Strawberry Cream Cake

A few weeks ago they sent a sign up sheet in Primary for the Relief Society Birthday Celebration Enrichment night. They asked several people to bring a cake to act as the center piece and then dessert. My 11 year old girls begged me to sign up so they could come over and "help" make a cake. After much discussion they decided they wanted to make a strawberry cake. I haven't really ever made a strawberry cake so I looked up a recipe on line. It turned out so well. I was amazed. This is where I got the recipe. I did one and a half times the recipe so that the layers would be thicker. http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001872strawberry_cream_cake.php

Nathan's Swim Lessons

Nathan and Isabelle started taking swim lessons this past week. We went in the day we were able to sign them up and all the classes but this were full. So Ryan's mom kindly agreed to take Nathan on Mondays and Wednesdays while I work. So Friday was the first time I got to see them. Both Nathan and Isabelle love it. Nathan asks every day if it is swim lessons. Then after his swim lessons he tells everyone who he sees that he had swim lessons. From what I can see they haven't learned to actually swim yet but they are learning to put their heads in the water and jump in and float on their backs and kick and things like that. If they pass this class they can move onto the next one otherwise they have to keep taking this one until they do pass. We'll see. I didn't want to interrupt their lesson so these pictures aren't all that close during their lesson. One of Nathan's favorite parts is going down the alligator slide.

Lion

I got his video in an email and thought it was incredible.

Shelly Wagstaff

Wow! That was harder than I thought it would be. Especially thinking of things most of you don’t know about me. I’ve never been tagged so this is a first. Here you go.

The Rules are as follows: The rules are posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves at the end of the post the player then tags 3 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged, and asking them to read your blog.

10 YEARS AGO: I did the math and I figured out I was in Innsbruck as a missionary ten years ago. So I grabbed my journal and read what was going on February 21, 1998. (There aren’t many other times in my life I have a journal entry every day.) It was the day of my bike accident. My companion and I were riding to Telfs because we didn’t have enough money for the train. We had never ridden our bikes there so we weren’t too sure how to get there. On the way down a hill I was picking up speed to make it up the next hill and my companion stopped, I tried to stop but ended up wrecking. After finding out nothing was broken she asked if I wanted a picture and since we were the picture taking queens I said yeah. Then she led me over to the river bank and helped to clean out my cuts. She used our hair scrunchies and the ice water from the river, which helped numb my hands and ankle. She used my pocket knife to dig the gravel out and gave me Ibuprofen (man, we were prepared). We rested and then headed home at a slow pace. It’s funny reading that entry, I can remember that day so well. I can’t find the picture she took but this is a picture of us.




5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST:
1. Fold clothes
2. Sweep the kitchen floor
3. Pick Christy up from work and drive up to Evanston to see our brother Jon play basketball
4. Camp meeting
5. Choir practice

I ENJOY: It has been awhile since I stopped to think about what I really enjoy. I love being married and being a mom. Nathan is such a great little boy and Ryan and he always make me smile. I am glad to be healthy and able to do all the things I want to. I love going to the gym and I love to swim. When I have the time I enjoy quilting and scrapbooking. I enjoy spending time with friends and family. You all know I enjoy games, mostly when I win. ;-) I also enjoy planning. That may seem odd but I spend a lot of my time planning things. I plan trips I never take and planning rooms I never decorate. Of course I enjoy planning the trips I do take and finishing the rooms I do decorate. I enjoy good chocolate and good books. I really enjoy warm weather and the ocean. And right now I am enjoying being pregnant.

WHAT WOULD I DO IF WE WERE SUDDENLY BILLIONAIRES? I don’t think we would change too much. Ryan is such a saver that he’d probably insist it stay in the bank. But I would insist we travel and finish decorating our house. Maybe finish our basement. I might even buy some clothes. I’d think about quitting my job but probably not for a little while. I love my job. Who knows, I might get a swimming pool by 2010.

3 BAD HABITS:
1. Eating ice cream out of the carton
2. Asking a question and not really listening to the answer
3. Using my couch as a pin cushion, Ryan’s favorite

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1. California (Monrovia, La Canada, and Thousand Oaks)
2. New York, York Town Heights
3. North Carolina, Cary
4. Hawaii, Laie
5. Austria (Vienna, Innsbruck, and Salzburg)

5 JOBS I HAVE HAD:
1. I answered phones and even made pizzas at a pizza place in HS
2. I scooped ice cream at the BYU Hawaii creamery
3. I was a lock smith at BYU, that was such a fun job
4. I was a waitress at a Greek restaurant while in Prove
5. I was a nanny one summer for three young boys

5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:
1. I wear glasses. I should probably wear them more than I do. I try to wear them when I drive although according to my driver’s license I don’t have to. I also wear them at work because sitting in front of a computer for 5 hours gives me a head ache if I don’t.
2. I love to find a deal. I am a sucker for a deal. Whether it be clothes, furniture, or air plane tickets.
3. I’m stubborn and I like to argue, but not with just anyone or about anything. I need to have a strong opinion. Then I will argue my opinion. I don’t have a problem changing my position if the person I am arguing with can convince me to.
4. I was originally going to be an elementary school teacher. I took the class my senior year in High School where you teach for one period at the elementary school. But when I got to college I was asked to teach RS and I hated it. So I asked myself if I didn’t like preparing a lesson once a month what made me think I would enjoy doing it everyday? Eventually I took my first Stats class and that is when I realized how much I enjoyed statistics. I had always loved math but statistics was so much more applicable.
5. Nine years ago I spent the summer in Hawaii and started a book for high school grads. There were so many things I wished I had known going into college I thought I would write it all down. My lap top was very unreliable and I had to send it back to be fixed so many times I didn’t finish the book. Instead I came home early because I missed Ryan so much and had maxed out my credit card and didn’t have a job. I never did finish it. There was something about being in Hawaii to write that book. I just came across what I had finished the other day. Funny stuff!

I’m tagging Lizzy, Amy, and Jen.

It Worked!

February 18, 2008

Well, I don’t think I have stopped smiling since yesterday. I’ll recap yesterday’s events. I woke up at 6:30 AM took a shower and got ready for church. Ryan got in the shower after me. We had Nathan’s clothes ready to take to Grandma Wagstaff’s. He went to church with them yesterday. After dropping Nathan off at the Wagstaff’s we headed to the U. We were supposed to be there anytime between 8:00 and 9:00 AM so I could get my blood drawn. Well, we arrived at 7:50 AM. I was a little anxious. The nurse met us and asked if we had cheated. I was like no was that an option. I was so worried that I would either get my hopes up and then be really disappointed or disappointed only to find out I was wrong. I didn’t want the emotional roller coaster. So although I wanted to know earlier I am glad we waited. The phlebotomist did an amazing job and we were done in minutes. We were told to come back in three hours.

We knew this before hand so we had decided to visit our old ward, P5. We arrived there about 8:30 AM. Church didn’t start until 9:00 AM so we checked out the bulletin boards; Ryan saw many of the young men he had worked with while he was in the presidency. We got to talk to Bishop Snow and Larry. It was so great to see them. We went in and found a seat. We chatted with friends, several members came over to say hello. Just as sacrament was starting we see Mary and Walt telling us to come sit by them. So we did. Sacrament was really good although I was having a hard time concentrating. I had my phone on vibrate because if the results were ready any earlier they were going to call. Sunday school ended up being in the chapel as well. It was also good but I had a hard time really listening. I got pretty anxious when my phone buzzed. It was my dad. And since I didn’t want to have to get up and leave more than once I didn’t answer it. I must have accidentally answered because he could hear talking in the background and called back again. Since I didn’t have any news yet I didn’t leave Sunday school. Following Sunday school we went to priesthood and Relief Society. It really was so nice to see so many familiar faces. I started thinking in RS what if I get the call. I’ll leave but will I be able to come back in and sit here if the answer is no. I don’t have the keys to the truck so I’ll have to sit in the bathroom or something. Relief Society although a great lesson by Taffy was really long for me. My phone didn’t ring and part of me was relieved. I found Ryan surrounded by his former Priests, now return missionaries. They were planning a get to together at our home in March. Ryan looked really happy. I just wanted to leave so we could get to the U as soon as possible.

On the way there I realized I had a missed call sometime walking to the truck. I tried calling back but there was no answer. The machine said they were now closed. I was beginning to think I might have to wait another day. We did finally arrive at the U and there was another couple just ahead of us. Ryan told me I was going to kill him because he needed to use the bathroom first. I said that’s fine, I’m going in. Just after he went in the bathroom my phone rang again. It was the nurse. She asked for me and then said just a minute someone else just walked in. When she got back on the phone she told me she had good news. I couldn’t believe it. I told her I was just outside the door should I come in and she said yes. I saw her immediately when I walked through the door and went to talk to her. A minute later Ryan walked in and I gave him the thumbs up. He was like really. I guess he was pretty worried how I would handle it if the answer was no. My phone rang then and although I thought I was turning it off apparently I answered it. I was right in the middle of talking with the nurse so I hung up on my friend Amy. Sorry Amy. She called back and was again ignored. We talked with the nurse and found that I only have to have my daily shots for another 6 weeks. I thought it was another 10 so 6 didn’t sound that bad. I also learned that I needed to schedule an ultra sound for some time after March 5th. That will tell us how many embryos made it, one or two. And we will be able to see the heart beat(s). She also told us my tentative due date is October 24th. I had guessed the 25th so that was good news too. On the way out of the office I called my dad. It rang five or six times, I knew he was in church. But he did answer and I got to tell him I was pregnant. I found out later we went back into Sunday school and learned across a few people to tell my mom. I tried calling Terri after that but she didn’t answer. So I started on my first text message. The first one went to family. I accidentally sent them a second one when I pushed resend instead of forward. Then I sent a couple more mass texts to friends. I wanted everyone to know. We have some friends and family we don’t have cell numbers for so we called them. I emailed Paul and Sarah and Tommy since I don’t have any phone numbers for them. We actually drove over to the church to tell the Wagstaffs. We saw Steve in the car and told him. Then we found Terri and Allison in Sunday school and told them when it was over. They told us how good Nathan had been in sacrament meeting. I was grateful. We found out later in the day that he had been really good in Primary and had even given the scripture. That was a first. He also told them it was his birthday so they sang to him and gave him a cute tin full of goodies. I think he just likes to participate. He said something like I was the first one. So I think he thought he was the first to raise his hand for birthdays. He is such a cute kid.

We told him last night on our way home from the Wagstaffs that he was going to be a big brother. He wanted a boy and a girl. We told him he’d have to wait awhile to find out if mom was having a boy or a girl. We told him the baby was in mommy’s tummy growing. He doesn’t quite get it but was so happy to think he will be a big brother. He told us he will read to the baby and get toys that are too far up for the baby to reach. He said the baby could use his crib and when it’s bigger can sleep in his bed with him. Even this morning he is talking about the baby in mom’s tummy. I know there is still a long time and for a three year old it will seem like forever but we wanted to be the ones to tell him. We explained the baby won’t be here until after his birthday in October. He knows that is a long time from now. Then we got out his baby book and showed him pictures of him in my tummy and then just being born. He still doesn’t get it but it was fun to look through his baby pictures.

I am obviously thrilled. Nathan will be four years older than this baby. I think he will be a wonderful big brother. I was talking with a friend who has been trying for kids for nine or ten years and she asked if it was easier now that we have one. I told her no. I was just as anxious to be pregnant this time as I was the first time. But on the other hand I remember telling myself if I just had one I could handle it. But I really didn’t want Nathan to be an only child. On his birthday this past year he came into Ryan’s office where I was and asked when he was gong to be a big brother. It broke my heart. I told him I hoped it was soon and that I thought he would be a great big brother. And he will.

Snow, Snow, Snow

This blog is far over due. We have gotten so much snow this year. Last night we received another several inches. While it was not the largest amount of snow we have received it did cause the most problems for drivers. There were literally hundreds of school children unable to get home until late into the evening. The freeway at the point of the mountain was a mess. It took a friend of Christy's 5 hours to get home from Park City. So many roads were closed. I think it was so bad because of the timing (end of the work day) and the high winds. Anyway for so many here in Utah it was a pain. Ryan plowed for several hours in the evening came home around 11 PM and then left again at 4 AM. He is still gone.

But all that said, Nathan loves to shovel. He loves to get all bundled up and go out in the snow to shovel like his dad. He prefers if his dad is with him but it doesn't have to be light out, obviously. He is at this very moment begging for me to let him go out in the snow to shovel. This time however, now he wants his wheelbarrow as well. Unlike Nathan I don't love shoveling. Ryan has always taken care of that. But this year he has been plowing and taking care of clearing snow for others. But it didn't even cross my mind last FHE that I should shovel our driveway so the picture below is the result. Both Roland and Dan got their cars stuck at one point. Roland grabbed Nathan's shovel to clear a path for Lizzy and Charlotte. I think Roland was quite disappointed when he learned we have a snow blower and I still hadn't cleared the dirveway. I'll have you know I have sinced used the snow blower and as long as there is less than 5 inches it works pretty well.

Swimming

Next to the indoor Aquarium the swimming pool is top on Nathan's list. After taking these two photos I found out I wasn't supposed to take pictures. Weird. Anyway, Nathan loves the water. He has two friends his age that he loves going with. They are excellent swimmers and hopefully Nathan will be soon as well. They wear goggles so I got Nathan a pair and he loves it. He says they help him breathe under water. I'll try to get a picture next time I think of it.