My 1st Anniversary!

Photo by Heather Mildenstein

 Happy Anniversary, my Dearest.  I still love you a year later!

I Just Can't Believe It

Photos by Eric Torrie

My beloved "Taber-church," a phrase I coined around age three on my way to stake conference, is no more! I feel that I should script a word of farewell or speak of its greatness, but I don't have the heart to do it; for me "the grief is still too near."

A Good Morning Story

My husband works the graveyard shift. That means he comes home to sleep at 6:30 am. Today I woke up at 6:15 to ah, relieve myself, (gotta love being pregnant) and decided to wait up for him. I put a heat-pack on his side of the bed to warm it up, arranged his pillows, and then climbed back under the covers to warm back up* while I waited for his return. 

6:40, and he didn't show. Usually he'd have been home 40 minutes before. Just then my ears detected a snow plow on the street. Aha! I thought, Dylan must've been held up cleaning the car before he could drive home! Then I heard a shovel scrape. Pushing my arms into the sleeves of a robe, I snuck to the front curtains of the living room to inspect the scene outside. Dylan was home! And he was shoveling the walk! Scampering silently into the kitchen I prepared a mug of hot cocoa for him. Two minutes later he sipped it slowly in the kitchen while his soaked sneakers began to dry on the porch. 

"I feel nauseous," my lips pouted. Pregnancy, pregnancy, pregnancy.

"Shall I get you food?" Dylan sweetly asked. 

"No thanks," I pouted more. "I would eat cereal, but we have this much milk," I said, raising the teensy-pinch measurement.

"Would you like me to go get you some?" 

Thinking very quickly that he didn't appear tired and that I really did need milk, I answered, "Can I come?" 

Quickly bundling into my boots and coat, Dylan and I drove off into the dimly-blue-dawn of fallen snow, snowflakes collecting in my hair as we walked hand in hand into the BYU Creamery. Oooh, it was so much fun to be together so early in the morning! With SNOW! We told jokes and laughed as we scooped up our klim.

A mischievous smirk snuck onto Dylan's face as he put the jeep into gear to drive home. 

"I was going to surprise you tomorrow, but it'll be more fun today," he said, driving not home, but to Provo Bakery.

I twirled in parking lot snow merrily before we opened the bakery door and were perfumed by hundreds of pleasantly sweet, glazed, spiced, baking wonderment scents. Breathing deeply, we selected our treasures. So good so good so good. Until this morning, Dylan had never been to Provo Bakery when they first open. I can easily say he enjoyed the experience; I'm not sure which was more glazed-over when we left, Dylan's eyes, or the doughnut in my hand. :)

What fun, what fun we had together! Our anniversary is Sunday, and I can hardly believe we've only been married a year. Everything is still bright snowy white with happiness whenever he's around. Just like this morning. 

*To save money our house is 62 degrees at night, which feels very cold in just my pajamas. Before you freak, understand that we maintain a balmy 68 during the day.

20 Weeks! I'm halfway through!

Over the hump!

 Today is "over-the-hump" day for pregnant lady me; my baby is halfway done cookin' in the oven. But the hooray that follows such a milestone is accompanied by other thoughts, disbelieving that's it? and panicked  I only have 20 weeks left? carrying most of the weight. 

Nine months have never seemed so long, but now that I'm really enjoying my pregnancy I want it to last a little longer. Baby kicks are the best thing ever! I look forward to them every day.

Scrooge explains clothing...

I've often thought everyone would find Winter to be a more hospitable season if they would dress properly. And just think! Ebenezer agrees with me. :) Hahaha. Yet another reason to love George C. Scott... and Scrooge.

I Look Just Like My Ma

Once I was called "little Debbie." I thought it was the nicest compliment.

 My parents are in town! Yay! I loooove spending time with my parents. Momma and I are gonna spend oodles of time together. :) Let the glee commence!

This is America, Charlie Brown

YES! I found it! Parts 1 & 2 of the Mayflower/Thanksgiving Charlie Brown. I LOVE THIS MOVIE! It totally helped me on my AP US History test. Gotta watch this every year. :)

Mmm...Thanksgiving Food

These are my favorites. What are yours?

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Stuffing, Stuffing, and Stuffing.

Coolest Nightlight Ever

 

The Twilight Turtle is a stuffed-turtle whose hard shell doubles as a nightlight; his shell glows, and get this-- it projects the night sky (with real constellations!) onto the ceiling and walls of your kids' room.  Not the cheapest nightlight around, but unbelievably awesome! 

The PouchMiss

 

I'm having a dither of a time trying to find a diaper bag I'd be willing to pay for. The decent ones (that aren't even that great) cost $70-ish+, which I think is obscene.  PouchMiss ($39) is a tote with all the pockets and storage you could dream of; all it requires is a big purse to stash it in. Pretty nifty: it holds all this, and you can switch out what purse you have to carry. Hmm. I'm considering.

All I need to do now is inherit my sister Melissa's knack for finding ridiculously awesome purses for cheap.

Aha! We did it!

Three weeks have now passed where neither Dylan nor I remembered to take our trashcan to the street for pickup... until 8am, after the truck had already passed us by. On the other side of Provo we'd have been fine if we'd made it by 9 o'clock, but no... we have to live on the street where trash is received at 7:15. Grrr. 

Gratefully, my panic about the trash being too full for one more bag led to finally remembering to street-side it on time. Fourth time's the charm! But hey-- haven't you forgotten to do that once or twice? Three times... in a row? *sigh*

The Faces of Jerusalem

photo by Scot Proctor

A delightful photographic essay titled The Faces of Jerusalem was just done for Meridian Magazine. Though the photos were taken only on the old side of the city-- not in the bustling urban areas--  the essay accurately captures the wide variety of people in the Old City. 

Seeing the faces of these people is truly like walking through the streets; I promise you'll grasp what it's like to be there yourself if you'll take a quick look.

Curious about my full reaction? Read more after the jump: 

Do I have to eat?

Is this what pregnant stick figures look like?

I've never wanted to eat food less in my entire life; I've also never wanted to eat less food in my entire life. I have to eat to avoid nausea (still, though I'm supposed to be out of the nausea stage,) but even when I do eat, I hardly ever want to. Crazy change for the girl who would eat 1/2 a cheesecake in one sitting--if given the chance.

Honestly, I don't know how people get themselves into trouble "eating for two." Every time Dylan and I go out somewhere to eat, I can stomach just 12 bites before I'm full. I've gained 1.5lbs in what tomorrow will be 17 weeks of pregnancy (the average by now is 6lbs). More than that, I just NEVER WANT TO EAT. Nothing sounds good. Nothing satisfies. Eating is just another chore.

At least I'm still looking forward to Thanksgiving. 

Turn Back The Clock

Don't forget Daylight Savings Time. Fall Back!

The bagel that loves you back:

I usually stay away from bagels because they're too hard and flavorless to be worth eating, have 3 or more servings per bagel, and are usually full of empty calories and sugars. French Meadow Bakery's "Hemp Bagels" and I found each other in May, and they're a step forward in bagel-dom.  Though they are a little pricey, I continue to get them on a regular basis. 

A whopping 19 grams of protein, 11 grams of fiber, half the carbs of normal bagels, no added sugars, no yeast, and only 280 calories for the whole bagel instead of the half-bagel serving sizes you usually see, Hemp Bagels are great! You wanna talk whole grain? These babies have 3 servings of whole grains, 9 types of seeds (that you can see in every bite), and lots of good-for-you stuff like sprouted quinoa. Plus they're YUMMY.

Happy Halloween

Just Take A Bite

"Poison" candy apples found here

Snow White won't stand a chance! Aren't they gorgeous?

Recipe after the jump:

It SNOWED today! YAAAAAY!

...just a little... but there WERE flakes. "and there was much rejoicing....yaaaaay."

Time to Say Goodnight

Dylan and I found this today and found it amusing. Perhaps you will, too.

English Muffins

This morning I saved $1.25 by buying English muffins at the Wonder Bakery Thrift-shop instead of the normal grocery store. Ha! *insert happy dance*

Wonder-thrift is a tiny hole-in-the-wall store you can see from our freeway entrance-ramp; since it's not easy to see from any other vantage point few people frequent the shop, even though hundreds drive past it everyday. Link to map/address of Provo store.

There're a ton of bargains in this place, as well as a bunch of random Hostess goodies that I've never seen anywhere else... mmmm...big bags of crunchy gingersnaps... yumminess.

Well, that was scary.

Sunday night Dylan and I had to break a dinner appointment; we drove to Lehi (a few cities away) but then had to turn around and go home because I felt very sick and had pains. Not thinking that it was anything unusual, we just made our apologies and Dylan took me home to rest. 

When we got home, I discovered that I was bleeding profusely. As I am 13 weeks pregnant I instantly started to panic. It's not uncommon to "spot" bleed during pregnancy--I knew this-- but bright red blood in copious amounts is not good. A little later I started leaking fluid (sorry for the graphic descriptions). Fluid loss is a really bad sign. I tried not to panic, but after losing a ton of fluid I was pretty confident that I was having a miscarriage.

Background: I am allergic to my own pregnancy hormones, which is one reason I've been so sick. Weird, right? I'm allergic to my baby! Haha. Anyway. I'm taking meds to hopefully build an immunity, so Monday morning I went in to get my hormone levels checked-- make sure everything was okay on my end-- and the concerned MD asked to do a "doppler," or to check for a fetal heartbeat. 

He found one! Yay! I hadn't heard it before and it was such a relief to know my baby was still there and safe. The Doc had several hypotheses about what had caused the issue, but since a strong heartbeat is present, he ruled out the dangerous ones. Dylan and I are so happy everything's okay.

Beyond Glaze

Hommina. Beyond Glaze, a doughnut shop in Draper, UT boasts two dozen flavors of... glazed doughnut. With individual flavors like 

raspberry mango,

peach cobbler,

and German chocolate doughnut,

I'm a thinkin' a field trip is in order soon. I gotta get my paws on one! Visit Beyond Glaze.com for a mouthwatering peek.

Guess What Was For Dinner

Sloppy Joe was for dinner. We done eat him up.

Looks Like a Real Ghost

 

Doesn't it look like a skulking apparition is haunting that area? As it turns out, it's nothing but sculpted chicken wire.  Happy Halloween!

 Ghost found at WackyArchives.

Be Smart

Notice something amiss?

Many websites list ideas of how you can "seem more smart." If appearing intelligent is of any concern to you, forget taking their advice and learn to spell instead. Relying on spell-check is foolhardy! It will not always be there to save you.  

Correct spelling and grammar will shine a spotlight of intelligence on you faster than your college degree can (and in many cases, more accurately than your degree). People are smart in different areas, I know-- I certainly have no gift for math.  Just trust me on the spelling, okay? There are many different ways of being smart, but few faster ways of appearing stupid than poor spelling.

 

Pumpkin Love

I am dying to get my hands on some pumpkins to carve. Fall makes me dream of raking leaves, laughing through corn mazes, and baked apple sweets. Most of all I look at my porch and dream of jack-o-lantern faces glowing there at night.

All I have to do is wait until it's closer to Halloween so my carving doesn't rot!

"Sweet, refreshing rain!"

Rain has visited often, lately. The smell is lovely.

Look Alikes

I seriously think that Gordon MacRae (from Oklahoma! and other old movies) and Michael Buble look alike. Possibly it's the smile. Really it was this music video that made me see the resemblance. If you're familiar with MacRae in movies, you'll probably see it too.

Besides, the music video is fabulous! I love the charm of it, and the dancers' exhilaration is contagious-- so much smiling! It's a great pick me up. Every time I see it I wanna grab a baton and dance down a grocery aisle. 

It's been a week since I last posted. Way too long, I know. I plea illness! I spend most of my days roaming the house with a bowl, just in case, and since this afternoon I experienced a rush of joy at keeping down jello... I think it's a fair excuse.

Guess What Was For Dinner

I couldn't find a picture to do it justice: you get limes and cilantro instead.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole! ahem. I made the recipe myself.

Sauce:

1 big can of red enchilada sauce (green's okay, but I like the red for this)

1 pinch of garlic powder

1/4 tsp of cumin

(optional) A packet of hot sauce from a taco joint. I used a DelTaco "inferno" packet.

Open the can and stir the spices right into it before dumping it out. 

Chicken:

2 cups-ish of cooked chicken, which you then soak in lime or lemon juice. 

I use diced chicken, but anything will work. Put chicken in a bowl, pour juice over it, and stir it every so often so it's evenly coated.The longer it soaks the better--try to let the juice absorb.

Filling:

3 1/2 cups-ish of corn tortillas chopped into squares. (2.5" of stacked tortillas)

1 frozen bag of corn 

1 can (drained) black beans

1 can of diced green chilies

1 can of diced tomatoes

Mix in whatever you want-- I don't always add the tomatoes, and once I added black olives and onions. Whatever. Add red pepper flakes for more spice if you don't have kids who need mellow food. :)

Halloween Party

found on Martha Stewart.com

Halloween decorations always make me giddy. When I see pumpkins my eyes light up and my heart beats faster. I went all over Martha Stewart's Halloween stuff yesterday and found these print-able invites for a Halloween party. Fun, right? I know if I got one in the mail I'd make sure I attended.  

How about an egg?

I needed to eat something. I was getting more and more sick by the second and needed food, but of course, nothing sounded good. Dylan tried to brainstorm ideas for me.

Toast?

No. 

OJ?

No. 

Chicken?

No. And then he gets this not-so-genius idea that I want eggs. 

"I'll make them any way you want! Scrambled, boiled, fried, over easy--"

Then I, trying to be snarky, say, "Poached."

To my surprise, Dylan smiled like poached eggs weren't ridiculously hard to make. "Sure! I'll get right on that!"

"Dylan, do you even know how to make poached eggs?"

"Sure. That's when I sneak into the neighbor's house and steal their eggs."

Ohmahgosh. 

Let it begin! Let it begin!

 

FRINGE starts tonight! Aaaaah, I'm so excited to see how Olivia escapes from Walternate. Unfortunately there's no TV at my house so I'll have to wait to see it on Hulu tomorrow. Peter just HAS to figure out he's got the wrong Olivia. 

Castle is great; I am especially a fan of their Halloween episodes. But Fringe is so much more exciting! I've been dying for it to start all summer. BRING ON THE FRINGE SCIENCE!

Some Mornings Are Better Than Others

 

Frequently I coax myself into eating. "Come on, Rachel, just one piece of toast. You can do it, just one bite. Good--now swallow--swallow, okay now one more bite..."

I feel sick and don't want to eat, but if I don't eat I'll feel even more sick. Everyday I mostly sit at home resting, and forcing myself to eat every hour and a half. If I give in and don't eat on that schedule... life is very unpleasant.

Yesterday wasn't so bad. Today... it's just one piece of toast.

Recent Album

There are some fabulous songs on here. You should you-tube it.

Guess What Was For Dinner

Homemade Mac & Cheese

When browsing the internet for a better mac & cheese recipe, I always revert to mine instead. It isn't perfect, but it's easier, faster, and the ingredients are common (except one). Dylan obsesses over it, and we both fight for the leftovers. Fatty carbs! Who can resist?

Recipe curious?

Drive through the canyon with me?

I want a burger? I... what?

Thanks for the gift card, Heather. I'm hooked.

I've never understood people saying "I want a burger." Why? If I went for fast-food, I'd much rather have had Arby's (then again, I still might, especially if curly fries are involved), and then there's Taco Bell, anything chicken at Wendy's, and obviously-- Dominoes-- oy, their new recipe far surpasses any other pizza. But want a burger? Meh. Even at a family BBQ there was always something better on the menu. Now thanks to In-N-Out I understand the concept of burger lust. 

The hype surrounding the place originally made me skeptical;  one opened in Orem and was swamped for three months and every Californian in Utah salivated like a zombie when the yellow arrow was visible. Soon after my first In-N-Out sample I began to provide Dylan with excuses to go back for more. Surprisingly, it's not just the food that's different. 

Every surface in an In-N-Out shines with a clean gleam, people working behind the counter are neither slow, stupid, incompetent nor angry, ingredients are surprisingly real, and the taste...hommina. Holding my cheeseburger in hand, I felt like Willy Wonka beside lickable-wallpaper: the cheese actually tastes like cheese! The bun tastes like bread! The meat has seasoning! Fries are made from actual potatoes! The lettuce is crispy, and if you ask for onions they give you an entire onion slice. Mercy!

Much to my surprise, I... want a burger.

Ah, Make-up! How I love thee.

It's been five days since Monday. That's five days since I've been well enough to leave the house, shower, eat, or sit up without the company of "Mr.Bowl."  This morning I finally got to scrub my disgusting hair. Yaaaaay, cleanliness! Five days has got to be a record for me, cause my hair is nasty greasy (no thanks to genes from my Dad's side). And guess what! Today I got to put on make-up. :) So nice to see my familiar face. 

Though clean, I remain at home whiling away the hours with Fablehaven and trying to eat something every hour or so. Though yesterday I could manage nothing but small sips of 7UP and a 1/4 cup of quinoa, today I swallowed Cilantro-Lime-Rice from a mex restaurant. I liiiiiive!

Yes, I refer to morning sickness. Psh! I had to visit a doctor for severe dehydration two weeks ago and it took 6 1/2 hours in his office for an IV drip to complete. Sheesh! Did you know that when you're really dehydrated your veins take extra-extra-long to absorb liquid? Jiminy, what torture. This kid had better be cute. ;)  

Look familiar?

Name that mountain vista!

Baby Maltby

Coming Spring 2011

Silly me, I almost forgot to tell you! Dylan and I are thrilled that I'm pregnant. We're so excited!

Discipline

"Mr. Discipline," the paddle in Split Infinity, a movie set in 1929.

The word discipline has 9 different definitions, but the one most of us think of is punishment. A more appropriate definition is an "activity, exercise, or regimen that develops or improves a skill; training to act in accordance with the rules." It should be training, and not punishment that springs to mind. 

As I now prepare to be a mom, I admitted to myself that I'm nervous. No matter how much confidence says "you can handle that," my heart freezes in place when I see children ruling the roost while the parents try and try to combat unruly behavior. That could be me, I think. But then I see parents in similar situations with kids that are obedient and respectful and think what do those parents do differently? 

Kids aren't cookie cutters. I'm not kidding myself-- I know for certain that every child will throw unique curve balls that Mom has to sort out and that each child requires different handling. But I also know some parents have smarter strategies that deliver more positive outcomes. In the interest of boosting my confidence I'm determined to discover as many of those as possible before my foremost title in life is "Mom."

Like any good librarian, I'm beginning my quest with book research. I'll be sure to share some tidbits here, but keep in mind that I have little experience myself; I'm simply repeating my findings.

Guess What Was For Dinner

Cornbread & Paula Deen's White Bean Chili.

I think the Betty Crocker white bean chili is better, actually. But Paula's favored those with a super-spicy palette, so of course Dylan loved it. :)

I Love All Little Birdies

but they never hold still long enough to see!

The Meanest Mom

Great thanks to Bill, who told me about THE MEANEST MOM: a blog with the wittiest prose I have read in ages. 'Meanest Mom' posts true stories of her family, and they're awesome. My favorite posts thus far have been her responses to "Car Booster Seats," "The Cake," and "The Nudists." "Soccer Shoes" was also good.

Tee hee hee hee. It sort of reminds me of when some of my nephews complained about the food they got for dinner, and my brother (their father) decided that until they learned to be grateful for what they had they could eat oatmeal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oooooh, so effective!