Letter From Andy.

I received this email from Andy last night: 

"Today has been a busy day. The contractor started paving their test section today, but it didn't go very well. They will have to work out some issues before they start again tomorrow. You might be interested to know that they performed an animal sacrifice before they started paving. It's a big tradition in the Muslim culture to do animal sacrifices for big occasions. So, they brought out a sheep onto the test section site, laid him on his side, and then cut his throat. It was quite a sight. Of course, I eat meat all the time, and that meat had to come from an animal that was slaughtered in some way. Yet it's much different watching the thing die right in front of you. I'm attaching a picture of me standing next to the little fella as he is on death row. I don't think he knew what was coming."

He told me I should be happy he didn't send me the other picture of the sheep.  I agreed!

Noah Turns 9 Months Old!

"The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him." -Pablo Casals

Noah is officially 9 months old!  All I can say is, where has the time gone??  It is surreal to watch him grow, and remember what he was like just a few months ago.  He is becoming a little man, and I love every minute I get to spend with him. 

At one of my baby showers, before Noah was born, a notebook was passed around where every guest wrote me words of advice.  I can honestly say that I remember almost every piece of advice given...but there are two that stick out in my mind especially...

1) Remember that this child is on loan from a loving Heavenly Father, and treat him as such.
2) Thank your Father in Heaven for this special gift he has given you.  Pray to Him and thank Him out loud, with your child present...so that your child knows what a special part he plays in your family.

Those are two of the best pieces of advice I have ever received.  And I think of them often.

Noah's 9 Month Stats:

Weight: 24lbs

Height: 29 3/4 inches

Head: 48mm

Things NOAH loves:

Most of you know (from a previous post) of his love for food.  Especially chocolate graham crackers...which I find crumbs of in his diaper on a regular basis.

Clapping.  Clap when you're happy, clap when you're sad, clap with you're poopy, clap when you're mad.

That is his theme song.

Moving around (almost a crawl, but not quite).  He has a system down though, and it is workin for him!

Listening to Christmas music!  (Ok maybe this is mine, but I am sure he will catch on!!)

(I love his cubby cheeks in this picture!)

Throwing his pacifiers out of his crib so mommy can come find them and clean them.

(He has a stash under his bed)

Putting everything in his mouth. (He ate his first leaf the other day; I think he may have liked it more than his green beans)

Laughing. (I love this picture).  He is such a happy boy, and this picture depicts his personality perfectly!

Taking baths.

Tempting the dog with his delicious treats.

Drinking out of his sippy cup.

Fruit, of any kind.

Hangin with his mom.

We love you Noah. You are one awesome little fella. And we are definitely your groupies.

Love, Mom and Dad

Quick n' Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza

My parents have been out of town for the past few days, so I had to beg my brother Mike and his wife Megan to take pity on me and come hang out!  The house was TOO quite for me, and thankfully they were kind enough to oblige.  We decided to make homemade bbq chicken pizzas, and boy was it tasty!  It really is 'Quick n' Easy' and doesn't require many ingredients.  We loved it! 

Quick n' Easy Chicken Barbecue Pizza
From: Cooking Light

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tea salt
1/4 tea pepper
1 tea olive oil
1 (10oz) can refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup hickory smoke bbq sauce
2 (6oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese with Peppers

Saute first 4 ingredients in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Drain well.

Unroll pizza crust; press or pat into a lightly greased 13x9 inch pan.

Bake crust at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Spread 1/2 cup bbq sauce evenly over top of pizza crust in pan.  Arrange chicken over bbq sauce, top with onion mixture and sprinkle evenly with cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for another 8-10 minutes or until the cheese melts.  Serve with extra sauce for dipping.

Here are some of my notes:  We used a small red onion...and no red pepper.  The red pepper here cost $2 a piece and I thought that was a little steep, so we did with out.  We used the Pillsbury 13.2 oz can of pizza crust and the KFC Hickory & brown Sugar bbq sauce.  To garnish we used diced fresh tomato and minced cilantro. 

Enjoy!