Welcome Fall and All It's Deliciousness!

The month of September has come and gone and with it the first day of Autumn. Although we are still experiencing temperatures in the 90's, there are other indicators that fall has indeed come to the 505. The air is crisp and cool in the mornings on my way to work, the trees have a slight hint of yellow and hot air balloons are hovering over roof tops in anticipation of the International Balloon Fiesta. One of my favorite things about fall, is the smell of freshly roasted green Chile!

Green Chile is a staple in most New Mexican households and the Danner house is no exception. This will only be our fourth year buying the fresh Chile and freezing it ourselves, but I the smell always reminds me of when I was much younger. There was a grocery store on the way to our house that roasted Chile every year and it always smelled sooooo good! For some reason though, my family always opted for frozen Chile, which I always thought was fine. I now know what we were missing out on.

Last year, we bought 15 pounds of Chile. That may seem like a lot, but it only took us through March. We've learned our lesson and bought 30 pounds this year.

I wish you could smell this!

Matt was a trooper this year and did all the peeling himself while I worked. 

Delicious Hatch Green Chile!

We New Mexicans are also a bit picky when it comes to our Green Chile. It can't be just any Chile, the best is Hatch Green Chile which is grown in a small town just north of where I grew up.

Can you guess what we've been eating all week?

Thirty pounds and several hours later, we should be all set for the rest of the year.

1 Down 2 to Go!

We reached a couple milestones today. 

We are officially done with the 1st trimester. Phew! Matt and I have been anxiously awaiting this time for weeks. Although I haven't been extremely sick, we are more than happy to say goodbye to the nausea, exhaustion and irritability. I realize these things don't always go by the book, and there is a possibility that the 2nd trimester could be worse the 1st. I have to admit though, that I really did feel like a new person today. I wasn't nauseous at all and I had so much energy! I'm praying this lasts a while. That would make my husband really happy.

Our second milestone came when I went out in one of Matt's t-shirts with my pants unbuttoned. I guess with the baby already being the size of a plum, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Here we are at 12 weeks!

2 Months Late

Well hello there poor neglected blog, anyone still out there?

It's been WAY to long (2 months in fact) and I wouldn't be surprised if the few readers I had were long gone by now. I think I have a pretty good excuse though.

First of all, I got a new job that's been keeping me busy! That coupled with fun packed summer weekend activities, has left me pooped. When I do get some free time, all I want to do is sleep. I can barely find time to clean my house, much less write about how I haven't cleaned my house.

Second, (and most exciting!) I'm 2 months late! That's right........WE"RE EXPECTING!!! The Danner family is growing! Our new addition is due March 23rd, 2011 and we are thrilled! Thrilled and sleepy, that is.

 Here we are, Baby Danner and I at 10 weeks on my 25th Birthday.

Were two months in and excited about all that is to come in the upcoming 8 months. Stay tuned for more updates along the way!

Oh Canada!

A couple weekends ago (I'm slow in posting) Matt and I had the opportunity to join my family on a little adventure in Vancouver, Canada.

On the plane ride, we decided to decided to wet our taste buds with some Canada Dry

Our first night there, Dad let loose at a local Italian Restaurant

On Saturday morning we got up early and took the scenic route up to Whistler Mountain

These cute little critters were everywhere

Oh and while on the mountain, we also went white water rafting. Can you tell that I've been working out?

The scenery was breathtaking

Back in Vancouver, we went on a bike ride around Stanley Park. These love birds decided to try the tandum. After a couple screams and several giggles, they still want to get married.

These guys were troopers, rising early Sunday morning and running a half marathon in the rain

Wishing we could stay longer, we packed it up that afternoon and headed towards the border.

Waiting 2 hours to get through customs gave us some great family time in the car

Oh Canada, we'll be back!

Back in the states, we spent our last evening eating some yummy seafood at the Crab Pot in Seattle. Phew! It sure was a whirlwind of a trip. We can't wait to go back again.

Home: The Land of Enchantment

"I never realize how much I like being home unless I've been somewhere really different for a while." 

- Juno 

One of my favorite things about traveling is coming home.

 (source)

Matt and I had the opportunity to go to Vancouver and Seattle this weekend. (Photos to come!) We had a great time, saw some beautiful country and had some yummy food, but I was so happy to come home.

New Mexico has been my home pretty much all my life and until recently I have always taken it for grant it. I used to dream about all the pretty places I would live when I grew up; big busy cities with a lot of tall green trees. I went to a place just like that this weekend and although, I enjoyed being there, I couldn't wait to get back to my home in the desert.  Being away makes me realize how much I love this place and how proud I should be to call it home. The beauty of God's creation is so evident here and I have been blessed with eyes to see it.

So, this week I am going to try not to complain about the heat or the traffic. Instead, I'm going to take it all in; the beauty that surrounds me and remember that there is a creator who knows my heart and has placed me in a place where the sun is almost always shinning.