January Recap

Here it is. Our oh-so-not-exciting January recap. Most of the entire month's events summed up in just one post. Yeah. It's been a relatively non-eventful month. Here are the highlights.

* Holiday Bowl Game - University of Oregon Ducks vs. Oklahoma St. Cowboys: 12/30/08

Ethan and I went over to Grandma Mary's to watch the game, deliver Christmas presents and catch-up with grandma.

Ethan had fun sitting at the 'big people' table and playing with all of great-grandma's toy cars and trucks while we watched the football game and attempted to play Typo. Kay, Grandpa Ken, Gary, Mom and Elisabeth were also there. And the best part? The Ducks won 42 to 31!! Wahoo!! Go Ducks!

* Evening with Tory: 12/30/08

When we got home from grandma Mary's we found that "uncle" Tory was already there visiting with Sean. We stayed up late and chatted for quite a while since we don't get to see Tory very often now that he's all grown-up and away at BYU. We miss his Sunday afternoon visits!!

* New Year's Eve with the "Tofties": 12/31/08

This was pretty much the most uneventful New Years ever. We went to my parents' house to have dinner, play on their new Nintendo Wii and watch the ball drop. Ethan slept most of the time and we were out the door by about 12:10am ready to be home and in bed! Sean was still pretty sick.

* Portland visit: 1/3/09

Elisabeth, Ethan and I drove up to visit John, Stephanie and the boys.

I got to hold and cuddle with this cutie (Baron Graham - this was the little guy I was supposed to visit in December and then was too sick to go!)....

...while Ethan got to play with this little guy - cousin Jackson (technically 2nd cousins, but who's counting?). Elisabeth was a good sport about keeping Jackson and Ethan entertained while I held the baby and chatted with John and Stephanie. It was so great to see all of them!

And then we all (Elisabeth, Ethan, me, John, Stephanie, Jackson and Baron) met up with a good friend of mine from high school, Katie, and her husband, Charlie for dinner at:

* Katie Blair gets engaged: 1/4/09

A very good friend of Sean and I. She would've been a bridesmaid in our wedding except that she is a real-life example of the movie 27 Dresses - I think her count is only at 7 or 8, though. I told her I loved her too much to make her do the bridesmaid routine again. She's doing me the same favor. :)

* Ethan's Papa (Loren) goes into the hospital (again-3rd time) with pancreatitis. Finally has surgery to remove gallbladder (and hopefully fix the problem for good): 1/6/09

* Matt (Christine's boyfriend - I think it's official now :) visits: 1/9/09-1/13/09

Don't they look cute together?!

We went out to Red Robin Friday night for dinner, along with grandma Sandy and grandpa Chuck. Then, on Sunday, we had dinner at my parents' house and played a mean game of Ticket to Ride.

Very intense (not really)!

See the stress of the game getting to Christine?

Aww... I really like this picture of the two of them. And I forget who won. Elisabeth had to get to bed.

* Sean & I get a date night to go see "Eagle Eye": 1/17/09

Pretty good movie. Not what we expected, but it kept us on the edge of our seats most of the time. Good ending.

* Seven friends announce their pregnancy, bringing the current count of prego friends to 17. This doesn't include the five who gave birth in the past six to eight weeks! And no, I am not on the current list. (Squash that rumor before it starts.)

* Costco date night: 1/23/09

This was actually a "date night" between me, Elisabeth and Ethan!! Friday night we went to Costco so Sean and I could get a membership and reap the rewards that are Costco! Sean was at a YM camp-out on the coast. We spent most of the time just sorta wandering around and trying to get a feel for what items we might start regularly purchasing there. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the prices there to see if I'm really getting a good deal. One of the downsides to buying in bulk.

Ethan was a good helper, pushing the cart and grunting at how "heaby" it was. "Heaby" is Ethan talk for heavy, in case you were wondering.

In the end, we just got some juice, marinated tri-tip (yum!) and some of my favorite wheat bread! I get really excited about this bread. It makes good toast. Loren and Lynnie always have it on hand when we visit (Lynnie understands my passion for this bread!) and I hadn't been able to find it up here. I bought some at Wal-Mart - same brand and everything. It was not the same. Costco has the right stuff, though!

I think that pretty much sums it up! It looks like a lot more, now that it's all listed out, but remember, this is for the whole month. On to February!!

$5 Steal of a Deal

Ok, so I realize that this is not very exciting to some, but I'm totally loving my $5 necklace find on Saturday at Macy's. Half off the already 50% off price (originally $20 for those of you not wanting to do the math in your head) and I couldn't pass it up! Even better? I had a gift card to use (thanks grandma Sandy!) so no cash leaving my pocket! You know it's a good find when I've already received over a dozen compliments on it. That's right, I wore it Saturday night when I helped chaperone the stake youth dance, Sunday to church (what little I was there - it's a long story) and Monday to work (different shirts, of course!) and I'm not too proud to admit it! I just love adding another necklace to my fairly eclectic jewelry collection. Although... I leave the fancy stuff to my hubby, he seems to do a much better job with the real jewels and picking out what I'll like. :)
Also, the picture doesn't do it justice, but it's bright turquoise, a sorta lime green and a dark, rich brown.

One Silly Kid!

We don't have much to report, now that the CA trip has been posted in full detail. In fact, what we've been up to in the past three weeks will probably be summed up with a handful of pictures in one post... but not tonight. Here are just a couple of funny pictures of Ethan from the last couple of weeks. I am amazed at how much personality he has and how quickly he continues to learn, particularly with his vocabulary. He is picking up new words and phrases all the time and regularly communicates in 3 to 4 word sentences. I just love how much fun he is!

Here he is wearing auntie Lizzy's new slipper boots. Just a few sizes too big.

And then the other night he decided to empty out the drawer underneath the stove...

And, of course, once it was empty he had to sit in it!

"What's the problem, mommy?"

This is where I found his Saturday, though initially his legs were tucked up under his cute, little bum. "I'm stuck!" he kept saying while I grabbed the camera (like the good mom that I am!) to take a picture of his plight. Don't worry, he got out...

...and then yesterday I snapped this picture of him, also while he was saying, "I'm stuck!" Silly kid pushed his chair away. Not too smart when your feet don't reach the ground yet while sitting in the chair. (I helped him out with this one, too.)

Ethan Somersaults (sorta)

Ethan was actually doing this much better last night when he wasn't as tired - a little more of the bum over the top instead of to the side, but you get the general idea. When he finishes each one, he has a big grin on his face and is very proud of himself. Now we just need to work on him rotating enough to land on his feet instead of his back! Oh, and in case you are wondering, he is self-taught.

Good Soup Weather

I've come to the conclusion that one of the perks of all this cold winter weather is that it definitely makes for good soup weather. Or chili or stew, but you get the point. A meal in a bowl, and a bonus if you've got a nice chunk of crusty bread.

When Sean and I were first married, we used to have "soup and sandwich Sundays". With a summer wedding and living in Oregon, cooler Fall weather was in full swing by late August/early September and we spent almost every Sunday after church (having 11am church helped) enjoying our last bit of weekend together over a bowl of hot soup. It actually wasn't always a sandwich that went with it, sometimes just a bisquit or some french bread, but the same idea. Now, with church callings and Ethan added to the family we don't always get the luxury of sharing our Sunday afternoons together like we used to, but we still enjoy a good bowl of soup on a cold day.

So... the other day I made Taco Soup. Threw everything in the crock pot before work in the morning and presto-chango we had dinner hot and ready when we got home. Seriously, this was some good soup and so, so easy.

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef - cooked and drained

2 cans diced tomaotes

1 can pinto beans

1 can beef broth

1 can corn

1 small can diced chilies

1 packet taco seasoning

1 handful dehydrated onion (or chopped fresh onion but I try to avoid chopping onions when I can)

Step 1: Plug in crock pot.

Step 2: Dump all ingredients into crock pot and stir.

Step 3: Cover with lid and turn on low.

Step 4: Let cook for several hours (or all day while you're at work).

Step 5: Serve with corn chips, cheese and sour cream.

It's that easy!! Enjoy the soup weather! :)

Days 7, 8 & 9: Spencer's Temple Sealing & Heading Home

Day 7: On Friday we were pretty much just recuperating from all of the excitement of the Holidays. Sean and I met up with one of his best friends from high school, Marcelle. They have known each other for about 12 years and she's always got good stories to share! We went to the Elephant Bar & Grill for lunch. This is a tradition every year we go down, except normally we have lunch with Peggy and Melissa (two of Sean's drama teachers from High School). They are HILARIOUS!! Two of the funniest women I have ever met - I always leave that restaurant with a sideache from laughing so hard with them. Unfortunately, this year Peggy was really sick and then out of town and Melissa was dealing with ailing parents, so we weren't able to meet up with them. I don't know about Sean, but I felt a little guilty eating at Elephant Bar without them! This was also the start of Sean's cough and subsequent flu.

After a yummy Boxing Day dinner that evening prepared by Lynnie, I got busy packing up all of our things so we would be ready to leave in the morning (Sean was getting really sick). Unfortunately Sean and I both slept terrible Friday night. He was freezing cold most of the night before his fever finally broke and I was tossing and turning. I finally had to get up and go sleep in the other guest bedroom where we had set Ethan up for the night so we could pack. Needless to say, Sean and I were both feeling pretty miserable Saturday morning, which leads us to...

Day 8: We got up early to load up the car and make the drive to the Redlands, CA temple.

It's a beautiful little temple. For you Oregonians, about the size of the Medford temple. Sean was feeling pretty crappy by the time we got there - fever, nausea, cough. But he endured! We were there for Todd and LynMarie to have their beautiful little boy, Spencer, sealed to them. What a blessing to be a part of their special day and to watch as the three of them became an eternal family! Spencer looked so cute all in white. The ceremony itself was short and sweet, but it still brought tears to my eyes to see them now as an eternal family. The spirit was very strong in the room that morning.

Todd, LynMarie and baby Spencer.

Sean and I with the boys - 1/2 of the Southworth grandkids.

After lots of pictures of the happy family and extended family, Todd and Loren gave Sean a blessing of health to help with his flu. Then we headed over to Soup Plantation (aka Sweet Tomatoes in Oregon) for a yummy early lunch. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants. What's not to like? More salad fixings than you know what to do with, fresh pasta dishes, yummy soups and breads and to top it all off, the soft-serve ice cream for dessert! And fairly toddler-friendly. They had all of Ethan's favorites too: plain pasta, pickles, grapes, macaroni and cheese, etc. He ate very well for a (not-quite) 2-year old and that always makes me very happy! Sean.... well, he stayed out in the car because he figured there was no sense in us paying for a meal he wasn't going to eat. I just brought him out a piece of plain bread to snack on.

After lunch we headed to Todd and Muffy's house to hang out for a while before heading home. Ethan, Spencer and Papa played on the floor while Sean tried to nap in the recliner. Meanwhile, I got busy and found a place for us to stay in Redding and phoned ahead for a reservation. We finally got on the road after a quick stop to the store for saltine crackers, Sprite and Powerade for Sean - the nausea and throwing up had officially set in. A little over an hour into our drive home, we stopped near Six Flags for gas, bathroom break and a 6-hour energy shot for me since I was going to be doing all of the driving. Let me tell you, those things are NASTY! They taste like watery cough syrup and it's impossible to drink it all in one or two shots because the bottle opening is so small. Several gags later, I was able to get it all down. It sure lacked in taste, but it worked! No weird, jittery side effects either - just this funny new twitch I've had since then... just kidding!

Anyway... I drove on to Santa Nella for dinner - chicken salad sandwich, fruit and a chocolate chip cookie from Pea Soup Anderson's. Yummy! Then it was on to Redding to crash for the night. We checked in after midnight and Sean stayed in the room with Ethan while I unloaded the car. Even doing the minimum (suitcases, travel crib, etc.) it was still several trips. Only after my 3rd trip did the lady point out the luggage cart. Gee, thanks for that. A little late don't you think?! Well, I made sure to use it in the morning. And Ethan was happy for the ride!

Day 9: Sean and Ethan slept in while I showered and went down for breakfast, all by my lonesome. I brought up some dry toast for Sean and dry cereal and an apple for Ethan. . After loading up the car one more time, we were on our way for the final leg of our journey home. We pulled into Springfield sometime after 3pm and were so happy to have made it safely! It was a great trip, but it's always nice to be home!!

Also... Thank you so much to Nana and Papa for taking such good care of us while we were visiting! The lodging was good, the food was good and the company was even better!! We had a fabulous time!! I know Ethan enjoyed spending so much time with his Nana, Papa, Cassie and Cassie (aka Alysha, but Ethan was a booger and wouldn't say her name)... and the doggies too! Here's a few more pictures from our trip.

We played lots of fun games from Todd's collection, including "I'm the Boss!" (a personal favorite), "Lifeboats" (another favorite), "Wits and Wagers" and several others that I don't recall at the moment. Notice the concentration?

I love Muffy's face here! "I can't believe you just made that move!"

Nana, Papa and Ethan.

Ethan and the Aunties (Alysha and Cassie).

Seriously, how can you not love this face?!

Days 5 & 6: Christmas in Cali

Alright, I guess I'd better get on the ball and write our Christmas post - especially since I never finished my Halloween post with pictures of Ethan in his costume... that may still come, so don't laugh if it does!!

*Christmas Eve*
Let's see... Baking, last-minute shopping, live music and being surrounded by family and friends were the highlights from our Christmas Eve. In the morning I made peach cobbler (Grandma Mary's yummy recipe) and raspberry shortbread cookies (Grandma Sandy's recipe - though I had to change the name from raspberry triangle cookies because they aren't actually in the shape of a triangle and that really bugged me!) for the festivities later that evening. Sean also whipped up a batch of chocolate oreo balls - so easy, but oh so good! Finally, while Ethan was down for a nap, I rushed to take a shower and then made a very last minute trip to the Simi Valley mall for a couple of gifts. Made it about an hour or less before closing and I used every minute! Normally I am not a Christmas Eve shopper unless it's for stocking stuffers, but we had all been so sick and then busy getting ready for the trip that I just hadn't had time to finish up. It all worked out in the end, though.

That night we had friends of Sean's family over for dinner and then sang carols around the piano with Loren (Sean's dad) on the guitar and their friend Gary on violin (I forgot mine at home!). We even had at least one person per part - Sean singing tenor, Todd bass, Cassie alto and me and Alysha as soprano (though we were taking turns chasing after the Ethan-ator)! Once everything settled down, we opened our Christmas jammies and then Papa read this year's Christmas book: The Light of Christmas.

Here's a picture of Ethan in his Christmas jammies - while "visions of sugar plums dance in his head."

*Christmas Morning*
Of course, the little-little ones were up first, but once everyone else was up we took our traditional picture on the stairs.

Pictured top to bottom, left to right: Alysha, Cassie, Ethan, Sean, Me, Muffy, Spencer and Todd.

Just us.

Ethan's Santa gift (a Southworth tradition - a small, unwrapped toy is left by the now-empty plate of cookies for Santa): CARS shake-n-go race car!

Spencer with his Santa gift: a wooden train.

Cassie with her gift from Ryan, Amy, Jonathan and Ella - a mirror framed with little picture openings and some of them already filled in with pictures of her and family. Amy - she LOVED it!!

Ethan with his "Handy Manny Deluxe Talkin' Tool Box Set" from Nana and Papa. This was definitely the year of Handy Manny toys - Ethan LOVES Manny and will come running in from the other room if we turn it on for him!

Alysha and Spencer with his new "Spin-A-Letter" toy.

We all made quite a haul this year between my family and Sean's - I'll spare you the full rundown, though, and just list the highlights! Ethan got several different Handy Manny toys, puzzles, books, toy cars and trucks (including a fire truck), clothes, new jammies, froggy slippers (he shuffles around the house in them now!), a ride-on dump truck, a car garage toy and a new toy cellphone. I got a beautiful sapphire necklace from Sean, clothes, Nike running shoes, make-up, DVDs, jewelry, a Yankee candle and a new winter coat (once I go shopping and find one I like!). Sean got a new navy pinstripe suit from me and Ethan, clothes, lots of new books, shoes, cologne, a snowflake tie, folding garment bag (for suits, etc.) and Barnes & Noble gift card. As a family, we also got the games Princes of Florence and Typo and a Red Robin gift card!

Once the presents were opened and the breakfast casserole was eaten, we spent the rest of the day relaxing, grazing on leftover Christmas eve dinner and treats and playing games while the little ones napped.

Ethan with his new ride-on dump truck complete with various truck noises.

*Christmas with the Toftdahls*

So we celebrated Christmas with my family a little before we left for our trip (read the new Christmas book together) and then mainly the Sunday we got back, on the 28th -but I thought it'd be easiest to keep all of the Christmas pictures, etc. together.

Ethan was more than happy to open some more presents, but he got a little preoccupied with his new cellphone, so Auntie Elisabeth had to help him out a little. She didn't mind that either since she only had a couple presents from us to open!

A new book from "Tia" (Auntie Christine) and the Handy Manny "doll" we got him... Do you still call it a doll if it's for a little boy - is there some other name for it that I can't think of?? "Doll" just seems so little girly...

Lis-beth and Ethan at Gramma and Grampa's for the post-Christmas celebration.

A shot of Ethan by our tree at home. Don't even ask for the story behind this picture, though I'm sure Sean would very gladly tell it!!

We thoroughly enjoyed both of our Christmas celebrations - in somewhat sunny southern California on Christmas day and then in rainy, cold Oregon a few days later! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful, loving family on both sides!! Thank you, thank you to everyone who helped make our Christmas special this year!!