Pretty Productive

(I couldn't get them to move and I'm too lazy to spend a lot of time with it. Sorry)

Well, I feel like this has been a pretty productive weekend. Saturday we went to Walmart and got some plastic tubs. I went through all of Claire's baby clothes and put them in those instead of cardboard boxes. I also went through a lot of the house, throwing stuff away and getting together a pile in case someone decides to do a Sawtooth yard sale or something. Otherwise I'll put some stuff on Craigslist or some on Free Cycle. We also babysat a little boy and they will baby sit Claire next saturday! That's nice.

I found THIS from a friend's website. I printed it up and took it to Staples and got them to put it on a 11x17 paper and laminated it. It's been nice to help me focus. I also took my Hypnobabies food log and laminated it. I'm determined to get all my protein in everyday. I do NOT want my feet to swell this pregnancy. It helps me focus on eating more healthy. Tomorrow Brian is going to Port Townsend to start collecting some boxes. It's early but there are going to be a lot of families moving. Gotta get them when we can.

I had a doctors appointment on Thursday and she said everything looked great. I was sad because she is leaving in March to be a home birth midwife in Seattle. I really like her.

Here are some videos.

Trip to Ft. Lauderdale

Brian here. I thought I would post just a few pictures from Ft. Lauderdale. I went there a few weeks ago to teach a training workshop for conjoint analysis/Sawtooth Software. We had a day to acclimate after traveling. Aaron, with whom I work and was teaching the class, really likes fishing. So he found a boat that would take us out on the ocean for some fishing. We decided to go for sail fish. During the trip, I decided to go for filling blah. We were out there for about 4-5 hours or so, and after about the first hour the big waves and engine fumes were making me a little blah. So I spent the next 2 or so hours inside on a couch and eventually fell asleep. Didn't throw up though. Woo.

They used an interesting approach I had never seen called kite fishing. They strung a line up to a kite and then a second line down to a live fish we were using as bait. The tug of the kite kept the fish just right below the surface. Apparently it made the outline of the fish very visible and its struggle to get away made it very noticeable. I'm no fisherman, so I took them for their word.

After a few hours, we got a bite on one of the lines and Aaron sat down and reeled it in. We got it up into the boat for a picture and then tossed it back into the water.

Probably called a sail fish due to its big nose...

A few minutes after we got another tug so I sat down in the chair to reel it in.

Check out that intense focus. That fish doesn't stand a chance.

This one was a fighter. He was probably only about 30-40 feet away from the boat, but I probably fought him for like 10-15 minutes just to close that distance.

This is a picture that Aaron took. Supposedly my fish is in the middle there.

And that's the best picture we got. I reeled him up to the side of the boat and the fisherman guy reached down and the line broke. He's the one that got away. Everyone (including Aaron) said it was a bigger fish, so I'll take their word for it. If I really wanted to, I could have gotten a fiberglass replica for like $2,000. So let's just pretend this was a picture:

What a beauty. Did I mention Claire came along?

Also, we saw lots of very expensive boats. The hotel we had the workshop at also has some yearly yacht thing and there are like 3-4 yacht sales/management places as part of the hotel and docks all around. Here is a picture from Aaron's window.


So, it was a good time, and Megan thinks that it's all fun and games and eating at nice restaurants each night, but I really would rather stay at home with them.

Doula

Well we met with a doula tonight! Her name is Karla and I really like her. She is older, her youngest is 14 (who she says is a great babysitter!) she seems very spiritual and very knowledgable. She was a doula for one of my friends at church who just had a homebirth. She also made me want to rethink our birthing plans lol. Just thinking about hospital policies and things make me really really want a home birth. Plus I really want a water birth. Brian said he would support a home birth. One thing about our hospital is that they do not a team on site that could do a C-section, even in the case of an emergency, for about 30 minutes. It takes 30 minutes from the time they call for a section to have them ready to go. I could get to the hospital in 30 minutes for them to be waiting for me if I needed one.

UGH! I'm so torn! I don't want to have to jump through hospital hoops. I want to be relaxed and comfortable in my own home. But, there is a part of me that want the "peace of mind" of a hospital EVEN THOUGH I know that in most cases of healthy low risk pregnancies it is usually saver to deliver at home. Very low risk of things like staph infections and such. Plus, one intervention usually leads to another. Plus, I think people have a weird misconception of home birth midwives. They have things with them like oxygen, pitocin, things for an emergency.

Guess I should do some research about whether my insurance will pay for a home birth and try to find a midwife and ask some questions. And pray. Probably should do a lot of that.... :)

Brown Sugar FYI

So today, the same as every Sunday, I get a MAJOR sweet tooth. I NEED to make something sweet. Well, I looked through my cookbook and found a cinnamon zucchini cake recipe. I have a bunch of shredded zucchini in the freezer and I need to go through it since we are only grocery shopping for the very basics. We want to use all our food before we go. Anyway, I put the butter and the sugar in a bowl and then discovered that I was out of brown sugar. Ugh. But, I remember reading something about MAKING brown sugar in my food storage cookbook. Awesome. 1 cup of white sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons molasses. Even more awesome. I have a whole bottle of molasses to get through too! Anyway, you put it in a bowl and mix it really well. So there you go...homemade brown sugar. I don't use too much brown sugar so I doubt I will buy it for a while if I can make it and use up that molasses. Plus, I also used my powdered eggs. I want to save my fresh eggs for things like omelets and stuff. It was a pretty good food storage recipe since I used my frozen zucchini. I used the very last of my powdered sugar too. But you know what? You can make that too!

Temple

Yesterday we got up early and headed to Seattle. We took the Kingston/Edmonds ferry which was really nice since we could get out of the car and walk around with Claire. I don't think it saved us any money but sometimes that's okay if you save sanity in the meantime. We met up at the temple with some friends who would watch Claire while we went in and we would watch their kid while they went in. It is so nice to go to the temple again. That will be a good plus about Utah, being close to the temple...

After we went to Red Lobster to use our gift card :) It ended up being about a 12 hour day but worth it.

I'm 95% sure that we are going to moving this summer. I SO wish we were ready to buy a house...it's going to be hard being patient. There was some drama today. I mean, there are going to be like 9 families moving soon. Half of our primary is going to be gone, two elder quoram presidents, a bishop, a 2nd counselor, stake young mens, I think two young womens presidents, and others. So yeah.

Anyway, here is a video of Claire saying, "Shake your booty". I'm pretty sure my brothers taught her that lol.

More Changes

Welp...it's official. We are moving to Utah. Sawtooth Software decided to move. It's been an interesting day. They told everyone this morning at work. I think there was some drama. Not everyone wants to leave Sequim but the majority does. I don't know if the majority wanted to move to Utah, but really, I can't see them having picked anywhere else. It's kind of funny (to me at least) that they had so much employee input. I'm so used to my dad moving. You just go where there is a job! Those who don't want to leave Sequim have to find a new job. I can see being attached to where you live but really...you'll get attached to the other place too.

The office officially opens July 2011 but we have the option of going down earlier...say, summer 2010. We are deciding on whether or not to do it. Rent is much cheaper in Utah so we could save more. Plus, we aren't ready to buy a house yet so it would be nice to rent down there for a year and take our time looking at houses.

I don't know what we are going to do but some big changes are coming up very soon!

(And now my organizing/cleaning mode is even higher when I think about moving in 5 months! AH! With a one/two month old!! AHHH!)

Yummy recipe

I just had to share the love. And Brian LOVED it.

http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2009/06/chicken-azteca.html

I didn't have onion powder...which I was surprised about. I also added a can of green chili because, really, what mexican dish doesn't have green chili? Anyway, make sure you half the recipe. It makes A LOT. And eat it with chips and rice. The chips make a really nice crunch :)

Itchy Fingers

I have been home for a little over 24 hours. It has been less than 24 hours since my ultrasound. I think having a u/s makes the pregnancy real all of a sudden. I have been looking around my house with itchy, tingling fingers. I want to ORGANIZE, CLEAN, AND THROW AWAY! AH! I told Brian and he just rolled his eyes. It is so overwhelming to look at everything that needs to be done but I'm determined to get my house in order. I started a little last night. I took all the infant toys out of the toy area and put all of Claire's big girl toys together. I have to figure out where to put the infant toys. We gave Claire her other Christmas presents that we kept home last night too. She loves her play kitchen and broom. She is so big. Seriously, it amazes me everyday how much she is learning and growing.

Last night she did something super cute...to us at least. I was in bed and Brian was going to watch Claire until bed. She wanted to nurse so I laid down and we were nursing and she was holding my hand. All of a sudden she sat up, kissed my hand, and then went back to nursing. It was so cute. I had to write it down because I don't want to forget it.

Brian finished my potato box while I was gone. Claire wanted to get in the picture. I'm very happy with it. It holds bread, onions, and potatoes. He did a very good job, especially since he has never done woodworking before. He took classes like chemistry and calculus instead during high school...lol.

Here are some pictures of Claire.

This is our Christmas dinner. Everyone gets to pick two finger foods and thats what we eat.

Suprise!! Baby #2!

Yes, we got one of these.

And then we got this!

This is the face.

And it's a BOY!!

I'm 20 weeks along. I'm due June 5th. Halfway done! I didn't announce it much because it seems like it goes by faster when you make the big announcement further along. It wasn't because I wanted to wait past the miscarriage time. In fact, I would have told if I had a miscarriage. Sometimes I think that should be discussed more. I was pretty sick from week 6-13ish. I would throw up about anytime I opened the refrigerator. Not fun! But it passed.
Anywhoo...our ultrasound was fun. She wasn't allowed to tell us much so that was kinda a bummer. We almost didn't get to know the gender since he kept moving around so much. The umbilical cord was also hanging right between his legs so she said 95% :)

We kinda wanted our first two closer together...they will be 25 months apart. However, nursing was a most effective b.c. And, its nice that I've been able to spend so much 1 on 1 time with Claire.

We're excited. It will be fun to at least have one of each. Now we need to get some boy clothes!

Going home!

Well we are going home today. We leave here around 1 and then flight leaves at 3:30....and I get in at 8:30 Seattle time. It's about a 7 hour flight time with a layover in Phoenix. Then a two + hour drive home. (I can do it, I can do it, I can do it)

Friday's dinner went quite well. The missionaries ate it all, which is impressive for a Cafe Rio salad. I've never been able to do it.

Saturday my mom and I went shopping!! I spent way too much but it was fun anyway.

Anyway, I'm excited to see Brian. :)

Making dinner...

We are having the missionaries over for dinner tomorrow. All 4 are from Utah so we are making Cafe Rio...I stress out cooking for company, even if they are "just" missionaries. (Which they are, the should be able to eat anything ;)

Plus I have to make a dessert, because you cant have company for dinner without making a dessert. And it has to be in the refrigerator overnight. It looks like it will be delicious but why do I pick desserts that one part has to be cooked, one part has to sit for 1-1/2 hours and then the whole thing has to be in overnight?

I'll let you know how it turns out.

I did make something yummy for dinner tonight though. I found it here..

In other ramblings, I'm getting excited to go home and see Brian. I probably would not be as excited to go home as I am, even though I want to see Brian, if I didn't know I was coming back in March. So it's not really that far away and we are doing something fun on Monday so I'm looking for to being in dreary, rainy....I mean...sunny Sequim.

Julia and Julia

Friday night my mom and I hunkered down to watch Julia and Julia. My aunt got it for me for Christmas. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We were laughing quite hard at some parts. It was a particularly good night to watch it because we had our own adventure in the kitchen that night.

Logan had a party and wanted us to make some stuff for it. We made some delicious pizza rolls...and then I wanted to try a new dessert recipe that I had been dying to try. The Motherload Cookie Bar. Deliciousness. Well, we kinda cheated and only made the chocolate cookie part from scratch. The other ones were store bought dough. It was my mom's first shortcut as a working mother..and me? Well...I was happy to go along with that. Anyway, we got the pizza rolls out and the marinara sauce heated up on the stove. The kids liked it and went upstairs to play some Beattles Rockband. My mom took the cookies out of the oven and set it on the stove to cool. Something smelled like burning but we just figured it was the top of the cookies which did get kinda brown. My mom was putting Ethan to bed and had Claire and I was in the kitchen sitting on counter on the computer when BAM! Explosion!


We didn't realize that the burner was still on simmer. Oh well. We went to Walmart the next day to buy a new pan and we were all bummed about the cookies. Dang.

Special Birthday!

Today is Jack McEwan's (Brian's grandpa) 90th birthday! Really, Brian should be making this post since he knows him better, but I know from the 3+ years that I've known him that he is a GOOD man. And as in good, I mean really, really good. He is the kind of person that every one should want to be like. (And Grandma McEwan is the same :)

He is an incredibly spiritual person. He always has some great insights or stories to tell. He served in many callings in the church including bishopric counselor, bishop, counselor in a stake presidency, Regional Representative, Patriarch, counselor in the Los Angeles Temple
presidency, and president of the Los Angeles temple. (Thanks Sandy :) You definitely want him to bear his testimony.

He is 100% supportive of his kids and grandkids. We got to see them when Shannon graduated from BYU and when Brian graduated and in June in Illinois when Mike graduated from dental school. He gave Brian his patriarchal blessing. Our wedding day was even more special because he was our sealer.

He loves his wife. They raised 3 sons who went on to get married in the temple and raise families of their own. It's amazing how many people are influenced by their example. (Even my bishop knows them and LOVES them! Any time we talk to him all he wants to do is talk about Jack and Betty!)

We love you Grandpa! Happy Birthday!

Go on over to Brian's mom's BLOG and read her post and see some pictures :)

Interesting

Found this and thought it was interesting..it reminds me of what we said as kids..where do liars go? Law school! ***I know this is not true and some very honest people go to law school..you just wont find many on this list ;)***



Barack Obama is a lawyer.
Michelle Obama is a lawyer.
Joe Biden is a lawyer.
Hillary Clinton is a lawyer.
Bill Clinton is a lawyer.
John Edwards is a lawyer.
Elizabeth Edwards is a lawyer.

Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate). Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen, went to law school. Democrat leaders in Congress: Harry Reid is a lawyer. Nancy Pelosi is a lawyer.

John McCain was a naval officer and aviator.
President Bush was a businessman.
Vice President Cheney was a businessman.
The leaders of the Republican Revolution: farmers and businessmen.
Newt Gingrich was a history professor.
Tom Delay was a businessman.
Dick Armey was an economist.
House Minority Leader Boehner was a plastic manufacturer.
The former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is a heart surgeon.

The last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford, who left office 33 years ago and who barely won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, when running against Ronald Reagan, an actor, in 1976.

Democrats often scorn or attack men who create wealth, like Bush and Cheney; or who heal the sick, like Frist; or who reflect on history and speak for conservatism, like Gingrich. They often see successful businesspeople who provide goods and services to the American people and our trade partners as actual enemies of the less successful. Rather than raising the less-successful to success, Democrats keep them dependent while punishing the successful with higher taxes and more business regulation.

At whom does Obama and his Congressional lawyer-leadership point? Pharmaceutical companies, oil companies, hospitals, manufacturers, fast food restaurant chains, large retail businesses, investment firms and bankers, and anyone producing anything of value in our nation.

This is the natural consequence of viewing everything through the eyes of lawyers. Lawyers solve problems by successfully representing their clients, in this case their base among the American people (unions, teachers, minorities, activists, trial lawyers).

Lawyers seek to have new laws passed; they seek to win lawsuits; they press appellate courts to overturn precedent; and lawyers always parse language to favor their side. This is their objective; this is their training. Confined to the actual practice of law, fine. But it is an awful and improper way to govern a nation.

When lawyer-politicians begin to view some Americans as clients and other Americans as opposing parties, then the objective of winning becomes all-consuming. It requires that some Americans be seen as “adverse parties” of their own government. We are not all litigants in some vast social class-action suit, regardless of the vision of those on the Left. We are citizens of a republic that allows us liberty, opportunity, and the right to strive for success and happiness in a free market economy.

Today, we are drowning in laws; existing laws are contorted by judicial decisions; the current administration seeks an omnipresence in all parts of our once-private lives. Many Americans have the wisdom to realize that Hope does not come from expanding welfare via liberal lawyer-politicians, but from personal dreams nourished by a sound education and hard work. Perhaps by 2010 more Americans will recognize that more lawyer-politicians with more power will only make our debt larger and our problems worse.

The United States has 5% of the world’s population and 66% of the world’s lawyers! Tort (Legal) reform legislation has been introduced in congress several times in the last several years to limit punitive damages in frivolous lawsuits and huge medical malpractice suits. This tort reform effort has continually been blocked ~ even from being voted on ~ by the Democrat Party, and once again is excluded from any of the 2000 pages in the Democrat constructed healthcare bill. When you see that 97% of the political contributions from the American Trial Lawyers Association go to the Democrat Party who refuses to demand or even support tort reform, then you realize who is ultimately responsible for our medical and product costs remaining high.

Snow day

Today was the first day of school for my brothers and my mom. I woke up to make sure that everyone had left but to my surprise everyone was still home! It had snowed all night and school was canceled! But the sad thing is Brian had to leave to go home today. I'm staying because he has to go to Florida next week for work so it's better that he is by himself for a week than me. :) But Claire will miss her daddy. She is just getting so big since we've been here. She is saying and doing so much more. It's amazing how much she progresses when there are a bunch of people around her.

For Christmas my parents gave me, Brian, Logan, and Jordan tickets to see "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" in Little Rock. It was so good. The narrator was pushing 5 feet maybe but she was so crazy. Joseph used to be on Days of Our Lives and looked every bit like a soap star. Brian said it was his long luxurious blond locks. The little girls behind us sure liked him. "Joseph is Soooooo hot...he is soooooo HOT!" lol. We took the boys to Red Lobster after and ate way too much and spent way too much but it was worth it. It was a fun day and thanks mom and dad for watching Claire for so long! That little girl is such a stinker. She is so good for my parents. Doesn't cry, doesn't whine, doesn't fight her naps....ugh.