Fraase Family

Friday Fragments–Guess What?!

2011-10-07T10:28:00.001-05:00

Already Friday? This week really went fast. Thanks to Mrs. 4444’s Friday Fragments, I can try to remember everything and get it all down before the weekend!

It’s been SOOO warm out that we actually turned on the A/C. Fortunately I’m a big procrastinator and didn’t take the window unit out of our room yet. Ahhhh coool, cool air! North Dakota has a bad rap for being cold. My dad likes to call this place “the land of extremes”. This morning I turned on the heater in the car on the way to school. This afternoon the A/C will be on full blast. 30 degrees in one day is not that unheard of. But, alas, it will be snowing soon enough. Sometimes before Halloween.
Speaking of Halloween, Aria has decided she wants to be Rocket from the movie “Sucker Punch”. I blame her dad. I’ve started working on age-appropriate pieces for it. I actually think this might suit her personality really well.
Jackson likes to be a cowboy. Daily. He wears this hat, and a pair of handed down cowboy boots. Oh, and just some underwear. I guess it’s not so much like Woody the Cowboy, more like NYC’s Naked Cowboy. I wonder if the Naked Cowboy ever wears Buzz Lightyear Underoos?

I convinced Daddy that he only needed to mow the outside lawn. I asked him to leave the part inside our fence alone. He uses the bagger to suck up all the leaves, and it looks so pretty beforehand that I hate to see them go just yet. He was happy to quit early and leave me my pretty yard a little longer. Anyway, its been so windy he’ll have to do the whole thing over again soon.

I loved all the color so much I convinced my family, and a few clients to get their family photos done this past week. You can see ours HERE and my other work HERE!
It was our anniversary last month and the in-laws gave us a nice gift card to Famous Dave’s. Never heard of it? If you’re not from the upper midwest, probably not. It’s a FANTASTIC barbeque restaurant with delicious ribs and the yummiest sauces. This is definitely NOT for a first date. We used up all the wet wipes before the meal was over. Instead of napkins, each table has a roll of paper towel. They have this “Meal for 2-3” that is actually served on a garbage can lid (yes, it’s clean!). There was so much food, we ate the rest for dinner. Woody and JC joined us since the other kiddos were in school. YUM!!
Oh, yeah! Guess what?! I’ve always joked that I like to spend at least half of our anniversaries pregnant. This year was no exception. We are expecting Fraase version 5.0 to be available this coming March. I wonder who this one will look like…… Probably not me.

Join Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissing Time to link YOUR Friday Fragments!!

Family Pictures

2011-10-04T23:35:00.001-05:00

I know I’ve been kinda MIA around here, I intend to fix that. Now that things have settled down (as much it will, anyway) and school has started for the kiddos, I may have a bit more time. Fall has arrived in these parts, and just a few weeks ago I had a yard sale. I sat in a camping chair with a blanket and jacket and hot coffee because I was so chilly. Tonight I sat on my steps in shorts and a T-shirt while the kids sold lemonade to the guys (and gals) hauling in the harvest. The big trucks roll right past our house on the way to an elevator where they unload their beans/grain/corn. If the line is long, we end up with customers hopping out of their parked semi-trucks to get lemonade or popcorn. The kids make out pretty well during harvest!! Since the weather has been in the 70’s and 80’s (practically unheard of for the beginning of October!) I convinced everyone we needed new family photos. We went out to a nearby state park and I took my tripod and a remote. I got some nice family shots, although it took me several clicks to get one good one. It never fails, though, that my favorite ends up being a candid.

How can you not love this shot?? Hello, Christmas cards…..

Aria requested one of us together. The goggles? Aria is into steampunk lately.

Here’s all of us. It’s been a while since Daddy and I appeared in a family shot. Now back to the kids…

Happy Fall, everyone! Now, go out and take some amazing and colorful pictures!!!

Amazing

2011-08-29T14:34:00.001-05:00

There are so many things that I can classify in my life as amazing, and I think this is one of them. Saturday night a stranger knocked on our door. After a few minutes we learned that he was my mother-in-law’s long lost brother. He found us through extensive on-line and physical searches through records and archives. Our address just happens to be the same one my husband’s mother had once resided at. (Our home was a boarding house for a long time, she had rented here while finishing high school!)

Sadly, this isn’t my story to tell, but I can tell you some of it. My mother-in-law was the second of five children. They were removed from their parents when their father was imprisoned and their mother was unable to care for them. There were horrible stories that went along with the life they lead prior to being removed. Some of the children were adopted, a few spent the rest of their minor years as wards of the state in a local orphanage. At the age of 17, MIL was on her own, finishing high school, and working. She was able to remain in some contact with her siblings, but not her younger brother. Both had tried in the past to find each other, but met with many roadblocks.

We invited her brother to join us the next day for lunch. He brought his wife and stacks of paperwork they had found from agencies that had handled their cases, as well as prison records that finally had all lead them to us. We invited my husband’s brother and sister and talked about our plans.

Today my mother-in-law will see her brother for the first time in over 50 years.

Amazing.

Friday Fragments–Comeback

2011-08-25T22:58:00.001-05:00

I’ve been MIA for a while and I have so much to tell you. I’m excited to use Mrs. 4444’s Friday Fragments as a nice little way to make myself a list of ALL the stuff I need to come back and blog about!

After the March to Mandaree, I took some time to relax with my family and unpack. We’ve mostly cleared out our camper of stuff, but we were hoping to use it one more time before school started. Hmmm… maybe a weekend during the fall will work out better.
I got a new French press coffee maker and I think I’ll never go back to an electric one again.
We are planning on switching our current living room with our current master bedroom. I know it sounds strange, but our house used to be apartments, so they’re really both living rooms anyway.
I had a tumor removed from my neck. I’ll tell you more about that later. I’m fine now, a little sore, and rocking a cool scar.

We visited my relatives in Wisconsin and wished we could have stayed longer. Even my mom came from Washington, so it was awesome! This is a picture of mostly great-grands and a few grandchildren for my mom’s mom’s side, and not all of them either. My mom is the oldest of seven, and we like kids. A lot.

While we were in Wisconsin, Daddy and I escaped for a day and took the commuter train to Chicago. We googled a restaurant he’d seen on Travel Channel AND Food Network. We found it and gave it a try. It wasn’t bad, not OMGosh-I-Have-to-come-here-again great, but good anyway. The journey was just as fun.

Our kids go to school almost a week before any other school in the area, so their first day was this past Monday. Piper started Kindergarten, Max is in Second, and Aria in Fourth. Wow. Now JC is super bored without anyone to entertain him at home.

We did a lot in the last month, and I’ll get around to blogging more now that we’ll have a routine again. I’m hoping to pick up more hours at work to keep up with our finances right now. I look forward to THAT being better, too.

Have a good weekend!! And don’t forget to stop by Half Past Kissing Time and join in!!

Fix it Friday–Sun flares

2011-07-21T22:45:00.001-05:00

I haven’t done I Heart Faces’ Fix It Friday in a while and this lovely shot caught my eye. Even without work, you can see the potential.

Opening this in Photoshop, I tried doing an all-over level adjustment, but I wasn’t happy with what I was getting. I went in with my dodge tool and lightened midtones in his face and some of the foreground as well as a few streaks of sunlight on his shoulder. Then I used the burn tool to darken some of the shadows on his clothing and his long lashes! The sponge tool let me saturate just the tall weeds and the blue areas in the sky. I also used the clone tool to get rid of most of the lens flare on the bottom right. A little contrast made all the difference at the end. It’s more of a tweak than an all-out change, but I like it!!

Want to play along? Visit www.iheartfaces.com .

On the shore of Lake Sakakawea

2011-07-12T09:13:00.001-05:00

Saturday before the 4th of July, we spent most of the day at the 4 Bears Powwow in New Town, ND. While I was enamored with all the dress and music, my kiddos were getting pretty tired of sitting around while I endlessly snapped pictures. I decided to grab some drinks and take them down to the camping area where they could play in the water and be free for a while. Arnold (our new friend and walker who was along for M2M) told me the lake was really high and usually there is a swimming area, but its currently under water. That didn’t stop the kids from getting their feet (and everything else) wet.

Homemade Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

2011-07-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

First, let me start with a history on how the Shepherd’s pie came to be the masterpiece we’ve created at our home. When my husband was deployed to Afghanistan, there were times when his platoon was in an area where the good old “mess hall” wasn’t really an option. Putting together what they had, my husband made his men a version of Shepherd’s pie that they still talk about 5 years later. The meat they got was hamburger cooked over an open fire, salt from a local vendor, instant potatoes, and whatever vegetables they could get ahold of. Since coming home, we have made it many times (with a greater selection of ingredients!) and we’ve come up with this recipe, which we love to serve when we have guests.

Ingredients:

4 cups of seasonal vegetables, diced (we used onions, carrots, green beans and corn)
1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves aged garlic (ours were unintentionally aged!)
3 strips of thick cut bacon (we prefer to trim the fat off)
1 1/2 cup chopped chicken (leftovers are perfect for this!)
3 cups mashed potatoes (instant or real, prepared with Knorr Concentrated Homestyle Chicken Stock)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 packets Knorr Concentrated Homestyle Chicken Stock
1 tsp smoked (or regular) paprika
1/2 tsp white ground pepper
1 TBS flour
1 egg
One small jar pimentos
Extra virgin olive oil

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes (and SO worth it!)

Shepherd’s Pie Filling

Dice the vegetables, slice the bacon, and crumble the chicken into separate bowls.

In a skillet, heat 2 TBS olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves and sauté bacon until crispy. Next add ‘hard’ vegetables (carrots in this recipe, however, turnips, parsnips, broccoli, celery if those are the seasonal vegetables you prefer), and continue sautéing until the carrots are heated through, but still have most their raw crispness (three to five minutes). Next add to the mixture the ‘soft’ vegetables (in this recipe, we used green beans, corn, and onion). Heat through and remove from heat. Place into a mixing bowl, drain and add the jar of pimentos, and set aside.

Shepherd’s Pie Sauce

Deglaze the frying pan with 1 1/2 cups of white wine (add it to the pan while the pan is still hot). Bring wine to a simmer. White cooking sherry will do nicely as a nonalcoholic substitute, if you prefer. Add one 4.66 oz. Knorr Concentrated Homestyle Chicken Stock. Whisk until evenly distributed. Next, whisk 3/4 cup sour cream until evenly mixed. Reduce heat and simmer. Add 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp ground white pepper, and 1 TBS flour. Mix well, and allow to reduce the sauce until thickened. Pour over the Shepherd’s Pie Filling and fold both together.

Mashed Potatoes

If you are making instant potatoes, use Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock instead of plain water. If you are making traditional mashed potatoes, boil them in Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock.’

Thoroughly beat one egg. To temper the egg mixture (raise the temperature of the eggs without scrambling them), take about 1 tsp of still-hot mashed potatoes and whisk into the beaten egg. When mixed, add 2 tsp more of still-hot mashed potatoes, and mix until the beaten egg becomes thicker and more velvety. Pour the tempered egg over the rest of the mashed potatoes and fold them together. Having the tempered egg in the potatoes, or even brushed over the mashed potatoes will allow them to crisp to a golden brown.

The Big Finish

Place the filling in your cooking vessel (ours was about 8’ x 10’ x 4’). Spread the filling to an even depth and cover with the mashed potato mixture. Smooth the potatoes and score with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for thirty to forty five minutes (until the potatoes turn golden brown). Let cool before serving, serves 4-6

Four Bears Powwow

2011-07-06T08:32:00.000-05:00

We were welcomed with open arms to the Goodiron family and I can’t even describe how good that felt. They were so wonderful to us while we were in Mandaree. “Our home is your home.” They allowed us to be part of the family. One of the events going on that same weekend was the Four Bears Powwow. I have never been to a powwow in my life, so seeing it was not only a first for my kids, but for my husband and me, too. It was amazing. I loved every minute of being there. If JC would have been more cooperative, I think I would have stayed until dark. I also think if I had stayed, I would have run out of space on my camera’s memory card. The experiences our family had during this trip were very special, I’m so glad we were able to make it happen.

March to Mandaree–Home

2011-07-05T09:31:00.001-05:00

Sunday was the final day of the March to Mandaree. We walked together for the last miles down to Nathan Goodiron’s grave site for a service and breakfast. Words were spoken from the heart and taps played. It was a beautiful service on a beautiful morning. It was also a bittersweet ending to this 415 mile journey. The roads were long but the sacrifice was worth the remembrance of these fallen heroes. Chris Kleinwachter. Travis Van Zoest. Curtis Mehrer. Nathan Goodiron. Remember those who have given everything.

Learn more about March to Mandaree at www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com

March to Mandaree day 15

2011-07-03T01:18:00.001-05:00

Today we marched to the home of Nathan Goodiron. Today was our homecoming. Along with family and friends we walked the 4 miles to Paul & Harriet’s and were welcomed with amazing food and stories. Sunday at 8:30 am will mark the official end of this journey as we together march the very last miles to Nathan’s grave where a service will be held. Everyone is invited to attend, even if you are unable to walk along.

To learn more about March to Mandaree and how you can support our efforts, please visit www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com .

Almost there

2011-07-01T00:24:00.001-05:00

Not many more steps now until we arrive in Mandaree. Until we have access to internet once again I can share just a few things.

Over the weekend we were hosted by several families and would like to thank the Simmers, Mehrers, and Baumann families for all of their hospitality. The National Guard in Bismarck also hosted a picnic for us which was wonderful. We appreciate everything our hosts have done for us.

Day 12 we arrived in Hazen and were met by Patriot Guard from Bismarck. We were hosted 2 nights by the Johnson family (thank you!)

Day 13 we were escorted out by a Hazen fire truck and friends. That evening we were welcomed into Beulah with a picnic by the extended Goodiron family. We were also treated to rooms at the hotel (kids+pool=happy!) by the generosity of the O'Berry family. The Beulah Beacon had a great front page story about the march.

Day 14 puts us in Kildeer and ready to march into Mandaree tomorrow. We will be joined in the last 4 miles by any man, woman, and child that wants to participate. We have been in such good hands and we can't wait to be there!

To learn more and how you can donate to help us March to Mandaree, please visit www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com

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March to Mandaree day 9 & 10

2011-06-28T16:48:00.001-05:00

Day 9 March to the Capitol

Day 10 Graveside Service for Mehrer and Van Zoest

More photos of these and all the days are available by clicking HERE.

To learn more about March to Mandaree and how you can support our efforts, please visit www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com

Getting to Happy – a BlogHer Book Club review and giveaway!

2011-06-25T08:02:00.001-05:00

I finished reading “Getting to Happy” by Terry McMillan for BlogHer Book Club. This is the sequel to her book, “Waiting to Exhale”. If you were a fan of the movie or have read her book, you’ll enjoy finding out what happens next….. want to find out what I thought? Head over to BlogHer Book Club and read my review HERE. Comment on your thoughts back here and I’ll choose one commenter to receive a copy of this book!!!

March to Mandaree days 5 thru 8

2011-06-25T02:53:00.001-05:00

Days 5 and 6 were cold and rainy. That kept us from taking too many pictures, but the guys went out each morning and endured. I stayed at the campsite and tried to maintain my sanity while entertaining kids who couldn’t play outside. Tuesday (day 5) Nathan Kemp, a war buddy, joined Steve and Arnold for the march despite the rain. We decided to stay at Jamestown RV park rather than move the whole camp ahead and chose to do the same Wednesday. This was the first time our kids have spent any time in Jamestown other than passing through, so we made sure they got to see the world’s largest buffalo.

We saw “White Cloud” the white buffalo.

I visited the old family homestead (hahahaha!!)

The weather was pretty cold and windy, but by Thursday (day 7), the clouds parted and we saw some sun!

The photos I’ve pulled from the cameras this week are amazing. I am keeping a gallery HERE that I will update as time (and internet service) allows.

We’ve kept on schedule, getting started each day around 4:30 or 5 am and usually finishing by lunch time. Thursday night we camped in Hazelton and we reached Bismarck by Friday (day 8) afternoon. The Goodiron Family met us to escort us in, and members of the Mehrer family marched in the last 5 miles.

Due to flooding we are NOT camping in General Sibley park, but at the Bismarck KOA, where we will spend the next 3 nights. We plan to march from the armory to the capitol at 9 am Saturday morning. There is also scheduled to be a graveside service for Mehrer and Van Zoest in the Veteran’s Cemetery at 12:30 pm Sunday.

We are so grateful for the welcome into Bismarck and look forward to meeting up with everyone before we move on Monday morning. Thank you to all the families who have offered meals while we are here, we appreciate it so much!!

To learn more about March to Mandaree visit www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com .

March to Mandaree week one mini update

2011-06-24T09:54:00.001-05:00

We are coming up on the end of week one on this march. Until we are back in the land of internet, my phone will have to do. The guys are starting out around 4:30-5:00 am each morning to escape marching in the heat of the day, although the last few ended up rainy. We are usually done marching in the early afternoon but we have decided it is in everyone's best health interests to stick to the itinerary as it is (http://marchtomandaree.blogspot.com/2011/05/march-to-mandaree-itinerary.html) and not try to add in extra miles.
This afternoon we arrive in Bismarck! I will post a better update later tonight.
To learn more about March to Mandaree visit www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com .

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Day 3 and 4

2011-06-20T22:47:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned before, the Patriot Guard came to Enderlin early on the morning of the 19th to escort us out of town. Among four marchers, the burden was a lighter one and they finished in good time. We spent the remainder of the day saddling up for our stay in Little Yellowstone park.

Piper got to have a little birthday celebration at our campsite!

Steve and Arnold were up at 4am and ready to tackle day 4 with enthusiasm. They split the miles between them and at the end of today we are still on schedule. When we have enough walkers, we are considering trying to get ahead of schedule if the day allows.

Because the guys didn’t need me today (I’m actually a little disappointed, I like the quiet time walking provides!) I spent the day entertaining the kiddos in the park. We threw rocks in the stream, collected and then freed caterpillars, and played on the nice playground equipment.

For more information about March to Mandaree, click HERE. Our full itinerary is HERE.

If you can’t participate in person, your support in this march is always appreciated. Just click the “Donate” button on the March to Mandaree sidebar to help us with our expenses!!

A quick morning post

2011-06-19T07:58:00.001-05:00

The ND Patriot Guard rode out to escort our marchers out of Enderlin this morning. We were joined for today by Ron Martel, Jr. and Nicole Beston-Martel who came from Mandaree to walk.

Our marchers today (L to R) Nicole, Arnold, Steve, and Ron

To learn more about March to Mandaree please visit www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com

Day 1 and 2

2011-06-18T22:02:00.002-05:00

From Mel:

We are off! We started in Wahpeton and in two days we have arrived in Enderlin. Our first day started out a bit rocky with some rain, but soon it cleared and the past two days have been great. Steve was joined by Arnold Lenoir from White Earth who plans to walk with us the entire way. The White Earth veteran color guard came to start us off as well as some of the Goodiron family. Two news crews came out to film, and several papers published small blurbs about the march.

Day one ended around 5pm with 38 miles behind us, a majority of those walked between Steve and Arnold (I got to finish off leg #3!). Our oldest two, Aria and Max, walked one mile with me as well.

Day two was an early start with both Steve and Arnold walking their leg of the journey at about 5:30 am, I finished after lunch and we had the afternoon to nurse tired muscles and tend to any blisters.

We are all in good spirits and are excited to meet those who will be joining us as in the days ahead!

You can learn more about March to Mandaree at www.marchtomandaree.blogspot.com

March to Mandaree: Day 1

2011-06-17T06:19:00.001-05:00

There are 1.3 million steps from here to Mandaree and to remembrance and healing. Today I take the first.

Follow along on this journey at March to Mandaree’s blog.

Friday Fragments of March to Mandaree

2011-06-09T02:34:00.001-05:00

These last two weeks have been intensely crazy, so I’ve had little time to think, much less blog. Let me sum up what’s going on. I think this is more of a mental list for me, too, so I can get my poop in a group if you will.

Thursday, May 26, we heard about the major flooding happening in the western part of the state (Bismarck, Mandan areas). Hubby called his Guard officers to find out if there was a possibility of activation for flood duty. He was told the chances were slim and to proceed with our Memorial Day plans. Those mostly included grilling with friends while I slept off night shifts at work.
Friday, May 27, I headed off for my first night of work.
Saturday, May 28, 0730 Hubby gets a call to be at the armory at 0900 ready for 10-14 days of activation. I scramble to get him there and find sitters for the kids so I can sleep (which didn’t happen) and get to work.
My In-Laws did their best, then my BFF called and came from 2 hours away to take 3 of my 4 kiddos to her place for the weekend!! I told her I’d find a home for JC for the weekend, five kids at her place should be plenty without the toddler.
I don’t know how I survived the weekend, but I worked all my shifts and headed to BFF’s Tuesday and stayed until the following weekend (and I didn’t bring my computer! gasp!)
I had an awesome time at BFF’s and she offered to have us longer, but she started teaching summer school this week, so I declined.
I have since been trying to do my best to get everything done for March to Mandaree, which may now be postponed at least a week if hubby does not return in time.
Hubby informs me that the 10-14 days he was initially told to prepare for, may be more like 4-6 weeks.
I set up a “Donate” button for PayPal and March to Mandaree
I have also typed up a letter for soliciting donations from local businesses as well as started taking orders on our T-shirts. Do you want to order one? The cost is $17 for any size – we’ll even ship them to you for $3. If you’d like to order online, just use the “donate” button and specify in the comment shirt sizes and shipping address. You can also email us at marchtomandaree[at]hotmail[dot]com

JUST IN: Hubby miraculously came home!!! We are set to March on schedule (as long as they don’t recall him.) We still have a lot of planning to do.

Head over to Mrs. 4444’s Half Past Kissing Time for more Friday Fragments!!

Girl In Translation–a Review!

2011-06-05T22:35:00.001-05:00

I finished Girl in Translation for the BlogHer Book Club, and I would like to let you know what I thought…. So check out my review HERE, and you can read others’ input as well!! Next up: Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan

Updates for March to Mandaree

2011-05-24T17:25:00.001-05:00

My husband and I have spent the better part of today working out the fine details for March to Mandaree today. We called campgrounds and made reservations. We plotted an exact course to march and split the days into legs, and I even made a sign up sheet for those who plan on joining us on this 413 mile journey across the state. Would you like to know more? Please see us here:

March To Mandaree

Friday Fragments

2011-05-20T09:10:00.001-05:00

I’d like to thank Mrs. 4444 who thinks I am (or maybe its just my kids are) funny and for giving me the lovely Favorite Fragmenter award last week …

Let’s start off with Jackson’s Naughty list: (This is just the major stuff from the past week or so)

stole several hamburger buns (on several different occasions, despite several attempt to place them out of reach) and ate them, or left parts in random places throughout the house
spread powdered pancake mix through 3 rooms down stairs, including on a couch
stole the ice cream bucket and ate the last two scoops…. with his hands…..while on the downstairs couch
emptied the last of a ketchup bottle on to his plate, leaving it covered about 1” thick
dumped a small cup of sandbox sand on the family room couch
threw several card and board games down a flight of stairs
stole a bag of chips and ate them outside Piper’s bedroom (and left a pile of crumbs behind)
applied daddy’s Body Glide (anti-chafing stick for athletes) to his forehead while chanting “BODY GLIDE!BODY GLIDE!!”
colored inside his belly button and all over his arms with a green marker, several baths later his belly button is still green

That kid acts like we don’t feed him. I wonder if it’s the thrill of the hunt?

The three oldest ran in the kids marathon last night, well Piper rolled. It was her best option, she can’t do distance and she was disappointed to not participate last year. They all received medals and t-shirts. Tonight MIL and I do the 5k. The full and half marathon is Saturday morning. There will be live bands in driveways all along the 26 mile route!

I took photos for the “Bit of Norway” celebration here in town. Many of the photos ended up in the local paper, including my two vikings…

There was a parade, the kids got to throw candy. It was chilly and rainy, but a viking doesn’t let that get them down!!

Being the super awesome parents we are, Aria never had her birthday party…..in OCTOBER. So we are throwing an end-of-school party for her. She decided not to call it a birthday party so that one of her friends can attend (their beliefs do not include birthday celebrations, so she never gets to go to parties). I made these cool invites, and we ordered fun rock star stuff from Oriental Trading Co. like inflatable guitars and crazy glasses. I’m going to make back stage passes with their pictures on them when they arrive!

Its officially kebab and beer season. Just sayin.

Today is the last day of school for the kids. They had “Play Day” on Tuesday where they do fun relay races and play outside all afternoon. The parents are invited to watch. Everyone places and gets ribbons for events.

I’ve been watching a bird’s nest on our swing set. There are now THREE eggs.
More adorable photos I’ve taken this week HERE!!!

Moving In

2011-05-19T11:43:00.001-05:00

I found something in the yard this week. At first I thought the kids put it there. Do you see it?

How about now?

There, on the swing set.

She has moved in.

And apparently made herself at home.

REALLY at home.

Getting those cake pops right

2011-05-18T22:36:00.001-05:00

I NEED to practice to get something just right. At least, that’s my excuse for making cake pops over and over again until I perfect them. A lot of imperfection means many many cake pops that I need to eat! I first made them last winter, and again this Christmas. I volunteered to make snacks for the kids’ classes just so I had a chance to make more delicious treats. I got the recipe HERE from Bakerella, who makes the most amazing treats. This time around I decided to go with the cupcake pops. You can see the basic recipe there, but here’s what I found I need to do the job right.

You need your coffee (goes well with the chocolate cake pops, especially), your phone, and your favorite Korean drama all at the counter to really get down to work.

Oh, you also need cake (I did one strawberry and one chocolate). Baked and ready to crumble. I used a recipe I found for cream cheese frosting, but DON’T use the entire batch on one cake or you’ll end up with mushy cake balls. Mix the crumbled cake and fresh frosting to make a nice play-doh consistency. On waxed paper, roll out half dollar sized balls and stick them in the fridge or freezer (or outside around here) to cool. Because I am making the Cupcake Pops this time, I had to get out my little flower-shaped cookie cutter. I originally got the set for cutting things in our Bento boxes. The flower shape forms the bottom half of the cupcake.

Stick them back in the fridge again while you get your chocolate ready in the double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, try a larger glass or metal bowl perched over your pot of hot water. I’m terrible with the microwave, so I’ve never tried to melt my chocolate in there, but I’ve heard that works, too.

I used chocolate bark for the bottom half. Dip the bottom in the melty chocolate and shake off any excess, let them cool bottoms up. Dip the candy stick and insert them before the chocolate hardens. Once again, throw them in the fridge while you melt your chocolate or bark for the top half.

I used white chocolate chips for the top, and a few drops of food coloring to make it fun. Be careful with the liquid food coloring, it doesn’t like to play well with chocolate. You’re better off with the gel, but I got it to work.

Dip the top half to meet the chocolate, then immediately top with sprinkles or candy before it hardens. I used a foam packing block to stick the finished pops in until they were cooled.

Once they were hardened, I put them in a bucket for the kids to take to school. Fortunately in a small town like this one, we’re still allowed to bring home-made treats. They were a big hit!! I also kept a bunch for me, you know, the imperfect ones…. just in case I needed a fix.

DIY Camera Bag/Purse

2011-05-13T13:28:00.001-05:00

Yes, like some of my fellow photographers, I’ve been drooling over some very cool & stylish hand bag/camera bags that retail for upwards of $150. I actually picked out and was preparing myself to hand over $169 for an Epiphanie bag when I noticed Jamie at Mommy’s Camera posted about making your own bag. Duh. I am firmly a ~~cheap~~ frugal mom who’d take two days and make something rather than shell out the big bucks. Of course I can make my own!!

I knew what I wanted in a bag, so I set out to find one that I really liked. I had my mind set on pink when I came across this plum-colored bag. It has the shorter handles as well as a detachable shoulder strap. It’s almost empty inside except for side pockets and has a nice square bottom. I wanted a zipper closure because I can never seem to keep my current purse snapped shut once its stuffed full. This even has a few outer pockets as well. I found it at Target and paid $29, which, truthfully, is more than I’d normally pay for a handbag, but my budget was “anything less than $169” so it fit. (Those would be Jackson’s decorations on the door.)

Next I hit the fabric store for my supplies. I thought I was going a bit overboard on supplies, but these turned out to be pretty close with the size of the bag. I got 2 sheets of the high-density foam for padding (I used most of both), 2 yards of sew-in velcro (some leftovers, but I use this stuff often) and 1-1/2 yards of a cute cotton print that looked good with my bag. I think one yard would have been plenty, but again, I can use it for other things. I chose a light colored fabric to make it easier to see the bottom of my bag (I’m good at loosing stuff in there). All of this came to $31, but had I used my fabric coupons I may have gotten it for a little less. I have plenty of white thread, so I didn’t buy any. (Yoshi was a stow-away.)

I measured the bottom and sides of the bag, leaving room where the padding stopped below the zipper opening. I cut foam for the bottom (4.5” x 14”), long sides (9” high x 14” wide), and the narrow sides (4.5” wide triangle). I used medical scissors which snipped through the foam pretty easily, but I would imagine regular sewing scissors might make it a workout. When cutting the fabric, I left generous flaps when I stitched the foam inside like a pillow case. This way I could attach the sides and bottom to make an insert that I could remove from the purse if I needed. This also makes is easy to stash things outside of the foam (like my Nook or wallet).

If you plan to add velcro lines on the long sides of your purse, put them on before you sew your foam cases together!! I had to seam rip twice because I forgot! I was getting excited to get done. I used the soft side of the velcro and made two strips about 3 inches apart along the length of each side.

I folded the flaps together to give the insert a finished look.

I think the insert part was the most work, after that you just need small rectangles of foam to use as dividers.

I cut the fabric generously on the sides of the dividers to give room to sew 1” flaps with the scratchy side of the velcro. These were quick and easy to make with only one seam. I sewed the fabric inside out, then flipped it around to give a snug fit around the foam and a nice clean seam on the bottom.

Here are my finished dividers and the insert in my purse.

Here’s a shot of the bag packed and ready to go. There is still plenty of room to slide things along the outside of the padding as well.

Purse? Why, this is actually a camera bag!!! All told I spent $60 in supplies, but I could have gotten away with less. As I see it, I saved $100!!

Friday Fragments

2011-05-06T09:51:00.001-05:00

This week flew by! Time to sum up the time with Mrs. 4444’s Friday Fragments. You can play along at Half Past Kissing Time!!

May is Pediatric Stroke Month!! I am raising money for CHASA – Children’s Hemiplegia and Stroke Association. Please help us meet our goal (HALF WAY THERE!!) Purple for Piper – even a dollar or two makes a difference. Thanks to all those who have already helped out!!!
-----------------------------------> Click the button on my sidebar to donate!
The kids had their Spring Concert at school Tuesday. You remember….wear a dress, stand on risers, hope no one passes out. Last year one poor kid vomited from the second row on to the back of a girl in the first row. I caught it on video, but I’ll be nice to them and not show it off. This year things went smoother. Only I didn’t get to see ANY of it. JC was SO unhappy that I had to leave my seat before the show even started. I spent the entire concert in the hall way trying to entertain a 2-year-old. I listened at the doors when I could, but its not the same. Grr…
I am now sporting dark blonde hair.
The oldest 3 kids are in TaeKwonDo. This week they invited a nearby club to join practice and SPAR!! This is the first time any of my kids got to do any real sparring. I was in TKD in college, I loved tournaments and sparring and patterns and board breaking. I even have some trophies and medals. It was really fun to see them try it out.

Piper and friend geared up

Aria’s great kick!

Max sparred with a classmate of Aria’s.

Aria, Max and Piper awaiting instructions.

Finally had decent enough weather to grill out. Mmmmm! We still had to do it from the opening of the garage, it was raining, but at least it wasn’t snowing.

I reviewed a second book for BlogHer Book Club. Details on that soon. Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough to get in on the latest book review. They only accept the first 100 who respond to the email, and I didn’t see it for 15 minutes after it arrived. Apparently that’s all it takes to fill up!!
March to Mandaree is going to be kicking into high gear soon. I need to start soliciting local grocery stores and suppliers for the things we need to support the marchers. You can learn more about March to Mandaree HERE!!

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom AND my grandma!!

Have a great Mother’s Day!!

May is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month

2011-05-03T08:39:00.001-05:00

Did you know kids have strokes, babies have strokes, even the unborn can have a stroke? Our little girl is a stroke survivor. May is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month and you can learn more about pediatric strokes at Kids Have Strokes. This year I am raising money for Children’s Hemiplegia and Stroke Association. CHASA is first international non-profit organization to offer information and support to families of infants, children, and young adults who have hemiplegia or hemiplegic cerebral palsy, often due to perinatal stroke, childhood stroke, or other rare causes. I hope you can help us meet our goal by donating. Even one dollar helps out!! You can click the button on my sidebar any time, or this nice button below!! Thank you for helping kids like Piper and their families!

Caleb’s Crossing–BlogHer Book Club

2011-05-02T10:29:00.002-05:00

"I forgot he was a half-naked, sassafras-scented heathen anointed with raccoon grease. He was, quite simply, my best friend."

I am super excited to say I was able to review Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks for BlogHer Book Club. The book is out May 3rd, so it was cool to get an advanced copy! I can’t give you the full scoop unless you head over HERE to the new BlogHer Book Club page, so please check out my review and others’ thoughts, too!! Next up, I’m reading Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok. Details soon!

Friday Fragments

2011-04-29T10:43:00.001-05:00

Woohooo! I’m actually here, joining in on Mrs. 4444’s Friday Fragments! I’ve been so busy doing who knows what, that I rarely have the time anymore. I feel like I’m home!! You can join, too, at Half Past Kissing Time.

I’ve worked the last two weekends at the hospital (including Easter), so my house has suffered. Time to get back to work, I guess. Hahahaha!
I’ve also been taking more photos lately, which means more time spent editing and getting them back out again. I just wish JC didn’t need to crawl on me every time I sat down to work on them. You can see my latest fun HERE.
Aria’s teacher gave us a note that she may need to be checked for glasses. I think we may have a family Optometrist day coming up. Daddy and I both need new ones, too. Good times…..
Aria also let on that she knew the Easter Bunny (and all other mythological holiday creatures) is not real. We asked her to help us out by hiding all the Easter eggs in the yard this year. She loved being in on the secret.

May is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month!! To get a jump start, I’m Streaking for Stroke!! I’m asking you to do the same, and perhaps donate a little while you’re at it. Even a dollar helps families affected by pediatric stroke through support programs and activities with Children’s Hemiplegic and Stroke Association. I’ve set up a page here: Purple For Piper – and THANKS in advance!!!
Because I’m a photographer, I’ve never felt the need to pay someone else to photograph my kids. This goes especially for the school photos every year. I always know when the fall shots are because even if I don’t buy them, they take them for the yearbook, so I make sure they look presentable. However, in the spring (did you ever get spring pics? we didn’t) I don’t really pay attention to the date since we don’t do anything with them. Much to my surprise, the kids came home with the proofs from the latest round of photos. I think the photographer was ready to give me the Mom of the Year Award when Max sat down for his photo…..

Why, yes, that is a pig tattoo on his forehead. And my very least favorite shirt. Cool.

I did not stay up for the Royal Wedding. Um, yeah. I like the idea of some girl getting to marry a Prince, but it’s a constitutional monarchy, people. They don’t do much but spend their money and look good. Admittedly, really, really good, but still.
I’ve been retained as the photographer for “A Bit of Norway” here in town. It’s a Norsk celebration with lots of demonstrations and fun, even a parade with a big Viking ship. It should be a pretty fun time!
Oh, yeah. So the thing with my neck… I went to my appointment and have scheduled a surgery time soon to have a tumor removed from the back of my neck. It’s supposed to be Day Sugery, so they should kick me out that afternoon, barring any complications. I’ve also discovered I need to reschedule that already. I’ll let you know when I get that done!!

So the thing with my neck…

2011-04-22T00:28:00.001-05:00

OK. I’m a procrastinator. I know this. That lady on TV with the hundred pound tumor, I used to wonder how in the world someone would let something like that get so out of hand. I think I’m beginning to understand.

I have a million excuses, like I don’t have the time with kids’ activities and school, I forgot, its no big deal, it doesn’t bother me….etc. The thing is, I’m going to end up being that lady.

I have a tumor on my neck.

While that seems scary, its not as bad as it sounds. Its called a lipoma and there is very little chance that its anything but fat tissue, just growing in the wrong place. I’ve known its there for a while, but I was assured it wasn’t anything to be concerned about and I could have it removed when I had time. HA! Time. I work better with deadlines. Given any time to have it removed, I let it go.

Lately I quit wearing my hair up because I was afraid it would look ridiculous. Most recently, I’ve started having headaches. I feel like there is more pressure around my neck. I can’t wear turtle necks or my camera strap anymore because it bothers me, like my blood pressure is high or I’m cutting off circulation. I’ve started to think the reason I passed out after I gave blood last week was due to the tumor pressing on my neck.

Maybe its time I start taking this a little more seriously.

This is me last spring…..

This is me now (literally, like 5 minutes ago – pardon the dryer behind me!!)… my hair is down on purpose.

This is me with my hair up. Yeah. A little freakish.

So, I’ve finally made the next step. I have a preliminary appointment with surgery on Monday. Because of my procrastination this will probably be a Day Surgery event rather than a couple of stitches at the clinic. Say a quick prayer for me, I’m a little freaked out by the prospect of actually going through with it. Hopefully it will be an easy removal, not involving muscle or nerves or that C word I’m avoiding. I’ll let you know what I know Monday.

Fashion Tuesday

2011-04-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

She can dress herself and she’s proud of it. So am I. It took her a while to manage the little things like putting on jeans one handed, socks and long sleeve shirts. Now she’s a pro. Sometimes she needs a little help getting them off again, but for the most part she’s very independent. I love her choices in clothing. Very…um…unique. Her style is all her own, anyway. And I make sure every knows SHE picked out her own outfit.

Who else would choose the stripy tights AND legwarmers AND Hello Kitty socks, polka-dot skirt and fuzzy butterfly sweater? Oh, yeah!!

Friday Fragments

2011-04-15T14:58:00.001-05:00

I’m going to try to fill you in quickly. I have a date with my freshly made bed for a nap before work!! Head on over to Half Past Kissing Time for the scoop on Friday Fragments and how to join in!

The Fly Lady is really helping me keep up with my housework. For the first time in a million (well, maybe not quite that many) Friday Fragments, I am cool with where my housework is for the day. I could bring someone in and serve them coffee and not be embarrassed about the state of my downstairs. Upstairs, however….
I have a brand new Aria phone and still our service has not switched over to AT&T….. It sits there, mocking me, daring to play Angry Birds and enjoy the 32gb card I installed. When can I ditch this Blackberry?!?!?!
I FINALLY cut JC’s hair this week. He looks like an actual boy.

I hung sheets on the clothes line for the first time this season on Tuesday. Today it’s snowing. I shoveled the steps. Stupid North Dakota. At least I can say Billy the Exterminator will never have to visit these parts!
Have you ever seen Secret Agent Oso on Disney channel. Not my favorite program, not really Piper’s either, but she doesn’t like to turn the channel so she sat through it. She comes to me in the kitchen: “Remember how Oso helps kids? You can help me cook so I don’t burn my hands, mommy.” Being the smart-a$$ I am, “”Why can’t Oso come and help YOU cook then?” Piper looks at me, exasperated, “He’s in Disneyland, he’s too busy.”
I got in with the BlogHer Book Club. I don’t get to say much yet, but I get free books and a paid review whether I like the book or not. I really liked it…..
I donated blood last week. I’ve done it before with no problems. What didn’t happen before is me passing out when he removed the line. I looked away, but I was visualizing it the whole time. I was still in the chair and when he asked me how I felt, I said a little light headed. I closed my eyes to focus on breathing like he was instructing. The next thing I know, there are four people standing around me and ice packs on my chest and neck. I felt like such a dork. My neighbor, who is a physician’s assistant, saw the whole ordeal, made a joke about my pallor and gave me a ride home (I rode my bike….see? dork.).

OH – and the waters around these parts, while high, were actually lower than the past couple of years. Hubby never got called up for National Guard flood duty and my yard and basement are dry. Not everyone faired as well. We’ll see what it looks like after 7-8” of snow they expect this weekend (ugh!!).

Park? No, we are not going to the park. Sorry.

I really did it this time

2011-04-14T11:10:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am well aware that my little boy looks like a little girl.

I’m reminded every time we go out to eat and the server asks us what SHE wants, and where to put HER food. At Aria’s last basketball game I heard someone remark “There’s Aria’s little sister!” as he ran by.

I know it’s time, but it’s so hard actually putting the scissors to his hair. Well, yesterday I finally did it. I gave him food (I truly tried to avoid getting hair in it, the hair is so long I could just grab the clippings and throw them away) and turned on his favorite shows. I combed and combed while he got a bit mad and I contemplated if I was ready. Finally, I cut a huge hunk out of the back on purpose. No going back now!!!

I kept working despite his protests and got it all done. JC was not pleased.

After a nap and a bath, things seemed a little better. I’m still getting used to the new BOY look, but he sure is cute!

Piano Man

2011-04-12T08:34:00.001-05:00

JC, Jackson, Naughty. Mostly Naughty. He’s the piano man around here. We got the piano a few years ago from a friend for free. It needs a little work, which we still haven’t done, but even spending a little money on it will be worth it. JC seems to be the most interested in the piano. Every time he passes by he hits a few keys. The thing we both like about JC’s interest in the piano it that he doesn’t just pound on it like any toddler would. He uses only his index fingers and pokes keys….and sings. Loudly. I’m not saying by any means we have a prodigy on our hands, I’m fairly certain we don’t. But at least we have a little guy that will appreciate music.

You may not realize…

2011-04-06T09:20:00.001-05:00

just how amazing….

that Peeps are….

when made into s’mores. With that caramelized outer coating, I may never go back to regular marshmallows. I guess I’d better stock up before Easter is over.

Destination ImagiNation

2011-04-04T13:51:00.001-05:00

This weekend my two oldest went to the State DI Tournament!! What is DI, you ask? Destination ImagiNation is an amazing kids group. Here’s what the Destination ImagiNation website says:

Destination ImagiNation, Inc. is an extraordinary non-profit organization that provides educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving. Every year, we reach 100,000 students across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries. Destination ImagiNation, our core program, is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the Challenges. Participants gain more than just basic knowledge and skills—they learn to unleash their imaginations and take unique approaches to problem solving.

This year I coached and co-coached Aria and Max’s teams. It seems like the season flew by. Both teams did similar challenges that involved writing and performing a play, making all the props, scripts, backgrounds and costumes. Parents and kids sign an “Interference Contract” that states the adults will not have any part in making up the solution for the challenge. (Basically I’m there to referee and secure supplies!) I was SO proud of my teams, they worked together and did an awesome job! Here’s our pictures from State:

The whole set of photos from our journey to State DI can be found HERE. Unfortunately, none of my groups are old enough for Global Finals yet. Global Finals are held every year in Knoxville, TN. Kids from all over the US and many other countries come to compete. There is also an independent documentary called “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t” coming out later this year featuring California DI teams on their way to Global Finals.

Don't tell me I can't! promo reel from Bombay Pictures on Vimeo.

Do you have Destination Imagination at your school? Click here to learn how YOU can start local teams! I highly recommend it!!

First batch of kimchi

2011-03-21T09:14:00.001-05:00

My husband and I decided we love kimchi enough to quit buying it and make our own. Most Korean families wouldn’t even consider buying this every-meal side dish, but since we’re not Korean, I don’t feel too bad about buying it in the store premade. However, its much more cost effective to do our own. I looked up a few recipes and decided on one from epicurious.com. Here’s how our version went:

1 gallon of water
1 head of Napa cabbage (on second look, this should have been 2)
1/2 cup salt

1 head of garlic, minced
1 chunk (around 2-3 inches) of fresh ginger, minced
1 bunch of green onion tops, finely chopped
1 daikon radish, sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup Korea chili powder (we used a Thai chili powder, I think it may have been spicier)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tsp red chili powder (used for color, in hind sight, may have been overkill)

Core the cabbage and cut into chunks. Dissolve the salt in the gallon of water and add the cabbage. This needs to soak for 2-3 hours. Make sure the cabbage is fully submerged. While it’s soaking, you can prepare the rest of your veggies. When the time is up, drain the cabbage. You could use a salad spinner to dry the cabbage. Since we don’t have one, we used a dish cloth to get the cabbage fairly dry by patting and squeezing it. Don’t crush your cabbage!!

I had to check to see exactly what a daikon radish looked like. They look like big fat white carrots, but pack much more of a punch. We peeled and chopped this guy up, then added it along with the rest of the ingredients to a large steel pot (it doesn’t get cooked, it was just easier to mix in a big container).

(pardon the cell phone picture!)

Once you’ve added all the ingredients, you can mix with your hands. Most recipes suggest using gloves to keep your hands from turning red. After it’s mixed, go ahead and place in the containers you like. It can be left out for a few days to ferment, after that it can be stored in the refrigerator for around 3 weeks. After the 3 weeks or so, it becomes too strong to eat alone, but could be used for soups or other recipes. Personally, this batch was pretty spicy (read: very clear sinus) and from what I understand will only get stronger. We should have used 2 cabbages instead of one, which may have mellowed it out a bit. Now that we have the recipe down, we’ll work on improving it!! I’ll let you know how that goes in the future. Enjoy!!

Friday Fragments

2011-03-17T23:30:00.001-05:00

Ah, finally back at my computer! How I’ve missed you!!! I’m just going to summarize the week (s) with the help of Mrs. 4444’s Friday Fragments! You can join in at Half Past Kissing Time!

We are done being sick. Except for my hubby. After all the colds and fevers subsided, HE’S the one who got and ear infection and needed antibiotics. – side note: antibiotics for adults are waaaay more expensive.
CMT commercial for “My Big Redneck Wedding” cuts to a clip of a bride saying her vows…”You are my big snuggle bear…”. I am pretty sure, that even if I really called my fiancé a “snuggle bear” I wouldn’t emasculate him by announcing it during our wedding. Just sayin’.
If you don’t talk to us much, or haven’t heard of March to Mandaree, here’s your chance to catch up. I posted HERE about the March to Mandaree my husband is doing this summer. We have also started a blog HERE. Feel free to follow that blog, or to friend him on Facebook!!
Our friends recently returned from a trip to Japan (they came home before the earthquake) to visit his parents and brother. Brother Richard works in Japan and lives with his wife Susi and their brand new baby. They are safe and are working around the restricted electricity and water issues. Parents Rick & Jan are originally from our church and are currently running the Misawa Hospitality house and could use prayers. They have decided to stay and continue their outreach while many American citizens have chosen to leave Japan. Please take a look at their prayer list at their site!
While our friends were there, they did pick up some very cute bento box accessories (yay!!!). I think I’ll need to do some more bento posts soon! I also cleaned out a drawer for all of our bento stuff, now I need to make room for the new things!
I am going to attempt to make kimchi this weekend. I’ll let you know how that goes!

The lovely Mrs. 4444 saw it fit to bestow on me her Favorite Fragmenter two weeks back (already two weeks ago!!).
Isn’t it cute ?

I started using FlyLady this week!! I’m hoping it’s the kick in the butt I need to whip my house into shape. I’ve known about her for years, but I’ve never taken the step. It turns out, she’s into baby steps, which is just what I need. So far, I’ve followed the two smallest steps. #1 Get dressed every morning down to the shoes. Yes, I need someone to tell me this. I am guilty of spending the entire day in sweats I may or may not have slept in. I needed an intervention. Step #2 is to shine my kitchen sink every night when I’m done using it, before bed. That means NO dirty dishes (and we don’t have a dishwasher!). It’s a big step some days not to let the last of the evening dishes wait until morning, but SO nice to wake up to NOTHING!! This is as far as I’ve gotten, but she has ways to get your whole house de-cluttered and guest ready! Baby steps…..

Sick

2011-03-17T21:55:00.001-05:00

Dude. That’s sick. Except in this case it’s not a good thing. We’ve been sick. All of us. One after another we’ve come down with the good old fashioned fever-chills-aches influenza. Yuck. Its taken over a week each to get over it, too. I finally feel better just in time for the baby to come down with a week’s worth of fever and crabby. Holy crabby. That boy is pretty cranky sometimes, and that’s when he’s feeling well. JC with a fever is just about enough to lock yourself in a closet for a week until he’s better.

Daddy had to be gone this week for National Guards, so I’ve tried to fend for myself as best as I can. Mostly that means I have to cook, which I am notoriously bad at. Hooray for frozen food. The kids each missed a week of school, and I can tell you I am SO glad to have them back in again. Some parents look forward to weekends, but often I do not. I have some sort of routine during the week, but with everyone home all day long, the routine gets off. I get nothing done. Or less than nothing. I get behind. It doesn’t take much in this house to be behind in everything. Even when my house is “clean” it isn’t clean. Not invite-your-neighbors-to-drop-by clean. I don’t think I’ll ever be there. Maybe once the kids are in college….

SEW–My Goodnight Book

2011-03-02T01:44:00.000-06:00

Grandma Melody (my mom) sent us books so the kids can read with her once a week over the phone. She also sent Piper some books. As soon as I saw this book, I knew why she chose it. Look at this cover. It’s Piper!!!

Don’t you think?

Special Exposure Wednesdays are hosted by 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Tackle It Tuesday–Dining Room Chairs

2011-03-01T08:43:00.001-06:00

I don’t even like to ask people to sit at the table when I see the condition of our dining chairs. It’s inevitable, I suppose, that with four kids these chairs with light colored fabric will get dirty. Armed with a bowl and a brush, I am ready to fix that. I started with some nice warm water and Mr. Clean. (I would have used Oxyclean for sure, I ♥ that stuff, but alas, I was out.) I used a large stiff brush for the main areas, and the smaller brush for little spots that needed a bit more work.

As soon as I scrubbed an area, I’d press a dry towel down to soak up excess water while I worked on another area. Here is the “before”…

And after a good scrub…

THAT is SO much better. I won’t feel embarrassed to have dinner guests sit on the chairs!! Do you have a project to tackle? Head over to 5 Minutes for Mom, where Tuesdays make your housework bloggable!

I Heart Faces–Anything but a face!

2011-02-28T14:38:00.001-06:00

This week’s photo challenge at I Heart Faces is “Anything but a face”. It was once again a hard choice to make, but I love this shot so much I thought I’d give it a try. This photo was from this summer, the day I turned my back for a second and discovered JC had found the only mud puddle around as was wading in!

THIS one was my first runner up for today’s post.

Want to see other entries? Please visit I Heart Faces!!

Friday Fragments!

2011-02-25T09:48:00.001-06:00

It’s Friday! Which to all you working people means something. To me it means my last day to clean before the kids are home all day for two days destroying the place. Join Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissing Time in unloading the week’s events!

The kids both passed their orange belt tests for Tae Kwon Do. Max had said earlier that he wanted to quit after this test, but has since changed his mind and wants to stay in.
Since they start a new session after tests, we decided to let Piper give TKD a try. I think it’s going to be better than physical therapy for her! (pardon the cell phone camera)

I got myself a Nook Color with the money I made selling a professional camera I no longer use. I bought a cool cover and a skin for it, too, before I somehow ruin it. I REALLY love it. There’s so much you can do with it!!

Jackson and Piper were both sick this week. Lots of extra laundry for pukey toddlers. I look forward to the age when they can make it to the bathroom to vomit instead of erupting like a volcano where they stand. Especially when they’re standing on my bed. Lucky for you, no pics.
Four of my friends had babies this month. I hope to photograph at least two of them. Unfortunately I won’t be able to travel to Japan to see one. I’ll have to rely on Facebook pictures!
There’s not much else to say…… I can’t wait for spring? These –20 degree F days are killer.

I Heart Faces–Phone Photos!!

2011-02-23T20:09:00.001-06:00

If there’s one thing I have a lot of, it’s cell phone shots. When I first got a cell, I really didn’t care if it had a camera or not. I figured, “I have a great camera, why would a need a less-than-great camera?” Now that I have one, I use it almost daily. I’m surprised at the clarity of the little camera, especially when we’re out doors or have lots of natural light…..

Taken with my BlackBerry 8330 on 8/20/2010 (I made it B&W with PSE)

Want to join in the fun and check out other entries? Head over to I Heart Faces for more info and tons of photos!!

Inspiration Through Art

2011-02-15T08:37:00.002-06:00

I am really excited to say Affectionately Yours Photography (that’s me!) is honored to be a new participating photographer for Inspiration Through Art.

“Inspiration Through Art (formerly The Littlest Heroes Project) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people to give back, and make a difference through the beauty of art. We are artists with a passion for giving and inspiring others. Through our own artistic talents we are able to come together as one, to let children around the world know that they are loved,despite the challenges they face everyday.”

As a participating photographer I will be assigned families through ITA’s application process. I get to meet that family and learn a little about them, then set up a free photography session either at their home, outside, or even in the hospital if they aren’t able to be home. I’m really happy to be a part of their organization!

You can learn more:

“Like” them on Facebook: Inspiration Through Art on Facebook

Visit their website: Inspiration Through Art and see the wonderful portraits provided by other talented photographers!

March to Mandaree

2011-02-14T13:28:00.001-06:00

The march is something my husband has been working on for a few months now, and I wanted to share what this is about. From his Facebook page:

“Four years ago today, my friend Corporal Nathan Goodiron was killed in Afghanistan. In honor of Nathan, next summer I will march across the state of North Dakota. I will march 20-36 miles per day and it will take me two weeks. Nick Harr has volunteered to march the entire distance, but anyone who would like to participate, in whole or in part, is welcome to come along.”

Nate’s parents, friends and family are in full support of the march. He has mapped out a route and has planned to march June 17 – July 3, 2011. I plan on setting up camp with the kids each night and preparing food ahead of the marchers so they can stop with us along the way. Steve’s been organizing and planning this event, so the kids hear about it often. Today, as I was going through Aria’s school papers, I found this.

You can learn more about the march by friending March to Mandaree on Facebook.

The event page is here: March to Mandaree event

I’ll eventually help him get a blog up and running as he gets closer to the date.

Friday Fragments

2011-02-11T09:18:00.001-06:00

Mrs 4444 at Half Past Kissing Time is here to rescue our brains from the clutter of the week (or two in my case!). Drop everything at the door for Friday Fragments!!

I have ignored my blog all week as I became an Ebay junkie. Now, I’ve been a buying junkie for a while, but this was the first time I’ve sold anything. I got rid of some photo stuff I don’t use anymore, AND two broken lenses. They were both dropped (not at the same time….)and were completely unusable. Apparently lens repair-types scour Ebay for parts. I sold both lenses, as is, for more than I thought I would. Since they are worth nothing to me, anything it pretty good. The problem is, I couldn’t help but check in often and see where the bid were, and how many people had viewed the items. It was fun!
Besides being an Ebay junkie, I’ve become a Korean Drama junkie. I mean a true junkie. First thing in the morning I head straight over to DramaFever.com (some are at Hulu.com, too) and pick up where I left off. Except one series called “Boys Over Flowers” which I watched non-stop for 25 hours (or more, each episode is about 1hr 5 minutes). Junkie. My family was about to stage an intervention, but I started going to bed again so they backed down. I took my laptop downstairs and set it up next to the sink and did dishes while I watched, cooked while I watched, I was on the elliptical while I watched, I even sat on the couch in front of the TV with head phones and my laptop and ignored the prime time shows for K-drama. Maybe an intervention will still be necessary….
JC keeps stripping down and running naked through the house. I thought I’d try putting him on the potty chair since that seemed the natural progression for a diaperless toddler. He sat on the potty (in front of the TV) for a good half hour, then got up, left the room….I should have followed faster……and took a crap on the carpet by his room. He then came back to let me know. After the 8th time I put a diaper and clothing back on, I decided duct tape was the way to go.

nope…..

so I resorted to putting his footie PJ’s on backward. It seems to be working so far.

We almost had heart attacks when we tuned in to the Super Bowl just before kick-off to discover there was something wrong with the local affiliate’s TV tower!!! The screen said they were working on the problem. Can you imagine how many ticked off people there would have been if they hadn’t gotten it up and running. We only missed about 5 minutes of the first quarter. I guess we also missed the Christina Aguilera trainwreck, but thanks to YouTube we really didn’t miss anything. Whew…
I’m sure I have more….but K-drama is calling my name!! Happy Friday!!

Fix-it-Friday #86

2011-02-11T08:35:00.001-06:00

I don’t get a chance to do these too often, but I had a few minutes while I was waiting for the kids to get ready for school this morning and I noticed I Heart Faces’ Fix-It-Friday. I love a good Photoshop challenge, so I wanted to give it a try.

The original was obviously in need of lighting help first, so I adjusted the levels. My idea of a yummy photo has a white white and a pure black somewhere. I cropped it in and gave it a texture. I also backed down the red hues, but once I did I lost her amazing hair. I went in by sponge tool and re-saturated her hair and face. By doing this I allowed her natural coloring shine while not letting her clothing overshadow. Who wouldn’t want to show off that beautiful red hair?

Want to give it a try? Go to I Heart Faces’ Fix-It-Friday and follow the instructions, then post your results!

Props

2011-01-31T10:25:00.001-06:00

I’m not really big on props in photos. I don’t think a photo is made better by how cute the toys and chairs are. I like the focus to be the person in the picture, not the stuff around them. That giant styrofoam number two in a toddler photo just isn’t my style, but when my friend posted her cute little blue-striped hat on Facebook, I knew I wanted one! One thing I haven’t yet mastered (haha, because I’ve mastered so many other skills) is the art of crochet and knitting. I love the finished product, but just haven’t had the time to get it down. Of course, I don’t know how my friend has time either, she also has four kiddos about the age of mine. Anyway, I called her and asked about the blue one she posted and if I could buy it this weekend for a photo shoot I was doing Sunday. I said I’d also like a pink one whenever she had time to do one, but not immediately. She agreed to let me swing by Sunday morning and pick up the finished hat. When I came by Sunday morning, not only had she finished the pink hat, but admitted the blue one was a copy of the one in the photo!! Now, that’s fast!!! I was so happy with both hats, and they were an awesome prop for our shoot, without being too much. Super cute, right?

Friday Fragments

2011-01-28T06:32:00.001-06:00

It’s been so long since I did a Friday post! Thank you, Mrs. 4444 for letting us wrap up the week!

I don’t know how you super moms do it. Maybe its just the appearance of “doing it” that I’m missing. My house is usually on the verge of “Hoarders” status. I have ignored my blog more lately just to keep my head above the sea of laundry and dishes 6 people create. I never want visitors to stop by without a good warning so I have time to hurriedly stash the mess before they arrive. I wish I had the money for one of those organizers to come and have their way with me….I mean my house. When my young neighbor came by every day for a week we made huge strides in getting my place cleaned. She’s great at motivating me and she likes to clean. (We had a small disagreement on the music to listen to. I guess I’m the only one in this small town who does not in the least enjoy Country music. Unless I’m at a wedding dance. Drinking.) Now that I really have no one to answer to, I have slacked off….. Need. Motivation. I did, however, use “Tackle It Tuesday” to get something done. I think I’ll have to stick with it.
I also don’t know why the dog puts up with JC. I think it’s because he drops the most food on the floor.

Aria had her first “real” basketball game last weekend. The 3rd and 4th graders (boys and girls together at this age) played during the half time of the varsity game. It was pretty cool, she did well. I would have taken a photo of her during the actual game, but I was recording it. I need more hands. And more cameras. At least she’s easy to spot with that hair.

Princess Piper the Ballerina. Even when it’s 20 degrees below zero, she will wear dresses. I guess if you don’t have to go outside, it’s just fine.

Max and his Mario obsession. He went to the fridge, took markers, and colored these “Yoshi Eggs”. Fortunately, after a few pictures, he put them back in the fridge. We’ve been eating them all week. Apparently the Yoshi population was ok with that.

Lastly, would some of you out there PLEASE PLEASE learn the difference between “your” and “you’re”?!?! I’m not the best at writing and grammar, but even when YOU’RE saying something very intelligent, YOUR IQ points slip away in my estimation every time you misuse those words. The same goes for “they’re” “their” and “there”….oh, and apostrophes. That is all.

SEW: Shooting Stars and a Ballerina

2011-01-26T09:26:00.001-06:00

Piper has been honing her drawing skills lately. She’s very prolific, 6-8 drawings a day it seems like. She loves to show me drawings of herself as a princess, complete with castles, rainbows, and kitties. Sometimes I have to ask what items in the drawing are, but usually I can guess. This is one of my favorites from the past week. She told me it is her and me in sleeping bags, under the stars, watching a shooting star. Over to the right is our dog, Karma. I just love it!!

And because we can’t go without a little ballerina……. (when asked to dance like a ballerina, she can always get both arms above her head! Otherwise, there’s no motivation to try!)

Special Exposure Wednesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

Tackle it Tuesday–Table of Doom

2011-01-18T08:33:00.001-06:00

It’s really embarrassing, but this is what greets us when we walk in the door. A little table in the kitchen where we drop our junk. Then never return for it, apparently. A tiny bench for the kids that they can’t even sit on. I hate having this table by the door. I hate this being a first impression when people stop by unannounced. I’ve decided not only to clean up this table, but to eliminate it all together. No table means nowhere to drop stuff, and probably we’ll find the right home for it all!

I started by getting a new garbage bag and actually going through all the junk mail. I collected all the stray toys and laundry and put them where they belong. I filled quite a bit of the bag with plain old junk and old school papers that had just never made their way off the table. Finally, once the table was cleared, I folded it up and stashed it away. I had my husband bring up from the basement a small freezer we were talking about using again. This is the perfect spot. The freezer itself was in bad shape, lots of mildew and dirt from our dank basement. I scrubbed the freezer back to life, and to our happiness, it still worked after sitting in over a foot of water last spring (yay!).

I set up the freezer, and later shopped to fill it! While I was shopping I picked up some baskets from the dollar store to slide under the bench. Each child can put their hats, gloves, etc. in their own basket (and find them again later)! This is such an improvement over the last picture. I feel much better about someone stopping by and seeing a neat area instead of that “table of doom” we had before!!

Do you have a chore to tackle? Big or small, 5 Minutes for Mom makes housework bloggable!

Trying to enjoy winter

2011-01-17T10:40:00.001-06:00

Its cold. Really cold. When I had posted a photo of how much snow we had gotten over the last few weekends, my friend asked why we weren’t out making snowmen. I had to explain that when its 2° F outside, snow doesn’t really stick together. Your nose hairs freeze together when you breathe, though. Also, I don’t much care for playing outside in the snow, even at 30°F. Just sayin’. Right now it’s a balmy 13° F (but with the wind chill its actually -4°). Not my cup of tea. Or hot chocolate. I made the effort to take the kids (and two friends) out sledding when it was a little warmer. By warmer I mean in the 20’s. It was fun, but Piper got chilly so I took my chance and walked her home while the others stayed out to play.

They had fun. (I had to apologize to our friend J for only having pink snow pants to loan him. He didn’t seem to mind.) I enjoyed going back in the house and getting hot chocolate ready for when they were done. Piper was glad she didn’t have to stay. Today it’s too cold for sledding. Or snowmen. But its never too cold for hot chocolate and a good movie.

Competing with desire

2011-01-11T14:29:00.001-06:00

My son has an intense desire to run for it. Usually when I bring out a camera, but more often than that. He would take off in a store and never look back. JC can’t sit still for more than a few minutes (unless he’s ~~tied up~~ tired and SpongeBob is on). So any time I try to get a nice photo of the kids all together, he bolts. It seems as though I’m constantly competing with his desire to run. Most times I’ve managed to get one right before the sprint, but I end up getting so many of him running. Looking through my photos today I realized just how many I have. The thought of all these shots made me laugh, so I put together this little slideshow…

Then came the snow

2011-01-04T10:27:00.001-06:00

We knew it was coming. I mean, they predict this stuff over a week in advance, but you never know around here what it will actually be like. The weather guys said there would be a big storm. Since we knew it was coming, we knew that where ever we wanted to be for New Years, we’d have to leave a few days early or risk being stuck at home. We packed up and left, dog and all, for my BFF’s. We looked out the windows the night we arrived and scoffed at the Mr. Weatherman’s predictions. “ooh, a little wind!”

The next day showed us how correct Mr. Weatherman was. The wind whipped around like a hurricane (average gusts of 38mph!) and the snow blocked out sight. The thing is, I could not have cared less. I was completely content to be where I was, with my friend and her family. We, of course, had some reservations after last year’s incident. My hubby was concerned enough to call a friend to check on the house and make sure it was still warm, which it was. There was a 100 care pile up (no one seriously hurt). The Interstates were closed for days, the snow fell over a foot above what was already on the ground, and the wind drifted snow piles everywhere. We were stuck, and I didn’t care. We were warm, we had food, we had games and a fireplace.

We made s’mores. It was really a fun time. Well, fun until we had to use a shovel to open the door again….

Just to be clear, this porch was free of snow when we left….

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

On location

2010-12-27T21:12:00.000-06:00

I was in love with the windows in this coffee shop. A family asked to shoot some candid photos here and I was just tickled with the results. I wish I could just post all of the shots, but I’ll leave a few for a surprise for the family. To me, its really easy when everyone is so good looking to begin with. I’m just there to capture the moment…

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T09:07:00.001-06:00

We had a great time exchanging gifts with our extended family, and a really fun morning opening gifts at home. We talked about Christmas and why you’ll never see us using “X-mas” anywhere. We watched a movie as a family and made our own pizzas for dinner. I really enjoyed myself, and the kids loved all of it!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Climbing Aboard the Holiday Train…literally

2010-12-20T13:55:00.001-06:00

Each year the Canadian Pacific Railroad hosts the CP Holiday Train. From the Canadian Pacific website: “The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train hits the rails again this November, visiting over 130 communities in eight states and six provinces. In the last decade, the Holiday Train has help raise $4 million and 2 million pounds of food for local food banks.” They make a stop right here in our home town, too! This year was a little bit different for the kids.

We got a call from a friend of a friend, telling us they had spare tickets to RIDE the train this year, from one stop before and right into our town. I was super excited because tickets are hard to come by. They are not sold. You have to be an employee, and as I understand it, not even all of them ride. The problem was, she only had two. I thought about saying no, how was I to choose one kid to accompany without a fight or at the very least hurt feelings? Then she mentioned that in the past, they had let their kids ride alone, with friends who’s parents would make sure they were accounted for. Aria had friends with parents riding, so I gladly accepted the tickets and let Max and Aria ride without me! We waited at the nearest stop to get on. The town had 2 nice warm bonfires and the local kids played while we waited for the train to show up.

Here’s what the train looks like as it rolls through:

The train doesn’t get into our town until 9:30pm on a school night, but I was willing to skip bed time for such a cool opportunity. Aria’s friend’s mom made sure they sat nicely, and got off at the right time (only the next stop, so I wasn’t worried). She remarked the next day at how well behaved they are (yay!!). I sent Aria a camera and told her to go crazy with the pictures. This is what I got:

Santa came around and gave all the travellers neat commemorative pins (cool!). They also got candy canes and hot chocolate. Aria told me they were one of the few that had a table between their seats. They said they had a really fun time coloring pictures and watching out the windows. Once they stopped in our town, they opened the box car doors and threw a concert right there on the tracks. It was actually warmer this year, snow and all, than it has been in the past. Even though its less than a block from our house, last year I didn’t take the kids because it was about -10° F. Not my idea of fun, but several people I know still stood out there to watch. This year I believe it was about 20° F, which is just fine to stand around (properly dressed) and watch a concert.

The kids had a really awesome time. I was glad they got to do it. Who knows when they’ll get another chance!!

Teachers and Christmas gifts..?

2010-12-14T16:33:00.001-06:00

I started thinking a few weeks ago about what we wanted to give to the kids’ teachers as gifts for Christmas. Admittedly, we don’t always get around to that with the craziness of the season, but I’ve always felt they deserve more than we can give them!! I decided to ask a few of my friends who are teachers to give me a little input on their feelings toward gifts they’ve received in the past and what they like. Some of these teachers have been teaching for years, some are fairly new teachers. Here’s their take…

Getting Gifts that Give Back

Most of the teachers I talked to (or emailed with) said they usually receive some gifts from students, but not all of them. They expressed that they were very appreciative of the thoughtful gifts. Sometimes its hard to think of unique gifts. One of my friends mentioned that they have started asking the kids and parents to donate or bring in goods for the local food pantry. Another said she has in the past received a card stating a donation was made in their name to a local charity. A great idea from Mrs. F was “…supplies I can give to students who could use them like glue sticks, pencils, etc.”

Too Much?

I had also asked what they may have seen a bit too much of over the years.

Mrs. F “Lotions”

Mrs. M “ I usually get a good variety of gifts”

My other Mrs. F commented that she had seen enough Apple décor. “Just because I'm a teacher doesn't mean I want to see apples everywhere I look. haha!” This is a sentiment I have heard from other teachers, too, so perhaps it’s time to check that one off my list?

Anything qualify as re-gifters?

Let’s admit it, sometimes, even with the lovely thought, there are things we just know we may not use. While most of my friends told me absolutely not, I had one fess up: “ I sometimes pass on nice perfumes/lotions, since I'm not a big fan of smelly stuff.” All said they appreciated the thought put into the gift, and it’s the sentiment that counts.

It came directly from our kitchen…

I had read recently that there were teachers who wouldn’t eat home made treats, especially knowing where they may have come from. The teachers in that article even went so far as to say that as soon as the day was over, the treats went in the trash. Really? I asked my friends what the deal was with home made goodies. I didn’t have a single teacher say they would ever NOT accept treats. Of course, most of my friends are from small towns, and perhaps these other teachers were from big-city schools where accepting food might be more dangerous. So, parents, judge for yourself, but I think we’re safe!! All of my teachers really enjoyed getting treats made by the families. Mrs. M said “They are great. Especially when I only make a few specialty items at home.”

Favorites

I love to hear the stories about some of the favorite gifts. My friends said that while the little store-bought items are very nice, and gift cards are awesome, it’s the ones the student made themselves that mean the most. The teachers all said they love to hang on to items made by students. A few said they love the ornaments they’ve received and have hung them on their tree year to year, long after the student has left their class. I was told a special story about a family that had very little money or interest in giving the teacher a Christmas gift. The girl made a cute item for her teacher anyway, with what was available to her. It was very touching to her teacher and still holds a special place in her heart.

The verdict

What to give your kids’ teachers? They all agree that what ever it is, will always be appreciated and well received, as long as your heart is in it!! So, how can you thank the teachers in your life this season?

Oh…Christmas Tree?

2010-12-09T13:19:00.001-06:00

In keeping with the idea that I’ve been trying to be better about holiday activities for the kids, I let them talk me into putting up the tree. It’s not that I don’t want to put our Christmas tree up, I just always feel like I don’t have time to do everything involved. I don’t want to haul the boxes upstairs. I don’t want to rearrange the house. I don’t want to put down what I’m doing. Then I feel guilty about it. Last year I put it off until a few days before Christmas.

We don’t have any pretty picture windows, or for that matter any real space to set up a Christmas tree that isn’t already occupied by furniture. We decided to rearrange the sectional and put the tree in the corner of the living room. That involved moving the sectional parts and finding all the lost treasures under it. Also, it involved vacuuming up a lot of cereal and goldfish crackers that had sought refuge under the parts of the couch I don’t usually move.

Anyway, the kids were excited. They love digging through the box of ornaments and finding items we’ve saved from school that were made for our tree. Every time I finally decided to go through with a project, I end up having a good time with the kids.

If I Was A Turkey–by Aria

2010-12-01T11:27:00.001-06:00

I found this in her “take home” papers this morning. I laughed for about half an hour before I decided to scan it and share. I love how this girl’s mind works. Poor turkey…(What you don't realize is that turkey isn't excited, apparently he's screaming in terror....)

A (last) thought of a turkey:

If I Was a Turkey…

I would taste… feathery.

I would feel…fat.

I would hear…wolves howling.

I would smell…gun powder.

I would see…hunters shooting.

I would want…turkey peace.

Aria.

A Little Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T21:50:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving at my sister-in-law’s home. We actually arrived the night before because there was to be a big snow storm Thursday. I worked that night and came back in the morning. I was secretly glad I had to work, it got me out of some KP duty. However, the night before, I made Mrs. 4444’s Berry Mallow Bake, so I did my part. [insert grin here]

I am thankful for family. I am thankful for a husband who cooks WAY better than I do.

I am thankful for friends with good recipes so I can look competent in the kitchen once in a while. I am thankful for a warm house.

I am thankful for cousins that love to play together. I am thankful that we are close enough to visit more than once a year.

I am thankful goofy kids who love to have fun.

I am thankful wireless internet. Yeah, I said it.

I am thankful people leaving their drinks for JC to finish. Okay, that one is a little specific. But I am thankful. For everything.

Pumpkin Guts

2010-11-29T10:22:00.001-06:00

I know I’m a little behind on this, but I felt bad we didn’t get them done before Halloween. Aria had been begging me for days to get these pumpkins carved. I finally relented, knowing the mess and goo about to be spread around my dining room. Also, I really don’t like pumpkin guts. Especially on the floor, which is where they inevitably end up. But being the cool mom I am, I broke out the carving tools and sharpies and we were off…

Piper was not at all impressed with pumpkin guts. I ended up scooping hers out. Bleah.

I’m not sure what Max was going for, I believe he decided on Yoshi. I don’t think this version is the final.

Pumpkin carving isn’t complete without plastic vampire teeth. Just so you’re prepared next year.

Ah, the final product. Piper’s is puking (finally, a good use for pumpkin guts), Aria’s guy is eating the little ones (see the scared faces?!), Max’s…well, Yoshi, right?

Crabby

2010-11-23T15:14:00.002-06:00

Sometimes this boy is more than I can handle. I love him to death, but there are days when it takes everything I have not to lock him is his room all day.

All I can say is “OH! You are SO….so….. TWO!!!”

I try diversions. I found Max’s neat little book. It came with four tiny trucks to traverse the roads and terrain on each page of the book. Max spent several afternoons driving the little vehicles around. He even managed to keep track of the cars, so we still have the complete set.

It always takes him a while to warm up to something new. Unless its something he’s not supposed to play with.

He decided the book and little trucks were pretty fun. It kept him busy for quite a while. Which was good.
Good enough to eat, in fact. Maybe we’ll have to wait a little longer before we play with these again.

Max turns SEVEN, and dad has stopped aging.

2010-11-17T15:06:00.001-06:00

Seven years ago I gave my husband the ultimate gift, a son. Maximus came along and freed daddy from every having to age again. Now every birthday belongs to Max. This year he was able to bring a treat to school, so we made cupcakes. Two dozen. Of course, they were Mario Bros. cupcakes. (Just wait until you see what he got from us, my mom, and my grandma for gifts! Not until tonight….)

Happy Veteran’s Day

2010-11-11T10:50:00.001-06:00

To honor those, past and present, who have served our country and made a difference in our lives and theirs, THANK YOU! To all the families behind those men and women, thank you!!

My Grandfather served in WWII

My husband when he came home for leave on an 18 month tour in Afghanistan.

Us at the end of the tour!

Our Husky Friend – I mean Alaskan Husky

2010-11-10T11:21:00.001-06:00

Aria’s favorite new toy has been her Aome Husky and the Husky x 3 toys. We’ve been having fun posing them in fun pictures. Adventures with H3:

Meet Aome, Rock, and Latte

Aome and the Book of Knowledge – I believe English is his second language. Aome is from Hong Kong.

Aria broke her first board in TaeKwonDo.

Aome makes some new friends.

There is a Husky Cafe, only nowhere near here. So Aria and I made one with cardboard, craft paper, and hot glue.

H3 also really like cookies!

H3 enjoying the fall weather.

Who doesn’t like sushi?!

Friday Fragments

2010-11-05T10:08:00.001-05:00

Yep, here we are. This week really flew by. Thanks to Mrs. 4444 we can share all the little tidbits from the week with Friday Fragments!!

We voted, did you? We have to go to the next small town to do so, which means we had to eat out when we were done. Had to….
On the way home, we like to travel off the beaten path and stop by Buttzville. Yes, that’s really a town. There are about 6 people living there. Maybe. I found a little post about it, with some neat photos, here: http://stephenbergmusic.com/id81.html

Aria’s Huskyx3 friends and I have been having fun taking photos.

All the ads are coming out for Christmas. Once Halloween is done it seems the big marketing goes directly to Christmas toys. I suppose there isn’t much beyond turkey that the stores can try to sell to us before then. Piper keeps seeing toys on TV she wants. Her best argument for a good toy so far is : “Well, it doesn’t spill popcorns.” Not sure where this logic comes from. Do her current toys spill popcorn? Have I recently denied her a toy based on its propensity for dumping popcorn everywhere??
Going to do some major food shopping and stocking up this weekend, I’m super excited. I suppose its the mark of adulthood when you get excited about a full cart of groceries. And Sam’s club. (Costco for you non-Midwesterners!)
I painted Aria’s dresser with her new favorite characters, Husky x 3. Pretty cute, huh? Now if only she’d clean her room, I have big plans for it!!
I painted just a slice of her wall to show her what we could do…if...she…cleans. Our inspiration is HERE.
Our Alltel was bought out by AT&T so we are forced to get new phones (free). I’ve had my CrackBerry for over a year and I really like it, but I’m leaning toward the HTC Aria, it seems like there are a few more fun toys for me to play with. I’m just glad to get a new free phone :)

SEW – My Little Artist

2010-11-03T08:52:00.001-05:00

Piper loves to color and draw, so I wanted to share her latest work of art. She has some of those “magic” color sheets, but I don’t care for them. Sure they have a princess on them, this one even has glitter, but it doesn’t allow for the kids to color outside the lines. Being forced to color only within the lines really kills creativity. I think outside the lines is where the best art comes from! Typically, when the kids want to color, I only give them white paper and let them go. Honestly, I don’t even think I’ve ever purchased a color book. They usually come as gifts, which is cool with me, because even an artist wants to color a princess sometimes.

Canon EOS 7D
f/3.2 at 1/80 sec
no flash, just window light
1600 ISO
50mm prime lens

Canon EOS 7D
f/3.5 at 1/125 sec
no flash, just window light
1600 ISO
50mm prime lens

Piper’s watercolor done yesterday. Don’t you love the color?!

Special Exposure Wednesday is hosted by the lovely gals at 5 Minutes for Special Needs!

Fast Friday Fragments

2010-10-29T12:47:00.001-05:00

I’m gonna see how quickly I can get all this out. I have a house to once again straighten up before the babysitter comes for the night!! Thanks, Mrs. 4444 for hosting Friday Fragments!!!

My mom and dad came for a week-long visit. It felt like a weekend and was over MUCH too quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I took almost NO pictures. Not sure what went wrong there. I usually have a camera glued to my face. I hope she emails me hers (hint hint).
As a surprise to my grandma, she was “kidnapped” by her son (mom’s brother) and brought the 12 hours up by car to visit. She had no idea where she was going, just to pack for 3 days!!! She was really happy to see my mom and us!
Aria and Max tested for white belts in Tae Kwon Do. I had no idea they tested for white belt. When I was in it in college, it came with the uniform. I say it’s a way for they gym to make another $40 per kid. Sigh. The kids did great, though! They even broke a board!!
Halloween is here!! There was a city party at the auditorium, so we had a dress rehearsal for the real deal on Sunday. Max won “Cutest Boy” costume. Aria didn’t win anything. Her friend, an absolute sweetie, won for most original, I think. She came up to Aria after the awards, told Aria she should have won something, and offered her a treat from her prize bag. *sniff* It really made Aria feel better!
I’m working this weekend so I ~~get out of~~ won’t be able to trick-or-treat. I expect lots of candy for me to sort through for breakfast Monday morning!!
I started a Facebook album with Aria of “Adventures of H3” her toy Husky dogs. The real Aome Husky even commented on them :)
We had some crazy weather this weekend. There was a threat of snow, which we were lucky not to see much of. Apparently our high winds were equal to that of a category 3 Hurricane!!! We had branches down in the yard and had to find one of our garbage cans. I found the other one under our garage door. Our garage has really taken a beating over the years. One of the 2 doors is a sliding door (we believe it was once a real barn). The wind lifted the door off the rail and IT LANDED ON DADDY’S CAR!!! The window was broken, but fortunately nothing else was damaged. UNFORTUNATELY we both have places to work this weekend and only one vehicle between us.

We grilled out at Daddy’s childhood friend’s farm. It was really fun!
Ummmm…. that’s all I’ve got. I should get to work now!!! Happy Halloween everyone! Be safe!!

Last Hurrah

2010-10-27T09:40:00.001-05:00

The weather keeps threatening to be the last of the good stuff.

The final days of fall are waning and so we celebrate in true northern fashion. We wear warm jackets and…

grill stuff

eat stuff

shoot stuff

burn stuff

let the kids stay up late and play

Putting Family First…

2010-10-22T02:05:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am putting my family first. It can actually be done, my fellow blog junkies. I have been MIA for almost two weeks now while I visit with my parents, whom I haven’t seen in person in just over 2 YEARS!!! So, yes, I have stepped away from the computer! We also celebrated Aria’s ninth birthday!! It’s been a busy two weeks. I’ll let you all know about it soon. Also, November is almost here, which means going from zero to thirty (days, that is) in less than two weeks. November is National Blog Posting Month and for my second year I will be attempting to post every day in November. You’ll be tired of me soon enough!! For now, enjoy these:

Mom, Grandma, and Me (and why did I not think to grab Aria for FOUR generations?!)

Aria helped me make this cake for an impromptu birthday celebration. Don’t knock the home made cream cheese frosting until you try it!!!

See you all again soon!!!

Friday Fragments

2010-10-08T08:59:00.001-05:00

Here we are, Friday. Another week gone by. Join Mrs. 4444 for Friday Fragments!

Its been a typical fall week in the north. I turn the heater on in the car in the morning, and the A/C on in the afternoon.
Its also harvest season, which means there are grain trucks lined up several block down the street, past our house, and to the elevator. If you are not from a farming area what I just said was probably completely lost on you. Anyway, Aria and her friends took advantage of the situation. The truck must wait in line for the they guy(gal) in front of them to off-load, so sometimes they are in one place for 10-15 minutes. The girls set up a lemonade/coffee stand right in front of the house. The truck drivers (all local families and their workers, not creepy unknown truckers, mind you) get out of their trucks and come buy drinks or popcorn from the girls. Most commented what a treat is was when they’re stuck in a truck all day. They made about $20 in a couple hours. They’re hoping to set up after school again.
I finally did it. And I’m not too happy. I cut JC’s hair. He’s still cute. He’s still naughty. Oh well, it will grow back.

I was super bummed Monday night when I got a call from the Extreme Makeover people letting me know my shift was cancelled. I guess I still get to pick up a T-shirt. I probably will, they are almost done with the house and I want to go take a look. Apparently many, many people didn’t even get a shift to work as there were so many that signed up. Yay for our community!!
I helped out getting our NEW computer set up at the church this week. I’m so thrilled to use it! The old computer was super slow and when we run slides during the service it would sometimes flake out and not work. Very embarrassing! While I was working, JC found the drum set…. I sent this to Daddy, saying “I had hoped for a brass player, but somehow this seems more appropriate”

Pictures, pictures, pictures – and I’m glad to have the work!! You’ll have to go to my photography blog to see what I’ve been up to.
My mom said they might be able to come to visit this month. I’ve kicked my cleaning into high gear. I was so proud of my (second) kitchen. Since our home was once apartments, we have two functioning kitchens, this is the smaller one. I have super ugly countertops up there, so I cleaned off all of the counter (a big deal if you have seen it) and the kids helped me peel off the old contact paper. I put new paper on and it looks great. Now, no one is allowed in there again. Ever.

I’m working this weekend, so my dear Hubby, PLEASE, PLEASE try to at least leave it how you found it. You don’t understand how disheartening it is to work on cleaning this place and see it all gone in a weekend. I understand the kids don’t allow us to do as much as we like, but if I can do it so can you.

SEW: Come Sail Away

2010-10-06T00:02:00.000-05:00

Come Sail Away
Songwriters: Deyoung, Dennis;

I'm sailing away
Set an open course for the Virgin Sea
'Cause I've got to be free
Free to face the life that's ahead of me
On board, I'm the captain
So climb aboard
We'll search for tomorrow on every shore
And I'll try, oh Lord, I'll try to carry on
I look to the sea
Reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy, some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We lived happily forever
So the story goes
But somehow we missed out on the pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on
A gathering of Angels appeared above my head
They sang to me this song of hope and this is what they said
They said, "Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me lads
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me baby
Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me”

Special Exposure Wednesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Special Needs!

I did it…

2010-10-05T12:42:00.001-05:00

This is my boy. My wild-haired, wild child Samson. Only we named him Jackson…..only we call him Naughty. Anyway, I got a little crazy the other day and finally did it. I cut his hair. It’s still kind of long and I left some curls in, but its definitely shorter.

I think there was an extra Jackson under all that hair. Perhaps if he is truly our Samson, the removal of all that wild hair will result in a change in his wild ways. One can always hope…..

From this ……………………………………..to this.

It’s a big difference to me. Next, I know, I know, its the bottle. I’m working on it.

Friday Fragments

2010-10-01T10:32:00.001-05:00

So September has come and gone…. That was fast. And now its Friday! Time for Mrs. 4444’s Friday Fragments:

House a disaster, as always. Must. Purge. (Stuff, I mean, not food. I mean cleaning kinda makes me wanna throw up, but I could never do that. Besides, then I’d have to clean that up, too. So not worth it. I just mean stuff.)
Talked to a guy about getting our roof and shingles done soon. Our insurance check is here so now we can actually do something. With the roof, anyway. The inside and water damage from earlier this year is still in the works. SIGH. Bonus on the shingles: they guy said we can put whatever we want in the roll-off dumpster they get. Purge time!!
I GOT THE JOB! Okay, its a volunteer job, but still I’m pumped. I was able to sign up for a shift during ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition when they are here in town. I really excited to do this!!!
I took lots of photos over the weekend, it never fails that my kids will sneak into a session (usually while the actual photographee is changing) and demand a few of their own shots.
It was my mom’s birthday yesterday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!

Yep, that’s us :)

Yep, those are Disney Princesses flying Buzz Lightyear’s spaceship. Leave it to a girl…..

A friend made our kids each a crochet winter hat, complete with their names!! Cute, right? Only JC couldn’t sit long enough for a shot of them. But you get the idea. He liked the hat, but he liked the slide and playground more. (We went to “Little Yellowstone” yesterday, the extra kiddo is Aria’s friend L)

Poor Piper wiped out on the sidewalk outside the auditorium where TaeKwonDo is held. We were on our way home and she ran to the van. Bad idea. She not only fell and skinned her knee, but the lack of strength in her right hand allowed her to smash her face, too. I saw it happen in slow motion. Nnnnnooooooo…… I was afraid she would knock out a tooth. She is such a trooper. Teeth intact, we arrived home and iced her lip. The kid NOT in martial arts is the only one getting injured.

Hubby is gone for the weekend with the Guards, so I think this would be a good time to actually get the house clean. I feel like I do a lot less when he’s home. Also, he’s kind of like having an extra kid to clean up after, one who likes to cook and leave dirty socks everywhere. Just sayin’. Also, also, he almost never reads my blog so I can say stuff and unless you guys tell him, he’ll never know.

Special Exposure Wednesday

2010-09-29T00:08:00.001-05:00

New photos of the kids. I couldn’t get them to sit together for very long, but when I chase one at a time I can get some fun shots!!

These were all a “hooray for Photoshop” moment, too. I had shot photos earlier in my studio at home. I used a fixed setting on my camera, and I forgot to change the settings because I was in such a hurry to get these taken! All of these shots were at:
ISO: 125
f-stop 4.5
1/125 sec
50mm lens

but this setting over-exposed the shots a bit, they were a little bright and washed out. I shot them in jpeg and RAW. RAW lets you easily fix things that can be off, like the lighting. So with a little tweaking, they look pretty good!

Special Exposure Wednesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Special Needs!

You can’t always get what you want…unless you have Photoshop.

2010-09-27T01:46:00.001-05:00

OK, so I’m not gonna lie. I can’t seem to get a decent photo of all four kids at the same time lately. Individually…maybe. One little guy in particular seems to be the heart of the problem. The two year old won’t sit for one shot. Can you believe it?? Oh, you can? Yeah…

I spent a majority of today shooting other families and seniors. Even unhappy toddlers and jumping puppies still allowed me a few photos I didn’t have to fix. So here’s what most of my own family’s shots look like…

(do I hear “Run, Forest! Run!”?)

We really only spent about 12 minutes out here, but I was already exhausted. Hooray for Photoshop. It has spared me from wrestling the two year old into a “natural” position for another round of silly pictures. Thanks! ~~(um, now if you could just make it a little cheaper??)~~