Ben & Manda

33 weeks!

2012-02-05T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hey blogger friends and family! I hope all is well with you! :) Time is flying... I haven't been the best at all to update but all is well here!

It's a boy!! :)

2011-10-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you haven't guessed we are so excited and I have been dying to tell everyone. So here he is... at 19 weeks

Long Time Coming

2011-03-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well it has been awhile and with a huge pile of papers calling to me (to grade), I decided to take a minute to blog. Here is a quick update.

Saturday 3.12.2011
We ran our first 5k!! We started running in January and this was our big goal! It was nice to be running for such a good cause. We ran the Rex Lee run at BYU which sponspors Cancer research. Now that we ran our first 5k Ben is ready for a 5k mud race being advertized in June. Sounds fun... We'll see!
I was really excited for this because I called it my first "pi" day run. Close to 3.14 miles on 3.14.. Yea yea pi day was on Monday but I have always wanted to participate in the "pi day runs" the byu math dept put on when I was a student. So I had to stretch this a little. I guess what I am really excited for is 3.14.15. #1 it is on a saturday so I am sure there will be a 5k that day, and # it is the ultimate pi day 3.1415, 15 being the next two digits of pi. Here we are after the race!!

Sunday 3.13.2011
Here is our ultimate Brazilian dinner from Ben's mission. beans topped with rice, salad or lettuce, and spaghetti. Not colorful like I would have hoped for pic taking purposed but it was really good!

Monday 3.14.2011
Happy Belated Pi Day everyone! My first pi day as a math teacher was awesome. I made cookie bars with pi symbols frosted on the top for each class, to go along with pi day trivia ofcourse. They were delish. Next year I may just invest in this "pi" cookie cutter... $13 though.. hah. Don't think I am a total nerd for posting this ofcourse.

P.S. BACHELOR FANS!! Were you so happy about Emily and Brad? talk about surprized! I heard the spoilers were saying that Chantal was supposed to win, and Em and Brad had a rough last date I thought. Well hey they seem like a cute couple that are keeping it together. The drama of the couple breaking up on that same night is always to much for me. They are too cute, so I'm hoping the best for them!

Gratitude is the Attitude

2010-11-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been challenging as I've managed to catch any sickness that any of my students have. Although this has been so frustrating, I have been blessed with no other option but to slow down and relax. With Thanksgiving around the corner I couldn't help but think of how grateful I am for the blessings all around me.

1. Freedom & Religion- Privilege to live in America and have freedom of choice. All the blessings of the gospel, and to have temples to close.

2. Ben!- He is the best. This week he has been so helpful and kind: he makes the best grilled cheese and soup. and does the dishes and laundry when he senses my stress.
p.s. he turned 24 this week!! Happy BDAY Ben!! (we celebrated with Outback Steakhouse, gifts, cake, duck hunting yesterday just to name a few)

3. All My family & Cell phones- Talking to my mom & having Marcia and Miriam so close.

4. Teaching! I am so grateful to be able to teach. It is getting easier and less stressful by the day. I love going to school and helping each student gain a desire to learn new things.

5. Trials- UPs and DOWNs. You need them both to appreciate the UP times. This weekend I lost my voice. For those who know me... this seems impossible but no.. I hope its back for Monday!

Hope you all enjoy this chilly Autumn season!

Back in high school!

2010-10-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sad. It's true. And I love it. Much harder than I expected, but absolutely worth it. 8 Weeks down, just a few more to go... ;) They say your first year of teaching is the hardest. Some days its a breeze & other days I have students male and female who break out into crying by the time 2:15 rolls around. Kids are so funny: from anamae, writing notes in class, chats with BFF btwn classes, insect collections, etc the list never ends. What an eventful life it is to be a teenager, I can barely keep up.

Well, including school, Here are top 10 changes that have happened in the past little while.

1. Ben is back in school! He is studying accounting. He really does love his major, and enjoys everything he is learning. This is good. 3 years to go, and we are counting down. :)

2. I make quick unplanned dinners 1-2 nights a week.

3. We don't watch TV anymore. No time.

4. I teach math to 110 students ranging from ages 11-13. Oh the emotions, and the smells, and all funny things...

5. I spotted my first gray hair. ;)

6. We are going ELK hunting this weekend! (My 1st time)

7. UEA weekend is this week, so I have off until next tuesday!

10. Ironically, I can't count. Happy Weekend!

The Economists

2010-09-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Cheapest Family in America...
This is an interesting video. Feel free to post any comments.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39416868/ns/today-today_people/?gt1=43001

HAPPY OCTOBER!!

Cafe Rio Recipes

2010-08-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Sweet Pork
2.5 lbs pork (pork loin filet peices work well or pork roast)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 can coke
15 oz can mild green enchilada sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar

Cut pork into large cubes, put in crock pot. season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. add a can of coke.
cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
remove meat and drain. shred meat and place in bowl.
stir in green chile enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Chicken
1 cup Italian Dressing
1/4 cup water
2 cubes chicken buillon
1 T chili powder
2-3 lbs chicken breast
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup cilantro chopped

Cook Italian dressing, water, buillon, chili powder, and chicken all together in a crock pot for 4 hours. shred meat, add cilantro and garlic and cook an additional 1/2 hour.

Lime Rice
1 c. dry rice
2 c. chicken broth
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
2 TBsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and cook in rice cooker. you may stir in 2 TBsp miched cilantro after rice is cooked.

Lime Cilantro Dressing
1/2 jar salsa verde(green chile salsa)
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 TBsp canned jalapendos
1/8 bunch cilantro
1/2 can evaporated milk
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 lime, juiced

blend all in blender

Pico de gallo
chopped roma tomatos
chopped white onion
lime juice
chopped jalapenos
garlic salt

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing- Mi favorita!
1 dry pkg ranch dressing
1 cup mayo
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatillos-peel oof paper, chop
1/3-1/2 cup buttermilk, to consistency you want
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Put in blender and mix. (note: i read online its a good idea to cook the tomatillos and cilantro before hand. i did this by broiling them lightly in the oven. otherwise i guess the dressing needs a day to taste the best)

Serve it Cafe rio style!!
Serve rice with pork or chicken on warm flour tortillas and toppings including: beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, a pinch of parmesan cheese, chip strips (torilla chips are same thing), and your favorite cafe dressing!

I owe these recipes to my freind Kathryn. we tried the chicken salad with the creamy tomatillo dressing and it was awesome.. if you arent close to a cafe rio you need to try this.. and if you are, and you spend most nights eating out there, try this!!!!

mi familia

2010-07-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

here is a pic of my entire family. kids have it so easy... they dont even have to smile and they are still the cutest people in the picture.

roadtrip to wisconsin

2010-07-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

in the middle of july ben and i roadtripped to wisconsin to see my family. these are a few of the things we enjoyed seeing the most besides the fam ofcourse!!

Nauvoo & winter quarters temples

the largest abe lincoln head ive ever seen. all 103 floors of the sears tower. the 2nd tallest skyscaper in the world! #1 is in taiwan.

this gold mans face i was able to step my head into.

bubba gump restaurant in chicago

a gold statue of two chinese men grabbing a pig being held up by a cars tougue (chicago)

Other things we saw

historical church sites: winter quarters, council bluffs, nauvoo, carthage
naperville/chicago: giridanos pizza, michelle and scotts house, navy's pier, a chicago hotdog joint, the best cheese and carmel popcorn
wisconsin: the wilson home, the entire fam, flash floods & tornado warnings, noahs ark!, the lake for tubing and fishing

thanks for a great vacation wilson fam. we miss you lots!!

Jumper Family Pic!

2010-07-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

Since Tyler has came home wednesday it has been a fun family filled weekend. We're glad to have Tyler back, although I am not really sure what it was like before his mission. But he seems like a great kid and a good match for my hunting/fishing hooked husband. Here are a couple of the family pics we got taken with Ben's family this weekend.

Tyler!

2010-06-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Ben's brother has been serving as a LDS missionary in Ventura, Ca. He gets home today and we are going to go pick him up from the airport! I am so excited to meet my Brother-In-Law finally! :) Pics to come.

Summer Update

2010-06-17T21:34:00.001-07:00

Lately we have been trying to soak up all the summertime we're gonna get. Ben is still working part time at Ivory homes and is also busy with a summer internship. Byu has been gracious and has allowed me to work as receptionist for just 1 more semester until fall when I start teaching, and the rest of the time I find myself math tutoring which I love love love. In between that all we have been finding lots of time to explore Utah, a good excuse to go hiking/fishing/camping. I am so grateful for the beautiful mountains and nature we have so close to enjoy.

Camping/Hiking in Goblin Valley over Memorial Day weekend with the Hommes' and Kikkerts Hiking Crazy Little Horse Canyon!

Upper Falls In Provo Canyon

Here are some pics of our new casa.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summertime sunshine!!

It's always a party....

2010-05-28T08:28:00.001-07:00

Friends: Mackenzie and Tyler planned a fun little bday bash for Josh and here are the pictures!! Mac planned this amazing fiesta- with awesome food, cake, and a pinata!! Thanks Mackenz. btw If you ever need someone to throw ya a party this is your gal. I have her no. if you need it. ;)
Below are some fun cake pops I made and brought to the fiesta. Go to bakerella.com for the recipe or to look around if you are a big baker- the lady who created this blog has been on martha stewart. she is amazing.

Happy Golden Bday to crazy ol' josh.

Snapshot- Jake and Jen :)

Ben was laughing really hard. I have no idea what was so funny.

Josh finally Broke the PINATA! the older you get. the harder the pinata is to break.. well he was using a broom..

Looking forward to next week!

2010-05-20T08:46:00.001-07:00

We moved last week and it was a success. we love our new little place. I will have to take a couple pics and post. but i sure am looking forward to monday. its been a good week of taking walks, exploring our new neighborhood, watching lots of movies, and organizing here and there.... but monday we will be getting internet and tv!!! woot woot!! we will prob be suffering from internet/cable overload next week. only cause im in withdrawl mode at this point. dont get me wrong im not even a huge tv watcher, ask ben, i rarely put it on.. but when you dont have the option, man you sure appreciate what you used to have... :)

so text/call me all ya want but no more emails til monday please!

this is what i will be watching next week:
all my favs (thats if i even think to turn on the tv):

not addicted to this show yet, and im sure ben doesnt really care for this, but you know me.. im a huge musical junkie.. nothin makes me happier than some singing conversation and what not..

Mom- I take after you.. this is the only show I actually really set out to watch when we have a free friday night..
Am I dreaming? hope not. but We will be watching plenty of this. one of Ben's favorites :)

Quick- Pf Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps! yum

2010-05-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

We had these last night for Marcia's bday and they were delish! thanks for the recipe Michelle.

Serves: 2-3 Prep: 30 min
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
This is quoted from a PF changs server: "Add some chili paste for tongue spice. Add some hot mustard mixed with hot water for nasal spice (like wasabi or horseradish). Add some soy for salt. Add some white vinegar to help break the spice. Add some chili oil (if you have it) for pepper taste. Exact measurements are a personal taste. You can add additional to yours if you want. I use to add lemon juice, because that's what I liked. Other servers add a splash of coke or a packet of sugar."

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions
Make the special sauce by mixing all ingredients together. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
1As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
1Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
Serve special sauce over filled lettuce cups. Enjoy!!

Family/Friends!

2010-04-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

Maralee & Jack in his BYU hat. good to know who you're rootin for Jack. Go BYU! thanks for coming out to visit. i sure feel spoiled. miss you!

Jill & Lauren, two of my very best friends from the math ed program. Congrats ladies! we did it!

Thank you for comin out for the whole week mom and dad. it was great sharing all the excitement this past week with you!

Sadie and Jack up to no good.

Shouts out to all 4 birthday girls in my fam: Happy Birthday Sadie, Michelle, Melissa, & Marcia!!!!!!!! PARTY ON!

Following graduation we even had a yummy cookout at Ben's parents house. It was a great week, hardly know what to do with myself now that its all over.

thanks for all the support everyone. Love ya!

spinach stuffed zucchini

2010-04-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for something easy & yummy to make tonight this might be the perfect side. I got this from my friend Lauren who is always trying new things and has great taste. Ben loved this.

Ingredients
4 large zucchini, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup chicken flavored stuffing mix
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brush cut side of zucchini with olive oil; sprinkle with salt, and pepper. Place zucchini, cut side down, on a lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, or until tender. Scoop out pulp, keeping shells intact; reserve pulp. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until transparent. To the skillet, add stuffing mix, spinach, sour cream, cheese and zucchini pulp. Mix together and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 3 minutes. Spoon mixture evenly into squash shells. Place on baking sheet, and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through.

What's new with the Jumpers?

2010-04-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

It has been an exciting week! We had my family in town for graduation, I got a job on Thursday, I graduated on Friday, and we are celebrating our 1 year anniversay today. Thanks for the best first year Ben!! Oh I will be teaching Alegbra I at Summit Academy in Draper this fall! Once I get some pics of this weekend and the family I'll post them. Hope everyone is having a Fabulous weekend!

April 23rd 2010 Here we come!!

2010-04-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

I'm graduating FRIDAY!!! This is what I will be doing.

Finally Finished!

2010-03-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Finally finished the wreath I said I would post. Doesnt look exactly like the lady's who made up this craft, but its a try. Thanks to Becky a from church who taught us how to make this. and heres a fun fabric egg decoration i whipped up last night. The wreath only costed a dollar and the egg decoration costed $3!! Crafts are so fun! Happy almost EASTER everyone!

Book Wreath

2010-03-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

I will post a pic of the one I made later. You Like & want to make your own?! Here's the tutorial: http://livingwithlindsay.com/2009/11/librarians-please-avert-your-eyes.html

"My Button Boutique" on Etsy

2010-03-04T17:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.thecoterieblog.com/2010/03/sponsor-giveaway-my-button-boutique.html

Check out this neat button boutique. They make hairpins, pocket mirrors, earrings, magnets and more. All way cute, and there is a unique stock of cute craft buttons as well!!! :)

Happy 29th Birthday Momma!!

2010-02-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hey Birthday girl! Hope you have a SUPER birthday! Miss and love you lots!! -manda

Headbands

2010-02-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

My student teaching friend Lauren and I have been constantly eyeing all those cute hair accessories highschool girls always wear. I especially love those cute flower headbands so I ventured out to walmart today with Mimi and found all the stuff to make them. Here are just a few. Lauren- what do ya think?!!

Recent Happenings!!

2010-02-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

Here's our not so little niece sadie. I tried to catch a pic of her practically standing up but she was too busy going through my wallet... she is into everything these days. man she is so cute, isn't she?!!! don't mean to brag, but I sure love all my cute neices and nephews. :)Ben's current fixation. FISHING.. he's been 3 times already this month. We have fun driving around lookin for new exciting spots to hopefully get a bite! I am his #1 fan and went with him on monday, even in the snow!

Late in posting. Here's a pic from Cami's baby shower, with the ladies running the show (Miriam & Amanda), and Cami-the main event. :)

Hmm... Looks like I cooked something sticky.. I wonder how these strange things happen in my spick n span kitchen.

Sorry I haven't been blogging consistently. Hope you blogger friends are all doing well this fine friday! and thanks for posting so often.. thats basically the only reason I started this thing.. Happy Weekend!

New Year, New and LAST Semester. For me at least!

2010-01-14T17:21:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone. I knows it been a long while since I last posted but heres a quick update for us. So we both started back to school on Jan. 4th. I started student teaching at Pleasant Grove High last week and it is super fun! I sure love the highschool students I have been working with. They crack me up. I get the chance to teach Geometry and Algebra II (Honors and Reg) and its been going pretty well so far.
For Ben. He's back to school and likes all his new business classes. His Book of Mormon teacher just got replaced and he's a little sad about having to now write six papers for that class. But he's a big boy, he can handle it!

Besides that we sure are excited for a 3 day weekend and for my little sis Marcia to come visit from BYU-I too!!

Happy Weekend!

2009-12-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

HaPPy 12.12.09!!
It's been a long time coming but I just found out where I'm student teaching this winter finally. Pleasant Grove Highschool! :) WOoT woot. Just 20 min. away!

2009-12-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

DECEMBER

mittens..cookie exchanges.. giving gifts.. celebrating Christ's birth..family..SNOW..Music.. christmas lights..iceskating.. decorating the tree..fires in the fireplace.. stockings..St. Nick comes to our house this Sunday!..cherry noses and faces.. snowball fights..snuggling under blankets and watching movies... mistletoe..party..being together with those you love..

We are going home to Wisconsin this year for our first Christmas!! Oh how I wish Christmas was here.. Hope you all have a HAPPY low stress December!

Easy Pumpkin Pie Squares

2009-11-23T15:44:00.000-08:00

These are super yummy. When Mir and I went to Cami's for thanksgiving one year Cami made these and I snagged the recipe from her. They are easy and delish. I hear people who don't like pumpkin pie love these too. Happy Thanksgiving ALL!!!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 package yellow or spice cake mix (set aside one cup of the dry mix before proceeding)
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 egg

Filling:
1 can (29 ounces) pumpkin
2 eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground (dried) ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Instructions: 1. Grease and flour a 8X11(I use a 9x13) inch baking pan.

2. Preheat oven to 350Â°.

3. Disregard instructions on cake mix box, you're not going to bake a cake. Mix dry cake mix (minus 1 cup dry mix) and melted butter. Add egg and mix till it holds together (different cake mixes react differently, so you may need to add a small amount of milk 1/2 tsp. at a time, if necessary to hold mixture together).

4. Pat crust mixture into pan with your fingers, coating bottom and up the sides about 1 inch.

5. Mix together the filling ingredients, along with the reserved 1 cup of dry cake mix, and pour into the crust.

6. Mix the topping ingredients (minus the optional nuts) together with a fork or pastry blender till mixture is crumbly. Mix in nuts, if desired.

7. Sprinkle topping mixture over filling and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

8. Cool and serve with whipped cream or icecream.

The DoLLar StoRe is the Best!!!

2009-11-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I painted a cork board we had in the kitchen Red to match my few other kitchen things. I found a fun "family" block at the dollar store and painted that too. Tonight at the dollar store there was so much fun christmas stuff. Look what I whipped up for just $5. Oh the dollar store is the best!! This last one- I didn't find at the dollar store. but isn't she cute? Sadie bug my neice-we danced to disney music last night while her parents were out to dinner, and she laughed the whole time. Man if only you could pick up babies at the dollar store... we'd manage to save up for 10!

What favorite finds have you found at your dollar store lately?!

Happy Birthday Ben!

2009-11-11T23:38:00.000-08:00

Ben turned 23 in the beginning of November!! His celebration lasted until last night when we celebrated with friend. Thanks to everyone who helped us celebrate!!

Catching Up!!!!

2009-11-11T23:18:00.000-08:00

At the end of september we were so lucky to get a quick visit from some of our favorite neices and nephews on their move to chicago. We miss you guys & thanks for playing with us!!

At the end October we got lucky again when Mom and Dad in for close to a week. It was so much fun! Some of the highlights were shopping/talking-us girls, the boys going out to shoot clay pigeons with Ben's dad- where dad shot the last three pigeons in a row!, getting surprised with a HUGE bag of CHocOlatE chips from costco, free cafe rio, taking the ol' heber creeper haunted train ride, attending the homecoming football game, etc! we weren't lucky enough to get student football tickets this year so going to the game all together was so fun even though we lost big!! Thanks for taking us M & D. We also Got to see and play games Melissa and Aaron on saturday night late too. It was great seeing everyone and we can't wait for the BIG wilson christmas to come so soon!!

Sadie and Mimmi @ deseret book. While the boys were off shooting clay pigeons, us girls got some shopping done.

Sadie in her new true blue bear hat with her Dad.

The night before halloween we carved a jackolantern, LIT it Up and watched the creepy 20/20/dateline episodes! Happy Belated Halloween!

The Best Birthday Weekend!!

2009-09-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

Hey Birthday Buddy! Sad we couldn't share our usual celebration this year with Lazy Dazey cake and chuckie cheeses. We will again someyear soon. Hope you had a SUPER birthday!!

For those of you who don't know my dad and I share the same birthday. Celebrating birthdays with him, and being his buddy is the best birthday gift I could ever ask for!! He is just a little older(32 years to be exact). This pic is from a byu football game last fall. Happy Birthday Dad! love you!

Saturday morning we hiked up to the largest white fir tree in N America. We did this with our church ward. It was so fun!

Sunday Bens parents made a yummy dinner for us, and we celebrated with gifts and the best cake ever(Chocolate and fluffy white-Marcia you must try this- I promise it will be your new all time fav)!!!

Ben was the best! He was such a stud and made me breakfast and my favorite birthday dinner that night. French fries and ringed sausage. Yumm! He made strawberry cheesecake(no bake) for dessert! he was quite the chef. It was all delish! Then we opened gifts and went to the movies and saw "The sisters Keeper"(A good story, really sad, and quite the tear jerker for those who have yet to see it). It was the greatest night ever! Thanks for making it so special Ben! Thanks to everyone who called and sent cards, etc, too!

Saturday Night we went with our friends on a Birthday date. We did this last year too. Bens old room mate Tyler and his fiancee Mackenzie are our regular birthday celebration buddies. Mackenzie's and I have the same birthday so its always so fun celebrating with them. Don't worry Dad, you have not been replaced, believe it or not there are about 1 million people with our same birthday. In salt lake we went to Johnny Carinos for dinner, and then went to the Salt Lake Real soccer game. Ben caught a free t-shirt and black rubber bracelet. Free! we were excited.

Friday. We went with Cami and Juan to the ward grill out. So much good food, and its always fun seeing Cami and Juan. They are in our student married here at BYU, so we see them in passing quite often. Its fun. After we went to the dollar movies and saw UP. so good but I forgot to take our drinks we were going to "sneak in" in the freezer(thought it would be a quick chill option, guess not). Instead we had rootbear slushies saturday afternoon. :)

2009-09-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

1. Back to school pics. Common' didn't all your mothers do this to you? But instead usually the picture came at the bus stop with all the other neighbor kids right? haha good times. We started school Monday, and regardless of age, I insisted on documenting to never forget this happy memory. I made Ben add in the lunch bag just to make it seem more real, I would never let him carry that next to me on campus!

2. Here's a picture of the canvas I painted with Miriam's supervision to embellish my bathroom. Ben thought I bought it, it is that good he said. haha ok. I'll take the compliment. It was so fun doing this with Mir, she is such a professional when it comes to canvas painting. She's done it lots, and they all look way neat. Ask her to post some pics.

3. This is part of the rag quilt I made for Ben's parents. It turned out way better than this, but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the finished product. I will snag one sometime soon.

4. A picture taken on 4th of July this year. We spent the 3rd with friends playing games, and this was taken on their lawn. I missed lots of great posting opportunities this summer, but hey its over, got to move on, and hopefully capture it better next year! :)

Thanks for all you posting often! I love reading and seeing all the cute pics! :)

Back to life... Back to Reality!

2009-08-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Its been forever since I have posted. Yesterday I finished summer classes and finals, so I should be able to post a little more often. Lots of fun stuff has been happening though, just not enough time to jot in down on here. Here are a couple highlights for the past few weeks!

1. School starts in 2 weeks! wo hoo! Last semester of classes for me (I can practically see that graduation day-the gown, pics, fam etc.- will it just come already!?!) and Ben just got accepted to the Marriot school of business!!! We are SUPER excited for him to get started. Wohoo congrats to you Benny!

2. Family In Town- Mom and Dad came in town last week for a few days before getting out on their Jackson/Yellowstone camping trip! It was so fun! We made time for some of our usual favorites- Jamba juices, homemade pizza, shopping!! Unforunately we have no pics for you, but get Miriam to post. She should have some because this was Sadie's first campout! :)

3. Stargazing Tonight!- 2009 Perseid METEOR SHOWER- August 12th and 13th- Check it Out!!

Shooting stars will be flying tonight. We love doing this- well we did this last year around the same time. You should check it out. Go to a dark safe spot away from city lights and enjoy the starlights of the sky! It should be pretty good tomorrow night too!

FLAN! mm mmmh Delish!

2009-06-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

So this is one of my many creations I tried that actually turned out. Ben teases me for the inability to follow a recipe even when its right in front of me!! He always comments "You always think you know better than the recipe Manda, and you think you know what to change to make it better." I tell him, its just impossible to follow it because I do know better than the recipe sometimes. just kidding. as most of you know rarely these cooking experiments turn out. Anyways flan is one of Bens favorites, so I made it. by pulling from two different recipes.. I think I really found one that rocked! He loved it. haha. Here's the recipe! Now I'm not a chef or anything but I am a connoisseur of fine food- and it was gooood. so... if you feel like flan Try it!

FLAN (steamed not baked- my oven is on its way to its grave so cooking it over the stove worked well, and it cooked evenly)

3/4 c white sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (11 oz) evaporated milk (i hear reg milk works even better)
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together eggs, milks, vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar.

Combine 1/4 c white sugar, and 1/4 c brown sugar, with butter on stove, stirring constantly until caramelized.

Spray pie plate lightly with pam. Pour in caramel sugar mixture and follow by pouring in the custard. Cover with foil.

Fill a large pot approximately 3/4 full with water and bring to a simmer on the stove. Place the pie plate over the simmering water and cook for 65 to 70 minutes, until flan has set. Remove flan from the boiling water and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Cool in fridge if you like or eat it warm. Enjoy!!

Every great thing has to end.....

2009-06-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

As of June 9th our wedding adventures officially came to an end.
Here a few quick snap shots from the WI reception. Great seeing you all and partying it up for one last hoorah!! Thank you to Mom, Dad, Maralee, Dan, and many others for making it all happen! It was a blessing to come in at 12am saturday, party saturday night, and leave sunday afternoon!! We even had time kopps icecream and and viper riding in the mix. Ben drove me to the reception hall in the sweet ride, and then we partied all night long!! pic to come!

Personal Reflection: So how does it feel for it all to be over?
Great!!!

For all you blogger friends Check out the cute pics of Jack and Addison!!

Catchup... Sadie Sadie Sadie!

2009-05-29T09:17:00.001-07:00

So my Mom and dad came in for Sadies blessing. It was great having them in town again so soon. We ate out, played LOTS of nertz and five crowns, swam some, sat with Sadie (as you can see), and just had a good time. Here is Mom and Dad with Sadie Lynn the day they left for home.
Marcia doing her usual with Sadie.. Sleeping!!

Sadie and her Momma on her blessing day.

Our Apartment!! New and Improved...

2009-05-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Wish you could have seen our living r00m when we first moved in(Actually when I moved in). I moved in all my stuff while Ben was working that first friday. Ben seemed quite shocked as he walked in the door that night , ready to unload his stuff. His comment was "Woah, will we even be able to fit my stuff in here Manda?, there's not even space to walk here!". Can't imagine why he was so shocked, I thought I warned him about being a little overloaded in the clothes/stuff dept...... We fit it all in. Nothing to worry about!

Here's Our Kitchen fully equipped with everything we could ever need including a wind chime.
Our Bathroom!

Heres the newest improvement we've made to our home lately. We got a new shower curtain!!Our original Pink striped shower curtain Ben pretended to stand had to go, Miriam and Chase got us a new one- much more masculine don't you think?

Last Post for the Non-Facebookers. Enjoy!

2009-05-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here are our Mothers enjoying a laugh at the end of the day!!

Here is the whole Wedding Party outside of the Salt Lake Temple! All our greatest friends and family were there to celebrate with us. How blest we felt to have them all there!! We love you all. Thanks for your love and support and for the poppin' day!! Cutting the Cake!

What started out as cutting the cake, ended with a cake fight, and got so ugly that my headband got torn off, and frosting flew!

Here are some of the Pic from the reception. Thank you for all who helped making everything so beautiful. An extra special thanks to Melissa, who coordinated almost all the decorating, and did the flowers with Marcia!! What beautiful special touches their were Melissa. Thank you!!

2009-05-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

What Cute Kiddies We got here. Micah was quite the camera stud of the day!! Everyone was asking who he was. What a premature Hunk we have on our hands here. (This last pic here is of Micah signing his name on the back of the Jeep. So funny!)
Lauren smiles came a long as the day went on too! I don't know who was giving out bribes to her, but she's a beauty and smiled lots too. And Jack did't even need smiles or manly good looks to win peoples hearts- he's just too cute period!

All wedding Pic are up on Facebook!

2009-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Apartment Pic Soon to Come!!

2009-05-06T12:48:00.001-07:00

2009-05-06T11:33:00.001-07:00

It's the real deal! We're Married!!!
It was a picture perfect day!
This is Ben and I Patiently standing in the wedding line, not to mention Ben kept looking at his phone to see when we could finally sit down. It was so fun, greeting and meeting lots of people!
Below is also My new family, The Jumpers! They are Awesome! Here is Kristen and Gary(Ben's parents), and Josh, Kelsey, and Hayden (Ben's Siblings). Tyler, Ben's brother right under him in age missed all the wedding action; he is busy serving a mission in Ventura, CA.
The Pic of Miriam and I is one of the last pictures you'll find of Miriam pregnant. She had a sweet baby girl Sadie Lynn just four days later!

2009-05-06T11:04:00.000-07:00