- Stampin UP workshop success
- We went on a date without the boys...lots of fun
- Ryan's company was named #1 in Healthcare Contractors
- Ryan got a promotion-now he's a Project Engineer
- We recieved the bonus for the Waco Job being completed
- We recieved the annual deposite into our 401K
- We went to Stake Conference
- We saw 4 beavers swimming in a pond
- A streak of warm weather+spring break=lots of fun at the school playground all week + time working to get a spot ready for the garden
- Teancum + Jacob = Fun, laughs, energetic boys
- We find out today what #3 is...cross your fingers for a girl
- Morgan's wedding is in two weeks=we get to see family
Monday, March 23, 2009
Counting our Blessings
This will be a brief post to compensate for the last one, but I had to count our blessings from this last week. These are not listed in any order.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Motel Madness
We went to rifle this weekend for Stake Conference since the church meetings were so close on Saturday and ran until late I searched the net for a Hotel. Note:I HATE being the one that picks the hotel, having to decide if a good price means a disgusting room or a great deal, so I always get really nervous when we pull up to the Hotel. I thought I found a definite winner, decent review, recently refurbished, and King Suite with a foldout couch and "a full kitchen" for the same price as a two queen regular room. SWEET! we won't have to spend money on Sunday and we can just cook our own dinner, breakfast and lunch.
UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE #1: Imagine my surprise when we go to our room and it looks the same as a regular King bed room, with just a microwave and a mini-fridge. I went to the front desk and asked if their King Suites were supposed to come with a kitchenette...They said no. Frustrated I told them they needed to change their website because it says that it comes with a full kitchen. They seem surprised and so I help them find the page on their website that says TWICE that there is some sort of kitchen in the King Suite. They apologize and say they can cancel our reservation if we'd like...hmm, do I want to pay $15 more to go the La Quinta down the road and get a normal room...
I give them another chance and ask if their family suites have a kitchen and if so do they have any of those available. They have one which they show to us, its very roomy and though the "full kitchen" consists of two burners and a sink next to a cupboard and microwave in a small hole in the wall with a mini-fridge just outside (it obviously wouldn't fit in such a spacious full kitchen). I think about my boys being boys in a normal room and ask the price and they give it to me for the same price of the King Suite...alright I think I can do this, I think and we take it. Very roomy, no crib for Jacob and we forgot the playpen, but with the two beds we can split one each with the kids and if need be get some linen for the foldout couch. SCORE!
Unfortunately I thought by the website that the full kitchen would have included some sort of dishes, nope...no pots to cook spaghetti, no knives to slice our pineapple, no bowls, no nothing. I mentally kick myself for not grabbing the pot I had planned on bringing, at least we had switched to cereal instead of pancakes for breakfast and Ryan had thought to pack some bowls and spoons. Oh, well we'll deal and I start re-planning our meals while Ryan got ready for the Priesthood Session.
UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE #2: While Ryan was at Priesthood Session I decided to give the boys a bath while I got ready in the bathroom for the Adult Session of Conference. I turn on the water then look for how to plug the tub. There's no little switch, there's no visible way to plug the tub. The boys are already clambering in so I decide to just let the water run while they play and cover the drain with a washcloth or something. A few minutes later I hear banging on the floor below me. Confused I do mental checklist of how we would be bothering our neighbors...Not being loud, not jumping or doing the conga, nope...Then there is a knocking at our door with a simultaneous banging on the floor. I run and answer the door, it's the lady from the front desk there to inform me that I need to turn of the water since it is leaking through the floor. Result: no baths or showers while we stay there...and we should have gone with La Quinta.
UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE #3: That night Jacob wouldn't go to sleep with the rest of us up...he was overtired from missing a nap and so very grumpy. We finally got him to sleep around 8:45 (normal bedtime is 7:00). Teancum also missed a nap and wouldn't go to bed until Mom and Dad decided to go to bed 9:30. Jacob woke up at 11:00 inconsolable and after 20 min we got him back to sleep, until 5:30a.m...no sleeping in for any of us....
Other than those 3 experiences our trip was rather pleasant. We picnicked at a new playground, took a morning walk around the pond and saw 2 beaver den's, 4 beavers swimming, geese and birds, and fish jumping. They boys had a great time throwing rocks in the pond and playing at BK's play place, and most important conference was very uplifting and edifying.
UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE #1: Imagine my surprise when we go to our room and it looks the same as a regular King bed room, with just a microwave and a mini-fridge. I went to the front desk and asked if their King Suites were supposed to come with a kitchenette...They said no. Frustrated I told them they needed to change their website because it says that it comes with a full kitchen. They seem surprised and so I help them find the page on their website that says TWICE that there is some sort of kitchen in the King Suite. They apologize and say they can cancel our reservation if we'd like...hmm, do I want to pay $15 more to go the La Quinta down the road and get a normal room...
I give them another chance and ask if their family suites have a kitchen and if so do they have any of those available. They have one which they show to us, its very roomy and though the "full kitchen" consists of two burners and a sink next to a cupboard and microwave in a small hole in the wall with a mini-fridge just outside (it obviously wouldn't fit in such a spacious full kitchen). I think about my boys being boys in a normal room and ask the price and they give it to me for the same price of the King Suite...alright I think I can do this, I think and we take it. Very roomy, no crib for Jacob and we forgot the playpen, but with the two beds we can split one each with the kids and if need be get some linen for the foldout couch. SCORE!
Unfortunately I thought by the website that the full kitchen would have included some sort of dishes, nope...no pots to cook spaghetti, no knives to slice our pineapple, no bowls, no nothing. I mentally kick myself for not grabbing the pot I had planned on bringing, at least we had switched to cereal instead of pancakes for breakfast and Ryan had thought to pack some bowls and spoons. Oh, well we'll deal and I start re-planning our meals while Ryan got ready for the Priesthood Session.
UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE #2: While Ryan was at Priesthood Session I decided to give the boys a bath while I got ready in the bathroom for the Adult Session of Conference. I turn on the water then look for how to plug the tub. There's no little switch, there's no visible way to plug the tub. The boys are already clambering in so I decide to just let the water run while they play and cover the drain with a washcloth or something. A few minutes later I hear banging on the floor below me. Confused I do mental checklist of how we would be bothering our neighbors...Not being loud, not jumping or doing the conga, nope...Then there is a knocking at our door with a simultaneous banging on the floor. I run and answer the door, it's the lady from the front desk there to inform me that I need to turn of the water since it is leaking through the floor. Result: no baths or showers while we stay there...and we should have gone with La Quinta.
UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE #3: That night Jacob wouldn't go to sleep with the rest of us up...he was overtired from missing a nap and so very grumpy. We finally got him to sleep around 8:45 (normal bedtime is 7:00). Teancum also missed a nap and wouldn't go to bed until Mom and Dad decided to go to bed 9:30. Jacob woke up at 11:00 inconsolable and after 20 min we got him back to sleep, until 5:30a.m...no sleeping in for any of us....
Other than those 3 experiences our trip was rather pleasant. We picnicked at a new playground, took a morning walk around the pond and saw 2 beaver den's, 4 beavers swimming, geese and birds, and fish jumping. They boys had a great time throwing rocks in the pond and playing at BK's play place, and most important conference was very uplifting and edifying.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patrick's Day
I love the color green. That's probably why we have green couches, green towels and a green blanket on our bed that I crocheted. So, even though my family didn't celebrate St. Patty's day growing up and I hate that the holiday is associated with drinking I was excited to start some family traditions like green eggs and ham for breakfast, I even dyed some of my shirts so that I would have green to wear. Unfortunately I totally spaced on tuesday that it was actually the big day until about 4:00 at which time I changed us all into green shirts and we made a special St. Patty's Day dessert...so much for our green eggs.
I don't think much of the cool whip made it on the treats once Jacob got ahold of it
Teancum was so excited that it was St. Patrick's day...finally... the poor kid had been waiting since story time last tuesday
and his mom dropped the ball.
Too bad he didn't get to celebrate all day long.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Boy to the Bone
Jacob has been trying to keep up with Audrey Fish. He tries to be bigger than he is climbing on everything and running everywhere. Needless to say he has had his number of injuries this week: smashed fingers, a bruise on his head from a door slamming into him, a black eye from falling on the magazine rack and scraped knuckles from tripping outside while holding onto his chalk. No we don't beat our children, they are just super active.
While most of his injuries only had him crying for a minute or so his latest had him wailing for some time. I was having a hard time calming him when he ripped a long one. Instantly a smile replaced the tears and I soon had him cracking up when I asked, "Jacob are you being stinky." A few minutes later he passed some more gas while giggling. Oh and he has also progressed from blowing kisses to making fart noises into his hand a blowing them to you...and he came up with it all on his own. Can you say BOY!
While most of his injuries only had him crying for a minute or so his latest had him wailing for some time. I was having a hard time calming him when he ripped a long one. Instantly a smile replaced the tears and I soon had him cracking up when I asked, "Jacob are you being stinky." A few minutes later he passed some more gas while giggling. Oh and he has also progressed from blowing kisses to making fart noises into his hand a blowing them to you...and he came up with it all on his own. Can you say BOY!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Fun with Jakie
I love sales! Especially after holiday sales when you get fun things for 75% off...Like valentine's cake mix, which was a recent favorite find of mine (seriously Pillsbury cake mix for 50 cents!). So when Jacob took his morning nap before Mr. T's preschool I decided to spend some quality time with the little tyke baking...something I used to do all the time with Teancum when he was little, but hadn't done with Jacob Yet...Check it out.
Filling up the cupcakes.
Mixing it up, Jacob figured out how to balance the mixer...
Good thing too or our kitchen would have needed a wash :)
Pouring in the sprinkles
He kept looking like he was going to taste the batter,
then would look at me and put it back like he knew he wasn't supposed to.
Filling up the cupcakes. sorry no pictures of the Final product...
they were to de-lish to leave around until I got a picture taken. 
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Hot Springs and Fun.
What's better than taking the kids swimming or a hot bath? Taking the kids to the Hot springs where they can play and you enjoy the nice bathlike water. We took the boys to Steamboat's Old Town Hot Springs yesterday and had a blast, there were several pools with varing temperatures so I got to hang out in the 93 degree one, swim in the 80 degree lap pool and my hubby took some time to hop in the Jacuzzi like hot one. We swam for 2.5 hours in the morning took a short break to see the town and eat lunch then went back for another 2 hours. Of course I forgot my camera so I don't have any pics of the boys splashing it up...Jacob especially loved playing on the numerous steps they had there. But to console your broken heart I'm posting other fun pictures of the time we have had around the house...not the same I know...but bear with us anyway.
Chicken Lo Mein
I love chinese food. I often crave it. Imagine my dissapointment when I got married and found out my husband gets sick whenever we eat it from a restaurant. Naturally rather than live without my ultimate comfort food I've been looking for good recipes that I can make to get my chinese fix and still have a husband in good health come the end of the day. Here is a recent find from allrecipes.com for Chicken Lo Mein with some modifications I made It was really good for homemade chinese and I'm definitly adding it to my recipe box. I also have some Sweet and Sour Chicken and Orange Chicken recipes we like if anyone wants them.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup hot water
6 ounces uncooked linguine
2-3 cups frozen stirfry veggies
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon granules in hot water; set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat veggies in 1 olive oil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining oil for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in dissolved bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet. Drain linguine. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup hot water
6 ounces uncooked linguine
2-3 cups frozen stirfry veggies
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the cornstarch, ginger, soy sauce and broth until smooth. Add chicken and stir to coat; set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon granules in hot water; set aside. Cook linguine according to package directions.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat veggies in 1 olive oil for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken mixture in remaining oil for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in dissolved bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Return vegetables to skillet. Drain linguine. Toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes longer or until heated through. Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Pay It Forward
Pay it forward...The rules
1. Be one of the first THREE (3) bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, only I know.
2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay IT Forward, creating a handmade gift- anything! for the first THREE (3) bloggers who leave a comment on their post about the giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make and/ or ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: it's the spirit and the thought that counts!
4. When you receive your gift, feel free to post about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER...Pay It Forward!Let's help make this a wonderful world to live in and show our friends how much we care for them :)
1. Be one of the first THREE (3) bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, only I know.
2. Winners must post this challenge on their blog, meaning that they will Pay IT Forward, creating a handmade gift- anything! for the first THREE (3) bloggers who leave a comment on their post about the giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make and/ or ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: it's the spirit and the thought that counts!
4. When you receive your gift, feel free to post about it, sharing appropriate pictures and comments! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your friends to do the same!SO, REMEMBER...Pay It Forward!Let's help make this a wonderful world to live in and show our friends how much we care for them :)
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