tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49300634783927495042024-03-18T22:13:38.869-05:00How to be a Domestic GoddessKatherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.comBlogger493125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-23828868188771182892013-02-08T13:46:00.002-06:002013-02-08T13:46:45.343-06:00Franny turns 9I'm not even going to say anything about how long it's been. Okay maybe I will. I don't even hardly recognize blogger anymore. It's been a year since my last post! I've been trying to get back to this for a while, but I've let life get in the way. Now that Mabel is a year old and 2012 is over (thank goodness- he lived away from us for five months because of work), I feel like I might be able to find the time. Then again, my to-do list for the next five months involves: selling our home, packing our house, helping my husband find a job, preparing my children for the first out of town move that any of them can remember, and moving into a new house! So... we'll see.<br />
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It's hard to know where to start after a year, so I'm just going to start with what's most current: my Franny turned nine! Today I'll be decorating our basement for her birthday party tomorrow. She's going to have a "fashion" theme, kind of. The girl insists that fashion is what she's interested in. But the girl refuses to wear anything but jeans to school and I'm pretty sure she'd be happy wearing the same five t-shirts to school every week. But I still it's cute that she says that.<br />
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Franny has a lot of things she's into right now. She can tell you more than anyone I know about superheroes. She has three very large books filled with anything you would ever want to know about superheroes, both DC and Marvel. Her favorite female superhero is Black Widow and her favorite male superhero is Thor. We let her watch Avengers and Captain America last December and she was in heaven. One day when I was driving her to school she asked me a question. I wish I could remember what it was- maybe something like, "Are there any villains with secret identities?" And I said, "Um, yeah, in Spider-man there's the Green Goblin." And she said, "oh yeah, you mean Norman Osborn?" Hilarious. For a while we couldn't get her to talk about anything else. Around Christmas, she kind of lost some of her interest in superheroes. (Kind of a bummer, because there may have been a bit of a focus on them for Christmas... oh well.) Now she is crazy for Calvin and Hobbes. She has seven books and has read all of them. She just finished reading the first Harry Potter last night. It's not uncommon for her to read three or four different books at the same time. She just has a stack next to her bed and keeps her little bookmarks in them. I'm so glad she likes to read.<br />
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It may be the Calvin and Hobbes, but she's really into expressions lately. She has been using all these "old lady" terms lately like: "beats me" or "I'll say" or "not on my watch!" It cracks us up. A few weeks ago she noticed I was irritated and said, "Are you ok, mom? You seem kind of down in the dumps."<br />
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She's had her own room for about a year and a half now and it suits her well. She likes having her own room and I think she especially likes being able to read out loud without having to worry about disturbing anyone while they're sleeping.<br />
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Franny loves to be on stage. She's a good little actress. She auditioned to be a community play last fall, had a call-back and got the part! It was awesome. She played a Yorkshire child in the play "The Secret Garden." It was one of my proudest moments as her parent. And she loved every minute of it.<br />
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She's involved in A LOT of activities right now. A few too many, I think. It might not be so bad if they didn't all fall on Wednesdays and Thursdays. She's taking ballet, piano, and she's playing basketball. Plus she has activity days for church on Wednesday nights. We're lucky if we make it through Wednesdays without any tears. But she enjoys them all, so it would be hard to know which to drop. Basketball is over in a week and a half, so we don't have to worry about it too much longer.<br />
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Franny is a good big sister. And of course her younger sisters love her. I've noticed she often looks for ways to help them. If Mabel drops something on the floor from her high chair, Franny is the first one to pick it up for her. Although sometimes she's not the most considerate. We've had a ton of sickness in this house over the last few months and a few days ago I was holding back Claire's hair while she puked in a bucket and Franny was covering her ears and holding her head down and said, "Please tell me when it's over!" Ha ha.<br />
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This kid cracks me up! I love her personality. I love the direction she's heading. She's a good girl- sweet, kind, funny and smart. And beautiful. I'm so proud of my little Franny! <br />
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I made this video for Franny's 2nd grade class last spring when she was student of the week. It's a little out of date, but I never posted it so I thought I would now.<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/59247290">Franny Student of the Week</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user993751">COLE WARNER</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<br />Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-56495357061505491162012-02-02T00:48:00.006-06:002012-02-03T06:34:16.092-06:00BabiesLately I've been crashing as soon as Mabel finishes her last feeding. Like, literally before the next minute has passed. It doesn't matter if I've changed into my pajamas, or washed my face, or brushed my teeth- I am out, until about midnight when I have to get up and take care of those things. I just can't sleep if I haven't taken my contacts out. Well, I was having a hard time getting back to sleep this early morning, and I kept thinking about how I haven't written enough about Claire or Mabel, so that is what I'm here to do.<br /><br />Have I already said this? I didn't know it was actually going to be fun to have two babies! I'm surprised that thought hadn't occurred to me. It's definitely a challenge- don't get me wrong. I'm totally exhausted, but it's so much fun to have two babies at such cute stages!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-OT1-LtEQ_LKwfjSvw-Dcy7Uuhy8FYaPexjWQn9jgeRS_TgrNmYJgpiHN0_ulC4BlPN0pOZ0vo28k-Y845gPBsJX0Qb4qwoGWYtW7hWSi_i67yqPlT_dx9fULs5eCTd5A0ybOzuCol4/s1600/mabel+12+weeks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-OT1-LtEQ_LKwfjSvw-Dcy7Uuhy8FYaPexjWQn9jgeRS_TgrNmYJgpiHN0_ulC4BlPN0pOZ0vo28k-Y845gPBsJX0Qb4qwoGWYtW7hWSi_i67yqPlT_dx9fULs5eCTd5A0ybOzuCol4/s400/mabel+12+weeks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704606076926143122" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mabel is a pretty perfect baby. She sleeps as well as Franny did as an infant- she's 12 weeks old now and sleeping 8 hours at night consistently- and she's just as mellow as Sophie and Claire were during the day. She started cooing a few weeks ago and started with the social smiles. That is the sweetest sound. I've even heard her try to laugh a few times. It just goes so fast! I don't remember it going this fast with Franny. It seems like with each subsequent child, the infancy stage flies by more and more quickly. I'm going to miss all this since this is likely our last baby.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHw3sp47Rfx72RtYlINPGdNkE8rCpxN1wj9vcvK94erWT97x3OlZbkSFieuWMEci2qAODqCwuFJeCZOsUR0khke-l1HeyDfqXvptUiU8UmFjgsBExs8w5xgBUZdvhS5Epdru8V0bK3AI/s1600/Claire+and+smiling+Mabel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHw3sp47Rfx72RtYlINPGdNkE8rCpxN1wj9vcvK94erWT97x3OlZbkSFieuWMEci2qAODqCwuFJeCZOsUR0khke-l1HeyDfqXvptUiU8UmFjgsBExs8w5xgBUZdvhS5Epdru8V0bK3AI/s400/Claire+and+smiling+Mabel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704578724589575298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Claire is such a wild and crazy little sweetheart. She constantly has me on my toes, but says and does the most adorable things that it's sometimes hard to remember the things that drive me crazy about her (like pulling all the books off the shelf just for the fun of it, coloring on my books, emptying a basket of folded clothes, etc.). She loves Mabel. Once I heard her call her "baby Maby." She's pretty protective. I usually put Claire in the car first when we go anywhere, because she's sort of a flight risk, but sometimes she screams "baby! BABY!" as if she thinks I'm leaving the baby behind or I'm going to forget her (the second might actually be a valid concern- it is unsettling how often I check the rearview mirror to make sure I remembered to pack Mabel int he car.) Claire does not like it when I let someone else hold Mabel. She screams and screams like maybe they're going to take Mabel away from us. I think that's sweet. When she tells Franny sorry or thank you, she says, "Ke ke (thank you), Mommy Fra-ye!" Same with Sophie, but she calls her "Fo-fof." I sometimes wonder if she feels like she has three mommies. Franny can sometimes drive her nuts, and vice versa. Franny can't stand to see the rules broken, and most 22-month-olds have a hard time keeping all the rules. When we're loading up the car, Claire will already be buckled in and Franny has to pass her bucket seat to get the back. Lately I've been hearing Claire yell at Franny: "Go de oyer way!" (Go the other way.) Franny gets right up in her face and yells back, "NO!" Sheesh. Claire's favorite songs are "The Popcorn Song" and "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider." I love to see her face when we sing those to her- she focuses on our mouths like she's trying to memorize the words and she does one or two of the actions way early and just holds her hands there until we get there in the song, like "smell so sweet" or "out came the sun." But lately she's into "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam." I love when she sings that! She'll ask me to sing it five times in a row and the way she asks me is she sings, "Uh-be! Jesus da da ub-be! please?" She's counting a little. She likes to pick certain ranges of numbers between 1 and 10 and tends to focus on those for a while. Right now she's saying, "Five, six, eight, nine, ten!" Which is unfortunate because the way she says seven is so cute (sebby.) She also loves when we sing the ABC's and she's even trying to sing them herself. It sounds like this: "ABCDE ah G". She's always twice as loud as any situation requires. Especially at church during sacrament. A few weeks ago after the sacrament was passed and she took the water, she said, "YEAH! Wooo!!! I did it!" And it was very loud. One of my favorite thing she says is, "No touch it." Usually we're talking about scissors, or the space heater, or the rocks outside my gym. Today when we were leaving the gym she said, "No touch it. da rocks."<br /><br />Every once in a while she just decides she wants a hug from everyone in the room. Sometimes it's a kiss. Sometimes if Bobby and I are laying down on the couch she'll just come over and kiss us on the forehead. If Bobby and I ever have to reprimand her harshly (sometimes she hits mabel!), then she hangs her head down and covers her eyes with her fingers! It breaks my heart.<br /><br />She calls all women besides me "nono." The girls call Bobby's mom Nona and Claire was calling her this when she was here to help when Mabel was born. I was so glad to hear her calling Nona by the right name! But then a few weeks later we were at Walmart and we passed an older lady who looks nothing like my mother-in-law. Claire said, "Hi Nono." I didn't tell Louise this because I was hoping it was just a fluke and she would revert to only calling her grandmother by this name. Then two minutes later we almost hit another lady's cart with our's and Claire said, "Sorry baby Nono." Ever since then she's been calling every woman besides me Nono.<br /><br />She says "bleshee" whenever one of sneezes, coughs, or burps. This morning she coughed and noone said anything so she said, "Bleshee baby!"<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO0r0bHQvAScv6k7ZQ8_RongbWoiyLzIWLsj6-qqO9d7u5O3iHoYIspgLT4lWJP_Cg1Tfciuic1nZIGcnPvton4MPHlfzjwu0FWTIAETWoFN-W0_mYF62_bPRa5KVngLLsPZPFfubxyQ/s1600/Claire+woobzy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO0r0bHQvAScv6k7ZQ8_RongbWoiyLzIWLsj6-qqO9d7u5O3iHoYIspgLT4lWJP_Cg1Tfciuic1nZIGcnPvton4MPHlfzjwu0FWTIAETWoFN-W0_mYF62_bPRa5KVngLLsPZPFfubxyQ/s400/Claire+woobzy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704578730945796818" border="0" /></a><br />She carries one of those stuffed animal/blanket things around with her all the time and we call it her woobzy. She loves it! She keeps it up by her face when she sleeps and sucks her thumb. She is so attached and I admit, so am I. I'm a mess every time we misplace it. Once we left it at my friend Jill's when we stopped by her house in Kansas City. I had to ask her to mail it to us! And she did the next morning- such a good friend. I was so angry with myself! We realized it we didn't have it when Claire was in the back chanting, "woozy woozy woozy." She was actually more chill about it's absence then I was. I was so excited when it came in the mail and I let her pull it out of the package and turned the video camera on and everything. I was kind of disappointed when she wasn't more excited, but then a few minutes later I saw her sucking her thumb and resting her head on the woobzy tucked on her shoulder. Then she raised it up with both hands, looked at it and said, "Hi baby." It was so sweet.<br /><br />Ah, there's so much more... but I'm going to try and get some more sleep now. Sleeping is one of my favorite things to do right now!Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-67768442604754731622012-01-18T13:39:00.007-06:002012-01-18T14:06:13.779-06:00Claire's first time in the snow.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GsEhqnvYiclMBfcjg0ubH9ETl96b68t0XOGZn0RtXb54OOiQc8LLweMSyStJ3-vBKe7Gqx27aAjlIM1ZbT_03yDuibLYYrsILhotdR5B-YnYC5lm4x62u1G7fycKwtNr99it_AdBPl4/s1600/DSCN1284.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GsEhqnvYiclMBfcjg0ubH9ETl96b68t0XOGZn0RtXb54OOiQc8LLweMSyStJ3-vBKe7Gqx27aAjlIM1ZbT_03yDuibLYYrsILhotdR5B-YnYC5lm4x62u1G7fycKwtNr99it_AdBPl4/s400/DSCN1284.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699062026970432098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Over the 4 day weekend the girls went outside to play while Bobby shoveled the driveway. He suggested this might be a good time to let Claire bear out for her first time in the snow. She liked it. <a href="http://pizzaandrootbeer.blogspot.com/2007/12/its-most-wonderful-time-of-year.html">A lot better than Sophie did!</a> It was cute to see her all bundled up in her snow gear, and she was really excited about it! Franny laid face down in the snow and Claire went right over to her and did the same thing. I'm pretty sure they were eating the snow, but I didn't want to know so I didn't pay very close attention. She stayed out there for a good fifteen minutes while I stayed inside with Mabel and fixed up some hot chocolate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7bxGgLzEMWWq2YSqxrqpbEUjN5t2ziFSy1vTfGuxTh0NPLMRrv369lqpXVeOkbKiMclt-WBpiSqVuC5lW8TczgG5egJpvv6DIdFh1AVfsVHPiM-vfsxzS53urK-1f9RmpntKDfA3NI4/s1600/DSCN1294.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7bxGgLzEMWWq2YSqxrqpbEUjN5t2ziFSy1vTfGuxTh0NPLMRrv369lqpXVeOkbKiMclt-WBpiSqVuC5lW8TczgG5egJpvv6DIdFh1AVfsVHPiM-vfsxzS53urK-1f9RmpntKDfA3NI4/s400/DSCN1294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699062032757257650" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When Bobby brought her back in, I took her sippie cup and filled it halfway with milk, then added some hot chocolate. I wanted her to have the full experience with playing in the snow and have her hot (or in her case warm) chocolate after coming inside. She took one sip and spit it across the room. All over me, the floor, and her clothes. It was so funny.<br /><br />Franny was probably happiest about the snow. (That's her in the bottom left corner of the picture below.) She has been so frustrated with the unseasonably warm weather we've been having. (It's supposed to snow in January!) I couldn't be happier about it! <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7COUu1vnJNcvF5_pIOrEsgSKdkyK_4GUSPbSrQuYyTq-CVZTSf4l3VkrSMSeidqvOOFz3_slXegI55TuUGC47usO1LS-sKTza_MOFT9zmSpgtJiHf4AsI46I9YO-rFeMVbmXPz0hY7Kk/s1600/DSCN1299.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 269px; height: 360px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7COUu1vnJNcvF5_pIOrEsgSKdkyK_4GUSPbSrQuYyTq-CVZTSf4l3VkrSMSeidqvOOFz3_slXegI55TuUGC47usO1LS-sKTza_MOFT9zmSpgtJiHf4AsI46I9YO-rFeMVbmXPz0hY7Kk/s400/DSCN1299.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699065108166675090" border="0" /></a>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-16285919030519878692011-12-24T08:00:00.001-06:002011-12-24T08:25:56.441-06:00Christmas Tree down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWF7qh9-N1-YaqQX2oXVCfplnkMjlwIvB0orkZl4wxIJBPo8hbcrnybSmI3MfsjYkwH1GdCv3y9Psknuh1WCAAw59jNigyTof75dFcatrKIRx7v2CF1_HY_4KF5dgPTDkLBll8olYl6o/s1600/DSCN0391.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYWF7qh9-N1-YaqQX2oXVCfplnkMjlwIvB0orkZl4wxIJBPo8hbcrnybSmI3MfsjYkwH1GdCv3y9Psknuh1WCAAw59jNigyTof75dFcatrKIRx7v2CF1_HY_4KF5dgPTDkLBll8olYl6o/s400/DSCN0391.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689673496775200946" border="0" /></a><br />I have a crazy story to share about my 20 month old, Claire:<br /><br />One day last week I was in my room, minding my own business- never a good idea when you're dealing with a toddler- when I thought to myself, "maybe I should go see what Claire is up to." I walk into the family room where Claire is [supposed to be] watching Elmo and I find her there, sitting on the couch with SIX candy canes in her lap. I look to the left and this is what I find:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichtcNDeRX4myTqbHnXczTdNaT3qlnBjoa05g_yFuZxJL0Pq7-TcmXHZiriUulb8HACv2coIHHHCIfLPEVTPAoctlocjaFGVW-i_8ElUbqE8gzRXcc9EE-1KyP_z3Ey4CInOXQSBdHeK4/s1600/DSCN1086.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichtcNDeRX4myTqbHnXczTdNaT3qlnBjoa05g_yFuZxJL0Pq7-TcmXHZiriUulb8HACv2coIHHHCIfLPEVTPAoctlocjaFGVW-i_8ElUbqE8gzRXcc9EE-1KyP_z3Ey4CInOXQSBdHeK4/s400/DSCN1086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689673506861362658" border="0" /></a>My 7-foot Christmas tree was lying on the ground. (The space heater was face down as well.) She saw the candy canes, decided they ought to be hers, and pulled the whole thing down. She didn't scream, she didn't cry- she didn't even come and get me. She had this smug little look I had to hide my face so she wouldn't see me laughing. I thought about snapping a quick shot of her with the candy canes, but I didn't want to reinforce the behavior so I put her cute little bum in time-out.<br /><br />I sure love this girl. I have to admire her moxie. Here's a picture from another night when Bobby was reading scriptures to the girls. When I pulled the camera out, she was sitting next to Franny listening to Bobby read. But as soon as she saw the camera she was flashing me cheesy grins like this one.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmearb0hHIeNtdkmby_C0Q2yxY_n1U95E3NsYXI5Ao-BtOvzpOGp4PDM5dAglWuPPwh9Hvf47RDiJ5kkG_E9RNOVCDQXZ41pGjGBEHLtTtwCBrzPLgLjXBh8KcHXUm6m9jVAwgs8lsVA/s1600/DSCN0684.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmearb0hHIeNtdkmby_C0Q2yxY_n1U95E3NsYXI5Ao-BtOvzpOGp4PDM5dAglWuPPwh9Hvf47RDiJ5kkG_E9RNOVCDQXZ41pGjGBEHLtTtwCBrzPLgLjXBh8KcHXUm6m9jVAwgs8lsVA/s400/DSCN0684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689673515769831282" border="0" /></a>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-30008788075798453322011-12-24T07:17:00.004-06:002011-12-24T07:23:51.144-06:00Gingerbread Houses 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfyJVw_MVqpygmQ66AXJDskYOZJ3JVSSC4Tmsq6WQHKIQ_95hgmEMwNmeAwExRKaKWeqi0oGNyMdGONW1_5HXlWawX-XefPWgx7UJpnyOT2_NbeFMBjQb2yp3SBytDhpJjlfd9V4F6Ak/s1600/DSCN1062.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfyJVw_MVqpygmQ66AXJDskYOZJ3JVSSC4Tmsq6WQHKIQ_95hgmEMwNmeAwExRKaKWeqi0oGNyMdGONW1_5HXlWawX-XefPWgx7UJpnyOT2_NbeFMBjQb2yp3SBytDhpJjlfd9V4F6Ak/s320/DSCN1062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689684615609898578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FRS0b76yl40Ru6piYeyKkvNdhgitrBc9WiRR_I5AHFF14Ky_QJCU1fog5xjQ74pN35PqNkjgpUztkQjHH4-MbuNhfzQwnwXELZLdxuXY7UWdzGpfnhKFv0Ir3b5DLeMpN9zl-dFHsfc/s1600/DSCN1066.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FRS0b76yl40Ru6piYeyKkvNdhgitrBc9WiRR_I5AHFF14Ky_QJCU1fog5xjQ74pN35PqNkjgpUztkQjHH4-MbuNhfzQwnwXELZLdxuXY7UWdzGpfnhKFv0Ir3b5DLeMpN9zl-dFHsfc/s320/DSCN1066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689684627819805506" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjY1R9iCGs48puc5uIWsDbJrtd_euF4z2xS0JlNAjuKVIo4O9Ly5QG9XqlOZFhZ_ZY-GzoCigUEiLq0uS4KWgZyVjzDTVTZsdZtPuJfSBiV3VpydquRkcTWekX3ZitPXPDVI_b6429Zk/s1600/DSCN1061.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjY1R9iCGs48puc5uIWsDbJrtd_euF4z2xS0JlNAjuKVIo4O9Ly5QG9XqlOZFhZ_ZY-GzoCigUEiLq0uS4KWgZyVjzDTVTZsdZtPuJfSBiV3VpydquRkcTWekX3ZitPXPDVI_b6429Zk/s320/DSCN1061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689684622367261970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsQEZ5WuuC2E2ZcyMCv93NI6Ky6iwycL6JRB5LUwaH-DSe7aBDU0debdkEIRFLEPgDNJeAK6b1clPFJiuLNx2M4l8XLfAz_wR2CjsQgCwot8IbWIs2-UDdUXFUc7qs9ilxGRTzoUZvAA/s1600/DSCN1052.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsQEZ5WuuC2E2ZcyMCv93NI6Ky6iwycL6JRB5LUwaH-DSe7aBDU0debdkEIRFLEPgDNJeAK6b1clPFJiuLNx2M4l8XLfAz_wR2CjsQgCwot8IbWIs2-UDdUXFUc7qs9ilxGRTzoUZvAA/s320/DSCN1052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689684606963947074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvtOU47S0eE7xd4DRzA80Gtn73pVWcRFxuhv0xRUpDqFNI_E8ub90ZTJfvTCiMNENz3Hk6s2yoICHq2t4uNpKlDhaIeYThVGMK1Z7WOxBnlWyfh0Y1LW_jnbqRqRje4c-DmEsen1NBmo/s1600/DSCN1067.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvtOU47S0eE7xd4DRzA80Gtn73pVWcRFxuhv0xRUpDqFNI_E8ub90ZTJfvTCiMNENz3Hk6s2yoICHq2t4uNpKlDhaIeYThVGMK1Z7WOxBnlWyfh0Y1LW_jnbqRqRje4c-DmEsen1NBmo/s320/DSCN1067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689684637018959106" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uFlmzXHA7JbYhtXqkEAgX9Q-EbCZoMVvFZMVeAgoW4sVF6T41MKtsThUaPDKEWvi9bVHpjNRATDLJpUHmGfWN3T-VYtIOgqqS_0kTI870DKLBitaTl3kflBX34a7J-BSUzyFvutVRXc/s1600/DSCN1072.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uFlmzXHA7JbYhtXqkEAgX9Q-EbCZoMVvFZMVeAgoW4sVF6T41MKtsThUaPDKEWvi9bVHpjNRATDLJpUHmGfWN3T-VYtIOgqqS_0kTI870DKLBitaTl3kflBX34a7J-BSUzyFvutVRXc/s320/DSCN1072.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689684983212404610" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I knew I needed to cut out some of the things we like to do around the holidays with the new baby and my recovery and everything- but Bobby loves gingerbread houses and I love seeing him get so excited about them. And it really wasn't that much work once I got the gingerbread baked and put together. We had most of the candy because we save what we don't use each year. We had so much stuff and two big houses so we invited the Johnson's to come over and join us. Our kids had a blast with their kids and I was totally impressed with the way both houses turned out. It was a fun night.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-87655514370715226952011-12-24T07:10:00.003-06:002011-12-24T07:16:18.958-06:00Homemade Gnocchi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8D3-wyaUKQhKdwPtMD_0QkcXIVlXvjxjqHrbdmaAFziWfvTMoRCSLCV_P-stVZEv-8tWmAoM-YjPgMayoqBcyugMNfZjMQbt67CylrQ-owTuoa30jfkVRN1YAI1jN5AOd2h5IXZkPua4/s1600/DSCN0597.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8D3-wyaUKQhKdwPtMD_0QkcXIVlXvjxjqHrbdmaAFziWfvTMoRCSLCV_P-stVZEv-8tWmAoM-YjPgMayoqBcyugMNfZjMQbt67CylrQ-owTuoa30jfkVRN1YAI1jN5AOd2h5IXZkPua4/s400/DSCN0597.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689682337805867426" border="0" /></a>Bobby bought me some of the Giada pasta sauce they sell at Target and I thought it would taste great on some homemade gnocchi. So I looked for a recipe and tried this one out and thought they were fantastic! <br /><br /><h3>Potato Gnocchi</h3><p><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/cgi-bin/mte/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=print_page&entry_id=140190&show_text=1&show_ingredients=1&show_procedure=1&show_photos=0&show_comments=0">adapted from serious eats</a><br /></p><div class="ingredients"> <div class="ingredients-header"> <h2>Ingredients</h2> <p>serves 4-6, active time 50 minutes, total time 1 hour 50 minutes</p><p></p></div> <div class="ingredients-section"> <ul><li>2 pounds potatoes (about 4 medium baking potatoes, such as Russet and one medium waxy potato, like Yukon Gold)</li><li>1 whole egg, plus one egg yolk</li><li>1 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more for adding to boiling water and for final seasoning</li><li>1 ½ cups all-purpose flour</li></ul> </div> </div> <div class="procedure-header"> <h2>Procedures</h2> </div> <ol class="procedure-steps"><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>Preheat oven to 400°F.</p> </div> </li><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>With a fork, poke a few holes in each potato and spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are cooked through and tender, about 1 hour.</p> </div> </li><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still very warm, scoop out the flesh and pass it through a potato ricer or a food mill fitted with a small hole insert. Spread the potatoes onto a clean, cool, lightly floured surface.</p> </div> </li><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>Whisk together the eggs and salt together and drizzle over the riced potatoes. Sprinkle ¾ to 1 cup of the flour over the eggs. With a bench scraper, work the ingredients together, cutting into them and gathering them into a mass. Add flour to reduce stickiness.</p> </div> </li><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>When the mixture holds together, knead briefly, continuing to flour the work surface to prevent sticking and adding flour if the dough is sticky. As soon as the dough is smooth and soft and holds together, stop kneading and shape it into a thick log. </p> </div> </li><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>Working with ¼ of the dough at a time, roll the dough into long ½- to ¾-inch ropes. With the bench scraper, cut them into 1-inch-long pieces. Optionally, form ridges on the gnocchi by rolling them over the back of a dinner fork. Transfer the gnocchi to a lightly floured baking sheet while rolling out remaining dough. </p> </div> </li><li> <div class="procedure-text"> <p>At this point, you may refrigerate the uncooked gnocchi for up to 2 hours or freeze them on the baking sheet and then transfer them into a covered container and store in the freezer for several weeks. </p> </div> </li><li><div class="procedure-text"> <p>Boil a large pot of water, add a generous pinch of salt, and blanch the gnocchi in two batches until they float. With a slotted spoon or spider, remove the gnocchi and spread on a baking sheet while brown-butter sauce finishes cooking. (Alternatively, you can shock the cooked gnocchi in ice water, remove and spread them onto a baking sheet, toss with a little olive oil, and refrigerate until needed.)</p></div></li></ol><p><br /></p>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-3520497503105803102011-12-24T06:52:00.003-06:002011-12-24T07:06:11.654-06:00Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-AAIY98Xi9fBAp9UpSjG8mTB8NSulCHBpgX9yYtspp62PCo9thrhevjjBLM02PbUeKmhJw9xkG_1cwz9O0MtMZb1C9wh5Ze6WxHr4_MBlhfmERgTm-E7qSvOKfgr-lrwaM8CJ-KxdoA/s1600/DSCN1090.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-AAIY98Xi9fBAp9UpSjG8mTB8NSulCHBpgX9yYtspp62PCo9thrhevjjBLM02PbUeKmhJw9xkG_1cwz9O0MtMZb1C9wh5Ze6WxHr4_MBlhfmERgTm-E7qSvOKfgr-lrwaM8CJ-KxdoA/s400/DSCN1090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689677282801905922" border="0" /></a>This was just as good as I was hoping it would be. I saw this on the Food Network while I was in the hospital after Mabel was born- made me realize how much I miss the Food Network. I had to cut a few things out like star anise, bourbon, and apple schnapps. I searched and searched my cupboards, but I could not find any bourbon. Maybe it's in the same place as the apple schnapps. ;)<br /><br />The original recipe also calls for vanilla creme anglaise. I don't know about you, but a caramel sauce, creme anglaise, AND whipped cream seems a little indulgent, even to me. But I am sure it would have been DELICIOUS. Scandalous, but delicious.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce</span></span><br /><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pumpkin-bread-pudding-with-spicy-caramel-apple-sauce-and-vanilla-bean-creme-anglaise-recipe/index.html">adapted from Food Network</a><br /><h2 class="kv-ingred">Ingredients</h2> <ul class="kv-ingred-list1"><li class="ingredient">2 cups <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cream/index.html" class="crosslink">heavy cream</a> </li><li class="ingredient">1 cup whole <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/milk/index.html" class="crosslink">milk</a> </li><li class="ingredient">1 tsp vanilla</li><li class="ingredient">6 large egg yolks<br /></li><li class="ingredient">1/2 cup granulated sugar </li><li class="ingredient">3 tablespoons pure maple syrup </li><li class="ingredient">1 cup pure canned <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/pumpkin/index.html" class="crosslink">pumpkin</a> puree </li><li class="ingredient">Pumpkin Bread, toasted and cubed, recipe follows </li><li class="ingredient">Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce, recipe follows </li><li class="ingredient">Freshly <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cream/index.html" class="crosslink">whipped cream</a></li></ul> <h2>Directions</h2> <div class="instructions"> <p class="instruction"> Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/simmer/index.html" class="crosslink">simmer</a>. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/whisk/index.html" class="crosslink">Whisk</a> together the yolks, sugar, <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/maple-syrup/index.html" class="crosslink">maple syrup</a>, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined, remove the vanilla <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/pod/index.html" class="crosslink">pod</a>, and whisk in the bourbon. Strain the <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/custard/index.html" class="crosslink">custard</a> into a clean bowl. </p> <p> </p> <p>Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking glass <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cookware-and-bakeware-materials/index.html" class="crosslink">baking dish</a>. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard. </p> <p> </p> <p>Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes half way up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. </p> <p> </p> <p>Remove from the oven and <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/water-bath/index.html" class="crosslink">water bath</a> and cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. </p> <p> </p> <p>Drizzle the bread pudding with the<a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/caramel/index.html" class="crosslink"></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce. Top with freshly whipped cream. <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/bread-pudding/index.html" class="crosslink">Bread pudding</a> is best served warm. </p> </div> <h2>Pumpkin Bread:<br /></h2> <ul class="kv-ingred-list3"><li class="ingredient">4 tablespoons <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/butter/index.html" class="crosslink">unsalted butter</a>, softened, plus more for greasing </li><li class="ingredient">1 3/4 cups <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/flour/index.html" class="crosslink">all-purpose flour</a> </li><li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon fine salt </li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon baking soda<br /></li><li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon baking powder </li><li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon ground allspice </li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon ground cinnamon </li><li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg </li><li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon ground cloves </li><li class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups sugar </li><li class="ingredient">1/4 cup <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/vegetable-oils/index.html" class="crosslink">vegetable oil</a> </li><li class="ingredient">8 ounces (scant 1 cup) canned unsweetened pumpkin puree </li><li class="ingredient">2 large eggs </li><li class="ingredient">2/3 cup water</li></ul> <div class="instructions"> <p class="instruction"> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/loaf-pan/index.html" class="crosslink">loaf pan</a> with nonstick <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cooking-spray/index.html" class="crosslink">cooking spray</a>. </p> <p> </p> <p>Whisk together the flour, salt, <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/baking-soda/index.html" class="crosslink">baking soda</a>, baking powder, <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/allspice/index.html" class="crosslink">allspice</a>, cinnamon, <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/nutmeg/index.html" class="crosslink">nutmeg</a>, and <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/clove/index.html" class="crosslink">cloves</a> in a small bowl. </p> <p> </p> <p>In the bowl of a standing <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/mixer/index.html" class="crosslink">mixer</a> fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar, and oil at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times. </p> <p> </p> <p>Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/eggs/index.html" class="crosslink">eggs</a>, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and water and mix until just combined. Spread the <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/batter/index.html" class="crosslink">batter</a> into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely. </p> <p> </p> <p>Once the bread is cool, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly toasted, turning once, about 20 minutes. Let cool. </p> </div><h2>Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce: </h2> <ul class="kv-ingred-list7"><li class="ingredient">1 cup heavy cream </li><li class="ingredient">1/2 cup apple juice </li><li class="ingredient">4 whole cloves </li><li class="ingredient">2 cinnamon sticks </li><li class="ingredient">1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg </li><li class="ingredient">1 1/2 cups <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/sugar/index.html" class="crosslink">granulated sugar</a> </li><li class="ingredient">1/2 cup water </li><li class="ingredient">1 tablespoon <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/vinegar/index.html" class="crosslink">apple cider vinegar</a> </li></ul> <div class="instructions"> <p class="instruction"> Combine the cream, apple juice, cloves, <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/cinnamon/index.html" class="crosslink">cinnamon sticks</a>, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/steep/index.html" class="crosslink">steep</a> for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean, small <a href="http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/saucepan/index.html" class="crosslink">saucepan</a> and place back over low heat while you make the caramel. </p> <p> </p> <p>Combine the sugar, water and, vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring, until it's a deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, and continue whisking until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving. </p> </div>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-41181815693268737452011-12-16T13:32:00.005-06:002011-12-23T10:13:32.954-06:00Mabel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQPuKgGSsn-K2OzR2QgKlumm-N6N85ZjZqx_zz8DkM-CiJxhdEHkwe0rJrcxlDyXyl3Opk4M2WJshX_1rprZiIHWicQqn0aE4qWVrTLwql1p4gXlIADucCX6AcH60ecb1iZSA16lgi-k/s1600/bill-cosby-jell-o-pudding.jpg"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/?action=view&current=Mabel-95crop.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 529px; height: 739px;" src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/Mabel-95crop.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Mabel Marianne Fields<br />11/11/11<br />7 lbs. 9 oz., 21 inches<br /><br />She's here! She's been here for a little over four weeks and we are in love. What a sweet little baby. She's still in that "bear cub" stage where she makes little animal noises and her little body is always curled up. (Bear cub because of all the dark hair.) She also makes this little Cosby face where her eyes are wide open and she looks up and to the side and purses her lips. It's my favorite thing! I have to describe it here since I probably won't be able to get a picture. I kind of miss the days when I could just sit home and stare at my newborn baby all day... waiting to catch moments like that on film. But then of course during those days I only had six weeks at home with Franny before I had to go back to working full time, and that was no fun.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQPuKgGSsn-K2OzR2QgKlumm-N6N85ZjZqx_zz8DkM-CiJxhdEHkwe0rJrcxlDyXyl3Opk4M2WJshX_1rprZiIHWicQqn0aE4qWVrTLwql1p4gXlIADucCX6AcH60ecb1iZSA16lgi-k/s1600/bill-cosby-jell-o-pudding.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQPuKgGSsn-K2OzR2QgKlumm-N6N85ZjZqx_zz8DkM-CiJxhdEHkwe0rJrcxlDyXyl3Opk4M2WJshX_1rprZiIHWicQqn0aE4qWVrTLwql1p4gXlIADucCX6AcH60ecb1iZSA16lgi-k/s400/bill-cosby-jell-o-pudding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686811048513105522" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(here's sort of an example of the cosby face I'm referring to. The forehead wrinkles are relevant to the comparison as well. :)</span><br /></div><br />Anyway, back to Mabel! I guess I should write a little about the day she was born. The doctor noticed a few weeks prior to her birth that she was breech and that a repeat c-section might be necessary. I hoped and prayed that she would flip, but it didn't happen. My one consolation was that the c-section would be scheduled on 11/11/11 and my kid would have the best birth ever. I called my wonderful mother-in-law Louise and asked if she could come a week earlier. She did. She spent nearly two weeks taking care of us here and it was so hard to see her go! It was also really nice to leave my girls in such capable and loving hands the morning Mabel was born. Bobby drove me to the hospital that morning and did my pre-op evaluation. A few of his co-workers stopped in to say hi and give us well wishes or help prepare me for surgery. I spent a few weeks feeling really nervous about being cut open again, but then about a week beforehand, when I knew for sure that I would have a c-section, I started to feel much calmer about it. So it was kind of surprised to see Bobby a little nervous. Bobby is usually the one tempering MY anxiety. But like I said, he was just a little nervous. I think his friends at work were a little surprised to see him so serious. I thought it was cute that he was worried about me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NVi7Uq2ShmU0RZXwTLtqdKdAdytrZd3vSpNcGKEdFKPEcen9THO984IB8tQnRS_GDrmSwpK-nHBfGmMXs8lcbWe4bCQdPDj093itC1RbxqVuUNTUZZzLPAm1H-iDxdWKbDqjPZ4sUsw/s1600/DSCN0812.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NVi7Uq2ShmU0RZXwTLtqdKdAdytrZd3vSpNcGKEdFKPEcen9THO984IB8tQnRS_GDrmSwpK-nHBfGmMXs8lcbWe4bCQdPDj093itC1RbxqVuUNTUZZzLPAm1H-iDxdWKbDqjPZ4sUsw/s400/DSCN0812.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686813264074320978" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4mgWRwFjF46-0_1mh9w3-IxN8CnPHYQjClgb9IJG5FkFhA29Lk5wlu3lBtjgt7Hepa5NZxFt8WUTnUy7VobHTMzqE_W2Ghx_6kG2PIObFNbRj12MLOxBE0wr0OSeooT2Tm8wEo1JpY8/s1600/DSCN0822.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4mgWRwFjF46-0_1mh9w3-IxN8CnPHYQjClgb9IJG5FkFhA29Lk5wlu3lBtjgt7Hepa5NZxFt8WUTnUy7VobHTMzqE_W2Ghx_6kG2PIObFNbRj12MLOxBE0wr0OSeooT2Tm8wEo1JpY8/s400/DSCN0822.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686813262776414738" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebJ1rvS8vWGshz3YjY6_F26kZQyd8l0TL7eTPfbKHrM862ZLYPA8P9xmZVOOzB0brZioXNR3LmukArEv6VF2-pTgq3PT4kAo1BRWrBoBDdYFUwdQURU6CP2Q8Tn0u8Loz5FFMqcj0VGE/s1600/DSCN0805.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebJ1rvS8vWGshz3YjY6_F26kZQyd8l0TL7eTPfbKHrM862ZLYPA8P9xmZVOOzB0brZioXNR3LmukArEv6VF2-pTgq3PT4kAo1BRWrBoBDdYFUwdQURU6CP2Q8Tn0u8Loz5FFMqcj0VGE/s400/DSCN0805.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686813240542326418" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJMxEDtiql2Qbe_6WriGNtdOcT4IDxbeDi7K2PrxLB7_kXlo02jMypt6-eGg0e_N_c9W5qw6wWMnwW2DiOK0FwBe8Rpd5q0HfmUOrVhufay0V5-007G6lamqy6EeVcoOM6DjqCpcbJbM/s1600/DSCN0756.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJMxEDtiql2Qbe_6WriGNtdOcT4IDxbeDi7K2PrxLB7_kXlo02jMypt6-eGg0e_N_c9W5qw6wWMnwW2DiOK0FwBe8Rpd5q0HfmUOrVhufay0V5-007G6lamqy6EeVcoOM6DjqCpcbJbM/s400/DSCN0756.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686813240466845618" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQguu3J6omnnbErBpzJwgYSIS6ARaVis5hCxvqyw2JQ1NtGqjpoJ78gr3hyphenhyphen0pKNoYAyt7-m9gPJ2kRYhmP7N-Z4kVciV80dn50kOSX77Y9ZkZtYIvIhaghrz0KVb90T7nLyqXZ-2b616I/s1600/DSCN0742.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQguu3J6omnnbErBpzJwgYSIS6ARaVis5hCxvqyw2JQ1NtGqjpoJ78gr3hyphenhyphen0pKNoYAyt7-m9gPJ2kRYhmP7N-Z4kVciV80dn50kOSX77Y9ZkZtYIvIhaghrz0KVb90T7nLyqXZ-2b616I/s400/DSCN0742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686813239802101202" border="0" /></a><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQPuKgGSsn-K2OzR2QgKlumm-N6N85ZjZqx_zz8DkM-CiJxhdEHkwe0rJrcxlDyXyl3Opk4M2WJshX_1rprZiIHWicQqn0aE4qWVrTLwql1p4gXlIADucCX6AcH60ecb1iZSA16lgi-k/s1600/bill-cosby-jell-o-pudding.jpg"><br /></a><br /><br />I love the people Bobby works with. They are all so nice and funny and great at what they do. I'm just so sad so many of them have had to see me naked.<br /><br />From here on it was pretty much the same as last time, only this time it was scheduled of course and I knew what I was getting into. Bobby was right there next to me holding my hand right up until the baby was out. It actually was really nice to spend some time with him because he had a really busy week at work and we'd barely seen him! The weird thing about c-sections is you don't have to anything. You just lay there, totally numb, and wait while the OB and the nurses do all the work. So I laid there, waiting to hear something, from the doctor, from the nurses, the anesthesiologists, or Mabel herself. And then it came: someone's intake of breath and then the "oh there she is!" and Bobby standing up with the camera with a big smile on his face, and then the best sound in the whole world- my baby's first cry! And then I watched them walk quickly by with her to start cleaning her up. I was twisting my neck as far as I possibly could trying to get a good look. Her face was all mashed up and her head was totally lopsided because apparently she stretched part of the uterus with her head and carved herself a tight little spot. I got to kind of hold her long enough to take a picture and then she was off for her first bath. One of the worst things about a c-section is how long you have to wait before they bring you your baby. Actually that first day was not my favorite- I felt much better the day after. I wasn't very good about remembering to use the morphine pump and I had a really hard time getting on top of the pain after that. And also, I could hardly keep any food down that first day. Which is very typical for me after I've had anesthesia. I had the best nurses- I have always had the best OB nurses, actually. Mabel fussed a lot that first day. It worried me a little, but she's been sweet and calm ever since. Bobby stayed with me that evening and held the baby a lot while I slept. I was so out of it. I wanted to stay up so we could hang out and talk and look at the baby together. But I knew I needed the sleep.<br /><br />The girls came for a visit with Nona and Bobby in the late afternoon. I hardly remember anything but the sweet looks on their faces and trying to get Claire from jumping on my incision. It was great to see Claire so happy and excited. It was very hard to leave her for so long. She was only nineteen months when Mabel was born and I didn't know how she'd respond when I was gone for a few days. It's not like I could really prepare her for what was coming. But she did fine while I was gone and has been fine ever since.<br /><br />I love the hospital experience and I'm sad that this was probably my last time! But Sunday afternoon I was ready to come home and be with the family. The house was spotless when I got home and as I said before, Louise took care of just about everything- lunches, cooking, housework, dinner, shopping, laundry- so that I could take naps and take care of Mabel. She is amazing.<br /><br />Some other things we love about Mabel- the hair! I was kind of hoping we'd have another one with lots of dark hair. One of her features that we love is her forehead wrinkles! She got them from her Mommy. She has about 4 or 5 wrinkles every time she raises her eyebrows. It's adorable. I don't know how much she weighs, but she seems HUGE relative to how she started out. It's rewarding to watch her little cheeks and belly round out after all the many hours I've spent nursing her. She is a pretty decent sleeper, as long as I don't eat too much chocolate or ANY hummus at all. She's not consistently in any pattern at all yet- I wouldn't expect her to be at 5 weeks- but sometimes she'll sleep as long as 5 1/2 hours in a row at night in her own bed which I really appreciate, though I don't mind pulling her into bed and tucking her under my arm for a few hours every now and then. It's just so sweet to be so close to a sleeping infant. I can't resist sometimes. I'm on the verge of tears now just thinking that this is likely the last time I'll get to do this with one of my own children. Although it does feel nice to think of our family as complete for now. Everyone's here.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-36945795174386676002011-11-09T03:58:00.014-06:002011-11-09T05:04:31.440-06:00Wisconsin/Michigan Part I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMN8TgltOd3AGJAeWL4PJpyQB10tcmOXVdNbXKWyphF-49gUpLQNTE6-ZNNWgsPk51S3GYAjAXvaNup5duYxUqw9D02YCurdKIegQvQcczaAcpCMZJNWqjPKo4ddU4bvT_dAB7YrOAE/s1600/DSC05999.JPG"><br /></a><br /><br />I wish that it was summer year round in Wisconsin/Michigan. I fell in love with both, but I'm pretty sure I'm just a no-good fair weather friend. We wanted to go visit our dear friends Ashley and Justin, and we thought while we were at it, why not go to Milwaukee first and take a ferry across Lake Michigan with our car? It was so fun to see a slice of Wisconsin. I think maybe my favorite part was the cheese. So much delicious cheese to try! I am so grateful that not only does Bobby understand my need to try new and delicious food while traveling, but that he also enjoys it too!<br /><br />First we ate at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jxuWLV8_nU">this restaurant</a>. We looked it up on Diners, Drive-in's and Dives. I ordered one of the items featured on the show- the duck tacos (I was afraid to order the mole)- and Bobby got something I thought would be rather boring: enchiladas. Best freaking enchiladas I have ever tasted. They were so amazing. I think I would enjoy watching him make that sauce and all the work that goes into it more than watching Jurassic Park, and that is one of my all-time favorite movies. Naturally.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPAQK17ZU9M6FoPh_5YeFh2zmGrz-IR30mjcJrBg_cHrlzrnFvqIahnH_anP0fqO7lADsOoiUXefOV5aJIxrVHYxXaQfP_tFHQ1th2RJazHMbjzM8lUBwxqH_HCQrTPVXh2o2-Sv-sHs/s1600/DSCN0137.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPAQK17ZU9M6FoPh_5YeFh2zmGrz-IR30mjcJrBg_cHrlzrnFvqIahnH_anP0fqO7lADsOoiUXefOV5aJIxrVHYxXaQfP_tFHQ1th2RJazHMbjzM8lUBwxqH_HCQrTPVXh2o2-Sv-sHs/s320/DSCN0137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672935740414000226" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGsgm-Du-pYOQksJudQrQmmRzKyIuDZ44CMSEvki7vIliIpImHl_BCq6rJJ3rsuPp5uCBhwRS5giZiQqgIirqax5KMyeHUP7B5EM3e6cqTXxr9_THaksZGC9eAYj7174bGLnk9GjfB5g/s1600/DSCN0141.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGsgm-Du-pYOQksJudQrQmmRzKyIuDZ44CMSEvki7vIliIpImHl_BCq6rJJ3rsuPp5uCBhwRS5giZiQqgIirqax5KMyeHUP7B5EM3e6cqTXxr9_THaksZGC9eAYj7174bGLnk9GjfB5g/s320/DSCN0141.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672937387600596914" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />They also served a peanut salsa, which Franny did not appreciate at all, but I thought was fantastic. It was funny- as we walked in, I caught a few people staring at our family and my pregnant belly, and actually heard one woman turn to her friend and say "she has a lot of kids."<br /><br />That was our first Triple D experience and I'd say we'd definitely be up for another one.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAsp-7kPwo6xYBwYztSxk_htWMPQ9anD_YXi9eQFYwu41CkMa7srpIw_CNqRiZ5CU3GmK6Cj28uERGMpYrdiKyFNq-XjKRHsNfFA6C82hmSpz5SaD4VrrPaecXOAkw0zoNduh3pm3VRc/s1600/DSCN0142.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAsp-7kPwo6xYBwYztSxk_htWMPQ9anD_YXi9eQFYwu41CkMa7srpIw_CNqRiZ5CU3GmK6Cj28uERGMpYrdiKyFNq-XjKRHsNfFA6C82hmSpz5SaD4VrrPaecXOAkw0zoNduh3pm3VRc/s320/DSCN0142.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672937416499387346" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVWazhdN4Rg3CHm9ehJXJXGesusArAfiZxNua-T2vuxBeXxAdm-yzAio63wrkDv9mYr-uMFHSk_OvCPTKtdeG20m6ANSBv9DdrHClMTQLCJb2HKiLrnva2Gfd9OtnvAM4ImFf9UxIATQ/s1600/DSCN0145.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVWazhdN4Rg3CHm9ehJXJXGesusArAfiZxNua-T2vuxBeXxAdm-yzAio63wrkDv9mYr-uMFHSk_OvCPTKtdeG20m6ANSBv9DdrHClMTQLCJb2HKiLrnva2Gfd9OtnvAM4ImFf9UxIATQ/s320/DSCN0145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672937391821781490" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Here's Claire being Claire in our hotel room. She is very entertaining.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRl7bVpWJ40UVgMc5TXRyQmu-TYuCJsyqUYL_g6pT99qDbOff5uzQLRGfjW6AivGdl1ITrbpagjMbtXSbDX07V0wafRJyY1OblKC29j-QC75PjKhMpNFLk2YH7j4gtx4lfyOVwx3Svmo/s1600/DSCN0169.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRl7bVpWJ40UVgMc5TXRyQmu-TYuCJsyqUYL_g6pT99qDbOff5uzQLRGfjW6AivGdl1ITrbpagjMbtXSbDX07V0wafRJyY1OblKC29j-QC75PjKhMpNFLk2YH7j4gtx4lfyOVwx3Svmo/s320/DSCN0169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672937427408805298" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBSwBeDf8hxbkG3B4kLhhuQ1Mpz5VWmpeO2mahI-ASX692FOgZjXl9a_M57R-pPnosxaZYwqEelFH6t9MtY2RoFig-Xk71ufgcwkh6hqJwvP0cfS7NNWoS4ea-f835ykisc-wOYYa7PU/s1600/DSCN0179.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBSwBeDf8hxbkG3B4kLhhuQ1Mpz5VWmpeO2mahI-ASX692FOgZjXl9a_M57R-pPnosxaZYwqEelFH6t9MtY2RoFig-Xk71ufgcwkh6hqJwvP0cfS7NNWoS4ea-f835ykisc-wOYYa7PU/s320/DSCN0179.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672937406625979090" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />One of the main attractions for Bobby in Michigan was the Harley Davidson museum. Me, not so much. But Sophie tagged along because admission is free. I took Franny and Claire to a children's museum that turned out to be fabulous. So fabulous that I felt a little bad that Sophie wasn't there with us, but I think she had a good time with her Dad.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVtUmiUveWLuSflp91o4jE5HrUHfpYdWhF0sLZZ1IH_P9PchJPb5Qo6z8vimkgzse9MEVdUZ22X4ZIprNtH0RKT7NE2-8DZHnqeL7US04rU5ohyphenhyphenL8DJVvfIVdN6EOD2gR5-LeXSYYOwQ/s1600/DSCN0196.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKVtUmiUveWLuSflp91o4jE5HrUHfpYdWhF0sLZZ1IH_P9PchJPb5Qo6z8vimkgzse9MEVdUZ22X4ZIprNtH0RKT7NE2-8DZHnqeL7US04rU5ohyphenhyphenL8DJVvfIVdN6EOD2gR5-LeXSYYOwQ/s320/DSCN0196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672939600368601474" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR3Hc6puaw-oFS42qWP6za2GpO0jgjVlFBFjBXgteJFLYB337o2btStEh6pSu7dbmCrKBfNupWMFv1HboB6Qy3_SfsAiefRHZtEPvO6UtJThaMhn-_Uv67__j_611wJdTroC1CehKJv8/s1600/DSCN0200.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLR3Hc6puaw-oFS42qWP6za2GpO0jgjVlFBFjBXgteJFLYB337o2btStEh6pSu7dbmCrKBfNupWMFv1HboB6Qy3_SfsAiefRHZtEPvO6UtJThaMhn-_Uv67__j_611wJdTroC1CehKJv8/s320/DSCN0200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672939614244133698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakn4CyKabnLvIY23b1BAChWlpp07R5B4NhVckciZJiESqjwbYyjQSAo2XVpdP3hAZ_HJ6hlSG2SbMW7gD1UYyenDiBNrofKdlhBlMW47-wNiH3KloKEhY4yjoSe6SNP8e-WbGOUj4VhE/s1600/DSCN0188.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgakn4CyKabnLvIY23b1BAChWlpp07R5B4NhVckciZJiESqjwbYyjQSAo2XVpdP3hAZ_HJ6hlSG2SbMW7gD1UYyenDiBNrofKdlhBlMW47-wNiH3KloKEhY4yjoSe6SNP8e-WbGOUj4VhE/s320/DSCN0188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672939582068312738" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0kEe8IOphdRdsCi27mkDg5ALgYsNPrDsMMoJfLUxlclM_Q3tvH7FwxRt9TZmz855zv9gr7VK_aMxJYaPk0_Bqc9DtykB_AZSStuQ_HHrETgUmXZ8bF9T9KWnIMPCAoSQ3h8TEMt4I-g/s1600/DSCN0190.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0kEe8IOphdRdsCi27mkDg5ALgYsNPrDsMMoJfLUxlclM_Q3tvH7FwxRt9TZmz855zv9gr7VK_aMxJYaPk0_Bqc9DtykB_AZSStuQ_HHrETgUmXZ8bF9T9KWnIMPCAoSQ3h8TEMt4I-g/s320/DSCN0190.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672939589020775810" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />One of my very favorite things we did was visit the Public Market in Wisconsin. In fact, we all loved it. So much that we went there twice in the mere 24 hours we were there. It is after all where we discovered Sprecher's root beer. It's only 4:30 in the morning when I started this post and my mouth is watering. I am craving all the delicious food we ate at the Public Market. I'd even go for that delicious Hungarian sausage we ate. Then I'd wash it down with the afore-mentioned Sprecher's root beer. Then some cheese... The Bellavitano raspberry cheese maybe... Sorry what was I saying? ;)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZItZr6-keLa4KZWkC982hwnp9LQ9mgMW-YLTrpuq4w-PBK11itOk7_syD7FNINm5xuVl6iyqUt-TVVv54-omvHTZwdK04W1Qigu5Q8TbYS1a38M6aQRL0YkSIcXmROYxVQKQGMeEitx4/s1600/DSCN0205.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZItZr6-keLa4KZWkC982hwnp9LQ9mgMW-YLTrpuq4w-PBK11itOk7_syD7FNINm5xuVl6iyqUt-TVVv54-omvHTZwdK04W1Qigu5Q8TbYS1a38M6aQRL0YkSIcXmROYxVQKQGMeEitx4/s400/DSCN0205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672940941166376290" border="0" /></a>Then the time came for us to leave Milwaukee and board the ferry to Michigan. I was sad to go, but excited to see our friends. The girls loved it! Until we made it to Abbey and Hayden this was their favorite part of the whole vacation. Claire looks like an albino in this picture. There was plenty of empty seats so we moved around a lot. We also had to chase Claire around a whole lot. But nobody seemed to mind. It took me almost the whole ferry ride to get that kid to fall asleep in my arms. I think I fell asleep before she did.<br /><br />We got to Ashley and Justin's in the middle of the night. We were so tired, but I couldn't help looking around at her gorgeous house! I love the way she decorates. I should have taken more pictures.<br /><br />I can't remember what we did the first day we were there. I think we just hung out and played and let the girls get reacquainted. Plus we wanted some time to snuggle the newest addition to their family: Bennett. So sweet and adorable! Here's a picture of Claire (who would NOT leave him alone!) Lucky for me- she loves babies. (Maybe not so lucky for Mabel.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFSfPDjsRS_DOwA6qldhrCRf45Cup1Dv51OWamAI9ZHMp4T1-KBMWGgETnaKRCi58OE7T2eOmuMiJ3okT5JLHje0DAL9ZnRHAvLMNFXuxvGAXpqy4xQqYxNyAc9Hb1_YGxsJ21JcgtGM/s1600/DSCN0206.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFSfPDjsRS_DOwA6qldhrCRf45Cup1Dv51OWamAI9ZHMp4T1-KBMWGgETnaKRCi58OE7T2eOmuMiJ3okT5JLHje0DAL9ZnRHAvLMNFXuxvGAXpqy4xQqYxNyAc9Hb1_YGxsJ21JcgtGM/s320/DSCN0206.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672943759980546258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I believe it was the second day we were there we went to Wyandotte to visit some of our friends from med school. First we went to see my friend Courtney and Sophie's friend Ryanne (and of course the beautiful Aleigha.) I'm so glad we did. Sophie had really missed Ryanne since she moved a few months before. After we left, she even told me she wants to move to Michigan because Ryanne is there. And I enjoyed visiting with Courtney.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jMy-K01sxO3GyeRXZi0Hrn750YS2FF7CjawWmslrAdCkLSv_hwYqv_52cQWpPLE2VyB6W99arsuXRvKSWjpAeAr2ki4UUJSii8pzr20EvUdq6wiFWOcS__9bRoMqy69vGt4RJnxHcxQ/s1600/DSCN0210.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jMy-K01sxO3GyeRXZi0Hrn750YS2FF7CjawWmslrAdCkLSv_hwYqv_52cQWpPLE2VyB6W99arsuXRvKSWjpAeAr2ki4UUJSii8pzr20EvUdq6wiFWOcS__9bRoMqy69vGt4RJnxHcxQ/s320/DSCN0210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672943399071078434" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwf-GFQuLkin5qDGwWuVJaagHH3Zb_GPzga_BEVhoS2GG4WhyphenhyphenVQGo3B2eqiYc3XYoFC6ysDquvYvBHPsQ7E_mjUsKOGz3oE5JF84F096KgORW3njqME5P5NT0Um-HL2rRRaIX3Rq-uas/s1600/DSCN0212.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwf-GFQuLkin5qDGwWuVJaagHH3Zb_GPzga_BEVhoS2GG4WhyphenhyphenVQGo3B2eqiYc3XYoFC6ysDquvYvBHPsQ7E_mjUsKOGz3oE5JF84F096KgORW3njqME5P5NT0Um-HL2rRRaIX3Rq-uas/s320/DSCN0212.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672943415993652386" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Then we went to visit Jed and Erin, some of our very favorites from our first two years of med school. They had just returned from a trip out west at 2 AM that morning. So I was so glad we got to see them and their cute kids! I didn't get a great picture of the kids. Probably on account of the tantrum Claire threw while I was trying to take it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJA6vkpYqJbglkwt8VIuD2MteGU3vqkyZGPg5LnNKDeD2ndWkR9FOzY09yTQ1qbJQEGonM7N14N6lD6bAJHe24Titpi8CR6mtsevdXNl8qWlCN6pgdLfoXSK31WCi1E0LU2ZRwCOdwbc/s1600/DSCN0216.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJA6vkpYqJbglkwt8VIuD2MteGU3vqkyZGPg5LnNKDeD2ndWkR9FOzY09yTQ1qbJQEGonM7N14N6lD6bAJHe24Titpi8CR6mtsevdXNl8qWlCN6pgdLfoXSK31WCi1E0LU2ZRwCOdwbc/s320/DSCN0216.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672943421281088994" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA2tTL3Du808XDPA4o0H1Zugj9VydebjhGOyWoOkM3yeisOv3bB6rxlvXqRPZ3WvNd9JjDhXPxkYzrif0DcOZxGlcembeOKT2aZ2wWmjzrxP2-_E6RFDVD1kzTOVQYjOgqCLVo_zBV68/s1600/DSCN0222.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA2tTL3Du808XDPA4o0H1Zugj9VydebjhGOyWoOkM3yeisOv3bB6rxlvXqRPZ3WvNd9JjDhXPxkYzrif0DcOZxGlcembeOKT2aZ2wWmjzrxP2-_E6RFDVD1kzTOVQYjOgqCLVo_zBV68/s320/DSCN0222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672943435471865170" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Then we went to visit Paul and Melody. We were just excited to see them. Another couple of favorites from the med school days. We had no idea what kind of wonderful surprises they had in store for us: a sweet slide that Paul built in the basement, Frank's red hot chicken salad, Kasey Later, Paul's killer fish tank, one of Bobby's favorite mission companions!! Actually nobody had any idea about that coincidence. We walked into Melody and Paul's beautiful home, and all of the sudden we hear someone yell, "FIELDS!" It was Elder Christiansen! Such an amazing surprise. It's funny to me that Bobby looks like he is wearing scrubs in this picture. Hey Claire, would it kill you to sit still for a picture once in a while?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZPrPqTpmb6J0SjoFjU4ZGXpWbA6mahOZ3UUkKF8FuG-klR_90L4FzLQWRXFfIriGYJ2vQgjnhzSFOcX6RXzgxUD5tigEsaN4G-NM7yQyVhx385fptDSWthtc8EW42aKH27vSmHoV_ms/s1600/DSCN0233.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZPrPqTpmb6J0SjoFjU4ZGXpWbA6mahOZ3UUkKF8FuG-klR_90L4FzLQWRXFfIriGYJ2vQgjnhzSFOcX6RXzgxUD5tigEsaN4G-NM7yQyVhx385fptDSWthtc8EW42aKH27vSmHoV_ms/s320/DSCN0233.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672946334089148290" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyU2TsyyeHscf7_vIqEaZilqn4KeVbBvaqrw15g-Cc9pywdnSdSECvJcR7h2B3fsLKYCwacSmodLdiCY2vjz34EUG8oujgCEIvKwXp4oTUK87Esj9FJ5hFakAAmWYDn0bH8NTz2dvojA/s1600/DSCN0228.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyU2TsyyeHscf7_vIqEaZilqn4KeVbBvaqrw15g-Cc9pywdnSdSECvJcR7h2B3fsLKYCwacSmodLdiCY2vjz34EUG8oujgCEIvKwXp4oTUK87Esj9FJ5hFakAAmWYDn0bH8NTz2dvojA/s320/DSCN0228.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672946328567410098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMN8TgltOd3AGJAeWL4PJpyQB10tcmOXVdNbXKWyphF-49gUpLQNTE6-ZNNWgsPk51S3GYAjAXvaNup5duYxUqw9D02YCurdKIegQvQcczaAcpCMZJNWqjPKo4ddU4bvT_dAB7YrOAE/s1600/DSC05999.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwMN8TgltOd3AGJAeWL4PJpyQB10tcmOXVdNbXKWyphF-49gUpLQNTE6-ZNNWgsPk51S3GYAjAXvaNup5duYxUqw9D02YCurdKIegQvQcczaAcpCMZJNWqjPKo4ddU4bvT_dAB7YrOAE/s400/DSC05999.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672948145712295762" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBLBqDvwhd_HKRt6cZRt14Jx5wa22uPFYHmK-97l4tnt1KvB626N4ORDzC0EF_UqscJrIpOdF2VA8d0cmGy2kl0ShJA6UmH3OE1IwZ27btaytnxcdL5Cm5mp7uwxGdYDPSDr94nxtOvE/s1600/DSC05994.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBLBqDvwhd_HKRt6cZRt14Jx5wa22uPFYHmK-97l4tnt1KvB626N4ORDzC0EF_UqscJrIpOdF2VA8d0cmGy2kl0ShJA6UmH3OE1IwZ27btaytnxcdL5Cm5mp7uwxGdYDPSDr94nxtOvE/s400/DSC05994.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672948137899827858" border="0" /></a><br />It was a perfect night. <br /><br />And that seems like a good place to stop for now. Much more to say about the amazing time we had with some of the best people ever (Ashley and Justin), but I'm feeling like since I'm having a baby in a little over 48 hours, I better try and get another hour or two of sleep. So for now I'll leave you with this silly picture of Claire wearing a Star Wars helmet. Good night (or I guess I should say "good morning.")<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX75LRshH3895JKloBZJeJWHPPK3bKfIJTv3FbPOdzCusCxjvE43WPAcWyiA3xWL2V3_eSUuvYOlauubbh_4skM7osPDFcLyeOT1bdREUt7Q-rDmBkBEhQnsevgicY_1oV74b5cy761ZQ/s1600/DSCN0224.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX75LRshH3895JKloBZJeJWHPPK3bKfIJTv3FbPOdzCusCxjvE43WPAcWyiA3xWL2V3_eSUuvYOlauubbh_4skM7osPDFcLyeOT1bdREUt7Q-rDmBkBEhQnsevgicY_1oV74b5cy761ZQ/s320/DSCN0224.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672945558549209554" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-72634341749610988602011-10-30T10:36:00.006-05:002011-10-30T11:25:46.720-05:00Surprise!Months and months ago I posted about a random craving for taco bell and a baby boy on the way. Around that time I also threw an "it's a boy" party and we decorated the house in blue and started sharing the news at church and I also posted it on facebook. All I can say is, oops- I may have spoke too soon. :)<br /><br />In my defense, it was my obstetrician that told me about the early detection gender test. She told me that if it said I was having a boy, I was definitely having a boy because the test only indicates boy if there are male cells present in the urine. So I dropped thirty five big ones at Walgreens and took the test at 3 AM. When the test turned green (indicating a boy), I just about died! I could not believe it. I even woke Bobby up so that I could have a witness that the test was in fact green! He walked into the bathroom and said, "Looks green to me," and crawled back into bed.<br /><br />I baked a cake and piped "It's a boy!" in blue on it and put blue crepe paper and balloons everywhere while the girls were at school. That was how we announced it to the girls. Franny was thrilled. Ten weeks later when we had the hospital ultrasound, I confidently told the tech, "We actually already know we're having a boy... we took the early detection gender test." She looked uncomfortable and broke the news to us that many of her patients had come in sure they were having a boy only to find out that very same test was wrong. That's when I started to get nervous. My friend Morgan was watching Claire and Sophie, but we brought Franny along so she could see the baby brother she was so excited about. It wasn't more than a minute or two before we saw the familiar views indicating the fetus was in fact female. I was holding it together until the tech- I DO NOT know what she was thinking- asked me, "what were you going to name him?" Choking back sobs, but not very well, I said, "We were going to name him Cole... after my father!!" And then the tears came. And not just from me, but from Franny too. I felt so silly! For crying that this beautiful, healthy baby was not a boy! I had Bobby bring the tech a plate of chocolate chip cookies the next day because I felt so bad.<br /><br />It's taken a while for me to get here, but I am so excited for this little girl to join us in just under three weeks! We have a name for her. We're going to call her Mabel. No, it's not a family name. (We get that a lot.) We're naming her after one of Bobby's patient's dolls of all things. Bobby was doing the anesthesia for a young girl who was very scared to have surgery. He was trying to make her feel more comfortable and said to her, "you have really pretty hair! If we had more time, I'd show you how pretty the hair on my back is." That got a little smile. She was clutching a little doll in her hospital bed. The he said, "I like your doll. What's her name?" She looked up at him and said in a tiny, scared little voice (and I love how Bobby imitates it), "Mabel." He came home and told me that story- pretty sure sharing the patient's doll's name doesn't break any HIPAA laws- and I just fell in love with the name. I'm pretty sure he did, too. Not sure if we're call her "Mae" or "Maby" (I can't help it- I'm a huge fan of Arrested Development), I guess we'll just have to wait and see. For a couple of weeks the baby was breech and the doctor was saying we would schedule a C-section for 11/11/11. How awesome would that be? But I'm pretty sure she flipped a couple of days ago, so I might be able to have this baby the old-fashioned way after all. We'll just have to wait and see I guess! My mother-in-law is coming to help and I am so grateful for her. It was hard with Claire and it's been hard with this one to approach the birth of a child without my Mom being here, but Louise makes it so much easier for me. I love her so much.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRF_o0xegbbg-ISyu3RkuBcbgI3SWO8t8sgUdGMt2o6jrc3LFk0di67UHEFrfy9bCgw2yG3kaXgh0clHmEfhwfwMG0VeXaW1aWUvWrtJ3XnOa5TzRN4tGqh3uRAeoIm7JoNWj9e1LsbdM/s1600/IMG_2606.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRF_o0xegbbg-ISyu3RkuBcbgI3SWO8t8sgUdGMt2o6jrc3LFk0di67UHEFrfy9bCgw2yG3kaXgh0clHmEfhwfwMG0VeXaW1aWUvWrtJ3XnOa5TzRN4tGqh3uRAeoIm7JoNWj9e1LsbdM/s400/IMG_2606.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669319195612259458" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a picture of Claire at the party- not looking super thrilled about a new baby joining the picture. Just kidding, of course. She was only about 12 or 13 months old when this was taken so of course she had no clue what was coming. Even now when I point to my belly and say, "What's this?" She says "Elmo." (Actually what she says is: "Elwo") She's in for a disappointing surprise! Although she LOVES babies, so once she gets over the initial shock of no thick red Elmo hair covering the baby, I think she's pretty stoked.<br /><br />As for me, I'm feeling great. Which is really nice, since I have this crazy 1 1/2 year old to keep up with. Turns out when everyone tells you that exercise really helps with swelling, pregnancy, and I have yet to see, but delivery and recovery as well- well, they're not just saying that. All I do is walk, but it's helped me keep the weight gain down to a minimum, which has made me feel so much better. Claire did a number on me. (I love how I say that like it's somehow her fault that I gained so much weight.) I was just looking at some pictures I took of my feet right before Claire was born and they looked like big sausages. Disgusting.<br /><br />Here's a couple of pictures of our "it's a boy! (no it's not)" party. Like Bobby said, it was kind of fun to think we were having a boy for a little while. :) Not sure what we're going to do with all the boy clothes, hot wheels, star wars toys, and geo trax we've been stock-piling since I'm not sure we're going to have any more after Mabel. But we'll see... :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgyZo7w-ceexaa2SHV1CqmnOHMksNxkPD-WDc4OZRtE0MROOLq2o1VepWJpOHiS5MIuxUbt-tcBKILH0RIitccxYldjd8m8xWadGl3f91AsysWkd9ZqLUYB5D3Fxf9Y_JzuyfiN4cxH8/s1600/IMG_2609.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYgyZo7w-ceexaa2SHV1CqmnOHMksNxkPD-WDc4OZRtE0MROOLq2o1VepWJpOHiS5MIuxUbt-tcBKILH0RIitccxYldjd8m8xWadGl3f91AsysWkd9ZqLUYB5D3Fxf9Y_JzuyfiN4cxH8/s400/IMG_2609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669317744984086322" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_w0ZBUda8DSCBTDWn45L6sVvQhvXHox8ZslNUyr80d8hmIe84wsGRr5NLX0NT75EeCvwEESwfBt43xT-Ks1GTktw9_P5dh7nc8L1nkdjb7fG0NfRD-qrnudwqjhPFkXtZlgUR2vLZa4Q/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_w0ZBUda8DSCBTDWn45L6sVvQhvXHox8ZslNUyr80d8hmIe84wsGRr5NLX0NT75EeCvwEESwfBt43xT-Ks1GTktw9_P5dh7nc8L1nkdjb7fG0NfRD-qrnudwqjhPFkXtZlgUR2vLZa4Q/s400/IMG_2602.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669317735807935634" border="0" /></a><br />I was hoping to get a picture of Bobby with a big, excited grin at this party, but I'm pretty sure he was just humoring me. He was never as sure as I was that it was a boy.<br /><br />We can't wait for you Mabel! We are ready for you to join our family (except not really- I still have to wash your car seat cover and adjust the straps- but we will be!! :)Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-31430630117948057532011-09-01T10:29:00.004-05:002011-09-01T10:41:22.904-05:00Open-Faced Chicken Sandwich with Basil Mayonnaise<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/?action=view&current=DSCN0135.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 699px; height: 524px;" src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/DSCN0135.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Open Faced Chicken Sandwich with Basil Mayonnaise</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2007/08/open_face_chicken_burgers_with_basil_mayonnaise?printable=true">adapted from Bon Appetit</a>
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<br />I found this recipe on Bon Appetit and thought it sounded fantastic. I wanted to try the recipe the way it was written with ground chicken, but I couldn't find ground chicken? I didn't look really hard, though, so it may be out there somewhere. It tasted fabulous with my go-to chicken marinade on some chicken breasts. I was afraid my family would hate it because they are hard core fans of mayo like I am. I cannot open a jar of mayonnaise without bringing it to my nose to take a whiff. I was right about the girls, but Bobby actually liked it. This is a great way to use up some home-grown basil and tomatoes! Enjoy it! I think we'll be having this again soon.
<br /><div class="ingredient-sets"> <h3>Ingredients</h3> <div class="ingredient-set"> <ul class="ingredients"><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="name">Olive oil (for brushing)</span> </span></li><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="quantity">1</span> <span class="unit">cup</span> <span class="name">mayonnaise</span> </span></li><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="quantity">1 1/4</span> <span class="unit">cups</span> <span class="name">chopped fresh basil plus 8 large leaves, divided</span> </span></li><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="quantity">3</span> <span class="unit">tablespoons</span> <span class="name">chopped drained cornichons or dill pickle plus 1 1/2 tablespoons brine from jar (I left these out because everyone else in my family hates pickles- I'd like to try it some time though)</span> </span></li><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="quantity">4 chicken breasts marinated in <a href="http://pizzaandrootbeer.blogspot.com/2009/07/sunday-dinner-two-desserts.html">lemon-thyme marinade</a></span><span class="name"> (scroll down a bit for the grilled lemon chicken recipe)</span></span></li><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="quantity">4</span> <span class="name">1/2-inch-thick slices country white bread (<a href="http://pizzaandrootbeer.blogspot.com/search?q=no+knead+bread">I used this recipe</a>)</span> </span></li><li><span class="ingredient"> <span class="quantity">4</span> <span class="name">1/3-inch-thick slices from large red or orange heirloom tomato </span> </span></li></ul> </div> </div> <h3>Preparation</h3> <div class="prep-steps"> <ul><li class="step"><span class="instructions"> <div class="text">Brush grill with oil; prepare barbecue (medium heat). Mix mayonnaise, 1 cup chopped basil, cornichons, and brine in small bowl. Season basil mayonnaise with salt and pepper.</div> </span></li><li class="step"><span class="instructions"> <div class="text">Grill marinated chicken.
<br /></div> </span></li><li class="step"><span class="instructions"> <div class="text">Grill bread until crisp and golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer bread to plates. Grill burgers until firm to touch and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.</div> </span></li><li class="step"><span class="instructions"> <div class="text">Spread bread slices thickly with basil mayonnaise. Top each bread slice with tomato, 2 basil leaves, chicken breast, and dollop of basil mayonnaise. Garnish with remaining chopped basil.</div> </span></li></ul> </div>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-20461787408258039722011-09-01T10:07:00.008-05:002011-09-01T10:28:07.845-05:00Back to School and Baby Sue<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/?action=view&current=DSCN0313.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 700px; height: 524px;" src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/DSCN0313.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a>
<br /></div>The girls started their school year and so far things are going great. From what I can tell, they seem to have excellent teachers and are enjoying their classrooms. The first day of school Franny came home from a letter from her teacher asking me to tell her about Franny in "a million words or less." I liked her immediately. Today Sophie's teacher said, "I'm sure you know how bright and what a delight Sophie is in the classroom." I hoped as much, but it's always nice to hear. It's been two weeks now and Sophie just wore a pair of shorts yesterday for the first time. She only wants to wear skirts or dresses.
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<br /></div>As for Claire, I'm really enjoying the one on one time I have with her and I think she is, too. We go on a walk together every morning, then we come home and she watches Elmo (she calls it "Elwo") while I get organized and cleaned up for the day. She has become very attached to Sophie and Franny's dolls. She has about four baby dolls she carries around and she calls them all "Baby Sue." She started pushing them around in this triplet toy stroller we found at a garage sale this summer. It is the cutest thing! Today she wanted them to come with her to watch "Elwo." Here she is giving them both a hug-
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooux28fNS7Hto5l8sGcwHhcnO3ktL0Eo0e3Ik-JtLdLFt_Y-IQXkvoQXmMolq2ew0_mwqDpgaHZ4ujG_e-jP9RqoHSFDroS0-5r9vzXHd0FiyoY8yVP4at2SGTc1hrwEY9cVApB9ckbc/s1600/DSCN0350.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhooux28fNS7Hto5l8sGcwHhcnO3ktL0Eo0e3Ik-JtLdLFt_Y-IQXkvoQXmMolq2ew0_mwqDpgaHZ4ujG_e-jP9RqoHSFDroS0-5r9vzXHd0FiyoY8yVP4at2SGTc1hrwEY9cVApB9ckbc/s400/DSCN0350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647410971372244930" border="0" /></a>
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<br />And this is the face she makes when she talks about them. She scrunches her face up like she might cry and says, "OH! BABY SUE!!!"
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgsspGPmHFw3azbJb6Htxz74PTFG4AToNOXUOSA-BdIlAc0WQs0G941T_G20W-IgePARMGx6XnmGYb4fs16y_aSTG51g_9KVmXVc963noCOVGM70P91FLnKQ40pT0ha7xb4qkSDww9_8/s1600/DSCN0345.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgsspGPmHFw3azbJb6Htxz74PTFG4AToNOXUOSA-BdIlAc0WQs0G941T_G20W-IgePARMGx6XnmGYb4fs16y_aSTG51g_9KVmXVc963noCOVGM70P91FLnKQ40pT0ha7xb4qkSDww9_8/s400/DSCN0345.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647410977442933410" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-82400946554597949772011-07-21T10:20:00.004-05:002011-07-21T10:27:15.475-05:00Miss King<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyI0kBIgV-TBlYc4YBEk0JY0vYhVA0nTLG39KpJT2CnOCAlRpGVuH2-sD2dcjjWBoakXWnlbXcU2TASV6nGydijtbMYzotk1ZSzeIlonoekqeDr_BjOt0BsyosrFTzewrhcN6LpIC6X74/s1600/DSCN0075.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyI0kBIgV-TBlYc4YBEk0JY0vYhVA0nTLG39KpJT2CnOCAlRpGVuH2-sD2dcjjWBoakXWnlbXcU2TASV6nGydijtbMYzotk1ZSzeIlonoekqeDr_BjOt0BsyosrFTzewrhcN6LpIC6X74/s400/DSCN0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631827529449229250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTOvQgCpRMQLMiAWWXZbgggZdc9zdQKX6O_-FaMdn8K1Ktlf9j47_15hZDOAPXqnYwepkKWMTSPCrnLW7LcPOHsq5msak3wzFmM5R1c7Lm6AN4XPABL39i0-X7Znf3DNI6wTim6jSksE/s1600/DSCN0075.JPG"><br /></a><br />Franny had two fabulous teachers her first grade year! I couldn't have asked for better. We had one of them, Miss King, over for dinner last night and since it was the day after her birthday we celebrated with her and served ice cream sundaes. It was great to see her and Franny was so excited. She chose the menu and helped us get the house cleaned up in preparation for her visit. She loves Miss King so much!Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-49325975432037960432011-07-18T08:02:00.005-05:002011-07-18T09:38:02.529-05:00You suck, July 14I really hate that I have a day of the year that I can't be happy on. At least for the time being. It's just a day. <a href="http://pizzaandrootbeer.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-went-through-really-hard-time-last.html">Something really sad happened to me</a> and my family four years ago on that day, but it's still just another summer day. As the day approached, I actually felt like it wasn't going to bother me this year. Then I woke up at 4:00 AM to Bobby's R2D2 notification message on his phone, and then Franny was up using the bathroom at 4:30, and that was it, I couldn't fall back asleep. Neither could Franny, as it seems, because she thought it would be a good idea to wake Claire up at 6:15. I'm finally drifting off when I hear Franny saying over the monitor, "Good morning, Claire! Time to wake up!" And I knew it was game over. The worst day of the year for me had started four hours earlier than usual. (My kids have been sleeping in until 8:00 AM ever since we got back from California and it's awesome!)<br /><br />I told Bobby that day felt a little bit like walking into a brick wall when you're not paying attention. And then you're flat on your back looking up and that brick wall thinking, "Man, I should have seen this coming." I also feel like summer betrayed me by taking my Mom in July. Summer is supposed to be happy and carefree! Something like this should have happened in January or February. I can't say this around Bobby or Franny because their birthdays both fall during this time, but those are my least favorite months. So cold, so quiet- a perfect time to wear sweats all day and no makeup and bake a lot of treats and do nothing.<br /><br />This year July 14 started off kind of rough, but it got better. I took one of my pie crusts out of the freezer, rolled it out and filled it with raspberries and peaches and then put a crumb topping on it. Delicious! It felt to good to bake.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJ1i4mo4V4ZuuiKAbcrvxjYWvS8GkFnqqw8sBR4fQnHNlaphf87QuFRT-54z5ERL-RU3jv-hBBDfJLpZ5ssM1jz5m9nQGDthjq7ZqpblLdsh7F5QQGUN7Gfhg6KOnt8YHeg1Sg49qfAY/s1600/DSCN0032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJ1i4mo4V4ZuuiKAbcrvxjYWvS8GkFnqqw8sBR4fQnHNlaphf87QuFRT-54z5ERL-RU3jv-hBBDfJLpZ5ssM1jz5m9nQGDthjq7ZqpblLdsh7F5QQGUN7Gfhg6KOnt8YHeg1Sg49qfAY/s400/DSCN0032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630698995332384466" border="0" /></a>Then Claire went down for a nap and I put a movie on for the girls and gave them instructions not to wake Mommy up for anything less than an emergency. And not a bathroom emergency. Franny did come in once to tell me that Sophie pinched her but not before I got a good hour of sleep in, and I was satisfied with that. It made such a difference. Then we spent the afternoon outside eating popsicles and visiting with our neighbors Lydia and Amanda while the girls played in our inflatable pool.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZc_qmhPEZ5d9SA3lW_JCL2LhvEKDVaTH97vBA6Ccgj2vpHqGZ14sJo5BXTFW0S2n5TMCKQR5G_TmP8kJLKNyQDAbKwwFgCksoLQ_3eaNcL8TY88_MsP3XrEz275jRk5p0AyA60FToXBQ/s1600/DSCN0030.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZc_qmhPEZ5d9SA3lW_JCL2LhvEKDVaTH97vBA6Ccgj2vpHqGZ14sJo5BXTFW0S2n5TMCKQR5G_TmP8kJLKNyQDAbKwwFgCksoLQ_3eaNcL8TY88_MsP3XrEz275jRk5p0AyA60FToXBQ/s400/DSCN0030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630698993597337762" border="0" /></a>The day just got better and better. After that we ate calzones for dinner- those really hit the spot- and off to Sophie's last T-ball game of the season. This was her first year and she did so well! I was so proud. This was our first time participating in a sports team of any kind. It was all very new to me because I never played sports of any kind growing up, aside from P.E. "I'm not very athletic." I felt a little nervous and awkward the first few games, but by the end, I felt pretty comfortable. I think for sure we'll do it again next year. Sophie payed close attention and chased after every ball and caught more than her share. We were very impressed. And by the end of the season we noticed she was hitting the ball much farther than at the beginning.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO0EjBdunevUeH5iqQZoylBrXQ8XVtNFXO_G6krnzRjtDQgE0TVeVvKlK_tNCKL9j1_bh3c3ndn-iqoLen4phZXYWTuuYD8ORgfG4g-LRsGpDEHYgDpjUrGUxha6TTKDhgvxQ7SQFCHM/s1600/DSCN0053.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZO0EjBdunevUeH5iqQZoylBrXQ8XVtNFXO_G6krnzRjtDQgE0TVeVvKlK_tNCKL9j1_bh3c3ndn-iqoLen4phZXYWTuuYD8ORgfG4g-LRsGpDEHYgDpjUrGUxha6TTKDhgvxQ7SQFCHM/s400/DSCN0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630699000567440146" border="0" /></a>I am hoping that at as the years pass, it will get a little easier to face July 14. My cousin told me that they call the day his father passed away "Happy Deathday." He said because his Dad was such a fun happy guy, it made sense to get together for a party even if he couldn't be there physically. I hope I get there sooner rather than later. I know my mother would prefer that.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjysyaLBnNzNlnaQKC6GAPzPFv0A9YbTp1d2lc3bd2ir2lgrxnPjvZqklwE5wpfHSvvcmRBTiKLYuXlJyvuNJui8vhiEhczQh0mgbNKZI5F35H6pmju6ZMb2eoWYsjA5bxDdGY-aRMl3o/s1600/DSCN0060.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjysyaLBnNzNlnaQKC6GAPzPFv0A9YbTp1d2lc3bd2ir2lgrxnPjvZqklwE5wpfHSvvcmRBTiKLYuXlJyvuNJui8vhiEhczQh0mgbNKZI5F35H6pmju6ZMb2eoWYsjA5bxDdGY-aRMl3o/s400/DSCN0060.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630699009473038002" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raspberry Peach Pie with Crumb Topping</span><br /><a href="http://eatfordinner.blogspot.com/2008/08/raspberry-peach-pie.html">from Equal Opportunity Kitchen</a><br /><p>For the Filling:</p><p>6-7 ripe, but firm white or yellow peaches, washed and chopped with skins on.<em> (</em>You can also remove the skins (if desired) by blanching the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds and then putting them in an ice bath. The skin should peel off.)<br /></p><p>1 pint raspberries</p><p>1/2 lemon, juiced</p><p>1/4 cup brown sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit and your taste)</p><p>3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch</p><p>1/4 teaspoon salt</p><p>1/4 teaspoon ground ginger </p><p>For the filling I chopped up 6 or 7 peaches. Toss them with a pint of raspberries and the lemon juice.</p><p>Combine the brown sugar with the cornstarch, salt and ground ginger in a small bowl. You want to mix all of these ingredients until they are well combined before sprinkling over the fruit.<br /></p><p><strong>Crumble Top</strong></p><p>3/4 Cup Flour<br />1/2 Cup Brown Sugar<br />1/2 Cup Walnuts (optional – I didn’t add this)<br />1/2 Cup Oatmeal<br />1/2 Cup Butter (cold)<br />1/4 Teaspoon Salt</p><p>I just mixed the ingredients together with a fork and spread it evenly on top of the filling. Actually, I had too much crumble, so I only used about 2-3 of the crumble mixture for the pie.</p><p>I then put the pie in the oven at 350 F for about one hour. Serve with ice cream.<br /></p>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-39395017618320365962011-07-17T10:15:00.005-05:002011-07-17T10:28:46.368-05:00Elizabeth's weddingWe were invited to a friend's wedding yesterday. I can't remember the last time I was able to attend a wedding for someone not in my immediate family. It was fun and I think the girls really enjoyed getting to watch a wedding. It was for our friend Liz, who was one of the first of Franny's implementers when Franny first started therapy back in 2006. We felt so honored to be invited and it felt so wonderful to be a small part of her special day. Franny got to sit and the very end of the pew and watch all the bridesmaids and finally the bride walk in. Liz was an absolutely gorgeous bride.She tried to get every one single member of the wedding processional to wave at her until I finally told her to cut it out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEa3vAXaRnIQHsrlsC2ff1sEZM-zUMKTIE6e9G7Is19RpF2LaW50IlDigCwZmBGtdL-42u1cCE4VxS598tTccMLnifJNm6PxCm0Y5J9ncwV9rL9xFrdqtO6FpixNTu7gcpQ2B0D53yS0/s1600/DSCN0062.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEa3vAXaRnIQHsrlsC2ff1sEZM-zUMKTIE6e9G7Is19RpF2LaW50IlDigCwZmBGtdL-42u1cCE4VxS598tTccMLnifJNm6PxCm0Y5J9ncwV9rL9xFrdqtO6FpixNTu7gcpQ2B0D53yS0/s400/DSCN0062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630340904033964642" border="0" /></a>Here is Franny giving Liz a little hug.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlB_fiGkyxntMXojGTcw3xBJs3yzQ3CL5PLjXql5qPrZ9F7HufxK0u5wv0_Ar6IQslkAsql-l8b154Us5L6TRiAE3EJqzuYmEU5JPTahQMmO8wQrJtI13-QixDtC4xPSlmd84cQ0lyFk/s1600/DSCN0065.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlB_fiGkyxntMXojGTcw3xBJs3yzQ3CL5PLjXql5qPrZ9F7HufxK0u5wv0_Ar6IQslkAsql-l8b154Us5L6TRiAE3EJqzuYmEU5JPTahQMmO8wQrJtI13-QixDtC4xPSlmd84cQ0lyFk/s400/DSCN0065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630340906307231170" border="0" /></a>We were going to head over to the reception to eat dinner, but we decided since we didn't have Claire with us (she was home with a sitter), it might be fun to go out to eat without having to entertain a rowdy baby. So we all went out to eat together at Colton's before heading to the reception.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHooAqZQGOo7Gq_l9V7LPEX1fInPy9NwG_n-LOiNarxIZlltI1zyZzCGWrW9bbDtmGnouTXBlMka5trhP8mg_7ztKM0mkL7I53YgGQZzg-dOzczzQJtW77VG4zYvAhJJJyzQ_9Tl_28w/s1600/DSCN0067.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHooAqZQGOo7Gq_l9V7LPEX1fInPy9NwG_n-LOiNarxIZlltI1zyZzCGWrW9bbDtmGnouTXBlMka5trhP8mg_7ztKM0mkL7I53YgGQZzg-dOzczzQJtW77VG4zYvAhJJJyzQ_9Tl_28w/s400/DSCN0067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630340908011902386" border="0" /></a><br />We do love that baby Claire, but it sure was nice to have a family outing that didn't involve one of us chasing a busy toddler. I mean, does this look like the kind of baby who could sit still during a quiet wedding ceremony?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZQI6KCTTxx9lGYVoJpecBr2J5sFhGbL6-ZpDpB4F4DYApHmlHWz0EJePIYXs1-eSaw1qxpFIUur_74FC3lAvINJB6NUobo7UvaiMF7C8ZUoHhHb9UQhIN3roXafISIgNzBwhKVWDiv0/s1600/DSCN0020.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsZQI6KCTTxx9lGYVoJpecBr2J5sFhGbL6-ZpDpB4F4DYApHmlHWz0EJePIYXs1-eSaw1qxpFIUur_74FC3lAvINJB6NUobo7UvaiMF7C8ZUoHhHb9UQhIN3roXafISIgNzBwhKVWDiv0/s400/DSCN0020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630343132962924146" border="0" /></a>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-48963690905952599632011-05-25T07:44:00.004-05:002011-05-25T07:55:01.021-05:00Taco BellI can't believe I haven't posted this on my blog yet. It's not like it's some big secret. I think I hoped I'd come up with some fun and creative way of announcing it, but that's not likely to happen, so I'll just tell you:<br /><br />About three weeks ago at 10:15 in the morning I found myself in the parking lot of a Taco Bell, eating a chicken soft taco smothered with mild sauce. I think the last time I had Taco Bell was 2007. That was only because we had just moved into a new house and Franny was hungry for tacos and the kitchen hadn't been unpacked yet. Prior to that the last time was probably sometime when I was in college. So as I sat eating Taco Bell in the parking lot at 10:15 in the morning (I was too embarrassed to ask if I was their first customer of the day, but I assumed I was), I thought to myself, "Pregnancy is so weird." <br /><br />Lucky for me, now that I'm out of the first trimester, I'm craving fruits and vegetables and NOT the same food I ate when I was in junior high. Phew.<br /><br />Expecting A BOY in November!Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-54612207842316856812011-05-23T08:51:00.004-05:002011-05-23T09:09:10.933-05:00Dance Recital 2011I took a picture of Franny at her dance recital the other night and she said, "Maybe you should put that on your website." I thought it was so cute that she would think to suggest that. Then of course I felt guilty since it's been nearly two months since I've posted anything. It was a really fun night. Bobby brought flowers for the girls and Franny's school teacher came and gave her a flower, too! We hired a babysitter for Claire and I'm so glad we did. What a busy baby! It was nice to just be able to sit and enjoy the show without having to worry about entertaining a restless new walker on my lap.<br /><br />Here are a few pictures we took that night. After the performance, we took the girls out for ice cream. They looked so pretty and danced so well! Sophie's little preschool class did a dance called "The Ladybug Club." It was so adorable. She has so many little friends in that class and they were adorable, too!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITkKTxQSg4y9KQuKpdSeLum586BDwK0WQItdRNTmdnrFbvaT8krJ2pz4NIhUtJfSZOSdGsDzhlXUCPjuMnCt_8D6d57k24S_P_v2Jon4X3xLgImrdVRrG-jYlsMixmKOqKUBq3jN4gTs/s1600/IMG_2686.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITkKTxQSg4y9KQuKpdSeLum586BDwK0WQItdRNTmdnrFbvaT8krJ2pz4NIhUtJfSZOSdGsDzhlXUCPjuMnCt_8D6d57k24S_P_v2Jon4X3xLgImrdVRrG-jYlsMixmKOqKUBq3jN4gTs/s320/IMG_2686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609910304002254114" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACCZaRa_786IGfVwd42G5CK0JaTW4CGjB9Vn7DyNnkusoFeNrRmTAYOOKtI2-RK9ajdqkRxTDhclQeqk2aoEV2P1HuU_JDSFQCpwwpOJToMVbUZASrgeS7sIO15MB_bEN6ushhqaw6JU/s1600/IMG_2685.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACCZaRa_786IGfVwd42G5CK0JaTW4CGjB9Vn7DyNnkusoFeNrRmTAYOOKtI2-RK9ajdqkRxTDhclQeqk2aoEV2P1HuU_JDSFQCpwwpOJToMVbUZASrgeS7sIO15MB_bEN6ushhqaw6JU/s320/IMG_2685.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609910298784292386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p00A2Dsmu9w5fBkW5lqmk8UAkv77Xrcwj2RFAaRxzFPROIipsssvVKOJezTbIG3m0kDPV5E3ARpD1HWmbpY8-UC5WUpndbX3tSx-kx0iCv6mWcNPvC4IZM3OtMb7yjCSR7hJmJ8nLO8/s1600/IMG_2690.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8p00A2Dsmu9w5fBkW5lqmk8UAkv77Xrcwj2RFAaRxzFPROIipsssvVKOJezTbIG3m0kDPV5E3ARpD1HWmbpY8-UC5WUpndbX3tSx-kx0iCv6mWcNPvC4IZM3OtMb7yjCSR7hJmJ8nLO8/s320/IMG_2690.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609910366627530322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN_ozMeRkZ8ter3_8Tsvu4Fhq2w0nLi_AP0b-xo6ragAtovH1bhMGFz_8VXPe5WcY-bGKZw4McUY2w2Dp09EhKGdfwf9_7aS-wkXmLwRIRFOD3c7kRyEXw2AliIBGtm90wUmMVN8MxK0/s1600/IMG_2687.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCN_ozMeRkZ8ter3_8Tsvu4Fhq2w0nLi_AP0b-xo6ragAtovH1bhMGFz_8VXPe5WcY-bGKZw4McUY2w2Dp09EhKGdfwf9_7aS-wkXmLwRIRFOD3c7kRyEXw2AliIBGtm90wUmMVN8MxK0/s320/IMG_2687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609910340768578098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here are the girls' individual and class pictures. I think they turned out great!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SjFpIPW9RtnW2LjF20t8YYfXHp8c_yVsgnjDMKiH5TGyoLX9QS4lOmTAUhn4JXYYqxGN1LnphOjup5uYNQKKESns4GDmrKJCOG55o2rh2ttJnJutrRg_sxLXRa1LSVCZkaA70auFRUs/s1600/Sophie.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SjFpIPW9RtnW2LjF20t8YYfXHp8c_yVsgnjDMKiH5TGyoLX9QS4lOmTAUhn4JXYYqxGN1LnphOjup5uYNQKKESns4GDmrKJCOG55o2rh2ttJnJutrRg_sxLXRa1LSVCZkaA70auFRUs/s400/Sophie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609912262446959682" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYKlnB6xryB9li2grjc1isKl6XCo8gsX6mzcoIr2xWCcu4Uq3yMVH7kKoyueW6o1QWTZ-ncBSPdSmzyaR5v6TvlHM1HHCaVwQn9Ltk6QXRG_oN2QmG0FlnvJ6iecr7DaADkGmsSq3lPQ/s1600/Sophie%2527s+class+picture.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiYKlnB6xryB9li2grjc1isKl6XCo8gsX6mzcoIr2xWCcu4Uq3yMVH7kKoyueW6o1QWTZ-ncBSPdSmzyaR5v6TvlHM1HHCaVwQn9Ltk6QXRG_oN2QmG0FlnvJ6iecr7DaADkGmsSq3lPQ/s400/Sophie%2527s+class+picture.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609912257506992994" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRpm87Gd-E8OkzZQyGWvgX4TiJXuxKK1_xCRdWr6vd-F0e4zOtyiMnaGqesq-wyWhNvJ3pBUx7W8VB-OK6HPwjen_vZiw24bShV2cS8ZAlqa8VEb9UhcaM-9_a4e8jWAc0VaTCiEzgJY/s1600/Franny.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeRpm87Gd-E8OkzZQyGWvgX4TiJXuxKK1_xCRdWr6vd-F0e4zOtyiMnaGqesq-wyWhNvJ3pBUx7W8VB-OK6HPwjen_vZiw24bShV2cS8ZAlqa8VEb9UhcaM-9_a4e8jWAc0VaTCiEzgJY/s400/Franny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609912253871419026" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdplEFxIq32INe8sZ9LrILDRy50CdeKohqzGTd1GNnTPNmLA2tX0Xj-opNm6mMIArZdN26uqz9WfCfYs6Cd5qdfskW7ZED-URcXi5xiZ439h4ayMixRCi5-AXhCL8uWm9vVhQpORqWWw/s1600/Franny%2527s+class.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKdplEFxIq32INe8sZ9LrILDRy50CdeKohqzGTd1GNnTPNmLA2tX0Xj-opNm6mMIArZdN26uqz9WfCfYs6Cd5qdfskW7ZED-URcXi5xiZ439h4ayMixRCi5-AXhCL8uWm9vVhQpORqWWw/s400/Franny%2527s+class.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609912246479071970" border="0" /></a>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-54212069050336119432011-03-26T15:11:00.004-05:002011-03-26T15:14:23.005-05:00Queso<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmeM4hzZ6UCWp072GzlOEdO6zyjpx5O82bYQ2JND3yiKCxXlVecE_dp-f6fGPjTpYFWKHy0r7thoNfziusHRAGFdnRQ2Ye0CVcMiCIpM15MOW2GbE_cNBHFRYYrmRp-Cmy7yMKBu4cAM/s1600/IMG_0994.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmeM4hzZ6UCWp072GzlOEdO6zyjpx5O82bYQ2JND3yiKCxXlVecE_dp-f6fGPjTpYFWKHy0r7thoNfziusHRAGFdnRQ2Ye0CVcMiCIpM15MOW2GbE_cNBHFRYYrmRp-Cmy7yMKBu4cAM/s400/IMG_0994.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588484251246429746" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a recipe for queso that we tried last fall and I never got around to posting about it. This was delicious with chips, ground beef with taco seasoning, cilantro, and avocados. I think it would also be quite tasty with <a href="http://pizzaandrootbeer.blogspot.com/2011/03/pulled-pork.html">BBQ nachos</a>!<br /><br />Queso dip<br /><br />1 cup of shreddred <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1301170011_2">monterey jack cheese</span><br />1 cup of <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301170011_3">American cheese</span><br />1 cup <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301170011_4">shredded cheddar cheese</span><br />3 roasted poblano peppers (finely chopped)<br />8 oz tomatoes ( finely chopped)<br />1 cup <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301170011_5">heavy cream</span><br />1 1/2 tbsp of ground <span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1301170011_6">garlic<br />salt</span> to taste<br /><br />Directions:<br />Combine all of ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until cheese is melted. Thin with more milk or cream if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning. For additional flavor, add finely chopped onion, ground cumin, chopped roasted red pepper, etc..<br />Serve hot from crock with <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301170011_7">tortilla chips</span>.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-90962794285328747872011-03-26T15:02:00.004-05:002011-03-26T15:09:55.444-05:00Pulled Pork<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZaXOOr7ws5H4edtP1Qxpr7hk3KGF_HpAfQse3PmyJhA3XRt2Yb9gtyZSs4oLf1cwv8zG07G68YQbBzxnwwQawd4U8oiwYt4X9XV5urWU9kwZwYLVNgguY_FzSffSfZw9-FUtfsQdINE/s1600/IMG_2301.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZaXOOr7ws5H4edtP1Qxpr7hk3KGF_HpAfQse3PmyJhA3XRt2Yb9gtyZSs4oLf1cwv8zG07G68YQbBzxnwwQawd4U8oiwYt4X9XV5urWU9kwZwYLVNgguY_FzSffSfZw9-FUtfsQdINE/s400/IMG_2301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588481660622995618" border="0" /></a>Everyone has a recipe for pulled pork, but this rub is fantastic! The recipe came from somewhere online and I've looked for it since and haven't been able to find it. I feel bad I can't pay the original source credit. The recipe had an accompanying sauce, but why would I use that when I can buy Kansas City's own Gate's BBQ sauce at my local grocer? I've actually had this recipe since last summer. I've been holding out on you. Mostly because I haven't taken a decent picture of it yet. Finally today I decided to rip a picture off from our Memphis trip instead of waiting again until the next time we make this. I'm such a fraud. (Stephanie- you asked about nachos. Here's what I would do: I would layer the chips on the bottom, put the sauced pork on top of that, add cheese on top or queso dip (I have one I can post soon), and jalapeno slices (from the jar) on top of that. Stick them in the oven for 10 or 15 at 250 or 300. Oh that sounds delicious right now.) <br /><br />The recipe makes a lot of rub, so you'll have enough to make this three or more times.<br /><br />Pulled Pork<br /><br />3-5 lbs <span class="il">pork</span> butt<br />2 tbsp vegetable oil<br />2 cups dry rub<br />Gate's original bbq sauce (you can get this at hyvee)<br /><br />dry rub:<br />1/4 c cumin<br />1/4 c brown sugar<br />1/2 paprika<br />1/4 cup chili powder<br />1 tbsp cayenne pepper<br />1/4 cup salt<br />1/4 cup black pepper, ground<br />1 tsp onion powder<br />1 tsp garlic<br /><br />Pulled <span class="il">pork</span>: Day 1. rub <span class="il">pork</span> with dry rub. Place in a baking dish and cover with plastic. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. Day 2: remove the <span class="il">pork</span> from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for an hour. (I always forget to do this.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in a large frying pan and sear the <span class="il">pork</span> on high heat on all sides ( a few minutes on each side). Place <span class="il">pork</span> in a baking dish lined with foil. Cover with foil and bake for four hours. Remove from oven and remove fat and connective tissue and any bone. Shred the meat with forks. Pour desired amount of sauce over the <span class="il">pork</span> and serve hot.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-68667771405887192202011-03-26T14:35:00.005-05:002011-03-26T14:46:22.432-05:00Chocolate Caramel Bars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrQTauHUrVgX_j5H8TDTvZMO5ZxAdNEoVabKmLprv5XBy7Wm9EKwkHmoyeLkdr3qECgdlN9HwdYb7M5P2oN2w8eBfxdLyePrJI68L6hH0GZcJrskODuBsO6zPEIFfDp06M3LI5Gwy8Vw/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrQTauHUrVgX_j5H8TDTvZMO5ZxAdNEoVabKmLprv5XBy7Wm9EKwkHmoyeLkdr3qECgdlN9HwdYb7M5P2oN2w8eBfxdLyePrJI68L6hH0GZcJrskODuBsO6zPEIFfDp06M3LI5Gwy8Vw/s400/IMG_2441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588477062796756738" border="0" /></a><br />I miss posting recipes. I'm sorry that I haven't been posting many recently. I'm still cooking- but mostly from my repertoire. Nothing new. A few friends I enlisted and I made this for our Relief Society birthday dinner the other night and it was a huge hit. I've had three emails today asking me for the recipe and one of my friends said: "Katherine, I don't want that recipe. I <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> that recipe." The recipe comes from my friend Natalie- I still remember Jayne telling me I had to try them. She was right- they are amazing. Thank you Natalie for such a delicious recipe. I like to take them out of the oven about 2 hours before I plan to serve them, so they are nice and soft and warm with the vanilla ice cream, but will still maintain their shape for serving. Enjoy!<br /><br />Chocolate Caramel Bars<br /><br />1 1/2 c flour<br />1 1/2 c old fashioned oats<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp baking soda<br />1 1/2 packed brown sugar<br />1 cup plus 2 T butter melted (Okay I never noticed this part before. I never melt the butter, I just dice it up and use a pastry blender or forks to make it crumbly, like I would with my apple crisp recipe. Whatever you want to do is fine though.)<br />1 14 oz bag of caramels<br />1/2 c whipping cream<br />1 12 oz bag of chocolate chips<br /><br />Directions: In a large bowl combine the first six ingredients to form a crumbly mixture. Unwrap and melt caramels with cream in microwave. (I haven't had trouble with this when I make it, but watch it carefully and check it so the caramels don't burn). Sprinkle half of oatmeal mixture into a greased and floured 9x13 pan (I just usually spray it with a little pam). Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked mixture and pour caramel mixture over chips. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture on top. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.<br /><br />Serve with vanilla ice cream.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO-NfBA_Fqdt6jWKb6ZhD0NYgK9k-XV77YgYRyISEGc0WEtN3q9i4Qkxx10ReuGZXiGioM3RGAcWJ5hium7R-5x-rLEBeGbfn7zoromozxmpit82kIcEsMcofxkKTx7d2KFksZqv4VYs/s1600/IMG_2431.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEO-NfBA_Fqdt6jWKb6ZhD0NYgK9k-XV77YgYRyISEGc0WEtN3q9i4Qkxx10ReuGZXiGioM3RGAcWJ5hium7R-5x-rLEBeGbfn7zoromozxmpit82kIcEsMcofxkKTx7d2KFksZqv4VYs/s400/IMG_2431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588477066560249282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />table I decorated for the RS birthday dinner</span><br /></div>Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-66014649907257081152011-03-19T13:39:00.016-05:002011-03-19T17:52:40.804-05:00Take me to another place, take me to another landThe girls had spring break last week, so Bobby got the week off and we made plans to spend a couple of days in St. Louis, and then a couple of days in Memphis, TN. Shortly after we moved here, Bobby mentioned to me that he would like to go to Memphis so he could taste the barbecue. I didn't get it. And I was not on board. A sixteen hour round trip just to try some ribs and pulled pork? Then a few years later, as I started to develop an appreciation and an understanding of this wonderful culinary tradition, I started to warm up to the idea. And we decided that if we were ever going to do it, now was the time. St. Louis is a guaranteed good time no matter what time of year, and with Ray and Natalie living there, well that only sweetened the deal. It's been a while since we've gone to St. Louis. After Justin and Ashley moved, it was just too sad and we missed them too much. But we love having Natalie and Ray closer!<br /><br />First I will mention how nice it was to have Bobby home for a whole week! I just love having him home and so do the girls. He went in to work on Tuesday morning for just three hours to take care of some paperwork and because a rep was there with some info he was interested in hearing, and I was so sad he had to go! I felt like I was getting ripped off! It was a little pathetic. That's what Bobby said anyway the night before when I was whining about him having to leave. Thanks babe. We both started p90x again and it was great to be working out together and drinking protein shakes again. We rented Just Dance for the Wii and we all loved it, just like I know we would. Franny wanted to do all the dances and she was pretty good at them. Sophie didn't want to play for a while. I think she was afraid of scoring really low. I haven't ever thought of her as such a perfectionist. She finally got into it, though and I got some great video of her and Bobby dancing to the Spice Girls. (video may be coming later.)<br /><br />We left Wednesday morning and drove to St. Louis. Our first stop was Costco and then we headed to Five Guys at the Galleria, which was our next destination so we could drop our computer off at the Apple Store to have our disc drive fixed. I feel so bad that we always have to spend at least one day of our vacations shopping and running errands we can't do where we live. Franny hates it! The kids were pretty worn out from the drive and all the shopping so we headed to Natalie and Ray's a little earlier than we were planning. We ate in and talked while the kids played. It was perfect and so good to see my friend again!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwOoSX2IIguPeeiup90gA06aTUT_JeOT-4lBzfbuMW2xF14YGR8OS9xCeMA9-qrfvqogIk-nyMYh1Zp_Wm1HdlxBFPwVmcfqtKqlq_5RZqR_r_m1KRoOg64au_u416WRwz10DUq-ZpJg/s1600/IMG_2079.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwOoSX2IIguPeeiup90gA06aTUT_JeOT-4lBzfbuMW2xF14YGR8OS9xCeMA9-qrfvqogIk-nyMYh1Zp_Wm1HdlxBFPwVmcfqtKqlq_5RZqR_r_m1KRoOg64au_u416WRwz10DUq-ZpJg/s320/IMG_2079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585882084588646034" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuPr2M27ciQLJgwo_-UGPXwB6aXLJ6y1uCxucRZWGUzmee-FB8Kqy3eQxUxdFBw-gGLM9ri984jYMBejONUM_wfIUnxC-Xy0qAQpdosaX-ilPCQVB_9KrFB9m9zM3ybT32URXED9KtoY/s1600/IMG_2082.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpuPr2M27ciQLJgwo_-UGPXwB6aXLJ6y1uCxucRZWGUzmee-FB8Kqy3eQxUxdFBw-gGLM9ri984jYMBejONUM_wfIUnxC-Xy0qAQpdosaX-ilPCQVB_9KrFB9m9zM3ybT32URXED9KtoY/s320/IMG_2082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585882082788063570" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The next morning we got up, got dressed, and headed out for the zoo. But first we made a stop in Chesterfield. I have a cousin who lives there that I hadn't seen since I was sixteen or seventeen years old! It was so good to see Raenell and meet three of her kids and see her beautiful home. I hope it won't be that long until the next time I see her.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra_9O7wXh8aPQM9rhODFJ13I753mvuulnLDivW3_cKsnwc3T9MymyJV0MIsPxQ_BLVtKR05K269saybzF998mAtDWGftdKzrwPBY_yS1rOpmpYV9VkHt1ihT7v3M5hbeAexQLaJlI08E/s1600/IMG_2083.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhra_9O7wXh8aPQM9rhODFJ13I753mvuulnLDivW3_cKsnwc3T9MymyJV0MIsPxQ_BLVtKR05K269saybzF998mAtDWGftdKzrwPBY_yS1rOpmpYV9VkHt1ihT7v3M5hbeAexQLaJlI08E/s320/IMG_2083.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585891492121805282" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsIxvIifcSxKDTgwfMAPKcO-2iHWFm6uY0YSs1pFU1gMEHSPViwpEigDmZXUHjk1S2bNewDCtI8YPDDV30au7FFM5r9mL6fDiVvX4xQcwXWaJTzE6m-XDlwwFLONrSs5nlFc6oj12B2A/s1600/IMG_2175.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsIxvIifcSxKDTgwfMAPKcO-2iHWFm6uY0YSs1pFU1gMEHSPViwpEigDmZXUHjk1S2bNewDCtI8YPDDV30au7FFM5r9mL6fDiVvX4xQcwXWaJTzE6m-XDlwwFLONrSs5nlFc6oj12B2A/s320/IMG_2175.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585891478266076098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The zoo was pretty cold, but not too cold. We had the good sense to bring our stroller from home and then rent one at the zoo, so we could bundle the children up in blankets and push them around the park. Bobby and I were fine with hats and gloves so we still had a nice time. Standouts for the day were the jaguar family, the gorillas (we told Franny one of them wanted her to be his girlfriend), the giraffes (which were Claire's favorite), some giant spider from the rainforest that will no doubt haunt my dreams in the coming months, and the butterfly room. A really nice thing about going to the zoo when it's cold is you have the park to yourself so you can take inappropriate pictures with gorilla statues. The one of Bobby hugging the gorilla makes me laugh every time I look at it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPYWcYO0RpRTfUR75m9mxlDUcnG9YKBj2YAfrksaepF02ibb1eN6NJGfyErIKupRBmU8xi9tv-JKhyphenhyphenrR_Bks7PxLyaUYiU3kw7WEcPVUlZyq9EdlBOhkn7wmGeUKvjk6F6G95yWBiJNo/s1600/IMG_2094.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPYWcYO0RpRTfUR75m9mxlDUcnG9YKBj2YAfrksaepF02ibb1eN6NJGfyErIKupRBmU8xi9tv-JKhyphenhyphenrR_Bks7PxLyaUYiU3kw7WEcPVUlZyq9EdlBOhkn7wmGeUKvjk6F6G95yWBiJNo/s320/IMG_2094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585882103444812594" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSk4o3Gb3lLEVX76jq5ky01bEd0PF88TLmex5Jg0EPmZR_KnL25qa0PoBk7rLDnFKp58VhO_SZuKBkEvCrs6GkdNGWbhV6pI-tiI5RBvlqH3rRnPY25pMHNe_7lSlFrSNMATWwWBM7po/s1600/IMG_2124.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSk4o3Gb3lLEVX76jq5ky01bEd0PF88TLmex5Jg0EPmZR_KnL25qa0PoBk7rLDnFKp58VhO_SZuKBkEvCrs6GkdNGWbhV6pI-tiI5RBvlqH3rRnPY25pMHNe_7lSlFrSNMATWwWBM7po/s320/IMG_2124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585882100823339906" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yJKq4MtvabPge6B5TQjGuh1HgVbIa6oKTBdZyOGgIAY6cePtAWMFstq8PWjt0hu7380LNoQmRD1oit76mf68cllh_W5cM4AKtSAAxymO-fge6wKNxUBYtmsr7g8FNZG_PJh7-CJrUjM/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yJKq4MtvabPge6B5TQjGuh1HgVbIa6oKTBdZyOGgIAY6cePtAWMFstq8PWjt0hu7380LNoQmRD1oit76mf68cllh_W5cM4AKtSAAxymO-fge6wKNxUBYtmsr7g8FNZG_PJh7-CJrUjM/s320/IMG_2103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585884523257669602" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-pwf31-F3Dl7RiK9nSoIKEc6g7yhRC9G9lMxqIavi64mvO6hTUNCdRjIpdyXKlLv_GW22DZpDVFOhikamFsITPgC3BsMNSKB41hIzOmoQp3brklpS603CQQ28y_dv64J-r0LfPuVavo/s1600/IMG_2089.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-pwf31-F3Dl7RiK9nSoIKEc6g7yhRC9G9lMxqIavi64mvO6hTUNCdRjIpdyXKlLv_GW22DZpDVFOhikamFsITPgC3BsMNSKB41hIzOmoQp3brklpS603CQQ28y_dv64J-r0LfPuVavo/s320/IMG_2089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585884515556750418" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdg7sfm5YdAIWPvMalvzkIrTmmHmgalbwnGslPVwo-aZdJue8-mNsFlHO5ltvoqgcIzyyb61ijSU9LU4e1yVJHmPtfZMjhQx1TeKQONKAPURNJM6ms4ZSnMSoJSU3gpUXaUIs0C9M4ORA/s1600/IMG_2108.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdg7sfm5YdAIWPvMalvzkIrTmmHmgalbwnGslPVwo-aZdJue8-mNsFlHO5ltvoqgcIzyyb61ijSU9LU4e1yVJHmPtfZMjhQx1TeKQONKAPURNJM6ms4ZSnMSoJSU3gpUXaUIs0C9M4ORA/s320/IMG_2108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585887192228526706" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR1Jaty8Xvtj_SlQHYdB-XZzQ_FAjaIkZUK4oDr8_UOiwvLDXmZb_tV1B8jI0SNmrte8s27i632X1P4jjgCiMgoCXO9WFol1Y4ye99s0XNEMkTacrq8aqH2vD6lxPgkVaiJx6kB8Uqi0/s1600/IMG_2118.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR1Jaty8Xvtj_SlQHYdB-XZzQ_FAjaIkZUK4oDr8_UOiwvLDXmZb_tV1B8jI0SNmrte8s27i632X1P4jjgCiMgoCXO9WFol1Y4ye99s0XNEMkTacrq8aqH2vD6lxPgkVaiJx6kB8Uqi0/s320/IMG_2118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585891501150622226" border="0" /></a><br /></div>After that we went back to the Galleria to pick up our fixed computer. (We've had a DVD jammed in there for at least six months. Now that it's fixed, we're scared to try putting one in!) We called Natalie and Ray and asked if they wanted to join us for dinner somewhere near the mall. Ray suggested Maggiano's and I'm so glad he did. What a treat that was!! They recommended trying Salmon Oscar (Asiago & Herb-crusted Salmon with Jumbo Lump Crab, Asparagus & Orzo.) It was incredible. The kids were all very tired and it took forever to be seated, but I must say, the food was absolutely worth it. And Max and Jonnie and our girls all did very well. Claire totally charmed one of the employees. She kind of picked him out and was flirting with him. She does that a lot when we're out in public. He brought her a plate of lemon cookies and said they were all for her. It was so cute. Bobby and the girls got pasta and that was all delicious as well. I hope I get to eat there again. We drove home from the restaurant and dressed sleepy children for bed and stayed up late talking again. We love their family!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQ-kKOLWDbVQU-PLi3PsMUBlo5a-yDIVJUy-_sCtkk7D5-qdeMTjCyqg3Q2QXMcNQcvIsLDUNC7tkY1xL25qhVe9ZansxvJcQLofNSsCzV_0ypJyZgEQaR-LNawDWImMFMtLk_i2h1Fo/s1600/IMG_2150.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQ-kKOLWDbVQU-PLi3PsMUBlo5a-yDIVJUy-_sCtkk7D5-qdeMTjCyqg3Q2QXMcNQcvIsLDUNC7tkY1xL25qhVe9ZansxvJcQLofNSsCzV_0ypJyZgEQaR-LNawDWImMFMtLk_i2h1Fo/s320/IMG_2150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585884534960890242" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mvXCMvMJmStF9dskogRFjBMdW8vAgaGf87cySQAzDhonBAN9SPqTIrZF5ecKvPOUkPVmnkivQaVUL46lgunKPEG65uN_RvZ1BTPkCmD0pFe1jLvGL1CJ-SeQit8n_IJNTnJwV00GvoI/s1600/IMG_2148.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mvXCMvMJmStF9dskogRFjBMdW8vAgaGf87cySQAzDhonBAN9SPqTIrZF5ecKvPOUkPVmnkivQaVUL46lgunKPEG65uN_RvZ1BTPkCmD0pFe1jLvGL1CJ-SeQit8n_IJNTnJwV00GvoI/s320/IMG_2148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585889616459305010" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTsYK4DxJqUxq0zaQhEz27i9zudTcJHTfOznmPjgb24MKf_04bE0hoETgwxFTcoJR86wT06XEIV-IfJuSB7rEbfk9T19FuEC7aGnDStiTXMUWdD63aGLBLDE4h9ADBQiIdq6BAju9RAM/s1600/IMG_2147.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTsYK4DxJqUxq0zaQhEz27i9zudTcJHTfOznmPjgb24MKf_04bE0hoETgwxFTcoJR86wT06XEIV-IfJuSB7rEbfk9T19FuEC7aGnDStiTXMUWdD63aGLBLDE4h9ADBQiIdq6BAju9RAM/s320/IMG_2147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585891483474448450" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGlv_xBO0Vd0c9p15PNSfbSUZFj7V6_ayjzpBDDrDEX54seSuDiJOje9U7tfJxAPoY7ex8xisyzgghx97XKOxD4cD8znIhpGmwdRuiBbwT87BzTwJsvwH065H00ZX9LaZYDhhCCsKeME/s1600/IMG_2152.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkGlv_xBO0Vd0c9p15PNSfbSUZFj7V6_ayjzpBDDrDEX54seSuDiJOje9U7tfJxAPoY7ex8xisyzgghx97XKOxD4cD8znIhpGmwdRuiBbwT87BzTwJsvwH065H00ZX9LaZYDhhCCsKeME/s320/IMG_2152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585891469041413410" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFq_nxbig5A-0AD5Zf-U4Bm_gISvj8Qdykr4R5EGz1hBvu2a5qfpwQVnJgadIYuii4baDKrv-N70NDh3ZZyFQbJRJcD14Qk7cTlfX7fInGPH7b6QM65x2FQgdiYdE7A_jV8UmnY-OqJE/s1600/bobbyandfranny.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFq_nxbig5A-0AD5Zf-U4Bm_gISvj8Qdykr4R5EGz1hBvu2a5qfpwQVnJgadIYuii4baDKrv-N70NDh3ZZyFQbJRJcD14Qk7cTlfX7fInGPH7b6QM65x2FQgdiYdE7A_jV8UmnY-OqJE/s320/bobbyandfranny.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907770007625394" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4mVEt6rJc2hnzb4xUHH6NjDFcmi1YSPTiBFK2dL-rYl2DcODs0UxzuMont8sXI7LaMU2yiNsIVL0syXG4PXrc6rluf11hZ3FVRUT0GO5KxKUjt7W_WF32ec_u_GylNaxNTVswA0zTpc/s1600/me+and+nat.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS4mVEt6rJc2hnzb4xUHH6NjDFcmi1YSPTiBFK2dL-rYl2DcODs0UxzuMont8sXI7LaMU2yiNsIVL0syXG4PXrc6rluf11hZ3FVRUT0GO5KxKUjt7W_WF32ec_u_GylNaxNTVswA0zTpc/s320/me+and+nat.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907767618751858" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9Yx2OINLf2_1Jjfzc-nrgm2yvMYWhAIvh44306bPhylBJlbU77QE9gLzWKvAvG-NbrH9vTxRtwT6iiSG22jQKc4_-JFzZJ0DzuJBu-V5L0lvxjp8JCA3UYx_XydMo1n7JKbAUdaXWu8/s1600/IMG_2154.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9Yx2OINLf2_1Jjfzc-nrgm2yvMYWhAIvh44306bPhylBJlbU77QE9gLzWKvAvG-NbrH9vTxRtwT6iiSG22jQKc4_-JFzZJ0DzuJBu-V5L0lvxjp8JCA3UYx_XydMo1n7JKbAUdaXWu8/s320/IMG_2154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907772352358018" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />The next morning it was hard for us to leave. The girls each said that one of their favorite parts of the trip was playing with Jonnie and Max and I loved talking to Natalie. But we had a long drive and we needed to get going. We stopped in Cape Girardeau for lunch and then rolled into Memphis at about 4:45. We went straight to Graceland to check out Elvis' house. We couldn't get very close at all. We hadn't thought we were very interested in taking the tour at all for two reasons: 1.) it's pretty expensive and 2.) we're not huge Elvis fans. But we realized then that we were interested in going and figured there probably won't be another chance, so we decided to come back the next morning and do the tour. Luckily Franny's tap number was "Hound Dog" last year for her dance recital, so we were able to explain to her who Elvis even was. I think we all enjoyed the tour except for Claire. 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width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TfKtaAwbjVtpzY4QS4Hy8R22_LgwVGLhi-CA-bAtNHcEGQee4f9vFjdXd9nCmgtvDdqYoxmCiN_h8EzoPvHDe8JzBbAWuNygiCSoWgOgmSx0ZGxHlVMp4_C2bgQjvwNwcA482MoCRCk/s320/IMG_2201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585919902217966082" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We also ate barbecue three times on our trip and we were not disappointed. My favorite one was Central's BBQ, which was the first place we tried Friday night after we left Graceland. It was so good- very tender meat, very good sauce. The people in line with us kept buying bbq nachos- they looked amazing. I spent the rest of the weekend wishing we had purchased them as well. But we did buy them at the next two BBQ places we tried (Rendezvous's and Corky's). Very good. I'll be making those at home when we have leftover pulled pork for sure. Rendezvous wasn't as good as Central's, but it was much bigger and had a really cool atmosphere. Bobby ordered ribs for him and nachos for the girls. Tasty. I also ordered a greek salad of all things and it was fabulous!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryvBFhTRGnIbx6O0HxWY9-8ZXi5TKJNFyjGNUVbyRhxt_ChISzkyP0oJsIXr4DUCHHaGnTPlQol1evtY4xDqdfSmDmuL2qD7cNyCBSP4bctyg6N59dcTgNzyaFQtZsGr8nhulvM8tZK4/s1600/IMG_2230.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryvBFhTRGnIbx6O0HxWY9-8ZXi5TKJNFyjGNUVbyRhxt_ChISzkyP0oJsIXr4DUCHHaGnTPlQol1evtY4xDqdfSmDmuL2qD7cNyCBSP4bctyg6N59dcTgNzyaFQtZsGr8nhulvM8tZK4/s320/IMG_2230.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585887214834994210" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvJbg784Aj1DFGv_uti8i050G8-sL33ZGbRI8fFURn2eyWR-pd-QehrC-iMSbLpDePVceUWQ-44WsyFUqhzok8ZhpA0B16Vwa5SZbb_NyxiU8eBnya-wgCl_TnIl8vP37vDXbFvOXmwc/s1600/IMG_2247.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvJbg784Aj1DFGv_uti8i050G8-sL33ZGbRI8fFURn2eyWR-pd-QehrC-iMSbLpDePVceUWQ-44WsyFUqhzok8ZhpA0B16Vwa5SZbb_NyxiU8eBnya-wgCl_TnIl8vP37vDXbFvOXmwc/s320/IMG_2247.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585887207286956082" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkKNneg8oNDLwI3QawbZztqTNTBVs-ztWAsLEUrKtsAj1mNLEYlSjKF5FW2aiT3wqPPFLTJjhV-0ZrJwfg5W58C1SLgzl07RZn_WDu-4at902mzJH6ljDJrZscTBJNwDdC84k2fO0UTU/s1600/IMG_2234.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkKNneg8oNDLwI3QawbZztqTNTBVs-ztWAsLEUrKtsAj1mNLEYlSjKF5FW2aiT3wqPPFLTJjhV-0ZrJwfg5W58C1SLgzl07RZn_WDu-4at902mzJH6ljDJrZscTBJNwDdC84k2fO0UTU/s320/IMG_2234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900719101378562" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2fN2sCpA2JfuhvEJ4iS4Vo-EiXumu1xLpOdklWNeqLnIasmbnqETjpvCTLS2f6dZaZrmVlenKO0WBIL7Xkavd4MPR1RXR1zPuqn-QaFKZwJqyZQTq3OI-_FVlnjQjncepwOvZCk0qGg/s1600/IMG_2243.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2fN2sCpA2JfuhvEJ4iS4Vo-EiXumu1xLpOdklWNeqLnIasmbnqETjpvCTLS2f6dZaZrmVlenKO0WBIL7Xkavd4MPR1RXR1zPuqn-QaFKZwJqyZQTq3OI-_FVlnjQjncepwOvZCk0qGg/s320/IMG_2243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900707251403698" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4dpIlWSAW_2wuZ1hwFFkbWMIe6H78seMu4myp5cGpGpId2gScmRUBCmhTe75Q8jR2uReBQVMkDz35ztnh3qM-EErvIywMH5K01aTh-9coHlXYuNCs6QLW8izbXgNXDQQN599A9WFRgs/s1600/IMG_2238.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4dpIlWSAW_2wuZ1hwFFkbWMIe6H78seMu4myp5cGpGpId2gScmRUBCmhTe75Q8jR2uReBQVMkDz35ztnh3qM-EErvIywMH5K01aTh-9coHlXYuNCs6QLW8izbXgNXDQQN599A9WFRgs/s320/IMG_2238.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900704869006674" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHAyx7G_TbrObC73wu3kCAtqjX0o8Gg755ubiqBRoKTAzNUP9DBE22GJJ53T_L75s-yYxId0IQlshjcDfrk4HJCN3Y_bwwgawsLrFiakrAM5yMaa9rPfiQiC9ZaISWz8jeaeCNIiynGM/s1600/IMG_2236.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHAyx7G_TbrObC73wu3kCAtqjX0o8Gg755ubiqBRoKTAzNUP9DBE22GJJ53T_L75s-yYxId0IQlshjcDfrk4HJCN3Y_bwwgawsLrFiakrAM5yMaa9rPfiQiC9ZaISWz8jeaeCNIiynGM/s320/IMG_2236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900700608083634" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDkdL-1moJeuBHpCxkMd6cdIn5BwE8T7HYAYQrc46zle2M4u2UPcqXmWjwZZ_CjwgA7AtYLUdI5uwPmvbM3Evf-R0m_SKC7q7ghd8P5wPJ8K138drpNHq17EkJ1KNMPxQyEQ8bk1UMvU/s1600/IMG_2232.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDkdL-1moJeuBHpCxkMd6cdIn5BwE8T7HYAYQrc46zle2M4u2UPcqXmWjwZZ_CjwgA7AtYLUdI5uwPmvbM3Evf-R0m_SKC7q7ghd8P5wPJ8K138drpNHq17EkJ1KNMPxQyEQ8bk1UMvU/s320/IMG_2232.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585903569078260258" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJNG-NKI0wZ7TcgQ7ZZC2u0hBxrZDdYdr3yK-9UqH1iF-eKlw9xAeLF8JnxPsxALCv72JLkFad7AsRpfL1wMM4AXgpO4RNcXvmALmpCgQdu_PfMlEXFLvdvvrpiGtVoH6tZyfavwkFWU/s1600/IMG_2231.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJNG-NKI0wZ7TcgQ7ZZC2u0hBxrZDdYdr3yK-9UqH1iF-eKlw9xAeLF8JnxPsxALCv72JLkFad7AsRpfL1wMM4AXgpO4RNcXvmALmpCgQdu_PfMlEXFLvdvvrpiGtVoH6tZyfavwkFWU/s320/IMG_2231.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585903564953194706" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />After that we walked to the Peabody Hotel to check out their trained ducks. I guess they all parade through the lobby and up to the roof of the hotel twice a day and people come and watch. We didn't get to witness the parade, but we did get to visit the ducks playing in the fountain. The girls loved it. Especially Claire. Pretty cute. After that we all walked down to Beale Street- famous for live music and spirits. The music was pretty cool, but it wasn't really our speed. Our family stuck out like a sore thumb, but we found a diner and bought a chocolate shake before heading back to our hotel for a much needed nap.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9fMNfI42mDQc3W2twXcTJclhozKOneloLRJRtT6VraV9QC_ITzmXr4657ZPWK67FAGPYvXZ2Ei70J5a7oeMlqfRK4aIaysa-2748vBqoKL6fEGNYmuffT_SMTxWz9ahv2icL9Rm7XO4/s1600/IMG_2259.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9fMNfI42mDQc3W2twXcTJclhozKOneloLRJRtT6VraV9QC_ITzmXr4657ZPWK67FAGPYvXZ2Ei70J5a7oeMlqfRK4aIaysa-2748vBqoKL6fEGNYmuffT_SMTxWz9ahv2icL9Rm7XO4/s320/IMG_2259.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585905346092272098" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlZVufVoYdZUDWnHYkC8jqWzn_43Z3CqbyMsnHTmFoiPXp_iQxIv3iZD5POwEivN5s6FLi0WNynlShIkjRzdKoGDJrYplhhdhINjP7rMoutOwcQM69r0IGDJwTqXxG7xJtiEc6ZCeRe4/s1600/IMG_2260.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlZVufVoYdZUDWnHYkC8jqWzn_43Z3CqbyMsnHTmFoiPXp_iQxIv3iZD5POwEivN5s6FLi0WNynlShIkjRzdKoGDJrYplhhdhINjP7rMoutOwcQM69r0IGDJwTqXxG7xJtiEc6ZCeRe4/s320/IMG_2260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585905333700995202" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAMtP2-KlINs7Nh1TKkLXZ4lo6DXCMOc1NnqQ6-OZDx3CiJIT7ixdgBtAhfDZh9udgNAUvbWrVg80Q733gTQrumuy6rqFyzkpv4qAK9PXtJTx7u7j-FB7tMf9L5KhB7XVObcIxUtQVig/s1600/IMG_2268.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAMtP2-KlINs7Nh1TKkLXZ4lo6DXCMOc1NnqQ6-OZDx3CiJIT7ixdgBtAhfDZh9udgNAUvbWrVg80Q733gTQrumuy6rqFyzkpv4qAK9PXtJTx7u7j-FB7tMf9L5KhB7XVObcIxUtQVig/s320/IMG_2268.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900724921165106" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiuhyEc9nCKAqppD5pCPA0KGTOxv9vW8igljNKIBraLQEPHHwlopmYAIyTwzscDEczwXDYzP3ck00B7H9eapn8deIap4DqM9F2r-qri4O5Ps6ykW-BdVBXRFInATfVHuSYM6o4hVQ4WM/s1600/IMG_2263.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxiuhyEc9nCKAqppD5pCPA0KGTOxv9vW8igljNKIBraLQEPHHwlopmYAIyTwzscDEczwXDYzP3ck00B7H9eapn8deIap4DqM9F2r-qri4O5Ps6ykW-BdVBXRFInATfVHuSYM6o4hVQ4WM/s320/IMG_2263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907787937464674" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />When Sophie woke up, she had a fever and felt really sick. We were planning on eating out at one more BBQ place, but we couldn't do that to Sophie. She said she felt good enough to go for a drive (after we promised her some ice cream), so we loaded everyone in the car and proceeded to buy food from FIVE different places! On our way to Corky's, we saw Bobby's favorite restaurant of all time- HOUSTON'S. They make these chicken tenders- I just don't know how they do it- they are amazing! So I found their number on my phone and ordered some takeout while we picked up a pound of pulled pork and some more BBQ nachos from Corky's. We also used that time to pick up some beautiful cupcakes from two different bakeries. Then of course we needed the ice cream we promised Sophie, so we stopped at this frozen yogurt store called Yogurt Mountain. It was the best thing ever. You get to fill up your own cups and add your own toppings- they have a great selection of toppings and flavors. Fresh fruit, all the candy bars, tons of sauces (white choc, lemon zest, raspberry, dark choc). The flavors we picked were: coconut, acai berry, cookies and cream, peanut butter... And then you pay by the ounce. I love that place so much.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHooNM-ek5Unl6MX-TWQlcS4k1dU9ZRaSMUk-jaYY00NKYD3Fsd45809D2iHalH69G0nUvJe5DOU-663mr65H6hdV5TCFbXSpyoUEmVnHyQ1lqqGmocwF0W03slDJww_PNvGsB_LJKkNk/s1600/IMG_2292.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHooNM-ek5Unl6MX-TWQlcS4k1dU9ZRaSMUk-jaYY00NKYD3Fsd45809D2iHalH69G0nUvJe5DOU-663mr65H6hdV5TCFbXSpyoUEmVnHyQ1lqqGmocwF0W03slDJww_PNvGsB_LJKkNk/s320/IMG_2292.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585898465791213730" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8PjeqvQzTLwMTiYVMcgtH1Tq-vPHz1CTMVF5Tv5znij7b9EfiiFopfy-pHSwrBYkJmSco5xYKwP2fISdvt-CJOPrKAiQGFyO9YJgYRSXKQ_hNgxnajo0sdAQdpvXEUGi1-Sy45kep0E/s1600/IMG_2295.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF8PjeqvQzTLwMTiYVMcgtH1Tq-vPHz1CTMVF5Tv5znij7b9EfiiFopfy-pHSwrBYkJmSco5xYKwP2fISdvt-CJOPrKAiQGFyO9YJgYRSXKQ_hNgxnajo0sdAQdpvXEUGi1-Sy45kep0E/s320/IMG_2295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585898462010598322" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9Y6maexXYBELZ4AOB03D-yRuJYlXr68DbGrTlgqk9PdhTX3IW4LSEUvfkKBIOsczmV94SeJmQESZGGGDBz-8XRqf7zn3SNNEp32tnRiVAQRa2864XkpxDeat9qZ200kBGZYk4-NDIhI/s1600/IMG_2303.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9Y6maexXYBELZ4AOB03D-yRuJYlXr68DbGrTlgqk9PdhTX3IW4LSEUvfkKBIOsczmV94SeJmQESZGGGDBz-8XRqf7zn3SNNEp32tnRiVAQRa2864XkpxDeat9qZ200kBGZYk4-NDIhI/s320/IMG_2303.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585898484652655874" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx2iWuko6CfV3L38i4sFu0hwgV1STm_sioM5YWMxmTKIW1y-X6exq5YtqYNPWcyiasP6zLncRPrLj8h8ksh4xkAUBMfnybppqfXryli4jNWhpJp_Pz5z_p59XgcA2hGQgIkN8ChSHxaU/s1600/IMG_2304.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimx2iWuko6CfV3L38i4sFu0hwgV1STm_sioM5YWMxmTKIW1y-X6exq5YtqYNPWcyiasP6zLncRPrLj8h8ksh4xkAUBMfnybppqfXryli4jNWhpJp_Pz5z_p59XgcA2hGQgIkN8ChSHxaU/s320/IMG_2304.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585898477361842402" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZlO4SbMktjEY15pVDE_uaYGg4vwuf4miPN8qDIAI4eu6kRQk7LGbkU3DuhoaJiKjQyOEjiBRYSTPn29-NHt7lCnayKyBxrcWkK00sK3aUyxyn6gxAdpL7X7tPUL0SL5NGhqS86ZKpTw/s1600/IMG_2301.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCZlO4SbMktjEY15pVDE_uaYGg4vwuf4miPN8qDIAI4eu6kRQk7LGbkU3DuhoaJiKjQyOEjiBRYSTPn29-NHt7lCnayKyBxrcWkK00sK3aUyxyn6gxAdpL7X7tPUL0SL5NGhqS86ZKpTw/s320/IMG_2301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585898470847420066" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZX_0zT3SNb13F4use1Q6y9nceJANCYuUTKJmoHj6rLc6S__bjjkcW4R3y7cr0cb-uLR7OI2rSx8-j7HMEkkTeIK-Ck9kJAnLk5bGb5SRX_LQdirjEmjAj0xwysl5td8y25mlzYoLXWU/s1600/IMG_2307.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZX_0zT3SNb13F4use1Q6y9nceJANCYuUTKJmoHj6rLc6S__bjjkcW4R3y7cr0cb-uLR7OI2rSx8-j7HMEkkTeIK-Ck9kJAnLk5bGb5SRX_LQdirjEmjAj0xwysl5td8y25mlzYoLXWU/s320/IMG_2307.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585903535214498178" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />So we took home our spoils and ate ourselves sick! We still had so much left over when we were done eating. We were able to bring some of the BBQ and all the cupcakes home with us the next day so none of it was wasted. I wish we had more time in Memphis. It was a great city. There were some really nice areas with some beautiful homes. We really enjoyed driving around and we thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous weather!Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-74118806092033897022011-02-24T09:11:00.003-06:002011-02-25T20:55:37.959-06:00Something about pirate's booty...Thirteen years ago I moved into an apartment at Rick's college with these five girls. Allow me to introduce you to: Marnie, Martha, Laura, Brittany, and Annie. I met most of them at the end of my first year at Rick's and then halfway through my second year, there was an opening in their apartment and I got myself right in. I was hanging out at their apartment more than my own, so it made sense that I should just move in. These girls are so amazing- I am so lucky to call them my friends!! I can't believe we only lived together for four months. This picture was taken when my mom came up for mother's week. I wish I held onto that turquoise lamp.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/?action=view&current=mothersweek-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 700px; height: 458px;" src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/mothersweek-1.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Through the years we've kept in touch with each other- mostly on Facebook. The lucky ones that live in Utah, Nevada, and California get to see each other more often than Marnie and I do. (Marnie lives in Canada.) We've been having little "mini-reunions" every once in a while with whoever was around ever since Ricks, but the last time we were all together was sometime in 2000. The last time I was able to see any of them was about seven years ago. Amazingly, we were able to get everyone is Las Vegas a couple of weekends ago for a reunion. It was so much fun. I can't believe how little sleep I got. I stayed with Jill in Kansas City the night before I flew out (thanks Jill!) and got up the next morning at 2 AM Las Vegas time and stayed up until 2 AM the next day just talking and laughing with my roommates. That was the first and probably only time I stayed up for 24 consecutive hours! We checked in at our hotel- one of those Marriott villas with a few bedrooms and a nice comfortable sitting area and kitchen- and then we headed to the mall. A few of us were hungry so we went to the food court and grabbed some food. We sat there in the food court after we finished eating and talked for two or three hours. It was so much fun! And sort of hilarious after flying all that way to get to Vegas and just sit in a food court. But it was perfect! My favorite part of the trip was the talking- the conversation never stopped. If I had to get up to use the restroom, I always came back and asked what I missed. The last night I fell asleep on the couch for an hour or two and I was so mad at myself because of everything I missed while I was sleeping. We didn't do a lot that was Vegas-specific, which was fine by me. I can totally understand why my friends who live there avoid the strip. Yikes. But even though we didn't visit any clubs or casinos, the famous mantra of Sin City- "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"- still applies to our weekend because I can't repeat the things that were said on this trip! Some of them would be too shocking! I'm laughing right now just thinking about them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/?action=view&current=305reunion.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 700px; height: 525px;" src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/305reunion.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Our second day there we did some more shopping- the weather was gorgeous! Then we all ate out at Cheesecake Factory. We stayed up until the early hours of the next morning to get a few hours of sleep before we all had to go our separate ways.<br /><br />I feel the need to explain my subject. Right before we all separated, we went to Whole Foods to grab some salads so we would have something to eat on the way home. We sat for a bit before we had to get Annie to the airport so we could talk some more. (For all the time we spent talking, I can't believe how many things we <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't</span> get around to talking about- I can't wait for the next reunion!) Laura came up and shared with us a conversation she heard while she was grabbing some white cheddar popcorn: An old lady said to her husband, "What does this say?" He holds up the bag and says, "Something about Pirate's Booty." Okay, now here I need to include how much I love Laura's voice. It's just very smooth and has a nice tone to it, but I think mostly because it's such a big reminder of that very special time in my life. Laura was the first one in the group that I met, so I have her to thank for introducing me to this amazing group of girls. She also has this funny way of saying something really dramatic in a very cool, calm way. Like "I'm going to pull my hair out!!!" which most of us would say in a loud and intense way. Not Laura- no, she would say it nice and slow and calm. Her delivery is perfect. Anyway, so she impersonates this old man saying, "something about pirate's booty."<br /><br />I think you had to be there.<br /><br />I could go on and on with stories like this about each of these wonderful girls. I love all of them so much. I am so glad we did this. What a perfect weekend. Now here's some more pics from our time together:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmG5lt9rq-c9HT0L127r6WtH2Iu4m-sx627SNg5_CjQNKbZK5uk5tZOIsZXcF5kZ_2mz267bEasWoHnzyNXtOZnF05g52O5uZIQv5vWPqaGszuE11Sji59Oszrx3lUWhlLc7uNpZh2w4/s1600/305+food+court.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOmG5lt9rq-c9HT0L127r6WtH2Iu4m-sx627SNg5_CjQNKbZK5uk5tZOIsZXcF5kZ_2mz267bEasWoHnzyNXtOZnF05g52O5uZIQv5vWPqaGszuE11Sji59Oszrx3lUWhlLc7uNpZh2w4/s320/305+food+court.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577355094959094578" border="0" /></a>The infamous food court. Marnie had us laughing pretty hard with all her stories. Oh how I love to listen to her talk! She can go for hours and I just love the way she puts things. Laura hadn't joined us yet because she had sick kids at home to take care of and her tire blew out on the freeway! I'm so glad she was able to come in spite of so many obstacles.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kk81rnNi8O9__YocoV3AwWLg9oFXxV1G2w9E0k1uCUKoifYgFT77-kfI5LmXlk3HLlMNxx2ubTNcypXfJVNdfBNMot3KJ_6Oi7-CGysUfXq3rf9eKnSgUENRVA23w1PCdkgeMEWYnGQ/s1600/305+annie+laura.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Kk81rnNi8O9__YocoV3AwWLg9oFXxV1G2w9E0k1uCUKoifYgFT77-kfI5LmXlk3HLlMNxx2ubTNcypXfJVNdfBNMot3KJ_6Oi7-CGysUfXq3rf9eKnSgUENRVA23w1PCdkgeMEWYnGQ/s320/305+annie+laura.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577355092029845810" border="0" /></a>Love this cute picture of Annie and Laura. Oh we also ate a lot of crap while we stayed up talking. It was awesome.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ySw6wmX1Y59QgBTMqJtQK05Vo0JKqZ9BszXtD8qzulfdkcE1BDPsBkO4E5KJwJ0DDaYM3BEpzqR6u4dcNU4udzx-L_Ypv_eSvQXSLEjy-rtHkHPTvh4_8PATQHLqkVCVrmBGFgFlKd4/s1600/305+group.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ySw6wmX1Y59QgBTMqJtQK05Vo0JKqZ9BszXtD8qzulfdkcE1BDPsBkO4E5KJwJ0DDaYM3BEpzqR6u4dcNU4udzx-L_Ypv_eSvQXSLEjy-rtHkHPTvh4_8PATQHLqkVCVrmBGFgFlKd4/s320/305+group.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577355090784741362" border="0" /></a>Group shot- took a lot of organizing and primping and furniture rearranging, but we got it done!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO9Bf8wA-lu59FPgiLSDZSH0KbmErF4K0LbKV3b0Lcg6HwhVNsgLYNJmmtgf89JGZlX6wtoqrwyKwuADR2Ga0ClndCqH98oJqB4Cme1NySf8Cm1dXCFK8qOyrNMzFUrAR37-XFCfed6Q/s1600/305me+marth+marn.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSO9Bf8wA-lu59FPgiLSDZSH0KbmErF4K0LbKV3b0Lcg6HwhVNsgLYNJmmtgf89JGZlX6wtoqrwyKwuADR2Ga0ClndCqH98oJqB4Cme1NySf8Cm1dXCFK8qOyrNMzFUrAR37-XFCfed6Q/s320/305me+marth+marn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577355083537060898" border="0" /></a>Marnie, me, and Martha, right after Brittany picked us up from the airport. One of my favorite memories of Martha from this trip is when she came bouncing toward Annie and I at the airport. She was so excited to see us. It made me feel so good!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkPJHl2xeFCeeE_NNXD1Fp8eF1K_5rZ9zY11n4L4vRsExAddOkiFezTGqETFPjha1OjYqEvdBiaVJczav5tSlweIX1r9ZYvp84WNb1vrQD4hwZDgT5qTV1nhp6BURpSb3QpvNptoJNpM/s1600/305+laura+martha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkPJHl2xeFCeeE_NNXD1Fp8eF1K_5rZ9zY11n4L4vRsExAddOkiFezTGqETFPjha1OjYqEvdBiaVJczav5tSlweIX1r9ZYvp84WNb1vrQD4hwZDgT5qTV1nhp6BURpSb3QpvNptoJNpM/s320/305+laura+martha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577477673980985362" border="0" /></a>This is such a great picture of Martha and Laura.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGlp13xXtc1uiDhqg-GYecH8BHWm_3x0txllUalaA5kDnaSgCJE-FJNHiZ-dZtdffBcg76YVahZ5mc45cPLyo7STbL6dFtvod5k3EcN_16GGwUfvhVTYjK4K5uHPYqINe7Uzu3XIfvfE/s1600/305+brittney+jess+martha.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGlp13xXtc1uiDhqg-GYecH8BHWm_3x0txllUalaA5kDnaSgCJE-FJNHiZ-dZtdffBcg76YVahZ5mc45cPLyo7STbL6dFtvod5k3EcN_16GGwUfvhVTYjK4K5uHPYqINe7Uzu3XIfvfE/s320/305+brittney+jess+martha.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577357585734080530" border="0" /></a>Brittany, Jessica, and Martha. Jessica was our friend at Ricks who also lives in Las Vegas, so we asked her to come eat with us at the Cheesecake Factory. It was so great to see her! I loved that I got to meet Brittany and Annie's cute babies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMu7XaYTJ3oYNf9yhgd6PhVxkAh3M7n3xPEd1YC0BMP_QKWprPDHsfpvMDMLVMjQyvOd1021s3mn7279ImgRp0ziIWSZxJRX9P3-qia8LJ3sPg9HtygYVbwz6M8pb_S9l0SoEpcb7wOQ/s1600/IMG_1947.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMu7XaYTJ3oYNf9yhgd6PhVxkAh3M7n3xPEd1YC0BMP_QKWprPDHsfpvMDMLVMjQyvOd1021s3mn7279ImgRp0ziIWSZxJRX9P3-qia8LJ3sPg9HtygYVbwz6M8pb_S9l0SoEpcb7wOQ/s320/IMG_1947.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577353520498438018" border="0" /></a>After we ate at Cheesecake Factory, we decided to walk home so we could see a little bit of Vegas. That wasn't such a great idea. We kind of realized that there was a lot to Vegas that we didn't want to see. Oh well. I did see these storm troopers and since the girls love Star Wars, I thought I'd embarrass myself and get my picture taken with them. The morning after my trip I showed the girls this picture on my camera and Sophie said: "Who are those guys?" Franny, clearly not impressed, said: "They're storm troopers." Ha! Oh well. Good thing I don't embarrass easily.<br /><br />Coming home was a bit of a shock. I was thrilled to see Bobby and the girls. It was so hard to leave my baby Claire! But the day-to-day stuff- laundry, cooking, putting myself to bed on time- was kind of a challenge. But obviously it was worth it.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-85002451128855248882011-02-18T22:24:00.004-06:002011-02-18T22:37:48.901-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFy6cxuF6xZCqj3GfF1jC9wLd97ljDscNATF7MrLirVC3pXX2CuLmdZly_5F4YbpYorMMAkEBJ_4yv2QLgjlcW0EDXM0dRBWjpPHekI38GLoRP7ukgHHqB0zaqrWbKH_4UtxibTtt7JPo/s1600/sophie+leg+warmers.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFy6cxuF6xZCqj3GfF1jC9wLd97ljDscNATF7MrLirVC3pXX2CuLmdZly_5F4YbpYorMMAkEBJ_4yv2QLgjlcW0EDXM0dRBWjpPHekI38GLoRP7ukgHHqB0zaqrWbKH_4UtxibTtt7JPo/s320/sophie+leg+warmers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575254683735825394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Sophie right before dance class)</span></span><br /><br />Sophie: "Mom, who am I going to marry?"<br /><br />Me: "You probably haven't met the boy you're going to marry yet Sophie. I met your dad when I was 18 years old."<br /><br />Sophie: "Mom, there are 3 boys I want to marry: Jason, Scott, and Carson. Mom, which one am I going to choose?"<br /><br />Me: "Well honey, you probably don't know the boy you are going to marry yet. You probably won't meet him until your older."<br /><br />Sophie: "Zoe G. and I both want to marry Scott... I have an idea! Zoe G. can marry Scott first and then they can get a divorce and then Scott can marry me."<br /><br />The conversation ended there. I was speechless. All I could do was bite on my lip and try not to laugh. I love the things that come out of her mouth.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-69875988068563798282011-01-25T10:00:00.002-06:002011-01-25T10:05:42.705-06:00Claire's chairFor the past few weeks Claire has really been enjoying the play room. We let her go in there and watch the girls play, but we have to check on her every 2-3 minutes to extract the Barbie accessory she always manages to insert into her mouth. It's really cute to hear her laughing with the girls. But this week she discovered the pink chair. She climbs into it all by herself and we often find her there with one of her favorite age-INappropriate toys. Sorry Fisher-Price, she's just not interested.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/?action=view&current=IMG_1765.jpg" target="_blank"><img style="width: 700px; height: 525px;" src="http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w203/schnitzelplease/IMG_1765.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rlN7CUqMAWNPrljFTkyWroeF6ZVVMPZZ6VPAukZ4gY62czwyec_hn8z4HDfoe6eDq0Q8_OxIpkZrynJh-8Tf1BABgtCtSUP5t4dPa-ApqUmU1joa-cZ4PJU-5DDEQT3dylKoAqlzEwc/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG"><br /></a><br />And I've had a few people ask- yes, she has blonde hair and blue eyes! Such a surprise to us, since our first two were so dark. When people ask where she got her fair coloring, Bobby loves to tell them: "I'm not the father. Thanks a lot for bringing it up." It is so funny. I'm not even embarrassed anymore. The man can say whatever he wants. It's something about him that I both admire and envy.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4930063478392749504.post-404093090711414502010-12-28T15:37:00.004-06:002011-01-06T08:57:43.643-06:00ThanksgivingWe were so blessed to spend Thanksgiving with my Dad's side of the family in Utah this year! Thank you, thank you, thank you to my cousin Scotty for making that happen for us. We had the best time and made priceless memories for me and my children. Unfortunately Bobby was on call that weekend so he wasn't able to join us. I was grateful that he was kind enough to let us abandon him on Thanksgiving! Thankfully my friend Morgan brought him a plate of food since he was in a case when most people were carving their turkeys!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-cukn-PEnw-0QpCquu_t2GmfBXblK7S3coBv_72BfChvZI5JlLal2xQ3cOKJVciaxIIl0noYmu1SqJv-AZ2iisDNunvyDBYWX-dg1mPfN3iSIcdxqlJzjMqkTz2TwkSF8HE6-WihJ-I/s1600/IMG_1101.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-cukn-PEnw-0QpCquu_t2GmfBXblK7S3coBv_72BfChvZI5JlLal2xQ3cOKJVciaxIIl0noYmu1SqJv-AZ2iisDNunvyDBYWX-dg1mPfN3iSIcdxqlJzjMqkTz2TwkSF8HE6-WihJ-I/s320/IMG_1101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558862653415498850" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBDW237KR4SWuEXIJzum7Lr19QFpg1izMQxzt2y5PeZlfHxx5GDPht5Mf8E88svsTkYEROyKUkIOeTqQCZuH-7RymD9ZzojeolB91EjMmDGhdCLZq6jLd_gBPWN_sRUl7RIENVK697AE/s1600/IMG_1113.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBDW237KR4SWuEXIJzum7Lr19QFpg1izMQxzt2y5PeZlfHxx5GDPht5Mf8E88svsTkYEROyKUkIOeTqQCZuH-7RymD9ZzojeolB91EjMmDGhdCLZq6jLd_gBPWN_sRUl7RIENVK697AE/s320/IMG_1113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558862655386585058" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOSZRy7epau5znvxZk8GWKDxt0bCY9y_-lwcCQlNTdRwbIo__9VRQQME-47FspedksVHit0L9bIJhymmeVWgEHjmVFAkRt3qUDgy1K-OUaETFEaJbz229MXu4fS7Fdui6fV_OojlBTrw/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOSZRy7epau5znvxZk8GWKDxt0bCY9y_-lwcCQlNTdRwbIo__9VRQQME-47FspedksVHit0L9bIJhymmeVWgEHjmVFAkRt3qUDgy1K-OUaETFEaJbz229MXu4fS7Fdui6fV_OojlBTrw/s320/IMG_1117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558862659553618018" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWBfZHCr564nw2vYd8kQg6ctoM7lKQ6Q00rRYAvMKLG76iGeQuflD2sS34o_nCt0hNQkQ04Bar1T50ceCgGGPfsVb1SmIwuwSADO6jX9Cu03cwyWaR07V1ja55VV-WyvWHrlDa08D5Eg/s1600/IMG_1109.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWBfZHCr564nw2vYd8kQg6ctoM7lKQ6Q00rRYAvMKLG76iGeQuflD2sS34o_nCt0hNQkQ04Bar1T50ceCgGGPfsVb1SmIwuwSADO6jX9Cu03cwyWaR07V1ja55VV-WyvWHrlDa08D5Eg/s320/IMG_1109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558864320074283298" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We flew in to Utah in the middle of a blizzard and we flew out in the middle of a very snowy day! I was nervous enough to travel with two little girls and a baby already, so when the pilot came on and said that he might have to land the plane in Grand Junction, CO at 11 PM central time, I just about lost it. I prayed for twenty minutes straight that we would be able to land in SLC. And we did!! During that time they were just circling waiting for clearance to land the plane. I had the kindest lady on my plane who helped me entertain Claire and talked to me the whole flight. I don't know what I would have done without her!!<br /><br />When the plane was landing, I texted my Dad to let him know we made it okay. I figured he had stayed in Provo with the weather so bad and the girls and I were just planning to stay in a hotel. But he and Grant drove up in the horrible weather so he would be there to help me with the girls and drive back to my Grandma's with me in our rental car! I was so grateful! The girls were so happy to see their Grandpa. We were all exhausted when we got home, but not too exhausted to give <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> Grandma and Grandpa lots of hugs and kisses.<br /><br />We spent the next day hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa. My grandma made one of her delicious breakfasts. She is such a good cook. Then Maggie had us over for a second breakfast. It was really good! It was fun to see her cute apartment. We spent a few hours hanging out there. The girls got to watch Despicable Me with their Uncle Ryan. They loved that movie and Franny ended up getting it for Christmas. We ran a few errands, picked up a few ingredients for raspberry pretzel jello: a Thanksgiving must! In the afternoon, my aunt Dori invited Franny and Sophie to come over and play with her kids Kallie, Brianna, and Jed. They had a blast and they've been talking about them ever since!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdPJsO4_M8QCFGmFQWvPgdK2477hSYEM9UsGuBpGaMk9w44i_IAcyU3fO5wteLZnTNIEs3v8Fpmgdodz47Nab6kXPO0tuvWu5nj3CFwf-OOapfjyxiFIWsFTsgrSS-sVS1JO1MxT41Qk/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdPJsO4_M8QCFGmFQWvPgdK2477hSYEM9UsGuBpGaMk9w44i_IAcyU3fO5wteLZnTNIEs3v8Fpmgdodz47Nab6kXPO0tuvWu5nj3CFwf-OOapfjyxiFIWsFTsgrSS-sVS1JO1MxT41Qk/s320/IMG_1146.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558864300173650754" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We also got to spend a few hours that afternoon visiting with our friends (and family) Brendon and Stephanie! It was great to see them and their son Henry again. We have missed them since they left!!!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2MBkbnWGjMSiPIZ1b0es_7Jk_jfFsQZ_SSkvI9KjDzf0TJoiu6o-Gdl14qz4SYOUPRkUW0o0tFWTxMoX4eK9Kq6GWx0TjgtS460nKvXTRfPqFmvuYm8A8SrRYx7UHKnKSHObrDNg340/s1600/IMG_1129.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2MBkbnWGjMSiPIZ1b0es_7Jk_jfFsQZ_SSkvI9KjDzf0TJoiu6o-Gdl14qz4SYOUPRkUW0o0tFWTxMoX4eK9Kq6GWx0TjgtS460nKvXTRfPqFmvuYm8A8SrRYx7UHKnKSHObrDNg340/s320/IMG_1129.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558864314316216706" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCcFMczJJPHkWsOaAYE4d2FdMM0E-N3zIoggkODN0i-xNkn_VYt7udUAYnuHajl5Qf9ODeeF8hnMgBP9_A-amqUI-kPg_vdyhJtsMVdcDZrtF3dKozZ7TcDdD9hLT-89jW256kRoxoZg/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCcFMczJJPHkWsOaAYE4d2FdMM0E-N3zIoggkODN0i-xNkn_VYt7udUAYnuHajl5Qf9ODeeF8hnMgBP9_A-amqUI-kPg_vdyhJtsMVdcDZrtF3dKozZ7TcDdD9hLT-89jW256kRoxoZg/s320/IMG_1143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559070625716910066" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslNY7Mx0xLoo1QvKmYU79L_GhTX4o6e3fuhPRooFxaoVpmlwNNkAsfviDL9LwtvCLveAcWsy35OoGrlMe5u8dw8-Wdr_AUUEwznU4Ebg8wUNQ6K1QevZ2EMyJ_d0yxTP1fxa5ETdUpbI/s1600/IMG_1140.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslNY7Mx0xLoo1QvKmYU79L_GhTX4o6e3fuhPRooFxaoVpmlwNNkAsfviDL9LwtvCLveAcWsy35OoGrlMe5u8dw8-Wdr_AUUEwznU4Ebg8wUNQ6K1QevZ2EMyJ_d0yxTP1fxa5ETdUpbI/s320/IMG_1140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558862672171104466" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznkXd2nUOOB3hfwtdXuR8FFIH9-VzQ32YzDsMUjFDNy-haMZ-4WgbUluZP4GvZYE64oyZbMeyzojGllbnT5LxiKWnneZrgFWBwmFHV1Oi5B5iGmwCun7FUS2K8AgJIo3p_92jE3piR7A/s1600/IMG_1138.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznkXd2nUOOB3hfwtdXuR8FFIH9-VzQ32YzDsMUjFDNy-haMZ-4WgbUluZP4GvZYE64oyZbMeyzojGllbnT5LxiKWnneZrgFWBwmFHV1Oi5B5iGmwCun7FUS2K8AgJIo3p_92jE3piR7A/s320/IMG_1138.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558862664110880562" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Henry is like Claire's "brother from another mother".</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">And I love that picture of Annie!</span></span><br /></div><br />We picked the girls up and drove back up to SLC to see our friends the Linfords. My parents met the Linfords back in Orem when I was a baby. My favorite family vacations when I was a kid was when we would all load up in the car and drive up to see Liz and Leslie Linford. We would always argue over which was a better place to live: Utah or California. I said Utah- they said California. I love hanging out with their family so much- it was just like old times, only now most of the kids are married and have kids of their own. We had a great time with them.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKecrZqBIB7tv-TVcehJH7f9BAgXAwUFfn1xuZRfaYHdXJQCicr7zwmGEKVbmHnBF9p-usf7BuFhX9GVollG_GAW9BePh9kJD52vwcUsBPDPLd1Zwlo8925_XWJdtv88UJirX6LJKi0j0/s1600/IMG_1149.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKecrZqBIB7tv-TVcehJH7f9BAgXAwUFfn1xuZRfaYHdXJQCicr7zwmGEKVbmHnBF9p-usf7BuFhX9GVollG_GAW9BePh9kJD52vwcUsBPDPLd1Zwlo8925_XWJdtv88UJirX6LJKi0j0/s320/IMG_1149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558864311257293778" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9UrQbxbAAC8C4QM7ztnDs9g_mpL1fc3XvClTBB_XGy6EM-fFRN9CpKkJbTicZQtvP8UY5NO_zXIaguTIVP5Vjtg1jg9ZyCG6qq6XflLCaeS53t2YXggO0_Q7JzwFL3xPJwxupvlGpvQ/s1600/IMG_1148.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9UrQbxbAAC8C4QM7ztnDs9g_mpL1fc3XvClTBB_XGy6EM-fFRN9CpKkJbTicZQtvP8UY5NO_zXIaguTIVP5Vjtg1jg9ZyCG6qq6XflLCaeS53t2YXggO0_Q7JzwFL3xPJwxupvlGpvQ/s320/IMG_1148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558864307259302098" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />We drove home and got up early the next morning for strawberry waffles! A Warner family holiday tradition. My uncle Kevin hosted us all and it was so much fun to do what we always did every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning when my uncle lived around the corner and my Grandma lived down the street. At one point my kids and their second cousins were getting pretty loud playing upstairs and my cousin Scotty actually called out, "Do you think you kids could keep it down?" Hilarious! Wasn't it just us running around causing a ruckus in my grandmother's house on Whitecap Lane? I guess not, but it sure feels like it!<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLczW_xcp8-65ZzbX2CKeey3tRJHVJpx9rQ4z1Q3H6k1Ev5vyVnNHLdBeo_WJclvVjdUBUhm1kScQbdd-hhjtpuc7M4UrdpmnMuTVQl2B_LEMA7ntun1xklVeE8DRZnfnxuCP3r3jJ10w/s1600/IMG_1160.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLczW_xcp8-65ZzbX2CKeey3tRJHVJpx9rQ4z1Q3H6k1Ev5vyVnNHLdBeo_WJclvVjdUBUhm1kScQbdd-hhjtpuc7M4UrdpmnMuTVQl2B_LEMA7ntun1xklVeE8DRZnfnxuCP3r3jJ10w/s320/IMG_1160.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559070642921321042" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIl7M_5qrgO8XmnWZuYBtUvT8adDKYXL5pFiu4CWN5wv66JRGKhbWmqmrdKSofXr_Qu_YLSiWK5zug_JyyvyTEjNz8SPIDL6Tc-sSXXPucPU-zmvYQXvAX__9cZr7NfSMJKhWNdRN6h0/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIl7M_5qrgO8XmnWZuYBtUvT8adDKYXL5pFiu4CWN5wv66JRGKhbWmqmrdKSofXr_Qu_YLSiWK5zug_JyyvyTEjNz8SPIDL6Tc-sSXXPucPU-zmvYQXvAX__9cZr7NfSMJKhWNdRN6h0/s320/IMG_1167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559070650848222242" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDd5-jHMJX6hWKKG-vmrfeCIwjmm4yLitYurVKEFvtbAzAy7J6jG5EZs5a7aAKNKKFmBAvamv6onI6AdKuT_lkYDV3sAyJtAMNHnNQyHj4mq6Py-BLb8wwcs1VFw7IvlxdFLWfmeQ6gg/s1600/IMG_1159.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDd5-jHMJX6hWKKG-vmrfeCIwjmm4yLitYurVKEFvtbAzAy7J6jG5EZs5a7aAKNKKFmBAvamv6onI6AdKuT_lkYDV3sAyJtAMNHnNQyHj4mq6Py-BLb8wwcs1VFw7IvlxdFLWfmeQ6gg/s320/IMG_1159.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559070638026850610" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFlYA29UJV-G0TTTRgfkWkaHZuLwEXY3mXTlRsPaTK-xrr7GLkXeW_oqPklPjBkvf00UX7OLjPaAjPrivpAkDlZzBvGPItCRL85f3Mgm0LGmfFGoe1IccFyKo82shHinqwaw_cshCsB0/s1600/IMG_1154.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFlYA29UJV-G0TTTRgfkWkaHZuLwEXY3mXTlRsPaTK-xrr7GLkXeW_oqPklPjBkvf00UX7OLjPaAjPrivpAkDlZzBvGPItCRL85f3Mgm0LGmfFGoe1IccFyKo82shHinqwaw_cshCsB0/s320/IMG_1154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559070633723497298" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Then we came back home and I got to do something I will always remember: help my Grandma prepare Thanksgiving dinner. She's been doing it the same way it's been done in our family since she was a girl. It was really a neat thing to be a part of. I asked her what I could do to help and she said, "You can do the rolls, but you'll have to use my recipe." I love my grandma so much. It was so fun to be there at her side, preparing food and talking. It was wonderful to watch Franny and Sophie helping her and my aunt JoAnn set the tables and put out the centerpieces. I think Franny and Sophie really enjoyed it to. The food tasted wonderful and it was so nice to be with my Dad's family. I love them all so much.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjew53M0wzPX-G-KJ2RwAFy_yc9G3JL3ZbewLGHb2qRGxvFbZrzxnr9c5GqeErwFZHzYCVoHbRT9SnvQyhBD80ROEJDXSxtUccM2EDY6DBZswpliqu6RdXxNvizqBpHK9yWynlui238H3Y/s1600/IMG_1183.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjew53M0wzPX-G-KJ2RwAFy_yc9G3JL3ZbewLGHb2qRGxvFbZrzxnr9c5GqeErwFZHzYCVoHbRT9SnvQyhBD80ROEJDXSxtUccM2EDY6DBZswpliqu6RdXxNvizqBpHK9yWynlui238H3Y/s320/IMG_1183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559072671406081218" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPC8A7WiEz5aor_9ogL77LWgtEPx9KlvbuViufXoCtSw7b3qESHhSjSBIqRfnw2wBlRQyz0wsbJOSSdCuQAg6_a7-YSVvcXww_W8Arvj6xdJn0iWdvU99etCdhxzyeDZfPwnD21ez5xk/s1600/IMG_1181.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPC8A7WiEz5aor_9ogL77LWgtEPx9KlvbuViufXoCtSw7b3qESHhSjSBIqRfnw2wBlRQyz0wsbJOSSdCuQAg6_a7-YSVvcXww_W8Arvj6xdJn0iWdvU99etCdhxzyeDZfPwnD21ez5xk/s320/IMG_1181.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559072667233714162" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2zLJt-dLluiiq1kimtZXF86fSwA0S9iOj0ETqleCQs6i_aQ1TXrPI02l2nYARxFZZe2sg8V2j-ByBMMgTXPs_o1TuW8nbycgTwwQaxs0AVdg92phXRT06XDeGg0XfM2hHXy_jXcD-CA/s1600/IMG_1199.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_lTNOxUI-gsdXMxYXcVsUOnOO4n9A-PfU5IAOT7NVD_4um_X40mvFAUN3Ea7GcbX5_WlxpIeoKkd7b7Sgz76HUCpw2uu4F9p9bBg93ZZws_qeR4NpF_V899mS5OZYgtWBkS0iQd2hwI/s320/IMG_1204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559074714607092114" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftn48BtBo5OstWseaMHiL1EZJ981q-wpsErhOxIxggCd2VEsO5nJ_CKhIfWTXHMPi9FAkA8Sev-dL9tOr0fwUzRASDH32YqPC2Je1TVGtrnN1cEoqE3pV-6qWgR_tcOu0NA-AMZO34Tg/s1600/IMG_1200.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftn48BtBo5OstWseaMHiL1EZJ981q-wpsErhOxIxggCd2VEsO5nJ_CKhIfWTXHMPi9FAkA8Sev-dL9tOr0fwUzRASDH32YqPC2Je1TVGtrnN1cEoqE3pV-6qWgR_tcOu0NA-AMZO34Tg/s320/IMG_1200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559074706182781554" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-hc9h3bauDjFpd3k62rxPBSWQOuJBfDjR57yf4Ng6rK42pP_1GZjwBWivJD9bAqknD9l6NmGrks4AR-yfi1NxhB723B2tuUNZT0mAYx5RWzOiB7lgB8rCKQ7zE8o_A0eKHnfeU4paOk/s1600/IMG_1209.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixY-C3YR616GwO7gD_tuqtUYYIP7zSIFiZA2RX6Kng2YlNMFJbIzSmgh0C9QAHDc5U7kB3DWfIporkXwnz3p_qdvqLIL6yLIwFD8usxbfzurrVmmtcbyqZr3lJ0rmGZllfwj_ugwEeYHk/s320/IMG_1221.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559077578967099314" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM8CKQdCjttI1OHa6teKLlR7i-hkXB8gTQT_NXP9SZ14vap3iLtLibl1FMPR7K5Iwe1jAZ-lUnhM8CohxAmb-eK1L-Qww5RQg3pH7zo1Hrok5XYkM2T9-GR7XA2K5Zp2INeu6SygM0C4/s1600/IMG_1225.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM8CKQdCjttI1OHa6teKLlR7i-hkXB8gTQT_NXP9SZ14vap3iLtLibl1FMPR7K5Iwe1jAZ-lUnhM8CohxAmb-eK1L-Qww5RQg3pH7zo1Hrok5XYkM2T9-GR7XA2K5Zp2INeu6SygM0C4/s320/IMG_1225.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559077573125693010" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFywQ2S9ssgQq5Kxf2F0JnmkYkj0h8YiTBiNLx2Q379P5yf-cadzFZSVVobloKaFQxmzS2O5qMTt6nFzEXgVYdBKjjWQbjOVEBwznFA4bwoyAc3zJD9wUSPn9sYM8KyVEnR8y7en3T-Y/s1600/IMG_1214.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFywQ2S9ssgQq5Kxf2F0JnmkYkj0h8YiTBiNLx2Q379P5yf-cadzFZSVVobloKaFQxmzS2O5qMTt6nFzEXgVYdBKjjWQbjOVEBwznFA4bwoyAc3zJD9wUSPn9sYM8KyVEnR8y7en3T-Y/s320/IMG_1214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559077570872014914" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY71V1LXbPMDzZnYK93NQGLJZLQQc3gh1RhyphenhyphenbaM6pBqX8eAPkW9kyUGDOTRaY7ZrMGCq2-zuJx5jGax3F2LuIMReiWWfpOKlYCYlDoNUkWIMDvqyOE3DDdIPDAXA_iS4uj6E-gc7j2iUo/s1600/IMG_1201.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY71V1LXbPMDzZnYK93NQGLJZLQQc3gh1RhyphenhyphenbaM6pBqX8eAPkW9kyUGDOTRaY7ZrMGCq2-zuJx5jGax3F2LuIMReiWWfpOKlYCYlDoNUkWIMDvqyOE3DDdIPDAXA_iS4uj6E-gc7j2iUo/s320/IMG_1201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559077565385484370" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />That night Julia, Annie and I were going to go to Old Navy for a Black Friday at midnight. I told Julia and Annie that I was going to take a one hour nap before we went. When I woke up, Annie told me Julia was asleep and that if I woke up and wanted to go then we should wake her up. Turns out we both needed someone who really wanted to go to get us out the door. So I stayed up with Annie for an hour or so and then we just went to bed. Annie was in one of her rare hyper moods and I always like to see her like that. We never did make it to Old Navy, but we did hit Target and the University Mall the next day. Utah County is a weird place to come back to after you've been away for a while. I couldn't get over how well-dressed everyone was. How stylish and polished everyone looks. It was actually kind of weird. I was explaining all this to Bobby on the way home from the airport after we made a pit-stop in Cameron, Missouri. I told him that I got out of the car, picked my wedgie, and thought: "It's good to be home."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFfvwucAnCW2OiAmoTlOa2-Kyj0eo35oFJ9FiHf-gUsHaDawDNnjSVEb_ewR_GdTmimBxyVzW2WJM6UNsCJbYpKxB1DmNd1qqV8WDggWh62hyphenhyphenIkAzYvZKHGQM0rb8T9J7D0rXOtzvwvM/s1600/IMG_1252.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFfvwucAnCW2OiAmoTlOa2-Kyj0eo35oFJ9FiHf-gUsHaDawDNnjSVEb_ewR_GdTmimBxyVzW2WJM6UNsCJbYpKxB1DmNd1qqV8WDggWh62hyphenhyphenIkAzYvZKHGQM0rb8T9J7D0rXOtzvwvM/s320/IMG_1252.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559080352292353394" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLg0x73yccrQHO3t6QrjcMasT7g7xNRQORouRdQaMM0Y3-gunAD8rj-Bnb81S-S90_slWkmjcBf8t3KfZ9At9USrIulF8PP2x8w2KIREIfZZAas7vol5odfD3qzt0pjCqSFKVp4Fv9m4/s1600/IMG_1262.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLg0x73yccrQHO3t6QrjcMasT7g7xNRQORouRdQaMM0Y3-gunAD8rj-Bnb81S-S90_slWkmjcBf8t3KfZ9At9USrIulF8PP2x8w2KIREIfZZAas7vol5odfD3qzt0pjCqSFKVp4Fv9m4/s320/IMG_1262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559080348063185906" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKTb1b6Q8-g1oCRExk-G1hIUV4AsXcaOcj6WfKfNbKrz3DWWQO6W0O2fTTSpWcqsBRUSPWLg04qC-RRKBoQ2TUz6qUxyFdsbT_TK7_VkoCZcR7vfy5PCxIA9yLY2gZcw_yk3R8za1sA8/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKTb1b6Q8-g1oCRExk-G1hIUV4AsXcaOcj6WfKfNbKrz3DWWQO6W0O2fTTSpWcqsBRUSPWLg04qC-RRKBoQ2TUz6qUxyFdsbT_TK7_VkoCZcR7vfy5PCxIA9yLY2gZcw_yk3R8za1sA8/s320/IMG_1237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559080332607521554" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6tgjeaGMY1OV5Uf0kKT92ZUxZ4bGprTu7wHEGXtr-gtpgp8KpvxTyldnAsY1ekEsJ4CmHvc_xUG7VB0kekiUBg3Aj_4DPjkWbaQr30Ecn3titBCWcL-mrpOycFq15RL5P06KEd_z8k0/s1600/IMG_1234.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6tgjeaGMY1OV5Uf0kKT92ZUxZ4bGprTu7wHEGXtr-gtpgp8KpvxTyldnAsY1ekEsJ4CmHvc_xUG7VB0kekiUBg3Aj_4DPjkWbaQr30Ecn3titBCWcL-mrpOycFq15RL5P06KEd_z8k0/s320/IMG_1234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559080324111338978" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />When we were finished shopping, it was time for Julia and her crew, and my Dad and Annie to fly back home. They needed to get back to California for my cousin Vanessa's wedding (which was incredibly gorgeous- wish I could have been there!) I was so sad to see them go. It was so good to be with them. I am so grateful we got to be there together for Thanksgiving. That afternoon my Grandma and I went to see my cousin Scotty's new home. (They just moved in that week). The girls had fun playing with their second cousins Chase and Tessa. They were especially impressed with the home theater in my cousin's house and asked me, "Mommy when can we get one of those?" I always enjoy talking to my cousin's wife Mickell and I wish I could see her more! She is so great!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoq151WszgxeyX-0xpkdrhaYpqyvmAw8g_lvjw5WfrCSU2A8qknRkMU6EClg3JQnt-HGKHGKojh4Vy-bHr1h3zUV5mKKZUslq5ENx32NMn1sWgaoJETm7hjyFsUwpNoYiADEBzcZmBlMI/s1600/IMG_1274.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoq151WszgxeyX-0xpkdrhaYpqyvmAw8g_lvjw5WfrCSU2A8qknRkMU6EClg3JQnt-HGKHGKojh4Vy-bHr1h3zUV5mKKZUslq5ENx32NMn1sWgaoJETm7hjyFsUwpNoYiADEBzcZmBlMI/s320/IMG_1274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559081192989102370" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsA0vr5adKnucIEExZjIMqyvDBR14zFy4RQOaxlVlxgmQxYY6Ogpe2WYYZpDp-EWsA3j49_WtWr-Py1GY4zzCvlzz_h6ksTXyuh0r4LeFEeIxH7V1Jq140aRKswysT9cnu6C1nfE7RCY/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsA0vr5adKnucIEExZjIMqyvDBR14zFy4RQOaxlVlxgmQxYY6Ogpe2WYYZpDp-EWsA3j49_WtWr-Py1GY4zzCvlzz_h6ksTXyuh0r4LeFEeIxH7V1Jq140aRKswysT9cnu6C1nfE7RCY/s320/IMG_1278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559081198332283986" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />That night my grandparents and I played Sequence together after the kids went to bed. Another great memory- even though I kept falling asleep. Turns out traveling alone with three kids is extremely tiring.<br /><br />Saturday was my grandma's birthday! I got to make her breakfast and go out to lunch with her. My sister Maggie came with us and spent the whole day with us. We went to Hobby Lobby to pick out fabric for headbands and then we went to a cupcake shops so I could buy her a birthday cupcake. When I went to pay for it, she said, "Oh I don't want you paying for my cupcake! You're a poor doctor's wife!" I thought that was really funny. Bobby's mom was in town dropping my niece off at BYU- she had spent the holiday with Louise in Idaho. So we got to see my mother-in-law and my cute niece Lauren! They met us at Hobby Lobby and then came with us to the cupcake shop. I was so glad I got to see them! It was great to spend the day with my sister Maggie and to spend some time with her husband Ryan. They are great together and I got to watch them hold baby Claire. I love my family so much! It was such a blessing to be together and my staying an extra couple of days meant more time with Maggie. It's such a neat time in her life because she just got married and I felt so blessed to be able to catch a glimpse of her as a newlywed.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHpp_vEwBhKYtD_geBNIgA7RApQuFNkoOU8eHCxmdm09DAvMjpD7cbOKiDOYtezs9gkTY4ts69snaXkRNDQ79nXI9xIZ7CgwD4fTai3UELTFa5Oz_mbZQC0aXVC9ohK8ngaOcrhdyRU8/s1600/IMG_1288.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHpp_vEwBhKYtD_geBNIgA7RApQuFNkoOU8eHCxmdm09DAvMjpD7cbOKiDOYtezs9gkTY4ts69snaXkRNDQ79nXI9xIZ7CgwD4fTai3UELTFa5Oz_mbZQC0aXVC9ohK8ngaOcrhdyRU8/s400/IMG_1288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559085623120676258" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKcPx-vvrrgdYib6-9qMJ-UWqcSy7s1EEDUIY-vKTBZZcCg0_KTWAM00Tiv-pQbFvNcDt9-Eonmtc1LHePlrZwcSnJM0IfpNXn0RfkMJjCQNhhFvCVTQBoIbhl9hACTLJgP00ube8NK0/s1600/IMG_1282.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKcPx-vvrrgdYib6-9qMJ-UWqcSy7s1EEDUIY-vKTBZZcCg0_KTWAM00Tiv-pQbFvNcDt9-Eonmtc1LHePlrZwcSnJM0IfpNXn0RfkMJjCQNhhFvCVTQBoIbhl9hACTLJgP00ube8NK0/s320/IMG_1282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559082927834313330" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Up3vWO1JRbmNv8rTBr73K9zBXfMIA-LuUxmXFjB5USycCuDRd-OMRya87EZHnulH1uXaI-jRxib4En66547ccu6dW9-Va2bXT6mui3XVMThS4ByzLyLRUpVtxpfzDpRIAQ_pBQtdhCY/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Up3vWO1JRbmNv8rTBr73K9zBXfMIA-LuUxmXFjB5USycCuDRd-OMRya87EZHnulH1uXaI-jRxib4En66547ccu6dW9-Va2bXT6mui3XVMThS4ByzLyLRUpVtxpfzDpRIAQ_pBQtdhCY/s320/IMG_1293.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559082925337273090" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSAtoLKrNHXbHtvT1uPOus8W89UP-PtB9mQRDC1tM-2GJ8KiIjPbM4lP7jwswxVt0psF2zo0r5fMJZF-kcqV6AM9rfTF0hFVduc5CQNoSykR2Iz3Tpwqmc_7uaDHOycdvhyphenhyphen7n4LoeDeg/s1600/IMG_1291.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSAtoLKrNHXbHtvT1uPOus8W89UP-PtB9mQRDC1tM-2GJ8KiIjPbM4lP7jwswxVt0psF2zo0r5fMJZF-kcqV6AM9rfTF0hFVduc5CQNoSykR2Iz3Tpwqmc_7uaDHOycdvhyphenhyphen7n4LoeDeg/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559082917649049042" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzPQ2PSHeyhlmrD0Zx3D-AIWROfusvsI4CoHwQqX6VIczTWdF3bBZNLmbclL-Dw1vwV4cEFRB1HB4lQ-y5f2cTjMRhZ9sL2AvNCwMd9HjddFwIG2nskGP7rq2nWCuc7l6xpAagFIxlEQ/s1600/IMG_1302.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzPQ2PSHeyhlmrD0Zx3D-AIWROfusvsI4CoHwQqX6VIczTWdF3bBZNLmbclL-Dw1vwV4cEFRB1HB4lQ-y5f2cTjMRhZ9sL2AvNCwMd9HjddFwIG2nskGP7rq2nWCuc7l6xpAagFIxlEQ/s320/IMG_1302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559084428483685666" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxpCkbVNnVCuBNG5HIUXztJ7w4JrgwYkPYNREbctNFCCGRVEAAAVV2wGCdtoWO0I1N_lhKswTwFtA-_PEkJJ3A3pJZv2p3BEFux2ZSKtRXaPp1dUJmcAARV8XXf9Ie5B34XXgu1keeS0/s1600/IMG_1306.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxpCkbVNnVCuBNG5HIUXztJ7w4JrgwYkPYNREbctNFCCGRVEAAAVV2wGCdtoWO0I1N_lhKswTwFtA-_PEkJJ3A3pJZv2p3BEFux2ZSKtRXaPp1dUJmcAARV8XXf9Ie5B34XXgu1keeS0/s320/IMG_1306.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559082932397021554" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZGZAZwfAmUlqaf46FFG7f7DRBrCw1bsGkVQQOYOgxI6NkhYOfIjGh-Agx_CK0Gh9aGeie-neVLbnYMhNS4aK3SD0lcKU8__BE2siDfZMp0TxIIxwboT3QH0r9P_gjgXxczHi9Ffznlg/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZGZAZwfAmUlqaf46FFG7f7DRBrCw1bsGkVQQOYOgxI6NkhYOfIjGh-Agx_CK0Gh9aGeie-neVLbnYMhNS4aK3SD0lcKU8__BE2siDfZMp0TxIIxwboT3QH0r9P_gjgXxczHi9Ffznlg/s320/IMG_1297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559082936588846434" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Saturday night my Aunt Dori and her crew came over to see Grandma on her birthday. The kids played all night and had a good time. Franny came up to me and asked me where her Jessie doll was? My first thought was, "Oh no, she left it at one of the stores we were at today!" Which totally irritated me because we were leaving the next morning to fly home! I should mention that this stupid doll cost $35 dollars because she talks. Franny spent her own allowance money on it and she loves her. Well, Franny was starting to feel really bad. She wasn't sure whether she left it somewhere or if it was in the house. I was making phone calls and so was Maggie, checking with all the shops and restaurants we had been in that day. I hate to admit it, but I was pretty frustrated and not very sympathetic to Franny. It was my aunt JoAnn who suggested we have Franny say a prayer. I thought it was a good idea, so I pulled Franny aside and I asked her to ask Heavenly Father to help her find her Jessie. Poor kid could barely get out the words! She was crying so hard. I could tell she felt bad about losing the doll, but also about disappointing me! It's hard for me to understand how much it matters to her what I think! It shouldn't be, considering I've always been the same way with my own mother. We put Franny to bed and Maggie said she'd go to the stores and check herself the next day. (I was very touched by how concerned Maggie was with all this, I have to say.) An hour or so after Franny fell asleep, JoAnn was in my grandmother's room where the kids had been playing for only a few minutes and she found the doll was tucked away in a magazine rack on the far side of my Grandpa's easy chair! I had already checked the room before! I was so happy for Franny that her prayer was answered!! So was everyone else! Franny woke up before me in the morning and came in and woke me up and said, "Mom! I found Jessie!!" I told her that aunt JoAnn found her because she had prayed for help. Then I told her that she should say thank you to Heavenly Father. She said, "Okay! Thank you Heavenly Father!" It was so cute. I sent her off to her room so she could say a prayer and do it the right way. What a great experience for her to have so young! It made me realize that I even though I think of that doll as a stupid purchase, it is something that matters a lot to Franny. I was glad I had my family members there to remind me that you're never too young to ask the Lord for help!<br /><br />The next morning we got up and finished packing everything for our trip. My grandma went out to the garage and when she came back in she told me she had scraped the snow off my car and cleared a path up the driveway for us to walk on! I couldn't believe it! I never would have let her if I knew that was what she was planning! I love her so much. (Grandpa was feeling sick and had gone to get some medicine.) I was sad to go, but we were missing Bobby so I was glad to be getting home, too.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlieppu1H2l_UCuvw8dUS5F0DJX5NfhAuPkMhp98zn_krAn4eNSUj55_nGqmT8tlQFX_6t4NO4cIXdJ44cBWLcbQ4KwSWuz9Ex_3TycC_C1I09GehY7FghQGWXnVIGmB79a9czxaP4Cg/s1600/IMG_1310.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlieppu1H2l_UCuvw8dUS5F0DJX5NfhAuPkMhp98zn_krAn4eNSUj55_nGqmT8tlQFX_6t4NO4cIXdJ44cBWLcbQ4KwSWuz9Ex_3TycC_C1I09GehY7FghQGWXnVIGmB79a9czxaP4Cg/s320/IMG_1310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559084430742716418" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJAhkokPLEwSzMgehjJN-ODsHw7G8K2QpIEj-LFct7Z8uDTjx_cHt2Iz9vXNSa32UHZ0mzKAg4h-IpHtnNK48gNEoT-YA5hgX4wltVe6bkj4MgG6Gue8tbi1ouZ45DL2JfqSWExjR1ts/s1600/IMG_1315.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJAhkokPLEwSzMgehjJN-ODsHw7G8K2QpIEj-LFct7Z8uDTjx_cHt2Iz9vXNSa32UHZ0mzKAg4h-IpHtnNK48gNEoT-YA5hgX4wltVe6bkj4MgG6Gue8tbi1ouZ45DL2JfqSWExjR1ts/s320/IMG_1315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559085107177586002" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />My wonderful Aunt JoAnn met me at the airport in SLC to help me get on the plane. She is so amazing. I loved sitting with her and talking about her new promotion and the work she does. She took Sophie and Franny to the bathroom while I nursed Claire and the girls came back with a new book and a couple of sodas, including a diet coke for me. The airport was dead quiet, but we decided to head up to security anyway. I was blown away by the security line. It was so long! But luckily Jo was there, because she spotted a sign at the front that said "Families and special assistance" so we got through in no time. She stood and watched us get through security. It was something my mom would do. It felt really good. I love my aunt Jo! The flight was pretty good- although we were delayed because of the snow for an hour and a half or more. But we got in at about 7:30. Jill picked us up at the airport in my car - she had dropped us off on our way out and it made all the difference in our travels not having to mess with the shuttle - and brought us back to her house so we could drop her off. Thank you so much Jill!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXTCF5m158GejhzOtZYPmCmBMLT905wxSpbEyWCP8hcAp7-KWXvmdhvuesJEuutgI_sA0ph1A2Fcty_MNXfy1ll32NUsxnS2X2YhmZlh2WUu4IYCmrDPHYtKAKtavqAn1Wkq3TfqbmqE/s1600/IMG_1320.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXTCF5m158GejhzOtZYPmCmBMLT905wxSpbEyWCP8hcAp7-KWXvmdhvuesJEuutgI_sA0ph1A2Fcty_MNXfy1ll32NUsxnS2X2YhmZlh2WUu4IYCmrDPHYtKAKtavqAn1Wkq3TfqbmqE/s320/IMG_1320.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559084437879755842" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEROMG6LErNWYoeogcbfvgPsIX7vq3wi-DXknupJgHKQaeR5vz9KHl8Ds2qgeafiWUQjjBcBrZxmAsVJ9InTTH2OCxsLaoWiPJfsbeVnwG6GrHj5TdajWwJVqOi5MmPJoHBXGB2bpYsZE/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEROMG6LErNWYoeogcbfvgPsIX7vq3wi-DXknupJgHKQaeR5vz9KHl8Ds2qgeafiWUQjjBcBrZxmAsVJ9InTTH2OCxsLaoWiPJfsbeVnwG6GrHj5TdajWwJVqOi5MmPJoHBXGB2bpYsZE/s320/IMG_1329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559085096878068754" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Then we made the three hour drive home to our husband and Daddy, who was patiently awaiting our arrival with a new Christmas tree waiting to be decorated the next night. The girls were so happy to see their Dad! And so was I. He's pretty nice to come home to.Katherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373055809780429447noreply@blogger.com7