Don't drink and drive!!

This weekend Nate and his brother Andy flew to Cleveland Ohio so that Andy could pick up his new Volvo S60R. They had been driving for all of 4 hours in his "sweet new ride" when they were hit by a drunk driver going about 100 mph. LUCKILY, there were no other cars around to run into when their car spun out, and LUCKILY, no one was hurt, not even a scratch! The drunken moron (who by the way, was dressed up as a pirate) came up to Nate to ask if they were ok, and Nate said he could smell the alcohol on him, and so he asked if he had been drinking, and the guy replies quite matter of factly: "YUP!!" Nate said he almost punched him, which is exactly what I thought he should have done when he told me what he said. Ooooh, it makes me so mad to think about people who are so stupid to drink and drive.

Now this happened Saturday night at about 12:30am, and I found out this afternoon (Sunday) at about 1:30pm, when Nate showed up at our front door. He wasn't supposed to get in until tomorrow evening sometime, so needless to say, I was very surprised to see him home...they didn't want to worry us. Which is probably good, it's so much easier to think it's no big deal when your husband is home, standing in front of you! Plus, I don't think it would have been good to have all that time to myself to imagine what COULD have happened, which is so scary to think about. It is also so scary to think that no matter how safe you drive, you have no control over other people's choices.

Nate is still a little shaken up, and of course both him and Andy are depressed about the car that is now totaled. He says he doesn't think he wants to drive anywhere for a few months. I am so grateful that my husband is still alive, and home safe and sound!! Nate said that it really makes you realize how fragile we are, and how quickly and easily our lives can be altered.

So, let's be careful out there folks!!

They start early...

Kids are so hilarious. I am amused by Asher daily. Like right now, he is lounging on his side on the floor browsing through a book and squealing with delight as he comes to certain animals while also saying "moo" over and over again...he's practicing! But this morning, I was cracking up because I went to go change a stinka'bum, and every time I do, he points to a book he sees on the floor. So I give it to him, and he reads it and is quite content while I am changing him...sound familiar? Don't many men (and sometimes women) like to read while sitting on the toilet? I guess this is just the baby way of "passing the time"!!

Now I've tasted chocolate, and I'm never going back!

A week ago today, we went and had Asher's pictures taken by my friend Allie (who by the way, I went to kindergarten with!) at Gardener Village in Sandy. We also had a couple family ones done, and they ALL turned out SOOOOO great. I don't think I will ever be able to go back to JcPenney portraits again. I was so unhappy with his 10 month pics, that I could never bring myself to go back, even though they are so cheap. So here we are , Asher is 14 1/2 months, and he finally has new pictures. Oh well, they are so great, that they make up for the huge gap in between. Here is the link for those of you who feel like looking at all of them.

I also just have to do a little PR work for Allie. She basically started doing photography because she was quite displeased with the cheapy studio places (like JcPenny) and so she decided she wanted to give it a try. She invested in an amazing camera, hopped on the internet, learned all she could, and practiced practiced practiced! I love her work! It is so creative, and the quality is amazing. She basically just came and hung out with us for an hour or so, and just let Asher do his thing (which is great, because the few times we tried to make him do something or go somewhere, he flipped his lid...Mr Independent!) Both her blog and her website have awesome examples of her work, most of which are of her adorable daughter. Thanks again Allie!

I haven't got the disc of pictures yet, so these are just the ones Allie posted on her blog, but I will post our favorites when we get it.

And it tastes good too!

Good morning!! Well, I am quite proud of myself this morning. The other day, I bought some whole wheat flour, as I have been determined to start using it more. Well, this morning I felt in the mood to bake pancakes, so I found a regular recipe online and substituted half the flour for whole wheat (that's a good start, right?). They actually turned out really great, and Asher ate them up, (he doesn't know the difference!) and Nate liked them too. So, I think I am really going to try to start using whole wheat flour more. My friend Joyce Bunderson, (owner and creator of Dr. Grandma's) has been telling me to use whole wheat flour for years, she would be so proud!!

Does anyone have any great tips for using whole wheat flour, or great recipes? I know that when you do add WWF, it usually makes whatever you're making denser, so does anyone know what to do to balance that out? Just add more of whatever liquid you're using?

Farewell Shafers!!! :(

Today is the day that my big sis and her fam make the big move to sunny California. How fun for them to be moving on to the next chapter of their lives, while at the same time, how rude of them to be leaving me behind! Not that I particularly want to live in CA (although I do LOVE it), I am just sad that I won't be able to hang out with the Shafers whenever my little heart desires. The good news is that they are only a couple hours from Sactown, so when we go home to visit, we will be able to visit them as well. This year is a Busath Christmas year, so we don't even have to wait long to see them! I have to say, that I am so excited for Whit to have her own home again. She has been living with family for over a month, and everyone knows how un-fun it is to live out of a suitcase, although I know they all enjoyed their time with the McNeils (what a great family)!

So, good luck to Ben, on your first day of work! Good luck to all on finding a decent place to live in the Bay Area!! We all know that if there is anyone who can succeed on this mission, it is Whitney! :) She has done her research and is prepared. I'm voting for a cute little house to rent, Whit! Now go to it!!

The Chocolate Kitchen

So a few months back, I started a blog called the Chocolate Kitchen. Well, right after I got it started, I got pregnant, and the thought of baking and cake decorating was quite nauseating, so I put it aside for a few months. But we're back now, and there are a few new posts up for your baking pleasure. Please enjoy, and I promise I will be better at posting fun recipes now, especially for the holidays!

Ok, so update on the bloglines thing...a dear reader, Mrs. Dub, introduced me to Google Reader, which I think I like better. I have already switched everything over, and it was just about the easiest thing I have ever done. So if you have a bloglines account and decide you like google reader better, making the switch is seriously no big deal. Check it out.

A little of life these days...

So today when I got Asher up from his nap, I put him straight into his highchair because he didn't really eat lunch. I made him a little pb&j and as I put the pieces onto his tray he spit his binky out and said "Mmmmm" very enthusiastically. I thought it was so cute. It's so funny to see the things that little kids pick up on. Lately, Asher and I have been reading a lot of books and practicing our animal sounds. The other day I walked into his room and he was looking at a book and saying "oo-oo-aa-aa" (you know, like a monkey), don't worry that he wasn't looking at a picture of a monkey, but I thought it was so funny. I love that he is actually remembering some of the things I am trying to teach him.

We have had a very busy week so far! On Monday, Asher and I went with our friends the Banner's to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving point. My friend Andrea has 2 little boys, one is not too much older than Asher, and they LOVE to play together. I was so surprised how interested in the animals Asher was. I thought he wouldn't really care, but he loved it. He would reach and pet them and poke they're noses. He got a little scared when the huge Clydesdale (sp?) horses neighed while we were standing right next to them. It was so loud and Asher started to cry - sad! You get a free pony ride with admission, so I took Asher on it. He wasn't really sure what to think of it. I think he was enjoying it at one point as he was smiling, but then he was very unsure of the big animal that he was sitting on. Speaking of animal sounds while reading books, it turns out that that is really education for the parents, which I discovered during my day at the petting zoo. I would point to an animal and try to make the sound and found that I was very unsure if I was doing the right sound for the right animal. I had to keep asking Andrea if that was the right sound. I guess we're not surprised that Asher was making the monkey sound while looking at another animal!:) Just kidding, I swear I say the right sounds when I'm reading to him. Maybe it's just the pregnancy getting to my brain!

Besides that and another play group today, we have been everywhere from Roberts (many times!), to Target, to the mall, to my work to pick up my check to, to get Asher's hair cut (by Aunt Ashley), to the card exchange for my ward last night...sigh! I have even been 100% at making dinner so far. Yes, I am aware that it's only Wed, so that's not really saying much, but still!! I am definately looking forward to doing nothing this evening. Here are some pictures of my handy work after my many trips to Roberts. I have to say that I was quite pleased with myself, I couldn't stop looking at it! The shelf on the left needs another pumpkin in the corner I think!



Ok, so wreaths are so dang expensive! I just couldn't bring myself to purchase one, instead I thought I might attempt making one. I was not completely disappointed, although I think the raffia needs a little help. Not bad though, for like $5(everything was 50% off at Roberts!), eh?!

So, on a completely unrelated side note, I would like to give you all a gift. I'm sure most of you have seen stuff like this, so it's not really much of a gift. But a few months back, I noticed that my link list was growing, and it was taking so long to check blogs. So long, that I didn't really like to do it anymore. I know, tough life. But I love the blogging world, and wanted to be able to stay connected. So my sister Whit introduced me to Bloglines. On this site, you can sign up for a free account, where you can subscribe to everyone's blog on your link list (if it's through another kind of site, like typepad, it won't work, and private blogs don't work either) and all the new posts will show up automatically when you visit your account. So all I have to do everyday, is click on the little bloglines icon on my blog, click on "feeds", and all the new posts show up. It's brilliant, and seriously saves so much time. It is a little lame when I want to leave a comment, cause I have to go back to the actual blog, but that's not a big deal. You have to go to the blog to see videos too, but it's just nice to go to one place and see where the new posts are, and then you can go to each blog if you want. There usually aren't more than a few in one day. I'm sure there are other options out there too. But it's just the idea that is great, so that you don't have to waste time visiting a million links that don't have any new posts. Ok, so there is my gift to you, check it out. Sorry this post ended up being so stinkin' long!

Translation...

This face of Asher's says: "Yes! It's a little BROTHER! That means I will be the boss. I can bully him and steal his toys, and wrestle with him, then we can be buds and go find bugs and snakes and frogs together, and bring them back to mom! I was worried that it would be a sister, cuz then she would steal all the attention from me with her pink frills, and I would have to be nice to her cuz you can't hit a girl." Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is what he was thinking.

So I am 16 weeks along and am due on March 24th, and yes, we are having another boy, (at least my friend Heather, the ULS tech at my old work, was pretty darn sure it was a boy) which we are very excited about. (sorry Maren, no Twins!) I think it will be so fun to have two little guys running around. I do think it's funny that it's a boy, because there are seriously no girl grandchildren in either of our families. My sister Whit has 2 boys, and her sister in law has 2 boys. We will have 2 boys, Nate's sister Lizza has 4 boys (ages 4 and under), and his brother Bart just had their first baby boy. Ok, so Nate's older brother Andy does have 3 girls and one boy, but they're kids are older.

It was so fun to see everyone's guesses. I was very surprised by how many "girl" guesses there were. I'm glad to know that people can see me having a girl. Sometimes it's hard for me to picture. Hopefully someday though. My grandma Lenie is pretty impatient to buy girl clothes!

This little face says it all...

This is the face that Asher made when we told him that he was going to be a big brother. This face says: "ooooh, I don't know about that."

This is the face that Asher made when we told him what we were having!

So...what does this face of Asher's say? Is it a boy or a girl?

*those who already know are not allowed to guess!!

Happy Birthday Jillian!

This is the last one for awhile, I swear! My little sister Jillian's 20th birthday was on Monday...congratulations Jill, on not being a teenager anymore! Although, to me, it seems like you have been 20 since you got to BYU, I guess you just seem so mature!

Jillian is the 4th daughter of 6 and the 5th child of 7. She has always been "the smart one" in the family. I believe her current career aspiration is to be a coroner, although that was only second to being a brain surgeon, but she didn't want to have to go to medical school. Actually, I don't know if she really wanted to be a brain surgeon, but she was thinking of medical school for quite a while. Jillian's most recent proudest moment, was when she put on her math lab employee vest for the first time, and was able to help students of all kinds with their math woes. I know what you're thinking, my sister is a nerd, and while that may be true, she is a cool nerd!:) Actually, while Jill may be the nerdiest of us all, she is also the coolest of us all! From a young age, she has been a fan of rock music, you know, the seriously hard-core rock music that annoys the crap out of you? Yeah, that kind of music! She has toned it down a bit, but is still a fan, and I must admit that I have never heard of about 99% of the bands that she likes. Granted, I am the music geek of the family, you know, with my bluegrass and easy listening preferences and all. Music from musicals is about the only genre that we agree on. She is actually currently dating a drummer from a local band, how fitting! He is a really nice, normal guy though, so no worries!

Jillian has always had a very strong testimony of the gospel, even from a very young age. I think it stems from the the fact that she was blessed with a lot more discipline than the rest of us. Just as she completed assignments on time and never procrastinated big projects, she started reading her scriptures and saying her prayers from a very young age. She grew up with a good knowledge and understanding of the gospel, which I think helped her to be firmly grounded in the gospel throughout her HS years. She reminds me a lot of our brother Joel. For those of you who knew him, you know how incredibly smart he was and how he had an amazingly mature testimony for a young man of only 16. Even now, as I am 25, it seems like he was older than I am now. That's a lot how Jill is. Wise beyond her years, smart and witty, and so loveable!

I can't say that I knew Jill all that well growing up, as she is 5 years younger, than me, she was merely my bratty little sister. But I have LOVED having her here in Provo, and being able to get to know her as an adult, and have a real relationship with her. I miss her when she is not around...this last summer was brutal for me. I love you Jill, and hope you're birthday was a fabulous one!!

Fun Facts about Jill:
1. she got a 31 (or something ridiculously high like that) on her ACTs
2. she did a paper route for many, many years
3. she was the only one of us to quit Galena due to her lack of love for dancing
4. she is a terrible driver, I literally fear for my life! (ok, maybe she has gotten better!)
5. when she was little, my mom would have to tell her it was time to STOP eating veggies, she would just eat and eat and eat. What I remember most from when she was little, was her pot-belly!
6. she has a beautiful singing voice
7. she loves fun and crazy eyeshadow colors
8. she has a red beach cruiser bike with a basket on the handle bars...I love it!
9. when we were training for the marathon, she was a speed demon, she would start running ahead of us without even realizing it, and then once she was about 20 feet ahead, she would turn around and notice we were way behind (well, I was, Whit just stayed with me to be nice) she would get in the "running zone"!
10. she loves comedy central shows, especially Conan. She also is a huge fan of Arrested Development.

So, I kind of like this new "Fun Facts" feature of the birthday tributes. Sorry to those who I have done before without the fun facts, maybe next year!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

This is a couple days late, cause I wanted Whit's birthday tribute to have a few days of glory by itself! But my mom's birthday was this last Saturday the 29th. Again, I am not positive how old she is, I'm sure I could figure it out if I just added 20 to Whit's age, as she had her 2 days before she turned 20, but I'm sure my mom wouldn't want everyone to know anyway! ;) hehe!

Anyone who knows my mom, knows that she is like the energizer bunny...she just keeps going and going and going. When I got home from BYU after my Freshman year, I was amazed at how busy my mom was with all the things she was involved with: Galena, work, church, household stuff, all my sisters' stuff (piano, ballet, voice, school, etc), and so much more. On Holidays and special occassions, she goes all out. She will be busy all day baking rolls, pies, cooking turkeys, setting the table with fine china, making sure the tablecloths are neatly pressed, using her natural aesthetic sense to put together a beautiful table spread, even down to the smallest detail of making sure the house smells wonderful with a delicious scented candle. I love it. I truly admire my mom in this way (and others of course), as I hope I am the type of mom someday, where everything that I do is for my children. My mom may be crazy busy all the time, but everything she does is for us kids, and she always takes time out to take us to lunch, or to come visit, or to dress us during a galena show, and she always makes sure that she is there for the things that are important to us.

Another one of my favorite things about my mom, is that she's just like a teenage girl at heart. She loves to know all the gossip, and get's really excited about silly things, just like all of her daughters do. She's right there with us when we have one of our lazy laughing/talking sessions. I think that is why she was blessed (yes blessed) with 6 beautiful daughters!! :) She's the perfect mom for all girls: loves to go shopping, plan parties and weddings (which she still has 4 more to go, so that's a good thing!) and all that fun girly stuff. She even loves the Twilight series too!!

Apart from all the fun and silliness, my mom is truly a spiritual woman. She loves the gospel with all her heart, and as I have gotten older, I have noticed a lot of spiritual growth and maturity in my mom. I know that she works hard at her testimony, and encourages us to do the same. It has always been very clear what my mom believes, as she lives what she believes, and I have always been grateful for that example.

Happy birthday mom! I hope you had a fabulous day!

Fun Facts about Mom:
1. she snorts when she laughs
2. she laughs a lot, and loudly during movies :)
3. she is a mad typer...as in super fast!
4. she used to be a drama freak in HS
5. she can still do the splits!
6. she makes the best dinner rolls, but only until I start making them better than her! ;)
7. she has a "square nose"
8. she sometimes forgets when she has told you something, and then proceeds to tell you the entire story all over again! :)
9. she has a new found love for scrapbooking
10.she is a court reporter, and has a very good reputation in her field. Way to go Mom!!
11.she has two (wait 3) miniature dachsunds whom she loves just as much, if not more than her own children!
12.she single handedly tracked down one of our stolen puppies with nothing but a number from caller id!