JUMP!!!

I WON a giveaway and got a gift certificate to this tampoline place in Phx so we decided to go on a date with DEAR FRIENDS, Emily and Micah Dyer. IT WAS AWESOME! (to leave Fred home with my mom and be out late with friends and to jump on giant trampolines!

These pictures are pretty blurry. But so was the night...

This is Halloween!!!

Did I mention Frederick LOVES to dance? He's a dancing fool. Put on any music or even just clap your hands and it gets him GOING. He gets LOW. He gets CRAZY!
Love this child!!

Halloween Parties!!

Baby time at the Library...we had to use last years costume for this one.

Cutest little evil guy

Emily's Birthday and fun times at the park

I love this woman. She is one of my best friends.
She's kind and silly and makes me want to be a
better person and mother. Happy Birthday, dear Emily!

October Bakin

AZ State Fair with BABIES

Super fun time at the fair today with friend Christy+Babes and Emily+Babe (aka Fred's GIRLFRIEND, Charlie.) IT was a HOT day to start off with....REALLY Phoenix? REALLY?!?!?!

Childrens Museum

My mom and Fred and I took another trip to the Children's Museum the other day. I love it.

We LOVE it! Freddie can run from room to activity to play area to cafe and be safe, and have 

a great time and not have me picking him up and bugging him to stay close the whole time. 

I can just follow him around and watch him. It's such a creative place. It's obvious that it was 

designed by mothers! For mothers and babies and children and families. We're PRO-Family.

And here's Fred in a pickle car. 

He got in and started turning the wheel, acting

like he was driving all on his own. That's a 

crazy thing: when your kid (who's a kid, 

not really a baby anymore, knows how

to do stuff like that...as if he made it up all 

on his own.

And this is today after a morning walk. It was cool enough to wear this, if you'd believe.
He had a bottle last night because I had a babysitter, but he's not so pro at it. haha.
prefers the boob.

camping in Sedona

Osborn ward camp out in Sedona! It was beautiful, cold, the ground was rocky, I didn't sleep a wink, I had to pee so badly in the middle of the night but it took me hours to make myself go because I kept thinking about the Blair Witch Project....but I love all that stuff! The next day we went on a walk to a little creek and through the woods and across a bridge. Freddie, on the other hand, slept like a log and enjoyed every minute of it....welll...he got a little freaked out about how dark it was at night, but he got over that. The breakfast the next morning was SO good. Just Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fruit but man, it all tasted delicious. We had a great time as a family.


So excited to go camping!

 
 

He looks like a chunker in this photo. I'm totally fine with that. 

a boy and his kitty

It's so hard to stay on top of blogging right now. I'm just doing my best to post photos in a journal type fashion. This doesn't even scratch the surface of life in fullness, but it'll have to do for now!

My Frederick
 

 

Dottie comes and sleeps with us/him every day. She's so sweet. And he's....less dangerous when he's not awake. 

 

 

D&C 43:25 How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

Homemade chai spice recipe without black tea leaf

5 tablespoons cardamom pods

2 tablespoons whole cloves

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Cinnamon sticks – about 6-8 sticks, 2” long each

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

2 whole star anise

1-1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

Combine all of the ingredients except the ginger in a non-stick ungreased heavy skillet. Over low to medium heat, toast the spices for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the ginger and blend. Now you have to pound everything, enough to crush the spices coarsely. I used my magic bullet but you can also do this with a mortar and pestle, in a spice/coffee grinder, or put the spices in a plastic bag and pound with a mallet or rolling pin. Transfer to an airtight container where they’ll keep nicely for about 4 months.

You can brew this into tea, put a little into your hot chocolate, or bake it into a cake like I'm going to do.

spooky stuff going on around here...

Happy HALLOWEEN!!!!

Book Club

Today I had the first meeting of my new book club. There are four of us and I met them about 4 years ago. We all lived in Provo, UT together and now we are in Provo, Phoenix, Glendale, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We had our meeting over gchat (minus one that sadly didn't make it) about our first book, The Happiness Project. It was a great meeting because we not only discussed our book and ideas and goals, but it was like we were all hanging out. Our kids are all 4 and younger and they were around, playing, nursing, napping, crying. It was so exhilarating. After 2.5 hours we were done and I was so happy that Fred and I danced to Jai Ho super loudly.


Next book: Northanger Abbey
I've never been into Jane Austin but actually I've never really read it. Why not give it a shot? We picked this particular story because its shorter and we don't know what it's about at all. I'm excited!!!

Braces

...Here today, GONE TOMORROW! Joseph Alan Money got his braces off! Run tell that!!!! How is my baby brother done with braces?? (there's a 14-year gap between us). He looks so handsome. He is a grown up young man, tall, with muscles. When he turns 16 (in two years) watch out, girls!

Baptism

On Saturday we attended a baptism. A friend joined the church about a year and a half ago. Her husband was not interested in the gospel at all-in fact was a little against it, but agreed to allow her to take their two daughters to primary. I remember when I first met him, trying to invite their family to our house for dinner and he would not have it. But then one day he came to an activity. And he would attend church here and there. But my friend said he was still the last person see could ever see being baptized and joining the church. Well Saturday he was baptized. The room was completely full of friends and family supporting him-his new ward family-with his wife and two daughters on the front row. It was the most beautiful experience to think that their marriage and lives and the lives of their daughters, ages 2 and 4, will be changed forever.
Sunday the husband received the Holy Ghost and the two girls were blessed and my friend received her patriarchal blessing.
They are on track to becoming an eternal family. It's so beautiful. I could feel the love and happiness between them. I'm so fortunate to be sealed to my husband and son for forever. I can't even fully comprehend what that means yet but I know I will someday. And I can't wait till Fred's baptism! Family is the best thing ever.

I need Oreos and ice cream so badly right now!!!!!!!!

Frederick: cutest little goofball

Autumn Puff Pancakes

Autumn Puff Pancakes:
(adapted from recipes from Rockstar Diaries blog and Martha Stewart)
(makes 2)

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour (you can use white or wheat. I splurged on white flour since it was General Conference weekend)
pinch of salt
2 pinches of cinnamon
fresh lemon juice from half of a lemon
1/2 tablespoon butter

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

You can use a pie or cake pan, small skillet or sauce pan. 

while the oven is preheating, first spray your pan with pam and then melt the butter inside. 

put all other ingredients into a bowl and wisk together
pour the batter into the hot melted buttered pan.
bake for 10 minutes (or until the pancake is firm and has has pupped up
the pancake will shrink down a bit after coming out of the oven.
top with fresh fruit, powdered sugar and syrup and serve immediately!

song

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/music?lang=eng#d

Click on Does the Journey Seem Long?

Its very beautiful.

General Conference was very meaningful to me this past weekend. I received answers to things I was praying for and revelation for myself, my marriage and my family. It really softened my heart. It reminded me that God is mindful of me and that he loves me and wants me to be happy. I have to do my part and he will make up for the rest. Plus ANOTHER Temple in AZ! Tucson! And the missionary age lowered for both  men and women! So exciting!! I'm grateful for a living prophet. God continues to love his children by giving them modern revelation today. Lds.org for more info.

Photos from Conference and the weekend


 

 

 

 

 


downtown adventure with May, Pete, and Francie Costa


 

 

  

 



 

 

Puff Pancakes recipe here.

 
pictionary got intense