Hats

I'm a little obsessed with hats right now.

Heidi is a little obsessed with mini kitchen utensils.


In fact, the last picture was taken just after I took away her favorite spoon.

On a side note, can you believe all of these were taken with my Iphone?

Family Resemblance, Part 2

Baby Austin

Baby Heidi


When I first saw this photo of Austin I thought Heidi and Austin looked exactly alike.


I even went so far as to text my MIL and say "she looks nothing like me!".


Shortly thereafter I texted my mom asking her to send me baby pictures of myself.


Now I think she looks nothing like Austin.


Its pretty crazy being me. One minute I'm scared she is going to be a woman version of Austin (manly jaw line and all), and the next I'm wondering if people will think we are sisters (would never happen, btw, spent too much time in tanning beds; people are probably going to ask me if i'm her grandmother).


I know its shallow to be concerned about appearances,
but, well, I can be suprisingly shallow.


(kidding)

Family Resemblance, Part 1

Baby Me

Baby Heidi

I've recently got some baby photos of Austin and I.

 So I've decided to post the ones that I see family resemblance in.

9 months

Baby Heidi is 9 months old tomorrow. This month she has gained a 2nd tooth and learned to stand without holding on to anything. This girl is ready to play!! In the middle of the night when I know she is sleeping I sometimes sneak into her room just to check on her and as soon as she hears that door squeak she is standing up in her crib bouncing up and down and babbling "mamamama" to which I respond "Easy there turbo!". I have no idea how she can go from 0-60 so fast.


She has started leaning in the direction of people she wants to go to and putting her arms out. I don't know whether to feel rejected or happy when she decides she wants to go see Grandma instead of be held by me. I have always said, even as a teenager, that I would never raise needy/clingy children, but I see now that I really didn't know what  I was talking about. Being needed feels great!! I finally understand why people practice attachment parenting. The 24/7 baby wearing. The on-demand breastfeeding till 3. The Co-sleeping till 12. These things all sound crazy until you watch your baby willingly and fearlessly leave you without so much as a glance back to see if you're watching.


I wonder if I'll do things differently next time around.

Bridal Party Video

LOL


I still want to know what Austin was doing the night before the wedding.

Newlyweds Being Cute

We just discovered this CD filled with videos from our wedding day.

Thx Tina & Bruce for taking video even though I was crazy enough to insist that nobody video tape me on our wedding day (wth is wrong with me?)

Cooking for Foodies, Day One

The Menu:

Walnut Goat Chesse Crositinis with Fig Relish

New York Strip Steak

Port Wine Reduction

Roasted Garlic Cream Spinach

Chocolate Framboise Cupcakes with Rasberry Filling, Dipped in Ganache

Some of you have asked what the class would consist of. I didn't have many answers before the class started, but now I can tell you all about it! Hopefully some of you who were reluctant to sign up this time will take the next one!

We got to the school. Wandered around for 10 minutes on campus looking for a janitor (or anyone really) to assist us in finding the class. Met Ernesto who kindly directed us towards the home ec building. Found classroom, walked in and lamented poor intructions with fellow students. Met Chef Jen - our instructor and self proclaimed Foodie. She explained that she got the idea for the class when one student in a previous class asked why she didn't teach an advanced cooking class for people who actually know their way around a kitchen. So she came up with this class - Cooking for Foodies. Like cooking for dumbies but the opposite. This made me laugh because I thought I was taking a class to learn how to cook for foodies. I didnt realize I was the actual foodie. Of course, I had just shot two shots of whiskey before class so that may not seem as funny to you as it did to me.

 

Each of us then received a copy of the night's menu and we reviewed the recipes/techniques as a class. Chef Jen instructed us to divide ourselves into groups of 5/6. Each group was to assemble the entire menu for themselves. After we got into our groups we put on our adorable aprons (which we thoughtfully brought with us from home), divided the recipes, and got to work. With the help of Chef Jen, we collaborated our cooking/timing so that all of our food was hot and ready to eat at the same time. When everything was done cooking she gave us a lesson on how to "plate" the food and then we got to eat! Besides a little trouble with the steaks (apparently even Chef Jen couldn't tell when the steak was done), our food was amazing. It seriously tasted like something out of a 5 star restaurant. The whiskey made me forget my camera and my phone so unfortunately the only pictures I have to share with you are from amanda's phone but I'll share them anyway.

 

 

Heaven Only Knows

This song reminds me of our first year of marriage. Scary, but sweet. I like that now that that tumultuous newlywed period is over, I can look back with nostalgia on our heated and often explosive lover's quarrels and actually think it was kind of cute how immature, impetuous and naive we actually were. 

I love the new article in the Watchtower called "Surviving the First Year of Marriage". The opening argument is between a newlywed husband and wife who are fighting about which dish towel should be used to dry their  hands.  Austin and I have never fought about dish towels, but we have fought about equally stupid things.

Marrying young is difficult, but if your marriage survives, its kind of cool that you end up growing up together. I don't know why that feels special, but it does. Perhaps its no more special than a bond forged in mid-life between two people who know exactly who they are, but it feels great to me and I'm happy to have it.

Sun Suit

Pretty much the cutest little summer outfit ever.  $30 at Charming Necessities.

I am so gonna have to get some of these for next year!