Baby Madness

Can we just take a minute and realize how awesome this is?

If you filled out and turned in a bracket, you can view it (and all of the other brackets) and their points as we progress through eliminations, HERE.

If you have not filled out a bracket, you best do that now. And send me or Matthew a picture. If you need a bracket, you will also go HERE.

Why would you not want to be in on this fun?!

Catching Up #5

Remember how Matthew is accident-prone at 25 years old? Boo.

Latest injury:

Woof. That, my friends, is a severely sprained ankle. Ugly, ain't it? Yes.

Otherwise, since Matthew is so busy- EVERYDAY- after we got our Christmas stuff out of storage, I set up the tree. And he finally helped me decorate it last night.

The finished product:

Our sad, skinny Christmas tree. At least it has presents under it.

And now, I am caught up!

Catching Up #4

Thanksgiving.

This year we spent Thanksgiving with the Skabelunds. Also this year I did not work on Thanksgiving- no one understands how un-fun it is to work on Thanksgiving unless you have done it more than once. So this was a good day.

For the grand feast, Shelley gave me her list of fixin's- there were no Sweet Potatoes on her list so I asked if I could bring those. I expected that I would be the only one eating them, that's ok. My mom found a Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole recipe that she suggested that I use. If you don't remember how I feel about Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, you should probably re-visit THIS POST.

Otherwise, you should try this recipe.

Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole:

Topping:

-1 Cup Brown Sugar (You could probably get away with 3/4 Cup)

-1/3 Cup Flour

-1 Cup Chopped Nuts (Pecans preferred) (I got really small, finely chopped- Not a huge nut fan, smaller makes them better)

-1/2 Cup Butter, Melted

Sweet Potato Mixture:

-3 Cups Mashed Sweet Potatoes (you can use canned to save time) (I didn't, I bought 2 sweet potatoes, not huge. Baked them the night before 350* for about an hour- until they were soft- like a baked potato!)

-1 Cup Sugar

-1/2 Teaspoon Salt

-1 Teaspoon Vanilla

-2 Eggs (well beaten)

-1/4 Cup Butter, Melted

Directions:

- Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

- Preheat oven to 375*.

- Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix thoroughly. 

- Pour mixture into buttered baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture.

- Bake for 10 additional minutes. Allow to set for 30 minutes before serving.

- (I also broiled some marshmallows on top of the casserole. They were unnecessary. It would have been supremely delicious without them.)

I was not the only one to eat them! Matthew, Marty, and Becky all tried it. Another win for Liz.

And this is our pre-Thanksgiving picture.

Just Beautiful Photography
Look at that belly. You're welcome.

Catching Up #3: Taco Soup

I have been a kind wife and been making food for us lately. I tried two different recipes of Taco Soup. Both were great. Take your pick and make one.

Healthified Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup:

Soup:

-1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (About 2-3 Breasts), Cubed (I used bottled from my mom, and shredded it)

-10 Oz. Diced Tomatoes With Green Chilies (RoTel) (I excluded)

-14.5 Oz. Diced or Whole Peeled Tomatoes, No Salt Added (I didn't care about No Salt)

-1 C. Corn, Frozen or Canned (Canned)

-14.5 Oz. Black Beans, No Salt Added (I also didn't care about No Salt)

-1 Medium White Onion, Diced (I used about a handful of dehydrated, Matthew don't like onions at all)

-1-2 Jalapeño, Diced (I used a small can of Diced Green Chilies)

-2 Cloves Garlic, Minced (Garlic Powder)

-2-3 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth (I use Sodium Free Instant Chicken + Water) (Chicken Bouillon Cubes and water)

-1 Tsp. Ground Cumin

-1 Tsp. Chili Powder

-1 Tsp. Salt

-1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper

Tortilla Strips: (I just used chips that we already had at the house)

-3 White Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Strips

-Salt & Pepper To Taste

Directions:
Toss all the ingredients for the soup into your crock pot and give everything a good stir. Secure the lid and set to cook on low for 6-8 hours. (My chicken was pre-cooked, so all of the stuff was just put in together long enough to 'marinate' and get warm together. Maybe 4 hours?)

Delicious. Matthew ate leftovers! (That's a huge win at our house) We put Sour Cream and Cheese into our soup and squeezed some lime juice on top, I also had avocado in mine- not in Matthew's.

 

8 Can Taco Soup:

 Ingredients: 

-1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
-1 (15.25 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
-1 (12.5 oz.) can white chicken breast, drained (I used my Bottled Chicken from my mom again. I didn't drain- cause its allllll chicken goodness. And I shredded.)
-1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
-1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
-1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth (I did 2 cups of Broth with my bouillon cubes.)
-1 packet taco seasoning
-(I also added a small can of Diced Green Chilies, cause I like them.)

Directions:

-Mix all ingredients together in a large pot. (I crockpotted my stuff, about 3 hours.)
-Heat until warm, stirring occasionally. 
-Serve with tortilla chips.

I liked this one slightly more because I didn't have to measure ANYTHING. Except water for my broth, NBD.

Again we ate with Sour Cream and Cheese. Again Matthew ate leftovers!

Like I said, choose either and you will not be disappointed.

Catching Up #2

Have you seen Catching Fire yet?

You should. Matthew and I have now seen it twice. Its that good.

First time we saw it was opening weekend with our friends Alicia and Sam.

Second time on Thanksgiving with the Skabelunds.

They did such a better job with this movie over the first one. I think because they had almost double the amount of filming budget than the first one, and also because of their new director. Either way, it is great. Spend the $8 and feel good about your life.

Catching Up #1

Well, my motivation has been waning. I apologize to my one reader, Shelley.

Here we go!

Halloween:

I was working on getting large. I almost didn't fit into my Halloween scrubs.

Our pumpkins. Matthew's is reppin' his website, NZI Football. And mine, lit up.

Can you say legit? Yes, you can.

Good News

Baby Skabelund's gender has been revealed!

And we are excited.

And I am getting fat.

And I bought our son his first gift tonight.

He's gonna love it.

Twice Upon A Time

I went to Ventura, California.

First time was in 2010, with my buddy Tatum.

Second time- in July with my friend BERT!

Tatum had just gotten home from her mission to Florianopolis, Brazil and we had to go hang out in the sun. So Amber and I set out on our trip. We drove allllll dayyyyy loooonnnnnnggggggg. But we beat Tatum to Ventura. By a whole day. And when we got pretty close we stopped and rewarded ourselves with some delicious pizza.

The next day we got to go to the Ventura Pirate Festival! It was legit- so I dressed up for it.

Amber's lucky they had the whole harbor geared up to help her dress the part.

 That's what you get for forgetting your pirate costume at home.
Lesson learned.

We went to lunch at the 805 Bar and Grilled Cheese. YUM. But since we weren't drinking, we got put on the back burner as far as service went. Even so, that grilled cheese and tomato soup was perfect.

 Only fun was had at the Pirate Festival.

Later in the trip we got to spend time with Tate and her friend birthday Alissa.

 

We also hit up the beach- during the day.

And got much too sun burnt. I still have tan lines from it.

Then Amber and I went to Knott's Berry Farm. Which would have been a lot more fun if I had not gotten sick. (thanks baby Hass.) Still, fun.

 

 We got held up on the train and I didn't even cry this time!
 And while we were close-ish, we went to Downtown Disney for good measure. We were looking for Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Disney Golf Balls. We found none of these things. Boo.
But we did find Amber a new boyfriend.

And just for entertainment sake, here are a few more pictures of the trip.

This car is known to give cancer.

You leave the Tsunami Hazard Zone just after you leave Ventura Harbor, who knew?

There are random 'Electric Car Charging Stations' around.

This compass was on the ground in downtown Ventura. We tried to go shopping there, but the whole place closes down at 5- and we had no idea.

This was the wine rack at the 805 Bar and Grilled Cheese. And the tree line at the harbor.

Basically, you should go to Ventura.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Re-finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the other day.

Things I like about HP #2:

- Mr. Weasley and his reaction to his sons driving his flying car around England.

- Mrs. Weasley FREAKING out at Ron in his Howler.

- Remembering the difference between Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick. Prof Sprout teaches Herbology. Prof Flitwick teaches Charms. (In the movies, Prof Flitwick is the little dude with the mustache. Since he is little, I think he should be named Prof Sprout...)

- Lockhart thinking that he had miraculously stopped the attacks and throwing awful Valentine's day festivities to celebrate what he thought was a victory.

- Ginny sent Harry a Valentine's Day 'musical message.'

- Dumbledore knows everything.

- Dumbledore, "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

- Dobby.

Things I don't like about HP #2:

- Gilderoy Lockhart. Everything about him.

- Percy Weasley.

- Harry trusting the diary and what Riddle tells him over what he knows of Hagrid.

- Harry thinking that Riddle was a 'long-lost friend.'

- Aragog.

- Dobby.

I give year 2 a 6.5/10. I definitely think I remember them getting better as they went along.

Also, just found this Harry Potter Wiki. Enjoy!

Last Week

Matthew made me watch all of the Jurassic Park movies. I think I'd only seen one before. 

Can I just tell you how stupid those people are? 

Lets build some dinosaurs and charge people exorbitant amounts of money to come and look at them and then get eaten!

Fools. And then when things at the park go wrong, they just up and leave the island, leaving the dinosaurs to live on the island by themselves- and where people might wind up. Again. And again. And again.

Ooohh, a mysterious uninhabited island! Let's go check it out!

5 minutes later... EATEN.

Stupid.

And the last one. With the pterodactyls. When they leave the island they see the pterodactyls flying off the island- Oh they're just going to find a new home. Cool.

Those things just freaking tried to eat you! REPEATEDLY!!! Let's just let them roam the earth and eat whoever they freaking want.

Stupid. Not a fan.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I know its been awhile- I would apologize, but I don't think that anyone actually cares.

So. I've finished (ahem, refinished) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Things I like about HP#6:

- Harry and Ginny.

- Learning more about why Voldemort is such a freak.

- Dumbledore's trust in Harry.

- Hermione's jealousy of Ron and Lavender. And her smugness when Harry realizes that he likes Ginny.

- 'The Other Minister', seeing how the Muggle world and Wizard world coexist without often knowing or caring.

- Quidditch. Love me some Quidditch.

- That Malfoy couldn't kill Dumbledore.

- The Half-Blood Prince.

Things I don't like about HP#6:

- Ron and Lavender.

-  Kreacher.

- Harry's smugness about the Room of Requirement and finding out what Malfoy is up to.

- The Half-Blood Prince, Hermione's angrys about him.

Overall, I give it a 7.5/10. We can discuss that rating scale later. Don't wait up for it.

By the way, I love Harry Potter.

AND. Is this legit?

Wouldn't've?

Always A Good Day

When I get to see all 3 of my nephews. Even if one did help me spill my lunch all over myself... Mr. R!

Oh, Harry.

So my buddy asked me the other day what my favorite Harry Potter book was. This is literally how our conversation went....

 

Did I just do that? I apologize.

BUT!

The moral of the story is, I am re-reading the Harry Potter books this year.

In any order that I find them in.

So far I started the 6th, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

There may or may not be short lived 'book reviews' as I find my favorite Harry Potter book. Please bear with me.

What is your favorite Harry Potter book? Movie?

Not This Kid's Year.

Remember when Matthew had hernia repair surgery in April?

 This week he decided to go and break his hand at softball. At least, apparently, he made the play. Good for him.

All I can say is he best be done with the injuries.

Have We Talked About...?

My total lack of motivation for doing anything lately? Cause it's still here. And I don't know what to do about it. Any suggestions? They would be greatly appreciated, even if not followed... Just a heads up.

What's new?

Not a whole lot. I took a couple days off this past week. 

Matthew and I went to a show with the Skabelund's in Salt Lake. Jersey Boys. It was pretty good. But there were at least 34 'f' words that I could have done without. Oh well. Also, I don't know how I am the only person in America (it seemed like) who had never heard of The Four Seasons before. I guess I've only ever heard covers of their bazillion songs. Thanks to the Knudsen Brothers - aka SIX. (SHOUTOUT)

Matthew and I went to the zoo with my sister Danielle and her sons, Mr. C and Mr. R.

It was fun and HOT. If you were planning a trip there in the sometime future, we suggest you wait until summer 2014. There will be a lot more to see once the 'African Savanna' area is completed.

That very same day, we woke up to find out that we had a new nephew!!

Cute little, brand new Mr. A.

I'm a fan. Matthew hasn't had the pleasure of meeting him yet.

Oh and today I re-realized why we have been stuck in Sunday School for 2 years, and will probably be stuck forever. Matthew was a horrible Sunday School student. So now we are continually plagued with unruly children (ahem, young adults) who do not care. Thanks babe.

That's about it for me. How is your summer coming?

Nobody Has Been Counting, Right?

Cause today is not yesterday. But today I have time and know what I want to write.

SUMMER 

 is supposed to be relaxing and fun. So far mine has been boring and stressful. Boo.

I wish that it would stop being like that. This morning I was thinking about things that I want to do this summer. 

Here is my summer to-do list:

- FIND A JOB

- Go swimming

- Go canoeing at Porcupine

- Go camping. More than once

- Go to Bear Lake

- Go to Ga-Loon

- Attend Summerfest... Yeah.

- Road-trip to see Tate with the ladies

- Get a tan

- Have fun in the sun with Matthew

- Have more than one bonfire

- Play with the nephews. Meet the new one!

- Mow a lawn (seriously)

- Be awesome (#obviously)

That's about it for my summer list. What's on yours?

Well,

I made dinner, real dinner, for Matthew last night- after work. 

That puts me at an automatic 10 points for the week, right?!

I've got stuff to write about, just no motivation to do it.

Maybe tomorrow.

While I work up to that, why don't you chunk out* Gin Wingmore.

*Small story about Chunk It Out: 

I said this to my nephew Mr. C the other day, "Chunk it out buddy!" 

"Do you mean check it out?"

"Yes I do. Chunk it out!"

He is smart and funny.

My Sister Just Sent Me

This Picture...

Apparently she left her sewing pins on the desk and little 5-year-old Mr. C got a hold of them.

POOR WOODY!

Bucket Listing

This past weekend I was able to realize one of my life goals and bucket list items. All-in-one.

What did I do?!

I became a college graduate!!

That's right.

I think my mom has better pictures from the actual graduation. Maybe I'll see those one day.

Danielle took some good ones after- at my house...

I'm pretty legit. You can write that in your journal.