Three Christmases

This year Logann had three Christmases:). She is a well loved little girl! We couldn't leave out the fabulous "Kena" in her new dress up outfit. Aren't they so adorable?!

More Pictures of Logann

So, as some of you may know, it snowed here in Auburn and we had 6 inches of snow. Under normal circumstances this would be no big deal, but considering we have a newborn and our power was out it wasn't the best timing for this storm. Our power went out and stayed out for about 16 hours. Luckily, we were able to go to Grandma and Grandpa Brown's house:). The first two pictures are of Logann bundled for the cold weather.

The third picture shows just how much personality she already has and I think it's simply adorable!

The last two pictures are of Logann just being cute!!

We were able to take an ADORABLE Christmas picture, so be on the look out for the card/announcement in the mail:)

PS
A huge thank you to everyone who has dropped off meals, sent us cards, and called/written to check in. We are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!!

Logann Chayse Has Arrived!

Logann arrived at 11:24 am on Monday 11/30/09. She weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces and is 19 inches long. She is doing very well and we couldn't be happier. She truly is our dream come true!

Contraction Counter!

So, I started having more contractions today. From 2-6:30pm, I had them every 15 minutes. Now, from 6:30-8:00pm, they have been 5-8 minutes apart!! We are so excited. Just wanted to keep everyone updated!

9 Days Until Our Due Date!!

So, today we went to the doctor's office and found out that we're 75% effaced and dilated to about a 2, this is an improvement from last week. We're very excited and can't wait to meet Logann.

"Kena's" Monkey Face

Just when you think she can't get any cuter, Makena out does herself!! This is her monkey face. Oh and by the way, she very enthusiastically refers to herself as "Kena" these days!

Beautiful November Morning

These days, I wake up fairly early (for me, at least) and the animals and I have a routine. I let the dogs out, feed them, and then head down the hill to let out the goats. Well, this morning I got a special treat...it was gorgeous outside! Just thought I'd share:)

PS No new baby news, just waiting for Logann to be ready!

Dorian Turns 10!!

So, Dorian turned the big 1-0 on Monday and today he had his big celebration. There were many guests, all of which thoroughly enjoyed sharing his special time with him. At least 10 boys eating, jumping on D's new trampoline, and having NERF gun wars...who could ask for a better party?!


Party guests (all with their own hand-held video games in tow),

Bethany and Brody, Tim and Makena

Nana and Chasin

Nana and Makena

Happy Birthday, D!! We love you:)

Fabulous Shower!

So, my work shower was this past Sunday. Sharon threw it for me with the assistance of Kristina and Sarah D. It was at Sharon's parents house, which was so generous of them!! The shower was incredible. They all did such a nice job and I really enjoyed seeing everyone from work. I felt truly honored and touched that so many people took time out of their very busy schedules to come:). Thank you just doesn't seem adequate, but "Thank You!". I will be sending thank you cards to work very soon, so please check your mailbox.

Also, as promised, here is the recipe for my mother-in-law's broccoli salad:

BROCCOLI SALAD

4 heads broccoli (chopped small, you can use the stems)

crumbled bacon (about 6-8 slices)

1/2 red onion (chopped)

golden raisins (about 1/3 box)

sunflower seeds

Toss to combine all ingredients.

Dressing: (You can make this the night before and chill in the refrigerator.)

1 cup mayonnaise (I use light mayonnaise)

1/2 cup sugar (play with this to suit your taste)

1/4 cup vinegar

Whisk and chill.

Before serving, combine prepared dressing and other ingredients.

Bon Appetit!

Makena Goes Trick or Treating

I think these pictures pretty much say it all! Do they get any cuter than this?!!

P.S. Nesting is done (for now)

After three long days, our house is back together. Poor Doug spent 2 days trying to revive our slate floors. Today, he found the answer in a glossy sealant. Our floors have never looked better and we think we may even like them now:) Who wouldn't like a shiny, new looking floor?! As for the dogs, they are very happy to be sleeping inside again.

Staying Busy...

Today, I split my time between carving a pumpkin and making pecan bars. I've been craving these bars ever since I saw them on a Barefoot Contessa show. Unfortunately, the ones Ina makes may kill you, with 2 1/4 pounds (9 sticks!) of butter and 2 pounds of pecans (amongst other ingredients). So, I opted for a different recipe with a fair amount of butter, but not nearly the 2 1/4 pounds in Ina's recipe. Well, let me just say, these may be the BEST things I've ever tasted!! This is the recipe, which I highly recommend:

Chewy Pecan Diamonds Bon Appétit December 1999

Crust

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Topping

1 1/4 cups (packed) golden brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 cups coarsely chopped pecans (about 14 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup whipping cream2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving 1-inch overhang on all sides. Butter foil. Blend flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt in processor. Add butter and process until mixture begins to clump together. Press dough evenly onto bottom of foil-lined pan. Bake crust until set and light golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand while preparing topping. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For topping:
Stir brown sugar, corn syrup and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils; boil 1 minute. Add pecans and cream; boil until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour hot topping over warm crust.
Bake nut-topped crust until caramel is darker and bubbles thickly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Cool completely in pan (topping will harden).
Lift foil out of pan onto cutting board. Using heavy sharp knife, cut crust with nut topping into 1 1/2x1-inch diamonds. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature.)

Time really flies!

I was looking at our pictures today and realized how much we've all changed!! From our weddings (Val & Chasin's and mine & Doug's) to now with Val and I being pregnant:). Makena has changed so much from when she was first born until now...it seems like every second she is doing something new! Man, time flies!

Is this considered nesting?

So, today we decided to scrub our floors so that we can re-seal them tomorrow. This is how our house has been torn apart in the process. Would you consider this nesting?!

Family Shower

Today was my family shower. It was AWESOME!! The food and cake were delicious, the conversations were great, and the overwhelming generosity was amazing! We hit the jackpot. Thank you so much to everyone! I had such an amazing time and I am so appreciative of your continual kindness and support.

Makena was a HUGE hit and on her best behavior. Can you guess who is hiding behind the balloons?

**Sorry, I only managed to snap these few pics:(

From Trash to Treasure

Doug's latest project is done (just in time for the rain!). Our falling down old barn is now sparkly and new. I'm sure the neighbors are all rejoicing that the ugly old thing is gone!

On a side note, I'm now on maternity leave. It's a little early, but the stress of constantly exposing Logann and myself to the Swine Flu was really getting to me:( Please feel free to email, call, or visit (if you're NOT sick, of course)...I would love the company!

Big Belly!

Doug took this picture of me on Monday...boy has my tummy grown!! Can you believe that it has already been 31 weeks? WOW, only 9 weeks left. We are so excited:)

Doug's Latest Projects

So, Doug's recent summer projects started in the nursey with the changing table, side table, and the book shelf. Next, he decided to do a decomposed granite trail through our back yard to the garden and then down to the goats. Also, he took all the rocks out of our stream, lined it with weed fabric and then put them back...it looks great! Then, our old barn was bothering him and he decided to re-do it (this is still a work in progress...more pics to come). Last weekend, he customized our closet with floor to ceiling shelves and double clothes rods, which is a little hard to see the the bottom left 2 pics, but you get the idea. And finally, he built a gate to prevent "Brutus the Terrible" from peeing on everything. The moral of this story is...there's absolutely no need for me to nest when Doug is staying busy enough with his projects for the both of us;).

Together For Kids

Attention All Blog Followers:)

The hospital that I work for (Sutter Health), is putting on a VERY important walk, Together For Kids. This walk raises money for our pediatric department. ALL the proceeds go directly to the patients, many of which contribute to making a very scary situation more child-friendly (i.e. new toys, books, dvds, wagons, equipment, etc.). This is such a great cause and I hope that it is greatly successful. That said, I am the team captain for our pediatric department, if you would like to join us on the walk, the team name is "Sutter Memorial Pediatrics". We would love to have as much support as possible, but if you're not able to participate and are interested in donating...that would be GREATLY appreciated, also:) The website is: http://www.togetherforkids.org/ and then click on Walk Across America.

Walk info:
Where: Arden Mall (indoors)
When: Saturday October 17, 2009 at 8:30am
How: Register online

Thursdays with Auntie

Today was a very busy day. We started it off by taking a nice long walk. Then, we played and got dressed for the park. We didn't stay long because it was very hot. As Makena put it, "Wa-wa, bye-bye", I couldn't have said it better myself. Next, we met Peggy at Olive Garden for lunch. Makena was very good and ate a ton. I couldn't keep the noodles coming fast enough! After all of that, Mak fell asleep on the ride home and took a 2 hour nap (so did Auntie, but I waited until we got home;). So, here's the EXCITING news...after her nap, Makena went potty in her big girl potty!!! This is very exciting, she is so smart that I'm sure it won't be long now before she's using the potty all the time. HURRAY for Makena and for Val and Chasin!