The Harvill Family Blog

Chloe's Blessing

2011-05-17T18:13:00.000-06:00

I suppose I ought to mention the fact that we blessed Chloe on the 1st of May. We had a great weekend, lots of family were able to make it up for the occasion and it was good to see them all. Saturday the gang helped us move to our new place in Meridian, and Sunday we had lunch at my Aunt Irene and Uncle Mike's house, Brandon did a great job and so did Chloe. :)

1 Month Stats

2011-05-17T17:54:00.000-06:00

Geez does my baby really need to be a month and a half already?! We went to the doc today and Chloe was weighed, measured, poked and prodded. She got her first round of imms today, but only cried for a minute, and just wanted to be snuggled so she could fall asleep. We were so proud! :) (Insert cheesy grin)

Weight: 11.35 lbs

Height: 23 inches

Head Circumference: 15 inches

According to the growth charts, she is 82% for weight, and 90% for length! We may just have a b-ball player on our hands... :) at her first check up she was only in the 20% for weight....so I think we must be feeding her enough. Lol

Chloe's new favorite calming position:

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-05-17T17:52:00.000-06:00

Here's to another 1/2 century! :D We Love You!

Chloe's first trip to Washington!

2011-05-17T17:45:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Chloe and I made a sneak trip home. I had to go back to work this week, so I decided I wanted to visit my family one last time. We had lots of fun visiting (with lots of people!) Thursday night we stopped at Grammy and Papa Harvill's house and had a good time wiggling and meeting the puppies. I surprised my parents late Thursday night, they had gone to a show in Tri-Cities, and didn't get home until Midnight. Chloe and I had fallen asleep in the recliner, and my Mom totally thought it was my sister Britney--until she saw the baby bottles in the fridge :) It was fun to surprise everyone, and I was glad that they were so excited to see us. We hung out on Friday, got to visit Grandpa Rawlings at McCains, and see all of our friends there. All the ladies fawned over her and each took a turn to hold her. We also made a quick trip to the elementary to see Grammy DeeDee. Friday night we got to meet "gramma" Judy and "grampa" Jim (it was his birfday) :) Saturday we got to see Jenny and Rod, Levi and Clare and Uncle Nate. I wish we would have had more time to spend, but we had lots of fun, and enjoyed every minute. I almost forgot to mention-Chloe made her first trip to Casa Mexicana on Friday night. She enjoyed her Pirata, Chips and Salsa and Sopapillas :D (Almost as much as her mommy did) :)

Pictures!

2011-05-11T20:12:00.000-06:00

A glimpse into Chloe's life so far....I'm feeling too lazy to detail these...but enjoy them anyway!

The Story

2011-04-12T19:28:00.000-06:00

*Sorry it's so long....I tried to condense it, but it's still way longer than I thought it would be*

Early Thursday morning, March 31st, I begged and cried and pleaded with Brandon to let me have an induction. I was so tired of waiting, and although overall tired, I had no real reason or need to be induced. He said "Let's wait the weekend, and see what happens. If nothing happens we'll go in on Monday and request an induction." I stomped my feet, mumbled under my breath and agreed. I spent the day doing normal stuff, walking 20+ miles trying to get baby out (I exaggerate.... :D ) answering the endless text messages the same way I had been doing for 2 weeks "Not yet, we'll let you know" and, after a little more begging, eating some Five Guys to bury my emotions. Fast forward to 10pm- Brandon was home from work, and we were just hanging out together. I say "I've had some contractions...nothing new, but they've been about 10mins apart for a few hours...but they don't hurt-like usual." Brandon, knowing I'd been doing this for weeks just says "well, lets see what comes of it." We stayed up and played Wii, both somewhat hoping it would turn in to something more.
Well, Chloe thought she would pull a little April Fool's joke on us, and right at Midnight on the 1st, it started to hurt. The contractions I was having felt nothing like what I had read they should. They progressed very quickly and were 3-4 mins apart for hours and the pain was all in my back-and boy it was painful, we called our midwife, and she said as long as I could talk through them, and was comfortable, we could labor at home as long as we liked. Around 9am we went to the birth center to be checked, I was only 50% effaced and 3cm dilated. She told us we could stay, or we could go home and be more comfortable. We decided to go home, and clean, play more Wii and just hang out. When we got home, my contractions started spacing out, 10 mins-15 mins-20 mins.
Needless to say I was furious. No sleep+back labor= angry Calley. With the contractions so far apart, the pain seemed more intense every time, because my body had time to recover in between. That sounds ideal you say? Nope. By the evening they had gotten back down between 10 and 15 minutes, but nothing more. I sent Brandon to bed, as we both hadn't slept the night before, and I laid on the couch in between contractions and would pace the floor during. By this time my breathing techniques had stopped working. Pressing on my hips and pelvis stopped working, having a warm bath was like torture because I couldn't move around to relieve the pain. Instead I cried and complained quietly during each, so I wouldn't wake Brandon up. I called the midwife multiple times during the night, wondering if it was really supposed to be this painful. I think she didn't quite grasp how much it hurt. She assured me it was normal for first time Mom's to labor so long, and to hang in there.
I took a shower, waited for Brandon to get up, and finally around Noon I told him I couldn't take it any longer. He called the midwife, and let her know that we were going to the hospital. Then he called L&D and told them we were coming. We finished picking up the house, and I haphazardly threw together a bag. We got to the hospital a little before 2pm and they got me right to a room. The doc came in and checked me and informed me that I was 90% effaced and 7cm dilated...and that Chloe was face up, explaining my horrible back labor. I was relieved that I had progressed so much, and asked for some pain meds. The doc said she was going to break my water first, and then I could have whatever I wanted. She broke my water and told us that it had been bulging, and had contributed to me not progressing very quickly, which annoyed me, and encouraged me-knowing that now things would start to roll. I opted to try Stadol first, as I am terrified of giant needles and really didn't want an epidural. 3 contractions later and I was asking for the epidural. The stadol had done nothing for my pain, though it did help me calm down a little and feel floaty :) I got the epidural, (and had a contraction while she was putting it in, I was very proud of myself for not crying or moving at all while it was happening) and was finally able to relax.

Brandon and I talked for a little while musing at how easy it would have been to come in the day before or even earlier in the morning, but we were content with our decision nonetheless. I felt like I had done my absolute best, tried my hardest and wasn't just giving up. My body was exhausted, my brain was exhausted and I just wanted to hold my baby. We finally were able to get a little sleep, and although at the time it felt like minutes, it was really a couple hours-the nurse came in around 6:00 and told us she was going to start pitocin to help my contractions to be a little stronger. By this time they were back down to 2-3 mins apart, but weren't very intense, so they just wanted to ease things along. By 7:00 the doc was back in, and checked my progression, 100% and 9cm and baby had slipped way down the birth canal and she could see her hair..(lol TMI, i know) she said that it seemed like I would be ready to push pretty soon, so she got the nurses and started getting things ready.
About 7:30 we started, and from there it was nice and easy. Chloe was definitely ready to join our family. I pushed for 4-5 contractions, and she was here! The doc had me pull her up, and Brandon got to cut her cord-it was funny, the nurse just handed him the scissor things and said "here, cut it right here" and he was a little caught off guard, but enjoyed the opportunity I think :) Chloe was 7lbs 10oz and 21 inches long, I had a 2nd degree tear inside, but didn't tear on the outside..which I am grateful for!

Chloe had quite a bit of amniotic fluid in her tummy, the doc said it was common when babies are born so quickly, they don't have the time/compression that it takes to get it out before they are born. She would spit it up, and then choke on it-she ended up having her stomach pumped twice after she was born to get all the fluid out. Once she had that done, she was much better and was able to eat easier. She has been such an angel and only gets fussy when she is hungry :) We are so happy that she is finally here, and even though our experience started out badly, the end result and easy birth have made up for it. I told Brandon that when I think back on it, I don't really think about "labor" until we had gone to the hospital- and that the first 36 hours were somehow just a practice run. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for letting us become parents to this sweet little princess, she is such a doll, and we love her more than we can express!

Just to be a little vain, I'm posting my 10 day-after photo. I figure, I posted pics all along the way, why not an after pic? :)

The Big 4-0

2011-03-20T10:23:00.000-06:00

Hmm..what's bigger than a whale? I should have saved that for this week! I was hoping I wouldn't have to write this post...lol I was hoping it would be more along the lines of "Baby Harvill is Here!" or "I can't believe (Insert Name Here) is 1 week old!" But alas, here I am, writing this post. I have known all along that "due dates" aren't all that reliable...so now that mine has come, I am putting my brain at ease. This little girl is allowed to come whenever she wants and at least now I know it will be within the next 2 weeks. It's the first time I can put a real time frame on her arrival. :D So don't ask me if she is here yet, I will definitely let you know! :) Here are some belly shots...my clothes don't fit anymore!! These days I only wear my own things to church and work, otherwise it's pj's and one of Brandon's t-shirts. Wish us luck this week!

38 weeks

2011-03-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here I am at 38 weeks.....

Ok, here I really am. With Lucy :) She really wanted to be in the picture today.

The (temporary) Nursery

2011-02-27T16:58:00.003-07:00

The Baby Shower!

2011-02-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, I got to go home-spend a few days with my family, eat at Casa & had a baby shower! Thanks to my Mom for pulling it together, and to DeeDee, Jenny and Megan for all of their help! I was glad to be able to have one, and excited that so many people wanted to be involved! It was pretty laid back, we had a few really fun games, and some tasty treats provided by my Mom and Jenny. (I forgot to bring some home with me! but I think that was probably for the best....) :D It was tons of fun, and I wish I could go home more often! Fun to think that next time I do go, it will be with baby! :)

Some of the goodies

Brit and Lory

The goods

playing some games

portraits of my baby...

close up of the cute diaper cake my mother-in-law made!

me and clare :)

unloading the car...

36 weeks...

2011-02-21T08:12:00.001-07:00

but really it's me at 35 weeks, because I'm sick and didn't want to share my germs through a photo yesterday. :)

not much new to report, every once in a while I will think that baby has dropped, only to feel her little bum right up snug in my ribs again. My belly button is officially out, and only goes in when I lay flat on my back. (which isn't often.) I'm slowly getting our house back in order, it took me a few days to go through all the fun baby stuff we got at the shower last week. (Which was super fun by the way! More on that later..)

3...4....

2011-02-06T19:16:00.002-07:00

time keeps on ticking ticking ticking.....not fast enough! I know that when the time comes I'll be saying the opposite, but this is how I feel this week. On the bright side, my baby shower is this weekend! Yay! I get to go home and see all of my friends and eat lots of food. How much more do you think my belly can stretch? Sheesh 33 weeks down, (+,-)7 weeks to go!

32 weeks

2011-01-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Things are starting to come together! I am having appts. every two weeks now, I have virtually no belly button, and can't bend over due to the foot in my ribcage. Things are great and we are getting excited! Hopefully not much more than 8 weeks to go!

28 weeks and a change of scenery!

2010-12-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I had the opportunity to go home for Christmas, the weather was nice enough to let us through the canyon with no trouble! We left on Friday morning, and stayed until yesterday around noon. We had a blast. 3 days full of people and gifts, and lots of goodies. The running joke was that I had swallowed the Christmas ham, or needed to lay off the baked goods. :) We had a wonderful Christmas morning with Brandon's parents, got lots of nice things that will come in handy when Baby gets here. Christmas dinner was especially nice, Jenny and Rod and my family came over for prime rib and the works. Sunday we bounced from my parents house to the Gibson's new place so Brandon could hang out with his buddies :) Overall we had a very nice weekend, got a little over stimulated from all of the exposure to people! We are grateful for our friends and family that love us and are excited to see us, and give us presents! Thank you all for the wonderful weekend. We Love You!

Here is my bi-weekly photo, 28 weeks! just imagine it without the sunspot. :) Oh, and third trimester! WooHoo!

Lucy enjoying her Christmas cookie

Brandon and his pile of goodies

Denny (or Papa as he will soon be known) not quite awake yet! :D

Granny DeeDee ready to open presents!

Me, the first one out of bed...ready to open!! :)

Traditional picture of a picture

Lucy had to investigate every package as we opened it. Checking for food I suppose!

Baby's new means of transportation! We love it!

Brandon and I at my parent's house, I'm almost as wide as the tree!! ;D

Gingy

2010-12-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I felt like gingerbread the other day, so we found a recipe and got to it! (he would like to know if you can guess who decorated which cookies) :D

Baby Booties

2010-12-18T13:08:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to make these for a while now, but I'm always scared to sew anything more than a straight line...so I put it off for a long time. I finally started making them last week. I sewed the elastic wrong on the blue pair, but was willing to try again with the purple pair, and I think I don't mind the little pinch on the blue. It gives them character! They aren't perfect, but I'm happy with how they turned out! In case you wanted to know, I used this pattern from stardustshoes http://www.michaelmillerfabrics.com/blog/cloth_shoe.pdf

26 weeks, and a little bit of gratitude

2010-12-12T16:16:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't already know, I started working at Macy's in the Executive offices on the Administrative support team. This means many things. One is that I don't have to stand on my feet 7 hours a day, and worry about passing out on the concrete floor. (YAY!) Second, I get to work 1-2 hours before the store opens (most days so far) which recently has meant as early as 6:30, and later this month will mean 5:30 (I'm not a huge morning person!) Anyway, the third thing is that I now have to work early Sunday mornings-and our ward meets at 9am, meaning we haven't been able to attend our ward for the last 4 weeks. So today, I am grateful for the organization of the LDS church. It's a great comfort for me to be able to drop in on ANY ward (we've been to singles wards, and assorted family wards) and know the hymns to sing, be familiar with the prayers said, and hear the same messages I would hear in our home ward. I know that throughout the world of religion, this is a pretty rare characteristic, and I felt like sharing my attitude of gratitude. :) As for a pregnancy update, I'm excited to almost be done with my second trimester. Things have gone really well for the past several weeks. Baby Girl (or "Squirt" as Brandon likes to call her) loves to kick and punch and elbow and bounce and roll and somersault and flip and...and...squirm. Lol she's started moving quite a bit in the last week or so, which helps remind me she is slowly running out of room! I have an appointment on the 15th, and if I can convince Brandon, I might have an ultrasound done at his clinic for my birthday :) Well, thats all I can muster for now! More will come later, I promise! It's more fun to talk about when I know that I have anywhere from 10-15 weeks left! I Can't believe it! :D :D :D

There! I made a different face! ;P

FreNemy

2010-12-06T11:18:00.001-07:00

24 weeks!

2010-11-28T17:41:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

This year, Brandon and I had the opportunity (thanks to work schedules) to have Thanksgiving at home, with just the two of us. I was actually excited and looked forward to making everything, as this was our first Thanksgiving alone. We made all the normal dishes, including a pan of candied yams just for me :) Everything turned out pretty great, considering our experience. We watched Ocean's 12 & 13, played Life, took a lovely nap, and just lounged and hung out. We are grateful for the invitations we received to have dinner elsewhere, but we were looking forward to it just being us, and we had an awesome day. We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

The Spread:

My Plate :)

Lucy hoping for a bite

The Guests:

The Cook and her assistant :)

Mowgli taking a nap under the table before dinner

52 Loaves

2010-11-15T20:03:00.001-07:00

In my search for something good to read, I came across this one at the library in the new books section. I judged it by it's cover. :) Me and the bread lover that I am snatched it up. Overall I liked the book- I will agree with Jacques Pepin with his review of "irreverent". I found myself rolling my eyes more than once at this man clearly knee deep in mid-life crisis. Luckily there was enough talk of bread, and interesting facts to keep me reading. It also involved enough French and even a trip to France to strike my fancy. Anyway-just thought I would share, it's a quick read and it's definitely a breath of fresh air. Something between a novel and a memoir (even though it's categorized as a memoir) I enjoyed reading it, and it even inspired me to make some homemade bread!

22 Weeks

2010-11-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

I think little one had a growth spurt this week! We have our "big" ultrasound on Wednesday, and we are excited-and hope to be able to determine a gender this time! Wish us luck!

20 weeks! "Halfway"

2010-10-31T14:13:00.001-06:00

We'll see how true that statement holds!

18 Weeks

2010-10-17T12:39:00.000-06:00

Here, but only because it was requested! :)

(ignore the date stamp, my camera is dumb)

Visit

2010-10-11T12:27:00.000-06:00

This past week I had the chance to go home for a visit. The last month or so has been super stressful for me, and it was the perfect opportunity for me to relax and let go of a lot of anxiety that had been building up. Brandon and I drove to LaGrande, Oregon (halfway) and met my mom and sister last Sunday. I spent the week lounging, sleeping, eating at my favorite mexican restaurant- Casa Mexicana (thanks for taking me twice mom!) and spent lots of good time with the fam. Tuesday night I got to visit my in-laws, had dinner and a good visit! Thursday we had a girls day and went to the tri-cities, met up with Clare and the boys and did some shopping. I got spoiled and came home with lots of goodies. :) Friday Brit and I went to the pumpkin patch in town, it was so much fun! Lucy had fun wandering through the rows and rows of pumpkins-and so did Brit and I. She wanted to bring home the lovely 37lb-er pictured below, but settled for a perfect 13lb instead. I found twin baby pumpkins for Brandon and I and had fun picking them out. Saturday we lounged some more, Levi, Clare the boys and Mikey came over for a visit, I took a nap, crafted a little bit and called it a night. Sunday we went to church and then drove to LaGrande again to meet Brandon. I'm glad to be home, but I had a good time visit and being lazy! Thanks again Mom!

17 weeks!

2010-10-11T12:26:00.000-06:00

I think I'm finally starting to pop! (ignore the dumb look on my face...) :D

It's a...Baby!

2010-09-30T11:51:00.000-06:00

Baby Harvill is due to arrive in mid March, and we couldn't be more excited! ;)

Recently

2010-09-16T19:54:00.000-06:00

Marissa says I need an update......so I guess I'll give ya one ;) Brandon and I are just plugging along, working and trying to catch each other on days off and such. I'll be transferring to a new department at Macy's in a few weeks, which I'm looking forward to. Brandon started his new schedule this week, and looks like we can finally go to all 3 hours of church! (He can, I can at least 2 weeks...) He works during the week at the outpatient imaging center, and Saturday's at St. Al's hospital. He loves his job!! We haven't had a lot of time to explore Boise much, but recently we stopped by the hot air balloon festival, which was pretty neat. Last week my Mom and sister came down and we went to Art in the Park, and had dinner with my Aunt. So we've had a few good adventures. I am looking forward to October, Boise has lots of harvest festivals and pumpkin patches that I am excited to visit. :D I'm ready to wear sweaters and have some hot cocoa. Hopefully we will have more adventures to share soon, and hopefully pictures too...I'm bad at that recently. But here are the few I have! (by the way it was hard to get a picture of the balloons in the dark!)

Two Year Anniversary

2010-08-16T06:00:00.006-06:00

Brandon and I have been through a lot in our first 2 years of marriage, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. We've moved 4 times, held 7 different jobs and 6 different church callings, attended 3 different schools and wards, lost a baby, gained a niece, and a nephew-had sufficient money for our needs, and have been dead broke, moved in with my parents, (which we are eternally grateful for) jumped blindly into a new place, and started all over again. Our life is not -I repeat- not perfect, but we are happy. If I've learned one thing this whole time, it's that being happy is what matters most. Not where we are, whether or not we have money, and whether or not we have all the desires of our hearts. We've had our rough patches, and we've had our blissful moments-we chose this life together, and we are eternally dedicated to continue choosing each other. It's hard work, but we look forward to working on it every day of our eternal lives. I love Brandon, and I know that he loves me-and that's all we need. Happy Anniversary babe.

Boise Idaho Temple

2010-07-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Brandon and I first visited in the Summer of 2007

We later returned in June of 2010

Boise Idaho Temple

27th Operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated May 25th-30th 1984

Dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley

Located in Boise, Idaho

Exterior is Marble and Slate

2 1/2 years after it's dedication, the Boise Temple was closed, and an addition was added to accommodate it's high level of use.

The addition was dedicated May 29th 1987 by James E. Faust

The Temple was dedicated in 24 sessions, more than any other Temple since the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple in 1893

Seattle Washington Temple

2010-07-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Brandon and I visited April 17th 2010

Seattle Washington Temple

19th Operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated November 17th-21st 1980

Dedicated by President Spencer W. Kimball

Located in Bellevue, Washington

Exterior is White Marble

One of 5 Temples featuring the Angel Moroni holding the Brass Plates

Honey Glazed Baked Salmon (Aunt Irenie)

2010-07-13T06:00:00.004-06:00

This is one of my new favorites. We love this dish! I had it one day when I went over to my Aunt and Uncles unannounced. I didn't really get the recipe, I just watched her make it :) This dish is also very versatile, you can adjust things to how you want/need them. Here is our version:

2 salmon fillets, boneless
salt & pepper
honey
rice (Aunt Irenie used brown rice, which I love-but all we have is white-they're both good!)
spinach

Preheat your oven to 375*, cover a baking sheet in tin foil, and lay out your thawed fillets.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper...

Spread your honey on the salmon, (it helps if it's a little warm-the cold salmon clumps it up)

Put it in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, in the meantime, get your rice ready-we use 1 cup

Add 1 1/3 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes (usually takes a little less)

About 10 minutes before the salmon is done, put 1/4 cup of water in a skillet or wok and add your spinach

Cook your spinach down, until all the water is absorbed, or to your desired consistency (p.s. I'm jealous if you have a wok...)

Pile some rice on a plate, followed by spinach, and then your salmon. Enjoy!

Mother dear I love you so!

2010-07-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Mom! I hope you have an awesome day! We Love you!

Cuisine a la Harvill

2010-07-11T01:16:00.000-06:00

Since moving from Phoenix, we have picked up a few new dinner ideas. One from my mom, one from Aunt Denice, and one from Aunt Irenie. Upon moving to Boise, I started making these three meals for dinner, and it left me wondering what we ever had for dinner in Phoenix. ( I'm thinking we had lots of things like kraft mac, and frozen pizzas-two things I could live the rest of my life without...) Especially in the last month or so we were there, I remember things like cold cereal and ice cream. I've decided to write posts about these new-to-our family meals, and share them with you. If you have any other new ideas for us, we would love to hear them!

The first dish I will feature is one that my mom made for us, one of the first nights we were back. We like to call them Chicken Fajitas. I love this dish, because it allows so much creative freedom. You can use whatever you want, and however much of it that you want! It might not be the same every time, but it always tastes yummy.

Here is what you need:

These ingredients are based on the portions for Brandon and I (we always have a little leftover)

1/2 can black beans

1.5-2 chicken breasts

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup frozen sweet corn

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Seasoning of some kind ( we like to use McCormick's Grill Mates Montreal Chicken)

Tortillas

Cheese

Start by dicing your chicken, toss with 1 Tbsp of oil and seasonings, set aside to marinate.

Then chop your onions (any way you like them) and toss with the other Tbsp of oil.

Sauté them until they are soft and starting to brown.

Add your chicken, cook until chicken pieces are at least 165 degrees.

Add the black beans and corn, and heat until warm.

Serve in a tortilla with sour cream, cheese, lettuce, salsa-and whatever else you might want!

I asked Brandon to share his Taco Bell skills in burrito rolling:

First take two sides and bring them to the middle, narrow at one end and wide at the other.

Pinch the sides down and fold the narrow end toward the wide end.

Press the narrow end in and pull toward you

Fold the outside ends toward the middle and roll!

Et Voila! (Brandon taught me this before we were married, and I still haven't mastered it-so don't feel bad if you don't get it right the first time.)

I hope you enjoy, if you try it let me know how it worked, and don't forget to share one of your favorites!

Vancouver British Columbia Temple

2010-07-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

Brandon and I attended the Open House on April 16th 2010

Vancouver British Columbia Temple

131st Operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated May 2nd 2010

Dedicated by President Thomas S. Monson

Exterior is Brazilian Granite

Located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada

It is the 7th operating Temple in Canada

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...

2010-07-09T06:00:00.002-06:00

Last week my flowers finally died, so I pulled them up and planted some onion starts that my grandma gave me. I was worried they wouldn't come up (I don't exactly have what you would call a green thumb) but when I went out the other day, this is what I saw!

I will post more pictures as they grow (if they grow that is...) mostly for my own sake, but I'm proud of my miniature garden!

Homemade Cards

2010-07-08T00:04:00.002-06:00

Here are my first two homemade cards! I know they are very plain and simple, but I just up and decided I would try my hand at card making. I also just used things that I had in my collection, and with the addition of a few things, I think I could have a lot of fun! Can't wait to experiment and show you more!

This one is destined to be a Thank You card

And if this one ever makes it out of my house, it will probably be a baby boy card.

Willkomen!

2010-07-07T10:30:00.001-06:00

Last Sunday I got to see my friend Sherry, who was visiting Othello from Switzerland. She was an exchange student my senior year and we sat next to each other in French. It was so good to see her, I love talking to her and learning new things about foreign countries. Hopefully we will get to visit her in the next few years! Thanks for coming Sher! Ich Liebe Dich!!!

"Should have known, you were temptation..."

2010-07-06T22:40:00.001-06:00

Did I just eat 3/4 bag of buttery popcorn? Really? Shoot.

It all started a few weeks ago when Aunt Irenie gave me a costco box of Orville Redenbacher's. Upon arriving home I buried it in the bottom of our storage closet, outside, behind a locked door. There it stayed all this time, not bothering me at all.

Then today happened. Brandon was in the closet digging our goggles out and says, hey look popcorn! I said, "please, please leave it out there, it's not hurting anything." But he didn't listen. He put it on the kitchen counter. The clean (read: empty) counter. I stared at it all day long. And finally broke when we got back from our walk.

I had the munchies, and popcorn is such a nice snack...and well, I succumbed to it's beckoning. That's not it. This weekend (where I successfully ignored multiple bags of popcorn) I had rootbeer. You know that delicious sugary mess that comes in a can? It's been months, maybe a year or more even, since I've had (and finished) my own can of pop. I also had half a bottle of Izze blackberry soda. Sparkling, tasty, citric acid in a bottle.
(I blame you Levi and Clare)

Please excuse me while I go floss the popcorn kernels out of my molars, oh and swallow a bottle of antihistamines.

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-06T20:52:00.000-06:00

This year we made the trip back to Othello for the 4th. The whole family was there and we had such a blast! Friday we hung out and played Just Dance on the Wii-it was super fun and a major workout, my calves were stiff the whole weekend! :) Saturday we up got and made it to the parade, it was fun to watch our niece Anna, and help catch candy for her. Later we walked to the park to watch Brit clog on the rickety old flat bed (aka stage). She always does a good job! We hung out at the park for a while and then made it back home to have a picnic. Levi, Clare, Chad and Danielle all came out to join us. The boys played some soccer in the field, and we had a bbq. Sunday we went to church, and then hung out at home and played some more Wii. Everybody stayed 'till Monday morning, it was sad to go! Enjoy some pics!

Anna in her 4th of July outfit

At the parade

The Whole Family!

Heber-Beber :)

Cute Danielle

Chad and Hayden

Clare bear

ReegBeeg

Anna getting a massage, she loved it!

Lucy sad to leave Grandma's

Portland Oregon Temple

2010-07-05T20:38:00.001-06:00

Brandon and I visited the Portland Temple in December 2009

Portland Oregon Temple

42nd Operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated August 19th-21st 1989
Dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley
Located in Lake Oswego, Oregon
Exterior is White Marble and Slate
The Temple is built on land that was originally destined to be a Church College

Reminiscing

2010-07-01T12:25:00.001-06:00

4 years ago today, Brandon and I were on our way to Moses Lake to "hang out" (aka our first date) We spent a nice sunny day at the aquatic center, where we raced down the slides and gagged over fat man in patriotic boy shorts, swallowed a gallon of chlorinated water, and swam till our eyes stung. We then went to see Superman Returns, and finished our date at Dairy Queen eating yummy blizzards and wishing we were brave enough to hold each other's hands :D I can hardly believe that it was 4 years ago! Although in some ways it seems like so much more. Here's to 4 years and 4 million more babe! ;)

Strawberry Sorbet

2010-06-27T20:38:00.001-06:00

I thought it would be fun to try my hand at a Pioneer Woman-esque food post (Hear that Ree? You're an adjective!) Anyway, I made an easy, yummy (and mostly healthy) strawberry sorbet.

Cast of Characters:

3 cups chopped, frozen strawberries (or raspberries, or any kind of berry) 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup warm water

Mix water and sugar

Stir until sugar is dissolved

Pulse strawberries in blender until coarsely chopped (I added mine 1 cup at a time to make it easier)

Add sugar water, and pulse until smooth

Pour into an airtight container, freeze until firm (about 30 mins.)

I don't have an after picture, because mine is still freezing. I didn't exactly use frozen berries :) But thats ok! See those cookies lurking in the back of a few pictures? That was today's dessert, sorbet is tomorrow's :)

Strawberry Sorbet

Prep Time: 10 mins. Freeze Time: 30 mins.

Serves 4

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups chopped, (fresh) frozen strawberries.

1. Stir together sugar and water, until sugar dissolves.

2. Pulse strawberries until coarsely chopped, add sugar water, pulse until smooth.

3.Transfer to airtight container, freeze until firm (about 30 mins-depends on the frozen-ness of the berries)

4. Enjoy!

Logan Utah Temple

2010-06-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

Brandon and I first visited the Logan Temple in November 2007

We later returned, in October 2009

Logan Utah Temple

2nd Operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated May 17th-19th 1884

Dedicated by President John Taylor

Located in Logan, Utah

Exterior of Limestone and Sandstone

The Logan Temple was completely gutted and re-built in the late 1970's

It was rededicated in March of 1979

source

Crocheted Baby Hats

2010-06-22T09:48:00.001-06:00

I've finally picked up crocheting again, finally. My Grandma taught me when I was 10 or so, and I never really did anything with it. I would putter here and there over the years, mostly when I was bored or was feeling extra adhd. So in the last few weeks I've been feeling a lot of both of those, and decided to pull out my old yarn and hooks. I got on YouTube and watched videos over and over again until I remembered how to do certain stitches, and then practiced. Last week while at my Grandma's, I asked her to show me how to finish hats, I've made so many pieces and then never finished them, so I wanted to finish them! I've almost exhausted my yarn collection, and made 4 hats. I'm guessing they would fit a preemie, newborn, 1 year old, and possibly an 18 month old. ( I tested my largest on my 2 year old cousin while at Grandma's and it was a little too small, so this is how I am measuring.) Anyway, I've had a lot of fun and predict that my future children will never want for a nice winter hat (until they are teenagers at least...) :D

Five Guys Review

2010-06-21T19:55:00.001-06:00

(I decided to post this just for fun.) This last weekend Brandon and I found a place called Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Apparently they are pretty well known in other parts of the country, but I had never heard of them 'till we moved here. Anyway-we stopped in and tried it out, and lets just say...YUM although slightly more expensive than McDonald's (what isn't?) it's way below Red Robin, or something of the likes. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, and can't wait until we are able to go back! If you ever run in to one, stop in and try it!

Mesa Arizona Temple

2010-06-19T13:19:00.000-06:00

Brandon and I first visted the Mesa Temple in August of 2008

Mesa Arizona Temple

7th Operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated October 23rd-26th 1927

Dedicated by President Heber J. Grant

Located in Mesa, Arizona

Exterior is made of glazed terra cotta tiles

First Temple to offer an Endowment session in a language besides English (Spanish)

Re-Dedicated on April 15th & 16th 1975 by President Spencer W. Kimball

source

Home Away From Home...Away From Home

2010-06-18T12:01:00.000-06:00

This week I ran off to Preston, to visit my Grandparents. Oh how I love Preston. I spent many a Sunday during my childhood playing in the streets of Preston, and at Kings, and Stokes, and across the street from Grandma's at the track playing in the "sandbox". Once I even climed up the stairs of the Oneida Stake Academy building in the pitch black, to the bell tower-to help my grandpa ring the bell on Preston's birthday. I spent my days eating Banana Creamies Ice Cream Bars, and getting penny candy from the gas station down the street. Sitting at the corner of 2nd south and 1st east every summer, waiting to be thrown salt water taffy and hording chocolate milk, and if I was lucky, watching Adam get hit by a frisbee :) Sitting on the piano bench at dinner because I had the smallest bum, and eating thirds of Thanksgiving rainbow jello and Grandma's rolls. I have so many awesome, nostalgic memories from my time spent in Preston. I have so much fun going back now and remembering all of the things I used to do, and in some cases, continue to do. I love being in a home (and town for that matter) that is so laid back, and simple. If I could live with my grandparents forever, I think I might. Or at least next door. I'm so glad that I am closer now, than I have been in over 10 years. I can't wait to go back next month to sit at the corner of 2nd south and 1st east to wait for the salt water taffy and to wave at the pretty girls on horses.

Columbia River Washington Temple

2010-06-12T01:23:00.000-06:00

Brandon and I were married here, on Saturday, August 16, 2008.

The Columbia River Washington Temple

107th operating Temple of the Church

Dedicated on November 18th, 2001

Dedicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley

Located in Richland, Washington

Exterior Granite is from Vermont and Italy

source

Temples Dotting the Earth

2010-06-11T22:07:00.001-06:00

source

I've decided to start a new blog series. Once a week or so I will write a post about a temple that Brandon and I have either visited, or have been through. I decided that this would be a fun way to keep track of all the places we go, and at the same time learn some new and fun facts about each temple. Once I use up my list, I will just randomly post whenever we visit a new temple. Hope you will enjoy this as much as I will! :D

Appliquéd Onsies

2010-06-10T22:22:00.002-06:00

I was feeling super crafty the other night, and decided to come up with a new project. This is what I decided to do! I had seen a few (emphasis on few) of these from my blog surfing, but had only ever physically seen one once. So I went to the store, got a few supplies (I love JoAnn's fabric quarters!) and came home and started dabbling with a few ideas that I had. Here is what I have so far, they are still in progress-but I couldn't wait to share them! I will post updated pics when they are done! (These are super easy and really fun. If you want one let me know :)

Sorry the picture quality isn't very great, I left my camera cord in Othello, so these are from my ancient cybershot.

This one I've dubbed "Stars and Stripes" (for obvious reasons) and it is for my un-nephew Heber :) I'm also making a toddler t-shirt version of it for his older brother Regan.

This one is "Love Me Tender" and it's still up for grabs :)

I'm still going to do some stitching and some embroidery on both of them, but I think they are just as cute plain like this :) I have a couple more to do, and I'm excited to see how they turn out!

Ironman!

2010-06-10T21:52:00.002-06:00

Levi and Clare are in town (woo hoo!) Levi is competing in the Boise Ironman (70.3) on Saturday, and guess who gets to hang out with them! Anyway, I am glad that they are here, and glad that I get to have people I know come visit me! Looking forward to Saturday so we can cheer him on, Good luck Levi!

The Lord is my Shepherd

2010-06-07T19:21:00.007-06:00

One of my favorite Psalms is 23, David is declaring that the Lord is his shepherd, and because of that he will always be content, never be fearful of evil- I love this Psalm, and think it's the perfect reminder for us in tough times, that the Lord is always with us, and will always protect us when we put our faith in him. This particular set of scriptures has been on my mind for the last few weeks, because I have no idea how things are going to turn out, I do everything that I can, to try and get my life in order. I have to make decisions based on what I think is best, and by the promptings of the spirit. Even when it meant quitting a job, that I absolutely needed. I have faith that the Lord will help me find what it is I need to be doing. I just love that this Psalm helps me stop and reflect on all the blessings that I have in my life, even if in a worldly point of view, I have next to nothing. As a wedding gift, some of our close family friends purchased a Simon Dewey work fittingly entitled "The Lord is my Shepherd" we've had it up our entire marriage, and I now have it back in my living room, and can't help but to admire it often. I am grateful for the knowledge that I have that the Lord is always with me, when I invite him in.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

source

Ben and Meg's!

2010-05-30T18:23:00.002-06:00

This weekend, we drove up to Bothell with Brandon's parents and their good friends Jenny and Rod-to see a play in Seattle. Ben and Megan get everyone tickets for a play at Christmas time, and we go up in the Spring to see it.

This year we went to the Taproot theatre, and saw the play: "Charley's Aunt" it was super funny, and very entertaining. (Although we agreed that their British accents and mannerisms were slightly annoying...) :D We got to go out to dinner and play with baby Noah, and got to spend some good time together. We also had our family pictures taken at Bothell Landing, it was a little drippy and cold, but we had fun anway-and we are excited to see how they turned out! Megan's friend Lisa took them for us, and she was a great sport. I will have to post them once we get them back! Thanks again Ben and Megan for the fun weekend!

Quitting my Job

2010-05-30T18:15:00.001-06:00

Upon arriving in Boise, I unpacked and started settling in to our new home. Come the following Monday, I started my new job, at Elements Massage. Let's just say the adventure wore off when I walked in the door. All drama and meticulous detail aside, I was led to believe that I would be working 4 days a week, 5 hours a day. When I pulled up the schedule, I was assigned 6 days-in the next 8 weeks. I had a deep feeling of foreboding, and was very uncomfortable and on the verge of tears...which really set my inner alarms off When confronted, my boss kept up her act and claimed she had explained to me that I would be training for the first few months-and that my regular schedule wouldn't be ironed out for at least 6 months. I decided I did not want to work in an environment that was dishonest-and went in the next day and told her that it just wasn't going to work. So, know I am looking for something else, and we are sad that things didn't turn out the way they should have-but we still have high hopes, and we are moving on!

Boise

2010-05-30T18:07:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know-which might be a lot of you, we are moving/have moved to Boise, Idaho! (woo-hoo!) *name that movie!* Anyway, I found what I thought was a great massage job, and we found a great place that wasn't too far away.

We decided that since Brandon hadn't gotten in to the Radiology program at CBC, that he would work for a year-qualify for Idaho residency, and then apply at Boise State University for fall of '11. We are lucky in that we have lots of family (two sets of aunts and uncles on my side, and Brandon's sister) in town, we are halfway between our parents, and my grandparents, and just a few hours from my brothers. We are looking forward to being on our own again, establishing some roots, and staying in Boise for a good long while!

New Home!

2010-05-30T18:01:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know some of you asked for pictures, so here are the few that I've taken! I will add more once we are all settled in, and the place is picture worthy! We are happy to be in our own place again!

Adventures in Fondant Land

2010-05-30T17:56:00.000-06:00

Last week I decided it was time for me to play with fondant. I almost learned cake decorating for my Senior Project, and then I ran out of time. Anyway, I went to the store and Duff Fondant was on sale-so I thought, eh-why not? And here is the mess that ensued! :D

Mowgli Jack

2010-05-30T17:50:00.000-06:00

My first Saturday back in Boise, I went to a garage sale and picked this up:

Isn't he cute? :) I decided I needed someone to keep me company while Brandon and I were living apart, and he was the perfect fit! I named him Sophie, got him a pink bed-and then realized he was a boy! :D You can't blame me though, he was only 6 weeks old at the time, and it's hard to tell! So I re-named him Mowgli Jack, and that's that! Anyway, just thought I would share a few cute pictures!

Birthday!

2010-05-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

Today my husband is 26...when did he get so old?? :D What happened to the 22 year old that I bumped in to 4 years ago and fell in love with? Although older, and the tiniest bit wiser, I'm still madly in love with him even if he is now 6 years older than me, instead of my preferred 5 1/2. Happy Birthday babe I Love You!

(p.s.) this is how Brandon has been the whole time I've known him, and I think he might stay this way forever <3

Blustery Day...and it's not even "Winds"day!

2010-05-03T22:28:00.000-06:00

(Sorry, had to make a little reference to Winnie the Pooh there...)

Anyway, as those of you who live in the area know, it was WINDY today! Gusts of up to 60mph, and it seems like everyone has been making some comment or other about it! It really made me stop and think about it. Currently, in our own country, people are being killed by tornadoes, and being forced out of their homes by excessive rain/flooding. Less recently, hundreds of thousands were killed by earthquakes, planes were halted because of a rare volcanic eruption, that covered miles upon miles of the earth with thick, gritty, ash and debris-island nations were ravaged by tsunamis and landslides, leaving them with nothing to call their own. So, it has made me extremely grateful to live in a place where the worst natural disasters we are enduring are high-wind and dust storms. Yes, it may seem like the roof is going to be blown off, or if we step outside we will be carried away, and the highways might be closed-but after all is said and done we are blessed to only have this "little" problem. So, I am going to take a minute and say a prayer for those people who are having to deal with natural occuring weather disasters a little more difficult than mine.

Family History

2010-05-02T19:54:00.002-06:00

This weekend has been a good one for family history type things. On Saturday, like I mentioned in yesterday's post-we were able to go to the temple. Not that this is a rare occurrence, but yesterday was the first time I felt the spirit so strongly, of the Sister I did the work for. As soon as I was handed the name, it was like I had known her in the pre-existence or something. I felt such a strong connection to her and I couldn't figure out why! Anyway, it just made the whole experience so much more fulfilling, thinking that I may have known that person before.
I have loved worshipping and working in the Temple from the first time I went to do baptisms for the dead, and have always had a special affinity for things concerning my ancestors. My Grandpa Mitchell is the main Genealogist in my family at the moment, and from the time I was a little girl, I can remember him telling me stories of my ancestors, and sitting at the computer organizing information, or running off to the Family History Library with my Grandma to help extract names, or to help others with their own histories.
It was around 7th grade when I really started becoming more interested in Family History, and had my Uncle Mike make a copy of our family PAF file. I took it home and immediately started looking up names on my Dad's side (since I never had tons of time with his side of the family, I had no idea about my ancestors on his side) and adding them to my file. I remember getting really excited when I married Brandon, because that meant I got to add him and all of his family to my file as well!
Anyway, today at church, "Grandpa" Val Mitchell asked me if I had any ancestors with the surname "Hicks" (a little background info: when we moved here 10 years ago all of the Mitchell's insisted that we were related, due to my Mother's maiden name being Mitchell-but until today we were never able to find a common ancestor.) I knew immediately from the research that I had done, and stories I have been told, that I did in fact have ancestors with such a name. He proceeded to tell me that his Grandmother's maiden name was Hicks, and that she had married a Mitchell, but was from the same area that all of my ancestors were from. (South-Central Utah, Payson, Spanish Fork, etc.) So he told me the name, Samuel Moroni Hicks, and asked if I would look it up when I got home. Sure enough when I got home I looked it up and found him, snuggled in with my Grandmother's side of the family. That's right-not even a "Mitchell" connection! The one name we knew we had in common! It turns out that Samuel Moroni Hicks is my 4th Great Grand Uncle, making Val my 3rd cousin, 3 generations removed! It was so fun to know that I have had relatives here for the last 10 years, and never known exactly that we were related. One of my good friends from high school (Val's grandson) turns out to be my 5th Cousin!

It just makes me grateful for the blessing of Genealogy, and Family Histories-that helps us keep a connection to our ancestors who have gone before us. I am glad that I have my Grandparent's enthusiasm and example for keeping up with the records, and hopefully I will be able to share the importance with my children some day.

George Barton Hicks (Samuel's Father, Myself and Val's first direct ancestor, a great grandfather)

Happy May!

2010-05-01T22:39:00.000-06:00

We spent a sunny/windy/rainy/hailing May day in the Tri-Cities today! We got up early, and Brandon went and helped some people from the ward paint their house. When he got home we headed down to the Temple to do a session, we had a great time, and there was even a wedding so I got to see the beautiful bride in the dressing room! When we left the Temple it was hailing, I thought it was kinda cool, but felt bad for the wedding party trying to take pictures. From there we headed to Clare and Levi's for a house warming/Levi's birthday party. We had lots of good food, and had great company. I love holding Reeg-Beeg and Heber-Beber all the time. :) I played some Wii bowling with the girls and had a fun time! Thanks for hosting guys, we love your new house!

Update!

2010-04-28T16:46:00.002-06:00

No one freak out or anything, but there is a slight, probable possibility that Brandon and I will be moving further away than the Tri-Cities in the near future. We found out yesterday that he was not accepted in to the Radiology program, and therefore has exactly 11 months before he can apply again. With all prerequisites out of the way, all he has left to do is sit around and wait. So we have decided to look in to the possibility of applying elsewhere. We are heavily basing these "elsewheres" on the availability of massage jobs for me. It's been nearly 8 months since I graduated, and it's high time I start working in my field. So, just a warning for those faint of heart, prepare yourselves for a less than ideal outcome for you! All of this aside, Brandon and I are excited for these new prospects and we are happy that we can finally do something-now that we know he will not be starting his program this summer. We are looking forward to the idea of being on our own again, but we are also sad for some of the things that will need to be left behind. Anyhoo-we appreciate any and all support that we can get and hope to fit as much fun in to the next 2 months as possible! :) (Oh also, Brandon started his job with the Census this week! Yay for money~)

Spring Fever

2010-04-28T16:37:00.002-06:00

So..I've been sick for the last week. Last Thursday, my allergies decided to spring in to action. (Pun intended) First it was just runny nose, itchy eyes...then it turned into a sinus infection. I have now had said infection for 4 days. My voice is all hoarse and scratchy, and I lost it completely the other day. So, I as much as I love the flowers and the green grass and the pretty leaves-Dear spring, could you maybe slow down a bit? Stop and smell the roses? Tiptoe through the tulips? Anything but 20+ mph wind that blows every and any bit of pollen up my sinuses. Thank you!

"Now that's devotion!"

2010-04-19T18:40:00.000-06:00

http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2010/04/unsung_heroes/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pioneerwoman/4535091546/

Pioneer Woman

2010-04-18T00:02:00.001-06:00

Today we finally got to meet Ree Drummond aka Pioneer Woman! It was so awesome to see her in person. Last night we went over to Third Place Books, in Lake Forest Park, to get a line ticket for the book signing today. Then today around 5 we headed over to wait our turn. Turns out Ree was stuck in traffic and was going to be late, so Brandon and I headed downstairs to get out of the crowd. There were women everywhere! But I really appreciated that they broke the line into groups so we could sit down and hang out until it was our turn. Once our letter was called we waited in line about 20 minutes, and finally got to see her. She was super sweet, and loved the fact that Brandon was holding my purse, so she took a picture of him! How cute, I hope it makes it to her post later on. We chatted for about 30 seconds, and then we had to move on. Right after we were done, we ran in to Laurel, my long lost sister, and her sweet friend Bethany. They were both toting their babies-with the cutest onsies that Bethany had made. I hope you make it to the post too girls! :) We hung out and talked with Laurel and Bethany until their letter was called, and headed back here to Ben and Meg's. How convenient that the book store is only ten minutes from here! I've had a little bit of a natural high since we left, so I decided to get all my blogging done tonight. (Thanks Ben for letting me steal your laptop) Well, I don't know what else to say really- it's been a long good day. We are so glad we got to see you Laurel, and can't wait till next time!

Vancouver, British Columbia

2010-04-17T23:27:00.000-06:00

On Friday morning, Brandon and I got up super early and drove the 5 hours to Langley, BC to see the new temple! We went on the open house tour and wandered the grounds. It was soo beautiful!! Everything was so nicely done, sparkly and shiny and new :) It was very warm and sunny, and the perfect weather! We stopped at the store to get some german chocolate and canadian twizzlers before we came back to Bothell to hang with Ben and Meg :D

PW's Creamy Mashed Potatoes

2010-04-12T22:19:00.002-06:00

Mmm, made these tonight for dinner at the in-laws. They were divine. Super easy to make-and not very time consuming. Make them if you get the chance! Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Did I Mention?

2010-04-10T16:44:00.001-06:00

I am allergic to Citrus (among many other things). But recently, my citrus allergy has become much worse. Over the years I would drink my OJ, lemonade, and my favorite- a Lime Rickey. I would eat the lemon bars, the grapefruit candies, etc etc etc. The worst thing that would happen, most of the time, would just be a phlegmy throat (which would also happen with milk/dairy and corn) Nowadays, starting back in October or so, I completely would break out in hives, got a giant rash on my neck that wouldn't go away, stuffy nose, sneezing, congestion, coughing, itchy watery eyes, and so on. (all symptoms of mild to moderate Anaphylaxis) After awhile I realized that it was indeed my citrus allergy. It no longer only includes fresh citrus. I now also have to steer clear of Citric Acid, which by the way is found in nearly every product created by man. Shampoos, conditioners,(no more Biolage for me :( ) face wash, fruit juice, jelly, candy, and these days it seems like every other food product. Luckily it has caused me to continue, without temptation, my non-soda drinking habits (no more lemonade and Lime Rickeys) my processed food consumption, nearly everything processed has citric acid-from canned tomatoes(luckily I don't really like tomatoes) to ice cream. Now the hardest thing for me is to not eat berries. Most berries naturally contain citric acid, and I am definitely having trouble with not eating fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. I also have caved and had some salsa, that was just screaming citrus acid. Anyway, just thought I would throw this out there. Just needed to vent a little! (oh, and in case you were wondering...I am also allergic to: everything corn, corn syrup, cornstarch(it's getting worse too!!) Cats, Dogs, Horses, Sheep (heck, we'll just say every hairy animal known to man) Tobacco, Dust, Grass, Pollen and I'm sure a few other things I haven't figured out yet.) What are you allergic to?

Worth A Read!

2010-04-08T19:38:00.001-06:00

I think every woman of childbearing age should read this book! Whether you already have babies, are currently pregnant, or have never been pregnant. The author basically lays out most options of birthing, in an un-biased (kind of) way! (I only say kind of because she prefers epidurals, but doesn't discriminate against those who dont. :) ) Which is exactly what I love about the book. She encourages readers to not be so judgemental about women who make different choices than we might. Everything from homebirths with no medical interventions, to scheduled C-sections around vacations or busy schedules. She's funny, and gives tons of references to studies and other books-in an effort to provide an explation of misconceptions free of judgement...anyway- I could go on and on! Next time you are in the library see if this is on the shelf! It's a good read! (and NO for those of you wondering, this is not an announcement of any kind.)

Million-Dollar Question

2010-04-06T16:30:00.000-06:00

Are there really only 4-5 people who read my blog?? I mean-come on! Anyone out there that never lets me know it?

Un Petit Voyage

2010-03-31T16:15:00.001-06:00

On Tuesday morning, Brandon and I sneaked away to Seattle for a couple of days. (and yes, sneaked is the correct tense...for all you grammar nerds like me.) We passed up the opportunity to go to Idaho with my family (waiting for a phone call-anytime this week) but decided we needed to do something, since we were both on spring break. We slept in a little and then just got up and left. Once we got to Seattle, we stopped in the U-District at Whole Foods for some lunch. Brandon and I had our favorites, Beef and Vegetable Burrito (Brandon) and Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup (Calley). From there we headed over to the zoo *see separate post* :) After spending 3+ hours at the zoo, we drove down to lower Queen Anne to our hotel *see other separate post* :) Once we got checked in and parked (down the street!) we walked over to Dick's Drive-In for some dinner. After ordering, and offering our credit card, we were informed they took cash only...so I handed Brandon the hotel key, and sent him packing the 10 blocks uphill to our hotel, for the cash...just kidding, Dick's was right next door..heehee We brought our dinner back to the hotel (where we had a table, kitchen, dishes and everything..) Later we walked across the street to Blockbuster and bought The Blind Side, so we could watch it that night. This morning we woke up, had our "continental" breakfast (oatmeal bar and an apple) at the hotel, then went over to the Metropolitan Market down the block for some real breakfast. From there we headed over to Bellevue Square to wander for awhile. After finding nothing...lol we came home!

Inn at Queen Anne

2010-03-31T15:58:00.000-06:00

The hotel Brandon and I stayed in was super cheap, given the fact that it was right across from Seattle Center. The Space Needle was RIGHT outside our kitchen window-it was a pretty fun view! Anyway, the hotel is in a historic building, three floors up-with no elevator. It was super cute outside, brick and cast iron trellises. It also had a cute courtyard with lots of plants and pretty flowers. My two favorite things were the winged arm chair in our room, and the door knobs to the bathroom and closet. I loved how they kept most of the structural things original- the radiator, windows, door frames, bath tub, door knobs, etc. We were right on the corner of the building and could hear the traffic perfectly through the single paned windows, but I think I would definitely stay here again!

Woodland Park Zoo

2010-03-31T15:43:00.000-06:00

Our first major stop of the trip was the zoo. When we left that morning, we checked the weather and it was supposed to be pouring rain ALL day. We were happily surprised to arrive at the zoo to sunny weather. There was a little bit of a breeze, but overall it was a beautiful afternoon! Bear (pun intended) with me, as I have a million pictures from the zoo!

If it were up to me...

2010-03-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

I would be having a baby this week, it's crazy to think that it would be time already. I've handled these last 5 months pretty well, I would say. At first I had a bleak outlook on things, and have had my rough patches along the way- but overall, I'm at peace with the way things had to happen. I'm ready to look forward and start a new adventure! Love you guys! :)

ReegBeeg

2010-02-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

I always love it when Clare brings my "un" nephews to play :) Sorry you couldn't make it Levi!

Get it? (it took me a second...)

2010-02-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

I got this card for a good friend the other day, and thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Just one of those things...

2010-02-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but for as long as I can remember, I've wanted to raise a chicken...or three. ( I hear they get lonely...) Now that we're back in the country it's more tempting than ever. My neighbors have chickens...so I figure I have somewhere to turn if I needed help, right?? (Brandon, are you listening?) Anyhoo...that's my random thought for the day. (Just look at 'em! They're so stinking cute.)

Recycling: Update!

2010-02-02T22:20:00.002-07:00

Plastic bottles recycled to date: 3 lbs!!!- make that 14 3/4!! Lol, I know it doesn't sound like much...but that's a lot of bottles! Molly, there are cardboard bins behind the garden center at Walmart, and a drop off site on main street that takes newspaper. Happy Recyling!

Chasing A Dream......

2010-02-01T20:23:00.002-07:00

The Challenge:

2010-01-26T19:32:00.001-07:00

Get this, I am one whole week in to the 2 week Activia (Light) Challenge. (This coming from a girl who HATED yogurt before now) I am pleased to report, that I haven't missed one day-and that it doesn't taste half bad either! So I was a skeptic, thinking (awkward warning!) I don't need help being "regular"! But I decided to try anyway, because I feel bloated a lot, and digestion in general hasn't always been the most pleasant thing in the world. But- I've noticed in just the last few days that I have WAY more energy than normal. Especially after meals, instead of being bloated and tired while my poor digestive tract goes to work, I can actually get up and move around! Along with my running and weight lifting (I'm using the word "weight" very lightly here-) I feel awesome! So, for those of you lacking good bacteria in your tracts, and those who hate your digestive function, I would highly recommend trying this! (My personal favorite flavors are vanilla and strawberry!)

Recycling

2010-01-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

So, over the last two weeks or so, I've been hoarding the water bottles that Brandon and I use. Sadly they've only collected on our bedroom floor. It's made me realize how quickly they pile up. This made me wonder if there was a recycling program of any kind in Othello. So far I've only found one that accepts aluminum cans & newspaper. Anyone interested in starting a Co-op recycling program? We could take turns collecting and taking plastics to drop off sites in Moses Lake or Tri-Cities. Anyone?? We can start small, water bottles, aluminum, and newspaper. Lol if not, I guess I will just do it on my own-but I think it would be an easy way for us to "help" the environment-since I know we all make a trip at least once a month. Anyway, I'll stop rambling. Let me know if you are interested!

Teachings for Our Time

2010-01-24T16:09:00.002-07:00

2 weeks ago in church, I was called to be a teacher in the Relief Society . My assignment is to teach on the 4th Sunday of every month, which is a talk selected by the Bishop, from the previous General Conference. This week, was a talk given by President Boyd K. Packer, called Prayer and Promptings. When I was called, I knew that I would be teaching myself more than the ladies in the class, and today it held true. The main idea is that we need to do the things in our lives that will allow us to be in tune with the spirit, to allow us to communicate with our Heavenly Father. So it's just been interesting reflecting on my life, and listening to the ladies give their experiences, it continues to show me that we will be blessed if we do the things we are asked to do. Well, just thought I would update you on my callings, (yes-to my dismay, I am also still the ward choir pianist.) Happy Sunday! :)

Family "Reunions"

2010-01-23T20:07:00.002-07:00

So, this morning we got up early and hitched a ride to Seattle with Papa Denny to pick up Momma DeeDee. She spent the week at Ben and Megan's in Bothell to help with her new grandson! We got to visit for a little while, and hold baby. He totally seemed smaller than he did when he was born! But still a cutie, and so quiet! We are glad that he is good for his Mommy and Daddy, and that Meg is continually getting better. We love them so much!! (And we are getting spoiled with all the visits recently) Once we left, we went back to Ellensburg to meet Annette and Randy (Brandon's half sister and her husband) and their daughter Anna :D (who was put up for adoption at birth, but is now meeting all of her "other family" :) We were so excited to learn that she existed! I love having Nieces and Nephews older than me, and now I have another to add to the group! We had lots of fun and had a nice conversation. It was a looong day, driving to the west side and back-but we had lots of fun!

Uncle Brandon and Noah

Auntie Calley and Noah

I absolutely love this photo...truth is, he's crying!

Here is Anna, Chantal and Leah (Sisters!) Sorry Anna, I had to steal one-we forgot to take photos!

Noah James Harvill

2010-01-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Ben and Megan welcomed Noah James to the world one week early! He was born Sunday January 3rd, at 11:10 am. He weighed 7lbs, 3oz and was 19 inches long. We got to drive up with Brandon's parents Saturday morning to wait for the little guy, and got to meet him just an hour or so after he was born. He's a keeper! He has a Harvill chin, and luckily, not so much the Harvill head :) We are so happy to finally have a nephew! (and happy that Megan is done with the rough pregnancy she had) We love you guys!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Christmas this year was quite busy. On the 21st, Brandon and I drove to Bothell, to visit his brother and sister-in-law. (Ben and Megan) We hung out with Megan until Ben got home around 8, then went out for ice cream. Brandon's parents came up the next day, and we had our "Harvill Christmas" (Megan was 9 months pregnant at the time, and didn't want to travel too far from home) We had prime rib for dinner, and pumpkin pie and wassail for dessert while we opened our presents. Wednesday, Brandon and I came home, to hang out with my side of the family. My Uncle Mark flew in from Chicago, and my brother Dj and his wife Katie flew up with their baby, Anna. Levi and Claire also drove up to spend the week with us. Christmas Eve we had a little party, Nate and Mike came out, and Brandon's parents came by, we had a full house. We played games and ate some snacks, and went to bed late. Christmas morning we all got up and opened our presents. 11 adults, 3 kids, and 2 hours later we had some breakfast, opened up the rock em sock em robots, and Mom's new Wii, and played for the rest of the morning. We then had our Christmas lunch of turkey and the fixings. That afternoon Brandon and I went to hang out with his parents and some of their friends, Jenny and Rod. Jenny made some yummy food, and dessert-we opened presents and had good conversation. Once everyone had finally gone home (Monday) the house seemed extremely empty, and I finally had the chance to start catching up on much missed sleep. Needless to say, the holiday was a fun and happy one, and we are glad to have gotten the chance for so many of us to be together.

Christmas with the Harvill's :)

some of the boys, doing what they do best

Me, Heber and Mark

Mark and Anna

ALL of our stockings

Our tree and the pile of loot

Brandon and Regan

Me and Mom :)

Brandon opening his big gift from Mom and Dad

Dad and Mark, reliving the past

Regan learning to unwrap

Anna showing him how to do it

All the boys shooting their guns

Merry Christmas!

Portland

2010-01-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

I know, a month late-but at least I'm finally posting. So, the first week of December, Brandon and I took a little trip to Portland. It was part belated Anniversary, and part early Birthday for me. We drove down Friday morning, and stayed until Saturday Evening. While there, we went to the Lloyd Center Mall, visited Brandon's Aunt and Uncle in LaFayette, went to a lovely dinner at the Melting Pot, and visited the Portland temple. Our hotel in Lake Oswego was right down the street! So, long story short, we didn't go hungry, and we had a great time. :) I can't wait to visit again!

Leaves are falling all around...

2009-10-30T22:21:00.000-06:00

In case you were wondering, (and even if you weren't) we have not fallen off the edge of the Earth. We have in fact, moved back to our little hometown of Othello. Boy, are we glad to be here! We originally planned to move right before Christmas, but certain things fell into place that allowed us to come home sooner than expected. I joyfully fell smack-dab into the middle of Autumn! For those of you who may not know, Fall is my favorite season-followed closely by Winter, but only because of my Birthday and Christmas. Apples, leaves, crisp air and rain! Not to mention sweaters, furry boots and scarves. I love Fall-the end. We are currently living with my parents, and will eventually make our way out on our own again. I am starting the dreadful quest for my Washington State massage license, and Brandon is working part time for his Alma Mater of jobs-KUO. In January Brandon will start classes at CBC in Tri-Cities, starting his long and dreadful quest for acceptance into the Radiology Technician program that begins this summer. Until then we will continue to eat my parents out of house and home, and enjoy the company. I will also enjoy, the lovely colors, wearing socks to bed, snuggling on the couch with the afghan-aand maybe, if I'm lucky, it will get chilly enough to turn on the fireplace. Don't worry though, we wont wear out our welcome too quickly, we have plenty of projects to help with, and have already been helping out a bit. We've raked leaves, fixed the dog run, cleaned bathrooms, made dinner and dessert, cut boards and painted a pantry. (I think I may have even loaded a dishwasher or two..!) It's my kind of life. This week we will have shelves to install, flooring to lay, more leaves to rake, and a mountain of laundry to tackle...maybe, if I really need to. I could get used to this.

Get me out of here!!!

2009-10-12T19:01:00.001-06:00

Ever hear the saying mind over matter? Well, my mind has been in Washington for nearly two weeks.....and the matter at hand is becoming extremely annoying. I want to move already! We still have a few things that need to fall into place (literally and figuratively) but as soon as they do it will be AU REVOIR!! I am so outta here.

I Love my Mommy

2009-09-16T20:57:00.001-06:00

I am grateful to have a Mother, not just a mom, but my best friend. I'm glad that she is willing to drop everything, and fly to the desert, to be with her little girl, in a time of great personal need. (I'm also glad that my Dad just happens to have a zillion frequent flyer miles to make this possible) Thanks Mom, I love you, can't wait to spend the weekend with you-and thanks Daddy, sorry you have to be halfway across the country and not on your way here.

Pros and Cons of leaving Phoenix (Calley's version)

2009-09-02T19:43:00.001-06:00

Things I will definitely NOT miss about Phoenix/Arizona:

Being 12-24 hours away from family
Blistering heat 9 out of 12 months a year
The Traffic (also Spring Training traffic around Tempe Diablo..)
Cyclists hogging 48th street
Sky-High electricity bills
Getting in to a car that has an internal temp. of 200 degrees
Butter Melting into a puddle after 1 day on the counter
Mildew that grows in the shower over night
Noisy neighbors
Listening to the golfers at Arizona Grand at 6am
Having dirty flip flop feet because it's too hot for shoes and socks
Cockroaches
Cicadas
No room for Lucy to play outside/too hot to take Lucy on long walks
Sirens blaring past at least once a day
Living next to the I-10 freeway
Assorted fruit going bad after 3 days on the counter (Bananas, Peaches, etc)

Things I will Definitely miss about Phoenix/Arizona:

Having a bank, grocery store, gas station, costco, ikea, barnes & noble, movie theater, mall, target, petsmart and about 45 restaurants all within 15 minutes of home.
The Mesa Temple
Palm Trees
Oregano's Pizza
Watching airplanes taking off/getting ready to land at Sky Harbor
All the good people we've met here
Swimming Year-Round
The cute little geckos/lizards that we have to shoo out of our house every night
Thunder and Lighting (although there hasn't been as much this year...)
Broadband Internet (but I'm sure I will adjust to life without it)

Happy Anniversary!

2009-08-21T12:23:00.003-06:00

It's official! Brandon and I have a whole year under our belts! (on the 16th) It's amazing how fast it has gone by, and to look back at everything we've done over the last 12 months! I'm grateful to be married to my best friend, so that I always have someone to hang out with! We are definitely looking forward to the many years to come!

HP #6

2009-07-17T10:34:00.003-06:00

Ok, so Monday Brandon and I decided we were feeling adventurous, and bought tickets to the Midnight showing of Harry Potter. So Tuesday night, when I got home from my clinic shift, we pretty much went to bed, then got up at 10:30 and got ready to go. The theater had it showing on at least 5 different screens, there were tons of people there, and they all seemed to be young

for some reason....lol anyway, we had lots of fun and got home around 3am, to get back up at 6:30 to go to school & work! It was great!

Parent Visit #2

2009-07-17T09:55:00.005-06:00

Last week, (7th-13th) my parents flew down from Washington to see us! Ok, not just to see us, my sister Britney had a clogging competition in Scottsdale, so they decided to do the whole, "two birds with one stone" trick. They came down a few days early to be able to spend some time with us, although sadly, Brandon had to work all week. Anyway, on Tuesday I went to the airport to meet them and give them a few directions to their hotel, my house etc. Once they were settled we went grocery shopping! Yay! They figured that while they were down here they would eat with us, (which was one of my favorite parts, not having to make dinner by myself!) Then we just hung out the rest of the evening, and I think we went swimming, I think? Wednesday we got up bright and early, and stole some breakfast from my parent's hotel. Brandon went home to work, and the rest of us started our trek to Sedona! On the way we

stopped at Montezuma's Castle, and it was pretty cool. They loved Sedona, and we had a good time sight-seeing.

Thursday was a little more laid back, I took my family to the Mesa temple and admired it's beauty, and from there we went to visit the Goldfield "ghost town" which was more of a recreation than an actual ghost town-but it was still unique and something to see! Since we were already in Apache Junction, my dad decided he wanted to drive the Apache Trail, so we drove to Canyon Lake and back. It was nice, andwe saw lots of Saguaro! We also made a visit to

the Chandler Mall and grabbed some lunch. That night we just hung out and enjoyed each other's company.

Friday was the beginning of Brit's competition, so I went over and watched that for awhile, then we went to the Macaroni Grill for dinner, boy it was yummy! Dad let the waitress know it was "Mom's Birthday" (Sunday the 12th) and she brought out a slice of cheesecake, which we all happily shared :D

Saturday was more competition, Brandon had the day off, so he got to see some this time. I'm pretty sure we hung out at the house, while Britney went back for the final dance off.

Sunday we went to church, and it was fun having my mom in Nursery with us, she finally got to see everyone she always hears about! Monday I skipped school and we went for a swim that morning, then headed to the mall for some more laid-backness. We said goodbye around 3, so that they could get to the airport, and we were sad to see them go. Our house has been so quiet since, and Lucy is still sad that her visitors left! We are very grateful that both of our families were able to visit us this summer, we had so much fun and wish that they (or we) lived a little bit closer! We Love you guys!!

Parent Visit #1

2009-06-30T09:37:00.006-06:00

This past week, (24th-29th) Brandon's parents drove down from Othello to visit us. It was tons of fun! We all haven't been together since our wedding last August, so needless to say, they were happy to be here! They finally got to meet Lucy, and could hardly keep up with her, she gave many kisses and drew blood more than once. But all of that aside, they loved her and wanted to take her home with them! I got to entertain them on Thursday and Friday while Brandon was working, we mainly just wandered, I showed them a few things around the valley, and they had fun! At night and on the weekend, when Brandon was finally done, we visited Rustler's Rooste, Scottsdale, Downtown Tempe, The Phoenix Zoo, and on Saturday Brandon and his Dad went golfing, while his Mom and I went to Chandler to wander the mall. We got some lovely goodies, and then met up at Einstein's for lunch. While golfing, Brandon was hit by a loose ball, in the wrist. He has a nice welt, and it is starting to turn black and blue. I tried to get a picture of the war wound, but none of them turned out. We also went to the movies, and yesterday, we made a trip up to Sedona. It was gorgeous, and quite the cute little town! Okay., so in Sedona there is this giant home/castle that apparently is being built by some billionaire Romanian, he is building it for us! (see below) From there we went our separate ways, we headed home, and Brandon's parents were headed toward the Grand Canyon. Overall, it was a nice visit-we were glad to be able to spend so much time with them, and so were they-since we won't see them again until Christmas. We hope they can visit us again sometime!Brandon and Denny...Rustler's RoostePhoenix ZooBell Rock, SedonaOur future home :DIn Sedona

1/4 of a Century...

2009-05-19T07:40:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday Brandon! It's hard to believe that you are 25 today! Where has the time gone? I love you!

One year older and wiser too!

2009-05-17T17:26:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Daddy, I Love You!

New Job

2009-05-17T17:23:00.002-06:00

FYI- Brandon starts his new job tomorrow, with Apple, as an iPhone tech. We're excited! (and crossing our fingers that he gets an iPhone to play with...teehee) :D

Brian Regan

2009-05-17T17:14:00.004-06:00

So, as some of you may know...Brandon's birthday is this Tuesday. But we celebrated a little early! Yesterday, we got to go see Brian Regan Downtown at Dodge Theater. It was awesome!! (thanks mom for pointing out to us that he'd be in town) We went and grabbed some food at a little restaurant across from the theater, called Crazy Jim's. It's a Mediterranean place with pretty good food. Then we walked across the street to find our seats. There were tons of people there! The theater claims to only seat 6,000 but it seemed like more than that. Brian's brother Dennis, opened the show for him, and in my opinion, he's just as funny as Brian! Lol-minus a lot of the facial expressions. Anyway, we laughed our guts out and had an awesome time. He is definitely worth seeing live! Happy Birthday babe! :D

I was kind of exited to see him

If it looks like we are red, that's because we are sunburned beyond belief...

Here is our view from up in the balcony..lol it would have been tough to see him without the giant screens....LOL