Pinterest Interest

Chris and I have a difference of opinion on what is funny. I have the, "see someone trip and then they look around all embarrassed." Like dry, sarcastic funny bone. Chris has the, "If you rhyme 2 words," slap stick, goofy funny bone.

 

I'm not quite sure how many times I have heard Chris say ,"I have no interest in pinterest" after I've said, "I saw something on pinterest." Funny boy.

 

After the 100th time I've heard this, I thought it was high time that Chris eat his words. Thus the beginning of something in our household I like to call "Pinterest Interest". Once a week I make a new recipe that I found, you guessed it, right off pinterest.

 

My first attempt was this

 

It was yummy and gets 4 gold stars in the Brown family! Elanora loved it!

 

Next I made this.

Darn, it won't let me swipe the picture for my blog. I hate when that happens. It is Bacon Ranch Slowcooker Chicken. It was a little disappointing. I thought it was going to be the best thing ever, I mean bacon and a packet of ranch seasoning, can't go wrong with those. It was okay and gets 2 thumbs up.

 

Now this was super good

 

 The sauce was to die for! A little time consuming, but worth it. This definitely received 10 points and 2 high 5's.

 

I made an elk steak marinade. I won't post the link because how many people eat elk steak for dinner? It was pretty good, with the left over elk steak I made fajitas.

 

Now this was the best of all the game!!! Again, I can't post the picture but it is a good thing because you would be drooling all over your computer. Bruschetta Chicken. So good, so easy. It earned a whooping 5 gold stars, 5 thumbs up, 150 Gryffindor Quidditch points and 3 very licked clean plates.

 

 I have discovered that cooking isn't too horrible and that I'm not as bad a cook as I thought I was and Chris definitely has interest in pinterest now!

 



And We're Fighting in 1...2...3...Now

Chris and I don't fight very often. I mean, really how could I fight with that hunky beast? He is just too darn nice. But every once in a while the planets align and I get tired and hungry but don't know which I would rather do, sleep, eat or be mad.

 

Last Saturday, everything thing was in perfect orbit. We had the longest week of being out in the crazy hot sun everyday  and staying out until at least 11:00 pm every night. Saturday was no exception. We had a jam packed day full of church building cleanup, a toddler bed found on ksl pick-up, all smashed between baptisms for 2 of the cutest kids you will ever meet. Really, I wish I had pictures so you could see just how perfect Nory Bugs cousins, Ashley and Ashton are and what a perfect day it was. It was amazing to see those cute kids and the spirit was so strong!

But by the end of the day I was so exhausted I could hardly stand. Elanora had only a 30 minute nap that she took in the car while we were driving from place to place. With toddler bed squished up against Nora's car seat and her singing all about getting to sleep in a big girl bed, we weary travelers made it home.

This is where the trouble began. I was so tired and sat down on the couch and soon fell asleep. When I woke up at 9 I was disoriented and still tired. This is when the trouble started. Chris informed me that Elanora had gone to bed on her big girl bed like a champ....awesome right?...NO, I was so mad that I didn't get to tuck her into her new bed with Chris (we usually tuck her in together, kissing her, singing with her and giggle with her as we put her down). I missed her first night in the big girl bed.

So I  peeked in on her feeling warm and fuzzy that my baby was such a big girl.

(This was first thing the next morning)

Then I promptly ignored Chris for the rest of the night.
But how can I stay mad at that face of his? Especially if I may have overreacted a tad.


(This was at nap time the next day)

(This crazy baby likes to sleep with a creepy bunny that I made her, a cat my Aunt Nadean bought her and her baby that she named "Baby Brother Sister)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Night Nora Cried

You really can't beat the 4th of July! The celebrating of our freedom. The expressions of love and gratitude to those who have and still are fighting for our freedom. I am always overcome with emotions on this day and am so thankful to have been blessed to be raised in this wonderful, free country.

Chris and I hope to instill in Elanora a sense of humble pride and respect of America and the ideals we hold dear.

 

 

The 4th is definitely one of my favorite holidays for all of the above reasons. I also love the fact that you can be in almost any town no matter how obscure and still find a celebration. And lets be honest, you just can't beat fried food and fireworks :)

 

The little town we decided to celebrate in was my hometown of Layton (and for the record, when I say Layton, I pronounce the 'T', in case you were wondering).

 

We started out at 8:00 am with breakfast in the park. Although it was a little sad because half our usual party wasn't there. After breakfast, my dad has to sneak over to the baseball games with Elanora in hopes that she will one day play. He is doing a pretty good job because the only shirt she ever wants to wear is "Grandpa's baseball shirt". 

Next came the parade. Definitely the highlight of Nory's day, well the candy part anyway. She shoved as much taffy in her mouth as she could possibly fit and because it was scorching hot, half of it melted all over her clothes and everything else she touched.

 

She had the set up! Her cold water bottle, taffy in the pocket of her little chair and awesome shades.

 

She chilled in her chair most the time. She did jump up and dance as the cheerleaders went by. I'm sure she would have jumped up when the horses went by but she had to make a pit stop at the potty.

 

 We always have a huge group hanging out on the usual corner.

 

 

Elanora loves to be anywhere the cousins are!

 

 

She was one tired baby after the parade

 

 

 

Now the fireworks were a little more complicated then a dancing, music, candy filled Smorgasbord of a parade.

 

We thought a little preparation was in order. So the night before, we bought some fireworks to tryout. Begrudgingly, Chris got some at the store because I refused to let him use the ones hidden in the shoebox.

 

Nory had seen fireworks all over the sky but when we started a few in our driveway, she really wanted no part of it. That little Fire Cracker, after lighting only 2 said," Okay, let's go to bed now, I really want to go to bed." The rest of the night and the next morning she kept saying over and over, "Fireworks aren't scary, they are beautiful."

 

So when the cannons at Layton park went off, I was surprised she jumped and came over to me but wanted to get back down and play with the cousins. As soon as the first fireworks exploded in the sky she wanted nothing to do with them. She jumped in my arms and buried her face in my shoulder, digging into my neck every time one went off. She would jump back and forth from Chris to me, not quite knowing which was safer. The poor Lil' Sug' started crying (unfortunately, I forgot the camera to document).

The turning point was when her cute cousin Canyon brought her some popcorn. She wanted to eat it and she needed to turn around to eat it. So she ended the night warming up to the fireworks but I wouldn't say she enjoyed them. She did go and sit with grandma Page and we got this picture on the phone. She doesn't look too terrified, only nervously chewing her arm a little bit :)

 

 

As soon as the grand finale was over, that silly little baby jumped up, did a double fist pump in the air and screamed, "YAY, WE DID IT!"

 

 The next day she did love holding sparklers at my brothers house. But when we started the fireworks she informed us that she would rather play with barbies inside the house.

 

 

 That Little Fire Cracker is still telling us that fireworks aren't scary, they are beautiful. Let's hope next year she can believe that those affirmations are true.

  

 

Summer Hiking Anyone?

We decided that because it has only been one million degrees outside and because when I was prego with Elanora, we went backpacking in the High Uintahs and she turned out beautifully, that we should probably get some hiking into the Saturday mix.

 

We woke up bright and early so we could be on our way before we melted into puddles on the trail, because of course that would make all the other hikers have to trek through big mud puddles and we are considerate hikers. You know, leave nothing behind.

I was a little sad waking this cute face up. She looked so peaceful!

 

 



 But is was worth it. Snowbasin was so beautiful and our little mountain girl loved every minute of it.

From being packed in the backpack...which was a little surprising with miss independent,

 

 

to taking a break and eating fruit snacks...no surprise there. She was a happy little chipmunk shoving in as many fruit snacks as could possibly fit in her mouth.

 

 

To finishing the hike on her own 2 super cute feet. She hopped and skipped, jumped and ran down the trail.

 

 

The bugs were horrible by the time we were finished with our little family stroll. After the hike, as we were driving in the car, Nory was patting her legs and saying, "Come here little fly and sit on my lap." Clearly she takes after her mom with her love of all things, animals and bugs. Unfortunately this crazy baby likes to look at monkeys...where did I go wrong?

 

We decided a little dip after our arduous hike would be wonderful, so we headed over to Pineview for a swim.

 

 

 

The water was shockingly cold, even for a scorchingly hot day. The Lil Fish liked being in the water but she hated the waves and the kids splashing around her. She made it impossible to hold her in the water, that little squirmy baby. She mostly wanted to play on the beach.

 

 

She loved playing in the sand and obviously took it very seriously

 

 

Hopefully we are starting this new babylove off right.

So we can cross off going to a concert (not including the passing out) with this new love and now hiking :)