Cell Phone Pics

Ready for Halloween

So snuggly

John will be Daniel Tiger for Halloween, but he doesn't like the hood

Fat lip

John was in the bath and Brandon missed him, so he crawled from the front room to the bathroom to be with his brother

Oh Hi!

I just love this little face

Party at my crib

So angelic

Peek-a-boo!

My cuddle buddy

Brother time under the table

Country Livin

We spent the last week in Blackfoot with Robby's folks. We love country living! John loved being about to go outside without supervision. 

He loved eating raspberries straight from the bush. 

Brandon got to try pancakes, carrots, potatoes, waffles, and even sucked on a piece of bacon. 

He just loves big boy foods! 

And Robby and I got to have some time away from the kids. We went and saw Beauty and the Beast at Playmill in West Yellowstone and we floated the Snake River. It was so fun and we hated going home. Hopefully we'll move out there next year!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg Oreos

1/2 Cup Butter

11.5 oz (1 pkg) chocolate chips

2/3 Cup peanut butter

3 Cups heavy cream (separated)

1/4 Cup sugar

Directions:

Pulse Oreos in food processor or blender until they resemble sand

Mix with melted butter and press into greased pie pan

Freeze overnight

In a heat safe bowl, mix 2 cups heavy cream, peanut butter, and chocolate chips. Place over a sauce pan with an inch or 2 of water in it. Heat mixture over Med. High heat until chocolate melts and all ingredients are well incorporated. Place in fridge for 2 hours

Beat 1 cup heavy cream on Med until soft peaks form. Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold half the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Spoon into frozen pie shell. Top with the rest of the whipped cream. Garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.

Expectation vs Reality

I recently had a friend comment that she likes my blog, especially my "Life Plan" from when I was 4. I reread my life plan from 2011 and while I love what I have, it's very different from what I was hoping. 

Expectation in 2011

• Get new jobs in Twin Falls, Idaho

• Move to Twin this summer

• Have Robby start nursing school this winter

• Robby graduates in 2 years

• Robby finds a good job soon after he graduates

• We start a family

• I quit my job when our first baby comes

• In 3-5 years from now, we have enough saved up to buy a modest house with a big yard (just in time for baby #2)

• We hopefully have somewhere between 4 and 6 kids and add on to our house to accomodate our growing family

• Live happily ever after

Reality in 2014

• We did move to Twin the summer after we got married

• I found a new job at the hospital, Robby wasn't ever able to find a job

• It took 2 years for Robby to start nursing school, but now he only has 2 semesters left

• I found out I was pregnant a month after we moved to Twin

• Since Robby couldn't find a job, I worked until we found out I was pregnant with our second baby

• We're still 5 years or so from buying a house, but at least in a year we're moving out of this crumby apartment

• Since I have to have c-sections for each delivery, we're maxed out at 4 kids, but it could be less depending on how I heal each time

• But happily ever after is still on the table

Hopes for the next 3 years (2017)

• Robby graduated in May 2015
• Robby gets a nursing job somewhere in SouthEast Idaho
• We move to Idaho Falls or somewhere near that
• We rent somewhere that has a yard or is at least on the ground floor and near a playground
• Robby and I go away for a weekend to celebrate
• We pay off student loans and buy a minivan and save up for a down payment on a house
• I get pregnant again in 2016 or 2017
• Maybe we'll be in a house by the time our 3rd baby comes

Well, that's what I'm hoping for at least. I'll have to look back in 3 years and see what actually happens. But it's fun to hope and dream 

Sandwich Bread Recipe

Makes: 2 loaves

Ingredients



3 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup sugar
¼ cup honey
3 1/2 cups bread flour plus 1 tablespoon
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup dry milk
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (available at Smiths: Bob's Red Mill)
1/3 cup oil
2 T lecithin
a cold stick of butter


Instructions




1. Heat water in microwave (30 sec per cup). In your kitchen aid mixer bowl, add warm water, sugar, honey and one tablespoon flour. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add yeast and gently mix in. Let stand 10 minutes. Should become foamy on top, if the yeast was activated.
2. Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, salt, and vital wheat gluten.
3. Mix lecithin, optional, with oil, then add into the yeast/water mixture, or just the oil. Don't stir. Then, stir in flour mixture until combined.
4. Using the bread hook, mix dough on a low setting in Kitchen Aid Mixer for about 10 minutes. Add a little more flour if it's too sticky. Stop and take it off the hook every few minutes to assure it's mixing well. (I do this about 3-4 times.)5. Place in large greased bowl. Turn dough ball around in the bowl to get it greased all around. Then cover the bowl with a smooth dishtowel. Set bowl in a warm place and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour. I usually preheat my oven to 200 then turn the oven off. 

6. Punch down the dough in the bowl. Then, divide evenly into two equal parts on a lightly floured surface.
7. Roll out each portion of dough with rolling pin to remove air bubbles. Then, roll up each one into a loaf size and put into a greased pan seam-side down.
8. Place loaves in the fridge for your second proof. The slow rise with make your gluten bonds stronger. Usually takes 30 min. Once the bread is nicely domed about an inch above the pan, it's ready to bake. 



9. Place the bread in the oven as you preheat to 375, once the oven reaches 375, reduce to 325 and bake for 22 to 27 min or until tops are golden brown.
10. Brush bread with butter and remove from pans. Let cool completely on a cooling rack

1 Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed

MVI 1866 from Brittany Williams on Vimeo.

MVI 1865 from Brittany Williams on Vimeo.

Kool Aid Play Dough

Click the link for recipe: The Pretty Things in Life

Squeaker

I've nicknamed Brandon "Squeaker" for his adorable squeaky cries and noises. John had such a low, manly voice -- even as an infant. But Brandon is just a little squeaker.

Squeaker is such an angel baby. He's so patient about having to share attention. He doesn't demand to be held all the time. He often puts himself down for a nap while I'm taking care of John and he's a silent  sleeper so I can keep him in the room with me at night. I could never keep John in our room because he's such a noisy sleeper and now he talks in his sleep.

Brandon, though only 2 weeks old, has already figured out that day is for being awake and night is for sleeping. So even though he wakes up every 2 to 3 hours to eat through the night, he goes right back to sleep after each feeding. It's beautiful.

One other thing we've noticed about Brandon in the 2 weeks that we've come to know him is that he has "old soul" eyes. His eyes are deep and searching. I could feel this about him even in utero, Brandon will be a wise man one day and an example to his siblings and probably to me and Robby too.

I can't wait to learn more about my little Squeaker. I adore him so much already.

Brandon Keith Williams

Unlike his brother, John, Brandon's entrance into the world was quite uneventful. I had a repeat c section scheduled for Brandon for January 17th, 2014. So on the 16th, I took a long, relaxing shower and went to bed early. On the 17th, I woke up and got everything ready. Robby's parents came into town to look after John and Robby and I took off for the hospital.

Once at the hospital I basically waited around for 2 hours until the OR was ready. Once I was in the OR and numbed up from the spinal it was only a matter of minutes until I heard the sweet, amazing cries of my little boy. Brandon was born at 1:01 pm on Friday, January 17th, 2014. 

He's such an angel and we love him so much. He and John looked so identical to me when they were first born

Newborn Brandon

Newborn John

But the more I get to know Brandon, the more I can see how totally different they are.

Brandon is such a snuggle bug and a squeaker. He's a very calm and patient baby and has a pouty face when he sleeps. I can't wait to learn more about him and see his personality develop.

Welcome to the Williams Family little Brandon.