To the park!

So, today we went to the park to get a little exercise in and it was HOT HOT HOT. It was Jackson and Noah in the double jogger, Ellie in the bjorn and me all sick and sweaty. I met up with a friend there (we both just had our third baby and are desperately trying to loose a little extra baggage if you know what I mean).

As we were walking Debi, my friend saw a furry caterpillar and wanted to share that with her 5 year old daughter. Ewww. I backed away so they could do that little moment by themselves. Anyone who knows me AT ALL knows I H-A-T-E bugs. And especially spiders. I can not believe I ever played in a creek when I was little and caught crawdads. That is so nasty. (I just called Jason, he is at work tonight as usual, to ask him how to spell "crawdad" and he goes, "You know what those are?" And I said, "I am so sure. YES." and he again questions me, "Those little lobster type things?") And then a little throw up came into my throat! So, once again, I can not believe I ever touched them. Back to the caterpillar. When we stopped to look at it, the heat set in and I could feel the wet dripping down my back. I had to get Ellie off of me!

We finished our walk and when I took her off, my tank top was a perfect outline of her squished up body on me. A little cute I know. But also too sweaty for my liking!

The kids played on the playground there and then we went home. We stopped at the gas station to get our fix for the day (aka diet coke) and then went on. Debi has three little ones like me. So, she sat in her Odyssey while I ran in and then I did the same for her in my odyssey.

For any of you that wonder why we wold go to a park to walk, well, refer back to my "Rained Out post and you will see that all of Pittsburgh is made of big hills. And like I said there, or at least was thinking, it is no good walking with all those kids up the hill. I guess if I did do that I might not have such a hard time getting rid of some of this weight. :) But I love the challenge!!! HAHA. And the park is ALL flat. That's right. . . FLAT!!!! And heaven sent. :)

So, what I am saying is that it was hot and sticky today. This humidity can really feel gross and even a little on edge. On the way home, I looked at my arm and saw thousands of little grains of salt. SWEAT SALT! (I have to admit, I licked my arm just to see). :) Salty. Thank you Pittsburgh.

Tagged?

I am pretty sure I have been tagged twice now. But have finally figured out what to do. I wasn't kidding when I said I struggle with all this blogging stuff. Here it goes.

4 jobs I have had:
1. For a very short time (2 weeks), I worked in the mall food court at Broilerworks. All I can say is NASTY!
2. Lifetouch Prestige Portraits. Mostly secretary work. No fun. But I did get to work with a few of my friends during the summer. And my sister!
3. Leslie's French Pastries. This was a great job. A friend of mine owned it and we had a blast together. And I could eat all I wanted while on the job.
4. Dental Assistant. Loved it! I worked at an office in Utah for 4 years and an office in Michigan for 1 year. I hated the Michigan office.

4 movies I could watch over and over again:
1. The Parent Trap. This was so great as a child. And I think I could stand to see it again!
2. Anne of Green Gables
3. Phenomenon. John Travolta! :)
4. I can't think of anymore. That was hard thinking of the first three.

4 favorite movies:
1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. Mean Girls "Booo!!!!"
3. The Bourne Supremacy. . . All of them.
4. Meet the Parents

4 places I have lived:
1. Poway, CA (San Diego)
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. Rexburg, ID
4. Argentina
5. Ann Arbor, MI
6. Pittsburgh, PA
I had to add all of them or it just wasn't complete.

4 favorite TV shows:
1. Greys Anatomy
2. The Office
3. The New Adventures of the Old Christine
4. Law and Order (even though I think it is creepy and can give all those sickos some ideas.)

4 favorite reality TV shows:
1. So You Think You Can Dance
2. Survivor
3. Americas Next Top Model
4. The Bachelor (I am shallow, I know)

4 of my favorite places I have been:
1. Israel
2. Europe
3. Argentina
4. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

4 favorite foods:
1. Chocolate Chip cookies!!!!!!!!
2. Tacos
3. fresh salsa
4. cinnamon rolls, especially Brooke's. With extra icing please. I like to lick her bowl.:)

4 websites I check daily:
1. blogs, EVERYONES!!
2. gmail
3. all sorts of clothing stores, mainly for kids
4. weather.com pretty consistently

4 hobbies:
1. reading
2. weeding (I need to to more of it)
3. jogging
4. cooking. I love to cook and bake. But hate not having the ingredients to do it. I HATE grocery shopping. HATE IT!

4 friends I would like to tag:
1.Lisa 2.Sandy 3.Jocelyn 4.Adrienne

"These are the BEST!"

Last night we had some friends over for dinner. It was a lot of fun and the weather turned out to be quite nice. I had planned on eating outside on the deck and letting the kids play on the play ground. But all morning it rained and was so cloudy all afternoon. But then the evening came and it was just lovely. We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, had fresh watermelon, and thanks to a friend of mine here in Pittsburgh, I tried a new recipe for some HEAVENLY salsa. The kind with corn, black beans, avocado, cilantro...etc. And of course one of our favorites. . . pretzel jello salad. I should post the recipe to that. It is delish! And I also made a couple of different desserts for the kids and adults to munch on. Let's just say there was plenty of food. I guess I was starving during the day so I thought we needed a ton. :) The sister missionaries showed up and so we were able to have plenty of food for them too. It was great. And no mess for me in the dining room. (aka CRUMBS.) So, our friends have 4 children, one of which is reading and he is only 5. Can you believe that. And not just reading "cat" and "dog." He is reading HARRY POTTER!!! Geez. I thought Jackson was smart. So, one of the desserts I made is called, "Rice Krispies Deluxe" Thanks mom. They are a real treat! All the kids came upstairs around 10pm asking for some dessert. I showed them what I had and they all wanted some of both desserts. Minus the reader. He dry heaved at the krispies. :) Crazy kid. The oldest little girl takes one bit and looks at me and says, "Umm, are these home made?" I said "Yes." And she ended it with "THESE ARE THE BEST!!!" I loved every second of it. Not that Jason doesn't make me feel good about my cooking, but the boys, especially Jackson always tell me "I don't like that." BEFORE he has even tried it. So, those kids are welcome here anytime! :)

Isn't she getting so big? My neighbor let me use her little seat and I really love it. Anyone with a new baby should get one. Ellie will sit in for quite awhile.

Little Noah. . . so sweet.

This is the rest of the pretzel jello salad. I will post the recipe to that next time. It is a bit longer. :)

Rice Krispies Deluxe
2 lbs white chocolate (I used almond bark)
1 cup peanut butter
melt the chocolate on the stove and then add the pb. Stir until creamy. I also think they are better with half the amount of chocolate. Or try 1 1/2 lbs.

then stir together in a separate bowl:
3 1/2 cups rice Krispies
2 cups marshmallows (I add lots more than that!)
2 1/2 dry roasted peanuts (I don't add those, but I did the first time)
1 bag mini M&M's (add very last to the whole thing)

After the chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, add it to the dry mixture. And add the M&M's last. They tend to really melt. I learned that first hand!
Drop on wax paper and let sit several hours.

Avocado Salsa
This is so good!!! You are going to scarf it!
Ingredients:
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
6-8 Roma tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
1/4 cup vinegar
3 TBSP water
1/2 cup oil
2 avocados, diced
Directions:
combine corn, black beans, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. In a separate bowl make the dressing according to the pkg directions. Pour over mixture. Stir in the avocados just before serving.

The long awaited photos of our trip

Oh, I am so dead! When Jason sees that I put this pic on the blog he is going to make me take it off. So, for all you lucky ones. . . here is a shot of the whole family. I still can't believe we are a family of FIVE.

Jason had a serious reaction to something the night before the blessing and his face really swelled up. Have any of you see "Hitch" and remember the allergic reaction part? Well, we got to experience that up close and personal. Want the story? OK.

So, Ellie woke up at around 5am Sunday morning and I was BEAT. I asked if Jason would make her a bottle so that I didn't have to nurse. (I stayed up way too late catching up with my sister in law, Kellie). Jason went to make the bottle and when he came back he handed it to me and told me, "I have to go get some benadryl or my lip is going to burst." It was all dark in the room and I couldn't really understand him. So, I took my cell phone, lit it up and shined it in his face and said, "What?" (eyes are all squinted). And before he could answer I quickly shut the phone and had a panic attack. Imagine how Jason was feeling. I knew exactly what he said. Not really. But I knew he needed something!!!!! It was a bit scary. I fed Ellie and couldn't go back to sleep. I ran upstairs and checked on Jason. There was on old bottle of in my moms cupboard that expired in 2001. That was no surprise though. My mom and dad don't seem to take those dates all that seriously. :) So, Jason went to Rite Aid at 6am and bought a bottle of benadryl and GUZZLED it. The swelling didn't go down all day. It was sad. But none the less, he did an amazing job on Ellie's blessing. It was very special. When he sat down, I told him how great it was and he told me he could barely keep his eyes open. All that medicine was doing him in. He was so shaky.

So anyway, that is why I have a feeling this picture will only be on the blog until Jason sees it. He already told me not to do it! :) BUSTED! But I still think he looks handsome and wonderful......puffy lips and all. :)

It was great to spend some time with cousins and watch them play with Ellie. There were all so great to her. This is my brother's oldest son, Mitchell.

Noah just can't get enough of his sister. He holds her at least 20 times a day. And when he is all done, he drops her. Like. . . goes limp. :) We are working on it.

Grandpa Kohler had some horses for all the kids to ride. Noah loves it. Jackson did not.


Ellie's beautiful little blessing dress. Thanks Baby Gap.

After the blessing with Grandma Joanie. Ellie loves to be held.

This was a fun day to Heritage Park. (aka "this is the place monument). The highlight was riding the trolley around. It was so dang HOT. As in MISERABLE!!! But the kids loved it and loved getting some playdough ice cream with grandma and grandpa. So did I.


And now it is the reverse. Noah was not so much into the horses and Jackson loved it.


William and Jackson giving kisses.


So cute right?!

Ahhh. . .COUSINS!!!! Best of friends. William pushed Noah one time and now Noah says, "William.. . . . Push." I wonder when he will stop associating the two.

When we got back we went to this super fun amusement park about an hour away called Idlewild. It is the #2 largest and BEST park for kids. They can pretty much ride everything. With an adult of course. But it was fun to take them on big roller coasters. And cotton candy was the best part of the day for me. Oh, and Dots ice cream. Why is that so fun to eat?

Rained out!

Off we went on a wonderful little walk. The weather was calm and it was a nice temperature. So, we decided to walk a little farther. We even walked to the grocery store to "only get a jar of peanut butter" and nothing else. We had the stroller to push and all three kids. And what happened? We bought groceries. Oh yeah. . . milk and all. And as many of you do this, we had to buy 2 different kinds. One for the kids and one for Jason and me. Plus, some delicious grapes, apples, cookies, you name it. . .we were getting it. And off we went to make the walk home with all the new found yummies and the kids.

Three minutes into our walk back, Jason and I look at each other and say, "It's sprinkling." Nice. Ellie was in the baby bjorn and getting all wet! My little Ellie. :( We start to walk fast. But the basket under the stroller is sagging and scraping on every bump. So, Jason has to take out the milk and carry it around his wrist. This is a 2 mile walk back. I being to sweat. And then . . . it POURS! Anyone who has been to Pittsburgh or has heard me talk about it knows that I like to compare it to San Francisco with all the hills. And I am serious. It is a very hilly area. Especially in my neighborhood, and especially when carrying 2 heavy kids in and stroller (one that the front wheel doesn't swivel) and one on my body, and Jason carrying all the milk and food. Quite the sight! We were getting drenched so I was a bit frantic as I was thinking about the kids, and maybe a little more about Ellie. :) She is still so little. Jason started running uphill (this hill specifically we try and avoid when out for walks or runs) and I was trying to keep up. But I am clearly not a runner! Jason is pretty fast with that stroller and the food. Impressive.

A nice lady saw the mess we were and asked if I wanted a towel. I hesitated for a moment and then bossed Jason to run home and get the car while I stood under her porch. Megan is my new friend. She kept me a little drier than I would have been and was very nice to meet. I think I might take her some cookies or something. Doubt it. Let's get real. My intentions are always good though.


Jason showed up a few minutes later and Ellie and I got in. We were home soon and getting all dried. That was a crazy walk. The weather did say it would rain, but it just looked so nice that I didn't believe it. Next time I will.

Home sweet home

We just spent the last 2 weeks in Utah, where we blessed little Ellie. It was a great vacation and lots of fun. It started out very busy with several of Jason's family there and most of my family. We had a wonderful weekend with everyone. Lots of yummy food I might add! After a week, Jason flew back home and the rest of us stayed for another few days. It was great. I did some good shopping, eating out and visiting with old friends. High school and Michigan both. I wish I could have seen more of you. Don't let Tanya fool any of you . . she looks fabulous! So, this a quick post, and one without pics. ( I can't find my card reader ). When Jason comes home tomorrow after work, and can find it I will add some. It was a fun filled two weeks and we are all glad to be home. Noah has only said, "Pomp-pa" 200 times. (asking for Grandpa). There is always such a sweetness when you come home to YOUR home. Big or small, old or new. . . it is where I belong.

What a trip!

We are back! Last Thursday we headed out for Niagara Falls and Palmyra, NY. And not a bad drive. It went quick. Noah had a few melt downs, but that was to be expected. We know our Noah. So, we left on Thursday, got to the hotel pretty late and hit the bed. Jason and I were exhausted, but Noah was full of energy. When we finally did turn the lights out, Noah said in such a sincere voice, "Monster!?" So funny. We have Aunt Jocey to thank for that. She told the boys of a monster that is living in our house by the name of Skittles. And Noah is fixed on it. Aunt Jocey came up with it in means to stop a tantrum that Noah was throwing. And it worked. Although now he is truly scared. Now we are working on forgetting about scary Skittles. So, we woke up and headed to Niagara Falls, the Canadian side. It was great. Just a side note . . . Jason proposed to me in Niagara Falls almost 5 years ago to the day. Ahhh!!! The boys loved the falls. And especially running through the sprinklers. We could have done that for free at home. After a long day of walking and playing at the falls, we went to the cutest and most quaint town called Niagara on the Lake. For any of you looking for a get away to a secluded place with delicious restaurants and adorable bed and breakfasts. . this is the place. I couldn't get enough of it. And I am sure the food was wonderful. Unfortunately, we had our boys with us to remind us that we don't get to eat at places like that anymore. Did we ever? We did have some great ice cream and B.L.T.'s. Mmmmmm!!!! After dreaming of what it might be like one day to enjoy a place like this, on the lake, reading a book, we went back to where we belong. Where we are treated like cattle. We all went swimming. And for the first time Noah was fearless of the water. It was fun, even though I am still a bit grossed out by indoor pools. Something about them makes me feel all dirty and covered in mildew. The windows are always so cloudy and wet. Ewww sick. After swimming, we ordered pizza in the hotel and ate it up! (no plates, napkins or cups). It was some of the best pizza I have ever had. And. . . BEDTIME!!! The next day we went to Palmyra and that was a really neat experience. Neither of us had ever been there so we both really enjoyed it. I got to spend some quiet time in the Sacred Grove while Jason and the boys walked ahead. I couldn't help but think of my mission and all the times I testified of that experience that Joseph had. Not to get all churchy. . . but it was surreal. There is a peace there like that of the temple. After Palmyra and all the sites, we went to have some dinner and back to the hotel. We got ready for bed and then Jackson and I went out for some doughnuts. Sunday we woke up, had breakfast and headed home. It was a great trip.
Here are a few choice moments that I will never forget:

Jackson said to me, while sitting in the car waiting to go through the border of Canada and the USA, "Mommy, why is your stomach still so big?"
OUCH!!!!! the "real" diet started this morning.

Noah said out of the blue, while pointing to my face, "Boo boo. Ohhhh. . . "
yes, my face gets the occasional zit.

There were more, but I feel like that is enough for me to hold onto. :) Out of the mouth of babes!!!!