A LOT OF CATCHING UP!!!

I have been a big slacker lately on posting only because we have been super busy! So this is my attempt to catch up on the last months activities. First of all we started the month out by buying and moving into our first house! It was a long, stressful, exhausting road but we finally were blessed with a beautiful new home. We were sad to leave our apartment and all of our great friends that we lived by but we are so excited to finally be in a house. Todd loves that he can turn the TV or his music up as loud as he wants, that we don't have neighbors making loud noises above us and that we have a yard. Being 7 months pregnant, moving was not the funnest or the easiest thing. I am so grateful for our wonderful family and friends who helped out. We never could have done it without them. After a couple of long tiring days I think that all three of us had over done it and we were exhausted. Isabelle was so excited to move and she absolutely loves the house. She was so excited for her big room with her walk in closet and a little playhouse under the stairs. She did get a little confused when we were packing everything up and when we left the apartment.She has adjusted well though and loves that we have a back yard. I am never a big fan of change but we feel like this is where we should be and we have already met some great friends.

I am realizing that living in a house is a lot different then an apartment. First of all it is a lot bigger therefore there is a lot more to clean and take care of. Then there is the long list of things that we need to buy to go along with the house. It seems like this list never ends! Also with a house to take care of there is a yard to take care of too! I have to admit that I haven't been the best of unpacking and getting things settled. I think that has to do with the fact that I am getting more and more pregnant. I am so grateful for Todd and his willingness to do everything. He has been so great to unpack, clean, take care of the yard, all on top of working full time. After only being here a couple of weeks I do feel like we are pretty much settled and it really is starting to look like a home.

Next, time is flying by and I am getting closer and closer to having our second child. For the most part I am feeling great and I can't believe that I only have 7 weeks left. Isabelle is so excited to be a big sister and constantly asks when the baby is going to come. She also is a great help at picking out a name. She comes up with all kinds of names and asks me and Todd if we like them. She is going to be a great helper. I have a list of things that need to be done before the baby comes and I think it is going to come quicker than I think. I better get busy!

At the end of the month we celebrated Todd's birthday! He doesn't like it when we make a big deal of his birthday but we did go out to dinner and had cake and ice cream. I am so grateful for him and for all of his hard work. He works extra hard so that I can stay home with Isabelle and I really appreciate that. I love that he is so smart and is always learning something new. He puts up with a lot of drama in our house and he never complains. He is a great dad and Isabelle loves spending time with him. I hope that he had a great day and I hope he knows how much me and Isabelle love him!

One more thing, this last weekend I got a phone call from a good friend's son. My friend Alice had passed away after being diagnosed with cancer. I met Alice while we lived in Las Vegas. Although she was more like a grandma to me we became fast friends. We saw each other every day and spent a lot of time together. We came from totally different backgrounds but we had a lot in common. She helped me through a lonely time when I didn't have family around. She taught me many things and I truly valued her friendship. Even after I moved back to Utah we kept in touch and I am so grateful for that. I was able to share my testimony with her and give her a Book of Mormon. She had lots of questions about what we believed. At one point she said that if she wasn't so old she would like to join our church. I talked to her after she was diagnosed with cancer and she asked me to pray for her. I had her in my prayers and wished for the best. This last week I felt like I needed to call her more than once. I never got around to calling her, and then I got a phone call from her son that she had passed on. I will always regret not listening to those promptings and I will forever be grateful for her friendship.

So this last month has been a busy one for us and I feel like the next couple months will only continue to stay busy. Hopefully I will get some pictures so that I can post soon. This is kind of a crazy post but now I am all caught up!

SALSA!

Every year since I can remember at the end of the summer and into fall my mom would start canning. We always had a big garden growing up and so there was always lots to do. Growing up I usually didn't like to help my mom much but now I think it is great! It is great to not have to buy store bought products, it helps with food storage and they usually taste better too. I also think that is a great skill to know. Unfortunately it is being lost in the hustle and bustle of our busy world. Since we haven't been able to have our own garden and my mom is gracious enough to share I get to enjoy this canning season with her. Last week while Todd was working late my mom called and said it was time to make some SALSA! Me and Belle headed over to her house for the evening to help. We used to use the old fashion hand grinder but we have resorted to using a electric blender (which makes things a lot faster). Of course Isabelle wanted to help so my mom pulled out my old apron that I used when I was little and put it on her and pulled up a chair to the counter. She was so excited to be our big helper and wanted to do everything. She had everything figured out and was helping me blend the peppers, onions, and tomatoes together. After a little while of doing this she all of sudden looked up at me with her big beautiful eyes and they were all red and watery. It was the onions! She had this confused look on her face. She didn't know why her eyes were crying and she didn't like the burning. So grandpa went and washed her hands and then took her outside to get some fresh air. It was so fun to have Belle there helping and it brought back lots of memories of me helping my mom when I was little. I am so glad that I can pass this tradition on to her. After a big mess and lots of tomatoes we had a big batch of homemade salsa! I love the smell of my mom's house after an evening of making salsa. Ever since Isabelle has been feeding her babies pretend salsa and has been making salsa in her own little kitchen. I am not sure if she really knows what salsa is or if she really likes it but she sure liked helping!




This is just one of the many many things that my mom has taught me and I am so grateful to her! We are off to a great canning season. Salsa done but we still have peaches and applesauce!