Decision Time!

OK everyone, BL5 time is just around the corner. Tib (the person running the whole thing) needs to know who is going to be competing. So if you really want to lose weight and feel healthier and happier (and you need some extra motivation like I do)--then let me know! I will email you the info on what you need to do to be in it. Are you in?? You can email me, too, if you'd rather. :)

A Night in Eden

Last week Andrew and I were able to go to the temple (thanks to his grandma for watching Kate!). It has been much too long since we've been; it was such a wonderful experience and I feel like I am still on cloud 9 because of it. We went back to the temple grounds last night (Sunday) just to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. It seriously felt like the Garden of Eden! Since they have completely redone the temple grounds--it is incredible! The flowers they have right now are especially breathtaking; they go on and on forever and smell SO good. There was an incredible sunset over Utah Lake last night that we could see perfectly from the temple grounds.

Andrew wants to take a large format pic of the temple. The Provo Temple is such a special temple to me and to our relationship--I would love a great photo of it for our wall. We have one that we bought when we were first married that we don't really care for now. Plus, the temple was changed so much right after we got married. Last night he found the perfect spot from behind the temple to take one. Anyway, it was such a great night; Kate loved the flowers, the fountains, and the grassy hills behind the temple. I didn't get any pictures of her, though, because the camera battery died after just a few pictures. Shoot.

FREAKY

I came across this picture today on a photographer's website (I won't name names...), and I thought this was such a creepy picture. Why is the baby in a BAG? I know it can breathe in there, but still...does this disturb anyone else??

Eat Less, Move More

Andrew and I just watched this skit on MadTV. www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKs0oEIVOck We thought it was pretty funny. I could relate. :) Eat less, move more? "This sounds like a gimmick." We can't actually watch YouTube videos anymore (at Wymount) so I had my brother screen this to make sure it's what I thought it was. Hope you enjoy it!

Move Over Betty Crocker...

I have felt unusually productive in the kitchen today. Our funds for the month are almost depleted, so I was debating which meal to fix--spaghetti or baked potatoes. We had spaghetti last night, and Andrew recently confessed he doesn't love baked potatoes (but will eat them almost daily because they are dirt cheap), and no money to buy anything more interesting. So I started searching the cupboards and brainstorming. Whenever I get sick of our two choices, I usually bust out the third choice--a meal involving syrup. French toast sounded yummy, but alas the bread was almost gone (and a few days past its expiration anyway). No more waffle mix. Hmm. I ended up searching the internet for a whole wheat waffle recipe, and found a pretty tasty one! I added 1/2 cup frozen blueberries to the recipe--yum! Does anyone know how to separate egg whites from the yolk? I did not do that part right...

Then, before Andrew had even finished his waffles, I was on to making bread. I had found a really good 100% whole wheat recipe a while back that I always used, but had it marked as a favorite. When I went to go retrieve it today the website was gone! I have had a hard time finding a whole wheat recipe. So tonight I was forced to use half white/half wheat. Oh well. It's still pretty tasty.

Now comes the unfun part of cleaning up. By the way, I even made oatmeal cookies twice this week! None of this is helping my weight, of course...

Here's the waffle recipe if anyone wants it--

Whole Wheat Waffles(6 servings)

1 and 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
4 Tablespoons melted shortening
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Beat egg yolks well; add milk and shortening. Combine salt, sugar, and flour. Add to first mixture. Beat until smooth. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Sift baking powder lightly over the mixture and fold in quickly. Bake in hot waffle iron.

BL5 Anyone??

Okay, the next Biggest Loser competition starts up September 1st!! I have totally lost my motivation this month since the last one ended. I've been lazy and eating junk every day, and as a result I have not felt very good. I felt so much better when I was working my butt off every day. So it's time to get back to it! Amazingly, I don't think I've gained any weight back yet, but I still have 26 pounds to go! Who's with me?!?! Even if you just have a little weight to lose--it's motivating to have to tell someone your weight every week. And it's only $25 bucks! So click here (Tib's blog) to see all the rules. Please join me! We'll get in shape before the holidays! :)

Back to the blog...

I'm not sure where I've been or what I've been doing exactly, but I guess I haven't been blogging. I think I've just been consumed by the Olympics, playing with Kate and Andrew (Andrew's done with summer semester finally!), and reading the Twilight series. I just finished up Breaking Dawn, and so now, as promised, I can get on with my life! :) Here are some random things that have been going on...

Kate continues her monkeying ways...she took everything out of the cabinet, then crawled in.
We went for a drive on the Nebo Loop. We were in Payson already for a doctor's appointment I had. I thought I had another kind of cancer--turns out I don't.

These pictures are my attempt at nature photography. I just started reading the camera's manual (that I got almost a year ago now...), and so tried to take some pics.

Kate's a tree hugger! Whenever she sees a nearby tree, she runs over and wraps her arms around it. Pretty cute, I have to say. Should I buy her some Birkenstocks? :)

This was after Kate's nap yesterday. She has been FREAKING out when we drop her off to nursery. She was just so used to having us in there, I guess. I hope she can make some friends in there and start to feel comfortable! We met with the bishop yesterday to get acquainted. Turns out he grew up in Andrew's grandparents' ward and knows all about his family. Weird. He owns a computer software company and used to travel to NYC every week to the World Trade Center, where he had an office. He, like many other members Andrew knew in NYC, just felt like he shouldn't go to work that day. Anyway, he also mentioned that there is a Cantonese ward in our stake and they are always looking for people who speak Cantonese for a stake calling. Noooo!! That would be my worst fear! I would have to really start studying hardcore!

The Olympics!

Does anybody else get emotional over the summer Olympics like I do? I don't know why--but if I'm not crying when I watch, then you can bet I feel like crying! During the opening ceremonies, the tense competition moments, the medal ceremony--I'm so weepy. Who's with me here? I've always (since I was a kid) felt bad for the Chinese competitors because it seems like they are bred to win (of course much moreso in these Olympics). I secretly always hope they win (because I always imagine severe punishments for them if they don't), even though I hope for the Americans to win, too. I'm so torn!

Thunder...Lightning!

I took Kate to play behind our apartment. We weren't out there for very long before it started thundering and lightning. Kate was a little disturbed at the thunder (in the picture she's watching the sky), but was completely unbothered by the rain. I had to drag her inside before the downpour began.

I just kept thinking about poor Andrew! Andrew and his brother left yesterday to hike Mt. Timp. They're going to come back in the morning...so I hope they're okay tonight as it's storming! Andrew worked really hard this week (a lot of 12 hour days at school) to finish programming a chess game. It's not due til Monday but he was able to get it done Friday, so he could go camping. He definitely deserves a break--I hope they're having fun!

I did it.

The reason I haven't been on the computer very much this past week is because I've been busy reading the first two books in the Twilight series. 'Sigh.' I haven't had much desire to read it until now. I generally don't like to read overly popular books--like Harry Potter. Something in me just cringes at the very idea. But I gave in--I was too curious what all the fuss was about. And now there are dishes piled high, garbage overflowing, laundry undone...you get the idea. I just needed a break from the heavy books I've been reading; I wanted to be entertained without having to think. I got my fix! So just two more books in the series--then I can get ON with my life. The next book on the reading list is Middlemarch by George Eliot. I had a couple teachers in my final year at school that just raved about it. It's apparently been named by many as the best English novel ever written. So, hopefully it can live up to its praises! It's a long one and I'm pretty sure no gorgeous vampires appear--so it may take me longer than a day to read. :)