some stuff we grew (the update on our other child)

There's a movie below of Anna sorting the food. Richard dug those up on sunday for our roast. Those are some monster potatoes! There's also some beets and carrots in there, both of which did very well this year.
We've already eaten 1 squash and have 1 in the fridge, that totals 11 spagetti squash from one plant! Wow. that was prolific! Hopefully I still like it 10 weeks from now. Our basil did very well this year (all 30+ plants of it). I think I made about 20 batches of pesto to freeze (which is 3 cups basil each). I loooooove pesto. This is our first year actually having tomatoes! However beautiful those romas are, they are mushy and nasty. But they did make some good tomato sauce - and anna eats 3 or 4 each day with meals and as snacks. Crazy girl. What you can't see in the pic is our eggplant - i think we got a total of like 7 or something. It's really good. We like the "black beauty" variety. So anyways, here's some recipes for what we made with our harvest if you are interested.


Pesto!
3 cups packed basil leaves
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted almonds (pine nuts are called for - but I'm not shell'n out 13$/#)
1/4 tsp salt
Food process it all and freeze! (or eat right away)

Eggplant Parmesan
2 eggplant (ours were small, so I used 4)
4 eggs whipped
enough bread crumbs (I used like 1/2 cup crumbs, 1/2 cup ww flour and 1/2 cup cornmeal) - you might need more depending on how much eggplant you have
29 oz pasta sauce (or just enough of home-made to cover)
parmesan cheese
mozerella cheese

slice eggplant 1/4 inch thick
dip in egg - then in bread crumbs
place on cookie sheet covered in foil and bake at 350 20-30 minutes until browned
put a layer of pasta sauce on bottom of pan
layer of eggplant (if you only have 1 its okay if they don't touch - last night I had a ton, so they were right next to eachother - it doesn't really matter)
sprinkle on parmesan cheese (enough to touch each piece of eggplant)
cover with thin layer of sauce
Put down another layer of eggplant
Sprinkle with parmesan.
layer of sauce
continue until all epplant is used up ending with sauce
then top with mozzerella cheese (to your liking - it is richard cooking then like 4 cups - but I used about 1 cup last night and it was perfect)

Tomato Sauce
10 cups peeled tomatoes (i use it all but the stem)
3 T EVOO
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
1 T fresh basil
1 T fresh oregano
1 T fresh thyme (so cool that we have all 3 of these in the garden!)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar

Blend the tomatoes.
Chop onions, cook in oil (medium - low year) until clear. Add garlic. Cook until fragrant, don't let it burn or brown. Add fresh herbs (i just chop them in food processor). Stir in tomatoes and cook down until you like the thickness (took about 5 hours for me). Stir in salt, peper and sugar. Freeze or use within 2-3 days.

prime example

Anna is a prime example of this weekly update sent to my inbox from babycenter

"Ball," "dog," and "bye" may be your child's favorite — and only — words at this point, though some early talkers may have as many as 20 words in their vocabulary. Maybe she uses the words at the right time for the right things, or maybe she says "dog" when she sees other furry animals with tails. Don't be discouraged — that's an indication that she's learning to group things together. Just say the correct word in a matter-of-fact tone ("That's a horse, honey; horses are bigger than dogs"), and she'll soon pick it up.

Anna actually has a few more words - including moo (for cow and horse), baa (for sheep), uh-oh, bebe (baby), ma (for both mom and dad now), raaa (for lion).

I can dress myself

There's no gett'n dressed until we've read a book.

Can I wear this mom?
Random out of place picture. yes, still taking the nuk. Try to limit it to bedtime - but she reaches her little hand in there grabs it sometimes. So kill me, I'm a bad mom.
Putt'n on my socks!

Now that I'm dressed can we put these jammies on? Eh, never mind. Ill just trapse them around the house. Next thing you know I can get dressed in any room.

ANIMAL ACTION IS SO MUCH FUN!

They play this song at toddler time (song and storytime that we go to at the library 2 x per week). Anna was making the actions for it this morning so I attempted to sing it. Richard was laughing at me. It's pretty cheesy. Anyways, we look at animals on youTube all the time and LUCKY US! Animal Action is on there too - for your enjoyment (:

BTW anna hits me in the face when I move like the animals. I guess I embarrass her. Who knew you could embarrass someone that walks around all day with snot stuck to her face and the morning's oatmeal in her hair!

box car kid

Maybe anna will progress to a 5th grade reading level soon. No probably not - unless there was a way to read sign language. Until then she is waiting for the day she can read the box car children by sitting in a box enjoying her favorite board books. Luckily for anna I don't plan on abandoning her at a bakery. Although she might enjoy it.........

Oh anna don't ever grow up. No wait - I dont think my back can handle 80 more years of this (assuming I live to be 105). I guess you better grow up. I'm just loving every minute I have with you.

oh boy

You know you are pregnant when

1. you crave waffles for dinner. not just waffles though. deep pocket belgian waffles with real syrup.

2. You go for a run to Shari's with Anna just to get waffles.

3. While perusing the menu you see waffles and fried chicken with gravy as an entree. You think it sounds good and order it (who else in their right mind would think that sounds good - except maybe my brother bryan).

4. You eat it all.

5. You are able to run the 2 miles home after eating 3 pieces of fried chicken and a waffle (okay, that's just a side note. it has nothing to do with pregnancy).

6. You lay on the couch sick the rest of the night.

I'm 12 weeks (: I've been really tired and sick but I think I'm getting better. Never again will I eat fried chicken and waffles for dinner.

engagement pics

My sis and I were talking about engagements just barely and I decided to take a trip down memory lane.
A month and 3 years ago Richard proposed to me in this spot. We watched the sunset in the valley shown above and ate homemade backpackers pesto tortellini.


We didn't tell our fellow backpackers until the next morning. After we told them they took a pic of us in the exact spot. Pretty cool. Richard was nervous. I was too. I'm pretty sure that I used the word "sure" instead of yes. Ah well he knows I love him.
This is us at the end of the hike after climbing the last pass. It was an amazing trip. I miss backpacking so much. After posting this pic on her blog, rich's sis got lots of questions about why I have a hug pack and rich has none. I guess it was just practice for the future carrying anna everywhere.

Our trip with grandpa behind the lens.

swinging with mom - I guess it's okay
Swinging with uncle steven - much more fun!
riding a 4 wheeler with dad. not very far.
swinging with dad - how boring, even dad is yawning.
at the burial. The Peoa cemetery is right next to this horse pasture. Anna wanted to watch the horses.
Anna hugging grandpa's side of the stone.
Anna staring at the 2nd cousins.
More staring.

The Reason We Went

So the pictures in this post are backwards. read it from bottom to top.


more pictures at grandmas farm. Anna signing "please" or "help". These signs could be translated to "I want ___ now!"
After the funeral we hung around peoa, went to park city, stayed at richard's mom's friend Debbie's house and then drove to Boise to stay with our friends Levi and Jamie Lloyd. They have 2 wee ones, Lucy and Hallie. They are adorable. Lucy entertained anna for us. They were getting into a little bit of mischief, jumping on the bed and pulling all the toys out like crazy. It was rough trying to get anna to bed, but we finally did it and slept through night - left at 6:30 am - drove all day and got home to green green portland. Rich built a fort for anna in the backseat and they read some books on the way home while Uncle Steven drove and I slept. Wonderful, thank you Steven! Now anna is in bed and ITS GOOD TO BE HOME (:
I didn't take any pictures at the funeral that day. I was too busy trying to keep Anna under wraps. It was a wonderful service. I think Grandma would have loved it. My mom did the flowers which made it a little extra special. Joy, richard's older sister talked, as well as his cousins Trudy, Shad and Jake. True's neighbor, bishop, cousin and friend also talked (all one person - Bishop Jorgensen). I appreciated his words about what a great and loving friend True was. We love Grandma and are so grateful for the plan of salvation which allows us to see her again.
Pretty sunrise with Anna on daddy's shoulders.
Grandma's farm. She lived on the same property her whole life. She was born in that house that is falling apart. Later her dad built the white house in the top corner. True lived there with her dad and sister (her mom and brother died when she was young). She then lived there with her husband Keith. Richard would stay at the farm and help during the summers.A view of woodenshoe lane valley.
I felt weird taking pictures at the viewing, but it was good. I now understand why viewings happen - so that people can say some last words to the family, because there isn't really time at the funeral. it was fun to see all rich's cousins. I've seen a lot of them in blogs but never in person. It was hard for me to look at Grandma. We spent the night at Grandmas house, which we didn't really want to do but did anyways. It was a rough night, but we had a great morning walking around the farm with anna at sunrise. We saw some sandhill cranes in the field right next to the house. Anna is pointing at them in the picture above.
The reason we went to Utah was for Grandmas Funeral. We left vernal wednesday afternoon to go to the viewing in Peoa Utah (by Park City). We stopped at cafe rio on the way out, but anna wouldn't have a bite. Rich had been changing her poops that morning, and she had one at cafe rio that I changed and it was watery diarrhea. I said - Uh oh, Anna's sick. She won't eat cafe rio and has diarrha. Its going to be a long ride. It was. She threw up just outside Roosevelt. Then I started getting sick. It was a long ride to Peoa but we made it to the viewing.

uh oh.

one more movie before i get dressed. Anna's favorite book. She is learning to talk! When I was lost getting to the airport last night I kept saying Uh-oh. She would copy. She learned how to say it from this book. So cute. Its hard to see but on the yum yum page she smacks her lips and on the stinky page she tries to cover her nose. Oh anna you are growing up!

Made it to Vernal

Anna screamed from Salt Lake to Heber. We stopped in Heber and got her some milk. She drank it up then continued to cry. It's a bad thing when babies get too tired. She sort of fell asleep but would wake up every 15 or so minutes and scream for a bit then go back to sleep. It made for a horrible midnight trip to Vernal. But we did make it and I was able to enjoy some SLEEP this morning while Anna hung out with the buhlers. I heard that her favorite two things were grandpas tomatoes and the dog lady, who she was actually brave enough to pet. Anna went back to bed for a few hours and just woke up because she pooped her pants - I made richard change it (he's been off duty for so long I deserve a break). But I guess I bet get into the shower, we are off to grandma feilds viewing in Peoa. Please pray that Anna doesn't scream this whole ride.

I'm just people watch'n all the people watch'n me.

We had a few minutes before we had to be at the airport so Anna and I met up with my old roommate Rach at the Utah Capitol. She took right to miss rach.
She is so small next to the capitol!


While rach and i chatted anna enjoyed some good old people watch'n. While she was watching the asian tourists some other tourists came up to her and took pictures of her. I guess she is pretty cute to other people too!Thanks for meeting us Rach it was so good to see you!! I did finally figure out how to get the airport from the capitol!

eat ride slide

We had a little more time at the Heiners before we headed out to the airport wednesday. Grandpa had a great time playing with Anna outside.

My dad put our playhouse up in the air when my little bro and sis were still little (they are 14 and 15 now). There is a big blue slide that goes down to the ground. I guess anna kept wanting to climb up it, but my dad set her straight and helped her down a few times. She loved it. What a dare devil. She would always grab onto him on her way down though.....
They also have one of those slides that you ride a car down. She kept saying "weeee" every time grandpa would push her down. She had this big old smile on her face too. What a cutie. Thanks for saving me that back ache dad!
My mom treated us to my favorite: CAFE RIO. oh yum. Anna enjoyed it too.
Sideways video of the car ride slide.

Sister Act

A trip to utah would not be complete if I didn't spend a day with my best friend and sister Amy Lynn. Last time we stayed at Amy's she had a newborn and Anna didn't sleep at all. It was a little rough. This time she has a 4 month old baby Jane who is Pretty much the happiest baby on the earth. Anna took a great nap in the closet and it was a GOOD TIME.

Anyways, Jane is roll'n and rock'n on all fours. She's read to go. Anna loved her. She loved to watch her and poke her eyes out. She's funny. We pawned evan off to a friends house while the older 2 were at school and took the girls for walk. Amy has the most beautiful mountains around her house. I love walking there. Anyways of this picture my sis in law joy said "you have the baby that ate the other baby...." seriously.
But Amy also has 3 more kids. Gavin, Amber and Evan. Evan is always picked on by Amber and Gavin, so he really enjoyed having Anna around so he could be the boss for once. It was nice for me because he'd tell her no when she got into drawers and put things away that she got out. Anna is a bit of a star at their house for the first hour or so - Gavin and Amber give her tons of attention. When Gavin got home from school he was feeding her pretzels one by one and making her say "please" before he would give her more. Pretty funny. Amber mostly wanted to pick anna up - which is a bit sketchy because Anna probably weighs just as much if not more than Amber.
Amy's really got her kids on a schedule in the morning. Its a busy busy time and I think Anna and I were a little distracto's to the game plan. But I enjoyed it anyways. The video below is us distracting everyone during morning scripture study. Thanks for letting us come sister sister! We love you and mostly your kiddo's. They are hilarious.

cherry hill

Cherry hill is a water/family fun park in Utah. We went there today for a good time with the heiner/yorks. I didn't get any water pictures for pretty obvious reasons. It was an overcast day and anna got a bit cold ( lips blue, feet blue, cheeks blue) - so we decided to go mini golfing after a couple of hours of water slides and lazy rivers.

Anna was sort of a pain mini golfing, but still fun. It was fun to hang out with my dad. Anna liked to climb through the obstacles.

Chloe and uncle andy stopped by for a couple holes.

This is all the cousins before we left grammas house. chloe is mad because gavin took something from her. Remi and anna are like "whats going on" and amber is just chill'n. Thanks for the good time grandma!