Sunday...still sick..

Poor Sophia,

She is still under the weather.  She slept most of the day and when she woke up I gave her more Motrin.  Dave and I have been lazy the last few days...just trying to take it easy before the daily grind starts again.  Dave goes back to work Wednesday, so we have a few more days with him:)

We decided for dinner to take it easy and have the sushi delivery place deliver us food...Isabella wanted shrimp fried rice, Sophia wanted noodles so we ordered her lo mein, I ordered a couple of cooked rolls and Dave wanted udon...we are all happy:)

Tomorrow is New Years Eve.  We are spending it at Christa's new house...Tara and Lance will be there as well..Lance is going to smoke (or cook?) a pig.  We are also going to celebrate his bday...Life is good!!!

Doctor appointments

The girls have been sick over the break so we took them to the doctor...she said they both have colds...keep them hydrated:)

Thursday Dave and I had an ultrasound.  Christa and Brad watched the girls so we could go have a lunch date at Cheesecake Factory and then go to the appointment.  I had the best white chicken chili...it was awesome...I found the recipe online and made it the next day...It was soooo good!!!!!

About the doctor appointment...I am already VERY nervous because of the miscarriage in August.  The baby looked good, strong heartbeat and his measuring on par.  I have a cyst on one of my ovaries that should go away.  There was possible blood or fluid outside of the sac.  The doctor did not seem to be too worried...the problem is that I am now super freaked out about everything...I am soo worried...I am trying to chill out and let things work out the way they are supposed to and have faith...it is just hard.  The doctor is going to have me come in on January 10th for another ultrasound to check the cyst and make sure things are ok...I think they are doing this because I was freaked out and because of my previous miscarriage.  I can just hope that everyone prays for this baby.  We really want things to turn out ok.  I told Dave I could not handle another loss...so, only positive thoughts...I just feel that if I can get to 12 weeks, we will be out of the clear mostly....so, if you are reading this blog, please pray for our baby...that he or she is healthy, happy, and everything is ok...I really would appreciate it.  I don't want people to think I am not grateful for my wonderful family.  Dave and I are so blessed with two of the most beautiful, wonderful girls.  They have such big personalities!!!

Here is the white chicken chili recipe...My friend who lives in Germany made it and it didn't come out that great because she couldn't find all the ingredients...I didn't use the garlic paste and I used regular Tabasco.

This is the actual recipe for the Cheesecake Factory's white chicken chili, which is just so delicious.




This comes from a Cheesecake Factory chef who was on a local morning program in Orlando, FL making this recipe for the viewers. You can see the actual video if you Google "Cheesecake Factory White Chicken Chili Recipe Orlando" and click on the link for the Fox affiliate in Orlando.



This is a perfect recipe for a cold day. It is a bit spicy, so, if you prefer a milder version, back off on the Chilis.



Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6-8

Tags: Quick and Easy

American

Ingredients

Cook View Number of servings US Metric

Cost per serving $0.43 view details

Canola Oil (1/2 cup)

Diced chicken breast (4 pounds)

Cumin (1 Tbl)

Chili Powder (1 Tbl)

Salt (1 Tbl)

Pepper (2 tsp)

Canola oil (2 oz)

Butter (2 oz)

Yellow onions 1⁄4 inch dice (12 oz)

Chopped garlic (2 Tbl)

Roasted chili 1⁄4 inch (2 oz)

Green chili 1⁄4 inch (1 oz)

Flour (3 oz)

Chicken Stock (8 cups)

Salsa verde (1/4 cup)

Chili garlic paste (1 Tbl)

Chipotle tobasco (1 Tbl)

Heavy cream (1 cup)

White beans (2 cups)

Pico de gallo (Garnish)

White Rice (Garnish)

Green onions (Garnish)

Directions

1. Heat canola oil in large sauté or braising pan.

2. Combine chicken and spices in mixing bowl.

3. Lightly brown the chicken cooking until about 3⁄4 done.

4. Remove chicken and set aside.

5. Heat additional oil and butter in pan.

6. Sauté onions until translucent.

7. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

8. Add the poblanos and green chilis.

9. Add the flour, stir to incorporate, and cook for 2 minutes.

10. Add the chicken stock a little at a time, and slowly whip out the lumps.

11. Add the salsa verde, chili garlic paste, and chipotle tabasco.

12. Allow to come back to a simmer and add the chicken back into the pan.

13. Simmer for 5 minutes and add the cream and white beans stir to incorporate.

Christmas Day

We are so blessed...we had a wonderful Christmas...Dave's family stayed until around noon and then we packed up and headed over to Christa's to spend the rest of the day with my family. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve we went to my sister in law Ashlee's parents house.  Her parents were super nice and invited us all over for a nice meal.  Poor Sophia wasn't feeling well....They were all so gracious and even bought the girls the cutest presents.  We really appreciated it! I loved Ashlee's mom's red tree...I want to do one like hers one Christmas.  They are all super excited she is expecting their first grandchild...Funny thing...she is due August 13 and I am due August 14....how crazy is that!!!

Cookies with Grandma

Dave's parents came into town Saturday before Christmas.  Dave's mom brought a ton of stuff she baked and stuff she baked at our house...it was sooo good!! I especially love her fudge and chocolate chip cookies.  She brought cookies for the girls to decorate.  They had a blast.  The girls also had a great time looking at lights as we drove around the neighborhood. 

Very close to Holiday Break..

Today is Wednesday, only 2 more days until we are off for 2 weeks!!! Hip, hip, hooray!!!!!  Dave and I are so behind on Christmas shopping.  The girls have been super cute lately.  We are all tired from going from morning to night, but we will make it...I feel bad that Dave has had to pull extra duty at night because I am so tired...I am excited that I have pregnancy symptoms, so I am not going to complain. 

Tomorrow night we have a Christmas party to go to (we are dropping the girls off for a few hours at Christa's) and then Friday Dave and I are finishing our shopping while the girls are in school in the afternoon.  Dave's parents are coming into town Saturday until Christmas day.  I am pretty much finished with my cultural counseling class (just submitted my Mormon immersion project) and will have one week off before starting another class.  I know I will be glad I finished my counseling if ever I decide to be a school counselor.  I imagine that when the girls (and little one) are all in school, I might try and get a job as a counselor.  Truth be told, if I could have any job, I would like to open a crafting studio.  I envision people dropping by to work on arts and crafts and maybe hosting parties and events...I can always dream:) I keep joking with Dave that maybe we are having twins this go around...I am super tired and Sophia keeps saying I have 2 babies in my tummy...Dave just looks at me like I am crazy...I am sure it is only one baby, but I would really be excited if it were two:) haha...

Busy weekend

This weekend was very busy. Friday I drove to Christa's new house for a while.  Saturday Dave and I brought Sophia to a birthday party at Monkey Joes and then we headed to Christa's house.  We tried to help out, but I was not much help...I have been soooo tired...I went to bed at 8:30 last night.  Today Dave took Sophia to another birthday party while I stayed in bed.  I am beat....I am super nervous about this pregnancy.  I know the statistics are on our side...5% of people have a miscarriage after having one previously.  I just am paranoid about every ache...

We only have one more week before Christmas break...am super excited.  Monday is a full day for our high school students, but the rest of the week they get to leave at lunch time after final exams.  Life is great!!

Tired...

Man am I tired...but I am not complaining...I am glad to be tired!! Last night we tried out the new Noodle Fusion Restaurant by our house...it was pretty good...then I went to bed at 8:30...I swear I can't stay up until 9 anymore....Isabella's teacher wrote a cute note for her memorable moment of the day...

I am about to check out another carpet place...home depot's quote was higher than we originally thought so I am going to check out the competition...then tonight I am headed downtown to meet my hot hubby...his Holiday party is at the House of Blues...I can't drink so I will be the DD...life is good!

Sophia is 3--- Candyland Party

What a crazy weekend...Today was Sophia's 3rd bday.  We threw her a candyland party.  This was planned long before Christa's situation, so we ended up having it.  My parents, Christa's family, Michelle's family, Dave's parents, and Dave's brother and sister in law all were in town.  About 16 of Sophia's little friends showed up.  She had a blast....Michelle made the cake (with the help of my awesome sister in law Ashlee), my mother in law did the awesome Christmas tree cones, Christa bought the pinata, and my mom decorated the house...Everyone is wonderful...We are blessed!!!

Funny story...I am really not sharing with a whole lot of people, but Dave and I are expecting a baby some time around August 16...am not quite sure the date until I go to the dr...I am VERY nervous about this pregnancy because of the miscarriage.  I know that chances are that everything will be ok, but I am still nervous.  Anyway, Christa is pregnant, my sister in law Ashlee just found out she is pregnant, and now we are...Three babies next year...they are all going to be so close!!!!

Shock....

I haven't blogged for a week because of the craziness that has been going on in my life....Last Monday I received the worst call of my life...3:00 pm...my twin sister had cancer....it is one of those moments you will never forgot....by far worst day ever...It all started a few weeks ago when she went to have a check up with her OBGYN because she is pregnant.  At the very last second she told him her throat hurt.  He felt her neck and said "I think you have a cyst on your thyroid".  He did an neck ultrasound and then referred her to an ENT.  All of this happened so fast.  The ENT said that 90% of the time it is not cancer...well, she was not one of the lucky ones...so by Wednesday she was in the hospital having her thyroid removed and a lymph node that had a small amount of cancer.  Now we just sit and wait until after the baby is born.  The doctor doesn't think it spread to the rest of her body.  Right after the baby is born she will isolate herself for 4 days and take some radioactive pills to kill any remnants. 

I have never cried so much in my life.  I ended up taking Thursday and Friday off...I am just grateful that we live in the Medical Center of the world...If you have cancer, you want to be in Houston.  Also, apparently if you are going to get cancer, you want it to by thyroid because it has very high rates of curing.  The type she has runs in families so I am going to get checked out soon...

The wheels keep turning...

Thought that title was better than my normal "I'm tired"...wow...I thought yesterday was busy...I was wrong, today was..  I woke up at 5:30 am with my mind racing...all the stuff I knew I had to do.  I woke up and started working on my graduate work...I then cleaned the house, did laundry, took the girls to the grocery store, came home, working on school work, went to a Mormon church for 3 hours (cultural immersion project for my cultural counseling class).  After I came home, helped the girls decorate gingerbread cookies, made dinner, worked on an African American assignment for my cultural class, and now am relaxing while Dave and the girls hang ornaments....I can't wait for things to settle down....Life is good...we are blessed:)

My coworker was very generous in letting me visit his church.  I learned a lot and realized that the Mormon religion is not that different than the Catchoic religion.  Yes, there are some differences, but it was a positive experience.