wishful thinking.

WISHFUL THINKING, HOORAY!

2011-01-11T14:53:00.003-07:00

SO.....as of this week, we have agreed to adopt a precious baby from louisiana! we had not been actively pursuing adoption, but it was on our hearts to do if God ever provided a clear path for it. I just am not sure my faith was ever big enough to request of God that He provide the thousands of dollars an agency requires to finalize expanding a family. however - I DID have faith that God could to something creative, which he did. a college student whose family we know fairly well fell pregnant. In addition to wanting her precious child to grow up in a home with 2 parents and lots of loving siblings, she is not wanting to give up her college scholarship or her dreams of doing something great in the world, so she has given us the honor of becoming adoptive parents!

We've had nearly 10 years since the 27-week birth of Emmanuelle and a subsequent tubal ligation, waiting for it to FAIL. (I know - helLO? looong story.) THe new babe is due 2 days before Emme turns 10. I've heard countless times that a 10 year window is pretty typical for a tubal to fail, so in my mind, I always guessed we'd add a child in about 10 years. I just didn't know it would happen *this* way!

I canNOT describe how absolutely amazed, humbled, grateful, and blessed I feel to be a part of this whole process! we do not yet know the gender of the babe, but i will be keeping everyone posted, and this blog will once again become an active one, bc I have something to talk about! love you all!

it's about time.

2009-12-10T08:46:00.002-07:00

ok, getting back into blogging again. i fell IN LOVE with facebook when i realized how interactive it is, and my blog just never was. busy SAHMs need *conversation*, people. not just rambling on about life. (well, some of that, too!) but, sorry it has been a year. i suppose things happened in that time. we moved, we had a miscarriage, we took a vacation to Miami, FL where my children saw the ocean for the first time. Our new neighborhood is full of my childrens' friends, so I found myself calling my mom one day to say "i only have 9 for breakfast this morning!", I cut my hair, we planned a bang-up party at church for halloween, we had 101 people over for memorial day (not necessarily in that order)...

so, hopefully more will come soon. hello again, world!

Christmas dinner........2008

2008-12-26T10:32:00.002-07:00

for the record. ( so i don't have to remember for a year!)

we had broccoli/chz soup, smoked turkey, served cold, with lingonberries, Torsk(!), garlic mashed potatoes, Moroccan olive bread & asiago cheese bread, spring green & spinach salad, strawberry yogurt salad, candied yams, and the most perfect risotto...yummmmmmmmm. with asparagus & gorgonzola...like candy! and, some very nice Zinfandel brought by Rey....good thing! thennn....apple & pumpkin pies with home made vanilla ice cream.

what I wish I had done differently....had the "arrival time" for guests be sooner than 4pm, and had a nice spread of appetizers, so we could leisurely munch, while i leisurely cooked, then eat later. I regret leaving the white wine out of the risotto, but other than that, it all went quite well. I need 2 dishwashers. that would help tremendously!

sorry - not much for pictures this time...camera was full, and everyone was too busy cooking or playing to empty the memory card!

TURKEY TIME!

2008-11-19T10:58:00.001-07:00

Instead of stuffing the cavity of the bird, which slows down cooking time, gently push the stuffing up under the skin via the neck cavity to protect the delicate breast meat. as the sausage cooks, the fat/juices saturate the meat, moistening & flavoring the turkey - YUM!!

Allow 18 minutes per lb, and 20 minutes’ resting before carving.

Ingredients
Feeds 8 to 10. Takes 3½ hours plus resting.

17 lb fresh or fully thawed turkey
2 lbs italian sausage - sage variety is ok if you like it - it is all good!

1 med. red onion

4 cloves garlic

1 bag pepperidge farm seasoned stuffing/bread crumbs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

good dash of cayenne pepper

rosemary sprigs

small lemon wedges

Heat oven to 375. Rinse the turkey and wipe it inside and out with a paper towel. Fold the wing tips under the body to help it keep its shape.

To stuff the bird under the skin from the neck, work the skin free of the breast by putting your hand between the two and gently inching your fingers forward to halfway along the length of the bird.

Push about half of the stuffing in, spreading it generously over the breast area. Don’t pack it too tightly, as the stuffing will expand, but do reach as far into the nooks and crannies as you can, and down the length of the drumsticks.

Tuck the drumsticks under the bird slightly. Pop the lemon, herbs,salt and pepper, and all remaining stuffing into the cavity and skewer closed.

Cover the base of the pan with a layer of foil, and lay the turkey on top, breast-side down. Bake for 30 minutes, or until skin is a medium brown and slightly crispy

Completely cover the turkey in buttered or Pam-sprayed foil.

Roast for two hours.

The turkey is cooked when the juices that run from the thickest part of a pierced thigh are clear.

Allow the turkey to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes before carving. If the drumsticks are not fully cooked through, simply cut through each joint where they join the body and return them to the oven under a sheet of foil for another 20 minutes as you rest the turkey and carve the breast.

fun way to send a message....

2008-06-06T08:48:00.000-06:00

On the advice of a friend, (AND bc she is giving away a free, fun offer...) I went to www.myfruitrollups.com and designed a fun little treat to share with my kiddos. We never buy these things, but this made me reconsider for a brief moment, as it would be an awesome way to spread the news of "we are taking a trip", or "Gabe got an 'A'"! At the very least, it is a fun activity for your kids to do online...check it out!

Furthermore,

2008-04-04T13:42:00.000-06:00

THIS is what was said of the last rotavirus vaccine, since removed from the market, after agencies in the UK authorized its use:

After administration of RotaShield(R), most adverse reactions observed are regarded as minor. (WTH?) In clinical trials, the most common adverse event associated with RotaShield(R) (when compared with placebo) was fever after the first dose. Administration to infants with persistent diarrhea or vomiting or to those who are known or suspected to be immunocompromised is contraindicated. (that means if your child's immune system is compromised in ANY way, DON'T DO IT, PEOPLE!) RotaShield(R) should not be given to infants who are hypersensitive to latex or to any component of the vaccine, including aminoglycosideantibiotics, amphotericin B or monosodium glutamate. (okay - do you know much about MSG? DO you want your infant having it?) RotaShield(R) does not prevent infection with rotavirus but does reducethe severity of disease should infection occur.

It doesn't even prevent your child from getting the disease! It simply "lessens the severity" - you as a parent can do the same thing, without making your child eat MSG or latex, simply with good nutrition.

LOOK,

2008-04-04T13:29:00.000-06:00

ANOTHER vaccine ~

In studies of more than 24,000 infants, Rotarix prevented severe and mild cases of rotavirus-caused diarrhea and vomiting during the first two years of life.

Read on:
The most common reactions reported during clinical trials were fussiness, irritability, cough, runny nose, fever, loss of appetite and vomiting, the FDA said.

"This vaccine provides another option to combat and reduce a potentially severe illness that affects so many children..."
- Dr. Jesse Goodman, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research

hello, let's trade what could POTENTIALLY be severe vomiting and diarrhea for fussiness, irritability, cough, runny nose, fever, loss of appetite and vomiting. Do they really think we are complete morons? so kids get vomiting and diarrhea! then they never get that virus again. that is the beauty of a virus - once you build natural immunity, you are immune for life, as in chicken pox. So you feed your child the years-proven BRAT diet - bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast, and you move on.

"a potentially severe illness" - just like falling out of bed is potentially severe....we don't vaccinate against that, and most every child falls at some point! Do you seriously want your child to ingest a vaccine, that, when previously developed had this said about it: An earlier oral rotavirus vaccine sold by Wyeth was pulled from the market in 1999 after it was linked to a rare, life-threatening type of bowel obstruction known as intussusception.???

The good news: "Although the FDA has concluded that the available data do not establish that these events are related to the vaccine, the agency has requested the manufacturer to conduct post-marketing safety studies involving more than 40,000 infants to provide additional safety information," the FDA said.

This means....that they will TRY it on your children, then (maybe!) write in to the drug company if adverse reactions arise. Did you KNOW you gave birth to a guinea pig? yep - it only LOOKED like a human baby. They didn't tell you then that that sweet, chubby-cheeked little thing would later be used for clinical trials. oh darn.

you can read the full report here.

I know I haven't been here for awhile...sorry, have had a very full past couple of months. I hope to be more consistent. Facebook is stealing my time away from the blog, tee-hee!

just had to stand on my soapbox a little bit :-) Well, one of them. I have others - regarding soy, autism, ADD/ADHD, divorce, doctors, antibiotics, genetically modified cooking oil, Vitamin C, parenting, and commercially prepared infant formula. If you ever need some entertainment, or someone with whom to debate, please let me know! love you all!

HERE is an advertisement...

2008-02-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

I know this kind of thing has been offered before, but I found it today in the "free" section of a local newspaper...i might call and say I am interested if I didn't already have one of my own to train...

Free to good home

Logan, UT Feb 9, 2008
Free to good home, My husband that has had 18 years of training, he is partially potty trained he will not put down the toilet seat and sometimes has an accident on the floor, he socializes very well with other females but NOT friendly with other males, I have found if he makes a mistake you can correct him by rubbing it in his face, he will growl at you for only a moment then he will straighten up for awhile. he is very territorial and protective, I hate to let him go but because of my new job and work schedule I just don’t have the time to clean up after him anymore and give him the attention he needs at the same time,

He is like a Saint Bernard, very cuddly and cute and has been spoiled, and thinks he can sleep with you every night, if you adopt him do not let him spend all night your bed that would be a big mistake because he will hog the whole bed and make all sorts of noises all night long including drooling, It would be best to keep him in another room until you want to show him affection, he will be more grateful. He does need constant reprimanding and discipline or he will try to control the household...

The woman gave no phone number, and I assume I could contact her via email. Maybe someone should ask her if she REALLY wants to get rid of him. Perhaps if she thought about it for awhile, she would see the benefit of having him around, even if he never does learn to put the toilet seat down. Did you know they sell automatic toilet-seat-closers?

LUKE is 12!!

2008-01-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Luke at age 3...

what a sweetie...we had a pizza party, with 15 guests, which later became 19 as more people stopped by. Luke helped decorate (and light, lol) his own cake, which was a big step in growing older... Two cakes were needed, of course, for all those guests...a mint one (Which is Luke's favorite), and the standard "Better than Farm" cake, as Grandma re-named it years ago :o)

Here he is with Uncle Jordan ~

yum...challa

2008-01-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Actually "ghhghhghAHla", as my sweet Jewish pastor's wife pointed out. Yummmy bread, which uses an egg dough that tastes best when left to ferment a bit in the fridge for a few days. The dough recipe originally called for 1/2 cup of melted butter, which I accidentally left out, but would again, because who needs all that butter?? Instead, I brushed butter on the fresh, hot bread, and that moistened it up just enough!

so, here ya have it:

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 tbl instant yeast

1 1/2 tsp table salt

4 lg eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup honey

7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, honey, yeast and salt. Stir well. Add in the flour. STIR, BABY STIR!!! Stir until you don't see any more dry bits of flour. Spray with cooking oil, cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 4 days. The longer you let it stay in the refrigerator, the better tasting the dough will be.

pssst....if you want, you can let it rise for 2 hours on the counter, pinch off the dough that you need to make your Challah. However, I've found that with only a 2-hour rise, the bread isn't very flavorful. Still good, but definitely not as good as if you had let it sit 1-4 days in the refrigerator.

1 lb of Master Challah Dough (above) about a grapefruit sized chunk of dough

4 1/2 tbl Nutella

small egg + 1 tbl water, whisked to make egg wash

The first thing you need to do is take that master dough out of the refrigerator, grab a grapefruit sized chunk of dough. Return the rest of it to the refrigerator to use another time. Generously flour your hands and the dough. Shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough and tucking it to the bottom all around, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. This creates a taut, smooth surface. Let the dough hang out on counter a bit, to take the chill off.

Braid Dough: Now, back to the dough. Use palm of your hands and roll the dough into a thick, even log. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces with knife or dough scraper. (It's easier to cut even pieces when the dough is not round). Roll each piece with your hands to stretch into a long 1 1/2" thick rope. Try not to just stretch it out by pulling, the dough will break. Easiest way is to place dough on counter and roll back and forth with palms of hands, starting in the middle and hands move out which stretching the dough a bit. Don't worry about getting it to look pretty, just try to get each piece even sized.
Time to add the Nutella. Take one piece of dough. Use your thumb or the side of your hand to press and create an indent in the middle of the strand. Spread about 1 1/2 tbl of Nutella in this indent.

Bring up the sides of the dough, encasing the Nutella and pinch dough closed. Repeat with other strands. Don't have to be perfect. It's messy, I know, but it's NUTELLA and worth every finger lickin' mess.
Pinch it up! I found that it worked best to lightly press a butter knife along the center, and use my left hand to pinch it up by grabbing the very edges.

Let's braid! Start in the middle and braid. Pinch ends, tuck under. Now braid the other side, pinch and tuck. Start braid from the middle (instead of top) so that it tapers evenly at both ends. I tried to keep the seam side UP, so that the filling did not melt out as it baked. There will be places where it splits open, but that is okay.

Again, spray and cover with saran wrap, then a soft towle, and let rest for 1-1/2 hours. 20 minutes prior to baking, preheat your oven to 350F.
When dough is ready to be baked, brush top with egg wash. OPTIONAL: sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts. Bake for 25 minutes. While still warm, brush with 1/3 cup melted butter, generously coating the entire surface of the braid.

Emme helped me, so along with her own mini-braid, she made an "E", and "L", and a "V" to give to her brother and sister. This recipe made about 3 large braids. Enjoy!

guess I should post

2008-01-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

something! Not a lot of news, no new photos here...we have withdrawn Luke and Victoria from school, which means I now have the youngest 3 at home full-time. it is very nice, and they are on a much better routine, and seem to be growing more confident, as opposed to less confident each day.

We are looking toward starting up parenting classes again in March, and as I scrutinize my own children, I seem to be learning more...we are never done learning!

#1 ~ your children are what you make them. If you think of a child as impatient, and you respond to them with impatience, they will be impatient! If you consider a child to be responsible, and treat them that way, they will become that. IF a characteristic of a child is troubling you, then examine carefully how you act and react toward that child.

#2 ~ I forgot what the second one is....but it will come to me. For now I will say "Moms, get plenty of rest. staying up too late makes it hard to keep your eyes open!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

You may notice that this is post #17 of the day. (or so - I lost count after 2) Today is New Year's Day, and I am trying to decide if I want a resolution. I think the first one will be NO MORE PROCRASTINATING! One of these days, I will get started on that.

We had a party, and decorated with TIME in mind....

ben made (yes, pizza - it was requested, and very delicious. I DO cook, and love to, but ya can't fix what already works). He also helped me put together a fun display area for his wonderful pizza, so I got to throw my signature in on the party somewhere! The pizza boards/stones were elevated at different heights, with greenery, candles, ribbons and lights entwined all around. The fountain was surrounded with garland as well, and the water fell sweetly as the party began. THEN...the excitement drowned out any splashing sounds, but that's okay.

At the end, everyone stood in a circle and ripped open party poppers filled with candy and little paper crowns. You can almost see some of them here hanging on a sparkly ribbon as Emme zooms by. At 11:30 p.m., some sugar kicked in , and she had a second wind! an hour later, 3 very tired girls stood for their first picture of the year. Only Emme got her crown on as the party was winding down.

Anne and Jordan, Benjamin and Jodie....hey, it was a PARTY! Costume ball or not, I was dressing up! I even sprayed glitter on my hair. Ben, at 12:15 a.m., was very worn out, but happily sat with me for a photo. Thanks, babe!

and Christmas day brought....

2008-01-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

filled stockings, and wonderful guests! We did not do much photography during the dinner, which all played out very nicely, but the table was pretty, and everyone had to be wheelbarrowed away from the table by the time we were done. It was a wonderfully blessed day!

I found darling little glitter-coated cardboard letters to denote which stocking was whose...one of these years, I vow to have them all MATCH, but in the end, kids really don't care!!

on to Christmas...

2008-01-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

which was very, very nice. we were home alone, just the 7 of us, so it was a very casual night. Ben made pizza for us, and everybody dressed in their regular play clothes..i am wishing now I would have at least made emme brush her hair, but I had spent the day with Victoria having some "girl time" and was happy to just sit down on the couch and let kids pass out gifts! Here are a few moments preserved via digital pixels...

The TREE.....(the angel really does have a head).
Emme and her beloved gift from Gabe.

Christian opening a pedal to enhance the sound of his electric guitar....

Luke got new binoculars!!!
And Gabe got a batman toy from Annie...he was pleased as punch!

Christian gave his sisters Dance Dance Revolution 2, and as you can see, they were very excited!

And Victoria's birthday

2008-01-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

She turned 10 this year, was given a karaoke machine with which she sings her heart out, and got her ears double-pierced! Her best friend Makayla went with her and held her hand. They laughed together as Victoria had tears rolling down her cheeks, but loves them now!

then the Christmas program at church...

2008-01-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

where victoria danced....

and later sang....(She has her blue outfit on with a white sweater over it here)

and fun was had by all....
Emme's little friend, Hazel is in the red & green "present" in front of Tori.

happy new year! (and a recap...)

2008-01-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

it isn't truly a recap of the whole year, just the past 5-ish weeks. sorry to be so mixed-up.....it take TIME to get photos off of a camera and edit them and save them and transfer them to a blog with witty captions and I have this anal thing about including pictures with the things I say, ugh!

so - back to November....we covered the part where we went to AZ, and Christian won a guitar hero contest and had a birthday, and touched on Thanksgiving. I wanted to add some photos from that event, because it was such a pleasant day, and Ben took some very nice pictures for me! You might recall he made a new table, just for the occasion (and because we needed it), and the decorations all turned out SO nicely!!

please take note of the darling little acorns with pearls glued into them - a project Luke worked on until he sadly burned his finger with hot glue. They were the sweetest thing at the table!

okay, more coming soon - I need to go be with my boys before they go back to school tomorrow!

it has been that long?!?!?!?

2007-12-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

since I last posted? December SIXTH? that is crazy. we have had a busy, crazy, full, wonderful month. I only have a moment here, but wanted to throw in there that our girls received Shrek the 3rd DVD as a gift, and it is very cute. One segment that had us all rolling is a scene where Prince Chraming is bullying Pinocchio into revealing where the missing ogre, Shrek, has gone. The dialogue, with the puppet speaking in a high, whiny, nasal voice, goes like this:

Prince Charming: You. You can't lie. So tell me, puppet, where is Shrek?
Pinocchio: Uh, hmm, well, uh, I don't know where he's not.
Prince Charming: You're telling me you don't know where Shrek is?
Pinocchio: It wouldn’t be inaccurate to assume that I couldn’t exactly not say that it is or isn’t almost partially incorrect.
Prince Charming:- So you do know where he is?
Pinocchio: Oh, on the contrary. I'm possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably...
Prince Charming: Stop it!
Pinocchio: ...do or do not know where he shouldn’t probably be, if that indeed wasn’t where he isn’t. Even if he wasn’t at where I knew he was, that’d mean I’d really have to know where he wasn't.

There are some movies that are fun to quote, and I think I may use these lines next time someone asks me"What is for dinner?", or "When are we going to Target?" or, "Can I play guitar hero?"...

"I may or may not know what is not for dinner. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to assume that I couldn’t exactly not say that it is or isn’t almost partially decided. I'm possibly more or less not definitely rejecting the idea that in no way with any amount of uncertainty that I undeniably... (take a breath here)

...do or do not know what we will probably be eating, if that indeed wasn’t what I was offering. Even if we aren't eating what I knew we were, that’d mean I’d really have to know what we are NOT."

ORR ~ I can always use a favorite line of a favorite friend...."For dinner, you have 2 choices - take it, or leave it."

I will fill you in more on the month of December sometime - I can't say for sure when that may or may not happen, as I undeniably need to go clean my rather messy or not-so-messy house before we have a new year's party of unpredictable size.

ta-ta!

the whole crew....

2007-12-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

This was snapped the morning that Ben's parents went home to (CHILLLLLY) Minnesota. Emmanuelle looks taller than she truly is, because I had her stand on a little stool....she is still kind of a peanut, and really only comes to (barely) Victoria's shoulders.

n

the HERO....

2007-11-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

We returned from Arizona on November 13th, and barely blinked when it was time for a Guitar Hero contest...

Christian has honed (nearly perfected?) his guitar hero skills, so we drove the 58 miles to a hotel to watch him beat out EVERY ONE OF THE OTHER 20 ENTRANTS...of all ages, and they were blown away! He won a Guitar Hero III game, a couple of Tshirts, and some other misc. (And of course, a little ego boost, but he is a pretty humble boy aside from this event, so it was okay!) See the one shot of a final score....his 99% accuracy compared to the opponent's 78%? crazy. sorry for the unedited photos....here he is with his new loot!

THEN....Ben's parents came on the 20th - I will be adding pictures from that later, as we are still in the midst of lots of fun!

November 24th was Christian's 15th birthday...where does the time go??? wow, what a cutie!~!

Oh, we had a hard time taking away that bottle!

Here, he is about 5, buddy-buddy with Gabe in his ever-present super hero getup.

And this is from his 7th birthday....can you say "never changes"??? We were so busy making a ton of pizza this year, that the poor boy never got a cake..instead, a candle in a home made peanut butter cup.

we had quite a party here on saturday night...with "Rock Band"...the newest musical game to sweep the world of video consoles...they all had a LOT of fun, with the guitars, drums, and microphone... woohoo!

wedding smiles....

2007-11-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Anndrea dancing with our Papa....

Papa, Annie, Luke, myself, cousin Kurt, and great Aunt Mimi holding Victoria in the front.

Victoria and Emme dancing with Aunt Tessa ~

More to come soon!!!

more wedding fun...

2007-11-25T18:42:00.000-07:00

The day before the wedding, the GIRLS all went out for manicures and pedicures. Here is Anne, our MOM, Anndrea, and her best friend Julie.
Erin enjoying a magazine....

Anne, Jordan's fiancee, and Jessica, Jacob's girlfriend. she fit RIGHT into our family, and we all had a blast!
This is Erin, myself, and Anne...soaking our piggies. Such fun!!

and then....

2007-11-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

Visiting with Grandma....this is Luke, Emme, and Micah's 4-month-old son, Mason! Next is Uncle Jacob....thanks, Emme, for snapping this one.

And Uncle Josh...always good for a laugh!

THEN.....the following day, we met Ben's cousin, Jenna for lunch, along with her 2 little ones, Leslie and Drew. (They were so sweet! thanks again, Jenna!) We dines at Red Robin, and the Robin himself was a little too overwhelming to Leslie, who had recently survived Halloween. It is so nice to make connections again - even if it isn't very often!

holycow...

2007-11-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

i am sure i have used that title before, but what a whirlwind of a month! I have not yet done a stitch of Christmas shopping, which is very unlike me! all that aside.....where do I begin?? well, in early november, we took a trip to Arizona, where my younger sister got married. It was wonderful to connect with my family, whom I have missed very much, and even planning an extra day off of work and school did not make it feel like "enough" time. The trip down was pleasant, as well, despite tha fact that we realized at the last minute we did not have the proper cables to our van's DVD player. they were misplaced in the confusion of a car accident a year ago, and who was thinking about traveling then?? so - the kids loaded up their toys and books, and we played several rounds of the alphabet game. not too bad of a 13-hour drive with 5 children! woohoo!!

first major stop was a sweet picnic area in southern utah. we had yummy sandwiches and cookies...and caught sight of 4 beautiful "Stellar's Jay" bluejays....unfortunately, i have no pictures of the kids there...just several attempts at a busy bird. the kids WERE there, but I photograph them all the time!

then....we stopped at Glen Canyon Dam...in the neighborhood of the Grand Canyon, and it was a wonderful thing to see. we did get one fun pic of the kids, but again...the scenery stole the stage!

Always need posers!

And the breathtaking sunset over the Utah/Arizona desert....

TURKEY TIME!!!!

2007-11-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

I LOVE making the Thanksgiving meal! The whole day is about eating good food, and anyone who loves to cook also loves to be appreciated!! For years now, I have done our turkey an "unconventional" way, but no one is ever disappointed, and I honestly have very few leftovers! What follows is a recipe similar to the technique I have used, and once you stuff your bird this way, you will never go back! It is an extraordinary way to roast turkey that produces a bird of incomparable moistness, with skin as crackly as a potato chip.

You should never rub a turkey's skin with anything but salt. The salt seals the pores and keeps the juices in the flesh. People make a mistake in rubbing turkey with fat, in basting it with drippings, and in roasting it at a low temperature, all of which make the juices run out.

What also distinguishes this method is where the stuffing goes -- a savory sausage paste — directly underneath the skin and leaves the body cavity empty. Roasting the turkey for 2-1/2 hours at 400°F produces a fine, juicy, most flavorful bird. The fatty meat cooks atop the turkey flesh, dripping down and moistening the skin throughout the baking time. What follows is my own adaptation of a timeless Portuguese recipe from Maria Eugénia Cerqueira da Mota.

Ingredients:
A fresh turkey weighing about 15 pounds
2 pounds salt (that's right, 2 pounds)

For the Stuffing:
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons olive oil

2 small loaves crusty French or Italian bread, diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-1/2 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 lbs. italian sausage
3 T minced onion
1 t. cayenne pepper powder
1 T lemon pepper
2 bags Pepperidge Farm seasoned croutons

Instructions:
Remove the giblets from the turkey and chop them finely to add to your stufing, or discard if you just can't bear the thought of cooking them. Fill the neck and body cavities of the turkey with salt, then rub the skin well all over with salt. Place the turkey and remaining salt in a very large deep kettle, add enough cold water just to cover the bird, and set in a very cool spot for 3 to 4 hours. (Maria Eugénia soaks her turkey a full 24 hours, but in America's superheated houses, that would be unwise.)
Toward the end of the soaking period, prepare the stuffing: In a large heavy kettle set over moderate heat, sauté the garlic in the butter and olive oil about 5 minutes until limp. Add the bread, salt, and pepper, and toss well; now add the chicken broth and beat hard with a wooden spoon until the mixture is pastelike; turn the heat to its lowest point, cover the kettle, and steam 15 to 20 minutes, until the bread has absorbed all the liquid. Add the egg yolks and beat hard until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the onion and sausage. Set all aside. Preheat the oven to hot (400°F; 205°C). Drain the turkey and rinse very well, removing every bit of salt from the neck and body cavities. It's important to rinse the bird several times in cool water, so that all traces of salt are gone. Place the bird on the counter with the neck cavity facing you. With your hands, begin working the skin free from the breast. Proceed gently, taking care not to tear the skin. It's slow going at first, but once you begin to free the skin, the job goes quickly. Loosen it all the way down the bird to within about 1 inch of the tail end, down both sides. Now, with your hands, push the stuffing bit by bit far down under the skin and continue, packing it in lightly, until the breast is covered with about a 1-inch layer. Now fill the neck cavity, skewer the neck skin flat against the back to enclose, and truss the bird.

Place the turkey breast-side up in a large shallow roasting pan (no rack needed) and roast uncovered for about 2-1/2 hours or until the bird is richly browned and a leg moves easily in the hip joint; do not baste. Remove from the oven and let stand 20 minutes.

Remove as much of the stuffing from the bird as possible, and put into a large stock pot. Ladle in 1/2 - 1 cup of the juices and bits from your roasting pan, breaking up the cooked stuffing, blend well. Add in the croutons, continue stirring and adding more of the turkey juices until your stuffing is the moistness you prefer.

Slice the turkey, make a smooth gravy from the remaining juices, and serve it all hot.

This should easily serve 20 guests, with a bit of left over meat, but don't count on much!

Self-ism.

2007-11-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Do you know that the literal meaning of autism is self-ism? This is an interesting link, with a view from an adult autism sufferer....and she details how oftentimes she is into herself, and therefore not noticing the needs or words of others.

Do you think we would have less autism if we trained members of our society to be less selfish? There are seemingly hopeless situations, but most people can think of a quality example of a very polite 3 year old. If a 3-year old can polite, then the same expectations of a 14-year-old-with-the-mentality-of-a-6-year-old should exist. Teach them to notice others. Hold their face and have them look you in the eye, to see that eye contact is respectful of others. Tell them to say hello, even if it is uncomfortable. I had a 2-1/2 year old diagnosed with asperger's, and now you would have to spend a great deal of time with her for anyone to know. She is sweet, quiet, has control, obeys, does not throw tantrums...all things that were once HOURLY issues in her little life. Believe me, the effort will pay off in the enjoyment you receive from those in your life who are worth your time.

Tortellini Cordon Bleu

2007-11-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

The combining of French and Italian cuisine resulted in a nice pasta dish at our house last night...

Cordon Bleu is Francais for "blue ribbon"...and the original chicken Plat principal, or main course is yummy with its corn meal breading, enveloping chicken breast, ham and gooey swiss cheese.

Wanting the flavor without all the fuss (it has to be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for some time before the cooking process), I blended all of this:

4 chicken breasts, cooked in a small amount of water and chopped into generous chunks.
1 pound 5-cheese blend tortellini (boil al dente)
1/3 # swiss cheese, sliced thickly (add to cooked, strained pasta returned to its boiling pot on med heat to melt)
1/2 - 1 c coarsely chopped smoked turkey "ham", or simply ham - we don't do much pork
1 c. heavy cream (pour over pasta & cheese)
3-4 T italian seasoning (grind in palm and add to pasta mixture)
1 T garlic granules (fresh would be better - I was in a hurry)
1 cup organic chicken broth
1 c cream - pour these into pasta pot, heat on med/med-hi to low boil
4 T corn starch - stir into 2 T cream to make thick paste. pour over bubbling sauce, cook until sauce is the thickness you like.

THEN TOSS IN:
1/4 c. dried cranberries, chopped randomly
2 tsp salt
4 T Marsala

Add chicken, stir well, serve hot with crusty bread and a yummy spinach salad. (Which, i should warn you, a 1-cup serving may take the average 11 year old a fair amount of time to eat. Ours did it in just under 2 hours)

Spinach salad

3 c. fresh spinach, de-stemmed, and chopped coarsely
1/4 c fresh grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/4 c pomegranate arils
1/8 c your favorite granola blend
1/2 c frozen, thawed petite peas

combine and drizzle over all:
1/4 c ranch dressing
1 1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp garlic granules or powder

enjoy!!

the Turkey Bowl!!

2007-11-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Jordan and Ben warming up....

The Young Adults group from our church participated in the Turkey Bowl on Saturday, to raise funds for the "Dream Center" - a local homeless shelter which provides an annual Thanksgiving feast, and feeds and shelters needy people in salt lake city throughout the year.
Jordan, Anne, and Ben all played...I had to control the camera!! If you click on the picture you can see an enlarged picture with details pointing out our family members!

It was a gorgeous November day, and hot chocolate and chili were just right to warm up the spectators when a chilly breeze came!

HAPPY

2007-11-01T08:49:00.000-06:00

day after Halloween!! Phew, so glad it is over. Did you know Utah celebrates as big (or bigger than) Christmas! I took the older 2 boys, and went to the younger kids' school to watch their "Halloween Parade"...all the kids wove in and out of all of the parents in the gym, and.... HOLY COW, SIR! Little kids, dressed in the most scary, blood-dripping costumes, making the younger siblings that were there all out SCREAM! I contemplated putting this into the blog, but I hope it serves to remind me that next year, i will keep my kids home from school that day! All they did was play games, and be scared. The silly/scary music being piped through the school's loudspeaker system was enough, but the posters plastered throughout the school with frightening images and the large coffin and ghost-filled pumpkin in the cafeteria were over the top.

...on a lighter note, our kids did dress up, and did a little bit of trick-or-treating, and some "trunk-or-treating"...at the school parking lot, all the parents come with their trunks filled with candy, and the kids can go around in a "safe" environment.

Here are some photos to show you how things were fun inside of our house....can you guess what they were? Victoria couldn't help but pose for every picture!

Then there was Luke - he did not dress up for school...too "mature" for that I guess, but upon realizing trick-or-treating would not be too fruitful in normal clothes, he opted to be a rough-and-tough hockey player. Hence, the Karo syrup-and-corn meal wounds on his face. GO, mom!

I had a house full

2007-10-31T11:43:00.000-06:00

of polygamists yesterday! technically they are former p'lygs, as my friend corrected me. how wild - to sit and have brunch with people who spent time with the guy on the FBI's most wanted list himself. Boy, does he need Jesus! As do all of those terribly decieved people. I don't even know how much I can type here, but I know that freedom is a precious thing - to be able to wear your hair how you want, or the very COLOR of clothes you like...We take a lot for granted. If you missed Oprah's special on polygamy in this country, you can view some of those interviews here. quite a day! I hope they come back soon...there is so much to tell them!

Yesterday, Today, Forever

2007-10-31T11:23:00.000-06:00

DETAIL:

Hi - this is on the art blog, if you have ever peeked there, but I had to post this latest completed art project just for the record of our family/house/life progress...it looks much prettier on the wall now that the wall has been painted, but i can't find that picture!! It is in Greek...Luke did the research, and can pronounce the words if you ask him. All I know is the middle one is something like "Cimarron". The faux-iodized metal background compliments Ben's custom-framework beautifully, and the detail shows a little of the 2-D acanthus leaf in copper with a verdigris finish. Definitely one of my favorites!

have I told you....

2007-10-24T07:31:00.000-06:00

how absolutely FABULOUS my husband is??? last night, he made to DIE FOR pizza!!! ~ hand tossed crust, with fresh garlic, and Ragu's cheesy garlic cream sauce, fresh: spinach, olives, mushrooms, feta (sheep's milk) cheese, and sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. WOW! I even had more for breakfast. You could add some garlic chicken, too, if you wanted, but it didn't need it.

THENNN...he has been working on and tweaking this amazing fountain for several weeks, and now it runs beautifully in the kitchen...standing 6 feet tall, it is the most beautiful focal point ever!! The darker portion is brazilian hardwood - moisture resistant, stained a deep mahogany shade. The back, where the water falls is lined with copper sheeting, and the base contains native Utah rocks, straight out of our yard!

Thanks, babe! you're awesome!

making up for lost time...

2007-10-16T10:36:00.000-06:00

i may have mentioned, we went away for a little last-minute weekend at a ski resort, and here are some of the photos...from the tram looking down on the lodge, and from the ground with a view toward mountains. SO beautiful, PLEASE come visit us so we can share it with you!! The sun was VERY bright up there....so we are both a little squinty in the photos, but it was very nice to go relax and get in touch with God's creation!!

Today marks the anniversary of....

2007-10-15T07:37:00.000-06:00

my 29th birthday! It is not good manners, you know, to just blurt that out to people, but I can here, because I don't think anyone reads this anyhow. my ACTUAL 29th birthday was in 2002, so you can do the math.

last night, ben surprised me with a CROWD of people, and made wonderful pizza, and fun was had by all til nearly midnight. have a great day! ~ jodie

it is wednesday.

2007-10-10T18:00:00.000-06:00

who can title their blog post on a wednesday? not me. not I? yep....not I. no one would say "me can't".

anyway...LOTS going on here...we have a district women's retreat happening at our church this weekend, at which I am in charge of decorating. Tomorrow night is our parenting class, and we are talking about honoring age. AGE means OLD. I have been realizing lately "age" is catching up with me, but has not yet passed me by....that would be SO nice, to be overlooked by "age". Today, I am in negotiations: 1. to pay on a goofy bounced check, of which our bank faxed me a copy, plainly showing it CLEARED. 2. to wrap up the order form for the church cookbook after the pastor's wife sends me a cute little photo, and time is running out! 3. to secure a room that has been reserved for our ladies retreat DINNER, but is being trumped by some other activity that happens at church weekly. 4. to convince the kitchen to clean itself, after it makes dinner, and now I have a crying 6 year old, because she was on the exercise thing and her sister got on there, too. APPARENTLY, she was on the thing DOING HER LIST, "looking for what she could pick up in the living room". What immediately followed were lots of TEARS!! wow, life can be dramatic at the end of a long day! New rule - no "doing lists" on the exercise thing. phew! on to tomorrow!

wow...

2007-10-09T00:57:00.000-06:00

gotta catch up, I guess! yes the past month has been SUPER full!!! sorry i don't even have pictures to post, b/c they are all sitting on my camera, waiting to be transferred to hard drive (G)...it is called that for some horrific word that begins with "G", I think...as in mid-september, we had nearly 2 weeks with our computer on the FRITZ...having overloaded it with action hero stunts, You Tube videos, and Barbie games. I LOVE kids!! even when they are download-happy!! (Did you know my teenage son is on YouTube...playing guitar hero, on "expert", blindfolded. OH, do I wish we lived on a farm where I could give them more to do!

on top of that, our parenting class began, we went to more than one pastor's/leader's conference, a couple of birthday parties, some pot-luck dinners, a few soccer matches, several back-to-school events, had a couple of different flus breeze through here, worked on some more art, painted a couple more walls, organized some closets, spent about 2 weeks at Costco, went on a last-mimute romantic getaway to a ski resort in the beautiful salt lake city mountains, had several pizza bashes, ranging in number of guests from 14(which I now think of as a "small" party, helLO!) to 38...had 3 extra children over one weekend, decorated everything with fall leaves, pumpkins, and 2 cute ceramic pilgrims, and pretty much everything else I can think of, except BLOG! Ugh. I think i even squeezed a couple of naps in there. I did manage to outsmart a number of migraines with some much-needed calcium-magnesium supplements. (Thanks, Sarah!) And, took a bridesmaid's dress in to be altered for my very-out-of-proportioned-too-short-and-too-lots-of-other-things figure. The Chinese woman said "thees will bee a mayjorr prohject." All I could say was "sorry." That wedding had better be a LOT of fun!

Now it is October. Kids are deciding on halloween costumes, ben's parents may come for thanksgiving, we are planning the trip to arizona in november for my sister's wedding, the weather is getting cooler (we even had snow last week!), and then it will be Christmas!! I will try to find more time in there to blog further, but please understand if you check often and read nothing NEW, that I am not trying to ignore anyone...just have a LOOONG to-do list! happy day, see you soon!!

Something new!

2007-09-05T10:15:00.000-06:00

perhaps not to all of you, but I am excited...it is a website called BlogVertise...similar to the parent blogger netowrk, where they ask for reviews which you cover in your blog. this tool refers a blogger to companies/website owners who in turn write a review, with honest comments about the business they have investigated. The PERK is that there is MONEY in it! Not a lot at first, but for those of you who enjoy writing, or sharing your random thoughts, it could grow to be a lucrative prospect for a small amount of time each day. Be on the lookout for upcoming reviews! You can check out this funky new BlogVertise here !

Woo Hoo!

2007-09-01T15:43:00.000-06:00

what a weekend, and it is only saturday afternoon!!

we had 26 guests at our house last night for pizza..some who had never come before, and some long-standing friends. just for the record, I need to keep track of the WONDERFUL pizzas ben made, b/c i hope he does it again soon!

Cheese
Pepperoni
Garden Vegetable Alfredo (artichokes, peppers, olives, mushrooms, onions, zucchini. feta cheese, spices, and mozzarella)
Chicken and spinach with garlic sauce
Tomato and garlic (commonly a "margherita" pizza)
Chicken taco (Seasoned chicken, peppers, onions, salsa, mozz and cheddar cheeses, doritos, quacamole, salsa verde) YUMMMMM!
Pepperoni and jalapeno-stuffed green olive
Hmm...okay. I thought there were 2 more. I will have to ask him!

One more item of note...
i began a new blog, you can see the link to the right. I am hoping within the next week to develop it into a web SITE..we shall see. I just needed a starting point. If anyone has a fabulous tip for web-page design they would like to send me, I would welcome any and all advice!! Thank you!

getting old...

2007-08-27T07:44:00.000-06:00

last night some of us were watching t.v., with the rare circumstance that the mom had the remote...and the channel clicking came to a pause when I noticed a movie I liked, recounting days of extreme racism in America. The setting was obviously not modern, and one of our sons asked "Is this movie OLD or WHAT?!?". We checked the channel info, only to find that it had been released in 1985. SO Ben says "Yep - 22 years old". He looked at me and said "That means WE are old! To say the we once watched a movie that is 22 years old. Wow." I asked him, "Will you still love me as I get older and uglier?" He thought for a millisecond, and said, sweetly, "Oh, I can't imagine you being any uglier".

Then we both burst out laughing, knowing full well that was not what he MEANT to say, and all corrective comments that followed were meaningless. The words had escaped his mouth. And there you have it, folks. Just when you thought life was going along smoothly. You hear you are as ugly as you'll ever get. Guess I can live with that.

Free $15 Best Buy certificate!!

2007-08-25T14:50:00.001-06:00

Just fill out a survey..it took me about 10 minutes...asks questions about your current electronic services..tv, phone, 'net...here is the web site:

Just log on at http://www.bcwebsurveys.com/

and enter 75137 as the PIN number.

I can't lie...it also means I get 2 free on-demand movies because you were so wonderfully nice to do this, but you will get your $15.00 fun at B. Buy.. Thanks SO much!!

we are home!!

2007-08-20T15:10:00.000-06:00

phew, and getting back to normal! I found Victoria in the living room yesterday and asked her how she was feeling, having been home from the hospital about 14 hours, and she said "Well, I tried to do a cartwheel". (I gritted my teeth, thinking "OOWWWW") and she followed that up by saying "It didn't go so well". hel-LO. She tried again to do one in front of me, with her hands down on the ground, and her little feet just hopping gently in a 90-degree curve behind her. She asked "Is that a good 'sick' cartwheel?" Poor thing...she is ready to live her normal life again. Before leaving the hospital, she said "Now I can go home and jump on the trampoline!" I gave her the classic mom response... we will see.

Here she is ready to head OUT! The church sent her a giant balloon bouquet, and friends added a couple more. her bag is loaded with new stuffed animals, including a little beanie baby fish named "lips"...a gift from the nurses, that soothed the pain a bit in the E.R.

THEN...on the way home, there was the most beautiful sunset....shining brightly behind a storm system moving away from the mountains...it was so refreshing to see daylight again!!!

a history in pictures

2007-08-19T11:23:00.000-06:00

just so you can feel like you lived through some of this with us...i was not able to get pictures right away, as the camera was in the car! but starting the day of her surgery, after she was up and around...we have preserved a few moments in time, and are so glad to finally be home as of 8:30 p.m. saturday night!

This was our first try at walking the halls...at a children's hospital there were all sorts of fun little things like this. I said to her "This is quite a vacation!". She responded with "This is NOT a fun vacation." You might be able to see she is pretty stiff and protecting that tummy!

Jordan and Anne were the first visitors, and they went for a walk with us, too! By that evening, Victoria was in very good spirits and happy to have guests.

3 owies in a row...one hole was for a the camera, the other two for tools.The white board in her room, where we could write anything we wanted to. Visiting friends and family added something, and I tried to post up there what other friends sent via text message. If you click on the photo, you should be able to see a (somewhat blurry, sorry) close-up of the board and all the fun notes.
Day 2...feeling
stronger and
able to sit up
on the edge of the
bed to watch t.v.
She got a giant bear, "Curly"
from grandma and Grandpa Jensen...
the nurses gave her a roll of bandage
tape so she could "play doctor", too.
**********************************************************************************

Her best friend, Makayla. Ben brought her up when he and the kids came, and they were so happy to see each other. If the hospital would have allowed it, she would have spent the night. When Victoria was packing up to leave the hospital she asked if Makayla could come over that evening to play!

Luke hopped onto the bed, too...then Christian. Even at her sickest, she still looked like an angel!

She shared a popsicle with Emme, who thought that was just peachy! I apologize for the outfit and raggedy hair, lol...fashion was NOT at the forefront of Ben's mind that day! Perhaps you can see him in the background, wiped out on the oh-so-uncomfortable little cot they provided for parents. Well, one parent. Actually, one SMALL parent.

update on the patient...

2007-08-17T11:09:00.000-06:00

she is doing very well!! Went in for surgery (finally) at 7am on thursday after a LONG night! she was back in her room by 8:30 a.m., and slept most of the day. By late afternoon, she was eager to get up and walk, and the nurse said "that morphine must really be working!" with the way she cruised down the hall with her iv pole, as if nothing had happened top her. Back to bed she went for a few hours, and the NEXT try at a stroll was a little more difficult. Lots of company yesterday left her a bit worn down, and late at night she was in a lot of pain. A new dose of morphine made it evident tht her iv site was no longer good, so they needed to remove it and movbe to a new spot. She was VERY apprehensive about this, but I requested some Emla cream (lidocaine, a local anesthetic), and that made a HUGE difference...needed to sit on her hand for about 45 minutes, and she hardly winced when they inserted a new needle. They did get it in on the first try, so that was good. within one hour, she was comfortable and sleeping soundly.

Today, we ordered some breakfast...french toast, broccoli, and pears, and she had some of everything, which seemed to agree with her just fine. The surgeon came in and said if she has 2 good meals with no complications, and passes the "mom" test, she can go hom. how sweet is that?!?!? I never like it when they send you home before your are truly ready. Victoria is anxious to be there again, so that is a good sign.

She said she thinks she feels better because of the white board in her room, where people can write little notes. Her brothers wrote funny things, and I have been trying to add the kind words that friends and family have texted to our cells. One dear (non-serious) friend, Chip, said "Life is like that. You wake up one day and BAM! No appendix!". She really enjoyed that one!

Thanks everyone for your prayers, thoughts, time, meals, babysitting, driving, balloons, stuffed animals, and toys. God has truly worked through all of this, and i will post more later, as right now I need a NAP!!

here I am...

2007-08-16T04:06:00.000-06:00

sitting in this comfy chair, where I have never sat before, at the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City ,Utah. My precious little girl, Victoria, is lying in a bed hooked up to an i.v. of saline and morphine ,waiting for surgery to remove her appendix. Holy cow....just TRY being a sensible mother for ONE DAY. Two days ago, (Monday), she did not want to go to school...i have been thinking I would homeschool her, but still have not been sure of what is best for her...anyway she said her tummy hurt. I told her to drink more water and take some Vitamin C. Tuesday she happily went to school...came home and said her tummy hurt still, I suggested she use the bathroom, drink more water, and rest a bit. Wednesday morning, (was that today, or yesterday?) she became teary, still saying her tummy hurt, now explaining that she had had diarrhea for a couple of days. I gave the child HALF OF AN IMMODIUM, and SENT HER TO SCHOOL.

1 hour later, I got a call saying her tummy hurt a LOT and I should come get her. I put on my "public" clothes (like you sarah...have to be comfy at home!) and went to pick her up. we drove TWO BLOCKS and she said she felt sick, so I pulled over, yanked her out of the car, and in a moment, the grass held proof that she indeed needed to come home! By 11 o'clock she was yelping in pain about her tummy every 30 seconds or so, as i was calling ben and any friend I could to pray and ask for advice. Ben made it home around 4, and we were still not sure what to do with the sometimes-drama-queen. Finally we decided she should go in, as all of her symptoms fell in line with appendicitis.

HOURS later, we were settled into a room...we had arrived at the hospital at 7 p.m. She did very well while they inserted an i.v., drew blood from another site, and ran a CT scan which included a rectal catheter to fill her with fluid and make her appendix more evident. Quite traumatic for a tiny 9-year-old who doesn't remember ever having visited a doctor! It is now 4:30 am, and we may get an operation underway around 5:30. She is quite fearful about the whole thing, and has asked if they will cut the wrong thing or place, or what happens if she wakes up during surgery....i am praying she is OUT fast!!

so...tomorrow. (today?) I will post an update on how things are going. They say this is our home for the next few days or so..depending on the looks of things when they "get in there". hanks, everyone for your prayers and thoughts. if you have any funny jokes I could tell Victoria, I am sure she would love to hear them.

THIS little girl...

2007-08-13T11:48:00.000-06:00

Ugh. She is so sweet, and so smart, but can't seem to hack first grade. We (both of us!) shed so many tears last week over her inability to be with a crowd of kids for an entire day, with a routine that is rigorous and changes occassionally without much warning...in case you don't remember, Emme arrived early. 3 months early, in fact, giving her the distinction of being a "micro-preemie"...born before 29 weeks, and weighing less than 2 pounds. I thought we had conquered so many of these obstacles before...crying at a sudden niose, sensitive to a lot of commotion, red dye, or an itchy shirt tag...but this new change has been overwhelming. For the first few days, I insisted she go, and she "adjusted", but would come home silently introverted, and cry in exasperation if a sister asked her 2 questions, or if a brother walked by and hugged her without warning. The first week was a little rocky, then we went camping, hoping the break would help her ease into things a bit. Day #6 of school...tough but she went. Day #7, I had her all prepared to walk out the door, and she fell apart! Crying so hard she could not tell me what was wrong, just a blank stare off into oblivion, frozen in fear. Finally she said "yes" to the question (#473) "does your TUMMY hurt?" so, not wanting her to be sick in school, and really not knowing WHAT was wrong, I kept her home.

(This is her with big sister Victoria...emme is about 3 months here. )

Day #8 - Brought her breakfast in BED, with a SMILE..."Get up, you're going to school today!" She got dressed, daddy was around, I asked HIM to take her thinking he won't cave as quickly as I do. 7 minutes later, he returned, walking into the kitchen for some pancakes. I was so relieved and was just about to ask how everything went, when around the OTHER way of the house's circle came EMME! I was obviously surprised, and said "What happened?" He said "Apparently, she would rather have a spanking than go to school!". This shocked me further, as it is strict policy at our house to only spank for deliberate disobedience. This was not the case. He said he had pulled up to school, the other two kids got out, and she sat in her seat, frozen. He said "Emme, hop out of the van - you have to go to school". She just sat there and began to cry...the type of cry you see when a child is deathly afraid of a dentist or of water. She could not talk to him, or even stand up, she just sat crying. He threatened, bribed, everything he could think of and said if you don't go to school you will get a spanking - is that what you want? she just continued to cry. So, he came back home! He did have a little chat with her later, explaining that she did not NEED a spanking, but he needed to know how serious she was about missing school.

We discussed it at length...What do we do? do we want her in school? WHY do we want her in school? do we HAVE to make her at the age of 6? can we wait? Do we go back to kindergarten? Do we try to do half days of first grade? What does the Bible say? What is best for Emme? Are we babying her? Has she improved at all since the age of 2, with the hourly crying spells over a doorbell ringing or vacuum cleaner starting? Why do we want her there again? Why is this so difficult. We came up with YES, and NO, and more of the WHYs.

The root of the problem is an underdeveloped nervous system...apparently the medical community has still not developed an artificial womb. Tiny babies exposed to beeps, lights, needles, tests, nasal tubes, iv's, and gruff doctors can't seem to build up resistance to every day life the same as a full term baby would. Coming home to a bustling house full of children did not give her further opportunity to balance out her inner "self".

When my word program cooperates, I will add more of the pertinent info I have recieved froma wondeful new friend on Oregon..she is a special-ed teacher with a micro preemie as well, and included in her affirming email that for Emme to be in a busy public place is honestly physically painful. Ugh. so, as a mother, you think "I have been FORCING her to go be in pain every day?!?" followed by guilt. Therefore, we will slowly work on her, guard her, watch what she eats and how much time she spends in groups, and tell her over and over - you can not cry over everything, but you must communicate with people so we can help you. For now, she will be home schooled, along with Victoria who is feeling overwhelmed, too. we are glad because it will be much more peaceful, and a little sad because it means one more school year of intense mom-kid time, and not just MOM time! Some days I think "I did not sign up for this. My expectations were to have well-adjusted children who can be confident in any setting and make friends easily". Instead, I was given precious gifts..well in advance of when I thought they would arrive. I was able to witness the miracle of them opening their eyes for the first time. I watched them breathe on their own, and learn to drink from a bottle, and smile when they recognized an older sibling - all with intense appreciation. When life hangs in the balance, it is so much more miraculous to see it be fulfilled. For now, I know we are doing the best we can, as any parent does. I know that our little girls can handle staying with their grandparents peacefully, and that they can answer the phone politely. The day will come when they can face a crowd without fear, and not be offended when another person looks at them and says "Hurry UP!" In the meantime, I will treasure every moment I can. I know those moments are gone with the wind all too quickly.

more on camping...

2007-08-07T10:59:00.000-06:00

Gabe and fellow camper Ryan Dutson...oldest son of our wonderful friends that went with us! we did what we could to talk those boys into a HAIRCUT! I have not yet lost hope!

Our friends Jennie and Enoch, near strummin' Christian...

The fabulous rain cover that the men strung up in the trees when we were sprinkled on during saturday's dinner. it was SO nice..you hardly knew it was raining, and it only lasted 25 or so minutes. The forecast had heavily predicted rain, so we were sure praying for dry weather!

Ben and Victoria...happy campers!
Christian and Gabe, chompin' on typical camping fare - CHEETOS!

Emme's ready to go fishin'!!
Boys playing a game, and Christian with the ever-present guitar. He sat and figured out how to pluck the Mission Impossible theme, in the woods!

Emme had a go, as well...her brothers will play the chords or notes while she strums, leaving her to think SHE is a pro guitarist!
Yummy....I told Ben later we could live quite cheaply on s'mores in the woods. The challenge was to see how many layers you could roast and remove from your marshmallow. 3 was the record!

THIS is how I found Victoria in the middle of day #2.

ZONKED!

More on the camping adventure...

2007-08-06T19:16:00.000-06:00

Can you say "Idyllic"??
Emme loved the CHILLY stream!! no one else could stand to be in it for very long. she insisted that if you took your shoes off, it wasn't so bad!

the 4 oldest boys "juggling"...
mmm..sweethearts :o). it was FREEZING that night!

2 sisters...ben HAD to get this inflatable love seat...it was never empty!!

WENT campin'!!

2007-08-06T19:07:00.000-06:00

The ride UP the mountain had amazing views!
Ben and Christian...figuring out the new tent with its pathetic directions!!

HOORAY!!! All the parts were there!

The boys,er, MEN, had their own tent across the stream...helped at night while they were composing "The Camping Song" and others about lovable characters like Barney...that poor guitar never had a rest!

More to follow.... (see above. how weird is that?)

Goin' campin'!

2007-08-03T09:17:00.000-06:00

Yep. And it was my idea! Not to brag...but if you know me, I am MUCH more in my comfort zone at a Marriott! About a month ago, we went on a picnic with some friends to the most beautiful spot. (see here for a refresher...) I SO wanted to spend more time there, so now we are planning to go this evening with some friends, and stay through Sunday. I think we have everything we will NEED...my only concern is BEARS. yep - they are something of which to take note. SO...we lock up the food, and pray for safety! The link included here shows where we will be, and we are staying at site #29, in case we don't return home by Sunday evening. There is no cell reception up there, which means we are ROUGHIN' it! not really...it should be fun, and I will post lots of photos next week. so if anyone reads this, you could pray that we are fine, and you might want to let the park rangers know "Novice campers in The Timpooneke Mountains. We don't know WHAT they were thinking"...

see you next week!

New endeavor

2007-08-01T18:12:00.000-06:00

well...we are embarking on something new...something that has been on our hearts for quite some time now, and God is opening doors! last night, we had the associate pastor and his family over for - what else - PIZZA, and sat and talked for over an hour about the newly formed "realtionships" facet of our church's ministry, and the role we would play...it has evolved into a many-week series, with information gleaned from several top parenting teachers around the country, as well as our own experience teacing 10 years, and parenting for over 14! The poster that will be displayed will resemble this,

and will hopefully and prayerfully catch the eye of families who could benefit from it. I will keep you updates on the exciting progress!!

School daze.

2007-07-26T12:56:00.000-06:00

well...yesterday was the first day of school for the youngest 3, Luke, Victoria and Emme, in 6th, 4th, and 1st grade, respectively. There were mixed emotions, as well as some very clear thoughts of "I don't want to stay here" once we found ourselves in the midst of hundreds of kids throughout the school grounds. But...all in all, they each had a great first-day experience, which was great, since this is all new to them! The sun was shining brightly at our house by 8:20 a.m., which made for a squinty photo pose!

The girls and I were up first, and together made a fun chocolate-over-biscuits breakfast. Not healthy AT ALL, but a fun treat...and your brain doesn't have to work too hard on day #1! After all 3 were ready, Ben & I drove them to school, and went walking to find where each of them belonged. We had missed back-to-school night when Emme said she felt ill right at the last minute...THAT unfortunate moment made for a nervous mom and kids Wednesday morning! Each grade has their own entrance/exit door, and before school begins, they stand in line and wait for the bell to ring. School begins at 8:50, which provides time for a very relaxed morning. I am LOVING that!

On day #2, I walked with the kids...leaving Luke a little embarrassed that all the kids in his class would see his MOM, but providing me with an energetic start to my day - yahoo! By the time we rounded the bend today, Emme scampered off ahead of me to her line, with no worries or tears. another "Yahoo"!

BIRTHDAY!!!

2007-07-18T11:14:00.000-06:00

Our baby is 6...sniff, sniff...HAD to happen, but boy, do I love to still cuddle them in my arms when they will give me a moment to do so...time goes by WAYY too fast! Here are some clips from our "Teddy Bear Breakfast" We thought we would try a morning party, b/c the birthday girl is always "fresher" before noon....and it might be nice to have the afternoon to clean up after the celebration!! Guests arriving in pj's were welcomed at the door with a fun display of bear items, and pictures and memorabilia of Emme, including some handpainted baby shoes she wore as an infant. After enjoying teddy bear pancakes, they all played games, including "Musical Bears"...where the BEAR had to find a chair! Once a bear was "out", they received a special party hat and sat on the side lines. Our friend Daisy made fun placemats to color, which were then covered in clear contact paper. The kids then crafted special brown bear bracelets, all while big sister Victoria read a story. Once "pin the heart on the Bear", and "hot Potato Bear" were finished, it was cupcake time...and everyone was treated to little chocolate cakes graces with pink hearts, or peanut butter frosted ones with oreo paw prints! Small cinnamon bear cookies, vanilla piroulines and cheery chocolate teddy bear cookies completed the spread. Everyone took home their fun goody bag, complete with pink Glurch...which is still entertaining Emme's big brothers!

Wonderful Utah....

2007-07-13T23:07:00.000-06:00

We went picnicking last Sunday up in the mountains..it was SO nice - almost 10 degrees cooler than the sweltering dry valley heat which we left behind. The giant trees (one that two men could barely wrap their arms around) shaded everything just the right amount, with sunlight glinting through the leaves as we listened to the nearby river flowing and splashing. A deer gracefully passed by, about 40 feet from where we sat roasting marshmallows, headed to the river for a cool drink. I, NOT a camper mind you, fell so in love with the surroundings, that I talked some friends into a little jaunt up there next weekend to TENT, no less, for two nights. When I tried to reserve a spot, though, I was met with disappointment, as that weekend is a HUGE Utah holiday. "Pioneer Day" they call it - the day that Utah was officially a state. It took decades to be recognized as such, due to the religious practices and conflicts with the law regarding their traditions. People who have not been here or done a lot of research, believe that most "Utahns" live in families with multiple wives. Well, for the record, that is a rare, unusual, and very sequestered practice. The average family where I live has one wife, or no wife at all, and for the most part, they are normal. They DO have an odd accent...they stress the "g" at the end of any word with an -ing suffix. They leave out hard consonants in the middle of words. (i.e. "kitten" is "ki-ehn", and "mountain" is "mou-ehn") But it really is a wonderful place to be, and would be absolutely perfect if they could just make the temperature remain at 70 degrees or more year-round. HA! In my dreams, says Ben. I don't know...I am holding out for global warming!

GIRLS' ROOM FUN!

2007-06-27T11:04:00.001-06:00

We have been busy!!! Knowing grandparents were coming soon, the MOTHER here was very motivated to get this room in order...so what follows is a little slide show depicting the evolution of the "princess boudoir". (you are not seeing the other side of the room that has some details yet to be completed.) The bed began with its black headboard, lovingly made by Ben, and a vintage chenille bedspread. Their last room had a painted wood valance, with pink crushed satin curtains suspended behind it. That was taken down, the curtains made into a pouffed bed skirt, and the valance hung above the closet door with lace draped around it. I made an additional bed skirt from shocking pink crepe and a thick piped edge of chartreuse silk. A matching silk pillow is on the bed, edged with white pom-poms. IKEA supplied us with a cable to run around the perimeter of the bed, and the tiny clips hold a netted curtain, complimented by ribbons in the same bright pink and pea-soup green. More ribbons flutter over and around the window on a 10-ft rod, which also supports some dainty vintage baby items, including a long gown once worn by Ben himself! The crystal pendant chandelier also came from IKEA...if you want to shop there, please come visit us...we will treat you like royalty during your stay in the princess room!!

Father's Day Celebration!!!

2007-06-27T10:36:00.001-06:00

Father's day was wonderful here...the sun was shining, we came home after church and grilled a nice, relaxed lunch...the boys all bought their dad something special from Target, but that was not even the highlight...

all 5 kids were baptized!!! It was something that a couple of them had asked repeatedly to do, and we knew the church was in the process of planning one in June. I requested that it happen the weekend Ben's parents would be here, and the pastors were very accomodating. SO, as a surprise to Grandma and Grandpa, all of the kids decided they would like to on the same day! To top it off, the pastor over that facet of the church offered to let Ben and his dad perform the baptism, and it was more emotional that I expected! The pastor shared about family legacy, and what a blessing it was that ben was #5 in a line of generations that served God, with no divorces, and raised Godly children, and the whole church was teary...We began with the oldest, and went down the line. i knew ahead of time that the kids would all be asked if they had something to say. I also knew that the girls would be too shy to just ad-lib, so I had them write out their thoughts on small cards beforehand. One by one, each child climbed in, said their piece, got dunked, and climbed back out. when it got to Victoria, she was a little fearful, and decided she did not want to read her card. That was okay, and things proceeded as normal. Then Emme got into the tub... she scanned the crowd, and ducked down so no one could see her, frozen with self-consciousness! When asked if she would like to read, she became teary and said "I don't want to do it". After a little useless pleading, I pulled her out, and we waited until the lights dimmed & the crowd dissipated. Then she said she would really like to do it after all, and it was so sweet...Grandparents watching, our good friend Ana right on the scene with a camera, and Emme with her whole heart saying she loves Jesus and always will. The excitement at church was followed by a party at our hosue late in the afternoon, where Ben made yummy pizza, and Ana brought a delectable chocolate cake. We had 24 people over, and some of them played a rousing game of scrabble (?). The boys headed upstairs to the "library" for a video game fiasco, and we had a wonderful visit with friends and family. It was a good day!

Photobucket Album

SO much to say.....

2007-06-27T09:54:00.000-06:00

let's begin with...ben's mom and dad visited...so I am posting some photos from their trip here. They stayed 6 days, and we all had a very nice time. all the "boys" went hiking one day up by the copper mine...it is the only open pit mine which can be seen from the moon. In some of our other photos of soccer games, etc, you can see thie mountain in the background with veins of copper spillin over as a result of explosives. The girls spent a day in a little shopping village, with luke, and an aunt and cousin from AZ, we spent a few hours at IKEA (woohoo!), and all went to a fun restaurant, The Mayan, one night for yummy dessert and live entertainment by divers and jungle drummers. pics below!!!

Are you a GARAGE SALER?!?!?!?

2007-06-06T18:52:00.001-06:00

Check THIS out!!! I am so excited for garage sale season, as I love turning "trash" into "treasure". I am going to start posting some of my fabulous garage sale finds, and if you don't do the "bargainblast" on weekends already, you soon will!!

Clean Hands Club

2007-06-04T12:09:00.000-06:00

you can, too, with Persani hand gel...this stuff is great, especially since we now have an IKEA, and I love to spend the whole day there with my little ones. ALL the kids in utah are there. we have not yet used their Smaland, the little drop-off play center, because it is ALWAYS FULL! IKEA did not know what they were getting into when they built in Utah.

The average number of children per family in the USA is 1.9.

The average number of children per family in Utah is 5. Maybe one day they will expand their play land...perhaps then I might stay longer. but one whole day is not nearly enough. so, for now...with all of the coughing, sneezing, allergy/cold-infested children playing with EVERYTHING in sight, we are liking our Persani.

Join the CLUB for a BOGO coupon!! ~

Farragomate.

2007-05-30T22:37:00.000-06:00

love word games?
love interactive-web playing?
bored?
then, go HERE!!!!!
It is a magnetic-poetry-like game, where you click and drag words to form a sentence, then other online players do the same, followed by a vote by all. Don't get discouraged too quickly...you will catch on soon, and please let me know if you need someone familiar with whom you can play. I would love to join you if I can!

Minnie

2007-05-29T11:18:00.000-06:00

we have a sweet new addition at our house, again!! (only sweeter than the last meowing-complaining-notwantingtobeheldtoomuch addition)!

She WAS Lola....until Ben came home. The kitten had found a crawl space behind the dishwasher, and while she was hiding Luke happily announced "we got a new cat today". Ben said "we better not have a new cat". and I smiled at luke and said "Yeah, we better not have gotten a new cat, SHHHHH". Then luke said "her name is Lola". Ben replied "I will not live in the same house as a cat named Lola". so, by the end of the evening, she had become "Minnesota" - "minnie" for short. She is sooo cuddly, and even Ben likes her now. She has helped Pearl become sweeter, as well, which is good. Here are some pictures...we are enjoying her very much!

She loves to crawl up close to someone's neck and fall asleep there, and her bright blue eyes just charm you instantly!!! what a treat!

Mother Daughter Dinner

2007-05-21T08:31:00.001-06:00

It is finished. (Much to the relief of my husband and sons!)

Quite a production - we arranged, set up, dressed, and decorated 22 tables, for more than 200 women and girls. Ben drove across the valley to get 11 large round tables and 20 tablecloths which we borrowed from another church, then returned then again Saturday morning! All 3 of our boys served the ladies like professional waiters, and stayed at the end to clean up and tear everything down, then set up the sanctuary with 430 chairs to be ready for Sunday morning!

Our catered meal was alright...but steamed veggies in a large chafing dish are NOT good! Keep in mind, God did not provide us with chafing dishes...He KNEW it would destroy the flavor of his yummy food!! We were 25 salads short, so one of the men helping with the serving ran to the grocery store to purchase some more. We had wayyy more desserts than they had agreed to, so the church secretary was giving them away all the next week.

Other than the catering glitches, everything went very well. The women felt very loved and blessed, my boys and some of their friends sat thursday night assembling little paper bags of goodies for the little girl guests...a small coloring packet, some crayons, and a little treat. With the help of some other women from church, I made 200 beaded and wire bookmarks to give each one present at the dinner. The women's were curvy and a little whimsical - the little girls had a large butterfly at the top....very fun!

Our speaker grew up as a missionary child in India, so she shared about the work that is continuing there, and the church dance team performed to "Sweetly Broken" by Jeremy Riddle.

You can view a slideshow here.

Mother's day...

2007-05-21T08:08:00.000-06:00

began with breakfast in my room...it weas intended to be breakfast in BED, but I am the morning person, ben is not, so after lying in bed for an hour thinking of all the stuff I had to do, I got up to get ready for church. Ben & the kids made waffles from scratch, and topped them with strawberries and whipped cream (my fave breakfast!!), and put m&m's on the side, with a goblet of grapefruit juice. Quite a treat. After church, we went to Johnny Carino's, YUMMMM!!! Can't wait to go there again! Then it was home to nap and relax....(no, they are NOT the same here on a Sunday afternoon!) Christian cleaned the kitchen for me, and the little girls made mother's day cards and crafts. Here are a few shots of the kids that day...aren't they sweet?!?!? How wonderful it is to be a mother!!

You can view a slideshow here.

Loser but a Winner...

2007-05-21T07:55:00.001-06:00

well, thank you SOOOO much to all of you who voted for us to win a backyard adventure. I tried my best, but alas, was not the TOP winner.

The contest began with 20 women competing in an inflatable obstacle course. We went 2 at a time, and out of 20, the top 4 fastest times advanced. After urdling our body through a small hole, we climbed up a 6 foot "rock wall", jumped down 6 feet on the other side, squeezed under a 6-inch gap while pushing inflated plastic out of the way, run through a small winding tunner. climb a 12-foot rock wall, and slide down a huge slide. I was #6 or 7, so not quite fast enough that day! The top 4 then went on to a small basketball court, where they had to shoot hoops while wearing oven mitts. From there, the top 2 had a tug-of-war that determined the final winner, so the contest operators narrowed it down in a hurry!

Ben brought the camera, but he is not as crazy of a picture-taker as I, and we got one shot with "big Buddha"...a famous local news personality. I am in that crowd of girls there, with a pony tail. (the short one, lol)

Aside from not winning the large playground, all contestants were given a birthday party at this fun place...valued at over $200...we can bring in 15 children, and they give them pizza and everything! so...that wil be fun whenever we decide to use it.

so, thank you again for all of the support - it was a great experience to get the kids up at 5am and root for mom....we needed some more family bonding time!. it did get to be a long day, as evidenced late that afternoon when emme began a question with "remember yesterday, when we did that backyard adventure thing...?" I had to remind her, "No, honey, that was today".

trying this confounded thing.

2007-05-07T08:40:00.001-06:00

Technorati Profile

Please VOTE for these darling girls!!

2007-04-30T08:39:00.000-06:00

I have entered into an online contest...viewers of this morning news show/radio station submit a vote, and the MOTHER of the family with the most votes takes part in a "Mommy Olympics" in an effort to win a $7,000 BACKYARD ADVENTURE! Our kids left their swing set behind in Minnesota, and have patiently waited 2 years for a yard and their own space to play again. I would love for them to have this treat!

You can see details here - http://www.971zht.com/pages/backyard_adventures/ , then please choose #63. It does take some time to browse through every entrant, but if you would like to see them all just to be SURE you should vote for us, we understand!

The contest ends this Friday at noon, so there's no time to lose! You can not re-vote from the same computer account, but you will receive a confirmation email containing a link to click and secure your choice. It is fast, I promise!

thank you SO much..we will keep you updated on the progress!

Birthday Details

2007-04-21T17:53:00.001-06:00

Under the Sea party!!!

2007-04-21T17:44:00.001-06:00

We had a much-belated birthday party for Victoria today...after our zillion excuses, we missed her December 14th *true* birthday with Christmas, moving, out-of-state guests, Easter, strep throat...la la la...so we decided NOW is the time!!

Our good friends, the Dutsons, came yesterday with their 4 helpful boys, and together with Christian, Gabe and Luke, decorated everything with an obvious ocean theme! Streamers and ribbons in blues and greens squiggled from the ceiling like waves, a net in the corner held goggles and beach items, with shiny fish spinning around it. The table was covered in a blue vinyl ocean and had fish-y items to welcome the girls. Genuine sea shells dotted the entire room, from the buffet table by the window, to a chandelier set around a floor lamp and lending a seaside air to the nearby tropical rice paper umbrella. A beach towel on each chair made you think we had all just come in from the pool. 2 of our young friends stay over the night before, and the 5 boys handed out leis to the girls who came through the door...making them feel very special, and a little embarrassed!! The "Island" cake included Polly Pocket posing as a mermaid, and carefully placed fish and umbrellas thanks to Emme's help! The front door was decorated just for Victoria, and the boys also made some "grass" skirting to line under the bar and be a backdrop for the "Happy Birthday" banner we borrowed from some other friends!(Thank you, Daisy!) She loaned us several of the decorating items and leis from a luau held at her house last year.

The party continued with the Funky Chicken dance, limbo, Musical beach towels, and a little of the Macarena! The girls popped inflated balloons which held a prize of a small sparkly ring, and they then played hide and seek with their gift so that Victoria had to earn those presents! She had pre-packaged small cellophane bags with a sea shell necklace, pencil, and starfish sucker for each guest. They were happy to leave holding their goody bag, and a Small "wave" bottle...made with a water bottle, and dyed-blue water and vegetable oil with ocean confetti floating and bobbing around in bubbles!

hmmm...

2007-04-19T11:11:00.000-06:00

Why do you think people are rude? how good does a child need to be to be considered "well-behaved"? This might change your perspective...

http://alpharettamoms.blogspot.com/2007/04/who-are-you.html

Weather?

2007-04-19T07:39:00.000-06:00

Here was Emme 2 days ago...in our backyard.

and THIS is what we woke up to today!!!

brrrrr...our high today is 42, the average for this day of the year is 65! i LOVE average!

Emme's handiwork.

2007-04-19T07:35:00.001-06:00

Emme has been busy with the digital camera...there were also some shots of the floor, the sky, and an extreme close up of her finger, but these were the best ones. She asks to use the camera daily, and it can keep her occupied for 45 minutes, so YAHOO for endless film!! The final pic is of luke's bucket of airsoft bb's. there was also one of his new "rifle", but you would not have recognized it as such.

SCORE!

2007-04-14T12:46:00.000-06:00

HOORAY!!

Soccer matches have started, full force, and I have DIGITAL PROOF!

Can you believe the BACKGROUND?!?!? This was taken looking toward the south. Our house is to the west.

This photo was taken looking toward Salt Lake Valley's copper mines.

Go, Christian, Go!

1 on 4. He likes it that way.

Getting a little worn out now...

NOT a little boy anymore!!

Refreshment against a beautiful Utah sky!

And, Gabe had to make his mark today too, with some photography....

Wish you were here!!!

Victoria & Emme photo shoot

2007-04-11T18:41:00.001-06:00

Easter!!!

2007-04-10T12:42:00.000-06:00

We had friends visit over Easter weekend, and they brought beautiful daisies!

WOOHOO!

on Sunday, we woke to a beautiful morning, with a sunny reminder that HE IS RISEN!!! which was very sweet, becuase some of our kids had been fighting the flu all night! Of course, it was not enough to keep them from an easter basket hunt before church, and I took pictures, but they look so haggard, i am embarassed to put them up here!! Looking on the bright side, though, emme and I had done some preparing during the week, so I can include clips of our cute little favors we used for our big dinner.

Then, the evening before, the girls painted some eggs, so of course we displayed them as well. Emme LOVES polka dots - so you may notice her handiwork here!

and a couple of post-church photos of the ones who felt up to it...

Gabriel, 13

Victoria, 9.

Fine Dining.

2007-04-10T12:09:00.001-06:00

Oh, yeah. It is done. well, there are about 9 boxes tucked in the corner of the room, for no reason other than i am tired of the decision-making procees of "where should this go?" But one day soon, I will get the gumption to get it ALL done!!! meanwhile, here is a peek. i would LOVE to have you come over and enjoy it with me!!

it has begun!

2007-04-09T15:29:00.000-06:00

i am writing a book!

the topic of the book is hospitality, even if you think that is not "you".

the title...this took me awhile, and I kept asking God to give me a clever and catchy one...well, I was praying for someone one day. someone in my life with a "woe is me" mentality, and as I prayed for him, I asked God to please turn his woes into...

THEN IT CAME TO ME!

WHOAS!

and I knew - that is it!

Turn Your Woes into WHOAS !

You Can be a Queen of Hospitality

So, forthcoming is a SURVEY that I am hoping you and all of your friends will fill out...I need to do some research on where women are today...

how strong is their desire to invite others into their homes with a welcoming smile?

How far from reality does that seem to most people?

Even in my social-life laden area of Salt Lake City, a lot of women seem to feel handicapped in the area of making their homes a haven that draws others.

Last Tuesday, I had a magazine salesman come to my door. He was a boisterous young man from Loo-zanna, new oh-lins, in fact. and he "wasn't gonna lah tuh me"...he was there to better himself, and get off the streets, away from drugs and gangs, and was now in a program promoting a better way of life for these young kids that often find themselves caught up on the opposite side of the law as young as age 9. My heart went out to him. I did NOT want any magazines. everything I need to know I can ask a friend or mom, or find on the web. BUT, we talked for a bit, and I said I would think about it if he would agree to come back for dinner. The burden on my mind that day was "does he know Jesus?" What if he didn't? What if this was his last day on earth? I wanted to be able to say I did what I could! so...off he went with the knowledge that we were eating at 6:30.

I did not expect him to come back. My husband was less than thrilled...wondering if I valued my life or that of my family at ALL..inviting a complete stranger inside! well, I DID text my hubby, and said "Please be home by 6:30. we may have company for dinner." He did not picture this.

And so, the young Timothy O'Neal sat, enrapturing our older boys, for 2 hours at the dining room table. He spoke of experiences on the "street"...drive-by shootings, an uninvolved father, exposure to drugs before reaching his teens...all with no bitterness, though. Just a sparkle in his eye and the determination to "bettuh hisself". He said his brother is a Baptist minister, and best friends with Kirk Franklin. the brother had given Timothy the warning..."do what you do for God. if it's not for God, it makes no difference to anybody". I asked him if he was raised to love Jesus..."Oh, yes ma'am. My Grammaw said if we don't goes tuh church, then we ain'ts got no respec'. And you GOTS tuh have respec' fur God. So we had tuh have respec'!" I am not sure if that meant he loved Jesus with his whole heart or not, but I stressed how important that was, and he nodded in confirmation that he'd been TOLD! We also heard he was first cousins to Shaquille O'Neal. Others have since doubted the validity of this statement, but that is okay, we enjoyed our evening. And, it made an impression on our sons. Before he left, we did order some magazines, and we prayed with him, and he seemed very touched by that. So i thought to myself, "job well done".

All that to say...it was a simple pasta-salad-bread meal, nothing out of the ordinary for us. I did not light candles, I did not take out china, I did not even put a slice of lemon in the water. I invited him into to my post-dinner-prep messy kitchen, with a welcome smile, and he in turn gave me a fresh perspective on how people outside of "my circle" live. My desire is for all of us to be at that place, where sharing our lives is a blessing to us, just for sharing.

***your comments are welcome on this subject!!!! To comment, you do not need a password...you just need to list your status as "anonymous", then it will go through with no problem. if you include your name in the comment field, that would be awesome, but please don't feel obligated. thank you!!!

Ha! want your ride "mommed" ??

2007-04-04T17:20:00.000-06:00

Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEFE3B0Rje0

perfectionism

2007-03-30T09:54:00.000-06:00

i have been thinking.

i think that to be a perfectionist is pride. God's word does not dictate that one strives toward perfectionism. it clearly says "If you want to be great in God's kingdom, learn to be the servant of all". Not "learn to do everything just right so that you can be ultimately satisfied with your work". if you are endeavoring to do something to perfection, I think it is often to satisfy yourself. on the other hand, if you are serving someone who *wants* a job done perfectly, that is different, then you are honoring God be honoring that person's wishes. but if you are a perfectionist to the extent of which it frustrates people around you, at times when they just want your help, not your criticism, then you are not SERVING them. you are serving yourself, thereby being prideful. i also don't think we are called to do things sloppily, either. we are also told - "whatsoever you do, work it is heartily as unto the Lord". I would interpret that as "do your best". if you are doing it as unto the lord, it will be your best. remember the woman with two mites? that was her best. that was not perfection by even her standards, but she knew it was the very best she could do, and God honored that. The little boy with fish and bread gave his best. not a FEAST (like I would like to do for Easter...shame on me), but all he had, and it is still spoken of thousands of years later. then there is the little drummer boy. I KNOW, not in the bible, but still - he makes a good point. "I have no gift to bring, pa-rump-pa-pum-pum...so I shall play for him, pa-rum-pa-pum-pum"...

YOUR best is what God wants, not your obsessive best. I need to stop obsessing.

oh, and sorry if you have the little drummer boy song stuck in your head today.

~ just something to chew on...

i am here.

2007-03-25T18:22:00.000-06:00

hello. i am here. had family visiting for a time. had a little family drama, but that is settling down now.

trying still to move into my house,

and take advantage of the "salt lake freecycle" group...which I LOVE...and recently I got two armchairs for the living room, as well as an armoire!! it was brown veneered wood-wannabe, with a mirror on the inside of one door, and one lone rod at the top for hanging clothes. 6 feet tall, woohoo! I needed something to conceal the television. so, my sweet husband drove 25 minutes to go pick it up, sanded, primed, and painted it black, added a sliding shelf with a turntable to hold the tv, as well as a stationary shelf for the other media components. it is SOOO cool!! did I mention it was free? that is - if you don't count the $2,000 he spent on spray paint, but that is another thing.

i painted the dining room, which took about 3 days. it is now my favorite room. i will be putting pictures up one of these days.

I taped off the entire mantle so ben could spray-paint it, but I don't like it, so i am changing that tonight.

I have been at meetings.
a meeting for a school carnival,
a school talent show,
a church women's group girls night out (affectionately known as GAB - Grace And Beauty)
as well as planning and pricing for catering and party favors for an upcoming mother-daughter event at church.
we have been having company CONSTANTLY, which is awesome, as we see so clearly that God is honoring us by opening our home to others so we can be a light for Him.
we have had overnight guests...not adults, but children, to bless our friends, which is fine, and everyone has fun, but when it is not your own infant...you are not quite as used to that routine! one weekend there were 9 children here. i told ben the next day "that was not so bad". he just turned on his heels and left the room.
the kids have been on the trampoline. the apparatus was LEFT at our house by the previous owners. we were told someone would come and get it, but after 2 months, you know they won't, so ben, with my family's help set it up! it has a net. we did not add the net right away - it is a LOT of work to put those darn things together!!

the kids play a game on there...someone is on their hands and knees, crawling around with their EYES SHUT. the other 1-2 kids hop around, and the "blind" person has to find them. during the pre-net era, well, both girls, so innocent and not inclined to cheat yet, crawled to the edge with their EYES SHUT, and stuck their hands through the space between the springs, smacking faces and nose on the metal framework of the tramp.
blood.
little girls and blood do not mix well.
now the little wall of netting is up all around, and it is much more safe and fun. and NO STITCHES!! YAHOO!

what else? i don't know. isn't that enough? i am still fighting that mentality..."i am busy, therefore i am important".

it is more like "i am busy, therefore I am busy". (or "...thereforeIamnotpostingmuchonmyblog")

okay. time for a nap!

pet food.

2007-03-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

take a look at this . Or perhaps, THIS !Do you know, that there are a number of pet food producers who include parts of CATS AND DOGS in their products?!?!? okay. so... my poor new kitty, PEARL, who is refusing to eat her new store-bought X and O and fish-shaped hard, dry morsels, is doing so in good conscience! of course she has not done anyonline research, but I just KNEW it was crummy....soy protein, atifical colors and additives, "reject" animals containing the antibiotics and hormones that were supposed to make them plump and marketable...I would not feed her a handful of red dye #492, so why would I pour it into her bowl? For the first week, I had been preparing her food, and someone told me "Oh, NO! You HAVE to feed her regular kitten food" so, my prohibitive conscience forced me to go to the store. UGH! it is so nasty! Gabe even kindly comfirmed this, by tasting a piece! twelve year olds!

so...for those of you interested, I am including a new kind of recipe! KITTY FOOD!!

%60 chicken
%25 slightly cooked vegetables
%15 brown rice
a sprinkle of Pet_Tabs granules for cats
a crushed up Tums tablet for calcium

I also substitute salmon if we have had it for dinner, or a small portion of a raw, thawed tilapia filet. We encourage her to drink water, and she is a very healthy, shiny, happy little kitten!

~ a lot of popular brands, including some that have a reputation for quality, use spoiled meat and chicken body parts like beaks and claws -- things you would never want to feed a cat. I like the idea of preparing the food myself, because now I know I am using fresh, quality food, and no nasty chemicals.

as for drinks, If you believe CATS need COW'S milk... even though they love it...you should really never give your cat cows milk. Cows milk can cause stomach upset and diarrhea in cats, and should be avoided. There are some kitten formulas that may have milk as an ingredient, but these are specially formulated to simulate the mother cat's milk- and are only used when there isn't a mother cat available to feed the kitten. When in nature will a kitten drink from a COW?

okay. said my piece....need to go help a little Pearl!

we have an ADDITION!!!!

2007-02-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

we have not named her yet....the choices today are Belle, Pearl, Nazi (thanks, ben), Lola, Chocolate, or Nikta(Nikto is Russian for "night").

here is victoria holding her....

and, here is Luke ~

Her eyes seem very blue in the picture....they are really a blue-gray-green, but mostly blue...she is very sweet, walks like a princess, and is obsessed with washing herself. she takes a few bites of food, then moves away to lick *everything*!!, then goes back to eat a little more. She weighs about 7 ounces right now, so it is fun having one so tiny!

little girls...

2007-02-26T23:07:00.000-07:00

okay- separation anxiety is one thing...but this clever little girl can really tug on a mom's heart strings!!

one night i was feeling a little claustrophobic with my life and told ben i just needed to go out for a little while. to wal mart of all place,s but nevertheless, it was OUT...the boxes were starting to say things to me!!

so, emme hears this, and is quite sad, as she and i have spent a LOT of time together lately, and she is not quite sure what she will do without me. I told her she is staying home with DAD, of all people, lol, and will be fine. as I am getting myself ready, she asks me a number of times which purse I am taking. i tell her "the pink one. final answer." soon, it is time to go, i say good-bye, and reach into my purse for the keys - only to find a carefully folded note, from a sorrowful little five-year-old.

can you say "ohmygosh" ?? i did! (Above the box it says "sign it here") she DID stay home, and ben was very sweet to her, explaining that mom just needs to go out fo a little while...she will be back soon, and THEN...he offered to take the kids all over to the new house. (I know - this is a little out of order - we had not moved yet when this happened - i am catching up, okay) they had a blast...all running around in the open space, and the time went quickly for them. so, thank, honey, you're a peach! and this little girl...WHY did we teach her to read and spell??? it is a lot easier to drive away from crying, I have found! the end.

BOYS' ROOM!!! or WHILE THEY WERE OUT!!

2007-02-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

woohoo! take a look at what we did while Christian and gabe were away in Boise, Idaho at a youth conference....here are the first stages..from messy and lived-in, to PAZOW!

then....the finished product. there is a little touching-up to do yet, but the first words we heard were "Holy Snap!" and "this is cool"...they had no idea we were planning this - they though maybe mom would clean their room, but this was a fun surprise. now Luke says he wants to go away for a weekend! the first photo shows some scriptures framed in black...then gabe's sword and mask ben & I made him one year when he was Zorro for halloween. The static line or "livewire" as gabe calls it, is a deep red adding punch to the room, and ben hot glued the "dud" cd's all over the wall for FUN..it adds a lot of reflective light in there!

so..that is our news for the day! more fun improvements are on their way as we are working on the girls' room!

blessed again...

2007-02-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

okay. I am (still) on a Salt lake Free Cycle loop. online. it is so cool...i know i have mentioned it before, but it still amazes me that this is what people SHOULD do more often!! i have both been blessed richly, and, have had the chance to brighten the day of others, as I meet needs that they have after they have posted a request...

this fireplace surround is the latest item, and I love it, but am a little stuck now as to what to do with it. The mantle is grey..it is solid plaster, and came in 7 pieces - some of them weighing 200 pounds or more! The walls are a slightly peachy-white. The dining room table is a creamy country white, and the carpet is beige. I am trying to figure out how to make that all come together. i am going to paint the walls...the only question is - do I paint the mantle, as well?!?!? if you have suggestions, please let me know. i want the walls to be a golden, muted yello, with some touches of a sage green. the table will stay white, and the dark shairs will be painted to match the table, eventually, lol. so, please send a remark if you have a great idea for me!! thank you!!!! oh - and there is no fireplace YET...that will come later, but winter is almost done now, and i have a zillion other projects in the works, so for the time being, the surround will probably just have an iron screen placed in front of it. so, on we go....!!!

the VIEW!!

2007-02-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

This is what we see from the library/family room/computer hang out... if you look carefully, you can see horses grazing in a nearby field. the view is of one of the top hang gliding locations in the world. I keep telling Ben i want to do that, but he is not too keen on the idea. Someday!!

Updates....

2007-02-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

well...project #1 was the pantry...here are some "before" photos...it is panaorama of sorts, but you may have to use your imagination to " 'round the bend"!

plain white walls, and things randomly placed on shelves....ugh! NOT a fun place to be!

THEN....it became a deep, mossy green...very "produc-ey" if you ask me... a friend said I needed a "food" color...this is the best I could come up with, and i LOVE it!!!! What you also see are hte makings of a verse on the wall...the blue is there in the form of painter's tape - marking the straight line on which to write, as well as the general spacing for words to make it all balanced. the paper is a sheet I printed off of the computer, afer i chose a font that seemed to compliment the rest of my "euro" house.

THEN...the end result, although i will have to add one more photos when I get some labels on the shelves, to replace the blue tape marking the whole organization system. for NOW, though, everything has a place, and the verse is done. it is almost my favorite place in the house!!

The verse was chosen, as "taste" seemed very appropriate for a food pantry, AND, we have had many seasons where pantry items were very scarce. I wanted those words there to remind me that it is only because of God that things are "good", and a pantry with full shelves is an amazing testimony to God's faithfulness to us, as well as ours to Him.

House details...

2007-02-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

here is a little info on the new house...first pic is the outside...taken at night, sorry. It is not landscaped yet, so in the spring I will post much prettier pictures!! looks very plain, I know...give it time... :o)

This is the master bathroom. behind you in this view are TWO SINKS! It will be so nice! To the right is the "water closet" - with just the stool and toilet paper, and on the right side of you is the master walk-in closet. It could be a nursery! (no, no news, lol...I was just thinking one day, it COULD be!)

Then, the kitchen...behind you here is a bay window area with space for a kitchen table and chairs. to the left is a dining room/great room, and to the right is a walkway to the "front room". It really is in the front of the house, so i suppose we will have to add a "davenport". The main floor also holds a half-bath and a laundry room, oh and the PANTRY!! it is behind the stove. woohoo!

that is all I have for now...more to come!

Where is she?

2007-02-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Where is the nanny when I need her?? we are moving, and therefore PACKING.

and each day i have a few bouts of intense motivation, peppered with sheer exhaustion and loathing of odd questions from children:

"can I take a break yet?"

"Can't we keep our OLD phone number?"

"can i get a TV in my room?"

"how will people find us in a new place?"

"DISH network tv is only $20 a month"

"can we get a dog?"

"can we get a cat?"

"can I get a lizard?"

"DISH network TV is only $20 a month"

"Can you find a way to make this FUN?" (Translation for the above photo: Girls' Room. I forgot what I packed. Emme packed the box) i am not sure what we will find in there, but i am sure some assortment of lip gloss, nail polish, polly pocket shoes, barbie purses, and a stuffed rabbit or two.

"I think we should get DISH network tv. it is only $20 a month"

"do we have to pack TODAY, AGAIN??"

(Then, from the most inquisitive, pyromaniacal, often damage-inflicting child) "Can I get a waterbed?"

OH - and my husband, thrilled with the attached garage, is trying to find a way to NOT have the upright freezer in there, taking up space. it is really the only place for it, unless we put it in the basement. I think the garage is just fine. It is not like poeple stand in front of the freezer with the door open searching for a snack. the latest suggestion...."Did you see an outlet in the pantry?" (the PANTRY is a generous 10 FEET by 6 FEET - roughly the size of my kitchen now - i cannot get over that) SO, concerning the freezer, "how about we put it into the pantry?" NO. thank you, anyhow. i am not giving up ANY space in the pantry. He is not sure how I will fill all of the space, but I have plans, and...who says soup cans need to TOUCH each other? Maybe I want every item in there 1.5" apart. Maybe I have high hopes of being very organized in a new house with more space, and NO one will be allowed to undo my carefully crafted plan of strategically implementing "a place for everything, and everything in its place".

aaauugghhhh! i will be SO glad when this is over. I hope to not move again for at least 10 years, unless it is to a warmer climate, in which case I would do it next week. on we go!

okay, i am posting.

2007-01-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

i have NOT posted, sarah, because you are the only one who seems to faithfully read this thing, and we talk often, so why would you want the same info twice? Guess i should work on being a little more insightful like you are...hmmm....

well, we are MOVING!!! in 12 days! anddddd ~ it is okay if we PAINT! i am just giddy, and was very worried about it, hoping we would get permission to make this renting-leasing-to-own house really "ours". That issue was on my mind most of the day and the night for many days in a row. THEN, I heard a little talk from our pastor's wife...adressing a verse from Chronicles which talks about "high places". She pointed out that our "high place" is what we think about most, and is therefore an idol in our life. well, this new house was definitely an idol. so, I gave it to God. I said I will not make it my idol anymore. I will let it be YOUR house (after all, HE is letting us use it!) and did not think about it, until this evening, when I called the owner of the house, and he said "I received your email about painting, and YES, you can paint. i think that would be a very good idea"
WOOHOO~~!!!! (Is it still our idol when we want to jump for joy?). so, Thank you, God. That is so awesome! Finally...I can make something be "my own" again - not that I no longer think of it as YOUR house, but, once again, something can be a reflection of me, and of you in me. Thank you thank you thank you.

My other update is that I am now homeschooling Luke and Emme. The emme thing kind of happened by accident...she was home a lot during December, when, without a 2nd vehicle, it was not working to take her to 1/2 day kindergarten. She quickly grew happier to be home, and more reluctant to go to school. I insisted for awhile throughout January, but it becaome very obvious that she had been behaving badly every afternoon after school - the over-stimulus was too much fo her little self, and she was not kind and sweet most days like the Emme we once knew. So, today, Ben kindly went to school and signed the necessary papers. When he got home, I anxiously asked him how that had gone, and he said okay - just felt a little sheepish around the powerful director and secretary, and without realizing I had even been thinking it, i said "Isn't it nice to have our little girl to ourselves again?", which surprised me! I had been unaware that my thoughts were of robbery. But it sure is nice to squeeze her when I want to, and it sure is nice that Luke is not alone all day with no other kids - i think that is dangerous for children - to have too much of their own space. Life does not offer you your "own space" when you want it, so I like that he still needs to share it. I can't describe the relief I feel now that she is home with me. We will see what next year brings, but for this season, I can mother her and train her, and reclaim days and weeks I may have otherwise lost - filled with opportunities to mold her into a thoughtful, sweet young lady. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a little life.

Refined in fire.

2007-01-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

What do you see?

This represents the past year in the life of my immediate family. go ahead, ask away.

over-consumerism?

2007-01-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Could you go an entire year without purchasing anything new? I have a friend with whom I have made a pact to not bid on ebay until Valentine's Day, february 14th, except for needs like school curriculum for home-schooled children or wedding supplies for her engaged daughter. I was feeling pretty proud of myself with all the will power I am sure I will have, when I came across this article . The people involved, to varying degrees, have given up all new purchases for an entire year. USED purchases are acceptable, as are new household items, toiletires, and food for some, but boy....sometimes you find that cute top or yummy candle you just HAVE to have...could I do it? I think I may try.

Talk to me February 15th.

I think I am in trouble.

2007-01-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year everyone!! Did you know that SUNDAY was New Year's Eve? Did you enjoy it? We did. Did you know that a large number of "Utahns" - as they are called - did their celebrating on SATURDAY? ben & I both think it is so weird...something in the book of mormon, or the "annals of Joseph Smith" dictates they should not spend money on sunday. so....

I am part of an internet loop of "salt lake moms" - thought it would be fun to get to know some people, heckle them a bit - JUST KIDDING!!! But, someone did pose the question...as a neighboring cities held public entertainment displays and family fun on saturday, to avoid doing it Sunday.... (this is from a Christian mom)

"Ok so how many of you agree with the whole New Years on Saturday?? Just curious to see the thoughts you all have on that........
lol
you know where I stand lol!"

MOST of the mothers replied thinking it was "silly" - you can't change a day, what are you going to do at midnight, ring in the "Happy day before new year's Eve"?

Here is where I might have gone wrong, with my comment ~

ohmygosh. as IF the people were not still up on sunday to "ring in the new year". Did they not think that that qualified as "doing something on Sunday"?? Sunday was still a part of things...just depended on whether or not you started or ended your celebrating then. Besides - if they were adhering strictly to biblical customs, the sabbath is on Saturday. shame on them!
Do people think there is a place in heaven with a big sign over the door: "FOR ALL THOSE WHO DID LESS ON SUNDAY THAN OTHER DAYS OF THE WEEK"

i am thinking not. God knows I pray when I walk through target - sunday, tuesday, doesn't matter. He did say "remember the sabbath day to keep it holy"...well, even Jesus did things on the sabbath.

jmo.

and, without surprise, no one else seemed to have a strong opinion, or much of a reply to what I said. one mom, in fact, followed my comment by saying she is LDS and it is her personal preference to be so, as well as to "try not to spend money on Sunday".

(I say with my head cocked) ~ Why not?

God knows you'll spend that same darn money on Monday. And, do you think the God-ordained day of Sunday being December 31st means anything to Him? Don't you think He is a little offended that you are trying to rearrange his schedule so flippantly?

Moving New Year's Eve, for crying out loud. Like you can.

Chinese New Year!!

2007-01-02T01:37:00.000-07:00

okay, last year, we went to P.F.Chang's for New Year's Day dinner...mostly because we had a generous gift certificate from family to go there. so - we said that day "We should make this a tradition!"

well...this year, a kid or two mentioned it, but in light of the fact that we need a car more than a trip across the city to a very nice restaurant with excellent service and giant stautes of horses from China, we stayed home.

and MADE chinese.

and boyyyyyyyyyy...was it yummy. Spring rolls with chicken and veggies and very spicy mustardm and stir fry atop cello mung bean sticks and nutty brown rice from my rice cooker that I ADORE. I am never eating a non-home-made spring roll again! I will post the recipe here soon. Luke was a little sad when it was time for bed, as a) vacation is officially over, and b) we did not do our "tradition". Ben was thinking "how weird - we do something once, and everyone thinks it is written in the Bible somewhere...'Thou shalt eat chinese on New Year's Day'." he DID think that, anyway, until on December 23rd, we were all out shopping, needing to eat something, and he pulls into McDonald's. I would rather go VERY hungry than eat there, but he parked there. I thought "Surely, we are walking next door to Del Taco" (which is a different sort of yukky fast food), but NOOOO. He looked at me and said "it is tradition".

When HE was growing up, his perfectly-sized family of 5 decided somewhere along the way that to make a big Christmas meal was too much work, and left the mom doing all the dishes while the children fussed about the eternal wait to open packages. so, DAD declared "We are going to McDonald's." Thus it became tradition - "Thou shalt eat at McDonald's on Christmas EVE, thereby allowing the mother to take it easy, and the kids to open presents early, as even McD's closes at about 5pm that day"

UGH. when we were done, he said "hm. it is not as great as I remember". I told him "No food is. It is the company you are in". I am not sure we will go back there next year, but it would not surprise me if he forgets. SO...we may find ourselves trying to get to a P.F.Chang's later this week...my poor little boy was so crushed that we did not follow through on the law of tradition. Kids need that. So do parents.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

Okay - here are the details on Christmas as well as I can remember them, for it was nearly a week ago now. This year was wonderfully blessed, as Ben & I (mostly "i") were able to get - PURCHASE - gifts for all of the kids and for extended family. It was SOOO nice, as I LOVE Christmas shopping, and would start tomorrow for 2007 if I could!

The kids each got one "major" gift from us...so for the record, I suppose I should keep a record! Christian - electronic drum set. I THOUGHT it had an earphone jack, but he says he can't find it. riiight. Gabe - Vidster video camera - it is a hit! Luke, snap circuits science board. EVERYONE loves it! The girls were given a little kitchen playset from target which they love, and Victoria actually spotted in the store on December 23rd, saying "That is neat!". Here is ben working on assembly. The girls are in their "chinese" jammies and chef hats, ready to go!

Grandparents gave games and gift certificates, so the kids got new jammies, winter boots, and fun board games that have kept us busy for days now! We had the kids draw names for each other, to avoid the usual dollar store junk fest and get something worthwhile. They all loved the idea, but poor little Emme can NOT take suspense! She begged Victoria to tell her whose name she drew, saying "I'll tell YOU!", but Victoria said calmly, "no, we can't tell. you will find out tomorrow" well - when you are FIVE, tomorrow could be a hundred years from now! That must have maxed out her secret-keeping capacity, for later that evening, as I met Ben and Emme leaving our bedroom after their secret present-wrapping fiasco, she turned back to me in the hallway and said "You can move the pillows". I *hoped* they had not been cutting paper on the bed! Then it occurred to me - ben must have purchased the wonderful new sheets I had *hinted* that I liked as an anniversary gift. (Dec. 21st!) I was fine, though, with being surprised, so I did NOT move those pillows! Ben explained later that he had clearly stated to Emme, "Do not say ANYTHING to mom". (She had watched him re-make the bed). "What will you say?" "nothing" came the meek reply. She lasted 27 seconds. My sister sent a gift card for a grocery store, which allowed us to have a scrumptious holiday feast!

The feast went like this:
Appetizers ~ Cheese ball and crackers, pineapple/banana/lime smoothie, and fresh egg nog. Cream of broccoli soup introduced everyone to the table, followed by a spring green salad with goat chesse, walnuts and strawberries. The main course was (thank you, Five Alls, for the inspiration) tenderloin steak with Bernaise sauce, asparagus, and King Crab meat, (yes I steamed those huge crab legs. wow) mashed garlic potatoes and whole grain bread completed that course. And our friend Rey brought a very nice bottle of red wine to round out the elegant spread. Dessert was ice cream parfaits and petite cheesecakes that Ana brought, along with some cranberry pudding cake. Of course, no one wanted ice cream. OH! - and lefse, that my father's girlfriend(?) in Minnesota so sweetly sent to us! that made it really feel like Christmas.

At thanksgiving time, i found some velvet table runners on sale, so they were placed - 4 of them - on the table in a criss-cross pattern so that the end of each one served as each person's place mat. It was so pretty - that celadon green with the Christmas stoneware in greens and burgundy. I found tiny brass pears on ebay that were placecard holders, so the kids helped me fill and arrange those. Evergreen goblets purchased from Arby's 12 years ago for $.99 each gleamed on our Christmas table, and white linen napkins from an estate sale with a "j" monogram gave the appearance of martha stewart's handiworkwhen tucked inside of chubby gold napkin rings!

After clean-up progress was evident, we all settled in for gift opening, but Ana just *had* to stay in the kitchen and keep working- which was the best gift ever! Ben read from Luke, then prayed...his voice flooded with emotion as he thanked God for such a blessed Christmas. last year had been so sparse, and we only were able to let our kids open gifts because of the generosity of family and friends. We were all glad to see such bounty this year! Everyone was so pleased, and I was thankful we had not given the kids more. it was just enough to be appreciated, but not feel spoiled. ben gave me some new stainless steel pots and pans - which already are making dinner taste better! This week, the kids have been home playing games & watching movies, and it is so nice to have everyone together. The new year will bring many changes, I am sure. Luke will be home schooled, everyone will grow older and wiser, and we will adjust further to what often feels like a desert in more ways than one! Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! Here is emme, having collected her small things she had used to leave a trail throughout the house, in case she lost her way ~

wow

2006-12-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our 15th anniversary. I was on the phone with my mother in the morning, as it is also her birthday, and as I said it out loud, "15 years...", I was amazed at how long of time that sounded, "Not that it seems that long," I told her. She said "Yeah, no. More like 10 minutes." Pause.

"underwater."

Not really...it has been good, and I suppose the bumps and bruises are what makes a marriage stronger. if so, our marriage is about ready to bench-press 4,000 pounds. I had not been looking very forward to an anniversary, because along with memories of a wedding, and music, and smiling at 2,342 people all day, you remember your husband spilling punch on your wedding gown while he goofed around with his friends. I remember being shocked that the words "I now pronounce you..." did not magically turn a teenage boy into a mature adult. I thought they would trigger something in his brain. He never has spilled punch on me again, so I am thankful for that progress!

SO...Last night we had DINNER - OUT, no kids, no cell phone calls, and at the most memorable place...set into a little hill - it was called Five Alls...you enter into an olde world castle setting..dark wooden beams lining the walls and ceiling, large black chains hanging from the ceiling to support hand carved shelves, tables, and a gas log fireplace. Along the walls were swords and coats of arms, each inscribed with the "Five Alls" - Plead for all, Fight for all...then I got lost in the moment and never did read the rest. We were seated at a table by the window - overlooking the valley with city lights as far as the eye could see - very memorable as we had eaten in a similar setting on our honeymoon. THAT is what I chose to remember from the honeymoon. Ben remembers our first night, getting to a hotel after an exhausting wedding and ordering pizza. He thought it might be fun to relive that on our anniversary. We have 5 children - do you think that ordering pizza is not a common, everyday thing now? Back to the dinner...

Our meal began with an appetizer of poppyseed bread fingers to dip in a sour cream clam spread, a spicy swedish meatball, and an itty-bitty parfait cup of some banana pineapple smoothie concoction with a lime wedge at the side. That was course #1. I would have been content with that. Then came broccoli cream soup and shrimp cocktail...who knew someone could do THAT to broccoli soup?!?!? What followed was the most amazing dark bread I have EVER tasted with some seasoned butter, and then the MAIN COURSE...I had fish and rice. standard for me - it is my favorite. It was good, but BEN had a filet mignon oscar, with a red wine bernaise sauce containg asparagus and king crab meat. It could have been dessert! I have never tasted anything like it in my life. For an actual dessert, they offered a variety of ice cream parfaits...ben had raspberry and I had sherry - yumMY. I never thought to put sherry on my icecream, but I will now! Very full, we drove to target for some household things, and braved the freezing air once more to go to a movie. It was all very nice, and I guess I am okay now with anniversaries. If you ever come visit us, we should go to Five Alls together!

Where is Liza when I need her?

2006-12-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

there's a hole in my bucket, dear henry, dear henry....

aaauuggh!!! so I wrecked the car. I ran into someone who turned into my lane, as I ZOOMED through a yellow light. BIG mistake, I know. I just hate it when people honk at me for being a "granny" driver, so I have been trying to be a little more assertive. Great plan. this insurance garbage is horrible. they have not made a decision on whose fault it is, b/c they don't have the police report.
the police have the report, but won't send it until it is paid for. they said I could go down and get it and fax it to the insurance co. - it costs $10. but, I can't get it if I don't have a car. I can not get a car until they make a decision on liability. they will not make a decision on that until they get the police report. so, here I sit, and now the baby has the flu, as does Luke. guess it is good that I am still home and not working! okay...on to other things. I may be back!

not so hot.

2006-12-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

0kay. the flu sucks. it really does. I was doing SO great...got over bronchitis, feeling very well, moving on with a crazy life, taking lots of vitamins and eating green peppers for breakfast, and WHAM! got in a car wreck!

No kidding! i zoomed through a yellow light, and someone turned left in front of me, failing to yield. and we collided - so now we are figuring out insurance garbage, as the policeman says the OTHER guy (17yo boy) is liable, but his mother does not want to accept liability. so, here we sit - which perhaps is good, b/c, according to one very natural-health-oriented friend of mine, trauma from an accident CAN bring on a flu. which is how it went with me! yesterday, i woke up to horrible aches and chills, and my temperature throughout the day was more than 100 - so I was hot, but NOT SO HOT! i NEVER get a fever, so this was unusual. anyway...the three little ones were home with me, and emme -5, was so helpful to bring me water, and answer the phone "I am sorry, my mom is sick today". I am sure people were thinking "WHERE IS HER MOTHER?!?" so today it is getting better, and my friend said she lost 16 pounds with her flu, so - THAT would make the misery worth it!

i will be back again soon!

PhEW!

2006-12-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

What a relief! the Christmas dinner thing is now over, and went quite well...everyone loved the appetizers, which was great, as I was a little concerned. the cheeseballs were 3 cone shapes in a group, rolled in 3 different green herbs - rather forest-looking, and everyone thought it was so neat. The bruschetta turned out great, and the sweet ladies at church helped me slice all of the bread - yahoo!! The decorations were a hit, as well, but everyone else was so tired, they began to take it all down before I could go around getting pictures! I wanted some more, but felt funny photographing my own work in front of the crowd, and, you know ladies...they will stand around and talk for 17 hours, really!

My darling husband came and helped me load up all 11 tubs of garland, teacups, toys, wrapped "gifts", candles, candleholders, and everything else I owned that could set on a table. then he said GO TO BED, and DO NOT GET UP BEFORE I DO. so I did, at 11 pm. and I did not get up today until 9 am. phew. it is a good thing there are no handcuffs in my bedroom, or I may have waken up at 4 am and found I could not move.

now, on to Christmas, and programs at church, and a cookie exchange next week, and 3 birthdays! oh - and it is our 15th anniversary on the 21st - which is the day the kids get out of school for vacation. wonder how we will work that, as I would like to go AWAY.

so...thank you to all my dear friends who are so encouraging and help me keep going. (although I am not going to far today with my poor crashed car) i love you all!!

There are limits.

2006-12-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW....?

There are limits to what a mom can do? I am trying to figure out what they are, but when a mom HAS to do some things, NEEDS to do other things, SHOULD do even more things, then has a loooong list of what she WANTS to do, she does not sleep. I have been up since 4:30 today, because I kept thinking of things I had to do, and it was hot in my room - all the heat must float up there or something, so when you wake up, you may as well get up, right? not to mention that every time I close my eyes, I see myself headed straight for a car sitting in my lane of traffic - only because this is what hapened in real life on Monday of this week. I have not heard yet what the damages are to our minivan, but the EMT on the scene said "Ma'am, you are not driving this out of here. please turn it off". hm. lovely. right before Christmas. BUT - it was probably good, as I have been stuck at home, a little sore, but able to do even more of those should, must, have to, and want to things.

Last night, I coordinated the decorating of 24 tables at church, for 200+ women to come to a Christmas dinner. I also have to print up little cards with notes on them, make some corsages, decorate little jars for the servers to receive tips, dress myself up, figure out how to get my kindergartner home when I have no vehicle, get 2 swan ice sculptures to the church without them melting, wrap 11 gifts, make appetizers for all of these women, anddd...bake 2 lasagnas. Did I mention that some of the gifts for this event are in the back of my broken-down car - stuck over in some tow yard? Where is my magic taxi fairy today? (and nanny, chef, and hosekeeper?) so, I had better get to work! maybe I can write more tomorrow when this all settles down! bye for now!

Sunday.

2006-12-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

okay. today was a crazy day. I just have to document, for the record, that I went bowling with Ben and a group of people from church...ben got 121, and my score was 171!!! We are thinking of joining the church league, lol!!! before all of THAT excitement, we went to church, where I taught in the preschool nursery, then I had a women's ministry meeting, and at the same time, helped the youth leaders decorate their area for an upcoming Christmas party! I felt like one of those people in a movie who puts on a dress to go to one event, then quickly disappears to change clothes and run to the other - all the while looking like she is faithfully attending each one. ben and the kids were so sweet to help the teens out with their tree, lights, streamers, and (the boys' addition) toilet paper thrown up over the rafter beams...darling touch! The girl in charge took all that down and ruined their fun. Who says toilet paper isn't Christmas-ey? (i would, for one. sorry, boys.)

then we came home to be parents, and made yummy ginger snap cookies. I need to start posting my favorite recipes on here so you can all enjoy what we do!!

now we are tired of being awake and being on our feet!

SO, it is time for bed. good night. blog you tomorrow!

Saturday Dec. 2nd.

2006-12-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Oh My Gosh.

yesterday was the most insane day EVER! I drove all over the place, and at this time of year, it is a complete zoo wherever you go! Even at the Lowe's parking lot, you could barely drive - at 2pm. Aren't all of those people - in need of Lowe's merchandise - supposed to be WORKING with the merchandise at that time of day?!?!?

I went to lowes to deliver some items. I am on a "Salt Lake Freecycle" internet loop..where people offer and request things they do/do not want or need. A mother of a 7yo girls had said her dd needed some new clothes and small Christmas items. The little girl had hurt her face badly on a construction site, and had outrageous medical bills, preventing her mom from getting a lot of the things she needed. So, I made the scary trip down the crazy freeway (do you know 60MPH really means 81MPH?) and into a strange city where I have never been, to meet this woman and give her some things Victoria has grown out of. My girls were SO moved when I said "Go look through your things - we are going to help a litle girl". They found cute clothes, 2 winter coats, a darling Christmas dress, lots of cute hair things, and a few small toys. I was also able to add in some Christmas bows and ribbons, and a few toys cars and pens for their 5yo boy,too! This mom was so moved that she cried, and I cried, and it was so - CHRISTMAS!!

then, we headed back home, where I received approximately 39 phone calls, before having to run out of the house again and take kids to a school roller skating party. There was not a single mom there that I knew, and ben had to work, so it was SO long and lonely. the kids had fun, so that was good, and the time finally came to leave! During the skating, i called some friends and cancelled a trip we had scheduled at 8pm to the "Festival of Trees" i LOVE decorating for Christmas, but today could not do everything, so we planned to just meet them for a late movie. I left in plenty of time to get kids home and settled, looked at the gas gague, which seemed a little low, but I was low on money and thought "I can make it".

mistake #426 of that day.

i forgot to mention that my cell phone had died about 2 hours earlier. i had even been checking it during the day, "knowing" that I would need it, and it always was fully charged. I don't know WHAT happened. so, we are on the freeway again, and the poor car starts chugging and lurching a bit, and the power steering is dying, so I managed to move over to the shoulder before we rolled to a stop. now, it was cold out. 22 degrees or so. the car had not warmed up yet, and my 14yo was in SHORTS - b/c he knows he gets hot when skating! so, there we were. chilly, no gas, zillions of cars whizzing by, and no one stopping to help. no cell phone, either. oh, joy.

so, I try to get the phone on one more time. it worked! I sent my husban the following message: SOS VW on I-15. Out of gas.

HIS cute little Razor phone makes a V look like a U. so he had no clue that I meant "Beside the VW lot on I-15". he thought hm. she is on I-15. out of gas. he did not know if I was stuck in the middle of traffic, or what. I am sure he imagined me weaving through traffic as I ran to the side of the road or something. I made the 3 girls in the backseat cover up with the one blanket we had, and had gabe put on my mittens. I had an extra scarf for Christian to cover up his legs, but he said he was fine. it was getting more and more cold, and finally we decided to pray! hm! gabe soon spotted a man strolling through the car lot. we all yelled help out an open window, and he came over and let me use his cell phone. he was very sweet, and ben said our friend Chip was on his way. woohoo! chip arrived shortly after we played a rhyming game, and got a little gas into the tank - the nozzle on his gas can broke off, so the freeway got a little extra, too! we managed to get to a gas station where I put in a little more, and were soon on our way home! nobody left again that night!