To Stay Out of the Rut...

Just wanted to let you all know I have started a recipe blog: www.saltandpieper.blogspot.com. So far, I have several family and friends who are contributing recipes along with me. If you would like to join in as a contributor, let me know... or if you just want to follow us, we are having a pretty good time putting it together. Rest assured, all of these recipes are tried and true:) I LOVE finding new recipes:) Let me know what you think!

Family Photos 2009

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I've Come to Realize

saw this on my friend, Carrie's blog and totally stole it... hope that's ok, but I was in for some thought provocation... big word, I know...


RULES: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note completing the 35 "I’ve come to realize." At the end, choose the friends you want to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you or I knew you way back when and am interested in what life has taught you



1. I've come to realize that my chest-size ... is so not important... I don't really get the implant thing, sorry.



2. I've come to realize that my job...is stressful because it is the most important thing I could possibly be doing and fouling up doesn't mean getting in trouble or terminated, it means my kiddos will be crazies:) Seriously though, what job is more important (or demanding) than this one?



3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving... I love talking to Ike about what he's thinking or what he sees. This kid cracks me up. I LOVE seeing the world through his eyes:)



4. I've come to realize that I need.... to see my hubby outside of our office. Midterms this week... someday I'll see him again and I'll take better advantage of our time together.





5. I've come to realize that I have lost... all control against chocolate chip cookies. darn. Come on, did I mention it was midterms this week? I'll try again tomorrow for control. Of course, it would help if I didn't make them twice this past week (for other people, not me...) Oh right, like you can give them away without taste-testing!?!



6. I've come to realize that I hate it when... I let other people down



7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk...it's been a REALLY bad day:) Just kidding. I wouldn't know.



8. I've come to realize that money... is just money. I'm not advocating spending willy nilly. I'm advocating not making my world revolve around something as arbitrary as money... Oh, and we don't have ANY





9. I've come to realize that certain people... will never really get my jokes. Too bad for them...



10. I've come to realize that I'll always ... be a jay jay jay jay jayhawk (it's a song) You can take a girl out of Kansas, but you can't take the Kansas out of the girl... or Wyoming for that matter.





11. I've come to realize that my sibling(s)... are great. I'm so lucky.



12. I've come to realize that my mom... knew more than I thought. I hope Ike realizes that before he's 27.





13. I've come to realize that my cell phone... doesn't light up anymore. drat! The verizon store is on my list of places to go this week. So, I hope you aren't trying to text me... because I won't get it:)



14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning... it was 4 a.m. because I attempted to put my 3 year old in bed at 7:30 pm like other awesome people I know and unlike those lucky duckies, my child only requires 8 hours of sleep. drat! (again) Confession: I let Ike watch Milo and Otis at 4am on Ben's macbook on our bedroom floor with a blankie and a pillow so I could go back to sleep- am I a bad mom?



15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep... I was reading 3 Cups of Tea and had a difficult time sleeping because I'm so excited for the work of this amazing man fighting terrorism with education. check it out: http://www.threecupsoftea.com/




16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking... I should be asleep, but am so excited for a minute with my thoughts (and no children noises in the background...)





17. I've come to realize that my dad... is the greatest dad (he HATES when people say that), but I know he doesn't read what I type, he just looks at pictures b/c he thinks I ramble too much:) He is amazing and I admire him more than he'll ever know.





18. I've come to realize that when I get on Facebook...I love keeping in touch and realizing that all of us deal with the same things on any given day. Amazing.



19. I've come to realize that today... I conquered my fear of sewing (again) with the help of a 3 year old and an 8 month old.



20. I've come to realize that tonight... I'm ok and Ben's exams will be ok. We'll make it and SOMEDAY we'll all get to sleep through the night... Someday.





21. I've come to realize that tomorrow... I'm going to run off the extra chocolate chip cookies, go to the library, get some bar soap (so we can stop using travel sized soap- I keep forgetting to buy more) and go to the grocery store... It's a big day!



23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to re-post this is... probably no one. That's ok. For some reason, I need this outlet... When you do, you can rip it off my blog too:)



24. I've come to realize that life...keeps on going. How did I get to be 27, married with 2 kiddos? I'm living a dream and have to remember to hold on because it is going. faster and faster.





25. I've come to realize that this weekend... we need to get out and hike. Ben MUST see life outside his little commute and Ike's new favorite thing is hiking. Good. We're training him for a backpacking trip this summer in the Wind Rivers. (Not that he'll be packing in anything, but hopefully he can pack himself:)



26. I've come to realize that marriage... is the greatest. Having a partner is tough work, never dull, but I would miss it so much to not have someone to share it with at the end of the day... even if the end of the day comes after midnight every night.



27. I've come to realize that my (close) friends... pull me through. I've never realized how important Christlike love and service are until I truly looked at my friends and the examples they are to me. I love you all to pieces. Distance will separate us all at some time, but you are always in my heart (oh the cheese- but I'm serious)!





28. I've come to realize that this year... I'm going to cherish every minute I can



29. I've come to realize that my ex … hairsylist is my favorite chickadee ever!



30. I've come to realize that maybe I should... floss before it gets later tonight





31. I've come to realize that I love... my little life. I can't imagine life without all my boys.



32. I've come to realize that I don't understand... as much as I thought I did:)





33. I've come to realize my past... is over and my present and future are what really matter.



34. I've come to realize that parties... are so fun to plan, but they stress me out... In the end though, I love being together and laughing. I love any chance to have a party. Can we say Bachelor season finale party?? You're all invited:)



35. I've come to realize that I'm totally terrified... of a lot, but I have to agree with Carrie. I'm terrified of failing as a mother- Of not teaching my children the really important things, their self worth and how to value the really important things. I hope they know how unconditionally loved they are. I guess I have my work cut out for me:)
 
Oh, I tag anyone who reads this and feels so inclined to post it themselves:)

Our Little Eater...

I think it's hilarious to watch little boys try their first foods. We have been on this adventure since the middle of December with Zach and have been in for quite the ride already! As a general rule, Ike LOVED everything he tried and never turned back. However, our little Zachary has turned out to be pretty smart... I always introduce veggies and meats first and then sneak in fruits to keep them interested. Well, this little man FIGURED OUT my method! Ugghh! Mommy's too tired for this:) He started immdiately spitting out every non-sweet substance to hit his tongue! Luckily, mommy (and occasionally, daddy) are pretty stubborn critters and withstood. Now, we are happy to report our little bubby likes everything, except meat... who can blame him?? I have heard it said on many occasions that it takes 10 times of trying something to develop a taste for it, and I think that must be true of veggies at least. These pictures are of Zach after he got ahold of a couple pieces of avacado. I think avacado might be Ike and now Zach's favorite food! Good thing it's pretty good for you... maybe I'll start using it for bribery:)

     In a related issue, Zach still has no teeth to speak of! He gums everything and chews like a new puppy on EVERYTHING, but no sign of little teethies yet:) I'm ok with this, though! We'll stick to gumming things now... He still loves nursing too, which mommy is very pleased about:)

Jesus Wants Ikie for a...

It's tough to get a "stoked" 3 year old to stand still... even when there's a bribe involved:)

Sunbeam! Yep, it is official... Our little man has now attended his first three classes as a SUNBEAM! This means he is 3 years old and no longer in nursery at church. He goes to Primary first and learns new songs and does a little special activity and lesson and then goes to his classroom with his very own teachers and learns something about the gospel. What an exciting time for him! He is really blessed with two wonderful teachers (the first week during their introductions Sister Rose told the class her favorite food is Skittles and Ike just thinks that is HILARIOUS)! Anyway, they make cute little projects and are having a blast! He is joined in his class by some of his greatest buddies including Tatum, Drew, Tate and Rachel, among others. The first week he and some others decided it would be a good idea to take off their socks and shoes and sit in their chairs, but bend over so they're touching the floor (he fesses up later...) NOW the past two weeks, he has reported that they were very "bediant" and "doing what's right." I'm glad... I don't want my kid "black-balled" in primary! I can't believe he's old enough for all this, but I'm so proud of him. I can't get over how valiant these kids are. I'm amazed at our little ones everyday and think it's fascinating to think about what the Lord has in store for them. One thing is for sure... we're in for a ride!

What a Month!

I realize I missed the entire month of December. Whoa! I guess that could illustrate how busy we were. We had a great time visiting and running here and there and all around the square:) The holidays always bring such a special spirit and I LOVE every minute of it. This year was especially interesting being in Arizona where most of the time was spent in shorts, or at the very least, short sleeves! I guess it was a little harder to sing "It's beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas" in your flip flops, not that I'm complaining!

    So, back in October I had the BRILLIANT idea to fly to Nebraska with the boys during December while Ben was in school... I actually found SUPER CHEAP tickets on a small regional airline ($29 one way to Nebraska)! So, I packed up the boys December 9th and flew to the North Pole, as Ike affectionately calls North Platte now. We stayed for TWO WEEKS! Yep, I'm crazy and yes, Ben is fine. We had a great time with my parents and even had a small window to go to Laramie overnight and see the beloved Lovelands and meet up with my sister to go back to North Pole. It seems now like a whirlwind two weeks. I think it's safe to say we loved every minute of it. Gramps hadn't seen the boys since August, so they had certainly changed and Ike hadn't seen snow since last April, so he got his fix in. Zach, however, truly, madly, deeply, dislikes snow and cold... He was born at the end of May and lives in AZ, give him a break! I think some day he'll have a rude awakening, but oh well!

    

      It was a real treat to reunite Ike, Macy, Emry and Zach. My how time flies and things change, but their friendships will always remain the same;) Ike and Macy found almost every way possible to have fun and get into a little mischief! Their favorite things to do were:
    1. Play in the snow and make a really funny looking snowman with gourd eyes and a carrot nose
    2. Eat cookies- sweet little Macy can find her way to any sweet and just happened to share with Ike when she found the goods. What a good sharer!
    3. Make cookies and sneak eating dough
    4. Have a dance party
    5. Make a HUGE mess in Grandma's living room

    6. Pretend that Macy was Mary, Ike was Joseph and the doll (or whichever baby was awake) was baby Jesus

    7. Play "work" in the office moving papers around and "printing"
    8. Go to Cody Park and look at Santa's village and talk to Santa and ride the carousel
    9. Wrestle grandpa and snuggle in Grandma's bed
Lots more, but you get the idea... These cute little cousins really know how to have fun and drive their mommies a little bonkers:)

The boys, by the way, did a great job with all the traveling. In fact, I never had to even open Ike's monkey bag filled with toys, activity books, and dvd player. I hauled all that junk around the airport for nothing! Oh well:) We all missed daddy terribly and I suffered as a single parent. I can truly appreciate those who are single 'rents all the time. What a terrific job that must be. Ben and I both realized that that lifestyle may not be for us. Meaning that he's probably not thinking about joining the armed forces to pay for school. We are both VERY involved with our children and are VERY spoiled about being together as a family. We'll see... but, we sure did miss being together.

      We flew home just shy of a snowstorm on December 23rd and spent Christmas with just our little family. What a great time we had those few days with just us. It was nice to not have a lot of hustle and bustle to do. I finished all of our shopping early and with the exception of Santa's absent minded last minute wrapping, we were really relaxed. It was a nice 70 degree Arizona Christmas:)

     I will save my toy/present review for my blog, but suffice it to say. Ike LOVED everything he received and really didn't want to open anything after each present. He first opened a hotwheels ambulance from his buddy, Cohen. It was all downhill from there with threats of putting the ambulance away if he didn't come open more presents (what kind of parents are we?)! Zach LOVED the shiny paper and packaging and anything we'd let him touch:) He did learn how to rip paper. Ben and I LOVED watching our kids get such a thrill out of our relatively cheapo (or budget-esque) Christmas. Note to self: the kids just want us to play with them... they really don't care how much we spent or how much they get.

     We were lucky enough to get invited Christmas night to my dad's cousin's house here in the valley. It was fun to have a traditional Christmas dinner with family. What a great time. I'm so glad we are getting to know the Hoffmans better. What a wonderful family. It truly reminds me that it really is all about family in the end.

     December 26th everyone knows is a day of mass chaos... Packaging to clean up, yesterday's dishes (admit it....) and everything else you put off for Christmas day. We spent the day cleaning up for Ben's family and then spent this entire week with them here in Arizona. I don't know how to explain how much we enjoyed this week... It was just FANTASTIC! What a treat to have his Grandma, Grandpa, Coyote, Peter, Hannah and Mary for the week. These six people made us laugh harder, throw farther, run faster, play longer and stay up later than we have in a long time. We just loved every minute of it and it went by way too fast! Again, we did typical Pieper things that just crack me up...

     1. Exercised everyday

     2. Cooked awesome meals- I think the show stopper (if I can claim a show-stopper) was homemade Chimichangas- Piepers are sticklers for Mexican food!
     3. Picked fresh citrus
     4. Desert Botanical Gardens
     5. Temple Christmas lights (and we did sealings- one of the best sessions ever!)
     6. Played on their new Wii
     7. Mad gaming from racketball to tennis to boggle to the game of things (or the game of duh, as Grandma L nicknamed it, thanks to Peter)!
     8. a select few even took a dip in the barely heated pool- brr! They swam two laps and their internal organs were shutting down:) (that might be an exaggeration...)
     9. MOST IMPORTANT... found awesome grocery deals:) If you don't think this is most important, you've never met Ben's dad... I've never seen such joy produced by a good deal at a grocery store... It's like the elation most people show after winning the lottery. Granted, they were good deals... 10 kiwis for $1, 5 green peppers for $1, cabbage 33 cents. We still have the proof in our fridge! Lots more good deals, trust me:)
     10. Went real shopping, or "trading" from bum Christmas presents. The girls taught me some lessons on ugly bags (or maybe I taught them...) and we all taught each other about shirts that are just not right... V necks on men-- what do you think?
     11. Teased each other to pieces. In a good way, but really Pete, a v neck?
     12. Watched bowl games- though I think most people slept their way through some of them, with the exception of my husband!

The list could go on and on, but in the end, you get the idea... What a great December. It was such a blessing to be able to see *most* of our family. It makes me a little more homesick to be here in Phoenix tonight wondering how to get back to "normal." BUT, I know that these times are to be cherished and that they are WORTH whatever the driving distance or cost to be together:) Let's not forget that!

Here's to the beautiful start to 2010!

California Dreamin'

We have spent the past two weeks with our beloved daddy (and hub) at home! Dental School is set up on 11 week quarters. Lucky for us:) He completed his first quarter and 24 credit hours November 14th... and like a proud mama bear, I'm happy to report that he did so with flying colors! I am pretty proud of him! He worked really hard and it's nice to know it paid off!
    So, my mom flew in for a few days to help us celebrate (I will post about that later... I need to find those photos:) and then we spent the next few days chillin' in Phoenix by ourselves! It was so crazy to be able to get all those little things done and have a helper around for the kids and the house (I'm sure Ben could've thought of other things to do with his break, but he was a real trooper!) On Friday night, the 20th, our friend Jamie flew into town and Saturday morning we took off for San Diego! This was my first trip to Californ-I-A (does anyone know that song?) and I LOVED SD! I think I would consider moving there, if the state wasn't bankrupt and charging an arm (and a leg... and probably a finger...) to live there! Bear with me while I go through a few things we did on our trip...
      Nov 21st- Saturday- Drove to San Diego. What fun hopping from one desert oasis to the next to the next. I never could really grasp my friend, Cortney's disdain for Gila Bend (she and her husband's first job out of college) until we drove through. Wow. THAT would be a challenging place to live... made me a little sad. Anyway, I fullly appreciate Phoenix now:) We also went through Yuma, Caitlin:) I was thinking of you the whole time on this trip, as this is your "homeland:)" It was nice, if but a little close to the border! There is definitely a border patrol presence! As we pulled up to one of the border patrol checkpoints on the interstate, they had me roll down the window and asked where we were coming from... just looking for anything fishy... and Isaac says "Hey! Zachy looks like a mexican!" Oh my! That little boy is really going to get us in trouble someday! Anyway, lucky for us the b.p. didn't hear him or think anything of it:) It took about 5 hours to get to San Diego, but that included a long stop at the rest area where I fed Zach. The boys were SUPER good on the trip... Whew! Also lucky for us, Jamie has tons of rewards points at Holiday Inn, so we had a great stay in a nice hotel with big beds... always a plus with two little boys in the hotel room!

Our Crew w/ Organ in BackgroundThe Boys Playing around at Balboa Park

    
     Nov. 22nd- Sunday- Today we bummed around and went to church at the San Diego first ward. Cute building on the side of the hill. I think everything is on a hill here though:) This place is beautiful with so much vegetation and tropical trees! It is a little cooler than Phoenix though! This is the first time since we left Laramie that we are wearing jackets- weird! Oh, one thing from church... In the mother's room there were about 5 women nursing, none of which felt the need to cover up! Hallelujah! Welcome to California! I just felt good that for once I didn't have to worry about offending someone if Zach didn't want to stay covered up... I guess I'm turning more hippy than I thought:) What'll be next?!?
      After church, we took a picnic down to Balboa park and walked around to all the cute little international houses (only open on Sundays- lucky break!) and saw the Bohemian/Czech House (my ancestry). It was great because the little old couple working there were giving out traditional pastries, poppy seed bread and the most fantastic cheesecake Ben's ever had! We also attended a organ concert at the Spreckles Organ (the largest outdoor organ in the world) at Balboa Park and took a trolley tour/walked through the rest. It turns out this park got its start for the 1915 World Fair. It has some amazing architecture and was just a real gem of the city. I highly recommend it! There are museums all throughout and then the world famous zoo is adjacent. There are lots of gardens and beautiful huge trees around too. Definitely something for everyone!

      Around sunset, we crossed a huge bridge to go to Coronado. I have been dreaming of this place since I read the book, Somewhere in Time (the movie by the same name is good too- with Jane Seymore and Christopher Reeves. The beach there was amazing and the hotel is just as magnificent as it looks in the movie, or in my imagination:) We had fun walking around and taking lots of pics. I could've stayed there forever! When it got completely dark, we decided to catch some fresh fish at Joe's Crab Shack, which happens to be located in an old historic building on a pier on the ocean. Really awesome building, and really awesome food:)
     Monday Nov. 23- We spent today at the world famous San Diego Zoo. It was just as amazing as everyone says:) I think we all really loved it! The coolest part for me happened before we even got in the gates though. We were trying to do this trip on the "really cheap." Well, this was the one activity we decided to splurge on, but I was still feeling like it was a lot of money... $35 adults, $25 children. Anyway, a lady came up to me in line and just said she'd like to give me a free adult pass to the zoo and $5 off for everyone else! Wow! So, we saved $50! Awesome:) I told Jamie, and I really do believe it... that these sorts of things are little blessings Heavenly Father gives us just when we need it (not that we NEEDED to go to the zoo, but you know...) Ike loved the panda bears (a real treat... I don't think they have them many other places) and we also loved the sky tram and they had an amazing elephant habitat. Ben LOVED taking pics of everything and was really good at it:)

    After the zoo, we headed to the temple, not thinking that it was Monday and they were closed:( So, we got pics through the gates, but it is just as striking and beautiful as I could've imagined:) I loved it!

     Tuesday Nov. 24- Today we spent the day at Cabrillo Lighthouse, on a peninsula with a great view of the ocean, harbor, and downtown. Everything is just so beautiful! Oh, Ike has been into saying funny things on this trip... As we were coming out of the bathroom, he said "That was Chinese!" hmm. I ignored him and rushed him out of the bathroom as fast as I could... HOPING no one heard him:) Well, then this morning, I asked him how he slept and he said "I slept so Chinese!" Now I'm thinking he says that because we love Chinese food and he knows it's good food, so Chinese = good! Oh, his little 3 year old mind! Anyway, we spent the rest of the day at Mission Beach... my new favorite place in the world. There really is nothing like watching your hub and son play in the sand and ocean as the sun sinks slowly behind them... Don't worry, I got in on the action too, and we all came away stinking like ocean and a little wet... Well, Ike was soaked, but had a dandy of a time. I don't think I've ever seen him so amused for so long! His favorite thing to do was run down to the edge where the sand meets the water and wait for a wave to roll in so we could run back through the water. So cute! So serene. I could've stayed there forever in that moment! Zach on the other hand, was not as amused with the ocean breeze that kept hitting him and taking his breath away... he'll love it later!

     Tonight we went downtown (after stopping at Target to buy Ike some new clothes... his were covered in sand and ocean water:) and walked around the huge ships. There was an awesome aircraft carrier that we will tour next time. I've noticed a huge military presence in San Diego, of course, and just so appreciate all that they do for us. I don't think I've ever thought so much about those that protect us as I have this year and I just am so proud to be American and have these individuals protecting our freedoms. I'm trying to teach Ike about the military too... He's actually caught on quickly and really gets it... I think! We also saw the ship from the movie Master and Commander and a few others- really cool to see!

      Wednesday Nov. 24- Headed home to Phoenix to prepare for Thanksgiving. I think all of us LOVED the trip and were sad to say goodbye to our new found love:) I know we'll definitely be heading back to San Diego:) The trip home was really uneventful, other than a stop at a Yuma historical site (so I could feed baby)! What a perfect trip for Ben's little vacay!