Sorry!

I was so excited about the music player and getting it up, but I didn't listen to all of the songs before I put it up. So, just listening to it now - I heard a song come on which was NOT what I intended it to be - so I'm sorry if anyone reading here heard that one too! I think all the songs  are safe now. :)

Seattle

This past weekend, we took a quick little vacation up to Seattle for an interview w/ Microsoft. I got to spend a day sight-seeing with Landon (and with the help of our rental car's great GPS thing!) while Jordan interviewed, and then we spent Saturday together. We went and saw the temple - so beautiful with all of the flowers in bloom, and Spring time all around! I took Landon to the Pacific Science Center - and we both loved it so much, that we went back again with Jordan. They have so many ingenious things there. I can't think of any other place where both Landon and I are completely entertained! On Saturday, we walked along the water front and stopped in the Pike place market where we found (so cool!) some dark chocolate pasta - yum! I'm excited to make that up soon. :) Lots of fun packed in to a short little weekend!

A fun blog design site

I always wonder where everybody gets their great blog designs - here's another place to find some cute ones. (leeloublogs.blogspot.com) They are free, and say that they won't erase your sidebar things. (Thanks Tori!) :)

Happy Easter

We had a super happy Easter with lots of our brothers and sisters over, and my Mom too. We had a yum dinner that everyone helped with, a fun little easter egg hunt in the backyard, and my mom put together some great easter baskets for everyone, too. It's so wonderful to have so much family close right now and to get to spend time with them. 

Sunshine Days

We've been doing a lot of work out in our yard again, now that the sun is shining a bit more, and Landon loves to help! :) Next to playing with the water in the sink, playing with the dirt and rocks and sticks in our yard is Landon's favorite thing.

Funny kid!

I just sat down at my computer to check emails, budget, etc. and Landon started running laps around me and the table - just as fast as he can go, around and around and around!

No no no no no...

Landon has officially gotten the hang of "No" down. Unfortunately, he says it in such a cute, sweet voice, that I'm afraid I've probably encouraged him to use it even more! Whenever I ask him to do something he doesn't want to do, or offer him something that he doesn't want, he gives this sort of higher pitched, soft "neh neh neh neh neh" - which is really just so funny to hear that it makes me laugh. :)

Calcium Treasure Hunt

I made a goal this week to get 100% of the recommended calcium each day -- so far I'm 0 for 3 -- but, today I decided I'd really do it! Since I don't like to drink milk, and I have such a hard time getting myself to take those big calcium vitamins... I decided to search my kitchen  (and the grocery store) for some new ideas. Here's my new discoveries. :)

Yogurt: Western Family has the most calcium of any yogurt I saw - 40% of the days recommendation compared to Yoplait's just 25%. And, this is just a yum treat - Landon thinks its ice cream!

Cereal: Total Raisin Bran has 100% of the daily rec. in 1 serving, but I don't love raisin bran... Multi-grain Cheerios (which I do love!) has 10% per cup. Lots of General Mills cereals are calcium fortified, even the super yum ones like Cinnamon Toast Crunch!  (Also 10% per serving) Plus, you get the added bonus of the milk you pour on top! (15% for 1/2 cup)

Tofu: I use this in smoothies or in stir fry or spring rolls to add a little extra protein. But, I didn't know that it is also a super way to get calcium. One regular size serving for me (about 5 oz.) has 20% of the days calcium, plus 10 grams of protein (and is less than 100 calories too!) What a great food!

Bread: Costco's regular wheat bread is calcium fortified (10% daily value per slice!), as well as their pita bread (8%/slice).

Other fun finds: Frozen waffles! These are one of my favorite non-treat treats, and I found out that they have 10% of the days calcium in each waffle. Chili (Nalley vegetarian) has 10% per serving. And last, black beans have 5% per 1/2 cup serving.  

Hooray for all of these fun discoveries!

Clean sinks and such

I've found myself excited lately to be a homemaker. I remember last year when we were buying our condo, they needed to know my occupation - and something about it when I told them I didn't work and they wrote down "homemaker"... I felt like it was some sort of a dismissal of what I did. Anyways, now I'm happy to be just that, and this last little while I've just been excited to learn to be a really great homemaker. I'm excited to learn to keep my house in order - like keeping my sinks clean and containing Landon's toys to just a few corners... and I'm excited to learn to cook in a healthier way so that my family can be healthy and strong. And I'm having so much fun taking time to really teach Landon. We play shapes games and color games and matching games and he 'helps' Mommy clean up... and it's just delightful!  What a fun job I have!

Becoming

"The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be... because of all I may become I will close my eyes and leap!" - Mary Ann Radmacher

I found this quote tonight and just loved it - A few nights ago, I was reading through one of my journals from college, and I remembered the overwhelming feelings I had at the time of the desire to become. To become somebody great, somebody gracious, somebody better than I was and then somebody better again. Becoming "the woman of whom I dream" - a woman of faith, of wisdom, of charity and love. I can also remember that there were times when I would see all too clearly the huge gap between who I was and who I wanted to become - and that did seem overwhelming! It still does! Maybe not so frightening because I know what 'I may become'! 

Some days, when I'm chasing Landon around the house, cleaning up the same messes and reading the same stories again and again... I feel less fervor for becoming. Maybe I'm just spreading it out between me and him. :) A little bit of being a bit better each day for me - in more kindness, more patience, more wisdom and love, and a little bit of teaching my son to love and learn and become himself. 

Snowdrops!

April discovered these in our yard this weekend, and I love them! (Obviously not these exact flowers...) There have been little hints of Spring time around and a few days last week where it felt like it would be just around the corner. And now, out in one of our back planters, while everything else around them is still sleeping for the winter - these darling little flowers have popped up out of the ground and made their one little spot of  our yard so happy!