Weekend with the Phillips

This last weekend some of the Phillips were in town for various things. Dixie and KD had a Heritage Makers convention. Marti was going on a tour of LDS Business College. Taylor had a meeting for his work (he sells pest control in the summer). And Martha had a Stella and Dots party. Of course Corbyn had a cold, so he wasn't being his best self. (He didn't have a single cold in January, so I guess it was time.) I don't have a single picture from the weekend, so this will kind of be a loser post. But I wanted to remember it nonetheless.

Everyone came over for dinner on Friday night. I made funeral potatoes, rolls, and jello. And Dixie brought BYU mint brownies. We played a little on the Wii (which we haven't done since Corbyn was born) and just hung out. Taylor and Martha stayed the night with us.

On Saturday morning practically everyone had something, so Corbyn and I decided to get out as well. I had $10 to spend at Kohl's, so we went there. Corbyn played in the toys area while I looked at clothes for him and Peyton. {On a side note, I'm having a hard time shopping for Peyton because I don't know exactly what season it will be when she gets here. It will probably still be pretty cold, but then it could warm up pretty fast. And I don't know if people will buy her clothes, so I don't want to go too crazy just yet. If anyone has a magic ball and can tell me the answers to those things, that would be much appreciated!} We were the only ones there, so I could just listen for the music coming from the toys and I knew he was still in the area. And of course I checked on him about every 3 minutes - doesn't make for the most efficient shopping trip, but it works. I got a St. Patrick's Day shirt for Corbyn and a Valentine's Day towel for the kitchen and I didn't pay a penny! (It came to like $9.96 - Woot!)

Then we met everyone for lunch at Olive Garden. We had coupons and gift cards (which we almost forgot to use), so it ended up being a free lunch for us. Although I'm pretty sure Rog tipped the waiter twice. I think it was included in the check and then he added a tip on top of that, but I can't be sure because he didn't bring home the receipt. That's what I get for letting him pay! (It was Corbyn's nap time and we had driven separately, so I rushed out of there. Of course Corbyn fell asleep on the way home and refused to go back to sleep when I put him in his crib, so that backfired on us!)

I made everyone dinner again that night - tostadas, Spanish rice, and Malt Shoppe Memories Ice Cream Cookie Cake. And we played Wii again.

Everyone had gone by Sunday night, so we watched the Super Bowl at Bill and Mariah's. I made Bacon-Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers. And they also had a ton of other really yummy food. KD and Phat Tony came down after they dropped Dixie and Marti off at the airport, so we watched the end of the game with them.

All in all it was a fun weekend. It was nice to spend time with some of the Phillips because we don't get to see them all that often.

Christmas in January

There are so many great Christmas crafts to do, but never enough time before Christmas to get them done. I figured I would do these now, so they'll be ready for next year. It's kind of hard finishing a project and then immediately putting it in the Christmas box, but it will be fun to pull them out next year.

This nativity I bought in September of 2010. No joke.

I bought this block tree in 2011 (in October I think), so not quite as bad... I normally stick to the traditional red and green for my Christmas decorations, but I had this paper set and I thought it would be cute, so I decided to be a little crazy!

I still have one wood craft to do and of course our stockings and a board to hang those stocking on. Perhaps I will have Christmas in February as well!

Orange Chicken

There is a recipe for Slow Cooker Orange Chicken going around on Pinterest. I myself pinned it and made it a little over a month ago. And I'm here to tell you - DON'T DO IT! I'm sure the authors of that blog have a lot of other good stuff on there, but that orange chicken was awful. It tasted like pure orange juice concentrate. What really makes me mad is I bought balsamic vinegar just for that recipe.

Instead you should try this recipe for orange chicken. I made it for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Corbyn couldn't get enough and he can be pretty picky about what meats he will eat. It was so moist yet I wasn't even one bit worried that it was undercooked (as I so often do with chicken). And it was easy too!

So go delete your pin for that nasty slow cooker recipe and make the orange chicken from Mel's Kitchen Cafe today! Seriously, you won't be sorry!

Whirlwind Weekend

My parents came up for the weekend and it seems like we were busy every second they were here (even when we weren't with them). Corby's schedule was completely thrown out the window, but thankfully he went right back to his normal routine come Sunday night.

We had two major projects for the weekend:

1 - Get Jared's birthday package ready. {He reads my blog, so I can't say what I made or post pictures just yet. If I remember I'll post about it after his birthday because if I do say so myself, it was pretty awesome.}

And 2 - Switch our cell phone plan from TMobile to either AT&T or Verizon. {We have always had TMobile. And for the past few years, Jared has been working the system, so we could have iPhones. But now that he's gone, we don't have our tech support. I somehow managed to drop my phone in the toilet AGAIN a few weeks ago (even though I had never done that before in all the 10 years I have had a cell phone). I had been using a basic phone and was planning on getting an iTouch for my birthday. But Diana was also having problems with her phone, so my parents decided we should just switch to a provider that supports iPhones. And yes, I am still on my family's plan. They insist that they don't mind having me on it (for which we are very grateful). You might think that makes me kind of lame, but I'm sure if your parents were still willing to pay for you, you wouldn't turn them down either. You know I'm right!}

We successfully completed both projects (We ended up going with AT&T because we heard Verizon has terrible service in our neighborhood and I got an iPhone 4S - LOVE IT!) and managed to fit in a ton of other stuff as well.

We went to the temple while my parents watched Corby at the Wilk. And then we all had dinner at the Cougareat.

We took Corby to the Disney Store in the mall while we were checking out different cell phone plans. And oh my, was he in heaven! The first thing he did was pick up a Buzz stuffed animal, give it a huge hug, and pat it on the back (so cute). And then he went around the store checking everything else out.

We picked up a few things at IKEA. (A lamp for the sewing nook, some baskets for Peyton's room, and a small table/chairs for Corby's room.)

We put the table and chairs together on Sunday and he insisted we break it in with a Goldfish snack. (Because that's what he does in nursery. LOL.)

We did a few random errands at Fashion Place. (We were also supposed to go to Wood Connection, but we got there at 4:20 and we had forgotten they close at 4:00 on Saturday.)

We had dinner at my Grandma Ford's house.

It was great to spend some time with my family. Although I hope the next time we see them we are able to relax a little more!

Last Week

Was gray and cloudy. It was typical weather for January in Northern Utah. But it was really the first week this winter that has been that way. It was long and depressing and by the end of the week, I was going crazy! On Friday I decided we needed to get out of the house.

So in the morning we headed to Walmart. I let Corby play in the toy aisle for over an hour. He enjoyed every minute of it and so did I. He loved sitting on this tricycle and almost was able to make it move. I'm sure he'll be getting one of his very own (perhaps in a more manly color scheme) for his birthday and he'll be a tricycle-riding pro! He insisted on wearing the helmet the whole time.

After his nap, we headed to the duck pond at BYU. He loved feeding the ducks pieces of bread and chasing them around the boardwalk. And then when he had had enough of that, he walked up all the stairs by himself. (If you've ever climbed those stairs, you know what an accomplishment that is for a 1.5 year old!)

When it was time to go home, I decided to drive by my freshman dorm. I was pretty sure it had already been demolished, but it was still there. (If you haven't heard, they are replacing Heritage Halls. Article here.) I had Rog meet me there on his way home from work, so I could take one last picture with the place that was my home for the first 9 months of my BYU experience.

{Goodbye Rogers Hall! Thanks for all the great memories!}

On Saturday morning Rog started his GMAT class. Corby and I braved the rain (which later turned to snow) and got much-needed haircuts. Later in the day, I got to go on a Corby-free shopping trip. I finally broke down and bought some new maternity jeans that fit me now, so I don't have to feel like a lazy bum wearing my pajama pants all the time.

Thanks to the haircut (which has given me new motivation to actually do my hair), new maternity jeans (which make me feel like a human being again), and slightly better weather (we saw the sun this afternoon and were able to go on a walk), this week has been going a lot better than last week!

19 Months

The Corb at 19 months:

*Is getting very good at eating with a spoon.

*He's slowed down now, but he must have had a growth spurt because for a few weeks he was eating like a hungry teenager!

*Likes wearing his gloves. If he wants to go outside, he'll bring me his shoes or his gloves - even if we've just barely finished breakfast.

*Loves opening/shutting doors. He can't open our doors yet, but he can open the kind that pulls down to open. (My parents have that kind, so he was in heaven opening/shutting doors while we were there for Christmas.)

*Likes playing in the water when we wash his hands after eating. This is a great improvement because not long ago, he would scream the whole time we were washing his hands. And he knows to go dry his hands after we wash them.

*Knows where his car mat is stored. If we ask him if we should play cars, he goes to get it out. Sometimes he likes to hide under it.

And then he loves playing peek-a-boo when you pull it off him.

*Is really into keys right now. He loves going to the mailbox and pretending to open the boxes with a key.

*Loves to dance around after his bath.

*Loves to drive around Macey's in the car carts. They are harder to steer, but it's worth it because he doesn't try to climb out the whole time!

*Has figured out how to jump. He doesn't do it all that often, but he can get both feet off the floor at the same time when he wants to.

*Sleeps in until sometime between 7:45 and 8:15 every morning. We figured out he was waking up starving, so if we feed him a snack about a half hour before putting him to bed, he doesn't wake up at 6:00 am anymore! He also has been taking really good naps (for him anyway). It's getting so I can pretty much count on 2 hours (and sometimes more) which is huge for him. And if he does wake up too early from his nap, I can leave him and he'll go back to sleep most of the time. (He never used to do that with naps.) Life has been good since we figured out this sleeping thing. Knock on wood!

*Loves to unload all our DVDs.

And then bring you the one he wants to watch. Right now his favorite is any of the Toy Story movies.

*Says yeah and ow (like ouch without the ch) when he gets hurt.

*Roars like a lion and quacks like a duck when he sees one or you ask him what noise lions or ducks make.

*Loves to squirt the spray bottle. The other day I showed him how to scrub the floor after spraying it and he was so into it. Haha.

*Likes to make huge messes with his food by throwing it or pushing it off the table after he is done eating. Makes mealtime not so pleasant!

*Likes to suck on things that resemble a bottle and gets mad when you take them away.

*Insists on wearing his swim stuff sometimes. I've had to hide most of them. Here he is with his life preserver on. Silly boy!

He can be very naughty sometimes and he definitely has a mind of his own, but he can also be such a sweetheart.

Reorganizing

On Saturday we started reorganizing things to get ready for Peyton to join our family.

First we emptied out the craft room which will become her room. The bookshelf will stay, but we are going to be putting the desk into storage. (Hopefully in my grandma's garage, if that's ok with her.) It looks pretty sad right now - Corbyn goes in there periodically and says "uh, oh" like he knows it's not normal for a room to be so empty. It won't stay this way for long though. I have big plans for it.

We made a sewing nook for me in our bedroom.

And stowed away some of the craft supplies in the top of our closet (which was seriously being underutilized - I was amazed how much stuff I fit up there).

Then we reorganized the storage under our stairs. Bill and Mariah had this bookshelf they were wanting to get rid of that works perfectly to store the books that were previously on the bookshelf in the craft room. The rest is pretty much all my decorations. Each month has a container. Rog wanted to put the decorations in the garage, but I said NO! Maybe they would be ok, but I didn't want to take the chance that all my hard work would get ruined by the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer.

The garage is pretty much overflow storage. Golf clubs and a few random things on one side.

Camping/outdoor supplies on the other.

And these shelves right outside the door to the garage hold some kitchen overflow. The cookie sheets were under a bunch of stuff in our kitchen closet, so every time we went to use them (which was a lot), we'd have to practically unload the whole shelf to get to them. This way we have easy access to them!

It was a long day moving everything around, but when we were done I was so glad we did it now and not when I'm 8 or 9 months pregnant - huge and uncomfortable like last time.

It actually worked out pretty perfectly. Everything has a place and similar things are together. Horray for being organized! And now for the fun part - decorating the nursery!

Shelves and Color Me Mine

Last Saturday afternoon KD and Phat Tony came down to help us build some shelves for our garage. With Peyton joining our family, we are going to need some extra storage space.

Corby was a big help pounding in nails.

{I'll post pictures of the finished product after we get our garage organized tomorrow.}

While the guys were doing all the real work, I made us some breadsticks and grilled up some pizzas on the BBQ. Yes, it was freezing, but I couldn't wait until summer.

Then KD and Phat Tony watched Corbyn for us while we went on a date to Color Me Mine. The best part of the date was watching the other couples there on dates - especially the ones who were obviously on first dates. We couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the couple next to us. Let's just say it made us grateful to be out of the singles dating game.

I made the plate and Rog made the bowl.

A huge thank you to KD and Phat Tony for all their help!

24 Weeks

I had my 24 week appointment today and everything is going just as it should. I was a little nervous to step on the scale after the holidays, but I had gained pretty much exactly 4 pounds which is exactly what I was supposed to have gained. I had Rog take this picture on Sunday (so I was about 23 1/2 weeks at the time) because it's kind of rare that I get completely ready during the week. And it's more rare that I'm not wearing pajama pants. I'm still in limbo between my regular jeans being too tight and my maternity jeans being too big.

I was comparing this picture to one we took when I was pregnant with Corbyn at 23 weeks and I think they are pretty similar. I know it's pretty normal to get bigger faster with your second child, but I haven't wanted to and so far I think I have been getting my wish.

I have been feeling good. Of course I have those moments that remind me of the fun that lies ahead - definitely not looking forward to the third trimester - but at least for now, those moments are few and far between.

24 weeks down, 16 to go! I can't wait to meet my little Peyton girl!

January Crafting

I once said that St. Patrick's Day is the lonliest holiday. Well, this month I decided that January is the lonliest month. I think everyone is so tired after Christmas that they skip decorating in January because there aren't any major holidays. It's a shame really.

I needed something to balance out my table and I couldn't find anything on pinterest or out in blogland. So I decided to whip something up myself. Keep Calm and Shovel On people. Same deal as with my head and tail puzzles, if you want to print one out for yourself, feel free to ask.

And here is my shadow box for the month. I end up liking some shadow boxes more than others and this month is one of those months. Love.

Happy January! And I never thought I'd be saying this, but let it snow! Goodness knows, we need it!

Rog's Birthday

Rog turned 27 last Thursday. He had to work, but we still fit in some fun things that day. I got up at the crack of dawn to make him cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Then for lunch we went to Tucanos to use his free meal coupon. After we were finished eating, we played outside for a few minutes because it was nice and warm - very unlike most of his birthdays (at least the ones he's spent in Utah).

While Corbyn was taking his nap, I finished up his birthday cake pops, so they would be ready when he got home from work.

For dinner he requested spaghetti and meatballs. I wanted to make something more special than the regular open a can of spaghetti sauce and brown some meat, so I tried out this recipe.

After dinner we just played as a family and he opened his presents. I wanted to make him a BYU fleece blanket, but all the stores I went to (about 7) had the same BYU fleece fabric and I didn't like it too much. So finally I decided to buy him a BYU blanket made out of sweatshirt material instead.

On Friday afternoon we met him at the BYU bookstore and he picked out a BYU sweatshirt. I had tried to pick one out for him, but there were so many choices and I didn't want to get one he didn't like. He also got a new set of scriptures - the large print ones because he is soooooo old! LOL. After that we ate at 5 Guys with Bill and Mariah.

Happy birthday to the best husband and daddy around! We love you!!