Sugar and Spice

I meant to wait until we scanned in the new ultrasound photos, but I just had to share the news - We are having a GIRL and we are so excited! (and realistically, she probably wouldn't appreciate me posting pictures of her privates for all the world to see, so maybe it's better this way.)

Other good news - the doctor says she's in good shape so far. Brain, heart, kidneys, spine, arms, legs, etc. It's all growing properly. That's all we could ask for!

DONE.

This time last year, I still had about 20 books to go in my goal to read 100 by December 31st. I made it, but there was a lot of reading last December, and not so much celebrating of Christmas. This time this year - I'm DONE! Finished #100 this afternoon (which was the November Ensign, by the way). My drive to finish early was partly fueled by Steve's loving request that I do so, in order to be able to enjoy the Christmas season more fully. And maybe so he wouldn't have to spend his time off work sitting next to me quietly while I read all day. Good idea, Steve.

Not only did I finish earlier, but I also upped my page average - from 278 last year to 295 this year - thanks to monster books like The Count of Monte Cristo (1462 pages), The Old Testament (1184 pages), and David Copperfield (1001 pages).

For those of you who like to read, I would recommend the following:

Top 10 "Adult" Books (in the order I read them, not order of preference)
The Book of Mormon
Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Tom Stoppard)
Night (Elie Wiesel)
The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
David Copperfield (Charles Dickens)
Miracle in the Andes (Nando Parrado)

Top 10 "Children's" Books
The Penderwicks (Jeanne Birdsall)
Walk Two Moons (Sharon Creech)
The View from Saturday (E.L. Konigsburg)
Matilda (Roald Dahl)
The Borrowers (Mary Norton)
Rules (Cynthia Lord)
Squashed (Joan Bauer)
A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli)
Nicholas (Goscinny&Sempe)

2009 is in the bag. My mom says I might have to reconsider my goal for next year. Something about having a new baby and not having as much free time as before? But I figure I've got 4 solid months before everything changes so, we'll see...

Are You SURE???

Sometimes I still just can't believe this whole pregnancy thing! Apparently, any day now... or any day starting a few weeks ago... I should be feeling "movement" which could feel like butterflies, or gas, or my stomach growling. OK, so how do I know if it's not just gas? Or maybe I'm hungry? "Oh, you'll know. You'll just know." Well, I haven't felt anything yet that I just knew was my baby, as opposed to a plate of nachos talking back. Steve thinks maybe, just MAYBE he felt a kick while I was sleeping. But he doesn't know for sure. So, the wait continues...

Also, we are just 4 days away from the BIG ultrasound (you know, the one where we find out the answer to the BIG question - boy or girl?). So that is exciting! According to a gender-prediction quiz based on some old wives' tales, I have a 50% chance of having a boy! (read as: also a 50% chance of having a girl - DUH!) so it's really a toss-up at this point. I mean, obviously it's already decided, but I have no idea which way.

Hopefully this baby cooperates and doesn't get camera-shy...

The Natural (wo)Man

Last night, while driving home from our Relief Society Christmas dinner party, I said a little prayer of thanks for the good time that I had, for the kind women who sat with me and showed interest in my life, and for being "brave" enough to show up alone. For some reason I always hesitate to go to activities, especially by myself. I recognized that this is the case and wondered how I could dread such things, when I always end up having a wonderful time. I connected this to earlier that day when I was dreading my work-out, and how I got on the treadmill anyway, and how I felt great afterwards. I could see that I had a tendency to avoid the things that make me happy. But why?

Mosiah 3:19 "For the natural man is an enemy to God...and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man..."

This scripture came to mind and cleared up my confusion. Of course, Satan "seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself" (2 Nephi 2:27). He makes it seem more desirable to stay home and sit on the couch all day. It's certainly easier, but is it better? When I listen to the Holy Spirit, I know that this is not true. I know that exercise is good for me. I know that spending time with good people will bring me joy.

I know all this, yet I so easily forget all this. I hope I can remember better from now on. Heavenly Father wants me to be happy and has made a plan for our happiness. I only need to follow it.

Life's Little Luxuries

There are certain things you put up with in an apartment that you likely would not settle for in your own home. Perhaps because you are just renting, you feel no commitment to improve the apartment with your own money. Or maybe you feel the situation is temporary, and again cannot bring yourself to dig into your own pocket to repair a few minor quirks. But there comes a time when you just have to admit that you'll be here a while, and maybe that weird padded toilet seat that was here when you moved in is just a little too weird. Especially when the cheap outer covering starts to tear and reveals a weird foamy interior...

So we decided it was time. Time to get the toilet seat we always dreamed of! Who cares if we had to spend a little money, we all deserve nice things now and then - right? We found a nice (NON-padded) replacement for under $6 at Target, and Steve got to work. He's so handy!

"Seriously though, kids, don't try this at home..."

Overall, I am pleased with our new-and-improved bathroom situation. The only thing I miss about that weird padded seat is that it was never cold. I'm still getting used to the shock of sitting on an ice-cold toilet seat in the middle of the night. I guess that's the price you pay for a little luxury!

Lost the Battle, Not the War

Our dishwasher refuses (for reasons unknown) to dry anything made of plastic.

I refuse (on principle) to dry anything the dishwasher does not dry.

The result?

I call it The Great Balancing Act...

I suppose someday one of us will have to back down. But it won't be me!

Surprise, Surprise...

There are people who LOVE surprises, and others who will tell you they hate them. I discovered which group I belong to this weekend...

Steve and I had been separated for a week; he went to North Carolina on an unexpected busniess trip, and I - not wanting to be home alone - took advantage of a cheap last-minute ticket to Washington (made even cheaper by my parents generosity in paying for it!) to spend the week with my family.

So, it was exciting enough to be reunited with Steve Saturday night, but the treat he had waiting for me made it that much better...

I am almost always cold, and was actually complaining of being cold when we got home from the airport. Steve innocently suggested I slip under the covers of our bed. I did so. And that's when I discovered the surprise. Fleece sheets! In my absence he had replaced our (now-called) "summer sheets" with brand new "winter sheets". They were so soft and warm, the perfect surprise.

Maybe it's not so much that I love surprises, I think it's more that I love my husband. And it's pretty obvious that he loves me!

Eat Your Vegetables!

Now that it's not just me that is affected by what I eat, I am trying to be a LITTLE bit better about getting enough vegetables. And when you're supposed to get 4* servings a day and before you were maybe getting 2 on a good day, well... being a LITTLE bit better can be a LITTLE bit intimidating. Here's how I solved that problem today:

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. butter
4 small red potatoes, diced
1 can low sodium chicken broth
black pepper
garlic
4 cups broccoli, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook the onion in the butter til it's soft. Add the potatoes, broth, and seasonings to taste. Bring to a gentle boil and stir occasionally until potatoes just start to get tender. Add the broccoli, cover, reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is done. Remove from heat and cool a bit, then puree in a blender in two batches. Return to saucepan over low heat, add the milk and cheese and stir until cheese melts. Serve with bread/toast/crackers/etc. Makes about 5 cups.

Now here's the exciting part: not only was this soup delicious, but it was also only 240 calories a cup AND each cup provides almost 3 vegetable servings!!! (please note the 3 exclamation marks representing each serving of vegetables.) WOW.

*4 servings a day for pregnant women. If you're not pregnant I think it's only 3. But I'm pretty sure by "3" they mean "at LEAST 3" so it couldn't hurt to get more. And by "they" I mean the people who know everything about what's good for us. (Specifically: the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association.)

Hard to Believe

I have yet to suffer any kind of nausea or morning sickness, so I don't feel pregnant. I have only gained maybe 2-3 pounds, so I don't look pregnant. I'm not ravenously hungry or severely sleep-deprived or incredibly moody or anything that the books and internet research told me to expect while I'm expecting. ...Maybe it's all just a dream?

At the beginning of my second trimester, I still sometimes find it hard to believe I'm really growing a baby. If it weren't for my monthly check-ups where I get to hear the baby's heartbeat and the doctor confirms that yes, there's really something in there besides breakfast, I think I would be doubting it all the time.

Needless to say, I'm excited for that first kick or punch that I can actually feel. Maybe then I'll believe it!

Modern Technology

As the temperature drops, it becomes more and more difficult for me to roll out of bed. I don't know how people got up in the morning before heaters. So when I shivered my way downstairs to get breakfast ready today, I happened to glance at the thermostat. 56 degrees! Okay, I thought. It's time. And I pushed the switch from "off" to "heat" and I realized...

I love the smell of the heater!

It was wonderful. Not just because my fingers slowly regained sensitivity, but also because I really do like that "nasty" burnt hair smell that the heater produces. I think it reminds me of cozy nights at home (both as a little kid and at college) when the snow is falling outside and Christmas is coming. Of course it's still a while before Christmas, and it's definitely NOT snowing here.... but still, it's the memories!

You Know What I Mean!

(I)n the family way.
(M)aking a mini-me.
(P)ea in the pod.
(R)ipening.
(E)ating for two.
(G)ot knocked up.
(N)ever alone.
(A) bun in the oven.
(N)urturing the miracle of life.
(T)hree months along.

Washington D.C.

Steve and I took our first trip to the nation's capital about a week ago. We used our free tickets and hotel points, so other than food and tour bus fare - our trip was free!

We left Thursday night and flew through the night, arriving at our hotel around 9am. Our room (in the fabulous 5-star hotel which has hosted every president since Lincoln) was not yet ready so they held our bags while we explored the city.
First stops: a glimpse of the White House. Less impressive than we expected. The National Christmas Tree (unfortunately not yet "done up" for the season). The Washington Monument. Here we were lucky to join the 9:30 tour group which had a couple extra tickets. Tickets are free but we would have had to wait until about 12:30 otherwise. So we hitched a ride on the elevator and enjoyed a fantastic view of the city.
Next we walked to the Lincoln Memorial. It was much further than we thought and we were going on almost no sleep so we were pretty tired by the time we climbed those steps, but it was worth it. We love Lincoln. After checking out the WWII and Vietnam Memorials, we received a call from our hotel. Our room was ready! We took a much-needed 4-hour nap after downing as much water as possible (I'm pretty sure I was mild-to-moderately dehydrated).
Woke up in time for dinner and tried a sandwich place called "Potbelly's". Just what we needed to perk us up for the Smithsonian American Art and Portrait Gallery. I think this was our favorite museum/gallery experience. We were especially excited to find an old friend hanging on the wall. (Joseph Smith)

Our last stop before turning in for the night was a CVS pharmacy. We purchased a case of water bottles for $6 so we wouldn't have to spend $2 per bottle on the street. We felt pretty thrifty. Then we fell asleep.

Day 2

Breakfast at "The Corner Bakery" (literally on the corner opposite our hotel). Bought tickets for a city tour bus which took us to Arlington National Cemetery. My favorite part was the guard in front of the tomb for the unknown solider.

After Arlington, we saw the original Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights in the National Archives. Breezed through some Smithsonians - American History (we liked the trains), Natural History (not as cool as the movie - Night at the Museum - guess we should have come at night). Got some lunch at a museum cafe. Holocaust Museum - well done, though I think the actual concentration camp in Germany was a bit more sobering. Dinner.
Our bus tickets included a night tour which we loved (despite the cold). It was fun to see all the monuments lit up at night, especially the Lincoln Memorial. How do they make him so bright?!
Then time for bed (Our feet were killing us by the end of each day. Lots of walking.)

Day 3

We slept in, had a late breakfast. There was some huge gay rights event all over the city so our bus was not running, so more walking! Checked out the Freer and Sackler Galleries, African Art gallery. Lunch at the Air and Space Museum (didn't stay long since we've been to similar places before). American Indian Museum. We kicked ourselves for wasting our appetites at McDonalds because they had authentic American Indian cuisine here which we were too full to sample. But the exhibits were nice.

National Art Gallery. HUGE but by now my feet were so tired I couldn't enjoy the whole building. We did see the only da Vinci painting in America though. And this armored horse (pictured above) which I was apparently NOT supposed to take a picture of. Oops.

Walked through the house where Lincoln died. Ford's Theater was closed but we looked at the outside of it... Dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. Biggest plate of spaghetti EVER. Time for bed.

Day 4

Pretty much just got up, had breakfast, and went to the airport. Traveled all day. Arrived home tired but happy at the end of our trip! We both loved the history of D.C. We loved seeing American flags everywhere. It was a great experience and we highly recommend it!

Possibly Disappointing...

Okay, I know I haven't updated this in over a month so I should have lots to say (and I do!) but for now I just wanted to share a recipe I discovered last night. Please don't be disappointed!

Wanting something easy but delicious, I stared into our fridge and freezer trying to come up with a brilliant idea. Hmm... salsa... cheese... chicken... "Salsa Chicken"! But fearing it might be too good to be true, I googled for recipes and found many similar to my own idea. So I figured - it must be good. Other people are making it. So I tried it. It WAS good! Here's the recipe:

6 chicken tenders, thawed
1 T. taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Put the chicken in a ziploc bag with the taco seasoning and shake it around til it's all over. Dump the chicken in a baking dish and arrange it in a single layer with all the chicken pieces laying side by side. Spread the salsa evenly on top and bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Add the cheese and bake another 10 minutes. Dollop a little sour cream on top and enjoy!

This exact recipe will serve 2-3 people (depending how hungry they are), but it's easy to adjust for more or less.

And FYI - a single serving (=2 pieces of chicken) is only 250 calories! Woo hoo! (of course you'll want to add salad or corn or potatoes or something to make it a meal. It won't fill you up on its own.)

Never Too Early

I can't believe it is already September! Where has this year gone? School is starting which means it is almost time for Halloween, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means 'tomorrow is Christmas - it's practically here'! The next four months are my favorite. Time to start making Christmas presents...

A Few of Our Favorite Things...

Here are some things Steve and I just love:

1. Garage sales. On Saturday mornings we hop in the car and drive around looking for garage sale signs. In the past month I have bought over 50 books at garage sales (most in nearly new condition) and spent only about $15! Nice.

2. Yanni's. A Greek cafe just down the street. At one point we were eating here at least once a week! We've toned it down to once or twice a month, but still. It's delicious.

3. Costco. We make an appearance here almost weekly. What's not to love?

4. The Office. We have all 4 seasons on DVD and we watch episodes daily. We could probably even quote from the deleted scenes.

5. Snack Time in our Nursery class. Not because we sneak from the kids, but because in that moment, all the noise stops and then - there's peace. (of course, Play Time is fun too, but come on - everybody needs a little break!)

Vacuum Stairs? Check!

I have never been a to-do list kind of person. When I was younger my mom would make lists all the time, for herself and for us (lists of chores, invariably). So at that point in my life I saw a list as a bad thing and I guess I never really got over it. But about three weeks ago, while trying to evaluate my daily productivity, I decided I should give the old to-do list a second chance. So I wrote one up and - I loved it! It felt so great to cross things off as I accomplished them, and it provided clear proof that I had done something useful with my time. Now, at the end of the day, I can look over my list and see if I accomplished everything that I wanted to. I add fun things on there too, so it's not just chores (like "watch Harry Potter movie" - which is on my list for today). Another added bonus is it helps me balance out my schedule, and get my priorities straight. When everything I want to do is right there in front of me, I can decide which things to do first (the "important" things - like reading scriptures, exercising) and which things to do last, or to skip, if I run out of time. Usually I get to everything on my list, but if not, the things I don't get to are the less-urgent, less-important things. So yeah, I'm now a list person. Mom was right - again!

Benefits of Being "Well-Read"

Besides bragging rights, there are other benefits to reading 100 books a year. Here's one example:

While driving home this morning, I heard this song on the radio - "The Great Defector" by Bell X1. First time I've ever heard this song. It's not that great. Turns out it's by some obscure Irish band (well, obscure in the U.S., quite popular in Ireland). BUT - the first verse has a very clear reference to John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men which I just happened to read the day before! Just think, if I had not read that book yesterday I would not have caught the reference!

Well, I thought it was cool. Even if the song was no good.

The Mighty Redwoods

After living here over a year we decided it was time to visit the famous Muir Woods (home of the giant redwood trees). It was awesome. Here are a few photos...

Please note how tiny everyone looks in comparison:

I LOVE trees... After exploring the Woods, we discovered a treacherous little path leading to a viewpoint overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Isn't California beautiful?!We also went to Stinson Beach and San Francisco that day. Maybe I'll blog about it later. If you're lucky.

Mother Knows Best

They say there's a point in a woman's life when she realizes her mother was right about everything. Here is my experience:

In my younger years, when playtime was SO hard to come by *cough* my siblings and I found it very unfair of our mother to enlist our help in tidying up the house. ESPECIALLY when she felt it was necessary to scrub down the whole house just because Grandma and Grandpa were coming. "Why should we?" we asked "Why don't you just let them see it how it normally is?" Of course we didn't care about the hypocrisy of the situation, we just wanted to get out of vacuuming under the couches or dusting the baseboards or some other ridiculous chore that we knew would go unnoticed by the grandparents.

I remember a particular incident where visitors were coming, and Mom was making us clean again (cruel, I know). I affirmed that when I was grown up and had my own place and SHE was coming to visit, I would NOT make any extra effort to impress her. She said, with motherly wisdom, "We'll see..."

Last week my parents came to visit Steve and me for the first time since we've been married. Did I vacuum under the couches? Mm-hm. Did I dust those baseboards? You bet. Mom was right.

I only wished I had some kids to help me!

MILK: It does a body good...

...but not good enough!

I consider myself a fairly healthy person. I don't do everything right but I make a pretty good effort most of the time. So you can imagine my surprise yesterday when I was glancing over the label of my daily multivitamins and saw that each pill provided only 16% of my daily calcium needs. (a quick google search explained that this is because calcium molecules are relatively huge and including enough to meet a person's daily needs along with all the other vitamins and minerals in there would result in a pill too large to swallow).

ANYWAY - this got me to thinking. On a "good" day (dairy-wise) I might have 1/2 cup of milk, 1 oz. of cheese (the size of one string cheese), and 1/2 cup of yogurt. So I checked the calcium percentages on those items. What did I find? IF I eat those three dairy items PLUS my multivitamin, I still only make it to 65% of my recommended daily calcium intake. What?!

Visions of osteoporosis flooded my brain and I sent an emergency text to Steve. When he got home from work we raced to Costco and purchased a 300-count bottle of Calcium Supplements. 75% of my daily value in just one glorious pill. Add on some milk and cheese and I'm good to go. I just hope it's not to late to save my bones...

Hawaii - part 2

So what did we DO in Hawaii for 2 weeks? Well... we collected shells...Made friends with sea turtles...

Steve learned some sort of Hawaiian man-dance...

I think it was supposed to look more like this...

We survived the World's Largest Maze...(Thanks to Steve's amazing map skills and remarkable sense of direction...) We enjoyed the beautiful tropical scenery...

Tried not to look like tourists (well maybe Steve tried, but I had no shame)...
Hiked up the Diamondhead Crater... Visited Pearl Harbor...And Waimea Falls...

And the Polynesian Cultural Center... (we got into a little trouble here because I fell for one of the locals)

So Steve got a little upset and knocked him out...
Other than that, we had a pretty fantastic time! (oh, and I lost half a leg somewhere...)

Hawaii - our picture-perfect trip (part 1)

This is what it looked like in San Francisco the day we left... blah...This is what it looked like when we arrived! woo hoo!

What's that, a beach hut? Oh no, that's the boarding gate at the Kona, HI airport where we made our connecting flight. I guess they figured walking through palm trees is just as effective as walking through metal detectors.

After a quick hop from the big island to Oahu, we met our lovely tour guide (Steve's sister). She didn't let us waste a moment - we stopped at a Buddhist temple on the way to her house.

Then we went here...Which was right next to here... (the temple was closed for rennovations)Then we arrived at Kristen's house. But we couldn't relax just yet! Steve had to sit very still while Kristen's dog -Kina- got used to him (she does NOT like men, and was growling and jumping and barking like crazy, but she warmed up to Steve eventually).To finish off our first day, we watched the sunset!

Expiration Experimentation

This is the expiration date on a box of instant vanilla pudding mix...

This is what happens when you ignore the year-old date and prepare the expired instant vanilla pudding mix anyway...It still tastes good.

JAMMIT!

If you or someone you love is planning on using 12 pounds of strawberries to make some jam, you might want to advise them that 12 pounds is WAY more than is necessary. Even 6 pounds is excessive. I used about 2 pounds for my 5 cup yield and for our little family of two, that is more than enough jam to last us through the year.

So what will be the fate of the remaining 10 pounds? Well, I already ate 2 pounds this week and will probably be able to down another 2 before they go bad. Still, that leaves 6 pounds unaccounted for. And what will be their fate? Unfortunately, they're being sent straight to Strawberry Death Row.

Oh you've never heard of it? Basically, it's my freezer. There they will wait out the remainder of their frozen lives until they are called to The Blender. Now please don't think this is cruel and unusual punishment. Sure the actual demise of the strawberry is quite gruesome, but think of the life I'm giving them! A typical strawberry lasts less than a week in the fridge, while I'm giving them up to a year in the freezer! I'd say it's a fair trade-off. And it's not like they'll be alone. I usually send a nice banana to be with them in their final moments.

I would also like to mention that my jam was a success and is delicious on toast.

Strawberries

After spending two amazing weeks in Hawaii, I expected coming home would be kind of a let down. Especially since Steve will be gone all week. Then I walked down to Safeway and found three women going nuts in the produce section. The cause of their insanity? Six-pound boxes of strawberries going for 99 cents! Of course I bought two. Today's project: strawberry jam.

Bike Ride Shout-Outs

To the Sun - I guess it's no secret that I'm crazy about you. We should hang out more over the summer. You're hot! And you always brighten my day.

To the Shade - Even though you were kind of a fickle friend, I loved every minute we spent together! You're the coolest!! Don't ever change :)

To the Breeze - Wow. We definitely had some good times... Remember that one time, when I was with Shade, right after the Sun left me, and you came over and were like "whoosh! feel better!"...? Yeah, that was awesome. You really bring out the best in me.

To the Big Hill - A lot of people said I should stay away from you. They were probably right. But at the time I thought I could handle it! Honestly, though? No regrets. In the end, I was the bigger person - and stronger! - for getting over you. At least you gave me that.

To Coasting Downhill - My mom would probably say you're a bad influence. I mean, you can be a little reckless sometimes, even dangerous, but you're so much fun and you just let me relax and be free. That's what I love most about you.

To My Bike - Hey BFF! Thanks for always sticking with me, through the good and the bad. Yeah sometimes you can be a pain in the butt, but I wouldn't be where I am without your help. And I never would have gotten over the Big Hill without you. I'm so grateful Steve brought us together! LYLAS!

Happy Anniversay! (to us)

Steve and I were married April 26, 2008. So we hit our one-year-mark a few weeks ago. If you happened to realize that, you might have wondered why I didn't blog about it and how amazing it was. You might be wondering, what did we do to celebrate? DID we even celebrate??? The answer is: YES - we did, and in the spirit of romantic sentimentalism... we ate pancakes of course!

But how could we be so cavalier about this *big* day? Well, we also went out to dinner the night before (Cheesecake Factory - my favorite and also the same place we went right after Steve proposed, so - good memories!) As if THAT wasn't enough (I would have been satisfied with just the pancakes), we are going to Hawaii next week. I can't wait!