5 years ago
Friday, January 1, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Christmas Spirit
The Christmas Spirit
Fun videos to bring the spirit of the season into your home and day. Click on the link called The Christmas Spirit to view.
Fun videos to bring the spirit of the season into your home and day. Click on the link called The Christmas Spirit to view.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Off to AZ
Hi Friends-
We are headed to AZ for the holidays so if you would like to hang out, have a play-date, or what not please feel free to email, leave a message, post a comment, call, or whatever. Hope you each have a terrific holiday season! Pictures and updates are coming
We are headed to AZ for the holidays so if you would like to hang out, have a play-date, or what not please feel free to email, leave a message, post a comment, call, or whatever. Hope you each have a terrific holiday season! Pictures and updates are coming
Thursday, November 19, 2009
It’s here….November!
First week of November
So here we are already in November, it seems like this year is flying by faster than the last!
During the first week of November we decided to take a little adventure, we drove up into the mountains and had a little cook out, took the quad for a spin, and introduced Karsten to nature. Of course it had snowed so there was mud and snow on the ground. Karsten and I collected sticks and wood for our fire and Ryan took Karsten for a little ride on the quad (not a “real ride it was short and in a circle). Karsten got to try out his new snow suit that is HUGE on him but it is still pretty cute (yes I am biased). Karsten had a little bit of a cold still so being outside was a bit interesting in the cold air. We made hotdogs and smores…yummy. Overall we had fun and Karsten seemed to enjoy himself.
Second Week of November
The second week we didn’t do anything too exciting, Karsten turned 4 months old! He is 25 inches long (95th percentile) and 15 pounds 13 ounces (70th percentile)! He seems chunky to me because he now has baby fat but in all actuality he is pretty well proportioned, and just seems like a little man. We also started letting Karsten work out in his little exersaucer, he really likes it because he can stand up in it, one of his favorite things to do.
Karsten’s favorites this month:
1 – his Elmo, I went to Babies R US and they had toys on sale, I sat and held up a ton of toys and Karsten only reached for 2, an Elmo and a fish thing, we bought both and he LOVES the Elmo toy
2 – Pulling the blanket over his head, I look in his bassinet at night and half the time he has the blanket pulled up over his head, when he plays he pulls the blanket over his head, when he is tired he pulls it over his head, pretty much if you give him a blanket it is in his mouth or over his head
3 – Putting things in his mouth, honestly if he can get a hold of it he will put it in his mouth
4 – being held, he wants to be where the action is, especially during mealtimes
5 – snuggling, when he wakes up in the morning he doesn’t want to get up, he wants to be in bed with me and go back to sleep
6 – Talking, he is a little chatter box and loves to giggle, he loves to smile when daddy throws him in the air
7 – Carrying his blanket around with him like Linus off the peanuts
8 – playing in the exersaucer, he likes to stand up
9 – sitting in his Bumbo, he likes to be upright
10 – his swing, he loves to swing, to play with his toys in the swing, watch people from the swing, etc
11 – go on walks in his stroller, he seems to be a fan of the outdoors…he must be Ryan’s kid
12 – Christmas music….I know it might be a bit early to be listening to it but hey I like it…and so does the kid!
Things I love that happened in the past month:
1. Karsten sleeping through the night – YIPPIE
2. Karsten chattering and giggling
3. Karsten taking somewhat regular naps
Things I could do without:
1. Wrinkles on laundry…why does my dryer seem to just add to my workload?
2. Blowouts….every mother knows what I am talking about – thankfully I got those Tide stain release packets, they seem to take the stains out so we don’t ruin the clothing when this happens
3. Challenging mouthy negative people – really you are so miserable you have to drag the rest of us down with you?
Thanks to….
• Awesome family and friends who are there when you need them!
• An incredible husband who studies all the time and still finds time for us!
• My students…without you I wouldn’t have much of a job.
Sticks anyone?
Where's Waldo?
Taking a ride
Paparrazi in my bedroom!
Love to stand up!
Yummy!
Little Linus
Our Family
Riding with daddy
Karsten and Elmo
Drooling....
Daddy and Karsten
Mommy's little bear
So here we are already in November, it seems like this year is flying by faster than the last!
During the first week of November we decided to take a little adventure, we drove up into the mountains and had a little cook out, took the quad for a spin, and introduced Karsten to nature. Of course it had snowed so there was mud and snow on the ground. Karsten and I collected sticks and wood for our fire and Ryan took Karsten for a little ride on the quad (not a “real ride it was short and in a circle). Karsten got to try out his new snow suit that is HUGE on him but it is still pretty cute (yes I am biased). Karsten had a little bit of a cold still so being outside was a bit interesting in the cold air. We made hotdogs and smores…yummy. Overall we had fun and Karsten seemed to enjoy himself.
Second Week of November
The second week we didn’t do anything too exciting, Karsten turned 4 months old! He is 25 inches long (95th percentile) and 15 pounds 13 ounces (70th percentile)! He seems chunky to me because he now has baby fat but in all actuality he is pretty well proportioned, and just seems like a little man. We also started letting Karsten work out in his little exersaucer, he really likes it because he can stand up in it, one of his favorite things to do.
Karsten’s favorites this month:
1 – his Elmo, I went to Babies R US and they had toys on sale, I sat and held up a ton of toys and Karsten only reached for 2, an Elmo and a fish thing, we bought both and he LOVES the Elmo toy
2 – Pulling the blanket over his head, I look in his bassinet at night and half the time he has the blanket pulled up over his head, when he plays he pulls the blanket over his head, when he is tired he pulls it over his head, pretty much if you give him a blanket it is in his mouth or over his head
3 – Putting things in his mouth, honestly if he can get a hold of it he will put it in his mouth
4 – being held, he wants to be where the action is, especially during mealtimes
5 – snuggling, when he wakes up in the morning he doesn’t want to get up, he wants to be in bed with me and go back to sleep
6 – Talking, he is a little chatter box and loves to giggle, he loves to smile when daddy throws him in the air
7 – Carrying his blanket around with him like Linus off the peanuts
8 – playing in the exersaucer, he likes to stand up
9 – sitting in his Bumbo, he likes to be upright
10 – his swing, he loves to swing, to play with his toys in the swing, watch people from the swing, etc
11 – go on walks in his stroller, he seems to be a fan of the outdoors…he must be Ryan’s kid
12 – Christmas music….I know it might be a bit early to be listening to it but hey I like it…and so does the kid!
Things I love that happened in the past month:
1. Karsten sleeping through the night – YIPPIE
2. Karsten chattering and giggling
3. Karsten taking somewhat regular naps
Things I could do without:
1. Wrinkles on laundry…why does my dryer seem to just add to my workload?
2. Blowouts….every mother knows what I am talking about – thankfully I got those Tide stain release packets, they seem to take the stains out so we don’t ruin the clothing when this happens
3. Challenging mouthy negative people – really you are so miserable you have to drag the rest of us down with you?
Thanks to….
• Awesome family and friends who are there when you need them!
• An incredible husband who studies all the time and still finds time for us!
• My students…without you I wouldn’t have much of a job.
Sticks anyone?
Where's Waldo?
Taking a ride
Paparrazi in my bedroom!
Love to stand up!
Yummy!
Little Linus
Our Family
Riding with daddy
Karsten and Elmo
Drooling....
Daddy and Karsten
Mommy's little bear
Monday, November 16, 2009
Yummy soup
Over the past 30 days or so I have been working on some new recipes, thought I would share some of my spoils…..
Butternut Squash Soup
-Butternut squash (med - large; hopefully it isn't too hard)
-Bacon (2-3 slices, I like turkey bacon)
-2 cans of chicken broth or stock
- med. onion or a leek
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt (I prefer sea salt or kosher salt to table salt) need enough to sprinkle
-Pepper sprinkles (I like fresh cracked pepper)
- nutmeg ½ teaspoon – 1 teaspoon
-brown sugar (enough to sprinkle)
1. Roast the butternut squash - turn the oven on to 400 degrees (be sure to pre-heat), cut in half and get rid of the seeds plus the stringy stuff with the seeds, place on cookie sheet with the insides up, drizzle over the EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast for 25-30 minutes – you want the squash to be softer (When roasting I like to cover the cookie sheet with either tin foil or parchment paper so that I don’t have to waste my time scrubbing the pan afterwards)
2. Once the squash is done roasting take it out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes so that it is cool enough to handle
3. Take a melon-baller or a large spoon and scoop the squash out of the squash (you want the softer “meat”). Now I personally like to make this step a bit easier on myself so I take a stake knife and make shallow marks in a checker’s patter, like putting a grid on the squash, this just makes it a little easier to scoop out. You can make the marks either before or after the roasting step.
4. In a medium pot heat to medium heat (sauce pot or stock pot) drizzle some EVOO then add the onions (or leeks) that have been rough chopped (they don’t need to be the same size) as well as bacon that has been chopped into strips once the onions/leeks are translucent and the bacon should be cooked
5. Next add the squash that you have scooped out to the pot, then sprinkle the nutmeg, a little pepper, and a pinch of salt – heat for 2-3 minutes
6. Add the stock/broth to the pot, heat for about 5 minutes
7. Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender or food processor and blend it a bit – you want it to be a little chunky
8. Once blended it is ready to serve, it goes great with crusty breads, salads, or as a meal all by itself
Butternut Squash Soup
-Butternut squash (med - large; hopefully it isn't too hard)
-Bacon (2-3 slices, I like turkey bacon)
-2 cans of chicken broth or stock
- med. onion or a leek
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- Salt (I prefer sea salt or kosher salt to table salt) need enough to sprinkle
-Pepper sprinkles (I like fresh cracked pepper)
- nutmeg ½ teaspoon – 1 teaspoon
-brown sugar (enough to sprinkle)
1. Roast the butternut squash - turn the oven on to 400 degrees (be sure to pre-heat), cut in half and get rid of the seeds plus the stringy stuff with the seeds, place on cookie sheet with the insides up, drizzle over the EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast for 25-30 minutes – you want the squash to be softer (When roasting I like to cover the cookie sheet with either tin foil or parchment paper so that I don’t have to waste my time scrubbing the pan afterwards)
2. Once the squash is done roasting take it out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes so that it is cool enough to handle
3. Take a melon-baller or a large spoon and scoop the squash out of the squash (you want the softer “meat”). Now I personally like to make this step a bit easier on myself so I take a stake knife and make shallow marks in a checker’s patter, like putting a grid on the squash, this just makes it a little easier to scoop out. You can make the marks either before or after the roasting step.
4. In a medium pot heat to medium heat (sauce pot or stock pot) drizzle some EVOO then add the onions (or leeks) that have been rough chopped (they don’t need to be the same size) as well as bacon that has been chopped into strips once the onions/leeks are translucent and the bacon should be cooked
5. Next add the squash that you have scooped out to the pot, then sprinkle the nutmeg, a little pepper, and a pinch of salt – heat for 2-3 minutes
6. Add the stock/broth to the pot, heat for about 5 minutes
7. Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender or food processor and blend it a bit – you want it to be a little chunky
8. Once blended it is ready to serve, it goes great with crusty breads, salads, or as a meal all by itself
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Such a busy month, where to begin is really the question.
Week 1 of October
The first week of October was conference, we really enjoyed the various talks and of course attending church wearing jammies from the comfort of the couch wasn’t too shabby. I personally enjoyed the straight-forwardness of several of the talks, especially about the Book of Mormon and following commandments. During this week we also went to “Wee Witches” which is a little fun festival for kids with activities, prizes, games, etc – and of course lots of people dressed up like witches.
Week 2 of October
The second week of the month our ward had the primary program which I helped to plan, along with the rest of the primary presidency. To be honest I have only seen maybe 3 programs total so planning it was a little interesting to say the least. I honestly wish I would have written the program in April or May when I had a ton of time on my hands. The program went very well though and the kids all knew their lines and sang beautifully! Karsten also turned 3 months this week! At the 3 month mark he is approximately 26.5 inches long and about 13 pounds – chunk chunk.
Week 3
The third week of the month I started teaching an online class for Salt Lake Community College in event planning, so far it has been fun. I have 30 students in the class and each seems to be there for a different reason and have very different backgrounds so it makes for a lively course. At the end of the week we went to our ward’s trunk or treat where I dressed up as a witch and Karsten was a dragon!
Week 4
I celebrated my birthday – yippie! Ryan and I went out to dinner and I had crab cakes and prawns while he had Mahi Mahi (YUM). After dinner we saw the movie Couples Retreat, it was pretty funny. While we were out on a date Karsten hung out with his friends Brooke and Boston…and of course their mom and dad. The next night (Friday) Karsten and I hung out with Brooke and Boston again so their mommy and daddy could have a date. Karsten loves to watch the bigger kids and he especially likes to watch Boston who is walking and only 9 months older than him.
We had our first snow this week (yuck) and I am happy to report that most of the snow melted within a few days. The mountain tops have snow on them but our little mountain and the valley do not have any snow left.
Of course the last week of October also means it is time for Halloween, we carved pumpkins…well Karsten watched while mommy carved, I made butternut squash soup and apple pork-chops for dinner, we handed out candy to all of the 8 kids who came to our house, and Karsten sported his fun costume.
On the night from the 30th to the 31st Karsten also slept through the night for 10.5 hours for the very first time! He didn’t repeat this the next night because he caught a cold…and was up every once and a while last night. It is so sad to hear him cough and sneeze. My little man has his first cold.
In general
Karsten’s favorite things to do this month:
1.Talk and coo – he loves to just talk talk talk
2.Eat it – if he can hold it he wants to eat it
3.Cuddle – in the mornings he really isn’t ready to get up yet but when daddy leaves for school he starts to whine a little so I put him next to me on the bed and he goes right back to sleep
4.Sit in the Bumbo or the swing – he loves to sit up and play with his toys or watch the television….he loves the tv
5.Take baths – he gets super excited when I give him a bath, it is really cute
6.Sticking out his tongue – a relatively new development but very cute
7.Suck on his hand – occasionally he wants a binky but most of the time he is just content to suck on his hand or have a “food dream” where he just sucks on his tongue while he is asleep or drifting off
8. Pulling the blanket over his head - for some reason he just loves to do this
Karsten is just about grown out of his 3-6 month clothes, he isn’t chunky enough for the 6-9 month stuff but he is more than long enough. If his 3-6 month stuff has feet he is now too long for it and even some that don’t have feet end up looking like capris instead of pants. What is funny to me is that waist wise he still fits into pants that are 0-3 months but shirts, onesizes, need to be 3-6 months and sleepers, and coveralls need to be 6-9 months….kid you crack me up.
The BEST development this month for me….getting to open the boxes of clothes that have been in storage waiting for me to be able to fit into them – YEAH – I have a whole new wardrobe…again!
The first week of October was conference, we really enjoyed the various talks and of course attending church wearing jammies from the comfort of the couch wasn’t too shabby. I personally enjoyed the straight-forwardness of several of the talks, especially about the Book of Mormon and following commandments. During this week we also went to “Wee Witches” which is a little fun festival for kids with activities, prizes, games, etc – and of course lots of people dressed up like witches.
Week 2 of October
The second week of the month our ward had the primary program which I helped to plan, along with the rest of the primary presidency. To be honest I have only seen maybe 3 programs total so planning it was a little interesting to say the least. I honestly wish I would have written the program in April or May when I had a ton of time on my hands. The program went very well though and the kids all knew their lines and sang beautifully! Karsten also turned 3 months this week! At the 3 month mark he is approximately 26.5 inches long and about 13 pounds – chunk chunk.
Week 3
The third week of the month I started teaching an online class for Salt Lake Community College in event planning, so far it has been fun. I have 30 students in the class and each seems to be there for a different reason and have very different backgrounds so it makes for a lively course. At the end of the week we went to our ward’s trunk or treat where I dressed up as a witch and Karsten was a dragon!
Week 4
I celebrated my birthday – yippie! Ryan and I went out to dinner and I had crab cakes and prawns while he had Mahi Mahi (YUM). After dinner we saw the movie Couples Retreat, it was pretty funny. While we were out on a date Karsten hung out with his friends Brooke and Boston…and of course their mom and dad. The next night (Friday) Karsten and I hung out with Brooke and Boston again so their mommy and daddy could have a date. Karsten loves to watch the bigger kids and he especially likes to watch Boston who is walking and only 9 months older than him.
We had our first snow this week (yuck) and I am happy to report that most of the snow melted within a few days. The mountain tops have snow on them but our little mountain and the valley do not have any snow left.
Of course the last week of October also means it is time for Halloween, we carved pumpkins…well Karsten watched while mommy carved, I made butternut squash soup and apple pork-chops for dinner, we handed out candy to all of the 8 kids who came to our house, and Karsten sported his fun costume.
On the night from the 30th to the 31st Karsten also slept through the night for 10.5 hours for the very first time! He didn’t repeat this the next night because he caught a cold…and was up every once and a while last night. It is so sad to hear him cough and sneeze. My little man has his first cold.
In general
Karsten’s favorite things to do this month:
1.Talk and coo – he loves to just talk talk talk
2.Eat it – if he can hold it he wants to eat it
3.Cuddle – in the mornings he really isn’t ready to get up yet but when daddy leaves for school he starts to whine a little so I put him next to me on the bed and he goes right back to sleep
4.Sit in the Bumbo or the swing – he loves to sit up and play with his toys or watch the television….he loves the tv
5.Take baths – he gets super excited when I give him a bath, it is really cute
6.Sticking out his tongue – a relatively new development but very cute
7.Suck on his hand – occasionally he wants a binky but most of the time he is just content to suck on his hand or have a “food dream” where he just sucks on his tongue while he is asleep or drifting off
8. Pulling the blanket over his head - for some reason he just loves to do this
Karsten is just about grown out of his 3-6 month clothes, he isn’t chunky enough for the 6-9 month stuff but he is more than long enough. If his 3-6 month stuff has feet he is now too long for it and even some that don’t have feet end up looking like capris instead of pants. What is funny to me is that waist wise he still fits into pants that are 0-3 months but shirts, onesizes, need to be 3-6 months and sleepers, and coveralls need to be 6-9 months….kid you crack me up.
The BEST development this month for me….getting to open the boxes of clothes that have been in storage waiting for me to be able to fit into them – YEAH – I have a whole new wardrobe…again!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Playing Around
Recently we bought Karsten a play mat and he absolutely loves it. After one day he started grabbing, hitting, and kicking all of the little toys on the bars. Plus he was feeling all of the materials on the mat. We have also seen him get so incredibly excited as he plays on this mat, kicks to make the music come on, pulls toys that jiggle, and puts things in his mouth (okay not too thrilled about this but hey I know it is normal). I think out of all the different things I have bought, this is what Karsten likes the most thus far.
Today we also went to an event called Wee Witches with a friend, and her kids. Wee Witches is a Halloween-ish event that takes place at a little shopping village with these ultra cute boutiques. There are “witches” all over the place live, in decorations, etc. The village even does hay rides to witch houses that are in a field near the village. The kids also have a kid’s parade, which is super cute. After visiting the boutiques I definitely want to go back and if anyone comes to visit I have added this to my must go to list…so please make the request to go to Gardener Village if you come up for a visit. When we went I dressed Karsten up as a pirate, in a little outfit we already had since I don’t have his Halloween costume yet. It was a bit cold today, all of about 55 degrees, so he looks a little confused and out of it in the pictures…they had loud music on which he found a bit distracting and it was chilly and I had just taken his jacket off before we took pictures.
Today we also went to an event called Wee Witches with a friend, and her kids. Wee Witches is a Halloween-ish event that takes place at a little shopping village with these ultra cute boutiques. There are “witches” all over the place live, in decorations, etc. The village even does hay rides to witch houses that are in a field near the village. The kids also have a kid’s parade, which is super cute. After visiting the boutiques I definitely want to go back and if anyone comes to visit I have added this to my must go to list…so please make the request to go to Gardener Village if you come up for a visit. When we went I dressed Karsten up as a pirate, in a little outfit we already had since I don’t have his Halloween costume yet. It was a bit cold today, all of about 55 degrees, so he looks a little confused and out of it in the pictures…they had loud music on which he found a bit distracting and it was chilly and I had just taken his jacket off before we took pictures.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)