Happy Thanksgiving!!!

 Things have been more than a little busy this year at our house! I'm not a very regular blogger, though I'm working on it and so I haven't been updating this blog. After a rather uneventful pregnancy, (at least where twins are concerned!) we had two healthy baby girls, Maggie and Carrie on September 29. This gives us three kids under three, so I'm just starting to get to do other things than nurse babies! One of the first things I wanted to get back into our lives was Sarah's preschool time. So that's where we've started this week! 

Last year we tried to do a T is for Turkey unit and made Thanksgiving hand print turkeys and Sarah's favorite activity, a thankful tree, with all the leaves having the name of something or someone she was thankful for. Sarah had a blast with it, but it was really sad for me when we had to take it off of our front door and throw it away. This year, I wanted to be able to keep our tree. We cut out a trunk from brown construction paper and leaves from orange, red and yellow paper. We then used what is possibly Sarah's favorite art supply at the moment, glue, to attach them to a blue piece of paper for the background and wrote what she was thankful for. Mostly it was family and friends, but there were a few surprises:

 I asked if she was thankful for nursery, she came back with being thankful for Sacrament meeting. I am really, really surprised by this because, like most families with a two year old, we're still working on reverence and sometimes I wonder why we go at all because we spend a lot of time in the hall! 

I was a little less surprised by stores, as Sarah loves to go to the grocery store and this is frequently mentioned in her prayers, along with being thankful for Grandma's House. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one, but Elsa from Disney's Frozen also featured on Sarah's gratitude list this year!

Our favorite art supply also made the list and was one of the first ones... much to my surprise! It made my day!

 I have to say that my favorite on she listed though was Jesus. She came up with it entirely on her own, and it gave me pause to reflect on my own gratitude for the Savior. Sometimes, in the middle of the mess and the chaos, I forget that I'm not just changing diapers and feeding small people endlessly, I'm raising children of God. This was a sweet reminder of that.

 This morning, I wanted to do something special for Sarah for breakfast, since Greg is home to hold babies! I still didn't want to count on cooking, as quiet time between fussy babies can be very, very short, so I came up with this turkey! When Sarah first looked at it, I asked her what it was... She said "Donuts!" 

 I asked her to look again, she looked confused!

Finally, though, on the third attempt, she understood and was thrilled!

I think it turned out pretty well myself! 

Doughnut Turkeys:

3 mini donughts (I used chocolate, but cinnamon powdered sugar would look great too!)
2 white chocolate chips 
2 mini chocolate chips 
1 small orange
1 raspberry


To make it, just cut one doughnut in half for the wings. Arrange a doughnut for the head and one for the body on your plate, about in the center, then add your wings on either side. Poke the white chocolate chips into the doughnut, point down, so that the bottom of the chip faces up. Place a mini chocolate chip on top of the white chocolate chip.
Peel your orange and place sections around the head and body to resemble a tail. This took about half the orange for me! Cut one section into thirds. This will be your beak and the feet. Place the beak in the hole of your head doughnut and the feet at the bottom of your body. Slice a raspberry in half for the waddle and place next to the beak! Happy Thanksgiving!

The longest shortest month of my life.

It has been a long, long month, even though it's a short one! In the last 24 days the following has happened:

1. Sarah got her first cold of the month. She was a typical poor, sweet baby toddler, so I fell behind. We cuddled and watched Mickey and read stories. We were just about to cancel our attendance at a friend's toddler party when.....

2. Greg got hit by a car. I'd woken up from a short nap I'd taken by a ringing phone, and a husband giving me minimal details, but saying he'd been hit by a car. This lead to calling hospitals, sisters in my ward and family while trying to get over there and have someone car for sick toddler. We finally got everyone down to bed after medicines and prayers and groceries when....

3. I found out I'm expecting baby number 2. I'd been feeling a little nauseous and really tired, and had other reasons to suspect that we might be expecting. This was great news, and I was relieved that I didn't have a stomach bug which could be shared by Greg and Sarah. Especially since the next day....

4. We had Sarah's birthday party. I made Minnie Mouse cupcakes with frosting ( a big deal, because I don't frost things. Ever.) and Sarah had the time of her life. She loved playing with the balloons and her cousins and aunts and uncles, and of course, Grandma and Papa! The next week....

5. Greg gets a job offer for another job. We really like the insurance on his current job, so I was really, really hesitant to move forward with the new job. After several long days of praying and thinking through solutions, we decide not to take the job. Just in time for....

6. Valentine's Day. With Greg's arm in a sling, our original plan of dinner and dancing was out. I was also really morning sick, so the Mexican food we'd planned didn't sound good. Greg was super hesitant to go out with me, and I wondered why until the UPS truck showed up and delivered flowers he'd ordered. I was super surprised and thrilled he'd though of me. We went somewhere else and had a great time. Everything was a struggle to get back to normal when all of the sudden...

7. Sarah got another cold! She's not super sick this time, just enough to keep us from going to church where she might spread the cold to any number of her friends. I feel a bit guilty because I'm supposed to help in the Nursery class she attends, but my guilt is lessened the next day when....

7. We found out we're not expecting a baby, but babies. We're having twins. On one level, this makes me feel better, because I don't feel like so much of a wimp because I'm struggling to get the non phone call, non paperwork for above mentioned incidents done.  On another level, this adds a ton of to dos to my list. I do have plenty of offers for help, but some of it I just have to do on my own. We're only zoned in our condo for 4 people. Babies will make 5, so I have to move, preferably before my OB puts me on bed rest in just 17 weeks. I am now looking for somewhere else to live. We do have a few companies coming to look at our house this week, but they're just going to have to live with the current state. I feel like I'm doing all I can, and am contending with a super destructive toddler.

I think sometimes we have a tendency, me especially, to feel guilty when life doesn't measure up to our expectations. One of my big priorities before all of this was trying to keep the house reasonably clean, without Greg's help as much as possible, because he's working full time, going to school 3/4 time and serves in a very time demanding role in our church. I guess this post is really more for me. I feel like I'm in denial about this month and the fact that it's actually been REALLY HARD. We've had a lot of help, and I'm really grateful for all the offers for continued help, but right now, I'm still trying to process what's going on. I have no idea what help I need, so it's hard to know what to say when people ask if there is "anything we can do to help." The only one who knows what  help we'll need, and who can help us get through this on all levels is the Savior. I have faith that he is helping us, even when I'm not the mom and wife I want to be.

Sarah's "Happy To You Birthday!"

Miss Sarah's birthday was on Friday. She's two. Time has gone so fast. It seems like yesterday she was this little.

 Because Greg had been hit by a car on Thursday, and Sarah was super sick, it was a pretty low key day. She did get to open a few presents, but mostly she wanted to sleep and watch Mickey Mouse. She was thrilled by the cute dress, though.

 I think she loved the card even more. It had Minnie Mouse and played music. She listened to that card maybe ten times before she went down for her nap.

 For her birthday, I made some Minnie Mouse cupcakes with ears. I used Oreos for the head and mini Oreos for the ears. She wanted pink frosting so I piped some onto the chocolate cupcake. She was super excited and kept asking for spoonfuls of icing.

 For her candle cake, I stacked two eight inch rounds and used two cupcakes for the ears. I added a bow for Minnie Mouse and tried to ice it with chocolate ganache, which didn't set in time, but tasted pretty good any how.

 We purchased a Minnie Mouse background set and set it up. It was huge and she loved it. This is how Sarah does two.

 Her favorite present of the day was probably this slinky. She kept playing with it today and calling it her "Snakey" or "Sneaky." She loves it.

 She tried to blow out the candles, but when it didn't work it was scary, so she asked mommy to do it.

 She sure loved being the center of attention, and despite a cold, had a great day. I'm so grateful she's in our lives and that our wonderful family could spend time with us and help us make her birthday special!

Tender Mercies

"But behold, I Nephi will show you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto deliverance." 1 Nephi 1:20

I'm not really sure how to start this post. It's been a very eventful few days. The snow we received meant that Greg and my Mom's workplace let out early. Tender Mercy. After Sarah and I played in the snow, her nose started running and she seemed to be feeling poorly. She wanted to be put down early for her nap, and she asked me, in her very sweet, almost two year old way, if we could say a prayer before she went to sleep. We did. While I was prompting her, I felt impressed to pray that Daddy could come home safely. Tender Mercy.  We finished the prayer and both went down for a nap. 

About an hour later, I was awakened by the phone ringing. The caller ID came up saying Private Caller. Normally, I don't answer the phone if I don't know the number. This time, I did. It was Greg. He told me he'd been hit by a car just two blocks from our home and was being taken to the hospital. He said he was okay, but that his shoulder had been hurt. There was shock in his voice, and I feared he might not be able to asses his injuries himself. The call was brief, and we both weren't thinking clearly, so I didn't know what hospital he'd been taken to. 

We were supposed to go and have cupcakes with one of Sarah's nursery friends for his birthday, but we called to cancel. I couldn't think of what to do next.I let his family know and then I started to call the hospitals to find out which he'd been taken to. We live in a large city, and there are a lot of hospitals. The first one I called wasn't it, and I felt my heart sink and fear build up, because I didn't even know where he was, or in any detail what had happened. The second hospital on the list answered and said he was there. Tender Mercy. I'm very fortunate to have family nearby, so I called my mom and she came and stayed with Sarah while another sister from our ward came and drove me to the hospital. My sister Rachael and my mom cleaned my house and did some laundry while they watched Sarah. I was feeling so overwhelmed and I didn't think I'd be able to get it all done. Tender Mercy. Before we left, I searched and searched for the charger to the dead cell phone Greg and I share. I'd been looking for the charger for days to no avail, but found it in a drawer. Tender Mercy. 

The sister who drove me to the hospital had been there just days earlier with her own son. She knew where to go in the ER, and in the large hospital complex, and with Greg having been taken almost two hours earlier, this was a blessing. Tender Mercy. I am very squeamish about injuries in those I love. I can usually handle it in others, but in my family and friends, well, I'm a sympathetic vomitter, I cried almost more than Sarah when her finger was caught in a door. I knew I was going to struggle in the ER if I had to watch Greg in pain while they reset his injuries. But, by the time we'd arrived, his pain medication had taken effect and all that was left to do was to fill out the insurance papers and receive discharge instructions. Tender Mercy.

My mom came and got us, and I found out that Greg had been in a minor car accident and went with the other driver to exchange insurance information. The turn into our apartment complex was icy and treacherous. Another car turned the corner and had hit Greg. He'd apparently flown into the air and landed on his shoulder, hitting his head slightly and bruising his knee. He didn't, however lose consciousness and the doctor informed us that his shoulder had been the worst of it. It was sprained, with a possible slight tear in the ACL, but nothing worse. Tender Mercy. 
We dropped Greg off with Rachael, who had been very ill, but was willing to continue to watch Sarah while Mom and I went to pick up Greg's prescriptions for pain medicine. She was an angel of Mercy. While they were cleaning, Mom and Rachael had found my grocery list, including the price matching I'd written on the side. Tender Mercy. 

The pharmacy told us there would be a wait long enough that we could complete our grocery shopping for the week, so I was able to get the groceries we'd need this week. Tender Mercy. By the time I arrived back home, it was nearly bedtime for Sarah. I came home and found out that she'd fallen, hit her head on a shelf and cut her lip open. Rachael was able to stop the bleeding though, and she didn't need her own visit to the ER. Tender Mercy.  By the time I put the groceries away, fed everyone the meal that we'd purchased, put Sarah to bed and started to answer the many phone calls we'd received about Greg, it was late. I was exhausted. The doctor said in the discharge instructions that Greg needed to be awakened every two hours in case of concussion. Sarah had a terrible cough and I got maybe four hours of sleep. I woke up with the cold the next morning, which happened to be Sarah's birthday. I prayed and prayed that I would have help to make it through the next day. I didn't feel well, but I had to care for Sarah and Greg first. I was nauseous. I didn't have any cold medicine that I could take, so I had to call mom and ask her to bring some later that day. She said she could after work. Tender Mercy.  As I began the day's work, another sister in our ward said she'd bring dinner for our family so I could get some rest while Sarah napped. She did, and she even moved our car so it wouldn't be towed.  Tender Mercy. I was rather busy and sick, so I'd forgotten to eat lunch, making the nausea worse, and I didn't think I'd be able to eat the wonderful chili she brought. Sarah woke up so sad and screaming and mom offered to bring her a treat. She said she wanted Chicken Nuggets and ice cream. Mom brought them and the medicine, as well as a few other treats to try and cheer Sarah up. Tender Mercy. While Greg received a priesthood blessing from two of our neighbors, and while I held a very sick Sarah during hers, I felt the nausea growing. I had to excuse myself to vomit before my own blessing. I returned and as the blessing continued, I felt the nausea subside so I was able to eat. Tender Mercy. 

I know that I couldn't have made it on my own today. I couldn't have taken care of my family and done the things I needed to without the help of my Heavenly Father and his Angels, both the earthly ones from our ward and our family and the unseen ones who strengthened me to get through the day. I am so grateful for the protection and the love we've been shown and for the many more offers of help and prayers we've received. Greg is fine, despite an accident that could have killed him. Sarah is able to sleep tonight. I have the medication I needed to reduce the symptoms of this cold. I feel like we are so very blessed. I'm amazed at the Tender Mercies we've been extended. I know that the Lord loves all of us, and is with us, even when the outcomes don't go as we'd like. I know that sometimes we're taken to the brim of our worst fears, and when we think we can't handle it, we can trust in the Lord, and in His will and timing. I know that the power of the Priesthood can bless our lives and does if we seek it to. I'm so grateful to the Savior, and for the service of those around us. I hope we can return the love that we've been shown. 

The Return of the Chesser Chronicles

      It's been a while! This year has been super busy. G. has returned to school and is working on his history degree. It's not easy with a full time job and a busy calling in our ward, but he's doing amazing. So far he has a 4.0! I'm really proud of him. 

   Miss S. is turning two tomorrow. She's currently obsessed with all things Mickey Mouse, although she says she'd like an Elmo present too. Really, I think she's most excited about cupcakes and spending time with family. She's so smart, I definitely need to keep up with her. She knows her capital letters and can almost count to 20, although she usually skips 15 and 16.  Today it's snowing! This is the first time it's snowed this year and she was interested in the snowflakes for a few minutes before deciding that snow is cold!

As for me, I'm working on Home Economics projects. This year I want to focus on cooking and sewing for my family and possibly gardening again. Last year's garden gave me a dozen strawberries, two small peppers and a lot of basil and cilantro. I'm thinking that the light areas on our patio are best suited for herbs. I enjoyed having the fresh cilantro especially for Tex Mex food, my favorite.
Here are a few of the projects I've been working on:

 These are the infamous hot air balloons in our master bath. Note that in the bottom left hand corner the pattern is disrupted. Also, the one right under the water faucet is upside down. I like character in a house, but this was really too much to handle! So I looked for solutions about what to do with it. I ended up deciding to use some appliance epoxy spray paint. I learned a few things with this project. First, appliance epoxy will not come out of your hair. I ended up cutting off a few inches because of this discovery. Second, the spray paint formula is kind of sticky when it lands on the floor and your clothes. Overall though, it's holding up fairly well after a month or so. I will end up replacing the water valve when I'm finished with the tub itself. For a four dollar can of paint though, I'm quite happy not to think about the balloons!

 I also conquered one of my biggest fears: Raw chicken! I found whole chickens for around eighty cents a pound and decided that it was time to get over it! I used the engagement chicken recipie from Glamour's 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know, with a few modifications. Basically, you start by rinsing the chicken inside and out and removing the organs. This was definitely NOT my favorite thing to do. After it's dried, you get the awful raw chicken smell out of your hands by pricking a few holes in two fresh lemons. You then put the lemons into the dry cavity of the chicken and roast at 350 degrees with the back up for 15 minutes. Then, after 15 minutes, you flip over the chicken and roast for  18-20 minutes per pound of chicken. I added some squeezed lemon juice and herbs de provence over the chicken before roasting. It tasted great and let me make some homemade chicken stock the next day.

 This morning it was time for homemade breakfast. I am normally a cereal girl. Cold cereal or maybe some microwaved oatmeal if I feel like 'cooking.' This morning though, I made crust-less spinach quiche with fresh spinach. It was pretty good! Even S. who will not eat anything green for any reason what so ever, ate a piece and a half! Quiche with sneaky vegetables may become a regular thing around here!

To make the Quiche:

4 whole large eggs

1/2 cup shredded cheese, I used some left over mexican blend we got on sale, but Swiss would be better!

4 cups fresh spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Now it's time to steam your spinach. Put about 2 tablespoons of water in a pot with a lid and cook on medium low heat for about 5 minutes.

Beat your eggs and mix in the cheese. 

layer your spinach on the bottom of a 9 inch casserole dish or pie pan and pour the egg mixture over the spinach

Bake for 35 minutes and enjoy!