Canning

Yes, I canned these tomatoes... I feel so domestic..

It was a lot easier than I thought it would be
I love our garden tomatoes, but...

I am super picky about the way food is stored
so I don't know if I'll ever eat these,
They'll look pretty in the food storage...

Happy birthday to me!!

And my mommy... My mom's birthday is on the 9th and mine is the 13th (you should all know that though!) so I like to think of myself as a belated birthday gift for my mother... I'm the gift that keeps on giving! We celebrated mom's birthday a few times... But the best was Auntie Brenna and family surprising her! My mom and Brenna have been friends for 24 years! They get a little out of control when they're together.. Natalie and I just have to roll our eyes.
My mom chose to have dinner at the Texas roadhouse.. Yum rolls with cinnamon butter...

Brenna and the birthday girlWhen Natalie and I were younger I would always pull the "elbow" on her... Don't ask me why.. I guess it was my way of asserting myself and scaring her (you know you're still scared Nat!). We always seem to reminisce about the elbow so Alex and Logan decided to try it.. Ahh the legacy lives on! Hopefully they will teach their kids about the elbow one day..

Ok Logan's got it just right! Maybe I'll pass the legacy onto him.. Alex needs to work on his form.. Then they just got out of control... Elbows were flying everywhere! Baby Emma! She is getting so big!! Her mom always dresses her so cute! It makes me want a little girl... Carson the cutie! He's always smiling.. I'm trying to force him to like me by giving him treats every time I see him.. I think it's working!The are little posers... but they didn't get it from their mothers!!
For my birthday we had lunch at the Green Papaya. Kayla was in town so I forced her to try some new food, she ending up enjoying it! I think she would kill me if she knew I posted this picture, but this is the only one I got of her!! I'm so glad I got to hang out with my best friend on my birthday!

Chop sticks in the nose... That's great!
MANGO STICKY RICE! Ya I know I am obsessed, but I've decided that I would much rather have some mango sticky rice than chocolate and I LOVE chocolate! That's how good it is... I don't know how I ever lived with out it! My life is now complete!
Oh... I had to insert this picture of Alex eating the lemon ricotta cheesecake... Hmmm I may have had one piece..
Cheesecake-1
Rachel-0
On Friday Alex and I drove to Pleasant Grove and met up with Kayli, Austin, and Caleb. Then we all drove to Price to visit Natalie and Carson.
Natalie and I use to live at the wave pool in Price when we were younger and it was so much fun taking our own kids there! Although I remember the pool being a lot bigger!! The waves were still awesome and Alex LOVED it!!
Oh ya... We are still so HOT!
Natalie and I have been friends for 23 years and Kayli and I have been friends for 22 years... We use to write letters to each other when we were younger to keep in touch (ya back before email and texting!! That makes me feel old.. ).
I feel really lucky to have such great friends! We may not see each other as often as we should, but when we get together it's just like the good old days (except we all have rambunctious boys now..)!
The boys had so much fun!
I love how far away Alex is from Austin!!
A few days later Kayla and her cousin decided that we should drive up little cottonwood canyon and take the dogs (we had 4 of them with us) for a walk.
We drove about 15 miles up the canyon when we pulled over to talk to her cousin Kelly in the other car. Suddenly there were flashing lights behind us!
Apparently it's illegal to bring dogs in the canyon (even in your car!). Luckily no one received a ticket, but our day in the canyon was ruined! I had to get Alex a Slurpee to make it up to him... I had no idea you couldn't take dogs in the canyon.. They need BIG signs!!!
Brooklyn, I like to call him Bobo.. I've never seen anything drool/slobber so much!
Good ol' 7/11!!
Hudson, I call him Hudsy.. He's a very beautiful dog, but no I still don't want one!

Summer adventures

SOCCER
Alex's soccer team. He was able to score one goal this season...
I, of course, missed it having left the game moments before my son scored his first goal ever!!

Dang he's so so so so so so so cute!!

ALEX & CAIT

My sister & her family recently moved to Virginia... It's so bittersweet! I am so excited for them, but I am sad that they are so far away.. Alex just adores Cait & they have so much when they're together... I guess we'll just have to go visit often! The kids with Pikachu... I think they should've taken her with them for the extended car ride to VA, they could've eaten her if they needed too.. She's plenty fat! I love that Erin & Ryan are making the exact same face! Hot sisters... Oh ya!

CASCADE IDAHO

We had a mini family reunion in Cascade, it was beautiful there! I honestly ha no idea there were pretty places in Idaho (no offense Idaho). Daniel & Alex, I'm so glad I have brothers to tease my son because they feel the need to "toughen him up". They're also pretty cute with him... Except when they teach him naughty things.. The weather wasn't looking too great our first day there... It only got sunny later in the day, we were hopeful that it would clear up so we could take the boat out.. Since it was kind of chili we went to the hot springs to warm up. Alex kicked everyone's butt on wii boxing... I have no idea how he managed to do that since he's never played before... It was really fun to watch, but not very much fun to have my 5 year knock me out.. The next day weather... NOT GOOD! It was SO COLD! But we had made the journey to Idaho for some boating... Oh and to see our family... So we decided to brave the cold & get on the boat. Everyone put their swimsuits on and then covered up with sweat pants, jackets, & blankets. I think it was about 50 degrees outside with rain. It wasn't so bad.. As long as you were in the water wake boarding, but the second you got out... Brrr!!! My little cutie pie wanted to try wake boarding.. He was a little nervous getting in the water, but Andrew was a really good teacher & Alex was doing a great job trying! I think next year he'll be doing flips like Uncle Andrew! Rachel's & their babies! Don't we look cold! Ya I fell a lot, but I swear the water was 20 degrees warmer than the air so I didn't mind! Oh so warm... The sun decided to come out once Lo got on the water... Not fair! Afterward we parked at the beach for a picnic we did some paddle boating & played in the water all afternoon Alex didn't want to go home!

Is there a foodie support group??

My hot cousin Natalie posted this quiz on her blog.... I decided to take it while waiting for my lemon ricotta cheesecake to cook...

You may be a "foodie" if one or more of the following applies to you:


1. While eating a meal, you are planning or thinking about your next meal.
- I read cook books while I eat... I write grocery lists while I eat.... I am always thinking about food and planning my next meal..

2. Food controls your emotions. Full= happy. Hungry= the end of the world.
-The quickest way to make me happy is to hand me a chocolate bar!

3. Your memories are linked to food. When you remember something from the past, you remember what you were eating at the time.
-This is so embarrassing since most of my memories end up like this "Do you remember when we were in Phoenix and we ate that.... ya that was SO GOOD!"

4. You are food possessive. You hide leftovers in the fridge so that you can have them all to yourself later. You are enraged if anyone tries to take food from your plate.
-I take food from other people's plates... No one touches mine!

5. Diets are for wimps. Forget seconds, you are known to take fifths or more.
-I am on a diet... Until the cheesecake is done then I will have no choice but to submit to its deliciousness! I only take fifths or more on cereal.. I am confident that I could beat anyone in a cereal eating competition..

6. If someone is eating something that looks good, you can't help but stare longingly.
-Sometimes I stare longingly at the food I am eating...

7. You get cravings, but you're not pregnant. You obsess with that particular food until you finally eat it.
-Yep.. Current cravings include, mango sticky rice, and hummus...

I think I LOVE food, wait I DO LOVE FOOD! I talk about food, think about food, read about food, stare at food, oh and most importantly, I EAT food (yes, everyday people!).
I daydream about kitchen utensils that I want...
I like to grocery shop because I am surrounded by food.
I secretly want to be the camera woman for the food network so I can eat the food once the show is over... (seriously what do they do with that food! They can't let it waste!)
Now that I've admitted that, I think I need help!

Yes.. I went to California again!

Here we are in Afghanistan... We had to sample the food
Jala... Desert with noodles, ice, rosewater, & weird tasting ice cream... It was okWe stopped by the Afghan market for some $2 bread. We had to eat it before it ate us! The mango sticky rice! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!
San Francisco boat tourHot stuffGolden Gate Bridge in the background. It's there I promise!
Up close & so personal! I had to pose with the bridge! Alcatraz.. They should turn it into an expensive spaGoodbye San Fran!!! I'll see you again soon!