Yum!

Me and the kids made this for lunch today, because it was rainy, because I was super hungry and wanted more of a meal and because the munchkins requested pasta. It. Is. So. Good! Go make it now!

http://thecheesepusher.tumblr.com/post/2719857351/creamy-garlic-pasta

Creamy Garlic Pasta

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

28 weeks

When I was pregnant with Quinn a lot of people told me I was so little and didn't show that much. I did not really believe them. I felt big and uncomfortable and couldn't see my toes. When I looked back on some maternity pictures I realized I was smaller than a lot of women but it still didn't seem to me that I was that much smaller. With James, I didn't get too many comments about it, I suppose everyone by then knew that I looked smaller. With this pregnancy though everyone has said something about it. I felt like I started showing really fast and but then things seemed to slow down a lot. At my 24 week appointment I was measuring at 22 weeks. Nothing to worry about, my doctor said, these measurements can be a little inaccurate at this point, we will be able to tell better at your next appointment. But that combined with all the comments made me start really looking at my belly, wow where was this baby? maybe she was too small and wasn't growing and I started to worry. At my appointment yesterday I was measuring at 24 weeks when I am 28 weeks along, a whole month behind! So the doctor did an ultrasound...this little one is just fine! I am so relieved. She is in the 36% and approx. 2.5lbs. She said from ear to ear her head is slightly smaller than average but it was nothing to worry about. I'm not quite sure where she is hiding in there but I am so happy she is growing well. Her kicks are getting stronger and more solid and she hiccups all the time! For some reason I have worried a lot with this pregnancy. 1st baby, no worries, I knew everything would be just fine. 2nd baby my worries were more about how having two would be and how I would handle it. But with this one I worry about all the things that might go wrong, like we won't make it to the hospital in time, she isn't growing right, I will end up with gestational diabetes, wondering whether the decision to have an OB instead of a midwife was a mistake etc. When a friend was having her third she told me that she worried a lot too and that her midwife told her it was really common. That somehow having two children that have been healthy makes some women feel like that luck won't hold and something will go wrong. My biggest worry has been that she will be breach. And then in both the ultrasounds we have had she has been breach. I know that at this point she is all over the place and turning around all the time. She still has plenty of time and room to turn. So for now, I am telling her to please make sure she turns around in time and trying to stop worrying. Everything will be just fine.
 Sometimes 12 weeks seems like such a short time to do get everything done I want to before she comes, to enjoy full nights of sleep and the flexibility that has come with the boys getting older and more independent. But sometimes it seems like forever and that she will never come. I can't wait to meet our sweet baby girl!

Summer 2012

This has been such a fun summer. We didn't really go anywhere or doing anything out of the ordinary but had lots of fun being outside and enjoying the simple everyday things.

 We went to lots and lots of parks. We climbed trees (well the boys did), fed the ducks, explored and pretended lots and lots. At one park Quinn thought that one part where you climb looked like a tornado and so he kept getting "sucked up". At another he always would try to sell me pies but would inform me that the roof was leaking and being fixed and so he didn't have any pies just then. He loved pushing the roundabout rather than ridding on it. James preferred to jump around on it and so I tried to keep him away as much as possible. He spent a lot of time on the swings and both boys love learning how to swing on the rings.

 Hey look, a picture of me with a munchkin. I'm pretty sure he does NOT want to take a picture with me.

 At the end of spring Peter and I left the kids with my mum and headed down to St George for a few days. We had to change our plans a little as it rained the first two days and I was feeling pretty sick with the pregnancy. We hung out, rented a movie, went out to dinner, shopped at the strip mall and relaxed! It was heavenly. On Sunday the sun decided to make an appearance so we walked around the St George temple and then decided that we could make it to Zions after all. I am so glad we decided to go! It was beautiful and I only wished we would have had more time for hiking. We hiked emerald pools and the weeping rock. The bus driver informed us that because of all the rain there were gushing waterfalls that hadn't been there the day before. Everything was stunning!

 We rode our bikes, lots!

 We also went up to the treehouse museum a lot to escape the heat. The boys' favorite things were definitely the train and fire engine as well as the health section. They have microscopes that Quinn spent a lot of time looking through and they both liked taking care of the babies,weighing them and giving them shots

 One of our favorite things to do is to go hiking, The boys are seriously amazing, we must hike at least 1.5 to 2 miles and they hold up so well. Most of the time we are able to hike to where the trail crosses a stream. We never crossed but had fun throwing rocks into the stream and feeling how cold the water was.

 The boys were such great helpers with our garden. Though our garden was not that successful this year I'm glad we tried and will make a lot of changes next year. We finally got some strawberries this past week though that have been so fun to eat.

 Sometimes ideas on pinterest work out. This was a fun one...we got a plastic sheet and taped it all around, then we filled it with water and sealed up the hole. The boys had a blast jumping and rolling on it feeling the water swish around. We ended up with a few holes in it, but I think part of that was due to the fact that I put it on a hill and so there was much more pressure on one side than the other. All in all a super fun, different activity to cool off.

 I don't know if you can tell but this picture is a flour hand print on my belly. James loves saying hi to the baby, even in the middle of baking.We spent a lot of time baking goodies in the kitchen. Both boys love to help use the mixer and James has really started to take an interest in helping get dinner ready. He is super good at breaking mushrooms into bite sized pieces and has a slight obsession with knives, pointing out one when ever I am using one saying "knife knife!"

 Eating some lemon crinkle cookies they made

 We tried so hard to go camping this summer. Our first plans kept getting postponed because of all the fires. Then, we tried to scout out a place and realized the road was closed so that pushed our plans back as we tried to figure out a place that would be good to take the kids. We finally found an alternate route to the camp site we want to go to and then had to cancel plans again because a storm blew in. Then, we finally got to go. We started up the trail and quickly realized that this was going to be quite the trek. The path was SO bumpy. When we finally found the campsite we were so disappointed to find out that there was no where to pitch a tent so we headed back down that same crazy road. Quinn kept saying it was scary  and he didn't want to fall. Best part of the whole thing were the views, they were gorgeous. After getting some recommendations from friends we decided on a new campsite but then Peter had to work. Maybe we will have better luck next year.

 A picture with munchkin #2

 Hanging out with Daddy was the best part of the week

 The boys discovered dandelions and had fun blowing off the seeds. James can not go by one without picking it, but likes to rub the seeds on his or mine pants to get them to come off, silly man

 Love this picture. Quinn loves this sweater and wanted to wear it all the time, even though it was so hot out! Backpacks were a hot item this summer and of course swim goggles are a must. We did get to go swimming a few times. I took the boys twice on mine own, which actually worked out really well. I was pretty worried about being able to make sure they were both ok, but they stayed together and were super good.

We tried to go on the trail by our house for bike rides and a few walks. James loved spotting the trains that would run past the trail

 And Quinn found some pretty neat rocks.

 He also loved picking up snails and having an ant crawl on his arm

1st day of preschool! So far he is having a blast and is doing a super good job learning the letters and how to write his name. Its so neat to see him making friends, learning and discovering new things. I'm so proud of the way he is kind to the other kids, takes an interested in his work and tries to do a good job.

Look at that goofy face! Since we are doing preschool  at our house this month, James gets to join in. Using scissors is probably his favorite thing to do along with using the dry erase markers and playing with the other kids