Meals for the Week

I'm soo hungry everything on this website looks good but I found a few new recipes for us to try these next couple weeks.

First... texas sheet cake sounds so good!  Not sure why, but if I made it I would probably eat the entire thing!

Then I could go for some Tortilla soup

Then homemade scalloped potatoes.  yyuuuummmm!

And our favorite go-to's like spaghetti and meatballs, grilled cheese and soup, and chicken balls.  I know some people call them chicken pillows, but thats not nearly as much fun as calling them chicken balls. So there.  chicken balls!

Manicotti Stuffed Shells.... Heaven

Dinner tonight was pretty much amazing!  I made super easy manicotti stuffed shells.   Ready for the how to?

Cook manicotti shells (or jumbo shells) according to package, but just al dente or they will be too soft and tear.

 mix 15 oz. ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, some italian seasonings and a bit of salt.

I put the filling into a plastic bag and cut the tip and squooshed it into the tubes. High tech language there by the way.

Layer a bit of spaghetti sauce on bottom and the rest of the jar on top.  sprinkle with a bit of cheese and bake covered for 30 minutes at 350 then 15 minutes uncovered. 

It was soo good and really easy to make.  Bryan liked too.  He almost licked his plate clean!

Life in High Speed

wow.  I didn't know we could actually work this much!

Have we done anything in the past few weeks?

Dishes?  Nope
Cooking a real meal? No
Vaccuuming?  what's that?
Laundry?  Don't you wear your clothes inside out when they get dirty?
Sleeping?  yea right!

I don't know who is trying to kick our butts with work but its working.  I'm going to talk to my manager tomorrow about getting at least a 1/2 day off a week.  50 hours a week is not cool. 

I don't even have fun things to write about becuase I hardly have energy to stay awake while eating dinner.  If cereal even counts as dinner :) 

But next friday Bryan and I will be snuggled up on the couch at home in Oregon watching a Christmas movie with our family.  If I can only make it one more week. 

Holidays in One Post

My awsome sister in law took lots of pictures for Thanksgiving, baby blessings, and baptisms when I didn't even bring my camera. Here are just a few highlights.

Bryan with the only nephew Bennett

 Thanksgiving in our little abode. 12 people!

 Playing at the park waiting for dinner to settle.

 Playing Dominos Thanksgiving night.

At Jen and Greg's the girls found the dress up clothes!

 Swimming at the Hotel

 Sleepy little girl.

 After Libby's baby blessing

 The whole Westfall Family!

 Sweet new Libby

 The baptism girl and her sisters

 Ready for the baptism.

 All the family that came to support Macy on her special day.

It was a busy couple of weeks with lots of family get togethers and we had a great time!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

We didn't have a free weekend to go hunt down a Christmas tree on a farm, so we went to the next best place....Home Depot!  We live right next to it so we bundled up and walked over there in the 15 degree weather.  Yes, I mean 15 degrees!!  BBRR!  We found the perfect tree and loaded it into the cart and walked it home.  We did return the cart though, we're honest citizens :)

Glad we had a saw!  Bryan trimmed the bottom of the tree so it wouldn't get too thirsty and could get a drink.

I love Christmas lights.  Brand new and still springy back in a bunch

Christmas is not complete without a Christmas tree.  Santa, we're ready for you now!

Back to Routine

Well, we had a crazy crazy couple of weeks with Bryan's parents coming to visit and spending the weeknd in Monticello for a blessing then coming up to Idaho for a baptism.  We had a wonderful visit with family and we loved seeing everyone but now everybody has left and flown home we realize now how neglected our poor apartment is.  I am on my 5th load of laundry and i've hardly made a dent in the laundry pile.  Dishes are finally being washed, and left overs are slowly being eaten.  P.S. If anyone is hungry please come over and help us eat our leftovers! Mail was stacked up, and we're finally getting things back in order.  It was so worth it though!

I wanted to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving so it would be festive when people came over, but of course that didn't happen.  I'm just now getting out decorations, but the decorations that filled a 450 sq. ft. apartment doesn't cut it for a 700 square foot apartment :)  Off to  Hobby Lobby I go!!!

Pictures soon!

Blessings of the Gospel

Today we were able to attend the baptism for our 8 year old niece.  I didn't bring my camera up to Idaho, so i'll have to commandeer some pictures from this weekend and post them when I can, but it was a fun (but short) trip.  Macy is 8 going on 20.  She is so grown up, intelligent and beautiful.  She knows the Gospel so well and will be a great member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I vaguely remember my baptism at eight years old.  I was lucky enough to actually be baptized on my birthday.  The whole baptism night was just for me and I didn't have to share it with anyone else.  Macy had 2 other girls and a little boy as well, which is how they do it in Idaho and Utah with so many members.  I wore a velvet floral dress with puffy sleeves, it was special.  I remember our old stake president was one of the speakers and I remember being baptized and receiving a big wet hug from my dad.  My mom helped me get cleaned up and ready then I was confirmed.  There were so many priesthood holders to hug after I was confirmed.  Afterward we had cake served in the church and we got to visit with friends and family who came. 

It was a special day and I didn't want to ruin the clean purity I felt.  I remember thinking if I sin now I have already messed up my baptism covenants.  I don't think I quite understood that every week when I took the Sacrament I could be forgiven.  I think I made it until the next day before getting "dirty."  Special memories.

Do you remember your baptism?

Happy Turkey Day

I'm sorry blogging world that I have ignored you for two weeks!  Here's been our life:

My mom and brother came for a funeral.

Doug left.

Next day mom left.

Too short of a trip but i absolutely loved having them.

Next weekend Bryan's parent came down.

Parent's stayed at our apartment while we worked 50 hours a week.

Today is Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow we (Bryan's parents, two siblings and their families) go down to Monticello.

Play in Monticello, UT for the weekend.

Bless baby Libby.

Come back to home, work all week.

Next weekend go to Pocatello, ID for a baptism!

So we have a very busy month, and then it will almost be time for CHRISTMAS!!!! YAY!!!

I hope you all have a very happy, yummy, and family oriented Thanksgiving! 

Kodak Moment

Here are the pictures!! I got them last week and have been so busy I forgot to post them!  I love them and I'm planning places for them to go!

P.S. It was FREEZING!  Like 30 degrees freezing.  Bryan's coat didn't match well, so we pretended that it wasn't cold, and tried to not have bright red noses and hands. I think we tricked you pretty well.

Whirlwind Weekend

My mom and brother flew in to SLC friday for a family funeral. We had a great weekend together, despite the sadness in the family.  We ate a lot, made treats, shopped, and laughed.  It was a well needed break for all of us.  Mom and Doug had a sleep over in the living on our new air mattress til Doug left on Sunday then mom and I had a sleep over Sunday night.  I'm never too old for a sleep over with my mom. 

When we were at the cemetary, we found a great little friend.  He was rooting his nose in the snow looking for a tastey mole or something.  Doug whisteled at him and he came running over and jumped right in the back seat of the car!  We wanted to take him home!

Fits right in with us doesn't he?  Then we had to take Doug to the airport.  I hate saying goodbye.  It sounds cliche but I really dread it.

 We all love you Sarah and we are so glad you are free from pain. We'll see you again!

I'm so glad that I could see so many family member, and my mom and brother.  I can't wait for Christmas!

Fact

Ya know, I only ate 1 piece of Halloween candy.

Thats okay, otherwise my pants wouldn't fit!

Although I love Twix.

Its November now, so pretty much I have free range to my Christmas music.

And serious idea searching on Pinterest for Christmas ideas!

In other news, my family both on my side and Bryan's is such an inspiration to me.  Thank you.

Bryan's parents are coming to town in a couple weeks!  YAY!

And then its CHRISTMAS BREAK AT HOME!!!

Wilbur and Eunice

This weekend {Wilbur} and I went to Pocatello to visit his brother and family. We had a rockin' Halloween Party that Macy (7 years old) and Addie (4 years old) were in charge of planning. we played pin the tail on the monster and had donut eating contests. Then we danced all night long to the monster mash!

{Wilbur and Eunice}

 Pin the tail on the Monster

 Sweet grandpa

Dancin' to the Monster Mash!

Donut Eating Contest

Um.. can you say sugar rush??

Grandpa in training. 

We love them all!