going to DISNEYLAND today! Hooray!

It's Called "The Happiest Place on Earth" for a Reason

2009-03-09T00:27:00.001-07:00

Stephen and I have been contemplating buying season passes to Disneyland for a while. I know, it sounds crazy; we only have my server's income right now. However, we were blessed with an AMAZING tax refund and found ourselves in a reasonable position to go out on a limb and purchase passes. Southern California residents get a great discount; the passes would pay for themselves in just two trips! We just couldn't let the opportunity pass us by. Ben is free until his 3rd birthday, and we both love Disneyland.

By the way, our one and only Christmas present to Ben this year was a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal. This child is going to be Disney-tastic. It's inevitable.

Oh Blogger, Where Art Thou?

2009-03-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

WHERE DID MY POSTS GO?

I loaded my page... and my posts disappeared! They just . . . weren't there!
Has this happened to anyone else??

Have YOU seen them?

Get Animated!

2009-02-27T21:47:00.000-08:00

Car insurance can be such a nightmare sometimes.

Take, for example, trying to get real quotes that actually reflect what you'll be paying. Stephen and I have had to get new insurance because our old company doesn't exist in California, and we've been shopping all over. Little did we know that car insurance premiums are based on the most at-risk driver, a.k.a. the youngest driver.

That would be me.

Unfortunately, I have a "not so good" driving record. About two years ago, I rear-ended the trailer hitch of a full size van in the snow because the plows hadn't been out (no damage to their car whatsoever, while ours had to be in the shop for over a month). Also, I was cited for speeding in downtown Provo last summer. Now, Center Street in Provo is 15 m.p.h. through downtown, but by my street it changes to 35 m.p.h. Apparently, it's a big deal to start driving faster until after you pass the sign, even if you have a screaming baby in the car who was just immunized and needs to nurse as soon as possible.

Well, I went to driving school like a responsible citizen and successfully completed it, resolved to change my evil ways. Six months later, here we are, trying to get insured, and that speeding ticket is still on my record. Turns out, I must live through a nine month probation period from the time I plea guilty to my heinous crime, and the citation will remain there until the period is over. This isn't until June! Meanwhile, it looks like I have 3 points on my record. This is a big deal. The price difference changes from around $105/month to $215/month. Insane!!!

So, what could we do? We could try to get documentation, but there just isn't time because we only had 30 days to get insured after registering our car in California (from January 27). So, we decided to try Esurance as a temporary policy until we could get my speeding ticket resolved.

Guess what? Esurance rocks! They were WAY cheaper than everyone else, even with my icky record! Granted, everything is done online (bills, statements, etc.) but that works for us and our lifestyle. We have a local agent, and we can still contact them 24/7. Esurance was such a pleasant surprise! Plus, they have a pretty rockin' mascot (her name is Erin, by the way). I just wish their site had a way to create your own animated character that looks like you, or something. :D

Here's hoping to more pleasant surprises for everyone, even after many headaches. Have a great weekend!

Reading and Working . . . Then Reading Some More...

2009-02-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been pretty busy. Just, not with anything that important! I've been working at Houston's about 4 times a week, and I can't believe how much money I can make there. I thought I was doing well in Utah, but this takes the cake! In Utah, I made 2.13/hr + tips. Here, I make 8.00/hr + tips. If that weren't enough of a difference, Houston's is quite high end (wine, prime rib and the like), so you can imagine comparing that with the tips I got at a family-friendly Mexican restaurant. I loved Los Hermanos, but I love the income Houston's is giving me.

Stephen and I have also been doing a lot of reading lately. Our new favorite author of the moment is Brandon Sanderson, a fantasy writer (who is also a BYU creative writing professor, though I never took a class from him).

Elantris is a stand-alone novel, while Mistborn is the first book in a trilogy. He's a captivating writer with interesting plots, refreshing, and invents his own fantasy worlds. It doesn't feel like he's "borrowed" settings, characters, or concepts from other authors. He's original, plus he's fun to read. Both of these books are page turners. As of now, my life is consumed with reading the sequels to Mistborn. I'm stuck reading these until the end . . . I must know what happens! :)

Ben is doing great. Yesterday we found two more teeth coming in - the top incisors next to his two front teeth. He's been drooling like . . . well, like an erupting fire hydrant. He hasn't been this drooly in a while. Take it this way- we can't go anywhere without a burp cloth right now. He's starting to get more brave while walking, and he's taken a few steps on his own! He's still a bit too chicken to walk without help, though. He's becoming the stair climbing expert and scampers up and down now!

I've been trying to find the cable that connects the camera to the computer so I can update some pictures for you all, but I think it's in storage. Our storage unit is packed to the top with furniture and boxes . . . I should have made a map of where everything is! Well, hopefully we'll find it soon. Have a great day!

One Down, One to Go

2009-01-17T22:58:00.000-08:00

I got the job! Yay! I start this next week. I'm pretty excited to be serving again, though it's been a while. Still, yay- a job's a job.

Stephen's looking, but it's pretty hard. He went to an expo in Anahiem today, and there was a huge line just to get a 10 minute interview. Standing next to him in line was a 45 year old who had a ton of experience, and he wasn't the only one. Because of the "financial crisis" he has to compete with all the guys who are getting laid off, so you can imagine his stress at that prospect. There are still a lot of opportunities, but they're just harder to find right now because people are reluctant to hire.

Stephen's giving a talk tomorrow in church and I'm the missionary dinner coordinator. Hahaha. That feels like more like a made-up calling than some I had to think of for my singles' ward. But we have no idea how long we'll be in the ward, so it's all for the best. There are a lot of young kids in the ward, so Ben's not so noisy as he would be otherwise. There are lots of other babbling kids, too.

So, I went through my blog list and there are a couple of people who have set their blogs to "invited only." Now, I TOTALLY respect this, but I would like to be invited, if that's okay. :) I miss reading about you all. Please email me at lisha[underscore]lacey[at]hotmail[dot]com if you'd like to talk in other ways. But I miss you! :D

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Aloha (as in "Hello," not "Goodbye")

2009-01-12T18:57:00.001-08:00

Hi.

Well, not much is happened, but sorry for the lack of updates. We're still basically in the same circumstances we were last post. We're both looking for work. Stephen's gotten some great advice for his resume from a guy in my parent's ward and he's been progressing well with some leads. He got a pretty funny offer from a company based in INDIA where he'd have to go there to train... yeah, not happening. ;) I've been applying to local restaurants (it's good, quick money) and I have a third and final interview with a place called Houston's tomorrow. I think I'll probably get the job, but there are never any guarantees, of course. The issue is that I'm just a little over qualified to be a server. Oh well, it's what I want.

On an exciting note, our transcripts officially say that we have degrees now. Hooray! I don't think it will feel really official until we're able to walk, or at least until they send us our "pieces of paper." Silly BYU and outdoor graduation traditions. I would have done it in the snow. In fact, our friend Annalise did it in the snow last year when she walked at the end of April. See? They SO could do ceremonies in December.

Ben has decided to conquer the stairs. My parent's house is split level, which means there are lots of obstacles for him to get over. But he LOVES the stairs. He'll go up a few, turn and smile at us, then keep going (he knows he's not allowed to without us). It's pretty cute. His top teeth have also emerged, and when he smiles, he shows all his gums. Sigh, I love that kid. But that's the problem- he's transforming from a BABY to a KID. He's getting older so quickly. I'm unable to post pictures right now because we don't have our own computer, but I will update when I'm able. Hope things are great with everyone!

I'm in BIG Trouble.

2008-12-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, dear readers, I'm in BIG trouble. I haven't updated this blog in forEVER! I'm sorry! Things have just been super busy.

As you may have noticed, our graduation countdown has now reached ZERO! Yeah! We've officially graduated from BYU! There was some question about one of Stephen's classes, though, because it was graded on a normal curve (meaning that, even though he earned a B, if the rest of the class earned a higher grade, he fails :( ), but the verdict is out, and he passed. The rest of the grades won't officially be out until January, but phew! That would have been awful.

Anyway, we've also moved away from Utah and are now living with my parents. While we're happy to be away from the cold and the snow, the transition has been very sad. We miss all of the good friends we've made these past years. I definitely cried a lot. But, on the other hand, I feel like I have sisters again! Yay. I've lived away from home for almost 5 years now, so it feels nice to get close to them again, plus Stephen's family is really close too, and I like them. :D

Now we're trying to survive, find (a) job(s), and find an apartment. I'll do a better job trying to keep you posted. Merry Christmas!

I Just Couldn't Help Myself...

2008-11-08T19:47:00.001-08:00

So, I went to the mall today. I haven't "been to the mall" to just "be at the mall" in probably over a year. You know, the kind of trip where you just walk around, buy whatever you want, maybe get a drink; that sort of thing. Anyway, at first I went just to buy tickets for Twilight in two weeks (yay!) but then, I walked past Game Stop. They have every current electronic game known to man, including:

And... and... I just couldn't help myself. I bought two- one for me and one for Stephen. Of course, we can't pick them up until Wednesday, but still! I am SO EXCITED! Ah, World of Warcraft... though thou art so expensive, I love thee.

However, the Twilight tickets were free because of some movie passes I got from work, so I don't feel that guilty about spending so much money... besides, it will be so much fun! Ah, Edward, you're so... icy. Hahaha.

Some other thoughts I've had... the news about the protests around the LA Temple sadden me so much. I didn't think the Prop 8 vote would change attitudes about gay marriage (of course it wouldn't), but I wasn't expecting such a violent backlash. I wish people really could live in a society of tolerance- not the tolerance that opponents of Prop 8 have tried to spread, but a true feeling of respect for people who don't think the same as you do. Frankly, everything going on really scares me, and I hope people can get along. I just keep singing, "I Love to See the Temple" to myself, and I know things will get better.

Halloween

2008-10-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, our ward had its Halloween party. Ben dressed up as a dragon and Stephen and I were baseball players (we have matching shirts).

Ben in his costume.

With Mommy...

and Daddy!

Here are the kids in the ward- Ben's in the front on the right, trying to get away.

In other Halloween news, I had floral design this morning and made a pumpkin design. Super cute!

To be honest, I don't remember all the names of the flowers for this one, but everything in the arrangement is real- no fake flowers or leaves (there is a plastic curly-cue, though).

I am officially excited for Halloween on Friday! Yay! I love this holiday.

My Last Semester is Wicked Awesome...

2008-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I planned that my last semester would be relatively easy, but the classes I'm taking really take the cake- SO EASY. Here's a quick overview:

History of the English Language

This is by far my hardest class (as we're learning how to read Old English), but there are no papers involved. Here's a sample sentence we're learning how to translate, taken directly from an assignment:
Comon hi of prim folcum . . . of dam lande pe mon hated Ealdseaxan . . . Chaldeas boerndon Hierusaleme weallas and da cynelican getimbro mid fyre fornaman for does Godes folces synnum.
Yeah. I know. Still, no papers. Plus, my professor is Elder Oaks' son, and he's hilarious. It's not everyday you have a class that is difficult AND entertaining.

The Short Story

The other day I realized that we have one assignment left in the year, besides reading quizzes. Oh, and NO TESTS. AT ALL. No midterms or finals, just one analysis (which I got an A on), a short story I had to write (still waiting on the verdict) and a final paper, due the last day of class. This class is probably the one that I've learned the most in. It's a pity I didn't take it until my last semester.

Tolkien and Friends in Film

That's not the real title, but that's what we're studying. I have a midterm on Thursday, a paper, a group presentation, and a final. This class is probably the most work, but it doesn't feel that way because my paper is actually a presentation about the music in the Lord of the Rings films and the group presentation is about Harry Potter. Seriously, this class is probably harder than I think it is, simply because the content is fantasy and film. I am in literature heaven.

Floral Design

I only have two tests left; a multiple choice written test and an identification quiz. Last ID quiz I got a 96%, so nothing to worry about there. The only hard thing about this class is the time commitment for all the labs, which is counterbalanced by the fact that I get to take home pretty flowers! The last test in this class is November 13, and there's no final... ah, floral heaven. Here are some samples of my latest projects:

This is a Japanese design. The Irises represent heaven (top), the orchids represent man (left) and the heather represent earth (bottom right).

A lovely view of a cluster of chrysanthemums with asparagus leaf, carnation, spider mum, heather, statice, and orchids.

A view of "steps" that are common in asian/modern design.

A traditional rose boutonniere.

A pall-bearer's boutonniere (yes, for funerals).

A mini Calla Lily modern design using fancy wire. It's pretty, but not my thing.

A wired daisy, for hair or whatever you want.

Best for last: a wildflower boutonniere. This is by far my favorite. It's goldenrod, aster, two kinds of waxflower and leather leaf. I absolutely love it. Suddenly Cher popped into my head and sang "If I could turn back tah-ime..." Yes, these would SO have been in my wedding.

I just thought... you know, it's a good thing that I got married when I did, because I am just so much more picky now that I know what I like, at least in the floral department. Ah, sweet waxflower, my new favorite filler...

Proposition 8

2008-10-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

As you can see by the banner I posted to the right, my family and I are supporting Proposition 8 in the election this year.

For years, I have had The Family: A Proclamation to the World posted to my fridge or wall and thought nothing much of it. Yes, I believed it was true, but it never really hit me until now exactly how important the truths it proclaims are to me. It is a standard for me and my family and what we believe in. I firmly believe that "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity." It is for these optimistic and beautiful reasons that we support Proposition 8.

It is not just because of this document that we have made our decision, but that we believe that marriages and families are ordained of God. It is a religious institution, and that is the basis for our choice.

I have never had anything against men or women choosing a homosexual lifestyle for themselves. I have had friends through the years who have chosen this, and it has never made me feel that I could not continue be their friend. In fact, I attended meetings for GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) in high school because I wanted them to understand that I did not hate them, that this was certainly no reason to dislike them and that I would not judge them for it. Then, why am I voting for Prop 8? I am voting for it because I believe a marriage begins a family and that families should consist of a mother, father, and children. Does this ideal climate always happen? No, it does not, but this is what I believe is the best place for families to be.

I hope that by writing this, people may understand why I believe what I do, and that my choice does not originate out of hatred or misunderstanding. I simply feel the need to vote for what I believe in.

Crawling!

2008-10-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post Ben's newest achievement- going forward! He's doing great, but now I have to vacuum everyday. Oh well. :)

You know you don't dress up anymore when...

2008-10-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

...You walk past a girl and think, "Oh my goodness, she looks plastic" when in fact, she's just wearing makeup, did her hair, and has money to burn on clothes. Plus, when she walks, her hair moves (even when there's no wind).

I was walking home today when I encountered such a girl. She was tan, super shiny bright blond, and was wearing heels. Granted, it's fine to wear heels should such an occasion arise for them. However, this was one of those girls. You know, the ones who wear heels everyday (after Freshman year they usually get over it). She was also wearing large designer sunglasses, a cute skirt and had a really nice bag.

Now, I'm not upset with this girl or anything, but sometimes seeing someone that fabulous makes you think, "Huh. I really don't try at all, do I?" So, I've decided to take a little more time to make myself a little more fabulous (well, at least to feel that way). Anyway, so the next time you see someone who makes you think, "Whoa," think instead, "I'm gonna pass a mirror and think 'Whoa'- and in a good way."

Happy Fabulosity!

Floral Design and Attempts to Crawl

2008-09-27T09:20:00.001-07:00

So, I'm signed up to take a Floral Design class at BYU for some empty credits to graduate, and it's really fun! The worst part about it, though, is that I have to memorize the common and the botanical names of flowers... yeah, HARD. Some are easy, like rose=rosa, but then you have others like sunflower=helianthus and peruvian lily=alstroemeria (???). But the class has awesome bonuses, like getting flowers every week! Here's a glass cube design we did this week:

So pretty! I'm seriously loving this class! Oh, and my other classes are okay too, I guess. Haha.

In other news, Ben is making serious progress toward crawling. He's starting to get up on his knees, but I think it still scares him a little. Here are some pictures of his efforts:

He's so close! We think he'll have it in the next week, and if/when he does, we'll take a video so you can see him in action!

Teeth!

2008-09-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Ben has a brand-spanking-new tooth. It's SHARP. It really hurts when he bites, but chewing on things helps his gums feel better, so I can't complain.

However, this explains why he hasn't been sleeping through the night lately. (Oh, I know- poor us. He's been sleeping through the night since he was 2 months old). Last night, we gave him some teething medicine and he slept through the night again! Hooray! It's just hard when you get used to things being easy. :)

I'll try to get a picture of the renegade tooth (if he'll let me).

California!

2008-09-08T08:17:00.000-07:00

We went to California last month for a week and a half. Unfortunately, I'm a dork and couldn't find the camera for the last half of the trip (duhr, I'm dumb). Anyway, first we met my parents in Parker, AZ on the Colorado River for some R&R. Then we went to their house in Redondo Beach and we hung out there for a while. We also spent one of those days with Jessica, my best friend from high school. Plus, we took Ben to the beach! So fun! :) For the last half of our vacation, we went to Stephen's parent's house. While we were there, Kirstin got her endowments and we got to see some extended family. It was so nice to see everyone! Driving with a baby sure is an adventure. So here are some pictures for you!

Stephen and I on the river.

Ben in his cute rashguard (he got hardly any sun, which is incredible! yay!)

Grandma and Grandpa Hansen holding Ben in his life jacket. He kept falling asleep whenever the boat went fast- it was hilarious.

My sisters holding a disgruntled Ben. I thought this picture was funny. ;)

Me and my sisters.

Stephen and Ben!

Redondo Pier.

Us at the Pier.

Grandma Hansen and Ben.

King Harbor in Redondo.

Hansen Family Picture

Ben's also had recent adventures with solid foods- it's hilarious! His reactions are so funny.

On a side note, my poor kitty, Mittens, was put down last week. She was blind and old, and it was time, but still. So sad.

Anyway, we're both in school this semester and looking forward to GRADUATING! WOO HOO! :)

Mash!

2008-08-13T16:54:00.001-07:00

I thought this was hilarious and it reminded me of elementary school. What's YOUR future? ;)



		I will marry Stephen.
		After a wild honeymoon, We will settle down in Washington in our fabulous Apartment.
		We will have 8 kid(s) together.
		Our family will zoom around in a Pink Bug.
		I will spend my days as a Mom, and live happily ever after.

Unrealistic Romantic Expectations

2008-07-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of Stephenie Meyer and her new book, Breaking Dawn (which comes out this Friday at midnight!), I thought I would share this um, interesting story with you.

So, one day before class, I arrived a little early and began talking with the girl who sits behind me. We got into a discussion about our favorite books (as English majors do) when I brought up the Twilight series, my guilty pleasure. (Think... teenage girl falls in love with a hot, chaste, "vegetarian" vampire. Yeah, it's awesome.) Anyway, suddenly this girl says that it was unrealistic in its portrayal of love. I asked her to elaborate, and she said that it ruined her relationship with her ex-fiancee because it gave her unrealistic romantic expectations.

WHAT?

Basically, she compared her relationship with that portrayed in the book and found hers to be lacking in the "lovey-dovey-all-the-time" kind of love that Bella and Edward have. Now the girl has "unrealistic romantic expectations". Still, I sat there thinking, "How on EARTH someone could let A BOOK ruin their relationship!?" How could this be? I think it comes down to one of two things:

This girl allowed herself to become totally immersed within the novel and lost herself along the way.
Well, there is no number 2.

I think that, yes, the novel does show a very elaborate and intense love relationship, but don't chick flicks show the same thing? Why don't they set up "unrealistic romantic expectations"? I just don't think I understand how someone getting a degree in studying literature could allow themselves to blame a BOOK (a silly love story at that, though I love it) for the disintegration of their relationship- a very serious relationship, too! What do you guys think?

Does the Twilight series embody unrealistic romantic expectations to this extent?

Ben's Room

2008-07-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

This post's for you, Mom.

I've been meaning to post pictures of Ben's "nursery" for a while now, but I just made the finishing touches to it. His room is an extra alcove-space in our living room that was once our home office (which was relocated to our bedroom). And did I mention... I love it!

View from the left...

View from the right.

Here's the gorgeous crib Grandma and Grandpa Hansen got for us.

And Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen got us this gorgeous matching changing table.

I painted this for Ben.

I painted these letters and glued the animals to it.

I think his room's pretty darn cute considering it's just some extra space in our living room. Oh, and we took his picture at Sears a while back. This is Ben at 2 1/2 months:

Fourth of July Fun

2008-07-06T23:45:00.001-07:00

This year we went and saw the Provo Independence Day Parade. Usually, this parade is just an annoyance because it makes a big "L" shape between us and the freeway. To get around it (to go anywhere 4th of July morning) you have to go east to the mountains, then north to get around it (the parade goes east a long way and there's basically no way around if you're trying to go south). This year, however, we decided to ignore the annoying-ness of it all and just go and watch. Boy, I was pleasantly surprised! It was so much... cooler than I was expecting.

Here's Stephen trying to keep Ben happy during the loud sirens and bands.

Looks like he did a good job. :)

There were TONS of people lining the streets- it was pretty awesome.

This was my favorite part of the whole parade- huge balloons! How cool is this monkey? I've never seen these in real life before, and I've always wanted to since I saw Batman with Jack Nicholson.

Funnest. Float. EVER. This is the institute float for the Orem Institute. Notice who's up top there? That's right- a cute little couple getting married. Hilarious! They were all singing love songs and changing the words so it would sound institute-esque.
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Also, we went to watch fireworks with our next door neighbors in their brother's neighborhood. This particular brother purchased $2500 worth of awesome, huge fireworks. They shot right above our heads- Ben loved it! He was just staring at the sky the whole time. Even today at Church he kept looking at the lights like he was expecting them to explode.

Here's Daddy with Ben and everyone set up to watch the show.

This is Tim and Annalise, our next-door neighbors who we play games with every Sunday.

This is Tom and Lovetta, who are also part of our game group on Sundays.

Ben was pretty happy through most of the show.

But really he just didn't know what to make of it. Come on, how would you interpret exploding lights in the sky?
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Okay, last set of pictures: Ben's church outfit! It's SO CUTE!

Such a cute little vest and white shirt and little khakis... sigh, it's just so adorable.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-07-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today is our two year anniversary. Hooray! I suppose that a retelling of how we met is in order. :)

We met one fine evening at the end of August in 2005. I had tagged along with my roommates to a party someone was having in our new ward. "Party" is defined by BYU students as "a gathering of people who play video games, drink pop, eat some chips, and flirt with others of the opposite sex". So, me being me, I saw a super cute guy at this party wearing a Tommy's T-shirt (Tommy's is a hamburger stand in CA that revolves around amazing chili) and so I thought to myself, "Hmm, he's super cute and from California. I must meet this man!" So I go up to him and strike up a conversation, and he's answering my questions but looking at me kinda funny. Then he reaches over to the girl sitting next to him and holds her hand... yeah. Whoops. My bad. I ended the conversation quickly and sought refuge with my roommates. Of course, this guy was Stephen.

A few days later, Stephen and his hand holding partner broke up and I went in for the kill. Well, sort of. My roommates found out they had broken up, and I was still intrigued. I made sure I was the last person to get an interview by the Bishop after Church (he was executive secretary at the time) and the Bishop suggested that Stephen walk home with me. Muah hahaha. A short time after that, one of my roommates was dating one of Stephen's roommates, and that roommate was the only other person in my apartment who did not go home for conference. So I followed her over to Stephen's apartment (who wants to watch conference alone? not me!). He wasn't there at the time, but he got home a short time later and I made room for him on the love seat. He came over and sat by me, somehow we got in a tickle fight, and here we are with a baby. Haha, okay that sounds a little extreme, but anyway, things got off to a bit of a rocky start (I broke up with him, but found him irresistible and we got back together) and we got married 9 months later. Hooray!

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did writing it.

P.S. Sorry the updates have been slim. We just finished one semester and got plummeted right back into another. I'll do better, I promise. :)

P.P.S. I got straight A's! Yes!

New Trick

2008-06-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

Ben is so smart! He taught himself how to pull a blanket off his head. It's so cool!

So cute...

So Cute!

2008-05-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

Gah, I can't help but post more pictures on here. He's just so cute!

In other news, Ben will sleep 5-6 hours in a row at night! SO COOL! He's growing up so fast...

Camping!

2008-05-19T21:58:00.003-07:00

We went camping this last weekend! It was so fun!

Stephen's Elders Quorum organized a camping trip, and we figured it would be easy to go, since food was provided. Here's a picture of us in front of our tent:

And here's me with Ben:

We had such a good time, we're going to go again! Anyone want to come with?

More Smiles, Tummy Time, and an "Oops"

2008-05-08T16:02:00.005-07:00

Sorry we haven't updated recently; school has started again and we're both taking classes. It's been crazy busy! We're doing well and enjoying our busy busy schedules. Now, onto the whole reason you probably read this blog: for news about Ben!

This kid has gotten so smiley! He's started smiling back at us- he's getting to be so social! It's so cute!
And here is a picture of his infamous "pouty face":

We've also got some footage of Ben on his tummy: look at the head lift!

Now, you're probably wondering what the "oops" is about in the title... I uh, tried to cut Ben's hair! Notice the distinct difference between his smiley picture and his pouty picture... but I think he looks really cute bald! I didn't initially intend for Ben to lose all his hair... it was just looking a little weird and long and balding, like an old man, so I tried to give him a trim. But he wiggled and squirmed and the clippers slipped and then... whoops! So, now he's got about 2 mm of hair. I still think it's really cute, though. Here's a good angle:

Smiles!

2008-04-29T09:14:00.005-07:00

Ben is smiling! It's been coming gradually over the last few days, but today I was able to capture some of those precious little grins!
Here's a video for your enjoyment (there's no sound though):

Grandma Update

2008-04-28T09:44:00.004-07:00

Per request of Grandma, I am posting more pictures! Here are some for your delight:

So cute!

Just look at him!

After bath time.

Picture with Mommy!

Picture with Daddy!

Family Picture!

Full body shot

Almost a smile... almost. :)

This is a pose you don't want to experience in person...

25 Random Things About Me

2008-04-23T11:07:00.002-07:00

Okay, Heather tagged me, so here we go:

1. I will eat salsa, but only by dipping the chip into the juice. I will not scoop up the tomatoes, onions, spices, etc., but I do enjoy their flavor.

2. I love spring and fall in Utah, but that's about it. It's really a shame because the two seasons combined only last about 4 months. The best part about these times of the year: the way the mountains look! In spring, the mountains turn green and you feel like you could be in Ireland or something. In fall, you can see the progression of the leaves changing down the mountain. It starts at the top and works its way down until the leaves are changing in the valley, too.

3. I like picking things like scabs, peeling skin and pimples. I almost used to want more acne so I could pop more zits. Ew, that sounds really gross, but I can't help it.

4. My sister Michelle and I both wear glasses, but our parents do not. I'm pretty sure the reason I do is because I wore friends' glasses in elementary school for fun.

5. I had an under bite until I was about 11 years old when my orthodontist was able to correct it using braces.

6. I had braces twice: once to correct the under bite and again to straighten everything out. That's 3 years total.

7. I play World of Warcraft with Stephen. This is apparently a big deal, mainly because most people who play WoW are prepubescent boys.

8. For a long time, I didn't know what color my hair was naturally. Is it blond? Brown? But now I know- it's light brown. I haven't colored it for almost two years.

9. I like making silk flower wreaths. No, I LOVE it. If you want me to make one for you, I just need 15-20 dollars for the supplies and let me know what your favorite colors/flowers are.

10. My favorite color is yellow.

11. When I was in elementary school I used to wish I had blue eyes and then I decided it was okay to have brown because there was a song about brown-eyed girls.

12. I'm obsessed with organizing things, but my house is rarely clean. (There is a difference between being clean and organized)

13. I used to major in Physiology and Developmental Biology, but changed it after a semester and a half. To English.

14. I only applied to BYU. Good thing I got in, or who knows where I'd be.

15. I LOVE Harry Potter, but my old obsession has been replaced with a new one: Twilight. I love Edward! (For those of you who are not familiar of this book series: it's AWESOME. Keep in mind, though, it's not a literary masterpiece or anything.)

16. Vincent Van Gogh is my favorite artist, despite his oddities.

17. I don't know how many boys I've kissed. I didn't keep track. (Don't be alarmed; it's not THAT many)

18. Along similar lines, I dated 3 boys at once (not seriously) my first semester at BYU. That was fun.

19. I love Jello. A lot. I can eat most of a batch by myself.

20. As a child, I had a severe fear of clowns. In particular, I had a puppet, which was cool, BUT it was a clown puppet. The strings got so tangled at one point that I thought the puppet would come alive in the middle of the night and do awful things to me Chucky-style. Scary!

21. I've recently become obsessed with home decorating. It's so much fun!

22. I didn't get stretch marks on my belly when I was pregnant, but I have stretch marks covering my hips from growing quickly when I was younger.

23. I grew 2 inches within 3 months when I was 12. Too bad I had gotten a whole bunch of new clothes right before this period.

24. My younger sister "developed" well before I did. Boy, that was embarrassing.

25. I had warts on my hands and feet when I was a teenager. Don't worry, it's cleared up. And it's not contagious, anyway.

HA! I did it! I tag... Heidi! Okay, Heidi- now you have something to Blog about. :)