,

Home, Sweet Home

I am in Kentucky right now. I always forget how many trees there are out here. It is like a jungle. A beautiful, fall-colored jungle.

Not much to report so far, other than how the Provo airport was ridiculously tiny. The lobby felt like a motel lobby and the waiting room like an office. There wasn’t an intercom system, just a guy who spoke up so the people in the one gate could hear him. But I did love not having to drive up to Salt Lake, especially since I flew into Louisville which is two hours away from my home.

This morning I went through my baby book. I got emotional as soon as I started to look through it… crazy prego hormones. I’ve looked through that book a hundred times, but I guess looking through it as a soon-to-be-momma really got to me (especially when I read a note from my mom that said she couldn’t wait for me to one day have my own daughter). Here are a couple things I learned about myself as a baby:

  • I was 9 lbs, 9.5 ounces. So, when my baby comes out looking like a beast, please don’t judge me… it’s just in my genes!
  • I started crawling at six months and walking at nine.
  • I wouldn’t ever take a bottle and I hated being in the car.
  • When I was 2 and a 1/2, I loved puzzles and would say, “Puzzle me,” when I wanted to do a puzzle. (Which makes me know why I love The Office so much when they say, “Beer me.”
  • When I was born, I didn’t have too much hair but by 9 months, it had grown out of control!

/1 Comment/by

Crackle and Spark

A couple weeks ago, I noticed that my hair straightener was getting hot around the handle randomly. I loved that straightener and hoped that it wasn’t a sign of its death. But a couple days later, I heard some weird crackling sounds inside of it and then smelled a strange burning smell. It was then when I knew my wonderful straightener had passed.

I got it a couple years ago (I think three?) at TJ Maxx. I randomly came across it and was super excited because it was a nice straightener but was so inexpensive. So I hoped that this time I could find another straightener with the same quality and same low price.

I did! It’s a great ceramic flat iron that came with a mini one perfect for travel. I had to post about this because I don’t think people know you can get straighteners at TJ Maxx… they have a lot of name brands, so next time you need to buy a new one, head on over there!

/1 Comment/by

Favorite T.J. Saying

I missed you tonight when you were sleeping.

(I took a nap on the couch right next to him.)

/0 Comments/by

Chocolate Banana Bread

Last week I had a bunch of bananas that we forgot about that were about to go bad, so obviously I needed to make banana bread. But here’s the thing, I didn’t have any chocolate chips and I firmly believe you can’t make banana bread without chocolate chips. So, I thought maybe I could find a recipe for chocolate banana bread instead because I had cocoa powder on hand.

Brilliant idea.

It turned out wonderfully and was a little different texture than my normal banana bread. I definitely recommend it. (P.S. add chocolate chips though, if you have them.)

1 cup margarine, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup lite sour cream
 

1.

  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, sugar and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.
/0 Comments/by

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

Last Sunday for dinner, I made this delicious wonder. You know me… anything where I don’t have to actually cook the chicken myself, I’m sold. It was absolutely wonderful and very filling… try it this week!

  • 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
  • 6-10 frozen chicken breasts tenders (I only used 6, but had a lot of extra sauce and wish I would have made more)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (I substituted some dried onion instead because I didn’t want to get onion smell on me since we were about to go to church)
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups hot cooked couscous
  • Chopped dry roasted peanuts to top it off (optional, but wonderful)
  1. In 4- to-5-quart slow cooker, mix onion, diced and crushed tomatoes, honey, cumin cinnamon, and peanut butter. Add chicken. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken.
  2. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. (Or high for 4-5 hours)
  3. Serve chicken and sauce over couscous. Top with chopped peanuts.
/1 Comment/by

It is Halloween

T.J. and I were meant for each other because of how excited we get for Halloween. We love throwing Halloween parties, dressing up in creative costumes, eating delicious Halloween themed treats, carving pumpkins, watching creepy (not scary) movies, and really getting into the Halloween spirit.

So, when I got a Groupon email last month for tickets to a boat-ride down the Provo river with pirate attacks and a hundred jack-o’-lanterns, I knew it was for us.

We went there last night on a double date and had a great time. It was completely dark outside except for the stars shining overhead through the trees and the many lit pumpkins lining the river. The captain told corny jokes and then recited a Halloween story that was pretty impressive. There was a “simulated pirate attack” that made me feel like a bunch of little kids just threw this together one year and never stopped living their dream.

Anyway, if you get the chance, you should go! It’s down by Utah Lake at the Clas Ropes Course on Center Street. (Good luck getting there, by the way… there is so much construction!)

/0 Comments/by

Babushka

Here’s something you may not know about T.J. and me. We call each other Bushka. I don’t know where it came from or how it started, we’re not the type of people to call each other by terms of endearment. But last fall we started calling each other Babushka (which I hear means Grandma in Russian) one day. Soon, that got shortened to Bushka and sometimes has been feminized to Bushki. We have some other versions, like Bobbibushka and Bobbibobbibushka… I’ll just stop there because you probably think we are crazy now.

It’s really embarrassing because now it is a habit. We’ll be out in public and call each other Bushka instead of by our first names. We even have started calling our baby, Baby Bushka.

Why am I telling you this? I wanted to write a gushy/loveydovey post about T.J. but didn’t want you to get completely bored. So there you have it.

I am particularly grateful for “Bushka” right now because he has been trying to make more time for me. He has come home for dinner and lunch even when he has lots of homework, and has even planned a couple of dates. I understand when T.J. is busy and realize that right now we both have to sacrifice. Getting an education is extremely important and I’m so happy he loves what he does, but I also love it when I get to see him more than usual. It makes all the difference to my day if I get to spend a little time with him. Last weekend he took the ENTIRE weekend off to be with me and is doing the same this weekend (minus a couple of hours this morning to finish up some work). It’s been wonderful.

Anyways, thank you T.J. I love you so much and am so proud of how hard you work!

P.S.

This is what T.J. got me for Christmas last year… It was the sweetest/most thoughtful/funniest gift ever!

/1 Comment/by

Long Time Coming

I know it may not seem that long since I last posted, but to me… it seems like it’s been months. Not that much has happened or anything. I just haven’t been in the mood. I almost feel like I’ve been mad at my blog or something. And this morning I realized why.

My last post. It made it seem like I was ungrateful. Ungrateful for being pregnant.

I want you all to know that I am very grateful for this tremendous blessing. And although at times it may not be a daydream, overall it is more than worth it and I know we are so blessed to have this baby in our life.

Anyway, that being said. I’m going to try my best not to complain about pregnancy anymore… I can’t promise anything… but I will try my best.

 

/0 Comments/by
,

Listening to the Rain

 

Sometimes I’m amazed by how no one prepared me for certain pregnancy symtoms. I mean, I had heard the gist of it, but there are random things I never knew about until I experienced them myself. So, I’m going to prepare you. Here’s the newest symptom: I can’t get a full breath very often. My Mayo Clinic book says it’s nothing to worried about and that I’m still getting more oxygen than I was before I was pregnant. The baby is getting bigger, so there’s just less space for the ol’ lungs. But it’s almost hard to believe because it feels like the baby is using my lungs as squeeze toys. When I finally get a good breath, I am so surprised, I say out loud, “Wow, that was a good one!”

Another thing as you get bigger, when you stand up, your belly and baby follow gravity and there’s some strange pressure going on down there. I can’t describe it, you just will have to wait and see how it feels.

And lastly, forget about baby kicks. Well, they still happen regularly and often, but the newest sensation is how the baby likes to stretch out  and really push right up against the wall in there. It’s the most bizarre feeling ever. I try to push her back into a more comfortable place. But if that doesn’t work, I start talking to her telling her she must move because it’s starting to really hurt me and more importantly, freak me out. Then I realize that I have gone crazy because I’m talking to the nameless baby in my womb.

Overall, pregnancy is really weird. I hope you’re not offended by me saying that. I just am definitely not one of those people who will tell you that being pregnant is the best time of my life. And it’s not because I’m sick, I have had a mild couple of months. I just hate how close I am to the baby, yet I’m still so far away from her. I want to hold her, dang it, right here in my arms! I try and try to picture what she will look like and pray to have dreams about her, but in the end, I have to wait. A full 40 weeks. And when you realize how long that is, the pregnancy hormones kick in harder than the baby kicks and you just cry and cry and cry. It’s pathetic.

But in the end, I know it will all be worth it. Less than two months and this baby will be right here with me. I’m down to the last stretch here. We will listen to Justin Bieber’s new Christmas album together and it will be the greatest time of my life.

/4 Comments/by

Sunday Funday

I can’t help but to think about where I’ve been the past couple years on Conference weekend, what was going on in my life, and how it differs from today. Five years ago, I came out for a college visit and got to see Conference with my brother. Two years ago, I went with T.J. and got an answer to marry him. And today, I’m married, sitting with my in-laws and expecting a baby.

Isn’t it crazy how time flies? It feels just like yesterday I was a kid back in Kentucky and we’d head to the chapel to watch conference after a soccer game or in between sessions, my mom and I would go shopping for my homecoming dress.

But one thing is the same from all of these years, Conference weekend has always had a special feeling about it. We get to hear from our Prophets and apostles who have a message specifically for us. And as I have grown older, it’s amazing to see how the messages specifically answer my prayers.

I hope you are enjoying Conference weekend and feeling the Spirit that it can bring into your life!

/0 Comments/by