Food storage--check.

When I hear the words "food storage," the first image that comes to mind is my mom's food storage pantry--complete with rows and rows of bottled peaches, canned goods, 50-pound buckets of rice and wheat, and LOTS of powdered milk.

But when, at 21 years old, I married Adam and moved out of my parents' house, food storage took on a whole different meaning. Our 1-bedroom abode was tiny--smaller than the entire bottom floor of our current Winfield town home. The kitchen was the smallest part: long and skinny. There was a mini oven at one end, and when sitting at the kitchen table, you could turn on the sink, reach the trash, open the refrigerator door, turn on the oven, and open the front door to let in a guest without even leaving your seat! Needless to say, there was not much extra space for food storage.

But while we got by with a grocery sack full of cans and a can opener at our last apartment, I knew that this time I had no excuse. We now have sufficient storage space (requiring a little creativity), and we also have a growing family to provide for in the event of an emergency. With the recent Priesthood-Relief Society meeting on home food storage, I knew it was time to act.

I had already gathered up a decent supply of food which was stored in our coat closet (go Aldi!), but we were a little low on water supplies. Luckily, Melissa Stevens had given us some 2-liter bottles from their water storage when they moved. I just had to fill them and figure out where to put them.

After a little measuring and a trip to the hardware store (boy does Jared love the hardware store!), they now have a home. All 17 bottles sit snugly beside the furnace in our bathroom closet, stacked in rows separated by boards.

Thanks to Adam's grandma, we now have a 72-hour kit and a bag of extra clothing too. I must say I'm quite proud of our little food/water stash. I almost wish a disaster would strike so we could put it to use (well, not really). The only trick now is keeping the clothes and diapers updated so Jared isn't stuck wearing baby clothes when he's two!

Berries, airplanes, and haircuts--Oh my!

September brought with it a fun assortment of activities for our family. Jared and I enjoyed picking berries at Pontious Farms with Jenny and Zoe Snow... and Jared loved eating them! We also got to attend a Boy Scout Jamboree at the Rantoul aerospace museum. And a week ago, Jared got his final summer haircut. It looks like he was blond underneath his mop, after all. I think it was the sun that bleached it... although Adam did have blond hair as a baby, too. We'll see what color his hair is by the end of winter.

Third Anniversary!

For our third anniversary, Adam and I splurged: we hired a babysitter, rented a tandem bicycle, and strolled the town! We enjoyed walking by some of the university's gardens as well as biking through Meadowbrook Park. For dinner we went to Biaggi's (Italian). THAT was a major splurge... but the food was great! I got some ellegant-sounding cheese-filled pasta and it was SO good! (especially since I've been craving cheese throughout my pregnancy). We got to eat out on their patio where it was quiet with perfect weather. During dinner we exchanged gifts, and at home we watched the video of our wedding day.
Adam is the best husband ever! I feel so lucky to be married to him. He is an excellent father, too. We love spending time together, when we get the chance, and we're excited for the challenge of raising another little Lisa/Adam Jr. next spring. Aaaah. Life is very good.

The Wheels on the Bus...

Over the past few months, Jared and I (and sometimes Adam) have gone to visit an elderly lady (mother of Sis. Anderson in our ward) in a nearby rest home. Last Monday the Andersons invited our family and several others who have helped with her mother to join them for a ride on their bus and some ice cream. Jared absolutely loved the bus ride (and, of course, he loved the ice cream too). We really enjoyed getting to spend time with ward members and their kids. It was a very fun evening!

Three Red Ladies (and a Baby!)

That's describes last Wednesday! Adam's mom, Shauna, and Adam's sister, Jenny, came to spend the day with me and Jared. And what a day it was! We gave Jenny a tour of our house, played with Jared, ate lunch, watched Jared open his birthday presents, took Jared to the pool, and played some more! Needless to say, Jared enjoyed the extra attention. And I enjoyed having Shauna and Jenny there for the day.
(p.s. My red shirt wasn't coincidence, but Shauna's and Jenny's were. If I can find it, I'll also include a photo from a year ago--when we were all wearing blue.)

Big Number One!

Jared had a great 1st birthday! In case you haven't already seen pictures from our Phanfare site, here is a taste of Jared's celebration.

Jared's first haircut!

As the jungle of locks got thicker and thicker, I knew it was nearly here--that fateful decision that all mothers must, at some time, face: To trim or not to trim. That was the question that confronted me every time I saw the wisps of side hair start to creep over Jared's ears in Beatle-like fashion. It confronted me every time I saw the thick locks peeking over the back of his Sunday shirt collar. And it confronted me with special urgency whenever Jared--with a fistful of oatmeal--ran his hands across his cheeks and up through his hair. The effect was even better than mega-hold hair gel (but a whole lot harder to wash out).





So I opted to trim. On Thursday, May 29, at 6:30 p.m., we plunked Jared on a chair in front of Baby Einstein, used two plastic pocket bibs for a drape, and pulled out the scissors. I started out gingerly, not wanting to sheer too much of his sweet "baby hair." But I grew bolder as I realized how truly wild and woolly the back of his head was. After ten minutes (and a lot more trimming than I had originally expected), Jared had a missionary-approved haircut.




No wailing, no fighting, no tears. Lisa made it through the event with honor. She didn't even regret her choice to trim the next day. No, she thinks Jared looks great with his new do.