Glimpses of the Millers

Zoo

2011-12-15T21:00:00.003-07:00

It's finally zoo weather, yay! Char loves the zoo.

Yes, she is petting a plastic zebra, I'm not sure she knew it was plastic. Oh well. It's almost Christmas and I have no classes for the first time in a looonnngg time. I won't know what to do with all my free time....scratch that, I never have free time. I love December.

November

2011-11-30T08:15:00.007-07:00

I like my hubby, just a little. He must love me a lot because he lets me stay in bed in the morning and cuddle with Ben while he takes my dogs out. If you knew how much he dislikes those dogs you would know how much that means to me. If that isn't proof enough, he also leaves me a veggie smoothie in the fridge for my breakfast. I love being taken care of.

Anyway, we are finally home from our month long stay in Utah. It's good to be home, but boy I miss my parents. Charlotte had her second birthday while in Utah. We had a little party and sang to her, twice. (per her request.)

We got snow! Charlotte loved it. It was all she talked about for days.

I couldn't resist putting in this picture. Ben is the cutest! I am smitten with him.

That's it for now.

It's Cold Outside

2011-11-07T20:18:00.005-07:00

Dear Dustin, we miss you! These pictures are for you.
Ben will be one month old tomorrow! Time is flying already. He is such a good little baby. He is happy as long as he's cuddled up next to mommy. He's a little spoiled.

Charlotte loves Grandma's trampoline. From the moment she gets up in the morning she asks to go outside. However, it's in the 30's each morning, so I like to stay in. Grandpa builds us a fire everyday and we spend our mornings trying to stay warm.

We went for a walk the other day and it started snowing on us. It didn't stick to the ground, but I hope we get some good snow for Char to play in before we go home.

Here's Grandma and Charlotte. She loves her Grandma and get's really sad when she goes to work in the morning.

And finally, here's my little cow trick or treating at Great-Grandma's house. For the next few days she called all her candy tricks or treats.

Meet Ben

2011-10-10T11:03:00.006-07:00

Dear Blog, meet Benjamin. Ben is sweet and smells good. Ben makes Mommy happy.

Meet Scratch, he isn't new. He is just can't believe we brought home another sticky, hair pulling baby.

Meet Charlotte, the baby. She used to be a big girl until Ben showed up. Now she is a baby, just ask her.

Oh, little Ben! How cute are you? The cutest!

Happy Mommy. (slightly scary, not yet put back together after her hospital stay) Don't mind me.

Farm Animals

2011-07-25T09:33:00.006-07:00

We went to the zoo this morning because it's the first day in a long time that hasn't been very hot. What I failed to account for was the increased humidity. I sweated, alot. Charlotte is finally starting to enjoy the animals. She is really into Old MacDonald right now. She sings the song, all day. So we went and checked out all the farm animals, and she petted the horse and mooed at the cows. I can't wait for fall.

All grown up? Not quite yet!

2011-07-10T20:52:00.003-07:00

Who's big girl is this? Sara and Charlotte left for Utah last Tuesday morning. To be honest, I had been secretly waiting for a little Dustin time. I thought I would enjoy all of the free time and the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it. I was kind of in a bachelor haze for most of the day on Tuesday as I had all of these plans to have fun and relax. As Tuesday night was coming to a close I realized just how much I already missed my family. 7:00 pm rolled around and Charlotte was nowhere to be found for night, night. This is a well kept secret, but lil CharChar prefers to have her daddy put her down for naps and bedtime. What I didn't know is that I too had come to depend on putting Charlotte to sleep as a way of bonding with my little sweetheart. Then 9:00 pm came and went and there was no one to snuggle with. (yes we go to bed at 9. What's the big deal?)

Sara sent this picture to me of Charlotte in her new dress (thank you aunt Cyndi). Over the last six days it seems that Charlotte has grown up so much. She has shared some new animals sounds with me over Skype and has started saying nono when she perceives that someone will say it to her.

I can't wait to see my girls. Only a few days left...

A Tale of a Whale

2011-06-20T19:41:00.004-07:00

I sort of feel like a whale today, and everyday lately. Here I am at 23 weeks and I have almost gained as much as I did in my entire pregnancy with Charlotte....seriously. All I can do is laugh. I asked Dustin tonight if he was into bigger women. He just smiled. I think he kind of likes me with a little junk in my trunk. Maybe this isn't so bad after all. I'll chalk it up to retaining water, even though I never retain water :) Life is fun. We had a yummy Father's Day dinner yesterday and Charlotte behaved herself for most of the day. What more can we ask for? We have been swimming a lot lately, because there isn't much else to do in this weather. Charlotte is part fish, or maybe part lobster. She turns red even in the shade. She can thank her daddy for that. I would leave you with a picture, but I don't have any. My parents came and stayed with us for several days and I didn't even get my camera out. I'm getting lazy about things like that.

Dress-Up

2011-06-02T19:54:00.005-07:00

Oh my goodness, how cute is this girl? My heart aches when I see pictures like this that make her look so old! Where did my little baby go? Grandma Judy just finished playing dress up with her, she even has a wand.

Memorial Day, early edition.

2011-05-30T06:37:00.005-07:00

Memorial Day is starting out bright and early at the Miller household this year. 6:00 a.m. to be exact. How does Charlotte know when it's 6:00? This girl is an early riser, just like her mama. She is sitting here feeding herself some Rice Krispy's for breakfast. I'll take a picture....Done.
She is such a cheese for the camera lately. She busted her lip on the pew at church yesterday, that's the second time that's happened. She's starting to "talk" all the time, and get's really frusterated when I stare blankly. I'm sure those sounds are going to turn into sentences one of these days. We have a BBQ this afternoon that Dustin is so excited for. He really just wants the homemade ice cream, it's his favorite. Well, if you haven't heard the news we're adding a little man Miller to this family. Daddy couldn't be prouder that he made a boy. Boy oh boy, I hope this little guy is a little more mellow than our first, but we'll take him either way.

Dancing in the rain.

2011-05-19T11:01:00.008-07:00

Yesterday it rained. I don't even remember the last time it rained here, and it's spring. I took Charlotte out to have a look. I don't think she knows what rain is. She was so excited that water was falling from the sky. What is it like to experience things for the first time? Everything must be so wonderful. I let her stand in it for a minute, then told her to come in. She politely declined. So here she is after several minutes of swirling around in the rain, in her jammies no less. It was so fun to watch. Then it was time for a warm bubble bath.

We are on hiatus from school for three more weeks! It's been so nice to work on other projects and get things done around the house.

p.s. I'm baking some bread today, a new recipe. If it's half as good as it smells I'll share the recipe it next time :)

My First Born...err...My Only Born

2011-05-08T15:26:00.005-07:00

Charlotte gave me the best present a child can give this Mother's Day. A long nap. She slept the afternoon away, which she never does. It was delightful. Dustin and I laid in bed and watched the Laker's get swept, another nicety that doesn't happen everyday. My favorite thing about this day would have to be the candy bar all us women get in Sacrament meeting. That should really be an every week thing. Dustin made me an artichoke for dinner, hmm.....The jury is still out on artichokes. I love the hearts, but what about the rest? It's weird to eat the flesh off the leaves, I'm just saying. Now it's time for cookies with my two favorite people. It's good to be a mom. It's good to have a mom. Life is good.

Nothing Much Here

2011-04-05T19:47:00.005-07:00

I have never seen a little person more interested in trees. She loves them, and collects bark and leaves and pine needles and brings them home. It's the cutest thing. Well, I think that everything she does is the cutest thing.

I have been sitting on the same spot on my coach for about a month, or so. I missed March completely, was it nice? Somehow it got hot outside, sigh... Last year I swore I would not endure one more Phoenix summer, but here I am, double sigh. This has been what's going on in my head.....what am I going to do with my crazy toddler all summer long?...I can only stand to swim so much. Now I'm done being negative, I don't really like to be negative all that much. On to better things. Charlotte looks like a fairy princess in her swimsuit. I can't get enough of her cute chicken legs. While Dustin was at the Priesthood session this last Saturday night, my friend and I took Char to the splash pad, she loved it! She is a social butterfly with other kids, but doesn't care much for adults. (pictured above) . Well, I guess that's it for this month, stay tuned for more riveting news....or probably more of the same uninteresting tidbits.

Valentines Day=Yummy Food

2011-02-15T19:30:00.005-07:00

I'm sitting here watching the Biggest Loser, eating chocolates. I'm feeling pretty motivated....to make cookies, while chewing Extra sugar free gum (if you don't watch, that probably wasn't funny...my apologies). We don't have much to talk about lately, no great stories or anecdotes. Charlotte is turning into a little girl. She isn't much of a baby anymore, which I miss, but not so much. I love all the things she is learning. In church on Sunday we were sustaining people, and every time we raised our hand, Charlotte raised hers too. Now every time Dustin comes home, he tells her to raise her hand and she does, then she claps and laughs at herself. What a fun age. We have our first couple's 5K this Saturday. I'm excited to run with my hubs. Well, I guess I'll leave you with a cute picture of my babe. (Why do my pictures always go to the top, when I put them at the bottom?)

Markers and such

2011-01-03T08:12:00.002-07:00

Out of all the things that Charlotte could play with, she just wants my markers. She likes to put then in the box and take them out of the box and scatter them about the house. She is too cute. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of busy. We got a new house for Christmas! It took all our energy and time over the last two weeks, but we are moved in, settled and happy. Dustin did so much work, fixing toilets, replacing fans, repairing electrical outlets. What a good guy. Now he is back to work today, probably wondering where his vacation went. Now, if only the sun could find it's way back to Arizona, then life would really be great.

The Beginning of Something Great

2011-01-02T20:57:00.006-07:00

It's a new year. Bring on 2011! At the close of each year I love to reflect back on the previous year and remember all the good things that happened and how much I have been blessed. I also like to think about things that could have gone better and where I might improve. I think that most of the world does this. This year I just want to focus more on the good. Good friends, good family, good food, good life. I'm casting out the bad. Sometimes I get caught up in trying to please everyone. No more. I'm casting out the bad. I'm casting aside the people that don't truly have my best interest at heart. I'm going to focus on nourturing relationships that are priceless to me. My best friend and hubby, my little angel, my family and my dear sweet friends. I'm going to make sure that I never make a decision based on pride. I truly believe that if we all stopped worrying about what every one thinks of us and start worrying about how we treat each other, the world could heal itself. So, for 2011 I wish us all peace in our homes, love in our families and charity in our hearts. If I can accomplish any of these this year, I know I will have done something great.

Tis the season, to eat everything with butter

2010-12-22T16:18:00.005-07:00

For your viewing pleasure (you're welcome!)

I love Christmas! Love it. Actually, I love the anticipation of Christmas. I love the lights and the cookies and the spices and the smells and the good feelings that people have for one another. Then comes Christmas Day and it's all over. I don't love presents or buying things, but I do love family. My family is the best. My sister is home and brother is not far behind and I am really sad to not be there this year. I'm sad that I don't get to be woken up by my dad telling me that there are sugar plums dancing in my head. I'm sad that I don't get to cook with my mom and enjoy a week of amazing cuisine, and cuddle in bed with my sister. But most of all I'm sad that we won't all be together. However, I have a plan B. Dustin has this thing he likes to call a family, and I am sure glad he does. I can look forward to Jaime's delectable desserts and a certain older brother being Santa Claus and Jenn playing the piano for us to sing Christmas songs. And, of course the Christmas Eve play. Charlotte is going to be an angel (sigh) Yes, this year will be great.

The joys of a one year old

2010-11-19T11:50:00.010-07:00

We woke up early as usual on Char's birthday and I let her open her presents. She loves new toys!

This picture makes me laugh. Doesn't she look like a red neck from the 80's? Crazy mullet and a gap toothed grin :)

Here she is watching her birthday cake bake.

Things that have changed in our lives in the last year.
1. Our bedtime has gone from 11:30 to 9:30.
2. There are fingerprints on everything in our home.
3. Toothbrushes have been known to make their way to the toilet.
4. Dog toys have been found in the cereal box.
5. The living room is booby trapped with toys
6. There are cheerios everywhere.
7. I can’t leave the house without four bags, eight sippy cups and ten pairs of socks.
8. I spend the majority of my time in sweat pant. (Not that I’m complaining!)
9. I know the names of all Caillou’s friends and family members.
10. I can’t remember the last time I went shopping alone, which makes it easy to not shop at all!
11. My love has increased ten fold and our little Charlotte has taught us what real happiness is.
Happy Birthday (last week) to my sweet one year old princess.

A post about nothing.

2010-11-03T12:13:00.010-07:00

Rained on at the zoo

Lions
After bath hair!
Char's favorite place to hide

Well, here I am. Another year older and hopefully wiser. We have had a busy month, like always. Charlotte is ever growing and coming into her own. She is a special little girl. Are all your kids this special or is the first one really the most special? If we have any more kids they just won't get the one on one time that I can give to Charlotte. I guess that's just how it goes. We have been busy with school, as always. I'm always a little sad when Halloween ends. It means that the other two holidays will come quickly and then be over. Why do they have all the good holidays so close together? They should have spread out Thanksgiving and Christmas a few months more, don't you think? We have been going to the zoo almost every week. We love being so close. Living in the city has it's perks.

The People of Central Phoenix Walmart

2010-10-27T19:28:00.002-07:00

You know you’re in a Phoenix Walmart, when you hear a little girl screaming no quiero, no quiero, NO QUIERO! Over and over again while anticipating her flu shot. You know you’re in a Phoenix Walmart when the line goes super slow because every single person pays in cash and coin because the majority of the population can’t open a bank account. You know you’re in a Phoenix Walmart, when you’re trying to read the magazines while waiting in line and you can’t find an English copy. I’m just saying…

Alright, I had a good laugh writing this, but this place is starting to grow on me. I kinda like my neighborhood, which is a drastic improvement from when I moved here.

Dustin is officially a published writer. He wrote an article for a Windows Administrators site, and the editor loved it and it appeared here. I’m sure everyone is dying to read it. My hubby is a smart man!

Warning...baby post.

2010-10-04T19:38:00.013-07:00

(Crazy after bath hair, inherited from her father)

(destroying the kitchen)

Tonight is a post about Charlotte. I haven't posted about her much lately because I have been posting my random thoughts instead. It amuses me quite a bit to do so, but here is a baby post. But first, have any of you out there ever watched Keeping up Appearances? It is British humour (spelling on purpose) at its best. I used to watch it when I was young and I have recently rekindled my love of all things Hyacinth related. Also, I made really good pumpkin bread the other day and I will share the recipe, you can find it here. Okay, Baby Nut (as we like to call her) is getting big and adorable and feisty. She's the cutest fit thrower I have ever seen. Every time she doesn't get her way, watch out! Dustin says she gets that from me. I'm not sure, but I think that might be a Miller gene. Ha! Charlotte loves to climb the stairs, stand in the window and bang on it, and get in the water. Swimming pool, bath tub, sink, dog bowl, it doesn't really matter the source, if she finds the water she will play in it. She loves to clap and mimic us and she will be walking by the end of the month I'm sure. She's a brave little gal and loves to climb and get into dangerous situations. She is just so much fun and the older she gets the more I think I'll keep her around.

Did you know Wednesday?

2010-09-28T16:38:00.005-07:00

Did you know that when I did my first 5K I was passed by a little old man named Richard? Richard had been coming into the chiropractic office where I worked for many years. He is tiny, probably about 5'2 maybe 110 pounds soaking wet. I don't remember how old he was, but definately pushing 70. So there I was, just four months post baby and ready to start running again. A 5K was a good place to start for me, so my friend Judith and I signed up for one in Tempe. As I began running I felt really good. My pace was quick, my breathing was steady, my body felt good. Towards the end of the race my face was bright red, my lungs hurt and I felt like I was 50 years older then I actually was. All the sudden I see a little old man go barreling past me with the speed and agility of a cheetah. That made me feel really out of shape. I finished the race in a respectable amount of time and felt pretty good about it. However, I bet you didn't know that my face turns bright red when I workout. I mean beet glowing on fire red. I'm not sure why that happens. It makes me look like I'm about to pass out and die. Everyone kept asking if I was ok, and I was offered a lot of liquid and some shade to lay down in. I just accepted all the attention rather then explain that my face turns that color after all physical activity, even yoga. I probably have a new disease, let's call it Red Faced Sara disease. Anyhow, the next race I run, I will be smoking little old Richard.

We went to the zoo today, just Charlotte and I. I'm not sure how many animals she saw. When we went past the lions I looked down at her face to see if she could see them, and all I saw was her mouth. Her hat had fallen down over her eyes, but it didn't seem to bother her. She was busy eating her biscuit, no sight needed. (picture above)

Did you know Tuesday?

2010-09-21T11:19:00.009-07:00

(Charlotte coming up the soon to be mentioned clean stairs)
My shirt was once light gray, but it is now a sticky wet dark gray that indicates heavy sweating and an awesome cardiovascular workout. What did I do you ask? Was I running, doing pushups, maybe some crazy cycling? Not exactly. I just accomplished a major feat though, I vacuumed the stairs. Hmmm....I wonder if everyone else sweats bullets when vacuuming their stairs. Or is it just me? I can't simply vacuum, I first have to load up Charlotte in her carrier. She never lets me vacuum without her strapped securely to me. I guess she likes the exhileration that comes with clean carpets. I also get to use my giant upright Hoover. I don't have the luxury of a nice, light canister vacuum, so I get to lug that bad boy down the stairs and then vacuum each stair one at a time with a 100 pound dirt sucking machine and a 20 pound child strapped to my chest. Are you starting to understand the sweat? Yeah, it's that kind of morning. Did you know that I have a big test tonight? I have all sorts of crazy facts swirling in and out of my brain, mostly out. Facts about things like anterior interventricular arteries feeding into the coronary sulcus that drains into the right atria which has a tricuspid valve. Are you lost yet? Me too. Lost in the jungle that is our amazing heart. They should teach anatomy and physiology at church. Someone that is a complete genius designed us, if you believe that how can you not believe in a higher power? Did you know that my daughter had a piece of raw garlic in her mouth this morning? It must have slipped off the cutting board when I was preparing dinner.....about a week ago! I could smell something coming from her mouth and then I saw her chewing. You would think that raw garlic wouldn't be something that a baby would like to chew on, but I guess I was wrong. She felt pretty strongly about me taking it out of her mouth. She now needs some Listerine.... or a mint.

Never Say Never

2010-09-10T15:55:00.004-07:00

I have officially betrayed my generation. I grew up in the world of baggy pants. The bigger the better was our motto. JNCO's were to be admired and coveted. Super baggy fit was the order of the day. I remember being in ninth grade and going to Express to buy pants that were three sizes bigger then I was. This was cool. Then I left high school and assumed that the styles and trends of my day would stay the same forever. I assume that everyone does this and that's why many people still have giant wind proof bangs from the nineties, mullets from the eighties, Farrah Fawcetts iconic style of the seventies. This is what was cool when they left school, and somehow it just sticks. Well, I am proud to say that I still have sweaters from high school in my closet and earrings from junior high. They are gold peace signs. Ok, I probably won't be wearing those earring anytime in say the next ninety years, but you get the picture. Fast forward 9 years and here I sit in my skinny jeans. The jeans that I couldn't understand for so long. The jeans that I made fun of on countless individuals and vowed I would never wear. I have an confession to make to you Internet, I really like them. Every fiber of my being knows that what I am saying is sacrilege, but here I sit rockin the skinny jean and enjoying every second of it. Never say never.

On a lighter note, I'm teaching Relief Society this Sunday. Send good vibes my way...

Did you know Thursday

2010-09-02T10:54:00.007-07:00

(This picture is titled "Don't you dare take away my orange marker you mean mommy!")

Did you know Thursday will consist of a lot of factoids that aren't important and most people probably don't want to know. Read On! Did you know that I am possibly the most unexciting person alive? I got up this morning, unsure of what my day would become. Somehow I started going through my pantry. I started putting things in order, because no matter how many times I order my cooking supplies, "someone" un-orders them. Then I got excited. I love order. I love to put things into groups and put like items together. I'm sort of like a four year old in that way. I then went rhythmically thru the whole house and emptied each drawer and bookshelf and cubbie and put everything in order. How does junk accumulate so fast? I'm pretty sure that those same Keebler elves that sneak cookies into my pantry, also sneak clutter into my closets. Those trixy elves! Did you know that my sister just spent an entire week driving across the country? I am green with envy at where she has ended up. Washington! Did you know that I love Washington more then any other state in the union? If you can look past all the raging liberals and the entire eastern side of the state, you will find paradise. Did you know that when my sister and I were little she had a big bed in a big room in the basement? I however, had a little girls room upstairs with pink wallpaper and a white princessy daybed. I longed to be in the basement with the teenagers. I used to go downstairs and sit outside my sisters locked door and beg to sleep in her bed with her. On the rare occasion she let me in and took pity on me. I would lay in her big roomy bed and jabber on like a relentless jabberwocky. She would then remind me not to get to close because I was a human heat factory, and we would proceed to play Ward Directory. One of us would pick a family in our ward and the other would ask as many questions as it took to guess who the family was. Sort of like 20 questions, only the questions were endless. Did you know that my sister and I resurrected aforementioned Ward Directory game and played it on the phone for many hours while she drove across the country? I stumped her good a few times. Did you know that while I wrote this my baby was emptying the top half of the trash can that I just filled up? Don't worry, it wasn't the yucky trash can, just the one with papers.

Missionaries and a Yummy Salad

2010-08-31T11:48:00.006-07:00

We had the missionaries over this last Friday night, did you know? They were adorable boys that made me feel really old. Was 19 that long ago? I love the opportunity to make a big production of dinner. Honestly, who doesn't love to create delicious food? I served my favorite go-to salad found here and rocky road brownies that were to die for. Oh did I mention the margarita pizza? I LOVE margarita pizza, it's the only kind that I really like to eat. Nothing beats fresh mozzarella, tomatos and basil leaves. The smell of basil is euphoric. As we were eating I noticed one of the Elders picking his tomatos off. The tomatos are a key component in the triad of caprese ingredients, but I wasn't about to tell him that. He then picked a basil leaf off and ate it alone. Hmmmmm. "What kind of leaf is this?" he inquired. Then we all laughed. I made a mental note that 19 year old boys, although adorable, don't appreciate tomatos or leaves on their pizza. I will leave you with this picture of my lunch today, that was in fact inspired by this post.

Things that make you go huh?

2010-08-12T14:52:00.003-07:00

This afternoon I was perusing the Internet, searching for some non-existent quick fix to the latest problem in the Charlotte sleep sagas. I won't bore you with all the details, in short, she takes 20 minutes naps lately. Seriously. Some days I feel like I might lose my mind. Good thing she's a cute little stinker. Needless to say, she has been a little grumpy lately, because she is oh so tired. Anyhow, that is not the point of this post. As I'm sitting at the desk, I learned over and turned the TV on, because it's just to quiet in my house sometimes. Charlotte comes over to explore the TV as she often does. She doesn't so much watch it as likes to touch the screen and the buttons and put her hand in the VCR. Anyhow, I look over and notice the screen. What channel had I come across? Well, the picture says 1000 words. There is some scary clown singing about the importance of the Bible. Yikes! Agreed, the Bible is important, but it seems like there should be a less scary way of telling that to kids. If I was small and watching this program, I might have developed an aversion to the Bible, just because of this creepster clown singing about it. I'm just saying, is this the best they could do?

July is OvEr!

2010-07-30T20:24:00.013-07:00

(Just a side note, I wrote this about two weeks ago and never got around to adding pictures, which is why it's just making it's appearance today!)Vacation....What exactly does that word mean? It seems to imply a lack of responsibility and a time to rest and relax. Well then, I suppose I have not been on vacation for the last week, rather I have been in a different state with different people. Oh how I love being with my family. I have the best family, really, I do. I have a sister and sister-in-law that I love more then life itself. They are the people that I want to be like. They are patient, kind, humble women that are just trying there best to get through life and raise there kids to know what is important. Sometimes when I'm out in the world I forget what is important. I guess sometimes I lose my focus. My family always reminds me what I need to be doing and what really counts. Maybe that's why I love them so much. On to my so called vacation. Let's just say it was rough. Aside from being with my favorite people, Charlotte had a really, really, really hard time. She wouldn't nap in her pack n play, she started an oh so fun cling to mommy phase, she got her first two teeth which caused her a lot of grief, she came down with an illness and her and Dustin fell down the stairs. (which resulted in mass hysteria on my part) Yeah, lets just say I didn't get any rest or relaxation AT ALL. I think I cried just about everyday, either from frustration or pure exhaustion. The car ride was about what I expected. On our way back we decided to wait until her bed time and drive through the night. That was possibly the only smart thing I did all week. When I finally got home today, I just collapsed on our couch. I missed our condo. I missed the smell of it and the quietness in it. I missed our dogs, and our bed and I even missed the heat. No, I'm kidding. I didn't miss the heat one bit. I love Utah summers! However, when they are freezing there you know whats off this winter, I will be taking long walks in my t-shirt. Ha. I guess Arizona isn't so bad after all.

My thoughts, as of this very second.

2010-07-21T13:29:00.004-07:00

I am hot. Again. Do all my posts begin like this lately? We are finally leaving for Utah!! I know, I am lame, I am in love with Utah. You would be too if you had spent an entirely happy childhood living there. I have spend the last week getting ready to go. Isn't that the worst part of vacations? I went to Target innumerable times to get things needed to make the long car ride possible. Wish us luck, Charlotte is still in her I hate my car seat phase. She had better make peace with it real quick, or this is going to be a long two days. My whole morning consisted of cleaning, laundry, cleaning, laundry, packing etc. I have always had this need to have a completely spotless house before going on trips. There is nothing worse then coming home to dirty laundry, smelly old trash, unmade beds and leftovers in the fridge that are growing poisonous fungus. After I finished all this, I rigged up my new curtains. (I'll save talking about those bad boys until I come back) Now I am just sitting here with an hour to spare, waiting for Dustin to come home, contemplating whether or not I should just buy that new pack n play I want. I been checking them out, and I just can't decide. I'm wait another four minutes and then make up my mind. Here's an awesome picture to check out in the mean time.

Dear Dustin, this has been my day...

2010-07-15T13:27:00.005-07:00

Today started in the right direction. Up early, shower and ready for the day by 7:30 (and really, isn't a shower half the battle?) Picked up the house, started the laundry ect, ect. Somedays I just feel like I can do it all, those are good days. A nurse came at 8:00 to take my blood. This is where things took a turn south. Needles don't bother me, they never really have. This particular needle however, bothered me a bit. Or should I say this particular nurse. She began by asking if I have a good vein in either arm. Why she asked me this is a mystery, because I told her I had a good one in my right arm and she proceeded to get my left arm ready for the stick. Curious. Is it possible she doesn't know left from right, or more likely that she does this to all patients thinking it's somehow humorous? I could actually see me thinking that was funny if I were her. She proceeds to stick my "vein." It's never a good thing when they say hmmm.... after sticking a sharp foreign object into your body. No blood comes out. Now, either she missed the vein, or I am the walking dead. Neither is out of the realm of possibility. THEN the fun really starts. She starts to fish around inside my arm trying desperately to poke something that will bleed. Success! At this point I have become nauseous, light headed and I'm pretty sure I saw colors in the air that were not there. The first tube is filled and the second is inserted. Two drops of blood and it stops. "Hmmm..." Seriously? Another hmmm. She starts to fish again, this time I know that my breakfast is making it's way in a hurried manner up my esophagus. She finally gives up and says she thinks she has enough blood. I then excuse myself to run gagging to the bathroom, then sit quietly with my head between my legs so that I can remove the cloudiness from my brain. After she left, all ambition for the day left me. I put Char down for a nap and laid in bed until I felt a little better. After a while I got up to eat lunch which consisted of two bowls of ice cream and a baguette which I kept pouring olive oil on out of the bottle. Yeah, that's the kind of day it is now.

Sweatin' Bullets

2010-07-13T19:54:00.004-07:00

I stink, it's true. It's 7:55 p.m. The end of a long hot day. It's been the kind of day that makes me dream about Christmas time. I was looking through some recipes earlier (my favorite thing to do!) and I kept drooling over peppermint ice cream and pumpkin pie desserts. I started thinking about Halloween decorations and long walks in the cool evening air. If I can just stay focused on the upcoming fall I might forget that it's nearly 110 degrees and that I stink from going to Costco. In my defense I bought a lot of stuff and had to haul it all to the car, then out of the car, then up a long flight of stairs. As the melted icing on the cake, I just opened my electric bill, ouch. Having this nice cold place to live is costing us a pretty penny. I guess I'd better get back to work collecting aluminum cans off the side of the road. Watch for me, I'll be the one in the orange safety vest. :0)

Char Char's Personality

2010-07-10T07:36:00.006-07:00

I love these pictures! They melt my heart. If you like what you see, you can go here and get this very talented lady to take pictures for you! (if you live in the Mesa/Phoenix area) There is nothing better then when a little babies personality can be captured by the camera. My little girl isn't so little anymore.

The Importance of the Journal

2010-07-04T21:36:00.003-07:00

Dustin and I put Charlotte down early tonight and we were going to watch a movie together. Well, just as we came in our room, I noticed a pile of old journals that I had just found and had been meaning to put away. Somehow we started reading them and spent the next two hours laughing and cringing at memories of my junior high and high school years. I'm so thankful for journals! Even though I didn't write a lot, I wrote enough to bring back memories. It's funny how significant every little thing seemed when I was younger. I had written stories about friends, family, boyfriends, and my even my animals. Dustin and I just kept laughing every time we read about a new boyfriend, which was about every other week and usually they overlapped each other. He kept remarking that Charlotte was not allowed to date anyone until she turns 20. Oh, the good old days. I wrote about people that I don't remember, could I be that old? I wrote a lot about the Miller family. I wrote about a night that Ryan and I sat in the office of the old Lindon house talking. I don't remember that at all, but he really made an impression on me back then. I wrote about Jessica calling my house at 11:30 at night and getting me grounded for a month. I wrote about Jaime having her gall bladder removed and me playing with little Tyler when he was a baby. I wrote about Logan coming home from his mission and how Jenn and I were friends. I wrote about having a crush on Vance (oh yes! all the girls in the ward did) and how Judy was my best friend. I wrote pages upon pages about Dustin and how we tormented each other for years. It's crazy that this family that had such an impact on me in my youth are now my in-laws. I also read some really funny letters that my best friends wrote me. Michelle and Stephanie. They were my BFF's for a lot of years and we shared some really great times. Steph and I used to sneak over to the Miller's all the time at night and do random things. Once we snuck in there house and turned the t.v. on, and ran away. That doesn't seem very funny now, but I remember how we couldn't stop laughing for days about it. I guess this is getting long and unless you are reminiscing with me, this probably isn't very entertaining for most. Happy Fourth of July.

Reunited at last

2010-06-30T08:30:00.006-07:00

As I sit here this morning, blogging from my childhood home, I am filled with happiness, memories and love. The early morning brought sounds of life from upstairs. As I lay in bed I could hear my mothers feet moving quietly about the house. I could always tell who was walking around upstairs by the sound that there feet produced. It is no different now. I lay thinking about the many mornings that I was awakened in this very room, to a home filled with a family that I now miss. It has been a long time since my entire family has been under one roof. I go upstairs to find my mother ironing her blouse and I bring in a chair to sit with her. I love the early morning, which I must get from my mother. I love to know that I am up in the most peaceful hours of the day, when most are in bed missing them. I like to talk to my mom, just her and I. She brings insight and knowledge into my life that I would otherwise be lacking. I hear the shower turn on downstairs. My brother is up. My brother that I love dearly and talk to little and see even less. My brother that I have looked up to for so many years. Here we are, sharing a bathroom, like we're teenagers again. My sister is still asleep on the couch, like old times. She loves to sleep in, because with three children she so rarely gets the opportunity. My mom and I go upstairs to wake up grandpa with a sweet smile from Charlotte. He is happy to see her. My oldest brother is asleep upstairs, I can hear his loud snore from a mile away. How does his wife stand it? I am glad he is here. He is helping my grandma so much. He has always taken good care of her and grandpa. So, here we all are, four siblings from four corners of the earth it seems, reunited to celebrate the life and passing of our grandpa. Practically strangers, but in another reassuring, calm, loving way, as close a family as can be.

We've been burgled.

2010-06-14T21:05:00.004-07:00

We have been eating a lot of asparagus lately. I bought the super bag at Costco. I've slipped it in several meals you wouldn't think it would slip into. Dustin says it makes his pee stink. Mine doesn't. Maybe it's a guy thing. I've heard the same comment from my dad. Oh a scarier note, we're pretty sure that someone broke in last night and ate all our brownies. We had a full pan and now the pan is empty. Neither Dustin or I seem to be responsible for emptying the pan. Hmmm...sounds fishy. If I were a burglar I wouldn't have stolen the brownies, I would have stolen our 13 inch tv/vhs combo. But, I guess I just don't understand the mind of a burlgar.

Life in June

2010-06-10T21:38:00.006-07:00

My baby crawled today (tear). I guess we are at the end of easy baby days. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I think I say that every month. My parents came to Arizona last week. It was so fun, I didn't know they were coming until two days before and then they showed up. Charlotte loves Grandma and Grandpa! Grandma taught her to reach for her. It was so sweet. We spent time at the pool and Char loves the water. She likes to splash and then looks surprised when the water comes up and hits her face. My dad also brought me something special. My Grandma Gale's sewing machine. It means a lot to me to have it and I am putting it to good use. It's a really nice old school Bernina that can do everything! I started cutting out denim about 10 years ago to make a picnic quilt and I'm just getting around to working on it. Pictures to come when it's finished. Dustin and I have been crazy busy with school. I have class four nights a week and then try and catch up with another class on the weekend. I thought Summer was supposed to be break time :/ Anyhow, here are some pictures for all those that care to see them. P.S. It's hot here, blah.

My Little Swimmer

2010-05-28T12:28:00.005-07:00

Dustin has a four day weekend starting today! I love when he's home with us during the day, it's so fun. First thing this morning we took Charlotte swimming. We had to go before it got too hot for her. I have been wanting to get her in the pool, but I didn't want to attempt it by myself. She really loved it. She kicked her foot and smiled, but when I dipped her in up to her shoulders she shrieked. I guess the water is a little chilly when you're used to a warm bath tub. So I got her out and daddy wrapped her up in the towel and she really loved that. She sat and watched me swim in the water and laughed. It was really sweet. Another week or two of this hundred degree weather and the pool should be nice and hot.

Primer corte de pelo de Charlotte

2010-05-21T10:54:00.010-07:00

For all you non Spanish speakers, this post is about Charlotte's first haircut. I bet you didn't know that I am practically bilingual. I just finished my first week of Spanish 101 and I must say I'm a natural. My professor and Dustin may not agree, but I'll say it anyways. We went to Jaime's last night to get Dustin's haircut. It was long overdue. Charlotte got to be part of the action too. Jaime cut off her little baby mullet. It was pretty cute. Charlotte wouldn't hold still and she really wanted to eat the cape she was wearing. She has nothing left of her dark brown hair. It was turned to a very very light brown.

Busy Month

2010-05-13T14:12:00.006-07:00

Yay! Finals are over for Dustin and I, and we have a break for two whole weeks until Summer block begins. I guess we have been busy finishing classes and Charlotte is becoming a handful! She is on the move now. She doesn't crawl, but somehow she gets around the room and into things. She has also developed this crazy love for being on her stomach. I can't keep her on her back for more then two or three seconds. I just love watching my little girl grow up. I love watching her experience things for the first time and making discoveries that delight her. She LOVES to eat. She got that from both her parents I suppose. She will readily gobble up anything I put in her mouth. I think we're all a little sad that Winter is over, and we're gearing up for a long hot Summer indoors. Only two more months until our Utah trip! I love having something to look forward too. Here are some recent shots of my babe. Enjoy!

Look Alikes, Kind of?

2010-04-15T08:21:00.003-07:00

Yes in deed, we are related.

That's some kind of thick soup

2010-04-12T20:48:00.002-07:00

I can't believe I'm blogging for a second time today. This is a record. Clearly I have no job and I get a little bored from time to time. I couldn't resist posting this. I had to get to school tonight and was a little pressed for time. So, for dinner we had my last minute go to meal...Grilled turkey and cheese with tomato soup. Yum! I was making the sandwiches and asked Dustin if he could make the soup. I just figured since all you do is add a can of water he could handle it. After about five minutes he says "This sure doesn't make a lot of soup." I came over and looked in the pot and it looked like a tomato paste. I asked how much water he put in and he answers "you put water in this?" I couldn't help but laugh. I had to assure him that water was needed and that it goes in all condensed soups. This is his reply (it was classic) "No, I make chicken noodle soup all the time and you don't have to add any water to it." I almost fell over. He then had to go read the label on the can because he didn't believe me. His closing remark sounded something like this..."I always wondered why my soup was so chicken noodley." Dustin, I love you for moments like this. You make me smile and you make me laugh like nobody else can.

Provident Living

2010-04-12T14:14:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to put out there some thoughts I had yesterday at church. We had one of those lessons that really spoke to me. We talked about provident living. Of course we have all heard about this before (if you are LDS). Living within our means, food storage, self reliance, education. That kind of stuff. The instructor was talking about living without debt and not buying things we don't need. That got me thinking about what our "needs" really are. I thought about a place to live, food to eat, health care and basic clothing. What else is there really? Everything else I thought of really wasn't a need, but a comfort, a want, a splurge. Then I thought of many people that are without. I thought of the people in poor countries, that have never seen cars, or Prada bags, and for some, a school, a proper building. Now, for just a moment, put yourself in one of these countries. Let's say you have the same financial situation you have now. Would you be so eager to buy an expensive car, or spend money on name brands that mean nothing to these people? Would fancy furniture be the top of your list? It made me think of why we buy what we buy. And the ugly truth is...Most of the things we buy (aside from essentials) are so that other people can see that we have them. I don't mean this as a judgement in anyway. (I would love a Louis Vuitton as much as the next girl!) I merely found myself re-thinking what is important and what is not. Food storage is important. Savings are important. Family is important. Education is important. The rest is just luxury, it doesn't make us happy, and it doesn't make people like us. I am glad for lessons like this that remind me what I should be focused on and where my priorities should be.

Yummy Dipping Sauce

2010-04-10T20:29:00.004-07:00

Let me preface by saying that this is the ugliest picture and doesn't do anything justice. I took in as an afterthought. Anyways, I was making a loaf of french bread tonight and when it was done I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. I decided to try a olive oil dipping sauce for it. Oh my goodness! I am in love, and I thought that it would be a sin to not share this recipe. You could dip any crusty bread in this sauce. It's suppose to taste like Carraba's dipping sauce, not sure if it does, but it is goooood.

1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

-Combine all ingredients, except oil, on a shallow bowl or plate.
-Pour olive oil over. (I used a really good EVOO)

I think next time I will roast my garlic in the oven. There is nothing better then roasted garlic.

Enjoy :)

A Newsworthy Night

2010-04-08T21:08:00.004-07:00

If you are expecting an exciting post, stop reading now. This is strictly an excited mommy post. Tonight..... Charlotte went to sleep on her own. We have been struggling with her sleeping for the last month and a half. Until about twelve weeks of age she had no problem going to bed. I would feed her, put her in her bed and she would drift off. Then she suddenly became aware that she was alone in her bed. The struggle began. She would cry and I would come to her rescue, not wanting her to be mad at me. Needless to say, I got tired. I got tired of the feeding, rocking, putting her down ever so careful and crawling out of the room, only for her to wake up suddenly and cry. I would start the process all over again. (clearly I am new to this mom thing). I started gathering advise, reading books, ect. ect. Apparently you are allowed to let your baby cry, they will get over it. A couple weeks ago we started letting her cry for short periods of time, a little more each night. Tonight, she didn't cry. I put her down wide awake, left the room and didn't hear a peep from her. I went back in after a few minutes to make sure she was breathing. She was sound asleep like a sweet little princess. I feel like I have accomplished something great. As a mother, it's not often that you feel like you do anything important and I rarely feel like I accomplish anything. It's little moments like this that I live for. On a side note, we got a really cute new dress from my brother and his wife today. I took some pics of Char, she looked to cute. Enjoy.

Our 4 Month Old!

2010-03-19T11:07:00.005-07:00

Dear Charlotte, who said you could get so big so fast? You are such a sweet little girl and we love having you in our family! You are just getting to an age that is fun and exciting. You love to play with mom and dad and try and mimic what we do. You have just started showing interest in your toys and you love to grab everything and put it in your mouth. You rolled over for your first time this week. You sleep really well at night, but you take short little naps during the day. When you lock eyes with your mama your face lights up and you have the most beautiful smile and big blue eyes. We love you so much...here are some of my favorite pictures of you over the last month or so.

2010-03-11T14:56:00.005-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and think "I'm becoming my mother?" Or better yet, have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and think "I wish I could be more like my mother?" It seems that those days are becoming more frequent for me lately. There is something about becoming a mother that makes me want to excel in the homemaking department. Oh how I wish that 16 year old Sara could have looked into her futute and seen me now. This is what she would have said, "Oh my gosh, you are such a dork." My mom used to always tell me, you'll understand when you're older. I thought she was so dumb. Sorry Mom! How right you were. I love you so much. Anyway, as I was sitting at my desk today planning out our meals for next week, I thought of some things that I really want to accomplish this year. I have decided to list them here so I can come back at the end of the year and assess my progress.

1. I want to sew something for Charlotte to wear. (a hat, gloves or booties don't count) My mom used to make us clothes all the time and I want to be able to do that for my kids.

2. I want to can something from every season and get at least a six month supply of food in our pantry. I know we need a year, but I'm taking baby steps.

3. I want to read one good educational book a month. By educational I don't necessarily mean fiction or boring. I was thinking more along the lines of a book that will teach me something or give me new perspective.

4. I want to cook more. Although I have been much better as of late, I know that I need to be more consistent. Sometimes I will cook all week and then take a whole week off. Since I have had a baby I have not been very good at getting meals together. We just moved into a new place, and I've vowed to make dinner most nights of the week. This will not only save us money, but will also be good for our health!

5. I want to invite one family from our ward over for dinner every other month. I know this doesn't seem like much, but if you know Dustin and I, that will be painful. I love people, don't get me wrong. I just don't like meeting new people. So, I'm going to try and step out of my comfort zone.

Well, that's it. There are many more things I want to work on this year, but I can only focus on so many right now. I will add a picture of Charlotte, because she's just so darn cute!

Char's Blessing

2010-02-21T11:22:00.006-07:00

We went to Kingman this last weekend to bless our sweet little baby. We stayed at Dustin's parents house and my parents came down from Utah. It was really fun. I realized that I have become completely dependent on her swing for naps, which probably isn't a good thing. She had a hard time sleeping during the day without it. We went to church on Sunday where we picked up some wonderful colds. :( Dustin blessed her after church with both her grandpa's. It was so nice to have my parents there. We don't get to see them nearly often enough. Charlotte is changing so much, I need to blog more to document all this so I don't forget! She smiles all the time and is starting to mimic me. When I sing to her she sings back and she sticks out her tongue when she sees mine. She loves the t.v.! She will stare at it for quite a while, which really helps me get things done. When we took her for her two month appointment she weighed 9 lbs 3 ounces and was 22 inches long. That may not seem very big, but now that she is three months she has doubled her birth weight. I absolutely love being her mama.

Just another baby post :)

2010-01-31T21:48:00.005-07:00

My baby is getting so big! I was looking at old pictures today and I can't believe how much she has grown in twelve weeks. I wake up everyday now to her big smiles and I love it. She has such a sweet little personality. I guess we haven't done much lately. Between classes and the baby, Dustin and I never seem to have time for anything. We try to watch movies now and then, but I never make it all the way thru one without having to do something. Dustin is going to bless her in a few weeks and I can't wait to put her dress on her. I borrowed the dress that my mom was blessed in and if she fits in it ok, she will be wearing it. Well, thats about all for now, sorry nothing exciting.

This would make me cranky too...

2010-01-22T15:31:00.002-07:00

I think this one is self explanatory. Yuck.

Bumbos

2009-12-31T14:26:00.005-07:00

So the other day Dustin thought it would be a good idea to put Charlotte in her Bumbo. She isn't nearly big enough for it and she can't control her head, but we gave it a try anyways. I couldn't stop laughing at how funny she was. She was all slumped over, but she was a good sport and didn't cry. She is a sweet baby.

The 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-08T13:05:00.004-07:00

On the First day of Christmas my true love gave to me, one beautiful baby girl.

On the Second day of Christmas I really needed a nap, but that just hasn't happened yet.

On the Third day of Christmas my baby girl smiled at me, probably because she was gassy.

On the Fourth day of Christmas we went broke buying diapers.

On the Fifth day of Christmas I got thrown up on and was too tired to shower.

On the Sixth day of Christmas I spent the night rocking a fussy pants.

On the Seventh day of Christmas I had sympathy for the dairy cows.

On the eighth day of Christmas I realized I had picked a good daddy for my baby.

By the ninth day of Christmas the laundry all smelled like sour milk.

On the tenth day of Christmas I received one hefty hospital bill, anyone want to go halfsies?

On the eleventh day of Christmas I am no longer afraid of a little poop on my hands.

On the twelfth day of Christmas I realize what a tiny miracle I hold in my undeserving hands and I thank the Lord everyday for sending her to me.

Christmas Candy in all its glory

2009-11-15T12:41:00.002-07:00

There is something about candy that is in a Christmas bag that makes me need to buy it. The marketing companies are very cleaver in making me feel like it's ok to splurge on candy that is for a holiday, even when I start buying it in October. This week my nemesis has been the Kisses with Almonds. They are the most tricky chocolate candy out there. I would never sit down and eat two candy bars. The thought of that is pretty gross and the latter part of me would balloon into an unrecognizable shape very quickly. However, I can sit down and eat a whole pile of kisses with almonds. The equivalent of several candy bars in fact. That is gross, I know. But they look so small and innocent. My advice, don't let them trick you, just leave them at the store.

Home Sweet Home

2009-07-07T07:54:00.004-07:00

When the plane lands in Utah, I think I breathe a little easier. Why is that I wonder? Dustin and I got to spend the week in Utah with my family. I like Arizona don't get me wrong, but there is just nothing like home. We spent all of the time at the cabin in Fairview. I have the prettiest neices and the smartest nephew in the world. I wish Taylin could come wake me up every morning :) Now were back, it's suppose to be 114 on Saturday. Let the sweating continue.

It's officially offical

2009-06-25T19:38:00.003-07:00

Our baby will officially be wearing this: Dustin was sort of in disbelief because he was quite "sure" it was a boy. If it's a boy, it's missing something very important. Let the pink shopping begin!

Advertures at Petsmart

2009-06-11T08:06:00.004-07:00

So last night Dustin and I decide that the dogs need a new bed. Their's is getting a little wornout. We decide to head over to Petsmart. Scratch has been a little bored at home lately so we decided to take him with us. He loves to go to the store and smell everything and see the other dogs. Just as we enter the store, Dustin reminds me not to let him get too close to any merchandise. (he is a male dog and loves to mark everything outside!) For some reason I figured that because we were in a store he wouldn't do that. He doesn't do it in the house, just outside and on walks. (note to self: Scratch doesn't know the difference between Petsmart and a walk) Anyway, we're cruising down the aisle and Scratch is smelling a nice pink princess shirt, which he apparently liked and decided to claim as his own. Oh the horror. I pulled him away, but a little too late. Long story short, we have a new pink princess shirt at our house that I made him wear as punishment. I have got this parent thing down....You pee on it, you wear it.

Nothing to do but cook

2009-05-30T16:07:00.004-07:00

Well, we haven't posted for a while again because I never take any pictures to post, but oh well, here it is and I'll attach a random photo that has nothing to do with the post :) We haven't been doing much because it's too stinking hot outside! We like to get up really early on Saturday morning and take the dogs for a walk and enjoy the cool (75 degree) air. It only lasts until about 9:00 then it's time to hide in the house for the rest of the day. I have been cooking a lot more lately and I discovered my cousin Anna's blog today and it had many delicious sounding recipes on it that I intend to try. She uses Shirley J products. I've never used them before but I went to the website today and placed a pretty good order. If they turn out to be as good as they look, I will let everyone know so they can try em' out. The website for anyone interested is shirleyj.com. (spelling now corrected) Other then that we are just hanging out at home. We had a three week break from school, but we're starting back up this Monday. Summer classes are usually relaxed, so this should be a good semester. We may just get in the pool today, but that depends if Dustin can wake up from his nap :0)

Vacation close to home

2009-04-23T08:19:00.006-07:00

Last week my mom and sister came to Arizona to visit me. We stayed at a resort in Phoenix about an hour from my house. Sometimes you don't have to go far to feel like your on vacation. It was unusually cold for a day or two, but the sun came out before they left. We did more shopping then I will ever do again in my life and sat out by the pool the rest of the time. Correction, they sat out by the pool and I laid in bed a lot. I did play in the lazy river the last day and it was pretty nice. These pictures are not great, but there are no good shots of me. Oh well.

St. Patricks and other Random thoughts

2009-03-17T09:57:00.006-07:00

It's been a while since I blogged, so here is the quick update. Nothing much has changed. We've taken up bowling as our new hobby and Dustin tries relentlessly to beat me. We continue to watch in horror as the government wastes our tax dollars and digs our country deeper and deeper into debt. Oh a happier note, Survivor is really good this season and for all of you out there that watch it, let's form a club to get Coach voted out. He is the single most ridiculous player I have ever watched! Happy St. Patricks Day. I hope everyone remembers to wear green.

Crawling Across the Freeway=One Sad Mess

2009-02-27T15:56:00.003-07:00

Ok, I have to comment today on the tragic accident on US-60. (I will re-cap for everyone not living in Arizona) At 5:00 AM there was a un-suspecting person driving westbound on the 60, when to their surprise they spotted a person crawling across the HOV lane. I'm sorry, what was that? Yeah, that's what I said. The 60 is one of the largest highways in Arizona, four to six lanes in both directions. The HOV lane is the furthest one to the left. How in the world did a women manage to get onto the freeway and crawl all the way over there? I can't wrap my mind around this. Sadly, she was run over by not one, but a few vehicles. Luckily Dustin saw this on the news before we came upon it on our way to work. We took alternate routes. Can anyone even speculate about what this women was doing? I am stumped. As a warning to the rest of you, please remember that freeway crawling is not only frowned upon by the highway patrol, but also very hazardous to your health.

Tag--

2009-02-20T14:15:00.003-07:00

TAG...
try and use one word!

1. Where is your phone? I never know
2. Where is your significant other? work
3 .Your hair color? brown
4. Your Mother? far far away
5. Your Father? smart
6. Your favorite thing? the sun
7. Your dream last night? haunted house with Jacob from Lost
8. Your dream/goal? finish school
9. The room you're in? bedroom
10. Your hobby? running
11. Your fear? running out of time before I accomplish all my goals
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Utah
13. Where were you last night? school
14. What you're not? loud
15. One of your wish-list items? William Sonoma, the whole store!
16. Love Someone? many people in fact
17. The last thing you ate? goldfish crackers
18. What are you wearing? shorts
19. Your TV? over used
20. Your pet? happiness
21. Your computer? what about it?
22. Your mood? upbeat
23. Missing someone? Always
24. Your car? white
25. Something you're not wearing? hat
26. Favorite store? Super Target
27. Your Summer? hot
28. Where did you grow up? Lindon
29. Your favorite color? Pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? today at work
31. Last time you cried? unknown
32. Something you crave? doughnuts
33. pet peeve? personal space violators
I tag Amanda and mom. Good luck mom!

You are officially old!

2009-02-17T11:01:00.007-07:00

Happy Birthday Dustin! I still love you, even though you're an old man now.

Yummy in my Tummy

2009-02-03T09:24:00.005-07:00

OK, I know my last post was a recipe, but I have to post this one too. I was in Costco a few months ago and they were giving out recipe books so I took one (In the Kitchen, the Costco Way). I figured I would look thru it, but my expectations weren't high. This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever owned. I have made about 13 recipes from it and they have all turned out amazing. Also, it has pictures and I really love that. So...here is a Baked Ziti recipe that will made your mouth water (trust me).

2 T. Olive Oil

1 1/2cupes diced brown mushrooms

1 T. crushed garlic

1/4 cup white wine

1 T. finely chopped shallot

1/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 pound sausage (I like the Jimmy Dean's 1/2 fat sausage)

2 T. chopped fresh basil (my favorite herb!)

1/2 tsp salt

4-ounce part skim-ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatos

8 ounce ziti or penne pasta (cooked)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup smoked provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a preheated nonstick skillet over medium heat, saute olive oil, garlic, shallots and sausage for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add salt, pepper, eggplant and mushrooms; saute for another 1-2 minutes. Turn heat up to high, add wine and stir until evaporated. Add chicken broth and cook until slightly reduced. Return heat to medium and simmer for 1-2 more minutes. Gently fold in basil, ricotta, mild provolone and tomatoes. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Fold in cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to casserole and top with smoked provolone. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until heated though. Makes 5 or 6 servings.

On another note, things are going well here in Mesa. School has started, so we are pretty busy most nights. Dustin is having his tonsils and adnoids out tomorrow and his sister is suppose to have her baby, so it will be an eventful day. More to come on that.....

A large rodent in the fridge... Lo siento, madre

2009-01-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

Who can one call to deal with such a problem? I'm just kidding. Ms. Sheera is no rodent (even though she is definitely part rattus). Sara is sound asleep, so I thought I could post a blurb for the first time. She probably won't like seeing this since she already thinks I annoy the dogs too much. We saw "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" tonight and it was pretty funny. Sara was a trooper for going since she is sick, but I just pouted for a bit and she decided to go. It works every time! Marriage is funny. Before I got married I couldn't imagine being with someone 24/7. Now I can't stand to be away from her for more than a couple of hours. She has no idea how lucky I am to have her in my life.

Saturday Morning Breakfast

2009-01-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning, it has become tradition for Dustin and I to make a big breakfast together. I never know what he's going to want before hand, he waits until he wakes up to decide. This usually results in an early morning trip to the grocery store in our pajamas. There is one breakfast that we both particulary love, buttermilk coffee cake. So, this morning I thought I would post a picture and a recipe for the two people that read my blog. I always love when people give me tried and true recipes to use....so here you go.

1 cup butter (softened)

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs (beaten)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; stir in alternately the combined dry ingredients; add vanilla and buttermilk. Put half the batter in the bottom of a 9 x 12 inch pan (I use a slightly smaller one so my cake is puffier) then half the topping. Add the remaining batter and the remaining topping. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Topping: 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 4 tbsp white sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon. Yum!

The recipe actually says to bake for 45 to 50 minutes, but that always cooks it too much for me, I like it soft and moist.

New Year, New Room, New York Cheesecake

2009-01-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've blogged because Christmas season was so crazy! It's finally wrapping up and it's been fun. Dustin woke me up this morning at the unattractive hour of 5:30. We went outside to watch a meteor shower. It was a little chilly, but kind of neat to be witnessing something while everyone else was warm in their beds. Today, we have been crazy busy changing rooms and organizing everything. Who knew two people could have so much crap? New Years Eve was pretty laid back this year. We went to Olive Garden with Dustin's parents then came home and watched some tv. Jaime and Ryan plus families came over and we almost made it to midnight, but not quite. We got in bed about quarter til and we stayed up long enough to watch the ball drop, have a New Years kiss and I was out cold about ten seconds later. I'm not a night person. The day after Christmas I flew home to Utah without my honey :( because he had to work. It was really good to see my family. Everyone was home, which hasn't happened in 2 or 3 years. My neices and nephews are so adorable. Vance and Judy came down and stayed for two weeks. It's always nice to have people in the house, because sometimes it feels really big and empty. They left today and I guess the holidays are officially over. I might post some pictures later, but I don't think we took many this last month.

The smell of Pine is in the air today...

2008-12-06T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday at last and we finally had some free time to get in the Christmas Spirit! We went out in search of a live tree, which is not as easy as I thought it would be. The first lot that we found was manned by a guy that sort of resembled kid rock and smelled of something so foul, I have no words to describe it. He also offered us smooshy old Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a nice gesture, but I had to pass. We moved on shortly.....We ended up at Home Depot, (thanks for the suggestion Nate!). We found much nicer, not to mention less expensive trees, and no foul odor in the air. As we brought the Christmas tree home and started with the festivities associated with decorating a tree and the house, we have come up with a few pointers for anyone that hasn't already undertaken this task.
1. The tree will never stand perfectly straight and crooked gives it character anyway.
2. Santa hats, though adorable, will make you sweat if you live in Arizona in the winter.
3. Stringing beads is a lot harder then it looks. They should offer classes for this job.
4. Nativities made of wood are very difficult to decide who is who. Does a wise man wear a hat??
5. Cleaning up needles is not a shared responsibility, it is by default, a man job.
6. Bad words may slip out of your mouth when moving furniture out of the way for the Christmas tree, hot chocolate makes a good apology drink.
7. And lastly, Christmas music makes it feel like a holidays, even when it's 85 degrees outside.

I hope everyone enjoys getting ready for the holidays as much as we did! Now...on to the most important night of the week, Jazz vs. Suns. This is the only day I will root for the down fall of the Suns! GO JAZZ

Pictionary Man vs. Millers, Jensens, Lucas' and Prims

2008-11-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Jenn must think Nate is pretty funny... I love candid shots!

Tonight was so fun! I thought the best part about Dustin was having a wonderful husband, but his sisters are a close second. I can't be with my bff right now (aka my sister) so it's really nice to have Jamie, Jenn and Jess around to fill in. We played a rousing game of the new Pictionary Man. I love to play games because I think that it brings everyones' colorful personalities to the table. The kids were so well behaved and the grown ups tried to be good too :) Thanks for the treats that everyone brought and thanks to Tyler for teaching me about gufflinks.....

Supai-Best Weekend Ever

2008-11-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Vance and Judy

View from the church

Our the helicopter window

glare from the window

helicopter ride, going down

So...This weekend, we enjoyed a once in a lifetime opportunity. We took a helicopter ride down to the bottom of the grand canyon! There is a very small Indian tribe that lives there, and an even smaller LDS church. Vance and Judy were assigned to speak to the ward, so we jumped at the chance to be part of that. Dustin's holiday work party was on Friday night at the zoo, so we went to that, then headed to Kingman. Judy and Vance we're still awake when we got there a little after 11:00 PM. I was impressed. Saturday we went to Laughlin Nevada to see the new 007 movie. It was really good, tons of action. Anyhow, Sunday morning we drove the two hours to the edge of the Grand Canyon. We waited for the helicopter for about half an hour or so. I think we we're all pretty nervous about the ride, but it was a lot smoother then I thought it would be. We walked in a sandy path about 1/3 mile to the church building. There is a senior missionary couple living in the church and they met us at the door. Only three members attended the service, but I guess three is better than none. On our way out, the helicopter pilot took us on a detour to show us Havasupi Falls. It was amazing. We are so lucky that he gave us that special tour! I wish that I could describe the experience a little better. It was really awesome and I'm so glad that I had that opportunity. I'll post a couple pictures of the scenery and the church and one of us in the helicopter.

I don't get sentimental very often, so take a picture

2008-11-11T09:49:00.000-07:00

As far as I can tell, this picture is a few years old. But I was looking at it this morning and it reminded me of the day that I knew for sure I wanted to marry Dustin. It was my first time visiting Mesa and it was Father's Day. Dustin took me to dinner at his sister's house and I felt so awkward being there, but when I saw Dustin with his neices and nephews, I was overwhelmed by the love that I knew he felt for them. I was so touched, I remember thinking that I wanted him to be the father of my children someday. He is such a good person and he has been everything that I needed him to be the last few weeks. I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband and I hope he knows that!

Halloween Central

2008-11-02T20:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween! I love this holiday, there is something extremely fun about people dressing up and acting silly. I had to dress up for work this morning. I was a devil. My boss came dressed as a banana, it was hilarious Dustin and I finally got around to carving our pumpkins tonight. We're pretty busy people, either that or we're both procrastinators and do things last minute. We didn't have any regular candles so we used birthday candles. Dustin made us some orange julius and now we're going to watch a scary movie. I love days like this. They remind me that there is joy in simple things and that I am really lucky to have found such a special husband that does anything to make me happy! Happy Haunting...

I know how to blog, I'm just a little slow

2008-11-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

So, my sister helped me set this up, but now I have to take over EEK! What do people blog about? We're neither interesting or entertaining, but I'll give it a try anyways. It's almost Halloween and we're getting ready to carve pumpkins. Dustin thinks he can make a better one than me, but I've assured him he can't. We went to a Halloweenish farm this weekend with Dustin's sisters and there families. It's always fun to go out with them because we can do silly kid activities even though we don't have kids. Sunday was my birthday and I'm now 25 years old. I guess it's time to grow up. Thanks to the Miller girls for making my birthday fun and singing to me. I was embarressed, but I still appreciated it. I also got a magic bullet!!!! I have wanted one for years, I don't know why I never got myself one. Now I can make some six second nachos..lol...if you haven't seen the infomercial, you probably aren't laughing. Well, stay tuned, I'm sure something humerous will happen soon, it always does.