Last weekend my amazing sister in law Nichole threw me a baby shower, my kind of baby shower. No dumb baby games, just relaxed conversation and food. I was looking forward to it but a little disappointed that none of my family would be here. My mom, sister, and grandma all surprised me and showed up! It was absolutely amazing. They are the best!

Speaking of my favorites, this is also another one of my favorite girls! This was at my 22 week ultrasound, she was sticking her tongue out at us and moving it in and out. She is already her father's child! Less than 6 weeks to go (we hope)!

This last week has been a little busy for us as well but with some fun things so I am not complaining! Between friends visiting and staying the night, temple trips, Halloween parties, work, craft fairs, church meetings, taking pictures, family members passing away, and trying to keep up with everything around the house, it has been a little bit crazy.

Speaking of pictures... I LOVE when people come to visit! One of my roommates from my very first semester got engaged recently and they came down yesterday for me to take their engagement pictures! Nate was in our FHE group and they started dating within the first few weeks of school. She waited for him while he went on a mission and they are just so darn cute! I will put up many more on my photography blog in the next few days. I miss taking pictures so much so this was perfect!

There is a very good reason why I do not follow recipes very closely. That is because I am just not good at it. Maybe its the reading part I am just not good at. For Monday's dinner I made Sticky Fingers. They turned out so good. I think this weeks meal theme was comfort food because it just hit the spot!


(Don't mind my not very good pictures of this food, it was 9 PM and we were both way past ready for this food!)

Wednesday was tacos, another FAVORITE! Last night I decided to be a little adventurous and try something completely new for me. Remember, I don't like to follow recipes. I was in a Chinese mood and decided to attempt homemade egg rolls and also chow mein. While Cody was helping me by cooking the chicken for the chow mein I was putting the egg rolls together. It calls for a paste made of flour and water. Me and my amazing reading skills somehow missed a period and a few words and read that you were supposed to mix the paste with the inside meet and veggies. At first I thought that was a little weird but then I thought it was just to keep everything all together.

 As I started to roll them Cody asked me to read the directions so he could get the oil boiling. As I am reading them, realizing that the paste is to make the end corner stick to the roll, I just about pee my pants from laughing so hard. It is a really good thing Cody has a great sense of humor and has learned to laugh at me and my "mistakes." He is also very brave to eat everything I make because I never actually have followed a recipe through to the end as it says. They tasted just fine, thank heavens! Out of the 12 that we made last night, I had 3. The rest have been inhaled by Cody in less than 24 hours. I would say that he liked them to.

This chow mein recipe I found was perfect to! It is what I like to call "MY" kind of Chinese food, chicken and noodles!

As I was talking to Cody while he was at work today I told him a name that I liked. All he said was, "Its a name." That just goes to show you how far we have come in naming our child. At this point I have accepted the fact that she will be called child until she is at least two years of age. OK, ok. She just wont have a named picked out by the time we leave the hospital.

Boys don't read blogs. That just isn't a manly thing to do. Cody read the blog the other day, which is great, I don't mind it at all. I am just getting really excited about Cody's birthday in a few weeks and I have already started on his birthday present. Thanks to pinetrest of course! For the sake of keeping Cody's present a secret, at least until the week of his birthday, I am not going to share. But it is already really exciting and I will eventually blog about it! When I know it is safe of course.

Last Sunday was a nice lazy day here at the Searle home. Cody asked what I wanted to do and I told him that I wanted to color. After a long stare of disbelief we finally whipped out the good ol' Hello Kitty twist crayons that I have had since I was 8.

 Yes. Cody needed a hair cut bad. And yes, he got one yesterday.

Cody just loves coloring. And me taking pictures. Can't you tell?

Last week I got a very early Christmas present. PHOTOSHOP! We have been apart for over 4 months now, due to the fact that my computer was a complete piece of junk and decided to die. I have been editing like crazy and LOVING it! I will post a few pictures from things when I get them finished.

Also thanks to pinterest, I have found these really easy, and obviously darling, crocheted baby boots! I just need to put buttons and flowers on them and they are done. Of course one is going to my sister so I couldn't ruin the whole surprise by showing you what they really look like.

And last chapter in this novel of a blog post, if I would just suck it up and write more often this wouldn't be so long, food of course! Today was grocery shopping day. The one day a month that I absolutely love and hate at the same time. I love having food in the house and a lot of delicious dinner ideas. What I don't like is walking around the store for what feels like hours looking for one thing. Yes, ONE item. Turns out they don't even have it. At least it wasn't for tonight's dinner so I still have time to find it.


(Mine better taste as good as these look! And no, Cody's plate will not have ranch on it.)

I am already so excited to make Winger's Sticky Fingers! They are basically chicken strips smothered in a delicious spicy sauce that is sweet. The name of their sauce is Wingers Freakin Amazing Sauce. Amazing sounding right?! The recipe I found looks easy and harmless enough. Well if all turns out well, which my fingers are turning purple because they are crossed so tightly, it will be the best dinner in a long time. Ok, maybe not the best but it will be wonderful.  And one craving  to check off the list!

Our poor little girl. Last night while we were watching Andy Griffith and just calming down, she was moving so much! We just sat and watched her for what felt like the longest time. Cody was laughing and just having fun feeling her moving. Not even half an hour later my stomach did a complete flip. I just barely made it to the bathroom before my stomach completely emptied. That poor little girl was just warning me that something wasn't right! Trying to kick it away from her... possibly?

I now am having a doctors appointment every two weeks. That means it is getting close. Very close. The other night Cody informed me that I would not be holding our baby at all at the hospital. Completely shocked I asked him why in the world not. His response said it all. "Because I will be holding her the entire time." At this point I don't know who is more excited, me or him!
 

Besides working part time, young womens is sure keeping me busy. At least one night a week and on Sundays. Last night for our activity we painted pumpkins. And YES, that is a Harry Potter pumpkin. Coolest pumpkin of the night, even though I didn't make it.

Last week we had a "movie night." Everyone got their hair done, some were crazy and others were cute. Mine just happened to be crazy, at one point it was sticking straight up. I brought my camera and it turned into an interesting night. I am not going to lie, I didn't think I could even get six inches off the ground when Talia said she wanted to take a jumping picture with me! Well I have proof! 7 1/2 months pregnant and I still got hops. At least I did that night.

I got to take a few of the girls pictures this past week. There are three girls that are best friends and they like to do friend pictures, especially this year because one will probably be moving before the end of the school year. Maybe once I get photo shop again and can actually edit pictures I will post more.

The most exciting news is the weather. Terrible, I know! I am glad to say that it is officially FALL here in Burley, even though it was 85 degrees two days ago. It is now in the 30's and we woke up to snow on the mountains! I lied, its not a mountain, its a hill.

Cody is in love with all things Christmas and this gloomy cold weather is NOT helping! This morning I asked Cody where he thought we should put the Christmas tree (I am getting thrown off with the weather to!). Of course he took this as an invitation to start singing Christmas music. Oh boy, its going to be a LONG next two months until that music is aloud in this house!

I am excited for lots of nights filled with blankets and snuggling, hot chocolate, squash!, caramel apples, pumpkins, and all foods even remotely related to fall! 

At my doctors appointment yesterday the Dr walks in and says,
"9 weeks and 6 days left. But who is counting?"
The 10 week count down is officially on.  Not like we are excited at all or anything.

Also, no matter what I will NOT have a Christmas baby. Thank you induction!
The longest I will have to wait to meet this little lady be December 19th.

I ALSO have a new love. The Sing-Off!!! (Its a TV that is a music competition but they are all a capella groups) It is AMAZING! I love music and the groups that are on this season are amazing. I now have something to look forward to at night while Cody is at work. :)