Sweet, sweet Costco!

So I have been having dreams of Portuguese sweet bread for the last two months or so.  It is the most wonderful carbohydrate on the planet.  My girlfriend, Nicole, and I love it so much that we even spent a whole Saturday back in high school trying to make it from scratch.  We wasted a lot of eggs and made quite a mess of things.  But I don't need to make it from scratch anymore!  Our Costco bakery makes them fresh has them labeled as "Sweet Rolls".  I'm in bread heaven...  And, yes, this was totally worth a blog post.

California Christmas

This was a California Christmas year, which is the reason behind the absence of that yummy pine smell in my house this December, but I digress...  California was great - full of family, friends (apologies to those we missed), and great memories.  On our way out of state, my mom and aunt joined us to see Disneyland through Amelia's eyes.  I think this series of photos pretty well illustrates what taking an 18-month old through the Park is like.  What a fun day!

This is why we can't leave the house.

I suppose I deserve this somehow, after the way I chose to dress myself as a child.  My poor mother.  But if you ask me to meet you for lunch, I might just have to send my regrets because I refuse to allow my darling daughter to be photographed by the paparazzi wearing the things that she does.  That's my job.

Summer Berry Pie

If you happen to have the Inside America's Test Kitchen cookbook, Amelia highly recommends the Summer Berry Pie on page 294.

"Do I dazzle you?" "Frequently," I admitted.

Initially, I resisted reading the Twilight saga like one would avoid a root canal.  But one day, the books were at Costco and I picked them up and bit into them.  I told my mother that she should read them.  "They're an easy read and a pretty fun distraction."  She then passed them along to her friend Carol who is an avid reader and movie buff.  In emailing Carol about what she thought of the books, I happened to mention that my cousin had tickets for the Utah premiere and the Twilight Moms gala party they were throwing in anticipation of the screening.  "Lora, why aren't we going to Utah for this?  Not only could we go to this party, but you could visit with your granddaughter, too..."  My mom was sold.  (Was it the movie or Amelia that really brought them out?  Inquiring minds want to know!)  At any rate, mom and Carol made everyone AMAZING goodie bags (WAY better than the ones we were given at the movie premiere (and we had such a fun weekend together.

P.S.  I adore my David.  Above and beyond attending the event with us (he, my uncle Mike, and cousin Hyrum being maybe three of the ten total men that attended), he agreed to be "Dazzled" at the premiere (translation: sprayed with silver glitter) alongside all of us Edward-loving females!  David, you are truly dazzling.

Amelia's first complete sentence [mother sighing...]

On our most recent trip out to California, Amelia's grandma Lora bought her a toy stroller and let her push it around the store as we paid for our purchases.  Amelia was in seventh heaven!  As we exited the store and faced the expansive parking lot, the need to pick Amelia up and carry her to the car arrived.  I picked her up and she proceeded to carry her stroller as if she were still walking.  Once at the car, I kindly told her that it was time to get in the car and put the stroller in the trunk.  Screaming and tears followed.  Lots.  And then, as grandma pulled on the stroller and I pulled on the kid, it happened.  Clear as day.  "I don't want to!"  Mom and grandma were stunned.  Had we really heard what we thought we heard?  Yep!  More, as we struggled to secure Amelia into her car seat, she repeated (three times), "I want it!"  So, being the softies that we are... we gave her back the stroller and got hit in the shoulders, as she held her stroller, all the way home.

Happy 90th Birthday, Gma!

My sweet grandmother, Rheta, turned 90 years old on November 2nd.  Amelia and I flew out for the big party, where she was undoubtedly the belle of the ball.  A few months ago, she moved into an assisted living facility in Clovis and has loved every minute of it.  She even brags that "everyone says that my apartment is the best decorated".