Sad Lobster Night

*Please read the previous post as well as this one...it was so funny it made me cry!*

So, it's not a secret that I don't cook all that often. I like to think that when I do cook, it generally tastes pretty good, although I'm really not too gourmet or anything...

Well, my mom gave us these amazing cookbooks that have "Top Secret" recipes of yummy restaurant food. I know she made PF Chang's Mongolian Beef and Orange Peel Chicken the other night, and the Penne Rustica from Macaroni Grille is EXACT. So, I was VERY excited to try out some of these recipes. I love Red Lobster, and their biscuits are so good. I decided I was going to make the Red Lobster Clam Chowder and Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Noah and I shopped together for groceries last night, and we picked everything out for the soup together. Tonight I made the clam chowder, and was so proud to show off my masterpiece.

Noah took one bite and said, "hmmm, ...(pause)... it tastes kind of clam-my." Needless to say, he decided not to partake any further. He's never not eaten anything I have ever made! He had never had Clam Chowder before, and thought that we were picking out crab last night (not sure what kind of clam soup I was making with crab?). Anyway, he's so cute...he feels so bad, but there is NO way he would make himself eat the clam chowder. He now knows for future reference that he doesn't like Clam Chowder, and to warn people ahead of time.


Looks pretty good doesn't it? I thought so. I added corn because I love corn in my chowder. Anyway, this is why it's Sad Lobster night instead of Red Lobster night. If anyone's hungry, come on over...I have a pot of Clam Chowder, and I'll be eating it all alone :(

Annoying Things To Do On An Elevator

I just had to post this! They made me laugh out loud. - Noah

Annoying Things To Do On An Elevator

1) CRACK open your briefcase or handbag, peer Inside and ask "Got enough air in there?"
2) STAND silent and motionless in the corner facing the wall without getting off.
3) WHEN arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act as if you're embarrassed when they open themselves.
4) GREET everyone with a warm handshake and ask him or her to call you Admiral.
5) MEOW occasionally.
6) STARE At another passenger for a while. Then announce in horror: "You're one of THEM" - and back away slowly
7) SAY -DING at each floor.
8) SAY "I wonder what all these do?" And push all the red buttons.
9) MAKE explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
10) STARE, grinning at another passenger for a while, then announce: "I have new socks on."
11) WHEN the elevator is silent, look around and ask: "Is that your beeper?"
12) TRY to make personal calls on the emergency phone.
13) DRAW a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers: "This is my personal space."
14) WHEN there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder, then pretend it wasn't you.
15) PUSH the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.
16) ASK if you can push the button for other people but push the wrong ones.
17) HOLD the doors open and say you're waiting for your friend. After a while, let the doors close and say "Hi Greg, How's your day been?"
18) DROP a pen and wail until someone reaches to help pick it up, then scream: "That's mine!"
19) BRING a camera and take pictures of everyone in the lift.
20) PRETEND you're a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the Passengers.
21) SWAT at flies that don't exist.
22) CALL out "Group hug" then enforce it.

Finding Out...

Hi everyone! Well, it was apparent to us as people guessed what we were having that no one really had a good idea. I didn't feel like I knew, and every person we asked was unsure. You could even see from the poll we put on the blog that it was about even on guesses... Well, now you know. Our new blue blog is in celebration of our baby

BOY

due March 10th.

It was very clear in the ultrasound that we were having a cute little boy (although Noah and I decided it was unnecessary to post THAT picture) , and we were pleased to find out that everything looks good. No signs of Down Syndrome, Cleft Palate, Hernias in the abdomen, heart problems, or anything else. It's definitely going to take me some time to prepare myself to be a boy mom...I've only ever imagined myself raising girls. However, I take comfort knowing how much easier it will be to find a girl partner for my boy than finding a boy to dance with my little girl...just one of many perks :)

I was hoping that they would move my due date up, since he pushed me back 2 weeks at my original appointment, but according to measurements, my due date is not budging even one day! This baby is right on track, and he looks pretty darn cute already... don't you think?

Visitors from Utah and a Bump Update

Well, we got a much appreciated visit from my parents and Rob last week... We were so happy to have them here and to be able to accommodate them in our house. I was hoping it would be the perfect temperature (around 80-85 degrees), but the heat snuck in on us, and we spend Saturday sweating it out in the 100 degree weather! Thank you thank you for coming to visit...it was amazing to have you here and we hope you had a good time!

Downtown Mesa at the Wild West Festival

Noah has wanted to be an American Indian ever since he was a kid. Dances with Wolves is still one of his favorite movies!

Very cool hats were just a few of the old western clothing items you could buy at the festival. The lady did tell me she would make me a special pregnancy corset that has support for your belly!

For those of you who wanted a belly update picture...here you go! Noah always thinks it looks like I'm just arching my back and pushing my stomach out when we take these pictures, but I promise I just have a sway back. I am neither pushing out nor holding in this belly! By the way, tomorrow I am 20 weeks, and on Thursday we have our mid-pregnancy ultrasound. We'll let you guys know what we're having, so be watching for an update on Thursday night!!!

The low down...

So I thought it would be nice to update everyone on my status with the flight school and my plans for flying helicopters. As some of you may or may not know here are a few things that have happened since I started flying helicopters in June of last year:


About 7 months into my training at Silver State Helicopters up in Utah, the school went under overnight and closed its doors nationwide to almost 2000 students and instructors. This drastically affected my training since I had a large school loan already paid to the school. I suddenly found myself stuck with no access to my flight funds but with plenty of flying left to finish up.

I researched other good schools throughout the country and decided to come down to AZ and continue my flight training here in Chandler. This was a good decision because Quantum Helicopters is a great school and I was able to move on and get my instrument rating added to my pilot license. Unfortunately, with my school loan still locked in the legal battle that is still ongoing with Silver State (former school) I have not been able to secure another loan to help me finish my training. I had enough reserve funds to fly for another 5 months down here but that was not enough time to get my commercial license (which allows me to fly professionally and get a job) nor get my flight instructor rating (which would allow me to teach). Faced with this situation I have been forced to temporarily suspend my flying.

To make matters worse, the economy has taken a turn for the worse regarding lending and loans. Giselle and I decided that to be able to finish my training we will have to proceed without the use of any more loans. With us both working full time jobs and saving everything possible along the way, we hope that I will be able to begin flying within the year. Any additional freelance work would also add to that savings, helping to speed the process. I have decided to try to get a job with one of the local police departments because this would give me some great law enforcement experience that would come in handy in the future since so many helicopter jobs interface with law enforcement. Plus Mesa has a police helicopter and their pilots are only hired from within so at least as a police officer I could one day be a candidate to fly the police helicopter. I have also submitted my resume for the University of Phoenix in the meantime since I don't know how long the process could take to get into a police department, and it would be a great full-time alternative if the police route does not work out.

With all that said: I will be testing next week and the week after that for a few of the police departments down here to see if I can start working and saving up for my return to the skies. I will keep the blog updated with what happens but at least now you will all know what's going on and why I am going through the process of trying to become a police officer. All these choices are part of the main plan of flying helicopters as my career. Wish us luck!