Spaghetti

Spaghetti Sauce - Abi Lentine SHC

1 med onion

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

28 oz can diced tomatoes

12 oz can tomato paste

30 oz can tomato sauce 

2 C. water (for a long period of simmering for flavors to meld. If you don't want to simmer it as long, add less)

3 t. basil

2 t. dried parsley flakes

1 1/2 t. brown sugar

1 t. salt

1/4-1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 t. fresh coarse ground black pepper

1/4 C. red wine [optional]

In large heavy stockpot add a little virgin olive oil add onions and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onions are softened.

Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. 

Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper. 

Stir well and barely bring to a boil.

Stir in red wine.

Simmer on low stirring frequently for at least an hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn!

Homemade Meatballs

2 lbs groud beef (leaner the better)

2 T. garlic minced

2 eggs, beaten

4 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 C. italian breadcrumbs

1 C. dry parmesan cheese

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

garlic salt to taste

thyme to taste

lemon or orange zest to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix them together thoroughly with your hands

Scoop out about 1 T. worth of meatball mixture and squeeze it several times to pack tightly

Roll the mixture between the palms of your hands to form a 1 1/2 meatball

Arrange each meatball on a baking sheet

Bake the meatballs at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Turn halfway through for all-around crispy exterior

Once cooked, remove from oven and place on cooling rack

Allow the meatballs to cool down before trying to pick them up or they will break apart

Enjoy and stuff your face!!!

Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken - Mom

4 chicken breast, boiled and cut up

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. sour cream

1 t. poppy seeds

1 stick butter, melted

1 tube Ritz crackers, smashed to crumbs

Mix soup and sour cream and poppy seeds. Add chicken. Place in casserole dish.

Pour melted butter over chicken and sprinkle crumbs over the top.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Cornbread

Cornbread - Mom

350 for 40 min.

1 1/2 C. flour

2/3 C. sugar

1/2 C. cornmeal

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 C. milk

2 eggs beat up

1/3 C. vegetable oil

3 T. melted butter 

Ginger Snap Cookies

Ginger Snap Cookies - Cara Vance

350 for 8 min
1 1/2 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 C. molasses 

Mix these together and then add:

4 C. flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

2 t. ginger

Mix then roll in balls, drop in sugar. Flatten on cookie sheet.

My Love

Levi's birthday is the same month as Valentines day and I usually like to do something really special for him. This month got crazy because we took a spontaneous trip to Rexburg to meet future in-laws and on our way home we all got crazy sick. So with the stress of traveling and sickness I dropped the ball a little. Okay a lot. I felt so bad that I would tell Levi time and time again that I didn't have any plans so that he wouldn't feel bad when there was nothing planned. Luckily his birthday was still a success because we were in Kaysville with his family and they had cake and ice cream, family, and a nerf war! All of which I tried my best to be a part of, but with my sickness hitting me full force it was tough...not to mention a sick and tired baby and being tight on money from traveling.

Despite all of this Levi was happy and thankful.

Come Valentines day I knew there wasn't much to expect and we both had very busy days. Plus I am one of those people that doesn't think it's totally necessary to do some huge extravagant thing on V-day. So Levi leaves to go to mutual and I am at home watching a show on Netflix just totally content with life. Well Levi gets home and is acting sort of weird. He kissed me quick and then rushed to the bedroom where he said he was changing his clothes...he rarely does that. So I keep watching my show thinking nothing of it. Then he comes out to the living room and starts asking me random questions while sneaking around the kitchen with his hands behind is back. Well he finally runs over to me and places a sticky note heart on the computer that says:

I look at Levi and he gives me a sheepish grin, one you might see from a child who just did something very pleasing to you that may reward them with a high five or happy clap. Levi then urges me to hurry and go look at the other hearts that he had been sneakily placing in the kitchen and in the bedroom. This is what I found:

Isn't he so great? If you don't agree, let me explain: he knows me so well that he did something meaningful yet cheap, he didn't just buy me a dozen roses and waste our money, he had thought all day long about different things he loves about me. My heart swelled up with joy with each heart I read and sometimes I even laughed out loud. I seriously lucked out with such a catch as Levi. I must've done something right somewhere in my life to have deserved him. I love him! Also throughout the week I would find more hearts hidden in cupboards or drawers and it brought so much light to my life!

Now for the mushy gushy stuff, here is what each heart said. This is mostly just for me to look back on later in life. Feel free to move on with your day and stop reading....seriously though.


Alyssa my love, I love...

--> When you sing
--> How you cook
--> When you play the piano
--> That you indulge my tiny house obsessions
--> How you sing
--> That you put off your dreams for mine
--> That you are a big part of me being my true self
--> Your smile
--> How you parent
--> When you say nice things to me
--> That you are so excited to go to Philly!
--> How you sell stuff
--> That you always get up with the baby. It means more than you know.
--> Your body
--> That you served a mission
--> That you dress up with me
--> That you love BANG! and Catan
--> You can heal hearts and souls
--> That you love God more than you love me
--> Your testimony
--> That you love Avatar!
--> That you know how to weather my dark time
--> That you wear Nonnie's legacy on your finger
--> You are a natural Myson
--> The May 4th party
--> You are so hospitable
--> That the temple is such a priority to you
--> Your laugh
--> Watching Human Planet, Flash, Last Ship, POI, Avatar and others with you
--> How you decorate our home
--> That you are so low maintenance
--> That you are smart
--> That you're a pioneer woman!
--> Your eyes
--> Your patience with me not laughing when I think it's funny but am too serious
--> You care about the one
--> How pretty you are
--> That you follow the prophet
--> That you laughed when the swing hit you in the head
--> You rock climb!
--> You teach me how to truly forgive
--> You help me honor my priesthood
--> That you love me (dare I say it) more than ice cream!
--> That you are so frugal
--> Your bum
--> That you wanted a calculator watch and then let me wear it
--> That you love animals, especially dogs
--> How you say my name
--> You are such a good (and efficient) driver
--> That you like to make things too!
--> Your thirst for adventure
--> You share everything you have so freely
--> Ice skating with you
--> That you delivered our child to us
--> Not only are you willing, but planning on going all over the world with me

Men take note of this, and especially take note of the humility and pure love. Women take note of this, and understand that if your husband has ever done something to this effect that he is basically giving you a manual of how to be more lovable. But also take note that he is aware! He is aware of all of the wonderful things you are doing. He cares, and he loves you.

Family Changes

There are some exciting changes happening in our family come May 2017. No, it's not another baby. It's a move across the country! Levi was accepted into PA school at Arcadia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are going to be living our dreams to live on the east coast! (Yes, we both have had that dream for years...prior to us meeting...it's literally on my bucket list I made as a high school senior.) But as part of the dream, and as is our reality, we will move close to family as soon as our adventure in Philadelphia comes to an end.

The decision to go to Philadelphia was very clear at first, but when Levi got accepted to a brand new PA school in Provo the decision wasn't so cut and dry anymore. Suddenly we were choosing between an option every one seemed to want for us, or something we wanted for our family. After many prayers and some fasting, we both knew we would regret choosing Provo over Philadelphia. So here is to becoming a PA in PA. We can't wait!!

Sending Levi off to Philadelphia:

I am so proud of Levi and his hard work to be a great applicant. He defied the odds and got accepted into the first school he interviewed with, only to get accepted to the second one too. He sure knows how to make us proud! The day we got the acceptance letter was a bit hectic:

Levi had asked me not to get the mail because we knew his letter would be coming. Well, I was too anxious and I had nothing else to do, so with baby in my arms, I got the mail. And I found this envelope:

I immediately send Levi a picture and then have to hurry off to go visit teach. All the while thinking, "They wouldn't send us an envelope that big just to reject us," not to mention on the back there was a peaceful picture of a man in nature that said, "Your journey begins here." Needless to say my hopes were very high! Well turns out Levi got to leave work early so he could open the letter and I wasn't home when he got here because I was still visiting teaching. So I rush home as soon as I realize he is there and we try to get family on the phone so that they can hear. (Yes, it totally felt like a mission call.) But no one answered so we opened it just Levi and I.

"Dear Levi:

Congratulations! [insert joy, cheering, clapping, and all things happy here] It is our pleasure to offer you acceptance for admission to the Physician Assistant Program in Glenside, PA for the class entering May, 2017."

We were so excited and felt like we really had been called to our "new mission." We had about 2 weeks to completely accept this offer and it was monumental because of how expensive it is. So of course we had to document the moment where we officially accepted Arcadia University as our home...Here is Levi putting the acceptance letter in the mail!

So here is to our upcoming adventure! Thanks to family and friends for all your support and encouragement in this process, we couldn't have done it without you.

A few pictures from when Levi was in Philadelphia/touring Arcadia University:

The brand new temple! The open house ended just a few days before Levi's interview. While he sat on the temple grounds in his shirt and tie, someone came up to him and asked if he was there to help clean the temple. He responded, "No I am not, but I do have my recommend in my pocket if you guys would like some help!" The man declined his help. How cool would that have been though?

Diaper Advice

At the baby shower in Kaysville my friends and family wrote parenting advice on diapers and I loved it! As I used the diapers I made sure to copy the advice from the diaper to a notepad so that I could remember the advice forever:

->Don't let Levi change diapers. Don't let baby eat this. -Sadie

->Take time for yourself in order to preserve who you are. Giving of yourself is noble and necessary but it can become a detriment.

->Start family night early in your child's life. Have it every week no matter what.

->Pray, pray, pray! Heavenly Father is a pro parent and will help you with anything and everything.
     -Hannah

->Encourage their out-of-school activities as much as their schooling!

->Hold your little one as much as possible. Dishes and laundry can wait. He will grow so fast and you will always cherish the times you did.

->When all else fails lower your expectations.

->Back rubs cure everything. -Krystina

->Change their diaper, give him love.

->Just love, kiss, and hug them and pray they do just what you always want them to do and don't think they should be perfect, because they won't be!!! -Grandma Sandall

->Sing primary songs to him every night before he goes to sleep.

->Um I've not been a mom...but enjoy every minute. -Alisha

->Time goes too fast enjoy every minute!!!

->2 things: 1 Soak in every moment! (pun intended) just give lots and lots of hugs and kisses 2 Make sure you have a nose frida or some kind of booger sucker! (Not the bulb ones. Those are terrible!!)
 - Hannah

->Just remember "love is spelled T-I-M-E!"

->Give lots of hugs! xoxo

->Ask me (Courtney) to babysit whenever you want! (and when I'm in Rexburg)

->Soak up every moment, they grow up way too fast!

->Rock your baby to sleep and read to them.