Provo bucket list

Our time in Provo is quickly coming to a close- Tyler has 3 more days of classes and then finals, we graduate April 19-20, and then drive off into the sunset (well, sunrise. We plan to leave early) on May 5th. I was always told by everyone that college is the funnest time of your life and to enjoy it. I of couse spent the entire time trying to hurry out. I couldn't wait for our "real life" to start. Now that it's getting closer and closer, I wonder why I was in such a rush!! We have such a good life here and it's never easy to start over. Plus, there are so many things about Provo we're going to miss! So we came up with a Provo bucket list... you know, a list of things to do before we kick the bucket on our time here in Utah. So far this is our list:

-Hike the Y

-Eat at Cafe Rio

-Go to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple

-Breakfast at Magleby's Fresh

-Play tennis at MVHS

-Shakes at Arctic Circle

Do you like how half of those involve food? I do. We already took care of Arctic Circle shakes on Saturday night, and it was awesome. 

Let me also just say that even though I'm going to cry majorly when we leave, I am still so excited to move to Houston! We can't wait to be closer to our immediate families and Blue Bell and free swimming pools. In that order.

p.s. Say a little prayer for Natalie- she is having surgery this week. We are so happy and excited for her! Love you Natty!!

Scenes from Conference weekend

Pajamas! One of the best parts of Conference weekend!

Millie was very attentive to ALL the speakers, of course

Homemade granola bars. Thanks Pinterest!

chillin' while Mom did the dishes.

Heidi made the most delicious dinner... if you're lucky she'll share the recipe.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Woolf,

We have no idea who you are.

Though we are Tyler and Camille and we do live at the address you wrote, we are not your children.

We are not getting married in 24 days- we've been married for almost 3 years. And we have a kid.

This package we received from you yesterday was obviously not meant for us, though we would like to see Hunger Games....

Happy Easter, and please tell us where this package was meant to go! We will happily take it there for you.

Sincerely,

The other Tyler and Camille

Meatless chicken noodle soup

My mom makes the best chicken noodle soup. Whenever she comes to visit she makes a huge pot of it and then we store it in jars in the freezer to pull out on sick days or I-don't-feel-like-cooking days. What's cool about the recipe is that it was a mistake! Probably one of the best mistakes ever too. I finally got up the courage to make it the other night. Do you ever hesitate to make someone else's recipe? I am always afraid that I won't make it as well and that would really upset me... so it always takes some convincing for me to make another person's recipe. Weird, I know. So here is my meatless  adaptation of Mom's adaptation of Lion House Classic's Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. chicken soup base or 2 bouillon cubes

4 cups chicken stock, or water, or broth (I used stock for more flavor)

2 cups chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1 bag of frozen peas (16 oz)

1 Family Size Cream of Chicken Soup

1/4+ cup evaporated milk

4 cups cooked rotini pasta

Heat the chicken base and stock/water/broth together. Add your carrots and celery (NOT the peas- yet) and cook until the veggies are tender. I cooked my noodles and then my peas while the veggies were cooking. Add cream of chicken soup and let that simmer for a few minutes. Then add the noodles and peas and evaporated milk (start with 1/4 cup and then keep adding until it's the thickness you want) and let that heat through. That's IT!

Next time I may not use the whole bag of peas... it was a little pea-heavy. But we practically inhaled it! Love this soup!

Fun stuff of late

-Writing our wills for Tyler's personal finance class. Actually that's not fun- weird is the word, I think.

-Going to Salt Lake for Abby's bridal shower on Saturday. It was so fun to have a little girl time and Millie was so good the whole time!

-Stopping at H&M on our way home from the shower. I had never been! It was fun. I got two shirts for me and a dress for Millie, but I'm of course going back to return my shirts. For some reason, committing to clothes these days is harder for me than committing to marriage ever was.

-Putting Millie in 6 mo. clothes and seeing that they actually fit her. Uh... slow down kid. Let's stop growing up so fast, okay? She does look cute though.

Oh yeah, that's my new hair

-Running with Heidi almost every day lately! Yesterday we ran along the Provo River and it was gorgeous. I just love the weather we've been having the last couple of weeks. And I'm SO glad we got a jogging stroller!

-Looking at houses for sale in Houston. There are 2 things that make you a legit family in my head: 1. buying a second car, and 2. buying a home. Guess we're on our way to being a legit family!

You know what is awesome?

I have wanted to be a mom my whole life. There has never been a time where I've questioned that- it's just always been my dream. I so wanted to be the person that some child always ran to, and always would want no matter what. I loved seeing my nieces and nephews and their relationships with my sisters, and I wanted that for myself. 

And now I am so blessed to have it. Millie has been such a snuggle bug lately and it is the best! She always wants to cuddle with me.

Millie doesn't care that I don't have my makeup on yet today, or that I still have bed hair. She doesn't mind that my arm looks really large in that picture, and she certainly doesn't care if/when I decide to stay in my pajamas all day! She just wants me to take care of her and love her. Turns out, that's exactly what I want to do. That's pretty awesome.

My hairs cut

When I used to tell my dad I got/was getting my hair cut, he'd say, "Which one?" So I am going to cover all of them- I got my hairs cut. Tyler says I look spunky again, and it feels great to have a change. I was pretty bored lookin' in the mirror. But I went running with Heidi right after and haven't washed it yet, so no pictures yet. Tonight is date night though! So we will definitely take a picture then.

I'm not going to lie, it was really nice to have an hour be all about me. Sounds terrible, and I hate that it's true, but it is. I would not change for a second that my life now is consumed with feedings and diapers and tummy time and cooking with one hand! I've waited for this my whole life. But I'm learning that what people have told me forever is true- you have to take care of yourself to take care of everyone else. I think that kinda stinks, but that's the way it is. So yesterday was good for that. And I think tonight will be too! I'm excited to go out with Tyler and am so thankful that Heidi is here and willing to babysit. 

But honestly, who wouldn't want to babysit this cute face?

Some random pictures

Hypnotized by the toy on her swing

Tyler read his accounting textbook to her...

First she loved it

Then she realized accounting is boring. Smart girl.

She smiles at everything lately- her angel bear, and especially herself in the mirror!

Tyler loved this position as a baby... turns out Millie likes it too!

Do your cheeks hang low? Do they wobble to and fro?

We're looking forward to beautiful weather this weekend, and hopefully not much to do so we can enjoy it!

"Good kids"

Growing up, Christmas and my dad's birthday were tough. We kids never knew what we could give to Dad! Every time we asked him what he wanted, he would say something like, "All I want this year is good kids." Because apparently we weren't! Just kidding, I hope. But now that I'm a mother myself, I think I understand my dad's request a bit better. I want Millie to be happy and healthy and good! So when I came across this poem today, it just fit perfectly.

My daddy said the other day

He wanted just one gift.

It wasn't a hat, or a fancy tie,

Or a book or a handkerchief.

"All that I shall want" said he,

"And mother wants it too,

Is to have you kind and sweet,

To keep you good and true."

And so though I'm a little girl,

I'll try to do my part,

Each day to bring this precious gift,

To cheer my daddy's heart.

One big silly family

Not much

Getting Millie's shots on Thursday was so sad! I hated pinning her arms down while the nurse pinned her legs. The worst part was Millie looking straight up at me when she started crying... "Why aren't you stopping this??" It was awful. She slept for a few hours and then cried the rest of the evening. Poor thing. But Friday morning she woke up (after sleeping for 9 hours straight... SO nice) seeming to feel much better. Her legs are still bruised though- I hate that.

Last week we had some seriously gorgeous weather- Millie and I went for a walk every day and I even used the jogging stroller for what it's made for- a jog. Big stuff. I met up with my friend Kim and her baby  Payton one afternoon and we walked around Nelson's Grove a few times. It was so great to catch up! I guess technically we could call that Millie's first play date. Or mine, since I probably enjoyed it more! Yesterday we got dumped on though... the ground looks like it should have looked for the last few months. Need I remind you again what month it is, my weather friend? Good thing we're supposed to be back in the 60s later this week.

Also, we had pizookies for dessert with Heidi and James yesterday. It'd been far too long, and they were amazing. I feel like we have to invite someone over to justify making a yummy dessert like that. Seems like we need to do it more often, in that case! 

This is what our Monday morning is lookin' like:

I'm impressed that we caught that smile using the photobooth app... Looks like someone is enjoying being lazy as much as I am!