Friday, December 26, 2008
Grandma, What Big Antlers you have
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Sweet Swap-2008
We have invited a small group of friends over after dinner on the 26th. The plan is for us all to bring treats that we have received and want to share, i.e. we can keep the treats that they want to keep all for themselves because they are so amazingly yummy, but bring the items they think others might enjoy more than we do. Once together, we mingle, enjoy other peoples treats, have some Hot Cocoa, maybe play some games, but mostly enjoy the company of good friends.
Now I have already royally messed up with the preparations for the inaugural sweet swap, I invited a couple through the Husband and the message didn't get to the wife, and Ken invited some friends and I am not sure the whole premise of the party was communicated to everyone. And as 2 of the 3 couples invited to the 2008 Wheeler Sweet Swap are regular readers I figured I would explain more on the blog. So to those people- Does this make more sense, we are not having leftover Christmas Dinner, just leftover Christmas Treats + Hot Chocolate with Whip Cream? I am super excited for the Hot Chocolate- which by the way is actually a gift from a neighbor- they gave us a huge bag of Lehi Roller Mills Hot Chocolate!
Those of you who might be interested in participating in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Sweet Swap can make yourselves known now. Any ideas for me about how to make the Sweet Swap better, or explain it to people better? Just as an FYI, the 2012 Sweet Swap is on hold- as the Mayan Calender states that the end of the world will come before Christmas that year, but I guess we could just have the Sweet Swap early that year, just because it is the end of the world doesn't mean we have to waste our treats!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
9 Month Olds are AMAZING
Finally, I want to let you all know that I have been accepted as an early admit to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, here is a picture of my Sorting! I got into Ravenclaw!
Friday, December 19, 2008
A Friday Update
Because of the snow storm expected any minute now, I let Ken take the Outback to work, which left me with the Accord and no car seat. So I asked a Good Friend to come watch the baby. When I got home, she said "He is really walking well with that walker". Surprised I questioned "Walking?" I bought the little fisher price walker to wagon on the day after thanksgiving, it was $10 and I figured it would come in handy, I put it together and he has played with the toys on it, and has pushed it while shuffling along on his knees, but when ever he stood behind it, it would move and he would not.....Timber! I tried not to laugh.
So I asked her to take a video while I unloaded the car, and then I tried to take one. Here is the proof. Baby will be 9 months old tomorrow, yesterday he had his well child check and the doctor said he was cruising, I now agree.
Early Morning Break Down
Ken’s alarm went off this morning at 5:30 and I rolled over, put a pillow over my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately it was at this time that I remembered I had forgotten to put the freezer meals I made yesterday afternoon in the freezer!
I had been so happy while I made the 4 quarts of Hawaiian Chicken. It tasted so good last night when I served it for dinner. I had so lovingly labelled the freezer bags, filled them, and then let them cool a bit more on the counter before placing them in the freezer.............. and then I completely forgot about them.
So I lay there in bed, wondering how it had happened. How had I forgotten about the food. I had just wasted 3 pounds of Chicken! I basically cooked 4 full dinners and 4 lunches for Ken and I then dumped them in the trash. It was at this point that I decided to physically dump them in the trash and move on with my life. So at 5:45 I got up, picked up my ruined food and took it to the trash only to realize, as the empty tin cans fell from the top of the overflowing trashcan, that I had also neglected to take the trash out.
Not only could I not throw away my ruined food, but now I had trash on my kitchen floor. I screamed, “Stupid Trash”, went back to my room and knelt down. Well actually, I threw my body down, my keens hitting the floor and my elbow, sliding along the 350 thread count sheets. “Stupid Sheets!” I got a Sheet Burn on my right elbow, A Sheet Burn!
I began to cry and Ken came over to comfort me. He could sense my horrible mood, ( I guess it really didn’t take much sensing as suddenly everything in the house, including myself, was now being loudly labeled“Stupid”). Prayers were said and hugs were given and I got back in bed to do my morning gospel study, after which I put the pillow back over my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. No luck.
So I got up, washed all my pots and pans. Ken, lovingly, collected all the garbage in the house, including my ruined food, and took it out to the dumpster. I put all my kitchen towels in the wash, sat down on the couch and turned on the news. Ken had, by this point, left for work and there was a little boy sweetly talking to himself in the babies room and I realized that my life was not so horrible.
I will buy more chicken and make more freezer meals for my family, this next batch will just cost $1.10 per serving instead of $0.55, that is still not all that bad. I have learned a lesson- set a timer or some sort of reminder to let me know when my food is cool. Today is going to be much better than it seemed it would be at 5:30. After all it is Friday and I am going shopping, (food shopping, but that is still shopping).
In the Immortal Words of the Bare Naked Ladies, “You know that it’s going to be all right. I think it’s gonna be all right. Everything will always be all right, when we go shopping!”
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Great Jammie Caper of 2008
When I returned to the babies room, this is what I found.
These are the babies Pajamas.........And here is the Baby, not only is he shaking the crib but he is also singing a happy little song.
Today the answer would be "No".
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Let it Snow!
Monday, December 15, 2008
First Brush with Santa
And the Baby met Santa. As you can see at first, he wasn't quite sure about the guy in the red suit. But then, he decided that he might be willing to give a half a smile. Pretty Cute, I think.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Keeping Secrets
A little while after we purchased our house, we also purchased a “Vacation Club Membership”. (Another name for Vacation Club is Time Share). Why did we do this? Well, the opportunity presented itself, and we discussed it, when it came down to it we realized that purchasing this membership would force us to take a vacation at least every 3 years, and we would even have lodging options in such places as Hawaii or Europe, not to mention the fact that there are 4 resorts right here in Utah.
You should know that we didn’t need to finance this, we paid for it, and it is ours. We have also prayed about it and feel like it will be a good thing for our family. So why did we keep it secret, and why do we wonder if people judge us after they know we have a time-share? Telling some members of my family this weekend made me feel like I was confessing some great sin! Why? Really, Why?
Anyway, I am excited. Next year is going to be fun. Right now the plan is to take a 3 or 4-day trip to St. George with some friends in the Spring- before it is too hot. And then in June I hope to take another 3 or 4-day trip to Bear Lake to support any of my family members who run the Bear Lake ½ Marathon, I am even considering running the 10k, more on that to come later.
So now that you know my big secret, do you still love me? Do I need to go looking for new friends? Or are you all going to be lining up at my door asking if you can vacation with me?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
ESCAPE!
It all started when I decided that I hated the fact that our glass door slammed shut. About two weeks ago I adjusted it so that it didn't slam, but now it takes about 5 minutes to shut. Baby has been interested in the slow closing door for about a week now, moving towards it whenever someone leaves the house.
Today, I was preparing for our morning walk, I had just set up the stroller outside and when I came in to get the baby I noticed that there was an email from Ken, so I quickly checked it. I was sure that the baby would not be able to get to the door. On of our biggest fears is that the baby will get hit by the door as it closes. Well, Baby is much faster than I thought. I heard the door shut, I didn't hear a whine of annoyance, or a scream of pain, in fact I didn't hear much at all. I ran to the door and discovered that he had successfully escaped!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Legally Cute!
We bought it for the baby to wear to the Big Wheeler Wedding in January, but I couldn't wait that long to see him in it. I figure by January he will be walking or at least standing on his own which will only make him look like a little man that much more. Adorable!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thanks for Giving Me Food!
This was Grandpa Turners view of Baby, he claimed it was the best view of all and I am tempted to agree.
So we had a wonderful day. We arrived home just after bedtime and Baby slept through the night without even a peep. Ken left at 5:40 or so to go shopping this morning and Baby started talking to himself around 6:30. As babies wake up time is not until 7:30 and as he wasn't crying, I let him talk to himself while I read. At 7 I took pity on him, entering his room in the dark (just in case he was just stuck somewhere in his crib that he didn't want to be and would easily go back to sleep after being repositioned) and I had a hard time believing what my eyes were telling me. The Babies head was hovering a few inches above his crib. I turned the light on, and sure enough, the babies head WAS hovering a few inches above his crib.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Celebrate Good Times
I don't expect the "Cruising" to begin for a few more weeks, he isn't very stable once he gets up, but it sure is sweet to see him crawl toward me and then do everything in his power to get to where I am.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Hero Worship
After breakfast this morning Baby was given free reign of the front room, he went to the toys (which can be seen to his left in this picture) but then the video tapes started calling him and the toys were quickly forgotten. As you can see, a greater source of power was found. That is right, the TV, apparently, was in need of worship.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Double the Ear Infection, Double the Fun!
After a thorough inspection the baby was pronounced Sick! Both ears are infected, one much worse than the other. So the pain cry was caused by actual pain, I suddenly understood why the pain cry went away when I held him, i.e. his head was elevated. So now along with Cherry or Orange flavored painkillers, baby gets to have two servings of Tropical Fruit flavored antibiotics per day. The Doctor said we will probably have a clingy baby for another day or so but he should be back to his independent little self very soon. I am glad that I listened to the little voice inside my head that said “Take him to the Doctor”
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Katie Says Relax!
What did I do during that extra alone time? I relaxed. I ate breakfast and checked out other people’s blogs. I watched the morning news and rescheduled our daily walk until later in the day. I took phone calls from friends and family and discussed insurance options with my husband by email. I did start the laundry but it was quickly forgotten, after all, I was relaxing. It was fun.
So there I was at 11, walked, clean, dressed and doing dishes, I had the TV on, as I often do. As I was happily going about my domestic duties I started to think about a conversation that Ken and I had with our Sister in Law out in Colorado. She asked what we do in the evening and Ken told her that we usually watch TV or movies together. This amazed her because after all, that would be something like 3 hours a night! “AMAZING! ...Really?” we heard those words several times, and as we went to bed that night we wondered, Is this really such a bad habit? I haven’t thought about it much since, but today as I was doing the dishes I heard the TV, it was on Studio 5 a local public interest show, nothing too horrible, but I started to really think about my TV habits.
Here is what I decided. Yes the TV in our house is on quite a bit, for many different reasons.
I like to watch the news; I like to know what is going on in the world, and so in the morning and then again in the evening I watch the news. Not a bad thing to do.
During the day I keep the TV on, but I don’t necessarily pay attention to it, it is background noise. If I knew where my Ipod was, or if we had a stereo on the main level of our home I would listen to music, but I currently do not have that capability and so the TV fills the void. What is the Void? I thought about that for quite awhile today. I have heard several times that you should be at peace with yourself in the silence and I don’t mind silence, but I am very much accustomed to noise. I grew up in a house with 5 sisters, not the quietest place in the world. Before having the baby I worked for a decade in loud places, Fred Meyer- Constant Music, IHC Hospitals and Clinics, Constant Chatter (I worked in offices full of Women) as well as several different radios on several different desks all tuned to several different stations. Silence has never been an every day part of my life. I am OK with that.
Then comes the evening, and my 3 hours or so of TV time with Ken. Ken and I both enjoy Movies and now that we have the Tivo, we have plenty of movies to watch, we also have several shows that we enjoy. Before we were married Ken had me read about the 5 Love Languages and take a test to see what mine were, my two top languages were physical touch and quality time. So by spending 3 hours with me on the couch, letting me put my legs over his lap, (or quite often letting me fall asleep with my head on his lap,) fulfills my 2 top love needs, thus Ken can keep his wife happy and be very well entertained in the process. As I thought about this today I recognized that this is true, I really do feel quite loved by the time we go to bed. By the time we go to bed, I am relaxed! I don’t think that I could manage without my Ken/TV downtime each evening. Thanks Ken!
So I don’t feel any inclination to change, at least not right now. Right now, Katie says Relax.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Catching My Breath
Don't worry, he didn't go down any hills in his "That'sabowl Toboggan", I just wanted a picture of him in the snow in it. Especially as so many people felt that it was an inappropriate snow vehicle- we agree, as soon as he was on the snow, he fell over.
I have been making Amish Friendship bread for a few months now. Ken really enjoys giving it out to neighbors. Two weeks ago I made one batch of Chocolate and one batch of Vanilla and cut it up and put pieces of each onto paper plates. I put plastic wrap around the plates and the combination of cheap paper plates and strong plastic wrap turned the treats into little paper plate taco's. Well I didn't really think the Taco's were that cute, but then I remembered that it is "Turkey Time", with the help of some construction paper, a glue stick and some tape, our Taco's turned into really cute Turkeys, with snoods and all! (I just learned what a snood was this week too, it is that red thing that hangs over the turkeys beak.) The Turkeys looked so good sitting on peoples porches that we might dress up our friendship bread that way until the end of the month.
So then we took our trip. I am learning quickly that Baby likes his bed, naps on our trip were not the best and so we let him sleep whenever he wanted. I must admit, I enjoyed holding my sleeping angel, I don't get to do this much anymore. We are still recovering and trying to reprogram the babies sleep habits from both our vacation and the time changed that happened a week before our trip.
So the crawling only got better and better while we were gone, I blame it on the open floor plan of T & L's house. When we got home our front room was not enough space for Baby. He has now discovered our kitchen and he wants to continue to discover more of the house every day. We do not have a baby gate. The only way I could get any cleaning done was to corral Baby. He has never been corralled and as such he didn't like it at first. I am currently in the process of trying to find a baby gate that will fit our house, unfortunately our smallest opening that I want to gate is 45 inches........no cheap gates seem to go past 41 inches. (Cheap being under $20).
Finally- I won this cake! And then I ate half of it! So much for losing weight this week. There are somethings that are very much worth it. Suffice it to say, I have not yet learned how to have my cake and eat less of it too. I froze a few pieces for later. Mmmmmm Rocky Road.
I have been doing a lot of thinking over the past two weeks, about politics and the future our nation and the world. I don't know if I will share many of those thought any time soon, but I will say that I feel pretty comfortable with the state of the world. It is not perfect, there are a lot of people out there who don't like my religion much, but I know what I believe and I have peace.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I should be cleaning....
Once again, Other Peoples toys are the best! Baby is getting really good at sitting up on these push toys, he can not go forward but on Saturday he did push himself backwards once, it scared him.
Music to my ears! OK, so his music is not very harmonious, but he has fun with these piano toys (Anyone want to give him one for Christmas?)
Baby was able to finish up his Christmas shopping at Kohl's, for Dad a 300 piece "24" Puzzle on sale for $2.99, and for Mom a cute Shirt/Dress for $4.00. It took so much effort that soon after finding the last item baby fell fast asleep.
Well, the camera battery just died so I can not upload anymore pictures today, but do not fear, more cuteness will be coming your way soon.
Driving 6-7 hours is not my favorite thing to do, but it was well worth it to spend time with Ken's Brother T and his family, plus visiting with other good friends who have all found there way out to Fort Collins.
Fort Collins is a great place, every time we visit, I tell Ken that if we had to move I would be OK if we moved to Fort Collins. The past two times we have been out there we went to dinner at a restaurant called "Hu Hot" it is basically just a Mongolian Grill, you take a bowl and pick your meat, noodles, Vegetables or Fruit and your sauce or combination of sauces, then you take it to the "450 degree circle" and they cook it for you. YUM YUM YUM! We have got to find somewhere like that around here! This year we went down to the Outlets that are just outside of town. Our new favorite store? The Carters Outlet. Luckily they have just opened one in West Jordan.
And as we left Colorado, we filled up the car with gas for $1.99! It has been years since we filled up for less than $2 per gallon. I was going to say- na na na na naaaa na we got gas for $1.99, but then on the news this afternoon they said that gas in Utah has hit $1.99 so I guess I can't be too snooty about it. But really, it is a magical feeling, I can not wait to see how cheap it gets!