Salmon Chowder

My recipe for Salmon Chowder. It's good stuff-- trust me!
Although I did absolutely detest it when I was pregnant. For some reason it was gross then. But now it's super YUMMY!

SALMON CHOWDER

3 Tb butter

1 cup chopped celery
1/2 chopped onion
20 diced baby carrots
3 large potatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup of water (optional)
3 cups cooked salmon, sliced
1 can evaporated milk
1 can of corn (or creamed corn)

Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Saute celery, onions, and carrots until onions are tender. Add broth and water. Add diced potatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add cooked salmon, corn, and evaporated milk. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serves about 4.

Try it and enjoy it! I often change it up a bit, and add different seasonings and spices. It tastes really good with dill weed and Greek seasonings, too.

Lizzy's 18-Month-Old Stats

Weight: 25 pounds, 63% for her age.
Height: 33.5 inches, 89% for her age.
Head Circumference: 18.9 inches, 84% for her age.

18-Month Lizzy
My baby girl has turned into a active, independent, defiant toddler. She has a mind of her own, and she knows it!

Little quirks:

• She calls her dad "Poppy" now, instead of "Papa." We don't really know where that came from.
• She says, "Bye-doe, bye-doe, bye-doe" when she pretends to read books, or when she pretends to talk on the phone.
  
• She knows which pair of scriptures belong to each person, and she LOVES to fetch them for scripture-time.
• She tries to say prayers all day long. She folds her arms, bows her head, and says "pray."
• She's completely obsessed with shoes. She loves fetching shoes for everyone in the house, and she loves trying them on herself.
  
• She is precocious. She pretends to talk on the phone, read to herself, write notes on paper, crochet like Mama, type on the computer, clean messes, blow her nose, flush the toilet, and throw garbage away.
• She loves finding her bellybutton (and bellybuttons on other people).
• She draws on herself and objects around her, which doesn't always make Mama happy.
• She loves dancing to music. I love it when she moves her hips. So cute!
  
• She plays the piano using her pointer fingers. Sometimes I wonder if it's Scott or Emma, because she plays so gently.
  
• She enjoys brushing her teeth.

Teeth: She has six teeth fully emerged. A few molars in the back are peeking through.

Her favorite foods: yogurt, oranges, cheddar cheese, grapes, fruit cups, noodles, spaghetti, eggs, apple sauce, potatoes, cream cheese on toast, ground beef, and hot dogs.

Foods she does NOT like: green vegetables, carrots, grapefruit.

Her favorite games:
Chase the dog and tackle the cat.
Throw balls and chase balls.
Climb on Mama and do pull ups!


New Words, Names, and Phrases:
Scott, pray, "I'm sorry," nose, toes, whoa, "gelcome" (welcome), "one, two, five," "where'd it go?", bath, potty, pee-pee, "no doggie," "shhhh," bellybutton, "Mee-Mee" (Aunt Marilyn), socks, "all done," snow, "what's that?" baby, truck, "here you go."

Her favorite songs: "My Hands," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

Lizzy loves copying me when I do the actions to her favorite song. Here are the lyrics I use:

My Hands

My hands upon my head I place.
(Place hands on head)

Upon my shoulders,
(Place hands on shoulders)

On my face,
(Place hands on face)

At my waist,
(Place hands on hips)

And by my side,
(Drop hands to sides)

Then behind me they will hide,
(Hide hands behind back)

Then I will raise them way up high,
(Raise hands high above head)

And make my fingers fly, fly, fly,
(Wiggle fingers)

Then clap, clap, clap,
(Clap, clap, clap)

And one, two, three,
(count with fingers)

Then see how quiet they can be.
(Fold arms)

The Highlight of My Day: December 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in December:

Wed 12/1/10: I made a simplified version of salmon chowder tonight. It was pure yumminess!

Thu 12/2/10: Lizzy, Rosie, and I had an enjoyable morning playing in the snow. The weather warmed up a bit, so we made a bunch of little snowmen and snowcaves along our walkway. In the evening, Brad and I drove to Sugar House and bought us three bookshelves for our room. They are perfect! I feel so blessed.

Fri 12/3/10: Tonight was Del Sol's Jazz Christmas Party. Brad and I enjoyed some time by ourselves without the kids.

Sat 12/4/10: Brad's dad treated us to a nice dinner at Outback Steak House tonight. I had the prime rib. Mmm mmm! When we got home, we broke out the Christmas decorations and began decorating the living room.

Sun 12/5/10: Got the books on the new shelves tonight. Hooray for no books scattered all over the living room!

Mon 12/6/10: FHE was a blast tonight! We made one of our favorite desserts, DIRT, and decorated it with candy rocks, candy canes, powdered sugar, and a marshmallow snowman. At first Lizzy did not want to try it, but Brad coaxed her, and she finally gave it a try after he took a few bites.

Tue 12/7/10: Tonight was our ward Christmas party. We had a great time! The highlight of the evening for me was watching Lizzy on Santa's lap. I was so proud of her for not crying. She's such a brave little girl!

Wed 12/8/10: Gum chewing with Lizzy= FUN!

Thu 12/9/10: Lizzy turned 18 months today! My little girl is growing up! We went to feed ducks, then we had lunch with Brad at Del Sol.

Fri 12/10/10: We picked up my mother from the airport tonight. I'm excited to spend all weekend with her!

Sat 12/11/10: My mother babysat Lizzy while Brad & I went to see "Voyage of the Dawn Treader." She also cleaned up the house while we were gone. I have the most awesome mother EVER!

Sun 12/12/10: I had homemade chicken soup for dinner with my mom, family, and Marilyn and James.

Mon 12/13/10: We had peppermint fudge ice cream for FHE tonight, after coming home from the library.

Tues 12/14/10: We have Direct TV now! I liked watching "Gilmore Girls" and "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman" while crocheting Christmas hats.

Wed 12/15/10: We sang Christmas songs on the way home from Scott's concert tonight. When we got home, Scott showed us how to make yummy homemade Oreo cookies. SO GOOD!

Thu 12/16/10: Finished my visiting teaching for the month!

Fri 12/17/10: I painted Lizzy's toenails red. Her toes look so cute and feminine.

Sat 12/18/10: The Internet is up and running again! We went 4 days without the Internet in our house. Brad got it working again. He's wonderful. I love him!

Sun 12/19/10: We made a warm fire, roasted huge marshmallows, had some Chex party mix, and watched Christmas specials on TV. I love spending time with my family during the Christmas season.

Mon 12/20/10: We watched "Mr. Krueger's Christmas" for FHE. Can't let a year go by without watching Jimmy Stewart. Loved it!

Tue 12/21/10: I loved watching Westbrook's Christmas Program today. So many cute kids.

Wed 12/22/10: I had a WONDERFUL time singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" with my three nieces, my daughters, and husband. We had a fun time dropping off Christmas cards, too, and visiting with the Montegues.

Thu 12/23/10: The Price family came to visit our family. I enjoyed having Jacob and Cassie in our home, playing with Scott and Emma. They are all great kids!

Fri 12/24/10: We watched "Tangled" in the theaters this morning. We LOVED it! Christmas Eve dinner turned out perfect, too. I made a turkey, funeral potatoes, green bean casserole, and turkey stuffing. The kids, Brad, and I played Mormon Bridge with Marilyn, James, and David. Scott and Emma did pretty well for their first time.

Sat 12/25/10: We had an absolutely WONDERFUL Christmas! We opened up presents, had a gourmet breakfast, ate yummy treats, and watched some good movies. Brad and I had a very relaxing day. I LOVE my husband!

Sun 12/26/10: My cousin Molly came to visit us tonight. She needed a place to crash before finishing her long drive to her dad's house in Colorado. It was so nice having her here! I loved talking to her about childhood memories and family members.

Mon 12/27/10: Dinner tonight with my husband and baby at Hires. I loved not having to be the one to cook!

Tue 12/28/10: Brad and I enjoyed snuggling on the couch, watching "The Village" together.

Wed 12/29/10: I spent a good hour doing nothing but playing and singing with Lizzy tonight, and she LOVED it! We sang together (she tried copying my hand movements), we counted together (she loved saying the number "2"), and we played ball together (she loved it when I shot the ball from behind my back). I love being a mommy!

Thu 12/30/10: Brad was snowed in this morning, so he decided to stay home from work. We sure had a LOT of snow today.

Fri 12/31/10: We went to Barnes and Noble this morning, so Scott, Emma, and Lizzy could buy books using Christmas money from their great-grandmas. Emma and I made cupcakes and banana bread in the afternoon. In the evening we welcomed the New Year at Bruce and Loralee's house. We are looking forward to 2011!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

The table looked gorgeous on Christmas Eve. Brad made a roaring fire, and we even managed to take a snapshot of Rosie looking cute and (almost) royal in front of the fireplace.

On Christmas Eve we had a yummy turkey dinner, with Mormon potatoes, green bean casserole, and turkey stuffing. It was delicious!

After dinner, we opened up our Christmas Eve presents and tried on our new jammies. We listened to a Christmas message delivered by Brad, and we sang Silent Night with Grandpa, Marilyn, and James. We ended the night teaching Scott and Emma how to play Mormon Bridge.

Christmas Day
Early Christmas morning we woke up and opened our presents. We had a yummy Christmas breakfast and ate our stocking treats. Brad and I had a relaxing afternoon watching movies and snuggling on the couch.

We had a fabulous Christmas weekend! I love my family.

5 Years Ago Today...

. . . my sweetheart and I stood in front of the Salt Lake Temple.

He knelt down on one knee and presented me with a ring. I said yes.

Every Christmas since then, I reflect back on that special day. I remember being nervous, excited, thrilled, dreamy-eyed, and happy. I was very infatuated with Brad at the time. He was so charming and sweet, thoughtful, and romantic. He was a tease, too, especially when he asked me to marry him on Christmas Day 2005. Here is how I remembered that day:

Christmas morning: Children laughing and opening presents; Brad's parents and sister sitting on the couch; Brad's younger, half-asleep brother sprawled out on the living room floor; I sat next to Brad on the warm carpet in my new pink pjs and white robe, opening presents. I remember my heart pounding and my stomach fluttering when I spotted a small burgundy box-- exactly the kind you would expect a shiny ring to hide in.

A sigh of relief escaped me when I realized that I was not the receiver of the gift. It wasn't that I didn't want one of those boxes in particular, I just did not want Brad asking me to marry him while I was dressed in pjs. That was why I was relieved to hear the box was Margaret's, Brad's mother. Inside was a new ring-- a gift from Brad's father. My moment of relief was short-lived, however, when Brad announced there was another small present hiding under the Christmas tree. He pulled out a burgundy box, an exact match to the one Margaret had. My head was screaming, 'No, no, no!', but I took the box politely, and began opening it slowly. I remember hoping it was a pair of earrings, or a necklace, or maybe even a pendant-- not an engagement ring. What I DID find inside was something I was totally NOT expecting! I couldn't help it--- I burst out laughing! A little white bottle of Del Sol nail polish came tumbling out of the box into my hand.

I remember playing the scene of me opening that box in my head over and over again that morning. Obviously the little burgundy box must have held something different at some point in time. Where was my real Christmas present?

Around lunchtime, Brad asked me if I wanted to go visit his friends, the Hills, for a few minutes. I agreed to that, and we walked hand-in-hand down the street to Dan and Marnee's home. While we were there, we talked and laughed, and it felt like a real visit. Then all of a sudden the laughter died down and the comic atmosphere went away. Brad, in a more serious tone, began delivering a speech. He spoke about how much I meant to him, and how much the Hill family meant to him, and that it was only right that they be there while he presented me with a special gift. Dan was staring at the floor the whole time Brad spoke--- no look of surprise or curiosity on his face. That's when it hit me-- they had rehearsed this before I came! Dan and Marnee knew Brad was going to ask me to marry him! Brad and Dan rose out of their seats and walked into the kitchen. Brad pulled something out of the cupboard and hid it behind his back. An image of an empty burgundy box came to my mind instantly. He walked over to me and knelt down at my feet, beautiful words pouring out of his mouth the whole time. There was no doubt in my mind that he was going to propose to me. I was totally and completely convinced. I remember the last few words that escaped his mouth before he revealed his gift to me. "Becky, it is with a full heart that I present you with.... these gloves!" Out from behind his back came a pair of black gloves. That completely floored me! I couldn't stop laughing! I was completely fooled!

By the end of the second trick, I knew that Brad had at least one more in store for me, so I was on guard. He drove me the Jordan River Temple. We got out of the car and took a few pictures outside the gate. I knew he wasn't going to ask me to marry him there, so I flat out told him that he had a pair of socks hiding inside his car. Sure enough, he pulled an adorable pair of white Christmas socks with kitties on them from under his seat. I wasn't fooled that time!

We got back in the car again and began driving. I could tell we weren't heading back to his home, so I asked him where we were going. "You'll see," he told me with a mischievous grin. I knew there were only two places he would take me to next: This Is The Place Monument, or Temple Square. We ended up at Temple Square. I knew this time was the real deal as he pulled out a poem he had written for me after we finished parking. It was a beautiful love poem which brought tears to my eyes. We walked to temple square hand-in-hand. I had my camera with me and began taking pictures of the Christmas lights. It was my first time seeing the lights on Temple Square, and I was enthusiastically taking as many pictures as possible.

We went to see the Christus statue and the Nativity scene. Each time we finished seeing something new Brad asked me if I was ready to leave. I told him no. Finally, I knew our visit was nearing the end, so I asked Brad if we could see the front of the temple one last time so I could take some more pictures. As we walked toward the front, Brad reached into his pocket and something round and shiny fell out and rolled on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up. Looking up at me he asked if the shiny object was mine. I looked closely at it and saw it was a quarter. I said no, that it was his and fell out of his pocket. He told me I could have it anyway.

We continued walking to the front of the temple. The temple and lights looked gorgeous gleaming in the Reflection Pool. I took some more pictures. It was cold and chilly, but it was nice having Brad's arms wrapped warmly around me. He looked into my face and asked me one last time if I was ready to leave. I told him I was ready. That was when he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. We shared our first kiss in the glowing light of the Salt Lake Temple. It was perfect!

Five years have come and gone, and the budding feelings of romance have definitely grown with time. I love my husband more today that I did Christmas Day, 2005. He is my best friend, my significant other, my soul-mate, and my eternal companion. I am so glad I said yes.

Christmas Card 2010

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Lizzy Meets Santa...

...and she doesn't cry! Hooray!

I'm so proud of my brave little girl. We couldn't get her to smile for the pictures, though.
I think she was a little... concerned...

Fun in the Snow

We had a huge snow storm a couple of weeks ago, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which left us buried in deep snow with low temperatures in the single digits. A huge icicle began forming on the side of our roof in our front yard. According to Brad & his dad, they have never had an icicle grow that long before. It reached nearly 10 feet tall. Once it started warming up again, Lizzy, Rosie, Sushi, and I had many adventures playing in the snow. Lizzy and I made a big snowman, and a little snowman village with snow caves. Emma made a snowman, too. Here are snapshots of our snowfun:













We are loving the holiday season and looking forward to more fun playing in the snow!

Family Photos 2010

I'm so excited! Our new family photos arrived today, and I'm having a wonderful time glancing through them and applying them to my blog. Our photographer, Jeana Bird, has been our photographer ever since Brad and I had our engagement photos done in April 2006. We love her photography skills! She is very talented.

Here are some of my favorite black and white photos from the shoot.

I love my family!

The Highlight of My Day: November 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in November:

Mon 11/1/10: I was car hunting today. Found some good deals. Hopefully one will work out for our family.

Tue 11/2/10: I began crocheting Christmas infant hats to try to sell on ksl.com. They are so adorable! I wish I had another little infant to display them on.

Wed 11/3/10: We took family photos today with our family photographer, Jeana Bird. Lizzy looked so adorable in her new little gray and black dress, and Emma looked great wearing the crochet hat I made for her. Fun times!

Thu 11/4/10: Emma was struggling with her spelling words tonight, and I could tell she was very discouraged. I took some time help her, which was a challenge at first, because Emma doesn't always believe in her capabilities. I loved watching the moment on Emma's face when I finally convinced her that she COULD memorize the words, and that she WAS a smart girl. It meant a lot to me to see her believe in herself again.

Fri 11/5/10: Lizzy and I had a fabulous morning playing outside in the pretty autumn weather. We blew bubbles, played in the leaves, played with the dog and the kitty, and went for a walk around the block.

Sat 11/6/10: Brad helped Marilyn and James move their furniture to their new house, and Lizzy and I accompanied him. We are happy Marilyn will be living closer by!

Sun 11/7/10: Little Jacob Loveless was blessed by his daddy today. We drove up to North Ogden to be there to witness and celebrate this special occasion with his family. Jacob was so tiny and adorable. Absolutely precious!

Mon 11/8/10: Our new car passed! YAY! And we got it registered! I'm so thankful everything turned out alright. It was such a stressful weekend-- one scare after another with that car. Hopefully things keep getting better.

Tue 11/9/10: I watched "An Affair to Remember" for the first time. I could see why it's a classic, although I thought the second half was a little dramatic for my taste. Still, it was a fun movie to watch. I love Carey Grant and Deborah Kerr.

Wed 11/10/10: I had lots of cuddles with Lizzy and Emma today! I love my girls.

Thu 11/11/10: I learned how to crochet pom poms today. Very cute! And I convinced Scott and Emma to get away from the TV and video games to go play in the leaves.

Fri 11/12/10: Today was a wonderful ending to a very stressful week. The first nice thing that happened was Sister Churchtown brought over some yummy shredded pork and rolls for a late lunch today. Was it inspired? Yep, I believe so. We needed a kind act of service today. Second, we spent the evening with Brad's Aunt Marian, cousins Christopher and Natalie, Uncle Gordon, Tricky, and Travis. It was so nice to play games and laugh.

Sat 11/13/10: Brad, David, and I made our home spotlessly clean today for the High Priest dinner. Our new table looks great, too! It was fun having members of our ward come over.

Sun 11/14/10: The nicest part of my day was cuddling with Bradley. He's wonderful!

Mon 11/15/10: Pumpkin shakes are divine! I love autumn weather.

Tue 11/16/10: I did not let crazy phone calls upset me tonight! YAY! I love my husband. He's such a strong man and a good father. I admire his self-composure and how well he handles difficult situations.

Wed 11/17/10: Emma is doing so well in school! Her grades have improved! We got excellent feedback from her teacher tonight. Emma is such a hardworking girl.

Thu 11/18/10: Lizzy helped me bring in groceries for the first time today. She carried a box of mushrooms, two loaves of bread, and two containers of whipped cream. She's such a good little helper!

Fri 11/19/10: A note to myself-- Fixing the dishwasher after your hubby filled it with the wrong soap doesn't have to be a big chore. If you get a little creative while fixing it with him, it can actually be really, really fun!

Sat 11/20/10: Brad, Lizzy, and I went to the Second Annual Hill Pie Family Night. It was great! We loved eating yummy pie with wonderful friends. When we got home, I got a phone call from someone responding to my KSL ad. We sold all three rats, plus their cage and supplies, for $50.

Sun 11/21/10: Scott and Emma both rested their heads on my lap and shoulders in Sacrament meeting today. I loved tousling their hair and rubbing their backs.

Mon 11/22/10: We had our gratitude lesson tonight for Family Home Evening. We drew our "I'm Thankful" pictures, which we do every year. I loved the things Scott & Emma came up with.

Tue 11/23/10: A BLIZZARD! Actually, it wasn't much of a blizzard. Lizzy and I enjoyed watching the snow storm safely on our living room couch tonight. Emma, Brad, Lizzy and I also watched the finale of Dancing with the Stars. Hooray for Jennifer Grey!

Wed 11/24/10: The cousins are over tonight, having a sleepover with Scott and Emma. Lizzy is thrilled that they are here too! Brad made a lovely fire in the fireplace. The giant log made the house smokey.

Thu 11/25/10: Thanksgiving was fabulous! We had dinner at Aunt Marian's house, and Zach and Amanda were there. The food was fantastic, and we enjoyed playing UNO, Catch Phrase, and Nerts. Scott & Emma liked playing with Charlotte & Aksel, and playing on the Wii. Lizzy liked putting on Charlotte's boots and drinking water out of her wine glass.

Fri 11/26/10: Brad, Scott, and I went to the movies to watch "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Charlotte and Aksel slept over at our house in the evening. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy enjoyed playing with their youngest cousins.

Sat 11/27/10: Most of the family came over this morning to spend time with Amanda and Tricky before they left. It was sad seeing Tricky leave. We are going to miss him. The rest of us had lunch and played a game of Mormon Bridge.

Sun 11/28/10: It snowed all day today, and it's still snowing now. It's very pretty outside.

Mon 11/29/10: I enjoyed our Family Home Evening tonight. We talked about having more family activities this Christmas season, and less gift-buying. Looking forward to it!

Tue 11/30/10: I taught Emma how to single-crochet tonight! With a little more practice, she's going to be a fantastic crocheter.