It's a...Baby!

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

Recently

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

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

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

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)

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!

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

Cuisine a la Harvill

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

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...

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!