Bye Bye Pacifier

We did it! We have finally separated Chase from his pacifier. Of course, this was completely unintentional. Our plan was to go cold turkey on July 8th, the day after his 2nd birthday. However, one week ago yesterday he managed to lose his pacifier in the middle of the night. Now, this wasn't just having it drop underneath the bed. I'm talking lose to the point that I cannot find it AT ALL. I've looked in and under his bed, as well as my own, and even in the sheets. I wonder if he got hungry during the night? For once, this is a time where I am actually not praying for help to find the missing object.

So, anyway, the pacifier is gone. He has done WAY better than I anticipated, considering it was one of 3 things he was unable to live without. (The other two being his sippy cup and his blanket.) I'm so proud of him! He has been sick the last three days, and I'm sure the pacifier would have been useful, but he has managed to sleep all night long three nights in a row. Yay for Chase! This will make one less thing that we will not have to worry about losing when we go on vacation next week.

Chip Dipping Recipes

I was going to post these around Memorial Day, but didn't get around to it. Since the 4th of July is coming, now's a great time to get ready for chip dipping fun!

Black Bean Corn Salsa

1 can black beans (drained)
1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
1 sm purple onion, minced
1 cubed avocado
cilantro, chopped
fresh lime juice
chili powder
salt

Combine black beans, corn, and onion in a bowl. Gently stir in avocado. Add a small handful of chopped cilantro, then add fresh lime juice, chili powder, and a dash of salt to taste.

If you really want to make things interesting, get some Que Bueno Nacho Cheese Sauce from Costco. Pour the hot melted cheese sauce over chips and top with the black bean corn salsa. Very scrumptious!


Guacamole

8-10 avocados, mashed
1-2 Tbsp sour cream
1-2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 squeezed lemon or lime
1/4 cup salsa
cilantro - a handful, finely chopped
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
salt

Combine all in a bowl and mix well. Add salt to taste. Adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Since I was asked about more 'cake' recipes, I thought I would post this one that Shannon gave me. I sent it to Sarah earlier and thought that everyone might want a go at it. It is so good!

1 box Devil's Food chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 (21 oz.) can cherry fruit pie filling
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips until well blended (with mixer if you don't want large cherry pieces). Pour into 9x13 inch greased and floured pan, or into jelly roll pan depending on the thickness you are looking for. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until cake springs back when lightly touched. (jelly roll pan may not need so long to cook.) Cool, then frost with favorite cream frosting or whipped cream.

Missed it!

You never have a camera around when you need one. Chase has not been feeling well today. He has had a fever of a little of 100 all day. Tonight it is just the two of us home until around 9:00, so I gave him a bath early. He was sitting on my bed while I was checking work email, and sure enough, he started falling asleep while sitting up. I so wanted to record that! It would have been a cute video, but alas. I do hope he feels better soon since we leave for vacation on Tuesday!

Busted Again!

The Culprit

The Weapon

The Crime

Thank goodness for wet wipes!

Happy Father's Day!

As we celebrate the men in our lives today, I'd like to share with you my kids' responses to a questionnaire they did in Primary today about their Dad.

Rion's answers (complete with Rion's way of spelling):

My dad's name: Eric
Dad's favorite movie: Lost
Things Dad and I like to do together: Water skee
Dad's hobbies: computer
Dad's job is: Docter (I would assume he thought this since Eric works at the Rehab Hospital)
When Dad was a kid he liked to: play
Dad is really good at: fixing computers


Hailey's answers (her teacher wrote these):

My dad's name: Eric Ryan Warren (his middle name is actually Brian)
Dad's favorite color: black
Dad's favorite movie: Night at the Museum
Dad's favorite scripture: Nephi 17
Things Dad and I like to do together: Play together
Dad's hobbies: work on the computer (they sure know him, don't they?)
Dad's job is: Nurse (too funny!)
When Dad was a kid he liked to: Play with Mom & Dad
Dad is really good at: playing basketball (huh?)
Dad's favorite food: steak


They gave the questionnaire to Eric with a chocolate coin taped to it. It was pretty cute. When Eric was reading through them, we couldn't really make out what Rion wrote for Eric's job, so we asked him. He said, "Doctor," in which I replied, "Daddy's not a doctor." Hailey spoke up here and said, "He's a nurse!" It was so funny. I don't think they really understand that Eric truly does work on computers all day.

I am very grateful to have such a wonderful husband of almost 11 years, and to be able to express that to him today. He is such a good Dad, and I'm so glad we could raise some of Heavenly Father's choice spirits together. One of the things that I like most about Eric is that he makes me laugh. There are days when he gets home from work that this is especially needed.

So, to Eric and all of the other Dad's in my life...Happy Father's Day!

Food Storage - June 15th-21st - Week 3

It's sunday already? My how time flies!


Week 3

Condiments: mustard, ketchup, relishes, mayo, Worcestershire, pickles, olives, soy sauce, salad dressings.


This one can add up quickly $$ wise. Make sure to search for those handy coupons. If you like generic brands, they can help save on money as well. Just remember to only spend what you are able to spend and nothing more.

Honesty

Tonight we experienced honesty at it's greatest! Eric took the boat out for a "guys night out". While he was packing everything up to come home, he place his wallet, his cell phone, and MY IPod on the bumper of the truck. He then forgot to gather them when leaving. When he arrived at home and saw that his cell phone was still on the bumper, and none of the other items, he immediately started the back tracking to find them. He found the IPod...all smashed on the road, but not his wallet.

Meanwhile, I was getting dinner ready and talking to my brother on my cell phone. The house phone rang, and wouldn't you know it, it was a guy by the name of Aaron who had found Eric's wallet in the road. Eric's driver's license still has my parent's address from when we lived with them, so he said that "it was the dickens trying to track down the right Eric Warren." I gave him Eric's cell phone number so that Eric could have the good news. Hailey and I were so happy after the call that we promptly knelt down and thanked Heavenly Father for watching out for us. Oh the blessings we received tonight...and such a wonderful teaching moment for Hailey! It's just too bad my IPod lost its life. Ah well.

Garden Update

Four weeks after the seeds were planted, and this is what I've got! Although, the tomatoes weren't seeds when they went in, but they sure have taken off considering it's only been in the 60's for the last 3 weeks.

And, I even have my first tomato! Amazing!

Mother Hailey

This was a flashback! How many of us mothers did this as a little girl?

Shake it Baby!

The Christopherson's dropped by tonight with some Family Home Evening goodies. Unfortunately, the kids were already asleep, but that didn't stop us from conversing for a while. After a few minutes the Black's miandered down the street for a little chat as well. It was a party! ...and with parties comes dancing. This is little Jocelyn shakin' her booty!

Food Storage - June 8th-14th - Week 2

Here we are...another Sunday come and gone! My goodness the days go fast! Here is the list for this week.


Week 2

Freeze-a-cheese! Grate and bag a whole 5 lbs. Use in casseroles and soups. Also buy parmesan.


I love parmesan! Not the stuff that comes as a powder in the bottles, but the nice fancy shredded stuff that comes in a bag. We use is on cooked rotini noodles with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper, as well as on top of casseroles, lasagna, spagetti, etc. If you use shredded cheese a lot, you may want to consider grating 10 lbs if you can afford it. If not, just make sure you restock your frozen cheese supply before you run out.

Big 9 Year Old

I can't believe we made it! Orion turns 9 today. My how time flies! A little bit about Orion, since it is his birthday...

Orion Lucas Warren was born on June 8, 1999 at 8:24 pm, 6 lbs 13 oz, 20 1/4 inches long. He was born breech, no - not by C-Section, and had some complications because of it. His heart rate dropped to about 34 beats a minute, which was way down from his usual 140-150, and then his lungs collapsed. What a trial! But, being the strong determined kid he is, he recovered quickly and was out of NICU within 9 days. Now that this explains the hospital shot of him...I can continue. :)

Sorry for the weird light in some of these pictures. I had to take a picture of hard copy pictures. And, unfortunately, I do not have any photos readily available between the age of 2 and 3 1/2, at which point we purchased our first digital camera the day Hailey was born. I know the photos are in a box somewhere. I need to find them so I can digitize the photos. Anyway, Rion, as we call him, is a very energetic boy who loves "fun" attention. He is always so happy to meet new people and make them feel welcome by saying "Hey Dude" when a new kid is introduced in class. I think he is well known for his friendliness at school because every time we go to a school function, we hear "Hey Orion" everywhere in the hallway.

Rion loves sports, especially baseball, basketball, and anything that has to do with swimming or going out on the boat. In school, he loves to read, do math, and especially loves PE and recess. What kid doesn't like recess? His favorite food is pizza, he doesn't like chocolate pudding or olives. Rion likes to do service by helping families who are moving and by going to the church orchard and pick the fruit for the cannery. He has a simple testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, which in my opionion is the best thing to have! He loves the Scouting program and even likes to spend time with Hailey and Chase - most of the time. Now that Rion is getting older, it's fun start to do more grown up things with him, though he still wishes he was small enough to play on the toddler toys. He'll always be a kid at heart!

Hero Hailey

Hailey was a true hero today! Here's what happened...

I sent Rion to get the mail, which happens to be in one of those big box units that hold several mailboxes and is located over by the park the next street over. When he got back, he neglected to close the latch at the top of the door. This is the only way to keep Chase in the house. The next thing we know, Chase is screaming. After asking what was going on, Hailey tells us that she looked out the window and Chase was across the street, walking down the pathway that leads to park, with keys in hand. Rather than wasting time to get us to go get him, she ran outside and picked him up and brought him home. That is why he was crying. He wanted to go get the mail.

She was so brave and really kept her head about her! I was so proud of her today. For the next hour or so after, I kept thinking about all of the things that could have happened to Chase. Not a fun thing to do! I think there is always more panic on my part after the fact when my mind starts to think of other scenarios. I am so grateful for Hailey and her quick thinking tonight!

Newsflash!

Chase, I don't think a "Sit-n-Spin" works that way.

Tractors

I have learned over the years that boys love tractors, garbage trucks, and any other big truck that passes by. Living in a new subdivision with lots of construction, you can imagine how excited Chase gets on a daily basis. This is the scene that I found in Hailey's room today.

If it were me, I'd be looking at the beautfiul sky!

Scout Achievements

Tonight was Pack Meeting. Not only was it Pack Meeting, but it was the last Pack Meeting before Rion's 9th birthday, so it was his last meeting as a Wolf. He worked very hard this last year to earn his Bobcat within the first month or so of being a cub scout, and tonight he received the last bead he needed to earn his Wolf badge, as well as his gold arrowhead and 3 silver arrowheads. To receive the arrowheads, he had to complete 10 extra achievements per arrowhead. That's 40 extra achievements! Good for you, Rion! And, an extra thanks to his fabulous leaders, Tory, Dianna, and Melissa for helping him along the way!

Here are some photos from the ceremony.

Now on to being a Bear Scout!

Rainbows

This was just so cool that I had to attempt to take a picture. Eric and I were on our way home from having dinner with some co-workers of mine (very exciting, by the way, since I have no co-workers in Idaho right now), and it was quite the downpour on our way. But, once we entered our subdivision, the clouds just kind of dispersed and this was the result. The rainbow was so much brighter near the entrance to the subdivision than it was from the 2nd story of our house, but at least it is still visible. How beautiful is this, though, to have dark, rainy clouds, then a rainbow, then clear blue sky?

First Day of Summer Vacation

What better way to start off the summer vacation than with Otter Pops and a train?

In line front to back we have Hailey (of course), Shianne Labbee, Saige Labbe, and Chase bringing up the rear. I lost count how many times they fell off the flower border, but they were sure having fun trying not to fall in the wet grass.

Food Storage - June 1st-7th - Week 1

Happy June everyone! I don't know about some of you , but I am so ready for some warmer weather. :)


June
“But if any man provide not for his own, and especially for his own house, he hath denied the faith.”

Week 1

Safety Week! Matches, flashlight, and dated batteries. Don’t forget child-proof home devices.


If you can afford a really good flashlight, they are certainly worth their price. If not, the less expensive ones will work in time of need. Test them every so often to make sure they are still functioning.