Tagged again

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift Wrap, but I suck at wrapping gifts
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, I would prefer to have a real one though. In the long run it's just cheaper to go Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? Before Christmas! Pretty much whenever we feel like it.
4. When do you take the tree down? New Years Day
5. Do you like eggnog? YES
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Teddy Ruxpin
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes and I made it.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Jacob
9. Easiest person to buy for? Emma
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Christmas cards? Hopefully someday we will do them and then I will mail them.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The only thing I can think of is clothes when I was like 8 or 9. I just wanted toys back then.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I've started as early as January. If I find something on an awesome sale, I get it.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Ham
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree ? Clear o the tree and colored outside.
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitsen and Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve we open presents from my mom's side of the family and Christmas Day we go over to Grandpa Trogdon's and open presents from dad's side.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People, I hate how greedy and gimme gimme people can get especially this time of year.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I like to put the ornaments that I got as a kid on the tree. It's fun to remember what happened the year I got each one.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham, funeral potatoes, and pumpkin pie
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I can't think of anything. I just don't need anything else.

Tagged

1 .Where were you when you first found out that you were pregnant? At a planned parenthood place. We were too cheap to buy a pregnancy test.

2.Who was with you? Jacob and some other lady.

3.How did you find out that you were pregnant? We took a pregnancy test.

4.What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant? Shocked/Excited. We had know people that it had taken them a year to get pregnant so we decided to go off the pill early so we would be pregnant within a year. Yeah, 2 months later is more like it!

5.Who was the first person you told? My mommy and daddy.

6.Did you plan to get pregnant?Yeah, kinda. We just went off the pill and decided to see what happened.

7.Did you tell everyone else right away? Yes, we were super excited.

8.Was everybody happy for you? I think they were.

9.Did you go out and celebrate? I don't remember.

10.Did you want to find out the sex? Yes.

11.What was the sex? Well, we were led to believe that it was a boy but when Emma came out we decided it probably wasn't!

12.Did anyone throw you a baby shower? My Aunt did in Port Orchard and then Karen Holt did in Grand Junction Colorado.

14.How much weight did you gain? 12 pounds!

15.Did you lose all of the weight that you gained? Yeah, but then I stopped breast feeding and gained it back and then some! Whoops!

16.Did you get any stretch marks? Yes, and tons of them. My stomach is so gross now.

17.What did you crave the most? Anything but meat and sweets! It was really weird, that's probably why I only gained 12 pounds!

18.Did you crave anything crazy? No

19.Who or what got on your nerves? Nothing really. It was nice.

20.Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? Nope, I had the perfect textbook pregnancy.

21.Where and when did you go into labor? At home around 2 am. It could've been before that but my contractions actually woke me up at 2. I was being induced at 8 that morning too.

22.Did your water break? No. The doctor broke it.

23.Who drove you to the hospital? Jacob and my mommy.

24.Who was in the room when you gave birth? Jacob, the Dr. the drug dr, and a bunch of assistants. I was in surgery.

25.Did you go early or late? 10 days late

26.How long were you in labor for? 20 hours.

27.Did you have any drugs for the pain? Yes, I had an epidural but it took them 3 hours after I asked for it to give it to me.

28.Did you go natural or have a C-section? C-Section which was exactly what I said from the beginning that I didn't want to have!

29.What was your first reaction after giving birth? I was done! There weren't going to be anymore children!

30.How big was the baby? 7 pounds 11/5 ounces and 20.5 inches

31.Did your husband cry? Yeah, but it was because I was freaking out really bad when they told me I had to have a C-Section.

32.What did you name the baby? Emma Jeanne Throolin

33.Does his name have any significant meaning? Yes, when Jacob and I were in the temple we both felt that Emma should be our little girls first name (of course we were having a boy so we just put it in the back of our heads). Jeanne is my Grandma Trogdon's first name and now that she's gone, Emma's middle name means even more to me now.

34.Did you have any visitors? Yes, Terri Ann Preston and Kellen, and Megan and Karen Holt.

35.Did the baby have any complications? While I was in labor Emma's heart rate dropped quite a bit so they put me on oxygen and that took care of the issue.

36.How old is your baby today? 25 months

37.When is the next one coming? May 26th!

38.If you could, would you do it all over again? Well, we are doing it again so I guess the answer is yes. I'm going to try and have this one natural though. I do not want a C-Section again, but will settle for it if I absolutely have to.

Getting Harder to Keep the Faith

We really have been going through some stressful times as I'm sure everyone else is. I've remained optimistic up until this morning when we got our Power Bill for $233. Yeah, that's right $233. Supposedly work for Jacob is going to pick up mid January but we've been hearing that it's going to pick up for the last 2 months.

I'm officially signed up and on the Kennewick School District payroll but the next time sheet is due on the 9th of January and then the paycheck won't come until January 30th. I signed up to be a school teacher for prek-12th just so I made sure I would have work but I really don't want to jump back into teaching in a High School classroom.

We have hospital bills we are paying off still from Emma's little fever of 104 back in June (hospitals are money hungry). So far we have paid $500 and we still have $150 left. Normally these bills wouldn't be a big deal but right now they are the last thing I want to see.

We still have family that we need to buy Christmas presents for. I don't think Emma will be getting anything from us this year, but that's why we have other family so they can spoil her.

I'm struggling with keeping myself positive right now. I can feel myself torn between the two sides. On one hand things look pretty bad and crappy right now and I just want to crawl into a hole and never come out. On the other hand I know that if we try our best to take care of ourselves that the Lord will provide for us and everything will be okay.

I am ashamed to admit that I'm not totally feeling the whole faith thing right now. We've been so fortunate to never have a situation like this and I've taken it for granted. For now I will be continuing to pray and should probably go to the temple (if I can get my dress on... my belly is a little bit big right now and I'm not even half way there). We will continue to pay our tithing and do the things we are suppose to do. We are told that we need to "experiment" on the words of Christ and see if he will not keep His promises. He hasn't let me down yet but he sure is dragging me through some deep doo doo that I don't particularly like.

I'm looking forward to the day when hard times are brought in front of us and I will have no doubt that it will be okay. I hope you are all doing well and that you will keep the true meaning of this holiday season in perspective. I love this time of year because people are so supportive and giving. I hope that someday we will live like it's Christmas all year.

Fun in the Snow!

Emma really has wanted to play in the snow but we didn't have any boots for her. Yesterday we went to Wal Mart and bought her some princess boots and tonight her and Jacob went out and played in the snow. She was bundled up so tight that I couldn't resist some pictures. I hope you enjoy them!

Brrrrrr! It's cold out here!

There is DEFINITELY some ice in the atmosphere! I can't believe how flipping cold it is! This morning it was -3 and the high is only 10! It going to be like that the whole rest of the week and into next week. Of course we don't have any snow boots or Emma or for me so playing out in the white stuff is just not going to happen. It's really pretty to look at and I love having the snow around but I really could do without the frigid cold! There is always something positive about every situation that you are in and in this case because it's so cold the icy roads aren't as my dad would say "slick as snot". For that I am grateful.

Last night the power went out on our street and a few other places too. Funny thing is is that the side of the street that we live on all had power. It was just the opposite side that didn't. The power went out at 10:30pm and came back on at 4:30am. Talk about the coldest part of the night! It was trippy looking out and seeing our street so dark. Everyone has their porch light on at night and I never noticed how much that lit up our street!

I hope you are all staying warm in your homes. I am missing Colorado where we had free heat in the winter and I could crank up the temp. to 85 and not feel guilty. We are leaving on Sunday or Monday to go over to Port Orchard for Christmas and probably won't be coming back until January 2nd or 3rd. It might even be later if I don't get in and get into the substitute orientation right away (like it's happening tomorrow). Jacob won't have work for at least 2 weeks starting Monday but luckily he gets 3 days of holiday pay next week so that will bring in some money!

Stay warm out there!

Happy Birthday Jacob! (And a recipe since I'm blogging anyway)

Today is my wonderful husband's birthday. He is so wonderful to Emma and me and takes good care of us. I'm so glad that he asked me to marry him and that we have been able to grow together through really really bad times and really really good times.

Jacob is really into the outdoors. He loves to camp, hike, rock climb and backpack (which he hasn't done in forever). He also enjoys playing tennis (which he's really good at), basketball, volleyball, ping pong, and dodge ball (which is what the crazy picture of him is). He's super competitive which is a dangerous combination to have with me (Mrs. Super Competitive). One thing that I absolutely love is that he enjoys a good chick flick every now and then, but not too often (I can't stand chick flicks all the time either). We enjoy watching comedy and action movies together.

Jacob doesn't like to play video games a whole lot. He thinks having a Wii someday would be okay as long as it doesn't interfere with us going outdoors. I like this about him too. It would drive me crazy to be married to a hard core gamer.

Jacob is also a recently converted (almost 4 years) board game lover. It took some work but he now enjoys playing games with me and other people.

Since I'm blogging already how about a recipe? This recipe is one that I had never had until Jacob and I were married and I love it. I don't know the technical name for it but we call it "Shells with Peas and Bacon". It makes a TON. I don't have an actual recipe written down but it's so simple that you don't really need one.

Shells with Peas and Bacon

1 pound medium shells
1 pound ricotta cheese
1 pound bacon
1 package frozen peas

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile cook bacon until crisp. Steam peas in microwave and drain. Add peas and bacon to shells in saucepan. Stir in ricotta cheese. Heat to desired temperature. (I also add some salt because I like my food kinda salty).

We halved the recipe last time we made this and still had some leftovers. It's really good though and I hope you enjoy it. We ate this with some home canned peaches and a salad.

Moving Along

Well, this last week was awesome! Jacob was able to squeeze out 32 hours at work and is working at least 1/2 the day today. This means that we should be good for this month and not have to dip into savings. I also have started the application process for substitute teaching. It turns out the my teaching certificate is NOT expired like I originally thought. Now it's a matter of getting transcripts, placement files, finishing the application and paying the $85 for finger printing plus $35 for the application fee. If I get all this turned in by the 17th of this month I can attend the last orientation of the month/year and come January when school starts back up I will be able to sub right off the bat! Meaning that we won't have to dip into savings ever! What a relief!

This last week we have also had fun eating from our food storage. We've made pizza, chili and corn bread, cheese soup and Chicken Divan. The cheese soup is the recipe I'm going to share with you. I realize that it's Monday but I am going to be super busy tomorrow with my Dr. appointment and just stuff. I will be 17 weeks tomorrow so no finding out yet what we are having. I do get to see how much weight I have or haven't gained though which is my favorite part (since I'm usually on the negative side). That reminds me... I need to work out today! Great, another thing on my list. I bought this hip hop dance workout video back in the summer and I LOVE it! I look really stupid doing it and I make sure the door is locked (so Jacob can't just barge in and catch me doing it) and all the blinds are closed. If you are looking for a workout that burns your abs and legs, then I would suggest a video like mine.

Without further adieu here is this weeks recipe:

Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• Minced chives, optional

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper; stir until smooth. Gradually add milk; cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add carrot and celery; simmer for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add to milk mixture and stir until blended. Add cheeses. Cook and stir until melted (do not boil). Garnish with chives if desired. Yield: 4 servings.


I made this with my favorite roll recipe that I posted a few weeks back. You can look under my recipe label and look for the roll recipe if you forgot to copy it. I didn't really measure anything. I just threw the ingredients and seasonings in until it looked good but the first time I ever made this I followed the recipe and it is SUPER YUMMY! Jacob loves it and so does Emma ( Emma likes everything I make though so don't base the goodness of the recipe off of her opinion. Jacob is the picky one). What would have really made this soup complete would be a green salad. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think! Oh and I have to give a shout out to Taste of Home for having this recipe. Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE their website?

We will be heading over for Christmas around the 22nd or 23rd and leaving on the 26th or 27th. I'm excited to go home again. Tyler will be calling and this will be the last call we get until he comes home! I wasn't able to talk to him on Mother's Day this year so it's been a whole year since I've talked to him last. I love him so much! I was such a jerk to him growing up and now we are best friends.

Speaking of brother's and sister's being best friends... Nick and Starr won the Amazing Race and Jacob and I were totally stoked about it! From the very beginning I have wanted them to win and am now rejoicing that Dandrew didn't win.

Hard Times/ New Recipe

Well, things are not looking up for the Throolin household. Jacob's work has no work and he is officially out of vacation time. Yesterday he got a full day in and he is in the office today trying to squeeze another full day in. To top it all off, it doesn't look like anything is on the horizon for the next month. So, what do we do? Well, we keep paying our tithing and other bills, Jacob applies for unemployment and I go apply for substitute teaching positions. I'm glad I have my teaching degree (even if my license expired in June) so that I can just go and make money if we need it. Hopefully it won't take forever to get a substitute teaching license and we won't have to dip too far into our savings account. I'm just so glad that I followed the prophet and got a degree. It seemed like a waste of time when I was going through school and I even received criticism from my fellow teaching students for wasting time.

I'm also grateful that Jacob and I have built up a savings account (now it's not a 6 month income like we've been told to do but we've done our very best) and have food storage. So far (and it's still very early on) this experience has taught me the importance of following the prophets. I'm kind of scared but at the same time there is a peaceful feeling. I know that we will be taken care of if we will just do all that we can. This Christmas we will be even more thankful for each other and what we already have. We all have to take the good times with the bad and just be thankful. We live in the greatest country in the world and have all been blessed with so much. I love my family so much and my friends and just want everyone to know that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He will not give us anymore than we can handle. Christ suffered for everything so He could help us and understand us. How grateful I am of that knowledge.

Okay, enough of that. Last night I made Chicken Divan and thought I would share the recipe with you for those who don't have it.

1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli spears-cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced (I used 1 can of canned chicken from costco)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 c stuffing mix (or you can tear a slice of bread into chunks)
1/4-1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated

Place cooked broccoli in 13x9 baking dish and cover with chicken. Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry. Thin with a little milk. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and top with crumbs. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

We were going to eat canned peaches with this dish but I forgot that that was what I wanted so we ended up just eating the casserole (I'm pregnant, I forget things). You could also make up some rice and serve with the casserole to spread it (I remember my mom doing that once).

Thanksgiving

I love this time of year! Not so much the weather but the spirit that this time of year brings. We are headed over the mountains tomorrow to go to Port Orchard. I love traveling over the mountains in the winter. The snow is beautiful and I'm always up for a road trip. There won't be any snow going over or coming back thankfully.

In the spirit of the season today I will post the things I am thankful for. I'm thankful for family. I've learned over the last few years that they really are the only steady and constant people in your life. I'm grateful for all my friends. I have been blessed with some of the world's most amazing friends. I know that I am loved and I have lots of people that are willing to lend a helping hand with whatever I need. I'm so blessed to know so many amazing people.

Of course I'm thankful for Jesus Christ my savior. What a wonderful blessing it is to have knowledge of Him and His love for all of us. I know that when we are doing our part and trying to live a good and honest life that He recognizes it and blesses us. I've been on the receiving end of many blessings in my life. It doesn't mean it's been easy. You have to have the trials to have the blessings and for that I can honestly say that I'm thankful for my trials as well. I've grown so much because of the trials I've had to endure.

I'm grateful for nature and it's beauty. There is beauty no matter where you are. Yes even in Eastern Washington there is beauty all around. I'm grateful for the house that we have to live in (thank you mom and dad!). I'm grateful for the moments when everything is completely quiet and still. It's in those moments that I feel so much peace.

There is so much more that I could write but I don't want to bore anyone. There is lots to do before we leave so I'll cut this short. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! I'm skipping out on the recipe this week. I'm sorry! If you need an idea for dinner tonight, I think Potato Soup sounds yummy!

A new Recipe/Emma uses the Potty and goes to the doctor!!!

Okay, this week I am posting a new recipe. This week has been very mellow compared to last week and for that I'm thankful. We still have no word on Jacob's new job but I will post as soon as we find out. For now, we are watching his vacation time slowly slip away. I just realized last night that Thanksgiving is next Thursday! I am sooooo excited! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I am most excited to see all my extended family. I miss them A LOT! We are only 4 hours away but we don't see them as often as I'm used to (I lived in Port Orchard my whole childhood with all my dad's family living within 15 minutes of one another... you do the math).

This Thanksgiving will be the first since my lovely Grandmother died. Do you ever stop missing someone who you've lost? I miss her so much and it's just not going to be the same without her during the holidays. Her strong love of all of us could be felt as soon as we walked through her door. Anyway, forgive me please, I'm a HIGHLY emotional pregnant woman. I actually it's worse this time than with Emma.

Okay, this weeks recipe is what my Grandmother called "Cheesy Potato Bake" known more famously in the LDS culture as "Funeral Potatoes". These potatoes are served for Easter in the Trogdon home but I think they should be eaten with every meal.

2 pounds frozen hash browns, thawed

½ c butter, melted

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 tsp salt

½ medium onion, chopped

1 pint sour cream

10 oz shredded cheddar cheese

½ tsp pepper

Crushed corn flakes

Mix butter, soup, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper. Separate potatoes and add to sour cream mixture. Add cheese. Place in 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with crushed corn flakes and pour about 2 Tbs. melted butter over the top. Bake at 350˚ F for 1 hour.

Emma used the big girl potty for the first time on Sunday! This was very exciting for us. Emma was very proud of herself and was beeming the whole night. Of course she didn't use the potty yesterday but that fact that she did on Sunday is enough for me! It's exciting to think that Emma is that much closer to being potty trained.

Emma's 2 year check up was yesterday. She is 3' tall which puts her at the 99th percentile for height and she is 28 pounds which puts her in the 63rd percentile for weight. Every doctor's appointment shows the same percentiles so it wasn't a shock for us. She's gained 3 pounds since her 18 month check up. It was also time for her to get her flu shot and she was very brave for it. The nurse was fast so it was over quickly. Emma cried for just a litle while and then she was fine. Such a good girl!

Happy Birthday Emma!

This is our little princess! Born November 15, 2006 at 11:33 pm. She was 7lbs 11.5 oz and 20 1/2" long.
And this is our little princess at her 1year birthday in Grand Junction Colorado. During her first year she slept 8 hours during the night starting at 2 months, rolled over at 3 months, crawled at 7 months, and walked at 9 months. Her first words were dada, mama, dog and yes. That was her vocabulary at 12 months. Her favorite things to do at age one were help mommy dump ingredients into a bowl to make dinner or cookies, play with her big people barn, take a bath, go to the mall and play in the play area, go to the park and swing and go down slides, and pretty much just be out doors.

This in Emma and her friend Olivia at her 2nd birthday party. This last year, Emma has started talking A LOT! Her speach is very clear and when she talks she tries very hard to say the word right. Now she loves to run and play outside with our dog Annie. She also loves to stack blocks really high and then knock them down. She is a little ball of energy with a very sweet spirit. I have never met a more loving little girl. She makes me so proud to be her mommy.

She likes to eat anything but green peppers (I tried, that's all I can say and I personally HATE them so I don't blame her). After I clean up a room, Emma will notice before Jacob does (how embarassing for him!). She loves to read and will clean up her toys every once in a while without me forcing her. She loves to watch movies and her favorite is Madagascar. Her best friends are Niev, Hallie, Micha and Quinton (I hope I spelt his name right).She is starting to get to know Olivia through nursery and when she goes over to Niev's and Olivia is there too.

Emma has been so easy to parent. She does have her moments like every child this age does but even then they aren't as bad as some tantrums I've seen. Emma has shown me a whole different side of who I am and what I can become. I hope she knows how much Jacob and I love her. Here are soem more pictures from her party:

Cool Tag

I found this on Lisa's blog a while ago and thought it was cool. I'm also happy to say our toilet is fixed! If you missed that story it's below this post.

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago

1. Looking forward to turning 14 and going to the youth dances.
2. Playing volleyball on my junior high's J.V. team
3. Getting into trouble for not cleaning my room
4. Wishing I was an adult
5. Struggling to figure out who I was

5 Things on my to do list today

1. Finish scrubbing the bathroom
2. Do the dishes
3. Clean the living room
4. Rake the leaves in the front yard
5. Get over being sick!

5 Things I would do if I were a Millionare

1. Pay off student loans
2. Buy the house from my parents
3. Travel the world
4. Get a new truck (sorry Big Birtha)
5. Make sure my extended family was taken care of financially

5 Places I've Lived (I've lived in more than 5 places though)

1. Bayview Drive, Port Orchard, WA
2. Woods Rd, Port Orchard, WA
3. 15th Ave, Ellensburg, WA
4. Park Drive, Grand Junction, CO
5. Dawes St, Kennewick, WA

5 Jobs I've had

1. Tour Bus washer- Janssen Tours
2. Music Specalist- Dj's Music
3. Caterer- Central Washington University
4. Road Construction Flagger- Kitsap County
5. Laundry Slave- The Laundromat on North Campus
6. Janitor- Central Washington University

(Jobs 3-6 were how I payed my way through college and yes I know I don't know how to count to 5)

When it Rains, it Pours

This weekend was INSANE! (Warnign this is a really long post) Actually the last couple of weeks have been kinda rocky but it hit hard this weekend. Work is painfully slow for Jacob right now. He is having to use up his vacation time to make sure that we are still getting a paycheck. We were thinking that we would have to use up all of our savings to get through this slow time and that I would have to go substitute teach. Well, when you try to do the right thing the Lord knows and he blesses you. Jacob's boss called him and apparently another guy that Jacob works with set up something for Jacob so that he would have work.

I'm not sure of all the details but he will be doing office work instead of going out in the field which sucks for Jacob but it's going to be guaranteed 40 hours/week for one fiscal year (which is from October to October). During that year he will be doing quality control on the paperwork that comes to his desk. This particular job is with the new lead contractor at Hanford CH2M Hill so his network will increase in a BIG way. He will still be working for his company GRAM but will be contracted out to CH2M Hill. This means a pay raise as well. At the end of the year if he doesn't like the job he can ask to be transferred somewhere else in the company or go back to his old job. It isn't 100% sure but it's about 99% sure that this will happen. So that takes care of that problem. Now onto the next...

THE TOILET

Jacob's family came to visit this weekend for the long weekend and for Emma's party (I will talk about that at the end of my post). Yesterday while I was at my doctor's appointment (which will too be at the end of this post) the toilet and tub backflowed into the house. We came home to my mother in law bailing water out and my father in law plunging the toilet. YIKES! That's not even the best part. I started calling around the ward looking for a plumbing snake. Five phone calls later I located one. I went over and picked it up and we put it down the toilet. Nothing happened.

Meanwhile the plunger my father in law broke so he went to take it back to the store. Jacob and I decided to go to Home Depot and buy a hefty plunger. While we were there we looked at plumbing snakes. We decided to rent one. Back home we go to use the new plunger on the tub and toilet. Well... the plunger didn't do the trick. Meanwhile my dad called (since I called him to ask advice) and gave us some ideas on what to do. As a result Jacob crawled under the house to find the clean out valve to the sewer line. After a LONG time he found it. Well, the snake we borrowed wasn't long enough. Jacob went downt he road to rent a 50 foot snake. He came back and tried to fit it under the house to get to the main line. The heating vent was too low and the snake was too big to fit under the vent. Jacob came up and tried to fit the snake through the toilet and the head of the snake didn't bend enough. So... up on the roof he goes to put it through the sewer vent. Guess what? It wasn't long enough! In the meantime I'm running back and forth to my neighbors house to pee.

The next step was to take the toilet off and put the snake down. Jacob didn't have any gloves so he was using my bath towels to pull the line out and feed it into the pipe. That didn't work. By this time it's almost 6:00 in the evening. My in laws left to head over the mountains and Jacob, Emma and I went to the store to pee and buy gloves.

When we got back Jacob and I put Emma to bed and ran the snake down the toilet hole again. Five minutes later it was all the way through and we backed it out. There were tree roots on the end of the snake! We then poured root killer in the hole and sent the snake down again. Well, the snake broke halfway into the pipe. Jacob pulled it out and we decided to sit and watch some tv.

THE T.V.

Wouldn't you know that the tv bulb would go out!? That's right, our big screen tv is no longer working either.

THE POOP

Here we are at 10:30 the next day with no plumbing still. Jacob is on his way to rent another longer snake and we hope this will work. Meanwhile there is poop on my bathroom walls and in the tub.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS!

EMMA'S PARTY

Emma's birthday party was really fun. We had 15-20 people over and 3 of those including Emma were 2 year olds. The kids had tons of fun playing together and the adults had fun sitting around and talking. Thanks to Lora for coming over and helping me grate cheese for all the pizzas we made!

MY DR.'S APPOINTMENT

My doctor's appointment went really well yesterday. It was a quick in and out but we got to listen to the baby's heart beat. It was 158 bpm which I guess any range between 120 and 180 is normal. I think Emma's was somewhere around that too. It took the PA a long time to find the heart beat and I was starting to worry but I'm glad the baby is fine.

I think I'm going to post a new recipe next week. I can't think of one right now. I hope that your weeks aren't as eventful as mine! I'm glad that every week is not like this for me. It's weeks like this that make you appreciate the good ones. Keep your fingers crossed that we won't end up having to call a plumber! And lets hope that this cold I'm getting goes away quickly!

I finished Emma's cake!

So tomorrow is the big day. Emma's birthday party. Her birthday isn't until the 15th but my in laws are coming over tomorrow. Here is the cake I received my inspiration from:






And here is my version of it:
Elmo and Ernie's legs and feet hang over the side of the cake (you can't tell very well from my camera phone picture). Yes there are flaws and I don't care that the word Birthday is spelt at a slant. It took me 3 1/2 hours to complete and I'm glad to be done! My hands didn't cooperate so there were times when my hand slipped. Jacob was kind enough to give me hand messages when the pain was too much. It's scary that I'm only 23 (almost 24 on the 16th) and I can't decorate a cake. Anyway, I hope you all like it.

I'm making my blog private!!

So I have decided that I don't like the fact that anyone can read my blog so we are going to make it private. Send me your email addresses if you would like to continue reading. I just think it's creepy that total strangers can read about my personal stuff. Thanks!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes/ Our week

I thought that since it's November which is the best month EVER (mine and Emma's birthday's and Thanksgiving) I would post different dishes you can make for your Thanksgiving dinner. This weeks recipe comes from Martha Stewart. Last Thanksgiving we celebrated with our friends Willie and Sally. It was really nice of them to invite us over even though Willie's family was over too. Anyway, Sally made these sweet potatoes and I became addicted.

• 14 (each about 8 ounces) sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 3/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
• 40 large marshmallows, halved crosswise

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Let cool slightly on a rack.
2. Cut a lengthwise slit in potatoes almost all the way through, leaving about 1 inch at each end intact. Scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch border on skins. Put flesh in a medium nonreactive bowl, then transfer half to a food processor. Process until smooth; return to bowl. Stir in sour cream, 6 tablespoons softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Transfer sweet potato mixture in batches to a pastry bag fitted with a very large round tip. Pipe mixture into 12 of the potato shells, dividing evenly; discard remaining 2 shells. Filled shells can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day. Just before serving, top with remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, the sliced butter, and pecans; arrange marshmallows on top. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until hot and marshmallows are golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

In other news, I'm going in next Tuesday for another checkup. This one I will be 13 weeks and will have an ultrasound. I'm excited to see my little baby and hope that it will give me a boost of confidence and excitement. In January hopefully they will be able to tell us what we are having. I really thought that with our next baby that I wouldn't find out but now I'm sitting on the fence. Last time we got a false alarm so I don't know if I trust the machines or not.

Emma's birthday party is on Saturday (though he birthday isn't until next Saturday). I've gotten all the decorations and have a final decision on the birthday cake. I'm going to do the one that no one voted for because it's easiest and I'm feeling lazy this week. For the cake, all I will have to do is ice is white, smoth it out, outline the characters of Ernie, Elmo and Cookie monster (I believe) and then just pipe stars. I'll save the extravagant cakes for when Emma is older and can appreciate my work a little more.
Last Year's Birthday Cake

I WON!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so I'm almost embarrassed to admit this... Jacob and I have been married for 3 1/2 years (that's not the embarrassing part) and we play monopoly sometimes. Well, for the last 3 1/2 years I have gotten my butt kicked every time. I will own up to spiking the board on a few occasions. Today, the tables turned. The first games we played lasted maybe 10 minutes and Jacob beat me really bad. I resisted the urge to spike the board and asked for a rematch. I got the first and second monopoly on some properties and with my lucky roll of tons of doubles (without ever having to go to jail) I racked up some serious money. The end of the story is is that I totally blew Jacob out of the water. It was a very redeeming moment for me.

In other news, Emma had a blast last night. She was a black cat, although her ears looked more like a mouses since they weren't pointed. We went to our ward's trunk or treat and then came home just in time to catch some trick or treaters. Everytime the door bell would ring, Emma would run as fast as she could to the door so she could hand out candy. She didn't want to go to bed for fear that she would miss someone. We were keeping her up until 9:00 anyway to get ready for the time change so we assured her that she wouldn't miss anyone and that they were all done coming to the door. I loved seeing the excitement in her face when she was trick or treating and handing out the candy to other kids.

We carved pumpkins on Thursday night. It was our first time as a couple and a family doing it together so it was pretty exciting for us. Jacob couldn't figure out what he wanted his to look like so he went online to get a template. Emma and I were getting her ready for bed and I decided to check on Jacob's progress. He had gotten out the power drill and was using it to detail his pumpkin. I grabbed the video camera and got some video of it too. If I had a computer cord for the camera then I would post the video. Emma thought the pumpkin guts were gross. She made quite the face which I also got on video (dang it!). It was a good Halloween for us!

My funny little girl

One year ago, helping mommy bake

My little goof sitting in a mud puddle

One of her silly faces

I've always looked forward to the day when my little Emma would start showing her sense of humor. Over the past few months she has started opening up and letting some humor out. I was joking around with her a while back and picked up one of her shoes and answered it like a telephone. She gave me the "oh mom" look and moved on. I personally thought it was hilarious and was crushed that Emma didn't find it funny at all. Well, these last couple of weeks, she has started picking up random objects and pretending like they are a phone. She will say "Hello?" "uh huh" "okay" "bye". Sometimes she will even hand it over to me and say "here mommy! For you!". She comes up with some really funny objects to make into phones. The other day it was her tooth brush, her favorite blanket, and a cheerio. I laughed out loud with the blanket.

There are other little things she does that make me laugh too. She will come up and poke my nose, make a funny face at me, or my favorite is when she will jump off the coffee table and do a tuck and roll and stand up and shout "TaDa!".

Her laugh in contagious! It makes me laugh every time I hear it. Being a mom is such a rewarding experience. I'm so thankful that I was lucky enough to be chosen as Emma's mommy. Of course being a mom isn't all fun and games and happy times all the time. There have been some moments when my patience and sanity have been tested with her, but she has made be a better person and continues to make me learn and grow up. There have also been dark and lonely times in my life since she's been born and just looking at her and seeing her smile and hearing her laugh have made all the trials and hard times bearable. I love you little bug!

Things I've done

I was reading my friend Annaliese's blog and she had this on her blog and I thought it was really cool. You copy and paste the following to your blog and bold the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie or on a TV show 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt. 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100. Had the toilet seat cover hanging out of the back of your pants at Wal-mart when you were 7 months pregnant

My Sweet Little Angel/ Taco Soup/ Birthday Party Preps!

Ok, I'm going to brag a little about my daughter. This last week Emma has been such an angel. She wakes up happy and ready to go and is just full of hugs and kisses for Jacob and me. She does have some small moments here and there (she's not prefect) when she throws a fit but for the most part, this week so far has been wonderful. I think she may be going through a growth suprt though. She eats twice as much as I do at dinner now and takes 2-3 hour naps during the day. You should see how much this girl eats! I had one small helping of spaghetti the other night and she had 3 not huge but medium helpings. That's how it's been the last few nights. We haven't had any leftovers because Emma bats clean up at the dinner table! Speaking of dinner... here is this weeks recipe:

Taco Soup
1 lb ground beef

½ c chopped onion
3c water

1 (26 oz) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (16 oz) kidney beans, undrained

1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can corn

1 envelope taco seasoning

In a large saucepan cook ground beef and onion until meat is browned. Drain off excess fat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, tomatoes, green onions, and/or avocado. Makes 6 servings

For those of you who haven't ever had this before here is what I do. I take a handful of chips and crunch them up in my hands and put them in my soup. Then I put a tablespoon of sour cream on top and some grated cheese and stir it up. It is so simple and easy to make. When I was going to school, every Friday the institute would have Friday Forum and this was one of the dishes the secretary would make for us to eat afterward.

So everyone that voted on the cake liked the middle one the best and the top one second. I got to looking at the middle one a little closer and decided that it was above my level. I looks like they did screen printing on it for the grass and I've never done that before. I think I'm going to try the top cake and if I'm crunched for time then I'll probablly end up doing the bottom one.

I was looking around on the internet for Sesame Street Party Ideas and I found this really awesome website. I went to the dollar store and bought red, yellow, green and blue crate paper and balloons, yellow, green, and red die cut letters, and Sesame Street books for party favors. What I'm going to do is tape the die cut letters all over the walls and hang streamers and blow up balloons and let them just be on the floor for the kids to play with. I'm making a pin the nose on Elmo games and also a cookie monster cookie toss game. I wish I had batteries for my camera so I could show off the Elmo invites I made.

For the food, we are making homemade pizzas, jell-o jigglers in different shapes, and we are going to have a fruit and veggie tray with homemade dips to go with them. I'm also going to have soem goldfish crackers in a container for people to guess how many fish are in the container with a prize for the winner.

I'm really excited about the birthday party! It isn't for a couple weeks but I'm still excited.

This is for you Stacey!/ Help me pick Emma's birthday cake!!!!

I'm making crock pot chilli for dinner tonight and Stacey wanted the recipe so here it is:

Hearty Beef and Bean Chili
1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10 ¾ oz) can tomato soup
1 (14 ½ oz) can diced tomatoes

½ c water
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans

¼ c chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Pour off fat. Mix beef with rest of ingredients in a crock-pot. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or for 4-5 hours on high or until done.

Emma's birthday is on the 15th of November so I'm starting to gather ideas for it. I'm going to do a Sesame Street theme and need you opinions on the birthday cake that I should decorate. I've looked at a lot online and have narrowed it down. Let me know what you think.

Oh and also just before I got on the computer to post this entry, I told Emma it was time to take a nap. At the time I was cooking up the hamburger to put in the chilli and didn't think about what I had said to Emma for about 5 minutes. I turned around and she wasn't in the kitchen so I went looking for her and she was laying down in her bed reading a book! What a good little girl! Too bad everyday isn't like today!

My first Dr. Appointment!/ Some Dang good Chicken Curry!

Well, yesterday was my first doctor's appointment. It was a good appointment besides that fact that I've already gained 6 pounds! (Fatty!). I didn't gain any weight with Emma until the last trimester so this whole gaining weight early on is a little wierd. The doctor told me that if all goes well this time around that there is no reason why I can't have a natural birth! I hated my C-Section with Emma. It does horrible things to your stomach! Anyway, next appointment I get to have an untrasound to look at the baby. I'm 9 weeks along as of today.

Emma is taking naps again!!! There were 2 weeks where all she did was play in her room but now she has taken a nap everyday this week which is 3! On Sunday we all layed down in our bed to see if we could get Emma to nap with us. (Jacob and I both had really bad head aches). We woke up 2 hours later and the princess was still sleeping! It is so nice because now she will nap anywhere form 30 minutes to 2 hours and go to bed at 8 and wake up at 7:30. I love it!

Our truck is now offically fixed thanks to my wonderful dad and wonderful husband. A couple of Jacob's co-workers were surprised to see the truck roll up into the parking lot again. It's nice to not have to take Jacob out to Richland and pick him up everyday.

This weeks recipe is the only thing that has sounded good to me lately (besides Taco soup which I will post next week). I absolutely love it!


½ c onion, chopped
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ c celery, chopped
salt and pepper
¼ c salad oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/3 c flour
2 c chicken, cooked and diced
2 c chicken broth
1 c tomato juice
4 c hot cooked rice

Brown onion and celery in oil. Add flour and blend. Add broth and cook until thickened. Stir constantly. Add tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning and chicken. (I add more curry powder). Heat thoroughly. Serve over rice. Serve with any of the following condiments: Raisins, bacon bits, crushed pineapple, coconut, diced hard boiled egg, chutney, diced olives, pickle relish, cashews, or peanuts.

I will confess that I don't put celery in mine. I think celery is gross. I also add more curry than it calls for and some ginger to taste. We had this for dinner last night and I thought Emma was going to eat it all. I really enjoy it wil the pineapple, coconut and olives on the top. We eat this with green beans on the side. ( I count the pineapple as our fruit side dish).

Please Excuse my Blondeness!

This last week was CRAZY! My parents came over for the 3 day weekend and we took out our old window and put in a new one and made over our living room closet. I'm still trying to clean up the house after 3 days of neglecting it. What made it worse was that I felt like crap and spent a lot of time leaning over the toilet wanting to puke (but never did). Emma is officially not taking naps now which means a very tired and cranky mommy.
The truck is kinda fixed. It turns out we needed new spark plugs and a cap and router and new vacuum hoses (we fixed 2 of 3). For now I am dropping Jacob off at work and picking him up until we get the hoses we need.
Needless to say yesterday was Tuesday and I totally spaced out. As a result you are going to get a new recipe on Wednesday instead (gasp!). Hopefully I will be able to keep my days straight for the rest of the week.
OH and on Monday I have my first doctors appointment and I'm hoping that I will be able to hear the baby's heart beat. I will be 9 weeks along and I was 10 weeks when I heard Emma's heart beat so keep your fingers crossed. I'm still trying to think of what recipe I want to post. There are so many good ones and of course I haven't been cooking so I don't have pictures of any of them. A salad sounds really good to me right now so a salad recipe it is!

Romaine Salad with Avocado Dressing

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

½ c mayo

¼ c vegetable oil

3 Tbs. lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, peeled

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp hot pepper sauce

1 bunch romaine, torn

3 medium tomatoes, cut in wedges

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1 (2 ¼ oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained

2 green onions, chopped

corn chips

For the dressing, place the avocado, mayo, vegetable oil lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper sauce in a food processor; cover and process until blended. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, olives and onions. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the corn chips. Yield: 12 servings

I love LOVE LOVE this salad recipe. I got it from my Taste of Home Magazine. I wish I had the ingredients to make this right now. It has a lot of flavor and would go well with anything you want to serve it with.My apologies for the randomness of the photos. I'm having a brain cramp and can't figure out where to put the photos. You get the jumbled mess. I hope you get the point though. It looks so much better than it did.

Really good dips/ No more naps/Farewell to the truck

I haven't been cooking much this week so I haven't been able to take pictures of any yummy food. I really just don't want to eat anything and it's getting really annoying. I made my Grandma Trogdon's pumpkin pie recipe last night and it just didn't taste good to me. I thought I'd switch it up this week and post some dips and appetizers that I like. The two dips are ones I made last year for Emma's 1st birthday party. They are both sooooooo good!

Sour Cream Fruit Dip

1 cup light sour cream
¼ c apricot or peach preserves
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice
Apple, pear, or peach slices

In a small bowl stir together the sour cream, apricot preserves, and desired spice. Cover and chill for 1-24 hours. Serve with fruit slices. Yield: 1 cup dip

Creamy Black Bean Dip

I got this picture off the Taste of Home website

2 packages (8oz each) fat-free cream cheese
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
¾ c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 green onions, chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cumin Dash of cayenne pepper
Topping:
¼ c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese 2 Tbs. diced fresh tomato
2 Tbs. chopped green onion

In a food processor, cover and process cream cheese until smooth. Add ½ of the beans.
Cover and pulse until blended. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in cheese, onions, cumin, cayenne, and remaining beans. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or over night.
Just before serving garnish with cheese, tomato and onion. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: 3 cups serving size ¼ cup

For the black bean dip I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese because I think fat free tastes like poo. I got the Fruit Dip recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and the Black Bean Dip from my taste of home cookbook. Everyone loved the dips and I did too. I haven't made them since because I'm too afraid of eating the whole thing by myself! I figured that since Halloween is just around the corner these would be a great idea for any party.
Here is the existing window. It's really big! Sorry it's probablly hard to see. I should've closed the curtains but my camera was dieing.

My parents are coming over this weekend and we are going to take out our front window and put in a shorter one. It should be quite the project and I'm not that excited about it happening but I am excited about having a smaller window. The new window is the one we took out of the kitchen and replaced with a sliding glass door. The window is a foot longer but I think 2 or 3 feet shorter. It will be nice to have a window that I can actually open and get some air flow in the summer months.

I think I am seeing the last days of naps for my little Emma. She has been going every other day not taking a nap and then taking like an hour nap the next day. Yesterday she didn't take one and right now she is in her room playing and has been for the last hour. At least she is playing I guess. The problem is is that she goes to bed at the same time and wakes up an hour earlier now. I don't know what to do. I guess there is nothing I can do. She is choosing to not take naps anymore and it's not like I can force her to close her eyes and sleep. She is really good for the rest of the day too when she doesn't nap but I'm tired because I would take a nap at the same time on some days when I was super tired.

Yesterday I put in a movie and started watching it with her and fell asleep. I woke up about 20 minutes later and Emma had put all her blankets on me. When she saw that I was awake she said "Good morning mommy!" and gave me a kiss. It was the sweetest thing! I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep. I'm turning into Serena! (Sorry for giving you such a hard time back in the day Serena... now I never can get through a movie either!)

And lastly I think our truck (Big Birtha) is finally going to say goodbye. Jacob took it to work yesterday and on the way home it kept dieing. It took him an hour to get home from Richland which is usually a 20 minute drive. Every time Jacob stopped the truck died. He pulled over and tried to fix it but he couldn't find any problems. This morning we started it up to check the transmission fluid because it also wouldn't shift into the higher gear when he went over 35mph. The fluid level was fine and the oil level was fine. As soon as I let off the gas the truck would die and even when I held down the gas pedal it was fighting to stay alive. It's been a great truck. We got it for free almost 3 1/2 years ago from my parents and Its survived multiple trips from Ellensburg to Twisp, to Port Orchard, to Seattle, and down to Colorado and back. They just don't make trucks like that anymore! Thankfully it got Jacob home safely! For now it is sitting in the driveway. It still starts up just fine so I'm hoping my dad will be able to fix it but if not... here's to you Big Birtha! We had a lot of fun times together.

Dang it! I want my sandwich!

Today I went walking with my friends Stacey and Karen and when we got done I was really hungry. Lately nothing except my peach smoothie has sounded or tasted good so I pretty much don't eat. I finally had a craving come into my head that sounded AWESOME!! There is this place called Wheat Montana here that makes wonderful deli sandwiches. It's all the way down by the temple (ok... the temple is like 10-15 mintues from my house depending on traffic) and I was wondering if it was worth the drive.

I decided that it's not everyday when food sounds good so away we went in our old beat up 1983 Ford F150 truck (Jacob took the car to work). On the way to the Deli I am talking to Emma about how we are going to a place that makes really yummy sandwiches. She is getting really excited and so is my stomach. Since I was dressed in workout clothes I decided to go through the drive through. I whip the truck around the back side of the building and pull up to the drive though window. There is a sign that says "Drive through window is closed"... okay... no biggie I will just go inside looking like a sweaty homeless person who stole a very neat and tidy little girl. So I whip around to the parking lot... there is NOTHING in the store! Apparently there is no more Wheat Montana Deli! I burst out loud "Oh no!!". Emma who has gotten all worked up about having this wonderful sandwich yells "Dang it! I want my sandwich!" I had to hold my laughter in since she was obviously upset about not getting a sandwich.

By this time my stomach was really growling. I had to think of something fast. DQ is right down the road but that would mean the temptation to buy a Blizzard which I DO NOT need! I start driving back toward home while looking for a place to eat. Mind you it's the 12 o'clock hour so everyone and their dog is out to get a bite to eat. Sonic is packed, Quizno's is packed. All along Emma keeps repeating the words "Dang it! I want my sandwich!"

Then all of a sudden there it is... like a beacon of light... Carl's Jr. Emma points to it "Star!!!" (The star is the logo just in case you were failing to see the connection). I really liked their Charbroiled BBQ Chicken sandwich the last time we ate there like forever and a day ago. I pulled into the drive through and ordered. When we get home I eat and think my taste buds haven't tasted anything this good in forever. After finishing the sandwich I was able to think about what I had just eaten... "Oh my goodness! What have I done!!??" The good feeling is gone and I start thinking about all the calories that I just ate. Suddenly I feel sick. Why did I eat that? How gross!!!

And that my friends is how my life has been for the last month. I absolutely loved that Emma said "Dang it! I want my sandwich!" and just had to share it with you. Kids are such a wonderful blessing and I'm glad Emma is here to entertain me and keep me on my toes.

If you need to get a hold of me I will be on my elliptical trying to get the yucky sandwich out of my system!! I think being pregnant has turned me into a nut! I hope all of you are having a great day.

Baked Potato Soup/ Recent Events

In celebration of the fall I thought I would post one of my favorite soups. I'm sorry I don't have a picture this time. I will post one soon though. I'm actually making this for dinner tonight. I got this recipe from my mom and it's fantastic. I think the bacon adds an awesome flavor.

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4 large baked potatoes with skin

1 lb bacon, cooked crisp

1 stick butter

½ c flour

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

4 c milk

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

4 chopped green onions

1 ¼ c shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz sour cream

Bake potatoes and set aside to cool. Peel and dice. Crumble bacon. In a 3 ½ quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth and creamy. Add broth, slowly add milk and cook until thick- DO NOT BOIL- about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, pepper, salt, onion, bacon and cheese. Simmer until heated. Add sour cream.

To make this lower fat you can use turkey bacon (it looks gross and sounds gross but the taste difference is only slight), non fat sour cream, light butter, and reduced fat cheddar cheese (don't use fat free... it doesn't melt).

This tastes really good with just a plain salad or if you like lots of flavor (and some more calories) a Caesar Salad would be good as well. I also like to make rolls to go with my soups. Here is my FAVORITE roll recipe:

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Kris’ Basic Rolls

4 c hot milk

1 c sugar

1 c shortening

1 T salt

4 eggs

3 T yeast dissolved in 1 c warm water

Flour

Mix ingredients in a large bowl or bread mixer. Add flour until it forms dough, not sticky, but softer then bread. Raise once. Shape and bake. Bake at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Makes 64 rolls.

I got this recipe from my mom who got it from Kris Riddle for those of you who know her. They are wonderful. I usually halve the recipe. I use powdered milk for the hot milk and just mix it up with the hottest tap water I can get. If your milk is too hot it will cook your eggs. I use the better n' eggs egg substitute as well to cut out some of the fat.

This week I started walking with my friends Lora, Stacey, and Karen. It's really nice to get outside and exercise. We end up walking for about an hour which feels so good after wards. Among us we have 5 kids under the age of 2 and Lora and I are both pregnant again so there will be lots of kids next year!

Emma counted to 10 all by herself on Sunday! It was pretty exciting. Usually she stops at three but she kept on going this time! Now is just have to get her to count objects to ten so she will understand what it means to count. She is so much fun and I love playing with her. She also played outside yesterday for 3 hours!! I kept asking her if she wanted to come inside and she told me no so I said great I can get more stuff done! I remember when she was smaller just waiting for the day that she would go play on her own and now it's FINALLY here!!

Jacob is working in the office for heaven knows how long. Hanford just had a switch in who the major contractors are. Fluor was the major contractor which is who contracts out Jacob's company but CH2M Hill offered a better price I guess so now they are the major contractor. Anyway, the Fluor people are trying to figure out how many contractor jobs they are going to miss out on so everyone is kinda in limbo right now. It's nice that Jacob is able to still work in the office though. A much better change from living in Grand Junction!