I have a new project at work where we are targeting LDS magazines for a new product launch - an online journaling site called www.LDSJournal.com. The concept is based on the fact that most people are already online and using email, blogs, etc to write about their lives; this is a more secure, private way to journal (when compared to a blog), with the option to print out a complete book of your journal entries (with photos) at the end of the year. I am learning about it, but it seems pretty cool.
Anyway, it is difficult to find these little small LDS newspapers/magazines unless you have lived in that town. If you have one in your town or know of one where you used to live, will you let me know?
Vegas has Desert Saints, and we have LDS Living all over the place. Our Beehive Newspaper is no longer publishing, I believe. So, please let me know if you are aware of any others - thanks!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Daddy's Girl
I can see it already... I'm just the meal ticket :)
But I love to see Matt and Claire together - very fun! Here they are holding hands.
But I love to see Matt and Claire together - very fun! Here they are holding hands.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Recipe Idea - Mexican Lasagna
Mexican Chicken Lasagna
WW Points: 6
Servings: 12
This is a pretty simple recipe, especially if you have already prepared the chicken when cooking a previous meal, which I do a lot. I also usually cut this recipe in half because it makes a ton (well, if you only have two adults eating in your family it's a lot), but if you make the full recipe you can store it in the refrigerator for 5 days and have leftovers.
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups fat free sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican-style cheese
8 oz of canned chopped green chilies
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortillas, cut into 2 inch strips
1 cup salsa
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a lasagna pan with cooking spray. Cook and dice chicken into 1 inch cubes (bake or boil); add cubed chicken to bowl with sour cream, beans, spices and 1 cup of the shredded cheese - mix all together. Arrange half of the tortilla strips on the bottom of the pan and then cover with half of the chicken mixture; another layer of tortillas and the rest of the chicken mixture, and then top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly - about 30 minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces for the right serving size. Serve with salsa on the side.
WW Points: 6
Servings: 12
This is a pretty simple recipe, especially if you have already prepared the chicken when cooking a previous meal, which I do a lot. I also usually cut this recipe in half because it makes a ton (well, if you only have two adults eating in your family it's a lot), but if you make the full recipe you can store it in the refrigerator for 5 days and have leftovers.
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups fat free sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican-style cheese
8 oz of canned chopped green chilies
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortillas, cut into 2 inch strips
1 cup salsa
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a lasagna pan with cooking spray. Cook and dice chicken into 1 inch cubes (bake or boil); add cubed chicken to bowl with sour cream, beans, spices and 1 cup of the shredded cheese - mix all together. Arrange half of the tortilla strips on the bottom of the pan and then cover with half of the chicken mixture; another layer of tortillas and the rest of the chicken mixture, and then top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly - about 30 minutes. Divide into 12 equal pieces for the right serving size. Serve with salsa on the side.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Double Trouble
Claire has two ear infections - Matt took her to the doctor on Friday because she kept pulling at her ears. I thought she might just be enjoying her new-found ear lobes, since she never had a fever or got grouchy about it. The doc said that is the case for about 80% of the patients that come in for ear infections, but Claire had one in both ears. So, we get to give her the yummy, sticky, pink antibiodics. I don't think kids her age really care for bubble gum flavor just yet...
Anyway - we are on the road to recovery. And we got to find out her weight - 18 pounds!
Anyway - we are on the road to recovery. And we got to find out her weight - 18 pounds!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Meal Idea for the Week
Turkey Sliders and Sweet Potato Fries
Kids love them and so do husbands! These little burgers are fun to eat and you can really dress them up however you want, and use hamburger if you prefer.
1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey (If you have a small family, split this in half to use for another meal the next night)
Garlic salt to taste
Worcestershire sauce - a few shakes
Package of small dinner rolls (I find the best ones in tbe bakery section)
Package of frozen sweet potato fries
Preheat oven and start your fries - the rest of the meal goes pretty fast. Mix together the first three ingredients and shape into small patties - about the size of your rolls. Cook on a grill pan or in a saucepan until slightly browned (just a few minutes on each side since they are small).
Topping ideas - basic condiments, guacamole, sauteed onions, mushrooms, cheese, bacon, etc.
Anyone else use ground turkey in a yummy recipe? I hardly ever buy hamburger anymore, so your turkey ideas are appreciated!
Kids love them and so do husbands! These little burgers are fun to eat and you can really dress them up however you want, and use hamburger if you prefer.
1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey (If you have a small family, split this in half to use for another meal the next night)
Garlic salt to taste
Worcestershire sauce - a few shakes
Package of small dinner rolls (I find the best ones in tbe bakery section)
Package of frozen sweet potato fries
Preheat oven and start your fries - the rest of the meal goes pretty fast. Mix together the first three ingredients and shape into small patties - about the size of your rolls. Cook on a grill pan or in a saucepan until slightly browned (just a few minutes on each side since they are small).
Topping ideas - basic condiments, guacamole, sauteed onions, mushrooms, cheese, bacon, etc.
Anyone else use ground turkey in a yummy recipe? I hardly ever buy hamburger anymore, so your turkey ideas are appreciated!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
So this morning Matt got up as usual to prepare for teaching early morning seminary, which means he's up before 5 am. Today he was louder than usual, and woke me up several times while he was getting ready in the master bathroom - I was especially annoyed because I had been up three times with Claire already, so when he came out I said - can you please be quieter? - in probably not my sweetest voice.
Then when I woke up later on, I went into the bathroom and noticed a homemade valentine on the counter with a coupon book of fun treats, along with a large York Peppermint Patty on the counter (I asked for no chocolate since we are doing weight watchers, so he knows that it is a low point treat). I instantly felt bad for being rude to him - and to make matters worse, when I went to take a shower, I saw that he had colored all over the tiles with bath crayons and written little love notes and flowers for me to find. So that was the noise - him scribbling away on the walls :)
So, not to be outdone, I had put together a list of the reasons why I love Matt Hiller to put with his gift - I meant to do 30, since he turned 30 earlier this month, but I ended up with 50. So, I hope you single friends don't gag on this cheesy list, but here it is:
Reasons I Love Matt Hiller
February 14, 2008
1. He plays with my hair at church
2. He is a good storyteller
3. He tells me I look skinny when I know I don’t
4. He gets along with my family and even loves my parents
5. He changes poopy diapers and even volunteers to change them at church
6. He lets me pick the type of sandwich we split at Subway
7. He will watch Project Runway and Top Chef with me
8. He laughs at the same commercials over and over again – namely the Sonic and Snickers Feast commercials
9. He is the King of Random Knowledge
10. He wants a dog really, really bad but doesn’t go out and get one because I’m not ready to have one just yet
11. He can make Claire smile bigger than anyone else
12. He was the first one to make Claire laugh out loud
13. He loves Disneyland
14. He took ballroom dancing lessons with me when I was pregnant, and I still felt sassy
15. He cried at our wedding, even though I didn’t
16. He is good with kids and even teenagers like him
17. His favorite TV shows are Dog Whisperer, Monday Night RAW, Man vs. Wild, Survivor and Lost
18. He speaks Vietnamese and takes me to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant where we are minor celebrities
19. He teaches early morning seminary and gets up before 5 am every day to try to make the Old Testament fun to learn about
20. He watches Claire some days while I am at work
21. He always vacuums because that’s my least favorite chore
22. He joined the church when he was 21 and went on a mission when he was 23; he is a good example to me of sacrifice and service
23. He is good at sports, especially soccer, volleyball, swimming and basketball
24. He claims to have the best chocolate chip recipe on earth but has never made them for me; instead he eats my cookies which are in reality, the best
25. He is the only sibling in his family with beautiful green eyes
26. He has lived in California, Alaska, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada – I was scared to death to move and change schools as a kid, so I am impressed with anyone who has moved a lot
27. He gives great back and feet rubs
28. He reminds me to say our prayers at night
29. He isn’t shy about giving out hugs and kisses
30. He always flosses and has perfectly straight teeth without ever having had braces (maybe I hate him for that one…)
31. He will assemble things for me even though I know he doesn’t like to – as in cribs, baby toys, the pot rack, etc.
32. He talked to my belly every night when I was pregnant to make sure that Claire was equally aware of his voice so she would recognize him when she was born
33. He has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh all the time
34. He joined weight watchers with me so I can have a “supportive environment” to lose the baby weight
35. He counted Claire’s sneezes when she was born because he thought they were so cute
36. He wears his t-shirts inside out so he isn’t flashing a logo or brand around
37. He has received straight A’s since going back to school last year
38. He doesn’t get mad when I groom him
39. He will come visit me at work sometimes, and has brought Claire to visit me too
40. He can park, parallel park and back up any vehicle – which makes me so nervous, so I let him park all the time
41. He bought me a beautiful necklace after Claire was born and I will always remember her birth when I wear it
42. He made us wait to find out if we were having a boy or a girl, and finding out ended up being a really amazing moment
43. He washes my car
44. He makes breakfast for me all the time – rice and eggs
45. He wants to have all girls, which most guys would never ask for
46. He has a strong testimony
47. He is a good teacher
48. He does the dishes for me
49. He has his own quirky style and doesn’t usually ask me for clothing advice (even though I give it to him sometimes)
50. I know that he loves me and I never doubt that he is sincere when he says “I love you” at the end of every phone call
Then when I woke up later on, I went into the bathroom and noticed a homemade valentine on the counter with a coupon book of fun treats, along with a large York Peppermint Patty on the counter (I asked for no chocolate since we are doing weight watchers, so he knows that it is a low point treat). I instantly felt bad for being rude to him - and to make matters worse, when I went to take a shower, I saw that he had colored all over the tiles with bath crayons and written little love notes and flowers for me to find. So that was the noise - him scribbling away on the walls :)
So, not to be outdone, I had put together a list of the reasons why I love Matt Hiller to put with his gift - I meant to do 30, since he turned 30 earlier this month, but I ended up with 50. So, I hope you single friends don't gag on this cheesy list, but here it is:
Reasons I Love Matt Hiller
February 14, 2008
1. He plays with my hair at church
2. He is a good storyteller
3. He tells me I look skinny when I know I don’t
4. He gets along with my family and even loves my parents
5. He changes poopy diapers and even volunteers to change them at church
6. He lets me pick the type of sandwich we split at Subway
7. He will watch Project Runway and Top Chef with me
8. He laughs at the same commercials over and over again – namely the Sonic and Snickers Feast commercials
9. He is the King of Random Knowledge
10. He wants a dog really, really bad but doesn’t go out and get one because I’m not ready to have one just yet
11. He can make Claire smile bigger than anyone else
12. He was the first one to make Claire laugh out loud
13. He loves Disneyland
14. He took ballroom dancing lessons with me when I was pregnant, and I still felt sassy
15. He cried at our wedding, even though I didn’t
16. He is good with kids and even teenagers like him
17. His favorite TV shows are Dog Whisperer, Monday Night RAW, Man vs. Wild, Survivor and Lost
18. He speaks Vietnamese and takes me to our favorite Vietnamese restaurant where we are minor celebrities
19. He teaches early morning seminary and gets up before 5 am every day to try to make the Old Testament fun to learn about
20. He watches Claire some days while I am at work
21. He always vacuums because that’s my least favorite chore
22. He joined the church when he was 21 and went on a mission when he was 23; he is a good example to me of sacrifice and service
23. He is good at sports, especially soccer, volleyball, swimming and basketball
24. He claims to have the best chocolate chip recipe on earth but has never made them for me; instead he eats my cookies which are in reality, the best
25. He is the only sibling in his family with beautiful green eyes
26. He has lived in California, Alaska, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada – I was scared to death to move and change schools as a kid, so I am impressed with anyone who has moved a lot
27. He gives great back and feet rubs
28. He reminds me to say our prayers at night
29. He isn’t shy about giving out hugs and kisses
30. He always flosses and has perfectly straight teeth without ever having had braces (maybe I hate him for that one…)
31. He will assemble things for me even though I know he doesn’t like to – as in cribs, baby toys, the pot rack, etc.
32. He talked to my belly every night when I was pregnant to make sure that Claire was equally aware of his voice so she would recognize him when she was born
33. He has a great sense of humor and makes me laugh all the time
34. He joined weight watchers with me so I can have a “supportive environment” to lose the baby weight
35. He counted Claire’s sneezes when she was born because he thought they were so cute
36. He wears his t-shirts inside out so he isn’t flashing a logo or brand around
37. He has received straight A’s since going back to school last year
38. He doesn’t get mad when I groom him
39. He will come visit me at work sometimes, and has brought Claire to visit me too
40. He can park, parallel park and back up any vehicle – which makes me so nervous, so I let him park all the time
41. He bought me a beautiful necklace after Claire was born and I will always remember her birth when I wear it
42. He made us wait to find out if we were having a boy or a girl, and finding out ended up being a really amazing moment
43. He washes my car
44. He makes breakfast for me all the time – rice and eggs
45. He wants to have all girls, which most guys would never ask for
46. He has a strong testimony
47. He is a good teacher
48. He does the dishes for me
49. He has his own quirky style and doesn’t usually ask me for clothing advice (even though I give it to him sometimes)
50. I know that he loves me and I never doubt that he is sincere when he says “I love you” at the end of every phone call
New Pics
This is a shameless plug for our new favorite photographer, Sarah Gourdie. She took some new pics of Claire last week and sent this one over to give us a preview of the others - she does a great job! She specializes in infants and children, but also does families. Check out her website at www.sarahgourdiephotography.com.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Teeth!!!
So, Claire has a tooth - well, actually two. She cut one bottom tooth when we were at Disneyland, and I could see another one coming through - and then this week I felt both of them. She is only 4 1/2 months - isn't this early to be getting one, let alone two teeth? I just hope she doesn't bite me!
They are just so cute - but it is totally going to change the way she looks. I love that gummy huge smile she has - good thing I have a ton of pictures from her first 4 months to remember it. Time is flying by!!
They are just so cute - but it is totally going to change the way she looks. I love that gummy huge smile she has - good thing I have a ton of pictures from her first 4 months to remember it. Time is flying by!!
Dinner Idea for the Week
I did this last week and I think it really saved me time making dinners, and it even gave me some to freeze for dinners and lunches later on.
I was making a recipe that calls for cubed chicken - so any chicken recipe that you are using that needs diced/cubed chicken can apply. I decided to boil the chicken instead of baking it - so I could use the broth to make chicken soup for another meal.
So, I used twice as much chicken, and while the chicken was boiling (I found out I can add it in already frozen, by the way), I got out ingredients for chicken noodle soup. I kind of made up my own recipe, so you can look up a recipe or do what I did -I just threw in some random veggies:
canned corn
baby carrots
zuccini
potatoes
celery
And added salt and pepper to taste, and a bit of italian seasoning (oregeno, basil, etc) and some pasta (or rice).
Then when the chicken was done cooking I took it out - cubed it all, and put half back into the broth along with the veggies and spices and cooked the soup while the other meal was prepared. Then I put half of the soup in a freezer bag to save for a quick mid-week meal, and put the other half in a container to heat and serve the next night with a salad and bread (hint: I bought twice as much sourdough rolls so I could use the extras the following night to make meatball sandwiches - with ready made meatballs of course).
Anyway, I am all about looking for quick meals at night. I get home around 6 pm from work and I have such a short time with Claire before she goes to bed that I hate to spend it cooking some big dinner... Keep posting your quick meal tips - I love getting them!
I was making a recipe that calls for cubed chicken - so any chicken recipe that you are using that needs diced/cubed chicken can apply. I decided to boil the chicken instead of baking it - so I could use the broth to make chicken soup for another meal.
So, I used twice as much chicken, and while the chicken was boiling (I found out I can add it in already frozen, by the way), I got out ingredients for chicken noodle soup. I kind of made up my own recipe, so you can look up a recipe or do what I did -I just threw in some random veggies:
canned corn
baby carrots
zuccini
potatoes
celery
And added salt and pepper to taste, and a bit of italian seasoning (oregeno, basil, etc) and some pasta (or rice).
Then when the chicken was done cooking I took it out - cubed it all, and put half back into the broth along with the veggies and spices and cooked the soup while the other meal was prepared. Then I put half of the soup in a freezer bag to save for a quick mid-week meal, and put the other half in a container to heat and serve the next night with a salad and bread (hint: I bought twice as much sourdough rolls so I could use the extras the following night to make meatball sandwiches - with ready made meatballs of course).
Anyway, I am all about looking for quick meals at night. I get home around 6 pm from work and I have such a short time with Claire before she goes to bed that I hate to spend it cooking some big dinner... Keep posting your quick meal tips - I love getting them!
Invisible Moms
I don't know if I have posted this yet, but it's making the rounds on email and I wanted to share it. I don't quite feel this way yet, but I am a very new mom. Mostly, it made me appreciate my own mom a lot more. Enjoy~
I'm Invisible
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask
to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the
phone?'
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no
one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can
you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting
there, looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at
my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it.
I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully
wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the
great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me
until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And
I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing
truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their
names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never
see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The
passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God
saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving
a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam
that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.'
And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It
was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte.
I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it
will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.
But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the
disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong,
stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a
great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will
never see finished, to work on something that their name will never
be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no
cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime, because there are so few
people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and dresses all the linens for the table.' That would mean
I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to
come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to
add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been
added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!
I'm Invisible
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask
to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the
phone?'
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no
one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can
you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting
there, looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at
my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it.
I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully
wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the
great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me
until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And
I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing
truths, after which I could pattern my work:
No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their
names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never
see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The
passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God
saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit
the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving
a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the
man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam
that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.'
And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It
was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte.
I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over.
You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it
will become.'
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.
But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the
disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong,
stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a
great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will
never see finished, to work on something that their name will never
be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no
cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime, because there are so few
people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and dresses all the linens for the table.' That would mean
I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to
come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to
add, 'You're gonna love it there.'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been
added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Rollin' Around
Claire is officially rolling over, but she is sneaky about it... I went into the kitchen the other day and came back to find this....
She had her toy in her hand, no doubt the reason for the roll in the first place. But when I want her to roll to show Matt, or catch it on camera, she is back to her laying on her back self. It's like she's checked this new skill off her list and doesn't need to prove herself to anyone else :)
She had her toy in her hand, no doubt the reason for the roll in the first place. But when I want her to roll to show Matt, or catch it on camera, she is back to her laying on her back self. It's like she's checked this new skill off her list and doesn't need to prove herself to anyone else :)
Trip to Disneyland
We took a trip to Disneyland to meet up with the Johnson family for an uncharacteristly random trip. Disneyland was offering a special discount for the firefighters and their families to thank the departments that came down to help with the big Southern California fires they had last year. My dad and brother are both firefighters in El Dorado County, one of the districts in Nor Cal that went down to help. So, since they got in free and we had a smokin' deal, we couldn't say no. Who cares if our kids are all too little to really enjoy or even remember the trip. It was a fun excuse to get together, outside of the holidays.
Claire was very well behaved, and aside from a little drama one night that I think was caused by the two new bottom teeth she is cutting, she was quite easy to take along. We used Matt's 30th birthday as an excuse to go, and I think he had a good time. We had a Sponge Bob Squarepants birthday party for him in our hotel room, with some Marie Calendar chocolate cream pie instead of a cake. One of Matt's favorites!
One tip for parents going to Disneyland - try to use the single rider passes/stroller pass whenever you can. It's even better than a fast pass! We used them for the California Screamin' roller coast in CA Adventure - they give you a single rider ticket so one parent can stay with the baby while the other one rides. I walked in the handicap exit and straight onto the ride - no waiting whatsoever. Awesome!
Claire was very well behaved, and aside from a little drama one night that I think was caused by the two new bottom teeth she is cutting, she was quite easy to take along. We used Matt's 30th birthday as an excuse to go, and I think he had a good time. We had a Sponge Bob Squarepants birthday party for him in our hotel room, with some Marie Calendar chocolate cream pie instead of a cake. One of Matt's favorites!
One tip for parents going to Disneyland - try to use the single rider passes/stroller pass whenever you can. It's even better than a fast pass! We used them for the California Screamin' roller coast in CA Adventure - they give you a single rider ticket so one parent can stay with the baby while the other one rides. I walked in the handicap exit and straight onto the ride - no waiting whatsoever. Awesome!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)