Super Saturday

We are coming to the close of an absolutely wonderful weekend. We had so much fun! I had Saturday off, so we slept in a little bit, had some breakfast and headed to Red Rock for some hiking! We packed some lunch and took the dog with us (she was very grateful), and spent a few hours with nature. We saw some snow, annnnnd, a stream! Is it silly I get so excited about that? We never see that here! I think we all enjoyed getting some fresh air :)

Marin eating her applesauce...if it looks green, it is. I mixed in some avocado, I am SUCH a mom!

BEST picture EVER! Marin is such a sweetheart, and her pretty face just shines!

Daddy teaching his little girl some rock climbing moves. He is so proud!

Nice view eh?

We scampered off the trail to find this little stream, beautiful, and chilly!

Mommy trying to teach Marin how to throw rocks into the stream. Who was I kidding, she didn't need me to teach her!

It was such a wonderful day, and we can't wait to do it again!

Cookie Dough Delight

I know I am probably the worst parent for giving my daughter raw cookie dough.....but I did! Marin helped me make some chocolate chip cookies the other night (which she LOVES), and she was desperate for a taste test, so I gave her a spoonful of cookie dough, and she was in heaven! Silly girl, she wandered all over the house just as happy as a clam :)

Take a Look!

Image by jules:stonesoup via Flickr

I've added a gadget to my sidebar, you should be able to see it on the left hand side. I've decided to choose a food theme for each month for my food storage goals, and each month will be a different kind of food. So during that month, every time I go to the store, I will pick up a few of that item and add them to my food storage shelf! This month (although a bit late!) is PASTA month. So every time I go to the store, I will pick up a few packages of pasta. I did this once already and wouldn't luck have it, they were having a sale at Smith's on Pasta, 10pkgs/10$. Yay! I threw ten in my basket and put them on my new food storage shelf in the garage. Come along with me as I try to bulk up my food storage, and hopefully we can make progress together!

Why I do what I do....

Some weekends I go to work and leave wondering "Why in the world do I do this?!". On days when I need to be especially "mean" to kids and they look at me with their innocent eyes.....remembering. Remembering every little detail of my face, and every move that I make. They remember so they can begin crying the moment they see me enter their room, or catch a glimpse of me in the hallway. I make little kids cry! What a horrible job, right?! Some days are worse than others, but then I come home and regroup and think of all the wonderful reasons I do what I do. All of the babies I make well and send home to be with their families, all of the mommy's I reassure and validate, which... as a mom, I know is SOOOO important (just as much as caring for their little one!). It's hard to see that I am the reason little one's cry and reach for their mama's, but it is one of the most rewarding things to see that I help to heal their boo boo's and ouchie's and things that hurt so bad there is no word for it. Most of them won't remember me, but that's ok, it means they won't remember what I had to do them to help them!

There are some times when I (we) can't fix them, and they are called to be with the their most loving Heavenly Father. Those moments are difficult even for the most seasoned pediatrics nurse. This past week our little family unit at my hospital lost a wonderful young man after a long illness, and I think of him today as his services are this afternoon. I had the chance to take care of him last weekend, three days before he passed, and was blown away at his bright optimism and cheery nature. All of the staff loved him, and he was always walking in the hallways if only so he could stop and chat with you. He will be greatly missed! Each time we experience a loss, our nurses grieve with the mothers and fathers and express a love and sympathy that no nursing school will ever be able to teach you. I strongly feel that being a nurse is much more than an occupation, but a calling. There is something in the human touch that transcends all of the medicine and treatment the medical field has to offer. There are emotions and feelings that will never be able to be graphed or charted in relation to their therapeutic effect. Modern medicine and future medicine can never come near replicating the wonders of a caring nurse, and no nursing school can ever teach the compassion and love that some of us are born to give in service.

I love my job, I love what I do. I love knowing that not only can I administer life saving drugs and treatment, but that I get to offer a healing gift that only the best nurses posses, a gift that is just as important as the drugs themselves....the human touch.

Sleepless in Las Vegas

Ahh the ever popular (hah!) teething fairy has found our home once again and is spreading joy all over the magic kingdom. Oh.....My.....GOODNESS! What a miserable night leading into day if there ever was one. Marin was up ALL last night just screaming in her crib (with Tylenol on board, might I mention) and has spent the day being cranky and uncooperative. These moments really test the limits of my fragile mothering patience, and I realize so very acutely that parenting is getting more and more difficult by the day. What was I thinking?! Did the words "Honey, can we have a baby pleeeeease?????", really escape from my naive lips a little over two years ago?! Ack! Truly, there must be divine amnesia involved when parents, mothers in particular, decide to have a second child. Sure the first kid sounds fun and all, but after all is said and done and you realize how insane being a parent makes you, why in the WORLD do you choose to go at it for a second round? Some may say there isn't a God, but civilization proves you wrong (for centuries) with the procreation of 2nd and beyond children, how else could it happen?! Mmmmmm, I do love my baby girl to the ends of the earth and back, she is my sweetheart and I wouldn't trade her for anything. I know it's not her fault...magical teething dust will make any kid crazy, right? I just wish there was a magical parenting fairy....maybe one that sprinkles mind-numbing dust to dull the pains of parenthood just a wee bit, with terrible two's lurking just around the corner (and a sneak peek now, I think), a mom can only dream.

Recipe Check

I've added some delicious recipes to my repetoire, check them out here. Enjoy!

The Best Laid Plans....(of the Lyman family)

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Kris had the day off to spend with his family...YAY! We LOVE those days! Well, let me preface with Saturday: I was put on standby for work, and because I worked Friday, I knew it was a possibility that I might get called in, so we stuck pretty close to home. Luckily, I had the whole day with my family and didn't need to go in to work and it was wonderful! I have almost forgotten what a non-holiday Saturday looks like! We went to Costco and treated ourselves to Cafe Rio for lunch, then Kris and I watched a movie together after Marin was in bed, it was GREAT :) Kris worked hard Sunday night on homework so he could spend all of Monday with us, and we had great plans to go rock climbing and/or hiking. Monday morning we woke up and it was pouring rain! Ack! It rained and blew cold wind ALL DAY LONG! I couldn't believe it! The ONE day Kris has to spend with us and we get the shaft. Ahhh well, we headed to Home Depot to look for a storage shelf for food storage. I have been trying really hard to get our food storage in line, and my little kitchen closet/pantry (closet SIZE though) is BURSTING at the seams! We actually found one at Wal Mart instead and came home just in time for Marin to get crazy (more later). After she was in bed, I hauled our new shelf out to the garage and started organizing! So, I guess we didn't end up doing a lot with the day, but at least we were together!

Marin updates: Marin has been teething the last week or so....i.e. cranky and extra sensitive. We can see some of her new teeth coming through or just barely poking their way to the surface. Tyenol to the rescue! She has been experimenting with new words and now says (in addition to her other words) tickle, down, soup, please (sounds like polly), ear and hair. We are so proud of her. She is such a beautiful girl and grows and learns more and more every day, she makes me smile, and makes me more patient ;) every day. I love being her mommy!

Picture Time:

Marin asking mommy for a story....

Here she is reading to herself. It is sooo cute! Some days she will just look at the book quietly, and other days she will read out loud to herself.

Well on My Way

With a little over 12 weeks to Paris, the pressure is on to lose the rest of the baby weight....and I think I am on my way! I am down 3 pounds in the last 10 days, and I have about 7 more pounds to go! I can't tell you how excited I am about this, and I am FINALLY starting to look like my old self again. Sunday I was able to fit into a dress I haven't been able to wear in SOOOO long, and I had so many compliments from people at church! What girl doesn't love that? It has been a looong journey, and I am almost there! My best advice to everyone out there....DON'T give up, you CAN do it!

Closet Clean-Out

About a week or so ago I stepped into my closet and let out a sigh. Ugh, too many clothes I don't wear, or don't want to wear or that don't want me to wear them. Many a morning I have stood in my closet just looking for something to wear, and getting frustrated seeing clothes that don't fit right (read: because I have had them since HIGH SCHOOL!), or just worn out clothes that look ratty and disheveled. Even though I knew I had some nice choices tucked amongst the outcast clothes, just having the overwhelming majority of my closet stare me in the face and laugh at me through it's faded teeth made me, well, fed up! So I took action! After I put the baby to bed, I grabbed a handful of Wal-Mart bags and stepped into my closet, only this time, it was for revenge! I literally started grabbing items from the hangers and tossing them over my shoulder onto the bed with both hands. I quickly worked my way from one side of the closet to the other, showing NO MERCY to the sad, mean clothes that were making me frown every day...they had done ENOUGH! Then I stepped back and looked at my now near empty closet, and the plethora of lonely hangers still swinging from my vengeful fury..........I smiled.....and let out a deep sigh of relief. "MUCH better!" I said to myself. Now I can be rid of those clothes that made me sad every morning and while I may have far fewer clothes in my closet, at least the ones that are there won't make me frustrated. I turned around, happy, and started casually folding the outcast clothing and placing them into bags for a well deserved resting place at DI. I am sure they will find a happy home.....but it won't be with me :)

Casual Week

I traded Dinner Club days this week, so today is my day to cook and I will be making some vegetable lasagna, mmmmmm! My own personal recipe too, so I will be posting a recipe and a picture on my other blog site later this evening: http://forthefoodiesnovicestyle.blogspot.com, check it out, try it out, see what you think! As a quick side note, I am LOVING our little dinner club. My kitchen....and whole house, have stayed so much cleaner! I am not always washing pots and pans, and that in itself is reason enough to make me smile :)

This week has been pretty casual and laid back. Marin and I have been able to play and have fun and enjoy walks (not today, brrrrr!). It's has been great. And I can't believe it's Thursday already! The time absolutely flies! I had some time this week to re-organize my little kitchen closet/pantry, and it was looooong overdue. Things were in dire need of some direction behind that door! Marin's snacks were stuffed in one part of the shelf and my baking goods were all heaped up in the box that used to hold them neatly. So I set to work the other night after Marin was in bed. It didn't take as long as I thought, but it is all orderly and happy now! Marin's snacks now belong in a special green caddy, so we don't have loose applesauce cups or cereal bars everywhere. It looks so nice :)

I have been working so hard to get off these last 10 pounds, and it is KILLING me! They are the hardest BY FAR to get rid of! I am so close to my goal I can catch glimpses of what I used to look like, but those stubborn pounds just LOVE to stick around, blech! I have this one pair of Lucky Brand jeans that I haven't been able to fit into since before I was pregnant, and they are my goal. I could at least pull them over my hips the other night.....Anyway, speaking of that, I need to be off to the gym!

Playground Fun

The last few days have been wonderfully tepid and Marin and I have taken advantage of the weather and have headed to the playground. She has really gotten into the slides and walks up the stairs solo, sits down at the top of the slide and giggles her way down to have mommy help her over to the stairs again. She is getting more and more independent every day and loves to interact with all her little buddies that play there too.

We have about 3 more weeks until Marin heads into nursery....have I mentioned I can't WAIT?! I have altogether given up trying to keep Marin in Gospel Doctrine anymore, she is just far too disruptive. I have also given up on my "no-walking in the hallway" philosphy (well, we stick to it for Sacrament meeting". The only way we can make it through the meetings is to let her wander.

Kris is doubling up on his classes for this block (6 weeks), and today he starts his second class. I will be curious to see how things go, it does make me nervous, but the good news is that he will be just a little bit closer to graduation. This little fact has prompted us to start thinking about...well...what's next! We knew when we moved to Las Vegas that it wouldn't be our final stop, and while this summer will make 3 years (wow!), it's time to move on. Las Vegas has been a wonderful experience and Kris and I have had so many wonderful experiences here and made some great and priceless friends. This is where we needed to be for sure! Our family grew by one and we figured out what it takes to make a marriage work after the honeymoon ends (we are still learning!). I have a feeling we will be staying on the West Coast as my husband feels the most at home this side of the rockies. We have been tossing around a few ideas, but nothing is set in stone yet. I have a feeling we will be out of Las Vegas by the end of the year, yikes!

Picture Time!

I LOVE this picture of Marin peeking over the top of the swing, so cute!
Such a happy girl, I love to hear her giggles :)

Climbing the stairs to get to the slide! Love those pigtails.

Made it to the top! Happy Girl.

Have a great day!

Sharing.....BLAH!

Sharing is overrated. Or, at least, I have determined so. Growing up your parents teach you to share and be nice so other little kids don't think you are a greedy snob. Sharing however provides a diabolical problem. As a kid you think, "Heck, no big deal if I break it, it's not mine anyway.", or "Where is that *thing*, oh well, it's not mine anyway.". This leads the lender to grow to hate sharing and never trust anyone to borrow their things ever again, thus leading the rest of mankind to view them as the un-sharing snob who happens to have in their possession all of their own things....INTACT!

I don't think anyone really likes sharing. I do NOT like sharing. I am a kind person and will make you a meal every day or let you stay in my home, but when it comes to my THINGS, I don't like sharing, especially now that I have a child and I have to share EVERYTHING, knowing that they will get lost, ripped, stained, dirty, torn, broken, etc.... Marin wants to have all of my stuff, and I have become fiestily territorial over a few of my choice things, for example: my jewelry (MINE!), my makeup (Oh, sooooo MINE!), my cookbooks (hands off, MINE!). I know I know, I sound like such a little girl. But let me ask you this...what's wrong with not sharing everything? I don't think it's necessary to be a walking "Share-Bin" for everyone, even my kid. Besides, I think it teaches kids boundaries. "No, you can't have that.......Why? Because it is NOT YOUR'S, that's why". Why do we need to feel like we are entitled to have everyone else's stuff anyway? If you want it, work hard enough to buy/get it, no?

While I have come a long way on patience and sharing, I still don't like sharing, and maintain my happily-still-mine-and-unbroken, philosophy.

Recipe Check

So last night I made Pasta Fagioli for my first night with the dinner club, to check out the recipe, click here. It turned out great and I served it with my infamous fresh bread and garden salad with a dressing I made that tasted JUST like the one from the Olive Garden. Maybe I will share it later. Let me know if you give the soup a try!

January Pics

Marin scarfing the muffin batter:

Marin asleep in her backpack, she and daddy went on an adventure this past Saturday and she was pooped!

Marin and daddy on the trail!

She loves her little wooden pull-along doggy, she pulls that thing everywhere.

Hiding in the laundry room.

Playing with the doggy.

And I got her the CUTEST clothes at DI, I LOVE that place! The above outfit of green corduroy pants, and button up short-sleeve shirt with a pretty flower print was only 5 bucks total! Love that place!

30-List

You know, I used to work with a secretary at the hospital in New York, and she told me that she would make out a list of things she needed to get done the next day, and she always tried to get thirty things done. I have done this off and on since she told me about it, and of course, it works great for accomplishing things, but I was just thinking as I sat here about how many things I need to get done! It never stops! It's not as though this is news to me...that life now that I have a child is (and will become) more chaotic every day, but there are moments when it hits me. Ahhh well, roll with the punches then, eh?

And since thinking about that 30-List, I also think about all the things I HAVE done that I need to blog about, and there just isn't a suitable title to be had for my mish mash of accomplishments :)

Last night for Family Home Evening, we all made cranberry orange muffins for our activity/treat, and Marin was LOVING it. She loves to get up on the chair next to the counter and help stir or pour or whatever. She was a mess at the end as she did not enjoy or eat much of dinner and was now focused on scarfing muffin batter, (pictures to follow) but she had a good time.

After we put Marin monkey in bed (such a sweet moment for me, for many different reasons), Kris and I popped in "Julie and Julia" and cuddled up on the couch. For the record, my husband is and "A+" cuddler, and I know where my daughter gets her snuggle abilities. The movie, while it could have been directed a bit better (it got a bit dry in the middle), was eerily similar in some ways to my thoughts on cooking and it had French music and accents and scenery....I was in heaven! Sometimes I think I was meant to be French..... Anyway, the main character in the movie related how that at the end of the day, you combine egg yolks, milk, cream and chocolate (etc..) and you know they will get thick. This may not mean anything to you, but this is why I love cooking so much. I can combine certain ingredients and know for sure that they will turn out the way I want them to. I guess it's my outlet for a power trip? That sounds so bad!

Marin and I went to Kohls yesterday with a gift card and got some great sale-price items, 80% off baby! I love the post Christmas sales! Like I said before, if you are paying retail all the time, you are wasting your money.

Today is the start of the Dinner Club, and I am the first batter up! I am making Pasta Fagioli (soup), my infamous French bread, and an "Olive Garde-esque" salad. I am way excited for the rest of the week to see how things turn out, and not have to dirty my kitchen every night, well, Kris will be thankful for that too :)

And as I speak, my daughter is walking, yes walking up the stairs with the help of the railing and going "euueeehh (grunting)" When did we all grow up?!

Christmas decorations are down and according to the stores, it is high time to kick it into Valentine's Day! Hmmmm, I don't have any of those decorations though.... I will say that I can't wait to make treats and hand them out (as always, right?).

Annnnnnd......I can finally say that Kris and I are going to Paris THIS YEAR! HOORAY. What I mean is that I don't have to say "next year", that should clear things up. Take a look at the ticker on the bottom of the blog to keep track of our vacation coming up!

Sneak Peek

Kris subbed for nursery yesterday and Marin .......ahhhh, Marin went with him :) *sigh*. What a wonderful Sunday! Gospel Doctrine was so free and .....quiet! I sat and turned to the scriptures and participated and didn't have to chase or chase again or feed or wipe or any of that! It was incredible! I went to the nursery (well, one of the five that we have in our ward) to peek through the window, and it was so sweet to watch my little girl. They were just sitting down to snack time and had passed out the paper towels and all of the kids were sitting in their chairs and Keli asked everyone to fold their arms and my little girl folded her arms for prayer (good girl!). I almost started crying! Not that she had folded her arms, she's been able to do that, but that she was sitting in nursery and participating and responding and she looked so big! We have three more weeks to go before Marin officially enters nursery and boy do I wish she could start now. Kris said she did beautifully, although, she was a little pushy (hmmmm). He was reading a story to the other kids, and Marin did not want to read that story, so she got the book she wanted, took the other one away from Kris mid-story and put her book in his hand....and waited for her story! What do we do, what do we do? I will have some pictures later!