Valentines, Birthdays, Etc.

I waited as I wanted to post a lovely valentines note to my hubby with pictures of us over the last 5+ years. However, all my pictures are STILL in storage, and It's just not going to happen. But I will say, John, I love your stinkin' guts, you're the cutest thing ever!

For valentine's day we decided to NOT face the crowds, however we did decide to have an extravagant meal that cost us probably as much as had we decided to go some place very fancy. I chose a meal plan from foodnetwork.com, and those chef's know how to choose 'pricey' ingredients. The meal was lovely, a lobster parfait salad with palm hearts, followed by thyme crusted rack of lamb, hamblin potatoes, fresh green beans with a splash of lemon and pine nuts, all followed by chocolate fondue. Yeah, it took me two plus hours, but it was fun and we didn't have a crowd!

We've been going to a lot of USU games lately. I'm not sure it's good for my blood pressure. I get so nervous and overly anxious. I don't even know why! What does it matter to me?



Saturday was Caden's birthday, check out as the whole candle/singing thing went off below. It's crazy how he seems like an old pro at this birthday thing, even though he'd only had one prior birthday. Caden definitely knew the drill. Between Holly and Brent's families though, I guess it's no surprise, he's probably seen hundreds of birthday parties in his very short life! So funny!

Next month I'm going to be shooting my friend Tiffany's wedding. I'm super excited and it should be a very fun day. Also, I have two job interviews tomorrow, ha, so cross your fingers!

So there's an update on me, even though you didn't ask, Peace Out!

A Model Perhaps?

This kid cracks me up. This is the face she made when she asked to have her picture taken.

I was snapping a real quick portrait of my parents together. They are supposed to have this picture to turn in with their mission papers. Well Kyla wanted to be in the picture too! She really loves having her picture taken, then looking on the camera to see what happened. So of course that doesn't really work for their portrait, but I promised we'd take some of her in a minute. So later as promised, I'm trying to give Kyla some camera time, instead of just saying 'cheese' she's giving me all these different facials, and these faux serious expressions, and acting all casual. It was making me laugh, and I decided she's got a career in modeling with all these different 'looks'.
Keepin' it fresh.

Everyone Please Anxiously Await...

... The arrival of my new photography website.
Yep, this is for reals people.

(Real, and driving my husband crazy because he doesn't
have to do this coding crap anymore and quickly forgot how!)

Tales of Awesomeness

This was my husband last night as he watched his favorite TV show, Chuck. See him all ready: TV viewing blankie, check; 3D glasses, double check; remote in hand; double-double check. I thought it was so cute and funny, that I had to take this picture.


If any of you went to Disneyland and saw that Michael Jackson 3D animation when you were a little kid or big I guess, and also saw the Chuck last night or Monsters Vs. Alien's preview during the super bowl, can you solve something for me... Was that show at Disneyland better, or was I just more impressed when I was little? I have the memory of the stuff coming straight at me when I was a kid, and having to remove my glasses to understand that it wasn't. This was more like trying to get my eyes to relax to see slightly raised images on the screen. Like one of those 'Magic Eye' Puzzles.


So if after that rant, if anyone's at all in doubt of my nerdiness, I've prepared a list. I've seen people on a lot of blogs with their guilty-pleasures, I'm for you making a short list (although in reality I know it could be quite long) of why I've realized I'm a total nerd.

#1. I took this picture after I managed to eek out John in a Mario Kart because I was SO stoked. (We actually got the same amount of points, but I won the all important race, the last one!) ((Christie is Peach, John is Yoshi.))


#2. I am SO out of date with things, someone said something about 'Rhianna' the other day, and made reference to what I guess is some super famous song by her, and I had to admit, I really didn't know who Rhianna was.

#3. If I'm watching TV, I'm probably watching HGTV or Food Network. (When did I get so OLD.)

#4. I constantly find myself having to ask cooler people, "Aren't those furry boots out of fashion yet?" Because I have no IDEA what's fashionable or 'in'.

#5. I watch my series of Friends (yes, this is probably when I got off the train) over and over again and I feel like I know the people in it, and miss them.

#6. I have a carrying case that is a lunch box that I went to about 10 stores to find, to put my Nintendo DS into. It is like a seriously prized possession.

#7. I bought new jeans the other day. I figured I should because of the two pair I had, one has a large hole in the inner thigh, and the other doesn't have a top button anymore. I guess the amount of clothes shopping I do probably contributed to #4. And it's not just about saving money. I really don't like it and don't know what looks good on me. I'm ridiculously inept at dressing myself.

#8. I spend a great deal of time fantasizing about what I'd do if I won the lottery. But I probably wouldn't even play. I took a statistics class in college, and between that and my obsession with knowing the odds of things happening (ask the friends I play poker with, they get pissed because I don't just 'play' I really analyze my choices and options and my hand, I rarely bluff, I count on knowing my hand strength and won't usually go in if it's not good... haha... They claim I always 'just fold'.) So hence, I'm too practical usually, and I just couldn't waste my money on the lotto, but I do know just how I'd spend it if I did, quite practically of course (but maybe I'd even spring for a second pair of unblemished jeans).

So there you go! There's 100 more, but I think I've lost enough friends on this post, ha!

Double Chocolate Malt Shoppe Cupcakes with a Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Delicious!

John & I were watching the "Ultimate Recipe Showdown" on the Food Network (we watch this too much, we're nerds) and this was the winning recipe for the cake portion. We were making cupcakes for Leland's birthday so we decided to check these out. They were very good! Especially good is that buttercream. I don't always love buttercreams, but this one had a lot of flavor and was a fun compliment to the chocolate. So if you're looking for a fun cupcake...there you go!

For cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *I used cake flour, I like the lightness of it better.*
  
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup malted milk powder (recommended: Carnation brand) *look by hot cocoa*
  
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
  

For buttercream:

• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons whipping cream
• 2/3 cup tart cherry preserves *look by jams/jellys/etc*
  
• Malted milk balls or maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, malted milk powder, and espresso powder. Add the canola oil and eggs; whisk to blend. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins, filling only halfway full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 17 minutes, until they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare the buttercream. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and the butter on medium-low speed until well blended. Add the vanilla and whipping cream and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light, spreadable and fluffy. Beat in the cherry preserves until well incorporated.

When the cupcakes have finished baking, let sit in the pans for 2 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes more.

While the cupcakes cool, transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Alternatively, you can frost the cupcakes with a knife or offset spatula. When the cupcakes have cooled, pipe the buttercream in decorative swirls on top of the cupcake (or swirl with a spatula). Garnish the top of each cupcake with a malted milk ball or cherry and serve.

A Birthday Par-tay!

Happy Birthday Leland!

Dear Leland,

Happy Birthday! It was exactly one year ago today at 12:15 a.m. that you were born and changed mom and dad's life forever. Of course we rather wish you were here with us celebrating your birthday, but we're glad you're not suffering with T18 anymore. It's nice to have an angel that you know is all yours and no one else's. The other day we watched the video of when we were in the hospital together. When we watched the part where they weighed you, Mommy felt bad that we made you strip down to be weighed since you had no fat layer whatsoever, she felt like she was a mean mommy making you so cold when she herself hates being cold! But you were super cute, screaming at the top of your lungs, but sounding like a cute little birdie cry anyway. We are so happy you made it through your delivery, wow, what an amazing experience that too many T-18 mothers never have. Do you know how many T-18 pregnancies end before the mommies and daddies get to meet their babies? 50%! How strong you are, and how grateful we are to you for being such a little fighter. I'm sure it would have been easier on you to give up from all you were dealing with, but we appreciate it so much. Meeting you in this life was something we loved, and we'll never forget.

It's hard when we think we might have been throwing you your first birthday party, but instead we're only deciding how to remember you.
Sometimes it's hard when people take their own healthy children for granted, and for that matter, to see people assume pregnancy is something that always goes off as planned - but it's even harder when we hear about other mommies who found out the hard way that it's not always the case. Mommy's heart breaks for them too, because we know how it feels.
It's hard when people obviously try hard not to bring up your name, and assume we don't want to discuss you. I think sometimes people think they need to walk on egg shells around us, like maybe we'll explode into some emotional scene they can't handle if they touch on anything too sensitive.
Sometimes it's hard when people assume the answer to our problems is having a new baby, that we'll be okay once we move on. But Leland, mommy and daddy know that you can't be replaced.
It's also hard when people callously assume we should be over it by now. We will never be over you baby - You are not something we plan to recover from.

I think mommy and daddy are doing really well, and who knows? Maybe we have you to thank for that, maybe you're up there watching our backs! We are happy and healthy and when we think of you, we smile and sometimes laugh. (Once you had hiccups before you were born and daddy accused mommy of 'making' her stomach twitch, because it woke him up and he was being irrational. We laughed about it a lot later.)

So again son, have a happy birthday. Eat more than you should, be self indulgent in your attitude, behavior and with your time. Tell everyone you meet that it's your birthday as if it's an explanation and not a statement, and simply enjoy it to the fullest extent. You only turn 1 once, that's what everyone will tell you - I don't fully grasp that, but I hold that even if it's not true, heck, it's an excuse for going to excesses... and I like that. And, I heard this on a TV show when I was little, and I hope it's not too late for you to use this advice, but it was on "Random Thoughts" - If you're given a choice between regular heaven and pie heave, choose pie heaven... hey, it might be a trick, but if it's not, yay pie!

WE LOVE YOU!!!
MOMMY & DADDY