27!! and 3 months! (and the recipes)

My goodness this blog has been a long time coming! Everyone is probably wondering what the heck is going on. It was busy Monday with Cory's birthday and Hayden's pictures and then Tuesday was crazy, I had a doctors appointment and it just seems I have been going, going, going. And now Cory is super sick with a fever, stuffy nose, a cough and sneezes.. its yucky stuff. So it's just been me and Hayd fending for ourselves and attempting not to catch whatever nastiness daddy has. I am pooped!! I really appreciate Cory and the little break he gives me when he comes home. It also really makes me appreciate my family who offer to hold Hayden when I can't stand and bounce him or sing one more ABC or the wheels on the bus song one more time. I have best husband and the best, most supportive family. I seriously underestimated post partum. It's kicking my butt to say the least. I had no idea what an up roar my horomones would be in and how long it would get me to feeling "normal," physically and emotionally. Thank goodness I am on the upward swing of things finally, I think. I am so glad I have a sweet little boy's smiling face that looks at me everyday and great people around me who are always there to help me and talk to me when I can't do one way conversations anymore. Thank you to everyone! You know who you are! I love you to death!

ok... and the point of the post... finally...

Cory turned 27 on Monday!! It was so much fun being able to have him home and have him come with me to Hayden's 3 month pictures. He is such a good daddy; he got the biggest smiles out of Hayd. After successful afternoon of taking pictures we went home so I could get started on dinner. I made his favorite pretzel jello, million dollar spaghetti (both recipes will be at the very bottom) and his all time favorite cake, funfetti cake with rainbow chip frosting. For his birthday I made him a basket of all his favorite things. It was fun being able to see the surprise on his face. Cory is such a good guy and I am so lucky that he is my husband. He always can make me laugh, and always puts me and Hayden first. He is so selfless and really cares about people. He is always there for me when I need someone to lean on and is such a huge example to me. I love you Cory! I hope you had a fun day!




These are the pictures we got from Hayden's little photo shoot. Thank you so so much to AHM Photography! Marietta did such a great job! I was so impressed. She was so flexible with us, we were able to go and work around Hayden's schedule. She was so patient when he needed to rest or eat or just take a break from pictures. It definately helped my stress level.

Im exhausted after all these pictures and being so cute!

YAWN!!!

THE RECIPES:
Strawberry Pretzel Squares(SOOOO YUMMY)
What you need:
2 C. finely crushed pretzels
1 Cup and 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
2/3 Cup Butter, melted
1 and 1/2 pkg (8 0z each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Softened(I only used one pkg and it was still yummy and I use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1- 8 oz tub of Cool Whip
1 pkg. (6 oz) Jello Strawberry Flavor
1 qt. (4 Cups) Strawberries, Sliced

HEAT oven to 350 F

MIX pretzel crumbs, 2 T of sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Bake 10 min. Cool.

BEAT cream cheese, and 1 C. sugar. Stir in Cool Whip and then spread over crust. Refrigerate.

MAKE the jello according to the box(I even did the speed method) and refrigerate until thickened. Stir in strawberries; spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.
*I have also used raspberry jello and 2 pkgs of 10 oz frozen raspberries. I would assume you could do the same with orange jello and mandrain oranges.

Million Dollar Spaghetti
What You Need:
1 lb of ground beef
2-8oz cans tomato sauce
9 or 10 oz of thin spaghetti (I just usually use almost the whole pkg or all of it depending on how many Im feeding)
1/2 lb cottage cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup green onion

HEAT oven to 350 F

COOK spaghetti noodles in boiling water while,

BROWNING the hamburger meat. After the hamburger meat is browned, drain the fat and add the 2 cans of tomato sauce.

MIX cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and green onion(mix well!)

LAYER in a 13x9 pan, half the spaghetti, then the cheese mixture, then remaining spaghetti and then the meat on top. Put in the oven for 15-20 min. or until its heated through.

ohhh that was nice, Stick Em Up! WAY UP!!, and other upcoming events

Soooo.....
Sweet J.Leigh Designs sent me this sweet award. She is so cute, and I feel honored to have been awarded this little "sisterhood award" by her! Thanks so much! She is so talented and everyone should check out her blog as well as her etsy shop! She inspires me to be crafty... which one day, I will attempt... if I only knew where to start!



Here is how it works!
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate 5 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

There are so many fabulous people I wish I could nominate... 5 is so super limiting.... but here we go...
1. Devyn
2. Amy
3. Joni
4. Sarah
5. Kami


Ok, so you may be wondering about the part in my post title that says "Stick 'em up! Way up!!" Cory and I received this little lime green flyer in the mail that says "WARRANT ROUND UP" on it. I figure it’s some fundraiser for the local police or something. I think to myself, "Ohhh, isn't someone clever with the warrant round up stuff on it." Because my brain thinks they are the police so maybe they are doing a play on words like the old western Sheriff people.(hence the “stick ‘em up, cause thats wht they always say in old western movies, I know Im a dork) But is that the case, it’s just a fundraiser? HECK FREAKING NO!!! Cory has 2 stinking warrants out for his arrest! As we took a closer look at this unimportant looking flyer, it says, "Pay your fines or go to jail." We are both dumbfounded; we have no idea what this little green paper is talking about. And the flyer came all the way from good 'ole Travis County... in AUSTIN, TEXAS! The little story behind these lovely 2 Warrants for Cory goes a little something like this:
Once upon a time on August 11th in Austin, TX Cory got pulled over for speeding. After talking his way out of a ticket. Cory thought sweet and thought he was given a warning! And he went on his way and we never thought about it again...HOWEVER! The cop filed it as a ticket! Cory and I moved the beginning of Septemberish back to Utah and we have NEVER received anything about a ticket, of how much it was, or a "hey now your ticket is late you owe this much," or anything that said, "Hey!! You didn't pay your ticket so go to court this day..." No we just went straight for the paper that says pay your fine because you have 2 outstanding warrants, or go to jail. We will come to your home or work or wherever we may find you to arrest you. Juuuuust SSSSUPER! So the first warrant is obviously for not paying the ticket (that we didn't know about) and the second is for failing to appear in court. Lovely. The grand total for the 2 fines is $513!!!! SSSSUPER LOVELY! Cory has to go back to Texas sometime anyway to FINALLY get his car fixed and drive it back. We will probably post bail on the two warrants which is $200 for each bail, so $400. Then when he is there getting his car(it has been sitting there broken down, that’s another long story for another day), he will talk to the judge. If the judge is understanding and we win we will get all $400 back, if not the $400 goes towards our grand total and we will owe the $113 that is left...Wheewww... Always excitement at our house people, you all are missing out! ;) So stay tuned for other upcoming news on our next episode titled, "$513 swindle continued...."

And the last part of my title in this blog... Other upcoming events...

Cory is turning 27 on Monday!! He is such an old man now ;) I'm excited for his birthday; he is taking work off and will hang out all day with me and Hayden. I am making his favorite dinner(million dollar spaghetti, its sooo yummy, let me know if you want the recipe), and there will be the usual cake, ice cream and presents...I’ll be sure to post lots of fun pictures...
Also on Monday... We are getting Hayden's 3 month pictures taken! I can't believe he will already be 3 months this week. He's getting so big, it's so crazy how fast it’s gone by. Ill also post his pictures up. I’m debating on whether or not I want to bring his little Jordan outfit; ya know... the one that is black with the gold chain... I think it’s funny, but we'll see... what do you think, bring it or not bring it?(if you don't know what outfit I’m talking about, scroll down to his blessing day post... you'll see it)

I love that it is spring time!! It's been sooo nice to get out of the house and take Hayden on walks. I’m bummed it is going to rain/snow tomorrow and Monday... but hopefully it will perk back up and be nice spring time weather again. I love spring and Easter time! It’s totally my favorite. Happy Spring everyone!!

(Oh and another little plug, our good friend Dave made this video about living in the 801! He is honestly THE funniest guy I have ever met. I love him to death, so check out this video and if you like it share it on your facebook if you like it. He is trying to get it featured on youtube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9TTCTyid4 )

Grateful for Children

"Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these little ones. Now, love them, take care of them... welcome them into your homes and nurture and love them with all your hearts. "-Gordon B. Hinckley

Life Size by Steve Hanks


"A baby is God's opinon that
the world
should go on."
-Carl Sandburg



"Kids:
They dance
before they learn
there is anything
that isn't music."
-William Stafford

The Audition by S. Thomas Sierak


"Children make you want to start life over." -Muhammad Ali

"When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn't stir up earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart, and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies."
-E.T. Sullivan

A Mother and Son by Robert Duncan


"I love these little people;
and it is not a slight thing, when they,
who are so fresh from God, love us." -Charles Dickens

"We all must work to make the world

worthy of its children."

-Pablo Casals

"While we are trying to teach our children all about life,

our children teach us

what life is all about."

-Angela Schwindt

Consider the Lilies by Simon Dewey

"Children are the past, the present, and the future
all blended into one.

They are consummately precious. Every time a child is born,

the world is renewed in innocence."
-Boyd K. Packer

"My lovely living Boy,

My hope, my hap, my Love,

my Life, my joy."

-Guillaume De Saulluste Du Bartas

Finally the blessing day....

I finally get to post about Hayden's blessing! It was such a nice day. We had a smooth morning, he ate, we changed him, Cory and I got ready in time, he spit up not on his blessing outfit... It was great. Then we get to church and felt like the Bishop took FOREVER with the ward business! It really probably wasn't that long, but I was just so anxious to get him blessed before he started sobbing crying because he was getting sleepy. It was finally the big moment and Cory did such a great job. It was such a sweet and special blessing. Hayden started to cry a little at the very end. Almost like he was saying, "Ok Dad! That’s enough, this blessing has been long enough..." After the blessing was over I wrapped him up and he was out cold! For all of sacrament meeting! It was glorious. I bore my testimony, and got through without crying!

When we finally got him home I knew I needed to change him, Grandma said she felt a little somethin', somethin' rumbling earlier. And sure enough, I unwrap him and I hear, "oh dear!" I turn him around and there is a lovely brown color showing through his white pants! I could have died. Poo all up his onesie, clear up to his shoulders! Luckily we got the brown nastiness out. He was good the whole rest of the day. It was so fun having both of our families and hanging out with Hayd. It was such a great special day.

I love both of my boys. My little boy and my grown boy. Hayden is so sweet. I’m so glad Heavenly Father trusts me enough to let me be his mom. He has such a cute smile; you can't help but smile and talk back to him when he flashes his big gummy grin at you. And his eyes get bluer and bluer every day. He has taught me so much, and I love being his mom. I am so grateful to be married to a priesthood holder who could give our son such a special blessing. I love Cory, he keeps me grounded and helps me loosen up and remember what’s important. He is such a great dad, Hayden loves him so much. I am so grateful I can be with him forever.

It was such a good day; I can't believe it's over. I had thought about it so many times. Wondering what it would be like... and now it’s over and Hayden is almost 2 1/2 months... crazy. I feel like such a lucky girl.

Fun info about the day:
-Hayden was blessed in the blanket I was blessed in that my Great Grandma made. (so his Great, GREAT grandma McBride)
-My Grandma McBride(his Great Grandma) took short hand of his blessing! Thanks so, so much Grandma! Your the best!
-Hayden was blessed in the booties Cory and all of his brothers were blessed in. They were made by Cory's Great Grandma Hamilton. (Hayden's Great, GREAT Grandma!)
-My side of the family also has the tradition of being blessed with baby rings. They baby wears their mom's baby ring and then they have their owen baby ring; its kinda tied onto their wrist with ribbon. (in the pictures his ring is the silver one and mine is the gold)

My ring is on the left his is on the right

More to come...

Super Busy.

I'm exhausted.

Hayden is still sick! I suck out so many boogers, I can't wait til he's better!

I have cabin fever.. BAD!!! I. Need. To. Get. Out.

Hayden is 2 months now, so weird. And Im pretty sure he is the cutest baby ever.

His blessing was Sunday, it was a great day. Pictures to come. He pooed up his back after church in his white outfit! Total bummer! Totally yucky! Saved the outfit.

Anyone decided about the massage thing(read post below) She says ages 3 wks to crawling is the best ages and Tuesday, Thursdays or Saturdays are best for her... any takers?

I can't wait for the weekend and I can't wait til its warmer so I can go on walks with Hayden and Get. Out. Of. The. House!!!

Next post will be all about Hayden's special blessing day! He was soo handsome.

2 Months!!!

(he was so excited, I couldn't get him to stop waving his arms
and kicking his legs everywhere)

I love this picture

The sweet outfit Uncle Trav gave Hayd for
Christmas. It's pretty funny.

Do Work!