Dream! Love! Cherish!

Mexico

2010-10-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. As everyone knows, we rented our house out and moved south of the border 4 months ago now. And, as anyone who has ever lived in another country knows, it's not always a picnic and a bit interesting at times.

My first major issue that I had to over come here was my "personal space bubble" I've always had this huge "bubble" and I'm the kind of person that if I don't know you, don't touch me, don't hug me and especially Don't kiss my face! Well, it's still quite annoying when people have to come and touch my skin because it's "so white" or all the hand shakes that are customary and if not performed you're considered to be "rude and uneducated". But I get by.

Another major issue here is the living arrangements. At first we were supposed to find a house to rent the day we got here, but of course my mother in law had to cry because we didn't want to stay here so I agreed to a week or two, we're going on 4 months now! Now, don't get me wrong, there have been times when it hasn't been too bad, but over all, living with others (especially ones you can't communicate with!) is pure torturous hell!

Which brings me to my current situation. House hunting! It's been kind of fun (and frustrating) looking for a house to rent out here. There are some major differences though compared to house hunting in the good ol USA. For starters, here's a list of must ask questions back at home.
1. Are pets allowed?
2. Is there a number on the amount of pest?
3. Is there a dishwasher?
4. Is the heat electric or gas?
5. etc.
Now, in comparison, the must ask questions here are:
1. Does the house have indoor plumbing?
2. What about electricity?
3. Do the toilets actually flush or do I have to pour in a bucket of water every time I do my little number?
4. Does the house have phone lines?
5. Is there hot water in the house?
Over all though, it's been amazing. The weather has been great; I get all the fresh tropical fruits I can handle. (oranges are 50 for just under $2 usd right now!) Every morning the "milk truck" comes delivering fresh milk, squeezed that morning (just needs to be pasteurized but the taste is far superior) Each week the “markets” come to town setting up in the plaza (down town) with a wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies and all kinds of other stuff ranging from clothing to kitchen items, to plants and trees for the house!

The lifestyle here is also very relaxed compared to the rush, rush lifestyle of the average American city. Most people here don’t really care about possessions. They buy only what they need, use what they have until it literally falls apart, and don’t waste much. Credit also isn’t too common out here either, making it impossible for the average person to dig into debt and spend more than they can afford to spend.

Fun at the park

2010-06-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Even though we worked so hard on the house this weekend we did find a few minutes Saturday (between sprinkle showers) to take the kids to the park. We found this nice one along the Jordan River trail at about 1200 W and 54oo s.

pretty wild flowers
I think he might get mad at me if I didn't clarify that he's not a flower. He was just waiting to post for a picture!
But she is!
more pretty Utah wild flowers!
wild orchid
Wild Rose
wild animals!
can you believe this is a tiny (about 5/8 inch) little weedy flower! I love the zoom on my camera!
cool Utah water birds
yummy fingers
so relaxed!
daddy's little girl!
he sure loves his sweater!
handsome man!
what's down there?
oh, that's what it is!
Giving a flower to his sister
Pretty as a Flower!
getting more flowers for his baby
(i think it's time for a hair cut again)
Oooh, I can throw it in the water!
I'm outta here!
My little lion on the prowl!
at least I have 1 kid that likes to pose for the camera!
Well, we tried to get one of Maddie anyway
and she's off!
taking a breakSuch a good brother!
Turtle out in the bird sanctuary.
Baby Gosling!
A mamma duck and her babies were out too!
1 little duck went out
they're thinking about it!
Follow the leader!
Monkey Man!
that was hard!
"Look at me, I can do it too!"
"I'm gonna fall!"
Ok, I guess I'll try it
I'm stuck!
Get me down!
why won't you get me down?
(he fell off)
Let's try it again
ok, that's not so bad, it's even a bit fun!
here he goes again
just hanging around
"what trouble can I get into now? "
My girl loves her slides!

Kids Art

2010-05-21T23:02:00.001-07:00

We sort of had a late night today having fun with art work. Here's a few of the fun creations from tonight.

Anthony's Owl
Isaiah's house. Love his details with the birds and the kids having a sleep over in the living room.
Keiran's land scape. He makes the cutest flowers!

Ribbon Embroideries

2010-05-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

I just learned to do these. I've been wanting to learn to do these for a while and just learned thanks to Youtube! This one is a lazy daisy stitch with a french knot center.

Green Salsa

2010-05-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another great salsa recipe. This can be made with the mortar and pestle but if you don't have one you can use a blender or food processor as well.

Start by dry roasting your garlic cloves, green tomatoes (the large tomatillos) and serano chilis. For a milder recipe you'll want to use at least 4 to 5 tomatoes per chili. (remember, I eat a lot of spicy foods and have a higher tolerance for the heat). For this recipe I used 2 garlic, 2 chilis and 5 tomatoes. (it was pretty spicy!)

Put the garlic, about a teaspoon of salt and about a tablespoon of water in the mortar.
Smash up the garlics really good.
Add the chilis and tomatoes and crush them as well. (if you don't cut the green tomatoes first they might spit when you smash it!)
I like mine a bit chunky but you can make it smooth as well.
Dry roasting the green tomatoes brings out a sweetness to them.

Anthony's First Piano Solo

2010-05-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Anthony's solo at the Primary Talent Show this weekend. 0000

Home Made Lime-Aid

2010-05-12T12:51:00.001-07:00

Lemon Aid is another summer time classic. I like to make mine with key limes!
Drop 4 key limes into the blender with about 1 cup of water
Pulse a few times till chopped well
Strain into pitcher
Add remaining water and sugar to taste.

Makes about 1 gallon.

Rainbow

2010-05-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

We saw this rainbow outside my house today. I just had to snap a pic!

Spring!

2010-05-10T10:15:00.001-07:00

I love early morning spring walks. The air is clean and cool. The baby ducks are out swimming...

Swimming practice!

The flowers are all in full bloom...

apple blossoms!

pretty flower

And the trees have all their leaves!

My crab apple tree.

Hamburger Patties

2010-05-05T08:34:00.001-07:00

This recipe makes a TON of patties! I like to make extras and keep some in the freezer. I take a freezer paper and cut it in small squares to place between each patty

You will need 3 lbs of meat, the leaner the better! When the meat is lean it doesn't shrink as much when it cooks and it tastes a lot better too. (if you don't want that much cut it in half, it fed us for 2 meals that way)

For 3 lbs of meat you will need about 1 cup of oatmeal, 2 eggs (to add texture and hold the patties together on the grill) a dash of liquid smoke and 2 dashes of that sauce that nobody know how to pronounce! I forgot to put it in the pic but you'll also 2 minced garlic cloves, salt and coriander.
Mince the onion, you'll want about 1/2 cup total of minced onion. (I use my lovely v-slicer, LOVE it!) Add all ingredients.

Mix it all together.

Now to form the patties. For this my obscure tortilla making skills come in handy! I use a plastic bag and a yogurt container lid. I like the thinner patties so this is the perfect size for me.

Open the bag and insert the lid inside.

Place about 2 tbs of meat over bag in lid,

Cover meat with bag and press it to the sides of the lid.

And Viola! A perfect patty!

Yummy!

Glazed Pineapple

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

There's no sweeter summer treat than Glazed Pineapple! We eat this as a desert but could be served as a side dish as well. (great in tacos and on burgers btw!)

This is much better (looking anyway) on a bbq than in the oven but I had loaned out my barbecue and didn't have it back yet. The directions are pretty much the same though.

Cut the pineapple into small slices.
For a med sized pineapple coat with about 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Make sure that all pieces of pineapple are evenly coated. Arrange on pan or on grill.
For in the oven: Preheat oven to 450, bake about 10 minutes till sugars are bubbly. For the grill, Turn on med heat, watch carefully so the sugars don't burn. Grill till sugars are bubbly. (again, about 10 minutes. )

Notebook Cover with Crayon Holders

2010-05-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

For this project you will need a notebook, scraps of fabric big enough to cover the front and back of the notebook. You can use 1 big peice or 2 separate ones bot the outer cover.

I used a piece of notebook paper as my cutting pattern since it's just barely larger than the notebook. Cut it out about 1'4 inch larger on all 4 sides to allow for seam allowance.

Be sure to cut 2 inner pieces the same size as well as 2 strips for the crayon holders. I used a crayon to measure and cut it the width of the crayon and the length of the inner fabric.

Start by sewing a hem on the top of the crayon holders and then attach about 2 inches from the bottom.

Fold it up and sew along the bottom for extra support.

Attach the second row the same way.

Notice the hems on the top and the bottom of each strip.

Place inside the cover of the notebook to find the side to make a seam and sew.

Using a crayon measure how wide you need to sew the crayon slots.

Sew all the way down to the bottom of the lower strip.
Repeat till you have strips sewn down the whole inner cover.
Put the inner and outer covers together, remember to sew right sides together to have the seam inside,
Once it's sewn all the way around turn it right side out. Sew along the edge to add extra support for the seams .
You can add your child's name or other decorations on the front if you wish.
Insert your notebook and crayons!

Hamburger Cupcakes!

2010-04-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

This year for birthdays I decided to ditch the old store bought cake tradition and make my own! I saw these cute little burger cupcakes and thought that I'd give them a shot!

I was also intending on posting full instruction on how to make these cute little burgers then I noticed that Bakerella already has them! Wahoo! I love being able to cheat!

I think they turned out ok. I forgot to get the fondant and food coloring so I had to make it work with what I had, so you can take that ugly orange as either fry sauce, or cheese!

I'll post pics later of his birthday.

Field Trip

2010-04-13T13:49:00.001-07:00

Another lovely spring day

2010-04-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Look at my big boy, riding without training wheels!

Maddie and her little pony. She had to take it with her!

She's so big!

Anthony, my little soccer star.

Backing up for that perfect kick.

Here he comes!

Isaiah on his bike.

A near collision. Walking to the playground with Daddy.

Blueberry shakes + Carpet= STAINS!

2010-04-07T09:36:00.001-07:00

So, just how are you supposed to get this out of your carpets? Today my 1 year old took her cup of shake made from fresh blueberries and decided to make this piece of art work on my just cleaned carpets.

So pretty, isn't it!

After a few spritzes of pure white vinegar it turned to this! (I keep a spray bottle full of vinegar just for this purpose!)

Let the vinegar set a moment and scrub. I used my carpet shampooer to rinse and suck it all up (or you could use a rag to clean it) and the end results are perfection! Not even a hint of color left at all!

Easter Dinner

2010-04-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a ton of pics from the family Easter Dinner this year.

Playing with my camera!

2010-03-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more shots with my new camera.

Plane I snapped as it flew over my house.

Riding his bike!

Frozen water at the park.
Here's a closeup of the ice.
Pheasant trying to hide in the trees.

Easter Egg Garden

2010-03-15T18:09:00.001-07:00

Easter Egg Gardens are so cute and easy to make! They are a perfect decor for your spring time tables as well, and once the plants outgrow the shell simply crack the shells on the bottom and plant in the gardens! Egg shells provide several vital nutrients to the soils as well as repel some bugs and pests.
Crack egg shells on the top only(smaller part), be careful not to open them too much.
With a small nail or thumb tack, carefully poke 3 drainage holes int he bottom of the egg shells.
Fill with dirt and plant seeds. Keep in enclosed PAPER (not Styrofoam!) egg cartons till seeds sprout.

Tips: Easter Egg Gardens are a lot cuter if you paint the shells first. If you are planting herbs or other edible plants be sure to use food safe colorings only!

BBQ Sauce!

2010-03-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

Nothing says bbq like a chicken with bbq sauce! Here's a delicious recipe that I made up yesterday!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup catchup
2 packed tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 few dashes of liquid smoke
hot sauce (to taste)
about 1/4 teaspoon each:
onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, paprika

Mix it all together and let set overnight to maximize the flavor.
Enjoy!

T-Shirt Dress

2010-03-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

I made this adorable little dress from one of Maddie's old t-shirts. She loved it so much that she had to put it on right away. (can you tell she wasn't in to mood for photos though!) I did the applique as well.
Here's a close up of the flower. I really need to practice the little circles! But, if I may say, not to bad for my first time!

New Camera!

2010-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

I finally got a great camera! Here's some of the pics I snapped with it this morning.

Remember my plants I posted in January? Look how big they've gotten!

I even have cucumbers starting to flower already.

Just waking up! Such an early start to the day.

Picture of tree in my neighbors yard.

Bird in the tree ACROSS the street!

That's all the pictures for now! Many more to come soon!

2010-02-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

These cool ideas here come from The DIY Dish.

Go here for the felt flower pattern.

An Almost Spring Day

2010-02-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

It was sort of nice out the other day (about 45 degrees) so we took advantage of the "warm sunshine" and went to the playground.

Here's a shot of all the fresh snow on the mountains. See the low clouds up there? It was cold there!
Maddie LOVES the slides.
She really can't get enough of them.

Skirt pattern and how to

2010-02-15T07:14:00.001-08:00

Start by cutting strips 4 inches shorter than you want the skirt to be. For the strips I took a sheet of paper and folded it in half and used that. I wanted them to be 4 inches and since the paper is 4 1/4 it's perfect. You can use as many colors as you want. I chose 3 coordinating colors.

Sew the strips together. For Maddie's skirt I used 6 strips, for the larger (size 5-6) I used 8.

Cut a 4 inch strip pf fabric, you want to make it a bit longer than the full length of all the strips together.

Iron it down the middle. This makes a perfect crease and helps in sewing it so it doesn't go crooked.

position the strip to the skirt fabric.

Sew it together.

Repeat on top.

Sew the skirt together. Leave the top strip unsewn for adding the elastic.

(Stop at the seam for the top part)

To easily insert the elastic, stick it into a lid on a pen and close the lid.

Sew the elastics together

Waiting patiently for her new skirt.

I think she likes it from that smile!

Of course I couldn't make just a skirt. She had to have a shirt to match! And no baby's dress is complete with out a pair of matching rompers!

Family Skate Night

2010-02-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Friday night was the kids school skate night at the local rink. It had been YEARS since I'd stepped into a skating rink. It was so much fun!

Here's a few of the pics.

It had been years since I had been on skates. Gotta work on that posture!
Keiran went a few times on his scooter.
After a while I did get him to trade with his brother and try on the skates.
He fell down a few times but he gave it a great try!
After skating we went over to the bounce houses and let them finish wearing themselves out.

Going down the big one!

So tired. She was content to just sit in her stroller and let mommy skate around pushing her.

Next time we go I'll have to be sure to get pics of Anthony before he runs off with his friends!

Goofing Around

2010-01-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's harder than I thought to remember to post a simple picture! Anyway, I was teaching the boys how to do hand stands and thought this would be a perfect picture to post!

Sorry, forgot to turn the pics!

Growing!

2010-01-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

My favorite part of January is starting seeds! I have cucumbers and bell peppers started and now I'm waiting on my tomatoes, green tomatoes and chilis! I will also have more started soon but I'm out of peat pots! On the 30th I'll be attending a seed exchange as well so I can get some new cool seeds to grow as well!

Easy seed starter. Instead of spending the money on a Jiffy Greenhouse, this year I used a cake pan and covered it on plastic wrap. As you can see it works perfect!

My cucumbers! I have 2 regular cucumbers and 2 yellow lemon cucumbers.

Once my seeds are sprouted they are moved to the window seal to grow till it's time to replant!

Perfect Pancakes!

2010-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 1/2 cups flour

3 tbs white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tea baking soda
1/4 tea salt

Sift ingredients to incorporate completely

In other bowl
Melt 1/3 cup butter (if salted then omit salt in flour mix)
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs 1 tea vanilla

Blend and add to flour mixture.
Mix till smooth. Cook on Med heat.

2009-12-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from my crazy little bunch!

As you can tell the fun never ends here.

Law of Attraction: Step 3 Recieve

2009-12-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

Don't just imagine or day dream about what it is that you want. You have to put feelings into your it. Feel how you will feel once you have it.

Before I had my daughter, as I imagined and felt myself holding her so realistically that it was some times painful to come back to reality! To "wake up" and not have her there. As I would lay there, day dreaming about her, I would put so much feeling into those dreams that I could actually feel myself holding her in my arms. I had never wanted anything like I wanted to have a little girl, someone to dress up, fix her hair and all the little girl stuff.

I really and so grateful for my boys but I knew my family would never be complete till I had my little girl. And now I have her!

Law of attraction: Step 2, Believe

2009-12-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

In The Secret they say to imagine that you already have what ever it is that you are asking for. After you ask for something you must believe that it is already yours, that it is on it's way.

Before I had my daughter, I guess you could say that I was a bit obsessed with having a girl. I did every gender diet I could find, I took cranberry pills, I drank so much milk that it literally made me sick just to look at it! Most of all though I imagined holding a tiny baby dressed in pink pajamas.

You have to believe that you will get what ever it is that you are asking for. Say thank you for what ever it is. Every night as I would imagine myself holding my little daughter I would say "thank you for my girl, thank you for my girl" I know it seems sort of funny but after having 3 boys I was so desperate for a girl I would try anything, and well, something worked!

Law of Attraction, Step 1: Ask

2009-12-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

The law of attraction says that you can have, be and do anything you want. All you have to do is ask! Before you can ask you need to know exactly what it is that you want.

To know exactly what you want you need to figure out what you are greatful for now, then go from there any decide what you want to change in your life. Is money important to you? Is having a specific experience important? What about a certain career? Education? Friends? Before you can ask for what you want you have to know what it is that you really want. According to The Secret and the laws of attraction, how the how isn't important, just the what, the how's will work themselves out later.

To learn more about the laws of attraction there are multiple free sources. You can search the internet, go to your local library and check out materials, you can also talk to people who understand and apply the principles of the law of attraction to thier lives every day.

Jack Canfield

2009-12-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Just trust me!

2009-12-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

My friend put this up on Facebook today. It is hilarious! You've just got to try it! (when I called the phone rang like 20 times, just wait for an answer, it's so worth it!)

Need a laugh today? Just call the Nestle Crunch Hot line at 1-800-295-0051. When you are asked if you want to continue in English or Spanish, just wait quietly for about 10 seconds and you will smile. Promise! (if you comment on this after listening, don't give away the surprise) keep going and press 4 listen to the options....then press 7, hilarious!!!

The Law of Attraction

2009-12-02T12:10:00.001-08:00

I love this video and this subject. It's strange how things just seem to go the way I want them to when I follow the laws of attraction.

Life

2009-11-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

Why does life have to be so hard? If anything I have learned that nothing can be more precious than life. It can be changed or altered at any moment. It can be taken in the blink of an eye. At any given moment you may receive news that will have altered your life forever. We need to cherish each good moment and live our life in a meaningful way. We all need to strive each day to be a kinder, better person, to see others the way they need to be seen, as living breathing human beings with thoughts and feelings of their own. We need to learn to be grateful for the things that we have in our lives. We need to banish all selfish thoughts and feelings. We need to all love every living being on this planet for the person that they are.

Life is a precious thing. Don't take it for granted any more.

Such a fun toy!

2009-11-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you mix a curious baby with a new box of pop up baby wipes!

Doughnut Falls

2009-10-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

We went up to Doughnut falls a few weeks ago. Here's the pics. We tried to get a pic of her next to her brothers but she just would not hold still long enough. At least we did her her in the same pic!

And, she was so happy to be walking! She loved it up there! Next summer we'll have to go up in the mountains more often.

Makin Dinner

2009-10-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

The kids helping to peel the corn for dinner.

What a pose.

Potty Training!

2009-10-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

Maddie has decided that she's done with diapers! Here she is on her potty. What a big girl!

Tracy Aviary

2009-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pics of the free day at the Tracy Aviary. (I accidentally erased a few of the pics but here's what's left.)

Chilaquiles

2009-10-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

Step 1: Take about 4 large tomatoes and boil till skins crack.

Step 2: Stick them in a blender and blend on high till smooth consistency.

Pour into large skillet, add 2 to 3 cups of water or chicken broth. Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes to enhance flavor. If you're using water you will want to add chicken flavor. I like this one the best for all Mexican style cooking. (you can get it at just about any store in the international foods aisle.) Step 3: Take about 10 dry corn tortillas per person and break them into chip sizes. To dry the tortillas you can either leave them out overnight to air dry (preferred method) or you can stick them in a 250 degree oven till dry, be sure to make single layers only to ensure even drying. I prefer the Guerrero brand white corn tortillas. (Flour tortillas do not work for this)

I've never seen anyone use tortilla chips from the store so I wouldn't recommend even trying it.
Step 4: Heat a large frying pan or skillet with about 1/2 inch of oil. Fry the tortillas till golden brown (be careful not to burn them though)
Step 5: Mix the tomato broth with the fried chips. Cook till chips are tender.

This step is not something that you can do ahead of time. If you do they will get very soggy.

Garnish with cheese, chopped fresh cilantro and sour cream. ( I used grated mozzarella cheese but the best for this is Queso Fresco, a crumbly Mexican cheese)

Now doesn't that look good! Enjoy!

I forgot to add that if you want it spicy boil 1 or jalapenos with the tomatoes.

Catherine, We also add fried eggs on top for breakfast too.

Water Colors!

2009-09-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe yesterday on how to make water color paints! As you can see it works great! I used an old ice cube tray to put the paints into and the neon cake decorating gel color that I already had on hand so I didn't have to spend any money on the recipe.

Enjoy!

Making water color paint:

1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 tablespoon glycerin
plastic bottle caps or paint pans, or styrofoam egg carton
red, yellow and blue food coloring

1.Mix vinegar and baking soda together in a small bowl.

2.When mixture stops foaming, add cornstarch and glycerin, mixing well.

3.Pour mixture into bottle caps or paint pans

4.Add several drops of a different food coloring to each pan or cap or carton cup. Stir until the color is well-mixed. Be sure to add plenty of coloring, since the tint will lighten upon drying. Mix primary colors to make secondary colors. For intense colors, try kool-aid or food coloring paste (Wilton makes great food coloring pastes).

5.Let set overnight to harden.

This makes a good substitute for purchased watercolor sets, but tends to be more powdery.

Contributed By www.frugal-moms.com

I found the recipe here.

Great Pre-Fall Harvest!

2009-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can eat the flowers from squashes? Zuccini and pumpkins are the best! I've seen them fried but I LOVE them sauteed with onions and stuffed in quesadillas or just fresh in sandwiches, especially turkey sandwiches! Also great for garnishing fall dishes.

They say it's best to pick the flowers in the mornings while they are still big and before the bees come out. If you get the ones in the long stems it doesn't interfere with how many squashes you get. The ones with the bulbs underneath are the ones that turn into squash. Eat the petals only, take off the stems and pistols.

Will turn into pumpkin, don't pick this one!

Great for picking. This one is almost ready. Probably tomorrow!

A little broken but I had already picked all the good ones today.

They have a great nutty flavor! Wash and keep in a bowl of water or in the fridge. Use within a few days.

Back To School!

2009-09-01T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm REALLY late on posting these pics. Anthony started 2nd grade this year and Isaiah Kindergarten. Here's some pics of their first days!

Longing...

2009-08-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

I have been so homesick for the ocean for the longest time now. I was born in Spokane, WA and grew up mostly along the Wa/ OR coast. I miss the green, the salt air blowing in my face, and even the rain. I also miss the mild summers and winters. So, here's a few pics of the pacific northwest that I so long for.

So Far So good!

2009-08-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I planned on posting all the days with the weaning but I must admit that I didn't post as planned. Well, after the last day I posted things still weren't going very well at all. Maddie was still crying almost constantly for her beloved milk so I caved! I totally gave in and tried to nurse her. I know, I know. BIG MISTAKE! Well, lucky for me at that time she had decided as well that she was done. (or maybe not so lucky for me) She took a few last sucks for old time sakes then che BIT me! Now, she's been a biter for a while but this bite.... I thought I was going to cry!

So, yeah, that was the last of it.... Almost anyway. She is now completely weaned during the days but does still nurse a bit at night. I'm now working on getting her weaned in the nights. We're working on her going back to sleep but you know how it is, when it's 2 AM and you've already been awakened 5 times by a baby crying for milk, that's when I cave in and take her to my bed. She's happy and I'm, well, I'm sleeping. But, this weekend I will have my husband able to help me out since he won't need to wake up early for work. So, hopefully, if things go as planned Thursday night will be her very last beloved milk.

Now, she still has the option of taking a bottle, sippy cup, or (her favorite) being spoon fed the milk so it's not like she has to go completely on nothing. She just won;t get a spoon at night because I will be asleep and she will be in bed with both a bottle and a cup!

Positive Day.

2009-07-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, if you haven't heard all about this you can go to my hair blog to get the full explanation on how it all came out.

(I didn't want to write all this twice so I just copy and pasted from my hair blog to this.)

Well, right now I certainly have a lot to be positive about. I have started a line of all natural lotions and perfumes. I had a store ask for samples of my products! It's not a huge nation wide chain but this store is in 6 states and has almost 30 locations! This would be a huge deal to me! I am sure that when they get the samples and see the quality and care I put into every bottle of lotion they will put them in the stores!

I am also very greatful for my kids. I have 3 wonderful boys and a precious daughter who means everything to me! I love my boys dearly but having a girl is just so much fun. She's just starting to walk, will be turning 1 in less than 2 weeks and is just so stinking adorable!

Next month my oldest will be going into second grade and my second in Kindergarten.

I have a lot of friends in my neighborhood, live very close to a wonderful park, and within a few hours of some of the country's most beautiful national parks.

I am very greatful for my family's health. My kids all LOVE thier vegies! It's normally the meats that I have to fight them to eat! They know at a young age the importance of eating healthy foods and geting good exercize.

Right now though, most importantly, I still have my home! (because of a terrible mortgage company we've had a few close calls.) Maybe it's not as nice and fancy as what other prople have, or as I would like it to be, but it's mine! There's nothing a few plants outside and a few gallons of paint can't fix!

I can't end this post without mentioning my husband either. He really is a wonderful man and father.

Weaning, Day 3

2009-07-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Maddie did a bit better. She was still emotional all day but she didn't really put up too much of a fight at all to go to sleep. I am still nursing her at night though so mornings are a bit harder on her. I think tomorrow we are going to start weaning her at night too.

Weaning Days 1 and 2

2009-07-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's that time already! My baby is about to turn 1 and with all the fun stuff a birthday brings, it also brings time to wean!

We started on Monday. It has been a very traumatic time for her. Monday, it took hours to get her down for a nap, and to sleep at night. She's not used to going to sleep without nursing so it was a very long night for both of us. After about an hour I had no choice but to put her in her bed because she just wouldn't stop pulling on my shirt. Her dad picked her up and she was sleeping within 10 minutes!

Day 2, yesterday, she started out pretty bad, a very emotional day for her. But by night, I gave her milk in a cup (regular because that was the only way she would drink it) and sat with her in the rocking chair. It took a total of about 15 minutes to get her to sleep! It was amazing! She didn't fight to nurse or anything!

Now, she is still nursing at night this week. Next week we will start nursing every other time she wakes up (she still normally wakes up 3 to 4 times a night!) and then every night take away 1 feeding till she is (hopefully) sleeping all night without waking up, or accepting a bottle or sippy cup with milk. Whichever comes first.

I am so excited to be done! Maddie is my last baby so that means my body finally belongs solely to me!

Kids Art

2009-07-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Anthony drew this lovely picture today of him and his brothers jumping on the trampoline next to the house. Notice the grass, dirt, worms and monster eyes. I asked him about the monster eyes and he said that it was "because it's dark and scary under the dirt."

Hair cuts!

2009-06-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

I cut the boys hair today! It's the first time I've cut hair using scissors but it worked great! I think tomorrow I'm going to trim Isaiah's hair a little shorter though. I think it's still a bit long.

What handsome boys!

How to remove grease from Soup!

2009-06-03T15:19:00.001-07:00

Everyone that has ever made soup before knows that you get that inevitable grease floating on the top. A few years ago I was making soup and accidently dropped a paper towel in the pot. I was sort of surprised to see how the paper towel absorbed all the grease floating on the top!

The other day I made a pot roast soup in the crock pot. Here's how it works!

Pot of soup with grease spots.

Drop in the napkin or paper towel
Leave it just till it soaks the grease (only a few seconds)

Pull it out
Just look at the difference!
Repeat if needed.

Flower Curtain Valance

2009-05-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

I made this adorable flower valance for Maddie's room. The total cost including the curtain rod was under $30!

For this you need a double curtain rod (I got this at Walmart for $10)

A glue gun, scissors, a ton of flowers (which are on sale right now at Joann's at half price!) , and a 2 inch wide ribbon.

Start by installing the curtain rod and then tape off exactly where it goes so that the rod doesn't slip. Once you have the ribbon attached there's no going back!

Cover the whole rod with ribbon, remember to leave the holes for hanging the rod clear! (I used hot glue to attach it)

Remove the flowers and cut off the stems, remove the backing.
Place a bead of glue between each layer of the flowers so they don't fall apart.
Then start to glue each flower along the curtain rod.
Keep going till it's all done!
Hang it back up and you have this beautiful window valance that any little girl would die for!

Now, we're just waiting to get the Tulle for the curtains. We're going to put it how the white ones are. I need 100 yards so we've got to get that online!

A Picnic Lunch and A Rain Storm!

2009-05-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Today we took the kids to the park for a picnic lunch. We had sandwiches, potato salad, fruits and juices (which is still stained on the kids faces)

Mmmmm, good lunch.
There were a lot of ducks around, even this punker style duck! (he was a little camera shy, he flat out refused to look at the camera!)

We went walking down the trail. About a mile down I saw this clearing and kind of liked it so I decided to get some pics of the boys.

I love this one!

Maddie even got some good walking practice!
Here she comes! She's doing pretty good on her feet!
The wind was a little too strong for her liking.
Then totally out of nowhere a storm came in! It started raining like crazy so we had to hurry back under the bridge that we had just passed.

We waited.....
And waited....
Look how hard it rained!
Even this little guy was trying to wait out the storm!

Then about as quickly as the storm came in, it left. We were able to walk the rest of the way back to the car before the rain got its second wind.

We finished the day off with a trip to The Home Depot to get the parts for the swamp cooler (that I swear we have to replace every year) and I got my much coveted tomato plants as well! I think next year I will make an actual garden somewhere in my yard.

Playing around

2009-05-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun clip of Isaiah playing with his sister at the play ground the other day.

Keiran's Birthday

2009-05-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my baby boy turned 4 years old. Here's a small clip from his party. He chose the cake and gummy bears to go on top. Notice the bear in the middle kind of pushed in the whipped cream? That's the bear that Keiran "killed". "It got frozen in the cake". Silly boy.

Dancin' 'Round

2009-05-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Notice the little dance moves at the end!

I am impaired!

2009-05-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

Bobby pin impaired that is! I know, I know, this blog is supposed to be for things that I "love" and I certainly do not love the fact that when it comes to using bobby pins I just can't do it! I can do so many fancy things in hair as long as they do not require the use of a bobby pin! I can do any kind of braid or french braid, I can do all kinds of buns and messy buns but I can not for the life of me fasten a bobby pin in my hair! So I guess I'm going to be up late at night till I can figure it out!

Tuesdays Child

2009-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Maddie at 3 days

I just read an interesting article in the news. They say that more babies are born on a Tuesday than on any other day of the week! I find it interesting because all 4 of my kids were born on a Tuesday! No kidding! Anthony was born on his due date, Isaiah was the day before, Keiran a week before, and Maddie 1 1/2 weeks late (yeah, she just had to break the pattern, though I'm glad she did not come too early) all 4 of them though on a Tuesday morning!

Anyway, you can read the whole news article here.

Birthday Fun

2009-05-01T06:51:00.001-07:00

I can not believe that my oldest is 7 already! For his birthday we made him an ice cream cake.

I baked the cake in a cookie sheet so it would be thin. It took about 10 minutes total to bake!

Next I filled a brownie sized pan with ice cream then stuck it back into the freezer.

We cut the cake to the size of the brownie pan then froze the cake. This is actually 2 layers with a piece of plastic in between.

Once everything was good and frozen it was time to assemble. A layer of cake, the ice cream, then another layer of cake.
We topped it with whipped cream (not the best idea because as you can see it just ran all over) and threw mini and regular M&M's all over the top!
He thought these candles were the coolest!
And with all 7 candles on top he was ready to make his wish!
Over all he had a great birthday! For dinner we made burgers and chips with soda. They thought it was just the coolest to be able eat outside on the trampoline. Everyone enjoyed all my work to make this cool cake except the birthday boy himself who just does not like to eat cake! Maybe next year we'll just put frosting on his plate! That's the only part he'll touch!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

My favorite cookie is a chocolate chip cookie. I am seriously addicted to them! Lately I've experimented around with some different recipes but nothing yet tops my favorite old fashioned recipe.

The Recipe:
Cream together 3/4 cups white sugar and 3/4 cups brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 cup vegetable shortening (I like classic Crisco the best), next mix in 2 1/4 cups white flour, 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal (the thick coarse oats), 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or almonds, and 2 cups of chocolate chips.

Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet (I always line it with aluminum foil, it keeps the pan clean and makes for a cheap and easy cooling rack)

Bake at 350 till starts to turn golden on top. You want to take them out when the cookies are still a little doughy in the middle because they will continue to cook after they are removed from the oven. Remove from pan immediately to prevent burning.

Enjoy!

UpCycling For Earth Day!

2009-04-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

I love Earth Day. To me it's a day to reflect upon the planet that we all call home. I may not be the best at recycling but I try.

Here's a few tips to help you reduce the plastic waste in the landfills and upcycle those old tubs from food items.

Ice Cream Tubs-
I normally buy ice cream in the gallons, After the tubs are empty I use them in my pantry and fill with things like flour, sugar, rice, beans and pastas. They are also great for storing small toys in the play room.

Other small containers-
Other containers like yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. work great for storing foods in the refrigerator. I also use them for other small pantry stuff. I have an old parmesan cheese container to keep sugar in for things like making milk shakes or other desert stuff.

My new hobby.

2009-04-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

I love to pretend that I have a green thumb and try to grow things from seed. I'm actually pretty good at getting them to sprout (thanks to Jiffy green houses) I tend to have more of a brown thumb as the plants get bigger though.

Here's a few of the plants that have made it (so far)

Lavender

Apple tree from the seed I took out of a delicious gala apple

Lemon Balm (Melissa)

Rain Rain Don't Go Away.

2009-04-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy but I love the rain! I don't know what it is about it, I just love the rain. Maybe it's because of growing up along the west coast in Oregon and Washington, or maybe it's the clean green look it gives to the earth.

I love how everything is so green after the rain. And the smell before the rain starts.... When I was a kid there was nothing I liked better than sitting out on the front porch watching the rain showers. I still love to look out the windows or sit on the porch and watch it. The harder it rains the better it is!

So drip, drip, drop little April showers and I'll be singing in the rain all day long! (and for the next 3 days if the weather hold out like it's expected to!)

Welcome!

2009-04-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dream! Love! Cherish! This blog will soon be filled with all the things that I dream about, love and cherish!