Murder, Mystery and Dinner for One Low Price

For my birthday, Sarah gave me tickets to see a Lone Star Murder Mystery at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine. We had a great time. The food was marvelous and the actors were fantastic. For all of you who live in the DFW area and are looking for a fun adult's night out, I highly recommend it. The only negative to the night was our lack of crime sleuthing abilities. Neither of us guessed the right character that was guilty of murder.

Conversation

Last night Natalie was in her bed talking when she should of been sleeping. This is the conversation Jon had with her when he told her to be quiet.

Jon: Natalie, it's time to stop talking and go to bed.

Natalie: Not talking, Moomoos talking. (her stuffed cow)

Jon: Well, what is Moomoos saying?

Natalie: Yes, no, yes, no (she is holding him up to look like he is talking)

Jon: Well, you tell him to be quiet because it's time to go to bed.

Worth 1000 Words

Melon colored shirt: 5.00

Princess Shirt: free from hand-me-downs

Maori Skirt: 6.00

Jeans: 8.00

Taking 20 minutes to find the perfect outfit to color with chalk on the balcony for 5 minutes: priceless

I'm a Big Girl Now

We have success! After more than one attempt, and a few weeks of giving it our all, Natalie is successfully potty-trained. She is learning to go by herself, and is very proud of her accomplishment. Here she is with her sticker chart. She loves to see all the stickers accumulate on her chart. Hooray Natalie! We are so proud of you.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk

Of course we all know the last two minutes of a basketball game are the most exciting and this game was no exception. I thought the Jayhawks were going to lose their chance at the national championship, but with some missed free throws by Memphis and an amazing three point shot with ten seconds left in the game, KU tied the score and took the game into overtime. They rallied together and won the game75-68. It was an exciting moment in basketball. Classes are canceled today and we wish we could be there to participate in the celebration. Go Jayhawks!

Easter Weekend

The Easter Bunny did make it to our house last weekend, just after Natalie woke up. I think he was running a little behind. Natalie was so excited about the candy that she dove right in without a second glance at anything else in her basket. Peeps were definitely her favorite as she had two half-eaten ones in one hand and a third filling her mouth within 10 seconds. She looked so cute in her Easter dress and curls. maybe next year the Easter Bunny will be on time!

"Daddy?"

About a week ago, Natalie learned how to climb out of her crib. It is great because she gets up in the morning from her naps when she is ready. Jon and I were saying that we didn't think Natalie would climb out in the middle of the night because it was dark and she wouldn't be very sure of her self. That very night about 2am, Jon woke up to this little face and voice, "Daddy? Daddy?" It was a little startling to see her standing there at his bedside. Now we have a visitor who joins us a few nights a week between 2-6am. The bed gets a little crowded sometimes with sideways sleeping and extra stuffed guests, but there's nothing like a little snuggler.

Stealthy

Maybe being pregnant for 24 weeks is the magic number for me. In the last two weeks I have had more than five people come up to me and say they never knew I was pregnant nor did I ever look pregnant before this time. They are shocked when I tell them we are due in June. What? That soon? A few have even said my face is finally starting to fill out and finally attained the 'pregnancy glow'. I certainly feel pregnant and think I look pregnant. Jon says I am just a stealthy pregnant lady. I pop out when you least expect it. So here's to being pregnant on the sly for a long time.

Are You Sure This is Texas?

It has snowed twice this week and we are expecting snow again tomorrow. Snow in March is something I never expected in Texas, but is fun change for spring. The news said the last time it snowed in March was in the early 1900's, so we are definitely taking it in. Natalie loves standing outside to watch the snow fall and through the window once we are sufficiently cold. We love the snow, but are ready for some warmer weather.

Party Central

This month has been quite a party at our house between two birthdays, Valentines, a trip to the zoo and a visit to Arizona, we haven't sat still.

At the beginning of the month it was my birthday. I had a great day with going out to dinner with Jon and yummy Sprinkles cupcakes.

The following week was Natalie's birthday. With her birthday so close to Valentines, we started the day with our playgroups Valentine's Day party. We had a great time handing out Valentine's , listening to a cute book and decorating cookies. I made a caterpillar cake for Natalie's cake and it turned out pretty cute. She loved all the different colors. She was showered with spring clothes and doll house accessories from grandparents and a new tricycle from us. As soon as she opened the tricycle, she tore off her pajamas and hopped right on. I guess riding a tricycle requires no clothes.

As part of Natalie's birthday, we took her to the Fort Worth Zoo. We heard from several people you have to visit the zoo before you leave Texas. We loved it. It was the perfect day with few families and beautiful weather. All the animals were out and eating. Even the lion gave us quite a show with his roaring you could hear throughout the park. Our favorite part was the monkeys and how close all the animals were. I felt like you could almost reach out and touch the animals.

Finally, this last week Natalie and I took a trip to Arizona. My grandpa passed away on Valentines and we went to the funeral. I loved seeing all of my cousins again and catching up since we haven't seen each other for a long time. It was also a lot of fun to spend time with all my siblings. Natalie's favorite place was definitely the trampoline and would beg anyone available to jump with her.

Hopefully this next month will calm down a little, but it has been a fun and busy time for our family.

Bobble-Head Dancing

Natalie loves listening to music and will usually clap to the beat when she hears music. The other night at dinner, we had some music playing and she started head bobbing her head to the music. It is something she picked up on her own and was so funny to see.

Full of Surprises

We had our ultrasound today and found out we are having a BOY. Yes, Natalie is having a brother. We were both shocked and absolutely excited. Both of our parents are thrilled as well. It still seems a little unreal that we will have a boy. I guess I should start buying Hot Wheels and trucks to even out the dolls and purses. Our other exciting news from the sonographer is that she said he will be tall. Jon and I are not tall so anything that brings a little height will be great. We are now off to buy some blue!

Attention All Scrapbookers

When you sit down to scrapbook, are you stumped for a layout idea or a new way to show your pictures? A friend introduced me to this great site called Page Maps. It is a great place for a bunch of layout ideas. Each month there is a new set of layouts with examples. You can also search the archives for past ideas and she has some great card layouts too. It has given me a lot of inspiration and relieved my stumped brain sometimes.

Reaching a Milestone

As many of you know, I am an avid reader. A little over four years ago, I started keeping a journal of every book I read. I would briefly write down what the book was about, my thoughts and impressions of the book and sometimes favorite parts or quotes. Last month I reached a milestone. I read my 100th book. This averages out to around 25 books a year. I couldn't believe it! It has been a lot of fun to look back on all that I have read, many I have enjoyed and some not so much. Below are a few of my favorites. I look forward to another four years of reading enjoyment and adventures from my couch.

• My Antonia by Willa Cather
• Stolen Lives: 20 Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir
• Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
• The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
• No Doubt About It by Sheri Dew
• Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
• The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
• A Woman of Independent Means by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
• The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan
• Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• Under a Wing by Reeve Lindbergh
• Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
• Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes
• Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas Sparks
• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
  

New Addition

I have added a new addition to the sidebar of my blog. We are already looking forward to the summer. Natalie will be a great big sister!

Happy New Year!

We had a great New Year's Eve in Texas with several friends from the ward. We played games, ate tons of food and completed the night tooting horns and throwing confetti. Our friends just moved to a new house and had no TV service yet, so we did our own celebrating at midnight with a soccer ball creatively decorated with tin foil hung from the second floor. It worked out perfect and brought the year in with a bang.

Our Christmas Holiday

We had a great Christmas in Utah with Jon's family. Every night there was a family function or party going on. We loved being together with family again. Jon and I took his parents to a great concert in Salt Lake by Paul Cardall based on Richard Paul Evan's book The Christmas Box. It was an incredible concert. Natalie especially loved spending time with her cousins, Jentrie and Avree. She couldn't wait for them to come over each day and play or get into mishchief. I see some trouble brewing in the future when these girls are a little older. Natalie loved Christmas morning. After opening 5 presents, she was ready to call it quits and play with everything she got. Her favorite has been her doll house, cow flashlight, and Little People school bus.

We were lucky to see it snow every day we were in Utah. I forget how much I miss seeing it snow when we only get it one day a year. Unfortunately, Natalie is not a big snow fan and is glad to be in sunny Texas. Every time we would take her in the snow, she would complain and want her hands wiped off after touching the snow.

We loved spending time with family and already miss them. We can't wait for the next holiday to come so we can see them again.

Santiago Klar

Today is St. Lucia Day. It is a holiday Jon's family always celebrates and a tradition we have continued with our family. St. Lucia Day is celebrated in many Scandanavian countries that marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Jon's dad served his mission in Norway and Jon's grandpa served in Sweden, so it has become a favorite in the Amundson household. Traditionally, the oldest daughter wears a white dress with a wreath of candles on her head. She wakes her family at dawn bringing saffron buns and singing the St. Lucia song. Lucia means light, and she symbolizes bringing new life in winter. As you can see, I don't get up early to bring my family breakfast in bed, but we celebrated in similar ways. In Jon's family, they get an ornament each year. Jon's mom was in Sweden last March visiting her parents, so we each received a Swedish ornament for our tree. It's a favorite family tradition we look forward to every year.

Best Cookies Ever

Our Relief Society President sent this recipe around a few months back and I can't get enough of these cookies. They are so yummy! I have probably made them four or five times in the last few months. My favorite part is the tangy lemon icing. Enjoy!

Lemon Iced Sugar Cookies

2 1/4c flour
1t baking powder
1/2t salt
1/4t baking soda

8T butter (1 stick)
1 1/2c sugar
1 large egg
1t vanilla
1/4c sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt

Oven to 350. Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, 2-4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well to combine. With mixer on low, add half flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture. Mix just until smooth.

Drop medium to large size scoops of dough on cookie sheet and bake until edges of cookies are just firm and slightly brown, about 12 minutes, or longer for larger cookies.
** These cookies are great by themselves, or sprinkled with sugar before baking, or rolled in cinnamon-sugar before baking...but the icing makes them downright delicious


Lemon Icing

2T melted butter
Juice of half a lemon (I usually use a little more)
1-2T whole milk
lemon zest to taste
1/2t vanilla
sifted powdered sugar to desired consistency

Whisk together and adjust amounts to taste. Cookies can be frosted slightly warm. Once frosted and set, then can be frozen and are awesome eaten right out of the freezer!

Bringing in the Holidays

We started off our holiday season with the annual City of Allen Christmas Tree Lighting. We had a great time watching the performers and helping count down the tree lighting. Our favorite part was the fireworks. There was quite a display and Natalie was enthraled. The next morning, Jon participated in the Rudolph Run. He did great! Natalie and I were there to see him start and finish the race. Jon is finishing the race in the red hat. Now we are ready for decorating, shopping and fun for December.

Thanksgiving Vacation Through My Eyes (Guest Post by Jon)

How to Have Fun on Thanksgiving Vacation

• Ultimate Frisbee
• Golf
• Pie
  
• Visiting Family
  
• Temple Christmas Lights
• Raquetball
• Toone Turkey Trot Fun Run
• More Pie
  
• Ping Pong
• Thanksgiving Dinner
• MMM, Pie
• Hot Tubbing
• BYU Football
• Flag Football
• Dodgeball
  
• Did I mention pie?
  

Hooray!

My new blog design is back. I got this design from Matie Kay Creations and she designs them herself. There are only a few because she does the html on her own, but I'm sure more will be coming. I love feeling festive for the holidays.

Halloween Fun

We had a great Halloween this year. We carved a pumpkin for Natalie and she loved looking at the candle inside more than helping or taking a picture. On Halloween Day, we made the rounds at each of our work's then headed off to our playgroup Halloween party. There was so many fun activities and we had a great time. We went trick-or-treating with some friends and Natalie got quite the candy haul. She loved going to each house and looking at the candy in her bag since we wouldn't let her eat it until she got home. It's perfect this year because Natalie likes eating all the Smarties and suckers which leaves the good stuff for us. We are already looking forward to Halloween next year.

For Stephenie Meyer Fans

I found this quiz about which Twilight character you were from a friend of mine. I was Esme. It said, "Your maternal instinct to take care of people and be kind draw people towards you. You're compassionate and loving, yet firm when you need to be. You appreciate hard work and value the beautiful results of your dedication to any project." Which Twilight character are you?

Pumpkin Patch

Last week our playgroup went to the pumpkin patch. We had a great time. At this patch, you feed some animals, go on a hayride, then pick your pumpkin out in the field. Natalie wasn't shy or scared about feeding the animals.It was a lot of fun to watch her feed them and she enjoyed it herself. Natalie's favorite was picking out her pumpkin. She would go from pumpkin to pumpkin and carry it until she found a different one she liked. We had a great time together and look forward to carving our pumpkin we picked.

Bummed

I am totally bummed about my blogging template. I found a cute one through my friend Nora. Then last week I read that she had to stop using the templates for copyright reasons. I am back to my old template, but still looking for a new one.

Book Club is Back!

After several months of no book club, it is back again. Hopefully it will last this time. This month we read "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. I really enjoyed it. Of course the ending is predictable, but I didn't really think about the end result, so it was exciting the whole way through. I liked how the author stayed true to the original Grimm's Brother tale, but expanded on it. Next month we are reading "North To the Orient" by Anne Lindbergh. It is about her and Charles travels to Japan and China in the early 1930's. I am excited to read the next book.

Winter Breakfast

With winter coming, I thought I would share a new favorite hot breakfast of ours. Last week I bought this new Simple Harvest oatmeal. It is a multi-grain cereal made with oats, wheat and barley. I was a little hesitant at first, but it's really quite good. It comes in yummy flavors too, like Maple Brown Sugar with Pecans, Apple Cinnamon and Vanilla Honey with Almonds. It filled us up and I almost like it better than other instant oatmeal.

Going Downtown, The Big "D"

Our playgroup recently took a trip to Downtown Dallas to ride the McKinney Avenue Trolley. It was a beautiful day, a fun way to see Dallas, and it was free!

Frank the Hairdresser

At her young age, Natalie has decided she is capable of doing her own hair. Her parents tend to disagree.

Quote of the Day

"Have you been the answer to someone else's prayer today?"
-Bonnie D. Parkin, BYU Devotional, February 2007

New Beginnings

We finally took the plunge and bought a new computer. Our old one has been on the fritz for quite some time and we couldn't stand it any longer. In the process of trying to transfer everything from one to the other, the old computer wasn't cooperating. I think it knew it's days were coming to an end. Jon stayed up all night Friday trying to fix the problem. He found out the computer kept overheating because the fan that cools the system down stopped working, so after keeping the ceiling fan on high and even using the blow dryer to help cool things off, it worked-nothing was lost in the transfer. I am so happy with the new computer and I don't have to worry if what I am working on will suddenly disappear because of the computer having a heat attack.

A Visitor

Last week my sister Kathryn came to visit for a few days before BYU started. We had a great time together.We went letterboxing, swimming, got pictures taken, and tried two fun restaurants, Freebirds and Sprinkles Cupcakes. We love having visitors come anytime.

Houseguests

The last two weeks we watched our friends hermit crabs while they were on vacation. If you want an easy pet, even easier than fish, this is the pet for you. All we had to do was moisten the sponge and replace the food once a day. Hermit crabs are nocturnal animals, so we rarely saw them move. In fact, several times we thought we killed them, but the food was always gone in the morning. Natalie liked smashing her face against the glass to see if the crabs were moving. It was fun having a pet for a few weeks, but I don't really think we are ready for pets yet.

Reading Pays Off

This summer the Plano Public Library had a summer reading program for adults. For every three books you read, you turned in a form to be entered in a drawing. The library called last night and I won a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. I was really surprised when they called because I didn't really think I would win. So this weekend we are headed for the bookstore to find another great read.

Tuesday Smiles

I was looking for something on YouTube today and came across this video. It gave Natalie and I a little afternoon entertainment. It also reminded me of Jon in college when he and his roommate Kevin would sing this together.

And She's Off

Today was Natalie's first day in nursery and it was very successful. We hardly got in the door before she was wriggling out of my arms ready to dash for the toys. She didn't even give me a second glance when I was walking out the door. Although when I came to pick her up, she ran right for me and gave me a great big kiss. I count that as missing me a little. Hopefully the rest of our Sundays will go as smooth.

Natalie's Zoo

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here's a recent video of Natalie and her animal sounds. It's funny to watch how she interprets different sounds that we try to teach her.

Cookie Time

Fridays are usually a fun day for Natalie and I. We go to storytime at the library then do another activity together. We love Fridays because we are done with all the housework for the week and get to spend time together doing whatever we want. Today we made chocolate swirl cookies. They are delicious as you can tell by Natalie's face. Once she tasted the batter, she kept nodding her head, saying yum and couldn't keep the beaters out of her mouth.

CHOCOLATE SWIRLS From This Week For Dinner

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C butter, softened

1 pkg. (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 egg- 1 t. vanilla

2 C all purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 C semisweet chocolate ships, melted and slightly cooled

Heat oven to 350F. In large mixing bowl combine sugars, butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Fold melted chips into dough until lightly marbled. (do not overmix)Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 mins, or until edges are light golden brown. Cool completly before storing.

We Be Jammin'

This week I found a great deal on some peaches and so we decided to try our hand at making peach freezer jam last night. I can't believe how easy it was. I don't know why I haven't done this before. We made a few jars and I think it will be gone by the end of the summer. I am already debating whether I want to buy more supplies and peaches to make even more jam. Jon and I thinking of doing a little experimenting and maybe next time we'll make raspberry peach jam.

Our Budding Pianist

I took this picture this morning while I was at the computer and Natalie was playing the piano. It has recently become an enjoyment of hers to use the picture books as piano music and serenade me while I am on the computer. Maybe she is showing her future career in music at an early age or wanting to get a head start on all the practicing she will do when she starts piano lessons.

*The picture wasn't posed. I asked Natalie to smile and she did this on her own.

Rained Out

This weekend was the City of Allen's 4th of July celebration. I look forward to the good food, fun entertainment and fabulous fireworks every year. Unfortunately because of the rain this year, it was a bust. We got there between rainstorms and the area was almost empty. It looked like only City of Allen employees and a few volunteers were on the park grounds. Usually the park is packed with people with few places to park and the grass covered in blankets waiting for the fireworks. We ate about ten bites of our dinner before those in charge said we had to leave the tent because of lightning. We decided to turn around and go back home. They had cancelled the entertainment and were only planning on the fireworks at 10pm. We have loved all the rain, but were bummed about the party. Hopefully next year the sun will be shining and the blankets back.

Dinner Helps

I just found this really fun website for dinner menus. It's called 'This Week for Dinner'. I looked up some past menus and came up with some good ideas for dinner this week. I thought it would be a great resource for those who struggle to think up what to eat each week like me.

Meeting Eeyore

I thought I would include a short video of Natalie meeting Eeyore. I think he was her favorite character to meet because it was her first.

Our Summer Vacation

We just got back from a fun-filled week with Jon's family at Disney World. We had a great time. We hit all four parks in six days with three kids under the age of 3 and my mother-in-law in a wheelchair (foot surgery). We had no major meltdowns or catastrophes, but it was crazy nonetheless. My favorite park was Animal Kingdom. I loved all the rides and seeing the animals. Natalie thought every animal was a dog and would bark as we saw one.


Natalie did really well with meeting all the Disney characters. She never cried and was more fascinated at pinching their noses than looking at us for a picture. It was funny to watch her reaction and interact with each one. We loved being with family and having Natalie spend time with her cousins, but we are ready for another vacation to get over from this one.

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day this year. Jon and Natalie made breakfast and I received flowers and this beautiful photo collage. About week before Mother's Day, Jon entered a contest online where you had to submit a gift that was tangible and creative for Mother's Day. It also had to say "Thanks Crunchgear" somewhere on the gift. The winner would receive an Ipod Nano. While I was still in Arizona, Jon made this photo collage for the contest. He didn't win, but I have the most wonderful Mother's Day gift with memories and pictures of two of my favorite people in the world.

Casual Dining

Natalie has never liked sitting in her high chair. She usually stands up, but yesterday we found her sitting like this eating her snack. Maybe she thinks our home is more of a casual dining experience rather than sitting the way we should.

Wedding Weekend

This weekend my sister Julia got married in the Mesa, Arizona temple. I was lucky to come a few days early to help with last minute preparations and then stayed a few days after to enjoy the calmness. Julia looked beautiful and the whole day was wonderful. We had the reception in my parent's backyard and my favorite part was getting to see old friends. Natalie's favorite was getting to play in the backyard all weekend. We are excited to have Burke in our family and wish them all the best on a happy new life together.

Everything's Bigger in Texas

This is what the meteorologists called a "spring storm."