2012 At a Glance

I know I'm a lucky girl when I can say that the year we're all about to leave was one of the best years of my life. I feel as though I've changed in many ways- hopefully for the better overall. It's wonderful to reflect back and not have regrets or painful memories. That being said, of course, I didn't do everything right or accomplish many goals; I had bad days and there are a lot of things I'm still looking forward to changing. That's why this New Year's Eve I'm going to record my first "resolutions" and do my best to stick to them.

I want to summarize a few of my favorite memories from the year. (Unfortunately the computer with all of my pictures is down..)

In February, for Valentine's Day, David introduced me to the wonderful world of seafood dished up right! We had dinner at Red Lobster for my first time. The highlight of that memory, for me, were the huge piña coladas we ordered which came in giant martini glasses (David and I really value our specialty drinks!)
A week later, my twentieth birthday came along. It was easily the most enjoyable birthday I've ever had! I woke up to a clean house, a few presents and cinnamon rolls! David then took me shopping for a few hours when we got invited to go rock climbing with David's uncle Danny and his children. After tons of fun, we headed to my inlaw's for pizza and gifts. I got to finish the night off with a free shake from Iceburg and lots of cuddle time with my sweet lil family :)

In March, David transferred jobs to where he currently works at McGees Stamp and Trophy. He loves what he does and the people he works with and that makes such a difference in our lives!

On June third, our Lillian was able to be blessed by David. It was such a sweet experience for me as a mother, to hear the blessings our Heavenly Father wants to give his (and my) beautiful little girl, through her Earthly father.

The summer was so much fun as a whole. My favorite memories consist of snow cones, mid-night walks, four square, fireworks, and volleyball in our swimsuits! I especially loved the Martin family reunion at the Crystal Hot Springs and the Sommers family reunion at Bear Lake (which also happened to be my first time in Idaho!)

Lilly's first birthday was July 21st and we celebrated it with dinner, cake and presents in my parents beautiful backyard. David's family drove up to Heber to join us for the afternoon. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather or company :)

Only a week and a half after my little girl's special day, I found out she was to become a big sister! I tied the positve pregnancy tests together with pink and blue ribbon and wrote "you've got mail" on their backs. After packaging them up and planting the box (addressed to David) in our mailbox, I eagerly waited for him to find it during his daily routine to get the mail with Lilly. His lunchbreak was nearly over, and he still hadn't gone outside, so I suggested he do so.. he replied with a "no, I'd rather stay here and cuddle with you." I panicked instantly.. I was sure my plan was foolproof! So then I suggested it again and went with him. He was thrilled when he found the good news out!

September rolled around and we set a date to have our family sealed in the Manti temple. (Read separate post for details.) As anyone could imagine, the sixteenth was a monumental day for us. It was especially fun to announce to our loved ones that we were expecting an addition to our family!

David's favorite holiday is Halloween, so by October our apartment was decked out with lights and candy and fun decorations. We had also been working hard to finish our costumes on time. We were a family of vikings, which paid off (literally) because Lilly won the mall contest, earning us a fifty dollar gift certificate!

Aaaand I hate to sound lazy but I've typed this whole thing with a stylus one key at a time.. so to sum up the holidays, we were blessed to be able to share them with both mine and David's family, which is of course, the best part!

I give all thanks to my loving Heavenly Father, who is mindful of me as an individual. He has answered my many prayers and surrounded me with wonderful people. I am looking forward to the new year and all the adventures it has to bring!

It's been quite a while since I've written because both my computer and internet have been broken.. and they still are; I'm at the mother-in-laws and figured someone might appreciate an update!

I'll save the pregnancy stuff for it's own post, because there's been a lot of changes and this post would become a mile long very quickly! In short, I'm now 25 weeks along and feeling great!

I am absolutely loving the Christmas season. We haven't turned off our Christmas-tree lights ever since we put it up a few days after Thanksgiving (might be regretting that on our next power bill). We've also strung old fashioned giant colored bulbs on the railing outside our apartment, and hung white lights and a canopy above our bed to add some wintery romance! Every time I go somewhere crowded I stick a festive pin to my shirt. Old lady-like or not, I've gotten a compliment on each one, hehe. Usually I hate the snow, but the lack of it last year made me long for a white Christmas and it's been fun to see how excited Lilly and David get when they wake up to a new blanket of it outside! My calendar has also been bombarded with Christmas parties! Work parties, ward parties, Relief Society parties, not to mention more than one family party. It's been really great making treats, participating in white-elephants and secret santas. David and I even bought festive plaid button-downs. It's been good. I really don't want the season to end!

I was recently released from my calling as the Assistant to the Secretary in Relief Society and am now working with the greatest ladies EVER as an Advisor in Young Women. We only have like 7 girls in the ward and their ages all range, so we all get to meet together all the time! It's been slightly challenging and I'm really nervous to be teaching my first lesson on Sunday, but I seriously love it! It really brings out the best in me to be with such a fun group twice a week.

Lilly is nearly a year and a half and is the joy of my life! She's sweet and cuddly and her giggles are to die for. I miss her the minute I have to go somewhere, no matter how frustrated I may have been with her throughout the day. She's started throwing tantrums and using the dreaded word "no". Arching her back or going limp when I pick her up, running away and flailing when it's time to change her diaper, and worst of all, hitting and head-butting me in the face when she doesn't get her way. Oh, it's a breath of much needed fresh air when David comes home from work! But those two couldn't make me any happier or feel more fulfilled than they already do! Family really is our greatest gift in life.

And just for a fun close, guess what we did to this little girl's hair? Any ideas?

Here's a little secret.. nothing! Lilly is seriously the sweatiest baby I've ever heard of! This is what she looked like when she woke up from her nap, except she was fully clothed. Poor girl has to sleep practically naked even in the winter!

Aaand just for fun (as gross as it is) David thought it'd be funny to slick her hair back with my brush. As you can imagine, it took quite a while for it to air out, and then he asked me to corn-row it. Lilly hated it so I only got 3 crappy looking rows done before she ripped the elastics out. We have a lot of interesting things go on when David's and my creativity combine. Our poor children!

Merry Christmas!

19 Weeks and Counting!

Today marks the nineteenth week of my #2 pregnancy! Lots of changes have taken place this last week, so I figured I'd take note of them. It's nice to finally be heading over the 1st to 2nd trimester bump. The all day sickness has subsided to morning sickness, and even then it's not so bad.. as long as I don't accidentally gag myself while brushing my teeth, I'm usually in the clear of throwing up. My energy is on the rise (doesn't mean I don't take naps anymore..) and my appetite is growing enormously--could be the reason why my tummy decided to pop out this week too! It seems like within days my stomach has gone from the "just feel/look fat" stage to the harder, round stage; most of the time it feels like my insides are growing faster than my outsides! Only things that have gotten worse are that I'm constantly out of breath and I feel like my heart is going to pound out of my chest, ears and fingers at all times. Those little taps have also turned into full out pushing and kicking, which is exciting! Next week I'll have my 20 week ultrasound where they'll tell us whether or not they can visibly see anything wrong with the baby, measure her limbs, measure the heartbeat, etc. Hopefully everything goes smoothly and we have a healthy baby and mommy! (Also hope they don't tell me they got the gender wrong on the early check and that we're actually having a boy! Haha)

Apparently, this is what our lil' girl looks like right now :) Pretty cute if you ask me!

Tahiti Chicken

I am about to unveil the recipe to my most favorite chicken dish of all time! You're welcome :) Seriously, this chicken has more flavors than your mouth has ever imagined experiencing simultaneously! I first got the recipe from an emealz list and couldn't find it online again if I tried, so I'm lucky to have written it down the first time I saw it! When I read a few of the ingredients for the first time, I thought they sounded too funky to ever be combined but that's what makes it not just a good but beautiful recipe! I'm not raving over this chicken for nothing. I'm not sure if the title of "Tahiti Chicken" is authentic, but I know I'd be one proud Tahitian if people claimed this recipe originated in my country! Okay, okay.. the faster I type the recipe the faster you can make it. Trust me. You'll be glad you did!

Tahiti Chicken (with Pineapple Sauce)
*Stars are my additions/adaptations to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breast (sliced) *I just buy raw chicken tenders.
• 1/2 c orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 c Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 c flaked coconut
• 1/2 c pineapple preserves *see picture below for ideas.
• 1 T prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp dry mustard

(Find directions at the bottom of the post and keep in mind that my pictures were taken with my hundred year old -not smart- phone..  And see what I mean about interesting ingredients? TASTY I tell you! Keep reading!)

 *So, it's kind of hard to find pineapple preserves, though it is do-able. Tonight, David and I made it with apricot instead. Even if you don't get preserves, jam works just as well! I think I like the pineapple more than apricot, though it didn't make a huge difference.

These are going to make your dipping sauce.

I had no clue what Panko was when I first made this recipe. We found them in the cultural foods aisle in the grocery store. Here's your shredded coconut. These two will make your breading.

Here's the chicken dipped, breaded and ready to pop into the oven!

All done! Niiiiccce and crispy!

The finished product

Blend orange juice, eggs, salt and ginger in a bowl. Combine panko and coconut in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken strips in the O.J. mixture, then in the Panko mixture. Place chicken on a foil-covered baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Dipping sauce: Mix pineapple preserves with dry mustard and prepared horseradish.

*We like to make this recipe with Rice Pilaf each time (which you can find in the rice-a-roni or boxed foods section) and whatever vegetable you'd like! I'd recommend green veggies such as peas, string beans or asparagus. The sauce has a nice kick to it. You can drizzle it over the chicken or dish it on the side so individuals can regulate how much spice to have with each bite. Enjoy!

Pregnancy Updates

I decided, instead of rambling on and on forever about what's been going on throughout this pregnancy, I'd fill out a little juxtaposed questionnaire! It's probably way more fun for me to answer than for you to read, but, there's gotta be someone out there who wants this information... right? :)

How old are you: 20
When are you due: March 28th, 2013
How far along are you: 18 weeks
How much weight have you gained: 5 lbs
Are you showing yet: Definitely
Was this planned or unplanned: Unplanned for me, planned for daddy! Haha
Belly button in or out: Barely in still... already!
Happy or moody: 50/50 but my husband may give a different answer ;)
Is this your first pregnancy: No
How old are your other children: Lillian is 15 months
Who was the first person you told: David, of course.
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
What is the gender of baby: A GIRL!!! :D
You pee an estimated__times a day: At least fifteen... At least!
Latest food craving: Shrimp shrimp shrimp!
Weirdest dream since pregnant: My parents gave doctors permission to amputate my leg while I was already under anesthesia. When I came out of it, I was horrified and told them it wasn't even the leg that had been hurting. Then, I was limping down the road while being chased by an angry snake who wanted to bite and kill me, so I had to try to climb a chain link fence with only one leg to get away!!
Worst thing about pregnancy: Definitely the morning sickness! Throwing up is the worst.
Best thing about pregnancy: (other than the new addition, of course) is a change of wardrobe. Hehe
Last time you cried over something ridiculous was: Feeling lonely at the house all day while David's at work. He goes to work everyday, but I guess I was EXTRA alone that day or something..... hahaha
Labor signs: I'm pretty sure I've been having some painful braxton-hicks contractions here and there, but other than that, no. Baby's got a long time to be cookin' till she and I are ready for her to come!
Best moment this week: David felt the baby kick!!!! I've been feeling her for about 3 weeks or so now, lightly, but I finally felt her kick my hand on the outside too!

There you go :) I'd say that covers it! For all those other pregnant women I know out there, it'd be fun for you to fill this out and put it on your blog as well so we can see how similar/different our pregnancies have been so far! Feel free to add or delete any questions you'd like to make it more personal. Maybe I'll fill this out again when I'm 9 months along and see what's changed. Until then!

Sweet Deal!

I'd like to take some time to publicly humiliate my husband by bragging a little about him ;) Back when I was pregnant with Lilly, I had a rare pregnancy-related illness called "Hyperemesis Gravidarum" (meaning I experienced unrelenting vomiting until it resulted in complications of dehydration and severe malnutrition.) I told him that if I was even close to being that sick with our next pregnancy, that he had to change all the dirty diapers to save me from an additional reason to throw up. To my sweet surprise, he took me seriously and we made a deal! Well, now that we're expecting another baby, I reminded him of this deal and told him I was sticking to it. Sure enough, he's been a man of his word and except for the day of his birthday this last week (and while he's at work, of course) he has changed every dirty diaper of Lilly's so I didn't have to. I'd say I'm a VERY lucky girl to have scored the kind of husband I did! Don't worry honey- four months down, only five more to go! Hehe. Myyyyy Herrrroooo :)

I call him Diaper Doody Dad!

(Get it? Duty? Doody? HA!)

No fair :(

I am signing a petition and sending it to Heaven telling God that I think it's highly unfair to allow women to get any kind of illness on top of pregnancy! Last Sunday we spent the day in Heber with my family and my nephew had one of those out of control runny noses.. I thought, "Great.. Lilly is totally going to get sick," because we all know that little kids share germs like no other, making it especially inevitable when they're sharing toys. Sure enough, the next day Lilly woke up with the same runny nose. The morning after that, David said his throat was hurting him. Guess what? The morning after THAT I woke up with a stuffy nose AND sore throat. Yippee. One of those extra fun things about pregnancy is that your immune system is pretty much shot, making me get the worst of all ends of the cold. I feel like a really bad mom in the morning when Lilly wakes up and I make her play in her crib until an hour later when I feel capable of falling out of bed, groggily picking her up and filling a bottle with milk before I collapse on the couch with a roll of toilet paper by my side. I think it's pretty fair to ask God to lighten up on the health related trials when I already feel like (or actually do) throw up 24/7, pee every 20 minutes, my back and hips are constantly out-of-wack making it really hard to walk, and have a terrible nights sleep every night because of these things. Now, I'm forced to breathe out of my mouth, which makes my nausea way worse and am sure my nose is going to start bleeding if I don't start blowing it into a cloud here pretty soon. All in all, pregnancy is hard and different for every girl. On top of all the changes and weird issues, I think it's fair to ask that annoying colds and such be exiled until AFTER the baby is outside of our bodies. Feel free to sign your name and add any comments you'd like me to send along with the letter, thanks!

Understanding/Changing

Today, I'm going to write more of a journal entry about something I feel very strongly about. This information is quite personal, but I hope that those who read it will also make the same goal as myself - to try to be more understanding and forgiving of others - because we don't always know what they may be struggling with.

Most of the people I interact with on a daily basis today are people I've known for two years or less. That's because the majority of my new friends, are my new family! I have been so blessed to marry into a family that enjoys being together, eating together, and celebrating together so often. As much as I love everyone and this dynamic of their lives, I get discouraged because I grew up in a family quite different than David's. My family (the Czirbans) are beautiful, wonderful people, and I have always had an intense love for my parents and siblings. I am number 6 of 7 children - 6 girls and 1 boy. Since I can remember, we haven't spent holidays with our extended family, and now that my parents are empty-nesters, we rarely get-together as siblings to spend time together and catch up. For some reason, God instilled a unique personality within me, where I've always felt comfortable telling people I love them, giving hugs, and expressing my feelings openly. I say that is unique because growing up, most members of my family were not this way. Because of my need for constant affirmation of love, it was easy to become discouraged about family members, or more so about myself. I have a tendency to turn inward and personalize things that may not have been meant to do any damage.

When I became a teenager, I noticed my outward personality change from a bright countenance to one that was nearly impenetrable by hope or love. As my moods steadily sunk deeper I chose to be pro-active and began seeing a therapist. Luckily for me, after trying only two counselors out, I found a woman who I felt comfortable with. Keep in mind I was only 13 at this time. As we met and uncovered many issues I needed to work through, she diagnosed me with two (devastating yet validating to me) mental disorders. The first being Dysthymia. This disorder is a chronic depression which occurs in approximately 5% of the general population and affects women more often than men. It is usually passed down genetically (which happens to be the case in my family.) and is a constant state of low or dark moods, instead of the rollercoaster affect many other types of depression cause. People with Dysthymia have low self-esteem and problems seem harder to solve than they are in actuality.
The second disorder I was diagnosed with is Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobia. It seems pretty self explanatory, but goes much deeper than most people probably expect. S.A.D. is "characterized by intense fear in social situations causing considerable distress and impaired ability to function in at least some  parts of daily life." ...it "involves a persistent, intense, chronic fear of being judged by others and of being embarrassed or humiliated by one's own actions." There are many physical side effects that correlate such as (listing ones I personally struggle with) blushing, sweating, panic attacks, heart race, and avoiding social interaction in general. Often times this leads to coping mechanisms that are harmful and addictive in a wide range, which I have also struggled for years with.

The point of me publicizing such personal issues is that I hope people who interact with me may understand a little bit more about why I am the way I am. If I have offended you or bothered you in anyway, especially if it be by how self-conscious I am, by my obsessions with vanity, by choosing not to participate in a game you've chosen to play, if I have "bailed" on plans with you, or have avoided a friendship that could have taken place, I'm truly sorry and am working everyday to overcome my struggles.

In learning to understand myself, I have been taught that I need to be as kind and understanding to others as I would hope they'd be to me. No one's family is perfect. No individual is perfect and we are all struggling with different addictions, disorders and trials. I can only hope that by changing myself, I can see a change in the world. That I can be of more service to those around me. That I'll be more aware of the needs of others. That my tongue will be used to bless lives instead of as a sword. I hope that if I have wronged you, that you may find it in your heart to forgive me, and that I too may become a more forgiving person.

Lilly is getting a little....

Exactly a week ago, we were able to find out the gender of our new baby! My mom drove down and took David, Lilly and I out for lunch at the Olive Garden, then we all met with David's mom at the doctor's office. I was so nervous they would tell me I wasn't actually 16 weeks along and that I'd have to come back in a week or two when the baby was further developed or something. David had made a poll on Facebook asking whether our friends and family thought we'd get a boy or a girl. At first, it seemed like everyone wanted us to have a boy just because we already have a girl, but David and I were really hoping for Lilly to have a little sister! After the votes were tallied, it was directly even - 50% said boy and 50% said girl. Even though we both "felt" like it was going to be a boy, we had thought of numerous girl names and only one boy name to agree on. Only a few seconds after the ultrasound began, we could all identify what gender the baby was without the technician even telling us. It was another little girl!

I don't know how I did it, but I managed to keep our secret until 3 days later when we held a gender announcement get-together with anyone that wanted to join us. David and I made white cupcakes filled with bright pink batter then had everyone close their eyes and take a bite. Most of the people were very surprised which made for fun reactions.

We couldn't be more excited for our sweet girl to join our family around March 28th, 2013. Lilly is going to love having a playmate! David's out-numbered 3 to 1 now. Maybe our next baby will be a boy to carry on David's family name... the pressure is on! :) I think for now I'll focus on not throwing up and taking naps when Lilly's asleep. Pretty soon I won't have that kind of luxury!

Temple Sealing + Surprise!

On September 16th, 2012 David, Lilly and I had the opportunity to be sealed for time and all eternity in the Manti, Utah Temple. We chose Manti (even though it was two hours away) because we met at Snow College in Ephraim, just a few miles down the road. I guess we're sentimental like that ;)

What a big day! For a long time I never thought I would, but hoped I could get to a place in my life to be worthy of a temple marriage (or sealing). It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I think if your heart truly longs to do what's right to get your family to the temple, it becomes much easier. The biggest change I had to make was getting in the habit of reading my scriptures at night with David. It doesn't seem very difficult, but David and I are night owls and tend to stay up all night then crash into bed with not an ounce of energy left in us.. leaving it really hard to stay awake to read a chapter aloud, then say family prayers, then personal prayers. We're still not perfect at it, but I think we've taken great strides to be better people, to form better habits, and to try just a little harder to become the people Heavenly Father hopes we'll become.

The day of our sealing was also my first time going through the temple, outside of doing baptisms when I was younger. It was a flurry of excitement, nerves, knew knowledge, and many, many, many emotions! I cried... a lot... haha, but when David and I were in the sealing room with all our loved ones there to support us, the most beautiful feelings swept over me. Then, when our sweet daughter Lillian was also sealed to us, the strongest most magnificent love for her and my own little family overwhelmed me (that's when I REALLY lost it...) haha. It was a very sweet ceremony.

After we took a few pictures on phones, we headed back to Orem to get ready for our little dinner celebration at David's grandmother's home. We had grilled pineapple, chicken kabobs with peppers and onions, and tariyaki rice. YUM. Many of our family members and best friends were there so we thought it'd be a great time for a surprise to be unveiled! Before we blessed the food, David thanked everyone who was there to support our family of four being sealed that day, then slightly motioned to my stomach. Family of four?! Yep! We are having another baby!! That made our day a little extra special :)

There's no better feeling than knowing that my family will be together forever. Before being sealed, I couldn't have imagined the difference I'd feel in my home or the increased desire I have to make right choices for myself that will also lead my children to choose the right. I love David, Lilly and baby #2 with more love than I could ever have thought possible. Families are beautiful. There's nothing more fulfilling or rewarding than having and being part of your own, unique family. And I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for giving me such sweet ones to love and care for! <3

The gorgeous Manti, Utah Temple

Writers Block

So, I guess the last time I posted something new was in January of this year... and there's a reason for it.

Here's a little personal insight on my insecurities. I'm very good at journal keeping and enjoy expressing my feelings, opinions and experiences with others, therefore I thought I'd be good at blogging. As I read many other blogs, both professional and of everyday women like myself, I became very discouraged about my writing style, my photography and overall creativity. I didn't get an education after high school, I don't especially love English, and I take pictures with a little point and shoot camera, making my blog a little more "ghetto" than so many others out there. My husband and his cousin both told me that I should keep writing and that I shouldn't compare my blog to other blogs but I was determined to delete it anyway. For some reason, I guess I didn't and now, I'm pretty glad for not doing so!

This is an introduction to a new chapter for Simona's Memory. My personal blog about family, food, fun, and lots of other random stuff :) and I'll do my best to update it often. Hope you come back to visit!

Hospital

I decided to get some pictures together to tell a little more about our experience with Lilly's birth, since it was NOTHING like I thought it would be. I had read anything and everything I could find on the internet about pregnancy, labor, post labor, etc. Not to mention every story family, friends and strangers had to offer. Mistake? I'm still not sure, but to my surprise and great luck, labor went more smoothly than imaginable and the experience was unforgettable!
P.s. I would take Lilly's labor over pregnancy ANY DAY!

This is how we told our family's the gender. David and I spray painted our own t-shirts and called everyone to see if they thought we were having a boy or girl. The people who were right got to know the gender before the others!

Pretty apprehensive. Today, everything changes!

Our beautiful baby girl arrives after only pushing through 3 contractions!

There were no complications. The only thing abnormal was that Lilly was born without "brown fat", which is the fat lining the muscles of one's body to regulate their temperature. She was so skinny! They had to do 3 tests on her every hour until she could keep her own body warm. Then Mommy finally got her back!

Proud Daddy stayed by Lilly's side through everything. (He was also great support during labor. Lilly and I are lucky girls!)

Grandma Czirban was the first to visit the new little one! Only an hour after she was born. Three generations of little girls with big dimples!

Pretty girls :)

David's family came as soon as they could. Great Grandma Sommers, Grandma Martin and Sammy Martin had all returned from a two week long trip in Europe that day. Thank goodness they were home just in time to see Lilly the same day she was born!

Three generations (minus David)

Great Grandma Sommers holding Lilly for the first time

Grandma and Grandpa Martin holding Lillian for their first times!

Sammy, holding her new niece!

David's youngest sister, Melanie, holding Lilly

No, this isn't an extra large carseat. She was so tiny, I was afraid they wouldn't let us take her home because she hardly fit in her carseat! Good thing she's got lots of padding to surround her!

And to finish up, I'd like to share a poem that got me through those long days of pregnancy and all the depression, illnesses, aches, and stretch marks that go with it!

"A mark for every breath you took, every blink, every sleepy yawn. One for every time you sucked your thumb, waved hello, closed your eyes and slept in the most perfect darkness. One for every time you had the hiccups. One for every dream you dreamed within me. It isn't very pretty anymore. Some may even think it ugly. That's okay. It was your home. It's where I first grew to love you, where I lay my hand as I dreamed about who you were and who you would be. It held you until my arms could, and for that, I will always find something beautiful in it."

~Given to me from Mecayle Kunz

Food Creations

David and I both enjoy all kinds of creativity and art. We also love food. (Who doesn't, right?!) So over the last year we've come up with some pretty cool food creations and of course, had to document them with pictures. David loves to share his ideas with all the family and friends he can think of - so I'm sure he won't mind me posting them to the world. ;) Enjoy!

Keep in mind that I am no self proclaimed photographer!

A few days before Easter 2011, we drove to Heber to my parent's house to decorate the most amazing of all sugar cookies!

David, having a special moment with his decorated butterfly

 We shared my plate of cookies that night with David's parents and sisters.

David and I created our own recipe called "Breakfast Hotdogs". We dip hot dog buns in French Toast batter, then cook them in a frying pan. Cook up some breakfast sausage links, poor some syrup over the top and powder sugar those babies! Man are they DE-LISH!

I guess David has been wanting an apple corer/slicer for a long time. His mom picked one up for us at a garage sale and hot dang, I had no idea how sweet it would be! I eat ALL of my apple now.. haha

These would be our rainbow cupcakes.

 We made two kinds, 1- traditional rainbow colors and 2- spring time colors!

 We decorated the tops and brought them over to our friends and family members. Who loved them, by the way!

 Yep. We're good.