Books, Recipes, and Parties...oh my...

How much can I cram into one little post? I guess we'll find out. Let me start with my thoughts on February's book.

Thereby Hangs a Tail - Spencer Quinn

This is the second "Chet and Bernie Mystery" in the series. I will admit that I found the story in the first book to be a bit slow, but I LOVED the fact that it was from the dog's point of view. Chet is an awesome narrator. Easily distracted, but entirely loyal to his partner and dedicated to his work, Chet is easy for any dog owner/lover to relate to. Sometimes I believe his thoughts would be echoed perfectly in my dogs' heads. The story in this book was more interesting to me as well, and Chet didn't disappoint. There are times in this book (as well as the first) that I was laughing out loud. I'll admit that I identified the bad-guys long before the end of the mystery. So far I would definitely recommend these books to anyone who loves dogs. The stories are entertaining and the books are really runny. Readers be warned though: Chet does occasionally run into people who are less than savory and who aren't inclined to be nice to dogs. (This book was better than the first in that Chet didn't get into nearly as much trouble.) And you know, I'm still trying to figure out what breed he might belong to. :)

Second, let's talk about the new recipes I tried this week. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures, but you can find the links here:

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/slow-cooker-parmesan-honey-pork-roast.html

and here:

http://norikoburky.com/?p=91

The first was a crock pot honey parmesan pork roast. And it was good. We'll definitely be adding it to our recipe list, though we probably won't be making the gravy again. Josh and I both thought it was too overpowering. The second, the creamy avocado lime pasta was pretty tasty when it was fresh, but after a couple of hours it turned an unappetizing brown and lost much of its flavor. This is definitely I dish I would recommend serving almost immediately.

And what's next? Oh yes. Parties. Last night was Josh's birthday party. I have been planning a murder mystery dinner. I was very excited but very nervous at the same time. This really is the first "theme" party I have planned. It was a lot of work, but I am happy to say that it seemed to be a hit. We had 24 people, so I had to break us up into three groups. Our time period was ancient Rome, and nearly everyone came dressed up. Here are some pictures:

There was a lot of noise in my parents' basement, as everyone really seemed to get into character and "arguments" (fake of course) and accusations were flying everywhere. I am relieved it's over, but glad that it was a success.

At last, but definitely not least, our little man is 7 months old today! Some of his favorite things include his My Pal Scout, which he got from his Auntie Kathrine, jumping in his jumparoo, kicking his feet (and kicking, and kicking, and kicking), and eating "real" (baby) food. His favorites so far are sweet potatoes and bananas, but I have to say that the only thing he hasn't liked is peaches. He is sitting up on his own now and is working really hard at learning to crawl, but I think he still has a long way to go. He has discovered his voice for sure, and alternates between shrieking and blowing raspberries at everything.

Diagnosis: Torticollis

For the past few weeks, we have been worried that our little man might have to have surgery, as his skull is just not rounding out and is actually becoming prominent on the left side. The pediatrician referred us to a surgeon at primary children's hospital so that we could find out for sure. Thankfully, no surgery will be necessary! We're breathing big sighs of relief all around here. What he does have is torticollis - a tight neck muscle that caused him to favor laying on one side. So the flat spot is positional plagyocephaly, nothing more. It will require a helmet to reshape the head into the correct position so that future problems in speech, hearing, or mobility don't arise. He will have to wear this helmet 24/7 (almost) for 3 to 4 months. While that's not necessarily ideal, we just look at it like he'll have crash protection for his head when he learns to crawl. We'll take the helmet over surgery any day!

2012 Book Challenge

I have had a love of reading as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, reading is something I haven't made a lot of time for lately, and I decided that it's time to change that. While I may not have a lot of time - cause let's face it, being a stay-at-home mom is more than a full-time job, there are definitely moments I could spend reading, rather than, well, wasting time. So I have decided to undertake a book challenge this year. In the past reading a single book every month would have been no issue for me, but with my busier schedule I figure one book a month is a reasonable goal.

I realize that it is February already, but since I started two books in December and finished them both in January, I figure I can count that as my January reading. At the end of each book I'll post a review for anyone who might be interested in reading some of the books on my list. I make the disclaimer that I reserve the right to change this list at any time, particularly since some of the books are part of a series, and until I've read the first book (The Hunger Games, for example) I have no way of knowing if I will actually be interested in the rest of the series. But for now, here is my list (in no particular order):

To Read in 2012:

Cascade (Book 2 in the River of Time Series) – Lisa Bergren

Torrent (Book 3 in the River of Time Series) – Lisa Bergren

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins

Mocking Jay – Suzzane Collins

Eragon – Christopher Paolini

Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me – Nicholas Sparks

Thereby Hangs a Tail – Spencer Quinn

To Fetch a Theif – Spencer Quinn

The Dog Who Knew Too Much – Spencer Quinn

January 2012 Book Review

On Folly Beach - Karen White

I read this book after a friend posted about it on her blog. I absolutely could not put it down. Historical fiction, mystery, and romance all tied into one, this book tells of two women from very different times, whose stories become entangled. I loved the way it was written from different points of view in both 2009 and 1942, and how Karen White manages to use both stories to build the mystery until the truth finally comes to light at the end of the book. I really would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. Thanks for the recommendation, Leah!

Waterfall (Book 1 in the River of Time Series) - Lisa Bergren

Josh heard about this book from a coworker, and bought it for me for our anniversary. It is also something of a historical fiction romance, with a bit of fantasy thrown in. I will admit that the main character, Gabi, can be a bit annoying at times, but hey, she's an American teenager. In this book, two American teenagers are thrown back in time to medieval Italy, where they inadvertently become tangled in politics and war, and, of course, love. I feel like this book started a bit slow, but overall the story was interesting and it turned out to be a good read. I'm looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.

Stay tuned for more reviews from my 2012 Book Challenge!

Our Love Story

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, and I saw this idea on another blog. Of course, I'm stealing it! You can find it here:


http://www.frommrstomama.com/2012/02/our-love-story-link-up.html


I'm going to answer the list of questions to the best of my ability. So here is our love story!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We started dating in 2007, so I guess that we have been together about 4 1/2 years now.

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

We actually met at our karate school long before we started dating. We spoke to each other a few times, as friends or acquaintances. He injured my foot in a sparring match. Soon, however, he left to serve a two year mission for our church. He happened to go to Manaus, Brazil, the same mission that my cousin went to. They ended up living in the same house for awhile, and through swapping stories and showing pictures, figured out that they both knew me. Suddenly, out of the blue, I get an email from one "Elder Joshua Villaneda." (All missionaries have the title "Elder.") I was shocked because I didn't know he had my email address. I did quickly find out from my cousin how he came to get it. I emailed him every single week after that, until he came home from his mission in 2007. He asked me out a month later, and we have been together ever since.

3. If married, how long have you been married?

We have been married for 2 1/2 years.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? 

We got married in the Salt Lake City LDS temple and had our reception in "The Castle" in Layton, Utah. Our wedding was big-ish. We had quite a few guests, but I wouldn't really call it a huge wedding either.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another?

Mostly we just call each other babe. Once-upon-a-time, however, he used to call me "cookie-cupcake." Before you gag, thinking that is the most over-the-top cutsie, mushy thing ever, let me explain. We were having an "argument" about desserts. Cookie or cupcake? He wanted a cookie-flavored cupcake, which I claimed defeated the purpose of the cupcake. So that argument, which went on for days, is where the nickname originated.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

1 - He spoils me rotten. Seriously, he is affectionate, gentle, and helpful. He always opens the door for me, helps around the house, etc... He really is a true gentleman.

2 - He really can make me laugh, and he will do ANYTHING to get a laugh out of me.

3 - He's a very hard worker.

Bonus - He has a fantastic smile, great eyes, and sexy shoulders.

7. Tell us how he proposed?

He came to work just before it was time for me to get off. He had a dozen roses. He literally kidnapped me by carrying me (oh so professionally) out of the office. I swore to keep my eyes shut as we drove downtown, and he took me to Temple Square and walked me up the steps of the temple. He said that he wanted to spend eternity with me, and that our journey to eternity would begin on those steps (well, close enough anyway) and then he presented me with a ring, which I had NEVER seen before, by the way. He picked it out on his own, and it was perfect. If you want an "awe" moment - he chose that ring because the band (it's a puzzle set) has a heart that sits underneath the main diamond. He made me wear the entire set throughout our engagement, rather than just the engagement ring, because it depressed him to know that the heart wasn't there.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Both, actually. He usually brings me flowers and chocolate-covered strawberries.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Pop-in a movie and cuddle on the couch. We don't have a beach around here anyway.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

We want to travel to Europe and Asia together. I have been to Europe before, but he never has.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We are going to a Valentine's Day dance tonight. That will probably be it for our plans, to be honest. We'll just celebrate at home with some cuddle time, since he has to work on the actual day.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Nope. Just some alone time with my hubby.

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

Work together. We try to cook together and clean together. It makes it so much more enjoyable, gives us time to talk, and helps us learn/remember to be a team.

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

This is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding. The looks on our faces say it all.

I'm Officially Addicted

My foray into the world of Pinterest has meant nothing less than the death of any free time I might have had left. Can you say "addictive?" Every time I go on there I find new recipes I want to try, crafts I want to make, rooms I want in my some-day dream home... you name it, I've found it. Truth be told, I am not likely to make half the recipes or complete half of the projects. I'm too busy looking for more pins to actually work on Pinterest projects. Although in my defense, it has made it easy to share ideas with my sister for her wedding.


Feel free to check out my boards:


http://pinterest.com/sapphirewolf/

(If anyone would like an invite, let me know).


My first goal is to make a few of those recipes. Perhaps I will start with this Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. Just looking at it makes my mouth water.

Maybe I'll be able to try a few of the others for Josh's birthday, which is coming up at the end of this month. I am super excited for that party, and hope it will be a success. I will post more details of that as it unfolds. I have decided that enjoy party planning (for now), so I'm looking forward to a few birthdays, showers, and bachelorette parties that are coming up.