a l i c e k [i] n d

Follow the Steeple

2011-10-05T10:53:00.003-07:00

My book club is doing something different thing month... writing! Actually, we are reading too... books about writing... and then writing stories from our own life. Here is one from my childhood.

Follow the Steeple

"Just follow the steeple." said Aaron. "It will lead us home."

I believed him. He said it with complete confidence, and I had known him my entire life... all five long years at the time... so I had no reason to doubt him. Besides, he was a boy, and since I had an older brother and was used to letting him tell me what to do, it seemed that Aaron was the obvious leader over me and my best friend, Liselle, who was also Aaron's cousin. Liselle and I simply trusted Aaron in our 5-year-old way.

The three of us lived on the same street in Mesa, within a few houses of each other, and attended morning kindergarten at a nearby elementary school. Our mothers were friends, so carpooling was natural. On this particular day, someone was late picking us up after school (we didn't keep track, so I have no idea whose turn it was... we simply trusted them too). We were tired of waiting what seemed like an eternity, though it was likely only a few minutes longer than our normal wait.

I don't remember who had the brilliant idea of walking home, but it seemed like a good plan to our grumbling tummies. It wasn't far; certainly it was within walking distance. And the weather was nice (always an important consideration in the Arizona desert), but it would require crossing a busy major street in mid-day traffic, though that didn't seem to concern any of us much.

What did concern us was that we didn't know the way home. Since we were used to traveling to and from school in a car, and our young minds had not yet developed much sense of direction, we were rather stumped at first. We seemed to know the general direction, but not how to navigate the streets around the buildings between the school and our homes.

At this point, Liselle and I gave up. Waiting seemed preferable to getting lost. But Aaron was undaunted. "Just follow the steeple," he said. That perked us up. Liselle and I didn't even question this; we knew he was right. The church, whose tall steeple towered above the houses and trees, stood at the end of our quiet suburban street, and we walked there to attend services every Sunday. We knew exactly where it was! We could see it from the school! And because we trusted Aaron, we knew the steeple would lead us home.

And somehow it did. I guess Aaron deserves some credit too, for he was able to keep two gasping 5-year-old girls pressing forward on what turned out to be a much longer walk than any of us anticipated. Taking a route that I now know to be very much "the long way home," we arrived at the church, exhausted and hungry (it was now well past lunch time), and found our jilted chauffeur driving around frantically to find us. Down came the car window and we heard an anxious voice exclaim, "You walked home?! How did you know the way?"

We three triumphant hikers simply smiled and replied in unison, "We just followed the steeple."

Music Classes

2011-08-13T00:35:00.001-07:00

Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a little girl. I have been singing and performing since I was 6 years old. These days it's mostly just in church and at family functions, but I still love it.

I even majored in music in college.... well, for a while. I had a scholarship for Musical Dance Theatre, and it was a blast. (Later I decided to "get real" and changed my major to the extremely practical "English," because there's so much you can do with that... or so I believed.)

A few years ago I started teaching music classes in my home, for preschoolers. I really enjoyed it but had to let it go for a while (for a number of reasons). I decided I'm ready to start again, and it's time to spread the word!

If you are interested and live in the East Valley, the Fall 2011 Semester starts on September 6th. Go here for more information.

The Whole Wide World

2011-06-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist making my own map after my sister-in-law posted hers.

visited 22 states (44%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Actually, there are probably a few that I forgot because I visited them when I was so young that I don't remember. So, I will just have to go again someday.

As for countries, here is how it looks for me:

visited 13 states (5.77%)
Create your own visited map of The World

Of course, this map is deceiving because it appears as if I have traveled to every US State (obviously, I have not), and extensively through Canada (have not). And it's so small you can't tell which European countries I have visited (UK, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland).

I have a ways to go.

Prone Time

2011-06-14T10:44:00.002-07:00

While recovering from my illness, I have had quite a bit of "prone time," and therefore, time to read. You can find out what I read, and some of my thoughts, over at my other blog.... Alice Reviews Media.

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My Super-Sick Adventure

2011-06-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here is what has been going on with me lately. If you aren't interested in "The Whole Story", you can skip to the "abridged version" at the end. :)

THE WHOLE STORY
A couple of weeks ago I was having symptoms of a UTI over the weekend. On Monday morning I called the doctor and they got me in that day. I was given Bactrim (standard anti-biotic for UTI's) to treat the infection and told to come back at the end of the week to follow up.

By Thursday I had finished the Bactrim but instead of feeling better I was feeling worse.... I still had all the symptoms plus severe "flank pain." I thought it might be a kidney stone.

On Friday I returned to the doctor and she said, "Since the anti-biotic didn't help, I think it might be a kidney stone. We need more tests." So they sent me out for blood work (cultures, which take a few days) and a CT scan to check for more kidney stones, etc. She said a kidney stone can cause a blockage leading to a kidney infection. This worried me. This was Friday afternoon and I was feeling a bit better, thinking I had probably passed a kidney stone and was on the "up and up." (Kidney stones can cause the same symptoms as a UTI, plus pain.)

I felt pretty good on Saturday but by evening I had a high fever/violent shivering, severe head ache, nausea and low back pain, which continued all day Sunday. In my mind I was thinking, "I must have a kidney infection. I have to go back to the doctor on Monday morning."

On Monday morning I realized it was a holiday (Memorial Day) and the doctor's office was closed, so I asked Jay to take me to Urgent Care. The doctor there diagnosed a kidney infection and I was immediately put on IV anti-biotics. Over an hour later I still had a high fever and had not responded as they expected me to. The doctor came back in and said, "You are really sick and we have done all we are equipped to do. We are sending you to the hospital. Right now. In an ambulance." I was a little freaked out, but mostly just so sick that I didn't care what they did to me... I just wanted to get better. Fast!

I arrived in the ER and heard the paramedic say to the admitting nurse, "They are worried about Sepsis." I know that term and that freaked me out even more. I spent the next couple of hours in the ER getting poked and prodded, and was given a nice dose of Valium and Morphine that made me feel pretty darn good for a little while.

I spent the rest of the week at Banner Gateway Medical Center (great hospital) where they pumped me full of fluids (I was quite dehydrated) until I was so swollen I couldn't make a fist, several different kind of IV anti-biotics (and lactobacillus to combat those), phosphates (?) and magnesium to get my levels back to normal, morphine and percocet for the headaches, Zofran for the nausea, and Tylenol for the high fevers. They did several more CT scans, drew blood several times a day (from my pathetic/difficult veins) and became frustrated when my fevers did not abate and my white blood cell count didn't go back to normal. And worried when a CT scan showed on a spot on my kidney that looked like an absess that would need to be drained by inserting a giant needle into my side! Ouch! Thank goodness further tests showed it was JUST a spot of infection. Whew!

They called in the infectious disease specialist (what a character! Dr. House anyone?) who asked a million seemingly random questions about my health, history, and life-style, plus examined, poked and prodded. I was officially diagnosed with Pyelonephritis (kidney infection), pre-sepsis, anemia, and.... pneumonia. Yes, pneumonia, which apparently was a result of some of the extra IV fluids entering my lungs. They altered my medicines to target the pneumonia as well and called it good. (I kept telling all the doctors and nurses that I was having trouble breathing and I was wheezing. They said thing like, "Well, I listened to your lungs and they are clear. It's probably just post-nasal drip/stress/anxiety, etc." Yeah, right.)

I finally got to go home on Saturday with my arms looking like they belonged to a heroine addict, 10 more days worth of oral anti-biotics (levaquin), and zofran for the continued nausea, and they told me to stay hydrated and expect to feel like garbage for a couple more weeks. Great. Thank goodness I'm feeling much better today... I even drove to the doctor! The nausea and light-headedness are gone, as are the headaches, and....unfortunately, I got my appetite back. Darn.

Now they have to figure out why I'm anemic, I have to follow up with a urologist, and probably have a colonoscopy. I feel like I have aged 10 years in 2 weeks.

A word of advice.... DON'T GET SICK!

FUNNY MOMENTS
During the ambulance ride, the paramedic asked, "Are you normally fair skinned?" I replied (through my chattering teeth), "Yes, why?" He replied, "Well, you are really pale and I just wanted to make sure that is normal for you or if there is something else going on." I almost laughed. Yes, I am fair-skinned, but I think I was probably extra pale considering what was going on in my body.

Dr. Oommen, the infectious disease specialist, after doing a preliminary evaluation left the room to check out my test results/charts. A few minutes later he opened the door and poked his head and said, "Do you have any hobbies?" I almost laughed out loud. Was he making conversation? I was surprised and confused and couldn't think of anything, though I know I have hobbies, so I didn't respond immediately. He must have noticed I was confused, so she said, "You know, like hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, mountain climbing...." Then I did laugh. "Uh, no," I said. "Nothing like that."

"Do you do anything outdoors?"
I said, "Well, I jog."
"Have you ever had valley fever?"
"Not that I know of."
"Have you had a cold?"
"No, not lately."
"Has anyone in your household been sick recently?"
"No."
"Have you been in a wind storm?"
(By this time the curiosity was about to kill me.) "No, why?"
"Oh, well, you have pneumonia."
(This is how you break it to me?) "Huh?"
"Apparently it's just because of all the extra fluids... some got in your lungs."
"So, now what?"
"Oh, I'm just changing one of your anti-biotics to one that will target pneumonia too."
"Pneumonia! I've been wheezing and no one would believe me!"
"Well, I believe you. See you tomorrow." And he shut the door.

ABRIDGED VERSION
- I got a UTI and was given Bactrim for it (pretty standard for a UTI).
- The infection happened to be resistant to Bactrim.
- The UTI turned into a kidney infection.
- I spent 6 days in the hospital, got pneumonia on top of the infection, and almost got sepsis.
- I'm home now and mostly recovered. I think.
- Being sick sucks.

Random stuff from May

2011-05-27T23:00:00.040-07:00

The kids had their last day of school. It was a crazy few weeks. I helped put together 3 quilts for some ladies who retired after being at the school for many years, and my amazing cousin made these gorgeous cakes in their honor!

Among other things, they had 50's Day at school. These are the costumes we threw together at the last minute (Collin thought he was too "mature" to dress up).

Jay helped Jack build a bike from old parts, like he did for Collin a few months ago....

Jay and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary with an amazing dinner at Ruth's Chris....

Jay made this wonderful shed to protect our bikes....

My mom rescued 2 abandoned baby birds from a tree in her yard. They didn't have any feathers at first, but they grew fast. My parents went out of town for several days and recruited us to "bird sit." It was a lot of work, feeding them by hand constantly throughout the day (bits of wet whole wheat bread), but it was quite an adventure for the kids.

They have since flown off to join the rest of the birds in the neighborhood. Whew!

Oh, and in April my kids enjoyed a fun day at the zoo with their cousins.

Petting the sting rays was definitely one of the highlights.

So, that's May (and some of April) in a nutshell.

Collin's 12th Birthday

2011-05-21T18:47:00.001-07:00

Collin had some friends over to celebrate his 12th birthday. (I can't believe he is so "old." It's scary.) I made pizza and they ate a bunch of other junk too, and, of course, cake and ice cream. They also played basketball and tag, watched a movie outside in the backyard, and played frisbee with a pizza that I accidentally forgot about on the grill. It was black, and they thought it was hilarious. That's 12-year-old boys for you. This was a few days before his birthday.

On his actual birthday, both sets of grandparents dropped by with money (the most exciting gift at this age), and my parents also brought a candy gram.

But the following Sunday was the best of all.... Jay ordained Collin a deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. Both his grandfathers also participated. He is named after both of these great men. Collin is such a good boy and we are very proud of him.

2011-04-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

Liz's post about our girls' weekend was perfect (and she remembered her camera) so I don't really have anything to add except for a few more photos from my mom.

Digging into my incredible slice of Viking cake here

Enjoying the beautiful weather and Seaport Village

A sidewalk artist's stacked-stone designs... amazing!

It was a perfectly fun weekend. I can't wait to do it again!

April

2011-04-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

Yikes. I have been very absent from my blog this month. Hmm.... let's see what's been going on...

I was in charge of our ward (church congregation) Talent Show. It was a ton of work, but it turned out great. Everything ran very smoothly because I did a lot of advance planning and had lots of good helpers. We had a wide variety of talents, such as vocal, violin, piano, guitar, clarinet, trumpet, cello, dance/tumbling, comedy, ballroom dance, etc. It was a lot of fun, and even though it was a lot of work I hope it becomes a tradition! Mary sang a solo... she was so nervous beforehand but she was very well prepared so that when she actually got up to perform she said she wasn't nervous at all, and she did a great job.

Collin was assigned to give a talk in Primary (the program for children at church)... his last since he turns 12 soon and will "graduate." I decided he was old enough to do it on his own, but I told him I would help him if he needed it. I told him the assigned topic and sent him off the work on it. Later I asked if he had worked on it, thinking he hadn't. He said, "Yes, I'm done." I didn't believe him so I said, "Let's hear it." He had typed it up and printed it out. He read it to me and I was shocked. It was perfect. I was very proud of him.

The rest of the month kept us busy with a science project for school, "Back-to-the 80's" Family Fun Night at the school (you should have seen me with my big hair and blue eye shadow!), babysitting my sister's darling baby while she was out of town (including a trip to the zoo), attending several baptisms, as well as the usual homework, piano lessons/practicing, chores, etc. AND my kids enjoyed playing with their cousins visiting from Utah!

Last week I had a little vacation. My mom and my oldest sister drove to San Diego to spend a few days with my youngest sister. It was delightful! We spent several days just talking, eating yummy food, talking, shopping, talking, watching chick-flicks, talking, and laughing. The only thing that would have made it more fun is if ALL my sisters and sisters-in-law had been there too. Maybe next time.... Thanks for being such a great hostess Liz! Thank you San Diego for having perfect weather for us! And thank you Jay for holding down the fort while I was gone! I forgot to bring a camera so I have no photos, but when Liz or my mom send me some I will post more about the trip.

Yesterday, on Easter morning Jay and the kids and I took roses to the cemetery to put on my sister Charity's grave. We sang songs about Christ and talked about how we are so grateful that because of Jesus Christ we will see her again. I miss her. We had a lovely Easter program at church, and had dinner with my parents and siblings and their families. I am so grateful for my wonderful family.

Today is Charity's birthday, so I went to the cemetery again with my parents and two of my sisters. We talked about special experiences, cried and hugged. Again I wished that all of my siblings could have been there. (Why do you have to live far away?)

Even though I have been neglecting this blog lately (not on purpose), I have been posting to my other blog this month. I guess I should give them equal time. As pathetic as I am of late, I even got a mention from fabulous I Heart Mesa!

Dayton's Legs

2011-03-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

Our nephew Spencer is featured in this video from "Mormon Messages." He is a sweet kid.

Field Trip to the Zoo

2011-03-25T00:00:00.039-07:00

On Tuesday I ~~chased 5 first-graders around the Phoenix Zoo~~ chaperoned Jack's class field trip.

Thankfully it was a gorgeous day, and I was only assigned 5 kids in my group (including Jack), only one of which would be considered somewhat "difficult." It was very fun.

I enjoy being with my kids and getting to know the other kids in their school.

The Phoenix Zoo is large and the exhibits are very spread-out, but I think we saw everything in the few hours we were there, which means we were all exhausted. The kids were about to fall asleep on the bus ride back to school!

Elephants are always interesting.

But Monkey Village is always the favorite. You walk right into their habitat and the monkeys are close enough to touch. (This monkey was literally right over my head... this is not zoomed or cropped.) They seem so cute and cuddly, but I imagine they probably aren't.

The kids were dying to get to the tiger, but naturally he was just lying around being lazy and didn't do anything impressive.

Ditto for the lions. What a bunch of lazy bones! :)

Mowing the Lawn

2011-03-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Since the day Collin was born, Jay looked forward to Collin being able to mow the lawn so he could sit back and relax. Collin, for his part, also eagerly awaited the day... from the time he could reach the lawn mower handle he would walk along with Jay pretending he was helping (it made me nervous).

By the time Collin turned 10 he was mowing the lawn by himself, without ever complaining about it (even during the super hot summer), and doing quite a good job of it. (Jay still does the edging though.) But now it seems he is looking forward to passing the torch to Jack.

This was the scene in our backyard last Saturday as Collin carefully instructed Jack on the finer points of lawn-mowing technique. (Jack did not look unhappy. In fact, he tried very hard to suppress a grin.) I love it when Collin gets all serious about teaching his younger siblings stuff. It makes me proud.

"Flipback" Books

2011-03-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Since I love to read (and I love books), I'm very intrigued by this.

And this is how I feel about books.

Jay's Birthday

2011-03-21T10:17:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was Jay's birthday. We celebrated on Saturday by going to dinner and then to see I Am Number Four. (Jay's choice..... go here to read what I thought of it.) This is what he wanted me to make for his birthday cake.... a recipe from an advertisement in a magazine! Oh brother.

Actually, it turned out pretty good.

That was Saturday.

Yesterday (Sunday, his actual birthday) I made him his favorite breakfast, Eggs Benedict. And for dinner, his favorite meal....
- Rib Eye steak, rubbed with butter and seasonings
- Red potatoes, boiled and buttered, with garlic salt and parlsey
- Salad of red leaf lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons and Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

I made him another cake, which we took to his parents' house to share with the rest of his family. I made this Strawberry Cake (adapted from Paula Deen)....

1 box white cake mix
1 (3 oz.) box strawberry instant jello
1 (16 oz.) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water

Combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into 2 round cake pans (prepared), and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

I layered the cake with this filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 large box banana cream pudding
2 c. milk

Beat cream cheese; add pudding and milk and beat until smooth and thick. Spread half of mixture on top of first layer of cake. Add second cake layer and top with remaining pudding mixture. Frost the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip, and top with fresh strawberries.

It was yummy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!

Want to see what I gave him? Go here and here. He loves them both. I think I did pretty good this year.

Spring Break - Day 3 - Chase Field Tour

2011-03-17T11:20:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we went on a tour of Chase Field (see slide show below). I had no idea what to expect, but it was really fun. It was very informative (and humorous at times), and we got to see a bunch of cool stuff. We didn't get to actually go in the players' clubhouse, but they showed us a video tour of it... looks awesome. (I imagine they don't want a bunch of people going through their private and very expensive stuff... I don't blame them.) We did go in the visiting team's areas... boring in comparison.

We visited one of the suites, but that wasn't a big deal for me because Jay and I once attended a Diamondback's game as guests in the owner's suite. I have to say it was pretty darn cool. (There's another whole funny story behind that experience.) Being in the dugout was fun... a very unique perspective.

The private pool area is where I would love to watch a game... it's $3500 for 35 people... you get the pool and spa to yourselves, which is level with the field, plush seats with an amazing view (and a row of bleachers if you'd rather watch that way), private dressing rooms/restrooms, lifeguards, premium reserved parking, D-Backs souvenir towels, and it's fully catered. Not bad for a hundred bucks a person. It's still available for a few games... anyone want to go in on it with me? :)

Spring Break - Days 1 and 2

2011-03-15T22:13:00.002-07:00

We aren't being as exciting as last year, but Jay took a few days off for Spring Break this year, so we are enjoying some fun time together as a family.... and trying to keep the kids from getting too bored and driving each other crazy.

Yesterday, we took a bike ride to our local library, which is a little over 2 miles away. We took a picnic lunch and ate it at the park next to the library, then picked up some books. Jay's bike ended up with a flat tire so we left him and Jack there (since Jack is the slowest rider) and I came back with the car to bring them home. Small snag. But it was still fun. Later we watched "Fantastic Mr. Fox" for the first time. We laughed. Our new word is "cuss." And we keep doing the whistle-whistle-click-click thing. It's not old yet.

Today Jay and I left the kids at home for a while and had lunch at Chelsea's Kitchen. Yum! Then we headed to Last Chance... I scored a sweet pair of Steven Madden pumps for $20, and some super cute flats for $10. Later, after a game of Carcassone with Jay and Jack, we all rode our bikes to the local QT for slushies and snacks. We are loving the great weather, so we are racking up the bike-riding-miles!

We have something fun planned for tomorrow. At least I hope it will be fun. I will let you know.

Red Carpet

2011-03-15T11:57:00.001-07:00

Here is our "red carpet" photo from the award's ceremony. I wish that I had had time to lose 20 pounds and get something new to wear (I didn't know what the attire was until I was actually getting dressed for the evening and Jay said, "Oh yeah, you are supposed to dress formal." Ugh!), but here it is anyway.

A Night on the Town

2011-03-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, Jay and I went to an awards banquet because his project (PHX SKY Train) was receiving an award (for innovative solutions). The event (and the award) was sponsored by an organization for professionals in the transportation industry, so I thought it would be pretty dull. But it wasn't too bad. (Though it was kind of long.) It was fun because I was with Jay. (Actually, I love going to these things with Jay, though I pretend I'm doing him a big favor. Don't tell.)

It was at the Tempe Center for the Arts, which is a really cool venue and our table was right by the window looking out on the lake and the city lights, which was very cool. It was a "glitzy" event (all the women were dressed like they were going to the Oscars or contestants in a beauty pageant), so it was fun to observe everyone, and the MC was entertaining. Even the key note speaker (the head of the planning division at ADOT) was pretty interesting. It was fun to dress up, eat fancy food, have our photo taken on the red carpet (these transportation people take their formal events very seriously) and spend the evening on the arm of the handsomest man in town, who everyone was praising and congratulating.

I'm very proud of Jay. He hates it when I brag.

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Time Travel, Blogger Style

2011-03-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

I always have good intentions about blogging consistently... it's important because this is a record for my family. But life gets in the way. You know how that goes. Then I get behind, and I want to get caught up, but it's overwhelming so I put it off some more... and some more... and then it's really bad.

Ugh.

Thankfully, Blogger lets me pre-date posts, so I've traveled back-in-time and posted about events in chronological order (for the most part) so that our family's record isn't all messed up.

Anyway, if you read this blog to know what is going on in our lives (why else would anyone read this boring blog?), then you might want to go back-in-time too and read what we have been up to.

Here are a few:

Soccer
Photography Workshop
Building a Bike
Kids; Valentines
Funny Things Kids Say
Scout Day Camp
Thanksgiving

More to come.....

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Flag Football

2011-03-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Collin finished a season of flag football a few weeks ago. His team didn't win any games, but they worked hard, learned a lot, made new friends, and had a good time. They all had great attitudes and showed excellent sportsmanship. I was very impressed with all the boys on the team. I think it helps that they had 2 very kind coaches. (It was some of the boys on the winning teams... and their coaches.... that were the ones with the "attitude." Hm.)

So I've been practicing the "panning" technique I learned at the photography workshop I went to. Panning is tricky.... I have a lot to learn! But it's fun to experiment.

I am very proud of Collin. He is a really good kid.

My Kids Vs. Wild

2011-03-04T00:00:00.003-07:00

We have oranges galore from the trees in our yard. We picked a bunch to make orange juice. They are "juice oranges" not navels, so they have seeds and are difficult to peel (but they are sweet and juicy). I found out my kids have been eating them....whole... in the backyard.

The thing is.... my kids are sort of obsessed with Bear Grylls. They have watched a few too many episodes of Man Vs. Wild (OK, I admit it, I watch it too).

It turns out they have been pretending our backyard is "the wild," and the only food they can find is the oranges on our trees.... and, as my kids like to state, "they are full of vitamin C." But they now pronounce it with a "short i" as the British do.... as Bear Grylls does.

Actually, they have started pronouncing a lot of things differently these days. My kids seem to have the whole British accent down pat.

So, they eat the oranges, which Collin cuts open with his scout knife, pretending they are disgusting (and I'm sure they come up with some creative description, just as Bear does). Yes, my kids have great imaginations. At least they don't eat grubs or scorpions. (shiver) Maybe next time I make something new for dinner that they don't like, I will tell them to just pretend they are Bear Grylls surviving in the wild.....

A Bike Ride, a Picnic, a Kite and a Camera

2011-03-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was a beautiful day, and the wind was perfect for flying a kite. We rode our bikes to Freestone Park where we ate our picnic lunch and Jay and the kids flew our kite.

I followed everyone around experimenting with my new camera lens. So fun!

I caught a few candids of Jack, but Mary was my only willing model. Too bad she looks a mess... grubby Saturday clothes and windy-day hair-do. Oh well. She's still cute. :)

Getting to Know the School Nurse

2011-02-28T09:44:00.002-07:00

My kids rarely get sick, and even then it's usually nothing but a minor cold and they don't miss school. They usually get the "Perfect Attendance" award at the end of the school year. I never get calls from the school nurse. That is until last week.

There was no school on Monday (President's Day), but on Tuesday just after lunch I got a call from the school nurse saying Mary had a temperature of 103 and a pounding headache. I was surprised, but I picked her up and she spent the rest of the day in bed. She stayed home again on Wednesday because she was still feverish and lightheaded and achy.

BUT about 10:00 I got a call from the nurse saying Jack had something in his ear. She had tried to get it out with tweezers, but couldn't reach it, so I was needed to come look at it and decide whether to take him to the doctor or urgent care. When I arrived, Jack said he had a piece of a pencil eraser in his ear. Sure enough, I could see it, but it was just out of reach. Here is how our conversation went:

Me: Jack, what happened?
Jack: (shrug)
Me: Jack, what's in your ear?
Jack: An eraser.
Me: How did it get in there?
Jack: (shrug)
Me: Did you stick your pencil in your ear and it broke off?
Jack: No.
Me: Then how did an eraser get in your ear?
Jack: (shrug)
Me: Are you sure it's an eraser?
Jack: Yes.
Me: How do you know?
Jack: I just do.
Me: (trying not to laugh) Jack, did you put an eraser in your ear?
Jack: (shrug)
Me: (trying REALLY hard not to laugh) Jack, you just need to tell me what happened, even if it's really silly.
Jack: I don't know.
Me: Jack, did you find a broken piece of eraser and stick it in your ear to see what would happen?
Jack: (nodding yes)
Me: (I couldn't help it, I laughed out loud, and I couldn't stop for a minute)

I hugged him and made him promise to NEVER stick anything in his ears or nose ever again (he never has before), and then tried to decide what to do. He wasn't in pain or even uncomfortable, and I really did NOT want to spend the day at Urgent Care and spent $40 just to have some PA take 10 seconds to pull it out, especially since Mary was home in bed, still sick.

So, I asked the nurse for some peroxide, poured a little in Jack's ear, let it sit for about 30 seconds, flipped his head over and let it drain out, and sure enough, the eraser had come down far enough that I was able to reach in with the tweezers and pull it out. It was wedged in there pretty good and stuck to some ear wax (ugh), but the peroxide did the trick. The nurse said, "That was genius!" Yes, it was. A mom does what she has to do.

My experiences with the school nurse don't end there. The next day, I got yet ANOTHER call from the school nurse. Mary was back at school and seemed find, but this time it was Jack with a high fever and headache. He spent the rest of the day in bed.

The next day was Friday, and it was a half-day. Jack and Mary were back at school, and Collin seemed fine, but I was holding my breath all day, hoping my kids could just make it to noon! They did. Whew! And everyone was fine all weekend.

It's Monday morning and the school nurse just called again. When I answered the phone we both just laughed when she announced herself, and I said, "You've got to be kidding me!" Still laughing, she said, "Well, this time I'm just calling you to let you know that Collin fell and hit his nose at PE. It was bleeding, but now it's stopped and he seems fine. I just wanted to let you know so that you can keep an eye on it when he gets home."

Oh boy. Our school nurse is a really nice lady and I like her a lot. But I REALLY don't want to talk to her for a long time!

How often to you get a call from the school nurse?

Tomato Soup

2011-02-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

Jay and I both love tomato soup.... we even like Campbell's from a can (though not our preference). Our favorites are from Paradise Bakery and District. It's the ultimate when served with a grilled cheese sandwich on good bread. Yum!

Since I can't/don't want to eat at a restaurant every day (and I would eat it every day), for the last few years I have been on a quest to find a recipe that is similar so that I can make it at home. I have tried many recipes found on the internet, and they have been disappointing, even those from the likes of Martha Stewart and Ina Garten.

I've been working my way through a stack of recipes I have printed out, and finally found it! The one! It's from ourbestbites.com (I am liking everything I have tried of theirs so far), though I adapted it a bit to suit my tastes (I just can't help myself), and what I had on hand.

Here is what I did:

1-2 T. olive oil
1-2 T. dried onion
2 heads roasted garlic (fresh would be fine too, but don't use as much)
1 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (optional, since there is quite a bit of salt elsewhere)
2 tsp. dry basil
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil with herbs (I used about half of an 8 oz. jar)
2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
10 oz. chicken broth

1/3 - 1/2 c. sour cream (optional)*

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan or medium pot; add onion and garlic and saute one minute. Add all but the sour cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth (a regular blender works too, but it's a lot harder). Stir in sour cream or serve with a dollop on top. (Serve with grilled cheese or croutons!)

* I tasted it before adding the sour cream and I thought it was delicious, so it doesn't really need it, but I added it anyway. I could have gone either way, so just go with what your preference is. The original recipe calls for cream cheese...I didn't have any, but I wouldn't have used it anyway.... the thought made me gag. Heavy cream would be OK, just not as much flavor. Greek yogurt would be another good substitute.

Funny Things Kids Say

2011-02-20T20:00:00.018-07:00

Jay took Mary and her friend to the park yesterday so they could roller-skate around. After skating for a while, the girls were tired and looked for a place to sit down. Jay overhead this conversation between Mary and her friend, Brooke, when they discovered a park bench with a plaque on it, dedicated to someone.

Mary: Why does this bench has someone's name on it?
Brooke: That must be someone who died. They must have died on that bench!
Mary: (wide-eyed) Oh! We better go sit somewhere else!

This evening we were all in the car and drove past a housing development called "Lindsay Park" that has been there for a few years. Mary said, "Wow, it's taking a really long time for them to finish building that park." Jay and I looked at each other, confused. There was no park in sight. I finally realized Mary had misunderstood the term "park," so I explained that was just a name for the subdivision. "Oooohhhh!" she said and seemed relieved. "I was wondering what was taking so long!" Then she laughed at herself. Jack was listening, but obviously wasn't very interested. He said, in a very superior voice, "Huh. I wasn't even curious about that."

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T18:24:00.043-07:00

Even though I always tell Jay that he shouldn't let a commercial holiday that requires an annual expression of love to your spouse force him to buy me roses and chocolate, he does it anyway. And who's complaining?

He gets me Godiva chocolates. He selects all my favorites. Heaven in a box.

He also took me to dinner at Zinc Bistro. Heaven on a plate! It's too bad I didn't have my camera with me because the food was a gorgeous as it was delicious. We shared an appetizer of crab and mushroom crepes with lobster sauce. Oh my. Our entrees were a crab and truffle omelette with straw potatoes, and scallops with risotto. Both were amazing! We were full, but we couldn't resist ordering the chocolate souffle, which was incredibly rich and decadent. Too much so. We didn't finish, of course.

Jay is very romantic and thoughtful. And kind, and handy, and funny, and handsome, and a great dad. And the very best husband in the world. I'm one very lucky gal.

LOVE

2011-02-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my beloved home state!

We have the best flag ever. Hands down.

The most gorgeous sunsets.

The best weather.

And the greatest people. Of course.

Oh yeah. Happy Valentine's Day too. Whatever.

-

Jack's 7th Birthday

2011-02-13T22:00:00.045-07:00

Jack turned 7. He had an "Army Bootcamp" party with some friends. He was so glad that his cousins, Oliver and Nicholas, happened to be in town so they could come! Yay!

The party turned out really fun. When the boys arrived (in their camouflage wear) they received a hat, dog tags, and had their faces painted (by Jay). Then they had "bootcamp" training.... through the obstacle course, target shooting, assembling their (marshmallow) guns (from PVC that Jay spray-painted camo), and having a "marshmallow war" (darn, I didn't get a photo of that... I was busy in the kitchen!). They also ate tons of homemade pizza, cake and ice cream, and s'mores. It was WAY too much food, but it was great.

Happy Birthday Jack! We love you! I can't believe my baby is 7. Boo hoo!

Kids' Valentines

2011-02-11T20:00:00.008-07:00

The kids had their Valentine parties at school today. I have seen this idea on the internet many times over the past few years and I always wanted to try it. We finally did and it turned out great. The boys loved it, and no one in their classes had ever seen it before, so everyone thought it was really cool.

Mary gave bubbles instead of candy. It was great and everyone appreciated having something non-sugary, but still fun!

Scout Day Camp

2011-02-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Collin went to 11-year-old Scout Day Camp with our stake. They earned a merit badge, ate good food, did some fun activities, did silly stuff, and had a spiritual fireside.

I am so grateful that we have great Scout leaders. Collin and the other boys in his patrol are well on their way to earning their Eagle even though they aren't even 12 yet. They have worked hard!

Collin is very excited to go to "real" Scout Camp this summer!

A New Blog by Me....."Alice Reviews Media"

2011-01-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

I tend to want to review a lot of books and movies here (since I love them), but this blog is supposed to be my journal. I use Good Reads to share my thoughts on books, but I didn't have a place to share my thoughts with friends about movies and TV shows. I was lamenting this with a friend, and decided I might as well start another blog where I can review them all in one place. It's mostly to make recommendations.... which I like my friends to do for me too. :)

I don't give a synopsis (though I will link to one), just my impressions and rating. There isn't much there yet, but I plan to post each time I finish reading or watching something. (I might even go back and review stuff from a long time ago!) If you are interested.....

Alice Reviews Media

-

G.Q.

2011-01-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

OK, it's not exactly Time or People, but look who is on the front cover of the January issue of a national trade magazine!

Yes, it's my amazing hubby. Unless you are in the airport business, the article will probably go right over your head, but I think he is a darn handsome cover boy!

Granola

2011-01-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

I love granola, but I buy it only rarely because it's pricey.... about as much as steak! That is simply ridiculous. What a rip off!

I don't know why I never made my own before.... the ingredients are pretty cheap and readily available, so I guess I figured it must be complicated and time-consuming. Uh.... wrong. It's way easy!

So, I made granola for the first time in my life, and it's delicious! My family has been gobbling it up (guess I will be making more soon). It's much cheaper than buying it, and healthier too. (Some granola really packs the calories!) I made this recipe up after looking at a couple and figuring out what my preferences are. It's only lightly sweet, so adjust it to your preference.

ALICE'S GRANOLA (these amounts are approximate because I don't measure carefully)
4 c. rolled oats (not quick)
1/2 c. almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl, toss together oats, nuts and salt. In a small bowl, combine oil, vanilla and honey; drizzle over oat mixture and stir well (use your hands, if necessary). Spread out evenly on a cookie sheet with a raised edge. Bake at 325 degrees for 15; stir/rotate pan and bake 15 minutes more. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. (Add dried fruit, if you want.)

Yes, the jar was almost full, and this is how much is left.

PHX Sky Train

2011-01-03T10:48:00.001-07:00

My kids had one last day of vacation today before going back to school tomorrow, so Collin went to work with Jay. Here they are touring Jay's project... the Sky Train at the airport. Collin loves to hang out with his Dad. Jay knows that won't always be the case, so he is glad to take advantage of it while it lasts.

Christmas 2010 & New Year's 2011

2011-01-02T22:00:00.002-07:00

I love Christmas and everything that goes with it. I'm always excited to decorate the tree.... but then I can't wait to take it down after New Year's.

My sister got me this gorgeous snow-globe tree ornament as a thank you for babysitting while she was in NYC. I love it!

Christmas was great, of course. I think everyone got what they wanted....

...including me! I got a new lens for my camera (50mm f/1.8)... it's so fun! Naturally, I spent the whole day taking photos of everyone and everything.

After opening our presents, we had our traditional breakfast at my parents' house (my dad always makes the best omelets!) and visited with my siblings and their families. (We do a "formal" Christmas Eve dinner, and Christmas day is pajamas!)

The next day we went to the cabin and spent a few days. There was a house full, but it was a blast! The kids are always in heaven when there are lots of cousins around.

We went to a party on New Year's Eve, but ended up leaving early and heading to my sister's house to officially ring in the new year at the "kids' party." It was FREEZING but we all went outside to let off fireworks (which are legal here now). It was fun.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T17:05:00.001-07:00

Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T22:00:00.001-07:00

I got to babysit my super cute nephew Will for 5 days while my sister went to NYC for Thanksgiving with her in-laws. It was a little bit of an adjustment to remember what it's like to have a toddler around, but it was so much fun! My kids were in heaven pretending to have a little brother, especially Jack, who hates always being the youngest. :)

Thanksgiving with nice.... I don't know why I don't have any photos. Oh yeah. I do know why. Because I was too busy chasing a toddler and trying to keep him from breaking the china and crystal, and destroying the center pieces, and mangling the decorations, and smearing mashed potatoes on everyone's best clothes, and.... well, you get the idea.

But seriously, it was really fun to have Will around. He totally adapted so easily. He just immediately accepted that we were his new family. It was quite funny. I guess it helps that I look a bit like and talk like his mom.... were are sisters, you know.

Oh. I almost forgot. I ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day! My first 10K! It was super hard, but I managed to run the whole time (if you can call what I do running..... very slow running).... I didn't walk at all. Yay! It was way better than my first 5K, where I couldn't even run the whole time, and my knee hurt so bad for the next couple of days that I could hardly walk. Ugh.

So, that's progress.

Soccer

2010-12-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

Mary and Jack just finished a season of soccer. They both enjoyed it, but Mary had a particularly good experience.... a great coach (who worked really hard but was very kind and even-tempered), nice team mates, and she worked really hard and was successful. They won more games than they lost, and even those they lost were close.

Mary is #8

Mary is very quick and aggressive.... she goes after that ball! She likes to play defense... she was the best defender on the team. Her coach would say things like, "Nothing gets past Mary!" It's a little discouraging when you don't get to be the one who makes the goals, but she has learned to appreciate the fact that she made lots of great saves and assists. She gained a lot of confidence and learned that she has a lot to offer as part of team.

Jack worked hard and enjoyed it, but he didn't have a great experience... his coaches were not committed (usually came to practice late, didn't teach anything) and spent most of the time at the games yelling (screaming!) unhelpful things at the kids ("Get the ball! What are you doing? Don't do that! Run faster!") instead of coaching and encouraging. No, they were not a winning team. It was a especially frustrating for Jay, who refereed most of the games (as a volunteer... yes, that's him in the photo) so he had to stay out of it. It was really disappointing (these kids are only 5 and 6 years old) especially since Mary had such a good experience. What a contrast.

Photography Workshop

2010-11-20T22:00:00.013-07:00

For my birthday, my mom gave me the perfect gift! She paid for the two of us to attend this photography workshop. It was super fun, I learned a ton, I got to have lunch at House of Tricks (yum!) and I got to spend the whole day with my mom! See? Perfect.

I got this great camera for Christmas (my mom has the same one), but I didn't really know how to use it (neither did my mom).... until now! I said so-long to the "green box" and now I'm shooting in full manual mode! It's a total blast. I'm still not very good, but I'm learning more all the time.

Here are some photos that I took on the "photo safari" with the teacher....

Thank you mom!!!!!

-

I swear I'm not getting paid for this....

2010-11-18T14:08:00.001-07:00

I am in love with Lodge cast iron cookware. But I haven't always been. I used to think it was junk. Growing up I watched my mom cook with these old "junky looking" pans and swore I never would. As an immature teenager I guess I equated looks with function. Go figure. (How did I not realize that everything my mom cooked tasted good?)

When I got married, I got a nice set of Hard Anodized Calphalon. It looks great and has served me well, but I have never "loved" it. A few years ago I noticed that "Le Creuset" was all the rage. I started to believe that maybe cast iron was functional after all, but that it was necessary to cover up that ugly exterior with colorful enamel. I thought I was sold on it, but alas, it's expensive. Holy cow, it's outrageous! Definitely out of my price range.

Last year, on a whim, I bought a 12" Lodge cast iron skillet.... at Wal-Mart.... because it was 18 bucks! At that price, I figured I could afford to dump it if it was junk. Oh my. I cooked with it once and I was hooked! It never leaves my stove top (except to get washed).... I don't bother putting it away because it's the pan I use the most. It cooks everything beautifully, on the stove or in the oven, and cleans up in a snap! (And it literally last forever!) Plus, it seems like everything tastes better when it's cooked in cast iron. Who needs enamel?

Now my skillet has a friend, who also lives on my stove top. For my birthday, ~~Jay~~ my kids got me this dutch oven with a lid that doubles as a smaller skillet. My other pots and pans are feeling rather neglected, but I don't care.

And you know what? I LOVE how it looks.... bare-naked cast iron. Beauty.

-

Resemblances

2010-11-09T10:05:00.001-07:00

The internet is very interesting..... and extremely handy. You can find out just about anything you want to know.

For example.....

You can find a recipe for any dish ever created, or instructions on how to roast garlic, which you can (and will) use in a ton of recipes.

Your husband can find instructions for how to install a better horn in the car he bought recently, which came with a really goofy, wimpy-sounding horn.

You can purchase a replacement utensil basket for your dishwasher when the original one that came with your 13-year-old dishwasher begins to sport holes in the bottom through which your daring silverware escape during the wash cycle.

Your husband can learn to play a tricky guitar solo by watching an instructional video on YouTube, so he can serenade you on your birthday.

You can pause a DVD so you can go find out what other movies one of the actors has been in, because it's driving you crazy that he/she looks familiar and you know you have seen he/she in something before, and your husband doesn't believe you but thinks it's someone else, like Marcia Brady (and it's not) because he is terrible with names....and faces.

Yeah, it's really handy.

Recently we were watching this movie with our kids. (It's not nearly as good as the first one, but it was entertaining. Besides, I'll watch anything with Tim and Don.) The kids kept saying that one of the characters looked like "the guy from The Princess Diaries 2," (whose name I could not think of) which was crazy because he probably wasn't even born when the movie we were watching was made. However, I did think that the actor looked familiar, but I figured he was just one of those "Disney-contracted actors" from the 70's who appeared in lots of their smaller films (actually, I think he appeared at least once in every television series aired between 1965 and 1995).

When the movie was over, I watched the credits to see if the name of the actor was familiar. It wasn't, but something about his name clicked in my head, since we had recently watched this movie. So, I looked him up and sure enough.... though it wasn't the actor my kids thought it was, it turned out to be HIS SON. Crazy. How did they know?

Do you see the resemblance?


father

son

IMDb is the coolest site ever.

-

October Review

2010-10-31T22:10:00.001-07:00

I turned 40 this month. Ouch. I had really wanted to go on a trip (just Jay and I) to celebrate, but everything was too expensive. We ended up going to the cabin (it was Fall Break), with my parents, and my SIL/BIL's family. Hooray for the Haslips and their 6 kids for mine to play with!

Ugh! That's a lot of candles!

But I did blow them all out in one breath.... easy peasy!

.... and Grandpa gave the boys a lesson in forestry.

We also picnicked near Sunrise....

The fall colors were gorgeous.....

.... thanks Dad, for building such a great place for our family to be together!

Jay and I often write parodies for special events (family member birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, friends moving away, etc.). We have always written them together. Well, I should say that Jay has never written one without me.... until now. He surprised me by singing and playing his guitar, a parody he wrote for me.... which I shall share with you later. It was sweet and funny, and I won't do it justice by just posting the lyrics here. (I was too "into" the moment so I didn't think to pull out the video camera, and neither did anyone else! Bummer!) It was sweet and funny. Classic Jay.

Last night we went to our ward (local church congregation)/neighborhood party and "Trunk or Treat." The kids' costumes turned out quite good.

Jack as a Luchador...

.... and sans mask.

Mary was very cute as "Pippy Longstocking"

Collin was dressed up as a "Deviled Egg" (an egg with devil horns), but he removed his costume shortly after arriving at the party.... he is that age where he wants to dress up still, but it's not really cool. So, I never got a photo. Oh well.

I looked pretty good too, as Princess Leia, if I may say so myself, though on one bothered to take a picture of me. Humph. :P I got lots of compliments though. (But boy, I look really bad as a brunette.)

My talented husband has some serious pumpkin carving skills.

The Master Story-teller Does Soaps

2010-10-05T11:58:00.005-07:00

I admit that I, like anyone else who has spent more than a few days in a hospital bed in a conscious state, have watched Soap Operas. When you spend a month, as I did, lying in a hospital bed, unable to get up, trying to distract yourself from the pain and despair of your situation (is that a bit dramatic?), there isn't much to do but watch TV to pass the time....and there aren't that many options. At least there weren't for me. Either the hospital I was in didn't have many channels at that time, or they didn't exist. The channels, I mean.

Whatever the case, my options were....game shows (ugh!), talk shows (double ugh!), old episodes of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" (actually, it was pretty funny), and soap operas. The "soaps" seemed to be the most plentiful, and certainly the most distracting. I couldn't even tell you now (11 years later) what the shows were called or what the characters' names were. But I can tell you that their complicated lives and relationships (albeit, very silly and unrealistic) kept me sane during a very dark and difficult time in my life. Those writers really know how to hook you, reel you in, and drag you along. Very long.

I haven't watched any "soaps" since then, but I laugh with fond memories when I think of the ridiculous plots and over-the-top acting. I took an acting class in college from a professor who had acted in soaps, and he talked about what a demanding job it is....constantly getting new scripts and having to learn them quickly, filming daily with little or no rehearsal. So, I guess I can cut them some slack for being so amateurish and hokey.

BUT, over the last few days I have watched all 14 episodes of the most amazing show that I can't help comparing to a soap opera in some ways; each episode ends leaving you dying to watch the next one; it's filled with a huge cast of characters with complicated lives and they are all inter-connected; numerous plot twists and turns; and themes of money, power, social status, deceit, debt, romance and mystery... it has it all.

Unlike "soaps," this show was wonderfully written (by the screenwriter Andrew Davies no less, whom you may not have heard of, but have surely seen something he has written), superbly acted by an extremely talented cast, and not the slightest bit silly (though there are plenty of lavish clothes to be seen). Oh....and it's adapted from a novel by Charles Dickens. You won't see that on "Days of Our Lives."

So, go rent "Little Dorrit" (or check it out from the library, like I did), but let me give you some advice:

1) Don't start watching it until you know you have plenty of time to devote to it, because you won't be able to stop, and you will stay up late. Very late.

2) Turn on the subtitles.... even if you don't have trouble understanding their accents, it helps to keep the characters straight. Trust me. It's complicated.

3) Invite your husband to join you... he will enjoy it just as much as you will. Mine was hooked.

Next I'm going to watch "Bleak House." I'll let you know what I think.

Turkey Trot

2010-10-01T15:44:00.004-07:00

Aaaaaack! I just registered for my first 10K. Now I HAVE to do it.

Yikes!

Anyone want to join me?

Indian Curry

2010-09-20T21:10:00.008-07:00

I wanted to make Indian Curry, so I scoured the internet for recipes. There are a ton out there, and they vary widely. After getting the basic idea, and knowing what ingredients I prefer, I set out to make my own version. I thought it turned out great! Even my kids who initially turned their noses up at it, ended up liking it.

I served it with Naan bread made from "Artisan Bread In Five Minutes a Day" dough. (Totally in love with ABin5, I am.) See how to make it here. It requires a bit of work, and I didn't use ghee (clarified butter) so my kitchen got a bit smoky. But it was worth it! Yum!

What do you know? I finally took a photo
of something I made, and it's a terrible one.

Indian Curry (Chicken or Vegetarian)
adapted from all over the internet

I kind of just used what I had on hand, and I didn't measure anything, so these amounts are all approximate:

3 T. olive oil
1 c. carrots, chopped
4 green onions, chopped (I used the whole thing)
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 T. curry powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks* (OPTIONAL: You could sub in potatoes.)
1 c. greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1/2 can coconut milk (the can was 13.5 oz.)
1 T. lemon juice

Saute the veggies and garlic in the oil until almost tender; stir in the seasonings and sugar, and cook a minute or 2 longer. Add remaining ingredients and simmer about 5 minutes. Serve over rice or with naan bread. (I wrapped it in a piece of bread for my kids to make it easier for them to eat, but I just tear off a piece and use it to scoop.)

*I used chicken breasts that were already cooked and just cut them up. If you use raw, just saute the chunks after the veggies and then simmer a little longer until the chicken is cooked through.

Salmon For Supper

2010-09-14T20:18:00.003-07:00

My brother-in-law went salmon fishing in Alaska and brought us some of his catch. I cooked it for dinner tonight and it was fabulous! Everyone raved and wanted seconds. It was moist and flavorful and delicious! I wish I had some photos to share, but I will tell you what I did.

I rinsed the filets (left them wet) and spread on some mustard (I just had plain old French's yellow mustard). Then I rolled them in a mixture of bread crumbs and a "garlic rosemary" seasoning blend (obviously garlic & rosemary, plus salt & pepper, dried onion, red bell pepper and lemon peel) that I had in my pantry. I drizzled each with some olive oil and baked at 450 degrees for about 8-10 minutes (I think).

I served it with homemade Rice-A-Roni (we love this....see recipe below) and steamed broccoli (a staple at our house) with butter and seasoned salt (good ol' Lawry's!). If I may say so myself, it was a perfect meal, and my family thought so too.

Rice-a-Roni
(adapted from my mother-in-law)
2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1-2 T. dehydrated chopped onion
1 c. rice
1/2 c. tiny pasta (I use either orzo, alphabets or stars)
2 T. chicken soup base granules*
1-2 tsp. ground ginger (depending on how much kick you want)
1 T. dry parsley
2 1/2 c. water

Heat oil over medium high heat; add garlic and onion and saute briefly; add rice and pasta and saute 1-2 minutes. Add seasonings and stir well. Add water and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about 25 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir before serving.

* I have this awesome one from my MIL which I think totally makes the recipe. I'm sorry if you don't have a good one. :(

Building a Bike

2010-09-01T09:34:00.010-07:00

Jay knows a lot about bikes, because he built his own as a kid, by scavenging parts from old bikes his mom would bring home from garage sales. He decided to teach Collin to build his own. They started by buying an old junky bike off Craigslist that had a decent frame.

They stripped, sanded, sanded, sanded, sanded, primed, painted, painted and painted.....

.... assembled, fixed, replaced, etc.

It turned out quite nice. All the neighbor boys are quite impressed, and Collin is very pleased with the result.

Jay is an awesome dad. He can fix anything, and he loves to teach our boys how to "do stuff."

Determined.... Sort of

2010-08-01T13:36:00.004-07:00

I have a lot of "stuff" stored in my garage that I used for teaching preschool music classes. Today, Jack started begging me to get out some of the toy instruments and play with them. I really didn't want him to get them out (he makes a mess and tends to break stuff), but the constant pestering finally wore me down.

I reluctantly said (with the trademark "Mom Sigh"), "All right." He quietly cheered his victory ("yay!") and headed for the garage. I said, "But watch out for scorpions, because Daddy killed a really big one in there yesterday." (That is the absolute truth.)

Barefoot Jack didn't say anything, but stopped in his tracks, detoured from his route to the garage, and walked toward the bedroom. I smiled to myself, thinking that was the end of it.

A minute later he clomped back toward the garage wearing Collin's huge hiking boots, and said, "I'm going to wear these, just in case." As he walked through the garage door, I couldn't help laughing out loud, and thought, "Well, I guess he deserves to play with them, if he is that determined."

Not a minute passed before Jack walked back through the door and announced, "I changed my mind. I don't want to play with those anyway."

That's my boy. I'm terrified of scorpions.

Wedding Weekend

2010-07-27T10:55:00.007-07:00

I am way behind on my blogging, but I have to tell you that I had the most incredible time in San Diego this weekend for my brother's wedding!

My family (most of us) stayed in a gorgeous house in LaJolla with this incredible view.
A photo doesn't do it justice, of course.

I took a ton of photos, but I'm not going to bother posting them, because my brother (another one) took incredible ones with his $8000 camera (well, not actually HIS, but borrowed from his summer internship employer, Adobe Photoshop!), so they put mine to shame. Check them out here.

Everything was lovely, and I am so pleased to have a wonderful new sister-in-law. She is awesome, and so is her family. All of my family was there, except for one of my sisters who is about to deliver baby number 5 any day, so she couldn't come.

So, since I'm too lazy (and embarrassed) to post the photos I took, here are some from Sarah.

(my fabulous sisters and SILs)

Maybe I will post some of my photos later.

My International Kid

2010-07-16T11:48:00.003-07:00

What's up with Collin? Lately he has taken to speaking with a fussy British accent, or a silly French accent and saying "Oui, oui" all the time. He even throws in a bit of German.... I just heard him say "Achtung" just now.

Where did he learn this? Is this normal behavior for an 11-year-old boy who is bored with summer and ready to go back to school?

Crazy Eyes

2010-06-29T07:13:00.001-07:00

I just had a really good laugh at this. I suppose maybe you have to be in the right mood, but I was actually in tears!

-

Book Recommendations

2010-06-22T08:58:00.003-07:00

Mary has hit a slump in her reading. Lately she can't seem to find any books she is interested in.

I welcome ANY suggestions you might have for 9-10 year old girls! Help!

P.S. She hates fantasy. She prefers books about "real" people in every day life.

UPDATED: Thank you so much for all of the great suggestions! You all are wonderful! She has read (and liked) many that were suggested, but that's actually a good thing because then I know you are suggesting the kind of books she will like. There were some I haven't heard of, but quite a few I had just forgotten about. Many thanks!

Friday Story

2010-06-19T08:00:00.002-07:00

On Friday, the kids and I met up with Jay at his office, then we headed to downtown Phoenix for lunch at one of our favorite places, District.... then over to the Arizona Science Center to check out the new exhibit (meh, not that great).... then to the AMC Theatre at Arizona Center for a movie (love that theatre.... never busy, even on opening day of a big release kids' movie in the summer!).

We saw "Toy Story 3" in 3-D. Instead of being annoying, the 3-D effect was nice and really enhanced the already incredible animation. I was so caught up in the story (all of Pixar's stories are amazing anyway) that I completely forgot I was watching a movie or wearing 3-D glasses.

Anyway, I loved the movie (have loved all of Pixar's films), but I did NOT love the animated short which preceded the film. I was very disappointed, because I always look forward to them. All of their previous shorts have been funny, clever and gorgeous to look at. This one was flat and the story line was practically non-existent.

It wasn't "bad," just really mediocre... far from living up to Pixar's standards. One of Pixar's production managers said it is "unlike anything Pixar has produced before." Well, he is absolutely right about that, but not in a good way.

Roaring Anniversary

2010-06-17T08:00:00.003-07:00

So, we had our 13th wedding anniversary a month ago, and I'm just getting around to blogging about it. (Gotta do it.) We celebrated with our weekend date, since our actual anniversary was on a Monday.

[It's always fun to get dressed up to go out. I'm not young and/or hip anymore (was I ever?) but I was feeling pretty good about the outfit I had put together for that night. We ended up stopping by my brother's house later, and my very stylish 16-year-old niece complemented me on my outfit! Now THAT'S success!] :)

We had dinner at Roaring Fork. We were taken to a quiet table displaying this.....
... which was a pleasant surprise. We had an amazing soft shell crab appetizer, followed by delicious fish tacos and a mixed grill platter. We couldn't resist ordering a side of their amazing green chili mac-n-cheese too. Oh yum!

And THEN they offered us a free dessert to celebrate our anniversary. We were too stuffed, so we declined. They offered to wrap it up to go, but we still declined because we were headed straight to a movie. So, they offered to keep it for us in the fridge/freezer (a delicious bread pudding with custard and ice cream) so we could pick it up after the show! (And they kept our leftovers for us too!) What service! They were so gracious.

So, then we went to see Ironman 2. I know, that doesn't seem very romantic or appropriate for celebrating our marriage, but I loved it! (I loved the first one too.) I'm a sucker for a good action flick, and besides, it was very funny as well, and had a sweet little love story to boot. :) Perfect date movie after all!

Thank you, Jay, for making the last 13 years amazing.... and thanks for making me laugh every day!

Oh, Garden Tomatoes, How I Love Thee!

2010-06-16T08:00:00.002-07:00

I didn't get around to planting a garden this year. Bummer. But my gracious neighbor invited me over to help myself to her seriously amazing crop of tomatoes!

Oh my. I'm in heaven! I could eat these day and night (and I probably will). What could be better than a freshly picked tomato in a salad, on a sandwich, in a pico de gallo, bruchetta, or whatever. I just cut up a tomato, drizzled on a little EV olive oil, sprinkled it with coarse garlic salt and some basil, and ate it with a spoon.... I felt like I was eating something sinful, it was that good!

Musical Theatre

2010-06-15T20:22:00.004-07:00

Collin and Mary both did 2 week musical theatre workshops, and had their performances last weekend. They were both great shows. They have both been doing the workshops since 1st grade. They love it... they have a blast and learn a lot.

Collin's favorite number from the show... "Officer Krupke" from "West Side Story."

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Bean & Beef Enchiladas

2010-06-15T18:26:00.007-07:00

I like Mexican food, but I usually only order shrimp or fish tacos when I go to a Mexican restaurant. (Tia Rosa's shrimp tacos are TO DIE FOR!) I really like enchiladas, but I would never order that because it's something I can make well (and easily) at home.... and I do.

I like both green and red versions. For years I only made red, but lately I have only been making green.... this version, though I have adapted it again and now I use one can of chicken, 1 can black beans, and 1 can corn, rather than just chicken. I always take it to potlucks and everyone asks for the recipe.

Anyway, I guess it's been a few years since I made red enchiladas, and it sounded good so that's what I made for dinner tonight. They were yummy! Collin had 3 helpings.

It isn't really a recipe, so this is just how I made it tonight. You can adapt it to your taste (less/no meat, more/less beans, less/more cheese, etc.).
Beef & Bean Enchiladas
l lb. ground beef, browned (with or without taco seasoning... I like the extra "kick")
4 c. refried beans
3-4 c. grated cheese (colby, jack, cheddar, co-jack, etc.)
8 flour tortillas (medium burrito size)
28 oz. red enchilada sauce (I prefer Macayo's, a local brand, but use whatever brand you like, or make your own)

Brown beef and add seasoning (follow directions on packet). Assemble by spreading about 1/2 c. beans across the center of a tortilla, add a scoop (1/4 c.?) of beef and a sprinkle of cheese (small handful?); roll up tightly and place in casserole dish (I used a disposable pan because I was feeling lazy about washing dishes!). Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cover with the sauce (I used the whole can, but it would have been fine with less, or just about right if you were making about a dozen). [Since I pack mine into the pan really close together, I like to scoot them around a little to make sure the sauce goes down in the cracks between.] Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. (Or assemble in the morning and put in the fridge until just before dinner on a day when you have a busy afternoon! This also freezes well; just defrost in the fridge the night before you plan to cook them.)

Serve topped with sour cream, lettuce, chopped tomato, olives, whatever. Or plain, the way my kids like it. Oh, what they are missing!

*I don't share a lot of recipes here, so it probably seems like I make enchiladas a lot, since I have 3 recipes for them here, here and here. I assure you I don't make them more than about once a month, but it just seems to be something that wants to be shared, maybe because they are easy to make, and make ahead..... the closest I get to "casserole."

Pomp & Circumstance

2010-06-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Jack "graduated" from kindergarten. Kind of silly, but we parents seem to eat it up anyway. Those little kids thought they were really something! :) I am so glad all of my kids were able to have Mrs. Willis for kindergarten. She is wonderful!

Mary received the Presidential Fitness Award and the "Citizenship Award" (aka "student of the year") for her third grade class. She really is a model student. She loved her teacher (below) and will miss her.
The kids are sad and glad that school is out. They all had a great year and loved their excellent teachers.

Biking

2010-06-12T11:21:00.006-07:00

Did I tell you about my bike? I don't think I did.

When I started working out with Dixie, it had been many years since I had ridden a bike, and never really for exercise.... just for fun. Because of my lack of ability to run (I "jog") she starting bringing her bike and indoor trainer so that I could get my heart rate up more, and strengthen my knee without making it worse.

That's when I realized I needed my own road bike.... especially since I'm training for a triathlon! (I have to keep saying that so it becomes real.) At first I borrowed my father-in-law's old mountain bike. Not quite the same, but it was better than nothing.

Thankfully I am married to an amazing man who KNOWS bikes. After lots of research, and checking Craigslist everyday, we found a Cannondale and got it for $350. (It's about a $1200 bike.) Hooray for Craigslist! It's about 6 years old, but like new since the owner rode it very little and then it sat in his garage for years until he finally decided to sell it.

So, for the last couple of months I have enjoying my bike rides on the canal path.

Until now.
It's really hot outside.

So I have been on the hunt for an indoor bike trainer. They run about $300 retail. Ugh. I have been scouring ebay and Craigslist for one, and even lost a few auctions after getting into bidding wars on ebay. (I hate that.) Then the other day I found one that received great reviews, and no one else was bidding on it! I got it for the opening bid price.... $50. Sweet!

It arrived this morning, and it looks like new and works perfectly! I'm so pleased.

Wanna know some of the benefits of riding indoors?

- I don't have to wear a helmet.
- No dogs run into my path.
- I'm not worried about crashing and falling into the canal when I sprint.
- I don't get sunburned.
- I can attach an electric fan to blow in my face. (I did, and I need it!)
- I don't run over rocks, mud, potholes, or dog/horse excrement.
- I'm not riding against the wind.
- No bugs fly in my face.
- I don't have to smell the stinky canal.

I suppose there are other "benefits" like, I could watch a movie, but I need to focus on my ride. I could also boss my kids around, but that would keep me from my focus too.

But you can bet that as soon as the weather cools off I will be back riding on the canal.

Let My People Go

2010-06-12T08:00:00.001-07:00

In Sunday School this year we are studying the Old Testament. I thought it would be fun for my kids to watch "The Ten Commandments" (1956).... and I wanted to see it again too (it's been a looooong time). Jay had never seen it!

I checked it out from the library (love the library!). We did NOT watch the whole thing in one sitting.... we watched it over 3 days. But I was amazed at how interested the kids were. I thought they might have gotten bored, or thought it was silly/dated, but they were quite intrigued and impressed.

Actually, I was quite impressed too! When you consider how long ago it was made, and the limited technology they had, it is seriously amazing! The costumes and sets are truly spectacular, even by today's standards.

And by the way, Charlton Heston in his prime? What a hunk!
Have you seen it?

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Stung

2010-06-11T08:00:00.001-07:00

It's hot. That means it's scorpion season. Ugh.

Jay has been stung a couple of times, but he is pretty stoic about stuff like and seems to handle pain really well. He goes out in our yard every night and hunts them with his black light.

I am terrified of scorpions, but I have never been stung. (I have come close a few times though.) But I have always been more worried that one of my kids would get stung. During the years I had babies crawling around on the floor were really scary for me! I'm afraid I have made my kids paranoid about scorpions.

Well, the other night Collin walked into the bathroom to brush his teeth and stepped on one. He killed it in the process, but not before it stung him. He was pretty freaked out, but finally settled down and went to sleep... with an Advil and an ice pack. He foot was numb for the next day or so.

The next day I asked him if it was as bad as he thought it would be to get stung by a scorpion. He shrugged and admitted, "Nah. It actually wasn't a big deal." I'm just glad it happened to his practically-teenaged-body (holy cow, he is getting big!) instead of as a toddler.

The NEXT day he went to the doctor for his Boy Scout physical and had to get two booster shots for 6th grade. He said those were worse than the scorpion sting!

Remembering Collin's Birth

2010-06-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this the other day..... Jay's version of Collin's birth. It has been years since I read this, so I enjoyed a good laugh like I did the first time. It's quite skewed (in more ways than one), and very different than my own version of the events, but I thought you might enjoy it too.

[If you know Jay, you can imagine him saying this. If you don't know Jay, you might be confused, so let me explain that people often say that Jay could have had a successful career as a stand-up comedian (thank goodness he didn't choose that). ]

Collin's Birth
by Jay
May 11, 1999

We've had an eventful week. The week before didn't end too well as I was at work Friday and the Arrowhead water guy comes around the corner and hands me a free bottle of water as an anniversary gift... I guess it had been exactly one year since we changed from Hinkley & Schmitt, and I forgot. After that I was hoping that the baby would come the next weekend because that water guy was pretty upset that I had forgotten our special day and I didn't think that I wanted to face him that next Monday.

Well, as luck would have it, Alice went into the hospital (1) Monday morning as I was trying to think up another excuse to stay home. Alice was in labor all that day and through the night. My parents dropped by around dinner time with some Chinese food that smelled especially good to Alice since she wasn't allowed to eat. Unfortunately, they forgot to bring utensils, so it looked like I couldn't eat either. With any other kind of food this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the rice and chicken bits were impossible to handle. I though they must have some utensils in one of the 10,000 drawers in our little delivery room, so I started looking. After snooping through all of those drawers, I found these shiny salad forks that were better for scooping up rice than any fork or spoon (all of the food falls off of those things by the time you get them to your mouth anyway). These things were like sterile shovels for food.

Alice had read several books to learn more about baby deliveries, but nothing seemed to happening like the books said it would. The labor pains affected by the pitocin were getting to be (2) so intense that the nurse recommended an epidural. I wasn't sure about Alice, but I knew I couldn't take these contractions much longer. Before the non-English speaking anesthesiologist could do her work I had to sign a waiver that said that epidurals may cause drowsiness, metallic taste in the mouth, tingling in the feet, or death. The "death" part concerned me so I asked the doctor if that had ever happened. She assured me that it hadn't, but they had to put it in the waiver to make it worth their lawyer's time. Well, she knew just enough English to make you think she had no idea what she was doing. She just kept saying, "Blah, blah, blah, uh-oh, dat is bera bad.... can you still fill you ligs?" After it was all over though, the pain was less and the labor went faster (3).

Finally, at 2:46 a.m. Collin was born all at once (4). I had never seen this kind of thing happen before.... he was so long that the doctor seemed to keep pulling him out for some time... kinda like the beginning of "Star Wars" when that Imperial Cruiser is going overhead and it keeps going and going and going. He had hair all over him and when they put that little ski cap on his head, he looked ready to knock over a Circle-K, except he had no clothes on, and he was purple (5).

I've had the past week off from work and have been able to spend some time with my good wife and the boy. He cries a lot, but it's like everyone said, "It's different when it's your own child." I just keep thinking of the day when he'll be mowing the lawn on Saturday morning while I stroll leisurely around the house, and it all seems worth it. The neighbors have been bringing by the most mysterious things for dinner ever since Alice got home from the hospital. There should be a law against mixing rice, cottage cheese, meat, and zucchini for human consumption, but until then, it will continue to show up on our doorstep with a note that says, "Cook @ 300 degrees for 30 minutes, and then, throw it away.... far away."

____________

FOR THE RECORD:

1) I did NOT go into labor on my own.... my water broke and 24 hours later I was forced to go to the hospital and put on a pitocin drip. Ugh.

2) "Getting to be intense?" Whatever.

3) The labor did NOT go faster after the epidural.... 9 hours more is NOT fast! (18 hours total)

4) Collin did NOT come out all at once.... it was very slowly during 2 hours of pushing!

5) Dark purple.

Read-Aloud

2010-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

We like to read aloud to our kids, even long after they can read by themselves, just because it's a great bonding time. Plus, it's a different experience to hear a book read aloud than just reading it silently.

Some books are great for reading aloud, and others just aren't as good. Last year I read "The Penderwicks" to my kids. It's a great story, lots of fun and adventure, and absolutely nothing bad. All of my kids enjoyed it, and I quite enjoyed it myself. I am reading the sequel to them now, "The Penderwicks on Gardam Street." It's great fun. I highly recommend both books.

What books have you found to be great for reading aloud to your kids?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love peanut butter cookies, but only when they are soft and chewy, and not hard and crunchy or crispy, which seems to be the result of most recipes I have tried.

Even more than PB cookies, I LOVE anything that combines chocolate and peanut butter. Oh yum! It's a perfect combination.

Well, I found the perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Holy cow, it's delicious! AND, it's super easy. You can make the dough in about 2 minutes, and you only need a bowl and a spoon... no mixer. It's actually a "Kids Recipe" from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.

When you look at this recipe, you are going to think it's wrong because several basic cookie ingredients are missing. Because of the fat in the PB*, there is no butter in the recipe, hence no creaming-of-butter-and-sugar involved. And very little sugar because the PB also has that, along with salt. But the surprising thing is, there is no flour! Trust me, it's perfect. Just make the recipe as is, and let me know what you think!

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 egg
1 c. creamy peanut butter*
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crack egg into a large bowl and beat with a fork. Add remaining ingredients (seriously, just dump them in) and stir with a wooden spoon (or whatever) until combined and smooth. Make 24 balls, place on cookie sheets, and press with a fork in two directions to make a crosshatch pattern. Bake 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. (Don't overbake!) Let cool on pan. (They will continue to "cook" a little bit while they cool.)

Pour a cold glass of milk and ENJOY! These will stay soft, even after a few days! (If you can go that long without eating all of them.)

* I only use "real" peanut butter (just peanuts and salt, or sometimes just peanuts... I like Trader Joe's) for sandwiches . Unfortunately, for this recipe you need what I refer to as "junk peanut butter" with all the additives (i.e. JIF, Skippy), since you need the fat and sugar already included. I can't stand to actually "eat" the stuff, but I bought it (the cheap Wal-Mart brand) just to make these cookies.

Moonwalk

2010-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

I overheard my kids talking about doing "the moonwalk." One by one they each tried to do it, while the others loudly protested that they were doing it wrong. And, of course, they were doing it wrong. I just smiled and watched their feeble attempts.

However, when the debate got a bit heated, I finally stepped in and said, "You are ALL doing it wrong." They opened their mouths, ready to argue, but I continued by adding, "I will show you how it's done."

By now they were scoffing at me, and I could see the skepticism on their faces. I can imagine what was going through their minds.... "Ha! Our old Mom doing the Moonwalk? No way! What a joke!"

Those little fools. They failed to realize that I was a teenager in the mid-1980's. I should have made a bet. I could have had them waiting on me hand and foot for the next month.

But I simply said, "Stand back!" Then, I proceeded to Moonwalk across the kitchen floor. Perfectly. No, I had not forgotten how. All those many hours of practicing when I was 13 paid off. MJ would have been proud.

I turned back to my kids with a smile. They stood gaping at me in shock.

Then came their awed whispers of, "Wow!" Then loud exclamations of "We didn't know you could do THAT!"

I just shrugged and said, "Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me."

A couple of days later, I was at the school for flag ceremony with my kids. As I watched the kids on the playground for a few minutes before it started, Collin came running up with his friends. He turned to them and said, "My mom can Moonwalk!" I saw on their faces those same skeptical looks, which turned to amazement as I performed for them. "Cool!"

Yes, I think I'm the cool mom now.

Departures

2010-06-06T13:42:00.003-07:00

Whew! Now that school is out, I'm finally going to catch up on this blog. I'm trying to keep a record of our life here. I'm going to go WAY back, so bear with me.

In the meantime, I have to tell you about an interesting movie we watched recently. I always have to add the disclaimer that WE DON'T WATCH R-RATED MOVIES, and even most PG-13 movies, unless we watch them on our ClearPlay DVD player. It's the best!

Anyway, it's a foreign film (in Japanese, with English sub-titles), called "Okuribito" ("Departures," PG-13, mostly due to thematic material). An unemployed cellist finds himself accidentally accepting a very unusual job, and learns some profound lessons through his journey. It's at times very funny, sometimes awkward, and occasionally sad, but quite good. It's very different from most American films, cinematically (I think that's a word) as well as culturally. Jay and I really enjoyed it.

I am interested to know what other people thought of it. Did you see it?

Prayers!

2010-05-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

Please pray for Stephanie today!

An Official Announcement

2010-05-11T20:08:00.004-07:00

On Saturday, my older sister completed her first triathlon. I am so stinkin' proud of her! She is not an "athlete," plus she has 6 children, and is.... well.... not a spring chicken (2 of those children are adults). She started working out with Dixie last summer and was my inspiration for starting as well.

Well, she has inspired me again. I'm terrified about this, but here is my official announcement: I'm going to do it too!

Yikes! Thank goodness I have a year to get ready.... I'm going to need it!

But first, I'm going to do a couple of other races:

- Turkey Trot (10K) in November
- Ragnar Relay (202 mi.) in February 2011 (this is pretty terrifying too)
- SheROX Triathlon (May 2011)

I must be crazy!

Help me Dixie!!!!!

-

The Perfect Ending to a Nice Mother's Day

2010-05-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day was very nice. Jay made me a delicious breakfast, the kids sang a beautiful Mother's Day song at church, Jay cleaned my messy kitchen and gave me tulips and Godiva chocolates (heaven!), and my parents came to our house for dinner and we had a lovely time visiting.

[And then the Suns eliminated the Spurs in a 4 game sweep! Sweet! What more could I ask for? :) ]

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

I love being a mother. Best job EVER! I also happen to have the best kids, and the best husband ever, so... yeah... I'm pretty lucky. :)

Collin's Birthday

2010-05-05T10:48:00.002-07:00

Collin turned 11 years old yesterday. He is such a great kid, and we are so proud of him.

Happy Birthday Collin!

I Don't Make Crafts

2010-04-29T14:04:00.006-07:00

It's not that I don't have the ability, but I lack the creativity, and more importantly, the will.

However, I admire what other people create. There are a TON of talented and creative people out there, especially in the blogsphere. I can copy other people's ideas, and most bloggers generously share tutorials. I see lots of stuff I would love to make, but again, most of the time I lack the will.

But occasionally I come across an idea so impressive, so easy, so cool, and so cheap (!!), that I actually make something! There is a great satisfaction that comes from creating something.

This week I stumbled across this. I was impressed enough that it stuck in my mind. And when I happened to be at a dollar store yesterday, and saw what I needed, I bought it, and made it in the same day! (I admit I have purchased supplies to make stuff plenty of times, and then never got around to doing it.)

Of course, I am much less ambitious than the person who came up with the idea, hence my lack of modge-podge. But that's not the look I wanted anyway. I am really pleased with how it turned out. Just $6 for 3 trays, 2 candlesticks, and 1 little glass bowl from Dollar Tree, and some Gorilla Glue from my husband's junk. It was a piece of cake!

Too bad I didn't have a piece of cake to display on it.

New Hair

2010-04-28T10:00:00.004-07:00

Mary got her hair cut yesterday. She gets it cut about once a year. I know, pretty sad. Jackie cut off about 4 inches and gave her some layers. Mary was very pleased.

And that darling headband she is wearing? Jackie made it! I bought several in different colors.

I even got brave enough to wear one myself, and got tons of compliments. I love that they are super comfortable and adjustable.

Multiple Choice Quiz

2010-04-26T18:35:00.003-07:00

Scenario:
You found a new recipe online that sounded good. You made it for dinner tonight and it's, well, practically inedible and your family thinks it's disgusting.

Question:
What do you do?

A. Make your kids eat it anyway. (You can try to make your husband eat it, but I wouldn't recommend it.)
B. Gag is down yourself, pretending to like it, and let your kids go to bed hungry.
C. Admit that it's gross, toss it, and bring out the cold cereal.

I picked B. I really wish I had picked C.

What would you do?

Mustard??!!??

2010-04-17T14:12:00.004-07:00

Jay loves mustard... he puts in on sandwiches really thick, so that it practically gushes out the sides. I mean, he really loves mustard.

I like mustard.... a good amount on a hamburger or hot dog, just a little on a ham sandwich.
Our kids are OK with mustard, most of the time. They like it on hamburgers, hate it on hot dogs.

I have always loved "Alice in Wonderland" (the original Disney version). I don't think I need to tell you why. (I haven't seen the new one... kind of don't want to).

And we all love this (watch it from 1:30 on). And every time anyone in our family says the word "mustard," we can't help responding with "MUSTARD?!!? Don't let's be silly"... and then we all bust up laughing.

Classic.Oh, and we like butter, jam, and sugar too.

Crazy Day

2010-04-15T14:05:00.004-07:00

Yeah, yeah. I know. I've been terrible at keeping up with what is going on lately. But this is definitely a "journal" kind of day.

I worked out with Dixie (personal trainer) this morning at 5:45. (Killer workout, had a break down.... again!.... and bawled like a baby.) I got home at 7:15, rushed to make breakfast, pack lunches, gobble down some breakfast, fix Mary's hair, nag the boys to brush their teeth, and get everyone out the door and in the car to go to school.

So at 8:00 on the dot I was pulling out of my driveway to make it to school in plenty of time. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw a SWAT team in full get-up running toward the house directly across the street from mine. I was obviously a little concerned, but then immediately an SUV pulled up in front of my driveway, blocking my way out. Then 2 large armored trucks pulled up, along with a number of other vehicles (I counted at least 20) from several law enforcement agencies (DPS, state police, ICE, DEA, local police and fire, etc.)

I immediately pulled back into my garage and opened the car door and looked out. Two guys in armor with sniper rifles jumped out of the SUV in front of my house and waved me back, saying, "Get inside!" My kids were panicked, of course, but we all went back in and shut the garage door. We could hear over the loudspeaker they were calling things like, "This is the state police. You are surrounded. Come out with your hands up or we will shoot," etc.

Mary was on the verge of tears, and Collin was kneeling in the corner praying. :) We spent the next hour holed up in our house, since the street and the neighborhood was blocked off and we couldn't leave. (Nor would we have wanted to, as that would have put us in the line of fire.) We couldn't see much out our window (mostly just the snipers in front of our house) because of the (very large) armored trucks blocking the house, but we eventually saw several men brought out in handcuffs. The snipers in our driveway finally stood up with their guns pointing upward, so we breathed a sigh of relief.

After awhile, I got brave and went outside. A DPS officer came over and spoke to me. He said everyone was out of the house and they were going to investigate further, but that the trucks would be leaving shortly, allowing us to get out. I asked if it was a drop house for illegals, and he said, "Well, it's a lot more complicated than that." I didn't ask anymore questions, because I'm assuming he wouldn't have been able to tell me anyway.

The investigation has been going on all day, with mostly ICE and DEA officers still hanging around. There are still plenty of official people and vehicles coming and going though. Two women were being questioned in the front yard, and 2 very small children are with them. Sad.

I saw on the news that there are several other "busts" like this going on around the valley. Thankfully there were no shots fired, and everyone is safe. And the kids made it to school in time for recess. :)

I was bombarded with phone calls from my neighbors all morning.... of course they wanted to know what was going on.

What a crazy day.

Here is an illustration Jack made of the "incident."

Recent Discoveries

2010-03-29T13:12:00.005-07:00

1) Listening to Owl City motivates me when I'm working out, especially this song, and this one.

2) Listening to Owl City motivates my 6-year-old to get his homework done fast, without complaining!

So much for the Mozart Affect.

Send a Message

2010-03-22T13:48:00.007-07:00

I usually avoid getting involved in controversial issues (I admit I stick my head in the sand a lot), but this one seems worth taking a moment to stand for what is right.

If you don't want to read further, I won't be offended (I won't even know). I don't know if anyone even reads my blog anymore, besides family and a few friends.

Here goes:

A friend of mine, who is closely involved with family issues at the UN, recently discovered that copies of a vulgar, sexually explicit and highly controversial International Planned Parenthood booklet entitled, “Healthy, Happy and Hot” was available to girls at a meeting sponsored by the Girl Scouts USA. (You can see the booklet here, but be warned that it is quite explicit.)

Adults were not allowed in the meeting (meaning parents could not hear what was being preached to their own daughters) so my friend was forced to leave, but she managed to get a copy of the booklet from the table by the door.

I find this very disturbing in itself, but I am equally disturbed by the fact that the Girl Scouts of the USA continues to deny that they are associated with IPP and it's programs (read more about it here).

If you would like to stand up and send a message to the Girl Scouts CEO and officers, click here. You simply put your name and email in the boxes and click "send." It literally takes just a minute.

Thanks.

Celebrating Jay's Birthday

2010-03-21T13:39:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was Jay's birthday. I made his favorite breakfast, Eggs Benedict. Personally, I don't like it, because I don't like Hollandaise sauce, but I make it for Jay on special occasions.

[By the way, here is the easy way I make "fake" Hollandaise sauce: Combine 1/4 c. sour cream, 1/4 c. mayo, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 tsp. mustard in a small sauce pan and heat. This is enough to cover 2 eggs. Jay says it's great.]

Jay spent most of the day helping Collin make his car for the upcoming Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. That was how he wanted to spend the day, so he was happy.... especially since he likes how it's turning out.

I spent most of the day (after my 10 mile bike ride....aaahhhh) making a birthday cake for Jay. He usually wants "Hula Hula Dream Cake," but this year he wanted something like it, but strawberry. So I had to get creative.

I found a fantastic recipe* for strawberry cake on allrecipes.com (How do I know it is fantastic since I'm not eating sugar? Well, I accidentally licked my fingers when I was making it.... ooooooops. And besides, Jay said it was. I put a piece in the freezer for me.). I modified the recipe a little bit.

To make it like "Hula Hula Dream Cake," I mixed a large box of instant banana pudding with 2 cups milk and 8 oz. cream cheese and spread that on top of each layer, then covered the whole thing with 8 oz. Cool Whip.

Then Jay and I went to District for dinner. It has become one of our favorite restaurants; we have been at least a half a dozen times and have never been disappointed in the least. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, the atmosphere is nice, and the prices are very reasonable (dinner entrees are $15-$23). (Plus it's in a great location if you are headed to an event downtown afterward.) The menu is changed a bit every season, but there are a few items that always seem to be there, and they are definitely worth trying; the Baked Tomato Soup, the salmon with shrimp risotto, and the short ribs. (The breakfast buffet is delicious too.)

Last night we tried the Shrimp Po' Boy Sliders as a starter. We were kind of sad to not have the tomato soup (we have had it every other time we've been because we love it, but we decided to try something different) but the sliders were excellent! Then Jay had the filet mignon, which absolutely melted in your mouth; it came with potatoes and mushrooms which were also very good. I had the halibut, which was slightly spicy and very delicious, and came with jalapeno cheddar hush-puppies and a crab fondue that was HEAVENLY! I couldn't stop gushing about it every time I took a bite.

Then we walked a block to symphony hall and enjoyed the Phoenix Symphony concert featuring Mozart's "Requiem." It was excellent, as usual. It was a very nice evening, and a great way to celebrate the birth of the man of my dreams. :) (He is going to hate that I put that in.....)

* STRAWBERRY CAKE
(from allrecipes.com with a few modifications)

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry jello
4 room temp. eggs, separated (the recipe didn't separate them, I did)
2 3/4 c. pre-sifted cake flour (I used all-purpose, but I did pre-sift before measuring)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. strawberry puree (I just threw some frozen strawberries in the food processor and chopped them up fine, then measured out 1/2 cup. I put the left overs on top of the filling.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 9" round cake pans. Cream together butter, sugar and gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time; mix well after each. Combine flour and baking powder and stir into batter, alternating with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree. Beat eggs whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. Divide the batter between pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on rack at least 10 minutes before carefully removing from pans.

NOTE: The batter was really thick, making a very dense and moist cake, but that's not necessarily bad. If you want it lighter/fluffier, I would probably add a little more milk and a little less flour.

Spring Break - Day 5 - Around Town

2010-03-19T20:30:00.005-07:00

Today we took advantage of the fabulous spring weather and spent it all outdoors. First we went to the Mesa Community Farmer's Market in downtown Mesa. We sampled lots of yummy things, and bought pasta, a piece of carrot cake (for Jay), cheese curds, and kettle corn. Then we walked down Main Street window-shopping and saw this fun traveling art exhibit.
After lunch we decided to go miniature golfing. I hadn't been in about 15 years, and the kids had never been.
It was really fun. The kids had no idea what they were doing, and didn't seem to care if they got bad scores.
Mr. Competitive (Jay) won, of course. Here he is doing his best professional golfer* impression for the camera after a hole-in-one shot.
It was a gorgeous day, and we had a great time.
Then it was off to Lombardo's for some more fabulous gelato. (I still couldn't have any.) Have you tried it yet?

*Not so long ago I would have said "Tiger Woods" but it turns out he is an idiot, and Jay is not.

Spring Break - Day 4

2010-03-18T21:46:00.002-07:00

Today we had Claire, Jane, Oliver, and Nicholas at our house all day. The kids loved having their cousins over. They especially enjoyed painting together.

Tonight Jay and I went to "The Brass Armadillo" in Phoenix (holy cow, that place is huge.... so much stuff!), and then to "Last Chance" (can't ever pass up a chance to go there). We are such exciting people.

Spring Break - Day 3 - Food & Masterpieces

2010-03-17T22:22:00.006-07:00

For our adventure today, we took the kids to try Indian food at Guru Palace for the lunch buffet.
They acted excited to try something new.... at first. They were a little concerned at how some of it looked, and though they tried everything (I made them) I think they need to be exposed to it a few more times before they like it. They mostly filled up on fruit and naan bread.
Jay spent the afternoon installing new lights on the sides of our garage door (woohoo!) and the kids played with their cousins at grandmary's house.

I bought a few large canvases at Big Lots a while back because they were a really good deal. So, this afternoon I brought them out for the kids to create something.

Here are their finished "masterpieces." (Jack had some help with the tree, and Mary had some help with the eyes.)(That's a flower on her shirt.)

Instead of creating a "masterpiece," Collin made dinner.
He was very pleased with his "masterpiece."

Spring Break - Day 2

2010-03-16T21:49:00.002-07:00

Today we took cousin Oliver with us and headed to the mall (I haven't been to a mall in ages!) and visited the (really expensive... what's up with that?) puppies at the pet store (the closest my poor kids will ever get to owning one), rode the carousel ($2 for one ride? Ugh!), got "Hot Dogs on a Stick" for the kids ($1 Tuesdays? Why not.), played in the kids' zone, waved to the "Easter Bunny" who had zero customers, went to see cuter-than-expected "The Princess and the Frog" ($1 Tuesdays? Sweet.), and ate at Pei Wei for dinner.

Wow, I just got all of that into one very long sentence.

I'm beat. Should we take it easy tomorrow?

Spring Break - Day 1

2010-03-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

Jay took the week off and we are doing fun stuff as a family every day for Spring Break. Rather than leave town when the weather is so nice at home, we decided to stick around and enjoy it.Today we went to the Arizona Science Center in downtown Phoenix. We ended up buying the annual membership since it was a better deal than just paying for one day. (We are looking forward to going back on hot summer days... a large air conditioned indoor space to play.... sweet!) My sister and her family met us there.
Jack had his first experience climbing a rock wall. He did really well, but got a little scared when he looked down just before he reached the top, so he had a little trouble getting down. I don't think he will want to do that again for a while.

(Jack lifting himself with the pulley)

There are lots of fun exhibits... 3 levels of hands-on stuff. We especially enjoyed the "Forces of Nature" immersion theatre where we all experienced a hurricane, tornado, volcano eruption, wildfire, and monsoon storm. I was surprised to actually get wet!

(The flight simulation)

We also really liked the live demonstrations of air pressure and fire. And we got a free visit to the planetarium for signing up that day. We had a grand tour of the planets with a very funny guide.

If it looks like we only took Jack, it's because Collin and Mary took off with their cousins, so we hardly ever saw them.

Fun day! Looking forward to another one tomorrow.

Yummy Food in Not-So-Great Locations

2010-03-14T21:54:00.002-07:00

Friday night Jay and I went to dinner with my parents. We ate at Flancer's, one of our favorite places.... incredible sandwiches (hey, I just realized that's their actual slogan, but it's true!) and awesome french onion soup (Jay hates onions, but loves the soup... go figure!). If you haven't already, try the "It's About Thyme" chicken sandwich, and/or "Two Tickets to Paradise" shrimp sandwich. Yum!

Then we went to Lombardo's Gelato for dessert. It's hard to find good gelato in the United States, so this was a great find (apparently my dad is a frequent visitor since it's located next to his barber shop).

[Bummer for me... I couldn't have any because I'm doing the "No Sugar Baby" 30-Day Challenge from Dixie. (Half-way there!)]

Anyway, here's the scoop.... very reasonable prices, excellent product, and lively conversation with the sweet owner's wife of this family owned and run business. The cups look small, but they really load them up. Give it a try!

It was Jay's first time to eat gelato; he thought he had died and gone to heaven. He had the "Hazelnut Crunch" and said it tasted exactly like a Godiva chocolate. I'm drooling just thinking about it! I think I will be heading there in about 2 weeks.....

What do these two places have in common? They both have fabulous eats, and they are both located in dumpy strip malls. So, don't judge a restaurant by it's location.

Field Trip

2010-03-11T21:19:00.003-07:00

I was a chaperone for Jack's kindergarten field trip to Superstition Farm. Strangely enough, the bus ride was one of the highlights, since the kids normally ride to school in a car.The kids learned all about cows, toured the dairy on a hayride, fed goats, sheep and a horse, and petted chickens and rabbits. Then they tasted flavored milks, played in the hay maze, and ate ice cream.
They are a lively and fun bunch of kids. Here is the little group I was in charge of. Fun day!

Finishing off February

2010-02-28T16:56:00.004-07:00

Thursday night was the Cub Scout Blue & Gold banquet. Each boy was supposed to bring a cake he decorated with his dad. I thought Collin's turned out really cute. I helped by finding the idea on the internet, buying all the stuff, and making the frosting.

Friday night Mary and I went to see "Mary Poppins" (Broadway Across America).... it was so much fun, and the first time Mary had seen a production that big. A very fun show! Mary was absolutely delighted to see the other Mary actually fly across the theatre at the end. Very cool.
Saturday was Jack's last basketball game. He had been talking about it being the last game, and "the day I'm going to get my trophy, Mom." So, I was a little worried when I saw that they were giving out medals instead this year. (Because it's an Olympic year?) Thankfully, Jack was still thrilled.... even more so about the giant doughnut he received as the post-game snack.
Six-year-olds are pretty easy to please.

Roses

2010-02-28T16:50:00.002-07:00

Jay got me these gorgeous roses for Valentine's Day. I am amazed at how long they lasted....I only just threw them away today, and they were still looking pretty good!

Bubble Boy

2010-02-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Jack got a VERY large pack of bubble gum for his birthday. I don't usually let him chew gum, but I finally relented. He was determined to learn how to blow bubbles, and he didn't give up until he had accomplished his goal. I have noticed that he is a pretty determined little boy.

Jack turns 6

2010-02-13T16:39:00.004-07:00

Jack decided to have a "Carnival" birthday party this year. It turned out really fun. I borrowed some "real" carnival games and used older siblings/cousins to run them.
Jay did face-painting, which was a huge hit! There were lots of fun prizes, and corn dogs for lunch.
Another one down... and only 2 more to go. We only do birthday parties until the kids turn 8. I think I will be sort of disappointed though when we are done. Jay and I both like throwing parties.

2010-02-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Jay's cousin passed away recently. He was only my age, with a wife and young children, and it was very sudden. It is quite sad.

Jay and I went to the funeral, in another city a few hours away. We spent one night in Bisbee, a nearby town and sort of tourist destination. We stayed at the Copper Queen Hotel, which opened in 1902 and is the oldest continually running hotel in the state.
The funeral was very nice. He was a Gulf War veteran so he was buried with full military honors. I had never seen one before.... it was very impressive and touching.

Guitar and Basketball

2010-02-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Jay is learning to play the guitar I gave him for Christmas, and doing very well. He takes lessons (with Collin) from a neighbor. I love hearing them practice, and I'm kind of jealous that I'm not learning myself. Jay is a natural!
Jack is loving being able to play with Oliver and Nicholas just about every day. I'm dreading the day they go back to Utah.

Jack has been playing basketball with two of his friends. He does quite well, considering he is pretty new at it. It's so fun to watch these little boys take it so seriously. They have a good coach.

1940

2010-01-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

My Dad turned 70, so my Mom threw a party with a "1940" theme (the year Dad was born). We were supposed to dress up, so I "rolled" my hair (didn't get a photo of myself, but got my sister with "victory rolls" and my mom as "Rosie the Riveter").
The boys all wore their scout uniforms (Collin is still a cub scout, but wore Jay's old uniform, and vintage hat from Jay's grandpa, and Jack wore Collin's cub uniform).

Mary wore her "Dorothy" costume from Halloween... and so did her cousin.
It was a very fun party.

Exhaustion

2010-01-20T09:30:00.003-07:00

Every Wednesday when I workout with Dixie I want to cry, but today I actually DID cry.... literally broke down and sobbed. (I looked at the calendar, and it's not even PMS!) After only 2 sets of the workout! (Five was the plan.) The exhaustion just hit me like a ton of bricks and I felt like I couldn't go on. Of course, she talked me through it and I did two more sets (4 total).

Then I ran 2 miles on Jello-legs. Ugh.

THEN I got back and read an inspiring email from Dixie, and cried again...for a different reason.

THANKS DIXIE! I love you even though I want to curse you sometimes. :)

* I'm down 9 pounds without feeling deprived... eating whatever I want but learning how to control myself and stop eating when I'm no longer hungry.

** If you are ready to change your life, consider signing up at Race Day Training. You can do it anywhere in the world, out of your home.

Ollie and Gigs

2010-01-14T13:24:00.002-07:00

Jack is so thrilled to have Ollie back in town. Every day after school* he rushes to get his homework done so he can go to Grandma's house to play with Ollie.

Today Ollie and Gigs are at our house playing with Jack, Legos, Mr. Potatohead... and collecting potato bugs. And eating peanut butter sandwiches and clementines.

* Jack goes to half-day kindergarten in the morning, and all his friends in the neighborhood go all day, so he usually gets bored in the afternoon without a playmate.

Peace Like a River

2010-01-11T07:29:00.002-07:00

I just finished reading "Peace Like a River" for book club. I really enjoyed it. Leif Enger is a fantastic story teller. I hear there is a movie in the works, so hurry and read it before that comes out.

Run!

2010-01-10T21:08:00.005-07:00

Remember how I ran my first race last month? Yes, 5K/3.1 miles. Remember how it took me an embarrassing 46:36 minutes? Pretty pathetic.

Remember how I could hardly walk the rest of the day and how my knee hurt like crazy for about a week afterward? Oh yeah, you wouldn't remember that, but I sure do.

Guess what! Yesterday, about a month later, I ran 3.31 miles in 36:43... without walking once! That is monumental for me.

AND, my knee isn't killing me!

My new goal = run a 10K (6.2 miles)

Next goal after that = work up to a half marathon

I have been training with Dixie of "Race Day Training." You can workout with her online even if you don't live near me. You can't beat $10 a month. Try it!

Carcassonne

2010-01-09T16:00:00.002-07:00

My parents gave Collin this game for Christmas. Very fun! A great game to play together as a family... it's not complicated, moves quickly, and doesn't take too long to play.

Beau Jest

2010-01-08T15:42:00.001-07:00

Last night I went with my sister to the Hale Theatre in Gilbert and saw Beau Jest. It was so fun! This is actually the first show the theatre produced back when this location opened several years ago... and I saw that one too. It was very well done, both times. A little romance, lots of laughs.... what's not to love?

It plays through February 13th, so there are still lots of opportunities to go see it. You won't be disappointed. Get tickets here.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:33:00.001-07:00

Happy new year! Funny, but we did almost an exact repeat of our New Year's Eve last year..... the kids spent the night at with their cousins, Jay and I had dinner at Carrabba's and sat at the counter (so fun!), and then we went to a movie, which was pretty much the only thing different; last time we saw "Valkyrie" and this time we saw "Sherlock Holmes." Good food, great movie, my favorite dinner companion.... it doesn't get any better than that!

Sledding

2009-12-31T10:33:00.006-07:00

Last night we got back (and I was worried for a while there that we wouldn't.... ran into a snow storm, icy roads, several car accidents/road closures) from spending a few days in Pinetop for some adventures in the snow.

I'm not sure why we wanted to leave our gorgeous desert winter and go freeze, but it was fun.

The kids (and Jay) had a great time sledding (I decided to forgo the sledding and just take photos).

I crack up at these photos because of our mismatched, ill-fitting, "vintage" show gear. Since we are desert dwellers we don't own any, so we have to make due with whatever we can find. Beggars can't be choosers. Jack's coat had a ski lift ticket attached to it.... from 1984.