Go Cougs!

Russ's two passions: Sports (NBA and NCAA) and the Gospel. We got to go to the last home game of the year for the BYU basketball team. These are our friends Kalle and Jess. It was a very intense but sad game--we lost to New Mexico. It was filled with highs and lows. I told Russ that this is why I am not a sports fan like he is--I can't handle the emotional roller coaster it sends me on to be watching a game that I'm actually in to. When we left this game I felt so fried. Russ enjoyed watching his team play for the NCAA championships. Unfortunately the Cougars only made it to the second round, but they haven't even made it that far since 1993 or something, so it was pretty exciting for Russ that they made it that far. (They had a pretty cool pregame show that I uploaded below, sorry if it didn't work.)

Phone time with Grandma

Springtime is Victory in Utah

Springtime/end of winter-time in Utah is pretty tantalizing. The snow keeps falling but melts right away. I check out back everyday to watch every inch slowly disappearing from our once entirely snow-covered yard. I feel more and more triumphant and victorious with every inch. People are funny this time of year. Our teenage nephews keep traipsing about in shorts and shirts because "they're not cold". People, like our nephews, are in denial that there is any hint of winter still in the air. As soon as it gets into the 40 degree range, it's time for either light jackets or no jackets for most people. Even though you can see the goose bumps on their skin--it's SO worth it because it means we are fighting off the winter and proclaiming it spring, no matter what the thermostat says! We WILL be victorious!!
Gracee ran around all afternoon yesterday without shoes on. she was running around in the grass chasing bubbles, running up to the neighbor girls on the bicycles begging for a ride, going on walks with her neighbor friends up and down the sidewalk...she is so excited for spring!
We took these pix the other day at the park...it was still pretty cold that day, but we were VICTORIOUS!

can I toot my own horn for a minute?

Baklava is one of my favorite dishes--tired of trying to find it and tired of paying an arm and a leg for it when I do! So I've learned to make it. This was day old boring rice that I didn't know what to do with, so I veggied-it-up, added some olive oil and spices and voila mexican rice side dish! It was really good too..

I kept meaning to go get M&M's or something to put in this dish for the month of February, but decided roasted almonds would be just as fun and way better for you! People have loved them! I've had to refill the dish 3 times!

Something I love to do is take recipes and adapt them "Susie style"-- That usually means lots of veggies. This one is the inside "meat mixture" for enchiladas. I put asparagus, onions, red peppers, and spinach. Oh and that's ground turkey instead of ground beef. They turned out really yummy!

My mother-in-law is making a sign for our my kitchen that says: "Susie's Bistro..lengthening lives one meal at time". I truly have found one of my greatest passions.

Lids 'n Things

If anyone read the post about Gracee's crazy toy quirks, this is an extension of that. Gracee loves lids, big and small. She loves containers of any sort. She even loves digging through our recycle 'bin' (which, as you can see is located on the floor!) to find new fun containers. Her favorite for about a week was our bin of rice that WAS located next to the frige. I had to move it back downstairs because... as you can see things got a little out of hand. She started tossing it on the floor like she was sowing seeds!

sicky sick

So Gracee has been sick for ....forever! Well, maybe just a week or so. But man, the last two days have been so rough. And the worst part is that it's 3 am and I can't go to sleep cuz I feel so yucky. I never get sick...and I do mean never. Well, almost. So when I do get sick I am a real baby. Anyway, at least it's giving me a good opportunity to catch up on everyone's blogs!

Dog Lover

This is Reggie, Gracee's newest dog friend.

Loves for Reggie..

Gracee has several ways to communicate this affectionate relatioship she has with dogs...EVERY dog. She'll either pant with her toungue hanging out, she'll say "Mo! or Sally!" (her two favorites in the neighborhood) or she'll do the sign for dog which is to pat her leg. Russ and I are not at all pet lovers. We've both agreed though that if our kids beg us to get a dog one day, a small non-yippy one is the only way to go.