Cranberry n' Cream Cheese Appetizer

A friend gave me an easy, delicious recipe for a cream cheese appetizer.  Here it is:

1 12 oz.bag of cranberries
1 green onion
1 jalapeno (remove seeds if you don't want it hot, but a few seeds make it nice)
1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro
1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 8 oz. cream cheese

Process all the ingredients together,  except for the cream cheese.
Place block of cream cheese on serving plate and spoon the cranberry mixture on top.  Serve with crackers.

SLC

Thanksgiving Day

This piano player was so nice and let Avery up to play.

Zach man was in heaven eating any and all he wanted. :)

I think this is so funny.  Whenever Eric and I look halfway decent in a picture, the kids don't.  Funny faces.

My trip to SLC for a girls weekend!

My sis-in-law Emmalee, brother Gary and baby Jade.  Jade is a cutie and so happy!  She smiles with her mouth wide open. :)  It was so nice to see them and meet Jade!

I met up with my friends later for dinner at the Garden and then...

Lights on Temple Square.  It's so beautiful.  Memories, light the corners of my mind...

So I had the best weekend away.  Great friends, great times, great ladies.  I haven't laughed so hard like that in awhile. It is always neat to see how everyone has changed in some ways and not in others, and both in a good way.  :)

The gals from high school: (l to r) Becky, Krista, Renae, Keri, Aryn, Gretchen, Sarah and Annette.  We missed Linda, who was sick and snowed in the mountains.

I put this picture in of the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU's Museum of Art, because a) it was fantastic and the originals are 100x better than prints in a magazine, and b) it's not a great picture because I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures.  I got 2 pics in before security came and sternly told us there were no photographs, of any kind.

Here is lovely Sarah Forbush.  She lived 2 doors up from me growing up.

This is Gretchen and the Salt Lake temple.  Gretchen has written a children's book and soon to be a mother of 6!

This is me and my good friend, Teresa.  We were roommates at BYU back in the day.  Even though we both have kids and other grown-up responsibilities, when you get together you can be as goofy as you were then.

isn't that what a friend is?  Someone you can be yourself with, even if it's a little goofy.

Thanks, ladies.  Til next time.

Simple Saturdays, Hair Bows and Getaways!

A couple Saturdays ago I had a bunch of errands to do, and surprisingly my kids were so well behaved!  Our last one was making a return and afterwards, Avery begged to come and see the fish, so we did.  The weather was perfect, this is the fall I love!

Before the fish were giant cats and dogs which they can't resist.

When you're in Kindergarden and you see something that looks like the bars at school, you must slide down them.

Feeding the fish

A fierce hug from Zach :)

On a different note, I just finished making this hair clip/bow holder and I think I love it.  A friend made one and I loved the idea, thanks Jill!

On another completely unrelated topic, this little girl is going away on a girl's weekend!!  Yes, I am feeling so loved and blessed.  All my good friends from high school are getting together in December and I didn't think I could go, but I couldn't be more happy that I can go!  Some of these girls I have known since I was 9 and they're all terrific women.  I'm feeling lucky.
So, if you see my kids hair looking off that Sunday, just know, I wasn't there to do it! ;)

Fa La La La La, La La La La

Even though we have another month of fall, I feel like winter is already here.  Here are some fall photos:

We were baking one day and we all donned aprons.  Avery got her set from an awesome nurse she had in the PCTU at U.of M. 

Zach was so excited to make gingerbread men (even if it was just sugar cookie dough).

We had a fun day kicking around in the leaves with the wind blowing.  This is a slice of life right here.  Just being, no stresses attached. :)

I just realized I let Zach wear his costume to the park.  It was the day of his class party.  

Anyhoo, he had a blast running around the Botanical Garden.  This reminds me of "Where The Wild Things Are".  I love this little guy!

These giggling girls, how could you resist?!

Family no-trick-just-treating

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week!!  then 4th gear onto Christmas. :0

Barnum and Bailey

Our computer is back.  Here are some highlights from this fall.

Ringling Brothers Circus came to town and we took Zach.  It was fun to be out together.

 Zach has had a great year so far, and he is growing up in many ways. He sprouted up some and is becoming a good little helper to me.  He looks like my youngest brother, Gary, in this picture.  I still sometimes call Zach, Gary and  vice versa. 

The elephants were neat to watch.  I kept thinking of Dumbo.

The tigers were fascinating, but I felt bad for them.  This is no life for them. :(

Zach sure loves his dad.

I'm pretty impressed with the tight rope acrobat-folks.  It would be fun, for a summer, maybe.

Summer family reunion by the Maumee river.  In the swing is Eric's grandma and great uncle.  They have lived here (mostly) their whole lives and who know how many times they have sat like this together.  I hope Zach and Avery will be close their whole lives too.

Avery is a dog lover!  No, we won't be getting any pets, but let me know if she can come and visit your dog. :)

My parents came out for a brief visit in October.  Aren't they cute?  It's a huge bummer that we live so far apart, but it makes their visits all the more special.  My parents are getting their papers together to serve as missionaries for the church.  Who knows, maybe they'll be coming to your neck of the woods. :)

Fultan County Fair

As far as county fairs go, Fulton County's is the best.  There's a lot to see, and lots of yummy-bad fair food.  The kids loved the tractors, and I think Eric and I did too. :)

One sweet picture of Avery with her great grandma Marie.

0823902A-6482-822B-9929-6189DE58E079

1.03.01

To update on Zach in Kindergarten, he is doing very well now! Much to our relief. A few days after I posted last, we had been talking up school ect. and as we were leaving for school, I asked Zach if he wanted me to walk him in, or if he wanted to go in all by himself. Well, he's been getting out of the car and going in all by himself (he was very slow at first) and now he makes me so proud. I cried the first day he got out and said, "Bye Mom. I love you!"
it's so good to be a mother! :)

School Daze

Kindergarten
It's been a hard week for Zach in Kindergarten.  Getting out of the car, pulling him behind me, trying to get him to let go to go into his classroom and see him struggle while his teacher gets him to his seat.  Then, I found out on Friday, he had been crying in his seat for two days til circle time.  I tell him he's going to be okay, he'll be fine, just listen to his teacher, (even if she happens to use a bit of a harsh, commanding voice that I don't use) ect.  Then I worry til I go and pick him up, which turns out to be a waste, because he comes out of school happy!  Next morning, same old misery for both of us.  I think it's getting better and I'm sure it will, but in the mean time, we're doing our best to encourage him.  I'm learning too, that you shouldn't yell at the teacher through an open window for raising her voice at your child.  You just can't calm down well for the rest of the day.

Conference
A side note: This is the my first experience getting a child to school every-school-day-on-time.   I will add that it's pretty much up to me to make it happen.  My leisure mornings are a thing of the past, and upcoming summer.  Relish the days folks, relish the days.  A wise friend once told me to stop feeling bad about the moments when being a mom is easy.  She said that sure enough, there will be days and nights when it'll be hard and we'll long for those times.  Michelle was right.  It all evens out.

We had the blessing of hearing from Elder Maynes at Stake Conference (he's in the presidency of the Seventy).  He gave an awesome talk and I could even listen to him for hours (fortunately he kept to his time frame.)  He is witty, funny and can explain it all with the Spirit.  Some people have a gift of speaking, I am not one of them, but I do appreciate hearing from those who do.

Elder Maynes talked about choices, habits, traditions and culture - how one leads to the next.  Where do our choices lead?  He said, "when you make a choice, you've taken a position and become a teacher of that position."  Then he gave this example on Family Home Evening: if parents choose to not have it (for whatever reason), they're teaching their kids the FHE isn't important.  In primary they learn that the prophet said to hold FHE.  The parents are teaching them to not follow the prophet. 

It made me think what am I "teaching" my kids by not doing, or doing.  What, as he put it, "false traditions" are in our family.  The best way, he taught, was to replace them with celestial/good traditions.  The example he gave was if the tradition is not reading the scriptures together, replace it with a good tradition of reading the scriptures together. 

0823902A-6482-822B-9929-6189DE58E079

1.03.01

Finisher

I got my first medal on Saturday.  It says, "Soaring Eagle Runs Boy Scout Half Marathon" and then, "2010 FINISHER".  I may have limped over the finish line, but I finished.  

Before the madness, myself, Alison and Leisy

It was a crazy experience, but way better than I thought it would go during it, and much worse than I thought it would after.  :)  Would I do it again?  Saturday night I would have said, "no", but today, "maybe".

I waited until the week before to sign up and although I've been exercising regularly, I hadn't put in distance training until Thursday before, and it was 6 miles on the treadmill.  So I was nervous thinking, "what have I done?"  and thinking things like, "I'm going to die."  Then I thought of what had made me decide to do it finally.  That a lady who had weighed almost 500 lbs. had lost half of it and "finished" a half marathon.  If she could do it, so could I.

right before (that guy is just chillin, like let's get this started already)

So I think the miracle of a race for me consists of 3 things: first, you always do better at the race, than you do practicing it.  There is a lot of energy with the others there and adrenaline (music and a t-shirt don't either).  Second, running it with a friend and talking during it totally helps the time go!!  Alison was great to talk to and somehow I was able to keep up with her and not think about anything negative that was happening to my body. :)  Well, except for my foot, which I'll get to later.  Also, a friend popped in and ran with us for awhile, bringing her energy and enthusiasm that really helped!  The third and last thing is: the body can do amazing things, especially when the mind is in charge.

About at mile 10 the ball of my right foot was hurting and I had to walk.  I hobbled a bit, loosened my shoe laces, changed my gait and started running again.  I could see Alison ahead, but there was no way I could run faster than I was, and it was harder to run without someone to talk to.  I hobbled across the finish line and threw my hands up, I did it.

I had told my husband to come about 2 hrs. 15 min. into the run, but amazingly I finished after 2 hrs. and 4-5 minutes.  I was sad he missed it, but I was hurting so bad I just hoped I'd recover.  The next several hours brought misery, with waves of nausea and such pain in the knees and foot. (oh the horrors).  I was never doing this again.  But aside from my physical discomfort, I felt great (if that makes sense).  I couldn't believe I ran most of the time. Aside from my foot, I had energy and felt like I'd just run 13.? miles.

My smile is biggest at the end.  Leisy placed - way to go!!

Thank you Eric, for being there to take the kids, let me sleep afterwards and get up in the middle of the night with the kids (cuz I could not move).  Thank you, Alison for letting me run with you and getting me that far!  Thank you, Leisy for encouraging me to do this.

If  I can do it, anyone can!  At the end of this mortal life, we'll all be "finishers" too.  It's the journey, as painful as it may be at times, that is the whole thing!

Manana

Hello fellows ites, tomorrow I will be guest posting at We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ, for the Family Celebration month!  Please visit me there tomorrow.  :)

I love that I get to be with my favorite people everyday!  That I have a huge influence for good in the lives of my children.  If I don't do it, who will?

What do love best about your family?

Zach did not want to go to school today, even though he loved his first day.  We've had a nice, chill summer and I think he remembered that this morning. :)

Crossroads

Zach's first day of school 

:)
Kindergarten, all day, M-F
  We made it a family affair and all walked him over to his class.   We were all excited. 

Avery kept trying to get his crayons.  Can you see her eying them.

This smile says it all!

He didn't cry and neither did I. :)
But I might now.  He's so cute!

And, he had a great day!  I'm so relieved, and I couldn't be happier.

I'm so glad Eric was able to be there for Zach's first day.  Zach loves his dad.
It got me thinking about the "crossroads" in our lives.
The crossroads I'm talking about are, being there when your kids come and go from school, activities, dates, games, ect.
Someone said that they made it a point to be at the crossroads of their kids life
and that made a huge impact on them.
Who doesn't love coming home to someone who is excited to see you and find out how your day was?

I'm so thankful we got to show our support for Zach. 
Each time we make the effort, they can see it, feel it, and they know it!

*Today is the first day of The Family Proclamation Celebration!
Check out Jocelyn's blog here!

The FAMILY

During the month of September, my brother's wife, Jocelyn from We Talk of Christ, We Rejoice in Christ, is hosting a celebration on the Family, A Proclamation to the World.  Each day there will be something different.  I'm guest blogging one day.  I hope you will take time, if not everyday, but that would be awesome, some days to check it out and catch the excitement!

577 Foundation

We've lived here for 8 years, which is crazy in and of itself, but in all this time, we've never been to the 577 Foundation.  It has gardens, flower and vegetable, fossil bed to dig in, play area, fairy homes and lots of things to discover.  We all loved it.  Here are some pictures of a couple trips we made this month.

Avery and a new friend, Zoe who is delightful

(and will likely write many books that will make her momma proud)

He had to try everything out :) ...he's stronger than I am

playing by the little stream, who can resist a little stream?

One of the fun treasures of good ol' Toledo (well, area, this is in Perrysburg)