tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60775768544071932362024-02-20T22:21:21.958-07:00La RanchitaKatyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-50747653187091059112015-06-06T15:52:00.000-07:002015-06-06T15:52:04.180-07:00May 2015, in pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Just when I thought I found some margin in my life to blog on occasion, I was reminded that life is but a series of seasons. And seasons in parenthood come and go sometimes as often as we change our socks. So, I am trying to find some sort of balance so that I can blog on occasion because it is something that definitely "fills my tank". </div>
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May was a beautiful month full of mild weather that brought lots of time outdoors to play and visit. I am so glad I had children because they have reminded me how much I love being outside. I had to keep reminding myself to take advantage of the high 80's and low 90's this month because triple digits were certainly around the corner. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katherine no longer takes a morning nap, however, she forces the issue when she has a huge tantrum and then passes out on the floor. I could have started a series this month on places that Katherine slept, on mostly tile surfaces. In this particular photo she was found sleeping outside my bathroom door by a pile of laundry!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOaI02I20NnxdaEKYeQ1rp_gb5lHbn2XhtYyscuP0EZJjGsQvvOuHjydr7iaq0n56XOUfmd1nhgKM3qtiGYVGv82BqqwB_77T8FbH2jRxA3ijgoNdmo4O-km4zqZ2ekiJRTdnyjh1418/s1600/IMG_7721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOaI02I20NnxdaEKYeQ1rp_gb5lHbn2XhtYyscuP0EZJjGsQvvOuHjydr7iaq0n56XOUfmd1nhgKM3qtiGYVGv82BqqwB_77T8FbH2jRxA3ijgoNdmo4O-km4zqZ2ekiJRTdnyjh1418/s320/IMG_7721.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard is eating pureed foods and table foods like a boss! He got to taste his first strawberry and loved it. I LOVE the way his sweet little baby hands grip onto things.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way north for Mother's Day weekend, Anna's and my crews were able to have brunch with the Smith-Zimmerman-Hobson bunch. I'm so glad I know these sweet friends and I love watching all our kids play! Tammie made liege waffles and they were amazing. Day made right there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found ourselves in jackets once we arrived in Cottonwood on Mother's Day weekend. It was chilly! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HB and Bassie enjoyed their cake at the Gracie and Pete's celebratory lunch following their first communion. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hubby was working on Mother's Day, but we enjoyed breakfast out with my mother-in-law. Meals out with three children are still daunting but my trio did pretty well this morning. I declared it was time to go though after HB jumped over the back of our booth into the empty booth behind me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May has also brought a lot of interesting messes compliments of HB. This particular concoction occurred during naptime when I dozed off while nursing Richard. Chef HB cut up a stick of butter with child safety scissors, dumped a whole bottle of sweet relish, cut open several packets of tea and squeezed a nearly new bottle of strawberry flavored toothpaste into this bowl. Next time he can hold the toothpaste (wink, wink)!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard turned 7 months old and is now officially closer to being a toddler than a newborn! Can I go cry for a second? He is still the sweetest, most mild mannered baby ever. And he has the most squeezable thighs to boot!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We celebrated Katherine's second birthday with a weanie roast (hot dogs, bratwursts, and smoked sausage) and this delectable leaning tower of chocolate cake, nutella, whipped cream and strawberries. It actually fell over in the fridge but it still tasted amazing. She really loved opening her presents this year and made the cutest gasps of delight when pulling tissue paper out of bags.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dad received his honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Arizona. It was really neat to watch him get hooded on stage in front of roughly 30,000 people in the football stadium. Receiving this award was a neat blessing for all his hours of volunteer work and advocacy on behalf of the University. </td></tr>
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<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-39252573074453945972015-04-17T14:11:00.000-07:002015-04-17T14:11:00.077-07:00Happy half birthday, Richard!Richard Allan has brought such joy to our lives the past six months. He has truly fit right into the fold of our family, and made our transition from a family of four to a family of five much easier than we anticipated. Since I was absent from the blog-o-sphere during the majority of the last six months, I thought I'd provide a quick recap of our son's growth and notable milestones.<br />
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At birth. 8 pounds 7 ounces of pure, screaming joy. His delivery was the easiest of my three. And he was super sweet from the beginning. I love baby burrito pictures!<br />
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One month old. Despite having a hard time getting rid of his jaundice, this big boy was on track for growth his first month! He had a busy first month of life with his first portrait session for family photos, first trip to bible study with momma and first trip to church. Oh, and who can forget his first "outing" to Costco. (Does Costco qualify as an outing?)</div>
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Month two brought Thanksgiving which was celebrated with lots of extended family in Buckeye, his first smile, first birthday party (for Kendall Rovey), and the start of the some tummy trouble which was alleviated when momma removed dairy from her diet. He weighed 11 pounds 5 ounces and measured 24 inches long at his two month well check.</div>
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Three months. Met his Papa Jim (Kelly's dad), had his first cold, celebrated Christmas and went to his first livestock show. He made some new friends in the church nursery when he stayed for the first time and most importantly, he had his first full night of sleep this month, woohoo! </div>
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Four months old and full of smiles! We visited Aunt Anna and her crew in Maricopa this month, had our first play date at Chick-fil-A, started grabbing toys, traveled to Cottonwood for the first time,"played" at the park, and laughed for the first time! He weighed 14 pounds 3 ounces and measured 25 1/2 inches long at his 4-month well check.</div>
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Five months. Richard is getting stronger and stronger, which is totally evident in this picture. He is trying to sit up on his own by grabbing at everything within reach, especially food on people's plates. He has finally started getting in the groove with our night time routine and is ready to fall asleep right after HB and Katherine go to bed. (Praise the Lord!) He also got his first haircut and handled it like a pro!</div>
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Six months. Brother bear cut his first two teeth (on the bottom) at the same time. He has been grabbing at food while sitting on momma's lap, so he started eating a few purees (green beans and sweet potatoes so far) and loves them. He is proficient at rolling all over, and occasionally ends up on the tile and off his blanket. He loves to be tickled and kick his legs when is sitting in his bouncy chair. </div>
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Richard Allan, aka little bear, we are so in love with you and rejoice daily that you are our son. You are a bright ray of sunshine to our family and we delight in hearing your giggle, seeing you grow and know it's only a matter of time before you're trying to keep up with your siblings. Happy half birthday, sweet boy!<br />
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-16704042423930380562015-03-30T15:08:00.003-07:002015-03-30T15:08:52.153-07:00A trip to the zooThe West Valley has a gem of a zoo - the Wildlife World Zoo - and we enjoy going each time! After an early start, my high school friend met us at 9am, right as the zoo was opening. After applying lots of sunscreen we set out on our adventure.<br />
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First stop: Shipwreck Cove. This was actually the first time we saw this attraction - it was being built a year ago and despite visiting just last month with our whole family, we never made it over. The Sea Lions were awesome to watch though - seeing them made me excited to take the kids to Sea World this summer! <br />
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Next stop was the giraffe feeding station. This is probably my favorite attraction at this zoo - you can literally reach out and touch these bad boys, and it only costs 50 cents to get them to come over (the price of some giraffe food)! Katherine attempted sharing her fruit snacks but the giraffe only wanted the real stuff. Oh, and I got a whiff of this guy and learned that giraffes are totally stinky!<br />
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Our last stop was the new Cheetah exhibit and (thankfully?) it was hot by noon, and the Cheetah's decided to nap right by the shaded cover. We were only a few feet away! Richard wasn't opposed to a selfie at this stop as long as he could prop his feet on my face.<br />
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We headed for the parking lot after seeing the Cheetah's and K literally fell asleep in Tanya's arms as soon as she picked her up. We had so much fun with our "Aunt" Tanya! So glad she came along for the adventure!<br />
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Then God said, "Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind - livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals." And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1: 24-25) After our visit to the Zoo, we are reminded of God's amazing creation and thankful that it is SO good!Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-50503590823510200802015-03-21T16:18:00.000-07:002015-03-21T16:18:00.274-07:00Family {Maternity} PhotosRichard has been done baking for almost five months now. We are settling into a new groove as a family, and I love it. But before too much more time passes I wanted to share some of the maternity/family photos we had taken by my sister's sister-in-law. (Did you follow that? My brother-in-law's sister.) Carmella did a great job and we are so thankful for the sweet moments that she captured.<br />
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<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-266222452186562622015-03-17T16:07:00.000-07:002015-03-17T16:07:00.131-07:00Deuteronomy: the law of love <div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Due to some poor planning on my part, I missed the first
two studies in this six-part Beth Moore lecture series.
However, because we serve an awesome and perfect God, lesson three was
the first lesson I got to listen to and it was perfectly timed. The lecture portion of the study focused on
portions of Deuteronomy chapter 8 where God has brought the Israelites out of
Egypt and to the doorstep of Canaan, the Promised Land. In verses 7-10, the word land is mentioned 7
times and 7 types of produce are listed.
Being that 7 is the number of perfection, we could insinuate that this
land is completely good and perfectly productive. The interesting thing about this though was
that the Israelites were going to have to allow themselves to be used by God to
reap the blessings of this good land.
There were fields and fields of wheat, but it had to be made into
bread. Phillipians 4:13 says that we can
do all things <i>through</i> Christ. It doesn't say Christ will do all
things. It says <i>we can do all things </i>through Christ. The Promised Land was a place where man would
participate alongside God so his glory could be put on display. Isn't this true in our lives too? God withholds no good thing from those who
love him (2 Cor 9:8). But are we willing
to do the work alongside Christ to reap the full benefit of what Christ has
given us? Just as the Israelites had to
harvest the wheat and process it to make bread, we too must harvest the good
things in our life. </div>
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“Good” references</div>
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2 Timothy 3:7</div>
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Colossians 1:10</div>
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1 Timothy 6:8</div>
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1 Timothy 1:18</div>
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Romans 12:21</div>
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Romans 8:28</div>
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One of the points in this lesson that hit home the most
was that the Israelites sure knew how to have a “bad time” in a “good
land.” Beth Moore said that spiritual
amnesia can kill, and it’s so true.
Deuteronomy Chapter 8 in my bible is subtitled “A Call to Remember and
Obey.” This message is repeated often
throughout the chapter.</div>
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-Verse 2: And you shall remember</div>
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-Verse 11: Take care lest you forget</div>
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-Verse 14: Then you heart be lifted up and you forget</div>
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-Verse 18: You shall remember</div>
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-Verse 19: And if you forget <u>you will surely perish</u></div>
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God had been so good to the Israelites yet they forgot
how bad it was in Egypt as soon as they left.
Isn’t the same true of my life?
How often I praise God for something good then I forget what life was
like before the blessing. Sadly, I take
God for granted. To really get personal,
this season of my life is an example of this.
I feel like our family is going through a time of testing our attachment
to physical, worldly goods and how much we trust God to provide all
things. We suffered through months of
hard to find water leaks and atrocious water bills, where one leak led to the
next. After a huge rainstorm last fall,
we lost electricity to the bathroom and laundry room on the west side of our
house for six months. The cost to have
Richard was five times more expensive than it was to have either HB or Katherine so our
medical bills this past year were huge.
The list could go on and on. But
as I sat and listened to Beth Moore talk about spiritual amnesia it struck me
that I suffer from the same ailment. Has
God ever failed to provide for my family?
Certainly not. Then why in the
world am I fretting and stressing that the God of this world will fail to
provide for our needs now?</div>
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After six long months having no electricity in my
bathroom, an electrician friend of ours helped us find a screw that had touched
the wiring coming from the breaker box and ended up shorting all power from
that particular breaker. Who knew this
could happen after Kelly living in this house for 19 years? I can’t remember the last time I felt such
delight at such a simple thing…electricity.
In my bathroom. PRAISE THE
LORD. God is good, and he cares about
even the simplest things in our lives like having lights on in your
bathroom. It is my prayer that I leave
this study remembering the powerful lessons contained in Deuteronomy 8. I plan on reading this chapter often so I can
revisit the deep and profound delight I experienced during this difficult
season of testing and refinement for our family. </div>
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-8472887844167396222015-03-16T14:45:00.003-07:002015-03-16T14:45:39.231-07:00Richard is 5 months!<br />
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At five months old, our handsome son:<br />
<br />
-is starting to be a real ham. He loves to laugh and smile!<br />
-has started laughing at the antics of his older siblings. Even if they are driving me crazy, he thinks they're hilarious.<br />
-is trying to grab everything. Plates. Food. Hands. Hair. Phones.<br />
-can be found chewing on his thumb or pointer finger a lot of the time.<br />
-is becoming more and more vocal, squawking and babbling all the time!<br />
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-42691871801956735452015-03-13T16:05:00.001-07:002015-03-13T16:10:45.687-07:00HB's Birth Story<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The end of my pregnancy with HB brought incredible pain
in my lower back and hip. It was
increasingly becoming worse. On the
Monday before my due date, I directed my Plant Science class to the greenhouse
to spend the class period maintaining hydroponic tomato plants. I trailed behind the students essentially
“waddling” because walking was painful due to my hip and back pain. I knew by the end of the day that I couldn't
teach any longer; my body had reached its breaking point. I let the school secretary know that my
substitute teacher would be starting the next day. I spent the remainder of that week trying to
sleep, tidy the house and pretty much anything to make time go by. I even washed Colby and JR in hopes it might
help get the ball rolling. I didn't have
any contractions or signs that labor was even close to starting so it was a
very uneventful but relaxing week.</div>
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HB’s official due date was Friday, April 20, four days
after my last day of teaching. I had a
student whose birthday that same day so he was really hoping HB would come “on
time.” My 40-week OB appointment was scheduled
for Friday afternoon. I wasn't dilated
at all so my OB suggested stripping my membrane as a possibility to start
contractions. She said it would hurt a
little but I wasn't prepared for truly how bad.
I cried afterwards<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span>
Thankfully it worked though and my contractions started almost exactly an hour
later. I can’t remember how consistent
they were, but enough that I was having several an hour. I made a green chile beef casserole for
dinner and Dad and I headed to bed early.
Finally around 4am Saturday morning, I told Dad I thought we should go
in. I was fairly uncomfortable, although
I didn't really know how much more intense my contractions could be since this
was my first pregnancy. I was also
really worried about missing the window for an epidural so I may have been a
bit over eager<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>
We arrived at Banner Estrella Hospital and after checking into triage, the
nurse checked my cervix and I was only dilated a little (maybe 4cm). They told
me I wasn't dilated enough so I needed to try walking. We headed outdoors – being the hungry
pregnant person I was, I wanted McDonald’s before walking around the parking
lot a few times. (I totally craved McDonald’s for breakfast during this
pregnancy!) We went back around two hours later to get checked again and I
wasn't dilated anymore. I was totally
disappointed, and frustrated, and even felt like a failure a little bit. The nurse gave me a Percocet to help me get
some rest. At the time I didn't think
I’d take it but ended up doing so at home and was so glad. I was able to snooze on and off all day and
not really even think about the contractions I was having. Sarah Schroder brought La Placita by for
lunch. I think Dad and I both fell
asleep in the living room watching TV that night; I remember waking him up to
go to bed. I had a restless night as my
contractions continued to get stronger. Around midnight on Sunday I was getting very
uncomfortable with the contractions combined with my hip and lower back pain so
we decided to go back to the hospital.
Again, I was nervous about missing the “window” for my epidural and at
this point I didn't think I could deliver HB without one.</div>
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After arriving at the hospital and checking into triage a
second time, we found out I wasn't dilated anymore than I was before, almost 24
hours ago. When the nurse left so I
could get dressed to walk the halls again I started crying and told Dad I
didn't know if I could do this. My hip
and lower back pain was so bad. I knew I
had to try though because that was the only option I was given. The nurse said we couldn't be admitted
without being in active labor since there were no beds available. (Who knew that would be the same problem we
faced 2 ½ years later when we were ready with Richard? <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>) Walking up and down the hall was a bit of a
stretch, it was more like trudging. I
stopped every few feet to weather another contraction and the growing intensity
of my hip pain. I hadn't even made a
full circle yet when I saw a nurse coming to get us. She told us a bed had just opened up. I would have jumped up and down and hugged
her if I could have. We picked up the
pace a little and they showed us to our labor room.</div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Some of the next details are a bit fuzzy since I am
writing this almost three years later.
The nurse requested an epidural immediately and once it started taking
effect, I could actually relax. I truly
believe the epidural helped my body relax amidst the incredible pain I was
feeling in my back and hip which helped me dilate further. Even this much later I still think the pain
in my hip was far worse than the contractions I was experiencing. I think fell asleep between 4-5am and woke up
around 7am when the nurses changed shifts.
My nurse for the remainder of labor was a sweet black woman named
Sherry. She was so kind and she told me
to quit apologizing for asking for things.
Kelly left a little after 7am to get breakfast in the cafeteria (yes,
biscuits and gravy) and my water broke, of course, while he was gone. I dilated super quickly after that. We were both certain HB would be here by
lunch time.</div>
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I think I started pushing around 11-11:30am. We didn't know it at the time but HB had a
huge head for a newborn which made the whole process take a lot longer than
this first time momma expected. It
seemed I was not making any progress. I
pushed and pushed and pushed, and the little guy did not seem to be getting any
closer. Thankfully, HB showed no signs
of stress throughout the entire active labor period. Just as we were nearing the end Sherry gave
me a face mask with oxygen. It was the
only thing throughout my entire labor that annoyed me – it kept all of my hot
breath inside and made me feel really sweaty and gross and like I could not
breathe. Kelly, being the sweet man he
is, tried adjusting it to make it more comfortable and I remember snapping at
him that I just didn't want to wear the mask.
I literally felt like I couldn't push anymore, and just about voiced my
concern when finally, a little after 1:30pm, our sweet first born arrived with
a full head of hair and made the entire process worth it. My “official” OB Dr. Fernandez was not on
call, so another doctor from the practice, Dr. Suarez, delivered HB and did a
great job. I was so nervous throughout
my entire pregnancy about having a male obstetrician deliver our baby but in
the moment I didn't even give it a second thought. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
It was all so surreal.
Three years later, as I write this, it’s a little less surreal, but I
still have to pinch myself. I got
pregnant. I baked a baby for nine
months. I had contractions for almost 48
hours. I delivered said baby. And then parenting began. At the time I almost felt like I should have
completed some type of training course at the hospital before we were
discharged but looking back I know there is no teacher like experience
itself. </div>
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It’s been a joyful {almost} three years with our
son. I am tearing up as I write
this. Three years? Time has truly gone by too fast. Just last night HB came out to the living
room about 30 minutes after I had put him to bed. He’s been making this a habit so I warned him
not to come out or a spanking would be waiting for him. Just as I was about to chastise him, I heard
a little voice telling me that he will only be this little for awhile
longer. It will only be for a little
while that he wants to sit on my lap and just rock after his brother and sister
have fallen asleep. So instead of
swatting him, I pulled him into my lap and smelled the little boy smell on his
temple and laid a few smooches on his cheek.
I still can’t believe we get to call HB our son every day. <br />
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-7884530275912763612014-02-21T13:49:00.000-07:002014-02-21T13:49:00.706-07:00Hormones in Beef<b>{Beef} Facts Friday:</b> Hormones in Beef<br />
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Did you know that there are hormones in the plant and animal material we consume? Regardless of whether it is organic or conventionally produced, humans today consume hormones on a daily basis. That cabbage you had last night in coleslaw? You bet. The chicken in your burrito from Chipotle today for lunch? Definitely. And the steak you plan on grilling tomorrow night? For sure.<br />
<br />
Many consumers have been frightened by the fact that people eat hormones, and typically feel safer when a company advertises that their products are "hormone free." This is false advertising at it's best because no food is without hormones. Also, when I was teaching high school agriculture, I often had students share with me that they didn't eat this or that because they didn't want to eat chicken that was pumped with hormones. Chicken and pork producers in the US are not permitted to use hormones in their production practices. It is an illegal practice. <br />
<br />
In an effort to keep today's Beef Fact Friday short, I will refer you to this short <a href="http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef/2846/15997" target="_blank">article</a> written at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln for additional information. In closing, you can feel safe eating the food you do! Remember, get the facts before you help spread rumors that are based on scaring consumers into making food choices based on false information!Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-6138925824993253382014-02-07T13:35:00.000-07:002014-02-07T13:35:00.078-07:00Name that Beef Cut<b>{Beef} Facts Friday:</b> Name that beef cut<br />
<br />
Want to know where your favorite cut of steak or roast comes from? Check out this fun <a href="http://www.foodbeast.com/2013/12/03/the-steak-breakdown-your-ultimate-guide-to-cuts-of-beef/" target="_blank">article</a> from Food Beast that my sister passed along. It's a fun read, and even better, educational!<br />
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<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-90990545699621969972014-02-05T21:13:00.000-07:002014-02-05T21:13:00.921-07:00Loaded Baked Potato ChowderThis is the recipe that was demonstrated at the recent Pampered Chef Party I hosted in January. It is super easy to make and doesn't take more than 30 minutes start-to-finish since you make it using the microwave. I mention a few Pampered Chef tools in the directions but you don't need them to make this recipe. This filling, quick chowder is perfect on a cold night to warm your family up in a hurry!<br />
<br />
<b>Whatcha Making Wednesday: </b>Loaded Baked Potato Chowder<br />
<i>Recipe courtesy of Pampered Chef</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Ingredients<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>3 large baking potatoes (roughly 2 1/2 pounds)</li>
<li>3 1/2 cups milk, divided</li>
<li>4 ounces cream cheese (you can omit this if you want to make a lighter version)</li>
<li>2 T butter</li>
<li>2-3 green onions, sliced</li>
<li>4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (4 ounces give or take...we did way more!)</li>
<li>1 1/2 tsp salt (I added this amount but think it needs a little more next time I make it)</li>
<li>1/2 tsp pepper</li>
<li>Optional toppings: chopped bacon, sour cream</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Directions</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Place in a microwave safe dish that has a lid (you can use the Deep Covered Baker or Rock and Crok here if you have them). Pour 1/2 cup milk over potatoes. Microwave on HIGH for 11 minutes and test potatoes for doneness by sticking them with a fork! If they need more time, rotate potatoes from top to bottom, or outside of dish to inside and cook on HIGH another 8-11 minutes. Coarsely mash potatoes (with the Mix'N chop if you have it).</li>
<li>Whisk cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining 3 cups milk whisking until smooth. Add mixture to potatoes. Microwave on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until hot. </li>
<li>Remove from microwave. Ladle chowder into bowls and top with green onion, chopped bacon and shredded cheese.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Note: I cooked one pound of bacon in the oven (375 for 40 minutes for crispy bacon) two days before I made this recipe and then used the bacon in three different meals - twice for breakfast and then this dinner meal. Now that I have two children and have found that the dinner hour can be uber stressful so I try to cook once and then use that material several times if possible. Case in point - the bacon for this recipe. I also do this often with ground beef.</div>
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-23847364838711794782014-01-31T08:57:00.000-07:002014-01-31T08:57:00.151-07:00Katherine is 7-no-8 months!2013 came and went without a hitch, except for posting my sweet little daughter's memorable milestones at 7 months. It's a good thing there are no rules to blogging because as soon as I make a decision in my head about posting more, seasons like the holidays come and go and I essentially stop blogging for several weeks. Enough on that though and onto the subject of today's post.<br />
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<br />
Miss Katherine Beth has recently gone through a growth spurt and while I don't know her actual weight and length statistics, she seems to be growing longer and longer. She is still one of the sweetest, most laid back babies I have ever known and I love watching HB dote on her. She finds her big brother absolutely hilarious and now giggles and snorts and growls at him across the dinner table and often when she is in the swing. He loves to run around in front of her which just tickles Miss K to no end.<br />
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<br />
<br />
She is finally able to hold herself up sitting and really enjoys the exer-saucer (pictured above). She is just now starting to push herself in circles - well, no circles yet, but little pushes nonetheless. She is eating Cheerios in this picture, thanks to HB. He just gave them to her like it was no big deal. Sometimes I wonder what other snacks he might have passed along to her when I wasn't noticing. She has her two center bottom teeth and overall she is a great eater; she loves most all purees and is cute as a button when she smacks her lips like she is actually chewing. I provide plenty of "real" food in addition to the purees so she can practice feeding herself and experience different textures. She really loves chewing on a piece of steak, she loves avocado and really enjoys noodles and veggies from the various soups she has tried.<br />
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<br />
When we take Katherine outside she growls like crazy with excitement. She loves when the leaves rustle and is absolutely mesmerized by any type of animal - you can see my dog is also quite infatuated with her (or the snack in her hand) in the picture above. My dog would love to lick her face all day long but thankfully I run interference on that. Just the other day Katherine got an awesome hold on Johnnie Reb's ear and was ready to put it in her mouth to investigate this object a little further when I promptly removed it. Johnnie Reb didn't seem to notice or mind one bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She can't believe she is 8-months either!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Katherine sleeps like a champ at night but leaves a little to be desired during daytime napping. She goes to bed at 6:30pm or a little after and wakes around 6am, give or take. She has been known to sleep in until 7am a time or two! She takes a short morning nap and then a nice afternoon nap at the same time as HB. This afternoon nap time with both of them going down at the same time is my favorite time of day, lol!<br />
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I am already getting a little sentimental about her first birthday coming up although we still have another four months. I am really, really enjoying this stage with both of my kids and am grateful for new chances each day to snuggle my children and show them how much I love them.Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-27951315411898525872014-01-29T09:15:00.000-07:002014-01-29T09:15:00.723-07:00Beefy-Cheesy-Au Gratin potato casserole<i>Disclaimer: A relative dropped this super yummy casserole by when we were adjusting to life after bringing Katherine home from the hospital. I am making it tonight for the first time but I promise you won't be disappointed! It's easy to assemble and would be great for a quick, protein packed weeknight meal.</i><br />
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<b>Beefy-Cheesy-Au Gratin potato Casserole</b><br />
Whatcha Making Wednesdays<br />
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Ingredients<br />
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<ul>
<li>1 pound ground beef</li>
<li>1 box Au Gratin potatoes</li>
<li>1 can diced tomatoes</li>
<li>2 cups shredded cheddar</li>
</ul>
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Directions</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Brown hamburger. You can add diced onions if you want. Drain fat. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon of oregano.</li>
<li>Sprinkle potatoes in bottom of a 2-quart baking dish, or a 9x13 pan.</li>
<li>Sprinkle cheese that came with potatoes over the bottom layer.</li>
<li>Distribute ground beef and then tomatoes over the pan.</li>
<li>Add 1 can of water over top.</li>
<li>Sprinkle cheese.</li>
<li>Cook uncovered for 25 minutes at 425 degrees.</li>
</ol>
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-24305356682129488542014-01-27T21:15:00.000-07:002014-01-27T21:15:11.667-07:00Changing brandsMy sweet husband has been more than helpful around the house lately. Be it a "honey do" project such as hanging up shelves or washing dishes after dinner, he has totally stepped up his game. To be honest, I had to ask him if he felt like I wasn't doing enough and that's why he felt he had to step in. Exactly the opposite. He said he felt like I had more than enough to do and he felt he could lighten my load by helping out. I know I 'm bragging, but I am so grateful for my husband and the ways he shows me he cares. These small tasks mean a lot since one of my primary love languages is acts of service.<br />
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This brings me to a recent night of washing dishes that gave us both a good belly laugh. I am not a loyal buyer of any one brand of dish washing detergent; I typically buy the brand that is on sale at Costco be it the name brand or Kirkland. The last mega pack we had contained little gel packs where all you had to do was pop one in the dishwasher and turn it on. I bought a new mega pack of a different brand the key change being that the new packets were wrapped individually so you need to unwrap each one before throwing it in the dishwasher. Hubby thought this difference was inconsequential. I hope I used that word right.<br />
<br />
After said night of dish washing I open the door to unload our warm dishes and find that the little silver packet of soap is still sitting in the bottom of the dishwasher. Totally unaffected by the high temperature and streaming water that apparently were solely responsible for cleaning our dishes. I point this out, we both have a good laugh, and go about our business. The funny part? He did the same exact thing a few weeks later claiming he forgot once again. Cue really good belly laugh.<br />
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I love that man. I really do:) Especially when he does the dishes and makes me laugh really hard.Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-89749287689318526072013-12-25T08:16:00.000-07:002014-01-08T08:17:10.237-07:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXy0DrDKOn2AHVEWLCEZXmfmLt9qtxmmkQLPwgrx5P5btqugPNnQfqlK73Cfaytn5I-ZALFpF-aMn031fHkXtL6XNnUNn7b_hWBGvLORc-S7MZYJj-Dr_HUOlS854F_PB84Qk4JV55eE/s1600/ChristmasCard2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXy0DrDKOn2AHVEWLCEZXmfmLt9qtxmmkQLPwgrx5P5btqugPNnQfqlK73Cfaytn5I-ZALFpF-aMn031fHkXtL6XNnUNn7b_hWBGvLORc-S7MZYJj-Dr_HUOlS854F_PB84Qk4JV55eE/s1600/ChristmasCard2013.jpg" height="640" width="433" /></a></div>
<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-19073481264145558442013-12-12T13:15:00.002-07:002013-12-12T13:15:35.754-07:00Thanksgiving weekend, in picturesThanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Not only do I love that we have a celebration of thanksgiving but I love the fall season as well. I so enjoy the cooler weather that November <i>finally</i> brings for southern Arizona and the chance to bake all things pumpkin without apology. I wanted to share a few of my favorite memories from our Thanksgiving weekend this year. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-rS5omJIEcXlZQGfXhLkZPmNV0GzPO0Ysijvwxg_E-mankFY4QMX_kKS5nUktTTV5a91wr4YQ8VeNA7XQyOLF_mAbzVib-YqSMpGZ7-6qgoQFOBGhiZa7kqQ93nhM_MtPiL0DdEIG-s/s1600/64180042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-rS5omJIEcXlZQGfXhLkZPmNV0GzPO0Ysijvwxg_E-mankFY4QMX_kKS5nUktTTV5a91wr4YQ8VeNA7XQyOLF_mAbzVib-YqSMpGZ7-6qgoQFOBGhiZa7kqQ93nhM_MtPiL0DdEIG-s/s320/64180042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Thanksgiving table minus most of the kids. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqMNOZW9EEoQGQNRUD6FCNRsfjd9p_CqZnFYj9lh2p8GTwMbD_aMm3jPQ3RbMDxtlrOIPmedgJZWo5fNYpOHr0DnsNE4otPU3ZGhL-JNOvm1-XMOkcNI4XPsTKcsuoi2Y08WG7nRGmAc/s1600/64180009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqMNOZW9EEoQGQNRUD6FCNRsfjd9p_CqZnFYj9lh2p8GTwMbD_aMm3jPQ3RbMDxtlrOIPmedgJZWo5fNYpOHr0DnsNE4otPU3ZGhL-JNOvm1-XMOkcNI4XPsTKcsuoi2Y08WG7nRGmAc/s320/64180009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bass, my brother in law, fried two awesome turkeys that he injected a garlic solution into. They were great! Also pictured are my Dad and two nephews.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-ltTD8swHVrSdTT6EsuhIT1RYSHZKbsqx-5iKkC3_aX0X0M63ktGcskbTUBIVq-JGrk2UH3sIcqbN__T6ZdzGtz5B5f2RLVl0zajCMpdE5Cs-L9f5nrmmfo2ke9ZJEPCJOrr8ZoUrvg/s1600/64180048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-ltTD8swHVrSdTT6EsuhIT1RYSHZKbsqx-5iKkC3_aX0X0M63ktGcskbTUBIVq-JGrk2UH3sIcqbN__T6ZdzGtz5B5f2RLVl0zajCMpdE5Cs-L9f5nrmmfo2ke9ZJEPCJOrr8ZoUrvg/s320/64180048.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My babies and I. I am so grateful for my children and absolutely love having them to share holidays with.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV7gOz4osWxWdEdg989QdluScaShCBuooopRihHBoYqNX5UQeMgCbDAx2D8483NisJQARVD2SEWSO8aHlyvhQSZrjMR6va4CQKxt4mgQ1IQkp1uswEKuFXxyHHOFRzuMUJ_r4_O4b2Do/s1600/63560002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV7gOz4osWxWdEdg989QdluScaShCBuooopRihHBoYqNX5UQeMgCbDAx2D8483NisJQARVD2SEWSO8aHlyvhQSZrjMR6va4CQKxt4mgQ1IQkp1uswEKuFXxyHHOFRzuMUJ_r4_O4b2Do/s320/63560002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After working on Turkey Day, Kelly joined us for family photos and Christmas tree cutting. Oh, and to help HB feed Papa's calves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2TI5JyEbHfanvrDSNk4DFfO0ThNmBrbe5P5Cbkv9TYWNa5YgMaiXQ19suZd4UVJgDVqckkIohn2iGnG_DyCI7zz2Ra2uBlzHmvRrWVtkqGcGgkKqhpfI57UXu_jXlkuOERSVcoYSO-w/s1600/63470002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2TI5JyEbHfanvrDSNk4DFfO0ThNmBrbe5P5Cbkv9TYWNa5YgMaiXQ19suZd4UVJgDVqckkIohn2iGnG_DyCI7zz2Ra2uBlzHmvRrWVtkqGcGgkKqhpfI57UXu_jXlkuOERSVcoYSO-w/s320/63470002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Copeland's joined us for our own Griswold family - like adventure where we drove to Williams to cut our own Christmas trees. The weather was perfect!! And we absolutely could not have had better company.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWonWiq538Sf1XgNV2OIpoTgDOO9JHQLtLMVDDvVSg8woEAH9eH5aCod1jSnNgilHXdB_e7r-CypUF0icdh4UqhTmOYv3NkPFB9OOUifLoCgkdumcpsap6LAC5eFZGZXhUbDXEQc3LXP4/s1600/63510004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWonWiq538Sf1XgNV2OIpoTgDOO9JHQLtLMVDDvVSg8woEAH9eH5aCod1jSnNgilHXdB_e7r-CypUF0icdh4UqhTmOYv3NkPFB9OOUifLoCgkdumcpsap6LAC5eFZGZXhUbDXEQc3LXP4/s320/63510004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little family during Groseta family photos. My Dad captured a few of his own shots while the professional photographer did her job;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfXLK4hXNaiRtO4f1MdVPlEn18MvRaD6YwpHtCWQqDKZbw7MUgT5uOQ9FLVhr29V5c-brGuP5ikCwKuiFJQZ1Ki1leZ_dqOG_UpGx8RMYxXSCz5PaXfr9Ck6ZHloOQU7t-Q61fSlHKro/s1600/63510020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfXLK4hXNaiRtO4f1MdVPlEn18MvRaD6YwpHtCWQqDKZbw7MUgT5uOQ9FLVhr29V5c-brGuP5ikCwKuiFJQZ1Ki1leZ_dqOG_UpGx8RMYxXSCz5PaXfr9Ck6ZHloOQU7t-Q61fSlHKro/s320/63510020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And...one of my favorite shots from the weekend. My sister, her daughter, Katherine and myself, and my mom. Taking pictures is hard work for babies so both our girls caught some shut eye on our chests.</td></tr>
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<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-78320860055069472702013-12-03T21:01:00.003-07:002013-12-03T21:01:46.173-07:00Happy half birthday, KatherineWow, my little girl is six months old. Where does the time go? Having two children has certainly made time seem to slip through my fingers even quicker. Katherine is becoming more and more fun the older she gets. She still seems rather serious at times but her personality is coming out more and more with each passing day. Here are a few of her milestones at six months...<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>She has rolled to her tummy once or twice but she is much more inclined to stay on her back.</li>
<li>Whether she is in the tub, on the changing table or playing on the floor, she loves to chew on her feet.</li>
<li>Baby purees and solid foods are now making an appearance in her daily diet. She has an oatmeal cereal concoction in the morning that includes milk and prune juice. Doesn't that just sound delightful? She has only tried green beans so far but seems to really like them.</li>
<li>Girlfriend loves to grab at your cheeks and pull your face close to hers. If she isn't able to grab your face she will gladly pull your hair, or ears, or whatever she can get her hands on. She loves to nuzzle your face though and with an open mouth, ha!</li>
<li>Her sleeping habits are improving all the time (thankfully). She goes to bed at 6pm or a little after and wakes sometime mid-morning for a bottle - if it's before 4am I give her the pacifier, if it's after 4am I oblige and then she will typically sleep in until around 7am.</li>
<li>Although her weight is average, she has the most delightful chunky thigh rolls. She weighed 16 pounds 1 ounce (50th percentile) and measured 27 inches long (90th percentile) at her 6-month well check. </li>
<li>She has found her voice and I think we may have a screamer on our hands! She actually sounds like a pterodactyl, or at least what I think one would sound like. </li>
<li>Bath time is prime play time. Her favorite toy is a plastic bath book. She howls in despair when I remove it from her death grip to dry her off. She actually rolled her head to the side this past week and put part of her face in the water. </li>
</ul>
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Prepare yourself for a picture overload. I.can't.get.enough.of.her. </div>
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Clockwise, from top left.<br />
1-Playing with Grandma while visiting Grandpa at the hospital.<br />
2-Just chilling with the Baby-ators on.<br />
3-Sitting in her big girl high chair preparing for some actual chow.<br />
4-Daddy helping with the monthly "chair photo."<br />
5-Smiling at Daddy instead of at me while I took her six month photo.<br />
6-A girls picture after church.<br />
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What was big brother HB like at six months? Check him out <a href="http://laranchita.blogspot.com/2012/10/hb-at-6-months.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-47575847108580836102013-11-28T07:14:00.000-07:002013-11-28T07:14:00.641-07:00Full of ThanksAdding children to our family has made me recall and reflect on the family traditions that Kelly and I grew up with and spend waaayyy too much time thinking about the traditions we want for our own family. I actually felt pressured last year to have elaborate holidays with all kinds of meaningful traditions. But then reality kept hitting me over the head and reminding me that HB was only eight months old and he wasn't going to remember if we did things the same since he was an infant or not. As we head into our second Thanksgiving with children I wanted to share a few of our Thanksgiving traditions which are not guaranteed to stay the same forever. :)<br />
<br />
Last year (or was it the first year we were married??) we shared a meal at some friend's house and they had a jar on their table that contained little slips of paper with notes about what people were thankful for (Thanks Amy!). I loved the purposefulness of this activity and the conversation starter that is also provided for dinnertime convos. We adopted this tradition for the month of November with the hope that it would increase our gratitude for the things we take for granted. We wanted to extend our Thanksgiving from one day to a longer period of time. Most nights we each take a moment to write down something we are thankful for. At the end of the month we read them all out loud and then save them for our family scrapbook. {Note: I have not yet scrapbooked this page yet. Surprised? I didn't think so. I hope I can break the cycle of not scrapbooking for a whole year.} As a twist on this tradition, I wanted to share something about each member of my family.<br />
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<br />
<ol>
<li>My hubby: I am thankful for your tireless work ethic. You do what it takes to make ends meet without complaint. This does not go unnoticed. I am grateful for the chance you have afforded me to stay at home and raise our children.</li>
<li>My son: I love our snuggle time. You would sit on my lap for hours as long as we read books and paged through magazines. I cherish this time as I know someday you won't want to sit on momma's lap any longer.</li>
<li>My daughter: Your facial expressions are priceless and you are only six months old! It's almost like you know a secret. I so look forward to the day we become friends.</li>
<li>My Lord: last, but surely not the least. I am grateful for the depth of your grace for I have faced my own dire need for this more in this last year than ever before. Thank you for doing for me what I could never do myself by sending your Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me.</li>
</ol>
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Without making this post too long, I wanted to share one more tradition that is a bit more light hearted: watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. My paternal grandmother, Katherine, and now my Dad always turn this on on Thanksgiving morning. And with that said here are a few fun facts to end today's post.</div>
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<ul>
<li>There are 50 million viewers who tune-in to watch and 3.5 million on-site spectators!</li>
<li>The highest balloons reach 60 feet high!</li>
<li>The parade started in 1924, running a total of 86 times only taking a break for three years during World War II.</li>
</ul>
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Thanksgiving 2012: <a href="http://laranchita.blogspot.com/2012/11/some-thanksgiving-day-humor-and.html" target="_blank">Thanksgiving Day humor and gratitude</a></div>
Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-85003871824137505832013-11-24T12:24:00.000-07:002013-11-24T12:24:00.330-07:00If it can go wrong, it will go wrong<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
Have you ever had one of those days where if something could go wrong it would go wrong? That was totally last Thursday.</div>
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I had Katherine's 6-month well check and the pediatrician was distracted which frustrated me to no end. I locked myself out of the house and I had two sleeping babies in the car. I realized I forgot to replace the hide-a-key which was hiding on my kitchen counter. I ran over something on I-10 while driving to get my husband's house key and my tire popped. Both jacks in my truck no longer worked. And the icing on the cake? My spare tire was flat too.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "side of the road" selfie with HB. Captured during one of the moments where he was not frustrated and crying.</td></tr>
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That day was certainly one where there were plenty of opportunities to complain to the Lord. As all of this was happening though God was gently reminding me of the two week study that I had been participating in through Good Morning Girls. The theme of this particular study was "Thanksgiving" and for the past two weeks we have been reading scripture every day that pertains to giving thanks to the Lord. Despite blessings or challenges, we are to come to the Lord with thanksgiving for he is the Rock of our salvation. (Psalm 95:1) I am so grateful for the past two weeks - I had a full cup of scripture to draw upon yesterday as one frustrating incident after another occurred. Not to say that I didn't have a few moments where I was on the brink of breaking down. But through it all, I kept feeling thankful. And the true praise for that can only be given to our God. </div>
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I share this story, one, because it is humorous, and, two, because I was made aware of the importance of scripture in our lives once again. I surely would have lost it more than once yesterday had I not had 10+ scriptures running through my mind about giving thanks to the Lord in all circumstances and at all times. Regardless of the season of my life I have reason after reason to come to singing praises and shouting joyfully to the Lord.</div>
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Oh, and I can't forget to make mention of how thankful I am for my handy hubby. He left the AI (artificial insemination) class he was in to rescue us. He was truly my knight in shining armor yesterday. Love you babe!</div>
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<i>Haven't heard of Good Morning Girls before? It is an online bible study for women. For more information, check out their website <a href="http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></div>
Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-71318917405408072812013-11-21T20:23:00.000-07:002013-11-21T20:23:00.432-07:00Gourmet Cooking Class<b>Throwback Thursday: Gourmet Cooking Class</b><br />
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My mother has informed my siblings and I that she no longer needs any gifts of "stuff". She is at a point in her life where all she wants to do is clean out junk so that when she dies there is less of a mess for us to deal with. Her words, not mine. I appreciate her effort although I haven't really thought that far in advance yet. Now, how does that relate to this delightful post on a gourmet cooking class? Instead of gifting my mother a tangible gift to place on a shelf last Christmas, my sister, sister-in-law and I gifted her a gourmet cooking class for the four of us.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFBpS3iIADlpmbrHROYkXJs5Zwh-Y3KvHgJ9SqkiFvvL3Vcp49lRA1HgyUB_OHJucdfsJUqRI060l-82qfHc7AHb0SyIqPofWTuYk1EQqh354_eqnPyq2XQzS_QElIbJUtSCXWbURyn8/s1600/CookingClass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCFBpS3iIADlpmbrHROYkXJs5Zwh-Y3KvHgJ9SqkiFvvL3Vcp49lRA1HgyUB_OHJucdfsJUqRI060l-82qfHc7AHb0SyIqPofWTuYk1EQqh354_eqnPyq2XQzS_QElIbJUtSCXWbURyn8/s320/CookingClass.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myself, Anna (my sister), Gretchen (SIL), and Mom</td></tr>
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We selected a date in March of this year to attend "Italian 101" where we actively participated in creating a gourmet meal that would later be our dinner! Anna and I carpooled and met up with my mom and Gretchen. A humorous side note: I was in my third trimester with Katherine and one of the weird pregnancy side effects I often encountered was motion sickness while driving. I totally got carsick on the way there. I started crying and my sister pulled over - at first on the left side of the 101 (super busy freeway in Phoenix) which was a little scary and then eventually she pulled entirely off the freeway into a parking lot so I could get out. Driving helped alleviate my motion sickness for some reason so we switched spots and off we headed again.<br />
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Our meal consisted of:<br />
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Wild Mushroom Cannelloni with Lemon Thyme Cream
Sauce</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Chicken Saltimbocca with Creamy Polenta</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Chianti Poached Pear with Cinnamon Semi-freddo
(my fave!)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS7dgtcPeXAttOOPkGHMu5W58ko2qx3reX0XMlpi2jxHiYS1fbbyRgF_bG-07s00WYLLYgKjRgvxEkxh7ira36XMgIvsSrKWusfMuyI-5b6B_UtsKwKojd8noi8k-BCdeOlP17f2Ghs8/s1600/IMG_2225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVS7dgtcPeXAttOOPkGHMu5W58ko2qx3reX0XMlpi2jxHiYS1fbbyRgF_bG-07s00WYLLYgKjRgvxEkxh7ira36XMgIvsSrKWusfMuyI-5b6B_UtsKwKojd8noi8k-BCdeOlP17f2Ghs8/s320/IMG_2225.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna rolling out her pasta with some assistance. This took a little practice at first but was quite fun to practice. Now...I only need to practice using my own pasta roller at home!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfRxUhyphenhypheno1LyYzODPLWyhPp_Fz1Bkfqipzp3U-Kbl_tnNL4Q0hpiM3KRM5T0Gp-jBRe8ZcwH31dRuO7bFwSyLUCEr5_y-uE1Zth69p2jxvZD8LX1-eize5JLeV8ash8ToVhbcBU7_OIiQ/s1600/IMG_2227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipfRxUhyphenhypheno1LyYzODPLWyhPp_Fz1Bkfqipzp3U-Kbl_tnNL4Q0hpiM3KRM5T0Gp-jBRe8ZcwH31dRuO7bFwSyLUCEr5_y-uE1Zth69p2jxvZD8LX1-eize5JLeV8ash8ToVhbcBU7_OIiQ/s320/IMG_2227.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We cut the long strips of pasta into rectangles, cooked them in boiling water and then used them for canelloni.</td></tr>
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The Chianti Pear dessert was awesome. I have never had a semi-freddo before and I felt like I could have eaten a gallon of this. Semi-freddos are not for those who are afraid of raw eggs though. It was fun to learn some new kitchen techniques, like how to make pasta from scratch, and the people watching was pretty fun as well. We sat with some interesting people. Overall it was a super fun night making memories with my mom and sisters. It turned out to be one of the best gifts we had given!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAJM8S-6UfmL9B0xxJUPr9Yp0v7_fWvUpcfsVmbLCfJpvoQzHWUQ1NadZpg38I_IyNgH_h40VIjUyjpGvDRM9VspZX4g8J1LBPjo-xSrW0BXV9_M6J-YpIgQCVBRNGgvZOlef5klptoE/s1600/IMG_2229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAJM8S-6UfmL9B0xxJUPr9Yp0v7_fWvUpcfsVmbLCfJpvoQzHWUQ1NadZpg38I_IyNgH_h40VIjUyjpGvDRM9VspZX4g8J1LBPjo-xSrW0BXV9_M6J-YpIgQCVBRNGgvZOlef5klptoE/s320/IMG_2229.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas in March Mom!</td></tr>
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Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-40382377691003957852013-11-13T07:43:00.000-07:002013-11-14T13:57:25.926-07:00Naughty Cornbread<b>Whatcha Making Wednesday: Naughty Cornbread</b><br />
(Tammie Zimmerman)<br />
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Tis' the season to make chili and cornbread, is it not? I love chili and I love cornbread and I especially love the recipe I am sharing today. I saw it on a friend's Instagram so I will give her credit but I'm sure there are other variation out there.<br />
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Ingredients<br />
-1 recipe cornbread (I use my mom's recipe but you can use a box mix as well.)<br />
-1 yellow cake mix<br />
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<i>I apologize for the super long grocery list. Hehe.</i><br />
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Directions<br />
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Mix the cornbread recipe with the yellow cake mix recipe. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Test it just like a cake for doneness by sticking a toothpick and making sure it comes out clean.<br />
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<i>This recipe is definitely more cake than bread but I promise you'll never go back to regular cornbread again! Never! Enjoy:)</i>Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-89119637534761931892013-11-07T22:12:00.000-07:002013-11-07T22:12:26.991-07:00I'm becoming a hoarderOr so says my husband.<br />
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HB and Katherine had Daddy all to themselves as I went to help the local FFA Ag Sales team with their last practice as their volunteer coach. As I do each time I leave Kelly with the kids, I leave a list with a few reminders that includes general times he can expect to feed and bathe our children, et cetera. Kelly does a great job making sure tummies are full, little bottoms are dry and everyone goes to bed generally happy and pretty much clean. <br />
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This time though, Kelly took his responsibilities over the top. (We use the phrase "over the top" around here to describe exceptionally great things and often with saracasm as we refer to exceptionally not so great things.) Earlier that same day I had made a pile of papers that Kelly needed to go through which included a few pieces of mail, some forms and a few other items that I cannot remember at this point. I didn't mention the pile to Kelly before leaving however upon my return I was pleasantly surprised that he saw the pile AND sorted it (read: thrown away). I was actually more than pleasantly surprised. I was down right delighted. I sang his praises about being a great husband and daddy and then I noticed that the remaining pile which contained my papers looked significantly smaller. So much so that it warranted me rifling through the papers to take account of the situation.<br />
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I asked him if he accidentally went through my pile to which he replied, "Yeah, you are kind of becoming a hoarder." I then asked what he threw away out of my pile and he looked totally oblivious so I walked over to the trash can and started pulling out our mail-in ballots for the local election (totally not important), several handouts from the pediatrician that I had just gotten that morning from HB's 18-month well check and a handful of other documents.<br />
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My husband's initiative to clear off our counter that night brought us both a good chuckle although I would not go so far as claiming to be a hoarder of paper or any other item for that matter. I will admit that I have a genetic disorder for something I inherited from my mother called "stack and pile" disease where I basically suffer from stacking and piling papers and other important items around my home. I go through piles as I have the time, sometimes re-stacking after sifting and organizing. Hoarding though? Naw, that's a step too far.<br />
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<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-66937128319215921272013-10-30T10:02:00.000-07:002013-10-30T10:02:00.372-07:00Carroty Mac-n-CheeseKatherine was a bear to try and teach to breast feed. She would cry for up to an hour before latching on, if she even did that. Stubborn? I'd say so, just like her father. ;) That said I still wanted to breast feed her so I turned to pumping as the next best option. With Katherine at 5-months old I am still pumping four times a day and supplementing with formula as needed. All this to say that I often times have long periods of time with nothing to do but stare off into space - at least when I pump before my bambinos wake up in the morning and after they go to bed at night. I quickly tired of Facebook and checking email so I began reading recipes in search of new, yummy and fairly quick dishes to make. <a href="http://weelicious.com/">Weelicious</a> provided a link to this recipe on a list of their favorites from 2011 and it has proven a fast favorite with the two and under crowd in our house. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!<br />
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<strong>Whatcha Making Wednesdays: Carroty Mac and Cheese</strong><br />
<strong>(Three Many Cooks)</strong><br />
<em>Makes 6 servings</em><br />
<em><br /></em>
2 cups whole wheat macaroni<br />
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrot (about 8 small)<br />
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese<br />
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br />
3/4 cup sour cream<br />
1/4 cup whole milk<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
3/4 teaspoon mustard powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese<br />
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<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 400° F and grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Arrange a
rack in the top third of the oven.</li>
<li>Cook macaroni according to package instructions in a large pot of salted
boiling water; add carrot 3 minutes before pasta is finished cooking; drain
well.</li>
<li>While pasta is hot, stir in all but 1/2 cup of the cheddar and the
butter. In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, salt, mustard
powder, and pepper. Fold mixture into the pasta.</li>
<li>Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar
and the parmesan over the top. Bake until the casserole is firm to the touch and
golden brown, about 30 minutes.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>What Else?(from Three Many Cooks)</em><br />
<ul>
<li>If you’re grating your cheddar cheese in the food processor, you don’t have
to wash out the machine before grating the carrots. Or vice versa.</li>
<li>This is one of those macaroni and cheeses with an eggy custard base that puffs
as it cooks, and is cut into squares to serve, like a casserole, as opposed to
that gooey, creamy, stove-top béchamel sauce version. I know that some people
have strong opinions about proper mac and cheese (I’m an equal opportunist
myself), but thought I’d let you know what you’re getting.</li>
<li>You can vary the cheese to give this rather plain (if tasty) dish more personality.
Gruyère, aged Cheddar, pecorino, and aged Gouda will all add a sophisticated
allure that will raise it above mere kids’ food.</li>
</ul>
Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-67551415657208136312013-10-26T14:00:00.003-07:002013-10-26T14:00:55.048-07:00Happy half birthday, HBIt seems like everyday another friend posts about how quickly time is flying and that they can't believe their little person just turned one, or two, or three. I find myself saying that same exact thing. No matter what Kelly and I do, time seems to slip through our fingers. Our little people are growing up way too fast. I often wonder am I enjoying it enough, or savoring it enough? I hope that by processing and recording a little bit of our busy life on my blog we can look back someday and enjoy it all again.<br />
<br />
HB turned 18 months this past week - toddler-hood can be such a joy and a challenge; and I'm learning to enjoy the good moments because Lord knows a fit is just around the corner. Much like the one pictured below. This young man is getting really good at throwing himself on the floor. These type of fits usually coincide with one of two things - either coming in from playing outside or being hungry. Boy has no patience or grace for momma when his tummy is rumbling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbW1c5QqV6Elkl0MisNLI6Wq2ESet1Bbdr_z0q7d94VCQoVaT8McaDJhrrAquXjpsqfDl0_0WQpqnjPz-tQ_tF9LRy3v0MVTmeq94A9uDndhhIaP78fehKarnLyrMjPdiCmE79sOk0W8/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbW1c5QqV6Elkl0MisNLI6Wq2ESet1Bbdr_z0q7d94VCQoVaT8McaDJhrrAquXjpsqfDl0_0WQpqnjPz-tQ_tF9LRy3v0MVTmeq94A9uDndhhIaP78fehKarnLyrMjPdiCmE79sOk0W8/s320/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Our boy is a great eater though and that is a huge blessing. He eats whatever Kelly and I eat and most often he eats it with gusto. We are all about rubbing our peanut butter and jelly in our hair and on our neck. Or our lasagna. Heck, why not rub everything we eat all over our face, head and neck? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9UObPD0es9vom4pnVUuF1oVZmRg55rmiPE3Ws6E8_OYgIuBlQcZcOXGBfiwc_9S87HIpBlcL4dIVxALXee4KyXRdqnogGRnei6gJgmNT4K21iRzPnvZ9BSAQTcbS2p_IMwvfvrp5ffU/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9UObPD0es9vom4pnVUuF1oVZmRg55rmiPE3Ws6E8_OYgIuBlQcZcOXGBfiwc_9S87HIpBlcL4dIVxALXee4KyXRdqnogGRnei6gJgmNT4K21iRzPnvZ9BSAQTcbS2p_IMwvfvrp5ffU/s320/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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At 18 months, here are a few of the fun things our sweet boy can do:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Starting to form actual words - mama, dada, baby, dirty, go, baa, moo. Oh, wait, the last two are animal sounds. </li>
<li>Understands simple directions like "pick the toy up" or "give it to baby" or "sit on your bottom" or "go sit in your chair."</li>
<li>Still loves to cuddle on your lap before bedtime. Usually this is coupled with looking through livestock magazines and making lots of animal noises.</li>
<li>Helps do chores outside. He is surprisingly strong for someone sub three feet. He tries dragging flakes of hay to the sheep pens or will grab whatever coffee can or bucket of grain he can. He likes to keep it interesting too by randomly moving anything and everything within reach and relocating it. This includes a drench gun, pliers, his own toys, and buckets.</li>
<li>Mimics mommy in the kitchen by grabbing spoons and bowls and "stirring" whatever he can. He is at the fun height where he can grab things like knives off the counter when his <strike>forgetful</strike> tired mommy doesn't move them far enough away from the edge.</li>
<li>Starting to potty train, although it is going to require more consistency from momma and daddy to actually make this a concrete habit. He has gone number one and two on the toilet, although the number two was more like a lucky save because he was headed for the living room when I made him sit on the toilet!</li>
<li>He loves to kiss his baby sister. His kisses consist of placing his face on you and making the sound "mm."</li>
<li>As he grows the phrase "long and lean" comes to mind. He weighed 26 pounds 4 ounces (50th percentile) and measured 34 inches long (90th percentile). </li>
</ul>
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He is definitely a goof ball and loves to laugh. Please note the fire hat on backwards and the Twister game mat on the floor behind him. We have not taught him to play this game yet but he loves to pull it out of the cupboard and drag it around.</div>
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HB, we love you so very much little buddy, and are so blessed to call you son. While you occasionally make momma want to pull her hair out, we are both enamored with your charming smile, sweet offers of help and cuddly moments before bed. We can already tell that there will be lots of laughter and fun ahead with you.<br />
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<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-87597594550267279892013-10-16T13:27:00.000-07:002013-10-16T13:27:00.553-07:00Crock Pot Beef Carnitas<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b>Whatcha Making Wednesdays: Crock Pot Beef
Carnitas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
(<a href="http://www.eatliverun.com/crock-pot-beef-carnitas-tacos/">Eat.Live.Run</a>)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p>This recipe is seriously awesome. One of the best crock pot recipes I've ever tried and definitely a new favorite BEEF recipe of mine! My friend Lauren shared it with my sister and I and we ended up making it for my parent's joint birthday lunch in September. It obviously is now making regular appearances in the Wright household. Try it, you won't regret it!</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
2 lbs flank steak (I want to try this with a top round steak aka London broil....I have a few in my freezer that need a destination!)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 yellow onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 green bell pepper, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 red bell pepper, chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
for spice rub---<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
2 tsp chili powder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 tsp cumin<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1/4 tsp onion powder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1/4 tsp garlic powder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1 tsp salt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
1/2 tsp black pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
for serving---<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
corn tortillas<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
avocado slices<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
cilantro<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
your favorite salsa<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
limes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Directions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the
spices all over your flank steak---be generous here! Then, place your steak at
the bottom of your crock pot.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell
peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and
shred with a fork. It should be incredibly easy to shred. You can either stick
the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour or serve as is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->To serve, heat your corn tortillas in a skillet
on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla then top with salsa, avocado,
cilantro and a squeeze of lime.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Enjoy with a margarita for best result.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Time:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
active time--10 min<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
total time---8 hours</div>
Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6077576854407193236.post-88004994571487503992013-10-10T07:40:00.000-07:002013-10-10T07:40:00.863-07:00Play date at the "beach"<b>Throwback Thursday:</b> <b>Play date at the "beach"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Referring to our play date at the "beach" is a bit of a stretch. Okay, a big stretch but we had fun anyway. Our friends, Katie and Carson, hosted us for a mid-summer play date this past July. HB is only two days older than Carson and they were both delivered in the same hospital. If my memory serves, Katie and I actually had the same due date. I liked to refer to her as my pregnancy twin at that time. It's fun to get together now since our boys are so close in age. <br />
<br />
HB loved the water slide and sand table. He ate so much sand that day I feared for his digestive tract. No matter how many times I washed his mouth out with water he continued to go back for more.<br />
<br />
Katherine was about six weeks old but I somehow failed to capture a picture of her on her first play date. Truth be told though she didn't do much playing. She napped on the patio table while the boys played and then napped some more while we snacked and played inside. I also failed to capture a picture of Carson's cousins, Moses and Lancy, who stopped by with their mom Amy. We love this whole family! Thanks for a great time:)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1wW6dj7Ea6cvNSYY2ZvGmmx2LQD6Y_jLhjlRKOASTHoJ_DPL-hbiDd4MxGMU0maP1-_vW2unTT9wCJoVDdCPAhv1qC3lE2DrkGgFof4NCA1Lv5kJDRAUL6efKFgtZqThuKq5pZ7Qy1Y/s1600/IMG_2951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1wW6dj7Ea6cvNSYY2ZvGmmx2LQD6Y_jLhjlRKOASTHoJ_DPL-hbiDd4MxGMU0maP1-_vW2unTT9wCJoVDdCPAhv1qC3lE2DrkGgFof4NCA1Lv5kJDRAUL6efKFgtZqThuKq5pZ7Qy1Y/s320/IMG_2951.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carson is trying to crawl up the water slide here because as I have learned with little boys, slides are meant to be crawled up. Duh, mom.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ010CjaCYZ6mduGWAYKXgNE58hedrwsJJgLpMBkOmlxLXb7b2FGvaNGOiL4NkC93XHG3zxMQPXTw2yiCKV4EqdPQDRHh5Hi-bfmLzytixNB0XZVY_b7lJlsdzPVCy9Zf3Xfj1cmmnP0/s1600/IMG_2952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXJ010CjaCYZ6mduGWAYKXgNE58hedrwsJJgLpMBkOmlxLXb7b2FGvaNGOiL4NkC93XHG3zxMQPXTw2yiCKV4EqdPQDRHh5Hi-bfmLzytixNB0XZVY_b7lJlsdzPVCy9Zf3Xfj1cmmnP0/s320/IMG_2952.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is seriously a feat to get more than one toddler to look at the camera at the same time and have them both look happy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNWY1WmOckPHlVOOOEYvFM0LKqNQzKFU8kREYuiUIsI89beY5Wl49AIbh0K4BcHff76AR1jadGld6j0Db7pbJagxzbk1j1pjarVnOEostMHn9Ihakfg654PNsjOyduHjftspauVCfJ2o/s1600/IMG_2956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNWY1WmOckPHlVOOOEYvFM0LKqNQzKFU8kREYuiUIsI89beY5Wl49AIbh0K4BcHff76AR1jadGld6j0Db7pbJagxzbk1j1pjarVnOEostMHn9Ihakfg654PNsjOyduHjftspauVCfJ2o/s320/IMG_2956.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The awesome water and sand table I mentioned earlier. Carson is showing HB how it's done. Don't they look like two little old men?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE0jyB4Gr5QUaxFUQ2EFJSTyfu4zokWy-gbJC3lVLF8QUAF8EOlX08FBBdKTygd6WSX5KVeoTr4flb1I873zZCJ_fxvnay1Y7zRIKx6mtk9C52KdIEZlGq0nbA2gObQTMXJUl3jNKcco/s1600/IMG_2962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE0jyB4Gr5QUaxFUQ2EFJSTyfu4zokWy-gbJC3lVLF8QUAF8EOlX08FBBdKTygd6WSX5KVeoTr4flb1I873zZCJ_fxvnay1Y7zRIKx6mtk9C52KdIEZlGq0nbA2gObQTMXJUl3jNKcco/s320/IMG_2962.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HB is now getting his hands dirty along with throwing sand into Katie's beautiful lawn. Sorry Katie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Katyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17616638362121806662noreply@blogger.com1