A New Milestone

Some of the "milestones" in our lives:

Our Wedding Day

Happy Anniversary Babe!

It's been a great six years and a few days!

A brand new, proud, Papa

At his ME graduation from the UofU four days later with Trav, thanks for helping keep him sane.

A new adventure awaits as we began our time in Spokane.

Daddy and his little boy (as close as I could find to new-born), you are a Great Dad Brit!

With "hood", and diploma in hand...

We officially have our graduate (following grades officially coming out, congratulations on "cumlaud" (first time!) and "dean's list"

Our little family as we are starting on our next adventure (well really just enjoying our family for a few more days then on we go)

Today marks a HUGE milestone in our lives Brit has now made it through 8 1/2 years of college (5 1/2 undergrad, and 3 law), two very intense months of studying, and three long days of essay writing. Now we wait for the results (we don't get them until the mid to end of October). I know that he has done well. He has been very dedicated to his education, and studying, he always does his best at what he sets his mind to. I want to thank him for taking seriously the counsel that he has been given. "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families." (this is an excerpt from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World", you can read it in its entirety here) I greatly appreciate all that you do for our family and I, for studying and working so hard to take care of us. Thank you for being supportive of me staying home with our children. Thank you for being such a great husband, and keeping your focus on the important things in life. I love you!

Brit began his college days before we were married, continued once we married, and Graduated 4 days after Sasha was born (that made for an interesting finals week). Then it was off to law school three months later (away from family). Intending to make it back home he applied for many internships, with none coming to fruition. So for plan "B", study and take the Patent Bar... he made the decision to "self-study" to prepare (it took a lot of discipline, something that is definitely a strength of his), he was successful, HOORAY! Fall brought more classes, studying, classes, studying, interviews, classes, studying, family, classes, studying... and a new baby (which caused some missed interviews). February came with some great surprises, several internship offers. After much thought, and prayer we made a decision as to which direction to go. It has been a great blessing in our lives. Brit loves working for the firm, with his bosses, and the other associates and employees. It has been a great learning experience for him. We received an offer prior to school starting for our third year of law school. We are so thankful that he has the position that he does, he is really looking forward to his continued learning and growth through the mentoring he will receive. Graduation was a wonderful week to spend with family (thank you so much for coming to spend time with us and your support through all of this). While we were grateful for graduating it felt a little anti-climatic knowing the BAR was looming a short time ahead. With that now completed I wanted to pay a little tribute to the many milestones we have had together.

Photo Shoot #3

The first two are below. I started them earlier, but have been slow getting around to finishing them up.

I just loved his smile here (above). And smirk here (below).

He was having so much fun swinging around this post.
I loved the setting, but his expressions didn't turn out like I had hoped.
Posing... or just watching the cars, you decide.
Future photographer.
Sometimes we like eachother, and sometimes we don't.

Another giveaway I would LOVE to win

I came across this giveaway for a new lens for my camera. I would LOVE to get one of these Tamaron lenses! The only thing that I can't decide is which lens to choose if I win. I have decided that I really would like a lens that will work for the "whole" range, wide angle to "telephoto", I had come to the conclusion to get anything close to what I was hoping for I would have to save for another 30+ years.
I really have enjoyed photography, it is a relaxing thing for me, I would really like to get better at it. To do that I need to practice, and this would really help me achieve what I am wanting. If you are interested check out MCP Actions here. Good luck to anyone else interested.

Photo Shoot #2

I loved the color of this door, especially with the color of the kids clothes. It was a total coincidence, I just thought that they looked cute together.

"Mommy see ponies inside"

I'm flying... See my shoes...

Photo Shoot #1

I have to give a huge thank you to my dear friend, Misty, for inviting us along for a fun photo shoot with the kids at this great building that she had found. Check out her post here to see what she was able to catch, and a really cute one of the kids as well. We had a great time, and I have had a really hard time narrowing down the pictures to keep it all in one post. So there will be several, be prepared for picture over load. Let me know which are your favorites (I've got to have some help narrowing it down even more for printing). Thanks ahead of time.

There was some work being done right next to the building, putting in some new pipe. I got a little "loud" for just a moment according to the kidds as the backhoe was digging.

Our little man just chillin' He LOVES his pockets!

Recent Favorite Recipies

Since Brit and I have been on a sugar detox diet for a few weeks (almost 4 now) we found that we were getting tired of chicken, fish, turkey, veggies, chicken, fish, turkey, veggies... you get the idea since that was basically all we could eat for the first two weeks. I have been trying really hard to vary what I have been cooking. Some days have been flops, and others fabulous successes (IE, Brit taking leftover - FISH for lunch the next day, the kids loving it, or all of us really enjoying it). Here are a few of our favorites to this point, hopefully you can find something that sounds good to you (weather or not you are on this diet with us).




Thanks Mom for this one that got me started in getting a little more creative.





Chicken Cacciatore
4 chicken breasts
1/2 C olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
1 yellow pepper, cut in strips
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced (yes I actually have been cooking with mushrooms)
1 can (28 oz) Fire Roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 t rosemary leaves
1/8 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1/4 C chicken broth (or water)
1 T chopped fresh parsley



Saute the chicken in olive oil until brown on both sides. Remove from oil; set aside. In oil, cook onion, peppers, and mushrooms until onion is translucent. Add browned chicken breasts to vegetables. Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, pepper, salt and chicken broth. Simmer until sauce is thick. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with fresh vegetables of your choice. Makes 4 servings.


(adapted from Chef/Owner Rino Di Meo, Rino's Italian Ristorante)








Next came my adventures with internet recipes, the following are some of our favorites.



Veggie Tilapia (adapted from here)
1 1/2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced (1 t)
2 (16 oz) cans Fire Roasted diced Tomatoes
1 C chicken Broth
4 (4 oz) Tilapia fillets
2/3's of a Zucchini (sliced then quartered)-(1/4 for sauce, the rest for veggies)
1/2 C (1/4 C dried) onion
1/4 of a Yellow Pepper, diced
1/2 of a Red Pepper, diced (1/4 for sauce, the rest for veggies)
1/2 of a Green Pepper, diced (1/4 for sauce, the rest for veggies)
1 t(ish) Basil



Heat oil in a frying pan at 200 degrees, heat oil and onion for one min, stir in one can of tomatoes with the juice, 3/4 C chicken broth, veggies, & sauce (see below), cook till warm, add Tilipia, cook 20-25 min covered until flakes easily with a fork.



Sauce: puree 1 can tomatoes, 1/4 of red and green pepper, 1/4 zucchini, and Basil



Blackened Chicken with Pineapple
3 large chicken breasts
Blackened Seasoning (Cajun's Choice)
2-3 T Olive oil (or butter)



Rinse and cut chicken to desired size (I cut each breast into 2 or 3 strips, depending on size). Heat olive oil until just before smoking (rings will form in the oil, or butter will be browning). Season chicken to taste, then add to heated oil, cover and cook for 4 min, turn and cook another 4 min on other side. (can cook one more min if you must)



Sauce: Warm 1/2 can of crushed pineapple
1 can Fire Roasted diced Tomatoes
1 can (3.8 oz) Sliced olives (3/4 drained)

serve on the side, or on top as desired by diners




Ground Turkey Burgers (adapted from here)
1.25 lbs Ground Turkey
1/2 C mild salsa (Herdez)
1/2 C chopped green onions
1/4 C chopped fresh cilantro
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

Mix turkey, salsa, onions, cilantro, cumin, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Form into patties, cook until done (approx. 7 min)

Serve with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and sunny side up/fried eggs. Pickles on the side.



Note: leftover patties are great in "scrambled omelets"







Ground Turkey and Vegetables (adapted from here)
1.25 lbs ground turkey
1/4 C dried onions
1-2 T Olive Oil
1/4 C water (you may want more)
1 Green Pepper - coarsely chopped
1 - 1 1/2 heads Broccoli chopped
1-2 C sliced carrots
1 (8 oz) can Tomato sauce
1 can Fire Roasted tomatoes with juices
1 bay leaf
dried basil to taste
generously sprinkle - Garlic powder & Italian seasoning



Saute turkey & onion in the olive oil, add everything else, stir, cover, cook 12-15 min in frying pan around 200 (stir occasionally)

I hope you are able to enjoy some of these. More will come as we find others that we love (there are already others, they will be coming as well)

In Brit's last few days of freedom before BarBri begins (his bar prep class - Monday) we are trying to enjoy our time with him as much as possible. After watching the news on Wednesday night we decided that it would work out best for activities if he took Thursday off instead of Friday due to the forecast of rain and thunder storms (for Friday and Saturday). It was just windy enough Thursday that we decided to pull out our kites and go enjoy the weather.

Sasha and Daddy had a great time flying Mommy's kite, then she decided that it wasn't as much fun as she though it would be and asked if she could fly Daddy's kite. For any one that hasn't seen it, it is FUN to fly (mine is too if there is enough wind).

Here they are waiting to fly it, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting... you get the idea.

Both Sasha and Braden had a chance to "fly" Mommy's kite with me (we just didn't get any pictures). I had Brit's kite bag on backwards and sat each of them in it (one at a time) so I could help them fly the kite. If only the wind had cooperated with us. Oh well, another day. The kids still had a great time.

Braden "flying" the kids kite.

Blender

I have been wanting a Vita Mix for quite a while now, but haven't gotten one. Mainly because of how much they cost (possibly sometime in the future). I hesitate to share this, but I really want the extra entries. At "The Dirty Shirt" they are offering a giveaway of this blender, it seems really similar, and possibly better than the Vita Mix (I will have to do a little more research into that to be sure). Though for the price I am really excited, it is 1/2 the price (or a little less), not to mention if I can win it. I love the price of free. Check it out for yourself.

LAST FINAL!!!

Just had to share... We are so excited (well, Brit will be in about an hour), Brit is taking his LAST, yes you read correctly, his LAST final of Law School! Congratulations! Sweetheart, I am so, SO, SO, SO proud of you. This has been a long road of school, you have done a great job, and set a great example for our kids, as well as for many others. Thank you for your dedication, and hard work to take care of our family. I love you!

There have been far too many intimidating moments here. As well as many long hours of learning that have taken place in this room (and others). Much less intimidating after the first year.

Far too many hours becoming well acquainted with these and far too many other books. We are thankful to be getting our husband and Daddy back.
The welcoming of this school from the first day, to the last. Some more welcoming than others. We are so thankful that we have been able to come to Spokane for Brit to attend Gonzaga. It is hard to believe that it was three years ago (almost) that he entered these doors as an intimidated "First year". It has gone so quickly, we can hardly believe that graduation is upon us. We are sad to see many dear friends moving away, though we are very happy for them that they have found wonderful jobs that they are excited about, as well as those who are sending themselves off for more school. Good luck to you all. We are sad that our families aren't closer, but we are truly excited to be staying, we have come to love Spokane, our wonderful ward, and many dear friends. Thank you all for making this experience a wonderful one for us!

Biking

With the weather warming up we are getting really excited about getting out to do a lot more bike riding. The kids have had this bug for quite a while, it is just taking me a bit longer to get very enthused about it. I have had the same bike for a long time, unfortunately it was hit by a car right before Brit proposed (a few hours before). For those who don't already know the story I will share it with you another time, though rest assured no one was injured. I haven't done much riding since then seeing as it has been in desperate need of a tune-up. Brit checked it over a few weeks ago and rode it around a little, decided that it would be safe for a little riding here and there, and we would get it tuned up in a couple of weeks so that we could do all of the riding that we are planning on this summer.

Our new recreational adventures begin:

We have been talking about getting a bike trailer for a while now, and came across one on Craigslist a few weeks ago. When we went to check on it we found it to be in excellent shape. It turned out that their son hated being in it, he would cry/throw a tantrum the whole time he was in it, so after 3 rides they decided to get rid of it (fabulous for us).

The youth in our ward had a yard sale, to help fund their camps for the summer, the day after we got the bike trailer. We decided that it would be a short, easy ride to try it out and see what the kids thought of it. We strapped them in and headed out, they LOVED it. Brit decided that it wasn't too bad hauling the trailer, and I found that my gears didn't like to shift anymore, and that I am in a lot worse shape than I thought. As well as the fact that riding was putting my right arm to sleep. Not a great sign. I apparently apply too much pressure on my shoulders, possibly pinching my already restricted brachialplexus... equaling... numbness for me. Not exactly something that makes me want to ride very often.

We realized that we were in need of some helmets for the kids, Brit (he has lost his somewhere in our moves), and he said that I should get a new one as well (since all the padding wasn't there any more). We found some great helmets, and the kids found bikes that they were loving. Unfortunately $160+/- just doesn't seem too reasonable at this age when they will be outgrowing them so quickly. I have started watching Craigslist for a reasonably priced bike for Sasha, and then Braden can "ride" the trike (seeing as his feet don't reach the pedals yet), he loves being on it. I was able to sit on a "lifestyle" bike, so that I could feel what a seat was like that I was looking at. It fit so nicely we decided that would be a great addition to the tune-up to make riding more comfortable.

A week later we loaded up my bike and headed down to the shop to get it fixed, make sure what size bike we should have Brit on, since it seems much too small for him (his bike was also on the bike rack that was hit, it was the only one that didn't get damaged. Fair enough right since his car got totaled?). As we were walking in a couple of bikes caught my eye. I asked the gentleman that was helping us about them, he unlocked them to let me ride them. The first one that I rode felt great! I had never ridden something like that. It was great, but there was no way that I was going to spend that much on a bike.

We talked with a couple of the employees there, they discounted the bike event more than it was selling for, and did a trade for the bike that we had brought in to be repaired. The question was is it worth it? Brit decide that he wanted to spoil me a little early with my anniversary present, I got to bring it home Monday!

(this isn't my bike, but close. I didn't feel like going outside to get a picture of it)

We headed right out on a bike ride, I'm still not in that great of condition, but I haven't felt that good in a long time. I am so excited to be out riding. If only the weather would cooperate, I actually want to get out and ride. That just doesn't sound like me, I'm so excited!

We are still trying to figure out what we are doing with Brit's bike, that is to come shortly. As well as for the kids. I was reading about this really cool "bike" for little kids, it is called a Skuut, check out their website. "The Skuut is a wooden bike for children ages 2 - 5. It has no pedals and no training wheels. Children kick off the ground as if running, thus pushing or "skuut-ing" themselves and the bike forward. The Skuut is perfect for learning balance, steering, coordination and independence. Having mastered balance on the Skuut, the transition to a traditional two wheeler bike is easy." I would love to get the kids one of these, but the price isn't what we are ready to spend right now. Then I came across this giveaway for one. I really hesitate in spreading this around, but it is a great thing, and lets be honest I wanted an extra entry.

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful spring, I hope that you are all able to find something that you really enjoy doing outside with your family this year. I think we have.