Weekend

My cousin Grady got married on March 7th. I went to his reception that evening in Salt Lake. It was nice seeing so many of my B. family uncles, aunts, and cousins. Aunt Susan and Grandma Donna were in town from AZ for the occassion. I talked Grandma into coming home with me that evening.
It was so fun having Grandma stay with us for two nights and a day! She made us rolls and molasses cookies. The kids loved her. We all loved having her around.


Grandma and Elora before church.

Little Miss Cuteness

Fancy

Jonah found these two hair clips and insisted that I put them in his and Elora's hair.

PS- Where do I buy tiny rubberbands and bigger headbands for Elora? All I really have are infant headbands.

Did I Not Mention?

Elora can take up to three steps at a time now.

Foods

Elora loves drinking from sippy cups and especially straws.


I gave Jonah a little bowl of some of my Fire Roasted Lazy Salsa and a small plate of chips on Sunday night since it has no peppers. When I looked over at him a minute later, he was happily scooping up the salsa with his hand and depositing it directly into his mouth. Apparently he's not big into chips.

He is really into Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. Both times we've had it this week he's asked for seconds. Jonah has his with honey and milk on it. Elora has hers topped with coconut milk and I have mine with honey, brown sugar, and milk. Elora gave it a mixed review. With Jonah's seconds (which also received a dolop of coconut milk) he seemed more interested in a 'who can be more messy?' contest with Elora than really eating it after a couple bites. Elora is really into scraping food off her tongue with her fingers when it has a lot of texture, so there was a lot of that going on.

After the kids were in bed last night, Brandon and I made a late dinner for ourselves. Jonah had leftovers and we feasted on pasta, salad, and broiled asparagus. Have you ever had broiled asparagus? It is delicious. We had tons but somehow managed to eat it all.

Best Asparagus

Wash an entire bunch of asparagus (I like the thinnest ones). Snap off the bottoms wherever they break most easily. Lay them all out across a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse (kosher) salt and fresh pepper. Broil on high for a few minutes (til they change color and look a tiny bit shriveled - check for doneness/texture). Munch away!



This is Jonah "hepping" me make breakfast a few days ago. Anytime I cook he has to "up" and "make it." He picked up an egg while I was washing the skillet. I told him that mommy needed to crack the eggs and for him to please set it down. He put it back in the carton and I turned around and rinsed the skillet. When I turned back around this is what I saw. The best part is that there was no shell in the egg, the shell was put back in the carton, and there was no mess on the counter, only a little white on his hand. Naughty but tidy I tell you.

Huge Frustration

In other news, I left my purse in a movie theater on Saturday night and although it was the last showing of the night and we called 30 mins. later, it was gone. We've terrorized the managers and had them do an inquisition of the three night workers (who have all worked there quite a while and who turned in two wallets stuffed with cash just last week) and I searched the theater myself on Sunday morning before they opened, but it is really gone. There was no activity on my iphone or my credit card when I called to cancel them. I am relieved but more annoyed than ever. Why steal everything and not use it?! Just to make my life difficult I suppose.
After reporting my phone and credit card stolen I still have so much to do:
File a police report.
Get a new sim card for my old phone and reactivate it.
Buy a new purse and wallet.
Get a new driver's licence.
Cry over lost $25 Cheesecake Factory gift card (and other smaller gift cards).
Thank God again that my new debit card, cash, big gift certificate, and checks were not in there.
Replace my zoo passes, fishing licence & health insurance card.
Change our locks and garage door openers. Uuuuuuuugh!!!!
Try to remember what else was in there!
I hope it was just chapstick and hand lotion.

Elora's 9 mos. checkup

Elora turned nine months old last Sunday. I can't believe it. We think she gets cuter everyday. She can crawl fast enough to catch any cat these days. She practices letting go of things now on occasion to smile at herself standing on her own for a couple seconds.
Today was her check up with our pediatrician. She has developed some eczema on her skin that we hope we can clear up with hydrocortizone and heavy moisturizers. She is a tiny little peanut and is only in the fifth percentile for height and even lower for weight. The doctor isn't worried about it because she's always been small but he did give me some ideas for increasing her caloric intake since I want to fatten her up. He said she is pleasant and perfect and that I'm doing a good job. We love Dr. L!

Saalza

GEORGE: "Salsa is now the number one condiment in America."

JERRY: "You know why? Because people like to say "salsa." "Excuse me, do you have any salsa?" "We need more salsa." "Where is the salsa? No salsa?"

Stephanie posted her homemade pico de gallo recipe today. It got me thinking I should share my newest salsa creation. Fire Roasted Lazy Salsa.

Throw all of the following into a blender:

1 can Hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 bunch washed cilantro (ends trimmed off)
1/4 med. yellow onion
1 can Hunts fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic
1 can fire roasted (diced) green chilies
a few pinches of salt
(a squeeze of lime if it's handy)

blend.

It's seriously divine.
I thought I ate more fresh (must be homemade even if not by you or at least purchased refrigerated) salsa than anyone but it sounds like Stephanie might have me beat.

In Case You Missed It

Hugh Jackman's Academy Awards' opening. The first 10 mins. of the Oscars is always the best.

Last Week

Last week was yet another crazy, busy week, but fortunately much more pleasant than the week before.
For Valentine's Day we made reservations at Market Street Grill downtown and were planning to go to a movie. We were both so sick though that we cancelled our dinner reservations and our babysitter and stayed home to take a bath.
Sunday the 15th Jonah and I slept thru most of church and then I woke up, took a benadryl and went to the last hour so I could teach Relief Society (the women's group). The lesson was on missionary work and went incredibly well. I used an 8x10 picture of my brother Mark who is currently serving in Mexico as my visual, just so I could show off how handsome he is.
Monday I was still miserably sick but went into work in the morning for some training for a few hours.
Tuesday starting to feel better. Had bookclub that evening. The book was Kabul Beauty School, which I haven't finished but am loving. Thank you Lisa A. for recommending it to me. My bookclub usually spends most of the evening (we generally meet from 7-8:30 and have dessert) actually talking about the book, but this time we just couldn't seem to get on topic, let alone stay there. It was a nice evening nonetheless. I love those ladies!
Thursday I convinced Brandon to postpone our concealed weapons class (he is concerned over changing legislation, I am concerned over our personal lack of funds, not to mention the fact that the only guns we own are riffles.). It was nice to stay at home.
Thursday evening I worked an event at East Bay Studios. It was a band night party. I got to hear my manager's son's incredibly talented band (at one point one guy was playing a trumpet with one hand, a keyboard with the other, and then stopped to sing!) called Side Dish. And I also got to hear Brandon's cousin's Truman perform. They are fantastic. Their music makes me swoon, swoon I say!

Chad Truman on guitar and Ben Truman on keyboard. They both have the most beautiful voices.

Friday Brandon skipped day two of his Utah dental convention because it was so sunny out and we took the kids to the zoo in the morning. That evening I had a flop of a girl's night in. Three friends showed up but they all only stayed an hour. It was nice eating sweets and chatting though. I watched both of the movies I'd rented later (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day & Marie Antionette). Both were good but not great. Strangely they both starred Shirley Henderson (aka: Moaning Myrtle) in supporting roles. I like her.
Saturday afternoon we decided to join Alan and Linda to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button so we could say we'd seen at least one Oscar nominee before watching the Academy Awards on Sunday. It was a great show. Take tissues with you if you haven't seen it yet. Kathy and Alex joined us at the movie as well (she cried as much as I did) and we all went out to dinner at Bangkok Thai afterwards. Andy and Brandon M. met us there as well so it was a big family party. We are loud and I bet the other patrons were glad to see the silly people in the center of the restaurant leave:)
Monday I worked six hours while Brandon stayed home with the kids. He kept saying how cute they'd been, but I've never seen him more frazzled!

More Zoo

Yeah, it was only 40 degrees out, but the sun was shining and we'd been cooped up too long!

Chasing Cats

Kitchen

"Cook-eene"


This is how Jonah often organizes the serving utensils in his kitchen. Other times he puts them in one of the big baskets where I always put them away. But hanging like this is not only decorative, but they're also out of reach of the baby sister:)

The Diva

This is Elora at the zoo today.

Wow

It's been one hellava week.

Monday Jonah had his two-year check up. He is perfect, of course (maybe a little short). That afternoon I had a job interview for a marketing position at a production studio. They were very impressed with my broadcast and sales background. Elora woke up that night with a high fever.

Tuesday I took the job. I will be in charge of booking their studios and production services. It is on a trial basis to see if I can make them enough money that they can afford to pay me. I will be working Mondays and Thursdays and events.
Tuesday evening after putting a snotty, low fever Elora to bed at 6pm, we went to Brandon's dad's house for Alan's birthday. Linda had invited all of the kids (including Kathy & Katie's fiancee, Jason) over for dinner. Dessert was one of the best cakes I've ever tasted. It was a super-fluffy apple cake (not apple spice) with butterscotch cream cheese frosting. Driving home our car broke down. After about 15 mins. we got it restarted but it took us another 15 mins. to figure out it would continue dying if we didn't drive in a lower gear for awhile. We made it home before midnight.

Wednesday officially began Jonah's real potty training. Ugh.

Thursday potty training continues. Elora's runny nose continues. We have to close our bank account because our visa debit card # is being used online by someone else (fortunately they've charged less than $30). Brandon and I start getting sick and our other car breaks down when Brandon is on his way home from work in SLC!!

Today potty training is going incredibly well today:) Elora and I are snot faucets and Jonah lost my newest Netflix dvd while I was putting Elora down for her nap. I have looked in every conceivable cravice in the house and still can't find it.

In Retrospect

While researching emergency preparedness for something I am writing I came upon this article. It was written three days after Hurricane Katrina. That's right, three days. I knew this but it still impresses me to re-read about it. The current economic crisis is no less an emergency than a natural disaster and I feel unprepared for either.

Movie Recommendation

Just finished watching this, not sure why, but I totally loved it. Great date movie but not a chick flick. Funny. Touching. Funny. Quirky. Entertaining. Well written. Well acted. A tad bit predictable. Great. Different.

Thanks Elora

Elora laughed so hard and so much today that I nearly died from joy. I had a horrible weekend for a multitude of reasons and she virtually melted them all away. Although, Brandon playing with Jonah all day yesterday and doing the dishes last night helped immensely too.


Here she is crawling right at me!

THE Best Superbowl Commercial

Actually the best commercial I've seen in awhile, period.

Lauren, if you don't like Alec Baldwin, it is understandable, and is possibly because he tried being a serious actor for quite awhile before realizing that his talents lay in comedy. You will be cured if you watch the first disc of season one of 30 Rock all at once and a few of his Saturday Night Live skits.

Jonah's 2nd Birthday!

Jonah turned two on Saturday.

Jonah's gift from us was eight helium balloons. It was the perfect gift.


Here he is arranging them into a nice line like he did several times in several different rooms.



Jonah brought a single balloon with him to breakfast.


Jonah's gift from Nana Lisa & family was this new table and four chairs that match his kitchen. As you can see, he loves it! (He also lined his chairs up into a nice, neat row several times in several rooms).


Enjoying a little storytime with Dad.


Jonah insisted that his balloons be within arm's reach during his lunch.


Jonah's cake was a chocolate Texas sheet cake with chocolate brownie-like frosting. It is delicious. Thank you Lacey for the recipe.

When my cake fell a little in the middle before I'd even opened the oven I was pretty sad. It had also happened last year when I made Brandon's homemade chocolate birthday cake. I went online to try and find out why cakes fall. I found this totally useless website.
It said, "Cakes fall when they are cooked at a temperature which is too low, or too high...Using insufficient liquid, for example, or not enough oil. An excess of sugar or flour can also create problems with the batter which may lead to falling cake...If the cake is overbeaten, it may fall because of the excess of air trapped in the batter. Underbeaten cakes, on the other hand, may fall because the batter is too dense and is unable to rise...Finally, cakes fall when they are baked at altitude." So there you have it.