Thursday, December 17, 2009

the Flying V

I've been seeing a lot of these lately with the weather changing. This is one of my most favorite animal things to watch in nature. I learned about why birds fly in a V at school when I was young, and have always been facinated and love to watch them.

"as each goose flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the birds that follow. by flying in a “v” formation, the whole flock adds 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. when a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. it quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.the geese flying in formation honk to encourage those upfront to keep up their speed. when a goose gets sick or wounded, other geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. if it becomes able to fly again, the group catches up with the flock or launches out with another formation.”

Thursday, December 3, 2009

In about 2 Months

this cute little bedroom should be occupied. That is pretty crazy for us to think about! Like, a real baby in that crib? What? The room turned out very nice. We painted the tan color when we moved in. We added the trim everywhere (lot's of caulking!), then finished off with a light blue (clear water) for the top half. I think the room is very calming (which matches this babe's personality thus far). We kinda splurged on this 9 piece Argyle bedding set, but I love it! If you know Spencer, you know the Argyle is for Golf. We'll see what little golf decor we can find, but we aren't into putting much on the walls, so they probably won't get too much. Let's just keep this simple, since the whole baby on board experience, I assume, will be just the opposite!


Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Farr Better treats

Tis the season for yummy treats that only come for the holidays. I think I have found my Top 3 favorites.
1. Farr's Peppermint Stick ice cream*.
Seriously, this stuff is worth finding! It's so creamy and the peppermint has such a better flavor with both red and green candies. Way better than just the red & white stuff you can find anywhere. [I've only seen this special kind at Macey's & WalMart so far]
2. Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses.
It's like the Holiday's in your mouth! I started on these last month. So worth it.
3. Lindt Lindor Truffles.
Can't go wrong with these truffle chocolates, where the meltaway creamy insides are just to die for.
*Last year when I tried this ice cream for the first time, it was love at first taste! It was creamy and delicious and I was instantly hooked. I couldn't wait for the next night to eat it again! The next day came, and I took it out of the freezer to eat it. I opened it up, and the Carton was Full, like I didn't eat any of it. I was baffled. Ok, so next, I had a "blonde" moment, as this is what I thought for the next split second "It [the ice cream] knew I loved it so much that it refilled itself for me!" ...Serious. After I came to my senses, I realized I must've opened the wrong end. So I checked the other end, where I found, to my disappointment, the eaten ice cream. I am obsessed. [P.S. I felt the need to document this story somewhere, for my sake, and to give my posterity a good laugh]
Anyway, I hope you can enjoy some of these Sweet & Delish treats this season, they are 100% worth the extra calories and lb's you may see creep in. I Promise!

Lastly...It's now official...Meowy Christmas!
He can sometimes be uncooperative...hmmm, I wonder why?! I made sure to give him a treat after this one! I'll try for another later when he forgets he was traumatized.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

4-Course Meal

by Chef Spencer. Special Guests + a couple hours = a Very Special, Delicious, Gourmet Dinner. The Starter was an Artichoke Dip with bread. Then we had lettuce wedges with a Bleu Cheese dressing (was surprisingly good, turns out none of us really like bleu cheese). For the Main Course came Asparagus with Angel Hair Pasta, Baked Salmon and topped with an Alfredo like sauce with a hint of Lemon...your mouth watering yet! To end the evening, the Chef made Cream Puffs with Strawberries. It was a busy busy couple hours, but it was perfect, down to the presentation of the food and table of flowers. Seriously, I have the most amazing man in my house!





Want a close up of those babies? That's what I thought...and yes, they DID taste as good as they look.















The special guests came for the new happy couple, my baby bro who tied the knot. It was a beautiful day for them. My grandparents live in Arizona, they get cold super easy. My grandpa is wearing one of Mark's jackets that someone gave to him...isn't he Super Stylin'! Representing!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

the Bakers

Doesn't Spencer look great in an apron! Spencer made a pumpkin pie, I made an Apple pie (w/our apple tree apples). This day we worked pretty well together. Usually it's 1 or the other in the kitchen, not both, we have pretty different styles. We are working on this! Spencer does great with the cooking, Melina with the baking. (I also just made my apron at Super Saturday! Cute.)

Monday, November 2, 2009

Looks Grown Up



We finally purchased our first real home furnishing item, and we're loving it. We have been using "hand me downs" for everything for our almost 5 yrs of marriage. Nice, since we saved all that money, but it was time to say good-bye to our red couches (they looked awesome in the old house, but not this new one). Everything is from Ashley Furniture, where we have a sweet hook-up. We made that little cat tree for Jynx, to try and keep him off our new stuff...it's working so far. My sister's first comment was "It looks grown up!"

Expelliarmus



We dressed up for our ward "Trunk-or-Treat" and had a good time w/friends there. We had the best decorated trunk, of course! As for Halloween night...we didn't pass out candy, but instead went out...and it was Awesome! (Didn't feel bad, since the kids who would come by our house we already saw at Trunk-or-Treat) We had the restaurant and stores all to ourselves. That's the best evening to have a night out and not have to see all the crowds.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

In my Belly

So here are some picts. I saw this idea on another blog, to take a pict each week, wearing the same thing. It was my idea to measure, I like to see when the changes are happening. Not much change the last month except I gained 1 more inch. What's the most interesting, is in the morning I am my regular 36-37 inches, but by night I am a whole 2 inches rounder, the clothes definately feel tighter! All these picts are taken on Friday mornings, so you don't see my full 'large and in charge' yet! I am feeling bigger, but still feel healthy and well.
I started a journal for myself and baby, again to document when changes happen, how I feel physically and mentally at different times, what people say, stuff like that. This is an exerpt of what I wrote about my growing belly: I am about 6 months (24 weeks) along now and you can tell that I am pregnant, and don't just have a chubby stomach! I am loving my cute little round belly. Some of my clothes look even better! I have looked forward to seeing myself with a pregnant belly, and my body is growing well to accomodate you. It's funny, because people now give me a look that says "Oh, you have a pregnant belly now!" Which is then what people voice to me in some way. My friend's husband saw me yesterday and noticed my growing belly and said "Ya know, there's nothing more pretty than seeing a woman pregnant." That was very nice of him. I am mostly getting surprised looks from those who didn't know I was pregnant (acquaintences), or people saying I am now looking pregnant, pointing out the obvious. It is nice to hear genuine comments about my quickly changing looks.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

99 days

...until Baby is supposed to come. Um....hello, that is less than 100! Where has the time gone? I am 25 weeks and 6 days along (6 1/2 months); I only have 14 weeks and 1 day to go. Wow! Tis the season for time to rush by even faster now too. I will post some picts of the growing belly soon. I am beginning to start feeling him moving more distinct now. Spencer felt his movement last night for the first time. Sweet.
"I weigh just under 2 lbs and am 14 inches tall; I can respond to noises from outside."

Monday, October 19, 2009

Cruisin the Cold

September 10-18, 2009 we left for Seattle, WA to catch the inside passage Alaskan Cruise. Click on the pictures to enlarge. We were so excited for the fun. We met up with Spencer's old H.S. friend Rachel and her cute little family in Seattle. They were so great and took us to see Mt. Ranier. What an amazing National Park. It's this huge, snowcovered mountain in the middle of the forest. So crazy. We loved Seattle and want to go back for a real vacation. Thanks Rachel, Sterling and Stockton for the great time. CRUISING ALASKA: Day 1: we left Seattle to make our way towards Alaska. We saw our 1 and only sunset this night. It was beautiful! (The flowers I got for $5 at Pike's Place Market in Seattle before we left)
Day 2: Was our first day at sea. No pictures, no need. The boat was rocking so bad, going over 16 foot swells, let's just say that is NOT ideal! Melina threw up 6 times (after everything she ate) and Spencer just did not feel normal either.
Day 3: Our first port, Juneau Alaska. We took a bus tour to Mendenhall Glacier. We wanted to do a little hike here, but Melina wasn't fully recovered from the day before, and it was a little colder than we expected! We walked around the town, then got back on the ship.
Day 4: Our second port, Skagway Alaska. This was our favorite port in Alaska. We had our full energy back and had a beautiful, sunshiny day. We started out on the White Pass Railway tour. It was a bus tour that took us to the top of the railroad, then the railway took us down it's route. It was so interesting to learn about the Gold Rush and all the drama that went on back then! After this we went back and changed to some cooler clothes and did a little hike. It was so green, and being in the fresh air did us some good.
Day 5: The ship took us to a Fjord, which is an inlet, to see a Glacier. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one on the schedule, and not as pretty, we heard. We were in there at 6 a.m. and left there at noon. So the rest of the day was a day at sea. (we did not look forward to 1.5 days at sea). We got some cool pictures, and the glacier was neat, seeing all the broken ice in the ocean, but there was no wildlife.
Day 6: our second Day at Sea. We played it really safe, not wanting to have another awful day at sea. We woke up and made it through breakfast. We found mid-ship where it rocked the least, and parked it there for the day. We took our books and labtop, read and watched a movie. We made it through the day not throwing up, but we still did not feel ideal, and on the brink now and then. See all the fun towel animals our stateroom attendant left us each night.
Day 7: Our last port in Victoria, Canada. Again, we had a beauiful,clear day. Our main event here was to visit the Butchart Gardens. WOW, they are so worth it! We love flowers and landscaping, so it was perfect for us. Even though it was the end of the season, it was still an amazing sight. One day...hopefully our backyard will compare!
Day 8: We ended the cruise at Vancouver, Canada. We wanted to spend the day here, so booked our flight for the next day. We were SO glad we had this extra day. We absolutely loved Vancouver. There is a ton to do, but we figured out a great game plan that allowed us to do a lot, and enjoy what we did. We laughed and lived up the last day of spending with each other on vacation.
In the end, this Alaskan Cruise was a little rough for us. We did not see really any wildlife we expected to see (dolphins, eagles). The mountains were cool, but we have awesome one's here. We had an awesome start in Seattle and end in Vancouver, with some high points in between, but this vacation took a little toll on us. We still love the idea of the cruise, and will go on another, but we'll make sure it's in mostly calm waters...and I'm not pregnant! Enjoy the pictures. You can view these and lots more in our picasa album.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Warnings/Precautions

I received this email from 2 family members now. Usually I don't pass the word along b/c I've heard it before, but I found these to be some very good tips on avoiding danger and keeping ourselves a little bit safer by being aware of what we can do.

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!
2. Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you....Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy..The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..
...If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!
7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP. It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her 'Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door..'The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.' He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby. He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.
10. Water scam! If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.
Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbors!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Have fun and Rock Out

Sept 9th we were at the Keith Urban Concert. He just rock's out and shows us why we keep going back to see him every year! (this was my 4th or 5th of his). It was a BLAST!!
Boondocks opened the show for him with their harmonizing bliss. They really are amazing singers, all 4 of them have really great voices of their own, and together produce such a unique, yet fun tune.
Rock out with Keith Urban

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Funny Quotes

from "Dancing w/the Stars" I just watched them all last night...
(May not be word for word, just from memory, but you get the jist of why they would be funny...maybe, at least I was laughing!)

Kelly Osbourne first said when hearing about the cha cha "Now does that mean you take 1 step on every Cha of the Cha Cha Cha?!" Then later after getting her Cha Cha routine down she exclaimed, "That's it, I'm changing my name to ChaCha!" in her accent, of course. You go girl! She is one of my favs for this cast.

Donny Osmond: was told by the annoying voice comedian (sorry can't remember his name)

"Donny, you are 51 years old, don't you think it's time we start calling you DON!"

Very nice, I had a couple real great laughs last night.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Outnumbered...

The most anticipated news is here for you today...

We have a perfect and healthy growing BOY
ABOVE: His head is on the left. Closed fist is the "bubble" looking thing. The knee, leg and foot is after the fist, going to the right.
BELOW: The V-looking thing are his 2 legs. The "junk" (as Spencer put it) is sticking out of the middle of the V. His head is in the background, I think. The bubble on the left I think is his fist.
Isn't technology amazing. They said he is growing perfectly and healthy, and so am I.

I will officially be outnumbered come February. It's all good, I love boys.

P.S. This is my 100th Post! How's that for perfect subject timing.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Baby Q&A

Due date: February 3, 2010 (so I am 19 weeks along, almost 5 months)
Gender: We will find out on Sept. 21st. We don't have a preference, or had any special feelings on what it could be. Thought alot about which we prefer, but in the end would just love a healthy babe.
How have I felt? Good for the most part. Didn't get the whole morning sickness/throwing up in the first 3 months, just had an uneasy feeling in my stomach the whole time. I was super tired and only had 80% energy levels throughout, which was the hardest for me, since I wake up and don't stop until I go to bed. But I just couldn't do that! It has been harder than I expected, I felt like I was a tough girl going into it, all the pregnant women I see make it look so easy! I had not researched or talked to many women so I did not know what to expect really, also did not think it'd happen so fast, but greatful for it. But I made it through and feel awesome and back to normal again...for the next couple months at least.
We have known since June 1. Yes, we "lied" when you asked if we were expecting, but hellooo, you should not have been asking in the first place! Manners people, this is a VERY personal matter, to be made public when we felt ready. (by asking, it tells me you think my stomach is fat enough to have a baby inside!)
...I guess there is really nothing else yet to tell. We are super excited and looking forward to the biggest adventure of our life!

About the video:
I took Spencer to Asian Star. I had dropped off the present earlier. I held the camera in my lap, waiting for the waiter to bring out the surprise. As soon as he did I put the camera on the table and started rolling. No, Spencer did not notice it, he was too busy trying to figure out what was going on at the moment...as you can tell by the expression. What was in the present? Just a little onesie and my positive test. The card read: Dear future daddy, I can't wait to meet you in 9 months. Love, Baby. Awwwwwwww, I know! Spencer actually couldn't really read it, just kept looking at love, Baby and realized his thoughts were really true by that point. (idea's found online)

P.S. Is Spencer not the most adorable, sensitive man! I love him more than the world. (See the video below if you haven't yet)

Sunday, August 30, 2009

It's all in the Eyes

Not much of a video person, but found this video to be HILARIOUS! This is a must watch. It's only 38 seconds.
Pay special attention to the First 6 seconds and the Eyes. Turn up the volume as well. Enjoy!

Surfin' USA

The annual Maughan Family Reunion was last week. We went to Jordanelle with a boat and couple waverunners. The weather was sunny and hot, and lots of people were enjoying the lake. Spencer & I learned a little how to "Surf" behind the boat. Take a look at the short clips, we did get to toss the rope fora second! It was a lot of fun, we went crazy on the waverunners...I just love those things, they are exhilirating. Family, you can see pictures from our Picasa web albums that we took of you and kids.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Someone Special & a cake

Best wishes [to the most amazing person in my life] on your special day.
So I made his most favorite delish cake to enjoy all week. It was quite the masterpiece.
This was some very intense cake making!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Schizophrenia?

"What Your Sleep Personality Says About Your Waking Life" on MSN. Freud called dreams the “royal road” to the unconscious. While modern research on sleep and dreaming makes smaller claims, it turns out that you can learn more than you’d expect about both health and personality by looking at various aspects of your sleep and dreaming life. Below are the two that most fit me:
The Peaceful Sleeper
If you sleep like a log, you probably have an attitude of gratitude. A study of 161 people published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research found that those who focus on what they have—not what they lack—fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Grateful people are also less tired and more functional during the day.
Why would being grateful affect your sleep? The researchers found that this was related to the thoughts people had as they drifted off. Being thankful led to faster, deeper sleep.“People who are feeling more grateful are less tense and anxious, because the two are incompatible,” says Vincent. “A mental state like that at bedtime would be helpful for your sleep.”
The Dreaming Sleeper
Can you vividly recall your dreams each morning? Your sleep style indicates that you are likely highly creative in your waking life."People with an intensely high level of dream recall have something called 'thin borders,'" says James Pagel, MD, Director of the Sleepworks Laboratory in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "That means that for them, everything is in shades of grey, there's not whole lot of black or white. They’re not purely Democrats or Republicans; they are not quite asleep or awake and they define much of their lives in that way."Such people tend to be odd and quirky—and although most are perfectly normal, they are at higher risk than others for schizophrenia.
Haha, I hope not to the schiz part. People, watch out! What type of sleeper are you?

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

$0.05 Back

at Smith's grocery when you use this...Along with filling these sweet bags 3x's as FULL, you can halt your collection of plastic bags while saving the environment. It's your choice!
You can get these for $1 almost anywhere, and stash them in your car...just remember to grab them. I have 6 and have loved them!
All a Dollar sells this kind w/o the Store brand or name on them.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

This and that Overload

**Multiple posts and even more pictures were created for our busy/fun month of July, so scroll down if you like. The events are listed from latest to earliest**

A Time for Cowboy Hats: at the George Strait concert. We were given tix from my boss, and it was a relaxing, enjoyable evening.


Lastly, we hiked Donut Falls with some friends. This is a nice, short but rewarding hike.

Campin' w/the Girls

July 21st was Stake Girls Camp at Heber Camp for a week. Great facilities they have there! We had a fun time.

Ride that Pony: every spare moment was spent doing this!