Fri. Night + 3 Day Weekend + Joseph = FUN!

Alyssa has been asleep for the past 3 hours. This week (well for the past 3 days) she's taken only one nap. Up until now, she's still been taking 2 naps a day and sleeping 10 hours at night. I tried to change it to one nap and then realized I was crazy for doing so. So now I think she's decided that she likes one REALLY long nap instead of 2. :)

So since I'm not used to having this much time alone, I thought I'd blog about our fun weekend! It started Friday night with a surprise for Joseph! Some very kind friends in the ward offered to watch Alyssa while we went on a date (I had watched their little boy so the trade-off was great- THANK YOU GLOVERS!) Alyssa is pretty attached to me, so it's always sad when I leave. Usually she'll cry THE ENTIRE TIME- hours on end. Luckily this family had 3 little kids who were very entertaining and Alyssa had a lot of fun with them! So I dropped her off and went to pick up Joseph from work- with a change of casual clothes for him, dinner (so we wouldn't have to buy it- which I wish for every night now- food is my worst thing when I'm pregnant), and 2 coupons! So of course Joseph opened the door to the car and immediately asked where Alyssa was, then noticed a change of clothes and asked what was going on. So I told him, "We're going on a DATE!" And I started driving.

Joseph ate on the way and we soon arrived at our destination- CrackerJax. :) It's a VERY fun place with LOTS to do, but we were just there to miniature golf. They had a coupon ON their website for buy one admission, get one free. So we got a great deal and had a LOT of fun- just the two of us! We haven't been on a date like that in MONTHS and MONTHS! Seriously, it seems like forever. I was ahead pretty much the whole time- legitimately! Well, up until hole 13 when Joseph took the lead. I lost it in the last 5 holes and Joseph won. He took a few extra swings on the last hole so that I'd "win" by 1- but we all know he won. We returned our clubs and headed to the car...

Then coupon #2! Mojo Yogurt- buy one, get one free. :) We had never been there, but we decided the coupon was worth it- until we got there. You know how there are a bajillion yogurt places these days where you add your own toppings and then weigh them? This was the SMALLEST one I'd ever seen, and I wasn't TOO impressed with their yogurt (or toppings for that matter). Mine was of course chocolatey and candy barsy and Joseph's was fruity and gummy bearsy. I usually like mine, but that night, his was much better. (The gummy bears were mini and tropical flavored!)

We both decided it was a VERY fun night and that we should do things like that more often. We went to pick up Alyssa and as soon as she saw us she started crying. It was kind of a mad cry like, "I can't believe you left me?!" She quickly stopped though and was happy to show us all the toys she'd played with and all the fun she'd had while we were gone.



SO Friday night was a success! Then Saturday came and it was RAINY- ALLLL DAY. That's a first for us in a long time- so we just stayed in, did some reading (by the way- I'm reading this lovely book right now: I'm loving it! It's been fun to have "something to do" and I've been able to reflect on a lot of things. I recommend you read it! :) ....

Anyway, so we didn't do a whole lot on Saturday. Sunday was buuuuussssyyyy!!! We don't have church until 1:00 but Joseph found out that morning that he'd have to teach the Elders' Quorum lesson so he spent the morning doing that. We went to church, then raced home to make some dinner (which we had to eat on the way), and drove to the Stake Center for a meeting Joseph had to attend at 5:00. Alyssa and I had to go because I was asked to lead the Stake Primary Choir for Stake Conference next Sunday! (Elder Gifford Nielsen is coming- former BYU QB and NFL (Houston Oilers) QB. Should be a GREAT weekend!) So we had a practice Sunday night at 5:30 for the Stake Primary kids to practice the two songs they'll be singing. There were a few parents who came up to me afterward and told me how impressed they were I could handle that many kids. haha VERY kind of them- the kids were just all very well behaved (minus the two doing flips off of their chairs in the front row- but I'm standing in front of them, so hopefully they won't be seen). But I like to think that something from my college education in Elementary Education and two years of teaching paid off. :) It's hard to be "Sister Campbell" when handling that many kids and not "Mrs. Campbell". I told a lady from my ward that I had to remind myself that I was at church, and not school- but that I'd still probably use a little bit of "teacher". She said, "No- use a LOT of teacher."

So Sunday night at 7:00- we were exhausted. Luckily Joseph didn't have to go to work the next day! Alyssa and I got in a GOOD, long nap (the first day of her "one nap" days) and then we went to Railroad Park!!! I've heard a ton of people talk about it, so we decided it was the perfect day to go! It was SO much fun! It's a big, beautiful park with playgrounds, LOTS of open space, a carousel, trains, shops, museums- but it's all about the trains! There's a lot of things you can pay for, but we didn't spend a penny and still had a blast!

Alyssa was LOVING the freedom and open space she had to walk!

Joseph- posing for the camera...

And again- the first one wasn't "good enough"- plus he wanted to "hold" the RR sign...Alyssa was NOT interested in being off the ground for her picture to be taken- so, yes, it looks like I'm squeezing her so as not to drop her.

Alyssa and Dad waiting for the train to come by! Waving to the passengers...

This was a HUGE room filled with little trains, tracks, cities- you name it- it's there!

Joseph insisted that I have a picture of JUST me- BLAH- I don't think ANYone should have to take a picture alone at 14 weeks pregnant.

We liked this train coming through the wall. :)

Alyssa thought this little mini train car was VERY cool- JUST her size.

She didn't want to come out- Joseph finally pulled her out through the window since she wouldn't come to either end. :)

So there you have it- our fun-filled President's Day Weekend! We're now back to reality, but tomorrow's Thursday- so the weekend's almost here. :) We are looking forward to some more of these kind of weekends in the NEAR future! (Only 16 more days until my family comes for a visit!!!- But who's counting??- :) HURRAYYYY!!!)

LOVERS!

Oh my goodness... if these two are not the cutest love birds you've ever seen, I don't know who is!? They were made for each other- seriously!

So as promised- here are a few pictures of Mitch and his soon-to-be wife- Miss Amber Kimzey. (And if you'd like to be jealous of her legs with me, you can.)

Their family is going to be F-U-N- ALL THE TIME! I'm so excited for April 23rd to come and to see them on their big day!!!

PS- Dear Uncle Mitch and Aunt Amber- I would like some Huntsman cousins very soon, please. (Ok, so it doesn't have to be very soon, but pretty-fairly soon, like before I go to Kindergarten.) Love, Alyssa :)

Sunny Arizona!

We are loving living in Arizona right now! It's February, and over 70 degrees! Yesterday was absolutely beautiful outside! It was SO sunny and warm, so what else would Alyssa and I do other than go to the park?! She loved it! It was total freedom for her. Any time our door opens now, this is what we see... Alyssa TAKING off! I asked her if she wanted to go outside and go to the park, so she grabbed her baby, and took off down the sidewalk! We really do have to be careful and watch her so closely when the door opens because she jumps at ANY opportunity she gets to go outside. That explains why most of the pictures from the park are of her backside- she was just constantly walking somewhere else and was interested in everything BUT looking/smiling at the camera.

She wasn't too sure about the swing at first... she was most concerned about holding onto her baby tightly. :) (Oh and you would think it was cold outside by the way she's dressed- but when we got home, she pulled at her pants and shirt until I took them off, then she laid down on the bed, fell asleep, and took a good long nap.)

FREEDOM!!! See how beautiful the sky was?!

Hold on tight! ...

It was a VERY fun afternoon- just us girls! :) She's definately my little shadow- and I love it. We've become pretty good buddies (and that's an understatement) over the last little while and I just absolutely love and adore this little chick to pieces. Sometimes she just looks up at me, and I look into her baby blues, and she just scrunches her little nose and gives me a big smile, a little giggle, then reaches up and grabs my face, and gives me a hug and kiss and pats my neck. She puts a smile on my face and a bounce in my step every day. She reminds me of the important things in life and teaches me the way to be happy. It's amazing how someone so small and young, who can't even talk has so much power and influence, but she does! She has me and Joseph wrapped around her little finger, that's for sure! We keep wondering if we'll love this second one as MUCH as we love Alyssa!?? :) We know we will- our hearts will grow- and the love for our children will always be the same. BUT what a special thing it is for the oldest child to be the one and only for a period of time. I think it has created a special little bond between her and us that won't ever be broken or changed.

Love Day

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! We certainly did! Alyssa woke up around 7 that morning- pretty normal- came into our bed- also very normal- and Joseph left to go work out- or so he said. He returned about 10 minutes later with these! :)

The candies and card were for him from Alyssa and I (don't worry we didn't forget him). While he was gone working out (for real this time), Alyssa and I made some pink, heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast!

Joseph spent the day at work, while Alyssa and I enjoyed our day at home. We delivered more piano flyers to elementary schools (to try to get a few more students for me) and when we came home and checked the mail, we found a VERY fun package from Gramz, Grandpa and Uncle Brad! Alyssa enjoyed opening it!

She liked it even more when she found a present for herself!

Her very own puppy!! She's giving it a hug in the picture and patting its back. :) She LOVES her puppy! It's right up there with her babies now!

So that was our day! Joseph came home from work and we enjoyed dinner together! Then we bathed Alyssa and crashed into bed. It was a happy Valentine's Day!

Mr. Smarty Pants!

Just really quickly- thank you for all of the congrats comments about our new addition in August! It's fun to see who really looks at your blog! ;) And I've been able to add some of your blogs to our list that I didn't have before- so THANK YOU! :)

Well, we have more exciting news to share! Joseph got a GREAT phone call on Friday! See if you can guess what it was about based upon these pictures of our celebration...
I took these pics. before Joseph got home and then forgot to actually get one of him. :)

If you noticed the last little sign in the last picture, that's the great news!!! The phone call Joseph got was from a lady at ASU telling him that he had been accepted to ASU's MBA program this fall!!! He'll be doing the evening MBA, so he'll continue working at Vanguard. It will be a VERY busy two years with work, school, and a family- but it will be SO great to have it completed before our kids are TOO aware that someone is missing a lot! :)

We are sure grateful for Joseph's willingness to go get more education WHILE still working and supporting our family! We're so grateful for all he does for us! The plan is to have a LOT of fun with the 3 of us before the fall comes and we become a family of 4 and lose Joseph to ASU for a short while. :) (Not that all of that will be "not fun", just not AS fun.) Wish us luck!

Baby Love...

I had mentioned back on Alyssa's birthday that she got two baby dolls. So we always ask her where her babies are and she looks for them until she finds them. She LOVES her babies! She carries them around, pats their backs, gives them kisses and just LOVES them. Whenever she sees a baby in church she reaches for it, makes her own little "awwww..."/squealing sound, and just stares and stares until she finally realizes she can't hold it. She loves both baby dolls, but usually only carries one around at a time. On this particular day she was loving this baby's binky, so it got lots of love...

She hasn't quite mastered getting the binky in the baby's mouth...

And of course the baby needs to have a book read to her...

So after seeing what a good little "Mom" Alyssa is... I'm sure you won't be surprised at this next picture...

That's right! Alyssa will be a big sister in August! She has no clue what's coming. :) (At the first appointment, the doctor did an ultrasound and when we were listening to the heartbeat, he looked at Alyssa and said, "There's your competition!" :) She just gave him a scowl as I laughed at the truthfulness of his comment.) But we think she will LOVE having a baby around. The trick will be making sure I don't leave her alone with the baby or let her think that it's just another "doll". Sometimes her babies get set down a little "roughly", so we'll be working on that over the next few months.

So my due date is August 23rd. I'm 12 weeks along right now (just 28 to go!). Sometimes I like to think of it in smaller numbers (even though they're bigger increments) like 3 months down (just 6 more to go), or 1 trimester down (just 2 to go)! But who's keeping track? :) I've felt pretty well... about the same as I did with Alyssa. Weeks 6-10 were pretty rough in the mornings. I don't throw up but I just feel SUPER tired and way nauseous. I still get little spurts of neausea and food is just gross to me. If someone makes it for me, pretty much anything is great, but after spending time cooking it and looking at it for so long, I can't even eat it. And I also seem to eat a lot less than usual. Alyssa eats more than I do lately. But other than all of that, I'm feeling great.

I found a great doctor. He's actually LDS and went to BYU, worked at the student health center for a while, etc. And he is my one and only doctor! In Provo with Alyssa, I had about 6 doctors. I had only met the doctor who delivered her ONCE. But he did give me an epidural after being there for an hour, when I was only dilated to a one, and he broke my water and put me on pitocin- so I like him. BUT I think it'll be so nice to have the same doctor throughout this entire pregnancy!

So anyway- there you have it! If you read my last post about our "Family Expanding" (meaning a new SISTER-IN-LAW) and you thought I meant a baby, well now I do mean baby. :) My friend Jenn mentioned that it was like the Boy who cried Wolf trick... so Jenn- this time it's for real. No more tricks. :)

Happy Tuesday!

HOMEMADE Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa Salads!

Tonight, we are indulging in delectableness (I know- probably not a word). So in other words... we're having a DEEELIIIICCCCIOUS dinner (or at least we're hoping it turns out that way). Alyssa and I went to the grocery store this morning and got all of the ingredients to make our own CAFE RIO SALADS!!! I recently discovered there's a Cafe Rio in AZ, but instead of making a 40 min. drive one way to get our salads, we're going to try making it at home. The recipe is found here, but I've also copied it below! (She has a recipe for homemade tortillas too- we're not going that far.) :)

**Disclaimer: This pic. is from the girl's blog that the recipe came from. Mine probably won't look EXACTLY as delectable as hers... I'm not doing the tortilla chips on top... but you can get the little silver tins at the dollar store and I think we will do those! :) ENJOY!

SWEET PORK:

2 pounds pork (we like to use boneless pork ribs)

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 c. brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 c. water

1 can sliced green chilies

3/4 can RED enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)

1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

CILANTRO-LIME RICE:

1 c. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 c. tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

CILANTRO RANCH:

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!