Open Wide!

Katrina tagged me in her latest meme, and I was relieved to see that the subject was one I wouldn't have any trouble with: Favorite foods!!

Here are the rules:
1. Name and link to the person who tagged you.
2. Name the state and country where you reside.
3. Name your five favorite local restaurants.
4. Tag others.

I live in the great state of Washington (cheers, applause, looks of amazement).
The Tri-Cities has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years, and with it's growth has brought to town many new restaurants. My husband, bless his sweet heart, is a truly picky eater...and so we haven't ventured out to all of them quite yet. (I'm still working on him, though...and there is hope!) Of the restaurants we Have tried...here are my five faves:

1. The Bonefish Grill
Why anyone would choose to include the word "bone" in the name of this upscale, highly popular restaurant, is beyond my understanding. Reservations are practically required at this establishment that boasts of fresh seafood and tasty steaks, but it is worth the hassle to get a table. I have only sampled their fare once...but it was so memorable that it instantly became a favorite. Halibut with oscar sauce, baby asparagus, wild rice with golden raisins, and perfect ambiance. If my pocketbook suddenly starts to overflow with extra cash, I'll be back!

2. Anthony's Homeport
Known for excellent seafood and a great view of the Columbia River, Anthony's halibut cheeks are to die for! This restaurant is also very pricey, but they have a "Sunset Special" before six, so you can have an appetizer, salad, small entree, and dessert for under $20 a person. My favorite part of the experience: the bathrooms. Seriously! Each stall in the women's room has it's own individual sink and mirror, complete with hands free faucets and paper towel dispensers. The artwork in the stalls is quite amusing as well. The men's bathroom apparently has television sets installed over the urinals. (I know it must be true because Andrew used the bathroom three times during dinner.) A must-visit.

3. The Emerald of Siam
Thai food at it's best. The owner has actually taught cooking classes at the Community Center on how to cook Thai food. The decor is authentic Thai, the prices are reasonable, and they have a great lunch buffet. My favorites are the Cashew Chicken, Red Curry Chicken, and the Black Rice Pudding. My mouth is now watering...
Tim has yet to visit this one, but I have high hopes!

4. Red Robin
A family favorite. Burgers, pasta dishes, fantastic salads, and huge desserts. This vibrant, family-friendly place has a great atmosphere that just speaks of "fun". I try something new nearly every time we visit. The last time we ate here, I had an open-faced chicken parmesan sandwich with garlic-parmesan french fries. Yum, Yum, Yum. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't even need a take home box. I did have to skip my favorite dessert, though: Mile-high Mud Pie. Mmmm.

5. Taco Bell
I know many people are not fans of this fast food joint found in practically every city, but I absolutely love it. Always coming out with something new and delicious, Taco Bell can always cure a craving for something quick and cheap. My new favorite is the steak taquito with sour cream for dipping sauce. Cheese quesadillas (no red sauce, please) and double decker taco supremes are some of my old stand-bys. Plus...they are open until two a.m.!

As for tagging others...I don't know if anyone besides Katrina is actually reading my blog (except for my mom who doesn't blog...HI MOM!) So, I will skip this step for now unless I come up with some names.

Update on the Kiddos

Here are a few updated photos of our cuties.


Andrew had a blast at Field Day, just before school ended.

Anna is getting very good at drinking from her cup and feeding herself with her spoon once I put something on it. She loves oatmeal, rice cereal, banana, potato, sweet potato, and green beans. She prefers "chunky" foods that she can sort of chew on, even though she doesn't have any teeth yet. She makes a royal mess at every meal time and I think it is adorable!


Anna is sitting up, loving her brother, and still enjoying tub time. Andrew is so good at playing with her and shows a great deal of interest in her. What a help he is!
I have been posting a great deal on Facebook, so if you aren't a member...you should join! (It's easy and free!)
We are headed to Disneyland in a month, so I will have lots of fun pictures to post!

Four Months Old

Anna is four months old! (Actually, she is four and a half months old, but I just now got around to writing this post about her).

Here are a few fun facts about our little cutie:

1. Anna, although you can't tell from the pictures, is not always the most social of babies. She is particular about when she wants to be social and when she wants to be left alone. She regularly looks past people as they try to get in her space over and over again. She prefers small crowds or one-on-one time.

2. Like most babies, Anna absolutely loves to be outside. When I put a sun bonnet on her, she starts to pump her arms and legs up and down because she knows it means we are going for a walk to the mailbox or to Andrew's baseball game or around the block. She even tolerates the wind well!

3. Anna likes to chew on soft things. She prefers a wet washcloth to any chewy toy or teether. She has come to expect her own washcloth to chew on during "tubby time" and starts to fuss if she isn't handed one within thirty seconds of sitting down in the tub. The same washcloth must be wrung out and kept within her reach during lotion time as well. Um, yeah....she's spoiled. :)

4. Anna loves her big brother, Andrew. She looks for him when she hears him come home from school and almost instantly smiles at him. From the front seat of the car, I can often hear the two of them conversing in the back seat. Andrew makes up little songs and rhymes for her and she absolutely adores them.

5. Anna refuses bottles and pacifiers, but will take a sip of water or milk from a cup. Funny girl. She has mastered (finally) the art of sucking her thumb, which I happen to find adorable. I may not find it adorable when she is two...but maybe she will give it up before then!

6. Anna is not a big fan of tummy time. She occasionally takes a short nap on her stomach now, but does not enjoy long periods of time where she is "exercising" on her stomach. I try to talk her into it, but she only puts up with it for about ten minutes a day. She can now bury her head into the blanket and scoot her little body about six inches. So cute.

7. Anna loves to be held and kissed and snuggled. She tolerates my thousand kisses a day all over her adorable chubby cheeks and has started returning them with a sweet little open mouth on my cheek, leaving all kinds of drool and slobber for me. I love it. I carry her around a lot during the day and sometimes don't get much done except for loving on her.

8. Anna does not like to miss meal time. For the first three months of her life, she would routinely nap during our evening meal time....but has now realized that she is missing out if she sleeps in the early evening. She sits on my lap and watches the food, listens to the conversation, and is content to hang out and chew on her washcloth or burp rag. I keep telling her that her turn is coming, but she is still happy with her milk meals and I am not eager to rush into solids.

9. Anna is an excellent car rider. She definitely prefers the freeway where stop lights and slower speed limits don't interrupt the rhythm of the road that she so enjoys. She regularly drifts off and takes a light snooze while we are out running errands.

10. Anna is such a blessing to our family and such an answer to prayer. We thank God daily for her presence in our lives and pray that we will raise her to be of service to our Father in the ways that He has planned for her.

Love

I watched my children today.

I watched Andrew as he tied his shoes this morning. I watched him as he visited with friends at church. I watched him as he stood up in front of a small group of people this evening and confidently led a song, looking to me once in a while for approval. I watched him kiss his little sister on the forehead and give her zerberts on her belly. I watched him cry, hurting because a respected, loving, Godly woman passed away today. I watched him and loved him.

I watched Anna as she stretched this morning, arms and legs reaching and moving until she saw me and smiled. I watched her nuzzle in towards me, looking up at me with asking eyes, wanting to nurse. I watched her eyes light up as she saw her Grandma and Grandpa when she woke up in a new place. I watched her laugh as I kissed her chin in that ticklish little spot just under her lip. I watched her cry as she told me she was tired and ready for bed. I watched her and I loved her.

I watched Nathan today. I watched him in my mind, seeing his sweet curly blond head resting on my arm. I watched his chest go up and down, breathing with the help of a machine that I hated. I watched him in his Daddy's arms, his Grandpa's arms, his Grandma's arms. I watched him as I held his hands and stroked his head. I watched him as the nurses took him from me for the last time. I watched and I loved him.

My heart is overflowing.

7 Random Facts/Habits About Me

Having been tagged by Katrina, I feel obligated to participate and write seven random facts about myself. SO...here goes:

1. I have a hard time going to bed before midnight. Before the clock strikes twelve, I feel sort of like the day hasn't officially ended and I might, well...miss something. Most of my friends think I am crazy, but my mother understands. :)

2. I never (and I mean Never) go to the grocery store or even to the corner convenience store without all of my makeup on. Silly, I know...but there are some standards that I just can't let go of!

3. I have four and a half classes left until I FINALLY earn my Bachelor's degree in Psychology. Does this mean I will go out and get a "real job" in the real world? Nope...already have one. Being a domestic engineer (a.k.a. stay-at-home Mom) is the best job in the world. I do plan to work outside the home someday, though...possibly in the school system.

4. I absolutely love aerobics. For me, going to the gym to take an exercise class is like going to dance class. When the music starts, I get almost lost in the rhythm of the steps and before I know it, it's time to cool down and stretch. I go three or four times a week. My current favorite is Body Step. Love it!!

5. I am a safety girl. My husband tells me so on a regular basis. If Andrew leaves to go to the neighbor's house, I always remind him to be careful crossing the street. If Anna's car seat straps aren't just right (you know, two fingers' width between the straps and her chest), I absolutely have to fix it. When Tim talks about getting a motorcycle, I cringe in fear. If I could, we would buy the safest car available, live in the safest neighborhood, and send Andrew to the safest school. Yes, I know...I need to relax.

6. I am a somewhat adventurous eater. I like to try new restaurants and new foods. When we all go out to dinner together, I always have to study the menu to see if there is anything new to try. My boys, however, know what they want before we even get the menu. Other than most shellfish, I haven't found much that I don't enjoy.

7. One of my goals for this year is to be more outspoken about my love for Christ and what He has done for me. God is good!!

Toppings

Okay. I am growing hopeful. I have two or three years to train my daughter to like the same kind of pizza toppings that I do. For five years now, since Andrew decided that he liked pizza, we have been ordering the same old BORING pizza toppings whenever we get the craving for pizza (usually about every other week). When we go grocery shopping and decide to throw a frozen pizza in the cart (you know, for those RARE occasions when I don't feel like cooking...heh), we always choose the same kind of toppings. Yes, you guessed it...pepperoni or sausage. Possibly pepperoni and sausage. Once in a while...a three meats variety. Oooh aaah. Uggh.

Do I eat it? Of course, because the alternative is buying a whole pizza for myself and then feeling like I have to eat it all since we paid extra for it. As a result, my waistline would grow even more than it already has over the past year and well.... that just isn't worth it. We tried doing "half mine, half theirs" a couple of times, but...they eat more than I do and we are left with four slices of supreme and two hungry boys.

Anna is going to have my taste in food, I've decided. I am going to work with her diligently so that when she gets old enough, there will be two votes for the yummy kind of pizza and we will be able to get our own! When we go out to eat, there will be two votes for Thai food or Indian food and I won't have to order another boring salad or burger at Applebee's. Oh yeah, and after dinner...there will of course be two votes to go Shopping.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

I sat here and tried to think about something creative or funny to write about. I sat for quite a while, snacking and snacking because I am starving since my daughter nursed for an hour straight during Andrew's windy baseball game today. I couldn't come up with anything because my brain still has what I like to call the "post-pregnancy mush" feel to it. Sometimes I even find myself taking loooong pauses during conversations to try to come up with seems like the simplest of words.
SO...I decided to just post a bunch of pictures and call it a post. :) I do want to say, however, that Anna now sleeps through the night. (I am still pinching myself!) Last night she slept from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. without waking up. Am I the luckiest mom in the world or what?! As a result, she seems to be starving during the day, nursing at every opportunity. She is such a cutie and Andrew is having fun entertaining her and giving her little kisses on the head. It is so fun to watch them together. This is what I have longed for! Praise God for His blessings.

Sarah The Brave (Well...Sort Of)

Yes, it's true...I did it. I actually strapped on a harness, climbed ten flights of stairs, stood at the edge of the platform, held my breath....and jumped. I think I suprised my husband, who was sure I would stand at the edge and look and then back up with a "no thanks". Secretly, this is what I wanted to do. :)

It has been nearly two years since Tim and I went on this trip to Mt. Hood, but I can still remember those few seconds where I thought I was dying as my body fell through the air, my eyes shut tight, waiting for what seemed like an eternity....until I finally felt myself flying back up in the air. I remember screaming a couple of times and then feeling so relieved when the whole experience was over. You can see in the pictures how I am holding on for dear life to the bungee cord. Tim, being much more of a thrill-seeker than I, dove headfirst off of the platform without a care in the world. Why did I even do it, you ask? Pride, a desire to impress my husband, and a need to be able to say "Oh, yeah...I bungee jumped once".

Baby Brain

Anna is too cute in her tub! She likes the water really warm and complains if it isn't warm enough. :) She likes to talk to the shampoo bottles (especially the one with the monkey on it). We have a nice little schedule going now and she seems to have settled into it nicely. She is even sleeping five hours at a time sometimes at night! She is thriving and we are surely enjoying her.

Sometimes I wonder what is going on in her little mind. Does she think I am nuts for the way I talk to her? Does she wonder why I don't know right off the bat what she is crying about sometimes? Does she wish people would just leave her alone sometimes instead of shaking her little hands? I think it would be neat to be able to read babies' minds. I still remember watching "Look Who's Talking" and wondering if there wasn't some truth to the thoughts of those babies. I guess we'll never know!

A Day to Remember

Well. What a morning we have had, Anna and I. My poor sweet little thing.

Anna had a doctor's appointment this morning, so I bathed her carefully, lotioned her chubby little arms and legs, and dressed her in one of my favorite outfits. I packed her bag, putting extra diapers, two extra outfits, Ziploc baggies for those diapers that you can't dispose of at the doctor's office, and an extra changing pad.

We arrived five minutes early to the appointment (I have to mention this, because it is a rare thing indeed!) and we were shown to our room right away. Anna's doctor has the neatest exam rooms, each with a different decor. Today, we were in the "penguin room" and Anna was fascinated. She got so excited by the wall mural that she got the hiccups and then wanted to nurse to get rid of them. She was wrapped up snugly in her fanciest chenille blanket that is so soft and cozy, wearing only a diaper since she had to be weighed. She nursed and then I sat her in my lap to burp her while we waited for the doctor to come in.

Anna's pediatrician walked in and Anna looked so relaxed and comfortable, wrapped up in her soft blanket, cheeks full and rosy from a good feeding. Her little chubby arms were hanging out over the top of the blanket and she had this little satisfied half-smile on her face. No sooner had the doctor commented on how relaxed and happy she looked, than Anna made a loud gurgling noise and messed her pants.....up out of the top and back of her diaper, all over her best blanket. Yes, my friends...the blanket is white. The doctor and I were giggling, and Anna, much to my dismay, just kept filling her pants (well, actually, they were already full) and grunting. How can such a sweet, lovely baby make such a gross mess??

I cleaned Anna up and asked for a trash bag to take the blanket home in (should I be carrying those in my diaper bag?!) and then handed Anna over to the doctor to be examined. While Anna was getting her ears, eyes, and mouth checked, she got a little excited and grabbed the doctor's stethoscope by accident. She got so startled that her little hand flew up towards her own face, leaving a long scratch from a sharp little fingernail that her mother (oops) must have missed during the weekly nail clipping. She screamed in pain as the cut started to bleed.

After she calmed down and her exam was over, the nurse came in with (yep, you guessed it) four needles, ready to poke my little girl. Anna, by this time, had started to doze and was awakened by the sharp stinging of the needles in her chunky little thighs. She looked at me in horror and screamed and I told the nurse to say something so that Anna could hear her voice and know it wasn't ME that was giving her those shots! Anna cried and cried and finally calmed down so that we could walk out to the front desk.

Thirty minutes earlier, we had strolled into the office smiling, chatting about the sunshine with the receptionist, and looking forward to a good day. As I left with Anna wrapped in my coat, her blanket and a diaper in a clear (and stinky!) plastic trash bag in my hand, and a long bleeding scratch down her cheek, I chuckled to myself and knew that there would be other days like this to come. :)

Working Out

Check out those muscles!! Anna is finding her strength and we are so impressed. :) She turned 10 weeks old yesterday and I can hardly believe how quickly the time is passing. Sometimes I still look at her and can't believe she is here. The last two months still seem surreal at times. She is smiling so much now and Andrew is really starting to enjoy his little sis. He calls her "beautiful" and it melts my heart. He tells her goodbye when he goes to school, greets her when he comes in, and prays every night that she will get a good night's sleep. What sweet children I have!

Smiley

How cute is she?! Check out those chubby cheeks. Anna is doing great and is even sleeping better at night. I can't believe she is already eight weeks old. I love each stage as we come to it, but this one where she is learning to smile and coo is especially fun. Sometimes she startles herself with what comes out of her mouth and that is fun to watch, too. Cute, cute, cute....what else can I say? :)

Our Growing Boy

Andrew turned eight this month. I keep looking at him, trying to remember what he looked like when he was born and how it felt to hold him. It is amazing to me how much children change in such a short time! I realize this is nothing new and that people say all the time how fast kids grow....but when it is your own kids, it is still pretty amazing! I look at his adorable face and can see a glimpse of that little baby boy with the skinny legs and the long dark eyelashes that the nurse handed to me in the hospital eight years ago. He has grown into such a wonderful, caring kid who is unbelievably intelligent and talented. (Sorry, I have to brag a little.) He just finished a great basketball season (see pictures) and is looking forward to another exciting baseball season. He is in the Chess club at school, still loves reading (he is working on the second Harry Potter book), breezes through math, and helps lead singing at church once a quarter. God has truly blessed him with many talents, which is wonderful....and yet a big responsibility. Tim and I have our work cut out for us, teaching him how to use those talents to glorify God.

Andrew, for the third time in a row, wanted to have his party at the Rollarena. Having a Birthday in the Winter is difficult because options are limited. He Loves to skate, though, and got rollerblades for Christmas this year, so the party location was a no-brainer this time. When Andrew turned five, however, he had his mind made up that he wanted a pool party at his Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood club pool. We explained to him that he would have to wait until Summer, and he did just that. We hosted a "Andrew turns five and a half" Birthday party that year and had a blast. Twelve kids showed up for Andrew's party this year and they all boogied to the Hokey Pokey, twisted and turned under the limbo stick, and held hands with a buddy for friend skate. I chuckled, watching kids put rented skates on that I am sure are the Exact same skates that were there when I was a kid. I wonder how many layers of disinfectant spray are actually on the inside of those shoes. Maybe next year, Andrew can do some research on the bacteria inside the skates of the Rollarena for a science project. :)

Tubby Time

Tubby time is one of my favorite times of day. Each morning, somewhere around nine or so, I give Anna a bath. She hated it at first, but is growing to appreciate this ritual. After her bath, I give her a lotion rub down which she does like, and then she always wants a little post-bath snack. :) After eating, she has a little conversation with me, talking and cooing as much as she can (which isn't much, but I can see the rest in her eyes)! I am loving this stage!

Andrew had a great birthday party this last Saturday and I will post new pics when I get them uploaded! I can hardly believe my litte boy is eight. He woke up on his birthday and I asked him how he was feeling and he said, "Great. Eight is great!" What a kid. I love them both so much that sometimes I feel as if my heart will burst. Is this how God feels about us, I wonder? Does He look at us the way I look at my children? I know logically that His love for us is even greater than our love for our children, and yet this concept is hard for me to actually understand. We are so blessed to be His adopted sons and daughters and to be loved so very much. *sigh*

Today is a good day. I love my kids. I love my husband. I love my Lord. I miss my sister and her kids....but I know they are doing what God wills for them by serving Him in Africa. I miss my little brother, but he is coming to visit in March for two weeks! I love my parents and love that they live close by. My daughter is currently sleeping on my chest after two and a half hours of evening fussing (a regular ritual now), and there is no better feeling than her relaxed little body curled up, holding my shirt and breathing against my neck. I am feeling sleepy and happy and grateful. These are the moments I focus on when Anna wakes up at 3 and stays awake until 6. :) I shall end this rambling blog now and go get some sleep in case that happens tonight!