Short on Long Term Goals

The Ghost of Christmas Past

2011-12-27T12:12:00.001-08:00

Well, Christmas is over and we had so much fun celebrating the season. We had some great advent activities and lots of fun eating, baking, and eating some more.

Yummy homemade hot chocolate

Homemade crystal ornaments

Lights at Temple Square

Gingerbread house decorating

Some of the savory food for the annual Christmas open house

Some of the 9 pies that I made

My lovely eggs from my lovely chickens

Boy #1 as a wise men, thanks to Aunt J for great costumes

The full cast of the Christmas nativity

Christmas morning ready to see the gifts

Chicken Mania

2011-12-02T16:28:00.000-08:00

Since I am loving my chickens I thought I should introduce you to them. On Thanksgiving we had the surprise of a third egg, so now all of our chickens are laying. Yeah! We also try to let them out each day for a little "free range" pecking. They love it.

This is Goldy and she is the oldest and was the only one laying when we got the chickens

This is Racer X and she has beautiful coloring

This is Black and White and she is a scaredy cat. She is our newest layer

Capitol Reef

2011-11-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

My husband has gone to Capitol Reef the past two years for a work retreat. We decided that it would be fun to be there together so we went this weekend. The weather was a little cold, but at least it was not snowing. It snowed about 6 inches on Friday so we arrived to lots of snow and a very cold cabin. The park was beautiful and we went on two hikes.

The view from the cabin

We went on this hike and there were lots of geodes

Boy #1 with geode

Boy #2 with another geode

On our way to Hickman Bridge, the boys called this the big toilet bowl

Hickman Bridge

My new favorite picture of boy #1

Are You Chicken?

2011-11-05T20:20:00.001-07:00

After years of begging and pleading, I finally got chickens this week! I have wanted them for about three years, but my husband was less than thrilled with the idea. Plus we have a bird dog and an open yard with various predators like raccoons. However, my husband has built what we hope is a secure coop and run for our three lovely ladies. We are thrilled with our chickens, even my hubby admitted to me that he likes them!

The boys and the ladies

A closer image of the lovely ladies

A better view of the coop

Our first egg!

Okay, Okay, I Know It's Been A While

2011-11-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Life moves quickly and lately I haven't made time to blog. I will try to do better, if only for my brother, since he actually checks my blog regularly. So here are a few photos from October.

We started the month with a quick trip to CA for my high school reunion and enjoyed lunch on the bay

Grandma grew pumpkins for the boys and we had a great time carving them

The boys pumpkins

Most of us had a Harry Potter theme for Halloween, Hedwig the Owl, Mad Eye Moody, and of course the best Harry Potter ever!

Boy #2 was a blue bat, a costume which his dad wore when he was a little boy

Ready for trick-or-treating!

Where Have All the Bloggers Gone??

2011-10-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm the blogger that has fallen off the blogwagon, but I will try to get back on. My parents were here this past week and so we went up the canyon and saw the beautiful fall colors. Thanks to Aunt Peggy for the great idea.

Boy #2 with Grammie and Grandpa

Time Flies

2011-09-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

The boys have started school and life seems to pass by faster than ever. Will someone please slow things down? Boy #2 started kindergarten and is loving every minute of it. It seems just like yesterday I was taking boy #1 to kindergarten and that was three years ago!

Boy #1 on his first day of school this year, he started a week before boy #2

Boy #2 ready for the first day of kindergarten

Both boys at school

Where Did The Summer Go?

2011-08-23T13:57:00.001-07:00

We have had a great summer, but I can't believe it is back to school time already. What ever happened to starting school the day after Labor Day? I will post some pictures as a recap of the last few weeks of our summer.

We went on a couple of hikes, but not as many as we wanted

There was lots of Lego building

Some s'mores eating

We rode the chairlift in the mountains

Launched the rocket a few times

Had lots of piggy back rides

Played at a family reunion

Both boys learned to drive ATV's, but always with adult supervision

Boy #1 on the ATV, he drove most of the time

Swimming

2011-07-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

The boys are both getting to be great swimmers. They had lessons earlier in the summer and now we are enjoying lazy days at the local pool. They love to race one another and take turns jumping in the water from the side. They can jump for hours, especially if I take pictures of them.

Two happy boys

Boy #1 walking on water, sort of

The classic nose plug

May The Fourth Be With You

2011-07-10T20:57:00.001-07:00

Our town has a big 4th of July celebration, including a hot air balloon launch. This year there was a Darth Vader balloon so there were storm troopers and bounty hunters in town, some even came from Canada to participate. That is some serious dedication to the dark side.

The boys and some storm troopers

Boy #2 and a bounty hunter

Vadar and the other balloons

Road Trip

2011-06-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

I have tried to take the boys on a summer road trip to CA the last few summers. This year we made a 10 day, 2200 mile trip that was awesome. We headed to visit Grammie and Grandpa in the Bay Area, then went to visit my sister in Central CA, and ended up in Southern CA for a visit with my other sister. Along the way we spent a day at Yosemite, Sequoia National Park, and the beach. We got to visit with great family members and friends. My niece came along to keep me sane. It was a great trip! Can't wait for next summer's road trip.

The boys climbing the trees by my childhood home. I had a secret fort not far from these trees when I was a girl

Yosemite was amazing! Lower Yosemite Falls with all the mist

We ate lunch in the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel, I love the ceiling in this lobby

One of the giant Sequoia trees

We saw this bear and three others while we strolled on a path around a meadow

My sister, my niece, and boy #1 climbed to the top of Morro Rock in Sequoia National Park while I waited for boy #2 to go potty

Boy #2 has wanted a snorkel for months so I got him one and he used it a ton in my sister's pool

The boys at the beach

The boys and me at the beach

We had a fun family gathering at my cousin's house with my 2 aunts, my 2 cousins, their kids, my sister, my niece, and the dog

Belgium Waffles, Chocolate, and Salads?

2011-06-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

Since I have posted pictures of the Netherlands I thought I better give some time to Belgium. I must admit that even though I was excited to eat waffles with large sugar pearls inside and lots of chocolate, the best thing I ate in Belgium was a warm goat cheese and bacon salad. Oh my goodness, it was heaven in a dish. I only wish I had discovered it sooner so I could have eaten it one more time. And unfortunately, I have no pictures of the fabulous salad.

The hot chocolate at Wittamer was heavenly

We came across part of the Brussels old city wall, Steve looks like an ant next to it

We also came across a marathon that had just started, we were inspired to take up running again, but haven't done it yet

Of course we had to visit the famous statue

Buildings in the Grand Place

Brugge was beautiful but too crowded with tourists, but I loved the detail on the old buildings

More beautiful buildings in Brugge

Windmills and Other Sites

2011-05-30T00:11:00.000-07:00

Our trip is winding down and I thought I would post a few more pictures. If I had to do it again, of course I would do a few things differently. I would make Brussels a day trip from Brugge since our hotel was cheaper in Brugge and the food was better. Also Brussels has not wowed me and a weekend round trip is just as much as a weekend one way on the train. Anyway, onto the pictures.

We stayed in Delft after leaving Amsterdam. It was charming and quiet. We loved our hotel, de Emauspoort. They provided a fabulous breakfast with fresh breads from their bakery. This is the view from the New Church tower, 376 steps up.

We rented bikes in Delft and rode to The Hague. With my short legs they had to rent me a youth bike

We took a train and bus from Delft to the Kinderdijk, where there are 19 windmills. It was a blustery day but very beautiful

On the way back from the Kinderdijk we stopped in Rotterdam and saw a very cool museum, the Boijmans Van Beuningen. They had this awesome coat rack system that looked like an installation, but was just a practical coat rack for visitors

We also saw the cool cube houses in Rotterdam

Amsterdam

2011-05-23T02:06:00.000-07:00

I am loving Amsterdam. It is a quiet, beautiful city and the museums are great! Travel is easy and everyone speaks English which obviously makes communication easy. Here are a few pictures so far.

Canals

In the Museum Square

A parachute beetle on special exhibit at the Kroller-Muller

Riding the white bikes at the De Hoge Veluwe preserve on the way to the Kroller-Muller

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T18:34:00.001-07:00

A happy day to all the mothers I know! I am lucky to have a great mom!

The Royal Wedding

2011-05-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are a little jealous of the English right now. We would love to have a monarchy that we could admire and support and we could wear amazing hats to all the weddings we attended! I was 8 when Diana and Charles were married and I remember waking up in the early hours of the morning to watch the ceremony with my mother. I thought about getting up again to watch William and Kate, which my mother did, but instead a friend offered to record it. We watched it the next evening while we drank tea and ate crumpets, scones, cucumber sandwiches, coronation chicken sandwiches, and golden syrup. Yum Yum! I wish the royal couple happiness and longevity in their marriage. Hopefully William and Kate will have a better marriage than Diana and Charles.

Some of the treats

Hoppy Day

2011-04-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

My friend hosted an Easter craft day at her house today. We colored Easter eggs and decorated cookies. She had great ideas for the eggs. We used dots, rubber bands, stickers, etc to create patterns on the eggs. She also happens to have a bunny, which made the event all the more festive.

My assortment of eggs

I'm ready for my close up

Thumper and boy #2

Thumper and boy#1

Spring Break

2011-04-17T20:56:00.000-07:00

The boys go back to school tomorrow after a week out of school. The week was spent playing board games, playing at a couple of parks, sleeping over at Grandma's house, hanging out with friends, and getting in one last ski day. I loved sleeping in every day, but I am looking forward to getting back into a routine, at least for a few more weeks until summer break.

The boys going over a small jump

Bear Dance

2011-04-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Boy #1 had his first piano recital this week. He did an excellent job and since I am a proud mother, I have included the video of his performance for your viewing pleasure.

Speed Demon

2011-03-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

Boy #1 joined Cub Scouts this month and this month the pack activity was the Pinewood Derby. Since I am a girl and had no brothers near my age, I had never attended a Pinewood Derby before tonight. I must admit that I was excited and nervous for my boy to compete in the race. He and his dad worked on the car together and boy #1 painted it and created stencils for it. He was really excited to see how his car would perform. Well, I am proud to say that he won 2nd place in the Pinewood Derby. He was pretty proud also. Way to go!

Boy #1 with his car, "The Silver Knight"

A very short clip of his car in the lead during one of the races

Poor Year For Blogging

2011-03-24T21:06:00.001-07:00

I am off to a poor start for blogging this year, however, I think I am spending more time doing fun things and less time blogging about fun things. So here are a few pictures to catch up on the activities of the past couple of weeks.

We went tubing and I highly recommend it, we had a blast

I examined the clouds that looked like cotton balls as I reclined on my inner tube

We are trying to get a few more ski days in

Boy #1 is now a Cub Scout

I hosted an after baptism party for boy #1. Menu of quiches, cinnamon rolls, fruit, salad, and my favorite tangerines from my sister

Boy #1 has been reading lots of books about the Nazis in school, so we had a battle with the Americans and the Nazis in our entry hall, the Americans won.

Happy Doggy Day

2011-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Our dog turned 9 yesterday. The boys were really interested in giving him presents, but we decided that a nice long walk and extra treats would suffice. Happy Birthday to the best dog we've ever had!

Birthday Boy

2011-03-07T17:18:00.000-08:00

Boy #1 turned 8 this past week. Sometimes I wonder who this boy is that keeps growing up. Where has my little boy gone? He is a sweet, kind boy and I hope he keeps those qualities as he gets older.

Cool birthday boy

For his birthday, boy #1 wanted to go out to dinner with his friends. He chose the "cook in front of you" restaurant. The onion volcano was a big hit

The dish of ice cream for the birthday boy was also a big hit with all the boys

Captain Underpants

2011-02-22T16:15:00.001-08:00

Boy #1 has been reading the Captain Underpants book series. Boy #2 didn't want to feel left out, so he decided to be Captain Underpants.

He had fun jumping off the stairs and "flying" through the air

Fly Like An Eagle

2011-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

I took a very quick trip to CA this past weekend. My brother and I drove down for a family party. We got to CA about two hours before the party started and headed for home 22 hours after our arrival. My brother drives a new to him convertible Mercedes and we had fun basking in the CA sunshine with the top down. We listened to the Steve Miller Band and other groups that I haven't heard in years. My brother loves to drive and I think he had just as much fun getting to CA as he had in CA. He is one of those people who truly "enjoys the journey" as long as there is no road construction and plenty of snacks.

The Year of the Rabbit garden display at the Bellagio

All 9 cousins were at the party, we haven't been together since 2005

The End

2011-02-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

You are probably tired of hearing about the quilt, but this will be the last post on it. My mom flew back to California today and we finished the quilt last night. We used a book called "Quilt in a Day", but for us it was "quilt in a week". I am so happy with how it turned out and I could not have done it without the help of my mom. Thanks mom! I know that boy #1 will cherish his quilt for years.

My mom and I holding the finished product, it is a twin sized that we are holding sideways

Progress

2011-02-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

The quilt is coming along nicely. Apparently I have fabric on my mind since I dreamed I had to go to JoAnn's and get more fabric, but they were all out of the red color I needed. The rest of my dream was spent searching through remnants and all corners of the store to find any red fabric. There was none so it really was more like a nightmare. Good thing it looks like we will be finished with this quilt soon.

Boy #1 chose how he wanted the blocks arranged and he opted for the zig zag pattern

Foreign Object

2011-02-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

I do not iron. I never have and thought that I never would. But I wanted to make a quilt for boy #1, and I realized that I needed to iron. I am doing okay, but I am not a perfectionist, so there are a few wrinkles still. My mom was kind enough to leave her California sunshine and come to help me make this quilt. It is coming along and even though we are following the Log Cabin quilt in a day method, I think we will be lucky to finish it in a week.

What is this?

Cut strips ready to sew

One of the 15 blocks we have made so far

Favorite Flowers

2011-02-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have been sick for over a week. Although, I am feeling better I am still not back to full speed, but every time I look at my pom pom flowers I feel happy. I love these flowers. Thanks to Alison for the brilliant idea!

Bowl Full of Heaven

2011-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

I love these tangerines sent from my sister in California. They are like candy they are so sweet and there are rarely any seeds. Oh how lucky I am!

Two Weeks Behind

2011-01-16T20:58:00.000-08:00

I feel like it is still December even though we are two weeks into January. Where does the time go? We have enjoyed skiing and a few other things since we rang in the new year. I hope I catch up to real time soon and maybe I will blog more, too.

Every New Year's Eve we take the same picture

We also added the boys to the picture this year

The boys on the ski slopes

A happy boy #1

Some movie watching at home

Still Catching Up

2011-01-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

I know that today is January 1st, but I am going to relive some fun Christmas season memories in this post. We had so much fun doing our advent activities and I am already thinking of some new activities for next Christmas season.

Delicious homemade hot chocolate, basically melted chocolate in milk/cream, yummmm

We did a Christmas puzzle, it is one that I received from my grandparents when I was 7 years old

Dropping off canned food to the local food bank

Organizing sub for santa gifts for two cute little girls

Food from the Christmas open house, I really did scale back and had only one table of food and desserts instead of two

Some of the pies

Lights

2010-12-14T22:15:00.000-08:00

Last week one of our advent activities was to see the lights in the big city. We stopped by to visit Cousin S on our way there.

Cousin S and a too cool boy #1

Who knew that boy #2's hands could look so big?!

Happy boys

I love the luminaries

Family photo op

Back to Thanksgiving

2010-12-07T22:59:00.001-08:00

I know we are all in the middle of Christmas, but I wanted to share some photos from our trip to CA over Thanksgiving.

The view as we slowly made our way over the Sierras

We headed to Chinatown where boy#1 practiced his Chinese

More Chinatown

A favorite childhood memory of mine is visiting Union Square and seeing the large Christmas tree at Neiman Marcus. Check out the stained glass ceiling that our camera doesn't do justice to

We walked towards the wharf and boy #1 had fun by the cable car turn around

We attended the tree lighting of the old oak tree in my home town

Advent Activities

2010-12-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

My friend has a wonderful tradition of having a family activity for each day of their advent calendar. I decided to do the same thing this year. I saw a picture of an advent tree in Sunset magazine so I created my own version of it. As you remove the hanging paper each day, you add an ornament. Our first activity was to make snowflakes. We had lots of fun and the snowflakes look great on our window.

My Advent Tree

Snowflakes

The beautiful 3D snowflake that Steve made

What Not To Do With A Deer

2010-11-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was great and we had lots of fun, which I will post about soon, but for now I will just post this.

The result of an impact with a deer

Luckily only the car and the deer were injured and since it happened about 200 miles from home we were grateful the car was drivable.

Welcome Cousin S

2010-11-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

The boys have many cousins on my side of the family, but none on Steve's side, until now. Cousin S came 9 days early and my sister-in-law had the easiest of deliveries. No fair! Cousin S is a beautiful boy and my boys are excited to have another cousin.

Just hours old. Isn't he cute?

The Dog

2010-11-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

Boy #2 loves to pretend to be an animal. Some days he is a kitty cat and other days he is a dog. Over the summer my good friend from high school came for a visit. She brought her dog and the dog's large crate. Boy #2 loved her dog and the crate. More recently boy #2 put on his too small doggy costume and hung out with the family dog.

Don't you love the panting tongues?

Which is the real dog?

Goblins

2010-11-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we had an overnight trip to Goblin Valley. We took the boys there last year and we had such a great time. This time we traveled with my brother and three of my nieces. Even though the trip there was filled with unexpected obstacles, such as not finding a camping spot since it was so crowded, overhearing some campers say they had seen two rattlesnakes, driving 30 miles back to Green River to sleep, and boy #1 throwing up half the night, it was still fun. Here are the pictures to prove it.

Boy #2 with his cousins

The boys and lots of goblins

A picture of my brother who is constantly taking pictures

Me and boy #1

We went on the Little Wild Horse hike and boy #2 kept finding what he called shelter

The hike had some cool rock formations

Boy #1 hanging out in the rock holes

There were lots of cool, narrow passages during the hike

We're Off To See The Wizard

2010-10-31T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love to dress up with my kids for Halloween. Some years are better than others, but this year was fun. Even the husband dressed up, which doesn't always happen.

I guess we need someone else in our family so we can have a scarecrow

The tinman out trick or treating with friends

The lion is practicing his roar

Boy #1 was too cool to be the tinman for the school parade so he was a Star Wars clone character

Fun With Starbursts

2010-10-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Last week boy #1 woke up complaining that he didn't want to go to school. Of course, he went and when he came home he told me he was so glad he went because they learned to do this with starburst candies. Isn't school great.

Birthday Celebration

2010-10-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

My in-laws recently moved from Oregon to Utah and we are happy to have them so close. Right now they are very close since they are residing in our guest room. We will miss our built in babysitters when they move out. We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday last week. I made Cafe Rio pork salad and peanut butter chocolate cupcakes. Suzy and Jared came for dinner and we had a fun evening. Happy Birthday, Joyce!

The birthday girl

Boy #1 took several pictures of grandma's loot

Grandpa enjoying a cupcake

Go Cougars

2010-10-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

We decided a day before the Homecoming game that we could attend. The Homecoming parade is always fun for the kids since they get lots of candy, so they were excited to go to the Homecoming game. It was actually a good, close game and the Cougars won. We decided that boy #2 is still too young to sit that long in a fairly confined space.

Happy Boys

The mountains and clouds were quite beautiful and the view from the stadium is great

Hot Lava

2010-10-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went on a day trip to Kanosh and while we were there we went to find the nearby lava rocks. After a few wrong turns on a dirt road we found some lava rocks. The boys had so much fun finding rocks and wanted to bring them all home. Luckily, we convinced them that the rocks needed to stay there and we only came home with a few rocks.

The path was filled with wildflowers

On the way to the big rock

At the big rock

More lava rocks behind the boys

Timpanogos Cave

2010-09-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we wanted to go on a hike. We thought about some of our usual places, but then decided we should go to Timpanogos Cave. We drove through the Alpine Loop and the scenery was beautiful. The hike to the cave was more uphill than I was prepared for, but it was well worth it. The cave was fascinating and the hike down was much easier, so it turned out to be a fabulous outing.

An out the window shot by boy #1. The colors were so vibrant and unfortunately my phone camera did not capture the colors, but you get the idea

Ready to hike

Inside the cave, the soda straw stalactites

More cool cave formations

Beautiful tree on the hike

Hint of Fall

2010-09-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

We went up the canyon last weekend and I was amazed to see the colors changing already. Here are some images taken by the boys from the car.

Back to School

2010-09-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Now that both boys have had their first day back to school, I thought I would share pictures of them ready for school. Yesterday I listened to a show on NPR about back to school traditions. There were some cute ideas like recording the child's age, height, etc on a piece of paper and taking a picture of the child holding the sign or neighbors passing out Krispy Kreme donuts to the kids as they walk to school. One word of advice was to not let your child see you cry. When I heard this I thought to myself are the tears ones of sadness or joy? Hmmmm.

Boy #1 on his first day

Boy #2 ready for preschool

Boy #2 wouldn't stand still for any other pictures

Burger Boy

2010-09-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Boy #2 ate an entire cheeseburger last night. Then he enjoyed his milkshake.

The Finished Product...Almost

2010-08-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

Our summer project was to put in a fire pit and patio at the back of our yard. Now that summer is almost over we finally finished the project, except for the fact that I want to plant native flowers and such around the patio. I am delighted with how the patio turned out so I guess it was worth the wait. Here are a few pictures.

I forgot to take any "before" pictures but I found this one of the yard from May

The fire pit was put in first, then the grass was removed, the ground tilled, and a border set in place

Boy #2 and our friend helping to spread out the gravel

The end product

The Windy City and Other Adventures

2010-08-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

We had a family reunion in Nauvoo, Illinois and since we were fairly close to Chicago we went there for a few days before flying home. I was born in the suburbs of Chicago, but we moved when I was three so I have few recollections from there. I love Chicago and think it is such a beautiful city. Everywhere you look there are cool buildings with fabulous details and architecture. The boys had a great time although we did half of what we planned to do, mainly because I had a terrible cold and we were all tired.

The boys helped make a rope in Nauvoo

The boys love all their cousins!

We found a frog at the cemetery in Iowa that boy #2 kept picking up

The very cool door on the house in Iowa where my great grandmother grew up

The "Bean" at Millennium Park

Eating cotton candy at the Cubs game

103 stories up at the Sears (now Willis) Tower and out on an enclosed ledge

Boy #1 loves Jackson Pollock and was very happy to see this at the Art Institute

Boy #2 reached out to touch this and the guards were quick to discourage him, boy #1 behaved more appropriately

What's a trip to Chicago without deep dish pizza?

We Went To Chicago and All We Got Was A Lousy Cold & Strep Throat

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

I'll post pictures of our trip to Illinois when I feel better.

Goodbye Oregon

2010-07-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

It takes a long time to get to Oregon from our house. We make the trip because Grandma and Grandpa are there. But soon Grandma and Grandpa will be here, so we made one last trip to Oregon this week. We spent several days at the coast and went into CA also. We will miss our favorite Oregon shops and restaurants, but it will be nice to have Grandma and Grandpa close to home.

The boys had so much fun playing at the beach

They found lots of sea treasures - these stayed at the beach

These came home

View from the cabin

More sea treasures

The boys with Grandma and Grandpa at the Jeremiah Smith Redwoods

More Redwoods

We fed dead fish like this bright blue one to the seals and seagulls

We took a 6 hour boat ride up the Rogue River and we all got very wet. Boy #2 fell asleep on the ride back

We ate one last time at Jaspers, my favorite hamburger place - Mushroom burger with sweet potato fries

Unfortunately, boy #1 was sick on the trip out and back - This is how he slept

Soothing Buzz

2010-07-17T21:46:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is boy #2 totally asleep in the haircut chair. Who knew the sound of clippers was a lullaby? Luckily he didn't fall asleep until she was almost finished with the haircut. It could have been pretty bad if he nodded off mid cut.

Long Weekend

2010-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Since the 4th of July fell on a Sunday this year our town had events on Saturday and Monday. This made for a long celebration weekend and we were all exhausted by Monday afternoon. Here are a few photos from the holiday weekend.

We woke up early on Saturday and went to see the hot air balloons

Friends and hot air balloons

We were color coordinated without even planning it

"Little Big Show" fireworks on the 4th

We went on a hike on Monday after the parade

Toothless

2010-07-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

We are lucky to have a great dog that we love. Unfortunately, he had five teeth extracted the other day. He went in for some routine shots and the vet noticed that some of his teeth were dirty and some of the gums were infected. So the next day he went in for dental work. He was gone all day and had to be put under anesthesia. He came home looking tired and a little sad, but by the next day he seemed himself again. I now have a dog toothbrush and I will be diligent in cleaning his teeth so he doesn't have to have dental work again.

Somewhere In California

2010-06-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

The boys had a great time playing at the beach, building sand castles with cousins, jumping waves, hiking, playing in a waterfall, swimming, and visiting elephant seals. I just wish California were a little closer.

We hiked to a small waterfall and there was a little cave behind the falls that the boys could climb through

Jumping waves with cousin K

Boogie Boarding

Elephant seals on the sand

Elephant seals sparring, which is what the boys did periodically

Working on the sand castle
The finished product

Jumping off the diving board

Not to be outdone by his big brother, boy #2 jumps into the pool

Rocket Science

2010-06-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day the boys bought Steve a model rocket. The boys were very excited about it so tonight we tested it out. The cartridges I bought allowed the rocket to reach 450 feet. I think the rocket did just that. We had three successful launches and I believe we will have lots of fun with this rocket.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Blastoff

Boy #2 launching the rocket

See that small orange dot by the moon? That's our rocket!

Boy #1 retrieving the parachute

S'mores and More

2010-06-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

We have been talking about building a fire pit in the backyard, so we decided to go for it. I was looking for something cool and rectangular, but in the end we ended up with an easy, circular pit. We will eventually dig out the grass and create a patio area with gravel. The weather cleared long enough on Saturday to have an inaugural fire. We enjoyed s'mores and hanging out around the fire. We are looking forward to a summer full of foil dinners and dutch oven cooking.

The boys with their friends

Enjoying the fire

Loving the s'mores

Forts

2010-06-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

Boy #1 is really into building forts these days. Some are inside and some are outside. Last week he built this fort in the living room. He spent the afternoon reading books to his brother in the fort. That night the boys and their dad slept in the fort. I'm glad the fort wasn't big enough for me to sleep in too.

The boys with their fort

The view from the back side

Setting up the sleeping bags

Summer Hikes

2010-06-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

In an effort to get in shape and get out of the house, we plan to take many family hikes this summer. Last week we did a four mile hike and the boys were such good hikers. Boy #2 calls himself a "professional hiker" and boy #1 loves to lead the hike. We spent Memorial Day hiking with lots of other people who thought it was a good day for a hike. Maybe our next hike won't be so crowded.

You can see the crowds behind the boys

I love the green of the aspens

School's Out For Summer...

2010-05-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

Boy #1 is so happy that school is out, although today when we reminded him about his summer chores he said he wished he were in school again. I'm sure he'll get used to his new routine. We had lots of fun end of school year events including the preschool graduation of boy #2 and the dance festival of boy #1. Summer here we come!

The graduate
Boy #1 concentrating on the "ribbon dance"

Hiking

2010-05-23T14:23:00.000-07:00

The boys have been wanting to hike the "Y" which unlike the "U" is really quite a hike. You can practically drive to the "U' but the "Y" takes some effort. Boy #1 hiked the "Y" without any help when he was four so we decided it was time for boy #2 to give it a try on his own two feet.

Boy #2 with the hiking stick he found

Boy #2 at the top of the "Y"

The boys at the bottom of the "Y"

Sunset from the trail

The Birthday Boy

2010-05-14T20:52:00.000-07:00

Boy #2 is 4 years old today. We had a fun filled day including a birthday party at a nearby jumpy place. Happy Birthday to my sweet boy!

He started the morning with balloons and a pancake breakfast.

Playing on a slide
Boy #1 and boy #2 having fun

The whole group

Back home for an Oreo ice cream cake, click here to make your own

Cool Tile = Happiness

2010-05-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

I got some tile several months ago thanks to my friend Laura. It took a while to decide what portion of the half bath to tile, but we decided on a simple back splash. It is now finished and I love it. Modwalls has really cool tile and I can't wait to use their tile somewhere else in the house.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

I want to say "Happy Mother's Day" to all the moms I know. I had a great day starting with sleeping in and waking up to hand made cards from the boys. Steve cooked the meals all day including a fabulous cobb salad. I went to the Beehive Bazaar the other night and picked up a painting that I counted as my mother's day gift. I was able to relax and I am now looking forward to dessert and something good on PBS.

Cards and crafts from the boys

My new painting fits nicely in the kitchen nook

A beautiful salad

Sister's Retreat

2010-05-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

For years I have been wanting to get together with my two sisters and my sister-in-law for a weekend getaway. Collectively we have 16 children and it is difficult to spend much quality time together at family reunions with that many children wanting our attention. So, I am happy to report that we just spent a lovely long weekend in California together. We ate fabulous food, took several walks, went to the best farmer's market, and talked a lot. I had a great time and I think everyone else did too. Thanks to my three sisters for making it a great weekend!

Beautiful beets at the farmers market

Salad made with farmer's market tomatoes, mmm

The most amazing salmon that I did not order, but intent to next time I go to Hoppe's Restaurant

The wonderful sisters I spent the weekend with

Trip to the Dentist

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Boy #1 has his first cavity and boy #2 needs to stop sucking his thumb. Any suggestions? They went to the dentist a few weeks ago and they love the cool sunglasses they get to wear. They also love the balloon animals they get to take home.

Spring?

2010-04-20T08:10:00.001-07:00

For now the weather is beautiful and the forsythia are in full bloom. Seeing the bright yellow bushes makes me happy. Rain is in the forecast again but I will enjoy the weather today.

Young at Heart

2010-04-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

Last week we left the kids with a sitter and headed off to a rock concert. The big city has some great venues these days were you can get really close to the band. We saw a not so good opening band, but then Spoon made up for that. When we first heard Spoon was coming we debated going, but I'm glad we did. It was great and I felt like a teenager again staying out til 1 a.m. I discovered that the sound is not so good on the video phone, but you can get the gist from the following clip. I also think the bass guitarist strangely looks like Jason Bateman, who I have a mild crush on.

This song was released when I was training for the marathon, so I was constantly singing it on my runs

Springtime?

2010-04-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is what we woke up to on Easter morning. When will it really be spring? Later in the day boy #1 lost the second of his two front teeth. By the end of the day most of the snow melted and it was time for an Easter egg hunt with the neighbors.

We had a bunny and a dog at our egg hunt

Blindside

2010-03-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

When we first moved into our house 3+ years ago we made a list of home improvement priorities. We started with the cheapest and easiest, so we painted lots of rooms. Each year we try to tackle one big item usually using a tax refund to assist. One item on the list was new curtains for the family room. About two years ago the curtains came off the track and they have never quite been the same, although we wanted new curtains even before that. But part of the delay in new curtains was I wasn't sure what to replace them with. That changed a few months ago when I saw a Costco ad for Hunter Douglas honeycomb blinds. The room in the ad looked similar to my family room and I decided those were the blinds for me. I love my new blinds and want to do the whole downstairs of the house, but that will have to wait for another tax refund or two.

Picture from birthday of Boy #1, but it shows the old curtains pretty well

New blinds, I love the way they show off the wood

When they are up they almost disappear

The Culprit

2010-03-22T18:59:00.001-07:00

This is the butter knife that caused me to get four stitches in my pinkie this evening. Who knew a butter knife could be so dangerous? I was helping boy #1 enlarge some holes in the lid of a jar for his rolly polly friends when the knife slipped down quickly as I was holding it. I waited 45 minutes until Steve got home to get a second opinion and then I drove myself to the urgent care. Meanwhile dinner was in mid preparation and we were hosting students for dessert, which wasn't made. Luckily I gave instructions to Steve and he took care of dinner and dessert while I was gone.

Cupcake Recipe

2010-03-19T13:40:00.001-07:00

A few people have asked for this so here it is. My mom sent it to me, so thanks to her for introducing the recipe to me.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 bag peanut butter cups - regular size, not mini

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and milk. (I think you could use your own cake batter made from scratch if you wanted to) Pour 2 Tbsp batter into paper liners and place a peanut butter cup on batter. Fill paper liners with more batter until 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 15 -18 minutes or until cupcake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost when completely cooled.

Peanut Butter Frosting - This is good on just about anything
1 Cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/2 Cup butter, room temperature
2 Cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp milk or cream
1 tsp vanilla

Combine peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl, mixing together until light and fluffy. Stop mixer and add powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk or cream, and vanilla. Start mixer slowly and mix together, gradually increasing the speed. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add 1 tbsp milk or cream if frosting is too thick.
I chopped peanut butter cups to place on top

I Have a Confession to Make

2010-03-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

I have a serious problem. I cannot stop eating caramel corn. You think that maybe I would stop making it, but that would be too easy a solution. In the past two months I have made this so many times I have lost count. I will share the recipe so you can be addicted also.

The recipe comes from my friend's cookbook.

3 popped bags microwave popcorn or equivalent amount air popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter - the original recipe calls for butter substitute (remember this is a healthy cookbook)
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups mini marshmallows

Empty popped popcorn into large bowl. Melt butter in pot over low heat. Add brown sugar and marshmallows to pot and stir over low until melted. Boil for 3 minutes while continuing to stir. Pour mixture over popcorn and stir to coat.

Something Magical

2010-03-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

How do you keep the attention of 18 six and seven year old kids for close to an hour? You hire a magician. Today was the birthday party of boy #1. He is really into magic tricks so we decided we would splurge a bit and have a magician come to the party. Oh my, was it worth every penny! I have never seen boy#1 laugh so hard and be so entertained. He also got to help out with lots of tricks and got quite a loot from the magician. And other than providing pizza and making a cake, it was pretty easy to host that many kids. Here are some pictures and video footage from the party.
Boy #1 laughing

More laughing

He helped the magician entertain the crowd

Here he is with a bunny and a bird

His bag of tricks from the magician

My bunny out of a hat trick

Happy Birthday Boy #1!

2010-03-03T21:08:00.001-08:00

Boy #1 was 12 days overdue and therefore was born on 03-03-03. I think he has a pretty cool birthday. Today was a party day with balloons at the breakfast table, fun books at school, and family over for dinner, cupcakes, and games. Boy #1 loves his cousins, aunts, uncles, and his grandma who has been visiting us. He had a great day and I think he is a great kid. Happy Birthday!

Boy #1 with his birthday balloons

Playing his new Winter Olympics for the Wii with cousins and Uncle J

Hanging out with Grandma

Making a wish

Yes, there is an entire peanut butter cup near the bottom of these cupcakes. Yum

Lost

2010-02-27T21:22:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks my husband has watched "Lost" episodes every chance he gets. We started watching the show when it first came on TV, but became frustrated when none of our questions were ever answered. We decided that when the series was over we would watch it all at once and then be done with it. Well, my husband is almost caught up to the current last season, but I have not been sucked in yet. And maybe I won't be sucked in because I feel like I have lost my husband to "Lost".

Skiing

2010-02-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

The past few years boy #1 has gone downhill skiing a couple of times each year. We decided this year that boy #2 was old enough to go also. We went downhill skiing one afternoon and then went cross county skiing a few days later. Boy #1 enjoyed both types of skiing and said that he liked cross country skiing better. I think that boy #2 had more fun downhill skiing and so did his parents. We are hoping to get a few more trips to the ski slopes before the season ends.

Boy #2 ready to ski

Boy #1 showing his best smile

By the end of the day boy #1 got the hang of going downhill on cross country skis

Boy #2 trying to figure out his cross country poles

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T22:25:00.001-08:00

The day is almost over but I wanted to share a few thoughts on Valentine's Day. It seems like the older I get the less important Valentine's Day is for me. I try to make it fun for the boys and I did make heart shaped pizza, but I was trying to figure out why Valentine's Day seems different for me now. Tonight I was recollecting some Valentine's Days from high school and college. It seemed so important to have a boyfriend or feel loved on Valentine's Day. Tonight I realized that Valentine's Day is different for me now because everyday is like Valentine's Day. I am lucky have a husband who loves me everyday, so I don't feel the need to celebrate or have flowers or chocolates, even though he gave me some amazing chocolates today. I am also lucky to have parents who sent me a Valentine's card every year until I got married. They knew it was important to feel loved and I am grateful to them for that gesture on Valentine's Day. So Happy Valentine's Day!

Too Many Movies?

2010-02-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

I have always loved to watch a good period drama on Sunday nights. Maybe it is because that is when Masterpiece Theater is on or maybe it is because growing up the only tv we could watch on Sunday was the Wonderful World of Disney, which was usually a movie. Anyway I have been escaping the cold winter nights with movies. My Sunday night watching has bleed over into the rest of the week. During February I have watched Bleak House (7+ hours), Return to Cranford, Emma, two episodes of Lost in Austen, and Confessions of a Shopaholic. I know, I know, the last movie was because I needed something totally fluffy. So I haven't been blogging, but I have spent plenty of time looking at the computer screen.

Cup O Heaven

2010-02-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

My long time friend gave me an Amano chocolate bar for my birthday a few weeks ago. She also took me out for a fabulous lunch at Communal. But let's get back to the chocolate bar...it's purpose was to be a key ingredient in a cup of hot chocolate. Oh my, was it fabulous. You can go here for the recipe. Thanks Debra for giving me a taste of chocolate heaven.

What Not To Do To Your Hair

2010-01-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

I never do anything to my hair. I brush it after a shower and that is all. I recently bought a round brush thinking I could actually blow dry my hair and make it look better. Well my plans failed. As I dried my hair with a round brush, the brush got stuck. Apparently, I needed a larger brush for the twisting I was doing. 30 minutes later, my husband was able to get the brush out and my hair was saved from disaster. I guess I will revert to doing nothing to my hair.

The rat's nest and Boy #2 helping with the mess
My husband really wasn't as angry as he looks in this picture
Successful extraction

In the Dog House

2010-01-22T22:53:00.000-08:00

Boy #2 loves to play with boxes. He also loves to wear his doggy costume. This combination inspired him to make a dog house out of a cardboard box. He cut out a window and had a "garage" that he entered the house through.

The bottom flap is the garage that opens up

Movie Night

2010-01-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

Some time ago we decided that Friday night would be movie night for the boys. This helped us to reduce the number of movies the boys were watching during the week. Now on Fridays we either rent something or watch something we already own. The library also has a great selection of movies to checkout. Anyway, most movie nights I make pizza. I try to vary the pizza that my husband and I have, but the boys usually want cheese or pepperoni. Last night I tried to replicate my favorite pizza from the Pie Pizzeria, the xtreme veggie. My husband took a bite and said, "This is the best pizza you've ever made!" High praise from a man who has been eating a variety of homemade pizza for the last few years. Although it is not exactly the xtreme veggie it is a close replication.

Spinach, red onion, artichoke hearts, and feta top this pizza

Simply Deliteful

2010-01-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

My long time friends have put together a cookbook that is full of healthy and yummy recipes. I am so excited that the idea they had for creating this cookbook is now realized. I can't wait to get a copy and try the recipes. I know they will be tasty. If you want to take a look at their cookbook, go to simplydeliteful.com. This makes me think that I waste too much time with unimportant things and that I should do something more meaningful with my life. I'm not sure what that is, but I'll start thinking.

Highlights or Lowlights of 2009

2010-01-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

The old year is over, but there were a few events and images that I hadn't posted in 2009, so here is the last of 2009.

Boy #1 as a dog in his 1st grade Chinese class play

Boys in the maze at the pumpkin patch

Husband's cut chin that required two stitches

Husband's "handy work" that grew as he tried to fix a small leak in the bathtub. That is my laundry floor you can see through the pipes

The crack in our large mirror that happened during one of our holiday parties. The votive pictured is to blame and the image doesn't show how the mirror cracked straight up the middle

Christmas trifle that I made two days after Christmas since I was so tired of cooking
Having fun playing Twister

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T23:11:00.000-08:00

The boys made it to midnight and had fun with poppers to ring in the new year. Hope you all have a great 2010!

The boys were getting tired with about 15 minutes to go

Fun with poppers
The pose we have had for the past 10 years, initially by accident but now planned

Christmas Festivities

2009-12-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were spent with various family members and friends. The younger people acted out the nativity and the boys made very good shepherds. After hosting Christmas Eve, Christmas breakfast, and Christmas dinner I am happy to say that I have not made any food since Christmas Day. Maybe tomorrow I will bake some wheat bread. I have unpacked and washed my new wheat grinder so I am ready to grind some fresh wheat.

The boys as shepherds
Cousins and friends helped complete the nativity

The boys in their matching Christmas jammies enjoying some of their new presents

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T21:01:00.001-08:00

It has been a busy week! Since I am tired and ready for bed I will just post a few pictures from the past week.
The boys played with these boxes for hours and hours

Food table for my annual Christmas Open House. I thought I was cutting back this year but it doesn't look like I really did

The boys reading stories with Grandma and Grandpa snuggled in their new Christmas blankets made by Grandma

Snowshoeing for the first time during a light snow storm

We caught the most amazing snowflakes while we were snowshoeing. This one is on my glove

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

2009-12-13T22:10:00.000-08:00

We have had a couple of big snow storms the last few days. The most recent left us with wet, heavy snow that was perfect for making snowmen. Unfortunately, the rain that came today erased the great sledding hill that the snowplow had made earlier in the week. But I'm sure there will be many more sledding hills to come in the next months.

Boy #2 loves his Santa hat and the snowman we made

Boy #2 and the friends who helped make the snowman

A new favorite game is jumping off an enormous snowball

Letters to Santa

2009-12-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

Letter of Boy #1
Letter of Boy #2

What A Long, Strange Trip Its Been

2009-11-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Actually it wasn't strange, just long, but we had a great time in Oregon. We ran on the salt flats on the way there and on the way back. We visited a farm and went to the Oregon Coast. The coast is so scenic and beautiful. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner and I went shopping for the first time on Black Friday. I got up at 6:30 and not 2:30 a.m. like so many crazy people I heard about. Here are some photos of the trip.

Running on the West Salt Flats

Riding on a Belgian draft horse named Tucker

Tucker was enormous

The boys with Grandma and Grandpa at the coast

We found a starfish in one of the tide pools

The boys loved playing in the cold water

Mud mishap for hubby at the East Salt Flats

Superheroes

2009-11-21T19:55:00.000-08:00

Boy #2 has a preschool friend who enjoys superheroes as much as the next three year old. Here they are enjoying some costumes.

Batman and Superman hanging out together

What Are The Chances?

2009-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

My husband and I currently have two favorite artists that we have recently discovered. One is Fanfarlo and one is Mason Jennings. What a surprise to find that both of them were playing in the Big City on the same night! We had to choose and based on the ticket price and the likelihood of being able to see one of them again, we went to Fanfarlo. The concert was at a great little venue called the State Room. I wish they had played longer and that I wasn't feeling congested, but it was a good concert anyway.

Grandma Lucy

2009-11-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

My husband's last grandma passed away this week. He has lost four grandparents in the last three years. Grandma Lucy was a fabulous great-grandma. She would get down on the floor and play with the boys and one of the favorite games was for her to throw a beach ball at them. She was a tough woman who survived breast cancer, lupus, and uterine cancer. Unfortunately, she did not survive pancreatic cancer. She loved to play games and tell stories. She will be missed by all of us. Goodbye Grandma Lucy.

Grandma Lucy in April 2009
Watching a show with the boys
The boys with Grandma last summer

You're My Only Hope

2009-11-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

Halloween has always been a fun time for me. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I love almost all candy bars and as a child would get my costume on a few days before Halloween and go trick-or-treating with my friend, Keri, just to get some extra candy. Most people gave us candy even though it wasn't Halloween. Anyway, the boys were going to be Jedis and so I decided to be Princess Leia. Boy #1 had an Obi-Wan Kenobi costume and boy #2 initially had a random Jedi costume. However, boy #2 changed his mind and decided to be a medieval knight. My hair was not long enough for the famous Princess Leia hair but with some ideas from my friends I found something that worked. We had lots of parties to attend on Halloween and by the end of the night we were all pretty tired. Here are some pictures of the costumes.

Yes, those are bagels in my hair

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T11:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a little video that the boys have been dancing around to. Thought I would share it with you.

Fall

2009-10-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

I have a favorite tree in the neighborhood this time of year. It stands alone and is vibrant and beautiful. I captured some of its beauty a few weeks ago before the leaves began to fall. I love this time of year and the crispness of the evenings.

Unfortunately the camera doesn't do justice to the color
I also love caramel apples this time of year

For Grandma

2009-10-20T15:32:00.000-07:00

The boys are lucky to have a wonderful great-grandma. They wanted to say hello to their great grandma, so this video is a message to Grandma Lucy. Enjoy...

Flu Bug

2009-10-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Boy #2 is three years old and he just concluded his third visit to the local ER. He caught the flu bug that Boy #1 had last week, but it came to him with a vengeance. He started with the flu bug at about noon today and then continued every 20 to 30 minutes until we arrived at the ER tonight at 7:30. We went to the ER because in the 30 minutes we were at the Dr's office he had three episodes. The doctor suggested getting him to the ER for some fluids and anti nausea medication. After two hours at the ER we were sent home with a prescription for the medication they gave him and instructions to return if he got worse. He ended up not needing the IV and he seemed to perk up quite a bit during our stay in the ER. Let's hope it's at least three years before he needs to go the ER again.

Boy #2 covering his face with a paper - He did not want his picture taken