Khao Soy

We had the following at a Thai restaurant recently, and the recipe looks pretty easy:

"Khao Soy" (Chiang Mai Noodles)

This is the fettuccine Alfredo of Thailand!
It consists of a creamy curry sauce that is served over egg noodles. This particular dish is named after the Northern Thai city from which it was created: Chiang Mai.

Ingredients:
4 ounces fresh egg noodle
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1/2 cup of coconut milk
4 ounces of ground pork
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 pinch of turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice

Note:
The egg noodles should be fresh. If you cannot find fresh egg noodles, you may substitute almost any other noodle you desire. However if you intend to use dried noodles, remember to soak them first for 20 minutes.

Directions:
Here is the two step plan. You should be doing these simultaneously.

Step 1
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil.
Cook the noodles for roughly 20 seconds.
Strain the noodles, and put them on your plate

Step 2
In a medium sized saucepan, heat the coconut milk on low heat, and slowly stir in the curry paste. When it begins to simmer, add in the remaining items, except for the pork. Wait about 1 minute, then add in the pork, and cook until the pork is done (not pink in the middle)
Pour the sauce over the noodles, and voila!

Love it

It's late, and I'm tired. I just wanted to say that I love it here. The weather is hot, but it's great, and the evenings are even better. I was just out at 11pm, and it was still very warm out. LOVES IT!! We are lounging by the pool every couple of days, and it's gorgeous. We are all--except for Katie--getting nice tans. Jenna loves going to the pool...only there is really nothing to do with poor Katie, so she sits in the stroller. I do feel badly about that; the water is usually so cold that I'm nervous to take her in the water.

The parks are almost brand new, and Jenna also loves to go play on the swings and the play equipment. We met a young mom with a 2-year-old yesterday, and he (the 2-year-old, of course) was so enamored of Jenna! He wanted to do everything she was doing. It was way cute.

Katie is officially crawling and sitting as of a couple weeks ago. She would have been sitting earlier, I think, if we had given her more practice. She loves oatmeal and has tried green beans and sweet potatoes. She turned 8 months on Tuesday...I can't believe it! She loves to be wherever she determines the action is. If I'm in the kitchen, I have to put her in the exersaucer, or here she comes to see me! Yesterday, I came out of our bedroom after getting dressed, and both Katie and Jenna were crying for me right at the baby gate. Screaming in stereo; nice.

Anyway, church is tomorrow (thank goodness it's not at 9am), and I need to get some sleep. I keep meaning to write about our drive down here, but never get around to it. I'll keep trying!

Katie at the pool, eating her foot (probably out of boredom)


Jenna got her first haircut and now has bangs instead of a hairy mess!

Agency

"To fully understand this gift of agency and its inestimable worth, it is imperative that we understand that God's chief way of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not by coercion and stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He always acts with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we possess. He wants to help us and pleads for the chance to assist us, but he will not do so in violation of our agency. He loves us too much to do that, and doing so would run counter to his divine character."
--Howard W. Hunter, "The Golden Thread of Choice", Ensign, Nov. 1989, 17

Mothers

"President David O. McKay put it beautifully when he said, speaking of mothers, 'This ability and willingness properly to rear children, the gift to love, and eagerness, yes, longing to express it in soul development, make motherhood the noblest office or calling in the world. . .' (Gospel Ideals, Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1953, pp. 453-54)."
--H. Burke Peterson, "Mother, Catch the Vision of Your Call," Ensign, May 1974, 31-32

New Everything

Wow, it has been a long time since we posted. Never fear! We finally got internet about an hour and a half ago, so I want to catch up with blogging and everything. We are here in our new place (obviously), and it's starting to look and feel more and more like our home. It has its quirks, mainly that it's very open, but it is a very nice place, and I think we lucked out since we essentially moved in blind. The area that we chose is a very planned community, and a lot of stuff is either brand new or only a few years old, so everything looks well-maintained. I've been informed that no matter where you live in this area, you are within 788 feet of a park, and we are actually within very easy walking distance of three nice parks with play areas. Oh, and did I mention that there are sidewalks??!! What a novel concept. I'm thrilled to be able to walk around the neighborhood and not have to fear for my kids' lives. :) All in all, we are very pleased with the area.

Today was my first Sunday in our new ward, and Braden's second. My mom, myself and the girls were still en route to Sacramento on Sunday since we had to resign ourselves to the fact that we just weren't going to get there on Saturday night, so we got a hotel room in Redding instead of getting into an accident. So Braden went to church last Sunday in a plaid shirt, no belt, no tie, and crocs (his Sunday shoes were in the trunk of the Honda, which I was driving), but he DID have dress pants. He went up and bore his testimony, and let me tell you, EVERYONE remembered him this Sunday. Every time I introduced myself, people were like, "Oh, her husband bore his testimony last Sunday...bzzzzz, bzzzzz..." I guess he was especially memorable.

So far, I really like what I've seen of our ward. It's full of very friendly people and lots of young couples with kids. The Gospel Doctrine teacher is funny but gives great spiritual lessons, and both Sunday School and Relief Society had a lot of interesting comments. I like wards where people feel free to make a lot of intelligent comments. No offense to our previous ward, but this ward put it to SHAME in terms of friendliness. I didn't make friends really until I was called to the Primary Presidency, and Braden never felt welcome, and not for lack of trying! It's nice to have a ward where a lot of people introduce themselves to us. Anyway, we're looking forward to making friends, and I'm trying to be more proactive about finding moms with similar-aged kids to hang out with.

Well, it is soooooo nice to type on an actual keyboard after using nothing but my iPhone for a week, but Braden wants to set up the router so that he can use the internet, too. I will save more posts for later. The story of our long, laborious road trip here shall have to wait...

Question of the Day

What goes: "Cough Cough Cough Cough Splash" and costs 25 dollars every time we go to the doctor and get no real answers?

Have You Ever...

Got this from a friend's blog...

So far the starred items is where my life has taken me…what about you?
1. Started your own blog*
2. Slept under the stars*
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning*
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty*
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on a train
21. Had a pillow fight*
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill*
24. Built a snow fort*
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset*
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person*
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community*
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing* (hated it)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke*
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain*
53. Played in the mud*
54. Gone to a drive-in theater*
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business*
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen*
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason*
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma*
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy* - Man at Arms, baby!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial*
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Tied a quilt*
73. Stood in Times Square*
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person*
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper*
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House* - and left a note for President Bush in the Oval Office
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox*
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby*
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone*
99. Been stung by a bee*
100. Visited Italy

Okay, so beaucoup of these have to do with travel, so it's kind of lame for those of us who have only been to Canada twice... :) Or maybe my life is boring!

Interesting...

"No man achieves the supernal exalting status of worthy fatherhood except as a gift from his wife."
--President Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 1998, 73

Wow

I didn't think it had been almost 2 weeks since I last posted. A lot has happened.

We were all set to accept a 13 week travel assignment to Crescent City, CA when a full-time job offer in Sacramento, CA came through literally an hour before the former job was offered to Braden. Two job offers in an hour...craziness. So, since the Sacramento one is full-time with great benefits (plus way better weather), we are heading off to Sacramento in about 3 weeks. I think I'm more stressed than Braden at this point, since almost all of the packing falls on me, because Braden is working a lot in the next 3 weeks. I have gotten pretty much nothing done so far, because Braden hasn't been around much, and the two girls take up almost all of my time as it is. I'm not knocking Braden, I'm just stating fact. Almost all my free time right now is being used to search for a place for us to live. We've found some promising places, but have not decided on anything yet.

Anyway, Katie is fully mobile again, rolling around the living room. It's fun to see her figure out how to get stuff she wants. I think she is going through a growth spurt, and maybe I've been too dense to realize it. She just screams the past few days like something is seriously wrong, and maybe instead of freaking out, I should try feeding her right away when she does that. Maybe she's just starving all the time. She was doing that earlier this evening and is now happily rolling around after I finally fed her. I didn't think it was time for her to eat! Just when I get used to her feeding schedule, she has to go and change it up on me. I wish babies would just wear a sign, "I'M GOING THROUGH A GROWTH SPURT; FEED ME, MOMMY". Ugh. It'd be so much easier.

Jenna is more and more independent these days. She did not fall asleep at all during naptime today, and when I finally went and got her, she was holding a poopy diaper and had nothing else in her crib. I immediately changed her and then her pellet-y sheets. Gross.

She also wipes her nose on her hand and then holds it out to me, saying "Grossy." She asks for "nugget chicken" a lot and says that we are moving to "california sacramento!" She does say "sacramento california" sometimes, too. Pretty clearly, actually. Jenna loves wearing dresses...is she really my daughter?? :)

Anyway, I could say a lot more, but it's time for bed, and I'm a tired babe. So is Katie.

A Quiz, A Quiz!

***FOODOLOGY***
What is your salad dressing of choice?
Ranch.

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Hmm...probably Olive Garden.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Salsa with some really good chips. Or anything Mexican, really. I did come close to getting sick of salsa last week, though, because I ate so much of it.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Pepperoni (or pepper-mony, if you will)

What do you like to put on your toast?
Sugar toast all the way, baby. I haven't had that in years, though...

**TECHNOLOGY**
How many televisions are in your house?
Two, but we only ever use the one, really.

What color cell phone do you have?
Black.

**BIOLOGY**
Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Left-handed.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Wisdom teeth when I was 16. I was out for a week.

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
Probably the slide toy that we bought for Jenna. Or, if we're talking JUST me, the bike I got off Craigslist. Steel frames are freakin' heavy.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
I don't think so. I came close once at a rollerskating rink. I haven't been to one since! :)

**BULLCRAPOLOGY** (I don't know what this was supposed to be :) )

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No. It would either make me lazy or really stressed out and frantic. Or both.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
I wouldn't. I love my name.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Depends what kind of hot sauce. Cholula or Taco Bell, sure. Tabasco, no way.

**DUMBOLOGY** (I don't know what this was supposed to be :) )

how many pair of flip flops do you own?
I don't think I own any, actually. I don't really like them. I have to have backs to my sandals, or it really annoys me. I need a new pair of sandals, come to think of it.

Last time you had a run-in with the cops.
It might have been when I got pulled over going down to Cincy maybe in 2004? That was totally my fault, too. This guy in the left lane wasn't going fast enough for me, so I finally gunned it to pass him on the right, and the cop (who was just about to pull over that same car) got me instead. One of the dumber things I've done. DOH! I learned a hard lesson with that one.

Last person you talked to?
Braden.

Last person you hugged?
Braden.

**FAVORITOLOGY**

Season?
Summer.

Holiday?
Christmas.

Day of the week?
They really all run together now that I stay home with my kids. Probably a day that Braden has off. I like Mondays for 99 cent day at Value Village! :)

Month?
Probably June. Nice weather, but not sweltering.

**CURRENTOLOGY**

Missing someone?
My extended family.

Mood?
I'm fine. Just tired from not a ton of sleep last night. No real complaints, though.

What are you listening to?
The rhythmic back-and-forth of Katie's swing.

Watching?
This is a dumb question.

Praying for?
My relatives to be able to find jobs.

**RANDOMOLOGY**

First place you went this morning?
Straight to Katie's crib. The usual.

What's the last movie you saw?
Monsters vs. Aliens IMAX 3D. It's almost worth buying for the Axel F scene alone.

Do you smile often?
Yes, although I should even more. Jenna's going through an irritating stage.

Sleeping alone tonight?
Better not be!

**OTHER-OLOGY**

Do you always answer your phone?
No. I screen sometimes.

It's four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
Braden. And I think, why are you texting me, you're right next to me??? (I'm a poet, I know)

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
A more piercing blue, like my dad's. But I like my eye color.

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes.

Have you ever had a pet fish?
No. Never care to, either.

Favorite Christmas song(s):
O Holy Night, hands down.

What's on your wish list for your birthday?
Hmm...I'd like a bike trailer for the kiddies. My birthday was just here, though.

Can you do push ups?
Yes.

Can you do a chin up?
I probably could, since I've gotten into pretty good shape, but we don't have a chin up bar.

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Excited.

Do you have any saved texts?
No. It costs us extra to text. Saved emails, on the other hand...

Ever been in a car wreck?
Someone hit me backing out of their space when I was 8 1/2 mos pregnant with Jenna, but it was a minor incident and no one was hurt.

Do you have an accent?
No.

What is the last song to make you cry?
Geez. I don't know.

Plans tonight?
No.

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
I've been depressed before, but I don't think I've hit bottom ever.

Name 3 things you bought yesterday
Nothing. I had a lot of housework to do, so we stayed home.

Have you ever been given roses?
Yes.

Current worry?
Um, yes, I have one. Maybe I'll share it if it's warranted.

Current hate right now?
Cracked pepper. Just kidding.

Met someone who changed your life?
Yes.

How did you bring in the New Year?
I have little kids. Nuff said.

Name three people who might complete this
Carolyn might. What else is there to do in the middle of the night? (just kidding)

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Yes. I would negate a couple of relationships I had. Yes, I learned a lot, but I paid a big price.

Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
I dated someone for just about a year, but that was my longest relationship. And that wasn't even my husband!

Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
My ears are pierced.

Will you be in a relationship 4 months from now?
I better still be with my hubbin!

Does anyone love you?
Yes.

Ever had someone sing to you?
Yes.

When did you last cry?
I don't know.

Do you like to cuddle?
Yes.

Have you held hands with anyone today?
No. Braden works today, so I won't get that chance until later. I could hold hands with my kiddos, though!

What kind of music did you listen to in elementary school?
Classic 80s...The Bangles, U2, Guns n Roses, Def Leppard, etc.

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Old.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
Hate it with a passion. And I think anyone who likes it is weird. :)

What is something your friends make fun of you for?
Never calling them back? I don't know.