Sooo Tall - that's a first

This is from Joseph:

Avy and I went around to the neighbors giving out some holiday cookies tonight. Each house and the family inside is a bit unique....somewhat like the mission. Every house you come to is never the same...always a different story behind the door. Anyhow, one of the homes has a French flare to it. Tough to explain, but it reminds you of visiting Santa's workshop. The trees are all tiny, pointy evergreens and the window decorations remind you of old English Christmas stories you read as a kid. 

Avy and I knocked on the door and were greeted by two of the shortest adults I think I've ever met. No joke, she must be under 5 feet tall and he might be 5' 2". I felt huge for the first time in 29 years. it was so funny to feel that way I had to laugh at myself. To add to the feeling of being a "giant" in an elves winter wonderland cottage (all the furniture is tiny too) I tried to close the screen door and one of the lights was caught on the top of the door. She said, "oh your sooo tall and can reach that with no problem". HA! I've never been told that in my life. it was so funny I had to stop myself from laughing out load. Ok, so its not that funny as I type it. You probably had to be there.

Christmas Baskets

With Joseph being the Ward Mission Leader, we get to hang out/work lots with the missionaries in our area.  They are great!  Last night, we went to Costco and the grocery store with them to buy all the food for some baskets to deliver to a few families in the area.  And tonight we assembled and wrapped them up.  It was such a great Christmas season activity!  This is no better way to fill your heart with joy than to serve with friends as you serve others.  This is an activity to add to the list of traditions.  Thanks to Elder Winegar and to Elder McQueen!

Baking Time

Its becoming a tradition to bake with a very dear friend at this time of year.  We make plate of goodies to give away to our neighbors  friends, people at church, and family.  Best part about baking with Jen is that she is an experiment cook and likes to try new things just like me.  So we have lots of fun together!  This year's goodie plate includes:

- White fudge with peppermint (and I think Joseph at more than his fair share!)
- Rocky road fudge (a staple every year)
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Reindeer peanut butter cookie pops
- Peanut brittle
- Homemade oreos with green sprinkles
- Mini pecan tarts

Super yummy and lots of chocolate later!  Another successful year of baking.

Christmas Card 2012

Power Pancakes

Yep, the pancakes are green.  And as I put them on Avannie's plate, she immediately said, "Ewww."

"Avannie, these pancakes have super powers!"

"Yummy!" was her reply and shortly after asked for seconds, which I gladly gave her more because they were full of power/super foods: spinach, blueberries, and cauliflower!  Victory goes to Mom!

Ducks and Closets

 Avannie loves to name her little animals.  Most of the time they are names that are she knows because of friends or people she knows.  For example, we had two goldfish named Lizzie and Matthew, named after good family friends.  Most of her dolls are named Hazel, after a little friend who moved away last year.  Last week however, I heard two new names as we were playing with the ducks:  Brielle (named after a favorite babysitter) and Obama.  Yep, you heard it - OBAMA.  The duck you see here will always be Obama.  When as asked her where she learned that name, she looked at me and shrugged.  The things kids think of these days...

 

As I was helping Avannie clean her room two days ago, I noticed that Sadie had gotten really quiet.  When I went to go check on her, she was in my closet.  She had cleared off my shoes so that she could have a quiet place to sit and read her book.  Pretty funny!

100th Unit

A significant event at BAE....  the 100th unit (of what? who knows...) was made!  I figure that its an imporant event if Joseph actually sent me a picture!  Hooray for you!  Keep up the good work!

Pao de Quiego

One of our favorite recipes:

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups yuca flour

4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 stick of butter, room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

2 large eggs

Preparation:

1. Combine the yuca flour, cheese, baking powder and salt in a food processor, blend to mix well.
2. Add the butter and eggs
3. Mix until small dough balls begin to form
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and roll into a ball, you can make the dough ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 500 F .
6. Make small round shaped breads with the dough and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
7. Bake immediately or store in the fridge until ready to bake.
8. Bake for about 7 minutes and turn on broiler until the breads are golden, about 3-5 minutes.
9. Serve immediately

Keni's Bouquet

I made my sister's wedding bouquet!  Joseph asked me, "So, is this for you or for Keni?"  Ha!  Its is totally me - all my favorite colors!  But really, its for my sister and those are actually her wedding colors.

Day after the Election

The day after the Elections, Joseph said to me, "Well, its really time to BEEF up our food storage."  Another four years of our slow economy, who knows what will happen.  Are we heading in the same direction as Spain or Greece?  Who knows....  At least we will have peaches, pretzels, green beans, and stewed tomatoes.

Paper Flowers

A dear friend, and past young woman is in her school play this weekend and I can't go.  drats.  So what do I do for her the night before at 10:30 pm with using supplies that are around my home?  A paper-rose stick bouquet!

Elections 2012 - Go Mitt!!!

Our yard signs:  A Decision Based On...  Constitutional Principles, A Proven Business Record, Family Values, NOT Broken Promises.

 

Joseph and I went the the Final Romney Rally last night.  It started at 9:30 pm, and we had to stand in line outside in the FREEZING cold for 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Joseph wanted to go home, "They wouldn't even notice two people missing.  My response:  "Buck up, Buddy! (taken from him).  You are an American!  this is exciting!  Not everyone can do this!  Think of the people in Russia.  Can they go stand in the cold waiting to see a presidential rally? No!  But you can!"  It was worth it.

Because of standing forever outside, we were actually standing outside with the rally began.  Thankfully, it was being broadcasted on the big screen outside.  Four veterans led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. What an incredible thing to witness as we all stood in a mass  of people reciting "One Nation Under God" together.  It was wonderful.  What a privilege to be an American!

The rally was fun.  Kidrock was the half time show between all the congress people and senators.  When Kidrock first came on stage, Joseph said, "Garbage." My thoughts were, "This is the guy that Mitt Romney choose to introduce him.  Awful".  But I was pleasantly surprised because Kidrock sang a song about being BORN FREE.  And right after he said as the music was blaring, "And now I introduce you to our future president and First Lady, Ann and Mitt Romney!" The crowd went wild.  It was awesome. All the fanfare went to Mitt.

Go Mitt!

He is the right guy for the job. He has been prepared so perfectly to be the president of this nation!  Today is voting day.  We are going out to hold signs at the voting polls as well as help out at the local Victory office.  Its the final hours and I am a nervous wreck.  I won't listen to the radio or the news until tomorrow.

So to those who read... VOTE and turn this country around!  MITT ROMNEY IS THE MAN WHO CAN DO THIS!!!

Avannie's Painting Studio

Yesterday was a beautiful Autumn day and Avannie decided that her new clubhouse (a gift from some wonderful friends) would be the perfect place to paint.  She is becoming quite the artist.

Harvard and Boston Commons

 Ducks in the Public Gardens.  And the little girl who would not get out of our pictures...

Harvard Yard has the biggest acorns I've ever seen and FELT.  Yep, they are like cannon balls when they fall on your head.  Here Taylor is protecting Avannie's head. Later she realized that she also needed to protect her own!

 Taylor and I had first hand experience.

 Avannie decided to collect them.  And because her pockets were so little, they all ended up in mine.  I found this out later at home.  :D  Joseph and Avannie then planted them in the back yard - real Harvard Seeds of Knowledge!

 Harvard was a fun campus to walk around.  Sadie was thrilled by it.  :D

Weekend with Amy

As Amy just recently moved back to Utah, we had one last grand adventure before she left.  Being the adventure seeker that she is, and me being the mom-ready-for-a-36-hour vacation, we jumped in the car and were off to Vermont to do some hiking.  We did some sight-seeing along the way as well.  We stopped in the quaint town of Woodstock, drove through the gorgeous flaming valley of Killington, and hiked our first trail on Friday.  After eating a delicious dinner at a small cafe, we went and camped at the next-day's trail head in the back of Amy's car.  I've heard so much about this, that I was excited to try it out.  It was definately fun, and quite the new experience, but wow, I am getting older and prefer my own pillow-top bed.  Still, it was great to be with Amy.

Then next day, we started early on Camel's Hump and made it to the top.  My first summit!!!  And check out the view!  Drats.  But it was still great.  On the way home, we stopped at the Graveyard of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream for proof that they've stopped making our favorite flavor: Late Night Snack.  It wasn't there yet, so I still have hope.  We also went to the Apple Cider Press, Rock of the Ages (an incredible granite quarry), and a cemetary.  Awesome.  It was a fast and furious trip but it was wonderful!  Thanks Amy!

Avy LOVES a rainy day

Avannie loves to get pieces of mulch to float in the gutter as a "boat".  

And notice Avy's Mary Poppins umbrella - its been a bit loved, wouldn't you say? Thanks Dad for holding it 

October 2012

Amy is reading our favorite book series:  The Magic Tree House.  Avannie's hair is done up in socks - our new favorite doo...

This is what Joseph came home from work to...

Sadie was having a fever and trying to console her, I would hand her the things she wanted.  She pointed to the cupboard, then to the peanut butter, then to the fridge, and last to a bagel.  And then she was happy.

My car can fit three car seats in the rear seat!  Avannie is on her purple booster in the middle.  Yep, it is definitely a squeeze!  But we did it!

Fun at the park.  

When two little girls both want to swing and there is only one swing available... 

NH Halloween 2012

Phew!  The month of October if finished!  Two Halloween parties and six costumes later....  I love November 1st!

First Halloween Party was for the adults in the ward.  Its an annual party and finally this year, we won!  We won the Funniest Costume award.  Thanks to an awesome sister who helped me sew for three days!  It was awesome.

Second Party was the Ward's Fall Festival that includes Trunk-r-treating, chili cook-off, and mingling with everyone's friends and families who aren't of our faith.  Yep, it was a huge missionary activity.  I invited our neighbors and they came!  I was so excited yet had so much anxiety!  Thanks to a good friend (Elder Caldwell) who noticed, and he said, "Did you pray about it?"  Well, that was the DUH thing.  After that, the party went great!  

And for that party, Joseph was a pirate, Sadie was his parrot.  Avannie was Cinderella - complete with crown and glass slippers from her Dad.  I refused to buy it, but there is a soft spot in the Stone-Cold-Ice-Pick's heart.  :D  And I was a Costume Designer.  Notice the ruler and line of safety pins lining my sweater.  Safety pins - what a miraculous thing.  That's how Avy's and Sadie's costumes were put together.  

And the treats from the ward.  Joseph and I might have helped Avannie take care of the peanut m&ms.  

Actual Halloween Night - I turned off all the porch lights and we stayed home to carve our pumpkin that we grew this summer.  I wove the vine through the neighbor's fence and our pumpkin was actually hanging as it grew and turned orange!  It was awesome.

Joseph's Mountain Biking Race Experience

Last weekend, Joseph drove 3 hours to Maine to camp with his bike in the back of our Honda Fit.  Yep, he got to cuddle with his loved Trek all night long.  :D  But I made sure it would be as comfy as possible - two pillows, sleeping pad, home-made Italian pasta salad for dinner (carb-loading the night before), sandwiches, jerky, Sunny-D, and even a cookies and cream milkshake!

 

  

The race was a 12 hour relay.  Joseph's team had three people, each would ride the 9 mile loop and then "hand the baton" off to the next person, and they would do that exact loop.  Around and around for twelve hours.  Joseph was pretty consistent with his time of 52 minutes and a 53 minute for the first two loops.  But then the final loop for him was ten minutes slower as most of it was done in the dark.  scary.

When Joseph came home finally, he could hardly move.  It was pretty funny - but at the same time, it wasn't (as I sit here and giggle!).  He had a great time and said that he will be doing it again next year!  

All in ONE day's time

Avannie goes to the library in this outfit:  plain white shirt (backwards and inside out) with her High Heels on.

After Avy came back out side from running to the ladies room, our conversation went like this:  "Avannie, what did you eat?"  "nothing."  "Avannie, did you find the chocolate chips?" "uh-huh." "did you eat lots?" "yep, and they're so yummy!"  "I couldn't tell..." (in my mom voice that knows everything ;D)

 After her confession of eating lots of chips, we had a talk about how she shouldn't eat things that aren't hers.  A few minutes later, she had to go back inside for something.  When she returned, I asked if she ate more.  Her response was "no."  But a few seconds later came this in her super excited tone:  "Mom, can we eat chocolate chips in winter?"  "Sure dear."  "And can we put them in containers?"  "What do you mean?"  Avannie then led me inside to her room where I found her "babies" sleeping with a container full of chocolate chips nestled right along the side.  She assured me that the chocolate chips are for WINTER and that she won't eat them.  The funny thing is, she has no idea when winter is.  The next day she asked if it was WINTER yet.  Not quite sweet pea.

Some of the fruits of the garden:  oodles of tomatoes, loads of hot peppers, handfuls of raspberries and blackberries, a few green peppers and purple onions, and now, four-inch-super-sweet carrots!  Not to mention, our good-sized pumpkin that is hanging off the fence.

Avannie thinks she is Mary Poppins.  I am Micheal and Sadie is Jane.  And we sing Just a Spoonful of Sugar and all the other classics over and over and over again while dancing with umbrellas (indoors and outdoors).

Sadie is now standing on her own and pushing cars around.  Wow, she is a cutie.

Notice, this is now the third outfit of the day.  And still the same shoes.