Happy New Year 2011!

We brought in the new year in the same way we have for the last 8 new years that we have been married. We were home, just the two of us with a yummy feast. We have made it a tradition that each new year we have King Crab, brochette, and a meat and cheese plate. As usual it was really yummy and as usual Jamie found it really difficult to stay awake until midnight. He fell asleep during a movie we were watching. Just before midnight he woke up. He was unaware that we were a minute away from the new year and he made his way to the bathroom. So our new year was spent with me watching the ball drop and Jamie on the pot. That was an interesting new years kiss to say the least. Our New Year's spread.
The two plates at the top are king crab that has been taken our of it's shell already.

The Meat and Cheese Plate

For the last few years we have been making Nuisch Kokas on New Year's Day. This is a Wiens family tradition (Mom mom's side of the family) that has been passed down for years. Nuish Kokas are German little fried doughnut type treats that traditionally have raisins in them. A few years ago we used craisins instead because we didn't have any raisins and we loved it so we have done that ever since. Matthew joined in the fun this year and they turned out great.

He loves to help. He thought mixing was the funnest part.

Look at all that gooey stuff. I want to touch it!

This is Matthew trying to be just like Daddy and turn the Nuisch Kokas.

He needs a little help though.

Usually I do the frying but this year Jamie took the reigns.

After they are fried on both sides they are taken out to let the excess oil drip off.

They are then put in a sugar mixture.
My family uses granulated sugar but I like powdered sugar better.

They are coated on all sides.

Then you eat and enjoy!

Really late Christmas Post

I am really late at posting about Christmas. It was really nice. I took very few pictures. Matthew got to meet Santa at our ward's "Breakfast with Santa." He didn't know what to think of him but at least he didn't cry.
The morning of Christmas eve while Jamie was helping cook at Grandma Anderson's home Matthew and I went to Nana's house to decorate Ginger bread houses. Matthew wasn't that into it yet so I did most of it. Most of all Nana really liked that I was there to help make more icing and color it.
Christmas eve we spent at Grandma Anderson's house cooking. Jamie was helping Grandma with all of the fixins. We really had a spread. Some of the treats were pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans, asparagus, yams, relish tray, poached spiced pears, pumpkin pie, and cookies, just to name a few. We acted out the nativity as always after dinner. Matthew didn't seem to understand and wasn't very cooperative at being a shepherd. I think he enjoyed being baby Jesus more last year. We came home that evening expecting a nice Christmas eve at home, our first at home with a little one (last year we were in a hotel in Chicago). Jamie had prepared a ham that he had smoked all day. As he was cutting it his knife slipped and he sliced right in to his knuckle. It was really deep and almost cut his tendon. I sent him off to the emergency room for stitches while I read Matthew "Twas the Night before Christmas" and put him to bed. Needless to say it wasn't the night we were expecting but we enjoyed it none the less.
Christmas morning was fun. Matthew's favorite present from us was his mini Mickey Mouse electric 4 wheeler. He saw it as soon as he got up and ran towards it. He didn't quite understand how to make it go or how to steer at the time but he has sure learned now and is really good and chasing the dogs with it. We had a nice breakfast of french toast then went over to Nana and Papa Anderson's house to talk to my brother Elder Ben over the computer who is serving as a missionary in the Kennewick Washington Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We got to see him though video also. It was really great to see how wonderful he is doing. We are all very proud of him. We spent the rest of the day relaxing at my parents home, doing puzzles and watching a Christmas Story. I got a great flip video that I will be using in the future to post video here on the blog. Matthew got some great presents too. His favorite was from Uncle Ben and his girlfriend Brittni. They gave him the DVD of Disney's Cars. He will sit and watch that movie almost the whole way through. Amazing for a 15 month old.
Overall it was a wonderful Christmas.

Ginger bread houses at Nana's. Ours is the one bottom center.

Christmas Eve dinner at Grandma Anderson's club house.

There were so many of us we needed two large tables.

Matthew was not too happy about playing a shepherd during the nativity. He wanted to continue to play with his toy car Great Grandma Anderson got for him.

Who is this guy?

Oh, he's got some strange little striped stick thing in his hand he wants to give me.

I don't know about this, he looks weird.

I'm outa here.

Mommy's little helper

Matthew is fascinated by the vacuum. Our vacuum is to large and heavy for him to push. I recently got a Swiffer Vac and now Matthew thinks it is his. Whenever he sees it he wants to clean the floor. I hope this is a sign of things to come.

The joys of learning

Matthew decided mid December that he wanted to start feeding himself with utensils. I really shouldn't have picked spagettios for him to learn with. He really had a blast making a mess.

But mommy, it's fun to try to eat with the handle of the spoon too.

I'm a big boy now because I can wipe my face with a napkin.

Good thing that the bowl sticks to the tray or else it would have been on the ground a long time ago.

Spoke too soon

Shortly after Matthew's diaper rash went away it came back again with a vengeance along with a nasty whole body rash that he had for a week. The doctor's claimed it was hives caused most likely from a virus which also caused the diarrhea that gave him the diaper rash. His bottom was bleeding again and the only thing that helped this time was nystatin cream and a new barrier cream called Calmoseptine. I LOVE it. It stays on so much better than any other diaper cream I have tried. The hives would start like little bug bites all over his body then gradually get bigger until they were huge welts about the size of your palm. They would soon fade only to be replaced by new ones. Luckily they didn't seem to bother him but they sure looked miserable.




These pictures really don't do it justice. Toward the middle of the outbreak it seemed he had more skin that was red than wasn't.