Bill's Beefaroni

Chef Bill was in charge of dinner last night. He did a great job of using leftover ingredients from other meals and came up with this creation:

While it may not look it, it was really quite tasty, so I wrote down the recipe for future use.

1 lb. ground beef

8 oz. elbow macaroni

1/2 yellow onion, diced

20 oz spaghetti sauce

garlic

mozzarella cheese, shredded

salt & pepper to taste

Brown beef, garlic & onions, then drain the fat. Add macaroni and water. Let noodles cook about 10 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with cheese and serve!

A few gems from the last week...

Tummytime with Dad

Getting ready for bed

After a nice warm bath

All Smiles!

Sam has been cracking little smiles for a couple of weeks now, but this is the first time I've been able to catch one with my camera. He's pretty happy donning the cute cap his Aunt Annie knitted for him!

He just lights up our day!

Brrrrrr!

It's freezing! It snowed again and the streets and sidewalks are very icy. We're trying to get this little guy out more often for some fresh air and a break from our close quarters. We're doing our best to keep Sam bundled up, but it's hard when the high is 13 degrees!

This getup is a little bit big, but he's growing so fast, it should fit better in no time.

We can't wait for spring!

Welcome 2009

Happy New Year! I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming that it's already 2009 and we have a 5 week old baby! We had a pretty low-key New Years Eve. We had a fun dinner and games with our friends, Daniel & Andrea Ricks while Sam hung out in their cozy LoveSac.

We were home and I was in bed by 8:30 pm. Bill woke me up just before midnight to ring in the new year, I fed Sam and went right back to bed. My excuse is that I'd rather start the new year well rested!

This is one of my favorite pictures. Many of you have asked if Sam has any hair yet. You can't tell by looking at him from the front, but he does have a nice little coat of brown hair. I love looking at his cute little head from the back!

A few days ago, we took Sammy to his 5 week checkup. He loves his new stroller Grandma & Grandpa Ellison gave him. It's a very smooth ride. Sam now weighs 9 lbs 11 oz and is 22 inches long. He didn't like the Hep B shot they gave him and boy did he let them know it! At least we know his lungs work!

2008 was very good to us and I am looking forward to the exciting things 2009 has in store!

Favorite Memory of 2008

How can I choose just one?! This has been such a wonderful year that picking one is nearly impossible. This picture sums it up for me.

This is our humble little Christmas tree. I had decided that we didn't need to decorate this year, but Bill surprised me with this tree and ornaments.

Since our beautiful Samuel was born, I have spent many hours rocking him in our chair, staring at this tree. I must have had a million thoughts run through my head. I thought about my trials that make me stronger, my Heavenly Father who comforts me, my amazing family and in-laws who love us so much, our great friends, our precious son who already makes us laugh and wears us out, and most of all, my sweet husband and best friend who works so hard, is such a good example to me and makes me want to be a better person.

To me, this tree represents my Savior who made all of these blessings possible. I'm so grateful for this holiday season. It has taken on new meaning for me this year and I'll never forget it.

Sammy's First Christmas

We had an amazing Christmas this year! We received the best Christmas present a little early and are so grateful for our little Sammy!

We drove down to Washington DC a couple of days before Christmas to be with Bill's family. It was a wonderful way to spend the holiday. The normally four hour drive took us 7 hours on the way there and 9 on the way home. With several stops along the way to feed and change a baby, it can add a few hours! Sam has already been in 5 states in his short four weeks of life. I added Maryland and Delaware to my list. I'm almost to 50! We had such a good time with Bill's parents, brother James and sister Tina and their families!

On Christmas Eve, we read the story of the Nativity and sang Christmas carols. Sam was the star of the show!

Christmas morning was so fun watching all the kids open their presents and eating delicious food! This was such a special Christmas for us. We are so grateful to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior, for His restored gospel and all of our many blessings.

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Footloose and Fancy Free!

We took Sam back to the Orthopedist today to check his hips after wearing the brace for two weeks. She said that everything looks and feels great and he doesn’t need to wear it anymore! We are so thrilled and grateful! He’s been such a trooper through the whole thing. What a huge blessing! He just looks so sweet with his legs free to stretch and move around.

Storytime with Daddy

Feed me Mom!!