Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Getting into the Spring of Things
To me Spring is a beautiful time of the year filled with new and exciting things. This has definitely been true for us this year so far, with getting ready for Baby Girl, Ryan being busy with Young Men and school at least 3 nights a week, me getting acquainted with my new calling as Compassionate Service Leader, and of course extended family birthdays and fun. We have also managed to get a few things done around the house, like hanging pictures, curtains, and the shelf Ryan made me for Christmas of '08. We even made time to visit the Gila Valley temple last Friday, which is absolutely beautiful! Ryan also had a fantastic trip to attend General Conference with the Teachers Quorum, but all the pictures he took are still on his phone. Here are a few pictures that we took when I remembered to grab the camera. (and to charge the battery)
Friday, March 19, 2010
perspective, prayer and the "health care" bill
Let me tell you a little story about a young man named Matthew Quist. He can only really move a few muscles in his face anymore, but he is as concerned with the political state of this country and all the news that goes on locally and globally as any able bodied human being could be. He can't physically do anything about any of it,(he votes every election though, which is doing something) yet he is concerned about the world around him and heartily voices his opinion. Something I've learned from him is that it's good to be concerned about all the evils in the world, as long as you enjoy your video games, love your family & friends and always keep an eternal perspective. If you don't you'll go crazy, or at least be very unhappy.
Part of keeping that perspective is found through prayer. All we have to do is turn on the news, or go to a grocery store and listen to people talk, to see that these are definitely the last days. Anytime I start to get down about anything I think of him and I'm all right. I love my little brother!
Something that he feels strongly about, as do I, is the "health care bill" that is being deliberated on right now. As far as I understand from the reading and listening to the reports on this bill that I've done, it will only hurt this great nation of ours, and us. If you feel the same, perhaps you've signed numerous petitions, sent emails and tried your darndest to make sure those representatives in Washington D.C. know that a majority of the citizens of our country don't want this thing to be passed. Perhaps you've been praying that the Lord will continue to bless this country and those who hold influential political offices to do what will be best for us as a people, not only now but always. If you haven't done so, I urge you to. Prayer is the one great way to have an impact on otherwise untouchable circumstances, in all aspects of our lives. No matter the outcome of this issue I will still count myself blessed to be a citizen of the United States, and I will do my best to keep an eternal perspective, to remember that the Lord will always be over it all.
Part of keeping that perspective is found through prayer. All we have to do is turn on the news, or go to a grocery store and listen to people talk, to see that these are definitely the last days. Anytime I start to get down about anything I think of him and I'm all right. I love my little brother!
Something that he feels strongly about, as do I, is the "health care bill" that is being deliberated on right now. As far as I understand from the reading and listening to the reports on this bill that I've done, it will only hurt this great nation of ours, and us. If you feel the same, perhaps you've signed numerous petitions, sent emails and tried your darndest to make sure those representatives in Washington D.C. know that a majority of the citizens of our country don't want this thing to be passed. Perhaps you've been praying that the Lord will continue to bless this country and those who hold influential political offices to do what will be best for us as a people, not only now but always. If you haven't done so, I urge you to. Prayer is the one great way to have an impact on otherwise untouchable circumstances, in all aspects of our lives. No matter the outcome of this issue I will still count myself blessed to be a citizen of the United States, and I will do my best to keep an eternal perspective, to remember that the Lord will always be over it all.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
once upon a December...
Now that it's been, what, over 2 months since Christmas, (yikes!) I've finally put all the pics on the computer. So, here are just a few things that we did during that wonderful, fast, crazy month, and the first week of January.
Ryan and I had a great Christmas spending a lot of time with our terrific families and each other. Ryan's brother Karl came and helped him put in a pull-down ladder on the attic entrance which helped the next projects he did be a lot easier. My dad came over a few days in a row to help Ryan with some electrical projects. They put an exhaust fan in our bathroom (love that!), and now that room and the garage now have their own gfci switches. They also put in an outlet on the front porch, another light in the hall and Ryan put some lights on the house on either side of the garage and installed a new kitchen sink!
On December 29th our niece Bethany turned 8! I was fresh out of high school when she was born. I can hardly believe she's that old. I was able to finish the quilt for her baptism just the day before. It's the first time I've made a rag quilt and it was so much easier than I thought it would be. I was able to make it faster than any other smaller sized quilt I've done. It might just be my new favorite quilt style!
That's all I can think of that I took pictures of. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of the Allium bulbs I planted in bloom soon. They look like they'll blossom anytime now, thanks to all the Spring rain!
Ryan and I had a great Christmas spending a lot of time with our terrific families and each other. Ryan's brother Karl came and helped him put in a pull-down ladder on the attic entrance which helped the next projects he did be a lot easier. My dad came over a few days in a row to help Ryan with some electrical projects. They put an exhaust fan in our bathroom (love that!), and now that room and the garage now have their own gfci switches. They also put in an outlet on the front porch, another light in the hall and Ryan put some lights on the house on either side of the garage and installed a new kitchen sink!
On December 29th our niece Bethany turned 8! I was fresh out of high school when she was born. I can hardly believe she's that old. I was able to finish the quilt for her baptism just the day before. It's the first time I've made a rag quilt and it was so much easier than I thought it would be. I was able to make it faster than any other smaller sized quilt I've done. It might just be my new favorite quilt style!
That's all I can think of that I took pictures of. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of the Allium bulbs I planted in bloom soon. They look like they'll blossom anytime now, thanks to all the Spring rain!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
and the doctor says...
It's a girl!
The fist thing I say,"Ohhh, a girl! ...we still have 4 girls names that we like."
The first thing Ryan says, "I kind of thought so. I have to get me a silver shotgun now. It'll get a lot of polishing when she's a teenager."
The fist thing I say,"Ohhh, a girl! ...we still have 4 girls names that we like."
The first thing Ryan says, "I kind of thought so. I have to get me a silver shotgun now. It'll get a lot of polishing when she's a teenager."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Cravings!
I don't think there have been too many things that I NEED to have or I'll just DIE!
But there have been a few FOOD items, or maybe JUNK FOOD items, that I've found myself snacking on more than I normally would.
1.GUMMY CANDY: gummy bears, gummy worms, jelly beans, orange slices etc. Eventually fruit snacks came to be the "healthy" option. There are some out there with real fruit juice and less sugar than most. My favorite so far is Welch's brand.
2.FRUIT: Which is, of course, healthy!!! apples, oranges and grapes, mmmm!
3.DOUGHNUTS: I've only given in to that one twice so far and I blame it on the fact that my parents had some once, just sitting there, looking delicious, and I went shopping hungry. Not a good idea.
4.HOT DOGS: I can't figure that one out. A good beef hot dog with ketchup and I'm a happy camper.
One of my favorite meals is one that I really liked before I was expecting anyway. I call it Mexican Lasagna. So, for one of my friends doing a blog recipe exchange of sorts, which is a fabulous idea, here is my recipe:
Mexican Lasagna
What you need:
~about 1 pound of cooked, drained, lean ground beef (any meat will work)
~a package of taco size tortillas, about 6-8 inch diameter
~about 1/2 a pound of grated cheese of your choice
~a bottle of salsa
~a 16oz can of yellow corn, or frozen
~a 16oz can of black beans
~an 8 inch diameter round glass casserole dish. Round is best, but a 9x9 will work too.
Drain the corn and black beans. Start by pouring a little salsa in the bottom of the dish. Place a tortilla on the bottom and wiggle the salsa around so it thinly covers the bottom. Spread about 2 tablespoons each of beef, corn, beans, salsa and cheese on the tortilla. Add another tortilla and layer again. 3 or 4 layers will usually fit. Top off with just a tortilla and cheese. Cover with a glass lid or plate. Microwave for about 12-15 minutes, let it cool a little and enjoy!
I love this recipe because it's something to cook in the microwave and it's fast! I like to cook a few pounds of beef at a time and freeze it, so it makes this recipe and a lot of others so much faster when it's dinner time. I usually don't even thaw it for this dish. This is a perfect size for a small family, and if you're lucky you'll have delicious leftovers. We usually do, even though it's one of Ryan's favorites and he definitely has a healthy appetite :)
But there have been a few FOOD items, or maybe JUNK FOOD items, that I've found myself snacking on more than I normally would.
1.GUMMY CANDY: gummy bears, gummy worms, jelly beans, orange slices etc. Eventually fruit snacks came to be the "healthy" option. There are some out there with real fruit juice and less sugar than most. My favorite so far is Welch's brand.
2.FRUIT: Which is, of course, healthy!!! apples, oranges and grapes, mmmm!
3.DOUGHNUTS: I've only given in to that one twice so far and I blame it on the fact that my parents had some once, just sitting there, looking delicious, and I went shopping hungry. Not a good idea.
4.HOT DOGS: I can't figure that one out. A good beef hot dog with ketchup and I'm a happy camper.
One of my favorite meals is one that I really liked before I was expecting anyway. I call it Mexican Lasagna. So, for one of my friends doing a blog recipe exchange of sorts, which is a fabulous idea, here is my recipe:
Mexican Lasagna
What you need:
~about 1 pound of cooked, drained, lean ground beef (any meat will work)
~a package of taco size tortillas, about 6-8 inch diameter
~about 1/2 a pound of grated cheese of your choice
~a bottle of salsa
~a 16oz can of yellow corn, or frozen
~a 16oz can of black beans
~an 8 inch diameter round glass casserole dish. Round is best, but a 9x9 will work too.
Drain the corn and black beans. Start by pouring a little salsa in the bottom of the dish. Place a tortilla on the bottom and wiggle the salsa around so it thinly covers the bottom. Spread about 2 tablespoons each of beef, corn, beans, salsa and cheese on the tortilla. Add another tortilla and layer again. 3 or 4 layers will usually fit. Top off with just a tortilla and cheese. Cover with a glass lid or plate. Microwave for about 12-15 minutes, let it cool a little and enjoy!
I love this recipe because it's something to cook in the microwave and it's fast! I like to cook a few pounds of beef at a time and freeze it, so it makes this recipe and a lot of others so much faster when it's dinner time. I usually don't even thaw it for this dish. This is a perfect size for a small family, and if you're lucky you'll have delicious leftovers. We usually do, even though it's one of Ryan's favorites and he definitely has a healthy appetite :)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
house pics, finally... and a few more
Here are some photos of our house I took back in October with the intention of posting them. 
family room with new couch! and sleeping husband (it was Saturday afternoon)
These next ones were taken by Heather, my talented sister in law, on Thanksgiving. Thanks again for taking them! I love the last one! Hope you all enjoy them. Christmas pictures are coming soon...
Sorry if some of the pics are stacked! Just click on them to see them bigger.
family room with new couch! and sleeping husband (it was Saturday afternoon)
These next ones were taken by Heather, my talented sister in law, on Thanksgiving. Thanks again for taking them! I love the last one! Hope you all enjoy them. Christmas pictures are coming soon...
Sorry if some of the pics are stacked! Just click on them to see them bigger.
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