5 Things I love about the Holidays

You've all heard my shpeel on how I feel about Christmas decorations being put up earlier and earlier each year (did the department stores even celebrate Halloween??...we're in trouble when major holidays like that are overlooked.) However, this year, I thought...why fight it? And so I found myself singing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving, and planning what my Christmas tree was going to look like, and making lists of people to get gifts for, and send cards to. I couldn't help it. Was the Christmas spirit taking over me? I really can't say. All I know is, I was super excited to show LiLi everything that goes along with Christmas this year. Because this year, this year! she would notice things besides the awesome metallic wrapping paper that the gifts were wrapped in. Although, metallic wrapping paper is never to be under-valued. And so I've made a list of some of the things that I love about this time of year.

5. Holiday Baking


Last night I made THE best cookies ever! They are White Chocolate Truffle Pecan Cookies. And I will put the recipe on my cooking blog, because I love you all and that's what Christmas is all about...sharing amazing cookie recipes that would make choirs of angels sing. It turned Don and I into cookie Grinches. We really did not want to share them with the neighbors I'd baked them for.


I have been baking like a demon this holiday season, and I made a gingerbread house, for the first time in a long time...I was thirteen the last time I even attempted to put one together, I think. I will post this loverly, and I mean loverly, recipe as well, in case you want to stretch beyond the average kit and graham cracker cottage. I can respect it if you don't. I didn't for about 10 years. To find the recipe you can click here, or on the side link to my cooking blog.

4. Trimming the Tree


I love Christmas trees. What is about a Christmas tree that makes it so magical that after you set one up it instantly feels like Christmas? Our house is still torn apart from construction, our pantry is only partially sheet rocked, and I've painted our once brown and tar speckled sub-flooring a shocking dark blue. But in the corner that I've set the Christmas tree up, our house is a home. Yep, it's Christmas here, too.


3. Christmas crafts

Like I said, I began the Christmas season early this year. At the very beginning of December I started stitching this with a vengeance. Last year Adelei had a generic stocking, so I decided to make her something a little more special. It goes with the two other stockings I made for Don and I. I began this tradition due to Aubrey, who introduced me to the Shepherd's Bush stockings. They are gorgeous, and if you feel like making something heirloom, you really can't go wrong with these. This is just one of the few Christmas projects I've been doing. Making something by hand is like giving someone a little piece of you. I know that that sounds a bit cliche, but it's true! Try it next time you think about stepping into a crowded store.

2. Flowers that bloom in Winter


I honestly believe that there are some things that are set apart just to fight the depressing gray that winter brings. For me, that's why there are so many holidays in winter. Anyway, my sweetie-poo brought these home for me. And I can't tell you how much it lifts my spirits just to have something green in the house! I love these amaryllis bulbs so much. Almost as much as I love...

1. Family
LiLi really has made Christmas twenty bazillion times more fun. I spent hours setting up our Christmas tree. I did it while she was asleep. And when she woke up the next morning, she walked into the living room with her little sleeper on, and disheveled hair. She looked at the tree with her big, sea-blue eyes and said, "Ooooh." That made it all worth it. I love my Bugs. Sometimes before I put her to bed, I'll grab a stuffed animal, a fluffy blanket, turn off all the lights in the house, and turn on some soft Christmas music. Then we'll cuddle as we watch the lights twinkle and dance on the Christmas tree. This was something my parents always did with us. If I can think of one, single, honest-to-goodness, Goodwin family tradition that we observed year-after-year, this would be it. Family, tree, lights, music. Magic. It's Christmas.

About Don

Today is our 5th anniversary. I'm not usually one to get all mushy and tell you how wonderful and perfect my husband is. If I brag about my husband, it's usually in a tongue-and-cheek kind of way. It's just the way I am. Lucky for all of you, I've decided to set aside my reservations for today for one very good reason: Sometimes we assume the people we love know we love them, and so we don't tell them.

In light of that, let me tell you a little about Don: Don is the sort of person who will stop everything he's doing to come pull his wife out of a snowbank. Heck, he'll pull anyone out of a snowbank. It doesn't matter if we're driving home,it's 3 in the morning and it's a blizzard outside, and we still have an hour or two to drive. That's all the more reason to stop and help someone in need. This could quite possibly be a metaphor for his life. I once heard a friend say that when they died, they wanted people at their funeral to say that they were the sort of person who, "returned the shopping cart". Because that simple act says a lot about you: you're considerate, willing to do your part. And more likely than not, it extends to all the aspects of your life. So I think that an epitaph of "he pulls you out of rut" is an even better aspiration.

This characteristic also shows that Don is prepared. Whenever we go on a trip, long or short, our truck is packed with tools, toe straps, cables, etc. Not because Don is a hard core boy scout,living the motto, but because he wants to be able to take anything life has to throw at him. Case and point: last winter we were Christmas tree hunting with my family. Some oversight led us to only bring one chain saw. Our group got split up just when we just happened to find the tree we wanted. Because Don was there, there was no need to sit around and wait for my dad to bring the saw. He calmly pulled out his .45 and shot the dang thing down. It brings a whole new meaning to "Christmas tree hunting". The poor thing died quickly. No suffering.

While Don's the one of the biggest "man's man" I know, beneath that rough n' tough exterior you'll find a huge heart. Dog lover. Nature lover. Music lover. He'll never admit that he watches chic flicks with his wife not because she makes him, but because, I suspect, he kind-of likes them. He called up my sister before mother's day to ask her questions about jewelry making so he could make a necklace for me. One like my mother has that we can't afford. He gave me flowers for a month after LiLi was born just because he knew it made me ridiculously happy. He does laundry and dishes when I'm so sick of doing them I think I'm going to puke if I see another dirty sock. And the day LiLi was born he didn't look at her with the paternal pride I expected him to, instead I looked up and saw him crying, realizing that he was a daddy. Don was actually ready for kids before I was. He probably would have been happy had we had some right away, but the thought scared me silly. So he waited for me.

Thinking about all this, I realize that...dang. I'm lucky. My sentiments echo Elizabeth Barrett Browning,

"I love [him] to the level of everyday's most quiet need, by sun & candlelight. I love [him] with the passion put to use in my old greifs, and with my childhood's faith...
-I love with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life!-and if God choose, I shall but love [him] better after death."

Here's to five, Baby.

Backpacking in the Uintas

Don and I went backpacking this last weekend to the Uintas. Grandma Dona watched LiLi for a few days (thank you!) It was the first time I'd been away from LiLi for more than a few hours. I cried.

We camped at Gem Lake. It was close to three other lakes, Joan Lake, D26, and Echo. They were only about a 1/3 to a 1/2 a mile away, except for Echo, which is about an hour away. Joan Lake ended up being my favorite, it was the prettiest, the most swimmer-friendly, and the most pristine.

This was my first backpacking trip. After strapping on our gear, we scrambled straight up a deer trail for about an hour. That's when I realized that Don was slightly crazy, or maybe just completely crazy. He was actually taking it easy on me. Usually he hikes all day there, and all day back, pausing for a day in between to fish.

Don also had a lot to teach me, how to filter water, fish, build a descent fire (it's a lot harder to do it without lighter fluid...give me some slack, we made boondoggles and did skits at Girl's Camp,okay??) He was a very patient teacher,...(bless you, Honey for putting up with your "outdoor challenged" wife). Fishing was fun. I caught a few fish, the dog (that one wasn't my fault), and *cough* myself. I don't really want to talk about it.

Needless to say, we really did have a blast. Between Don's gourmet backpacking meals (i.e. the best fish tacos you've ever had in your life!), swimming, hiking, exploring, photography, and just relaxing, we couldn't have asked for a better weekend. Just me, my honey, ten thousand mosquitoes, and breathtaking views. It was hard to come back, although having a cute baby that I missed like crazy made it a lot easier. Here are some pictures from our trip:


Gem Lake- filled with blooming lily pads, and complete with an amphitheater of sandstone cliffs, it was a peaceful place, and we had the most success fishing there.

I am a chronic "water-gazer".

All of the sandstone was covered in lime green lichen, I loved it. As if the place didn't have enough color.

Lady and I did yoga together (although Don says it looks like I'm praying to her). She's a natural at the "downward/forward facing dog" poses.

Joan Lake- crystal clear water, with just the right temperature for a hot summer's day. It felt like my own personal garden, with terraces of sandstone, and wildflowers everywhere.




Echo Lake- twice as big as Joan's Lake, ideal for canoeing; it's also located near a waterfall, and easy to get to.

The only time I can get Don to smile for the camera is when he's in the great outdoors.

I bet God is a fly fisherman

"In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing. We lived at the junction of great trout rivers in western Montana, and our father was a Presbyterian minister and a fly fisherman who tied his own flies and taught others. He told us about Christ's disciples being fishermen, and we were left to assume, as my brother and I did, that all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fishermen and that John, the favorite, was a dry-fly fisherman."

~Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

One of the things I like about Don is that he's an outdoors man. I love watching him fish. He's so methodical, so calm, so in his element. I am of the same opinion as Norman Maclean, that fly fishermen are a cut above bait fishermen, they are the scholars of the fishing world, paying attention to the smallest details: what sort of insects are out at that particular time of day? What stage are they in? Larva? Adult? In addition to this, they need to be familiar with the fishing habitats: which holes are most likely to be housing fish? There are questions of skill: Which cast is going to be the best for the location I'm in? All of this leads a fly fisherman to be thoroughly in tune with nature, it's essential if they want to be successful. And being in tune leads one to respect, you'll seldom find a fly fisherman that litters, or doesn't have their permit, or even tresspasses. It is in essence, a gentleman's sport.

Don fly fished for almost an entire day,the other day at Fishlake, and then some the next morning with my dad. "It doesn't bother you, does it?" I shake my head. I understand the need to "re-create", and to have the water talk to you, it's good for the soul.

Silver Lining

The other day our water heater broke. It sucked. I was without hot water for 24 hours (Don hooked things up so I still had water, thank goodness). Unfortunately that was the 24 hours that I was waging battle against the horrific wallpaper glued to every possible surface of my house. (And I mean every possible surface. Stupid wallpaper...) Try scrubbing glue off of walls with cold water. Not fun. My arms looked like they had a rash because they were raw from freezing glue water running down them. How gross is that?

Don, however, was able to find a silver lining in all of this. After running to Lowe's to pick up a new water heater, he grinned as he whipped out his favorite tool.

"Well, at least I get to use this!"

That's my man.

Life With Don. Warning: Not for the faint of heart...or stomach

Grandma Goodwin, you might want to skip this post.

Last night Don let out a burp that would have wilted lilacs. After four and a half years of marriage, and a lifetime with two brothers I'm no stranger to the fact that guys think bodily functions are pretty much a ten on the "hilarious scale." My brothers educated me at a young age to their fine skills of gleeking and buttercups. You can pity me now if you'd like. But what didn't kill me made me stronger. Really. And, heaven help me, it might have even made me an enabler. And so, the following conversations ensued:

"Nice one. I bet you could burp the whole ABC's," I mused.
"Nope. I can't burp that long."
"You don't have to do the whole thing with one burp."
"A girl I knew could. She would take a swig of root beer and do it."
He demonstrated, using a fake burp, since he hadn't honed his skills to do it for real yet,
"a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-l-m-n-o-p-q-r," (fake gasp) "s-t-u-v-w-x-y-z."
"Wow. That's talent. Most people I've seen do it take breaths in between the letters."
I probably shouldn't have said that last one. I could see the wheels in his head turning before he decided to give it a go.
I could hardly hear his attempt at the letter "a", but he grew stronger. By "g" I was officially grossed out. But by "L" I was kind-of laughing. Okay. I was laughing. I'll admit it. He was getting tired.
"This is hard," he panted in between burps; he had gotten to "q".
By "w" I had tears running down my face. He had gotten stuck on "w" and had to try three times. So gross. That one's tricky, especially after going through the whole alphabet. He ended with gusto on "z". That's my man.

Five minutes later we were having the following conversation:

"Guess what? LiLi doesn't have to use her baby bath anymore. She can just sit in the bottom of the shower."
"What??" This time I really am mortified, "You pee in the shower!!"
"Just in the drain. It's great: I just put some toys in the bottom of the bath and let her chew on them."
"She's going to get some weird disease because you let her chew on toys that have been contaminated with your pee."
"She's not going to get a disease from my pee. Besides," he amended, "I don't pee in the toilet very often."
I slap my forehead with my palm. D'oh!
"I-I mean the bathtub very often."
I'm shaking my head and trying not to smile in spite of myself, because I knew full well what he had tried to say, but his last statement causes a series of thoughts to run through my head:

1- I should wash out the tub more often.
2-Why do I even try to keep this house, and baby so clean when it's clearly a losing battle?
3-What argument can I come up with that will seal the deal to make Don wash the tub from now on, as in forever??
4-It's a good thing I'm the one who gives LiLi the majority of her baths.
5-I utter a silent prayer of thanks that she has a mother.

Now don't get me wrong, these conversations might give you the impression that Don is...is...maybe I'll let you come up with the adjectives. The point is, is that's not what I'm trying to say. And in my husband’s defense, that's not what he is. He's just a guy. And I'd have to admit I probably wouldn't want him any other way. Especially if it meant that he'd start going to a tanning booth and vainly glancing in the mirror, or wearing cherry lip gloss. (I don't know why I threw that last one in.)
What a pair we make.

*a special thanks to Don for relenting, and letting me publish this post. Love you, baby.

Sweet Babies

Look at what I found tonight after dinner:

It just might be one of the sweetest things ever. It makes me melt whenever I look at it. I don't think it gets any better than this.

Except for maybe this:

My Little Blossom-head Pixie

For Halloween Adelei was a fairy. I got ambitious and decided to make her costume. I haven't sewn anything serious ever since I got married. Don was a little surprised at my skills. He watched me at the sewing machine, scratched his head, and asked,
"If you can sew, then why do I have a bunch of pants with holes in them that I never wear?"
"Because you didn't ask."
I'm pretty proud of how her costume turned out. It took a while, but it was worth it to see it on her. It's so fun to have a little girl to dress up.



Don dressed up, too. For the first time he wasn't a cowboy. This year he was a...


Jamaican. I think he secretly wants dreads.
Four years of marriage, and this man still surprises me. Hope everyone had a good Halloween!

'Tis the Season

It's fun to show off your garden produce. I'm so dang proud.









































It's salsa season. Are you excited? You should be.

Because with salsa you can make things like this:





















Yes, please.

Erin's Nach-yos, Mine.

Ingredients:

• Chips (as many as you want)
• 1 Jalapeno
  
• slow cooker Mexican chicken*
  
• 1-2 cups cheddar cheese
• salsa
• (optional) sour cream & gauc
• whatever other toppings make your boat float

Layer first four ingredients, broil on low for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Add remaining toppings. As Don suggested, this would be good with pinto/kidney/refried beans as well. But I just happened to grab whatever was on hand.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 (6 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 (14 oz.) can pinto beans (I didn't have this on hand, thus the reason my nachos didn't have beans)

Combine all except pinto beans in crock-pot on low for 6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks put back into crock-pot with pinto beans. Cook for another 1/2 hour on high.

Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tomatoes, chopped
  
• 2-3 peppers (jalapeno, bell, habanero, whatever you like), diced
  
• 3-5 tomatillos, diced
  
• 3-4 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1-2 tsp. tumeric
• 1-3 tsp. lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients to taste. I like to try in with a corn chip to make sure it's just right. Chill in fridge, or inhale immediately.

Enjoy.




















We did.

The Sweetened Condensed Version of Our LIves

I hate to view my blog as an on-line journal. And you've probably noticed, I'm not very good at keeping all y'all up to date on the things that are going on in our lives. But some major things have happened that need to go on this blog, so let me give you an update of the things that have happened in the past two and a half months. It's been busy.

For starters, we moved to Bountiful and bought a house. I don't have a picture of our house yet. And I'm too lazy to go take one right now. Sorry. But it's a cute little starter home about 2 minutes away from where Don works. It has wonderful popcorn ceilings and retro wall paper. Both of which are coming down!

A week after moving into the house we got a dog. Her name is Lady, and she's part boxer, part lab. Which apparently is called a Boxador. I like Loxer better. She loves to play fetch with her bright pink ball.


About a week after that Adelei was born. This is actually her at 3 weeks. My little vanilla bean. She makes me happy. Yesterday she rolled from her stomach to back, and peed on my pants through her diaper. She also smiles and coos everyday now. Sometimes, if she's really happy, she'll squeal.



















A month after that Ashley, my little sis, was married on June 22nd, to Cody Robert Webb.





















And since then we've had a series of family reunions (one on the fourth, the other was with Don's family last weekend).
This is our first candid family photo. Adelei's fussing, and I'm not looking at the camera. Here's to keeping it real.



















Oh, and I also chopped a foot off my hair. Do I miss it? Surprisingly, not really. It's easier to take care of, I actually do it more, and it doesn't get tangled in Addie's little hands. Short hair is kind-of liberating. I've also had a career change from Civil Engineer to stay at home mommy.

Okay, now that you're all up to date, now I get to do the fun part. Here are some pictures I've taken over the last little while that make me happy, and a video at the end with my darling nieces and nephew taken on the fourth that I just have to share.



So, my life is pretty sweet right now. Especially with Adelei in it.

Meet Adelei

I am completely and totally in love with my baby. When Don and I left the hospital, I grinned, and glancing back exclaimed, "Honey, we got the cutest one!!"
My beautiful Adelei was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 20 in. long. She was born at 1:22 pm on May 27th with chubby checks and huge eyes. She is the most beautiful thing in the whole world. And Don is just as in love with her as I am. When she was born, she had to briefly stay in the NICU due to the long length of the labor (18 hours, and all natural, I might add...and you wonder why it's taken me so long to post).
The night after she was born I woke up at around 3 am to find my husband had completely vanished. I couldn't imagine where he had gone, did he catch a late night movie?? I called to find that he was in the NICU, holding and feeding our baby girl. And that's how it's been ever since. Don was the first to discover that Adelei has a dimple in her chin. The first to have her fall asleep on his chest. He loves being a daddy.
And so, here's our little Adelei. Finally. We've all waited a long time to meet her.