sunday afternoon park adventure

yesterday I tried my hand at making a ribbon wand. I wanted to practice for dani's wedding coming up. she was considering orange for a color. kate loved it.

ryan decided that, since sunday is his one and only day off from studying, we would take advantage of it and find new parks to go to each week. this sunday we picked memorial park. its a HUGE park, mainly dedicated to joggers. there were lots and lots of them! but we found a fun little playground too. here is sawyer hanging out on a blanket with me

daddy and kate trying a slide.

having fun

if you don't already know, kate is really timid. it took a lot of coaxing to get her to play on this thing. after a little playing, ryan came up to me SO mad and with a crying kate because some kids had pushed her down the slide. she was just standing on the top getting ready to go down and they pushed her! ryan was fuming. kate got over it quickly, but he was still talking about it for a while. I thought it was cute how protective he was. so after that we decided to leave the dangers of the playground and find the swings.


really, kate could stay on them all day long. she loves them. okay, last but not least, here is kate playing with the ribbon wand. I just love her hot pink face and her crazy windblown swing hair!

so it was a fun afternoon! we LOVE sunday evenings at the park with daddy!

SAUERKRAUT!!!

so I was making up my menu yesterday so I could go shopping and I found this recipe that I had cut out of a magazine with sauerkraut in it and I'm so excited to try it!! I am right now blogging to the pleasing smell of sauerkraut cooking and I will post the recipe after I find out if its all I'm expecting it to be. but I'm curious...

do you like sauerkraut?

(survey to the right)

***SURVEY ENDED***

the results:

How do you feel about sauerkraut?

8 people (44%) LOVE it!

6 people (33%) like it

4 people (22%) can't stand it!!

wow. I'm surprised that many people like it!! wahoo for sauerkraut!

kate is running around the house mimicking me saying "sour-crap smells so good!" hee hee

(if the video isn't working, go here)

RECIPE: (DELICIOUS)

3 refridgerated bags sauerkraut (1 lb each)
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and halved
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices
1/4 t coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine (I subsituted chicken broth)
1 pound smoked sausage, such as knockwurst or kielbasa, sliced
salt, to taste (optional)

Drain sauerkraut thourghly, then combine with potatoes, carrots and pepper in large flameproof casserole or deep heavy pot. add white wine (or chicken broth). Bring to a simmer. Cokk gently about 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Add sausage. Cook 15 minutes or until sausage is heated through. Add salt to taste if desired.

I thought it was really yummy. kate got really excited to finally see the sauerkraut she had been talking about...but then quickly spit it out. its okay, I didn't like sauerkraut back when I was young either! (she'll learn!!)

sawyer's overalls and kate's bandaid

today I got sawyer dressed for church and I was remembering way back in december when I first found out I was having a boy and went out and bought this outfit. I am AMAZED at how much LOVE I have for this little boy filling these little clothes that I once bought to make myself feel better that I wasn't having a girl. he is so HANDSOME!

also, kate got this sticker today in nursery and she started using it as a bandaid. she put it on a pretend owie on my leg and then kissed it better. then she put it on her leg!

ryan's study pal

tonight I got home from the grocery store and I was putting away groceries when ryan, taking a break from studying, came in with the final load and said "there is a tiny lizard in the house." at first I thought he was joking....until he brought him to me in a cup.




what I find hilarious about this story is that ryan shows it to me and then says "are you going to blog this?"

I guess I'm a little predictable....

the circus is in town!

I've never been to a circus before and so when a friend here said you could get free tickets through the library summer reading program I was so there!! as I was getting ready I was experiementing with a bandana in my hair and kate thought it was so cool. she said she wanted a blue "hat" (thats what she calls them). I was like "I don't have a blue hat for you!" and then she pointed in my closet and there was my blue bandana hanging down. she LOVED it and has been wearing it all day. I had decided I wasn't going to wear mine but she was really sad when I took it off so I put it back on and we were twins!we met heather at her house and walked over to the stadium from there. it was nice because we didn't have to pay for parking. but it was HOT and sweaty!!





here is kate sitting in her seat












here favorite thing was the elephants

it was probably my favorite thing too, they were really fun. she also really liked the dogs doing tricks. and the tigers....okay basically anything that was an animal. she got bored when the really flexible people were doing their thing.

this is her friend isaac who shared his food with her. his mom had brought all kinds of treats she had never seen before like colored marshmallows. I don't know if I've even ever eaten one of those! she loved it

and here is sawyer. he did so good. he was awake during the walk there, he slept through almost half of it and then ate pretty well (it was LOUD and he kept getting startled) and then just hung out until we went home and he fell asleep on the walk back.

it was really fun and I was so glad we did it!

tuesday

today I was sitting at the kitchen table with kate and she started talking about grammie's house. she said "I wanna come!" I said "okay, someday we'll go to grammie's house" and she started going on and on saying things I just wasn't understanding until she said "mama come and sawyer come and kate come tuesday."

tuesday....clear as a bell!

hello dolly!

today we woke up to the rain from hurricane dolly. we really aren't even getting that much, but it was kinda different waking up this morning at 8am to a dark house and having it be dark and cloudy. you don't get that too often in tucson! so I was getting kate ready to go to the gym and I said "okay, go find your shoes. you can wear your crocs or your rain boots." and she got so excited to put her boots on.
after we got home, it wasn't really raining anymore so we splashed in some puddles

kate showing off the bracelet she made in the gym nursery today

sawyer hanging out. do you love how I have to label my baby? (the sticker on his carseat handle says sawyer)


and finally, here is a hairdo that we just started doing. its nice because it is a fast way to take care of bedhead.


now we've had our fun out in the rain and we're going to spend the rest of the day curled up on the couch reading books or playing....the way a rainy day should be spent!

emptying my memory card

today as I was uploading the rain pictures I saw I had 120 pictures on my card! usually I take pictures and then put them on the computer right away so this was surprising to me. it was fun to find these pictures I had forgotten about! enjoy the randomness

this is SO kate

we went to the library after the gym and kate picked this book out:

we started reading it and I was really liking it because it was about a big sister and her baby brother and then we got to this page:

this is SO kate!! exactly and to the T. I will be showering with sawyer in the bouncer and kate is playing and I'll hear sawyer fuss, peek out, and kate is helping him and putting his binky in. she is such a good helper!

I AM THE LUCKIEST MOM EVER!

chillin' at the pool

for FHE on monday we went swimming. even though it was night time and not sunny, I wanted him to wear his cool new swim top. (see jen, our only kinda matches too!) I bought the 0-3 month size because it was on clearance for only $2 and it was worth it to me to see him in it, even if it doesn't last long. I got a bigger size too, don't worry! I put him in this floaty thing for the first time.

I think a normal 2 month old would totally not be ready for this, but I think sawyer is above average with the head holding up thing....and I'm not just saying that as a proud mommy. he kinda just laid in it and relaxed in the water. chillin' like a villan. it was too cute!

200 things

A way to journal some things you have done or not done in your life.All you have to do is copy the list and bold what you have done. (Select the list, CTRL-C copies it, CTRL-V pastes it into your blog, select the list and CTRL-B bolds everything, then do CTRL-B again and everything will be un-bolded and ready for you to play)

200 Have and Have-nots!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (if put put counts)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Became addicted to blogging

play along!



(this made me realize there are quite a few things I would like to put on my bucket list!)

h*town

I thought I would give you guys a look at this place I now call home. here are a few things I have found out about houston....from both research and personal experience:

#1- yes, I have heard it referred to as h*town (although mainly just by cheesy radio djs)

#2- Houston is the fourth most populous city in the nation (trailing only New York, Los Angeles and Chicago) It has a population of 1.9 million

*******Ryan insisted that I edit this. my facts were old. in 2008 the population of houston is 2,754,000. I apologize for the error*******

#3- Houstonians eat out more than residents of any other city. the city has more than 11,000 restaurants. (I have yet to experience more than 1)

#4- Houston has a Theater District second only to New York City in terms of a concentration of seats in a single geographic area. Located downtown, the 17-block Theater District is home to eight performing arts organizations with more than 12,000 seats.

#5- it is currently 99 degrees with 35% humidity. it says on weather.com that it feels like 101 degrees. I've felt 101 degrees...and I think this feels hotter. it definately makes me sweatier. I have been told several times to just wait, it gets more miserable in august (is that possible?!?)

#6- we are about 30 minutes from the gulf of mexico and therefore the weather man tracks tropical storms that could potentially head for houston. currently we are watching tropical storm dolly:the first sunday we were here, our bishop stressed the importance of having a 72 hour kit ready during hurricane season! yikes!

#7- ryan goes to school at baylor college of medicine (BCM) which is located in the texas medical center. this is what wikipedia has to say about tmc:

The Texas Medical Center, with one of the highest densities of clinical facilities for patient care, basic science, and translational research of any location, is the largest medical district in the world. The center is located in Houston, Texas, USA. The center contains 45 medicine-related institutions, which includes 13 hospitals and two specialty institutions, two medical schools, four nursing schools, and schools of dentistry, public health, pharmacy, and other health-related careers. All 45 institutions are not-for-profit. The center is where one of the first, and largest, air ambulance service was created and where a successful inter-institutional transplant program was developed. More heart surgeries are performed at the Texas Medical Center than anywhere else in the world.
The Texas Medical Center receives over five million annual patient visits including over ten thousand international patients. In 2006, the center employed over 73,500 people, including 4,000 physicians and 11,000 registered nurses.

here is a picture of it:

here is a map of it. (make sure you zoom in) you can see all the hospitals it has. I was blown away with how many hospitals there are when I first saw it!

#8- it has LOTS of freeways and LOTS of traffic. according to forbes.com it ranks 5th for the worst traffic in the nation. (although I must say this doesn't have an impact on me in that I hardly ever go much farther than the grocery store and if I am on the freeway its at non-peak hours)

#9- my mom doesn't live here. okay, you probably already know that, but its pretty significant to me and kate. today I was sitting looking at the computer and feeding sawyer and kate was walking in and out of the room playing like a good girl (like she always does) and all of a sudden she said "something something grammie." I'm used to having to interperet her so I said "where is grammie? she is in tucson!" and kate looked up at me and said clear as a bell "I miss grammie." (heavy emphasis on the miss, so I would be sure to understand it.) it was too cute for words! I just looked at her for a second and then said "I miss grammie too!"

so there are the facts about houston and I guess I can say, its an okay place to live!

a new addition to our family

I've always wanted a scooter. almost as much as I've always wanted to live in new york city. so, I guess one of my dreams has come true! ryan is going to use it to get to and from school (since parking is a beast down by the medical center!) we're really excited!

(ours is the red one)

lashes to die for

this morning we had our usual adventure of going to the gym but after we got home we haven't done much but hang out around the house. I was cuddling with kate (taking a little break from cleaning....I promise, I do some of that too!) and I was admiring her long eye lashes!

she must get those from uncle devin!

children's museum

when we were moving here I saw that the children's museum is just minutes away from my house, but I wasn't quite sure if kate would be old enough to enjoy it. I have a friend down here who has kids almost exactly the same ages as my 2 kids and she said her son loves it. so today we met her there and gave it a try. at first kate wasn't too happy at all, which was strange to me because I was there with her and I was thinking she was adjusting to these kind of situations. but....it was a lot of kids so I couldn't blame her. we hit the toddler area first. there are just all sorts of things to play with. this is kate soon after she calmed down a bit:

looks like she's having a ball, huh? here she is stacking blocks. this was more when she was actually starting to have fun.

I took this picture because I was impressed with how far away from me she had run to get some blocks! before this she was stuck to my side. she's getting the hang of it!

driving a car

filling it up with gas (she loved that part!)

traffic signals

grocery shopping. this place was PACKED. I heard someone say it was more crowded because in the summer you get daycares and in the fall when school is in its less crowded. I bet this place will be more fun then.

she still liked it.

fishing. but instead of catching fish you caught things like paint cans that said "don't pour your paint down the drain, keep our water clean!" yeah...that was a little above our head. some fish would have been nice.

kate looking stylish in her face paint

and this is how sawyer spent the afternoon.
we all had fun! there sure are a lot of things to do here in houston! it was nice to find something indoors and avoid the heat!