Photos!

What follows is a transcript from a conversation I had last week:

me: Hi Friend in my country!

Bethany: haha

hey!

i am blogging...gotta keep everyone informed!

me: yes!

1:39 PM Bethany: hah

complete with pictures...

which i think you need more of little missy!

me: I'm technologically challenged... and I don't take pictures of my boring life :)

you have to read because you want to know my heart ;)

1:40 PM Bethany: haa, ok

So, I decided to do my buddy a favor and take pictures of my "boring life" for a few days :). Notice that pictures really only were taken when Rib was around! I'm horrible at remembering to do it myself. Otherwise, I'd have pictures from cooking for Maundy Thursday (and the bad allergy attack I was having the whole time!), my fun dinner with two of my favorite people under 4 years old, and women in prayer or something. But, as my little friend would say, "Ya get what ya get, and ya don't get upset!"

Funny thing is... a few of the pictures are of things Beth doesn't like! Guinea pigs and mushrooms!




Blackberry figured out how to block Brownaby from the food bowl. It only worked for a second, but we thought it was hilarious.


This is Brendan's I-want-more-good-salad face. We had a date at home per Brendan's suggestion and made dinner together.Enjoying my portion
Our Spinach Salad with Raspberries, Sugar-Toasted Almonds and a Warm Sweet Onion Vinagrette


Our main dish: Penne with Roasted Tomato and Mushroom Sauce
Brendan adding the roasted mushrooms to the sauce
Spud trying to smell the sauce! We invented this sauce to satisfy some major cravings :)
Brendan stirring the mushrooms mid-roast. The recipe for these roasted criminis came from my Well-Rounded Pregnancy Cookbook. Apparently, mushrooms have lots of good stuff in them! These were roasted with balsamic, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Rib did an awesome job!
Me starting the sauce of organic fire-roasted tomatoes, sugar, olive oil, S&P. The rest of the flavor came from the shrooms and everything in which they were roasted.

The next batch of pics is from our night out for Chad's birthday. We all met up at the Musiquarum downtown. It's a fun place, but you do have to pay Wild Ginger prices for bar service. Although, we did have a super friendly waitress :)



Out on the town... in the parking garage. Rib found $5 on the ground outside!
This was the first time in a LONG while that I actually got fully dressed-up. I even wore my fishnets :)


Now for the Easter pictures...
My preggers Easter dress that Brendan got for me at Gap Maternity.

I made a little Easter surprise breakfast for Brendan. I usually make him an Easter basket because apparently they didn't do Easter baskets when he was growing up. They weren't a huge deal at my house, but I did always love getting one! To me, they are sort of like giving Christmas presents. I like to celebrate Christ's love for us by taking an opportunity to show some love to my love!

I made cornbread because I had a dream about it, and it's an awesome excuse to eat honey, which Rib loves. He also likes grapefruit.
This is Brendan making coffee for us with his new Aerobie Aeropress. We really like it as it can make espresso-like shots, and we can make our own Americano's without having to buy an espresso machine... which is still on our list, but the aeropress was only $20!

How I wound up Easter afternoon at the Grown-up Ribera's. My ribs were really hurting, as they are almost every day now, so I had to lay down. Being flat, of course, almost instantly results in a nap these days!
Me and my Easter Pez dispenser from Laura. It has a chick on it because that's what I am! You can see the little buddha belly Spud there.
Mark, Joel, and Kletia after our delicious Italian feast.
Jordan's new girlfriend (3 mos), Candiece.
And to end, a really bad picture of us! At least we both look funny :)