Are YOU smarter than a 5th grader??

Embarrassing moment of the month...

We had our Halloween Enrichment last night and we played this game where you had to draw a paper and do what it said on it. If you didn't want the first one you drew you could pass it to someone. And so someone passed theirs to me!!!!!!!!!!! WHY???!!! This is what it said...Stand up and while doing the sprinkler dance, name as many state capitals as you can. I couldn't pass and so I stood!!! I named Salt Lake City and Dallas! You only had to go as long as you could name them and so I said that was all I could think of and sat down. When I sat down the girl next to me asked what the second one I said was and another girl told her "Dallas and that's not even the capitol."

I looked over and started laughing and then I said "Oh yeah, its Houston!"

Girl says "No, actually its Austin."

WOW!! Did I turn bright red or what!! How could I not know that...Maybe because no one ever talks about Austin. So if I were playing that game...ARe you smarter than a 5th grader...I would have lost all my money! I think I will blame this one on the BABY!! Its sucking my brain cells!

Yummy French Toast

Adam made french toast for us this morning from my recipe book 'Deceptively Delicious' and it really was delicious!!! Please try it--it is super easy and super yummy!!

Here is the recipe for the french toast and we used wheat bread (grandma sycamore's)

-4 Large Eggs
-2 tbls banana, pineapple, sweet potato, carrot, butternut squash puree, or canned pumpkin. (you can use any of these)
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-4 slices whole wheat bread
-Nonstick cooking spray
-2 tsp butter or margarine
-Pure maples syrup, confectioners sugar, or fresh fruit (or any other toppings)
-Flaxseed meal (optional)

1. In shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, puree and cinnamon. Add the bread slices and turn them in a mixture to soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Coat nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter. When the butter sizzles, add the soaked bread slices (sprinkle with flaxseed if you like) and cook until golden brown on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve warm with your toppings of choice.

--We used egg beaters (the carton egg whites), pumpkin, and butter. Delicious!!!!

Vegas Baby!!

So we went to Vegas the other day and stayed the night--for free!! It was a pretty stressful night the first night...Brielle didn't want to go to sleep with us being in the same room. So finally around 10 pm (Utah time) we put her in the car and went literally a few hundred feet and she was out!! After that it was actually a really good time. Brielle and I went to a mall in the morning after Adam left and then it was time for her nap so we came back to the hotel and I hid in the bathroom until she fell asleep (wish I had thought of that the night before). After she woke up we checked out and we went and saw my cousin who lives in Henderson. Adam got done around 3 so we picked him up and went to the strip. We went to the MGM first and then over to the M&M factory. Brielle loved it. Her eyes were constantly looking everywhere and she mostly liked us to hold her--I think she might have been a little overwhelmed. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe--don't recommend it--way over priced and not that good. But Brielle had fun looking at all the animals that made noises. That was pretty much all we did and then we headed back home. The second we got in the car Brielle passed out--it was really nice. Made the car ride so much more enjoyable and bearable!

--Can you find Patrick (from Spongebob) in the aquarium??

Ted's

The other day I was craving garlic shrimp from Ted's Bakery (in Hawaii) and obviously I couldn't have it so I decided to make it myself. It turned out really good and it was the first time I had ever used cooking wine. I actually was really nervous to use it because the smell of the alcohol in it was so strong. I had to call my mom and make sure it was safe to use...I didn't want to break the word of wisdom just because of a craving. So I googled shrimp truck recipes and found a really good one. It was so delicious and so easy to make. I highly recommend it.

Let's assume you've made it to Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, but like me, can't trek to the North Shore every day. What we really need is the secret to making their famous shrimp at home. This recipe is the closest I've come to reproducing shrimp truck mojo from the confines of my own kitchen.

Shrimp Shack Garlic Shrimp
Add a scoop of rice to serve one as a meal.

• 1/4 c. olive oil (sub. butter for extra artery clogging power)
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 8-10 or more good sized cloves of garlic, minced. You can never have too much.
• 1 T paprika
• a dozen shrimp, the biggest buggers you can find
• sticky plastic tables, stray cats, graffitti (optional)
• lemon wedges (optional)

Sautee everything but the shrimp over medium-low heat until the garlic is a nice golden brown. While shrimp is cooking, spill soda on the plastic table to create authentic stickiness. Crank the sautee heat to turbo and add the shrimp. Keep stirring until the shrimp are just barely done. Remove immediately to prevent them going all rubbery and flavorless.

Serve shrimp over rice, scraping all the little garlic bits onto the rice. By now the stray cats will have been drawn by the aroma and your shrimp truck experience is complete!

BFF's

Kalani and Brielle are Best Friend's Forever!!! While we were in Logan they were inseparable...partly because Leinani and I were too...they followed each other everywhere and they would even hold hands!! It was so much fun. Brielle was easier to keep track of because she would just follow Kalani and because Kalani is a little older she follows directions much better than Brielle.

Daughter like Father

Or is it Father like Daughter??

Brielle loves to play---some say she is a "busy" baby

Fun times with Brielle

Brielle L.O.V.E.S. icecream!

How old is too old??

Part of my morning routine with Brielle is taking a shower together and then when I get out she gets to play in the tub while I get ready. This is so nice, especially because I can get ready in peace and with Brielle only taking one nap a day it is perfect for her to play in water. She loves being in the tub. So my question is...when should we stop letting her see us naked?? I really have no idea. I remember showering with my mom, but I don't remember how old I was and I don't remember private parts!! I don't ever remember seeing my dad naked. Just wearing garments. What do you think??? Is it longer if you are the same gender?? Or is there just an age when they are too curious or too talkative that you just wouldn't want to do that anymore.

Brielle loves the boys!!!

If you ask for kisses from Brielle...it's pretty much a toss up if she will give one. But for some reason if you are Papa, Colton, Daddy, or any little friend she will always kiss on command! She just loves boys...yes, Daddy and Papa are still boys!!! She rarely is afraid of guys and she will go to anyone who wants her. She doesn't stay long, too much to see. She just has so much fun with people and she is especially enjoying friends now! I love to see her interact with other kids. She is either super nice or super bossy. She thinks she is the mother if they are even a little bit younger than her. She tells them no and doesn't let them touch certain things...mostly her toys. But she usually plays so well with friends. Her friend  Kalani, who is about 6 months older than her, play so well together now. They seem closer in age now. Before Brielle always seemed so much further behind, but now Brielle is right with her. She doesn't say much yet, but she can play and keep up. They like to hold hands and run together. Kalani is kind of her mommy and always asks for Brielle. It is so cute. I can't wait until Brielle can talk with her. I can only imagine the things they will come up with. 

IT'S ANOTHER GIRL!!

I am pregnant again and due February 12th. WE have known a while now I just haven't officially announced it to the world. If you lived close you can easily tell and if you are family you found out on Father's Day. And if you ever asked I would tell you that I was expecting again, but other than that I just kind of kept it to myself. I just know so many other girls  (friends and family) that are prego, some for the first time and some for the second that were announcing around the same time that I just thought I would wait. It is our second baby so its not as immediate as the first for everyone to know. So I waited til we found out what we were having...it's a GIRL! 

We found out I was prego when we first moved to Cedar and I looked and asked around about Doctors in the area and none of them really sounded like what I wanted. I loved my Doctor in Hawaii at Kaiser. Her name is Dr. Bachman and she was awesome and since then I have always wanted a girl doc for my girl things!!! My moms doctor up in Logan is a girl and she also lives in my moms neighborhood. I have been to her once before and I really liked her so I chose to stay with her, which means we drive up to Logan once a month for my doctor appointments.  Its a five hour drive, but well worth it to trust your doctor that is going to deliver your precious baby. Neither of my doctors have been LDS but they both have been around it to know some things about it and they are very respectful. They both have kids of there own too which makes them even more trust worthy to me. They know what you are going through and you can trust they will do the very best for you!

I also felt more sick with this baby. I actually threw up once...I know to some of you that is nothing but with Brielle I never threw up I just was sick all day. Adam got so sick of me too and I don't blame him. We didn't have health insurance yet because we were waiting for his 90 days at work to kick in so I couldn't get any drugs for it either. I don't know if you have heard of the new drug that is originally for chemo patients...they have made a generic type of it and now its affordable for regular people. My friend was given it and she said it made the biggest difference. She just wasn't sick anymore. I was pretty jealous, but I kept thinking I was almost done so I didn't get anything until the last week I was sick. I was sick up to 16 weeks and then it was just gone. I could cook, think of meals to eat, eat, clean, take care of Brielle and Adam. It was wonderful. Its just crazy how night and day it was. 

Well for now that is all. When I get back to Cedar I will post some more ultrasound pics. Love ya all and thanks for the love and support!!!

--Oh and I will be staying with my parents for the last month of appointments until the baby is born. Adam will miss us but we have two cars so he can come up when she is born or whenever he gets lonely!!! I will stay for a little while after too for some help with Brielle since Adam will be working and be in the middle of a semester. I don't want to totally distract him!