Time To Get My Mothering Skills On

So, I have decided that as a mother-to-be I better learn some skills while I still have time. I have thought of some goals that I want to accomplish, or at least start, before Lydia gets here - hoping to still continue them but who really knows on a baby's schedule, right?

Save up enough money and get a Brother CS6000I sewing machine (bold, I know). On Amazon the new ones are $162.00. Seems like a lot for something that could never be touched once I'm over the initial phase of having it, but I've never used one and I figured that'd be the easiest to learn from. Plus, I really want to start making things for my kids and other people.
Jonathan likes to tease that every Relief Society is about sewing.

I want to make more of those cuddle blankets that I have made for people. The one I made for myself I left in Alaska. I've made them for baby showers, friends, and Jonathan. They're made with the special cuddle cloth so they're extra soft (way better than fleece! Cause face it, after a few months or washes with those babies, they're not so soft anymore) Of course, they are just cut and tie blankets, but it'd be perfect to swaddle my baby in. :) 

Thanks for modeling, Jesa, Chels, and Ruth!!

I would also like to make a quilt either by hand, or by sewing machine - whichever I really have time for. Something simple, yet cute. I have always admired the ladies in our ward who always showed up to baby showers with a hand made quilt. Sooo jealous!! :D

I know how to crochet, but I really want to make something other than simple scarves! lol Cause that gets kind of old after the 5th scarf, even though the ones I like to make are very pretty - I use the lion eyelash yarn along with regular yarn (as a background color) so instead of only regular yarn they have little threads poking out.. I dunno, it's hard to explain, but in the winter I always wore one in Alaska. Let's see if I can find a pic.

 

Not really the best picture - sporting the short hair, but you get the picture with the eyelash yarn. 

I have found that I am not the best cook in the world (aww, that stinks!) but I try. I would, however, like to experiment with more recipes and actually make other things! One time, back in the day, I got really creative and made from my head, from scratch, a meal I love every time now. 

 I like to use brown rice cause it's healthier (and at the time I was on a special diet thing so it had to be brown rice) and I start that up, which takes about 45 minutes, so you pace yourself with the rest of the recipe. You cut up chicken breasts into cubes or whatever size you want, add a bit of cooking oil to a skillet and add the chicken to the skillet on like a med-hi until the chicken is done (you can kinda tell when it's done - it's all white and if you try slicing a few there isn't any pink left.) I really love using Garlic salt, so over time I eventually add that to the chicken along with chopped or crushed almonds (So good and adds a crunch!) And then I like to steam veggies (I usually get the meddleys that already have carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower but you can use whatever). And if the chicken is too salty (cause usually the rice isn't enough) I like to stir the rice and chicken in together on my plate and it tastes really good. Plus, it's healthy for you!

{If you pace yourself with the rice the whole cooking time takes 45 mins.}

ANYWAY, I really want to cook more.. and different things! It's just those darn expensive ingredients that are holding me back.
But that's one of the things on my list. :)

I know I would never take an art class, 'cause I really can't stand them. I like being able to do what I want to do when I want and not be graded for it (6th grade homeschool art class crushed my dreams when the teacher's son drew a crappy 60 second drawing of me and she said it was better than mine, when mine actually resembled a person! lol Lame). And all I really like to do is draw/sketch. BUT for a while I have been thinking of possibly accepting requests from others. I have thought about the pros and cons of that - being too hard and I can't actually draw it OR I'm not satisfied with it. But I could also make a little bit of money and get the word out about my talent. So it could go both ways. I'm not a bragger. I feel I am good enough for me and I'm happy when others enjoy my stuff. I've given a lot of my work away to special people, and some of it is hard to part with. But I figure if they make the request and actually pay for it, it would be easier to part with. ;) I figure something like this could go down:

A person makes a request for a portrait or picture they want sketched 

They give me a copy of it - that's the only way I know how

Depending on how long it takes me to finish it (cost of effort/supplies)would determine the price - probably no more than $30.00. (If it was poster, maybe more, but not much)

I return it to them with a frame included so they can hang their treasured item.

Disclaimer: Since I'm not a pro I wouldn't charge outrageous prices like most artists do

And voila!

I dunno. It's a possibility. 

I also want to take a child birthing/labor class and/or a CPR class. I've done CPR before but my certification is expired, and it really is good information to know, especially with a little one coming. I'm hoping that Jonathan will want to do both with me. I know he's gonna come to the labor class heehee, but a CPR class would definitely be beneficial for the both of us.
So, that's one of my goals, as well. 

Well, there you have it! A list of my goals... kinda. I hope to be able to accomplish them. Sorry this was so long. It kept me busy for quite a while. I may add to the list later when I think about it. I'm pretty sure making a scrapbook or baby book was one of them. I always suck at actually putting those together and once again, need money for the oh-so-cute page decorations! Drat! Well, enjoy. 

What are some of your artsy/craftsy or just 'in general' goals?

Well, day 1 went better than expected.

Okay so, it wasn't the worst day ever. Things got better after I went out with my friend from the ward, Gigi.

We went to Sammy's and got dinner instead of milkshakes, cause we were hungry. I just got chicken strips (which weren't too bad, I mean they don't compare to Fred Meyer's deli chicken strips that I miss terribly hahaha) and then we stopped by Twizzleberry and got frozen yogurt - mine topped with gummy bears, skittles, and runts. Ohhh so healthy, I know! :D But I had a whole, plain, cucumber before I left so that balances it out right? Am I weird for liking cucumbers?? Especially plain! :D Oh well!

Then we went back and watched American Idol which I have missed out on the past month and a half! It's really the only TV show that I like watching consistently. I've had to watch it on youtube when the auditions are over and people post them, which isn't quite the same as watching it on the big screen! So that was nice. And then we ended up watching toddlers and tiaras... which, I advise not to watch if you still want to have charitable feelings towards little girls and their stupid idiotic mothers. I swear! Dumbest TV show ever invented, as well as the pageant itself! It basically teaches little girls that they can get everything they want as well as the fact that beauty is the only thing that matters, disregarding manners or having a good attitude. And the parents are to blame, as well. I would never let my children talk to me like that AND I refuse to give into everything they demand. Oyoyoy, I could go on. But alas, I will stop. For your sakes. If you've seen the show you probably know what I'm talking about already and if you haven't, good for you! ;)

Anyway, it was fun hanging out with Gigi tonight. I was glad to get out of the house and get the husband off the brain. And it was nice getting to know someone in the ward. 

PS: I already have my VT appointments made. Score! :D

Kind of pathetic.. but I don't care! :P

So this morning at 10 Jonathan left to go to Carson City, Nevada on a Pinnacle Security selling blitz with a bunch of other guys on their team. He drove to Logan (so no car even if I were to do something) to carpool and then they're driving to NV to do alarm selling thurs-saturday and then a drive back Sunday. It's not that I'm completely needy or anything, but whenever there were long trips we always went together. I mean, I can't help that I love doing things with my husband. That's the way it should be. And right now it feels like he's just at a class, that he'll be back later, or after the gym. But it's probably gonna hit me when I go to sleep and I'm all alone still. I just hate being alone. And I miss him a lot. I know I get after him a lot for being so goofy, but I already miss it.

Confession: I do admit that last night I cried, and after he left this morning I cried again... read the Book of Mormon to cheer me up, then was so sleepy from reading and crying that I went back to sleep until 3pm!!! (this is the pathetic part lol) But I guess if it cuts the day shorter, than all the better. ;) Just kidding.. but I really need to go do something..

I know he's doing the right thing going out to sell and getting preseason sales so we can have some money. I'm so proud of him! He even sacrificed 3 days of school - 7 classes - to go do this so we can have more money in the bank.Which is the stinky part..cause we don't have very much right now so it's hard to keep myself busy doing things I love like crocheting or making blankets (haha, I sound so old.. oh well!) on a low budget. But I made a promise that this week I will get my Visiting Teaching done. This week isn't completely hopeless. A girl in the ward, whose husband left also, decided to have a girls night (on a Wednesday, pretty original ;)) and get milkshakes and she's treating. AND this Saturday we're getting treated to hear from ... YEUP... Sister Julie B. Beck, the General Relief Society President, at the BYU-I center for 2 hours! So I'm pretty excited for that.  And I may even ask to go with some friends to do a temple session, if the babe allows. So... all is not lost.

Anyway.. just wanted to ...er.. broadcast my lonely-husband-less self on my blog.. 

Now go make fun of me. :P 

Good Thing I'm Not On Hell's Kitchen! (or maybe I should be! disaster!)

Err... note to self: When the recipe calls for an 8 inch pan... it might be smart... using an 8 inch pan. Haha.

So I decided to make myself a little useful instead of sit on facebook all day (like usual), and I was feeling a little creative so I was searching through my recipe book for something new that I could bake. And I came across Butterscotch Brownies. Sound pretty divine, right? 

I made it all right except for that all I have is a cookie sheet, so that's all I could use, unfortunately. I didn't think of doubling it until I was pouring and spreading it on the sheet and realized it's not going to make it to the edges - and the oven was ready and it the mixture was cooling fast so I couldn't whip up another batch. Drat. It ended up stretching to the edges.. and kind of burntly crisping them as well, although the inside was somewhat saved. However, since it was supposed to be in a waaay smaller pan, it didn't rise like a brownie should and kind of tastes like a really thick waffle cone...kinda lol. Okay, not as good.

Lovely, I know.

And to top it all off... I thought I could at least sort of save it with a topping of powdered sugar... until I realize we don't have any in our cupboard. Maybe it would taste good with..uhh jam? They're not bad. They were were just supposed to be brownies! But they kind of taste like cookies 
..sigh...I should've just stuck with snickerdoodles.

At least there is dinner though. I plan on cooking chicken breasts over the stove with seasonings along with a chicken flavor rice side. I wish we had veggies, but that is due to not grocery shopping in a while. 

Wish me luck!

Lydia Danielle Hernandez

Today at 8:30 we went in for our doctor's appointment to get an ultrasound done and see the gender! Everything is super good. She's normal, no cleft lip or abnormalities in her body. And.. if you haven't guessed already, "it's" a girl!!!! :D We decided to name her Lydia Danielle. Jonathan chose the middle name. And I really liked Lydia. It's more of a old-fashion name.. at least to me. I haven't seen very many Lydia's around lately. 

So, I think it's rather darling.

It was cool cause this whole time I've felt that it would just be a girl. We even had dreams the same night, when we first found out, that it would be a girl. And when we told the doctor that today he laughed and said, "well, what do you need me for?" haha.. Jonathan was rooting for a boy, but I can already tell he is loving the idea of having a little daughter, that'll look like the both of us. We were giggling during most, if not all, of the ultrasound cause it was just so cool and exciting to see our little baby girl on the screen! It feels so amazing to know that you're going to be a parent, especially a mother, of one of Heavenly Father's children. I feel like I have such a duty to God and to my future children to raise them the best that I can. The rising generation depends on faithful parents! I can't wait until she is here! :) I have such love in my heart for her already and I love being able to call her a HER and give her a name and not just "it" and "the baby". 

It's also my Mother's birthday today. After we found out I called my mom and told her the good news. Everyone was looking forward to it, especially her for her birthday. What a really special gift. And it'll be her first grandbaby. I'm excited for both my parents. I know they're really happy for me.  

I love the life I have. 

                                                                            Girl parts.. if you couldn't tell ;)

{check out my facebook video for a better look. :) }
The Doc said things like..."there's the leggers," "you wouldn't want a 3D ultrasound right now anyway, they look like zombies" lol and said our little girl was "sucking on the umbilical cord." If you look closely in the beginning of the video you can kinda see her do it. Sorry there's so much movement and it's blurry and there's no sound. It is just an ultrasound and not the real thing. :P 
Enjoy!

A Date With My Valentine!

So, yesterday for Valentine's Day I decided to show my true love how much I love him by cleaning the whole house and doing the dishes. I would have cooked up a spiffy little meal, but I wanted to go out instead. I usually crave Subway, and he even wanted it too, but we haven't had Chinese in a long time so were trying to find a good chinese place in Rexburg (yeah, right!). We searched around, even asked people, and then ended up going to Ying Yang's.. which was just a regular oriental food place. It was fine and dandy except for the fact that after we were seated we waited over 30 minutes for our food (along with 7 other tables) and when it finally got to us it didn't taste anything too special. By then we were pretty much full on our soda. And it came out to be 26 bucks with tip!! Talk about an expensive dinner date. But I enjoyed our conversation and Jonathan always makes funny faces while he talks. PLUS, while we were leaving, the busboy, who looked like he was 10 years old, came out to give Jonathan the hat he left inside and talked in a British accent, so that was pretty awesome. I guess Ying Yang's has that going for them..lol..

Afterward, as we drove back to our place we stopped by G's Dairy and got little ice creams, came home and watched the Incredible Hulk. lol I know I know.. so romantic, huh? Sometimes I am just that sweet, and give in to letting him pick the movies. It was either that or The Day the Earth Stood Still, Nacho Libre (love!), Homeward Bound, or Secondhand Lions.. lol.. awesome pickens.. I know. Maybe one day our movie collection will broaden.. or we'll get a TV haha.

That was pretty much the end of our date. Nothing too fancy.. but not like we have tons of money to blow on every holiday that comes around. I know that he loves me and I love him too, and that's all that really matters! :)

A Different Perspective, Perhaps?

 

Err.. so I don't mean to go all "churchy" on all of these blogs lately, but it has been what's on my mind the past few days.. AND .. it is myyyy blog :) So I am allowed..heehee..

As I read through the Book of Mormon I have been studying it along with the latest Book of Mormon manual, which I have to admit, as much as I didn't pick it up when I bought it from Bro. Richardson last year, I wish I had. 'Cause reading it now has given me so many more perspectives and opened more stores of knowledge for my gaining. 

I was studying in Mosiah the other day and read about "keeping the Sabbath day holy". Which always seems to be a very opinionated topic. A lot of people like to argue what they can and can't do on Sunday, justifying actions instead of just taking the counsel as it really is. But I read something from the manual that hit me so hard I read it almost 10 times trying to grasp everything it meant! I believe in having a "change of heart" every time you find something you need to change and you actually change it for the better. I think we all experience that from time to time, not just with the big things, but with the little things that effect us. And just for your benefit, I'll share with you the quote I read that has changed me ever since. :)

Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "Observance or nonobservance of the Sabbath is an unerring measure of our attitude toward the Lord personally and toward his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross, and his resurrection from the dead. It is a sign of whether we are Christians in very deed, or whether our conversion is so shallow that the commemoration of his atoning sacrifice means little or nothing to us."

At first I thought to myself, "but I love the Savior! I truly feel converted".. but then I recalled the past Sundays spent with accidental long naps when I could have been out visiting teaching, or doing something more worthwhile or worshipful. I was shocked to see so many members watching the Superbowl this last Sunday (which can parallel as a "false tradition of our fathers".. which the manual said we have to carefully examine our lives to determine what traditions may differ from the Lord's teachings and then take the courage to change), but I am no better than they are if I'm not progressing towards or actually worshipping Christ on His day, remembering his sacrifice. Reading that has given me a whole new perspective. I think about the Sabbath day in a different way now. I want my conversion to mean something. I'm going to try my best to make the most out of my Sundays, honoring the Lord in the way he should be, not just while I'm at church.

How do you bring back those who are lost?

Parables of the Lost and Found

---

In the parables in Luke 15, the sheep wanders, the piece of silver is lost, and the prodigal son wastes his inheritance in riotous living. But the shepherd searches the wilderness, the woman sweeps the house, and the forgiving father watches for his son’s return, ready with a warm welcome home.

These parables remind us that as the Savior’s undershepherds, we have the responsibility to help others—to heed the call from President Thomas S. Monson to “reach out and rescue those who have fallen by the wayside, that not one precious soul will be lost.”

You're probably wondering why I have this up. It was a link to the first thing I saw on the lds.org website, something that's been on my mind for a long time. Often times I see my younger brother posting things he shouldn't say to his friends on facebook. And when I try to confront him and tell him he probably shouldn't, he tells me what my mother always told me.. to not try to force my opinions on others, but to lead by example.. to not judge. I hate that stupid phrase "you shouldn't judge." What I am really feeling inside is not the urge to judge, but rather concern! Concern for the welfare of my own family members and the salvation of their souls! The same kind of concern you read about in the Book of Mormon by the prophets and people who care about others from the bottom of their heart.

My mother always said that she has to let her kids do what they want, make whatever choices they can and learn from experience, in hope that they will someday turn out good. Like, making all the bad choices now and then repenting right before a mission is the right path? But it's not! Even counsel from the modern day Apostles have said so, such as Elder Christofferson in his talk Moral Discipline.

How is letting them do what they want really leading by example? I honor, love, and respect my mother a lot for raising us. But I wish she didn't give up on her kids so easily. Consequences for wrong actions should have been more thoroughly dealt with. Of course, there are always future consequences for bad choices, I'm not excusing that, but consequences for things well known in the house that are going on that shouldn't be should have been enforced. 

My brother also told me that everyone knows their own actions and when they are choosing good or bad. And that I should leave the preaching to the Prophets. I don't preach. In my mind I'm trying to do what the Savior wants.. in helping others with their salvation, reaching out and rescuing, especially before it's too late.

I've always had this problem in my family. I've studied the gospel principles..and in my heart and mind I know what is right, so I feel more accountable and I try to follow what I know and what my conscience (or the Holy Ghost) tells me what is right. So I stick up for it. But unfortunately, it wasn't very popular in my family and when I'd try to turn off a bad movie or tv show I was always told "here comes perfect Anna again. We'll just have to watch it while she's gone." That was always very hurtful to me me because I'm not perfect, I know I'm not, I just try my best for what I know and feel accountable for, choosing the right action over the wrong one. It's the little things, the little [good] choices we make each day that make us who we are and what we will become. And I know I don't make consistently right decisions every time, I wish I did. But I try my best to reconcile my wrong and make things better, especially if I don't feel at ease.

Me and Jonathan were also talking about this. Jesus Christ didn't pay for everyone's sins so we can make as many as we possibly can and then repent later when we feel like it. We shouldn't let Him pay in vain! God's not on our time, we're on His! We came to earth to make choices, yes.. but GOOD ones! My brother said he felt that I was "more worthy" and  that I need to learn humility. That is true, I probably do need to be more humble. But I am no more worthy than anybody else! Everyone has the exact same potential of being a good person, you just have to work at it. Being good, doesn't always come easy especially when there is such opposition coming towards you.

I guess my overall question is.. how do you help rescue the ones you love, without offending them? Or is the offense inevitable? Is it for their own good? Or does it just drive them further away? I know we all have to gain a testimony of the truth and of the divinity of the Atonement and for what Jesus Christ really did for us, for ourselves. Gain an appreciation for everything we have, for Heavenly Father, for our own lives and the things we've been given. I know I wasn't always at this point of spirituality that I am now, I'll admit. But if I had had someone there helping me along the way, I'm sure it wouldn't have taken so long to find what I now, truly enjoy. If there are any suggestions out there, or (positive) comments (I'm tired of negative ones I tend to always find on facebook) I'd like to hear them. Once again, I love my family to death.. I just don't always agree with how they live their lives..and it's hard to be an example when you're over 2,000 miles away. 

If you did have the patience to read this, I would appreciate a comment.

So.. we didn't luck out....

With an ultrasound.. BUT we got to hear the baby's heartbeat! (about 140 bpm :D) which was way cool. I have never been in (due to lack of money/health insurance and I didn't know about medicaid til about the time we were moving from Texas) so I was kind of nervous what was going to go on or if I, or the baby, was in a terrible condition. But the doctor was way surprised at how well I was doing. Note: I have yet to experience ANY pregnancy horror symptoms ie: nausea, vomiting, queasiness, haha STRETCH marks - thank goodness - at least not yet, varicose veins, smelling things and wanting to puke, or swelling feet and legs. Of course, I'm sure I'm prone to it later in the pregnancy, but so far it's been a very joyful experience. It's hard to sympathize with all those harsh comments and stories on websites and books that talk about how painful and annoying pregnancy is. I happen to love it! :D

Soo, since the doc said it'd probably be best to wait until I'm 20 weeks along (that way we can at least get a better chance at seeing what the gender is instead of wasting an ultrasound) we're scheduled to come in 2 weeks (the 16th - on my Mom's birthday haha woohoo). I'm sooooo excited :D Can't wait. I'm hoping for a girl and even me and Jonathan (when I first found out) had dreams the SAME night it'd be a girl. But he wants it to be a boy. The doc said he only heard 1 heartbeat but that doesn't promise anything, so who knows! haha.. Anyways, I'm excited and had a great day today. And now I'm going to go eat.