The Gem-O-Rama.

Do you watch the T.V. show Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel?

We do too.

A year ago, there was an episode about a treasure hunt in Trona, California. It looked like so much fun that we decided we were going to do it.

So a year later, we went.


















We dug through thick mud, piles of rocks, and scary red water (it's not water).

We were looking for what Jared and I called "the perfect specimen".
We found Hanksite and Pink Halite crystals.


















We had fun, got really dirty, and ate nasty food.
(We should have went to the Sizzler.)

It was like elementary school science camp all over again.



Mom, thanks for watching Hannah. You know we love you!

Butterflies And Benches.

Recently was the World Wide Day of Play.

All over the country you could get into fun places for free! We even saw that Nickelodeon went off the air in honor of it.

We went to the Botanical Gardens to see the butterflies.












There were 800 butterflies flying around.




















Hannah's pointer finger was very busy.































A few workers had a mini-heart attack when they thought she was going to grab a butterfly.
















But to be honest with you, she had just as much fun climbing on the bench.













Silly girl.

My Secrets.

I want to share my secrets with you.

These are things that make my life so happy. I use and love them.

Cooking-

• I use AllRecipes.com to find yummy recipes for anything. I use the recipes that have been rated 4 or 5 stars by more than 100 people. I always read the first 10 comments and follow their suggestions. My first attempt at making these recipes is usually successful.
• I love The Pampered Chef cooking utensils. My Target and Walmart tools break down much too soon. The Pampered Chef make sturdy and useful items that make cooking easier and more enjoyable. My favorite items are the pans, food chopper, micro scraper, and prep bowls.

Feet-

• The PedEgg has made my feet salon-smooth. I bought it at Target for $10 as a present to myself. In just one treatment my feet were so soft. It doesn't hurt and it's fast.

Groceries-

• I have cut my grocery bill in half! CouponSense.com helps me find the best deals, tells me when and where to use my coupons, organize my list, and alerts me when the specific products I use go on sale. I often get stuff for free too. There is a service fee each month, but to me it's worth it. I save and it makes shopping easier. You have to talk to an instructor to really get the hang of it. (AZ only)

Baby-

• For really bad diaper rash, Resinol is amazing. It's sooths Hannah's bum instantly and it heals fast. You can order it at most pharmacies with out a prescription. (Thanks Marie!)
  
• For nursing, I can't live without Mother Love cream. It doesn't stain your clothes, it goes on softly, and it heals you quickly.

Internet-

• I keep up with many blogs. New posts are sent to me through my RSS Feed (Google Reader). I am sent all new blog or website posts that I subscribe too. It makes using the Internet very user friendly.

Shopping-

• I buy most of my expensive items from Craigslist.com, Amazon.com, or Ebay.com. I first see what I want/need at the store and then order it for so much cheaper through one of these sources. Even clothes. Try the pants on at the store and get it for half as much brand-new online. It saves us a ton of money.
  

*This post was really fun to write. I want to know your secrets. Leave a comment or post it on your blog. I'll read about it using my RSS Feed. Wink.

Did We Forget To Mention...?

Oh, by the way...

We're having a baby...

In a few months and...

It's a boy!

Did we not tell you? Opps.



















He's the spitting image of Jared.

What Has An IQ Of 170 And Is Made Of Wood?

While we were in Chicago, a couple of weeks ago, we had the chance to tour the Smart Home at the Museum of Science and Industry.
It was a pretty cool exhibit. Basically it was a 2500 sq. ft. house that you got to walk through with a tour guide.



So what makes this home so smart? (It only lets you use one square of toilet paper when you poop. I hate Sheryl Crow.)

1) Smart Design
It's designed to feel bigger than it really is with the use of high ceilings, abundant light and by "borrowing" space from outdoors.



2) Material Efficiency
Since the home is prefabricated and modular designed it takes less time to construct the home using fewer resources. Most of the material, including the furniture is made of recycled materials.

3) Energy Efficient
The green roof (plants on the roof) help keep the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Solar rooftop panels help generate much of the home's electricity. Electricity costs are about half of what a normal home costs.

4) Water Efficiency (this is my favorite one and something we could use in the Arizona desert)
The home is built to collect rain water to later use to water the plants and garden outside. The home also filter and recycles "grey water", (rinse water from the washer, showers, sinks, etc) and uses this water to flush the toilets. Speaking of toilets, the home is equipped with dual-flush toilets, that use half the water when you go number one and more water when you had the big burrito the night before (that was the tour guide's joke).

5) Healthy Environment
Home is built with non-toxic materials. It also has a air and water filtration system.

This home was loaded with technology and made Lisa and I look down upon our dumb home back in Arizona. But at a cost of $500,000 (not including land) maybe we'll have to wait a little longer before was start saving the earth with our smart home.

It was pretty cool though.

Tall-Sticky-Wet Onions.

Our tour guide told us Chicago means, "Tall-sticky-wet onions" and he said they weren't proud of that fact.

We went to Chicago to check out a school Jared might attend and see if we like it there.

We do.



After the school's open house, we stayed a few days and had some fun.



Saw the sights, took some pictures, and ate really good food.



We walked everywhere! Our legs were screaming for us to stop.

But we didn't.



It was such a fun trip. You would have to spend a month there to do everything you want.

Maybe someday we will.

A special thanks to Ely, Chris, and Mom for watching Hannah for us.
We know she had fun.

Does Anyone Speak Baby?

Jared and I often wonder what Hannah is trying to tell us.

It would be so fun to know what she's saying.



This is a very small taste of the usual long conversations she holds all day long. We love listening to Hannah and her talk.

Any guesses as to what she said?