morning glory

for those of you who have a love affair with breakfast (my first love), here is a recipe for you! this one's from nigella lawson, another love of mine, and it is super easy, super delicious and super good for you!! blueberries are the antioxidant king and maple syrup (in moderation) is great for you as well. buy frozen blueberries, store this in a heat-proof jar in the fridge, and pour on waffles, pancakes, whatever! enjoy.

blueberry syrup

1/2 c. maple syrup

1 1/2 c. blueberries

put the syrup and blueberries into a pot and bring to the boil. boil 2 to 3 minutes. serve warm.

photo and recipe courtesy of foodnetwork.com.

monday bloody monday

when avery was in the hospital she had to have two blood transfusions to keep her alive and healthy. i have had a thing with needles since i was a kid (i don't know anyone who likes them), and i have always been terrified of shots/blood-draws, etc. but when i was in the hospital having avery, i had to get my blood drawn every 4 hours- and over 4 days, well, that's a lot of blood, and a girl sort of stops crying every time the 22 year-old medical student comes in with their bucket of needles, bags and band-aids after a while, so i figure i'm over my phobia, at least somewhat. anyway, the fact that avery is turning one in less than a month has got me thinking a lot about the last year and the goals i set for myself. one of the big ones that i set while avery was still in the hospital was to give blood, so i could give back and use some sort of karma to repay whoever donated their blood to save my little girl. so... i'm doing it! today!

pray for me.

ok computer

so friday my computer crashed. when i got it back on my internet wasn't working and things were going wacky. so, i spent 3 hours on the phone with the cable one internet guy and the hp guy (both, surprisingly, were great) and we decided that we would have to do a system recovery on the computer. i spent saturday backing up my files (i know, shame on me. i never do it) and have spent most of this afternoon reinstalling all of my software and files. phew! needless to say between the stomach flu last weekend and computer trauma this weekend, i have earned my california vacation!! we leave on wednesday and i am so excited. then again, at this point i'd probably be excited just to get out of this room!

i did get to do a few fun things this weekend, though. friday night klayton and i headed up to mandy's house in rexburg. troy (mandy's husband), carson (k's little bro) and klayton stayed with the kids and hung out while mandy and i met up with a bunch of other tietjen gals to see the new emma smith movie in the theater. it was really good and we had a lot of fun. afterward we met back up at mandy's house for dessert and girl talk. super fun night!

saturday i had the opportunity to go to an old friend's wedding reception in rexburg. klayton was working so i went with carson and his girlfriend, shellena. it was kind of bitter-sweet to see this friend. he has been klayton's best friend since the 7th grade, and one of my best friends since the day i met him, but in the last year we've done a lot of growing apart and now he and klayton are barely speaking. even though our feelings have been hurt so much, i still love this friend like one of my brothers and wish him so well with his new (gorgeous) bride. it was really emotional for me to see him still, though, and it really caught me off-guard. i guess i kind of wish that some things would never change, you know? man, growing up stinks sometimes!!

anyway, that was my weekend in a nutshell. i'm really happy to have my computer back and better than ever! i'm also grateful for my wonderful friends (past and present) and family! life is good.

oh dear

my heart just stopped. i thought jim was going to propose to pam right there on the way to their car!! i'm such a nerd, but i am obsessed with the office and my life is complete now that it's back on the air. yay!

mother's day... preemie style

i'm not sure if klayton appreciated the fact that i had our baby three months premature... or if he just can't resist my feminine wiles, but he was so excited about the mother's day present he got me that he gave it to me a month early! it is a spring spa package and it is magnificent! a free 1 hour massage, a haircut, free tanning and eyebrow shaping! just what i need on mother's day (or sometime around then) to stop feeling like a mommy (i.e. covered in baby puke with wet hair and sweat pants on) for a minute. he is such a good present picker-outer. the only thing is that he can't keep a secret. and so here i am, looking at my perfect present more than a month before mother's day trying to schedule at least some tanning in before i head to california next week! yay for one more day of the year that involves presents... and for thoughtful husbands!

thinking about mother's day today has started me thinking about last year. i was admitted to the hospital the day before mother's day after discovering my dangerous blood-pressure levels while nearly 7 months pregnant. avery was due in august and instead she came in may, just 3 days after mother's day. if you would have asked me a year ago what my life would be like now, i would have been way off the mark. after all of the "don't get your hopes up" speeches i got from doctor after doctor, citing things like brain bleeds, intestinal problems, developmental disorders, and heart failures as normal in babies avery's size, my baby, my teeny 2 pound baby, is now super-healthy (well, minus the whole stomach bug thing, but she's doing much better now), crawling, babbling, and smiling her strangely toothy grin (she now has SIX teeth! she is a teething machine!). i know that every mother feels blessed with her children, but i feel especially so.

happy mother's day, preemie style!

ps if you feel blessed with the family and friends in your life, bless the lives of others! click on my March of Dimes badge to join my walking team or donate to spare someone like you and me the heartache of having a premature infant!

get behind me, satan

wow. the stomach flu is the devil.
late thursday afternoon mallory, avery and i were haning out watching monsters, inc. when avery started puking her guts out. she didn't stop for about 24 hours. as soon as her stomach was settling (by friday night), klayton woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. mallory, who planned on driving home to vegas saturday morning, woke up feeling a little wobbly, but decided to make the 10+ hour trip anyway, and didn't even make it out of my apartment's parking lot before she had to jump out of the car to hurl.
i have put a quarantine sign on my front door, i promise.
oddly enough, i'm the only one who didn't get it. instead i have spent the weekend holding a very sad little baby who won't let me put her down and keeping a pale husband hydrated. everyone is doing better today. avery is still pretty miserable. there is nothing more sad than a sick baby. i am so glad that i have been able to take care of everyone here, but i am going a little stir-crazy. a girl can only watch so many food network shows and america's next top model reruns in one weekend.

Ben & Jerry's "Half-Baked" Cheesecake

With Ben & Jerry's famous Half-Baked ice cream for my inspiration, how could I go wrong making my beautiful baby sister a birthday (cheese)cake to die for?!

"Half-Baked" Cheesecake

Ingredients:

3/4 c. prepared brownie, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

3/4 c. cookie dough rolled into small balls

Graham Cracker

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 eggs

1. preheat oven to 350. prepare graham cracker crust according to package instructions in a 9 in. springform pan.

2. beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. spread brownie cubes over prepared crust. pour half of the cheesecake batter over brownies, then sprinkle cookie dough over batter. add the rest of the batter over the top of cake and smooth over.

4. bake 50 to 55 minutes in a water bath until almost set. remove to wire rack. loosen cake by running a knife around the inside of the pan. cool completely.

5. cover and refrigerate. garnish right before serving with chocolate curls, brownie crumbs, and/or whip.

it's your birfday

a very special lady turns twenty today, and i want to give her some sweet sweet birthday loving. it's my little sis, mallory! i'm so lucky to have her living with me while she celebrates the birthday that ends her teenage-dom. she is a talented, beautiful girl and i love her so much! here are a few things that everyone should know about mallory jade clark.

she is a very sweet person. she cares so much for her friends and family and she is fiercly loyal to them!

she is my fashion icon. she always looks stunning.

she is super fun. i have passed so many hours with her playing insane made-up games (jumping marijuanas, the picture game, etc.) and watching/quoting classic movies. she makes everything more fun. now please, repeat after me. pepper. waiter, there is too much pepper on my paprikash.

here is avery in mallory's birthday crown today. i made her wear it wherever we went. :) mallory is an awesome aunt. she loves avery and even tries to claim her as her own child... until avery wakes up at 3am, that is...

here's mallory playing with avery today in all her birthday glory. mallory is going to be living in englad this summer as an intern at an art gallery in liverpool. i guess that this little tidbit just proves that you should also know that you should be jealous of mallory. i know i am.

the last thing that you should know is that mallory is the best sister and friend a girl could ask for. we have too much fun together. i love her like "Jo! I love Jo!" happy birthday, mallory... sexually. :)

i'm the tax man

i love conference weekend! the edification that goes on is miraculous, and this Conference was no acception. we definitely did, as President Monson said, have "a smorgasbord today of faith and love and coucil." my favorite talks were Elder Bednar's talk on missionary work (that one hit home!!) and Elder Ballard's talk about mothers, and, of course, President Monson's messages! i love our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, so much! he has always been one of my favorite speakers, he is so eloquent and i love his allusions to great works of literature and poetry, and now i get to sing We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet with him in mind! i missed President Hinckley acutely, but i am so grateful for this gospel and for continuing revelation! yay for conference!

this weekend was a wonderful one. on saturday afternoon klayton and i took avery to the park for a picnic dinner and some playtime. it was pretty cold (GO AWAY, WINTER!!) so we didn't stay too long, but avery still loved it. i definitely think that we will live outside once it gets warm out. avery loves to swing at the park and see all of the dogs there - she even makes a break for the front door every time it opens! haha. klayton and i brought our usual summer picnic of french cheese, a baguette, and martinelli's to the park just to further boycott winter. i love picnicing with klayton this way because he smells the cheese and he makes lots of mmm and ooo sounds as he eats - he loves my cooking, but he lusts after stinky french cheese. haha. it was a beautiful outing...

then we did our taxes!! i know, i know, we are romantic devils. :) filing taxes is such a pain, but i'm really excited to get our return! we also started planning a trip to southern california later this month (the Fullerton/Anahiem area) for a visit with our close friends, zach and liz briggs and their baby boy, ian. the first year that klayton and i were married we made a cross-country road trip to visit zach and liz in Michigan, where they lived at the time. that trip holds some of our fondest memories! this time we are making a road trip of it with some friends from this area and i can't wait! we are going to hit a Dodger game (my favorite thing in the entire world! when i was a kid, i thought that i would live in a snow-white-style cottage in the hills outside of Dodger Stadium [in downtown LA! yipes!] and that i would be buried under home plate in Dodger Stadium! haha), go to Disneyland (zach works there as the voice of the surfer turtle dude in a Finding Nemo attraction!), and enjoy the california sunshine.

march on

the march of dimes march for babies is going on during the next few months nationwide, and i am so stoked to get involved. i signed up to get my march on in idaho falls on Saturday, June 7th (shout out to the metcalf twins! i'll be marching it up on their 23rd birthday!) to raise money for lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy that help babies get a healthy start. having had a baby 12 weeks early in the last year, the march of dimes's mission to give babies their full 9 months gestation is really close to my heart. klayton and i have been so blessed to have a healthy and thriving baby despite her rocky start in life, and i want research for premature babies to keep going strong! a baby avery's size 10 years ago wouldn't have had much of a chance at surviving, let alone crawling and babbling and being so perfect!

during the summer months in beautiful southeast idaho i'm a slut for pretty much any excuse to get outside, but this is really going to be a wonderful event. so i'm asking you bloggers to get involved! if you are going to be in the idaho falls area please sign up for my team and walk with klayton, avery and i! if not be sure to hop on our team site and donate if you can. this organization supports premature research, support for families dealing with the loss of a child due to SIDS, etc. so you can't go wrong showing them some love. who doesn't love babies!!!???

go to my team's site at www.marchforbabies.org/520856 to join the march, donate, or find out more about march of dimes!

what's in YOUR wallet?

i was tagged by the lovely and beautiful kristine a while back to show the contents of my purse! as usual i have been a slacker, but a well-intentioned one, so here i go. i generally carry two bags, which i know sounds insane, but my purse got unruly and weighed 700 lbs BEFORE i had a kid. and now she needs more stuff than i do, so... i do often consolidate all of this into one bag, but i thought i'd give you the ugly truth.

the bag on the left is my electrocuted zebra print bag from volcom. i think that mentally i'm still in the 9th grade because i have carried this volcom obsession around since then. i love their stuff. in my purse at all times are my digital and handheld video cameras, my planner (which also acts as my wallet), my keys (with purell attached always- i'm a preemie mom! trust me, i whip that stuff out 100 times a day), some emergency items (tylenol, hair clips, etc.) and note cards and stamps. i love to send mail! my latest favorites are the pink/zebra thank you notes i got at target while i was in vegas.

the bag on the right is my beautiful diaper bag. a quick note about this bag- not only do i think this bag is beautiful, but it also is very special to me. i recieved it last summer when avery was in the hospital and i was staying alone at the ronald mcdonald house in SLC. after a long morning at the hospital i went back to the house for lunch and there was a package waiting for me containing this purse, an oprah magazine, some goodies, and a note from my old college roomies, jane and kristine metcalf. i never asked (i had no idea that kristine was such a sewing whiz at the time), but i think that kristine made this bag for me (kristine, did you make this bag?) and it is perfect and i love it! those two are so sweet and giving and i have loved getting to be their friend! okay, onto the contents. there's really nothing amazing in here. diapers, wipes, rattle toys, tropical fruit snacks and gerber biter biscuits (avery loves these things), usually a cheerios container (not pictured), a bottle (not pictured), formula canister, more hand sanitizer, a nose sucker (called an aspirator, but where's the fun in that?), and a book. avery loves books! unfortunately she sees them as chew toys mostly, but still. this book is her favorite. every page has a mirror on it and she LOVES to look at herself. who doesn't, though?

i now tag melissa, shelly and brittney!

on the table

tonight i made another winner from parents magazine, healthy carbonara. just a fun tidbit for you, the word carbonara comes from “carbone” which in italian means coal. this was a kind of poor man's pasta in roman times made with heavy cream and eggs. this version is much lighter and still oh-so-tasty. this is a great meal for the night before a long run or a soccer game!

1 9 oz. pkg fettuccine (i used the whole wheat kind!)

1 c. frozen green peas

3 slices center-cut bacon

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 c. fat-free half and half

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan

1. cook pasta according to the package directions, but don't salt the water. three minutes before the pasta is supposed to be done, add the green peas to the pot. drain, and reserve 3/4 c. of the cooking liquid.

2. meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saucepan on medium-high until crispy. remove bacon from pan and discard all but 2 tsp. of drippings. add onion to the pan and saute for 3 minutes in the leftover drippings. add garlic and thyme, cook another minute. stir in pasta and peas, reserved cooking liquid, and half and half. cook 2 minutes. crumble bacon on top of pasta and toss with cheese. makes 4 servings.

nutrition per serving: 326 cal; 16g protein; 10g fat; 44 carb; 3g fiber.

more pics from san diego

my little sis is a super talented photographer (along with her many other talents), and, lucky for me, her favorite subject happens to be av! ch-check it out.

eagle scout zach and avery.









zach, mall and av.







my cousin, blaire, and i.










melissa, mcKenna, me, derek and rebecca.













the happy couple, casey and justin!













four generations of wyand women! there's melissa and mckenna, diane (my mom's sister), grandma wyand, my mom, and me and avery.









avery is the light of her grandparent's lives. they love her sooo much and lavish her with love, attention and presents like you wouldn't believe! my dad always points out how everyone is just excited to see avery now and not me, but i'm cool with that. how can i compete!? :)









mckenna and avery (one week apart).













grandma and avery.











on the way to california we stopped at a gas station in the middle of nowhere called Jeremy's. it was super windy and mallory was able to get some awesome shots of everyone stretching their legs and playing in the wind. this is my favorite one.









ahh the happy, wind-blown family.








mallory is a wonderful aunt and insisted on sitting in the back seat by avery the entire drive. i hope avery will grow into these sunglasses.








the crazed beaver look is so hot right now.

snoop dogg was converted!!

someone played an elaborate april fool's joke, hacking into the entertainment section of websites like cnn.com and peoplemagazine.com and posting this article. check the very bottom of the site - it says... You Just Got April Fooled! Snoop's Not Mormon...YET! hahaha. check it out for a chuckle.

http://cnnentertainment.co.nr/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/01

try this recipe!!

i have been obsessed with asian food lately, and i have found some great recipes from an unsuspected source... parents magazine. they have really balanced meals in mind for an entire family to enjoy, but they are so flavorful and delish! i wanted to share the recipe i made tonight for dinner - asian shrimp and coconut soup. i put in double the veggies (i'm a snow pea fanatic) and light coconut milk to cut the fat. i promise that this will be a hit with everyone in your clan, or a great meal to keep and reheat for days to come! enjoy.

Asian Shrimp and Coconut Soup

1 Tbs canola oil

1 Tbs grated ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups (32 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 c. water

4 oz angel-hair pasta, broken in half

1 c. snow peas, cut in half

1 c. matchstick carrots

1/2 c. coconut milk (i used light for less fat)

1 lbs. precooked medium shrimp, cleaned and tails removed

1. in a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high. cook ginger and garlic for 30 seconds. pour in chicken broth and the water and bring to a boil over high heat. add pasta and return to a boil. cook for 3 minutes.

2. toss in snow peas and matchstick carrots and cook another 3 minutes. gently stir in coconut milk and shrimp and leave on the stove until shrimp is warmed through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 238 cal; 21g protien (wowzers!); 8g fat; 20g carb; 2g fiber.

toe story

ahh separation anxiety mixed with teething... avery is getting two more teeth in on top - her canines. she looks like a little baby vampire! but she's getting them in along with a weird separation anxiety phase and i don't know what to do with her! the craziest thing is that all she wants to do is crawl, but then 10 seconds after i set her down she turns around and looks for me and crawls over to me, usually crying, and pulls on my pant legs for me to pick her up. then as soon as i pick her up she wants down again!! but i am sure she gets the moody thing from me, so i'm trying to roll with it. she is getting bigger too - as evidenced by the holes in her pajamas when i got her out of bed this morning. check out those toes! they needed some breathing room! haha. so her aristocat pj's bit the dust this morning and i am looking forward to when the teething and stranger danger phases pass as well.

birthday shout out

this is no april fools prank! it's mackenzie's 17th birthday!! kenny is such a great sister-in-law. she is a talented dancer, a really sweet person, and a friend to all animals (she's been a vegetarian for about a year now - she doesn't approve of the cruel treatment of animals bred for human consumption). i love kenny tons and wanted to wish her a very happy birthday!

easter, vegas, san diego and i'm out

well, it's been a while, so i have a lot to share! i've missed posting some family updates, so i'll start with those. a couple of weeks ago after some awful roommate issues up in rexburg, my little sister, mallory, moved in with klayton and i. i am so glad to have a third bedroom in my apartment so i could take her in and keep her away from her nightmare roomie. she's got about a month left of school and i'm going to savor every moment before she moves to England this summer for an internship at an art museum. she is my best friend and a great aunt and the coolest kid i know and i'm so glad to have her around! i also had a big week-long trip to vegas planned for avery and i to visit my family and go to a wedding in san diego. anyway, here are some pictures and tales from the last week...

easter morning was so fun! avery has been crawling up a storm and enjoyed waking up to new toys and fun with mom and dad. we spent the morning playing and getting dressed up for church. afterward i made rack of lamb with mashed potatoes and green beans. yum yum!





then klayton's siblings, carson and mckenzie, came over along with mallory and her friend, melissa, and we all had easter dinner! it was lots of fun to see everyone and enjoy the holiday. i got the chance not only to make my family's easter baskets, but mallory's as well. it's so fun to be a mom!!






i can't believe that my little 2 pound baby is now crawling and sitting and playing. this weekend she even stood up in her crib! klayton and i were standing in the room talking when she stood up holding on to the side of her crib. she then called, "DADA!" to get klayton's attention, then she growled and smiled so big like, "look at how freaking awesome i am!!" it was hillarious.



avery and i flew to vegas the day after easter. my little brother, zach, got his eagle scout on tuesday evening, so i got to be there for his court of honor and to help my mom with the cooking and prep. both of my grandmothers were there as well as all of my family's friends and it was tons of fun to be there for zach's special day. he is the coolest 16 year-old kid that ever was and i love him tons! i got to take avery swimming for the first time, but she was just enamoured with the dogs. she loves dogs! it was a perfect relaxing weekend. i love my family so much! i think that living far away is fun sometimes (even though i miss them!) because it makes getting back together that much more fun! my parents are the best and my two brothers at home are so sweet and great, especially with avery. we had tons of fun.
on friday mallory and klayton flew down to vegas from idaho falls so we could drive to san diego for my cousin, casey's, wedding. the san diego temple is beautiful and it was wonderful seeing my cousins. this is a picture of my three wonderful and beautiful cousins, their spouses, and my sis. clockwise from the left there's melissa and her baby, mckenna (who is a week younger than avery), erica (with avery), me, todd (erica's husband), klayton, derek and rebecca, and mallory. those four girls are the most wonderful friends i have. we have so many aweosme memories from our childhood and have such a great time together. i wish i saw them more!

our husbands get together really well, too. :)

even the babies love each other! they kept holding hands at the table. it was adorable!

we got home yesterday afternoon and we have a lot to look forward to! avery turns one in a month and a half, and i am putting together the party of the century (though she won't have any idea what's going on) and i'm so excited! it's going to be a kiddie carnival in the park, so let me know if you have any good ideas! i can't believe it's april already, but i am so excited for spring! now if only the weather man would cooperate...