You've leveled up from fetus to baby! Congratulations!
You do need a little talking to though. ::stern look:: You caused your mommy and daddy some undue alarm, get all tangled up like that and having to be brought in to this world by c-section. Fortunately, you are safe and healthy and that's all we can ask!
You were born on 21 July 2013, at 10:49 pm. You weighed 7 lbs and were 21 inches long. According to your mommy, you are adorable, and I believe her though I have yet to see you. You've made a lot of people very happy, little one.
I can't wait to come and see you. I plan on spoiling you as much as I am financially able to. Love you!
Jul 22, 2013
Jul 20, 2013
One Pot Mac and Cheese
It's been a long while since I shared a recipe, so I thought I would share a new recipe I tried this last week. I was thinking of something to have for dinner that was rather easy to make, and didn't involve me having to go to the store. I found this recipe and this recipe on pinterest and sort of combined them using the things I had in my kitchen. It's not as good as my dad's mac and cheese, but it was easy and fairly quick to make.
One Pot Mac and Cheese
1/2 lb pasta (all I had was wagon wheel)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (I have no idea why I have dijon mustard--I don't like mustard, but I do, so I used it)
lemon pepper
cheddar cheese (how ever much you want)
freshly ground pepper
In a sauce pot, combine ingredients from the pasta to the lemon pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then turn to low, cover and cook for twenty minutes. You'll want to continue stirring to make sure the pasta doesn't stick together. At the end of the twenty minutes the pasta should be all the way cooked. Turn off the burner. Add in the cheese and stir until it's melted. Put pepper in to taste.
One Pot Mac and Cheese
1/2 lb pasta (all I had was wagon wheel)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (I have no idea why I have dijon mustard--I don't like mustard, but I do, so I used it)
lemon pepper
cheddar cheese (how ever much you want)
freshly ground pepper
In a sauce pot, combine ingredients from the pasta to the lemon pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then turn to low, cover and cook for twenty minutes. You'll want to continue stirring to make sure the pasta doesn't stick together. At the end of the twenty minutes the pasta should be all the way cooked. Turn off the burner. Add in the cheese and stir until it's melted. Put pepper in to taste.
Jul 7, 2013
Sunday Special: The Gospel is a Sonnet
You know how sometimes you go back and read a book, or watch a movie, or listen to a song from your childhood and it's not as good as you remember? This isn't one of those times. Last week while I was waiting for my holds to come in at the library, I picked up a book I haven't read for some years. It's a pretty classic book, most kids read it at some point in their life. I read it by myself first, then my sixth grade class read it. And I'm sure I read it after that once or twice. But when I picked it up this last week and read it, I was so surprised by how deep this 200 page book written for children actually is.
The book? A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. It seemed like there was something in every chapter that could relate to the gospel, or just life in general. I really liked how L'Engle didn't take God out of science, but made Him part of it. She taught about good and evil and how to tell the difference, and the importance of love and trust. It's an amazing book.
The part of the book I wanted to talk about today in my Sunday Special comes near the climax of the story. Two characters, Calvin and Mrs. Whatsit, are talking about knowing the future, and Calvin asks if the Happy Medium (a seer of sorts) couldn't tell them what will happen. Here is Mrs. Whatsit's answer and the following conversation:
What I love about this speech is that it puts so perfectly what the Church is like. I think a lot of people look at the LDS (Mormon) Church and think that it's so strict, that we just follow blindly without any original thought, and "don't have any fun." But, to me, the Church is like a sonnet. We are given certain guidelines and rules, but within those we are given the freedom to create something beautiful. A beautiful life. And it's the strict form that make it all the more beautiful.
Think of Shakespeare. He wrote over 100 sonnets, just stand alone sonnets. All of them different, all of them beautiful. And then he took the sonnet form and used them in his plays, the most amazing example (to me), is when Romeo and Juliet talk for the first time. Their lines create a sonnet: 14 lines, iambic pentameter, ABAB rhyme scheme, ending with a rhyming couplet. And no one ever notices this until it's pointed at to them (at least, I didn't until my Shakespeare professor showed us).
The thing is, to make life good, there has to be "rules" but that doesn't mean that rules are really holding us back, they are creating a safe world, a world where we are forced to become more creative, to find the beauty in hard things. I've never written a sonnet, but I imagine it's a little difficult making sure it fits all of the criteria. But in a way, that makes it all the more worthwhile, yeah?
Here's another way of thinking about it: take a road. There are certain laws we have to follow, right? Speed limits being a big one. Driving on the correct side, not passing on the right, not crossing double lines, stopping at red lights, using our blinkers, no driving under the influence, etc. But if we follow those laws, we have the freedom to go anywhere. I could get in my car and head east on I-80 and go across the entire country. I could go south, west, north, northeast, southwest, westnorth, northsouthwest, where ever. I could drive up to Canada (if I have my passport), or down into Mexico. I could zigzag across the country and visit every continental state, or I could go straight to a specific destination. And as long as I follow the rules, no one is going to stop me.
Laws, rules, guidelines, "strict forms of poetry"; none of these prevent us from having a beautiful, creative, fun life. In fact, I would say, the freedom they give us, the freedom the Gospel gives us, within those rules, makes it even more beautiful, creative, and fun. God doesn't want us sad, nor does He want us to be carbon copies of each other, but He does want us to be safe, and to be able to return to Him someday. To do that, He has given us a plan, with certain things we need to follow, while at the same time, allowing us to choose and create our own life-sonnet.
The book? A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. It seemed like there was something in every chapter that could relate to the gospel, or just life in general. I really liked how L'Engle didn't take God out of science, but made Him part of it. She taught about good and evil and how to tell the difference, and the importance of love and trust. It's an amazing book.
The part of the book I wanted to talk about today in my Sunday Special comes near the climax of the story. Two characters, Calvin and Mrs. Whatsit, are talking about knowing the future, and Calvin asks if the Happy Medium (a seer of sorts) couldn't tell them what will happen. Here is Mrs. Whatsit's answer and the following conversation:
"Oh, not in this kind of thing," Mrs. Whatsit sounded surprised at his question. "If we knew ahead of time what was going to happen we'd be--we'd be like the people on Camazotz, with no lives of our own, with everything all planned and done for us. How can I explain it to you? Oh, I know. In your language you have a form of poetry called the sonnet."
"Yes, yes," Calvin said impatiently. "What's that got to do with the Happy Medium?"
"Kindly pay me the courtesy of listening to me." Mrs. Whatsit's voice was stern, and for a moment Calvin stopped pawing the ground like a nervous colt. "It is a very strict form of poetry, is it not?"
"Yes."
"There are fourteen lines, I believe, all in iambic pentameter. That's a very strict rhythm or meter, yes?"
"Yes." Calvin nodded.
"And each line has to end with a rigid rhyme pattern. And if the poet does not do it exactly this way, it is not a sonnet, is it?"
"No."
"But within this strict form the poet has complete freedom to say whatever he wants, doesn't he?"
"Yes." Calvin nodded again.
"So," Mrs. Whatsit said.
"So what?"
"Oh, do not be stupid, boy!" Mrs. Whatsit scolded. "You know perfectly well what I am driving at!"
"You mean you're comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but freedom within it?"
"Yes," Mrs. Whatsit said. "You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself. What you say is completely up to you." (186-187)
What I love about this speech is that it puts so perfectly what the Church is like. I think a lot of people look at the LDS (Mormon) Church and think that it's so strict, that we just follow blindly without any original thought, and "don't have any fun." But, to me, the Church is like a sonnet. We are given certain guidelines and rules, but within those we are given the freedom to create something beautiful. A beautiful life. And it's the strict form that make it all the more beautiful.
Think of Shakespeare. He wrote over 100 sonnets, just stand alone sonnets. All of them different, all of them beautiful. And then he took the sonnet form and used them in his plays, the most amazing example (to me), is when Romeo and Juliet talk for the first time. Their lines create a sonnet: 14 lines, iambic pentameter, ABAB rhyme scheme, ending with a rhyming couplet. And no one ever notices this until it's pointed at to them (at least, I didn't until my Shakespeare professor showed us).
The thing is, to make life good, there has to be "rules" but that doesn't mean that rules are really holding us back, they are creating a safe world, a world where we are forced to become more creative, to find the beauty in hard things. I've never written a sonnet, but I imagine it's a little difficult making sure it fits all of the criteria. But in a way, that makes it all the more worthwhile, yeah?
Here's another way of thinking about it: take a road. There are certain laws we have to follow, right? Speed limits being a big one. Driving on the correct side, not passing on the right, not crossing double lines, stopping at red lights, using our blinkers, no driving under the influence, etc. But if we follow those laws, we have the freedom to go anywhere. I could get in my car and head east on I-80 and go across the entire country. I could go south, west, north, northeast, southwest, westnorth, northsouthwest, where ever. I could drive up to Canada (if I have my passport), or down into Mexico. I could zigzag across the country and visit every continental state, or I could go straight to a specific destination. And as long as I follow the rules, no one is going to stop me.
Laws, rules, guidelines, "strict forms of poetry"; none of these prevent us from having a beautiful, creative, fun life. In fact, I would say, the freedom they give us, the freedom the Gospel gives us, within those rules, makes it even more beautiful, creative, and fun. God doesn't want us sad, nor does He want us to be carbon copies of each other, but He does want us to be safe, and to be able to return to Him someday. To do that, He has given us a plan, with certain things we need to follow, while at the same time, allowing us to choose and create our own life-sonnet.
Jul 1, 2013
June Book of the Month
In keeping with the "theme" of June, the book I'm recommending is Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery.
After I got back from my vacation to Prince Edward Island, I decided I wanted to reread Anne to see how being there has changed the way I feel. And I was reminded by how much I love Anne and the Cuthberts. There is something about that little red headed girl who worms her way into everyone's hearts, the reader's included. I think every little girl should be introduced to Anne Shirley, because of her imagination, and her desire to be good. She has faults (stubbornness), and makes mistakes (liniment in a cake, getting her friend drunk, breaking a slate over someone's head, dying her hair, etc.), which makes her even more endearing. And there are so many good things Anne has to say, some adorable, and some quite profound. Things that young girls need to hear.
That being said, I remember it being a lot more difficult to read than it actually is. I think I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time when I was about 12, and I did read it several times throughout the years, but reading it again it was a quicker read. This isn't a bad thing, just an observation and something to keep in mind if you are thinking about recommending it to a kid.
And to finish this review off, I cried at the end. Even though I knew what was coming, I still cried. I think that's the best recommendation I can give--that I can still have an emotional reaction to something after having read it (and seen the movies) several times.
Additional reading:
The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career by LM Montgomery
This is a short autobiography (about 100 pages) where you learn about the inspiration of some things in Anne of Green Gables, as well as Montgomery's childhood, etc. Really interesting read.
After I got back from my vacation to Prince Edward Island, I decided I wanted to reread Anne to see how being there has changed the way I feel. And I was reminded by how much I love Anne and the Cuthberts. There is something about that little red headed girl who worms her way into everyone's hearts, the reader's included. I think every little girl should be introduced to Anne Shirley, because of her imagination, and her desire to be good. She has faults (stubbornness), and makes mistakes (liniment in a cake, getting her friend drunk, breaking a slate over someone's head, dying her hair, etc.), which makes her even more endearing. And there are so many good things Anne has to say, some adorable, and some quite profound. Things that young girls need to hear.
That being said, I remember it being a lot more difficult to read than it actually is. I think I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time when I was about 12, and I did read it several times throughout the years, but reading it again it was a quicker read. This isn't a bad thing, just an observation and something to keep in mind if you are thinking about recommending it to a kid.
And to finish this review off, I cried at the end. Even though I knew what was coming, I still cried. I think that's the best recommendation I can give--that I can still have an emotional reaction to something after having read it (and seen the movies) several times.
Additional reading:
The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career by LM Montgomery
This is a short autobiography (about 100 pages) where you learn about the inspiration of some things in Anne of Green Gables, as well as Montgomery's childhood, etc. Really interesting read.
Jun 20, 2013
Going Home (PEI Day 6)
I decided to get to the airport early the next day because I hadn't been able to check in to my flight online the night before, and because I had something to ask Hertz about the car. It was a good thing I did too, since my plane ticket seemed to have disappeared.
Yes, that's right, they couldn't find my plane ticket. A very nice man named Angus spent an hour searching for it and calling different airlines. When I had been driving through Charlottetown on my way to the airport I was sad to be leaving, but when I thought that I wouldn't be flying home that day I immediately got homesick. All I wanted was to be able to go home now. Fortunately, Angus was finally able to recover my boarding passes and I was finally on my way home!
There's something about walking out to a plane, or exiting a plane by stairs that makes me feel like I'm in a movie. And I got to do it quite a bit on this trip. :)
My first layover was in Montreal, and let me tell ya, it was like entering another country, even more so than entering Canada was. Everyone was speaking French, and I had to go through customs, which I thought was weird. (Come to find out, it made it so I didn't have to go through customs once I actually entered the US. It was still weird though.)
When I made it to Chicago, I was able to call home. Mom told me that she had been tracking all my flights, which made me feel loved and missed. It was that last flight that was the worst. It was the longest of all my flights, and the last leg of a journey is always hard to endure (I am not a good traveler, have I mentioned?). I also finished my book thirty minutes before the end of the flight, which was a bit rubbish. It was too late to turn on my iPod because I would just have to turn it off again in a few minutes when we started out descent. So I wrote in my journal, but it still didn't take up all the time. I glanced out the window and saw our wonderful Utah mountains, and got a bit teary eyed. No matter how much I loved the Island, or what a good time I had, Utah will always be my home and it felt good to return to it.
Perks of Being a Mormon (PEI Day 5)
Sunday means church! Fortunately, there is a ward that meets just 10 minutes from where I was staying, so I got all ready for church and headed out early, since I seemed to become lost every time I tried to get somewhere. The church was actually easy to find, so I was there 30 minutes early.
Everyone in the ward was super friendly. They all came up to meet me and ask where I was visiting from, which was great. This is the great thing about being Mormon, there is a worldwide network of people to take you in and make you feel at home. The ward was smaller than I was used to, but the talks and lessons were good.
In Relief Society, I sat next to a woman who lives in New Brunswick (I think . . . ) and she crosses over the border to Maine every week for church! That just blew my mind. Imagine going to a different country for church every week. Crazy.
I had some good conversations with the members, which I should have expected. Everyone apologized for the unseasonably cold weather they had been having, though it's not their fault.
After a good day at church, I decided to take a walk and find a place to sit and read. I ended up walking past Beaconsfield again, and onto a nice little walkway by the ocean. After walking a bit, I found a bench where I could read for a little while.
Everyone in the ward was super friendly. They all came up to meet me and ask where I was visiting from, which was great. This is the great thing about being Mormon, there is a worldwide network of people to take you in and make you feel at home. The ward was smaller than I was used to, but the talks and lessons were good.
In Relief Society, I sat next to a woman who lives in New Brunswick (I think . . . ) and she crosses over the border to Maine every week for church! That just blew my mind. Imagine going to a different country for church every week. Crazy.
I had some good conversations with the members, which I should have expected. Everyone apologized for the unseasonably cold weather they had been having, though it's not their fault.
After a good day at church, I decided to take a walk and find a place to sit and read. I ended up walking past Beaconsfield again, and onto a nice little walkway by the ocean. After walking a bit, I found a bench where I could read for a little while.
The view as lovely, and the day nice, just warm enough with a slight breeze. There were people out on the water on little boats, and lots of families taking walks. It was a very pleasant place to read, affording comfort and just the right amount of distraction.
A little while later I decided to continue my walk circling around past the park and the lieutenant governor's house. I also went on a walk later that night to a different part of town, with a nice little memorial garden, down by the wharf. I also got ice cream again from COWS.
While I ate I took one last look around Charlottetown, since I knew I wouldn't have time before leaving the next morning.
You know, I had been a little worried about going on vacation by myself. I thought I might get lonely, but I never did. I had a wonderful time! I was so relaxed and never thought about work or home (except when I talked to my parents). There was always something to keep me busy, and things to see. The people were so friendly that I never felt that any need for anyone else, at least, not for the six days I was there.
Jun 19, 2013
Blue Skies (PEI Day 4)
Friday night I was starting to wonder what I would do for the last two days I was on the island. Come to find out there was nothing to worry about!
Saturday was a beautiful day! The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the weather was warm. There is a farmer's market on Saturdays in Charlottetown, and I got the bright idea that I was going to walk there, because it was only a mile away. So after breakfast I headed out.
And got lost.
Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to find the market, so I turned around and starting making my way back.
And got lost.
At one point I looked over in the direction I was pretty sure I needed to be headed, and I saw the spires of St. Dunstan's Basilica, which is right across the street from my hotel. And I thanked God for St. Dunstan, whoever he was, because that's how I found my way back.
I decided to get some lunch from the grocery store and head out to the beach. I had heard of a beach called Basin Head that was famous for it's "singing sands." On my way out of town, I saw the farmer's market and realized how close I was when I had turned around! Dagnabit! Oh well, it was an adventure!
Saturday was a beautiful day! The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the weather was warm. There is a farmer's market on Saturdays in Charlottetown, and I got the bright idea that I was going to walk there, because it was only a mile away. So after breakfast I headed out.
And got lost.
Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to find the market, so I turned around and starting making my way back.
And got lost.
At one point I looked over in the direction I was pretty sure I needed to be headed, and I saw the spires of St. Dunstan's Basilica, which is right across the street from my hotel. And I thanked God for St. Dunstan, whoever he was, because that's how I found my way back.
 |
| St. Dunstan's Basilica |
Basin Head is supposedly located in a town called Souris. One thing I learned about PEI highways is to just follow the signs, and you should be able to get to where you're going. You turn when it says to turn and you go straight when it doesn't. After about an hour I got to Souris, but didn't see any sign for Basin Head. I went straight through without seeing it. I did end up at a beach eventually, just not the one I was heading for. I finally just turned into Red Point Provincial Park.
The sand was so soft beneath my bare feet. I don't even know when the last time was that I walked in the sand--very possibly five years ago when I went to Cornwall during my study abroad. I found a little place to sit, and I read and listened to the waves, and ran my hand and feet in the sun warmed sand. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was perfect. I even got a little sunburned.
 |
| The place I stopped to read |
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| Warming my feet in the sand. |
After about an hour and a half, I decided to roll up my pants and brave the water. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the water was not cold! I walked back the length of the beach, just in reach of the tips of the waves before they rushed back to sea.
I drove back to Charlottetown and decided that I wanted to see go out and see a movie, just because I could. I looked up showtimes and the theatre, and a couple hours later went out to find it. The theatre was a little hard to find, and I had to stop at a Burger King to ask for directions (Google made it seem like it was on the other side of the street, in full view, when really it was behind the mall). I saw Now You See Me, which was a lot better than I was expecting it to be (there wasn't a big choice in movies).
After the movie, I headed to COWS Ice Cream Parlor, which boasts the best ice cream in Canada. Considering it is the only ice cream I've eaten in Canada, I can neither confirm nor deny that claim. But it was pretty good.
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