The Weekend And Some Yummyness

Dallin and I went home to Pasco this weekend for Quentin's farewell (which was wonderful). We're starting to hate the road between here and Pasco though. We've made that trip so many times lately, we're going insane! Thank goodness the next time we make the trip we'll be there for a month.

But, on to other subjects. Like the fun we had this weekend! Saturday we helped my mom and dad with yard work, which was wonderful, because I have been itching to get out and plant flowers. I don't know why, but I have been wanting a garden so much this summer! But, being that we live in an apartment with a little deck, I don't think that's gonna happen. Someday, someday. Tara and Emiline were down from Yakima and David and the boys joined them Saturday night and we had some fun hanging out with them. On Sunday, since my parents church doesn't start til 1:00, the kids were running wild until about noon, and Dallin and the boys got into a dog pile/wrestling match. It was pretty entertaining. Emiline observed from the background, occasionally running around the destruction giggling. Of course, I had my camera ready and caught it all on film. Er, on an SD? Whatever. You know what I mean.







These kids are total characters. We were laughing so hard all weekend. Here's my favorite shot of Emi.


She may look like she isn't wearing any clothes, but she does have on a diaper and some little bloomers. Just look at that facial expression. Love it.

We had a great time this weekend and loved every moment and can't wait for the month of June! Hooray!

So, while contemplating what to make for dinner this evening, I decided to peruse the Pioneer Woman website. She is an amazing cook and I love trying her recipes. I was given her cookbook for my last birthday from Rachel and Chad and Nate and Staci, to whom I am eternally grateful. This recipe was her Chicken Pot Pie recipe. And oh Hannah, it was delicious. Her pie crust was heavenly and the mix of everything inside the crust was perfect. Dallin added some Tapatio to his portion for a little kick and he loved it. I give it a solid two thumbs up! :) Here it is right out of the oven (please ignore the slightly burnt crust. It still tasted delicious!)





I will post the recipe on here later this week. Trust me, you WANT to make this. It's super easy and super yummy. And the beautiful thing about the Pioneer Woman's recipes is, most often, she uses ingredients that you have on hand all the time. She's thoughtful like that. If you haven't heard of the Pioneer Woman, or you haven't ventured over to her site, click here. You will fall in love. In fact, I think Dallin sometimes wonders if she comes first in my life. That's when I hurriedly assure him that she does. Totally kidding! :) But seriously, she's awesome and I love her. And you will to. And if you just happen to have a few hours of spare time, read the story of how she met her husband. Oh my gosh, it's amazing. Then again, I am a total romance junkie. I love a good love story. (Not like the harlequin dirty romance novels. Promise.) Just good old fashioned love. :) Anyhow, check her out. And now, since it is 12:15 am, I am going to go to bed. Buenas Noches.

Oh Boy!

I had a dream night before last that I had a boy. Surprise, surprise, right? I mean, let's look at the facts. Dallin gives the X or the Y chromosome to determine the sex of the baby, right? Right. Dallin is 1 of 6 boys in his family. His father is 1 of 7 boys in his family. The chances of us having a boy? Pretty high. So, needless to say, I have boy on the brain. I have been looking at cribs and bedding and strollers and highchairs and all those fun things you get to buy when you are prego. And I just stumbled upon this amazingly cute bedding from Target. For a boy, of course. :) I can't help it! I'm in love! I have decided though, no matter what I have, I won't care, I will be just as excited for a little girl as I will a little boy. That being said, I still have boy on the brain. :)

I Never Really Was That Good At Math. . .

Math? Science? No, not so much my forte. History? English? Yes, yes indeed. I could handle those subjects. In fact, I love English and History. Math, not so much. I don't necessarily HATE math, it just doesn't come too easily for me. I'm not so good at it.

So, why am I talking about math here? Well, I had a visit to the doctor yesterday and I found out something that's kinda crazy. I only thought I was 14 weeks along. I was informed I am 16 weeks along. Somewhere in this pregnancy I lost two weeks. And I am totally ok with that. :)

Yes, we're expecting again! And, as you can imagine, we waited this long to tell everyone outside of immediate family because of our last pregnancy and my sudden, "I'm pregnant!" post and then a few days later, "I miscarried" post. Sorry to keep you all out of the loop, but honestly, until today, I really didn't even let myself get excited about this pregnancy, for fear that I would lose it. I know, I know, where's my faith, right? Reality was interfering.

So, now that the news is out, I'll update you on the last few months and my keeping quiet. :) I started feeling nasty and nauseous about the end of February. Smells would send me spiraling downward toward a toilet. And I could never puke. Hated it. I only threw up once. I just wanted relief! But, I am mostly over all that now. I still get the occasional bout of nausea but, for the most part, I am over it. Thank goodness! As far as being tired, HOLY CRAP. I am convinced if I was left alone to sleep for 20 hours out of the day, I could have. I felt exhausted all the time. I just wanted to nap all day, every day. Now I have a lot more energy, but I still get tired way easily. Other than that, no crazy cravings (yet) and lots of weird, vivid dreams. Oh, and I'm getting fat. Yippee! :) Seriously, not liking the thick mid-section, but there's gotta be some room for new baby Calaway, right? I guess I can stretch for him/her. :)

Oh, and we're not gonna find out the sex. Sorry. We want to be surprised, so you get to be surprised with us! Isn't that fun?? :) We decided we want Christmas to come early this year, in the form of the newest member of our little family.

I'm due October 29th. Yes, that would be the day before my 23rd birthday. Happy Birthday to me! Who knows, maybe I will share my birthday with our baby! That would be pretty awesome.

I have ultrasound pictures to show you too, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I am enjoying them. I think I could look at this new little wee babe all day long. I've fallen in love again. :) I think Dallin has too. We already love this little alien creature inside of me. (Seriously, some of the pictures today were scarily similar to the aliens on Independence Day. Thank goodness at our next appointment he/she will look more normal! :))

So, here they are, enjoy!! Oh, and Hillary, Ashley Furness, or Tammy Furness, Sadie, anybody that has contact with Bishop Egbert: Please tell him for us that we are expecting. He told us he wanted to know when I was pregnant again. Thank you a million!



Profile Picture. This kid did NOT want to be photographed today. The fact that we got this shot was quite amazing.

See the hand at the mouth? Every time we tried to look at his/her face, he/she covered it's face with their hand or would turn their face downward. Pretty cute for an alien baby though. :)

Perspective

Do you remember what was going on last September in mine and Dallin's life? Probably not, and I don't really expect you to, because you have your own important lives to lead. But, I remember it, clear as day. We had just found out that I was going to miscarry my first pregnancy. I was scared, hurt, afraid, seemingly alone. But then, I was reminded of the love of my Heavenly Father and the love of my amazing family and friends and I realized this was one trial I could, and would make it through. Fast forward to now.


I have this amazing sister in law named Hillary who is going through something WAY worse than what I went through and she is taking it all on like a champ. My experience pales in comparison. I have learned SO much because of her amazing example. If you haven't met her, you really should. She is so wonderful and I am beyond grateful for the love and friendship we share. If you want to read about her experience, I suggest clicking here first. Then, see how it all progresses. You won't regret it.

My Angel Mother

(Wasn't she a total babe?? Who am I kidding, she still is!)


"Yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

I don't know that there was ever a time in my life that I doubted my mother knowing the gospel was true. In everything she did, she was an example of what she hoped we all would be. I owe all that I am to my mother. She has taught me how to cook, how to sew, how to sing, but more importantly, how to love, how to share, how to be the best person I can be. She is my best friend and my confidant. I love her with all my heart. Thank you, Mom, for being such an amazing person. I love you! Happy Mother's Day!



This wouldn't be a complete post without my expressing my gratitude for my amazing Mother-in-law, Valerie as well. As I have been in the family now for about a year and a half, my relationship with Valerie has been strengthened and I am so grateful for all she has done and all she continues to do for me. We became a lot closer while Dallin and I lived with she and Jeff from January to April. I was amazed by her selflessness, her love for all she came in contact with, her dedication and her faith. I learned so much from her while we lived there. I am so grateful for the wonderful woman she is and I am so proud to be her daughter-in-law. Thank you, Valerie, for being another mother and example that I can look to. You have become one of my best friends and I love you. Happy Mother's Day!

Milks Favorite Cookie

Last night I had this wonderful idea to make the most delicious cookies ever. And so I did. And they were delicious. These cookies, folks, are pretty difficult to make, but they are so worth it. Ok, who am I kidding? They're quite possibly the EASIEST cookie to make. Homemade Oreo's. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is. I think I need to go grab one. . . or not. I don't need any extra weight around the middle, seeing as swimsuit season is fast approaching. If you have ever had an Oreo Cakester and loved it, then you will love these cookies x10. Even if you haven't had an Oreo Cakester or if you don't even like Oreo's in general, you will love these. They will become your favorite "go-to" cookie. So, without further ado, let me share the recipe and some delicious looking pictures for you all to enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup shortening

(Yes, that's really all the ingredients)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together until well blended, then shape into small balls. (well, whatever size cookie you want. I make mine small so that they are similar sized to an actual Oreo, but you can make em big if you wanna! Just remember, the smaller they are, the more you can eat and not feel guilty about, right?! Right?? Please, just agree with me!) Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes and then let cool. Frost with either vanilla or cream cheese frosting and smoosh cookies together, like an Oreo. And, voila! Homemade Oreos!

If I am feeling particularly ambitious, I make homemade cream cheese frosting. Last night, however, I was not, so I used some Betty Crocker Vanilla frosting out of the can, and you know what? It's amazing. So, don't be ambitious. It's totally over-rated. I promise. And now, the pictures. Yay! :)






Now, go make some! And enjoy them for me, please. :)

Do You Read Nie Nie?

I haven't started reading Nie Nie. For some reason, I just haven't. I really don't know why. Maybe because I am a total softy and reading that might just make me too sad? Who knows. I do, however, know the story of what happened to Nie Nie and Mr. Nielsen. And I was inspired when I heard that they climbed up to the Y in Provo. I haven't even done that. But, when I stumbled upon this video yesterday, via Mormon Mommy Blogs, I felt so blessed. What an amazing man and woman, to come out of a trial like that and to be grateful for all they have. I suddenly realized how often I complain about my stomach or thighs getting a little flabby or my hair not working with me, or some other silly, petty complaint. What on earth do I have to complain about? Absolutely NOTHING when compared to Stephanie Nielsen. She is an inspiration to us all. And I think I might just start reading Nie Nie.