Neglected Blog

My poor little blog has never been so neglected. I will definitely have to make up for it when we get home. We are now in Washington visiting Nate's mom and stepdad and his sister's family. I love the weather here. The best way to describe it is "comfortable." I just wanted to quickly post some Father's Day picture. We made all the dads answer some questions and do a diaper change contest to discover the ultimate dad. It was a great time.

More Utah

A few good men...Nate and his brothers:

A shot of the girls

Lots of fun for awhile...and then the inevitable fight. We had to hide the stroller.

Havin' A Good Time

We're having a great time in Utah. The flight was LOOOOONNNGGG. We will only be flying nonstop from now on...the layover wasn't bad, but after being on a plane for 5 hours, the last thing you want to do is get on another flight. Our first night here actually went wonderful. The kids slept in after being up late (I would have NEVER guessed that would happen) and got on Utah time by the next day. Hooray! We've mostly been spending time with Nate's family but also had a fun fun afternoon yesterday with lots of my family. It's so nice to be home. Here are some pictures of Jansen with his cousin Kyle. They are only a few weeks apart in age. Jansen cot his first baseball mitt yesterday and he and Kyle have been tossing the ball around. And swinging. And driving cars. So we're having a blast, and there are still so many fun things in store!

What We've Done With the Place

This is the first place we've lived that has had some flower beds. Nate planted all these beautiful flowers, and Jansen loves to water them. Nate takes really good care of them...I love that about him...whatever he does, he does it 100%. Notice that I haven't mentioned my own involvement with the flowers...because there hasn't been much. It just isn't my thing yet. But give me a few years and I think I could really get into it. Until then, good thing I have these two guys around!

A Pretty Place

The other day I mentioned to a friend that I just don't think Ohio is that pretty. She told me I was the first person she had ever heard that from. It got me thinking...and I think I was wrong. I realized that I need to look around me more, instead of straight down the road I'm driving on. I need to appreciate the big, vast, sometimes blue sky that stretches as far as I can see. (Since there are no mountains. But I would still take mountains ANY DAY.) It was a good little experience for me...I've been much more aware of the beautiful things that are all around me. This cool waterfall that's only about 15 minutes away being one of them:

***Other Stuff***

-Nate and Jansen were out shopping for a bike and they saw someone ride by on a unicycle. Jansen said, "Look! There's part of a bike!"

-Jansen spilled some Carnation Instant Breakfast powder on the carpet this afternoon and when I came down the stairs he had a dishrag in his hand, poised above the mess, and told me he was just cleaning up one of Natalie's spitups...passing the blame. Little stinker.

-Natalie is standing on her own! For very short periods of time. I would say 14 seconds is about the longest she's done it so far. It's a fun new development.

Aviophobia

I'm very scared of flying. Here's why:

She looks harmless enough, but she's feisty, active, and spunky. Not the best combination for hours and hours on an airplane. We're headed out West on Thursday (can't wait!), and I really can't complain...Nate will be with me on all the flights. I am SO thankful for that. But flying with kids is JUST PLAIN TOUGH. My friend Monica and I have been picking our brains for things we can bring to entertain our babies. We laugh and laugh at the recommendations on lots of websites:

"Bring some toys for them."

"Remember lots of snacks."

"Plan ahead."

DUH! It's insulting to me as a parent. Of course I'm going to do those things! But I want specifics. Creative ideas. Do you have any? I would JUST LOVE to hear about them. And anything goes...I don't care that she's only 9 months old. I will definitely try suckers and candy necklaces. I don't think I will try any drugs. It'll surely backfire anyway. What have you found that really keeps your baby busy? Thank you from the bottom of my heart in advance!

Chip Off the Old Block

Dinner Idea!

I don't think I've ever posted a recipe before, but I enjoy this meal so much and I love discovering new recipes from friends so I thought I would share one. I got it from a ward recipe collection (it was submitted by Laurie A.) and it reminds me of something I used to order at the Pizza Factory. It's delicious, but not exactly low-fat. Without further ado...

Super Yummy Garlic Chicken Pasta
16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4-6 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt
1 T pepper
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. bacon, crumbled (I often use at least half this and it's still great)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours.
Boil pasta. Cut chicken
Melt butter; add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and bacon.
Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
In large bowl pour over pasta and chicken and stir through.

Couple of Cute Faces