The Time When Diapers Smell Good

   Don't jump to conclusions, these diapers have not been used. They just sit there in our nursery. Sometimes when I am in there looking-at/cataloging/making-more-lists so-I-can-catalog-everything-again I stop and I take a look around, and I picture everything. And yes, yesterday I hugged a package of diapers. I noticed that they smell good right now. And so I dub this small period in my life The Time When Diapers Smelled Good. 

   After so long without writing anything, I thought for a little while about how I would re-introduce myself to all the people who don't read my blog. I thought about being all deep and talking about how much I've changed. But honestly, duh. It's been almost a year. Everything has changed! So let's skip all that Mumbo-Jumbo and talk about babies! Because babies are fun, and terrifying, and worth every pain in this short body of mine. :) 

   The fun part is the free stuff. We have gotten more free stuff than when we got married. Nobody gives you money like when you get married. However, like Jacob's mom Jessica so kindly did, they show up at your door with cribs. Everyone wants you take their kid's old clothes. We have 2 or 3 bouncers in our Nursury already. By the time we make it to our baby shower we won't have anything left to ask for except diapers and the like. I exaggerate, but only a little. I love it! I love seeing so many people that think of us and care for us. It is heartwarming. I have felt my Father in Heaven's love for me. Every parent wants for their kids everything they didn't have. For me, it comes down to him/her knowing that he/she is never forgotten. That they are worth every minute of time that anyone spends on them. That they are loved, and they worthy of love. I have felt Heavenly Father assuring me that this will always be the case. So many times in my life I have wondered if I was worth anyone's love. I made a pretty good case of examples from my life too. And then even when God proved me wrong and  I knew that I was, I didn't know that anyone else but God could see that. I have always told myself that my kids would never have reason to doubt their worth. I always felt that I had good reason. This life inside me will be different. 

   That leads us right into the terrifying part. There is a life inside me! Ahh! Even someone as prepared emotionally as my almighty self thought I was can never truly be prepared for this. I always knew that when you have kids, it's "Buck it up" time. It's "Get your crap together" time. "No excuses" time! Basically, this kid is coming, it deserves everything that you and this world has to offer so you better be sure you can offer it everything. A new life is a beautiful thing. This new life is pure, it is special, it is worthy of heaps and piles of love and devotion and attention. 

   I still knew all of this when I got pregnant. And I am glad that never in my life did I ever view my children as anything less than my entire life. Because when it hits you that you have this responsibility on your shoulders, I suddenly felt very small. My life flashed before my eyes. I suddenly wasn't so sure of myself. I did not immediately "Buck it up." Everything from, "What if I accidentally eat something bad and my baby comes out with two heads!" All the way to "What if my kid is that teenager that bullies everyone and doesn't care! I don't want stuck up kids! I want compassionate kids!" The what if's can pile up forever if you sit there and think long enough. Jacob assured me that our kids wouldn't be bullies, because from a very young age we would teach them compassion and to follow Christ's example. The pregnancy books assured me that it is very rare for a baby to come out with two heads, and even then it isn't the mother's fault. So I keep moving. "Bucking it up." is easier said than done though. I have learned my lesson. 

   We will find out if it's boy or girl in the next two weeks. Jacob wants a boy. I have switched over to leaning towards wanting a girl. But honestly, like I have any control over it right? I'm just excited to find out so that we can make a baby registry and start partying! 

EVOO and Red Bells.

   Olive Oil. It has many healing properties, and it can also soften your skin so it feels like a baby's clean bottom. But most people just use in their cooking. Now I know my picture says "Premium California". I want to get one thing straight, this is just the one I bought at Costco because it was the only one in a glass bottle. I collect those, for those of you don't know. This one was very pretty. And I don't have very many olive oil bottles at present. It was also only $6, which certainly didn't hurt. Buy Olive Oil in bulk. Always. That's tip number one. Next, notice the Extra Virgin part. This is my personal favorite as a general oil, but there are SO MANY different types of Olive Oil that it's hard to choose just one.

   Moving on, I want to show you a recipe that uses a lot of Olive Oil. Well, more than normal. You see, a little goes a long way when it comes to this wonderful substance. What I am going to show you is my way of making a nice jar of Oven Roasted Red Bell Peppers. Delicious in pastas, a lot of different salads, basically anything your imagination can use them for. And if there is one thing I recommend in the kitchen, it's creativity.

Note: These need to be used the same day. I am using these in dinner tonight.

   You start with two beautiful Red Bell Peppers. Mine are about average sized, although any size will work. You just have to picture how much you want to roast. You can get a beautiful package of them at, where else, Costco. I love their produce. They take care of it, and produce needs a lot of care.

 
   The lighting in my kitchen isn't very good for photos, but I assure it is decent for everything else. Decent...

   Quarter and clean your bells. Some of mine were a tad smaller, I learned that it is easier to peel the skins off later if you just quarter it. I have two knives in this shot. The one that is hiding is my boning knife. Why do I use it on my bells you ask? Well, the blade is perfect for getting the stem off without wasting a bit of the delicious bell. AND, it is perfect for cleaning the fleshy yellowish white parts on the inside of the bell. The other knife is my favorite. My chef's knife. I use it for everything else. Now, I will save knife safety and performance for another day, that will fill a whole blog on it's own.
   Preheat your oven to 400 F. Please. Make sure that your top rack is placed on the top most slot.

      Here is what your pieces should look like when they are cleaned. NO SEEDS. That's important.  I want to insert here that I do not use tin foil because I have magic pans that never stick. Wedding gifts from my Grandma Margaret. THANK YOU!!! If you do not have pans infused with magical properties, please use tin foil to line your pan.

   Now I like to quarter an onion and separate it out onto the board. I have one slice of bell turned over above to show how I try and get a slice of onion under each big bell piece. If you have smaller pieces try your best to get onions around them. This will add a better flavor and aroma, and they just smell so darn good when they're in the oven. =) Note: You may also add garlic at this step, but I like to add it later on.

  Drizzle you Olive Oil over the veggies. Use your hands to rub oil on EACH piece. You don't need much. Just barely coat them. Put them into your preheated oven on that top rack that we put in the topmost slot. You did that right? If you didn't, do it now. Be careful, it's hot. Set a timer for 20 minutes and watch some Food Channel. Favorite channel, obviously. I watched Good Eats. So full of whys and hows that even my husband loves it. Anyways... Mine needed about 10 or 15 more minutes after that, but all ovens are different so check at 20 and then check every 5-10 minutes later until the skins are turning black in spots, and have a filmy look to them, and the peppers 'collapse' under a fork. Use common sense, don't burn them.

   Here is where I was in a hurry and didn't take a picture of the done veggies in the pan. You don't need it though. Just follow the above directions. When they are done use your fingers, again, to peel off the skins of your bells. If they do not come off easily, you didn't bake them long enough.

   Put them into a jar, along with the onions. I reuse my jelly jars so I didn't have to buy extra. It doesn't have to be air tight because you have to use these the same day, like I said in the beginning.  Here is where I add my garlic. Because I do this at about 11am, they sit and even more flavor is brought out. Here is how to add:

   Take your chef's knife and crush it by hitting the blade with the heel of your hand. Sometimes this is scary for people who have never done it. In that case, use something else but crush the same way. It won't actually crush it, but the magic makes the 'skin' come off very easily. Everything I can't explain is Magic.
See the big guy there with brown area on his, um, bottom? Cut that off. I also like to cut the ti-pity tip of the garlic, I'm not sure why. Then slice in half. If it is a mega-garlic clove then quarter it. Le big guy above? He was a Mega-Clove.

   Add to your jar, stir it around with a fork. Eye about 2 tablespoons more olive oil to it. Stir it about. (My chef's knife is done, he just wanted to be in the shot.) =) Put your lid on, and refrigerate until you are about to start dinner. Enjoy immensely. If you have any suggestions or did it a different way, feel free to leave comments below. =) Share me with friends. My chef's knife likes the spotlight. ;D

That Moment

Some may know, some may not. I don't like to talk about it. But since February I have been dealing with this illness. You know those trials that, well, can only be explained in all caps? TRIALS. That's what this has been. But that's not what I'm on here to type about. I'm here to tell the world of the happiness of That Moment. Imagine walking through a tunnel, and not just walking through a tunnel, a Serious Tunnel. You are in this tunnel for so long that you start to wonder what sunlight is like. Not to be over-dramatic, but this IS an analogy right? Right. So no sunlight, it's been so long that you are on the verge of forgetting it completely. Then that moment, when the darkness is about take over, you are about to lose all hope. And then the light, suddenly, tiny there in the distance. And you realize that you are going to get out. That was the moment. The blood tests came back, the doctor read them, and I have a Hyper-Thyroid. It explains everything. Every last symptom. The light at the end of tunnel. The happiness. I can be fixed. I am not broken. Well, I am right now, but it is not unfixable. Yay! That was a really long explanation, but really truly the only one that could have explained it. That Moment.

We only have the Lord to thank of course. He invented it. <3

Yoga. It's kinda cool.

Ok, so with the shape of my body comes a lot of aches and pains. Especially my back, for obvious reasons. Yesterday when I was going through Pinterest I found some yoga poses that are supposed to help decompress and strengthen the spine. "Sweet!" This morning I tried it, and by some miracle my back feels amazing. The stiffness is gone, the pain is gone. It's a Christmas miracle guys. So here is that pose I did for those of you who are curious now. Hold for 6 breaths, Enjoy. =)

1. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

• Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet in line with the hips. 
• Make sure the toes point straight ahead and that the knees are directly above the ankles when you lift your buttocks.
• Roll the shoulders under and clasp the hands or hold a strap. Internally rotate the thighs so that the knees stay in line with the hips. 
• Press the outer shoulders and forearms into the ground to open the chest.
• Press the feet into the ground to lift the hips up.
• Relax the buttock muscles and use the thigh muscles (quads) to lift more.
• Press all four corners of the feet firmly into the ground and lift the outer hips up.

Rainbow Cake and Diet Musings 2.0

   So I threw out the 3 day diet. Not because it doesn't work, but because I ended up pigging out on the off days. So instead of trying a different diet that is general and just includes starving myself, I am going to make a custom diet for ME. Happy? Yeah.

   I am going to use science to form this diet. It will include Super foods like avocado and asparagus and other things that don't also start with A. They will boost my metabolism. I will create my own meal plan and exercise routine, powered by Pinterest. yoga, ab workouts, and I might even add in some running using a beginner's method I found on..... duh du dA: Pinterest! I will also include a Food Journal. In this journal I will write down what I eat, when I eat it, and how many calories are in it. And my weight every Sunday. This is more for my own benefit, a way to hold myself accountable, but also to keep track of what methods and meals work the best for me. This diet can be ever changing. It will allow for my creativity to flow in my cooking as well so I am not starved for herbs and spices. Those really do not effect much guys, and so we can wield a magic wand of flavor and make even healthy food taste delicious. Not that it doesn't taste delicious anyway. Well, tofu is gross, but there are ways around that. Which doesn't actually matter because I do NOT eat tofu. Ew....

   So with the power of choice back in my hands, how will I do? Very well! I won't feel forced, I won't actually count calories in any crazy way because believe it or not, scientifically, as long as you are eating well normally, a slice of that delicious Rainbow Cake doesn't matter. Ever calorie DOES NOT COUNT. I found an amazing website with a huge wealth of information that I will share with you. Have you heard of PopSugar? No? Yes? What about FitSugar? That's the one! Whether you have heard of it or not, check it out! Here is a link to one of my favorite articles. http://www.fitsugar.com/Calories-Burned-5-Minutes-Exercise-19008849 It will tell you what that extra 5 minutes in your workout can mean. Information is power!

   Basically the moral here is that the power is in OUR hands. Our opinion of OURSELVES is in OUR HEADS. God gave us the gift of choice, so USE IT! I am starting to, and it feels pretty darn good. There is enough in my life that I have no control over, my body, my weight, my self-esteem, they are not on that list.

   One more thing, a little piece of inspiration for you, and for me. God loves you. He knows you. He counts the breaths you take, and every heartbeat. He knows what color your eyes are, and he knows the dreams behind them. He will get you there if you let Him. The world can be a very frightening place. You never know what it is going to throw at you next, when the next time your car will break down, or if tomorrow you will be too sick to get out of bed and if that will become what you expect every time you wake up. Sickness, Poverty, the Death of someone you love. Enjoy today, enjoy each choice you make, and enjoy every breath you take. No I didn't mean for that to rhyme. Happy coincidence I guess. =) But seriously, ENJOY LIFE. ENJOY HEALTH. Do it. Or when I die I will haunt you. Yeah.

   And for those of you who don't know yet, we are NOT moving in December anymore. Jacob got a promotion so we are now aiming to move in Mid-March. Just in time to be sealed in the Kansas City, MO Temple. Life! Love it!

Count The Happy Things

     Ok, so weighing myself after the diet didn't work out, well, because I don't own a scale. Slight overlook on my part. I'll need to go buy one of those. Check back in next week and we will see how much I lose. Here though, was my last supper. Tasty? Slightly, nothing magical.

     Something else today caught my attention. I remembered someone I used to know that every time she would feel down, or in a bad mood, she would count the happy things. I haven't done this in a long time. I don't know why, the positive girl that used to think of every single breath as a miracle doesn't come around anymore. Today I was in a bad mood. So many things seem to be against me today and I was sad and moody. So Jacob sat me down and said this, "I want you to make a list of all the things that make you happy and you are not aloud to stop until you FEEL HAPPY." And then he went to cut his hair with the trimmer that fixed the wiring on all by himself today. He also got a promotion at work. My husband is awesome. So because I have an awesome husband, and he knows me so very well, here I go. A list of Happy Things, in order of thoughts flying into my head.

Happy Things

Jacob
Baby Stuff (For future notes)
Babies in general.
Money
Having a laptop named Esmeralda.
Allergy Medicine
Presents
Shoes
Pinterest
Psych
Charmed
The Rainbow Cake I am going to make tomorrow. Blog to come.
The Onion soup I made for dinner with broccoli, rice, tuna(Jacob's idea, turned out well), low-fat sour cream, all in a bread bowl. Took a picture to place at the bottom of today's blog.
Bacon
Mary Kay
Helping People
People in General
The book called What Einstein Told His Cook.
The mall
Shoes
ShoeDazzle
Your Next Shoes Blog
Music
Driving with the music playing very very loudly. (You would think this would distract me. It actually helps me concentrate.)
Crockpots
Rice Cookers
The Food Channel
Really muscular male movie stars.
Duct Tape
Books
Shakespeare
The pencil or pen he used to write his masterpieces.
Pedicures
Maincures
In fact, they are best done as a Mani-Pedi.
Quilts
Grandparents
Really nice kitchen supplies, Kitchen Aid Mixers for instance.
Did I mention shoes?
Cute Dresses
The really cute styles on pinterest.
Really nice Hotels.
Spas
Losing weight.
Fitting into a size 6 skirt one day. =)
Fantasizing about traveling the world with my husband, and Colby and her husband.
Dreaming about the future.
Designing my future house on Pinterest.
Getting amazing tips, crafts, and recipes off of pinterest.
Looking at shoes.
Wearing shoes.
Touching shoes.
NOT smelling shoes....
My husband's promotion.
How hard my husband works to provide for us.
How good my husband is with numbers.
How wonderfully my husband walks.
The way my husband talks.
The way that rhymed just now. 
The way I did not rhyme that on purpose.
How my husband can cut his own hair, and fix his trimmer wiring after it explodes in our living room.
How patient my husband is when it comes to housework. One day I will get this whole keeping the whole house clean all at the same time thing down.
The thought that one day I will have a perfectly clean house ALL THE TIME! Wha?!?!?!
Reading my patriarchal blessing. 
Knowing that my Heavenly Father is always there for me.
Feeling the presence of the spirit. (Wondering if I am supposed to capitalize Spirit....)
Spirit.....spirit....hmmmmm.....
The scriptures, and the way they can comfort and heal.
The Gift of Discernment.
Those prayers where I literally can't explain them without putting it in the form of a conversation. (I said, "This." God said, "That.")
The fact that God chastises us so that we may make our weakness strengths.
Avocados.
Lorilie. (Pronounced Laura-Lie.)
Knowing that one day soon I will be sealed to my favorite husband and raising a brand new family that didn't exist before. To be able to nurture the greatest creations I will ever witness. Better than the I-phone 5. My kids will be AWESOME!
Being terrified to have such huge responsibility on my shoulders. (I saw a quote today that said, "Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide FOREVER to have your heart go walking around outside your body.")


I am officially in a much better mood. To be specific, thinking about the Lord and my future children makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

 Here is that Onion soup I made for dinner. =)

One more thing. I mentioned that Jacob got a promotion? Yes, that promotion is here. In Provo. So we will be staying a bit longer. we will wait until mid-March. We are still visiting MO and KS in December though. =) Yay!!! I LOVE Christmas. Can't wait to make Christmas Food!!!!! Kinda like the ones pictured below. ;)

Snow Cocoa

 This Roll Thing.

Oreo Coal, For the 'bad' kids. ;D

  

3 Day Diet: Dia Dos

     Here what I ate for dinner tonight. Once again, I did not want a grocery list so combined them with salt and pepper and steamed them. I infused the water I used to steam them with about 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning. This improved the taste immensely, and was only a slight cheat on the diet. Actually, it probably would not even count as cheating. I think. Here is what I ate today:

     Breakfast: 1 slice of toast with half a banana sliced over it and salt sprinkled on top. Salty sweetness is awesome. And 1 hard boiled egg.
     Lunch: 1 cup of cottage cheese, salt and peppered. And 5 Saltine Crackers. Someone please kill me.
     Dinner: This creation pictured above. Chopped: 1 hot dog, 1 cup brocoli, 1 cup carrots. Steamed. Salt and Pepper.

     Ok, I started drinking water like crazy today, and I walked around the mall applying for jobs. I only spent  99 cents while I was there. Be proud of me, be very proud. It took every ounce of will power not to buy every pair of shoes I saw, and that REALLY cute jacket at Buckle.
    Anyways, I still got to have my 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream for dessert, along with the other half of that banana I had at breakfast. It was a good dessert, except 20 minutes later I was craving a hot dog. A nice hot dog on a bun with ketchup and mustard. Better yet, a J-Dog. With that special sauce they make that makes the mouth water.
     Now, I am going to go to sleep, and dream of food. Namely the wonderful meals I am already planning for my 4 days off of this diet. A hint? It includes homemade corn dogs, rainbow cake, soup bowls, and magic.