A run in Texas

I've absolutely loved my mornings runs in the area around Eric's parent's house while we have been here for the holidays. They live in the beautiful hill country outside San Antonio which makes for super fun runs.  When we were living with them the summer after China, I saw all sorts of fun little critters.  No different this time.

When we were here before I ran past some wild boar, but only could hear them since it was still dark.  This time I saw a whole family of wild boar which I thought was pretty awesome.  I just tried to make sure they didn't see me - those guys are huge, who knows what they could do!

So beautiful here.  I think it definitely competes with even my San Diego beach runs.

Christmas in Texas

Merry Christmas from San Antonio! 

If you look closely, this is a very Texas tree.

Eric and I have been in San Antonio with his parents. For most of the time, its been a small group of us, just his parents and Eric's brother Neil. We have had a great time though.

We got here about a week before Christmas and so made tons of yummy Christmas goodies, a gingerbread house, and played lots of games. Eric and I love games and were so excited to have more than each other to play with!

Eric and I made gingerbread cookies one day with Neil, which Neil really liked. I think he most liked sneaking pieces of the dough though.

We also got to spend a couple days with Eric's sister Kimberly and her adorable little family.  They spent Christmas with David's family in Washington but they are coming back today for a couple more days. Yay! :)

Little Lydia with Grandma

And then, of course, Christmas Day!

We woke up, looked at stockings and ate a yummy Christmas breakfast before going to church.  I always really like it when Christmas falls on a Sunday.  Church definitely seems the perfect place to be on the day we celebrate Christ's birth. Later we had a super fun time opening presents and then looking for the Christmas pickle in the tree.  I had never heard of this tradition before meeting Eric, but whoever finds the hidden pickle ornament in the tree gets a extra present.  Eric found it this year.

Looking for the pickle

He found it!

The boys playing with Neil's new toys.

To top off a great day, we had an amazing Christmas dinner!

It is so wonderful being with family at Christmas time! I am so grateful we were able to come here and spend this time with Eric's family.  We love you guys!

Shingle Bells...

Of all things, Eric has decided to come down with shingles for the holidays. We are just glad that it happened while we are at his parents house and not our tiny apartment.  The doctor has ordered us to stay away from each other (because of the baby) which would be very difficult at our place.  So we can't touch each other at all and he has to be completely covered up with long sleeves (the shingles are on his arm) around me.

I think Eric is actually enjoying being able to say that he has shingles. I guess it is more exciting than an allergic reaction which was what we thought it was originally... I just hope it is all gone before we go home!

Fudge, take two

I attempted fudge again earlier this week.  Eric and I wanted to make plates of Christmas yummies to take to our neighbors and friends.  We finally met all of our neighbors! This is really pathetic considering that our apartment complex consists of 4 apartments.  Besides our neighbor right next to us, we have only really said hello in passing to the others. But now we know all their names. Only took us a year and a half...

But the fudge. Besides gingerbread cookies, peanut butter balls and chocolate covered coconut balls, I decided to make fudge. After our utter failure a couple weeks ago, I was a little apprehensive. This time armed with a different, more trusted recipe, and the knowledge that my candy thermometer is 5 degrees off, I felt ready to go.

And it came out perfect!! Super delicious peppermint chocolate fudge. Success!

Pregnancy thoughts

Since Eric and I have known for quite a few weeks that we are expecting, we have had plenty of time to think about it and talk about it. We have been wanting a baby for quite a few months and were getting very frustrated and discouraged. I honestly had never realized how long it can take to get pregnant. It has been an emotional journey for us, that is for certain. The first week of July brought an even bigger blow as we found out we were pregnant at 7 weeks (after multiple negative tests) and then a day later, miscarried. That was the hardest thing I have ever personally had to experience. I never thought it would hurt so much to lose a baby that early. It took some weeks before I could see a pregnant woman without crying. Ironically it seemed this was the time that all our friends were either having babies or announcing their own pregnancy. I don't think the Fourth of July will ever be the same for me.

Having experienced that, this pregnancy means so much more to me. I read in one of my pregnancy books soon after we found out about this baby that pregnancy after experiencing a miscarriage does not come with the same innocence and pure joy that the first pregnancy did. Instead, it is mixed with sadness and a knowledge that every pregnancy does not necessarily end with a baby in your arms. That is definitely true. The first few weeks I was almost afraid to be too happy, feeling certain that it would end the same way. Any little stomach pain or cramp would have me completely worried. When we passed 7 weeks I felt as though we had passed a huge hurdle.

I am so grateful that we are expecting again. More than anything, I want to be a mother. Every day means one more day that I am still pregnant and one more day that brings me closer to meeting this precious child of God. How amazing it is that we get the chance to participate in such a thing as birth and parenthood. I thank God every day for letting me be apart of this miracle.

Beginning of December and all things Christmas

I love Christmas, but then who doesn't? Once the first day of December hits it really starts feeling like its Christmas time.  (Though Eric and I did start listening to Christmas music the beginning of November... we just couldn't help it) On the second day of December I decided it was time to make some fudge, one of my all-time favorite Christmas things.  That was a disaster.  It always seems to be hit and miss with me and fudge. I really should have taken pictures of it this time though, it was probably the worst! After some searching online for 'how to fix failed fudge' and then a phone call to my mother, I finally was able to turn that bowl of crumbs into some decent fudge.  Still dry but at least it held together. So a very frustrating start to my Christmas season. Eric says I should stop talking down my fudge, he loved it and lived on it practically studying late into the night the last couple of days. (His last final is happening right now!)

Over the weekend, we decorated our little home with our few but well-loved Christmas decorations.  Took all of about half an hour.  But afterwards we got sit on the couch with our tiny tree glowing beside us and listen to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  Perfect.

We also checked out the huge Christmas festival called December Nights that happens yearly one weekend in December in Balboa Park. We missed it last year and wanted to make sure we went this time. My goodness. I have not seen crowds like that since China.

This is Eric and me in front of the tree in the Dr. Suess village.

The big tree in the organ pavilion.

And, Eric's personal favorite - the puppet show.  There is a puppet theater in the park that always does free puppet shows and during December Nights they were preforming A Christmas Carol. The giant dog is the Ghost of Christmas Present and the goat beside him is Scrooge.  It was quite impressive.

All these little things are sure getting me even more excited for the rest of December: reading all the Christmas stories, seeing the lights at the temple, all the time we will get to spend with family, and maybe, some more fudge.

Happy News

We are having a baby!!  I am 12 weeks right now and little baby Anderson will be coming around June 10th. We really couldn't be happier and are so incredibly grateful that we were finally able to have this amazing blessing. We can't wait to meet the little guy (or girl). 

Thanksgiving

This has been a very nice, relaxing Thanksgiving.  Last year we had to hurry home to San Diego from my parents  house since I had to be at the hospital working by 6am the day after Thanksgiving. It has been great to be able to take a few days this year. Though Eric has spent a lot of the time off painting my mom's new business so maybe I can't speak for how relaxing it has been for him. :)

We had a smaller group this year - just my parents, my two siblings that are still at home, and my sister Tamara and her little family. So it was a nice, cozy dinner.  Even so, my mom thought it was necessary to make 6 pies for the 8 of us. My trying to convince her otherwise was useless. She would have even made more if we hadn't run out of time.

Like usual, my dad had us go around the table as we started dinner to share something we are thankful for over the last year. This has been an eventful year for Eric and me. I have been reflecting on all we have gone through. I know that through it all, although difficult at times, we have been so blessed. So many little and big miracles that remind us that we aren't alone out here. We have a Heavenly Father who watches out for us and loves us. I am grateful for that.  I am grateful for an amazing husband who makes me happier than I could even have dreamed of. What a good life it is.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Wind, dogs, and a lesson

I had a horrible run today. At the same time, it was a humbling and teaching experience. Eric and I are still at my parent's home and today I woke up to find the winds had started.  Now, if you haven't experienced the Santa Ana winds in California, and more so running in these winds, count yourself very lucky. My parents happen to live right where the winds are very strong. So that already meant the run would be difficult, but hey I am up for a challenge. But then I met the dogs. They came running out of an open gate of a house I had just passed, barking and growling and chasing me. It completely startled and scared me. (Especially after my dad being attacked by a pit bull not long ago when he was running in this same area and having to go to the hospital and get stitches!) But, I was able to shake them.

Then I decided it would be a good idea to come back the same way. I had taken a straight out, straight back east-west route so that I would not have to run against the wind which always blows south.  I thought of running down to a different street and then back up to circumvent the block those dogs were on, but it really did not sound fun to run against that wind. So when I had almost returned to that same area, I armed myself with rocks, made sure I was on the opposite side of the street from where I had met them earlier and on the sidewalk instead of the road where I usually run.  I thought, "maybe they won't see me, and if they do, I am ready for them.  I can take them." So fully confident, I kept running.

I had my eye on the house I had seen them run from, and my rocks were ready. Nothing.  I started to relax as I passed by.  Then suddenly, I heard barking and growling coming from close by on my right side. They came running from behind the house I was next to, those sneaky guys! I had been watching the wrong side of the street and had taken myself right past them!  As I suddenly turned to look at them, I lost my balance mid-run, tripped and went flying. I broke my fall with my hands and went sliding across the concrete. I was sure the dogs were going to jump on me while I was down.  But they stopped and just looked at me.  Once I stood up and was able to limp-run away, they came chasing again.

So much to learn from this. I knew I should have gone a different way.  But no, I thought I could take care of myself and so went right back in their path. Going the safer way would have taken a little more effort but I would have saved myself a lot of pain and would not be sitting here all bandaged up.

Picture from a Saturday morning run

I discovered another beautiful place to run near Ocean Beach where the path juts out into the ocean.  Breathtaking with the sun rising behind me.

First day on the job

I had training all of last week but today was my first day actually working.  So I took the part-time job I interviewed for a few weeks back.  I am working with the Center for Weight and Health, a research center at UC Berkeley.  They have done tons of studies, all focused on preventing childhood obesity.  So it's pretty exciting that I get to work with them!  The study I will be helping with is an evaluation study for the Children's Power Play! campaign, which replaced 5-a-day in California a while back.  For my part I go to schools, teach kids (4th and 5th graders) how to keep food diaries and measure what they eat, interview each kid individually the next day to discuss their diary (in some cases trying to salvage any sort of information from it), and survey them on their physical activity.  Basically my part is trying to figure out if the program affects fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity.

Today was interesting.  A little crazy.  Made me really wonder whether you can get reliable data from some of these kids.  Eric is taking program design and evaluation classes right now and tells me he has his doubts too.  But these Berkeley people seem to know what they are doing so I will keep at it.  Working with the kids is going to be a ton of fun though!

**By the way, for those who asked, I just posted the homemade yogurt directions on the Hinckley recipe blog**

Homemade Yogurt!

After an utterly failed attempt last week (think milk with clumps in it, made me gag), I tried again yesterday to make homemade yogurt.  The result? 

Breakfast today was homemade yogurt with homemade granola and strawberries.  I just love the feeling that I made what we are eating. Natural and healthy. And so good too!! Thanks Jodie for your help!

Halloween

I am a huge fan of Halloween. Eric, not so much.  So I considered it a huge success that I was able to convince him to dress up for our ward's Halloween activity. We dressed up in some clothes that I brought home from my mission.  I think he especially liked that he got to hold my Indonesian sword.  No one had any idea what we were supposed to be but Eric received quite a few guesses, including a Middle-Eastern person, a gypsy, a pirate, and Nephi. 

Here are a couple of pictures from our Halloween dinner which included Jack-o-lantern stuffed peppers and 'bones and blood.' I'm going to have so much fun when we have kids to make holiday meals for!

And since no trick-or-treaters come through our neighborhood, we spent Halloween night carving our pumpkin. I think Eric would have rather been out getting candy but we had fun.

Entering the real world

I know that I have been done with college for a while now but with Eric still in school and with me being an intern all last year, I always still felt like a student. Well, I have officially entered the real world. I had an interview today for a job. Not a part-time, horribly paying student job. But a full-time, benefits included, real job. And that felt good.

However, I probably will end up doing the temporary, part-time job I interviewed for and was offered last week (can't quite let go of that world maybe.. :). No, this job will actually be awesome. And it requires me to be an R.D. so that's means it's kind of like a real job. It's with research though so it didn't come with the benefits and good pay. Oh well, I will have a ton of fun doing it. And, big bonus: I get a two week Christmas break and will be done right before Eric graduates. Nice. It couldn't have worked out more perfectly.

Saturday morning runs

Saturday morning: 5:00am.

I suppose most sane people would be sleeping in, but between 5:00 and 5:30 I am usually up getting ready for my Saturday run.  Saturday morning has come to equal long runs for me, and are some of the best hours in my week. There really aren't that many people up that early. The streets are quieter, emptier. I run with just my thoughts. It is extremely calming and energizing. I love it. 

I keep my long runs with the idea that I will always be ready and in shape for my next marathon (which, as much as I would love to do, is on hold since they are not cheap). But more than that, I wouldn't want to give up those two hours every Saturday.

Some pictures that I have taken on my runs (not great since they are with my phone)...

Just some thoughts

Eric and I went to a viewing the other day of the movie Carbon Nation on his campus.  If you haven't heard about it or seen it, it is a very good, very eye opening documentary.  I consider myself to be pretty good with trying to be conscious of doing what I can for the environment, but my goodness, the movie really brought home how serious a thing climate change is.  A huge focus of the movie was on the solutions that are out there. Of course, it will take governments and big businesses to make the big changes, but we can all do our part.

One of the most interesting things to me that the movie's director mentioned was how eating organic foods is more than just avoiding pesticide residue etc on the foods we eat, it is also good for the environment.  Apparantly the use of pesticides also kills these bacteria in the soil that draw carbon dioxide from the air; so organic farming techniques actually increase the carbon uptake in the soil, helping to clean our air. This was something I hadn't heard before, and to me, that was the best argument I've heard for going organic.  And of course, eating local decreases your carbon footprint since the food didn't have to travel as far and use as much fuel.  Ah, I just wish it didn't cost so much more... I would love to go completely organic and local, but it would mean that either my fresh fruit and vegetable consumption would go way down or our food budget (which Eric and I keep very low while still eating tons of fresh produce) would skyrocket.  Which on our very meager student budget we just can't do right now.  I was happy to hear that as far as food goes, Eric and I are doing something right by not eating a lot of meat.  This was something I had heard before- that meat raising/production/transportation, etc uses a lot more water, fuel, and energy.  Our very minimal meat consumption, I have to admit, stemmed more from preference and budgetary reasons than from a desire to decrease our carbon footprint.  But now I am glad that we are already doing it!

So for now I will continue to turn off those lights, unplug those appliances, walk more and drive less, recycle, eat very little meat and do everything else I can. But organic will just have to wait.

Its Autumn now

To kick off the beginning of Fall we got us a couple of pumpkins, a few apples, some apple juice plus all the spices and threw a party. We made apple cider and homemade donuts. We tried some new recipes this year, see here the recipe we made last year, and the year before. We made sweet potato cake donuts and regular raised donuts with a variety of glazes. We expected our friends to eat a lot more than they did, but with all of us, we hardly made a dent in the enormous amount of donuts we found ourselves with!

Our friend, Cori, helping us

The next day was spent with me taking plates of donuts to neighbors and friends. There was no way I was about to let all those doughnuts sit around here.

Here are the recipes for those of you interested. Next year I think I will try baked doughnut, that is if Eric will let me forgo our one time per year of frying something...

Apple Cider

64oz apple juice, preferable not from concentrate but since its cheap, that's exactly what I used
3 cinnamon sticks
~1 Tbsp cloves
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup

Put in a crockpot, on low, for four hours.

Sweet Potato Doughnuts
Food Network

Ingredients

· Canola oil for frying

· 3 3/4 cups flour

· 1 1/4 cups sugar

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

· 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

· 1 egg yolk

· 1/3 cup buttermilk

· 1 cup sweet potato, mashed

· 3 tablespoons canola oil

· 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

·

Directions

Preheat oil in a large pot or electric frying pan to 375 degrees F.

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Whisk eggs, yolk, buttermilk, sweet potato, oil and vanilla extract together in another large bowl until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly mix together using a wooden spoon. The dough will be very sticky.

Dust your countertop and hands with flour. Using your hands pat out dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Dip a 3-inch round cutter in flour and cut out donuts. Cut out center of donuts with 3/4-inch cutter. (or use a donut cutter) Gather scraps and re-roll. Continue cutting out donuts.

Fry donuts, in hot oil, until golden brown and crisp, approximately 1 minute per side. Drain on wire rack over sheet tray to cool.

Once cool, dust with cinnamon sugar, if desired, or dip tops of the donuts into glaze.

Raised Doughnuts
slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

Doughnuts
1-1/8 cup milk, Warm (105 degrees)
1/4 cup sugar

2-1/4 teaspoons (one Package) Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
2 whole large eggs, beaten
1-1/4 stick unsalted butter, melted
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Canola oil

Preparation Instructions

To Make the Dough:

1. Make sure milk is nice and warm, but not overly hot. Add sugar to milk. Stir to dissolve.
2. Add yeast into a small bowl. Pour milk/sugar mixture over yeast. Stir gently, then let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Melt butter in separate bowl until butter is almost melted. Stir to finish melting so butter won't be overly hot.
4. Add beaten eggs to melted butter, stirring constantly to make sure the butter's not too hot for the eggs.
5. Add the egg/butter mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook.
6. With the mixer on 3 or medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture.
7. Allow the dough hook to stir this mixture for a couple of minutes, making sure it's thoroughly combined.
8. With the mixer still going, add helpings of the flour mixture in 1/4 to 1/2 cup increments until all the flour is gone.
9. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, then turn the mixer on the same speed for 5-8 minutes.
10. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to sit in the bowl undisturbed for couple minutes
11. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Toss the dough to coat, then cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until double, 1- 1 1/2 hours

To Make the Doughnuts:

1. Punch down dough and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/3-inch thickness.
3. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut as many rounds as you can, then roll out remaining dough and cut as much as you can, etc. Cut holes out of each round using a 1 1/2-inch cutter.
4. Place both doughnuts and holes on a floured baking sheet.
5. Cover with large tea towel and place in a warm place in your kitchen; my kitchen is very drafty, so I have to briefly warm the griddle, then turn it off and set the sheets on top to keep warm.
6. Allow doughnuts to rise undisturbed for 1/2 hour. Doughuts should be visibly puffier and appear to be airy.

To Fry the Doughnuts

1. Heat plenty of canola oil in a large pot until the temperature reaches 375. Fry the doughnuts in batches, allow them to cook 1 minute on each side; they will brown very quickly.
2. Remove doughnuts from the oil with a slotted spoon or fork, allowing all oil to drip off.
3. Place doughnut immediately on several layers of paper towels. Count to five, then flip it over onto a clean part of the paper towels. Count to five, then flip it over again; the purpose, obviously, is to drain as much grease as possible before it soaks into the doughnut.
4. Allow doughnuts to slightly cool. Dip into glaze

GLAZE
3 cups Powdered Sugar
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Cold Water Or Milk

To make maple glaze, substitute maple extract for the vanilla and add 1 Tbsp brown sugar.

Conference

Conference weekend just passed and what an amazing weekend it was. Eric and I, sitting together on the couch with our laptop set up in front of us, our notebooks out and our pens poised.  And then all we had to do was sit there and we were so blessed to hear from our leaders and especially our prophet, President Monson. I had been thinking in the days leading up to conference about what I hoped to get out of conference for myself.  The main thing for me was just to receive comfort and guidance on how to be patient as I wait for those blessings that I yearn for but don't yet have. There were so many talks given during which I felt as though my Heavenly Father was enveloping me in his arms and telling me everything will be okay.

And that is what I love about conference.  We are given two whole days to be completely immersed in counsel and guidance specifically for each of us, from a Heavenly Father who loves us and knows what we need. And then we can keep reading and listening to those same messages throughout the months that follow. Something I've started to do in the last year to keep these messages a part of my life was to play them as I was home alone, cleaning or folding laundry.  This worked especially well with being so busy with my internship where I felt as though I hardly had time to sit down and read something just for me.  Those quiet moments at home were wonderful, something I will continue. I look forward to getting to know these new messages even better over the next six months.

Eric and the great pie-eating contest

Last week, Eric and I went to our ward's talent show. So much fun!  Maybe one of these times Eric and I will actually do something at a talent show...maybe.

However, Eric did exhibit a talent I did not know he had.  He got talked into participating in the pie eating contest which he was not very happy about.  Eric isn't a huge eater and I have never seen him eat too much at one time so I didn't expect what happened next. Eric downed that pie and put the other guys to shame!

Before the contest began.

There they go!

I thought these pictures were great.  The guys next to Eric started really slowing down, but Eric kept at it.

Eric didn't win, but he sure came close.  I didn't know he had it in him!

And what did Eric do after eating practically an entire pie?  He asked where the ice cream was.

Celebrating

I have been a dietitian for a whole week now!  So what have I been doing with myself?  Thoroughly enjoying not studying, that's for sure!

The day after taking my exam was the first day of the national dietetic convention (FNCE).  Perfect timing! And it just happened to be in San Diego this year!  What better way to celebrate than to go be with thousands of other RDs. I ran into almost all of my professors from BYU and a couple of the girls I went to school with. It was awesome to be able to tell everyone I met that I just took my exam the day before.  And to have them really understand what that means!

My mom came down for a couple of the days to go to the conference which was a ton of fun.  Mom and daughter RD team- that's pretty cool. It completely slipped my mind to take any pictures of my mother and I which is unfortunate, but here are a few of me and my fellow RD buddies. (the other girls I interned with)

Me, Sam, Mei, and Edna. We went to this hamburger place, don't think any of the other  dietitians walking around noticed. :)  And it was one amazing burger!

Edna and Mei.  Mei just got back from a spontaneous trip to Hawaii to marry her boyfriend of three years!

With Sam and Natasha

All of us right before Edna and Mei left to go back to LA where they live. Will miss them!!