Our February 29 Life

Serenity and her Alphabet

2011-07-16T14:02:00.001-06:00

Becca has been doing a great job at teaching Serenity everything she needs to know, and I thought I'd share her progress with you :-)

My 22 Birthday

2011-07-13T23:20:00.004-06:00

Oh yeah baby! 5x optical zoom, 16 mega pixels, 720p video, PINK! This is what Greg bought me for my birthday, and a 16gb SD card too! And these are the images I took on my birthday.

I wanted a party, but I didn't have friends to invite so I decided to go to the dollar store and buy princess party stuff with pink streamers and balloons. I decorated the house and Greg bought a Snickers Cheesecake. It was actually a pretty normal day, but with cake for dinner.

Serenity had the most fun. With the money she got from her birthday, she bought herself a pool. She loves that thing! As soon as she wakes up it's "poool, poool" and she doesn't like to go in alone, so make sure you wear your shorts when you go outside. I wish birthdays were as fun as when you were little.

Family Photos 2011

2011-07-08T00:25:00.003-06:00

Ok here's your task, Pick your top 3 for our "Official Family Photo" (the one I hang on the wall, and is sent to grandparents etc) keep in mind the frame I have is for vertical but I can alter the photos to fit if need, but its not a requirement.

Also mention which ones you think are totally scrapbook worthy or deserve some notoriety in my home.

Work it Baby!

2011-05-22T16:37:00.003-06:00

"blues clues, sesame street, or pbskids.org
hmmm.... which one?"

click, click, click, "watch videos!!!"

oh yeah. I know how to work this machine...

Feeding the Ducks

2011-05-15T21:08:00.003-06:00

Today was so nice out. We decided to skip nap time and enjoy the park. We brought along our old stale bread and fed the ducks. Serenity had so much fun. She loved to make the quaking sound. She kept asking the duck if they "a-bite?" (want a bite?)

My Little Garden

2011-05-09T21:23:00.002-06:00

So I've decided to start adventures is gardening this year. I've picked a plot near the front of our yard and used some logs on the property to make it a semi-raised bed. I've started a bunch of vegetable seeds in a green house, and I have an herb garden on my window sill. I should be planting the seedlings some time within the next few weeks. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Easter Egg Hunting

2011-05-08T00:45:00.005-06:00

Listen carefully to the cute little sounds she makes while hunting eggs...

Bubbles

2011-05-03T20:23:00.003-06:00

BTW: She is saying thank you in the beginning

Easter Dress

2011-05-03T19:49:00.002-06:00

Egg Dying for Easter

She was very good at dropping the eggs into the dye gently.

This is the Easter Dress that I made for her. We had matching dresses but Greg doesn't really take pictures of me. Sad thing was, when we put the dress on her Sunday morning it didn't go over her head and we were running late so I had to pick out the stitches and leave for church as is. Thats why the collar looks a little funny.

This is what the Easter bunny got for her. She loves that doll AND stroller to death. She never goes anywhere without it. I made a matching dress for the doll with the scrapes.

P.S. I would like a new digital camera for my birthday...

Sweet and Sassy

2011-04-08T19:43:00.002-06:00

Watching Blues Clues with a thumb, a blankey, and Missy Mouse

Too cool for clothes...

Working hard with Daddy... Watch out! Babe with a screwdriver!

Breakfast Time on a Saturday in March

2011-03-26T12:40:00.002-06:00

Can you imagine eating a doughnut that was as big as your face?!?!

You would hold two in your hands too, wouldn't you?

Dinner with Dr.Seuss

2011-03-19T12:05:00.003-06:00

So, as a next step in getting over my anxieties I decided I would try something really different. I bought my first tickets to an activity organized by some of the students at the school. There was a costume contest, so I thought of turning Serenity into a WHO or Green Eggs and Ham, but I didn't have the right material. But thanks to an amazing friend, she gave me a blue blanket and I got the idea for 1 fish 2 fish red fish blue fish.

It's kinda hard to see, but I made a hoodie like shirt out of the blanket and used velcro to close it and using pipe-cleaners, I made fins that kept their shape and added details to parts of the fins. I had a one and she had a 2 I was red and she was blue. I cut up an old red t-shirt into scale shapes and sewed them loosely on a red hoodie (already made) and added fins to my elbows and a dorsal fin to my back.

Unfortunately, I looked like one of the "Things" (red with a 1 on it can you blame them?), and there were soooooo many other "Thing 1 and Thing 2's" that I just blended in unless I kept Serenity with me at all times. We had a dinner of green eggs and ham, corn dogs (all the foods had Dr.Seuss-type names and I don't remember them all), Diced potatoes, peaches, rolls, Sneeches Salad. After we ate it was story time and Serena didn't want to sit still, so she found a ball and played her own rules. She made friends with all the big kids. Before we knew it, it was time to go and the costume award went to a thing 1 and thing 2 with blue hair.

The night was a disaster for me I couldn't get over the anxious feeling. But Serenity got a lot out of it... a corn dog (fav food), a balloon, a new favorite warmie coat that is soft like a blankey, and because I needed some shop therapy afterwards, I bought her a bunch of Blues Clues Books. It was fun, but I don't think I'm ready to do it again.

Pi(e) Day

2011-03-14T11:59:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed Chicken Pot Pie for dinner with friends the we made Apple Caramel Crumb Top Pie, and our friends made Oreo Pudding Pie, and this AMAZING Cookie Pie... It was like eating cookie dough! We had plenty of pie left overs and it was just a small way to add a little fun to our dinner.

The Things She Eats...

2011-02-16T13:07:00.011-07:00

We've had to make special adjustments to our budget so that we can keep a steady supply of cheese sticks in the fridge. She loves to open the drawer and pull them out herself, and then close the drawer. She can't quite open the package yet but she knows how to ask nicely. This is a picture of her eating her cheese on my desk and talking on her phone to her grandma.We received a package today during lunch. It was really cool because it was filled with packing bubbles. So another one of her favorite foods in PBJ sandwiches and they taste the best on the go. So keep your eye out for jelly bombs on the floor!

Making Waffles

2011-01-29T21:56:00.002-07:00

Lately I've been trying to have a lot of quality time with Serenity in between homework and classes. Everyday we play, we talk, we sing, and we have a learning experience. This month we have been working on cooking. It was my hope that she would learn how fun it was to play in the kitchen. So when we get our matching aprons on she knows its time to cook, and I sit her up on the counter. It's her job to hold the measuring cup very still while I fill it and then she dumps it. Sometimes she gets a little to excited about the dumping that she forgets to aim and spills it everywhere. Then we take turns stirring. We were making waffles one morning and she was watching how I would pour the batter onto the waffle iron, and she wanted to do what I do, so she found the next best thing... a frying pan. If you watch carefully you will see that she even spins the cup to fill up all the gaps.

She gives a little squawk to let me know that she is ready to eat her waffle, even thought its still to hot to eat. But she has learned to "blow it" until its cool. Her other most important job is to let me know when things are done, she always gives a surprised gasp when the times goes off or the light turns green, (or when my cell gets a text).

She is my awesome little helper.

Daddy's Version Of "Watching" Serenity

2011-01-29T21:53:00.002-07:00

Latest Stories

2011-01-23T15:12:00.002-07:00

We actually had a warm day, the sun was out the air was above freezing and it was really nice out, so Serenity and I went for a walk along our street. She rode her slug half way down, and on the way back she insisted on walking on the snowy parts of the road. It reminds me of the footprints in the sand poem, but with snow.

This picture was taken for one of my art projects, I just loved it so much I just had to share.
This is Serenity on her favorite riding toy. Greg and I were discussing a tricycle for her birthday. We think she will love that even more.

Still Sharing with Dad

2011-01-16T21:36:00.002-07:00

All Set for Singing Time

2011-01-09T13:01:00.002-07:00

She cant really sing the words yet but she knows the songs of head shoulder knees and toes, once there was a snowman, intsy winsey spider, wheels on the bus, and sunbeam.

She is ahead of all her nursery classmates when it comes to singing time.

First Haircut

2011-01-09T12:51:00.003-07:00

Serenity has such beautiful locks of red hair and I just can't bear to cut it short. But after harassment from Riley and Connor about her mullet on our Christmas cards I decided I should just go and do it so that the rest of her head catches up. I think it looks really cute. I'm mad that I cut her bangs, because now she looks like a boy, but it doesn't look so bad when I swish it to the side.

First Day of School

2011-01-06T17:37:00.002-07:00

Since it's kind of a tradition, I had Greg take a picture of me on my first day of school.

College is awesome!

My first class is Science with Bro. Kelley. Our first homework assignment from the textbook was to read an article by a general authority. Science and religion in perfect harmony, love it!

Next I have an Art class with a fun professor who loves to go off on tangents. Like, he mentioned

that the famous picture "American Gothic" looks like Henry B. Eyring

Then he had a random slide of clowns in his 1st presentation and they were really creepy looking.

Then I had lunch with Jake briefly before heading to Doctrines of the Gospel class. And the teacher there is really cool. He used the word nifty on his quiz.... COOL!

I'm really excited about my first semester. I have math, design, and drawing online. And I'm already ahead in most of my classes.

Serenity is staying with Greg's, co-workers, wifes, sister. Serenity seems to really like her and I have a really good feeling that it's a good place for her to be.

I don't have class again until tuesday. I feel confident and ready to learn. Especially because I have my $200 shopping spree wardrobe for a christmas present.

Life Without Internet Stinks...

2010-11-20T14:21:00.003-07:00

Greg hooked his internet capable phone up to the computer and now i get a small glimpse on the world outside this snowy country house. We should be getting internet soon hopefully before I start school in Jan.

If you get a random phone call from me this is what happens... (it's not my fault)

Halloween

2010-11-05T15:57:00.003-06:00

Going... Gone!

2010-10-26T13:22:00.003-06:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Baby Days Are Going....

2010-10-26T12:52:00.002-06:00

Just like Daddy.

This one reminds me of E.T. This is a typical day, climb in laundry basket/toybox and take all toys with her and play and talk till the cows come home.

Most days we go for a walk around the neighborhood, and on most days she likes to collect stuff she finds and sit on the neighbors steps. IN this picture she has a roll of orange pipecleaner, a small game pencil, a twig, and a scrape of plastic.

Serenitys favorite chair was moved to the living room so she could enjoy with us.

This is a typical sight.

THE BEAST!

2010-10-07T13:54:00.003-06:00

Pretty in Pink

2010-09-29T15:27:00.001-06:00

Workin Hard, Playin Hard

2010-09-22T18:09:00.002-06:00

Serenity's Own Little World

2010-09-16T14:18:00.003-06:00

So Serenity has finally picked THE one. THE blankie of choice is her little purple blanket that Sis. Rosema crocheted the edge. We can usually find her walking around the house with her arms gripped tight to the little blanket while sucking her thumb. It's the one and only blanket for nap time snuggling. I should probably go out and find a duplicate one for those "just in case" times....

Serenity has been a chatter box. Since the last movie I posted of her talking she has developed a few more linguistic skills. Her new favorite word is cheese, she likes to use a lot more tongue action in her words, and I'm pretty sure I could hear her saying duck, duck, goose. Here is a clip of her usual noises from the high chair.

What She's Been Up To....

2010-08-31T15:49:00.003-06:00

Found Serenity in here while I was busy unpacking the new house. She couldn't get out thats why shes upset.

Here, Let Me Tell You About My Day...

2010-07-26T11:51:00.003-06:00

I start out in the morning with a hardy breakfast.

When I'm done, I have to help Mom with the clean up and the chores, like washing the table.

While Mom finishes her chores I like to eat a snack with Dad.

Then I go around the house and play with all the toys. Then with my handy dandy screw driver I make sure all the toys are nice and tight for the next time I play with them.

Then I like to tell Dad all about it...

Here She Goes

2010-07-20T10:22:00.002-06:00

Serenity Rowe is now a toddler! Watch as she toddles towards her doll.

Trip to Utah

2010-07-19T19:20:00.002-06:00

Our visit to Utah was a big success with Serenity. We arrived at Aunt Kristen's house on Friday evening. We enjoyed dinner and then Serenity got to play with Sarah-Beth and their dog, Tango. She loved that so much, played all night and she was so tired by the time I laid her down.On Saturday Uncle Beto took all of us to a Duck Pond to feed the ducks the cute little ducklings.

Then when all the bread was gone and it was too hot to keep going, we went to the M.L. Bean museum to look at all the animals on the walls. Serenity learned a new word from that experience, "Duck". I was really sad to find out that the museum store no longer sold my favorite little glass animals. So now I have no reason to go back to that museum anymore... :'(

We had a really fun time, and I love to visit family so I will definitely be planning on going back again soon.

Fluffy!

2010-07-11T17:29:00.001-06:00

Click the picture to see the rest...

Playground Challenge

2010-07-10T14:38:00.000-06:00

This playgrounds rates at about a 3 according to the Williams playground challenge. 4 slides, 1 tunnel, and a small rock wall. No swings, no monkey bars, kinda boring. She doesn't mind though as long as she can climb by herself to the top and slide down with mom.

2 Year Old Sized Tantrum

2010-07-10T14:20:00.003-06:00

This tantrum lasted for a whole hour I recorded some of it but she got really mad at the camera and threw it to the ground and it didnt save. It all started because I wouldn't let her on the desk. She followed me all around the house screaming. I went into the kitchen to have breakfast and she flopped on the floor and continued to scream. Then she saw the stove and remembered there was cookies up there and couldn't reach them. So she screamed louder and harder until she got one.

I of course waited until she was quiet before I gave her one. Then she became my best friend all over again. When did she turn 2? By the way, the cookies were made from infant oatmeal so they were healthy and full of iron.

Here are some of her more cuter moments:

Girly

Grooving and Playing

Her New Favorite Sound

If Anything Happens, It Happens Because of Her

2010-06-29T15:40:00.002-06:00

Serenity is my whole world now. I don't do anything that doesn't involve her. That's why my posts are void of anything wonderful about me. Except for the recipes I add, and even then she is sitting in the sink taking a bath while I stir a pot. She is my cutie and I love to share her stories for my family.

Daddy's Game

2010-06-29T15:35:00.002-06:00

Just so you know, she asks to play this game by tilting her head back

What a Growing Mess She Is

2010-06-23T11:45:00.002-06:00

She really wanted the pudding I was making and she wasn't being patient enough for it to set. So she pulled the bowl down from off the table. LOOK AT WHAT I HAD TO CLEAN UP!

Serenity is getting very good at climbing. She climbs into "her chair" and from there gets into dads computer chair, then up onto his desk and over to my desk... TOUCHING AND KNOCKING AROUND EVERYTHING ON THE WAY!

The only peace we get from the terrorizer is when we take her out side to play in the grass, even then she has to take a cell phone with her.

The other day, I took her to the library and I tried to look for a book, and she made the indian noise up and down every isle. I had to give up looking because there were too many people studying.

Oh and this is Serenity growing up to fast and skipping the sippy cup. She insists this is the only way to drink milk. Yes, its a big mess to clean up too, but she is sooo happy.

Weekly Food Experiments

2010-06-16T21:43:00.002-06:00

Kraft foods sent me a magazine with cool recipes in it a while back and I've never had the right stuff to make the foods so at our latest shopping trip I grabbed a whole bunch of foods that just so happened to be on the ingredient list. So here's what I've made so far:

35 Saltine Crackers
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 pkg. chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

HEAT oven to 400ºF.
PLACE crackers in single layer in foil-lined 15x10x1-inch pan.
COOK butter and sugar in saucepan on medium-high heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. Bring to boil; cook 3 min. without stirring. Spread onto crackers.
BAKE 5 to 7 min. or until topping is golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate; let stand 5 min. or until chocolate is softened. Spread chocolate over ingredients in pan; sprinkle with nuts. Cool. Break into pieces.

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
8 slices Bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. milk
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

HEAT oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients except crescent dough.
SEPARATE each can of dough into 4 rectangles; press perforations together to seal. Spread each rectangle with 2 rounded Tbsp. cream cheese mixture, then cut into 12 wedges. Roll up wedges, starting at short ends. Place, seam-sides down, on greased baking sheet.
BAKE 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Now I didn't buy a can of dinner rolls, so I made my own crescent dough.

1 package active dry yeast ( 1/4 ounce pack)
1/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup warm milk
3 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups of all purpose flour
melted butter to brush the rolls

Mix yeast in warm water, add 1 tbs sugar. Wait 5 minutes then add other ingredients.Mix into a ball. Knead until elastic, then cover and raise in a greased bowl. Then roll out and cut, and roll up. Bake 375* for 12-15 minutes on greased sheet.

I made Cream of Potato Soup to go with the bacon biscuits. The soup didn't taste very good so you will have to find your own recipe for that.

Adventures in Baby Watching

2010-06-16T21:32:00.003-06:00

My Geek at 1 Year

2010-06-16T10:39:00.002-06:00

Birthday Cake Breakdown

2010-06-07T22:15:00.002-06:00

Gifts from Grandma

2010-06-07T13:54:00.006-06:00

The video ended too soon because I ran out of memory, but here is a picture of how it ended.

Greg and I went to a Garage sale and picked out this very awesome new booster chair, and she picked out the piano. From Grandma Rowe.

Happy Birthday Serenity

2010-06-02T23:30:00.004-06:00

The Noises From The Other Room

2010-05-31T15:51:00.002-06:00

So Father's Day is coming up and so while out shopping, I grabbed a pair of sweet pajama pants for Greg. Well he found them early and was too impatient not to wear him. I don't think you can read it, but his shirt says "Achievement Unlocked: Red Ring of Death"

Yes, you see that right, we gave our 1 year old her very own laptop. That way she will stay away from mine when I'm blogging.
This is my fluffy white bunny all clean from bath time. Isn't she cute?

100th Post!

2010-05-25T23:10:00.003-06:00

So in commemoration of my 100th post I am going to list a few key memories from the past few months of blogging that I missed.

Got too obsessed with Facebook and stopped blogging
Went to Virginia with my Cousins and had an amazing time
Dressed up as a Bag of Money and a Robber for Halloween but couldn't go because of the flu
Went to the play museum with Hannah and Emma
Serenity eats real food on Thanksgiving
Visited Santa in Prom dresses with the S.L.A.B. girls
Greg gave me the greatest Christmas gifts ever (printer, Beatles Rock Band)
Greg buys and creates the ultimate custom computer
Went to Canada for New Years and went Dog Sledding
Serenity kept growing, really fast and really smart
She got her first tooth
Then her second
Greg was accepted at BYU-I
Greg was tempted into staying to work for Staples
We decided to go to school anyway
Packed up and drove to Idaho
Serenity starts to say a few words and is working on her 4th tooth
Greg does really well in school
etc etc etc...

Boring Life, Trying Not to Be So Boring Anymore

2010-05-22T02:22:00.002-06:00

Experimental Cooking is my new hobby. Whenever Greg sees me now it's either with a baby, playing old SNES games or with a recipe book out. I've been trying really hard to find recipes that use ingredients we have, so that we don't spend too much on groceries.

My first meal I wanted to make I wanted to use the large storage of kidney beans. So I made

TACO SOUP:

Brown ground beef with chopped onion. Then add 2 cans of red kidney beans (dark, light, or both) 1 can of black beans, can of corn, jar of salsa, can of tomatoes (stewed, chopped, crushed, cubbed, etc), and some hot sauce for an extra kick. Heat and stir until warm then served it up with a batch of my

HOMEMADE TORTILLAS:

Knead together 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup shortening, 1 cup cold water. Roll out golf ball sized dough and fry in skillet with little oil until brown spots appear.

I've been having a serious sweet tooth lately... Here are my snacks and deserts.

HAYSTACKS

A tasty butterscotch crunchy treat

Melt 1/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup peanut butter, and 1 bag of butterscotch chips in saucepan on low heat. Stir until melted and remove. Add it to a large bowl of 6 cups cornflakes and 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Stir until coated and drop onto wax paper until cooled.

(I got these recipes from my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.)

FRUIT FILLED OATMEAL BARS

A low-guilt treat, almost healthy...

Combine 1 cup flour, 1 cup rolled quick oats, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 cup butter until crumbly. Press all but 1/2 cup of mixture into a foil lined baking pan. Spread on a can of fruit pie filling and top with remaining crumbles. Bake at 350* for 30 min and cut into bars.

CHOCOLATE POT DE CREME

Oooo this will definitely satisfy your chocolate cravings. It's like chocolate flavored butter.

In a sauce pan combine 2 cups whipping cream, 6 oz of chocolate chips, 1/3 cup sugar. Stir over medium heat until bubbly and thick. remove from heat and add it to 4 beaten egg yolks, and stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Divide into small custard cups, cover, and chill for 4 hours.

I've also enjoyed making homemade chicken noodle soup, and I hope to get into breads and experimenting more with brown rice. That's what I've been doing to keep myself busy and fed. It's hard to believe I've lost 13 lbs since living here...

The 3 Bears...

2010-05-14T01:30:00.002-06:00

Once upon a time there was a girl named Goldylocks and she came to a house that had porridge on the table.

She tasted it, and it was juuuust right.

Then she went into the bathroom and found a bath that was juuuuuust right.

Then she went into the bedroom and took a nap on a bed that was juuuuuuust right.

Needless to say when mama bear went in the kitchen she was not happy.

BALL

2010-05-10T20:04:00.001-06:00

3 Months Old

2009-09-23T21:30:00.004-06:00

Almost 11 pounds and 22.5 inches. My sweet little Serenity is as cute as ever. She loves to explore her world and test out her arms and legs. She loves to smile and I can get her to giggle when we do the "Superman". I'm so happy to be the Mom of this wonderful little girl.

Going Camping

2009-09-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

2 years ago we took our favorite picture on the pier at Fairhaven. We used the sunset picture wearing matching green hoodies for our wedding announcement picture. Now Greg and I have a new addition to our family so we took another one. It's amazing how much we've changed.

The Many Faces of Serenity

2009-08-11T22:00:00.005-06:00

I told myself I wasn't going to do this. And that I wouldn't succumb to first baby syndrome. But then she had to go and be all cute in her little dress and make those funny faces. So I tried to capture them all on camera and look at what I did:

Serenity 2 Months Old

This Week...

2009-07-27T20:28:00.003-06:00

I've had my two best friends from Sicily come visit me. Today we visited the National Museum of Play. Emma and I went to the Butterfly Garden as part of the birthday present I promised her.

Beth and Krystal have been my friends through the toughest years of anyone's life, puberty. We went to middle school together in Sicily and we have been swapping stories and bringing up memories all week. It has been a blast. It's great to see the old "Sailor Scout Friends" again.

Looky At My Baby!!!

2009-07-22T13:55:00.002-06:00

Last week, we went to Deborah Pulley's house to take some family pictures and to capture the beautiful faces of little Serenity. And here is the out come...
The Pulley Prinicple

3 Weeks Old

2009-06-23T19:13:00.002-06:00

She's a little Princess and her daddy and grandparents makes sure she is treated like one. Cute little dresses and outfits, snuggles, hugs, loves, and kisses.
She is a healthy baby girl who loves to sleep, eat and watch her dad play video games in his lap. Couldn't ask for a happier baby.

Impatience

2009-06-03T22:11:00.003-06:00

May 28th I went in for a regular check up and they sent me to triage for my high blood pressure, hours later I was admitted into the high risk antepartum floor and they said I may be there for the last month of my pregnancy. They wanted to watch for increasing symptoms of preeclampsia and by sunday they got what they wanted.
They sent me to the labor and delivery room, hours later they induced my labor with pitocin and the contractions started. In the morning my water broke, and before lunch I had my baby in my arms.
Pain killer free I pushed that baby out. Greg and Mom were the best support team. Hours later I was surrounded by family and my beautiful 6 pound 4 ounce baby was being passed around the room.
I was just to impatient and I wanted my baby NOW, so on June 1st 2009 I became a Mom a whole month early.

It Was An Amazing Baby Shower!

2009-05-18T05:29:00.002-06:00

Thank you so much Aunt Heather for the wonderful baby shower you put together for me. One of my favorite parts was how we took little pieces of all my friends fabric and put it together for a baby blanket.
I can't wait for this little baby to be born.

32 Weeks

2009-05-13T16:17:00.000-06:00

Ready to POP!

Small Apartment for Growing Family

2009-05-13T16:11:00.002-06:00

SOLUTION: Utilize whatever space there is.

I made drawers using 100% scrapes.
Greg and I searched Craigslist for free wood on the curb and we gathered what we could. Looking at what supplies I had and the space I could fill, I made two drawers one to fit underneath the crib and another under our bed.
To make sliding easier I nailed bottle caps to the bottom.

Now I have places to put baby clothes and toys.

29 Weeks

2009-04-27T10:21:00.003-06:00

About 10 more weeks to go. I can do this!

Emma's Turning 8

2009-04-19T18:25:00.005-06:00

So once again I pulled out my cake pans and mixing bowls and made another Barbie cake. This time I made it for my one and only Emma-pickle. She wanted it to be pink and purple and have a modest dress. I'm definitely getting better at decorating and making frosting. It takes me a lot less time to put the cake together. But I still have problems with keeping the frosting from melting to much as I'm working (constant warm hands do that ya' know)

She had 5 friends over and as their activity they decorated Polly Pocket Cupcakes. (I forgot to get a picture of that, I was busy helping Andrew decorate his cupcake).

It was a Hannah Montanna Birthday event so we went to the theater to watch the movie and I enjoyed going with the girls. We all went in the big bus and they sang songs and just had a blast. It was a lot of fun.

Finally Together Forever

2009-04-13T13:19:00.004-06:00

April 10, 2009
Greg and I left right after school to Palmyra. But after we were half way there we realized we forgot our temple recommends and had to drive all the way back. But we still got to Palmyra on time to visit the Sacred Grove and talk a little before meeting up with Mom for temple pictures.

After pictures we checked into the Palmyra inn where we spent the weekend. The inn is just around the corner from the temple so it made commuting so much easier. When we got in the room there was a present from Emma for us on the table.

Thank You Emma!

At 4:45 Greg and I entered the temple. It was so beautiful inside. It was just as I had imagined from the descriptions I've heard all my life. Everything was clean, neat, organized, and the people all looked like angels walking around. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Of course I was scared and nervous, even though everyone said I shouldn't be.
All I could focus on throughout the entire session was I hope my sweating hands don't stain my white dress or gross someone out. So of course all that was said to me didn't quite sink in. Everything flew by so fast and before I know it, Greg and I are being ushered into the sealing room.

We had Bro. Anderson do the sealing. He was our seminary teacher for a while and a long time family friend of the Rowe's. Once again I was nervous and scared but Greg sat next to me the entire time and he escorted me to the alter where we held hands and pronounced husband and wife for time and all eternity. And we shared a kiss across the alter. TADA!
The weirdest thing was after everything we had done in the past few hours and the past year the thing that made me the most nervous and shy was being back in the hotel room with Greg. I felt like it was our first day being married. I was too shy to look at him or do anything more than hold his hand. It was so weird. But it only lasted until the in-room jacuzzi tub was filled and the bubbles started. I bought little rubber duckies to have in the tub with us as a little anniversary gift. It was really fun.
We went again to the temple the next morning and a little more of the Endowment session sinked in. It was an amazing experience and our goal is to go once a month.

Looky Where I'm Going for the Weekend

2009-04-10T07:46:00.002-06:00

26 Weeks

2009-04-06T12:40:00.003-06:00

Nearing the end of my second trimester...

Barbie Cake Time!

2009-03-30T18:54:00.003-06:00

Belle from:

Beauty and the Beast

Emma Helped!
She was my Creativity Supervisor
I even dipped Belle's arms in watered-down frosting to make it look like gloves.

All the little girls had to go home before our cake was up for auction, so there wasn't many bidders left. The cake still sold for $40 though. It was a lot better than last year when the cake melted in the summer heat.

We bought a cake. It was called "The Volcano"
It was a pile of chocolate cake, fudge, strawberries, and peanut butter chips, spewing licorice, and cinnamon candies. A very tasty treat that is still taking a while to eat.

Ultrasound #3

2009-03-30T18:29:00.002-06:00

So on Thursday, Greg and I went to the hospital...again. We had a financial aid appointment first and it went well. We hope things work out this time. Then we had the ultrasound.I got to see her toes and counted all 10. And the bottom picture is her face. This picture does no justice to what I got to see on the screen. She has a cute round nose and chubby round cheeks. I think she looks like my mom. And the round thing by her face is her hand (not her ear, which is what I thought at first). After that we went to see the doctor and just before she listened to the heart beat, Greg noticed Serenity kicked the side of my stomach out. He was across the room when he saw it, so it must have been a pretty big kick. Everything is doing well.

We Made It!

2009-03-16T20:27:00.003-06:00

1 Year! Well sorta. Close enough.
Greg took me to Olive Garden on the 28th and on the 1st we spent all day together eating our wedding cake. He bought me more charms for my necklace that he gave me for Christmas. It has been an amazing year and we are looking forward to April 10th when we get sealed in the temple.

Our First Car

2009-03-16T20:14:00.002-06:00

I was trying to wait to write this post until after I had a picture of us and our new car, but I cant wait any longer.

It's a 98 Buick Regal, a very nice luxury car. We needed a newer car desperately because the Nissan we were borrowing may not have started if I went into labor and then where would we be? So we sold the Nissan real cheap at the corner of our house, and we used that money to help buy the new car from Greg's Dad. Greg also traded his services to his dad to pay for the car. They also worked on the car a lot to make sure we wouldn't have to touch it for a whole year.

Last Thursday Greg and I noticed funny noises and stuttering from the engine. We started to drive it to Fairport immediately. We only got half way when Greg felt he should pull over when the oil light came on and we used our AAA to tow it the rest of the way. Turns out the pistons were rubbing up against the bearings and metal had gotten into the oil. If we had kept driving it, very bad stuff would have happened. So Greg spent the weekend taking apart the dead engine and replacing parts on a used engine so that it would be in good working condition.

What a stressful weekend. Our new car that we just bought and fixed up broke! What next?

Facebook

2009-02-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

So Greg made me a Facebook account so if you want to be my friend send a request...sigh
I was very happy with just using his, but no he wants me to have my own....

I Cut My Hair Too!

2009-02-10T17:46:00.002-07:00

See! We are same same!

I was thinking about cutting it for some time now. My bleach started showing through from when I had my blue hair and I decided it was time to go back to 100% natural. It's not completely gone though. I only cut 2.5 inches off cause I wanted to still be able to pull it back.
I think it looks terrible. I hate it this length because it's too short to be long and too long to be short. But it helps to have a new straightener so I can play with it and make me think it looks cute.

Pictures coming soon...

Our Lifesaver

2009-02-07T18:17:00.002-07:00

This is our new dishwasher. I bought it for Greg. It's to help him while he's in school. We load it once a day and now he only has to do hand-washing whenever I use a pot or something that doesn't fit in it. It uses less then 2 gallons of water a load and hooks right onto the sink. It's wonderful.

I Can See More Of A Bump Now

2009-02-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

I Deserve a Gold Star

2009-02-06T14:01:00.002-07:00

I did it! I did our taxes for the first time this year! I simply went to IRS.gov did some research and found I could get free tax help. They sent me to Turbo Tax Freedom Edition, I simply clicked a few buttons filled in a few boxes, next next next and then I was done with both federal and state taxes. We are getting a lot in tax returns, almost enough to say we barely spent anything this year. I am so happy. It was so easy I don't know why people sweat over this every year, (well maybe it's because we have such a simple life). But yay I did it!

P.S. Breaded chicken and dill pickle sandwhich is the greatest food in the whole world.

The Ultrasound

2009-02-05T20:17:00.002-07:00

So on Feb 2 Greg and I ran around doing doctors appointments all day. It was crazy. We picked up my sister "Amy" and went to the doctors for a normal check up and then we took her to the ultrasound. (Let me tell you something, doc= "pee in cup", ultrasound= "hold it in" chugging water in less then an hour=not fun). Well we get all settled and puts the WARM goo on and we can see baby squirming all over the place, the doctor had to keep coming back to try to find all the parts. But as you can kinda see in the first photo, we saw the spine, we also saw the ribs, we could count the chambers of her heart as it was beating and we saw the sections of her brain. It was so neat. And in the middle photo there is an arrow that point to three dots that the doctor said makes it a girl. And she looks healthy, I'll get a more detailed report at the end of the month.

Get Out Your Pink, Bows, Fluffles, and Frills...

2009-02-05T07:18:00.003-07:00

It's Going To Be A Girl!

Serenity Rowe
July 2009

My College Boy!

2009-01-21T12:01:00.003-07:00

He Did It! He Finally Did It!
Greg is going to college at MCC.
We finally figured out FAFSA and they have paid for his books and in a few days we will know if they pay for all or most of tuition. So far all Greg has paid for is $60 for a parking permit.
He's taking English 101, Math 99/104, Psychology 101, and an Intro to College class. I'm so happy for him.

Let The Games Begin

2009-01-16T08:50:00.001-07:00

It's time to start placing your bets...

Is it a Boy
or
Is it a Girl?

Results on may be posted on Feb 2!

Does this Baby Make Me Look Fat?

2009-01-14T17:30:00.001-07:00

Making Room for Baby

2009-01-14T17:16:00.004-07:00

So with the Christmas gift card from the Creedons I measured drew out and designed this intense shelving system. There's a long shelf on the top that allows my dresses to slide easily and a shorter shelf on the bottom that accommodates Gregs dress shirts and my skirts very nicely. I moved all of my shirts from one WHOLE wall to one part of a wall. We rotated the bed and squeezed in the crib.
MY WONDERFUL AUNT HEATHER, WHO IS VERY BUSY ENJOYING HER PHENOMENAL LIFE, GAVE US A BEAUTIFUL CRIB THAT IS GOOD AND STURDY. AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE SUCH A NICE FREE CRIB.
I finished up the room with the rocking chair leaving enough room and space for other baby accessories.
Now all I need is Baby.

Oops!

2009-01-06T12:51:00.002-07:00

I havn't updated in a while. I guess I don't have a lot to say. Christmas was great I got a well needed heater from the Rowe's and the Lowes gift card I needed from the Creedon's. I'll update again when I've finished the Lowes project.
New Years was fun. We adopted Amy and took her party hopping. We saw the ball drop at the Bianchi's, then went to my parents house and had second new years on Arizona time and we celebrated "with jake" with popcorn and sparkling grape juice.
I had a Dr. Appointment yesterday. I lost a pound. My heart rate was lower this time, but still high. I'm healthy and my baby has the heart rate of 156 bpm (=good). I've set the ultrasound appointment. On Feb. 2 we find out if its a boy or girl. Oh I'm excited for that.
Honeymoon plans are made for Jan 9 we'll see if we actually get to go to Canada. I can plan a huge trip , but finding a hotel is the hardest for me so its up to Greg and he's taking his time. We'll see...

Santa's A Time Lord

2008-12-24T10:42:00.005-07:00

So here's the evidence:
He's been around for years and he doesn't get much older, probably just regenerates
His sack is "Bigger on the Inside".
It's not a sleigh he's ridding, it's a TARDIS. That's why he can go to every house in one night.

So there you have it, PROOF Santa is a Time Lord.

Hey Mom Look What I Can Do!

2008-12-11T08:08:00.004-07:00

Aren't you Proud of me?

I made 4. 2 for now 2 for later. I have enough material to make 2-3 more if I need to.

Merry Christmas!

...sigh...

2008-12-03T21:33:00.002-07:00

I finished the Greatest series in the world! The fourth book of Twilight was excellent! With no help to my WINKING COUSINS!
Well here's one for you Hannah "Solient Green is PEOPLE!" **Wink**Wink** And Sarah if you didn't already know "The kids therapist is a GHOST!" **Wink**Wink**
Anywho, So I used my ultrasound picture as my book mark to remind me I'm not having a vampire half-breed. But the book was amazing and it ended right where I wanted it to, with a Happily Ever After.

8 Weeks

2008-11-26T17:45:00.001-07:00

ETA: July 3, 2009

We Passed!

2008-11-21T18:51:00.002-07:00

We passed inspection on our car! Now we just need to update Greg's license and hopefully dodge a fine for the ticket we got for driving an uninspected vehicle.

A Strange Coincidence

2008-11-13T19:26:00.006-07:00

On November 11, 2007 Greg and I embarked on a journey that changed our lives forever. Now exactly one year later on November 11, 2008 Greg and I find out news that will change our lives again.
That's right Ladies and Gentleman, Greg and I are starting a family together. Turns out that the PMS cramps I've been having for the past month wasn't Mother Nature's Monthly Gift. Even though we were planning on waiting after college to have kids, it looks like Heavenly Father's children are becoming a little impatient in heaven. So we gladly welcome the little baby. And we both know that maybe we are not quite financially ready, we know that we are very blessed and we will find a way with His help and with the love and support of friends and family.

Flying South in the Winter

2008-11-09T09:25:00.002-07:00

Ok so we drove for a long time on Halloween and got to North Carolina really late. Greg and I fell asleep on the pull out couch. The next day we had breakfast at the hotel and then drove to Aunt Theresa's and the first thing she did was play a voice mail from Dad saying "Hi this is Paul, I'm guessing this is Becca and I'm just trying to get a hold of Greg to discuss plans for going down south for Theresa's Surprise Party". It was Dad who blew the surprise.
The place that we had the birthday party was within walking distance of the hotel. So after lunch I walked back to the hotel to catch up on sleep. I wasn't feeling very good because of PMS cramps so I didn't hang around the party a whole lot. But it was really fun. They had a lot of delicious healthy food and the plastic cups were made from corn. I thought was really cool.
Anyway the party wen't late and then the next morning we had family breakfast, which lasted till almost lunch. (Actually it was daylight savings time so it felt like lunch). Then we drove home.
It was a geat trip even though most of it was driving. I had a ton of fun and I fell in love with my new family.

LAN Party Time

2008-11-09T09:23:00.003-07:00

On November 8th Greg had his LAN party. Getting everything ready took up most of the time. We got xboxs set up pretty quick and we had cool color changing lights (THANKS CHRIS!!!). Everything was just really cool looking. I was in charge of food and drinks, Greg did a lot of driving because he was the only one with a car who knew the area. But finally after dinner he was able to sit down and finally play a game. Everything went smooth. The guests loved it and Greg WILL be planning another one but hopefully not too soon.

Pumpkins!

2008-10-28T19:08:00.003-06:00

I carved pumpkins! 100% no money spent!

Hiya!

Oh no it's stuck...

Eeewww!

Want some?
Yummy! Seeds!
This is "Greg's" Pumpkin. (I carved it for him.) It's the x-box power symbol.
This is my pumpkin. I wanted to do an original face but I'm too much of a Geek. ;-)
Clean Up Time!

In the Season to Decorate

2008-10-23T20:35:00.005-06:00

This is my mini Christmas Tree. I took all the decorations off and put new ones on in the spirit of fall, which is my favorite of all the seasons. I got little ceramic-like ornaments for Hobby Lobby for under $1.50. And then I used fallen leaves and flowers from the floral department to fill in the gaps. Pretty isn't it?

This is also a great decoration I made. I used paper towel rolls and stuck floor leaves that had fallen in the seasonal isle at Hobby Lobby in them to create an autumn wind chime-type thing. Then I made the scarecrow head with a small round pillow, buttons, yarn, pipe cleaners, and other scrapes from around the house.

Our inexpensive decorations have definitely made a difference in our small apartment. And as soon as I carve our pumpkin that we got for free, I will post a picture of it too.

Married to Greg

2008-10-16T22:00:00.006-06:00

You can make one too!

Our Friend Josh

2008-10-14T19:41:00.002-06:00

This is Josh.

He's our friend. We met him while working at Hobby Lobby. Turns out he's a geek too. He was on the Sparx Team at Robotics.

Josh comes over a lot. We feed him and in return he gives us the occasional ride to work and he helps around the house.

We have become very good friends with Josh. We like Josh very much.
Thanks for being our friend!

Greg's Project

2008-10-13T02:34:00.004-06:00

For the past few weeks Greg has been working on his website, gaxor.com. He has so proudly created a compilation of useful tools for the computer illiterate. He has put the Gaxor story on it which he wrote before we were even dating. And currently he has been working on a LAN party for his friends. A LAN party is a group of computers connected together to play games. He's planning on about 50 people. He is so excited about it. Greg has asked a few companies to sponsor the event and they are sending their products for advertising reasons. He even asked me to make a picture for his site.

It was inspired by a doodle that Jake drew once.
The only problem he has with the party is that he needs a large location with several power outlets. So please go to his website and send him ideas. He would really like to see that people are going there to check his stuff out.

Road to College

2008-10-10T21:50:00.003-06:00

We are halfway to College!
So here is our plan so far:
We want to reach $10,000 so we can go to school for a year with out loans. Work part time jobs and get grants and scholarships to fill in the gaps.
We plan to go to BYU-I for the summer semester, we originally wanted to go in the spring but we decided it was smarter to wait until after we got sealed.
I want to study Early Childhood Education and Greg wants to study Computer Engineering.

So that's the plan so far. Any questions or suggestions please feel free to help us out.
( We are also accepting donations! ;-) )

Update On Our Lives

2008-10-05T00:10:00.004-06:00

Yes, we ARE still alive.
And no, we are not well.
Greg gave me his cold and now we are both kinda suffering.
And I can't stand lying in bed when there are things to be doing on my day off of work.
So here is what I made:

They are Warm Windows. They are going to help keep our heat from literally "going out the window". And they will help keep the light off our projector screen. Mom had bought all the materials years a go. I'm guessing she made a few and she held and passed on the left overs to me. So I worked really hard to follow all the directions not take short cuts and I tried really hard to make them look good with what scrapes I had. I admit I could have done better. But I made 3.75 working drapes (1 of the drapes doesn't have the locking pulley). So yeah I'm pretty proud of that.
So that's the update so far. Everything else is same-o same-o.

I Was Tagged by Heather and I Didn't Know

2008-09-25T18:49:00.004-06:00

6 Unremarkable things about me

1. I would rather clean my kitchen on my day off then sleep in
2. My socks have to match (color and style)
3. I don't like taking showers everyday (every other is better)
4. I am really good at making mashed potatoes and chicken nuggets for dinner
5. I like to stare cross-eyed at myself in the mirror when I know nobody is looking
6. I sing random songs to myself when I'm bored

I don't know 6 people to tag back so :-D

Tasty Treat for Tasty Me

2008-09-25T18:25:00.001-06:00

In between the craziness of two jobs I still found time to make the perfect cheesecake. I even had left over crust stuff so I made cheesecupcakes and they were so amazing. Perfect for lunches. I brought some to Eliana and when I well traveled rich lady tells you that your cheesecake is amazing you know its true. So yeah my head is high in the sky this week

Hobby Lobby

2008-09-09T19:05:00.002-06:00

Hobby Lobby is like a giant Christian Michael's. They're from down south and this is the first store in New York. They are located in the ex-Chase Pitkins Building in Webster Wegmans Plaza on Holt Rd. They have almost everything at Jo-Anns AND Michael's and they're cheaper. So come check it out.
Greg and I are still working for the Hobby Lobby. They really like us and they like how we both work hard and we don't cause problems so they schedule us together. We even get to have lunch together.
Greg works in the back doing all the odd jobs, heavy lifting, and high reaching. The favor me at the front registers doing mostly returns. I almost have an offical register because they always put me there. It's so much fun. Great wages and they are closed on Sundays "to allow employees time for family and worship". It's the perfect job. And we only bike 3 miles to get there so it's really not bad until winter.

First Day at New Job

2008-08-25T20:31:00.002-06:00

Boxes,
Crafts,
Packing Material,
Trucks,
Dolley's,
People,
Movement,
Sore Feet,
Dry Throat,
Tired Body,
12 Hours,
$200,
Biking is a relief after that
Worked for an hour more at Eliana's
What a Day!