San Francisco Again...

I just got home from spending a week in the great city of San Francisco. I love that city... except for all the liberal junk that goes on there. Daniel had a Financial Planning Association conference there so we got to go along and play while he was in meetings. We shopped in some of the cutest and fashionable boutiques in the country. I love pretending I have money in those places, they probably see right through me though. We got to go to dinner in China Town, which really feels like you are in China. Little people scurrying around in their open air markets and thousands of back scratchers and knock off purses. We went to little Italy where there were italian bakery's, cafe's and restaurants on every corner. All had bistro tables outside with people speaking italian and sipping their coffees.
I think at heart I am part city girl. I love the business, the variety of people, the sounds and the energy cities have to offer.

Hooter Hiders

Hooter Hiders, Boobie Blockers, Nursing Covers, whatever you want to call them-I love them. I used it several times a day for the first 6 months of Marston's life. So I started making them for my friends. If you know anyone who wants one let me know and I would be happy to make one for them. Here is one I made my friend Amy who is due with her second baby boy tomorrow. 

Hit and Run

Friday night we went jet skiing on Folsom Lake. It was a wonderful night, weather perfect, company pleasant, water warm and sunset straight from a painting. We got home about 9:30 pm to find several people hanging out around our van parked on the street. I had Dan go and check it out. Turns out that our van was hit by a lifted toyota truck. There were 5 or 6 witnesses and they all said that it was the guy who lives behind us. The police came and took our information but basically said that it is hopeless even though we know who did it. I am completely frustrated! Even now I can feel my blood pressure rising. The cop said that he can't do anything because we only have a partial license plate number and everyone who saw him has no "proof" that it was him. Come to find out that this guy already was in trouble with the law so there is no way he is going to come forward. Dan went and talked to his girlfriend who works across the street and she got all defensive and  said that her boyfriend did have a truck like that but it was in the shop. Ya right-I'm sure it will probably stay there for a while until he think this thing is blown over. I would like to talk to his mother. What kind of person hits someone else's car and does nothing about it. Why should we be the one's who have to pay from his stupid actions. I really want to move. I don't know how much longer I can live amongst white trash, vulgar, low life's. Okay-I'm done. No more negativity, I promise. 

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

I rarely ever make peanut butter cookies. I think that most of them are dry and crunchy and I would rather not waste my calorie intake on something I don't love.  I found a website that I really really like, smittenkitchen.com. It's all about food. A lady in New York City writes it and it is just delightful. Plus the photographs are incredible. I think they've even won some awards for their food blog. Anyway, I found a peanut butter cookies recipe that I thought I might try. It turned out wonderfully! I love this recipe. The cookies are moist and chewy and I love the bits of chocolate and peanut butter you get in every bite. The recipe calls for peanut butter chips but I didn't have any so I took Marston on a walk to the gas station and got a bag Reeses Pieces. It turned out yummy but I think next time I will use pb chips, it will just require me to plan ahead. 

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

From: www.smittenkitchen.com

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature 
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips 
1/2 cup chocolate chips

For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. (I baked mine for 10 minutes and it was perfect).

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Note: In my opinion there was a bit too much sugar on the outside. Use super fine sugar or perhaps don't roll them in sugar at all. But I'm not sure if they would come off the cookie sheet as well-maybe so, I don't know. 

Rattlesnakes at Folsom Lake

We went out on Folsom lake on Saturday with some friends who have a boat. We boarded the boat and drove over to the Granite Bay side and found a beach to set up camp. The men then took the boat out to go wake boarding while we stayed on the beach with our babies. It was so fun. Marston loved to get dirty, eat the sand and splash in the water. When the men came back we wanted to have a boat ride too so we jumped back on the boat. We toured the lake and went all the way to Salmon Falls bridge where there are incredibly HUGE houses. Anyway on our was back to the beach Daniel saw a snake and pointed it out to everyone. The snake was on the side of the boat going the opposite direction. We all took a look and realized it was a rattlesnake (who knew rattlers could swim). Before we knew it the snake was on the back deck of the boat and trying to climb into the boat. Josh grabbed an ore and started beating the thing back but the snake just kept climbing the edge of the boat. We were only about 20 feet from the beach. Dan took over with the ore and tried to smash it and cut it in half but nothing was happening. So finally Dan just shoved it off the deck and the thing swam away like nothing had ever happened. How scary that we were swimming with rattlesnakes not a hour before. We were so close to the beach where there were children and dogs having a good time. It really scared me so we cleaned up camp and went home. It was a good day even with the snake adventure.

Splashing!

We bought a few plastic pools at Babies-R-Us the other day. We filled one with sand and one with water.  He loves both. I think it's funny how big his diaper was. 

Missing Switzerland

My aunt is teaching a seminary class this year and asked some family members write a letter to her students about their mission. I got to write to one of the girls in her class about my mission and it has just brought back some of the old mission feelings. I totally miss Switzerland. I can't believe it's been 5 years since I've been home, it feels like yesterday I was getting off the plane in Zurich with butterflies in my stomach and an excitement to share the gospel. I am so grateful I served. I am a better friend, member, wife, daughter, sister, and now mother because I choose to serve a full time mission. 

This is where we would pick up the train to Zurich when I served in Wollrau (a little village about 45 minutes south of Zurich). In the summer we would take the boat.

Basel bahnhoff (train station). I served 9 months in Basel. 

We tracked into an old lady at this house (I wanted to knock on this house because I thought it looked cool) who turned out to be an inactive member for years. We got her to church a couple of times. 

Basel-rot platz.  We would street contact here many many many times. 

Knocking doors in Basel. Beautiful october leaves. 

Knocking doors.

On top of the world. The Swiss Alps in Chur. We took a ski lift to get up there. I think it bugged the skiers and snowboarders to have missionaries at the top of their mountain. 

Gardening with a dirt eater

We helped my mother-in-law in her garden the other day. I wish I had the space and the sunshine to have my own garden but I don't so I get to plant in my lovely mother-in-law's beautiful yard. There is something to be said for growing your own food. I think it tastes better too. I may even eat the tomatoes we planted-well, maybe. Marston loved it. He especially loved to eat the dirt. Darlene and Harold spread organic soil in the planter boxes and by organic I mean poop mixed with some dirt. It makes the fact that Marston was putting it in his mouth even more gross but I guess it's better than chemicals.

Marston's First Haircut

I did it! Marston has needed a haircut for a long time but I just could not bring myself to do it. He has made himself a reputation for having beautiful curly red hair and I could not cut it all off. I don't know what got into me yesterday but we cut about 3 inches off. He's still got beautiful red curls but I am able to tame them a bit more. 

GIANT bump

I don't think that children can make it through life without getting a goose egg on their head once or twice-right?!? While visiting the model home of our new place, Marston was climbing the stairs. I usually let him explore the stairs but I sit right next to him. He crawled over to the stairs and made it up one stair and kaboom- head first into the hardwood floor. The poor little boy got a goose egg the size of a golf ball within a minute. What kind of mother am I? 

A new start...

So Del, our home salesman finally sold one of the spec houses! YIPEE! That means we can move forward with our home. I'm not sure when they will start with the construction but they are sending in the permit papers tomorrow! I cannot wait. I think this is more exciting then when we signed the initial paperwork. It will take 18 weeks once the construction begins so maybe we'll be in a new home in September or October.  

My sister in law, Telia and my adorable nephew Aeden are in town and we went out to visit the model home. I took some pictures. Remember - it's the model home, not my decorating style. Hopefully you can get an idea of what the first floor will look like. It's really open which presents me a whole new world of decorating dilemmas. I need to make sure all the rooms flow together and yet keep them all different. At this point I'm clueless.  Any help is welcome!