Kid Fun

Yesterday, some of my friends from my Novell days came over for lunch and to let the kiddos play.  Here is a video of MJ and Cannon riding on the zebra together, and no it's not a two-seater.  ;).   I was waiting for MJ's shirt to come out of the dryer which is why she is a little immodest! 

Lauren, I hope you can save this video- sorry it's sideways!

Long awaited pictures

I know you guys have waited on edge for these pictures... drum roll please... Our halloween costumes!  Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife Beth.  Am I aware that it's December 1st and everyone else in the world has posted their Halloween pictures?  Yes.  Do I feel bad about posting these late?  No way.  I'm not sure how I feel about Adam's G-less halloween costume, but oh well, the sin be upon his head.  And yes, I have added those Cheetah print capris to my wardrobe... they're HOT!
Mimi (my mom) with our little witch, Madeline.  Ok, her costume was basically just an excuse for me to make a tutu, every mother's dream.
MJ at school with Daddy watching the costume parade.
A smock I made for Madeline.
The back.

Best White Bread Recipe

This is Julia Child's White Bread Recipe, and it is the best I have found so far ( I have made it 4 times, and every time has been a success) and so easy to memorize.  

2 1/2 cups water

1 T yeast

1 T sugar

7 cups flour

1 T salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1.  Mix 1/2 cup warm water with sugar and yeast until it proofs.

2.  mix the yeast mixture, plus the remaining water and 3 1/2 cups of flour and salt.

3.  Add a couple more cups of flour,

4.  Add butter

5.  Add as much more flour as you can.

6.  Turn out to knead.

7.  Knead for approx. 15 min.

8.  Let rise twice,

9.  Bake at 375 for 35-45 min.  

Eat while hot with butter and fresh jam!  It is soooo good.  The next time I make it I will try it with oil to see how it turns out, but the butter does add this great rich buttery flavor that is great!  For more info: go here.

Gap commercial with Jon Heder

I love Jon's new commercial, totally made me laugh out loud.  Merry Christmas!

Help! Shoes!

Whenever I see something great onsale online, I freak out and can't make decisions (which I don't do well anyway... but that's another posting)  because I think they're going to run out of stock, or I'm going to miss the deadline or something... so I need some help!  First let me say, I've been cleaning up lots of puke for the last week -'nuff said- which is why I"ve been delinquent on my blog- yes, Rachel, I'll post our Halloween pics soon...probably in December.... so, on to more important matters: which shoes do you like for Madeline?  I love the Owls and they're on sale for $20!!  Excellent!  But, they aren't completely closed at the top which is what I wanted for winter... see what I'm saying?  So I love these boots from See Kai Run as well, but they're double the price!  And for someone who just bought her daughter's Christmas present--Spin and Bounce Zebra for less than 1/2 this morning, I'm not inclined to pay double for anything... but with shoes I will pay a little more because I think it's important for little developing feet to have good shoes..  What do you think?

A Good Turn...

I periodically try and ask myself, "What am I doing to better humanity?"  Regular answers excluded like: raising kids, serving in church, etc.  This semester it's been hard to find volunteer efforts that fit my lifestyle: i.e. I can't dedicate a 3 hour block every week to teaching English, for example (not that I have done that before).  But  I did come across one that really fits the bill right now.  Deseret Industries has a humanitarian element to it.  They make humanitarian kits and send them all over the world.  For their newborn kits, they need flannel blankets.  45 inches by 45 inches, with a 10 inch square sewn in the middle.  

  My friend actually went to Humanitarian Square in Salt Lake and watched the video (that I refuse to see until I've at least donated some blankets, because I know I will just bawl my head off seeing all those poor babies) she said that they show video of babies being brought home wrapped in newspaper in some places of the world that are too poor to have blankets to wrap their babies in.  That is inconceivable to me.  So, if you have a spare afternoon and have some extra flannel, and want to do something for the world, dust off that sewing machine, and let's make some blankets!

Madeline

You can't see the top of this hat, but it's a PUMPKIN!  How appropriate!  Madeline always knows how to dress in season!
She LOVES this bike seat!  And she gives me reassuring pats on the 'rear' as I'm biking up the steep hill that's in between our house and the park.  You can't see her helmet in this pic either, but it's got Bees on it--cute!!
Mommy and MJ (in her pig pj's) and baby doing some yoga; unfortunately the baby doll doesn't really get it.

Madeline is into imitating everything we do.  Here you can see the intrigue on her face while flossing with daddy.  This must be a hard concept for little ones to grasp.  'Why do you pull string in between 4 teeth?' she must be wondering.

 She also likes doing yoga with me.  It makes me laugh.  She just puts her head down on the floor and stays there!  That is the same position she has adopted when she is sad and cries.  I don't get the connection, but it's pretty darn cute.  

Hiking

These are two separate events; the one was Timpanogos caves with my brother, Andrew.  The other was Stewart Falls.  I don't think there's a better way to spend these early fall days.

Seriously funny

ok, so I stole this link from Rachel, who stole it from Staci (just had to give credit where it's due) 

www.seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com

Hilarious.  I am totally laughing at my old posts now, man, I sound like a TOTAL dork- this is why I HATE keeping journals because I'm worried other people will read them and think "who's the DORK?"  Yeah... that's what I"m thinking right now...dang it!

  In other news, we're back from our vaca- and I'm busy coming up with what my sis-in-law called "boring" costumes- who doesn't LOVE a baby witch??? - I just finished reading The Tale of Despareaux which was awesome. yes it is a 6th grade level book.  but it's good lit, ok?  I will post some cute pics of MJ on this post to make it worth-while.  Enjoy!

You can't really tell the full cuteness of this outfit from this picture, because I guess I had the camera on a weird setting (of course! if I get a perfect picture, the setting is wrong), but I made Madeline the cutest skirt and leggings for October.  This outfit is sooooo cute!  I can't wait to take her to story time in this baby!  All the other moms will be super jealous !!  (And come on,  that's the whole of dressing your kids up cute is to show them off !)  

  On top of that, one of my goals for this semester was to make bread, and I turned out the best two loaves of white bread the same week!  Man, I am feeling so on 'top of things' right now!  (I mean- it's only a YEAR after I had Madeline, that's progress right?)  Anyway, I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of the stay-at-home mom thing.  My house is basically clean every day, I'm cooking good meals, and I can turn out skirts and bread!  Oh, and I made some fresh peach jam!  Yum.  Ok- I guess this is turning into a bragging post... I don't want to say it, but ... am I ready for kid #2?  

I get the bad blogger award

Ok, ok already!  I have so many loyal followers who have asked me to post something!  Well, thanks for the flattery, but we've been moving, and busy, so here's a quick little post to tide my faithful friends over... 

I have to make my first post a congratulatory post to Adam for getting a 9th circuit clerkship for next year!!!  Yeah!  (I'm pretty much bragging now, but that's the best clerkship you can get) the kind of downside is that it's in Pocatello Idaho!  HAHA!  Adam, the world traveller, is going to Pocatello ID, the "armpit of Idaho".  Awesome.  But, seriously, I am very proud of him, and I think it'll be great, we'll have a really fun time and we hope that all of our "faithful" friends and family will come visit us (or maybe I'll come visit you)--we'll need it!  

Moving Stinks, bad.

I hate moving. I have done it my whole life, and so my dream is to just live somewhere (in the middle of nowhere) forever and know the whole town and take dinners to people and bake cookies all day. Sounds like domestic bliss to me! I don't know if I'll ever get anything close to that- and that's ok, keeps life exciting.
We've already moved two times this summer, and we're upon our third time: moving back to Provo. It totally stinks. Housing prices are Horrendous (they are seriously charging $700 for basement apartments) and there is NO WHERE!! I have only found this one place where the management company is so ridiculously LAME! They asked for our financial statements! (BTW- we're just RENTING) What the heck? Do you think that's normal? Because we don't. OH yeah, and they totally nickel and dime tenants: $5 for every hole in the wall, $15 for someone to spend the night, $10 if you lock yourself out of your house!!! The unfortunate thing is we're probably going to end up living there unless a serious miracle happens, which I will be praying for tonight. I have honestly been working my brains out trying to find somewhere to live, and quite frankly I'm exhausted. I'm supposed to sign the contract tomorrow morning. I know I am going to regret this, but what can I do?

Our happenings

We had to get out of our apartment this weekend, so we decided to go up to Leavenworth (thank you for your wonderful trip planning Adam!!) We had a great time! Leavenworth, WA is cute little Bavarian (Germany) copy-cat city next to Lake Wenatchee. They had live Polka music, we ate Sauer Kraut and Sausages and looked around at their cute little German-esque shops. Madeline LOVED the polka music, and loved seeing horse-drawn carriages go by. It was just a shame we had to end our night at 7:30pm for Madeline to go down to sleep. If we only had a travelling nanny...
This is our picture by the lake. It was so beautiful. Beautiful snow capped mountains in the background, which are cut off (thank you random photographer).
Our hike around the lake by the Bed and Breakfast where we stayed. Adam, aka "sexy dad" is waving at the camera while Madeline is enjoying her "throne".
We stayed at this cute old vintagy bed and breakfast, that was decorated with TONS of old quilts and stuff. It totally reminded me of my grandma's house.
This is Madeline on her new borrowed toy car. She LOVES it. I love the jammy tops and bottoms, it makes her look so grown up, don't you think?

We went to the Seattle Aquarium, which Madeline loved, but it was kind of disappointing to Adam and I. Especially after the $15 entry fee and the rave reviews we've heard about it, we just expected a little more. But it was pretty cool I guess. This huge fish tank was my favorite part. Followed closely by...
This tank where you could touch the star fish and animals. Cool huh? Ohhh.... pretty colors...
Madeline loved the fish swimming by. And don't you love her outfit? She spilled all her juice on her clothes in the car, so all we had to put her in was her jacket, diaper (of course) and leggings! Good thing she's so cute, she can pull off no clothes!
Daddy and Madeline walking into a park we actually couldn't go in because it cost $ and it was Sunday. But I made them pose for this cool pic anyway... ;)
Yummy speghetti...

Tag from Becky

I think: about homeless people a lot. Especially here in Seattle. Sometimes I give money sometimes I don't. I don't know what else to do.
I know: the (k+1) theorum
I want: my old body back!
I have: the world's best husband and a beautiful daughter!
I wish: I had a cool mom job like a "graphic artist" or "designer" or "pediatrician" --I'm totally craving a cool mom job right now.
I hate: the papparazzi and Judge Judy!!! What is this suing society we've become--we so don't live in reality anymore. Tort Reform!
I miss: friends
I fear: not being the mom and wife I want to be.
I smell: Fresh Washington Trees
I crave: Brownies.
I search: for Adam's stuff all the time! ;) ( he would say the same thing about me)
I wonder:when I should get pregnant again.
I regret: some of my choices, and my caddiness sometimes.
I love: my family and friends and the gospel
I always: feel inadequate to everybody else. (this is so me too- sorry for copying)
I am not: a pessimist.
I believe: that someday Nick and Jessica will get back together!! ;)
I dance: with one signature move that Adam always makes fun of! (ofcourse--what else is a Heder good for than to make fun of you!)
I sing: Pretty bad Harmony to good old songs by Whitney Houston
I write: on my blog, journalling is a thing of the past. the future is now.
I lose: it when I don't win games: checkers, scrabble, you name it- I lose it. no pun intended.
I win: changing-diaper-battles against Madeline ;)
I never: shave my legs (just kidding) um... shave my armpits (kidding again)... scrapbook! ha- there's one.
I listen: to the traffic on the freeway! (We live by a freeway)
I am scared: of rapists.
I need: a personal stylist.
I am happy about: my life! It honestly couldn't be better!

This was a tag from my lovely friend Becky who is about to give birth to her third beautiful girl! I don't think people read my blog enough to tag others but I'll try: I tag: Lauren and Glittersmama and Rachel

My new dresses!

This dress is kind of funky, the black part bubbles below the waist- Adam thought it was poor sewing (oh the untrained mind...) but that's how it's supposed to be. And the dress has POCKETS! Not that I would use them (just when no one was looking) and is very comfy. It would be cute if I could find some purple shoes to match the band, but I don't think that's going to happen, so I guess I'll stick with black. I don't have any grey. Suggestions?
Does this dress look too provocative??? I do want to wear it to church. I'm thinking either black or dark grey tights and a cute cream T-strap patent leather shoe.

(This post is for my sis-in-law, Sarah aka my fashion-counselor) But anyone may comment, ofcourse. I got these two new dresses for almost 1/2 price!!! What do you think? I think they're pretty cute! Yeah! I love new clothes...esp when they're 1/2 price!

My big dilemna STILL is comfy mom-shoes. Who has a good pair of comfy, yet cute mom shoes to walk around in all day, play on the playground and still look good, and they cannot be flip flops. ??? I don't think that shoe exists.

PS_ this is not me in the pictures

Yes, we're in Seattle

Ok, ok, I know, everyone's been wondering... I'm sure the question of where are we now is eating away all of your spare thoughts day after day... So let me FINALLY quench your wondering and tell you that we're in Seattle, WA. The weather has been great so far, and we are loving it. We are in a condo- quite different from the lavish home we had in CA. We have been busy adjusting and getting the AC fixed (total nightmare), anlol.d now I have to replace the garage door opener (Adam lost it- hehe)... so I haven't had much blogging time. If you've ever been to Seattle, please pipe up and tell me what you like or don't like about it, as I''m kind of burned out from doing my enthusiastic scouting of the area like I did in California. I don't know if I will be able to handle the weather- that's what worries me the most. But it's a pretty laid back big city, which is nice. Everyone I've met so far has been really nice and unpretentious. The idea is for us to choose between Palo Alto and Seattle, which I think will be a really hard decision. Any votes??? Now that we're here, it's funny, a big part of me just wants to go back to Utah. lol. Maybe it's just because that's my comfort zone. Anyway. That's what we've been up to.

P.S. I had to post this picture of the night scene of Seattle, because I've never seen it!!!

"Our" dog, Beau--we'll miss you!!

Who knew I could get so attached to a dog?? It was only two months that we watched Beau, but both Madeline and I totally fell in love. He was a great dog and he totally fell in love with us too. He followed me everyday all around the house: back and forth, upstairs and downstairs over and over throughout the day. We nursed him back to health after his dog attack, and he slept upstairs for a few days because he was so lonely and sad (sorry owners- hope that was ok!). And we found out that he snores incredibly loud and his farts STINK! But it was worth it. We had so much fun playing with him and Madeline would crawl all over him--he didn't love that but he would tolerate it, like a good dog.

Once when I was getting this ball to throw for him, he walked all over Madeline, scratching her and knocking her down! It was the one time I got mad at him. I hit him on the behind and banished him to the porch. I felt bad later and went out and lectured him like he could understand me, and then I told him I forgave him and gave him a hug. lol. Then we played ball.

I have thought about him several times since we've left, and I hope he doesn't think I've abandoned him--but what else could he think?

I think Adam secretly hoped that this experience would deter me from wanting to get a dog (I've always wanted a dog my whole life) but it did just the opposite. Unfortunately, we won't be settled for a couple of years at least (sigh), but taking care of Beau helped to fill that interim.

Visit from Family

Grandpa and Madeline
Clara on the beach!
Madeline on the beach

We had a fun visit from the Heders this past week! We went to Santa Cruz, the beach and just hung out at home! We played a mean game of Trivial Pursuit. haha. (I hate Trivial Pursuit because it makes me feel stupid)

We didn't have any pictures of Rachel, but here is her baby Clara who was sooooooooooooo dang cute (and chubby)! We had a great time--the Heders are always a blast. Thanks for visiting and making us feel like we had friends again!!

Lame Father's Day

So, I have botched Father's day as well as Adam's birthday this year, and Christmas. So for Christmas, I wanted to send him hang gliding, which would have been awesome, but it didn't work out, so I just gave him a tie (granted it was a SWEET tie), and for his birthday, I pretty much did nothing, and now father's day... I was totally going to redeem myself... I called every Best Buy, Target, Sears, in the surrounding area to find a Wii, which Adam has totally been wanting, and everywhere was OUT! What the heck! So, I had to do something, and I bought a Wii-mote (as we call it) for him, as a teaser to say, 'I will get you the Wii as soon as it comes back out again'. I thought he would be stoked. Well, he wasn't. He was just confused and disappointed. He kept thinking all day that I was playing a joke on him and that I secretly had it set up downstairs and any minute I was going to say "Just kidding!! It's downstairs all set up for you!!!" How awesome that would have been! But instead he finally said at the end of the day, "So, you really don't have the Wii set up downstairs do you?" I felt like such a turd. What the heck kind of present is a Wii-mote??? Later that evening I said, well did you kind of like your present? He said "yes, I will be upstairs playing with my Wii-mote for the rest of the evening". Well, at least he had a sense of humor about it.

Just us

Beep Beep!
Chomp. MJ is getting her two bottom teeth in.

Ha! I've killed the beast!

Madeline LOVES her babydoll. I'll have to video her kissing it with her open mouthed kisses--it's so cute! She's just chillin' watching Barney. lol. She totally loves Barney.
um...you think Madeline likes dogs???...watching Barney again.
Sun bathing princess.
We went to an Oakland A's game. Soooo fun! We could see the Oakland temple from the parking lot of the stadium.
Playing in the sandbox.