Girl Probs

So, I know you are all wondering how my doctors appointment went, right?? Ok, maybe not, but I'm going to tell you anyways because I don't believe in keeping secrets or pretending that my life is perfect. Because let's face it. There is only one person who had led the perfect life, and it is most definitely not me. First of all, let me tell you what prompted this doctor's visit. Brennen and I have been married for over three and a half years...if you get my drift. If not, its my subtle way of saying that brennen's not getting any fewer gray hairs and we need to start thinking about starting our family. Since I haven't had a monthly in over four months, we figured I should get the green light from someone who knows about this kind of thing before we start trying. The last thing we want is a string of miscarriages or somthing equally devastating. So I made the appointment. She did some exams and pap smear for good measure. We also talked about a few things that need to be resolved before my follow-up visit. First: blood work. To test for my thyroid, prolactin, glucose, and insulin resistance. Second: an ultrasound to confirm the possibility of having PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). Third: my weight. I weighted 101 lbs at my appointment that day. Her concern was that my low body weight and BMI might be causing me to skip my period. No period=no ovulation=no pregnancy=no baby. Well, I am happy to say that my pap smear came back normal (as I knew I would) and I have already gained 4 lbs since my November 26th visit. As for the results of my blood work and ultrasoud, I will have to wait until my follow-up appointment to see what the results of those are. I'm not really sure how to feel about this at this point, but I'm just going to enjoy the holidays and worry about it when I get back. Honestly, I'm not the worrying type. What will be will be.

Giving Thanks

Well, what'd'ya know! I'm back.  I said I might be, so...fair warning.  Now if only I can figure out how to get all my pictures to my phone that doesn't involve emailing them one by one....dropbox would be good if they didn't take for-freaking-ever to upload onto my computer due to my S...L...O...W... internet (which comes by way of cell phone).  So, what can I tell you about Thanksgiving?  This year we spent it in Las Vegas with Brennen's family.  We stayed with Matthew and Nicki and their three kiddos.  We headed out about 7 a.m. Wednesday morning and arrived around 1 p.m. Las Vegas time.  We hung out with Meaghan and Dustin and Mom and Dad Larsen for a while until Matthew and Nicki were ready for us to come over.  Then Brennen went to the hospital with Matthew to shadow him while I basically just sat around and did nothing.  Then Nicki and I took the kids to Wal-Mart for a few things, and ended up at the pet store.  Brennen got home around 1 a.m. and then we both crashed.

Thanksgiving day was a blast.  Everyone slept in (which was so nice) and then we all pitched in to help make the food (well, the women did at least).  Then we pretty much watched football and played Candy Crush for the rest of the day.  I was getting pretty tired of it.  That evening, Brennen went Black Friday shopping with his mom and sister.  I HATE Black Friday.  That's why I stayed home and played with the kids while Brennen spent our money.

Friday we had family pictures (hopefully to come soon).  We were able to get a few of just the two of us so maybe there'll be Christmas cards coming soon?  After pictures, we ALL packed up and left for Mesa.  My, what a wild ride that was.  I stayed awake the ENTIRE time...which was no fun at all.  We almost got in a wreck when Brennen was making a left turn onto the freeway and didn't stay in his lane, and almost got a huge speeding ticked when he tried to pass a semi that was already going 75 in a 65.  The semi sped up as we were passing, and ended up topping out at 94 mph, and passed a highway patrolman in the process.  Talk about an adrenaline rush! For some reason he didn't come after us, for which we will be eternally grateful.  In Arizona, going 20 mph over the speed limit is considered a misdemeanor!  We finally got in around 11 pm, and we were all exhausted.

 The next day was Brennen's birthday and the day we had planned to do everything, so, prepare for pictures!!  Our day started at the Phoenix Zoo.  Before we left, however, Brennen thought it would be funny to upload this picture to my Instagram:

Unfortunately, it doesn't mean anything.  He just thought that since it was his birthday, he could do whatever he wanted.  Really, one side of the blocks says "BOO" for Halloween and the other side says "JOY" for Christmas.  Little bugger. 

Remember how we went to the zoo when we had just barely moved down here? and it was about 110 degrees?  Well, turns out if you go to the zoo at the end of November, it's a whole lot better!!  There were a lot of animals out.

After the zoo, the boys went golfing at a course by our apartment, and the girls and kids headed back over to my place for some swimming, napping, and shopping.  After we got back, we headed into Phoenix for the Suns/Jazz game!

There was some random famous guy I didn't recognize at the game, but I thought I'd get a picture just in case it was worth a million dollars someday.  The Jazz ended up winning, and then we went home for cake and ice cream and a quick game of Apple to Apples.  Then everyone went home, and we returned to regular life. It was a super fun weekend, though, and we're so glad we got to spend it with family.  Here are a few other random blips from this weekend that don't really fall anywhere...

We managed to put up the tree last night! Still have those ugly red and blue ornaments.

I'm not entirely sure how I managed to take a screenshot of my phone at 5:30 in the morning.
Yes, my alarm says, "Wake up! Time to get ready for that job you hate!"

Looking fabulous.

Grandpa and Jane.  Just having some relax time together

Already into heels!

Passed this truck on our way out of Glendale..so full of stuff, it was crazy.

It's almost Thanksgiving.

It's almost Thanksgiving, and it doesn't even feel like it because here, it's still green, and warm, and sun-shiney.  There is long green grass on the ground outside and there's still green leaves on the trees, and it only gets down to 55 degrees at night...It's so so weird. But, ya, Thanksgiving is next week, and then on to Christmas?! Where the heck has the time gone?

 Brennen and I have been down in Mesa for almost 6 months now! And time has just flown right by.  Nothing really new to report, just the same old, same old.  We need a little excitement in our lives, seriously.  No kids, no pets, just working and going to school ALL DAY EVERY DAY gets old really quick.

Oh, here's something new.  I have a doctor's appointment next Tuesday with an OB/GYN.  Thanks for asking, but no, I'm not growing a human (I've really wanted to write that). Truth is, I haven't had a period since August (again, NOT growing a human).  TMI? Well, I figure that since I only blog once a month, you can handle it.  Besides, all my blog-lovin followers are female, so you can relate.  Or maybe not. Either way, there you go.  A little wrinkle in our predictable lives.

I have been to the temple a few times here (one of my most favorite things to do), and I am loving it.  It was built in 1927, so it's all really old fashioned on the inside.  I have no idea where I am going most of the time, but it's really pretty inside, for the time period anyway.  There are only two rooms. An ordinance room, and then the veil room.  And the new film is PHENOMENAL.  If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, call me up, and fly me back to Idaho so I can watch your kiddos while you go do a session or three.  Nothing is different doctrine wise, or even script wise, but just the way it was put together I have already learned so much about Heavenly Father's plan for me.  Speaking of temples, we finally got word that the Gilbert, AZ temple is almost finished!! That's the temple district that we will be living in once it's operational.  The open house dates are January 18- February 15 (or close to that), the cultural celebration will be on March 1, and the dedication will be on March 2.  If you are going to be in the area during that time and want to go, let me know and I will get you tickets! And make you dinner! and probably never let you leave, because let's face it, we don't get out much around here.

We have been exploring the mountains more and finding more lakes and places to be in "nature." But it's not the same.  There are cactus-es and scorpions and tarantulas that will jump up your leg and attack you.  And the fish never bite.  I miss the mountains of Idaho.  Brennen wants everyone to know that he's getting an inflatable kayak for his birthday...or a fish tank.  He still hasn't decided on one yet and is really quite torn about the whole thing.  If he doesn't decide soon he won't be getting anything because his birthday is next Saturday.  I need to find some sort of cake to make him.

Speaking of foods that are sure to make you gain a few friendly pounds, I found this recipe on Pinterest that I think may be good enough to die for.  You remember how I have this obsession with Oreos? Well, have you ever had cookies-n-creme cookies? No, not Oreos, but Oreos inside another cookie? These are made with crushed Oreos, Oreo pudding mix, and Hershey's Cookies-n-Creme candy bar.  It's all I've eaten for the last 4 days.  You think I'm joking, but I'm not.  Once you eat one, no other food sounds good to you, at all.  And although they start to make you sick after the 6th or 7th one, you just can't stop eating them.  They should call them crack-cocaine-heroine-cookies.  I had to take the remaining 6 to work and give them away because my body started rejecting them.

Well, I guess that's all for now.  I let you all get back your lives.  Sorry you'll never get that five minutes back.  Thankgiving sounds promising though, so maybe you'll hear back from me before next month.

General Conference

Some of you know, and some may not, that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every 6 months, the leaders of our church meet in Salt, Lake City, Utah for a world-wide broadcast of General Conference where various leaders will speak and give counsel to the members of the church. A few months ago, after some reflection, I realized that my testimony wasn't as strong as it should be--or at least as strong as I thought it should be. There are lots of things that go on in life, and unfortunately for my one-track-mind, those outside influences seem to creep in to my testimony-buliding time. Days have passed where I have had no personal or family prayer or scripture study. Those days always seem dark and dingy, and for me, its harder to be Christlike. I began to ponder ways that I could increase the influence of the Spirit in my life. One idea that came to me is General Conference. Thanks to technology, I have almost every General Conference talk right on my phone. And thanks to being a girl, I have lots of time in the mornings when I am getting ready where I can fill my time with listening to General Conference talks instead of listening to the radio as I usually do.  And what better way to prepare for General Conference than by studying other General Conference talks? After about a month of doing this, I can say without a doubt that God speaks to His people through a living prophet. I think General Conference is so cool because all the revelation that is recieved is for our day and time. And the language is easier to understand than that of the scriptures sometimes. It is easy to pick out the message or "moral of the story". Sometimes, certain words or phrases will just jump out at me. For example: a few days ago, I went to the beautiful temple here in Mesa. I hadn't been since we moved down here 4 months ago, and I went seeking guidance on an issue that I had been pondering for a while. All throughout the session, I felt the Spirit testifying of the things being taught, and I took that as a good sign. But after the session, as I went to the Lord with my question, I didn't feel any major revelation come to me. I guess I expected the heavens to open and the angels to come down singing, but there was simply no answer. I was puzzled and, lets face it, sad and discouraged as I went home. Then a few days later, I was listening to General Conference as I was getting ready for the day. I don't even remember who was giving the talk or what it was about, but this line stood out very vividly to me: "You must study it out in your mind, then ask me if it be right." Like a ton of bricks it hit me that before I go to Heavenly Father again, I need to take some time and think about it myself, then make an informed and rational decision, then ask if it is the course He would have me take. I think a lot of times we expect Heavenly Father to tell us every thing we need to do, when in reality, that takes away our free agency--the thing we were literally sent to earth to receive, what the war in heaven was all about, why we need the Atonement. I am still pondering the decision the lies ahead, but I am greatful that through my study of General Conference I was able to understand the steps I needed to take in order to receive the revelation I needed. Anyways, there is now a special place in my heart for General Conference, and actually, I'm kind of obsessed with it now. I hope my testimony of General Conference can help someone else who might be struggling.

Three Months Down, Twenty-Four to go

Oh, look! Its US again! Well, just so you know, we have successfully made it through the first three months of P.A. school! Since this program is 27 months long, we oficially only have two years left, possibly only one year left here in sunny AZ. Brennen is hoping to get some rotations in Las Vegas and Idaho. Arizona is getting better, but we are anxious to be back with our families. Speaking of being back with our families, we were able to go back to Idaho for about a week between blocks of school. We were able to spend a lot of time out on the boat and with family and friends. It was a blast and just the pick-me-up we needed. We even bought a new car while we were up there! Wooo! Its had to believe we have been here for three months already! I still get homesick a lot, but Mesa is beginning to feel more like home. It helps that I'm working a lot and don't have a lot of time to just sit around and brood over how much I miss the trees and clean air of Idaho.

Brennen has been liking school. Although he is not impressed with the curriculum. But he's still loving everything he's learning about. He works hard every day and is studying from dawn to dark. I'm so proud of him!

Lately I have just been working like a mad-woman! Things have gotten a little better since I have been designated to train the new guy. I am just happier teaching! And this week I got my benefits package in the mail! Haha, I know it sounds silly but it really felt like Christmas getting that package. I can go to the dentist and eye doctor and get all my check-ups taken care of, and I should probably go see a dermatologist too.

This post has taken me a while to write because there just isn't a lot that's super exciting going on right now. Monday, Labor Day, we went to our very first Diamondbacks Game! It was so fun. And its in an indoor field with air conditioning and everything! Brennen and I also got a calling as the new CTR 7 teachers! At least the Church has found a way to put my degree to good use! We have about 15 kids in our class which is actually really crazy, and the first Sunday they were awful! But they hand had a regular teacher for about two months, so now we have to establish a routine and discipline.

Well, here are some pictures of what's been going on here! Sorry, still posting from the phone since its our only source of internet!

Just Words

Hello everyone! Here's a little update to let you know that we haven't melted {yet} in this dry Arizona heat!

Like I said, it is VERY hot here.  You Idahoans that are complaining about 100 degree weather? Girl, please. Try a LOW of 100 degrees EVERY DAY.  Then, and only then, can you complain.  Try getting in your car after an 8 hour workday and having the sheer 150 degrees melt your face off.  Seriously. I feel like my face is melting.

We kind of like it here.  I mean, it's good. We live in a really good area of Mesa, we have a super fantastic ward, and everything here is so accessible, but it's missing a few things. Like mountains.  We have a few but they are SO far away, and made of rock.  Ok, I know that ALL mountains are made of rock, but the ones back in Idaho look like they are made solely of trees.  We miss that. It is so so flat here.  Not really a lot to look at.  We also miss all the fishing spots.  There are a few places here, but it's so hot, you can't get outside to do anything.  One day we were at Wal-Mart and Brennen was telling the cashier that it was supposed to cool down.  Being the witty person that I am, I piped in "YA! In December!" Seriously.  SO HOT.

Brennen is doing really well in school! He studies about 6 hours a day, not including the time he spends at school, and it shows!  He did a FANTASTIC job on all of his midterms.  He is really loving what he is learning, even if it is hard and requires a lot of work.  He has to practice physical exams, and who better to practice on than your lovely wife? Last night he did a bunch of stuff.  The worst is when he shines the bright light in my eyes for about 10 minutes and then I can't see afterwards... the best is when he feels for the lymph nodes (i think?) at the base of my head...feels like a massage.

I hate working at the plasma center here.  I'll just throw that out right now.  I dread waking up in the morning because I know that I have to make the 25 minute drive to work.  And I'm terrified of driving on the highway.  I know that earlier I said it was fun, but that was before a highway patrolman pulled me over for no good reason and threatened to give me a $1000 ticket and made me buy a new windshield.  I guess as soon as you get a job here you are considered a "resident" and have to change over your license and plates and stuff.  Pfft. No thanks.  I'll just try not to get caught next time.  So when we come back up to visit, we'll be spending time in the DMV transferring the tiles and registration all into Brennen's name.  Since he's a student, he doesn't have to change anything.  So at least if I do get pulled over, I can't claim the vehicle as mine. Mwahaha.  Anyways, my hobbies nowadays consist of loading the dishwasher and watching TONS of TV.  It's awful.  Because after I get home from work I'm too dead to do anything besides mindlessly stare at the television.  My favorites right now are TLC (Toddlers & Tiaras, and Bride-day Friday) and the Bachelorette. I was hoping to come home with a sweet tan, but it's too blasted hot to even step outside, let alone lay in the sunshine.

One of the hardest things for us out here is making friends.  There are a bunch of people our age in our ward and that live in our complex, but they already have their little cliques and don't need anyone intruding.  So Brennen is working on finding some friends from school, and I'm working on getting together with some people I already know down here.  Friday, my friend from the Rexburg Biomat Brittany and I have a craft date!

Speaking of friends, Saturday we drove down to Tuscon to spend some time with one of Brennen's friends, Nathan.  He had us over for a BBQ and then we went swimming and to the mall.  After that Brennen and Nathan played some COD while I took off to visit one of my best friends from college, Melissa and her adorable little boy.  It was really good to see her and catch up on everything.  They will be moving back to Rexburg in August.  On our way home from Tuscon, we drove through a massive monsoon!  It was so scary!  The rain came down in sheets!  I would say it was scarier than driving through an Idaho blizzard.
But the best part was getting back into Gilbert and seeing the nearly finished Gilbert Temple against the backdrop of the most amazing lightning storm I have ever seen!

Well, that's all for this month!  Maybe I'll post again before August?!  Maybe.  So here's a little recipe for all my girlfriends that I discovered last night that is pretty much amazing.  I was looking on Pinterest, and when I do, I don't search for specific things.  I usually just find the category "Everything" and scroll through and pin things I like.  I stumbled upon this jewelry cleaner recipe and thought I'd give it a try.  And it's a good thing I did! It was amazing, especially on my sterling silver CTR ring that had about 8 years of dingy on it.  Girls.  Try this out, then comment on how amazing it is! Seriously.  You won't regret it.

Jewelry Cleaner:

Line the bottom of a bowl with aluminum foil.
Place:
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbs Dish Soap
on the foil.
Pour 1 cup of hot water (I just heated mine in the microwave) over ingredients.
Drop jewelry in and let soak for 10-15 mins.
Use a toothbrush to loosen up any leftover gunk, rinse under cold water.

I will definitely use this instead of taking my ring to the jeweler to get cleaned! It looks just as good as if a pro did it.

Oh, Hey!

Um...I realize we pretty much dropped off the face of the planet. But this past month has been SO crazy. Just so you all know...we made it to Arizona! We got here last week and its been great! Aside from the weather, anyways. Gives a literal meaning to "Drop it like it's hot." Its consistently above 100 degrees and dry as..a desert. Go figure. But truth be told, I'll take this hot summer over an Idaho winter any day. One of the great things about being out here is that everything is within 5 minutes of you. Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Winco, In-n-out, Cheesecake Factory, the mall, you name it. Its so convenient. Right now i'm working at the plasma center. I know, I know. You all are thinking " Wait, didn't she just graduate from college?" The answer is yes, yes I did. But, I can't teach without a license, and I've been waitng for my Idaho licence for about 6 weeks now. I can't apply for my Arizona license until I get my Idaho lisence and I can't apply for jobs until I have my licence. Hence, the plasma center. Oh...the interesting people I have met. Anyways. Brennen started school this week and is already studying in the cadaver lab.  Yay. Maybe someday I will post all the pictures from my phone  so you can see what its really like out here.  We love our apartment! Apparently we live in the "nice" part of town. Five things I love about this apartment: garbage disposal, dishwasher, washer, dryer, and walk-in master closet. None of which we had in rexburg. It's also on the first floor which is amazing. We requested the first or third floor (third floor because we wouldn't have to worry about hearing the neighbors above us) and I am so so so SO glad we got the first floor because I can't imagine hauling all our crap up to the third floor! In 100 degree weather. Everything is unpacked except for the spare bedroom which will likely stay in boxes until we have a legitimate use for it. Our bedroom has been turned into the beddroom/study area and is the hottest room in the whole building, I'm sure. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too. The water here is extremely nasty. Like worse than Utah water nasty. Luckily we got a Pur water filter pitcher for our wedding and never needed it until now. It makes the water 100 times better. I just learned that there is a temple being built about 10 minutes away from us in Gilbert and another in Phoenix in addition to Mesa, Gila Valley, Tuscon and Snowflake! What an exciting time for Arizona! I am hoping to go to the Gilbert temple open house and dedication! I read some info about the temples on the church's website and they said that no one formally filed a complaint on building the Gilbert temple. But the Phoenix temple has recieved a lot of opposition. So much, that the Church completely redesigned the temple from the original plans in hopes that those opposing the construction would be assuaged. Interesting stuff, and I'm excited to be a part of it. Well, that's all for now. Here are some pics of what we've been up to.

Haircuts

It's now 12:04 a.m. and my husband decides its the perfect time to give himself a haircut. Sweet. Here's to falling asleep alone tonight...boo. in other hair news, I managed to get my hair into a pony today! Woop! Behold:

Pageviews and Health

Alright. So the last few weeks I have been seeing the pageviews for my blog skyrocket. And when I say skyrocket, I mean go from maybe 3 a day to about 12. Whooooo. But then I look at that cool map thingy that tells me where all the views are coming from and it says USA and Russia? Ummm...cool. Thanks Russia for viewing my blog! Anyways...life after student teaching has gone about like this: wake up, do nothing, go to bed. Seriously, all this stay-in-bed-til-noon crap has got to end. I know, I know, all you moms out there are thinking that I should just be grateful I get to sleep past 7 or 8, and it's true. I should be grateful. But I just feel so darn lazy. And I am. Because here I am, in bed, at...11:36 a.m. typing this up. Pfffffffft.

Anyways, on to health. Although I think it's important to get into a healthy exercise routine and eat healthily, I pretty much laothe working out and I would choose cheesecake over carrot sticks any day. However, that being said, I still think you should do all those things so you don't have a scare like I did last night.

I work out a little, not as much as I should, but some is better than none right? Lately I have been getting sick more often. This doesn't have anything to do with colds or the flu, but its been something similar to IBS. There is something funky going down in my digestive system and I don't like it. It always changes. Lately it's been a burning sensation down in my gut. Like heartburn only 10x worse and down by your bellybutton. Usually when it happens my blood pressure plummets and I get really lightheaded and weak. Usually I throw up from the pain. I get super sensitive to sounds like a migrane and smells like morning sickness. Usually I just have to wait it out until it stops. So I'm sitting there trying to breathe deeply and evenly, because that's usually the only thing that helps, when I feel my heart trying to pound its way out of my chest. Except it was beating really funny. Not the normal lub-dub you should feel. So I called over my husband who, very handily, is a paramedic. He checked my pulse and declared me bradycardic. Bradicardic means your heart rate is under 60 bpm or 1 beat per second. I was measuring in around 30 bpm. That's 2 beats per second. Not good. My stomach was feeling a little better after taking my blood pressure about a zillion times so he had me get up and walk around a little to try to get it up. I never could get it above 47, but after about an hour he declared me well enough, told me to keep an eye on it, and let me go to bed. So what's the moral of this story? Take care of your body and it will take care of you. We will be keeping an eye out for any indicators that it may be a more serious issue, but for now I will making sure cardio is an integral piece of my workouts so I can strengthen my heart and hopefully not have another scare like this one!

Finished

Dear everybody: I am officially a college graduate! Who would have thought I would ever live to see this day? It feels so strange not having to go to school or worry about planning lessons for tomorrow. Now it's worrying about finding a real job that pays well and actually lets me use my degree that took me 5 years to get. Its so weird. Anyways, I just thought you should all know that I am officially a grown-up now.

Game-changer

This week my second-graders were reading a story called "Jalepeno Bagels." Mrs. Havens and I thought it would be fun to make some sort of bread since the objectives for the story were to follow directions and recipies just happen to have mixed numbers in them which is what I had been teaching in math. So Friday was the day and I brought my breadmaker to school just so we could make double in the same amount of time. After the dough had risen we let the kids make it into any shape they wanted, and then baked them in a little convection oven. Oh. My. Lanta. Our classroom smelled like heaven. And I am here to tell you that this bread recipe has changed my life. And I want it to change your's too.

Easy Breadsticks

1 cup warm water
3 Tbs Brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp yeast

1. Combine all ingredients. Mix well.
2. Let rise for 20 or more minutes.
3. Shape dough into whatever tickles your fancy.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden.

That's it. You're done. There's oh-so-much you can do with this stuff. And its delish. I made some rolls and pretzels with mine. I even braided it. You can put in any add-ins you want. Before I put minein the oven, I brushed some butter overtop. Next I want to do some garlic salt and parmesan cheese...mmmm! Great easy recipe for family night with kids or dinner with your hubby. Seriously, guys. This stuff is so great. Try it out.

Lasagna...soup

Ok, so I've been thinking about ya'll lately and just thought that it wasn't fair if I kept this gem to myself... Here's another recipe for you. Brennen and I love it. Super delish and makes plenty of leftovers that you'll want to every night until it's gone.

Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground turkey, hamburger, or sausage
1 chopped onion
1 qt chicken or vegetable broth
Two 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
Two 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1Tbs Brown sugar
1 pkg Italian seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles
1 cup Italian cheese blend
Cottage cheese

1. Brown onion and meat. Drain fat.
2. Add remaining ingredients except noodles and cheeses
3. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 30 mins on medium high.
4. Add noodles and cook until tender.
5. Add cheeses just before serving.

Feel free to cut it in half...or fourths. This will keep the two of us happy for about a week. Also super easy to make, and tastes JUST like lasagna. Enjoy!

Comfort Food

So. About food. You might not know this about me, but I LOVE food. Especially junk food. You know, chips, ice cream, cookies, the likes. At one point I even claimed that sour cream 'n onion chips were my favorite food. I know, that's gross. And trust me, my body thinks so too. Just need to send the memo over to my tastebuds. Anywhoo, recently a friend posted a recipe for some fantastic looking granola on her blog (which I will gladly put up a link to when I'm not posting from my phone anymore) and it got me thinking about my favorite foods. Now, usually I don't put up recipes because then I feel like I have to take a picture of what I'm making and then that means you seeing my disgusting sweet-potato-baby-poop colored countertops (hey, our apartment was built in the 70s, and apparently it was a popular color back then). So until we move to our new Arizona apt (which has faux granite countertops, yay!) You will just get recipes. Besides, figuring out what it's supposed to look like is half the fun anyways. And so, without further ado I give you:

Dad's Famous Mashed Potatoes

Now, before I go on, there are a few things you need to know about my family and this recipe. First, my dad is an amazing cook. Second, I learned to cook from my parents and neither of them measure ingredients. Therefore, neither do I. Third, we are not ashamed of fat. By fat, I mean butter, cream, oil, etc. So, if you are looking for healthy mashed potatoes, this probably isn't the best place for you. However, if you are looking for delicious mashed potatoes, you have arrived.

Dad's Famous Mashed Potatoes

Red or russet potatoes (red: 2 potatoes/person; russet: 1 potato/person)
Cream (I use 2% milk)
Sour cream
Butter
Seasonings

1. Skin, quarter, and boil potatoes over medium high to high heat. Remove from heat when tender. (This is where a lot of people go wrong making real mashed potatoes. They overcook their potatoes and then it turns into a bland, sloppy mess. I cook them until I can poke a fork into a piece and it will split in half without any extra effort, and then I cook them for 5 more minutes.)

2. Drain potatoes and move to standing mixer or mixing bowl. (You can use an electric hand mixer if you want, but it will get very messy, very fast. I would recommend mashing them by hand .)

3. This is the tricky part. Add cream, sour cream, and butter. How much you add will depend on how creamy you want them and what you want the texture to be like. For 4 russet potatoes I usually add 2 tbs butter, 1/4 cream (milk), 2 dollops sour cream. Taste them often to get them to where you want them. Specific, I know.

4. Add seasonings to taste. These can be whatever you want. I always use garlic salt. Some other favorite add-ons are cheddar cheese and bacon. Add some parsley to give it color. Mmmm...

And voila!! The best mashed potatoes under the sun. You'll never go back to using those fish-food-flake insta-potatoes again!

From the smartphone

So. I don't have a computer anymore since mine pooped out on me last week. So I downloaded this nifty blogger app on my phone...It's not that fun, but oh well. Right now I'm just waiting for Brennen to get home from Priesthood session of conference. Talk about a boring night by myself. So around 7 I hit the gym. What a ghost town. It was dead. There were maybe 4 other people there besides me. So I just busted out a few hundred calories and called it good. Then I drove around for a while just to let the air conditioning in my car blow on me for a bit. And now here I am, sitting in the dark, busting out a blog post from my phone. Haha. Well, I gues I feel semi-accomplished.

Yesterday I got to hang out with one of my best friends and her darling little boy, Kroy. He's just a month old. In fact, his birthday is the day before mine. He was super tiny, only about 7 or 8 lbs. What a doll. And now its her fault that I'm having baby dreams. Haha. Around 7 this morning I told Brennen "you're not going to like what I'm having dreams about.." Of course he guessed babies. Sheesh. That kid can read my mind sometimes.

Well, our lives are pretty exciting. Going to the gym and dreaming about babes. I only have 17 days left of student teaching and then we'll be moving out of dear, sweet, windy Rexburg! Woohoo!

Good, Good News

If you know me at all, you know that when things go wrong, I tend to be a little 

on the sarcastic side.  For example: I have no good news to share.

In fact, I only have bad news.  And I need the blogging community to feel sorry for me.

Again, that last part about feeling sorry for me was sarcasm. First things first.

About 3 weeks ago, I came down with this awful nasty cold, flu, virus thing.

One day I came home from school feeling nauseous.

Which is strange because I usually have a pretty tough stomach. and I haven't 

actually thrown up since my senior year of high school

(yes, I remember the last time I threw up because it was THAT bad.)\

I wasn't really hungry so I didn't eat anything.

Brennen told me to take some ibuprofen and benadryl (because it helps with nausea?)

so I did, and threw in a multi-vitamin too because I need to start taking them again.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

When I finally decided to eat some pancakes...well, lets just say that I probably 

won't eat pancakes again for a while.

The next day, I started to get that congestion/cough thing.

Within 2 days, I completely lost my voice and didn't get it back for about a week.

All this time Brennen's like

Go to the doctor, go to the doctor...

And I'm like

No, I can't miss school...No I can't miss school.

I finally decided to see if they would take me as a walk-in

and they wouldn't.

So we called up our handy-dandy doctor/brother-in-law

who was able to prescribe me some meds.

Then four days (no joke) after I end my medication

I get sick.  AGAIN.

This time I'm majorly congested and can't even breathe out of my nose.

This was the only way to provide temporary relief.

Shove toilet paper up my nose so far, it made me sneeze.

And then, 

Brennen came home from Wal-Mart with this magical stuff called

NASAL SPRAY

As soon as I used it, I could hear the angels singing hallelujah.

It was amazing.

I went to the doctor today and they basically told me there was

nothing they could do, 

I was practically already better,

and that I should use hand sanitizer more often.

How cool.

Got the the doctor and confirmed that I have gained 5 lbs since Christmas.

5 pounds! Most women would be sad, but

I'm sort of ecstatic. 

I have been around 103 my whole marriage, and have been

wanting to put on a few more pounds.  The only problem

is that it is all around my stomach.  That's right.

I have a pooch.

So, to the gym I go.

Also, my pulse was in the 90s?  So weird

because when I take my pulse at home, it's usually in the 60s.

Ok, you guys.  I'm not even done with my great day, and this post is already too long.

So I will post the rest of my day in ten words or less:

Hard-drive failure. Everything gone. Computer not worth fixing. Day made.

What's Happening

I know you have all been wondering.

What have the Larsen's been up to?

Well, let me show you :)

First, my birthday. 

Brennen made me this cake.  It's kind of a tradition :)

\

We had dinner at Blister's BBQ...it's this place inside a gas station.

But trust me, it's amazing.

It may not seem like much, but I was SO glad to have my car back this week.

I love my little car.

Got my boot socks made!! :) and still managed to salvage

the sweater.

Brennen is seriously a jack of all trades.  He tiled

his parent's mud room/laundry room/half bath.  This picture

shows it without the grout which he did today.

In other news, we signed the lease on our new apartment in Mesa this week!

Woo! Best part is the lease said our rent was almost $200 less than what

they told us on the phone! And I tried to call them to let them know,

but no one would answer.  Oh well. At least I tried, right?

So we will be moving mid-May. Woohoo!

Also, I have a new phone number. So, if you don't have my new number,

and would like it, post a comment with your number and I will text it too you (all comments are moderated, so I see them before I publish them, and I won't publish your comment :))