What a super fun Saturday we had! We received a monetary gift on Marin's behalf in the mail the other day (thank you!) and decided to use it to go to the State Fair. Saturday was a perfect day and although Marin had a rocky start and needed some extra TLC that morning, by the time we got to the fair, she was ready to have fun!
We started off by getting some food, I had reserved my lunch appetite for fair food and we had corn dogs and an onion blossom (I know, I know), and then did some walking through to see the auction animals. We started with the cows, and then saw a ton of sheep and goats (the pigs and chickens we saw on the way out). Then we wandered around for a bit looking at all the rides and games and art galleries before we headed over to the kiddie ride area. Marin was just barely tall enough to ride the boat, it circled a little track and parents could hold their little one's hand the whole time. She thought that was pretty cool. We were in need of some shade, so we trooped over to the family fun area and while mommy sat in the shade with the stroller, daddy took Marin into the petting zoo tent! I do wish I could have been there, but I am so glad Kris took her in. She was able to feed the piggy's and the goat's, the chickens and ducks, all the other fun petting zoo animals. She had such a fun time in there with daddy. We walked through the creepy/crawly tent and saw spiders and snakes and lizards and frogs, 2 very loud birds, and Marin was able to pet the tortoises. I had to have some funnel cake before we left, so we all shared one of those and walked through the "spritzer" garden and Marin and daddy got their heads all wet from the misters. We were headed to the exit after a good 2 1/2 hours when we saw the pony rides. Kris really wanted to take Marin on a pony ride, so used up the last of our gift money to take Marin on a pony. Poor thing was reeeeeally uncertain about those ponies! She was pretty resistant to staying on and I could hear her from where I was standing asking for daddy to pick her up, but as she moved along towards me I called out to her and told her what a big girl she was and how mommy was so proud of her! She was able to complete her 4 laps with daddy by her side, and talked about the pony for the rest of the day. It was such a great day, and since all of the pictures are on Kris's phone, you will have to wait! I triumphantly remembered the camera, until we got all the way to the middle of the fairgrounds, when I realized I had remembered....to leave it in my purse in the trunk. Ahhh well, pictures will some soon!
We also bought Marin some much needed new shoes. Poor little thing has been saying "ouch!" every time we put her shoes on, and those little shoes were darn tight! So, we upgraded Marin from her previous size 5 to a size 6 and 6 1/2, so sad we were stuffing her feet into such little shoes! And, how is my daughter getting so big?!
Sunday was a good day, Kris and I both spoke in Sacrament meeting and had a great response, people really like us here, I think! Kristoffer also received a new calling! He has known it's been coming, and since I was already called to YW, that meant YM was 'out' for him (he really wanted that one!), so he dreadingly supposed it was going to be Gospel Doctrine. He was pleasantly surprised though, Kristoffer is the new assistant ward missionary leader! What? When did my husband get old enough for that calling?! He doesn't know the specifics yet of what the calling will entail, but of course lots of working with the missionaries is expected. I guess I had better stock up my fridge, I'm guessing we will be feeding them too?
Today was a sleepy day for mama and Marin. Marin was rubbing her eyes by 11am and I had to rest quite a bit this afternoon because I didn't nap. I did manage to move my living room about, and now I feel quite at home with the new arrangement of my furniture and such. It takes a few tries to get it just right! I have been feeling this new little one squirming inside me lately! And, let me just say, because I am able to recognize it much sooner than I did with Marin, and the baby is still so small, it makes for a startling feeling! Instead of feeling a little swish here or there, I feel the entire baby roll around in such a small, concentrated area in my pelvis, it's a bit shocking when you're not expecting movement, haha! But, happy to know my baby is growing. The headaches are still from time to time, I find I need to eat often and drink a TON to keep them at bay. When they do come, I am pretty hesitant to take anything, since Tylenol has never worked for me before, but Motrin during pregnancy is not an option, I have resorted to drinking small amounts of Diet Coke for the caffeine. It seems to work pretty well. I have some of the extra small bottles (like 6 oz I think?) and I only drink half when I need it. Let's hope I am not damaging my little one, if anything, I would think pharmaceuticals would do more damage...?
I am starting to get to know my Young Women a bit better, I am very excited to start teaching again, I have missed that. It will give me something to look forward to each week, seeing as how I am still unemployed :( I know, sadly, there isn't much out there for what I need at the moment, a temporary per diem/part time RN job, yes, they are truly in short order. If I wanted Full Time, no problem, TONS of jobs...Anyway, the right job will come when it's right, I will still keep looking however!
This tired mama is headed to bed, hopefully I can have some pictures soon!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Old Adventure
Well, our adventure isn't exactly 'old', just two weeks. I kept forgetting to blog about it until today, even though we had a really good time! The other weekend we went for a family hike, and took the dog to an amazing off-leash thousand acre dog park. Does that sound strange? I know, I thought so too, I figured, what in the world is there to do with a thousand acres of open space, boooooring!! Essentially, it's a park that they have just designated as being ok to let your dog off the leash. It's a woodsy area with tons of trails and has a great sandy basin river running through it where you can let your dog romp in the water. I was a little uncertain about it as Kris was describing it, namely, as a mother, I wonder if I am going to stand there and run after my child while Kris chases after the dog, not cool in my book.
However...I was pleasantly surprised! We had a nice, non strenuous hike to the river (it was hot that day!) and were able to find some shade to drop our gear and go play! The river was about a foot deep all the way across, with an area that was maybe 2 1/2 feet deep, so the dogs could swim also. Marin was able to wade all the way across the river and had so much fun splashing in the water. Mollie was in dog heaven, oh my goodness that dog had the best time. We all waded in the water and watched Mollie swim for the first time ever (she did great!) then we had our picnic lunch on the beach. Eating lunch was a bit challenging, of course with unleashed dogs running amuck, we had little (and big!) doggie visitors coming over to see what the yummy smell was all about and try and find a few scraps. We stayed at the river for about an hour and half, and headed back to the car with a very wet dog, a very sandy Marin and a completely parched family! We stopped for some gatorade on the way home ;) All in all, it was a great Saturday excursion, and I honestly wouldn't mind going again! Here are our pictures:
Marin in her pack all ready for a hike! Check out the cool sun shade, very useful that day.
She was a very sandy little girl!
However...I was pleasantly surprised! We had a nice, non strenuous hike to the river (it was hot that day!) and were able to find some shade to drop our gear and go play! The river was about a foot deep all the way across, with an area that was maybe 2 1/2 feet deep, so the dogs could swim also. Marin was able to wade all the way across the river and had so much fun splashing in the water. Mollie was in dog heaven, oh my goodness that dog had the best time. We all waded in the water and watched Mollie swim for the first time ever (she did great!) then we had our picnic lunch on the beach. Eating lunch was a bit challenging, of course with unleashed dogs running amuck, we had little (and big!) doggie visitors coming over to see what the yummy smell was all about and try and find a few scraps. We stayed at the river for about an hour and half, and headed back to the car with a very wet dog, a very sandy Marin and a completely parched family! We stopped for some gatorade on the way home ;) All in all, it was a great Saturday excursion, and I honestly wouldn't mind going again! Here are our pictures:
Marin in her pack all ready for a hike! Check out the cool sun shade, very useful that day.
And the dog with her pack, such a great invention. We load it with water and rocks to wear her out and so she doesn't jump up on people.
Marin with her little piggy tails, playing in the sand, she loved the sand!
She was a very sandy little girl!
Our spot in the shade, the water is off to the left of the picture.
Still very bright out that day.
The dog fetching her ball and daddy swinging Marin over the water, she and daddy have so much fun together.
Wheeeeee, daddy! Do it again!!
On the itinerary for today, I am making dinner to take to a family in the ward, seeing as how it's a wonderfully cool day, I thought homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh bread and brownies sounded perfect, of course, that's what we are having too, yum!
And, in order to relieve my hubby from a third night of whining and self mutilation (on my part), I need to rant momentarily about my woes in pregnancy weight gain. I am getting a bit frustrated. I am so determined not to gain a ton of weight this time around, and as I step on the scale and see it inching towards 9 pounds and then on our way to 10, I freak out! I realize that during the move and lack of exercise, I lost some muscle mass, so my weight was pretty level, but now that I am exercising every day, and I see the numbers on that scale going up, up, up....ack! I get really nervous! I am sure some of that is from getting that muscle mass back, but I still just can't help freaking out!! I tell myself; "just keep exercising, you can do this", but a girl is a girl and we are sometimes silly and I need some ladies to tell me I will be ok!!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Birthday Recap
Our little Marin has turned two! We had a very nice, albeit, unconventional day with our little girl. Kris had to work a half day until 1, but Marin and I popped in around noon. She loves to surprise daddy at work, and all the girls at the office just LOVE Marin and her little squeeky voice. Daddy took Marin out to lunch for a Happy Meal at McDonalds, a rare treat, while mommy took that time to get some much needed shopping done at Costco. We met up afterwards and made one final attempt to find a petting zoo near us. No luck! So, we took Marin to the park just down the street and played and went walking, she was happy to be with mom and dad, I think. Afterwards we went home for a Mac and Cheese dinner (can you tell this day was for Marin?), and had cupcakes and opened presents!
Here is Marin's special little cupcake!
She literally licked all of the frosting off and said: "All Done!".
She was a very happy girl with her cupcake.
Grandma and Grandpa Owens sent Marin some puzzles and board books. Marin has since been enjoying figuring out how to put the puzzle together (with a LOT of help), she really gets focused! And loves any new reading material, this girl is a bookworm!
Mommy and Daddy bought Marin some new coloring books....
And (not pictured) a soccer ball, and the piece de resistance...a baby doll and a stroller. We had no idea she loved baby dolls until we would visit friends houses and Marin went right for them. So, we figured now was as good a time as any...considering the upcoming baby in February. Marin is still vague on the concept of being gentle with the baby, but she loves to sing to her and rock her and especially push her in the stroller. It really is cute!
Growing Belly!
I've had some requests for pictures of my growing belly, so here are a few we took last night. It was very late and I was a very tired mama, so if I look sleepy, it's because it's 10:30 at night! 15 weeks today and counting, crazy!!
I do have some pictures of Marin's birthday I need to post and catch up with, it seems that sometimes the day's just slip by somehow, and although I have the best intentions to blog during Marin' naptime, I am either ferociously doing dishes and cleaning in her absence, or I end up falling asleep myself, haha! I have been much more tired with this pregnancy, and I attribute this to running after my sweet little two year old all day, it is not an easy task! She keeps me busy.
I have been trying to be so diligent with my workouts too. I am determined to stay more fit with this baby, and Marin and I walk to the park most days and I will try and run two laps around the outside (about half a mile total), and then while Marin plays, I juggle playing with her and doing strength training (calfs, leg lifts, biceps, triceps). Some days I don't have the energy to run, but I always to the strength training. My weight gain so far: 8 pounds. About 2 more pounds than my target, but at least it's not more. I just need to stay on track! I am hoping not to gain more than 30 pounds this time around, although I would be ok with 35 being my top weight. Anything is better than that shameful 53 pounds from before, ugh, I cringe just thinking about it!!
If I haven't already mentioned in my blog, I accepted a calling as the Laurel Advisor in our new ward. I know, right? This makes 4 times in a row I have been called into the YW, and I was realizing on Sunday that I have been with they YW for a total of 6 years!! Is that not crazy? My first calling with them I was a tender, 20 year old college student, and here I am, 6 years later, still hanging out with some amazing girls. I LOVE YW, it is such an important program for the roughest part of life for these young girls. I don't know where I would be without the love and support I had from my leaders growing up, they meant the world to me.
So, I will try and post Marin's birthday pics very very soon!
I have been trying to be so diligent with my workouts too. I am determined to stay more fit with this baby, and Marin and I walk to the park most days and I will try and run two laps around the outside (about half a mile total), and then while Marin plays, I juggle playing with her and doing strength training (calfs, leg lifts, biceps, triceps). Some days I don't have the energy to run, but I always to the strength training. My weight gain so far: 8 pounds. About 2 more pounds than my target, but at least it's not more. I just need to stay on track! I am hoping not to gain more than 30 pounds this time around, although I would be ok with 35 being my top weight. Anything is better than that shameful 53 pounds from before, ugh, I cringe just thinking about it!!
If I haven't already mentioned in my blog, I accepted a calling as the Laurel Advisor in our new ward. I know, right? This makes 4 times in a row I have been called into the YW, and I was realizing on Sunday that I have been with they YW for a total of 6 years!! Is that not crazy? My first calling with them I was a tender, 20 year old college student, and here I am, 6 years later, still hanging out with some amazing girls. I LOVE YW, it is such an important program for the roughest part of life for these young girls. I don't know where I would be without the love and support I had from my leaders growing up, they meant the world to me.
So, I will try and post Marin's birthday pics very very soon!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Happy Two Years Miss Marin!
This morning I tossed and turned in bed, and finally sat up, rubbing my eyes and pondering why in the world I was up so early! Then, I glanced at the clock: 0731...hmmm. Ahhhh, yes *sigh*, I remembered now. Two years ago at 0727 in the morning I delivered the most beautiful bundle of joy my eyes have ever seen. Our sweet little Marin entered the world and made Kristoffer and I the proud parents of a 7 pound 4 ounce 20 inch long miracle. I can scarce believe my little one is two today! But, here we are, and celebrate we will! We are certainly in a tight spot to throw a giant bash, but we will hopefully take a trip to a petting zoo, and come home for some mac and cheese (a favorite), some cupcakes, and presents.
Marin has grown so much these past two years, and in the last 4 months, it has been amazing to listen to her vocabulary explode! She speaks in sometimes 5 word sentences (most usually 3-4 words), and everyone is always impressed at the amount of words she knows for being just two!
And last night, we had a breakthrough, a triumph leaving mama stunned and happy and sad, all in the same moment. My little girl tinkled on the potty for the first time EVER! It was right before her bath and Kris had placed her on the toilet, and asked me to watch her while he ran downstairs, and then we heard it.....the tinkle! And she looked at us with a blank stare until we erupted into a shower of praise and kisses, and then her smile has ear to ear. We had more success this morning too! Amazing!!
Here is our sweet Marin Elise in her jammies this morning after pancakes.
Marin has grown so much these past two years, and in the last 4 months, it has been amazing to listen to her vocabulary explode! She speaks in sometimes 5 word sentences (most usually 3-4 words), and everyone is always impressed at the amount of words she knows for being just two!
And last night, we had a breakthrough, a triumph leaving mama stunned and happy and sad, all in the same moment. My little girl tinkled on the potty for the first time EVER! It was right before her bath and Kris had placed her on the toilet, and asked me to watch her while he ran downstairs, and then we heard it.....the tinkle! And she looked at us with a blank stare until we erupted into a shower of praise and kisses, and then her smile has ear to ear. We had more success this morning too! Amazing!!
Here is our sweet Marin Elise in her jammies this morning after pancakes.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
For My Husband
Today is our 4 year anniversary.....I am almost in shock! How can it be that four years have come and gone already? And, I know we would not have made it this far if I didn't have such an incredible companion at my side. Kristoffer is an amazing man. He brings so many things to our marriage that I fall short on. Kristoffer is the most giving, patient, loving, dedicated, hard working, focused, honest, smooth talking, persuasive, comforting, useful, skilled, over the top man I know. I just can't get enough of this guy! He has brought out the inner beauty in me I didn't know existed and made me believe in my own worth. He has loved me through silly girlish moments and the woes of pregnancy, and the pains of delivery. He has loved me as a new mother struggling with finding balance in her life, and has stuck by my side in moments when life is so hard, I fall on his shoulder and cry for lost time. He has dedicated himself to our family in a way I never knew he was capable of, dutifully working each day and returning home each night to spend the remainder of his time with his little girl, his wife, and then to do homework. This man has sacrificed so much for his family, there are times I cry because I know how much he wants to give us the world and all that it has to offer, and I know he feels we barely scrape by most months.
I wish he would believe me when I tell him I am happy wife. I am the happiest wife in the world. My happiness has nothing to do with having gi-normous kitchens or a cool car, or a big house, or thousands to spend on food each month. My happiness comes through the front door each night at 5:30pm and pulls me into his arms for a kiss I've waited my whole life for. He tells me I am beautiful and that he loves me and I am an amazing wife and mother. He makes me so proud to be his wife, and I would not only marry him all over again, I would search the world to find my Kristoffer and make sure he was mine. I am so completely in love with my Kristoffer, and I plan to spend the rest of eternity showing him just how much I do.
Four years ago today we started our journey together as husband and wife, excited for new experiences and epic voyages in marriage. We have not emerged, but paused on this day to celebrate the progress we never thought possible, the experiences we never knew so challenging, and the love we never knew so great.
Happy Anniversary Kris, I am more in love with today then ever before, thank you for choosing me then and each day since. I choose you and love you for so many reason, but mostly for reason #14! I will always be here to be your wife and have dinner waiting for you, to make you beautiful babies and request French Fries at 10pm. I will always be here to kiss away your frustrations and be your beautiful wife that you can be proud of. Thank you for being mine, forever.
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For more fun reading about our adventures in love, pull up my post: The Lyman Chronologues. You will read about how we met, Ooh La La!
I wish he would believe me when I tell him I am happy wife. I am the happiest wife in the world. My happiness has nothing to do with having gi-normous kitchens or a cool car, or a big house, or thousands to spend on food each month. My happiness comes through the front door each night at 5:30pm and pulls me into his arms for a kiss I've waited my whole life for. He tells me I am beautiful and that he loves me and I am an amazing wife and mother. He makes me so proud to be his wife, and I would not only marry him all over again, I would search the world to find my Kristoffer and make sure he was mine. I am so completely in love with my Kristoffer, and I plan to spend the rest of eternity showing him just how much I do.
Four years ago today we started our journey together as husband and wife, excited for new experiences and epic voyages in marriage. We have not emerged, but paused on this day to celebrate the progress we never thought possible, the experiences we never knew so challenging, and the love we never knew so great.
Happy Anniversary Kris, I am more in love with today then ever before, thank you for choosing me then and each day since. I choose you and love you for so many reason, but mostly for reason #14! I will always be here to be your wife and have dinner waiting for you, to make you beautiful babies and request French Fries at 10pm. I will always be here to kiss away your frustrations and be your beautiful wife that you can be proud of. Thank you for being mine, forever.
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For more fun reading about our adventures in love, pull up my post: The Lyman Chronologues. You will read about how we met, Ooh La La!
Friday, August 13, 2010
To Phoenix, To Phoenix, to Buy a Pink Pig
Our Kristoffer has returned from Phoenix, and we are so glad to have him home! I can't tell you how much I (and Marin and Dog) miss him when his is gone. It is wonderful to have our man home again, our home is now complete :) And, he brought home a little something for his little girl. This morning he brought Marin into bed to snuggle and pulled the CUTEST little pink stuffed piggy from his luggage, this piggy is just adorable!! Marin has been in need of a new piggy for a little while, her old piggy is about the size of a beanie baby, and for a growing toddler, it seems he gets smaller every month! What an adorable little stuffed animal, and Marin took to it right away, she knew what it was and took her new piggy and squeezed him and rocked him, such a sweet girl. So, meet the new Piggy!
Such a cute little stuffed animal, look at that face!
And...good news, my license came through! Hooray!! So, guess who's looking for a job today...oh yes, this mama is ready to be out of the house once or twice a week, I know, does it sound strange coming from my mouth? I am the girl who wanted to be home 24/7/365 with her little girl...and now that I have been doing just that for 6 weeks, phew, I am ready to a change of scenery....and I have realized that I need that time to be a better mama! I still would only like a day, maybe two a week, but nothing more, and preferably not 12 hour shifts, yuck, those are not my favorite, especially being pregnant.
And Little Lyman, ahhh our growing little fetus, getting bigger every day! I am still not looking noticeabley pregnant, just....pudgy in the front. But I can feel that I am about to just explode, ANY day now. I am having trouble laying on my belly now, I need to prop one leg to the side, but even that's getting increasingly uncomfortable, it is starting to feel like I am laying on....a stack of CD's. I am sure one morning I will wake up and have a new bump, that's how it was with Marin, just overnight and all of the sudden. The nausea is better, thankfully, but, on the reverse, now I am getting HUNGRY! Feed me, say's my tummy, almost all of the time!! This is not good news when I am trying not to get fat like I did the last time around...no WAY can I gain 53 pounds again! And, sadly, I would be happy to drink milk all day, every day....it is just so appealing to me right now, I would rather crave the salty stuff and have water weight than want to drink milk which is loaded with calories and fat (depending). I think I am going to start stocking up on soy milk, just to try and cut back. Especially now that we have discovered the location of our local Costco, nice!
As I write this, the largest Blue Heron just went flying through the wetlands about 20 yards from our house! It is so cool living next to water, I have really enjoyed it. Soon I will take pictures, the water has been a bit mucky as we haven't seen rain in a while, but the ducks are doing an excellent job of clearing it out, still it won't do justice to take a picture right now.
So, on the menu today is maybe a quick walk (it's going to be hot today), job hunting and a bit more unpacking. We are pretty much unpacked but for a few random boxes and the guest room.
Such a cute little stuffed animal, look at that face!
Marin knew just what to do with him, she brought him downstairs and plopped him in the front of her shopping cart.
Pushing around Piggy.
And giving her new Piggy kisses, what a sweet girl!
And...good news, my license came through! Hooray!! So, guess who's looking for a job today...oh yes, this mama is ready to be out of the house once or twice a week, I know, does it sound strange coming from my mouth? I am the girl who wanted to be home 24/7/365 with her little girl...and now that I have been doing just that for 6 weeks, phew, I am ready to a change of scenery....and I have realized that I need that time to be a better mama! I still would only like a day, maybe two a week, but nothing more, and preferably not 12 hour shifts, yuck, those are not my favorite, especially being pregnant.
And Little Lyman, ahhh our growing little fetus, getting bigger every day! I am still not looking noticeabley pregnant, just....pudgy in the front. But I can feel that I am about to just explode, ANY day now. I am having trouble laying on my belly now, I need to prop one leg to the side, but even that's getting increasingly uncomfortable, it is starting to feel like I am laying on....a stack of CD's. I am sure one morning I will wake up and have a new bump, that's how it was with Marin, just overnight and all of the sudden. The nausea is better, thankfully, but, on the reverse, now I am getting HUNGRY! Feed me, say's my tummy, almost all of the time!! This is not good news when I am trying not to get fat like I did the last time around...no WAY can I gain 53 pounds again! And, sadly, I would be happy to drink milk all day, every day....it is just so appealing to me right now, I would rather crave the salty stuff and have water weight than want to drink milk which is loaded with calories and fat (depending). I think I am going to start stocking up on soy milk, just to try and cut back. Especially now that we have discovered the location of our local Costco, nice!
As I write this, the largest Blue Heron just went flying through the wetlands about 20 yards from our house! It is so cool living next to water, I have really enjoyed it. Soon I will take pictures, the water has been a bit mucky as we haven't seen rain in a while, but the ducks are doing an excellent job of clearing it out, still it won't do justice to take a picture right now.
So, on the menu today is maybe a quick walk (it's going to be hot today), job hunting and a bit more unpacking. We are pretty much unpacked but for a few random boxes and the guest room.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Weekend Fare and Fair
We had a little fun this past weekend, which was very theraputic for our family. Kris took us to the Portland Eats festival by the river on Saturday. It's a fun gathering of all different food, wine, beer vendors from around the area and has live music and local entertainment. It was wonderful to walk around to smell and see so many luscious things. We went around lunch time, so our goal was to GET FOOD! I was starving, so we parused around and had some tasty morsels, it was wonderful.
Marin jumping in a beached lifeboat. She LOVES to jump, that girl.
Marin taking bites out of all of mommy's sweet potato fries. When she was done, all of fries had been drenched in ketchup and were half eatent, yuck! I don't like sharing food with 2 year olds. ;)
Marin right after a bite of daddy's ice cream.
Happy Family! Look at me, already filling out in the cheeks, blah, oh well, it's worth it....
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Family Home Peaching
We had a lovely day today! It seemed the weather (which has been a tad muggy as of late), decided to rest for a day and it was wonderfully cool and quiet all day. It honestly felt a bit like fall, and I was loving it! Gray sky, cool breeze, just made me smile.
This morning, since our garage is finally not a designated Disaster Area anymore, Marin and I ventured out on our first neighborhood walk. I was feeling quite good, and even got some jogging in! I really surprised myself! We had a good 30 minutes of brisk walking/jogging and ended at the playground for Marin. She of course heads right over to the swings, but we usually do that last as an incentive to run around and play first. Marin had a very long 3 hour nap, I think that little girl is just a growin' up on me, she weighs in at a little over 24 pounds now! I also took a short nap and woke up to a very strange sensation in my entire throat and down. It felt as though my esophagus was twisted up, ouch! I walked around like this for about 6 hours and finally had a painful swallow and I think it untangled itself, it is feeling a bit better now, hopefully a good night's sleep will do the trick.
Kristoffer surprised us by being able to get off of work a few hours early and we packed up and headed out to pick some fruit! My initial thought was to pick blueberries, but the growing season is a bit different than in NY and most of the berries were gone, so we settled for peach picking, which, I have never done before. It was very nice, and goes quick as peaches are quite a bit larger than blueberries and fill up your basket much sooner. The peach trees don't look like much from the outside, but once you step underneath their draping leaves, the peaches are all around and ready for picking. Marin of course was very intent on filling her "happy bucket" with as many peaches as possible, and didn't want much help....what a 2 year old, eh? We picked enough to eat, bake with , freeze and some for me to practice jarring with. I am very excited to practice doing this, it will be my first time jarring anything other than jam :) I will take some pictures of my jarring adventures though!
Tomorrow evening Kris flies to Phoenix for some training for work. He will only be gone a coupe of days, so it won't be too terrible, but we will miss him of course. I know he loves to fly, and hopefully he can finally have a little bit of quiet time, just for him when he is down there.
Tomorrow holds the promise of a trip to the post office and another walk (maybe jog?)...we shall see, oh, and some peachy goodness of course.
This morning, since our garage is finally not a designated Disaster Area anymore, Marin and I ventured out on our first neighborhood walk. I was feeling quite good, and even got some jogging in! I really surprised myself! We had a good 30 minutes of brisk walking/jogging and ended at the playground for Marin. She of course heads right over to the swings, but we usually do that last as an incentive to run around and play first. Marin had a very long 3 hour nap, I think that little girl is just a growin' up on me, she weighs in at a little over 24 pounds now! I also took a short nap and woke up to a very strange sensation in my entire throat and down. It felt as though my esophagus was twisted up, ouch! I walked around like this for about 6 hours and finally had a painful swallow and I think it untangled itself, it is feeling a bit better now, hopefully a good night's sleep will do the trick.
Kristoffer surprised us by being able to get off of work a few hours early and we packed up and headed out to pick some fruit! My initial thought was to pick blueberries, but the growing season is a bit different than in NY and most of the berries were gone, so we settled for peach picking, which, I have never done before. It was very nice, and goes quick as peaches are quite a bit larger than blueberries and fill up your basket much sooner. The peach trees don't look like much from the outside, but once you step underneath their draping leaves, the peaches are all around and ready for picking. Marin of course was very intent on filling her "happy bucket" with as many peaches as possible, and didn't want much help....what a 2 year old, eh? We picked enough to eat, bake with , freeze and some for me to practice jarring with. I am very excited to practice doing this, it will be my first time jarring anything other than jam :) I will take some pictures of my jarring adventures though!
Tomorrow evening Kris flies to Phoenix for some training for work. He will only be gone a coupe of days, so it won't be too terrible, but we will miss him of course. I know he loves to fly, and hopefully he can finally have a little bit of quiet time, just for him when he is down there.
Tomorrow holds the promise of a trip to the post office and another walk (maybe jog?)...we shall see, oh, and some peachy goodness of course.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The Sweet Smell of New Shelving (and Prop. 8 thoughts)
Our family made a little trip to the Home Depot last night in search of a pantry for moi! Although I was making due with my little wire shelf, Marin's little fingers were making off with the occupants of that shelf quite frequently! We had gone to Ikea initially hoping to find something, but we didn't find what we needed, fortunately, the Home Depot had exactly what we were looking for. Last night, Kristoffer and I put the shelf together, and today I have been busy loading it up, ahhhh, *sigh of relief*. While we still have storage issues in the rest of the house, this one the one that needed immediate attention, and I can finally have some closure for my kitchen. Take a look:
The little wire shelf in the process of being unloaded. And that box at the bottom? Filled with items that didn't fit on the shelf (and it's sitting on top of another box with the same problem!).
Marin helping mommy make chocolate chip cookies today, well, at this point, she was helping to eat the dough, she LOVES anything that mixer whips up. As soon as the first two ingredients are mixed together, she is clamoring "eat it! eat it!". Silly girl.
Happy girl. I should have taken a picture of her latest shenanigan...I didn't see it happen, but after we put Marin to bed last night, I cam downstairs to find yellow crayon scribbled all over all three couch cushions......grrrrrr. Luckily, it was way after the fact, and I am hoping those crayons are as washable as other child-coloring devices, let's cross our fingers.
Lastly, I would like to have a few words regarding the recent news coverage of Prop 8. *sigh*, I wish things didn't have to be so complicated. A lot of people get so darn hot and bothered about this subject, and understandably so. It's religion vs. liberal thinking. First off, let me be clear that in our home, we are conservative Mormons. I don't feel like I need to justify that. Secondly, I don't see why people can't just agree to disagree!!! I would like to point out that although I may not support the idea of gay relationships, I DO recognize that America was founded on the principle of separation of church and state, and I enjoy my right to worship as I may because of this. Banning gay marriages is (in true fact) a violation of this original concept. The concept that drew frustrated Protestants from their homes in England to travel to America. This same concept applies to gay marriage. In the end, I know the outcome of Prop 8. Gay marriage will be approved and people will continue their lives as before. I just thank the Lord that a vote hasn't been issued determining whether or not I can have an eternal sealing ceremony in my religion. Boundaries must be respected on both sides, and while I don't agree, I don't have to. We all have our choice and we must decide where we stand. What I DO wish would change is the blind hostility and anger towards both Gays and Mormons. Neither are bad people. We are all humans trying to coexist and anger will only make us sad in the end. We all need to hold fast to the values we embrace, but respect our fellow men and live peacefully, after all, who am I to judge my brother, when I walk imperfectly?
The little wire shelf in the process of being unloaded. And that box at the bottom? Filled with items that didn't fit on the shelf (and it's sitting on top of another box with the same problem!).
My new white cupboard being loaded with pantry goods. I will need another shelf, maybe two to really use it to it's fullest potential, but this is working out just fine for now ;)
Trying to get a poke at the cookie dough on the tray.
Marin having her milk and cookie after lunch. She wasn't very interested in lunch of course, but we made it through.
Lastly, I would like to have a few words regarding the recent news coverage of Prop 8. *sigh*, I wish things didn't have to be so complicated. A lot of people get so darn hot and bothered about this subject, and understandably so. It's religion vs. liberal thinking. First off, let me be clear that in our home, we are conservative Mormons. I don't feel like I need to justify that. Secondly, I don't see why people can't just agree to disagree!!! I would like to point out that although I may not support the idea of gay relationships, I DO recognize that America was founded on the principle of separation of church and state, and I enjoy my right to worship as I may because of this. Banning gay marriages is (in true fact) a violation of this original concept. The concept that drew frustrated Protestants from their homes in England to travel to America. This same concept applies to gay marriage. In the end, I know the outcome of Prop 8. Gay marriage will be approved and people will continue their lives as before. I just thank the Lord that a vote hasn't been issued determining whether or not I can have an eternal sealing ceremony in my religion. Boundaries must be respected on both sides, and while I don't agree, I don't have to. We all have our choice and we must decide where we stand. What I DO wish would change is the blind hostility and anger towards both Gays and Mormons. Neither are bad people. We are all humans trying to coexist and anger will only make us sad in the end. We all need to hold fast to the values we embrace, but respect our fellow men and live peacefully, after all, who am I to judge my brother, when I walk imperfectly?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Third Time's a Charm
After shuffling through 2 different wards with confusion on housing and ward boundaries, I think we have honest-to-goodness found our home ward, on the third try! Kris and I feel bad that 2 separate wards have helped us move, and now we aren't in either of them.....oops, ahh well, we will hopefully have the chance to pay it forward and serve someone else soon! Sunday I was sitting in Relief Society (still a strange place to me....I'm always in YW!) and about to fill out the 'new sister' questionnaire, and Kris pulled me out to tell me that we STILL weren't in the right ward. But, we actually packed up and headed over to our prospective new building and confirmed with our new bishop. It's funny, the building is brand new and an exact replica of the one we left in Vegas!
And my oh my how time flies! We are FINALLY settled into our new home and feeling SOOOO much more comfortable here. I will post some pictures soon of the house and the cute little view we have from our back deck, we really scored on that one. The one drawback we are experiencing in this house is....storage, well, lack thereof. This house has NO storage, except for some lovely shelving in the garage, so we are tripping over not only boxes, but random paraphernalia that has no home! For instance, the kitchen does not have a pantry....?!!!! I know, I know, CRAZY right? I have temporarily put some of my pantry items on a wire shelf I pulled from the garage, but Marin has been going crazy with my stuff, which makes ME crazy. We are saving to buy a free standing pantry-ish cupboard with doors to put in.....but that may be a little way's off. Anyway, we will survive despite that, it forces me to be creative and pare down what I really don't need to have close at hand.
Kristoffer has really shown me he is worth his salt over the last few weeks, my man is AWESOME! What an incredible husband and father. And he has been loving his free time (no more homework!) in the evenings. He has more time with his family, and he has been practicing his guitar a lot, which he loves.
Marin is just about the smartest and cutest thing ever. She has been putting words together like it's her job (well, I guess it is....). She has been saying her own name over the last few weeks, and while she can't say "Marin", she CAN say "Manin"...which makes me smile every time. I can't get over how fast she is growing. I think she may be warming to the idea of having a little brother or sister, she seems more amenable each time we mention it!
Little Lyman is growing and growing! I had another ultrasound on Thursday and baby is moving and kicking and getting big, I loved to see the baby move :) The ultrasound tech asked me if I wanted her to look for a gender and I mentioned I didn't think it was determinable at this point, she said it isn't for sure, but sometimes you can get a good idea....I said, OK! She looked around for a bit (I did to, heck, I know what to look for!), and while it is still too soon to tell for sure, her guess/vote was for a boy! We shall see, so don't buy us anything blue yet, little fetus needs to cook for another 8 weeks and then we can tell for sure :) I can't believe I am 12 weeks today, crazy! I am hoping to be feeling better very soon, I think the nausea is wearing off, but my fingers are crossed for my skin to clear up, ugh, pregnancy breakouts are no fun...well, any breakouts are no fun, but I feel like a blasted teenager again!
And as far as my vegetable resolve....things are going SWIMMINGLY so far! This week I have continued to hide yams in grilled cheese sandwiches and sauteed peppers and kielbasa. Tonight I made chicken gravy over biscuits, and mixed in some pureed cauliflower....nobody knew! I am one happy mama to be sneaking some extra veggies into my family (and myself). Now, if I could just find a way to mix something into box stuffing, that would be genius. I have been totally craving Stove-Top stuffing, I mean, I have always had a secret love for it, but now I could eat a box every day, yum.....
If you need our new address/phone numbers, just send me an e-mail or text and I will send them to you!
And my oh my how time flies! We are FINALLY settled into our new home and feeling SOOOO much more comfortable here. I will post some pictures soon of the house and the cute little view we have from our back deck, we really scored on that one. The one drawback we are experiencing in this house is....storage, well, lack thereof. This house has NO storage, except for some lovely shelving in the garage, so we are tripping over not only boxes, but random paraphernalia that has no home! For instance, the kitchen does not have a pantry....?!!!! I know, I know, CRAZY right? I have temporarily put some of my pantry items on a wire shelf I pulled from the garage, but Marin has been going crazy with my stuff, which makes ME crazy. We are saving to buy a free standing pantry-ish cupboard with doors to put in.....but that may be a little way's off. Anyway, we will survive despite that, it forces me to be creative and pare down what I really don't need to have close at hand.
Kristoffer has really shown me he is worth his salt over the last few weeks, my man is AWESOME! What an incredible husband and father. And he has been loving his free time (no more homework!) in the evenings. He has more time with his family, and he has been practicing his guitar a lot, which he loves.
Marin is just about the smartest and cutest thing ever. She has been putting words together like it's her job (well, I guess it is....). She has been saying her own name over the last few weeks, and while she can't say "Marin", she CAN say "Manin"...which makes me smile every time. I can't get over how fast she is growing. I think she may be warming to the idea of having a little brother or sister, she seems more amenable each time we mention it!
Little Lyman is growing and growing! I had another ultrasound on Thursday and baby is moving and kicking and getting big, I loved to see the baby move :) The ultrasound tech asked me if I wanted her to look for a gender and I mentioned I didn't think it was determinable at this point, she said it isn't for sure, but sometimes you can get a good idea....I said, OK! She looked around for a bit (I did to, heck, I know what to look for!), and while it is still too soon to tell for sure, her guess/vote was for a boy! We shall see, so don't buy us anything blue yet, little fetus needs to cook for another 8 weeks and then we can tell for sure :) I can't believe I am 12 weeks today, crazy! I am hoping to be feeling better very soon, I think the nausea is wearing off, but my fingers are crossed for my skin to clear up, ugh, pregnancy breakouts are no fun...well, any breakouts are no fun, but I feel like a blasted teenager again!
And as far as my vegetable resolve....things are going SWIMMINGLY so far! This week I have continued to hide yams in grilled cheese sandwiches and sauteed peppers and kielbasa. Tonight I made chicken gravy over biscuits, and mixed in some pureed cauliflower....nobody knew! I am one happy mama to be sneaking some extra veggies into my family (and myself). Now, if I could just find a way to mix something into box stuffing, that would be genius. I have been totally craving Stove-Top stuffing, I mean, I have always had a secret love for it, but now I could eat a box every day, yum.....
If you need our new address/phone numbers, just send me an e-mail or text and I will send them to you!
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