Happy News

We are having a baby!!  I am 12 weeks right now and little baby Anderson will be coming around June 10th. We really couldn't be happier and are so incredibly grateful that we were finally able to have this amazing blessing. We can't wait to meet the little guy (or girl). 

Thanksgiving

This has been a very nice, relaxing Thanksgiving.  Last year we had to hurry home to San Diego from my parents  house since I had to be at the hospital working by 6am the day after Thanksgiving. It has been great to be able to take a few days this year. Though Eric has spent a lot of the time off painting my mom's new business so maybe I can't speak for how relaxing it has been for him. :)

We had a smaller group this year - just my parents, my two siblings that are still at home, and my sister Tamara and her little family. So it was a nice, cozy dinner.  Even so, my mom thought it was necessary to make 6 pies for the 8 of us. My trying to convince her otherwise was useless. She would have even made more if we hadn't run out of time.

Like usual, my dad had us go around the table as we started dinner to share something we are thankful for over the last year. This has been an eventful year for Eric and me. I have been reflecting on all we have gone through. I know that through it all, although difficult at times, we have been so blessed. So many little and big miracles that remind us that we aren't alone out here. We have a Heavenly Father who watches out for us and loves us. I am grateful for that.  I am grateful for an amazing husband who makes me happier than I could even have dreamed of. What a good life it is.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Wind, dogs, and a lesson

I had a horrible run today. At the same time, it was a humbling and teaching experience. Eric and I are still at my parent's home and today I woke up to find the winds had started.  Now, if you haven't experienced the Santa Ana winds in California, and more so running in these winds, count yourself very lucky. My parents happen to live right where the winds are very strong. So that already meant the run would be difficult, but hey I am up for a challenge. But then I met the dogs. They came running out of an open gate of a house I had just passed, barking and growling and chasing me. It completely startled and scared me. (Especially after my dad being attacked by a pit bull not long ago when he was running in this same area and having to go to the hospital and get stitches!) But, I was able to shake them.

Then I decided it would be a good idea to come back the same way. I had taken a straight out, straight back east-west route so that I would not have to run against the wind which always blows south.  I thought of running down to a different street and then back up to circumvent the block those dogs were on, but it really did not sound fun to run against that wind. So when I had almost returned to that same area, I armed myself with rocks, made sure I was on the opposite side of the street from where I had met them earlier and on the sidewalk instead of the road where I usually run.  I thought, "maybe they won't see me, and if they do, I am ready for them.  I can take them." So fully confident, I kept running.

I had my eye on the house I had seen them run from, and my rocks were ready. Nothing.  I started to relax as I passed by.  Then suddenly, I heard barking and growling coming from close by on my right side. They came running from behind the house I was next to, those sneaky guys! I had been watching the wrong side of the street and had taken myself right past them!  As I suddenly turned to look at them, I lost my balance mid-run, tripped and went flying. I broke my fall with my hands and went sliding across the concrete. I was sure the dogs were going to jump on me while I was down.  But they stopped and just looked at me.  Once I stood up and was able to limp-run away, they came chasing again.

So much to learn from this. I knew I should have gone a different way.  But no, I thought I could take care of myself and so went right back in their path. Going the safer way would have taken a little more effort but I would have saved myself a lot of pain and would not be sitting here all bandaged up.

Picture from a Saturday morning run

I discovered another beautiful place to run near Ocean Beach where the path juts out into the ocean.  Breathtaking with the sun rising behind me.

First day on the job

I had training all of last week but today was my first day actually working.  So I took the part-time job I interviewed for a few weeks back.  I am working with the Center for Weight and Health, a research center at UC Berkeley.  They have done tons of studies, all focused on preventing childhood obesity.  So it's pretty exciting that I get to work with them!  The study I will be helping with is an evaluation study for the Children's Power Play! campaign, which replaced 5-a-day in California a while back.  For my part I go to schools, teach kids (4th and 5th graders) how to keep food diaries and measure what they eat, interview each kid individually the next day to discuss their diary (in some cases trying to salvage any sort of information from it), and survey them on their physical activity.  Basically my part is trying to figure out if the program affects fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity.

Today was interesting.  A little crazy.  Made me really wonder whether you can get reliable data from some of these kids.  Eric is taking program design and evaluation classes right now and tells me he has his doubts too.  But these Berkeley people seem to know what they are doing so I will keep at it.  Working with the kids is going to be a ton of fun though!

**By the way, for those who asked, I just posted the homemade yogurt directions on the Hinckley recipe blog**

Homemade Yogurt!

After an utterly failed attempt last week (think milk with clumps in it, made me gag), I tried again yesterday to make homemade yogurt.  The result? 

Breakfast today was homemade yogurt with homemade granola and strawberries.  I just love the feeling that I made what we are eating. Natural and healthy. And so good too!! Thanks Jodie for your help!

Halloween

I am a huge fan of Halloween. Eric, not so much.  So I considered it a huge success that I was able to convince him to dress up for our ward's Halloween activity. We dressed up in some clothes that I brought home from my mission.  I think he especially liked that he got to hold my Indonesian sword.  No one had any idea what we were supposed to be but Eric received quite a few guesses, including a Middle-Eastern person, a gypsy, a pirate, and Nephi. 

Here are a couple of pictures from our Halloween dinner which included Jack-o-lantern stuffed peppers and 'bones and blood.' I'm going to have so much fun when we have kids to make holiday meals for!

And since no trick-or-treaters come through our neighborhood, we spent Halloween night carving our pumpkin. I think Eric would have rather been out getting candy but we had fun.