5 years married - and now, getting married.

On August 6th, Mat and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary.
But it was much more special than just that. We went to the county clerk, signed the documents, renewed our vows, and made it official.

We had only a few family members and close friends at the ceremony - where we included Avary by giving her a necklace. A silver chain, holding one pearl and a silver tag engraved with the date.
I thought it was SO sweet That my dad unexpectedly offered to pay for our marriage license and the ceremony - and also that Mat's parents gave us a beautiful card with cash to spend on our "honeymoon".

Later, I realized that unintentionally, The bride's parents paid for the wedding, and the groom's paid for the honeymoon. I chuckled a bit when it crossed my mind - I guess we are a little more traditional than thought!

After the ceremony we shared a wonderful lunch with family and friends at The DODO.
Then, Mat and I said the most difficult goodbye either of us has ever had to say, when we left Avary to go to Sun Valley. This four day trip would be the longest we had ever been away from her.
Once we were on the road, and (mostly) over our guilt of leaving our little A behind, we began talking. Like, actually talking to each other  - and our conversation did not include whether or not the dishwasher was loaded properly, or if it was better to use spray on or rub on sunblock for Avary. We were able to just BE. It was wonderful.
When we arrived in Ketchum, we quickly checked into our hotel (we stayed at a lodge in town for the first night) and then walked down the street to the Roosevelt Grill. Mat had called ahead and made reservations for a romantic rooftop meal - how sweet!
Everything was perfect - and the food was AMAZING!
The next morning, We ate a DELICIOUS breakfast at The Kneadery, and then Mat took me on the Gondola/chair lift up to the top of Mount Baldy. It was beautiful - and something I had never done in all the times I have been to Sun Valley.

After our trip up the mountain, it was time to check in to our room at the Sun Valley Resort. 
I too wanted to take Mat to do something that I loved in Sun Valley, But he had never done. Horse back riding. First thing the next morning, I called and Made the reservation. Then I went and told Mat about our adventure for the day.....and that the man said that we would have to wear closed toe -solid sole shoes. The problem was - we both only packed flip flops. Oops!
So the hunt was one. Our first stop was to the thrift store - closed.
Then to the drug store - they only had flip flops.
Our last option was the sporting goods stores - or pay for the horseback rides - and not go.
So we reluctantly made our way to the high priced resort town shops. Luckily we each found a pair of hiking shoes that were on sale - but really, even the 'sale' price stung a bit.
We made it to the barn just in time and went on our own private trail ride up the mountain. It was wonderful!

We spent the rest of our time in Sun valley eating the MOST delicious food either of us has ever had, and just hanging out. It was peaceful, relaxing, and just the right amount of time - we were really missing A by the end of our trip.


And now, we are FINALLY, LEGALLY. Mr. and Mrs. Wennergren!

4th (and 3rd) of July!

We started off the holiday weekend with the neighborhood parade/bbq.

Avary and her cousins had a blast decorating their bikes with streamers, flags and balloons and riding around the 2 block parade route.

Afterward we enjoyed the festivities...

Climbed in (and on) a firetruck - which was the lead in the parade!

Ate a snow cone - A's first ever! She chose blue.

Got a stick-on firework tattoo. 

And finished the event with a hot dog and watermelon - A's FAVORITES.

After a nap (for everyone), we walked to Sugar House park to meet up with my sisters and camp out for the afternoon to get a good spot for the fireworks that evening.

After settling all of our things (we packed ALOT of things to keep everyone entertained), we watched a really cool African sparring/chanting/drumming group. Avary loved grooving to the drum beats, and Mat and I enjoyed the crazy flips and tricks.

Then we walked around to check out all of the fun booths and vendors at the park.

We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening in the shade on our blankets playing games and eating snacks. When it got dark, we cuddled up and prepared for the fireworks. They began - and were exploding right above our heads. Avary was terrified. Aside from the VERY loud boom that came with each one, she thought that they were going to fall down onto her. I held her and covered her with a blanket so she could just peek out whenever she was ready. 

The fireworks were beautiful!

What a wonderful night!

Father's day at the farm

On Saturday we drove out to Logan to celebrate Father's day with Mat's family.                     Mat and I agreed, it was the best time we'd had at the farm. 

It was a BEAUTIFUL day. Perfect weather for BBQing.

Avary ran around, and played with ANYONE that was willing.

After 'lunch' (Everyone enjoyed cheeseburgers, fruit, and baby carrots - Avary went with a couple of tortilla chips and about 3 cups of lemonade.) A enjoyed a popsicle in the hammock.

I even talked Mat into climbing on the little 'broken down' 4 wheeler. 

(Pretty much the trashiest photo possible. Sorry Mat.)

We enjoyed getting to sit and chat with Ken and Patti (Mat's Uncle and Aunt that were visiting from California) and playing a little catch.

At the end of a WONDERFUL day, I was able to get a picture of the whole group.

UPDATE!

So much has changed since I last wrote! Here's a general update on the Wennergren Three.

Last month Mat graduated from Westminster. Woo hoo! Avary and I are so proud of him.
Two days later he started a new job at Candeo, a web based addiction recovery company. He is doing graphic design and video editing for them and is loving it! He is still teaching guitar in the evenings - which has become very popular. He is almost completely booked! He loves to spend the weekends with family, working in the yard, and playing gigs with his band.

I am loving staying home with Avary and being a house wife. Although it does keep me much busier than I expected. Each morning is a bit of a whirl wind (making breakfast for everyone, getting Avary dressed, ironing Mat's shirts, making sure he has something to eat for lunch, etc.. all before Mat gets out the door) Then afternoons full of cleaning, entertaining/teaching Avary, and evenings of cooking dinner, bedtime routine, and finally spending a couple of quiet hours with Mat.
But I love it - and especially love reaching my goal each day to pull my weight by doing all of those things.
I have been trying to get healthy (and lose a little weight) as we have a busy summer ahead of us - I want to enjoy it! I started an Anti-gravity yoga class with my friend Brittany - which I am LOVING. And have also decided to cut all meat and dairy from my diet - which I am also loving. It really makes me think about what I choose to eat. I am also really enjoying my garden which is full of herbs and vegetables!

Avary is loving the warm weather! She loves to swim, 'work' in the garden with me, and go to the zoo. She is getting smarter everyday (which scares me!) She loves to sing and 'jam' on her drums while Mat plays guitar. And I don't know what she would do without her 'show shows' (I don't know how great it is that she is obsessed with tv and movies - but she does learn a lot - so that makes it ok...right?)

Anyway, that is the latest on US! We are all looking forward to the fun summer ahead!

Smoothies and Oats

If you know me, you know that when I find a product or service that I love, I will 'sell' it to EVERYONE that will listen, so naturally it had to spread to my blog.

I have recently come across two products that fit into my 'have to tell' category.

The first is Muscle Milk 100% Whey protein powder.

Vanilla or Chocolate, A $28 bag from Costco will get you 80 servings of this wonderful stuff.

An 8 oz. serving is only 130 calories, with 27g of protein, and only 1g of sugar, and 2g of carbs. Plus, 15% daily calcium!

AND, this whey protein usually doesn't effect most people with a lactose intolerance!

My brother has spread an addiction to this stuff through our family like wildfire.

He (who is lactose intolerant) has had at least 2 servings a day, (along with a healthy diet) for the past couple of months. He is now at his lowest weight yet, and has noticed improvements in his skin, hair and energy by adding this product to his diet.

I have been drinking the protein smoothies for about 2 weeks now, and have gotten similar results.

Now, the flavor does take a little getting used to, but I was fine with it by the second day.

Here are a couple of recipes that add LOTS of flavor to the smoothies, and little or no calories or sugar.

STRAWBERRY (I have this one every morning) 

8 oz. of water, a handful of ice, one scoop of vanilla powder, and 3 or 4 strawberries. (Costco's are AMAZING!) Blend until smooth. YUM! 

130 cal from powder + 4 cal per 1 med strawberry ONLY 146 calories!

VANILLA CINNAMON

8 oz. of water, a handful of ice, one scoop of vanilla powder, and a dash of cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Similar to a vanilla chai tea flavor.

130 cal from powder + 6 cal per 1 tsp cinn. ONLY 136 calories!

BERRY CHEESECAKE

16 oz. of water, 2 handfuls of ice, 2 scoops of vanilla powder, a box of sugar free instant cheesecake pudding. Blend until smooth. Add a handful of fresh or frozen berries. Pulse in blender to slightly chop and mix in. Delicious TREAT! Great replacement for dessert!

Makes 2 servings. Each serving -130 cal from powder + 50 cal from pudding + 16 cal from berries. ONLY 196 calories!

COFFEE

8 oz. of strongly brewed coffee, a handful of ice, one scoop of vanilla powder. Blend until smooth. Vanilla powder replaces the need for sweeteners or cream.

130 cal from powder. ONLY 130 calories!

Also, If you have the time and are willing to wait for your smoothie, Make the smoothie as directed above, but then freeze for one hour. Re blend. The texture is FANTASTICAL. More ice creamy, less watery.

SECOND UP -  Better Oats 'OAT FIT'

This instant oatmeal is inexpensive (found mine at fresh market for $2 I think...) is CONVENIENT (once you pour the oats in your bowl, you can use the packet to measure and pour the perfect amount of water), QUICK (cooks up perfectly in 90 seconds), HEALTHY (only 100 calories, with NO sugar!!!), and VERY tastey (I've tried maple and brown sugar, and cinnamon roll). Plus, they are eco friendly with compact packaging!

The also have a wide vareity of 'lines' aside from OAT FIT if that's not exactly what your looking for (although I can't vouch for the others cause i haven't tried them yet.)

OAT REVOLUTION - ll natural 100% whole grain oats. We then add heart healthy antioxidants and ground flax, a good source of Omega-3 to enhance the classic taste

ABUNDANCE  - harvested and milled to retain their naturally thick and varied multigrain textures and mixed with real fruit and natural flavors.

GOOD N' HEARTY - 100% whole grain oats milled to retain their thick and chewy texture, and flax, which is a good source of Omega-3

LAVISH - premium chocolate morsels with the finest 100% whole grain oats for a naturally thick, rich and chewy texture.

MUFFINS - muffin taste in a healthy and nutritious 100% whole grain oatmeal.

OAT HEADS - oatmeal with fun flavors kids will love.

RAW PURE AND SIMPLE- 100% organic, whole grain oats blended with organic whole grains and seeds, like flax, barley and quinoa, for a wholesome and nutritious breakfast.

AND, Avary LOVES it! 

She likes to add a few fresh blueberries.

Well, I'm done with my sales pitch. I hope you all enjoy these two great products! 

Let me know what you think!

(I am in no way affiliated with either muscle milk or better oats. I just enjoy what they do.)

Marker Monster

So, the other day Avary received a couple of wonderful little preschool workbooks. Each one came with a dry erase marker so that toddlers could practice writing letters. 

Avary and I worked at this concept for a little while until she got bored. 

But only bored with tracing - no where near bored with the marvelous markers!

And I have to admit, they are pretty marvelous as far as markers go. Very smooth and inky for a preschool workbook.

Anyway, A continued to color ALL over the workbooks. She carried the markers and books with her everywhere all day. 

Eventually, she realized that they worked nicely on her arm as well. Mat explained that markers were only for the workbooks. A agreed.

The next day, she demanded her beloved workbooks again. And again, colored all over her arms. I warned her that if she couldn't keep the markers on the workbook, that I would have to take them away. I truly believed that the message had sunk in.

Later that afternoon, as Mat was teaching and Avary was 'napping' I sat and listened to the chit chat and giggles coming through the monitor. I went in her room a couple of times to remind her that it was time to sleep. Not play.

I left her in her bed, and went back to listening. 

It stayed mostly quiet, but I could tell that she was awake and moving around. I figured as long as she wasn't talking and playing that she would eventually fall asleep.

About 15 minutes went by and she was talking again. 

I went into her room, to find her standing in the middle of her room, her back toward me.

She turned, raised her 'claw shaped' hands to her face, and growled.

"I'M A MONSTER!!!"

 

Mother's day

We had a wonderful family/fun filled day on Sunday.

It started off with Mat and Avary waking me up with a gift
(new shoes!) and a sweet card.

Once cleaned up and dressed we heaed to
Salt Lake Pizza and Pasta (YUM!) for brunch with Mat's family.


After brunch everyone met up at the Wennergren's for coffee and birthday cake (May 9th is also Josh's birthday.)
I, unfortunately had to run home and get my famous frog eye salad going so it would have enough time to chill before my family's BBQ later that afternoon.

After picking up Mat and A, we all went home and rested up a bit.
When Avary woke up from her nap we went to my parents for the BBQ.

I was so sad that I forgot my camera earlier in the day - so I made sure to take it with me to my parents...and maybe went a little overboard. I couldn't help myself! Everything just looked so good!

My frog eye salad. I won't toot my own horn - but I hear it's amazing.

My dad's grilled shrimp

and Sarah's bacon wrapped, stuffed jalapenos

on my mom's new BBQ!

A LOVES this slide!

Gma Alice, Zak, and my Mom

I feel so blessed to be a Mom and to have so many wonderful Moms in my life!

Avary's faces

Avary just walked up to me and said, "Look at my silly face!"

And then did this...

I was laughing so hard, it took a few tries to get a non blurry photo!


So I asked her to show me her other faces...

Surprised.

Mad.

                                       

Thinking.

Happy.

Sad. 

Scared.

I am especially fond of Surprised and Scared. 

 Shocker the whole modeling thing didn't pan out.

Oh, and if your wondering how you can get an appointment with her stylist,
let me know.

Success!

Avary is officially DONE with diapers!

OK, she hasn't used diapers for a while now.
She has been doing pretty well with undies during the day, and pull ups at night, But we have still had our fair share of 'accidents'.

Tonight, as we were pulling into our driveway, Avary said "Mommy! Mommy, I need to go to the potty!"
This usually meant that she had already wet her pants, But I said what I always say to her, "Hold on! Just hold on to it and we'll get you to the potty!"
I parked the car, got her out, and rushed her inside.
I was thrilled to find that her pants were still dry!
She did it!
She knew she had to go, and held it until she made it to the potty!

This was a similar story to the night before.

I know that there may still be accidents in the future, but I am confident, and proud to say that Avary is

POTTY TRAINED!

Mocking bird

As with most kids, Avary is a mocking bird.

It is an eyeopener to things I guess I say without realizing how it will sound when my 2 year old repeats it. 

Avary's quote of the day :

"I'm too old and sick. I need to go to the gym, but I'm too busy."

Embarrassing! I run the park with A and the dogs most days, But I guess I need to stop complaining and get to the gym!

Hendrix

Yesterday Avary handed me Mat's Band of Gypsys LP and said, "Who is this guy?" 

I said "Jimi Hendrix."

She raised her eyebrows and said, "Huh. He needs a haircut." 

Cookies

I made peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses on top, 

and took them out to the back patio to enjoy in the shade.

Avary LOVED them.

She kept biting the chocolate off the top.

Then she would reach for a new cookie.

But only for the cookies with chocolate.

It was so cute, I couldn't say no.

By the time she was done, she had a pile of chewed PB cookies.