Sarah's Outlet

Chinese Chicken Salad

2011-06-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have a chinese chicken salad recipe that I never use because it takes a long time to make. This one was simple, and healthy with the cabbage and the fresh ginger. Next time I'm going to try it with a little less sugar. I'm sure it makes it taste great, but I bet I can reduce it a little more. Or at least use a sugar substitute. We'll definitely eat this salad again. The dressing was great!

(adapted from finecooking)

2-1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (about 1/3 medium head)

1/2 cup shredded carrots (about 1 large carrot)
1/3 cup thinly sliced (on the diagonal) scallions (about 4, white and green parts)
1 tsp. plus 3 Tbs. low-salt soy sauce
3-1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
Kosher salt

1 clove garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, plus 1 Tbs. chopped
3 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. peanut oil (I used sesame oil because I didn't have peanut oil, and I think it enhanced the flavor)
1 lb. thinly sliced chicken breast
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds or chopped peanuts

In a bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, scallions, 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. sugar, and a big pinch of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

In a small food processor, chop the garlic and ginger. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, add the 1/4 cup cilantro and chop thoroughly. Scrape the bowl, add the peanut butter, 1 Tbs. hot water, the lemon juice, 1 Tbs. oil, 3 Tbs. soy sauce, and 2-1/2 tsp. sugar. Pulse until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

Either grill or cook the chicken in a skillet, seasoning with salt. I used our George Foreman because it's the bomb. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes. Slice the chicken into generous 1/4-inch strips.

Toast the sliced almonds. Set the broiler to high, and spread the almonds on a sheet. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and cook for 1 minute. It seems much quicker than toasting them on the stove top.

The rest of the directions say to squeeze the cabbage mixture well and add it to the chicken, pour in the dressing, and toss well to combine. But (and I should have taken a picture of this because it looked pretty for once), I put the cabbage mixture on the plate, layered the chicken on top, and drizzled the dressing over the chicken. In my world, I felt gourmet because I never pay attention to presentation (although I'm trying to - I've just had to get this cooking thing down first). With the sesame oil addition, the dressing was strong but delicious, so I didn't want to overpower the salad. I put the rest of the dressing in a bowl and we could add more if we wanted. Jared did. And went on to eat a variety of other random foods in the kitchen, dipping them in the dressing. Lovely.

Divide among two to four plates and garnish with the remaining cilantro and the toasted almonds or peanuts.

Searching and Searching

2011-02-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

I try to hold on to the semblance of coolness I used to be in my single days. I see that life slipping away from me as I become more conservatively entrenched in parenting, keeping a house clean, finding a larger home, and being a wife. I need to write down stories from my single days that were so fascinating before mommy brain takes over and I completely forget.

What did I do back then? I panned for gold as I was reminded of today by my husband. I tried it for a weekend with a bunch of friends. It was boring and my back hurt and my eyes became crossed from staring into a small pan for hours on end with the sun pounding down on my head. Back then I had simple expectations. Backpack and fish often. Backpacking to the gold mine was great, camping was a blast, the conversation with my friends was energizing, but after that, there were no fish to be caught and panning for gold was boring. With that said, Jared's been watching the Discovery channel and those nerds that have spent a fortune trying to get gold out of Alaska and have instead left a land eyesore until next season. Jared's ready to go do some gold digging. Been there. Done that. But as I remember, the guys thought it was cool.

Another random memory: there was one time that my best girlfriend, Kory, wanted to go see some guy that she met online (and incidentally married months later), and as a good friend, I went along with her. Not after our trip to Telluride where we accidentally had a spiked hot chocolate and carved some sweet turns on the ski hill, and acted like we were southern sisters who had inherited the McDonald's empire - or something like that.

My stories are normally long, but I'll keep this short: Kory said he was handsome, divorced, with a kid. Kory also sometimes draws her own conclusions. We skiied for days the four of us. I had a wonderful time. The guy never mentioned an ex-wife, a child, or anything. After five days, I could no longer stand it and called him on being a deadbeat dad. He kindly informed me that he was actually a big brother to a kid. Never married. No kid. Not a deadbeat dad. Ahh, Kory. One of my most favorite roommates and bestest friends - only after we were roommates did I realize the quirky treasure she is. And she'll laugh at that.

A couple of random stories that I thought about this morning. But sitting here I'm also thinking of all the traveling and great people I traveled with. Peru, Cancun, Florence, Venice, Rome, Sienna, Assisi, Naples, Puerto Vallarta, Hawaii, Havasupai, Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and India by myself!), Yellowstone, Yosemite, New Year's in New York, a day where a guy flew me to Lake Tahoe JUST FOR LUNCH (I married him), Mammoth, multiple ski adventures with people I can't even remember their names, bike races, triathlons, multiple mountain bike adventures, and the list goes on and on. And the places I've lived: California, Colorado, Utah, Montana, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, New Mexico, living out of my car for a summer between Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Jobs - well that's a whole other long post. Along the way, I've had fun adventures, great jobs, amazing friends, and a rich life.

Sure, Jared and I are geriatrics in the Mormon world when it comes to starting a family, but my twenties were a blast and thinking about that span in my life I remember that I was interesting once and not caught in Groundhog's Day syndrome - where everyday is the same as before.

Do I want to go back to my twenties again? No, I've moved past them. Am I any better of a parent because of those adventures? Not sure yet. Do I know how to enjoy life and make the best of circumstance? Yes. As a new parent, I don't think it was all that important that I did all of these things - half of these stories I'll forget anyway, but I think all my experiences gave me confidence that I can enjoy life even when it seems mundane. I should start doing that again. Should. Not today. I have to make dinner.

Mommy Island

2011-01-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

There was an island that I've been watching my girlfriends go to for several years now. When they go - they never come back. Nor do I want them back. Watching their lives on that island is too awesome. I've admired my girlfriends-slash-mommies for their time management skills and their ability to make a mundane event like going to a movie seem like a trip to Europe. A trip to Target like a shopping spree in Cartier. A dinner at Chili's like an eight-course meal complete with butler and housekeeping. Admirable.

This Mommy Island also creates a life-long juxtaposition. Love my freetime - what's my baby doing?, love sleeping - why is my child still asleep?, enjoying my vacation - missing out on everything at home. The very best and worst of Mommy Island? You can't go back. No, once you go to Mommy Island, you look across the sea and remember how truly great that other island was, but realize the trip back would be the most terrible price in the world and impossible on top of that. You realize you're on Mommy Island - and the weather on this island changes all the time - and each season is better than the previous.

Well, it happened. I finally crossed over, stepped in, and built a house on Mommy Island. I'm dead sure that my baby is the cutest, most adorable thing to ever walk the face of this earth. Okay. Okay. Let's get real. This UNIVERSE. He's also probably the most brilliant, because he can stand all by himself at nine months and pick out the eyes and nose on his stuffed Eeyore. And wave good-bye! AND say Jeez for "Jesus." And out of 100 babies, he's taller than 87 of them. So he's Tour de France material too. Oh, but if none of those things happen, I hope most that he's a kind-hearted, loving, good human being and one day marries a girl and they love each other to pieces.

But there are those moments that you wish you could just freeze in time. Like this age of 8-10 months that I love so much. He's such a big, cuddly sack of potatoes and when not sleeping exploring everything. I love when he falls asleep on me, which doesn't happen very often. Only in cases like this picture, when he has a little cold and wants some Mom. Although I can't freeze time, I can take a picture, and looking at these pictures brings back all the tenderness of that small moment in time. I love being Parker's mom. Lucky, lucky me.

I love how happy he is when he wakes up. Today was the cutest when I went in to get him from his nap. I heard him squealing with delight in his room so I had to go watch. Those sounds I know I want to be part of. He was sitting there in the middle of a happy conversation with his stuffed animal. He kept grabbing it and hugging it. You could see that he was really imagining that it was his buddy in his playpen. He looked over at me when I opened the door with this HUGE smile and so excited about his little animal so we played with it and I brought it to life and he thought that was the absolute best!

So so so cute!

Oh dear, I have really crossed over. I'm a fool for my child.

Parker's First Haircut

2011-01-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

Parker got his first haircut today at Cowlicks, an adorable kids haircutting place here in Bozeman on Main Street. They did an awesome job. And he did a great job too.

The airplane seat he sat in was the perfect distractor and he drove his steering wheel the entire time while getting his hair cut. The outcome? Pure handsomeness. (he's asleep, so another pic to come).

Parker's Nine-month Post of How-to's

2011-01-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

Still doing it. I used to wonder why parents would caption their kids on everything they did. Once again, I get it. At nine months, Parker's personality and interests are really coming out! It's so fun to watch him discover stuff every day. From being a little newborn blob to nine months later, being a little bundle of energy with so much pizazz, Jared and I are LOVING watching every moment. And we love sharing it too.

So, to truly communicate my love of my child, his interests that are his own, and the journey he takes Jared and me on every day, here's a little post of how-to by Parker.

How to: Play guitar

How to: Make Peas
Making peas is a fine art, requiring excellent hand-eye coordination and a love for things mushy.

Make sure equal peas are in and out of the bowl. Swirl them around. Oh, making peas is so fun. I like to make them in my kitchen with Mom, and then

Throw them on the floor to create that old-world taste.

Follow these easy instructions and making and eating peas will be a snap! I'm Parker Swanson with an extremely large fishtank behind me.

How to: Be a Horticulturist
We'll now move on... how to attack and capture a plant from your crib.

Just in case, look cute, plead the fifth...

Proceed to vacuum discovery. Interesting, ergonomic design. It must be a Dyson.

How to: Wash the dishes
When dismantling the dishwasher, use both hands.

When surprise ensues...

Crawl away like nothing happened...

How to: Help Dad with the Fishtank
You mix the fishtank water like this. Keep tongue stuck out for perfect concentration, balance, and salinity.

Then you go back to the Dyson. But it's so different from conventional vacuums...

How to: Take Full Advantage of the Parentals
Require all food to be fed by Mom or Dad. Brace self on table to create the seamless balance and entry of ice water from a straw.

Allow self to fall asleep whenever, wherever, because you won't be carried around forever and you've had a long day of teaching everyone a lesson in how-to.

Snowfish

2010-11-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Winter hit Montana. Not unlike that time when you were a little girl and forgot you were wearing your brownie skirt and tried to do a cheerleader high-kick only to get collared by your skirt and fall on your duff. Yep, suckerpunched like that. Wait, that didn't happen to anyone else? Oh and men read this blog?

The roads are thick with snow and Parker freaks everytime I put him into his Parker parka (get it?) and then, with both of us marshmallowed up, and 40 lbs of baby and baby stuff in my arms, we clump together down the three flights of stairs of our condo and tumble into the snowy parking lot to trek through the subzero temperature, wind, and snow, past the line of cars that all look deader than a doornail encased in all that snow to our car. While P blows the snow wisps in the air and checks out his breath and chews on his teething toy, Mom dutifully cleans off the car. Mildly arduous, but the beautiful snow. And oh, look, it's not my car after all. Where did I park that blasted auto?

Meanwhile, in our penthouse, our windows sweat. We wake up with ice on the inside of our sill. A bright light emanates from the kitchen and the white noise of a filter is P's new soothie. We don't even have fish in the tank yet, but the new aquarium gulps a gallon of water a day. We're living high - who ever said that a fish tank was a bachelor's dream and not a nouveau luxury was mistaken. Growing a saltwater aquarium is a fine balance of patience and hard work. We are slaves to the aquarium, which Jared enjoys, and we have become architects fine tuned in placing rocks all over the tank. But I'm excited for those Nemo fish, and those ballet dancing coral and to grow the whole thing. I'm sure at that point we'll move and moving a 65-gallon tank will be. Interesting.

Thanksgiving is in two days. Just in time for me to be obsessed with food. I'll miss being with our Texas family and the nice 80 degree weather there, but something about this snow, and the food, and the lack of materialism just gets me giddy. That and a husband that will be home on a weekday! Scratch that. TWO weekdays. Such a treat. Why does it feel like Christmas to spend a weekday with the hubs and our perfect little P, but just that it does.

P the daredevil. He's crawling - much more when left free and open beyond the restraints of clothing and diapers (read: nudey fruity). He stands on stuff wherever he can and then freefalls backward with too much hope that someone will dive across the room to cradle him and half the time ends up backwards on the floor, surprised, and depending on his last nap time, crying for some lovin. Oh, I love that little guy. With all the dendrites, neurons, synapses, and other random science things that keep me together. That's what he does. Being a mom and wife brings you happiness to the brink of fear. When I was single, I had so much less to lose. What an airy feeling that life was. What a rich feeling this life has become.

(I'll post pictures on this post at some point. Then I'll remove this line.)

Calgary

2010-07-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the Calgary Stampede. It took nine hours to drive there. We smuggled across the border magazines and a baby too. Aside from hitting the grandpappy of all marmots on the way, the drive was smooth and beautiful. We also went to Banff and it's agreed that Parker is a lucky boy - it took collectively 66 years for Jared and me to see such HUGE mountains.

Apparently, border patrol has hours of operation for we were locked out of AMERICA. Seriously?! They do that? Yes, they do. I didn't even take a picture of the gate with a padlock on it (and no one in sight) that barred us from the United States because it was so underwhelming. Shocked and wondering why more people don't border hop between 11pm and 6am, we turned around and spent the night in a motel in Cardston, AB. That, too, was underwhelming...

But, what's the rest of the story of the Swanson's? Well, here's an update, and particularly what the P-man has been up to these days.

He's thinking he's big enough to hold his own bottle.

Next stop, knife and fork, for you buddy!

He’s carrying on intelligent conversation intermingled with wrestling matches with Dad. He’ll check to see if Mom is listening, and will make a stand if I’m not.

Parker was very interested about the Glacier in Banff and insisted on reading up on Lake Louise. Here he is reading upside down.

He's been gardening

He bathes in luxury at the Westin.

His dad tells jokes and he thinks they're pretty funny.

Parker's been moonlighting as a sheriff. Howdy ladies!

He likes to jam.

He gets scared of flashing lights in dark taxis.

P-man is developing good fashion sense.

He tried out for the Canucks, but they said he was too young (and not Canadian). It was a crushing blow for about 2 seconds.

He's building castles

But this is where he feels on top of the world.

Parker's venturing onto some of the coldest rivers known to man (at least to Jared). Brrrr.

Meanwhile… the P-man’s Ma and Pa have been…

Pulling their weight...

Jared made the Clydesdale division

Investing in the "ice cream of the future"

Freaking themselves out in Calgary.

Trying to catch a train home

And finally, he occasionally stops for a picture with Mom and Dad.

He occasionally stops for a picture with Mom and Dad.

We've got a Kicker, Ladies and Gents

2010-03-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. I'm finished with my training conferences, Jared is finished traveling (fingers crossed) for a little while, and we are getting excited for Baby Swanson to make his debut. Here I am, 37 weeks.

Some may find this not at all fascinating and a little weird (read: me, six months ago), but I remember seeing my friend, Katie's baby kick inside her and being totally freaked, stupified, and in awe. I'm glad I bought this nifty little camera with video so I could get this on tape.

35 weeks = 35 pounds

2010-03-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's sort of like having a 35-lb salad bowl strapped to your gut, all day and all night. Other sweet things about 35 weeks.

All gut, still no butt. Shouldn't there be something in the back to counter the front? I'd say I look more like my Dad every day with this new-fangled figure of mine. This defies physics.

Baby is stuffed in there. If my gut fell off the front of me right now, I'm pretty sure it's stout enough to actually bounce.

Baby's got the Wieda energy, the Swanson constitution. Kiddo is kicking so hard that it wears me out.

I am pooped. I'm worn out after giving the kitchen floor a quick sweep. I spent all day Saturday recovering from my D.C. trip. Small contractions, crawled around because I couldn't stand up. It was lovely.

Sore labor's bath is disappearing. Sound sleep is becoming something of the past. But, then the baby comes, and sleep - any kind - will be no more.

The shower seems smaller. My hips are about a foot wider these days.

Hopes are high. One day, I will be athletic again and be able to bike and will enjoy not being pregnant.

Little earthquakes are cool. I'll enjoy those crazy kicks for a little longer, because I know they're fleeting.

My 20's were the perfect prep. And because I loved my 20's, it makes me love this time in my life even more too.

Working up to the end. I have one more conference to speak at in one week. Just want to get through it and be successful and get some future business in the funnel. Then the baby can come. Please, baby, wait. That's all I ask.

Nesting Projects

2010-03-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

Our weekends are numbered now, and I feel like we are in fast forward with so many projects before Baby Swan debuts.

Work, Projects, Room for Baby
Jared is an animal in the magazine world. Since his company is our primary income, I don't want to say too much and destroy it all (you know how that happens?), but suffice to say that I am so proud of Jared. He works so hard, and we work, hope, and pray, that good things continue even in this tough economy. Even the smallest successes are blessings.

This week, I flew to Washington D.C. to deliver a four-hour long training to a Bank, followed by five hours of consulting. It was so fun and I'm looking forward to going back there in a few more months. At 35 weeks, United automatically upgraded me to first-class - probably because I looked more pathetic than anything.

Jared had the apartment looking great when I got home. By Saturday, Jared and I started getting serious about actually making room for baby (i.e., clean out garage, make room in apartment for baby stuff, order rocking chair, final prep on the furniture order, etc.). This is the before picture of our garage/storage space. We have so much stuff, and miraculously, Jared was able to get rid of all my stuff while keeping all his stuff. Hmmm....

It came as a surprise to me too, but we have a child prodigy on our hands. I had a dream that our baby walked out - he walked at 1 day old! Can your baby do that?! I didn't think so. He also talks and is pretty independent. He informed me that indeed he'd be calling me "Mom" and Jared "Dad." That was a relief. The dream wrapped up with me in an episode of Modern Family.

A Small Excursion in D.C.
If I'd had a segway to carry me all over the Mall, I'd have visited some museums. Otherwise, there wasn't a chance in.... So I opted for a different excursion.

Upon checking out of the hotel, me, my luggage, and I rode the Metro to Rockville, MD to buy a rocking chair. Rockville's a town with no taxis waiting at the train station. A Hilton was conveniently across the street, where I caught a taxi that delivered me straight across another street to the baby store for a mere $6. I spent an extra $1.50 in the parking lot of the store, while the taxi driver milked it and let about five cars go at the 4-way stop. I finally threw my money at him and walked myself the additional 20 feet.

Once I found the rocker I wanted, I found out they couldn't ship it to Montana. That's how it goes - I DO love adventures that I get myself into! I wonder if I'll do this after the baby comes.

Happy Birthday Jared

2010-02-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

February 17 was Jared's birthday. I'll be the first to say that I'm not a consistent birthday party thrower, but being the first year of marriage and all, I decided to give it a try.

Jared's loot: cookies, head massager, dinner, a book, socks, and other random stuff. I also grabbed a list of his family's favorite traits and stories about him.

There are a lot of things to love about Jared. And being married to the guy, I find out and appreciate more about his spiritual depth, his intelligence, and his gifts (luckily since he doesn't read our blog, he probably won't get a big head from this).

I think at the base of daily ups and downs, most of my friends feel this way about their husbands. But lately, here's a list of things that I find especially endearing about Jared:

- He loves kids more than any man I've ever met and will be the BEST dad
- His ties to people who are close to him run deep
- He loves the gospel and understands it with his heart
- His mind is always going, coming up with new ideas for the business and to provide for our family
- He cleans the toilets and the stove top - THANK YOU
- He cares about helping others and always wants to serve someone
- He notices when our house is clean and is always grateful to be fed
- He's funny. He sings random songs that I've never heard and asks me if I can name the tune. When I can't he tells me probably not because it was from a song he learned in 3rd grade.

I could go on, but then it would be too much information, and I'd hate to diminish his amazingness with mere blog words. If you know the guy - I mean, REALLY know him - you know what I mean.

A More Permanent Montana King

2010-02-19T11:32:00.001-08:00

Of course you loved Jared and my Montana King prototype as much as we did. And you want to make it a little more permanent.

First, if you're the husband, leave on a business trip and your 8-month pregnant wife will go to town on projects without you.

Materials:
- cordless drill
- wooden posts
- wood screws
- plywood

Directions:

1. Take pictures, because a large pregnant woman with a drill is a force to be reckoned with. (Note: stomach too big to include mom's face)
2. Build the base. Easy sneezy.

3. Cover up DIY project with blankets.
4. Move around all the furniture, hide your husband's junk piles, and voila - a cleaner bedroom with more storage space!

The Montana King Prototype

2010-02-19T10:30:00.001-08:00

After several futile months of trying to make the queen-size tempurpedic bed, we need a king. Since the bed we want is close to $10K, we had to think outside the box.

Enter, the Montana King size bed. Larger than a Cali King and just as effective, it'll put hours into your sleep schedule and keep money in your pocket. It's hilarious how much we love this bed. Here's how you too can have a Montana King.

Materials:

- 1 queen-size bed

- 1 mattress topper

- Optional: ottomans, toilet paper packs, chairs, and books

Directions:

1. Turn your queen size bed sideways. If you're short people, this may be all you need.

2. Fold up a mattress topper at the end of the bed. Balance on chairs, ottomans, or a 16-pack of toilet paper with piled books to make up the difference.

Sleep on it for a month. If you like it, see A More Permanent Version.

33 weeks and counting down

2010-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm home a little more now, I'll try to stay a little more on top of this blogging thing. To be honest, I still think blogs are a little weird and self aggrandizing. But I can see the benefit in updating friends and keeping a journal of your own life. So, I'll take it step by step and and until I'm a full believer, I'll be a sporadic blogger.

Today marks 33 weeks of pregnancy. We're having a boy on April 9th (or so they say). Life is about to change drastically as I know it, and where Jared looks like he swallowed a light bulb he's so excited, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

For the most part, I'm excited to meet this little kiddo that has taken up the majority of my body and shoves any number of his appendages up in my ribs as of late. I'll post a new pic, but apparently the last time I took a picture was at 27 weeks.

Baby Swan (no name yet) seems a little like his mom - spastic with an appetite for cold water, cabbage, and chocolate. And he seems a lot like his dad too - big and sensitive - and likes it when dad talks to him.

He's manifested himself to be a sensitive little guy. He's upset when I'm upset, and calms down if I'm laughing, and he kicked all the way through last week's temple session, and he kicks when conversation turns to talking about the Spirit.

I am looking forward to meeting this little guy. I hope we'll be the type of parents that give him every opportunity for growth and happiness.

2010 Time Capsule

2010-02-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

Since Jared and my lives are always changing, I was thinking of creating a little time capsule for Baby Swanson #1 to pilfer later. Here's what I would put in it:

1. Copies of Jared's magazines: Big Sky Journal and Western Art & Architecture

2. Tumbleweed, Inc. business card - my freelance writing business

3. Picture of our friends and us on our mountain biking wedding weekend

3. Picture of our parents as they look now (need to find a couple)
4. What we think Baby Swan's personality is like based off of how he's been growing so far
5. Our testimonies; our hopes, dreams, and desires for our lives and for him
6. Something about Montana since we live here and may not always live here
7. Pictures of our cars

We'd probably include a picture of his namesake (when we figure that out) and what we like about his name.

What's new with the 'Weds?

2009-09-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

There are certain rites of passage in life. I think blogging is a rites of marriage. And making dinner every night. And decorating with intent. I have another blog too, but this is our "family" blog. What have we been up to since we took the plunge?

First we did it - we got hitched and it was the best weekend ever! I'll have to post about what an amazing weekend it was. But friends, family, biking, bbq, good cake, dancing, and Jared - it was the perfect weekend of fun, stories, and happiness.

Then we went to Maui. A few highlights included: 1. Snorkeling - Jared is a fish. But if you know Jared, you know he's a fish. 2. Our sweet rental Wrangler that got stuck in 4WD and we almost burned it up. 3. A crazy pontoon ride in the ocean 4. Jared smashing rotten kikui nut juice all over him that made him puke for 10 minutes. Too funny. 6. Honestly, the BEST sushi I've ever had. It's worth going back to Maui just for this sushi. 7. All of our great hikes. 8. Finally unwinding from all the stress.

Then, we continued the honeymoon back in Tahoe for July 4th with the family. Good times.

We came back to Bozeman, got moved into our little condo, and then had a new surprise. I think it's weird when parents-to-be happily distribute pictures of sticks that you know the lady pee'd on. But, really, don't you all want to know what we looked like when we first found out we'd be parents a month after we got hitched?

Jared was super duper excited.

I was surprised, excited, but in denial - still am (but that will be solved today in about an hour).

And later, when morning sickness hit, I had no idea what hit me. What what??

So, now our agenda for our first year of marriage has changed somewhat as we prepare for the newest Swanson to come to us - yahoo!

What's next? Baby bump pictures and preparation pictures and also some great stories on both Jared and my awesome jobs and hobbies... and our cool friends. And, you know. Life. As a 'wed.

Quick Final Notes and Don't Forgets

2009-06-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday Activities
Weather: It looks like GORGEOUS weather for Tahoe! Make sure to bring a towel for swimming and a jacket for evening - it can get chilly. I'm always cold, so I like shoes, socks, layers...

Rental: Reserve your bike today! 775.749.5349
The rental place at the trailhead has about 30 bikes left. Some have already reserved bikes, and we have quite the group. Don't miss it. We'll all be huff'n and puff'n together. :)

Temple Arrival
Please arrive at the temple at 11am. Temple marriage is at 11:30. We'll be out around 12:30pm.

Wedding Party
Includes immediate families of Swanson and Wieda side, best men, bridesmaids, and Besties

Car Museum Reception
Appetizers only. Make sure to eat a meal before coming.
We have a program that starts at 7pm.

Thanks. We are SO excited to see everyone!

All the Addresses You Need for Your GPS

2009-06-16T09:23:00.000-07:00

Using a GPS or Mapquest to plan the whole trip out? Note that the picture-taking place is subject to change. We'll tell you by the temple.

Here are all the addresses and numbers to call if you get lost/have questions:

Sierra Chateau (Wieda/Weems family only) (6pm)
7781 Shalestone Way
Reno, NV 89523
(Martha @ 480.707.2525)

Friday Mountain Bike Ride (8:30am)
3709 Highway 28
Glenbrook, NV 89413
(detailed directions at http://www.theflumetrail.com/misc/directions.html)
(Rental shop @ 775.786.5700 - low cell phone reception)

Friday BBQ by the Lake (3pm)

5330 North Lake Boulevard
Carnelian Bay, CA 96140
(Kerri @ 530.546.7972)

Saturday Temple Marriage (11am)
2000 Beaumont Pkwy
Reno, NV 89523
(Temple @ 775.747.6688)

Saturday afternoon pictures (4:30pm)*
UNR campus*
401 West 2nd St.
Reno, NV 89503
*this location is subject to change
(Brianne @ 775.762.3093)

Saturday Reception (6:45 or 7pm)
National Automobile Museum
10 South Lake Street
Reno, NV 89501
(Brianne @ 775.762.3093)

What to Wear & When

2009-06-08T15:04:00.001-07:00

I like packing lists. Maybe you do too. Don't take this list below for gospel, but here are some ideas of what you'll need for each event over the weekend to get your pack on.

*For exact times and places, check out our quick schedule of events on our Weekend Events: Thursday-Saturday post.

Friday
Bike (athletic attire)(8:30am)

Bike gear (if you have it - shorts, shirt, shoes, gloves, helmet, patch kit, etc.), if not, then
Athletic clothes (t-shirt and shorts)
Light sweatshirt in case it's chilly
Athletic shoes
Socks
Bike gloves

BBQ (casual attire)(3pm)

Shorts
T-shirt
Swimsuit
Towel
Sandals
It gets chilly in the evening, so layer up:
Sweatshirt/Jacket
Beanie or warm head thing?
Shoes/socks

Saturday

Temple (be there at 11am)

(Sunday best attire)

Please wear something different than the wedding party attire. For example, men could wear suits, but maybe a different colored shirt or tie?

Wedding Pictures at UNR campus (4:30pm) (wedding party attire)

Best men/Brothers: Tan suits, white dress shirts, tie that we'll provide
Sisters: J.crew cardigan or similar-colored shirt, tan skirt
Nephews: Tan slacks, white dress shirt, littlest boys will have a bow tie
Younger nieces: White dress with sash
Older nieces: J.Crew skirt and top
Bridesmaids: coral shirt, tan pencil skirt, green/turquoise-colored jewelry
Besties: Dresses of own choice

Reception at Car Museum (6:45ish)

Wedding party attire as listed above

Bachelor Party

2009-06-08T14:49:00.001-07:00

Details to be announced by the great Dave Jenkins. After the BBQ, Jared and I will split and spend our last night of singledom with our respective genders.

Need more info?

Email or call Dave at

david.a.jenkins@fmr.com or

617.279.5476.

Bachelorette Party

2009-06-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Attention sisters, girlfriends, a bachelorette party after the BBQ on Friday will be held at the Besties place. Time beginning to time ending unknown, but I gotta get some beauty sleep (like I'm going to sleep), but anyway. Fun stuff! Come! Casual dress - super chill night.

Address
5001 Northstar Drive #4303
Truckee, CA 96161
Jenn @ 812.212.3405

Time

After 8ish until 11ish?

Details & RSVP

Kory at kory.booher@gmail.com

Jenn at jennifer.knight@yahoo.com

Friday BBQ & Swimming

2009-05-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

After biking Friday, we'll meet at Kerri and Gerry Hansen's house in Tahoe for dinner. Hope you can come, enjoy, and soak in a little of the "Tahoe feel." Here are a few things to help you plan for the Friday BBQ.

Note Since the group is so large, we will not be providing towels. Please make sure to bring your own towel and bring warm clothes for the evening. Those two things will go a long way in making sure you're comfortable at the Lake.

The details...

Time

3pm-8pm

Location

5330 North Lake Boulevard

Carnelian Bay, CA 96140

Program

Dinner at 4pm - BBQ catered by Men Wielding Fire

We'll also be sharing some stories of the bride and groom, so get ready some sweet toasts and funny roasts!

Swimming
If you haven't been to the Tahoe house, it is right on the lake with the perfect dock for jumping into the lake. The lake is cold, but refreshing on a hot day. The water? Crystal clear - so fun.

Dress

Very casual. Think outdoor BBQ/swim.

What is provided

Food, drinks, chairs

What to pack

Camp chair (if you have one), blankets, and towels to sit outside

Swimsuits, flip-flops, towels, cover-ups (shorts & t-shirt)

Sweatshirts or jackets, pants, shoes, and socks (the evening gets chilly)

Biking Jitters

2009-05-12T00:47:00.000-07:00

If you're nervous that you'll be the slowest person on the trail, don't worry about it and just come! We've slated 5 hours for the ride (Jared and I took 2.5 on this ride on our first date).

Pictures/details of the Flume Trail

(go to http://www.theflumetrail.com/)

There are a few steep parts and some sandy areas, but if you go slow or walk your bike, it'll work out just fine. Whether we're walking or riding, we'll be doing it together and that's the best part!

Reserving a Bike

2009-05-12T00:36:00.000-07:00

If you want to go on the ride with us but don't have a bike, have no fear - you can rent one. You may find some more cost-effective rental options, but the best option I can think of is to just rent at the trailhead from where we'll be leaving.

Bike Rental at the trailhead
(go to www.theflumetrail.com)

Reserve your bikes early to make sure they have your size. The price is $40 and includes a decent bike, helmet, extra bike tube and pump, a water bottle, and I think even a power bar (wow!).

Our Wedding Website

2009-05-12T00:32:00.000-07:00

So this blog is mainly for the wedding party to help you plan where to go and what to wear. You can also check out our website for the rest of our friends and family. Our wedding website is used to RSVP, plan for lodging, activities, etc.

www.SarahandJared.com

Some of the events require a password for you to RSVP. Here are those passwords:

Marriage: "temple"

Bike Ride: "bike"

BBQ: "brakeforbbq"

Weekend Events: Thursday-Saturday

2009-05-12T00:23:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd post a quick schedule of events to get your planning going. Best time to fly in and make use of the weekend events would be Thursday.

Thursday

(Casual attire)

6pm: Wieda/Weems family dinner at Sierra Chateau

Friday

(Athletic attire)

8:30am: Mountain bike ride in
Lake Tahoe (see also Reserving a Bike, Biking jitters)

(Casual/outdoor attire)

3-8pm: BBQ dinner at the
Tahoe house (see also Friday BBQ & Swimming)

(Casual attire)

8:30-??: Bachelorette Party at the Besties' place in Tahoe; Bachelor party TBD

Saturday

(Sunday best attire)

11:00am: arrive at the temple

11:30-12:30: marriage

12:30-1:30: pictures by the temple

(Wedding party attire)

4:30-5:30pm: family/wedding party pictures

7-10pm: reception at the automobile museum

Directions and more to come...

Lodging

2009-05-12T00:15:00.001-07:00

I think we have lodging for most of the wedding party taken care of. Let me know if you don't or need help finding a place. I rented a house for several of us up by the temple here in Reno. Here are the places where members of the wedding party will be staying.

Sierra Chateau (Reno)
Sarah's mom, Becky Noel, the Sundberg's, Patrice, Martha, McKell, ME

Resort at Squaw Creek (Lake Tahoe)
David and Rachel Wieda Family

The Courtyard Marriott (Reno)
Kory and Brent Booher

Grand Sierra Resort (Reno)
Roni Csiza and guest

Great Bear Lodge at North Star (Lake Tahoe, CA)
the Besties

Older Nieces

2009-05-11T23:02:00.000-07:00

The two older nieces have purchased mango pencil skirts from J.Crew.

Younger Nieces

2009-05-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Becky Jean, who - for Derek and her wedding - found these adorable dresses for the little girls to wear with a sash. We'll be using teal and cantaloupe-colored sashes and Trish will be making some flower bows for the girls' hair.

Amazon

So great that everyone has this dress!

Nephews

2009-05-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

The older nephews will be wearing a tan suit similar to the brothers' suits. For the younger nephews, it would be great if you could wear nice tan pants and a white shirt. We'll give you a tie.

Besties

2009-05-11T19:08:00.001-07:00

Besties are my friends from college. We met freshman year and have been friends ever since. Besties will be wearing dresses in the wedding colors.

Bridesmaids

2009-05-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

I bought these shirts for the bridesmaids. The shirt is made by Velvet (an Anthropologie brand), are coral in color, and super soft.

It would be great if you could wear a tan pencil skirt or just a tan skirt and accessorize with green/turquoise jewelry of your personal taste. Shoe color is up to you. I'll have the shirt ready for you at the BBQ on Friday night.

Sisters

2009-05-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

We found this oh-so-cute fresh mint cardigan from J.Crew and thought it would look great with a tan pencil skirt. If you have this cardigan - great - or if you can wear something similar in a similar color with a tan skirt, great too! Totally optional, whatever you feel comfortable wearing.

J.Crew: Silk-lined ruffle cardigan

Brothers & Best Men

2009-05-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Derek modeling the suit orderd (pre-alterations) for the brothers and the best men. I must say, the suit looks sharp! We'll give you a tie to wear with the suit (brothers will have a different tie than the best men) on Friday night at the BBQ.

Final price of the suit plus taxes, shipping and handling was $80. You'll need to have the pants tailored. Tailoring should cost rougly $15 - or so the suit guys tell me. If the suit completely doesn't fit, you can send it back and exchange for a different size.

*Turns out the suits are a polyester/rayon blend, rather than wool. I had no idea, so I apologize for misleading anyone who was especially looking forward to wearing wool in summer. Once again, if a suit doesn't work, tan slacks and a white shirt will be just perfect too!

Colors

2009-05-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

Each color has about 10 different names for it, but here they are. Essentially, the colors are a grass green, turquoise, and a mango or cantaloupe color. I grabbed the colors off of J.Crew.

Color swatches on J.Crew