Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Would you dare?


I like to think I would fight! I would also like to have this happen some time in Pleasant Grove, UT. That's probably a long shot, but one can always dream.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

We Are the Champions!

Or rather, Dave and his teammates are the champions, but they do have such a devoted following, and I think we fans deserve some of credit too. We all have such a good time and I am sad to see the season end. But what an end! Dave and the rest of the Cruddlers (or Sons of Pitches? I was never quite sure which one they settled on) beat out every other team in the league and tonight, the final game, the grand finale, they pretty much spanked the other team, Doug's Auto, winning by a mere twelve points. I was so impressed. Especially since our boys are the "nice" guys. The guys who aren't overly competitive, to say the least - they often are too relaxed and goofy to focus on something so trivial as winning, at least not for the entire game. In fact, I think they only won about half the time during the regular season. But they had fun 100% of the time, so they were winners before the tournament even started, in my opinion. But its always nice to get a big, shiny trophy along with the fun. It says, "we know how to have a good time AND get results."
Here is to a season of fun and friendship! A few baseball hi-lights:
  • When our 60 year old pitcher caught a fast ball right off the bat and fell over backwards, but did not drop it!
  • When Dave hit two home-runs the night before our wedding, duly impressing the future in-laws in town
  • When we lost the game because our guy running to third badly miscalculated and started sliding into third...half way between second and third. We laughed all the way home.
  • Dave's nicknames: Legs, Dave the wave, Superman
  • Other guys' nicknames: Toddy Potty, Cackler
  • Riley sitting bolt up-right and "ooo'ing" when her daddy walked up to bat
  • Riley laughing at us when we cheered
  • Riley zipped up in Grandpa's jacket on a cold night
  • Crazy player from other team challenging one of our louder fans, "let's go!" before realizing she was a woman...awkward...
  • Jerry telling the umpire he was grounded multiple times
And to think I used to hate baseball. Now there is nowhere else I'd rather be on a Wed. night than out at that windy field, with our baseball buddies, cheering on my MVP and and the rest of our lovable crew.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Just some more baby play

I'll try not to post to many more of these boring videos, but have been specifically asked by family to do so, so here is another glimps of our party animal.

yum....also: Please help!

A friend asked me recently what my "go to" recipe was. What an excellent topic - thank you, Megan! I wrote it out and forgot to give it to her so I'm going to share it (sorry to immediate family - you already know it because its Mom's recipe) and hope that it will inspire someone or ones to reciprocate. Please if you have a recipe that is delicious, healthy, easy or can be frozen (or all these things!) I would love to have it - we need some fresh ideas.
PS: Megan, if you're reading this, we tried your salsa/brown sugar chicken recipe and it was delish - thank you!

White Chicken Chili
  • 4 cans of white beans, drained
  • 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 cans of corn, drained
  • 2 small cans of green chillies
  • 1 red pepper
  • 2 Tbs garlic powder
  • 1 Tbs oregano
  • 2-2.5 Tbs cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1-24oz sour cream
  • 4 cups grated cheese to sprinkle on top once served
Combine all ingredients except sour cream and cheese. If you like it hotter, add more pepper - all seasonings consider "to taste". Heat on med-high, let simmer about 30 minutes, adding sour cream 10 minutes before serving. Good with tortilla chips, and freezes well. This makes five meals for Dave and I - I freeze four 24oz containers (that is, I use the containers sour cream/yogurt etc come in), and when I don't feel like cooking, I thaw out one and boom, dinner.

What is YOUR go-to dinner recipe?

Friday, October 14, 2011

Thursday Adventures 8.13.2011

Another lovely day with my little family. This time, Riley didn't poop on Dave AND we remembered to bring the carrier - progress! The hike is in Pleasant Grove and has not one but TWO waterfalls. The second one is kind of an awkward distance from the trail over a very steep slope of slippy slate, so you have to look at it from afar: not as impressive as Stewart Falls. Though it gave us a better workout, especially with the extra detours we accidentally took (made by boyscouts and mountain goats I think) which I can appreciate as I am still very much post-pregnant. If you want to know where it is exactly you will have to ask Dave as he is the one that finds our random adventures.
One of the detours from the trail we were meant to be on. It had some nice views though. And some signal fires - good to know I guess.
"You go ahead...gasp...I'll catch up...huff huff...or text you my last will and testament..."

When the princess was awake, she was thrilled. But she mostly napped away the hike.
Doesn't this trail look sketch? Like we could slip right down the mountain in an avalanche? Dave didn't mind - I bet you at this moment he was daydreaming about snowboarding on that mountain yonder. Yes I just said yonder. I liked it.

Its nice living in Utah - I love the Rockies and there are tons of scenic places to explore. If only we had more family here! We miss our family and friends elsewhere. Love to you all!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Love Baby Laughter


Here is Aunty Em making Riley giggle. She has such a good giggle too, and uses it often. Like when she is looking at herself in the mirror - yeah, she went wild at the sight of her reflection laughing back at her. I love being this girl's mom!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Conference Weekend

We had just a lovely weekend, truly. Friday was the reunion for Dave's mission, the Japan, Hiroshima Mission. It was fun to see Pres. and Sis. Banks and our friends James and Megan - and that's about it for people we knew. Lots of stories were shared - some were pretty funny, some were "guess you had to be there" stories. But I think good times were had by all. And we finally got a picture with the Banks!
Saturday we headed to Salt Lake and met up with my sister Em and some friends for General Conference and also hoped to run into my missionary sister, Andrea, whose Salt Lake Mission would be attending conference also. We even brought Riley with us to meet her Aunty. Babies aren't allowed into conference but it is played over loudspeakers all over Temple Square so Riley and I found a nice shady spot on the grass and she snoozed while I listened to the talks. I think I prefer it to going inside - you're less likely to fall asleep outside than in the quiet conference center and it was fun to be with all the other young families that were also on the grass - all of us listening to the words of God while watching the children play (or nap, in Riley's case).
(you can barely see Conference Center behind her)

After conference we did actually run into Andrea, excuse me, "SIS. McClure" :) and I'm happy to report that she looked healthy, happy, and full of missionary zeal. We got to meet her companion and SISTER McClure got to hold a very cute baby. (Emphasis on "sister" because she had to keep reminding us to call her that).
It was wonderful to see our happy missionary sister. And our outfits couldn't have been more coordinated if we'd tried, eh? :)

After we said goodby to Ander, Dave stayed to go to the priesthood session with Pres. Banks and Em and I went and got lost in the wrong parking garage. After a parking attendant rescued us with his truck and drove us to the right garage, we went to Cafe Rio, then home to watch old Parks and Rec episodes. It was nice to get some sister bonding time in.

Sunday Em left us to go to the final session of Conference and we went to Spanish Fork to spend time with our family there. All in all it was a heavenly weekend.