Christmas Stocking

I don't even know where to start with all the pictures.
There are so many.
This is Luke opening his stocking.
These were the first things we opened so I don't think he knew what was going on yet!
The faces did get bigger and better as he got more into all the exciting presents.

Christmas Blues

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone. It always seemed like after Christmas there was only a month of winter left. But living in the Midwest and Utah for 8 years has changed my childhood perspective. After Christmas all the fun of winter is over; no more trips to look forward too and no playing outside for at least 2 more months.

On a more positive note, for Christmas we visited our family in a beautiful remote little city in Oregon. It snowed like crazy and was very chilly. We spent our time sledding, hot tubbing, eating, playing lots of games, celebrating Christmas and birthdays. It was a lot of fun aside from the expected little bugs everyone seems to get on vacation. I always remember getting sick and throwing up each time I went to visit my cousins. This trip wasn't too bad for me, but Will and Cohen had some rough nights. I will have to spread out all the cool pictures. But for now here is Luke drawing with his adorable cousin Logan. Logan turned two while we were there and they both had a lot of fun with each other. The day we left Luke didn't want to leave, he said "I am going to lose Logan." It was bitter sweet.

Cohen's First Birthday

I can't believe my baby is one! He is such a little sweet heart. They grow up way too fast. We had an appointment today and he was 20 pounds. The lady who weighed him was just as surprised as I was. But she thought he was smaller and I was expecting more because Luke was 24 pounds! It's been a quiet day so far. Will is still in Phoenix where he interviewed at St. Joseph's and Phoenix Children's Hospital. I am so glad the interviews are over. Now we will just have to sit and wait. Fresno is still his number choice right now. Since Will is gone we are going to wait until Friday to celebrate. It's hard not to celebrate on the day of his birthday especially since it's his first. So the boys and I treated ourselves to happy meals and the play place! I think Cohen had a lot of fun. Sometimes Cohen is so outgoing and adventurous. I love watching him play and discover things. His favorite things are the phone, remote control, the computer, and anything that fits in his mouth. He also loves peek-a-boo. I love it when Luke plays peek-a-boo with Cohen in his high chair. Cohen cracks up! He laughs a lot. He even has this cute little fake giggle when he is trying to copy us and join in on the laughter. He hasn't really liked the snow, I don't blame him. It's just too cold to ever fully enjoy yourself:) We put him in his snow suit and he could barely walk.

Hidden Camera

Here is a new dance clip. I had to hide the camera or else he wants to look at himself after every 2 seconds of dancing as you will notice in the second clip! Question: can you understand what he says at the end of the first clip? Also, my maid forgot to clean up all the shoes, how embarrassing:)

You know its winter when...

Your kids swim in the bathtub for an hour!

New Ride

The other day the boys were playing and I was busy on the computer. I heard some cute little noises and I looked over and there was Cohen pretending to ride in the hall tree. It was so sweet because he had the biggest grin on his face. I love seeing my boys get creative. Sometimes I just ignore them until they start to play on their own and I am always pleasantly surprised to see what they come up with! Luke also loves to climb on the hall tree and store toys in it.

Also, one more little note before I forget. We went to IKEA today and bought the car rug that we have wanted to get Luke for a long time. It is pretty cute because it has little houses, schools, and other places to drive your cars. At the top of the rug is a castle. Luke was driving to the top and as he drove onto the castle he said, "I am going to the temple!" It is so rewarding to know your kids retain more than the rantings and ravings of all the naughty things they have done.

Tag I'm it

My friend Allison tagged me. Let me see, six quick facts/habits about me.... I will try and make them ones you would get a kick out of Allison:)

1. Toothpaste, if anywhere but the toothbrush, grosses me out.
   
2. I love to dance. Not like any kind of real dancing (ballet, jazz,tap because I have never taken dance classes) but crazy, fun "couch dancing" like we used to dance in the front room of B205. If you have seen Luke dance, you might learn some of my latest moves.
   
3. I have an eating disorder. I can't help myself when it comes to free food. And I have a problem with leaving food on my plate even if I'm stuffed. Someday I hope to eat until I am "satisfied" like my nice trim hubby. (oh, wait you already new this about me, still true)
   
4. I no longer chew ice. Back in college I used to freeze 3 or 4 trays of ice, half way full, and eat them every couple of hours when I was home, before they froze all the way so it was slushy ice. Consuming 6-9 trays of ice a day.
5. I don't like to answer the phone. I just recently figured out why. I am a schedule person, an ESFJ according to the Myer's Briggs Test. I like to know when things are happening which means I am not good with spontaneous stuff. So the phone ringing is too spontaneous for me:) hehe. It's different when I am the one doing the calling, it's planned. So if I don't answer the phone when you call, I will call you back when I can handle it.
   
6. I don't enjoy reading. More specifically the actual process of reading. Eyes moving back and forth, holding still, and finding a comfortable position to read in. If I read a book and like it, I will most likely be done soon, as soon as possible for me. It kills me to savor a book and spread out the fun, I can't do it. Someday I hope to enjoy it more because I know I am missing out on a lot.

Tag you're it:
Kierstin or Jason- whoever happens to be on the new I Mac and has a second:)
Heather
Bonnie
Kadie
Makenna
Aubrey-because I know you like the email forwards with this stuff:)

Turkey Time

I didn't snap any pictures of the Turkey we ate but here are some pictures of my little turkeys with the Grandma and Aunt Jen! We did Thanksgiving dinner over at Jen's apartment and it was super delicious. And we had the most amazing side dish: Zesty Carrot Bake. I think this was one of the first Thanksgivings I ate more of a side dish than dark turkey meat!

Zesty Carrot Bake
1 lb. carrots, cut into 1/2 slices
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup water
2 Tblsp. finely chopped onion
1 Tblsp. prepared horseradish (the real stuff)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook carrots until tender. Place in a greased 1 quart baking dish; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the next five ingredients; mix well. Pour over carrots. Combine bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield 6 servings. (I think ate 4 and a 1/2 of those six servings, hehe:)

Since I don't have a picture I will share the description

"For a fun vegetable dish, try these tender carrots in a sauce that gets its zip from horseradish. With a crunchy crumb topping and comforting sauce, it will tempt even those who usually don't care for cooked carrots." ( I was just about to write that I don't even like cooked carrots, haha)

The answer is...

BYU!
Yep can you believe it. Will applied to University of Utah over BYU the school he later graduated from:) Silly boy, the only reason he chose BYU after staying on the East Coast for a couple years was to meet a girl. I just found out last week that he had applied to U of U and I was cracking up. The things you learn after 4 and a half years of marriage.

BY-U know!

The Cougars were victorious over the U of U

We were feeling bad we didn't think about getting tickets to the game earlier, but it turned out both boys had colds and were little sickies. But we were just happy we got to watch it on the internet instead of listening to it on the radio.

The Competition!

Too many people in this neighborhood are into decorating as much or more than Will is... so this year we won't be winning the most lights award. (Ours is the first house.)

Cohen can sit!

Cohen is such a cute little kid! Ever since we have put the boys together in the bath Cohen has stood up. The WHOLE bath time. He refused to sit down no matter how hard we tried. Luke gets a little crazy in the bath so I don't blame him. Luke thinks the bath is a pool. We actually clear out the bathroom and wipe down the place when they're done. I guess it keeps the floor clean! For a while, Cohen would sit if you were their holding him, but just this week he decided he could hold his own!

Check out Cohen's teeth!

Before

This is a picture I took yesterday. Will is so funny. An hour or so before he has to fly to Albuquerque for an interview, I look out the window and there is my husband climbing the tree putting up Christmas lights! I love how excited he gets about decorating, its contagious:) Luke was so happy he got to help. And I am just glad Will didn't fall out of the tree! Once our tree is done, I will have to post a picture so we can compare it to temple square, hehe:)
PS- That is only two of the 20 or so strands of lights we have:) Anyone have a ladder?

Cinnamon Rolls

Get out your butter, because these babies our loaded! And totally worth it:)
Dough
1 tbsp yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour
Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Knead into ball and let rise until double. Knock down and roll into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Filling
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
Spread butter over dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll dough long way. Slice into 1 inch slices using string. Place on greased pan. Let rise until puffy, about 20 min. Bake at 350-400degrees for 10-25 minutes or until golden brown. Here in Utah and with my crazy oven, I bake them at 325 for 25 minutes covered in foil and then another 10 without the foil.
Frosting
1/2 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-3 ounces cream cheese (I like to use 3 ounces, Kadie's recipe call for 1 oz)
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
Beat all ingredients until fluffy and spread over hot rolls!

Hair cut

Dad in Action

Penne Rustica

I love using recipes only when I know they have been tried by someone I trust:) Other than that I don't try new recipes; I leave that up to Will. A few weeks ago I saw this recipe on Katherine's blog and I really wanted to make it. We were at my mom's house and it was Saturday night when I saw this so we kind of had to make do with what we had. This recipe despite all the changes we made, turned out very delicious and everyone loved it! We made one big 9x13 pan and it fit perfectly.


Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
16 oz. penne pasta
1 large red bell pepper- diced (we had a green one, I would have preferred red, more for the color)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (didn't have the fresh stuff, only the powdery kind)
4 tsp paprika (I decided to use only 2 tsp. because I chickened out!)

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
1 tsp chopped garlic ( I think we did about 3-4 tsp.)
1/2 cup marsala wine (I used 1/4 cup apple juice and 1/4 cup red wine) (didn't have, didn't use)
1/2 tsp dijon or dry mustard (dry mustard)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped rosemary (my parents have a rosemary bush, so we used a lot)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (ground red pepper)
3 1/2 cups heavy cream (half and half)
mozzarella cheese and rosemary-for the top

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan for a couple of minutes. Add marsala wine and boil until it reduces by half. Add mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream and allow to cook until sauce thickens. (Our sauce never really got thick) Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon (diced), bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.

van Beever family

I love this picture of Will's family. What a good looking family I married into:) It was taken last year at his brother Pete's wedding. They got married in the DC temple so it was really fun to head back east for the wedding. Also it's always exciting adding some new flavor to the family. Sarah is a very fun and saucy girl and such a blast to be around. She is and will be the only married into the fam sister-in-law I get. I don't have any brothers and Will has one.

The Hill

It's weird being home as an adult.
Especially with kids. When I go home I feel like I am still 17 and time has stood still. But then I remember I have two kids and approaching 30! Weird! I am sure I will get over it soon enough and start helping out more with the dishes when I go home:)
But I love showing my boys where I grew up and remembering what it was like to live on a hill in the country. The view from the top is breathtaking. We were lucky it was a clear day so we could see the top of the Sierra's.
The boys had a lot of fun riding in the back of the truck and I thought I would take a short clip of the ride up since this was Cohen's first time exploring the hill.

Family Pictures

Here are some attempts at some family pictures. We didn't have
a lot of time, but the boys cooperated pretty well.

Mr. Frog

This is the frog that we caught. We heard him jump into the pool and wondered what fell in. We went out to the pool and there he was swimming away! We caught him and put him in a bucket. An hour later Luke went to check on him and Mr. Frog jumped right out of the bucket at Luke. Luke screamed like a girl and ran.

Happy Halloween

tigger and chicken little
go ahead, click on one

Cohen's October

Along with the excitement of being at a new eye level, Cohen had some rough times! He has four new teeth. Which means he missed out on a lot of shuteye and so did mom. All four of them seemed to bust through the same week, it was crazy. And then during the middle of all this Cohen was running a high fever. It was so sad. He just wanted to be held and was crying all the time. I do love it when they are snuggly but my back was killing me from never putting him down. Then he broke out in the rash and we realized it wasn't just a fever from teething, he had Roseola. The rash looked really bad and I took a picture that doesn't do it justice. But as it goes, the rash was gone the next day. Also he fell down my parents steep asphalt drive way the first week and got some nice road rash on his face. I can't believe how fast they heal; a couple days later he just had scar marks on his chin. Cohen really liked finding Snowy, the cat. He would start squealing and pointing whenever he saw her, the same with the horse. He also learned how to sniff his nose and make the cutest face ever, play peek-a-boo, and make sounds with his tongue. All of which he demonstrates in this video clip!

Baby Steps

Our other exciting news is that Cohen is walking! Will was fortunate enough to witness Cohen's first little baby steps just before we left for California. He thought he was going to miss them with his busy month ahead; especially since he had no idea what his schedule would be and if he would see us for a month. But sure enough Cohen stepped it up just in time for dad to be apart of the bitter-sweet moment. Throughout the month he has kind of been chillin'. Walking if he wants to or not performing at all. I love in this video how he does a little giggle. Cohen has become so much more into playing and laughing. He has such a sweet and playful personality.

California

We made it home to Utah from sunny California! The month flew by for both Will and me. Will was busy doing his only out rotation at Children's Hospital Central California while I stayed with my parents just an hour away. Will was busy pulling 12-14 hour shifts with call every fourth night and loving every minute of it (besides the no sleep). It was tricky at first getting the hang of all the hospital lingo, but after week one it sounded to me like they liked him just as much as he liked them! I guess we will find out in March:) The most exciting news is that half way through the rotation he found out that he passed his boards! He was so relieved! He was also excited at the same time because there aren't any more tests for a while and graduation is in sight! The boys and I were lucky to see him on the weekends (especially when he could keep his eyes open from being post call) but by the end of the month I could tell both of them were having a hard time without their daddy. I am so glad my parents agreed to having us stay with them for the month so I could have some help with the boys. I got to hear my parents teach in their institute mission ( which I really enjoyed, they are wonderful teachers) and relax and enjoy my mom's cooking. Also I think I ate a piece of pie every single day. It was Marie Callendar's pie sale month:) And my mom and I made 2 lemon cream pies from the lemons off their tree. Luke managed to get some swimming time in during the warm sunny days, and at night he would feed Bullet the horse, chase Snowy the kitty, or play down by the creek and rocks with my mom or dad. Cohen had some adventure of his own which I will have to save for another post. But it is so good to be home and I am looking forward to all the time I get to spend with Will before Residency!