Happy Birthday David!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!!!!

David's mommy always said "Oh David!". Oh David! You are now a terrible two! And not so terrible. Not yet. Although you enjoy an occasional temper tantrum and the need to say "no" to everything I say.

I love that you are a boy. This means nose picking and killing bugs outside.


David, I love the way you like to stick your tongue out. Especially when you feel shy. I love the way you wrap your arms around my neck when I put you to bed and giggle in my ear.


I really love your small little mouth. Just like daddy's.


Happy Birthday to the sweetest little kid I know!

Winter Wheat

Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Just finished this for the second time, a few years after reading it for the first time. This time round, I loved it even more and felt that I could connect well with the themes in this novel. The book describes the life of young Ellen Webb and what she learns about love and hate. Whereas last time I related most with Ellen and her lover Gil, this time I really enjoyed the story of her parents. The book seems to address the question "How is true love defined?". It was also written in the 1940s and is a classic. It reminded me of My Antonia in some ways.



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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a really fun mystery novel. I usually get spooked easily but the suspense was just right in this one. I loved how the author (who I learned is a 70+ man) writes about things forgotten, like stamps and stamp collections. The book also included chemistry/poison and magic which made for some pretty interesting whodunit ideas for the reader. The main character was really developed and it was refreshing to read about an eleven year-old girl heroine. Fun read for October!



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For Dad Sequel

A couple years ago I posted about a little froggy on my porch. The post was for my dad because he is a true outdoors-man. I was trying to describe to him that we have frogs, geckos, etc. here. He really loves critters, and was recently wondering about armadillos in Texas. Well dad, here you go. I found one on my porch the other day. He was digging up fire ants for lunch. I wish he would come back and eat some more.

Want Some?

AWESOME BROWNIES: They won't fail you!




My family loves brownies. Usually we just make them from the box, but because I didn't have a box on hand one time when I wanted to bake some up, I decided it was high time I just made them from scratch. For all of you adventurous bakers out there, I thought I would share with you my awesome brownie recipe.

Two things that are KEY to good brownies (in my experience).

1) If you beat the batter you're going to have cakey brownies. If you're going for fudgey, use a wooden spoon to mix the batter. Beating them fluffs the eggs too much.
2) Don't let brownies over cook. As long as the toothpick comes out clean, it doesn't matter how soft they look or feel. Get them outta the oven!

The Recipe: And don't worry, cause it is easy!

In a bowl mix the following with a wooden spoon one ingredient at a time:

1/2 c. melted butter
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten (I just stab the yoke with my wooden spoon and incorporate them in to the above ingredients)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. cocoa
1/2 c. flour (this is where it takes some muscle using that spoon!)
1/4 tsp. salt (sprinkle around the mix before using the spoon so it is well incorporated)
1/4 tsp. baking powder (same as above)

Stir all ingredients well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes in an 8x8 greased dish.

Frosting: What really makes the brownie!

3 T. softened butter
3 T. cocoa
1 T. Honey (yes honey)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. powdered sugar

Mix above ingredients together. For best results, frost brownies while they are still warm.

If you live in Texas, don't forget to serve it with the good stuff:



We had this for our FHE treat last night. What does your family like for a treat?

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow. What a memoir! I found this really fascinating. It really got me thinking. I'm just getting used to the idea of motherhood and how to get my two year old to say "mom", but teaching math to toddlers? I think I connected with the theme of this so well that I gave the book four stars. However, I could see how well seasoned mothers would find her methods horrifying. I do think that Amy Chua is extremely prideful to the point of bragging about her life...of course in the Chinese culture this attitude is acceptable, but I would say that the American culture is turned off by someone that flaunts their lifestyle so openly. The author really isn't very likable. But the ideas in her book! I would never adopt her parenting style, BUT I really thought she had some good observations about "western" parenting. One that I thought most true, was how Americans feel that children should have the freedom to choose what they want to be passionate about. Her premise was that if you let a child do that their "passion" will be to spend hours on facebook everyday and eat junk food. But her flip-side is extreme, commanding her children and telling them what they will and will not do. She wanted her children to be music prodigies and so she made it happen. I do think it is important to invest in your children and observe what they may naturally be good at whether it is sports, music, acting, etc. I don't think I would force my children to do something that they did not want to do. There is just no way I could compare myself to this mother HOWEVER, from a mormon mommy standpoint, I would like to see her try and have seven or eight kids. I understand better why a lot of Asian families tend to be small. Very interesting read if you are up for it!

New car and other ramblings

We bought an awesome car this summer. We had such a crazy summer that we didn't have time to think about how bad we needed another car, especially because Brian has such early mornings as a teacher, and a decent commute. Now that we have it I don't know how we could have survived...I would have had to wake the boys up and we would have driven him to work everyday. Not so fun. Anyway I'll talk more about the car in a minute. But buying the car has caused me to reflect upon my summer a bit...

Our summer seemed to be one of constant change and extremes. I thought about blogging about it, but I don't really know what to say or how I feel about my summer. But I do enjoy reading what a great summer others have had. It seems surreal that people actually had a summer of swimming, vacationing, and relaxing. Our summer was anything but normal. In some ways my summer seems so far away, and in others it seems as if the season didn't come around at all, as though I am stuck in that strange period between winter and spring, summer and fall.

In a nutshell (a big nutshell) Brian finished his degree and there was still no job in sight. We were living with his parents and my obstetrician's practice closed down (weird). So I was left without an OB and it was looking like we wouldn't be in our new place before the baby came. So I told Brian we should spend the summer in Utah. It is SOOOO hot and muggy in Houston that nobody spends time outside. In fact, a lot of people around here seem to disappear during the summer, the way older folks gravitate to warmer climates during the cold season only opposite. I needed to find a new OB anyway right? We may even get a job in Utah right? I mean we did have several applications in there. So after much convincing, Brian agreed that it would be fine to go to Utah.

We had so much fun. It is hard for me to talk about it because I miss my family a ton. We stayed up late playing Mario with my little brother and sister. We celebrated my grandpa's 80th birthday which I helped plan. We spent time outside. We got to hang out with family and old friends. I'm SO endeared to Utah and would love to live there again.

So this could all get really long and complicated...in the end we moved back to Texas when I was 37 weeks pregnant (about two weeks before my baby was born). We came back to a job, but still not a place to live. I had been misguided by medicaid about getting our baby covered in Utah and it turned out to be way more expensive than we realized. We could have stayed but felt like we had better get back to Houston. It was the hardest decision I have ever made and I'm not even joking. I hated leaving! I love Utah! I had medicaid in Texas already established so we returned.

Brian and I did some house hunting hoping to find something fast. That is when we were introduced to the house we are in now. The renter before us promised to get out ASAP but in the end, August 1 was the soonest he could leave. We knew we could fall back on Brian's parents again and stay there if necessary. At the time Brian's sister was staying there for an extended period with her kids, because they too were moving and needed a place for a few weeks before there move-in date. Luckily, a lady in our old ward offered us her house, as she would be gone on vacation all summer. So we stayed there, had the baby, and moved in to our place on Aug. 1.

Now if that isn't the WORST timing you have ever heard of, I would like to know. Sheesh. Brian and I were pushed to our max this summer. We felt like we were definitely put through the refiners fire. But in the end, we came out on top and once again, have grown because of our trials. I did feel like one crazy woman though. I love the home we are in now. I love the peace that surrounds me. I love how we are literally away from the stress of daily life. I couldn't be happier...well except maybe if I could drag my family down here with me.

And now for the car. Are you dying to see this beauty?


Wait for it....


Almost....


TA-DA!!!!





This puppy was five hundred bucks. It has a small crack in the radiator, so it leaks water. That is the ONLY thing wrong with it. AC great. Engine great. Mileage great. Tires splendid. So Brian fills the radiator with water every few days and we are set.

I have to mention here that Brian has a new found love of car detailing. I know we are weird. But he just loves cleaning. This car was quite an experiment for him. Because he has summers off, he had plenty of time on his hands. He can't stand lounging around so he put himself to work. You should have seem how much he improved the interior of this thing! The car was purchased as is, so it was in need of some serious cleaning.

Brian took the seats out of the car, shampooed them, and wiped down every inch of that thing. He found four or five pairs of reading glasses, a set of dominoes, an old McDonald's egg mcmuffin, about 11 bucks of change, a rubber ducky, and the list goes on. It was so funny...every time he came in the house he was holding another treasure.

So now he is serious about opening a car detailing business. Who wants to clean other people's cars? Let alone their own? Well my husband does. And I'm proud of him. Even more so because he wants to use his gift money from his birthday and graduation to buy the supplies. He is one of a kind.

Brian, I know that this is a clunker car, but I would rather have a car that makes you giddy because we paid with it out of our pocket, then a car that would cause stress because of a monthly payment. I admire what a knack you have for finances and your drive to be smart with our money.

And I can't believe I married a man that would rather use his "play" money on starting a business to help us earn money than he would on a newer, better phone, or an updated laptop or fashionable clothes. You are one in a million I think.