Dinner

This was our dinner tonight. My mom made this for us growing up and as a family, we recently took it up as our own tradition.

STEAK AND SOUR CREAM

(pictured is 1/2 of the 2 servings described. Time 20min!)

2 servings Top Serloin (cube bite size/1 inch)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup*

8 oz Sour Cream*

Sides: Peas, Baked Potato

In large skillet on medium heat, cook serloin till it is browned on all sides and is cooking in the natural juices. cook till the meat reabsorbes the juices then add soup. When you are about to serve it, add sour cream till warm. Add extra sauce on baked potatoes or vegitables if you like.

This is sooooo delicious and I insist that you let me know if you make it and if you liked it. ;)

* yes, you can substitute these for lower calorie or no fat versions and I know it will be delicious. I'm actually planning to do that next time and possibly sub potatoes for wild rice...)

from bumbo to loving daddy

Every couple weeks, I try to see if Evan likes the Bumbo and yesterday he actually didn't mind so I just kept shooting! I couldn't choose my favorite, could you?



Here's some 'buddy' shots with our cat Oliver. Evan is only mildly beginning interest in our feline child. The cat is equally indifferent to Evan. ;) Still the pictures turned out great. Especially of the cat's eyes!

Then, last night, Evan and Michael had some "Daddy and Me" time so they let me document their love. ;)




smile.

Evans Best Friend

This is my friend and Liz's son "H". We go to church together, we live on the same street and she babysits Evan. "H", lights up when he see's Evan and allows his mom to help HIM take care of Evan for the day. lol. He is one of the most helpful and compassionate humans I've met and he's yet to become 2! Imagine the possibilities!? lol. Here he is with our dog Smokey, he loves him and it must be true love cause he is blissfully unaware of the fur ball he is collecting by sitting on the dog bed. I marvel at his control to not smother Smokey as most toddlers do when they are around our friendly fur son.

"H" saying "cheese". lol! And yes, that is my Christmas tree still up and still lit. Jealous? Actually, I just really haven't made the time to take it down and don't see anytime in the near furture that it's gonna happen either. I don't care if you don't. It's nice and "pretty". ;)

"The Old Days"

My sister Katrina got some family pictures on CD from my brother Carl for Christmas and posted them on her facebook. I couldn't believe I had never seen them and was excited to see there were other child pictures of me. To my knowledge there aren't many out there. Our parents weren't known for having or using a camera. My grampa "E" always took pictures but when he died in the 80's we had no more documentation of our lives. lol. Anyway, I decided to post the new and some photos I already had (including one of a younger Michael) for your pleasure. ;) Some of you knew me when... lol.


My mom is apparently pregnant with me, her 5th child and 2nd girl. I was born one day before her birthday (feb 8th) on February 7th, 1974 so I'm assuming this is a sunny California winter picture in 1973. I personally LOVE my moms dress and think she really looks amazing for having her 5th kid! This is also around the time my parents were sealed to each other in the Los Angeles Temple then to all these siblings. What a great time in my parents lives, I know.
Pictured: my siblings & mom: Wade, Mom-Karla, Katrina, Vincent, Carl

I am the adorably cute chubby baby with my oldest brother Carl. My Aunt Angela (dad's baby sister who incidentally has a son named "Evan") is holding me. She loves children and I'm sure was so happy we had so many for her to hold! ;). I don't know how old I am, I would assume it took me a few months to pack this chub on. lol.

Pre-Kindergarten in Woodland Hills, California circa 1978 or 1979?

Maybe Michael's family can enlighten me but I'm gonna guess he's 4 or 5 himself in this picture. Wouldn't we have been a glorious couple, even then?! lol.

My parents built their current house in the Santa Rosa Valley in 1979-1980 and I can only assume these two pictures were us on our way to see the progress after church one day.

Pictured: Me, Katrina (we are wearing our flower girl dresses from my Aunt Angela's wedding, we loved those dresses!), Bennett, Vincent and my Dad in the background.

Yeah, this is just the ground breaking kind of. I can see the view we are looking at is from our driveway through the 'breezeway' towards our back landscaping. Those trees are our uphill neighbors (the Myer Family) Avocado Orchard. So pretty sure there wasn't even a foundation poured at this point. We made many visits as a family to 'help' build our "compound". We used the extra leveling sand as play mounds and turned scrap wood into teeter totters. We had the best time. Thanks mom and dad for great memories!

Pictured: Katrina, Vincent, baby Jesse, grandpa "E", toddler Bennett, Me, Wade & Carl

I hope you liked this pictures. Of course they mean more to me than anyone else will care but still, I wanted to share. I wish I had more pictures from my past and wish I was better at documenting our current life in journal etc.

SURPRISE!

My Mother in Law Jennie (Michael's Mother) turns 60 today so the family planned a Surprise Party! I'm pretty sure it was Matt's idea and he really did the 'planning' but we did a fair job getting it set up to help him.
He told her we were going to take a family picture and he'd pick her up (that way she wouldn't be mad when all her friends were there and her hair wasn't done. he he). He mysteriously drove her by her church and pulled in to see what was going on. Jennie had no idea till she was at the back of the building and they were coming in together. We yelled surprise and hopped up and down. Many of her friends were there and it was full of food and friendship. Jennie really did enjoy herself and that is the point. Here are a few pictures of the event:



The "Surprise" moment



Food

best birthday gift anyone could recieve (if for only a moment)

the guys

the gals

The family portrait we promised. ;) We'll take a real one in the spring with Shannon Hairr Photography. Promise Jennie.

genius

I'm telling you, I've got a genius baby. ;) Here he is 'reading'. I know you're all impressed. lol ( I'll add a video to this later)

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We're going on a date!

We're going on a date! We're on our way to the Nashville Temple, then dinner somewhere. All by ourselves! ;)

3 MONTHS

All these silly pictures are taken on the same day last week to comemmorate his 3rd month of life. fitting. ;) monkey p.j.'s were taken first (same p.j.'s as when cousin Liam visited but they fit now, you can go back to see how loose it was then. lol). My friend Kacey handed down this super cute striped outfit and evan obviously loved it to cause he hammed it up right away for the camera. ;) genius baby. He's gonna a be a rockstar, I am scared. lol.

So here have been the, up till now, 3 month old activities:

Has his first runny nose/cold right now. sucking thumb more, less slobber than a week ago, smiles more & bigger, giggles a lot now, losing hair on the sides, gaining hair on the top-front, in some 0-3 month clothes but more definately in 3-6 month sizes (thanks again kacey!), LOVES to stand and to 'bounce"!, really enjoys a good rattle sound/vibrating pull toys, likes being read to or interact with talking book he has. sleeps with a burpcloth or light blanket over his head the best (even demands it), uses the pacifier but could do without, drinks 5 oz so he has to use the gigantic 8 oz playtex drop-ins now (lol). has wierd dry skin between and on his eyebrows, loves baths in the big people bath tub with his two rubber duckies (one's a pirate from Melody) and last but not least, keeps parents from keeping the house clean (that's why no one's invited over, lol).

We enjoy it all and fall more and more in love with our little baby boy every moment. I admit it does get a harder to want to be at work these days but we leave Evan in very kind and capable hands and when I'm at work, I am able to focus just on my friends and making them more gorgeous than before. Fatherhood is suiting Michael, though I won't speak for him, I will say a little of what I've observed: baby talk, and face pulling to get Evan to react... bragging and showing off to strangers more and more. It won't be my last report. ;) If he wants to defend himself, he can post but I think he's intimidated. ha ha ha.

Laundry?

I now understand what Mom's mean when they say "I have piles of laundry" waiting. I honestly didn't know that was real or if it was, that it was frustrating. . . now I know and I feel sorry for every woman reading this that knows what I'm talking about. lol.

This is what I would rather be doing than folding and putting away laundry....

LOOK at that face! He is amazing!

(I was going to let the picture speak for itself but... I'm a proud Momma.)

Can you blame me? ;)

New Year Resolutions?

I'm totally copying my friend Lindsey. As I differ in her opinion on resolutions, (I have some floating around in my brain where they will probably remain 'floating'), I WILL copy her idea for her family highlights for the year! Cool idea Lindsey, you are so creative! (and fun!)

Stuteville Family Highlights of 2008

Family: (We don't remember much before October 14th) I quit working at Tangerine in June and we opened "Lila's Chop Shop". Evan was born. Had visits from "5" California relatives (one of them came twice! -thanks mom- it's a record.). Spent Thanksgiving in Gulf Shores for Evans first Vacation with Michael's family.

Michael
*became a daddy
*got a 3rd job (CFO of Lila's Chop Shop)
*new hair style (thank GOODNESS!!!)


Lila
*became a mommy
*opened my own business (Lila's Chop Shop)
*started blogging! ;)

Evan
*born in October (can't wait for Halloween Birthdays, we'll invite Lindsey cause we know she loves that)
*burps really well
*best friends: Nochi Sleeper, Alligator outfit, Pampers, Vibrating Elephants & green Baby Einstein block, Rattles, Mirrors, Bumper Bouncer, http://www.crazy8.com/ and Mom & Dad.

This year, we have a lot to look forward to. We are VERY excited to have Evan sealed to us in the Los Angeles Temple as soon as his Adoption is final when he is 6months old (April/May). Much of my family and all our friends there, will get to meet him for the first time and I'm soooooooo excited about that (only wish it was sooner). If we are lucky, we'll get to go back in the fall for a second visit. My business is continuing to succeed of which I am grateful. In the spring, we are praying for Real Estate to pick up for Michael cause he LOVES to be busy! I'm sure somewhere in there, we'll have our traditional vacation with Michael's side of our family so, we'll see! We number one, plan to spend time with Evan, watching him grow, mature and be happy! There is no doubt that he centers our universe. We plan to learn how to be even better parents (if it's possible ;) he he), read more books, watch others examples etc. We also have some really great people who have been begging to watch Evan for FREE!! Whoo Hoo! Date night here we come! So... we hope you are all doing well and hangin' in. We think of you often and look forward to your family reports. ;) xoxo

bounce! bounce! bounce!

Ok, please don't think we are horrible parents but our son (who may or may not be a 'little' too young yet) is (as mentioned many times before.. lol!) a genius! He is so strong and active and when you hold him, he's totally looking around and wants to STAND! He has been standing since he was a week old but now for about 4weeks or so, he "bounces" thanks to watching his older cousin Liam who came to visit. He's been practicing a lot so... we finally set up the doorway bouncer (thank you Lenora!) and HE LOVES IT!!!!! It is so hilarious to watch and I hope I uploaded the right video. What it doesn't show is that he is so tiney that he slumps over and his arm gets slipped down to his leg opening in the seat so we stuff blankets infront and behind him to try to help him sit up straighter. He is willing to be left in this all night but we want to hold him and kiss him all over for ourselves and the requests from Courtney ;), so have to get him out at some point! ENJOY! (p.s. look at his cute little feet! eeeek!)

This was his first moment in the bouncer, recorded for his daddy who was at work. I was too impatient to even adjust it yet cause I couldn't wait to get my little baby in his big boy toy! ;) Get ready to giggle...