Brianne says,

"Happy October!"

Still Thinking Pink

I've been working with my team, Annie's Angels to raise money for breast cancer research. Each member of the team needs to raise at least $2300 in order to walk. One of my teammates (way to go Aunt Muff!) has already surpassed her minimum, but the rest of us are still working at it.

We are having a garage sale this Saturday. If you would like to donate anything for us to sell, please contact me. Thanks for your help and support!

Fringe Benefits

I realize no one will be offering me a contract as a hand model, but I wanted to get a picture of my nails.  They only grow this long when I am pregnant.  It isn't just the prenatal vitamins, because I have taken those at other times when I wasn't pregnant and it didn't have the same results.  I am grateful for a little bonus like this, especially since morning sickness has returned with a vengance this week.  Thanks to Marianne for taking the picture.  She did her best, but told me there was no way to hide my wrinkles!

Cupcake Heaven, Finally!

I know that Marianne is the cupcake expert in the family.  Thanks to her, I have eaten (too) many delicious cupcakes and visited most of the cupcake bakeries in San Diego.  We have both been disappointed in the cupcakes we've found close to home.  I won't name names, but one neighborhood store we visited was downright disgusting. We wholeheartedly recommend Sprinkles in LaJolla and Babycakes in Hillcrest, but both of those are a bit of a drive for us.  Plus, it is also tough to find parking in Hillcrest and you have to be comfortable with the rainbow rich environment there.

Finally, we have a delicious local alternative!  Cupcakes and Beyond has just opened.  They make fabulous cupcakes with organic ingredients.  They are in a convenient shopping center and are cheaper than Sprinkles or Babycakes.  Plus they have discounts for 6 or more cupcakes!

Here are the ones we tried:

Clockwise from upper left:   
Raspberry Lemonade is perfect!  It is slightly tart with a fresh raspberry on top.
Carrot Cake doesn't look fancy, but it is full of good stuff.  I know some of you are haters, but seriously this is wonderful.  The cream cheese frosting is just right--not sickly sweet.
Chocolate has a great ganache filling.  This is the chocolate cupcake you've been waiting for.  Yum!
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut has the perfect taste and texture--not too dry and not overly moist with a crunch on top.

If you're in the area, give them a try.  The storefront is very simple and it looks like they are in the process of decorating. They are a brand new business that just opened and I'd really like to see them around for long time!

Another Surprise

Leighton Anne made her arrival tonight!

She is 6 lbs 9 oz

19 inches long

and

very beautiful!

Do You Want the Truth?

I have been thinking about my Mom today.  I think about her every day, but today she has been in my thoughts more than usual.  It is nearly a year since she died.  Last year at this time my sister and I were taking turns at her bedside in the hospital.

One year ago, I already knew my mom would not recover. A week previously, I had spent a sleepless night on the cloud bed* listening to her breathe, ready to help her at any moment.  I prayed over and over for her to recover.  Then a horrible thought entered my mind.  "What if she doesn't make it?"  No one at the hospital had even hinted at such a possibility. So I asked God the question, waiting for comfort and reassurance.  "Heavenly Father, Mom isn't going to die is she?"  The answer came quickly, but it was not the one I wanted.  I couldn't even begin to imagine life without my mom.  I sobbed and sobbed, only stopping because Mom needed help and sadly, protection from the hospital staff.

In the morning I tried to deny the answer I had received, hoping it was just a terrible dream. I wasn't sure why God had told me the awful truth.  Probably because I asked.  But no one else seemed to be able to see it.  And I didn't feel it was my place to tell them. One of Mom's doctors didn't believe she was dying until the day before she went home for hospice.

I know that God only speaks the truth.  He gave it to me gently and only when I asked, but it was still almost too much for me to bear.  Yet, I am grateful to know that Heavenly Father is a God of truth.  He will never deceive or manipulate me.  I can trust Him to always do what is right and what is best for me, even if I don't understand it.

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32 

*Cloud bed is the sarcastic name I gave to the fold-out chair that Jenny & I took turns sleeping on.  It was like laying on springs and metal bars.  To try and ease the discomfort, I asked for extra pillows.  I put them over the so-called mattress and then fitted the sheet on top of them.  As long as I didn't move or roll over (ha!) it was almost bearable.  Looking back, I should have brought an eggshell pad from home, but at the time it never occurred to me.  I guess the physical pain just seemed appropriate at a time of such emotional anguish.

A Month From Now . . .

I will have a beautiful new granddaughter.
Elder Aaron will be in the MTC learning Korean.
My dad and Carolyn will be married in the San Diego Temple.
I will only have one month left to train for the 3-Day Walk.
I will have my bedroom closet and my kitchen cupboards cleaned and organized.
I will be 5 months pregnant.
I still won't know the sex of the baby. (That is about 6 weeks away.)


And to answer Rachel's question:  I only had 1 ultrasound with Ryan and none with Aaron so I didn't know they were boys until they were born. (My doctor was old-fashioned and low-tech.  He didn't even have one in his office.  BUT, he was awesome.  He called me personally before he went away for the weekend, just to make sure I didn't have any signs of labor.) I found out Marianne was a girl about 6 weeks before she was born.  My doctor thought Evan was a boy, but never got a good enough view to be certain.  Now with ultrasounds being much more common and accurate, I am excited to find out whether we're having a boy or a girl.  I definitely don't need to wait to be surprised.  Just being pregnant is surprise enough!

What's For Dinner?

We had a bunch of fresh lemons, so Marianne and I went looking for recipes.  We found a good one here and decided to try it for dinner.  It is light and yummy as the main dish with a salad.  It would also be good as a side dish. 

Pasta with Lemon and Garlic

• 1 pound of pasta
• 2 teaspoons of garlic - minced
• 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese - freshly grated
• 1/2 cup of parsley - chopped
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of lemon zest (I used more)
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
•  salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta and set aside. Using the pot you cooked the pasta in, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic to the oil and fry it, until you can smell it cooking, about 15 seconds.Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and zest to the pot. Put the pasta back in the pot with the oil mixture.  Add chopped parsley and toss together with tongs.

Serve with lots of parmesan cheese, salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

In other news:  My dishwasher is in!  The installer sneezed about 12 times in a row at one point.  I have never heard anyone sneeze that much at one time!   I couldn't decide if that meant my kitchen was dusty (I cleaned before he came!) or if there was something seriously wrong with him.   I am guessing the later, because he also talked to himself in a loud voice the entire time.

This is probably the wrong story to include in a recipe post.  Sorry!  It did all happen in my kitchen on the same day, so it's related--at least in my mind.

One More Answer, Well Maybe Two

A:  No, there was no weeping, wailing or gnashing of teeth.  Just surprise with a bit of denial mixed in.

A:  Almost nothing in life comes with a 100% guarantee.

A:  My new dishwasher is being installed today!! (Okay, I know you didn't ask about that, but I am so excited after being without a dishwasher for more than a week. I was pretty close to weeping and wailing over that by the way.  Especially when they originally told me installation would be on Sept 29th!)

Answers

After my last post, I know there are lots of questions.  I have already been asked all of them.  I'll go ahead and give the answers; you can figure out the questions yourself!

A:  Yes, I really am.  We saw the ultrasound last month and listened to the heartbeat last week.

A: It was a big surprise, but a happy one.

A: 15 weeks

A: March 2nd

A:  I was 31 when I had Evan.  He's 13 now.  You do the math.

A:  Yes, I realize that my granddaughters will be older than their aunt or uncle.

A:  Yes, it has been more difficult this time.

A. Yes, I am still planning to do the 3-day in November.  More on that later!

A:  I think God has a sense of humor and a perfect sense of timing (even if it isn't the same as mine).

What's Wrong With Me?

Some people think doctors are practically obsolete with wonders of the internet.  Just google your symptoms or check out WebMD and you can self-diagnose in a matter of minutes!  Here is your chance to test your skills.

A few weeks ago, we sat the kids down to discuss my health.  Marianne explained that she had already made her diagnosis the month before.  And she was right!  She came up with the same diagnosis as my doctor.  Do you think you can figure it out? I'll list some of my symptoms and see what you come up with.

• Frequent nausea
• Daily headaches
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Extreme Fatigue
• Moodiness
• Sensitivity to odors
• Sensitivity to music/loud noises
• Backache
• Cravings for cottage cheese and hummus
• Little interest in sweets (I didn't even want a birthday cake.)
• Apparent weight gain (I hadn't really, but I looked like it)

So what it your diagnosis?
You'll know you got it right if you are very surprised.  I know I was!


If you still need more help, here is a HINT.

O, Remember, Remember

A few days ago I mentioned to my kids that the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 was coming up.  I recalled what a shock it had been to see the attack of the Twin Towers on TV.  I was surprised to find that my younger kids have no memory of that day. They understand the basics of what happened and we've taken them to see Ground Zero twice, but they still don't remember.

Then I remembered a book I purchased just a few months after 9/11.  It was a little pricey at the time and I debated the purchase.  I kept it on our coffee table for at least a year, but then it got put on the shelf in the garage where I store homeschool books we aren't currently using.  I was able to find the book, dust it off and show it to my kids.  It is essentially a photo essay of the attack and the impact on our country.  Marianne appreciated all the incredible photographs and poured over the book. She learned a few things along the way.  She didn't know that the Pentagon was also attacked.  I also spent some time with the book and I realized that there are many things I have forgotten.  I need to remember.  I want my children to remember.

Marianne and I just finished listening to the Book of Mormon together.  We did it quickly, in less than a month.  At that pace, the themes just jumped out at me.  One theme is the importance of remembering.  Another theme is that we are blessed to live in a choice land; it will be strong as long as we are righteous.  I pray that each of us, and our country as a whole, will remember and that our remembrance will cause us to turn to God.  I saw it happen 10 years ago and I know it can happen again.

Summer Lowlights

The first half of our summer was fantastic and the second half had some highlights.  But late July and August were tough for me.  I was sick most of the time and spent my days in bed or on the couch.  That meant that our home kind of fell apart too.  Meals were sporadic and less healthy.  The house was messy and my usual summer organizing didn't happen. Worst of all, I couldn't bring myself to do two of my favorite things; I did very little walking or blogging.

Thankfully, I am starting to feel better now. (Don't worry, I'm not dying or anything and I'll share more about my health in another post.)  I am grateful that autumn is on the horizon.  Even though we won't see many falling leaves here in San Diego, I am ready for a new season.  We are getting back into our routines and I am slowly starting to tackle our overflowing closets, cupboards and bookshelves.  I am getting back into walking/training and I promise to blog more regularly!

My kids are looking forward to fall mainly because of Halloween.  Evan and I recently got in the mood for Halloween while grocery shopping.

On the way home from the store, we pulled up to a major intersection.  As we waited for the light to turn green, we noticed the woman next to us.  Her entire face was covered with white cream.  She was rubbing vigorously, but her skin was not absorbing the sunscreen (or lotion or face paint?) very well.  It was a strange sight, but I didn't laugh until the light changed and Evan said, "Zombie! The undead are rising."

I don't know about you, but personally I'm hoping for a zombie-free autumn!

Summer Highlights

What was the best part of our summer?
Well, that depends on who you ask!

One of the top contenders for "summer best" would be our trip to Utah for the 4th of July.  We spent some time with John's wonderful family, visited with my grandma and my Aunt Muff's family and headed to Wyoming for John's class reunion.  Several of John's classmates commented that he hasn't changed much since high school.  He took off his hat to show that he does have a little less on top these days, when one of his friends said, "Oh that doesn't make any difference.  John always wore a baseball cap back then too.  We couldn't see his hair anyway!"

Here is John in his baseball cap with his Aunt Ruth. Our niece Holly is in back.

Ruth is keeping a tight reign on the matches.

She actually called both the mayor and the police chief before letting the boys set off fireworks!

John with his sister Susan (left) and his cousin Connie (middle).

My kids favorite part of Wyoming can be summed up by this photo:

Fireworks and more fireworks!!

Here are a few more of our summer highlights.  These are from my point of view, so my kids may totally disagree.  (Kids, feel free to leave a comment with YOUR highlights.)

Aaron
Receiving his mission call
Taking lots of photos and creating amazing panoramic views
Going to the temple for the first time

Marianne
EFY at BYU Provo
Her 15th Birthday
Watching all of the Harry Potter movies
Spending time with the world's cutest and smartest baby

Brianne!

Evan
Scout Camp at Lake Arrowhead
A visit from his cousin Josh at the end of July
Watching lots of Doctor Who on Netflix
Making tons of amazing origami creations

Josh and Evan lighting smoke bombs

Whew!  That was a long post.  Aren't you glad I only shared the highlights?