tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48437019413346661902024-03-19T03:19:27.792-07:00What Did YOU Do Today?A glimps of life on my side of the stree!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-81756632430420817572011-04-20T16:57:00.000-07:002011-04-20T16:57:00.321-07:00Maybe I Should Just Post Pictures<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was going through the last year of posts, which sadly, is like, 6, and realized a theme- I always end each one with 'look out for more pictures later', and then? Never happens. I am such a procrastinator. Then I think about it again, and think, 'eh, what's the use now?' Gosh I have issues. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4dk550LcLK3vzJwjGLWjqkS1sSibNpSnIJc9m2wJtuFU7qrlaN4EO1YYsQeYJFhhb3tCQqtVVNGt_VitG2FgJdctFFesedLVV7pEIW5Nvjd2EVlTSZfbuhsdwkqqrus3s0LtbeyKYCE/s1600/100_5052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4dk550LcLK3vzJwjGLWjqkS1sSibNpSnIJc9m2wJtuFU7qrlaN4EO1YYsQeYJFhhb3tCQqtVVNGt_VitG2FgJdctFFesedLVV7pEIW5Nvjd2EVlTSZfbuhsdwkqqrus3s0LtbeyKYCE/s320/100_5052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> These were taken in Costa Mesa, June 2010. Chris had a few weeks of training and since work paid for him to stayin a hotel down there, we joined him! Although it was too cold to go in the water at the beach, we visited a few times. Can I just say that the OC has the best weather?!?!? And shopping?!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTIfigZscNIznz7sLnzPIIsDiNKrbIjZeLVmSKsAje2aqES9fevxCbQVonJx4p_Ujs_6uYOn6vuaNDFn2wJnGqXvBoyxKzF8aNEbZyTwwqf-brihALSLhu3bmIKiFFz4r3VuKyGFMnFo/s1600/100_5073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirTIfigZscNIznz7sLnzPIIsDiNKrbIjZeLVmSKsAje2aqES9fevxCbQVonJx4p_Ujs_6uYOn6vuaNDFn2wJnGqXvBoyxKzF8aNEbZyTwwqf-brihALSLhu3bmIKiFFz4r3VuKyGFMnFo/s320/100_5073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLhCGyr2w-1Ty0wd5UoDkLrQpALpidC4LsP60EjeaaRkYd46x_NDaZmQgHuyqzBJlrmOXo2RwLfvKx_Rq6m7xfh4O1o9y92fPVRM4rRlggDBx9Cc5un5l-_aLrVXQfJq401iZz5Oxm2k/s1600/100_5364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLhCGyr2w-1Ty0wd5UoDkLrQpALpidC4LsP60EjeaaRkYd46x_NDaZmQgHuyqzBJlrmOXo2RwLfvKx_Rq6m7xfh4O1o9y92fPVRM4rRlggDBx9Cc5un5l-_aLrVXQfJq401iZz5Oxm2k/s320/100_5364.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Family on Halloween. They boys and I were ghosts and Chris was a Ghostbuster. I had ditched the way-too-much costume by this point. Brought me back to my HS days when I made a Hershey Kiss costume. WHAT was I thinking?!?!?!?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-45667796467970084482011-04-16T22:50:00.000-07:002011-04-16T22:50:23.538-07:00Really, I am alive!SOOO, its been, oh 4 months or so since I posted. Although I read and catch up on everyone's blogs, I guess I don't think I have anything worth writting. So here is what's going on with us- it will work for now, right??<br />
We started talking about buying another house last May. After lots of phone calls, investigating, making sure we could handle two mortgages, etc, we decided to go for it! We started looking, didn't find anything worth moving, and took a break. <br />
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Zander had surgery in October to correct his shoulder. He was born with a disorder called <a href="http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/sprengels_deformity">Sprengle's Deformity</a>. We knew this way back when he was 5 mo old, in the NICU with RSV. This surgery was planned, all went pretty well. His orthopaedic surgeon preforms 95% of this surgery, nationwide. We were thrilled to work with him down at CHLA. (REALLY, the best so. Cal childrens hospital). He was great in the hospital after, they let us go home less than 24 hours later! A few days later, though, he got really sick, he was breathing very hard and I knew we were in for another ER visit. Instead of driving all the way down to LA, we took him to Loma Linda, where they admitted him for pnenmonia. Dr. Skaggs (surgeon) said it was normal, since he was in his body for a long time, air most likely got trapped and messed up his lungs. We stayed down there for 3 days and he was great. Super trooper! We started PT two weeks later and although he hated the pulling and tugging on his arm, he loved playing! Miss Laurie was his therapist, and lucky for us, had been a preschool teacher for 20 years! She knew exactly how to work with him. He painted, played games and had a ball. We continued that until the end of Febuary. Pre-surgery, Dr. Skaggs said we could expect 30-40 degrees improvement in his range of motion. After all that hard PT, he has 60%! We were thrilled! So he is doing great. Learning to use it just as much as his other hand/arm. <br />
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Back to the house- we started looking again in November. Found one we liked, but didn't love, mainly because it needed lots of work. The bones were good, but it was super smelly and very dirty. But it was huge and we liked the floor plan. So we put in an offer, and we got it! We got the keys (well, basically, we broke in) February 4th, ripped out carpets, painted the entire house (after scrubbing every single wall. . . ) redid the floors in the kitchen, and cleaned really well and moved in the 12th. It was a crazy week, let me tell you, but worth it. We are finally starting to feel like its home. Still don't have anything up on the walls, but hey, we put curtains up on the sliding glass door in the kitchen, does that count as something?!?! Its still a work in progress. We have huge plans for it, but with huge plans come lots of work, lots of energy and lots of money!!!<br />
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So, the biggest news (which MOST of you already know) is that we are going to have another baby!! We have been ready for about 9 months now for another, and you know? I really know that Heavenly Father saw wisdom in my not being pregnant while Zander went through surgery, or while we shopped for houses, or packed up our old house, or got this one ready. .. .HE KNOWS me and my weaknesses and strengths so much better than I do. Very glad I didn't get too whiney about not being pregnant before. <br />
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Well. This is really long. And wordy, and probably annoying. But its done, right?? I took some pictures of the house, but they aren't on my computer yet, so I will up load them next time. Thanks for reading this rant! Thanks for the love!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-3547290082967762512010-12-23T13:06:00.000-08:002010-12-23T13:06:31.122-08:00Merry Christmas!What a busy year! And you know, its only going to continue this way, for like, forever. Kids are born, grow up, life is always changing. Trials come and knock us down for a bit, we recover, and (hopefully) learn the lesson we were meant too. And the blessings, oh the blessings! Life is sweet, isn't it?<br />
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I really like the idea of using this blog to stay connected with friends in far away places. I have done a very crappy job on my part, although I am grateful for those who frequently update! Maybe this next year will be better. I think the problem is that I feel a need to be elloquent, with proper grammar and spelling. When really, who cares, right? Staying in touch is way more important. So here is to a new year with more frequent posts. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvVbQxIYNzvf3ZTvQbmQdI3dYW8Un59HY5QUZeLGLgmmXSZzqoKJ_kTkD-x-igIRaIFyX9aaTtssQIFo14nILnuNQloGGe-s57NceoGopDncwthmcPWIUhMHMNKI_vy6D9iePyHA-AV4/s1600/christmas.card.2010.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvVbQxIYNzvf3ZTvQbmQdI3dYW8Un59HY5QUZeLGLgmmXSZzqoKJ_kTkD-x-igIRaIFyX9aaTtssQIFo14nILnuNQloGGe-s57NceoGopDncwthmcPWIUhMHMNKI_vy6D9iePyHA-AV4/s320/christmas.card.2010.PNG" width="297" /></a></div>Here are a few pictures of our little family. The boys are wonderful, crazy, exausting, adorable, all in one; growing like crazy, learning every day. <br />
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Again, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-65952746762773783372010-08-05T23:32:00.000-07:002010-08-05T23:32:16.072-07:00Kade's First BirthdaySo hard to believe my baby is One year old, where did the time fly?? We had a little(ish) birthday party for the Birthday boy this year, with just family. Even then, there were 20+ people in my house, plus 5 kids. yikes. Instead of going the easy route and sticking with cake and ice cream, I decided to make dinner for all these people. NEVER AGAIN!! Although it turned out great, it was a LOT of work, and although my family was worth the hassle, my mental capacity took a hit and I was a cranky momma by nights end. What's the point, huh! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8Tp8n5RzdUYDBzZ3pTEyJFMo3morrAvXZijiJyKctPzag6tuhukkBLmy-Def-6EhHEVUiTZm6P5FG13CXKKljHnr5AcSzgJmwlUTILYMSkW2Ed3IRIEaqr9e7LDh2UhNM7bvmqL-s78/s1600/2010.MayJune.july+196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8Tp8n5RzdUYDBzZ3pTEyJFMo3morrAvXZijiJyKctPzag6tuhukkBLmy-Def-6EhHEVUiTZm6P5FG13CXKKljHnr5AcSzgJmwlUTILYMSkW2Ed3IRIEaqr9e7LDh2UhNM7bvmqL-s78/s320/2010.MayJune.july+196.JPG" /></a></div>I did a turtle-ish party. I say 'ish' because I kept it pretty simple. I made some cute invites, made a SUPER cute birthday banner, whipped together a turtle cake, and that was about it. Simple! Here are a few pictures, Isn't he precious??!!? <br />
Here is the sign I made, using my Mom's Cricut machine. That thing is amazing. . . .I got the idea from emmiecakes.com. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik78i3eFe4OnBfyWHdBlYChAfZ86d7meIzY8pcuuu2mPsGze5g5WlNE41JGo5jHHfTu0wHBExxj3wg-Io7MfgG8Uug_aE5j0KCNkHVc_zy-BieqApOalkpGloa27pIR3SOUEZYIESS1yA/s1600/2010.MayJune.july+201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik78i3eFe4OnBfyWHdBlYChAfZ86d7meIzY8pcuuu2mPsGze5g5WlNE41JGo5jHHfTu0wHBExxj3wg-Io7MfgG8Uug_aE5j0KCNkHVc_zy-BieqApOalkpGloa27pIR3SOUEZYIESS1yA/s320/2010.MayJune.july+201.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Its a bit wonky in this picture because 1. I had 'help' putting it up, and 2. this picture was taken at the end of the evening. Trust me, Its WAAAYY cuter than the picture depicts!!</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5M3dL1PbSYSDZjY0PvZpa_kiKh6BEdnFdYtwO2E1g6zVAUxZRzXia6mYlWI_fwHuJmdFPzQ5f2vUSSwsGPfB1QbhfCLBjzU53qDWwA_yQvZWbiRdmqnQr0bPjI5r-eMKm4k9620eSeAc/s1600/2010.MayJune.july+194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5M3dL1PbSYSDZjY0PvZpa_kiKh6BEdnFdYtwO2E1g6zVAUxZRzXia6mYlWI_fwHuJmdFPzQ5f2vUSSwsGPfB1QbhfCLBjzU53qDWwA_yQvZWbiRdmqnQr0bPjI5r-eMKm4k9620eSeAc/s320/2010.MayJune.july+194.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is his cake. It too is a bit wonky because 1. my partner in crime is MIA (not really, she just abandoned me for England) 2. I spent too much time on real food and not this bad boy and 3. I tried too hard and didn't know when to stop messing with it. It worked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-7MmnFfJLwVt1fRlK_nbl-U2emuP7xK0DwlsC8ZeC8iS3aNoJoHCx0pEX1ac1-QpS9WwGUl2T50x-FT-G1FyTPxd8xrrio4THA8CA4cdOdqX27BmCdb8uu1iDf6N6rKEwW-JFLKa_5k/s1600/2010.MayJune.july+203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-7MmnFfJLwVt1fRlK_nbl-U2emuP7xK0DwlsC8ZeC8iS3aNoJoHCx0pEX1ac1-QpS9WwGUl2T50x-FT-G1FyTPxd8xrrio4THA8CA4cdOdqX27BmCdb8uu1iDf6N6rKEwW-JFLKa_5k/s320/2010.MayJune.july+203.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My big boy, tickling the Ivory's! He loves to play the piano!! (really, he just loves to make noise. . . .)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whelp. Uploading pictures is taking forever and I need to turn in, so there ya go. More soon! (Don't keep your fingers crossed too long, that's what I said about posting more on our England trip. . . a month ago. . .)</div>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-28733956422079750582010-06-21T23:35:00.000-07:002010-06-21T23:35:27.333-07:00May 2010Hello! I must say- even though I rarely update our blog, I check it frequently to see if you guys have updated yours and am always glad to see what life is like in your neck of the woods. We have had a busy May/June! Chris and I had the amazing experience of going to England for a week. My BFF (how high school does THAT sound!?! But really, she is!) and her family were Sealed for Eternity in the London Temple! It was an amazing day, one of my top 5 best days thus far. Jeannette and I have known each other since elementary school, and became besties around our Junior year of high school. We have gone through a lot together- she lost her Aunt just days after my Grandmother passed away, I was living with her in Vegas when Danae died, and we spent many hours crying together as she learned of her sweet baby's fate once she was born. Gosh, sounds like our lives have been all doom and gloom, huh! Watching our children grow, overcome obstacles, make us laugh, make us yell, make us be mean, has been so much fun as we go through these stages together. And of course, we have each other to 'vent' our spousal frustrations too. And now that they have this amazing blessing in their lives, I know our friendship will get even deeper as we share experiences and thoughts of things most eternal. <br />
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While we were there, we visited London for a day. Anyone who has ever been to London knows you need about a month to see everything there is to see. I had the chance to go as a nanny in 2003. We were there a full week and didn't see all we wanted too! I think it was pleanty of time for Chris, as he is a true fan of the good old USA over all other nations, and was content seeing the highlights. We took a double-decker bus tour, which was so much fun and perfect when you are short on time!! I need to up load my pictures. . . <br />
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I need to retire now, so I will add more later!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-41469987507649208142010-04-25T21:07:00.000-07:002010-04-25T21:07:15.514-07:00Kade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8ZRHsyWrPrhYkdnNaqIsXKXTffrEZn5zqj895aYjTFa5xZjV4BHEOWaf6fnv26yUGuces5iUbhqoC7xz95pCOvtfKdRDauCZk6wcpT9rE7Rk9k2qhu1CmK0dohgLC8-C1KZqTYh3Ffk/s1600/100_4820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8ZRHsyWrPrhYkdnNaqIsXKXTffrEZn5zqj895aYjTFa5xZjV4BHEOWaf6fnv26yUGuces5iUbhqoC7xz95pCOvtfKdRDauCZk6wcpT9rE7Rk9k2qhu1CmK0dohgLC8-C1KZqTYh3Ffk/s320/100_4820.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">April 23, 2010</div><br />
This little guy is just, the best. He is 9 months old now, and growing! At his 9 mo apt this past week he weighed in at 18lb12oz and was 27 inches long. Tall and thin! He isn't as big of a kid as we thought, though. He grew fast at first, started wearing 6-9 mo clothes in November; he was 4 months old. He is STILL in those same clothes, but not for long. <br />
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He loves to eat, and has been introduced into snacking, his favorite is Cherrios and fruit puffs. Kade's sleeping habits left a lot to be desired until I worked on it with him about 6 weeks ago. He did GREAT for about three of those weeks, but has reverted back to his old ways. Darn kid. His first tooth hasn't come in yet, so everything gets blamed on that, including his sleep issues. He does take good naps, so I try not to complain much. <br />
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Let's see, what else about Kade-ster. He loves toys, especially his older brothers dinosaurs. He isn't crawling yet, but will spring forward out of a sitting positon onto his tummy when a prized toy is just out of reach. Mommy is working on tummy time more to encourage movement.<br />
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All in all, he is a great kid! He loves his momma and is very much a cuddler. Already a social kid, he waves when you wave back and smiles at anyone who talks to him. <br />
Ok. This is sounding a bit boring, so I will end it with a few pictures of my cutie!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP_OQD3MUUVfSW4lKxNLbaeG7-_3_Sk0m9_aP2gNY7WgJeCQ-vqk09jFsRbxOffm5tXWU9t7g-v1kHTU9NshKopdoGXg3mXLUIc_tSKUMCBEl-er2jq1u8RfT691x_NP4JVz15ElR0sw/s1600/100_4682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwP_OQD3MUUVfSW4lKxNLbaeG7-_3_Sk0m9_aP2gNY7WgJeCQ-vqk09jFsRbxOffm5tXWU9t7g-v1kHTU9NshKopdoGXg3mXLUIc_tSKUMCBEl-er2jq1u8RfT691x_NP4JVz15ElR0sw/s320/100_4682.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">November 2009, just learning to eat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fMtnrCkQLNloLYxhD18_FUNoxLsey-nA0swVeb64Jlk5Cuvc7Lse7uxFqYMmyz-bFgVJqF6seHxFNdNFui0qeyyJb86db8LN7NLx_srhU7CTavEouXj0EbKDzvyUU1q1fhEw_XxBr8w/s1600/100_4698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fMtnrCkQLNloLYxhD18_FUNoxLsey-nA0swVeb64Jlk5Cuvc7Lse7uxFqYMmyz-bFgVJqF6seHxFNdNFui0qeyyJb86db8LN7NLx_srhU7CTavEouXj0EbKDzvyUU1q1fhEw_XxBr8w/s320/100_4698.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Look at that face!! December 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXvV5kDwdAQpSK1utx5U22CsfOuoTrcX1tL_6Td19jO-ZB3BQiY_XVIAJ7uBfwIAiiQhgOlWDmSCxKJvtNf_77KiUuitLBsi9V-Y5XQBQK5Nq6-Itjhl4VjisVbwmGHPurlPd-cOyk70/s1600/100_4710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXvV5kDwdAQpSK1utx5U22CsfOuoTrcX1tL_6Td19jO-ZB3BQiY_XVIAJ7uBfwIAiiQhgOlWDmSCxKJvtNf_77KiUuitLBsi9V-Y5XQBQK5Nq6-Itjhl4VjisVbwmGHPurlPd-cOyk70/s320/100_4710.JPG" tt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-66040026209264048092010-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:002010-04-25T18:48:31.787-07:00Hello!Its been a very long time since I posted. And my blog is a little, all over the place. Not very exciting to read, at all. I am working on it a bit. More pics of my lit<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" style="background: yellow;">le</span> ones, more delicious recipes, more, period! So stick around. I promise I will be back! BTW- just because I rarely post, I love it when each of you do, so keep at it!! You inspire me!<br />
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NatalieNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-67095904764194973472010-03-02T16:29:00.000-08:002010-03-02T16:29:16.212-08:00Made from Scratch BreadOh, how I love fresh home made bread. I would make it every day if it didn't go strait to the hips. I love making it, eating it, finding recipes for it, waiting for it to rise, every little part of it. I must say, I am obsessed. (I am obsessed with a few different things these days, huh!)<br />
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How delighted I was when my pal Tammie gave me this little recipe. The easiest bread ever! Takes 1 hour from start to finish, and tastes so amazing. It makes 2 very large loaves, so far I have only made a half batch because its just the 2.75 of us, and it turns out great!! <br />
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I am NOT going to re-post the recipe, but will just post the link. This gal is great! She gives a very helpful video tutorial, too. And, I think she lives just down the hill (I will keep city names off to avoid any issues!) which is even better. <br />
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Ok. <a href="http://www.lafujimama.com/2009/09/simple-one-hour-homemade-bread/">Here is the link</a>. Check it out!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-91064010189877772652010-02-25T14:50:00.000-08:002010-02-25T14:50:11.533-08:00Coupons. . . what a pain. . . .cA few weeks go, Chris and I had a talk about our grocery and household items budget. We are really trying to cut back and save more each month. He would be content eating hot dogs and pb&j sandwhiches every night for dinner, while I would love a 4-course meal every night. We compromise and I usually cook one or two things that are more substantial and then we fill in with veggie quesadillas or sandwhiches. After our talk and our new resolve to save money, I took some advice from a few friends (I posted a question on FB and got lots of feedback!) and started checking out coupon blogs/sites. <span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;">HOLY COW</span>, what a can of worms that is!! I got really excited, learning I could get laundry detergent for dirt (ha ha) cheap, toothpaste for pennies, and any other toiletry product for almost free if I paid attention. <br />
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I hit the ground running, clipped my coupons from the Sunday paper, found ones from online sites, scowerd the adds both in print and on line, read every blog about couponing to make sure I found everything, got in the car with the boys, and lasted about 10 minutes in CVS. I hit a wall. Everything I was going to get for 'free' was out of stock, Kade was screaming, Zander pooped his pants and was yelling at me because he had to sit in the back of the basket, and because I forgot to bring fruit snacks, and it was just too much. This is the second week something VERY similar happened when I went 'shopping' last week. I just don't think this is going to work until my kids are a little older, like, in school. I ended up getting so frustrated at them and the annoying checker, that I ended up being in a bad mood the rest of the day, especially to my precious boys. That is just not worth it to me! They are the priority, not great deals!<br />
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I was talking to my friend, Angie, about it, and she felt the same way. She has 4 kids, only 1 is in elementary school, and although her second is in pre-school, it just adds to the errands she already has to run. Did I mention her husband just got called to be Bishop at Church?!?! So, yeah, she is busy. <br />
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I am going to give this one more week. Maybe I can escape one evening while Chris is home and go out looking for deals. Alone. Maybe if I can focus, think, and plan better it will go smoother. Any thoughts?Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-35239940379231084722010-02-25T13:52:00.000-08:002010-02-25T13:53:30.750-08:00White Chip Bars<span style="font-size: xx-small;">***I started this post last week, but never finished it!! ***</span><br />
I seriously think I have a problem. I am OBSESSED with making desserts. Like, I have to make something every week!! And I can't just use the good old stand by's. I have to try something new. The Missionaries are coming over for dinner tonight and although I have some cherry dump cake from FHE left over, I had to make something else. Mainly because there wasn't much left. <br />
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I scored and bought cookie dough for really cheap the other day ($1 for a tube of sugar cookie.Sweet deal, huh!) and searched the Pillsbury site for something yummy to do with it. This is what I found. The pan is siting in front of me, with one piece alredy missing. That's the beauty of making up bars like this- I can cut them up and arrange on a plate and nobody (ie Chris) will ever know just how much I have scarffed down!!<br />
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Here is the recipe-<br />
1 16oz (or around there) pkg sugar cookie dough<br />
1 can sweetend condensed milk<br />
1 1/2 cup coconut<br />
1 cup white chocolate chips<br />
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds<br />
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*preheat oven to 350.<br />
*In a greased 9x13 pan press the cookie dough down, making sure there are no holes, and try to make it even. Press the chips down firmly, into the dough.<br />
*Sprinkle the coconut and almonds, then pour the sweetend condensed milk over all. <br />
*Bake for 30 minutes, or until the middle is a little brown. I have a fear of buring or even over cooking things, so I took mine out a bit too soon, like before the middle was starting to brown. <br />
*You can take an additional 1/3 c white chips, melt them, then drizzle on top after they cool a bit for a nice look. <br />
*These are a 'white' version of magic cookie bars, so if you like those you should love these!!<br />
<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=17611&wtfs=1"><span style="color: red;">Here</span></a> is the link to the official recipe, which you might want to use for reference.!! <br />
I often buy the dry packaged cookie dough when its on sale. I am sure if you add the ingredients listed on the back, you could use that too. Or any cookie dough recipe you like! Enjoy!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-24912632778647248682010-02-13T14:04:00.000-08:002010-02-13T14:04:02.048-08:00Three Whole Columns!Hello friends! With a little bit of work, I changed things up a bit on the blog, as you can tell. <br />
*I graduated to a three column layout, mainly so I can see everything I want too without scrolling all over the place. Organization is something I am really striving for in every aspect of my life, so I started with the blog, figuring it would be pretty easy. <br />
*I have caught a coupon-clipping bugg and have added a few links to some great sights. <br />
*New recipes are always fun to find, so I added some links to my favorites.<br />
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What fun, this blogging is! <br />
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NatalieNataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-10143560840655331292010-01-21T13:40:00.000-08:002010-01-21T13:50:38.761-08:00A QuestionSo you dear Mommies, is the answer to my issues<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000000;">"This too shall pass"</span><br /><br />or<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000000;">"Welcome to Motherhood"?<br /></span><br />I, of course, am referring to my children's total lack of sleep discipline. I really should have posted this a week ago, because, really, they are getting a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">smidge</span> better. They are both asleep at this very moment, so it can't be all that bad, right??<br /><br />I have to admit, I was reading a friends blog (she has a baby just a week younger than K) and felt the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">tinest</span> tinge of jealousy when I read her babe is sleeping through the night! <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Especially</span> since K thinks he still needs to eat 3-4 times at night. I asked how she did it, and pretty much said the baby did it herself. And this gal is so sweet, and helpful, and how can I be jealous??<br /><br />Just a bit ago, I was reading another friends blog, and she blogged about this very thing! We are blessed to have friends with blogs, but often we find ourselves comparing everything, because we blog and know about everything everyone is doing! If we don't have the right attitude, we can find ourselves having negative thoughts as we catch up, and isn't that the opposite effect blogs are supposed to have?? So dear Mommies, I say we take this all with a grain of salt and love and learn from each other. There. Done ranting for the day.<br /><br />Have I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mentioned</span> it is POURING outside?? Parts of our neighborhood are flooded!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-81314071067984670962010-01-20T18:05:00.000-08:002010-01-20T18:43:22.586-08:00SNOW!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EOfLRa-i5AeWtHC3RcdI9lT1H38FRQdLZx6W06MvOb5FHxfGWezkGRV5Gm4GolUpn16SIUD2H__zEQZzW7W8VOid1M5CoIECTP8yb0ZByW85C6fGVANnBk53K2qJEiRpPHPaf6MYots/s1600-h/100_4692.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3EOfLRa-i5AeWtHC3RcdI9lT1H38FRQdLZx6W06MvOb5FHxfGWezkGRV5Gm4GolUpn16SIUD2H__zEQZzW7W8VOid1M5CoIECTP8yb0ZByW85C6fGVANnBk53K2qJEiRpPHPaf6MYots/s320/100_4692.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429017857792038050" /></a><br />The last few weeks we have had the best weather! If it has to be winter, I like California's version! This week Mother Nature decided we needed a turn at real winter, and filled Monday and Tuesday with tons of rain. Then this afternooon, it started snowing, and sticking!! YEAH!!!!! I am really hoping it keeps up enough for Mr.B to stay home tomorrow. A 4 day weekend would be heaven for this tired mommy.<br />Love to all!!<br /><br />This picture is of Chris' car in our garage. The snow was in sheets, because it was starting to freeze. Right after we took pictures, it all fell to the ground! Glad for good timing!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-6916454552765110982010-01-11T15:14:00.001-08:002010-01-11T15:19:34.266-08:00Sent to Word<span xmlns=''><p>This is just an experiment- My dear husband surprised me with a new laptop for Christmas this past year. I was thrilled, as mine was just about 5 years old, very slow, and ready to crash. Last summer, Chris' department received a link to purchase Office 2007 for $10! A HUGE deal!! We were going to order it, but never did. I think the thought of sitting, waiting for it to download, not knowing if my poor laptop could handle it, was just too much. Well, since we got this little beauty, I was ready! I just downloaded it today and it came with a ton of programs! AND, the best part? I can create blog posts from word, with pictures included and everything.!! How wonderful, huh!! Now I have no reason not to post. I won't go crazy, because, well, I still have two small-always-needing-SOMETHING children and I do have to occasionally cook and clean. Plus, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?? So, I am going to send this baby off, and see what pops up! One more way cool thing- the laptop has a built in camera/video feature. This is a goofy picture of my, right now, as I type this blog, Rad, huh!!<br /></p><p>!</p></span> ok, so the pic didnt work but the rest did!!! Cheers!!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-73182614814664511212010-01-06T13:37:00.000-08:002010-01-06T15:15:09.971-08:00CandyI LOVE CANDY!! This girl could live on candy alone. My favorite?? <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzHm360BPMaeX8WmNeKZNo1rVnPC3BYnZekW1a6cz6dfv2HxJUU6Yci6TbPuN29yf6KUriQFbxudVFpskyZbS-ZcvI2M5IgApFVOHoOt5_B6utxs3AhWvxyotuRqcPVPDKgU08-db830/s1600-h/1009_355pbrittle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzHm360BPMaeX8WmNeKZNo1rVnPC3BYnZekW1a6cz6dfv2HxJUU6Yci6TbPuN29yf6KUriQFbxudVFpskyZbS-ZcvI2M5IgApFVOHoOt5_B6utxs3AhWvxyotuRqcPVPDKgU08-db830/s320/1009_355pbrittle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423744416869545426" /></a><br />PEANUT BRITTLE!! Especially See's. The great part?? Chris likes it too, but not See's, so I get the whole box to myself! And, He always buys me some for my stocking at Christmas. <br /><br />This past holiday season, we made lots of candy; peanut butter fudge, Oreo Fudge, English Toffee, but the very best thing we made was this heavenly candy you make in a crock pot! It turns out like a Pay Day candy bar. Divine. Kade is waking up. . . don't want to wake Zander. . .post recipe later!<br /><br />Thank goodness you can edit posts! Ok, boys happy, here is the link. I didn't take pictures of it, but there is one on the site, I think. Actually, I will just post the recipe so you don't have to go too it. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWzj53B6t33cBzf9HBDYfuonbUisqA7cBiHn1mPYD8UD4YnxjpAOzji_erbw0ZF5PwWF3kGT4zxElrKh3ZLHTzyrEsWI1SVLTbMKUXzITal9-qe5n3P9FpAU0icymN8AqujKhnQplIGs/s1600-h/IMG_6013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWzj53B6t33cBzf9HBDYfuonbUisqA7cBiHn1mPYD8UD4YnxjpAOzji_erbw0ZF5PwWF3kGT4zxElrKh3ZLHTzyrEsWI1SVLTbMKUXzITal9-qe5n3P9FpAU0icymN8AqujKhnQplIGs/s320/IMG_6013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423767936766364930" /></a><br /><br />--3 cups of sugar (Baker's sugar has finer granules and will dissolve well)<br />--1 cup light corn syrup<br />--4 cups of your favorite nuts (I only used peanuts, because at that time my almonds and pecans were spoken for for other recipes, but will try a mix next time!)<br />--4 Tbl butter<br />--2 tsp vanilla extract<br />--2 tsp baking soda<br /><br />--parchment paper or Release foil<br /><br />The Directions.<br /><br />I used my 6 quart crock for this.<br /><br />Drop the 4 tablespoons of butter into your crockpot. Add the sugar and the corn syrup on top of the butter. Pour in the vanilla.<br /><br />Cover your crockpot and turn to high for one hour.<br /><br />Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or release foil.<br /><br />After an hour, stir well to mix everything around. Add the baking soda. It will sizzle and make fun noises.<br />Your sugar mixture will be kind of milky-yellow and the sugar might still look granulated.<br /><br />Cover again and cook on high for another 30 minutes. Check and stir. Cover and cook again for another 15-30 minutes, or until the sugar mixture is brown and looks the color of peanut brittle. Or a payday candy bar.**These are her directions, when I made it It was the 'right' color after the first 30 minute increment; I didn't want to cook it too much, although thinking about it, it would have probably been ok, its only a crock pot, not direct heat.)<br /><br />Stir in your nuts.<br /><br />Then, USING OVEN MITTS, carefully (CAREFULLY! seriously---use the oven mitts) pour half of the pot onto each cookie sheet and spread out with a spatula. <br />It will be lumpy.<br />that's because there are nuts.**We only used one cookie sheet, with sides, and it fit perfectly!<br /><br />Let cool at room temperature for about an hour, then cut into pieces. we cut ours in 2 inch squares and wrapped each piece in waxed paper. <br /><br />Prepare to be amazed. SERIOUSLY, so good. We planned on giving it out to friends, but, we ate it all. Well, my family had some. I will blame it on them!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-70272189806146500002010-01-05T16:27:00.000-08:002010-01-05T16:38:00.932-08:00Happy New Year!Hello! I hope you had great Christmas and New Year Celebrations. We did. A little chaotic, but doesn't that make it more fun? We decided to have both our sides of the family over on Christmas day, and knowing we did not have room for 15 people to have a nice sit down Christmas dinner, we opted to have breakfast instead. It was delish! Chris and I made a breakfast casserole, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls and other family members brought drinks (Chocolate milk, Apple juice, egg nog and oj), bacon and sausage, and gravy. It was just, so good. I do love breakfast! Here is the recipe for the breakfast casserole- Its really easy:<br /><br />24 oz shredded hashbrowns<br />1/2 c butter, melted<br />1 c chopped ham<br />2 c shredded cheese (I probably used more)<br />8 eggs, beaten<br />2 c milk<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />*Press hashbrowns in bottom of a 9x13 pan. Pour butter over evenly, bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes.<br />*Mix eggs, salt, and milk together.<br />*Sprinkle ham over potatos, followed by the cheese.<br />*Pour egg mixture over all.<br />*Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 oven. ENJOY!!<br /><br />The next morning I went to the store and bought some tortillas (and really cheap after Christmas candy) and we made breakfast buritos with the casserole and left over bacon and sausage. HEAVEN!<br /><br />So, try it! Feel free to add onions, bell peppers, or other spices to your liking! We liked this so much I may just make it for dinner one night. Yum!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-75220125107407624872009-12-23T16:56:00.000-08:002009-12-23T17:56:14.199-08:00Merry ChristmasWe wish you all a Merry Christmas! Here are some recent pictures, hope you enjoy!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1U7jB7nkXZ32VS7xQJuMgen4t1I1ltG-xfSHYpYg2BUHT6sr8p-HfaJlwSYkceV9P2R470InZbJGpx52uZev5oYRxwlAacfu2xpwJBH39CX3nnciuHBt6wWFH5_s2JlBt6OaFFp-330/s1600-h/100_4667.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418601517381003490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1U7jB7nkXZ32VS7xQJuMgen4t1I1ltG-xfSHYpYg2BUHT6sr8p-HfaJlwSYkceV9P2R470InZbJGpx52uZev5oYRxwlAacfu2xpwJBH39CX3nnciuHBt6wWFH5_s2JlBt6OaFFp-330/s320/100_4667.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6IMzZxn2ntGj5zvMWxonh5p03v1VdVZ0PKgWWCyELZ6W37pAtaN4ny6-9jS1rY8ExMw2wEOLR5c2ukKT-io4NcKnoMmzXEEkpkwd2DfeA8c7rqV9c5FRZE7jaTYvE8Ur1_S9bBCBLmo/s1600-h/100_4655.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418603582301555042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6IMzZxn2ntGj5zvMWxonh5p03v1VdVZ0PKgWWCyELZ6W37pAtaN4ny6-9jS1rY8ExMw2wEOLR5c2ukKT-io4NcKnoMmzXEEkpkwd2DfeA8c7rqV9c5FRZE7jaTYvE8Ur1_S9bBCBLmo/s320/100_4655.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0zVf9C4d9EuBdRK8-hcblCDWDtgoqtpOJY4pPx7f-0Br8LJ9ZupCW6-kuYOXylE7frgJiMO60xblfR42sP3BoOl2lmScJCFcl3KtbGYmgUOxsUmtkXATaF36csPa8X6j9_KFdtovSNU/s1600-h/100_4675.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418603588655357554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0zVf9C4d9EuBdRK8-hcblCDWDtgoqtpOJY4pPx7f-0Br8LJ9ZupCW6-kuYOXylE7frgJiMO60xblfR42sP3BoOl2lmScJCFcl3KtbGYmgUOxsUmtkXATaF36csPa8X6j9_KFdtovSNU/s320/100_4675.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjancVZWOreQdTawIilOPHhi6aIRqGGVckz928QtwBLcr-URWGdDo9vzYOweb-lWkc_7oYvDI0zcwKhbmVOF2SOBdjO-1l6AlE86B8yMhPls7KyFuGe15fACn3iSabwUY_Z9j06N90wrpA/s1600-h/100_4589.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418603614816238994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjancVZWOreQdTawIilOPHhi6aIRqGGVckz928QtwBLcr-URWGdDo9vzYOweb-lWkc_7oYvDI0zcwKhbmVOF2SOBdjO-1l6AlE86B8yMhPls7KyFuGe15fACn3iSabwUY_Z9j06N90wrpA/s320/100_4589.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NUPzcm7LJnbbQVGClQHpbsj7S629zreoDnY4FuY4c9fMyVfNxUNWI6vPtxecnwZ87cVoab0ybI9iT7OA570y0hZr0cy5025AzWK5sO0Hmdp_97l1eKGwdG33BGyTCGQjLJ7lFWA2M9M/s1600-h/100_4621.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418603600665576130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NUPzcm7LJnbbQVGClQHpbsj7S629zreoDnY4FuY4c9fMyVfNxUNWI6vPtxecnwZ87cVoab0ybI9iT7OA570y0hZr0cy5025AzWK5sO0Hmdp_97l1eKGwdG33BGyTCGQjLJ7lFWA2M9M/s320/100_4621.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPUnKxyifA_06ccvGTJLp1vz9fmHI4ID4f-Fv9vm88AbgCTb23Ip8h86obVYSm1sPAG84EEcvMBN_UojxFw8k7fmKeUkH9g1bTTPoYd3rFMMCWt3qbDhIMlXwVpIGeKHuAp_SdLu06GU/s1600-h/100_4613.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418603595535994930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPUnKxyifA_06ccvGTJLp1vz9fmHI4ID4f-Fv9vm88AbgCTb23Ip8h86obVYSm1sPAG84EEcvMBN_UojxFw8k7fmKeUkH9g1bTTPoYd3rFMMCWt3qbDhIMlXwVpIGeKHuAp_SdLu06GU/s320/100_4613.jpg" /></a>Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-83784417027483554552009-12-09T16:18:00.000-08:002009-12-09T16:32:52.405-08:00I love this KID!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVCmcwaNIxH_iUUybmtaOPHGmaAu2Qx0DfbFoSOdvv015mslVH7NVNJuat_GNiMNC6cUxtZfOjXeYgm8qyI5fB-hRF8gcgB_vjepjwn-jjLysd9xbmI4yxuJ6HrG1QCv84D03-ONthQM/s1600-h/100_4519.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOVCmcwaNIxH_iUUybmtaOPHGmaAu2Qx0DfbFoSOdvv015mslVH7NVNJuat_GNiMNC6cUxtZfOjXeYgm8qyI5fB-hRF8gcgB_vjepjwn-jjLysd9xbmI4yxuJ6HrG1QCv84D03-ONthQM/s320/100_4519.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413398941990126130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6RHO0-NG_zKDRtVl1brMWGj_iqIUZNjN8Myx_I3u6fM3JflL57HnNUYS11xJFzQJuXQNHLT0NCv_ewcBQTIAiR9sDasX62CXSnMfG1uxvH4YPJb1v13GuuusG7f-FxL0R55PTkTfBQ4/s1600-h/100_4543.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6RHO0-NG_zKDRtVl1brMWGj_iqIUZNjN8Myx_I3u6fM3JflL57HnNUYS11xJFzQJuXQNHLT0NCv_ewcBQTIAiR9sDasX62CXSnMfG1uxvH4YPJb1v13GuuusG7f-FxL0R55PTkTfBQ4/s320/100_4543.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413396902340922066" /></a><br /><br />Here is a recent picture of Kadester. He really is amazing. I mean, Zander is too, in his 2 year old way, but gosh, Kade is what 4 month olds are supposed to be like! He is progressing and developing much quicker than we remember Zander doing. Its wonderful to see the difference, a little sad too. He is a big boy. At his 4 mo check up he was almost 16 lbs. Zander wasn't that heavy until he was at least 9 months old! its been fun seeing the changes. <br /><br />Zander is talking a mile a minute! Almost everything is understood by at least mom, and dad gets most of it. He can name just about every animal there is, and loves dinosaurs and ocean life the most. Everything is a weapon, and we decided against the play tool set for Christmas because of this. He seems to be very mechaniclly inclined so we thought a little tool set would be fun. I think we will wait until next year. <br /><br />I hadn't posted anything on the kids in a while, so I thought I would! Hope you enjoy it!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-76597499697234692502009-12-06T10:03:00.000-08:002009-12-06T10:15:19.660-08:00Cafe Rio BurritosWow, three posts in a row, I am on a roll!!<br /><br />So, I have never been to Cafe Rio. Heard lots of good things about their food, though, so when I ran across this recipe I decided to try it. I am impressed! In talking to a few people who have been there, I think this is not exactly like a said burrito, but they are tasty, and worth the shot! Here goes:<br /><br />Cafe Rio Burritos<br />1 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin<br />salt, pepper, garlic salt, to season<br />1 pkg burrito size tortillas<br />1 15 oz can (or 1 28 oz can) mild green chili enchilada sauce<br />1/2 c brown sugar<br />1 15 oz can black beans, drained<br />1 bunch cilantro, chopped<br />1 lb Monterrey jack cheese, grated<br />chicken broth or bouillon cubes<br />about 2 c prepared rice<br /><br />*Cut pork into large cubes and place in slow cooker with 1/3 c water (you can use cola also, to add flavor). Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8. Remove from cooker and drain. Shred mean and place in a bowl. In another bowl mix together 1/2-3/4 c green chili sauce and 1/2 c brown sugar. Pour over pork and mix well. <br />*Prepare rice per directions. Add chicken bouillon cubes to water or use chicken broth instead of water to add flavor.<br />*Drain beans and warm up in microwave or on stove.<br />*Brown tortillas on a skillet or over flame (be careful!!)<br />*Assembly- Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan (If you have a larger one, use it!) with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 c enchilada sauce into pan. Sprinkle each tortilla with cheese, rice, 1-2 T cilantro, black beans and 1/3 c pork. Roll up burrito style, folding in all sides, and place in baking dish seam side down. After all burritos are made up, pour remaining sauce over burritos and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven until burritos are heated through and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Garnish with tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, or nothing at all!! Makes a LOT. We used the whole pack of tortillas, there was a ton. Fed us for a week!!<br /><br />This is one of Chris' favorites!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-87854250961844071242009-12-06T09:54:00.000-08:002009-12-06T09:59:05.843-08:00Captian Jack's Corn ChowderThe original title of this recipe is 'Chef Jack's Corn Chowder' by Paula Dean. I read it wrong and titled it Captain Jack's Corn chowder, and since I made a few changes, that's what I call it. Here goes!<br />· 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter <br />· 1 small onion, diced <br />· 1 small carrot, finely diced (or more!) <br />· 2 small celery stalks, diced <br />· 2 small or 1 large potato, cubed<br />· 2 clove garlic, minced <br />· 1/2 cup all-purpose flour <br />· 3 cups white corn kernels, fresh or frozen <br />· 4 cups chicken stock (2 cans broth) <br />· 4-5 slices crisp bacon<br />· 2 cups half-and-half <br />· 1 cup milk or more to thin a bit<br />· Pinch freshly grated nutmeg <br />· Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper <br /><br />Combine the corn, potato and chicken stock in saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook until the roux is lightly browned; set aside to cool to room temperature. <br />Pour the boiling stock with the corn (a little at a time) into the saucepan with the roux, whisking briskly so it doesn't lump. Return the skillet to the heat and bring to a boil. Add bacon The mixture should become very thick. <br />In a small saucepan, gently heat the half-and-half; stir it into the thick corn mixture. If needed add milk to thin. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. <br /><br />**This is SO SO SO good! The original recipe says it serves 8-10. I made a double batch and had 8 adults over and there were hardly any left overs. Served it with bread bowls, and it was fabulous!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-13989548317053724752009-12-06T09:05:00.000-08:002009-12-09T16:18:36.123-08:00Super Easy French BreadA few weeks ago we decided to try out making bread bowls for soup. The Missionaries were coming over for dinner, and I thought it was the perfect time for experimenting! I found a great recipe for french bread and used that. The bread is so good and easy I make it a few times a month, at least, and since its just Chris and I, it lasts a while. The recipe rely on a bread machine to do most of the work, sweet, huh!! Here goes:<br /><br />Place the following ingredients in order into your bread machine pan:<br /><br />1 C warm water<br />2 1/2 C bread flour<br />1 TBSP sugar<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 1/2 tsp quick rise yeast (also known as bread machine yeast. Regular yeast is fine, it will just rise slower!)<br /><br />Turn your bread machine on to the dough cycle and press start. My machine takes 1 hour 20 min to go through this cycle.<br /><br />After it is done, remove the dough from machine and place in an oiled bowl, turning over so all sides are coated. Let rise until doubled, which is at least 1 hour sometimes more. If I start this early, I just let it rise until I get the chance to do the next step. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched<br /><br />Once doubled, place dough on a well floured surface. Roll out to a 12x16 rectangle. cut in half, making 2 12x8 rectangles. Roll each piece up, on the long side, like you were making cinnamon rolls. Place seam on the bottom, and pinch ends together. Place on a baking sheet and let rise again for another hour or so, or until they are nice and puffy. The longer they rise the more tender and light the bread will be.<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. For a crispy crust, place a pan of ice water on the bottom rack of your oven as the bread bakes. Or if you have a food-safe spray bottle, every 5 minutes or so open your oven and spray water inside. This creates steam, which creates a nice crisp crust!<br /><br />***Bread bowls*****<br />Instead of rolling the dough into loaves, I just made balls. I got 3 out of each recipe, they weighed 7 oz each (I like to weigh everything to make sure its even. Call me a dork. . . )Let them rise the second time, and bake for about the same amount of time, I think. Just keep checking. I let them cool, cut the tops off, dug a lot of the dough out, and pressed the insides so that it made the crust thicker. Filled with thicker soups and enjoy!!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-79609950160728120932009-09-04T14:09:00.000-07:002009-09-04T14:22:50.416-07:00New Quilt IdeaI really need to blog more. I have 2 issues- I am a Farmtown on Facebook addict, and I have 2 little boys. I have been searching to a solution to my issues. The second can't be resolved, and I wouldn't WANT it resolved- I adore my children and want more! The first? I am going to replace my FB time with quilting. I love the entire process of quilting (as long as the quilt isn't so big) and think it will be my new substitute. These feelings escilated when I saw <a href="http://www.quiltdad.com/2009/09/quilt-along-3-wonky-log-cabin-block.html">this</a> quilt top/tutorial. The fact that this quilter is a Dad makes it even cooler in my book!! I LOVE the fabrics in this block, and would have never chosen them to go together. I have lots of fun fabric that I am going to go cut up! So, keep bugging me (if you want) for progress on this project. If I have someone expecting something I am much more likely to stay on track. Happy September!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-60140188756847375432009-08-18T11:27:00.000-07:002009-09-04T14:24:25.565-07:00RecipeSo. I was a bit of a rock star in the kitchen yesterday. Since it was a little cooler and I had a bit more energy, and we HAD to eat, I decided to try a new recipe for dinner. I am so glad I did, because this is one tasty dish!! Much like me. . . ha ha. So kidding. Anyway, its from the red and white checker Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Its low fat (kind of) and vegetarian. Not that we are by any means vegetarians. Chris's system gets a little out of wack if we eat too much meat. Plus, its healthy to eat more veggies and beans than fatty meat. Anyway, here is the recipe. Its called:<br /><br />Black Bean Tortialla Casserole.<br />2 C chopped onion (2 large)<br />1 1/2 C chopped bell pepper (2 med)<br />1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, undrained and cut up (I use the petite diced tomatoes)<br />3/4 C bottled picante sauce or green salsa (I used salsa)<br />2 tsp ground cumin<br />2 garlic cloves, minced<br />2 15 oz cans black beans and or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained<br />12 6 in corn tortillas (Mine were a little bigger and I only needed 10)<br />8 oz reduced fat jack cheese (2 cups. i had some already shredded cheddar and used that with the jack. If you only had cheddar it would br fine! And my cheese was NOT reduced fat! hence the above coment about sort of low fat)<br />Sour cream, chopped up lettuce and tomatos, green onions, and chopped olives for garnish<br /><br />1. In a large skillet combine onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, picante sauce (or salsa), cumin, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in beans.<br />2 Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 (3 quart) baking dish. Top with apx 6 tortillas, overlapping if necessary. Top tortillas with 1 cup cheese. and another 1/3 of the bean mixture, then more torillas, then the rest of the bean mixture. <br />3. Bake, covered, in a 350 oven for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaning cheese, recover, and let sit for 10 minutes so the cheese will melt. Serve with desired garnishes. we just used sour cream, and it was perfect. Maybe tonight we will have salad too. <br /><br />Nutritional info- 295 calories, 8 g total fat per serving. These figures are with reduced fat cheese, and probably very little if any sour cream. Still not bad. The recipe lists 8 servings, which allows for good size pieces! Told you it was pretty healthy! Enjoy!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-1850888265776379912009-08-02T17:09:00.000-07:002009-09-04T14:24:41.412-07:00Kade is HERE!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKI1-xX6SfdmcMWSMqR6ojliTmEx69QOuSipKxncFIbUBPISBepTzfaC4v2OdYlbd-jgVp8uc95YGnQDwPc8-Xuk1m9BW13iQYtIysN85N-_Ff2pqATtEDIxQ7qvU-m475wTEymvy2Do/s1600-h/100_4380.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKI1-xX6SfdmcMWSMqR6ojliTmEx69QOuSipKxncFIbUBPISBepTzfaC4v2OdYlbd-jgVp8uc95YGnQDwPc8-Xuk1m9BW13iQYtIysN85N-_Ff2pqATtEDIxQ7qvU-m475wTEymvy2Do/s320/100_4380.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365524160135352274" /></a><br />Kade Michael was born at 12:36 PM on July 17th! I will post about the story soon, for now here is a picture!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4843701941334666190.post-57762630516817913892009-08-02T16:48:00.000-07:002009-09-04T14:40:40.259-07:00Kade MichaelOur new baby boy arrived!! Its been 2 weeks, and a great two weeks at that. I didn't go to Church today, needed one more week home, but have had a great day with my two boys. Chris has been gone since 10:30 at before Church meetings, and its nice to know I will be able to handle it tomorrow when he goes back to work. I am totally rambling right now, aren't I? So, here is Kade's story.<br /><br />Friday, the 17th, I woke up around 2:15 in the morning to go to the bathroom. I had been having contractions since, well, really since the end of April, but they hadn't gotten 'bad'. You know what I am talking about when I say bad, the horrible gut wrenching ones that make you think you are going crazy. Actually, most of my contractions had been very mild, I could barely feel them except for in my back. Anyway, as I am lying there trying to go back to sleep, I have a few mild contractions, really close apart. I realize after the third one that I should pay attention to the clock. After about an hour of contractions at 5 minutes apart, I wake Chris up. By now a million thoughts are running thorugh my head, mostly consisting of, "Oh my, its really happening!" and "holy crap, I have to give birth today,". When I woke Chris up he was in a really good mood. We both layed in bed and got really giddy at the thought of another baby being born in our family, TODAY!! I went and took a shower, he turned the tv on to wake up a bit. We got dressed, got our stuff together and I called my mom at 4:45 and told her to meet us at the hospital. As I was hanging up the phone, I heard her squeal with delight! She is so cute about things like that!<br /><br />So, by the time we get to the hospital, the contractions are like, 2-3 minutes apart and hurting kind of bad. At the time I thought they were terrible, the worst. Now, looking back at rememering the rest of labor, I realize how very mild they were. I remember thinking that this was just what I pictured having a baby would entail-waking up in the middle of the night, waking a sleepy hubby up, driving (too slow!!) to the hospital all the while starting the breathing patterns to get through the contractions without snapping your husbands head off!! It was perfect!<br /><br />My mom got to the hospital, took Zander home, and we went in at 5:30. The nurses checked me out and determined I really was in labor, so they called the dr and put me in a room. I told them right away I wanted an epidural. I learned my lesson last time. What lesson was that, you ask?? Labor is hard enough without all the pain, and a little relief is OK!! I wasn't going to get a medal of courage for doing it the old fashioned, no relief way. <br />**I started this right after Kade was born, and never finished it. Here is a tie- up to the story!**<br />I had the epidural, was able to rest for a few hours, then my nurse came in to check me out. I was at a 10 and ready, although I was so out of it, just tired. She had me push a few times but the Kade's head was still pretty high up, and he was faced the wrong way. And each time I push, his heart rate dipped. I don't know what it went down to, though. Another nurse came in checked me, and said, "We gotta get this baby out of there, you are having a c-section." WHAT!?!! I go from nice and resting to a c-section in like, 10 minutes. She gave me a shot to stop the contractions, went and called the dr, and they rushed in and had me sign all this paper work. I got pretty emotional because i didn't want anything to happen to the baby. She made it sound horrible, and looking back, i don't know if it was really that bad. They took me back to the OR about 30 minutes later and got me ready. Dr. Arora came in, did his thing and Kade was born at 12:36 pm. I felt NOTHING at all. . . until a few hours later. Thank goodness for Darvocet, let me tell you! My Dr. came in the next day to see how things were going, and admitted that if he would have been there things might have gone a little different. But hey, it was a Friday, one of his busiest office days, there was no way he could be there until he absolutly had to be, which I understand. As it was I caused a 4 hour delay that day for his other patience with aptointments. yikes!<br /><br />So, recovery has been. . . long, to say the least. He is 7 weeks and 2 hours old, as of right now, and I have felt normal for less than a week. Every few days a new pain would emerge, and I know its because different nerves woke up at differnt times, and in phases. I have experienced a bit of the grieving process as well, which might sound dumb, but its very real. Things didn't go as I planned, and my plans were quite flexible, mind you, with the result of giving birth naturally, coming home, and enjoying my babies. Instead I was down for 2 weeks, unable to do anything, much less give Zander the attention he needed. I couldn't play with him, or even put him down for bed, which was/is one of my very favorite things to do. Knowing I forever have to deliver via c-section, and go through this long recovery process every time i have a baby makes me cringe. However- I am looking at the positives (I get to choose my babies birthdays, NO labor contractions, and much more planning) and am ok with more c-sections. My doctor said I can have 3 more easily, so I am ok. Lets just hope we get twins next time, and I can be done!! <br /><br />Thats Kade's story, he is fussing now so i am going to post and be done. I appologize for the typo's!Nataliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384260253018201549noreply@blogger.com1