Not your typical inspirational music

Yesterday I miraculously went running. I was listening to some of Brandon's jammin music on my ipod to keep me going. One particular song was very inspiring to me. It was Eminem's "Lose Yourself". In the lyrics he said, "If you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted, would you capture it? Or let it slip?".... "You only get one shot, do not miss your chance, this opportunity only comes once in a lifetime" It made me think about how every minute of our lives we only get once. It made me run faster, I will never get those minutes of my life again. And these minutes right now while I'm blogging, I'll never have these minutes again. It made me think about how I spend all of my time and if I'm really making the most of each moment to seize everything I ever wanted. Thanks Eminem for the very unexpected insights.

Eggs, flour & milk

3 simple ingredients can sure make a lot of great food. (plus toppings, of course)

My Favorite, Swedish Pancakes:
2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk

Use butter on the pan, fry on med. heat. Flip. Remove from heat add butter and granulated sugar for best results. Or syrup works too if your name is Brandon. Makes 3-4

German Pancakes:Crepes:
Yorkshire Pudding:
Yorkshire pudding is made the same as german pancakes, but you bake it in a cupcake pan, use gravy instead of syrup (I thought it was weird at first because it was like putting gravy on pancakes to me, but I discovered it actually tastes good) and eat it for dinner. Definitely the most unique of these.
I'm sure there are other things you can make too, probably regular pancakes, or waffles? I never make those though, so I'm not really sure.

Christmas Picture Winner...

Although Sam made a really good suggestion for our Christmas picture (see comment #7 on previous blog), we ended up at our relatives house later that evening and they took a picture of us in front of their beautiful tree. Although Calvin looks a little deer-in-the-headlights & wouldn't smile for any of the pictures, at least he looked at the camera. Winner.

Our snowy night adventure

It began with simply delivering a few Christmas treats. We decided to brave the snow packed streets to stop by a friends house that is just a few minutes away. We visited for a couple of minutes but couldn't get the car out of the driveway afterwards. We proceeded to scrape at the snow and ice and spin our tires for the next 30 minutes. After finally borrowing a neighbor's shovel we were able to leave. However, the shovel had broken in the process. I suggested that we tell the neighbors that we were going to buy a new one, but Brandon figured we would be back in a few minutes and it didn't matter. While we were at the parking lot of the 6th store trying to find a shovel we got a phone call from our friends asking if we had broken their neighbor's shovel because they had come over asking about it. oops. We eventually found one and were able to apologize, explain about the shovel famine, and then finally return home an hour and a half later.

Christmas picture voting

Even though it's a little late for Christmas cards, we still tried taking a family picture hoping that we might at least send out a few. These are all 6 of the pictures that we took. Which one do you think we should send out? By the way, it took a lot of effort to get these, so don't think you can pick "none of the above".

More baby room decor

To match the mobile I made, I found an idea from a magazine for another decoration. We bought some canvases, painted them, and had Calvin add the finishing touch. It's trickier than it looks. You might think some of the prints look kind of funny or smeared, but those are good ones. I promise. We had to redo a couple due to overly curled toes and excited hands.

Gmail extras

I've been really getting into all my Gmail extras. It started with the google reader, which saves me so much time on blog checking. Then the other day I decided I should keep a calender and started putting stuff on my gmail calender. I got a little carried away with all the public calenders you can add and put on a BYU calender, U.S. holidays, Christian holidays, Lebanese holidays and Canadian holidays. Then I created calenders for Waddington birthdays and Miller birthdays and added every event I could think of. Then I added Tasks to use for my daily To Do list, instead of a scrap of paper I always lose. Between gmail, blogging, web searching, using my calender & to do list, I'd say my life feels like it's run about 95% by google.

My toys

Calvin's toys aren't that interesting to me, except his colorful rings. If they are anywhere around me in church I can't resist playing with them and changing their order over and over again to see what the best pattern is that I can come up with. There's really no way he likes them more than I do.

My all time favorite Christmas book

The Gift of the Magi is such a loving story. It has beautiful illustrations - Lisbeth Zwerger is probably the best illustrator in the world. Maybe someday I can go to Vienna to meet her. And maybe I'll learn German too so I could actually talk to her.
I've stared at her short little book for hours. And the story always makes me a little teary eyed. It's very well written. (Although, I have to admit some of the vocabulary is a little over my head: mendicancy, meretricious, fob, parsimony. And it's in the children's book section? But even with my vocabulary limitations, it's still a profound story.)
So if you are trying to think of an inexpensive but meaningful present for someone, I recommend this amazing $5.99 book. And if you're trying to think of a present for me, I could always use another one. You know, just in case someone eats the one I have.

Poison Control

This morning Calvin was playing with his toys like normal and when I looked over at him he had blue paint all over his face. He was sucking on a little doll my sister brought us from Russia that somehow got mixed in with his toys. The question is, do Russians use lead paint? I don't know. So I called Poison Control to ask if I should be worried and they said he was fine, even if it was lead paint. Lead poisoning usually happens from lots of paint, from weeks of sucking on a lead paint toy. I hope all my calls to poison control go that smooth.

Pie

Ever since making my practice pie for Thanksgiving I've decided making pies is fun. This was the first apple pie I've ever made and I even tried doing a criss cross top. It was kind of sloppy, so I'll have to work on my cooking art skills and experiment with some more recipes too.

Snowflakes steps

I see a few main problems when people make snowflakes: first, not enough folds. And second, not cutting enough paper off. Here are some basic steps:

1. fold diagonally and cut so you have a triangle
2. fold in half so you have a smaller triangle3. fold the same way again4. fold in half again, but from the center so it looks like this:5. make large geometric shaped cuts and a couple small ones, leaving as little paper as possibleta-da!

Judging

I've helped out at Farrer elementary school with art night the past couple of years and the lady in charge asked me if I could help out with judging the Reflections art competition. It was quite interesting to see what they turned in and how the artwork differed in each age category. There were some pretty impressive 5 year olds. They smoked the 9 year olds. hmmmm? I wonder why.... Brandon asked me if I am going to finish Calvin's art projects for him, and I have to admit, it will be hard not to. But I told him I will do my best. I'll just have to give him an art lesson and then let him do it all by himself.

Movie Competition

A couple of years in a row my family made some great home movies at Christmastime. We did a movie of Bounce Back one year - this super cheesy motivational tape made in the 80's. And the next year we did a remake of Johnny Lingo. We do zero editing and retakes, just straight run throughs for minimal effort and maximum laughter. These movies are cherished possessions now and can only seen by people outside the family through an application process.
This year Brandon and I won't be with my family for Christmas so we are having a movie competition instead. Millers vs. Waddingtons. It's going to be somewhat like Jay walking. My sister is going to ask the Waddingtons questions and I'll ask the Millers and whoever gets the most right wins. If you have any suggestions for some questions, that would be awesome. And if you are a family member you are not allowed to comment or read the comments. Sorry. It's the law.

Merry Christmas to us

Brandon and I decided to finally frame a free Carl Bloch print we've had sitting around forever as our family Christmas present. Since it's a picture of Christ and it's the Christmas season, we hung it on the wall instead of wrapping it and putting it under the tree. I love having something that looks so nice on our wall. Our apartment decorations are very mediocre. And I was especially like that the print, frame and matte cost a total of $30. I love a good deal. Thank you Roberts Crafts 50%.
And if you live near Provo and haven't seen this painting at the BYU art museum, it is definitely worth checking out. It's one of the most amazing paintings I've ever seen in my life. They brought it here all the way from Denmark.

Elder Wirthlin

I don't think I have a single post that is spiritually related so in honor of Elder Wirthlin who just passed away, I thought I'd mention one of his conference talks that I thought was very inspiring awhile ago. It's called "Follow Me" and it's about how the apostles left their nets and followed the Savior and how we need to recognize the things in our life that we need to leave behind to follow Him.

Blank Books

I was at the BYU bookstore and randomly found this whole section of blank white books. They were the coolest thing I have ever seen! I bought 5. They have all different kinds, and blank puzzles too. You can just take some markers and have a ball. They even have a couple different size board books for babies. So for Christmas Calvin is getting a board book all about himself drawn by Mom.

Newest Technique

I feel like we are always trying something new to get Calvin to go to sleep better, longer, cry less, etc. The other day we were cleaning Calvin's room so we put him in his crib with some toys to play with while we cleaned. After we finished cleaning I took out the toys and read him a story then turned out the lights, walked out of the room and he went to sleep without making a sound. It is such a great routine, and it's worked quite a few more times since then too.

Crash

Our computer is pretty old and gives us all kinds of problems. We're trying to hold off until Brandon graduates before we upgrade, but we might not have a choice with that. The other day our screen suddenly went blank. It would turn on, but you couldn't see anything. I called and found out the warranty is up next week- that was close. Hopefully it will cost so much to fix they will just give us a new one! We can dream, right? In the meantime we're renting one from BYU because they are so cheap and we don't think we can go 2-6 weeks without a computer.

Decisiveness

Sometimes I take a really really really long time making decisions while shopping. Clothes shopping is especially bad, but even grocery I take forever. Calvin is pretty good at making me a faster decision maker. If I stand in one place too long trying to decide on flavors of Jell-o, how many and what size, he lets out some screams to let me know I need to just grab one and keep moving. What a great little helper.

Southwest

Has anyone else checked out flights on Southwest? 50% off flights to & from Salt Lake. There are restrictions for when you can fly of course, but I am so excited I just booked a flight to Seattle for $51 each way!

Band

Brandon and I were listening to some Chris Merritt music yesterday and I thought I would share how great they are. Brandon's friend plays in the band so we have gone to see them play several times and it's always been fun. They have songs on itunes and a few websites too. My favorites are Tower of Sand and Dance Karate.

Lehi swimming

We went with some friends to the Lehi pool and I was so impressed! What a cool facility. Not only do they have a kid area, but they had a baby area. We had a great time. I love swimming in November.

My New Favorite Food

We were hesitant to give Calvin rice cereal right at 4 months because of what the doctor said about the "slight chance he can develop allergies", but he also said it might be worth a try when he heard what a horrible sleeper he is and how he is always hungry. (he was waking up every 2-3 hours - and that was on a good night) After not really sleeping at all on Saturday night we decided we should try out the rice cereal. The result: he slept for 5 hours straight the past 2 nights!! He is back to only waking up twice to eat. I used to be really anxious for him to sleep through the night, but for now I'm just grateful to be sleeping in chunks again. Hoorah for rice!

Fall

Last week Brandon and I wanted to go out for dinner and decided it was a perfect night for walking. So we enjoyed the fall colors while taking a nice walk to get some dinner. The trees looked so beautiful.

Water water water

I have felt like I needed to drink more water lately and I know with breastfeeding you need more water. It turns out I am suppose to be drinking 13 cups of water a day! That's almost a gallon of water! (I just looked it up 16 cups = 1 gallon) I try to drink a cup an hour. Sometimes I set a timer to remind myself. I don't know how long I will last on this endeavor.

Family of beavers

Since Calvin's costume was so cute, we decided to try and match him. I think he pulled it off better than we did, but we all had a good time. You can tell Cal enjoyed the party : )

Disgusting Treats

pre baked:
I was on my favorite food website, allrecipes.com and I found some fun Halloween treat ideas to take to a party. I thought this one was 2nd best. The mice looked even grosser but the recipe for the fingers and toes was easier. Brandon said I shouldn't be offended if no one eats them because they look disgusting. They're just sugar cookies with some food coloring. I think I should have done the red gel and almonds after I baked them, I didn't realize the gel would melt like that. Maybe they'll look better next year because I think this might be the beginning of a great Halloween tradition. yum. Happy Halloween!

Costumes

I laughed to myself the whole time I was sewing our costumes today. Stay tuned...

Quirks Tag

1. I sleep with an eye mask at night. If I'm traveling, ear plugs too. I'm just a light sleeper and our room is too well lit from the parking lot light outside our window.

2. I draw obsessively. If I have a pen and paper in my hands, no matter what it is for, it will inevitably end up with more pictures on it than text.

3. I like listening to the same songs over and over again. If I like a song or a CD I'll play it on repeat. When I was a freshman I discovered this sometimes annoys people because I couldn't find my new CD for months until we cleaned out the kitchen and found it in the very far cupboard behind a large bag of potatoes.

4. I don't like milk. I was allergic to it as a kid and now I think it tastes disgusting. I like milk products though.

5. I think I've visited the Museum of Peoples and Cultures more times than anyone in the world. (that tiny museum by Brick Oven, and I'm really disappointed with the changes they've made, it's not nearly as fun as it used to be.)

6. I don't know how to type like you're suppose to. I have a method that has developed over the years using 8 fingers (mostly 6) and I think I'm decently fast.

I tag Lexi, Taylor, Melinda, & my sisters

Random & Beyond's Top Ten

It wasn't easy to choose a top 10. It sure was fun to laugh at things that have happened in the past few years, but it's hard to distinguish which blogs are entertaining to me for the memories they bring back, and which ones other people enjoyed the most. It's days like today that I am really glad that I blog because I was able to remember some fun things that I wouldn't have recorded otherwise. In no particular order:
1. #1448
2. Most Embarrassing Moment
3. Bad Lunch Ideas
4. Family Resemblance
5. Fill in a Caption
6. Office Excitement
7. Baby-sitting Highlights
8. Miller Smell
9. Bad Parents
10. Sweet Old Lady

Mobile

I found some wooden things at the craft store and decided they would make it really easy to make a mobile and add a little color to Calvin's room. We thought Calvin might like something to look at, and we're wishfully thinking that he might just hang out in his crib longer and we can sleep in now & then. (ha!) He did seem pretty excited about it and was smiling at it and swinging his arms for awhile, until he realized that we were leaving the room and we wanted him to take a nap.

Bakery

Sometimes when I take a walk I like having a destination, like Provo Bakery. Taking a walk to the bakery kind of defeats the purpose of taking a walk though. Maybe I should find a bakery in Springville to walk to.

Sleeping

Calvin was becoming a horrible napper and therefore not the funnest kid to be around. We decided we might need to implement the crying himself to sleep method to help him learn to sleep better on his own. We have also paid more attention to his schedule and when he needs to sleep. It started making a huge difference right away. He has been so much happier lately. It's great. So even though it is torture to let your cute baby cry, sometimes it is beneficial to everyone in the long run. He is still a very long way from sleeping through the night though. Someday.

Cake batter

Calvin made sure I got a good work out this morning by insisting on being held 75% of the time while I did step aerobics. What a thoughtful kid. When I went to shower afterwards there was a scarcity of soap. I looked around and found liquid hand soap and some body wash that smells like cake batter. I decided to go for the cake batter scent. It might be a little odd, but at least it's better than what I smelled like before.

Guardians

Yesterday I had quite the conversation with my younger sister Heather. She is currently taking a family finance class at BYU and they were talking about life insurance and wills. She asked me if we have either of these, which we don't (yet). She volunteered herself to be Cal's guardian if we wanted her to since she doesn't have any kids of her own and she might not in the future either. I told her that we would probably prefer someone that is married to raise Calvin if something happened to me & Brandon. She gave me this mean look and I told her to quit acting like she wanted me to die so she could take care of my baby.
Then she proceeded to call our other siblings and try to get their kids, even if they weren't married yet. The conversations were pretty entertaining, especially when our little brother got a hold of one of our sisters before Heather did so he could be the first to ask.
At one point in my converstation with Heather she said, "...so if something happens to you and Brandon.." I said "like you murdering us.." at the same time as she said "because I poisoned you..". Even though we had a lot of laughs about it, it really is something that we need to figure out. So if you're related to us and married, you might be hearing from us soon. And if you don't fall into that category, but you would still like to be Calvin's guardian in our will, let us know if you have a good argument and we may keep you in mind.

Where to live...

Brandon has started talking to companies that come recruiting at BYU and he has an aweome new suit for his interviews. (picture to be added later) It's pretty exciting to think about what could happen in the future, but really we're still so clueless. There are so many good and bad things about every place we consider. It's hard to know if a company sounds good that Brandon will actually enjoy working there. And companies aren't hiring as much as they have in the past - surprise surprise. Thanks economy. So we'll see what happens. In the meantime, let me know if you hear of any good construction companies Brandon could apply at. (especially if they're in Spokane, that's what I'm currently cheering for!)

Politics

I enjoy learning about politics and I wish I put more time into thoroughly understanding each issue, but I do what I can. I at least feel like I have a basic grasp of the major issues. Brandon and I watched the debate tonight, and it was interesting. Obama is such a good speaker and debater, sometimes McCain smiles and just looks awkward. It was getter easier and easier to agree with Obama by the way he presents things.
I was talking to my Dad about the debate and he loves politics. He thinks the debates are pointless because they can say whatever sounds good, but what matters is if you really think they can do what they claim they will when they become president. He said to look at their history and their core beliefs. Obama is incredibly liberal and even though he can make things sound good, I think I'm going to have to stick with McCain. There are a lot of things I don't like about him, but I think his core beliefs are closer to mine than Obamas.

Nail Clippers

Today I purchased our 3rd pair of baby finger nail clippers. I have no idea where the other two are. So whoever is stealing them, we'd appreciate it if you would let us keep these ones. They even came with nice little nail files.