5.31.2013

home & sick.


well, after a good/sad/happy/fun/tiring/long/short trip to the New England area, we are finally home (with a few unplanned pit-stops on the way home - hello night stay in Minneapolis that we did not plan on!) and we both are sick. there wasn't a lot of sleep to be had most nights, and our cute nephews seemed to catch some sort of cold on their travel there that they passed on to us. or maybe it just manifest itself when we got there, but i already was getting sick. who knows. 

anyway, we're both sniffling and having sore throats. and i can't taste much of anything. nonetheless, we are happy to finally be home and grateful we have a couple days ahead to recoup over the weekend and back to the working grind come monday.

i'll post more about our trip later, but for now, i think zoey can help explain how we're all feeling right about now (herself included).....


5.24.2013

leaving on a jet plane.

Jae and i are heading out today for Boston, staying the night in the Shire (New Hampshire) at Jae's dads, and then heading up to Vermont tomorrow. Jae's grandma passed away, and her funeral is Tuesday. that is the main purpose for our trip. but i think it will be a nice few days away from work and life and time spent with family, so we're looking forward to that.

just a little baby update before we go:
*i am 20 weeks! halfway! it's really hard to believe. i feel like the last 6 or 7 weeks have just flown by. *my belly has definitely popped even more, although i thought it already had. i was wrong! it has now!
*of course, we found out baby is a GIRL!!! holy exciting. the Horrocks are very good at making boys, so we were just kind of sure it would be a boy. i think Jae is still a bit in shock ;)
*since finding out we're having a girl, we of course had to buy a couple of baby girl things to hang in the nursery. i know - we'll get a ton of stuff, especially clothes, but i couldn't resist. i mean, ruffle-bum leggings??!
*it's starting to get uncomfortable to sleep. i wake up lots of times during the night. but i know it's only going to get worse because i'm only going to get bigger. so i try not to complain about that too much (yet..).
*i've most definitely moved into the hungry-and-must-eat-all-the-time stage. i don't necessarily feel hungry all the time, but even if i feel full, it usually wears off within half an hour or so and then i'm ready to eat something again. although at our last appt (last week) i'd only gone up about 1.5 pounds. i swear i've gained more....
*i feel my feet start to swell sometimes. i don't think you can really tell just looking at them, but when i wear flats or anything but sandals, really, i feel my shoes getting a bit tighter. can't wait to see what they're like in august when i'm even bigger and like 34 weeks. yikes.
*really can't complain too much though. i feel pretty good!



alright well we're actually at the airport now and about to start boarding, so i better get going. i with you all a very happy memorial day weekend, and hope you get to enjoy it with family like we do.

5.22.2013

lemon bars.

a few weeks ago, i offered to bring a dessert for a family shindig. i wanted to try something new - not just the usual cookies or brownies or cake or whatever. and this spring weather made me think of lemon bars for some reason. i've never made lemon bars before, but i thought i'd find the easiest recipe i could fine (no joke) and go for it! Jae always wonders why i choose to try new recipes or make something i've never made before when it's for an event that a big group will be eating (i guess the guy has a point).....so i decided to do a trial run the day before and make sure they didn't suck :) they were delish! now to the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
*1 package lemon cake mix
*1 egg
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*1 8 ounce package cream cheese
*1/3 cup white sugar
*1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
  2. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Add the egg and oil; mix until well blended. Mixture will be slightly dry. Reserve one cup for the topping, and pat the rest into an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the baked crust. Crumble the reserved cake mix mixture over the top.
  4. Bake for an additional 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set and the topping is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into bars. Refrigerate leftovers.

1st layer

with the added cream cheese middle yumminess


after the 3rd layer of crumbly goodness was added and baked

the recipe doesn't say to do this, but i've always envisioned lemon bars should have powdered sugar on top. so i added it!


they are so super crumbly and messy to eat, but SO good! 
worth the crumbs :)

5.20.2013

mother's day.

mother's day!
my mom isn't one to want "stuff", she always likes to go places or do things with family for her presents, so we decided to have a girls dinner out, just my sisters, my mom, and i. we have NEVER done that before. just us girls. no grandkids or boys. it was so fun :)

mom picked The Garden Restaurant at the Joseph Smith Memorial building downtown SLC. all the tulips were planted and the sun was shining and it was beautiful!
{we missed you so much, our chinese sister Anne!!}




mom actually got me a present for mother's day.....a baby boy outfit and a baby girl outfit (this was before we found out we're having a girl, of course). they were soooo cute.







i told them to all turn around, and these are the poses i got....what a bunch of dorks :)






and when i got home, my sweet husband and sweet puppy dog had these waiting for me! they smelled lovely and had the sweetest note written to go with them. thanks Jae and Zoey! i am one happy and lucky mom-to-be.



just a note for my lovely mother:
mom, i'm grateful for all the life lessons you've taught me. we didn't always get along when i was younger (that's what teenagers are for, right? to be a pain for their mothers??) but we have a much better, much more understanding relationship now, and for that - i am so grateful. i cannot wait to start this journey of being a mother myself, and know you'll be right by my side to help with anything and everything, full of advice and knowledge. i already know i couldn't do it without you!

love you mom!

5.18.2013

we're having a.......

BABY
GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
 
 
oh my goodness.
what a surprise!
 
couldn't be more excited for you to join us, you sweet baby girl, you :)
 
{baby's first outfit compliments of grandma.
to say that she's only slightly excited would be a serious understatement.}

5.16.2013

what's your flavor: pink or blue?


it's finally (almost) here guys!
tomorrow's the big day we find out what flavor of baby we've got cookin!
(at least we'd better find out!.....now's not the time to be shy, baby!)
i am 18+ weeks currently, and this week has been paaaiiinnfullly slow and long.
now that we're finally to thursday, i want to know what your guesses are!
pretty please leave a comment & tell me what you think :)







5.14.2013

a disappointing breakfast.

two days in a row! two days in a row, i've had a disappointing breakfast, to the point that i just threw the small amount of food that was left, away. i know - i've got BIG problems over here. nothing like starvation or poverty or cancer. but disappointing breakfasts. wah wah. woe is me.

but seriously - when i get to work and i feel like my stomach and baby in my stomach are going to turn on me and eat me alive from the inside-out (dramatic, eh?)....all i want is a good, filling breakfast. and all i got was nothing of the sort.

so anyway....onto other things in life besides food (it's hard to avert my attention to other things lately - i'm totally in the eat-all-the-time stage now)...

in the last week(ish) we have:
-started a refinance on our house (who doesn't want to save $100+ on their mortgage every month?)
-consolidated loans into one, with one interest rate and one monthly payment (if you haven't done this yet, you really should look into it!)
-sold our truck (of course, all it took was putting our truck loan with another loan and then someone wanted to buy it, so we basically had to undo most of what we did like, two days ago! God has a sense of humor, i tell ya)
-found a new truck we really like late last night but were super at putting our foot down and not accepting any deals that were more than what we said we'd pay. i was proud of us! and we even left the dealership, with a hopeful promise from the sales guy that he'd have a different manager today that would make our deal work (and we did get a call already this morning that they can do it...) so hopefully we'll be new (used) truck owners by the end of today
-and to top of this week, on friday we find out what flavor style of baby we're having!!!!!!!!!!!!!
little excited, ok?

most these things, i'm sure most of you don't care about. but they've been keeping us on our toes lately and life is busy! but life is good!


and to lighten your day (because it lightens my mood every time i look at it), i present the pup:


happy tuesday friends! xoxo.

5.10.2013

a change of direction.

{photo compliments of mary}
 
i was planning a short, simple, fun, non-serious post for today. i'm happy it's friday and happy it's sunny, warm skies for the weekend weather forecast. 

but then i read bonnie's post. and i got that huge lump in my throat and tears threatening to roll down my cheeks.

it really made me think. we i tend to rely on God a lot when life is scary and unknown. and i also tend to turn to God when my life is awesome and things are really going my way. but i want to make sure i turn to Him all the time. and rely on Him all the time. trust in Him and His timing every day. right now in my life, things feel like they're really turning up. the unknowns of a few months ago - work for Jae, finances, waiting to be blessed with a baby....they're all turning around and falling into place. not necessarily how either of us expected, but they are. and it's undeniable. it's not just us making this happen on our own. of course, the next few months and years will be some of the best and some of the hardest times of our lives yet, but i am so excited for them and know we'll get through whatever is thrown our way. again - not on our own, though.

i want to share bits and pieces of bonnie's words to help explain:

".....I thought of how all the unsurities in my life have become sure and how all the stresses and worries and insecurities that I've had over the past six months have resolved themselves.
...everything in my life was a question mark and I had no idea what was going to happen to me or where I was going to be a couple of months down the road.
 ...the only thing I was sure of was my commitment to the Lord and that he would take care of me.  That was five months ago and I was filled with angst, stress, and nervousness. But I trusted in God.  And now I think how everything I was so worried about has fallen into place.
And I feel so overwhelmed when I think of it all. How good God is. How much He loves me. How He takes care of me. How when I put everything in His hands that He just works it out. My life is being watched over, it is not accidental, and God is micromanaging my world. I am so filled with peace and contentment and calm. I think calm is the best way to describe it. I just feel so grateful and so overcome with love, and I guess most of all gratitude. It's just so amazing how everything turns out alright when we are keeping the commandments and putting God first in our lives. I feel like everything in my life is coming together, and even though I know that it might come apart again, the most important thing is that I know that it will come back together again. No matter how many times things come apart in my life, I have no doubt that God will put them back together again."  

  
she said it so well and as soon as i read it, i knew i had to share it. 
in other news (and to help change gears so i'll stop getting teary-eyed here at work...), i am excited for this weekend and all the fun things it will bring! 
and about that Utah weather i was talking about.....


if that doesn't brighten your mood, then i don't know what would. 
i hope you all have a most fantastic weekend with the ones you love and a very 
happy mother's day 
 to all you special moms out there!!!
xoxo.

 

5.09.2013

baby Jack's blessing

our nephew Jack (Jae's brother and his wife's newest addition) was blessed last sunday afternoon in the comfort of his own home. it was nice to have just the close family there to be part of it and enjoy the day together. and Jack looked so handsome! he has been sick, so he ended up being unhappy all during the blessing itself, but immediately after (and for the rest of the day) he was super content and happy, just hanging out with all the fam. thanks for the fun family day, Jens and Audree!! 



{oh, and Jaron flew in from D.C. and surprised us! the little stink.}

5.07.2013

lobster cakes & saturday nights at the ballpark.

this past saturday was Mr. River's 5th birthday!
he threw an awesome bike riding, chalk drawing, enjoying the spring weather party.
of course, i didn't get any pictures of the actual bike riding or chalk drawing, but i did get just one of the cute birthday boy and his awesome (and HUGE!) lobster cake.

{and Zack being a cake-creeper in the background ;)}

after the party, we hurried out to grab some dinner before going to the Bee's game with Jord and Chels. Hires Big H was the choice for dinner (been craving those cheese fries for awhile.....mmm), and we practically licked our plates clean. i didn't even get a chance for a picture until we were all sitting back, stuffed.


then the Bee's game! sure, they lost by 6, and sure, it got pretty windy and chilly by the end, but we stuck it out and had a good time. it was "pack the park pink" night - they were raising money for the Huntsman Cancer institute, so the players wore special pink jerseys and there was a firework show to top off the night.




PERFECT spring saturday, guys.
perfect.
let's do it again.

5.06.2013

a bit of catch-up: letting the cat out of the bag.

now that we finally have internet again at our house (yahoo!), i found some pictures on our laptop that i never blogged about. one being the day we celebrated Jae's and my birthdays plus let my family in on the big baby secret!

monday february 18th:

we started the day with lunch with my family at olive garden.


then we came back to our house for some hanging out, games, cake, and ice cream.
{and the announcement that no one knew was coming! :)}

Jae's cake (courtesy of my mom)
my cake (courtesy of mom)


singing happy birthday to eachother

annnd the presenting of the surprise cake :) i am sad we didn't have one of us ready with the camera to catch the reaction of everyone. but it was classic! lots of screaming from my mom and sisters.
so fun.


5.03.2013

twentyfive randoms on a friday.

  my cute friend emi wrote a list of 25 random fun facts about herself on her blog today, and told people to join in the fun. so this is me, joining in!

i make no promises to them being 'fun' facts, but here are 25 facts about me, nonetheless:

.1. my favorite colors (yes, more than one. can't narrow down) are purple and grey.
.2. bending and twisting my torso area is not getting any easier these days.
.3. friday = hair up in a bun on top of my head day. every.week.
.4. i like to paint my ring fingernail a different color than the rest of my nails.
.5. spring is my favorite season. while i do love fall, fall only leads to my least favorite season...winter. and summer is waaay better than winter. so spring is easily the best. got that?
.6. PINK from victoria's secret is in my top 3 favorite scents for ladies. i've used it since high school.
.7. ice water is my preferred beverage. anytime, anywhere. and no - no limes or lemons, thank you!
.8. i love to wear baseball caps. i used to wear them a lot more, and wish i wore them more now.
.9. ice cream (or froyo) is my favorite dessert. hands down.
.10. i love lists!!!
.11. both Jae and i love to travel to other countries. in the last 1.5 years, we've been to China, Malaysia, and Singapore. we have a HUGE list still to cross off. can't wait!
.12. one of my favorite childhood memories with my mom is blasting backstreet boys from the kitchen stereo (she liked them just as much as i did!) and cleaning the house together.
.13. i am right handed and stronger on my right side in general, but growing up dancing, my left side was always more flexible.
.14. i feel like a good baseball game on a sunny evening with a hot dog in hand is the best way to welcome in the summer. (and guess what we're doing tomorrow...??!)
.15. i'm a total daddy's girl. to this day, if something of significance is happening/has happened, i call and talk to him about it.
.16. i wish i could take care of every sweet puppy dog in the world. i hate to see them sad and without a good home.
.17. i play the organ (in church).
.18. i love taking showers but i hate the after-shower (aka doing my hair/make-up).
.19. i love target and i love/hate that we live 2 minutes from one.
.20. i've never broken a bone. (plenty of sprains, jammed fingers, displaced joints, stitches, but no brokens!)
.21. i can't watch a beautiful dance performance and not get teary. (oh how i miss dancing)
.22. i've been an aunt for 16 years.
.23. i have TMJ (aka jaw) problems. and if you have these problems too, then you know that it is just a huge dumb pain in my life!
.24. flip flops and tennis shoes are my favorite kinds of shoes. (but i don't discriminate - i love shoes of all kinds!)
.25. Jae's my favorite person ever! and Zoey's my favorite dog ever! (it's true - did you know?)

{april 2012}

happy a fabulous weekend, whatever it may bring you :)
i'm going to hang out with that hunk.

5.01.2013

eye vs. mascara

mascara won.


i think this confirms my suspicions of allergies to this specific mascara.
of course, it's one of my favorites.
so when i woke up to an eye lid that was 3 times its normal size (it's definitely gone down from this morning to when this picture was taken), i decided it's probably a good day to go mascara-less 
(aka make-up-less, really. lucky co-workers of mine!)
and buy a new mascara....

but hey!
it's may 1st!
(and 30 degrees and snowing in parts of utah today, but who's keeping track....)