It's been awhile

It has been a busy summer for the Loepers. In June, we went to Arizona for a Loeper family reunion. It was a blast to see all of my in-laws. The boys really enjoyed the plane rides too. In July, the boys, my mom and I went to the beach for a long weekend. The boys absolutely love the beach. Christopher did not want to leave the water at all. I can't wait to take them back again. August has been quiet for us. Christopher had a small birthday dinner. He got a watertable that looks like a pirate ship. The boys love it and play in it almost everyday. Bryan will be going to Japan at the end of September. He will be gone for three weeks. It is a wonderful opportunity for him, and we are so excited. He also might get a promotion in the next couple of months that will involve him travelling around the world more. Bryan is really hoping to get this job and so are the rest of us. I am going well. My next class will begin in a little over a week. The boys and I are getting out more. I am hoping to take them to an apple orchard next week to pick apples. I make yummy homemade applesauce and the boys love it.

I will try to update more often. :)

French's recipes

Here are two recipes using yummy French's products. I hope you enjoy.

Zesty Ham Glaze
An easy glaze to finish the ham or turkey. Serve extra for dipping.

Prep time: 5 minutes

1/2 cup French's spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup French's Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar

1. Mix all ingrediants in a small bowl. Brush mixture on ham frequently during the last hour of baking.

2. Baste on ham frequently during last 30 minutes of baking.

3. Good with roast turkey or chicken.

makes 1 cup


Chicken and Rice

3 chicken thighs
1 cup uncooked rice
1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10.5 0z can of water (just fill up the empty soup can)
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup French's french fried onions
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 9x13 pan pour in rice, soup, and water. Stir together.
3. Add in broccoli and slowly stir together
4. Place chicken on top of rice mixture and salt and paper to taste.
5. Bake for 1 hour
6. Pour French's french fried onion on during last 15 minutes and continue baking.

This makes enough for 3 adults or two adults and two toddlers. You can substitute more chicken or different pieces to your liking.

settling in

Things have been pretty laid back the past few weeks. Bryan is working hard at work and with school. He is making As in both of his classes. We are very proud of him. Especially since he has been working a lot of hours. The boys playing more together and enjoying the warmer weather. Christopher is going to move to the toddler bed soon, and he is super excited. Marcus is my big helper. He fetches stuff for me and helps me take care of our dog. I am so proud of my big boy. I am starting my last leg of recovery before I can walk on my own. I am in a boot right now and will be in it for the next four weeks. I am slowly working towards walking in the boot without my crutches. It will be a few more weeks before I am able to do that though. It is exciting to not have the cast on anymore. My x-rays look great, and you can barely see the break. We have a nice little routine that we are enjoying. I just hope this continues.

Maintaining

Nothing really new to report. I am able to get around the house more. The pain is managable, and I am able to do more with the boys. Next week I am on my own, so I will see how much I can get done. Bryan started school this week. So far he is doing well, but the classes are not very interesting for him. Marcus is getting into his why phase. He asked why all the time now. I am hoping this will be a short phase. Christopher is talking more and starting to copy what you do. It is really adorable. I had forgotten how much I love this stage.

We don't have any major plans for Easter. We will dye eggs, do an egg hunt and have Easter baskets. I have a paper due that night, so I am hoping to have most of it done before the Easter bunny comes.

Next week will be more interesting because Heather is coming for a visit, and I am going on my annual weekend trip with my mom. Heather is joining me, so I am super excited. Until then, I hope everyone has a great Easter and week.

New adventures

Well, my ankle is healing very well. The bone is all lined up and looking great. I am in a cast now and will be in this for a few weeks. The cast is uncomfortable, but I am trying to get used to it. I am excited to be a member of the metal implants club. I have a membership card too. I kind of feel like Wolverine with the metal all along my bone.

School is going well for me. I am really enjoying my theory class. Bryan starts classes on Monday. I am so proud of him for starting school again. The best part is that we will both graduate in 2011.

The boys are trying to adjust to the changes since my ankle broke. It is hard for them, but they are trying so hard. My mom is helping out a lot by taking them out on weekends. With the cast on I am able to be around them more without worrying they are going to hurt my incision. I hope next week we can play lots and enjoy Easter.

On the road to recovery

I had hoped to be feeling better by this weekend, but that didn't happen. On Wednesday, I got a second opinion on my ankle and found out that it was broken. On Thursday, I went to see an orthopedic who said I needed surgery to fix my ankle. On Friday, I had the surgery. I am in a lot of pain, but I am trying to stay positive. Bryan has taken more time off of work to help me. My mom is able to help some too. We have had lots of support from the ward, family and friends. We are so thankful for everyones help.

I think I am going to end my roller derby career. I can't handle another injury like this one. I miss being able to play with the boys and do the simple things. I will just have to find a safer hobby. I am hoping the recovery will go well. I am doing everything I can to make sure that the doctor's orders are followed. I go back this coming Friday. I hope he has some good news for me.

Life just keeps getting crazier

Well, I was hoping for a better March, but that isn't what we are getting. I sprained my ankle two Sunday's ago, so things are pretty crazy around here. Last week, Bryan took off as much work as he could to help me out. The Relief Society was called in too because I couldn't do much of anything. Bryan was swamped with work, on call and now having to do my work plus his own. It was a very stressful week for us all. To make matters worse, everyone got the stomach bug.

This week is starting out better. I am more mobile now, even though I am still on crutches. Everyone is over the stomach bug, so we are back on real food. Bryan is not on call this week, so that makes things better. We are just taking things a day at a time right now. Hopefully by the end of this week my ankle will start feeling better. I would like to be walking soon. I really miss being able to do things on my own.

A new month

Well, since February was such a crazy month we are hoping that March will be much better. So far we haven't started great. Bryan and I are both sick...again. Bryan has also been working late most nights. I am getting ready to start my 3rd seminar for graduate school. There is a ton of reading for this one, so I have started early. I am also tutoring a women in Algebra II. In one week, we have pulled up grade up from a D to a C. I am hoping over the next two weeks to pull her up to a B. She also would like me to start tutoring her son in Algebra. I start roller derby practice this coming Sunday. I am very excited to start this new sport. Marcus is slowly getting more interested in the potty. I am hoping this will pick up, and he will actually start using the potty. Christopher is starting to talk more. It is so cute to hear him. I think I let him watch too much Dora and Kilan though. Some of what he says sounds like Spanish, Chinese or a mix of the two. This weekend will be filled with lots of rest for Bryan and me. I am hoping we will be better for next week.

I'm back

My mother-in-law mentioned that I needed to update my blog. So I am here to update everyone on the status of my wonderful family.

Bryan is working really hard. He got a new boss a couple weeks ago, and the new guy is keeping him super busy. Bryan's company sees how great he is at programming, so hopefully that will mean a big raise for him. Bryan has been working so hard for the IT department. I am so proud of the work he has been doing.

Marcus is growing up way too fast. He is still not potty trained, but I am hoping to have that done by the summer. Marcus is really into trains, so we spend lots of time playing trains. He is really smart and picks up things very quickly. He is in Sunbeams right now, and I am so proud at how well he is doing. I can't believe that he will start school soon.

Christopher is a stinker. He is starting to talk more and began walking a few months ago. He wants to be just like his big brother, so Marcus has a shadow most of the day. Christopher is becoming a picky eater. He does not eat much meat. It really makes feeding him interesting. I am hoping this is just a phase because making two different dinners is no fun and I worry about him not eating.

I am working hard on at school. I am about to finish my second seminar. I only have four more to go before I graduate. I can't believe how quickly this is going by. I start my scoring tonight. It is going to be difficult adding on the work, but I absolutely love to score standardized tests. I am starting training soon to be a roller derby girl. I ordered my gear yesterday, and I should start training either next week or the week after. I am very excited because I have wanted to try this for a while. I haven't skated in a long time, so it will be awhile before I make one of the Charlotte teams. My goal is to make a team by next year though.

Things are always busy here. It has been a challenging first couple months of 2010, but I am hoping that the rest of the year is better. We are working very hard to make things better.

And the winners are....

Thanks to everyone that entered. The winners are

1. Lisa
2. Carrie
3. Jessica
4. Alisha
5. Jennifer

Please email me (c2wonderwoman@yahoo.com) your addresses, so I can send out your prizes.

My Big Contest

My favorite cousin, Lisa, held a contest, and I won. It was a ton of fun, and I just have to pass it on.

I am now doing the same contest for all of my friends and family. To enter into the contest you have to leave a comment. Everyone that leaves a comment will be put into the drawing. On April 30th, I will draw five names, and those five people will receive a prize. This prize will be something that I have made. No guarantees that it will be useful or even something you want or like, but it will be something I made. The big catch is that the five people that win have to do this contest on their blogs.

Good Luck to everyone.

If you don't have a blog, please feel free to enter. If you win then you can do the contest through email, myspace, facebook or however you talk with your friends and family.

We are still alive

It has been far too long since I have updated. Things continue to stay busy here. We bought my in-laws house in March. It is so wonderful to be out of a small apartment. The boys love all of the room. Marcus is enjoying being able to play in the yard. We were also finally able to take my dog from my parents house. She is now enjoying being indoors and having the boys to play with. Here is a quick run down of what is going on in everyone's life.

Marcus is a terrible two-a-saurus. He does quite a bit of fussing now, and we are all trying to deal with it the best we can. He is really into dinosaurs. For Easter, he got a kids picnic table with dinosaurs painted on it. Marcus is talking a lot more. He is even remembering a lot more now. Yesterday, he was able to tell me all about eating cake with Aunt CiCi on Easter. It was really cute, and I am proud of him.

Christopher is growing up way to fast. He is almost as tall as Marcus, and he is a mover. He isn't crawling, but he does a scoot/flip around thing that moves him all over the floor. He as also started standing up in his pack'n'play. Today he walked around it holding onto the edges. I have a feeling he is going to be a walker soon. Christopher has been doing well in his helmet. It has been about two and a half months, and there has been a lot of growth in the right areas. He still needs a little more growth on his leftside, and his ears need to shift a little more. I am hoping he'll be out of the helmet by the end of May.

Bryan is working very hard. He is doing a lot of programming stuff at work. The good part is that he is able to work from home, so we get to see him more. We are hoping this will lead to a job offer, but for now we are just waiting.

I am keeping very busy. I am staying home with the boys during the day and working from home at night. I started competitive running two months ago. I finished my first 4 mile race in one hour and five minutes. I have my second race, a 5K, tomorrow. I am still trying to get the house unpacked and set up. I had to take a month off while I tried working outside of the home. We all agreed everything runs better when I am at home. The boys are enjoying too because I am cooking and baking a lot more.

That is all that is going on around here. I will try to update weekly.

Update

Well, things here continue to be busy. Marcus is hitting the terrible twos really hard now. It is hard having him fuss all the time, but we are trying to work on it. He is now saying please more and we are working on him saying thank you. Christopher is getting bigger and bigger. He is smiling, blowing bubbles, and generally very happy. Bryan is very busy with school and work. He is still making good grades in school. Work is going well. He is working on a new program, and he really is enjoying that. I am doing better. I have not been able to find a full-time job, but I have found a solution so that I can make money and be home with the boys. I am tutoring now at night and staying home with the boys during the day. The past couple of weeks have been hard because we are adjusting to the new schedule I have. Things are starting to settle down though. We are getting ready for Heather's wedding this week. It should be a fun time for us all. Well, I need to get back to work.

Long weekend

Our family had an eventful Labor Day weekend. Marcus spent lots of time with his Grammy and PP. He went to Monkey Joe's and dinner on Friday. Saturday he went to Carowinds, and Sunday he went out to the park for Ginger's birthday party. Christopher enjoyed time at home with the parents, but he did go to the park for Ginger's birthday too. Bryan spent most of the weekend cleaning up. He did get to spend some quality time with Kevin and the PS2. I rested some and took care of Christopher. Bryan and I spent most of Sunday and Monday watching the first season of Heroes. It actually is a cool show. I still have a lot more to watch if I want to be up to date before the new season starts. Luckily, Bryan has all the shows downloaded so I can watch them anytime I want. The weekend was pretty good for everyone.

I am sad to say that the baby blues have taken over. I am trying to not let it bother me, but I am feeling the blues pretty bad. The only bright spot in all of it is spending time with Bryan. I just get really down when I am with the boys. I am not 100% yet, so I feel bad that I can't play like I used to. I hope these blues go away soon. I don't like being sad and weepy all the time.

Busy busy

Things here are getting busier. Bryan started classes this week. He has a lot of work to do, but he is very organized. Bryan is working very hard and has already gotten a 100 on a quiz. I am so proud of him, and I keep encouraging him to keep up the great work.

Even though I am supposed to be on maternity leave, I am starting work on Monday. I am not doing anything big. I will be working in a call center on Mondays. It isn't much, but the extra little bit of money will help us out. It will also help me find a full time job when my maternity leave is over. I will train tomorrow night, so I can't wait to see what the job is like. I just hope this will work out like I want it too.

The boys are doing well. They are spending a lot of time with their grandmas. Last week they spent time with my mom and this week it is with Cathy. I know Marcus is loving all of the special attention. Christopher is too little to really express his emotions, but I know he loves the attention.

Well, I better get dinner started before the boys wake up.

New Addition

Bryan, Marcus and I are happy to announce our newest addition Christopher. He was born happy and healthy on August 7th. I have to say it was a great relief to have a healthy little boy. So far life has been pretty good with our new little boy. Marcus is a great big brother. He loves to hold and feed Christopher. Bryan and I are just trying to adjust to not getting much sleep. It has been a long time since we had to get up several times at night. We are hanging in there.

Bryan got some great news today. He found out he got enough financial aid to cover his tuition this year. We are very excited about this. Bryan will start classes on Monday. It is so exciting to know that he is on his way to getting his degree.

On a sad note, I only have five more weeks of being a stay-at-home mom. I am a little sad that I won't be home with my boys, but I am excited to be working again. I miss working and being around adults during the day. I haven't found a job yet, but I know that I will find something.

For now, we are just taking things a day at a time. Life is changing so quickly for us. We went from being separated to living together to having a new family member. Things are going well though. I can't wait to see what happens next.