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...