Keep It In Your Pantry

This week we had an exciting change in our household. While many many many people claim that I am "nesting", I like to think I am improving, organizing, and preparing our home for a new addition who will take a fair amount of our time and make future projects a bit more difficult.

With that in mind and my frustration level near the breaking point, I subtly hinted to Mr. Darling to PRETTY PLEASE ask his cabinet guy to put in a pantry organizer. Mr Darling is an EXCELLENT listener and soon had plans in the works to improve this mess that had exploded onto the floor:

Where I couldn't find anything and had very little idea of what was actually in my pantry. The stacks frequently fell over and there simply wasn't room for everything.So for Labor Day, I emptied the pantry, cleaned the walls, taped, primed the walls and painted it a color called "perfect fit" which is a nice, bright yellow. The dingy, dirty yellow-orange is gone and replaced with a nice, light clean color!
Then, Mr. Darling had the new organizer installed Tuesday while I was at work. I got to come home to this lovely sight!!! Thank you, Mr. Darling!!!
Then, I spent Wednesday putting all of the food from the pantry, under the cabinets and the garage into my beautiful, organized, new pantry!!!
There is NOTHING on the floor, which is SO nice! And I can see what I have and actually get to it without knocking anything else over!!!
We plan to add some can roller shelves to the bottom and add maybe one or two more longer shelves just so I can add a few more things! Thank you thank you thank you, Sweet Husband of Mine! This is one of my most FAVORITE presents ever!!!

The Pursuit Of HappYness

On one of my *winter* breaks from college, I was very very sad. I had broken up with a boy nearly a year before and while I did not regret my decision, my heart had not healed. My intuitive mother knew I that something was wrong and one day brought me a very small book.

This aptly titled tome, "The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People", has made such a difference in my life. I reread it recently and thought maybe someone out there could use a little pick me up, too.

Each "secret" begins with a title, then a short explanation. Then, each secret has an anecdote and is then followed by the research that proves the anecdote correct. I love it. None of the topics takes up more than a page front and back so if you are busy busy busy, you can still fit in a little glance on your way to wherever it is you are going.

The book addresses keeping your values, living with morals, building relationships, simplifying your life and pretty much everything else regarding day to day lifestyles.

Some of my favorites that you might not think of:

#10: Limit Yourself To Thinking About One Subject As You Fall Asleep (25% greater happiness!!!)

#26: Root For The Home Team (Increases Happiness 4%..I KNOW this one works!)

#28: Every Relationship is Different (there is no difference in happiness levels between those whose support network is primarily friends and those whose support network is primarily family)

#40: Satisfaction is Relative

#44: Eat some fruit every day (11% higher likelihood of being happy)

#68: Do Things You Are Good At

#83: Enjoy The Ordinary

Anyway, If you are interested, this book is available from amazon.com for ONLY 16 cents! Seriously! If you would like to borrow mine, I will happily lend it out as well.

Summertime

Summertime is here and with it comes the wonderful time of harvest and generosity.

Yesterday I went out to the garden and pulled the carrots and onions. I also picked another zucchini. Then I was off to the berry patch to pick berries. If you have never been to the McBride Briar Patch in Mapleton, you are seriously missing out. Great berries and friendly people make it fun. Watching small children carefully sorting through the brambles trying to find the "red ones" is even more fun!

So, yesterday this is what I had on hand. Thank you McBrides for the berries and green beans!

Tomorrow, I am hoping to get these green beans and the carrots processed and into the freezer to add to soups through the frosty winter!
These beautiful berries became jam today(pictures and recipes later). The blackberries are amazingly sweet so I ended up cutting the sugar in half and I am REALLY happy with the results! Seriously, if you have time you should get some of these! I had to fight off Mr Darling and darling Pup to get these through the food mill!
And here was tonight's dinner! All the stir fry veggies came from my own garden and the chicken was cooked in a delicious Asian Spicy Plum Sauce I canned last year! I feel so domestic today!
I love this time of year and while I am sad I didn't get more planted due to my exhaustion level this summer, I am grateful that what I planted grew and that there is so much variety and bounty here in this gorgeous valley that I am still able to find good, fresh, healthy food to feed my growing little family.

Also, if you can find them, peaches are ripe and SO good...We have nearly polished off half of a box in just 2 days!

The Best Is Yet To Come

I am remiss.

This last Monday marked a major milestone in Darling history.

Mr and Mrs Darling celebrated five remarkable and joyful years together.

And we are just getting started!

In honor of our anniversary, I would like to write a little note to Mr Darling and let him know how much I adore and appreciate him!

Dear, Sweet Husband,

You are truly the light in my life.

I love how happy you are.

I love how sweet, how thoughtful, and how kind you are.

I love that you teach me mercy, patience, and charity.

You made me laugh right when I met you.

I haven't stopped laughing since.

You are going to be an amazing father and I am so delighted to be the mother of your children.

You make me want to be better, learn more, and grow both my knowledge and testimony.

Thank you for choosing me and for the five wonderful years we have been able to share.

I love you.

Your (Darling) Wife

I Saw The Sign

Whenever I see a sign like this....

All I want to do is turn left....

Photo Credit: Right Lane Must Turn Right by Manish Bansal

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

Here are our second set of baby pictures of Baby Woodruff! We are very excited to introduce everyone to Abigail Jean Woodruff! You can tell she is going to be super adorable! I mean, look at that bone structure!
And here are her little feet together! At the ultrasound you could actually see each and every one of her little metatarsels!
Rather than have the ultrasound technician announce it to us at the appointment, we had her write it down and gave the sealed envelope to my adorable BFF (who has been integral these last few months!). Ashley then baked us a cake, enclosing the gender in pink or blue form within a delicious confection meant to be shared.
Later that night at Brick Oven, we sliced open the cake and....tada! IT'S A GIRL!!!!
Thank you to everyone who attended my slightly over the top gathering and I hope everyone else had fun, too! Thank you to my sister in law who chose two very cute outfits I am sure will come in handy.

And I am just so excited and overwhelmed at the idea of being the mother to a little girl! I am already shopping for cute little girl outfits!!! Thanks to a very convenient coupon to baby gap, here are a couple of the things I have found so far to keep Abby warm this winter!

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

Spanish Fork Fiesta Days is a few weeks past, but I couldn't not post about it. Sweet Husband and I started the morning with his mom and dad wandering around the festivities. Our local Segway shop had set up a course and we couldn't pass it by!

Then we ate BBQ Sandwiches with Texas Twisters and Tornado Potatoes but we did decide to pass on the deep fried oreos and twinkies. Then, after a brief nap, it was off to the rodeo!!! We saw patriotic cowgirls...

And bucking broncos...

And some really nasty falls...

Mr. Darling and I enjoyed watching and photographing the crazy antics of the cowboys and I hope that the in laws enjoyed it as well!!

And here I am at about 21 Weeks. This night marked the first night that I couldn't button my jeans...but I am past the half way mark!!!