WORDS MAKING SOUND

its hard to wake up

2012-01-24T21:24:00.003-06:00

movie monday

2012-01-23T19:14:00.002-06:00

This is from a few weeks ago, but Dave just showed me how to put videos on the blog from my phone. So here.we.go.

And 1,000 cool points if you can name the song playing in the background.

best gift ever

2012-01-21T20:46:00.002-06:00

I have really cute videos of him that I will post if I can ever figure out how to do it.

max - the joy giver

2012-01-19T17:02:00.002-06:00

Za asked me to post this picture, and of course I would have anyway, but it was awesome that she was able to communicate that!

She had a really great day with lots of new improvements. To read all about it, please visit her Caring Bridge site here

za update

2012-01-19T09:34:00.003-06:00

If you would like to see daily updates about Za , please visit her Caring Bridge site here

Thank you for your support and your prayers!

Za

2012-01-17T15:30:00.003-06:00

My grandma, Za, has been in the hospital since last week. She had a brain hemorrhage which is very similar to a stroke. She has a very hard time communicating and doesn't have use of her left side. It has been very scary! But thankfully she is improving little by little every day.
For those of you looking for an update, here it is:
She is able to talk more and more each day and has been swallowing some liquids, which is so great! However, they have been unsuccessful at stabilizing her blood pressure. It's too high, which is dangerous in her condition. Please pray that the medical staff is able to figure out the appropriate medication and dosage to stabilize her blood pressure and that she regains use of her left side.

We love you, Za!

resolutions

2012-01-13T20:30:00.002-06:00

I'm not big on resolutions. They usually are outlandish goals that just get ditched a few weeks into January. These are small scale goals that I feel can easily be achieved. My kind of resolutions.

Here they are in no particular order:

- wear more skirts and dresses

- use my plethora of cookbooks

- be honest when someone says "where would you like to eat?" I feel like everyone on the planet is just all "oh, wherever is fine..." when they really have an idea of where they would like to go. I'm that way anyway.

- spend time with God at least four times a week. This sounds easy, but it's not.

I'm well on my way to accomplishing all of these. I bought a dress. I spent time with God today.
Although they are all on going things and not one time accomplishments, so I'm not even sure they count. Whatever.

2 months

2012-01-11T19:06:00.007-06:00

I just taught myself how to do this in photoshop and I'm pretty proud

Here is Olive, as Justin says, sneak attacking her love

Here are your two months stats, Max:

- you are smiling and on the verge of giggling. Can't wait to hear your giggle!
- you have found your fist and suck on it often
- you have started liking (and smiling at) your toys, particularly your lowly worm rattle and monkey rattle
- you are growing out of your newborn clothes!
- you are 10 pounds, 13 ounces

You are the joy of my heart, Max.

the shower of showers

2012-01-10T21:51:00.010-06:00

All of my showers were amazing, but I wanted to highlight one in particular. My friends are so amazingly talented at throwing a party! Here is a sampling of their creativity and hard work.

Check it:

These were the party favors. Inside the cups were onesie shaped cookies!

Everyone was given a letter of the alphabet to decorate for the nursery - they turned out so cute!

Check out my big belly. And just think, all that time I thought I was having a girl!

Me and the party planners. I'm sure they would be available for hire if anyone needs help with a party. They are so amazing and creative! Thank you Becky, Janet, and Rachel!

Max's gift to the grandparents

2012-01-07T21:16:00.002-06:00

I don't have a picture of the finished product, so imagine these footprint ornaments with red ribbon on the sides and a wire hanger on top.

I got the idea from my best friend, Pinterest.

cousins!

2012-01-05T18:45:00.002-06:00

squirt's first christmas

2012-01-04T20:35:00.011-06:00

There was basically just a lot of this:

Lots of loving on the kiddo. Note his super cute dude outfit.

and his equally cute christmas jammies. I obviously take no pleasure in dressing him.

book worm

2011-12-27T21:28:00.002-06:00

I tried really hard to get him to wear Dave's glasses, but he's getting too old, too self aware. He would have none of my tom foolery. You can even tell by this picture that he was not digging my photo shoot.

In other news, we survived Christmas! I will be posting pictures from Max's first Christmas shortly. I know you will be waiting on the edge of your seat.

Santa loves my kid

2011-12-20T20:15:00.006-06:00

We took Max to see Santa and it was a hoot! We waited in line FOREVER which gave us plenty of time to contemplate why it costs so darn much to sit on Santa's lap for two seconds. I think it's how Santa funds his whole toy making operation.

And of course I had him dressed in a little Santa suit of his own.

Max was sleeping the whole time we waited in line and seriously woke up five minutes before it was our turn. It was perfect! And when Dave went to go get him after the picture, Santa was over heard saying, "aren't you just the cutest baby in the whole world?!"

And really....Santa would know.

Oh, and here is his five week pic. Don't worry, I wont do this every week of his whole life. Maybe.

odds and ends

2011-12-17T16:01:00.004-06:00

I realize this is turning into a baby blog, but if you were to ask "what are the Hildens up to?" Max is what we are up to, so.

Here are some random pictures that I want documented:

This is one of my favorite pictures so far!

Our little guy is growing and changing so much already!

In other news: we went on our first date sans kid! We dropped him off at my parents house and went to see the Muppet movie which we both thoroughly enjoyed and I didnt cry or anything when we left him, so success!

one month

2011-12-11T15:48:00.002-06:00

Maxwell David is one month already!

Here are your one month stats, Max:

- you smile in your sleep all the time and it's SO cute! Please smile when you are awake soon
- you are now nursing like a champ and I'm so glad!
- you have been to see a cranial sacral specialist three times
- you are 8.1 pounds

buddies

2011-12-08T19:22:00.003-06:00

Judah Nicholas Solberg and Maxwell David Hilden, born a week apart - almost to the minute!

three weeks

2011-12-05T11:32:00.002-06:00

the weekend

2011-12-04T11:46:00.008-06:00

Friday night was our annual Christmas cookie baking extravaganza!

We also had Grandpa Glen's 80th Birthday party

There were nine cousins and second cousins. Eight of them were three and under!

And this picture has nothing to do with anything, except that I love my kid's feet!

squirt update

2011-11-29T19:14:00.003-06:00

Things are settling down, thankfully. We are easing into a routine and although we still have some things to figure out with the whole nursing situation, things are most definitely looking up! And Max is, of course, super adorable.

a rough start

2011-11-27T17:51:00.005-06:00

warning: this post contains much talk of breast feeding

Ever since my milk came in, homeboy has had a hard time latching on and the considerable pain became crazy pain. I just thought I had to tough it out since everyone said I would have pain in the first few weeks. Well, about a week after coming home from the hospital, I got chills and a high fever. My midwife said I most likely had mastitis (a breast infection) and put me on an antibiotic. I was very allergic to this drug, however, and broke out in an all body rash. 24 hours later, I still had a high fever and it was just getting higher. When it got to 104.9 we went to the emergency room and they ended up admitting me. We were there for three days. After lots of IV antibiotics (a different one thankfully) I'm on the road to recovery! So, that was our first two weeks of being parents. Whew! And because of all the crazy shenanigans, I haven't really had a chance to take many pictures of our little guy. I missed his one week picture for instance, which pretty much breaks my heart, but I took a really cute two week picture that I'll share soon. But here are a few cell phone pictures to tide you over. Enjoy!

the greatest beloved

2011-11-14T19:03:00.007-06:00

Maxwell David = the greatest beloved

Our son is here! Maxwell was born on November 10th at 4:15pm. He weighed in at 7.4 and 20 inches long.

Welcome to the world Maxwell! You are a gift.

Fun-raiser

2011-11-08T19:45:00.006-06:00

See what I did there? A little play on words because our fundraisers are always FUN! Cheesy I know, but I couldn't help myself.
For those of you that don't know, a little over a year ago Dave and I helped to start a non-profit called Seeds For Change. It's an after school program for at risk youth in St. Louis Park. This was our second annual fundraising dinner and it was awesome!

There was a silent auction

And live entertainment by Ben Lubeck who is the lead singer of the band Farewell Milwaukee

It was a great night and we were able to raise a bit of money for our program! If you were unable to attend or didn't know about it and would like to donate, please do so here. Thanks so much. Every little bit helps!

squirt update

2011-11-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

We are getting to the end of the road folks. Hopefully there wont be too many more of these updates. Well, there will be lots more, but soon the updates will include the cute, chubby face of a baby! YAHOO!

I have to admit, I'm getting a bit anxious to meet this babe of ours. Come soon, Baby Hilden!

Halloween Fun

2011-11-02T19:15:00.008-05:00

My sister is known for her Halloween parties. They are themed and elaborate and awesome. This year it was a Tim Burton party.

Dave went as Tim Burton and I went as a big black whale. Just kidding. I was supposed to be Helena Bonham Carter, but I most resembled a whale. Is there a whale in one of Tim Burton's stories?

Kellie was the corpse bride

Great party once again, Kel!

Happy Halloween from the Hildens!

2011-10-31T12:37:00.002-05:00

squirt update

2011-10-20T19:34:00.002-05:00

So, I've given up on the veggie/fruit comparisons. They are getting more obscure and I don't want to make any more special trips to the store ok??

Our nursery project is coming along. Dave put the crib together and we have a book shelf. That's about it. That's all a kid needs right?

apple jacks

2011-10-18T13:59:00.006-05:00

Going to the apple orchard is one of my very favorite fall activities. The last few years we have been going to Apple Jacks. So much fun! Here are the highlights.

Charles wanted to pose with us in this one. So cute!

lunch date

2011-10-15T22:11:00.007-05:00

On Friday I went downtown to have lunch with Dave. This may not seem remarkable, but it was. The reason is, I have never done it before. WHAT THE WHAT?! That's right. Friday was the first time we have had lunch together downtown. I used to have a full time job that didn't permit me to be away that long for lunch and now that my hours are more flexible, I'm still in the mindset that having lunch is not in the cards for us. But it is! And it was fun!

We got lunch from a food truck called World Street Kitchen.

The dish was called Yum Yum rice bowl, very appropriately named.

The excitement for the day didn't end with the lunch date. When I went to pick up Dave from work, protesters were everywhere! They were just sitting in the middle of Marquette so we had to drive the wrong way on a one way and then drive down Nicollet (where no cars are allowed to drive!!). We felt like we were breaking the rules!

And then I came home and made these. I'm obviously not great at making orange frosting. I need one of those fancy coloring kits. And I apparently need more dish soap.

I love season themed sugar cookies.

Solberg Family Photo Shoot

2011-10-13T08:52:00.006-05:00

I was privileged to take the Solberg's Family photos last weekend. When Becky asked me to take their photos, I was a little nervous, I've never done it before! But I think they turned out pretty good! Here's a little sampling so you can see their cute little (but growing) family.

cheese balls

2011-10-11T11:01:00.008-05:00

So, I forced Dave to do a cheesy belly shoot with me. It's ok, you can laugh. I wasn't going to do one, but then everyone kept asking me about it and I figured I would want those pictures someday. It turned out, I want those pictures now! I think most of them turned out pretty cute, and not THAT cheesy.

We'll start with a silly one. Dave insisted on doing one with him in the background all blurry to make it look super creepy. Mission accomplished!

And here are some nice ones

Ok, a few more silly ones. We couldn't get through very many without making fun of ourselves.

And this one is my favorite. I think it was all worth it for this picture alone!

Dear Dave,
Thank you for cooperating even though I know you didn't want to. BEST HUSBAND EVER!

squirt update

2011-10-06T09:06:00.004-05:00

The weight of a pineapple

Our little squirt is getting big! A little over four pounds now (give or take) and this mama-to-be is starting to feel a little uncomfortable. You know...just with the lack of oxygen and the rib pain and heart burn. But to be honest, it's really not that bad. I love being pregnant for the most part!

Now if only we would kick our butts into gear and get that nursery done. Time is getting short!

cabin!

2011-10-04T07:59:00.011-05:00

This was our last trip to the cabin sans baby, which was really strange to think about. It was a gorgeous weekend! We couldn't have asked for better weather.

The guys, of course, chopped wood like they always do this time of year. Dave said he chopped enough wood to make up for all the Gilmore girls we have been watching. HA!

Dave took these next few pics
He thought this shot of the garage looked super old school.

I'm pretty sure it was peak weekend for the leaves. So beautiful!

Dear Cabin,
Next time we see you, we get to introduce you to a new member of the family. Cant wait!

babymoon

2011-09-26T15:47:00.010-05:00

We spent our "last hurrah" weekend in Lanseboro, one of our favorite places!! It was the perfect little getaway for us. Here are the picture highlights.

I crave pie almost all the time, so I was really excited about my apple pie ala mode at the famous little pie shop in Walen, a little town right next to Lanesboro.
And....here is Dave making fun of me.

When we go to Lanesboro, we stay at the Inn at Sacred Clay Farm. They have 100 acres of land, so we hiked up this bluff to a great look out spot. I have never huffed and puffed so much in my life but it was fun!

Here's a little peak at our room

squirt update

2011-09-22T15:19:00.002-05:00

the weight of four navel oranges

You can't really tell I'm holding four oranges, but I totally am. Also, if you are keeping track, you may have noticed that I skipped a week. I have been doing updates every two weeks, on the even weeks. I like even numbers more than odd ones. Strange?
Anyway, I kid you not, last week the corresponding veggie was ANOTHER CABBAGE!! Seriously, how many different kinds of cabbages are they going to compare this kid to??

Things are going great though. We are in the final stretch with just two months to go! We are painting on Friday and getting our crib on Saturday. So many exciting things!

Chow Mein

2011-09-19T11:09:00.002-05:00

When I was young I went to a school called Parkvalley. The school cook was Mrs. McGinty and she was a GREAT cook. She was the one that taught us to bake our grilled cheese instead of cook them on the stove top. Best grilled cheese sandwiches EVER. This chow mein recipe came from her. It's super easy and super delicious!

Hamburger Chow Mein

1 lb hamburger
1 cup onion diced
2 cups celery chopped
1 can beef broth
1/2 can chicken broth
3 Tbl soy sauce
4 Tbl corn starch
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger with onions and celery. Add beef broth, chicken broth and soy sauce. Heat to boiling and add corn starch (dissolve corn starch in some water before adding or you will get lumps of corn starch in the sauce) stir until thickened. Add salt and pepper. Serve over rice and chow mein noodles.

Enjoy!

our state fair is a great state fair

2011-09-12T14:53:00.011-05:00

Bus ride to the fair!

A year at the fair would not be complete without Dave's genie shirt. The evidence can be seen here.

Hello cheese curds!

I just wanted to show you the crowd on one of the days I went, in case you wanted to have nightmares later. It set an attendance record that day.

There used to be a phone booth where they are standing and it's where my mom called the doctor to find out she was pregnant with Kellie. My parents point it out to her EVERY year. She loves it.

I also took pictures of all the friends and family we ran into

Fun right?

squirt update

2011-09-06T19:04:00.003-05:00

The weight of a Chinese cabbage

I decided to go without the corresponding veggie/fruit this week because we've eaten A LOT of cabbage this summer and I didn't want to buy another one. So you can just imagine it.

Week 28 had it's ups and downs.

Downs: failing my glucose test and having to go in for a FOUR HOUR fasting glucose test. It was not fun. I still have bruises from the four blood draws they had to do. It's never good when they are feeling for a vein and say "oh...you have tiny veins"

Ups: I passed my second test!! YAY!

We are actually in week 29 now. And I've hit another mile stone. Appointments every two weeks! Time is flying.

Night of Nights: Raccoon

2011-09-01T20:09:00.009-05:00

While on vacation, I had some mind altering revelations.

1. Hey, I can stay up as late as I want.

2. We are up in the woods.

3. Raccoons hang out in the woods.

Number 3 was a real eye opener. I became obsessed with seeing a raccoon. The people around me made fun. I laughed in their faces. I knew I could snap a picture of a raccoon.

Picture this: it's late at night, and I hear something out on the deck.....BLAM-O there is a raccoon out there! I quick grab the camera and prepare myself for some incredible raccoon shots. Well, I couldn't figure out how to get the camera to work properly and my photos turned out all blurry and worthless.

The very next night I committed myself to the cause. I grabbed a good book, and went down to the basement of the cabin. Basement porch had great lighting. SO great in fact, that I was able to read by the light of the outside light. I pulled the couch as close as I could to the basement sliding glass door and got my read on.....I waited.....and waited. Around 11:30 I still had hope.

Around 1:00 am, I gave up. I thought "this fat raccoon has me beat. there is no way he'll ever show up for the nice little pile of orange raspberry scones that someone left out there." I ended up turning off the porch light and going to bed. Lucky for me I only had 30 pages left of my book and referred back to revelation number 1 "Hey, I can stay up as late as I want". I finished my book, and I made the decision to check out the porch one more time. Jackpot.

welcome to the world

2011-08-24T20:28:00.006-05:00

We have a new niece! Juliet Ellen was born on August 21st and is just beautiful and perfect!

Welcome to the world little one!

squirt update

2011-08-20T18:38:00.007-05:00

The length of an English cucumber

Doesn't he look radiant?? Just positively glowing if you ask me.

Ok, so here are the real ones.

Blueberry Dream

2011-08-18T14:29:00.003-05:00

This is super yummy, but pretty rich. I had a hard time finishing my bowl. Give it a try! It's pretty to look at too!

Blueberry Dream
adapted from Food Network Magazine

2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
powdered sugar
vanilla
shortbread or wafer cookies for serving

Make the blueberry sauce: heat 1 1/2 cups blueberries, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until blueberries are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, remove from heat, stir in the remaining blueberries and let mixture cool to room temperature

Beat the heavy cream in a bowl with a mixer until soft peaks form. mix in powdered sugar and vanilla (I never measure, I just eye ball it) Gently fold in the blueberry mixture. Divide among bowls and serve with cookies.

Enjoy!

what I did on my summer vacation

2011-08-16T13:59:00.013-05:00

We just spent 10 glorious days on vacation. At the cabin. It went by way too fast, as all vacations do, but we are thankful for the time away.

This is after seeing Planet of the Apes

No summer vacation would be complete without a rope swing!

squirt update

2011-08-05T11:18:00.005-05:00

The length of an ear of corn

The bambino is growing like crazy and wearing me out! Some days I feel just as tired as I did in my first trimester. Here's to hoping I actually have enough energy to start and complete the nursery project!

strange date

2011-08-03T08:55:00.004-05:00

I finally got my date at the hospital. Dave wasn't as excited about eating hospital cafeteria food as I was, but he was a good sport. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out this post.

The grilled cheese was great! Just how I remembered it. I even treated myself to a fountain coke. I have been craving one for months! But we learned something very valuable that night: don't let Jessica get over hungry or there will surely be tears.

Janet, this next bit is for you. This is a picture of one of our favorite places. Rustica. I NEED to take you there. I keep thinking of all the places I need to take you or that we need to try together. I can't wait!!

opera in the park raspberry bars

2011-07-27T10:21:00.003-05:00

These bars are fiercely delicious. So fresh and summery.

Opera-in-the-park raspberry bars
from the penzey spice catalog

Crumb Layers:
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp, baking soda

Filling:
3 1/2 cups raspberries (I just used two pints - it came out to about 3 cups)
2 Tb. raspberry enlightenment (found at Penzey's)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tb corn starch
1/3 cup oatmeal
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl combine the ingredients for the crumb layers. Mix until crumbly. Press about 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan and set aside.
For the filling, combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool until only slightly warm. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 until the topping is golden and the raspberry filling is bubbling near the center, about 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

besties photo shoot

2011-07-25T12:09:00.008-05:00

Our friend Amanda is a talented photographer, and when they were visiting a few months ago, she took a besties photo shoot with Dave and Caleb.

Behold:

squirt update

2011-07-22T07:44:00.004-05:00

butternut squash

It's really supposed to be spaghetti squash this week, but the spaghetti squashes at the store are gigantic right now. Butternut squash is actually in a few weeks but that seemed the more appropriate size, so I just did a little squash swap.

It feels good to be a little over halfway now. It also feels good to be obviously pregnant instead of just excessively chubby.

Here are some outtakes from our little photo shoot.

Doesn't she look like Ed, the crazy hyena from Lion King?? HA!

pizza train

2011-07-20T11:10:00.011-05:00

To celebrate Roger's birthday, we took a ride on the Osceola Railway! We were served pizza while on board so Asher referred to it as the "pizza train."

Ice cream and coffee in Osceola before we boarded was a must!

Chloe was there too. Somehow I managed to not get any pictures of her. Sorry Chloe!

It was such a fun, historic ride. You should check it out if you have a chance!

downtown day of fun

2011-07-15T09:37:00.016-05:00

For birthdays and christmas, Roger prefers "experiential" gifts as opposed to a gift he can open. So for his Christmas present (yes, Christmas) we took him to the baseball museum, to explore the Guthrie as well as the stone arch bridge, and then dinner at Old Spag. We were supposed to go to the Mill City Museum, but that was closed due to the government shut down.

The baseball museum was interesting. Not what I expected at all. It was like walking through someone's musty basement, but it was neat to see all the old World Series artifacts and such.

The Guthrie is one of my very favorite places to go and Roger and Linda had never been there, so it was really fun to show them around.

View from the endless bridge.

And we went to part of the Guthrie that I had never seen before. A lookout spot with amber glass!

Then it was stone arch bridge time!

And finally, we had dinner. I dont have any pictures of that because I was too busy oohing and ahhing over ever.single.componant of my meal. Seriously.

creepy carnival

2011-07-11T11:25:00.008-05:00

Our town has a celebration every year called Whiz Bang Days and they have all kinds of things to do, including a carnival. We have never been to said carnival so this year we decided we should go. It was....interesting. I'm not even sure how to adequately describe this carnival for you. It was creepy. It was tiny which just made it somewhat awkward. The rides were ancient, as in something you would see on American Pickers, not at an operational carnival. The ride and game operators were stereotypical if you get my drift. We both decided one time at this particular carnival was enough for a lifetime. Here are some pictures. I gave them all a 70's tint since that's when the rides should have been RETIRED.

We did stay long enough to grab some grub (who can pass up cheese curds??) but we took our food outside of the carnival grounds, out where normalcy reigns and where we were free from the crazy carnival time warp.

squirt update

2011-07-08T22:54:00.006-05:00

Heirloom tomato

Do you love how our grill is in every one of these pictures?? We grill alot, ok?

Banana

And now for an introduction:

Skeletor (or Skelly as Dave says) meet the world. World....I give you skeletor

I really like the close up of the face, but it's so skeletal, it's a bit funny! The bottom one is my favorite though. A head, two hands, two feet. So cute!
I have to say....that ultrasound was pretty much the coolest 20 minutes of my life. I LOVED it!

the 4th

2011-07-06T10:25:00.009-05:00

We had a full day on the 4th. I baked almost all day and made these little beauties, along with a few other things.

These might look familiar if you get, or have seen the Martha Stewart magazine this month. They were on the cover! They are time consuming but really easy. You just make regular sugar cookies, cut them out, bake them, frost them with white icing and then pipe circles onto the white in red and blue. Take a tooth pick and draw lines through the circles to create different designs.

We went over to my Aunt and Uncle's house for dinner to celebrate the 4th as well as my little cousin's 2nd birthday!

We went over to the Hilden's as well, so after all that I was close-to-tears tired and we sadly didnt even make it to fireworks. I'm such a traditionalist that this really bummed me out, but our town's celebration is this weekend so we have those fireworks to look forward to!

10 years

2011-07-03T21:46:00.013-05:00

Dave and I have now officially been out of high school for 10 years. A decade. It just sounds like a long time. Sorry to those of you who have been out longer than that, it's just a strange place to be suddenly. Being out ten years means that we also had our 10 year reunion. Some people dread their reunions, but not me. We went to a really small school so our class was really close and all good friends. The reunion was so fun!

We were the Southwest Stars, so naturally I had some star themed decorations

Doesn't this look like a fun group of individuals??

Not everyone was able to make it. Chris, Ben, Rachel, Kristie, Naomi, Natalie, and Dave: We missed you guys! Hope you can make it next time. And to everyone else: We hope we get to see you before another decade rolls around!

blog happy

2011-06-28T09:13:00.004-05:00

I'm sure by now you are all familiar (or at least have seen) our other blog Crap That Dave Says.

And now, because we are blog happy, we bring you a new blog for your reading pleasure:

Crap That Dave Dreams

Now, for un unlimited time and for the low cost of nothing dollars and nada cents, you can experience the crazy, the funny, the insane look into Dave's dream life.

Warning: it may not be for the faint of heart.

Read on friends.

squirt update

2011-06-26T14:58:00.005-05:00

avocado

bell pepper

This one is for Janet who asked for an unobstructed belly shot. Question: why is my belly pointy in this picture??

The next time we have a squirt update, we'll have ultrasound pictures to share. YAY!

dinner last night: stuffed peppers

2011-06-24T09:37:00.002-05:00

This is SUPER yum and it's making me hungry just typing about it.

Stuffed Peppers
from the kitchen of Laurie Amos

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 cup water
4 green bell peppers
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
shredded cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.
3. Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
4. In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers. (I just poured it in the pan and around the peppers)
5. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven. When 10-15 min from being done, top each pepper with shredded cheese and return to the oven.

ENJOY!!

advance australia fair

2011-06-20T08:46:00.014-05:00

Our friends from Australia came to stay with us for a week! We love when they come to visit. We just wish they didn't live on the other side of the world! Here's our week in pictures:

Amanda took a lumberjack photoshoot with the guys. More pictures to come I'm sure.

Come back soon friends!

squirt update

2011-06-08T19:07:00.003-05:00

We are now in week 16. It's exciting to get to each new week and read about all the little developments going on with our little squirt.

In other news: there's a chance that I went to a movie theater today, not to watch a movie, but to purchase pretzel bites. I had to. They were perfect.

my strangest craving

2011-06-03T13:56:00.003-05:00

People have been asking me what my strangest craving has been. For the most part I've craved normal things like fruit, specifically peaches. But there is one thing that I want that is a bit out of the ordinary.

Grilled cheese

Ok, that's not weird, but here's the rest of it:

Grilled cheese from a hospital cafeteria. What the what??

There's a bit of a story behind it. You see, when I was in high school, I volunteered at Methodist Hospital delivering flowers to patients (it was AWESOME!) and every night I volunteered I got a free meal in the cafeteria and every time I would get a grilled cheese sandwich, fountain coke and twist soft serve in a dish. I clearly had a different metabolism back then.
My sister in law had a baby recently and while we were at the hospital, visions of hospital grilled cheese sandwiches danced in my head. I don't know if you've been to many hospital cafeterias, but i have to say that Methodist is the best in the area.

Dave owes me a date there. It will be awesome.

stop everything and make these!!

2011-05-25T11:49:00.004-05:00

I have been craving peaches like mad and so far they haven't been in too many stores, so I found this recipe for peach Popsicles that you can make with frozen peaches and they are TO DIE FOR!! Seriously, make them. You wont be disappointed.

Peach-Vanilla Cream Pop
adapted from Bon Appetit

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
16 oz frozen peaches slightly thawed
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cups greek style yogurt

Place sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Add vanilla. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.
Transfer syrup to a small bowl and chill.
Puree syrup and peaches in food processor or blender until VERY smooth.
Whisk in remaining ingredients. Divide among Popsicle molds, or just use some small freezer safe containers. Freeze.

ENJOY!!!

my favorite

2011-05-23T22:05:00.004-05:00

The tree in our front yard

our little squirt

2011-05-21T14:29:00.006-05:00

There are several websites that compare the size of a growing baby to fruits and veggies. It's kind of nice to have that mental comparison, but we took it one step further. I cant take credit for this idea though, I saw it somewhere in the world wide web, but cant remember where.

We have been taking pictures of me with the fruit that is represented for that week. Here is a sampling of our pics:

Blueberry

Kumquat

You can just start to see a growing belly in this one!

Lime

We are now in week 13, and I'm just starting to get my energy back. YAY!!

wine and cheese soiree

2011-05-17T19:34:00.012-05:00

My sister Kellie has class, that's why for her birthday/graduation party, she had a wine and cheese soiree. It was lovely. And delicious! I stuck to the sparkling juice of course.

My dad is practicing!

the end of an era

2011-05-10T19:35:00.005-05:00

My sister and I have been roommates more times over the years than I cant count. Pretty much off and on throughout our entire lives. When I got married I never thought I would have a chance to live with her again. About a year ago, she needed a place to live while going to school so we said, "sure, move in with us!" and it has been a blast!

All that to say, she moved out last weekend. Insert sad face. I miss her.

Roommates for life!! Ok, just for a year, but still.

a late easter post

2011-05-05T09:17:00.007-05:00

When I asked Dave when we were going to color Easter eggs this year, this is the conversation that transpired:

Dave: are we doing that? it seems weird
Jessica: why is it weird? it's good practice. You know we are doing it with our kids!
Dave: well, that actually makes sense. it will just be three adults here doing it. that's weird.

I guess the tradition is so ingrained in me that I don't see anything weird about three adults sitting around the table coloring Easter eggs!

We didn't use a kit this year, just a combination of regular and neon food coloring.
Didn't they turn out nice and bright?

Coloring Easter eggs as an adult is not weird Dave!!

Grandmothers Tea

2011-05-04T10:12:00.005-05:00

Before we got married, my mom hosted a Grandmothers Tea for the Grandmothers on my side as well as David's. It was lovely and I thought it was high time we had another one!

There were THREE pregnant ladies there! Chloe has since had her baby, Samuel Ross, born on Easter!

The whole gang! I love all my grandmothers!!

macy's flower show

2011-04-21T08:42:00.008-05:00

It's a tradition. Every year we go to the flower show at Macy's because by the time the flower show hits, we have had it up to our eye balls with winter and we need a bit of spring. And even though the Macy's Christmas display isn't what it used to be, their flower show is still pretty spectacular!

The lighting was pretty bad in there, so the pictures wont be spectacular, but you'll get the idea.

a little project we're working on

2011-04-13T21:12:00.001-05:00

family night

2011-04-06T18:28:00.004-05:00

Rock band at Hilden Family night!!

hacked

2011-04-05T10:59:00.003-05:00

If you happened to see a strange and mildly inappropriate post here in the last 8 hours, it's because our blog was hacked! YIKES! We are in the midst of fixing it, so if you happen to see anything suspicious, please let us know.

Thanks!

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birds of a feather

2011-03-29T13:49:00.013-05:00

I finally organized my pics! I don't know what took so long. I didn't even take that many while I was there. I'm just lazy I guess.

For an extended weekend I got to spend time with two of my all time best friends in NYC and it was pure bliss! The following pictures are a mixture of phone and camera shots.

I mostly just took pictures of this guy. Can you blame me??

We had an absolute blast eating, talking, laughing, walking, shopping, eating some more, and just being together!

We went to an amazing yarn and fabric store called Purl Soho.

This picture courtesy of Janet because I didnt have a picture of the three of us. What the what?? You can see more pictures over on her blog.

I love you my dear friends! To the moon and back!

a find

2011-03-26T17:33:00.003-05:00

It's been a while for the posting on this site, but we've been traveling (on separate trips) and there's just a lot going on. I will be back with pictures from my amazing travels (if you ask Dave really nicely he might post pics from his) but you can admire this awesome find in the mean time.

It's a jewelry holder that I found at an antique store in NYC. I'm in love.

Orchids

2011-03-10T15:13:00.012-06:00

Last week I went with Chloe and the kids to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to see the Orchid exhibit. It was lovely!

Standing in a warm building, surrounded by exotic flowers, it just felt like spring!

Here are a few funky ones

Photographer in the making

They had this awesome stick house outside that reminded me of Where The Wild Things Are

I CANNOT wait for spring!

split pea soup

2011-03-09T07:46:00.003-06:00

Since it's still winter here (and probably will be FOREVER) I'm still on a soup kick. This one is super easy and super delicious!

Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

8 to 10 fresh parsley stems
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound green split peas
1 large leek, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 stalks celery, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 smoked turkey legs

1. tie the parsley and thyme together with kitchen string and place in a large crockpot. Add the split peas, leek, celery, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. stir to combine. add the turkey legs and 7 cups water. cover and cook on low until peas and meat are tender, 6 to 8 hours.

2. discard the herb bundle. discard the skin and bones from the turkey and shred the meat. vigorously stir the soup to break up the peas and make the soup smoother. stir in the turkey meat. season with salt and pepper.

3. serve with homemade french bread!

The Year of the Roommate

2011-03-07T08:07:00.003-06:00

This year's mix is finally here! For those of you that don't know, every year (around our anniversary) we put together a mix of songs that were special to us or that we listened to constantly over the last year. You can find The Year of the Apartment and The Year of the Dog here.

The Year of the Roommate:

Orchard House - Little Women Soundtrack
Jackie Wilson Said - Van Morrison
Sussudio - Phil Collins
That's What You Get - Paramore
Higher Devotion - Jimmy Eat World
You'll Be In My Heart - Tarzan Soundtrack
Empire State of Mind - Alicia Keys
Thistle & Weed - Mumford & Sons
Blood - The Middle East
Won't Turn Back - Needtobreathe
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show - Neil Diamond
The Only Exception - Paramore
My Hands are Shaking - Dan in Real Life Soundtrack
Looks Like Love - Needtobreathe
If You Want Me To - Ginny Owens
Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
I'll Be Seeing You - Billie Holiday

I finally made them

2011-03-04T09:06:00.004-06:00

Cake pops have been around for a while, originating here, but it has taken me a long time to take the plunge and make them. They aren't hard to make, just tedious. And although they are super cute, I'm not sure they are worth all the effort. My husband would disagree. He loves them! You should make some and decide for yourself.

You can find the original recipe here

and the oscar goes to...

2011-03-01T11:33:00.008-06:00

Scenes from the party!

Red Carpet!

the weekend

2011-02-23T09:21:00.006-06:00

Is it too late to talk about the weekend? Here's my excuse: We got back from the cabin on Monday evening and then yesterday was....really busy. Yes. That's what happened.

We went to the cabin over the weekend just the two of us, which we haven't done since this trip.

I walked over to the sink one morning and saw three deer in the yard. And then suddenly there were six! I only got a picture of this one though. There were more, I swear!

I did quite a bit of knitting. I would have done more if I wasn't so doggone hooked on Words with Friends.

The rest of the time we just sat on the couch. Literally. We hardly moved from the couch all weekend! We were such slugs. This picture is really for this post though, over on our other website

And then we drove home in a blizzard. So, that was fun.

crap that dave says

2011-02-21T18:20:00.002-06:00

I'm sure most of you have seen it already, but if not, I would like to draw your attention to our side bar. There you will find a link to our newest project called Crap That Dave Says.

It all started the other night while I was cracking up about something funny and ridiculous that Dave said and I announced "I'm going to start a blog called Crap That Dave says," kind of as a joke, but then I really did.

Enjoy.

boeuf bourguignon

2011-02-16T18:36:00.003-06:00

It's one of Julie Child's famous dishes. I tried my hand at it for our Valentine dinner. How did it turn out? Hmm...let's just say I didn't do it justice. But. That might be because our oven almost started on fire right before I started making it. I had our Valentine cheesecake in there and my springform pan was dripping butter all over the bottom of the oven. Picture this: kitchen and surrounding rooms filled with smoke and a dizzying smell that I couldn't escape. It was pretty epic.

So after waiting for the oven to cool down so I could scrub it out, I finally started the 4 hour process of the beef dish. And I had one more thing against me. I didn't have tomato paste. The recipe only called for a few tablespoons of it so I thought I could just omit it. That might have been where I went wrong.

In all honesty, both the cheesecake and the main meal turned out just fine and I would encourage anyone to try making it. It was definitely a learning process! Now that I kind of know how to do it, I think I'm going to try it again will the right ingredients. Ha!

I also don't think this is what it's supposed to look like, but I may or may not have skipped a step or two in the "presentation" part of the recipe. Come on Julia......I had already been at it for four hours, I couldn't bother with presentation!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have a piece of leftover cheesecake. Because it's YUM!

valentine garland

2011-02-11T14:23:00.005-06:00

I love garland. It's just so happy and festive. I don't really have much in the way of Valentine decorations, so I thought I would rustle up a little heart garland.

It was super simple. All you need is card stock, scissors and twine or string. It actually would have been easier with a heart shaped punch for the middle hole, but I don't have one of those

Since our Anniversary and Valentine's day are only 5 days apart, we have made it a tradition to stay in on Heart Day and just enjoy a quiet night at home. I'm going to attempt a Julie Child recipe. Details to come I'm sure.

What are your plans?

more about three years

2011-02-10T10:27:00.011-06:00

We had a wonderful time celebrating our anniversary last night! We went to Broder's which is one of our favorite little places. They make their own pasta so it's always super delicious. Here's what we dined on:

looks amazing doesn't it? That's because it was. I wanted to get a picture of the two of us to document our third year, but I only had my phone camera and the food was there on the table, hot and ready to eat. I interrupted our neighbor's conversation to ask if she would take a picture of us with my phone. She accepted, but looked at me like I had just grown another head. We really were having a good time, despite what this picture seems to reveal:

Don't we look awkward?

You can see how we celebrated our first two years here and here

We are traditionalists when it comes to the anniversary gift and this year it was leather. I decided that I was going to make Dave a wallet, so that's what I did. With the help of my sister of course. But I did most of the sewing, promise!

I think it turned out quite nicely. I'm also going to show you the card I made. Mostly because I'm proud of it.

Cute right? Speaking of cards, I made another card recently for a friend of ours. Can you tell what it's supposed to be?? Those of you who already know are not allowed to guess.

And no, the dude is not from the Nickelodeon show "Doug" even though that's what it looks like. HA! Ahhh...that card makes me happy.

What else....oh yes! I have to show you what Dave got me. Because its awesome. And he deserves props because he picked it out with ZERO help from me and hit it out of the park!

Behold:

And this is my favorite part. Look at the inside:

I'm in love.

3 years

2011-02-09T16:09:00.003-06:00

Three years ago today I married my best friend. I know everyone says that but we really were best friends for 12 years before we got marreid. Crazy right??

I love you David!

More anniversary fun to come! I made David's present but cant post pictures until after he opens it tonight. Stay tuned!

image

dinner last night

2011-02-08T14:32:00.005-06:00

This one also came from my mom.

Potato and Ham Chowder

3 Tbsp. butter
1 pound red potatoes (or whatever kind you have)cut in ½ in chunks(about 3 cups)
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup diced celery ( I use ¾ cup)
4 cups milk
1 cup cream
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups cooked ham diced
1 cup corn (optional)
¼ tsp. pepper
2Tbsp. olive oil

Step 1
Melt butter in 3 quart pot over medium heat. Stir in potatoes, onions, and celery. Cover and cook 10-12 min. stirring occasionally until potatoes almost tender. Heat olive oil in a small fry pan then add ham and stir constantly until slightly browned. Deglaze pan with a couple Tbsp. of milk keeping drippings in pan with ham.

Step 2
Whisk ½ cup of milk with the flour until smooth. Stir into potato mixture along with the remaining milk and cream. Add ham and dripping from the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 min. or until thickened, stirring often. Add corn and pepper and simmer 5 min. longer until corn is tender.

Served with homemade french bread and a salad.

the weekend

2011-02-07T10:06:00.008-06:00

Another great weekend!

Here are some highlights:

While we were running errands, we were listening to the ipod on "shuffle" which can be very dangerous, but the ipod was being very kind to us! Especially with this gem:

I got this picture for Dave a long time ago and we finally got it framed and hung!

Psycho Suzi's! It's a super sweet, super themed tiki restaurant.

They have carpet that looks just like wood planks. Crazy!

I started making bread in the form of artisan loaves. It's easy and delicious. I didn't get a chance to take a proper picture before it was mostly devoured!

And we of course watched the big game, but I don't have any pictures of that. I was too busy cheering on the green and yellow!!

the dude

2011-02-04T09:32:00.003-06:00

so, we have this neighbor, and he's kind of an enigma. He's almost always outside. Sun, rain, summer, winter, whatever he is outside. In the summer he is always shirtless and his skin is tanned beyond recognition, as in....looks like he has had leather grafted to his body.

Every time we see him he is either mowing a lawn (his or someone else's) or snow blowing, or shoveling or sitting in his big truck in his driveway smoking.

Even though we see him on almost a daily basis, it's still like a Bigfoot sighting or something. We get quiet and one us whispers "the dude...." like it's a celebrity sighting but we don't want him to know that we know who he is. Or something.

The dude abides.

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dinner last night

2011-02-03T11:34:00.003-06:00

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is adapted from one of my mom's recipes and I'm not sure where the original came from. It's a pretty standard chicken cordon bleu recipe.

Ingredients:
skinless boneless chicken breasts
sliced ham
swiss cheese
cream of mush soup (make sure to get the kind with no MSG)
1 egg
panko crumbs

*pound chicken breasts until they are 1/2 inch thick
*dip chicken breast in beaten egg and then into the bread crumbs
*place chicken in a baking dish
*top chicken with ham and swiss cheese
*top with soup - I don't use the whole can. maybe 1/2 to 3/4 just enough to cover and keep the chicken moist
*bake for 50 minutes covered in a 350 degree oven.

I served it with steamed broccoli and garlic cheese bread. Yum!

weekend

2011-02-01T09:44:00.009-06:00

I can still talk about the weekend right? It's only Tuesday so I'm going to say yes.

This winter has been forever long. Seriously. I need fresh flowers to keep me sane.

Remember when I told you about our extra large visitor? Behold:

I'm paranoid about ice dams, so Dave is trying to quell my fears by scraping off part of the roof. What a guy!

thoughts for a thursday

2011-01-27T13:49:00.004-06:00

There is a suspicious burning smell coming from our car and when I got to work this morning my co-worker said he had a burning smell coming from his car and when he took it in to get looked at, they discovered mice had been living in the engine. So now, of course, I'm thinking we've got the same problem.

We have been leaving our dog out of her kennel while we've been gone for small stints at a time and she has been doing surprisingly well. Hopefully we don't find some hidden stash of doggy droppings around the house.

Reading the paper yesterday I came across an article about Girl Scout Cookies. Apparently this year you don't have to order them. You get the cookies right then and there when you buy them!! This is extremely exciting, don't you think?? I really haven't been able to think about much else. February 2nd or 5th or whenever they start selling them could not come soon enough. I love me some Tagalongs!

We are having a little doggy visitor this weekend. Let me rephrase that. We are having an EXTRA LARGE doggy visitor this weekend - Matt and Chloe's great dane! Hopefully Olive doesn't drive him absolutely batty since his favorite activity is to lay down. And his second favorite activity is to sit. Olive doesn't know what those two things are. Oh boy.

print called "that thursday evening" found here

Exhibit A

2011-01-26T19:24:00.003-06:00

This is why it freaks me out. What is even in there??

i save our christmas cards

2011-01-26T14:22:00.004-06:00

It's almost Valentine's Day and I'm posting about Christmas. That might have something to do with the fact that I just took down our Christmas decorations a few days ago. Don't judge.

I like to save our Christmas cards. It's fun to look back from year to year to see how people have changed and to read their notes. But I had to come up with a way to keep them organized. I actually saw this idea somewhere, and I'm sorry I don't remember where, but it's the perfect solution!

Just hole punch each card and put them together with a little metal clip. Add a tag with the year and presto-chango...you have a "card keeper"

Now I just have to find a basket to keep all my card collections. If only Dave would let me have baskets...he's afraid once I start collecting them, they'll take over the house.

Dinner Last Night

2011-01-25T10:07:00.006-06:00

I realize this picture doesn't make what I made look very appetizing, but it's super delicious, I promise! I was trying out a new program on my phone to take the picture and clearly I wasn't doing something right.

You should make this. And soon.

Enchiladas:
Adapted from PW's recipe

Ingredients
12 whole Corn (or 6 flour) Tortillas
Canola Oil, For Frying
1 can (20 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Sour Cream
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 cup Sliced/chopped Green Onions
1 can diced green chilies
½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
Shredded Chicken
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together sour cream, green onions 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Heat enchilada sauce in a separate skillet or saucepan.

Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, for only about five to ten seconds per side (don’t allow to crisp.) Remove from oil, then dunk tortilla in enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

(If there’s any sour cream mixture left over, use it as a dip for tortilla chips!)

Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve immediately. Place a dollop of sour cream on each serving, then sprinkle on sliced green onions.

the weekend

2011-01-24T15:07:00.012-06:00

More of this game was played.

I think we are borderline obsessed with this game. There must be a support group or something that we can join. I hope the meetings consist of playing this game and this game only.

On Saturday we took Asher and Arden on a "day of fun" to the Bell Museum!

It's a natural history museum of sorts on the U of M campus.

We also got to spend some time with good friends playing games and hanging out.

I'm starting to think I never sit up straight. Add that to my resolutions.

Does anyone remember the game "the Amazing Labyrinth" game?? We have to get that now. It was a great blast from the past.

design quiz

2011-01-21T13:14:00.005-06:00

It's friday, and I needed a quick distraction from my work so I took this design style quiz. Fun!

This is what it said about me:

Antiquated Espresso

An intimate home of modest proportions. Home cooked meals from a kitchen full of country. A bedroom with distinct character - warm and charming. Players have their exits and entrances… your home the stage. Modern subtleties extend to your table. Afternoon caffeine breaks to change your point of view. Pre-war, upper east side attitude. Always intriguing, never clumsy.

Apparently my style aligns with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. Sweet!

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The Help

2011-01-20T10:01:00.005-06:00

At book club last night we discussed The Help. This has to be one of my favorite books of all time. Now, before you think "wow, is the book THAT good?" (it is) you have to understand that my "favorite books of all time" list is an extensive one. I love me some good literature.
The Help is simply exceptional. As we discussed last night, the author, Kathryn Stockett, does an amazing job of detailing character development, to the point that you feel like you're reading about your friends, that you could call them up to chat or meet for coffee.
It's about a young white woman's mindful transformation in the pre-civil rights South and the unlikely friendship she forms with two black women who are employed as "the help" to wealthy white families. I can't recommend this book enough. Please read it.

We also watch a movie together at book club. Naturally we pick the movie that goes along with the book, but since the Hollywood version of The Help wont be coming out until August (cant wait!!) we watched Corrina Corrina. So good. I love 1990's Whoopie Goldberg. It was the perfect accompaniment to our book discussion!

happy mlk day

2011-01-17T15:12:00.005-06:00

Martin Luther King Jr said so many great things. This is one of my favorite quotes:

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

super rad shirt found here via design crush

Scenes from the Weekend

2011-01-17T09:04:00.011-06:00

winter wonderland!

Notice the temp. And this was after the mid day "warm up."

This is our favorite game. Word on the Street. If you haven't played it, you haven't lived!

Journey through 2010

2011-01-13T11:26:00.003-06:00

In 2009, I started keeping track of all the books I read over the course of the year. Here is my journey in literature for 2010. I have really enjoyed keeping track, because it also helps me remember what was going on at the time and where I was when I finished the book (I included the date I finished the book in my notebook) Sometimes it was an airplane, sometimes the cabin, sometimes at home, and lots on the bus ride to work. Here they are…..

1.The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker
2.All Action Comics: Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and Tim Mucci
3.Seinlanguage by Jerry Seinfeld
4.Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
5.Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
6.The Twits by Roald Dahl
7.Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
8.Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman
9.Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox edited by Wes Anderson
10.Follow Me to Freedom by Shane Claiborne and John Perkins
11.War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
12.Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
13.Pirates: Magic Kingdom to Movies by Jason Surrell
14.That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
15.Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
16.From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming
17.The Folk of the Fringe by Orson Scott Card
18.The Rasputin File by Edvard Radzinsky
19.Walt Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler
20.The Warrior’s Path by Louis L'amour
21.The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket
22.To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
23.The ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
24.Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

My Top 5 from 2010 would be….

1.Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2.Walt Disney: Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler
3.War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
4.Follow Me to Freedom by Shane Claiborne and John Perkins
5.That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis (but really, you’ll have to read the first two in the trilogy first)

My first finished book of 2011 was The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I have a feeling The Road will be a contender for the top 5 list of 2011!

if you want me to

2011-01-11T13:26:00.005-06:00

the pathway is broken
and the signs are unclear
and i don't know the reason why You brought me here
but just because you love me the way that you do
i'm gonna walk through the valley
if You want me to

cause i'm not who i was
when i took my first step
and i'm clinging to the promise that You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to You
then i will go though the fire
if you want me to

it may not be the way i would have chosen
when You lead me through a world that's not my home
but You never said it would be easy
You only said i'd never go alone

so when the whole world turns against me
and i'm all by myslef
and i cant hear You answer my cries for help
i'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
and i will go through the valley
if You want me to

Ginny Owens

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