Emilisq

make a wish {upon a candle}

2012-02-07T20:29:00.000-08:00

she wanted brennan to blow out her candle.

twice.

it made his day.

and mine.

i love their little friendship.

{it had been a rough day for brennan b/c she was the birthday girl and he was not.}

she couldn't get enough of opening presents.

and said "woah" to all of her most favorite items.

she laughed when funny things happened.

like when GiGi put ribbons on her head.

it was really cute.

she neatly unwrapped the paper and would place the little pieces in tidy piles.

she wore two bow clips in her hair that she picked out from her new stock.

they didn't match.

she didn't notice.

i think she would have put them all on if we had given her the time.

she opened her girly lotion, spread it all over her hands and arms, smelled it, and asked for more.

anything princess, pink, and/or baby doll is so in at our house right now.

i'm exhausted.

it was a great day.

tutu 2 {every girl should get to}

2012-02-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

"you say it's your birthday!

{dun nun nun nun nun nun}

it's my birthday too yeah!"

{dun nun nun nun nun nun}

"they say it's your birthday!

we're gonna have a good time!

i'm glad it's your birthday!

happy birthday to yeah!"

you get Belgium waffles with a whipped cream smiley face

and a strawberry nose on your birthday at our house.

sometimes you get blueberries instead of strawberries.

it depends on how prepared mama is that day.

strawberries were on sale this week.

winning!

then you get some whipped cream straight from the can.

siblings included.

until i get annoyed with pouring it into the little birdie mouths.

oh happy day:)

...
then it was bubble baths,
burgers, fries, rootbeer, & sundaes,
and dress up.
i wish i were 2.

today we learned:
she doesn't like cherries.
crazy,
i know.
worked out in my favor though:)
yum.
...

...

i can't believe how much she's grown.

same outfit as last year.

plus tights.

her request.
b/c every girl should get to wear a tutu on her birthday.

...

no frills party tonight.

NOTE TO SELF:
1 year olds are easier to take pictures of.
2 year olds are harder.
also,
don't forget to make the cake.

my super hero skills {31 weeks}

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

the kids have found a new use for my belly.

a prop of sorts.

the tummy table revised.

hands free, fun enjoyment.

i was secretly hoping the baby would kick it down.

i can't wait to see the look on their faces if that ever happens.

i'd tell them it was magic.

my super hero skills magic that can move objects without needing to touch them.

bahahaha!

...

when madonna came on during the halftime show brennan turned to me and asked,

"mom, is she weird?"

we all laughed.

i have a super smart kid.

and madonna still looks super fly.

even though she didn't move around very much.

in my opinion.

i still can't help singing along.

i "vogued" in my childhood driveway.

box hands.

BOX HANDS!

it must be relived every time it is sung.

MUST!!!

we stuffed ourselves to discomfort.

thank you sean's mom for the most amazing super bowl spread i have ever encountered.

i want a pug dog {isn't that what it was??} with sneakers that does the moonwalk across the finish line of a greyhound race,

and

i want a baby sling shot bouncy thing to get me things from the kitchen when i'm laying on the couch.

genius.

make a note of it.

the end.

skivvies {the stars have aligned}

2012-02-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

this is what your church shoes look like when it feels like april in the beginning of february
and you have a big brother.

two happy,

muddy kids.

and an hour of them

playing

outside

themselves

one very happy mama and papa.

muddy shoe and clothes clean up totally worth it.

TOTALLY worth it:)

spoken like a women with a washing machine.

i stripped brennan's clothes off before he came in.

and he ran right back out in his skivvies.

crazy man!

no coat feels fine to me.

but

only underwear is taking it too far.

TOO FAR!

i closed the door and waved at him through the window.

he told me it was sunny so he was fine.

utah kids.

bred for cold weather living:)

i am cherishing this mild winter,

being outside,

no snow on the lawn,

wishing we would have left the tramp up,

but it's weird to have winter without snow.

weird in a good way after last year.

it ran my winter loving bones ragged.

{never thought i would say those words},

i have this sense of feeling like we've cheated.

skipped straight to spring.

and are looking over our shoulders to make sure no one has caught us.

but really,

where is all of the snow???!!!

i can't go back to winter now.

spring has tantalized me too much already.

who am i?

where has emily gone?!

and what have you done with her??!!

OH!!!

that's right,

you gave her a fenced yard and two
{almost 3}
kids 4 and under.

funny how things change.

in a good way:)

is it april 2nd yet???
i'm not sure i really mean that...
yet.

definitely not on coupon day

2012-02-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

brennan was in heaven.
run, jump, bounce, and fly yourself into cushy pads.
bridges, ball pits, arcade games, and race tracks.
max mostly walked around crying and whining.
brennan was asking if we could come back tomorrow too before we had even taken our shoes and socks off for the first jumpy house.
after ten minutes max was saying "all done" and heading for the door.
i spent the rest of the time trying to get max to get back in and play and trying to have some idea of where brennan had run off to.
all the while lugging my diaper bag around and trying to get through narrow spaces jammed with lots of little running short people.
far too many running short people.
which is what you get when you go on a coupon day.
i sorely underestimate the space my belly and i can fit through.
it's funny.
until it's not.
and i'm stuck.
i ended up yelling over the noise of the bounce jumpy toys and arcade games for my kids to
"come this way,"
"stay there while i get brennan,"
"wait, now where is max???,"
"don't move,"
"wait there!"
"hold on!"
mayday!
i'm stuck!
"brennan come back!"
"max, this way!"
have mercy, just give me your arm.
i finally bribed them to the car with their arcade tickets for toys.
no one got their toy until they had climbed into their seat and strapped themselves in.
i don't ever want to do that again.
at least not with max being all done after the first ten minutes.
and definitely NOT on coupon day.
the end.

missing jammies {hot?}

2012-02-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

i guess max got hot???
at 11:31pm tonight we could not stop laughing.
until we did,
and then tried to decide if we should put them back on her or not.
we did.
put them back on her.
and started laughing all over again.
checking on your kids right before you go to bed is like christmas morning every night.
you never know what exciting things you're going to get:)

musical laps

2012-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

lately, this is what dinner looks like.
max only wants to eat off of our plate.
with our fork.
you can give her a plate like ours, with a fork like ours.
it doesn't make a difference.
she still wants to eat off of our plate.
true grandpa ryan {my dad} fashion.
my stepmom once got him a fork that extends out like a pointer as a joke b/c he is famous for picking food off of other people's plates from across the table.
i can still see him trying out that extend-able fork for the first time with his rosy cheeks and adorning eyes.
sean says i have followed him in his pursuits and wonders why i am surprised that max now does the same.
in all of our defense,
food really does taste better off of someone else's plate.
nonetheless, she has now moved from merely eating off of our plates to needing to sit in our laps and then eating off of our plates.
i'm sure that if she were my first born i would scold her and make her sit in her own seat b/c there must be a parenting book somewhere that talks about table manners and being firm,
but thank goodness she is my second,
and we can just let her sit on our laps and enjoy this phase.
b/c whenever i get annoying with their little phases i picture them as teenagers that don't even want to ride in the same car as me and it makes me love how much they love us right now.
so much that they want to eat dinner sitting in our laps.
i of course do not really have a lap right now so i try to box her out.
but she knows daddy will always make room for her.
and i bet grandpa would too.
so tonight they both had to sit by dad,
and at one point they were both sitting in his lap while he ate.
or they ate.
whichever.
i love our happy life:)
and anything gummy.
it is the latest and greatest of the tummy diaries.
BEHOLD!

zip code

2012-02-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

brennan's hair needs its own zip code.

have mercy.

it's time for a haircut.

i just love his thick long locks.

the burning skin belt {30 weeks}

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

i think we match?

...

the burning skin belt is on it's way in.

the other two held off a few more weeks before the burning began.
it's the most uncomfortable part about the end for me.

i have begun the sitting back to eat phase.

and get full after about 5 bites.

the tummy table/hand rest is in full use.

i have to wake up to roll over at night.

braxton hicks let me know when i have to pee.
even if i've just gone.

i can't stand to wear a bra.

but must wear one anyway.

as long as possible.

leaning back to breathe is more of a necessity.

if you can call it breathing.

it feels weird when the kids sit on my lap.
b/c there's already someone sitting in my lap.

when they lean back their little backs arch up around my tummy.

i like it.

i washed the baby's clothes.

and folded them in his dresser.
the dryer ate two socks.

i can't believe brennan was ever that small.

i don't remember thinking he was small.

and i don't remember only having baby blue clothes.
despite my memory,
both are still true.

max helped me with the socks.

by unwrapping them and throwing them on the floor.

i finally had to ban her from helping.

she was not happy.
but i was.

i just couldn't bend over one more time.

i've always waited until the day before induction to wash the clothes.
i just couldn't help myself from doing it now.

TUMS.
don't leave home without them.
it appears the acid reflux is also here to stay.
it amazes me that my body knows how to do this.
make a person.
keep it in there.
grow it.
grow my stomach.
then make the food to feed it.
him:)
and even though i'm still not convinced it actually knows when it's ready to have the baby,
it knows how to have him.
without me telling it do a single thing.
unconsciously creates a living
breathing
heart beating
person.
amazing.
there is nothing more amazing.
i could do without the varicose veins.
and the burning skin,
but i guess it's gotta do what it's gotta do.
eye on the prize.
HOO-RAH!

no one but ourselves

2012-01-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

dinner
movie
gift cards to shop with {i have learned i can only afford bowls and mugs at anthropology}
the most perfect bowls ever created.

kids sleeping at grandma and grandpa's
little america hotel
staying up late talking about life and other gossip
not being able to sleep a wink b/c of a hard mattress and stretching skin that burned
baby picked a bad night to grow
thus he grew
and my so did my skin
ouch
waking up early to talk about life and other gossip
the most beautiful breakfast in bed i've ever been treated to
a morning nap
a hot shower without any children interrupting
no one to take care of but ourselves
picking up children that love you more than they ever have before
hugs all day
kisses all day
mommy, i love you ALL DAY:)
afternoon naps to recover from no sleep for any of us
basketball game for the boys
dirty dancing and early to bed for the girls
sleeping all night
happy christmas present from sean.
love him.

the edge

2012-01-26T17:51:00.000-08:00

do you ever get to a point in your day where this will just put you over the edge?

yeah.

me too.

is it summer yet???

we're officially couped up.

...

i wiped down all of my kitchen cabinets this morning.

they are sparkling white.

AND

i vacuumed my window treatments.

is this for real???

b/c

it makes me happy:)

letters to Beth {mcflurry's, library, & sushi}

2012-01-25T13:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Beth,
        CONGRATS on winning 2nd place in the ldsliving recipe contest! i feel so proud to know someone famously talented as yourself. i really do think you are the most amazing person. i so wish i could have tried your recipe. my kitchen is dearly missing your cooking escapades. i think i will have to resign to ordering brennan's birthday cake from smith's this year b/c i just don't think i can make anything look like spiderman like you would be able to. i have my strengths, but that i just not one of them. did you just send the recipe in and then they make it and judge it? how does the contest work?

        OH THE CRAVINGS!!! i did not think they were real when i was pregnant with brennan. i lived off of taco bell the first 17 weeks, but only out of necessity. it was the only thing i wouldn't throw up. that and dr. pepper, although i did throw up dr. pepper once. thankfully, it wasn't ruined for me in real life after pregnancy, like orange juice was. phew! i still cannot even stand the sight of orange juice. pity. once i started feeling better with him i never really liked food the entire time, although i did like the taste of plain sour green apples {had one every morning}, which i have always hated unless they are covered in white chocolate and Carmel and oreo shavings. i guess that was a craving. there was also a bout with white peppermint hot chocolates from starbucks. i totally believed i was never going to like food again and came to terms with it. then i had him, started nursing, and got my appetite back. it was wonderful! b/c of all of that i thought women who talked about cravings were just making them up. then i got pregnant with max and HOLY MOLY i stood corrected. burgers, french fries, dr. pepper, apple juice, and blast-o-butter popcorn. everything tasted amazing the entire time with her, but i would just get these intense urges and HAVE TO HAVE THEM IMMEDIATELY. i felt really silly about it. there was one night i even sent sean to arby's for curly fries at 11pm b/c i had seen a commercial sitting in bed and just couldn't get them out of my mind. he was wonderful and brought them home. i ate the entire thing and felt satisfied. it was so weird!!! with this little man currently residing in me it's been dr. pepper, sushi, and most recently {as of last night} oreo mcflurry's. it was 11pm {what is it with my late night cravings???} and i just didn't want to go out, so i found makenzie's half eaten strawberry coldstone ice cream in the freezer from 2 months ago {yes i really ate it}, and the cravings was suppressed. two mintues after i finished it, brennan woke up screaming with a sore tummy. i sang to him until he fell back asleep and was glad i did not go out for my midnight craving. i did however have to stop by sonic and mcdonald's on the way home from the library b/c i remembered how much i wanted a mcflurry and finally figured out the drink i've been thirsting for the past week. so today, oreo mcflurry and a cherry limeade from sonic were the ticket. THE TICKET!

        sean's elder's quorum meeting was cancelled for last night and there is this sushi place down the street that does half price rolls on tuesday nights. he said sushi. i said YES! max went straight for the raw fish tuna one. it made me so proud:) brennan liked the avocado topped one. we let them play with our phones the entire time and actually got to eat AND talk. it was great.

we have had runny noses and wet coughs around here on and off for the last week and a half. we haven't really been sick yet, and i too thought we were going to get a free pass this winter after last year's stife, but it was not so. it has finally caught up to us. fortunately it doesn't seem to be all that bad. it is a little annoying though b/c just when you think it's gone it will come back the next day with a runny nose or a cough. i almost stopped by whole foods to show them the picture of your echinacea on the way home from the library. we are now proud owners of a salt lake county library card. brennan checked out some robot book and held it the entire way home, while watching the little mermaid {my kids are currently obessessed with the sea princess}. do you think i can count that as reading time??? haha. we did spend and hour and a half reading at the library before, so i feel pretty good about our morning. they also get to make a craft and do dancing with music at this story time. it is so much fun. today the theme was owls. so on the way home i was going to stop at whole foods and show them the picture of your enchinacea stuff, but i just couldn't bring myself to unstrap them both from their carseats b/c they were so quiet and so entertained and so we went to sonic for cherry limeades and then mcdonald's for mcflurry's instead. heaven bless the drive thru and america for having them.

        i read the carpe diem facebook thing for about two paragraphs, and it just wasn't "gel-ing" with me. so no, i wasn't a fan either. BUT i did read the letter to the mother with one child and really identified with it. i think it's one of those things that cannot be taught. you have to learn from experience. the weird thing i've noticed is that some moms don't get past it even after they've had one or two more. i think there are parts of me that still has part of it left b/c no one is in school or activities yet to keep us busy, but i've got to tell you, i could have little babies like this and be exhausted for the rest of my life. i love that we can wake up in the morning and decide what we want to do. aquarium, children's museum, story time, zoo, etc. i am going to miss the freedom and all of it when the school days begin. i just hope i enjoy every phase as much b/c i have never been so happy. the bad days stink, and my patience is sometimes pushed beyond what i think i can handle, but life is just so simple and i love that part of it. what other time in your life can you go to the zoo in the morning and watch a movie in the afternoon? it's grandiose!

        i finished the book with nicholas and paige. the ending was annoying. i never really felt satisfied with it. don't read it. blah. i did start reading little women, per your recommendation. i screamed out loud when meg's hair {i think that's who it was} got burned off by the curling iron. have mercy, it was horrifying! the book makes me wish i came from a family full of sisters. and it made me wish that i lived in a cabin where my kids would have to entertain themselves with only their creativity, but then we couldn't have afternoon movies, and i would probably be a grumpy mom b/c i do LOVE my modern appliances. i ran the washing machine while we were at the library and i thought how lucky i am to be raising a family where i didn't have to do it by hand. the washing machine, the dishwasher, the microwave, and the television are my appliances that i just cannot do without. i guess the computer too b/c i get extremely irritable when it is having trouble as well.

        i am so glad to hear that you get a break when bryce is home. that is the true sign of a good man! please come home soon. have you tried the reese's minis yet??? i want you to come over and make a cookie with them for me. very much like the one with the chopped reese's on top that you made before. love you, bryce, and the kids. brennan is begging for the computer and there is nothing else that will entertain him other than trouble at this point.

love,
emily

letters to Emily {echinacea, facebook, & motherhood}

2012-01-25T12:23:00.000-08:00

Dearest Miss Emiline Harris,

Okay, so this sick thing is fun.....TAG your it! That is the game we've been playing around here this winter. Bryce will have a cold then Smith then Bear then me...isn't it fun? I remember last year you guys were playing the same game, I hope it's different for you this winter. I thought we would fly passed the cold season with out being sick because when my herbalist sister came out to help deliver the baby, she brought this bottle of kids chewable echinacea tablets. We weren't getting sick when it seemed like the world around us was coughing and sniffling. We quickly ran out, and now we are getting sick.

I need to get a hold of those tablets again. If you see them, get them. They are great. They taste good too. Anyway, I read your blog about pizza fridays. My mom did that all growing up. We had homemade pizza fridays. I loved it. Sometimes an occasional round table pizza would grace our presence, but mostly it was homemade. I remember my mom would make a huge hunk of dough so we could help put toppings on at least 4 pizzas. I think it is so fun to make food your kids can help with.

I think that is great you are swimming! I didn't swim with Bear and he ended up being a big baby. So hopefully your baby will be tiny and then get all chubby and round, because you are looking tiny these days.

I got second place in the LDS Living's recipe contest! It was fun to enter. I entered a strata, quite similar to your breakfast casserole.

Have you been reading the mom articles floating around on face book?

I read "Don't Carpe Diem" and I have to admit it, I hated it. But it got a lot of positive reviews, which surprised me. She made motherhood seem like there was only little moments of the day that are good, but the over all is stressful, tiring, chaotic, annoying, depressing and a hard choice. Motherhood is those things, but I don't feel it is the overall. She just sounded like a martyr(a person who displays or exaggerates their discomfort or distress in order to obtain sympathy or admiration) , and getting up everyday would be a feat before the day is over. To Carpe Diem is a beautiful thing! Whether she believes it or not, she is doing that by just getting up and facing the day. I talked to my mom about the article and she said all the lady needed was a nap and some icecream. I laughed at that. I guess it was just a little negative. But I did love the article "to the mother with one child". I thought it gave good perspective and a beautiful outlook on young mothers and seasoned ones as well.

You are an amazing mother and I look up to how much you make your family comfortable and happy. And everything you surround yourself in, are the choices you have made. If you look around yourself, aren't they the best choices in the world? I love my choices, and with every choice there is a consequence, so let us cease the day to it all!

Anyway, if you haven't read either one read them, they are good discussion.

For me and my world. I love being the mother of a special needs boy. He is so heavenly. Bryce and him have grown very close since Bear has been born. He is in charge of Smith when he walks through the door from school, until he leave again the next morning. Weekends are great because he pretty much takes care of him all weekend long. Remember when Smith was new new new, and you would drive to my house to have lunch and talk about nursing and our babies. It was like the new mom club, we would switch every month, your house, my house. Fun times. Now you are having another boy!!! I can't even picture another boy! I wonder if he will have blonde hair or brown hair? How have you been feeling? Craving anything other than apple juice? Well my sweet Emily. LOve you

Beth

it's beginning to look a lot like...

2012-01-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

only a month late.

...

AND

my neighbor taught sean and i how to make sushi.

ROLLIN'.

it's how you do it.

we're cool like that now.

can't wait to do it again and cover it in fresh fleshy pink tuna.

yes, i eat the raw fish sushi when i'm pregnant.

and my children only grow one extra finger.

on their stomach.

totally worth it.

yum:)

belly buttons and balls {29 weeks}

2012-01-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

my belly button is on its way out.
my kids think it's hilarious.
i must say, i can't help poking it too.
rubbing it like a good luck Buddha.
if you ask makenzie where the baby is,
she will almost always point to one of my boobs.
too many round balls on the front of me to know which one it is for sure i guess.
HA!!!

nesting {the angels sang}

2012-01-22T12:05:00.000-08:00

oh nesting,

i LOVE you!

sean said this picture looks like it's coming from heaven.

i could hear the angels singing as i was stacking my cans in organized rows.

4 more bags to the goodwill and 2 more bags of garbage.

behind me are 20 organized bins.

i only have one more corner to tackle.

i have never slept so well in my entire life.

minis

2012-01-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

the most perfect reese's ever created.

GLORY BE!!!

i've been eating around the edges of reese's my entire life to get the taste that this one little bite gives.

we are made for each other.

i can now die a happy woman.

or at least my taste buds can.

whichever.

moves like jagger

2012-01-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

for his birthday,
he would like:
an electric guitar
an amp
and the woody and jessie dolls we saw in babies r us today.
he told me i was his princess when i was tucking him in tonight.
i may have been charmed.
not charmed enough for a an electric guitar AND an amp,
but maybe charmed enough to get both woody AND jessie.
except jessie would be for max.
his words.
quite the convincer.
my first born is going to be 4,
and that is surely something to celebrate.
just not with an electric guitar.
i'll try to refrain until he's 8.
or at least until the basement is finished.
whichever.

"i had fun rocking out."

-brennan "git-some"

{as he says it}

almost a chocolate river

2012-01-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

it was tuesday morning,
and i had six $1 bills burning a whole in my wallet.
and two more dollars in change that i found inside my diaper bag.
covered in the crumbs of something that had fallen apart inside the pocket.
i'm guess nutrigrain bar.
but really, who can tell?
i was sad to find out my change was not accepted by the cotton candy machine.
pity.
i was really looking forward to watching my kids dance to the sugar sugar song while it spun.
the candy barrel was not a bad second option.
with a wishing well on the way.
6 pennies shorter, and we were on our way.
max kept putting different candies in her mouth.
brennan saving candies for later in his pockets,
so we ended up buying a few more pieces than i wanted,
but i got my vanilla and orange tootsie rolls,
so there were really no complaints to be had.

i just wish there was a willy wonka's chocolate factory.

just like the movie.

filled with everything chocolate.

with whipped cream mushrooms.

gum drops that fall from trees.

and

even the tulip tea cups.

a chocolate river would be nice too.

but i don't want to get too demanding here.

high

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

when i was pregnant with brennan my grandma gigi told me she knew i was having a boy.
b/c i was carrying my baby so high.
i had no idea what she was talking about.
when i got pregnant with miss max i did know she was super low.
like "whoa, she might fall out" kind of low.
i told my grandma i thought it was b/c she was my second.
and things just weren't holding up the same.
if you get ma' drift.
well holy moly,
what do ya' know!?
folks,
here i am
with another boy up high in my ribs.
his little kicks up there to prove it.
or head butts.
i'm really not sure which way he's currently pointed.
i guess gigi was right.
maybe not for you,
but me,
i carry my boys high.
noted.

it's been decided {whipping cream}

2012-01-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

we were stuck at home with two sick kids.

i was bored.

i let my taste buds do the driving.

and created my very own whipped cream cookies.

chocolate and boysenberry.

i could have done without the cookie part,

and just gone straight for the fillings,

which i did while the cookies were baking.

so did max.

both kid have learned that when the kitchen aid is mixing,

the best place to be is on your stool in the kitchen with me.

crunchy

creamy

sugary sweet.

next time i'm doing whoopee pies instead of the crunchy cookie i did this time.

and a crushed oreo filling.

but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

my taste buds were only halfway satisfied with the end result today,

but the eating along the way was well worth the escapade.

decide for yourself!

...

whipping cream frosting

{i made two separate batches: chocolate and boysenberry}

1 c heavy whipping cream

1-2 tbls white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

whip until it looks like good old fashioned whipping cream.

{for chocolate: add 3 tsp baking cocoa to mixture and continue whipping until mixed fully}

{for boysenberry: add 1/2 c boysenberry jam to mixture and continue whipping until mixed fully}

place in fridge to cool or freezer for 20 min or so for more firm cream.

...

chocolate thins

1 box devil's food cake mix

2 cubes butter, room temp

2 eggs

mix altogether.

place dime size {yes that small} balls onto cookie sheet.

cook for 8 min. at 350*.

let cool.

assemble with frosting in the middle of two cookies or leave open faced,

which was my final preference to taste more of the whipping cream flavors.

...

max will be getting a chocolate cake
with boysenberry and chocolate whipping cream frosting.

layered.

it's been decided.

by the both of us.

yay:)

or yum.

whichever.

"war," pound, jump, & run

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

we couldn't convince max to wear the mask.

but she thought we were pretty funny in them.

i LOVE this life:)

...

brennan's list of things he is going to teach the baby goes as follows:
1. how to "war" {roar} like a dinosaur {but not in a scary way b/c he doesn't want him to be scared.}
2. how to pound his chest like a gorilla {he will then give you a demonstration, think tarzan}
3. how to jump up on a table {awesome}
4. how to run
5. how to stomp

there's no place like home

2012-01-13T18:14:00.000-08:00

there's nothing i look forward to more than our famous pizza/soda night.

friday night.

created when we were dirt poor.

and needed something fun and cheap.

holiday oil for our sodas.

i get half diet pepsi or diet coke with dr. pepper or cherry pepsi.

depends on my mood.

sean mixes it up a lot more with his choices.

i pretty much stick to my habbits.

the kids get rootbeer or sprite.

with a shot of vanilla or lime to their liking.

and a heaping bucket of popcorn for 99 cents.

then we come home and decorate our dough.

that has been rising while we were gone.

whole wheat never tasted so good.

toppings of our choice.

stuffed, buttered, and garlic'd crust.

mushrooms are the current favorite.

pepperoni is a staple.

brennan and i also love the purple onions.

there's no place like home.

on a friday night.

with my crew.

"the spa"

2012-01-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

last night when i was making dinner brennan said he was going to "the spa,"
and then opened the fridge and tried to shut himself inside.
max of course followed him in.
and they went to "the spa" together.
telling me it felt "willy good" in the spa.
with "ooo's" and "ahhh's" all around.
i wonder if the snacks are included in the price?
maybe only condiments are free...
lucky for them,
the whipped cream is sitting next to the salsa.

letters to Beth {apple juice, swimming, & People magazine}

2012-01-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Beth,
       I am so mad at Paige. Nicholas is on my good side. She just left! I mean, Nicholas was a sucky dad and a sucky father, and it was good to teach him a lesson, but come on. You can't just leave indefinitely. She has mommy issues that she's working out. Went to visit an old boyfriend. See her dad that she had been estranged from for 8 years or something, and find her mother that left when she was 5. Hired a private investigator, who found her mom on a ranch with horses. It's all fine and well, but bring the baby with you for heavens sake.

        I am sorry to hear that Smith is sick. What does he have? My children have been miraculously healthy this year, which I am surely jinxing myself by even mentioning, but after last year we deserved a healthy year this time around. I've been wondering if it's b/c we haven't really had winter yet, but then I think about how places like Arizona still have a cold and flu season with 70*. Have you ever thought about that? Does it really have nothing to do with the weather at all??? I hope he is well soon. Did your sister give you any miracle concoctions to get him back into gear? I always love to hear all of the herbal remedies. I still rave about garlic oil drops to anyone who ever mentions an ear infection. Truly a miracle herb! Will you bless Bear next fast Sunday or just do it on a normal Sunday? Brennan was 5 1/2 months old when we blessed him, and we did it on a normal Sunday b/c Sean's family from Arizona was going to be in town. He was so big!!! Did you get him a blessing outfit over there or do a family heirloom one, or just pick up something in Germany?

        Seeing as I am living in Utah I think prostitutes would be hard to come by for a recipe, so I'm glad it was just a typo b/c I really do love prosciutto. The best part was that it was for ldsliving, TOO FUNNY!!!

Here is the egg casserole recipe you asked for:
8 c cubed french bread, stale
8 oz shredded cheddar (you know i used more than that)
1/4 c chopped onions
1/4 c chopped green pepper (i used the entire pepper)
4 oz mushrooms
1 tomato, chopped
10 eggs, beaten
4 c milk
1 tbls chopped parsley, dried
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
8-10 slices bacon (made 14, used 10, or something...), cooked juicy and chopped
**grease a big pan. the biggest pan you can find. the normal Pyrex rectangle isn't big enough. i have a special red one that i use for it. so just make it bigger than 9x13 b/c 9x13 is NOT big enough. arrange bread on bottom, layer cheese, onions, green pepper, mushroom, tomato on top of bread. Large bowl--combine eggs, milk, parsley, mustard, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Mix well. Pour over bread mix, sprinkle bacon over top evenly. I cover it overnight and then UNCOVER to cook the next morning. Heat 325-350*, bake 1 hour to 1 hr 30 min uncovered until center is set. About halfway through i used a spatula and pulled the edges away from the pan to let the liquid drain down into the sides and cook faster. i also pulled the middle apart a little as well to let the liquid move around and cook faster.

       My only problem with entering recipes into contests is that I usually just steal recipes from things other people have made and only change one or two things to my fancy, so I don't really feel like they are "my" recipes, per se. What are the rules on orginality anyway?
        That is so exciting that Bear rolled over! Makenzie army crawled at 3 weeks across her baby gym, on video camera so we have proof, and then never did it again until after we moved into our house when she was 8 months. It was amazing. It's weird how you think your second will be like your first, but they aren't. We always had to remind ourselves that Makenzie didn't need to cry it out like Brennan b/c she never just cried to cry. She either needed a binky or a new diaper or needed to be burped. It is still something we have to remind ourselves, that she is not Brennan and she is almost 2!!! I am sure the third will be even more hard that way b/c we will have two we are comparing him to. Dad and Sandie are flying out for the baby's birth. We are so excited to have everyone around. I just hope my body is all good to go for the 39 week induction again b/c that would totally stink if everyone was here and my doc was all, "well, guess what you're not dilated or effaced at all." That would NOT be awesome:)

        Did I tell you I've been swimming? I am back to swimming a mile a week. I started up again around 18 weeks when I started feeling better. I swam the last 4 weeks with Max and wondered why I didn't do it sooner, so with this one I wanted to start up after I was feeling well. It has been so great to get into the water and do something for myself. I haven't exercised with any of my other pregnancies, and I just love it so much. I am a little self conscience of my HORRIBLE varicose veins on the backs of my legs. It's not pretty. I get in that water so fast that there is no time to worry about the water being cold. Tonight is my swimming night, and I look forward to it all week. I am always super tired the next day, even if I get a good night sleep, but it is worth it. Sean goes boxing on Tuesday nights. He came home with red knuckles last night. He was really proud. It is our once a week "me" time.

        I love your Chinese food New Year's NEW tradition. I can totally picture you going out on the streets of Germany and having everything closed and can see you with a big smile on your face saying, "Ok, well, I'm just going to make this work!" It's making me want some Chinese food tonight. It's breakfast on the schedule for tonight, which means BACON BACON BACON:) yum:) AND you're homemade hash browns. I only use red potatoes for them, as they are my favorite and the juciest, and I use extra butter and extra salt. HEAVEN:)

The one thing that I can't get enough of is apple juice. It was that way with Max too. It is the most thirst quenching thing on the planet when I'm pregnant. When I'm not pregnant I get excited for a glass of it and only meet disappointment. It doesn't taste like anything special EXCEPT when I'm pregnant. THEN it tastes AMAZING. Greatest drink on the planet. I need a glass right now just talking about it.

That magician/clown/circus man is creepy. I don't want to stare at the picture too long in fear a nightmare may come on. I have crazy dreams when I'm pregnant, and I just don't want to see him in my dreams. It's the joker lips and the one creepy eyebrow that are most disturbing for me. However, it may be like a bad car crash, where I would go to the circus JUST to see the creepy eyebrow joker lips in person, knowing it's not what I want to see, but what I want to see all at the same time. The glitter is a nice touch, but what is with the clear glass cap? Is that what it is? See, I have now been sucked in. Please send more pictures of the like if you see anything like it out and around the town. I am officially bothered and intrigued all at once.

Love,
Emily

P.S.
Brennan raised his hand in sharing time in Primary this week and told them we read People magazine at our house when they were giving the lesson on the Friend magazine. The week before when the lesson was on consquences he raised his hand and said when he goes poop in the potty he gets a treat. What a funny little dude. Have mercy!!!

letters to Emily {recipes, proscuitto/prostitutes, & scary circus}

2012-01-11T15:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Emily,

Sorry it has taken SOOOO long! It has been a great week and a hard one as well. Poor little Smithy has been sick, he is doing a lot better now so I am happy. We were supposed to have baby Bear blessed this past Sunday but since Smith is sick it was a no go. By the way that egg casserole looks amazing, need recipe. Speaking of recipes, I entered a recipe contest on ldsliving.com and I sent the recipe to my sister and she reminded me of something hilarious. I like to enter recipe contests for fun, I usually do a few a month, and there was one I entered that I used prosciutto in the recipe. Well, microsoft word doesn't like that word, seeing as it isn't english, and I used spell check before I submitted the recipe. After I sent it in, I looked it over to see exactly what they would see and microsoft word changed prosciutto to prostitutes! So the recipe said 10 slices of prostitutes? I ended up sending an edited one in and actually won, but I had to laugh when my sister said, "make sure that you spell prosciutto right!".... You should totally submit recipes into recipe contests. I love your food Emily! I don't think I have ever entered your house with out a smell of something delicious baking in the oven.

I attached a photo I took on Christmas eve, coming back from the abbey, these posters were all over Heidelberg and it just made me laugh!! So what is up with the red eared-white faced-clown-saxiphone playing-magician? I examined thos poster for a while, let's just say we didn't go to the Christmas Circus, but after seeing that we sure missed out!

You look teeny tiny by the way! What's up with that? Hopefully he will be a small baby. Bear rolled over the other day! I was in complete shock! Bryce and I worked on that forever with Smith, blood sweat and tears to get him to roll over. Bear did it completely on his own, we just set him on his tummy and flip he went! That was easy! I didn't know having a baby would be this easy, I thought it would be Smith all over again, but it's Bear, and I love it. Don't get me wrong Smith is the apple of my eye, but it takes a lot out of you sometimes.

Christmas and new years were great. On new years eve I was planning on cooking something so delicious so I got on the bus at 4 and went to town to do some shopping, when I got down town everything literally EVERYTHING was closed! I couldn't go home empty handed! So I noticed a chinese restaurant open and I ran inside (I am also running against the nursing clock, trying to make it back before Bear is hungry again) and odered a ton of delicious food. We ended up reading our fortunes after we screamed and danced after midnight. I think I will make that a tradition, chinese take out and fortunes on new years!!! It was fun. Miss you and wishing you comfort in your last trimester!!

love,

Beth

pony up

2012-01-10T22:57:00.000-08:00

max has never been one to sit down and be read to.
she likes to climb all over you.
up and down off of the couch.
it's really quite annoying.
so tonight in a last attempt for peace and harmony i begged brennan to let her climb all over him.
and told him i'd give him a $1 if he did.
i barely had enough air to get it out between reading the lines of the book,
with max pawing at the both of us and stumbling every which way.
"i'll give you a dollar if you let max climb and step all over you!"
and you know what?
that little champ didn't complain once after that.
she pawed him.
shoved him.
climbed on and over him.
and not a peep.
no crying that she was stepping on him.
no whining that she poked him in the eye.
it was a great last ten minutes of rumplestiltskin.
AND he forgot about the dollar.
i wonder how long that will work for...
at least until i have to pony up.
genius:)

i think i might...

2012-01-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

hello third trimester.

i think i might be pregnant...

and i bought 5 more bins to organize stuff in the basement.
don't you wish i could come organize your house?!
me too:)

we've got the glow.

2012-01-07T07:26:00.000-08:00

yesterday brooke and i took the kids to the zoo.

for 4 hours.

the last 2 1/2 hours we spent sitting on the benches at the zoo park.

while the kids played on the teeter totter.

baby jack ate lots of bark.

max fell in lots of bark.

and we freckled our faces in the sun.

i went to bed with the beginnings of a tan.

50 degrees.

no coats.

and at one point the boys even took their shoes and socks off.

i could have sat in that sun all day.

it was lovely

lovely

lovely.

this morning?

we get to play in the glow of the snow.

oh how i love utah and it's unpredictable weather patterns.

punk!

thursday night looks like...

2012-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

like i said,

when they're not fighting,

it's worth it.

really

worth

it.

charge {footloose for $1.25}

2012-01-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

it is not the orange.

i am sad.

but really,

we were never going for taste here.

...

i saw footloose at the dollar movies last night with my friend.

i am betraying my childhood by saying it was better than the first.

really, it was.

except the original music was better.

besides,

i never really liked the main girl character in the original anyway.

the new girl was much cuter.

more likable.

it made me want to go buy a jean skirt and red boots.

and while i once believed that it couldn't be footloose without kevin bacon,

i stand corrected.

b/c ren was even better the second time around.

but my favorite character is still his farmer friend.

with his little freckles on his cheekbones.

darling.

oh how i love the dollar movies.

even if they do cost $1.25 now.

i wish the raisenettes had been that cheap.

and let's not even talk about my $4.50 soda.

half diet coke.

half mr. pibb.

lots of ice.

that's what i always say.

and now for the fruit punch

and the small veins...

it's go time.

letters to Beth {egg casserole, cats & dogs, and varicose veins}

2012-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Beth,
I am a horrible friend for not getting back to you until now. I feel like I have finally recovered from Thanksgiving and can now start recovering from Christmas. It may take until April to recover from New Year's, and well, then I will be having a baby so there just may not be time for it at that point.

What did you end up making for your Christmas morning breakfast? I made Sean's mom's famous egg casserole. I was going to tell you to make the Mexican Egg Strata because it sounded like egg casserole, and that sounded like Christmas to me. Do tell. Please. It has taken me 3 years of trying to finally get the egg casserole to cook all of the way through, but this Christmas I DID IT!!! It was the best present I could have given myself. Such an enormous sense of accomplishment my friend. It was wonderful. It was like I was armed and ready for whatever it had to offer this year, and I showed that egg casserole who was boss. ME:) My trick? I added twice the amount of bread at the bottom. It soaked up the egg sauce and left it so moist. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The bacon was nice and fatty, although I ate most of it at midnight Christmas Eve as I was assembling it. You know how I love bacon. It was lovely. Santa's cookies and bacon. YUM.

I go to my favorite OB tomorrow for my monthly check up. I doubt the scale is going to be pretty, but it has been worth every bite. And if I can't indulge when I'm pregnant, or nursing, or really whenever I want, then when can I?? Not when I'm dead, that's for sure. Life is too short for diets and calories, my friend. This I KNOW you know. Maybe we are just too young and naive, or maybe we are just wise beyond our years. I know for sure that I am far too skinny b/c you are away. Please come home to fatten me up. I will just not be satisfied with a skinny baby boy. He needs to be chunky and full of rolls. Plus, a 9lb baby like the pork loin means one fabulous thing: you lose 10 lbs right away when you have them. OH THE JOY! Ok, but let's be honest, I would really rather him come out skinny and then fatten him up after. I can't wait to get this little man all cooked up and out into my arms. I CAN in fact wait for the loss of sleep. I just don't do well when I don't get my sleep. How are you sleeping now that it has been a few more weeks of Bear's life? Even with a perfect baby, there is still just not enough sleep with a newborn. This is something I am convinced about, my dear. I hope you are getting some good naps.

These were the other traditional lovelies I served on Christmas day:
shrimp with cocktail sauce
my grandma max's ham rolls {with and without onion}
baked bri {i did the brown sugar too think in the middle}
meatballs {this was a new tradition b/c i knew it would be the only thing my kids would eat. i was right, and it felt really good to be right.}

For dinner, Sean's mom made a pork roast in my oven, did her pear salad with cheese and homemade whipping cream on top {i made sure to use powdered sugar for the whipping cream, thank you}, green beans, and new potatoes from a can sauteed in butter and sugar {sounds gross, but is UTTERLY AMAZING}. I made the rolls and my grandma Max's famous sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, and set a beautiful table, complete with red Christmas candles.

I want to know all of the details of your holiday. Do not leave out a thing. How was midnight mass??!! That is a tradition of mine from childhood with my dad and Sandie. Over the years they convinced me that the 5:00pm mass was much better. I now understand why they did that. There is so much work to do after the kids are in bed to get everything ready for Christmas morning. I think we were in bed around 1:30am, plus or minus 30 minutes. It's a little bit of a blur. We were up making the tom and jerry's drink sauce {minus the rum} sometime after 12:30am Christmas Eve night. It was a lot of fun, but so exhausting. Next year, I think I will make it a few days before, as it can be saved for several weeks. We are still drinking it in the mornings. So yummy. Have you ever had it before? I will give you my recipe if you'd like.

Brennan did in fact leave his binkies for Santa. Not a single tear was shed {a Christmas MIRACLE!}, and there was no trauma over the matter at all. I was shocked. By the time Christmas Eve came he was so excited to leave the binkies, and made sure I remembered that if he missed them we could cuddle and hug. It was so cute. He took one final suck and put them on the plate. The next morning he came in with the proudest little almost 4 year old face. Beaming with pride that he had slept without his binkies. It was like he became a little bit more of a man while he slept that night and became a little bit more of a "real mom," whatever that means. And wouldn't you know it, he's been sleeping in longer now too. Go figure.

We got rid of 4 more bags of trash, and 4 more huge boxes to the DI goodwill. The basement is starting to look bare. It is the best feeling to be free of all of that stuff. Sean and I kept asking each other why we had held onto everything for so long. I need a few more bins for mementos that I'd like to keep, and one more for Sean. My only rule for mementos was that they had to be in clear bin. Sean got rid of his pogwalkman from elementary school, among many other things. I am starting to realize that there is just no need for all of the stuff. I would have so much more joy with that basement finished for livable space than I would to use it for stuff in boxes. Not so much joy in having to clean it, but definitely more joy in a bedroom for Brennan and a theater room for the rest of us. I can't wait!

My kids have been fighting like cats and dogs the last two days. It is awful. Mostly annoying. And my nerves are shot by the end of the day over all of it. Max has been in timeout a lot. She is a hitter and a hair puller. Bad combination in an aggressive second child that is not going to wait around for someone to fix her problems for her. She takes the bull by the horns {or Brennan's hair} and handles her business. I am so proud of her for not wanting me to fix/handle everything for her, but sad that Brennan is getting his hair pulled so much. I think hair pulling might hurt more than hitting, as she has pulled mine as well. Ouch. The little pixie sits in timeout with her arms folded or lays down on the step crying. It's so cute. I have to try really hard to keep a straight face and be serious. When they are nice to each other it is worth all of it, but so frustrating when they are not. I can't wait to add another to the mix, agh!!! I fear how I will handle it without the sleep.

My body feels like it is 36 weeks pregnant, but it is not even close. I have so many varicose veins this time, and they really hurt. A LOT. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night b/c I was having this really terrible and intense abdominal cramping. I thought I just had to pee. It took the wind out of me just to walk to the bathroom. And with only one ear plug in, it threw off my balance a tad. Nonetheless, I made it back to the bed without falling or tripping over anything. I was surprised. The pain kept coming and going like a contraction for about an hour, but it was only on the lower right hand side, like a side ache, and my tummy was not hard at all like it would be with a contraction. I feel fine this morning, other than being tired from being up again during the 4am hour. Sandie is convinced it is b/c I am doing too much and still picking up Brennan. Sean thinks it is because I am doing too much and the baby is growing. They may in fact both be right. I will ask tomorrow. It is also my glucose test. I hate that test. The drink is not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. It's the getting my blood drawn that I always hate. And the fact that I am going to have to have plain eggs for breakfast when I'd really rather be having peanut butter toast with melted honey. I picked the orange one this time. I can't remember what I've picked in the past, but it seemed to be the only good option, as orange drinks have always been my favorite. Wish me and my small veins luck.

Love,

Emily

winner winner winner!

2012-01-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

JEN WON!!!

it's more fun when a person you know wins,

it just is:)

yay for jen!

good thing you linked up,

b/c YOU won!

and if you didn't link up,

you couldn't win,

but

YOU

did,

and

YOU

won.

and now you get 8 lovely gifts,

mailed to your very own self,

from 8 lovely ladies.

happy new year

INDEED!

her-ray:)

have a snack.

2012-01-03T12:16:00.000-08:00

note to self:
do not go to bed hungry.
you will wake up at 4am.
lay in bed for an hour trying to go back to sleep,
telling yourself you're really not that hungry,
finally give in around 5:36am,
walk downstairs,
eat a bowl of reese's puffs and half of a banana in the dark,
go back upstairs,
with a baby now awake and lively in your stomach,
and a barney song stuck in your head.
that will not allow you to go back to sleep,
and finally around 6:30am you will go back downstairs where you will fall asleep on the couch until 8am when you hear a 4 year old asking for hot chocolate and a "woodie" {movie}.
you will tell said 4 year old to get his milk from the fridge,
hot chocolate will just have to wait,
and have him hand you the remotes to turn on a woodie for him.
then you will fall back asleep until after 9am when the 2 year old will wake up.
bless my "sleeper-in-er's."
the only reason you will know the 2 year is awake is b/c the 4 year will have heard her,
and will run upstairs to get her out of bed before you've even opened your eyes all the way.
then you will walk around in a stupor of fog,
pouring milk,
opening yogurts,
and convincing said children that chocolate teddy grahams are not real food.
especially not for breakfast.
at which point you will give up and let them eat the teddy grahams as long as they finish their yogurts,
which by some miracle they will do both.
and then the white blind spots will come on.
and you will panic,
but try to stay calm,
taking two tylonel.
and a blanket.
and a big glass of water to the couch.
and then you will spend the next two hours sleeping on said couch to get rid of your migraine that only comes on when you don't get good sleep when you are pregnant,
while the children entertain themselves with toys and ~~never~~ occasionally fight.
again, MIRACLE.
and the entire time you will wonder why you didn't just get a snack at midnight before you went to bed when all of this could have been prevented.
so learn the lesson.
have a snack before bed.
always.
the end.

jeans {just as satisfying}

2012-01-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

i love that brennan will still let me do this in a store.
he is two pairs of jeans richer this afternoon.
thank you H&M.
we barely survived the check out lines,
but the prices were worth the wait.
three cheers for no holes in the knees.
although that only seems to last a couple of months anyway.
and while i love the holes in the jeans,
there comes a point where the man needed to not have 22* air going right through his jeans.
b/c all 4 of his other pairs of jeans have holes in the knees.
along with his brown cargos.
oh how i love this little boy.
i'm so happy about his new pants,
i feel like i bought something for myself.
weird.
but so true.
and just as satisfying.
max picked out a princess tiara.
and brennan a spiderman beanie.
which he used his "christmas money" to buy.
he told the cashier all about it.
she loved him.
me too:)

he ate the cookies, so we knew he came.

2011-12-29T22:02:00.000-08:00

santa came.

AND

after 3 years of trying,

i FINALLY

got the egg casserole right.

truly,

a christmas miracle.

and brennan only got a small peek at his presents.

i made sean carry two dining room chairs to block our upstairs hall.

knowing he would have to bang the chairs on the wall to our room to get by.

therefore waking us up.

um,

sean

was out of bed like the house was on fire to catch him before he made it past the landing.

my kids ate only reese's peanut butter cups and meatballs.

i ate mostly baked bri.

my mother in law helped me set and serve 8 for the first time from my very own table.

in my very own house.

with her crystal goblets,

and my very own red chipped plates.

it was wonderful.

every shocking face,

ooo,

and awe.

the hours spent entertaining one toy {nano bugs win the prize},

and the phone calls to the family we wish could have been in their jammies on our couch with us.

and then after we said goodbye to all of our guests,

we put the kids to bed,

and

completely

collapsed

on the couch.

in front of the glowing lit Christmas tree.

no other lights about.

surrounded by snippings of wrapping paper.

the sounds of the dishwasher running.

and piles of our loot strewn about.

declaring it THE MOST exhausting.

and MOST WONDERFUL

christmas

in our entire lives.

extravaganza review {the end}

2011-12-29T21:32:00.000-08:00

it's week 4!
THE FINALE FOLKS!

and just so there's no confusion,

here's a link to the rules.

for the nitty gritty,

if you want to win a prize.

8 prizes!

from 8 lovely ladies,

including yours truly;)

don't forget to include the button code above with your post,

...

AND NOW,

give

you..........

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER,

and,

DECEMBER!

{i dare say, the most festive part of the year}

i spent the better part of october eating only processed garbage.

we are talking

sodium, boxed, processed anything.

you name it.

it was what i wanted.

i went through a taco bell phase.

a chick filet phase.

and a cafe rio phase.

not in that order.

but hallelujah,

by halloween,

i was feeling fantastic.

and back to normal again.

i did manage to make applesauce with my cousins,

chased with pasta rice a roni of course.

followed by a lovely conference weekend.

full of scones, raspberry butter, and hot chocolate.

an electric toothbrush changed my life.

i'm not kidding.

i no longer have sensitive teeth.

AMAZING.

sean turned

30!!!

i surprised him with a surprise party,

that he told me later he knew i was doing.

and an ipad 2,

that he told me later he thought i was doing.

the man is impossible to surprise.

sigh.

we harvested our pumpkins {and sunflowers}.

it was a lot of fun.

pumpkins are my favorite thing to grow.

low maintenance.

great results.

WINNING!

no really, go back and click on that link.

we saw BENTLY from the bachelorette.

at his jump place.

he drank diet coke.

and looked super scrawny.

i decided i wanted brennan to stay in preschool forever.

there is no greater time in life.

i am convinced.

and max is super strong.

we went to see

the witches.

and then to

silverlake.

breathtaking.

to say the least.

when the aspens are peaking.

october became my mistress.

here.

brennan and i went on a witch date.

then we began the two day halloween festivities.

trunk or treat first.

and

then

the real

halloween day

ensued.

best halloween to date.

i dare say.

i may have had more fun than anyone.

must have been the green face paint.

or maybe it was the kids.

it was probably the kids;)

it snowed for the second time.

the morning after my most strange pregnancy dream ever.

but the first time where it really stuck.

the snow.

not the dream.

thank heavens.

little did we know,

it was one of the only times it would stick.

and it still has not really stuck since.

setting an all time record LOW for snow fall in December for the salt lake valley.

pity.

i found

KALE.

and fell

love.

fall was bountiful.

and beautiful.

and brennan grew ears.

i started listening to christmas music too soon.

the nesting organization hormones kicked in.

they are still fully pumping.

my pantry, closets, and basement thank me:)

and so does sean.

and i repeat.

i want brennan to stay in preschool forever.

it is

THE BEST.

we found out

we were

having

a...

it snowed in celebration:)

we drove to california.

for thanksgiving.

and my 10 year high school reunion.

and

and then christmas began.

with the train.

and my birthday.

we reviewed max's love for santa.

decked our halls.

during which time

the baby

grew.

or i did.

whichever.

i learned about mary and jospeh and taxes.

duh.

max fell in love with carousels.

and blake almost died on the roller coaster.

then we almost killed ourselves with the longest saturday to do list known to man.

i don't know if i've ever felt so accomplished in one day ever.

i reached my happy belly place.

which i am still fully enjoying:)

and i killed the cat.

or not.

i snowed for the 2nd to last time this year.

unless saturday brings the last snow of the year that the weatherman is promising.

"letters to beth"

began.

we started getting really christmas-ie with our festivities.

then came the most beautiful frost i have ever seen.

i thought it was snow at first.

possibly my favorite christmas-ie festivities here.

or maybe my favorite was here.

tough call.

planning.

prepping.

grocery shopping.

wrapping.
more grocery shopping.
and one last trip for the three things i forgot.

eating.

unwrapping.

eating.

collapsing.

cleaning.

and then it was over.

for another year.

all of it.

{THE END.}

and

AWAY

to 2011

bring on 2012.

and the 3rd little gibson.

her-ray!

as in hoor-ay!

or his-ray.

if you want to get technical.

whichever.

...

so link up,

for one last chance!

to win!

8 presents!

from 8 lovely ladies!

the stuff you wished you got,

or the stuff you never knew you wanted.

either way,

it's free.

and this week for me,

free is even better than any other time of year.

b/c heaven knows,

my budget was totally blown last week.

her-ray.

i hope you win.

finger's crossed:)

vroom vroom

2011-12-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

the tree is coming down today.

the organizing has reached an all new level.

glory be.

the eve

2011-12-27T21:43:00.000-08:00

polar express in the movie room.

candle light meat and cheese fondue,

complete with all of the fancy dining garb.

chargers for the red plates to sit on.

individual candles for each plate.

silver dinnerware and cystal goblets.

my favorite meal of the year.

and have mercy,

it's not utah without a jello salad.

i declare my mother in law makes the best jello salads on earth.

her christmas eve berry one has cool whip mixed into it.

creamy,

rasberry,

jello.

i promise,

you wish you were me.

i had three helpings.

i was FINALLY mary:)

phew.

max was the angel.

but she thought she was mary.

and carried the baby jesus around.

giving him kisses.

laying him in the hay.

brennan fought for him too.

at one point they almost ripped him in half.

it was very memorable.

sean was jospeh.

brennan the shepard.

and he kept unwrapping his cloak.

brennan.

not sean.

after we re-wrapped it twice

"the wrong way"

he sulked by the stairs until grandpa could fix it

"the right way."

then he rejoined us during "o come o ye faithful" as a happy shepard.

with his little sheep.

all of this was of course being video taped.

classic.

then i ate my rice pudding.

and brennan's.

b/c he took one bite,

stuck his tongue out,

made a sour face,

and said quite matter a'factly,

it surely was NOT a special dessert.

we gave him oreos instead:)

and then he went to bed.

without a binky.

for the first time in his life.

with a big proud smile on his face:)

after {UP}

2011-12-26T23:25:00.000-08:00

the day

AFTER

christmas.

{heaven bless my 83 year old next door neighbor that has no problem letting us fill up her garbage cans. we love LaRue!}

...

6 more boxes to goodwill.

2 more bags of trash from the basement.

and lots of things organized in bins.

we can see the floor in our basement.

in multiple areas.

AMAZING:)
it's so refreshing we might just float away.
maybe to paradise falls.
or something like that.

can you find our name?!

i want the tub.

and the secret room behind the bookcases.

Dear Santa,

2011-12-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

"santa is going to love these"

2011-12-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

"santa is going to LOVE these!"

-brennan

this was supposed to be an angel.

it looked a lot like a dementor to me.

no?

does the frosting remind anyone else of the movie "hook"?

me too:)

BANGERANG!!!

we fondly named brennan's,

"the green monster."

and max fondly kept dipping her arm into the frosting,

and then licked it off of her arm.

it started as an accident.

and then she decided she really like the game.

oh to be almost 2:)

...

tonight i put brennan to bed.

one last time.

with his binky.

i think i am going to miss his binky more than he is.

wah!!!!!

i need a hug.

my little prince.

and his big brown eyes.

i'm so in love.

the shelf

2011-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

two more days.

i just couldn't make it two more days.

maybe it's b/c they have started taking the trains off the track,

driving them around the big room,

get caught,

and shout,

"yay, let's go to time out! do we get to go to timeout!? hurry run to time out! mommy, set the timer! we are in timeout:)"

yeah,

trains and timeout.

not effective anymore.

it's funny.

and i honestly couldn't hide my smile when it happened this morning.

so instead of being grinchy,

i just put those trains on the top of the book shelf.

with the dora bat.

the fishing game.

and the santa paws christmas book sean and i dread reading.

do you have a shelf such as this?

it's a beautiful thing:)

review extravaganza #3 {july, aug, & sept}

2011-12-22T21:21:00.000-08:00

it's week 3!

and just so there's no confusion,

here's a link to the rules.

for the nitty gritty,

if you want to win a prize.

8 prizes!

from 8 lovely ladies,

including yours truly;)

don't forget to include the button code above with your post,

...

AND NOW,

give

you..........

july

august

AND

september

my garden started to grow.

a meditation shrine of sorts.

there was still a lot of snow in the mountains.

rare for july.

the weathermen were worried about how the safeguards were going to keep the valleys from flooding.

it was on the news a lot.

brennan had an awesome flip flop tan.

and we continued life by the pool.

the fourth of july was cloudy and warm.

so perfect.

my mom turned 65.

amazing.

we continued to live in the family yard day after day.

enjoying every warm summer night.

ice cream.

Popsicles.

pool.

sprinklers.

BBQ.

outdoor movies.

we flew to california to the lake house.

here

and came home.

to find my garden producing

ACTUAL FOOD.

i weeded all night i was so happy.

until the sun set in the west.

really, i did.

it was lovely.

then we got right back into summer.

with no real bedtimes.

swimming=bath for the day.

and a house that never got cleaned.

i really was ready to just skip august altogether.

especially once i found out i was pregnant.

and started feeling sick.

i then became a shade seeker.

we watched a parade.

harvest days.

my computer was broken the entire month.

so i did a lot of blogging from my phone with all small pictures.

and never went back to fix them all.

i prayed for a MAC.

i got a fixed computer instead.

i was still happy.

i shaved brennan's head.

my parents AND sean almost killed me.

it grew back:)

i repeat: it's just hair!

the pregnancy dreams began.

except no one knew i was pregnant yet.

so it just seemed like i was having crazy dreams.

which i know only happens when i'm pregnant:)

my jack o lanterns started to grow.

i chopped off my hair.

too hot for a pregnant lady to have long hair in august in utah.

and pretty much quit weeding altogether.

i found a REAL SHAVE ICE shack in the middle of utah.

10 min from my house.

game over.

i was sold for life.

i learned how to kill fruit flies.

like 100 of them.

{note: the cone worked better than the saran wrap}

my jack in the beanstock sunflowers finally bloomed.

they were marvelous.

we went bowling.

and they had toddler saddle bowling shoes.

i still wish i would have stolen those shoes for max.

the garden was overly plentiful.

i felt like a green success:)

beth announced she was moving to germany.

for her husband's master's degree.

tragic!

football season began.

and i spent the entire month waiting to feel better and for the weather to cool down.

neither of which happened.

THE END.

...

now link up!

so you can win!

b/c really,

it'd be more fun if you won.

and you can't win if you don't link up.

it will be like christmas in january.

except you didn't have to pay for the bill.

8 gifts.

from 8 lovely ladies.

go ahead,

i DOUBLE DOG DARE you.

;)

the naughty list

2011-12-22T19:56:00.000-08:00

at grandma's house, at grandma's house,
we're always welcome without a doubt.
no chores to do,
and goodies i can't refuse,
so welcome to grandma's house!
...
brennan came home spoiled rotten.
after an afternoon with grandma.
all to himself.
i took max home for a nap.
and indulged myself in white chocolate covered popcorn,
while wrapping all of the presents.
yay me for not waiting until christmas eve again.
:):):):):):):):)
after banishing max out of her own bedroom and throwing an unidentified flying object into the wall of his own room,
i told brennan he was on the naughty list until further notice.
he fell to floor in a fit of sadness and anger.
and then begged for me to call santa back.
i said i'd think about it.

mean mommy.
oh well.
...
and might i add,
it was a lovely afternoon of present wrapping,
baby napping,
laundry doing,
and show watching.
i've forgotten what it's like to have an entire house to myself for three hours:)
god bless grandmas.

letters to Emily {souffles, strata, & midnight mass}

2011-12-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Emily,

I was LAUGHING so hard when you told me the story of you in costco spending too much money on Christmas food and barely being able to push the cart!! You are a woman after my own heart. I have been taking the weighty matter of Christmas food into consideration as well, and it is no light thing. It is something to be taken very seriously. After all, most traditions are food based. There is nothing like a predictable mamas meal for a holiday. Some day Brennan will be saying to his wife, "We are not going to your mom's house for christmas, my mom makes these killer oreo balls and I can't live with out them during the holidays." Max will be saying,"Conference is always with my mom, dah... scones and raspberry butter, need I say more?" So, you're not only cooking for a day, these meals are impressions of a lifetime! But the image is great, you and the heavy cart, in costco with two kids, just wonderful. Christmas morning I have a few ideas for breakfast, I think I am going to do a make-ahead-casserole, so I don't have to fuss with breakfast in the morning. Which one do you think...... French Toast Souffle or Mexican Egg Strata? I have always respected your pallet, so your input is much needed. What is your Christmas menu? For Eve and Morning of?

I got your Christmas Card today!!! I loved it! Thank you so much. You are so good. I was lazy and posted mine on facebook.

I love how hard it was to part with your beloved Caboodle. I understand what you went through. It seems like every girl on the block had a caboodle and it was only a matter of when YOU got one that you would be crowned with the glory of an aqua (in my case) and pink organizer for your 8 year old personal items. And when I got mine it was a BIG deal, I think almost as big of a deal as the new kids on the block sleeping bag I got for Christmas one year. Pretty close.

So, Life for me right now is pretty much this- nursing, changing diapers, feeding Smith, putting down for naps, carrying babies, binki's, burping, Smith's therapy, feeding Bryce, and doing it all over again. It's a beautiful thing. Bear is so fun. He is started to coo and make cute noises. I love baby noises. Bryce talks to Bear in German, I think it's cute. Last night for our advent from our Count down to Christmas jar was to make hot chocolate. I made killer mint hot chocolate and it was just what the doctor ordered. Tonight our advent was to make home-made christmas cards for families in the ward. All I can say is MOTHERS are awesome because they never act like they got like 2 hours of sleep, they are always nice and good to their kids and neighbors, I just don't know how we do it. I haven't got very much sleep and it is killing me, I am excited to hear your sleep adventures with your third. Any thought on names? Are you going to surprise everyone with a name? So far your kids names are cute, so just keep going with the flow. We are going to midnight mass for Christmas eve, it is a german tradition. They hold one for families at 7 so kids can go. So we are going here for that event on saturday.

I am really excited to experience a german midnight mass. I heard there is a children's choir singing. It shoud be fun. Well Emily you are beautiful. I love you and hope your Christmas weekend is amazing!

love

Beth

Oh, yeah, you look way small for 24 weeks. I was gigantic....

Letters to Beth {smog, binkies, and Christmas}

2011-12-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Beth,
That story of you holding smith and bear at the therapist office, and Smith slipping out of your arms with you yelling for help was too funny. I could almost hear your cute voice yelling for the therapist. I want to eat the schnitzel, and glory be that chocolate sounds amazing. I may have to read Little Women next. I am embarrassed to say I have never taken the time to read the actual book, but I did grow up watching the movie. The waitress Paige is starting to grow on me in my book. She is not as skanky as I thought. Her character is developing more and more, and I'm beginning to feel some empathy for her life experiences. Nicholas is still a big fat jerk. I am glad he has not been in the last few chapters. Her high school boyfriend {I think his name is Jacob, no relation to any vampires} is a dream, although he was kind of jerky at first too. I am so angry with her for leaving him. He turned out to be madly in love with her, but I understand why she had to go, even though I would have stayed. Nonetheless, Little Women is next. Thank you for the recommendation.

The corn snow is falling this morning. We have had almost zero snow this month and 100% smog. The air has been so gross. No storms to clear the air out. Cough. Cough. On Monday we drove to Park City, and I gasped when we started driving up the canyon. We drove up out of the smog, which my eyes had started to believe were actually clouds, and into gorgeous blue skies. Driving home was depressing. Down out of the clear, sunny, blue skies, and into the polluted smog. BARF. My grass is still green. I am so envious of all of your snow. We are supposed to get a few inches today. I just hope they don't melt away by Christmas. I really will take whatever we can get though. Every morning Brennan wakes up and asks if it's Christmas yet. I told him it has to snow, and there have to be presents under the tree. The weather may make me half a liar. I haven't wrapped any presents yet. I promised myself last year that I wouldn't wait to wrap the presents until Christmas Eve ever again. It appears I may be heading for that same fate. Have mercy.

Last night I made my oreo balls. Note to self: make two batches next year. They are tasty as ever. Lemon bread is next.

I completely overspent at Costco for our Christmas food. I could barely push the cart by the end and had to forgo getting Sean's compressed air that I had missed on the loop through. With both kids in the cart, and all of the food, there was no way I was going back. I was just trying to not huff and puff. He forgave me when I showed him the Mexican coke in the bottles.

Did you ever get my Christmas card? I want to see how long it takes to get a letter to Germany. I sent it last Wednesday. I'm guessing a week is not enough.

The nesting bug is taking over. I organized my pantry about a month ago. Then last weekend I went to brush my teeth and 2 hours later we had two very organized closets upstairs. Every time I go into my bathroom I open the closet door and admire my work. Organizing never felt so good. We are talking 6 bags of trash and 6 bags of donations for the D.I. Sean's first question was what did I throw out of his. Smart man. I was proud to say almost nothing. A few scarves I had never seen him wear, but that was it. The rest was all mine. You wouldn't believe how much stage makeup I had been holding onto from high school. Old sample lotions from Clinique. Dingy travel sized bottles. Things like that. I have no idea why I waited this long to get rid of it all. I was sad to see the pink caboodle with my name on it go, but there was just no reason to hold onto it anymore. It was the one my mom bought me for clogging in elementary school. I always felt so grown up carrying that around at competitions. I did save one little red makeup tote with blush brushes and mirrors for Max. I did wrap that present, and I can't wait to give it to her on Christmas. She still thinks Santa and Mrs. Claus are the scariest people alive. I absolutely think it is the funniest thing to put her on their laps and take pictures of her screaming. Cruel? I think not. Comic relief:)

Brennan is leaving his binkies for Santa on Christmas Eve, along with the milk and cookies. He's been telling us he wanted to leave them for Santa to take to the other babies b/c he was a big boy and didn't need them anymore. In return, he would like a spiderman bike. We of course were the ones to feed this information to him in the first place, but he sounded sold {and very excited about his spiderman bike, might I add.}. Well, last night when I was putting him to bed he started whimpering about it. Told me he didn't want to grow up. Wanted to be a baby forever, NOT a big boy or a man, b/c he just couldn't part with his beloved binkies. I couldn't help but think of Peter Pan and the lost boys. I asked him if he was scared he was going to miss them. He said yes. So I asked him if every time he missed them after giving them away to Santa for the babies that don't have binkies in the world if he would like to come and get a hug from me to make him feel better. He said yes, that would be nice. Man, this growing up stuff if rough. I just know it's time for the binkies to go. It hasn't been before, but now it is.

We are picking my mom up from the airport in about an hour. She took the redeye from Hawaii last night. I am so excited to have her here. I can't wait to see those stockings filled and presents filling in the floor under the tree. I hope you have the merriest of Christmas's with lots of really good food, fun, and laughter.

Love,
Emily

santa's helpers

2011-12-19T15:07:00.000-08:00

i have started to utilize my "pick things up from the floor" helpers.
i should have been doing this all along.
so happy to have two this time.
b/c if one is unwilling,
there's always another:)

and

i can no longer get my leg up on its own without using my hands to lift it higher than half of a foot off of the ground.

like over brooke's baby gate.

i had to pull my own leg up over her baby gate today.
we had a good laugh over it.
and then i may or may not have waddled for a step or two just after.
may or may not have.
just sayin.

making a list {checked it twice}

2011-12-18T23:02:00.000-08:00

i've made my list.

and checked it twice.

it whipped around the backside of my torn piece of paper.

so i made it again.

on a full sheet.

and shamelessly enjoyed it.

making the list.

twice:)

organizing it.

relishing in it.

glorying in the food preparations for the big christmas festivities.

getting excited for my most favorite items.

savoring the sounds of christmas traditions.

...

what are your must have's on christmas day?

i could live on the sugared baked bri, shrimp, and ham rolls.

with chocolate croissants for breakfast.

dipped in tom & jerry's.

minus the rum.

the entire day.

this is all in need.

no other nourishment required.

and in the wrong order.

but not to be forgotten.

the meat and cheese fondue on christmas eve.

the rice pudding for dessert.

nutmeg on top.

{i always eat sean's. he doesn't like it.}

although he did try to convince me was figgy pudding.

and then sang the song inserting the words,

"now bring us some figgy pudding, our rice pudding figgy pudding."

i've confirmed.

it is NOT in the song.

and it is NOT figgy pudding.

but is IS my favorite christmas dessert.

the christmas light viewing.

and the famous gibson christmas eve/nativity reenactment song book.

that's sean's mom handmade, sewed, and stitched.

she plays the piano.

we sing.

and dress up.

it's lovely.

{i'd better be a shoe in for mary this year. if not, i'm striking next year.}

...

new traditions to be introduced:

chocolate pie

homemade peppermint ice cream

polar express in grandma & grandpa gibson's movie room.

...

I CAN'T WAIT:)

zoo lights {a photo gallery}

2011-12-18T16:44:00.000-08:00

ZOO LIGHTS.

our new favorite frosty tradition.

comet was there too.

this was my favorite part.

POOF!

picking the gorilla's nose from the comfort of his blanketed, hot chocolate holding, cadalliac may have been brennan's favorite part.

i guess we'll never know.

now,

if we could just get some

SNOW:)

extravaganza review! {april, may, & june}

2011-12-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

alright folks,

it's week 2.

and just so there's no confusion,

here's a link to the rules.

for the nitty gritty,

if you want to win a prize.

8 prizes!

from 8 lovely ladies,

including yours truly;)

don't forget to include the button code above with your post,

as several people forgot last week.

...

AND NOW,

give

you

APRIL,

MAY,

JUNE

my very first seed sprouted.

i was the proudest little mama there ever was.

it snowed a whole lot.

over night.

and shut the power off.

on sunday conference.

AND

max decided to start walking.

upright.

like cromagnum man.

she grew some hair.

and turned into a toddler.

like overnight.

my plants grew some more.

i learned about pinching.

i left for hawaii.

BY MYSELF.

to visit my mom.

and then i came home and showered my family with gifts

here.

the popcorn was popping on my neighbor's trees.

we did easter stuff.

i ate the kid's easter candy.

before easter.

and had to buy more.

it was lovely.

pb eggs.

pb eggs:)

we celebrated 7 YEARS of marriage on easter.

i fired the groundhog.

b/c he's a man of LIES!

even though it was really pretty.

and melted by the end of the day.

i had just had enough of being sick the entire winter.

this coming from a snow lover.

i was done with the snow.

and the winter.

and was convinced that if it became summer we would be healthy.

and we were:)

our trees blossomed.

breathtakingly beautiful.

and i wrote my all time favorite post.

it got warm.

we pulled out the sunscreen.

and bathing suits.

and then we were back in coats again.

we got the dirt ready.

and

PLANTED!!!

all of my little seedlings.

and then it snowed.

but my plants lived.

even though spring just wouldn't spring.

i had a war with max's fire alarm.

which i still have not fixed.

swim lessons started.

we bought a whole lot of sand.

and had to go back and buy double more.

but ended up with an amazing sandbox.

my seeds really started growing.

like into food.

brennan finally got potty trained.

summer decided to grace us with its presence.

our air conditioner broke.

i almost cried.

wait,

i did.

and then it got fixed.

and we finally started enjoying summer.

"man talk" began.

and we started living in the pool.

no really,

we did.

and when we weren't in the pool,

we were still in our bathing suits.

on vacation in our backyard.

it was father's day.

my sister came to visit.

we got really lazy.

summer lazy:)

it was

great:)

so link up!

and don't forget the button!

button!

who's got the button!?

frosty

2011-12-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

we woke up and thought it was snowing.

and then realized it was frost.

everything frosted.

with a thick white icy layer.

AMAZING.

mr. postman {dizzy}

2011-12-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

post office.
10 days before christmas.
line out the door.
two kids.
pre-lunch.
not pretty.
especially with the one awesome fellow behind me who kept informing me of how out of control my kids were b/c they were running back and forth on their "race track."
really, did he have a better idea of keeping them entertained?
b/c i sure didn't.
they were self contained.
not pulling anything off of the shelves.
and smiling, not screaming.
so i took a picture.
and smiled.
oh how i wish i would have invited him to give it a try for me b/c i was fresh out of good ideas.
and the race track worked great:)
thank you very much.
we still left with one crying max.
who at the postman register had been spinning herself in circles for entertainment and fell right into the iron mail cart.
head first.
at a left angle.
it was sad and funny all at once.
the kind of funny where you smile with complete agony for your child.
i didn't look to see what the man behind me thought.
b/c i knew i had the cutest little kids in the entire world.
spinning dizzy circles to keep themselves entertained.
there truly are worse things.
i do believe:)

there are ACTUAL cookies under all of that frosting

and all of those sprinkles and candies.

max ate Hershey's kisses.

and entire bowl in fact.

and frosting.

no cookie.

brennan was so pleased with his yellow sprinkles and green m&m's.

see what i mean?

cutest kids on earth:)

letters to Emily {strollers, schnitzel, & children dangling}

2011-12-13T14:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Emily,

Today is the day I need to come to your kitchen and make make apple crisp with maple whipped cream. I did see the youtube video of "why mother's need their sleep." I must say it was hilarious, Bryce thought it was funny too. I can totally relate with you!!!!! Having a newborn is so fun. But very tiring. After I had Smith, believe it or not, I had postpartum depression really bad. It was so much worse on days I didn't get enough sleep. But with Baron, I haven't had postpartum and have felt like I have gotten better sleep with him than I did with Smith. So round two has been a little less stressful and more relaxing. I love that you are into the book you are reading right now. I read Anna Karenina and was totally into the characters and thought some of them were brilliant, and some were just plain mad! I am so glad for books though, they whisk you to another place for just enough time to give you breath of air outside the toys laid out on the carpet, crying children, and the kitchen sink filled with dishes. But it's always good to return to your reality because I feel so lucky to live my life. So to answer your question on what I am reading right now, Little Women. Give me a book about women and I am sold. I tend not to get into books written in a mans perspective or about a man. Weird. You know how there are some girls that got along with boys better and never really had girlfriends, well, I was opposite. I always got along with girls better and I was always with girls. You know this Emily, remember chico student ward? We had guy friends, but it was our little group of girlfriends that really stuck like glue.

Speaking of girlfriends and onto the subject of chocolate, I wanted to share with you the best of the best chocolate, (since I know you appreciate a good quality chocolate. My mom brought home a couple bars of these when she came out to visit. Believe me, it is an experience to eat this chocolate.

This is also something you would appreciate. It is called Schnitzel.

It is pan fried pork cutlets, that are breaded with a sauce. You would love it.

And everyone EVERYONE uses these for their babies here.

...

So there is a little taste of Germany for you! I miss you and wish I could be there to make 5 dozen holiday cookies with you, and hang out for a day.

Love,

Beth

P.S.

I took Smith into the therapist today, and I was carrying Bear in one arm and Smith in the other, and I had to yell for help because Smith was slipping out of my arm, in the hallway to the doctor's office. Yeah, life with two kids, one being handicap is pretty adventurous...!!! Especially in Europe. Let me just say, I looked pretty pathetic when the therapist came out and saw Smith dangling from my arm resting on my leg, and little 3 week old bear being juggled in my other arm. Way fun Emily. I just have to laugh about it thinking about it.

letters to Beth {garden salad for dessert}

2011-12-13T13:58:00.000-08:00

"letters to Beth"

{a new segment of girlfriends living a world apart}

we invite you to join!

love,

emily & beth

Dear Beth,

Today is a day I need you to come make me something fabulous in my kitchen. Have you seen the youtube video about why mother's need their sleep? Well, last night I brought it into fruition, complete with crying in my upstairs bathroom b/c at 4:30am I had still not been to sleep. I stayed up reading until midnight, which was my first mistake. It's a book about this girl who married this boy. She was poor, he was rich. His family didn't approve. He was in medical school. She was waitressing at a local diner. And then there was this really skanky chapter that I wish I would have skipped b/c I didn't need to read it and I'm still rather bothered at why it was even in the book as it really was unnecessary, and now I'm bothered that Nicholas is even with her b/c I'm mad at her character for doing naughty things. Even though Nicholas is the character that is the obvious one to dislike. I hope there are no more incidences of this in the book b/c I hate it when I have to stop reading a book. What are you reading right now? I may be in need of some reading intervention.

So I actually fell asleep from 12:15-1:25am, which is the absolute worst time to fall asleep and be woken up. I'm sure you know, seeing as you have a newborn. How is little bear? His little bear hat is just too cute. I am dying to hold him. Do you think I can still put winter hats on a baby born in April? It is Utah, and snow comes year round if you are lucky. So maybe I will be able to find one for this one come April. So I stood there crying in my bathroom sometime around 4:17am. Angry that I hadn't been to sleep yet. I don't count the 1 hr and 10 min. sleep b/c I think it only made me more tired than before I went to bed. Most definitely it made me more grumpy. Right when we got Max back to sleep, Brennan decided he needed to be up. And the two of them double teamed us like that throughout the night. When Sean found me crying in the bathroom he gave me a big hug, and I told him I killed the cat. We both laughed. He said "what cat?" I said, "Remember the YouTube video?" He said, "I'm taking Brennan downstairs so you can sleep." I have no idea what happened after that, and I don't think he ever knew what I was talking about when I said I killed the cat, except that I laid down and finally fell asleep. This email won't make sense unless you've watched the YouTube video, so please watch. I still can't decide if I was crying b/c I wanted to be dramatic and live out my dreams of being in a YouTube video, or if I was crying out of sleep deprivation, anger that my kids wouldn't sleep, or fear about what I am going to do when this happens and I have a newborn to take care of too. It just wasn't pretty. I woke up around 8:30am to Brennan watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the couch with his binky and his monkey, and Max whining in her crib, soaked from her diaper. It was actually kind of nice b/c the night was so bad that I knew the morning would be better. So anyway, I'm wishing you were here to make me something lovely and sit on my couch.

Max's hair has not been combed since Saturday night when we gave her a bath. Not even for church. And there was no bow to distract from the pink frosting she smeared there at breakfast. Somehow she still looks darling.

I found the very BEST maternity pants. They make my legs look really skinny and have that panel thing I've never tried before that comes up over your tummy. LIFE CHANGING. really, it is.

Brennan is leaving his Binky for Santa in trade for a Spiderman bike. I guess it's now or never, and if he's not sleeping WITH his Binky then he might as well be not sleeping WITHOUT it:) Did I mention him not sleeping last night has been a nightly thing for him for the past week and a half? I'm considering putting the lock on the outside so he's stuck in his room until I decide to get up in the morning. Do you think that's crazy? I'm sure I won't do it, but it's nice to think about. Maybe I need to put him to bed earlier. Sometimes I sleep better I go to sleep earlier.

We went to Sean's Christmas work party on Friday night. I ordered this penne pasta asiago alfredo chicken, pork, sausage, green onion, tomato dish that was to die for. Then I ordered a garden salad with ranch dressing for dessert b/c I just had to have it. It was the most delicious salad I had ever had, even though I'm sure it wasn't. I swear, cravings are real. I never believed it, but they are. I still dream about that garden salad. I don't even think it had cheese. It didn't matter.

Max is starting to talk more. But not to people she doesn't know. She is very independent. She has refused to sit in her booster seat since the week before Thanksgiving. She is actually a tidier eater now that she sits on her knees and eats like a real person. I think Brennan maybe have still been in a high chair at her age. She pees on the potty when anyone goes. She eats everything in sight and remains the tiniest little thing. She eats Brennan's breakfast, after she eats her own, and then comes to harass anyone else still eating. Then she will take a 15 min break and go back in the pantry for second breakfast. Such a little hobbit. She adores Brennan and does all of the naughty things he does. In fact, his favorite thing to do right now with her is to have her bring him toys while he is in timeout. It's really funny, but I pretend it's not. I still haven't sent you our Christmas card, but I did address it and put it in my car. I hope it gets there before Christmas does.

Last night I made my chocolate chocolate, white chocolate, mint chocolate chip cookies. I ate enough dough for about 3 cookies and then didn't have anything left in me for the real cookie. Typical. Milk has never tasted so good.

I hope all is well, and I can't wait to hear about how life with two babies is going, and all of your adventures.

Love, Emily

now christmas can come:)

2011-12-13T12:56:00.000-08:00

NOW

it feels like Christmas:)

LET IT SNOW!

:):):)

frying tortillas {for the next 8-10 weeks}

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

not too big.

not too small.

just right for resting your hand on top,

if you're frying tortillas,

or something.

oh how i love this size,

for the next 8-10 weeks:)

b/c after that,

it just starts to get uncomfortable.

...

last night,

i almost killed the cat.

at least,

if we had one,

i might have.

i finally got to sleep around 4:30am.

it wasn't pretty.

gibson children--F for sleep last night.

just call me "bins"

2011-12-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

1. how to keep your fridge from smelling like onions:

TIN FOIL.

forget the plastic bags.

just wrap it up in foil.

you're welcome.

(thank you stacy beck)

...

2. how to make a gourmet meal that your kids will NOT like as much as spaghetti and meatball night.

but that you and your body WILL love more.

i promise.

(i squeezed limes over the veggies before broiling, with sea salt and oregano.

HOLY MOLY ONIONS.

amazing.)

...

-MENU-

broiled shrimp,

click here.

white rice

broiled veggies, seasoned and EVOO'd

{EVOO'd=extra virgin olive oil}

...

start to finish: 30 minutes

not joking.

clean up was even faster.

...

AND

in case you were wondering about

MY LIST

on saturday..

sean saw it when he came home from his morning patients.

said he almost cried.

then he laughed b/c he thought i was crazy.

then i smiled

and i told him it was more of a 6 month list,

not a one day list.

(even though i was secretly hoping we would get to everything)

but hot dog,

we finished almost everything on it.

{inset shock and amazement here}

and at 9pm that night we laid on the couch declaring we had most definitely overdone it.

i couldn't walk.

like really.

i had to use the walls for support and walked like a bent over 93 year old.

sean laughed at me.

and said it was b.c i looked so cute hobbling around.

i think i probably just looked ridiculous.

have mercy,

it felt good to get it all done though.

REALLY GOOD.

NEXT SATURDAY:

basement.

dun

{i bought extra bins}