Rachel

Things I've been working on...

2012-01-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Pinterest + Youtube = the following...

Adorned hair.

Got the idea from Sunnie Brook Jones beauty blog, and the sparkle you see in the braid is strings of silver beads intertwined within the braid. This pic was of my first attempt. My second attempt went much better and I continued the braid all the way around the other side of my head.

Favorite Things Party Favor Bags (these pictures are terrible, I know!).

Owen drew a picture on each bag, personalized for each friend (see Scooby Doo on the far right?), and the bags included a felt mask, crayons, a pad of paper, 6 suckers, pack a gum, balloon, and 2 paper airplanes.

Nail & String State Art.

Made these for Christmas presents!

Fabric Rosette Wreath.

Super easy. Hardest part was finding a plastic hook that would stay on the door!

Some of my favorites of Owen

2011-12-29T00:25:00.005-07:00

Six years ago today, I became a Mama for the first time. That little baby has changed me. Here's a recap of the past 6 years...

8 lbs. 1 oz. 19.5 inches long. Such a perfect baby. Rarely cried, loved to eat and poop. :)

How many newborns do you know that actually give a lil smile for the camera? Owen was one!

This picture makes me want another newborn. bad.

Nobody believes me now when I say Owen used to have blue eyes. PROOF!

Chubby cheeks!

My most favorite baby-stage: 8 months. Prior to this, I never knew babies could be so irresistible and funny and naughty all at the same time!

My oldest has always, ALWAYS loved the water.

First birthday!

Look at that little face!

Giving kisses to my friend, Ashley's baby, Boston... hahahaha both boys would hate this picture if they saw it!

If Owen were blonde...

First year dressing up for Halloween.

Owen as always been a nurturer.

I wanna eat that belly of his! AHHH SAUDADES!!

Since he was little, he has been very affectionate. When he was a toddler, learning to sleep in his own bed, we had to hold his hand until he went to sleep. He loves to snuggle (even now!) and he never was shy to give kisses, even to people he never met before. When we went to Brazil he warmed right up to family there, which was so sweet, since we don't get to see them often. Here, he's lovin his Tio Diogo.

2nd Birthday!

Sharing food with Mickey of course!

Trying to carry little cousin Braxton.

I think most children like to help in the kitchen, and Owen has been no exception. He loves to "cook" and at the age of 2 could crack and open an egg without getting shells in the bowl. He is so capable, that his confidence gets him in trouble sometimes.

I love those little gap teeth. This year has been the first time we've had to have several discussions about how gap teeth are not ugly (he says they are and complains to me about them :( ). I love that smile of his and he wouldn't be the same with a perfect set of teeth. But he usually isn't satisfied until I remind him that when his adult teeth grow in, the gap will go away.

Here he is at Tia Josette's old house in Ogden. He has always always loved going to her house and spending time with them. I think they have a soft spot for him too ;)

My friend, Ashley's second baby, Reese, and Owen. Owen loves babies. He was meant to be the oldest. I remember listening to him pray that he would get a baby brother (then Alex came) and then last year when I was pregnant, he would pray that he would get a sister (then Kaila came). Speaking of prayers, Owen loves to pray. Some children shy away from it in front of groups of people or in public. Not Owen. And he always prays from the heart. Sometimes it's funny, and sometimes it makes you cry, but this boy knows his Heavenly Father is real and is listening.

This kid is all about the silly faces. I have a million pictures he's taken of himself making faces!

First moments with his brother. Fascinated with how tiny he was. I remember this moment so vividly. I hope this memory remains with me forever. That sweet smell of newborn baby, the excitement of introducing him to Owen. Missing Owen while in the hospital, yet relishing those tender, first hours and days, where I'd pretend that baby was my first, my only, and I could give him 100% of my attention.

This 3 year-old wanted to be a police officer for Halloween (and his brother ended up being an inmate)!

Owen's 4th Birthday! Last one in Utah.

First summer in St Louis: we spent a lot of time on Grandpa Daniel's farm.

Owen is a very friendly boy. He makes friends quickly and wants everyone to like him. He also likes for everyone to feel included. A couple months ago, I got an email from his teacher telling me that something had happened in class and she wanted to share it with me. A boy was having a hard time at school and had gone to the corner of the room by himself, and was crying. Owen saw him, asked the teacher if he could go talk to him, then went over and within a couple minutes had the boy smiling and joining in the class group activity. When I read the email, I wept. I take no credit for what he did. It's just who he is: caring.

Have I mentioned Owen likes to help? yes? well, I'll say it again, OWEN ~~LIKES~~ LOVES TO HELP!!

He also loves to be dirty. Look how delighted he was with his dirty legs!

My child is also a monkey. He will do this to pretty much any doorway he can. He's crazy, but unfortunately he got that from me. I was always a climber too.

More of the cheese!

So jealous of his cute tan skin in the summa time...

Here's Owen eating poop and pee for lunch. (hehe)

There is something about this picture that makes me laugh. Oh come on! It's not like a enjoy seeing my children upset, but... well when it's about something ridiculous, I find it pretty funny!

Owen looks like he's helping here, but I just realized that those leaves don't look like their are being blown anywhere! haha!

Something about sleeping Owen. It just tugs at my heartstrings.

Posing with an Easter egg... That is his typical cheeseball smile for pictures.

MUAH!

Meeting his sister for the first time. Isn't it remarkable how when you introduce your children to a new brother or sister, it's so exciting to look at this new little person and get to know them, but at the same time when you are all together, it feels like you've been that way forever? You feel complete! Like, even though it's only been a few moments, suddenly, you can't imagine life without all those little humans!

Owen caught his first fish in Alaska this summer. He fell in love with everything about Alaska. He really was the perfect age to appreciate all it's beauty. Plus he had his first summer crush... a girl down the street from the house I grew up in:)

When he's bored, he takes full advantage of Bruno's phone... at any given time there are absurd amounts of self-portraits on there!

This Superman is actually quite strong! Since starting Tae-Kwon-Do this year, he has really solidified (muscle-wise). His favorite part of the class though, is the obstacle course at the end, where he can challenge the record time for the week. He usually beats it too!

Picture from today: 6th Birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Those 4 kids are from his school, and he had too much fun! He is also getting too handsome for his own good. I card hardly believe it's been 6 years!

Love you Owenzinho!

Dining Room Re-do

2011-11-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the disclaimer to this post is: our dining room is small. Actually our house is small. But, after a year and a half of living here, we finally made some improvements which have completely changed the feel of the room!

We LOVE it!

And because I'm a lover of good deals and I think you do too, I will detail what everything cost!

Thanksgiving Table Scape! I had the trifle dish, put in circular styrofoam ($3), some green moss ($5), various fall artificial plants (90% off at Hobby Lobby, so it cost less than $1), pumpkins and gourds ($3- painted them with paint I already had), gold & green wire garland (50% off at Hobby Lobby- $6), table runner (Goodwill- $2). Total spent: $20! (I already had the China.)

Ladder Wall Decoration: Ladder (Antique re-sell shop, $25), frames ($1.25 for all of them, I painted with paint I already had and distressed them), metal plaques (50% off at Hobby Lobby, two of them were $4 and two were $5), wooden letter "P" (Hobby Lobby-$2, painted and distressed myself), hardware to hang "P" on ladder and ladder on wall (Hobby Lobby & Lowe's- $6). Total spent: $52.25! (p.s. the b&w pics are temporary, they aren't ours... we are waiting on our prints still!)

Table Re-do: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Antibes Green ($35- 1 quart), Annie Sloan Dark Wax ($25), Minwax clear Finishing Paste Wax ($8), sandpaper I already had, cloths (to apply the wax) I already had. Total spent: $68! (I still have about 1/4 of the paint left, and I have TONS of the wax left for future projects)

Shoe Cubby: we found it at a garage sale- $12, painted it the same stain we used last year for our tabletop. Total spent: $12!

Grand Total Spent on Dining Room Re-do (I'll go ahead and round up): $153!

Over 75 years ago...

2011-11-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Remember that old Cookbook I bought a couple weeks ago at an estate sale? Well, last night I was looking through it and found SO many neat recipes! I also came across a section on nutrition and meal planning as suggested in 1935. They had a weekly sample menu for each SEASON. That means they didn't suggest having a strawberry dessert in December.

For Winter, here is the suggested meals for today (Monday):

-----

Breakfast-
Prunes, Cereal,
Ham & Eggs, Toast,
Coffee or Milk

Lunch-
Potato Soup, Corn Fritters,
Cole Slaw,
Milk or Tea

Dinner-
Chicken-fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes,
Spinach, Celery,
Brown Betty (that's a dessert),
Coffee or Milk

-----

Sounds pretty good no? Well, here are the suggested meals for a Saturday in Mid-Summer that got me wishing it was summer again:

-----

Breakfast-
Orange and Raspberry Juice, Oatmeal,
Hashed Kippered Herring,
Coffee Cake,
Coffee or Milk

Lunch-
Meat Pie with mashed Potato Crust,
Green Lettuce Salad,
Apple Sauce,
Oatmeal Cookies,
Tea or Iced Chocolate

Dinner-
Baked Beans, Fried Carrots, Creamed Kohlrabi,
Sliced Tomato and Lettuce Salad,
Apple Pie,
Coffee or Milk

----

Lastly, here is a recipe I found in the cookbook for Egg Nog that sounded delicious (tis the season!) and I thought I'd pass it along.

Egg-Nog (1 glass):

1 egg
1/8 tsp. salt
1 T. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 c. milk

Variation, Egg-Nog with Fruit Juice: Add 2 T. of any desired fruit juice or combination of juices to the plain egg-nog.

Sneak Peak: Antibes Green Chalk Paint

2011-11-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

After perusing lots of furniture re-do blogs, I splurged and bought

Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Antibes Green.

Painted our dining room set (only used half a quart).

In the process of waxing, distressing, waxing some more.

One chair down, 2 chairs, bench, and a table to go!

Whatdya think? Am I crazy?

Garage Sale Finds

2011-11-12T21:31:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago, on a whim, I convinced Bruno to drive by a garage sale on a Saturday morning. I also love it when I can see lots of pieces of furniture, because you never know, right? I came across 2 end tables, with a $5 sticker on each! I wasn't crazy about the stain on them, but they were solid wood and in pretty darn good condition.

So we bought them. After looking at them for a couple days, I decided I wanted to paint them white and distress them a bit. Enlisting the help of Bruno's Tia Josette, who has transformed nearly all the furniture in her house with this technique, we both painted 3 coats of white and distressed the edges within a few hours!

Before

After

After, but before we bought some cute teal lamps and put some picture frames and other decor on the tables. I also plan on sewing some light gray slipcovers for the couches.... anyone want to offer some tips on that monstrous task?

The following week was my birthday, and one of the top things on my list of what-I-want-to-do-on-my-birthday, was garage sale-ing. First stop, we snagged a sturdy, solid wood, book shelf thing for only $15! We went to a few other sales, but this was by far our best find for the day. I already knew I wanted to paint this an aqua color and distress it, because I never had the guts to before, but I found a couple good tips online, so we took the plunge and spent several hours in the afternoon and after the kids went to bed, painting and sanding.

Before

After.

(Not sure exactly what to fill those shelves with yet)

Today, we only had an hour, but I got smart and went on craigslist beforehand and found an estate sale, close by, worth checking out. And boy was I right. Tons of antiques! I'm kinda obsessed with antiques. I love the patina of old, valuable stuff. Sometimes, it's not even that valuable, but I still love it. Like old books, old toys, old photographs, old dishes... you get the idea. When I was in high school, my grandpa died and left tons of antiques that were shipped down to our house. I collected a few of my favorite items and displayed them in my room. I had some antique hats of my grandma's from the 20s and 30s on the walls, a small armoire, several books, and other items displayed around the room. I LOVE the smell and feel of old books. It's weird, I know.

So anyways, back to this morning. I couldn't spent hours perusing through everything. Long story short, here were some of my favorite finds.

Hand-made lace runner (they seriously don't make this stuff anymore!)

The Joy of Cooking (circa 1967), and My Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (printed 1935 and personalized)

Look how amazing this cookbook is!

Almost every page had hand-written notes and recipes, and cut-outs from magazines the she tried and loved!

I love her! I wish I knew her!

I also found this old-fashioned cooler ($5)! It's like a mini wooden barrel. I want to make it into a little stool. Paint (that aqua color), distress, add a little fabric cushion to the top.

I saw this and loved it right away, but it took me awhile to convince myself to buy it. It was $25 which was more than I wanted to spend. But I kept going back to look at it. And it is sturdy! I even left for a few hours and came back and it still was unsold. I needed it. :)

Look how amazing that seat is! I'm going to paint it! Not sure if I should do it white like the end tables, or maybe a different color? or maybe keep it the brown color and just get a new cushion? Suggestions?

(Can you tell I'm pretty excited about my finds? I'm using waaaay too many exclamation points about everything)

I posted this on facebook, but shoot, this post is related, so I'm going to include it here. I made a Rosewood Wreath out of old pages of a book! Found a tutorial online and spent my free-time for a few days making these little rosettes.

I love how it turned out, but I don't love that it took about 80 rosettes and lots of hot glue. Ugh. But it's pretty! And I finally bought a hook for our door (inside) tonight, and it is hanging there now.

And the Winner Is....

2011-11-12T14:26:00.001-07:00

From the 10 different gift options, the clear favorite was the Eye Bundle that comes with Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover and Lash Love Mascara! Runner up was the Satin Hands set, so this actually helps me a lot! Thank you everyone for voting!

So now on to the WINNER of the EYE BUNDLE!!

Congratulations to.......... ATHENA! Please email me (brpereira@gmail.com) with your address to claim your prize and it will be mailed next week!

Thank you for all who participated! As a reward you will all get 15% off your online order, plus FREE SHIPPING!! Just enter "GIVEAWAY" in the comment box when you check out online. When you submit the order, it will not ask for payment information. I will send you an invoice with the amended total. Additionally, when you spend $40 or more, you get a FREE GIFT (Trial size of Microdermabrasion Set & trial size of *New* Night Restore & Recover Complex)!

Happy Weekend!

Holiday Gifts & GIVEAWAY

2011-11-01T22:39:00.003-06:00

I need some advice! I'm going to be ordering some of Mary Kay's Limited Edition (and regular line) products for my customer's holiday gifts, but I'm not sure which ones will be the most popular & worth ordering ahead of time. Enter: YOUR OPINION!

Take a look at the following products and tell me which one you like best. Reward? You'll be entered into a giveaway for a whatever the most popular product below is. The giveaway will end next Friday (11/11/11), just leave a comment saying you voted, if you want to enter the giveaway! Vote on the RIGHT sidebar!

For additional entries post about this giveaway on your blog, facebook account, or twitter account. So if you are keeping track, you can enter up to 4 times (voting, blog, facebook, twitter)!

p.s. I'm assuming a a budget of around $30-35.

Option #1:

Limited Edition Miniature Fragrance Collection: 5 Mini Perfumes: Belara, Bella Belara, Velocity, Journey, & Thinking of You

Option #2:

Thinking of You Eau de Parfum with unique gift box that opens to reveal a space for a hand-written note, and keepsake charm.

Option #3:

(Award-Winning) Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover &*New* Lash Love Mascara

Option #4:

Satin Lips Set (Mask & Balm) & Nourishine Lip Gloss (your choice of color)

Option #5:

Limited Edition Flavored Lip Balm Set (Vanilla Mint, Vanilla, Vanilla Berry), Satin Hands Hand Cream, & Mint Bliss Energizing Lotion for Feet & Legs

Option #6:

Limited Edition Redefining Elegance Filigree Mineral Eye and Cheek Powder & Lip Suede (you make color selection)

Option #7:

Limited Edition Nail Lacquer (Plush Plum, Gold Leaf, Lavish Sable & Top/Base Coat)

Option #8:

Fragrance-Free Satin Hands Pampering Set (Hand Softener, Smoothie Scrub, &Hand Cream)

Option #9:

Limited Edition Fragrance Gift Set (Fragrance Wand, Shimmering Body Lotion, & Shower Gel) Available in Bella Belara, Belara or Velocity Fragrances! Not available online, but can be purchased through me directly

Option #10:
Travel Roll-Up Bag (unfilled) (4 zipper compartments, each removable (velcro), swivel hook on top for hanging on back of door)

My C-Section Advice

2011-09-27T09:20:00.001-06:00

First of all, let me preface this post by saying I DO NOT recommend a c-section. I have had 3. And if we have another baby, I will have to have another one. I hated having to be cut open to get my baby out. I hated the potential risks and I hated the recovery process. I wished I could have had a natural delivery without anesthesia! I did so much research and read different stories and talked to different moms. But in the end, my body did not want to cooperate. Simply put, I never went into labor (even after 42 weeks) and I can honestly say I think I was meant to live in this day & age where c-sections are possible. Without them, I probably wouldn't have survived or my babies wouldn't have survived.

I am the type of person that will do lots of independent research and ask a bunch of questions to my doctor so I know all potential outcomes and I'm aware of my options. I had a horribly slow recovery with my first-born, and a pretty darn fast recovery (all things considered) for my third-born (now 6 months old), and along the way I've learned a some tips that make the process go a little smoother. I've been asked several times what those tips are within the past several months, so I figured I'd write them here, for easier access to those of you who'd appreciate it.

One last thing before I get started. These suggestions are just that: SUGGESTIONS. They may not work for everyone. Different body types, medical history, or allergic reactions to medications could make some of these tips obsolete for you.

1. Notify/ask your OB/GYN and Anesthesiologist for a spinal block with Duramorph (morphine) instead of an epidural. This is for a couple reasons. Lately it has become all the rage to have an epidural put in, then they LEAVE IT IN (but adjust the dosing) for a couple days! They say this is great because you don't feel any pain and you can sleep and take care of your baby better (supposedly). 1st of all, leaving an epidural in for a couple days is expensive. Sure, insurance pays for most of it, but you pay a percentage! 2nd of all, when you have an epidural in, YOU CANNOT SHOWER! I can't imagine not showering for 2 days after having a baby. Ew. 3rd of all a spinal block wears off within a couple hours, so you can move your legs and what-not, and the duramorph controls your pain level so your milk comes in no problem. I strongly feel it is important to feel some pain (not a lot!... nothing more than a 3 on your 1-10 pain threshold) so you know your limitations. If you are completely numbed up with an epidural for two days, you might feel like walking around everywhere the next day, then by the time they take it out, you find out you overdid it and are in much more pain and take longer to heal. Pain is our body's way of telling us our limitations. Also, with a spinal block they will take out your IV and catheter around 24 hours after surgery, so you can take a SHOWER! Can you tell I love showers? I also feel more normal when I don't have tubes and wires connected to me, that make moving around awkward.

2. They will offer to give you percocet and a mega-ibuprofen pill to control pain. ACCEPT but take with caution. Ibuprofen is essential to keep swelling at bay. I took that one every 4-6 hours for the first week. I would only take the percocet as needed because it has side affects that are different for everyone (and not usually positive). They might suggest every 4 hours, but I would play it by ear. When your pain level gets to a 3, take it.

3. By day 2, ask for an abdominal binder. This is a wrap thing that goes around your midsection that compresses things so it is less painful to move around. I used to find myself 'holding' the site of my incision when I was walking around. Then a nurse told me about an abdominal binder, then gave me one and holy cow it made SUCH a difference! Sadly, I didn't discover this until my most recent surgery!

4. Don't wait more than 12 hours to start moving, even if it is only moving from a laying back position to sitting up on the side of the bed at first. Movement (albeit SLOWLY) will prevent severe gas pains. Be sure and start trying to walk around (with help) by day 2. Oh take plenty of those stool softeners!

5. Ask your OB/GYN to let you eat when you feel like it, and to not place limitations on your diet. Of course you aren't going to want a cheeseburger right after having had a baby. But the protocol diet restrictions post c-section are liquid only until something like 12-24 hours after surgery, then gradual introduction to normal food. I had to endure this with my first c-section and it was AWFUL! I wanted real food so much sooner! So with my next 2 doctors I asked them to write on my chart to let me have food when I feel like it and they obliged. In reality, you don't want anything but fluids for several hours after (you feel nauseous and may even throw up). But with Alex and Kaila, who were both delivered around 8am, I was ready to eat a small meal by dinner. This helps with energy levels and milk production!

6. If you are breast-feeding, try to breast-feed within the first hour after the baby is born. Sometimes, some people, have a harder time getting their milk to come in after a c-section (wasn't the case for me AT ALL! I drowned my babies in milk practically... poor things...) so the sooner you get started with the stimulation, the law of milk supply and demand will start to work in your body.

7. Know how you react to different anti-nausea medications. They give you some right before surgery, so, if you know which one you react well, to, recommend it. If you haven't taken it before, ask for the one with the least amount of side effects (I think there's 3 different ones). They gave me a commonly-used one with Owen, and it made me so sleepy and groggy, that I didn't want anything to do with him until it wore off. I seriously didn't have the patience to nurse, so they gave him formula until it wore off (about 4 hours later).

8. The Duramorph can make you itchy. Not like crazy itchy, but for some people, it's a side effect. It made me a little itchy everywhere, and they have a medicine to counteract that.

9. Drink LOTS AND LOTS of water! It helps with healing & milk production. It might make you look a little swollen, but once you start moving around it will dissipate.

10. Ask them to let you leave by day 3. With Kaila, they kept telling me I should stay another day, but I was like, GET ME OUTTA HERE! Not like mad or crazy, but I was sick of hospital food and I missed being home with my babies. And the minimum stay in the hospital after c-section is like 72 hours I think? But they like to suggest 96 hours. If you are able to pass gas or even better, have a bowel movement, they will be more convinced you are ready to leave.

Ok! That is about it! Oh, one more thing. I would say, if you are planning a c-section or you think that it might be a possibility, try to learn as much as possible about the process to make it less scary. Also, maybe practice breathing and relaxation techniques. This would be helpful because if you get super nervous and worried, they will probably give you high blood pressure medicine during surgery, which makes you SUPER TIRED allll dayyyyy longggg. I found this out the hard way (with Kaila). I was like, "Why am I so tired?" I couldn't sleep, but I also couldn't keep my eyes open. Then I put 2+2 together and realized it was the high blood pressure medicine.

Weekend with Kaila and Alex

2011-09-12T14:47:00.000-06:00

This past weekend Bruno and Owen went with some friends up to Chicago. I stayed home with the littlest two Pereiras. On Friday night, I gave them a bath together...

Behold Kaila's chubbiness:

Look at her silly face! Oh I love my babies.

On Saturday we went to the Magic House Children's Museum and Costco. Finally, exhausted we spent the rest of the evening chillin at home. Throughout the day I kept thinking... this is too easy with two! Sometimes going out with all three is too much, but for the most part I've adjusted pretty darn good, if I do say so myself! I love how good of friends Owen and Alex are and how they are both amazingly gentle and sweet with Kaila. Still. After 5 months!

While we were at the Magic House, they had an area for children under 2, and part of it had a scale for babies. Kaila weighs 16 pounds!

Sunday, everything went really smoothly, which I was anticipating it not, since I was doing sharing time. BUT, both children were angels and by the time we got home and I made dinner, Bruno and Owen were already back! I love having moments like this past weekend where I can appreciate my boys more and I can also spend some more individualized attention with the younger ones.

It also makes me kinda nervous. I hear about and read about families that lose a mother or father or little baby and I feel a little nervous like, "My life is too good. I hope I don't have to endure that kind of trial." And I feel it's not really an appropriate thing to pray for either... So I'm not sure what to do with those nervous/heartbroken/thankful feelings when I read the stories. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Anyway... different subject:

You know how little boy's ties are hard to come by? We have a couple clip ons and a couple zip-up ones, but my friend, Rebeca, from Tiny Looks Kids Boutique makes this variety:

My unbiased review? They are very well-made, very reasonably priced ($10) as easy to remove (if not easier) than a zip-tie, and they stay on a lot longer than clip or zip ties because Alex doesn't know how to take them off! haha! Only thing is you have to know how to tie a tie, but that is super easy, so that isn't a negative in my book.

Happy Monday everyone!

Slightly obsessed.

2011-09-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

Lately, when browsing online for things that interest me, I've found a couple things I'm just slightly obsessed with and really can't get enough of.

1. Imagine Dragons & The Vibrant Sound. CJane talked them up a bunch on her blog because they played in a recent concert she sponsors. I honestly used to skip the posts where she would post videos and what-not... but the other day I was bored and decided to check them all out. LOVE them and I really love their style. Check out this sweet sweet love song:

2. Beauty blogs! Holy shnikes, I find myself obsessed with trying to learn the latest and greatest tips for hair and makeup... favorite: Sunnie Brook Jones (I want her mermaid hair!) I'm calling it "research" because...

As many of you know, I'm a Mary Kay Consultant now, and I have been doing makeovers for this contest. This week I have done 11 makeovers... SO MUCH FUN! I seriously love trying different looks on all types of faces. Ya wanna know what shade of eye shadow is super trendy for this fall? Purple shades! Purples, plums, iris, lilacs.... Pretty much there is a shade of purple that can work for every eye color and skin tone!

Mary Kay has a trend report for every season... check this fall's out here.

I love my weird children.

2011-08-21T13:51:00.000-06:00

Owen got ahold of our camera while it was in 'video' mode and decided to make a home video for Bruno. I discovered this only while uploading some pictures to the computer a few days later.

And I did laugh.

I did laugh much.

Peas or Ice Cream?

2011-08-19T13:46:00.000-06:00

Alex prefers green peas over ice cream. Strangest child I ever met. (He is shaking his head and crying here because he didn't want me to put that ice cream bowl close to him for the picture.

Little birds

2011-08-18T13:30:00.041-06:00

We had a dumb bird build her nest in a planter RIGHT NEXT to our door a few weeks ago! I think she did it while we were in Alaska, but when we came back, every time (I just typed evertime and had to go back and fix it. Can you tell I've been reading The Help?) we would go outside or pretty much go near that door (read: her nest) she would fly away from her little babies.

So we got some footage:

Bruno decided to be sneaky when when he was further away he zoomed waaay in on that mama bird (hence the bit of blurriness in some of the pictures). And p.s. I hate watering plants outside so basically if it don't rain enough, they die. It didn't rain for the entire month of July.

Can you see that beady eye? That's the stupid mama.

Man alive, it is everthing I can do not to type "ain't"! Anyways, all three babies survived and left the nest over the weekend. Hallelujah! As I was taking down the planter Owen commented, "Maybe she will learn her lesson and not build a nest right next to our door again!" Yeah, I hope she learned that lesson! What lesson did YOU learn over the summer?

Kindergarten!

2011-08-17T13:27:00.001-06:00

Today was the first day of Kindergarten for Owen.

7:30am: Owen woke up (usually wakes up at 8:30) and dressed himself in the clothes he laid out the night before (he usually stays in his underwear half the day. What! It's hot here!).

7:45: Owen is ready to go and is already saying his goodbyes to everyone. I tell him he still has another hour before we have to leave.

7:51: I hear him explaining to Alex that he won't be able to play with him anymore because he will be going to school now.

7:56: I start making french toast for breakfast, while Owen looks at the clock and asks, "Is it time to go to school yet?" :)

8:15: Owen has eaten breakfast and is sitting in the living room, explaining again to Alex that he cannot play with him any more because he is goes to school now.

8:17: Owen comes in the kitchen to tell me he thinks Alex knows that he is going to school because Alex looked sad.

8:38: Owen tells me he really really needs to go to school now. He is gonna be late!!!! I assure him we have plenty of time, since the school is 5 minutes away and it doesn't start till 9.

8:55: We arrive at his school, and as we near his classroom, he doesn't even look back to us, and just says, "Bye!" I have to remind him to give me a hug, so he does, but one of those I'm-too-big-to-show-affection-half-hugs. Little stink. :)

Bruno snapped a couple of pics with his phone:

Imma distract you with some Jazz hands then Imma poke you with my new pencil!

This is what happy looks like on Owen:

I'm getting old.

Sideways

2011-08-12T10:43:00.001-06:00

Sorry it's sideways... still fun to watch!

SCHOOL

2011-08-11T09:58:00.001-06:00

School starts in less than a week. So last weekend we went school shopping. I LOVE school shopping.

Growing up, each of my siblings and myself (there are 6 of us, and I'm the 5th) were given a day, all to ourselves, where we would go get school supplies and new clothes. It was the only time of the year that we were allowed to get new clothes (besides for Christmas or birthdays). So naturally, it was highly anticipated.

One year, when I was about 10, my day came and my mom and I drove to Fred Meyer (the only one-stop shopping at the time). Keep in mind that Juneau, at the time, had pretty much 3 clothing stores: J.C. Penney, Lamonts, and Fred Meyer. The first two were slightly more expensive in general, so Fred Meyer was where it was AT. So we park the car, I get out in a hurry, and slam the door shut... ON MY THUMB! I screamed, then quickly opened the door. I cried as I inspected the damage: a thumbnail that was already purple and throbbing. I knew what it needed... a small hole drilled into the nail!

You probably think I was crying because of the pain. Not entirely so. I was mostly crying because I knew that this meant I would have to go home. However, I quickly decided I would tough it out and make it look like less of a big deal, so my mom wouldn't cancel my day of shopping. I wiped my tears and told my mom that it wasn't that bad and I'd just go run it under cold water to make it feel better. It took some more convincing but finally she gave in and we were on our way to buying bliss!

You'd think that shopping all day with a throbbing thumb and many trips to the bathroom to run it under cool water would dampen my excitement towards shopping. Not so. Still.love.it.

However, I now see my mom's wisdom in school shopping one-on-one with your child. Besides giving them individual attention, IT KEEPS YOU SANE! I DO NOT recommend shopping with the whole fam dam.

This is our last full week of Owen home all day with us (besides the summer vacations). I felt kinda sad when I was talking about it with Bruno last night. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally excited he'll get to go do something for a few hours every day (and learn a bit too)... I just have been feeling a tad sentimental lately, thinking about how fast my babies are growing. I really don't want to miss out on anything. They change so quickly!

Toothpaste

2011-08-10T09:47:00.000-06:00

Alex burned his fingers the other day. Nothing too major... he tried touching the pan where I was cooking dinner. So I immediately went to the bathroom and tried to find the toothpaste. All Brazilians know that for minor burns the magical ointment is baking soda toothpaste. Works like a charm every time!

I remember when Bruno and I were first married and I burned my finger on something, he grabbed the toothpaste and smoothed some on. I was all, "THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW IS BRUSH MY TEETH WITH MY FINGER!"

But he assured me it would help and it was a Brazilian trick for burns. I was skeptical. But within in a few minutes it didn't hurt anymore (unless I touched it) and the next day it didn't blister, and it was painless, even when I touched it!

Sometimes, when I don't have baking soda toothpaste, I make a paste of water and baking soda, and it also works great!

Like Brother Like Sister

2011-08-09T09:31:00.001-06:00

Don't these two look related?

Footsies

2011-08-08T10:13:00.001-06:00

Kaila discovered her feet yesterday. LOVE this stage.

Alex

2011-07-22T23:29:00.000-06:00

Picture from Bruno's phone from the past couple weeks:

We just spent almost 2 weeks in Alaska. It was an amazing vacation. We loved it, it was beautiful weather. But there is an incident that happened just as we got home and I need to record it so I'll never forget it. It makes me emotional every time I think about it.

Because we traveled stand-by, Bruno ended up flying home on Monday with Alex on his lap, and I came home Wednesday with Owen and Kaila. I've never been away from Alex for more than an afternoon, so I was naturally apprehensive about how he was doing. I was constantly asking Bruno how Alex was doing, and if he was asking about me or crying or anything like that. Bruno said he asked about me, Owen and Pete (his cousin) once or twice, but Bruno just responded that we were gone... weren't home yet. He was also a different child apparently too! Very well behaved, quiet even. Didn't cry much, and was sleeping A LOT! I'm always amazed at how different my children are when they aren't around me! So anyways, traveling all day Wednesday made us tired and we got home almost 12 hours after we woke up.

We arrived finally, deboarded, and found our way toward baggage claim. I saw Bruno and Alex waiting for our bags. I told Owen I found them, and pointed them out. Then I called out for Bruno. He immediately told Alex "There's Mama!" Alex didn't see me at first... too many people in the way. So I crouched down and called to him. His little face went from brow-furrowed-searching, to eyes, wide with what seemed to be a combination of surprise, relief, and fear. He was serious. It was a look I've never seen before, so it's hard for me to describe. He ran to me fast and hugged me hard. Then we pulled away so that I could give him a little stuffed animal we bought for him. He hugged the stuffed toy, then turned back to me and hugged me hard again. I started to tear up! It was almost as if he thought I was gone forever and couldn't express how he felt. And then seeing me again was such a relief! I don't know... maybe I interpreted it wrong, but with those big eyes and that tight squeeze, I knew he missed me.

It's moments like that, that I know my purpose in life was to be a mother. I know there is nothing else in the world that can teach me more than mothering can, and there is nothing else more important! I'm so grateful that my Father in Heaven has entrusted me with 3 of his precious children, and that I have the privilege of nurturing them and learning from them. God bless little children!

Family in town!

2011-06-18T12:00:00.058-06:00

We went to the Zoo...

to church...

met exotic birds...

went swimming...

ascended the Arch...

hiking in Castlewood State Park (basically my back yard)...

played at the Magic House (children's museum)...

(Alex is inside of a bubble)

(look at Kaila's hair!)

(Even though this is blurry, I love this pic of my dad!)

explored the Missouri Botanical Garden...

and had a LOT of fun! We already miss you, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Katie, Megan, Tristan and Braxton!

The Dress

2011-06-17T12:20:00.001-06:00

After looking at several baby blessing dresses out there, I fell in love with the vintage-inspired ones with a long gown. So my mom and I went to a fabric store and looked through patterns. I ended up choosing a combination of 3 different designs and the result was this:

And here are a few pics of little Kaila on the big day:

Mad baby!

My mom, the maker of the beautiful dress:

Miss Blue Eyes

The headband I got on Etsy and luckily it was a perfect match! And the adorable bracelet made by Bruno's Tia Josette:)

Love this girl!

What a difference a year makes!

2011-05-11T08:15:00.001-06:00

A year ago...

A week ago...

A year ago...

A week ago...

A year ago...

A couple weeks ago...

A year ago, he wasn't even walking and had no interest in eggs. A couple weeks ago he had jolly good time searching for eggs...

A year ago...

Yesterday...

But ya know... it has been a great year, because now I get to cuddle and love this...

Kaila is such a sweet baby. She sleeps pretty good (3-5 hours at night, depending on her mood), she nurses like a pro (even though that is kind of disgusting to think about a professional nurser), and is chubbin out nicely... like she is about 11 pounds now!

Babies are more of a spectacle here (because it is not Utah) and she gets attention wherever she goes. Moreover, we, as a family, create a bit of a stir now in public. Why? Well, Bruno looks to be about 18 years old and I look about the same (or maybe not?) and we have 3 children! People stare.

But I love being a mom to 3... I feel I'm adjusting pretty well (with the help of my beloved Mtn Dew).... and having a daughter has brought a special spirit into our home... not sure exactly how to describe it, but things seem more peaceful. And perhaps this is unique to our family... I don't know if little girls have this effect on every family, but Kaila is exactly what ours needed. Period.

Things I'm looking forward to this week:
1. Bruno working from home Thursday and Friday
2. Owen's Tae Kwon Do sparring class on Friday
3. Maybe the Zoo on Saturday

Things I'm looking forward to in the next month:
1. Alex's 2nd year Birthday BBQ next Saturday
2. My mom finishing Kaila's baby blessing dress (think cream-colored satin with lace overlay, vintage design... I can't wait!)
3. My sister, her kids, and my parents driving out for the blessing

Things I'm looking forward to this summer:
1. Trip to Alaska WITH Bruno (first time in 4 years!)
2. Many lazy Saturdays spent at the pool
3. Running again!

I spy something blue

2011-04-22T17:29:00.000-06:00

Bruno did this to Owen. Owen was so pleased. He called himself Optimus Prime.

Alex, post blue sucker:

And here is the little boy who's sister can make him happy no matter how ornery his disposition: (he kept telling me she was scratch/tickling him with her fingers)

Little Miss, filling out nicely and wearing jewelry Papai bought for her:

I couldn't resist her cuteness here:

Happy Easter weekend!

Love Song for a Baby

2011-04-09T11:02:00.002-06:00

Come, my darling.

Come, my dear.

Come hear a song about a baby,

a very special baby.

Come here a song about you.

Before the first stars blazed in your sky,

before the sun every kissed you,

before you cried your first cry,

we loved you.

When you came into our arms,

slippery as salmon,

puckered as prunes,

loud as a lion,

already we knew,

we loved you.

You had tiny hands

with perfect nails

and fingers like the petals of a flower.

And yes,

we loved you.

You came complete

with ten little toes

as sweet and pink as candies.

Certainly,

we loved you.

You had two eyes

and one very small nose,

not much hair,

and no teeth at all.

Still,

we loved you.

Round cheeks,

a round tummy,

a round little bottom,

all made us

love you.

Your laughter was the sun.

Your smile, the moon.

Even your burps were bells,

since

we loved you.

So we snuggled you,

we juggled you,

we watched you while you slept,

because it's true,

we loved you.

We clapped with you,

we danced with you,

we dried your tears

and soothed your fears.

We tossed you high,

we kept you dry.

Can you guess why?

We loved you.

You burst upon our world like a comet,

like birdsong

in the silver silence of dawn,

and how could we help

but love you?

We'd dreamed a baby,

we'd wanted a baby,

we'd planned for a baby,

we'd waited and waited and waited

for a baby,

until finally,

there was you.

And oh,

how we love you!

by Marion Dane Bauer

On Monday morning, we welcomed a new baby into our family forever.

Seven pounds, 13 ounces, and 20.75 inches long of pure, sweet baby girl.

We named her Kaila Giselle.

(pronounced like Kyla, not Kayla)

Coxinhas

2011-04-08T11:09:00.001-06:00

Coxinhas de Frango e Catupiry

3 boneless chicken breasts

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

6 T. margarine

2 cubes beef or chicken bouillon

2 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

3 c. flour

cream cheese or Catupiry

2 egg whites

bread crumbs

Cook chicken with onion, garlic, margarine, bouillon, water, salt, and pepper in a crock pot on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is tender and can be shred with a fork. Remove chicken. Pour remaining water/broth mixture into saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low (you should have about 3 cups of broth mixture). Add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about a minute until it becomes a dough (may need to add more than 3 cups of flour). Remove from pan, and knead with plenty of flour on surface. Roll dough out with a rolling pin (or I just flatted it out with my hand) till about 1/4 inch thick. With a circular biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as you can, knead scraps, re-roll and repeat cutting circles until all dough is used.

Place cut circular dough in the palm of your hand (grease your hands well with butter or shortening) and place about 1-2 teaspoons of cream cheese in the center, then 1-2 teaspoons of shredded chicken on top. Fold and close in the shape of a drum stick. Baste the filled dough with egg whites and roll them in bread crumbs (I used italian style).

Once you have filled all the dough circles, deep fry the snacks in vegetable oil at 350 degrees (medium heat) for about 5-8 minutes or until dark golden brown. If you fry one at a time, they will brown really fast, and the center won't get heated through, unless you cook it until it is SUPER dark brown. I recommend frying 2 at a time. Once done, remove from oil, place on some paper towels to let drain.

If you have never eaten coxinhas, they are a Brazilian snack that is kind of like a deep-fried dumpling, and the dough is always crispy on the outside and a moist, soft, and a little sticky on the inside. The dough doesn't cook the same way a bread or crust dough cooks... it doesn't get flaky or dry, like bread. But that is okay because fillings are always moist, soft, and flavorful, so it is a perfect combination.

Anticipating Baby's Arrival and Inspiration in Motherhood

2011-03-30T08:55:00.000-06:00

I came across this video of one of the first times Owen held Alex, and it made me cry. I love my little boys and I can't wait for them to meet their baby sister!

Speaking of baby, no changes to report! Still not dilated, so it looks as if Monday will be the big day. They did an ultrasound to see how much she weighs (approximately... since ultrasound estimates can be up to a pound off) and they said she was 8 lbs. 3 oz.. which means she is probably more like 7 1/2 pounds (3.4 kg for all you Brasileiros). I could actually see a layer of fat around her abdomen! Too funny...

We will be updating facebook and this blog with pictures and videos within hours of her arrival, so if you are interested, just check back here Monday night with updates.

Here are some recent pictures of my adorable boys...

Doesn't Owen look so big here? He scored 2 goals during this game!

On a slightly different note, I thought I'd share a story about inspiration in motherhood.

About a month and a half ago, Bruno and I were talking one evening about how skinny little Alex was. Like, the kid had only gained a few pounds in a year. He has been growing taller, so our pediatrician wasn't too concerned. I was though... I had been concerned for over a year, because between the ages of 9 months and 15 months he didn't gain anything! SO different than how Owen was. Not only that, Alex was a strangely picky eater. Not your normal picky though. For example, he would only eat very small amounts throughout the day and would refuse things like meat or bread, but loved (and still does) to eat asparagus, carrots, salad, broccoli, apples, cucumbers, and tons of other veggies that most toddlers don't like. Since his increasing skinniness had been worrying me for over a year, I had started to try to just accept the fact that he was a picky eater and skinny.

Except I had to keep trying to convince myself of this because something didn't feel right about letting it go. So that night, when Bruno and I were talking about it, I started to think about about how chubby he was when he was 0-6 months. Then the inspiration hit me. He had been on acid reflux medicine for the first 6 months of life! He was diagnosed with acid reflux when he was 6 weeks and I stopped giving it to him at 6 months when he started solid foods and didn't seem to be spitting up anymore. I felt that familiar reassuring calm of the Holy Ghost when the thought came, "He still has acid reflux."

So the next day, I called his pediatrician, explained to him what I thought. He immediately called in a prescription for prevacid and we started on it that day.

Fast forward to now... Alex has gained 3 pounds in the past month!! He eats regular meals, sleeps better at night, is occasionally still picky, but for the most part eats really well. And his tummy looks rounder, his bum- chubbier, his thighs- meatier!

I'm so glad I have my Father in Heaven, who knows my boys better than I do, on my side, helping me out, when I need it most!

What I've been up to lately

2011-03-14T10:01:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to redecorate our living room. It is a slow process because of 2 main reasons. First, redecorating can be expensive, even if you home-make a lot of things! Second, my energy levels don't allow it.

But so far, I'm happy with the progress we've made. A couple weekends ago, we moved everything out of the room and Bruno with his aunt and uncle came over and painted the room a light bluish/teal color. I also bought a bunch of white sheers for the big window, and took down the light-blocking curtains. Then I'm currently in the process of finding small decorative items to use on our bookshelves. I'm going to de-clutter the shelves and move a bunch of books elsewhere so it is slightly more visually appealing. I also took down that big painting of the blue wall and old lady, and replaced it with these:

I MADE those! I got the idea from THIS website. Basically with some wooden skewers, cardboard, a bunch of hot glue, and some spray paint, I made this starburst mirror grouping for around $15... it would comparatively cost well more than $60 if you bought them at a store.

This weekend, I also made this out of cereal box cardboard, hot glue, and a mirror:

It is now sitting above our bed, and I love it. It's spray painted a metallic nickel color, so it actually looks metal, instead of cardboard! (Got the idea from the same website) I love creative people that come up with ideas that I would never in a million years think of!

Next project is new decorative pillow case covers (finally got my sewing machine working!) and searching for inexpensive accent tables that I can spruce up.

I also made some brazilian dumplings, Esfirra de Bife! Not sure if this is exactly what they look like in Brazil, but Bruno said they taste the same, so that is all that matters in my book!

In other news, I haven't given an update of baby #3 in a while, so here goes. No, I'm not posting belly pictures. That would be hideous. Baby girl is growing fine... my belly is measuring a little small (even though it doesn't feel that way), so they did an ultrasound a few weeks ago and we got to confirm that she has no secret boy parts... STILL a girl! And she is measuring normal for size intra-utero. We have about 3 names that we like the most, but I'm not going to divulge them yet. She'll have a name sometime after she is born, that's all I'm saying about that!

I'm quite uncomfortable, feeling really fat, and my pelvis and low spine hurt all the time. Other than that, pregnancy is great! haha...who am I kidding? I hate being pregnant! Definitely looking forward to her coming out. My doc is awesome so he said if I went into labor on my own before April 4th, then I could try a natural delivery. However, because of my 2 prior C-sections, I would need to do it without any pitocin (so no induction for me!) or anesthesia. Both of those put my risks for uterine rupture higher. All that being said, on April 4th at noon, I'm scheduled for a repeat C-section. Crossing my fingers, hoping I don't make it another 3 weeks, even though I'm not dilated or effaced yet.

Alex is finally sleeping in his own big-boy bed! We figured he needed to transition to the bottom bunk in Owen's room before the baby came and took over the crib. So, we bought a bed rail and within 2 nights he was already sleeping better through the nights. The funniest is to hear Owen and Alex whispering to each other after we put them to bed. I love it. I think we'll keep these bunk beds forever!

My Little Ninja

2011-02-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Tae Kwon Do has been absolutely wonderful for Owen. It's only been a month since we've started, but he's already better behaved at home, motivated in class, and his improvement has boosted his confidence in his abilities. I'm proud of him:)

Brotherly love

2011-02-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's Valentines Day. That means my boys pull out all the stops and express their heartfelt love for each other:

Despite Alex's screams and yells, he is really having the time of his life.

Owen has learned to pick up his baby brother. And now he keeps calling him "Baby" instead of Alex. Pretty funny:) So here is Owen holding Alex.

I told them to give each other kisses, so here is one of Owen planting a juicy one on Alex's cheek while Alex says, "Mmmmmah" (his kissing noise).

BLIZZARD in the midwest!

2011-02-01T15:35:00.000-07:00

Most storm warnings out here I kinda ignore. Why? Because they are over-dramatized! The first tornado siren I heard was last spring and it was at night and we all bundled up and went to the basement. We waited for about 20-30 minutes and then decided it was too cold and there was nothing to do down there so we came back up and just watched the news carefully. Since there I've heard that tornado siren a dozen or so times and nothing really happens! We get a lot of rain, a lot of lightning, but since we live on the side of a hill we aren't worried about floods, or lightning hitting us, and sheesh it doesn't even get that gusty!

But this blizzard that is splattered all over the weather news reports across the nation actually had me a bit nervous. A foot or more of snow and an inch of ice would down power lines and THAT is what I really couldn't do without. Everything is cancelled or closed around here. It's pretty weird and people all the time ask me, "oh you must think this is nothing compared to Alaska weather, huh?" Well.... yes and no. I don't ever remember getting ice storms and even more than that, the roads and everything that I've encountered in Alaska was pretty well-maintained. We'd get a lot of snow, then rain, which would turn to icey slush, making some parts of town inaccessible, but for the most part life went on! School was never cancelled and businesses never closed! Out here, the weather changes so quick and most people are very unprepared. Like, for example, in all the grocery stores right now, there isn't hardly any bread or milk to be found! Ice-melting salt and shovels are sold out at Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears, etc. On Sunday and Monday, it was like Black Friday all over again, but for survival essentials.

Most of me is thinking this is another over-dramatization and I'm continuing with life as usual. Except I made 3 dinners this afternoon in case the power goes out, we'll have food for a couple days :)

So far, in west St. Louis (where we live), it has been icing all morning and afternoon. By icing I mean, it's raining ice pellets. Last night it was freezing rain and that coated everything with ice crystals. It is actually quite beautiful! Take a look:

Cute little Alex, who was yelling and pounding on the window until I turned around and looked at him:

In other news, which I will hopefully get documented with pictures within the next couple weeks, Owen started Karate (well, actually Tae Kwon Do)- twice a week, Soccer- twice a week, and he can now read! We got him a Leap Frog Tag reader thing and within about 3 days he could read small words. He still can read only small words, but he sounds everything out and can read a few simple books! I'm pretty proud of how quick he picked up on it!

I also had my friend come over and fix my sewing machine, so I'm going to start working on re-decorating projects in the evening. I always get the re-decorating fever at this time of the year and I want everything different. Unfortunately our budget doesn't agree, so I have to compromise and get creative. I'm thinking a new living room rug (the single big expense), new pillow covers, and new curtains will do the trick. Anyways, more to come on that later.

Another day in the life

2011-01-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today was a fairly productive day. I accomplished some things that I had been putting off. I didn't completely lose my patience or explode today. I did some extra cleaning. I fed my family healthy food. I prayed. I read my scriptures. I took care of a sick child. And yet... right now, it's the end of the day and instead of feeling good and happy about what I did.... I'm just a little depressed. Why? Because Motherhood is a thankless job. Notice me capitalizing that "m"? It's me trying to make that sound more important, or I should say, AS important as it really is.

So ladies, what's your pick-me-up on those days when you feel unappreciated? Preferably something that doesn't involve money or digging for compliments... :)

Owen is 5.

2010-12-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Owen turned 5.

I can't believe he's been in our life for 5 years. He's so OLD now! It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was cuddling my sweet-smelling little chubby baby, who NEVER cried.... *sigh* he was a perfect baby.

Now he a master of negotiation, lover of tackling and bugging his younger brother, has an insatiable appetite for learning and helping, and occasionally still needs a nap.

Here are some other things about Owen:

1. 90 percentile for weight (50 pounds), 95 percentile for height (3' 9")

2. Can go all the way across monkey bars.

3. Can spell Bruno's name, my name, Alex's name, and a few short words

4. Loves to draw and paint... and is truly very talented for his age.

5. Does not memorize words to songs... instead memorizes the story or idea of the song and then retells it in his own words while singing some random tune.

6. Still loves to cook (since he was about 1.5).

7. Plays a mean game of Uno. The kid can beat me, even when I'm trying to win!

8. ~~Is not afraid~~ LOVES to speak his mind.

9. Talks almost incessantly.

10. Still loves to be cuddled once in a while.

11. Wants to be exactly like his Papa (Bruno). :)

12. Thinks Alex is so cute sometimes he squeezes him a little too hard. In fact, I have heard him look at cute pictures of his baby cousins and declare that he wishes he could just squeeze them really hard. haha... I think he gets that urge from me.

13. Has a ridiculous amount of energy that often gets translated into a short temper or angry outbursts. We are thinking upcoming karate and soccer lessons will help with that.

14. Does NOT give me kisses unless I beg him too. Apparently he's "a big boy and big boys don't do that." :)

15. Is kinda sentimental and has a good memory of family get-togethers. Lately he's been reminding me of parties or times we spent with family when we lived in Utah.

16. Loves to be the boss.

17. Enjoys reading the scriptures and saying prayers and reminds us almost every night.

18. Knows Heavenly Father is real. His prayers are so honest and thoughtful, I'm humbled every time I hear one.

19. Can make friends with almost anyone.

20. Prefers to be outside playing. And he actually uses the word 'prefer' all the time now!

It's cold and beautiful!

2010-12-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

And later this week, it will all melt away! YESSSSS!

What we've been up to in pictures.

2010-12-25T22:21:00.001-07:00

We've had some family in town for the past couple weeks. Unfortunately I didn't tote me camera around with me everywhere, so I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked. I have no pictorial evidence that Carolyn was here! Sorry Carolinni! But we were glad you came!

Pictures that we did manage to take:

Lisa crocheted 3 complete stockings.

We drove to Huntington, Indiana to watch Joel do a 50K (that's 31 miles!) in 20 degree weather. We cheered in the car.

Joel did pretty awesome considering the conditions. Under 6 hours!

We learned that Pete is even cuter in person. He also likes to play with yarn and Lisa's hair.

Everyone got what they wanted for Christmas!

I went sledding down our yard.

So did Joel.

And so did Owen.

Da Phairs. Thanks for coming out you guys! We love ya!

26 week pregnancy shot. And probably the only pregnancy picture I will have taken.

Christmas Season is here!

2010-11-29T22:08:00.001-07:00

On Thanksgiving day, it snowed! How perfect is that? So of course, my dad and Owen got all bundled up and went out to have a snowball fight :) Little Alex felt left out, so I got him all dressed, only to find out that he HATES snow pants. Like, the ENTIRE time he was wearing them he was either crying or pouting, like you see below:

This pictures is so incredibly retarded-looking of me, but hey, it shows we were having fun! Owen was just about to huck one at me and I was taunting him :) Like how I combined Xtra-Tuff boots with a dress? Classy, I know...

Tilles Park in the city has the most amazing display of Christmas lights I have ever seen in my life. It's called Winter Wonderland... We slowly drove through for about half an hour, and there were all kinds of things to look at on all sides of the car! Below are a few snapshots which don't even begin to do the park justice...

Then on Saturday afternoon we went to old town St Charles and saw their famous Christmas parade (takes place nearly every day until Christmas). It features Santa Clauses from different parts of the world (France, Germany, England, Canada, USA, etc) It was pretty cute... small and short, but fun and different. There were chestnuts roasting over open fire for passers-by and fresh kettle corn and caramel corn, and cinnamon-roasted nuts... all along Maine Street which is lined with old-fashioned stores full of various sorts of gifts, food, souvenirs, etc. Then as you encounter those folks from the parade throughout the town, they hand out collector cards featuring whatever character they are dressed up as. We didn't have time to collect all the cards, so we'll have to go back :)

And last, our living room, decorated with Christmas tree and stockings hung by the fireplace. Owen has spent a lot of time wrapping up his own toys the past couple days, to give to each member of our family. If you look carefully under the tree, you can see the vast amounts of masking tape he used.

Merry Christmas!

Owen, the artist, and other news

2010-11-08T14:58:00.001-07:00

Owen was watching a show on PBS where this guy was plein aire painting. He told me he wanted to do that too. So I let him.

Finished product.

For my birthday we went to see the Vienna Boys Choir at the Cathedral Basilica. One word: AMAZING!

(and here you can see my baby bump... it looks more like a fat roll, but whatever!)

We couldn't take any pictures of the Boys Choir once they came in, but this is where they performed.

After, we at at Bar Italia Ristorante in the Central West End. LOVED it! I got pork tenderloin in cream sauce.

And last but not least, we found out today that we are having a girl. YIKES! haha... we are nervous and excited! (ok so maybe it's just me whose nervous, but can you blame me? Here's hoping she's not as stubborn as her mama!)

Feeling better, it's fall!

2010-11-04T10:24:00.000-06:00

1. LOVING fall here in Missouri
2. I only throw up about once a week now! HUGE improvement!
3. Owen and I play UNO every day during Alex's naps.... he wins a lot!
4. My birthday is tomorrow (26)
5. The boys play together and laugh together a lot. I'm glad they are friends:)
6. We find out the sex of this little baby on Monday!

Drawing

2010-09-29T11:34:00.000-06:00

Owen has two passions basically since we've been confined to the house the past couple months. Watching television and drawing. I know! I feel terrible! But lately I've been thinking of all the things we'll do when I start feeling better.

Anyways, his drawings really crack me up. I mean seriously, this kid has got quite the imagination and since he can't read or write too much right now, he draws. He uses up tons of paper, but to be honest... I don't mind because I kinda like that he is becoming artistic like his mom:)

ok so kids are taking naps, so I've scanned in some of his drawings including the one he brought to me this morning when I first woke up:

Picture #1:

Ok, so look carefully here... He explained to me that he was sad (he tried to spell it out) because the TV was on channel 1 and he couldn't find the remote control to change the channel to PBS Kids! (Notice on the top "Owen" that he is barefoot)

Picture #2

This is one he drew about a week ago, and it was of everyone singing happy birthday to him on his 5th birthday. He specifically pointed out to me that the hand is him showing that he is 5 years old. (His birthday isn't for another 3 months... but this year is highly anticipated because everyone he meets asks him if he is 5 and going to school. He sadly tells them he is just 4 and a HALF.)

Picture #3:

This one is more elaborate and has several things going on. On one side, you have me and the baby in my tummy that came out and we are blasting off in a rocket. (???) Then the main focus of this is the third little pig in his house, with the wolf knocking on the door. Then on the side, you see, the wolf has climbed up to the chimney and tried to go down, but burned his foot. I particularly love the happy little pig he draw looking out the window:)

Missing

2010-09-14T07:49:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted in forever. And I don't really miss it. I've been too busy puking my guts out every day for the past month and a half. Yes... I'm pregnant with #3. Everyone asks me if this time is worse than the others, and I have to say yes, but not just because of the constant puking and stomachaches... but because I have 2 very active boys who don't want to stay in the house all day like I do.

I'm sorry to those of you who check my blog or USED to check my blog with some regularity... but I can't really promise anything until I start feeling better... which if this pregnancy is anything similar to the last ones, doesn't usually happen till around 18-19 weeks.

Oh yeah, I'm 12 weeks along right now.

Things that get me through the day:
-Alex saying "hi!" and smiling at me whenever he enters the room or picks up a phone
-Owen making Alex laugh
-Bruno coming home
-Crunchy toast
-Bruno coming home
-Owen trying to use words he's heard on PBS Kids in casual conversation. ie: Metamorphosis, Hypothesis, Bacteria, Humungous...
-Bruno coming home

Nothing...

2010-08-21T16:53:00.000-06:00

...new to report, I just got really sick of looking at those peppers and tomatoes. It's been too hot to be outside and so we've been home-bodies for the past couple weeks. Here is a picture of us in the back yard of Bruno's Aunt and Uncle's new house. They officially move here on the 1st of September! Yay for family being close!

White Tomatoes

2010-08-12T14:00:00.000-06:00

Harvested some more veggies from Grandpa Daniel's Farm. These white beefsteak tomatoes are among my favorites! They taste just the same as regular tomatoes, only a little milder, a little sweeter. Canned a bunch and now I have 12 jars of white stewed tomatoes (only, they look yellow). about a week ago we collected a bunch more peppers, and then went back up to his house to learn how to make Chiles Rellenos. I don't much care for spicy food, but I couldn't resist these! So good! The only downside was Grandpa Daniel didn't warn me about the Poblano and Anaheim Pepper residue left on my hands would make them burn ALL DAY LONG!! He doesn't even notice it any more, so he forgot to mention it. Next time I think I'll try to make them with smaller bell peppers :)

A trip to Historic Nauvoo, IL

2010-08-10T14:00:00.002-06:00

For the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Nauvoo, Illinois is a sacred place in history. It is the last place where the Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, lived. He was innocent, yet through conspiracy was imprisoned just 20 or so miles away, in Carthage Jail, and where he was shot and killed. Nauvoo is also home to a rebuilt temple, one of the first in our church's history. It is also the start of the Mormon Pioneer Trail, as the Saints left their homes and farms to head west to Salt Lake City, which was not part of the United States at the time.

Bruno's Vovó was converted to the LDS faith 50 years ago when the Church was just beginning to grow within Brazil. It has always been her dream to visit Nauvoo and the last weekend in July that dream was realized!

In front of the Nauvoo Temple on a beautiful day!

My boys being silly. I just LOVE Owen in this picture:)

The famous Nauvoo Pageant (this was the very end)!

Owen on the bridge over the Mississippi River!!

At the Scovil Bakery.

An example of the type of wagon that was loaded up and had to be floated across the River:

We went to Carthage, IL and saw the actual door where bullets penetrated and killed Hyrum, Joseph Smith's older brother, just before they killed Joseph.

Besides being an extremely awesome place to visit if you are Mormon, it is also an incredible example of historically restored homes and buildings!

Check out what I believe, here.

Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis

2010-08-08T14:00:00.079-06:00

WARNING: If you don't like art, this post may be boring!

Bruno's Vovó (grandma), came with Josette (Bruno's aunt) to visit us here the last weekend in July. After touring around downtown a little, I suggested we visit the Cathedral Basilica, since I had never been there and I had heard rave reviews about it from my aunt Marybeth. She has toured all of the Basilicas in Europe and told me that this one in St Louis competes with the best of them!

The outside was impressive... but honestly? It was nothing compared to the inside!

We were simple in awe. Everything and I mean everything is a mosaic inside. It is THE LARGEST mosaic collection in the world and was started in 1912, and finally completed in 1988.

The mosaic design on the inside part of the green dome that you will see in a later picture:

This, as well as the other side chapels of the Cathedral were designed and installed by Tiffany and Co.!

Here, Josette with Owen and Alex, at one of the alters.

A replica of Michelangelo's La Pietà. I love love love this sculpture. I remember studying it in Art History... one of my favorites!

The group! Left to Right: Me, Bruno, Alex, Owen, Vovó, Tia Josette, Tio Luciano

Definitely another worthwhile tourist stop in St Louis and guess what? IT'S FREE TOO!

Catching up

2010-08-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

I have to apologize this past month I've been so lame at posting. We had family visiting and ya know when you take so many pictures that it becomes daunting to go through them all and decide which ones are appropriate to post? Yeah... I've been procrastinating that for too many weeks now.

So now... onward and upward!

My brother, Charlie, and his little girl, Cassie, came to visit us mid-July. Charlie's wife, Cheryl, couldn't come because of work, but we missed you Cheryl!

That was too much fun to see her play with Owen and Alex. She is not what I'd call a girly-girl either (which I think is good), because she loved the rough and tumble play that Owen would do ALL THE TIME. She is far more advanced physically and verbally than Alex (despite only being 2 weeks apart), but they still had tons of fun together!

This is a little blurry, but too cute not to post. Cassie and Owen were back seat buds.

After a visit up the arch. It was soooo hot outside and not air conditioned enough inside, which made for cranky babies... or rather just cranky Alex :)

Charlie got awesome seats to the Cardinals/Dodgers game and took this sweet picture of downtown St Louis!

We also went to the pool while they were here. It was Cassie's first time at the pool, and she loved it! A little kid came up looking for his mom and Cassie was helpful and was pointing him in the direction he should go ;)

Now comes some pictures I stole off of Charlie's camera of his trip to visit Lisa. Lisa and Joel are pretty cool, but their son, Pete? I just can't get enough pictures of him. He is the perfect mixture of cute and cool. I also have a feeling that Pete and Alex would be best friends if they knew each other. They both are kinda baldies, and they both have gapped teeth (which means they are out-going) and they both like to screech like pterodactyls, and they are about the same height and weight! I really miss that little dude. I haven't seen him personally in almost a year, when he was still a skinny little baby that slept most of the time. Now he's big and chunkier and cuter (no offense Lisa-- he was a cute baby then, but he's cuter now!) So here are some of my favorite pictures of Pete from my brother's trip to Oregon.

My other brother, Ben, and Pete have the same look on their face here:

I just love they way he's looking out of the corner of his eye here. He's probably savvy to his mom's antics and was keeping an eye on her.

Limes

2010-07-19T15:45:00.004-06:00

A bag of limes at Costco costs $4 right now. And so. My food has become infused with lime as of late.

I've found a couple simple recipes that involve limes and I can't stop consuming them. So, since it has been FOREVER since I've posted (which is mostly due to the fact that my camera's batteries died and I'm too lazy to go get new ones), I will share these recipes and heartily encourage you to buy a bag of limes. It's summer and it's worth it.

Recipe #1:

Honey Lime Chicken Sandwich with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

(thanks to allrecipes.com for picture, although those chickens look different that how I cook them)

Chicken Glaze:

1 lime, juiced

2 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Cilantro-Lime Mayo:

(thanks to simplecomfortfood.com for picture)

1/2 tsp. grated lime rind

juice from one lime (a couple teaspoons)

1/3 c. mayo (or miracle whip if mayo makes you dry-heave)

1 Tsp. finely chopped cilantro

a few shakes of cayenne pepper OR a few shakes of tabasco sauce (I use a little cayenne pepper because I don't have a high tolerance for spicy food, but I like the subtle kick it gives to this)

Mix ingredients for the glaze in a bowl and place 4 medium boneless, skinless, chicken breasts in with all that goodness and let it marinade for at least 15 minutes. While you are waiting, mix up the cilantro-lime mayo and toast the hamburger buns (or whatever type of buns you want) on your grill or in the oven. Now, grill or fry the chicken in a hot skillet, until both sides are browned and glaze has caramelized (about 6 minutes per side). I assemble the sandwich like this: Bottom bun, generous slather of lime-mayo, grilled chicken, swiss cheese, 2 fresh tomato slices, a couple leaves of lettuce, and the top bun with more of that lime-mayo shmeared on it.

Although I have never tried it, if you like avocado, I just know a couple slices of avocado would taste delish with this.

I first tried out this recipe (which I adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe) last week, and I have had it 4 times since then. So good.

Recipe #2:

Limonada Suiça or Swiss Lemonade- Brazilian Style

(thanks to Receita da Allana for the picture, although I'm confused why there is a pineapple pictured...?)

This recipe was created by trial and error. For those of you who have lived or currently reside in Utah, you have probably, at one time or another, eaten at Tucanos. If you have eaten there, chances are you have tried the Brazilian Lemonade. I LOVE THIS LEMONADE!!!! When I went to Brazil, however, every time I ordered "limonada" They served it unsweetened, and gave me several packets of sugar to sweeten it to my taste. ugh. I wanted the creamy goodness from Tucanos! That is when I discovered in Brazil they call it Limonada Suiça or Swiss Lemonade. Ya know why? Because of one special ingredient: sweetened condensed milk. Ok, so, I don't like my lemonade (or in this case it's technically limade), REALLY tart, so this recipe is sweet enough that it takes away the so-tart-it-makes-your-teeth-squeak taste, but not so-sweet-that-you-get-a-headache-from-the-sweetness. If you like that tart taste, reduce the milk measurement to 1/3 can, and the sugar measurement to 1/2 cup. Here ya go.

3 whole large limes, cut into quarters (do not take off the rind)

3 c. water

1 c. ice

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 c. sugar

Blend all together in a blender for about a minute (until no more large chunks-- little chunks of lime-ok). Fill 3 large glasses about 1/2 full with ice. Pull out your strainer, and pour the juice through the strainer over a glass, until the glass fills up with juice. It's ok if there are a few small rind chunks that make it into the glass. Empty the strainer and repeat this process for the next two cups.

Owen and I were just messin around on photobooth:)

And then, when I was uploading those pictures, I found this among some other older pictures:

What happened to my chubby baby?!?!?! Oh he is so cute in this picture I just want to squeeze him!

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T21:00:00.001-06:00

Friday

2010-07-02T17:42:00.009-06:00

This is how we started our day:

This is how we finished our day:

Clues and sweat and death by running

2010-06-25T17:43:00.002-06:00

I've finally figured out my calling in this life. Besides motherhood and wifehood, of course! It is...... drumroll please.........

Urban Adventure Racing!!!!

No seriously! I'm not joking! I just need to get good at it... but I just know this is the type of race I was meant to run. There isn't just seemingly endless running like marathons... there is trickery and brain usage and copious amount of sweat! Okay, so that last one isn't exactly desirous, but it's tolerable because of the fun of the race.

Last Saturday myself and a friend of mine did the Twilight Town Trek in St Louis! This is the first year they have done it here so there wasn't a HUGE turnout (like 50, 2-person teams) but that was good because I felt it gave us a better chance.

Us before the race: (oh and haha I just noticed I didn't explain the jolly ranchers pinned to our shirts.... our team name was the Jolly Mamas and it was our last-minute costume idea)

We found 5 strangers to spell out "TREKS"

After finding a sculpture at a park, one of us (guess who?) had to kiss one of the dogs that were up for adoption. The other dog was pissed that I didn't pick him, so he was pouting. I bet he wouldn't be so pissed if he found out he ended up in the picture after all!

Posing next to Dan the Man at the Cardinals baseball stadium

Not all the clues required pictures, so between the above picture and the below picture, we had gone to the museum, gone to a bowling alley and quickly bowled a strike (not me!), and did something else I can't remember.

What I can remember is this picture below. You know why? Because instead of taking the metro to Central West End, we RAN! Idiots. And really, I'm just talking about myself because I was the one with GPS and convinced Becky that the next clue was just a few minutes away. Half an hour later, we finally arrived at the Cathedral Basilica and at this statue (I was on the phone with Bruno finding out the quickest route to the next clue):

Ah you naughty Pierre Laclede! It took us forever to find you, since you were painted on a freakin ELECTRICAL BOX by some famous apartments. Notice how I was "glowing" aka dripping with sweat. Those jolly ranchers became quite the treat, let me tell you!

More running, more photo-less clue completions, like building a puzzle, building a paper airplane to fly a certain distance, and a certain game of charades with yours truly impersonating the king of pop's signature moves. And might I add that while doing the moon walk and grabbing your crotch is embarrassing by itself, add to it being extremely out of breath, sticky with sweat, and little jolly ranchers jiggling around on your shirt every time you move. Now that, that is the quickest way for your partner to guess correctly "Michael Jackson".

Last picture. We had to talk to many-a-stranger to finally figure out where the heck the "oculus tavern" was. This was the one clue that could not be googled and truly needed a Central West End native to figure out. But alas, we finished.

I figured out later, that we had run a total of 9 miles. 9 miles!! And none of it smooth-paced running.

But seriously. This is what I was meant to do. I can just feel it.

Reorganization

2010-06-19T19:00:00.002-06:00

Before (look at the unorganized bookshelves and fireplace):

After:

And new for the Boys' room:

Just thought I'd share since I was asking ya'lls decorating/design advice awhile back:)

Happy World Cup watching!

Pictures and a movie:)

2010-06-17T20:03:00.002-06:00

On Alex's birthday, I couldn't find our camera. Thank goodness for camera phones nowadays! Bruno's phone captured the following:

Mama and Alex at Grant's Farm (another FREE thing to do here!).

Alex playing at the Magic House (children's museum).

With the angle of this picture, he looks like a monkey here: shorts legs and really long arms. :)

A friend of ours (she's 12) made Alex's birthday cake.

He didn't want to touch it. We had to force him.

See?

He didn't really eat much of the cake. He liked the frosting, but that was about it!

And now, at almost 13 months, he is walking finally!

Proud Mama of Alex,
Rachel

Owen's Teeth

2010-06-15T18:00:00.001-06:00

Have any of you had the chance to look at the x-rays of your child's teeth BEFORE the adult teeth grow in?

Well, Owen has this little gap between his two front teeth. I think it has got to be hereditary somewhere, because Alex has it too. ANYWAYS... I think it's pretty cute:

Only look at the monsterous ginormous adult teeth that are just waiting to push their way out! (The top picture is his top teeth, the bottom, bottom (GENIUS!).

Sadly he inherited those rabbit adult teeth from me. I was special looking in 4th and 5th grade.

I'm just hoping his face grow into his teeth.

Look!

2010-06-13T19:13:00.000-06:00

My good friend, Rebeca Price (the same who took our family pictures!) is multi-talented. She has an awesome little shop with baby accessories and little girl's clothes. Check out some of these cute dresses:

She has several cute clothes and since she recently opened shop, is always adding new things! There is a giveaway on the All The Mommies blog... go take a look and enter! I hoping to win a dress for my little niece:)

ALL THE MOMMIES- FEATURING TINY LOOKS BOUTIQUE GIVEAWAY!

Get your kicks on Route 66

2010-06-12T21:48:00.000-06:00

I ran a 10k today. It started at 8am. It was 85 degrees and 90% humidity. Good times.

Let's just say this: I enjoyed everything but the running part:) Here's a kinda blurry picture (sorry-- camera-phone) of myself with some awesome girls that moved into our ward for the summer.

They had some pretty sweet cars classic cars there too! I took these for Owen.

When I showed him these pictures he was all, "Thank you Mama! Thank you for those cars!" haha he also gets all excited and thanks me when I spot a Mustang when we are driving, and point it out to him.

So I don't forget for the next 10K: Bring a water bottle in your hand, don't sign up for another one in the summer, and if you MUST, make sure it starts at like 6 or 7am. Also, DO NOT USE PORT-A-POTTIES after a race in 80+ degree weather! It's like 100 degrees in that little box with unpleasant sites and smells.

The tortoise,

Rachel

Grandpas

2010-06-06T17:00:00.182-06:00

We have an adopted Grandpa out here. We call him Grandpa Daniel. He is retired, has a farm, loves kids, loves fresh vegetables, and let's us come and work on his farm and take as much fresh veggies as we like. We like him a lot. :)

Here is a picture of him pushing the tiller along the edge of the garden and Owen following behind (check out that awesome old barn!).

Here they are again. Owen was so cute. He followed Grandpa Daniel up and down nearly every row while he tilled. Owen was a good helper too! He moved plants out of the way of the tiller, pulled up radishes, dug little holes, planted seeds, picked peas, and dug out potatoes. We finished up by getting a cool drink from the hand water pump, and splashing each other with water.

Here's another shot of the garden. It's huge! There are tomatoes, lettuce, snow peas, broccoli, cabbages, radishes, 3 kinds of potatoes, kohlrabi, parsley, corn, squash, pumpkin, peppers, cucumbers, and probably several others that I can't remember.

Cabbage head (he he)!

New Potatoes!

Snow Peas!

White and Yellow Onions!

Look at this little cutie! It's literally two peas in a pod:)

Which brings me to a logical recipe for the last three veggies pictured. Creamed peas and new potatoes. Oh it is heaven. Let me tell you why I love it so much.

Before my Grandpa Chenoweth died several years ago, our family would go visit him almost every summer. He was so fun. Besides always having something interesting to talk about, he was the most incredible cook. I doubt I will ever come across anyone better. My earliest memories of eating some of my favorite foods are at his house, and they include: chocolate malt shakes, fresh berries and cream, corned beef and cabbage, thick, juicy steaks, sectioned grapefruit with powdered sugar, home-made raspberry jam, and creamed peas and new potatoes. Which brings me to what I made for dinner tonight:

And now I will share this recipe with you all, because tis the season! Snow peas are ripe and potatoes are small and new!

Creamed Peas and New Potatoes

(makes enough for 4 people)

1 lb. whole tiny new potatoes

1 1/2 c. shelled peas (please don't use frozen peas... they end up mushy... you want them firm, even after cooking them)

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

1 c. whipping cream

Scrub potatoes; cut any larger ones in half. In medium saucepan cook potatoes in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add peas and cook for 5 more minutes until tender. Drain.

In a medium saucepan saute onion in butter until tender-- not brown. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add cream, and stir until thick and bubbly. Add in potatoes and peas and stir until everything is coated with the cream; heat through. Season to taste (although I recommend not adding too much salt-- you won't be able to taste the freshness of the peas and potatoes).

So here I am, full, happy, and missing my grandpa but glad I have someone who partially fills that void!

bjs, Rachel

I must share

2010-06-04T22:40:00.001-06:00

There is a dish I make that is so amazingly easy, delicious and cheap to make. I probably make it once a week. I think it is the only thing that everyone in my family likes to eat that often. Bruno will eat it for dinner AND eat if for lunch 2 days after! Owen will eat an adult-sized portion, and Alex had it tonight and ate more than I've ever seen him eat! He was SO happy with that full tummy!

I got the recipe from Bruno's tia. Yup, it's a Brazilian dish. And now I will share this beloved recipe with you all, because I feel I wouldn't be a real friend if I didn't.

(above photo has mushrooms... I don't put mushrooms in mine)

Strogonoff de Frango (Chicken Stroganoff--Brazilian style)

1 pound of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1/2 Tbsp. mustard

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

1 c. water

2 Tbsp. corn starch

1 can of table cream (Media Crema- in the latin foods section)-- you can also use 1 c. normal whipping cream

Rice

Shoestring Potato Sticks (they are like miniature french fries, found by the chips and snacks aisle)

*optional add-ins*

chopped mushrooms

diced onions

corn<--I add this in almost every time!

Instructions:

Start cooking the rice (Brazilian-style rice recipe below). Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, season (simply-- use like a season-all), and cook in a little olive oil in a large skillet (if you want to add chopped onions, this is where you'd add them). Drain water from pan, and add sugar, ketchup, mustard, tomato sauce. Before you add the water, mix the corn starch in with it, making sure all lumps are dissolved. Add the water/cornstarch mixture to the skillet. Stir and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the table cream. Stir and serve over rice! Sprinkle the shoestring potato sticks on top or you can put it on the side.

I always serve tomato salad or vinagrete alongside this dish. So here is that easy recipe too:

Vinagrete

3-4 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium yellow or red onion, diced

2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 pinches of salt

1 pinch of pepper

1 Tbsp. dried parsley or 2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

*optional add-in*-- chopped cucumbers

Mix everything together, TASTES LIKE SUMMER!!

and lastly,

Brazilian-style Rice:

1 1/2 c. long-grain rice

1/4 of a medium yellow onion, minced

olive oil

1 tsp. salt

In a medium saucepan, drizzle about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Throw in the onion and saute on medium heat with a little salt or season-all (or if you have it, Tempero Completo com Pimento), until the onion just starts to become transparent. Add in the rice and stir to coat all the rice grains with olive oil. Let cook, while stirring occasionally, until several of the grains turn bright white (about 5-10 minutes). Pour in just shy of 3 cups of HOT water. Put the lid on (with a small hole for steam to escape) and do not take the lid off until it's done! Put the timer on for about 20 minutes, and after about 5 minutes, you'll see it really starting to boil. Turn the heat down and let it cook for the remaining 15 minutes, just simmering.

Please tell me if you try the Strogonoff! I know you will love it and I've never met a single person who didn't like it... once, even a really picky sister missionary that we had for dinner, loved this and had seconds! As far as "international" food goes, even picky eater children will like this, especially the "baby french fries".

Bom Apetite!

Rachel

Ah, the beauty that is in Missouri!

2010-06-03T20:00:00.053-06:00

Last Saturday we went to the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was HUGE! And free! :) That is, before noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Here we are enjoying the splash area in the Children's Garden:

There were tons of other stuff to do and see, but we were too hot, so we spent most of our time by the water fountains. What we did see of the park/garden, we loved.

See that arc of water heading toward us? Yeah, a HUGE splat of water landed right on my forehead. It felt good:)

A lovely garden maze...

Inside that dome is THE COOLEST tropical rain forest/jungle with real-looking life-size dinosaurs around nearly every bend. There are even realistic dinosaur noises that kinda scared Owen a bit. Owen and I explored the dome on a different day and we didn't bring our camera, so I don't have pictures to prove its coolosity.

Beautiful, yes?

This is another beautiful place, close to our house...

Lovin life in Missouri,
Rachel

Obsessed!

2010-06-01T21:00:00.088-06:00

Lately, I've been missing Brazil a lot. It usually happens every year around now because it was the entire month of May in 2007 that we were in Brazil last.

So this year I've been satisfying my cravings by learning to make some of my favorite foods/desserts.

Here is one of them I recently tried to make for the first time:

Cocada

Remember me telling you about one of my favorite parts of Brazil was the feiras? Well, I went to one in Brasilia that served this wonderfully sweet dessert and I washed it down with some refreshing and fizzy Guarana.... ah the memories.

Anways.

There are actually a couple ways to make a cocada, and the "REAL" way (according to Bruno's Tio) has large, fresh, coconut chunks, is hard, and is usually found in Bahia or made by someone from Bahia.

However, I found several other recipes that turned out like the above picture, and it tasted more like the kind I had in Brasilia. So anyways, here is the recipe:
**
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (I prefer the latino brands--they are thicker)
2 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 pkg. (100 g) unsweetened coconut flakes (I found this at a nearby international supermarket)

Put everything in a pan at medium heat, and stir and stir and stir. Don't stop stirring until the mixture starts to lift from the pan when you tilt it. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get to this stage. Then pour contents of the pan into a greased pan or cookie sheet.

After it cools (about an hour or 2), you'll be able to cut it into little squares. I also pressed more shredded coconut on all the sides of the little cut squares. They are seriously addicting.
Watch out!

In memoriam

2010-05-31T19:55:00.000-06:00

Today we went to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetary.

I was in awe.

Both with sadness and gratitude.

We found my Great Uncle Leon Milner (my mother's uncle) gravesite.

Uncle Leon died when he was 25. My age.

He had studied for 3 years at BYU, then served a mission in the Southern States, married in the temple, then joined then Air Force. While training to be a pilot, he and his wife had their first baby boy. By the time he was sent overseas, his little boy, Bob, was 2 and his wife was pregnant with their 2nd boy.

On April 8th, 1945 he went out as lead pilot with his crew in a B-17 "Flying Fortress" and had successfully bombed a city in east Germany. However, the plane got hit and he knew it was going down. He managed to help 4 of his friends and crew-members safely exit the semi-frozen escape hatch, before he and 4 other crew-members died in the crash. Not only was he a hero for our country, but also to those 4 men who survived. They are the reason we know what happened on that flight.

I told his story to Owen and Bruno today, and I gave Owen a little B-17 WWII replica airplane that I found at a hobby shop. He LOVED it and recounting the stories to Bruno on the drive home.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

1 year older and wiser too!

2010-05-26T16:46:00.003-06:00

This is Alex. He is one. And he has two arms, despite was this picture looks like.

This is Alex too! He was just an hour old.

Just so I won't forget, here are some fun/interesting things about Alex at age one:

-All you have to do is count to 3 in portuguese, and he not only smiles but sucks his breath in with the excitement and anticipation that he will be tickled.

-He can say 1 in portuguese (mostly because he wants you do say 2, and 3, then tickle him).

-He will run (ok not really running, but crawling really fast) around the house, panting and squealing with delight while Owen chases him.

-He likes to scream/whine. Like a pterodactyl. Just for fun. And when he wants me to pick him up.

-When he's feeling silly, he will close his eyes really tight while crawling across the room.

-He has the LONGEST tongue (think Gene Simmons) and he likes to stick it out all the time. I've yet to capture a picture of it, dangit!

-He knows when he is doing something naughty and will look around afterward to see if anyone will tell him 'no'.

-He has major stranger anxiety. For example, today he went to the doctor and he cried harder when the Doc was listening to his heartbeat and checking his ears, than he did when they gave him the shots.

-He will do just about anything to get us to laugh. Hence, this video:

-He likes to grab eyelashes.

-He likes to push his forehead against Owen's forehead, really hard, so that it leaves a red mark.

-He doesn't give kisses. (If you try, he will turn his head, so you only can kiss his cheek)

-But boy does he give hugs! Best baby hugger I've ever seen!

-He growls when he's happy. Like when he's eating? Growls while chewing.

-He hates showers.

-He loves baths.

-While you're taking a shower, he'll pull back the shower curtain a little and poke his head in to say 'hi'.

-He cannot tolerate hats.
-Wherever he is at in our house, he will answer, when called.

-Has 4 bottom teeth and one top tooth poking through.

-Has not gained any weight in the past 3 months-- still 23 pounds.

-He's got a huge noggin though! 95th percentile!

-Still wakes up once during the night and woke go back to sleep without a bottle. I don't mind though:)

-He is so cute that often, Owen can't stand it, so he'll hug him too tight while saying, "you're so cute!" which makes Alex scream. hahaha...

So in other news, Owen saw this idea for a spaceship made out of a box in this activity book I have, and he kept begging me to make it with him for 3 days in a row. So, I finally went and got a large box, and gathered together a few other things, and today we spent several hours cutting, taping, gluing, and painting to create this:

It's glow-in-the-dark too!

Moving my legs

2010-05-20T07:45:00.001-06:00

I promised earlier this year that I would update you all after each race that I ran, to go along with my goal of "The Best Year Ever". I'm not exactly on schedule with that there goal, BUT I am trying to sign up for a race every other month or so.

On Saturday I did another 5k in a shady part of St. Louis! It was great though, because it was a twilight race. Meaning it had nothing to do with Stephenie Meyer, and everything to do with running in the evening. That was great because Bruno and the kids came along!

When I had the camera, this is what I captured, pre-race:

When Bruno had the camera, he captured several where's waldo pictures:

I did a lot better than my previous 5K... out of almost 600 people, I got 173rd with a little less than a 10 minute mile. (fist pump)yessssssss

I know what you're thinking, and YES, I am indeed celebrating mediocrity.

So here are races for the rest of the year that I'm registered for/am going to register for:

6/12- Route 66 10k in Edwardsville, IL (self explanatory)
6/19- Twilight Town Trek in St. Louis, MO (one of the coolest races ever! I'm doing this one with Bruno... right, Bruno?......Bruno? hehe... It's a combination of a 5K, scavenger hunt, obstacle course, and strategy game... all at night! Here's the scoop:
"Teams (of 2 people) will be given a set of clues to their destinations. Each destination will be either a challenge or a photo stop. Challenges could be mental, such as unscrambling words or solving puzzles. There may also be physical challenge such as jumping rope, building a tower with blocks. At a photo stop destination, you will be required to take a picture of your team at the location to prove you were there. The first 3 teams and the last team to finish get prizes."
They are having this same race in 3 different locations in Arizona, 1 in Vegas, and 1 in Indianapolis, all at different times of the year)
8/13-14- Spokane to Sandpoint Relay (I already described this race here)
10/3- Lewis & Clark Marathon and Half-Marathon (I'm just doing the half)

So, YUP! That's my plan so far...
what races are you all running/jogging/walking this year?

Tired baby...

2010-05-12T13:05:00.002-06:00

We had a long night last night. Bruno and I both woke up at about 4am to the lightning and thunder out our windows. It was more lightning than I have EVER seen! Seriously, light was flashing in our windows every half second... no exaggeration there! And the thunder was soooooo loud! Alex woke up and kept crying... so I brought him into bed with us. Then Owen woke up crying, so Bruno brought him into bed with us. People. we only have a queen bed! So naturally I couldn't sleep very well and I ended up finally going to sleep around 6:30. I think our next bed purchase will be a king, just so we can all sleep comfortably during severe thunderstorms!