2 years...

For our Second anniversary this year, Robert took me on a way fun "stay"cation. After all, who can afford to fly these days? We dropped the baby off at Grandma's(ouch) and went to Salt Lake City for the weekend. We had such a nice, relaxing time. We went to the zoo, which was awesome! It was cold, but we were dressed for it so we were fine. There was about 2 other people in the whole zoo, so we mostly got the whole place to ourselves. The best part was getting kisses from a giraffe. SO cool! They are like giant cows, basically.

We also went and saw "tangled," saw the lights on Temple Square, and ate at Rodizio. I really felt guilty about all the money we spent, but only for a second. We stayed at the Anniversary Inn, once we got there. We spent about a half hour looking for it, detouring down one way streets, and retracing our steps. When we finally got there we realized we had been there ten minutes earlier, just on the other side of the building. DERP. Driving often turns into one of these adventures for us.

We had so much fun. I love that after two years we are still good friends with things to talk about and laugh about. I am so grateful that my mom was willing to take care of my baby AND the dog so that we could go spend that time together. I'm grateful to have a husband who will blow his whole Christmas Bonus in one night, just because its fun. I'm glad he isn't a miserly scrooge about money, and that he doesn't worry about it like I do. I cain't help lovin dat man o' mine!

PS, WAY too lazy to locate the camera AND the cord to upload pictures... just close your eyes and imagine a giraffe sucking water out of my hand

Since Edgar was born, I haven't been very good about writing in journals. This post is mostly for myself, just things I want to remember. It's gonna be long...so, don't read it if you don't want to.

We went to my Grandparent's in Idaho for Thanksgiving. The first night was horrible! Edgar had been in the car all day(it took a long time to get there because of the post-blizzard icy roads). He was out of his routine and we stayed up late. Everyone wanted to have a turn holding and changing and rocking and feeding, so his bedtime routine went to pot in a hurry. He did go to sleep while being held, so I thought it would be fine. But he was up again in two hours and it took an hour to get him back to sleep .Then again three or so hours after that he woke up again and he ended up waking up for good around 6. The next night I was a little more ornery about putting him to bed myself. Instead of going down without a fuss, he cried for 45 minutes before finally falling asleep. Then we put him in the closet next door instead of right in our room, so he wouldn't wake me up with all his grunts and snores. Grandpa was disgusted. "Do you know what she done? She sleeps the DOG in her own room and puts her baby in a closet." Sorry Grandpa, but it needed to be done. Both of us slept much better.

On Friday right after Thanksgiving we had a 50th anniversary party for Grandma and Pa. It was a 50's party and we all had cat eye glasses and poodle skirts. The boys rolled up their pant legs and slicked back their hair. There was a photographer and everything. Uncle Lew, grandpa's brother, even came for a while. He was a little jealous, grandpa thought. "I got all these kids, and grands, and great-grands. All he has is one daughter and one grand-daughter." I agree with Grandpa. He has a great posterity. The fact that they are all faithful, returned missionaries, married in the temple, etc. is a great legacy to him and Grandma. It is a great feeling to know that he is proud of us.

My mom and her siblings and their families used to draw names for gifts for eachother. A few years ago they decided they didn't really need anything and decided to buy gifts for a needy family in my grandparent's ward instead. We have done that for a few years and it has been fun to *try* and drop it off. But my grandparent's ward split and there wasn't really that need in their ward any more. In my head, that's all there was to it. "I guess we are just doing a party this year and not giving gifts to anyone." But, unbeknown to us, my Aunt had an idea of who we could serve. All the college-aged kids were sent to chill somewhere while the aunts worked on something sneaky. We didn't have any clue. When we came out there was a huge pile covered in blankets. My aunt said "So, we were stumped about who to serve this year, none of us knew of any needy families. Then it hit us "all these kids are in college, having new babies, trying to live on their own, etc. Our OWN families are needy! So, here! The threw back the blankets and there was a huge pile of...everything. Diapers, wipes, cans of food, toothpaste, soap, lotion, shampoo, detergent, flour, sugar. Right there in front of me was a pile of paper towels. I grabbed one roll. I haven't bought paper towels or kleenex the whole time I have been married. Some of us needed things more than others. Many of us cried. I knew my one cousin had been looking for a job and stressing for months, and another couldnt' get enough hours. None of us wanted to take anything until the others had taken what they needed. I was so happy with the roll of paper towels that I didn't take anything else. Finally my angel aunts started divvying everything up. Someone cried about socks with no holes. Diapers. Candy. We all thought we were doing okay, but when we saw that pile we realized that we had been scrimping and going without a lot. Paper towels are a luxury; we buy toilet paper instead. We make do with holey socks. We don't buy juice cause that's extra. We do without chapstick and gum and lotion. Tiny little things we didn't even remember anymore. Someone handed me a can of "pam" and I lost it. I had forgotten about pan spray! I just cried. All of us felt like little kids, we wanted to take our new treasures to bed with us. Juice, socks, paper towels, cooking spray. Not even things we would have asked for. It was the best, most thoughtful Christmas present I think I have ever received.

On Sunday, Dec 5, Edgar started blowing raspberries. Apparently this is the first stepping stone to speech. A week before that he found his feet and started being able to reach for things he wanted. Yesterday, on the tenth, he rolled over onto his tummy. It was a great discovery and he loves doing it now. The other day while he was flailing about, the dog sat by him at started getting hit in the face. It was the best day of Gus' little life. Edgar was playing!

I am the luckiest lady on earth. I have the best husband and the cutest son. We have what we need, and even things we want. Even this mutt dog brings joy to my life. I am SO happy. And for those of you who have known me my whole life, you know that is saying something. I don't remember being so happy or feeling so good ever before. I Am so grateful for this life I have.

Funny Dog that is in my life

Gus, the goofy looking weirdo, is becoming a great dog. I worried about him for a while, but no dog is exactly how you want it when you get it. I am really starting to enjoy him. He thinks he is just another person in our family. This post is some funny stories just about him.

Gus is pretty sure Edgar is HIS baby, not to mention his best friend. He likes to check on Edgar before we go to bed, and first thing in the morning. He always sits by me while I feed or change Edgar, and even hangs over the side of the tub during bath time. But most of all, Gus wants to play with him! He doesn't understand why his baby won't play and gets VERY excited if Edgar ever gets a hold of his fur. The other day Gus brought over what used to be a stuffed animal. He set it in Edgar's lap hoping that it would get thrown. No. Edgar saw it, grabbed it, and of course it went right in his mouth. Nasty! I'm pretty sure Gus' thought process went something like this "Hey Edgar, wanna play? Here, throw it. No no no, hey! You can't chew on that! It's mine. You're not playing right, just give it back." He looked very alarmed that Edgar would steal his toy for keeps. Today Gus brought over the same toy and set it on Edgar and they played tug of war for about three seconds. Gus was ecstatic, and proceeded to bring every toy and set it on Edgar's face.

Gus HATES the snow. I don't blame him, really. If I had to go outside to pee in snow that was to my belly I would hate it too. He hates when it is crusty on top so he thinks he can walk on it, but falls through. He really is pathetic about the whole thing. When we tell him to go potty he rushes excitedly out the door, then remembers that there is winter out there. He looks over his shoulder as if to ask "can I just go here on the steps?" No Gus, go potty. Slump. Sulk. shuffle disappointedly into the snow. He finds it very invigorating, though, and always comes back in hyper.

When we first got Gus he shed really bad. So we figured we would try to shave him. He didn't mind at all. Until we got to his ears, then it was game over. So the dumb animal was shaved almost naked and had a furry head. He looked like a pansy lion. Then he got sunburned when we went to Bear Lake.

Gus is TERRIBLE at making his bed. Our other dog was great. He'd tuck himself in completely in a beautiful nest with a layer of blanket over him. Gus tries really hard, and ends up with...well, a blanket on the floor. He works on it the whole time we are brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed, then when Robert goes in Gus looks at him like "um, I can't get it. could you help me please?" And of course Robert does, because how could you not help such a pathetic helpless animal?

Gus hates the bath. Unless you are in it. He sticks his head in the shower sometimes and drinks the water. And if you are in the bath all he wants to do is drink out of the tub.

Gus requires cuddles. If anyone else is getting them, he wants them. If you have a blanket, he wants under it. If you are curled on the couch, he is in your knee pit. Today I was laying on the couch and Robert sat on the edge of it to lean down and kiss me goodbye. Gus, who was at my feet on the blanket, saw that I was getting lovins and he was not. He proceeded to army crawl up my legs, then cram himself between me and Robert and started licking Robert's face.

Gus knows that we don't give him food off the table, so he doesn't beg. But he also knows that sometimes, when we are done eating, people food magically appears in his bowl. Sometimes he will start pushing his bowl around the floor hoping it will make food appear. If we put dog food in there, then he gets very dissapointed.

These are some funny Gus pics (at the top). I love the one of all of them sleeping on the couch, because you can see the weird hairs that grow out of Gus' lips. The other two are of him in the cradle with Edgar, and one of him in Faline's dress( his chihuahua-in-law)

lost in translation...

SO, today the neighbor came over and asked robert to help him with something(they speak no English). So we go over there and they are talking away in spanish. Feliz takes the baby and is saying something about his grandpas eyes, so I nod and smile and pretend to understand what is going on. Robert is trying to read some box, and I really wasn't that interested so I kept trying to talk to feliz(the other day I asked her if her door was a woman...I meant to ask if it was BETTER, now that the guy had come to fix it. Just to illustrate how this attempt at communication was going). So we go on for a minute and Robert turns to me and asks "how much fabric do you think you'd need to cover this speaker?" So, ok, I looked at it, measured it, 2 1/2 yards. More speaking in Spanish. They finish up, a couple "ok, ok"s, then Robert turns to me and says "ok, they will bring you the fabric. Also, could you make a skirt?" WHAT?! They want ME to make them speaker covers? How did I miss this? How do I tell them that they have overestimated my sewing skills? This could turn out interesting...

holy cow kim, stop posting!

I thought it was only fair to include a couple recipes since I am asking for a bunch. AND you've never eaten these ones, cause I made them up! So bonus!

matrix chicken
Chicken Breasts
1 can Creamy Chicken Soup
3/4 c. milk
a little flour
a little butter
Italian seasoning(oregano, thyme)
2 small cloves garlic minced, or garlic powder
1/4 an onion, minced
2 cups bread crumbs
tomatoes, sliced

Pound out the chicken breasts so you get a better yumminess to chicken ratio. Combine the onion, soup, milk, and garlic. In separate bowl combine bread crumbs, flour, melted butter, and italian seasoning. Dip the chicken in the soup mixture, then bread one side. Place on a greased cookie sheet, then place tomatoes on top of the chicken. Spoon Crumbs onto the top. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes or so. Or, cook it however you cook chicken so it doesn't dry out, I don't know how very well. Serve with rice, pilaf, couscous, or a luscious bed of pasta.

Note: I was watching the matrix while inventing this chicken, that's how it got it's name. However, it's probably a copyright infringment to use that title, so don't publish and make money off this recipe.

Nat, I wish you could see the illustration william did in my cookbook

Savory Harvest Delicious
Pork chops or Lamb
Potatoes (new potatoes from the garden are my fave)
carrots
heck, throw some pumpkin chunks in there, or other squash if you like it
Garlic
parsley
rosemary(if you like it)
pumpkin sauce(exactly what you would use for a pumpkin pie)
roasted pumpkin seeds(you can buy em! Or make em, if you want to. But whichever way you do it, take off the shells before you eat them, cause they are not as good with them on :) OR if you hate em, don't use em! "This is your world, anything can happen" Ooh, maybe try candied pecans...)

Thaw and sear the meat. Scrub and cut the potatoes and carrots and dump them in a pan with the meat. Season with savory goodness. Baste with pumpkin sauce(I had left-over pumpkin pie mix, but not enough for a pie. That is what prompted this experiment). Bake at 350, covered, for an hour, or until potatoes and meat are done. Baste again half way through cooking, and add water if need be. Serve hot. Sprinkle with salted roasted pumpkin seeds and drizzle with more warm sauce. Eat with biscuits, rice, or something else that is delicious.

KungFu Panda Noodle Chicken
again with the name. Don't be tricked into thinking this is chinese food, it's more like Chicken Cordon Bleu.
SO, there aren't very many of us so I only use 2 chicken breasts and make this in a bread pan, but make however much you need for your family!

2Chicken Breasts, boiled and cubed
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked Penne Pasta
2 Cups Alfredo sauce(if you home-make it, you can add garlic and onions)
sliced ham
grated cheese

Layer pasta, sauce, chicken, ham. Do a couple layers and top with cheese. Cram it in the oven
long enough to heat it through.

meal ideas!

Hey everyone(the what, 5 people who read my blog :)
I need some meal ideas. Our usuals are getting kind of old. Let me know what some of your family's favorite meals are, or your favorite meals to make. Thanks!

since everyone was home for conference, it was decided that a family pictures were in order. Unfortunately, it was just after my little guy got his shots.

Seasonal Twist on a Festive Favorite

HOT Chocolate + Pumpkin Ice cream. Delicious

MISS YOU!

way back in the day, I met a great gal in China. I haven't seen her since, but I follow her blog. JODI, ITS YOU! I can't comment on your blog, but I know you follow mine. I read your "85 and sunny" post today and I miss you! Oh why do you live so far away? When I read the part about your laugh attack I felt like I was right there with you; how many of those did we have in China? I can just see you saying that like I was in the room when it happened. Man, I miss you!

Here's the halloween decorations I've been working on. So much fun, and I only spent 10 bucks, plus some candy!

I LOVE Halloween! I love the leaves, the dressing up, the candy. I am so STOKED! I went shopping with my creative cousin yesterday for some halloween crafts and it just really got me in the spirit. It may be my most favorite holiday.

Pretty lucky...

So the other day a friend of mine was asking about how I knew I wanted to marry Robert. He has met the girl he is probably going to marry and is a little anxious about that big step. It was fun to relive that summer I met Robert and remember our life together so far. I told my friend how we met, and about that night on the water tower watching the stars:

We had planned to spend the evening together, but I was late. I took longer on the river that day because one of the people I was taking was an old man with Parkinson's. I'm pretty sure my hair was still wet when Robert picked me up. We went to a semi-lame rodeo, and it wasn't that late when we were done so we decided to go stargazing on the water tower. We were talking, but then Robert got quiet. He asked how I felt about him. When I told him I loved him(I still say he tricked me into saying it first) I felt his whole body sigh. It was like a big weight had lifted off his shoulders. He loved me too. I told him I would be his as long as he wanted me, and he said he wanted me forever. After making sure he was serious I, of course, consented.



I also told my friend how Robert totaled my car while we were ring shopping and about how life has been since we got married that day in a blizzard. I told him it was hard: worrying about bills, buying your own groceries, not having insurance, living in less-than-great housing cause that's what you can afford, wondering if you are going to make it financially to that ever-out-of-reach next paycheck, using the bench seat from an old van as a couch, trying to make a nice home on DI furniture and hand-me-downs. But I also assured him that it was worth it. Every mold problem, every cockroach. Every burned dinner and made-up recipe gone horribly wrong. Every late fee on the light bill and every failed garden. Every cold afternoon or food storage dinner cause we couldn't afford the heat bill or grocery shopping. Every elbow to the face when you were sleeping and every stolen cover. And you know WHY all that is worth it? Because you grow so much closer together just being you two against the world. And now and then, mixed in with all the worry, there is an amazing moment. Crunching leaves together, paying off the car, shaving the dog together, nerf attacks, hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time, finding out you won't lose your job at the end of the summer, long drives and long walks, hobo birthday parties and exploding candles, mullet march haircuts, surprise chickens. Sure we have had hard times, and for sure we have more ahead of us. But every memory I have with my Robert, and now my Edgar boy, makes it all worth it. You can't put off life just cause it's scary or you can't afford it. You have to find joy in the journey! That's how Heavenly Father wants it. And if you keep him in your life things will work out even against all odds.

Honestly, getting married was the best thing I have ever done. I have the best husband. He is so smart and wise and sees things so much more clearly than I do. He works so hard so I can stay home with our sweet son. He loves me even though I am lazy and some days down-right mentally challenged. Oh yes, marriage is worth all the hard times. I am the luckiest girl in all the world. Robert, I love you!

Edgars Adventures

Here's some pictures of our little guy. I don't think we have ever kept from doing something just because we have a kid now. At 7 weeks old Edgar has gone camping(which he liked till 4 in the morning), gone swimming(which he liked even though it was a bit chilly), seen his first(and possibly LAST) USU football game, and his first Demolition Derby. Not to mention little adventures like going to grandma's to can peaches and learning to smile. We sure love this little guy. How many parents have kids as cute as this?! Heck, he's even cute when he's screaming! Families were the best thing ever invented. Don't we have a smart Heavenly Father?

just a couple pics

OKAY, im' finally getting to the story. I woke up at 4 with contractions and couldn't go back to sleep. We went to the hospital about 8 and I was dilated to a 4. We watched psych between contractions till about 1:00. I hadn't made much progress so they gave me an epidural and broke my water, after which my contractions slowed down and got weaker. So they gave me some Pitocin to get my contractions stronger, but then I was feeling them again. The little stinker was posterior so I had terrible back labor. We tried to turn him around but it didn't work. So they put more medicine in my epidural so I could try to rest. I was still moving really slow, and by now my doctor had had to leave for her vacation. But the other doctor said I WAS progressing so just keep...sittin around I guess. At 4 or 5:00 I had made it all the way to 6 and a half centimeters. UGH! At some point after that I fell asleep and was able to relax. I woke up around 9 and was dilated all the way, finally. The nurse let me rest a while longer before I started pushing. I pushed and pushed and made no progress. The baby hadn't come down any more after an hour and a half of pushing, and his heart rate was starting to drop during contractions. So, the doctor decided to use the vacuum to pull him down hoping that the baby didn't have too much hair for hte suction to work. It popped off his head once, but the vacuum worked pretty well to pull him down. Too bad though, his head was too big! The doctor started getting a little worried about his heart rate and decided to try an episiotomy and then maybe forceps, but if he didn't see good progress in 4 more pushes then he was going to do a c-section. Thank heaven, the episiotomy did the trick before forceps were needed. When he was finally born at 12:28, Edgar wasn't breathing. He had swallowed some of the poopy junk and I got to hold him about three seconds before they cut the cord and took him. They didn't want him to aspirate any of the nastiness, but he wasn't breathing either, so they hurried him off to take care of those things. They had to suction his nose and mouth and pump his stomach. His first APGAR score was a 2; basically he had a heart beat and that's all. But they got him going and everything turned out just fine, just a scrape on his head where the vacuum popped off. He was 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and had a massive cone head and lots of hair. He is doing great now, at just over 3 weeks old. At his 2 week check up he had gained a whole pound! After a long 20 hours, he seemed to bounce back surprisingly well.

37 weeks and roasting alive!

Whew!

At 32 weeks, our little pukey is pretty sure it's time to make his entry into the world. Not only does it feel like he's going to bust out through my rib cage, on saturday he decided he'd see how we felt about an early arrival. Braxton hicks are one awesome experience, but on Saturday I started having different contractions. We were a little nervous so we called the doctor and she made us (well, at least me) even more nervous when she told us to go to the hospital to be checked for pre-term labor. They hooked me up to a monitor and the contractions were coming every three or four minutes. Fortunatly I was not experiencing any other symptoms of pre-term labor(water breakage, effacement, dialation, etc) so they were able to stop the contractions with some yucky medicine and send me home. The doctor told us that if we can keep the stinker inside for two more weeks then we'll be out of the woods, but it sure seems he's anxious to get here. We are sure glad he didn't come saturday!

Well, the weeks are passing more quickly then I may have expected. I am now at 27 weeks, and this little guy is beating on me like he wants to escape. It seems he has discovered jumping and he enjoys launching himself off my bladder. He also seems fascinated with my ribs. It feels like he grabs on to them sometimes, or rubs them with his feet. It has truly been an adventure, this whole pregnant business. I have a feeling it will get to be more uncomfortable and unpleasant, but at this point I am enjoying this adventure. It is fun to feel this little guy, and for robert to be able to feel him. Once you get past the sick, and if you can deal with all the tired lazies, it is even fun sometimes!

YAY!

We're having a boy! Woot. That's the news of the day

YAY!

I am so excited! I just can't hide it! We bought a tiny mini indoor greenhouse and planted some flower and vegetable seeds to put out in our 'garden.' Once spring gets here, ya know. Gardens are my best fave! That means winter is almost over, folks!

First steps on a long road

Today I hit an important stepping stone on the road of pregnancy. Someone asked me when my baby was due. Six more months, six more months. I really should have told her that I was just fat.

crazy life

So, since we moved from the mold house we no longer have internet in our house. So, sorry that it's been so long.

Life is good, but I never thought the day would come when I would actually be at this point in my life. We found out just before Christmas that we were expecting, and our baby will be here in August. I almost forget sometimes until I see myself in the mirror. I don't really have child-bearing hips or a long torso, so I am showing already and barely into my second trimester. I can't button my pants anymore and my shirts don't all quite pass the Bend and Stretch test.

This week we got to see our baby for the first time. The doctor says I'm in for it because it was moving around so much. It looked like a flippy little fish in there! I think it is such a miracle to grow a baby! It is so far away from being born, but already it has a tiny heart that beats and pumps. It's little stomach is contracting. It was waving its tiny arms around and reacting to us poking at it. Robert is just as proud as can be; he carries the ultra sound picture in his wallet and falls asleep with his hand on my roundy belly. I can't wait to see him holding my baby.