Lately

Let's see, what has been going on as of late:

Brillante:

• Has a goal to try at least one new recipe every two weeks. So far we've tried: Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan, Bacon-topped Sweet Potato and Ham Soup, and Pepperjack Soup (from the Food Nanny Cookbook). I didn't love the soups but the Chicken Parmesan was delish.
• Has been working on a baby quilt while hooked on White Collar. 
• Going out with the missionaries a few times a week. (So grateful that I have so many opportunities to go out with them. I love missionary work!)
• Went to a doctors appointment with a lady from church to interpret. One of the few words that I didn't know how to say was "biopsy." I felt like a fool for throwing out "biopsia" because that was the best that I could come up with. Sure enough, it's "biopsia." Never hurts to take a guess in Spanish. (Of course there are plenty of times when I've guessed incorrectly...).

Darin:

• Working working working.
• Studying for the GRE...drilling vocab words.
• Working on papers with his mentor from BYU.
• Getting up early twice a week to go running and play racquetball with his buddy Adam. 

Shae:

• Learning how cool the toilet is. (We found a sock in the toilet last week. Wouldn't be surprised if that happens again someday soon).
• The only thing that he wants to play as of late is "hide-under-the-blanket-and-then-pop-out." He's not very happy unless we are playing it with him and gets extremely fussy the second we stop playing (see picture 2 below).
  
  
• Built a fort with mommy in hopes that it would be similar enough to the hide-under-the-blankie game to keep him happy for at least a couple minutes. He did think it was pretty cool...for about 46 seconds.
• Has started pushing away everything we give him to eat. Even crackers! Which he used to down in a second. Good thing we can always count on Chili to pull through for us. He looooves Chili. Too bad we don't loooove his Chili diapers.
  

Together:

• Working on a new puzzle while watching new episodes of Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Parenthood.
• Making fun of all the crazy people out here freaking out about the snow "storm" yesterday. But seriously, I went to Joann's last night for something that I needed to finish off my quilt and I could not believe that they were closed. What! This is what it looked like outside when I left:
  The snow wasn't even sticking to the sidewalks or road! It was definitely cold and the wind was strong, but, for real? I couldn't believe it. Growing up in MD, I knew this would happen but after so many years in UT I'm still in shock. All the schools are closed today, even William & Mary. I guess it's understandable since no one owns snow shovels or plows since this happens about once a year but it still seems so foreign to us. This is what it looked like outside this morning:
• 

I can't stop laughing thinking about all the snow that our friends/family have experienced in Utah/Idaho and that THIS is such a big deal out here. So strange.

Shae did seem to enjoy watching the snow fall before going to bed last night.


That's all for now folks.