Los Valles

Pancakes is the one dish that everyone at my house will for sure be happy to eat. So we eat them a lot. I’ve found a recipe I really like (see below). But my pancakes are never round, never even a recognizable shape. As Omar was doing dishes I was making pancakes, and getting really frustrated. He just laughed at me and said they are just “cat in the hat pancakes.” I act mad, but I really like that he laughs at me like I’m cute.

But why is it that everything I do turns out cat in the hat and everything he does turns out perfectly?

I made him finish making the pancakes.

Best Pancake Recipe

from recipezaar

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• Beat egg until fluffy.
• Add milk and melted margarine.
• Add dry ingredients and mix well.
• Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with a little butter on a paper towel.
• The pan is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which ‘dance’ around the pan.
• Pour a small amount of batter (approx 1/4 cup) into pan and tip to spread out or spread with spoon.
• When bubbles appear on surface and begin to break, turn over and cook the other side.

*updated! anything red Omar has done. Great idea Amanda. (He’s too responsible and too much of a homebody for a lot of these.)
The Ones in Bold are the ones I’ve done. Copy and paste into your blog and see how many you get.

Things I have done in my life:
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World – I’ve been to Disneyland but not DisneyWorld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child – I may one day
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked – with Billy when the thunderbird fried
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice – it was way too expensive, we just kissed on the top of every bridge instead
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language – if only…
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance – although I was not the hurt person, Rocky Donati was
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie – does a homemade movie count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check (oops)
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

It’s funny how this list makes you feel accomplished…

We left town last Monday for our big summer vacation. No, that’s just my joke, because it’s the only trip we’ll be taking this summer. (I always have such big plans. )

Monday morning we headed to Ridgecrest to find somewhere to live for the next adventure of our lives. We had planned on renting for a while, but apparently with all the base realignments, there is not much renting to be done in Ridgecrest right now. So, we were on our way to buy our first house. It seemed like a big moment before we did, boy did I have no idea how big it was! But house buying will be another post.

Omar’s good friend Steven’s mom, Nancy, was wonderful enough to let us stay with her while we were in Ridgecrest. We had a lot of fun with her, and she was an awesome host. Helaman loved her big t.v., more than is probably good for him. We stayed with her until Wednesday night, then went to San Juan Capistrano to spend the 4th of July with Omar’s brother. Then it was back to Ridecrest on Saturday to be at our house when the inspector was there, and then a loooooooong drive home to Gridley.

It was a crazy trip, and we had tons of fun being together. For more fun details, or just details, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, you can always click through the pictures.

I’ve loved Omar for what seems like forever. We’ve always secretly thought we had one of those special made for each other and only each other kind of loves. I thought when I married him I couldn’t love him more, but of course, the longer we are married, the more I grow to love him. But I never love him as much as when I watch him be daddy to my babies.

I love his kind heart and his patience. I love how he worries about his responsibility to take care of them. I love how he makes them giggle. He has a special gift for making people feel like the most important person in the world (I happen to know), and I love how Helaman and Isaiah’s face light up when daddy comes home. I love how he is amazed by them, and teaches me to appreciate all the little wonders of everyday with those two. I love how he is always gentle when he’s mad and rough when they’re having fun. I love that he calls them his buddies, and wants them to go everywhere with him. I love that we are the most important things, and he lets us know that in word and deed everyday. I’m so blessed to be the mommy to his daddy.

My Dad

As for my dad, the older I get the more I grow to appreciate you. I know you’re thinking I chose this picture to tease you about napping all the time, but I didn’t. I loved watching you sleep with my baby that day in the hospital. I always love watching you love my babies. Thanks for everything you do to take care of us. I know our lives have been easier and happier because of all that you have sacrificed for our little family the last four years. Thanks for your never-ending example of selfless service. For us, and for anyone else who needs you. I learn a lot about being Christ-like from watching you, and I’m grateful to have been here to see that example at a time in my life when I was ready to appreciate it.

Thanks for your goodness, your teasing because you love me, your sense of irony, your thirst for knowledge, your integrity, and all the other things that make me grateful your my dad. I love you.

Our weekend started on Friday because Omar took the day off. Things have been so busy lately we haven’t had a lot of family time with daddy, so it was nice to have him home a little extra this weekend. We always have so much fun when we are all together!

Friday started with park day, then Helaman and Omar mowed the lawn and then we did haircuts. We played all afternoon, and then we took Grandma Elsa to Red Robin for her birthday and did some Wal-Marting, then stopped at Ava’s to play for a while and eat Tara’s most delicious cookies.

Saturday Isaiah got to go on his first fishing trip where daddy and Michael, as usual, caught nothing, but tried really hard. Actually, Tara and I got to fish too because it was California’s free fishing day. The kids had lots of fun enjoying the river, and didn’t care much about the lack of fish (though I cannot say the same for the men…)

Here are some of the pictures from this weekend. You can always click a pic to get more details.

Life has been crazy, and I have been busy and tired. But so many things have happened since my last post that I don’t want to forget. So, here goes…

You can click on a picture to read more about the memory, or just enjoy some of our crazy pictures.

Omar’s done! He turned in his final report, took his last final (there’s a lot of finality in that sentence) and walked off of campus at Chico State as a student for the final time. The only thing left to do is graduate. I’m so proud of him. This has been a long hard four years, but he persevered and even shined. He’s graduating on Friday Magna Cum Laude, which means he was in the top 5% for the whole college (he gets a medal and everything). That’s not easy to do in Mechanical Engineering, he’s worked really hard. Helaman’s excited to watch daddy get a medal (just like Curious George). Way to go honey, I’m really proud of you!

We went to Outback tonight to celebrate. That’s been our tradition the day he finishes finals. It doesn’t feel real that it is really all done. In my head, he’s just on Summer break again.

And while I’m being proud and bragging…

I was playing the The Ladybug Game with Helaman today. You have to collect aphids as part of the game. He already had three, and then he drew a card to get three more. “Oh good, now I have six,” says my three-year-old as he adds the numbers in his head. He did it several more times, even figuring out 8+3=11 which I have to think about every time. I think he got his daddy’s genius math brain. He can count to 30 with no mistakes, counts to 10 in Spanish and can “read” numbers to 13. He never ceases to amaze me.

Between him and his already getting into everything 7 month old brother I think they are going to keep me on my toes.

It looks like we will probably be moving to Ridgecrest sometime in the next couple of months. We won’t get a start date until Omar actually graduates and NAVAIR gets his transcripts, so the world is still pretty up in the air.

And for everyone I told I would never move to the desert, I’m okay with it now. All other plans have either not worked out, or just not felt right for our family. We feel like the Lord is directing us here, so here we go.

The job at China Lake is hard to beat, and we’ll be okay as long as we’re together. It’s only about 6 hours away, so we can drive home in a morning. It will be a new adventure.

And on the plus side, there are no skies like desert skies.