The Ritters

2012-02-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

It seems like both of my children somehow got the heads up on the terrible two's and wanted in early. I guess the freedom of angry expression is too tasty to pass up! Oakley is more of a drama queen than Aspen ever was; let me illustrate. Lets say he is wronged in some way. First he gets a pout, then looks around for a good spot of toy-free floor and then slams his little booty down. He then proceeds to tilt back until his head is on the floor, and then starts to wail. When Mommy and Daddy start to laugh the poor little thing gets so confused! I only wish I had a photo of him lying there on the floor. If he wasn't so cute the whole thing might get old. But it doesn't.

2012-02-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

1. Eric comes home one day telling me Scentsy is having a chocolate cake baking contest. I'm excited and decide: yes. I'm doing it!

2. I sweat for 3 days deciding what kind of chocolate cake to make. Finally, I figure things out: dark chocolate with raspberry filling.

3. The day I make the cake comes and goes, and my biggest concern is actually transporting it to the Scentsy judging table! But we made it, without any scratches.

4. Eric informs me I've gotten second place! I receive this classy trophy right here (that I absolutely love) and display it on our mantle.

5. I decide I like cake baking contests.....I get to make a cake, and only have to eat very little!!

6. Here's the recipe for the cake.

Snowy Day

2012-01-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

2012-01-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Well Aspen and Oakley are both asleep right now (hallelujah) and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself, since this isn't a usual thing. I've done the shower, gotten ready, planned Aspen's school-time for the day, done some little tasks on the side, and I'm not sure what to do next. So here I am, typing at the keyboard.

Oakley hasn't been sleeping very well the last couple days. I'm not sure what's bugging him, but I sure will be happy when that little boy can talk. Something always seems to be making him uncomfortable, and it will be nice when I can help him feel better! He's such a little trooper. He's been saying some words, mostly hot, which he says with his mouth making a perfect "o", like he's trying to blow air on his chin. It's so funny! I try to get him to say hot whenever I can because it's so hilarious the way he does it. I don't know why he says it that way...kids!! He also says mama (finally!), nana (for banana, the only fruit he'll eat! the little stinker...), down, and pop.

Aspen likes to talk in riddles. The other day I was teaching her about fruits and vegetables and I asked her who made them. "Well," she began, "he's white."

"He's white??" (I think she meant he wears white.)

"Yes. And he lives up in heaven with Heavenly Father." She does this a lot. I'll ask her who gave her skis for Christmas and she'll say, "He has a beard....and he wears a red suit."

Well I just heard the pitter-patter of little feet. Signing off!

Christmas break......

2012-01-12T14:35:00.000-08:00

found us walking on an icey lake (something I've always wanted/been to terrified to do),

kicking back in a cabin in the mountains.....

making yummy treats for our own version of iron chef....

doing lots of this...

and not enough of this...just having fun...
enjoying the view...
enjoying all our Christmas toys...

and before we knew it, saying goodbye! It was a wonderful trip and so fun to hang with the fam for a couple days. It always goes by too fast!

2012-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

No Snow

2011-12-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

This photo is one of my favorites. I love that my dad (on the left) and my Uncle Kevin are both wearing flannel shirts and killer sunglasses, and that we're on these old school sleds, and that my cousin Matt somehow disappears in it (he's wedged between my uncle and my cousin Bethany). We're in our front yard about to slide down our driveway, enjoying one of the few snow days we had each year growing up.
My birthday is in February, and it always seemed to snow right on the day my mom threw me a party. I remember having to cut short several parties because of the snow, and that it never snowed before Christmas. Then I moved to Utah, where we always had a white Christmas. Here in Boise it's not unusual to have one, and last year around Christmas it was especially white.
This Christmas season has been wonderful. And with the kids and I spending a lot of time at home with the Christmas music on, the fireplace running, etc, it really feels like Christmas to me. However, I've noticed that I've definitely grown accustomed to some flakes around this season for things to feel complete. And as of yet there's been no snow. What is a Christmas with no snow?

2011-12-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

The other day my friend Brandi and I were talking about Christmas and she mentioned that she had a flocked tree growing up. "Whatever happened to those anyway?" She said. I remember my grandparents had a flocked Christmas tree and I loved it because it smelled funny and the colored Christmas lights looked so pretty glowing against the white tree. I hadn't thought of that tree for a while.....maybe one day I'll have to go flock our tree, just for Grandmother and Grandad.

2011-11-27T19:51:00.000-08:00

How was your Thanksgiving weekend? Ours was wonderful and completely jam-packed. It was one of those weekends when you do so much stuff you're exhausted afterwards, but wouldn't change a thing. Well, Eric decided that this year instead of buying a tree at a lot we would buy a cheap $10 permit and go cut a tree ourselves. I was hugely on board. So was Aspen. Oakley, I'm not so sure (see his head drooped?). He doesn't like being in the car for very long.
Being from western Oregon, I didn't even know people bought trees from lots until I moved to Utah after high school. I just thought everyone went to a tree farm and cut their own, or just cut one on their property. I remember the year we went down to the edge of our property growing up and cut a beautiful pine tree right there.
So we took our trip up to the mountains and had nothing else planned for the day, just in case. We figured this being our first time cutting our own tree, well, we had no idea how the day was going to go.
We drove out to a town called Idaho City (which I have a past with. A very tainted past) and then beyond, basically following the other truck drivers who were obviously scouting out a prime location for cutting a tree.
We finally found a spot and got the kids out of the truck that we borrowed from Eric's dad. We walked around in the snow for about 20 minutes debating which tree to cut. We were looking for an ideal tree, full and even, and then realized that out in the wild those don't exist that often. Then I thought to myself how cool it would be to find an imperfect tree, one that really did look just that: wild.
We eventually agreed to one that wasn't too tall and not too far from the truck, and Eric asked me to pass him the axe.

I just assumed Eric would be cutting down the tree with a saw, but I felt even more lumberjack-y when I saw him use that axe!

After the deed was done.

Once we hauled the tree back to the truck we let the kids play around in the snow for a bit. Who knows when we'll be seeing it in the valley! Here's Oaks with a bit of it.
The trip took about twice as long as we thought, but it was a lot of fun and I love looking at our crooked, imperfect, beautiful tree. Merry Christmas!

2011-11-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

The last couple days I've been pretty sick with a cough and sore throat so the kids and I haven't left the house unless we had to. It's been nice though to just stick around and play with blocks, read stories, and bake with our fireplace running. I leave the thermostat pretty low so I can have the fireplace runnign all day and I love it!
Oakley's been more serious the last couple days about learning to walk. He's been just on the brink for so long with no interest, but I guess something clicked yesterday and he finally waddled his way between Aspen and I, over and over again.
I was so proud of my little boy! I really could just sit and help him walk all day long. It's so fun to see him accomplish something new.
Aspen's been a great helper and example. She's been showing Oakley how to walk between Eric and I and it's done the trick to get him moving.
Here's a shot of the back of Oakley's hair. It's hard to see the trim I did but trust me, it looks so much better!
The other thing Oakley did yesterday was say his first words (Eric says he's been saying this for a while now but I never caught it until last night). When he's done eating he'll say, "all done," which sounds more like, "aaaah doh!" It's really cute.
For some reason he loves having his binky in his mouth upside down. What is it with my kids and binkies?! I just think they look so cute with them popped in their mouth.

2011-11-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

One thing that's nice about having a boy is not having to deal with the inner strugglings of deciding when to get your kid's first hair cut. With Aspen there was so much stress and guilt. She was three years old when we finally trimmed her hair! I've already used shears on Oakley at least four times. And counting. Afterall, I had no choice. I mean look at this kid:

He's just crying out for help!

It's taken me several tries to get a hold of his mullet in the back, and it's usually in the bath that I'm making the attempt. Which means I'm bending over and in an awkward position and all he wants to do is play. But yesterday I finally got him to hold still long enough and voila! my baby looks human. (pictures later)

Twelve months two days ago....

2011-11-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

2011-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Oakley's making the transition from two naps to one, so the days have seemed especially long this week! And somehow he's going from taking 2 2-hour naps to one 2-hour nap. It's been an... adjustment.

Anyhow yesterday I thought it would be fun to venture outside since the weather seemed warm enough. I always want to spend more time outside with the kids than we do. So I thought we'd take a walk to a nearby park and get Aspen some exercise.

We made it around the corner and then Aspen decided to walk instead. Her bike is the squeakiest thing I've ever heard! Seriously it's so loud.
When we made it to the park I was really regretting not bringing some gloves for the kids. It was such a gorgeous, overcast, eerily perfect November afternoon, and I wasn't sure the kids were going to last long without their gloves.

Unfortunately I was right and after a couple minutes Roo was begging me to turn around and go home. I had brought her a coat but for some reason she refused to wear it. So home we went, straight to bathtime!

2011-11-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

This Halloween was one of the scariest yet for Eric and I. Oakley was pretty tired before we left to go trick-or-treating so I stayed home to hand out candy while he went down for bed. With the doorbell ringing all night the poor guy couldn't get any sleep, and was still awake when Aspen and Eric came home. Aspen hadn't gotten a lot of sleep over the weekend, and when we got her ready for bed she started to throw a fit. It was bad. She was yelling and crying, which made Oakley cry, and when he finally quieted down Aspen would start up again and the whole thing would begin all over again. Eric and I were downstairs folding laundry and laughing about it. "Well, this is supposed to be a night of terror....." I teased him. He turned on some Brahms and pumped up the volume hoping to calm down the kids upstairs. It eventually worked, thank goodness. Who'd have thought the scariest part of Halloween could be your own kids?!

2011-11-02T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the kids and I were hanging out upstairs. They were playing well together so I grabbed a book I was reading. After about 5 minutes I realized they were in my room, and somehow the door was closed, but I figured they couldn't be getting into much trouble in there so I kept on reading. About 5 minutes later I decided to go check on the kids, and I found them leaning against our bed with my makeup bag on top. I panicked!! I ran over to them and looked at Oakley, who was smiling at me with these nice, penciled in eyebrows. Well that's not so bad, I thought, and then noticed the hair that was all over the place. Aspen had snipped Oakley's hair with some shears she had found from our bathroom, leaving Oaks's hair....let's just say unpleasant.

The most ironic thing about this whole story is that after all Oakley went through with getting prettied up and trimmed he didn't start to cry until after I took away my makeup from him.

2011-10-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Pardner.

2011-10-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not very good at having family photos taken. Like most moms I like to snap shots of the kids and leave it at that. Well all my dad wants for Christmas is a family portrait of each of his kids and their families, which honestly is one of the most difficult gifts I could give! Mainly because my kids seem to be anti-camera when I want them to be cooperative.
Aspen loves to be in front of the camera, yes siree. But I guess she's at that age where 1. putting your hands on your lap, 2. looking at the camera, and 3. smiling, are hard to do all at the same time. Anyway, last weekend my awesome pal Celeste took some photos for us. Because she's so awesome.
Her husband Derek came too, with their little Maylee (who's one) in tow. And they were so great about helping us with the kids. Derek even had sparklers for Aspen to oooh and aaah at. And bribe her with :)
Anyway I know I should be better about family photos. I just kept telling Eric how one day we will be so glad we did this! When our kids are grown and we have these beautiful lasting photos to stare at while they're gone.

Eric was a great sport. He's not a fan of getting his picture taken, but he was so good about doing silly shots with me. And I loved how these piggy back ones turned out. We had some of these taken for our engagement photos but we chose different ones and I've always regretted it. Anyway the sad part is we didn't get a family photo of us all smiling so I may have to try it again sometime when the grandparents are around, but I think Celeste did an awesome job with these. And I'm glad that my dad asked for family photos for Christmas!

2011-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

The last 2 years the Boise Police Department has hosted an evening at the Farmstead (which costs a pretty penny for admission). Eric's dad is a Captain so we've been able to take advantage of a free night there and go with his parents, which is a lot of fun.
Eric and I were remembering the first year we took Aspen to a petting zoo, and she cried. Oakley was fascinated with the goats and ponies, and also terrified. He did this sort of laugh/cry thing whenever an animal got close.

We watched some pig races, which I'd never seen before, anywhere.

The second time around Aspen was chosen to watch the race up close, and since the pig she was chosen to watch won, she got a pig nose, along with some free mini donuts. Score!

It's so hard for us to get a good family picture these days! My friend Celeste is shooting some family photos of us this weekend so I've got my fingers cross that Aspen and Oakley are happy!

Pete and Ami took the kids for a bit so Eric and I could go through the corn maze. When I lived in Provo and was going to school there were corn mazes and haunted houses/rivers/forests all over the place! I miss that, so we made sure we checked out the maze while we were there. Well we were in and out in about 7 minutes! We really tried to get lost, but just couldn't find our way deep into the maze. When we came out we looked at a map of the maze and it was huge! I can't believe we didn't get completely lost in the thing.
I love Oakley's sweet little face and cheeks. I just love having a little boy. By the way, I heard on the news the other day about a family out east that got lost in a corn maze. The owners had no idea the family was still there, and they closed up the maze and went home. The parents ended up calling the cops for help, and when they reached the family it turned out they were only 25 feet away from the entrance!
These turned out a little fuzzy since it was getting dark when I took these, but how cute are they? I had to include them in this post.

2011-10-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks we've been home - a lot. Oakley's been sick for about 6 weeks now (cold, cough, some sort of bug), and I've been desparately trying to finish my canning so I can get on with my life! :) I don't think I've gotten out for one good, social block of time for what seems like forever and I miss my girlfriend interaction.
This is what my kitchen has looked like for the last 10 days. I'm actually very proud of myself that I can put the mess aside and just work through it day by day. There's really no point in cleaning it up because I'll just be getting everything out again the next day!

Anyway the upside is that I've really had time (between batches) to hang out with my kids, which I will admit is not always the easiest thing for me. I like to be doing something with the kids: a craft, a walk, etc., and it's hard for me to just be with the kids. I've really been trying to just run around the house with them (literally) and hold them more often, and it's been wonderful. I'm actually growing to look forward to those little chunks of time where I can just be silly and play. Who knew finding my inner kid would be so much fun?!

2011-09-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

I could have sworn that last year I picked peaches in the middle of September. So I wasn't worried about waiting what I thought was a week or two later to pick this year. Then Sunday night it suddenly occurred to me that maybe my memory was off and what if the season was already over? I got a little worried.

Monday morning I got up and called the orchard I like to pick at, and they weren't picking any more peaches. I was devastated. What would I serve with waffles on those lazy dinner nights?? I could never go an entire year without my supply of canned peaches. They were however selling pears so I settled on pears as an unsatisfactory substitute. I made the drive to the orchard and they weren't just selling pears, but also peaches, as well as apples and plums. It was a madhouse as everyone was throwing the last of the season's crops in boxes and laundry baskets. I grabbed my share and was so relieved!! Peaches in the pantry again this year :) I also grabbed some apples.

Anyway my peaches are still green so I decided to start on the apples and made some juice (with my juicer that I'm just starting to use and love) and then both canned the pulp and also made apple sauce with it. I'm so exhausted, but am in apple heaven.

Eric and I have really busted our bones lately with projects. After having new countertops installed we changed our backsplash. When that was over we ripped out our carpet and linoleum and put in bamboo flooring. My brother Ian came out to help us. It was a lot of work!
But we love it. It was worth every sliver, blister, and sleepless night we had. As you can see, Aspen loves wearing Eric's socks to slide on it. For some reason sliding isn't the same in her own socks!
I'm excited for Fall and Winter, mostly for things to slow down for us. I feel like we've been going and going for weeks now and am excited to just enjoy the change in the season! Happy Fall everyone.

2011-09-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Today Aspen and I made ghosts to decorate the living room, then hung them from the ceiling. "Mom, are these ghosts going to scare me?" she asked. "No, these ghosts aren't real," I said. "You don't need to be afraid of them." She looked at me. "That's right, because they're just made of tissue."

Yesterday we pulled out all our Fall/Halloween decorations, and I think she's inherited my excitement for that kind of thing because she's talked about it several times. I remember two years ago when we pulled out the Christmas decorations and she kept running around the room and chanting, "It's Christmastime! It's Christmastime!"
Lately her thing is to race us in everything. "I bet I can beat you up the stairs!" And then when she does, she turns around, gives a thumbs up and says, "Aha!" It's pretty cute.

2011-09-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

While we were in North Carolina I decided to take some portraits of the kids. I've been meaning to post these forever!
Aspen is quite the little poser. I love how these turned out, but I hate that she looks like she's pushing 18.

Oakley actually sat still-ish long enough for me to take some decent shots. Miraculous!

2011-08-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been really busy for us, in a good way. We've been doing some upgrades in our kitchen, one of them being a new backsplash. We love it, but boy has it been a lot of work. Especially with two adorable, neglected children in the house! It's a miracle we got anything done, and that our kids don't resent us for ignoring them for a couple of days.

In the middle of the chaos my two beautiful, wonderful sisters came out for a visit. We spent a lot of time chatting while trying to keep peace between my children and Sasha's Eli. We did get out one evening for a night on the town which was so much fun. We went to an Asian grill that is delicious, and enjoyed every minute chatting and showing off our chopstick skills. I was very impressed with them actually.

My sister Demri is an amazing storyteller, and entertained Aspen with stories for hours. Aspen would throw out something like, "Tell me a story about a pink fish," and Demri would immediately start telling her a wonderful story about a pink fish. That would somehow tie into another story she told a couple hours ago. And they always had some wonderful moral to them. I don't know if I can live up to that! Poor Aspen will be so disappointed with my stories from now on.
I think I made four loaves of bread while the girls were here and we ate every single one. One of my friends sent me the recipe and I tweaked it just a bit and it's delicious! I decided a couple weeks ago that we're only eating homemade bread from now on (because it's so much better than the store bought stuff) but it's turning out to be quite a challenge. Mostly because it is so much better and I just can't stop eating it. I can't keep up with myself.
I can't believe the only photo I got with the girls was at the airport! I swore I wasn't going to do that but most of the week we were lounging in our p.j's. One morning we woke up to find a hawk in our driveway. It was obviously injured in some way, so we called a million numbers and finally got connected with a local wildlife rescuer. While we waited for her the girls coralled the hawk into our backyard where it remained until Kathy showed up. She told us it had been poisoned and took it away. I've never seen a hawk so close up and was so amazed at how beautiful it was!
Anyway we finally finished the backsplash last night. It's such a relief, although I'm sure Eric will miss all the pizza nights we've been having! But Aspen and Oakley get their parents back so I'm sure they're relieved too.

2011-08-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

Every weekend for the past three weeks we've spent up in McCall, on campouts, staying at the cabin, and last weekend backpacking for a late anniversary getaway weekend. It's been a lot of fun, and to show for it our garage is a disaster. Good thing we're staying home this weekend!! Although we're doing some work on the kitchen so still no time for the neglected garage.
Eric and I haven't been backpacking together since our first anniversary, so it's been 5 years. Too long! Though I have to admit that my shoulders weren't in that great a shape. When the trip was over I felt kind of woozy, like when you've been rollerskating for a while and then you walk around with the skates off.
It was a beautiful hike, and when we got to the lake (around 5:00), we had so much time to relax! It was awesome. We made dinner and then read for hours. And hung out with the young buck who kept snacking on the grass around our campsite. It actually slept all night just several feet away from our tent. Which made bathroom time that much more awkward.
It's always fun doing stuff like this with Eric, since that's how we fell in love; we were on a seven week archaeological dig when we met. Hiking and camping brings it all back.
Hopefully we can get out again before another 5 years has passed!!

2011-08-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

Eric can be quite the MacGyver in a pinch. As an example once he patched a bicycle tube with a Chips Ahoy wrapper. Another time he tied down a canopy with ties from a cinch bag. Whenever he does this I get pretty impressed and proud of my man. Well, now I have a little story of my own. The other day we took the kids on a train ride to the mountains. When it was too late, we realized we had forgotten Aspen's shoes. I was a little worried but it turned out not to be a problem. As part of our ride we were served sandwiches and some snacks, the snacks wrapped cleverly in some red bandanas. In the middle of the ride there was a stop so everyone could get out and stretch a little. There was a hay bale maze among other things, which Aspen ran to right away. While she was running around she happened to wet herself pretty well. We've had issues of regression when it comes to Aspen's potty training, but she had been so good for so long (and we were in a hurry when we left) that I didn't grab any extra underpants or shorts for her (which I always always remember to do). I started panicking because I wanted her dry but how was I going to cover my little girl? We threw one of Oakley's diapers on her (yes, they wear the same size), and then (and here comes the good part) I grabbed four of the red bandanas that we had gotten during the lunch and wrapped them around Aspen. It looked pretty cute, although with that "skirt" and no shoes she looked like quite the little hillbilly.

2011-07-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Last year over the Fourth of July we flew out to North Carolina to visit my dad and stepmother Lisa. This year we did the very same thing, the same week. So to mix things up a bit, we went to Virginia to visit colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown and Monticello.
I'd been to Williamsburg before about 10 years ago. It's a lot of fun; the town is well preserved and looks very similar to the way it did around the American Revolution. People are dressed in period clothing and there are lots of things going on. I think Eric and Aspen were watching some soldiers do a reenactment here. Anyway since Eric and I love this part of American history I knew he would enjoy the trip out there.
Okay, of course we had to take this picture of us in the stocks! Although I'm not sure if I'm frowning because I'm in the stocks or if it's because my legs are so white.
How quaint is this? We passed by this pasture every day and all Aspen wanted to do was touch the sheep. Honestly if Virginia wasn't so humid I would move there this instant.
Every morning we ate lunch at the College of William and Mary's Starbuck's-ish cafe. We could trust it, that's why :) Eric and I took the opportunity of running around the campus one morning and it is so beautiful! I saw my very first firefly and it was really exciting. I mean learning about them is one thing, but actually seeing one....quite another.
After Williamsburg we headed over to Yorktown to see some battlegrounds.

Then we were off to Jamestown. Unfortunately we got rained out while we were there so we didn't get to see the villiage, but we did see this church - a replica of the original built in the 17th century when the first colonists landed. They also had several archaeological sites they were working on so that was interesting.
When we got back we went to the North Carolina Aquarium and it was fantastic; it was a really neat aquarium. Since being in North Carolina my dad has really enjoying shark teeth hunting. He's found some teeth belonging to this ancient shark called a Megalodon which I got to see. It was nice to be inside for a day instead of outside in the 95 degree weather + high humidity so it felt a lot hotter.

Okay my photos are jumping around. This is Monticello; Thomas Jefferson's home in Charlottesville, Virginia. The grounds are amazing; here's Aspen making friends, which she did the entire trip. "What's your name? I'm Aspen...." Everybody was her friend :)

Jefferson's garden. Envious.
When we got back to Hampstead (where Dad and Lisa live) we spent a couple days at the beach. I love this photo; there's me attempting to body surf (which was a real stretch for me because I'm just not a water person!), Eric holding Oakley, Aspen and Lisa walking on the sand, and of course the photo would not be complete without a million seagulls.
I love this photo of Lisa and Oakley.
Eric and Dad went fishing again this year, and Eric brought home a Red Drum which we enjoyed for dinner a few nights later. Thanks to Lisa's fantastic cooking it was a real treat.

We got to celebrate Dad's birthday again this year and enjoy some delicious cake that Lisa made. Every year she makes my dad my grandmother's recipe that I'm a fan of myself.
Just a thanks to Dad for letting me use his photos in this post; unfortunately we need a new camera cord so I haven't been able to upload our photos. We had such a great time and who knows; maybe we'll find ourselves in North Carolina again next Fourth of July!

2011-07-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

My friend Danielle and I were talking the other day about how we could have ever thought having one kid was hard. She's just had her second so we were laughing about this. Today Aspen spent the day with Eric's brother and parents so it was just little Oakley and I. During his three (!) naps I was able to make jam of all things, read, do some laundry, actually eat lunch, and waste some time on the computer. It was great! When he was awake we got some one-on-one time and it was overall a wonderful day. I'm sure when I have three kids I'll feel the same way about having only two! So I guess I should just keep my mouth shut and enjoy my one-on-two time :)

Water Day

2011-07-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

2011-06-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Several years ago Eric's dad mentioned a race up in Stanley, Idaho called the Sawtooth Relay. It sounded like a lot of fun, but we wanted to do a coed team and year after year could never make it work. And who wouldn't want to run with scenery like this?
This year we finally got a team together and were able to do the race. It was amazing! The relay starts in Stanley and finishes in Sun Valley, a distance of about 60 miles. With 6 people on the team and each person's run split up into two legs it's quite a busy day. We would drop off one runner and drive every couple miles to a pullout area, giving the runner water. Then the exchange would happen with next runner and we'd keep on going. It was crazy, but so much fun!

Our friends Dustin and Rachel were on our team. We were so glad they could do it with us; and they were awesome.

Our other friends Brando and Cody joined us too. Brando (who also works with Eric) ran (and kicked serious trash) and Cody was our awesome "manager", feeding us and taking care of us during the day (she is a great runner herself but is expecting).

Kara, another friend (and Eric's co-worker) also ran with us and was great. Besides it being a really fun day we beat our estimated time which always feels good. I also loved doing it with Eric, who started the race as the first runner at 5:30 a.m!!! Next year, guys??
For Father's Day all Eric wanted to do was go on a walk with the kids. We drove out to Eagle, Idaho (which is just miles down the street) and walked along the river. It was a perfect day for a walk.
Before we left Aspen came running downstairs, having changed from a skirt to pants all by herself. She swore that she wanted her pants to be on backwards, but I don't know..... It was a pretty cute view though.
Oakley did pretty well in the carrier. Aspen used to fall asleep in it at the drop of a hat, but Oaks has a harder time (he needed a nap). We've got to use it with him more often!

2011-06-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!

2011-06-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend up at Eric's family cabin in Cascade.
It was supposed to snow, but we got lucky and had much nicer weather!
We didn't do a whole lot (which was nice), but we were able to go on a couple walks and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It's very quiet up there in the woods.
Eric's family watched Aspen and Oakley for us a couple times so Eric and I could go running. We were eager to enjoy a beautiful trail run and try out our shoes on dirt instead of pavement. We definitely weren't disappointed!! I'm loving my shoes, by the way.
I decided to get some family shots of us since I'm so bad at doing that! That's on my to-do list this summer.
It was a great weekend (I was not aware that Aspen was sucking on that handle, by the way)!

2011-05-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Aspen's been crazy about certain movies before. She loved The Jungle Book and would march around like an elephant for months. Then it was anything Mickey Mouse, and following that it was Charlotte's Web. ("Do you like spiders, Mommy?") But Tangled has just about eaten up her life. I noticed it first when was carrying her up the stairs one day. "I love you," she told me. "I love you too," I said. Then she grabbed my face and looked solemnly into my eyes. "I love you most."

Then it was "yes, Mother," and "coming, Mother." The best though was the day I came home from running errands and found this:

You cannot find this girl nowadays without a long piece of toilet paper taped to her back (or tucked in if there's no adult handy). It is her Rapunzel hair, and it has to be draped over chairs and bbq's and anything else she can find, so that her Mother or Daddy can climb up it. Sometimes she adds long random objects as well (as you can see below with Eric's bike handle tape). I just about died laughing that first day she did this, but I'm not laughing so hard anymore. I think it's really cute, but will be a little relieved when my carpet isn't infested with long sheets of toilet paper!

2011-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

"Hey, Mom." Aspen said. "I'm going to blow on this flower."

"Oh. Wait though; make a wish first," I told her.

"A wish?" She asked, looking at me.

"Yeah. What's something you really want?"

"To blow on this flower," she answered.

Happy Mothers' Day from me and the kiddos

2011-05-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

2011-04-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

I found a recipe the other day for chocolate chip walnut cookies that called for barley flour. I thought it would be fun to try it out, but I couldn't find any barley flour at the store so I made my own out of pearl barley.

Barley flour looks and feels a lot like your regular all-purpose flour, so I figured if it made a good cookie it would be a great white flour substitute.

I changed up the recipe a bit because it was rather runny. I added some spelt flour which is supposed to be a great whole grain flour to use in baking. I just wanted to see how the cookies would turn out. I also used applesauce instead of oil, added some oats and extra baking powder, and threw in some chopped almonds and pecans because I didn't have any walnuts on hand. The cookies turned out nice and plump, which is how I prefer my cookies.
Aspen really liked them, and Eric did too. I thought they were pretty tasty. They have a firmer texture than your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but were flakier and lighter than if I had used whole wheat flour. I definitely want to try using barley flour again!
Barley Chocolate Chip Nut Cookies (Chelsi's version)

1/2 C barley flour

1/2 C spelt flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 C honey

2 t vanilla

1/4 C applesauce

1 egg

1 C chopped nuts

1/2 C dark chocolate chips

1/8 C oats

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flours and baking powder. Beat egg and combine with applesauce, honey and vanilla. Combine wet and dry ingredients, then add in nuts, chips and oats. Bake for 10 minutes.

2011-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

I was pretty impressed with Aspen's eggs this year. Happy Easter!

2011-04-21T18:28:00.000-07:00

I usually buy a new pair of running shoes every year, when Eric reminds me. I always get so comfortable in my running shoes that I don't realize when they're falling apart. This year Eric decided to buy some Vibram Five Finger barefoot running shoes (the ones that look like gloves). He enjoys a good run but his knees are bad, and we heard these shoes prevented knee problems. He's been running several times in his new shoes and hasn't had an ounce of pain in his knees.

I thought it would be fun to try some too, but opted for these Merrells that look like normal shoes. The sole is so thin I can feel rocks underneath my feet (which I like. It makes me feel more connected to the ground I'm running on) but is thick enough that the rocks don't hurt. One of the reasons I bought them was to train myself to land on the front of my feet instead of the heel, and because the heel on these is so thin it feels pretty natural. Eric and I have also been learning about the benefits of running barefoot, so I thought I should give it a try. The first time I tried my shoes I was incredibly sore in my calves the next day, but as I've continued to run in them the soreness has decreased significantly. I'm guessing after another week I'll be past the breaking-in point. I've always felt a little guilty for running so much because it's so bad for the joints; running in these helps me to feel better.

I just love the fact that our feet were made by God to run without any help from shoes. It's pretty cool.

Another food post

2011-04-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Alright, my sister said it: lately my blog has been about 2 things, my kids and food. That's true, and while it makes me laugh I guess you can tell what my life's about. I was going to switch things up a bit, but then I found this recipe for Easter. I saw these bird's nests and thought they were so cute and so appropriate, I just had to post about them!

This Easter season Eric and I have really tried to teach Aspen about Christ's resurrection; I've really enjoyed Easter coming so much later this year because we've found a lot of opportunities. The other day I realized she didn't know who the Easter bunny was, and I figured that was a good sign! I made these on Sunday after comparing Christ's resurrection to a chicken hatching out of an egg. It seemed to work with Aspen and she loved her little bird's nest. This will be a tradition for us.

2011-04-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

I've got a major sweet tooth. However, I also know how bad sweets are and always feel guilt when I indulge (basically because I do it too much). I have battled with this dichotomy for years, and finally decided I would just have to find some healthy desserts to make. Some guilt free desserts. I'm not talking about healthier versions of an old favorite, I mean desserts that are free and clear from unhealthy sugars and fats (as much as possible). I found this website with a yummy truffle recipe sweetened with dates.
The ingredients are dates, dried cherries, raw almonds and cocoa powder. Food process it all and roll it into balls. That's it folks. And they are delicious! I even had some dark chocolate chips waiting on the counter just in case the truffles weren't chocolatey enough (I figured I'd dip them). But even adding more cocoa powder to the mix was too much. They were very rich.

Then I tried the website's cashew date bars, only we made them into rolls. So good!
It turns out that dates are very sweet on their own, and have lots of vitamins and nutrients, including fiber. You can even make date sugar and substitute it for regular sugar in recipes (I'm trying that out this week).

Another treat we've been making lately is ice cream from bananas. Just slice some bananas and freeze them separately, then throw into a baggie in the freezer until you're ready to make the ice cream. Put them in a blender with a little milk and vanilla, and you have a tasty, healthy dessert that's the consistency of a Wendy's frosty. Sometimes I'll put cocoa powder in it, and if you want you can freeze it and then put it in the microwave on defrost for a couple minutes. Tasty!

Perfect Pancakes

2011-04-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have always been a huge pancake fan, and as such have been searching for the perfect pancake recipe for years! Yesterday I tried yet another recipe and voila! They came out just the way I wanted: fluffy, thick, and with a little buttery crust on the outside. Mmmm! I made them again tonight for dinner because we all loved them so much. I even substituted half the flour with whole wheat and they were still delicious and fluffy. So I decided I'd share the recipe with you; these are way too good to keep to myself.

Happy Boy

2011-04-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

2011-03-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Aspen's sick today. Sick like a walking health hazard sick. So sick I've stuck her upstairs and forced her to watch movies all day (truthfully there wasn't much force involved). So this has left me quite bored between Oakley's meals. Finally I decided to crank up some music from my good ol' college days at BYU (we're talking Moby and Goo Goo Dolls, plus a little Enrique), and bake.

When Demri was in Chile I asked her to send me some dulce de membrillo, which is a type of fruit jam and something I used to enjoy when I was on my mission in Argentina. It's used to make a pie-like dessert called pasta frola. I've been waiting for the right time to make it, and decided today was the day.

It's crazy: the moment I opened the package and smelled the membrillo all these memories of my mission and Argentina came flooding. It's amazing how a smell can do that. Yummmm! I can't wait to try it again.
Oakley was crying off and on during this whole scenario, but I kept saying, "Just wait 5 more minutes, Oaks! Just 'till it's in the oven....." Finally he went to sleep, poor guy!
I just pulled the frola out of the oven; time to interrupt my little movie-goer upstairs........

2011-03-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes me smile like this little grin.....

2011-03-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't always been the best at letting Aspen get messy. I know it's an important part of childhood, but it's a hard part of motherhood as far as I'm concerned. And since there's so little I can control in my life right now, having a clean house is very important to me.
One day I realized that if I just put in a little bit of effort, Aspen would play for a long time and it would pay off in the long run. That's when I discovered the sheet method. I just throw a sheet on the kitchen floor and let Aspen be as creative as she wants. Then I just pick up the sheet and throw it in the washer. I'm sure many of you have discovered this strategy already, but to me it came a little late :) The other day I gave Aspen some flour, oats, water, salt and sugar and let her make her own muffins. We even cooked them and she ate a couple (I however never mustered up the courage to try one).
p.s. Oakley's eyebrow muscles are shaped like perfect semi-circles. His actual eyebrows aren't, but whenever he raises them he looks like this. Haha.
Another day I warmed up some cream cheese and used food coloring to make different shades of "paint" which Aspen then used to beautify her mid-day toast. She loves this! By the way, this was not my idea but I found it on a brilliant website, which unfortunately I'm not able to source. Anyway it's been fun trying new activities to keep Aspen busy, and seeing her creative mind work.

2011-03-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Eric and I don't get out much anyomore. There was a time in our lives when we prided on the fact that we never watched television because we were too busy reading, going out, exploring the city where we lived, hiking, etc. Well friends those days are gone. We still don't own a t.v, but we do have a Mac with 24" monitor to fulfill all of our entertainment needs. Just about every night after Aspen's in bed we plop down on the couch, exhausted, ready for a little online tube. What else can we do? Oakley's still awake and wants us to hold him, so reading's out of the question. And we can't leave........

Sunday night Aspen left her room after bedtime and grabbed a shampoo bottle. Downstairs Eric and I were trying to schedule flights for a summer visit to Jacksonville, North Carolina. It was stressful (scheduling flights always are, am I right?). Oakley was crying nonstop, and soon we heard Aspen making noise upstairs so Eric ran up to check on her. She had spilled the contents of the shampoo bottle all over her carpet! And the more we tried to rub it out, the more it lathered up. Anyway, I continued to book our flights while Eric was upstairs, and as soon as I purchased them I saw that they were to Jacksonville, FLORIDA. I just about passed out! These tickets were not cheap, folks! I drug myself up the stairs, baby in hand, wailing to Eric.

Okay so to make a long story short we got our money back (by the way the website messed up, not us), and used a dry towel to mop up the shampoo mess. Eventually Oakers went to sleep (about 11:00) and Eric and I had an hour to ourselves. Sooo......

The point of this whole story is that the day before this we were able to get out, just the two of us, and go on a hike. It was so great! Every time we hike it brings back memories of when we met, and all the fun outdoorsy things we used to do. And it gets my rear in gear for another crazy night with the kids. Love you honey!

2011-03-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

I have been eating these cookies like crazy lately. I've had this recipe for a while now, but have just perfected it with my secret ingredient. These cookies are healthy and so delicious!! Okay they are as healthy as you make them (I put in lots of chocolate so that takes them down a notch, but they're still better than normal chocolate chip cookies). They're made from whole wheat flour, oats, nuts (if you want them), and pumpkin (my secret ingredient), and the only sweetener is a bit o honey, and however many chocolate chips you want to put in them. I use dark chocolate because it makes me feel less guilt :)

Healthy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C flour (whole wheat)

1 1/2 C oats

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2 T cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

1/2 C honey

1/2 C oil

1 T molasses

1 egg, beaten w/1 T water

1 t vanilla

1 C canned pumpkin (or more if desired)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet in another. Mix together and cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. Spoon onto cookie sheet and press down the top of each cookie for even baking. Cook 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees.

2011-03-01T17:10:00.000-08:00

I bought myself a steam juicer with my birthday money this year. I can't wait to make fresh apple juice! When I was growing up my dad made grape juice with the grapes from our garden, and it was always something special to share with guests when they came over. Last Fall I really wanted to make apple juice for Christmas presents, but couldn't figure out how to do it without a juicer; so...I bought one. I'm counting down the days until berry picking season!

I just had to throw in this photo of Oakley because he's grown so much! He's almost doubled his weight in three months. Yes, he's heavy. Yes, my back hurts. And yes, those legs make it all worth it!

2011-03-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

If you asked me what my top 3 favorite desserts are (and my mother-in-law did the other day) I would say cake, cake and cake. Any kind, any way, as long as it's dense, moist, and topped with a lot of thick frosting.
One of my favorite things about birthdays in my family is making the cake. For Aspen's birthday I decided to make my grandmother's white cake with buttercream frosting. I had never made it before and boy was it tasty! It had a sort of shortbread-y flavor. When I want a white cake, this is the recipe I'll be using every time.
Aspen wanted a blue cake this year, and I was more than happy to deliver. Blue cake, nice and easy! I'm not that great with presentation; I care more about taste.
I also threw Aspen a birthday party for her friends, and decided to make Bakerella's cake pops. They were so fun to make, and the girls loved them! Besides, how much cake do little kids really eat anyway? And these were a lot less messy.
Next up is carrot cake.......

Grandmother’s White Cake

4 egg whites 1/2 C butter or shortening, softened

2 C all-purpose flour 1 3/4 C sugar

1 t baking powder 1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda 1 1/3 C buttermilk or sour milk

1/2 t salt

Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and lightly flour 2 9x1 1/2-inch round cake pans. In medium bowl stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined. Spread batter into pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes for 9-inch pans, 25-30 minutes for 8-inch pans, 30-35 minutes for 13x9-inch pans. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans; cool thoroughly on wire racks.

2011-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

Aspen turns three today. She's very excited about it, especially about having a party. Tonight her grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-grandpa and Winston (he's her dog-cousin and they're very close) are coming over to celebrate. I don't even think she cares about the presents that much, just that she gets to have people come over and hang out with her.

Aspen loves to watch home movies of herself. She will sneak on the computer sometimes and if iphoto is up figure out how to play movies of herself when she was younger. When we're waiting for Eric to get home we'll often sit down and watch these for an hour at a time. The other day we watched one of her dancing in our living room when she was about 18 months old. She was in her jammies and she had her binky in her mouth; she looked so cute and plump and I realized how much she's thinned out. She's not a baby anymore. I really miss those stocky legs and fleshy cheeks.
However, we can have wonderful conversations now that we never had back then, and she gets excited about things like having her hair cut. And buying new shoes. And doing the dishes. And eating chocolate: all things we have in common (except for the dishes part).
Plus I have this chunk of adorable babyness now that I can squeeze. And I'm going to take advantage of it every chance I get!

2011-02-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

The other day my friend and I were talking about those days when you are in your pajamas until right before your husband comes home (haha). Well, today was definitely one of those days, except that I was still in my p.j.'s when Eric got home from work, and I hadn't even gotten around to putting on a b_a (fill in the blank).

Ever since Oakley was born I can't believe how hard it's been for me to feel like I'm not constantly running behind. He's not the best sleeper at night, and I've been totally zapped of energy. I've always been up at 7ish, showered, etc. at least by noon, and finished the day exhausted from getting what I felt like was a lot accomplished. Well now I finish the day exhausted and all I've got to show from it are two kids who are still breathing (so far)!

Seriously, all I did today was try to nap. At least three times, with no success! Oh geez, I feel like a sack of potatoes.

I love love love my kids. They are the cutest things ever to me! And I love being their mother. I'm just hoping that tomorrow I find more energy and that it ends up being a bra kind of day.

2011-02-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

This week my little sis Demri came out for a visit. It's been a long time since we've hung out together and thanks to grandparents and a great husband we had some girl time.

Thanks to Demri for letting me download these photos from her camera!!
Aspen fingerpainting with chocolate pudding. Demri and I put our pudding in crepes.
Demri will be living in Provo and starting BYU soon, so she won't be too far away. I'm looking forward to another visit from her...so is Aspen.

2011-02-01T09:31:00.000-08:00

We just bought Oakley this little baby gym and he loves it. He's just getting to that point where he's noticed his hands and loves trying to grab things. It's crazy how fast infants start to change and discover things, and I can't believe how much I've forgotten that since I had Aspen.

Aspen loves having a younger brother, and calls him Oaks. (In case you didn't know, we're naming our children after trees. Yes, I really mean it). When Oaks was born Aspen digressed in a major way with her potty training, but is starting to get back on track. She's very helpful when it comes to giving Oakley his binky and helping to give him baths. I can't believe this month she'll be three!

2011-01-27T14:50:00.000-08:00

I wish I had a photo of Oakley smiling but this is the best I can do right now :) Good thing he's cute when he cries!

Well the first few months of this baby's life have been packed full of issues, the poor thing! All have been minor, which I'm so grateful for; I just can't figure this little guy out. Aspen was the ideal baby: she slept through the night pretty quickly, she ate every 4 hours (even during the day), and she was pretty much happy all the time. So when Oakley is upset about something, it's hard for me to know if its normal or if there's really something wrong. We found out he has a milk protein allergy, so that's helped to make him happier, thank goodness. The regular crying fits every night have stopped, but he still has random ones a couple times a week.

On the up side, he still finds plenty of opportunities to smile, and his legs, oh his legs! I just want to chomp them up. He's just about doubled his weight in 2 months, and while it's not easy on my back I really prefer him chubby. Overall I absolutely love having a little boy in my life, something I wasn't sure I would feel. I just didn't know if we would connect the same way Aspen and I did. But I fell for him so fast and it's been wonderful!

2011-01-14T06:34:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm writing this post, but here it is. My little sister Demri has been on an LDS mission in Santiago, Chile for the past 18 months and is coming home on Sunday! I'm so excited to see her and to get to catch up (in Spanish) on the last year-and-a-half of her life. I'm very proud of her and the amazing person she's become. She has been a very hard-working, self evaluating missionary, and has really grown to love the Chilean people.

Two days ago Demri called me from Chile. My dad and stepmom are out there for the week, since her last day of work was last Sunday. We were able to talk for a while, which was wonderful, especially since the last time we talked was over a year ago. Time flies though, and now she's coming home. Can't wait!

2011-01-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

The week of New Years we went up to Tamarack Resort for a little R&R...which included skiing, if you can count that as rest or relaxation! We took Aspen up for her first ski lesson, and Eric having been a ski instructor in the past made things pretty easy for me. I just observed as Eric did his thing. Here's Aspen and her daddy on the lift, which was her favorite part of the trip.
She had really great balance, but fell a couple times. Here she is making snow angels, which she did every time she fell. Hey, when life gives you lemons...right? I was proud of her little spirit!
Well she lasted about 20 minutes but it was fun to have her up there with us. The best part was seeing Eric glow as he taught his little girl his favorite sport!

2011-01-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Aspen couldn't get enough of Frosty this year. I'm sure we watched the movie and listened to the song about 30+ times, so now we both have the movie completely memorized. There was a house down the street that had a huge blown-up Frosty in the front yard which we had to drive by every night for Aspen. Last night we drove by the house on the way home and Aspen saw that their Frosty was deflated on their lawn. "Frosty's dead, Dad!" she said. Then she paused. "Poor Frosty...." All in all she took it really well!

2010-12-27T14:44:00.000-08:00

Well I've had two children the last seven weeks now instead of one, and its had its highs and lows. The highs being that now I have two adorable faces to smother with kisses instead of one, that my days go by really fast because before I know it it's time to nurse my baby again, and lastly Eric and I can talk about our offspring by saying "the kids," and it makes us feel really grown up.

The lows have been really just one low, and that is that Oakley has a lot of gas. I mean a LOT of gas. The poor guy is passing it all day, and in the evenings feeding him can take as long as an hour or more because he's burping so much. Every evening he cries for about an hour-and-a-half to three hours because his tummy hurts from all those darn gas bubbles. It's been really hard for all of us, and I've tried everything in the book to relieve him. Has anyone else had experience with this?

At this point it looks like we just have to wait it out, which is really hard for me to accept. There has to be something I can do to help him!

On a different note, today I went running for the first time in a couple months and it was heavenly! I wish I could go every day, but until Spring comes and its light in the evenings I guess Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred will just have to do.

All I want for Christmas.....

2010-12-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

You think I'm kidding. Well.....okay, maybe I am. Did you notice the hoodie though? This thing is serious!

2010-12-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

This little girl is wonderful. She has been such a great help to her mother since her baby brother was born, and she doesn't have a trace of jealousy (I'm sure that has something to do with her self confidence being through the roof...)! Sometimes I look at her and think, "how did I get such a beautiful, wonderful little thing in my life?"

Me and my boy

2010-12-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

2010-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago Eric and I watched an episode of Modern Family about a baby monitor that picked up sounds from a neighboring baby's monitor (hope that makes sense). Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny until the other day when I brought out our own baby monitor while Oakley was upstairs sleeping. Aspen and I were hanging out downstairs and I kept hearing Oakley fuss, but when I ran upstairs (several times) he was completely asleep. Eventually he woke up and I brought him downstairs, turning off his end of the monitor. When I got downstairs I heard a baby crying on the monitor on the counter! I would have been really creeped out except that the monitor upstairs was off, so I knew we were picking up the cries of another baby. Weird!

This is for you Sasha

2010-11-23T11:38:00.000-08:00

2010-11-20T12:57:00.000-08:00

This past week has been wonderful and crazy at the same time. Eric has taken the week off to help me out, which I will be eternally grateful for. Oakley has had bilirubin, with levels high enough to require him going to the hospital several times this week to have his blood drawn, and be put on a bili blanket. Thankfully they're dropping now, so things aren't quite as hectic now.
This morning we woke up to our first snow of the season. Thanksgiving hasn't even come yet, but it's nearly impossible to keep Christmas off my mind when there's snow outside. And it gives us even more reason to just kick back and lay around the house. This morning we had waffles, this afternoon we'll make cookies, and this evening we'll be drinking mulled apple juice. I've really enjoyed this week to just be together as a family and get to know Oakley. He's a really cuddly baby and I've been enjoying every minute.

It's a boy!

2010-11-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

Oakley Cornelius Ritter was born last Saturday, November 13th. He weighed 8 lbs. and measured just over 20 inches long. We are so happy to have him with us!

2010-11-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

I just love the Sycamore tree in Pete and Ami's yard. Especially right now!

2010-10-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Everyday now someone asks me if I feel like I'm about to pop. The truth is I know my belly's just going to continue growing until this baby exits, but I can't imagine it any bigger. Every time I bend over I feel like I'm going to pop, yes. Putting on my shoes makes me feel like I'm going to pop. Shaving my legs does too. But other than that I'm doing alright. More than wanting this baby out is my hoping that things will be manageable after it comes. That I can be a patient, loving mom of two little angels, and that I'll be a pleasant wife on little sleep. Besides, it's fun being in anticipation and not knowing the day or the hour that this little one will arrive. And I like it when Eric talks to my belly.

Popovers

2010-10-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

When Eric and I were living out East one of our favorite places to visit was Acadia National Park up in Maine. In the middle of the Park they have a quaint little restaurant called the Jordan Pond House, where they are famous for their popovers and hot chocolate. This is the view from the top of the restaurant.

Here's another view. The first time we went there were children flying kites with their parents; I felt like I was in the English countryside. Anyway, for Christmas last year Ami (Eric's mom) gave me a popover pan that she had bought at the Pond House's gift shop, along with the restaurant's cookbook that included their famous popover recipe. I was so excited and I couldn't wait to try making popovers of my own!

For those of you who have never had a popover, they're like an eggy biscuit, almost like a dutch baby in a muffin form. They're pretty much hollow on the inside, and oh so yummy with jam. This is the popover pan. After Christmas I tried several times to make them (using the cookbook's recipe), but was unsuccessful. I couldn't get them to pop over the tins like they're supposed to. I looked up several recipes online, and everyone had their own versions of the recipe, but I couldn't find anything that worked.

Then by a stroke of luck I saw a Good Eats episode on the Food Network that explained how to make popovers step by step, and why each step was critical. It was the easiest recipe I'd seen, and I decided to give it a try. Last night I made two batches of popovers and they were perfect! I'm so excited to find a recipe that worked and that was so easy. Now I've just got to master the Jordan Pond House's hot chocolate recipe for a perfect winter this year :)

Popovers

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 C whole milk, room temperature

1 C flour

1 T unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 t salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and butter or oil popover pan. Make sure the oven is heated and the pan is buttered before mixing popover ingredients. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Immediately pour into prepared pan, filling each cup only halfway. Cook for 40 minutes. Do NOT open the oven door until 40 minutes is up. Then remove popovers and slice each one at the top with a knife so they don't deflate. Enjoy!

Baby Calculator

2010-10-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Aspen's got this habit of naming her dolls Baby Calculator. Whenever anyone asks her what her baby brother or sister's name will be, she answers Baby Calculator. The funny thing about this is that one day I was actually using a calculator and she asked me what it was. When I told her it was a calculator, she wouldn't believe me! She has no idea what a calculator is.

2010-10-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'd just like to say happy birthday to my sweet hubby, who turns 29 today. One more year, honey, and then you're old like me :) Here's to counting down.......I love you!

A bit of Fall.....

2010-10-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last night we met Eric's parents at the Farmstead here in Meridian. Aspen was in heaven; there was so much for her to do! We could have spent hours there, but before too long it was bedtime.

The first thing Aspen did was jump her way to paradise. She could have been on this thing all night, and eventually we had to drag her away to something else: the cow train ride, which she did again and again, all by herself.
It was great; we adults just hung out and enjoyed the scenery while she did her thing. Usually when I take her to the park or a play area, I still have to follow her around and help her with the toys, etc. But here she was able to play all on her own, and I enjoyed every minute too!
We finished the night with a hayride, which lasted forever. We didn't realize how long it would last, but it was still fun.
Poor Aspen didn't want to leave.

On another note, Aspen and I decorated the house last week for Fall, and it was a lot of fun. I have to say that having a fireplace with a deep mantle to decorate is probably my favorite thing in our house. Happy Halloween!

2010-10-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last week Eric and I went to Boston. Every six months Scentsy throws an incentive trip for their consultants who reach a certain sales goal. Eric was asked to go and get to know the consultants, and I got to go with him. Lucky me!
Aside from doing some amazingly awesome things with the consultants, Eric and I had some time to see a few things in Boston that we'd never seen before. Among those was Louisburg square, one of the most photographed places in the states. I wanted to live there the moment I saw it: brick row houses with flower boxes on the window sills, cobblestone streets and black shutters.
As you can tell we got caught in a major rainstorm! It was crazy. We kept waiting for it to lighten up but it never did. It took 3 days for our clothes to finally dry! But it was worth it.

Those are gas lit lamps, by the way. This is famous Acorn Street. Oh, and in case you wanted to know, John Kerry lives in Louisburg square. By the way, Aspen wasn't with us on this trip. Eric's parents graciously watched her for us. It was great for Eric and I to get some time together, just the two of us.

One night Scentsy treated everyone to a dinner cruise in the Boston Harbor. Don't you love how sexy my hair looks in this shot?
Another morning we got to eat breakfast at Fenway Park.

This was our view as we ate....
and here's us hanging out with Wally, the Red Sox mascot. Aspen thinks we're pretty cool now, because we're pals with someone from Sesame Street. That's what we told her, anyway.
On Wednesday we had some free time so we rented a car and drove out to Concord, one of our most favorite places. We spent most of the time just reminiscing and enjoying the rolling hills. It's so beautiful out there. We also stopped at a farm and bought me some apple cider, which I chugged all the way home.

Some of the leaves were starting to change color, but most of the changing will happen in a couple weeks. Before we took the car back that night, we stopped and visited some of our friends from Boston, who we miss so much! It was so great to spend some time with them, even though it was short.

Of course we visited Harvard while we were out there, and it was just as quaint as ever.

It was supposed to rain again this day, but we got really lucky with the weather!

These last shots are just some of my favorite places in the city: here's Boston Common.

I used to go shopping down these streets, Summer and Winter. Macy's is down there, and some other great places.

This is the Old Granary burial ground, where Samuel Adams and John Hancock are buried, among others. It's my favorite graveyard; this time of year there's always yellow leaves all over the place, and it just looks so Fall-ish.

This is Haymarket, where you can buy amazingly cheap produce.
These last two shots are of Marlborough street; I think Edgar Allen Poe was born here. We just loved the architecture and cute little gardens found among this street. Anyway, we had such a great time, and are already planning our next trip back to Boston.

2010-09-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

This isn't my current belly; this is the one I had when I carried Aspen. I don't have a good photo of my present bump, but you get the idea. Afterall, it looks pretty much the same.

Part of me wants to ignore this huge growth that's enveloping my abdomen. I try to pretend that I'm not really showing....for example:

1. I was sitting in church yesterday, heaving and wheezing like a smoker. I blamed it on the baby (it's been hanging out against my lungs lately), but the truth is that I was wearing one of my favorite shirts, one that is not a maternity shirt. It was pretty much stretched as far as it would go, and eventually I had to admit to myself that maybe it was time to give the shirt a break and toss it until after the baby comes.

2. I've been trying to stay in shape this second time around, which includes doing strength training (not too intense, obviously). This included doing push-ups until last week, when as soon as I got into position I realized there was nowhere to go. Up I was, arms extended, and the belly was touching the floor. I finally had to admit to myself that the belly had won.

3. The other day we were camping with some friends. Okay, to be honest this was a couple weeks ago, so I was about 6 months along. Our friends had brought some of their friends, a couple we didn't know. On Saturday we decided to go on a hike with our friends, while their friends stayed back to go fishing. The husband looked at me before we left and said, "The good thing is I think you'll get cell service up there at the top, you know, in case you go into labor." I laughed and said something like, "I better not go into labor, I've got three months left!!" He obviously assumed my bun was almost done toasting.

Not that I'm complaining. I've been blessed to have a great pregnancy this time around, and I'm so grateful for that. You just have to laugh sometimes, you know?

2010-09-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is, but I simply cannot get enough of peaches this year. I would eat them all day long if I could. Maybe it's a pregnancy thing; maybe it's simply because I'm willing to dish out whatever it takes to get yummy peaches. Which I've never done before.

Anyway, thanks to my mother-in-law, Ami, I've had my first canning experience, and I have to say I loved it. I'm already planning my next venture....

2010-08-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

The other day Aspen and I joined our friends Danielle and Olivia for a romp in the peach trees. We rode out into the countryside and picked our way to paradise. Boy do I have it bad for fall!
It was a beautiful, cool morning, with a great breeze. When I got home all I wanted to do was go to another farm and pick more fruit so I could go home and bake all day.
Danielle's from Virginia, so of course on the way home all we could do was talk about East Coast pumpkin patches, Halloween, and on and on. Oh, and the apple cider. And the baked goods at the farms, which they don't have as much out here.
Okay, enough about Boston falls. It was beautiful where we were the other day! Green, rolling hills, and farms every which way. And apple picking season just around the corner.....
It was so fun having the girls there to play together. On the way home they just sang and laughed and joked around, like a couple of schoolgirls. So cute.
All right, so now I've got a bunch of peaches ripening on my counter....so what next? Hopefully I'm going to be trying my hand at canning. It's a little intimidating for me to think about, but come on; I can't let all these peaches go to waste!

2010-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

This is my Roo doing the dishes. Notice anything new...in the caboose area? Something pink?
If you said underpants, you're right!
She's been great; I'm so proud of her! She does however have problems with not wanting to wipe or wash her hands, and then running all over the house with bare buttocks while her underpants are around her ankles.
Until she biffs it and decides to let me pull up her pants. Silly girl!

Grandmother's Jumper

2010-08-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

After my grandmother had passed away my dad gave me her wedding dress. Just the other day Aspen was playing with the bag he had given me the dress in, and pulled out two little jumpers.

I had never seen them before! Whose had they been? I wondered who had made them, since they were obviously homemade. I called my dad, and he explained to me that they had belonged to my grandmother, and were made by her mother, my great-grandmother Bessie. They're about 80 years old.I've been marvelling at the pattern; they're both made from one piece of fabric that wraps around the bottom and buttons at the back. So simple! As you can see they're not in the best shape. Aspen was happy to model one of them for me.
Anyway I'm so glad to have these; what a treasure to pass down to Aspen one day. And with them will be these photos of her wearing them.

2010-08-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we took a trip down to Utah, our old stomping ground. Eric's brother, Danny, graduated from BYU with his master's. We hadn't been to Provo (where we met and had our first apartment) for about 4 years, so it brought back so many memories! It was a lot of fun.
I'm sharing this photo for honesty's sake. Please try to erase it out of your mind now that you've seen it. I thought I was doing pretty well weight-wise until I saw this! But oh well, it's worth it.
While we were out there we went to a Jack Johnson concert, and it was great because Aspen's a huge fan of his. I think she enjoyed it as much as we did. Isn't she cute?

2010-08-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was heaven. It rained, as in poured, all day long. It was about 63 degrees, and for this enlarged woman that was very very nice. Wicked nice. I can say wicked because I lived in Boston for 3 years, and that's what they always say. Wicked. Hey, I have rights to it.
Aspen and I threw on our fleece p.j. bottoms, our non-matching shirts, and clashing hoodies. We looked awesome in our daytime lounge clothes. I made us some hot chocolate, we played dice, and did all of this while......
can you guess? Listening to Christmas music. You know, even though it looked like winter outside, it still felt wrong. Listening to Christmas music in August. I missed the whole Christmas in July I guess; I had my chance and now it's too late. Ah well, give me another two months and it'll feel so right.

2010-08-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of work, we've finally finished the backyard, for now. It feels so good! No more weeds the size of a tree or ugly dirt that turns to mud. There in the distance is the flowering pear tree that we finally bought, since I've been coveting one for months. Thank you Costco for providing a cheap one for us.
This is our gravel pit, where next year we will be placing our planter boxes for the garden. Right now it's just an oasis for little girls that want to pick up rocks and throw them in the grass.
We'd eventually like to have a fire pit here in this corner, but I told Eric he should take a break for now and let his back rest. It sure does make a difference, though. We actually come outside in the evenings when it's nice and cool, instead of hide in our living room.

There in the corner is the maple tree that we planted in the Spring. I can't wait for Fall for it to change colors and throw some yellow onto our grass.

2010-07-31T19:35:00.001-07:00

I was talking with Eric a while back about parents, and how you never really realize how much they've done (and do) for you until you're a parent. I can't imagine my parents enjoyed going to soccer games every single saturday all day long year after year, but I never felt that they minded. In fact, they always seemed to enjoy it, just because we were on the field. Even in the rain.

One year my siblings and I told our parents we needed to have a Kids' Day. "You guys both get a Mother and Father's Day, so why don't we?" We asked. Our parents looked at each other and smirked. "Every day is Kids' Day!" They said. But they gave us one anyway, every summer. That's when they would stock us up on new croquet sets, swim gear, you name it.

This is a photo of my mother when she was pregnant with me. She would get sick the whole nine months, being put on an i.v. because she couldn't keep anything down. And she did this four times! I'm so grateful to her for her sacrifice, and for the sacrifice that my dad made as well.

This pregnancy has been a whole lot easier than my last one (so far) and I'm so grateful for that! The time has been flying, and before I know it I'll have another little one in my arms. I'm really trying to enjoy every minute I get with Aspen during the day while it's just the two of us, because I know before long our life will get a bit more complicated!! Anyway, thanks Mom and Dad for your example, and for being such great parents!

The best thing about chocolate pudding...

2010-07-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

is this messy little face!

2010-07-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

Have a great weekend!

Losing the binky

2010-07-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's a hard life for a two-year-old and her parents when the binky "disappears" and the withdrawals kick in! I hope she's at the end of it, the poor thing.

2010-07-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today makes five years that Eric and I have been married. And we always joke that it feels like five years, if not longer. That's because we've done so much in those five years! But it's also because we just feel so right together; it's weird to think that for such a large part of our lives, we weren't.

So to celebrate this year we're going to really let our romance flow and finish our backyard. I mean what's more romantic than curbing and flagstone? Or sweating your heart out while pulling weeds? Let's be serious; it doesn't get much hotter than that.

Our last four anniversaries haven't been exactly exciting: one year I was in the ER because I was pregnant with Aspen and hadn't kept any food down for two days; another year we stayed in a morbidly sketchy inn that was walled with plywood. I wish I could describe to you the horror that was our room. Anyway, we realized that while our actual anniversaries may not have been fantastic, we had a lot of great experiences within that year. When we were in the hospital we were in a hospital in Alaska, of all places! So we can't complain.

One night in a couple weeks or so (with some luck) we'll be in our finished backyard, under the stars, sitting on our kitchen chairs we've pulled out from the house, and we'll think, now this is romantic!

2010-07-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Today at the store Aspen and I ran into some people we've seen at church. I've never officially met them, so the couple and I introduced ourselves. "I can't remember your husband's name," the guy said, "but I know who he is. Doesn't he have big hair?"

It was a funny thing to say. I stopped to think. "No-o-o-o.....not really...." I said. Maybe he was thinking of someone else? Then his wife jumped in, "It's not really big, honey. Just long. He's got long hair."

I just blinked and smiled, but I wanted to laugh, because this is the picture that came to my mind:

(Eric's the guy in the green jacket, for those of you who haven't been blessed to see this photo. I've posted it before). I said something like, "You know, he could use a trim right now, but his hair isn't exactly long."
This is Eric today, ha ha. I wish I could have shown the couple these photos; I'm sure they would have gotten a good laugh!

North Carolina

2010-07-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to go to North Carolina. So ever since my dad got a job out there last summer, I've been itching to go visit. Last week we were finally able to take the trip, and it was all I had hoped!

It's very humid out there, which I love. Most of my favorite places are humid, so being in North Carolina just reminded me of those places: Argentina, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, Oregon. We did some ferry hopping to visit the outer banks, and fed the seagulls while they followed behind.

Oh it was so green! Green green everywhere. As much as I love Boise, it will never be green enough for me. I just loved all the beautiful Carolina pines, mixed in with the sand that's everywhere. It reminded me a lot of Cape Cod. (As you can tell from this photo above, it's almost impossible for me to sit with my legs together).
And of course we went to the beach.
I just love this shot of Eric in action. He really needed a surf board or something. Surf's up!
Aspen got such a huge kick out of simply sitting in the water and waiting for the waves to push her backward. She laughed hysterically; it was fun to watch her.

Eric and my dad went kayak fishing one day. They always go fishing when they're together. Isn't that marsh beautiful?

We went to Wilmington, which is an old historic town, untouched by the Civil War, and therefore has lots of old buildings and homes to see. It was really hot this day, but we loved Wilmington. (I love this shot of my dad and stepmom, Lisa).

Roo eating continental breakfast. She insisted on wearing her hat and glasses, because she was cold (I'm still trying to figure that one out).
Dad and Lisa were such great hosts, and it was so much fun to see them! Since Dad's move, I don't get to see him or Lisa very often, so this trip was a special treat for me.
Here's some random shots we took. At the bottom there is the house my dad and Lisa are building. They're staying out there for a while, which makes me sad and happy at the same time: sad because they'll be so far away, but happy because we can make another trip (or two or three) out to North Carolina.

Swim day

2010-06-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Pumps vs. Fake Uggs

2010-06-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here I am, sucking on a fudgesickle, thinking about one of the most embarrassing nights of my life. It was pretty bad, and the whole thing led my to buy these heels the other day. Which is crazy, because I honestly don't think I have ever worn heels in my life. At least not ones this high.

It was a night several years ago, when I was pregnant with Aspen. Nine months pregnant, to be exact. The actual day she was due. There was a law dinner the university was throwing, and Eric and I hadn't gotten tickets due to the night it was being held (just in case). We got a phone call telling us that a few seats had opened up, and would we like to come. I really didn't want to go. I was feeling fat, frumpy, and extremely unattractive, not to mention unsociable (go figure). But it was a free dinner, and a chance to get out, so we decided to go. Not to mention there was no activity going on in the womb area.

"Honey, what's the dress code?" I asked Eric.

"Uh, I think it's business casual," he said. So I grabbed some clothes: a nice black tee (I wore a long sleeved white one underneath, since it was February), a jean skirt (knee length), and a pair of fake Ugg boots (I seriously could not fit into anything else).

Okay, so we get there, and I walk in to the dinner. Every other girl there is wearing an evening gown, dressed to the nines. Hair is up, heels are on, and this dinner was fancy. I never felt so out of place in my life! I wanted to die, and was this close to turning around and walking out.

"Eric," I pleaded, "please don't make me go in there! Let's just go before anyone sees us."

Eric, being the positive, sweet husband he is, said something like no you look great, really. It'll be fun!

Well, after a while I started to feel less humiliated by my appearance, but this is the point of the story:

I saw several other pregnant women there, looking amazing. And in heels. I didn't know it was possible to wear heels when you were pregnant. And that image has stuck with me. So the other day I went and bought some, just to prove that I could pull them off. After the initial 15 minutes of tripping while wearing them around the store, I kind of got the hang of it. And, in fact, the first time I wore them out, it was empowering. Take that, gravity! And frumpiness! I'm actually on the search for another pair. So here's to heels! At least until the edema sets in, and I'm back to the boots.

Yet another hike

2010-06-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

I know so many of my posts are of hikes the three of us do, but if I didn't post about them, you'd think I was sitting on my caboose all the time.
We went up to McCall this weekend to "get away from it all" and enjoy a little rest and relaxation. We were going to camp, but then a friend offered us the use of his woodsy, comfy cabin, and we were all about that. That's where the r&r came in.
We decided not to bring the pack 'n play, on the hopes that we'd be able to find somewhere convenient to place Aspen during her naps and bedtime, but ended up sticking her in bed with us. One night Eric ran into town to get us a movie, and Aspen and I just hung out in bed, reading magazines. She'd see a recipe ad and grab the magazine. "Woah, mommy (we're back to mommy now) that looks sooooo good!"
During our hikes I'd follow Eric while he carried Aspen on his back. They'd be having these conversations about moose and trees, and I didn't want to butt in. It was really cute.
We found this one hike that was really great. It wasn't marked very well, but it crossed a cascading stream several times, and Eric and I were glad we'd worn our sandals. It felt great to get our feet wet! Unfortunately we could only follow it for about half a mile or so and then we had to turn around because for the life of us we couldn't find the trail.
We saw several deer, lots of garter snakes (to my dismay, but they actually weren't so bad), a fox, several squirrels, fish, and lots of tracks (deer and bear). Aspen loved that.

Roo

2010-06-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Aspen's middle name is Rae, but we just call her Roo.
She's a great kid. She's also two, which makes things very challenging sometimes. The weird thing is, she can be an absolute crab one day, and I still love her more and more. Must be a mother thing.
Lately she's started calling me Mama. At first I didn't like it. It made me feel old. I think she got it from "won't my mama be so proud of me, I'm bringing home my baby bumblebee....." Now I really like the sound of it, and it makes me beam every time she says it. "I'm her mama," I think to myself with pride, getting all choked up.
She likes to dance to my ringtone, which makes me miss calls sometimes because I don't want to cut short her performance.
She really loves people. She knows all the names of her friends' moms, and asks me about them regularly. What's Rachel doing, mama? Is she at the store?
I sure am glad she's mine, my little Roo.

2010-05-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

Eric and I have been married for almost five years. In those five years, we have moved six times. I'm not complaining; those years were years of discoveries, adventure, and new beginnings. It seems strange now, though. Usually this time of year we're getting ready to move somewhere new, and yet this year we're staying put. It's nice to be in one place, with a steady job and the confidence that when you make new friends you'll all be sticking around for a while. But we're itching to get out of our routine, if just for a day or two.

Our backyard looks like a wild prairie land, due to the high amounts of rain we've been having. Every time Eric gets ready to mow the lawn, it starts to pour. So we decided to pitch our tent in it last night and go camping, since it looks like we're out in the wild anyway. Honestly, the grass has to be somewhere between eight and ten inches high.
Aspen's Papa has been spoiling her lately and bought her her own kid-size sleeping bag (which is stinking cute), so she just had to try it out. Anyway, it was a fun way to just get out of the house for a night, free of charge. It was the perfect campout: when I got hungry I just popped in the house for a snack, and while inside grabbed an extra fleece and took a trip to the toilet (sorry about the details guys, but I am pregnant here). I told Eric we should try to do this once a week during the summer, and he seemed alright with the suggestion :)

2010-05-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's true that when Eric, Aspen and I are out, people always comment on how much Aspen looks like her daddy. I'm okay with this, after all I think Eric's pretty cute himself, and I have to agree with anyone who thinks they look alike. However, I could probably count on one hand the number of times someone has actually said to me, "wow, Aspen looks just like you!"

Now I know I shouldn't take it this way, but when someone says my child looks just like her father, what I hear is something quite different: "your daughter looks nothing like you."
So I thought I'd post a little comparison of Aspen and I both around the same age, just to show that we are in fact related. I think I've proven my point.....

Makeover....

2010-05-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

2010-05-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

About a year before Eric and I got married he went to Bryce Canyon with his parents. They did an eight mile hike while they were there, and evidently there was a family with a four-year-old there doing the same hike.
Eric said the four-year-old hiked the entire eight miles by himself, and ever since Eric's determined to have our kids that well trained too. So we decided to take Aspen to the foothills the other day and get her started.

Well, it was pretty funny. All Aspen wanted to do was bend down and pick thinks up and eat crackers. We didn't blame her; there were lots of pretty things to see and look at. We tried to gently push her along, but I don't think she got the hint.

(Yeah I'm huge). It was so great to get out! I've been feeling much better lately and have been able to do a lot of the things I've missed out on in the last couple months. I don't look very happy in this photo for some reason, but I really was having a great time.

Anyway we put Aspen in the carrier from time to time when she would let us so we could pick up the pace a little. I'm sure as she gets a little older she'll be able to focus more on the hike, but it's also fun to see her wanting to explore so much. And having her do so does make me notice the little things.Hopefully we can get her lots of practice this summer. I'm determined to stay active this summer, and with the foothills being so pretty and very close, we really have no excuse :)

2010-05-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

This photo cracks me up. Have a great weekend!!

Sad day

2010-05-10T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sash and James are taking off today. I've really enjoyed their time with us, and will miss several things about their being here when they go:

-morning walks (and talks) with Sasha

-James's laugh

-the perfect little bundle that is Eli

-cooking and baking with Sasha

-rocking out to 80's and 90's music while in the car with Sasha

And the list goes on. James and Sash also really helped me out during my first trimester, both with watching Aspen for me now and then, and making meals. I love you guys and will miss you!

2010-05-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

We carrot cake lovers of the world are few and far between. I think we should get minority rights, because that's what we are, really. What kind of reactions do I get from people when I suggest we have some carrot cake? Ugh, or nasty, come to mind, with a possible look of disgust from at least one person. I've resorted to eating carrot cake clif bars to in some way satiate my need now and then, and also to avoid any unpleasant adjectives from those around me.

It's sad, really. The only time I'll ever be able to enjoy a delicious piece of carrot cake will be if I do one of two things: make myself a cake (which I'd have to eat entirely by myself, so that's not an option), or go to a cafe that will serve me an individual slice. Is that fair?

2010-05-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

The other day Aspen and I were cuddling on the couch. "Suck it," Aspen cried out.

"Uh, excuse me?" I stuttered.

"Suck it, Mommy," she said again. Where on earth could she have learned that? I kept asking myself.

"Suck my binky, Mommy," she said once more, handing me her binky and answering my question.

"Oh, no thanks, sweetie," I replied, with a sigh of relief!

2010-04-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've never thought of myself as a flower person. When Eric and I got married I told him that for Valentine's Day or Mother's Day I'd much rather have anything besides flowers. I guess I still feel that way, but I'd like to have a bouquet of flowers sitting on my kitchen table on a random weekday. When I was growing up, I'd always pick some yellow roses from the garden and put them in a vase in my bedroom after I'd cleaned it up. It was the finishing touch! I took my parent's rose bushes for granted.

Last weekend I planted this calla lily in our front yard, and I can't get over how pretty it is! I really hope it doesn't die on me, or I'll feel really bad about it. I've never planted anything before, and I'm a little anxious about keeping everything alive. But I've had a lot of fun learning what I have about flowers, and I guess that's the important thing.

2010-04-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is baby number one. She's pretty cute. Dang cute. Do moms ever wonder if their next kid will be as cute as their first? 'Cause I've wondered that....about the little one that's 12 weeks today.