Spring Photo Shoot

I took so many!!! I thought these were pretty cute.

Whew...

I got a little ambitious the other day. I am interested in Once A Month Cooking, well kind of. I don't really want to eat casserole type meals every day. And I don't mind cooking sometimes I just like the idea of not cooking and having a meal in the freezer I can just pull out. So I went and found a ton of recipes that looked good and tried 3 this week.

Here I am mid process. It is nice to get everything out and clean up for 7 meals all at one time!!

Here I have a couple things cooking at one time--what a time saver.
And here are my 3 dishes. Note: you need really big bowls to do this!
This made 7 meals!! I am also excited about the way I wraped them this time. I just put foil on top and slid them into a freezer bag. I wrote on the top of the foil so I didn't ruin my bag and also the bags don't even get dirty! Totally reusable.
Now.... what to make for dinner?

Links to the 3 recipes I used!

Cheesy Ham and potatoes
Chicken Chili Casserole
Beef and Broccoli

3rd Trimester!!!!!

Savannah update-Well, I am now in the third trimester of this pregnancy!! I want it to go by fast but I know I will still be surprised when he is actually here. I have started going to the chiropractor and I have really noticed a difference. This baby seems a lot stronger than Rhylan was. I am getting beat up from the inside! He is most active between 9:00pm-2:00am. The Dr. said I probably just don't notice him kicking during the day because I am chasing after Rhylan. He will also kick or push back when we push on my belly. Rhylan really likes to say hi to "baby budder" and she has even felt him kick!

Riley update.- He has started finals but this week is the real finals week!! I know he will do well but he is sure studying hard. Only 2 more weeks until he starts his 2nd year of optometry school (he has a class through the summer). This one school year has really gone fast. We really are enjoying our time here. Riley also sent off his citizenship application form last week!!!!!!!!!! There are several steps you have to take before you get to this point. It has been a long stressful process but soon we won't have to worry about that anymore!

Little Garden Helper

Rhyaln helped me in the garden today. Okay I just have a bunch of pots on my balcony but they are growing great. I started them all from seeds and they are huge now! She found a few empty pots to play with. She would line them up or put them on her feet. She is so funny. She is happy to make goofy faces for the camera but not just a regular smile still!

Mud Island River Park

Today for Mothers group we went to Mud Island in Memphis and played at the River Walk. I had never been before but I think Rhylan and I are going back for sure! Its FREE, easy entertainment, outside--bonus, and we can cool down in the water. Rhylan was a little unsure at first but soon was soaking wet. She was having the best time. I also liked dipping my feet in the cool water. Here are a just a few of the tons of pictures I took.









The River Walk is one of the most unique representations of the Mississippi River in the world. It is a 5-block long replica of the lower Mississippi river, from Cairo, IL, to New Orleans, LA. Each 30" stride is equivalent to one mile on the actual river.

Reading time

I have started putting this reading time into our daily routine! Every day between lunch and nap time Rhylan and I sit/lay down in front of her book shelf and read. She even goes to grab us each a couch pillow before we settle down. This has been great. It took several days and it still isn't perfect but, it is nice that she is catching on. I always read my scriptures and she browses through books. Once she starts getting tired of this, I let her pick a book or two for me to read her and then it is nap time. The other day I got 4 pages in before I had to stop!!

This is something I have struggled with a lot since Rhylan came around. But now that I have found the set time that works for both of us I have been doing so much better at reading my scriptures daily. Yeah!!!

First Frosty

4 years ago today!!!

Four years ago today Riley purposed!!! It was such a special night. It wasn't a total surprise, we had talked about getting married on April 6, set a date, called and made a reservation at the temple, gone ring shopping, and told our families. So... Yeah I knew it was coming. But he tried his best to make it as special and romantic as possible--IT WAS.

He picked me up after a final--well I got a C in that class! And took me to one of our favorite spots to be alone, Rock Canyon Park. He acted like it was just another walk. He had come earlier and left notes around the park with little gifts to represent our dating life. It was so creative. For example there was ace bandage with a note telling me to protect my beautiful skin from bruising. We usually had so much fun on our dates that I ended up with a bruise because I--not him-- was a little careless. Example: We went to my first BYU basket ball game, we were getting really into it and we all jumped up to cheer and my leg got caught under the bleacher!!! Ouch, the bruise was 3 in in diameter and lasted almost a whole month.

Anyways, after about 4 notes like these he took me to "our" bench. If you have never been there it is really a pretty sight. We could see almost the whole town of Provo below backed by Utah lake, the temple is just off to the side with a beautiful view of angel Moroni and it was the first pretty sunset I had ever seen while living in Utah. I guess I kept talking and wouldn't let him "get on with it" so eventually he had to make me stop talking. He got on one knee and told me he loved me and asked if I would marry him. I said " of course I will" right away and gave him a big hug, and kiss. --Thanks Riley, that still is one of the happiest memories I have, love you!!

We spent the next week and a half together in Arizona and then he had to go home to Canada for the summer:( It was really hard and sad but I was able to visit him twice and we used a lot of phone cards.

So here are some pictures of us back then!!! I think we look so young.

Still in Utah--Just after the BIG night. We are up at the Y.

In Alberta Canada while I came to visit.
In Arizona, just spending time together--Salt River Canyon.
Woodland Lake--This is at the only park in my home town.

Getting Ready for baby Boy

Here are some cute blankets. The first two my mom made and sent me and the hockey one Riley picked out the material and I make the blanket. I think it is the best job I have ever done on one of these easy flannel blankets. These were my favorite kind with Rhylan. It is pretty fun getting ready for a boy. It is true there are a lot more options for girl stuff. But, if you look hard enough you can find really cute little boy stuff. Great Job mom on the material, not your typical boy stuff!!

Easter Dress

This year my grandma (Nana) sent Rhylan an Easter dress. She looked so much like spring, It made all who saw her happy! I love that I can put flowers and headbands in her hair now. She didn't even touch it for hours. I hope all of you had an Easter just as bright!!

Just one year!!

These pictures are from one year ago. This was Easter Sunday 2008. Rhylan is only 10 months old. I can't believe how different she looks and how much she has learned. Her hair has even grown so much. She had such a dandelion-do forever. As you can see she can't even stand on her own really. She is such a big girl now and looks the part. It is pretty exciting to have this new baby coming into our family and be able to watch a baby grow again.