First Kiss!

Saturday we went hiking with a new family that just moved into our ward. They have a cute little girl named Monroe who is Gabe's age. The kids had so much fun holding hands and running down the trail together. Just as we were finishing our hike Monroe planted a big wet one on Gabe's cheek! So cute! They are going to have a great time playing together!

Who Loves Gabe?

Mommy: Gabe, who loves you? (The Answer I'm fishing for is: "Mommy loves Gabe".)

Gabe: Grandma Jan.

Mommy: Who else loves you?

Gabe: Papa Jim.

Mommy: Who else loves you?

Gabe: My friends.

Mommy: Who else loves you?

Gabe: Payton.

Mommy: Who else loves you?

Gabe: Kylie.

Mommy: Who else loves you?

Gabe: Maecey.

Mommy: Who else loves you?

Gabe: Monkeys.

Mommy: Seriously? Monkeys? What about your MOTHER?

Gabe: Oh, okay.

Gabe's First Visit to the Dentist

I wasn't allowed to go back with Gabe when he had his exam and cleaning done. He went back all by himself without any problems. A few minutes later he came running out to the waiting room so excited to show me the prize he'd gotten for being so good (a monkey figurine the size of the tip of my pinky)! I am very proud of him for being such a big boy and doing so awesome!

Into the Wild

John and I just finished listening to this book on CD and LOVED it! Never have we read a book that sparked so much discussion between us. It really was fascinating and thought provoking. A book I think all of us can relate to in someway. (Heads up there is some language in it.)

Book Summary:
Christopher McCandless came from a well-to-do family in the Washington D.C. area. When he graduated from Emory University he donated more than $25,000 of savings (savings his parents thought would pay for law school) and completely broke contact with all that he knew , giving away everything he owned, and lived the life of a homeless man for two years.
During the time McCandless spends on the road he renounces society and develops an anarchist mindset fueled by the writings of Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Leo Tolstoy. He even changes his name to Alexander Supertramp. McCandless ultimately decides to go to Alaska to live in the wild. He lives in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan bush and keeps a careful diary of his time, his thoughts, and his reasons for fleeing from society. He eventually decides that nature is only a refuge for a short while, that true happiness can only be shared with others. After being in the wild for 112 days Moose hunters found McCandless’s lifeless body in his sleeping bag inside the bus, his diary, several books, and a few meager supplies nearby.

"Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, 'cause "the West is the best." And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild."
— Alexander Supertramp May 1992

Family Night

On Monday we had a really fun FHE! We told the story of David and Goliath and for our activity we acted out the story. Daddy played Goliath, Gabe played David, and we used large marshmallows for rocks! Does it get any better than pelting dad with marshmallows while learning a gospel principle? So much fun! Thanks Megan for the great idea!!!

Vincent van Gogh

So I've been teaching Gabe a little bit about Vincent van Gogh this past week and I came across this amazing video collage of his self portraits. Very cool!

Chicago!

Visiting Chicago has been on my wish list ever since we moved to the midwest. When John found out he had a business meeting in Chicago, he opted to drive there instead of fly so the kids and I could tag along with him! So we saw the Windy City in a whirlwind since we were only there for a day and a half, but it was an AWESOME trip! Thanks for the memories Chicago!

John's meeting was in the city of Naperville which is 30 miles outside of Chicago. We took the train into Chicago to avoid the headache of driving and finding parking downtown. Gabe LOVED riding on the train!

I loved seeing places where some great movies have been filmed. I think I may have drivin' John crazy by quoting movie lines!

"You are the puss that feeds on the fungus that feeds on the pond scum."

(A line from one of my all time favorite movies.) Notice Gabe sitting on the benches in Union Station where that movie line was filmed.

John and Gabe at the top of the Sears Tower. Notice they are on a glass ledge - nothing between them and the cement 103 floors below except a piece of glass. SCARY!

Friday morning while eating my continental breakfast the fire alarm went off! The hotel staff announced to the guests that it was a false alarm, a little boy had pulled the alarm. A smile came to my face because I immediately knew it was MY little boy!!! John's panties were in a huge knot after this incident and I couldn't stop laughing! Seriously, why do they install fire alarms where two year olds can reach them? Thankfully John and Gabe were able to kiss and makeup so we could enjoy the rest of our trip!

Maybe Gabe was just checking to see if the Chicagoans had learned anything since their big fire in 1871?

A part of Chicago that I really wanted to experience was the river. We took a Water Taxi from Union Station to Navy Pier. I love the look on Gabe's face in this picture. So much wonder and awe!

Porter bringing us our Potbelly sandwiches! YUM!!!

We rode the Carousel and Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier. The Ferris Wheel is a replica of the first Ferris Wheel that debuted at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Like moths to a flame, us homosapiens are oddly drawn to the large shiny bean in Millenium Park. Ooooh, so shiny!

WORN OUT! Gabe and Porter crash as soon as we head for home on the train!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I've been making my own laundry detergent at home for a while now. Are you over the shock? I don't know why, but people always seem shocked when I tell them that I do this. So I thought I would share how EASY it is and how much MONEY it will save you!!!

Part 1: The EASY Part

You will need the following ingredients:
Fels-Naptha Soap
Borax
Washing Soda

2 empty milk jugs

All of these items should be available on the laundry aisle at a Super Wal-Mart. Make sure you get Washing Soda and not Baking Soda. (Note: Sonic drink cannot be found on the laundry aisle, nor is it a necessary part of the detergent making process. However, it may make the process a bit more enjoyable!)

Step 1: Cut the bar of soap in half. Finely grate or chop the soap. I use a food chopper, it's quick and easy, but if you don't have one a cheese grater works fine.

Step 2: Put the soap in a large saucepan. Add 6 cups water and heat until the soap is completely melted.

Step 3: Slowly stir in 1/2 cup Borax and 1/2 cup Washing Soda. Stir until completely dissolved. Remove from heat.

Step 4: Pour 2 cups hot water into the bottom of each milk jug (4 cups total). Add soap mixture, dividing it evenly between the two containers. Mix well. Fill the containers the rest of the way up with water. Mix well.

(It takes approx. 1/2 gallon + 3 cups water to fill the remaining space in each container.)
Step 5: Let the detergent rest for 24 hours. It will be a thick gel, so you need to shake before each use. Use 1 cup per load.

Part 2: The how much MONEY it saves you part.

So I did the math (and yes, my blood pressure went through the roof) but, I figured out that it cost me $1.50 to make 2 gallons of this detergent. 2 gallons will do 32 large loads of laundry. Guys and Gals, that comes out to be 5 cents per load! 5 pennies!

Lets compare that to buying Liquid Tide detergent at the store. A bottle of Tide that only does 24 medium loads costs approximately $14. Which comes out to be 58 cents per load. Are you seeing the savings? I am and I'm not that good at math!

I have no idea if you can use this detergent in a front loading washing machine. However, if you can afford a front loading machine, you can probably afford the soap for it too. Did I just say that out loud?

So the big question ... does it work? Well, my clothes are clean, they don't smell, people haven't been complaining, so I would say yeah, it works and I use it all the time! I still pretreat any stains with OxiClean before washing, but I did this even when I bought detergent from the store. (I'm a firm believer in OxiClean.) Another bonus is it's all natural, there's no harsh chemicals in it, so it's great for babies and people with sensitive skin, not to mention good for the environment! Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!

And in case your interested...

Homemade Fabric softener:

It took me a while to convert to this, because I have a love affair with the smell of Downy. However, paying $9 a bottle for fabric softener finally got old and I started making my own. Again, it's easy, works great, and smells great too!

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda

6 cups distilled white vinegar

8 cups water

10-15 drops essential oil (I'm currently using coconut ... smells so good!)

Pour baking soda into an empty milk carton. Slowly add vinegar. Add water and essential oil. Cover and mix until baking soda is dissolved. Make sure to vent often while mixing or else the pressure that builds up will cause it to explode. This isn't rocket science, we just mixed vinegar and baking soda together, and now were shaking it up ... make sure to vent.

Lake Loramie Triathlon

WE DID IT! Dana and I finished our first Triathlon! Here's some pictures from the grand event:

The BEFORE picture. Yes, those are smiles on our faces!

Canoe 3.5 miles.
I know many of you were secretly hoping a funny story would come out of two girls trying to race a canoe with no experience. However, we totally ROCKED at canoeing and did AWESOME!

16 mile bike.
Biking went slower than we had hoped for, but it was enjoyable. Fact of the matter is: I need a road bike! After finishing our bike ride, we choked down some mango-flavored dog vomit that was secretly disguised as energy gel and headed off for a 4 mile run!

Sprinting to the finish! Can you hear Chariots of Fire playing?

The AFTER picture. Yes, those are still SMILES on our faces! WE DID IT!!!


A very memorable part of our triathlon was the motel we stayed at the night before.
Welcome to the DAIRY KING! Located only 1 mile from our race, this motel was all about location, location, location!
We are standing in the Dairy King drive-thru in this picture. See that door just to the left of us? That's our hotel room! SA-WEET! There's nothin' like walking out of your room and being able to order a burger and fries!

How Porter Gets Around & Other Silliness

So there have been a few incidences when John and I have left the room only to come back and find that Porter is NOT where we left him. Mysterious? Not really. See, we asked our innocent two year old how Porter got from point A to point B, and well, he showed us...

Gabe's Unmentionable Band-Aid

So interesting things always happen around our house while I'm in the shower. Today's incident involved Gabe needing a band-aid for some reason. He rummaged through the bathroom until he found the band-aids and he was able to put one on all by himself. When he came to show me I couldn't resist snapping a picture! My little boy had a feminine hygiene pad stuck to his knee!!! What can I say? He's resourceful.

One Slug & One Bike Ride

Friday night John and I actually had a date night! Kim, who's in the Relief Society presidency with me, offered to watch our kids, so we happily agreed. John and I went to dinner at a new Chinese place near our house. John wanted to order something authentic, so after a quick rundown by a Chinese guy (in very broken English) of the authentic dishes, John decided to try the Mala Conch. I looked at John and asked if he realized what he'd just ordered? "Seafood?" he stated/asked. "Yes, it's seafood. Do you know what a conch is?" He got this awesome look on his face and asked, "Did I just order a big slug?" Yep, slug pretty much sums it up! And John really enjoyed it! For the record, I did try one bite. It wasn't awful like I had expected it to be, but I don't think I'll be ordering it anytime soon. Here's a picture of a conch and a picture of John's dinner.

Then this morning we plopped the kids into the bike carriage and went for a family bike ride. The kids were real troopers, especially Porter! The bike carriage really wasn't designed for a wee little one like him, so we really had to work hard at getting him to sit up just right. And then Gabe totally fell asleep on top of him which I'm sure just made it that much more of an uncomfortable ride for him. Poor kid doesn't even get to load up on Advil like I do when we get home. I have to say though that my new gel- filled bike seat is WONDERFUL! John sure was wishing he had one today! As we pulled into our driveway after finishing our ride I think his exact words were, "I think my butt-hole is going to fall off!" Classic John, classic.

I loved getting out and enjoying time together as a family, along with some of Dayton's beautiful scenery & "local artwork"!

My New Name

Gabe: My name is Rocky.

Mommy: Rocky?

Gabe: Yah, Rocky. Like Rockin' on the Railway. (A song from Thomas and Friends.)

Mommy: Oh, Rockin'. I like that name.

Mommy: Do I have a new name?

Gabe: Cranky.

Daddy: Wow, he's got you pegged.

Cooking with Chef Pig

If you've spent any time at our house you would know that Gabe has his own cooking show called "Cooking with Chef Pig." A very cute, very pretend cooking show inspired by a PBS cartoon we like to watch. Gabe of course plays the role of the fabulous Chef Pig. Usually he just pretends to cook with my pots, pans, mixing bowls, spatulas, whisks, etc. However, while I was in the shower today I can see he tried to make his dream of hosting a cooking show a reality...

This isn't the first time Gabe has decided to cook with real food, but this is the first time he's done it on the stove! You would think there would be a lot of shells in his eggs, but he does a surprisingly good job of cracking the eggs. He can also whip up a mean glass of chocolate milk all by himself. And I mean CHOCOLATE with a little bit of milk! Let me know if you are interested in any of his recipes and I'll send them your way!

Potty Mouth

Conversation John and I overheard Gabe having with his poopoo yesterday morning while on the potty:

"Poopoo, come out poopoo! Come out of my bummy!" (Grunting and groaning. Couple of minutes pass.)

"Poopoo come out now! Go to your home!" (More grunts and groans. More time passes.)

"Owwwwie! Owwwwie! Don't hurt me poopoo, don't hurt me! Come out now! Come out of my bummy big giant poopoo!"

John and I were laughing so hard at this point! It is so funny to hear Gabe talk to inanimate objects this way!

Another object I love that he talks to is his blanket. When he is looking for his blanket he'll holler, "Blankie, where are you? Blankie? Blankie?"

I've never heard blankie respond, but without fail when he finally finds blankie he'll exclaim, "Oh, there you are!"