Mmmm, Cake...

Ladies and Gentlemen, Rachel Winsor is a freaking genius.

So Zac works nights and I usually make dinner for the two of us, take his portion down to him on his break, come home, re-heat my portion, and chow down while I feed Logan his supper. Then I give the baby a bath, put him to bed, and have a little "me time" (reading, watching an episode of Friends, whatever) before I get cracking on my homework. Well, usually while in the midst of "me time," I start wishing I had made some form of dessert. But naturally, my "me time" doesn't have enough minutes to create and bake some wonderful concoction...which probably would end up containing too many calories, anyways.

Tonight was no different. I grilled up some steaks, made a pasta side, sliced up some fresh fruit and delivered Zac's meal. We came home, Logan and I ate, Logan went through the normal bedtime routine, and went to sleep. Then I started in on some Grey's Anatomy catch-up when the dessert craving hit. Almost simultaneously, I remembered that my neighbor, Rachel, had posted about her pregnancy cravings for cake. And this is what she said:

"Single servings of cake.
Its amazing. You put 1/2 cup cake mix and 1/3 cup water in a bowl, stir, and microwave for 90 seconds. And Voila! You have yummy cake. And there is no danger of accidentally eating half a cake. And I'm sure you can say its better for you without the eggs and oil. So you can feel good and healthy about yourself."

HOLY WOW did this rock my world. It's so moist and warm that you totally don't need frosting, nor will you miss it. The only bad thing about it is that I am tempted to go back for seconds. Which defeats the main purpose of a single serving of cake. But I'm still breastfeeding...I can burn off the calories, right? Hmmm...maybe not. Well, enjoy Logan in all his cuteness (yes, he can stand on his own now! But still won't walk...) and go make yourself some cake!!!

Happy "Anniversary!!!"

So five years ago today, Zac and I went on our first date. Can you believe how much has happened in five years? It's crazy!!! But awesome, none the less. So in honor of that wonderful day, I'd like to share the details with those of you who don't already know the story.

Downtown Bloomfield, at the Memorial Day Parade. Sarah sat near the lawn of the Kennedy Funeral Home with her family (puppy included) keeping a lookout for her cousins and secretly hoping to see that stud known as Zac Steele. Sure enough, up came the Boy Scouts marching past Pickle Park and he was right at the front, full uniform and all. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering if she should call out to him, or just wave flirtatiously. She opted for the wave, not wanting to seem too eager. If only he would look her way...then, EYE CONTACT! Her heart pounded as his beautiful blue eyes met hers and she casually waved her fingers and gave him a smile. She enjoyed the rest of the parade, but made sure to keep an eye on him as he neared the end of the parade route at Elton Park. As soon as the BCS marching band passed, Sarah couldn't help but make her way to the food stands as fast as possible, shouting to her parents over her shoulder, "I'll catch up with you guys later!"

She searched, almost frantically, for just a glimpse of that handsome guy. But he was no where to be found. Sarah spotted her cousin and started walking toward her. Her heart started to sink. But then a warm, gentle hand rested on her shoulder. She turned and found herself lost in those beautiful blues almost immediately. "Hi," she said. "You looked great in the parade." He smiled that adorable smile and gave a bashful, "Thanks. You look great, too." EEE!!!! They made small talk for a few minutes, introduced their puppies, Mikko and Jessie, to each other, and then Sarah bit the bullet. She had to cancel their plans for the initial first date a week before hand, but wasn't going to let this one get away. "So did you want to catch that movie today? That is, if you're not too busy..." "No, no, I'd love to. I'll call you with plans later," he said. Sarah couldn't wait!!!

Fast-forward. They decided to catch the 5:00 showing of Bruce Almighty. Sarah gave Zac directions to her house and waited by the door. But when 4:45 hit, she didn't know what to think. "Where is he?" Just then, Zac's brother im-ed her. Apparently, Zac was lost. Naturally, Sarah told him to turn left which took him down Stetson RD, not a right which would have taken him down Wesley. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! So Sarah got Zac's mom's cell number (which Zac had), got him straightened out, and jumped into his van the second he pulled into the driveway. He looked so handsome! Khaki pants, nice white button-down shirt, gelled, spiky hair...Mmmm.

They talked the entire way to the theater. When they realized how late Sarah had made them, they decided to head to Target and get snacks while they waited for the 7:00 show. It was no problem because those two could talk to each other for hours and never run out of things to say. So eventually, the theater opened seating for the next showing. They got front row balcony seats, a favorite for both of them. Just as they settled in and began snacking on their gummy bears, Zac started to look sick. "What's wrong?" Sarah asked and Zac nodded toward the door. About a thousand people came in and said "Hey Zac!" and proceeded up the stairs to the row right behind the two. "You guys HAVE to move," Zac said under his breath. Then Sarah realized who they were. Zac's dad, Joel, was easily recognizable. Followed by his brother Matt, his cousin William, and a ton of other relatives Sarah couldn't name even if she wanted to. Brothers, sisters, uncles, cousins, and Zac's mom, who Sarah politely made conversation with (trying to impress her). Eventually, his mom made everyone move down to the floor seats. However, not soon enough. Zac was irritated and made it known. Mainly by showering his family with gummy bears, but he got the message across.

The theater finally dimmed the lights and the movie started. Sarah could tell Zac was debating on whether or not to try and hold her hand. After 20 minutes of excruciating decision-making (or lack thereof), Sarah made it for him. She grabbed his hand and held tight for the rest of the movie. She held his hand most of the ride home, too. While they were on their way out of the parking lot, Zac (trying to extend the date as much as possible) said, "Hey, do you want to come back to my house and play with out new puppy for a while?" And Sarah, not wanting the date to end either, said "I'd love to!"

Zac's house was a little overwhelming for Sarah at first. Being an only child, she wasn't used to having a ton of kids around...especially Zac's eight siblings and five cousins who were up visiting for the weekend. CRAZY!

After the insanity of the Steele home, Zac drove Sarah back to her house. It was a school night, after all. They sat in her driveway and talked for a while and then Sarah decided she'd better call it a night. With her hand on the door, she started to climb out of the van. Just then, in a bold move that was totally out of character, Zac said, "So do I get a kiss or something?" Sarah had to give him credit...that wasn't something she'd EVER expect Zac Steele to say. "Um, sure." She leaned in, her heart fluttering. Zac's was pounding, too. Then, she pecked him on the cheek, hopped out of the van, said "Thanks! I had a good time!" and went inside. Even though it was only a "courtesy kiss," neither one of the two had ever felt more alive. They both knew this relationship was headed somewhere good. And it was!

Family Pictures...

It's been about 6 months since our last family photo shoot. So today, since it was BEAUTIFUL outside, we went for a walk and set up the timer on our camera and snapped a few shots. I can't believe how awesome our little family is!!!

The first one is my favorite of us, and I absolutely love the one of Zac and Logan where Logan is pointing at the camera (one of his new tricks).

Something I've Been Thinking About...

This occurred to me while adding people to our blogger buddies.

Why is it that when we mention a married couple (or any two people, I guess) that we say their names in a particular order? I started listing off couples I know and I decided why I DON'T say names certain ways, but I'm still seeking reasoning.

It's not necessarily gender related...i.e. I say "Kate and Zach." I also say "Sam and Emily."

It's not necessarily who I know better first...i.e. I say "Ben and Marie" and "Mat and Dani" (when Marie and Dani are like my best friends), yet I say "BriAnna and Kristopher" (because I hardly know him).

It's not necessarily syllabic with the shorter one first...i.e. I say "Dan and Lisa" and "Jenny and Joe." However, this one seems to be the rule I stick with most, I think.

But then how do I pick which goes first in the case of names with equal amount of syllables? Like "Sara and Tyson," "Pam and Shawn," "Ty and Jill," "Rachel and Isaac," "Tom and Kim," or even "Bev and Trent?"

These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night.

p.s.- Dani...Logan borrowed James' shirt.

Potato Salad Recipe

SO I was going to put this on the "Purdy Good Cookin' 2" blog, but I'm not a contributor yet (*ahem* Savannah)so I'm putting it here for my wonderful sister-in-law.

Great American Potato Salad

1 cup Miracle Whip (or Mayo if you prefer...sometimes I go 1/2 and 1/2)
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 tsp Celery Seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 cups Potatoes, peeled, cooked, and cubed
3 boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish

Combine salad dressing, mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper; mix well.

Add potatoes, eggs, onion, celery, and relish; mix lightly. Chill. Serves 6.

Eeeshk...

I know, I know...I've been a slacker. My apologies, but I do happen to be taking 9 credits this term (which pretty much equals 18 credits during a regular semester). So give me a break.

So Mother's Day was yesterday. I got about a bazillion text messages wishing me a happy one, so thanks! I also got a beautiful card from my parents, a card and one of those Willow Tree angels from my mother-in-law, and a fabulous few days from my husband. Let me explain: Saturday, we went to the mall. First, he took me to dinner and ordered my food for me (cute!)...he got me the best tasting steak I have had in a really long time. After we ate, we wandered around the mall and each spent some money on some much-needed clothes. Well, his were needed, mine were more of a splurge, but that's Mother's Day for you! Then on Sunday, Zac took care of lunch and dinner and I didn't have to step foot in the kitchen all day. It was wonderful! Also, in church, I scored some amazing chocolates from "Mrs. Cavanaugh's Candies" from our ward. Imagine "See's Candies" and then multiply that goodness by like a thousand. Yum. Then today, Zac let me sleep in an extra 2 hours while he got up with Logan. I feel like royalty! Hehehe...

Then for my mom (and Zac's mom) Logan made dvds for their first Mother's Day as Grandmas. But apparently, both of them got kind of scratched in the mail so I'll try to post them online soon. Freaking USPS.

Anyways, that's about all the new stuff I have to talk about. Less than 2 months till I'm back in NY!!! Miss you all!!!!

Update: In my reading of family blogs, I just read that Zac's cousin William is engaged...so Congrats to him! The question is, when will we hear it from HIM?

A Series of (Un)fortunate Events...

Unfortunately, Logan is teething and has a cold.
Fortunately, his cold isn't as bad as mine. I have a fever, too.
Unfortunately, Logan woke up too early for me today and my Nyquil hadn't worn off yet.
Fortunately, my awesome husband got up with him.
Unfortunately, when Zac wakes up, the first thing he does is pee (sorry, hon). And when he flushed the toilet, it overflowed.
Fortunately, it was not nasty toilet water...just regular water. But still from the toilet, so...
Unfortunately, he just stood there and said, "That's not good," while the water ran and ran.
Fortunately, I jumped out of bed and contained most of the water in the bathroom on the tile.
Unfortunately, a good amount of water did escape past my barricade and soaked the carpet in the hallway.
Fortunately, there is an emergency maintenance number.
Unfortunately, the guy didn't pick up the first three times I called.
Fortunately, while waiting for someone from maintenance to call me back, I found reasonable plane tickets to fly home in July!
Unfortunately, they were still $330.
Fortunately, I get to be there for three whole weeks!
Unfortunately, I won't get to see my husband for three whole weeks.
Fortunately, the maintenance guy DID call back.
Unfortunately, it took him an our to get up here.
Fortunately, he brought the wet/dry vac which got the carpet fairly dry.
Unfortunately, by the time he got here and was going to vacuum, Logan was napping.
Fortunately, Logan slept through the vacuum, even though it was right outside his door.
Unfortunately, the toilet was still clogged.
Fortunately, the maintenance guy also brought the snake thing to unclog it.
Unfortunately, while snaking the pipe, the toilet overflowed again.
Fortunately, he was still here so he just vacuumed again. And this time brought a disinfectant carpet spray.
Unfortunately, that made the carpet wet again and Logan can't crawl over there for a while.
Fortunately, the carpet is clean and now I'll be forced to clean the bathroom today.

So, is the glass half empty or half full? I'm not sure, but apparently someone has been drinking out of my glass...

Shun the Unbeliever...

First, the title. It's from "Charlie the Unicorn." Watch it. Charlie the Unicorn

Second, you may have noticed that I have decided to shun some of my less-active blogger buddies by categorizing them as such. I know you all have busy lives and don't prioritize posting the way I do. No worries...I don't judge :-)

I just tend to go through my blog roll to read everyone's and those of you who rarely blog cramp my style. And who knows, maybe you'll be more motivated to write more! If you want, we can negotiate terms and maybe move you up to consistent bloggers!!!

The Much Awaited Videos...

So here they are...the latest feats my genius little boy has accomplished! The clapping, the crawling, the waving. I'm so proud! He's also taken a liking to most solid foods now. Seriously, over the last 4 or 5 days, the kid has realized that food you can chew and crunch is awesome. However, we have noticed that he only likes food that is big enough for him to hang onto and chomp on. He also doesn't like anything that turns mushy too quickly. I honestly thinks he likes the action of biting down on things and letting them crunch. It is pretty cute.



Also, both Zac and I finished our finals today. It was amazingly liberating. I ended up getting an 86% on my New Testament final. Which isn't bad. It's no 100% like I got on my Book of Mormon Final last semester, but it's not bad. That means I'll probably get a B+ in the class. Eh. My History of Creativity class' final was pretty easy (since I studied FOREVER) and I feel good about it. I think I'll pull at least an A- in that one, but I"m hoping I barely made an A. That would be FAB-U-LOUS. But we'll see. And my Shakespeare in Film class should produce an A-, too. But grades will be posted in the nest week or so, so I should be able to know for sure before too long.



And then the sleep training...it's still going very well! Last night was a little bit tricky because Aunt Savannah was over and, well, let's be honest. No one wants to go to bed when she's around to play with! But the second time he went down, I only went in once. So basically, the last three nights I've only had to go in once to reassure Logan that I'm there and he rolls over and goes to sleep. I'm soooo glad this is working!!!

Well, we're off to enjoy a few days of little responsibility before Spring Term starts on Tuesday, so I may or may not post until then. We shall see...love you all! Enjoy the videos!

A Few Things...

I need to be studying for my last final of the semester, but I'm not. I took a quick break just to blog. But I really need to study so it's gonna be super short.

Logan can wave now. Just not on command.

Also, the Pick Up/Put Down sleep training thing is fabulous. Last night I went in ONE time. That was all! Now just sleeping THROUGH the night...

Zac has an interview with a gaming company here in Utah tomorrow morning.

My tomato plants are like 4 inches high now.

My peas still haven't grown.

I think that's about it.

That, and this picture of Logan. Dani entitled it "Blue Steele." (Which won't be funny to you if you haven't seen the movie Zoolander).

Happy Birthday, James!!!

Well, Logan's very best friend, James, is 1 today! So we just wanted to wish him a very happy birthday! That is, until the party on Saturday (which also happens to be Aunt Savannah's birthday).

Also, a sleep update. The Pick Up/Put Down method is going well. Onto night #2. Last night went surprisingly well. Too well, I would have to say. The book warns that it is hard the first few nights and that you could have to do it over 100 times. Snap. Well, I only had to do it 8 times last night. And he slept until 7, at which time I fed him and he went back down until 9. So, this evening I have had to lay him back down 24 times thus far. Not too bad. Now he is laying awake, but not crying. That is the goal...for him to learn to put himself to sleep without crying. So, night two is underway and going well! Take care, all!

Sweet Relief...

Wow. So much has happened the past few days, I don't know where to begin. Wait, yes I do. CLASSES ARE FINISHED! Hence, the sweet relief. Along with classes being finished, so are the two projects I had looming over my head for the better part of the semester. Whee! My Queen Elizabeth Dress is FAB-U-LOUS...and I'll post pictures soon. And my Macbeth DVD couldn't have turned out better. I spent more time on it than I probably should have, but it's so cool. I made menus set to music, had a director's cut with commentary, and I even figured out how to rip clips form other DVDs (Elizabeth: the Golden Age and Lord of the Rings) and put a voice-over to them, too! Not to mention the incredible acting skills on the parts of my neighbors. It was all a ton of work, but a ton of fun, too!

Also, as if to compliment my good mood, the weather was wonderful the past few days. We even got to go mini-golfing with Mat and Dani and James. Granted, we should have been finishing projects, but you have to take a small break every now and then to keep your sanity. And just for the record, I came in second to Mat. I got a hole-in-one on the second hole!!!! Go me!!!



What else? Ah, yes. This could quite possibly be my favorite Logan story thus far. So Monday, I'm sitting on the couch, putting on my shoes, and packing my bag for class. Logan and I were just about to leave to go down to campus and I hear a "knock, knock, knock" on the door. So I answer it. It's a cop. In full uniform, badge and all. So I said, all nervous-like, "Can I help you?" *gulp* and he responds, "Yes, we had a 911 hang-up from the phone number linked to this apartment. Is everything ok?" So horrified, I looked down and saw the house phone laying on the floor. Connected to University Police. For the past 11 minutes. I grabbed it, turned it off, and apologized probably a hundred times while he took down my information. The officer assured me that it was fine, he understood, and that it happens more than one would think. So here is what happened: We live in on-campus housing, so we have a campus phone number. When you dial a campus number (such as the police) from any campus phone (such as our home phone), you only need to dial the last 5 digits. And the University Police number is 422-2222. Making it 2-2222 from our phone. So Logan managed to turn the phone on and all he had to do was push the number 2 at least 5 times. In the moment, I was soooo embarrassed. However, in retrospect, it is pretty funny. However, note to self: NEVER leave the phone within reach of Logan EVER AGAIN.

And last but not least, sleep training. I'm done waking up 2-3 times a night with Logan. He's big enough to be able to sleep for 8 straight hours. And I know I said it before and gave up, but this time I hope to stick to it. And the reason I think it failed before? Well, we were basically going for the Ferber Method...let him cry it out. Instead of it working, I think it screwed him up even more. After I let him cry three nights in a row, he stated to cry whenever I put him in his crib...something that never happened before. Before we "ferberized" him, Logan would, more often than not, simply roll over and go to sleep at night when we put him in his crib. After letting him cry it out when he woke up at 4 am, he hated his crib. So after some research, I decided to try the "Pick up, put down" method from Tracy Hogg, the Baby Whisperer. I read through the books yesterday and today and I'm going for it. I'll post more about it later, I'm sure, but it seems reasonable to me. My only concern: The book says that babies Logan's age don't need to nurse at night, but they simply need to suck and have been conditioned to breastfeed (or bottle feed) due to "accidental parenting." So it suggests giving your baby a pacifier in the middle of the night instead of feeding, then taking it away after they are done with it (normally 10 minutes or so the first night, decreasing it as the baby sucks less and less). Well, Logan doesn't take a pacifier. I'm gonna try it, but it really doesn't seem promising in my mind.
Well, this is a really long entry and I'm gonna go. Take care, miss you all, and I'll post again, soon!!!

Crawling and Clapping...

Yay Logan!!!! He finally did it!!!! Ok, it's been like a week and a half, but Logan started crawling! (Video forthcoming...the camera is in Logan's room and he's asleep. Not chancing that one!)Last Monday, he randomly crawled from one side of the living room to the other and hasn't stopped since! Well, ok, he does stop. He stops to climb up on the furniture, or to hang on to your fingers so he can walk. Or occasionally, he'll stop to look at himself in the mirror.


We also made a breakthrough involving clapping! Last Sunday during General Conference, we spent the better part of the afternoon session teaching Logan to clap. He didn't seem to get it. And then Monday morning while I was changing his diaper, he was laying on the changing table and just started clapping! It was the coolest thing ever...he learned something I taught him! (Video forthcoming...again.)

And the last little Logan update: we've made progress on the eating thing. He likes to eat "Biter Biscuits" from Beechnut. He can feed them to himself and they don't melt the second they get wet. That way he can gnaw on them and chew them and, eventually, swallow them. And he's getting a lot better with the jarred foods. Zac was feeding him Apples and Blueberries the other night, and this is what I came out to: Daddy made him look like a Hitler Baby. Silly Boys!!!

Layout Changes...

So I'm playing around with new colors and Layouts. What do you think?

And speaking of "playing," here is Logan playing with some of his friends!

Going on a walk with James!


Finally meeting Hodge!!! (Sarah Hodge from Freshman year now back from her mission!)


And of course with James again watching Saturday morning cartoons...silly boys!

Easter!!!

I promised Easter pictures, so here they are (finally)! I would have put them up sooner, but Zac stole the memory card from the camera and I couldn't. But here is some Logan cuteness for y'all!
I found my Easter Basket, Mommy!

Thanks, Mr. Easter Bunny!
Daddy and Logan in their Easter Outfits