Harwardlicious

for the love of Graham Crackers

2010-10-21T15:45:00.001-07:00

So, this is Charlotte's favorite new snack, and my new favorite thing to entertain her while I work on the computer. One 1/4 of a cracker usually can take her 5 minutes to eat giving me 5 minutes to play. I am only interrupted by occasional gagging when she shoves them in too far. I have perfectly placed the high chair right next to the computer.

She ends up pretty messy, but it is soooo worth it.

This is an excellent example of super parenting. ha ha ha

2010-10-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

After a fun little weekend in Vegas, I am feeling motivated to do a little post. (aka i don't want to get back to real life yet.) I have to figure out how to post video because I have a funny one of Charlotte enjoying some ice cream on Dan's birthday. there is something to look forward to. :-)

Bootylicious

2010-04-19T12:58:00.001-07:00

This is what we call an angry elf. she looks like this whenever she isn't sleeping or eating. Super Fun!
Grandma Harward got these cutie pie booties for baby Charlotte and we all think she gives a new meaning to "bootylicious"

Ohno, flying tomato & Vonn

2010-02-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

So, I just can't get enough of the Olympics this year! We- Reagan, Dan, Abbie, and I, have our nightly ritual of getting our Olympics fix. Reagan cheers and asks "who do we want to win?" and "who do we hope loses?" the other night she was even chanting USA! USA! when Apollo won the short track Gold and the Koreans went sliding across the ice. It was a proud moment for me. Abbie calls them the "columpics" It is pretty cute. We of course have our favorites just like everyone else.

Lindsey Vonn

Aside from her injuries - apparently she is quite accident prone- I just can't get enough of the raw speed she has! She just sailed down the mountain in terrible conditions while everyone was crashing to win the gold. It is pretty awesome! Of course, if you watch, she does crash too. that is the name of the sport- which is what makes it so fetching cool. I really, really like the crashes... and the wins.

Sean white

This is an easy one. He just plain rocks! I love the air he gets on the half pipe and the cocky, in your face way he does it. His style is captivating and even his wipe-outs are intense. You don't see this kind of adrenaline in the biathalon (cross-country skiing and shooting...) Thank you sean for giving us all the "White Snake" when you didn't even have to.

Apollo Ohno

okay, he is a true rock star of the winter olympics. there is no pretending that this guy shies away from the media or even a little partying. I am totally cool with that. If he got caught smoking something.... I am sure he would just say "yeah, so what." that is what is so cool. His athleticism is amazing and the way he plays the sport makes it impossible not to get caught up in. I love the nudging, pushing, and aggressive nature of short-track speed skating! That is a high intensity race! You could go down at any minute, or sneak in to win the gold. truly awesome.

So, yes, I am a fan. I think I even like the winter Olympics better than the summer. There is so much more intensity, adrenaline and risk taking. These athletes are of a different breed. They thrive on danger, pushing the limits and riding the edge to get a breath-taking run. There are so many variables to account for. Weather, conditions of the track, injuries, new techniques, higher & younger competitors. The competition is so fierce that Sean white has to have a secret half pipe somewhere in park city to develop new tricks. Most of the athletes have only run a certain course a few times. And as we all know, the courses can be more dangerous - even lead to death. I was amazed by micheal phelps, but how often does a swimmer miss out on a gold medal because of choppy or cold water conditions in the pool? does the mat in gymnastics get ruts from the other gymnasts? no, I think not. So set the DVR and spend some time enjoying the rock-star athletes of the 2010 winter olympics. I promise you'll enjoy it.

A new year, a new post

2010-02-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

Reagan's first REAL pimple- she hated me taking this picture and it didn't even turn out. I wanted to keep trying but she was getting really ticked! awww girls can be so touchy!
Thank you Nintendo DS for babysitting my kids while I take a nap. Don't worry, we have fire alarms. We all wear pj's these days, and pants are completely optional.

I think that getting pregnant really took it out of me! I realized that I posted a comment right before I got that way. So here I am about 33 weeks later bursting with child, still tired, achy, heart-burny and swollen, and I thought it might be fun to get back on-line and update my blog.

After watching Julie & Julia I felt a little narcissistic thinking that people actually cared about what I was thinking or what I liked doing, so I quit posting. I feel like that still, but I also don't want my blog to go into history ending with facts about peeing in the shower and how much feces is in our underwear. I guess until I can think of a better way to end, I might just keep posting here and there.

It also seems that after 33 weeks we have some interesting things happening in our little family.

Dan is on track to finish his thesis this month and graduate in May
A new baby girl (yet to be named) will arrive next month
We bought a house!
Reagan will be getting baptized
Abbie will be starting kindergarten in the Fall

Yikes! we really know how to pack it in! I will end with a cute picture and hope that no one thinks that I am narcissistic.

Summer Education

2009-06-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my subscription to Glamour magazine I have been getting a "proper" summer education. Since some of you might be too busy frolicking in the sun and vacationing at the beach, I will pass along some insightful tidbits to you. Enjoy!

1. 75% of women pee in the shower. According to a Glamour survey, and it is perfectly OK! flushing the toilet accounts for 27% of indoor water use. So cool,go green, or yellow rather, save water and pee in the shower. Urine is sterile and non-toxic, after all, that guy Bear Grills drinks his pee all the time. Some people even believe it can help athletes foot. Just don't do it when you are not alone in the shower.

2. 85% of women wear dirty clothes. Yeah, I think we have all done that, who wants to waste water cleaning something you just wore to church. But here is the gross part... there is about 1/10th of a gram of fecal matter in worn undies ( that is not true for kids undies... that is like 3 grams) that has all kinds of bacteria. This bacteria can transfer to other clothes in your hamper and make you sick if you are rooting around in the clothes. So if you are a regular hamper digger, be sure to wash your hands. If you are like me and your worn clothes end up on your floor long before they ever think of going into the wash, pick 'em up and wear 'em again, just try not to see the same people.

3. 32% of women go barefoot at the gym. okay... this apparently is NOT good. there is lots of stuff in hot sweaty, steamy areas that can cause plantar warts and athletes foot. Or if the places between your toes doesn't get dry, infection can grow and grow. So by the advice of Glamour mag, splurge on a pair of $1.99 flip-flops for your gym bag.

Kate winslet is the #1 most glamorous woman. Michelle Obama is a close 3rd, Angelina Jolie 4th. Okay. Apparently they have never met me or my friends... Not a fair judgement. For a shout out for the plus size girls... Queen Latifa made it on the list, barely at #46. 3 spots lower than actual queen Rania of Jordan. Thankfully Megan fox (transformers) made it, I was beginning to doubt the credibility.

Now, for the moral education section:

Things you can think, but not say

* Zorro?! you named your baby Zorro?

*Didn't I tell you not to marry him, you fool?

*Whew. Another successful regifting.

*I am not sorry and I was right.

For those of you that are feeling conflicted about cheating... Glamour gives us some standards to refer too:

80% say it is cheating to exchange steamy Facebook messages.

37% say it is not cheating to kiss another girl. Now, if it happens more than once... the number jumps to 72%. So for those of you contemplating a girl-girl kiss... 28% think that it is OK and keep doing it, a lot if you want.

So you know what is OK...

it is OK... to have a whole bathing suit collection (tankinis, bikinis, string-inis ?!?) but always wear the same old black one piece.

...to pick up change off the ground as part of your personal financial recovery plan.

... to bury the price tags in the trash.

... to not know what to say sometimes.

...to kiss him just because he looks hot with his shirt off. ( or looks cute, or took the trash out, or let you sleep in) wait! That is more than OK - its awesome ( and might get you more of the same!)

Next time I will give some valuable relationship tips from OK! Magazine.

There you go. That should get you by for a week or so.

Confession

2009-06-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, maybe a blog is not the place to "confess" but where else right???

So in the last month or two I have been having a big I mean BIG problem with jealousy. I have never considered myself a jealous person, but I do know that when it sprouts, it can really take hold. You know like the ivy that begins at the base of a beautiful brick house, then years later all you can see is a large house-shaped ivy bush... well that has been me. Barely visible under a mass of jealousy.

It seemed like everyone else had something I didn't. My friend who was living with family (like myself) bought a house. My friend who was running (like myself) was losing weight and looked great. Another person's kid plays baseball perfectly, someone else's husband makes more money. It was always something, her legs are longer, her hair is shinier, her kid dances better, and yadda yadda yadda. I was beginning to make myself annoyed from hearing the "it's not fair" voice in my head all the time.

No wonder I couldn't find anything to blog about. Thank goodness for my superb acting skills, or people would NOT have wanted to hang out with me.

You know what, life is NOT fair. And she will always have longer legs than me. Some things you can't do anything about. Some things you can.

So, I am going to try to shut off that whiney voice and do something about it. I have seen that it could always be worse. There is always something worse, than dry hair or love handles. I still have to convince myself of this one. So starting today, I am going to find 5 positive things to think about me and my life each day. 5 is going to be tricky for me, baby steps, baby steps.

1. I have hair! not shiny, but not falling out.

2. Abbie makes me laugh. not always at a good moment, but laughing at all is good.

3. Reagan will give me snuggle whenever I want it.

4. Dan works hard for us (really hard)

5. I ran 92 miles last month. So I must be sort of tough. right?

May in a nutshell

2009-06-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

So like every other month of May since Reagan was born, it was crazy. Perhaps I just convince myself it is going to be this way so I am prepared for it.

First we had birthdays, which were a lot of fun.

We also got to spend three great weeks with auntie JoDee and Olivia and Baby Ben. Abbie got really attatched to him and kept asking if we could keep him. It was pretty cute.

Then we had graduation for Abbie. It was fun to see her with her friends and teacher.

Then Mothers Day, which was awesome and really should warrent an entire post for itself. Dan was such a sweetie and made me and his mother a 5 course candle light dinner. The food was amazing and we had leftovers for 2 days! he should get a prize or something.

Dance recitals were... interesting. Reagan did great and it was fun to see her dancing again. Abbie had fun. Which I guess is all I could have hoped for. Her attention span is short and dancing does not seem to hold it for long. She did love the flowers that grandma gave her.

and I finished it off with a super fun, relaxing weekend of shopping and pampering with my great friends. This is a picture of our toes post-pedi.

I guess it was a pretty great month... now lets see how June unfolds.

Crazy-Fun Birthday week

2009-05-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

The first week of May is when we decided to celebrate all of our kids' birthdays. Smart, arent we. So, on the morning of May 1st we were

out of the blocks and well on our way in a birthday party bliss marathon. We woke Reagan up early to breakfast in bed, as per her birthday wish. She also got a new big bike

a few presents and lots of hugs.

She was pretty excited to go to school for her birthday dance and spanks from her teacher. I took her doughnuts to share and she was really a celebrity at school that day.

I think her favorite present was a light up HSM shirt. it was my favorite because it was $3.00.

That night we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner because Reagan swears spaghetti is her favorite food.

We told Abbie we were pretending it was her day too so we could do the major partying on the same night. After a yummy pasta dinner, we headed to Build-a-Bear workshop. It was fun to watch them, pick out their bears. Abbie decided on a unicorn named Sparkles in about 5 minutes and Reagan took much longer.

My heart bleeds for her when she has to make a choice because I HATE making choices too. so we were quite a pair... it took us much longer.

The night was so much fun that we strolled through the Gateway enjoying the energy and people out at night. Then Abbie had a meltdown after falling off a metal chair outside Ben's Cookies, so we hightailed it to the van.

Yesterday I took Abbie out with her 2 friends and a cousin to Classic Skating. They played for 3 hours and ate almost an entire large cheese pizza! it was fun to see them having so much fun.

We wrapped up the week with a cake fest for 3 little birthday girls and lots and lots of singing.It was a great week and fun to have such sweeties to celebrate.

thankfully, I have a 361 days until the next birthday party marathon. Now, if I can just make it through Mothers Day...

Pancake Puppies

2009-04-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

We were out on Saturday and were picking up the girls from the my BIL's house and of course we stayed to talk for a while, when we left it was 11:30pm and the girls kept saying how hungry they were. I was ready to drive through Wendy's but as we drove by Denny's he must have read my mind. So we pulled in and were seated by our good friend Kevin ( he was there last time we got a craving for the puppies. We are undecided if he is gay or just super friendly/weird). While we were eating Abbie was looking around and said "Mom, I want to buy that baby." I had her say it again because I thought it was so funny. When I asked her if she would buy a boy baby she said, "No, they are stinky."

I found this little review of the Pancake Puppies (for those of you that don't eat at Denny's after midnight and have no Idea what I am talking about) I don't think I could have said it better.

Foodies enjoy!

There are so many levels of wrong with Denny's Pancake Puppy dessert. The mutant cross between a pancake, beignet, and hush puppy, this delectable treat is addictive in its delicious, oh-so-bad for you simplicity. Crusty, humble fried pancake bites, coated in cinammon sugar and served with warm syrup for dipping, these may indeed be the cruelest thing to come out of a Denny's since...the Denny's.

Damn you, late night diners, and your evil, evil temptations!

Healthy Dinner... Not!

2009-04-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

This was my mashed potato fakeout dinner. Cool huh! Dan and I rocked the April Fools day this year. First I got Reagan out of bed at 6:00am and told her she was late for school. I had her running around thinking she was going to miss the bus. :-) Then I told her to look at the clock. she said "it's 7:15, do you think they are going to recess???" I laughed because my awesome prank didn't work because she isn't that good at telling time yet. hehehe I still had a good giggle later. She thought it was funny too and couldn't wait to tell her teacher that I had "fooled" her.

I also pranked my mom. I had Abbie call her and told her that she had broken her arm. Grandma of course beleived her because... well because it was Abbie. Then Abbie burst out and said "April Fools Grandma!" it was funny, for me. Grandma was a little bugged.

Finally we spend about an hour making "dinner" we followed the instructions in Family Fun and created "mashed potatoes" from ice cream and caramel, "fish sticks" made of cookies, and "peas" made of taffy. We felt pretty good that our trick would fly, but Reagan was on to us from the start. She said "hey, this smells like ice cream." The second trick was that we said she could eat it for dinner. She was sure we were kidding, but we were serious! She still was not convinced, so we said she could eat some left overs and then eat her "dinner." It was a fun and silly day for me! I think this is my new favorite holiday.

My double life

2009-04-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

I confess, I think I have been leading a double life. Last night while I was getting ready to go out to see the PCD and Britney Spears concert (and applying waaay too much dark eyeliner), I realized it. I was going through my day and I thought okay, here I am going to a concert where there is going to be a lot of frivolity, I will stay up until 2:00 am on a school night and tomorrow, I will get up at 7:00am get dressed, get my daugter on the school bus, and then be a chaperone for the preschool field trip. How cool is that! I truly get to have my cake and eat it too! I get to be a Mom of two adorable girls, have cool friends who like to have fun, have a husband that loves me even with a few extra pounds and too much eye-makeup, AND go out and party once in a while to remember what it feels like to be a teenager.

Here are a few of the fun pics from my double life. This all happend with in 24hrs.

The show was AWESOME! The Dolls sang all their songs, had a ton of energy and really rocked their fishnets.

Britney put on a fantastic show, circus acts, fire, acrobatics, lip syncing, dancing, costume changes and lots and lots of high energy fun. It was a great night! We even had fun watching the drunk chicks next to us fall over and get lost.

Thanks to Anne for being my concert buddy. We always manage to rock our socks off. Who says blondes have more fun??

Great read

2009-04-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

So I just finished a great book. I read it in about 5 days and it was spellbinding. Not what I usually read, but capitvating anyway. I actually felt smart reading this... strange.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld.

It is a novel about a fictional character based on Laura Bush. It was facinating to me to learn about a woman so important in history that has such drastically different views than her husband. I loved the way the story unfolded as if she was sitting with me telling it from start to finish. It also gave me a little perspective on what it might be like to be the Wife of the President and not want the fame and influence that goes with it.

When I finished it this morning, I was overwhelmed with the reminder that it is okay to be different and think differently than my spouse. We can still have a great marriage even if we don't see eye to eye on every issue

Spring has brought me such a nice surprise...

2009-03-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, not! After returning from a week long hiatus in the sun with perfect weather we got another treat of nice spring time sun. I even got a little sunburn while selling girl scout cookies. It was sheer bliss. See, I am not a big fan of winter, I am diminishing how much I don't like the snow, so Spring is my 2nd favorite season ( summer rules) because it means that there will be an abundance of rain (which I love) and sunny afternoons (which I love).

So when I woke up Wednesday and saw this I was so mad I wanted to punch someone. But instead I grabbed a shovel (the blower was put away) and started shoveling. Yuk. Mother nature is such a "Spring tease."

Spring Break!

2009-03-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Nicole's Spring Break Top 10

1. Riding a Zip Line 200 feet long and 300 feet above the ground through the jungle of Belize.
2. Swimming in a Mexican Cenote (underground caves filled with clear water)
3. Driving a beat up Jeep with my posse and getting whistled at by Mexican construction workers.
4. Getting a 60 min massage on the beach for $20!

5. Eating delicious food anytime I wanted.
6. Spending some quality time with my hubby of 10 years.
7. Playing dress-up with my BFFs
8. Riding the water slide on top of the ship while going 17 knots in the Caribbean.
9. Scuba diving in the Bahamas- we saw about a dozen Lion fish.

10. Going to dinner with Nacho Libre

11. Doing all these awesome things with awesome people while wearing awesome shoes. Keens rock. (another post another time.)Other great highlights...

We spent a great day in Costa Maya enjoying the beach, yummy guacamole and doing some serious shopping for my recuerdos (souvenirs).

My favorite recuerdo- a true Mexican Sombrero in the colors of the Mexican flag.

We got a "bonus" excursion when we missed our connecting flight in Washington DC and had to stay the night. We rented a van, piled in and visited some of the memorials on the Mall. It was a cold and rainy night that was full of adventure!

When I look back at these pictures I am still amazed that we actually took this vacation! it was one of those things that had been an "idea" for nearly a year and here we are! We did it!

Bubble Butt

2009-02-28T11:36:00.001-08:00

This was too cute not to comment on. This was a clear example of what boredom and creativity in the bathtub can create.

Days of my life...

2009-02-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

A few Sundays ago while we were sitting in church Reagan and I had our very first heart to heart about boys. This was a pretty exciting moment for me. You see, as a girl, I was what my 4th grade teacher called boy crazy. This hurt my feelings at the time but was entirely true. I played with boys at recess, called them on the phone had day dreams about them (many involved me running toward a boy and dramatically kissing him than saying something like "I can't live without you!")

I have always been okay with the fact that Reagan was not looking at boys like that because it eliminated a lot of potential issues. So imagine my suprise/delight when she had a question about boys (which I consider myself and expert on).
"Mom, how do I know what boy I should marry?"

"Well, he will be a boy that does nice things for you, makes you smile and laugh, and buys you pretty presents."

"What if I have to choose between two boys?"

"Then you are a very lucky girl."

"Beacause Carson at school says he wants to marry me and likes to hug me, but when Eli sees him, he tells Carson to keep his hands of me 'cause I'm his girl. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but I don't know who to choose."

"Well, lucky for you, you don't have to pick just one boy! You won't get married until you are like 25, so you can hug all the boys you want until then."

I am not sure how Dan felt about my side of the conversation, but I thought I was pretty smart and cool about the whole thing. Luckily, it was just a conversation about hugging...

I am more than willing to talk to any of my fellow Mom's/girlfriends' daughters about boys whenever they want. It is one of my favorite subjects along with teen boy bands, HSM, clothes and any TV shows on the CW. Reagan is becoming the little girlfriend I have always hoped I would have when I first looked at her.

Can we be friends?

2009-02-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Last night was not a typical Tuesday. After dropping of the kids at Grandma G's house we were off to the Hello Katy Concert in SLC. I thought we were way early and I was begging dan to take me to Ben's Cookies nearby to grab an oatmeal cookie before the show (we were virtuous and had cereal for dinner). Thankfully we didn't because when we drove by, the line to get in was over 3 blocks long! I had no idea...

Well, I am still stoked because Katy pointed at me! I know... Awesome. It all happened like this- I was dancing and singing and then she looked right at me, I looked at her and waved my arms madly like a crazy person, then she pointed back and nodded her head. Yeah, pretty cool I know. I think it was her way of telling me she wanted to be my friend. You know we are practically the same age and stuff.

She wore these shimmery silver leggings, a long graphic T/Tunic, a red studded belt and the coolest pair of high heel blue sued booties. It was a fun 80's style outfit. I think dan was hoping she would wear an outfit like the one on the Kissed a girl video... Sorry. But she did change into a full-body leopard cat suit for the encore. It was cool. She got more crazy and bizzare as the show went on and told some funny stories. At one point she bent over into the crowd and let all the crazies touch her hair and... probably everything else.

I had a killer time and danced and shimmied alongside my very tired/stoic hubby. Luckily he does not get embarrassed of me and thankfully, I don't need someone to dance with me to enjoy it. It seems like going to concerts is my new favorite thing.

So, if you read this Katy, yeah, lets be friends. It could be cool. I could teach you things like how to make sugar cookies, knitting scarves, and making crafts at church. And you could take me to meet all your friends, or to the Grammys. We could go to the mall and share a pretzel and then I could show you some of my awesome dance moves in one of your new videos.

Scientific Experiment

2009-02-03T16:04:00.000-08:00

I am always excited to find new products that promise to make my lashes fuller and longer, so when I saw the commercial for Loreal's new Beauty Tubes Mascara I was intrigued. When a coupon came in the Sunday paper I knew it was a sign that I needed to give it a try. After all, it would be $6 well spent to see if Loreal would actually deliver on it's claims. So here are my results.

Observation 1. The white layer (step 1) was a bit thick and chunky when applied.
Observation 2. The handles are too short to get proper application to the eyelash.
Observation 3. It feels strange to put so many layers on.
Observation 4. When washing off the "beauty tubes" there were little black lines on my wash-cloth. I think this was the mysterious tubes.
Observation 5. I noticed a difference in length from other mascara.

This photo is the "control" Cover Girl volume lash mascara.

You can decide for yourself, but I think that there was a difference and will buy it again (if there is a coupon)

Deluge of Denim

2009-02-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

I popped into the DI today to pass a few minutes and as I rounded the shelf of black shoes, I was overwhelmed by the two tall rounders filled with Denim. Not jeans denim, denim dresses and overalls. There were so many in fact that there was a rack dedicated to denim dresses. Another rack next to it was jammed with discarded overalls. An entire rack! Upon further investigation, I noticed that there were 5 pairs of light olive khaki Gloria Vanderbilt overalls in varying sizes. In almost new condition. Could they be store overstocks, I thought? No, they were owned by completely different women. All purchased for around $15 at Sam's Club. How do I know this?? I owned some myself. By some I mean 2 pair, one olive green khaki and one light khaki. My BFF had a matching pair too. As I think back, I even owned 2 denim dresses, one was a denim overall dress! Who convinced us this was a good thing to wear? Do we buy things because everyone else is or because they are cheap? Does anyone still wear these? Do people like the wedgie feeling you get while wearing overalls and bending over? This is what actually convinced me to abandon my collection of Gloria Vanderbilt's, just a short 5 years ago.

So, I am deeply affected by the enormous amount of denim clothing that I witnessed today at Desert Industries. It had me thinking about how much can change in 5 years. So I composed a list of some things that have changed in just 5 years or 1825 days.

Denim dresses/overalls are very cool. Although when searching for a picture, I saw a caption that said they were slowly coming back...

You could buy scrunchies at the store.

Barack Obama, was running for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

George W. Bush is TIME's 2004 Person of the Year.

I was changing diapers on a 1 year old!

This was all I could think of. What has changed for you?

Oh, Abbie...

2009-01-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

Last night at dinner Abbie was wiggling around so much that it was making Dan crazy. Here is the conversation:

Dan: Abbie Sit down.

Abbie: but I don't want to.

Dan: Sit down.

Abbie: Why? it is fun to sit up here. (sitting on the back of the chair)

Dan: Sit down, or you will fall and crack your head open.

Abbie: Will a nut come out?

Yes, she thinks her head is full of nuts. Maybe that is because I am always telling her she is nuts. Who needs brains when you have personality right?

At the grocery store the other day, we had the produce guy laughing from a conversation we were having by the bulk candy. Here is a snippet:

Abbie: is that candy!?

mom: Yes, don't touch it.

Abbie: but I want to. I want some candy.

Mom: Candy isn't good for our bodies, our bodies don't want us to eat candy.

Abbie: Mine does. My body loves candy.

Mom: (not really paying attention) Okay, but don't touch it. We don't need candy and we aren't going to buy any so please stop asking. Would you like a banana?

Abbie: My body says it NEEDS candy not a banana.

So like a good mother, I bought her some candy AND a banana. The banana is still on the counter, the candy is gone. I guess she was right, her body did NEED that candy.

It is funny to think that just 2 years ago, we were worried about her speech delay...

Post Plagarism

2009-01-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

Nine words women use
I saw this on a friends blog and thought it was funny, especially #9. I do this all the time Lately when it comes to snow blowing the driveway or bringing in the groceries. The others I use occasionally.
I am plagiarizing this because I can't think of anything clever to say today.

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' . that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying go away.

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Hellloooo! Deals!

2009-01-21T14:00:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love magazines and I love getting them for a super deal. Soooo I am sharing my find with you. You can get a year of REDBOOK mag for $5.99 or two years for $11.99. Just go to decdeal.redbookmag.com
After you order, there is another offer for "O" magazine for $10. That is a great deal for that one. the best I have seen is like $15.

I am a super parent!

2009-01-21T13:24:00.000-08:00

Anytime I see proof that there are worse parents than me out there, I feel really great. I least I have never done this. Or even thought about doing it.

Longing for Spring

2009-01-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy. They are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom"- Marcel Proust

I have loads of people who make me happy. Everyday I am grateful for all of you. And man, am I blossoming!

The swimsuits at Target are a ray of hope and a dismal reminder that Spring soon will be here. Wahoo!

This I know for sure

2009-01-10T14:19:00.000-08:00

We have told the story of our own version of the "Griswold Christmas," so many times that Dan and I have the perfect, if slightly scripted banter going now. One night after telling the tale, Dan and I were laying in bed and he commented "you know, the more we tell that story, the less amazing and frustrating it seems." Puzzling, I know. We thought it would take us until next year to be able to laugh about it.

Here are the things that we now know for sure. Make note.

1. Even the most expensive Garmin cannot make up for common sense.

-we learned this when Garmina, that's what we affectionately called her, lead us out into the small towns away from I5 and instructed us to "board ferry" which by our luck was closed that day. Ferry! Are you kidding me!? No, she was serious. Okay, activate common sense now.

2. Hotels can loose power.

-And just like at home, there is a sense of panic when it happens. Unfortunately, in a hotel there are no candles, flashlights, or gas stoves or heaters. But thankfully, there is still a complementary breakfast and a hot, if dark, shower.

3. Snow and Ice is different outside of Utah.

-Now I get why people say it is the greatest snow on earth. In Oregon, they get something called "freezing rain" it makes no sense, but it is capable of cocooning a van in 1/2 inch of ice, and causing huge cities to loose electricity for 3 days and eventually need to call in the National Guard for help.

4. It doesn't matter if you eat at a Zagat rated restaurant or Ihop. If you bring your kids, it will still taste like Ihop.

-Food is not fun when you have water spilled in your lap and have to share everything on your plate with your 3 year old. Sometimes I didn't even remember eating. I would say to Dan, "What did I order?" and he would reply " I don't know, we were to busy hoarking it down to notice." Ahh... family vacations, hoarking down food. sounds awesome huh?

5. Christmas is just as magical wherever you are.

-The girls had a great Christmas and when we talk about it mostly they remember fun parts. And they didn't ever question how Santa found us on the 7th floor of a condo over looking the beach. Santa you are so clever!

6. Simplicity is King

- Our best memories of this holiday were always the spontaneous and simple ones. if you ask Reagan and Abbie they always says their favorites things were riding their new scooters in the halls of the resort, or touching the starfish and anenomes in the tide pools. It's all about simplicity, it is so easy to forget that.

5. It doesn't matter, as long as were together.

-I am surprised how early on in the trip I learned this. Usually it takes me a while to get over my unacheived expectations to see the positive. I can clearly remember as we were leaving our dark hotel room, packing up to "head south" away from the storm and trek our way to the coast and actually start our vacation, looking over at Dan driving and thinking, "You know what, it doesn't matter if we make it or not as long as we're together." How mature of me, right?!

Home again, Home again.

2008-12-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, last night we pulled the ultimate all-nighter. We checked out of our condo in Depoe, Bay at 12:00pm and then decided to go do some sight-seeing since it was finally a nice day. We went to check out the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, Yaquina bay, Reagan thought it was the bees knees.

It was our brilliant, idea to head south to avoid all of the crazy storms and weather in Portland and get home to Utah. Unfortuately, because we did not investigate to find out where the storms actually were... we had to back-track back to the north to avoid the storm in the south, central mountains. That put us just a teensy bit behind schedule. We began our trip at about 2:30pm and got home to Utah this morning at 6:00am. A few hiccups in the trip added an extra 2 hours to the already super-long drive. But guess what! We made it! Dan drove the entire way and stayed awake too! I made it to Tremonton and then "rested my eyes" for about 30 minutes. I was very impressed with my staying-awake skills. But now, a few hours later after returning to my satin sheeted bed. I am glad to be home and ready to take stock of the last 11 days. It was really a Christmas vacation for the books!

On your mark, get set, celebrate!

2008-12-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

Talk about squeezing in all the fun possible! We have really been trying. We just wrapped up a super fun weekend with friends, and are heading into "crazy week" this is like dead week before finals, you know when you try to cram everything in before the exams. Well, this is my dead week.

We are heading to Oregon, my home state, to celebrate Christmas this year. Who is there? you might be wondering. If you mean family, no one. If you mean old and great friends, tons! thanks to Facebook I have found them. We are going to have some serious Harward family fun. See my old stomping grounds and spend some quality time by the coast and enjoy our daughterswithout crazy pressure. But to get there.... ahhhh! Crazy week!

Every night we are booked with fun dates with friends and family. We are really trying to squeeze in all the holiday fun we can, and get all the work done too. Here is a sample of my to do list.

I have to pack and wrap all of the Christmas gifts, some decorations and other fun things,
attend 2 school holiday parties,
make some more neighbor gifts, for those unexpected deliveries,
get the car lubed,
buy snow chains,
buy Dan's presents,
get MY presents,
find things to do in OR
tell everyone in OR we are coming,
figure out how to use our new Garmin so we don't get lost,
and I am sure there is something I am forgetting.

I am hoping I can hang on until Friday when I will have 12 hours of road time to read my latest book, The English Patient. Hopefully Dan won't want to talk much on the trip.

We've got ourselves a winner here!

2008-12-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was round two in the Mountain Green Elementary Storytelling festival competition. An Reagan was one of the 2 winners in the 1st grade level!

It was a very exciting day and fun to see her do well, and feel proud of herself. She entered this competition after much pressure and persuasion from her mother, and look! it paid off!

last year we went to the festival and I fell in love with it. After each of the storytellers finished I kept thinking to myself, "I could do that." and I really wanted to! I haven't been that excited about something that I wanted to do purely for myself for a long time. But Like everything else, I gave up thinking about it.

So, I am basically fulfilling my dream to be a professional storyteller through my 6 year old daughter. So far, I am a winner! is this another perk of having kids? Do we really get to take credit for their achievements? In my defense, I did choose the perfect story for her to tell, and I did coach her on the best way to perform the actions and when to inflect her voice. Does that count for anything?

7 down 1 to go...

2008-12-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

Remember the butter... My fridge overfloweth from the blessing of the butter. The only way I know to use butter is to make cookies- which I love-

So picture it, a, entire lazy Friday spent making cookie dough. I have spent the last 5 hours making cookies. What!? you may say how do you spend 5 hours making cookies. I made 5 batches of cookies, shaped and froze the dough for future use. Each batch made about 35 cookies, so that is roughly 175 cookies. Wahhhoooo! Drop by any time, I'll bake up some cookies for you!
My cookie selections included:
Lemon Iced Ginger cookies, Black and white cookies (favorite), Soft oatmeal raisin, and Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This has been my 5 degrees of milk experiment enjoy!

1. Cows make milk (Which is delicious)
2. Cream comes from milk (very scientific)
3. Butter comes from cream (which I made)
4. Cookies are made with butter (which I made)
5. Cookies are eaten with milk! (which is delicious)

So there you have it! I have come full circle with the cream that found its way into my fridge so long ago.

I still have 1 more pound of butter...

Christmas Cards

2008-12-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

I really like to send out Cards and every year I ask for addresses. So, if you can read this, I would love your address! would you please email it to me, so i can do my part in wasting our natural resources this holiday season. I saw an article that said we should not use wrapping paper this year.... hmm okay, then what? suggestions. I am always looking for ways to go a little green. you know like khaki or olive. I do bring in my own grocery bags. go me!

Oooh this is good.

2008-11-22T19:01:00.000-08:00

I love this new song by Eric Hutchinson. So make sure that you wait for my playlist to load. You can listen to the happy tunes while you read about my dieting woes. Enjoy! Another gift to you.

Will-power... what's that?

2008-11-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

So, my will power is beginning to wane. I am knee deep in this diet, having mild success and I am loosing steam. My birthday is next week and all I can think about is what I am going to eat! I have allowed myself one day to enjoy all the foods I have been missing- or longing for. I really wish that I was like a certain sister-in-law I have that eats to live rather than living to eat. I am a foodie. I cannot deny it. I wish that I could be hypnotized into thinking that I do not love food. But I do! AHHHH I am so frustrated I want to scream! I had a great day to day, I exercised, ate a light lunch, lots of water, and then BAM! a spur of the moment change and I am eating peperoni pizza and oatmeal cookies (seriously forbidden). I wouldn't feel so bad if I hadn't done that same thing last night! I am like an addict. I fall off the wagon every day. I am starting to feel pretty bad about myself... even though the cookies are making me feel really nice.

Well, onto the topic of food, my birthday is starting out with an awsome blossom from Texas Roadhouse and ending with a Cinnabon. Somewhere in there I am going to Macaroni Grill for Penne rustica and I am going to eat and entire loaf of bread and some brownies. I think I will probably be in a food coma, so don't bother calling me on the 30th. But pray that I come out of this "Celebration" alive. I am hoping that I will feel so terrible that I will jump back on the wagon with renewed dedication. Or else I will have to go buy another pair of fat pants since I threw mine out today. I will keep you posted. I think I love carbs.

my new favorite...

2008-11-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite recipes that I have been enjoying these days is sooo yummy I wanted to share it with all of you.

Consider it my gift.
Garlic, butter spray, lemon pepper or lemon juice, tons of spinach and Shrimp. I toss it all in a pan and cook until the spinach is wilted and the shrimp is warm. Yum! and healthy!

Be excellent to each other...
-quoted by a blogging buddy

Go Pioneers!

2008-11-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

On occasion, I find myself in possession of groceries that I would not normally have in my kitchen. It is a blessing and a curse. Okay, it's a regular Thursday night. The fam is sitting around after dinner chilling out and Reagan is doing her homework, and I decide to clean out the fridge. In the back, disguised as milk is a gallon- yes, I said gallon, of heavy whipping cream. Strange, I know. So I think, what am I going to do with this???
I could:
A. Make a vat of Alfredo sauce to feed the neighborhood. Uhh, not diet friendly and wayy to tempting.
B. Make whipped cream- but I can't eat pie or ice cream sundaes, so that is out.
C. wait for it to go sour and throw it out... hmmm too wasteful.
D. Make butter. Yes! that sounds like fun, and butter stores right?? we could use my homemade butter for Thanksgiving! I could be like a modern pioneer! Let's do it!

Okay, remember when you made butter in elementary school by shaking the jar of cream for eternity? I decided to use a mixer instead. It still took 20 minutes! I kept waiting and waiting and waiting. But finally, voila! Butter. What I didn't know it that you have to squeeze it, wash it, and dry it. I had no idea about all of this, or how much butter I was going to end up with. So here I am with my butter masterpiece. For those of you who know me, this is as close as I want to ever be to being like a pioneer! It took me about an hour to make all this butter. I am estimating it is about 8lbs, but now I have silky soft "buttery" smooth hands and enough butter to last until Obama has taken over the planet. yea me again. I cannot blame Family Fun magazine for this one. I had this idea all by myself.

Doin' the Halloween thing Harward Style

2008-11-04T19:18:00.001-08:00

It all began with the stupid FAMILY FUN magazine. I could rant about that mag, but I will save that for another post... Okay, my week begins with a little party at Abbie's Preschool. Of course I am stupid, so I volunteer to make a Halloween treat. Here is what I make. Cute right?

That goes off well, so I venture to a larger more complex goody for our playgroup party ( yet another stupid thing I volunteered for) And This is what I created. Cute huh, a chocolate cupcake with dirt and worms. Yeah me!

Now, you should note, that at this point in the week, I am really getting overwhelmed and a bit crazed. I am not good, nor very natural at creating baked and decorated snacks. These snacks did not come easy and my demeanor is beginning to show it. At the play-group party I am a mad woman. Things do not go well. There is Orange icing smeared on the floor, 23 uneaten chocolate dirt and worm cupcakes still on the tray, one in the trash and about 20 spider crackers on the tray, children running in the parking lot, ripped costumes, torn decorations, and some happy chatty moms. I however, am fuming inside! Not one of my cupcake creations got eaten! I spent way too much time making the fetchers and not one! oooohhh, but the entire box of powdered donuts is licked clean! AHHHGGHH! So take that Family Fun! I am now buying all my treats at the hostess outlet! Okay, I really want to eat some chocolate right now... Unfortunately, I am on a ridiculious diet that does not allow chocolate, even for medicinal purposes. So I have to sit in the dark for 10 minutes until I can come down from my frenzy.

Okay, after the party was cleaned up and over, the day got progressively better. We went to an assisted living place with the girls to Trick or Treat and then hit the streets to earn ourselves some candy! It was a little rainy, but we had a ton of fun. Abbie was cute, singing and talking to all the people and Reagan loved all the attention. Dan sneakily ate candy so as not to tempt me, and I sneakily ate candy so as not to get busted cheating. So, It was a super fun/super crazy day. Typical Harward style.

Pumpkin patching it.

2008-11-04T19:08:00.001-08:00

To get back to our roots, we took the 30 minute trip to J&J to partake of the "Free pumpkin and a hayride" thing. Unfortunately we chose the coldest and the busiest night in October. Man, it was freezing! We waited for about 1 hour and finally picked out the pumpkins as the clock struck 9:00. It was a late night, but part of our little family tradition.

Of course, there is the carving event also. We carved our pumpkins right before Halloween to help get the house all spookied up (as Reagan likes to say.) It was Dan's Idea to make a throw-up pumpkin, so we all had a turn holding the pumpkin puke! yeah, for a silly hubby.

One of our neighbors commented that we had "one sick pumpkin on our porch.

Love letter to Jason Mraz

2008-11-04T18:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Jason,
I just wanted to thank you for such a special night that we shared. It was truly magical. I don't know how you do it. How can I be in an arena surrounded by people and feel like you are singing only to me? Your voice transports me to a simpler time and place where everyone feels loved and happy. Thank you for transforming my Tuesday night into a wondrous memory that I will cherish for many nights.
Well, you done me and you bet I felt it I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted, I won't hesitate no more, It cannot wait, I'm yours. Look into your heart and you'll find love love love. I'm yours.
Your music is my remedy to an ordinary life. Because of you, I won't worry my life away. Thank you Jason, for being my ray of sunshine in confused world.
Your Love Always, Nicole

Hot Air Balloon Part Deux

2008-10-28T15:23:00.001-07:00

Our last balloon ride was cut short because of "bad wind" so we got to have another complimentary ride today. This time we brought along the girls and Mac have them a quick little ride. Reagan thought it was the bees knees and show and tell worthy, but Abbie was a little freaked out when he ran the burner. She would hide her face in her coat and wait for it to stop. She was really nervous about getting burned. I guess that would seem really scary to be so closer to a blazing fire like that. It was a really nice day, but still a bit chilly so early in the morning. Yea, for family adventures.

Wardrobe Dillema

2008-10-01T15:41:00.001-07:00

So, I have heard that it is not appropriate to wear white after labor day. But I also heard from our local fashion expert (on good things utah) that we could wear white- but not pants- until the end of September. So here it is October 1st and I am officially packing away my white, and summer clothes. Can it really hoody time? I am an avid collector and lover of hoodies (especially the new one from Modbe, you can contact my friend Anne about that) but can it really be time for that? I swear, it must be like 75 degrees today! That is awesome! if I had it my way, it would be 75 degrees all the time, but I digress. So, it is too hot for hoodies and sweaters, too cold for capris- and probably out of season, and short sleeves... not the morning. Yikes! what am I to do?

As I am packing, I am sad to say goodbye to my favorite spring/summer accessory, aside from flip-flops that never should be put away, my white purse. I was tenative at the first to dive into the white purse waters... but now I am hooked! I adore the colored and trendy purses. White seemed a little to out there for me, but it was great, we had a good run. I do feel strange carrying it around when I am wearing a hoody ( and sweating in it). So, to my favorite white purse I say Adieu and farewell.

Is it time for boots yet???

Wackadoodle

2008-09-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

I love this word. It immediately makes me smile. I am a serious fan of the CW and of Bravo. One of my absolute favorite shows right now is Project Runway. There is a guy to who refers to himself in the 3rd person. "Suede." he says this word all the time. If you want genuine wackadoodle- Bravo is the place to find it. This dress in wackadoodle/borderline uglydoodle!

My Quirks

2008-09-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

okay, so I have a few little quirks. To me these seem totally innocuous, but as I analyze them I have no reasonable explanation and they do seem a little bizarre.

Receipts. I can explain this one. It is genetic. My mother has stacks just like this one. This picture is the receipts that I took out of my wallet when it was too full to snap shut, I am guessing maybe a couple of months worth. the credit card is to show the relative size of the stack. this quirk is to support my second quirk which was also inherited from my mother.
Returns. I like to buy and try. This may seem weird, but I am victim to impulse buys and often when I get home I realize that I don't like the item. Or I buy it out of fear that when I come back it will be gone. this is weird, I know.
I buy shoes that I will never wear. I have about 6 pairs of heels that have only been worn once. I think the problem here is that I buy them because I love how they look, thinking that I will love to wear them. And then, after 10 minutes it hits me, yes, I love red patent leather heels, but no, I don't love pinched toes and hurting ankles. I realize this just in time to throw them back into the closet and slip on my sequined flip flops. ahh that is better. I have got to stop the shoe buying charade.
Magazines. I am addicted, obsessed and yet, overwhelmed. I love magazines, all kinds. There is not one that I will not read. I even have a subscription to "Diabetes forcast" and I don't even have Diabetes! Who cares right? well, they are taking over. I have stacks and baskets of them all over the house. Not only do I love them, but I love them so much that I cannot recycle them! crazy I know. I even save them after I have read them to give to my friends. I give them as gifts. I order them for my husband, who was reluctant at first, but now loves his ESPN mag. The best part is that I rarely pay for them and when I do, I don't pay very much. I do love my magazines. I don't think I am going to give this up anytime soon. That picture is just one stack. I have another basket of old ones in the closet. Shhh don't tell Dan.

I guess we are all a little quirky. Some people save cool whip tubs, others buy things they don't need that are on clearance, whatever. that is what makes us all so interesting.

My first week of school

2008-09-07T16:29:00.001-07:00

Last week was the first whole week of all day school for Reagan. This is a cutie picture of her while we waited to get on the bus. She was more than ready to start school. In fact on the first day, she got up right when her alarm went off, got dressed, got her backpack on and came into my room to wake me up all before 7:45. That left us about 45 minutes to wait for the bus. We had a leisurely breakfast and then sat on the curb for about 20 minutes. She loves her new teacher and tells me that all she really does at school is have fun. she also uses the school excuse to try to get out of chores. "uh, mom, I can't really do the silverware, I have been at school all day" nice try. Anyway, she loves it and that really takes a weight off my shoulders. Again, I am waaayy to young to have a kid in school all day. with that said...

this is how I thought my days would be like now that I am down to one kid:

wake up and go to the gym. Shower.
Go to Ross or TjMaxx to check for deals.
Stop by the grocery store for any last minute dinner prep stuff.
Call a friend and go to lunch.
sit on the porch and read a book.
tidy up the house and get a healthy snack ready for Reagan.

This is how my days really go:

get Reagan out the door.
try to get abbie up without having her scratch out my eyes.
get to the gym late, miss my class and wait for a treadmill.
run into Costco for milk, loose Abbie at Shopko.
Eat a granola bar for lunch.
go to the dentist/doctor/bank
hurry home to come up with dinner.
crash on the couch, pretend to read scriptures and fall asleep while Abbie spills Spaghetti all over the floor.
barely wake up in time to see reagan walk in the door.

What you ask... no time to clean, do in depth scripture study, prepare healthy meals, put on makeup and be ready to greet my husband? nope. it seems like I have no more time than before, and now I am noticing all the cute and equally not cute things Abbie does.

But it sure is nice to know that at the end of the day, Reagan is actually learning something.

Looks like we made it.

2008-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

well, we made it 9 years at least. This may not seem like much, but every time an anniversary comes around we are always surprised that it doesn't feel like it has been that long. I suppose that is how a couple can stay married for 50 years.

So what is the perfect gift for a 9 year anniversary?
Traditionally, for the 1st you give paper... hmm, okay.
for the 5th it's wood. I'm not sure what wood thing I would want unless it was a house made of wood.
And for the 9th it's pottery or willow. Okay, another strange one.
How about hot air? Apparently, the list Dan referred to suggested hot air.
So, true to form Dan secretly planned an elaborate and exciting morning filled with hot air.
It was an amazing thing! My very first hot air balloon ride over the Ogden Valley. We met our pilot in Eden at 6:00am Friday morning and we were very excited. After he set off some helium balloons to check the wind, we set off to the Wolf Creek Resort to set up the Balloon. Apparently this was a hands on adventure and we were expected to help. It was very facinating to see the "envelope" unfold and fill up.

After it was all filled and ready to fly, we hopped in an he gassed it up. It was quite a feeling, floating in the sky, it was very peaceful and quiet. I had no idea we were almost 800 feet in the air, until I looked down at our car, that was barely visible. It was a great ride, we even almost hit a roof top. It was a beautiful morning, and a fun adventure.

So here I am looking at these beautiful pictures, thinking about all the amazing, awesome, surprising, one-of-a kind, romantic, and memorable experiences I have had in my life and most of them are because of Dan. He truly has been the most amazing husband a fun-loving girl like me could wish for. Sure, he leaves his dishes in the sink and never makes the bed, (I'm no perfect catch either) but has given me the best gift- 9 years of memories- I hope we can make it many more years because there is so much more I want to experience in this life and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone but him. Dan, Thanks for being such a good match for me and reminding me how to have fun in this crazy world.

They get so big!

2008-08-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Reagan is now officially a School girl! She had her first day of 1st grade and she loved it! Her teacher is super cute and seems really excited about getting these kids started. It is so much fun to see them grow up and yet also a little but surreal. Dan and I still feel like we are teenagers just havin' fun and living the great life. We are much too young to have a little girl in school! So Abbie and I are looking forward to all the quality time we will have together... I think we will BOTH miss having Reagan around during the days.

Everyone else is doing it....

2008-08-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

So I got this off a friends blog so I thought I would try it because it could be super fun.

1. Leave a comment with a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and read friends' memories of you. If you leave a memory for me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll do the same for you. If you don't have a blog (shame on you!!), I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.
This should be fun.

KABLOOEY!

2008-08-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

This is a game we love to play at our house. It all started when we got our King-Sized bed. let me tell you the tale of the bed, it is almost a 5th member of our family.

You see Dan and I short people, so a King really is quite an unnecessary luxury. When we were selling our home the Realtor just laughed when he saw our bedroom, because there was no room on one side of the bed to walk because it was big and because we had a dresser, an armoire and an elliptical. He obviously advised us to get all the stuff out and switch to a smaller bed. We did, but after the first few nights when we thought it was fun to cuddle... we began to get a little irritated at not having any space to move around. those were a crabby few months. our new place was not much bigger and there was a time when we debated taking the Queen bed with us and storing our wonderful king. Perish the thought! The King bed won and when we moved we squeezed it into our small bedroom and have never regretted it. Good or bad I am not sure yet, the girls (Abbie especially) have learned that the bed is so big that they can sneak in during the night and we usually don't know until the morning. So more often than not, there are three people in my bed. At Christmas time, inspired by a great gift of satin pillowcases (thank you Jod & Brandon) we took the dive and invested in some King Satin Sheets! Let me tell you, this bed is amazing. we have a feather bed topper, on top of a pillow top mattress, satin sheets, satin pillowcases, a down comforter and I even wear my satin PJ's to bed. So now, when I want to roll over all I have to do is move my pinky toe and skadoosh, I'm on the other side of the bed. Does it get any better than this!!???

To justify the celebrity status of our bed we started using it for everything, including a little game we call KABLOOEY. It is basically Dan throwing the girls on the bed or pillows, but over the year it has changed often. It is silly and we all end up laughing at the end. Not a good activity before bed. There you have it. The tale of the King Sized bed-enjoy!

2008-07-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

6 things to always say YES to...

2008-07-14T14:15:00.001-07:00

1. Any LDB that makes you look double hot even if it costs double $$
2. Your gut-whether it's telling you to have your tires checked or growling for a burger.
3. A b-day invite from anyone that is under 8 or over 80.
4. Mom's offer of the family china, blessing gown or well worn game of Life, even if you can't yet forsee a time when you'll want it.
5. Whipped cream with that.
6. A close friend that needs you to listen.

And 1 thing to say no to...
1. Shoes that already hurt in the store- even if they are on sale.

these are thanks to my Glamour mag. Gotta love it!

The Mountain Green Experience

2008-06-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures from Trappers Loop which is basically in my back yard. How's that for a view.

Living in Mtn. Green has some amazing perks. This spring we have had some serious and in depth nature lessons. We learn about pokey bushes, moose that stomp on dogs, deer that like midnight snacks, birds that have choir practice at 5 am , and how loud one lonely cricket can be when he is inside your house. We have really loved living in our own piece of the mountains. We were especially delighted to see a mama robin building a nest right outside our sliding door. Grandpa wanted to knock it down but Reagan asked to "please give them a chance" he gave in but made her promise to clean up all the poop. Well, just a few weeks later, we saw little beaks peeking out and then just about a week later we saw three giant birds all squished into the tiny nest. We couldn't believe that they were the babies! it was fun to watch the mom gather worms and feed them to her babies. It was such a special treat to witness. but that was before the accident...One afternoon we were coming home and we quietly came in the door, and suddenly the birds freaked out! one flew inside our house and the other landed on the deck. I was frantic! Yikes! it creeped me out a bit that there was a wild bird in my house (never mind that I have a Parakeet, that is different) So I called Betty to help me get it out and back into the nest. Meanwhile, the mom is out side flying from tree to tree sort of barking at the babies. It was very strange. As we were safely returning the birds to their nest, they freaked out again and flew back out. it was hopeless, they would not stay in the nest.
I had to leave and so I never got to see the birds safely back in their nest again. It was heartbreaking to hear that mom robin barking for her babies. She kept at it for almost a week. Life can be so cruel sometimes.

Livin la Vida

2008-06-23T10:53:00.001-07:00

last Saturday we went to the Farmers Market in SLC. It was a beautiful day and it was a fun adventure with the kids. We love to see all the handmade art, hear the music and taste the delicious treats from all the vendors. Of course Dan and girls chose a snowie, and I indulged in a fresh squeezed strawberry lemonade the size of a bathtub. We listened to some Mexican singers that were dressed in robes and had flags and lots of sashes and medals. Reagan kept asking questions trying to figure it out. She asked if they were the people who fight for our country's freedom, or if they were the presidents of Mexico. It was pretty cute.

After the market we went to the planetarium to see a 3D movie. On the way we passed a huge air vent and Abbie climbed up to feel the wind and as her dress was blowing she held out her arms and said "I'm flying!" again, pretty cute. Then of course we all had to give it a try. And so it goes, another easy, fun, relaxing weekend in the sun. Can it get any better!?

Abbie's Big 3!

2008-05-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

We went to McDonalds for Abbie's Party- When I asked her what she wanted to do she said "go to the weee" that is what she calls a slide or playground. So, we all packed up and headed to the South Ogden McD's the cousins had fun playing and the adults sneaked in Subway from across the street.

This picture is Abbie blowing out the candle and then she started licking the frosting off the princess dress. Hey, when it's your cake you can do whatever you want! grandma made this cake to look like little Abbie, pretty cute.

Photography By Reagan

2008-05-21T20:10:00.003-07:00

Reagan got my camera out and started taking some pictures. Here are some of the best ones.

Guinea Pig Education

2008-05-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Abbie is reading to the Pet we borrowed from my sister for "Pet day" at kindergarten. This is as close as we get to actually having pets - "borrowing" them.

and yes, the book is upside down, Help we need preschool!

Enchiladas yum-o

2008-05-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one of my family's absolute favorites. So I thought I would post it in case anyone is looking for a super "licious" easy meal.

Spinach Enchiladas
3/4 lb cooked diced chicken
1 box frozen spinach defrosted and squeeze out all the liquid
1 square cream cheese ( can be light or fat-free)
16 oz Light sour cream
1 can drained diced tomatoes
1 tbs Cumin
1 tsp tobasco or chipotle tobasco (to taste)
10 Tortillas
Combine all ingredients and fill tortillas with 1/2 cup mixture. Cover with Red enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese and bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

ENJOY!

Ahhh, can it be Mother's Day every day?

2008-05-11T19:54:00.001-07:00

These are some cute shots from our little mothers day celebration. It was fun and Dad did a good job channeling Reagan enthusiasm. It was a great day with breakfast in bed, adorable little girls and a sweet hubby.

Pony up!

2008-05-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of the awesome benefits to living in Mtn. Green! Your neighbors have ponies! We got all geared up in our cowgirl get-up to have some serious country fun.

The Ultimate 6th birthday!

2008-05-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

The place we went to was really fun, they had trampolines and other gymnastics stuff to do. This pit of foam blocks was the most fun for the kids.

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea??

2008-05-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Spongebob! this is the cake Reagan wanted for her 6th Birthday Party. I wish I could take credit for the craftmanship, but Grandma Harward came to my rescue the morning of the party. I was just going to do plain old cupcakes. The legs are not on yet, or the arms, but he is still a pretty sweet cake.

Shrimplicious

2008-04-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here is this weeks adventurous recipe. I have been eying this for weeks. Looks yummy from the picture too.

Border-Style Shrimp

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
Lime wedges (optional)

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, shrimp, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and add butter, salt, and hot sauce. Stir until the butter melts. Stir in juice and green onions. Garnish with the lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup shrimp)

CALORIES 266 (30% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 4.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 35.6g; CHOLESTEROL 274mg; CALCIUM 113mg; SODIUM 618mg; FIBER 1.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 9.7g

Mango Chicken... very licious!

2008-04-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

So it was a success, I made it for a Friday night delicacy. The meal went together easily and even the kids liked it. The sauce was mild and I did not end up using the coconut milk. I think this recipe could be used with any type of fresh fruit, or even canned pineapple for a sweet and spicy dish.

Thursday night dinner...

2008-04-24T07:55:00.001-07:00

Dan and I were driving past a produce warehouse and I stopped to send him in for a few things. Out he comes with a case of mangoes. There were about 13 in the box and he got them for 3.99 it was a great deal, after loading in the mangoes he goes back in the store and comes back with strawberries and two watermelons. Dan is surely victim to impulse buys at the grocery store.
Anyway, here I am a week later with 10 mangoes that are ready (really ready) to be eaten. So here is the recipe I am using for tonight to attempt to get the 3.99 out of my mango purchase. Feel free to give it a try if you are feeling adventurous. I saw in some other recipes to add some coconut milk. If I make it to the store, I am going to toss some in to see how it tastes.

Mango Chicken

Ingredients:

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced
1 1/2 t soy sauce
1/4 t salt
pinch white pepper
1 t Cornstarch
2 t cider vinegar
1 1/2 t ketchup
2 T water
1 T thai sweet chili sauce (for mild heat)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 T grated ginger
1 t garlic
1/2 C onion sliced
2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Combine chicken and marinade ingredients (soy sauce, salt, pinch white pepper, and cornstarch) and marinate for 30 minutes.
Combine sauce ingredients (cider vinegar, ketchup, water and chili sauce) and set aside.
In non-stick skillet or wok, coat with pan spray, add chicken and garlic and ginger stir-fry for 3 minutes or until chicken just turns opaque.
Add peppers, ginger, garlic and shallots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add sauce ingredients and stir to mix until sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add mangoes and mix gently for 1 minute until heated through.
Garnish cilantro and serve.

Each serving includes: Calories 269, 26 g Carbohydrates, 21 g Protein, 10 g Fat, 1 g Saturated Fat, 50 mg Cholesterol, 4 g Fibre, 330 mg Sodium, 420 mg Potassium. An excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and niacin. A good source of fibre, vitamin E, vitamin B-6 and folacin.

Culiary exploration

2008-04-11T14:30:00.001-07:00

I have been venturing out a bit in search of some serious new healthy and flavorful dinners. My first try, which was a triumph if I can say that, was a dish called Chicken Tangine. I think this is reminiscent of a Mediterranean or Indian dish. I was able to use my favorite device- the CrockPot- which is probably infusing everything I cook with lead- so that gives this recipe even more points. It has chicken, butternut squash, raisins, garbanzo beans and a bunch of spices I had to go buy. It was delicious- or as Abbie says "licious" I served it over couscous and it was a hit.

Today I am using the crockpot as an adaptation to another recipe "South African Curry Beef" it smells great, but when I was tasting it (that is what every great chef does) i nearly singed my lips off from the spice. Luckily I have consulted my sister-in-law who is my curry expert as to a few methods of cooling it down. I will let you now how it all comes out.

Welcome to my brain!

2008-04-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

I am finally going to take a dip into this blogging universe. Feel free to take a peek into my world anytime you like.