Carina's Childhood Pictures

I put a bunch of Dan's pictures on here from his childhood so it seems like I should do the same. In no particular order:
1 – we called this “spider-jumping” and Treeva was very good at it. I couldn’t get up very far
2 – sisters (Tasha, Carina & Treeva)
3 – daddy pushing me and a very unhappy Treeva in the wheelbarrow
4 – circa 2nd grade
5 - Christmas at grandma’s house
6 – we called him “Long George”, the baby possum my grandma found
7 – me in pigtails, I think I look a lot like Dax in this picture
8 – me, Treeva and mommy
9 - me
10 – Treeva & I with our easter eggs
11 – me, Treeva & Tasha
12 – me and Bally
13 – me again
yeah that’s enough of me :)

Little Kicker Video

Dax is getting so big and playful. He was too cute in this rocker just kicking away.

Dan's Childhood Pictures

The one below of Dan is my favorite. He has the cutest pout!



Well after years of searching I finally found Dan's childhood pictures which I had misplaced in one of my many "safe places".

I love Dan!!!!!

We met 9/17/2004 at an Institute Dance

Our first date was 9/ /2004, a hike up Spencers Butte and then a movie at his place.

Our first kiss was in October(I don't remember the exact date)at his mom's house. Although, he tried to get a "wee kiss" on our first date. How cheeky :)

We got engaged 12/4/2004 sitting in his car in Portland.

We were officially engaged 12/9/2004 at Salt Creek Falls in the snow.

Married 3/19/2005 in the Portland Oregon Temple at 10am.

I LOVE DAN!

"W W C W D"

Dan is so cute. Yesterday he was grinding paint off something at work and came up with "WWCWD" or "What Would Carina Want me to Do?" So he put on a face mask to avoid breathing dangerous paint dusk because he knows that is what I would want him to do.






Here is a picture of Dan in the ER when he nearly severed part of his finger in a machine at work. Definately NOT WWCWD.

Just Married

Baby Dax

Dax is wearing his NAM device (nasal alveolar molding) This plastic thingy is molding his palette into the correct position in preparation for future surgery. Supposedly this will create a more aesthetic result from the surgeries. Dax doesn't like it very much at all.

The Tall & Short of It

5'5" meets 6' (plus 4 inch heels)

Engaged, married... etc.

Wow it must be in the air. My best-est friend since the second grade: Krystine Watkins got engaged to Zack Garver on Wednesday November 21st at 8:03pm and I was the first person they called. Aaaaaahhhhhh!!!! Congratulations Krystine & Zack, I love you both!!!


Also my "adopted" sister Jennavier Gilbert is also engaged. I don't know the guy but hopefully he is super wonderful. She deserves the very best. Congratulations Jenna!!!


And as a final note. My littlest sister Tasha and her fiance Kyle Blair(who is a really wonderful guy) will be getting married on December 8th. Congratulations Tasha & Kyle!!!

The Fudge Recipe

This is a recipe Dan's sister Marianne showed me. It is easy and always turns out excellent.

Melt over medium heat:

1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks butter

Stir until smooth then add:

2 slightly beaten eggs

Beat with a hand mixer until creamy:

1 lb of powdered sugar(more if neccessary to make the consistancy of fudgy frosting)

Spread into greased pan lined with wax paper. Chill until firm and cut into squares. Refridgerate.

Tagged... ooooo I like this game :)

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Dreaming of getting married, trying on guys last names
2. Writing Dan a letter as a young womans "write the missionaries" activity, yeah he didn't write back
3. Rummaging through my sister's rooms to find stuff to steal, only to discover my own missing stuff
4. Getting picked on at school for wearing cowboy boots.
5. Taking horseback riding lessons weekly with my sisters


5 Things on my to-do list today:
1. Make dinner for Dan, love Dan, kiss Dan etc.
2. Get my piano fixed
3. Think angry thoughts about the government and plot my revenge
4. Play with my pets
5. Visit mom & sisters

5 Foods I enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. All other sweets
3. Fruit
4. Bread
5. Recipes I make up

5 Bad habits:
1. Rubbing my eyes
2. Stressing out about things I have no control over
3. Not finishing projects, or having too many projects
4. Eating sweets
5. Not keeping in touch, remembering birthdays etc.

5 of my favorite toys:
1. Dan the Man!
2. pets
3. bicycle
4. sewing machine
5. kitchen

5 People I tag:
1. Alicia Ford
2. Ashley Wimmer
3. Margaret Hanson
4. Danielle Moore
5. Lanette Nelson

fun Fun FUN!!!

Fun with Photoshop

Look familiar?


Tater Tot on steriods.


Hehehehe


Tasha & Slick

Perhaps I have too much time on my hands.................

What's wrong with this picture?

I guess he is "too good" for the Pledge of Allegence. "Too good" for America....

Halloween

Beware of the big bad wolf........

The Second Amendment

The Second Amendment, as written by the Constitutional Convention of 1787, states:

“ A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.



So I just recently heard(not from the biased left-wing media mind you) but on the Glenn Beck radio show about how in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina the leaders decided that they were going to confiscate all firearms from the popluation in order to "prevent looting."

Police Chief Warren Riley said "No one will be able to be armed. We are going to take all the weapons."


The police Commissioner Edwin Compass III stated "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons." (Like they are really going to be able to get all the guns, especially from the criminals, duh!!!)


See the video at this link(just copy & paste):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taU9d26wT4&mode=related&search


One thing that really makes me angy about this is the lack of coverage of this blatant Consitutional violation. It took over two years before I ever got wind of it and from asking around, everyone else seems to be just as blissfully unaware.

This is a scary thing and it could happen to us, especially here in Eugene. "Guns are evil, guns kill people..." is their motto.


They went door to door, handcuffing those who resisted and breaking down doors to take all the guns. And these people were left defenseless against the (still armed) looters. Could you call 911? No, I'm afraid not. There were no phone lines; and even if you did get through, there were no police to send out to help you.

I decided to contact the ever-so-outspoken ACLU about this violation. And you know what they had to say, they are NEUTRAL on gun control issues! They are neutral on our Constitutional rights!!! (Unless of course it fits their left wing agenda)

Beware and get your gun, this world is a scary place. And be oh so careful who you vote for next year.

Here is my correspondence:

To the ACLU:

Gun Confiscation-What about the 2nd Amendment?
I'd like to know why you self righteous people have said and done absolutely nothing when the good people of New Orleans' 2nd amendment right to bear arms was violated. You people are always more than happy to stand up for prisoners and criminals, pedophiles and illegal aliens; but when it comes to good law abiding citizens you suddenly fall silent. I guess you only care about people's rights when it suits your left wing agenda and makes you money. I am disgusted!!!

Their response:

Dear Friend,
Thank you for the question about the ACLU's position on the Second Amendment. The national ACLU is neutral on the issue of gun control.
We believe that the Constitution contains no barriers to reasonable regulations of gun ownership. If we can license and register cars, we can license and register guns. The question therefore is not whether to restrict arms ownership, but how much to restrict it. If that is a question left open by the Constitution, then it is a question for Congress to decide.
Sincerely,
D. Barber
Correspondence Manager, American Civil Liberties Union

And my response:

Thats funny, so you guys can just pick and choose which rights are important and should be protected; so maybe I can just pick and choose which laws I feel I should obey? You know the Constitution protects the right to bear arms, it's pretty clear. But since you all think guns are bad you'll refuse to protect that right. Ok I think I have a much clearer veiw of the ACLU now. It's interesting because you guys are all over the "separation of church and state" thing, but( and I bet you didn't know this) it isn't actually in the Constitution at all!!! Go figure!!! FYI: it was merely a suggestion stated by one of the writers of the Constitution in a letter. And this same person also believed that this is a nation "under God" and that these precious rights are God-given(alittle to much religion for you, I know - I'm sorry). And I see all over your website how everything is so "obviously unconstitutional" when anything could possibly have anything to do with religion(including Christmas trees-which have absolutely nothing to do with religion by the way). So what exactly do you stand for anyway? I just can't figure it out. You don't stand for the Constitution, since it isn't regulatory enough. And I understand that you all believe that you can make people more free by regulating and ruling them, which by the way makes no sense at all. And tell me alittle about NAMBLA and how it is a "Constitutional right" to molest little boys. I just can't seem to understand that one. Do enlighten me.

Carina

We shall just see if they have anything else to say!

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Have you heard of Nutella? This chocolatey yumminess is appreantly quite popular in Europe in lew of peanut butter. But it is kind of expensive to buy(even at Winco) so I found this recipe online to make your own. I tried it last night and it worked great! Just delicious!!!



Chocolate-hazelnut spread

2 cups whole raw hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar(I used 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
up to 1/4 cup vegetable or nut oil(I actually didn't need any, it was quite creamy on it's own)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Toast until the skins are slightly darker and the meat is still fairly white(if the meat is brown it is over done and will make it taste burnt), about 10 minutes. Stir the nuts halfway through baking so ensure an even toasting.
Since the skin is bitter, you'll want to discard them. Wrap the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel, and rub until most of the skins have come off. Don't fret if you can't get off all the skins.
Process nuts in a food processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until they have liquefied, about 5 minutes. At first, you will get coarsely chopped nuts, and then it will turn into a fine meal. After a little while, the nuts will form a ball around the blade, and it will seem like you only have a solid mass. Keep processing. The heat and friction will extract the natural oils, and you will get hazelnut butter!
When the nuts are liquified, add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly drizzle in enough oil to make a spreadable consistency. Since the mixture is warm, it will be more liquidy now than at room temperature.
Transfer the spread to an airtight container, and store refrigerated for up to 1 month. For best results, stir the chocolate-hazelnut spread before using.
Notes:
• Do use whole raw nuts, and toast them yourself to intensify the nut flavor. Pre-toasted or pre-chopped nuts are often spoiled.
• To further intensify the nut flavor, use unrefined nut oil, which is tan in color. Refined nut oils have the color and flavor removed. Peanut oil is especially cheap in Chinese supermarkets. There's a lesson here: if you're looking for a "gourmet" ingredient, try an ethnic market. People wouldn't dare pay an arm and a leg for something that's a cooking staple. American supermarkets mark up the price of tofu, rice flour (for the gluten-intolerant or the culinary curious) or seaweed all in the name of health, but in a Chinese market, these things cost less than a loaf of bread.
• To make any standard nut butter, use this procedure but omit the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and extra oil. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp granulated sugar. Try making your own cashew butter: you may never go back to peanut butter again!

Big bull elk named Moose

We had a very close encounter of the enormous elk kind, right there in lower Mammoth! He walked right by our car. Tater was trying her hardest to pick a fight with him and in the background you can see the Gilbert's house where we were staying.



Elk are dangerous during the rut and may even charge your car! I thought this sign was very appropriately placed.