Swing of Things

Alright, so last Saturday was my official last day of work. Once I get that "vacation" feeling gone, which I assume will happen next week, I'll up and at 'em. Don't get me wrong, I've been doing stuff. I've been keeping the kitchen clean, and the laundry done. I've even made dinner 3 nights in a row! That's awesome for me, who usually just tosses some mac'n'cheese in a pan. But next week, I'll start organizing the house, decluttering it and everything. I want to organize the house, I want it to be clean so we don't have to scramble to clean it when someone is coming over. I know decluttering is going to take time, but that's what I've got lots of these days.

Also, budgeting. I've been working really hard on that. This week was an epic fail... We had a few unscheduled payments come up and totally blew my budget out of the water. BUT, just because we failed once doesn't mean we're going to give up. I've got some good plans I just need to put into place. We've been talking to some neighbors who have some pretty good plans.

And don't worry, I'm not trying to do too much, just enough to keep the house in order and money in the account and food in the fridge. I'm not trying to be WonderWoman or anything, there are things I want now that I have time to control them. I know all the time will be gone once Little Man gets here, but I might as well try while he's still cooking.

Shark and I went on a date on Monday. We watched a movie from my stash that we hadn't seen and then went to get ice cream from Subzero. It was pretty neat. They add all the ingredients in liquid form and then blast it with liquid nitrogen to freeze it. It tasted awesome too.

Shark has been getting used to his new schedule. And he's been able to do things early in the week. He fixed his motorcycle and even reupholtered the seat. Then we went for ride. I've been kind of iffy about the motorcycle since I've been pregnant. I'm iffy with them to begin with, I'm not a fan of leaning and turning.... But he asked if I wanted to go for a short ride and I said yes. We went up to the park we got our engagement photos taken. It wasn't a very long stay at the park, we walked across 2 kissing bridges and then got back on the bike. Shark said having a hot girl on your bike is one of the best things ever. But having a hot pregnant wife on your bike is THE best thing ever. :) He makes me smile.

Little Man has just been moving and rolling and elbowing me all over. It's been lots of fun tho. Lately he's started kicking me under the ribs, which is new, he usually kicks me on the underside of my belly. He's just a squirmy little guy. It really has been fun to just feel him move and kick.

Lots of love from us over here♥

the truth

So, Shark's mom invited me to Education Week down at BYU last week, and I went. Shark and his brothers have a few names for Education week : Mom Camp and EFY for moms. It really was EFY for moms, but there were dads there too. It sorta felt like all there was were pregnant ladies and moms. It was pretty fun. So we walked around BYU campus all week, learning about the gospel. It was way fun! The food was amazing!

Maple Bar with bacon!

Butterfinger donut!

Last week Shark started his night shift at work. He'd been training the week before, but last week, he got going on his shift. It was rough starting out, but I think he's got the hang of it. He works tonight, and he's sleeping. So he should be rested for work. He likes his job so far. Monday he had a zone get together at Boondocks, we went to that. He got to know some of his coworkers more. It was pretty fun.

This week is my last week at the Trading Post. I'm happy and sad. I have been exhausted lately, exhausted on a level I never knew existed. Yesterday I was too tired to stand up and make some sandwiches for us for lunch. Thank goodness Shark stepped in and made them. I'm sad about work because I love my job, and I love the people I work with. I'm happy because I get more time to get things ready for Little Man, and I get to rest as much as possible. Most of the things I have to get ready still are things I can do from my couch (which are always the best things to have to do!)

Lately I've been playing music on my phone, and putting it on my belly. Little Man just kicks and rolls and moves around. It's pretty fun. I love feeling him move around and wiggle. It's been so much fun to move my belly and have him retaliate and kick. At night when I lay down, he starts his tumbling routine, and I love grabbing Shark's hand to feel him move around. I love Little Man already and am so very excited to see him in 3 months. I love being pregnant. I love showing off my growing belly. And even though all I really do is complain about him kicking me ALL DAY, I really do love it. It's a feeling that I can't really explain too well, and it really does feel weird, but I love it. {He still has room to roll and twist and he kicks all day. Next month he won't have so much room, and he'll really be kicking me all day long!} It's fun to see Shark's face when Little Man kicks his hands. I haven't even met this little guy yet and I love him and adore him.

That's it so far. Oh that, and I'm seriously considering a trip up to Idaho Fall for some Buffalo Wild Wings. That's the closest one... Any one up for going with me and Shark one of these Tuesdays?!

You gotta have what you love!♥

quickie

So this post is more or less just an update post about everything that's been going on... or not going on.

I babysat for a neighbor yesterday. I watched her 10 month old little boy for a few hours. We watched Sesame Street and threw plastic Easter eggs around while he chowed down on Kix. It was pretty fun, and made me even MORE excited to be having a baby than I already am. {I didn't think it was possible to be MORE excited!}

Little Man has been kicking me {or punching, or even head-butting me, I'm not really sure!} like he's Chuck Norris in Lone Wolf McQuade... He likes to hang out low, and push as far away from my spine as possible, so it feels like I've got rocks on my beltline. He reacts to music and sounds, like when I put my iPod on my stomach and play music, or when Shark talks to me while laying on my stomach. By reacts I mean he kicks me.

Shark passed his extremely hard Calculus II class. {By extremely hard, I mean almost everybody in the class was on their 2nd round cuz they failed the first time.} We are so excited to be done with that hard class! Not so excited to move onto another semester of hard classes.

Shark started a new job on Monday! More hours, more pay, great benefits, and in the Electrical Engineering field he wants to go into!! It's working nights, but it works with his school schedule, so it's all good. He'll just need to get into a routine with the hours and stuff. He likes the job so far, even though it's just been training this week. The job is an hour away. I know out here that is such a long commute, but honestly, it doesn't seem that bad to me. We had to drive an hour to get to the closest Wal-Mart when I lived in WI. Everything was an hour away : church, clothes, restaurants. So it's not that big of a deal to me, but everyone we talk to are like : That is sooo far for him to drive. He's ok with it, I'm ok with it.

Next week is the BYU Education Week. Shark and his brothers call it EFY for Moms. I think that's funny, but it's true. I'm way excited to go. {It also means I will be missing for a week!}

My uncle is getting married tomorrow! Our whole family is excited! Yay for weddings, boo for us not being able to go. I'll take pictures of the gift we're sending them and I'll post them!

August is my last month working at the Trading Post. We're not really sure what my heart is planning so we figure it's best if I take a step back from working for the last trimester of cooking. I am going to quit working when I have the Little Man, and this way, I don't quit right in the middle of the all the holiday action. Plus this gives me time to finish decorating the room {again, I'll post pictures when it's done} and get his blanket done and all the little things I've been planning to get done. I also want to get the Christmas presents done before it even gets close cuz I know I won't wanna make anything once I have him. :) I've got it mostly done, I just need to finish up the last few things.

We went camping last weekend up at Whitney Reservoir. It was a very pretty drive, and the lake was in the middle of the mountains. It was gorgeous. It was alot of fun to go camping with Shark's family. We brought our 4" memory foam mattress and it was heavenly!

Everything with my heart has been fine. I haven't had any complications or wig-outs since the one last month. I've got 5 days left on the Lovenox and I just refilled my presciptions of Sotalol. I have a heart check up {my monthly appointment} next week. We have a fetal echocardiogram {where the check out Little Man's heart} at the beginning of next month, as well as a my glucose test and another ultrasound. He sure is an active little guy, and that convinces me we're not going to have a timid, soft-spoken child. We're pretty sure he's going to the opposite of Steve & Feather's daughter. But we're ok with that. :)

Shark and I are back on the library kick. I've been checking out 10 audiobooks at a time and putting them on his iPod so he can listen while he drives to work. We've got most of our series' and now we just need to start clearing the shelves alphabetically. ;)

Love to all who know I'm still around, and that I'm just totally a slacker!! ♥

Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip cookies

I'm posting the recipe and some pics.

It's not like you need a tutorial if I include the recipe right?

Here's the story of how I found these :

PINTEREST.

{sigh}

I love it. I got hooked on it and for a week solid I was logged in and pinning everything I saw.

When I'm on Pinterest, my computer bogs down. Like I have never had a computer bog down.

I used to work with 3D graphics programs, like 3 at the same time, to coordinate pipe, and those NEVER bogged my computer down. Ever.

But Pinterest does. Not sure why. Myabe because of all the MILLIONS of awesome freaking ideas and wonderful people on there loving and pinning the same things (and different things) that I do. Maybe...

But I found this blob of amazingness.

WE LOVE THEM!

I make them as bribes treats for my coworkers. I also made them for Shark's Going-Away Party at work. Next Thursday is his last day, and apparently parties are FRIDAY things.

RECIPE :

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
In medium bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.
With a cookie scoop, form balls with the dough. Place one ball on top of an Oreo cookie, and another ball on the bottom. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is fully enclosed with dough.
Place onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets and bake cookies for approximately 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package Double Stuff Oreo cookies

I used too much chocolate chips {I can't belive I just said that!} but the only reason the dough fit around the Oreo is because Shark was molding the dough around them. Pretty much forcing it to do his bidding and cover that Oreo.

At first we put 6 on a pan cuz I wasn't sure how big they would get. It turns out, the normal 12 on a pan works great.

Enjoy your awesome treat! They really are amazing!

Love to those who share great recipes! ♥

new wreath

Alright, so I've had an itch lately.

I've been wanting to make a new wreath for my door.

Not a fancy one or anything, just a summery one.

I bought tons of pinwheels at Dollar Tree last year, hopeing to make a wreath. My first idea never turned out the way I wanted it to, so I gave up last year, putting it off until we got our own door and I could think of a better idea. I bought all the supplies for a pinwheel wreath.

This year it hit me.

I decided to wrap yarn around a floral wreath, and then stick pinwheels on that.

What you need :

1. floral wreath (Dollar Tree)
2. Yarn (I have a stash)
3. Pinwheels (Dollar Tree)
4. Hot glue (stash)

First, take your yarn and tie it around the wreath. Start wrapping yarn around the wreath.

I would twist the yarn after I looped it around the wreath. I twisted the yarn so it was a tighter wrap and there weren't any spots where the wreath was showing.

Now, if you're like me and don't know you're own strength, you might end up breaking the wreath at the seam {oops} I was thinking of hot gluing it, but hot things have never worked on the floral foam wreaths for me, so I duct taped it. I wrapped the yarn around the taped seam so nothing showed and you can't even tell I broke it!

Now, I teased my dog with the wreath while my husband cut the pinwheels.

I had him cut the pinwheels sticks short, but with some stick left still. In the end, I cut all the way up to the 90 degree elbow.

Then I put hot glue ont he elbow and stuck them on the yarn wreath.

I made sure they didn't touch, so in the event I get a breeze here, they will spin and not hit eachother.

I debated on adding a ribbon to hang it from, but decided against it, I can never get my wreaths to hang flat on the door when I put a ribbon on, so I just set it on my wreath hook.

Enjoy your wreath for the rest of the summer!

Love to all who love making things! ♥

wanna know something

So, this past Sunday (the 17th) my heart went back into atrial flutter.

{the top ventricals were beating faster than the bottom ventricals...}

Monday I went down to SLC for an EKG. They called, told me I was back in flutter, they ordered a prescription of Lovenox shots.

I started taking the Lovenox shots Monday night. yaaay.... :(

Wednesday they scheduled an appointment with my cardiologist. They called back 15 minutes later saying doctor wanted to try cardio verting me, again. {just like Mother's Day}

Shark didn't have to work yesterday, so we went down to SLC, got there, they did another EKG, I was still in flutter.

They hooked me all up, the big HUGE 6" shock pads on the front and back. Then started putting in the anstesia. {I warned the nurse this time, saying I get really mouthy and funny when I go under.}

Next thing I remember, is the doctor walking out the door and the clock on the wall still moving like the Price is Right wheel. {true to my word, the nurse and Shark said I was a talker, and I was hilarious.}

The shock worked, I am out of atrial flutter but back in junction rythum. No harm done to me {besides 6" sticky pad marks on front and back} or to Little Man {pretty sure he kicked me the entire time.}

The doctor said I slipped back into flutter because I forgot to take me meds {big NO NO, and it won't happen again} and because of the stressful week I had before.

So no more stress and way more pills.

I'm telling everyone now, because this week was not supposed to be my week. My sister-in-law was supposed to find out what they're having this time, the doctor couldn't tell. My friend Sammi was supposed to find out what she's having : a boy!

I didn't want to take away from their day with everybody asking about me. Shark and I weren't really stressed or worried about heading to the hospital. There were plenty of prayers on our behalf, and everything worked out fine.

Love to all ♥

bought

So this post is a little behind. But only by 1 day (or 2). We have been car shopping since we sold my red truck. I know on my 101 in 1001 it says to buy a 4Runner, but I am counting this little car as buying it because we just really needed something to fit babies in. This totally counts!

We sold the red truck on Tuesday. Wednesday we bought a new car.

Yeah, we jumped right in and pulled the trigger. We saw a really really good deal and jumped on it. We drove home from SLC on Wednesday seperately. Not only did Shark have to go to work, but I drove my brand new used car home!

Yesterday I went to go get it registered. But it didn't pass the safety. The brakes were low on it. So I bought a set of brakes from Autozone and Shark installed them. I was mad yesterday. I just wanted it done. I wanted it to be really mine....

So today, we went and had the guys recheck the car, it passed. And then we got it registered.

Then driving home, we saw Smitty at Autozone buying brakes for his car! We stopped and Shark whistled at him. It was pretty funny.

This week is Heritage Days, and I have been helping out again. Although, not as much as last year. Which is fine, I'm pregnant and slow this year. I try to walk fast but I fail horribly at fast. I was scorekeeping a game last night and a girl asked if I had named my car yet. I said no.

I think we figured out a name today. The car zips in and out of traffic pretty good. So I'm thinking the car's name will be Zipper. It works pretty well for it. I don't know how often we'll call it Zipper, since it's The Car but at least it's got a nickname, right?

Now it's back out to Heritage Days!

Love to those who name their things and to those who don't. ♥