Our Slice

Our Beautiful Children

2011-07-08T12:08:00.011-06:00

I know I have a biased opinion, but I'm allowed. Right?

Taelyn (3 years) & Brayden (6 months)

I love watching their personalities develop. I love watching their love for each other grow. I love hearing them laugh. I love spending time with them. I love watching them express their love for Jon and I. I love watching them play together. I love that she tries to lift him even though he is almost as big as she is. I love that she asks every day if he can walk yet. I love that she likes to feed him. I love watching his confusion when she is feeding him pretend food. I love that he always wakes up happy. I love that I'm learning how to help her to do the same. I love their excitement and enthusiasm. I love them. I love that they are patient with me as I learn. Mostly I just love being their mother.

The Good Things

2011-01-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

So many good things have happened over the last few months. Because I've been so busy not talking (blogging) about the bad things, the good things have been skipped also. This is an attempt to remedy that and get back to posting.

Baby Blessing

2011-01-28T17:09:00.004-07:00

Despite the craziness that happened that morning, we made it to the meeting and the blessing was beautiful. Thanks to all the family members who shared the special day with us.

The monkey toes are my favorite! They really are as long as they look. I love them.

Christmas

2011-01-28T17:08:00.007-07:00

My camera wigged on these first few photos, but they were too cute to not include.
Taelyn started the morning in Taryn's bed. Everyone else was ready to get up before she was.

This year was so much fun. I loved experiencing Christmas through a child's eyes again. However, if I had known the candy canes were going to be her favorite thing, I could have saved myself a lot of time and stress. We were able to talk her into finally looking at other things. At this point my battery died (yes, I really know how to plan ahead) and my mom started taking pictures with her camera. I still haven't gotten copies from her.

Halloween

2011-01-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

This is really slow in coming.

Grandma took Taelyn to buy a costume. They looked and looked and Taelyn insisted on the poke-a-dotted cow. It wasn't my favorite, but she couldn't have been happier. I need to send a huge THANK YOU to Malissa, who came up and took Taelyn to the ward trunk-or-treat so that Jon and I could stay home with Brayden. Taelyn had a blast!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-01-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Fairy House

2011-01-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Tinkerbell is a big deal around our place. I need to get a picture of her fairy attire. One day Daddy had a little time on his hands, too many boxes, and the desire to impress his daughter (and impress her he did!). The pictures don't do this thing justice. It has two entrances, a tunnel, a closing window, a fancy window...and a heart shaped skylight.

I do have to add that periodically she takes her family reunion walking stick and beats on the boxes while yelling at the monsters to get out. Sometimes she tells them to go away and sometimes she tells them it is bed time.

The Circus

2011-01-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

If the Halloween post was long overdue, I don't know what to call this!

We went to the circus back in September. I only took one picture of the actual act.

I had more fun taking Pictures of Taelyn. She was mesmorized. (I'm glad I took these when I did, because toward the end she was watching everything BUT the show. Apparently a 2-year-old doesn't have the attention span necessary for an entire performance...)

By the end she was beyond done. I really wanted to get a good picture, but she was ready to go home. Jon had to help her find her smile.

Visits from Taryn & Grandma

2011-01-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

I wish I would take more pictures from these! My mom and Taryn have stayed with us several times. Taelyn love having them come (I'm sure it has nothing to do with the extra attention).

The next time we went to this store, Taelyn wanted to ride Pumba again. When I got ready to start it she told me I had to ride with her. Not. A. Chance.

Now whenever she finds quarters around the house she gets excited and says she'll put it in her purse so she can ride Pumba. When she finds dollar bills she gets really excited and yells "Now I can ride Pumba whole bunches of times!"

My Beautiful Daughter

2011-01-28T17:01:00.005-07:00

As often as not, I look at Taelyn and think "What on Earth?". She makes us laugh so much. I need to record some of the funny things she says, but for now I'll leave you with these:
Why yes. Yes she is wearing her underwear on the outside of her pants. 4 pairs to be exact. And one sock. At least she has clothes on, right?

Reflecting on 2010

2011-01-28T17:00:00.002-07:00

68 posts in 2008, 104 in 2009 and…24 in 2010 (most of which came in the first half). Why? Because I tend not to blog about negative things. Because I’ve been afraid posting bad news seems like I’m complaining. Because I’ve been afraid talking about it means I’m weak. These last few weeks I’ve come to realize that I am weak. These last few weeks I’ve come to realize that being weak that isn’t a character flaw, a detriment, or even something to be ashamed of. In fact, we need to realize how weak we are. [I attribute that realization to studying the Beatitudes, and prayer and grace in the bible dictionary.]

I’d be lying if I said I was sad to see 2010 go. At the first of last year I told Jon that I felt like we had been too blessed and that something big was coming. I started listing things that could go wrong (miscarriage, baby not healthy, death in family, etc.). I gave him a list a mile long. He told me that I couldn’t live looking at life like that. He said that I needed to live so that my testimony was strong enough to handle anything that came along. At first I was offended because I felt he was suggesting that my testimony was weak and that I was going to falter at the slightest trial. With some sincere prayer I realized what he was saying. I realized I wasn’t nourishing my testimony like I should. I realized that being faithful in my church attendance, diligent in my calling and honest in my tithes and offerings wasn’t enough. I wasn’t nourishing my testimony like I should. My personal scripture study was hit and miss. My personal prayers lacked conviction. I didn’t feel like I was ever getting the spiritual rejuvenation I so desperately needed. I realized he was right and I needed to step it up. I’m glad I did because that is when things got hard, and they haven’t seemed to let up any.

Breastfeeding gives one a lot of time to think. Reflect. As I was reflecting on last year I thought about losing my 2 remaining grandpas in 6 months. I’ve spent a ton of time worrying about Taelyn and Brayden. Brayden will have to have a minor out-patient surgery this summer. It isn’t a huge issue, but it is surgery-and that scares me. Taelyn has a lump in her armpit. We don’t know what it is. She’s had blood work done twice and chest x-rays. On top of that, she has been losing weight. Have you seen the kid? She doesn’t have weight to lose. Mostly I’ve been thinking about my family. Aching. I go over the 2 a.m. phone conversation I had with him the week after he announced he was leaving. He said that “mixed families are too hard”. I’m still not sure what that means. I pray daily that it doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to be part of my children’s lives…my life. One feeding session I was thinking about the year and the trials I felt were heaping up. Then I realized how many things I had forgotten to add to the heap. Kidney stone. Being rushed into surgery to remove it. A breast cancer scare. The hemolytic disease risk. 8 weeks without hot water. Things that had seemed so large at the time no longer made the list.

When we were home over Christmas a family friend approached Jon and I at church. She asked how we were doing. My response was automatic; I told her that we were doing great. “Lair” she said. She’s right. It is easier for me to just not talk about it. It is easier to think that if I ignore it, it will go away. It’s not healthy, nor is it productive. My goal is to get back to blogging. To blog about the good things. To blog about the bad and sad things. Maybe it will help me to really move through this.

Daycare Fundraiser

2010-10-31T20:53:00.002-06:00

Taelyn's daycare is doing a pizza fundraiser. We have committed to selling ten and have three to go. Click here to see the brochure. Fundraiser ends this Friday (11/5). If anyone is interested please call me or you can order online at www.pizzakits.com. Fundraiser ID is 215067.
Products will be delivered mid-November and we are willing to bring any to the Basin the next time we are out (probably after Thanksgiving).

Thanks much!!!!

BRAYDEN GARY

2010-10-31T20:05:00.010-06:00

This email is slow in coming. Sorry about that!!

Brayden Gary was born on 10/22/10 @ 8:08 a.m. He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 21".

I don't have the professional photos yet, but they can be viewed here. Click on "view photos" and 1022(plus babies first and last name all lower case) for the password.

I wish I had time to arrange the photos, but Brayden thinks he is starving to death. There are lots of Brayden and Tae. She loves him so much and always wants to hold him, except she wants to hold him by herself. She always says "take a picture mama!"

Poor Brayden sometimes feels too loved by Tae (look closely at this next pic):
When we swaddle him, Tae calls it a Brayden Taco. She likes to have "two tacos".
Brayden and his Great-Grandma Sylvia.
My pride and joy:
Coming home from the hospital:
At the hospital:
More to come later!

My Mom is My Hero

2010-10-12T17:10:00.003-06:00

My Mom has always been my hero-and not just because I'm so much like her. She has always been so willing to do anything for her children. She is the most fix-it-yourself person I know. She is determined. She always stands up for what she believes in. She is always willing to help others. She joys in the successes of others. She has mad sewing skills that no one can match (except for maybe my grandma-but I think it would be a close match!). She always goes out of her way to lend her sewing talent to do projects for others, even when it's not convenient for her. She loves to fish and hunt. She knows how to pull a calf. She is a hard worker. She laughs a lot. She knows how to have fun. She always calls me when I need it most. She loves being a grandmother and makes Taelyn feel so special. She expresses her love often, both verbally and in her actions. She tells us often that she is proud of us.

Lately I've learned how strong and selfless she is. These last 2 1/2 weeks have been some of the hardest that my family has ever faced. When my dad left, we struggled. My mom has been so strong. She hasn't been bitter or angry toward my dad. She has been very kind. That has impressed me most. It has made it so much easier for us kids to not be consumed with anger, bitterness or hate. Her testimony is stronger than I ever realized. She just keeps saying that she doesn't know what will happen, but every time she prays she feels peace. Her strength has made us stronger.

If I am ever a good mother, it is only because of the amazing example that I have had in my own mother.

4.0

2010-08-09T09:30:00.003-06:00

Jon has finished another semester. This summer he took PSC 2600 (Annual & Perennial Plants) and PSC 4900 (Native Plants). He was a little embarrassed when I sent out a text about his 4.0. To make up for it, I'll throw it out there to the blogosphere!

Congrats Jon! Your hard work paid off!

This Old House

2010-08-06T17:16:00.002-06:00

We've been without hot water for a full month now. I'm not proud, or angry. OK, that's totally a lie! I'm amazed that I've lasted this long. Unfortunately, I'm hitting the end of my rope.

A friend asked if I had a to-do list that I needed to get done before the baby comes. Anyone that knows me knows that I live on to-do lists. I even add things to my list that I've already accomplished that day so that I can see how productive my day has been. I may, or may not, also just enjoy starting a list with something already completed. It helps me to be motivated. Well, I haven't made a to-do list for...hmmm...about a month now. I tried to make a to-do list yesterday. I couldn't do it. Seriously. I attempted it several times. Then I cried.

Cousins

2010-07-27T17:12:00.011-06:00

I honestly believe that this word is Taelyn's favorite word. We got some quality time with so many cousins during July.

The weekend of the 4th Jon's brother and his family came out. We were able to go to the zoo with them. It was a blast. Taelyn loved the animals, but the cousins made the trip even better.
I'm so glad these two are such good buddies! I had Tae's stroller, but they preferred to ride this way.

I was so glad my SIL was pregnant, too. The kids kept a pace that we could both manage.

I wish I could have gotten better carousel pictures, but by the time I started figuring my camera out, the ride was over.

We had so much fun that it wore Tae out. She slept so well under that wet blankey. I kept getting crazy looks from people for having her under a blanket, but it kept her nice and cool.

She woke up just in time for the train ride.

Don't let the face fool you, she enjoyed it!

For as short a ride as it is, it made me laugh that she couldn't stay in one spot the whole time.

The following week Jon had class up at Tony's grove. Because he didn't want to make the drive to Logan the morning of, we stayed with his sister and her family. They opted to go up for the day as well. I could see why Jon's last class was up there. The class was Native Plants and the flowers were amazing.I'm disappointed that these pictures are fuzzy. Apparently I need to remember to clean off the lens after letting Taelyn play with the camera.

These two had so much fun together. He kept telling his mom that Taelyn was his best friend.

The hike around the lake nearly did me in. It didn't help that it took so long because all the two little ones wanted to do was stop and throw rocks in.

Toward the end they both got tired.

Jon had class on his birthday, so we celebrated the day before. We took dinner and cake down to another of his sisters' house and spent the evening with them.

I wish I had taken more pictures. Unfortunately this starts my 2 week hiatus from the camera...

Taelyn wasn't too sure about getting close to Spike for a picture.While there she also learned to pedal a bike. She was so proud of herself.I'm including this picture because I'm so proud of those braids. It took a half an hour, but lasted for 3 days and I let it go wavy the 4th. Good time investment, I think.

Random Pictures from June

2010-07-26T17:25:00.000-06:00

I'm never going to catch up if I don't do a massive card dump. Sorry!

This is the first and only time I have been able to talk Tae into licking the beaters. I had to lie and tell her it was just like a sucker. She liked it, so I think she'll forgive me.Can you tell that this little girl has a mother who plays the violin? She tried to play Taryn's guitar like this too.

She loves dandelions, but only after they go to seed. For some reason, she calls yellow dandelions by the correct name, but once they look like this they are called 'dinosaurs'. Don't ask me. She even knows what real dinosaurs look like.

On one of our trips home we helped my parents move the cows. She only rode with Grandma for 5 minutes before she decided she preferred being on the 4-wheeler with me.

And here is just a sample of how much like her daddy she is. She loved 'helping'. She slowed Jon down a little, but I know he enjoyed it just as much as she did.

Colton lived with us for a couple weeks while he was working in SLC and Shay was finishing up school in Cedar. Colton was trying to figure out how to get into the coconut and Tae insisted on helping. I tried to pick her some cool looking implements-of-destruction that could do no harm. She seemed content.
She might not forgive me for posting these, but I couldn't resist! She used to like to drink out of Jon's hand after brushing her teeth, but this is her new favorite method. I walked in on her like this and couldn't help but laugh.

And finally, once she figured out what gardening was, we couldn't talk her into letting Daddy plant the flowers on his own.

(not so friendly a tool...I should have given her the potato masher!)

For some reason she likes putting her feet between the posts on our porch. Because I'm so kind, I took pictures of her instead of helping her free herself.

I'll post pictures from July tomorrow. Until then, I'll feel like I've at least accomplished something on this long-neglected but not-so-forgotten blog.

Taelyn's Birthday

2010-06-22T12:32:00.003-06:00

Taelyn's birthday was over a month and a half ago. I never did post pictures.

Because we opted to get her a larger gift this year, we decided to keep the festivising small. Colton and Shay went with us to dinner. We went to the Mayan (which Tae calls 'Boys-Jump-Water' for obvious reasons). I was glad they happened to be up when we were going so they could join us. It helped to make it more special for Tae. She loves Coco-Shay. I wish I would have taken more pictures at dinner!This is her 'Big Toy'. She has spent countless hours on (and under) it.
Best KSL Classifieds find ever and I'm still shocked that I was the first one to call on it.
We picked it up the night before her birthday. I told Jon that we could wait until the next day to set it up. He was insistent that we could do it. We started when it was still light out. Funny how hard something like this is to put together when you don't have instructions, don't know what it is supposed to look like when you are finished, and have a two year old trying to climb on the pieces while you're trying to figure it all out. It was well after dark when we finished. Quite the little adventure.

We also got her some princess shoes and princess sandals for her birthday. I don't think they are that cute, but I've finally decided it is much easier if she likes what she is wearing than if I like it. These shoes have hearts, princesses, sparkles and lights-she thinks they are the most awesome thing ever. I had a few videos of her stomping around and checking out the lights, but I'm having problems getting them to load.

Show-N-Tell

2010-06-17T12:05:00.002-06:00

They do Show-N-Tell at the daycare. I've been really lazy with it, because she's two-and why put effort into something she just doesn't get yet. Right?

Two weeks ago we were starting to put Tae to bed. We were sitting on the floor and singing Old MacDonald's Farm (a new favorite). When we stopped singing, she meticulously arranged her feet so that she was sitting cross-legged. I didn't think much of it until she started to clap her hands and hit her knees and say something very rhythmically that I couldn't understand. I asked Jon what she was doing and he had no idea either. She continued for a few minutes before I finally got it.

Her chanting was "show-and-tell-it" repeated over and over. I laughed and wondered if it was just a song to her. I crossed my legs and joined in. When she stopped, I stopped. Then she said "momma turn". I struggled to keep a strait face, showed her my empty hands and told her that momma didn't have anything to shown-n-tell.

Her eyes lit up and she pointed at me. In one of her most excited voices she exclaimed "New shirt!"

I lost it. I haven't laughed that hard in a while.

Can I just say how much I love this phase? I love the interaction. I love the learning. And I love the funny things that come out of her mouth. I am amazed daily at the things that they pick up. She is definitely in the sponge phase, and I love every second! [Well, OK, almost every second. There have been a few times that I said something I probably shouldn't have that made me cringe when I heard it repeated back!]

Beauty

2010-06-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

I have been attending a class called Just Health. It is an interesting approach that looks at seven aspects of health, of which physical is just one. Yesterday's class covered the influence of media on body image. It was quite interesting and I left the class feeling like I had a lot to think about. I just wanted to share this video we watched.

If the video doesn't work, it can be watched here.

Tender Mercies

2010-06-15T10:07:00.004-06:00

Initially the whole experience left me feeling like I have faced one thing after another with this pregnancy. A little change in perspectives was good. We have been so blessed that every 'issue' has been small. This weekend was no different.

It was a tender mercy that we were in Roosevelt when we had to go to the ER late Saturday night. Taelyn was already asleep and we were able to leave her with Grandma Sherrie.
The ultrasound technician who was checking on my kidney also checked on the baby. She was so nice. When she asked if there were any problems with the pregnancy I told her about needing to go back in in July to check on the placenta. She checked it for me and printed out a report for me to take to my midwife clinic. She laughed and said there was no reason to pay for another ultrasound if we were already there.
It was a tender mercy that we were still in Roosevelt when we decided I needed to go back to the ER. We were able to leave Taelyn with my parents and make the mad dash trip to Salt Lake.
As silly as it sounds, it was a tender mercy that I look pregnant. When I walked into the ER at our hospital, they met me half way to the check-in desk with a wheelchair. Apparently pregnant women who look like they are in intense pain don't have to spend any time in the waiting room.
Because I called the midwife before we left Roosevelt, she was able to check on what would get me help fastest: going to Labor & Delivery or going to the ER. When I got there they had been expecting me and had a nurse from Labor & Delivery there to check on the baby.
It was a tender mercy that I couldn't hold anything down on Sunday morning/afternoon because it kept me from eating. When we got to Salt Lake, they were able to take me in for surgery because I hadn't eaten for 24 hours. [Unfortunately it also made it so that I was dehydrated. Apparently my vein collapsed during the surgery and they had a hard time finding another location. I can count at least 10 needle insertion points on my arms, which are now bruised, swollen and very tender.]
It was a tender mercy that we were in surgery late Sunday night because I had a whole recovery area to myself. They allowed Jon to come in because we were the only ones there. He was able to hear the baby's heart beat the second time they checked it after the surgery.
It was a tender mercy that I felt well enough after the surgery that they let me go home after two hours.
Every time I feel Baby Brayden move is a tender mercy. I have been so worried about him with all of the meds I've taken for pain. Even though they told me that everything they gave me wouldn't harm the baby, I was worried about him being overly affected by the morphine, percocet, lortab and the other crazy drugs they gave me through the IV.

I'm so grateful for the wonderful people that came in on-call Sunday night. They all talked to me while I was in the hall before going into surgery. Even Courtney introduced himself and let me know that he was there to make sure all the equipment worked properly so if I saw him running around, there was nothing to worry about. They answered all my questions and reassured me that they were going to do everything they could to protect the baby.

Most of all, I'm grateful for Jon. He stayed in bed with me after getting back from the ER the first night even though I didn't sleep and spent most of the night trying to find a position that didn't hurt, crying, or making some other crazy pain related noise. He would ask me what he could do even though he'd heard me tell him a million times that he couldn't do anything. He joked back when I told him to not even think about touching me because it hurt. He was so patient even though he was only running on a few hours of sleep. He put up with my still telling him how to drive when I was half asleep and half drugged up--and really didn't know what was going on. When we finally got back to our home after everything was over, he insisted on taking care of me before doing anything for himself. My favorite was when he struggled to fall asleep because Taelyn's bed was empty. Once he had me taken care of, his thoughts and concerns turned to her. He is such a good husband and father.

I'm grateful for the change in perspective that has helped me to see the good in this ordeal. I'm grateful everything went as it did and we were able to get everything taken care of. Now I'm hoping I can keep this perspective even if something else does come up!

And We Are Having...

2010-06-11T09:29:00.002-06:00

A BOY!
I posted on FB right when we found out...but still haven't taken time to get info on here.

The ultrasound was good. It was nice to see him (well, as much as you can 'see' on an ultrasound). I definitely felt like I could 'see' more on the ultrasound with Tae. He looks healthy. I have to go back in for another ultrasound in July to check on one concern they had about the placenta being low. The doctor thinks it will correct itself, but wanted to be on the safe side. I'm hoping that the baby being a little bigger will help me to be able to see more next time.

I've forgotten how much I love to feel the baby move. I'm remembering that there are some things about pregnancy that I love. It really is an amazing process.

As for names, we really want to use Gary for the middle name (because how could we not when it covers both of our fathers). We have struggled to find a first name that we can agree on. Right now we are leaning toward Brayden Gary. We don't absolutely love it, but neither of us has strong objections to it. As we were discussing names, we would occasionally run some by Taelyn. She has started calling him Baby Brayden, so I guess that has become our deciding factor. Occasionally she calls him Brayden Gary, and it makes my heart melt.

I don't know how much Taelyn understands, but it is probably more than I give her credit for. She loves to rub my belly and talk to him. She still thinks she has a baby in her belly too, but knows that Baby Brayden is in my belly. I think she will be such a great big sister. We are so excited for him to be part of our family.

Pregnancy Details

2010-05-20T17:00:00.002-06:00

We are due October 20th and are now at 18 weeks. We go in for an ultrasound next week and have been counting down. I really want to know what we are having so that we can start trying to make it a little more real for Tae (who is convinced we both have babies in our bellies). And I want to decorate-but need to know if I can keep it all pink or if we need to add some other colors. When anyone asks what I want, my response is ‘a baby’. We really have no preference. We’ve just been praying for a healthy baby.

I’m surprised at how baby hungry I got before getting pregnant. I’m so grateful for that; otherwise, I don’t think I would have been able to get over my fears and jump again. Really, I was the holdup on adding to our family. Jon was ready for another one the day we brought Taelyn home.

I’ve been asked a lot how this pregnancy is different than the first and if it was harder or easier. I honestly don’t know. I don’t remember a lot from the first time around…which is totally why I’m pregnant again. I haven’t been nauseous, but have been dealing with morning sickness. Yes…still. Every. Single. Morning. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve gotten sick later in the day. Seriously, mornings are easy: I’m at home, proper facilities are very accessible, and I haven’t eaten anything yet. I do remember getting sick – at all times of the day – the whole pregnancy – in every location imaginable – the first time around. Really, mornings are easy.

I think I'm far more exhausted this time around. Jon says I was more tired the first time around. Who knows. ‘Baking’ a baby is terribly exhausting work! I’m sure having a toddler to chase adds to the exhaustion. The first time around was nice because I could go home after work and crash for as long as was needed. I’ve learned I can’t do that now. I wind up with a little hand (two of the cutest hands in the world – might I add) on each cheek, her nose an inch from mine, with her loudly telling me “MOMMA. WAKE. UP.”

We've had a few bumps along the way. During the first prenatal exam, the midwife found a couple lumps in my breasts. Because of being pregnant, they couldn't do a mammogram. It was an emotional few days before we had the ultrasound and found out that everything is fine. About a week later we found out that I have anti-antibody issues, which can cause hemolytic disease of the newborn (a condition in which antibodies in a pregnant woman's blood cross the placenta and destroy her baby's red blood cells). For now I go in every 4 weeks to have the anti-antibody levels checked. I’ll have to go in more often as I get farther along. As long as I stay below 1:16, whatever that means, we are fine. If not, I have to be referred to the Maternal and Fetal Medicine clinic. If I understand everything correctly, if that happens I have two options: deliver early (if I’m far enough along), or blood transfusion into the umbilical chord. Because of the way I am, I want to know what my levels are. Apparently that isn’t how the blood tests work. It only lets me know if I’m still in the safe range…or not.

I think I’m more excited about the ultrasound next week because of the anti-antibody issue. I just want to know that everything looks good and the baby looks healthy.

Happy Anniversary

2010-05-14T15:15:00.002-06:00

It has been Five wonderful years for Tamaran and I.
Here is Jon's short recap, for those who are unfamiliar with
the whirlwind romance of Jon and Tamaran.

It goes a little like this:
A little over five and a half years ago....
T and J met at the institute in roosevelt. As Jon tries to make a hasty retreat from the building aunt Ann yells out the door " don't leave there is someone I want you to meet".
Jon reluctantly comes back inside. Aunt Ann yells to T across the activity room " there is someone I want you to meet" . Rather sheepishly J and T cross the room... " so" J says to T "you just got off your mission huh? where did you serve?" T replies "North Carolina where did you serve?" "Alabama" says J. well it was nice to meet you.....see you later they say to each other.
It was a less than dramatic first encounter. It got better from there. A short time later ( I think a month or so) T asked J to go on a group date ( there was no group, just one other couple I think we call that a double date...tricky tricky). J says yes. They go ice skating J wears his ugly wool sweater that is to big for him ( it's very warm). T has second thoughts about asking J out. J informs T that he is working in a bicycle shop, has next to no college, is approaching twenty seven and living at home. T informs J she is nearly finished with a degree in engineering. T has third thoughts about asking J out. They have fun ice skating. J doesn't really expect to see T again. J teaches a sunday school class. J calls on T who wasn't paying attention. J emabarasses T. T stops J after class to talk. T pauses for breath in conversation. J thinks T is done talking and walks off. ( J struggles with social etiquette ). T has hurt feelings. One week goes by T calls J and bravely asks J on another date. J says yes. T says she will be in roosevelt and askes if Friday or Saturday would be better. J says both. J tells T " I will take you out since you took me out last time...my car is broke can you drive?" T bravely says yes again. J and T go to the movie and dinner. They go out again the next night. Sunday comes J is thinking alot about T. T is thinking alot about J. They go for a drive. J thinks " wow T is pretty incredible" J boldly tells T "I think we should date"..(paraphrased) T..."uh alright". (paraphrased) they talk every night for a week. Sunday comes again J meets T's parents officialy at the institute. T is in SLC. J and T talk sunday night. J thinks " I can't wait to ask her to marry me" he tells T he will be out on monday to spend some time with her. J pops the question. ( it was really awkward, remember the bit about social etiquett?). T Very Very bravely says...Yes. ( there's more to this story perhaps not to be blogged about ).
Five years, alot of tears, a whole lot of laughter, a good bit of compromise, two cars, three residence, and 1.5 children later...what a ride. I look forward to an eternity and five years.

I love you Tamaran.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

In the Last Month We

2010-05-07T15:10:00.014-06:00

This post could also be called "I'm a Slacker" or "Things I Didn't Make Time to Blog About". It really is just going to be a photo dump so that I feel caught up.

Got Tae a big girl bed. She sleeps so much better in it.

Went to Temple Square (Thanks, Malissa, for taking pictures).

Went to the park to feed the ducks. (Yes she is eating the tortillas we were feeding the ducks. Slightly grossed me out, but what do you do?)

Helped cook at the ASCE BBQ...ok, really I volunteered Jon to cook and Tae ate and played with Nova (Jenni's dog).

Made lasagna. I had to include this because Tae helped. The second picture shows what she did most of the time. She ate nearly two whole noodles by herself. She loves pasta.

Now I just need to cover Women's Conference and Tae's birthday to be caught up!

Yay Jon!! One more class down!

2010-05-04T11:02:00.001-06:00

Jon just finished up his second biology class and lab. Happy day! And even better than that, he got an A!

Last Weekend with Cousins

2010-04-23T13:55:00.008-06:00

Last Sunday Jon didn't have any meetings, so we made dinner and took it down to visit Jon's sister and her family. Here are a few pics that if I don't post now, won't get done. We had a blast and love spending time with them. Tae loves her cousins and loves being one of the 'big kids'.

I lauged when I looked over and noticed that they had squished together on the three bar stools so that they could all be big kids.

Then they decided to take their dessert outside. Tae thought it was the coolest thing that she got to go too.
Kirstine, thanks for having us down!

You Were There

2010-04-23T11:15:00.003-06:00

**I wrote this several weeks ago, so Fast & Testimony meeting wasn't really last Sunday**

Sunday was Fast & Testimony meeting (open mic for people to get up and share their thoughts on Christ, the Gospel, and basically anything they want to say). Half way through Jon got up to share his testimony. I caught most of it, but I missed a few parts while I was taking care of Tae and listening to the 5 year old that wanted to sit by Tae. I remember thinking it was beautiful. Then it was over and I continued to try to keep Tae quiet and entertained. I didn't think any more of it until I got to Primary (I teach the kids singing time). One of the teachers asked if Jon had announced in his testimony that I was pregnant. I stuttered and quickly said I didn't think he had said that. She apologized and said that she and her mother had both taken it that way. I then quickly ran to find Jon to find out just what he had said.

He was in Nursery with Taelyn, 2 other toddlers, and another father (the Nursery Leaders didn't show up). I cornered him, and with fire in my eyes-I'm sure, the whispered conversation went something like this:

T: What did you say during your testimony?

J: You were there.

T: Jon, I have a kid. I miss 50% of what is said in Sacrament Meeting.

J: You looked at me and smiled after I said it.

T: Did you really announce to the ward that we are expecting?

J: Well, yeah. I thought it was time.

T: And what about what I think?

J: I thought you had said you wanted to wait until after we heard the heartbeat. We did that.

T: . . .

After I stewed about it a bit, finished singing time, walked home, started making dinner (we were feeding the missionaries), stewed about it some more, called my mom to complain and had her laugh at me, I started realizing I was being slightly irrational. I had mostly calmed down when Jon got home...and it all came back again. I won't share that conversation, except for the end, because it makes me laugh:

J: Are you really upset, or is this just hormonal?

T: I don't know! (accompanied by tears-which pretty much answers the question)

Baths, Dress-up, etc.

2010-03-24T17:25:00.001-06:00

The first time I put bubbles in Tae's bath, she freaked. I had to drain the tub and wash out the tub. She happily told them "Bye-bye" as they went down the drain. We've now decided bubbles are great.

We've also decided Taelyn is a girl, through and through. When we are at home she is either taking her clothes off or putting more clothes on. I've heard it only gets worse from here.

On Saturday, Tae and Jon were on their own while I went to violin lessons and a Stake RS Activity. When I got home Jon made me close my eyes. When I opened them he was holding a Taelyn sized dress. He informed me that they had gone shopping and when he picked it upto look at it, she immediately loved it and he just had to buy it. At this point in the conversation Tae looked at me and said "La-la. Dress. La-la." He said it was a confirmation that he had to get it. It does make me laugh because I can never get him to look at dresses with me. Apparently it has become a tradition because daddy has been the one to buy her Easter dress both years she has been alive. Because Easter falls on General Conference weekend this year, we let her wear her dress on Sunday. I tried to get some pictures after church. Most of them turned out like this:

But some of them worked. [I'll just throw in here that I LOVE digital cameras. It takes 30+ pictures to get a few good ones. I'm glad I can take the 30+ pictures and not have to pay to get all of them developed! What did people do before digital cameras?!]

Talking Up a Storm

2010-03-24T17:20:00.001-06:00

**WARNING: DUE TO MY LACK OF POSTS SINCE THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, I HAVE GOTTEN VERY BEHIND ON SOME IMPORTANT MATTERS. BECAUSE TALKING IS ONE OF THESE, EXPECT THIS POST TO BE EXTREMELY LONG.**

I vaguely remember a time when Taelyn didn't talk...but not really. She is getting really good at linking her words together to get her point across. Most of the time we understand what she is saying, but there are times when we haven't a clue. Most of you won't care enough to read for the list, but I'm sure that in the future I'll be glad I wrote it down.

My favorite is that she refers to herself as La-la (that is what Jon calls her). I've called her La-lu a few times. I quit calling her that when she said "No-no momma", then pointed at herself and corrected me "La-la".
Dropping her off at daycare each morning is one of the hardest things ever. Picking her up is one of the best. She has to tell everyone "Mommy's here". Except it comes out "Mommy seer". It melts my heart. She won't leave her room until every teacher in the room has acknowledged that "Mommy seer".
She loves telling me about her art. I picked up the picture they did at daycare. I commented on how beautiful it was. She had to tell me "La-la paint. Hands. La-la."
When she first started saying "Help me" it drove me nuts. She repeats it until she gets whatever help she is asking for. Then one night her blankey was stuck in the crib bars. She looked at me with the most desperate look on her face and said "Hewp me. Mommy."
2 weeks ago I forgot I had egg rolls in the oven on broil. When I remembered, I threw the oven door open and the smoke alarm went off. Now whenever we sit down at the table to eat she points at the smoke alarm and informs us "Beep-beep. Ears. Beep-beep." I think she is phased for life.
She critiques my driving. If I accelerate or stop too quickly, my turns are not smooth or too fast, or if I hit any bumps I hear a "WHOA!" from my backseat driver.
My mom and Taryn come out every other weekend for Taryn's league volleyball. We've taken Tae to several tournaments. Whenever someone mentions Taryn or ball or anything semi-related she says "Tear-n. Ball. Tear-n" accompanied by a repeated spiking motion.
She loves singing. She's getting pretty good at singing along with "eat-sy beetsy" (Itsy Bitsy Spider) and "I God" (I Am a Child of God). She also often requests "Tempow" (I Love to See the Temple), "Pop-pop" (Popcorn Popping), and "Sees'us sun" (Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam).
She loves the temple. We drive passed it on our drives. Occasionally we pull over, let her get out of her car seat and stand on the console so she can put her head out the sun roof. Two weeks ago Malissa watched Tae so Jon and I could go to the temple. Before we left I made the mistake of telling her where we were going and that Malissa was going to watch her. She had a total meltdown. Between her sobs she was pointing from herself to the front door and saying "La-la. Tempow."
We had another problem with biting a few weeks ago. After realizing I had offended her, I felt strongly that instead of getting after her for the negative behavior, I needed to emphasize good behavior. I've been working on teaching her that 'Big girls are nice to our friends'. Each morning we go through all of the children and say they are our friends. We talk about being nice. Each night when I pick her up I ask how her day was. She usually responds with "La-la. Big girl. La-la. Nice."
The last two days she has come home from daycare with stories like "La-la. Push. Awa. Push. La-la." or "Cher-sh. Pich. La-la. Pich. Cher'sh". We're not quite sure who is the offended and who is the offender, but we know who is involved. She makes sure she tells us several times during the evening. We're still trying to emphasize big girls are nice to our friends and big girls don't push or pinch.
When ever we are out driving, she loves pointing out objects: bird, tree, balloon, bike, truck, etc. She always says 'hi' and 'bye' to new objects she notices.
She hates the sun being in her eyes. Occasionally she gets really upset and yells "No-no. Sun. La-la. Eyes. No-no, sun." If daddy is in the car and mommy is driving, daddy blocks the sunlight. Over the weekend, mommy taught her that she can cover her eyes and it is much more effective than scolding the sun.
She recently started saying "Hole-ju" (hold you) when she wants held. A few days ago while we were at home, Jon came up behind me and put his arms around me. I leaned back and was enjoying it until Tae burst out with a very loud objection, "No-no. Daddy. Hole-ju. Momma."
A few months ago when we had sister missionaries, Taelyn learned to love hanging out with them. She calls them "Sissers" and signs 'missionary'. Now that Malissa is living with us, we have tried to get Tae to call her Malissa. She won't. She calls her "Sisser" and still signs missionary. Malissa left for a week. Every morning she was gone and several times each evening she would ask for "Sisser". Tae was sure excited last night when Malissa got back.

If you can't tell, I could go on and on about cute things that she says. Like how she struggles with her 's' sounds...except when she says Flip (Taryn's horses name). It very clearly comes out as "sip". Or that she loves her cousins Nick and Owen. She says Owen great, but Nick comes out as "Neek". I'll leave it at how much I love this age. I love the communication, the talking and learning, the funny way words come out and mostly I love how much more her little personality is showing through each day. I love being her mommy.

Our Nanny-House Elf

2010-03-11T15:37:00.003-07:00

This is Malissa:

You may (or probably actually didn't) recognize her from this post. We sent her home in December. She will be attending BYU in May. She called us and asked if she could live with us for a month or so. She offered herself as a house elf in exchange. We are more than happy to have her. She is an incredibly happy person, her laugh is infectious, and we absolutely love her.

House Elf vs. Nanny

2010-03-09T15:57:00.002-07:00

So if you had your choice, would you prefer having a house elf, or a nanny?

Ours is flying in as I type.

I'm slightly partial to calling her a nanny, because when will I ever have a nanny again?
I guess the same could be said of a house elf...

New Year's

2010-01-28T15:18:00.006-07:00

We watched the First Night fireworks from the roof of one of Jon's parking garages. It had a great view and only 2 other cars were up there. It was incredible to feel the vibrations. There was a large building behind us, so the sound echoed. The parking garage shook. Once Taelyn calmed down from the initial shock, she really enjoyed it.By the time I started to get the hang of taking photos, the fireworks were over. I'm excited to try it again next year. I'll move up to the railing so it won't be in the pictures...

Due to being out so late, Tae slept really well. In fact, we slept until 10. That is the latest I've slept in for 20 months and 4 weeks!

The next night Taelyn had a slumber party at our house. It was more to give the boy's very pregnant mother a much needed break, but Tae was thrilled that these 3 would come to see her. I honestly think she has a crush on the oldest. I've already tried to talk to her about him being too old, but she won't listen.

Going from 1 to 4 children wore me out. It totally increased my amazement of mothers. It honestly took me over a week to fully recover. That may have had something to do with only getting one full night of sleep in before spending the night, or early morning, on an air mattress in their living room while their parents went to the hospital to have their baby brother. Or maybe I'm just a wimp.

'Bout Time

2010-01-28T11:31:00.009-07:00

[WARNING! LONG POST!]

So I'm running out of days in January to review the past year. I've been super busy, but secretly I don't think I wanted to remind myself of the things that I didn't get done.

2009 Plans

In my original wording (don't mock it!)

Weight Loss. 30 lbs. Safely, that is a pound a week (with some wiggle room).
Start taking violin lessons.
By 2010, our house WILL have curtains!!
Decorate house.
Finish reading BOM with Jon.
Read 20 books (lame #...I know).
Compete in bikathon (AND put forth a good effort--not the looser& at least 20 rides).
Hold at least 4 bake-a-thons to fill the freezer. Buy tupperware to split up meals.
Garden. Grow at least 3 types of veggies/fruit that we can eat.
Pay off the credit card.

Review of my Progress
I actually don't think I did too bad.

I was close, and could have made it if I didn't have to come to work in December. Seriously, consultants bring in goodie baskets. Lots of consultants means lots of goodie baskets. Then someone decided that we needed more treats, and made a sign up list for people to bring in food every day for the month of December. I gained 4 in December. That put me at a total loss of 20 for 2009. [2/3]
I actually did start taking violin lessons. I played when I was younger. My parents told me I would regret it if I quit. I said 'BAH!' They were right. I'm finally putting the ol' violin to good use again. [1]
I didn't get to this plan. In fact, I managed to shrink the curtains we do have! Still working on it. [0]
I'm not done decorating, but I accomplished a good deal of what I wanted. What I didn't get done is in progress. I'm loving how our little house is starting to look. [2/3]
I'm sad that I actually didn't get through this one. Alma gets me every time. I feel like it is taking forever and my progress slows. [2/3]
I'm really sad that I didn't make this goal. I set the number low, thinking it would motivate me. Didn't work. [1/2]
My logic on this was the same as the previous plan. It worked really well...for the first three rides. On the fourth ride I got into a yelling match with a motorist who honked at me at one of the lights. Honestly, I'm sitting there in a neon orange shirt with a neon yellow triangle on the back that says "Share the road". Tae is in the bright orange bike trailer. I don't know what the motorist expected me to do. The light was red, I couldn't just pick it all up and move. And, when it comes down to it, I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY! After we were starting to draw a crowd, it dawned on my that my cargo was far too precious to be yelling at motorists in the city. That was the last time I biked. So, I didn't make 20...but I didn't loose. And I did more than double my pathetic 1 ride from the year before (when I had a newborn). My scoring of this goal is lenient, but I think I deserve something. [1/3]
Check. Jon and I took frozen meals to work for lunch. It saved us much money. I did learn that I could only stock up 1-2 weeks worth of lunches. After they have been in the freezer that long, Jon will no longer eat them. [1]
Oh the garden. Jon put so much time into it. It was beautiful. He planted peppers, tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, beets. Everything looked good...until the foliage on the trees came in. Even the sunniest spot on the property doesn't get enough light. We did get tomatoes (20 or so), carrots (100 or so 1/2 baby sized), 3 zucchinis, 2 small cucumbers and 1 squash. We decided to bag it. I can have my parking spot back and we can continue to enjoy the farmers market in Murray. [1]
Paid it off right before Christmas. Wahoo! [1]

Overall, this only puts me at 68%. If I look at it as a grade...well, then I don't feel comfortable posting it until January is nearly over! Really though, I feel like last year was quite productive. In addition to my listed goals, I :

got involved in the Parent Advisory Committee at the daycare
volunteered as a judge for the Salt Lake Valley Science and Engineering Fair
got involved in the ASCE YMF and am now the Treasurer
became CERT certified
completed the Division of Homeland Security Post Earthquake Evaluation of Buildings course
took some Tango classes (with a few waltz lessons)
volunteered at the CAST Event
started a RS cooking class
sang in the Stake RS Choir
spent way too much time with those crazy sister missionaries (that I completely love and miss)
secretly filled out a USU application for Jon (who was accepted!!)

Other noteworthy events from 2009:

got pneumonia
used all of my sick leave
went to the dentist for the first time since...we'll just say in a very long time (pre-pregnancy)
didn't have any cavities
found out I had a chipped filling
had to get it crowned
tooth decided it hated the crown and decided to die. MOST. PAINFUL. FEELING. EVER.
had my first root canal

Now I feel justified in being so tired. I also feel justified in ending this extremely long post and covering my 2010 Plans later.

First Time Playing in the Snow

2009-12-31T16:38:00.004-07:00

Taryn is such a good aunt. As long as it has nothing to do with diapers, she is willing to do anything for Tae.

Tuckered Out

2009-12-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Tae played so hard while we were at Grandma and Papa's. When Jon, Papa and Tae went to feed cows, she fell asleep standing up in the feed truck. Wish I had a picture. The next day she fell asleep watching a movie.We were joking that it was because it was a boring movie. Colton said they watched it for Senior Night when he graduated. Don't know who picked that one. So sorry Union Class of 2002!

Time in the Tub

2009-12-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

We give Taelyn a bath nightly-not because she needs it, but because we do. It wears her out and she sleeps so much better. Plus, baths are so much fun.

"My country tis' of thee..."

2009-12-02T13:34:00.003-07:00

I don't usually (in fact I don't think I have ever) post on the blog, however given the nature of the season I wanted to share a few thoughts...something I am very grateful for.

If you are reading this you are aware that Tamaran and Tae and I have been working with a wonderful family from Burma (formerly Myanmar). I had the wonderful opportunity to share not only my witness of the gospel but to baptise our friends the day after Thanksgiving.

The following Monday we were invited to thier home along with the Bishop and his wife to enjoy a dinner with them. We were it seems to be guests of honor. I have never seen such spread or a display of gratitude. We were invited to sit at their small table that had been filled with different types of sushi and some traditional entree's. They with some of their friends sat around us one serving, others making conversation, all insisting that they had already eaten or would eat later.

As we talked we discussed how they had come to be refugees in America and what it was like for them in Burma. Some things we were already aware of, others were new and helped me gain a different perspective on the "good ol' US of A".

Our friends are part of an ethnic group/state called chin. In their country the chin state is the only christian part of their land in a majority Buddhist country. Almost everyone who is chin is christian. Being in the minority has left them at something of a disadvantage. In their country They are relegated to the bottom most rung of society. Some are used as slaves or near slaves to the military, others required to work in the dangerous jade and ruby mines, some are farmers, and any who try to flee to neighboring Thailand run the risk of being hunted down and killed by the current military establishement, provided they don't drown first trying to take a shortcut on an overloaded refugee smuggling boat .

Once in Thailand or Malaysia, where there are refugee camps, they can apply to go to an asylum country, countries like America who are willing to open their doors to the displaced.

" My country tis of thee.." part 2

2009-12-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

As I thought of all the things this family and their friends had gone through to get to America I was truly surprised to see such optimism and happiness. They are some of the happiest people I have ever met.

As we were discussing the trials one of them mentioned how happy they were to be here where they do not have to worry about a corrupt dictator. Some one said how nice it was to have a good goverment. The bishops wife laughed a little and said " yeah right ".

When I heard that I thought about Tamaran and I getting married and moving to Salt Lake. We had no papers to take with us, as we changed counties there were no military check points and we were not required to bribe anyone to keep from being thrown in jail or worse killed and tossed in the woods. It was and is remarkable to me that here in america we worry about poor wages, higher taxes, illegal immigration, a President we may not agree with, nationalized healthcare, when will social security run out. These are our big concerns. The general fall out for these things being taxes that are a little higher, a car we have to drive a little longer, maybe a smaller house, or oweing the doctor or hospital some money for a while until we get our medical bills paid off. Three years from now We will choose who our next president will be. Less than one year from now we will decide who gets to go to congress, or the senate. There is no risk of General Gates leading the military down the streets of D.C. to take up residence in the whitehouse, or having our senate and congress dissolved under martial law. We may have to go with out for christmas but we will not have to sit in the fetal position for three days hoping that the boat we are on can handle the next wave, and this after selling every single posession we have to pay some one to smuggle us into a foriegn country.
At this time of year I am grateful to be an American, and whatever he may be I am grateful for our President and representatives, they are just that, OURS! Merry Christmas.

Saturday Baptisms

2009-11-30T17:05:00.008-07:00

Jon, our Burmese family, and Sisters Dodge, Ahern, and Evans

(and the smudge Taelyn left on my camera lens)

I honestly don't know what to say. I just can't find the words. I'm so grateful for the opportunity that we have had to get to know this family.

RS Cooking Class 9

2009-11-25T12:32:00.005-07:00

We had another cooking class last week. We focused on Thanksgiving Desserts.

I did a quick demo on my mom's Pumpkin Pie Cake, which is already posted on my blog. [As a side note: the Pretzel Salad and the Pumpkin Pie Cake are holiday traditions in my fam.]

In addition, Jen taught Tarheel Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Better Pecan Toffee Pumpkin Pie. I'm a huge fan of the Tarheel Pie and we will be making it as part of our Thanksgiving Dinner.

Butter Pie Crust
2 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 c chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
6-12 Tbsp ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt. Add butter cubes. Pulse in processor or mix with hands until coarse meal forms. Gradually blend in enough ice water to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball. Divide in half. Form into 2 balls, flatten into discs, wrap each in plastic and chill 2 hours or overnight. Makes 2 crusts, either 2 bottom crusts or a bottom and a top crust.

Tarheel Pie
1 c chocolate chips
1 stick butter, melted (and still warm)
1 c chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
9" unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter and chocolate chips in saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Blend all remaining ingredients, then stir in chocolate mixture. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream

Perfect Pumpkin Pie
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
3/4 c (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of ground cloves
3 large eggs
1 1/4 c heavy whipping cream

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375. Spray 9" diameter deep-dish glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13" round. Transfer to prepared dish. Fold edges under and crimp, forming high border. Line crust with foil; fill with dried beans [for weight]. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Bake until edges are light golden, pressing crust with back of fork if bubbles form, about 7 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350. Reposition oven rack to center.

Puree pumpkin in processor. Mix in next 6 ingredients. Add eggs 1 at a time, pulsing after each addition. Gradually add cream, processing, just until blended. Process 5 seconds longer.

Pour filling into warm crust. Bake until edges are puffed and center is set, about 1 hour. Cool completely on rack. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Butter Pecan Toffee Pumpkin Pie
Perfect Pumpkin Pie filling (recipe above)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 c pecan halves
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp water
1/4 c toffee bits or chopped toffee bars (such as Skor or Heath)

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pecan halves, brown sugar, and water; stir until sugar forms glossy coating over pecans, about 4 minutes. Transfer to sheet of foil; cool. Chop 1/3 c pecans and combine with 1/4 c toffee bits or chopped toffee bars. Sprinkle over baked crust. Pour in Perfect Pumpkin Pie filling; bake and cool as directed. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. cover; chill. Sprinkle 1/4 c toffee bits or chopped toffee bars around edge of pie. Garnish with remaining pecans.

RS Cooking Class 5 recipes

2009-11-25T12:05:00.001-07:00

For those of you with reader, I've fixed the column mess on the ingredients for Jon's recipes.

RS Cooking Class 5

2009-11-25T12:00:00.003-07:00

I still have a few classes I haven't posted. I'll get to it eventually!

Jon actually taught this one (back on the 1st of October). I appreciate him being willing to do this. Unfortunately I was watching Taelyn and couldn't really help. I did try to keep him mindful of the time every chance I got.

These recipes are Jon originals. Getting him to measure everything out so I could write down a recipe was like pulling teeth. If anyone ever does try any of these, I would be very interested in your feedback.

Stuffed Pork Chops

½ tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp rosemary
5 pork chops
2 tsp water
¼ cup craisins
2 tsp olive oil
½ cup diced green onions
¼ cup chopped pecans
½ box PORK Stovetop Stuffing
1 Granny Smith apple

Heat garlic and 2 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add rosemary and cook until mixture smells roasted. Brown both sides of pork chops in mixture. Set pork chops aside.

Plump craisins by putting 2 tsp water and craisins in microwave for 30 seconds and set aside. Grate apple and set aside.

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil, green onions, and pecans in frying pan until it smells roasted. Remove from heat and add stuffing, craisins and apple. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Cut pork chops to form pocket (Note: can also cut down side and hold together with toothpick, if needed). Stuff stuffing mixture into pork chops. Place pork chops on a pan and broil for 7-10 minutes (until top quits juicing). Turn pork chops over and broil for an additional 7-10 minutes.

Highly recommend serving with sauce recipe below.

Sauce (optional)

¼ c craisins
2 tsp water
3 tsp olive oil
½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 dashes nutmeg
2 dashes cinnamon
1 Tbsp brown sugar
½ Tbsp water
1 cup apple sauce

Dice craisins. Place in microwave safe container and plump by adding 2 tsp water and microwaving for 30 seconds. Set aside.

In frying pan, heat olive oil and garlic until smells roasted. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar and water. Stirring constantly, heat until caramelized (be careful not to burn it). Add craisins and applesauce. Serve with or over pork chops.

Santa Fe Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 cans Rotel Tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp minced garlic
chili powder (if desired)
1 ½ cups black beans
1 cup corn
1 ½ cups prepared rice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
5-7 chicken breasts

Completely drain moisture off of tomatoes into a separate container and set juice aside. Spread tomatoes in an oven safe pan, and broil until most of the moisture is gone (~10 minutes). When done, they will look dried out and there will be no remaining moisture on the bottom of the pan. Jon claims this condenses the flavors.

*In a frying pan, cook olive oil, garlic and a few dashes of chili powder (optional-to increase spiciness) until smells roasted. Add a few spoonfuls of broiled tomatoes and tomato juice that was set aside. Drain moisture off of black beans into sauce. Cook for one minute and remove from heat.

In separate bowl, combine black beans, broiled tomatoes, corn, rice, salt, and pepper. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.

Cut chicken breasts to form pocket (Note: can also cut down side and hold together with toothpick, if needed). Stuff stuffing mixture into chicken breasts.

Pour sauce in pan and place stuffed chicken breasts in sauce (ugly side up J). Broil. Watch closely-whenever chicken begins to look dry, use spoon to drizzle sauce over chicken. Repeat drizzling until chicken breasts have broiled 8-10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over. Repeat drizzling process until 2nd side broils for 8-10 minutes (or until chicken is completely cooked).

Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.

Santa Fe Stuffed Portabella (an adaptation of the recipe above)
Broil tomatoes, as described above. Remove stems from mushrooms, dice stems, and set stems aside. When sautéing garlic and olive oil, *as described above*, sauté cap side of mushrooms for 1 ½ minutes, then set mushrooms aside. Finish sauce and rice stuffing, from recipe above. Add diced stems to rice stuffing. Stuff mushrooms and broil mushrooms in sauce for 5 minutes, drizzling sauce, as described above. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with cheese.

A Busy Missionary Week & Good News That Follows

2009-11-17T08:17:00.003-07:00

Last week was a very busy missionary week. As I mentioned before, we have sisters missionaries in our area. We have been helping them teach two families in our ward. Last week we actually went out with them four nights. Three of those, we saw both families; the other we took one of the families to temple square.

It kept us busy. In fact, Taelyn got so used to going out to see the sisters every night that when we left the house last night she started signing 'missionary'. We had to explain that we weren't going to see the sisters.

Anyway, I had a message from the sisters this morning when I checked my phone. One of the families committed to be baptized and set a date. It was the best news and totally transformed my lousy morning.

What a wonderful day!

Why So Many Posts in One Day?

2009-11-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

I talked to Terri on Sunday night. She is a dear friend that I met and taught on my mission. She really does deserve her own post. I need to make time to write it all down. For now, we'll just say that she got to know my parents over the phone while I was in North Carolina. She even asked my dad if he would baptize her when my parents came to get me at the end of my mission. She has been adopted into my family.

Anyway, Terri informed me that I hadn't posted any pictures of Taelyn lately and I needed to fix that. I appreciate the reminder. My goal is to not need to be reminded again. At least not for a few months, anyway.

Cinderella

2009-11-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

She helps cook:

She helps do laundry:

And she cleans up most of her own messes:

We think we'll keep her.

This Post is for Grandma

2009-11-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for doing this photo dump, but Grandma Connie hasn't seen Tae for over a month. Actually not too sorry. I do love looking at pictures of her. And her dad doesn't get to see them unless I post them. So here they are. Enjoy!

Halloween

2009-11-10T09:41:00.001-07:00

So I'm slow in getting these up, but I totally have an excuse! I forgot to take pictures, my fault, and I was waiting for the pictures from the Stake Trunk-or-Treat to be posted.

We had planned on being Rainbow Brite, her Sprite 'Twink', and Murky Dismal.

Tae and I wore our costumes on Friday so we could Trick-or-Treat at my work. I had intended to do Jon's costume and put the finishing touches on Tae and my costumes on Saturday. It didn't happen. Here is what we ended up with. Tae was not thrilled to take pictures, but the second one isn't too bad.

Instead of finishing our costumes, we did a last minute runaround to gather up teeth, face paint and material for hooded capes for a family that lives just around the corner from us. The kids sure had a blast and it made the mad dash and quick sewing job totally worth it.

I wasn't going to post this last picture. It is not at all flattering...but it does give a better idea of what Tae and I looked like. We were just wrapping up the Trick-or-Treating at my work on Friday. My rainbow belt was falling apart from carrying her, and I had taken my sleeves off because it was too hot...but you get the idea.

Prepping for the RS Cooking Class Tonight

2009-11-05T10:30:00.002-07:00

We are making rolls tonight. For the first time, we are holding it at my house. Prep consisted of cleaning, baking, and cleaning again. The clean up afterward wouldn't have been nearly as bad if I had remembered that my mom's roll dough recipe is ALREADY DOUBLED!!

I knew that she always doubles her recipe. I was excited that my new Bosch would hold a doubled batch (my old mixer didn't). Then I doubled her already doubled recipe. Note to self: my new Bosch does not hold a quadrupled batch! Tae cried when liquid flour/water mess started seeping out around the lid, all over the counter top, down the front of the dishwasher, and onto the step stool she was standing on. She loves to help cook, but she is a clean freak and momma is a messy cook-especially when I do stupid things like this. The situation got worse when I found out that I had enough flour for a doubled recipe-or even a tripled recipe-but not for a doubled-double batch.

To make a long story slightly shorter, like happens all-too-often around here, Jon swooped in and saved the day. He left his meeting and ran to the store to get me flour (and powdered milk, shortening and sugar because my massive amount of dough used every bit we had and I need more for tonight). He then came home and stayed up with me until 1:00 a.m. baking and cleaning. When all was said and done, we found out that a quadrupled batch of roll dough makes: 30 basic dinner rolls, 16 croissants, 12 lucky clovers, 6 fan-tans, 6 clover leafs (or is it leaves? I really don't know on this one), and a large loaf of bread that we made in a desperate attempt to get rid of the last of the dough.

RS Cooking Class 3

2009-11-05T09:19:00.002-07:00

So this happened back on the 10th of September, and I'm just now getting around to posting the recipe. I wish I had an excuse, but I really don't.

One of the reasons I started this class is because there was a lot of interest in learning to make K's bread. For our 3rd class, that is what we did. Wouldn't you know it, K and I were the only ones in attendance. Goes to show you never really know if anybody is going to show up.

I did learn some tips from K that I never knew. If you place plastic wrap over your dough when letting it rise, it actually helps the yeast. Also, if you like a crispier crust, remove bread from pan immediately after baking; if you like a softer crust, leave it in the pan to cool.

Basic White Bread

1/2 c low-fat milk
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 c warm water (105-115 degrees F)
5-6 c all-purpose flour

Place milk, sugar, salt and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. DO NOT let it boil! Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add lukewarm milk mixture and 4 1/2 cups flour. Mix about 1 minute. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl. Knead about 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.

Place dough in greased bowl. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into rectangle, approx. 9x14 inches. Starting at a short end, roll dough tightly and pinch dough to seal seam. Pinch ends and turn under, then place, seam side down in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans immediately and cool on wire racks.

[K rolls hers out because that is what the recipe says. I'm not a fan of the extra work, so I just formed it the way my mom does basic dinner rolls, except on a much larger scale.]

I DID JINX US!

2009-10-23T14:41:00.000-06:00

In one of Monday's posts, I mentioned how it had been a whole month since Taelyn bit someone at daycare. I followed it with a quick hope that I didn't jinx us. Guess I totally did, because Tae bit somebody again yesterday. Now our count starts all over.

Day one without biting.

ASL and Speech Development

2009-10-19T13:31:00.000-06:00

We have been teaching Tae a few signs. She has quite a few down: bath, cereal, cracker, help, hungry, fish, milk, more, shoe, sleep, thank you, water, cute, please.

Some people say that it slows speech development; others say it progresses it. Both are backed by studies. My opinion? Either way, I love her being able to tell me what she wants and my being able to understand.

Honestly, I do think it has slowed down her attempts to communicate verbally. Why work on saying it when mom already knows what you want. At the same time, it has been interesting to see the development take place. The first sign she learned was cracker. Now she says it. Granted, you may not recognize 'ckh-a-ckh-r' for what it is, but we sure do. Now that she can say it, she refuses to sign it. Additionally, I keep forgetting to look up the signs for some of her favorite foods (peach, pear, pineapple, etc). Because we haven't shown her the sign, she attempts to copy our speech pattern for the word. So would she be attempting to talk more if she didn't have the signing to fall back on? Probably. Would I be able to understand what she was trying to communicate? I doubt it (right now peach and peanut sound exactly the same). I do love how confident she is in signing. Interestingly enough, I think that confidence has passed on to her verbal skills.

Anyway. For those who may be contemplating teaching your infant/toddler sign language, here are my thoughts. In my researching the topic, there are varying ages that 'they' recommend beginning. (I know, I know. Who are 'they' and why are 'they' saying it.) We tried starting at 8 months. Nothing happened. I continued to try, off and on, for the next few months. Still nothing. It wasn't until after she turned one that she took off. Now I can show her a sign 3-4 times and she has it down.

Something to keep in mind is that often an infant/toddler will sign a word incorrectly. That is fine. You should be looking for repetition of the sign to determine what they are trying to communicate. As you figure out their signs, continue to sign it correctly to them. They will correct their signs as they get older and their coordination increases.

I could go off on this topic, more than I already have, but these are the basics according to me. Any questions or thoughts on the topic? No, I don't really expect any replies to that question, but secretly I am hoping.

What's been going on at our house?

2009-10-19T12:34:00.002-06:00

I really do feel bad about the lack of posts lately. So much has happened-and yet...nothing has really happened.

Tae got stomach flu a week and a half ago. It was our first throw-up experience with her. It was awful. She got sick twice before we put her to bed. We had an emergency bath and changing of her bedding before we went to bed. She woke up choking on and coughing up phlegm 4 times during the night. When I called my boss the next morning to let him know I was staying home with her, I had reached the point of desperation. I said, "Scott, you're a dad that has been through this. What do I do?!" 5 minutes later, his wife called me. We were finally able to get her to hold down Pedialyte.

We had a RS retreat up at the Heber Valley Girls Camp. It was a one-night campout thing. My parents were going to baby-sit because Jon had been asked to come as one of the Priesthood leaders. Unfortunately, that fell at the tail end of Tae's 24-hour flu. Jon stayed home with her and I went up for a few hours. Other than the snow on the ground and the freezing cold wind, it was rather enjoyable. Secretly I was glad I had to go home. I'm not sure I ever would have gotten warm enough to actually fall asleep.

Last weekend was the ASCE-YMF BBQ. Lot of acronyms, I know. American Society of Civil Engineers-Younger Member Forum. It is the professional organization for Civil Engineers under the age of 35. There was actually a huge turnout. We ate dinner, carved pumpkins, fed ducks, chased Taelyn, and missed the officer elections (we were feeding ducks). Kind of sad considering I was running for Treasurer. All positions were uncontested-so it wasn't too big a deal.

That is about it. OH! Except for the fact that it has been 1 whole month since Taelyn has bit someone at daycare! Sad as it may be, I feel like it is Christmas every time I go to pick her up and there isn't a slip telling me she bit someone. It's like it has been Christmas for a whole month! In her defense, she never used to bite...until she was bitten first. Hopefully we are passed that phase...and hopefully I didn't just jinx it.

What's been going on in our ward?

2009-10-19T10:37:00.000-06:00

There are two things that I really want to blog about.

The first is the family that taught the last RS cooking class. They are from Micronesia. The daughter served a mission in England, so she serves as a translator. I think I have figured out the family relations there, but am not really sure how to explain it. The mom and dad have two married daughters and a single son. I believe their nephew lives with them, as well as the brother of their son-in-law. Anyway, the reason I post about this family is because we attended the baptism of their nephew's wife (they had gotten married earlier that same day). It was so sweet and simple. The talks were in their native language and the daughter translated. The following day the nephew's wife was confirmed. Because it was fast and testimony meeting, several of the family members then bore their testimonies. We heard from the father, the girl that had just been baptized, one of the son-in-laws (both son-in-laws are new members), and the daughter that serves as the translator. It was one of the more spiritual meetings that I have attended lately. Maybe it was partly because Taelyn was good and I was able to listen. Either way, this family is amazing and it has been fun to watch them grow.

The second thing is that we now have Sister Missionaries! It was amazing to be able to go out with them to an appointment. It reminded me of how long it has been since I was in their shoes. They are both amazing and work so well together. One is a recent convert from Michigan who is finishing up her mission. The other is from Kentucky and is just starting hers. They spoke in Sacrament Meeting yesterday and did an amazing job. Once again, Taelyn was good and I was able to listen.

It was nice to have two incredible meetings in a row. It was even nicer that I got to listen to them both. I had honestly gotten to the point where I was wondering if I would ever be able to feel the Spirit in a meeting again. I never realized just how hard it is to have a toddler at church.

RS Cooking Class 6

2009-10-16T16:30:00.001-06:00

I just realized that I have still not posted classes 3-5. I've fallen behind and let my blog go! In an attempt to remedy that, let me post this. It was last night and I actually have the 'recipe' still in my purse.

The recipe is for Tapioca Cake, a traditional Micronesian dessert. We were all a little confused when the women (mother and daughter) teaching weren't sure on the cooking temperature or time. They explained (the daughter translated) that they make it in the community 'oven' that the men made with stones. I can totally understand how converting the recipe from the traditional method was a little difficult. This dessert was a hit and everyone in attendance enjoyed it. I highly recommend trying it sometime.

Tapioca Cake
1 bag Frozen Grated Cassava (They couldn't find a Micronesian store, but they found this at the Asian market around the corner. This is the tapioca-that they usually grate and make from scratch)
1/2 cup water
1/2 can condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cream cheese frosting (they used Pillsbury brand. Strawberry frosting is also often used)
1 cup coconut milk
Start with the Cassava in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Add one ingredient at a time and stir until creamy before adding next ingredient *. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a metal cake pan.

*If you double the recipe, add sugar to taste (up to 1 cup)

Nursing Covers--$32 off

2009-10-07T16:45:00.003-06:00

I just got an email about this blog.

If you need a baby gift, or want to get a nursing cover for yourself, I highly recommend checking it out. I bought the gift set (regularly $45.85), which is on sale for $37. With the $32 off code, I paid $5 plus $8.95 shipping. Not bad.

I'm actually excited to see what else this blog has to offer. Anything subtitled A place to learn, practice, and brag about freebies, saving money, & deals! is totally worth checking out.

Our Trip to the Zoo

2009-09-30T13:34:00.011-06:00

We took Tae to the zoo on Saturday. I loved living close enough that when she got tired after an hour and a half, we could leave. There was no need to stay to make the trip worth the drive or the $$. Anyway, we saw all the babies (tiger, elephant and giraffe). So cute! Last we hit the carousel. That and the baby elephant were Taelyn's favorite. Other than Taelyn being in a Mommy mood, we had a great time. Thanks to Jon for taking the pictures while I was busy carrying Taelyn.

I don't have time to arrange the pictures, so I apologize for the following picture dump.

I kind of feel like a jerk...

2009-09-30T13:21:00.003-06:00

During lunch, Jenni, Darla and I went to the gym here at work. When we finished, Darla and I went to the cafeteria to grab some food.

I got a taco salad ($4.55). I gave the teller a $10 and asked if she could give me the change in ones. She looked at me funny and handed me 45 cents. I pointed out that I had handed her a $10. She proceeds to count out 4 dollar bills for me. When she stopped, I politely informed her that she owed me another dollar. She gave me this totally confused look. So I counted it out for her. $4.55 + 0.45 = $5. I needed $5 more to get $10. I still got the confused look. I explained again, and then the lady behind me chimed in and said that I was correct. The teller, still looking confused, slowly pulled out another dollar bill. I had to explain it again before she would give it to me. It this point I'm thinking how glad I was that that was over. Then the lady behind me informed me that I owed the teller $4. WHAT?! So then I explained it to them both again. When they both gave me a confused look, I blurted out "I'm an engineer. Don't argue with me."

CRAP! DID I REALLY SAY THAT?

I made a hasty retreat.

Family Reunions

2009-09-24T12:51:00.010-06:00

Jon & I had 3 Family Reunions over Labor Day Weekend. We only made it to two. I made sure to pack my camera and an extra set of batteries. Wouldn't you know that both sets were dead. I think my camera hates me.

I did manage to get a few pictures from the first reunion though. It was at the Heber Valley Girl's Camp. I am old enough that the camp was after my day. They have awesome facilities up there. Beautiful location and great weather.

Tae loved playing with her cousins. She didn't care for the sand box. Tae thought she was as big as they all are. She wanted to follow them everywhere they went. I did lose her once while we were there. It was the worst minute and a half of my life.

We Eat It Raw 'Round Here

2009-09-24T12:45:00.005-06:00

'Tis That Time of Year Again

2009-09-15T13:16:00.003-06:00

With General Conference often comes mission reunions. At a glance, it looks like most of them are on the evening of October 2nd. Shouldn't surprise me that Jon's and my reunions are at the exact same time.

Dear Papa, Gramma and Aunt Taryn, thanks for the bike.

2009-09-02T12:23:00.014-06:00

It is my favorite toy and I play with it all the time. Sometimes I want to play with it so much that I run away while Ma is trying to put my diaper on. I still haven't figured out why Ma was mad and Da couldn't quit laughing. Can you talk to them about that?

Laundry Basket Entertainment

2009-08-25T13:54:00.012-06:00

Jon loves that Taelyn is big enough for him to really play with now. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.

Sorry the video is sideways. Again.

Domino Tower

2009-08-25T10:52:00.015-06:00

RS Cooking Class 2

2009-08-21T08:39:00.011-06:00

So we had our second class. We started off with Nancy and I. Yup, you heard me right. Two of us. I was sad. Then people started showing up. And more people. We ended up with 7, besides me, and only 2 of them had been there for the first class. I know it is still a small turnout, for a normal ward, but for an inner-city ward...well, I'm pretty excited. I'm still hoping to get more as this thing progresses.

Anyway, we made Chocolate Cake Parfait and German Chocolate Cheesecake.

CHOCOLATE CAKE PARFAIT
(from my Aunt Mavie)

1 Chocolate cake mix from a box, plus ingredients to prepare
2 pkg. Instant chocolate pudding (1 Large pkg and 1 Small pkg)
2 8-oz containers of cool whip
LARGE bowl (clear is best so that you can get the visual affect of the parfait)

Bake cake according to directions. While cake cools, mix up your pudding.

Layer 1: Cut entire cake into 1 inch squares (doesn't have to be exact). Put half the cake, breaking up squares, in the bottom of your bowl. Make sure your bottom layer is even.

Layer 2: Pour half your pudding over the top of the cake. If you are using a clear bowl, be careful around the edges so that you keep your layers even and don't make a mess on the side.

Layer 3: Carefully add 1 container of cool whip. Be careful to layer on top of pudding, and not mix it into pudding. Again, be careful around the edges if you are using a clear bowl.

Layer 4-6: Repeat layers 1-3 in same order, using the remainder of your cake and pudding.

If desired, you can sprinkle chocolate shavings or crushed toffee on the top.

Refrigerate overnight before serving. This step is not required, but it sure makes it taste better. It gives the pudding time to sink into the cake AND it tastes much better when it's cold.

A variation that Jon and I like is using a white cake, vanilla pudding, raspberry pie filling and cool whip is optional. Also very delicious-especially after chilling overnight. Note: even more care must be taken when putting the pie filling on top of the pudding.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
(From Fig)

1 German chocolate cake mix from a box, plus ingredients to prepare
2 8-oz packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese and sugar until soft and combined, blend in 4 eggs.

In separate bowl, mix up German chocolate cake according to package directions.

Pour a little more than half of chocolate batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Carefully pour all of cheesecake mixture over. Even more carefully, spoon remaining chocolate batter over the cheesecake.

Bake at 325 degrees for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost completely clean (a few moist crumbs are good; it's a cheesecake after all).

While cake is cooling, make frosting.

Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add cubed butter and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook several minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Allow frosting to cool until it is thick and spreadable. Add to top of cake.

Store refrigerated. Pic also from Fig.

Jon was a little disappointed by this recipe because he was expecting it to taste like cheesecake. It doesn't. It tastes like an incredibly moist chocolate cake, with a slight hint of cheesecake and an amazing, not too sweet frosting. Of course, that is just my opinion.

Silly Tae

2009-08-18T15:56:00.007-06:00

RS Cooking Class

2009-08-17T15:29:00.013-06:00

So I'm heading up a Relief Society cooking enrichment activity. We meet twice a month. Or that is the plan anyway. The first class was on the 6th. We focused on bread. I was sad that only 5 ladies showed up...but I am so grateful those 5 showed up. For a few minutes there, it looked like no one was going to show.

We made a garden herb loaf. It was amazing. The recipe is from Fleischmann’s Yeast Best-Ever Breads. It is my favorite bread book EVER. It is the book we used the year we focused on bread for 4-H. Even though the book is by Fleischmann's, I don't use their yeast. I finally found out that my stuff never turns out like my mom's because she uses Saf's. Lesson learned. I now only use Saf Instant Yeast also. Now that I've gone off about yeast, here's the recipe for the garden herb loaf.

GARDEN HERB LOAF
Makes 1 Loaf

4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
4 ½ tsp instant yeast
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp dried majoram leaves
¾ tsp dried thyme leaves
¾ tsp dried rosemary leaves
¾ c milk
½ c water
¼ c plus 1 Tbsp butter
1 egg
additional majoram, thyme, and rosemary (optional)

In large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt, majoram, thyme, and rosemary. Heat milk, water, and ¼ cup butter until very warm (120 to 130F); stir into dry ingredients. Stir in egg and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece to 30-inch rope. Braid ropes; pinch ends to seal. Tie knot in center of braid; wrap ends around knot, in opposite directions, and tuck under to make round loaf. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover; let rise in warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about 20 to 40 minutes.

Bake at 375F for 30 to 35 minutes or until done, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent excess browning. Melt remaining butter; brush over loaf. If desired, sprinkle with additional majoram, thyme, and rosemary. Remove from sheet; let cool on wire rack.
Our next meeting is this Thursday. We are focusing on desserts. I'm hoping a double feature of Chocolate Cake Parfait and German Chocolate Cheesecake will be enough to draw a bigger crowd. If not, here's hoping for at least 5.

The International Peace Garden

2009-08-04T16:55:00.015-06:00

Jenni told us about the International Peace Garden. It is super close, so we decided to check it out. It is actually quite pretty. We had a good time smelling flowers and sifting rocks. And sitting on statues...

Over the Weekend

2009-08-04T16:35:00.006-06:00

We were home for the weekend because Jon's brother was called to be in the bishopric and he had asked Jon to ordain him to the office of a High Priest. These are a few pics that I took while we were visiting with Jake's family.

Reading with Casey, Nick and Evey. I love watching Tae interact with her cousins. Her face in this one just made me laugh!

UBIC Parade

2009-08-04T16:27:00.006-06:00

We found ourselves in the Basin for the weekend. It happened to be the same weekend as the UBIC Parade. When we found out our neice and my sis were both in it, we decided we had to go. Tae, of course, loved it.

Morgan is the 11&12 2nd Attendant (CONGRATS MORGAN!). Taryn is the FFA VP.

Curlers

2009-08-03T09:44:00.005-06:00

Comment of the Day

2009-07-31T11:50:00.004-06:00

I just had a co-worker tell me "Being malicious is different than having a sense of humor."

Why, you ask? Well, I didn't think Napoleon Dynamite or Paul Blart: Mall Cop were funny. I did, however, think it was hilarious that I swiped my boss' keys when we were in the field and didn't say anything until he realized they were missing. OK, I was ratted out. I would have waited until we started backtracking before telling him I had them.

Does that really make me malicious?

Water Baby

2009-07-23T13:49:00.012-06:00

Looks like I'm going to have to buy the software to rotate my videos because I always rotate it.

Anyway, these are from last night. I realized after the first one that I had it rotated. When I tried a second, well, she slipped and the 30 seconds or so of curtain were from when I didn't realize it was still recording. Call me silly, but I was busy saving my baby. I'm just glad I didn't drop the camera.

Should We Claim Him?

2009-07-23T09:28:00.007-06:00

Truck and his roomies had to move a few weeks ago. He stopped by to show us what he was wearing to move. I don't know what's scarier (or funnier): Truck in this, picturing dad playing basketball in it back in the day, or hearing about the funny looks Truck got.

Bless his heart.

4th of July Weekend

2009-07-06T13:08:00.015-06:00

We went home for the weekend. Our festivities started off with the Chicken BBQ and Kids Rodeo. We put Tae in the 1 & 2 year old bunny chase. Here they are waiting. Jon is in blue. My cousin Jackson is in the hat. This picture shows the problem we had-Tae wouldn't put her feet down!In the end, they still got a bunny. Got meaning some mom begged Jon to take the bunny because her daughter was terrified of it. We didn't know what we were going to do with it. Luckily we overheard a mom tell her 2 boys that maybe they could see our bunny. We were more than happy to see if she was interested in having it. After a quick call to see if her mother-in-law would keep it, we were bunny free.

We also attended the Neola parade. I'm actually impressed at how big it is getting. Jon mocked when they had 4 small planes doing a flyby before it started. Funny how much something like watching a parade changes when you have a toddler. Tae loved waving. Her favorite was Smokey Bear on the top of the Forrest Service truck. Because I was busy with Taelyn, Jon took pictures. There were only a few, and even fewer that turned out. I do appreciate his attempts, though. Otherwise we would have no pictures.

We had planned on being in Roosevelt for the fireworks. "Papa" (Tae's name for my dad) asked when we were leaving. When we said after lunch, he looked totally dejected. I cracked up when he said-in a sad, little pouty voice-"but I bought her fireworks..." We ended up staying. Tae loved it-almost as much as Papa.

11:00 Church

2009-07-06T09:16:00.010-06:00

I need to complain about having church at 11:00. I used to love it...before the kid. Now it just complicates things. Nap time is at 10:45, give or take 15 minutes. Lunch is at noon, give or take 30 minutes-depending on the nap. Church interrupts both. I hate it when she falls asleep at home, because we can never get her to stay asleep. Oh, she's not the only one that sometimes falls asleep before church...

She usually ends up postponing her nap-which kind of works well because she falls asleep while her and Jon are with the High Priests. But it makes her a little moody during Sacrament Meeting, which is also when she gets hungry. We always bring treats. Between us feeding her, and her mooching off of the Kellers (we appreciate their willingness to share), we manage to get through the meeting. Still--and I never thought I'd say this--I'm looking forward to being back at 9:00!

Taelyn's Cave

2009-07-06T09:08:00.005-06:00

I finally got my box/stack of primary stuff moved out of the living room. It left a big empty spot next to the couch that allows Tae to sneak back there and rock the lamp. I put an empty tote in there to keep her from knocking over the lamp, and she quickly adopted it.

A Love of Books

2009-07-02T08:06:00.010-06:00

Jon had a magazine rack when we got married. It is now in our living room with National Geographic on one side, and Tae's books on the other. I love having them out and accessible. She is already learning a love of books. She is also surprisingly careful with them when she turns the pages. Just in case you were wondering where she gets it from:

Our Lagoon Trip

2009-06-22T16:57:00.002-06:00

Friday was Jon's company party at Lagoon. We covered the $8 parking, and they covered dinner and our tickets. Great deal, I think.

Taelyn loved it! I must admit, seeing her reactions made it the best Lagoon trip ever. We rode the train: Then we rode the carousel twice.
(here she is thinking 'this is kind of lame') (and here she is thinking 'wait, this moves?!') I love the videos (sideways because it was more convenient...sorry).
This next one was while we were waiting for the second ride. This time she knew it was supposed to do something fun.

She loved the Ferris Wheel. Honestly, having her that high and insisting on being as close to the edge as possible kind of freaked me out. I kept asking Jon if he was sure he had her (she's a climber). We finished up with Flying Aces. The video is not great, but you can see us. I wish you could hear her. She laughed and squealed the whole time.

Our bounce back tickets are good through July 5th. We're planning on taking Tae back for another round of the four rides she can go on.

Sharing

2009-06-22T16:45:00.009-06:00

Tae loves to share her food. Sometimes she lets you actually take a bite, but sometimes she waits for you to get close, snatches it away and giggles (she got a double dose of teasing from her Da and Papa G). You never know which you are going to get. If she isn't teasing, she insists that you really take a bite, and she can tell if you are faking. The worst is when she tries to share her cracker during Sacrament Meeting. If you try faking, she forcefully shoves most of the cracker in your mouth. Guess I should be glad she shares...

Messy Eater

2009-06-22T16:22:00.010-06:00

This episode with cottage cheese didn't start off too bad. But got progressively worse... These are from when she was sick and the doctor said to give her popsicles to help soothe her throat. We learned, after the first picture, to strip her down before giving her another.

UBET no more

2009-06-12T10:32:00.008-06:00

So my mom works for UBTA-UBET. They have been UBET for as long as I can remember. I found it very interesting that they changed their name (official last night). Here is their new logo (and apparently they have a video to go with it).

Didn't see that coming...

HFMD?

2009-06-10T12:15:00.002-06:00

So the daycare called me on Monday to let me know that Taelyn had a fever of 102.7. I called our pediatrician's nurse, who said to taker her to a KidsCare or bring her in to see the doctor on Tuesday. We decided we wanted to have her looked at asap, so took her to the KidsCare.

Turns out she has a virus, the one that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). I was confused because the doctor never said she has HFMD, just a virus. Anyway, the doctor said no daycare for 72 hours. Jon and I have been working out a schedule so that we can both be at work when needed, and still keep Tae covered. It has worked out well.

She is relatively happy, but has been sleeping a lot. The doctor said she probably wouldn't get anything on her hands or feet, but mostly mouth sores. For this reason, they are concerned about her staying hydrated. She has been eating fine, and drinking lots of milk and water. The doctor said to give her popsicles, which she loves (but are SO messy). The worst is the fevers, and we feel like her temperature is a yo-yo. We have been giving her children's Motrin (the children's Tylenol didn't do anything), but we still have been getting up to 101-102. When her temperature drops, we are just below 100.

Dam Inspection

2009-06-10T12:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday Jon got his attendants out, then came home to watch Tae so that I could go do a dam inspection. We inspected Little Dell and Mountain Dell dams.

We zigzagged up the face of Little Dell (an earthen dam...a very steep earthen dam), checking the toe and surface on the way up. It was quite a workout. We checked the spillway, verified the water surface elevation, checked the instrument rooms, inspected the top, and zigzagged back down. We also inspected the pump station, including hiking into the dam and inspecting the pipe that runs into the reservoir. It was great, other than it had rained when we started. My shoes were soaked and I could feel water sloshing between my toes every time I took a step.

Mountain Dell was my favorite. I have driven past that structure countless times, but had never really paid attention to it. It is a beautiful structure. It was built in 1917. The original structure wasn't tall enough, so they added to it in 1924. It was interesting to see the difference between the concrete and form work on the original structure and the addition. It is holding up remarkably well. We went into all the bays, hiked up one side, walked across the top, and hiked down the other side.

Needless to say, my legs are feeling all that hiking today!

What!? I Have a Blog?

2009-06-05T15:23:00.005-06:00

I've found that with Jon not in classes this summer, I have no reason to stay late to update my blog. Additionally, I've been walking during my breaks, and all around too busy. And today? Jon is off and away putting in a new bathroom floor for a family in our ward so that they can hopefully sell their home. I'm totally not motivated to go home to an empty house...

So much has happened in the last 3 weeks. This list is totally out of order, but is a good indicator of what has been going on.

We finally had a birthday get together for Tae. I left my camera here, so we used my mom's. I have yet to see the photos.

Tae is finally getting more teeth! We have had just the two bottom ones since February. Now we have 4 coming in at once (two top middle and next ones out on the bottom). She has been really clingy-but overall is handling it well.

Tae got bit for the first time. I know that it will happen again, I hear that is just part of day care, but it was so sad to see the bite marks on her arm.

I completed a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. I'm now CERT certified, and have the green hardhat, flashy vest and all. I've been trying to get information on CERT in my area. My community council chair had no information and it sounds like I may need to contact the city. I checked their website, and it looks like they are more focused on training, at this point, than actually structuring the current CERT personnel. I'm excited to be certified, but a little worried at the lack of structure that I'm finding in my area. I must admit I'm a little hesitant to dig into it, because that is how you get put heading things up...

We tried to go to the zoo last night. Turns out we got there 15 minutes too late to get in (total repeat of the Aviary on Tae's b-day). I need to work on this planning thing.

Instead of going to the zoo, we went to dinner down at the Gateway. Afterward we went to the Olympic fountain. Tae wasn't sure what to think. After Jon picked her up and ran through it, she felt a little better. The best is when he put her down when the fountain turned off. She was loving 'running' (slightly faster than her walk) through the puddles...until it turned back on. She totally got nailed! Startled her a little (ok, a lot), but watching the other kids helped her get her confidence back. I'm glad she didn't get nearly as wet as some of the other kids. As it was, she had goose bumps when she finished. She sure did sleep well last night, though!

Oh, and we went home 3 weekends in May. Jon spent one of them on my mom's flower gardens, one on putting in a raised flower garden for his mom, and the last we had Tae's b-day BBQ (and finished Sherrie's flower garden). Last week was the first weekend in a month that we have been home the whole weekend. We got so much accomplished, but there is still so much to do. I typed and printed a columned, categorized list of work that needs to be done on the house we are renting. When I showed it to Jon, he asked why it wasn't alphabetized. Sometimes I love his sense of humor, and sometimes I'm not so sure.

We have also found out that Taelyn loves grapes and calamari...and I have a mission reunion tomorrow.

That is all I can think of, but I'm sure I missed something important. For now, I'll try to remember that I have a blog and see if I can stay semi-current on it.

Our Anniversary

2009-05-14T08:20:00.008-06:00

Today is our anniversary. We agreed that in lieu of gifts, we would put in a garden this year. I think his way around that was by going overboard on my Mother's Day gift. He spoiled me. He got me a spa package that included: massage, facial, brow wax, pedicure, manicure. I also got to spend some time in the steam room between the massage and the facial. My favorite? Definitely the facial. The massage was nice, but the facial was heavenly.

Today Jon dropped by my work with balloons, a rose and a card. It is hard for me to believe that today is our forth anniversary. Hardly seems like that much time has passed.

I'm so grateful for Jon and love him so much. He sets such a good example for me, and makes me want to be a better person. He is always willing to help me, even if it means staying up 'til two Saturday night working on Primary stuff. He keeps his complaining, usually about my procrastination or my willingness to take on too much, to a minimum. He loves my family. He helps around the house. He is a great cook, and I don't mind too much that he struggles to clean up afterward. He constantly strives to better himself. He always shares is thoughts with me, no matter how random (and they are always random). He would do anything for Tae and I. He is an awesome father. He loves me.

Side note, since it is our anniversary, it also means that I was released from my mission 5 years ago.

Time sure does fly, especially since we are having fun!

Jon, I have absolutely loved these last four years. Thank you.

For Tae's Birthday

2009-05-11T12:08:00.034-06:00

We had planned on doing a BBQ at my parents house. With her birthday being in the middle of the week, we decided the best thing to do would be to wait until Saturday. My dad was scheduled to be out of town for work on the 9th, so we looked at the 16th. That wasn't good either, so we are looking at the 23rd. [I still need to send out invites...]

Anyway, that left us wondering what to do on the actual day. I took her to my Cinco de Mayo lunch party at work. She loved it. We decided to just spend the evening together doing some type of activity, dinner, presents and cake. We were really excited when we found out Colton and Shay were going to be in town for Shay's track meet. We had planned on going to the aviary while waiting for Colton and Shay to show up. Who knew they closed at 6? We ended up hanging out in the back yard. Kind of lame, I know, but we had a good time and I'm including a sideways video to prove it! Pay attention to the first when she calls for Jon (aka 'da') to come walk with her.

We also decided to give her one of her presents while we were waiting. She loved it! Just in case the picture isn't enough, let me include the video. Yeah, I know, turned the wrong direction again. Dang me!

She played so hard that she was asleep when Colton and Shay got there. Colton sure had a hard time being patient until she woke up! After she woke up, we fed her (we ate while she was sleeping), then let her open her presents. She loved the wrapping paper, but it took FOREVER! She tore the paper apart one little piece at a time. Quite a slow process.

Here is a picture of her opening her beach towels (one piece at a time). Not necessarily a fun gift (towels), but they will come in handy with this (from Colton and Shay): She also got a bike helmet so that she can ride to work with me. She loved it...can't you tell? These pictures are from the next day when we made it to the aviary before they closed.

Happy Birthday Tae!

2009-05-05T08:14:00.012-06:00

Taelyn loves:
mom and dad
coming home at the end of the day to find 'da'
being outside
pointing-at everything
sharing food
sharing toys-but only if you hand them back
clapping
waving
people watching
interacting with people-especially when we are in a store
walking on the sidewalk in the back yard
Brainy Baby (apparently Baby Einstein didn't make the cut)
bedtime baths
bottle when she goes to bed
nuk
socks-not wearing them but chewing on them (?)
wearing shoes
her new blankey from Grandma
brushing her teeth if mom or da are brushing theirs
her frog and bunny
being tossed into the air
feeding cows with Papa G

Taelyn's favorite foods:
water-she drinks more than I've ever seen a baby drink
green veggies (peas, asparagus, broccoli)
lasagna
strawberries
grapefruit
yogurt
cheddar cheese
rice and milk with cinnamon sugar
oatmeal
cheerios
gold fish (colors)
ice cream
chocolate (oreos, cake and brownies)
anything mom and da are eating

Taelyn hates:
tuna fish
gates-she cries when we put the gates up, even if we are in the same room as her!
having her nose wiped
eye drops
grass

This last year at a glance:

Chastised

2009-05-05T08:00:00.005-06:00

So Terri called last night and chastised me for not posting a video of Tae walking. She informed me that because she is in North Carolina, she is missing Tae growing up.

I have been neglecting the blog, for which I apologize.

So, here is Tae walking. The first video is when she first got the hang of it (first part of April). The second is from April 30th. Sorry it is turned sideways. I always forget, and I don't have the software to change it. If it really bothers anyone that much, they can opt not to watch it-promise it won't hurt our feeling any.

So Glad it's the Weekend

2009-05-01T16:42:00.004-06:00

Have you ever spent 3 weeks on a project just to be told that your data is "iffy at best"? It leaves me wondering why I was told to use lidar data if it is so questionable. I'm also wondering why I spent so much time looking up permits for culvert data when we had the plans the whole time.

If I had to come in tomorrow, kid you not, I'd have a breakdown!

Because I'm Lacking in Posts This Month

2009-04-30T13:08:00.032-06:00

And because I totally love this song. I think it is my new favorite.
LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay)-arranged by Jon Schmidt

Thanks, Katy, for posting it!

Promenade Pictures

2009-04-22T11:34:00.004-06:00

A friend of ours fixed Taryn's promenade pics that didn't turn out. Now you can actually see something! Here they are. THANKS SO MUCH NICOLE!

Taryn's First Prom

2009-04-21T12:27:00.034-06:00

Union had their prom this last weekend. We went home partly for prom, mostly because we were going to go home for General Conference and Easter-but my getting pneumonia kept us from going home for either.

I'm glad I was there. Mom got so stressed on Saturday. She needed to bead the capped sleeves she had made to fix Taryn's dress. She couldn't find the beads she bought. Jon said it was the most stressed he'd seen my mom. I convinced her that we could use what we could find. We sat down, she stitched and I found what she needed next and put them on her needle. It went fairly fast (for bead work-that is).

ADDED NOTE: I have had several people comment on the 'sleeves'. Sleeves vs. wide straps can be debated. If you really want to discuss sewing set-in sleeves on a strapless dress, email me. Just kidding. Don't email me. It doesn't sound like a very exciting email topic...
And now, back to my original post:

Taryn looked beautiful. I still can't believe she is old enough to go to prom. She turned 16 in October. Rich asked my parents if he could ask her to homecoming. Homecoming was 1 1/2 weeks before her birthday. The final decision (and, believe me, it was hotly debated) was no, because of the principle of it. I think Dad being bishop played into it quite a bit. I'm bringing this up because Rich asked Mom if he could ask Taryn to prom. She explained that now that she was 16, it would be fine.

Anyway, I'll apologize now for how many pictures I took to document the event. What can I say; she is my only sis (and I still totally believe I prayed her into existence!). I'll only post a quarter of the pictures I took!

Mom helping Taryn get her shoes on: Cute shoes: Photo Shoot: My personal favorite: When Rich arrived: Promenade pictures that didn't turn out: Side story about above pictures: Rich is on the baseball team. The team decided to do bleached mohawks. Rich told Taryn he would cut his off before prom. She told him he didn't need to. Apparently that made her cool. Anyway, when Rich picked her up in the morning, Dad saw said haircut. He was fit-to-be-tied! We convinced him that it was OK because Rich would be wearing a hat. The 2nd pic of the promenade was when Rich took off his hat and threw it into the crowd. Dad was not happy. To make matters worse, the MC then commented on his hair. Pretty funny! [I'll add in that the mohawk wasn't that bad. His hair had grown out about 3/4 of an inch and the mohawk was only 1/2 inch or so longer. Rich-if you read this-I totally stuck up for you! My bro's did crazy things in the name of team unity when they were in high school, too.]

A few pics in the Union Commons after Promenade: I was sad the picture above turned out blurry. Sure am glad the next one turned out!
On a final note, I was SO impressed at how modest all the dresses were. I would dare say that 90% of the dresses that we saw at promenade had sleeves. There were none that I saw that shocked me because of how much skin was showing. All the girls looked so beautiful and I left feeling so impressed with today's youth.

Feeding Herself

2009-04-15T09:24:00.013-06:00

We have been letting Tae feed herself 'safe' items for some time now. Items we label as 'safe' include: cheerios, crackers, cheese, strawberry chunks, peeled and cut grapes, craisins, mini marshmallows (cut in 1/2), baby carrots, and red pepper slices. Safe, in this case, applies to cleanliness more than non-choking hazards (though we watch her carefully to prevent choking sized pieces from getting in her little mouth). Last night we decided to let her feed herself. It was a very messy meal, but she sure seemed to enjoy feeding herself. Unfortunately, I think she also put together that getting really dirty during dinner means fun in the tub afterward...
[Sorry for the excessive amount of pictures. I can't help it-I think everything she does is so blasted adorable!!]

What I Learned Last Week:

2009-04-13T15:50:00.006-06:00

*I hate being sick.
*I would rather be sick, than have Taelyn be sick.
*It is possible to lose 8 pounds in 1 week.
*It causes a whoppin' headache.
*Pneumonia is worse than any illness I've ever had.
*Sick leave is good...until it runs out!
*Jon is a great single parent...if house-keeping skills are not graded.
*More than I ever realized, I set the mood and spirit in our home.
*Not being able to talk increases thoughtfulness and contemplation.
*This can be good and bad.
*Taelyn can miss me, even if she sees me every day.
*Jon missed me more-even though we talked every day.
*I learned how to humble myself and ask the RS for help.
*Life goes on, and at some time you have to force yourself to get back into it...even if you still feel like staying in bed.

Last April Fools

2009-04-01T16:36:00.002-06:00

...I got a call from Taryn. She was frantic. Her and a friend wanted to go to the movies, but none of their parents were available to take them. She told me that they decided to drive. On the way they hit a pedestrian. They didn't know what to do, so they kept driving. She was crying. They didn't know what happened to the kid they hit.

I fell for it.

I asked how fast they were driving, where they were when they hit him, etc. I then told her they needed to call the cops and go back. She started freaking out and asking questions about what would happen because neither of them were licenced.

Jon realized what was going on and grabbed the phone from me. In a calm, concerned voice, he asked for details. He played along, then asked if there was a gulch close to the location of the accident. It confused her a little, and she said yes. He then told them to go back, get the body, and throw it in the gulch.

Jon, thanks for helping me save face on that one! I tried to get Taryn back, but Mom refused to play along. I wanted Mom to tell her that I had been in a car accident and miscarried. Probably some wisdom in mom's refusal...

Steps

2009-03-30T09:21:00.004-06:00

Up to this point, Tae's feet have been rooted to the ground. Yes she would cruise if she was holding on to furniture, but if she was free standing-that was it. She would stand until she got bored, slowly lower herself to the ground, and take off crawling like a baby possessed. We had tried to help her walk, but it turned into a I-can't-believe-your-forcing-me-to-do-this prance. Prance is totally the right word. I wondered how long it would take her to realize that she could move her feet while she was standing. Well, it happened last night. I stood Tae up and she walked to me! I can't believe how much that made me happy, sad, excited and terrified all at the same time. We started having her walk between us. She maxed out at 5 steps. I ran to grab my camera, then realized the battery was dead. Unwilling to admit defeat, I grabbed the camcorder. Dead too. Blast me and my procrastination! I'll charge batteries tonight and post a video tomorrow.

Hoover Dam and Bypass

2009-03-24T16:19:00.015-06:00

I know they are small, but can you see Taryn and Dad in the pic below? Tae was a good sport, but the trip sure tuckered her out. It's OK, she only missed the 2.5 hours of fighting traffic on Boulder Highway, the strip and whatever streets we took trying to get away from the strip.

Ethel's Botanical Cactus Garden

2009-03-24T15:10:00.003-06:00

Some pictures from our spring break in Vegas with my family.

Our group (left to right): Taelyn, Kaylan, Jon, Holly, Taryn, Forrest, Colton, Shay, Dad, Mom. I'm behind the camera, and Truck, a.k.a. stick in the mud, was at the resort. Not the best group picture, but the only one I was able to get.
Ah, yes. That is why Jon and I were so down yesterday. After this, having it snow when we got back was definitely depressing.