Grammy!

Grammy came to visit for the weekend. Well really she came to go to my grandparent's 50th anniversary party, but since we live in the same general area, let's just say she came to visit us. Michael was a fan of Grammy. The day she left he cried several times when she left the room, that's right. Grammy was great to Mikey, she cuddled him, held him even though he is a tank, played on the floor with him, sang to him, read him some books, and bought him a glowworm (more on that later). He enjoyed her visit, come visit again soon Grammy!

Cheesy Mikey

Mikey continues to change so quickly. Within the past few days he has become aware of the camera. Instead of just staring blankly he poses (sometimes). I dont know where or how he learned to make a cheesy face for the camera, but he definitely has one. He does a push up and then lifts his head up while smiling and squinting. The face is so much better in person. Making this face shows how much his little personality is coming out. This boy loves to be the center of attention, seeing how he is the only child and only grandchild on one side, oh and the first great grandchild on one side, he gets his fair share of attention, combine that with the fact that he is just so dar cute and you end up with a 7 month old that makes a cheesy face.

This weekend, Michael discovered electrical outlets... yeah. Thank goodness he discovered them around the same time I put the covers over holes. He is fascinated by the plugs now, I think we might have to call him "Mr. Weasley".

Mikey is about to start crawling. he is great at scooting backwards, but he hasnt gotten the forward motion down yet. He can get on his hands and knees and rock, but mostly he just scoots backwards. He is also great at turning over, and turning around. Since he is skilled at going backwards and not forwards he will turning around and scoot backwards towards me when he gets too far away. I think crawling is in the very near future at our house.

Within the past few weeks Michael has started to give "kisses". He basically opens his mouth and licks your face, it is very messy, but still so cute. With anyone else I would be horrified to be covered in their slobber, but not this cute guy!

Oh and did I mention he is great at sitting up now. He cant get up on his own, but if you put him up he is great at staying that way until he gets bored with that. I cant believe little Mikey who hated tummy time likes to sit up now.

Bend but not Break

The past week has been one where a few too many things have gone wrong. It all started last Sunday when Brian dropped his new phone. Let's just say he was pretty excited for this phone and he got it for christmas. He dropped it at the exact angle that it hit the corner of the tile and the screen cracked.

Then on Wednesday the check engine light came on in my car, followed very shortly by the car running very strangely. Thank goodness this whole thing happened less than 5 miles from home. I called Brian at work and he very kindly left, took me to the mechanic, and $400 the problem is solved (we think).

Then on Friday the tire pressure light came on in my car. There were no visible issues so I didnt worry too much. I drove clear across Dallas (no really it was far) to my grandparents 50th anniversary party and got home at 11pm without any issues (except the light). The next morning I had a flat, but the best place to get a flat is in your own driveway.

On Sunday my laptop started acting up, the tracking pad is doing annoying things. It looks like we are going to make a trip to the Apple store.

And finally, today, our stove beeped (for about 1 minute) and had a message that read "check line". This seems a bit concerning, but nothing happened (except all the lights went off on the stove and then came back on).

All in all, while this week has had more than it's fair share of annoyances I have to say we are so blessed. I write these little issues down, not so much to complain, but to remind myself when I have another week like this, that sometimes things happen, life is a little bit messy, and even though things seem irritating and expensive they also have a tendency to work themselves out in the end. So back to the blessed part. In the midst of this craziness poor Michael got another cold, but despite not feeling 100% he has been so happy and so pleasant these last few days. This is a blessing, I cant even begin to be grateful enough for this. The second blessing is that all the car trouble happened so close to home. Really could there be a better place to get a flat (besides maybe at the car place), changing a tire is easier in your own garage than on the side of the freeway at night, and even easier when your husband is home to do it for you.

So here is to another adventure filled week. While there is a part of me that is seriously hoping this one has a few less adventures, I am ready to see what comes next.

Brussels Sprouts: Awful or Tolerable

Within the past few months I have seen quite a few recipes for Brussels sprouts, it's like their the new trendy thing- think pomegranates, sun dried tomatoes, and anything with olive oil. Okay maybe they arent that popular, but they seem to be getting a better reputation these days. We had Brussels sprouts as a kid and they were not delicious- in face they were gross mini cabbages that smelled like farts- just bein' honest. My parents cooked them a healthy way, because let's face it veggies are supposed to be somewhat good for you. I thought it was time to give them another chance, plus Brian had never had them so he didnt have a reason to dislike them.

The first time I made them I put them under chicken while it was roasting (think about how you cook a pot roast with potatoes and carrots under it). The chicken flavored the sprouts and they were pretty good, tender, flavorful, and totally missing the fart smell I remembered.

One thing I have learned from this is that the smaller the sprouts are the better they taste, keep that random tidbit in mind. Oh and cooking too long results in you guessed it... the fart smell. (how many times can I say that in one post?)

Yesterday I decided to try something else. I saw a recipe that involved bacon, onions, Brussels sprouts, and just a tiny bit of you guessed it butter. It was great. Brian had seconds... on a vegetable, granted the vegetable was cooked in bacon greased and had butter on top... but still.

Yummy Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onion

1 lb Brussels sprouts cut in half

1/2 c. water

1 T. unsalted butter

2 pieces of bacon (uncooked) chopped fine

1/2 onion sliced thin

Cook bacon and onion in saute pan until bacon is crisp (but not burnt) and onion is translucent. Remove mixture from pan and set aside- do NOT clean the pan. Place sprouts in pan, stir to coat with bacon grease (no really, actually do this) add water, cover, and cook on medium heat until tender (5-7 minutes). Remove from pan, add bacon mixture and 1 T. butter and serve. Yes all the unhealthy stuff make Brussels sprouts delicious.

Toasted Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies... need I say more?

This past weekend I experimented with sugar cookies. My sister in law posted a recipe for delightfully soft sugar cookies a couple of weeks ago, and after trying the "regular" option, I knew these called for some experimentation. Once upon a time I had a soft sugar cookie with lime frosting, and I knew these would be perfect for that (I love lime and sugar cookies, why not together), and what better to use as sprinkles than toasted coconut. I think they are delicious... you may not.

Sugar Cookies (makes 24 cookies)

1/2 C. butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 c. sour cream

2-3 c. flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar together in mixing bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla & sour cream. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to wet mixture. Add just enough flour to handle without being too sticky when rolled. Roll cookie dough on lightly floured counter till 1/4" thick. Bake 6-7 minutes @ 400 degrees.

Lime Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 sticks butter (softened)

1-2 Tablespoon milk/cream

1/2-1 lb powdered sugar

zest from one lime

juice from one lime

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together butter and milk, then add 1-2 lb. powdered sugar. Once frosting has reached the desired consistency, add lime zest, juice, and vanilla, mix until smooth and frost cookies. For the lime color, add one drop green food coloring, and one drop yellow, then mix.

Top cookies with toasted coconut. (to toast coconut, put in ungreased cake pan in 325 degree oven for 5-7 minutes stirring/shaking twice).

"Those are wrinkles, aint nothin' to be scared of..."

Yesterday as I was cleaning up the bathroom after Michael's bath, I caught my reflection in the mirror. It was one of those moments when you arent entirely sure if what you think you saw is reality or not, you know like when you see a really good mullet or someone crazy enough to wear a bathing suit to the grocery store, one of those moments when you need a second look. What I thought I saw was a tired looking old person in my mirror, after a second look I did realize that there wasnt an "old person", but that it was me. One of my all time favorite cheesy country love songs is titled "Wrinkles" (truly a gem, listen to it), but in a way it describes my experience the other night. Sometime during the past 8 years those smile lines got just a little bit more permanent, and a few other "crinkles" showed up. I am not saying for a second that I am ancient (seriously 26 (almost) is this year's 18, just like black is this year's pink), but let's say I have a bit more life experience than I once did. For the moment I have made my peace with things, there are no grey hairs and that might be harder to handle, for now I will think of exhaustion eveident on my face as a badge of honor, a symbol of endurance, experience, and life, a symbol of my role as sister, wife, and mother, and a reminder of all the moments that led me to that one minute of surprise the other night. I am sure there will be more moments like this ahead of me, but for now, bring on the wrinkles.

Mikey Photos

As mucha s I wish I could say something witty that you would enjoy reading... but I am tired... because I woke up 3 times last night, and cuddled a very angry baby all day. So for the time being, enjoy the most recent photos of Mikey and be so thankful that you are going to be sleeping through the night tonight.

This is his cheese face. There is a sound that accompanies it, but this face makes me laugh every time.

So the little dude can sit up, he cant push himself up, but if you sit him up he can stay that way... until he finds something he wants to play with, or he is trying to be funny. In this case he wanted my chapstick.

Let's just say that at this point in his short life, Michael knows that he is so cute. Love those dimples!

He isnt crawling yet, but he is pretty good at the scooting. Unfortunately, for him, he is much better at scooting backwards than forwards.

We hate to sleep...

When you look at these sweet dimples you think that this guy must be so pleasant all the time, and for the most part he is, except for one teeny tiny thing- he will NOT sleep. At this point I have read more books than I care to count, and have tried quite a few methods, but still he wont sleep. Right now we are in the cry it out phase, I have tried to pick up and comfort, the cuddle to sleep, really everything, and still no sleep (well sometimes sleep). For example, this afternoon, I waited two hours since the previous nap experiment so I knew he was tired but not so tired he couldnt sleep, he had a full tummy, a clean bum, everything was as it should be and I put him in his crib, turned on the fishes, wound up the mobile, and shut the door, and then I waited... 90 minutes. I did go in and check on him at regular intervals (not so regular that he wouldnt sleep, but you know enough to make sure he was breathing). Guess how much sleeping he did... none! He rolled over, played with his puppy, sang to himself, cried, kicked everything, and still no sleeping. He wont sleep during the day, refuses to for whatever reason. I know he is exhausted (all the eye rubbing, crying, etc gives it away), but he will NOT sleep. Since naptime (both of them) we such fiascos, bedtime came at 530 at our house. It was a bit of a struggle because he was so tired, but still he went to sleep.... why wont he sleep?

Oh NO!!!

Last night Michael learned to roll over in his crib. To be fair he has probably been doing it for awhile, but this is the first time I have caught him. I heard laughing around 4am, and since I am a monitor obsessed mom I went running into his room to check it out. There was no problem, except that he was on his stomach laughing and being generally too awake for that time of night. I dont know what this shocked me, the kid rolls around all day. I dont think he is ever going to sit up on his own (you know push himself into a sitting position) because that would interfere with him getting places. Anyway, he now very unfortunately rolls over in his bed. Guess what that did to nap time... yeah nothing good, and no there were no naps to be had. Hopefully soon the novelty will wear off and he will go back to sleeping, until then, I just heard him roll over, this is going to be a very very long night.

A Letter to Earmby

Today was Earmby's birthday. Every year on her birthday I feel incredibly old, I am sure if I looked close enough in the mirror I would have seen a wrinkle or two and maybe even a grey hair (ok no, but still). Anyway so I was thinking about how she is ancient now, and how it doesnt seem like that long ago I was turning well however old she turned today and I got to thinking about all the stuff I wish someone had told me back in the day. so dear earmby and all the other people younger than me here goes.

Dear Earmby,

On this, your ___ birthday, here is a bit of advice, because we all know how much I wish I could write my own sunscreen song.

-enjoy college- there are days that are just plain sucky, but some day you might be a bit nostalgic for your days in the dorms, classes, and yes even the testing center and library. Enjoy it as much as possible. The freedom, the people, and yes even the uncertain future stretching out before you. Enjoy it before you have a "real" job and kids, because you know it as well as I do that some day one or both of those things are going to happen.

-pick a major you love, but one that you can get a job with. If you choose to major in something as useful as art history, just know that not everyone thinks it is as important as you do and there is a very real chance you are going to be doing something in another field.

-call your siblings- yes we all annoy you, but some day you will be glad that you listened to me ramble about my burnt cookies and any other odd things you hear when you call us, but you might also be glad to have someone to talk to that has known you through the good times and bad.

-it's okay that "home" isnt home anymore. Part of growing up is moving on. Moving on doesnt mean you love mom and dad any less, it just means you are growing up.

-read your scriptures- you know why.

-smile and laugh at yourself, trust me, if you dont bardy will.

Happy Birthday Em!

Oh Bri

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and at the risk of sounding or being sentimental I have to say thanks to Bri. I know on occasion he doesnt think I give him enough "credit", but he is really a great husband and dad. He wakes up earlier than he wants, drives far, and works all day so that we can have financial stability. He drops what he is doing and installs a new water filter for me on Sunday night because the red light was on in the fridge. He goes to Yogurtville with me even though to him it is overrated. He eats salad and green beans because I like them (oh yeah and they are healthy), doesnt complain that he gets less than half the space in the bathroom, and lives in a purple bedroom.

He put up with a wife in grad school, and then in a demanding job (well it was demanding to me), and now a wife that sometimes goes a little crazy with all the poop (imagine how much twins would have). He has gotten on board with the idea of doing the dishes immediately after eating, and puts a trash bag in the trashcan right after taking out the trash because that is how it works. He watches chick flicks with me (even though I fall asleep) and has suffered through all 7 seasons of the west wing. He has stopped listening to Glenn Beck (thank goodness) and has welcomed himself to the wonderful world of NPR.

He shows up on Friday night with a box of chocolate covered cookies and roses and lets me have the white cookies because they are my favorite. He eats green bananas, doesnt expect to have hot breakfast (because I dont make it), and cleans the toilets because that is one of my least favorite jobs.

He sings Chicka Chicka Boom Boom until he thinks his head is going to explode because it is Michael's favorite. He cleans out little noses, changes diapers, and soothes the crying little guy because that's what dads do.

So thanks Bri. Thanks for all you do (almost too sentimental?)

My favorite time of day

I know when you look at those sweet brown eyes you cant imagine that I would have a favorite time of day with him but I do. I love all day with the little munchkin but bedtime it by far my favorite. If you have spent much time with Michael you know he is a busy guy, and like his mother he isnt the world's most cuddly person. He loves to be held, but he wants you to tickle him, sing, play, blow raspberries, toss him, hold him upside down, etc, he isnt much for just sitting and cuddling, except at bedtime. Bedtime includes Michael's favorite time of day- bathtime. Now that he is getting old enough to start recognizing things, he gets really excited when I take him in the bathroom to see the bathtub all ready for him. He loves to yell and splash and play with his toys in the bath, and when the bath is over he loves to cuddle. Actually to be fair he loves to be cuddled while he sleeps too, but that is another story. At bedtime he is calm and only interested in being held and cuddled (oh yeah and eating). I hope someday when he is big that bedtime will still be a time when he calms down enough to cuddle him, but at the moment I love bedtime, sleep well Michael.

Mikey in the Morning

Mikey is so patient while I get ready in the morning. He used to play with his "jungle gym", but since he has become more mobile he has outgrown it. Now he plays with toys on the floor, "chases" CJ, and explores the area right outside the bathroom.

How can you resist this cute face!

He loves to play with the door stopper. Luckily we removed the white thing shortly after finding him near it as to avoid any trips to the ER. By the way we painted our room gray and I love it. Thanks for suggesting the color Di!
Crawling isnt far off... sadly.

This is his new favorite face to make. It looks like he is in pain to me, but since i laugh when he makes it he keeps doing it for the reaction. Funny Mikey!

Aldi

I have to post about the new store that opened near our house- Aldi. There are other Aldi's in our area but this one is so close. Aldi is a german grocery store, and it is a bit strange. The stores are small, think BYU Creamery size, they charge for carts (you put a quarter in to get it and it is returned when the cart is returned), they only sell one brand of the items they do sell (and it isnt one you have heard of), they charge for grocery bags, and you bag your own groceries. I am sure you are asking why anyone would go there, so let me tell you why- it is so cheap! Really it is cheaper than going to walmart (for some things) and in some cases cheaper than buying things on sale at another store, for example, today I bought 1 dozen large eggs for $0.69, a gallon of milk of $1.69, rice a roni (ok not that brand but whatever brand they sell) for $0.69, bananas for $0.29 a lb, and avacados for $0.29. As long as you arent a strictly brand loyal person this place is great for the staples (bread, milk, dry goods etc). I wish there had been an Aldi in provo when we were starving college students.

Back in the Beehive State

Last night we got back from our short visit to the Beehive State. We went back to utah for "Grandpa Randy's" wedding, but we also saw a few friends and most of Brian's family in the process.

Sadly, I didnt take many photos, and those I did take were pretty awful, but just go with it.

Michael and I flew to Utah a few days before Brian, we wanted more time to see the cousins, friends, and of course Auntie Em.

We got to the airport a little bit early so Mikey got to play before we took off.

We spent a couple of days with the cousins while we were in Utah. Sadly I didnt take very many photos, but we did see them and they were as adorable as ever. We also got to meet sweet baby Ben. He is so mellow, squishy, and lovable, pretty much the opposite of Michael- I guess that is the difference between the 4th child and the first. By the way I cannot get enough of Caleb's smile, this kid is so funny!

We tried to get a photo of Ben and Mikey in their matching outfits... it didnt work out to well. Let's just say that unless you see these two with their dads you would have no idea that they are related.

Aunt Diana tried to get some cute photos of Michael, he liked to put his hands in his mouth instead of smile at her.

We went to visit Auntie Em at her new dorm. Seriously that place is more luxurious than my house, 2 bathrooms, a huge kitchen, and tons of storage... so different from the days of DT.

Auntie Em tagged along to Grandpa Randy's wedding. Well, realistically I asked her to come along so she could babysit (fyi Auntie Em is Mikey's favorite babysitter. He really loves her).

Grandpa Randy got married in Logan the first week of February, let's just say it was cold. Well it wasnt actually that cold, but since we live in texas it seemed down right frigid. Since we live in Texas where a coat isnt really needed (we stay home on the really cold days) Mikey had to borrow mine, it looked like a cape.

Apparently we were all looking different places.

Brian got to see all of his siblings.

The family with the bride and groom... the reason we went to utah.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

What a cute Mikey. Too bad he wasnt also wearing red and black.

2011 babies and my sweet sister in law who put up with a LOT of crying while we were there (vacations are hard for little guys). See how sweet Ben is... then see how Mikey is exhausted but still awake... yeah.

We stayed at our favorite Provo place (the residence inn, okay I really do love it). Auntie Em helped feed Mikey dinner before going back to dorm life. Sadly he spilled his dinner before she got much in him, but that is pretty typical.

Yummy sweet potatoes!

Michael had his first Tucanos experience. We had to go to celebrate Auntie Em's birthday! Let's just say Tucanos on a Saturday night at 7:30, no nap, 4 days of vacation, and an hour past bedtime was a bit much for him. But we gave him a banana to cuddle (well to hold but he cuddled it) and he did great, what a champ!

Mikey and Daddy at Tucanos.

Happy Birthday Em! Yes this was the best of the photos that Brian took of us... how did that happen.

Mikey loved the hotel too, not as much as he loved coming home, but still.

The pictures make it look like this was a short relaxing trip, but there are a few things missing.

-time with cousins- so fun and crazy. I can't wait until Michael is big enough to play with the boys instead of just sitting and watching.

-visit to Grandma Denny- we got to see Brian's Grandma Denny and his Aunt Janet, and go to church with them. It was interesting trying to keep Michael quiet during church but I think he provided a little bit of entertainment.

-visiting old roommates- so fun and so sad that they are moving away. Move to texas! It was so fun to see these girls, so crazy how long it has been since we have lived together and how much has changed in the meantime.

-shopping with em- totally worth the trip. we didnt really buy anything except some awesome shoes for Mikey and a few other items, but it was awesome to have someone to go with that offers honest opinions, wants to go, and doenst play on their phone while we are there.

- birthday dinner with em- since we wont be there for her actual birthday we took em to two birthday dinners. One at Tucanos, and one (without Bri because he wasnt there yet) to Macaroni Grill. I had been wanting to go there but it is far from our house and I wasnt quite sure of the location... so I flew 1200 miles and went to the one I knew. Penne Rustica remains one of my favorites and the bread was delicious as usual. Sadly, the embarrassing opera singer sang Happy Birthday to the table next to us and not to emily, but I think she preferred it that way.

-sweet mini van- we rented a car while we were in town, we had planned to rent a midsize car but when we got there they had run out of that size and we got a minivan instead. Yes it was sweet. They asked if we wanted an orange one, but I opted for the less flashy silver. I do have to say that minivan was awesome and I would totally drive one on a daily basis (yes I realize that is lame).

-Provo walmart- a must while you are in provo, this is the worst walmart ever, half the things are always sold out and the place is always busy.

Congratulations Grandpa Randy, thanks for flying us to utah!