Joe and Katie

Shab or mom cut?

2012-01-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

After having my long drab hair pulled on and spit up in daily, I decided it was time to chop it. Besides, I hit that magical 3 month mark where it was falling out in chunks. After much debate (just check my pinterest) on how short to go, I decided I would be super hip and do a "shab," which is the new shaggy bob. I chopped 10 inches and was feeling hot to trot until I went to church and a woman told me "ah. You have the mom cut!" So I may not be as hip as I thought, but I guess it is official now. I have arrived at motherhood.

Benny makes everyone look cuter.

What a difference 3 months makes!

2012-01-17T14:57:00.000-08:00

In the short three months of Benny's life, I can confidently say I have learned oodles. I can also confidently say that I have a long ways to go. It is like the more you know, the more you realize you have to learn. Here are just some of my personal reflections on what I have learned.

Love that 'stache

1. "This doesn't last forever"
I read an article that really helped me see things in a different light. Everyone tells you, "it just goes so fast. Enjoy every minute!" I disagree with this advice. No matter how hard you try you will not enjoy every minute of being a mother. In fact there are many things I would not mind trading in. I prefer the advice "this doesn't last forever." I like to remind myself in the good and the bad moments that it is fleeting. It helps me get through it, but also helps me enjoy myself. Benny had colic and gave us all a bit of a run for our money. I had to remind myself that he would not cry forever. I also look at those gummy smiles, coos and flirty eyes and remember "this doesn't last forever."

Gotta love a chubby baby in a wife beater

2. Being Well Read Causes Neuroses

I love to read, and have done myself the disservice of over researching motherhood. I read "Babywise" which convinced me that because I still do not have a child that will sleep through the night, I am doing something wrong. Among this book there were many others that contradicted themselves. What one book preached, another warned never to do. It is enough to make a girl mad. I say trust your instincts. Every kid is different and there is no one book with all the answers.

Mr. Chubby Cheeks

3. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Joe will tell you that I am still working on this, but as a new mom it is easy to worry. People have been having kids for centuries, and they have all turned out fine for the most part. If you miss a nap, or let him sleep in his car seat, let mealtime get off schedule, or let your child get entranced by the TV because it is the first time they have been happy in hours, chances are your child will still turn out ok. It is not worth the worry.

Sweet Smiles

4. Triumph Over All
Going from working a full time job, a part time job, working on my masters and being the YW president to being a stay at home mom has been quite the adjustment. I was positive that I was going to have all the time in the world to work on hobbies, play with friends and catch up on all the organizing i had always promised myself i would do once I had more time. Well turns out none of that has happened. I have learned that my days feel a lot less productive which has forced me to triumph in the small things. Sometimes I have to tell myself the the most important thing I did today was love and care for my baby and that is enough. I do not feel like I am getting more done. On the contrary, I feel like it is a miracle to get the little done that I do each day, but that is okay.

Being a mom is by far the hardest thing i have ever done. It also happens to be the most rewarding and delightful thing I have ever experienced. I am sure there are more adventures that await me and I say "Bring it on!"

I am book bound!

2012-01-10T10:00:00.001-08:00

Guess who happens to be the guest blogger at Be Book Bound today? That would be yours truly. Go, read, follow, comment! I hope you enjoy it!

Mocktail anyone?

2012-01-06T15:19:00.001-08:00

We Mormon's know how to have some real fun. All of my friends from high school were in town this year, so what better to do than throw a mocktail party? I had been wanting to do this for a while. It was a great success. My husband who always will run with any good idea did that. A stop at 2 grocery stores, the local liquor shop, world market, and the dollar store later and we were in business. I watched a couple of food network specials on cocktail parties. Joe did some research on the internet and we found some killer mixed drinks.

Our tower of glasses

The fixings

My favorite: The Mojito

All the girls. Miss ya already!

Benny got to be the honorary baby to attend the adult party. Here he is with uncle Alan

Christmas 2011

2012-01-06T15:18:00.000-08:00

This year came and went as if it never happened. Joe was so anxious to have 2 weeks off after working 80 work weeks for nearly 6 months with no break, that we were both sorely disappointed when he got sick. It was only a matter of days that Benny picked it up too despite our best efforts of lysol-ing every last inch of the house, washing our hands like crazy and even keeping his dad from holding him. We are just now getting his sleep schedule back to be somewhat bearable. C'est la vie!
Even with the damper of two sick boys, we were able to enjoy some of our favorite Christmas traditions with friends and family. We also have started a few of our own, which has been fun. Some of the highlights of the season:

The Dahls caroling at the old folks home. One of my favorite traditions.

Driving to Uncle Steve and Aunt Diane's on the 24th. The Albuquerque area got a ton of snow this year.

At Steve and Diane's. Benny doing the usual frightened face.

This season has made me fear for Benny's future. Here he is with Grandpa glued to the TV watching football. I have never seen a baby cry every time a commercial break happens and then calm down immediately when football comes back on. This kid loves his football. We taught him"Rise and Shout" during the BYU bowl game and he loved it. Mom watched him while Joe and I went to a UNM basketball game on New Year's eve. She taught him "Everyone's a lobo!" We just might be raising the biggest sports fan ever.

French Dinner on Christmas Eve at the Dahls. Another one of my favorite nights. Apparently this is not one of Benny's favorites.

Christmas day with the Bergstens. They spoil us like crazy.


Bella and Emily at the Bergstens. Bella did not feel the need to wear her dress, but she did want to wear her pearls and tights.

We were able to enjoy the traditions in spite of sickness. My favorite memories were the service we did this year. There is nothing that brings more joy than thinking of the reason for the celebration. We are so grateful to always remember the Savior's birth and life. Our first Christmas as a family was so special as we were able to reflect often on the birth of our own son and be that much more grateful for the Christ child. This will definitely be a Christmas that we will remember for years to come.

The Decor

2011-12-23T08:12:00.000-08:00

Someday I will have my own home and someday I will be able to afford a really large and beautiful Christmas tree. Someday I might be able to create a home as beautiful as my sister's at Christmas time. (The latter is not likely as my sis is the biggest Christmas fanatic I know, but a girl can dream can't she?) Until that time, I will continue to put up my humble tree with all of my favorite coordinated brown and gold ornaments. I really do love our tree. The first year we were married we got all of the ornaments together and it may be many years until I decide to switch it up.

Our stockings have been hung from the mantle with care.

Love that tree.

Ornament Exchange

2011-12-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Every year my friend throws an ornament exchange party. I always look forward to it to see what everyone else makes. I do NOT look forward to coming up with 24 handmade ornaments myself. I am like Martha Stewart's redheaded stepchild. I have no crafty bone in my bod, so I steal ideas. Here is what I came up with:

I promise they were not all this crooked. This was a leftover. I took scrabble letters and put them into words that were season appropriate.

Here were some of my other favorites of the 24 I received:

Cute little tree.

I love anything with book pages.

This one broke in transit, but I thought it was funny.

Santa's belt. So easy and cute.

Once again: the book pages.

My Shining Moment

2011-12-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

Growing up my family gave me a hard time about how I was the princess. Being the youngest girl of the four I think I demanded a little more attention. This preconceived notion has been adopted by my husband who thinks I tend to be a little demanding of his attention. (I mean seriously people, where do you get these ideas?) As I have grown older, I can honestly say a lot of attention is not all it is cracked up to be. I feel sheepish and embarassed at times. Enter: My graduation.
I was adamant about attending my graduation. Remember how I wanted to wear the Harry Potter gown? More than anything I feel like this was one of my biggest accomplishments next to child birth and a church mission. Why wouldn't I want to celebrate that? The real question is why didn't anyone else in the College of Fine Arts want to celebrate their accomplishments? I was the ONLY masters graduate at my graduation on Saturday. Sure there were only 5 or so names on the program, but i was the only one who showed. I got recognized all by myself. I felt like it was a bit too much attention amongst all the BA grads, but Joe and my family joked that it was my princess moment.

Princess moment

My biggest cheerleader

Not the best shot of Benny...

My great support system

Benny's Nursery

2011-12-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Remember my dilemma of the Nursery with the purple walls? Well, I finished it about a month ago, and have been meaning to post pictures, especially for my sisters who want to see it. Here are the ways I have worked with the purple walls:

Those bumpers were probably the hardest thing I have ever sewn. My mom called the day I finished them to tell me about this new study AMA came out with about how bumpers are causing SIDS. Great.

We decided the green, brown and yellow palate made the purple read more neutral.

I love me some Chevron.


I also love me some bunting.

So... did it work? Does it read neutral? Was I able to make the nursery a little less feminine for my boy?

Thanksgiving

2011-12-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

This year was a very low key Thanksgiving. Joe had to work and my family was all out of town. He ended up getting off at noon instead of 6PM and we were able to have dinner with his family. I have had so many things to be thankful for this year. I have been blessed with a healthy son, the best husband anyone could ask for, a loving and giving family, a strong faith, a wonderful job, an education, and the list could go on and on. We did not get many pictures but here are a few:

Tired but thankful new parents.

Carter and Benjamin

Bella before she even got to the Turkey

Benny all doped up on tryptophan

Yes, I am the annoying one...

2011-11-22T15:28:00.000-08:00

Who will now proceed to put hundreds of photos up of my sweet child, who I happen to think is the cutest thing ever to grace the earth. This is really just for the Grandparents who have been as anxious to see these as I have. Who am I kidding? This is so everytime I open my homepage, I see this until I get motivated to post something else.

This is Halloween

2011-11-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Being a stay at home mom for the next few months has been awesome. I have had more time for the things I love. I have tried my shot at being crafty. (Turns out I suck at it) Here are a few ways we celebrated Halloween this year:

Benny the Monkey

Looking Scary (or scared?!)

I made a slew of sugar cookies

My favorite easy craft is my spray painted pumpkins.

My Birth Story

2011-11-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I would consider this obligatory or not. It has taken me almost a full month to be able to face telling my story. Perhaps I've been afraid of having Post traumatic stress syndrome. However, I promised myself that I would make a detailed account of the whole experience lest I forget and want to get pregnant again. I guess that's the only way people have multiple children is that they forget. Jokes aside, the whole experience all in all was unlike anything I could ever put into words. But I guess I'm going to try anyway. Before I have my own child I couldn't read enough birthing stories. I was so interested in everyone's experience because I did not know what to expect for my own. I would read and read and hope and wish for my experience to be in like this one or not to be like that one. For any expectant mothers or for whatever it is worth here is my story:
I guess I will start with my doctors appointment that happened on the last Tuesday of September. I had been feeling very anxious and hoping that I had been dilated and much to my demise my doctor told me to be patient and that it would be a while before I have the baby. She suggested that I get a birthing ball and bounce on it at night to make my cervix drop since it was very high. I did just that. Each night that week I practiced bouncing on the birthing ball as I sat and watched TV. Thursday night as I was bouncing on the birthing ball I started to feel a little uncomfortable and figured I would stop. Friday morning when I woke up to get ready for school . I did not feel very well. I had some deep menstrual cramps in my lower back but did not think much of it considering I had been quite uncomfortable the last two weeks of my pregnancy anyhow. I got ready for school and headed out the door. I noticed as I was teaching in class how uncomfortable I was I have to stand up and rock from side to side while I would teach. When I went to lunch that day with all the other ladies who have children of their own, I was describing that I felt this deep menstrual cramp in my lower back and one of the women said "Katie you're in labor." I didn't believe her and didn't think much of it. I went back in the classroom and decided I would call my mom and talk to her. When I told her all things that I was feeling she said " Katie you're in the early stages of labor." I figured that I would take it easy, finish the school day, and then return home and see how I felt. My mom suggested that I eat some food because I probably wouldn't be able to eat once I was admitted to the hospital. Another one of my friends at school suggested I go home and take a nap if I could sleep through the pain. She knew I would be very tired. I went home ate a big meal and laid down for about 30 min. before I was woken up with pain. I had told Joe that I thought I was in labor and he just had me keep him informed by text message. By now it was about 5:30 in the evening on Friday. Joe came home around 6:30 in the evening. We had planned to have the young women in my church over for a late night together. I decided to call my other leaders and ask if we could cancel. There was a church talent show that night and I said I would still go to that. At about 7 PM went to the talent show. There were a few people in the there who looked at me and said "you're going to have this baby soon aren't you.?"
After the talent show Joe and I came home and tried to rest. I think we watched something on TV but I was in so much pain I can't remember. We laid down to bed about 1030 that night. I think Joe fell sleep for a little bit. I didn't sleep at all. The pain was much too extreme to sleep through. By about midnight I had woken Joe up because i kept moaning in pain. He said we needed to call the hospital. When we called the hospital the doctor asked me a few questions about the kind of pain that I was in. She said it might be best if I came into the triage. I told Joe that I would want to shower and get ready before we left. Even though I was in a lot of pain. We knew it would be a while. So I took a shower, blow dried my hair and put on makeup before we went to the hospital. We got to the hospital by about two in the morning. We checked into triage and they strapped me up to all the monitors. They monitored my contractions and they were about 3 min. apart. Unfortunately I was not dilated enough to be progressing really at all it that went. They told me I was almost at a two. They told me I could go home and sleep and come back when I have progressed a little further or that I could walk around the hospital for a while to get things moving. They gave me some medicine that would help me sleep and we left the hospital by about four in the morning. We got home at about 430 and by now the medicine has taken. I was exhausted and completely dysfunctional. The pain however was enough to wake me up every couple of minutes right as I tried to doze off. By about 530 I got up to get into a hot tub. The hot tub seemed to ease the pain slightly but I was still having heavy contractions. I worked through each contraction and Joe got up at about 630 in the morning. Because the nurse had told us to stay at home as long as we possibly could, we decided that would be best to hang out a while. My mom called us at about eight in the morning on Saturday. It was the general conference for our church and so everyone had plans to watch that on TV the whole day. When my mom called she suggested that we go for a walk. By the time she got to our house it was about nine. She knew that there was no way I was going to go for a walk and that I had progressed too far to take a stroll. I was stopping every couple of minutes writhing in pain.
It was really helpful to have my mom there. She talked me through each contraction. She helped me breathe and allowed me to focus. She told Joe exactly what to do to help me out. It was amazing. It was like once she got there, I had double the support I had had before, and it made it almost bearable.
It was about 10:30 when I lost my mucus plug and we knew it was go time. We got in the car and headed to the hospital. I knew it would be difficult to get in the car and wait, but little did I know that because it was balloon fiesta weekend, and because of the fact that our mayor decided to close 3 lanes of freeway traffic on that particular weekend, we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on I 40. I cannot remember a lot visually because each time a contraction would come on, I would zone in to the pain and everything else around me became obsolete. I was frustrated that we were not moving and thought I might have to give birth in the car, but alas we arrived at the hospital.
It was about 11:30 AM when we checked into triage the second time. The nurse asked if I had decided on what to do for the pain. (You can ask Joe about how many times I went back and forth. I watched "The Business of Being Born" and another hippy documentary that I am too embarrassed to mention, and felt like I wanted to go natural but knew that I do not have the highest pain threshold. I wanted to have a decision made before I was in labor, but since he was 2 weeks early...) I quickly exclaimed "I want an epidural!" The nurse said, "Okay, let me check you. And I will get your name on the list for the epidural since the anesthesiologist is in the O.R." This time I was no measly two. That is right. All that moaning and breathing had me at a six. The wheeled me off to labor and delivery. My OB works at the hospital on Fridays and Sundays, so I knew she would not be the one delivering me. They brought in the most wonderful nurse midwife named Susan. She, my mom, and Joe helped me through each contraction and on through transition. It was about an hour before the anesthesiologist was up in the room. She started going through all of the precautions, and it seemed like everything was blurry and spinning right out of a movie. As I sat up on the edge of the bed my water broke. Susan asked me to get up to go to the bathroom and then she said she was going to check me to make sure we wanted to go through with the epidural. A nurse helped me to the bathroom and then left me there to do my thing. I felt a contraction come on like never before and I had the most incredible urge to push. I started screaming. Joe came running in quickly followed by Susan. She was looking in the toilet as if she was expecting to see a baby. Little did I know that he was really ready to come.
I got on the bed. Susan checked me and said " Katie, you are at a 10. It is time to push." The thought of doing this all by myself seemed horrifying. I think I even said several times " I can't do this." I do not remember saying this, but my mom told me that at one point in the process of pushing I looked up and said "Help me!" She said it almost made her cry because she knew what I was going through. The pushing lasted about 45 minutes. At one point Susan said "Katie, I need you to stop screaming so that you can use all your energy to push." (Who knew I would be so dramatic? j/k) With each push I felt like there was no way I could push again. When I got to the point where she wanted me to hold each push and push again I thought there was no way he would ever come.
Susan had warned me that there was meconium in my amniotic fluid and a NICU nurse would be there to take the baby right away if he did not cry. He did in fact cry and they immediately put his little body right on my abdomen. I will never forget looking up at my husband at that moment and seeing tears in his eyes. It truly was the most incredible thing I have ever experienced.
Benjamin London Bergsten was born on October 1st, 2011 at 2:48PM. He weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 19 inches long. He looks so much like his dad and has brought more joy to our family than can ever be recorded in words.

Ignore the horrible pic of me. This is just minutes after his birth.

Our Benny Boy

He still makes this face when he gets upset.

Just a little peanut.

Easy as 1-2-3

2011-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Two days ago Joe and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Though we have not been married long, it has been a wonderful time to celebrate how much our lives have changed. Joe put it perfectly when he said we may not be spending this anniversary in Hawaii or Chicago (like we have in the past) but we are truly happier than we have ever been. Having a child sure puts life in perspective. Things are different and will be from here on out, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Some Memories:

Christmas 2008

San Francisco 2009

Halloween 2009

Christmas 2009

Hawaii 2010

Chicago 2010

Christmas 2010

Thanksgiving 2010

Victoria 2011

Just Call Me Master

2011-09-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

It is official. I passed my Master's thesis. After a long time that I have been hiding under a rock I like to call my Mac Book.... I have emerged to announce I was triumphant. The goal was to get this done, before the baby came, and now that I have, I truly feel accomplished. It was one of the most intimidating processes I have survived in my life, but all in all it was a very positive experience.
My thesis was titled: I am a Mormon: Media, Identity and Ambivalence in Mormonism. Because I am attending a school that does not deal with Mormon performance in the least, my committee chair suggested I invite a professor that I had worked with intensively at BYU. We were lucky enough to get the funding to fly her down and have her be a part of my committee for the defense. I was honored that the department would do this for me.
The whole process throughout my experience in grad school had its ups and downs, but I have to say I have thouroughly loved the people I have worked with at UNM. They have been so supportive and enthralled with my research that it has really given me the confidence to continue on. (Sometime in the future... though I may have to take a long hiatus after this little marathon).
The best part about this whole thing, is now I get to wear one of the cool Harry Potter robes for my graduation. (Which will be in December which also means I won't have a huge belly. Woo Hoo for that!) Doesn't get much better than that.

Family Reunion and Baby Shower

2011-09-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how much catching up I have had to do. My summer went so fast. I have not had anytime to record some of the fun things we did.
This summer felt slightly anti climatic for us. With Joe working 70 hour work weeks we did not have time to travel. I spent most of my time working on my teaching portfolio and my master's thesis. (Both of which I passed! More on that later.) We did, however, manage to do a few fun things.

We went to a Bob Dylan concert with mom and dad Dahl. That was more entertainment than I can remember in a long time. Between the woolly white bearded man who would bow down after every song as if to say "I am not worthy" and the drunken woman gyrating as she would intermittently exclaim "Bobby," I was pretty sure my unborn child was getting his first taste of pot smoke. (We like to start 'em young.) It was a nice relief from all the work and studying we had been doing.

I also had the chance to go to Utah(sans Joe). It was a fun family reunion that involved just the Jeff Dahl family. Our family is getting big enough that with just my parents, siblings, their spouses and children we make one huge crew. We celebrated pioneer day in the one place that really knows how to celebrate pioneer day. We did a service project. All the women and children made 80 sack lunches for a homeless shelter while all the men were busy power spraying Grandma's fence and re painting it. It was fun to spend our time working in a worthy cause. Plus, there was nothing more entertaining than watching Davy run as fast as he could to drop a bag of potato chips in each lunch sack.

My darling sisters also threw me the most adorable baby shower. It was all fair themed, and boy was it adorable. I loved being able to see all my Utah friends and family. It was a wonderful way to celebrate this sweet boy's anticipated arrival.

This summer flew by. It is already well into fall, but I couldn't go without recording at least some of the fun happenings that we were able to enjoy.

Scrumptious

2011-07-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

There is just something about this picture that I have to have. Looks like I am going to be doing some shopping.

Part 3 begins

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Baby,

Life has been busy these days, as have you. Every time I go to visit my doctor she says "Wow! He is so active." You do flips and somersaults in my belly and I can definitely tell that you are growing because I am too. My skin is tight, a little itchy and my belly button is somewhat akin to a turkey timer, just about ready to pop.
I have been very excited but have not yet felt the anxiety that comes when I am so anxious to be done being pregnant. I am trying to enjoy every moment. I have been very blessed during this pregnancy, and you have yet to give me any trouble. I am hoping that is indicative of your sweet little personality. I know that you could turn out like your dad, and you could turn out like me, or you could be completely different from us both, but I have been thinking a lot about that lately. I wonder if you will be dramatic like your mother (or your father in his own rite). I wonder if you will have your father's wit that makes me laugh, sometimes to my chagrin. I think about how giving and tender your father is, and if you will inherit that. Will you be attracted to any large group that can hold your attention like your mama? I am anxious to find out about all your little quirks.
We have been deciding on what we should call you. I want to see your face before we decide, and so does Daddy. What if you are less of a Benny and more of a Noah? I just don't think I am ready to make that decision yet. Your Great Grandpa Haslam had a cardiac arrest 2 weeks ago and scared us all. He went into a medically induced coma. While he was out your Grandma Kristy would tell him "Katie is here with your great grandson. You need to wake up and get healthy so you can meet him this fall." When Gramps finally started to gain consciousness his memory was shot. Particularly his short term memory. He always remembered who I was, but rarely remembered that I was pregnant. Each time he would wake up I would tell him about you. Sometimes more than once in a day. Eventually he would start to remember that I was pregnant but would forget if you were a boy or a girl. Before his cardiac arrest he used to joke that I needed to name you Beauford because "a boy with that name would have to be the toughest kid in school, because he would learn real fast that if he wasn't, he would get beat up." We reminded him of this wise idea and he still gives himself a good laugh when we mention it. While we were visiting him this weekend he said "I have to know what to call this child. Let's make a deal. You don't leave this hospital until I know what to call my great grandson." He was adamant, but somehow we got away. He loves my dad's name Jeffrey. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
I have been working hard on your nursery. It has a been a long time since I have put my sewing skills to practice, and I am happy to say your room will be uniquely yours. I am sure you will have younger siblings, and that you will complain about how easy they have it, but I want you to remember that since you were the first, your mama was so excited for your arrival that she wrote you these letters, and hand made everything in your nursery. I am certain I will not be this ambitious with my future children. You are one lucky boy!
You sit deep in my belly and move around constantly. I was told that 4 kicks an hour is the average for a healthy baby. You kick me at least 10 times an hour, so I know I don't have to worry. You are already making your presence known. Last night your Dad and I stopped at Costco after we went shopping to pick up an ice cream treat. Boy did you like that. You were doing somersaults in my belly. I am sure you will be busy and active. I ran a 5K on the fourth of July (at 26 weeks)- a goal I had wanted to keep during my pregnancy. Many people seemed concerned that you must get bounced around and jostled too much, but I have a feeling that it is part of your nature to constantly be moving and shaking.
Now that I am officially in my third trimester, I am getting excited and anxious. Time presses on, and I can't wait. In three short months you will be here! I love you my baby boy.
Love,
Your Mommy

Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll!

2011-06-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

If my little boy turns out half this hilarious, I am in for it.

Help!

2011-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

I am in a desperate situation with this nursery. I have ordered some fabric swatches to get an idea of what I want, but it is proving a little bit difficult to do this in a nursery with purple walls that we cannot paint. Here are my choices:

These are the swatches that Joe chose to narrow it down to:

So what are your suggestions, if any, to make a purple nursery more manly? I am desperate here.

"I ain't missin you at all"

2011-05-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

Monday morning the family all got together for breakfast as Spencer's last goodbye. When we gave our final hugs "I ain't missin you" was playing in the restaurant. Though this may be true for Spencer, (He is so ready to get out of here and be a missionary already) it was painfully untrue for me. I love my baby brother, and have loved living here the past 3 years to be closer to him. He will be a wonderful leader and beacon of truth. Good Luck in Anaheim baby Bro!

One Happy Little Missionary

E' un Maschietto!

2011-05-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails... It's a Boy! This is how I announced it to my family:

I never said I was a cake decorator.

But at least it tasted good.

Half way there, and I couldn't be happier:


20 Weeks

Dear Baby Boy,
What an eventful couple of weeks it has been. I feel like I know you now better than ever. Not just because I got to see your cute little face. And it is pretty cute if I do say so myself. But for so many other reasons. You are becoming a more and more of a real person to me. I felt you move for the very first time about 2 weeks ago. There was no mistaking it. I was sitting in church and there was a big powerful kick I felt deep in my lower abdomen. I kept telling your Dad that I felt like you were breech and that your head was almost near my left ribs. It turns out I was right. Dad says you are already trying to get out of church, but I like to think it was because you were enjoying it. Ever since then I feel you move all over, especially when I eat something sweet. One day I was heading out the door and threw on some skinny jeans thinking that I could wear them just fine with a belly band. I put them on standing up and had no problems. When I got in the car to drive where I was going, you went crazy. I don't think I had felt such aggressive kicks. It was almost as if you were saying "too tight! Get me outta here." As soon as I unloosened the waist you were as content as can be.
During the ultrasound this week you would not move your little hand. You like to have it curled up by your cheek. The ultrasound tech shook my belly like she was giving it some sort of shiatsu massage, but that made you move even less. She wanted to get a good picture of your face, but you would have none of it. Your dad was proud. He said he likes that you are already a little stubborn. We are both so excited for a boy. I keep trying to convince your daddy that if we give you the middle name of Jimmer that you will be destined for basketball stardom, but he will have none of it because "#1- Jimmer is a weird name anyway, #2 I will NEVER name my child after a BYU player." So I guess that is the end of that. In any case, I am sure you will be a great athlete. Every time I go running, I always think about how great it feels(once I get past the first mile of you bouncing on my bladder) and that you must be a little runner too.
I have thought a lot about influential men in my life and how sweet they can be. I am sure you will follow in their footsteps. I thought about stories that my grandma has told me about my dad as a little boy. She said he was always very tender, and always wanted to help her. Once when she was sick she said he was trying to do anything he could think of to help her out. He would bring her his blankie, and wrap her up and try to make it feel better. I love that sweet little story. Your dad is just the same way. He will do anything for me to show me he loves me, and he is always so good at taking care of me. I know will inherit these wonderful qualities along with many others from the wonderful men in your life.
Keep growing my little one. I am doing my part (though the doctor told me I need to eat more and gain more weight) and you seem bigger an more rambunctious every day. Ti amo tesoro!
Mamma

Seattle and Victoria 2011

2011-05-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of a babymoon? Joe has. In the time before the craziness of his OB/ GYN rotation started, he had the chance to watch a few "Pregnant in Heels" episodes. In one of them, it was recommended that the couple go on a "Babymoon" to help them bond before the baby came around. I guess you could call this trip a babymoon for us, but it was more just an excuse to get away. I had been wanting to take Joe to Victoria, BC for a while now, and we finally did it. He and I both said "that will be our last big trip," and then we remembered that we said that about Hawaii and Chicago, and then I went to Paris on my own for school. I guess what it all boils down to is that we know our lives are about to dramatically change, but we also love to travel so much, we are going to have to find a way to get away, even if it means day trips to Taos, Angel Fire or Santa Fe. We will find a way, I am sure of it.

We took off on the Wed night before Easter. Seattle was as beautiful and sunny as ever. We spent our first day doing what we do best: Exploring, and pricing out apartments. Call us weird, but we love to see how much the cost of living is in different cities. Probably because we know that our lives may send us to one of these cities before too long when residency happens. While walking we found the most wonderful french bistro for brunch. Toulouse Petit was full of life, hopping with people and the cutest west coast waitresses ever.


Joe outside the restaurant in a cute little area of town.

We continued exploring the city. Of course we hit Pike's Market.

I wish I had a Farmer's Market closer to our house.


Love those tulips.

We took the Clipper Boat to Victoria the next day. We were sure to live like real royalty while we were there. We were sure to have High Tea, stay at the Empress Hotel, enjoy walking around the city, eating really good food, and of course we hit up the Butchart Gardens.

At the Parliament Bulding

So Joe would never admit it, but he love High Tea almost as much as I did. We had a table right by a window that had a view of the whole bay.

In front of our hotel. One of the few pictures of both of us. Those are hard to come by when it is just the two of you traveling.

Walking through Victoria. Joe quickly realized how much fun it is to walk hours on end with a pregnant woman who already had a prepregnancy bladder the size of a pea. I got really used to shamelessly asking what I was the cheapest thing I had to buy in order to use the facilities.

I seriously believe that this place is the Garden of Eden. It was so beautiful, and such great weather.

We headed back to Seattle on Saturday, shopped and ate some more, and then we were off. It was a much needed break for both of us. Babymoon? Perhaps, but all in all, just a great vacation.

Week 18

2011-05-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

18 weeks. Maybe someday I won't post a ghetto Photobooth shot.

Dear Baby,

These past few weeks have been very crazy. I have had the stress of my own finals on top of finding out one of my students will not be traveling with us this summer which means I have to pay for a trip to Italy I was not planning on. I have had car trouble. I had the promise of someone we could hire to take my job and then she backed out. Enough complaining. I just think all of the stress and lack of sleep has made you seem uncomfortable, and by you I mean me too. I can feel you strongly on my left side. Who knows if that is you, or all the other organs. My stomach almost feels lopsided.
I am not certain if I have felt you move yet, because I do not know what to expect. A lot of people say it is like a butterfly or even a gas bubble, and if that is the case I would like to tell them, "then how the heck can you be certain?" I guess as you grow, I will know for myself.
I feel like I have hit a real growth spurt. A complete stranger asked me if I was pregnant, so that must mean there is no hiding it anymore. I still fit into all my clothes, but have to say that any pair of skinny pants I own has gotten their own treatment of a hair tie/ rubber band so that I don't have to button them. They are way more comfortable that way.
I have had a few dreams of you lately. You are always a boy in them. Joe still thinks you are a girl. I have students who are putting money down on your gender. One of the girls I teach said "your baby just has to be a girl, because you are so girly and you need a baby girl to dress up." Boy or girl, I cannot wait to find out. For someone. like me, who loves to plan, this sure is has been killing me. 2 more weeks until we find out. As soon as I know, you can be sure I will be scouring websites to plan for the nursery, and finding cute things I can put you in.
This week was Mother's Day, and I felt so overwhelmed with the amazing Mother I have. She has taught me so much about true love. She will love you so much. Your other grandma is also an amazing woman, and will be a great blessing. She is so wonderful.
I am sure you will make an appearance before we know it, but for now, I will wait anxiously. I love you so much already!
Mamma Tua

Dear Baby,

2011-04-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, being pregnant has introduced me to a whole new world of blogs. Baby Blogs. I love to read my regular blogs (the usual design blogs, Cup of Jo and stalking many others). In many ways it is a relief from reading graduate level texts, students' mediocre Italian, and focusing on all the other stress that comes with life. Adding baby blogs to the list only gives me more excuses to escape other responsibilities I should be doing. I happened upon Dear Baby, which I have thoroughly enjoyed as it is created by quite possibly the cutest pregnant lady ever (which also makes me kind of want to hate her, but alas, she is too darling). Not only has she given me more fashion inspiration than hours of searching various clothing websites, but I love the whole premise of the blog. She writes letters to her baby. It is such a sweet and clever idea. Sweet and Clever enough that I am going to steal it. So... Here goes:

I swear pictures do not capture what I really look like. I feel about 3 times this huge. This is the best I could capture for today.

(16 weeks)
Dear baby,
These past few weeks have been exciting. I have been reading as much as I can to prepare myself for you. I read that you are now calmed by my voice. I told your Dad this. He automatically got jealous and has been yelling at my belly ever since (Think Phil Dunphy) "Baby! Baby! It is your Daddy! I am your favorite parent!" In this second trimester, I am starting to feel more energized. Running is getting harder. You bounce around on my bladder and it makes it hard to run for very long until I can't take it any longer. I keep getting leg cramps and Charlie Horses in the middle of the night. I woke up this morning, and tried to do some yoga, because I thought that might be a nice change for my legs. Turns out any muscles, balance, and control I once may have had is completely gone. I feel like I am going back into my pubescent phase of life where I was constantly twisting my ankles. I have had completely tripped once, and twisted both my ankles at least twice, to the point of swelling, during 4 months of pregnancy. I cannot even imagine when I have a large belly to throw me off balance.
Speaking of large bellies, I am growing. This week I feel like I am starting to legitimately look pregnant. One of my students was gone for a few days, and when she came back to school she said " WHOA! Look at your belly!" You are definitely starting to get noticed. I am anxious to know if I can call you a girl or a boy. Dad keeps calling you she. I keep calling you he. 4 more weeks until we find out. The doctor tells me you are active. I have not felt you move yet, but she thought that was surprising, considering you are constantly doing monkey flips in my belly. I am sure you will give me a run for my money.
I love you already and have honestly enjoyed being pregnant. I hope all of my pregnancies are this good. Until next week.
Love,
Mamma Tua!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Joe and I have spent the last four days in Seattle and Victoria. It has been absolutely lovely. We were told by several people that it was the first 3 days of sun they have had all year. We went to the Butchart Gardens in Victoria. Looking down into the sunken garden made me realize what a beautiful metaphor spring is of Easter. All the new life made me overwhelmingly grateful for a Savior who lived, died and rose again for me. All the new life in the gardens was a simple reminder of this infinite truth. May your Easter Sunday be filled with peace, gratitude, and the meaning of the Resurrection of our Savior.

A busy Saturday at the Butchart Gardens

Crush

2011-04-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching American Idol? We would never be able to watch it if it weren't for the fact that the owners of the house we are now in wanted us to keep their cable, and they had DVRd the whole season. Well, we have caught ourselves up, and I have to say this might be my favorite season ever. I love them all. But when Joe watched Hailey Reinhart's version of Benny and the Jets for the 5th time on repeat, I came to the conclusion that he has a serious crush on her. How could you not?

You might be certifiably crazy if...

2011-04-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

You were in near tears when BYU lost to UNM (both times).
You were convinced your students were lying to you when you couldn't remember telling them something. ( They were pretty convincing. After all every single one of them told me I was wrong)
You cannot help but find yourself insatiably staring at Spaghettios in the grocery store. So you buy them. Devour them. End of story.
You cannot remember where you live.
Your husband looks at you patiently when you know you are being totally irrational, but it really does feel like the end of the world if you don't get things done.
High schooler's antics that once seemed amusing, now just seem obnoxious.
What is my name again?
Eggs, that once were something you could eat with anything, now make you want to vomit.
Watching the Biggest Loser used to leave you in tears, and now it's a flat out embarrassment of emotion.
Did I mention Spaghettios? Processed meat with no shelf life- How nasty is that?

All right so I am certifiably crazy. Or 13 weeks Pregnant!

Henry Isaac

2011-03-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity to spend my Spring Break in Utah and welcome this sweet little Henry Isaac into the world. I will be sad to leave. He is so stinkin' cute and mellow as are all the other Price kids I have watched while my sister has been in the hospital recovering from her C-Section. It has been so much fun to see the 4 little boys welcome their 5th boy into the family. They are the sweetest family and have shown me that my kids are going to have a whole lot to live up to.

New House

2011-03-08T13:33:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt so undeserving of something that you are just counting the minutes until you wake up? That would be me this week. Joe and I have been house hunting for the last month. We have known that we will likely be moving in 1.5-2 years with his residency, but we have felt that buying a home to rent out later would be a good investment, especially in this market, so we have searched high and low with our Realtor. On Thursday night Joe and I were out to dinner before heading to a play, and he said mentioned that we needed to make a decision on which house to put an offer on by this weekend. I agreed and asked if he would let me think about it. The conversation quickly changed as I remembered I needed to call a friend who had text me much earlier in the day and I said I would call her when I was done with class. When I called she said "There is this guy I work with (she works for the FBI) that just got assigned to DC for a year and a half. He lives in our ward and is looking for someone who can live in his house, and only pay for utilities for that time. Oh, and by the way it is a new 2600 sq. ft. custom home that overlooks the city." Joe and I both just about died. We got the information and met with the family. Unfortunately they had also spoken with another family about it, so we had something to prove. After we met with them on Sat. night, we waited with baited breath, and let me tell you, it was baited breath. Joe even said " I won't answer on the first ring because I do not want to seem desperate." Well in the end it all worked out. We move in in about 2 weeks. I told Joe that I felt like this was the best thing that has ever happened to me. He said "hmm. I don't know, marriage kind of tops my list." Thanks for putting me in my place. We won't be able to do much decorating, but pictures will soon follow.

Bachelor Let Down

2011-02-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

Notoriously the Bachelor is supposed to keep the crazy one on till the end of the season. Didn't Brad get the memo? I guess he just couldn't handle her that long. Well, since Ellen puts it like it is.... And I still think Michelle is Crazy.

Gallery Wall

2011-02-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to do a gallery wall ever since I saw this one. I would have loved to do the chevron stripes she has, but seeing as how we are renting and our lease is up in the next couple of months, I will be glad I don't have to paint over them. I found some great vintage prints, mixed with some of my favorite photos and here is the finished product:

I am no Caitlin Wilson. But Hey- A girl can dream can't she?

Holidays

2011-02-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

I am way behind on the blog, but figured I could do one big catch up...

Christmas

The holidays were spent with lots of food, family and fun as always. Erika and her family were in town. It was great to be able to spend a traditional New Mexican Christmas with many of our nephews who never had before, complete with Posole, Tamales, Luminarias and the smell of Pinon to fill the air as we caroled. My favorite comment of the Christmas Eve was Charlie's. We had all of the kids go outside and set up the Luminarias, put them in place, and light the candles. Later that night as we drove around Old Town and saw all the the hundreds of thousands of Luminarias all Charlie could say " Wow! They must have had a ton of kids to do this job!"

Joe and I were Mary and Joseph in our makeshift Nativity. Yes Joe looks like he is wearing a sparkly dew rag, and has a painted-on goatee, but just roll with it.

Christmas Morning. Joe got more Lobo paraphernalia than any one man needs, but it seems to have been fruitful this basketball season.

Christmas with kids is the only way to celebrate. There were more toy cars, dinos, Star Wars and weapons that you could imagine.

Joe and I love to cook. Many of our gifts included things like our Panini press and a Smart Stick. More to come on the wonderful things we have made with it.

Bergsten kids, and that is including Sean. He left the next day to see his Girlfriend Emily and got stuck in the East Coast storm.


Bella Marie

New Year's Eve

A bunch of us went out on New Year's Eve to enjoy a nice dinner out. It was fun to be with everyone and talk about our favorite things of 2010. Mine was Joe coming home after living in Illinois for 2 months. Joe's was the same, and passing the boards.

Steve and Geneva

Matt and Sabrina

Vince and Erin

Christan, Joe and I

Joe and I joined Erin and Vince for dessert and non alcoholic champagne. It was one of many New Year's we have rung in together.

Visions of Sugar Plums

2010-12-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

My Brother Alan and his wife Julie doubled with us on a great date to see the Moscow Ballet perform in the Nutcracker. It was a perfectly lovely night that started at our favorite Italian restaurant in town. And ended at the casino. I am not exactly sure why one of the world's premier ballet companies chose to perform at such a high class joint like the Hard Rock casino, but hey, it meant cheap tickets for us. The only price we had to pay was reeking of smoke and being blocked by the people walking through the isles with their tubs of popcorn, and wine in plastic champagne glasses. Classy. When it was all said and done, we got one man with a killer mullet to take our picture:

I hope you all are enjoying this wonderful time of year and taking a moment to enjoy the finer things in life like the ballet at Hard Rock Casino.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

I thought I lost the camera cord and am way behind on posts. So here goes the catching up:

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We were all together, (sans Spencer, who decided to go and get a job in retail just before black Friday) which these days is quite the feat. Most of us packed into a car and looked forward to warmer weather in Sunny Arizona. It was warm and we were able to enjoy some of the best food ever eaten on thanksgiving (thanks to the gourmand Dahl girls), football in 60 degree weather, great company and great shopping. Here are some highlights:

Owen at the Park

I braided the girls' hair in "Princess Crowns"

Charlie doing his thing

Count um: 9 Pies! Pumpkin, Apple, Cherry, Pecan and Pear/ Pineapple mmm

Host and his lovely Hostess

Beautiful Sister Hillary

Alan and Julie barely made it, driving through icy roads.

I realize I am looking a little greasy but c'mon, it was Thanksgiving!

Irony at best

2010-11-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone's a Lobo...Woof Woof Woof

This weekend marks a great event for my family each year. BYU vs. UNM football. Up until I entered Bergstendom there was no other team but the Cougars. To Joe, there is no other team than the Lobos. There is no doubt that the Lobos are not going to win as noted here. I will however always cheer for Cherry and Silver if it is at the Pit. We made it there last weekend, and it was awesome! The multimillion remodel is amazing!

TechnoViking

2010-10-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

First watch this:

And then see my brother's own interpretation that he did for Halloween:

Paris, Je t'aime!

2010-10-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Nothing can quite do this trip justice. It was the biggest whirl wind of events. I have never been so lucky in all my life to be able to see so much with so little time, and not have to pay one dime for it all. I guess there are some perks of being a teacher. Some of the things that I loved that are not pictured: The fall leaves in the Versailles gardens, a river cruise down the Seine, a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night, all the wonderful things I bought on Le Champs Elysee, the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay (my fave), Versailles at a distance, the amazing food I ate, and all the wonderful people I met. Joe and I are already planning our trip back.

La Tour Eiffel

Notre Dame

Adorable French Man that serenaded us at dinner one night

Latin Quarters

L'arc de Triomphe

Versailles gardens. I don't look touristy at all with that yellow box and blue lanyard around my neck, now do I?

Hall of Mirrors. This picture does not do it justice

La Victoire

A Man at Monmartre

Sacre Couer

Ignore the woman who hasn't slept in 36 hours. At the top of Monmartre.

I miss the streets already.

The view from Marie Antoinette's room!

My Boyfriend's Back!

2010-10-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Two of the longest months of my life are over. Joe came home a day early and surprised me by showing up at a play that I was at with a dozen roses. I have never been happier. I missed this cute face far too much!

Check

2010-10-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have not spent a lot of time sleeping in the past 5 days, probably because I just checked "Weekend Trip to Paris" off my bucket list. But let me tell ya that city deserves way more than just a weekend. I will be sure to post more as soon as I am back to a normal sleep schedule. (Which may not happen with my papers that are due this week.)

Flying home from Paris

Chi Town

2010-09-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

This last month has been long, busy and a difficult one for me. There has been a severe lack of blog posts because I have had nothing to talk about without a hubby around. He has been living in Champaign, Illinois for the last month taking a prep course for his board exams. This weekend I was able to go out and meet him in Chicago before he embarks on another month. The trip was short lived no doubt, but oh so well deserved!
Here are some of the highlights:

View from our hotel room by day. We were on the 34th floor.

View from our hotel room by night. Okay, not really. It is just a bad picture of me, but you get the idea.

I loved every little detail about all the architecture in this city. Joe has always loved Chicago and now it is definitely in our top 5 for residencies.

We found the most amazing antique hat shop. I could not get enough of it.

"Santa Fe, do you swear you won't forget me?

Water tower. Not much to see inside, but a gorgeous structure.

Fountain near Millennium Park

It was about 50- 60 degrees all weekend.

Millennium Park


Cancer Survivor's garden

We also ate a lot of great food of which I did not document. Our favorite place was a spot called "Eve." Not only did we have brunch there twice and absolutely love it, but the interior was enough to make my heart pitter patter. Check it out. The Croque Monsieur with Mapel Beschamel topped our list.
Who would have ever thought I would have loved the midwest so much? I am already counting the days until we can both go back. But mostly I am counting the days until I can just have a husband again. Sigh. Last month here we go.
Next Stop: Paris. No. Really.

Labor Day 10K

2010-09-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Running in at the finish line

We all placed in our age groups!

Digging these...

2010-08-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Who else is in love with these vintage laced oxfords lately?

Via Etsy ... if only I were a size 9

Chef Josef

2010-08-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

School is back in full swing, and I have been meaning to update all the latest and greatest things we have done in the last few weeks, but alas nothing too exciting has happened other than a couple of weddings, family reunions, camping and spending time in the mountains.

This past week was full of adjusting. Because I have been back to being crazy busy and have not had much time at home at all, and Joe has been on a quasi hiatus, he has been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. And I am not complaining. I have been in culinary heaven.
Some of the delights we have enjoyed:

Homemade Baguettes- He has got this down to an art.

Grapes and Bleu cheese, Boursin and Brie- Takes no talent but tastes amazing.


Grilled Chimichurri Chicken and Quinoa with arugula, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, feta, onions and mint.


Homemade fennel ice cream (Don't judge. I did and was oh so wrong. Delicious) with grilled peaches and waffle cone.


Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos. He and I had been trying to perfect this forever, and he finally did it.

What am I going to do without my own personal chef around the house? I guess I have one more week to enjoy it.

Fix You

2010-07-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

In my dreams I look like her when I dance.

Your thoughts?

2010-07-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Who has fallen addict? I for one can wholeheartedly admit it. I want to know your thoughts....

Oahu and Maui

2010-07-07T15:03:00.000-07:00

Boring for the rest of you, but if you want to know anything about Hawaii read on.

Waimea Bay: It was one of my favorite beaches. We jumped off of the rock and all. We went into Haleiwa and got some amazing food and the original Matsumoto shaved ice. I could go for some right now.

Polynesian Cultural Center and Laie. The drive up to Laie was to die for. We ended up getting the Ambassador Package to the PCC. We were treated like a King and a Queen with private tours, lei donned our neck at every corner. We went to the luau (check out all the colorful food we ate!) and then the night show. Our tour guide was Pichet from Thailand. He was hillarious. Each island was such a unique experience. We loved the dancing and music, but nothing beat the Maoris and the Haka! We also got to go to the temple in Laie. It was gorgeous. This was my favorite day in Oahu.

The Food: Of course we ate a lot of good food. The things I happened to get a picture of... Our Mac Daddy Banana pancakes that were 14 ins wide ( seriously made us both sick and we only could do about 1/4 of that between the 2 of us) and Yogurtland which I consider God's gift to man. We were there every night. The pinapple tart was amazing! We did however eat some of the best Italian I have had in the States and great seafood of course.

Pearl Harbor: Glad we went but it was not a worthy tribute. We were sad most of it was under construction.

The Road to Hana: Maui is Eden, and this really is the most beautiful drive ever. We hiked to falls and swam, drove through the rainforest and walked on black sand beaches. It was amazing.

Ziplining: I insisted, and it was so worth it. It was a unique way to see the area of Haleakala in Maui.

Snorkeling: We did some of the best snorkeling right outside of our Hotel in Ka'anapali. There was a coral reef with hundreds of tropical fish. I got no shots, but these are some of the view from our room and the beach right outside our hotel.

I cannot wait to go back!

It's been a while...

2010-06-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why it has been so long, but this blog is in dire need of an update.
School finished at the end of May, and what a welcome relief it was. As much as I enjoy teaching, I love summers even more.
Spencer (my youngest brother) graduated! He is all grown up. I do not know what I am going to do at school without him. He always brightened my day.

All six of the Dahl children were there. Anytime all 5 ( now 6 with Julie) of the Dahl ladies are together a tea party is an absolute must!

Hillary made some amazing savories and slaved away in the kitchen. I wish the camera hadn't died before I got a pic of all the food.

With some free time on my hands I have been able to do some reading for my self ( not that I did not love the last 13 novels I read for grad school, but it is just nice to read something I chose).

Absolutely loved this one! Poetic, witty and very bittersweet. If you like foreign films, this is a must. Each character was so human. Each with her own strengths and weaknesses the dynamic was intriguing and the writing just kept me coming back for more.

The first week of June I took all of the young women in my church up to Salt Lake. We took them to go see the temple and do some service there. We also toured all of temple square while there and saw BYU's young ambassadors perform. It was a fun trip, but enough to convince me that I don't want to have all girls :)

Next up: Hawaii. No really Joe and I leave on Monday morning for almost 2 weeks. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Thanks to Ashley we have some awesome recommendations for Oahu, and thanks to both sets of our parents, we know what we will be doing in Maui. It could not come soon enough.

Until next time...

Those legs...

2010-05-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

Just made my day.

Unbelievable

2010-05-12T17:11:00.000-07:00

This kid just blew my mind. I just saw him on the nightly news and had to look it up. he's has some pipes that can blow your socks off.

Dear Anthro,

2010-05-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Why must you do this to me on my lunch break? You taunt me with the most beautiful dresses and then leave me with a price tag that no teacher's salary could never manage. What ever will I do?

Affectionately Yours,

Katie

Teacher Appreciation Day

2010-05-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day. This is what one of my students gave me:

Translation: (Though not grammatically correct) I appreciate what you do!

This needs no explanation, cuz all she gots to say is dat i'm kool!

Our True Identity

2010-04-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

I wish I could bottle this up and give that knowledge to everyone of my students.

Pink Lips Carface

2010-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

I am the queen of nude lipsticks and sheers. Especially lately. Joe and I had to run to the store tonight and I got sidetracked. I found this shade of lipgloss and fell in love. (At Target, no less) Joe told me it was too dramatic. But all I hear it scream is Spring. Maybe I will convince him later.

EDGE 2010

2010-04-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that I have been crazy busy, I have not had the chance to post about the Spring Break Girls trip. It was a blast. Erika has always been a wittier and more entertaining writer than I, so I just stole her post. Here is what we did:

I hope I am not the only one who has been getting glares and raised eyebrows from people when they find out that we went to Disneyland without all of our kids. I bet they’re just jealous. And why wouldn’t they be? Three days of shopping, eating, laughing, and being mistaken for Jews would fill anyone with envy.

Hijinks at the LAX Airport

Scenario: You have four hours to kill at the LAX airport until the rest of your party arrives. You’ve already gotten your luggage, watched strangers arrive at the drop-off curb, given these strangers nicknames, and burned through the second package of peanuts from your Southwest flight. What do you do? Start your life history? Read 2 Nephi? Help a stranger? Well, if you are Erika, Hillary, and Miriam, you flirt with Larry the Baggage guy from United Airlines and get directions to the nearest IN-N-OUT. Then, you take an infant, your 80 year-old grandmother, and all of your luggage, and walk approximately 33.7 miles just to get some grease. In retrospect, it’s probably not the best idea we’ve ever had, but those burgers were SOOO good!

Who Needs a GPS?

With just one GPS between our two rental cars, Katie and I had to do some quick talking on cell phones to navigate all six of us safely through the spaghetti bowl of LA freeways. Three cheers for Tom Tom! (And three cheers for Mom Mom who earned the nickname after relaying–in detail–all of Tom Tom’s instructions to the car behind. “Stay left. Then, stay left.”) To everyone who wasn’t driving: thank you for your patience, for being such good sports, and for popping the valium pills while Katie and I weren’t looking. And note to self: Get Mom a NASCAR t-shirt for her birthday since she enjoys the thrill of acceleration and quick lane changes so much.

Shorebreak Shangri La

For the record, I will never stay at a Super 8 ever again–not when there are hotels like the Shorebreak around. (I thought I made this point abundantly clear after staying in Satan’s Smut Hut with Hillary and her kids in Las Vegas last Christmas, but just in case you didn’t get the memo . . . ) Our hotel was an upscale, clean-lined, ocean-themed dream. From the sleek, contemporary bathrooms, to the bamboo soap, to the down pillows and ocean views, I couldn’t have imagined more ideal accommodations. And as if these amenities weren’t enough, the Shorebreak even threw in an “intimacy kit” should the guests feel so inclined. While we had no need of such generosity, it did make me wonder if Rod would have preferred the “kit” as a souvenir over a pair of embroidered Mickey ears.

Shopping: The Breakfast of Champions

Who needs to eat when you have a free morning and a Forever 21 next door? Well, we do. But we didn’t venture out to breakfast until we had tried on every pair of sunglasses, piece of jewelry, and hat in the store. Mom kept an eye on our favorite finds and sneaked them into her purchase pile as a surprise for us later that night. Had I known Mom was springing for the bill, I would have gotten two cocktail rings!

Sugar Shack Scrumptrulescence

Five words: The Keppler’s and Michele’s Special. If eggs benedict are served in heaven, this is what they would taste like. And just when we thought the Sugar Shack couldn’t get any more divine with its outdoor charm, quick service, and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, we spied the gallery of LDS religious art in the hallway. The owners have five kids and opened up the restaurant to teach them the value of money and hard work. The Sugar Shack seems clearly “celestial” to me.
(And while anyone but a nursing mother would be far too full to consider a breakfast “night cap,” Miriam popped into Baskin Robbins for a scoop to “fill in the cracks.”)

Beautiful Balboa

It really isn’t fair. Somehow those islanders weaseled their way into MY COTTAGES! Apparently 5 million dollars buys you 2000 square feet of home, some beach front property, and a front seat to all the tourists gawking as they walk down your street. (When I asked that local lady if I could take a picture of her front door, I got the distinct impression that I wasn’t the only one who had asked that question before.) But it’s not like the housing is the only perk about living here. Apparently residency on Balboa Island also comes with a spoiled, pure-bred pet (or three), a 4 carat wedding ring, and a ferry ride that is so smooth that Grandma didn’t even realize we were on it. And yes, Mom talked to all of the pets along the way. As for me, I just wanted to talk to that lady’s ring on the ferry. And if the ring wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat, I guess I could have gabbed with the other passengers about the similarities between Judaism and Mormonism. Oh, wait. Mom already did that, too. Farewell, faithful ferry friends. Mazel tov.

Pinching Pennies

Even after we had dragged her through shops, restaurants, neighborhoods, and beaches, Grandma still mustered the energy to collect all the good luck pennies she could handle. As for the rest of us, our good luck charm was not-so-little Alice Elizabeth who looked as edible as a Balboa funnel cake in that outfit.

Down the Rabbit Hole with Alice

Leave it to us to somehow work Johnny Depp into our girls’ trip. I never knew gappy teeth, white face paint, and orange hair could be so alluring. I’m still working on getting Rod to read me the Jabberwocky with a Scottish accent, but he’s not falling for it. I might have better luck with the hair dye. But perhaps the luckiest of us all was Miriam, who, like the Mad Hatter, got to spend a lot of one-on-one time with Alice—just not the one in the film. Miriam, someday you’ll get to see the whole movie and it will be a frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

Living the High Life at the Californian

I was a bit angsty at the thought of handing over the keys of my sapphire Chevy Aveo to the valet at the Hyatt resort, but I had no other choice. So I gave him strict instructions to take care of that fine piece of engineering and to soak it up while he could. After all, you don’t get to ride in a car with roll up windows and manual locks every day. (Unless, of course, you have a penchant for driving vehicles manufactured pre-Prohibition.)
As classy as my rental car was, dinner at the Californian was even better. I actually watched people’s eyes roll back into their heads with ecstasy over the kalamata olive/rosmary bread. Poor Hillary couldn’t roll, focus, or even close her eyes due to a mounting migraine, but a dose of Advil and creme brulee work wonders for any ailment.

The Happiest Place on Earth

What do you do when you have no children to wrestle and a whole day at Disneyland ahead of you? Do you take a botanical tour of the park? An historical walk through Disney? A leisurely show, perhaps? No. You do what every other 2 year-old is doing, and you head directly to Peter Pan. I still get goosebumps going through that nursery window and “soaring” over Big Ben. Somewhere between Sleeping Beauty’s castle and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, we finally grew up and increased the adrenaline factor with stints on the Rocky Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones, Star Tours, and the Haunted House. We also squeezed in a Jungle Cruise, which happens to also be the ONLY cruise I have ever been on. (Rod, I hope you are reading this and paying special attention to my subtle use of caps.) After collectively stimulating the economy with lunch at the French Quarter, and a souvenir guilt-trip to Frontier Land, we bid adieu to Disneyland, its manicured hedges, its smiling employees, and its $3.50 churros.

A California Adventure

While I generally try to keep my opinions and wishes to myself, I decided–just this once–to sweetly and subtly suggest that everyone pay the extra money to get into California Adventure on a hopper pass. (I think it actually went something like, “But I want to ride the Tower of Terror!” Stomp, stomp, stomp . . . ) As the day went on, I started to question myself, wondering if we would be able to get our money’s worth with only a few hours left at our disposal. All I can say is that when I saw that picture of Grandma’s face during our ride on the Tower of Terror, I knew it had been worth EVERY penny. (Grandma might have been ‘terrorized’ by the ride alright, but at least she held her bladder. I’m pretty sure that guy in the red shirt behind us was christening his seat when the camera flashed.)
Two hours isn’t a lot of time to finagle two shifts on the Tower, but we still managed to sneak a peek at a Bug’s Life in acid-spitting, bee-stinging 3-D. And, in a fitting farewell to the beautiful Golden State, we took in the final flight of “Soaring Over California.” Everyone enjoyed the wafts of orange blossoms, the rolling vineyards, and the descent into Los Angeles. Well, everyone, that is, except Mom, who somehow contracted rigor mortis during the ride and had to hold her stiff legs out in front of her for fear of touching the “water”. (One of these days we’ll have to tell her that it was just a movie screen.)

That’s Amore!

When I die, I hope there is a sassy Spanish-speaking server waiting for me on the other side with a plate of bruschetta and farfalle pasta. (Well, I guess I’d be happy to see any of you, too. Just make sure you let me eat first before you show me around.) I think we saved the best service and the best meal for last. After all, it takes some real composure to crank out a smile and a gourmet meal for 6 women who walk in 3 minutes before closing . . .and don’t even order alcohol. And while I’ve never been a fan of leftover Italian food for breakfast, you know the meal is a good one when you consider risking halitosis and mini-fridge charges just to take the leftovers home with you.

Love Letters

When we returned to the hotel after our day at Disneyland, we walked into our rooms to find love letters from our husbands on the beds. (Apparently word got out about the “intimacy kits.”) Even Grandma got a love letter from our Dad. (I would share Rod’s letter with you in this blog, but I’d hate to embarrass you with all of his references to my ample bosom and hard body.) We went to bed feeling exhausted, but we’ve never felt so loved. Thank you, husbands. But this doesn’t mean you get to go to the Florida State game . . .

Kudos to Katie

I’ve never been a high school teacher with two jobs, nor have I ever been a Young Women’s president. But I have been a wife and a graduate student, and I cannot fathom how Katie found time to do all of this. Here’s to Katie for her vision, her generosity, her google map printouts, and her excellent taste in sunglasses: cheers! (I don’t know about you, but I just toasted Katie in my heart with that champagne glass of tiramisu from Capone’s.)

Wish I was here...

2010-03-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

And next week I will be. With my favorite people in the world (minus my sweet hubby).

The icing on the cake

2010-03-05T16:00:00.000-08:00

*** Disclaimer*** This blog post may contain some adult material.

This week was Foreign Language Week at school and between the World Cup soccer tournament, the faculty luncheon, teaching the kids to make fresh pasta, writing Italian poems, and creating a Italian language capture the flag game somehow my kids managed to create the Boboli Gardens, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Piti Palace all in the hallway. The pictures do not do it justice. They had an actual live fountain with water and lights. They were so creative and took charge.

After this insanely crazy week I am so happy for a rest. The stress of it all has me with a rudolph nose and dosed up on day quil. I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Let's just say it did not kick off that way. After school today I had to go to the doctor for a checkup. My doctor left that office, and she passed me onto a new one, but she wanted to do just your run of the mill check up to get to know me. She asked when my last paps-mere had been done. ( I really wanted to lie at this point) Reluctantly, I said..." A year.. cough and a half cough... ago." With a hearty NY accent she looked at me and said "Well we better bring the cart in here and get you set up." So to begin my recovery in the process of getting healthy and getting away from weekly life, I was forced to welcome the jaws of life and a scrape test into my schedule. It just makes me so excited to one day give child birth.

Who is he really?

2010-02-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

Is Joe a feather sporting, gold medalist figure skater by night, and I just don't know it? Or does he just look a whole lot like Evan Lysacek? You be the judge.

Pre Valentine's

2010-02-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

Alan my brother is getting married this week. I have been bemoaning the fact that Joe and I will not get a Valentine's day this year because of the craziness going on in our lives, but I do have to be grateful. Joe's dad always gets me a dozen roses every year. He gave them to me a week early this year. There is just something about having fresh flowers around the house.

Drum Circle

2010-02-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Life has been so insanley busy lately that of course the blog has been put on the back burner. Recently I was put in charge of the Young Women at our church. I have worked with the girls that are 16-18 for a little over a year and now I get to work with all of them from 12-18. It has been so much fun getting to know them better. They really are the most darling girls. This past week we had one of the greatest activites ever! A drum circle. Joe made African food and we jammed out until our fingers were swollen. I think I might be investing in a drum soon.

For more picture you can see them here.

A little getaway

2010-01-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Joe and I were able to take a little getaway this past weekend to visit Mir and Jarod in Arizona. It was a nice chance to eat, laugh hysterically, enjoy the sun, play redneck life, eat good food, go shopping, see the girls in all their glory, watch Miriam cook, scour IKEA, go out to eat, stay in to eat, and catch up with some of my dearest friends.

Alice has been so fun to watch grow!

We got to hit the festival of the new oil. Quite the treat.

Ellie liked the gelato the best.

Miriam and I got our eyebrows waxed... Hence the red forheads

Joe tried In and Out for the first time.

I even had some time to see these two lovely ladies and their adorable and ever growing families. It was too much fun to reminisce and giggle incessantly.

Tid Bits

2010-01-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

After the holiday hiatus, I figured I would get back to blogging. Here are some of the things we did over the break. We spent a lot of time with friends and family:

We went to a lot of these(Pam & Yardane, DJ & Molly, Billy & Melissa, Sorry we missed Laura & Nathan):

We shared good gifts. ( I bought Joe a purple sweater and later found out that his mom also got his 2 younger brothers purple sweaters. Must be our impeccable fashion sense):

We went to a sold out Lobo game. (Yes I cheered for the Lobos. I do not think Joe has ever loved me so much):

We even did a little bit of this:(and boy was it fun!)

Too bad it couldn't last forever.

So what...

2009-12-21T15:51:00.001-08:00

if my shoes match my Christmas Ornaments?

I did not know it was halloween.

2009-12-15T15:45:00.001-08:00

Sketchy Santa from Coty Gonzales on Vimeo.

Rockin' Around

2009-12-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

I love our Christmas tree. Last year I found some amazing ornaments to complete our bronze and gold tree. The one above is probably my favorite even if Joe says I will like anything with sparkles and sequins. (True, but I still love it) I also love these gold branches we have added into the tree.

It is the perfect little addition to add some holiday cheer to our apartment.

What the...?

2009-12-10T11:25:00.001-08:00

Need I say more?

The Kings

2009-12-02T20:47:00.000-08:00

Is it pathetic that when I finally made it home from rehearsal tonight Joe and I found ourselves in front of the TV with our friends Ben and Jerry and were somehow enthralled by PBS's special of the King Family Singers? Seriously hilarious. That is if you have a twisted sense of humor like us. See for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbjbfsPNu6Y

Bad for my health?

2009-11-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

I was reading an issue of Women's Health recently about the importance of getting a good nights rest. One of the main things was that there has to be a tranquil design to create a tranquil mood. They mentioned that it is important to use greys and blues in your decorating because it creates a peaceful atmosphere. Automatically my wheels are turning as to what I can redecorate in our apartment. I realized is this why I always feel tired? :

Then I came to my senses. No it may not be tranquil on the color scheme I have been advised, but I love my Jacobean print bedspread. Yes it is bright and colorful and no I have not lost sleep because of it. I guess I'll stick with it a while longer.

I am thankful for...

2009-11-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

Family

But mostly I am thankful for Ellie and Charlie's faces in this one.

Survival

2009-11-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

The show is over. The kids did great. I might have forgotten why I love theatre, but I remembered why I love my husband so much. Thanks for the sleepless nights and endless hours of building sets with me!

Gluttony at its Best

2009-11-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

After wanting to pull my brains out the last two weeks, with a show that goes up tomorrow, the initial stages of my research paper being due today, there was nothing I wanted more than a little break. I got it. The kids had school off today for Vetran's day. Joe and I went to the Grove for lunch later followed by Flying Star for dessert, and yes we indulged. Their new Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake is just about the most divine thing I have ever tasted. It was about time for gluttony like that!

Playing Dress Up

2009-11-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Can you guess who we were for Halloween?And can you see Joe's skin is shimmering? We worked really hard on that part. As Christan put it so gently : "Oh no! that is amazing- I am horrified and tickled all at once". Thanks Chris!

Here we are at Erin and Vince's party acting a bit more normal. Note the bite marks in my neck.

Etsy is after my heart.

2009-10-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

If I had all the money and time in the world, you would all receive handmade Christmas cards that looked like this:

Maybe next year. Settling for the best Target has to offer isn't the worst thing I have done.

It's beginning to look....

2009-10-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Current Weather:

29° F
Partly Cloudy

Feels Like: 19° F

My little New Mexican heart jumped for joy to see all the snow in October. My bubble was also quickly deflated when I realized it melted fast and I will still have to go to school tomorrow. I guess I can still be happy, because when I went to the store to pick up some bread this evening, they were playing Christmas music. I say if it is snowing outside it is never too early for Christmas music.

Anniversary

2009-10-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

Joe and I went up to Santa Fe where it all began (6 years ago) for our one year anniversary. It was beautiful. We hit it right at the peak of fall. It has been the best year yet and we suspect it will only get better!

Missionaries Beware

2009-10-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

After much contemplation on how I could do better to serve more, the RS sent around the sign up to have the missionaries over for dinner. Because I am in YW most of the time I signed up for several months in advance. The last two times they came over there were some "issues". I made homemade pesto and lemon chicken. Might I add that it was amazing if I do say so myself. I did happen to notice one elder did not seem so fond of it, so I decided the next time they came I would do homemade pizza. (I mean c'mon, who doesn't love pizza). I was tried to bite my tongue from releasing scathing comments about the ungrateful elder that meticulously picked off all the little toppings he did not like. Although, I do secretely wish he had been sent to Japan just so he would have to learn to love something other than meat and potatoes. This month, I would not be defeated! Joe knew I had signed up for a night when I would not be home until 7 PM. He said he would cook. He went and asked the elder what was their utmost desire for dinner. The response: Meat and Potatoes. So Joe, being Joe, cooked the most lovely pork tenderloin with garlic mashed potatoes, a honey dijion gravy, and carrot and zucchini spears. 7:30 was the set appointment. 8:00PM rolls around...then 8:30. Finally we sit down to our table set for four...9:00PM we clear the dishes and still no word. (Joe had talked to them the day before, mind you) By 9:30 we get some weasley call that they got "caught up" in things and did not call. Yup- You did not call. Because it would have been a real inconvenience to take 2 mins to tell us you were not going to be coming. I was so ready to lay a Bednar smack down on the inconsiderate missionaries. See if they get my refferals!

Meet Molly. Meet DJ.

2009-10-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

They are in love. They are adorable. They will be married November 21st. We are so happy for you both. DJ, you done good. Molly, you can totally plan a wedding in a month. Thanks for letting us be there the night of the engagement. Here's to marriage.

Balloons, Burrito, and Pete Yorn... The Perfect Fall Morning

2009-10-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

What is better than the Fall in New Mexico? I don't think there is anything. Not only is it absolutely colorful and beautiful right now, but that crisp thirty degree weather we woke up to, to go outside and enjoy the balloons was the best. Alan, Julie, Joe and I braved the large crowds at the balloon fiesta this morning. We tried to stay warm by drinking lots of cocoa, going through craft tents (where I spent way too much money on beads made out of paper by Ughandian women...) and just allowing the sheer excitement pulsing through our veins. After the Mass Ascension we headed off to the Frontier. We got massive burritos, huevos, carne adovada and lots of green chile of course. As I drove home "Burrito" by Pete Yorn came on the ipod. Very apropos.

Here is right before they all lift off. (Do you like our matching scarves?)

Look at all the shapes. Best ones this year were from Brazil. My personal fave was the locomotive engine. Very cool. Joe's fave? Darth Vader of course.

Wednesdays

2009-10-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays are the bain of my existence. I feel like I am running a marathon. I leave the house around 6:30 AM for the high school (like always). I run straight from school to UNM to go take some classes that I am doing for my master's. From there I change out of the heels and pencil skirt (I seem to be wearing all the time these days), quickly into tights and a leotard. From there I hop back on the freeway in rush hour traffic and head to dance class. After dance class I have rehersal, and when I am completely exhausted I get home just in time for the last half hour of Glee. (I have some priorities here). I do not know why I am even taking time out of my day to write about it. Truth is, I am a glutton for punishment. It is all things I love to do. I just wish it was spread throughout the week a bit better.

Sleeping on the Couch

2009-09-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

In our marriage I have never spent a night on the couch. Joe however, spent his second night on the couch last night. Not because I was angry at him (C'mon let's be honest, who could ever get angry with the guy?) but because at 3:30 AM I was barfing my guts out until about 5 this morning. He just grabbed his little pillow and blanket and went to the couch. The time prior was for the same reason. Poor guy. I blame it all on the fact that I was trying to be a molly Mormon for the first time in my life, by making a casserole. See if I ever do that again!
Maybe I will just let Joe do the cooking. After all I did come home last week to him making fresh pasta. His very own ravioli stuffed with chevre, pine nuts and spinach. Served with a white wine mushroom and fresh tomato sauce. Gosh I love that man! Why am I so lucky? Sometimes I just have to wonder.

I left my heart in San Francisco...

2009-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

We had such a great Labor Day in San Francisco. Oh how I love that city.
The hills reminded me of La Spezia:

I miss the sea!

The highlight of the trip was... Can you tell what it is?

WICKED! We saw it at the Orpheum Theatre. Phenonmenal.

Even though I hate this picture. I had to put it on here, because when I saw the Golden Gate Bridge, all I could think of was my roommate Megan singing along to the Full House theme song. Love ya Megs!

Wish I was there.

Sei tornato con onore

2009-09-08T15:13:00.001-07:00

Dearest Brother of mine,
You are more handsome, more mature, and more italian. I could not be more proud.
Love, Tua Sorella

P.S. For more pics of his grand return- See Facebook

Venti Cinque

2009-08-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love birthdays even when I am sick. What could be better than having Joe show up to my classroom with an obscene bouquet of flowers that the janitor so appropriately exclaimed when he walked into the room "Man, Someone really loves this lady!" And to make the day better, We went to Scalo. We had a cheese platter that made my heart patter. My favorite salad, with pine nuts and goat cheese croutons, Fresh Made pasta, and a bistecca that might be the only thing worth sending me into cardiac arrest. Mmm. Best of all. He is taking me to San Francisco as my gift.
I can't wait. Thanks for making my birthday the best JoeB!

I wish I could give you one of these right now:

Rodeo 2009

2009-07-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Joe and I had a really great weekend up in Farmington. We are getting used to the charming small town that it is. It has provided us with all sorts of opportunities, like going to the RODEO. Joe had never been. As we were sitting in the stands trying to figure out the rules, the woman in front of us turns around, and in a thick accent says "Where y'all from?" When we found out she was from NM herself I had to wonder about the accent, but apparently no matter where you are from, if it is a small town, you talk like that. Joe explained, "I am just figuring this all out. This is my first Rodeo..." She quickly responded "You've never been to a Rodeo!!? We joke about people like you."

It has kept us laughing all weekend.

Preist Gulch, Telluride 2009

2009-07-14T22:55:00.001-07:00

This was one beautiful trip. We enjoyed nature's beauty, shopping, blitz and various other games, laughing with each other and laughing at each other, Hiking our hearts out, golfing our hearts out and just being with family. Here are some highlights:

The Group in Telluride

Joe contemplating something on the gondola into Telluride

Us on our hike that led to practically rolling down the mountain to find the way home

When I choose the music...

When Joe makes me listen to Willie Nelson...

Zoobies...

2009-07-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

Finally after the treacherous school year, Joe and I have been been able to have sometime to enjoy being together. Joe's first real day off, he wanted to spend with his niece and nephews. So that is what we did. We took them all to the zoo.

They were so cute, and so good for us.

Joe, Matthew and Olivia are acting like the Monkeys.

Carter looking at the Polar Bears.(My favorite)

Joe showed off his parenting skills. Don't let Matthew jump in!

We ate lunch in the park, and made a royal mess. Note to self, red popsicles sound fun but are nothing but stains on everything.

Olivia took a picture of Joe and I. Another note to self: A five year olds angle is anything but flattering.

At the end of the day the heat had gotten to us. The kids ran through the fountains, and then we took them for ice cream. It was a great day!

Confession...

2009-06-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking Joe and I don't eat a lot of sweets. Truth is, even when we have them around we would rather have a piece of fruit. I only bake if I know I will be taking it to someone in the ward. But as of late, I cannot keep enough delicious popsicles in our freezer. From whole fruit Creamy Coconut to all manner of other things. Currently we enjoy our coconut bars, along with Trader Joe's "Mango Floes" (I came upon these while browsing the frozen foods. The label read "Do you like fresh fruit? Do you like zero fat, and zero calories? Like it frozen and refreshing? I knew I had found a new friend) And of course for when we feel really indulgent... Skinny Cow's truffle bars, which are absolutely to die for delicioso! It might be what gets me through the summer.

Girl's trip

2009-06-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister, I am able to remember all the wonderful things about our trip to Victoria, BC, Canada. Here is her blog post. Thanks Erika!

I get homesick for lots of things: green chile, the smell of sage on the mesa, turquoise, and people who can roll their “r”s. But most often I miss my mom, my sisters, and my England. And while BYU doesn’t pay nearly enough for a tea party in the Bath countryside, it did afford us a fabulous time in Victoria. I said it throughout the trip, and I’ll say it again: It was a blessed four days. We were blessed by weather. We were blessed by nature. We were blessed by food. We were blessed by serendipity. And we were blessed by each other. And the blessings didn’t stop there.

Blessed at the Airport

By some freak streak of FAA fate, we were able to arrive at the airport from three different states within about 40 minutes of each other. Granted, Mom could have disembarked the aircraft more quickly if she hadn’t made 30 friends on board before leaving. I think it had something to do with her socks. I had been at the Seattle airport before, but I hadn’t remembered the sleazy limousine drivers soliciting our company in the parking garage. But who could blame them? Again, I blame Mom’s socks. We were escorted to our hotel, instead, by a charming van driver and a neurologist who now knows WAY too much about our family medical history.

Blessed by Wild Ginger Recommendations

Two words: Chicken Chieu.

Blessed by Gelato

What better way to end an Asian Fusion meal than with Italian gelato? Oh, but if only every meal could end with tiramisu, coconut, and passion fruit deliciousness!

Blessed by Pike’s Market

Where else in the world can you gaze at a sparkling blue bay, cavort with Edward Cullen legally, AND buy chocolate linguini? But more importantly, where were all of those incredible fresh flowers when my polyester wedding bouquet was being hot glued together? And if those FSA folks at the airport thought they could get me to part with my Pike’s Market pumpkin butter (aka dangerous explosive material), they had another thing comin’.

Mine!

Flower Market

Paparadelle\'s Pasta

Blessed by Downtown Seattle

By Thursday evening we had already traveled thousands of miles, eaten ourselves silly, and maxed out our budgets. But what is to be done when you happen across a Ross, an H&M, and an Il Fornaio all on the way back to the hotel? (Wait! Did that deodorant just fall out of my fanny pack?) Restraint is not in our vocabulary. Just ask Hillary’s designer jacket, Mom’s new purse to replace the fanny pack, my gaudy glass ring, sunglasses, and jewelry (which mysteriously never made it home), Joe’s new shirt, and the risotto lingering on the corners of our mouths.

Blessed by the Victoria Clipper

The Victoria Clipper wasn’t the cheapest way to get to Victoria, but it saved us hours of travel time and a monotonous ferry ride. I think our hearts all sank a bit when we realized that Mom would not be able to sit atop a crow’s nest, or man the port bow in her sea-faring clothes as she might have supposed. The Victoria Clipper was one smooth-sailing, liquor-vending machine that got us to Victoria harbor in just under 3 hours. Now if only customs could have done the same. (And here’s another shout out to those friends Mom met in line by yelling “Go Utes!”)

Blessed by Prayer

When we started the voyage, I felt the Swine Flu hit. Or something like it. My body ached. My throat hurt. My neck perspired. All I wanted to do was get off the boat and climb into bed. I spent a good 5 minutes preparing my pitch to the B&B owners about letting me check in early. I didn’t care if I missed sightseeing. I didn’t even care if I missed afternoon tea. I closed my eyes and curled into the curves of my seat and pleaded with the Lord to spare me long enough to finish the trip. I didn’t need to be perfectly healthy; I just needed him to soften the edges of my symptoms. I exited the boat carrying my own little miracle. I didn’t feel great, but I gratefully felt good enough to enjoy the rest of our trip. As soon as I got on the plane home in Seattle, I felt the blessing lift and swine swarm, but I didn’t care. I had been given my own little miracle.

(Rod later told me that he had prayed and asked the Lord to send Grandpa to give me a blessing so that I could finish the trip. I’m not sure if that is what happened, but I like to think so.)

Blessed by Victoria’s Inner Harbor

The glistening inner harbor. Sailboat-lined docks. Copper-skinned Parliament. The ivy-covered Empress. Really? Is any city really as beautiful as this?

Blessed by Tea at the Empress

My heart doesn’t belong in San Francisco. It belongs in that mahogany-coffered hallway between the lobby and the grand parlor of the Empress Hotel. I could actually hear my ventricles getting teary. I was in good company because I could also hear Hillary’s mind whirring with home improvement lists for Dennie. We frittered away the minutes until tea time in the Empress gift shop, in the jewelry store asking about the price of the Lapiz Lady necklace (which I am quite confident has not yet been purchased), and in the basement restroom where we flooded the floor. (Ah, the frailties of 150 year-old plumbing!) And after thoroughly confusing the sweet woman at desk with our strange dietary requests (no caffeinated tea, but keep the chocolate coming), we sat down to the most decadent experience of my life: Afternoon Tea at the Empress.

Menu

Fresh Seasonal Fruit with Chantilly Cream

Raisin Scones served with Strawberry preserves and Devonshire Cream

Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

Mango and Curried Chicken Sandwiches

Carrot and Ginger Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches with Horseradish Mayonnaise

Mushroom Pate Drizzled with Truffle Oil

Battenburg Vanilla and Chocolate Sponge Checkerboard Wrapped in Marzipan

Chocolate Cake filled with Vanilla Buttercream, Topped with Ganache

Lemon Curd Tart with Berry Garnish

Earl Grey Shortbread

Marble Chocolate Tulip

Note to self: Put Marlene (aka personal tea room servant) on Christmas card list.

Note to husband: Put mixed berry and orange-pineapple tea in my stocking.

Blessed by Hot Toddies and Breast Pumps

After a brief, self-guided tour of the Empress rooms, we retrieved our luggage and made our way on foot to the Beaconsfield Inn Bed and Breakfast. At that point we were missing our beds and our Dr. Scholls, but no one was missing anything quite as much as Hillary was missing her suckling Owen. We looked for kittens and other small animals who might do the trick, but to no avail. Luckily, we did find Hot Toddy. Todd was the fresh-faced innkeeper of the Beaconsfield who had an accounting degree and a green apron. (And in case any husbands and children are reading this, Todd wasn’t really “hot,” but how could you pass up a catchy nickname like that?) After Todd introduced us to the peacock-themed breakfast room, the leathern library, and our feathered Gatekeeper’s Suite, we took the liberty of asking him where we might find a store that specialized in “baby items.” He rummaged around in his bachelor’s brain for a few boutique options, but he could tell by the expression on our faces that we weren’t looking for anything of the sort. I think we might have thrown the words “medical” and “equipment” into the mix, and that is when he got nervous. He quickly suggested some drug stores in the area and made it clear that he “didn’t need to know” exactly what we wanted. Bless Toddy’s heart. And bless the inventor of breast pumps.

Blessed by Hearing Loss (Ah! The Luck o’ the Irish)

While Mom and Hillary located a breast pump, Miriam, Katie, and I strolled Chinatown and the tourist shops, barely escaping with our sanity from Lush and its “helpful” shop assistant who lacked a personal bubble. We met up with Mom and Hillary for dinner at a pub called the Irish Times. I think we naively thought the place “quaint” with its boxwood-framed windows and kilted hostesses. However, it quickly became Dante’s 10th circle of hell where people scream for help, but no one can hear them over the amped fiddles and mounds of bubble and squeak. I still have no idea what anyone said at that table. Ever wonder why everyone drinks in Ireland? They aren’t trying to drown their sorrows, they are simply trying to drown out the noise from the throbbing drum and pipes. In that case, this round is on me folks.

Blessed by The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

We left the ruckus of the pub for the quiet streets of moonlit Victoria, and slowly wended our way back to the B&B for our book discussion. We settled easily into the library with its glowing fire, tufted leather couches, hot cider, and homemade chocolate chip cookies. The mooncakes . . . not so much. We talked about World War II, the Chinese, the Japanese, our chances of making the same mistakes again, jazz, and the relationships between parents and their children. Katie fell asleep. We took the cue and exchanged the pages of our books for the comfort of our feather beds.

Blessed by Breakfast

The only thing that could be better than warm lemon poppyseed bread accompanied by smoked salmon and poached eggs in bearnaise sauce atop a spinach-stuff phyllo pouch would be all of this . . . served on toile. Oh bless my heart! Throw in a some peppermint tea and a humorous nod to pop tarts and you’ll have our breakfast. (Miriam, next time I’ll see if they will swap the salmon and eggs for a cheddarwurst.)

Blessed by Butchart Gardens

They didn’t have a chance. After all, how could Butchart Gardens match up to the grandeur of the Thanksgiving Point gardens? But we were in Victoria, so we went. After following the trellis-lined paths of tulips and hyacinths, we stepped into a woodland tunnel of trees and arrived at the sunken gardens. I hate to break it to LDS theologians, but the Garden of Eden is not in Missouri. It is at Butchart Gardens. Everything there felt holy. Legs stopped moving. Cameras quit flashing. Lips started whispering. Even our sighs were reverent. (Of course, we made up for all that reverence with our Napoleon Dynamite imitations in the Japanese gardens and our statue posings in the Italian gardens.) We balanced our sensory palates by finishing the experience with a luncheon at the restaurant overlooking the gardens and the distant ocean. Quiche. Scallops. Rhubarb bread pudding. Chocolate-orange decadence. Creme brulee. Our waiter’s cat eyes. All of it unworldly. All of it so worth the trip.

Blessed by Accident

I felt as though Grandma Jelte had aided our trip all along, but she was working overtime on Saturday. Not only did she manage to get us on the right city bus to Butchart Gardens and keep the weather to a refreshing mist of rain, but she saved us from nearly missing our bus, boat, and flights back home. What we didn’t realize when we sauntered to the bus pick-up outside of the gardens is that the bus only arrives once every hour on the weekends. It was 4:50. The last bus arrived at 5:04. Had we spent any more time in the gift shop, at the restaurant, or frolicking amongst the bulbs and bushes, we would have missed it. Another miraculous moment in our miraculous day.

(What is also miraculous is how much this boar looks like a little Shetland pony named “Star.” Someday, Mom. Someday . . .)

Blessed by Bathrooms

After being pinned into her corner seat by a man who could suffocate Texas with his left buttocks for the entire voyage home, Katie was a frantic female looking for a restroom on the Seattle harbors. Unfortunately, the customs officials were not sympathetic and wouldn’t let her in the building. Swelling ocean waves. Rain. Rushing waters everywhere. Katie had no choice but to beg the mercy of the Victoria Clipper. Thank heavens for womanly charms and male boat attendants. It was Katie’s own little miracle. After braving a harrowing storm on the docks and an equally harrowing cab ride to our hotel, we basked in the updated, upscale elegance of the downtown Sheraton. End the evening with a Cheesecake Factory chaser and a vagrant looking for money from Mom, and you have one memorable day.

Blessed by Living on the Edge

Somewhere in the Seattle airport we came up with the acronym EDGE for our trip: Extreme Dahl Girl Eating. As appropriate as the term may be, I wonder if we shouldn’t consider some other alternatives. Like what about LWFP: Living Without Fanny Packs? Or BPFC: Breast Pump Fan Club? Or what about TYCDIABHHAFAIFA: Tip Your Cab Driver Insane Amounts Because He Has A Family and is from Africa? Then again, “EDGE” is easier to say. And even if the name sticks, it will always mean food and much, much more to me. It was truly “Eternal Dahl Girl Enjoyment.” Let’s live on the “edge” again soon.

VIVA ITALIA

2009-04-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

What can I say? It was amazing. We had more fun than you could ever dream. Here are the much awaited photos:

We went to La Spezia, saw friends, and Portovenere!

This one is for you Lizzie, and Mel. They have taken over Florence. I saw their tag everywhere!

We went to Firenze.

A bit blurry. Here we are in front of the vatican.

We got our sins forgiven by St. Peter.

We rode bikes through the Villa Borghese Gardens

Some are given gifts....

2009-03-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

For being very dedicated, and adorable bloggers. I on the other hand am one of those...how do I put this gently? Blog Stalkers. I love to read all my friends blogs. I love to see their pictures, and to watch their children grow. I think I open my own blog more often to click on a link to whomever has recently updated their blog. Don't think you are safe. I read everyone's. In fact, this evening, I decided to join my sweet husband as he burns the midnight oil studying. Truth be told, he wanted to take a break from studying to go to dinner, and I did not want to drop him off at school just to turn back around an hour or two later and come get him, so I came over here but forgot something very important. My book. So with nothing to read and no laptop, he kindly offered his. I thought, "great! I will get started on the project proposal that I have been neglecting for school." That idea lasted about 2 mins before I got too distracted blog stalking.
Now, allow me to explain my deterrents to the lack of contribution to this wonderful hobby. #1- I lost my camera! Yes Joe does have 2 really nice cameras, but I seem to use that as my excuse for this and facebook. #2- Our lives are strangely busy but monotonous all at the same time. Who really wants to hear stories that a high school teacher has to tell anyway? #3 We don't have kids. Blogging become a much more meaningful duty in life when it is documenting your own children. I guess until then, I will have to find something cute to take pictures of.
So I guess that is all I've got. But, if anyone at all reads this blog, I will have it be known, that we are going to Italy this week, and I cannot wait. I am trying not to be too excited around Joe so that he can stay focused, but really, how's a girl to do that when she can barely stand it? Anyway, my point being, that there will be tons of pictures to behold, and I am sure many stories to go along with it. TO BE CONTINUED...

Wedding 9

2009-01-12T17:17:00.001-08:00

Wedding 8

2009-01-12T17:14:00.001-08:00

Wedding 7

2009-01-12T17:11:00.001-08:00

Wedding 5

2009-01-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

Wedding Cont.

2009-01-12T16:45:00.001-08:00

For the Family

2009-01-12T16:41:00.001-08:00

These pictures are for you guys!

Wedding

2009-01-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

I guess we will be doing this in increments.

3 months later...

2009-01-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

Here are the long awaited wedding photos. Now, if I only knew how to add a couple hundred photos... These are all of the photos that I did not post on facebook. To see the others, find me on facebook.

I love technology...

2008-12-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

I just got the Voyager phone. It has a touch screen and it flips open to a whole keyboard. It has a sweet MP3 player, a great camera, and it gets the internet. Now I really can stay connected all the time! Thank you Verizon!

Oh where oh where has my camera gone?

2008-12-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

So this blog has the potential of being completely lame. Why, you ask? Well I have lost my camera. I have been meaning to post pictures of the chopped do, but it has already grown to the point that I want to cut it again. Whatever will I do?