No Pics

Sorry about the lack of pictures. We got our camera back yesterday and are taking pictures like crazy to post (blogs without pictures are so hard for me to read).

I wish I could post a picture of my little niece who has SMA. My sister-in-law just posted a video of her wheeling herself around in a wheel chair. She's not even 2 yet. I think it is incredible. She is my hero of the day, maybe the week, perhaps even the month. I just don't know if anything else could be as inspiring. It screams that people can and do triumph over their trials no matter how old or young. "So I can't walk, FINE I'll wheel myself around! There's no way to hold me back!" It says that there is always hope and inventive ways to ease trials. And that even though some trials never go away, you can live your day to day without being totally overcome by them.

Megan, you're amazing! You go girl, you go!

18 Months

Kaci is 18 months today. I LOVE this age. She gladly lets me wash her face, she blows her own nose, she can feed herself, she can communicate wonderfully, she's started talking (thank you, no, shoe, and uh-oh are her favorite words), she can run and play, she's teachable, she sleeps regularly (naps 12:30-2 daily, sleeps 12 hours at night), loves babies, balls, blocks, and books, she brushes her own teeth and is trying to learn the art of flossing, she can bake better than Betty Crocker, she eats almost anything (potatoes excluded), can mimic nearly everything I do, and is the best buddy I could ever ask for. If it weren't for Brad she would be my best friend. I just love her so much and TODAY she has been apart of our lives for 18 blessed months!

I'd freeze time... if she were potty trained. I'm completely dumb founded about what to do about that now. She'll happily sit on the potty but has yet to actually go potty on it. Oh well, in time she'll get it!

Happy Half Birthday Kaci-Bear!

Dizzy

Classic fun, spinning until you can't see straight. Awesome that she can fit in a mixing bowl! The crazy hair from pulling out her hair tie adds to the affect, don't ya think!?! She loves to spin around and get dizzy, what a nut!

I did it!

I did it! I customized my blog! A one of a kind header and background made from scratch (no digital scrapbook site or anything). What a project. I had never used PhotoShop before. What a program. I think it is amazing but it is super hard to learn just using help menus, google search, and online tutorials. I know SOME of the VERY basics, just enough to do my super simple blog look. This look may stay for quite sometime, it took me over two weeks to create. A special shout out to all those amazing people who put tutorials on the web and dumb everything down so I can figure it out! (I got stuck on my header for 3 days because someone didn't explain how to paste a picture into a layer in PhotoShop) I now know how all the old people feel when they sit down at a computer... so hard to learn the ropes. I always just took my computer know how for granted. Anyhow...wahoo!

Magic Tricks

We went to a one woman circus on New Year's Eve. She was amazing. Afterwards Brad decided to learn a few magic tricks of his own. He checked out a couple of books from the library and wows us with his tricks. Little did we know, Kaci already knew magic and can out do any of Brad's tricks with her "magic fingers". (I always say she has "magic fingers" because she seems to get a hold of the craziest stuff without me knowing)

second trick

the amazing kaci never ceases to amaze!

Today's Weather

Current Temp: 1°F
Current: Clear
Wind: W at 0 mph
Humidity: 99%

Grilled Cheese with a Spoon

I made grilled cheese for lunch... Kaci ate hers with a spoon. You're probably thinking I cut it up and she ate it with a spoon... nope! She hacked away at the thing with a spoon and ate it piece by hacked off piece! Why did I give her a spoon anyway? For the applesauce. The apple sauce she ate by dipping the hacked off chunks of grilled cheese into and licking it off.

Resolutions and Veggie Purees

To make a long story short, skip to the recipe at the bottom of the post!!

A bit ago I posted a picture of myself and people have commented that I "look so thin". Thanks for noticing and for not saying "you used to be such a cow!" My new years resolution last year was to loose all my baby weight plus 5 lbs by December. I did it by October and have kept it off since! Outside of exercising (like I always did) at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes (sometimes I just stretched... stretching burns calories too and is super good for you) I made a huge effort to cut down on desserts. Since I married Brad I have eaten more sweets than ever. Leaving the salty air of Hawaii made it so much easier. I've only made ONE brownie mix the entire time I've been in Va. I only ate ice cream occasionally instead of every night. And I stopped eating after 9 o'clock. Easier as saying no to seconds of pie to shed those extra pounds. The hardest thing I did was switch from margarine to butter. I LOVE margarine. I know it's bad for you, I KNOW! It was just really hard to give up. We went with out any type of butter or margarine for like a month because I just hate butter, but now we only buy and use butter. A huge accomplishment for me. I still don't like it, I eat a lot less of it, but it does make stuff I bake turn out way better!

This year I am determined to eat more veggies and less corn. I LOVE corn. I love raw veggies, but Kaci still has a hard time with those. I want to make yummier food with more veggies. I also want Brad to eat better, he chokes down a small serving of whatever vegetable I make for dinner, but that is the only veggie he eats all day (horrible I know, that's why we're working on it). I eat pretty well already, but we can do much better! I found a crazy cook book that uses vegetable and fruit purees in EVERYTHING and am giving it a go. I'm a little nervous because I HATE the smell and texture of cooked veggies, but I'm going to try. Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfield (yes Seinfield as in Jerry Seinfield's wife-y).
She has a dessert section in the book. BROWNIES with SPINACH and CARROTS... say what? I had to try it. I am a brownie fanatic. I have NEVER made home made brownies and liked them... UNTIL TODAY!! NO kidding, the BEST brownies I've ever had! YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS!!

3 oz semi sweet chocolate (I used milk chocolate because I think it's way better!)
1/2 cup spinach puree
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 tbs butter or margarine
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 lg egg whites (I used one whole egg)
3/4 cup oat flour (I used all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Melt chocolate on low heat. Combine chocolate, purees, brown sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in egg. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, pour into 8x8 greased pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes. MUST COOL COMPLETELY before serving. (she claims they'll taste better if they're cooled first, but I tried the batter and still liked it, I also ate one warm and cool, couldn't tell a difference, but that's what she says)


Kaci liked it, I LOVED it, and Brad had no idea he ate veggies today! 133 calories and 3 grams of fiber in a BROWNIE!!! I'm a fan, a big FAN!

Missing Hawaii

Ok, I admit it. I MISS HAWAII. I thought the day would never come because I was so excited to leave, but it has and I miss it. I miss the people most of all. I miss Hale La'a. I miss surfing. I miss walking on the sand so desperately. I miss the warm rain, the humid day of sun after the rain, and I miss the intense sunshine. I have never spent so much time INSIDE in my entire life. I'm so pale I'm not sure anyone would recognize me anymore. I think I'm getting a Vitamin D deficiency. I even started buying milk again because I'm worried about it (and suffering from that sick feeling that comes from drinking it). As if all this weren't enough...

When I opened my roll of quarters to do laundry every single quarter was Hawaii. I didn't want to put them in the machine (but I had to because of Kaci's laundry basket full of puke-y clothes from being sick all last month). I just want to go home to R235 in TVA. I'm finally homesick for Hawaii.

Sprouted

I resolved to cook with onions in Va because I noticed my food was getting bland because I always left 'em out. I noticed this after eating my mom's, my mom-in-law, and my aunts home cookin' who all use onions while living/visiting them this summer. Onions add a lot to the overall flavor. So I bought a bag of onions (very ambitious) in August, I still have 3 from that bag.

Question: How long to onions last?

Answer:
Until they sprout! This onion has grown quite the sprout! I love it. I wonder how long it will grow? If it weren't freezing outside, I'd plant it.