San Fran trip

Dan and I took a little trip to San Fransicso a couple weekends ago to celebrate our 3-year anniversary and my 30th birthday. It was a really fun trip. We packed it in and managed to see alot, even though we slept in everyday and made time to relax. We were prepared for pretty cold weather (from the forecast) but it was actually really nice--blue sky and sunshine everyday, which was such a nice surprise! Of course it was super chilly at night and anytime we were by the water, but that was expected. Anyway, we had such a great time!

Here are some of the highlights....

-The Golden Gate Bridge, of course! (And watching the crazy surfers and wind surfers)

-Eating dinner at Great Eastern in China Town (So tasty!)

-Breakfast at the open air market on the embarcadero Saturday morning

(Here's the belly you all keep asking about!)

-Taking the cable car to Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf and eating amazing seafood at the Crabhouse

-Delicious gelato from the place right next door to our hotel!

-San Fran shopping, of course!

(Thought it's just not the same when you're shopping for maternity clothes!)

The shopping highlight was definitely the real Louis Vuitton sunglasses we got for just $5.00! I made Dan do Ben Stiller's "Blue Steal" with me in our new shades!


-Breakfast at Lori's diner in Union Square

-Oakland A's game with Dan's cousin Tim (and a great dinner at a gourmet burger joint in Oakland with Tim and his girlfriend, Melissa)

Pretty funny...

I read this today and thought it was pretty funny

(in honor of Mother's Day, which is coming up!).

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you Your mother & not some other mom?
1. We're related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be
pretty bossy.

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between Moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home & dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller & stronger, but Moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Quote of the Week

"At . . . moments of crisis and challenge, some choose to abandon faith just at the time when it most needs to be embraced. Prayer is ignored at the very hour when it needs to be intensified. Virtue is carelessly tossed aside when it needs to be cherished. God is forsaken in the all-too-human yet mistaken fear that He has forsaken us. The truth is that our only safety, our only security, our only hope is to hold fast to that which is good. As the mists of darkness gather around us, we are only lost if we choose to let go of the iron rod, which is the word of God."

--David S. Baxter

Pink Lemonade Baby Accessories

I have to give a shout out to Pink Lemonade! My good friends Stephanie Jensen and Dawn Lombardi started this fabulous company selling baby accessories. They sell baby slings/pouches, nursing covers, diaper caddies and burp cloths. They just got their website up and running, so you need to check it out. They have really adorable stuff. They are currently offering a friends and family special if you order on-line. Just enter "farmers" in the voucher section at checkout and you'll get 10% off your order. Here's the link to their website. Check it out! http://www.pinklemonadeproducts.com/

My guilty pleasures.....

...The Bachelor, American Idol, America's Next Top Model, Dancing with the Stars, The Office, Thirty Rock. So, tell me, who is not loving the fact that the Office is FINALLY back!? Dan and I are so stoked. I've had it marked in my planner for months. I will say that last week's episode was so painful to watch....I remember feeling the same level of discomfort (and just cringing) watching "Meet the Parents" with Ben Stiller. I heart Michael Scott. Dan was really jealous of his flat screen tv. And I will say that do love seeing Pam and Jim together.

We've waited long enough!!

And who's surprised with the final four ladies on the Bachelor? I've been pretty surprised this season. I'm glad that Robin (way too intense!) and Marshana (drama!) were booted....way too much drama for me! Shayne is really the only bit of drama left, the other girls are pretty chill. My sister-in-law Carolyn was best friends with Noelle her freshman year in high school, so it's fun to watch her come so far. I think I'm a fan of Chelsey, but I don't know if Mr. "London Calling" will be able to get over her not loving the PDA. It'll be interesting to see what happens! Who's your favorite? Hm...American Idol--I'm a huge David Cook fan. I like Brooke, too, but I think David Cook will win. I don't really care who wins America's Next Top Model or Dancing With the Stars, it's just mindless entertainment for me. Really, I'm just happy that The Office is back in my life! I've just felt so empty inside over the last few months.....

Weekend in Dana Point

My aunt & uncle have a beach house in Dana Point, so Dan and I invited Dan's sister Debi and her husband Jared to come down to stay for the weekend. We had such a great time. We were so lucky because it was the most perfect beach weekend! I think it was in the 90's on Saturday. This first picture is a picture from the patio, which overlooks The Strand, which is right on the other side of Dana Point Harbor. What an amazing view! They are developing the land right on the beach below them and rumor has it that Bill Gates and George Clooney have bought a few of the $6 million lots. Amazing....

Saturday we surfed at San Onofre and played on the beach. Ok, well, everyone else surfed while I hung out (in my hot maternity swimsuit and prego belly) on the beach. It was the perfect beach day!

My aunt was really sweet and took us to dinner that night at Zushi, which is a great Japonese restaurant down in the harbor. So tasty!

After dinner, my aunt took us on the grand tour of another beach house they bought as an investment property. They have spent the last few years renovating the place and it's pretty amazing. It is right above Dana Point Harbor. I took just a few pictures of the house--it's an older house that was built by an artist so it's pretty eccentric, and they kept alot of his artwork. Here's a few pics.

This is the quartz (you can't see the bright green as well in the picture) kitchen counters and most of the kitchen that came from Germany. They also have alot of pieces (like the two below) that came from the the ship The Queen Elizabeth. So crazy...

The boys made us a fabulous breakfast Sunday morning and we ate on the patio. Dan and I then went to our old ward in San Clemente, which was fun. It was really nice to see some old friends. What a great weekend!

Happy Anniversary!

When asked how long we've been married, Dan's famous line is, "...it feels like forever...." I'm sure he means that in a good way, right!? This week (April 9th) was our 3-year anniversary. To celebrate we went to dinner to Duke's, which is a great local restaurant right on the beach in Huntington Beach. We had an amazing dinner and watched an incredibly beautiful sunset! Of course, I left my camera home, but we did take a few pics on our phones, so I'll see if I can figure out how to post them. Anyway, these are the beautiful flowers that Dan bought me. I love them! (And that's the fabulous clock that he bought me for our 1st anniversary). He's so good at picking out flowers that I love. This bouquet actually looks alot like the flowers at our wedding. Wow, 3 years! Time has flown, and yet, sometimes it really has felt like "forever" (in a good way!). I can't imagine my life without Dan in it. I love to give him a hard time, but really, he takes such good care of me. Most of the time, it really is "my world" as he likes to say. He really is the best friend anyone could ask for--just ask any of his friends!

Thank you, Sara!

I have to thank my friend Sara for helping save my blog. She suggested trying http://cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/. They have some really cute templates and I love that they walk you through the process, so you don't lose any of the links. Thanks, Sara!

Livin' on a prayer!

Oh, we're half way there...oh-oh, livin' on a prayer....Come on, admit it, you have sweet memories of this song!! Now, kids, don't be jealous, but this week I saw Bon Jovi live in concert! It definitely was the ultimate girl's night out! The seven of us piled into the mini van, had a great dinner at Lazy Dog Cafe and then rocked out at the concert (pregnant belly and all! We got these tickets back before I even knew I was pregnant!). Bon Jovi was amazing in concert. Who wouldn't want to hear "Shot Through the Heart" live. It was awesome! And let's be honest, very few men can get away with leather pants and shirts unbuttoned to their belly buttons! I'll agree with Steph that one of the highlights of the concert was definitely watching Kristin and Michele scream like school girls every time a new song started and then dance like it was going out of style! Daughtry opened for him, and they were really good live as well. I'll have to admit, since I'm an American Idol fan, I was really happy for Chris Daughtry. Just two years ago, he was working at a copy shop and now he's on stage singing Blaze of Glory with Jon Bon Jovi! It was pretty cool. Anyway, needless to say, it was a fabulous night!

Dinner on the patio (around the firepit!) at Lazy Dog

Me, (and my huge pregnant belly!) Jen, Amber, Michele, Steph, Kristin & Melanie

All the girls during the show

Steph took this picture. I'm so impressed all four of us fit!

Here's the proof!

And here's the man himself. If only I could have gotten a close up of Jon Bon Jovi's boyish smile!

Blog frustration....help!!!

So Dan asked me the other day why our blog was hot pink, and I thought some of you might be wondering the same thing. It was totally by default, I promise. I know it's boring, but believe me, I've tried numerous times to change the background to something cool, but whenever I find a cool template and try to download it, it tells me that I'll lose all my links. In the meantime, I just occasionally change the background color, since apparently that's the only thing I'm smart enough to figure out how to do. Am I the only person who has had this problem!?
Please help the amatuer blogger!

Eclair Cake Recipe....I had to share!

For anyone who hasn't tasted an eclair cake, this is the most delicious dessert ever! My friend Amber put it in our ward cookbook and I was excited to try it. It's actually pretty easy and it makes an incredible dessert, so I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't share it! The presentation is also great as well, so it's perfect for holidays, dinner parties, bridal showers, etc... The best part is that it looks like you slaved away for hours, but it's pretty quick. I hope you love it as much as I do! Enjoy!

Here's the recipe for an Eclair Cake:

Crust:

1 1/2 cubes butter

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups flour

6 eggs

Topping:

8 oz. cream cheese

3 Tbsp milk

2 small packages instant vanilla pudding

3 cups milk

1 large Cool Whip

Hershey's Syrup

In large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Take off heat and gradually add flour. Add eggs one at a time, beating a little after each egg. Spread on a large greased cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch around edges. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes; cool. (I've cooled it in the freezer to speed up the process and that works great). Mix together cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of milk. Set aside. Mix together pudding and 3 cups of milk. Fold in cream cheese. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour over cooled crust. Swirl chocolate syrup on top. Keep refrigerated.

General Conference Challenge

I was recently reminded about a "formula" for getting your personal message from General Conference. (For more information about the LDS Church or General Conference, see www.mormon.org or www.lds.org). I served my mission in the England London South Mission and my mission president's wife, Bonnie Parkin, would give us this challenge every 6 months, as we listened to General Conference. She would challenge us to 1. Listen to General Conference with an open heart, praying to receive your personal message 2. Identify your personal message (that talk or thought that was meant just for you!) 3. Apply it in your life 4. Watch miracles happen. I think another important part is to write it down, so you can remember the promptings and inspiration you received. I've followed this formula many, many times and I know it works, so I thought I'd pass it along.

Want to publish??

...your blog, that is. So, I might be totally behind the times, but the other day I discovered that there are companies that will publish your blog. This really gives me more incentive to spend a little more time and effort and actually do a little more journaling on-line. I'm sure there are a bunch of companies that do this, but this is one that I found, so I thought I'd share.

Check it out at http://www.blurb.com/create/book/blogbook.