25 Random Things About Me

1. I am the oldest of three children and my little brother lives with us.

2. I did not have a middle name as a child, so when I got married I took my maiden name as my middle name. I think it is a great tradition and I plan on continuing it if I have a daughter.

3. I grew up in an industrial neighborhood in Ballard. There was a tavern on one end of the street and a paint store on the other end. Then there was Nelson Chevrolet was across the street and a galvanizing plant next door.

4. Growing up my sister was my best friend and together we played the craziest games. My personal favorite was “funeral” where we emptied out our toy chest and took turns laying in it like we were dead while the other sister commented on how beautiful and peaceful we looked. (I think it helped us cope with the loss of our grandparents.)

5. I marched on the Ballard Eagles Drill Team for 8 years. It taught me discipline and team work. Last year I marched in the Torchlight parade with them and would love to make it a tradition. I still bleed aqua, gold and black.

6. I performed in the Florida Citrus Bowl Half-time Show on January 1, 1994 with my drill team.

7. I didn’t learn to swim until I was 16 years old and dating a lifeguard.

8. I instigated the first date my sister had with the man she eventually married.

9. I have never ever smoked anything or tasted alcohol.

10. My husband was the first Mormon guy I ever dated and it wasn't until he dumped me that I knew we would get married.

11. I would have had a perfect 4.0 GPA in college, except that I got a 3.9 in Chem 150 and Tai Chi.

12. I have to sleep with my ears covered and unless I really, really have to go or the baby is crying, I never ever get out of bed at night because I am still afraid of the dark.

13. I am a volunteer at the Paramount Theater and I have been really fortunate to have seen a lot of well done plays and musicals.

14. I will always love sunflowers, but my new favorite color is green.

15. I don’t like my food to touch and if I could I would always eat off a sectioned plate like the kids in elementary school do.

16. I am still friends with all my ex-boyfriends and if I met them, their parents too.

17. I love to read and would prefer reading over just about anything else...except maybe playing cards with Darren, Ben and Laura.

18. I love to buy and sell stuff on craigslist.

19. My husband and I each have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and we always argue about which one to use. Darren likes the Betty Crocker recipe best, but I like my Aunt Marsha’s recipe way better!!

20. I have an amazing group of friends both at church and in the community. They are a remarkable group of wives and mothers. I am blessed to know them.

21. I am a perfectionist and I’m pretty sure (OK, I’m positive) it drives my husband crazy.

22. I think that I have the absolute best sisters-in-law in the whole world. My other in-laws are pretty wonderful as well.

23. I used to work as a dental assistant and I am excited to go back to school someday to be a dental hygienist.

24. Even though sometimes I am a brat to him…I really do love my husband a whole lot and I know that I am a better person because of him.

25. I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his role as my Savior and Redeemer, even though sometimes I forget my worth.

Family Pictures

We took family pictures last week and it was a fiasco, but the pictures came out great!

8 Things

8 Favorite TV Shows
1. The Office
2. The Bachelor
3. So You Think You Can Dance
4. Biggest Loser
5. Worst Week
6. Dancing with the Stars
7. Superstars of Dance
8. Bromance...haha!

8 Things I Did Yesterday
1. Sold stuff on eBay
2. Talked to Laura
3. Watched American Idol
4. Packed away my nursing garments and bras :*(
5. Washed cloth diapers
6. Made pizza for dinner
7. Folded laundry
8. Finished "The Ivy Tree" by Mary Stewart

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. My birthday
2. Darren coming home from work
3. Jamie moving out
4. Gaining a testimony of prayer
5. Watching Trevor grow up
6. Our cruise to the Caribbean in January 2010
7. Planting a garden in the spring
8. Getting pregnant again

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Red Robin
2. Galiano's Italian Restaurant (Tukwila, WA)
3. Wendy's
4. The Ram
5. Outback Steakhouse
6. The Best Pho and Thai (Renton, WA)
7. California Pizza Kitchen
8. Panera Bread Co.

8 Things on My Wish-List
1. An Ergo Baby carrier
2. A new wardrobe
3. Jamie to go on a mission
4. To be a nicer wife to Darren
5. More time to read
6. A trip to Utah in April
7. A healthy Baby Abby Newport due in 3 weeks
8. A trip to Italy

Au Natural

My Grandpa Tame used to end his day with a soak in his hot tub in the buff. Trevor seems to prefer taking a stroll in his birthday suit before bed.

So, what is it about being naked that makes kids (and men) so happy? The world my never know...

Homeade Laundry Soap

With all the uncertainty in the world right now, I am saving money wherever and whenever I can. I am using cloth diapers, cleaning my windows and mirrors with vinegar, and making my own laundry soap. I love doing all those things and it makes me feel better about my own carbon footprint. The laundry soap is easy to make and it gets my clothes really clean and soft without having to use liquid fabric softener. I do miss the yummy smell of the Kirkland brand, but I still use dryer sheets to get that really clean smell.

So for those who want to save some pennies, or in this case dollars, try making your own laundry soap! I used to pay about $13 for 96 oz of laundry soap at Costco. This recipe makes 3 gallons or 220 oz for less than $5 and you can find all the ingredients at Winco!!! So, without further ado, here is the recipe I use.

Liquid Laundry Soap

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated
1 1/2 c. Washing Soda
1 1/2 c. Borax
3 gallons water
3 gallon milk jugs, rinsed well

Boil 1/2 gallon hot water and then add grated Fels Naptha soap. Heat to a boil and stir until totally dissolved. Add the other soaps and continue heating until dissolved. (Taking the time to make sure that the soaps are well dissolved saves time once you start adding the cold water.) Add another 1/2 gallon warm water and stir over low heat. Once the mixture is emulsified, remove it from the heat and add another gallon cold water. If your pot it not big enough, transfer the soapy mixture to a 5 gallon bucket before adding the additional water. Again, once the mixture is able to stay emulsified, add the last gallon of cold water bringing amount of water to total to 3 gallons. Keep stirring until the mixture stops separating and transfer it to milk jugs or other smaller containers.

When you are ready to use it, give it a good hard shake and use 1/4 c. of soap per normal load. This is safe for front loaders as it is low sudsing.

Enjoy my frugal friends!!

So Sleepy

Trevor had a really hard time going down for a nap today, so when he finally did go down I went in to check on him and this is how I found him...


...asleep with his hands on his eyes like he had been crying and his pants nearly down around his knees. Poor, funny baby Trevor.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Look who I found "helping" mommy unload the dishwasher the other day.

It reminds of of another little boy I know who used to like to climb on the dishwasher...