We moved last week.
The house is full of boxes and furniture in various states of being put away. Still, it's a nice change for us- a new place to start a new phase of our lives. I'm not talking about children, I'm talking about my husband going to college.
He lost his job this spring. Messy business. Got a new job, but making significantly less. So it was time to tighten our belts and redetermine our priorities. What could we sacrifice? What do we need to survive? and then, what do we need to thrive? Surviving and Thriving are two different things.
To survive, you need the basics of shelter, food, clothing, sleep, and water. To thrive, you additionally need a place that is emotionally comfortable. You also need a way up and out, and the means to get there.
By the government's standards, we are in poverty. By our standards, we are rich. We have family close enough to visit regularly, good friends near and far, several months worth of extra food in the cupboards, savings in the bank, a beautiful apartment that fits our needs. And, just to keep us humble, we have a fair share of little trials- like the spiders or a funky smell in the laundry closet. Little trials that are easily solved with a few hours labor or a can of bug spray. And we have the opportunity to send my husband to school in the hours after work. It will be lonely for a while, but as President Hinckley said, “You are making a sacrifice, but it is not a sacrifice because you will
get more than you give up, you will gain more than you give, and it will
prove to be an investment with tremendous returns. It will prove to be a
blessing instead of a sacrifice” (“Excerpts from Recent Addresses of
President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Sept. 1997, 72). And that is why my husband and I plan for the future- sacrificing what we want today for the things we desire most tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Feed me, Seymour!
My son loves food.
He's a lot like his dad that way. He's always been very good at breastfeeding, and he likes to get a variety of flavors. And so begins the epic of learning to feed the baby solid foods.
At the end of March, my husband took me out to eat at RollUp Crepes. Very tasty. Because my son wasn't quite sitting yet, but loves to be included at family meals, I put him on my lap, pinned him with the table, and ate over his head. His nose started sniffing, his tongue started licking, and his drool started dripping. So my husband gave him a taste of pesto sauce. Baby goes crazy with this flavor explosion! He seeks out new flavors and bold new combinations- barbeque sauce, cranberry sauce, salad dressing... and to my delight and surprise, shows no signs of food allergies. So I propped him in his chair and fed him bananas and whipped cream last week ...
He's not very messy. He likes the food to go in his belly, not on his face. He reminds me of his uncle...
So now that he's sitting up on his own, the feeding will begin.
And these pictures were just too cute to pass up.
He's a lot like his dad that way. He's always been very good at breastfeeding, and he likes to get a variety of flavors. And so begins the epic of learning to feed the baby solid foods.
At the end of March, my husband took me out to eat at RollUp Crepes. Very tasty. Because my son wasn't quite sitting yet, but loves to be included at family meals, I put him on my lap, pinned him with the table, and ate over his head. His nose started sniffing, his tongue started licking, and his drool started dripping. So my husband gave him a taste of pesto sauce. Baby goes crazy with this flavor explosion! He seeks out new flavors and bold new combinations- barbeque sauce, cranberry sauce, salad dressing... and to my delight and surprise, shows no signs of food allergies. So I propped him in his chair and fed him bananas and whipped cream last week ...
So now that he's sitting up on his own, the feeding will begin.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Books
I love books, so here are a few that I'd like to remember for later.
The Thieves of Ostia: Roman Mysteries #1
I've been reading this children's series about 4 children in ancient Rome. The series has surprisingly depth of character and illustrates Roman times very well.
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian
Reminiscent of The Whipping Boy, this rollicking adventure would be a great read aloud for all ages. Suspenseful and funny.
The Princess and the Unicorn by
In modern times, fairies still live in the woods, each guarded by a unicorn. When the unicorn leaves the forest, it begins to die. The princess finds the unicorn and takes it away, and a young fairy must rescue the unicorn and her beloved forest. Cute.
The Silver Bowl by
The royal family is cursed, and only the little girl who polishes the silver knows why. Can she conquer the curses before the royal family is dead?
Dragon's Milk, Sign of the Dove, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, Ancient Strange and Lovely by
4 tales chronicling the demise of the dragons from this world. One is set in a post apocalyptic future, where they discover that dragons are the key to restoring the earth.
Yesterday's Doll (or The Doll) by Cora Taylor
I read this book when I was very young. A young girl is sick and must recover at her grandmother's house. Her grandmother gives her a special doll. Every time she falls asleep, she is whisked back in time to a pioneer era. Will her actions change the past?
The Thieves of Ostia: Roman Mysteries #1
I've been reading this children's series about 4 children in ancient Rome. The series has surprisingly depth of character and illustrates Roman times very well.
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian
Reminiscent of The Whipping Boy, this rollicking adventure would be a great read aloud for all ages. Suspenseful and funny.
The Princess and the Unicorn by
In modern times, fairies still live in the woods, each guarded by a unicorn. When the unicorn leaves the forest, it begins to die. The princess finds the unicorn and takes it away, and a young fairy must rescue the unicorn and her beloved forest. Cute.
The Silver Bowl by
The royal family is cursed, and only the little girl who polishes the silver knows why. Can she conquer the curses before the royal family is dead?
Dragon's Milk, Sign of the Dove, Flight of the Dragon Kyn, Ancient Strange and Lovely by
4 tales chronicling the demise of the dragons from this world. One is set in a post apocalyptic future, where they discover that dragons are the key to restoring the earth.
Yesterday's Doll (or The Doll) by Cora Taylor
I read this book when I was very young. A young girl is sick and must recover at her grandmother's house. Her grandmother gives her a special doll. Every time she falls asleep, she is whisked back in time to a pioneer era. Will her actions change the past?
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuna Casserole (non-dairy)
So anyways, I had a baby and life is never the same afterwards. I am just now beginning to understand what my mother did for me.
Well, my baby actually let me cook dinner today. He doesn't do that very often. Admittedly, I had to show him each step after I finished it and take several breaks to attend to his needs- but I cooked dinner today. Let me say that again: I cooked dinner, with a baby and nobody else to help, and got it in the oven before 6. It's been a good day.
Tuna Casserole (non-dairy)
*Most of the amounts are approximate, I didn't measure anything.
Saucepan
Can opener
Knife and cutting board
Boiling pot of water (for noodles)
Casserole dish (9X13)
Little bit of butter
1 cup celery (chopped, I like to use the leafy part)
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 small can of mushrooms (chopped)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4-1/2 cup water
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp hot sauce
Noodles
2 cans of tuna fish
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Corn flakes or other crunchy topping
Melt the butter in a saucepan and sweat (cook on medium-low heat) the vegetables and mushrooms. When the veggies are bright green and a little bit wilted, add the coconut milk and just enough water to thin it to a soupy consistency (coconut milk is thick stuff). Add the spices and hot sauce. Let it simmer while you cook some noodles. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. When the noodles are done, drain them. Open up two cans of tuna fish and stir into the sauce. Take the sauce OFF the heat and add 1/3 cup of mayonnaise mixing well. Then coat the noodles in the sauce (I just did it in the casserole dish) making sure all of the noodles are covered in sauce. Put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes. If you want to add cheese to the top (like I did to my husband's side of the casserole) add it 5 minutes before the casserole is done. Since everything is already cooked, you're looking for golden brown/bubbly to tell when it's done.
Tuna Casserole (non-dairy)
*Most of the amounts are approximate, I didn't measure anything.
Saucepan
Can opener
Knife and cutting board
Boiling pot of water (for noodles)
Casserole dish (9X13)
Little bit of butter
1 cup celery (chopped, I like to use the leafy part)
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
1 small can of mushrooms (chopped)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4-1/2 cup water
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp hot sauce
Noodles
2 cans of tuna fish
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Corn flakes or other crunchy topping
Melt the butter in a saucepan and sweat (cook on medium-low heat) the vegetables and mushrooms. When the veggies are bright green and a little bit wilted, add the coconut milk and just enough water to thin it to a soupy consistency (coconut milk is thick stuff). Add the spices and hot sauce. Let it simmer while you cook some noodles. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. When the noodles are done, drain them. Open up two cans of tuna fish and stir into the sauce. Take the sauce OFF the heat and add 1/3 cup of mayonnaise mixing well. Then coat the noodles in the sauce (I just did it in the casserole dish) making sure all of the noodles are covered in sauce. Put it in the oven for 20-30 minutes. If you want to add cheese to the top (like I did to my husband's side of the casserole) add it 5 minutes before the casserole is done. Since everything is already cooked, you're looking for golden brown/bubbly to tell when it's done.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)