a soup lover's delight

This post is for all of you Olive Garden lovers out there (or for those of you who may want a new, super delish recipe) . My Aunt Vilate gave me the recipe for Zupa Toscana, so I decided to try it out last night. Ross and I are searching for new low-carb recipes now that we're doing the Atkins diet again. Yeah, let's not talk about that. Anyway, this meal was such a success that I had to share it. And even though I omitted the potatoes to make it more carb-friendly, there wasn't a drop left in the pan by the time we were through! I should've taken a picture of the final product, but I was so excited to eat it that I totally forgot =)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. sausage, cooked and crumbled (I used a 12 0z. package of reduced fat turkey sausage and it was still delicious)
3/4 c. diced onion
1 1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 quart low sodium chicken broth (and believe me, you'll want low sodium!)
2 medium potatoes, cubed to your liking
2 c. kale leaves (I used a little more because they're good for you) - cut off stems and cut out the core of the leaves, then slice thinly
1/3 - 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (obviously not whipped)

Place drained sausage in separate bowl. Put onions and garlic in the saucepan that cooked the sausage, and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and cooked through. Add chicken broth and potatoes and simmer for 1 hour (but if you omit the potatoes, just simmer the broth/onions/garlic for about 15 minutes). Add sausage, kale, and cream and simmer for another 10 minutes, which will allow all the flavors to mix together. Remember to use a saucepan that's big enough to hold everything. I actually used my electric skillet and it was perfect. I'm pretty sure this will be one of your new favorite soup recipes! I'd love your feedback (hint, hint) :)

Enjoy!

*T

The Tank is 1!!!

It's hard to believe that this little boy....

... is now a year old! We celebrated Gabe's birthday on Father's Day, which was actually perfect because we had most of the family together. We were in Virginia visiting Ross's family, so we had a get together at Ross's parents house. My sister and my dad were there as well, so it was quite the party! My in-laws made a big German feast for dinner, and then we cleared the table for the cake annihilation. I put the photos in order from blowing out the candle to the final hose-off, so you'll see how messy he got. It was so fun to just let him just have a heyday with the cake, and he loved it!

The feast. I love all the different facial expressions.

Blowing out the candle...


Dipping his finger in the cake for his first taste...

HE LIKES IT!

He kept sharing with Poppy. He'll be such a good big brother:)

He'd get a fistful of cake in each hand and make this cheesy, super-excited face.

Power to the baby!

Posing with Mama.

Poppy made an elephant noise and it scared Gabe. He's pointing at Poppy like "Why would you EVER do a thing like that???"

Hosing of the Tankster. Luckily it was so steaming hot in Virginia that the cold water didn't even phase him.

Gabe kept trying to drink from the hose. He loves playing with water!

The Graham fam in its entirety.

Opening presents with a clean baby. He got some bath animals from Ellen Young, my 10th grade English teacher. Gabe is obsessed with elephants, so he was excited to see an elephant in the mix!

Poppy got Gabe a fandangled swim vest. It was hard for him to walk around with it on, but it'll definitely keep him floating when we go to the pool!

At a year old, Gabe continues to amaze us with his intelligence and personality. Here are a few fun facts about our little dude:

- He took his first steps two weeks before turning one, and by his first birthday he was a well-seasoned walker!

- He points at EVERYTHING. He used to point with his entire hand with the palm up, but now he points with his pointer finger.

- He can say a few words, including Mama, Dada, Papa (which he uses for both Poppy and Grandpa), bah (ball), beebee (baby), uh-oh, and dah (dog). Most of his vocabulary consists of NON-STOP baby babble (that we love to hear). He also makes an elephant sound when he sees anything having to do with an elephant or when he wants to read his elephant books, and he'll bark when sees a dog. Smart kid:)

- He loves anything with wheels, and he gets mad if one of his cars turns on it's side and he can't push it as easily.

- He's a pro at climbing the stairs. I can turn my back for a minute and he'll already be at the top of the stairs. He also likes being chased up the stairs, which is fun for me because he has a cute, high-pitched squeal whenever he's being chased.

- He loves babies, but we don't give him full access yet because he's still working on being "soft". He gets so excited when he gets close to a baby that he waves his arms up and down, and it's not too baby-friendly.

-He loves being outside and he's a champ when we take him for hikes. He'll sit in the baby backpack for hours without complaining, and he'll usually fall asleep before the hike is over.

- He's transitioned perfectly from formula to regular milk.

- He's the least-picky eater I know. He'll eat just about anything and is always willing to try new things. Some of his favorites are bananas, chicken, Cheerios, green beans, and rice cereal.

- The only thing he'll sit down and watch is Baby Mozart. Other than that, TV doesn't really interest him.

- He'll "conduct" whenever he hears music, whether it's on the radio or in church. He'll stand on our laps when we sing the hymns at church and conduct right along with the chorister. He'll also sing along to ANY music (hymns, ringtones, commercial jingles, Ross's opera, etc), and he sings while he plays the piano. And when it's all over, he claps :)

- His favorite 'toys' include phone chargers, computers, remotes, and anything that shreds easily (newspaper, toilet paper, paper towels, dryer sheets, etc.).

- He sleeps about 10 hours at night and takes a 2-3 hour nap during the day.

- He LOVES books! He'll put a book in his lap and run his fingers over the words and babble away like he's actually reading it. And I can sit with him for 30 minutes at a time and just read to him. I think he'll be an early reader :)

- He loves bathtime. He'll splash with his feet and will stick his head under the running water.

- He's the sweetest little cuddle bug. He gives awesome hugs and is now giving kisses. He'll also lay his head on my shoulder and pat my arm whenever I pick him up. Melt my heart!

- Gabe has no fear of animals. See my last post for examples :)

- It's hard to get angry with him because he gives us the cutest little scrunch face if he's doing something naughty. He listens well and knows what "NO" means, but it's hard not to smile when we scold him. He's just too cute!

- He's the ultimate charmer. Most who've met him are smitten by his sweet face and good-natured attitude.

- He's got a pretty sweet mohawk :) It's actually the only thing we can do with his hair that'll stay. Anything else just doesn't cut it.

We love Gabe so much. I feel very blessed to be his mommy and spend my days with him. He's always making me smile and he teaches me the importance of not sweating the small stuff. When it comes to amazing kids, Gabe is definitely at the top of the list! We love you, Bug!

*T

Animal Adventures

I think it's safe to say that my son is obsessed with animals. No matter the size or species, Gabe loves them all. My parents have a yellow lab, and Gabe will be the first to crawl to him and yank on his ear or pat his head. My grandparents live next door, and they have two cats. Gabe has watched them sprawl out on the ground and roll onto their backs, so whenever Gabe sees the cats, he'll crawl over to them and try to roll over them. He doesn't do it do be mean (obviously... he's not even a year old), but those cats usually run when they see him... which he then thinks is an invitation to play:) Lately, we've been trying to indulge his love for animals. In the last month, we've gone to Hogle Zoo, the Dino museum, and Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point. I was unsure how he'd react at the zoo because I wasn't sure he'd understand it, but he proved me wrong! He was very alert and loved seeing all the new animals. His favorite animal/animal sound lately has been the elephant. He'll walk around puffing air through his lips and he laughs out loud whenever I read him his elephant books. It amazes me how smart he is and how quickly he picks up on things! Here are a few pictures from our recent animal adventures:

Gabe saw his first real elephant when we went to Hogle Zoo. He made elephant sounds the whole time we were at the exhibit.

We met at the zoo with our friends Brady and Chelse, and their son Logan is 3 months younger than Gabe. Logan didn't quite get it, but Gabe loved it!

This is a perfect example of how fearless Gabe is with animals, no matter how big. This cow would stick it's head through the bars right where Gabe was, and Gabe never even flinched! We actually had to catch him a couple times because the cow would get so close that it almost knocked him over. Maybe Gabe will be a veterinarian...

Gabe found a baby dino at the dino exhibit, and they were fast friends:)

My Aunt Tammy has a HUGE bloodhound named Metro, and Gabe was amazed by him when she brought him over to visit. Gabe's a really big kid, but you can tell by this picture that Metro is one massive dog!

I love how adventurous my son is. He loves climbing, rolling around on the ground, and he LOVES playing outside. I'm so glad the weather in Utah is finally warm enough to allow us some outdoor playtime! Gabe may have a handful of bruises across his forehead, but nothing stops this little tank! He is ALL BOY. Believe me, I'm constantly chasing him and keeping him from further injury, but I love being his mommy. He keeps me smiling all day long =)

*T

Buehler? Buehler?

I've felt a complete lack of motivation to update my blog lately (can you tell? It's been a month!). Does anybody even read this thing?

he/she

*he*

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? dirty jobs, history channel, castle, the office, glee

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? blue cheese

3. What's one food he doesn't like? are you kidding?

4. You go out to a restaurant, what does he get to drink? water, root beer, diet pepsi

5. Where did he go to high school? lee davis high school, mechanicsville, va

6. What is one phrase he says all the time? "take it easy!", "no worries"

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? TIES.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? reuben.

9. What would this person eat everyday if he could? a big, juicy steak.

10. What is his favorite cereal? cinnamon toast crunch.

11. What would he never wear? a bra.

12. What is his favorite sports team? byu cougars.

13. Who is his best friend? me.

14. How many states has he lived in? 6- VA, UT, ID, IN, NM, AZ

15. Does he have any nervous habits? fake laughing,

16. What could he spend hours doing? playing his computer/phone games

17. Who would he vote for? Mitt Romney

18. He is: an awesome tenor, a great daddy and hubby, a teacher, a chef, very kind, PATIENT.

*she*

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? ellen, the biggest loser, the office, glee

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does she get on her salad? ranch.

3. What's one food she doesn't like? mushrooms, peppers,

4. You go out to a restaurant, what does she get to drink? water with lime, lemonade

5. Where did she go to high school? atlee high school, mechanicsville, va

6. What is one phrase she says all the time? {i love you} in sign language.

7. If she was to collect anything, what would it be? shoes, jewelry.

8. What is her favorite type of sandwich? peanut butter and honey.

9. What would this person eat everyday if she could? otter pops

10. What is her favorite cereal? raisin nut bran.

11. What would she never wear? a bikini.

12. What is her favorite sports team? byu cougars.

13. Who is her best friend? my hubs, vi, chelse.

14. How many states has she lived in? 7- VA, IN, NM, AZ, UT, ID, CA.

15. Does she have any nervous habits? biting nails, cracking knuckles.

16. What could she spend hours doing? reading, computer stuff, talking with friends.

17. Who would she vote for? Mitt Romney.

18. She is: a mommy, a wifey, tall, a strawberry-blonde, fair-skinned with freckles, a sister.

i tag: Jess Harwood, Angela Zeyer, Melissa Nielsen, Sue Gilchrist...

and anyone else who reads my blog. :)

*T

time's a flyin'

Holy moly, these past few weeks have FLOWN BY! After a long-awaited arrival, my in-laws flew into Salt Lake on General Conference Sunday. Gabey and I met them at the airport (surprising my mother-in-law), and then joined them in Park City the next day. We didn't plan on staying in Park City, but I-80 ended up being CLOSED that night because 18 stinkin' inches of snow fell. 18 INCHES! It started when I was driving up the canyon to get to Diana's (my MIL's sister), and it didn't stop until later on the next day. Luckily, Diana is a grandma and had a pack'n'play that Gabe could sleep in. It was fun spending the extra time with my extended family, but it was stressful nontheless... I had no idea when I would get outta there! It took Bruce, my father-in-law, an hour to clear a path to my car when I had to leave, but we got off the mountain safely and finally got on the road to head back to Rexburg. Julia, Ross's youngest sister, came with me to help me prepare for the festivities (and to help with Gabe). We were able to get the house cleaned by the time everyone else showed up Wednesday, which was just in time for Ross's senior recital. My mom and Aunt Vilate made a Costco run before heading up to Idaho, which SAVED ME! We ended up having around 30-40 people stay for refreshments after his recital, so I was very happy and VERY grateful to have their help with the food. Thanks Mom and Vilate! As for Ross's recital, he was awesome. He's such a ham (as most of you know), but it made for a very entertaining evening. His voice stayed strong for the whole recital, and he really made me proud. His voice teacher only had good things to say about his performance, and for all of you who know Kris, her compliments mean a lot more than most. She's as professional as they come, so we take what she says to heart. Good job babes!

The day after Ross's recital was another big day, as Ross had a few finals and Catherine (my other sister-in-law) had her recital. Ross and I both sang duets with her, so it was another big night filled with more singing, more friends, and more food. She did a great job, and it was fun to have a Jazzy touch to a recital (which are usually more Classical/Romantic/Baroque). Friday was Ross's last day of finals, and Saturday was graduation! We all joined together for Commencement, and then each college met to celebrate the graduates from each of the different colleges (i.e. College of Performing and Visual Arts, College of Business and Communication, etc). I was so proud as Ross walked across that stage! He had a huge smile across his face, as did I. He has worked so hard and music is NOT an easy degree. Okay, so he technically doesn't graduate until December when he finishes student teaching, but he walked because his entire family would be here and it was his final semester of classes. Either way, it was a great day to celebrate! Here are the pics...

FINALLY! He's got a degree to go along with all that hard work! Good job baby!

Shaking hands with our friend, President Kim B. Clark.

Ross, Alan, Bro.Linford, Brady, and Katelynd. These people are fantastic and SO talented!

Ross and Gabey after the convocation ceremony.




The whole Graham fam (minus Yours Truly... but somebody had to take the picture).




I couldn't help but post this. He's such a goofball!

This next set of pictures is from a FFFN (Fun Formal Family Night) we had with some friends of ours. Brady and Chelse Hodgson are some of our best friends here in the 'Burg, and Chelse had the grand idea that we needed to put our wedding dresses to use one more time. We invited some other good friends, Katelynd and Ben Blake, to join us at the local bowling alley for our FFFN. We got some looks from most of the people there, and a few even asked us if we were just married (which was funny because our babies were with us...). It is NOT easy bowling in a wedding dress, lemme tell ya! My petticoat that fluffs it up underneath is in Utah, so it was kinda droopy and really long. Chelse and I had to be creative when it came to the actual throwing of the bowling ball since we didn't want to rip our dresses, but it was still a lot of fun. Ross wore his tails and Brady bought a groovy cream-and-brown tux from D.I. for $4. I don't know what got more looks that night, the dresses or that tux. We took lots of pictures, and we'll have fun memories to look back on when Chelse and Brady are at Florida State. We love you guys!

Can't you just tell it's a bowling alley by the gorgeous wall in the background?

Chelse and I sportin' the wedding dress 'n' bowling shoes look. Very fashion-forward.

And the tux and multi-colored shoes are quite the statement. Look at that form!

Ross is now out of school and we're packing for our move to Utah on Friday. I wish I had a magic wand or some Mary Poppin magic to get my house in order! Packing is my least favorite past-time, so it's always slow-moving getting things ready to go. I love unpacking though (it's much less A.D.D. for me), so I'm chomping at the bit to settle in down in Alpine! Check back soon for pictures of our new home!

*T

my sweetness

It's taken me just a few months to figure out how to upload more than 5 pics at a time, but now that I've got the hang of it, ya'll have to suffer through my picture overload:) I LOVE this boy. He has stolen my heart time and time again, and his smile makes my day (as I'm sure you'll understand when you see these pictures). I recently read a blog written by a mom I don't know. Her 3rd son was diagnosed with cancer when he was 6 months old. They noticed that he wouldn't move in certain ways, and he always got fussy during tummy time. They found out that he had a tumor growing on his spine, and it had branched out into the nerves around his vertebrae. During the last weeks of his life, all they could do was make him comfortable. They decided to take him home to spend time together as a family, and he gently passed away in their arms soon after. As I read this mom's blog, I cried. Hard. There are days when I get frustrated with my son, especially as he's teething and going through a "mommy" phase. Yet as this mom talked about her baby boy teaching lessons of love and blessing everyone who knew him, I realized that I need to truly cherish this time I have with my son. Once he hits a certain age, he'll never have another "mommy" phase again. He won't let me squeeze his little cheeks or tickle his chubby legs. I won't be able to hold him as he falls asleep in my arms. These are things that I do every day now, and I don't want to take them for granted. He loves his mommy and daddy, and we love him with everything we've got. He gives the best hugs, he's crawling EVERYWHERE, he's got a goofy personality, and his smile is contagious. See for yourself...

He seems worried for some reason... I'm not sure why.

CHUB!

He puts everything in his mouth.

This is Mr.Bedhead. I LOVE this face!

Bonding time for Daddy and Gabey.

Another face I love.

Gabey loves chewing on wrappers. Is this normal?

I don't even know what this face is, but it's funny!

I love Gabriel. He gives me purpose in this life and he helps me to be a better person. I don't take him for granted, and I love being his mommy. He is one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I thank Heavenly Father every day that I have a strong, healthy, goofy son. Life is good:)

*T