Hee Hee

I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight. It was awesome and can be found here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/taco-chicken/ .

I didn't follow the directions exactly because my chicken was frozen so I tried to just throw the marinade stuff on top of the frozen chicken breasts in my crockpot on high and then figured I would throw the spices in later. They were only partially cooked after 2 hours and I was impatient so I took them out, put the spices on, and broiled them. I think it worked really well.

The funniest thing happened while they were in the crockpot. I was at my mother in law's house to escape the 87 degree temperature in my own house. I went upstairs to check on the chicken as Jo was coming in the door from being outside. She looked at me and said, "It smells like something dead in here. Do you smell it??" I said, "No, I only smell garlic." Then she replied, after taking another sniff "Oh yeah... I guess that is garlic."

Maybe it's only funny to me because I know she doesn't use garlic a lot and there was a situation a couple of year's ago for one of the nieces or nephews birthdays when copious amounts of Sam's Club take 'n bake pizzas were purchased. At the time, our Sam's had just started to carry these cheesy garlic breadsticks with the take 'n bake pizza. As the breadsticks were cooking (and smelling very garlicy), Jo wandered into the kitchen and asked, "Do you smell that?? It smells like wiring is melting somewhere!" Someone said that all they could smell was the garlic from the breadsticks so Jo came and took a sniff and then replied that it was the breadsticks she was smelling. We all had a good laugh. Then a short time later, when we were ready to eat, Wade came downstairs from his bedroom and upon entering the living room asked, "Why does it smell like melting wiring in here??"

Who knew the smell of garlic could be so repulsive? :)

Such is life...

You all should know by now that our life is incredibly busy this summer. We are 2 1/2 months into our house building and are making steady progress. We started the electrical this week so we are really, really, really, really, hoping that we can work hard and be done in two months time. I think it should be possible because lots of what is left can be done while overlapping something else. Once we get the electrical done, we can have the insulators come, then we can have the sheetrockers come in, then finish the plumbing rough-in, then paint, then put in cabinets, then flooring, doors and trim, etc... Cross your fingers for us. (And we could use any additional prayers you wanted to send our way too...)

We love the house. I walk around and think to myself "Wow. This is so cool. I can't believe we actually dreamed this up and here it is!" The science lover in me is really enjoying the electrical. Weird, I know, but I like seeing how it comes together and knowing how it completes the circuit and why it all makes sense. Adam had the kids help pull wire in their bedrooms. He is so good at including them. He has done such a good job with Porter because he takes him everywhere with him when it's time to work. Porter's greatest joy is to work along side his dad. If they're fencing, Porter gets to help hammer in staples. If they're hanging sheetrock, Porter gets a pencil to help "mark". A couple of weeks ago, when they were still roofing, Porter was so upset because he couldn't go up on the roof and help. Adam has commented a lot about how his dad took him and his brothers with when he was working on things and that he now realizes that they probably were more in the way than they were help but I think that is why Adam loves to work.
Wouldn't the world be an amazing place if everyone loved to work?

One of my friends had this quote on her blog and I loved it so I am stealing it to post here:

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car,

wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair perfectly coiffed,

and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels

from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass

stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on

my shirt from making peanut butter sandwiches for a

sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt

under my fingernails from helping weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my

cheeks and tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

~ Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Me too.

S.L.A.C.K.E.R.

I am long overdue to do another interesting post but life has been crazy busy and I've been sick on top of it. Stay tuned and I'll be back soon. Promise.

Mormon Momma

I just love things that make me think. I suppose that is why I have always like school. I discovered the website www.mormonmomma.com a while ago. There are sooooo many articles that make me think or discover a different viewpoint. This most recent one that I discovered is amazing. (I could lose days reading through the archives!)

www.mormonmomma.com/index.php/2008/becoming-introductory-thoughts-on-being-poor-in-spirit/

You don't have to be Mormon to enjoy this article. If you have ever read the 'Sermon on the Mount', you will be inspired to do better and search deeper for meaning as you read.

Let me know what you think! And, by the way, read the comments that follow. It's a really thoughtful discussion.

Life in Pictures

We have been super busy with all the construction but happily yesterday was rainy so we got to have a little break for everyone involved. I'm hoping it goes away again soon but it was certainly nice to have a day where we didn't have to go anywhere at any specific time!

This is Sarah just before bed last night. If you know my child well, you know that she hates clothes and shoes. HATES them. We told her to go get her jammies on and this is how she came back: headband and socks on her hands and feet with no diaper. Paige and Porter were doing 'Mountain Climbers' in the middle of the living room floor and she joined them in all her glory. (I have video of it but it's not exactly appropriate to share here so if you see me, ask and I will share :) ) I got the giggles so bad I couldn't breathe.

My friend Heidi had a sweet baby girl this week. She wanted a hat like one she had seen in a picture online so I told her I would make her one. Didn't it turn out so cute??

Porter just loves babies. He was so happy to get a turn to snuggle her. He was sitting in the rocking recliner and told me I had to rock him so she wouldn't wake up.

Stats

Did you know that Blogger provides you with all sorts of info about your blog?? I am retarded and have only been concerned about posting so I had not ever paid attention to any of those crazy tabs that say 'comments' or 'stats' and the like... until recently. It is crazy interesting.

For example: These are the stats from 'Page views by country'
United States 617
Canada 14
Germany 14
France 11
Taiwan 11
Slovenia 9
Denmark 5
United Kingdom 4
United Arab Emirates 3
Malaysia 3

Seriously?? The US, Canada, and Germany I expected. But United Arab Emirates?? What the heck?!? (I can only assume it is from before I removed my little blog from being shown on blogger's website.) Basically, I know people from the top 3, the Denmark I could foresee give some people that I know and maybe even the UK. The other ones I have no idea about!

What's the craziest thing you've learned lately?

Construction Update

Blogger is dumb so these pictures are in reverse order but you'll get the point anyway! Yesterday was day 2 of framing and they got all the exterior basement walls done. The plan is to put the floor joists on Monday or Tuesday and I think we are right on track!

All but one small wall up. Adam, Skinny, Jerob, Wade and Mark all pitched in and got a lot done in a little time last night. It was awesome.
This is the north side of the house, which stretches 47 feet. They decided to frame it all in one piece. It took 6 of us to heft it into place and even that was iffy! The best part was after we got it up and were all standing there while it was nailed in place, Mark had jumped through the window to hold it from the outside. We were standing there talking and he suddenly disappeared because the bank had given way!

First wall up.

Putting first wall together.

Smoothing last bit of concrete for the basement floor. It was fascinating to watch them work.

At the beginning of pouring the basement floor.

Putting rebar down for floor.

The morning after the basement walls were poured.

The concrete truck and pumper truck pouring the basement walls.

Paige and I inside the excavated hole.

Paige during family groundbreaking.

Porter's turn.

Sarah's turn.

Me and the kids pre-groundbreaking.